Chapter 72: Scales of Torment

Chapter 72: Scales of Torment

Autumn had arrived in the East with blistering cold winds and massive amounts of rain. At this point, it was a stormy night, the kind of night that lent itself to absolute insanity and horror.

Inside, Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy sat on the floor of Peter's house, alone, given that Peter's Aunt May was still out and likely had been hastened from her trips because of the storm outdoors. The two teens were sitting back and relaxed the couch, an empty pizza box and sodas lying right beside them.

"Bad night out tonight, isn't it?" asked Peter.

"Well, it's not too bad, being right here and all," said Gwen, as she snuggled up against Peter. It was a nice night, for once actually being teenagers/young adults, not having to worry about the specter of anything involving Peter's other identity.

"The best," agreed Peter. Things had rather slowed down over the past month or so, sure you had a mugger or two, the odd scuffle with some loud mouthed Friends of Humanity Protestors, but really all and all it was great.

"You've got some cheese, you know," said Gwen

"Hmmm, Gwen," said Peter.

"From the pizza, on your nose, right there," said Gwen as she tapped Peter right on the cheek. "Here let me get that."

Gwen used her finger to swipe the little bit of cheese and she licked the cheese right off of her finger.

"You know, it gives it a bit of a better taste actually," said Gwen with a smile.

"Gwen, you're being cheesy," said Peter.

"Saying something that is cheesy is the epitome of cheese, Pete," said Gwen as she calmly stood over him.

"Oh is it?" asked Peter.

"Yeah, it is," replied Gwen, as she grabbed Peter, and he allowed her to playfully pin him to the floor. Although to be fair, his girlfriend was deceptively strong, given that she kept herself in good shape. "Are you sure?"

"I don't know, perhaps you're going to have to give me a convincing argument," said Peter, which caused Gwen to giggle.

"You did ask for it," said Gwen, as she kissed Peter as he was pinned down. "How about now?"

"Not quite sure," said Peter and Gwen leaned in with a deeper kiss, which left Peter in a slight daze. "Yeah, maybe, but I'm still not convinced."

"Boy, you're a stubborn one," said Gwen. "I might have to use more effective means of um persuasion."

Their fun was interrupted by a loud thump right outside of Peter's door, and someone knocking which caused them to both be startled.

Both Gwen and Peter remained rigid and stood right up, as Peter took a tentative step right towards the door.

"Hello?" asked Peter.

"Help me, someone help me," rasped a voice from outside of the house.

"Should I?" asked Peter.

"I guess you better," said Gwen, but she braced herself for what might come right through that door and Peter opened it. Gwen startled as a very familiar face just dropped down right on the floor. "Peter...that's...Doctor Connors."

Sure enough Doctor Curt Connors was currently lying on the floor, looking rather disheveled and rather mentally not all there.

"Connors dropped off the grid after the incident where he turned to the Lizard, no one has really heard from him since, he's gone into hiding," thought Peter. "And now he turns up right at my door step? Well what are the chances of that happen? For anyone else, unlikely. For me, pretty good actually."

"Please, help me, he's after me, he's after me," rasped Doctor Connors, as Gwen helped Peter pull Connors over to the couch.

"Doctor Connors, this is Peter, Peter Parker, who's after you?" asked Peter.

"Peter, Parker, thank God, I got to the right house, you've got to help me, he's after me," rasped Connors. "The Lizard."

"The Lizard?" questioned Gwen who seem thrown off just slightly by this sudden bit of information but rebounded quickly. "Weren't you...no offense, the Lizard before."

"Yes, and I might be again, I don't know, the antidote, might have failed," managed Doctor Connors as he was handed a glass of water. "Thank you."

"Take a deep breath Doctor Connors, and start slowly," said Peter patiently.

"It started three nights ago, I was working at my lab, I must have dozed off or I thought I did, and then I woke up, in the park, like this," said Connors. "I heard of people whispering, about this beast, that looked like a giant lizard, and my worst fear came true, he's back. He's a part of me. I came to you Peter, because I know if anyone can help me find out the truth, it could be you."

