[In Oscorp Industries, Peter arrived at Dr. Connors' office, only to find it completely empty. Frowning, he called out, "Is anyone here?"]
[The room was a mess—papers scattered across the desk, shelves slightly disorganized, as if someone had left in a hurry. As Peter stepped closer, something caught his eye. A medicine syringe lay on the table, uncapped and empty. He picked it up, examining it curiously. It must have been left behind when Connors used it last night.]
[Just as Peter was scrutinizing the syringe, a voice suddenly rang out behind him, making him jump. "It's not polite to peek, Peter."]
[Peter spun around, a sheepish grin spreading across his face as he saw Connors standing in the doorway. The doctor's gaze was sharp, but there was a knowing smirk on his lips. Connors walked further into the office, adjusting his coat as he spoke. "I'm giving everyone a week off," he explained casually.]
[Peter blinked in realization—no wonder the place was empty. The entire lab had been temporarily shut down.]
["Shouldn't you be in school?" Connors asked, raising an eyebrow. His tone was casual, but there was an underlying tension in his voice. He seemed uneasy about Peter suddenly showing up at his office.]
["No, I don't have any classes right now," Peter replied quickly. "I actually came to ask you something… How does a predator track a reptile?"]
[Connors, who had turned his back to Peter as he continued packing some papers, responded with a chuckle. "Oh, they don't need to. Most reptiles are at the top of their food chain. They're the undisputed kings of their environment."]
["But they must have weaknesses, right?"]
[Connors suddenly turned around, his gaze locking onto Peter with unsettling intensity. "Why the sudden interest in cold-blooded creatures?"]
[Peter hesitated for a fraction of a second. He couldn't exactly tell Connors that he was looking for ways to hunt the monstrous Lizard from last night. So, he forced a casual shrug and lied, "It's for a school project. I need to do a biological profile."]
["I see… Well, if you're asking whether these creatures react to sudden temperature changes, the answer is yes," Connors mused. Then, his lips curled into a knowing smirk. "You'd have to catch one first, though. You know, there's been talk of a new species appearing in New York. Have you heard about it?"]
[Peter tensed. His eyes narrowed slightly. "A new species?"]
[Connors nodded as he absently twirled the medicine syringe in his fingers. "It's said to be quite beautiful... and huge," he remarked, his voice carrying a strange undertone.]
[Peter stiffened. "How do you know about that? Have you seen it?"]
[Connors let out a low chuckle. "No, no! It's not exactly a secret. But you should be careful. If this thing feels threatened... it can be extremely violent," he said, his voice suddenly laced with something Peter couldn't quite place. That's when Peter noticed it—strange, discolored markings on Connors' neck. Faint ridges, barely visible beneath his collar, but unmistakable to Peter's trained eyes. The aftereffects of the Lizard formula…]
["Doctor, are you… okay?" Peter asked cautiously, his concern creeping into his tone.]
["Never been better, Peter! Never!" Connors declared with a wide grin. "Now, if you don't mind, I have a new project to focus on. I'd rather not be disturbed."]
[He gestured toward the door, subtly yet firmly dismissing Peter. Knowing he wasn't going to get anything more out of him, Peter nodded and turned to leave. As he stepped out, Connors' voice echoed behind him, "Don't worry, Mr. Parker! I'll be back soon… and wonderful things are coming! Wonderful things!"]
[Peter glanced over his shoulder, watching as Connors disappeared down the corridor. A bad feeling settled in his gut. Something was definitely wrong with the doctor.]
[Just then, a faint, unnatural movement caught Peter's eye. His senses tingled, and he cautiously stepped forward to investigate. His gaze landed on a shattered glass container—with bloodstains smeared along its edges.]
[His heart pounded as he traced the source of the disturbance. His eyes widened in horror when he saw it—a mutated rat, its once-small frame grotesquely enlarged. It was hunched over, gnawing on a smaller white mouse, its sharp teeth dripping with blood.]
["Freddy?!!" Peter gasped, recognizing the rat as one of Connors' lab specimens. His mind reeled. Connors had been experimenting again. The mutation… it was spreading.]
[He barely had time to react before the creature scurried away into the vents. Peter clenched his fists. If Connors was still using the formula, things were about to get much worse.]
"Oh! Shit!"
A collective gasp filled the air as the disturbing scene played out on the screen. A mother in the crowd quickly covered her child's eyes, shielding them from the gruesome sight.
Many citizens felt their stomachs churn. The sheer horror of it all was overwhelming—children would surely have nightmares about this tonight.
Meanwhile, in real life, Dr. Connors watched the screen in silence. His expression was unreadable, but after a long pause, he reached for the remaining Lizard formula vials… and destroyed them.
"I think I need to see Dr. Connors," Peter muttered, sitting across from George and Uncle Ben. Opposite them sat the Mayor of New York, his expression thoughtful.
The mayor leaned forward, clearing his throat. "Actually, Peter, that brings me to something important."
Peter looked at him curiously.
"The NYPD is willing to offer you an official position," the mayor continued. "No more being a vigilante. You'd be a real officer—with law enforcement privileges. You'd have the authority to act whenever necessary."
Peter blinked in surprise. That was unexpected.
"And," the mayor added, "in light of recent events, and for the safety of your family, the city is also providing you with a fully furnished villa."
Peter's eyes widened. "A… villa?"
Uncle Ben and Aunt May exchanged stunned glances.
The mayor nodded. "The house once belonged to a fallen tycoon. After his bankruptcy, it was supposed to be auctioned off as collateral, but I managed to secure it at a low price."
Peter hesitated. He wasn't comfortable accepting handouts.
Sensing this, George spoke up. "If you feel like you haven't earned it, you can pay it back when you're older. But for now, take it. The people of New York want to do something for you."
After a moment's thought, Peter finally nodded. He wasn't doing this for himself—he was doing it to keep Uncle Ben and Aunt May safe.
At the same time, a sleek luxury car pulled up in front of a grand estate. Inside, a figure watched the screen with a smirk.
Harry Osborn.
His fingers drummed against the armrest as he murmured to himself, "Peter… I'm back."
[The scene shifts to George Stacy, standing in his office, phone pressed to his ear. "Mr. Mayor, if there was a dinosaur running around, trust me, you'd be the first to know. So tell your son he doesn't have to worry, okay? Yes! You and I see eye to eye, sir."]
[After hanging up, George turned to Peter with an exasperated sigh. "Mr. Parker… Why exactly aren't you in school?"]
["No classes today," Peter explained simply.]
["Right… I don't have much time, so make it quick," George said, stepping out of his office with Peter following closely behind.]
["Alright, listen—it's probably not a dinosaur running around Manhattan, but it's something worse. And I know exactly who it is."]
[George raised an eyebrow. "You know who it is?"]
["Dr. Kurt Connors. He's a biologist."]
["Wait—Osborn's Dr. Connors? My daughter's mentor? That Dr. Connors?" George asked incredulously.]
["Yes!" Peter confirmed.]
[George sighed. "Look, Connors recently wrote Gwen's college recommendation letter. It was so good it made me cry! And now you're telling me he's running around cosplaying as a dinosaur?"]
["It's not cosplay! It's not a dinosaur! He transformed himself into a giant lizard!" Peter knew that it would be impossible for George to believe this. When he thought of his beloved doctor turning into a monster, Peter couldn't help but cover his face. ]
[After listening to this, George closed his eyes, took a deep breath and asked, "Let me ask you a question first, do I look like the mayor of Tokyo?" George felt that Peter was joking with him. If he didn't know, he would have thought this was Tokyo and Connors was a Godzilla. ]
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