A new chapter of our wall-crawling hero has arrived. This time, things are getting more and more personal for Gil. And for starters, I hope you're ready for a "monstrous" chapter so to speak.
Without further delay, let's get started.
Bubble Guppies Fanfic
The Amazing Spider-Guppy
Chapter 8: The Monster
How far can we go in our desperation to achieve a goal? Unfortunately, this is the case of a character loved by our protagonist. This great scientist has dedicated his life to his company to develop projects that would bring benefits to the scientific community and, at the same time, benefits to the population in general. However, his laboratories are experiencing a crisis due to the slow progress of his most important projects. We see how several scientists are working at Connors Laboratories alongside their chief senior scientist, Doctor Grouper Connors. At that very moment, some unexpected visitors arrive with not very pleasant news.
"Oh Mr. Norman Osborn! It is an honor to have you here. Why this unexpected visit?" Doctor Grouper asked with a smile.
"Save yourself the formalities, Doctor Connors. I have come to monitor your progress in your investigations" It was Norman Osborn alongside other Oscorp workers. Interestingly, among them were Goby and Nonny.
"We have made progress. We've had one or two setbacks but I'm sure my men and I will make further progress in the coming months" Dr. Connors said with a confident smile.
"In a few months, doc? I regret to inform you that I must rush your work. Your genetic modification research has been overdue. I can't tolerate any more delays. Oscorp needs those advances as soon as possible" Norman said seriously.
"S..Sir…I recognize that we have had problems. But you must understand that scientific processes can be complicated. Especially when we talk about genetics. Please consider this point" Our orange scientific fish tried to explain to him.
"I know. I'm something of a scientist myself. But I am also an entrepreneur. And the managers and the board do not like the delays that their project has had. So I am forced to give this ultimatum. If there's no real breakthrough on your GM research by this weekend, Oscorp will be forced to drop sponsorship to Connors Laboratories and we'll start looking for another, more competent scientific company" Mr. Osborn said very seriously.
"B…But Mr. Osborn….You can't do this to me. We have worked together for many years. These labs are all I have left. My career is everything to me. Please, I request more time. Reconsider your options, Mr. Osborn" Dr. Grouper said nervously.
"(sigh) I'm sorry, Connors. This is the last chance I'm going to give you. If there's no progress this weekend, say goodbye to Oscorp's financial aid. Please, it's nothing personal, it's just business. Have a nice day, Doctor" Saying this, Norman formally took his leave, turned his back on his colleague, and left the building. Next to him was his son and his ward. They both disagreed with Mr. Osborn's actions.
"Father, why did you say that? You know that Doctor Grouper has been a friend of the family. It doesn't seem fair to me" Goby said, a bit bothered.
"My son, you will own the company. And that is why you must understand that it is necessary to separate personal life from professional life. Although I hold Doctor Connors in high regard, I cannot make professional decisions with feelings in the way. I must make the best decisions for the company, even if certain sacrifices are necessary. (sigh) You'll understand when you grow up" Norman explained to his son calmly and firmly. Goby still had doubts, but he didn't dare argue against his own father. Nonny simply watched the scene without comment. Both teenagers simply continued on their way with the head of Oscorp.
The threat of losing funding to Connors Laboratories put the scientific enterprise at risk. Obviously, working hours were increased for laboratory workers. Grouper Connors worked hard to continue his investigations into the manipulation of the genetic code. Stress levels and workload were so high that some fellow scientists decided to resign or take mental health days off.
"We need to double down on our processes" Doctor Connors said determined.
"Sir, we can't go through with this. We need at least six months to have something concrete. Give us that time to refine modifiers and to test on living things" One of his assistants said nervously.
"In six months? We'll be done long before then. We need results as soon as possible! We do not have much time!" Grouper was getting very stressed.
