Well, here is perhaps an early Xmas gift for you, or perhaps the time you read this, not so early Xmas gift for you...an update! Not much to say than other than the fact I hope you are all doing well and that you'll enjoy this update as our heroes attempt to try and save Curt Connors from doom, but will they be able to save him...let's find out!

Chapter 10

Man Or Monster

The look of smug confidence and swagger that Peter displayed when he returned from the Bugle stunned Felicia. Though she had seen him act sometimes cocky behind the mask whenever they were taking down criminals, she had never seen him act like this; it was as if he had won the lottery and that they could move to the Bahamas and live out there for the rest of their days in peace.

Such a good mood Peter was in that he pulled Felicia into their bedroom to have a celebratory make out season in which while she did enjoy as she always had done, part of her mind was screaming in her head for them to get on with their mission to save Curt Connors. To say that Felicia's thoughts were getting increasingly worried about the Symbiote's influence on her husband were an understatement.

After such a passionate make out that went a little bit more than just a mere make out...they eventually left their penthouse and swung across the city to that entrance to the sewer system they had found before in which hopefully they would find the Lizard before Kraven did. That is unless the hunter had found him first though mercifully for them there had been no news and so in a classic case of the phrase 'no news is good news' was pretty much easy to apply here though Felicia couldn't help but fear that they might've wasted much time.

As they found the entrance to the sewer system they then made their way in with Spider-Man leading the way and Black Cat with a duffel bag on her side containing the antidote needed to save Lizard, interestingly enough the same sort of bag that only a few years ago that would've been used to steal jewels during her cat burglary days. Funny how things change.

Black Cat was never comfortable about to be stuck in these sewers as the horrid smell and the maze of corridors that seemed to go everywhere always made her feel uncertain and wary about this underworld of New York and that wasn't including the fact that down here there was a large mutant Lizard and a sadist hunter somewhere down here. The sooner they were out of here the better.

"You sure you know where we're going?" Black Cat asked Spider-Man with suspicion.

"Well of course," Spider-Man replied bluntly, "the Symbiote seems to sense were the Lizard is."

The platinum blonde woman was left bemused; an alien suit that not only gave you super strength and aggression but also seem to tell you where to go? Ok, she had pretty much heard everything now.

Neither of them said a word as they went further down into this world of sewers and Black Cat was starting to feel rather concerned about her husband. She was sure she wasn't getting paranoid about the Symbiote, but it seems that there was a growing feeling that sometime soon that she Symbiote would cause him to do something horrible on his opponents.

After what felt like ten minutes of an endless walk down through this underground world, they stopped in their tracks when they heard the roar of a beast…no prizes as to guessing for who that roar belonged to. But then came another sound.

The sound of a gunshot.

"Shit! C'mon!" Spider-Man ordered and the two of them ran down one corridor in which the sound came from and they could hear the roars of pain now and their worse fears were now looking to becoming true; Kraven had got to Curt first.

All they could hope for was if they could get to him before any worse was to come, but Felicia felt very tempted to give her husband a tongue lashing over the amount of time they had wasted but she knew that this wasn't the time for a falling out in this very serious moment.

"He's this way!" Spider-Man pointed out, "the suit can sense his presence!"

Black Cat didn't bother to question it, if this was true then that meant they were getting close to finding and hopefully saving the good doctor. Things seemed to go worse as the further they seemed to be getting to where they wanted, the unwanted sound of two gunshot crescendos were heard going through and both masked heroes felt their blood go cold.

The two eventually found themselves on a ledge that was overlooking a torrid of water rushing past some twenty feet below them and it was quite an open room which seemed to have several levels either up or below where they were. Spider-Man could feel both his Spider-Sense going off as well as the Symbiote going off in his head.

The monster is here!

"Over there, look!" Black Cat cried out suddenly pointing over towards an archway which led onwards down a corridor, but that was not what got their attention.

Instead holding itself up against the wall, bloodied and obvious bullet wounds and a trail of smeared blood on the concrete floor which seemed to indicate being dragged along, was the Lizard. A mortally wounded and sorry looking Lizard who looked like was on the verge of collapsing in a pool of his own blood.

