Chapter 14
"WHA- WHAT- I'm up! I'm up!"
"Oh, good, you're okay." Michelle sagged beside me. I was surprised to see her here, but then I got a good look at where I am; in the back car of an ambulance where I have a good view of the police putting yellow lines around the crushed house like a crime scene.
The paramedic on my right was checking my pulse then examining my pupils. "Well, the good news is you're not concussed nor are you seriously injured. Guess, Spider-Man did a good enough job protecting you even if he did leave you on the road like that."
"Spider-Man?"
Michelle frowned, "Don't you remember? There were leftover webs all over the wreckage so everyone is saying Spider-Man came and saved you but you got caught up in the fight anyway."
"Oh— OH! Yes. Yes! That's exactly what happened. I was so busy trying not to get eaten that everything became a blur."
She looked uncomfortably suspicious by my impromptu lie, but I can't blame her. It's a miracle no one has found my secret considering how suckish I am at lying. Then I recalled the memories I had before I was knocked out until the conversation with Gwen became a startling reminder.
"Wher—" I croaked, "Where's my bag?"
"Here," Michelle pushed my unfortunate dusty backpack. "They managed to salvage this." I examined it and was relieved to know no one had snooped on the insides. My secret was still safe.
Well… my web shooter is still on me but hopefully they think it's a weird accessory or something.
"Wow, wow, wow, kid. Where are you going? I'm not done with you!"
"I'm sorry, thank you for this but I have somewhere I need to be."
"Oh no, you don't." I had taken a step or two out of the ambulance when Michelle took a tight grip on my wrist, her brown eyes gleamed in. I almost faltered because no one gets away from Michelle's brand of stubbornness. "You're not going anywhere until you get treated, Peter."
"I'm fine, it's only a few bruises."
"We don't know if you suffer from anything worse now sit your ass back down and let the paramedics do their job. It's for the best for everyone."
Oh man, now I feel bad. "Okay, you're right Michelle."
"I know I am." She smirked before turning her back and marched back to the white van. Believing I would follow behind.
Instead, I sprinted away from everyone's light of sight and webbed out from the scene.
I have never been on the brunt of Michelle's anger before but something tells me that's gonna change in the near future for that ninja disappearing act.
On the other hand, I did a ninja disappearing act! My nerd life feels complete.
. . .
After arriving at the house, I nervously shifted in front of the door. Just one tiny push of the bell and you can get some answers, but what do I even say? Hey doc, you don't happen to be illegally testing your regeneration serum on civilians, have you? And if so, what's it like having a tail?
Yeah, that conversation wouldn't go over well.
As I debated further, the door opened and my heart jumped when I saw Mrs. Connors coming out of the hours. Her eyes widened in recognition, looking just as surprised to see me.
"Peter? What are you doing here?"
"Missus Connors, I was just wondering if—" Then my eyes gleamed at her cheek. It was covered with thick makeup that it's barely noticeable, but as someone who has covered bruises using Gwen's make-up kit before, there was a tell.
She noticed me staring, and hastily covered her cheek with her hand.
In a more somber tone, I asked, "Mrs Corners, where's Curt? I need to speak to him."
She crossed her arms and faced away, "I think I should be asking you that. He hasn't been in the house these days, why don't you ask his coworkers?"
"Mrs. Connors…" I took a step up on the stairs, looking directly at her eyes until she met my own. "I know about his arms, and if I'm right, then your husband might be a danger to himself and others. Help me find him."
Finally, there's a shift in demeanor, "Curt's in danger?"
"More than likely, so please… Can you tell me where he is or where he might be?"
"I… I don't know. I swear. Ever since he grew out that stupid arm, he's been different. Erratic, you might say. Like a man's possessed. You would think after working his whole life to get an arm back he would be happier," she chuckled without a shred of humor, "I wasn't lying when I said he was barely home. He said he's out working so wouldn't you know?"
I shook my head, "Doctor Connors has been leading the lab through Zoom and video calls. So all this time, he wasn't at home?"
