Super Brain, Tell Me What to Do?

"So, you want me to go find Curt Connors with you?"

Benny asked.

Just a few minutes ago, he had said goodbye to Harry and arranged to deal with the lab over the weekend.

As for Mary Jane's invitation, he could only apologize.

Yet before he could even get home, Peter had called and found him.

It was still about Curt Connors.

"Connors needs help now!" Peter said guiltily. "His experiment turned him into a monster, and it was all because of me..."

"Hmm..." Benny pondered, putting on a thoughtful expression.

Honestly, Benny was quite willing to help Connors. The doctor was kind-hearted as well and wanted to use his inventions to benefit humanity. Besides, Osborn had just kicked him out. If Benny could bring him into Primus Technology, he would gain a valuable asset.

If they could crack the side effects of the Lizard Serum, the serum might transform the entire medical industry.

Countless disabled people could have healthy bodies again!

Benny just really did not want to crawl through sewers with Peter.

"I have no other choice, Benny." Peter said dejectedly. "I always mess things up. I can't do anything right."

"This is all my fault. If I hadn't given my dad's formula to Connors..." He covered his face with one hand. "I know I should take responsibility myself, but I can't. I can't do it. I don't know where he is, and I don't know if I can save him. I need your help, Benny!"

Seeing Peter like this, Benny first felt sorry for him, then asked with some confusion, "If you wanted to find him, why did you let him leave when you were at Osborn Tower this afternoon?"

Honestly, when Peter met Connors earlier today, that should have been the best chance to catch him.

The effects of his serum had already worn off. He had clearly gone to Osborn Tower to retrieve more serum or obtain ingredients. In other words, Connors had not possessed much ability to resist at the time.

"Uh..." Peter froze, then looked even more downcast. "I-I was too nervous then..."

He had actually forgotten that!

Thinking back on it now, Peter practically wanted to slap himself.

Sure enough, he really was useless. Even with Superpowers, he still could not accomplish anything.

That only made him more certain that he could not do without Benny's help, and the look he gave Benny became more eager.

But Benny realized that Peter had misunderstood something.

"You said this was all your fault, but it really isn't, Peter," he said. "Without you, things would only have been worse."

"What do you mean?"

"Osborn fired Connors because his experiments kept failing and because he refused to conduct human trials. Even if you hadn't told him your father's formula, Connors would have taken the risk anyway. From the beginning, the person truly at fault was neither you nor Connors," Benny said.

"So, you don't need to blame yourself, much less take responsibility for this."

Peter fell silent for a while after hearing that, but still said, "Even if you say that, I can't just leave the doctor alone."

Benny was not surprised. Peter was kind, after all.

"I don't mind helping you," Benny said. "But forget about having me go looking for him with you."

He recalled Peter's sewer battle with the Lizard Man. The two of them had practically drunk all that stinking sewage dry.

"I know where Connors might be hiding," he said.

"Really?" Peter looked at him in surprise. "But how would you know? You've never even met Connors, let alone the Lizard Man."

Benny could answer Peter's question. "Connors studies cross-species genetics, right?"

Peter nodded.

"A species' genes influence its survival habits. Just like us: after gaining spider Superpowers, we naturally like swinging around high in the air."

Even Azmuth could not change that. When Benny used the Little Broken Watch to transform into Alien Heroes, he would also be influenced by their genes. For example, XLR8 made him more impatient than usual, while Four Arms made him enjoy fighting more.

Benny in the cartoon had even laid eggs after transforming into Big Chill...

Of course, Azmuth might be able to solve that problem, but the watch existed to preserve the diversity of intelligent species in the universe. Naturally, he would not deliberately erase the unique habits of living creatures.

"By your logic, Connors extracted lizard genes, and lizards prefer damp, dark environments. In all of New York, where best fits those conditions?" he asked.

Damp?

Dark?

Peter immediately thought of the sewers.

"New York has an extensive underground pipe system. If Connors is anywhere right now, I'd guess he's down there."

"I'll go right now!" Peter immediately wanted to act.

But Benny grabbed his shoulder.

"Wait."

"I can't wait any longer, Benny. I have to find the doctor quickly and make up for my mistake!" Peter said anxiously.

"Is that so? How are you going to make up for it?"

"I..."

"Once you find Connors, what do you plan to do? If he turns into the Lizard Man again, how will you deal with him? How will you turn him back?" Benny's string of questions left Peter silent.

Every question hit the nail on the head, yet he had never considered any of them.

Peter was smart, but sometimes he was not good at applying that intelligence.

Like every time Superman used his super-intelligence, the answer he got was—charge through it with your super-strength.

Peter was the same. Though he had only possessed spider abilities for a short time, he had already become overly reliant on Superpowers. Before every action, Peter made almost no preparations. Most of the time, he only used super-strength to solve problems. Even when danger arose, Spider-Sense would save his life.

But he had forgotten that extraordinary intelligence was humanity's greatest treasure.

"You're right..." Peter's whole body sagged.

"I need to develop an antidote to the serum, but can I do it? What if I mess up the antidote again?"

Peter said it uncertainly.

This time, though, his concern was valid.

In fact, so the Lizard Man could be repeatedly dragged back out as a villain in the comics, the Lizard Serum was almost never permanently effective.

"How about this? You go find Connors, and I'll help you make the serum."

After thinking for a moment, Benny said, "Bring me your father's notes."