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After a few days of quiet, the Lizard—a topic that had already started to fade from student gossip, made a dramatic return.
Most students had been fascinated by the news reports, eagerly discussing every detail about the creature. But now, with the Lizard standing right in front of them, their reaction was universally, predictably, the same.
Screams.
Panic.
In an instant, the peaceful quiet of the student lounge was shattered.
But...
A short distance away, in the main administration building, it was still a picture of tranquility.
The staff here were completely unaware of the chaos unfolding outside.
Especially in Mrs. Snow's office.
Mrs. Snow wasn't surprised by Hawk's request to leave early. He took a personal day on September 10th every year.
This time was no different.
Hawk, having gotten his absence excused, was about to leave when Mrs. Snow called out to him.
He stopped at the door and turned back.
Mrs. Snow was smiling. "So, I hear you and Gwen are together now?"
"Yeah."
"That's wonderful. I'm so glad you finally listened to your heart."
Her voice was filled with genuine happiness.
If Gwen could see the invisible wall Hawk used to put up, then of course Mrs. Snow—who had seen more of life than Hawk had seen of the world, could see it too.
But unlike Gwen, Mrs. Snow saw the whole picture. After all, she knew Hawk just as well as she knew Gwen. Otherwise, she wouldn't have thought to look for Gwen whenever Hawk went missing.
So, her tone became wistful. "I was starting to think you two would never get past that awkward stage before graduation. But I'm curious, who made the first move?"
Hawk looked at his suddenly gossipy, but clearly caring, guidance counselor. He thought for a moment.
"Gwen did."
"That's what I figured." Mrs. Snow nodded, then smiled warmly at Hawk. "Hawk, there's some advice I've been wanting to share with you. I was saving it for your graduation."
She paused, her expression kind. "There is no shame in a humble beginning. True strength lies in being able to bend without breaking. I was going to give that to you at graduation if you hadn't changed, but it seems you don't need it anymore."
Just as she'd said, she understood Gwen, and she understood Hawk.
Hawk listened to her words and gave a sincere nod. "Thank you."
Mrs. Snow then added, "Can I offer you one more piece of advice, Hawk?"
He nodded. "Of course."
He couldn't speak for other students, but his guidance counselor was one of the best. Her concern for him was real, and he always took her advice seriously.
Mrs. Snow smiled.
"Prom."
"Huh?" Hawk raised an eyebrow.
"I know you don't like those kinds of things," she said, "but prom is different. If you can, you shouldn't miss it. And of course, take your date. That way, years from now, when you look back on your high school experience, it won't just be an empty space. Right?"
Going to prom with Gwen?
That actually sounded...
Pretty good.
As Mrs. Snow spoke, an image of the prom flashed in Hawk's mind.
A handsome couple.
Music and dancing.
Limos and champagne.
Ugh...
Hawk snapped back to reality, pushing the thought aside. He gave Mrs. Snow a genuine smile. "Okay, Mrs. Snow. I'll think about it."
Satisfied with his answer, she smiled back.
Hawk was about to leave for good.
But just then.
BAANG!!!
The office door flew open. A staff member poked his head in, his voice frantic. "There's an emergency! We have to go, NOW!"
Mrs. Snow froze.
Hawk's brow furrowed.
...
One minute later.
Hawk emerged from the administration building and stopped, staring at the scene unfolding in the distance. Students were pouring out of the emergency exits of the main school building in a panicked flood.
What the hell?
Is there a school shooting at Midtown now?
"Run!"
"It's the Lizard! He's here! Run!"
"Students, this way!"
The Lizard? Hawk caught the word of the fastest runner. He immediately opened up his senses, which he normally kept suppressed.
If he didn't, the constant sensory overload would drive him insane.
The moment he did, the sounds from inside the school building flooded in—screams, guttural roars, the sounds of fighting, and the telltale thwip of a web-shooter.
...
"Thwip!"
"CRASH!"
In the middle of the chaos, Peter, who had quickly changed in a bathroom, was in the thick of a fight. The Lizard caught him with a vicious swipe of its claws, hurling him across the hall. The claws also snagged Peter's backpack, ripping it from his shoulders.
"Peter!"
"Parker!"
The Lizard's eyes fell on the name tag on the backpack. A flicker of recognition crossed its reptilian face. It looked up at Peter, who was already getting to his feet after crashing into a wall. "Peter Parker? The boy with no mother, and no father?"
Peter didn't answer. He just charged forward again.
But the Lizard's tail shot out, wrapped around a row of lockers, and swung them like a club, slamming into Peter and sending him flying.
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
Peter hit the ground and tumbled hard, smashing through the main entrance doors and rolling out onto the lawn.
With a furious roar, the Lizard's massive frame tore the rest of the doorway apart as it burst outside.
The next second.
Before the Lizard could even steady itself, Peter planted his hands on the grass, launched himself into the air, and delivered a powerful kick that slammed into the creature's side like a cannonball, sending it flying back into the school building.
The sounds of fighting and shattering walls erupted from inside once again.
Hawk was already running toward the library.
He didn't know why the Lizard had shown up at Midtown, but it wasn't his problem.
Peter was on the scene. He could handle it.
As Hawk entered the library, he immediately spotted Gwen, who was hurrying down from the second floor with a crowd of other students.
"Gwen!"
"Hawk!"
She saw him and rushed to meet him at the bottom of the stairs. "What's happening?"
Hawk was about to answer.
CRASH!
He instinctively looked up.
The Lizard crashed through the second-floor window with Peter clinging to its back, webs wrapped tight around its massive frame. It paid him no attention.
And then, with its claws outstretched, it lunged straight down at Hawk and Gwen.
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