Even though the Lizard wants to run away, Peter can't just let this monster go. If it reaches the ground, with its size, it will create chaos in New York City.
As the Lizard turns around and runs back, Peter struggles to get up and crawls rapidly along the wall, following the monster.
Peter has a good sense of direction. After spending so many days in the sewer, he knows the routes well. He speculates that the Lizard seems to be heading in a specific direction with a purpose.
Where is it going? What is it trying to do? What is going on?
Then Peter remembers seeing samples of lizard tissue at the maintenance point in the reservoir. Could it be the monster created by that mad scientist?
As the Lizard runs ahead, Peter chases after it. Perhaps the scientist miscalculated the size of the sewer. The monster is too big, even to run with its head upright. While New York's sewer ceilings can be as high as ten meters, there are also narrower paths that make the Lizard have to bend over.
It provides Peter with a good opportunity to thwart it. Taking advantage of the Lizard's difficult movement, Peter shots threads of spider silk in front of its legs. Surprisingly, the monster seems to possess some intelligence as it manages to avoid being tripped and instead crouches and steps over.
Peter learns from his failed attempts. He wraps the silk around the Lizard's neck, intending to use its momentum to bring it down. However, the Lizard doesn't fall for the trap. As soon as it is entangled in the silk, it grabs onto the threads, flinging Spider-Man away.
Now, Spider-Man has become smarter. Upon landing, he quickly rolls and stands back up. He realizes he lacks the experience to deal with a giant creature like this. He has never encountered someone as towering as four to five meters tall, unlike the regular thugs and thieves.
The Lizard's most dangerous weapon, apart from its claws, is its enormous tail. With a sweeping motion, Peter is slammed into the wall. He hadn't anticipated this monster could use different attack patterns, and Spider-Man receives a heavy blow.
Fortunately, Peter has abundant physical power and quick recovery abilities. Within no time, he catches up with the Lizard again.
Peter realizes that ,in order to deal with the monster, he needs to lure it back to the ground. Although the sewer is not conducive to fighting against this massive creature, Spider-Man doesn't have much room to fight. The whole sewer space is filled by the monster. He can't encircle it with spider silk.
As the Lizard's destination becomes more and more apparent, Peter notices that it seems to be heading towards Stark Tower.
Peter is very familiar with that place. He used to explore the sewers and then go to his internship along this route.
Peter doesn't know the monster's intentions, but he knows he can't let it reach the ground and run into Stark Tower. Mr.Stark is currently in a fragile state, possibly still drunk. If he can't operate the suit, the hundreds of employees in the building will be in great danger.
As Peter is contemplating, The monster also realizes that instead of running in the sewers, it would be better to run on the ground as soon as possible. So, it jumps fiercely upwards at the nearest manhole cover.
Regardless of the size of the manhole cover, the Lizard smashes through it and rushes out onto the road, with Peter closely following behind.
A monster suddenly emerges from underground, causing chaos on the road. Several cars brake abruptly and collide, creating intense explosions.
As Spider-Man wants to rescue people, he watches the enormous monster trample over cars and swiftly run towards Stark Tower. Peter feels helpless. He presses the communicator on his wrist and shouts, "Mr. Stark!!! Mr. Stark!!! Are you there? Wake up!! There's a lizard monster heading towards you!! Wake up!!!"
There is no response from the communicator. Peter curses quietly and then calls Steve. He says, "Captain! Hurry up and organize the traffic! There's a monster running towards Stark Tower! On the main road east of the tower, and many people need help!!"
Just as he was about to call Schiller, he notices the lizard-like creature in front of him make a mighty leap and land directly in the parking lot surrounding Stark Tower.
Peter has to quickly follow. He shoots threads onto the glass wall of another building near Stark Tower. Then he swiftly descends, kicking the Lizard in the neck.
The huge monster stumbles, but manages to maintain its balance by using its tail.
It reaches out to grab Spider-Man. However, Stark Tower consists of several buildings, forming a surrounding structure that provides Peter with optimal mobility.
Seeing The Lizard reaching out, Peter swiftly swings past him using his webs. As he turns around, he uses another silk to stick to the Lizard's arm, intending to pull him down.
The Lizard forcefully swings its arm, breaking free from the web, and charges into Stark Tower.
