Chapter 17: Evolution or Madness?
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Just then, Gwen's voice came from behind.
"Help!"
Leo suddenly turned around and saw the situation.
Professor Lizard, realizing something was wrong, didn't want to get caught. He immediately grabbed several cars and threw them toward the river.
It should be noted that there were still people in these cars.
After throwing the vehicles, Professor Lizard immediately fled into the distance.
Facing such a scene, Gwen knew she had to save people first.
However, Professor Lizard had thrown quite a few vehicles. Gwen spent half a second judging the situation and immediately chose to call Leo for help.
Leo looked at the five cars about to fall from the bridge. Gwen had already started the rescue.
But her speed was ultimately limited, and she certainly couldn't save all five cars in time.
Leo ran, appearing by the bridge in an instant.
He immediately shot webs, grabbing the three furthest cars, while Gwen grabbed two cars, one in each hand.
"Not being able to fly is a hassle. Otherwise, I could just fly over and catch them all," Leo muttered.
Leo and Gwen worked together to rescue all the vehicles and the people inside them.
Passersby thanked them one after another, but Gwen wasn't very happy. She had failed to stop the villain.
George led his men forward, surrounding them. Professor Lizard had already run away, so they could only focus on Leo and Gwen.
Leo took Gwen's hand and, with a magic portal, they disappeared — reappearing in Gwen's room.
The suit had already turned back into a bracelet, and Gwen returned to normal.
However, her first mission had failed.
Gwen was not in a good mood. She hugged Leo, apologizing.
"I'm sorry. I didn't catch him. I let him get away."
"If I hadn't asked you for help, you probably could have caught him too."
"You said I was destined to be a superhero, but I messed up this mission."
Leo patted Gwen's back gently. "It's okay. You did very well. I believe you will do even better in the future."
"Even many superheroes who have gone through a lot don't always solve things in one go."
"They will encounter new enemies, unpredictable emergencies, and situations beyond their capabilities."
"You judged correctly. When you realized you couldn't save everyone, you called me for help."
"Moreover, defeating the monster isn't the only task. We need to save people and find the root of the problem."
Gwen's mood improved slightly. "Thank you for comforting me, Leo."
As the two chatted in the room, Gwen's mother, Helen, passed by and heard voices.
"Gwen, is there someone in your room? I think I heard you talking to someone."
Gwen was a little flustered and immediately came up with an explanation. "I'm on the phone with Leo."
"Oh, I'm so sorry for disturbing you two. Please continue your conversation," Helen said warmly.
Gwen tricked her mother, and her mood brightened considerably.
"Leo, can you stay?" Gwen asked.
"I can stay with you for a little while. Your father will be back soon, and I don't want him to find out."
"A little while is enough. Thank you, Leo."
---
Later that night, when Leo returned to Pepper's apartment, Pepper was already asleep, face down on the table.
It's safe to say that ever since taking over as CEO, Pepper's workaholic tendencies had been fully activated. Every day was just work, work, work.
Leo wouldn't stop Pepper from living the life she wanted, but he would also make sure she paid attention to rest.
He gently carried her to the bed and settled her in comfortably. Then he lay down nearby to rest.
When Pepper woke up and found Leo beside her, she was incredibly surprised.
"Leo, what are you doing here?"
"I told you I'd be back. I didn't expect you to fall asleep at the table."
Pepper could imagine what Leo had done — simply settled her in and then rested nearby.
"Thank you, Leo."
"Perhaps you could express your gratitude in a different way," Leo said with a teasing smile.
Pepper laughed. "We probably only have about half an hour, if you think that's enough time."
Leo grinned. "I'm so tempted to lock Tony up right now and give you a vacation."
Pepper said with a smile, "Please don't. If you take him away, I'll just be even busier."
After lying down for a little while longer, both of them had to get busy again.
Pepper still had to work, and Leo had to wash up and go to school.
Besides regular classes, there was another big mission today: dealing with Professor Lizard.
---
Arriving at school, Peter was already in the classroom early.
Peter had already learned about Professor Lizard's appearance last night.
"Leo, I want to talk to you," Peter said urgently.
Leo didn't refuse. The two of them found a secluded spot in the school and began to talk.
"Last night's Lizard Man — you and Gwen were dealing with him, right?" Peter asked.
"It was me and Gwen."
"I heard he escaped. Is there anything I can help with? Even though I haven't made my suit yet, I should still be able to do something."
Leo saw Peter's nervous expression and knew that Peter was already leaning toward becoming a superhero.
"There actually is something you can do," Leo said.
"What is it?"