"Take it easy, Doctor Connors, we'll help you, Gwen and I both, trust me," said Peter.

"Yeah, we will," agreed Gwen.

"If I've turned into the monster again, I don't know what," said Doctor Connors in a raspy voice. "I'll take you to my lab, the storm's calming down, we should be able to drive."

"In your condition, no Doctor Connors," said Gwen. "I'll take us, it will be no problem, not all."

"Thank you, and if I've become this thing again...you need to call people, to lock me up," said Connors. "Or if you can't...we're going to have to deal with the situation."

"Not until we know for sure," said Peter as Connors managed to get to his feet.

"How can you be not for sure, Pete, it seems obvious," whispered Gwen so Connors couldn't hear.

"Yeah, too obvious, stop and think about it," said Peter to Gwen who nodded in understanding. "But if it's him..."

"We'll deal with it," said Gwen.

X-X-X-X-X

"Forgive the mess," said Doctor Connors in an apologetic voice, as his legs began to buckle slightly but he stood himself right on his feet, as Peter and Gwen followed him. "After the Lizard, I destroyed all of my notes with the formula, my research, not to have it fall into the wrong hands but now it's back to haunt me."

"It'd really help if we have a sample of your blood and a sample of the formula, to see if their are any similarities," said Peter and Connors frowned.

"I do have the formula right in the only place I feel safe with it," said Connors as he tapped the top of his head. "But the Lizard formula must be disposed of once you're done conducting your experiment."

"We understand, Doctor Connors," said Gwen.

"Yeah we don't need any would be mad scientist getting his hands on the lizard formula and making an entire army of them," said Peter and Connors winced. "We'll get to the bottom of this, maybe there is another explanation?"

"Your optimism is welcomed Peter, but there is only one explanation, the monster is still alive and could come out any time, which means we need to conduct this experiment now," said Connors, as he prepared to get together all of the chemicals. "If the Lizard is alive, we need to put him down, once and for all."

Gwen and Peter shared an uncomfortable look but nodded, as they assisted Doctor Connors.

"My intern isn't here tonight, makes things much easier if there are less witnesses," said Connors. "Good kid, doesn't talk that much, but the company is appreciated. Haven't had much time for socializing, but that's for the best."

"What about your family, Doctor Connors?" asked Peter and Connors suddenly was uncomfortable. "Sorry."

"No, Peter, you couldn't have known," said Connors. "After the Lizard, I filed for a divorce, my wife tried to talk to me out of it, said we could get through this, that I wasn't a monster, but I couldn't risk it happen again. If Spider-Man wasn't there...my son, Billy...I can't even bear to think what happened, I was this close. My son doesn't deserve to have a father that nearly maims him when he turns into a ravenous beast."

"You shut yourself off from your family," said Gwen. "That's really not fair to them."

"It wasn't fair to them that I was foolish enough to use an untested serum on myself," said Connors. "It wasn't fair that I came close, too close, to killing them, maiming them. They told me the same things, everyone did but it's just better this way."

Connors took a deep breath. He feared that if he lost himself too much, he might turn into the Lizard right there.

"Just, I appreciate your help, with this, but we need to focus on the experiment," said Connors and there was no further mention of the uncomfortable turn that the life of Doctor Curt Connors had taken and the shattered relationship with his wife and son. "I should have the formula created in a moment, and then you can test it and if worse comes to worse...I know what I have to do."

Perhaps it was Peter's imagination, but he saw Connors eye a filing cabinet right beside him.

After a few moments, the formula was created and Connors extracted a sample of his blood.

"We'll know in a moment what the truth is," said Connors as he braced himself the worst.

"Right, let's see what we got here," said Gwen as she and Peter took a look, with Connors looking. "This is a bit beyond our studies, but you have trace amounts of the formula in your blood stream."

