Spider-Man…
No.
The Spider had finally come online.
Watching Peter Parker's pupils contract and dilate unnaturally, Hawk couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Truth be told, his earlier choice to stay out of Peter's business—in the locker room, on the school bus—wasn't just to avoid superhero tragedy. Part of him had feared meddling might derail this moment.
There were three Spider-Men.
And the only one Hawk truly liked was the one standing before him now—this Peter Parker, with the same face as Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man.
The Amazing one? At first, not so much—but after Andrew Garfield practically lived out Amazing Spider-Man 3 in real life, Hawk had grown to appreciate him too.
The MCU kid, though?
Sorry. Hawk couldn't bring himself to like him. The casting choices alone had sunk that version in his mind.
So, his thoughts settled, Hawk looked at Peter—who still seemed stunned—and broke the silence.
"Afternoon, Peter."
"…Afternoon."
Peter blinked, forcing his face back into its usual mild-mannered smile. He turned to Gwen with a shy greeting.
"Hi, Gwen."
She had noticed that strange moment of eye contact between them. Suspicious, but she pushed it aside and smiled. "Afternoon, Peter. Heard you gave Flash a hard time yesterday."
Yesterday's cafeteria brawl had spread through the school. Apparently, Peter had humiliated Flash Thompson, turning the tables completely.
Peter scratched his head sheepishly, saying nothing.
Gwen offered a thumbs-up. "About time you stood up for yourself. Keep it up, Peter."
Peter smiled wider, embarrassed.
Mrs. Snow clapped her hands lightly, drawing them back to the point. "Alright, everyone's here. Let's sit."
Peter dropped into the sofa opposite Hawk and Gwen. Mrs. Snow pulled out three folders from her desk.
"Gwen," she said, handing over the first, "Oscorp Industries—an assistant position in Dr. Connors' lab for the summer."
Gwen's eyes lit up. She accepted it gratefully. "Thank you! Dr. Connors mentioned he'd reach out soon, but I didn't expect it this quickly."
Mrs. Snow smiled, then turned to Hawk and Peter. "Two more offers. I wasn't sure which you'd prefer, so I called you here to choose for yourselves."
Hawk raised a hand. "Wait. I'm not sure why I'm even included in this."
Mrs. Snow blinked. "Hawk, did you forget last month's meeting?"
He thought back. Oh. Right.
At the end of their last one-on-one, she'd asked about summer jobs. He'd casually said he hadn't found one yet. She'd offered to look into it, and he'd offhandedly agreed.
Now, here they were.
He inhaled sharply. "Ah… right. I remember."
Mrs. Snow chuckled. "Good. Now, one is also from Oscorp, in their bioelectric division—they need a student to help organize lab data. The other's from the Daily Bugle. They're looking for a summer intern."
Neither job sounded glamorous. But both were only possible thanks to her connections. Without her letter, both companies would have just said, "We're full."
Peter looked at Hawk. "You first."
Hawk opened his mouth to decline… but then remembered the Connors paper he'd seen in the library. Gamma rays. Maybe a lead on "Gammanium."
"…I'll take Oscorp," he said firmly.
Peter nodded. "Then I'll go with the Bugle. I like photography."
Of course. Not just photography—Peter Parker had a thing for self-photography. And selling those photos to his own boss.
Mrs. Snow nodded briskly and handed them their respective letters.
"Peter, when you go to the Bugle, look for J. Jonah Jameson. Give him this letter. He'll set you up."
"Got it."
"Hawk, when you report to Oscorp, head to the bioelectric engineering department. Ask for Max Dillon. I'll call ahead."
"Understood."
Hawk kept his face neutral, though the name sparked recognition.
Max Dillon… wasn't that the engineer who fell into a tank of electric eels in Amazing Spider-Man 2 and became Electro?
Not his problem.
At least, not now.
What mattered to him was Connors. Gamma rays. That strange "Gammanium" he needed.
And Hawk had the sense this was the lead he'd been waiting for.
…
(End of Chapter)
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