Chapter 70: Dr. Connor and Peter’s Monster Legion Attack the Ball

Ethan Hayes knocked on the door of the house next door. Dressed in a sky-blue suit, his tall and well-built frame made him look even more dashing, drawing all of Ms. Tracy's attention.

"Ethan, you look absolutely handsome today," Ms. Tracy complimented.

"Thank you," Ethan replied modestly.

Though he hadn't originally cared much for the school dance, the excitement of the evening had drawn him in. Standing at the bottom of the staircase, he waited for Gwen to come down, while Howard and Roya, the two mischievous kids, looked up at Ethan enviously.

They were imagining their future selves, dressed in their best, waiting for their special someone, just as Ethan was doing tonight.

Finally, Gwen descended the stairs, wearing a stunning white fishtail dress that made her the center of attention.

"Oh, dear, you look absolutely gorgeous tonight," Ms. Tracy exclaimed, beaming at her daughter.

"Thanks, Mom," Gwen said, smiling as she gracefully made her way to Ethan.

Ethan's eyes lit up as he admired her. "Gwen, you look like a goddess straight out of mythology," he said, full of admiration.

"I'm glad you like my choice," Gwen replied happily.

"Mom, we're heading out," Gwen said as she took Ethan's arm.

"Have fun, you two!" Ms. Tracy called out, waving them off.

At Midtown High, the prom was in full swing. The young men and women were transformed into dapper gentlemen and radiant ladies, all eager to show off their dance partners.

The arrival of a luxury car on the red carpet caused quite a stir, as Mary Jane Watson stepped out in a red low-cut pleated dress, catching everyone's attention. She was accompanied by Harry Osborn, the wealthy second-generation heir.

Harry, though visibly uninterested, maintained his composure, flashing polite smiles.

Suddenly, the roar of an engine caught everyone's attention as a red, lightning-like sports car sped up to the red carpet. Gwen stepped out, standing by the car as Ethan quickly parked it. When he emerged, all eyes were on him.

"Is that Ethan Hayes?"

"Is that his Ferrari?"

"Isn't Gwen's dress from Chanel's latest collection? I heard they only made one of these."

"Ethan Hayes is so low-key!"

Everyone watched in awe and jealousy as Gwen, dressed in her Chanel gown, walked arm-in-arm with Ethan. Whispers filled the air:

"Lucky Gwen!"

"No one would've guessed Ethan was this rich."

The crowd buzzed as Ethan and Gwen walked up the red carpet, arm-in-arm, with Hannah snapping pictures as the photographer.

"Gwen, Ethan, smile!" Hannah called, as she captured the moment under the glowing lights.

Outside Midtown High, on the rooftop of a nearby building, Dr. Connor stood with binoculars, watching the prom.

"Peter, are you sure you want to give your classmates an unforgettable night?" Dr. Connor asked coldly, putting down the binoculars.

His amber-colored pupils, now reptilian, reflected only indifference, a sign of the cold-blooded instincts that came with his lizard transformation.

Peter Parker stood beside him, his eyes locked on the dance. When he saw Gwen in her white mermaid dress, arm-in-arm with Ethan, his heart ached as if pierced by a blade.

"Harry will remember me. Before I leave New York, I need to say goodbye," Peter muttered.

Dr. Connor chuckled. "Don't worry about Harry. After all, your real target is Ethan Hayes. And Gwen… she's a good girl."

Peter's lips curled into a smirk. "Tonight's test will show just how much control we have over our new monster army."

"Indeed," Dr. Connor agreed, now focused. "The data we collect tonight will be crucial. We can refine our process and select the best animal genes for future experiments."

The people used for this round of experiments were provided by HYDRA. All of them had one thing in common: they were violent criminals—murderers, captured militia members, Colombian mercenaries, and undercover agents.

Dr. Connor had selected failed genetic serums from Osborn's gene bank, modified them, and conducted human trials.

"The prom is starting. Let them loose," Peter ordered through his earpiece.

