Gwen POV:
It was supposed to be a normal afternoon.
Well, as normal as Visions Academy got. Kids gossiping about me and Peter (still), teachers whispering about his "miraculous recovery" and me pretending my ribs weren't sore every time I laughed.
But then the ground shook.
A shadow fell over the chemistry lab doorway — scales glinting under the fluorescent light. Eight feet of muscle, claws and teeth.
The Lizard.
"Connors…" I whispered, heart in my throat.
Students screamed. Glass shattered as tables flipped, chemicals spilling across the tiles.
"Everyone out!" I shouted, web-shooters snapping into place under my sleeves. "Go, go, go!"
Panic poured out into the hallway, but one idiot had their phone raised, recording. Always one.
I cursed under my breath, grabbing my bag and bolting for the bathroom. In three heartbeats I was inside a stall, unzipping my jacket, pulling the mask over my head. The familiar constriction of spandex hugged me like armor. I shoved my jeans and hoodie into the bag and bolted back into the hall.
I leapt forward, webbing straight for Connors but he was faster than before. His claws snatched the web mid-air, yanked me like a ragdoll and in an instant I was slammed against the wall, his grip tightening around my neck.
"You…" his voice was guttural, layered with inhuman growls. "Always… in my way."
My lungs burned. My wrists struggled against his grip. Panic was swallowing me whole — until Peter moved.
Peter POV:
Adrenaline. Pain. Rage.
It was like being plugged into lightning.
One second, Connors' claws were inches from Gwen. The next time slowed.
The world bent at the edges of my vision. Students' panicked faces froze mid scream. Shards of glass hung in the air like stars.
And I moved.
Faster than thought.
One step, two, three — my body blurred. Every step leaving after images as I surged forward and slammed my shoulder into the lizard's chest. The impact echoed through the lab like thunder.
Connors roared, his tail whipping but I was already shifting. Hands caught the tail mid-swing, my feet gouging cracks into the tile. The weapons grade nanobots from Bloodshot surged with me, muscles burning with unnatural fire.
And I threw him.
Eight feet of scaled nightmare smashed through a row of lab benches, chemicals splashing in brilliant, dangerous colors.
Gasps rang out. And worse the click of phones recording.
Connors rose, yellow eyes burning. His voice was guttural, broken, but somehow still his.
"Parker… you… gave me this…"
The words froze my blood.
And then he lunged.
We collided in the center of the room. His claws raked across my arm, deep and fast — but the nanobots surged instantly, repairing, sealing, knitting in seconds. I didn't slow. I couldn't and I didn't need to.
My fist drove into his jaw. The tile under us shattered. The Sandevistan pulling everything into sharp clarity. Every roar, every movement, every chance to hit back was displayed in front of me like a slo-mo video.
But Connors was still bigger. His claws locked on my shoulders, dragging me close, his breath hot and rancid.
"You… will… join me…"
I snarled through gritted teeth. "Not today."
I slammed my forehead into his snout. Bone cracked. He reeled, hissing before crashing backward through the emergency exit door, metal screaming as it gave way. He disappeared into the alley beyond with a bellow that shook the walls.
I staggered back, chest heaving. My wounds… gone. My body… undamaged. My secret… wide open.
Because when I turned, there they were. Students frozen in the doorway, phones raised, screens glowing.
"Holy shit." One whispered. "Parker's a—"
"Don't." I snapped, my voice colder than I meant.
They flinched. But the damage was already done. The video was already out there. Spider-Gwen swung away and I also grabbed my backpack also Gwen's and left, the crowd still recorded and murmurs filled the room.
Later — Gwen POV:
Evening light slanted into Peter's room when I slipped in. He was sitting cross-legged on the bed, staring at nothing.
The news hadn't hit yet, but the video was out there. A student had posted it, shaky but damning. Peter tackling the Lizard like a freight train, moving like a phantom, wounds healing faster than camera shutters.
"Peter." I said softly.
He didn't look up. "They know, Gwen. Everyone knows. I can't… undo this."
I sat on the edge of the bed, nudging him with my knee. "Then explain it. To me first. No more half-truths."
He finally looked at me. His eyes were tired, older than they should've been.
"It's the nanobots." He said quietly. "They don't let me break down. Not completely. They repair, recycle, rebuild. Peak shape — always. That's why I heal like this. I overachieved when making them."
I frowned. "That… sounds like a miracle. But also—"
"—like cheating?" His lips quirked humorlessly. "Yeah. I know. I did design them for this but only to help you get out of nasty situations not to become a hero because heroism isn't for me. And now…" He held up his arm, flexing as faint red lines rippled under his skin. "Now I don't know where the line ends between me and the machine."
I leaned against him, just enough that our shoulders touched. "Then I'll make sure you don't cross it."
For a moment, the room was quiet. Just two kids with secrets too heavy for their age.
But in Washington DC, someone else had seen the video.
Nick Fury POV:
The screen froze on the blurry frame of Peter Parker throwing the lizard across the lab. The kid's back glowed burning orange, claws dragging across his arm only for the wounds to vanish seconds later.
Beside him, Maria Hill frowned. "Mutant?"
Fury shook his head slowly. "Not a mutant. Something else. Kid's got tech in him. Biotech. Dangerous, unknown biotech."
Hill crossed her arms. "Want me to contain him?"
Fury's one good eye lingered on Peter's face.
"No. The price isn't worth it. Kid's hiding a lot." Fury said finally. "Keep it under wraps. For now, the world ain't ready for him. And I want to see if he's ready for the world."
The video looped again. A boy with fire in his veins and monsters in his past.
"We'll be watching you, Parker." Fury whispered.
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