Chapter 15: Insanity Eyes Part 3
It was past 9 p.m.
The sky was dark.
Tonight, the clouds were thick, and not even the moon could be seen.
I was heading toward the district where Mr. Connors—no, where a Lizard sighting had been reported.
That area… it was near Oscorp.
Swinging from building to building, I raced across nighttime New York.
The sound of slicing through the air and the cold night wind battered my body.
Soon, the Oscorp building came into view.
A massive building.
So massive it stood out starkly from the rest of the skyline.
…This has to be the Lizard’s destination.
I ran along the wall of Oscorp and took position on the rooftop.
The Lizard had been spotted around this area.
He was running as if obsessed with something, completely ignoring the police.
And ahead of him was this direction—the one where the Oscorp building stood.
“…He’s here.”
I ran across the rooftops and spotted the Lizard leaping from building to building.
I jumped down from one building, slowed my fall with my web, and landed right in front of him.
…Ugh, my legs are numb. That pose Stark always does… he really does use one hand to absorb the impact, huh…
The Lizard let out a startled growl and glared at me.
『Spider-Man… Are you here to get in my way?』
He sounded—and looked—even less human than when I saw him at school.
He was over two meters tall now… bigger than before.
…Did he increase the dosage of the enhancement serum?
He’s slipping further and further from humanity.
“I don’t know what you’re planning, but I can tell you one thing—it’s not happening.”
『And why not?』
“Because I’m going to stop you.”
I fired my web and grabbed his right arm.
I tried to pull him toward me.
『Ugaaah!』
“…Huh?”
I got pulled instead.
BOOM!
With a heavy impact, I was slammed to the ground.
He’s way stronger than I imagined!
“Take this!”
『Useless!!』
The Lizard yanked the web again, and I was lifted into the air.
He spun his arm, wrapped the web around it, and dragged me straight toward him!
『Gya ha ha! Let’s have ourselves a deathmatch!!』
I dodged the Lizard’s fist at the very last second.
That was close!
If not for my Spider-Sense, there’s no way I could’ve avoided that.
I spun into a roundhouse kick and slammed it into the Lizard’s face.
『Did a fly just land on me?』
Completely unfazed.
『Shah! Shaah! Shaaaa!!』
A right straight, left hook, sweeping kick.
I dodged them all, and countered with fists and kicks of my own.
I already figured he was tough, but this is ridiculous! None of it’s working!
『Quit! Buzzing! Around!!』
The enraged Lizard raised his right hand high.
"Whoa!?"
What happens when a two-meter-tall beast lifts the tether connecting us?
The answer’s simple.
My right arm was yanked upward, and my feet left the ground.
『I’ll turn you into a punching bag!』
His left fist clenched tightly—
Suddenly, a blast of white frost struck the Lizard’s back.
『Gyaah!?』
“Take that, you overgrown lizard!”
Standing there was—
George!?
From the hose in his right hand, white, freezing vapor was gushing out.
The tank on his back… that’s liquid nitrogen!
While the Lizard recoiled, I snapped the web thread and dashed toward George.
“Geo—”
Ah, right. Spider-Man doesn’t know his name.
“Officer, that is…”
“Huh? Spider-Man, this here’s liquid nitrogen.”
Well yeah, I can see that!
It literally says "Liquid Nitrogen" on the tank!
What I wanted to ask was—
“Why would you do something so dangerous—?”
“Keeping this city safe is a cop’s job, danger be damned!”
The Lizard, slowed by the freezing blast, turned his sharp glare toward us.
“We can talk later! I’ll weaken him with this, you go restrain him!”
“Got it! O-Officer!”
I sprang forward, shielding George, and shot webbing to wrap around the Lizard’s left arm.
『Fool! Repeating the same mistake, again!?』
As he tried to yank the web again, I dove low, sliding straight between his wide-set legs.
Then I slipped behind him, sliced the web, and wrapped a new strand around his right leg.
『Wh… Oouh!?』
Off balance, the Lizard tumbled over.
“Now, Officer!”
“Alright, leave it to me!”
George blasted the Lizard with liquid nitrogen.
『Gya—guh—grgh!』
Right.
He’s got a reptilian body—he’s vulnerable to temperature changes!
His left side began to freeze over—
Then suddenly, my Spider-Sense screamed with an intense warning.
“George! Look out—!”
『GROOOOOAAARRRR!!!』
Suddenly, the Lizard ripped off his frozen left arm and stood up.
“What—”
I leapt to shield George on instinct.
『Out of my way!!』
His right arm struck me in the face, slamming me into the ground.
『Guh—RRAAAGH!』
Slrrrch.
With a grotesque sound, a new arm sprouted from the shattered stump.
Regeneration!?
No—this isn’t the first time I’ve seen this power!
Back at school—when he transformed—I saw it!
I saw his severed arm grow back!
With a swipe of his tail, George was sent flying.
He crashed into a water tank and lost consciousness.
『I’LL KILL YOU!!』
Crap!
I tried to get up—but my legs gave out beneath me.
No good!
That last hit shook my brain!
I’ve lost all sense of balance!
But still—
Move! Move, dammit, body!
My frozen feet slipped, and I fell to the ground, pathetically.
“Stop… it! Connors!”
『After I kill him, you’re next, Spid—』
『That’s far enough.』
Suddenly, the sharp crack of a gunshot rang out.
But—it was too loud to be from an ordinary firearm.
…A shotgun?
Dozens of holes riddled the Lizard’s body.
From his wounded flesh, green blood began to spill.
『GRAAAHHH!?』
『It seems you’ve got regeneration… but that doesn’t mean you’re immune to pain.』
That voice—mechanical, almost synthetic—sounded familiar.
Instinctively, I pressed my right hand against my side.
The man in the red mask—the one who gave me this wound—was standing there.
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