CHAPTER 56: CHAPTER 056: GWEN’S DOPPELGANGER! GWEN II JOINS THE BATTLE!

"The yin-yang power of the Tiger Talisman?"

When Gwen first heard about this ability, she didn’t quite understand what the term meant. Yin-yang power... what exactly was that?

Seeing her confusion, Lorien slipped into the role of a patient mentor.

"The yin-yang power refers to two parts of a whole.

It’s like how some people look cold on the outside but have a warm, fiery heart inside.

But it doesn’t mean two extremes—it’s not about one being good and the other bad.

It’s simply two different directions within the same whole."

Gwen fell silent, mulling it over. She tried to figure out what her own "two directions" might be.

After a long moment, the only thing she could pinpoint was that she was extroverted.

So... would her other self be introverted?

Only one way to find out.

Closing her eyes, she activated the Tiger Talisman’s power.

Buzz~

A projection identical to her split away from her body, appearing at her side before slowly taking on physical form.

The two were dressed identically, and every detail—from facial features to hair—was perfectly matched.

The only difference... was in their expressions.

As soon as the doppelganger became solid, she glanced at the original Gwen, then at Lorien—before quickly blushing, turning her head, and avoiding his gaze entirely.

Ah... so that’s how it was.

Lorien instantly realized that this "Gwen" likely had the opposite personality of the original. The real Gwen was lively and outgoing—this one was shy and introverted.

But judging by her eyes, one thing hadn’t changed: she liked him just as much.

Both Gwens liked him. Only their personalities were different.

At first glance, this doppelganger even reminded him a little of Hinata from Naruto.

"Wow~"

The real Gwen stepped forward, circling her double and giving her a once-over. Then she poked the girl’s stomach with a curious finger.

"The softness is exactly the same!"

"Stop that..."

The doppelganger immediately swatted her hand away, speaking in a timid voice.

"Don’t touch me like that..."

Gwen blinked at her in disbelief, then turned to Lorien.

"She’s nothing like me! How can she be so shy?"

Lorien nodded knowingly.

"You don’t have a bad heart, so your opposite form reflects your inner personality. Unless, of course, you decide to create one that’s ’worse’ than you in the future."

Gwen thought about it, and the idea actually intrigued her.

"Alright, I’ll try that next time."

She then looped her arm through Lorien’s and grinned.

"Beer! Let’s drink beer! You promised last time!"

"You—"

Before Lorien could respond, the shy Gwen’s expression changed. Her blush deepened when she saw her counterpart holding onto him.

She hurried over, grabbed his other arm, buried her face into it, and murmured softly,

"I want to... too."

That sudden contrast hit Lorien like a jolt, making his heart skip a beat.

After meeting the lively Gwen, he thought she was the best Spider-Woman the Marvel Universe could offer.

But as it turned out... this Gwen wasn’t bad either.

"Hey!"

The real Gwen wasn’t having it. She looked at the other "Gwen," identical to herself, and said,

"Can you speak up? Just say what you want already."

The "Gwen" in Lorien’s arms stiffened for a moment, then raised her voice—though still far softer than the original.

"I... want to drink too!"

Well, compared to how she usually spoke, that was already pretty loud... but still nowhere near half the volume of Gwen’s earlier words.

Seeing her other self act so timid made Gwen’s temper flare. She suddenly had the urge to roast her doppelganger into the ground.

Lorien just smiled, took both of them by the hand, and led them into the wine room.

"Pick whatever you want. You can drink anything here."

Gwen glanced over the bottles lined up on the racks, released his arm, and began browsing. The "Gwen" doppelganger hesitated a moment, then let go as well and joined her.

They scanned the shelves together, sometimes reaching up, sometimes crouching down to inspect labels, checking which flavors might suit them best.

From behind, Lorien nodded in satisfaction as he watched their mirrored figures.

Not bad.

Very not bad.

These Twelve Talismans were truly amazing.

That thought made him cross one arm over his chest and stroke his chin.

What if... he could create multiple shadow clones in the future? (Only for the heroines, of course—no problematic stuff.)

Fine, even ordinary shadow clones would be acceptable. But if he could somehow pull off Naruto’s upgraded Sexy Jutsu? Lorien would burn at least three sticks of incense in gratitude to the system. No—thirty-three!

