Gwen moved faster picking out Toby's car than she had for Uncle Ben's. Within thirty minutes, she had narrowed it down to the latest model Jeep Wrangler.
"Pickups are for the older generation," Gwen argued, dismissing Toby's initial lean toward another truck. "You're young. If you don't want a low-slung sports car but still want something with presence, an off-roader is the only choice."
The Wrangler stood nearly two meters tall and wide, perfectly accommodating Toby's massive frame. Its rugged, muscular aesthetic matched his own "power-first" personality. Toby took it for a spin around the lot and was sold. He paid in full on the spot.
However, unlike Ben's Ford Raptor, the top-tier custom Wrangler wasn't in stock. It had to be shipped in, meaning Toby was stuck with his "beater" R8 for the rest of the day.
The two headed to the amusement park, where Gwen's smile never faded. She dragged him straight to the Ferris wheel—the mandatory ritual for every couple. As the cabin slowly ascended, providing a panoramic view of the New York skyline, the conversation shifted from romantic whispers to more serious matters.
Gwen brought up her father's current case: the Manhattan Bridge incident.
"When I first saw the news," Gwen admitted, leaning against Toby's shoulder, "I thought the Spider-Man fighting the dinosaur was you. You wore something so similar when you saved me two years ago."
"But then I saw him move. The build was wrong. He was... smaller. Not as 'heavy' as you." Gwen looked up at him knowingly. "It's Peter, isn't it?"
Toby didn't bother lying. Gwen had known his secret for two years and hadn't breathed a word to a soul. Her intelligence was her sharpest tool; denying the obvious would only insult her. "Yeah. Peter made the cut."
Gwen nodded, her mind already racing. "If Peter is the Spider, then I'm willing to bet Dr. Connors is the Lizard. He's been obsessed with that serum. I called him this morning, and he sounded... strange. He told me the internship was 'on hold' for security reasons."
Toby confirmed her second theory as well. "It's him. But Connors' version isn't permanent like mine or Peter's. He has to keep redosing to stay in that form, or he'll 'degenerate' back into a human with a missing arm."
Gwen's expression darkened. Her concern wasn't just for her mentor, but for her father. Captain Stacy was leading the hunt for the Lizard, and as she'd seen on TV, the creature possessed strength and regeneration that made standard police sidearms look like toy guns.
She didn't ask Toby for help, though. She didn't want to drag him into a mess that could expose him or put him in danger. She simply forced a smile, trying to enjoy the moment.
Toby, however, caught the subtle shift in her aura. He didn't have mind-reading powers, but his observation skills were apex-tier. He felt the tremor in her hand.
"Don't worry, Gwen," Toby said, wrapping his hand over hers. "Connors just wants to be whole. He's not a mass murderer by nature. He'll likely stay in the shadows to perfect the serum. The odds of your father running into him on the street are slim to none—"
BOOM!
WEE-WOO-WEE-WOO!
The universe apparently had a sense of humor. Before Toby could finish his sentence, an explosion rocked the street just outside the amusement park gates.
They looked down from their vantage point. Several police cruisers were in a high-speed chase with a massive green reptilian blur. The Lizard had just swatted a patrol car into a brick wall, causing the blast they'd heard.
Toby: "..."
Karma comes at you fast, he thought.
To make matters worse, the Lizard leaped over the park's perimeter fence, crashing into the midway. And to make things even worse, the first officer to jump out of the lead pursuit vehicle was Captain George Stacy.
Gwen turned pale, her breath hitching in her throat. She looked at the chaos below, then back at Toby. She didn't have to say it. Her eyes were pleading for a miracle.
Toby didn't waste time with words. He stood up in the rocking Ferris wheel cabin and unlatched the safety gate.
Gwen suddenly grabbed his wrist, her eyes darting around the park. "Wait! If you go out there like this, everyone will see you! Your identity... we have to think of another way—"
Toby gently pried her hand away. He reached for the buttons of his dress shirt and ripped them open with a single, violent motion. Beneath the civilian fabric lay the blood-red weave of his tactical suit, the black spider emblem centered on his chest.
He looked at her and gave a small, confident smirk.
"Gwen, a real warrior never takes off his armor. Especially not on a date."
Before she could respond, Toby leaped from the highest point of the Ferris wheel, a crimson streak descending like a meteor toward the unsuspecting Lizard below.