"(sigh) Sorry, boss….But what you are asking for is something impossible. We cannot work under these conditions. I'm sorry" The assistant decided to leave the chief scientist. Doctor Connors felt that everyone had abandoned him. Well, the only remaining scientist was him. No one else could handle the job. At that moment, he felt cornered. The fate of Connors Laboratories was in his hands. In that despair, Grouper recalled the advances made with reptilian DNA. It was time to try said experiments. He went to the lab to make various adjustments to the reptile serum. Studies indicated that DNA from reptiles could be a key to DNA modification in people. Unfortunately, he did not have a test subject available. In that desperation, he had a risky idea: he would try the experiment himself. He prepared a serum and injected himself. When he injected himself with the serum intravenously, he began to feel a lot of pain. He started to shake a lot and sweat a lot.
"GAAAHHHHHHHGGGG" Doctor Grouper screamed loudly from the intense pain. He moved around the lab erratically and without much balance. At that moment, his genetic code began to mutate. The professor fell unconscious with certain spasms. A short time later, he slowly woke up with headaches. His vision was blurry but he recovered in no time. Connors discovered something surprising and terrifying at the same time. He saw how his missing arm (or fin) had completely regenerated. Grouper was scared but at the same time he was surprised and happy. Finally, one of his dreams came true.
"It just can't be! My job! My theory! All this time they were true! Oh, wow! I have to tell Norman!" Doctor Connors said happily before picking up his phone and making said call "Hi there, Mr. Osborn! It's me, Grouper. It is a good time to organize a small meeting. I finally got something you and Oscorp are going to like"
A few days passed for a great night to arrive. Connors arranged a small meeting with Norman and some executives. It was a small event with food. Mr. Osborn allowed his son to come along with any guests he wanted. Goby decided to invite his friends: Gil, Molly, Deema, Oona, Nonny and Zooli to have a fun time. Since there was food at the event. It would be something fun and simple.
"Thanks for having us, friend. You know I love the work Connors has done" Gil said with a smile.
"I knew you would like it. And I invited the others because I suppose they would like to come to a party" Goby commented funnily
"And you were right!" Deema added dramatically. The rest giggled.
"It will be interesting to know what Connors' big announcement will be" Nonny said thoughfully.
"Knowing him, I know it must be something impressive" Molly analyzed.
"What really makes me happy is to be able to see all of you again" Oona said with a shy smile.
"Well, while we wait, this delicious meal won't eat itself" Zooli commented with a joking tone.
"Hey! Wait for meeeeee!" Deema quickly ran to eat with Zooli. The others laughed and each of them went their separate ways. Goby, Nonny and Oona were talking to each other. Gil was about to join them until he saw Molly alone. She just helped herself to some punch. Although she looked beautiful, her face did not show happiness. She was a little pensive and even sad. Gil wasn't quite sure if he should go talk to her. He noticed that his best friend Goby winked at him and with non-verbal signals, was telling him to take advantage of the opportunity. Parker got some courage and decided to approach Molly. He decided to have a glass of punch near her. And at that moment, he tried to bring up a topic of conversation.
"Wow, it's a good party. Don't you think so?" Gil said giving her a smile.
"Oh yeah. Something simple but I like it. I'm glad Professor Grouper accomplished something great. Although we don't know what it is" She said, trying to fake a smile. Obviously, that was not convincing for the blue-haired guppy.
"Hmm are you ok? I don't see you very happy" Gil tried to asked her.
"Huh? Oh no…I´m okay. Just maybe I feel tired" She tried to sound convinced.
"Really? Please, I know you're lying to me If you don't want to tell me, don't worry" Gil was capacitive with her.
"Well….If I tell you the truth, you'll think it's something silly" Molly said nervously.
"Don't worry. I would never think that of you. Would you like to talk about it?" Parker asked. She remained silent for a few seconds until she sighed and decided to show him a photo on her cell phone "Is that...?" He couldn't even finish the entire sentence.
"That is what it seems. I can not believe it. I just broke up with Dash and what's the first thing he does? dating someone else! Surely he already saw her before. That frustrates me. I'm assimilating this situation because it's not easy for me to go through a breakup, but he?! He seems like he never cared for me! And he honestly didn't want to do anything. He didn't even want to leave or come here. But...Deema told me that the best thing in this break-up stage was to go out with people I care about...And even so it hurts..." Molly explained her emotional situation. She tried to be strong and avoid crying. Something she managed to get.
