Rise Of G-Morph And The Amazing Spider-Man by Amit Barabi:
Here is a summary for those who read this story on their phone's browser:
Eunice chooses Gwen Stacy as the successor of the Hero Of Heroes, Ben Tennyson. Please read and enjoy her origin as the heroine, G-Morph, and her ever-growing adventure with her arachnoid boyfriend, Spider-Man. This story is mainly based on the movies The Amazing Spider-Man and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it also has some original ideas. Peter and Gwen are pairing. I was inspired by The Incredible Muffin's My Alien Academia and Ben 10: Unlimited. This story was originally titled "Wristed Heroes." This is the first story of my big planned series, Amit's Cinematic Universe, or A.C.U. for short.
Ben 10 does not belong to me. Spider-Man does not belong to me.
This chapter ended up closer to canon than expected. However, I do recommend reading it.
I would also recommend reading my other story. It is about ACU Ben saving worlds during his disappearance (the one Eunice mentioned).
Chapter 14: Love and Lizard.
Spider-Man stared at the ugly mermaid-like creature before him, his heart pounding in his chest. The adrenaline from the rescue and the sudden appearance of this new, unknown entity had him on high alert, "Who... What are you?"
The mermaid-like creature, still dripping with water from her leap, regarded Spider-Man with a mix of determination and caution. Her pale green eyes glinted in the light from the bridge, and her scales shimmered as she moved, "Call me Ripjaws," she replied, her voice carrying a strange, echoing quality, "I'm here to help."
Spider-Man noticed a familiar device on her chest—the Omnitrix. He had seen it before and knew what it meant; He could trust her, "Alright, Ripjaws," He said, relaxing slightly, "Some people might be trapped in their cars. If you can rip them open, they can leave this place."
"What will you do?"
"I will search for that lizard."
Once Spider-Man swung away, Ripjaws hid behind a car, transformed back into Gwen, and took a deep breath.
"I think he knows," Eunice pointed out, "Why else would he trust an alien shark woman not to eat people when he is away?"
"You're not wrong," Gwen agreed, "But he also knows that I am connected to those aliens and saw the watch. He could think I called for help."
She activated the Omnitrix and transformed into XLR8, searching the bridge for any distressed civilians. Thankfully, there were not many. Once she mapped in her memory where every needed person was, she transformed back into herself in a hidden spot and then into her most humanoid alien that could help in the situation, Fourarms. The civilians, whether they were injured or trapped inside vehicles, feared Fourarms, but accepted her help eventually.
...
Meanwhile, Spider-Man searches for the Lizard without success. By the time he found a lead to a sewer manhole, he had run out of webs and concluded the Lizard had made too great of a distance.
He stood there, pondering how Miles feared him at first sight, needing him to remove his mask to listen, and how the black jacket and jeans impeded his movements and created wind resistance. He will need a new suit, preferably, a more flexible one that also gives a... friendlier vibe.
His Spider-Sense warned him in time just as a cop spotted him, giving him a chance to run away before more cops could be notified and form a half circle around him. Thanks to his spider powers, he was faster than most Olympic runners and could last much longer. It did not take him long before he reached buildings that he could climb and jump over.
When he was sure no one followed him, Peter changed into his normal clothes and walked home. His aunt was asleep on the couch. She looked more peaceful since that asshole Nir Vax was caught, but she still refused to get into her room without her hospitalized husband.
He entered his room quietly and searched for ideal designs for his new suit while Karen searched for cheap materials Peter could afford.
Peter's research focused on light clothing for athletic activities that do not catch wind, "Spandex... Spandex... Everything is spandex..."
'It looks ridiculous,' Peter thought while looking at his mask and considering what it stood for, 'But it could help.'
The next day, Peter met Gwen at school. Unfortunately, they could not get a moment alone. They were either in class together or surrounded by other students who tried to hit on Gwen. While Peter could not speak to her about Ripjaws, he could do something to make those guys stop harassing his girlfriend. Nearly everyone at school saw them kissing next to the football field. They gave the couple some space, but not enough to leave earshot.
Peter was unsure what to be more proud of—having such a great girlfriend, making other guys back off, or stopping a stray ball from hitting Gwen's head without breaking their kiss.
...
The moment was ruined by none other than Flash Thompson.
"Hey, Parker," He called out, "Can we talk?"
"What is it, Flash?" Peter asked, "We're busy."
"There is something I need to tell you."
…
The two teens found a private spot where Gwen could not be in the men's room.
