Beautiful, Kind-Hearted, and Good Grades! (Seeking Follow-ups!)

Old Gymnasium.

Even though Hawk's Cosmo had awakened, the habit of throwing ten thousand punches every day for a thousand consecutive days wasn't something he could just drop.

So these days, he still kept up the routine of ten thousand punches daily.

He had nothing better to do anyway.

What's more, with each day of practice, Hawk could feel another star in his Cosmo faintly flickering.

It hadn't lit up yet, but he figured if he kept at it for a month, it really would.

Clearly, fighting wasn't the only way to light up a star.

At the very least, it wasn't the sole option—it was just that compared to the efficiency of lighting a star through a month of ten thousand daily punches, combat was the only shortcut.

But that didn't matter.

Hawk didn't care either.

First, he didn't think of himself as a violent maniac, let alone someone who'd wake up with superpowers and turn into an "I don't eat beef" type the next day.

A thousand days straight, ten thousand punches a day—it hadn't just honed his strength; it had tempered his character.

He controlled the power, not the other way around.

Second, he hadn't even gathered the materials needed to forge his Cloth yet, so there was no rush to light up his constellation.

As everyone knew.

A Saint without a Cloth and a Saint with a Cloth were two different species.

Uh...

At least, for the most part.

After a while.

Hawk took a shower, changed into a fresh T-shirt and pants, slung his single-shoulder bag over his back, and walked out of the Old Gymnasium, heading toward the school gate.

The Independent Hearing he'd applied for was scheduled for 3:30 PM that afternoon.

If he caught the bus at the school gate, then transferred twice, he'd probably make it to the courthouse by 3:00.

Sitting at the bus stop by the school gate, Hawk bit into a sandwich while waiting for the bus.

Watching the various vehicles coming and going through the gate, he started thinking about whether he should buy a car himself.

Of course, before buying one, he'd need to get his driver's license.

Yeah.

Unlike most of his classmates, who all seemed to have one, he didn't.

After all, Hawk had never even considered buying a car before.

But now he was thinking about it.

Before his Cosmo awakened, he hadn't bothered—because he had to plan for his future. Once he turned eighteen, the federal subsidies would stop, and he'd have to cover rent on his own, maybe even take out loans for college.

The looming pressure of life had him barely breathing. A car?

Was he worthy?

He wasn't. He'd probably buy one and then not even be able to afford the insurance.

But now, it was different.

If there was one thing Hawk felt most after awakening his Cosmo, it was a heavy sigh of relief.

He'd finally shed the weight of an uncertain future.

After all...

With his Cosmo awakened, barring any surprises, his future only had two options.

Living comfortably, or living even more comfortably.

Hell, if he let his darker side take over, once he forged his Cloth with his awakened Cosmo, he could live like an emperor—those who followed would thrive, those who opposed would perish.

Authority was power.

Power was the fist.

And as it happened.

His fist was already supersonic, and in the future, it would surpass the speed of light.

But he didn't have that kind of mindset, nor that "I don't eat beef" attitude.

At least not for now.

Still, after shedding the pressure of the future, Hawk felt he could afford to upgrade his quality of life.

Not to mention, he still had five Chitauri alien weapons stashed away, waiting for the right chance to sell.

Even if he sold each one for a cheap two thousand dollars, five would net him ten thousand.

So...

Buying a car to improve your life—that didn't seem like a bad idea.

Buying a car to improve his life—that didn't seem so bad.

Hawk thought to himself, just starting to wonder why the bus was taking so long, when a yellow Toyota Corolla with the custom plate "GW521" pulled up in front of him.

Hawk was thinking this when, just as he started wondering why the bus was taking so long, a yellow Toyota Corolla with the personalized license plate 'GW521' pulled up in front of him.

The window rolled down.

The window rolled down.

Gwen appeared in Hawk's view—her blonde hair casually tied back, delicate features, and blue eyes that seemed to see right through a person.

Gwen appeared in Hawk's view—her blonde hair casually tied back, her face delicate, with a pair of blue eyes that seemed able to see straight through a person.

"Get in."

"Get in."

"..."

"..."

Hawk looked at Gwen, who was waving at him, and paused for a moment. "No thanks, I'll wait for the bus."

