Chapter 36: "Lightning Strike: Hero's Rescue"
-----
-----
Gwen's high school campus.
Gwen, as Spider-Woman, was still locked in battle with Connors—the giant lizard.
At first, they were evenly matched.
Then, it turned into a struggle.
And now—
She could only rely on her webs to dodge the lizard's razor-sharp claws.
With her Spider-Sense, she narrowly avoided attack after attack.
Every time those claws swiped past her, she could practically smell the blood lingering on them.
Using her web, she leaped onto the rooftop.
Looking down, she saw the lizard clinging to the wall with all four limbs, climbing up fast.
A wave of helplessness washed over her.
She couldn't even defeat a monster that showed up at school.
How hopeless must the Avengers feel when facing aliens?
Her mind was racing, but her hands kept moving.
Seeing the lizard about to catch up, she shot out a web, swinging away.
But then—a huge shadow swept through the air above her.
It was the lizard's tail.
She couldn't dodge in time.
With quick thinking, she released the web, letting herself drop.
But the lizard was waiting below.
Its claws slashed toward her.
Gwen's eyes widened in despair.
Then—
A figure crackling with electricity suddenly appeared between her and the lizard.
With a powerful kick, the figure sent the giant lizard flying.
Then, strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her into a firm embrace.
Feeling the warmth of his hold, Gwen wasn't sure if it was from his body heat or the faint sparks of electricity running along his skin.
All she knew was—her whole body felt tingly.
BANG!
The lizard crashed into the ground with a heavy thud.
Gwen stared at Ron in shock.
"You're actually this strong!?"
She had always thought Ron's powers were just in his eyes—the ability to hypnotize people.
She never expected him to have such incredible strength, far surpassing hers.
The power he just displayed was at least in the hundred-ton range!
Ron playfully smacked her on the backside.
"You just had to play the hero even though you couldn't win, huh?"
"And look, you got yourself into trouble."
Honestly, her suit felt pretty nice to the touch.
Under her mask, Gwen pouted but didn't swat his hand away.
Instead, she subtly shifted, pressing closer.
Nothing gets the heart racing like a hero saving the damsel in distress.
She had been drowning in despair.
And then, Ron appeared out of nowhere, rescuing her.
If they weren't at school, surrounded by people, she would've wrapped her arms around his neck
and kissed him already.
Ron tilted his head, looking into the lenses of her mask.
A smirk tugged at his lips. "Your body's telling me you're thinking some very inappropriate
thoughts."
"Be good. There are too many people here—it's not the right time."
"Once this is over, I'll take you somewhere more private."
"O-Okay..." Gwen nodded obediently.
Then, her expression suddenly changed.
"Watch out—!"
"Whoa! Ron, how did you do that!?"
Before she could even finish her warning, her vision blurred.
In the blink of an eye, they were suddenly dozens of meters away.
Wait—wasn't this the spot Ron had been standing earlier?
She had been carefully keeping track of him during the fight, making sure the lizard stayed away
from him.
So how was it possible that he had moved so far, so fast, without her even noticing?
And she had Spider-Sense!
Ron grinned. "Want to know?"
"Let me finish dealing with that thing first, and I'll tell you."
Gwen let go of him. "I'll be waiting. Be careful."
"Don't worry." Ron waved dismissively.
Electricity surged around his body as he turned toward Connors, who was charging at him on all fours.
The massive creature leaped, lunging at Ron with its claws wide open.
As the Lizard, Connors was no weakling.
Bullets bounced right off his thick skin.
Only rifles could pierce it.
To truly injure him, you'd need a sniper rifle.
And even then—he was fast.
Snipers would have a hard time hitting him.
In a crowded city, RPGs and other heavy weapons were off-limits.
Sure, he wasn't on the level of the Hulk.
Not even close to Abomination.
But if his transformation could be stabilized and mass-produced...
That was why Ron had taken an interest in him.
Unfortunately, Connors' time was up.
Ron would make sure his abilities weren't wasted—he'd use them to help others.
Consider it redemption.
Staring at the giant green lizard, Ron's body crackled with electricity.
Then—
He vanished in a flash of lightning.
Reappearing behind the Lizard in an instant, he delivered a devastating kick to its back.
Scales shattered.
The Lizard crashed into the ground, leaving a deep crater.
"ROAAAR!!"
It climbed out, tilting its head back to roar at Ron—
Only for Ron to cut it off with a swift kick to the throat.
Its neck twisted at an unnatural angle.
Any normal person would be dead.
But its monstrous healing factor kicked in instantly, fixing the injury in seconds.
Before Ron's eyes, it looked completely unscathed—
As if nothing had ever happened.
...