"You don't understand!"
Dr. Curt Connors stood his ground, raising his one good arm to block the equipment movers. His voice trembled with desperation. "This is a major breakthrough for humanity! You're interfering with history!"
The group of hired porters hesitated, looking awkwardly at their foreman. No one had warned them they'd have to handle an angry scientist when they signed up to move lab gear.
The Oscorp rep, a man in a sharp suit with zero patience, sighed irritably. "Dr. Connors, I'll give you until tomorrow. If you're still here by then, I'll have you physically removed. Do yourself a favor and don't make this uglier than it already is."
He snapped his fingers and turned on his heel, exiting with the movers behind him.
Connors slumped against a steel console, his face pale. "One day... One day's not enough for a full clinical trial!"
He turned toward the vials of glowing green serum lined neatly on a sterile tray. A deranged glint flickered in his eyes. Muttering to himself, he grabbed a syringe, loaded the experimental serum, and plunged it into his arm.
"This... this will prove them wrong..."
....
Stark Tower – Private Lab
"You just came here to ask me to make these?" Tony Stark squinted at the spider-web-launcher blueprints Jack Kadere handed him. "This kind of tech is beginner-tier, but it's got potential. I like the compound—nice touch with the viscosity modifiers."
Jack nodded. "Thanks. I'll pick it up in a few days."
"Oh, and while you're at it," Jack added, "I'll need a few custom combat suits—for the Ghost Spider and our Knightress."
Tony blinked. "You want how many more suits? You think I'm running a tailor shop now?"
"You're already building the Mark II," Jack shrugged. "Just batch it in."
Tony grunted, rubbing his temples. "Are you starting a whole superhero squad now?"
Jack smirked behind his scarf. "Something like that. Just don't tell Gwen or Jessica who commissioned it. Let's keep it a surprise."
"Suit yourself, mystery man," Tony muttered as Jack turned to leave. "But if they stab you with a stiletto heel later, don't come crying to me."
.....
Later That Morning – Manhattan, Near Midtown High School
A sleek black custom sports car roared down the street, the engine purring like a predator. Behind the wheel sat Jack Kadere, cool as ever. Jessica was riding shotgun, while Gwen and Skye were sprawled out in the backseat.
"Wow, it's rare for you to personally chauffeur us," Jessica said with a wide grin, watching the city blur past. "I don't have to jump rooftops to get to school for once."
She had recently adopted rooftop parkour as her daily commute. Not only was it good training, but it also helped her avoid being spotted by the general public. On campus, she had already gained a reputation as the "untouchable girl," so even the rowdiest jocks didn't mess with her.
"You still can't fly?" Gwen teased from the back, brushing a strand of platinum hair behind her ear. "Time to upgrade."
Jessica playfully rolled her eyes. "Says the one still hiding behind cosplay. Remind me again, Gwen, who's the real Ghost Spider?"
She glanced over at Jack, who had been silent. "Bro, you've got three gorgeous girls in the car. Say something."
Jack didn't even glance her way. "I'm driving. Try not to distract me before we crash into a food truck."
Jessica pouted. "You're no fun."
"But seriously, why are we all carpooling today?" she asked, turning to Skye. "You dropped out, remember? Why are you tagging along?"
"Because," Skye replied sweetly, "I'm Mr. Kadere's intern assistant now."
"In-intern assistant?" Jessica repeated, blinking.
Gwen narrowed her eyes. "Assistant...?"
Skye batted her lashes. "That's right. Very obedient type~"
"You little—!" Gwen lunged forward, tickling Skye's sides. "You seduced Jack, didn't you?! Admit it, you sly hacker vixen!"
"Ahahahaha—nooo, Gwen, mercy!" Skye laughed uncontrollably, writhing under Gwen's assault.
"Skye, weren't you my assistant?" Jessica joined in, clearly not amused. "Why are you working for him now? Traitor!"
"My legs are sore every day just earning my brother's pocket money, and now this?"
"Wait, what does Jack's pocket money have to do with sore legs?" Gwen asked innocently, pausing mid-tickle.
Jessica's eyes darted. "Uh, nothing! I mean... We're friends! We take care of each other! Gwen, don't bully her anymore, okay?!"
Gwen eyed her suspiciously, letting Skye go. "Uh-huh... And what exactly is going on with your outfits lately?"
She glanced down at Jessica's current look: stylish hot pants, sheer tights, and high boots that almost screamed "vigilante fashion."
"Jessica," Gwen said slowly, "you've changed your style since you became the 'Knightress.' New stockings every day, fancy boots… Are you also—"
"I didn't! I'm not! Don't make things up!" Jessica blurted, waving her hands in denial.
Jack, who was focused on driving, sighed to himself. Three girls in one car. This is why I keep quiet…
Suddenly—
"Whoa! What is that?!" Jessica pointed ahead, clearly trying to shift the subject.
"I just saw something weird—green and fast!" Skye leaned forward and pressed her face to the window, eyes still watery from laughter.
"It's not just you!" Gwen added sharply. "Jack—hit the brakes! There's something up ahead!"
Traffic had come to a sudden stop on the road ahead.
A massive green creature—thick limbs, powerful tail, and scaly skin—was leaping across stalled cars like a wild animal, smashing windshields and denting hoods with every landing. Screams erupted from panicking pedestrians as alarms blared across the block.
Jessica stared in disbelief. "What the hell? Is that a giant... lizard?! Did it escape from the zoo?!"
