"Spider-Woman?" the creature hissed, its guttural voice reverberating through the narrow alley like the echo of something that should never have learned how to speak.
As it slowly descended the concrete wall, its claws dug into the rough surface with absurd ease, producing a sharp, grating sound. Every movement was deliberate. Unhurried. As if it were savoring the moment.
With a careless, almost bored gesture, the Lizard flung the headless corpse aside. The body flew several meters before crashing violently into a trash can, crushing the metal and scattering debris across the ground.
Even so, its eyes never left Gwen.
Not for a single blink.
The creature slowly dragged its thick, scaly tongue across its uneven teeth, still stained with fresh blood. The sound was wet, disgusting, and deliberate.
"Those men tasted awful…" it murmured, tilting its head slightly, as if reflecting on a disappointing meal. "Weak, bland meat."
Its lips stretched into something that tried—and failed—to resemble a smile.
"I hope you taste better than they did, Spider-Woman…"
Saliva ran freely from the corners of its mouth as it examined her from head to toe, like a predator judging its prey before the final strike.
"Ptiu~"
It spat something onto the ground.
The dry sound drew immediate attention.
Gwen glanced down for a brief second—and her stomach twisted.
Bone fragments.
Small, whitish, irregular pieces, unmistakable. Remnants of the skull it had crushed and chewed moments earlier.
For an instant, the world seemed to slow.
The metallic smell of blood, the oppressive silence of the alley, the palpable terror in the air.
Even so… Gwen remained standing.
Her muscles were taut, her heart racing far too fast, and her Spider-Sense screamed endlessly in her mind like a broken alarm, warning her of imminent danger. Still, she held her ground and took a deep breath.
She couldn't show fear.
The men behind her, however, were not so fortunate.
Some had already fainted, their bodies sprawled across the ground like puppets with their strings cut. Only two remained conscious, trembling uncontrollably as they clung to each other, eyes wide, sanity clearly hanging by a thread.
Gwen stepped forward, placing herself even more firmly between the monster and those people.
"Peter, listen to me!" she shouted, her voice firm despite the knot in her throat. "Stop this! It's not too late! You can still go back to normal!"
She didn't want to fight.
Not him. Not like this.
The Lizard leaned forward, slowly crouching until it assumed an attack stance. Muscles tightened beneath green, scaly skin, brimming with restrained power.
"And who are you?" it snarled, eyes gleaming with hostility.
Buzz!
At that very instant, a violent warning exploded in Gwen's mind.
Danger was imminent.
Without thinking, she reacted purely on instinct.
— Thwip!
Webbing shot from her wrists and latched firmly onto the Lizard's foot, gluing it to the ground before it could lunge.
"Peter, wake up!" she insisted. "I know you're still in there!"
The creature tugged at its leg, testing the web's resistance. For a brief moment, it seemed surprised by how strong it was.
Then… it stopped.
Slowly, the Lizard straightened up, spread its arms wide, and began to laugh.
A loud, distorted laugh, filled with twisted pleasure.
"HAHAHAHAHA!!" it echoed through the alley. "No, no, Spider-Woman! I feel great just the way I am now!! I'VE NEVER BEEN BETTER!!"
"You're making a mistake!" Gwen shot back, clenching her fists.
The laughter stopped abruptly.
Its gaze darkened.
"Mistake?" Its voice grew deeper, heavier. "I don't make mistakes."
It leaned forward, forcing the webbing to stretch.
"I'm not like you. I'm stronger. Smarter."
The smile turned manic.
"I'm better… I AM BETTER!"
It slammed a fist against its own chest.
"I'm no longer that pathetic, crying little boy who hid in corners apologizing for existing!"
Gwen felt her chest tighten.
That creature… was everything Peter Parker had never been.
"Listen, Peter…" she tried again, her voice softer. "You mutated because of that serum. Let me take you to Dr. Connors. There has to be a way to turn you back into who you were."
"Back?"
His tone shifted instantly.
"Why the hell would I ever go back!?"
He yanked violently at the webbing, tearing part of it apart.
"I'm not a mutation! I'm an evolution! I am the next step in human evolution!!"
"W-What…?"
Gwen was genuinely stunned.
And then—angry.
She realized words wouldn't solve this.
"Fine…" she said, dropping into a combat stance. "If you won't come with me calmly, then I'll beat you down and drag you to Dr. Connors by force!"
"No, Spider-Woman…" the Lizard growled, baring a mouthful of fangs. "Before that… I'll tear you apart!"
With a violent motion, it spread its sharp claws and shredded the webbing binding its foot.
The moment it lunged, Gwen was already moving.
She appeared in front of it in the blink of an eye and delivered a powerful kick straight into its reptilian face.
The impact was brutal.
The Lizard was hurled against the alley wall, cracking the concrete on collision.
"Get out of here! Now!" Gwen shouted to the men behind her.
She assessed the situation in a heartbeat.