Dr. Connor patted Peter on the shoulder. "Let's get out of New York. Ethan Hayes is too mysterious. I'm worried he has other powers and might find us."

Peter nodded. "We'll leave it to the HYDRA agents."

HYDRA agent Brock Rumlow smiled indifferently as he received his orders. "Looks like the kid who joined us has quite a temper, but I like it," he said, leading the operation from a distance.

Originally, Rumlow had been tasked with protecting Nick Fury and assessing the potential threat posed by Steve Rogers, who had recently been recovered from Greenland. However, with Dr. Connor and Peter Parker joining HYDRA, the stakes had changed.

Now, their genetic research was HYDRA's path to domination.

Dr. Connor's lizard genes and Peter Parker's spider genes held the key to unlocking a new era of super-soldiers, and HYDRA was determined to exploit it, even if it meant chaos.

"The animal cages are ready. Release the monsters," Rumlow ordered.

Pheromones were deployed into the prom venue, luring the genetically modified monsters toward the students.

"The monitoring equipment is working. Communication is blocked. Time to start."

Outside the prom, ten large trucks opened, releasing werewolf-like creatures that ran on all fours, along with lizard monsters, spider beasts, and other grotesque abominations.

The monsters' amber eyes gleamed with cruelty as they advanced toward the prom.

Inside, Gwen stiffened, her spider sense alerting her to danger.

"Ethan, something's wrong," she whispered.

"Don't worry. I'll protect you tonight," Ethan assured her.

"No, I can't let my classmates get hurt," Gwen said firmly, pushing him aside.

At that moment, the front doors of the ballroom were ripped apart as a massive werewolf entered, its blood-red eyes scanning the crowd. Through the shattered windows, spider monsters and lizard creatures crawled in, sending the students into a frenzy of fear.

Panic ensued as everyone tried to escape, but the exits were blocked by the advancing monsters.

Harry Osborn instinctively moved to shield Mary Jane, summoning his Green Goblin armor.

As the werewolf howled, signaling the start of the attack, chaos erupted.

Brock Rumlow watched the unfolding chaos from his command center, grinning. "The show has begun."

Through the monitor, he watched as Spider-Gwen tensed, ready to act. Rumlow was eager to see if she would save her classmates or prioritize Ethan.

Gwen's body tensed. She could sense the presence of the same genetic mutation within the spider monsters as her own.

"Damn, this is Dr. Connor's work!" she hissed.

Before she could move, Ethan gently held her back. The werewolf lunged toward the crowd, its sharp fangs aimed at Hannah's neck. Hannah was frozen in terror, watching as the beast closed in.

But just as it was about to strike, the werewolf's body began to shrivel. Blood and water sprayed from its pores as it rapidly dehydrated, collapsing into a desiccated husk.

The other monsters suffered the same fate—lizards, spiders, and even the bat-like vampires—all shriveled and died in seconds, their gene chains destroyed by a mysterious force.

The entire prom fell into an eerie silence as more than 300 students looked on in stunned disbelief.

Only Harry Osborn seemed to understand what had happened. His eyes landed on Ethan, whose palm was faintly glowing with white light before it slowly faded.

Brock Rumlow cursed under his breath as he realized what had happened. "It's Ethan Hayes! He's the one who did this!"

"Yes, sir, we detected an abnormal energy spike from him just before the monsters fell," an agent confirmed.

"Get out! Now!" Rumlow shouted, his command vehicle speeding away.

Gwen stared at Ethan, her mind reeling. "Was that… was that your gong?" she asked in awe.

Ethan smiled mysteriously. "No, that was my magic. Haven't you already experienced it?"

"When?" Gwen asked, confused.

Ethan smirked. "In bed."

At first, Gwen was confused, but then her face turned bright red. She glared at Ethan, feeling betrayed.

"All this time, I thought I was special, but it turns out you were using magic!" she fumed.

Ethan shrugged, smiling smugly as the prom continued around them.

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