Amidst the chaos of the rampaging Lizard, Eddie and Peter found themselves cornered, the creature closing in on a group of Spider-Man cosplayers.
Eddie's quick thinking manifested as he hurled a brick at the Lizard's head, providing a momentary distraction and allowing the cosplayers to escape. However, the diversion didn't come without consequences.
The Lizard, now alerted to a familiar scent, its snout in the air, detected something ominous—Spider-Man's blood. Peter winced as their eyes locked, his hand instinctively going to his chest where his stitches rested.
In a sudden, merciless move, the Beast pounced, hurtling towards Peter. Before it could reach its prey, Eddie intervened, sacking the reptile out of midair, sending both Eddie and the Lizard crashing over a nearby table.
Seizing the opportunity, Eddie grappled with the formidable creature, attempting to wrestle it into submission. Yet, the Lizard proved overwhelming, effortlessly overpowering Eddie and slamming him into the ground. As it moved in for a potentially lethal strike, Peter leaped onto the creature's back, unleashing a barrage of ax-handed blows to its head. The Lizard retaliated by flinging Peter away, sending him crashing through a nearby window.
Outside, Peter, determined to regroup and fight back, noticed an abandoned Spider-Man costume. Seizing the opportunity, he smirked, realizing the advantage this disguise could provide in diverting the creature's attention.
Back inside, Eddie continued his desperate struggle against the relentless Lizard. The reptile, growing tired of the game of cat and mouse, used its tail to trip Eddie, bringing the chase to a resolute end. With the Lizard closing in for a final strike, its jaws ready to deliver a lethal bite, Spider-Man swung into action, saving Eddie in the nick of time.
"Are sharp teeth provided at this party, or do I have to bring my own?" Spider-Man quipped, a blend of humor and determination evident in his voice.
The Lizard turned to face Spider-Man, an ominous gaze meeting the masked hero. In a sudden burst of force, Spider-Man was thrown through a wall, crashing into a door, which crumbled under the impact. Groaning in pain, Spider-Man quickly adapted, shooting two web lines past the Lizard's head.
"Okay, I understand," Spider-Man grunted, a hint of humor in his voice. "But see, I didn't bring my own. So let me borrow some of YOURS!" With a swift yank, Spider-Man propelled himself towards the Beast, feet first, delivering a powerful kick to its mouth. The creature staggered, and Spider-Man seized the opportunity, launching into a relentless assault.
A flurry of punches followed, each blow landing with precision. Spider-Man finished the combo with a downward ax kick, sending the Lizard stumbling. The masked hero, now resembling an actual spider, crawled all around the creature, encasing it in webbing. With agility and speed, Spider-Man executed a pseudo bicycle kick, flipping over the Lizard's head and throwing it further down the hall.
As Spider-Man caught his breath, he noticed something wiggling in his arms. Looking down, he realized it was the Lizard's detached tail. Momentarily disgusted, Spider-Man tossed away the appendage, only to find the Beast already recovering. Without hesitation, they closed the distance, walking each other down in a tense standoff.
The sounds of sirens in the distance interrupted the confrontation, capturing both combatants' attention.
"Uh-oh! Sounds like somebody's been a bad Lizard," Spider-Man quipped under his mask. Crouching into a pouncing position as he was elated at the imminent arrival of the NYPD.
The tension escalated as the sirens drew nearer, casting an eerie glow on the ongoing battle. The Lizard, fully recovered and ready to resume the fight, and Spider-Man, poised for the next move, locked eyes in a momentary stalemate. The clash between hero and creature intensified.
Outside, a line of police cars, their red and blue lights flashing, formed a protective barrier. Captain Stacy stood next to the center vehicle, directing his officers to hold the line. Gwen, Harry, and Liz approached in anxiety, seeking answers about Eddie and Peter.
"Dad, what are you doing?! Eddie and Pete are still inside there with that thing, why aren't you going inside to help them?!" Gwen pleaded with urgency, her worry palpable.
"It's fine, Gwen. Parker is on his way to the nearest ER as we speak and that's for Brock… well if he's half as smart as you say he is, he'll be just fine." Captain Stacy reassured, but the concern lingered on the faces of his daughter and her friends.
The tension outside mirrored the intense battle within the building. Suddenly, loud footsteps echoed from within, prompting every police officer to brace themselves. Captain Stacy, aware of the danger, commanded Gwen, Harry, and Liz to leave the area.
"You three get out of here now! This is not a safe place for you!" he ordered, and without hesitation, they turned to leave. However, their confusion peaked when Eddie Brock ran out in fear, warning everyone to watch out.
"Eddie!" Gwen yelled.
Moments later, Spider-Man and the Lizard burst from the building, still locked in a fierce battle. The clash of blows continued until Spider-Man, utilizing his web shooters, pulled them both to the ground, using the Lizard to break his fall. Peter's Spider Sense heightened, prompting him to dodge as the police opened fire.
The bullets proved somewhat effective, but the creature's resilient skin posed a challenge until one officer took a shotgun to its face. The blast tore part of the Lizard's face off, a momentarily effective attack that warranted a vicious tail swipe, sending the officer crashing into a squad car.
