Chapter 16

News broke out of giant lizards rampaging around NYC.

It isn't pretty.

' Breaking news: a Reptilian mutant monster burst out from the sewers—"

'—reports are saying they show signs of intelligence while carrying canisters on Broadway—"

'—officials are barricading these districts and urge everyone to stay insides—'

'—if you find yourself growing green scales or any unusual symptoms these are the steps you need to take—'

"Thank you, Lyla… for that… wonderful audio newsreel."

[ Happy to be of service, Spidey ]

I groaned. Maybe next time I should teach her how to detect sarcasm. Honestly, all I wanted was a vague picture of what the streets are like. For it to go to hell this quickly really puts a damper on my plan. There's no chance of me having to speculate where they are one by one and surprise them with webbing.

It was agonizing to swing past the chaotic streets as people abandoned their cars and ran as fast as they could before the police could barricade this particular district, resulting in a lot of accidents. But this madness won't stop unless I stop Connors once and for all. And according to the news outlet; only four of them were seen on the street. The other one was already webbed back at the hospital where I fucked up big time, which left three unattended— spidey sense!

I swung to the left, just in time to dodge a bullet that had been aiming at my webline then leaped back to the wall. I turned to see who had shot me and spotted a pair of policemen, a young Asian rookie alongside a black officer. "Hey, I know I'm cute but no need to be so aggressive about it!"

"Spider-Man!" He yelled out with his gun still aimed at me, "You are under arrest."

Seriously?! This is so not the time for that.

"Yeah, I'm flattered, but I'm gonna have to take a raincheck on that. How about next Thursday?"

"Put yourself on the ground or we'll shoot for resisting arrest."

"Yo- You were already shooting at me!"

"We knew you would dodge," the younger officer retorted.

"Still, it's the principle of the thing. That was rude. If I didn't have a secret identity, I would sue." That's a thing I can do, right? Suing the police department. "What are you even arresting me for?"

"Other than obvious?" the woman officer began, "This whole area is blockaded. No one goes in and out except through the proper channel."

I had a few choices of words to say about proper channels before my spidey-sense warned me of another danger.

Two Lizards jumped out from the rooftops toward the police. I was about to leap to their rescue when I noticed their shock gazes and mouth halfway from warning me. A heavy weight came from behind and crash-landed on the concrete with me being its cushion. I don't know whether or not I had cracked the entire bone of my body but it sure feels like it.

I lifted my head enough so my words weren't muffled, "Do you ever have that feeling where you start to regret life?" Either they didn't hear me or didn't listen because the Lizard just lifted me by the hands to snarl at my masked face. I gulped but kept my voice steady, "Because that's exactly what I'm about to make you- FEEL!"

I kicked their scally face, loosening their hold of my wrist to slip out.

It was a risk landing with my back to the cops, but it was more dangerous to have them face it head-on. They've shot at the pair of green monstrosities, but I knew firsthand physical wounds would not hold it back for long.

"Don't waste your bullets!" I warned them, "Those Lizards can regenerate almost instantaneously, you don't want to be left defenseless."

"Then what should we do?"

"My advice?" One of the Lizard Pair came and lifted the male officer up, much to his horror. I shot a web to its mouth, wrenching its head aside, forcefully letting the man off from its scally grip. "Run!"

I jumped up to avoid the Lizard tackle from behind and missed the chance to web down one of their cronies. Forcing me to face all three of the Lizards as they lunged together. It was touch and go, dodging them by a hair's breadth between the gaps of their attacks. "

Wow, you guys gathered for lil' ol' me? I didn't know I was so popular these days." And Connors is doing an annoyingly great job stalling for time. "Sadly, I'm taken. So I can't be your dance partner for tonight. Too bad, they say I killed it on the dance floor."

Their reflex may not be as fast as mine but it was a near thing, and they make it up with their ferocious assaults. I was reminded back when I was surrounded by the Hammer Drones at Stark Expo but they were at least clucky and mechanical. I could have a million different thoughts running in my head and could dodge them with some effort.

But three Lizards were proving hard for me to focus on anything else when their sole goal was to put a hole in me. Flipping sideways between claws. Hopscotch over them. Shooting webs to get away or immobilize them only to be clawed apart by their friend. It really upped the level difficulty.

"Stop… stop! None of you would want this if you have a clear head! Just stop for a second and think!"