Mrs. Connors seemed to debate with herself before gesturing to come inside before leading me to his office. The room reminded me of my old home, a time when dad would fill his workroom with his papers, mysterious lab experiments that were the closest to magic to me, and the blinking lights of the computer.
"It was a mess the last time he was at home so I cleaned it up, he threw a tantrum and… anyway, Curt took a lot of his research but maybe there's a clue to where he is here."
"Thank you, Mrs. Connors. I'll see what I can find."
"Call me Martha, please. Stay as long as you need to here," she said before leaving me on my own.
I was already seated with the computer booted up. "Alright, Connors. Let's see what you've been working on." But the computer came unsurprisingly blank, even his search history. Now I'm sure this is serious. No one deletes their search history unless they're hiding incriminating things.
I equipped my ear piece and had Lyla call Gwen. The phone rang from the other side all the while I'm still searching for a single clue. Opening up the desk drawers, the bookshelves, and trash can. Jeez, the movies make it so easy.
The call connected and immediately I was greeted by the loud "PETER!" I winced at the volume, but then remembered when I accidentally cut her off. "Thank God, you're all right! I've been worried sick."
"Sorry! Sorry, Gwen. I'm okay now. More importantly, I figured out who's responsible for the mass lizard mutation; it's Doctor Connors."
I heard Gwen's gasp from the other line, "No… no way…"
"Oh yeah, yes way…"
"Peter, you interned with the man. Last time you saw him, he promised you a letter of recommendation for practically any college you want. How did this happen?"
So I explained the debacle between Connors and Osborn, pushing him to experiment himself with the serum that grew out his arm without proper caution.
"Turns out there really was a nasty side-effect."
"But what about the other lizards? How did they come about?"
"I… I don't know… my first guess he was experimenting on them but for what? Connors want nothing more than to have the ability to cure people from any sort of illness and disability. It's why he's so fixated with perfecting the serum."
"Sounds like something you need to ask the man himself."
"Yeah— wait! I think I found something here." I pulled out a wrinkled note page that was ripped out. In it was a list of names with their phone numbers and addresses. This would have been of little importance if not for the first name on the list.
' Clark Johannes'
I sunk in a breath and laid out the paper straight. There were 11 listed names and at the last of the line was the name Gale Greggor. I pulled out my phone and began writing the names.
"Gwen, I'm sending you a list of names that have been injected with the Lizard Serum. You need to tell your dad about this and have a search party find them as well."
"Already on my way. Oh, and I've read through the police testimonies again. And while their appearance had randomly popped out around NYC, I've triangulated the area they disappeared to Upper Manhattan. I bet that's where you'll most likely find Connors."
"You're the best, Gwen—"
"Dad?"
I whipped around from my seat, not expecting Billy to be by the door. His backpack was still on, meaning he just came back from school.
"Billy?" Martha came and knelt by his side, "You're home early. I thought you were visiting Daniel."
"Is Dad not back yet?"
' Mum… Dad… where are you going?'
"... No, sweetie. He hasn't."
"Oh…" he said, dejectedly, "When I saw his room open I thought… I thought he'd be back… that he wasn't going away."
' I don't want you to go away.'
"Your father isn't going anywhere. Not without telling you."
"But he did."
Martha and I shared a look, then I joined kneeling down with her. "Billy, when did you last see your dad?" I asked.
"Yesterday. I was on my way to school when he told me he was going on a trip and will be gone for a while."
' Peter… mom and dad are going on a long trip now… be good with your Uncle and Aunt…'
"Sweetie, what else did he tell you?"
Billy hesitated before opening his mouth, "He… he said that you and Dad were wrong to say not to strike back if somebody hurts me. That I'm allowed not to get hurt from others."
Martha became teary-eyed as she pulled Billy into a desperate embrace.
"Mum, when's Dad coming home?"
' We'll be back soon. Don't forget us, champ'
The onslaught of memories hit me like a ton of bricks, and it took a while for me to keep my breathing steady. "I'll find your dad, Billy," I said before I could think twice.
