Saturday / March - 14 - 2015
"So, Peter, Gwen tells me you got yourself a girlfriend?" asked George Stacy to the young brown haired boy with a raised eyebrow, masking the incredulous feeling he has in his chest.
For a long time he's known - or thought he knew - of the mutual attraction both teens had for each other. Which is why it came as a huge surprise to him when his sweet girl mentioned Peter having a girlfriend with an almost uninterested tone over dinner one day many months ago now.
And just now is George able to speak to Peter, who has been awfully busy with everything going on in his life. And he really wants to know more about this girl.
"Uh, yes sir. Her name is Emma" Peter answered, slightly confused. He didn't expect a question like that from Gwen's dad of all people "we started dating right when December started".
"Hm. And where is she?" George questioned, curious about the possibility of him meeting the girl right now.
"In vacation with her family" Peter answered easily. It was still spring break, so it wasn't that surprising "she's somewhere in the Caribbean. St. Barth or something"
"Huh. And uh, how is she? That Emma girl?" George couldn't help himself but ask further about the girl that was supposedly better than his Gwen.
… the older man knows it's not like that or anything, but he was really sure that there was something going on between her daughter and the kid he honestly approved of to be her boyfriend.
And it was so weird to George to see this group of teens acting so nonchalantly at the fact that Peter has a romantic partner that is not Gwen… or even Mary Jane for that matter, who was Gwen's number one threat in romance according to George.
What a way to be wrong.
"Well, uh, she's pretty smart" Peter began recounting her qualities with an embarrassed look on his face "she's pretty eloquent, really funny, crazy beautiful, she also has a strong personality but with a cute side to her that I personally find… *ehem* S-she's great. Yup, a pretty great and sweet girl".
Peter finished his ramble once he saw the way Mr. Stacy raised an eyebrow and his two friends looked more and more irritated at his words.
"Sweet to you…" mumbled Gwen under her breath, but loud enough for both men to hear her while she grabbed her drumsticks.
"No kidding" replied MJ in the same tone as Gwen, making the brown haired boy wince slightly.
He still holds hope that his best friends will one day get along with Emma, but man is it hard when he knows they really don't see eye to eye with one another.
"Come on guys, she's a really nice girl" Peter tried defending Emma, but was only answered with scoffs from both girls.
"…Right, well- *RING RING* oh, sorry everyone" George started saying, but was interrupted by his phone ringing. Seeing the ID, his eyes went a little wide.
It was his contact in Ryker's Island, place in which they had Curt Connors imprisoned after his little 'accident' in Gwen's high school and many other of the city's plethora of villains.
Curt was placed in protective custody thanks to Spider-Man's and Gwen's insistence for George to help the doctor in whatever way he could, which was that.
"It's okay, dad" said Gwen with a smile, knowing that its most probably something about work. Either way Betty and Glory where about to arrive to start their rehearsal, the last one of spring break.
George nodded at Gwen, and answered the phone while walking away "what happened?"
"Dr. Connors was released yesterday, sir. Placed in house arrest due to good behavior on his part" a man said on the other side of the phone, which caught the attention of Peter's super ears.
"Oh, uhm. Gwen, is it okay if I use your bathroom?" Peter said as he stood up from the chair he was sitting in.
"Sure, you know where it is" Gwen replied easily, not knowing that Peter started following her dad as quickly and quietly as he possibly could around her house to keep listening in on the conversation.
"You're kidding me! Why wasn't I informed of this before?!" George questioned with a groan and a frown on his face.
"It was the warden's instruction, sir. He said you might've protested against it" explained the man.
"Of course I would protest it!" George yelled "weren't you the one that said that Connors has been doing nothing but mumble about his lizard… potion and whatnot?!"
"Yes, but you have to understand that the criminal activity has been at an all time high. The prison is full and the warden claims that we can't have men like Connors in here if they are perfectly safe at home" argued the man.
George kept on complaining while walking away from the house, prompting Peter to come out from his hiding spot with worry painted all over his face.
'Connors has been mumbling about his Lizard serum and they released him? That's… very dangerous. Ms. Connors must be looking out for him in their house, but if anything happens to him again-' Peter started thinking as he walked in circles in the same place.
Then suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell ringing. Given that Peter was standing right there in front of the door, he waited for a few seconds before he opened the door, so as to not look like he was already there.
"Gwen, I have this idea for a song I think you're going t- oh! Hi, Peter!" Betty greeted with a happy smile as she looked in front of her instead of the bundle of papers in her hand.
"Betty, Glory, how are you girls doing?" Peter answered back as he moved out from the door to allow both girls in and started following them to the garage.
"Tired of listening to Betty ramble about how good she is at writing stuff" Glory huffed with fake tiredness, which gained a playful smack on her shoulder as the trio entered the garage.
The two pair of girls greet each other while Betty excitedly announces the song she wrote, amidst other things she wrote that day for the school's newspaper now that they are going to be back to school in only two days.
"Well, I'm sure your new song is going to be great. Unfortunately I-" Peter started saying as soon as the girls finished greeting MJ and Gwen.
"You're not planning on saying you have to leave, are you?" Gwen interrupted as her face shifted from a smile to a hurt expression, next to a MJ that immediately matched her friend's face at his words.