"Molly…." He said quietly.
"I know. I know…..Suffering because of a boy is something stupid and ridiculous. Come on, you have the right to laugh at me" Molly told him.
"Molly, it's okay. Feeling bad because a person you cared about hurt you is not ridiculous. It's completely normal. Also, the only ridiculous and stupid here is Dash for not valuing you as he should. You are a wonderful, intelligent and beautiful girl. If Dash didn't value that, he's the idiot. You deserve so much better. Look, here are your friends, we all know how cool you are. I bet you'll find someone better" Gil calmed her down with this emotional speech.
"Wow…G…Gilly…" She was moved for his words.
"Yeah I admit it, I said very cliché things, but that doesn't mean they're not true. Don't let him make you feel less" Gil smiled at her.
"I don't know what to tell you... Thank you very much, Gilly" She smiled at him. This time, with a genuine smile.
"You´re welcome. Never forget how great you are" Parker said happily.
"Huh? You….Do you believe it?" She was surprised.
"Oh! Huh….I…well…." Gil got nervous again and blushed. He could see how she got a little closer and noticed how her cheeks were also flushed. That moment was key…
"Attention everyone! Professor Grouper Connors will make a big announcement. Please, everyone take your seats" An attendant made the announcement out loud. Great, another chance for Gil was gone. Without saying anything else, everyone took their seats. Parker was disappointed at this wasted opportunity, but this was no time to grieve. It was time to learn about the professor's scientific breakthrough. Taking center stage was Norman Osborn.
"Greetings to all Oscorp executive members and honored guests. I am honored to be able to announce the latest breakthrough from Connors Laboratories in the development of genetic science. Years ago, Oscorp became an official sponsor of Connors Laboratories with the purpose of developing advances in science and technology. And it's a pleasure to introduce all of you to the chief scientist of these facilities. With you, Doctor Grouper Connors!" Mr. Osborn decided to call his colleague. Immediately, the large orange fish appeared with his scientist uniform and a large blanket covering his newly regenerated arm.
"Thanks, Mr. Osborn! It is an honor to welcome you all to Connors Laboratories. I have dedicated my whole life to science. And tonight, I want to announce our latest discovery. Everyone, pay attention and be surprised!" Doctor Connors decided to remove the sheet and revealed his newly regenerated arm to everyone present. Everyone was surprised to see that it was a completely new arm. Very similar to the one he has naturally.
"Wow, Doctor Connors! Your arm...you've got your arm back! You have really impressed us all. Including me. What you have done is a miracle of science" Norman said in amazement.
"This was achieved thanks to the genetic modification studies carried out thanks to the alliance between Oscorp and Connors Laboratories. And thanks to this progress, I know we will work more together for a long time to come" Doctor Grouper said with a smile.
"Without a doubt, dear friend...Although...for the next presentation I recommend a little skin cream" Norman said with an awkward smile.
"Yeah….Wait….What's wrong with my skin?" He asked confusedly.
"Oh! I don't want to offend you but...your skin is a little more...flaky" Norman tried to say it in a good way.
"That sounds a bit offensive. I'm a fish. Obviously my skin has scales" Connors crossed his arms.
"I know…but….Is it normal to have big green scales?" Mr. Osborn asked. Professor Grouper widened his eyes a little startled.
"H…H…HOW?!" He yelled a little upset and decided to see his hands and something terrified him. His hands and arms were covered in large green scales "Uh oh!"
"What's up, Connors?" Norman asked worriedly.
"This shouldn't be happening. Oh no! AHHHHH!" Grouper started to scream in pain and put his hands on his head and started to move erratically.
"Doctor Connors! Connors! Nonny, call an ambulance immediately!" Norman ordered.
"On my way" Nonny used his cellphone.
"No! NO! Get everyone out of here! Everyone is in great danger!" Doctor Connors shouted loudly.
"What are you talking about?!" Norman demanded an explanation.
