Charles Xavier adjusted his chair slightly, the smooth metal surface of Cerebro's control panel glowing faintly under his fingertips. His eyes closed for a moment as he expanded his mind beyond the confines of his body, stretching across the city like an invisible wave.
His goal?
To locate a humanoid Lizard with traces of human consciousness.
He felt thousands—millions—of minds brushing against his own. The noise was deafening, but to Charles, it was as easy as breathing. He filtered through the mental frequencies, bypassing the static of everyday thoughts, focusing only on the unique mental imprint of Dr. Curt Connors.
There.
"Found him," Charles muttered, opening his eyes. His voice was calm but firm. "He's moving through the sewers, heading toward Oscorp Labs." His lips pressed together slightly as he considered the implications. "Should I send my kids, or are you handling it, Richard?"
The screen displayed Reed Richards and Susan Storm, both relaxed but attentive. Reed was leaning back in his chair, fingers steepled together in thought.
"I think he can handle it alone," Richard replied smoothly. His analytical mind had already assessed the risk level. "Norman isn't a good target for an attack, and from what I've seen of Spiderman, the kid can handle himself."
Peter, who had been standing quietly behind them, nodded. His hands curled slightly into fists, determined.
"Thank you for the help."
With that, Peter turned and bolted for the window.
The moment his feet touched the ledge, he jumped, launching himself into the night sky.
Wind rushed past him as he swung through the towering cityscape, buildings blurring as he raced toward Oscorp Labs.
Back inside the Baxter Building, the screen flickered off, and the call with Charles ended.
Richard sighed, stretching his arms before turning toward Susan, a fond smile on his lips. "Well, that's done. Now…" His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her close. "Shall we get back to our experiment?"
Susan arched an eyebrow. "The one in the lab?" she teased.
Richard chuckled, lowering his lips to hers in a slow, deliberate kiss.
She was his anchor, keeping him from becoming insane.
The one person who reminded him to step away from the equations, the theories, the endless pursuit of knowledge.
For her, he had learned to be more than just a scientist.
For her, he had become a better man.
And for her, he would always make time.
The Oscorp Laboratory loomed in the darkness, its towering structure lit by the soft glow of neon signs and red security lights.
In the depths of the city's underbelly, a shadow moved with purpose.
The Lizard crawled through the underground tunnels, his massive claws scraping against the damp concrete. His emerald eyes glowed with unnatural intensity, fixated on his goal.
Oscorp held everything he needed—experimental materials, cutting-edge biotechnology, and most importantly, power.
Dr. Curt Connors' human memories provided him with invaluable knowledge. He knew the layout. He knew the defenses.
He knew the forbidden experiments that had never been released to the public.
Just as he had once created the regeneration serum, his colleagues had been working on enhancements derived from the animal kingdom. Strength from tigers. Speed from cheetahs. Exoskeletons from insects.
If he could consume them—if he could assimilate their power—then nothing could stand in his way.
Not even Spiderman.
And certainly not his true target.
The Lizard emerged from the sewer tunnel and clung to the ceiling, his powerful limbs keeping him suspended in the shadows. His reptilian mind was sharp—analyzing every inch of the facility's security grid.
Laser tripwires lined the entry points.
Cameras rotated in systematic intervals.
Automated drone gates stood ready to deploy mechanized sentries.
His forked tongue flicked out, tasting the air.
He was close.
His muscles coiled like a spring.
Then—
BOOM!
The ceiling shattered as the Lizard launched himself forward, his monstrous form crashing into the reinforced main gate. The metal groaned under the force, bending but not breaking.
Immediately, the defensive systems activated.
Security drones deployed, locking onto him with pinpoint accuracy.
Red laser turrets fired in rapid succession.
The blaring alarm echoed through the facility.
The Lizard hissed in pain as the lasers pierced his flesh, scorching holes through his thick green scales.
But he didn't stop.
His hyper-accelerated healing sealed the wounds within seconds.