'I-I have to check up on Connors. But I've missed so many outings with Gwen and MJ that I promised them I'd stay during their rehearsal…' Peter started thinking; conflicted about what to do.
His duty as the good friend he wants to be to the girls, or his unending responsibility as the masked hero Spider-Man. What should take priority at this moment?
MJ looked at Peter carefully, and saw how much time it was taking him to make up his mind in his head. Most likely coming up with yet another lame excuse to ditch her. So she decided to not wait any longer and looked away, tuning her guitar to try and pretend that her feelings weren't hurt at yet another dismissal by Peter.
He has been getting less and less frequent with his sudden disappearances and leaves of absence, but in no way is he the boy he was before what happened to his uncle almost a year ago now.
And MJ hates that.
She misses the Peter that would do basically anything to hang out with her, who would try to get her excited about science while she did the same with pop-culture to him - he who used to do whatever he could just to make her smile. And she still sees glimpses of that same boy every now and then.
But between his job, internship and that 'hussy' Emma Frost he has for girlfriend, he barely has any time left to indulge her, even if he is her best friend.
And it hurts.
Sentiment shared strongly by Gwen.
Of course they've been hanging out every day of spring break, but it always ended rather quickly or abruptly due to Peter being awfully busy.
And now, he finally promised to spend the entire day with them, doing whatever MJ and Gwen wanted. No job, no internship, no girlfriend. Just the three of them having innocent fun, like things are supposed to be.
And it started so! They got together first thing in the morning to eat at Delmar's, then they strolled around the city for a while, ate lunch together at a restaurant that Gwen's dad had found just the other day and now they wanted Peter to hear them play.
And it was fun! It's always so much fun for both girls when Peter is focused on the present, really paying them the attention that they both want from him.
And without Emma sticking to him, any other of his responsibilities, or even Harry throwing some passive aggressive comments every now and then - thanks to him being out of town - they had the chance to spend a much needed time just for them.
But perhaps this was not as important to Peter as it was to the girls - perhaps he wasn't enjoying himself as much as they thought he did, given how he always takes the first chance he gets to get away from them.
And that thought hurts, so their faces morphed into sad and frustrated expressions that sent all kinds of alarms in Peter's head.
At that sight, Peter quickly said without thinking "O-of course not! I mean… I was going to say that I was thinking of running for snacks for everyone to the store, so if you were going to start now I wouldn't hear it".
"Snacks? Oh, that's so nice of you, Peter" said Betty with a warm smile "I could go with you, if you want. That way you don't miss anything".
Peter mentally slapped himself for accidentally committing to stay - and worse - pay for the girl's snacks.
He wouldn't mind treating them to whatever they liked… if he had more money than he knows what to do with.
And for once, Peter actually does.
Since Emma has been away, Peter has been able to save every dollar he's earned from The Bugle and from his internship due to him not paying any 'fancy' dates, or even for materials to fix his costume.
Unfortunately for Peter, Dr. Octavius has been paying him less and less because of investors regularly quitting the company's financial assistance. So Peter really wanted to save every penny he has.
Which now he won't be able to do because of his self-thinking mouth, but he'll just roll with it.
"S-sure, that would actually be great, Betty" Peter said with a grateful smile, taking the chance to flee from Gwen's and MJ's now doubtful faces.
"Come on then!" Betty said as she grabbed him by the arm and started pulling him away from the garage. Shocking Peter and most girls in the room.
"What was that about?" Asked MJ, not really liking how Betty dragged Peter away without asking anyone if they also wanted to go with. As if Betty wanted to be alone with Peter.
"What?" Asked Glory with clear uninterest.
"Uh, Betty dragging Peter like that?" Gwen answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world, feeling the same way as her redheaded friend.
"Oh, I think the girl wants to win some brownie points with him. Maybe that'll make him put on a good word for her with his boss. Y'know how she always rambles on about being a journalist" Glory explained easily and disinterested, remembering the many, MANY times where Betty voiced her desire to work at a big news tabloid like The Bugle.
"I guess that checks out" "yeah" Gwen and MJ mumbled agreements in order, seeing as that made sense.
"She also thinks the guy is cute, for whatever reason" Glory mumbled, not finding Peter attractive at all.
""What?!"" Both girls basically yelled at the same time, startling Glory, who was not expecting that at all.
"Why?!" "Since when?!" "How?!" Both girls started demanding answers from Glory, who moved her hands up in surrender.
"Calm down you two! I don't know since when she finds Parker attractive or whatever, she just didn't tell you because she thought you liked the guy.
But since that Frost chick started dating him and you two didn't care much, we figured you weren't crushing on him" Glory started explaining with a raised eyebrow, which made both girls widen their eyes slightly.
"W-what about Emma? Doesn't Betty care that he is already dating someone?" Asked MJ, almost distraught for whatever reason. Something that really surprised everyone, even herself.
She doesn't really care for Peter's romantic life, right?
She never had.
"Woah, woah, calm down there. I didn't say Betty wanted to date him, she just finds him good looking" Glory said, still with a raised eyebrow "plus, honestly, how long do you really think those two are going to date for?".
"What do you mean?" Question Gwen, slightly too interested in what Glory was saying.