"Go to Oscorp Tower, to Professor Connors's lab, and then report Professor Connors."
Peter was very smart and immediately realized what Leo meant.
"You mean, that Lizard Man is Professor Connors?"
Professor Connors had been researching gene therapy, with the main focus being the use of lizard genes to treat limb loss.
The simulation of this research had already been successful, and it had already been tested on a lab mouse.
According to proper procedures, at least the results from the lab mouse had to be observed before the next step of testing could proceed.
At the very least, under the current circumstances, human testing was impossible.
"I'll take a leave of absence and go to Oscorp Tower," Peter said.
"If it really is Professor Connors, I will persuade him and stop him from continuing to make mistakes."
Peter was already prepared. He skipped class directly and went to Oscorp Tower.
---
When he arrived at Professor Connors's lab in Oscorp Tower, the lab was empty.
Peter waited for Professor Connors in the lab but did not find him.
However, Peter also made a discovery.
"There are production records. Something was produced last night, and even earlier today, more gene therapy was produced."
Peter fell silent, unsure why Professor Connors would do this.
"Is it really a side effect of the gene therapy?"
"Why would Professor Connors inject himself with the serum? Is it because of his missing arm?"
"But why not wait for the lab mouse results? Why not follow the normal procedure?"
"Lab mouse. That's right — the lab mouse."
Peter went to the lab mouse cage, preparing to observe it.
He unexpectedly found that the container holding the lab mouse had been damaged, and the two lab mice had disappeared.
Suddenly, Peter heard a faint sound.
Peter followed the sound and saw in the corner that the lab mouse injected with the gene therapy had already mutated into a monstrous creature.
And the other ordinary lab mouse had become food.
Peter knew that things were not good.
Last night's Lizard Man must have been Professor Connors.
Without hesitation, Peter quickly dealt with the mutated mouse to prevent its escape.
On the other side, he hastily chose to report it to the police.
"I want to report something. I've found a clue about last night's Lizard Man."
Peter didn't know how things had turned out this way, but what he needed to do now was definitely to stop Professor Connors.
---
George received the report and immediately rushed to Oscorp Tower with his men.
The staff at Oscorp were still wondering what was happening when they were surrounded by police.
Nels, Norman Osborn's assistant, hastily tried to stop them. "You have no right to search."
"In fact, we do have the right. We received a report that the Lizard Man who appeared last night is connected to your company."
"Impossible. Who reported it?" Nels demanded.
Peter stepped forward. "I reported it."
"I am Professor Connors's assistant. We are researching gene therapy together. Simply put, it's using lizard genes to treat human limb loss."
"We have already conducted preliminary tests with lab mice."
"What happened last night made me very uneasy. I planned to come this morning to ask Professor Connors about the Lizard Man."
"But I didn't find Professor Connors. Instead, I discovered that the lab mouse injected with the gene therapy had mutated and carried lizard genes."
George understood. "You mean, he injected himself with the unfinished gene therapy, and that's why he turned into the Lizard Man?"
"That should be it," Peter confirmed.
George immediately ordered, "Lock down the lab."
Nels couldn't stop them. Fortunately, Professor Connors's research still had backups stored elsewhere.
Peter immediately reminded them, "Professor Connors made several more gene therapies earlier today. Perhaps he will continue to inject himself."
"This could make him stronger, and at the same time, it might make him lose his sanity."
George said confidently, "I know what to do, kid."
"Perhaps I can create an antidote to help him return to normal. I believe his nature is kind," Peter said.
George was a bit impatient. "Kid, do you know what he did last night? He caused significant damage and nearly led to numerous casualties."
"He's no longer the Professor you know. He's perhaps more like a lizard."
George and his men sealed off the lab and also went to search Professor Connors's villa.
Nels directly kicked Peter out of the Tower, then hastily informed Norman Osborn of what had happened.
---
Peter wasn't idle either. He immediately called Leo.
"Leo, you were right. That lizard monster must be Professor Connors."
"However, he made several gene therapies, and they are now missing."
"I plan to make an antidote to treat Professor Connors. But I can't get into the lab now."
Leo knew this was Spider-Man — always wanting to save everyone, even if they were villains.
So he advised, "No rush. There's still some time. We can discuss a strategy together."
---
Underground in the city, Connors held the prepared gene therapy, ready to continue injecting himself.
But very quickly, Connors received news that he had already been reported.
"Foolish humans. I am smarter, stronger. I am the direction of evolution. I am the future!"
"That's right. I can help humanity complete its evolution!"
"No one can stop me. No one!"
Connors was engulfed in madness, preparing to turn everyone in the city into Lizard People.