With a snarl, he lashed out with his massive tail, obliterating the nearest drone.
Then, with a deafening roar, he attacked the gate again.
CRACK!
The reinforced steel gave way as his claws tore through it like paper. The hinges snapped, and the massive structure collapsed inward.
The Lizard sprinted forward, his powerful limbs propelling him on all fours.
His goal was near.
And nothing would stop him now.
The Lizard dashed through the corridors of Oscorp, his massive frame moving with terrifying speed. His claws ripped into the walls, his heavy breathing echoing through the sterile facility.
But he was not alone.
Security drones hovered above, their targeting systems locked onto him.
Gunfire erupted, bullets slicing through the air.
His body jerked as rounds penetrated his tough, scaly hide.
The pain was sharp, but his regeneration dulled it within seconds.
His tail lashed out, obliterating a nearby drone with a single swing. Sparks erupted as the wreckage crashed into the floor.
Then, he saw them.
A squad of heavily armored operatives blocked the path ahead, rifles aimed at him with precision.
They weren't ordinary guards.
Their armor was reinforced, their weapons enhanced for dealing with super-powered threats.
And they were waiting for him.
Without hesitation, they opened fire.
Blasts of energy seared through the air.
Bullets rained down in coordinated bursts. The Lizard barely had time to react.
His instincts took over.
With a powerful leap, he dodged to the side, bouncing off the wall in a blur of motion.
Their bullets barely grazed him.
Then, he struck.
His tail swung with monstrous force, slamming into the squad.
The impact sent them flying, their armor crumpling like tin foil under the immense pressure.
Several hit the walls with sickening cracks, their bodies limp as they collapsed to the floor.
But the moment the Lizard landed, something was wrong.
A searing heat burned through his chest.
His body froze, his limbs locking up as he felt a gaping hole in his abdomen.
His vision blurred as he turned his head—
A massive laser cannon sat behind the squad, its barrel still smoking from the blast.
It had been a trap all along.
The guards were bait.
The moment the alarm sounded, the facility had prepared its strongest countermeasures.
The Lizard collapsed, his body's natural healing struggling to compensate for the devastating wound.
His breathing became shallow. His movements slowed.
The guards cautiously approached.
"Damn thing was annoying," one muttered, lowering his weapon.
"Almost killed us with that tail swipe," another grumbled, glaring at the massive reptilian figure. "Fucker."
He raised a boot, tempted to kick the downed creature.
But he stopped himself.
They were still on duty.
And the big boss didn't like his prizes mishandled.
Just as the armored operatives moved in to collect their prized target, something unexpected happened.
The Lizard vanished.
One moment, his massive reptilian frame lay motionless on the cold metal floor—
The next, he was gone.
The lead operative's eyes widened in confusion.
"The hell? Where'd it go?"
His visor flickered, scanning the area for any abnormalities.
Then, he saw it— a faint heat signature.
Someone was here.
Someone fast.
Before the guards could react, their laser cannon adjusted, locking onto the heat signature now moving through the room.
Motion detected.
Target acquired.
The cannon fired.
But it hit nothing.
Peter Parker had arrived—silent, unseen, unstoppable.
He had dropped in, activated his invisibility, and scooped up Dr. Connors before anyone could react.
The moment the laser fired, his Spider-Sense screamed in warning.
His muscles tensed, his mind sharpened—and he moved.
With inhuman reflexes, he twisted mid-air, dodging a deadly beam by mere inches.
Another blast came.
Peter vaulted over it, shifting Connor's weight as he ran along the wall.
Then another.
He ducked, sliding under the next volley like a shadow slipping through cracks.
His movements were too fluid, too precise—like he had rehearsed this escape a thousand times.
But he hadn't.
He was just that good.
With Connor securely in his arms, Peter fed him a small healing pill, hoping it would keep him stable.
'Come on, Doc. Hang in there.'
The guards were still scrambling, their systems unable to track him properly.
The laser cannon continued firing, but Peter zigzagged through the chaos, his agility making him untouchable.