As the reptile's face healed, it redirected its attention to the remaining officers. Just as it prepared to charge, Spider-Man intervened, hitting the beast in the face with his knee before slamming it into the ground. The battle raged on, the odds against Spider-Man and the police as they faced the relentless Lizard.
Seizing the opportunity, the police unleashed multiple canisters of tear gas at the battling Spider-Man and the Lizard. The Lizard, oblivious to the nature of the canister it caught in its mouth, had a visceral reaction as tear gas enveloped the area. Spider-Man, tightening his goggles and holding his breath, exploited the moment of weakness, delivering relentless blows to the incapacitated creature.
However, in his focus on the Lizard's vulnerable state, Spider-Man momentarily forgot about the creature's dangerous tail. The tail swiftly wrapped around his foot, spinning him around and slamming him into various surfaces. Despite the onslaught, Spider-Man remained resilient. As the Lizard swung him dangerously close to its face, Spider-Man capitalized, ax-handing the creature before gracefully kick-flipping away.
But before Spider-Man could distance himself, the Lizard retaliated, delivering a powerful strike that sent the Wall Crawler crashing into the ground. The force of impact made Spider-Man's body bounce back into the air, only for the reptile to slam him back down. In the midst of the chaos, the Lizard managed to break free, escaping the relentless assault.
Left on the ground in pain, Spider-Man clutched an object that had been lodged into the creature's tough skin. In the aftermath of the skirmish, as the tear gas continued to disperse, Spider-Man swiftly made his escape, disappearing from the scene before the police could fully register his presence.
Making it to a nearby rooftop, Spider-Man's eyes widened under his mask as he examined the object he had retrieved. It was a badge, and he couldn't believe whose name was on it.
Martha Connors slammed her fist on the table, her entire body shaking with rage as she watched yet another cure attempt fail.
"Damn it! Why won't it work?! I made the basis for that damn formula, so why can't I counteract it?!" Martha yelled, believing she was alone within the lab, quickly finding out otherwise as she heard an unknown voice from behind, coming from the corner of the room.
"Maybe it's your guilty conscience tripping you up for that thinly veiled cover-up of that creature running around," Spider-Man said, finally exiting the shadows.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Martha lied, causing the vigilante to scoff.
"Then explain this." He said sliding a badge across the table into her view, she was shocked to see her name and face on it; it was her husband's badge definitely.
"How did you get a hold of this?" She asked as Spidey narrowed his gaze before answering.
"Where else? I snatched it off of our mutual reptilian friend. So how about you stop feigning ignorance and fill me in because it doesn't take a genius to know that there's more to this story," he said, hopping up on the table so that they were face to face. "So first things first, what is it and what did it do to Curt Connors?"
Martha let out a heavy sigh at the Wall Crawler's question, realizing that she couldn't lie her way out of the situation. "Well first, it's not an 'it,' it's a 'he,' and he didn't do anything to Curt Connors. He is Curt Connors." she confessed, sitting down on the stool while Spidey took a step back to process what she said. "Shocking, I know,"
"I see, that would explain why he was holding on to the badge, it had sentimental value, he didn't know what it meant but it meant something. How did the Beast come to be?" Spider-Man asked, turning back to her after pondering.
"My husband injected himself with an experimental regenerative formula based on reptiles and their abilities to regrow limbs. My research was the basis of the project; Curt was the spearhead leading it into any direction that would work, but because of the results shown in the animal trials, the formula wasn't supposed to be anywhere near strong enough to spark this kind of reaction within the human body," Martha said, looking through her microscope, watching the results of her next attempt out of here as Spidey put two and two together.
"So the formula was tampered with," he said as she gave a silent nod. "How and by who, however, I couldn't tell you," she added, referencing her inability to find a cure.
"Leave her alone, Webs for brains!" Spidey stopped as he recognized the voice to be none other than Eddie Brock's, turning around to see him and Gwen walking in.
"Making her feel terrible for something she clearly couldn't control won't change anything. So it isn't helping, and if you don't have any ideas, you can leave," Eddie finished as Spider-Man narrowed his eyes, knowing Ed had a point. Turning back around to face Martha, he quickly exhaled before speaking.
"Okay, how many possible reversal serums have you come up with?" Spidey asked, gesturing toward the papers and microscope she had on the table.
"Over a dozen already, but obviously, none have proven any merit. You can have a look if you like, perhaps I can benefit from a new perspective," she said, stepping aside so he could examine her work as Eddie and Gwen made their way over to do the same.
Over the course of the next 30 minutes, they all started racking their brains for a successful, permanent solution for Curt's condition. Constantly throwing ideas at each other back and forth, only for the theory to be immediately shot down for why it wouldn't work until Gwen decided to take another look at the microscope. Her eyes lit up as if a light bulb went off in her head.
"Wait, Dr. Connors, I just noticed that in every single one of your serums, there's still reptile DNA in your husband's genetic data," she pointed out. "Of course, that's the DNA left over that would make up his arm," Martha responded, seemingly confused by her intern's statement.