"I've talked about this with Kenny and the others, because, c'mon; sweet, nerdy, innocent Peter Parker dating someone as mean, haughty and rude as Frost? That's bound to fail sooner or later" Glory dismissed with a wave of her hand "if he wanted to hold on to her, he needs to be… I don't know, more confident or something?".
"Yeah… guess you're right" answered MJ, feeling some sort of relief at the words her friend said, not knowing that Gwen felt the same way.
Because, maybe if Peter and Emma broke up, then the two of them would have him back, right?
Gwen would have that intellectual sparring partner she always felt that pushed her to be better; the same boy who would show off his very slightly better grades than her's with a smug smile, but would very soon turn into the sweetest boy when thinking she got mad at him.
And MJ would have her anchor to New York back. Her all time fan that is supposed to be watching her and only her as she becomes someone loved by the public. The boy her aunt would talk about with a sweet voice and what is clearly a smile on her face as she recounted what the young Parker boy did to a sad little redhead in a broken house.
Both girls would have the friend they miss so much. That person that means oh so much to them.
And it would happen, he would be theirs once again… where it not for Emma Frost.
'Yeah… I hope she is right' both Gwen and MJ think shamefully while tuning their instruments once again, waiting for Peter to return.
They shouldn't be hoping for Peter to break up with someone who clearly makes him happy… for whatever reason.
But they can't help it.
They want Peter back.
————
At the same time - Connors' household
"All right Curt, we're leaving. You really are sure you're going to be all right by yourself?" Asked Martha at the doorstep with an excited looking Billy.
The young 10 year old has a birthday party from one of his friends, and the parents were also invited. Too bad for Curt, who has been confined to his house because of his house arrest.
Martha wanted to stay home with Curt, giving how this was just the second day he's spent with the family since he was released from prison.
Yesterday had been a day of celebration for the family, and Martha wanted to keep that mood going on today with family quality time, but Curt assured Billy and Martha that he was okay with his little boy going to the party he is so clearly looking forward to.
"Don't worry about me, honey" Curt said with a shrug; kissing her cheek and ruffling Billy's hair with his good hand "you have fun now, 'kay, champ?".
"Of course! Have fun here too!" Billy said with a bright smile, enjoying the sign of affection from his dad.
"I'll try" Curt answered humorously, enjoying watching his boy so excited and happy.
It had been a while since Billy seemed so happy, cheerful and relaxed around his dad, something all three members of the family had noticed. Something that Curt yearned to see.
During visiting days, Billy had been extremely silent and distant from his dad, which made the patriarch believe this was due to sadness at seeing his father behind bars, which gnawed at him.
Because how could Curt see how his actions affect his son and not feel ashamed? It's heartbreaking for Curt, and it filled him with guilt that he talked often with Martha when he had the chance.
Something that Martha didn't correct him on because she didn't have the courage to reveal that her son was actually not sad, but scared.
Many were the restless nights where Billy woke up with his little heart racing strongly, shaking slightly and with tears threatening to come out of his eyes as he revealed that he dreamed of a monster yet again.
Monster he refused to describe despite Martha's insistence, but she knew perfectly what it was.
Who it was.
"Yeah, just… not too much fun, alright?" Martha said with a small, sad smile; referring to his work.
"Don't worry about that. I'm just going to try and understand what's so appealing about football or something" Curt quips as he winks his right eye, easing his wife's worries.
"Goodbye dad!" Billy crashed his body on his dad's in a tight and meaningful hug "I love you!"
"I love you too, champ" Curt answered as he hugged his son back to the best of his ability, only for this one to run away shortly after he broke the gesture in the direction of his mom's car.
"Well, then. Call if you need anything, okay?" Martha said as she stepped outside the door; holding a laugh at her son already in the backseat looking a little anxious of waiting for her.
"You got it" Curt replied as he neared her once again and hugged her by the waist with his one good arm, bringing her closer to him "I love you~".
Action that made Martha giggle while at the same time melt under the contact of Curt's lips on hers. Action that she quickly answered with the same emotion that he wanted to convey.
And it did so successfully. The kiss told Martha how much regret, longing and above all, love, he felt for her. Just like the night before, where after a long time in jail, he was feeling extra appreciative of her whole being.
Each caress, kiss and action he did was a love letter that made her feel as if she was back in her younger years, feeling as a dumb teenager in love with the same man that is currently holding her tightly, as if he was making sure she was indeed real and there for him.
And she is - she should be… but she has to take their son to that birthday party.
That doesn't stop Martha from breaking down their sweet and heartfelt kiss to rest her forehead on his and stare just for a second too long to his blue eyes. Those soft and caring orbs she has always adored, to then mutter "I love you too".
It was a sweet moment between them. One that was soon interrupted by their little boy, who honked the car for his mom to hurry up.
Without another word, Martha and Curt released their hold on the other, still with the smiles each had on their faces as she went towards her car, and only waved goodbye at him as she started talking to her son.
Curt watched them as they rounded a corner with a smile on his face, thinking about just how much he loves them and how lucky he is to have them in his life.
Both of them, Billy and Martha, are the greatest gifts Curt Connors has ever had the privilege of having. He doesn't know what he might have done in a past life to warrant people like them to be at his side, even though he has as many faults as he has.
He knows he was severely depressed after losing his arm, leaving him as a shell of his former self; he knows he is not a romantic who goes out of his way to make sure his wife knows she is as valued and loved as she deserves to be; he knows he is not a perfect parent - always tinkering away with his next project, instead of giving Billy the attention he needs.