Alarms blared.
Drones swarmed.
Peter was already gone.
Like a ghost, he slipped through the death trap, weaving through lasers, bullets, and walls of security.
And Oscorp never saw him coming.
Destination: Baxter Building
Peter's heart was pounding.
He had almost been too late.
The image of Connor's body burning under that laser beam was seared into his mind.
If he had arrived a second later—
He shook the thought away.
This wasn't over yet.
With his unconscious cargo held securely, Peter swung through the city, his course set.
Baxter Building. Richard and Susan could help.
It had only been a few minutes since Peter had left, but he was already back—faster than Reed had expected.
Heroes, in his experience, tended to take their time when handling serious matters. There was always some kind of delay, whether from overthinking, distractions, or just pure incompetence.
But not this one.
Peter was efficient.
No wasted time. No unnecessary diversions. Just mission complete.
However, as he approached the Baxter Building, he didn't use the main entrance.
Instead, he swung up and landed by the window he had previously left through, peering inside—
And immediately regretted it.
Inside, Reed and Susan were... preoccupied.
Not with science.
Not with experiments.
But with something far more intimate.
Peter's eyes widened behind his mask as he saw the couple in a rather... compromising position.
"Ahem," Peter coughed loudly, quickly looking away to preserve their dignity—and his own sanity.
"Sorry. I was in a hurry."
Susan, upon realizing their situation, vanished in an instant.
Reed, on the other hand, scrambled to cover himself, his expression shifting from intellectual brilliance to pure mortification.
He had been deep into science mode before—but now?
He was deep into something else.
And Peter had ruined it.
'I know I should be impressed by his speed,' Reed thought bitterly, 'but right now, I just want to throw him off the building.'
Still, keeping his composure, Reed signaled for Peter to enter before the automated defense system fired at him.
Peter hurriedly carried Connor inside and rushed to the lab, placing him into the healing pod.
The liquid chamber quickly filled, surrounding the unconscious scientist in a regenerative solution, stabilizing his wounds.
Reed worked diligently, adjusting the gene purification machine while Susan—now fully dressed and composed—brought them coffee.
The room fell into silence as they waited.
Minutes passed.
The serum was extracted, the genetic alterations reversed, and Connor's body restored to normal.
Then, the final moment came.
Connor was fully healed.
And for the first time in years—his arm had been restored.
"He's fine now," Reed finally said, stepping back. "No traces of the serum remain in his body or mind. He's human again."
Peter exhaled in relief, but then Reed added—
"You can take him back. But… he'll remember everything. Do you want to erase his memories?"
Peter froze.
That was a good question.
If they wiped Connor's memories, he would wake up confused but unharmed.
But he would question everything.
He would try to retrace his steps, uncover the mystery, and possibly make the same mistakes again.
On the other hand—if he kept his memories—
He would remember the dangers of the serum.
He would remember his own weakness and the enemy he had made.
After a moment of thought, Peter shook his head.
"No need. He didn't see anything he shouldn't have."
He looked at Reed, offering a grateful nod.
"Thank you for this favor, Reed. If you ever need me, I'll be there."
Reed patted his back. "Your words are enough. Take care, kid."
With that, Peter picked up Connor's unconscious form and swung into the night.
The crisis was over.
For now.
Reed watched as Peter swung away into the night, leaving just him and Susan alone once again.
The lab was quiet now, the glow of the monitors casting soft blue light across the room.
For a moment, they simply stood there.
Then—
Reed smirked.
"This isn't stopping me from going again, you know that, right?"
Susan, who had been taking a sip of her coffee, nearly choked.
She turned to him, raising an eyebrow, before smacking his shoulder playfully.
"Sometimes you can be really perverted."
Reed just grinned. "What can I say? I'm a scientist. I like to experiment."
Susan rolled her eyes but didn't resist as he pulled her closer.
With a knowing smile, she vanished—
And just like that, the couple got back to more personal research.