"Exactly, so what if you've been taking the wrong approach this entire time? What if instead of leaving some lizard DNA, we get rid of it altogether?" Gwen asked as the other two gained a look of realization. "Like a gene cleanser," the vigilante said as he looked up at Gwen.
"Precisely!" Gwen exclaimed, her smile evident.
"Yes, that would work, in theory. But you're forgetting something," Martha started before being interrupted.
"By getting rid of all of the foreign DNA in his system, we'd be dooming him to lose his arm once more," Eddie chimed in with Martha nodding as he finished, noting that those were her thoughts exactly.
Gwen's smile dropped as she too realized that. They all were about to go back to brainstorming until Spider-Man spoke up. "Well, it looks like that's just the way it's gotta be."
"What?!" Everyone else said in unison.
"Are you insane?! How could you possibly be willing to do that to my husband?!" Martha yelled. But Spidey only narrowed his eyes once again before speaking.
"Because the longer he's out there and out of control, the more people that are put in potential danger, and while it may be a miracle your husband hasn't killed anyone yet, we cannot afford to keep betting on miracles, and I will not let anyone get hurt, maimed, or killed because you can't stomach the idea of your husband just being a lefty again," Spidey said, leaning in so that his face was closer to hers.
"That arm isn't worth all those lives, and there have to be consequences to his recklessness."
"I may not like him, but he's right. We don't have the time or resources to try to figure out another solution, for every second that Curt's out there, someone could be dead, and I refuse to have that on my conscience," Eddie said, establishing his cut-and-dry thoughts on the dilemma.
"I'm afraid I'll have to agree with these two; in the state that he's in, he is far too dangerous to be allowed to roam freely," Martha scowled as she realized that they were right, and she knew what her husband had become and how much of a threat he poses while free.
"Fine, we'll proceed with the gene cleanser. I suppose Curt will just have to start from scratch," Martha said solemnly, turning around to Spidey's narrowed lenses looking away.
"Alright then, you guys get started on the cleanser. When you're done, use this to ping my location and reach me," the vigilante said, handing a prototype spider-tracer to Gwen.
"Wait! Where are you going?" The blonde asked.
"Me? I'm gonna hunt down the class pet," he humorously answered before launching himself through an open window and swinging away into the night.
As Spider-Man swung through the city, thoughts of the impending confrontation with the transformed Curt Connors filled his mind. He knew the risks, the sacrifices that had to be made for the greater good. Deep down, he hoped the gene cleanser would work, not just for the sake of the city but for Martha and Curt as well.
Back in the lab, the trio began their work on the gene cleanser, a mixture of tension and determination hanging in the air. The fate of Curt Connors rested on their shoulders, and the urgency of their task spurred them into focused action.
Elsewhere…
Marko's eyes shot open, panic coursing through his veins. The room's darkness enveloped him, except for the ominous red glow of a camera's LED light. "What the hell is going on?" he muttered, frantically scanning his surroundings. The realization hit him as he struggled to move; he was restrained by unforgiving steel shackles.
His shivering body reacted to the cold metal against his bare skin. "Where am I? Who's recording me?" Marko's desperate questions echoed in the eerie silence. Suddenly, a familiar voice cut through the darkness, chilling him to the bone.
"Marko! Chill out would ya?" Hammerhead's suave tone filled the room. "That's High-grade steel, my friend. Quit grinding ya keister against it."
"Hammerhead? What the hell is this? Get me out of here!" Marko's voice trembled with a mix of fear and anger.
Hammerhead's laughter echoed back from the camera. "Calm down, Marko. We hear ya just fine without the theatrics."
"Where am I? What's going on?" Marko's anxiety escalated as Hammerhead's response dripped with sarcasm.
"This is your end of the deal, pal," Hammerhead replied cryptically. Marko's eyes darted around, taking in the ominous equipment surrounding him.
"What deal? You said this was just going to be a trial!"
As Marko's gaze explored the room, he noticed the machinery hooked up to him. Lights flickered, and a sense of dread washed over him.
"What are you going to do to me?" he questioned, fearfully tightening its grip. Suddenly, the machines lit up, their bright lights blinding him temporarily. The unknown fate awaited Flint Marko, and the anxious anticipation hung heavy in the air.
Behind the reinforced glass, the trio observed Marko's struggles in cold silence. Hammerhead, Norman Osborn, and Dr. Stromm fixated on the restrained man, their intentions shrouded in mystery.
"Are ya sure this is going to work, Osborn?" Hammerhead questioned, his skepticism apparent. "Cuz he may not look it, but Marko's good people. Excellent manpower and an exceptional thief, and I would hate to have to lose a good man like that all because you and ya nerd didn't check the numbers on ya doohickey."
Norman, seemingly indifferent to Hammerhead's concerns, remained focused ahead. "Rest assured, Martello. Dr. Stromm has surely caught and corrected any oversight."
Hammerhead rolled his eyes, growing weary of Osborn's arrogance. "So what now?" he inquired, seeking clarity.
Before Norman could respond, Dr. Stromm took the initiative. "Now, we enjoy the show," he declared, pulling a lever that activated the ominous machine surrounding Marko.
