"Is it Peter?"
…
Physics class.
Hawk glanced at the small folded note slid onto his desk. Raising an eyebrow, he looked sideways at Gwen.
Her eyes flicked toward the note, urging him to respond.
Hawk chuckled faintly and simply pushed it back across her desk.
No confirmation. No denial.
Let Gwen draw her own conclusions if she wanted—he wouldn't be the one to betray Peter.
After all, Spider-Boy hadn't sold him out. Why should he?
…
When class ended, the two of them walked together toward the lockers. Gwen's thoughts were still spinning.
She was almost certain Spider-Man was Peter.
It all added up—Peter had been the scrawny nobody, then suddenly grew stronger overnight. Everyone whispered he'd toughened up by training with Hawk, which was why people even called him Hawk's only friend.
But Gwen knew the truth.
Peter hadn't been training with Hawk at all. His transformation came from somewhere else.
Which made it too obvious—so obvious that Gwen hesitated.
Like a top student staring at a test with an answer printed plainly in front of them, she kept second-guessing herself. Could it really be that simple? Or was it a trap?
Still, every instinct screamed the same: Spider-Man was Peter Parker.
…
At his locker, Hawk swapped out his physics book for his bag.
"I'm heading to see Mrs. Snow," he said.
"Alright," Gwen nodded, pulling her own backpack free. "I'll wait in the library."
Hawk waved once and walked off toward the faculty offices to put in his request for leave. Monday was coming, and he needed the paperwork settled now.
Gwen turned down another hall, her mind already occupied with senior prom details—she had duties as class assistant, even if she didn't normally care for dances. But this year was different.
She found herself thinking… maybe, if Hawk agreed, she actually wanted to go.
…
Beneath the city.
The stench of sewage clung thick in the air. Water churned as something massive surged through the tunnels.
Splash!
The hulking, scale-covered form of the Lizard hauled itself out onto a junction platform, green eyes burning.
"Midtown High…"
"Gwen Stacy…"
"Capture her. Force Hawk to give me his blood!"
His long tongue snapped out as he hissed, words echoing like a curse carved into his skull.
Then—his nostrils flared. He scented prey.
With a roar, the Lizard dropped back down, claws skittering against the damp stone, and hurtled down the tunnels—straight toward the school.
More precisely… toward the student bathrooms.
…
On a toilet in one of the stalls, a freshman scrolled through his phone.
A strange tremor rippled underfoot.
Cold drafts licked against his bare skin.
"…Earthquake?"
BOOM!
The floor split apart beneath him. With a terrified scream, he and the entire toilet were launched across the room, smashing through the stall door and skidding across the tile.
The other boys froze in shock—until they saw claws tear through the cracked floor, sparks spraying.
Then came the roar.
The Lizard erupted from below, hulking and hideous, arms spread wide as his bellow shook the walls.
…
Out in the corridor, Peter had just returned from chemistry.
Suddenly, every hair on his arms stood on end. His Spider-Sense blared.
Screams tore down the hall.
"AAAAH!"
"Oh God—it's the Lizard!"
"Run!"
"Mom, I don't want to go to school anymore!"
The bathroom door burst open. Students stumbled out, pale with terror. One had forgotten to pull his pants back up, too panicked to care.
And then—
CRASH!
The wall exploded outward.
And the monster stepped into view.
The Lizard had arrived at Midtown High.
...
(End of Chapter)
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