The Separation
It had been a while after he opened his eyes. Aside from a sliver of light poking in from the window, the room was unbearably dark. The small cell Connors was in was not to his liking. As a former Army soldier, Connors had been captured by the enemy at one time and it was an event in his life, he never got over. Now, back in a cell that reminded him of his days in capture, Connors was terrified beyond all measure.
Connors tried to study the room he was in so he can gain some sort of advantage over how to escape. 'Know your enemy's place and you'll never think of it as a maze' was what he was taught in the army barracks. Back then, he didn't understand that very saying and he didn't know what good that particular teaching would do now. He had been labeled a coward throughout his whole life and so he never learned to act for himself.
Although recently, Connors had transformed into a giant reptilian beast capable of great strength and agility and he had not been himself throughout the whole process but one thing he knew was when he was such a being that his inhibitions, the limitations, the flaws that held him back were non-existent when he was quote unquote the Lizard.
'The Lizard.' I guess I'll accept that name.' Connors thought resignedly.
He remembered that the formula was made to regenerate lost limbs, scars, and torn ligaments, in this case Connors' own arm that he had lost in the war and which was the contributing factor for his naivety and fearfulness in the long run. He was very fascinated with lizards seeing as how they have regenerative capabilities. Studying them further, Connors eventually found the inspiration to try and make humans regenerate as well. But of course, the formula he had made was not what he thought.
Sitting in the small cot which was the only other thing in the room besides him, Connors tried to think of what it was like. He tried to remember what having such power felt like. It was incredible having such strength. As he tried to remember, flashes, random images in his mind began to awaken.
"Aah!" the pain of remembering seemed to be too much for Connors and so he put a hand to his forehead to stop the debilitating headache. All the while, he was remembering attacking a young man at a school who bore a strong resemblance to Norman Osborn.
Curt knew Norman had a son. His name had been Harry. He had seen him a few times at OsCorp, presumably to visit his father. He didn't know why he tried to attack him but Curt only assumed it was because he had thought Harry was Norman. But what really made Curtis even more overwhelmed with awe was that the so-called Spider-Man went up against him and defeated him. Connors was curious about Spider-Man.
'Who was he?' he wanted to say. At the moment, where he was in right now was far more important than knowing about Spider-Man.
Disorientation, matched with the random images of past events, coupled with being in a small cell in which he assumed must have been in a secluded location from the dark, ominous look of it, Connors began to yell out to whoever could hear him.
"Hello! Can somebody hear me?!" he called out to the ceiling. "May I ask where I am?!"
His anxiety was getting the better of him and so he continued yelling erratically. "What is this place?! Who are you people?" Connors thought he was going to lose his mind with the lack of response that he received. Instead he resorted to banging on the steel door with his fists. He stopped banging seeing as how his hands were red and sore and so he switched to kicking. But the kicking didn't even make any sound because of how hard the steel was and so he stopped.
"Am I in jail. An asylum? Where am I?" he yelled.
Connors thought right then and there that was going to have a panic attack and as he stopped his yelling, he began to pace around the small room he was in, trying desperately to come up with another alternative. He needed someone to answer him. The silence was as unbearable to him as the small room was which was making him claustrophobic.
For a few more minutes, Connors continued to yell with no one answering his pleas. After that, Connors eventually sat huddled in a corner with his knees to his chest and began to tremble. There was virtually nothing else he could do. He was going to have to wait until 'they', whomever it was that brought him to the cell, would come up with a response on their own accord.
Since his voice was croaked from all the yelling he started, Connors resorted to thinking in his mind.
'If only I was the Lizard again, I could have the strength to get out of such a place.' he looked around to see how he would pull it off. 'Oh! But even in my alter form, escaping would still be futile.' he shook his head.
As if his prayers had been answered, a loud bang occurred from the other side of the steel door a few inches away from him. Connors stood and stared at the door in eager anticipation.
"Is someone out there?" he asked out loud. "Hello!"
To further alleviate the anxiety Connors was feeling, the door opened entirely. Slow at first, the door finally stood ajar. Connors' eyes were wide with shock as he stared at the person standing in the doorway.
"Hello, sir." he said dejectedly.
Norman Osborn stood there with his usual gray business suit and expressionless demeanor. His size and stature was one of intimidation. He gave off a serious look that made Connors wished he never asked for anyone.
Going to a funeral was never fun. The word 'fun' did not register in a funeral. Peter understood why. Headstones, tombstones, sanctuaries of loved ones were not what Peter ever wanted to witness on a first-hand basis. Standing in a cemetery overlooking the casket carrying his uncle, Peter could not help but shed a tear. His Aunt May was beside him. He helped her stand appropriately. Apparently the shock was unbearable to register.
As the man gave the eulogy, Peter stared at the tombstone with tear-soaked eyes. He gripped his aunt's hand tightly who in turn gripped his.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN PARKER
Beloved Husband, Uncle and Father.
'Responsibility is the backbone.'
1953-2013
Peter was glad that the headstone included everything he wanted to have read. For that he was grateful. Keeping his chin up as best he could, Peter looked to his right and saw Mary-Jane with her mother beside her. She gave him a comforting look and Peter gave a half-nod. Peter heard the priest say his final sayings.