He knows he hurt them both deeply when he turned, not once, but twice, into an animal… Into The Lizard.
A monster who almost jeopardized everything he had built and worked for. He messed up his career, but that wasn't the end of the world for someone as smart as Curt, who despite his accident, would still be sought after by someone interested in his mind.
What he almost ruined is his integrity, and with it, the knowledge that he stopped being a decent man.
Curt has had many nightmares that caused him to weak up in a cold sweat after fighting Spider-Man in Midtown High; still remembering with fright the half second where he thought he had killed someone because of all the blood that painted his body that day.
God bless Spider-Man, who told Curt that he was stopped before he could harm anyone. Connors doesn't know what he would have done if he had injured or killed someone.
The thought used to keep him awake at night. At least until his restless nights were due something else…
Thankfully, he now has his wife back - next to him at night to keep those bad dreams away from him with her warmth. He has his son, who changes his nightmares into fantasies of the future - showing him what his son might become when he grows up.
He loves his family oh so dearly.
More than anything in this world.
Which is why Connors hates the fact that he's so weak as to not being able to resist the temptation of running to his and his wife's personal lab in the basement to make the serum once more the moment he feels enough time has passed since his family left.
He opens the door to the basement so hard it slams shut again and he runs down the wooden stairs with hurry in his step. He turns on the two white lights and sees his basement for the very first time in months as his breath and heartbeat quicken intently.
"T-this time, it will be d-different" Connors pants out loud to himself while shaking violently, as if he had withdrawal symptoms from missing being 'himself'.
During his stay at the prison, Curt only thought again and again about what mistakes he could have made that kept turning him into a monster instead of his serum working as intended.
The math… it was all there, and the serum does bring results, even if not the desired ones. He just needed to make some minor adjustments to it and the formula would be perfected.
Adjustments he made on his head over and over again while he was imprisoned. And now that his family finally left, Curt could open the secret hatchet door underneath his workbench that had everything he needed to make the serum yet again.
He has the new formula inside his mind, he just needs to write it down to visualize it completely and search for any flaws he might've missed so that he can finally - FINALLY - have the serum again.
So that he can finally be himself.
"I-It will work… and I'll-I'll be c-complete" Connors kept muttering again and again while he started working on the serum. Still feeling his stump itch like it always did after the first time he became The Lizard.
No… not only his stump. Everything about Curt felt itchy. Incorrect. Wrong. He was missing more than his arm - his skin felt soft and frustratingly weak, his eyes were almost completely blind, as well as most of his senses.
He has changed.
He is not what he was before and he needs his real body back. This is wrong, he is wrong, nature itself is wrong when it comes to him because he is no longer what he used to be and he NEEDS to be what he is supposed to be.
The serum will make him whole again, it has to work!
The itch goes beyond his body; his mind is numb with a pain he can't fully comprehend but he knows deep inside of him that he can't bear being incomplete for another second!
No, he can't be incomplete!
He needs to be made whole again! Despairingly so! Miserably so! He is in the wrong body, trapped in a prison of soft flesh and it's WRONG.
GOD AND FATE THEMSELVES ARE WRONG IF THEY THINK CURT IS GOING TO ACCEPT BEING INCOMPLETE!
He is not meant to look like he does, he is not meant to feel like he does! He needs to fix himself! He needs to remedy how he feels the only way he knows how to! He needs to free himself from the anguish that being trapped in the wrong skin is!
Because it's agonizing.
It truly goes beyond what someone as weak as Connors can endure. Waking up as a mere shell of what he used to be; feel the entire world under senses that are not his own; looking into a mirror and not recognizing who the man staring back at you is.
It's too much for Curt, he-he can't bear looking at that man behind the mirror when he knows that it's not him and so he broke it. Every time he could, he would shatter anything that could reflect his so-called image because it never did so correctly.
He never saw himself.
How awful it is to look into a mirror and only see a stranger looking back at you with eyes that are not your own.
But he can fix that! He will!
So he works, quickly, desperately, obsessively.
The serum needs to be perfected. And when his wife and son return to him they will see - they will understand and support Curt's decision of him taking the serum again.
Yes… they'll support him, just like they always have done before. They'll love him even more than they already do, and perhaps they'll even take some of the serum for themselves so that they can feel like he does too.
Because, who would deny a chance at being as beautiful, powerful and complete as he was back when he was his true self?
He just needs to perfect it; the way he envisioned in prison. With the new formula, there will not be any way to return to his 'original' form. Even if he receives the antidote, Lhe Lizard's genetic mutation will eventually override the 'cure', turning him back into who he really is as many times as needed
So still, he works...
….
And finally, after what he felt like hours of working endlessly go by, he finally got it.
He had the perfected formula scribbled on a file, safely placed on a table. Forgotten once he looked at the final version of the serum in his hands, glowing with a gorgeous green hue.
"I-it's ready…" Connors muttered as he looked in awe at the vial in his hand; ready to inject himself with it.
Curt Connors however still held some doubt Im his mind about wether he should keep going on with this or not, which made him stop and think for a moment.
Most people don't get second chances, much less three like he did. So what happens if he's wrong yet again? What happens if, for some unknown reason, this doesn't go as he wants to?
