19 Looking for the Lizard

Gwen couldn't take her eyes off the floor below; her emotions were all over the place. She was sad, mad, and totally confused. Above all, she had this urge to cry, but for some weird reason, no tears were coming out.

'If only... if only I were not at home with Peter, catching a break...'

She stole a quick glance at her father, a wry smile filled with pain playing on her face as she squeezed her eyes shut in anguish.

Her mind conjured up a vivid image of the Lizard Monster wreaking havoc on the Williamsburg Bridge, tossing cars around and triggering fiery explosions.

She envisioned a child perilously close to the edge, on the verge of falling, when suddenly, her father emerged from the flames, his body scorched but determined. He rescued the child, catching the attention of the enraged Lizard, who swiped him away with a powerful tail whip, bellowing in fury right in his face.

'Being a good person is sometimes a sin.'

Her expression grew steely as her gaze fixed on the horizon. The confusion faded away, leaving behind only one emotion: anger. But it wasn't just anger anymore; it was transforming into something darker, something akin to wrath.

She tightly clasped her hand, her nails digging into her skin, and despite their short length, blood began to trickle. With a quick sidelong glance, she tilted her head to catch a glimpse of Peter, who was taking a water break outside the room.

Her face remained mostly devoid of expression as she averted her gaze from him. Turning her attention to the window, she stood up. Slipping on her AirPods, she started playing music through them. The sounds that filled her ears were dark and heavy metal, with a voice that occasionally screeched out in raw intensity.

Cranking the volume up to the max, she flung open the window and positioned herself at the railing. Giving one last glance to George and the sprawling expanse of New York City, she made the daring leap... freefalling into the unknown.

The rushing air tousled her entire body as she twirled through the air, her gaze alternating between the ground below and the once-beautiful sky, now adorned with gathering clouds.

Her eyes appeared hollow, devoid of any hint of emotion, just moments before her body was about to make contact with the ground, sealing her fate in the realm of death.

However, in a sudden turn of events, a web shot out from a shooter, connecting with her body and causing it to rebound with great force, hurtling through the air at a high speed.

'Lizards... those sticky, creepy crawlies. They're all about stealth, thriving in damp and dark places. You usually find them lurking under bathroom and kitchen sinks, in store rooms, and down in the basements. But where on earth could a humanoid, large lizard be hiding?'

As she frantically maneuvered through the darkened streets of New York, a surge of frustration overwhelmed her. She had an urge to slam her head into the ground, as if it could jolt her mind into finding a solution.

"Come on, Gwen... think," she muttered to herself, desperately searching for a way out.

Abruptly, she came to a halt on top of a towering building, granting her a breathtaking view of the sprawling cityscape. Standing at the precipice, she peered down, and at that moment, all her thoughts faded into silence.

"Of course... the sewers," she murmured, a realization dawning upon her.

Positioning herself near the workers who were repairing a sewer hole that had opened up amidst the recent destruction, Gwen calculated her trajectory and aimed for a precise spot. Without hesitation, she leaped into the air, diving headfirst, and descended into the depths of the sewer.

The workers could only catch a fleeting blur as Gwen swiftly descended, leaving them in awe and confusion. A few of them managed to utter the words "Spider-Woman," but it was just a passing remark, quickly fading into the background noise of the rushing sewer water.

Leveraging her arachnid-like abilities, Gwen started crawling along the walls of the drain, going deeper and deeper.

Once she reached a specific spot, she swiftly spun intricate webs in every direction, creating a spiraling pattern of interconnected web lines.

This elaborate web structure allowed her to sense even the slightest vibrations, helping her pinpoint her desired target.

A cold smirk formed on her lips as she caught sight of a white lab deep within the sewers. Falling silently from the wall to the floor, she crawled toward it.

A lone man sat in front of a camera with a wicked expression etched on his visage with absolute depravity.

Gwen took advantage of the distraction, carefully maneuvering closer, her spider-like agility allowing her to navigate the cramped space with ease.

Finally reaching a vantage point, Gwen observed the lab from the shadows. She studied the equipment, the mysterious green substances, and the lab notes scattered across the makeshift workstation.

Ignoring the man, she cautiously approached a worn piece of paper, its contents beckoning her to unravel the secrets it held. With trepidation, she began to peruse the ominous message inscribed upon it.

"This transcends the realm of mending maladies or battling afflictions; it delves into the forbidden realm of combating perfection itself. What if I were to amplify the dosage to an unprecedented 200 milligrams... No, perhaps even 400 milligrams? Or 800? Will I die of overdose or will the Lizard genes kick in and save me? In this twisted pursuit, the adage 'more is better' rings true."

The words, once carefully etched, now danced chaotically across the page, as if the author's descent into madness had tainted the very essence of the writing itself. Each letter appeared as a desperate cry, an agonized plea for comprehension amidst the sea of incoherence.

As she absorbed the chilling words, a shiver coursed down her spine, revealing the malevolence concealed within the very fabric of this undertaking. A dark and mysterious aura enveloped the room, thickening the air with an unsettling anticipation.

Her spider senses jolted to life, reverberating through her body with an electrifying intensity, as if a thousand tiny bells chimed in unison.

A grotesque, elongated palm, its sickly green hue mottled with patches of slimy residue, extended menacingly towards Gwen's vulnerable back.

Dirty yellow claws, jagged and menacing, poised for an attack, ready to rend through flesh and bone. Yet, with her reflexes, Gwen swiftly anticipated the imminent danger.

In a fraction of a heartbeat, she gracefully ducked beneath the malevolent appendage, her lithe form bending and contorting with feline agility.

Her eyes widened as she peered toward the lab where the suspicious man was supposed to be, but he was nowhere in sight. Nodding, her expression grew dark, brimming with rage.

"So, it's you,"

In response, the creature—a colossal humanoid Lizard with a sinuous neck and a cavernous maw—unleashed a primal snarl.

"GRAHHHHH!!!"

~

A/N: A reader requested that I shout out to him. He created a song with Miguel O'Hara's theme. The lyrics were kinda funny to me. Anyways it's- Sxperbia - I AM MIGUEL O'HARA (SPIDERMAN 2099) Official Music Video prod. kid tristo.

Goals for next week.

3k- 1 bonus

5k- 1 bonus