Lizard

"Li, you're so mature and levelheaded, it's hard to believe you're your age!"

George Stacy rarely showed his approval so openly. Then he sighed. "If only everyone else—especially that damned Spider-Man—had the same sense of responsibility. Maybe I wouldn't have such a headache."

"Thank you for the compliment."

Li Si accepted his future father-in-law's praise with a smile. He first shot Gwen a playful look, then pressed his advantage. "Still, I think you might want to consider giving up the hunt for Spider-Man."

"Oh? Do you have a better plan?"

If someone else had suggested that he stop hunting Spider-Man, George Stacy might have lost his temper. But coming from Lee Stein, a mature, levelheaded young man who thought things through, the idea piqued his interest.

"Maybe you could offer him a position on the force. I'm sure he'd be happy to get legal authority to enforce the law and a decent salary. Even superheroes have to eat.

"That would boost the department's credibility and give the NYPD a super cop. And you wouldn't have to worry about that street hero anymore."

Li Si made the suggestion with a mischievous grin.

"Bring him onto the force?"

George Stacy furrowed his brow and seriously considered whether it might work.

There was no guarantee that one street hero wouldn't be followed by another. Captain America's example had influenced generations, and George knew all too well how deeply the American public admired individual heroes. If the police wanted to maintain public order, they did need someone with that kind of ability.

But the department wasn't his to command. In the end, he was only a captain in Queens, with NYPD Headquarters above him. He couldn't make a decision like that on his own.

Still, he resolved to bring it up with his superiors. If the idea could be put into practice, it would be a major achievement. Even getting partial credit for it might be enough to earn him a promotion.

At the thought, George Stacy looked even more pleased with Li Si.

"Heh!"

Seeing George Stacy's frown gradually ease, Li Si smiled too.

Spider-Man becoming a super cop—just imagining it was amusing. He wondered if it might even earn him an achievement point.

Even if it didn't, he had nothing to lose. Getting his future father-in-law on his side would mean he and Gwen were already halfway to making things work. In their family, this patriarchal father had the final say.

The mood grew much more relaxed after that. It wasn't exactly lively, but the casual conversation felt more comfortable, and the awkwardness between them faded.

The meal ended on a pleasant note for everyone, but just as they were starting to feel at ease with one another, an unexpected phone call interrupted them.

"Hello?"

George Stacy apologized, then got up and stepped aside to answer the call.

Whatever he heard made his expression shift at once. His brow knitted tightly.

"Are you sure you saw it right?"

After listening to the whole thing, he spoke in a grave tone.

"Wait. I'm coming over now!"

The confirmation only worsened George Stacy's expression. In a hurry, he held the phone in one hand and began putting on his uniform with the other. He barely bothered to straighten it before heading for the door.

"There's an emergency at the station. I have to go."

George Stacy hurriedly apologized, then rushed out. Gwen's mother gestured to Gwen before following her husband to see him off.

"I'll go take a look."

Li Si knew what had happened. He told Gwen, then got up and went to the balcony.

From twenty floors up, everything below looked as tiny as ants, but he could still clearly see a police car with its lights flashing parked downstairs.

A little while later, George Stacy came out of the elevator. He hurriedly threw on his coat, climbed into the police car, and sped away without wasting a moment.

"Do you know..."

"Every time I see something like this, I get scared..."

Gwen had appeared behind Li Si at some point. She watched the police car disappear, her expression troubled. "I'm always afraid that one day he'll leave and never come back."

"Don't worry. He'll be fine!"

Li Si gently put an arm around Gwen's shoulders. He meant to comfort her, but the words that came out were teasing instead. "In a little while, I'll turn your dad into a superman like Captain America. Then you won't have to worry about his safety."

"Then I'll only worry more!"

Gwen rolled her eyes at him, but she leaned instinctively against his chest, as if only that could ease the unease in her heart.

"Lizard..."

Holding Gwen as they quietly watched the police car disappear, Li Si glanced toward Oscorp Tower and sighed.

What was meant to happen was coming at last.

He had a good impression of Dr. Curt Connors, but unfortunately, there was nothing he could do to change this.

He had noticed this in his previous life. Players could change the story, and as their influence grew, the original plot could become unrecognizable. But there was one thing they couldn't change: the completion of an identity template.

Put simply, you could change anyone's life. You could even talk a villain into becoming a superhero. But under the influence of some mysterious force, you could never stop someone from becoming what they were destined to be.

Like Spider-Man. No matter how players tried to stop it, he would still be bitten by one of Oscorp's genetically modified spiders. The only difference was how it happened.

That was the completion of an identity template. Peter Parker alone was only half the character; only when combined with the mutation did he become the complete Spider-Man, Peter Parker.

The same was true of Dr. Connors, the Lizard.

Until now, this had only been a theory, but it had just been fully confirmed. After all, he had already interfered with the key events surrounding the Lizard.

After Li Si's warning, there was no way Curt Connors would use the Lizard Serum made for the lab mice—unless he'd suddenly lost his mind. He might even have been able to finish developing the Lizard Serum with the Decay Formula Peter Parker had brought him.

But the result was plain to see. Nothing had changed. Curt Connors had still become the Lizard.