Saturday afternoon, 3 PM.
In an indoor sports arena in Queens.
A closed badminton court, which Peter rented every Saturday for half a day.
He even got a membership for it.
No choice, after all, he was training his own girlfriend.
Better to spend the money on her than on outsiders.
Gwen's golden bangs were damp with sweat.
Wearing a mask, she felt like she couldn't breathe properly.
"Let's... let's take a break."
"Miss Spider, you're really weak. Your endurance needs work."
Peter, wearing a mask and with his hair slicked back, spoke expressionlessly.
Then he secretly injected himself with an endurance-enhancing serum.
No choice, even with the Ox Talisman's boost.
His physical fitness was still lacking.
Luckily, it wouldn't be long before he could unlock the Homelander template.
Gwen shot Peter a defiant look.
"Don't look down on me!"
With that, she stood up again. Gwen had inherited her father George's strong-willed demeanor.
If George had been weak, he wouldn't have risen from an unknown detective to the position of NYPD Commissioner.
Influenced by her family environment, Gwen had developed a similarly determined personality.
Gwen threw a punch at Peter!
Peter easily dodged it without using the Rabbit Talisman.
He grabbed her arm, yanked it, and Gwen stumbled, losing her balance. Peter then kneed her in the calf.
She instantly lost her footing and fell to the ground.
"Too weak."
Peter remained expressionless.
Sorry, Gwen. Strict teachers produce strong students.
...
Meanwhile, at Oscorp.
As one of New York's top companies, Oscorp's stock had indeed taken a hit after Norman Osborn's incident, and there had been significant personnel changes.
But with Harry Osborn's return.
Everything stabilized.
Dressed in a suit, Harry left his office and headed to another biotech lab.
After returning to the U.S. and to New York.
He had gone to see his father and learned the full story of what had happened!
From the day he found out about his family's hereditary illness.
He hadn't had a single peaceful night's sleep.
Whether it was psychological suggestion or the onset of the illness.
Harry felt things were getting worse.
For now, he could only pin all his hopes on one person.
Dr. Connors.
The glass automatic doors slid open.
Harry appeared before Dr. Connors, who had only one arm.
"Doctor, how's the progress on the experiment?"
Dr. Connors took off his glasses and slowly shook his head.
"The experiment is more difficult than I anticipated. The lizard genes are relatively stable, but it's a technical challenge."
"The hardest part is going from zero to one."
"I can invest a few hundred million more in R&D for this project."
Harry frowned anxiously.
Since his father, Norman Osborn, had told him the truth.
The gears of death had quietly begun to turn.
The scythe of death could strike at any moment.
For Harry, who had grown up in a privileged environment and had been ahead of most ordinary people since birth.
This outcome was unacceptable.
"Dr. Connors, what can we do to speed up the experiment?"
"Using lizards is just the first stage!"
"We still need to experiment with other animals. Only when the experiment succeeds can I save my life!"
Dr. Connors expressed deep regret.
"There's no way around it, Harry. There's no way around it. I want the experiment to succeed sooner than anyone."
Suddenly, he seemed to remember something.
"Peter!"
"I know a high school student, about your age, but incredibly knowledgeable."
"Maybe he can help."
Harry was taken aback.
"Peter Parker?"