MARVEL:ABSOLUTE EVOLUTION (AU)

—Monday —

—Midtown High School—

The buzz of excitement in the air was hard to miss as Orita's voice echoed over the intercom, summoning everyone to the auditorium. Today's special guest was none other than Dr Curt Connors, the world-renowned geneticist who, in some universes, becomes the monstrous lizard. Honestly, sometimes I'm not sure which universe I'm in. It's like a mash-up of everything, and it makes it difficult to use my future knowledge to my advantage because I don't even know what's coming next.

Anyway, it was hard to care about a guest lecture when my mind kept drifting back to yesterday—the Chikara Dojo, Danny Rand, and the Iron Fist.

I walked into the auditorium with Gwen by my side, though I wasn't paying attention to her or the rest of the crowd. My thoughts kept circling back to Danny. How could I leverage this new connection? He had power, influence... resources. There had to be a way to turn this into an advantage.

"Peter?" Gwen's voice snapped me out of my thoughts, her tug on my sleeve pulling me back to the present.

"Huh?" I blinked and realized I was already sitting down, sandwiched between Gwen and MJ. The guys across, especially Harry and Flash, were glaring daggers at me. I couldn't help but smirk. Sitting between two gorgeous girls? Yeah, I'd be jealous too.

Leaning closer to Gwen, I whispered, "Think they hate me more for my grades or my company?"

She rolled her eyes, but I caught the small smile tugging at her lips. MJ, on the other side, gave a soft chuckle, flicking her red hair back in that effortlessly confident way of hers.

"Must be hard being so popular, Parker," she teased, her voice dripping with playful sarcasm.

"Eh, someone's gotta do it," I quipped, flashing her a grin.

Before I could revel in their exasperated looks, Principal Morita tapped the microphone, calling for attention.

"Students, it is my great pleasure to introduce today's guest speaker. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Curt Connors, a pioneer in the field of genetics and a shining example of what scientific dedication can achieve."

The applause was polite but enthusiastic as Connors stepped up to the podium. He looked every bit the part of the brilliant scientist—sharp, confident, and with an air of authority that made people listen.

"Good morning, children. My name is Curtis Connors. I'm a scientist with twin doctorates in biology and biochemistry." Curtis said with a kind smile as he looked around the class through his glasses.

A little migraine hit me as soon as Connors' eyes lingered on me for a moment but then moved to Harry, who was sitting a few seats away.

"You can address me as Dr. Connors for now. Today, I'm here to give you a very special lecture and a peek into my research upon the request of Norman Osborne, my employer—your classmate Harry's father. Special thanks to them for supporting my research and funding me." He said, glancing over to our section of the classroom.

The students in the auditorium clapped, while Harry smirked smugly. I just rolled my eyes.

'Kids.' I twirled my pencil, looking bored. Gwen, sitting beside me, was practically vibrating in her seat with excitement. 'This nerd though. How adorable.'

"Peter! He's starting! He's starting!" Gwen whispered, practically bouncing.

"Calm down, Gweneth." I chuckled and teased her.

"Hey! Don't call me that!"

"What's the matter, Gwendolyn? Are you flustered?"

"You both calm down, he's starting…" MJ said, amused and maybe a bit jealous.

"Okay…" I smirked and leaned back in my chair, turning my attention to Connors.

"I've always been fascinated by lizards' ability to regrow their missing limbs. But it was only when I lost my arm on that fateful day that I had an epiphany," Curtis continued. "It's been ten years that I've been researching, trying to take a certain part of a lizard's DNA and infuse it with different animals to help them heal from their wounds, help them regenerate their lost body parts. The results have ranged from total failure to close success, but I believe I'm very close to perfecting this formula."

Everyone held their breath.

"Once I do, there will be less pain, less suffering—there will be a way to help people heal in a revolutionary way," Curtis said, spreading his arms wide. "A world without pain. The world will turn into an ideal utopia."

'Damn, that sounds like a villain speech, thinking he's doing good.' I groaned internally.

Students began to clap, while I just sighed. 'This guy is…'

"What a freaking lunatic. He's delusional," I heard Flash whisper to Harry, who snickered. "I can't believe your dad hired a guy like this!"

I hate to say it, but I agree with the muscle brain. Curtis isn't the sanest. He's delusional if he thinks creating and granting humans an artificial healing factory is going to end all the conflict.' I mused. 'There's no such thing as a perfect utopia as long as humans are alive.'

"Well, he must have his uses; otherwise, my dad would have thrown him out a long time ago," Harry said. "Anyway, do you think Mary Jane will go out—"

I lost interest in their conversation quickly. Instead of explaining how his formula worked, Connors was just rambling on about how much he was going to change the world, and I almost fell asleep.