"I have made a mistake. A BIG MISTAKE! Everyone please FORGIVE ME! AGHHHHHH" Doctor Grouper screamed in pain before his terrifying transformation began. His body turned green and full of reptilian scales. It grew two hind legs and its fish tail became a reptile tail. His eyes changed to two eyes with a fierce streak and his head changed to that of a reptile. With a long snout and sharp teeth. And there we can see a reptilian monster with his torn scientist uniform.
"D…Doctor Connors?!" Osborn was scared.
"GRUUUAAAAHHHHH!" The fearsome monster was born: The Lizard! The beast went on the attack and began to destroy the place and tried to hunt down anyone who was in its way. Everyone present began to panic. Many fled the building and a few others hid in the building. The scaly monster decided to destroy the gate and escaped to wreak havoc across the city. Literally a reptilian minded monster was loose in the city.
"What the heck is that thing?!" Deema asked scaredly.
"It…It…It´s Doctor Connors….Or at least…He was…." Nonny said with his typical tone of voice.
"I…I…We need to do something now!" Goby said determined.
"Of course not, son. I won't let you get involved in this" Norman said seriously.
"Of course I'm going to do something about it. He is a friend of the family and I will not let anything bad happen to him. I'll go find him. With or without your permission, father" Goby said seriously before running off. As he ran, he felt that two people followed him. They were Molly, Deema and Zooli "Don't try to stop me, girls"
"We don't mean to stop you. We will go with you!" Zooli said bravely. The other two girls nodded. They decided to follow the trail where they could find the monster. The others were still not knowing what to do.
"No! UGH! That boy is sometimes so... Agh!" Norman was frustrated "Now what?"
"Do you know something? I can try to work on an antidote for Grouper" Nonny said it thoughtfully.
"What?!" The rest were surprised.
"I can work on a "gene cleaner", with that I can create a serum that removes any non-carrier DNA components. With that, we can remove the lizard DNA he has in his body" Nonny explained his idea.
"(Huh? A gene cleaner? That...could even remove my mutant spider DNA)" Gil thought about it seriously.
"And you think you can do it, Nonny?" Norman asked curiously.
"Of course. Professor Connors shared a little about his research with me. In addition, in his laboratory there must be notes and information. I'll be able to do it but if we want to do it fast, I'll need help" Young Octavius commented.
"Then I'll help you, Nonny! I know I'm not a scientist, but I really want to help!" Oona said determined. Nonny just gave her a quick tiny smile.
"Two brilliant minds are better than just one. I'll give you a hand, my young ward" Norman offered himself to help him "And luckily, we have three privileged minds... Isn't that so, young Parker?" He thought that Gil would help them. But his answer was baffling to everyone.
"I…I…I cant…." Gil said nervously.
"But why? We need you now" Nonny was surprised.
"This is about Grouper...Please Gil..." Oona begged him.
"I…I…I can´t….Sorry….My Aunt May must be worried. I can't be late today...I...I'm sorry" Gil decided to turn his back on them and ran out of the building. Oona and Nonny couldn't believe his attitude.
"It just can't be. He... he abandoned us... How dare he?" Oona said with crying eyes.
"Leave him alone, girl. I can't judge Gil. He... he must be scared right now. His life was at risk and he is constantly exposed to danger at work... He is barely a teenager" Norman said seriously, defending him.
"But Mr. Osborn…..I am also the same age as Gil. I'm scared too...And yet I'm doing something about it, not like him who ran away!" Nonny supported his friend´s argument.
"Nonny...you can't expect all the boys your age to think the same way you do. I just... I think he's scared. And we shouldn't criticize him for that. After all...he is the only person alive who takes care of his aunt" Norman decided to show a sign of empathy. Said argument made both teenagers ashamed of their own words. And without wasting any more time, they decided to start working on the antidote for Connors. But what nobody knew is that Gil fled from Connors Laboratories to hide in an alley and put on his superhero suit. Spider-Guppy had to save the city...and Connors!
