Marvel: The Enlightened One#51+52: The Lizard Strikes Again, Spider-Man versus the Lizard!

"It's Peter, isn't it?"

"..."

In the middle of physics class.

Hawk glanced at the words on the note that had been slid onto his desk, a single eyebrow arching. He looked over at Gwen, who was sitting next to him.

Gwen just gave him a pointed look, her eyes flicking to the note.

Hawk offered a small, noncommittal smile and slid the note back to her.

He wasn't confirming anything.

Gwen figuring it out on her own was one thing. Him admitting it was another.

Just as he'd said before: he wasn't going to betray Peter's secret, just as Peter hadn't betrayed his.

...

After class ended, Gwen walked with Hawk down the hall toward their lockers, her mind still turning over Spider-Man's identity.

It had to be Peter.

Hawk's social circle was practically nonexistent. And then there was Peter's own transformation—from a perennial victim to someone who could suddenly stand up for himself.

Most of the students just assumed it was because he had started training with Hawk.

That was how the rumor that Peter was Hawk's only friend had started.

But Gwen knew better.

She knew for a fact that Peter's newfound strength hadn't come from training with Hawk, and that was precisely why she was still hesitant.

It felt too simple.

It was like a slacker and a genius taking the same test.

The slacker sees a question, thinks, 'Oh, I know this one, it's A,' and fills in the bubble without a second thought.

But the genius looks at the same obvious answer and pauses, thinking:

Is this a trick question?

That was Gwen's dilemma.

She was almost certain Spider-Man was Peter, but without seeing it with her own eyes, she couldn't be 100% sure.

A moment later, Hawk opened his locker, tossed his physics book inside, and pulled out his backpack.

"I'm heading to Mrs. Snow's office."

"Okay."

Gwen, who had just grabbed her own bag, nodded. "I'll go to the library and wait for you there."

Hawk grunted in agreement, slung his bag over his shoulder, and headed for the administration building.

The weekend was tomorrow, but Monday was the 10th. If he wanted to take the day off, he had to request it today. Asking for it on Monday morning would be asking for forgiveness, not permission.

Gwen, meanwhile, walked toward the library.

Tomorrow was the Homecoming dance. She had to meet with the planning committee and finalize the details.

She wasn't actually going to the dance herself.

For her, studying had always been more important. But as the grade's student aide, she was still responsible for making sure it all went smoothly.

Although she and Hawk hadn't made their relationship public, she found herself wanting him to be her prom date this year.

She just didn’t know if he would say yes.

He might. Maybe. Hopefully?

She thought, a hint of uncertainty in her mind.

Just as Hawk and Gwen went their separate ways in the crowded hallway—one heading for the offices, the other for the library—something was stirring deep beneath their feet.

...

Down below.

In the filthy, reeking, slime-coated sewers, the sound of reptilian hissing grew louder. A massive, lizard-like creature surged through the wastewater like an Olympic swimmer, then, with a great splash, launched itself out of the muck and onto a concrete platform at a four-way intersection of pipes.

"Midtown High."

"Gwen Stacy."

"Capture her. Use her against Hawk."

"Hsssssssss."

The words burned into his mind like a demonic whisper. The Lizard, now fully transformed, swept its reptilian eyes across the area while its forked, scarlet tongue flicked out to taste the air.

It caught a scent.

With a guttural roar, it shot forward like a blur, diving into another sewer pipe. It scrambled on all fours like a true reptile, racing through the filthy tunnel toward Midtown High... and the student bathrooms.

...

A freshman, new to the trials of high school, was sitting on a toilet, scrolling through his phone.

Suddenly—

The kid, his face dotted with the acne of adolescence, felt something wrong.

The ground was trembling. An inexplicable, cold draft was rising from below, chilling him in a place the sun didn't shine.

The freshman was confused.

"What the hell?"

"An earthq—"

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

A powerful force erupted from below, launching him and the entire toilet upwards and out of the stall.

CRASH!!!!

The kid, still attached to his porcelain throne, landed in a heap on the bathroom floor, completely stunned.

The few other students in the bathroom stared, frozen, at the boy who had just been shot out of the stall like a cannonball.

But their shock quickly turned to terror.

In the now-doorless stall, the floor was cracking apart. A green, scaled claw shot up, its talons striking sparks against the ceramic tiles.

The next second.

HIIISSSSSSS!

The Lizard hauled itself out of the hole in the floor. It stood tall, spread its arms wide, and let out a triumphant roar, announcing its arrival.

"Thwip!"

...

"Huh?"

Peter, who had just finished his chemistry class and was back at his locker, suddenly looked down at his arm. The hairs were standing straight up.

Before he could even process what was happening, a series of terrified screams shattered the calm of the hallway.

"AAAAH!"

"OH MY GOD, IT'S THE LIZARD!"

"RUN!!"

"MOMMY, I DON'T WANNA GO TO SCHOOL ANYMORE!!!"

The bathroom door burst open. The students from inside came sprinting out, their faces masks of pure terror, shouting warnings as they fled in Peter's direction.

Bringing up the rear was the kid from the stall, still fumbling with his unfastened pants.

He was too scared to even notice.

It was clear he was traumatized. He probably wouldn't be able to use a public restroom alone for a very long time.

Just as the other students in the hall turned to look at the commotion—

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

The entire wall of the bathroom exploded outwards.

And the Lizard's monstrous form was revealed to everyone.

"Holy shit!"

"It's the Lizard!"

"..."

<><><><><><><><>

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 words of the fastest runners. 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.