This method had worked before against the mindless version of the Lizard.
But now, facing a fully conscious Dr. Connors, it wasn't nearly enough.
He quickly realized Peter's intentions and chose brute force over subtlety—leaping high with a surge of power, razor-sharp claws extending from his hands as he swiped at Peter.
Of course, that kind of attack wasn't going to land.
The claws scraped across the cement wall instead, leaving long, deep gouges behind.
Peter bounced off the wall, using the recoil to kick both feet squarely into the Lizard's back.
BOOM!
The ground below cracked open with a deafening crash, and Connors' head was nearly driven straight into the floor.
"Uh oh… did I hit too hard?" Peter muttered nervously. Without the ruthless influence of Shadow-Spidey, he didn't pack the same lethal edge. And this younger Spider-Man was still inexperienced—at the end of the day, he was just a teenager.
But hesitation didn't stop his hands from moving.
His past fusion with Shadow-Spidey, not to mention nearly being blown up by Hawkeye's trick arrows, had taught him one thing: never let your guard down until the enemy is completely out cold.
Peter fired webs to pin Connors' arms and legs, then swapped in a fresh cartridge of web fluid.
Only after prepping and cranking his Spider-Sense to full alert did he tiptoe closer.
"ConDoc~tor~~" Peter whispered, saying a syllable with each step as he carefully studied the Lizard's body.
If he saw even the slightest twitch of muscle, he'd be ready to react.
Connors lay still, seemingly stunned from the heavy blow.
But dead? No, Peter didn't think so.
He'd fought the Lizard enough times to know just how tough his body was. That kick might've been stronger than usual, but not fatal—and he hadn't even hit a vital spot.
Peter exhaled in relief and inched closer—
Then suddenly—
CRASH!
From behind Connors, at the stump where his tail had been, a new one snapped out like a whip. In Peter's wide-eyed shock, it coiled around his ankle.
"Oh no!" Peter yelped as he was yanked upward and slammed hard against the sewer ceiling.
BOOM!
That was payback, delivered in full.
The Lizard roared, tearing free of the webs and lunging at Peter.
Peter shot a quick blast of webbing to blind Connors' eyes, then grabbed his arms with both hands, bracing his legs against him—
SNAP!
The freshly regrown tail ripped right off again.
But this time Connors didn't bother to hide it. Instead, he forced another one to sprout almost instantly.
"Whoa! I know lizards can regrow tails, but Doc, this speed is ridiculous!" Peter quipped, already darting away to the far end of the narrow tunnel.
"Pest!" Connors roared, ripping the webs off his face. "Why do you insist on stopping me? Why?! If my plan succeeds, everyone will have my power! No one will ever be weak or sick again!"
"But that's just what you want, Doc!" Peter shouted back. "Not everyone's willing to give up being human!"
"No! This is glorious evolution—supreme evolution! They only resist because they haven't tasted it yet. One day… they'll understand!" The Lizard's eyes shone with fanatical devotion.
Peter's heart sank. Connors was too far gone.
For a split second, a dark thought crept in—
Maybe I should just end this…
Peter shook his head violently. Where had that even come from?
But once the thought took root, it spread like wildfire.
If he didn't stop Connors now—if the Lizard's serum spread across Manhattan, Queens… all of New York—what would the world become?
---
He imagined going home, only to find Aunt May in lizard form, calling,
"Peter, dinner's ready."
She lifted a pot lid—inside was rat stew, whole and hairy.
At school, he saw Gwen, also mutated, grinning with rows of jagged teeth.
"Peter, look how sharp my bite is. Wanna test it with your head?"
At Delmar's Deli, his usual sandwich stuffed not with pastrami but wriggling worms. His birthday cake decorated with cockroaches and ants.
Ugh!
Peter shook his head frantically.
"No. No, no, no! I can't let that happen!"
But killing Connors? No… not with just him and the young Amazing Spider-Man. Without Shadow-Spidey's ruthless edge, he couldn't do it.
So he settled on a compromise.
He'd capture the Lizard and hand him over to Captain Stacy.
That'd be better proof than any photograph, right?
Decision made, he moved.
---
Meanwhile, Connors realized he couldn't win this fight—not quickly, at least.
But he didn't need to. His real goal was to release the serum across the city. Once it spread, Spider-Man would be powerless to undo it.
Then he remembered: earlier, when water splashed on his skin, Spider-Man's webs had been much easier to tear.
"Heh-heh," the Lizard chuckled. He'd found his escape route.
In the next instant, Peter lunged, but Connors bolted, sprinting deeper into the sewers.
Though he'd lived down here less than a day, the lizard instincts gave him an affinity for water and damp spaces. He could sense where the underground streams flowed.
Peter chased, confused at first, until the rushing sound of water echoed ahead. Then it clicked—Connors was heading for it!
But what could he do?
Every webline he fired missed, Connors slipping past them with ease.
"Damn it! If only I had my impact webbing!" Peter cursed inwardly. With ricochet webs, he could block Connors' path even without a direct hit. But right now, he was stuck chasing, always a step behind.
The Lizard's sheer strength gave him explosive speed, bounding through the tunnels like a predator in its element.
Still, as the chase continued, Peter slowly began to adapt—finding small openings, searching for a way to turn the tide…
(To be continued…)