"He does, but not enough to force a transformation and the trace elements are weak, only matching the formula to the most base level," continued Peter. "Gwen, Doctor Connors, do you see what I see?"

"What is it?" asked Gwen curiously.

"Perhaps it's just me, but it appears that someone is drugging you, Doctor Connors," said Peter and Connors looked forward.

"It might be," said Connors who seemed relieved that the Lizard did not rear his ugly head. "But if I didn't do it, the attacks, and everything, how could this be possible?"

"Someone wanted to make you think it was possible," said Peter. "You mentioned someone about an intern..."

"What Carlos?" asked Doctor Connors. "I told you, he's a quiet kid, really doesn't say much, he has a scientific curiosity however, in fact, he's right outside of my office door right now."

A young man, who appeared to be maybe a couple of years older than Peter and Gwen knocked on the door.

"Doctor Connors, are you in here, I think I left my wallet in here," said Carlos as Connors walked over, to let him inside.

"Of course, Carlos, this is Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy, they're helping me with something, an experiment," said Doctor Connors.

"Does it involve Lizard DNA?" asked Carlos, a hungry look appearing in his eye.

"Yes...but how did you know?" asked Doctor Connors, but Peter rounded about Carlos.

"Yeah, how would you know?" asked Peter suddenly.

"I know many things, Mr. Parker," said Carlos as his vaguely hispanic accent switched into a Russian accent, when suddenly the spider sense went off but immediately, Gwen, Peter, and Doctor Connors felt light headed.

"Gas," gasped Peter.

"Of course," said "Carlos" who carefully picked up the vial and held it in his hand, as he turned, to revert into a more natural form.

The Chameleon looked down at the three unconscious figures on the floor, satisfied with his results, as he walked off, with the Lizard formula in his hand.

X-X-X-X-X

"Gwen?" muttered Peter what seemed to him to be moments later. He struggled to get back to his feet.

"What happened?" slurred Gwen as she came back to her senses.

"The Chameleon happened," managed Peter. "He posed as the intern, and he wanted the Lizard formula, he drugged Doctor Connors and made him think that he was reverting back into the Lizard."

"But what about the attack?" asked Gwen. "Unless Chameleon made it only look like the Lizard attacked or something."

"Maybe," suggested Peter, who was still trying to piece that little bit together. "Connors is still out, he got the worst of it. I've got to find the Chameleon, whatever he's using that formula for, it can't be good."

"How can you find him when he can take on any face?" asked Gwen.

"He couldn't have gone far," said Peter swiftly. "Look after Doctor Connors, I have a couple of ideas where Chameleon might be holed up."

"And if my hunch is right, I've got to move quickly, because he won't be holed up there for long," thought Peter.

X-X-X-X-X

The Chameleon looked at the formula in his hand, impressed.

"Weeks I had waited, posing as some meek intern," said Chameleon to himself. "When Sergei told me the tale of the giant lizard creature he hunted, I was skeptical but at the same time fascinated. Connors was a fool trying to bury the formula. Now I have in my hands something that many will pay a great sum for. HYDRA, AIM, Doctor Doom, or anyone else, I have in my hands the formula to create dangerous lizard creatures, which they can control."

"You know, talking out loud when no one else is there, may be a sign of insanity," said a voice, and Spider-Man hung upside down right above the Chameleon.

"Spider-Man, but how?" asked Chameleon as Spider-Man dove down. "No matter, I will deal with you once and for all."

Spider-Man dodged the attack of the Chameleon but turned around, right into a palm thrust and was flipped right onto his back, as Chameleon pulled out a knife and dove but Spider-Man blocked it with his feet and kicked Chameleon back.

"Stay sharp Spidey, this guy's been at large for over fifty years, he's got the experience, the skills, the genetic enhancements, SHIELD couldn't even hold him," thought Spider-Man as he webbed a dagger and propelled it right back down from the Chameleon.

