92: The Terrorist Power of Transforming People & The Golden Dragon's Howl ?

"NASA will soon conduct a cosmic storm exploration experiment," the TV anchor announced. "With us today is mission chief scientist Reed Richards to provide details." 

The broadcast cut to Reed at a podium with three others behind him, his crew for the space mission. 

Andrew watched the interview closely, more interested in Reed's undertaking than either Thor or Tony's situations. This also represented a momentous development on Earth, potentially as hazardous as future Thanos.

While he observed the coverage, Gwen swung in from outside and Pikachu scurried up excitedly to greet her. 

After picking him up, Gwen approached Andrew. "I've been thinking about something lately," she began.

"Oh? What is it?" Andrew asked.

Looking troubled, Gwen sat down beside him. "Dr. Connors injected that regeneration serum and turned into the Lizard. Do you think I might become some weird Spider-Person someday?"

She went on hesitantly, "And right after the spider bite, I dreamed I transformed into a giant spider." 

Clearly the notion of such a nightmarish change terrified her.

Andrew considered carefully how to respond. As far as he knew, Spider-Man represented more a peculiar genetic fluke after the bite. He gained spider abilities without mutating into a man-spider himself. It was the sort of ideal variation genetic researchers pursued.

"I don't think so. You've shown no issues since getting your powers, right?" he finally said.

Gwen nodded while petting Pikachu, then asked, "What about PIkachu's mutation then?"

Andrew was briefly at a loss since Pikachu's origins were just a casual fib before. "I'm not sure actually. My friend didn't explain," he lied. 

Fortunately Gwen didn't pry further, just played with the electric mouse. 

"Let's have another slumber party, PIkachu!" she suggested with a smile.

"Pika...chu..." Pikachu shook his head firmly.

Gwen looked pleadingly to Andrew for help. "What's he saying?"

"He says your father bullied him too much last time. No more sleepovers," Andrew interpreted with a chuckle. 

"What a pity," Gwen said. Then she added slyly, "Well I'm getting snacks later. Lots of new treats it seems I'll have to eat all alone."

PIkachu instantly perked up. "Pika...pika..." he protested eagerly.

Gwen grinned knowingly. "I know, you want me to hurry up and buy them, right?"

Andrew nodded. "Yes, PIkachu's impatient for you to go." 

"I figured out what he said!" Gwen cheered excitedly. 

"Pika...pika..." PIkachu urged, shoving at Gwen. 

Andrew laughed at the little mouse's single-minded gluttony. A true foodie Pokémon.

"Want to join our shopping trip?" Gwen invited Andrew.

He readily agreed. "Sure, I'll drive."

In the car en route, Red Queen suddenly notified, "Master, Miss Gwen, a dangerous robbery is occurring on Midtown Avenue. A man with extreme strength rushed into a bank causing heavy damage."

Gwen immediately moved to exit the car. "I'll swing over and handle it!"

But Andrew grabbed her hand. "Take my car, it's faster. Get suited up first." 

Gwen nodded. "Good idea!" 

Oscorp Industries

Peter gradually awoke in a daze. Beside him, he heard Jack telling Norman, "Your formula seems effective. He was out cold for hours." 

Tuning into their conversation, Peter fully woke and regarded Norman and Jack in the lab. "Dr. Osborn, you must..." he started urgently.

But looking down, Peter realized his body was immobilized except for his head. He was strapped to a bed.

"Awake at last, idiot," Jack mocked. "I'll give you credit, almost died saving Norman back there." 

Peter ignored Jack and pleaded with Norman, "It's still not too late to call the police before that transformed man causes havoc." 

Norman remained with his back turned, ignoring Peter completely as he worked at a counter.

When Peter tried continuing his appeal, Jack interjected derisively, "Don't bother, he's occupied concocting something to cure the guy you set loose."

Hearing that, Peter quickly looked again to Norman. "Doctor, I can help! You know I've produced inhibition serums before."

At that, Norman whirled abruptly and grabbed Peter's collar. "Truly, you can fix this?" he demanded urgently.

Peter certainly hadn't expected the vagrant to so swiftly regain power and commence a chaotic spree. Public exposure would doom Oscorp, and Norman by extension. 

"Yes, release me first, I can..." Peter began.

Impatiently Norman hit a switch, instantly freeing Peter from the restraints. "Get to work then, we must hurry!" he ordered brusquely.

Previously, such insolent treatment from Peter would earn a swift dismissal from Norman's lab. But now, conflicted, Norman finally moved to assist Peter, having decided on a course. 

"Think they can actually do it?" one of Jack's underlings asked anxiously. "Maybe we should bolt first?"

"We skedaddle if things go south. I'll take a little insurance first," Jack answered cryptically, eyeing the two remaining vials of blue formula atop the counter.

Midtown Avenue, New York

Outside a bank, George directed teams of officers to surround the building. Inside, the transformed vagrant casually packed money into bags, unconcerned by the police presence. 

He held a pilfered gun to a suited man's head. "You said you came to withdraw money?" 

The man raised his trembling hands. Mere minutes earlier, with one hand, this brute had smashed a thick counter to splinters. The guard who called police had his neck snapped.

When the man stayed silent, the tramp cocked the pistol. Terrified, he stammered, "Y-Yes, I'm here to withdraw money!"

"Oh? How much do you have in this bank?" the vagrant pressed.

"O-Only about eight million..." 

"Honesty, very good!" mocked the tramp. "But I hate rich types the most." 