"What do you want, Flash?"
"I apologized the other day, but I left something out."
"Go on…"
"Your uncle didn't blame you for that basketball crap," Flash confessed, "After you left the principal's office, your uncle found me and knocked some sense into my head. You may have broken that glass board, but I was the one who made you act this way, and it goes further than the last two weeks."
Before Peter could blame the bully for his uncle's condition, Flash continued. Tears formed in his eyes.
"I treated you like shit for years. I thought I was making up for that when I offered you to join me in bullying others, but I only made it worse, and now your uncle is dying because of me. I don't know what to do. How do I even start making things right?"
Peter didn't know what to say. Flash had it right on the money, and Peter couldn't deny these self-accusations, "I need time to process it."
With that Peter left.
Without Gwen available, Peter took advantage of a free hour he had due to a canceled class to check something at Oscorp.
On his way, he listened to the radio on his phone and heard Captain George Stacy announce that the Spider-Man search continues. Someone must have overheard Spider-Man's claim for that name last night because the Captain used it in his announcement.
He looked around the lab he, Gwen, and Connors worked in yesterday. Something looked off and had nothing to do with the damaged vials and cameras. He saw the mouse that was used in one of the successful experiments, Second Fred. The mouse, if you could still call it a mouse, was twice as large, lost some of its fur, grew dark green scales, and his paws grew reptilian talons. Second Fred had broken his container and was currently eating the corpses of his fellow test subjects, Phoenix, Britt, Amber, Bob, and Joss.
Peter stared at the horrifying sight and noticed the similarities between Second Fred and the Lizard from the bridge.
'Oh no!' Peter realized, 'If this is what the survivors of the Lizard serum turn into, the monster from last night must be...'
"It is not nice to snoop," Curtis spoke behind Peter, "What are you doing here so early, Peter? Shouldn't you be at school?"
Peter turned around and saw more green spots on the Doctor's neck and face. Now that he had what to compare them to, he could recognize them as scales, "I had a... One of my classes got canceled, and I wanted to ask you something."
"Does it have anything to do with yesterday's sabotage?" The Doctor asked while rearranging some equipment. Peter could have sworn he saw something moving in the back of Curtis's shirt.
"Um, no," Peter pretended he wasn't worried about Connors's possible discovery, "It's about the bridge last night. People say that it was a dinosaur. Do you think..." He paused, "Sabotage?"
"Yes, I have checked, and it was not an accident," Connors studied Peter's reactions, "I need you and Gwen out of the lab for the week. It is not safe for kids to work in this environment and with test subjects of our serum, especially when threatened."
Peter saw from the corner of his eye Second Fred bowing his head in submission. He took the hint and ran away. It was no longer a fight for him. But it could be a fight for Spider-Man.
Spider-Man, still in the same suit from last night, followed Curtis from afar. It was a risk to be active during the day, but thanks to the tall buildings he climbed on, the man who mattered the most could not see him. Unfortunately, it also meant that Spider-Man could not hear the Doctor. All he could see the man doing was meeting a woman, talking to a boy who looked similar to Curtis from afar, and letting him go with said woman.
Connors only did regular stuff for a while until he approached a manhole. A newspaper, carried by the wind, found that moment to meet Spider-Man's masked face. By the time Peter brushed it off, the Doctor was already gone.
The young superhero took a moment to read the paper's cover, "A Dinosaur Struck the Bridge. The Daily Bugle offers 500$ for the first clear picture."
"My aunt worries about so many things. That could solve at least one of our problems."
Spider-Man descended into the manhole and constructed a massive, multi-layered web, sitting at its center. He had never done this before, but he knew some spiders did that to detect prey and predators. Next, he placed his camera on one of the walls, attached the trigger to the center of his web, and set Karen to send pictures of the Lizard to both his computer and his phone once it came to him.
Now he had to wait for a tug and lure the Lizard to this spot. For a few hours. When it probably got dark outside.
He had waited for so long that he started playing with his phone.
He almost gave up when he felt a tug on the web. He could sense exactly where it came from but was unsure what he sensed. He crawled slowly toward the source of the tugging. He grew tenser the closer he and the source got to one another when he realized something; He had no plan for what would come after finding Connors.
To both his surprise and relief, the reptiles he saw behind the corner were not the kind twice his size, but their number and the way they looked at him made his Spider-Sense tingle. He made one step too close when the horde of seemingly normal lizards attacked him from all directions. They did not cause any major damage, but by the time he threw them all off, one of the lenses of his mask was gone.
