21 My Iron Skin, part 2

"Lucky you, Red," Gabrielle hung on M.J.'s shoulder when she thought I couldn't hear them because I was listening to the resulting tune on my headphones.

They were putting the instruments together at the time, and Liz was on the phone while Gwen and I tried to take one last critical look at the fruits of today's labors. In doing so, Gwen sat on the floor, cross-legged like an avid yogi. I remember, with the spider's agility and flexibility, such postures seemed natural. I had to follow her example, except that I didn't twist my knees and sat down as I was comfortable.

Mary Jane smirked triumphantly, her eyes darting to me.

"But you know what," Gabrielle continued with a sly squint, "it was very imprudent of you to bring him here."

"Hey, don't even think about it!" M.J. was indignant, brushing her black friend's arm off her shoulder.

Though the women of this world had to put up with the polygamy of their mates, most had their own concerns. A telling example: while some hunted their future husbands in gangs, others were fundamentally opposed to a partner's relationship with their girlfriends. A woman's friendship could both strengthen such relationships and destroy them. Many decided not to complicate the equation.

"I think it worked pretty well," I said, taking off my headphones.

The girls' interference and my musical illiteracy inevitably led to a change in the music I was familiar with. But I wouldn't say it was worse. The main thing is that the motif is the same. Which means that the lyrics to it will fit. I promised to give the girls the lyrics tomorrow. I could have done it now, but I thought it would be too much. Liz was in shock enough as it was, after I'd learned to play simple tunes on her guitar in a couple of hours.

"I'll try to write the text by tomorrow, and then we can try it."

"Don't think it's that easy," Gwen grinned. She was the one who wrote the lyrics for their band's last song.

"You haven't visited Connors?" I decide not to refute her remark. "They say she's back to normal."

"Um... no, I'm not quite sure what happened there," Gwen decided to play dumb.

"Well, it's time to find out."

"Hey," someone's arms wrap around me from behind. Does M.J. like to sneak up on me like that, "Without me?"

She leans in to kiss me, and I don't stop her, though I don't think it's nice to flirt under her friends' noses like that. She's like a cat that's marking her territory.

After a few seconds, Mary Jane pulls away with a look of extreme contentment.

"Don't disappear like you did last time," she says one last time. "See you tomorrow."

After unpacking the tools, we leave the garage. Gabrielle, Mary Jane, and Liz head home with their homework for tomorrow, and Gwen and I go visit Karen. I mean, officially, neither Gwen nor I know what's happened to her.

Since Connors herself hadn't been involved in the razing of the lab, there hadn't been any reprisals against her by the authorities or her employers. All the blame was pinned on Venom. Moreover, thanks to my and Gwen's promptness, Reptile didn't even have time to make a big noise in the city. Even the eyewitnesses who'd seen her the first night weren't so sure of what they'd said. I wouldn't be surprised if Connors, so as not to draw unwanted attention to herself, soon starts teaching college classes again. According to Gwen, her classes were canceled today.

"Well," I say when she and I are alone, "don't you want to explain yourself?"

Stacy looks at me a little embarrassed.

"What are you..." She tries to play dumb again, but when she sees my skeptical look, she gives it up. "I'm sorry I burned your computer. I don't know what came over me."

"Is that it?" I ask. "What about the fact that you stole the drug from me, thereby endangering my life? The solution contained in the IV was precisely calculated. I was unconscious for almost two days because of your interference!"

"I'm really sorry! I only took a little bit. I thought I'd show it to the professor so she'd know what it was," said Gwen, her head cocked back into her shoulders.

"Oh, she's worked it out, all right!"

"What do you mean?" What an actress! She was the one who found Connors's phone, and she knows what's the basis for the synthesis of the Reptile's serum. At least she didn't try to protect Gwen Stacy from me while she was still in the Spiderwoman's disguise. She could have concealed the evidence.

"I heard the recordings Connors made," I explain, pretending not to know Gwen's great secret. "She used the sample you brought to refine the formula. You see, your actions could have gotten both me and Karen killed!"