Billy turned his pale blue eyes on me, "You will?"
"Yes. And who knows? Maybe I can convince him to stay, I'm quite persuasive."
"Really, you mean it?!" The eagerness and hope were overflowing that there's no way I could have denied him that request.
"I'll certainly try."
Next thing I knew, I had an armful of an 8-year-old hugging me and there's no response that doesn't involve me hugging him back. From in front of me, Martha still teary-eyed mouthed the word, "Thank you."
When I left the house, I felt suddenly drained and rested my back against the door. Gwen finally voiced out from the open call, "Are you okay?" She asked.
"I'm fine." The silence I got was honestly telling, "Okay, so I'm not fine. I just feel… a lot... The scene was a bit too on the nose… reminded me of a few unpleasant things."
"So… what will you do next?"
"For starters? Finding Connors. I'll call you back as soon as I get any update."
"...okay. Be careful, Peter."
"I know. I will." After the call, I proceeded to change to my work costume and then texted Aunt May that I'd be home late.
Journeying across the island was a long one as Spider-Man scoured Manhattan from above, trying to find any signs of slippery Reptilia . You would think a giant two-legged lizard would catch anyone's attention but nope. Nothing new in the city of liberty.
I'm pretty sure when they said "Give me your tired, your poor, and huddled masses" they didn't count on the mutated human-lizard in that list.
"Come on, work with me here. Where else could you possibly hide?" I huffed, frustrated as I perched from the roof. A random gecko crawled beside me and stuck out a tongue like it's taunting me.
"Yeah, yeah, laugh me up, will you?"
It skittered around and went into the roof drainage where I assumed it'll take the little guy to the sewer.
Wait…
Of course, the sewer!
Ew, the sewer.
Having convinced there's no other place for a group of giant lizards to hide from the public eye. Speaking of… "Lyla, what do you call a group of lizards?"
[ A group of lizards is called a Lounge .]
I paused before crawling to the nearest secluded manhole, "Lyla, are you serious?" I asked while withholding a giggle.
[ As serious as a Grilled Jesus Sandwich .]
That broke me as I finally cackled, "Okay, okay, guess I'll have to figure out where the lizards are loung ing around."
The sewers were as bad as I imagined it'd be. The wretched smell of waste permeating the air. The roaring water underneath could easily sweep me away. The dim light tunnels give off a really spooky vibe.
Hanging upside down, I thought long and hard of my next step. Either I searched through every nick and corner of this place or I can lay a trap and wait for him. Pursing my lips, I decided on the latter. There's a part of me wondering if my decision is partially influenced by my spider instinct but put that aside for another time to ponder. I began shooting web lines after web lines creating my own human version of a spider-web trap.
Afterward is a waiting game. Having little to no connection the only thing I can do with my phone is playing candy crush.
And so I waited.
And waited...
And waited...
And wait...
Then I felt it. A tension from the web. Coming from the north side of the tunnel. I kept a steady crawl. I was hyperly keen for any warning my spider-sense may give me at any time.
But instead of my sixth sense, it was my gut instead that warned. Feeling like I'm being closely watched. There's no danger coming, but there's something wrong in the unseemingly picture of the wet tunnel I'm seeing. Water dripping from above.
Huh, it may be just me since I'm wearing gloves but doesn't this water feel sticky?
I looked up and a monstrous lizard with a mousey-like face was snarling at me from above.
"Freddy? Is that you?"
In lieu of answering, the old mouse lunged like I'm his next list in the menu for him. I had not expected the power that comes from a mutant mouse, and the smaller version of the lizard managed to throw me as far as the other side of the tunnel.
The wet surface made me slip and I was falling down toward the torrent of water below. I shot web in time to keep me away from the water and dangling midair but then that stupid mouse followed and leaped at me.
"Ow, OW! Get off me, you slimy little rat!"
Fighting was in all kinds of ways worse than the human-lizards because this one fights dirty. Scratching and biting me either on the face or my back. I tried shaking him off but he's a stubborn little bugger.