It took one moment. One. For them to manage to snag my leg before throwing me around like a rag doll. Not even my quips could make this situation better. They put their weights in as a leg was crushing my hand. My shout turned strangled as another one had a hand around my throat.

"Please… stop…" but even my words were starting to lose its strength, spots forming at the corner of my eyes, and—

"Spi… dey…"

I blinked. The voice was low and garbled like their mouth wasn't used to talking like humans. The slit eyes were round and more human… and I remembered the brightest brown eyes I've seen that looked almost golden.

"Clark?"

The name jolted him somehow, the green hands were off me like the Lizard-Clark had been struck. Walking backward while looking down at himself like he couldn't believe what he was seeing before looking back at me with a scared, confused gaze. "Spidey… What… What happened to me?"

There was no time for me to reply before the other Lizards screeched and Clark instinctively screeched back. They ended up having a screeching contest before Clark became entangled with the others before biting at his fellow Lizard in the neck.

Oh, okay, I did not see that coming.

Clark threw one Lizard at another before he angled his side toward me, "Spidey… the Doctor… he…"

"It's okay, Connor's not here. You don't need to listen to him."

He shook his head, "Not that… he's at Oscorp… I don't know why… but it's important… deadly important… stop him… must…" His words were mangled and unsure but I got the message nonetheless because o f course! The only place with the technology capable of distributing the bio-formula throughout New York City; Oscorp.

Clark turned his attention back to his former comrades. They began circling each other like predators deciding who's the alpha. But I presumed the third Lizard had a great work ethic because they didn't get distracted enough to stop attacking me. I prepared to dodge but the wound on my side and the general everything that hurts makes my reflex react a couple of milliseconds late. There was no dodging the incoming tackle right in front of me.

Until a police car rammed them down to the curb.

"Spider-Man, get in!" Called out the Asian officer who had been in the middle of arresting me before. There was no time for second-guessing before I latched on to the side of the car. The two officers then proceed to execute a Fast & Furious level of driving.

The car swiveled around, keeping the mutant lizard at bay while the black officer was halfway out the window and trying to shoot them down. This would have been a baddass scene if I wasn't hanging on the side, keeping myself from throwing up from this crazy merry-go-round.

The lady officer reeled back to bat the Lizard one final time before finally driving away as they licked their wounds, mentally praying for Clark's wellbeing.

I then noticed the street we're going to and tapped the top of the car for their attention, "Wait, wait, wait! Pull the other way! I need to go to Oscorp!"

"No can do, Spider-Man. Didn't I say that the whole place is on lockdown and there's a whole SWAT team further up and they're on orders to shoot you on sight, so you're out of luck."

I groaned and cursed my damn Parker Luck. I then heard the sound of an incoming chopper had me looking up and an idea hit me. I started webbing my hand into a sling and hoped it'd be enough to get me through the night. "Hey officers, what's your name?"

"Watanabe. Yuki Watanabe and this is my Training Officer, Jefferson."

"Well, thanks for the save, Officer Watanabe, Officer Jefferson, but duty calls." I webbed the nearest building, pulling me into a swing.

"Spider-Man!" I heard one of them call out, and there was a strange part of me that made me land on a flagpole and turn to heed them. "You are still under arrest!" said Officer Jefferson, "So you better make sure to come back, do you hear me!"

Behind my mask, I felt my eyes boggled at the undeniable concern in his voice. I saluted them before continuing swinging from one building to another. Each time I reached the highest peak, I swung to the next skyscraper, letting the momentum put me higher and higher in the air.

But the chopper was getting further and further away and I needed to act fast. In the next building, I climbed up until reaching the rooftops before breaking into a run. The chopper was on sight, high in the air, and at the last second, I jumped while shooting my web in hopes of reaching.

I found in the worst possible way that my calculations were off. The webbing fell into an arc in slow motion but gravity took me down way faster. This is the highest I've ever fallen without my consent. The drumming panic didn't help keep my head straight as I was falling, falling, falling–

But then something shifted within my line of sight, changing my trajectory as I swam in the air that led me to catch myself to safety. I hung on a metal boom that was carried by a moving crane.

" Oooooohhhh ~ That was close… that was way too close for comfort."

But then I wondered who left the moving crane unattended since the place was supposed to be on lockdown– my mind halted as I witnessed a surreal scene; rows of cranes moved in unison to create the perfect hanger for me to swing on right onto Oscorp Tower.

I feel weightless watching these unknown people noticing, helping, working together to create a path. For me.

With great power comes great responsibility.

