The ferocious Lizard.
Spider-Man hanging behind him.
And...
Gwen, dumbfounded.
Hawk had no time to think. The moment he yanked Gwen over, he seemed to realize something. He pulled her back hard, gathered her into his arms, then spun on the spot, exposing his back to the Lizard.
Bang!
The Lizard's claws crashed onto Hawk's back like falling boulders, sending Hawk straight down the stairs.
Hawk spun again in midair, his back slamming into a bookshelf below.
The bookshelf shattered.
It had all happened in a flash. By the time everyone else reacted and saw the scene, they screamed nonstop as they fled the Library.
"Hawk!"
The Lizard stood on the stairs like a true monster, his throat working as he stared at Hawk getting to his feet below. "Blood. Give it to me!"
All right.
He was after me.
Other than his clothes being a little disheveled and dusty, Hawk had felt practically nothing from the Lizard's blow. Hearing that, he muttered inwardly, then instinctively looked at Gwen, who had also recovered from her shock. "Are you okay?"
But he was curious.
If the Lizard had been after him, why had that attack just now looked as though it had been aimed at Gwen?
And it wasn't an illusion.
It was instinct. If the Lizard had truly been targeting him just now, then forget hitting him—even grazing him would have meant his two and a half years of hard work had gone to waste.
Hawk had initially intended to grab Gwen and leave at supersonic speed.
But just as he was about to do so, a whole series of consequences suddenly flashed through his mind.
For example...
Gwen might be unable to withstand the sudden acceleration, her entire body crushed as if by an invisible giant hand.
Or...
The