Spider-Man shot a line of webbing but Chameleon dodged at the speed and ended up right behind Spider-Man and smashed his fist right in his back staggering the web slinger.

"You have improved since our last battle, Spider-Man," said Chameleon, as Spider-Man swept the legs out from underneath the Chameleon but Chameleon kipped up and began firing a laser blaster. "But you can't hope to win."

"No, no matter what, I'm not giving up," replied Spider-Man as he continued to circle Chameleon as the two continued their battle. Spider-Man felt slightly winded but the Chameleon looked to be just getting warmed up, so Spider-Man pushed himself forward.

The two foes attempted to punch each other but Chameleon nailed Spider-Man with a clubbing blow right to the back of the head. Spider-Man landed right to the ground and Chameleon pulled out a gun, as he pointed it right at Spider-Man's hand, but in a flash, the web slinger kicked the gun right into the air before he managed to pull the trigger.

Kick dodged, punch blocked and Spider-Man rolled out of the way of a knife that was aimed right between his ribs. With a swift movement, Chameleon slid underneath a table.

"It seems we have reached a stalemate," said Chameleon but Spider-Man landed right on the table, but as he did, Chameleon dodged down and grabbed his ankles, before he slammed Spider-Man and wrapped one hand around his throat, to choke the air out of him. "Let's see what you look like under that mask."

Spider-Man struggled, against the grip. He could either save his mask and get choked out, unmasked and executed anyway, or block the choke. With all of his strength, Spider-Man knocked Chameleon off, as his mask tore off right in the Chameleon's hand.

Immediately, Spider-Man ducked underneath the table.

"Now, don't be rude, face to face, Spider-Man," said Chameleon, as he managed to kick Spider-Man in the ribs, to take advantage, as grabbed his hands, before roughly prying them off, despite Spider-Man's best struggles.

Spider-Man kicked off and landed, but Chameleon braced himself, before he bounced back off and stood face to face with Peter Parker.

"This can't be happening," thought Peter as he felt a chill, his breathing hitched as one of his most deadly enemies stared in his face, in recognition. "No, no, please wake up, I'm going to wake up...I'm not going to wake up, am I?"

"I should have known," said Chameleon with a chuckle. "Peter Parker is Spider-Man."

"So I guess the game's up," said Peter as he pulled himself right above his enemy, and kicked him right in the side of the head a little bit more forcefully than he would normally. "You know my identity."

"What are you going to do, kill me?" taunted Chameleon as he flipped Peter right onto his stomach and placed a knife right to the back of his neck. "No, I know you, hero, you would never do something like that. Even if you had no choice. But don't worry yourself, I won't tell a soul. Unless the price is right. The Lizard Formula was an admirable bonus but I have gotten a treasure that many of your enemies would sign over every dollar of their bank account. The secret identity of Spider-Man."

Peter pushed off and pulled Chameleon's knife out of his hand, before he punched him right in the face. Chameleon staggered and a tooth loosened but he shrugged it off, before he nailed Peter right in the chest and threw himself right into the air, where he reached right into a briefcase underneath the table and pulled the pin from a grenade.

Chameleon threw the grenade into the air but Peter webbed around and threw it up into the air. A loud explosion echoed and the room caved in, to bury both in debris.

A few seconds later, Peter Parker pulled himself out of the rubble, as he picked up the Spider-Man mask that laid to the side of the room.

X-X-X-X-X

Back in the Lab, Gwen sat, as she waited. It had been a couple of hours when Peter had chased off after the Chameleon and the Doctor Connors was in his lab, sleeping off the stress, but rather relieved that he was not the Lizard.

A click of the door had brought Gwen out of her thoughts and the door swung open, to reveal Peter walking in.

"Peter!" shouted Gwen in relief.

"The Chameleon got away," said Peter in a grim voice, and Gwen looked at him, taken off guard, but Peter turned his head. "It's not here...he must have taken it before...its gone."

Peter stepped forward and looked at Gwen.