He saw a dead-end and crawled back to the center of his web when another realization struck him too late; It was a decoy.
His Spider-Sense flared just in time. Peter barely turned his head before a massive, scaly hand slashed through the air, tearing away half of his mask and slamming him into the cold, grimy wall of the sewer. The impact knocked the wind out of him, the sharp stench of rot and waste filling his lungs as he struggled to regain his bearings.
The Lizard loomed over him, his yellow, reptilian eyes narrowing as they focused on Peter's half-exposed face. A guttural growl rumbled from deep within the creature's throat. The recognition in his eyes was unsettling, "Peter Parker?" The Lizard's voice was a harsh rasp, filled with a mix of curiosity and contempt.
Fear surged through Peter like a cold wave, paralyzing his thoughts. He was used to battling criminals and villains, but this was different. It was like facing Alien V for the third time but worse. This was Dr. Curt Connors, someone he admired and had mentored him. But now, that man was buried beneath layers of thick, impenetrable scales and primal instincts.
"I told you it is not wise to threaten a predator, Peter," The Lizard's voice was unnervingly calm, yet laced with a menacing undertone. "This is no longer about finding cures. It is about creating perfection. A world without weakness. Why are you not on my side?"
Peter's mind raced. He needed to stall, to find a way out, but the suffocating fear and the oppressive odor of the sewer muddled his thoughts. "Dr. Connors, this isn't you. You're not thinking straight!" he tried to reason, but his voice wavered, betraying his uncertainty.
The Lizard's grip tightened, claws pressing into Peter's shoulders, drawing blood. "Weakness is the only thing that clouds judgment, Peter. I have transcended that. I am getting stronger every day."
Desperation sparked an idea. Peter's fingers subtly shifted, forming the familiar gesture of his web-shooters. In one quick motion, he shot a sticky web blob at the center of his large web. The attached web strand triggered his camera. The camera flashed brightly, momentarily blinding the Lizard.
Peter didn't hesitate. He pushed off the wall with all the strength he could muster, freeing himself from the Lizard's grip and leaping upward toward the manhole above. That plan failed when the Lizard clawed his chest mid-leap. The arachnoid hero fell into the murky water below. His chest screamed in pain from the fresh wounds, but he couldn't stop now.
The sewers were a labyrinth, but Peter knew he had to keep moving. He swam frantically through the dark, putrid water, his sense of direction blurring as panic set in. He could hear the Lizard behind him, the sound of claws scraping against stone, getting louder with every second.
The water around Peter swirled violently as the Lizard dove in after him. Underwater, the creature was even faster and more agile. Peter could feel the current shift as the Lizard closed the distance, his powerful tail slicing through the water like a knife.
Peter's lungs burned as he struggled to stay ahead, his movements sluggish in the thick water. He barely managed to squeeze into a narrow tunnel, the walls scraping against his torn costume. He kicked off with all his remaining strength, forcing his way through to a wider section of the sewer.
Bursting above the surface, Peter gasped for air, his chest heaving with exertion. The stale, damp air of the sewer felt like a blessing compared to the suffocating depths below. But there was no time to rest. He could hear the Lizard thrashing through a wider tunnel, relentless in his pursuit.
Peter scrambled to his feet, his heart pounding in his ears. The sewer tunnel stretched out before him, offering no clear escape. He glanced around, trying to find something—anything—that could give him an advantage. His eyes landed on a cluster of pipes running along the ceiling, rusted but still intact.
As the Lizard emerged from the water, his massive form dripping and snarling, Peter acted on instinct. He shot a web line at the pipes, yanking them down with a violent pull. The metal groaned and then gave way, crashing down in a tangled mess. The Lizard was forced to dodge, giving Peter the precious seconds he needed to find a way out.
He spotted a grate at the end of the tunnel and sprinted towards it, his movements fueled by sheer adrenaline. He could feel the Lizard gaining on him again, the ground shaking with every heavy footfall. With a final leap, Peter dove through the grate, squeezing through the narrow opening just as the Lizard's claws slashed the air where he had been moments before.
Peter landed on the other side, rolling to absorb the impact. He scrambled to his feet, looking back at the grate. The Lizard roared in frustration, but the opening was too small for him to follow and there were no other ways around. Peter took a shaky breath, relief washing over him.
But he knew this wasn't over. The Lizard was still out there, still dangerous. And Peter was running out of time… and blood…
Peter barely reached Gwen's window. His injuries made his movements stiff and painful.