The search had begun! Goby, Molly, Deema and Zooli were running around the city. They were following the trail of destruction that The Lizard was causing. Vehicles and buildings damaged and many people in panic was the scenario that caused the monster. Some police officers and even animal control units were intervening in the emergency. The Lizard was simply acting like an animal. Attacking people he considers a threat. And we can't help but try to devour some people out of wild instinct. The teenagers arrived on the scene to try to do something about it.
"Very good, Gobby. Do you have any plan to catch him?" Deema asked.
"Honestly...hadn't thought it through until now. I only know that we must attract him and take him to the laboratory so that our friends can cure him" Goby answered.
"Hmmmm I have an idea how to attract him. But it is dangerous" Molly had something in mind.
"Please….The mission is already dangerous" Zooli wanted to know her plan.
"We need protection...and bait" The pink-haired guppy smiled a bit. They took advantage of the fact that a sports store was destroyed to use American football uniforms, helmets and as weapons, baseball and hockey bats. And Goby decided to offer himself as human bait. They decided to take meat and blood that was in a butcher shop destroyed and looted by The Lizard. Goby bathed in blood and put meat on his body.
"Are you sure about this, Goby?" Deema asked worriedly.
"That's why you guys will help me a little. For Connors!" He was confident with his plan. Right at that moment, the monster appeared a few streets away from them.
"GRRRRUUUAAAAHHH" The Lizard roared. He sniffed a bit and managed to detect the blood and meat that Goby had on his body. He decided to stalk the young Osborn.
"Hey, Connors! Are you hungry! GO FOR ME!" Goby provoked him and he started to run as fast as possible.
"GRRRRAAAAAA!" The reptilian beast ran towards him. The bait was working... except for certain details. The Lizard was much faster than Goby. So the boy got desperate and tried to run faster, but he tripped on the street and fell to the ground, leaving himself vulnerable to the beast "GRRRRRR!"
"Ahhh!" The monster was ready to devour Goby. It was at that precise moment that Deema hit him over the head with tennis balls.
"Leave him alone!" She screamed bravely.
"GRRRRRR!" The creature decided to leave its old prey behind and tried to attack the blonde girl. The only thing he did to her was hit her with her reptilian tail and that impact threw her towards the wall of a building. The impact only left her with a headache.
"DEEMA!" Molly and Zooli were scared. They used their courage to hit with their baseball and hockey bats respectively. That only caused the monster's fury and he used her muzzle to smash the baseball bat with ease. Lizard was about to corner them until Goby and Deema were mysteriously rescued. And Lizard launched towards them. Both girls screamed in horror because there was no way out. Just in time, two web loops attached to the girls' shoulders and were lifted into the air just as Lizard launched his attack. This caused Connors to crash into the wall, taking damage. And the girls were safe and sound on the roof of the building.
"I didn't know it was beautiful girls fishing season"
"Spider-Guppy!" Molly and Zooli shouted happily.
"On time as always!" Molly added with a special smile.
"Ladies, I appreciate your courage...but leave these issues to the professionals" Spider-Guppy said seriously.
"I understand. We will help Goby and Deema who must be injured" Zooli said determined. Molly nodded her head.
"Very good. I'll take care of the giant lizard" The masked man said excited until Molly stopped him by taking his hand.
"W…Wait, Spider-Guppy!" Molly stopped him.
"Huh?"
"I know it's your duty to catch the supervillains but...Please...He shouldn't go to jail. He is a friend of ours and he became that by accident. Listen, a friend of ours is making an antidote for him. Please take him there and save Connors" Molly begged him. Under the mask, Gil knew it was true. His friend, Professor Grouper, was the beast. And both he and she want the same thing.
"I…I…I will do what I can. I promise you" Spider-Guppy promised, taking her hand gently. They both looked into "her eyes" for a few seconds before the hero separated from her and went directly to the confrontation.
"GRAAAAHHHH!" The Lizard roared furiously.
"Listen to me...Connors! I know it's you. You are not a beast, you are Grouper Connors! I know you are stronger than lizard instinct!" Spider-Guppy said to his face. For an instant, he spoke to her like Gil Parker and not so much Spider-Guppy.
"GRRRUUUAAAHHH!"