"Where's Connors?" asked Peter roughly. "I need to talk to him, now."

"In his office," said Gwen with a frown, as she looked at Peter. The way he was talking, his walk, his movements, it was all off, it was all wrong.

It was not him. She could tell.

Gwen reached on the side of the table, seeing a spray can, some kind of cleaner or maybe mace or bug spray, she couldn't really tell, as Peter walked over to the door.

"Peter, there's one more thing I need to tell you about Connors," said Gwen in a slightly frantic voice.

"What?" snapped "Peter" as he spun around and got sprayed right in the eyes by Gwen. "HOW DARE YOU?"

Gwen dodged as "Peter" tried to hit her but he was blinded. She could tell by the Russian accent that her hunch was right. She was kind of glad, even though she felt she should have been able to easily tell her boyfriend from an imposter after all they've been through.

"What kind of idiot do you think I am, thinking that I wouldn't recognize you?" asked Gwen, but she made her way to the exit. She knew her limits.

"The kind of idiot who is going to be dead," said The Chameleon, as he wiped his eyes. One was all red and blotchy but he could see, recognizing this girl as one of the two had had meddled in his plan to frame and kidnap Peter Parker all those months ago. "My enhancements will repair this damage in time but nothing will repair the damage I do to."

Before the Chameleon could go after further, Spider-Man, covered in dirt and pieces of rocks, swung in through the window, with a worn battered mask, kicked Chameleon right in the face and sent him flying right into the back of the table.

"Spare mask, never leave home without it," thought Spider-Man. "And I just kind of kicked myself in the face."

"So you're not buried alive," said Chameleon, who still wore the face of Peter Parker. "Give me the Lizard Formula."

"What this?' asked Spider-Man, as he held the dusty vial. "Then you give me back my face, you're getting it ugly!"

It was quite the surreal sight to see Peter Parker and Spider-Man circling each other for battle. Chameleon pulled out a knife and faced Spider-Man.

"Just how many knives does this guy have?" thought Spider-Man as he dodged that attack, taking care to keep the Chameleon away from Gwen so she could not be used as a hostage.

"I'll cut that insolent tongue out of you," said Chameleon as he held the knife and dove.

"Please, I like my insolent tongue," retorted Spider-Man as he disarmed the Chameleon. "Just how many times I am going to have to take your toys away from you?"

Chameleon kicked Spider-Man and grabbed the vial, before he made his way towards the open window.

"I have what I want," said Chameleon, as he climbed right out of the window and dropped out with the formula.

"Are you okay?" asked Gwen as Spider-Man shook his head.

"Other than the fact that knows my identity and now has a really dangerous formula, fine, but I can still get him," said Spider-Man as he swung out the window.

Gwen decided to take a peak right at Doctor Connors and opened his office door but her eyes widened slightly, when he was gone and a large hole right right in the back of his office, with very lizard like foot prints right in the mud in the rain.

"Oh shit," cursed Gwen, realizing their calculations with how Connors would be unable to turn into the Lizard might be off.

X-X-X-X-X

Finding the Chameleon in the middle of a rain storm was rather hard to do but Spider-Man had to try. He turned out and saw a crowd of people who had questioned their sanity of going out in the rain during such a storm.

"If he reaches the subway station, I'll never catch him," thought Spider-Man as he looked down.

He suddenly turned to a smiling and innocent looking little girl, and immediately, Spider-Man turned around and punched the little girl right in the face and knocked her backwards.

"You'll pay for that web slinger," said the little girl in a Russian accent, but she turned back into the Chameleon and began to blast at Spider-Man with his weapon but Spider-Man dodged the attacks.

"A little strapped for cash, mind if I use plastic," quipped Spider-Man as he swung upwards, and the battle continued into the subway station but a loud bestial and rather familiar growl was heard.

"Oh no," thought Spider-Man, as he braced himself.

