Marvel: Ned the Master of Mystic Arts

"What is that thing? A dinosaur?"

In Midtown High, a boy and a girl were sitting close together, and the girl asked softly.

"No, not a dinosaur. It's a lizard, a giant lizard."

If Ned were here, he would instantly recognize the boy speaking as Peter Parker, the Spider-Man who had accidentally kicked (and let escape) the Lizard Doctor.

"A lizard? How can a lizard turn into that? I heard that monster could flip cars with just one hand," the girl asked in confusion.

"I don't know," Peter shook his head, admitting he had no clue either.

"Well then... aren't you scared? What can you even do?"

The girl hesitated for a moment before finally voicing her concern. She didn't want her boyfriend to don a strange, tight costume and risk his life fighting such a creature, only to then get pursued by her father and his team. It felt unfair to him.

"I mean, maybe you should keep a lower profile," she said earnestly.

"No, no," Peter shook his head. "Last night, on the bridge, that thing attacked people—it's deadly. I have to catch it."

"But that's not your responsibility," she protested. To her, something like that wasn't something human strength could deal with. Even if Peter was a bit different, he was still human. How could he fight a monster like that hand-to-hand?

"Maybe it is," Peter said with a grin, hearing her words.

"You know, I really enjoy kissing you," he added, leaning his head in closer as he spoke.

"Hi, Gwen," a voice suddenly interrupted just as Peter's nose was about to touch the girl's. Startled, Peter turned around to find another girl standing behind him. He quickly started scuffing the ground with his foot, trying to act nonchalant.

"Hi, Mia," Gwen said with a smile, gently pushing Peter away as she greeted Huang Xiwen.

"Hi," Peter echoed awkwardly.

Peter was still a shy teenager. Being caught in such a situation left him thoroughly embarrassed.

"Parker," Huang Xiwen replied before adding, "Class is about to start. Aren't you two heading to the classroom?"

"You go ahead. We'll be right there," Gwen said with a smile.

"Alright," Huang Xiwen replied before heading to the classroom with her bag. As she walked past Peter and Gwen, her back turned to them, a sly smile appeared on her face.

"Peter," Gwen called after Huang Xiwen left.

When Peter didn't respond, Gwen looked up and saw him staring intently in the direction of Huang Xiwen as she walked away.

"Peter, Peter!"

"Huh?" Peter finally snapped out of it after Gwen called his name twice, feeling utterly embarrassed.

Looking down, he saw Gwen staring at him with a smile.

"Uh... Gwen, let me explain. It's Huang. She gives me a different kind of feeling," Peter tried to explain. And indeed, as Huang Xiwen walked by earlier, Peter had felt an inexplicable sensation. It puzzled him, and he couldn't help but keep looking at her, trying to figure it out.

"Mm-hmm, I understand. I understand," Gwen said with the same smile, though the more she smiled, the more awkward Peter felt. He knew she wasn't taking this lightly.

After all, even if Gwen hadn't experienced it herself, she'd seen enough of it around campus. There were countless couples breaking up for all sorts of reasons, and Peter had heard many stories about guys who got dumped for looking at other girls a bit too much.

"Don't worry, Peter," Gwen said, patting his arm before heading toward the classroom.

"Hey, Gwen! Gwen!" Peter called after her, chasing her down the hall toward class.

During class, Peter couldn't help but glance at Huang Xiwen multiple times. It was so obvious that even the teacher, who had a good impression of him, was starting to lose patience.

"Parker, Parker!" the teacher called twice to get Peter's attention. Once he had it, the teacher said, "I know you're going through puberty, but you need to control yourself, especially in class."

The entire class, except for Gwen, erupted into laughter.

"Quiet!" the teacher ordered before pointing at the board. "Answer this question, Parker."

"The mass cancels out. Multiply the gravity by the sine of the angle," Peter answered as he stood up, noticing Gwen's cold expression.

"Alright, you got it right, but don't distract your classmates from paying attention," the teacher said with a shrug before resuming the lesson.

After class.

"Gwen! Gwen!" Peter called, grabbing her arm in the hallway. "Let me explain, Gwen."

"Peter," Gwen said with a sigh. "Let go of me."

"Okay," Peter released her arm. "It's just... she's different. I need to figure it out. If she's something dangerous, our classmates, especially you, could be at risk."

"I understand. I get it. But Peter, I'm your girlfriend. Even though she might…" Gwen waved her arms in frustration as her emotions got the better of her. She exhaled deeply, calming herself down. "Fine, Peter. Mia and I are friends, so maybe I can help you. What do you need me to do?"

Then she quickly added, "But know this: until we figure things out, I won't do anything that could hurt Mia, and I won't let you do anything to hurt her either."

"Thank you... Gwen."

Peter was moved and hugged Gwen tightly.

Feeling Peter's warmth, Gwen could only sigh in resignation, her face full of love for him.

"Here, when I get near Mia, throw this at her," Peter said, handing Gwen a baseball while watching Huang Xiwen heading toward the cafeteria.

"What?! This thing could split her head open, Peter!" Gwen exclaimed, grabbing Peter's arm in shock.

"No, no, no," Peter shook his head repeatedly. "I wouldn't hurt Huang. That's why I want you to wait until I'm next to her before throwing it—just in case. If I'm wrong, I'll make sure she dodges it."

"...Fine," Gwen said after staring at Peter's face for a moment, frowning but ultimately agreeing.

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