12 Dr. Curtis Connors

My father was a profound man. Unlike other fathers, he did not run away to look for milk or anything similar yet the circumstance was similar.

He had cancer but every day, whenever I visited him in the hospital he filled me up with knowledge. One day he made me sit through a movie called- Snake in the Eagle's Shadow.

Although the movie was rather kiddish and generic without much of a lesson, my father taught me a different meaning from its title.

Hide, like a snake, and prey, like a snake... at the right time... at the right place. The Eagle can not harm its own shadow but the snake hiding underneath definitely can from under it.

With his words clouding my mind, I thought about Natasha's proposition. S.H.I.E.L.D is an eagle while I am a snake.

The moment I made the complete Lizard Serum and got positive results I had decided upon a single thing. To survive, I need my own faction and to make it powerful... I need strong members... and to gain strong members, the faction either needs to be strong from the beginning or I must nurture cadets.

This is where my plan of the Lizard Army comes into play. They can be the foot soldiers of my faction. This already has a lot of power potential while with each merit one can get a chance for promotion.

Here is where S.H.I.E.L.D. comes into play. The organization is an idiot organization if what I believe is true and if Hydra has infiltrated it in this dimension.

To steal from such an organization should be child's play for a genius like me but I need to have prolonged contact with it and be a snake that does not attract a lot of attention which is perfect for me... since Lizards are known to be stealthy and my powers fall right into that domain.

At the same time I must keep in mind that even if I am a genius and this is a child's play for me, there is a possibility of S.H.I.E.L.D. having geniuses too. Brainwashed ones.

The knowledge from S.H.I.E.L.D can help me develop my own faction and issue rewards upon promotion.

I wonder what I should name it. Tarot Club? L.I.Z.A.R.D.? It's gonna be hard to decide on a name.

Heh. I am excited.

Shaking my head, I grabbed my school bag and left the school. Detention had been canceled along with extracurricular after-school activities.

It had been specially announced on the loudspeaker.

The reason being that a gas pipe may have been broken due to a nearby construction and the school was taking high precautionary measures to ensure student safety, especially after the incident in the Staff Room where all the teachers fell unconscious.

Clever, S.H.I.E.L.D. Very clever. I guess it is true, once you have absolute power you either corrupt or use it to manipulate reality to your tastes.

I was looking forward to the detention since I would be alone with Gwen but it seems I will have to wait until tonight. I doubt Gwen would have stayed for long, my gut says that she would have not even come for it due to being spider-woman and would get punished the next day.

Quickly, I boarded the Metro. After a lot of rummaging in my locker through my memories, I found Parker's Alchemax internship ID card.

It seems Peter used to go there every day after school to research with Doctor Connors on his project of Cross-Species Genetics with the main goal being regeneration using Lizard DNA applied to Human DNA. Basically, Genetic alteration and engineering.

From the metro, I took a cab to Alchemax, this cost me around two dollars. Soon the Alchemax tower came into view.

The building was huge. A huge monolith standing tall over the city. It looked like a giant monster with its arms spread out wide compared to the other tall buildings nearby.

The entrance was a magnificent glass door, heading I scanned my ID and began to walk through the employee section. The guards checked me to look out for any metal or weapons.

Seeing that there was none they let me go inside. Once inside, I marveled at the infrastructure.

There were laboratories everywhere. There were also offices and meeting rooms. All the labs were connected by hallways with a large elevator at the end of each hallway.

As I walked further, I saw that there were many people working there. Some of them were busy doing their jobs while some others were just sitting around talking to themselves.

It was a mega office. I walked to the elevator and pressed the 18th floor. From my memories, I knew that Dr Connors's office and lab were situated on that floor.

*Ting!*

The elevator opened and I walked out of it, the hall outside was completely white in color with wooden tables, plants, and fake grass as well. It was as if it was designed for optimum concentration while adding in monotheistic simplicity for employee satisfaction.

"Hello, Peter."

"Hey, Peter."

Many of the employees greeted me.

Peter Parker had become famous because of his recent success in Dr. Connor's project. Even his character disposition was well-liked by the Alchemax staff and was now a celebrity.