He promised himself… he promised Martha and his son that he would accept himself as he is and forget all about the serum so that they could leave behind that horrible chapter of his life.
Curt Connors had vowed on everything he loved that an 'accident' of this nature would never happen to him again.
But… the itch is unbearable.
And he can't scratch it away, much like he can't get rid of the little voice inside his head that demands him to take the serum he worked so hard on.
Because he can't scratch his stump away, nor can he rip his skin off, no matter how wrong it feels on him. A fact he knows based on previous experiences, where he really did attempt to scratch the 'fake' skin off of him on too many particularly hard nights.
But no matter how much he scratched, he was never able to find his scales behind the soft and smooth skin that covered all his body like a shackle on a prisoner; reminding him every day that he is trapped where he should not.
He scratched, and scratched and scratched and the only thing he found on those agonizing nights, where he would stay awake in the corner of his cell with tears streaming down his eyes as he begged to be released from his meaty and pink 'shackle', was blood.
And no matter how much he cried, begged and even prayed, he would always wake up with blood on his frail fingernails and with that stranger staring back at him in a mocking manner.
Curt didn't even know for certain how his monstrous form looked, since he has only seen himself through security footage. But he knows that he is not meant to find his reflection so disgusting that the only thing he could do was smash his mirror to pieces.
Thank god that breaking mirrors wasn't cause to keep him in prison, and thanks to George Stacy who had a hand in placing him in protective custody… where he could suffer by himself in peace.
Where he would beg for hours without end for some kind of divine mercy in him.
But no… There is no help beyond what he can do for himself, and the only thing this man can do, is to take the serum and hope for the best.
"Hate… I-I hate myself for this, b-but… I know it'll work. It has to! IT WILL!' Connors convinced himself as he readied the injection, feeling his eyes swelling up with tears and his whole body shivering.
He shouldn't be doing this, he should accept himself as he is now. He needs to accept reality as it is for him but he just can't. He is not strong enough to do so.
Curt Connors hates himself for being weak.
But he won't be weak after he takes the serum again. No… he will be complete. Beautiful and strong as he was before. As he was always meant to be.
*Ngh* Connors groans for a little moment as he injects himself, feeling pain as the dense liquid enters his blood stream. This time, unlike the other two, the pain is sharper and more pronounced, almost a bit too much for him.
At least until the changing process begins, and bliss infects his whole being. He knows what's happening - he waited for this moment anxiously for months.
And it feels right, like it was fated to be.
But it's still too much for Connors.
His eyelids suddenly feel heavier than they ever felt before and his knees even weaker. He closes his eyes tightly when his body starts shifting on itself; skin, muscle and bones moving around like they are each an independent being from him - all squelching disgustingly as they did so, tearing much of his clothes away in the process.
Even the strap of his ankle monitor tore away thanks to the way his body changed. This however, did not mess with the electronic tag, thus, not sending any type of message to the authorities.
And so, the perfected serum that Curt Connors had envisioned in his mind for months, failed yet again. One of his worst nightmares came true once again, and he only had himself to blame.
But Connors didn't care.
He couldn't. His mind is now lost in its own little paradise; unable to even register what is happening to him and the pain he should be suffering from having his body rearranged.
And yet, he smiles. He smiles as brightly and beamingly as he can, for he, after many months, finally feels like himself once more.
The only feeling he can distinguish outside of happiness - is tiredness.
Curt felt his energy drained, more tired than he ever felt in his entire life. So without his consent, his body drops lifelessly onto the cold floor while his body still changes.
In his delirious mind, Curt can at least remember that his house is empty and there is nothing for him to do, so he allows himself to close his eyes and sleep.
….
"Curt! We're home!" Martha announced as her rattling keys opened the front door of her house, and then addressed her son behind her with a teasing smirk "go take a bath, dear. You're smelling funny".
*Giggle* "You can't blame me, I played a lot! I can't believe Tommy rented that huge bouncy house!" Billy exclaimed, still feeling the excitement he did at the party "you think we can rent one like that in my 11th birthday?".
"Hmm, we'll think about it. Go on then, you're stinking up the house" Martha said as she walked into their medium sized kitchen in hopes of finding Curt there having dinner or something, but no such luck "I'll see if your father is downstairs working on something after I make him something to eat".
"Okay, mom. Love you!" Yelled Billy as he ran up the stairs, heading for the bathroom.
"Love you too, honey" answered Martha with an easy smile adorning her face.
After a few minutes go by where Martha is cooking dinner for her husband and a light snack for herself.
There was food at that Tommy's kid party, enough to satiate the little 10 and 11 year olds that were running around the place until the sun sat down and the darkness of the night made itself known to all, but not enough for any adult such as herself.
There were also no signs that suggested her husband made himself something to eat, so with that in mind, Martha also took this chance to make something for the two of them to enjoy together.
Until she heard something weird.
"Hmm?" Martha asked as she heard light scraping against the door to the basement, and then the door clicking open "Oh Curt, you were there. I'm whipping us some dinner, so you can go wait in the living room or whatever. I'll call you when it's ready".
"…" but Martha's words went ignored. Instead of a response, Martha heard the wood creaking heavily under Curt's weight and the same scraping sound heading her way.