Thank God he was alive, though he was clearly hanging on and they had to act fast to save him.

"Dr Connors!" Spider-Man called out to the mutated human. He didn't know if he had to reveal the identity out in the open like that but considering there was only just them and needing to try and get through to him, it was likely the only way.

The Lizard slowly turned its gaze at Spider-Man and snarled at seeing the person who had tried to fight him.

"Please, it's me!" Spider-Man added and the Symbiote removed the mask for him to reveal Peter Parker.

Peter walked slowly with Black Cat standing back fearing that at any moment like any wounded animal, the Lizard would suddenly attack her husband and she clutched the duffel bag with trepidation.

The Lizard's eyes intently stared at him; something within that scaly body was telling him that something about him looked familiar. Memories of a student always being late yet always being brilliant but lazy. Then after a long silence, both heroes were taken aback when it said something.

"P…Parker?"

"D-Dr Connors? Can you hear me?" Peter asked, startled that he could hear his former teacher's voice within that horrible body.

Curt/Lizard (it wasn't easy to tell who it was what at this point) removed one clawed hand from the wall to hold onto a bloody bullet wound on his thigh while slowly turning fully around to get a full look at who was Spider-Man. "Peter…? W…why are you…Spider-Man?"

"It's a long story," Peter replied as stopped walking up to him and saw just how tall he was in this form. "But that doesn't matter, we're here to save you." He paused as he looked at his wounds and bit his bottom lip. "Oh God, we've got to get you medical attention."

"Please don't!" Curt growled; part of his animal roar could be heard from him. "I'm a monster and I'm dying…y…you can't save me!"

"But we can," Felicia spoke up and while slowly walking up to him, she pulled out the antidote from the bag and Curt stared at the woman. "Who are—"

He didn't need to finish his question when she removed her mask to show who the woman was and it took Curt a moment to realise who the woman was. "Wait…are you…Felicia?"

The platinum blonde woman smiled. "Hi sir, I don't think we've seen each other since the wedding so…hi again."

Indeed, Felicia had only met Curt Connors during her and Peter's wedding and they had hoped to see each other again and now they had done though perhaps in not the most ideal circumstances. As another moment of silence past, Curt's animal eyes gazed at the antidote that Felicia had in her hand and was startled.

"The antidote! How did you get it?!"

"Once again, a long story," Peter replied as he motioned at Felicia to hand him the antidote. "What matters is that we're going to get you out of here."

But Curt stood back and shook his head. "There isn't time. I'm dying here…just…let me be!"

Despite his protests, the superhero wasn't going to give up on him. "No way we're not," Black Cat answered. "We didn't go down here all for nothing."

Peter held the injection gun up and Curt stumbled backwards in what seemed like fear of what Peter held in his hand. "Peter, I…it won't work."

"What are you talking about?" Peter asked in bewilderment. "You made this to help you if things went wrong!"

The mutant man groaned in pain as he clutched one of his wounds, the blood running down through his clawed fingers. "I'm dying, Peter. Even if I do change…it's…damn it…too late for me to live."

Just leave him to die, he wants it!

Peter's face features went to that of anger; he wasn't going to let the Symbiote change his mind on trying to save his teacher. "Sir…it's going to be alright. Just hold still."

Curt tried to back up against the wall but both black cladded heroes were on either side of him and looked like they weren't going to let him go anywhere and even if he could in which his animal strength could've easily swatted them both away like flies, his wounds made it impossible to make any sudden movements.

Though ironically, it would a sudden moment which saw him get caught out. Peter quickly lunged forward with the injection gun and plunged it into the green and scaley neck. An animal roar of pain followed though Felicia used her grappling hook to try and hold him in place which round the Lizard's neck which thankfully that was all was needed for Peter to inject all of blue substance into Curt and once it had all gone in, he yanked out the needle gun and could only hope that it would work.

At first…nothing.

Curt/Lizard growled and clutched his head as if he was in pain and both Peter and Felicia stood back a few feet not knowing what might happen next. Was it really making any effect on him?

