The Amazing Spider-Man
Livin' on the Edge 10/???
Mini-arc: Night of the Lizard 1/4
Chapter Sixteen: Where they Crawl
The sun was barely up when the Midtown High buses rolled to a stop outside Oscorp's research annex. A sleepy chill clung to the morning air as students spilled out in clumps, buzzing about the field trip to Dr. Curt Connors' lab.
Peter arrived late, well not technically late, but later enough that everyone important was already there. He spotted Cindy, MJ and, thankfully, Jean near the entrance. Cindy and MJ were whispering something urgently to Jean, but the moment Peter walked up towards them, two pairs of eyes went cold as dry ice.
Cindy hit him with that "I'm not mad, I'm disappointed in your entire existence" stare, while MJ crossed her arms, chin lifted, jaw tight enough to cut wire. Jean, at least, looked over and offered a soft, sympathetic smile. She didn't speak telepathically, she didn't have to. It'll pass… eventually.
Peter exhaled. Great. Emotional damage before 8 a.m. Before he could even process the tension radiating off the trio, Flash, Liz, and Harry closed in around him like the world's oddest support group.
Flash slapped a heavy hand on Peter's back.
"Dude… bro… I didn't know you were a legend," he whispered loudly. "People were saying you were two-timing, but three-timing? That takes—"
Liz smacked the back of Flash's head hard enough to echo. "Flash! Shut up. Peter would never do that."
Flash rubbed the growing welt. "Ow! Why was that so strong?!"
Harry stepped in, nodding. "Yeah, you've known Peter forever. You know he'd never..."
He paused, shot Peter a look, eyebrow raised.
Would you? The implication was there wordless.
Peter groaned. "No, I wasn't nor I'm currently dating all three. I was hanging out with Cindy and MJ because we... Had things in common. They were cool with that. But adding another girl to the mix made them go full angry at me. I only met Jean the same day I introduced her to them, but they still got mad at me." He sighed. "At the very least they get along just fine but, I clearly need more guy friends to balance out my life choices."
Flash opened his mouth to say something catastrophically inappropriate, but the crowd suddenly quieted.
Dr. Curt Connors had stepped forward. He looked mid-thirties, clean-cut and kind faced, with tired eyes that still carried a scientist's spark. His lab coat was spotless… and the right sleeve hung empty, pinned neatly where an arm used to be.
"Good morning, everyone," he said warmly. "I'm Dr. Connors. Welcome to my lab. Some of you might know my research. For those who don't, my specialty is reptilian biology. Most of our subjects are hibernating right now, but I promise this trip will still be worth your time."
Next to him stood a woman with boundless energy, also in a lab coat, with a small boy no older than nine clinging to her hand — a boy in a T-rex shirt who tried very hard to look brave. "This is my wife, Martha… and my son, Billy."
A soft wave of greetings rippled through the students. Connors nodded, satisfied, then lifted a small palm-sized device no bigger than a pocket radio. "Before we begin, I have a message from some friends of mine."
He clicked it on. A flicker, then a 3d blue hologram burst to life above the crowd. Gasps erupted instantly. Even Peter took an involuntary step closer.
Reed Richards stood in the projection, smiling politely, wearing a sweater vest that made him look somehow both like a genius and a suburban dad.
Beside him was Sue Storm, radiant and visibly pregnant, she was holding a three-year-old on her hip.
In the background, Ben Grimm, The Thing himself, was flipping something on a grill, maybe burgers while arguing with a floating robot helper. Meanwhile Johnny Storm lounged nearby in sunglasses, looking like a pop star who accidentally wandered into a family BBQ.
"Hello, Midtown High students," Reed began. "I wish I could be there today, but things at home are… busy." He glanced affectionately at Sue and the small child in her arms. "We're preparing for the new baby, so I'm on full support duty."
Johnny leaned into the projection, elbow practically phasing through Reed's shoulder. "Translation he tried to cook once, nearly burned down the kitchen, and now we're figuring out what he can do. In the meantime, no science toys for him."