It sounds funny, but it's not when the claws can dig deep across your skin, biting dangerously at my neck, and almost clawing my eyes out if not my lenses. If I don't die from getting my throat ripped out then I might get blood loss at this rate.
It took tremendous effort for me to snag its neck and keep it an arm away. I threw Freddy off and quickly trapped it with my webbing. If I could, I would hug my webs right now for comfort and relief.
"Ah damn, I've got more holes on me than a swiss cheese," I winced as I looked down at my bloody costume. Good thing no one's around to see me getting half-beaten by a lizard-rat. That would be so uncool.
I stood on the wall, examining the mutant rodent still thrashing beneath my webbings. "Huh, if an anti-serum works on you, wouldn't theoretically it could work on people too?"
Freddy chittered.
"Oh yeah, both you and Connors used lizard genes to transform so it's only fair that we used rat genes and human genes respectively to turn you back."
The chittering became more high-pitched.
"Hmm, valid point. If a serum was made that cuts out the lizard genes specifically then the human body would repair itself on its own, creating a much faster and possibly safer alternative. Freddy you're a genius!"
I noticed the silence and realized there was no chittering.
"Freddy?"
I spotted the hole in my webs which Freddy had chewed out that I almost missed him sneaking away.
"Rats!"
I chased after the Lizard-Rat who has his own kind of agility that I had a hard time catching up. I crawled and jumped through tunnels without a beat to pause while keeping an eye on that skittering mutated pest. After one too many sharp turns, I almost thought I Lost him until I noticed a clearing in which sunlight shone to a table filled with computers and tech from the Science Life division that Connor told me was moved for maintenance. Techs that don't belong under the city.
"So this is where you've been, Doc." I examined the equipment that disappeared from the lab. At the time, Connors had sworn it was being replaced with the newest model. Of course he lied about that too.
A tablet lay on the floor, a bit cracked but functional. I picked it up, and the screen I touched lit up to life. There was a list of videos displayed and I pressed the top one that showed the doctor from the other side.
[Subject: Dr. Curtis Connors. Current temperature: 89.7. Steady for 48 hours.]
Once a scientist, always a scientist, huh? I fast-forwarded the video. Getting the gist of his blood levels, enhancement, biological improvement.
[—this is no longer about curing ills.]
I stopped and watched in horror at the words that came from the last person I expected to hear it from.
[This is about finding perfection. There will be no more loneliness, no more weakness, no more outcasts, species-wide distribution could enhance humanity on an evolutionary scale. One has to adapt to survive. I can give them that… the power to adapt… I can save them all!]
"It's not good to snoop, you know."
"Doctor Connors!" I whirled around to his voice.
"I figured you would come, Spider-Man," he didn't turn from facing his makeshift lab as if he expected me, "Or should I say… Peter."
. . .
"DAD!" Gwen Stacy burst into his office, almost giving his single-parent heart a heart attack.
"What- what is it?" Captain Stacy met his daughter halfway and examined her fully, noting she wasn't hurt before looking up to her alarmed expression. "Are you alright? You're not hurt? What happened?"
"I know who's responsible for creating the human-lizards that's been happening."
George leaned his head back in astonishment. Whatever he had been expecting that wasn't even any of the list he had imagined she would say. "What are you talking—"
"It's Doctor Curtis Connors. I don't know why but he's been experimenting on people ever since he grew his arms out from a serum that edited his genes using the lizard genomes' that allow regeneration."
"Sweetheart—"
"Here!" She pulled out a paper and practically shoved it to his face, "There are 11 missing people in the last couple of weeks. They all have missing limbs and they are all from New York. Connors probably made them volunteer for the test if they were just as desperate to get a limb or two back."
"Gwen!" she shut her mouth and looked up questioningly, "How do you know all this? Where is this coming from?"
His daughter bit her lips, and George didn't like she was holding back on him. "I found out from Spider-Man," she finally admitted.
"GWEN!"