"…for he is risen. The first born from the dead. Ensure and certain hope of the resurrection onto eternal life to our lord-"
Peter could not bear it. He let out the tears to the man who had been the closest thing to a father he ever had. Peter knew that the night at the hospital, Uncle Ben had tried to say a life lesson but Peter chose not to care. With everything that has happened to him in his life, from here on out, Peter obeyed that particular line.
'With great power comes great responsibility.' He thought.
As the funeral concluded, Peter and Aunt May walked side by side back to the car which belonged to Mary-Jane's mother. Aunt May had thanked her for that as well as for their involvement at the funeral. The ride back home was a quiet one and Peter expected it. He didn't say a word either. He was trying to get over burying his uncle.
As they arrived back to the house, Peter motioned to his Aunt that he will be inside within a minute. Mary-Jane's mother was waiting in the car. A moving van had been stationed by her house. A sign had said that the house was put on for sale. It was the day that Mary-Jane had to go. Walking down the porch stairs, he went out on the sidewalk where she saw the amazing redhead standing there.
'Another one to leave me.' Peter thought with melancholy.
Peter walked toward her and cherished each step he took. He cherished that graceful look within her. Peter had always known that Mary-Jane was beautiful, strong and intelligent. He just never knew that she will never get to see those qualities, much less 'her' ever again.
"Thanks for coming." Peter had said.
"It's alright, Peter." Mary-Jane began to sigh as she came close to him.
"So I guess this is it too?"
"I guess so." Mary-Jane nodded.
Peter looked down at the ground trying to come up with something good to say, anything to make Mary-Jane stay around a bit longer.
"You're not alone, Peter. Just because your uncle is gone."
"I know that." Peter smiled. But in reality, he was feeling worse than ever. 'To a superhero such as myself, my destiny unfortunately…is to be alone.'
"I'm going to get an apartment in the city in over a year. Maybe you should do the same."
Peter was overjoyed at the idea of living on his own. But until Aunt May bounced back, he wasn't sure if he was going anywhere. "Yeah. Maybe."
The conversation was indeed flailing. The silence was deafening between the two. Finally, Peter did the only thing he could do. He etched himself closer to Mary-Jane. She did the same until the space between them closed almost entirely.
Mary-Jane and Peter closed whatever gap was left and the two kissed. First slowly, then intensely until they were in each other's arms. Despite the rain, Peter kissing Mary-Jane took away all the pain.
They broke off leaving them still embraced. "This isn't good-bye." Mary-Jane understood.
Peter nodded. "I'll find a way back to you."
"It'll be hard. But I know you can." Mary-Jane whispered. "If you can wait, I can wait."
They gave each other another quick hug before she walked away from him. Peter felt as if all the air had been sucked right out from him. He couldn't breathe. He felt as if a part of him had been gone now. As he saw her walk away toward her mother's car, he had an inkling, a feeling inside that told him, it would be a long time before he ever saw Mary-Jane again.
Peter went toward his house and told himself in his mind. 'I guess now the superhero part takes over.'
Stealing a formula so that he can make any man working for him powerful was the right call. 'Especially what with that Spider-Man guy always interfering in any petty crime? Doesn't he have anything better to do?' Fisk thought angrily. In his hideout which was an old abandoned warehouse, Fisk knew that eventually the money he will have amassed would be enough to start a whole new business, a new venture for him.
Wilson approached the man who came out of another room and into the empty hanger. It was one of his subordinates. There they stood in the center of the large open area.
"So how is our new foreign 'friend'?" Wilson smirked.
"That Sytsevich guy or whatever his name is called? Let's just say the serum is still doing the work on his system. He's sleeping. I have no idea how long that stuff is supposed to take effect." he said frustrated.
"Well then, I guess we're going to have to speed things up then." Wilson said a bit disappointed.
"Meaning?"
"Meaning that we're going to have to steal another serum."
"Alright, let me do it." The man suggested.
Wilson only frowned.
"I want to prove myself, Mr. Fisk. Earn my keep. I promise no harm, no foul. But only when necessary." He added with a smirk.
"Well, I do agree that Schultz has been shadowing my other employees as of late but I guess I can give you a chance, Mr. Marko." He smiled.
Flint Marko, wearing a green shirt with brown pants looked ecstatic now. 'Hopefully he can give me enough money so that I can support my family!' he thought excitedly.
"You do this and yes you will be compensated very handsomely. Provided you do this with some finesse."
"I ain't lettin' you down, Mr. Fisk!" a determined Flint said with a grin.
Author's Note: Obviously I haven't done one of these in my later chapters. I like to thank everyone who has been keeping up with this story. You guys are the best, you really are. The second reason why I'm doing a note is because it will be a while before I can update again. I'm on vacation this week and I'll probably have a new chapter in about two or three weeks. I'm going to be out of town(out of state rather.) and I don't know what shape I'll be in when I get back. Consider this chapter a TO BE CONTINUED or a hiatus rather. Again, it'll be several weeks before I can get a new chapter in. But hopefully I'll return 100% Thanks for reading! I'll be back in several weeks, so don't anybody worry! :)