Lights flickered, and metal rings began to gyrate around the captive man. The speed increased gradually, leaving the observers struggling to keep up with the mesmerizing motion. Norman smirked, gesturing toward a red button. "Would you like to do the honors?" he asked Hammerhead.
Uneasy, Hammerhead hesitated before pressing down on the button, activating the machine's main function. The room filled with an ominous hum as the contraption worked its mysterious purpose, leaving Marko at the mercy of their machinations.
The tension in the room escalated, and Marko's desperate pleas echoed in the cold silence. The trio watched intently, their expressions revealing a mix of anticipation and satisfaction.
The room echoed with Marko's agonizing screams as the machine released grainish microbes into the sphere-shaped bubble formed by the gyrating rings. Hammerhead stood in shock, witnessing Flint's gradual disappearance as if he were being dismantled into dust. The screams intensified until, abruptly, everything ceased – the lights, the machine, and Flint Marko himself.
Hammerhead, bewildered, gazed up at the empty space where Marko had been just moments ago. His eyes sought answers from Norman, who had promised that the process wouldn't be lethal. "What the hell, Osborn?! You said the process wouldn't kill 'em!" Hammerhead's frustration boiled over.
For the first time since the three men stepped inside the observation room. Norman finally acknowledged Hammerhead, turning to face him with a calculated expression. "And I am a man of my word, Hammerhead," he declared confidently. "Take a look for yourself."
Hammerhead, full of skepticism, turned to the glass to see millions of particles swirling on the other side. They gradually coalesced, forming one singular body. "You turned him into dust?" Hammerhead questioned, struggling to comprehend the scene unfolding before him.
"No, even better, sand," Dr. Stromm chimed in, revealing the unexpected outcome of their experiment. The trio observed as every grain of sand converged to shape a singular form. Flint Marko was gone, replaced by a surreal transformation into a unified entity.
A chilling silence settled over the room as the implications of their actions sank in. Hammerhead, still grappling with the shocking turn of events, could only stare at the newly formed man of sand. The boundaries between man and element blurred, leaving behind a haunting realization of the irreversible consequences of their experiment.
Spider-Man exhaled heavily as he landed on a nearby light pole, waving the air in front of his head, muttering something about the place smelling like elephant poop, although he was in the middle of a zoo.
"I swear, this place needs better ventilation," Spider-Man grumbled to himself.
After their encounter at ESU, Peter knew that the Lizard would be gunning towards the warmest place it could find, which, thanks to a bit of triangulation, led right to the Central Park Zoo.
Pete traversed the Zoo, walking past all kinds of enclosures, stopping for a second at the exhibit for spiders, he was honestly a little bit impressed at their collection. He gave it a mental thumbs up before quickly moving on.
He continued to roam the place until he finally came across the specific enclosure he was looking for: "The Scale Shack: Home of the Roaming Reptiles!" The sign said. It was clear, if the Lizard was going to be found anywhere, it would be in here.
'"He's probably in there, with the rest of the creepy crawlies, pot calling the kettle black I know I know, but still…'" Pete thought to himself as he made his way inside, "Y'know for a place that is supposedly a shack, it is very spacious in here." He spoke to himself, taking notice of the large glass dome that sealed off the sky as he continued walking through the reptile shack.
Spidey felt an eerily chill run down his spine as he made his way over to the alligator pit, looking down to see all the Gators gathered on one hot rock.
That is, until almost every single one started slinking off into the murky waters that surrounded them, as if they were making space for something bigger to fit.
"Okay, not good. Definitely not good," Spider-Man muttered, adjusting his web-shooters.
After setting up a camera in a high corner of the exhibit, Spider-Man slowly lowered himself down to the rocks, only for his spider senses to immediately go off as the Lizard launched itself out of the water. Thankfully, this time Spidey was ready as he immediately propelled himself upwards to dodge the reptile's advance.
"Nice try, Lizard breath, but you're not catching me off guard again!"
Spider-Man watched as the Lizard leaped from the hot rock in an attempt to get at him, only for it to be blinded by the flash of the camera while in mid-air.
"Say cheese, scaly!" Spider-Man quipped.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the wall-crawler maneuvered around the beast and swing-kicked it out of the exhibit, grabbing his camera before following suit.
"Hope you enjoyed your swim, Lizard. Cause' the Zoo's now closed for some good old-fashioned reptile rough housing!"
"Couldn't find a cozier spot, Doc? The gators seem to think you're overstaying your welcome," Spider-Man quipped, eyeing the creature before him. Another round of blinding camera flashes met with the Lizard's frustration, expressed through a deafening roar.
"Looks like someone skipped photography class," Spidey teased, dancing around the agitated reptile. Spider-Man moved swiftly as he kicked in its knee and elbowed its throat, grabbing his opponent and throwing it away like a rag doll.
As the Lizard lunged towards him, Spider-Man deftly delivered a roundhouse kick to its jaw, stunning the creature. "Yes, yes, Monsieur Lizard! The camera loves you!" he taunted, repeating the process until the Lizard, fed up, knocked the camera out of his hands and pounced on the hero, pinning him to the ground.