After the lecture, Connors opened the floor for questions. A few students hesitated before raising their hands, asking the usual: "What inspired you to become a scientist?" and "What advice do you have for young minds?"

Then I decided to join in, raising my hand confidently. When called upon, I asked, "Dr. Connors, your research on genetic splicing is groundbreaking. How do you ensure stability in hybrid DNA? Surely the risks of mutation or rejection are significant?"

Connors looked pleased at the insightful question. "An excellent point," he said. "Stability is the cornerstone of any genetic modification. My team works meticulously to map out compatibility matrices before introducing splices. It's like solving a puzzle—only the right pieces fit together without disrupting the whole."

I nodded, already thinking about how this knowledge might help me understand my transformations.

After the lecture, I waited until the crowd thinned before approaching him. Connors was packing up his materials when I stepped forward, hands in my pockets.

"Dr. Connors," I said, keeping my tone light. "Your work's impressive. I've been experimenting with genetic splicing myself—on a smaller scale, of course."

He looked up, his expression curious. "Really? What's your focus?"

"Mostly theoretical," I replied with a shrug. "But I submitted a paper to Oscorp last semester. Principal Morita mentioned it to you, I think?"

Recognition flickered in his eyes. "You're Parker. I read your paper. Smart work—ambitious, even." He paused, studying me. "You also requested to work under me, right?"

"Ah yes, I've been waiting for your response," I nodded calmly.

"Well, I could use an assistant in my lab. Someone with fresh ideas." Connors handed me his card. "You can stop by after school. I'll be waiting." He smiled enthusiastically before leaving.

Well, I had my reasons for wanting to work under him. I could get access to equipment for my lab, and I could use him as a front for the illegal money I'd gotten from thugs. To be honest, I hoped they paid well too.

I turned to leave, only to find Gwen and MJ waiting for me near the auditorium exit. Their expressions were a mix of curiosity and excitement.

"What was that about?" Gwen asked, crossing her arms. Her sharp eyes glanced toward my pocket.

"Did Dr. Connors just give you his contact info?" MJ chimed in, her voice laced with disbelief.

"Yeah," I said casually, letting the surprise linger in the air before adding with a grin, "He offered me a position as his assistant."

Both of them stared at me like I'd just announced I was running for president.

"Peter, that's amazing!" Gwen finally said, her eyes lighting up. "Do you know how rare an opportunity like that is? He's...he's Dr. Curt Connors!"

MJ, who usually leaned more toward playful sarcasm, seemed genuinely impressed.

"You? Working with Connors? I guess miracles do happen." She smirked but then gave me a playful shove. "Kidding. Seriously though, congrats, Peter. That's huge."

Gwen nudged me with her elbow, a smile spreading across her face. "Don't downplay it. This is a big deal. You've earned it."

"Mhm…" I nodded with a nonchalant attitude as we made our way out of the school gate. We said our goodbyes to MJ, who looked confused as to why we were separating since we all lived so close.

"Are you ready?" I asked with a playful tone, looking at Gwen beside me.

"Your first… step to being a hero." I chuckled and entered the construction site, pulling out a custom-made suit for Gwen that I'd made.

"Woah... Peter... is that??" Gwen exclaimed as she ran her fingers over the fabric of the suit. Well, I still had to improve it, but it'd do for now.

"Yes, you can check if it fits, or I can make some adjustments," I said since I didn't have much of her measurements.

"YASH!! THANK YOU!!" she lunged at me, hugging me tightly as her chest pressed against mine. "It means a lot… you know…" she mumbled, and I patted her back, smiling gently.

"Of course. We're in this together, okay? Now go to that corner and change into your hero suit." I chuckled, pointing to the corner, which was better than hanging out in the open.

"Ek… really?" Gwen blushed.

"Yes." I nodded with a straight face.

"Uh... it's…" Before she could say anything more, I pushed her toward the corner. "Come on... it's not like you're getting completely naked... I'll turn my back if you're that comfortable..." I said with a slightly impatient tone.

"Uh, alright…" she nodded and walked to the corner, looking back suspiciously. I just turned my back on her, focusing on the area around me.

'Heh, did you think I'm a good boy?' I smirked inwardly, my focus shifting as my eyes turned neon blue, activating a 360° view of the surroundings and saw Gwen in her cute pink bra and panties

'What's a better use for 360°?' I laughed at my perverted thoughts but wouldn't deny it. 'Let's hope I get x-ray vision next time.'