Racing Against Time
Winter crouched in the dim light of the bathroom, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the broken vent. It was clear the Lizard had used this as his way in, but the real question was: where did it lead?
Taking a deep breath, she activated her web shooter and pulled herself through the vent, entering the sewers once again. The scent of damp stone and moss filled her senses, the dim light casting eerie shadows across the walls. As she ventured deeper into the labyrinthine tunnels, Winter's thoughts raced.
Something was off. She could feel it in the pit of her stomach.
The Lizard’s attack at the school wasn’t random. He was searching for something—or someone. And the fact that Dr. Conners had come to her school meant this was personal. Winter had to find out what his plan was, and fast.
Pulling out her phone, she quickly dialed Karina.
The phone rang once, twice, before Karina’s voice came through the line. “Winter? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Winter replied, though her voice was strained from the intensity of the last battle. “Listen, I need your help. You need to go to Oscorp. There’s something there that might help us stop Dr. Conners.”
Karina hesitated for a moment, her voice laced with concern. “Oscorp? What am I looking for?”
“There’s got to be an antidote,” Winter explained, glancing around the darkened tunnel. “Dr. Conners—he’s planning something big, and I think it has to do with turning people into lizards. He already did it to himself, and now he’s trying to spread it to everyone else in the city.”
Karina’s voice sharpened with urgency. “What? Turning everyone into—Are you serious?”
“I wish I wasn’t,” Winter said grimly. “He’s lost it, Karina. You need to find the antidote formula at Oscorp. I think there’s still time to stop him, but you have to be careful. He might be headed there too.”
Karina's voice softened, worry evident in her tone. “Winter... you be careful too. This is getting really dangerous.”
Winter smiled despite the tension. Karina's concern warmed her heart. “I will. I promise.”
After the call ended, Winter immediately dialed Ningning.
“Where the hell are you now?” Ningning’s voice snapped through the phone before Winter could even say hello. She could hear the worry in her tone, though Ningning was doing her best to mask it with frustration.
“I’m in the sewers,” Winter answered, keeping her voice low. “I think I found Dr. Conners’ lab. He’s got some sort of plan to turn people into lizards. I don’t know the details yet, but I’m going to figure it out.”
“Of course you’re in the sewers,” Ningning sighed dramatically. “Because where else would a superhero go on a Tuesday afternoon?”
Winter rolled her eyes, though she couldn’t help but smile at Ningning’s sarcasm. “Look, I need you to stay ready. This could get messy.”
“Messy? Winter, it’s already messy. You almost got shredded by that overgrown iguana earlier. Just... be smart about this, okay?”
“I will. I’m going to stop him, Ning,” Winter said with determination.
“Yeah, you better,” Ningning muttered, before adding more softly, “Just don’t get yourself killed. I’m still working on fixing your suit, and I’d rather you be alive to use it.”
“Thanks for the pep talk,” Winter replied dryly. “I’ll keep you updated.”
Winter pocketed her phone and continued deeper into the tunnels. The sewers were a maze of pipes and waterlogged paths, but her spider-senses guided her. She felt something pulling her toward a specific direction, a faint hum in the back of her mind. Eventually, she found a hidden doorway behind a series of crumbling stone pillars.
Pushing the door open, Winter stepped into what looked like a makeshift lab. It was dimly lit by overhead lamps, casting a sickly green glow across the equipment. Beakers, test tubes, and scientific instruments cluttered the room, but what caught Winter’s attention were the large vats of liquid in the corner of the lab. The liquid inside glowed faintly, and she recognized it instantly.
This was no ordinary lab.
Winter cautiously approached a table that held a series of blueprints and diagrams. Her eyes scanned the notes, her stomach twisting as she pieced together what was happening.
Dr. Conners hadn’t just mutated himself—he had been working on a formula to transform others. On one of the walls, a blueprint detailed a machine that would disperse the serum into the air, allowing it to spread throughout the city. It wasn’t just about turning people into lizards—he wanted to create an entire army of them.
“Holy—” Winter muttered under her breath. She could feel the adrenaline kicking in as she realized the scale of what Dr. Conners was planning. If this serum got out, the entire city would be infected.
She flipped through more of the documents, her heart pounding faster with every page. There were drawings of the city’s layout, marks on key locations where the serum could be released, and detailed instructions on how to operate the machine that would trigger the transformation.
And then it hit her.
Oscorp.
Dr. Conners was planning to use Oscorp’s lab and technology to distribute the serum on a massive scale. He was going to turn the city into lizards. She had to stop him.
Winter immediately bolted out of the lab, her heart racing as she climbed through the tunnels back toward the surface. She grabbed her phone and quickly dialed Karina again.
“Karina, you have to get out of Oscorp now!” Winter shouted, her voice echoing in the tunnel. “He’s coming for the lab—he’s going to use Oscorp to release the serum!”
But Karina’s voice was calm, if not a bit stubborn. “I’m not leaving until I get the antidote.”
“Karina, listen to me!” Winter pleaded. “You’re in danger. Please—just leave before he gets there.”
But Karina wouldn’t budge. “I’ll be fine, Winter. You’ve done your part, now let me do mine. I’m not going anywhere until I’ve got what we need.”
Winter cursed under her breath. Karina’s determination was admirable, but it was also terrifying. She was going to put herself in the crosshairs of the Lizard if she stayed there. But Winter knew Karina—there was no convincing her once her mind was made up.
“Just... be careful, okay?” Winter muttered, feeling the weight of dread settle in her chest.
“I will,” Karina assured her before ending the call.
Winter clenched her fists, frustration bubbling up inside her. She couldn’t protect Karina and stop Dr. Conners at the same time. Time was running out, and the Lizard was already on the move.
With no other choice, Winter raced through the tunnels, desperate to stop the Lizard before it was too late.