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*****
{Chapter: 53 - Punishing A Stupid Lizard}
While Blink diligently followed Aiden's instructions and trained to refine her mutant ability in the open courtyard behind the warehouse they used as a temporary base, Aiden remained still in his corner, standing before a frozen, pulsating mass of dark metallic substance placed in front of him. This was no ordinary object. It was Gravitonium, the rare and reality-bending material that had now housed the body of Dr. Franklin Hall he took it out from his inventory.
Right now, however, the substance looked… dead.
It lying lifelessly, silent, without the slightest ripple of energy or spiritual signature. There was no vibration, no flicker, not even the faint hum that he had felt when it first entered his inventory. If he hadn't seen it absorb Dr. Hall with his own eyes, he might have doubted whether anything had truly happened at all.
Aiden furrowed his brow. He stepped closer in his mindscape, circling the floating ore. "System," he asked calmly, "if I try to devour this now, will I receive any ability? Or at least some insights into gravity manipulation?"
A cold, mechanical voice echoed inside his mind.
[It is currently in a dormant state. It is undergoing internal reconfiguration. It should be changing from the inside—what can be described as a phase of self-adjustment. Absorption is not possible at this time.]
"Self-adjustment?" Aiden echoed, narrowing his eyes. "Tch… Dr. Hall's consciousness must be interfering with the process. Or maybe he's fusing with it entirely. I guess I'll have to wait until he completes his transformation into Graviton before I can claim that ability for myself."
He clenched his fists slightly in frustration. The potential of gravity manipulation was immense. If he could obtain and control it now, it would change the trajectory of their entire mission. And yet, the treasure dangled right in front of him, untouchable for the time being.
As for considering the possibility of recruiting Dr. Hall, he had already dismissed the idea.
Dr. Franklin Hall—or rather, Graviton—was a genius, a man whose intellect rivaled the second level greatest scientific minds in the world. But more than that, he was a volatile and dangerous presence. A man corrupted by ambition and the godlike power he gained. Recruiting someone like him would be like keeping a venomous snake in your sleeve—sooner or later, it would strike. Betrayal would not be a matter of if, but when.
No. Better to devour the power than try to tame the monster.
With those considerations in mind, he placed the mass of Gravitonium back into the system's inventory.
Just as he was did this, a voice pierced the silence—an urgent cry from the physical world.
"Aiden! Aiden!"
He turned toward the training yard, where Blink came sprinting toward him—her breaths ragged, cheeks flushed, violet eyes wide with panic.
She looked shaken. Terrified.
"Blink?" Aiden rose immediately, her expression snapping his instincts into full alert. Without a word, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her trembling frame, pulling her close, his warmth pressing against her back.
"Easy… breathe," he murmured into her ear, his voice low and steady. "I've got you. Now tell me—what happened?"
Her heart pounded against his chest as she clung to his arms for just a moment too long. "I… I have a friend—she's in trouble," Blink said, voice quivering. "She just contacted me… someone's chasing her, and she needs help now. I can't let her face that alone. I have to go. Will you come with me?"
Aiden didn't even blink. "Of course I will. You don't have to ask."
She looked up at him, breath catching in her throat at the intensity in his eyes. That gaze—steady, protective—made her feel both safe and strangely exposed. Her fingers lingered against his chest longer than they should have before she pulled back.
"She's… she's someone important to me," Blink continued, her voice quieter. "Tell me—can we really make it in time? Can I count on you?"
He gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You can always count on me. But I need to know more. Who is she… and who's coming after her?"
"She's a mutant. I only met her a few days ago. Her name is Sarah. She has the ability to grow and control her bones—like, literally protrude bone weapons from her body. She also has an enhanced metabolism and healing factor. Kind of like Wolverine, but different. I helped her escape once already, but now someone else is after her. She called me in a panic. I don't know all the details—but it sounded bad."
Aiden's expression shifted. "A mutant with accelerated healing and bone weaponry… her name is Sarah?"
He paused, searching through his memories.
Marrow. That had to be her. In the comics, she was known for her combat prowess and her unique dual-heart physiology, making her one of the more durable mutants in the underground scene. Brutal, aggressive, and often misunderstood. But also fiercely loyal when she found someone she could trust.
"Alright," Aiden said, his tone resolute. "Let's go."
Blink nodded quickly and raised her hands, conjuring a glowing purple crystal throwing in the air it expanded into a shimmering oval-shaped portal. Aiden stepped through without hesitation.
In the blink of an eye, they emerged inside what looked like an abandoned subway station. The place reeked of rust, mold, and old rainwater. Dim overhead lights flickered and buzzed. Cracked tiles and scorched pillars marked the area, suggesting past fights had taken place here.
A second later, footsteps echoed through the darkness—fast, erratic, almost desperate.
A girl sprinted toward them, her long coat tattered and flapping behind her. Her bones protruded slightly from her forearms like makeshift blades. Her skin glistened with sweat, and her eyes locked onto Blink with visible relief.
"Clarice! You came!" she shouted, her voice raw. Then her eyes darted to Aiden. "Who the hell is he?"
"He's with me," Blink said quickly. "His name's Aiden. My boss."
Before she could say more, Sarah cut in, panic still lacing her voice. "Good. Great. Whatever. Just open another portal. We need to go. Now. I tried to injure him to slow him down, but the bastard can heal! He's right behind me!"
Blink immediately began conjuring another portal—but before she could activate it, Aiden raised a hand to stop her.
"Wait."
Sarah and Blink looked at him, startled.
"And this," Aiden said calmly but firmly, "is going to keep happening. Again… and again… and again."