The inner structure of Stark Tower is complex, but due to its immense size, each floor has high ceilings, allowing The Lizard to move freely inside.
Although Peter's previous call to Stark go unanswered, Jarvis is awake. Hearing a monster is approaching, Jarvis activates the security protocols, evacuating most of the staff and implementing all available defense measures, effectively delaying the actions of The Lizard.
However, the final authorization for the security protocols requires Stark his own authorization. Without it, numerous permanently sealed security doors cannot be closed, and many large-scale weapons cannot be activated. Although The Lizard's progress is slowed, he still lacks effective means to deal with him.
Spider-Man also realizes he lacks some powerful attacks. During the chase inside the building, he manages to knock down The Lizard a few times and use webs to trip him. However, this giant creature is resilient. No matter how many punches Peter throws, The Lizard simply shakes it off.
The monster seems to possess accelerated recovery abilities. Peter uses a broken glass shard to sever one section of The Lizard's tail, intending to disable one of his arms. Without the tail, maintaining balance becomes much more difficult for The Lizard.
However, before Peter can proceed with the next action, The Lizard's tail quickly regenerates.
As Peter swings around on the ceiling using his webs, he tries to use words to draw the creature's attention and prevent it from climbing upward.
"Hey, big guy! Where did you buy your fast-acting glue? Look here, your Spider-Dad is going to give you a good kick, like this!"
Peter swings down quickly, intending to kick The Lizard in the chest. However, The Lizard acts smartly. As Peter swings towards him, he swiftly dodges to the side, catches Peter's leg with a few spins, and then throws him away.
Peter crashes into a pile of desks before flying out through a broken window.
Fortunately, he manages to roll in mid-air and shoot a web onto the wall. He swings back from the other side of the damaged window and kicks The Lizard's back.
Although Peter has learned many fighting techniques from Steve, he is only slightly better than a street fighter. He has learned to use webs to enhance his agility and increase his strength with the help of gravity and inertia.
This tactics cannot completely beat The Lizard down, but it effectively slows down his movements. Because Peter's strength is formidable; one kick causes The Lizard to stumble, and a punch can leave the monster dazed for a while.
Both of them run and chase each other. Amidst the interference, The Lizard eventually climbs to the top floors of Stark Tower. Spider-Man helplessly shouts, "Jarvis, when will Mr. Stark arrive? Can you please hurry?"
"I am activating the emergency wake-up procedure..."
"What emergency wake-up..."
Before Peter can finish speaking, a deafening roar resounds from inside Stark Tower.
It is a rock music player with a volume of at least 100 decibels. The tremendous soundwaves cause Spider-Man and The Lizard to stumble.
"Is this your so-called emergency wake-up procedure?!!! Couldn't you have just given him headphones?!!! It is indiscriminate attack!!!" Peter shouts at the top of his lungs, but his voice is drowned out by the overpowering music.
Jarvis increases his volume and shouts, "Mr. Stark hates noise!!! It can effectively wake him up!!!"
As soon as Jarvis finishes speaking, a suit flies in through the broken window. Stark also shouts, "Enough!!! Turn it off!!! I'm already awake!!!"
When the music ends, Spider-Man, Iron Man, and The Lizard feel their heads buzzing.
Still recovering from the ringing in his ears, Spider-Man shouts, "Jarvis!!! I have to say!!! It's your most effective weapon!!!"
Stark doesn't have time for trash talk. After all, it is his home being destroyed. He initiates a powerful sprint and forcefully throws The Lizard out of Stark Tower.
The floor they are on is not low. If fall, unless The Lizard can grow wings, he will definitely turn into a puddle of flesh.
However, this monster seems to have good balance. In mid-air, he flicks his tail, hitting Stark's armor, and then somersaults, hanging onto the edge of the window. With a powerful arm swing, he leaps back into the center of the battlefield.
Stark seems to have just woken up from the effects of alcohol, as his mind is still slightly foggy. It takes him a while to get up after being struck by The Lizard.
Spider-Man continues to harass The Lizard. Stark connects with Spider-Man's comms and starts devising a battle plan.
"Listen, let's drive it to the rooftop. Then I use another suit to ambush it and knock it down from the rooftop. It can't fly, right?"
"No, it can't. If it can, it wouldn't be here anymore. But its super-fast recovery is a problem. Even if it falls, it won't die."
"But definitely it will lose its mobility."
