Midtown High. Library Ruins.
Vincent didn't chase after the monsters.
Gwen pulled off her mask, standing on a broken table, arms crossed, glaring at him.
"Vincent Hall. Is that Chinese Kung Fu too?"
She pointed at the water dripping from the ceiling.
Vincent was prepared for this.
"Chinese Martial Arts are mysterious and profound," Vincent grinned shamelessly. "This hydro-style is called the 'Eight-Armed Ape Fist'."
"Liar," Gwen huffed. "You big liar."
"Gwen, that's not the point," Vincent deflected smoothly. "The point is that Spider-creature. It had your powers and the Lizard's strength. Plus six extra limbs. Don't you find that strange?"
Gwen paused. He was right.
The situation had spiraled.
In the original timeline (The Amazing Spider-Man), Peter Parker was the hero. He discovered the Lizard, lost his ID badge, and Connors hunted him down.
But now? Peter wasn't the hero. He was the Spider-Beast.
"Dr. Connors..." Gwen whispered. "And an Oscorp bioweapon?"
She couldn't believe her mentor, the gentle Dr. Connors, was responsible for the bridge massacre. And the Spider-Beast... it felt familiar, but twisted.
"The Lizard serum is flawed," Vincent explained. "It strips away humanity, leaving only cold-blooded instinct. Connors is gone. Only the monster remains."
He sighed. "If Oscorp hadn't pushed him, maybe he could have cured cancer. But now? He's a liability."
Vincent's mind raced.
Oscorp.
If he could acquire Oscorp...
Stark Industries controlled Energy and Tech. Oscorp controlled Genetics and Biology.
If he owned both, he would have a monopoly on the future.
But Norman Osborn was still alive. And Green Goblin was coming. Taking over wouldn't be easy.
"Oscorp should have an antidote," Gwen said, snapping him back to reality. "They always make a counter-agent for their serums. It's protocol."
Vincent nodded. "Usually. But this timeline is messy."
Especially with Dark Peter running around.
A hero who falls to darkness is often more dangerous than a villain. Like Bucky Barnes (Winter Soldier).
Police sirens wailed outside.
"We should go," Vincent said. "And judging by your look, I'm sleeping on the couch tonight?"
Gwen glared at him, then zipped up her suit. She vanished out the window.
Vincent sat back down at his desk, put on his headphones, and pretended to sleep until the cops arrived.
Secret Lab. Underground.
The Lizard reverted to human form.
Dr. Connors sat in a chair, panting. Beside him stood Peter Parker.
Peter was no longer the shy nerd. He stood with a predatory slouch, hands in his pockets, a cruel smile on his face.
"You surprised me, Peter," Connors said, looking at his former intern.
"Today was full of surprises," Peter replied. "You know who Ghost Spider is, right?"
"Gwen Stacy," Connors confirmed.
"And her boyfriend... the water wizard... is Vincent Hall."
Peter's face twisted with jealousy.
His mutated senses screamed danger whenever he looked at Vincent. It was a primal fear—prey recognizing a predator.
"Water magic? No," Connors' eyes gleamed with fanaticism. "We are on the verge of something greater. Evolution."
"Evolution?" Peter asked.
"Peter, you have talent. You unlocked your father's legacy. You combined Spider and Lizard DNA. You stabilized the chimera."
Connors stood up, his missing arm regrowing before their eyes.
"I have the knowledge. You have the key. Together, we can open the Genetic Gate. We won't just be perfect species... we will be Genetic Gods."
Peter looked at his hands. Claws extended from his fingertips.
He thought of Gwen. He thought of Vincent.
"Genetic Gods..." Peter whispered.
"Yes," Connors urged. "We can rewrite humanity. No more weakness. No more death."
"I'm in," Peter said, his voice dark.
He had a new goal.
Defeat Vincent Hall. Turn him into a mindless beast.
And then... Gwen would be his.
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