Swiftly avoiding the creature's jaws letting it snout hit the hard concrete, Spider-Man quipped, "Geez, I know you're very proud of your bad breath, but if you could avoid pointing it this way, I'd be very grateful."
Kicking the Lizard off, Spider-Man and the beast engaged in a relentless exchange of blows. Spidey flipped over a tail swipe and kicked it in its chest, instead of letting the reptile go flying, the hero kept one foot stuck to its chest and started axe handing the Lizard's snout.
Grabbing the Lizard's snout, Spidey webbed the reptile's feet to the ground, its head meeting the same fate with force. However, the Lizard's lightning-quick slash caught Spider-Man off guard, leaving a painful gash on his leg.
Hissing in pain, Peter backed away just in time to fall victim to the Lizard's brutal shoulder check to the chest, sending him flying and tearing a couple of stitches. Grunting, Spider-Man noticed blood stains on the blue part of his costume.
"When I take this thing to get dry cleaned, I hope you know that I'm sending you the bill!" he yelled, only to receive another roar in return.
"Hey, it's your fault; this thing is almost impossible to maintain," Spider-Man retorted, determination in his eyes as he prepared for the next round with the Lizard.
Moments later, an antelope and its children could be seen resting peacefully, only for their sleep to be abruptly interrupted by the sound of Spider-Man crashing into their enclosure with the Lizard in hot pursuit. The duo continued their intense battle, weaving through the zoo, leaving chaos in their wake.
Dodging a tail swipe, Spider-Man delivered a devastating jab to the reptile's throat mid-air. Utilizing his agility, he shot two web lines behind the Lizard, darting both of his feet into its chest and propelling them through another wall, out of the enclosure.
In the new walkway, Spidey, still in the air, flipped over the Lizard's initial attack. Swiftly webbing the back of its head, he yanked it back and delivered a kick to its mouth.
"Batter up, ugly!" Seizing a nearby bench, Spider-Man whacked the Lizard away like a baseball, shattering the bench and sending the creature flying across the zoo, where it landed in the Arctic exhibit.
Spider-Man quickly caught up, landing on a fence and staring the slowed-down reptile down. "'Right! Reptilians tend to slow down in colder conditions to conserve body heat. Why didn't I think of it earlier?'" he thought to himself. The Lizard pounced once more, and the two engaged in another round of blows.
This time, Spidey seemed to have the upper hand, landing more hits, but the Lizard was relentless, rapidly healing the damage and fighting through the pain.
As Spider-Man punched the Lizard in the jaw and dropped it on its head, the opponent quickly recovered and whacked him with its tail, sending Spidey into some railing. The Lizard pounced, pinning him there.
In this war of attrition, it appeared the Lizard was gaining the upper hand, until Spider-Man looked over and saw three figures in the distance, running towards the scene.
Looking behind him, Spider-Man noticed that he was being pinned against the edge of the Polar Bear pit, his goggles narrowing as he wrapped his legs around Lizard's waist and grabbed the railing, flipping them both down into the ice cold waters of the pit.
On the way down, Spidey webbed up each one of the den entrances, "'Can't have a polar bear wanting to go for a midnight swim interrupting us, now can we?'" He thought to himself as they finally crashed into the waters below after a seemingly long descent.
At first there was a struggle as the two battled within the water until eventually being submerged, then there was calm, for a good while there wasn't a single sound to be heard.
Spider-Man was the first to crawl ashore, driving himself out of the freezing water, shivering as he sat down on the ice.
Not too soon after, he heard some familiar voices coming from above, "Yo Spidey! We've got the gene cleanser! Where's the Doc?'' Eddie asked. Just then the Lizard launched claws first out of the water, swiping at the hero, managing to graze the side of his torso as it flew past.
"Speak of the devil; how ya doing, Lizzy? Stayin' warm?" He quipped, but god it hurt. Peter noticed the slight shivering of his opponent as well, it was taking everything it had to stay active, finally, the two were squaring off for the final time.
The drop of a dime, they charged at each other. As the Lizard went to swipe at his head, Spidey slid between its legs, attaching web lines to its feet and pulling once he got up, pulling the reptile's feet from under it. Quickly recovering for retaliation, the beast turned around to receive an ice brick to the face, only to be swung-kicked a second later.
Moving while his opponent was disoriented, Spidey shot a web at the vial of gene cleanser that Martha Connors was holding, quickly tucking it in his pocket before being shoulder charged by the Lizard and slammed into the ground.
After dodging its razor sharp claws yet again, Pete punched the reptilian in the face and kicked it off of him, kick flipping back onto his feet. Before the Lizard could react, Spider-Man ran over and kicked it in its jaw before he flipped over its head, landing on its back.
Using one hand to keep its mouth forced open, Spidey uses the other one to try and force the gene cleanser down its throat. "Come on, Lizzy! Stop trying to fight me on this and take your MEDICINE!" he yelled as they entered a struggle match that Spidey seemed to have the upper hand in thanks to spider senses until his opponent pulled a fake out.
Swinging at him with its claws to make him think that is what's setting of his Spider Sense before wrapping its tail completely around one of his legs, slamming him into the ice, the impact causing his body to temporarily suspend back into the air, but before Pete could hit the ground, Lizard grabbed his other leg and slammed him into the ice face first.