"He told me to pass the information to you since he knows I'm a Police Captain's daughter."
The Captain opened his mouth but forcibly closed it. He came up to the door of his office and closed it, making sure the conversation stayed private.
He breathed in and tried to compose himself, " Are you out of your mind?!" Well, so much for calm. "What were you thinking associating with him?"
Gwen looked put out at being scolded like a child when she knew full well the ramification. "Yes, I know if anyone finds out it might jeopardize your chance of being the Police Chief. But this is more important than that—"
"I don't care about that, Gwen. I care that my daughter might be in danger because she's fraternizing with a known vigilante. He's dangerous! I thought you were smarter than this."
"Excuse me?! But how can getting involved with Spider-Man be any more dangerous from being your daughter?"
"Gwendolyn…"
"No, don't Gwendolyn me. If we don't stop the cause of the Lizard mutation then everyone is in danger, including me. We need all hands on deck to beat this, can't you see that?"
"Can't you see I'm trying to keep you safe?!" Captain Stacy was trying very hard not to scream. "Spider-Man isn't just a samaritan vigilante, he's a mutant— mutate— or whatever the hell he is. He fights off military drones, green hulking, and now a human-lizard? In New York?! "
Gwen had half a mind to tell him that Peter had not signed up for those types of foes either and often got over his head.
"I can admit that there are… variables... out there that not even the NYPD can deal with. The kind only Spider-Man can handle. But as long as he keeps fighting, the more enemies he'll make. We could barely adjust to being exposed to these new hostiles. How am I supposed to keep you safe when we can't even keep up with these changes." Her dad held a tight grip on his shoulders and forced her to meet his piercing blue eyes that she gets hers from. "I… I can't lose you, Gwen. I can't."
"Dad…"
"Promise me you'll stay away from him."
"Dad, that's not fair—"
" Promise me."
Gwen can see that there's no argument in the world that will change her father's mind, and so she relented, "I promise."
George nodded with evident relief. He went to the side to open the door, a clear sign for her to leave. "Now go home and leave this to the professional."
"Fine," Gwen huffed, not caring that she sounded like a petulant child and off to find help elsewhere.
Watching his daughter walk away, George sighed tiredly, knowing this won't be the last fight concerning this. He knows he's a stubborn man, but so is his little girl. He glanced down at the paper she printed, tapping it in thought before letting his gut make the decision.
"Jimmy… find everything you can of Curtis Connors… and contact Coulson."
. . .
Deny. Deny. Deny it, you Idiot!
But all I did was dumbly stared at him. Neither denying nor confirming his accusation.
He chuckled at my lack of reaction, "I am your supervisor, Peter. I would eventually notice your personal pet project you have on your desk. Interesting webs by the way." Connors sat forlornly down in the shadow..
"That changing like the snake I might be free. To cast off flesh wherein I dwell confined," he said absentmindedly while petting the lizard rat as if it was his loyal villain cat, "Who said that?"
"Michelangelo."
"You're familiar with him?"
"Is what my Uncle used to call me."
He nodded as if the answer should have been expected, "An apt nickname… he is a man who knew about reshaping raw materials. I sought to create a stronger… perfect human being but I found there's no such thing." He shook his head in disappointment, his figure slumped further defeatedly.
"What happened, Connors?"
The question triggered a humorless laugh, "Where do I start? From when the bastard Osborn tried to cut me off? No, no, you were there. After I grew my arm out? Ah yes, that might be it. After managing to gain both my arms, I convinced myself that it was a scientific success and conveyed my findings to Osborn. He was reasonably thrilled by the result, anybody would.
"So we set up the first batch for official human trials. Had me signed a non-disclosure agreement. We planned to tell the world a new way of living— until I woke up to this!" He walked out of the shadows and pointed out his green scales on his face. "I was horrified then, especially for the fate of all the people who took the serum. I ran out before my wife could find out and met up with Rajit. I told him of my fate and demanded him to connect me to Osborn so we can rectify our mistake.