He walked forward, standing between the girls and the shadowy corridor from which Sarah had just escaped.
"You know why you're in this mess again so soon after being saved once?" he continued, eyes narrowing. "Because you keep running. You hide, you escape, and then you hide again. But hiding won't fix the problem. One day, you'll run out of places to hide. One day, they'll find you no matter what hole you crawl into. So what will you do then?"
Blink looked away, guilt flickering in her eyes.
Sarah, breathing hard, looked both defiant and ashamed. "I… I didn't ask to be hunted."
"No one ever does," Aiden replied. "But you have power, Sarah. You're not helpless. You have strength. So why not fight? Why not make it so that they fear chasing you ever again?"
His eyes locked onto hers with a commanding intensity.
"You say someone is after you. Tell me—where is he now?"
"He's coming from that direction," Marrow said, almost subconsciously. Her eyes, sharpened by instincts honed from years of surviving underground, narrowed toward the echoing corridor. Her fingers twitched, already forming jagged bone protrusions from her wrists — a reflex born of countless close calls.
Aiden turned to her, his expression unreadable. "I heard you can create and manipulate bones as weapons," he said, voice low but calm. "But do you know how to fight using them?"
Marrow hesitated. "No… I've mostly just used them to scare people away. Or defend myself."
Aiden gave a faint nod. "That's fine. Fighting can be taught. Instinct is harder. You've got that part down."
Without another word, he turned and continued walking. The path ahead was dark, the overhead lights flickering weakly — a testament to the abandoned nature of the subway tunnel. Blink and Marrow followed close behind, both of them more alert now. There was an eerie silence, punctuated only by the distant dripping of water and the occasional creak of metal echoing through the emptiness.
The tunnel eventually opened up into a large, hollow underground chamber. It was cavernous — perhaps an old stormwater overflow or a forgotten maintenance sector. Rusted ladders led up into shadowed ceiling vents, and scattered debris littered the floor. Broken rail ties, discarded crates, even the carcass of a long-dead rat painted a vivid picture: this place hadn't been touched in years.
Aiden paused, scanning the area. There was something primal in his gaze — a predator sensing another predator in his domain.
"Isn't he afraid?" Marrow whispered to Blink. Her voice trembled with concern. "He doesn't know what's down here. What if he gets hurt… or worse?"
Blink glanced at her, then back at Aiden's silhouette up ahead. "He's not afraid. He's… confident," she replied softly. "And maybe he's right. Running forever won't save us. We need to fight — to become strong, not just survive."
A feral roar interrupted them. The sound was guttural and wet, echoing through the chamber like the growl of some prehistoric beast. It rattled the floor beneath them, sending a shiver up their spines.
Aiden rolled his shoulders and tilted his head back. "Stay alert. Watch your surroundings. And whatever happens—don't get close unless I say so."
Heavy thuds followed. One after another, as if something massive was stomping toward them through the dark. Pipes rattled. Water sloshed down from a busted valve. A pair of glowing yellow eyes gleamed from a nearby tunnel.
A moment later, he emerged.
Thick, green scales. A towering reptilian body rippling with raw muscle. A long, powerful tail dragged behind him, swaying like a wrecking ball. Clawed feet gouged the concrete floor with every step.
Professor Curt Connors. No—The Lizard.
Aiden's brow rose in surprise. "Professor Lizard, huh?" he muttered. "I thought Spider-Kid was your usual sparring partner. What are you doing down here with the mutants?"
The creature hissed, baring rows of jagged teeth, but didn't reply. It lowered its body, tail twitching, clearly preparing to pounce.
"You really want to fight me?" Aiden called out mockingly. "Go play in the sandbox with Spidey. This doesn't concern you."
The Lizard ignored the taunt. His cold, animal eyes fixated instead on Marrow — the person he was after. And in the next second, he lunged.
"Watch out!" Marrow yelped, stumbling back as the beast barreled toward her.
But Aiden was already in motion.
He intercepted the creature mid-charge, ducking under its lashing tail with surgical precision. With a growl of effort, he grabbed the Lizard by the tail and spun his body, using sheer centrifugal force.
BOOM!
The Lizard was slammed into a support pillar, sending chunks of concrete exploding in every direction. Dust filled the chamber. Marrow covered her face, coughing.
"No way…" she gasped. "Did he just—"
A low snarl echoed from the rubble. The Lizard wasn't finished yet. He staggered out of the debris, growling with fury, his tail swaying like a serpent. He charged again.
Aiden's grin widened. "You're persistent. I'll give you that."
The tail lashed toward him again.
This time, he didn't dodge.
He punched it.
CRACK!
The sound of bone and cartilage breaking filled the air. The Lizard shrieked in pain, his tail visibly deformed from the blow. The Lizard's tail was crushed by Aiden's super strength. But Aiden wasn't done. His next punch struck the creature square in the chest.
BOOM!
The impact launched the Lizard backward like a missile, slamming him through a rusted metal beam. He landed in a heap, motionless.
The dust finally settled.
Marrow blinked in disbelief. "That… That can't be right. He's The Lizard. He fights Spider-Man all the time. How is he… this weak?"
Blink stepped forward, her voice quiet but sure. "He's not weak… Aiden is just that strong."
Aiden cracked his knuckles and turned to them. "That's what happens when you combine power with purpose."
*****
"By now, you've probably heard that India has launched missiles toward Pakistan. I live in India — and while the chances of a full retaliation are low, if one does happen, my city, Jaipur, would likely be a primary target.
So, if you don't hear from me for the next fifteen days, there's a chance I'm either lying in a hospital bed… or I've left this world altogether.
Until then… take care."