For this, Connors came up with a plan.
There was a machine in Oscorp Tower.
Through this machine, he could spread the serum throughout the city, turning everyone into Lizard People.
Thinking of this, Connors immediately began to act.
He continued to create the genetic serum and prepared to inject himself again, to make himself stronger.
---
Meanwhile, Leo, Gwen, and Peter were having coffee at a cafe, briefly discussing how to deal with the situation.
In reality, Leo already knew the plot's direction and had made a plan.
"Professor Lizard Connors will next plan to create a serum and use the machine in Oscorp Tower to launch the genetic serum, spreading it throughout the city."
"At that time, everyone in the city will turn into Lizard People."
"Perhaps tonight, perhaps tomorrow night. That day won't be too far off."
"So, we need to be ready for battle these next few nights."
Peter was stunned. "What? Leo, how do you know?"
"My superpower occasionally allows me to foresee some future events."
Gwen didn't ask about his ability. Instead, she inquired about the upcoming battle plan. "So, what should we do?"
"Peter hasn't finished making his battle suit yet, so it's not convenient for him to fight directly."
"Gwen, find an opportunity to enter Oscorp Tower and create an antidote."
"As for the fighting, leave it to me."
"This time, I'll directly capture him and then use the antidote to help him recover."
Peter said, "Oh, there should be a formula in the computer, in the XX folder."
After receiving the information, Gwen immediately said, "I understand."
Peter now only regretted that he hadn't finished making his battle suit and couldn't participate in the fight.
Otherwise, he could have helped more.
However, he still had great faith in Leo's abilities.
---
Night fell.
Peter listened to the radio at home, waiting intently for news.
Gwen was at home, ready to act at any moment.
Leo found an opportunity to contact Chief George, Gwen's father.
"Hello, this is George."
"Hello there, Chief George. I am that last night superhero."
George immediately tensed up. "Is there something you need?"
"I've found some clues about Professor Lizard. He plans to create more serum to turn normal people into Lizard monsters."
"And in this plan, there's a crucial tool: a machine in Oscorp Tower."
"This machine can launch the genetic serum into the air, scattering it throughout the city."
George didn't act immediately. "How can you prove what you're saying?"
"Are you going to wait until your family all turn into lizards?"
"I'm not sure when he'll attack Oscorp Tower, but you should at least send people to strengthen patrols."
"Also, it's best to have your people equipped with gas masks to avoid inhaling the serum and turning into Lizard monsters."
George heard Leo's reminder and knew it was time to act.
"If they turn into Lizard monsters, can they turn back?"
"If we can create an antidote, theoretically, yes. But I don't think anyone would want to experience becoming a lizard, would they?"
"I will arrange for personnel to patrol and strengthen security."
George could only trust Leo and arranged for personnel to patrol.
If Professor Lizard really appeared, having people nearby would allow them to evacuate the public immediately.
George's subordinates couldn't understand why they needed to strengthen patrols in the streets near Oscorp Tower.
But it was an order, so they could only comply.
---
In a certain neighborhood, a few of George's subordinates had just finished patrolling the vicinity.
They parked their vehicle by the side of the road, preparing to have a cup of coffee.
The few men chatted while drinking.
"I really don't know what the boss is thinking. How could Professor Lizard appear here?"
"If he doesn't appear here, where would he appear?"
"Maybe a dumpster. Lizards probably like to eat garbage, right?"
"I don't know. Maybe."
Suddenly, Professor Lizard emerged from a nearby sewer.
He then began to run wildly through the streets, heading for Oscorp Tower.
Unbeknownst to him, the area around Oscorp Tower had been secured by George.
As soon as Professor Lizard appeared, he caused panic among nearby pedestrians.
The few men still drinking coffee realized something was wrong and quickly drove over to investigate.
"This is Team C. There's an anomaly near our position. Pedestrians are fleeing in fright. We are heading to investigate the situation."
"Received!"
George received the information, immediately checked the map, and then mobilized personnel to further encircle and intercept.
"Target is in Sector C, moving toward Oscorp Tower."
"Evacuate civilians. Surround him!"
Leo heard the commotion nearby and immediately acted.
First, he brought Gwen over through a portal so she could make the antidote.
Next, it was naturally Leo's turn to deal with Professor Lizard.
George's subordinates also tried their best to stop Professor Lizard, but the current Professor Lizard had already transformed into his complete form.
Unless an antidote was used, he would remain in his Lizard form forever.
Professor Lizard in his complete form was not afraid of bullets. He allowed them to hit him.
It certainly hurt a bit, but he wouldn't be injured.