"I see. I can help you to be normal again...Just..Let me take you to a safe place. Please, I want to do this the easy way" Spider-Guppy said before he attacked him with his reptilian tail. That blow knocked him straight into a wall, causing him pain "Alright….Then they will be the hard way"
"GAAAHHHH!"
The battle started! Spider Guppy vs. The Lizard! Both of them began to fight fiercely. Although the guppy was a little worried. He didn't want to hurt him severely, because he knew that under that transformation was his friend Connors. Unfortunately, Connors did not think the same and tried to finish him quickly with his claws or with his sharp teeth. The confrontation was more difficult than expected. Well, the scaled monster was very fast, agile and strong. Spider-Guppy used his agility to dodge his attacks and obviously used the web to move around the battlefield or just shoot the Lizard's eyes to block his view temporarily. The battle happened all over the street until they reached the subway. Spider-Guppy had to deal with fighting Lizard and getting people to safety at the same time. Both fought in the tunnels of the train tracks. In that terrain, Lizard had an advantage because of his dark vision and because he used his claws to climb walls.
"Hey! Climbing walls is my thing! If you start shooting webs, I'll sue you!" Spider-Guppy commented comically before continuing their match. He knew his true mission: lure him to Connors Labs so they could inject him with a gene-wiping antidote "So….Do you want to eat me? Come and try to hunt me down"
"RRROOAAAAAGGGG!" Lizard started stalking Spider-Guppy, and that was what he wanted. Because there was a shortcut to Connors Laboratories via the subway. The spider hero moved at high speed to avoid the beast's attacks. He managed to get out of the subway tunnels and started a fight outside. Both of them fought hard and reached Connors Laboratories. Where Nonny, Oona and Norman were working on the antidote.
"Spider-Guppy!" The three of them shouted surprisedly.
"Where are our friends?" Oona asked worriedly.
"Your friends are okay…..They told me that you were...working on an antidote...have you got it yet?" Spider-Guppy said tiredly, because he was evading his attacks.
"We got it, Spider-Guppy! Although I should note that I'm still not quite sure... I mean, there's no time for preliminary tests" Nonny said nervously.
"Something is better than nothing. Give me the antidote, Non...I mean, kid!" The masked hero avoided revealing that he knows his name.
"Take it, Spider-Guppy!" Oona took the syringe and threw it at Spider-Guppy. Quickly, both of them fought hard so that the boy could get on his back to inject him with the healing substance.
"It's time for you to get a dose of your medicine...Literally!" He injected the serum into the shoulder.
"GROOOAAAAHHHHHHH!" That caused the monster to walk erratically and fall to the ground in pain. Spider-Guppy fell next to him and everyone looked at the Lizard hoping that he would heal soon. However, something unfortunate happened.
"Ha….HAHAHAHA!
"What?!" Spider-Guppy and the rest were surprised.
"Did you really think that would work? Please, you need more time to design a more complete serum. Although I congratulate you for the attempt" The Lizard talked!
"CAN YOU TALK?!" Spider-Guppy was shocked to see it.
"Oh no! Please, Doctor Connors! I know you're still there!" Nonny said worriedly.
"Doctor Connors? Bah…..He's not here anymore, boy. Now call me: The Lizard. Finally, that goofy Doctor Grouper Connors has opened his eyes. Finally, I have become the new superior species" The Lizard said evilly.
"But what nonsense are you talking about?!" Norman demanded an answer.
"Your species believes itself to be so advanced due to all the technological and scientific achievements... And all for what? To destroy the only planet that can support our life. That is just absurd. We must return to our wild mentalities. And this new form...has shown me that. Soon, everyone will turn into lizard beings like me...Starting with New Bubble York!" Lizard explained his new ideas.
"Not if I can stop you!" Spider-Guppy was rash enough to attack without planning, Connors just managed to hit him hard with his tail. Gil crashed into the wall, leaving him sore "UGH!"
"Spider-Guppy!" Nonny, Oona and Norman was worried.
