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[Frog] Chapter 7: Did Connors' Experiment Succeed?
🕑 Added 2024-08-19 11:42:59 +0000 UTCIn the afternoon.
State University.
As the final class bell rang, Alan slowly stood up from his desk, shouldered his backpack, and prepared to head home. With school ending early today, Alan planned to explore nearby stores for fitness equipment to buy and use at home.
At this moment, Gwen, who had been sitting behind him, immediately stood up and walked over to Alan. "I don’t think you’re in a hurry tonight, are you?"
"How do you know?" Alan asked with a smile.
"Because you were packing up very slowly today," Gwen replied, a bit embarrassed under Alan’s amused gaze. She quickly added, "Since I’m free now, I can show you around the campus."
"And give you a chance to fulfill your promise from yesterday."
"But didn’t your dad say this morning that your mom made a delicious dinner tonight and wants you to come home?"
"He often says that. Actually, my mom rarely cooks," Gwen said with a smile.
"Well, in that case, I have no reason to refuse an invitation from such a beautiful girl," Alan said.
"You turned me down yesterday," Gwen responded with a hint of displeasure.
Alan’s face reddened. It seemed that girls really do hold grudges.
He quickly changed the subject, "Let’s go for a walk around the campus first. Don’t stay out too late."
"Otherwise, we might miss out on the steak."
Hearing that Alan remembered the promised steak, Gwen’s face lit up. "Then let’s go."
Empire State University’s campus was quite large. Alan followed Gwen for nearly an hour. As the sun began to set, they had almost explored the entire campus.
Alan couldn’t help but marvel at the university, which was indeed a top institution in New York City.
The facilities were comprehensive, with various laboratories covering different technological fields.
"Gwen, what’s that building over there used for?"
Alan noticed a laboratory that looked relatively new and unique compared to the others they had seen.
Unlike the multi-story buildings of the other labs, this one was a single-story building and seemed somewhat out of place with its surroundings.
"That’s Dr. Connors’ reptile biology laboratory," Gwen explained.
"Dr. Connors?" Alan recognized the name and had a faint suspicion. Could this be the Connors who researched limb regeneration and eventually became the Lizard?
"Yes, Dr. Connors was once an excellent battlefield doctor, but he lost his right arm in a KB attack. Afterward, he retired from the front lines and turned to biological research."
"Two years ago, he came to State University and established the Reptile Biology Laboratory here."
After hearing Gwen’s explanation, Alan was certain that this was the Connors who would later become the Lizard.
"Since we’re here, let’s go in. I want to introduce you to a good friend of mine. He’s a genius."
Seeing Gwen’s expression, Alan had already guessed that her good friend was likely Peter Parker, who would become Spider-Man in the future.
Following Gwen, Alan stepped into Dr. Connors’ laboratory.
As they pushed open the door...
Before their eyes were various glass cabinets, each housing different reptiles from around the world. Some of the reptiles were familiar to Alan, while others were not.
Gwen, seeming accustomed to everything around her, walked toward the interior of the lab.
Soon, the two saw two figures in white lab coats standing intently at a test bench. In the cage before them was a small white rabbit with its forelimbs amputated.
One of the younger men held a syringe filled with a green liquid. It was unclear whether it was a drug or something else.
"Peter, are you ready?"
"Sure thing, Dr. Connors," came the brief reply, which immediately allowed Alan to identify them.
"They're conducting an important experiment. Let’s not disturb them," Gwen whispered to Alan.
Nodding, Alan was also curious whether the gene serum Peter held could truly regenerate the rabbit's amputated limbs.
Peter, concentrating, inserted the syringe into the rabbit’s vein and pushed the entire contents into its body. Afterward, both he and Dr. Connors observed the rabbit’s reaction closely.
Ten minutes passed with no change in the rabbit. Gwen began to lose patience and was about to say something when Alan grabbed her arm.
"Wait, the rabbit seems to be changing," Alan said, his heightened perception due to his mental training allowing him to sense a subtle shift within the rabbit.
Not only was Gwen losing patience, but even Dr. Connors was growing impatient. Despite being a scientist, his patience had worn thin from repeated failures over the past two years.
Just as he was about to declare the experiment another failure, Peter exclaimed, "Dr. Connors, look!"
Dr. Connors’ eyes lit up as he noticed the rabbit starting to react.
Unlike previous instances where the gene serum either led to immediate death or no reaction at all, and sometimes even caused the rabbit’s body to burst from the strain, this time the reaction was slow but apparent.
The amputation site of the rabbit began to twitch involuntarily, especially the missing forelimb, which moved with a peculiar frequency as though something were growing from that spot.
Both Dr. Connors and Peter Parker were visibly excited, unable to contain their anticipation.
Finally...
Could this be the breakthrough they had been waiting for?
The next moment, the rabbit convulsed and collapsed.
Alan’s expression faltered, his mouth twitching. The rabbit had died!
Was that it?
Peter’s face fell immediately, his excitement turning to dismay.
Dr. Connors' expression, on the other hand, was a complex mix of emotions—anger, disappointment, or something else entirely.
With a weary tone, Dr. Connors announced, "Experiment 4796, failed."
Hearing this, Peter’s shoulders slumped, and Gwen, seeing his dejection, spoke softly, "Peter..."
