"No, this is magic, Dr. Connors," Mark extended his hand and erased the portal.
Curt Connors jogged to their side, stopped where the portal used to be, and ran his hand through the air, his face showing an enraptured expression, as if he was fondling the air inappropriately.
Mark found this behavior of the Lizard Doctor a bit strange.
94-Spider quickly grabbed Curt Connors, saying, "Dr. Connors, what are you doing?"
Curt Connors replied, "This is an extraordinary technology!"
"We've already told you, this is magic, it's magic!" 94-Spider pulled Curt Connors back, "This is Mark, the one who performed genetic surgery on me, and his girlfriend Gwen."
"Genetic surgery!" Curt Connors reacted with some clarity upon hearing that, and he turned to Mark and the others, saying, "So, this is really just magic used by wizards?"
94-Spider nodded and confirmed, "Yes, Dr. Connors. But we're not here for this; there's something more important that we need your help with."
"What is it?" Perhaps due to Mark's wizard status, which made him understand that this wasn't significantly related to science, Curt Connors finally regained his composure and asked inquisitively.
Stepping forward, Mark said, "Dr. Connors, did you once pour the genetic serum that would turn you into the Lizard into the sewer system?"
Curt Connors thought for a moment, then nodded, saying, "That was a few months ago."
Then, his expression changed abruptly, and he asked, "Could something have gone wrong with those serums? Is that what you're suggesting?"
Mark nodded and said gravely, "After your genetic serums were washed away and entered the city's underground sewer system, the lizards living there consumed them. Subsequently, they evolved. Now, a new species called Lizard People is gradually expanding beneath New York City. And you, Dr. Curt Connors, are the one to blame for all of this!"
Curt Connors' face turned pale, and he exclaimed, "What? This can't be true; it shouldn't be possible! The amount of serum I poured into the sewer was less than a liter, and after dilution in the vast sewer system, it shouldn't have been enough to make lizards evolve into Lizard People."
He looked extremely flustered, clearly having difficulty accepting this.
"True or false, you'll see for yourself," Mark coldly shattered his last glimmer of hope, "We've come to find you to help you research a serum that can kill the Lizard People or make them revert. Since this problem originated from you, it's only fair that you help resolve it."
Curt Connors nodded and said, "Please follow me. In my home, I have a genetic bomb prepared for situations similar to what we're facing now."
"In your home, right? Let's take it," Mark didn't waste any time and opened another portal.
On the other side of the door was Curt Connors' home.
Perhaps due to his inner guilt, Curt Connors didn't even give the portal a second look and stepped straight through. He headed for his front door.
Knock, knock, knock...
The door quickly opened.
A beautiful woman appeared at the door and said, "Curt? Why are you back so early today?"
Curt Connors hurriedly replied, "Margaret, no time to explain. Come help me get something."
Shortly after, Curt Connors came out holding a glass container roughly the size of a human head. At the core of the container was a small test tube with a bit of solution inside.
Curt Connors picked up the container and gestured, saying, "This is the genetic bomb I created. It can release radiation targeting a specific group of people at the moment of detonation. Within the radiation range, all Lizard People will be killed."
"Neutron killing?" Mark raised an eyebrow and said.
"Neutron annihilation? You could say that," Curt Connors nodded, "I did create it based on the genetic differences between Lizard People and normal human genes, so it has no effect on humans and other creatures. Only Lizard People will die."
Mark shook his head slightly and said, "I suggest you modify it."
"Why?" Curt Connors asked.
Mark explained, "The city's sewer system now harbors thousands of Lizard People, each roughly the same size as humans, some even larger. If you make them all die at once, the result will be countless bodies piling up in the sewers. When the bodies decompose, it will contaminate the entire city's water source and air. Plagues will spread, causing widespread human infection and even death."
Curt Connors and the others who were listening on the side turned pale.
Thousands of human-sized bodies piling up in the sewers would lead to catastrophic consequences. When the bodies decompose, it would pollute the water source and air, leading to plagues, widespread human infection, and possibly death.
"Right, we can't kill them, we can't kill them," Curt Connors muttered.