Stopping, Spider-Man and Lizard looked at each other face to face as Spidey cracked a smile under his mask, releasing a small "Ouch" as he looked the beast in its eyes.
This only served to enraged a reptile however as it proceeded to slam him again and again, and again and again and again, violently smashing him back and forth until it got tired and flung him at a wall.
Peter started losing feeling in his fingertips as his body slumped to the ground. A few of his ribs were cracked for sure, but still somehow all of tha was nothing in comparison to the ice cold air that burned the sections of his skin that were exposed due to damage of his costume.
Spidey leaned his head back, trying to take even deeper breaths than the ones he was doing already, watching as the Lizard slowly approached, looking to finish the job. All the muscles in his body clenched as he powered through the pain and got up.
Right as Lizard was about to pounce, it was interrupted by a metal can hitting the back of its head, "Dad, stop!" they all heard the prepubescent say, turning to see Billy standing in the doorway of the employee entrance to the pit with his helmet in one hand and his skateboard in the other. "Dad, you have to be like this, just let Spidey help you." Billy said, hoping to get through to his dad on some level.
For a moment, it seemed to be working as the Lizard's slit pupils widened, his eyes appearing a bit more human as he looked at Billy. For that moment, Curt Connors shined through, but only for a second as his pupils narrowed and went slit again, letting out a rageful roar before charging at Billy, it's arm reaching out for the boy to slice him in half with its claws, but he was saved in the nick of time as Spider-Man intercepted Lizard out of the air and used every muscle in his body to swim the reptile into the ground.
"Thanks for buying time, kid. Now go get to your mom!" Spidey yelled. Doing as he was told, Billy immediately turned to run back through where he came, the hero shot a web and yanked the boy's skateboard out of his hand as he continued running away.
Moving with haste, Spider-Man webbed the skateboard to his arm and repeatedly punched the Lizard in the face. As it tried to bite out his neck, Spidey shoved his forearm in it's mouth, the skateboarding stopping it from biting down, but it was then where it was finally able to get up off the ground as the Beast started flaring around in an attempt to get Spider-Man off of it.
In the midst of being swung around, the hero watched the vial of gene cleanser fly out of his pocket and through the air, planting his feet on the reptile's chest, Spidey used his free hand to web the vial out of the air and back into his hand. Delivering a powerful knee kick to his opponent's rib cage, while his opponent was in pain, Spider-Man took the opportunity to finally put it into this as he forced the gene cleanser down the Lizard's throat, down to the last drop of it.
Unexpectedly though, the cleanser somehow caused it to go berserk as the Beast snapped its jaw closed, crushing the skateboard and biting down on Spidey's forearm in the process. Peter let out a blood curdling yell as he felt the steering hot pain of his opponents razor-sharp teeth digging into his arm.
Instantly his true fight or flight instincts began kicking in as he grabbed one of the larger splinters from the shattered skateboard and stabbed the reptile's shoulder, causing it to roar in pain, releasing Spider-Man's arm from the clutches of its jaws.
Quickly webbing up his forearm, Spidey darted towards the Lizard, hitting it with a swift elbow to its waist, ruinous uppercut to its jaw, and a flurry of punches to the face before finally delivering a devastating dropkick to its chest, sending it flying into the shallows of the icy water.
The Beast got up and tried to charge at Spidey for another assault, but stopped in his tracks as it fell, noticing the skin and scales of its foot rapidly shedding away. The reptile began clawing at itself as the rest of the body followed suit, soon the Lizard started thrashing around in water, roaring violently as it felt its tail begin peeling off before finally falling and being submerged under the water.
Spider-Man, breathing heavily, cautiously approached the edge, wondering if the battle was finally over. The eeriness of the calm settled over the scene once more.
However, as the water settled, something unexpected happened. The Lizard emerged, not in a frenzied state, but in the form of Dr. Curt Connors. The transformation back to human form was both abrupt and startling. The scientist blinked, disoriented, as the remnants of the aquatic struggle clung to his wet clothing.
Spider-Man, now standing at the water's edge, watched with a mix of relief and caution. The once-aggressive Lizard had been forcibly de-transformed, and Connors seemed to regain control in his human form.
"You... you saved me?" Connors muttered, still catching his breath.
Spider-Man nodded, a sense of accomplishment washing over him. "Yeah, well, it's not every day I get to play reptilian referee. Maybe stick to lab work next time?"
Connors, now realizing the situation, seemed genuinely grateful. "Thank you, Spider-Man. I... I don't know what came over me."
As the chaos at the zoo settled, Spider-Man extended a hand to help Dr. Connors out of the Polar Bear pit, hoping that the scientist had truly regained control over the beast within.
As Spider-Man gently set Connors down, Martha and Billy rushed forward, tears streaming down their faces as they embraced him tightly, relief washing over their hearts.
"Curt! Oh, Curt, you're back," Martha whispered, her voice trembling with a mix of joy and concern.
Eddie and Gwen stood nearby, their eyes wide with a combination of fear and hope. Spider-Man watched as the reunion unfolded, feeling a quiet satisfaction in knowing he played a role in restoring their lives.
