Outside Freedom Tower — 7:47 p.m.
George Stacy had kept his men on alert there for nearly twenty hours.
Even with constant vigilance and heightened attention, no signs of suspicious activity had appeared—so far.
George looked up at the imposing building and sighed. It was becoming difficult to keep the team's morale up. Exhaustion and skepticism were already seeping into the muffled voices over the radio.
"Dr. Connors, are you sure Peter would begin his operation at this location?" George asked, his eyes scanning the surroundings.
Beside him, Connors nodded. "Yes. All the signs point to it. He needs a place for mass dispersion of the serum, and the top of Freedom Tower is ideal. If I were in his place… I'd choose this location."
Even so, the complete lack of concrete movement was causing the men to lose confidence. George knew that some of them were only staying out of respect for his leadership.
He also knew that, no matter how calm things seemed, the storm could come at any moment.
And it did.
A new voice echoed through the radios connected to the building's security channel:
"We've detected abnormal movement in the basement. Attention, any nearby patrols, please investigate immediately."
George's eyes widened. The voice came directly from the WTC's internal surveillance team.
He's here…
"Teams One and Two, seal off all sewer exits around the building! No one in, no one out!"
"Team Three, bring the containment weapons and enter the building with me!"
Connors followed George urgently, stepping out of the vehicle and putting on a bulletproof vest.
George handed him a pistol.
"Do you know how to use this?"
"Of course," Connors replied as he took the weapon.
"Good. Stay alert. Protect yourself at all costs."
Another alert sounded over the radio, even more urgent:
"The basement patrols have gone silent!"
"Wait… what is tha—"
"Gyaaaaaaah!"
The piercing scream was followed by a horrific sound of bones breaking… and chewing.
Everyone froze for a second. George clenched his teeth and pulled on his helmet.
"If Peter keeps this up… there won't be anything left of him to save."
He turned to the officers.
"Everyone ready?!"
"READY!"
"Then move out! Let's go!"
The SWAT team and heavily armed officers surged through the main doors of the building, while George issued orders to evacuate civilians as quickly as possible.
Unlike Oscorp's paralyzing bureaucracy, the Freedom Tower security staff was far more cooperative.
George grabbed the radio and announced clearly:
"Attention, Freedom Tower internal security. This is NYPD Captain George Stacy. An uncontrolled mutant has been detected inside your facility. Initiate immediate evacuation!"
The warning hit like a bomb. Upon hearing the word mutant, the internal guards panicked—but seeing the highly equipped police entering in formation, they realized this was no drill.
George tightened his jaw.
He knew this night would not end peacefully.
---
Buildings blurred past as Gwen fired her webs and swung between them at full speed, her heightened senses sharp and the new suit adapting perfectly to her body.
Ahead of her floated Cortana's holographic projection, continuing to guide her and precisely explain the suit's functions through the visor of her mask.
Gwen tried to absorb everything at once, but the sheer number of features was overwhelming. In her vision, a bright interface displayed dozens of commands, tactical readings, and possible actions.
"Wow… this is way too much to remember all at once," Gwen murmured, frowning at the flood of information.
Cortana replied in a calm, reassuring voice:
[Don't worry, Gwen. During combat, I can activate the necessary functions myself. Trust me.]
Gwen took a deep breath, relieved. "Alright… then let's finish this."
With renewed determination, Gwen launched herself through a ventilation duct, her eyes focused and her mind prepared. It was time to prove herself.
---
Arthur's House
Arthur and Jean stood by the window through which Gwen had departed.
Beside them, Gwen's old suit lay neatly folded on the floor.
Arthur picked it up. She might never use it again, but there was something symbolic about it, so he would keep it.
Maybe I'll make a display case, like Batman, Arthur thought.
"You're quite the gentleman with Gwen, Arthur…" Jean said teasingly.
Arthur raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Did I treat you badly, by any chance?"
Then he laughed and asked, "You're worried about Gwen, aren't you?"
Jean nodded.
"She's young and intelligent, but she still lacks experience. Real combat isn't like a simulator or a school mission."
That was true. Jean, a veteran of the X-Men, had faced countless threats, hostile mutants, and painful losses. Gwen, on the other hand, was just beginning.
"Then let's go with her," Arthur suggested calmly. "We won't interfere unless it's absolutely necessary."
"Sometimes I wonder if you can read minds too," Jean chuckled softly.
"Unfortunately not. Now come on—I don't intend to let Gwen face a monster without any backup."
Jean laughed as she headed to the bedroom to change.