They act immediately, Peter and Stark weaving in and out. Both of them are very agile. Stark still has control over the firepower inside Stark Tower and, with his new suit, chases after The Lizard, reaching the rooftop.
On the rooftop, Stark stands at the edge of the building, continuously firing at The Lizard. The Lizard completely ignores Spider-Man's constant harassment and charges straight towards Stark.
Stark pretends to expose a weakness and decreases his flying altitude. Just as expected, The Lizard leaps up and grabs onto Stark's suit. With the momentum, Iron Man carries him out of the rooftop. The two of them start plummeting together.
Originally, Stark intends to lure The Lizard and have him jump to the edge, then use another suit to knock him away. But the monster's actions are too quick, and it immediately latches onto the armor.
The Lizard has immense strength. The armor quickly starts to catch fire. Stark shouts from inside, "Jarvis! Electrocute him!"
"Sir, we cannot electrocute now. If the armor is destroyed, falling from such a height would kill you."
As they rapidly descend, the sound of roaring wind echoes in Stark's ears. He yells, "Electrocute now! Destroy the armor! Launch me out! Someone will catch me!"
Jarvis hesitates for a second, and then the entire suit begins to emit intense electric sparks. The pain from the electric shocks makes The Lizard release his grip. The suit explodes in a burst of electric light, and the cockpit is ejected. Stark detaches himself and begins to freefall.
Rather than saying the height is too high, it is more accurate to say that the time it takes time to fall saves Stark's life. A thread of web swings over, and Spider-Man catches Stark in time.
Soon, in the dust and smoke from the explosion, the wreckage of the exploded armor and The Lizard fall to the ground together.
As the dust settles, Spider-Man places Stark on the ground. It is a narrow escape. Falling from such a great height, even God can't save him.
Quickly, the dust and smoke dissipate. The enormous creature lies in a pit. Its limbs seem to be completely broken, and its innards are probably turned into mush.
But its superhuman recovery is still in effect. A few breaths after, its twisted bones gradually return to their positions. Spider-Man exclaims, "Oh my God! He still can regenerate! It is a real medical miracle, isn't it?"
Stark squints his eyes and murmurs, "Indeed, it is a miracle..."
"We have to keep him down quickly. If he recovers, it will be so bad."
As Spider-Man is about to move forward, another suit flies in mid-air. After equipping himself, Stark blocks his way. He says, "Its kind of regenerative ability consumes energy. His energy should be almost depleted. Let's see his true face."
Stark seems to imply something, leaving Spider-Man puzzled. What could the true face of The Lizard be? A giant lizard?
Peter says, "A few days ago, I find someone doing experiments in the sewer. This creature must be the result of his experiments. We need to catch him and find the bad guy behind all this."
While Peter explains how he discovers the traces in the sewer and encounters the creature, he glances at the pit and notices that the creature's size seems to be shrinking gradually. In just a moment, it shrinks to the size of a normal person.
Then the green color and lizard's features begin fading away from its body. Peter widens his eyes. Lying in the pit is a middle-aged man with gray hair.
"Dr. Connors!"
Peter is utterly shocked, and he even starts to stutter, "How... how can it be...? What happened to him? How can this monster be Dr. Connors?"
"I tell you this super-fast recovery ability looks familiar." Stark lifts his mask. He walks to the pit, and Peter follows behind him.
Peter incoherently says, "There must be some misunderstanding... Is he being framed? How could he become a monster? Dr. Connors is a great mentor; he helps me a lot, I..."
Stark appears somewhat silent. The face under his mask looks exhausted, as if he has just woken up from a hangover.
The man lying on the ground moves slightly. Peter no longer cares too much and quickly goes over to help him.
Fortunately, despite falling from such a great height, The Lizard's super-fast recovery mostly heals his wounds, turning him back to a human.
Dr. Connors uses his remaining strength to roll onto his back. His head is covered in blood, and his entire clothing is soaked in it. He turns his head to look at Stark and says in a low voice, "I've nearly... nearly, cough... judge you, devil..."
Stark does not mock his enemy as he usually does. He silently looks at Connors.
Peter cannot accept the situation in front of him. He says in a state of collapse, "What happens here? What is going on between the two of you? Dr. Connors, why... There must be some misunderstanding, right?"
