What's the purpose of Hawk working so hard to become stronger?
Isn't it to take control of his own destiny?
Oh.
Now, someone wants to get his blood?
Heh.
No way.
It was only Gwen just now. If it were anyone else, Hawk guarantees that the moment their blood collection needle came down, their head would have been blown off by him.
But...
Gwen ignored Hawk's playful remark and looked again at the blood analysis report of Hawk that had just come out in her hand.
Others might not understand it, but she could.
Precisely because she understood, Gwen gasped.
Hawk's blood data was almost off the charts.
Just the white blood cell count already showed the maximum value the equipment could display, the real data might even be higher.
And what does the white blood cell count indicate? It means Hawk's immune system is extremely strong and efficient, able to instantly recognize and destroy any foreign invaders, such as viruses, bacteria, and parasites.
It also indicates Hawk's astonishing recovery ability.
Gwen again thought of the day of the lab accident; in a short while, she clearly saw Hawk bleeding, but in the blink of an eye, his palm had recovered.
And other various data...
In a word.
If Gwen had not personally drawn the blood from Hawk's finger, the data alone would make her absolutely believe this was fabricated.
Because this is simply not data a human should have.
"I've seen Captain America's blood test report online before."
"Hawk."
"Your data is even more exaggerated than Captain America's. You haven't injected the Super Soldier Serum like him, have you?"
Gwen couldn't help but look at Hawk, ruling out mutation, leaving only the option of injecting the Super Soldier Serum.
But unfortunately.
Hawk shrugged.
"No, I haven't."
"Alright then."
Seeing this, Gwen decisively stopped pursuing the topic, tearing the report into pieces, cleaning the machine inside and out, flushing the test tube under the faucet three times, and finally throwing the wet, soft paper fragments into the nearby trash can.
Entirely preventing the possibility of this report and blood sample being accidentally discovered by others.
Watching Gwen finish all this, Hawk couldn't help but laugh.
"Is it necessary to be so nervous, Gwen?"
"It's necessary."
Gwen, with a serious face, said to Hawk, "I have no doubt that if your data is exposed, you'd end up on the dissection table."
Hawk raised an eyebrow. "Then it depends on whether they can catch me."
They can try to see if they can take him.
Because Hawk wouldn't mind turning their attempt into an obituary.
Since he has opened the killing field now.
Like he said before.
Killing isn't a choice for him anymore, it's just a matter of how many.
However, Gwen's expression did not relax because of Hawk's words; instead, she looked at him seriously.
"Hawk!"
"Yes."
"Never let anyone know your blood data."
"... Alright."
Hawk looked at Gwen's serious face, thought for a moment, and nodded.
Gwen's serious expression eased a bit, and as they walked out of the laboratory together, she changed the topic.
"So what's next?"
"What?"
"Dr. Connor."
"It's not our business."
Hawk shrugged. "It's not like we caused him to turn into a lizard monster, maybe Dr. Connor has already run off to Mexico."
Gwen thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Possible."
"Let's not talk about him. What's your afternoon class?"
"French, what about you?"
"Geography."
The two chatted about their afternoon class schedules as they walked away from Stark No.3 Experimental Building.
Just like that, three days passed in the blink of an eye.
During these three days, the hotspot triggered by the lizard monster gradually faded away.
After all, since it appeared once that day on the Williamsburg Bridge, it hasn't appeared again in the three days.
Everyone thinks the lizard monster has either been secretly captured by the military or has fled New York City.
Peter, New Yorker's friendly neighborhood hero, thinks so too.
But...
Actually, Dr. Lizard has never left, and at this very moment, he stays in the underground sewer, five blocks away from Midtown High School.
In New York City's sewer, there's a platform set up every so often along the way.
And Dr. Lizard's temporary base is on this platform.
But now Dr. Lizard has resumed his form as Dr. Connor.
However, after experiencing being a mighty and limber yet mostly ugly giant lizard person, how could he willingly revert back once the dose wears off to a helpless, even crippled person?
Maybe Dr. Connor initially injected the Regenerative Potion intending to prevent the board from experimenting on those already pitiful disabled soldiers.
But now, Dr. Connor is enlightened.
No harm in being human, but being a lizard person is stronger, more formidable, and broader in perspective than ordinary people.
So Dr. Connor decided on one thing.
He's going to stop being human and wants to permanently become a lizard person.
To achieve this goal, he first needs to figure out why the only successful test subject succeeded.
So over the past three days, he has been watching his lab videos here.
Finally...
With the occasional hypnotic mechanical sound due to current flowing through his ears, Dr. Connor, sweaty and filthy, suddenly brightened his eyes at the frozen frame on the screen before him.
He looked.
It's really the sight of the tailless mouse licking up the blood on the ground.
Dr. Connor quickly rewound the video, and soon the image froze on Hawk withdrawing his palm in front of Gwen.
"Hawk!"
"It's him!"
Seeing this image, Dr. Connor shivered all over, his body shaking uncontrollably.
He was trembling with excitement.
Because he once had good relationships with Hawk, so Dr. Connor felt if he called Hawk, Hawk would surely give him some blood for research.
He thought so, and did so.
But as Dr. Connor was about to pick up the phone, suddenly a voice, seemingly from his inner thoughts and simultaneously in his ear, echoed.
"No, he won't give it to you. Someone with such potent blood, how could he give it to you?"
"..."
Listening to the whisper echoing in his mind and ear, Dr. Connor's eyes became trance-like.
"Yeah, he won't give it to me. How could he give it to me? But, what should I do?"
"Gwen..."
"Capture Gwen, she's Hawk's girlfriend, capture Gwen and force him to give you blood!"
"You're right, capture Gwen and force..."
Dr. Connor, eyes unfocused, muttered to himself as he picked up the last three Regenerative Potions nearby...
...