Those were the words my Uncle had once lived by. The words that started my path as Spider-Man. But it was my love for this crazy city of mine that I leaped into the air with a vigor I didn't know I had. The bruises and bleeding wounds beneath my bright-colored costume were forgotten. The weight of exhaustion and pressure was replaced by a new resolve that propelled me forward.

I may be the one wearing the mask.

But I'm not the only one fighting.

. . .

The night was cloudy and thunderous, but no sign of rain. Perfect weather for a Final Boss Showdown. The moment my feet hit the glass windows of Oscorp Tower, it trembled at the same time the thunder reverberated the air. I landed on top of the water tank and watched like a hawk as Connors was setting the Ganali Device on the tower.

I swung around the tower and greeted him with a vicious kick. He landed with a loud thud but rolled off the impact at the end.

I landed across him with a crouch, ready for any attack. "I'm really disappointed in you, Connors."

The Doctor glanced up with a snarl, sharp teeth, and slit eyes on his still human face. He made his way toward me while gradually turning into his experiment that made my skin crawl. My Spidey Sense was trying to knock some sense into me, either to have me run or fight, instead of standing out in the open like this.

"A lot of people got hurt, but I'm still giving one. One last chance to stop all this, Connors. Turn yourself in. Make amends."

Connors stubbornly shook his head, "Faced it, Peter. In under 3 minutes, New York City will plunge into a new era. The era of the Lizard."

"I don't think they have room for you in the Chinese Calendar."

"Joke all you want, but there's no stopping me now." Connors started lunging at me for an attack, I leaped over to the wall over him and kicked his face. But he caught it and threw me off the roof.

By the time I was hovering in the air, I had stuck a web on the wall and brought back a zipping punch to the reptile. However, unlike the others who had been struck down by this move, Connors only slid back yet kept his ground. He caught me in a hug but not the friendly kind before backing me to the wall.

"Do you think I'd be as easily taken as my brethren? All this time I've been perfecting the serum with the decades' worth of research I've had, making me stronger, faster, and smarter than any of the others. You are no match for me, Peter!"

He lifted me up over him and gave me flashbacks of my only wrestling match. I started webbing myself up on the tower to another, maneuvering between the beams. I used the pillars to hide myself as I kept rounds of attacks from the shadows, but then Connors caught my leg and threw me against the railing. His fast movement barely had me up on my feet before I was being strangled. Again.

The Lizard took off my mask and I was forced to bare myself; emotion and identity, making me feel exposed.

"Why don't you understand? All those people lost and alone from something out of their control. I can cure them. I can save them. I can save you," his voice became a sort of purr as his claw caressed the side of the bleeding cheek that made me shudder, "Look at you... No mother, no father, no uncle… let me help you too, Peter, and you will never be alone."

Oh, that's just a low blow even for you, Connors. You want to go there? Fine . "What about, Billy, huh? Does he look like he needs saving? Is that the life you want to give your son?!"

"...Billy…" Connors showed the first sign of humanity as his pupils dilated and a softer tone that wasn't a growl shaped his son's name.

"I promised him to get you back. He wants his dad, not this monster you've become. Your family wants you back. If you leave him for this, he'll truly be alone. Don't be my dad, Curt. Don't make him feel how I feel."

The Lizard shudders and I felt him loosen his hold, backing away as he gazed upon his inhuman hands then back at me. "Peter… I…"

"You can still do the right thing. Just please take it. For Billy." I offered him my hand in hope he'll take this chance I'm giving.

For a moment, I thought I got through to him. For a moment, I thought Connors might take himself back from his own creation. That is until he snarled once more and scaled hand clawed at my arm into a bloody mess. "No. Turning. BACK !" he said before throwing me so hard that I felt my bruise growing just as my back hit the beams. The harsh ground felt almost soft and tempting to sleep on if not for my dire need to stay alive.

The sad thing was? I was half expecting this to happen.

"You are right, by the way, Connors…" I got up on my knees before being up on my feet once more, "Back in the sewer… letting me go was a mistake."

That made him pause, "What did you do?" He asked with a touch of panic there and I tried relishing that.

"There was no time to let the authorities stop you, they wouldn't be able to anyway… not without reverse-engineering the serum at least."

Realization swept over his lizardy-face, "No…"

"Perks of having the daughter of a police captain as your girlfriend and being your intern at the same time. The police are probably distributing the antidote as we speak."