Reed sighed. Sue hid her laugh behind a polite smile. Ben Grimm yelled from the grill, "Reed ain't allowed near the stove! Scientific menace!"
"Anyway," Reed continued, wearing the strained smile of a man accustomed to chaos, "Dr. Curt Connors is one of the finest experts in his field. His knowledge of reptilian biology even dips into areas unfamiliar to me. Please treat his lab with respect and enjoy your field trip."
Johnny nudged Reed aside and raised a hotdog like a trophy. "Also, I'm gonna be an uncle. Again! I might swing by later and give you guys a firework show..."
Ben grabbed Johnny by the collar. "We're gonna be uncles again, hotshot. And don't forget little Franklin's gonna be a big brother."
Reed simply exhaled and tapped a few buttons. The hologram fizzled out.
The students immediately burst into excited chatter. Peter, however, didn't move. Not because of the 3D tech, though yeah, that was insane, but because of what the Fantastic Four represented. Heroes with public identities. Heroes with families. People who saved the world… and still managed to live normal lives.
A strange ache bloomed in his chest,longing tangled with admiration. Was something like that even possible for someone like him?
Behind him, Jean drifted away from MJ and Cindy closer to Peter, even if they were starting to get along they still were giving him side-eye frostbite glances anytime Jean came close to him. Her voice was soft. "Impressive, right?"
Peter nodded slowly. "Yeah… more than impressive. Fantastic." And just like that, the field trip really began.
"Alright, everyone," Dr. Connors said, clapping his hand strongly against his thigh so it made a sound like a clap, "follow me. Let's begin."
The sliding doors parted, and the sleepy morning transformed into a world humming with science.
Polished floors reflected bright overhead lights. Glass enclosures showcased reptiles in simulated habitats. Screens flickered with diagrams, charts, and looping videos. The air smelled like sanitized metal, warm terrariums, and a hint of ozone from the machinery.
Peter felt a surprising rush of gratitude toward Norman Osborn. Oscorp had funded this trip, way better than the repeated offers from Fisk Industries to visit Fisk Tower. Those "offers" had trap-for-Spider-Man written all over them. Norman's influence, and his personal grudge against Fisk, had shut them down. Peter didn't blame him. He had his own unresolved issues with the big guy.
Right now, though, he was too busy marveling at the science around him. Even Flash, who usually glazed over at anything that didn't involve football or punching something, let out a low whistle. "Yo… this is actually kinda sick."
Peter smirked. If Flash Thompson was impressed by science, this place had to be magic.
"Over here," Connors said, leading them to the first section. "You'll find studies on reptile behavior, camouflage, thermoregulation, and instinctual patterns. Some of these adaptations have fascinated researchers for decades."
Students pressed up to the displays.
A chameleon shifted colors in hypnotic waves.
A gecko climbed vertical glass like gravity was a rumor.
They moved on. The next exhibit dealt with electricity, Tesla coils buzzing softly, diagrams of bioelectric fields, and tiny arcs of lightning flashing between metal rods. Blue flickers lit up awed faces.
"Woah…" Flash leaned in way too close.
Liz yanked his hoodie. "Flash, please don't touch anything that sparks."
He grinned. "I wasn't gonna, okay, maybe I was."
Peter found himself warming up to him.
A tiny bit. Like… atomic-sized.
The DNA exhibit was next. Glowing double helices hung from the ceiling. Interactive screens explained gene sequencing. Panels detailed radiation's effect on cells.
It was the sort of place that could devour Peter Parker's attention for hours.
Jean drifted to his side, eyes bright.
"This is incredible," she whispered. "Is this normal for your school? Constant field trips? I could get used to this."
Peter nodded toward Harry, who was animatedly telling Liz how Connors first met his dad."Yeah, mostly because of that guy. His dad is Norman Osborn, CEO and founder of Oscorp. We usually get one or two field trips a month because of him." He inhaled, taking in the whole room. "Never gets old. It's like walking through a science textbook… except actually cool."