"You did it, Spider-Man. Thank you," Martha said, looking up at the masked hero with gratitude.
Spidey smiled under his mask before turning to leave. But he was interrupted by Gwen grabbing his arm, pulling him in to whisper something in his ear. "'Cause you and I both know you're not gonna go to a hospital, stop by my dorm later so that I can patch you up please."
Spider-Man nodded, a silent acceptance of her request before jumping off into the night. His work was done, and as he swung away from the Central Park Zoo, he couldn't help but feel a sense of fulfillment. Another crisis averted, a family reunited.
Otto finally arrived home exhausted after the long day he had, he stepped inside the cozy townhouse to find his wife and daughter sprawled out on the couch still in their Halloween costumes and surrounded by candy.
His daughter Olivia was wearing an Ursula costume, she had wanted to get one after she watched The Little Mermaid (both of them) and became obsessed with marine life, her favorite being the octopus, Otto smiled as he gently picked up his daughter as to not wake her and carried her to her room and tucked her into bed, sitting on the edge of the bed as she slept.
Otto cupped her face in his hand so that he could wipe away the sticky debris left by candy, quickly pulling away as he noticed his hand start shaking uncontrollably.
From there, he quickly exited her room as quietly as possible, closing the door behind him.
Otto stood in the hallway, his heart pounding against his chest like a drumbeat of impending doom. The image of his daughter's innocent face, softened in slumber, contrasted sharply with the turmoil raging inside him. As he leaned against the wall for support, he felt the weight of his mortality pressing down on him like an insurmountable burden.
He tried to push away the intrusive thoughts, the relentless reminders of his terminal diagnosis. But they clawed at the edges of his mind, refusing to be silenced. How could he face the inevitable? How could he bear the thought of leaving Rosie and Olivia behind?
The sight of his wife, Rosie, dressed as the wife of Frankenstein's monster, brought a bittersweet smile to his lips. Her passion for the obscure details, her unapologetic nerdiness, had always been a source of joy for him. But now, it only served as a painful reminder of all they stood to lose.
Otto clenched his trembling fists, his knuckles turning white with the effort to contain his emotions. He wanted to scream, to rail against the unfairness of it all. But what good would it do? His fate was sealed, his time ticking away with each passing moment.
While he still had the energy, Octavius swiftly made his way back to the living room to do the same for Rosie, softly sliding the beautiful woman with dirty blonde hair onto his back, piggybacking her to their room. Otto stopped abruptly once again as he felt his leg started to give out, realizing that this will probably be one of the last times that he'd be able to do things like this.
With a heavy sigh, Otto forced himself to move, to continue down the hallway towards the sanctuary of their own room. He knew he couldn't escape his reality, couldn't outrun the inevitable. But for now, he could take solace in the simple act of being present, of cherishing the moments he had left with the ones he loved. And as he slipped into bed beside Rosie, wrapping her in a tender embrace, he allowed himself to believe, if only for a fleeting moment, that maybe, just maybe, love could conquer even the darkest of shadows.
But deep down Otto knew that for him and his story, hope was no longer a fairy tale he could afford to subscribe to.
Peter looked at the lab doors in uneasiness, it had only been 2 days since Curt turned into the Lizard, the official story being that Dr. Connors was kidnapped by the Beast and held hostage until it got hungry, which wasn't too far off from the truth depending on how you interpreted it. "How did it come to this?" he muttered.
Problem was, either way Curt was supposed to be on temporary leave until he was cleared to come back, both physically and mentally and since she was also put under distress by the entire situation, Martha Connors was ordered to do the same, the lab being continuously closed with the exception of the daily maintenance performed by Eddie Brock.
So if all that was supposed to be the case, why is it that Martha called him in? Pete wondered, slightly limping while walking inside the laboratory, his injuries were healing quite nicely over the past two days, he was certainly grateful to Gwen for patching him up. The lab, usually a hub of scientific activity, now stood closed and quiet.
As he walked through the dimly lit lab, Pete noticed a lamp on a nearby table was still on, reaching to turn it off, where the lamp had been shining caught his attention. It was a recent newspaper from the Daily Bugle, ""SPIDER-MAN AND THE LIZARD: MONSTERS WALKING AMONG US?"" The front page title said, accompanied by photos of the intense battles at the bridge and the zoo.
Frantically searching for his name in the photo credits, Peter sighed in relief as he found none. "'The last thing I needed was the public questioning how I got those photos. I don't appreciate being called a monster though.'" he thought, relieved momentarily. But Martha's call and the ominous atmosphere hinted at deeper troubles.
"Don't feel relieved yet, Parker. I haven't even started yet," a voice pierced through the silence, leaving Peter with a sinking feeling of impending trouble.
"What do you mean, Dr. Connors? Has something happened, is your husband ok-"
"Peter, where were you on Halloween night?" The question caught Peter off guard, why was she asking this question now? He knew the Captain told Gwen that he was on his way to the hospital for God knows why, but that doesn't answer the question.
