Chapter Twelve: Spiders, White Tigers, and Lizards

The next morning, Lynn organized his lecture notes as usual. When he awoke from his light sleep, Jessica was still curled up on the fried chicken shop’s sofa, just as she had been the night before.

Lynn didn’t wake her; there was money in the register, so he headed straight to Midtown High. Most of the campus was filled with that clear, foolish scent of youth, which felt entirely out of place with Lynn’s demeanor.

"Mr. Sidis!"

"Ms. Ayala? Is there something you don't understand? Though, looking at your past grades, you've always been quite good."

"It's not that I don't understand something. Do you remember what I asked you the other day?"

"Ah, you look so healthy, surely it isn't about that thing you mentioned. What is it? Have you had any new revelations?"

"Mr. Sidis, do you think… that New York vigilante who has been all over the news lately, flying around—does it really have no effect on his body? Or rather, when he’s flying up there, is he still himself? Could he be controlled by someone else, or perhaps..."

The young girl looked worried. From her words, Lynn could mostly guess what she was thinking. He studied Ava carefully. Though he wanted to use psionics to scan her body and see what she was hiding, he refrained, fearing he might trigger some unpredictable magical artifact.

Lynn couldn’t quite remember exactly who she was. Midtown High was a place of hidden talents, with many troublesome characters revolving around a central figure. Looking at this student named Ava Ayala, Lynn only saw a tall, athletic Hispanic girl with a youthful, pretty face; he couldn't guess which "troublesome character" she was supposed to be.

"Have you been to a hospital?"

"Uh… I personally feel like a hospital might not be able to solve my problem."

"Well, if modern science hasn't detected a physical illness, then you needn't worry too much. Look at that New York vigilante—he’s still running and jumping, isn't he? Ms. Ayala, just focus on yourself. Your next class is starting soon. If you don't want Mr. Stone to dock your credits for being late, you should head over."

Lynn watched as Ava seemed to hesitate, still hoping for some sort of answer; clearly, she didn't have many people she could confide in.

"Have you told other teachers about your condition?"

"Uh, they told me to focus on my studies and said my grades are good enough for a public university. The school nurse said she could refer me to a therapist, saying I was just too envious of that 'different' freak. She said young people are like that these days and I should just take some antidepressants. Not everyone can swing between skyscrapers."

"That sounds like them."

There was indeed a hint of haggardness in her eyes, but Lynn suspected it came from the lack of understanding from others, rather than the supernatural trinket she spoke of. Lynn now guessed that the item she possessed was likely some sort of transformation-type artifact; there weren't many such heroes in his memory.

Looking at Ava and thinking of what he had seen that morning, Lynn pondered for a moment, meeting her slightly bewildered gaze.

"Listen to me, Ms. Ayala. Compared to you, what do you think most of the teachers here are missing?"

Ava seemed surprised by the question. "Youth?" she asked uncertainly.

"Hmm… I’m not exactly old myself, not to the point of being jealous of your age, but you’re right—I do envy your youth. Who doesn't want to be younger?" Lynn smiled. "But that's not it."

Lynn’s desk was already tidy. He had one class in the afternoon, but most of those students were slackers, and Harry and Peter were the type who didn't need to listen to his lectures anyway. Lynn had plenty of time. He held up a finger in front of Ava.

"You possess a youthful mindset filled with curiosity and a desire to explore, one not bound by common sense or experience. Given that you’ve come to me twice now about this, I don’t know what interesting thing you’ve encountered lately. But since you are still here talking to me and seeking my opinion, it means you have the capacity to control yourself, doesn't it? So why hesitate?"

In truth, Ava likely already had an idea of what to do; she just wanted someone to give her a push.

"I…"

"Well, think about the rest yourself. I’m not very good at counseling others. Besides, Ms. Ayala," Lynn glanced at his watch, "you’re about to be late for your next class."

"Oh? It's been that long! Thank you, Mr. Sidis. I’ll give some thought to what you said."

As Ava left the classroom, Lynn relaxed. The kind smile he used for marketing vanished, and his entire temperament underwent a drastic change. He took off his glasses, blew on them, and wiped them with his cuff.

"No impression at all. This world feels truly chaotic. It’s a bit like the movies I’ve seen, but it seems completely different…"

Just as Lynn prepared to leave the classroom to get something to eat, he suddenly stopped.

"So soon?"

Following that, the entire school erupted with the startled cries of students. Lynn walked quickly to the window, pulled back the blinds, and looked down at the Midtown High playground. He shook his head.

He had guessed who it was. Who else could it be but Dr. Curt Connors? However, Connors’ appearance was beyond his expectations—not the small lizard-man from the films.

"From this distance, he looks just like a Hulk. Interesting. The dorsal spines, the density of the muscle tissue, the overall body coordination—all quite impressive."

Lynn had already reflexively pulled out a small notebook to take notes; he had developed this habit without realizing it.

Peter appeared in the students' field of vision. This was likely the first superhuman he had faced, and currently, the threat level was quite high. This Dr. Connors looked more like a giant humanoid lizard than some cult-classic lizard-man with a human face. His muscles were knotted, his body covered in thick scales, his back sprouted with numerous spines, and his upper limbs were immensely developed. Every swipe of his massive claws left deep gouges in the concrete.

"Peter Parker’s homemade suit won't hold up against that kind of attack."

Lynn was right; it wasn't easy for Spider-Man. His current suit wasn't made of high-tech composite materials; it was entirely hand-crafted from ordinary fabrics. It offered no real protection against the Lizard’s massive claws. But fortunately, the Lizard's few strikes only caused superficial wounds. Though the suit was shredded in several places, Peter was not in immediate mortal danger.

