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With a single, graceful swing, Peter landed squarely on the rooftop of Hawk's apartment building.
"Whoa, Spider—"
Hawk, who had been about to speak, stopped short as the hero ripped off his mask, revealing his true face. A look of mock surprise crossed Hawk's features.
"Peter?"
Peter just gave him a shy smile. He finally understood what Gwen had been talking about. "Hawk... you're a terrible actor."
"Am I?"
Hawk blinked, then saw the dead-serious nod from Peter and just shrugged. "Alright, I'll work on it."
If one person says you're a bad actor, it might just be their opinion. But if two people say it...
Hawk made a mental note to practice his surprised face in the mirror.
Peter chuckled, then his expression turned serious as he brought up their recent encounter. "So, did you see what happened back there?"
"Parts of it. But by the time I got a good look, you and that lizard guy were already gone."
Hawk was telling the truth.
No big deal. It would be all over the news tomorrow.
Everyone knew how fast the New York media worked. Less than three minutes after the Lizard had first appeared on the Williamsburg Bridge, Hawk had already counted three different news helicopters circling overhead.
"...." Peter's eyes widened at Hawk's words. He glanced around, then looked toward the Williamsburg Bridge, which was barely a speck in the distance.
From this far away??
Peter looked back at Hawk, his expression one of pure shock.
Hawk just smiled. "My eyesight's pretty good. But then again, so is yours."
Peter nodded slowly. It was true. If he really focused, he could probably make out the details on the bridge from here.
A thought suddenly struck him. "Then did you see where he went?"
"Nope."
"Damn." Peter sighed. "I didn't expect him to be so strong. He just threw me off. By the time I recovered, he had already jumped into the river."
Hawk's curiosity was piqued. "What's your take on him? Power-wise."
Peter looked at Hawk, thought for a moment, and then frowned. "He's stronger than me, but not as fast or agile. But in the water... he's way faster."
Got it.
One-punch material...
I wouldn't even need to burn my Cosmo.
Hawk processed Peter's assessment, gave a slight nod, and was about to head back inside.
But then, Peter seemed to remember something and said to Hawk, "Actually, that lizard felt familiar somehow. I was trying to figure out what that feeling was when he threw me..."
Hawk paused and looked at Peter.
"And did you figure it out?"
"Yeah."
Peter nodded, then just stared at Hawk.
Hawk waited, but when Peter didn't continue, it finally clicked. "You're saying me??"
"Yeah."
"That's impossible..." The idea was absurd. How could the Lizard have his "scent" on him? He had only been to Dr. Connors's lab once.
And even if some trace had been left behind from a handshake, that was over two months ago. There was no way it would still be there.
He wasn't a goddess, and Dr. Connors wasn't some simp who'd refuse to wash his hand for a month after shaking mine.
But Peter was insistent. "The last time I was this close to you was in the old gym. I remember your presence... your scent or whatever. It's distinct. The trace on that lizard creature was faint, almost unnoticeable. If it wasn't, I wouldn't have taken so long to place it."
Hawk frowned. "You're sure?"
"I'm sure."
Peter nodded, then thought again. "It was like he had been in contact with you, so a trace of you was left on him. Kind of like how Gwen has a trace of your presence on her, but the one on Gwen is way, way stronger."
That description cleared everything up.
He had been wondering what Peter was getting at.
So that was it.
Hawk let out a small laugh. "Okay. In that case, I think I know who he is."
Peter's eyes went wide. "Who?"
"Dr. Curt Connors. He's the head of the regeneration lab at Oscorp. Gwen was just there yesterday. And his entire research is based on lizard DNA."
If Peter had just said the Lizard smelled like him, he would have been stumped.
But using Gwen as a comparison was the key.
If his own presence was as a "1," then Gwen, who spent so much time with him, would probably carry around a '0.5.' And since Gwen worked at Oscorp, that would explain how such a faint trace ended up there.
Peter's jaw dropped as Hawk revealed the Lizard's identity. "It's him?"
"You know him?"
"Yeah, I think I met him once with my dad, a long time ago."
"Right."
Now that the mystery of the lingering trace was solved, Hawk was completely at ease. He let out a yawn.
"Well, it's getting late. I'm going to bed."
"...Okay."
Peter had wanted to discuss the threat the Lizard posed, but seeing Hawk's dismissive attitude, he let it go. "Goodnight, Hawk."
"Goodnight, Spider."
"Uh, I'm not a spider."
"You sure?" Hawk, who had already started to walk away, turned back, a playful, smartass grin on his face. "Go on. Tell me where the webs come from."
Peter's mouth opened, then closed. His expression turned serious. "Goodnight, Hawk."
"Goodnight, Peter."
Hawk didn't tease him any further.
...
A moment later, Peter was gone, swinging off into the night.
Hawk went back inside, finished his fried chicken, took a cold shower, and collapsed into bed.
Meanwhile, deep beneath the streets of Queens, in the labyrinthine network of sewer tunnels that served as a winter home for the city's homeless, a sound echoed.
A primal, bestial roar echoed from the darkness. Gradually, the roars grew weaker.
Until finally.
The roaring stopped.
And in its place, a human groan of agony could be heard.
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