With that amusing thought lingering, he went to prepare some snacks and desserts, then switched on the TV.

...

Before long, Gwen and her double each walked over holding a bottle of wine. Lorien blinked in surprise.

"You two... can actually finish those?"

Gwen scoffed and glanced at her counterpart.

"She insists on picking something with a strong aroma! I just wanted something crisp and refreshing!"

The clone Gwen hugged her bottle protectively to her chest and muttered, cheeks pink,

"This one should taste better..."

Lorien: ?

Seriously? Why had they both picked strong liquor? Wouldn’t it make more sense to choose something lighter so they could drink longer?

He stepped forward, took both bottles, and checked the labels. Sure enough—neither was something a normal person could finish without ending up drunk.

"...Fine. Whatever."

He grabbed a bottle opener, popped them both open, and said,

"Think of this as training your tolerance. Don’t end up passed out when it’s time to celebrate."

He took out three glasses, poured Gwen’s wine into hers, and the clone’s into hers.

When it came to his own... Lorien looked up, only to find two identical pairs of eyes staring at him, waiting to see whose drink he’d choose.

He thought for a moment, then picked up both bottles and poured them together.

Can’t I just mix them? I’ve got a Superman’s body—what’s there to be afraid of?

Sure enough, both Gwens only gave a small pout at his choice but didn’t complain.

Smart move.

Once the glasses were filled, the three of them each raised their drink and began to sip.

"Cheers~!" x3

The three clinked glasses and each took a big gulp.

"Ha~~~"

"Hoo~~~"

As expected, both little Gwens finished their drink and immediately stuck out their tongues.

"Bleh~"

Lorien just smiled without saying a word.

Two little lightweights.

On the TV, the news anchor’s voice came through clearly.

[The United Nations has proposed the "Sokovia Accords" to impose restrictions on the Avengers’ power!]

[Captain America has expressed strong dissatisfaction and outright refusal!]

[However, Iron Man Tony Stark has not issued any public comment.]

[The agreement will be put to a multi-nation vote at the United Nations International Center in Vienna. If it passes, the Avengers must submit to oversight—otherwise, it will be considered a declaration of war against the United Nations!]

Hearing this, Gwen leaned back, arching her slim waist in an elegant curve to glance at the TV, then looked back at Lorien, clicking her tongue and shaking her head.

"Lorien, free superheroes are still the best.

If the Avengers are under control, doesn’t that mean they’ll have to file a report before doing anything?

And then write a summary afterward? That’s no freedom at all."

She spread her hands and shook her head, clearly unimpressed.

Gwen wasn’t like Peter Parker from other universes. Peter had a strong sense of heroism—he wanted to be a superhero, wanted to join the Avengers.

Gwen, on the other hand, valued her freedom. She still fought crime and lent a hand when needed, but she didn’t have the same "superhero complex."

Her doppelganger, cheeks flushed, softly nodded in agreement.

"That’s right..."

Lorien glanced at the shy little "Gwen." She was so adorably timid it made him want to tease her.

But first, there was business to discuss.

He took a sip of his mixed drink and nodded.

"In the end, at least half the reason is that other countries in the UN fear what a united group of superheroes could do.

One superhero alone isn’t much—hit them with a missile, at worst a tactical nuke.

But a whole team? They could change the entire world.

Tony nearly did it by himself."

Gwen and her double both thought it over, then nodded in agreement.

Did people really believe the UN wanted to sanction the Avengers just because of property damage?

Or that it was purely because the public was against them?

Not completely. Those were just triggers—some even pushed deliberately by people behind the scenes.

The real reason was fear of the Avengers’ collective capability.

Why ignore independent heroes but clamp down on the Avengers?

That’s why.

The superhero registration law was just a way to identify every hero so they could be monitored.

To put it bluntly, a force had emerged that challenged the UN’s own security and authority—so they moved to contain it.

It was nothing new; they’d done it plenty of times before.

But...

Gwen tilted her head and asked curiously,

"What about Wanda?"

"Simple," Lorien said, setting down his empty glass before refilling it. "I’ve already talked to her. For now, she’s just going to wait and see how things play out.

If the Avengers disband, then they disband—she’ll be free again. But if real restrictions are put in place, I’m pretty sure she’ll quit.

Then she can be a free superhero like you.