Soon I reached the desk where a lady sat behind it. She was wearing a green dress and her hair was tied in a bun.

She smiled when she saw me. "Hello, Peter, Dr Connors is inside the lab."

I smiled at the secretary and nodded. "Thank you, Donna."

In turn, she asked me curiously.

"Where have you been the last two days? We were planning on calling you or sending you a warning email if you didn't show up today."

I scratched my neck a little and chuckled awkwardly.

"Well... my pet disappeared so I was in depression you could say."

The woman in front almost melted, showing concern for the pet.

"I hope he is doing alright. Did you find him?"

I shook my head to flatly refuse. "Nope... but... I am sure he is doing good." If not running around town murdering people.

After a little more of small talk, I went my way to Dr. Connor's lab.

The laboratory was located at the far end of the hall. As I approached, I noticed that the door was slightly open.

I stopped and peered inside. Inside the room, I saw Doctor Connors working on a microscope. He did not turn around but spoke as he worked on the apparatus as he said in a friendly joking tone.

"Mr. Peter Parker."

Leaving his equipment, he lifted his head to look at me. Big dark circles covered around his eyes and a warm smile covered his face... but for some reason, his eye was not smiling, they looked deadly.

Oh no. Has he already injected the serum? Currently, it does not seem so. From my reptile dominion, I can't feel the reptile in him.

He crept closer to me as he leaned against the table. His one arm missing.

"We have made good progress over the project but it seems as if the board does not want to continue with it."

My eyes widened as I asked him.

"Why?"

He shrugged, chuckling quietly. "That is how life is Peter, you work for years for a company and when you finally show results, they shut you down and take your research. Hard to say if it stems from jealousy or if the higher-ups just do not want to see you progress."

Or maybe they want the research for themselves. For selfish intentions. I thought in my mind but did not say it aloud.

Nodding silently, we shared a quiet little moment. Out of the blue, he chuckled self-depreciatingly looking at his arm.

"Look at me wallowing in self-pity. Pathetic."

At the moment, I felt a little guilty for him. Peter Parker had stolen his thunder and at the same time, Dr Connors had lost his life's dream.

Heaving a sigh, he looked at me with a warm smile but cold eyes.

"Keep an eye on the mice, Fred and Wilma for me... would you Peter? I was packing up to leave for home before you arrived."

I nodded. Saying so he tidied up a little and was about to leave. I spoke up, a little louder than before.

"Maybe you can sell your research to a different company Dr. Connors."

He tilted his head to look at me with a half smile.

"Confidentiality agreements, Peter. Confidentiality. It would be a straight ticket to jail."

I asked aloud as he worked his way to leave the laboratory.

"What if... What if... I helped you. Maybe get your arm back as well."

He froze in his steps, his face showing a mix of annoyance and warmth at the same time which was weird.

"Look I appreciate you Peter... but there is nothing you can do."

The man opened the door and let it bang as he walked with powerful steps out of the lab.

What the man wants is not justice but revenge. He does not want to be understood nor does he wish for anything else but to see the world burn.

The rejection of this project simply broke the dam that held back all the negative feelings Curtis swallowed in his life as a cripple. The bullying, the insults, the occasional pity...

The man is probably cursing the unfairness of the world at every step. He enjoys it. When a man has nothing to lose but everything to gain, filled with either anger or love he is the strongest.

As I stared at his receding figure, I felt pity yet a lot of emptiness.

Curtis Connors had acted a lot like a father figure to Peter in his while with him. The latter idolized the cripple that had reached where he was with dedication and hard work.

Suddenly, I yelled, still staring at Dr Connors who was walking away.

"DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID!! Dr. Connors!!"

He stopped upon hearing my voice, turning his head around he tried to smile only to repeatedly fail but he did mouth the words.

"I won't."

~

A/N: Got a little late today ha ha. Anyways I just wanna tell everyone. MY PETER IS NOT GONNA BE ANYONE's SLAVE!! NOT EVEN SHIELD's!! So stop worrying dudes and dudettes.