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Inside the old gymnasium.
Even though Hawk had already awakened his Cosmo, the habit of throwing ten thousand punches a day for a thousand straight days wasn't something he could just drop overnight.
So, he'd kept up the routine.
Besides, he had nothing better to do.
More importantly, he could feel that with each day of training, another star within his Cosmo had begun to glow faintly.
It hadn't fully ignited yet, but he estimated that if he kept this up for another month, it would.
Clearly, combat wasn't the only way to awaken his constellations.
It was just the fastest. Compared to the slow grind of a month of training to ignite a single star, fighting was a shortcut.
But that didn't matter.
Hawk wasn't in a hurry.
First, he didn't see himself as some kind of violence-addicted maniac. He certainly wasn't going to be one of those guys who gets powers and the very next day decides he's too good for humanity.
A thousand days of ten thousand punches had forged more than just his strength; it had forged his character.
He controlled his power. The power did not control him.
Second, he hadn't even gathered the materials to forge a Saint Armor yet. There was no rush to light up his constellations.
Everyone knows the score.
A Saint without their armor and a Saint with their armor are two completely different species.
Well—
For the most part, anyway.
...
A little while later.
After a quick shower, Hawk changed into a new t-shirt and jeans. He slung his backpack over his shoulder, walked out of the old gym, and headed for the main school gate.
His emancipation hearing was scheduled for 3:30 this afternoon.
If he caught the bus from the school gate now and made a couple of transfers, he could probably get to the courthouse by three.
Hawk sat at the bus stop outside the school, eating a sandwich and waiting.
He watched the various cars coming and going from the school entrance and started to wonder if he should get a car himself.
Of course, before he could do that, he'd need to get his driver's license.
That's right.
Unlike most of the kids in his grade, who all seemed to have their licenses, he didn't.
He'd never even considered buying a car before.
But now, the thought had taken root.
Before he awakened his Cosmo, he couldn't afford to. He had to plan for his future. Once he turned eighteen, the federal aid would stop. He'd have to cover rent on his own, and eventually, student loans for college.
The pressure of his future was suffocating. Buying a car?
Was he worthy?
No. He probably wouldn't even be able to afford the insurance premiums.
But things were different now.
If there was one thing Hawk felt after awakening his Cosmo, it was an immense sense of relief.
The weight of his uncertain future had been completely lifted.
After all...
Barring any unforeseen accidents, his future now had only two possibilities:
Living comfortably, or living very comfortably.
In fact, if he were a little darker, a little more ruthless, he could use his power and a Saint Armor to live like an emperor—where those who followed him prospered, and those who opposed him perished.
Power is strength.
Strength is in the fist.
And his fists were already sonic. Soon, they would be faster than light.
But he didn't have that kind of ambition. He certainly had no desire to become some kind of detached God-king.
At least, not right now.
But with the pressure of the future gone, Hawk figured he could afford to upgrade his quality of life a bit.
For starters, he still had five Chitauri weapons stashed away, waiting for the right opportunity to be sold.
Even if he sold them cheap, say, twenty thousand dollars a pop, that was still a hundred thousand dollars.
So...
Buying a car to make his life a little easier didn't seem so out of reach anymore.
As Hawk was lost in thought, he started to wonder why the bus was taking so long. Just then, a yellow Toyota Corolla with the custom license plate 'GW521' pulled up in front of him.
The window rolled down.
Gwen Stacy, her blonde hair tied back casually, her face framed by sharp, intelligent features and a pair of blue eyes that seemed to see right through you, looked out at him.
"Get in."
"..."
Hawk looked at Gwen, who was now waving him over. After a moment's silence, he said, "It's okay, I can just wait for the bus. Thanks, though."
Gwen smiled.
"You sure? The buses aren't running today."
"They're not?"
Hawk blinked, confused.
"When? Why?"
"Since noon."
Gwen's smile widened. "The MTA is on strike. Haven't you noticed you're the only one at the bus stop?"
Hawk instinctively looked around.
She was right. The entire bus stop was empty, except for him.
Damn it.
Hawk took a deep breath. He looked at Gwen, who was still smiling at him from the driver's seat. After a moment, he stood up, grabbed his backpack from the bench, walked to the car, and opened the passenger door.
"I owe you one. Thanks."
"Don't mention it."
Gwen said. Once Hawk was inside, she hit the gas, and the car sped off, heading toward the Queens County Courthouse.
"Oh, by the way."
As she was driving, Gwen remembered something. She glanced at Hawk in the passenger seat. "They changed the judge for your hearing. It's Judge Burroughs now. They also moved the time up to three o'clock."
"?"
A question mark slowly formed over Hawk's head. He looked at Gwen, confused.
Gwen smiled slightly. "The contact number you listed was the school's. The guidance counselor couldn't find you. I saw you heading to the old gym at lunch, so I figured you'd probably be waiting here for the bus."
It clicked. Hawk nodded in understanding.
A moment later.
It hit him again. He looked at Gwen, who was focused on the road, and said another thank you.
"Thanks. Seriously."
"Again, don't mention it."
Gwen replied with another smile. "I'm the grade's student aide. It's my job to help students."
And that was the truth.
At Midtown Tech, Gwen Stacy was universally known for being smart, kind, and beautiful.
She would patiently help any student who came to her with a question.
Like Jessica.
She would even help Flash Thompson when he occasionally, and reluctantly, asked for it.
Gwen would also stand up for students who were being bullied.
Like Peter.
She had even stepped in to defend another girl, Maria, from the head cheerleader.
And on top of all that.
Gwen was at the top of her class.
So—
Smart.
Kind.
And Drop-Dead Gorgeous.
That was Gwen Stacy in a nutshell.
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