Or... she can come work for me. I’m short an assistant to play games with. Nine-to-five, room and board included, weekends off, and I’ll throw in a luxury car on day one."

The moment he finished, Gwen’s eyes widened and she shot her hand up.

"Me!"

"Me..."

The offer was so tempting that even her doppelganger raised a hand.

Lorien chuckled and glanced between them.

"You haven’t even been to college yet and you want a job? I’m not hiring high schoolers."

"I can work part-time," Gwen said, leaning in with a sweet tone.

"No part-timers—only full-time," Lorien replied, taking a sip of wine. "And your part-time job is being a superhero. You can’t juggle two gigs."

"Fine..." Gwen sighed, taking a sulky gulp from her glass before slumping onto the table, drunk and mumbling.

"I’m almost graduating anyway... I’ll be a college student soon."

That mention of college made Lorien curious.

"How are your grades? What school are you aiming for?"

"I dunno~" Gwen said with a playful lilt. "As long as it’s in New York. Columbia, NYU... anything like that."

Lorien understood instantly. For her, getting into university wasn’t a problem—she was a top student by default.

"What major do you want?" he asked.

"Anything that’s all about memorizing," Gwen replied. Her memory was frighteningly sharp; even before becoming Spider-Gwen, she’d had an uncanny ability to retain information.

"Medicine, history, art, music... any of those."

Lorien nodded. All fine choices. But he wasn’t about to give advice—interests mattered most. She could study whatever she wanted; it wasn’t his place to interfere.

...

Gradually, the three of them fell into a comfortable silence.

It wasn’t the awkward kind, but the quiet of shared ease.

The "Gwen" doppelganger, never much of a talker, seemed to relish it. She lay on the table, sipping her drink in small tastes, occasionally glancing at Lorien—only to shyly lower her gaze whenever their eyes met.

Tch.

It was enough to make Lorien’s fingers itch.

After a while, Gwen stood up, accidentally knocking over her glass.

"Ah~!"

Half the wine spilled across her clothes, trickling down in a thin stream.

"Ugh..." She pouted in mild annoyance. "Guess I need a shower."

"Go ahead," Lorien said with a nod. She’d showered here before—no instruction needed.

With Gwen gone, only Lorien and the doppelganger remained at the table.

Taking the opportunity, Lorien turned to her with a curious question.

"Do you have any objections to the original?"

The doppelganger Gwen tilted her head, thinking it over.

"I do..." She paused, then added, "But not that kind of objection. We’re both the original... I just have an issue with her personality."

That second sentence caught Lorien off guard.

Then it clicked—Gwen and "Gwen" weren’t like a clone and the original body. Only shadow clones worked that way.

The person created by the Tiger Talisman was also the real thing. One was the primary, one the secondary—but both were her.

Before splitting, they were literally the same person.

"So..." Lorien asked cautiously, "If tomorrow you two had to merge again, would you feel sad and want to refuse?"

It was a bit of a ruthless question—essentially asking on behalf of the Gwen in the shower.

"A little..." this Gwen admitted after a pause. "But we’re still the same person. After merging, I’d still be me... just balanced out with Gwen."

"I see."

Lorien nodded in sudden understanding. No wonder this Gwen seemed more outgoing than expected today. When the split happened, the other Gwen’s personality must have shifted too, but once they merged, everything would even out again.

So that was yin and yang.

Got it.

He lifted his glass, took a sip—

—and before he could set it down, Gwen’s voice came from the bathroom.

"Lorien! I don’t know how to turn on the hot water! Come help me!"

Lorien: ?

Doesn’t know? Yeah, right.

"You sure you don’t know?"

"Lorien, I really don’t! Come check!"

Alright, your words, not mine.

Standing up, Lorien glanced at the introverted Gwen.

"I’ll go help her turn on the hot water. If it really won’t work, that means it’s broken. If you can’t wait, you can come help fix it with me."

With that, he headed to the bathroom.

Now only the quieter Gwen was left at the table, listening for what was happening inside.

"Let me check..."

Pfft—splash!

"See? Hot water."

Bang!

"Now it’s broken."

Oh, you’ve really outdone yourself.

"Fine, I’ll fix it right now!"

Lorien immediately started tinkering with the water heater.

The introverted Gwen waited outside for quite a while, and when it still wasn’t fixed, she finally walked over.

"Let me help fix it..."