"Curt? Are you carrying something? And why does it sound like-" Martha choked on her own words as she looked behind her.
Instead of her husband; her partner in life, the father of the bright and cheerful kid they made together and the man she loves the most; there stood The Lizard.
Differnet than the last time she saw it. Now it towers several inches, perhaps even feet given how he's hunching his back, over her.
The 'creature' is shirtless and shoeless, with traces of what was once Curt's clothes all over it's body - with only his pants holding on, now looking more like shorts, revealing his green scaled covered body.
But what changed the most, it's his face.
The first time Martha saw Curt transformed, she could still see some semblance of humanity in him. Deformed and changed, but still human enough for anyone to see that The Lizard was once a man, or at least something wanting to look like one.
But now, his saliva-dripping maw, his face forced to tilt to look at her only with one slit-eye and the low and menacing growl emanating from its thick throat made it clear to Martha that the thing staring at her was no man.
There was no longer a 'Curt Connors' looking at her the loving way a husband does his wife. The way Curt looked at her ever since they were teens in love.
Now, there is only The Lizard.
A monster.
And she stopped thinking about everything but Billy, their son.
Her breath started to quicken, her heartbeat hammered like a jackhammer in her chest while her whole body, no, her whole being, felt the impending doom that The Lizard's arrival meant.
But she barely think about the betrayal that her husband turning into this… thing meant, she couldn't care about what came next to her in that instance, she didn't even fear the possibility of death at the hand of her husband.
She could only hope that after whatever happened to her, Billy would be okay.
Her life flashed before her eyes in the second she took to fully understand what the monster being there meant.
She saw her parents, her friends - meeting, liking, falling in love, marrying and finally having a baby with Curt.
Her baby.
She can't care only about herself at the moment, not when Billy is in danger. But… but it's hard, because she's afraid. She's terrified of that thing staring at her in her kitchen as though she is a mere piece of meat.
"C-Curt…" Martha tried saying as she began stepping backwards ever so slowly, trying to avoid any sudden movements that the animal might react negatively to.
Unfortunately for the woman, the towering creature mimicked her steps, and in little time, thanks to it's size, it was right in front of her.
"…" she tried to say something else, but seeing The Lizard stopping at her arm's reach from her was daunting.
She has never been more scared in her entire life, and she doesn't know exactly what to do. She only wants to run to her son and cry herself to sleep with her baby safely in her arms until she wakes up from this nightmare.
But she knows this is no nightmare, this is real. And as much danger as she is, she knows her son is in danger too.
"C-Curt… Billy is-" Martha tried to make her case to the still awaiting Lizard, paralyzed with fear to do anything because she knows she's powerless to do something.
The lump in her throat prevents her point to be made, but she swallows the sob she feels coming to her to try again "Pl-Please, B-Bill-".
*SHHKK*
But she was soon interrupted by The Lizard, who extended his right arm with a movement faster than her eye could follow to stab his wife with four of his giant claws. The injury spanned from her chest to her stomach in a vertical manner, and Martha was unable to even scream out of pain.
*GUH!* All her body released any air she might have had in her lungs the moment she got stabbed.
First, she felt the impact. Like she had just been punched in the gut with a blunt blow, which was enough to get all the air out of her.
But then, she felt an unbearable heat coming from her insides, as if a cauldron of boiling oil was just injected directly into her insides.
And she really wanted to scream, desperately so… but she can't. Despite the pain being worse than anything she has felt before, Martha Connors was unable to yell, fight back, or even look properly at the man that was killing her.
Man that some years ago, promised to love her beyond anything else this life or any other had to offer him.
The only thing she could really see was the green blur of the monster behind her teary eyes. This while tasting her own blood in her mouth, feeling it fill to the brim with the red liquid and metal-like taste.
And there is nothing she can do about it.
'… stop it.' The Lizard could hear himself yelling from within his mind. Someone banging on his conscience for him to not do what his instincts tell him is right 'Please stop it!'.
"Cu- *cough* -rt… B-Billy…" But Martha managed to beg yet again in between a cough of blood that sprayed slightly The Lizard's own face, which he quickly cleaned with his disturbingly and grotesque long tongue.
'PLEASE STOP IT!' The Lizard's consciousness yelled again, louder than before, making The Lizard take a step backwards from the woman while taking his claws off the woman.
*Gugh* Martha muttered weakly as she grabbed her bloodied stomach with one hand and held herself up with the other in the counter, avoiding the still lit stove.
'I-I'm going to die…' Martha concluded as she felt all her blood spill out of her body onto her hand, clothes and floor 'I'm r-really going to … I'm dead'.
She felt weaker than ever before and she knew she had no air left in her for Billy to listen to her if she screamed for him to run or get help.
But she simply can't allow herself to do nothing. Not when her son's life is at risk.
She has to act now.
'I have to give Curt the cure' Martha realized the only thing she can do as she thought about the various places where she strategically hid some cures for him.
Ever since he told her that he might be released from prison to house arrest some weeks ago, Martha prepared for something like this to happen, so she made more of the cure and hid it all over her house.
Now she only needed to get the one she had hid in the kitchen.
Taking a step, she turned her back on The Lizard and reached into one of the kitchen drawers with all the strength she had left in her body.
From there she took out one of the canisters that held the cure, all under the watchful eyes of the predator standing so very close to her.