"Do you see it? Not even your best savior can with me. Look, they can't with me...Imagine what will happen to hundreds of beings like me. Don't worry, I'm doing you and everyone a favor...Though...my plans will have to be postponed. I don't have the necessary resources...but as long as I have my intellect...no one can stop me...NOT EVEN SPIDER-GUPPY! Until then..." The monster said with satisfaction before destroying the ground and leaving for the sewers. Spider-Guppy couldn't even get up right. Nonny and Oona decided to help him up.
"Are you okay, Spider-Guppy?" Oona asked worriedly.
"I´m…I´m okay….Just….Agh…some hits…." He said tiredly.
"We should take you to the hospital" Nonny recommended.
"Well….No, thanks…I´ll be okay….Stay safe, you three" Spider-Guppy decided to quickly leave the scene with her webs. The three of them had seen something they never thought possible: Spider-Guppy had suffered his first defeat against a supervillain.
The next day, Gil came to help out a bit with the destruction of Connors Labs. Unfortunately for him, his friends were there, and when they saw him, they didn't look kindly on him.
"Hi, guys" He said tiredly.
"Oh...hi, Gil...it's...good to see you" Goby said sarcastically.
"What's wrong with you? Why do you see me with those faces? Did I do something wrong?" Parker was confused.
"So surely you can explain this to us" Zooli showed Gil a Bubble Bugle newspaper. It was a header with pictures of Spider-Guppy's battle against The Lizard. With the note at the end: Photographed by Gil Parker.
"I….I…well…." He was nervous.
"You left us when we needed you with the serum..." Oona said sadly.
"...Just to find out that you only wanted to profit from Spider-Guppy's battle with Lizard. DO YOU KNOW HE WAS GROUPER?!" Deema was angry. She had her forehead bandaged.
"I know it looks bad but...I swear I didn't take any photos that prove the Lizard was Doctor Connors. I kept that a secret" Gil tried to calm them.
"But that doesn't take away from the fact that you abandoned your friends...While we risked our lives to save him...You simply saw an opportunity to profit yourself!" Zooli faced him with angry eyes.
"Guys...Things aren't like that...Isn't that right, Goby?" Gil wanted to explain them.
"Hmmm Gil…(sigh)...You're my best friend...But I have to tell it like it is...Gil...(sigh) You let me down" Goby tried to not be so rude.
"I would say he let us all down!" Deema added bothered.
"I….I….I prefer not to comment. I have nothing to say" Molly only showed sadness. She didn't want to say anything bad, though she didn't deny her disappointment.
"SHUT UP, EVERYONE! LEAVE GIL ALONE! He is not the culprit. This is MY FAULT because my serum didn't work! I should have known! How could I help Connors if I'm not an expert in genetics? It wasn't my area and yet I thought I was smart enough to help him... It didn't work" Nonny decided to defend his friend.
"Nonny…Please don't be hard on yourself...You did everything you could to..." Oona wanted to calm him by taking his hand….but this time, he denied it.
"NO! I don't want you to justify my mediocrity! First Electro and now this! I have two people on my list that I have really disappointed. Helping people was my purpose as a scientist. If I can't deliver that, then... What do I do at Oscorp? What good is being a prodigy if I can't do something good for society? I...I need some time...Alone" Saying that, Nonny decided to withdraw from there immediately.
"Nonny…." Oona tried to stop him, but Zooli stopped her. She knew that he needed time alone. Seeing the damage caused, Gil decided to get out of there. Only Goby and Molly felt bad for him. The others still needed time to process everything.
At times like this, Gil only had one thing on his mind to clear his mind: Put on his suit and swing through the city with his webs. That tour was silent for him. He just sat on the edge of one of the tallest buildings in the city.