Unconscious civilians. Others frozen in terror.
"Damn it…"
Her gaze hardened.
"I can't fight here."
If the battle continued in that alley, Peter could use those people as hostages.
She had to draw him away.
"Hey, ugly monster!" she taunted loudly. "Didn't you say you're the next step in evolution? Then why did you go down so easily from a single kick?"
She smiled beneath her mask.
That would do it.
On a nearby rooftop, watching everything in silence, Arthur murmured:
"What are you planning to do, Gwen…?"
He could intervene—but he wouldn't.
She needed this.
If she didn't face real hardship, she would never truly evolve.
---xXx---
Fallen on the ground, the Lizard violently shook its head, trying to dispel the vertigo hammering inside its skull.
That kick had been brutal.
For a brief moment, its vision warped, the surrounding lights stretched unnaturally, and an irritated growl escaped its throat. If it were still human—if it still had that fragile, limited body—it would have passed out right then and there, unconscious on the cold concrete.
But now, things were different.
Its endurance was on another level.
With a low snarl, it dug its claws into the ground and pushed itself up, muscles flexing beneath its scaly hide. The impact had only fueled its rage.
Without warning, the Lizard charged at Gwen.
Its speed was terrifying—far beyond what a body of that size should have been capable of.
But Gwen wasn't fighting with her eyes alone.
She wouldn't rely on that.
Her Spider-Sense exploded in her mind the instant the Lizard attacked.
She moved at precisely the right moment.
— Thwip!
Webbing shot out, aiming to intercept the attack and wrapping around the Lizard's arm.
But this time—
— RIP!
With a sharp motion, the Lizard sliced through the webbing with its claws as if tearing paper.
Gwen's eyes widened for a split second—then she smiled beneath her mask.
Exactly what she wanted.
Taking advantage of the opening created by his charge, Gwen twisted her body and bolted toward the mouth of the alley, her feet barely touching the ground as she ran.
"Hey!" she taunted, glancing back over her shoulder. "Come get me, lizard!"
The Lizard roared.
It was impossible to ignore.
Gwen's taunts were sharp, perfectly crafted to stab at the inflated ego of that creature.
And so, it followed.
Gwen streaked through the city's alleys like a white blur—leaping over walls, sprinting along facades, firing webs from pole to pole. Behind her, the Lizard pursued with raw violence, smashing through anything in its path.
After several blocks, the buildings began to thin.
Concrete gave way to open asphalt, trees, and silence.
They reached an abandoned park.
Gwen slowed and landed lightly beneath a lone streetlamp, its yellow glow cutting through the darkness of the night. She turned slowly, watching as the Lizard emerged from the residential area, crossing the invisible boundary between city and open space.
"Good…" she murmured. "Now it's just you and me, Peter."
Without hesitation, she charged.
Gwen rushed forward and delivered a powerful blow to the Lizard's torso, forcing it back several steps. Before it could react, she fired multiple webs at once, binding its arms, legs, and tail.
Spinning with all her strength, she used its own momentum to whirl it through the air.
With a shout of effort, Gwen hurled it away, sending it rolling violently across the park ground until a thick cloud of dust rose.
Throughout the entire exchange, the Lizard never managed to touch her.
Gwen took a deep breath, maintaining her fighting stance.
"Alright, Peter…" she said firmly, without unnecessary aggression. "That's enough."
She stepped forward.
"Follow me peacefully. I don't want to seriously hurt you."
"Let's go to Dr. Connors…" she continued. "We'll find a way to undo this. To bring you back."
For a moment, silence reigned.
Then—
The dust began to stir.
The Lizard stood up with disturbing calm, shaking its body as dirt and leaves fell from its skin. When its face became visible under the streetlamp's light, a predatory smile stretched across it.
Its sharp teeth were fully bared.
"Your attack…" it began, its voice dripping with contempt. "Had no effect on me whatsoever."
"I already told you, Spider-Woman. I am the next step in evolution!"
Gwen felt her Spider-Sense flare anew.
"During our fight…" it continued, stepping forward. "I realized something."
"I understand now why you… and those people… tremble when they see me."
Its reptilian eyes gleamed.
"It's because I'm different from you."
"You fear what you don't understand."
It spread its arms, as if offering itself to the world.
"Because I'm different from humans, you call me a mutation."
Its voice rose.
"But no! I am an evolution!"
The Lizard pointed toward the sky, its claws reflecting the light.
"So if I make all of humanity evolve, you'll stop calling me a monster."
It laughed.
"You'll be just like me!"
The smile twisted into madness.
"And when that moment comes…" it roared, arms spread wide like a distorted messiah,
"I WILL BE THE GOD OF THIS NEW ERA!!"
---
(End of Chapter)
Maybe this is bothering some people, but since this arc is mainly focused on Gwen's clash with the lizard, the protagonist's appearances won't be many; however, he will still play an important role in the arc.