Gunfire rang out and the man crumpled lifeless to the floor. The other hostages screamed at the brutal murder. 

Unfazed, the killer stretched out his arms, seeming to relish the sounds. "Sorry folks, I best be off before the annoying Spider-Woman arrives!" he called out politely before grabbing the dead man and sprinting for the exit.

Outside, the gunshots prompted George to radio the sniper. "Status update, what happened?"

"Sir, he executed a civilian! And he's enjoying it," came the grim report.

George's frown deepened. This robber was also a thrill-killing psychopath. Subduing him wouldn't be easy. 

"Can you take the shot?" he asked.

"Negative sir, he's too crafty. No clean line of sight from here!" 

George understood - an imperfect hit would only further provoke the psycho's murderous rage. 

Just then more screams erupted within the bank, followed by the killer cheerfully bidding them adieu. George and his men tensed as heavy footsteps approached.

"Ready weapons, fire on sight!" George ordered.

"Yes sir!" his squad responded in unison.

Abruptly the glass entrance exploded outward and a figure hurtled through the shower of shards. 

"Open fire!" George yelled. A barrage of gunfire erupted toward the target. 

Nearby, Andrew and Gwen, already on the scene, also heard the intense volley of shots. Andrew nodded to her. 

Gwen quickly shoved the car door open and swung away on a web line without stopping. Andrew continued driving toward the besieged bank.

At the entrance, the police unleashed their fusillade at the black blur that burst out from inside. 

"Cease fire!" George shouted urgently. "That's not the gunman!"

Before he could clarify further, another figure emerged from the ruined entrance, calling jovially, "Thanks for the warm welcome, New York's finest!"

The vagabond rushed arrogantly from the bank, throwing the corpse he'd grabbed out first. The body drew the police gunfire, allowing him to escape unscathed. His criminal cunning was apparent. 

Seeing the vagrant emerge, George grabbed the shotgun off his back and fired point blank. But the man nimbly dodged each blast, using the patrol cars as cover. 

"Damn!" George cursed as the shotgun emptied. Just as he moved to switch weapons, an officer yelled urgently, "Chief, look out!"

The killer had already closed in and grabbed for George's neck. Everyone knew he had just snapped a guard's neck back in the bank. If George was caught too, it would be disastrous. 

"I'll give you the deluxe treatment, Chief!" the psycho grinned. His hand was inches from George's throat.

But abruptly George was yanked backward by an unseen force as a voice called out, "Spider-Woman, here to help!" 

"It's Spider-Woman!" the officers shouted in relief. He had pulled George to safety with his webbing at the last second.

Having rescued George, Gwen couldn't resist teasing her usually stern father. "Cutting it close there, Chief. Lucky I saved you again."

George's aged face flushed and he coughed awkwardly. "Yes, thank you Spider-Woman." 

Never had Gwen heard such earnest gratitude from George. She smiled giddily behind her mask. "You're welcome. As thanks, I'll help capture this brute."

Seeing Spider-Woman arrive, the vagrant looked uncertain. He wasn't positive he could defeat the web-slinger in direct combat. His persona was too cautious for unnecessary risks. 

"Spidey, you like saving people right?" he called out. "Then I'll give you plenty to rescue!"

Gwen frowned at his ominous words. "Clear the area, now!" she shouted urgently. 

But the officers couldn't evade fast enough. The maniac easily snatched up and hurled several of them about. Gwen desperately fired web lines to snatch each airborne person before they crashed lethally to the ground. 

But doing so enabled the killer time to escape. "Farewell for now, Lady Spider! We'll continue this game next time," he taunted while fleeing.

"Damn, he's getting away!" Gwen still had detectives to secure and couldn't immediately give chase. 

"Red Queen, track him through any cameras! Don't let him escape!" she instructed urgently. 

Immediately a projection overlayed her vision, tracking the vagrant's flight down side streets. But then the view shifted to a familiar car ahead of the fleeing man.

"Warn Andrew, he's headed right for him!" Gwen said worriedly, swinging rapidly in pursuit while praying nothing happened to Andrew.

In his car with Pikachu, Andrew listened to Red Queen's report. "Why's he coming for me?" he muttered, nonplussed. 

"No worries, he can't hurt me," Andrew assured, patting Pikachu's head. 

"Pika...chu?" the mouse questioned.

Andrew just shook his head. "I'll handle him myself, no need for you yet Pikachu. It's still too early for you."

"Pika..." Pikachu sagged, disappointed at being sidelined again.

"I'll give you a chance before long, don't worry," Andrew consoled, chuckling at the electric rodent's eagerness.

On the other side of the road, the fleeing figure rapidly approached Andrew's luxury vehicle. 

"What luck, money and a car, God truly provides!" the vagrant exclaimed.

Little did he know, he was rushing not toward divine providence but the devil himself. 

Reaching Andrew's car, the man stated simply, "Out boy, God gave me your car." He raised a mighty fist, intent on smashing it aside like cardboard.

But just as the blow began falling, the surroundings abruptly went pitch black. The car, road, buildings all vanished into darkness.

The killer glanced about in alarm. "What is this place? Where am I?" For the first time, he felt the foreign sensation of fear.

As the man slowly retreated from the void, two golden lights bloomed ahead. They resembled eyes, illuminating the darkness entirely.

What materialized before the trembling vagrant was a monstrous golden dragon head glaring directly at him. 

"What is this thing..." he whispered in horror and awe. As the dragon's maw slowly parted, an earth-shaking roar drowned out all other sensation, shattering the man's last vestiges of courage completely.

To be continued...