"I know," Gwen replies in a low voice. "I did a very stupid thing. I didn't realize the consequences could be so severe. I know I can't just ask for forgiveness like it's some little thing."

"Hmm," I decide to tone it down, "though Connors herself is good, too, injecting herself with an untested serum with unknown side effects. And Spiderwoman was a great help in handling the situation. I was surprised she'd jumped at the chance to do something so dangerous without a second thought."

"Do you think," Gwen said, picking her words carefully, "she's doing the right thing? I mean, don't you think she's in the wrong?"

"She has great power," I begin spiritedly, "and with great power comes great responsibility."

Yes, I said that.

By this time we have reached our final destination: the home of Professor Connors. Something catches our attention, making us wary.

A tinted black Mercedes-Benz limousine stands at the fence. As wealthy as the Connors family is, I doubt any of them drive around town in a limousine with a private driver.

"I wonder," I say, "who could it be?"

"I know that car," Gwen suddenly replies. "This is Norma Osborne's limousine. She is the owner and founder of the multi-billion dollar company OzCorp, they supply the U.S. government. After the Army's deal with State Industries broke down, other companies began a race to become the Army's main contractor. HammerTech and OzCorp are in a fierce fight right now."

"What's the head of OzCorp doing at Connors' house?" Saying this, I try to picture a female version of Norman Osborne in my head... and I can't. There's only a laughing Goblin in front of my face.

"Norma has already called Professor Connors to her science department several times, promising a mountain of gold and unlimited funding."

"Shall we come in for a quickie?" I suggest.

"Do you think this is a good time?" Gwen hesitated.

"It's the best time," I said confidently, and headed toward the house.

I am walking toward the house, and the front door swings open, and a wave of anger reaches us.

"Get out of our house!" A man I did not know was standing in the doorway, holding the door open for my guest. But there is not a hint of politeness in this gesture.

He was tall and well-built, though I could see a noticeable beer belly under his shirt. His face was frozen in an expression that I strongly associate with a hysterical woman. His lips pressed together, his nostrils flared wide in anger, his chin tilted up, and his eyes wet. I suppose that's Karen's husband and my father's friend Jack Connors.

"Time's up, Connors!" almost shouts a voice with barely contained anger. "You can't keep such a discovery from the world! You have no right!"

"This conversation is over, Osborne!" Karen is standing at the far end of the corridor, face to face with a tall woman with sharp features. Obviously, that's Norma Osborne.

"Wrong, Connors, this is only the beginning!" Norma spits out and dashes for the exit, but at the very end she has to stop when the man who opened the door grabs her by the forearm.

"I never want to see you in my house again!" he said in a voice that was breaking off.

I grimaced. Again. Pure feminine intonation. It is the voice of those who are powerless to defend themselves, those who are afraid of conflict, but who, continuing to rely on the protection of the system, try to appear strong. That's the way some housewife from my world might talk.

Osborne's face twists with anger. She grabs the man's wrist and pulls his hand away from her forearm, pushing Jack away in the process. Except there's too much force in that push, and Jack flies back against the wall like a gutless puppet. Then he falls, staring at Norma with an expression of pure shock on his face.

"Jack!" Karen shrieks and rushes to her husband. "Are you all right? Are you hurt?"

Osborne stares at her hand in surprise for a second, then turns her gaze to the man, an unabashedly guilty expression on her face. I think she wants to apologize.

"You were out of line, Osborne!" Karen growled like an animal, glaring fiercely at Norma. "You'd better get out of here, and fast, or the whole army of OzCorp lawyers won't be able to save you."

The woman instantly returns to her former furious state and, without saying a word, whirls past us to get into her limousine. Seconds later, the car drives Norma away.

Somehow I completely missed that. You can hide the fact that Connors had something to do with crashing the lab, and that she was turning into a Reptile, but you can't hide an arm that's grown back in a couple of nights. It wasn't a problem in the world before, everyone knew Kurt was the monster, and that his arm had been restored by the Lizard's regeneration.