Now with the cure in her hand, Martha turned back to see The Lizard still waiting patiently for her. As if it was mentally debating with himself what to do. She felt a sliver of hope to think that, somewhere behind those savage eyes, there was still part of her husband looking at her.
"C- *BLGH* … Curt…" Martha said after coughing more blood, holding the cure up to The Lizard to see "you need-"
*RARRGH*
*KRNCH*
Before she could finish, The Lizard pounced on Martha with a bite straight to her neck, crunching whatever she had in there and killing her almost instantly while avoiding biting into the cure.
He ignored the voice begging for him to stop in favor of his instincts. The blood spilling out of her body was just so impossibly irresistible to the animal that he couldn't control himself any longer.
He is starving after all, and his prey was just standing there, waiting for him to devour her.
*Thump* Both bodies, one transformed and another lifeless, dropped violently on the floor in a dry thump.
The Lizard lifted himself up from the woman's neck and saw her for one second. The beast studied her face, her lifeless and cold eyes looking at nothing in particular, how she got impossibly pale, the way the crimson red blood splashed all over her face and body.
The creature studied the scene before him, and it felt something stirring from within him; he felt it in his entire being.
Something telling the primitive beast that he did something unnatural, wrong… prohibited.
A sin.
But the beast couldn't care about that right now - it is famished. So he lowered himself once more and started eating away at the corpse from the stomach. Enjoying everything that makes up a person despite the horrifying scream of agony that came from deep within his consciousness.
A scream so loud and filled with despair that even The Lizard, as he is, started feeling its eyes fill with something.
The Lizard kept on eating, despite everything telling him not to.
And a singular tear ran down The Lizard's left eye while his mouth was still digging through the woman's intestines.
————
*Gasp!* Billy suddenly wakes up, startled and sweaty from his nightmare.
Nightmares… Horrible and terrifying dreams that have been assaulting him ever since he saw his father laying limp in the lab's workbench back in ESU.
Back when he first became a monster.
Billy has seen the recordings of both those days. He couldn't help himself, even when his mother asked him not to search for the footage of his dad's attack on the university and the high school he teached at.
Curiosity is stronger than fear it seems, because unbeknownst to his mom, Billy did watch those recordings, and they terrified him.
How could they not?
It was his father literally becoming a monster. In one video, devouring everything it found on it he cafeteria, fighting and even - for a moment - besting Spider-Man in a blurry fight.
How Spider-Man always managed to stay out of focus in cameras will always be a debated subject of discussion on the internet. But even with that, it was obvious that The Lizard, as his father was named, managed to put up a fight against a literal superhero.
What would have happened if he had defeated Spider-Man? What was his plan afterwards? … was he even conscious enough to think of a plan anymore? To think at all?
The next video was more of the same; a man turned monster wreaking havoc in yet another school. This time where his personal, older friend, Gwen Stacy - and the lesser known but equally nice boy, Peter Parker - attends.
And this time, the monster - his father - was scarier.
And Billy pretended to be brave, or at least tried to. He visited his dad every visiting day with what he would like to call his usual attitude around him.
He kept his grades up so as to not make his mom worry about yet another thing. He began working around the house more. He became nicer to all of his friends and classmates, who are just so nice to him about everything that happened.
He tries to be the brave boy he knows he can be.
He really tries…
But he can't deal with the nightmares. They just scare him so, so much. He feels something unnatural and evil in his dreams. They feel real, like… like a promise of something he wants to deny.
And just why…?! Why does he only see his dad as a monster when he sleeps? Why can't he stop fearing his own loving father? Why can't he see anything else in his dreams?
Perhaps that was a wrong request, because this night, for the very first time since he saw those videos, Billy had a nightmare that didn't involve his dad.
In fact, it didn't really involve anything conventionally scary.
The dream was just him, sitting in a crimson red chair in a dark room that was barely lit by candles while he was wearing the Captain America themed pajamas he loves to wear.
The room was hot, despite the candles being only a few, the air smelled burnt and disgusting and there were no walls to be seen around him. The chair is uncomfortable and weirdly wet, with a color that is uncomfortable to even look at.
And in front of him, quietly and unmoving, stands an impossibly white woman with black clothes and equally black markings on her eyes. And she stares at him with a small smile on her face.
Was it a friendly smile? A sad smile? One that was meant to be playful? Was it meant to show pity?
Billy didn't know, and for some reason, he didn't want to know. He only wanted to get away from the lady, because she 'feels' wrong.
She didn't feel like a 'human'. But she doesn't 'feel' like the monster of his nightmare either. She is unique, something Billy had never seen before… perhaps something he wasn't meant to see until much later.
Or perhaps… perhaps he is meant to look at her exactly now. Maybe that's what scares him so much about her.
And she does nothing but smile for a long time, until she starts walking towards him. Gently, firmly and gracefully, the woman approaches the boy.
And he can do nothing about it. He doesn't feel in control of his body, so he can't make his mouth open to ask her to stay away from him, he can't move his legs to leave the crimson red chair he is on and run away. He can't even place his hands in front of him to stop the lady from touching him.
And he really doesn't want to be touched by her.
But she does anyway. She extends her right arm, and she passes her thin fingers over his hair. And this, somehow, forces his eyes to lock with hers.