Watching them fight, Lynn decided to change locations. The view here was too limited; he needed to get closer to gather more useful information. Stowing his notebook, Lynn pushed open the classroom door and immediately saw a crowd of students—who should have been evacuating—huddled at the corridor windows, watching the battle below.

This was not good. "I'm talking to you lot. Stop gawking and get out of the school immediately."

But if only these kids were that easy to move…

—

While Lynn was busy dealing with the death-defying problem children, Ava Ayala stood behind a pillar, clutching a jade talisman. Her chest rose and fell with heavy breaths. She looked back and forth between the fighting Spider-Man and the talisman in her hand.

"Connors! Wake up! What you're doing has nothing to do with a better future. Look at what you've done!"

Peter was clearly still trying to reach Dr. Connors' consciousness, but the side effects of the serum he developed were too severe. The genetic adhesive had fundamentally altered his thought process. Perhaps he could hear what Peter was saying, but he certainly couldn't understand it.

"ROAR!!!"

Connors had seemingly lost the ability to use human language, capable only of monstrous bellows. He swung his claws, attacking Peter frantically.

"Hey, Connors, I remember when we first met, you said you wanted to see your daughter, right? How are you going to see her like this? She likes the dad who brings her ice cream cones."

None of these words worked. Family and morality were incomprehensible to the current Connors; he was driven only by animal instinct and cold-blooded logic. Connors let out another guttural roar, his muscles tensing as he launched himself like a cannonball. The movement was so rapid that Peter couldn't react in time. A massive green figure slammed into him, and Peter’s world went black as he was sent flying.

Peter had tried to brace himself, but the concrete floor beneath him wasn't as strong as his body; it crumbled instantly. Losing his footing, Peter became a red silhouette, crashing into the nearby school building. A second later, Peter launched himself back toward the dust. Amidst the pulverized concrete and debris, he felt dizzy. This was his first time fighting a superhuman with such raw power. Because he knew it was Curt Connors, he hadn't even used his full strength, still hoping to wake the man inside. He felt Connors was just "sick" from the side effects, not completely transformed into something else.

But Connors didn't think so.

Just as Peter was trying to clear his head, a giant hand grabbed him. Clearly, the visitor meant him harm. A crushing force pressed in from all sides; Connors held Peter in his hand, intending to crush the small man. He remained silent throughout, no one knowing what he was thinking. The Lizard’s strength was clearly too much for Peter to bear.

Lynn had finally finished dealing with the troublesome students. While his methods were a bit rough, he left no evidence. In such an extreme situation, who could say who bumped into whom?

"The situation is indeed not looking good."

Lynn stood on the top floor of the building, observing Peter quietly. Psionics concealed his presence, making him impossible for ordinary people to detect.

"While I personally feel he won't be in any real danger, from the current state of things, it is indeed looking grim."

Lynn estimated the situation, wondering if he needed to play a specific role in this world to prevent certain outcomes.

Before Lynn could act, a white figure entered his view, delivering a heavy strike to the Lizard’s jaw with incredible speed. In pain, Connors instinctively loosened his grip. Peter broke free, escaping the Lizard’s clutches.

The white figure began to trade blows with the Lizard. Unlike Peter’s chaotic fighting style, this humanoid figure was clearly far more skilled at combat. Her techniques were clean and efficient, like a master who had trained for years. There were no flashy, unnecessary movements; every strike seemed calculated to be lethal. Even if her physical strength didn't match Spider-Man's, the green electric sparks flickering from her fists made up for the deficit. Moreover, she had no qualms about fighting Connors; she attacked with full force, seeing him as nothing more than a giant, inhuman lizard.

The Lizard’s massive body, so advantageous in offense, became clumsy in defense. He was quickly enraged, his massive tail sweeping out to force distance between himself and the white figure. After sniffing the air—as if catching a scent he disliked—he tore into the ground, leaving a large crater before retreating from Midtown High.

The woman who had just repelled the Lizard clearly wanted to pursue, but Peter grabbed her hand from behind.

"He's gone for now. No need to chase him. He moves fast in the sewers, and the police are coming. We’d better run. They aren't very reasonable—they aren't exactly protectors of freedom and democracy. To be honest, they’re quite rigid and unpleasant."

Peter took a moment to observe the person who had helped him. She was a woman in a tight white tactical suit, outlining a powerful, feminine physique. The suit was patterned with tiger stripes, and a faint, shimmering image of a jade talisman glowed at her waist.

Before they could talk, the sound of sirens drowned out any atmosphere that might have been forming.

"Alright, I think we should split up. Someone doesn't like me very much, and I don't want to get you involved in my personal vendetta."

"Uh… actually…"

"It's okay, I know what you want to say. If we meet again, I’ll treat you to the best fried chicken in New York. But for now, we should part ways. See you later!"

"I was just trying to tell you my name…"

Ava scratched her head, watching the flashing police cars appear at the street corner. She finally remembered to run.

With that, Peter swung away on a web. He didn't notice the reporters who had arrived before the police, snapping photos of him relentlessly.

Lynn stood on the rooftop, watching it all.

"The sewers. Maybe he’ll show up at the OsCorp building in a couple of days. I can't let the little spider finish him off just like that. I need to intervene early—a good man, stained and tortured by his own conscience."

The corners of Lynn's mouth curled upward involuntarily.

"No need to go to prison just like that, right?"