Even Cindy and MJ, despite their weaponized glares, couldn't hide their fascination. Cindy was absorbed in a touchscreen simulation about genetic expression. MJ watched a hologram of a cell reacting to radiation.
Connors looked over the students with a proud smile. "Science isn't about knowing everything," he said. "It's about asking the right questions to the right people at the right time."
Peter hung on every word. Connors had a presence, not just intelligence, but gentleness. A warmth that didn't match the stereotype of the cold, distracted scientist.
Flash bumped Peter lightly with his elbow.
"Yo, Parker… you're drooling."
Peter blinked and tore his gaze from the DNA display. "I'm not drooling. I'm appreciating."
Flash smirked. "Same thing for you, dude."
Peter rolled his eyes… but couldn't deny the moment felt weirdly friendly. Weird, confusing. And sort of nice.
They followed Dr. Connors deeper into the lab, where the lights dimmed and the colorful educational displays gave way to the sterile whites of active research spaces. Machines hummed. Monitors pulsed with live data. The air smelled of antiseptic mixed with something earthy. Something reptilian.
Connors stopped beside a small, isolated counter. On it sat a tiny metal cage. Inside, a mouse hobbled unevenly on three legs. Liz winced. "Oh… poor little guy."
Flash tilted his head. "Maybe he got into a fight. Mice fight, right? Like… West Side Story but with cheese and tiny knives?"
Harry ignored him entirely, leaning forward with genuine curiosity. "What are you working on, Dr. Connors?"
Connors' expression shifted from pride to hope, and just a touch of nerves. "This," he said, lifting a small vial filled with a faintly glowing green solution, "is something I believe will change medicine forever."
The students gathered closer. "It's a regenerative serum," Connors explained. "A formula designed to stimulate limb regrowth. Not prosthetics. Not robotics. True biological regeneration."
He opened the cage with practiced gentleness and lifted the mouse. "This little one was born with a congenital deformation. Three legs. But today… we fix that."
His voice held the steady excitement of a man who had dreamed of this moment for years. "This serum uses reptilian DNA, species with high regenerative capacity. It awakens dormant pathways in the body, instructing it to rebuild what was lost."
He injected the serum. The effect was almost instant. The mouse twitched. Its muscles writhed beneath its skin. Gasps filled the room as cells replicated at impossible speed, tissue forming, knitting, taking shape.
Seconds later… a new leg had grown. Perfect. Whole. Functional. The room exploded with disbelief. "NO WAY." Flash blurted, louder than he meant to.
"That's... that's incredible." Harry whispered, almost reverent.
Even MJ and Cindy, who had been keeping a chilly distance from Peter all morning, drifted closer to see. Both were transfixed. Jean felt the ripple of awe run through the group like a warm current.
Connors smiled, a smile full of triumph… and longing. "I'm in the final stages of refining the formula," he said quietly. "Once perfected, I hope to begin human trials."
His hand rose unconsciously to his shoulder, to the empty space where an arm should have been.
Peter felt the truth hit him hard, heavy. This isn't just science to him. This is hope. For himself.
Connors cleared his throat, regaining his professional tone. "In any case, there's still much more to see. And if any of you are interested in being lab assistants, Oscorp sponsors several student positions. Challenging work, but rewarding."
Flash whispered, "Dude, imagine working here. You'd basically be, like… a science ninja."
Peter smirked despite himself. The group followed Connors deeper into the facility…
…none of them noticing the cage behind them.
Inside it, the mouse, the one whose leg had just regrown, twitched violently.
Its eyes darkened. Its breaths grew sharp and ragged.
Then, with sudden, unnatural force, it began burrowing into the bedding, tearing, clawing, its skin rippling as something inside it twisted…
Changing. Mutating. Completely out of control.
To be continued...