Gwen's mouth fell slightly open.
She stared at the punching bag as fine dust drifted through the sunlight, still holding the shape of the bag for a moment before slowly dispersing.
The effect was almost surreal.
Lucas stood where he was, slowly exhaling as he relaxed his shoulders. Then he turned around.
Gwen had already shifted her gaze from the dust back to him.
Their eyes met.
Gwen looked at the faint sweat on his forehead, the white tank top clinging to his muscular frame, the bandages wrapped around his hands.
For a brief moment, she couldn't quite describe what she was feeling.
Lucas, on the other hand, looked genuinely surprised to see her there.
"Need something?" he asked.
"No."
Gwen shook her head. Hands clasped behind her back, she walked casually across the gym floor while glancing around the aging building.
"Why not train in the new gym?" she asked. "It even has air conditioning."
Lucas thought about it for a moment.
"It's quieter here."
Gwen nodded.
"That's true."
The old gym was practically deserted.
While talking, she reached the bench where Lucas had left his backpack and sat down.
Lucas blinked.
"Are you sure you're not here for something, Gwen?"
"Nope."
Leaning back against the bench with her hands, Gwen smiled at him.
"I was bored. Thought I'd come watch a friend train."
Lucas raised an eyebrow.
The way she said that felt slightly… pointed.
Still.
Training came first.
Lucas shrugged the thought away and turned back toward the punching bag.
He had almost finished his ten thousand punches for the day.
Then Gwen showed up.
Which meant he had lost his rhythm.
He would have to start the count again.
Lucas adjusted his breathing.
He deliberately avoided using Cosmo.
This routine was about physical discipline.
So he relied purely on his body.
As for Gwen—
If she wanted to watch, she could watch.
It was a public gym after all.
He had no reason to stop anyone from entering.
Soon, the sound of fists striking leather echoed through the empty building again.
But this time Lucas increased his pace slightly.
Punch after punch.
Faster and faster.
Then—
The air seemed to blur.
From Gwen's perspective, Lucas's arms suddenly split into a storm of overlapping motion.
A wall of punches filled her vision.
She blinked.
Had she missed something?
She hadn't even blinked.
Still confused, she pulled out her phone and pointed it toward Lucas.
Without looking at her, Lucas spoke.
"Don't record."
"…Okay."
Gwen hesitated, wondering if she had imagined the warning.
But she lowered her phone anyway.
After another minute, the barrage of punches slowed.
Then stopped.
The gym fell silent again.
Lucas unhooked the punching bag from its chain and casually tossed it into the corner.
The bag thudded against the wall.
Then he walked back to the bench, pulled a towel from his backpack, and wiped the sweat from his face.
He glanced at Gwen again.
"You really don't need anything?"
Gwen nodded.
"Yes, actually."
Lucas paused.
Gwen caught the tiny twitch at the corner of his mouth.
She grinned.
But instead of teasing him further, she got straight to the point.
"They're organizing attendance for the senior dance."
She tilted her head slightly.
"Are you going this year?"
Midtown High might be an elite private school, but it still held all the usual events.
Homecoming dances.
Masquerade parties.
And the annual grade dance.
Every year Gwen asked Lucas the same question.
And every year his answer was the same.
He never went.
Lucas preferred quiet environments.
At least that was the polite explanation.
The real reason was simpler.
He was broke.
No formal clothes.
No car.
No driver's license.
And definitely no date.
Showing up alone just to watch couples dance sounded miserable.
This year was no different.
"No," Lucas said immediately.
Compared to noisy dances, he preferred sitting on his apartment rooftop and watching the stars.
Quiet.
And free.
Especially now.
He had just moved into a new apartment.
After paying rent and buying basic supplies, his savings had shrunk dramatically.
That brief idea about buying a car earlier?
Yeah.
Terrible idea.
Lucas had already abandoned it.
Better to keep some money in reserve.
The school bus stopped near Queensbridge Park anyway.
Why buy a car?
He didn't even have a license.
Actually…
Lucas's thoughts drifted somewhere unexpected.
Maybe I should rob a bank.
Then he reconsidered.
Wait. If I'm already stealing things, why rob a bank?
Meteorites cost money too.
Why not just steal the meteorites directly?
After all—
He would probably have to steal Vibranium eventually.
If stealing Vibranium was already part of the plan…
Then stealing meteorites wasn't much different.
And if he was stealing those…
Would robbing a bank really be that much worse?
Gwen watched Lucas as his gaze unfocused.
"Thinking about something?" she asked.
"Robbing a bank."
"…."
Gwen raised an eyebrow.
Lucas blinked.
Their eyes met.
Then Gwen smiled thoughtfully.
"If you're going to rob a bank," she said sweetly, "I recommend the Pacific Bank in the 19th Precinct."
Lucas frowned slightly.
"Is it easy to rob?"
"No," Gwen replied cheerfully. "But my dad's the captain there."
Lucas went silent.
A moment later he said seriously,
"I was joking."
And mentally added another note.
If I ever rob a bank, never pick one in the 19th Precinct.
Gwen laughed and stood up.
Just as she was about to say something else, her phone rang.
She checked the screen.
"Mrs. Snow…"
A brief conversation followed.
"Lucas?"
"Yes."
"I know where he is."
She hung up and turned to him.
"Come on," she said. "Mrs. Snow wants to see you."
Lucas sighed.
"…Of course she does."