Dr. Lizard

Osborn Building.

Several helicopters circled in the pitch-black night sky, beams of light crisscrossing to illuminate a massive, agile, and incredibly strong Lizardman on the street below.

Police officers and soldiers armed with rifles and pistols coordinated their efforts, pouring endless rounds of ammunition into the green, scale-covered monster.

"General, radar has detected one... oh, two unidentified flying objects approaching!"

The army major general in the armored vehicle took the display tablet handed over by his subordinate and directly called the NYPD Chief: "George, is that your backup?"

"What?"

Chief George, charging on the front lines with a small pistol in hand, looked up and saw two metal-armored figures—one large, one small—rapidly closing in on the green monster that had already climbed up the Osborn Building.

"Since when did our police get equipment this advanced? That's not our people."

"Hey, Yuri."

Tony, inside his armor, was brimming with excitement. According to the data Jarvis had detected, he had undoubtedly arrived at the destination first. Hovering to one side of the Osborn Building, scanning the giant lizard clinging to the wall, he issued a victor's declaration to Yuri, who had just arrived: "Based on the current results, do you admit that my Mark I is the greatest creation?"

"NO!"

Yuri wasn't convinced. His Steam Armor lacked built-in navigation, and compared to Tony, who had flown along the optimal route, he had encountered plenty of trouble along the way: nearly crashing into a building around a corner, barely spotting power lines that were almost invisible, and finally deciding to follow Tony just to avoid causing unnecessary damage to the city.

"You should know our forward speeds are pretty much the same. The reason I'm behind you is that my dad built a restaurant chain, while your dad built an AI called Jarvis!"

Tony shrugged. He didn't think there was anything wrong with standing on the shoulders of giants. Just as he was about to exchange a few more words with the stubborn Yuri, Jarvis's voice rang out: "Sir, scan complete. This creature appears to be a genetically mutated human individual. It retains some intelligence and memory. Its strength is slightly inferior to your armor, but its regenerative ability is extremely strong."

"I can see that."

Tony clearly watched as bullets tore into the Lizardman's body, only to be pushed back out by wounds that healed from the inside out in less than a breath.

Just then, a bright beam of light shone on Tony and Yuri, hovering side by side. A voice amplified by a loudspeaker came from the helicopter circling above: "Report your unit and land immediately! Report your unit and land immediately!"

Yuri and Tony exchanged a glance, then accelerated to escape the searchlight's lock. They raced toward the Lizardman, who had nearly reached the rooftop. Neither said a word, but both knew: the second round of the contest between their greatest creations had already begun.

"Jarvis, prepare the Jericho Missile."

"Locked on, sir."

"Fire!"

The gold-and-red Mark I's right forearm armor opened, and a miniaturized Jericho Missile shot out, trailing a long exhaust flame as it flew toward the green lizard, whose hand had already grabbed the rooftop edge. The giant lizard seemed to sense the threat and swung its thick tail, striking the missile just before its kinetic energy peaked.

"Boom!"

Though small, the missile packed a massive punch.

A surging wave of fire mixed with a powerful shockwave swept across the entire floor. Tony, inside his armor, twitched his mouth. He remembered this place was Norman Osborn's private space.

"Sir, Jarvis advises you not to reveal your identity. Doing so could lead to hostile relations between Stark Industries and Osborn Industries."

"Wow, that's great news."

Tony replied nonchalantly. Seeing that Yuri's Steam Giant had already engaged the Lizardman, who had leaped onto the rooftop, he quickly activated his thrusters and ordered, "Jarvis, analyze the combat patterns—both of them!"

Inside his armor, Yuri had no idea that Tony was already preparing for an "Anti-Yuri Series." He blocked a heavy, powerful punch from Dr. Lizard, but before he could counter, a thick tail came out of nowhere and sent him flying.

Tony seized the moment and fired another mini Jericho Missile from his left forearm armor.

"Whoosh!"

A thin strand of webbing struck the slow-moving missile. In the next instant, the web tightened, and the missile was flung into the empty sky.

"Boom!"

Tony gritted his teeth, glaring at the fourth party in the red-and-blue skintight suit: both missiles had failed to deal any damage to the Lizardman. He could already imagine how that bastard Yuri would mock him when they got back. The gold-and-red shoulder armor opened, and a small machine gun aimed at the web-slinging pervert in the tight suit: "Who are you? Are you working with this Lizardman? Why did you stop my missile?"

"Well, sir."

Spider-Man raised his hands, curiously examining the two starkly different mechanical armors while rambling, "I saw the power of your missile. If it hit the doctor, he'd be blown to pieces. I mean, the doctor doesn't deserve to die... or rather, he still has value... uh, anyway, you can't kill him."

"Peter!"

The Lizardman, who had been punched back into the rooftop floor by a re-steady Yuri, spotted Spider-Man and roared his name in fury: "Stop pretending! I think you're the one who wants me dead the most!"

"Shut up!"

Yuri slammed his fist into Dr. Lizard's neck, as thick as a barrel. The immense force tore through flesh and muscle, snapping the fragile bones at the core. Watching Dr. Lizard twitch on the ground, Yuri suddenly felt an urge to devour him.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The thick metal arm smashed into the Lizardman's neck again and again. Most living creatures relied on their brains to control their limbs. Once the cervical spine was severed, it was high-level paralysis. This state was agonizing—able to see and hear, but unable to act, like a lonely single person stuck staring at their phone.

Yuri's five fingers pierced through the flesh of Dr. Lizard's neck, gripping the arm-thick spinal column. He dodged the web Spider-Man shot at him, ordered his armor to lift off, and looked at the helplessly raging Spider-Man and the police and military who had just arrived on the rooftop. He pointed at the green glass vial Dr. Lizard had dropped, then, under the Lizardman's venomous glare, snapped the rapidly healing spine again.

Watching Tony grab the green glass vial and ascend, Yuri shook his trophy tauntingly: "Only real combat tests equipment properly, Tony. Based on the current situation, do you admit my armor is the greatest creation?"

Tony rolled his eyes under his faceplate, dodged a searchlight beam aimed at him, and accelerated to fly ahead of Yuri: "Come to my place tonight. I think we might have a lot of work to do."

Yuri shrugged and waved amiably at Spider-Man, who was still hopping around on the rooftop trying to get close. He was curious about whose face was under that mask.

But this was clearly not the time to investigate that. He glanced at the Mark I armor fading into the night sky, turned, and followed.

Unnoticed by anyone, he quietly hypnotized Dr. Lizard in his grip, and one by one, greenish transmission tubes plunged deep into the smooth green scales.