Professor Lizard looked at the fully armed law enforcers and knew that the serum couldn't infect them through their gas masks, so he could only choose other targets — preparing to infect pedestrians.
Or he would find a way to destroy the respirators of these law enforcers and then use the serum.
He feigned exhaustion, waiting for the law enforcers to approach.
Professor Lizard suddenly erupted, destroying several respirators with a sweep of his tail.
The serum vials shattered, and the gaseous serum quickly spread.
Those who inhaled the serum immediately felt unwell and began to mutate.
Leo descended from the sky at this moment, blocking Professor Lizard's path.
Professor Lizard looked at the appearing Leo, not taking him seriously at all.
Last time, he had defeated Gwen with his strength.
In his opinion, Leo and Gwen were similar, and their strength should also be comparable.
"You cannot stop me. I am stronger and smarter than last time."
"I represent evolution. I represent the future of humanity."
Leo scoffed. "Turning into a lizard — you tell me this is evolution?"
"Stronger, smarter, longer-lived — this is evolution."
Leo sneered. "So, let me see your evolved power!"
Professor Lizard was thoroughly enraged and immediately lunged at Leo.
George, watching from afar, saw Leo standing still as Professor Lizard pounced, and he immediately panicked.
"He wouldn't turn into a Lizard monster too, would he?"
George couldn't imagine how strong Leo would become if he also turned into a Lizard monster.
However, the scene George imagined did not occur.
Professor Lizard's arm was easily caught by Leo, who then slammed him to the ground with tremendous force. The pavement cracked beneath the impact.
Finally, Leo placed a foot on Professor Lizard's body.
"Is this your so-called evolution?"
"Pathetic!"
Leo easily subdued Professor Lizard.
In front of Leo's strength, Professor Lizard seemed completely outmatched.
No matter how he struggled, he couldn't break free.
Not only that, but Leo also used his webs to bind Professor Lizard's hands tightly.
Next, they just had to wait for Gwen to finish making the antidote.
George cautiously approached. "You caught him?"
"Quite obviously, yes."
George looked at the monster. "What should we do next? I don't think an ordinary police van can hold him."
"Don't worry. My friend went to make an antidote. It will take some time."
"Once the antidote is used, both he and your subordinates will be cured and turn back into ordinary people."
George finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had dealt with a monster like Professor Lizard, and Leo was right — such a monster was beyond their capabilities.
He could only trust Leo now.
Not long after, Gwen swung over with the antidote using her web. Noticing George nearby, she became a bit nervous.
She came before Leo, deliberately disguising her voice. "I've finished the antidote."
"Treat them," Leo said.
"Okay."
Leo and Gwen split up, and soon, Professor Lizard and the infected police officers were all cured.
Professor Lizard returned to normal, and Leo had a brief chat with Professor Connors.
"Professor Connors, do you really think that using this serum to turn into a lizard is evolution?"
"Humanity will eventually evolve, but this requires a process."
"What you're doing will only lead humanity astray."
Professor Connors found it hard to believe. He had become incredibly powerful.
But in front of Leo, he was completely vulnerable.
Leo's power was unfathomable.
It was as if, as if he were a god.
"You... are you really human? How can you be so strong?"
"Of course I'm human. I just took the path of evolution a step ahead. Humans need thousands of years of evolutionary process. I only need a few years."
Professor Connors couldn't imagine that such a person existed in the world.
However, this no longer concerned him.
He had already been taken away by George's men.
However, with George's capabilities, he definitely wouldn't be able to keep Professor Connors for long.
S.H.I.E.L.D. would surely intervene and take Connors away.
Even if it wasn't S.H.I.E.L.D., there would be other forces interested.
In this country, there's no shortage of such organizations.
For example, General Ross researched a serum, which resulted in the Hulk.
For example, Stryker, who specialized in capturing Mutants for research.
Who Connors would ultimately fall into the hands of, and what his final outcome would be, was still unknown.
Perhaps he might reappear one day.
Leo, seizing the moment when George and the others weren't paying attention, disappeared from the scene with Gwen using his magic portal.
Gwen was very excited, "So, our mission is complete?"
"It's considered complete, but no one knows what will happen next."
"Professor Connors definitely won't be locked up in prison; perhaps he'll be taken away by some force to continue his research or something similar."
Gwen was a little disbelieving, "That's impossible, right?"
"You still underestimate the greed and ambition of these people. I can tell you, ever since Captain was born, many forces are still trying to replicate Captain's super serum."
Gwen knew what this meant; it meant that more and more super-powered individuals would appear.
Once these super-powered individuals lost control, it would be a major disaster.
"Oh, that's really bad."
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