I said that but it hadn't been that smooth sailing. Last night had been an awkward yet fruitful convo when Mr. Stacy had come home early while I was still in my suit. Gwen's and my first bright idea was to shove me under the bed.

When Gwen greeted him outside her room, she left the door open for me to eavesdrop on their conversation. Apparently, Mr. Stacy wanted to apologize for dismissing her and wanted to update her on the lead she gave him earlier that day. How all of them were linked to a human trial that would promise them new limbs by Oscorp. After some questioning, Mr. Osborn denied any knowledge of the trial which prompted the incident to be an unsanctioned experiment.

He told Gwen there was going to be a lizard-hunt on Connors as well as the rest of his longue. But she pleaded with her father not to join when there's no guarantee the police could subdue them. I was reminded of her fear for her dad's job, so I sneaked out of the bed, put on regular clothes from my bag, and faced Captain Stacy with the pitch needed to get an edge on the Lizard.

Though explaining away why I was at his daughter's room in the middle of the night was not an easy thing to do.

"It's over, Connors. Even with the Ganali Device, your plan will never work." At least if they've finished whipping it up in less than a day, but Connors doesn't need to know that.

The Lizard roared in rage. "You will pay for this, Spider-Man!"

"I bet you I could afford it," I retorted cheekily.

Unlike the calculated movement he had before, the Lizard started to attack blindly. Which gave me the edge to web his face before giving a somersault kick to the jaw. I webbed their feet and pulled and had him hit the ground roughly before webbing his arms to the floor.

"And for your information; I'm not alone, Connors. I never have been."

As suspected, my webs couldn't hold the Lizard as Connors started ripping it apart. I was ready to intercept him when my spidey sense warned me of a presence. Not a dangerous one, at least not to me, but certainly potentially be. Then there was the sound of gun shooting, creating a loose tube of nitrogen-oxygen and I was suddenly reminded how little lizards like cold air. I grabbed the large tube and aimed directly at Connors' face.

"What's the matter, Connors? Can't take the cold?"

It slowed him down but didn't stop his march Geez, Connors wasn't kidding that he's built differently. Couple of more shots were fired that I finally turned to be faced with a stunningly beautiful woman with red hair fierier than MJ's and a piercing gaze that could cut glass.

"Who are you?"

The lady ignored him in a way that kept her gun toward Connors while giving me a silver canister, "The antidote for the Lizard Serum, courtesy of SHIELD." The gift came way out of left field and the fact Connors was still in the middle of regenerating was concerning, "I'll be fine, do what you need to. Go!"

There was something in her commanding voice that not only left no room for argument but riled my instinct to listen unless I wanted to face dire consequences. I leaped up to the tower, webbing the antidote as I made a mad dash to the top and quickly switched the serum within the Ganali Device.

I tried to do it as swift as possible because she might say she's fine but she's still one woman, it'll be difficult facing the Lizard on her own.

She shot numerous rounds of bullets at the Lizard but that only slowed Connors down from approaching but didn't stop him from reaching his claws out at her. I would have abandoned the antidote to save her if she hadn't run forward, dodging the claws through sliding down between his green legs.

The Lizard reacted with a whip of his tail, but the lady had no problem gracefully leaping away with a swiftness I hadn't thought possible without spider-power, putting on a handstand for good measure as if showing off before putting some distance. He tried to chase her down but missed the rope-like thing that circled around his feet and tied him up, causing him to drop down like a sack of bags.

I didn't even see her whip that out! So badass.

Looks like I was worried for nothing.

[—T minus 10 seconds]

Uh-oh , got distracted for a bit there.

I climbed back up with inhuman swiftness to switch the highly viral substance with the antidote, the Ganali Device was still in the middle of its ominous countdown.

" NO!"

A rough groan made me turn, and I found the Black Lady barely dodging from getting ripped to shreds. She shot another tube of nitrogen oxide to halt him and began badgering Connors another round of bullets until his one arm was ripped apart. But he was no longer distracted as he ignored the shots since he could regrow it even as we fought, and went straight toward me.

[T minus four seconds]

I pulled the Lizard serum out.

[Three seconds]

Put the antidote in.

[Two]

My leg pulled, he threw me aside while stealing back the serum.

[One]

I webbed his back. Somersault in the air and wrench a pull that tipped Connors back in the nick of time and we landed harshly by the edge of the skyscraper.