Hawk looked at Gwen waving at him, paused for a moment, and said, "No thanks, I'll just wait for the bus."

Gwen smiled.

Gwen smiled.

"You sure? The buses aren't running today."

"You sure you don't want to get in? The buses aren't running today."

"Not running?"

"Not running?"

Hawk was taken aback.

Hawk was taken aback.

"Since when? Why?"

"When? Why?"

"Since noon."

"Noon."

Gwen said with a smile. "The New York drivers' union is on strike today. Didn't you notice the bus stop is empty?"

Gwen said with a smile, "The New York Drivers Union is on strike today. Haven't you noticed there's no one else at the bus stop?"

Hawk instinctively looked around.

Hawk instinctively looked around.

Sure enough, he was the only person at the entire bus stop.

Sure enough, the entire bus stop had only him standing there alone.

Damn it!

Damn!

Hawk took a deep breath, looked at Gwen smiling at him from inside the car, thought it over, stood up from the bench, grabbed his bag, walked to the car, opened the passenger door, and got in.

Hawk took a deep breath, looked at Gwen sitting in the car smiling at him, thought it over, stood up from the bench, grabbed his backpack from beside him, walked to the car, opened the passenger door, and got in.

"Sorry for the trouble. Thanks."

"Sorry for the trouble. Thanks."

"No problem."

"You're welcome."

Gwen said, and once Hawk was in, she hit the gas, shooting off toward the Queens County Courthouse.

Gwen said this, and once Hawk was in, she stepped on the gas, shooting off, carrying Hawk toward Queens County Court.

"By the way."

"Oh, right."

Gwen, who was driving, remembered something and glanced at Hawk in the passenger seat. "The judge for your independent hearing has been changed to Judge Brose, and the time has been moved up to three o'clock."

Gwen, who was driving, remembered something and glanced at Hawk in the passenger seat. "The judge handling your Independent Hearing has been switched to Judge Brose, and the time has been moved up to three."

"?"

"?"

Hawk heard this, a question mark slowly forming over his head as he looked at Gwen.

Hawk heard this, and a question mark slowly appeared over his head as he instinctively looked at Gwen.

Gwen gave a slight smile. "Your contact number on file is the school's. Your advisor couldn't find you. I saw you heading to the old gym at noon, so I figured you might be waiting at the bus stop."

Gwen gave a slight smile. "The contact number you left was the school's. The counselor couldn't find you. I saw you heading to the old gym at noon, so I figured you might be waiting at the bus stop."

Hawk finally understood and nodded.

Hawk finally understood and nodded.

A moment later.

After a moment.

He processed it and looked at Gwen as she drove, thanking her again.

He came to his senses, looked at Gwen driving, and thanked her again.

"Thanks."

"Thanks."

"Once again, no problem."

"Again, you're welcome."

Gwen replied with a smile, looking at Hawk. "I'm the grade-level student assistant. Helping students is part of my job."

Gwen replied with a smile, looking at Hawk. "I'm the Grade Student Assistant. Helping students is what I'm supposed to do."

That was the truth.

That was the truth.

At Midtown High School, as the Eleventh Grade Student Assistant, Gwen was widely recognized for her beauty and kind heart.

Gwen would patiently help any student who came to her with questions.

Like Jessica.

Gwen could patiently help any classmate who came to her with questions about their studies.

She'd even patiently answer Flash Thompson when he came to her sometimes.

Like Jessica.

Gwen would also step in when she saw a student being bullied.

Even Flash Thompson, when he came to her sometimes, would get a patient answer.

Like Peter.

Gwen would also step up when she saw a classmate being bullied.

And when she saw a female student named Maria being picked on by the cheerleading captain, she'd step in to protect Maria and call out the captain.

Like Peter.

Most importantly.

She would even step in to protect Maria when she saw her being bullied by the Cheerleading Captain, scolding the Cheerleading Captain.

Gwen also had great grades.

Most importantly.

So...

Gwen's grades were also excellent.

Beautiful.

So...

Kind-hearted.

Beautiful.

Good grades.

Kind-hearted.

That was Gwen Stacy!

Good grades.

That's Gwen Stacy for you!

That was Gwen Stacy!