Chapter 35: The Little Dirty Girl Gwen— I Feel the Same Way!
"Hehehe…"
Peter released Thompson's neck and instead grabbed his shoulders, lifting him higher. "Make your choice! If I'm not satisfied, I'll rip your throat out!"
Thompson was desperate. He yelled at the top of his voice, "Don't kill me! Let Liz die! That bitch never liked me—she just liked my status! I won't die for her!"
"Mmmph—cough! Cough!"
Liz gagged as the lizard's tail was pulled from her throat. After a few violent coughs, she immediately screamed, "Thompson, you bastard! You selfish piece of trash! Why don't you die for me?"
Their relationship instantly turned hostile, their true colors laid bare for all to see. The scene was caught on camera, and those who had long disliked them wasted no time in throwing insults.
The loudest voices came from the girls, as if Thompson and Liz had committed some unforgivable moral offense.
Peter grinned, thrilled at how perfectly his humiliation plan was unfolding. He silenced Liz by shoving her face into the grass before turning back to Thompson.
"Very good, you did great! So now, Thompson… get down on the ground and bark like a dog!"
"What!?"
Thompson stared at him in disbelief and tried to get up. "I did what you asked! How could you—?!"
Peter stomped on his back, pinning him to the ground. "You have no choice. That's an order."
---
BANG!
A figure landed on the rooftop of the school building.
She wore a white-and-black uniform, indigo ballet shoes, and a purple-pink hood lining. One palm touched the ground, her right knee bent, and her long, slender leg extended in perfect balance.
It was the signature Spider-Man landing pose.
And the person who had arrived was Gwen.
"A lizard man at school?"
From her elevated position, Gwen scanned the campus with her enhanced vision. It didn't take long to spot the commotion on the football field.
"There!"
She fired her webbing and swung gracefully through the air, moving with the agility of a seasoned acrobat.
Thwip—
Thwip—
After a few quick swings, Ghost-Spider appeared mid-air above the field.
Gwen was momentarily taken aback by the scene below.
"Woof! Woof! Woof!"
Flash Thompson—Midtown High's infamous bully—was on all fours, barking like a dog while circling the lizard man.
What the hell? Did he think lizards were scared of dogs?
Ethan had always told her to read more books, and moments like these proved him right.
Then Gwen noticed Liz, wrapped tightly in the lizard man's tail. The thick tip of the tail had been lodged in her throat moments before.
Watching this, Gwen unconsciously touched her own slender neck.
She recalled a certain game she and Ethan had played.
A shiver ran down her spine.
Oh… I know exactly how that feels.
The thought made her blush slightly.
Poor Liz, though.
For her, this was probably just humiliating.
For Gwen… well, it had been a little different.
Just then, the students erupted in excitement.
"It's Ghost-Spider!"
"Spider-Man is here! We're saved!"
"Go kick that lizard's ass!"
---
Hearing the commotion, Peter looked up.
His heart skipped a beat when he saw Gwen descending toward the field.
"Spider-Man?"
His mind raced.
She hadn't recognized him yet. But if she got too close, she might figure it out.
Fighting her here was not an option.
Without hesitation, Peter uncoiled his tail, tossing Liz aside and returning her to Thompson. He sneered, "Thompson, look who's insignificant now."
"Woof, woof—wait, you—!"
Thompson's eyes widened in realization.
Before he could say another word, Peter lashed out with his tail, knocking him unconscious.
He had no intention of killing Thompson—he just wanted him to experience the humiliation of being toyed with.
As Gwen's feet touched the grass, Peter turned and bolted, scampering away on all fours.
"Running away?"
Gwen frowned. Something about the lizard man's movements seemed… familiar.
She quickly checked on Thompson and Liz.
Both were still breathing, their chests rising and falling steadily.
No visible injuries.
She sighed in relief. "Alright. No casualties. I'll let Dad handle the rest."
"Ghost-Spider!"
The cheers rose again.
"You were amazing!"
"The lizard man ran as soon as you arrived!"
"Can I get an autograph?"
Jessica, arriving slightly late, landed nearby.
She had improved a lot—she could now leap and hover in the air for short bursts. But compared to Gwen, she was still slower.
"Wow, you handled that fast."
"No, it ran away on its own."
Gwen folded her arms. "Jessica… I have a feeling this lizard man isn't the same one as last time."
Jessica's brows furrowed. "Not the same one?"
"Just a hunch…"
When their eyes met, Gwen had noticed something.
Yellow, slit-like pupils.
But the one Jessica fought before… had green eyes.
Something wasn't right.
---
The Club
"Three with two!"
"Straight flush!"
"Royal flush!"
"Four-of-a-kind!"
Ethan Lee casually played his last set of cards, clearing his hand.
Barbara stared at him in stunned silence.
Her confidence was in shambles.
How?!
She had played poker against some of the best—agents, spies, and even professional gamblers.
And yet… she had just been utterly destroyed.
"You cheated," she muttered. "You had to have cheated."
Ethan smirked and adjusted his cuffs.
"Ms. Morse, a game of skill only feels unfair when you realize you're outmatched."
Barbara gritted her teeth.
She was sure he had pulled something… but she couldn't prove it.
Meanwhile, Ethan casually shuffled the deck again, a knowing glint in his eyes.
Barbara was good.
But he was better.
And he was going to have fun training this SHIELD agent in the future.