Mark suggested, "Can you adjust it so that the neutron radiation targets their specific genes to induce regression rather than killing them on the spot?"
Curt Connors' eyes lit up, "You make a good point. Let me work on that. Please give me a few minutes."
He then whispered some instructions to his wife, took his son, and carried the genetic bomb back to his lab through the portal.
The following moments were filled with anxious waiting, though the anxiety was mainly felt by 94-Spider and Curt Connors. Mark and Gwen, on the other hand, remained composed.
Gwen was well aware of Mark's abilities, giving her confidence in their success. As for Mark, he had extensive knowledge of the Lizard People's limited abilities, so he wasn't too concerned.
It's probably due to the injection of too few mutant genes; the individual strength of these Lizard People is much weaker compared to the Lizard Doctor in the original storyline.
In the original plot, even Debrah, the cute girl, could bravely knock down a Lizard People warrior with a powerful charge. Even the original 94-Spider, with his hands tied, could defeat three Lizard People warriors when his movements were restricted. This shows how weak they are.
Furthermore, the current situation is happening several months earlier than in the original plot.
While Curt Connors adjusted the genetic bomb, Mark released his quantum spider sense actively. He wanted to find Gila, the only mentally sound Lizard Person, and ask her if she intended to transform back into a lizard like her fellow tribe members or continue living as a Lizard Person.
In the dark and filthy sewer:
Boom!
A figure was heavily thrown into a pool of water.
"Why, why do this? Why hurt each other?" A petite Lizard Person sat in the mud from the waist down, yet her upper body remained unbowed as she stared defiantly at the aggressor, questioning.
However, what was peculiar was that her voice was a crisp, sweet, and childlike tone.
"Gila, you're too naive, too weak!" a deep and rough voice responded.
Two burly figures stood by the water ditch, looking down on Gila from above. The one speaking was the more imposing of the two.
His name was Monitor.
Monitor, Gecko, and Gila were the first to find the genetic serum that Curt Connors had poured into the sewers, evolving into Lizard People. So, the three of them were like human siblings. Monitor was the eldest, Gecko the second, and Gila the youngest. Simultaneously, as they were the first to be transformed, they were considered the leadership trio of the Lizard People Kingdom.
Monitor and Gecko were princes, while Gila was, of course, the Lizard Person princess.
As for their king, it was, of course, the Lizard Doctor who had not appeared before them.
Recently, the two Lizard Princes decided to start military training. They built an "arena" and had their tribesmen engage in combat to select the stronger individuals to become Lizard People warriors.
However, due to the inherent brutality of their lizard genes, the Lizard People would frequently fight to the death, turning the warrior selection ritual into a gruesome form of entertainment.
Whenever the arena held events, Lizard People from all over would gather to watch their fellow Lizard People brutally fight and even kill each other, with the audience below cheering each time.
This was too much for the kind-hearted Lizard Person Princess.
She protested her two brothers time and again, but they kept rejecting her protests, even going so far as to whip her with their tails, leaving her battered and bruised.
Lizard Person Prince Gecko, the second prince, stood on the ground, watching his sister sobbing in the sewage. His face bore a wicked smile. "Hahaha, Gila, look at you, look at how weak you are. If you weren't our sister, the other tribesmen would have eaten you long ago! You have no idea how many of them lust after your tender flesh!"
But Lizard Person Prince Monitor, the elder brother, hearing this, suddenly clenched his fists and struck Gecko.
Whoosh!
His tail snaked through the air, grabbing Gecko by the neck and pulling him back in front of himself. Gecko found his gaze locked with Monitor, who spoke with an icy tone, "Gila is our sister, and we can whip her and chastise her for her weakness. But if you dare to lay a hand on her, I'll rip your tail off and strangle you with it! Do you hear me, Gecko?"
Gecko struggled to break free with all his might but couldn't escape Monitor's grip.
Monitor was the most powerful figure in the Lizard People Kingdom, second only to the Lizard Doctor. He stood at over three meters tall, had a muscular body covered in scales, and could punch Lizard People warriors into a pulp. His tough scales made him nearly impervious to the claws of other Lizard People warriors.
In comparison, Gecko was much weaker.
°°°
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