"Peter, Peter Parker," Dr. Connors closes his eyes, his voice filled with exhaustion, "Spider-Man, you ruin..."
He stops. Whether he has no strength to continue or doesn't want to continue, Peter cannot tell.
"Yes, I'm Peter... Doctor, can you tell me what is going on?"
Dr. Connors seems to have exhausted all his energy. As a frail researcher, he can't even sit up himself.
He lies in the center of the large pit, his voice dry as he whispers, "I told you this story before, but it seems like you didn't listen carefully..."
"I was a captain, once participated in the war with the combat troops. Although I was just a medic, I held on for a full 63 hours in the most intense firing zone..."
"For this, I lost one arm and almost all my comrades..."
"We obeyed their orders, held our ground without retreating. Out of the 32 members in the team, only 6 survived. I lost my arm, and others lost their legs. But we all made it back alive..."
"Compensation... oh, yes... of course there was compensation. They checked our bodies, made us stay at the hospital for a while, and gave us some money. And then, there is nothing more..."
"Nobody care about the difficulties you will face living as a disabled person. Nobody care about the plight of not being able to open a can of food after sacrificing an arm..."
"Nobody care about the sympathetic looks to you or the impatient attitudes when you can't pick things up..."
"I just want to change this, just want to change all of this..."
Peter feels suffocated. Complex emotions churn in his chest. He takes off his mask and starts to breathe heavily.
His eyes are bloodshot, and he cries, "You do change all of this! We are so close to success. The serum for rapid healing is effective..."
"Yes, so close... I think we are so close. But then I realize, this closeness might be an insurmountable wall..."
Dr. Connors' throat movements slow down, and he continues, "We are driven away like rats. Nobody care about how much this research can change the lives of these social rubbish..."
"Even if I am just a minute away from success, I am still driven away."
He turns his head and looks at Stark with lifeless eyes, and growls, "Driven away by these devils who only care about their own interests..."
"No, it's not like that!" Peter kneels beside him, unable to control his emotions. He argues, "There must be a misunderstanding here. I think I can..."
Peter's voice abruptly stops. He takes a deep breath and covers his face. His breathing starts to tremble uncontrollably. When he notices Dr. Connors gradually losing consciousness, he truly breaks down.
"No, wait... Dr. Connors! Dr. Connors! Just hold on a little longer, we will save you..."
Peter doesn't know how he manages to say those words. Just ten minutes ago, he wishes to eliminate this monster immediately.
The situation is clear now. Under pressure from the military, Mr. Stark terminates the collaboration on medical technology which Dr. Connors is working on, the serum for rapid healing, thus turning Dr. Connors into this giant lizard creature seeking revenge on Stark.
Peter suddenly recalls, since this lizard monster is Dr. Connors, is the base he destroys the location where Dr. Connors is conducting his final research?
Is it because he destroys that base that the serum fails? Is that what turns Dr. Connors into this creature?
A feeling of suffocation overwhelms Peter. Why does this happen? Why? He just wants to do something good!
This extreme helplessness is a kind of pain Peter has never experienced before.
Dr. Connors is clearly a good man. He and his comrades sacrifice themselves for their country. After being treated unfairly, he still actively participates in research, hoping to improve the lives of these people with his intelligence and abilities.
But Mr. Stark is a good man as well. His decision to terminate the medical project cooperation is not entirely his fault. He defeats this lizard monster and saves the other people in New York.
Peter feels that he is also a good man. He acts promptly when he sees potential danger.
But now, Dr. Connors lies in the pit. Covered in blood, his condition critical. Stark stands there silently. It seems like he considers all of this as a punishment for facing his own crimes, enduring the torment.
Peter feels immense pain, even more painful than when a sharp blade pierces through his chest.
The teachers who guide him on his educational path, the mentors who provide him with the suit and protect him, the two are fighting each other.
Peter doesn't know who to help. It is like holding a double-edged sword that pierces both of their chests. Tears have nearly soaked the collar of his Spider-Man suit.
Peter stands up, facing another setting sun. In a daze, he remembers what Schiller tells him. Here, there is no black, no white, only a vague gray mist that can't be defined.
It is the true face of the world. He can't stand on the side of justice as he has imagined.
Now he finally understands, the most tragic thing in this world is not the defeat of good by evil, but the defeat of good by good.
This war between good people has no winners.