Is it possible that the information wasn't passed along? No, to Peter, that was unlikely. It was almost impossible for his absence not to be noticed by Martha, even with everything going on. So surely Gwen told her, but that leads him back to his original question: why was she asking this question now?
"What do you mean, Ma'am? I was in the hospital the whole night, did the others not tell you?" Pete asked.
"Yes as a matter of fact, Miss Stacy even went out of her way to do so, but it seems a lot of things just don't add up." Martha said, purposely sounding aloof. "For example, I went to the hospital Gwen's father said you were taken to only to find that not only were you not there, but also no one by the name of Peter Parker was even admitted in the last 24 hours."
"Look, I can explain—" Peter started before being interrupted again.
"Oh I bet you could, Mr. Parker. But that's not the only weird thing I've come across. Would you care to explain this?" She asked, sliding an object towards Peter, he quickly recognized it as a camera, not just any camera, but his. "It's kinda funny, Peter. Smack dab in the middle of the zoo, I happen to come across a very nice camera. What's even funnier are the photos I happened to find on said device."
"So now I repeat my earlier question, this time I expect the truth, where were you on Halloween?"
"I…" He trailed off, he didn't know what to say even if he did, he wouldn't know how to say it as Peter looked down in shame. "I'm sorry…"
Martha merely sighed, seemingly conflicted about the current thoughts she was processing, her jaw clenching as she leaned on the table.
"There were multiple versions of what I'm about to say. Honestly I debated even confronting you about this, but then I saw my husband in his hospital bed, staring at this exact front article." She started. "I saw all of the leftover creases in his face from those repulsive scales, the noticeable red tint in the beds of all his fingers where those razor sharp claws resided, worst of all I saw his pained eyes as he examined the monster he turned into, the vulnerability."
"Miss Stacy told you the true identity of the Beast on my request because I believed that you were seriously injured due to my selfish choice to cover up the Lizard's origins, because I thought you deserved to know the truth." Martha paused, attempting to gather her thoughts. "But then you went and helped print an eternal reminder of my husband's mistake."
"Look Doc, I know I messed up by taking those photos and even more I definitely should've come to you before I decided what to do with them, for that I am truly sorry." Peter sincerely said.
"I see, and I appreciate that, but due to the reoccurring setbacks that the research lab has suffered in the past few months, the future of the lab is now uncertain, more uncertain than I believe it's ever been," She said, holding the empty vial of what used to be the regenerative formula that Curt used. "And after seeing the vulnerability in my husband's eyes, I realized that we need to be surrounded by people I trust moving forward."
Martha's hand shook a bit as she remembered how cold Curt's skin felt when he reverted, how unnatural it was. "Peter, you're a good kid and in time I do believe that I can come to forgive your actions, I really do."
But I don't trust you, and you've made it abundantly clear that I could never do so in the future, so moving forward: you're fired." She finished, putting the vial down in uninterest as Peter looked at her in shock. Pete shook a bit as Dr. Connors walked over to put her hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, I won't tell the others about this, call it my thanks for omitting Curt's identity from the Bugle."
"With that, I wish you the best Peter, goodbye." Peter watched as she walked away, moving her way over into the office and closing the door behind her.
As he made his way outside, Peter retained a dumbfounded look on his face. On one hand, Peter mourned his internship with the Connors as the chances of him ever being reinstated were abysmal, chastising himself for his own sloppiness with the camera. On the other hand, he was grateful she decided not to tell the others, even if he didn't deserve it, he didn't know how they would react otherwise.
Lost in thought, Pete sat on the stairs, contemplating what his next move would be. Thankfully there's always the apprenticeship with Dr. Octavius and his wife. "'With how busy we're going to be in the next few weeks, maybe me getting fired is a blessing in disguise?'" he thought, trying to find a bright side within his current circumstances.
As he continued to think, the brunette soon noticed the tall figure standing over him, who he recognized to be Eddie, though, telling by his face, the blonde wasn't too happy with him. "Oh hey, Eddie! Sorry, lemme get out of your way."
"Sit, Parker. We need to talk." Eddie said, placing his hand on Pete's shoulder to push him back down as he was getting up.
"Well judging by your voice, I'd say that you're upset with me, with a large touch of disappointment. So I guess you know."
"Of course, I knew the moment I saw the pictures in the paper." Eddie exhaled calmly as he sat down next to his friend, keeping his gaze forward as he looked upon all the other students passing by. "I'm not here to lecture you Pete, I doubt you need me to tell you what you did was dumb. I can't say I'm not disappointed and that Martha firing you wasn't deserved, but I will say that this doesn't change anything between you and I."
"You're still my friend, my Bro, even despite your recent extreme lapse in judgment." Eddie said.
"Thanks. I'm glad to know that."
"However, as your friend, I highly suggest you tell Gwen the real reason you're not gonna be around in the lab anymore, she's too smart not to figure it out on her own and I highly doubt that you'd want to open that can of worms later rather than sooner."
Eddie smiled as Pete groaned as he realized he didn't know what he was going to tell her, or if he was going to tell her. Soon Brock's grin turned it to laughter as he got up to make his way inside the lab for his check-in. "Well good luck with that."
He was screwed.