The mutant monster then fell to his knees and panted heavily and once again it was unclear if it was helping things or not. Then something began to happen on the Lizard's back for underneath the ripped white lab jacket, part of the scaly skin was starting to turn back into a more familiar human flesh look…

In fact it wasn't the only one, one many spots over his body, human flesh spots were starting to emerge and to their delight, they knew that it was working and everything would be—

BANG!

A gunshot was heard through the air and the three of them ducked hoping that they wouldn't be caught out and Peter felt the Symbiote bring his mask back on and he couldn't understand why his Spider-Sense failed to activate.

"You alright, Cat?" Spider-Man called out at his partner who was lying on the ground and glancing up trying to see what was going on.

"I'm fine," Black Cat (now with her own mask hastily put back on) replied. "I think we—"

BANG!

Another gunshot was heard and this time came a roar of pain from the now slowly changing Lizard and Spider-Man feared that this could've been a fatal shot, though it turned out that the shot had one went through the Lizard's thick tail that was slowly pulling itself back into the body.

Spider-Man glanced back over his shoulder and could see a figure hanging by one of the upper deck platforms on the other side of the flowing water. A certain person wearing animal skins and holding a hunter rifle in his hands. Kraven.

You fool, letting your own guard down like that for the monster's own mercy!

Spider-Man had the urge to seriously punch the Symbiote if it was possible, but the truth was that it was right; he had let his guard down and had failed to take into account that the sadist hunter would be nearby willing to finish the job he was determined to finish off with.

Then when looking back at the two in front of him, he saw a nearly more human yet still wounded Curt slowly raising his hand out for Black Cat for help in which she did so as she tried to drag him along towards her. The Symbiote cladded hero then looked back over at the hunter who was loading his rifle to get another shot and he knew he had to act fast.

"Cat," Spider-Man began. "I need you to get him out of here."

"What about you?" Black Cat inquired.

He looked over at Kraven with a surge of anger racing through him. "I'm going to stop him. Just go!"

Before his wife had a chance to speak, Spider-Man shot up from where he was lying down, fired a web line at a wall and began swinging over towards Kraven. This would end now.

"God damn it, Peter!" Felicia growled under her breath at her husband's actions, but she knew it was important to get Curt out of here before more worse was to come to him. She gave the wounded man a compassionate look. "Don't worry…you'll be safe now, hopefully."

At that same time, Spider-Man was swinging towards Kraven who was now aiming him rifle at the web swinger and fired at him though this time Spider-Man's Spider-Sense finally kicked in and he was able to avoid the shot and swing in a vicious drop kick on Kraven that sent the hunter cashing back against the concrete wall and sending his rifle hurtling across the floor.

"It's over Kraven!" Spider-Man said with pure venom in his voice. "Your hunting days are over!"

The hunter though laughed as he helped himself up. "A perfect challenge to get not only destroy the monster you try to save, but also you…the Spider-Man that humiliated me then!"

"That was your own damn fault!" Spider-Man snapped and once again went forward to attack Kraven and yet despite having his enhanced powers which could easily take down anyone and the fact that Kraven didn't have his rifle to help him out, the raven head man was no push over as the two of them engaged into a furious fist fight in which every swinging punch Spider-Man went for at Kraven, the hunter managed to avoid and much to the hero's annoyance, each swinging punch often ended up hitting the concrete wall with such force that it broke a hole through it.

"Foolish animal knows nothing but attack," Kraven chuckled as he rolled over to grab his rifle.

Just end this waste of space's life!

A burst of anger went through Spider-Man…a source of anger he didn't know was possible. Before he knew what was going to happen next, he lunged forward at Kraven before he could aim at Spider-Man and end up getting a brutal punch in the face that hit the hunter with such force that it could have fractured his skull.

Kraven cried in pain and this was what Spider-Man was looking for…finish him off! He grabbed the hunter by the scruff of his neck and slammed him against the wall and with his other hand began to lay into Kraven with blow after blow which to say that Kraven was looking more like a bloody beaten-up pulp was an understatement.

Yes…kill the bastard!

Behind the mask, Peter was grinning like a mad man. He was loving this! It felt so good to humiliate and destroy this person who had tried to poison him at the Zoo many years ago, a wonderful revenge mission no doubt.