Jack narrowed his eyes. "That's Connors."
Jessica turned to him with a shocked face. "Wait—did you just call that thing Connors? What, did you have beef with him or something?!"
Jack's tone was cool. "No, I'm saying there's a 70% facial similarity."
Jessica stared blankly at the lizard's snarling face—huge, scaly, and dripping with saliva. "…You can see that?"
It really just sounds like you're insulting him, she thought.
Meanwhile, Gwen's expression grew tense. "Dr. Connors… He was experimenting with lizard DNA. Trying to regenerate limbs…"
She didn't finish the thought.
The creature let out a bone-rattling roar, eyes locking onto a small child struggling to run. The girl's legs were too short, her backpack too heavy. She couldn't escape in time.
"Oh no—!" Jessica gasped, fumbling for the door.
"I've got it!" Jack shouted.
Without hesitation, he cranked the wheel hard and floored the accelerator. The car skidded into a tight drift, tires screeching as the vehicle careened in an arc straight toward the Lizard.
Boom!
The car slammed into the monster mid-leap, knocking it sideways into a fire hydrant. Water sprayed into the air as the Lizard tumbled through the debris.
The car rattled violently from the feedback, but Jack and Jessica—both physically enhanced—barely flinched. Gwen had instinctively pulled Skye into her arms, shielding her from the sudden jolt.
"Whoa! That was insane!" Skye panted. "Bro, you're awesome!"
"Alright, my turn now!" Jessica opened her backpack and began rummaging through it. "Where is it…?"
"Why do you have so much homework in here?" she muttered. "Where's my stuff?!"
Gwen leaned forward from the back seat. "Jess, it's getting up—hurry!"
"Found it, found it!" Jessica exclaimed, pulling out a silver combat mask with sleek angular lines. It was a newer design—one of Stark's early mockups Jack had repurposed for her.
"You're already exposed," Jack said dryly. "Is the mask really necessary?"
"It's called a sense of ritual, Jack." Jessica rolled her eyes and tied her hair into a sharp ponytail, clipping it with a custom metal ring engraved with the words Knightress.
Jack sighed as the Lizard roared in their direction, muscles coiling beneath its scaly green skin.
Its pupils narrowed as it charged forward, claws ripping into the pavement.
Just as it leapt again, Jack snapped his fingers.
A powerful gust erupted from thin air, sweeping up sand and dust in a blinding swirl. The creature halted, confused by the sudden storm.
People watching from a distance shielded their eyes.
"What's going on?"
"Is the driver okay?!"
As the dust cleared, the car was gone.
Standing in its place was a lone figure.
Jessica's long ponytail swayed in the breeze, and her black tights gleamed beneath her armored vest. On her hands were gleaming silver knuckle-blades, stylized like medieval gauntlets.
She looked like a heroine from a movie.
Too bad she ruined the moment by speaking.
"Big Lizard, your mom ever tell you not to jaywalk?!"
Jack, who had already parked a short distance away, buried his face in his hand. "She had to talk…"
Still, he couldn't help smiling. "She is pretty badass when she takes things seriously."
Jessica dashed forward, launching herself at the monster.
"The Knightress has arrived!"
"Let's gooo!" a nearby crowd shouted.
Phones went up immediately. Pedestrians started filming. Someone even live-streamed.
Jessica didn't hesitate.
She feinted low, ducked the creature's claws, and delivered a wind-slicing roundhouse kick to its jaw.
Jessica was 5'7", and nearly half of that was leg. Combined with Jack's specialized training, her strikes were deadly and precise.
WHAM!
The Lizard reeled, momentarily dazed.
Since training under Jack, Jessica's form had become clean and efficient. Her enhanced strength paired with martial arts from Jack's upgraded martial arts from the Animus-derived Combat Memory Implant made her hits effective even against meta-creatures.
Aside from a few tears in her tights, she was completely unscathed.
"Jessica's really gotten stronger…" Gwen murmured, watching from the car with admiration.
She remembered Jessica mentioning Jack had been training her. Maybe it was time she asked for a lesson or two.
The battle continued.
Jessica ducked a tail swipe and landed a flurry of punches on the Lizard's snout. The metallic clang of her gauntlets against scales rang out like drumbeats.
"Come on, you overgrown gecko!" she taunted.
The Lizard staggered. For a moment, its feral eyes dimmed—and something human flickered beneath the surface.
"I… what… gene…"
Jessica froze. "Wait. Did it just speak?"
The Lizard's voice was hoarse, almost a hiss. "...What… happened…"
"Dr. Connors?" she murmured, stepping back cautiously. "Are you still in there?"
But the moment of lucidity vanished.
With a sharp growl, the Lizard turned and bolted, scrambling across cars and leaping toward the storm drain at the end of the block.
"Hey! You're not getting away!" Jessica shouted, leaping after it.
She landed near the sewer entrance just as the Lizard pried open a manhole cover and dove into the darkness below.
Jessica landed on the edge of the open cover—and instantly regretted it.
"Ughhh, that smell—"
She recoiled, pinching her nose.
"Nope. Not going down there."
She tapped her knuckles together and stepped back. "Sorry, science lizard. Sewer patrol is not on my to-do list."
VROOOOM!
Jack rolled up smoothly in his modified car and popped the passenger door open.
"Jessica, great job," he said. "We're already an hour late. Hop in. Time to get you all to school."
"Oh, oh! Coming!" she cried, practically diving into the seat.