Beep!
Ethan Hayes checked his phone and saw the message.
[Let's talk—Black Widow]
Ethan thought for a moment before responding: "Not free at the moment, fishing in the Atlantic."
Beep!
A second message popped up.
[A lizard monster appeared in New York, killing 156 civilians, including 78 children!] Natasha Romanoff texted again.
"It'll take me some time to get back," Ethan replied, setting the phone down. He got another notification, but didn't bother to check.
Lizard monster? Ethan thought, recalling Dr. Connors' experiments with lizard genetic modification fluid. Looks like he went through with it…
"Ethan, come give me a hand!" Gwen called out from the deck of the boat.
Ethan smiled, walking out in his swimsuit to see Gwen emerging from the water, holding a massive lobster.
"Wow!" Ethan laughed, giving her a thumbs up. "You're like a sea spider now!"
Diving into the Atlantic without any diving gear and bringing up such a catch showed how much Gwen had changed since gaining her powers. Ethan helped her onto the boat, admiring the graceful way she moved.
The sight of Gwen, dripping wet and radiant in the sunlight, was breathtaking. Ethan couldn't look away.
Gwen noticed and rolled her eyes. "Now I understand how you wrote Fifty Shades of Grey," she teased, still feeling a faint ache from their time together.
"You're just in time," Ethan said, grabbing the lobster. "I'll make you baked lobster with cheese. It's going to be great!"
Gwen grinned. "I hope your cooking is as good as you say."
As Ethan prepared the lobster, Gwen's phone rang. She picked up, her smile fading as she listened.
"Mom, I'm fine… I'll be home in a few hours… Okay." Gwen hung up the phone, her expression serious.
Ethan, noticing her change in mood, put down his tools and asked, "What's wrong?"
"A lizard monster appeared on the Manhattan Bridge last night," Gwen said sadly. "It killed 156 people, including 78 children. My dad went to help with the situation and got injured."
Ethan's face darkened. He immediately embraced Gwen to comfort her. "Your dad's going to be fine," he said softly.
But internally, he was seething. How could Connors harm so many people? Ethan decided there and then—he was going to take care of it.
Without hesitation, Ethan started the boat and headed back to shore. He couldn't let his future father-in-law, George Stacy, suffer because of Connors' actions.
At the same time, Natasha Romanoff, who had given up trying to reach Ethan, started digging deeper into the lizard monster's identity. With data provided by Nick Fury, she quickly zeroed in on Dr. Connors as the suspect. Noticing the scientist's history of a missing arm, Natasha figured he had attempted something drastic.
Disguised as a reporter, Natasha went to Osborn Group to investigate Dr. Connors further. However, when she arrived, security informed her that Dr. Connors was not available. Instead, Harry Osborn, Norman's son, stepped in to greet her.
"Hi, I'm Harry Osborn. If you're interested in the Osborn Group, I can show you around," he said with a charming smile.
Harry, known for his playboy ways, was instantly attracted to Natasha. She exuded a mature elegance that was different from the girls he was used to at school.
"I'm Natasha Romanoff, a reporter for the New York Times," she introduced herself, shaking his hand.
With Harry's assistance, Natasha toured the Osborn facilities, though she quickly realized that he didn't know much about the operations of the company. Harry was only there because of the chaos caused by Dr. Connors' rampage, and because his father, Norman, was gravely ill. The situation had forced Harry to take a more visible role.
By the end of her visit, Natasha hadn't uncovered anything new about Connors, but she made a mental note of Harry's fascination with her.
Meanwhile, deep in the underground sewers, Dr. Connors awoke, disoriented. He found himself surrounded by the remnants of his rampage from the night before. Looking at the experimental records, he saw the madness he had caused and felt a wave of guilt. But another voice inside him—an indifferent, sinister voice—urged him to embrace what he had done.
He caressed his now-regrown arm, realizing the serum was still unstable. Yet, there was no turning back.
"If only I could create a perfect world," Connors muttered to himself. His mind spiraled deeper into delusion, convincing himself that his work was righteous, that he was creating a world free of disease, pain, and exploitation.
"Yes, a world of perfect species. No sickness, no suffering, no more greed!"
His voice echoed through the sewer as he rationalized his actions. William—his superior at Osborn—had forced his hand. It was all his fault.
Back at the hospital, Ethan accompanied Gwen to see her father, Captain George Stacy. As they entered the room, George glared at Ethan, eyes full of suspicion. He wasn't thrilled that his daughter had spent the night away from home, especially with Ethan.
Oblivious to her father's thoughts, Gwen rushed to his side. "Dad, are you okay?"
George's expression softened as he reassured her that he would be fine. But as Ethan stood by, he could feel George's protective instinct radiating off him.
Ethan knew this was only the beginning. Dr. Connors had set something in motion, and it was up to him to make sure things didn't spiral further out of control. With Gwen now involved and George injured, the stakes were higher than ever.
The flames of Hell's Kitchen were about to engulf New York in ways no one could predict.
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