Peter swung and landed steadily on Hawk's apartment rooftop.
"Wow, Spider..."
"Peter?"
As Hawk looked at the Spider Spirit who just landed, he was about to speak when he saw Peter pull off his mask, revealing his true face, a surprised expression emerging on his face.
Peter smiled shyly after taking off his mask.
He now agreed with something Gwen had said earlier.
"Hawk, your acting skills are really not great."
"Really?"
Hawk was slightly startled, looking at Peter nodding seriously, he shrugged: "Alright, I'll keep trying."
If one person says his acting is bad, it might be that person's judgment.
But if two people say so...
Hawk started to reflect on whether his acting skills were really that bad.
Peter chuckled and then started talking about Dr. Lizard, whom he'd just dealt with.
"By the way, Hawk, did you see what just happened?"
"Part of it, but just when I was about to watch, you and that Lizard Person had already disappeared."
Hawk answered truthfully.
He saw the beginning and the end, but just missed the process.
But it's okay; he could see it on the news tomorrow.
As everyone knows.
The media reaction speed in New York City is extremely fast. When Dr. Lizard appeared on the Williamsburg Bridge, in less than three minutes, he saw three media helicopters from different TV stations hovering over the bridge.
Peter, hearing Hawk's words, was slightly stunned and subconsciously looked around here and then glanced towards the practically invisible Williamsburg Bridge.
From here?
Peter looked at Hawk in shock.
Hawk smiled and said: "I have pretty good eyesight, but your eyesight is just as good."
Peter nodded subconsciously again.
Indeed.
If he focused, he could also see the Williamsburg Bridge clearly from here.
Peter thought to himself, then his eyes lit up.
"Did you see where the Lizard Person ran off to?"
"No."
"Alright."
Peter sighed upon hearing that: "I didn't expect it to be so strong, it threw me off, and by the time I was ready to counterattack, it had already jumped into the river."
Hawk curiously asked: "How did it feel, its strength?"
Peter looked at Hawk, seriously thought for a moment, then frowned: "It's stronger than me, but not as fast as I am, and not as agile, but it moves faster underwater than I do."
Understood.
A one-punch type.
No need for him to unleash Little Cosmos.
Hawk listened to Peter's evaluation, nodded knowingly, and was ready to go back to sleep.
But...
Peter seemed to think of something and said to Hawk: "However, this Lizard creature gave me a familiar feeling, and it was while I was trying to figure out what it was that it threw me off."
Hawk heard this and looked at Peter.
"Have you figured out where this feeling comes from now?"
"Yeah."
Peter nodded and then looked at Hawk.
Hawk didn't say anything, waiting for Peter's next words, but seeing Peter looking at him after nodding, was first stunned, then realized.
"You're saying it's me?"
"Yeah."
"How could that be."
Hawk felt a bit absurd.
How could Dr. Lizard have his scent, he had only been to Dr. Connor's lab once.
Besides, even if there was some lingering scent from a previous handshake, over two months had passed, how could it still be there.
He wasn't some sort of goddess, and Dr. Connor wasn't a fan, he wouldn't be like those fans who refuse to wash their hands after shaking hands with their idol.
Peter, however, looked at Hawk and seriously said: "The last time I interacted with you at the old gymnasium, your scent left a strong impression on me, though the Lizard creature's scent was weak, barely perceptible, otherwise I wouldn't have taken so long to remember."
Hawk looked at the earnest Peter and frowned.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
Peter nodded, then thought for a moment more: "The Lizard creature felt like it had contact with you, so there's a lingering scent, just like Gwen has your scent, although Gwen's scent is much stronger than the Lizard creature's."
With such a description, Hawk suddenly understood.
He thought Peter wanted to say something else.
Turns out it was just this.
Hawk chuckled softly and looked at Peter: "Then I think I know who it is."
Peter's eyes lit up.
"Who?"
"Curtis Connors, from Osborn Biotechnology Regeneration Laboratory, Gwen went there yesterday, and Dr. Connor has been researching lizards to find regeneration techniques."
If Peter had said Dr. Lizard carried traces of him, he would be clueless.
But with Gwen's comparison, he understood.
If his scent was a one, then Gwen's, who is with him, carried a 0.5, and Gwen went to Osborn Biotechnology and met Dr. Connor the day before yesterday morning.
So from a theoretical standpoint, the barely detectable scent Peter caught on Dr. Connor was from this.
Hearing Hawk reveal the true identity of the Lizard creature, Peter's mouth dropped open in shock.
"It's him?"
"You know him too?"
"Yeah, I recall him meeting with my dad."
"Alright then."
Hawk, having understood the matter of Dr. Connor's lingering scent, was completely at ease.
He yawned.
"Alright, too late now, I'm going to bed."
"...Alright."
Peter was ready to continue discussing the dangers of the Lizard creature with Hawk, but seeing Hawk like this, he had to give up.
"Good night, Hawk."
"Good night, Spider Spirit!"
"Uh, I'm not a Spider Spirit."
"You sure?"
Hawk, who was halfway back while turning around, tilted his head and looked at Peter with a somewhat teasing smile: "Come on, loudly tell me where your webs come out from."
Peter opened his mouth, his expression turning serious.
"Good night, Hawk."
"Good night, Peter."
This time Hawk didn't tease Peter any further.
Soon.
Peter swung away on his webbing.
Hawk went back home, ate his fried chicken leg, took a cold shower, and then crawled into his bed to sleep.
Meanwhile.
Under the ground of Queens, in the sprawling sewer system that can even serve as a home to numerous homeless people during winter blizzards.
With the beastly roar echoing from the depths, gradually, the roar grew softer and softer.
Until finally.
The roar disappeared.
Replaced by a human moan!
...