Inside the old school gym, the heavy bag swayed gently in the quiet air.
Even though Lucas Kane had already awakened his Cosmo, the habit he had built over a thousand days wasn't something he could abandon overnight.
So he kept training.
Ten thousand punches.
Every day.
There was no real reason to stop.
And as the days passed, Lucas noticed something interesting.
Each session seemed to stir the faint glow of another star within his Cosmo.
It hadn't fully ignited yet, but the light was growing stronger.
At this pace, it might awaken within a month.
Apparently, combat wasn't the only way to awaken a constellation.
Training alone could do it too.
It was simply slower.
Lucas didn't mind.
First, he wasn't some kind of thrill-seeking brawler who needed constant fights to feel alive.
Training for a thousand days had sharpened more than just his body.
It had strengthened his discipline.
He controlled his power.
His power did not control him.
Second, he still hadn't gathered the materials needed to forge a Saint Cloth.
Without a Cloth, awakening a constellation wasn't nearly as valuable.
After all, a Saint without their armor and a Saint wearing their Cloth were practically two different beings.
Well—
Most of the time, anyway.
A while later, Lucas finished showering and changed into a clean T-shirt and a fresh pair of pants.
He slung his bag over his shoulder and left the gym.
His independence hearing was scheduled for 3:30 PM.
If he caught the bus outside the school gate and transferred twice, he should arrive at the courthouse around three.
Plenty of time.
Lucas sat at the bus stop outside Midtown High, eating a sandwich while watching cars pass by the entrance.
As he waited, another thought crossed his mind.
Maybe he should buy a car.
Of course, he would need a driver's license first.
Most students his age already had one.
Lucas didn't.
Until recently, owning a car had never even crossed his mind.
Back then, every dollar mattered.
Without federal support after turning eighteen, he would be responsible for rent, living expenses, and possibly student loans.
The weight of that future had always felt suffocating.
Buying a car?
That had been a luxury far beyond his reach.
But things were different now.
If awakening his Cosmo had changed anything, it was the pressure he used to feel about the future.
That burden was gone.
With Cosmo awakened, Lucas could imagine only two versions of his future.
A comfortable life.
Or an even more comfortable one.
If he really wanted to, he could probably live like a king.
Power brought authority.
Authority came from strength.
And Lucas now possessed strength that could move faster than sound—and one day, perhaps faster than light.
But that wasn't the path he wanted.
At least not now.
Still, with the anxiety about his future gone, improving his quality of life didn't seem unreasonable.
For example—
He still had five Chitauri weapons hidden away, waiting for the right moment to sell.
Even if each one sold cheaply—say twenty thousand dollars—that would still be a hundred thousand in total.
Buying a car suddenly seemed far more realistic.
Lucas was still thinking about it when he noticed something odd.
The bus still hadn't arrived.
A yellow Toyota Corolla rolled to a stop in front of him.
The license plate read GW521.
The passenger window lowered.
A familiar blonde ponytail appeared.
Gwen Stacy leaned slightly toward the open window, her bright blue eyes calm and focused.
"Get in."
Lucas stared at her for a moment.
"…I'm fine," he said. "I'll just wait for the bus. Thanks."
Gwen smiled.
"Are you sure? The buses aren't running today."
Lucas blinked.
"They're not?"
"Nope," Gwen replied casually. "Driver's union strike. Started at noon."
Lucas looked around.
The bus stop was completely empty.
No commuters.
No students.
Just him.
…Great.
He exhaled quietly.
Then he stood up, grabbed his bag, and walked over to the car.
Opening the passenger door, he climbed inside.
"Thanks. I appreciate it."
"No problem."
Gwen stepped on the gas, pulling smoothly into traffic as they headed toward the Queens courthouse.
A moment later she glanced sideways.
"Oh, right."
"One more thing."
"The judge handling your independence hearing changed. It's Judge Bross now. And the hearing got moved up to 3:00 PM."
Lucas slowly turned his head.
A question mark practically appeared above him.
"How do you know that?"
Gwen laughed softly.
"You listed the school as your contact number. The counselor couldn't reach you."
"At lunch I saw you heading toward the old gym, so I figured you might end up waiting at the bus stop."
Lucas nodded in realization.
That explained it.
A moment later he spoke again.
"…Thanks."
Gwen smiled slightly.
"Again—no problem."
"I'm the student assistant for our grade. Helping students is literally my job."
It wasn't an exaggeration.
At Midtown High, Gwen Stacy had a reputation.
She was known for being patient with anyone who asked for help studying.
Jessica Drew, for example, often went to her for help with chemistry.
Even Flash Thompson occasionally asked her for homework advice.
Gwen never refused.
If she saw someone being bullied, she stepped in.
Like with Peter Parker.
And when a cheerleader once picked on another student named Maria, Gwen had confronted the captain herself.
But the most impressive thing?
Her grades were exceptional.
So at Midtown High, everyone agreed on three things about Gwen Stacy.
She was beautiful.
She was kind.
And she was brilliant.