Before going in, she stopped and looked at Arthur with a smile and a playful beckoning gesture.
Arthur laughed and quickly followed her.
---
Inside Freedom Tower — Monitoring Room
George Stacy hurried down a corridor on one of the middle floors alongside Connors, speaking over the radio with a police technician who was frantically typing on a laptop. The security cameras had been compromised—most likely by Peter himself.
"Any progress?" George asked, his voice steady.
"Almost… just a few more seconds!"
The tension in the air was palpable. Sweat trickled down the technician's forehead as lines of code raced across the screen.
Suddenly, the monitor flickered, and multiple camera feeds began appearing one after another.
"It worked! I've got the footage—"
The sentence was cut short by an abrupt silence.
The technician froze, eyes locked on the screen.
"He's behind you."
George and Connors turned at the same time.
Clinging to the corridor ceiling, gripping the metal framework, the Lizard stared down at them. His eyes glowed a sinister red, and an animalistic grin spread across his mutant face.
"It's been a while, Uncle George. Dr. Connors…"
With a leap, he landed in front of them, the impact shaking the floor.
George stepped back, instinctively placing himself between Connors and the monster.
"Peter…" Connors said, struggling to control his breathing. "You don't have to continue this. You can still come back."
"No, Doctor. I'm exactly where I should be."
"This isn't what you wanted. Stop now, before—"
"You've forgotten, Dr. Connors," the Lizard interrupted. "You're the one who said that if everyone had access to the serum, pain and disease would disappear through our research. I'm just carrying your words forward."
George shot Connors a heavy look. Connors lowered his head, ashamed.
"You said that?" George asked.
"It was a long time ago," the scientist admitted. "I was desperate… I didn't know Peter would hear me. Or take it so seriously."
George pressed his lips together and stepped forward. Past mistakes didn't matter now. There was only one thing to do.
With a firm motion, he raised a 12-gauge shotgun—the weapon he had taken from the SWAT emergency arsenal.
"Peter," he said, his voice low. "End this madness. Surrender now."
The Lizard glanced at the weapon, then at George—and smiled.
"You despise me too, don't you, Uncle George?"
George frowned. "No. But that won't stop me from doing what needs to be done."
"It's going to rain soon…" Peter murmured, looking out the window. "That will mark the beginning of true evolution."
And then he attacked.
His claws flashed, and in an instant he lunged toward them.
George reacted immediately, racking the shotgun and pulling the trigger.
The deafening blast of the 12-gauge echoed through the floor. The shot slammed into the Lizard's chest, hurling him backward with tremendous force and tearing open a massive wound.
Even with his mutated musculature, the impact sent him rolling across the ground, his scales scraping against the floor.
He rose with a furious snarl, ripping away the remnants of his shirt as his chest began to regenerate.
"YOU'LL REGRET THAT!"
"If you keep pushing this insane plan, I won't hesitate," George said, reloading with practiced speed.
He was confident now. He knew the shotgun could stop Peter's advance—at least long enough to buy time.
"Last chance. Drop the disperser. Or I shoot again."
But the Lizard heard the sound of boots echoing up the stairwells—reinforcements were arriving. He didn't want to waste time on George.
With a growl, he grabbed an office desk and hurled it with all his strength.
George rolled aside, dodging at the last second. The desk shattered through a window and plummeted down the floors below.
When George stood up again, Peter was already gone, leaping across the metal structures toward the top floor.
Moments later, more officers rushed in with weapons raised.
George turned to them. "Anyone with heavy weaponry—come with me!"
"The rest of you, stay here. Protect the civilians."
The message was clear.
Curt Connors stepped forward.
"Captain Stacy, please… let me go up with you. I might still be able to reach him."
George looked at him, assessing him, but said nothing. He simply turned and led the team toward the top floor.
---
Freedom Tower Rooftop — Top Floor
A storm was brewing overhead.
Lightning split the clouds, and the wind whistled between the pillars. There, the Lizard was finishing his preparations.
"All I have to do is press this button… and the city will be reborn."
The serum would be dispersed into the clouds in gaseous form. With the rain, everyone below would be exposed. And the mutation would begin.
The Lizard spun around as a blue dart sliced through the space where his head had been seconds earlier, embedding itself in a nearby tank.
The burst of vapor was minimal—but enough to alert him.
He snarled, eyes scanning the shadows.
Then he saw her, balanced atop a beam—the slender silhouette of Spider-Woman staring him down.
"Spider-Woman…"
"You move pretty well for your size. I'm not going to let you finish this, Peter," Gwen said, her voice steady.
(End of Chapter)