But Kraven was not quite out yet. Despite looking utterly bloodied and bruised, he just had enough strength in him to grab his hand knife in his belt and during Spider-Man's beat down, pulled it out and plunged it into Spider-Man's stomach and this caused the hero to cry out in pain and stumble back.

Seeing this as his chance to turn the tables on the masked menace. He rushed forward to pull out his knife and aim it at Spider-Man's neck to get the killing blow. However, he glanced down at the wound he had inflected to see not blood pouring out but instead the suit seemed to be morphing and changing to fill in the wound in which much to his amazement that within a matter of seconds…the wound had gone and there was no trace of any knife wound there.

His startled reaction now gave the momentum back to a now fully enraged Spider-Man who grabbed Kraven by his neck, causing him to lose the grip on his knife, and thus began to finish him by laying into him by either chucking him at the concrete walls or sewer pipes there but also lay into him with what seemed like a ridiculous combination of punches in which no mere human could have possibly survived from.

Then with final blow to Kraven's face, the great hunter lost conciseness and passed out from sheer blood loss. There was a long silence that followed as Spider-Man held Kraven in his hand and a small urge of calm washed over him and it was only then it dawned on him over what he had done. Never had he done something so brutal unlike this.

Something didn't feel right, but the voice in his head had over ideas.

Let him have a watery grave, Parker.

Without really thinking and if the Symbiote was controlling him, Spider-Man flung the body of Kraven over the ledge and into the churning and flowing waters below. With that, it looked like the famous Kraven the Hunter…was doomed to a watery grave.

Peering over the edge and with a shred of his mind back, the mask peeled back to reveal a stunned and shocked look on Peter's face as he uttered a few faithful words.

"Oh God…what have I done?"

Glancing over to where Black Cat and Curt were, they had both gone and he hoped that they had gotten out of here as he hoped for. Yet despite his inner turmoil for what he had just done, that damn voice echoed in his mind.

You have embraced it…now become one and feel full power!

Right now, Peter Parker didn't know what to think of the grave situation. Even if Kraven had someone survived, he knew that he had crossed a line that his Uncle Ben would turn in his grave for. He wasn't a man, in fact he had become something that probably even Curt Connors couldn't have become...a monster.

Whoa, now things are picking up and is that the last we'll see of Kraven? We'll see, now time to respond to your lovely reviews.

Spiderfan - Thanks for that and yes, Peter is acting all a little bit crazy now thanks to the Symbiote! Will he bond with Felicia to let her experience power? We'll have to wait and see!

Lelouch2618 - Oh indeed he better must watch out, the story is far from over!

Akira-Hayama - Suppose it would've been funny to see him do that dance, haha! But nonetheless I suppose we can say he did it off screen here (or if is off page here?) when he left the Bugle. And yes, the Symbiote is starting to take effect Peter and it seems you predicted that for this chapter here! While the Symbiote may want Peter to bond with Felicia in order for her to take the Symbiote, don't expect Felicia to give it so easily. I know many stories have her quite easily going all out for the Symbiote but we might see something different here...

And your views about how similar they are actually is something I didn't think about but now you mention it, yeah, you do have a point. I do like it though when readers always have other views on the background of many of the characters that the author doesn't think about. Hopefully you'll think about more things that I didn't think about and glad to see you enjoyed it. Hopefully you liked this one too!

NeoTyson - Indeed, I like the way Eddie gets exposed here than compared to the game which if I remember was pretty sudden all because he broke his camera then suddenly he wanting to bring down Spider-Man? I can't remember if that exactly happened but either way it wasn't all that good. The Symbiote is starting to take effect but will Felicia get a change in her life or will she resist? Always like to keep readers guessing, haha! Anyway I would like to see you try out that draft you have done someday soon. Any SpiderCat story is always welcomed on here as you can imagine.

So anyway, this is the last update before Christmas though I may have one more update for the year with Alien Territory if you can check that one out. So have a Merry Christmas and hopefully you'll be staying safe during this horrid and difficult times for until then...catch you later and please review to give me some Xmas cheer too!