Blue eyes meet hollow dark ones.
She opens her mouth, perhaps to say something… but that is the moment when he wakes up with a gasp.
Running his hand over his forehead, Billy just now noticed how much he sweated. Wiping his left hand over his eyes, Billy noticed that he even cried this time.
"Nightmare…" Billy mutters as he starts calming himself down. If there is a good side of having many nightmares, Billy found, is that he is now an 'expert' at recognizing them and calming himself down after one "It was… It was just another silly nightmare".
Feeling his throat dry, Billy looks over to his nightstand, where he keeps his water bottle through the night. And he finds it to be empty.
*Groan* "Of course" Billy mentally scolds himself as he recalls how he was too lazy to refill his water bottle, and now he has to go downstairs and most likely get a talking to from his parents for the hour and the fact that he is still awake.
He debates himself whether it'd be wise to go down stairs, but his throat is really dry.
'Tough luck…' Billy thinks to himself after a few minutes go by as he yawns, now fully calmed down after his little sleeping problem, while grabbing his little Hulk thermos.
And he walks downstairs.
"Mom? I know I'm supposed to be asleep, I just wanted a glass of water" Billy calls out in a tired voice while stepping down the stairs, hearing some weird wet noise that resembles something like chewing wet food "mom?".
*Squelch* The noise didn't stop, instead it got louder and louder by each step that Billy took towards the kitchen, which made him hesitate for a moment.
*Cough cough* "What the…? Mom!?" Billy asked a little scared; he opened the kitchen's door and coughed as soon as he did so because of the smoke that came from the stove, burning whatever his mom was cooking and forcing him to close his eyes tightly.
*Squel-* when suddenly the sound stopped abruptly, which prompted Billy to open his eyes in curiosity and instantly freeze at the sight.
In front of him was The Lizard, the product of most, if not all, of Billy's nightmares. Bigger and scarier looking than ever, sitting in an unnatural manner on top of his mother.
Or at least what once was his sweet, smart, pretty and loving mom.
The Lizard's face was completely bathed in blood, still with skin and raw muscle hanging from it's maw and in between his incredibly sharp teeth.
One slit, beastly eye, locked directly on him.
But Billy paid no mind to the monster for at least one second, in favor of looking at the person that he loves and adores the most in the whole world.
His mom looked, aside from the bright red color that painted everything, pale. Paler than anyone Billy had seen before.
Billy may be young, but he is far from stupid. He has been long enough in this world to understand what this meant.
His mom is dead.
His mother was killed in a horrible, brutal and probably agonizing way by the hand of his father, whom they both love oh so dearly.
His body, still frozen in fear and shock, started trembling as his eyes began watering uncontrollably the moment he looked up to see The Lizard gulping down his throat whatever piece of his mom he had on its mouth.
All while having its undivided attention on him.
And Billy wanted to scream, to shout at his father for killing his mother; he wanted to run away from the monster who tore open a person and ate her in the sanctity of his home; he wanted to vomit at the sight; he wanted to cry and yell to God himself for allowing something like this to happen to his mother.
But most of all, he wants his parents.
He doesn't want to see this. He doesn't want to live in a world where his dad became a monster and killed his mom.
He wants - he needs his parents with him.
The ones who hugged him and told him how much they love him every night before going to sleep. The ones who celebrated birthdays and Christmas with him in the warmth of their house. The ones that tell him to eat his vegetables despite how yucky they are so that he can grow to be big and strong.
He wants to feel the warmth of his mom's hugs.
He wants to feel the loving way his dad ruffles his hair.
He wants the mother and father that would soothe him after a nightmare with a song or a story until he fell back asleep with them by his side.
He-he doesn't want to see his mom missing her insides with a disturbing color on her pretty face.
He doesn't want his dad being this terrifyingly scary creature.
He just wants his parents to be as they were a few hours ago.
But Billy can do nothing but feel his legs get weak, his eyes stream with tears, his breath quicken with fright and his heart hammer so hard on his chest that he feels like it's going to explode from within.
And he thinks to himself while looking at The Lizard starting to position himself as a predator when it's about to attack '… I knew it… I knew you would do this'.
From the very first time Billy saw and understood that his dad became a monster, he knew with an ethereal certainty that it would lead to this very moment.
That's why he was so afraid of his dad. That's what all the nightmares meant. That's the monster that was going to end his life.
His own dad.
One of the only two people in the world that are supposed to love and protect you unconditionally. That is supposed to be there for you no matter what. Billy can't feel any of that from where he is standing, he can only feel fear.
And he doesn't know what to do…
Should he run? Should he scream for Spider-Man, his favorite hero and the one that has defeated his dad before? Should he simply beg for any help he can get right now?
Can he even do anything aside from standing still from pure terror while his face crumbled with utter fear, terror and despair?
No… he can't.
So he did the only thing a 10 year old could do in his situation.
Taking a huge breath in between sobs, Billy yelled a blood curling scream *AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH".
'No! No! No!' Yelled the voice inside The lizard as this one jumped towards Billy with his jaw wide open, showing off it's terrifying teeth painted red with flesh still stuck in between them. The kid was only able to place his hands in front of his red and despair filled face in an attempt to shield himself.
'NNOOOOOOOOOOO'
But it was futile.
*KRNCH*