The Lizard jumped right out and knocked the Chameleon backwards, before he swung its tail and knocked Spider-Man into the wall.

"You!" growled the Lizard as he sent spit everywhere and jumped up, and tried to snap Spider-Man's head off. Thankfully the wall crawler avoided it. "Die!"

Chameleon got right back up to his feet and Lizard also tried to lunge out at him, as Spider-Man caught his breath, before Chameleon dodged the Lizard but once again Chameleon removed a tranquilizer gun and shot the Lizard. That merely slowed the beast down.

"Remarkable," muttered Chameleon. "Excuse me, Spider-Man for cutting this short, but I have to catch a train."

"Oh know you don't," said Spider-Man as Chameleon held onto the side of the train but Spider-Man webbed into the back of it before he flipped himself up and knocked Chameleon right off into the side.

The Lizard jumped right back up, and knocked both Spider-Man and Chameleon down.

"Doctor Connors listen to me, I know you're in there somewhere," said Spider-Man.

"No Connors!" growled the Lizard, as he grabbed Spider-Man and tried to tear him in half. "ONLY ME!"

"Snap out of it!" yelled Spider-Man as he kicked off and knocked the Lizard back, before he webbed his hands together but the Lizard tore through the webbing like it was tissue paper.

Chameleon smirked as he held his gun.

"Good bye," said Chameleon as he pulled the trigger and blasted the ceiling right from on top of Spider-Man and Lizard, but Lizard jumped right into the air and knocked Chameleon back, to send the vial flying out of his hand.

Chameleon watched in horror as the vial slid right behind a wall, right beneath the subway station, lost forever. The Lizard turned and suddenly slowly shook something off, giving a pained growl. Two forces tugged at his mind.

Spider-Man found himself laying on the ground, ankle trapped under a large piece of debris. Fatigued from the battle he tried to push it off. His shoulder was slightly sore from the fight and with one arm, he was only half as successful.

"No," thought Spider-Man as he heard an incoming train. "Come on, you only have a few seconds, you've lifted worse."

The Lizard sprung out right over Spider-Man and Spider-Man looked on in horror, but the Lizard lifted the debris off of Spider-Man's ankle and threw him safely away. A look of internal struggle appeared on his face.

"Tell my family that I love them," said the Lizard, sounding mostly like Curt Connors.

"Doctor Connors, no!" shouted Spider-Man as he the subway train had smashed right into the Lizard. Spider-Man could not see what exactly happened, it had happened so fast. He felt numb with shock. "I can't believe...this is...no."

The Lizard was gone. And so was Curt Connors.

X-X-X-X-X

"Connors said that if the Lizard did come back, he would have to be dealt with," said Peter somberly the next day, as he stood outside of the subway station, where he had fought the Lizard and the Chameleon. The Chameleon had disappeared into the night, which Peter gave up the ghost. "And he lived up to his promise...I just wish we would have done something. I thought he was safe."

"Peter, this isn't..." stated Gwen but she trailed off, wrapping her arms around Peter, slightly leaning towards him. "Both of us did kind of mess up by misreading the formula. Is there any chance that he might still be..."

"A small one but it's obvious that he intended to take down the Lizard for all," said Peter. "No body has been found, lizard or human. But he got hit hard by that train. Just like he intended to, I think"

Peter sighed as he looked right down.

"I don't know, I'm not sure we'll ever known," sighed Peter. Last night had started so nice but by the next morning, everything had turned grim. "But...in all of this, the Chameleon he knows who I am."

There was a rather uncomfortable and somber moment right there.

"What are you going to do?" asked Gwen.

"I don't know, what can I do?" asked Peter frustrated. "He did say that he'll hang onto that secret, until the price is right. So I don't know when that will happen."

"But I can't feel sorry for myself at least not right now, Doctor Connors, he was a good man, who made one mistake that haunted him, and he couldn't handle it, but in the end, he saved my life, to the cost of his," thought Peter. "Some people just don't get a happy ending."

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