"However, that man… told me my problem wasn't of their concern. I pleaded, begged, even threatened him to ruin Oscorp. But Rajit told me I had run an unsanctioned human trial without Oscorp's knowledge and I knew, I knew then they planned to frame me. That everything Osborn promised had all been a BIG FUCKING LIE!"
Connors slammed his fist at the table, and with a frustrated growl shoved all the tools and trinkets off the table.
I gulped, the puzzle pieces were starting to piece itself. "So you killed Mr. Ratha?"
He turned to me, his human side of his face was on the verge of breaking into tears. "I, I didn't mean to. I was, I was just so, so angry that the next thing I knew, I had him in my hand and I—"
I came closer to him, slow and wary. I looked down at this clawed, scaled hand and took it in my hand. Sought to give him comfort that he needs, "Hey, we're gonna fix this. I'm gonna help get you and everyone else back."
Connors finally met my eyes. A growing chill ran down my spine at the little childish smile on his worn-out face, reminding me of a mischievous kid who knew did something wrong but wasn't sorry for it.
"Would you go back?" He asked. "After all you know you could do, all the power you can feel… would you give it all up?"
Connors stood and turned to one of his machines, "Richard never let me read his notes. He didn't trust me. But look at you Peter, you are perfect. All those research, all those theories, and he proved it through you. A magnificent creation."
My eyes widened behind my mask. It occurred to me that Connors believed I had my power thanks to my father's experiment instead of the accident it really was. No wonder he's convinced Peter Parker is Spider-Man.
"All this time he could have… made a world where everyone is equal… he ran away… even though he knew how I felt. Incomplete… but, but thanks to you, Peter… I'm gonna make it happen."
"Make what happen?" I asked even as I didn't want him to answer.
He turned to the second computer, an experimental model of a new serum was being conducted on the screen. A model of a canister that's filled with viruses equipped with the mRNA of the lizard gene. I glanced at the tools and the table that had reproduced the vial needed to release that gas. The map of New York with handwritten sewer diagrams overlapping it.
Everything was coming together.
"I won't let you do this."
"I've come too far, there's no stopping me." Connors then made a chittering noises like a wall gecko, much too good of an impression to be done with a human tongue.
My spider-sense that's been subtly warning was now blaring like a honking trunk before hitting you right in the face. I barely finished turning before I was trapped in a bear-hug by a big bad lizard. And it wasn't the comfortable kind because this one is actually suffocating. I tried pushing the lizard off me but it's no use, Connors had me trapped.
I turned my head as best as I could and watched as Connors was surrounded by the rest of his exclusive lounge. Against his group, I'm outmatched so I have to keep this between me and him. "Oh, so you've got bodyguards this whole time? Should've known you wouldn't have faced me yourself, coward!"
Connors tilted his head, then smiled conceitedly. "I know what you're doing, Peter. But it's not going to work. I have much left of my plan to finish. By the time you alerted the authorities, I doubt anything could stop them."
He then came up on me with a strange glint in his eyes that made me struggle uselessly. He had a needle on hand, and there was no stopping the pointy thing injected to my neck despite my protest. I swear if I get STDs, Connors is getting more reason to get his ass whooped after this.
"Relax, It's only sedative. I do feel grateful to you, so let this be your final warning." He came in close from behind even as grasping my consciousness was getting hard and my limbs felt like noodles. He then whispered to my ear which ampt the creepiness, "Stay out of my way."
That was the last thing I heard before the lizard in front of me pushed off and punched the lights out of me.
. . .
The next time I woke up, it was to nothing.
Connors was gone with the serum we made. The lab equipment stolen was gone. The people that turned to lizards were gone. Even Freddy disappeared. Leaving not even a clue to salvage. I stood there, staring at the zero remains of what would bring a dark fate to this city.
Because of me.
Because of me.
I punched the floor until it cracked, but I couldn't care less as I kept punching a hole on the concrete floor with wild abandonment like a useless, useless target and screamed myself hoarse. The tunnels carrying my voice into a haunting echo that no one could hear.