My back hit the railing. And even before my spidey sense warned me, I already have my I'm-falling-off-to-nothing sense pinging. It warned me before hearing the steel bars creaking and would have thrown me back from the force of momentum.

I instinctively shot my saving grace, but my web shooter betrayed me at the last moment as it ran out of webs. Horror swept over me as I was swept back into the empty air behind and watched the scene shift before I was looking up at the shower of the antidote shot into the sky. Split into invisible harmless particles that almost seemed to sparkle. Hopefully will bring back those who are lost.

But then I realized there's no time for me to think poetic thoughts as I was in the midst of falling down to my doom.

Then I felt my hand being pulled in before I could fully fall and watched, surprise, to see Connors. Half of his face still showed signs of green scales like a reptilian Two-Face, but his eyes showed everything I needed to know.

Because that wasn't the Lizard's eyes. That was Curt's.

The antidote saved him.

The strength in my whole body loosened as I was dangling by the Oscorps logo sign before being pulled back onto the roof. Both of us were on our backs, catching our breath after the deathly fight that took out on us.

"Curt?"

"Yes, Peter?"

"Can I just say… green is definitely not your color."

He breathed out a laugh, so sudden that he almost choked on his own air, "I won't be wearing green any time soon, that's for sure."

I grinned, "Good to have you back, Curt."

"Good to be back."

A pair of footsteps approaching us reminded me of the third party in our midst. I picked myself up with a groan and was faced with my cracked reflection… from the lens of my mask… that was being offered… by the mysterious lady I suspect was some sort of secret agent based on her ninja moves.

Then I realized my mask was on her hands and thought 'Oh, shoot. She got my mask. OH SHOOT MY FACE IS BARE!' I can already feel the panic settling in as I touched my bruised skin, but then she practically shoved the mask to my hand and helped me up to stand on my feet. It was hard to panic when she didn't bat an eye overseeing my appearance. The absence of my spidey-sense soothed my nerves a bit. As if she was a safe person to be with.

The Black Lady had a soft gaze on her as if she secretly knew what was on my mind before her eyes hardened as she turned it on Curt. "Doctor Curt Connors… I hope you understand that I'm going to have to turn you in."

Wait… so this lady is part of the authority? Now that I thought about it, Gwen did mention something about secret agents. Explains the ninja moves.

The good one-arm Doc nodded, he was drenched wet from the melting ice that had covered him before he got up under his own strength. "I know. I'll take full responsibility for my actions."

The lady pulled out the special cuffs made for the Lizards, probably not wanting to take any chances. She then turned her attention back to me, "The first responders shall be up here soon. Will you stay to get that look at?"

I followed her gaze at my many cuts around my tattered suit, the blood already congealing on the wounds, stopping the bleeding, and bumped bruises all around. There's a noticeable gash on my shoulder that had bled a fuck ton, but at least I hadn't been shot anywhere.

Basically, I look like shit. It wouldn't be shocking if I keeled over anytime.

"'Tis but a scratch, ma'am…" I ended up replying. At least my good humor is still intact. "Nothing a good night's sleep can't fix."

She nodded, "You did good work today, Spider-Man. A lot of people are saved because of you." I didn't expect the tone the red-head lady took as she said it, a hint of pride that I recognized that Aunt May often sounded. Which was... weird. Why would she feel prideful for someone she only just met a couple of minutes ago?

But the question was overwhelmed by the burst of mixed feelings built inside me. The satisfaction of managing to keep New York from turning into a lounge for Lizards. The undeservedness for stopping what I helped cause. The elation of getting praise and recognition. The exhaustion of finally getting this mess over and done with. The relief of protecting the people I cared most; Gwen, MJ, May, Harry–

Followed by the wrenching guilt from failing to save my best friend's mother.

"Not good enough…" I said softly. I wasn't sure if it was to her or to myself. "...and not everyone."

And with that sentiment, I exited the scene by somersaulting off the building. I was midway skydiving past Oscorp before I realized…

I forgot to refill my web shooter.

Oops.

. . .

By the time I reached home, bloody and bruised without a hint of trying to hide. I realized I didn't care much. So long as I could receive one of Aunt May's hugs at the end of the day.

May was there when I got home, even though she was supposed to be late today from her ordeal. She took one look at me, and the mix of worry and relief of seeing me had become a signature expression in this house. I kept an easy smile on my face. Because honestly? How could I not be happy knowing I got home to her.

I raised a bag full of eggs and other extra ingredients before asking, "Is it too late for some wheat cakes?"