His girlfriend had completed her homework hours ago by using XLR8 and was now fiddling with her watch at her desk, her back turned to the window.
She heard a knock on the window and saw her boyfriend knocking, using his forehead. Remembering that her window was unlocked, Gwen gestured for Peter to enter while turning off the small hologram.
"You should consider starting entering through the lobby," She laughed as Peter entered her room slower than last time and with a lack of grace, "Also, my dad thinks you should get a psychological t..." When Peter entered her room less smoothly, she initially thought he had a strained muscle. That changed when she realized he wore his Spider-Man suit with half the mask missing and bloody claw marks across his chest that reminded her of his first encounter with Alien V. Her boyfriend's unstable steps and the smell of literal waste made any doubt of infection fly out the window, "Peter!" She approached him quickly and helped him sit down, "What happened? What happened?!"
"You should see the other guy," Peter quipped sarcastically, but the fear and exhaustion were spotted in his voice, "It was Connors... The Lizard. He..."
"Hey, Gwen," Her father walked towards the room, "Hun, Do you want some cocco? Howard makes some cocco before heading to a friend."
Peter hid behind Gwen's couch while Gwen hurried to her door. She said she caught a stomach ache at the worst time of the month. Her fear for Peter's life and the risk of her father entering the room and seeing him in Spider-Man's clothes with no chance to fight back made her claim sound more antagonistic than intended, forcing her to add an apology at the end. Peter would have laughed about George's claim that Gwen wished recently she could live in a chocolate house, but his injuries were too painful.
Gwen kneeled near Peter, trying to check his wounds, "Can you seal it with your webs?"
"Too wide..." He answered weakly, "Ran out anyway."
"There is a First Aid Kit in the living room," Gwen said, "I'll get it!"
"What if your dad asks you...?" Peter removed what was left of his mask, revealing how pale he grew.
He was right. Her mom was at work and would not know. She could wait 10 minutes before her dad drives Howard away, but Peter could bleed out by then.
"I can be sneaky," She raised her left hand and brought her right one to it, "He can judge me later," She mumbled to the empty space at her side as she selected the right hologram, hesitating while looking at Peter, "I'm sorry I lied."
She pressed her right hand onto the faceplate and disappeared in a flash of green light.
When Peter could see clearly, he saw a small humanoid frog exiting the room.
'So, it really was her,' He thought, barely awake.
After four minutes and several trips across the apartment, the small frog girl returned with the First Aid Kit, a bunch of plastic bags, and a towel. She organized the items near her bed while occasionally looking at his reaction. To her surprise, his expression had no negative or neutral emotions. He knew.
Once she made sure she had everything she needed, the small frog girl transformed back into Gwen, "I need to take off your clothes and put you on my bed," She stated, sitting next to the medical supplies on one knee. The fact Peter did not look up her gown or comment about the implications of her statement showed how seriously he was hurt.
...
By the time Gwen's relatives were gone, Peter was in her bed, covered only by a towel on his lower half. He had the plastic bags under him to avoid infecting his girlfriend's bed with the bacteria he carried while Gwen cleaned and stitched his wounds.
Peter growled in pain with every gentle touch of his girlfriend. He tried to focus on her pretty face and push through the pain. She looked at him in return between wipes and stitching sessions. Her expression was a mix of attraction, guilt, and judgment.
"I should have told you sooner," She said, somehow, not crying as she was mostly certain she had stopped the bleeding, "You could have told me to come with you to make it go better."
Peter caressed her cheek and kissed her, "It wasn't your fault," He assured her once their lips separated, "I knew since I met Rook Schmooze. I didn't tell you what I knew... I wanted you to tell me when it was comfortable... Not like this."
"We are both guilty, Bug-Boy. I can't let you die," She started to tear up while whispering, "Every day in my life I fear for my father. He puts a badge on his chest and hosters a gun to his waist. "Whenever he goes to work, I never know if he will return. I can't stand aside and watch as another man I love puts his life on the line every day."
There was a pause. Between Gwen's emotional state and Peter's blood loss, they realized Gwen's declaration only after she finished.
"I love you too," Peter whispered in return.
They shared a deep kiss before Gwen pressed her forehead to his, "We should wash off."
"What?"
"Those injuries are closed for now, but they are probably infected," She looked down at her nightgown and noticed dirty patches on the hem. She took it off, leaving her in nothing but her panties.
What started as a medical emergency grew hotter and sweatier as the couple explored each other in a night of love, desire, and passion.
Author's Notes:
They did it!
