Chapter 156: The True Lizard Professor
"Deep breaths, Connors. Like Banner taught you—"
Doctor Octavius's body suspended behind the Lizard Professor, four mechanical tentacles firmly restraining the Lizard Professor's limbs.
He could sense this armor and tentacles couldn't compete in raw strength against the Lizard Professor, but as a physicist, Doctor Octavius possessed sufficient methods to subdue his opponent.
Except subduing the Lizard Professor wasn't everyone's intention in the laboratory. They needed Professor Connors to take control of the post-transformation Lizard consciousness rather than being driven by instinct.
Clearly, Professor Connors' time studying under Doctor Banner hadn't been entirely fruitless. At minimum, facing Doctor Octavius's verbal guidance, the Lizard's desperate struggles gradually weakened.
His eyes remained golden vertical pupils, his body still possessed the Lizard's appearance, the severed tail regenerating anew.
But from Batman's perspective, he could clearly see that massive lizard face displaying a trace of humanized confusion.
Simultaneously, within the Lizard Professor's consciousness, the portion belonging to Professor Connors existed in a muddled, hazy state.
His current condition resembled being in a dream—able to perceive everything external through the Lizard's eyes, ears, and all senses, but unable to control the dream. The Lizard's every word and action was completely driven by instinct.
"Who am I? Where am I?"
Professor Connors hazily sensed everything surrounding him. Though watching clearly with his eyes, able to see the Hulk's unhappy face, see Batman's expressionless mask, see the tentacles coiled around his limbs.
He knew he was a lizard, but he also knew he wasn't merely a lizard.
"Who am I?" Professor Connors again questioned himself internally.
"Connors, wake up! I know you can hear me!" Doctor Octavius's voice came through.
Professor Connors jolted slightly, slowly remembering everything.
"I am Connors... What am I doing? Oh, I'm transforming into a lizard..."
"Why am I transforming into a lizard?"
He once again sank into confusion. But as Doctor Octavius's voice called repeatedly, Professor Connors' dreamlike hazy sensation gradually dissipated.
"I'm doing this to master this body. I actively chose to transform into the Lizard..."
"I need to apply what I learned from Banner to myself. Deep breaths. Deep breaths!"
"If I can control my breathing, I can control my body!"
"I am Connors, also the Lizard. I possess a scientist's wisdom and also unparalleled strength!"
From Batman's perspective, the Lizard Professor currently stood dazed in place, his face constantly displaying humanized struggle and confusion.
But as time progressed, the Lizard Professor's condition grew increasingly stable until at one moment he opened his eyes—he was no longer frenzied.
Doctor Octavius slowly retracted his tentacles, standing aside watching the Lizard Professor.
And the Lizard Professor looked toward the Hulk. Golden vertical pupils revealed a trace of humanized mockery.
"Big frog."
The Hulk had been standing perfectly fine beside Batman waiting for the Lizard Professor to recover consciousness. Now suddenly hearing another insult, the Hulk immediately erupted in fury.
BOOM!
The laboratory floor immediately collapsed into a deep crater. Amid flying rubble, the Hulk furiously charged toward the Lizard Professor.
Doctor Octavius intervening was already too late. Just as these two monsters were about to clash again, one fist blocked the Hulk.
Batman moved. His Arkham armor's surface once again manifested Venom's symbiote material, transforming back into Venom Batman appearance standing between the Hulk and Lizard Professor.
THWACK!
The Hulk's fist and the Lizard Professor's claw were simultaneously blocked by Batman. Batman looked at the Lizard Professor, brow furrowed.
"Professor Connors?"
"I'm not Connors," the Lizard's mouth slowly opened, revealing a mouthful of fangs. "I'm also not the Lizard... I am the Lizard Professor, Batman."
"Lizard Professor?" Batman watched this massive monster.
This represented the first time in a true sense that Batman had heard the name "Lizard Professor" from the speaker's own mouth.
"Big lizard?" The Hulk also looked at the Lizard Professor confusedly, probing tauntingly, "Crybaby bug, broken tail bug?"
HISSSS!
The Lizard Professor immediately emitted a threatening hiss, baring fangs at the Hulk. But currently he didn't launch attacks. Instead, his body continuously shrank, scales disappearing from his body surface. He transformed back into Professor Connors.
"Connors, what just happened?" Doctor Octavius inquired quite concernedly.
"Otto," Professor Connors nodded toward Doctor Octavius. "I... should be like the Hulk—I've mastered that power within my body."
The Hulk snorted from the side, looking at Professor Connors while flexing both arms' biceps. Then his form also rapidly shrank, transforming back into Doctor Banner.
"Connors." After transforming back, Doctor Banner immediately stepped forward supporting Professor Connors.
When transformed into monsters, both men taunted each other. But after reverting to humans, they remained two scientists with quite good relationships.
"At first it was like dreaming. Not knowing who I was. Even though I could hear your voices and everything external, I couldn't respond."
Professor Connors sat in a chair with Doctor Banner's support.
"But when I slowly realized who I was, I began using the methods Doctor Banner taught me to recover my rationality, regaining control over my body."
Professor Connors described his post-transformation condition one by one, with Doctor Banner helping record everything.
"I realized I couldn't completely control the post-transformation Lizard body. So I chose another method—coexisting with that beast instinct. The Lizard provides strength, while I, Connors, provide thought."
"So you became the Lizard Professor," Doctor Octavius summarized from the side.
Doctor Banner smiled.
"So our laboratory has now assembled Octopus, Lizard, and Bat?"
This was clearly a cold joke. Batman remained expressionless. Venom's symbiote disappeared from his body surface. Doctor Octavius smiled awkwardly. Professor Connors looked helpless.
"Regardless, at least one hidden danger on the island has been resolved." Seeing no one reciprocating his joke, Doctor Banner felt somewhat embarrassed himself, quickly changing subjects. "Batman, you mentioned earlier about leaving for a while. What's that about?"
Batman deliberately avoided saying "New Mexico," worried Doctor Banner and the Hulk might immediately make associations with that word, causing unnecessary trouble.
"I need to travel abroad executing a rescue mission."