"Just great. Terrible time to be Gil Parker and Spider-Guppy. The Lizard escaped and I couldn't find him. He must be hidden in the sewers or underground. He is too slippery. Besides, I've disappointed my friends... And all because I can't tell them who I am. But... this is tiring me. How many things do I have to risk to be a hero? Family? Friends? A chance with Molly? I hate this...But...Connors still needs me. And the city is counting on me...So...Spider-Guppy will keep working...for now" He decided to throw himself off the building to be able to move around the city to fulfill his duty as a hero. But what does Gil mean? Is the burden of being a hero affecting his personal life? For now, he had one clear goal, to find and cure Doctor Grouper Connors. But, will it be that during his mission, he would reconsider the option of resuming a normal life? After all, The Lizard's hypothetical cure could also take away his spider powers. It was not the ideal time to make those decisions, less when the creature conspires in the dark his plan to turn the inhabitants of the city into beings similar to him. The hero's task is not close to finishing. Much less when other threats start to emerge.
Wow, this chapter went faster than expected. I guess I was very inspired and the plot of this chapter is one of the first ones I had in mind before starting the story. Believe me, many chapters to come could be like this. The next chapters will be very exciting.
As usual, please leave your reviews to get feedback and hear your ideas and views. As usual again, I will answer the reviews of the previous chapter.
PrimroseRaspberry: Hi, my friend! I see you liked the chapter. Sandman is quite a popular villain, so I considered putting him in the last chapter. But I'm glad to know that you found it a good chapter. I know we will see more iconic characters soon (this includes the possible Sinister Six, which would be ironic) I see that you liked the romantic touch of the previous chapter, it is always fun to see the friends of the protagonists helping them to fall in love. (Oh and finally goodbye MollyxDash XD) I know Gil and Molly's situation may be tense now because of this episode, but it sure won't last long.
.16: Hi there! Thank you very much and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story to come.
Zakirmatron: Hello, friend! I really loved your analysis of Sandman. You really noticed what I wanted to show with this character. I try to fit several villains into this story, but I try to make each one different and special. And I think Sandman is one of the most special in my opinion. I hope you continue to enjoy what comes next. Especially since a very big chapter is coming.
This is all from me. I am ReaderandWriter9000 and I say goodbye for today. See you in another exciting chapter of this or my other story. Always stay tuned for the next updates!
Post-Chapter
In Oscorp's main labs, we can see our young scientist hard at work on his biggest project. Looks like things are back to normal. But the boy had in his mind the guilt of not being able to help Max (Electro) or Connors (Lizard). But he couldn't let those emotions slow him down. He was very close to achieving something great. At that time, he received a pleasant visit.
"Greetings, Young Octavius. How is your project going?" It was Norman Osborn with a sincere smile.
"Very good, Mr. Osborn. It is in its final stages. Soon, we'll be able to show the project to the Oscorp CEOs at the next science press conference" Nonny said with his typical tone of voice.
"You really do a good job, kid. Congratulations. You really are Oscorp's prodigy….rather my prodigy. I know you will be destined for great things. Keep it up" Mr. Osborn said happily. He planned to leave before his pupil stopped him with a question.
"W…Wait!...Huh…M…Mr. Osborn…I….Have scientists made progress on the cure for Connors?" He asked uneasily. The adult guppy was silent for a few seconds until he managed to look at it with some affection to answer.
"That's how it is. It is not an easy procedure but our best scientists are working on it. Leave that to me, young Octavius" Nonny just gave a small smile as he continued working. What's impressive is that he was working on four robotic arms that were close to being finished. When Norman left, he decided to take the elevator and decided to take the last floor underground, that is, the last basement. He entered and a hidden laboratory was revealed, where only a few scientists were, the only highly trusted scientists. He just walked up to their chief.
"And good? Do you have all the research on Doctor Grouper Connors?" Norman said seriously.
"Yes, Mr. Osborn. All research related to DNA modification has been removed. Just as you ordered, boss" The chief scientist said.
Very good work. From here I will take charge of this investigation. Tell the others to go back to their original posts and not to forget the strict code of confidentiality. No one should know about this, understand?" Mr. Osborn said with a slight sinister tone of voice.
"So shall it be, sir!" He said nervously. All the scientists left the secret laboratory. Norman saw the computers filled with the information from the DNA alteration research. What is Norman's hidden purpose?
"Connors did a good job, but not a better one. (sigh) As the saying goes: If you want to do something right, do it yourself"