Chapter 60: Investigating the Lizard

In the Daily Bugle building, Peter, who had just arrived, organized his photos and handed them to Robbie.

Robbie looked at the photos of Spider-Man in his hand, nodded in satisfaction, and said, "Very nice, Peter. Your photos are always great."

"But I want to see how your photos of the Lizard turned out."

"Lizard? What Lizard?" Peter asked, puzzled by Robbie's comment.

"Lizard, Parker. If you showed up to work on time, you'd know what this is about," said Jameson sternly as he pushed open the door and walked in.

"There have been several reports about this. There's a giant lizard in the New York subway, with many eyewitnesses. And this morning, someone encountered it again."

Hearing Jameson's words, Peter realized that the person who encountered the Lizard this morning was the young man he had rescued.

'So that's what he meant by red eyes and a giant monster—it's the Lizard. I thought he was some sort of mental.' Peter thought to himself.

"Focus more on your work, Parker. You wouldn't want your pay docked, would you?" Jameson said as he pulled a photo from his pocket and handed it to Peter.

The photo showed a middle-aged man, around 40 years old, who appeared to be of short stature.

"This is the subway repairman who went missing this morning. His colleague testified that he was taken by the Lizard." Jameson continued.

"So, you want me to find him?" Peter asked, looking at the photo in his hand.

Jameson shook his head and said, "Of course not. Finding him is the police's job. Your job is to get photos of the Lizard, understand?"

Peter understood his assignment and nodded.

Jameson patted his shoulder and handed him a piece of paper with names and phone numbers. "These are scientists I found who specialize in reptilian studies."

"In addition to photographing the Lizard, you need to interview them to provide explanations and information for the news article."

"Sir, isn't it a bit too much for me to handle all this work alone?" Peter furrowed his brows, clearly stressed by the new assignment. He was already incredibly busy.

Jameson chuckled and patted his shoulder, saying, "I've prepared a $1,000 reward for this job. If you can complete it well, it's yours."

"Ummm, do you want the photos in color or black and white, sir?" Hearing about the reward, Peter stopped complaining and inquired about the specifics of the photos.

Meanwhile, in the dark underground tunnel, Maverick was carefully searching with a large flashlight.

Venom peeked out from his shoulder and, looking at the damp, dark space, asked, "Are you sure those people are still hidden here?"

Maverick answered straightforwardly "Of course I'm not sure. How would I know where that guy hides people?"

"It's just that all the rumors about the Lizard are connected to the underground tunnels, so I came to look for clues."

Maverick was also here to find the Lizard. Initially, he thought it was just a silly urban legend, but the increasing number of recent disappearances made it clear that the Lizard's story was more than just a rumor.

The situation strongly suggested that the Lizard Man was not just a myth, prompting Maverick to seek the truth.

Is the Lizard a serial killer, or is it related to human trafficking? The answer to this question might be hidden in New York's vast and dark underground.

"Up until now, we still don't know if this so-called Lizard is really a monster or just someone using a special disguise to scare people," Maverick said as he searched the underground tunnels, chatting with Venom.

"I hope it's just a normal person, though I have a bad feeling about this," Maverick sighed. "New York City never seems to be at peace; there's always something strange happening."

"I actually hope it's a real giant lizard. I've never seen such a strange creature," Venom said enthusiastically.

Maverick rolled his eyes and retorted, "I bet you're just interested in its brain. If it really is a giant lizard, could you even stomach it?"

"What's there to be squeamish about?" Venom scoffed. "If it really is a giant lizard, it certainly isn't an ordinary animal. At least it would have some intelligence."

"Coming out every few days to grab someone... that can't be just an ordinary beast."

Listening to Venom's words, Maverick felt increasingly uneasy. "Stop talking. I'm feeling worse by the minute."

"If your jinx turns out to be right, I'll punish you by banning chocolate for two days."

Venom immediately protested, "Hey, what's this? You're being unreasonable. How is this my fault? I'm just making a rational analysis."

"Exactly, I'm being unreasonable," Maverick said nonchalantly. "I know you're making a rational analysis, but I can't be the only one feeling bad."

"Seeing you worried makes me feel a lot better."

Venom: ...

"Come on, I was just joking." Seeing Venom's sulky face, Maverick waved his hand and laughed.

"You'd better be joking," Venom said, eyeing him distrustfully.

Maverick quipped, "You really have no sense of humor. I already told you it was a joke."

"Come on, cheer up, give me a smile."

In response, Venom bared his sharp teeth in a grin.

In the dim underground space, Venom looked as terrifying as ever.

"Uh, never mind, don't smile. My bad. Good thing no one's around down here, or they'd be scared to death."

Venom: "Die!!!"

"Hey, don't strangle me! That's cold!" Maverick pulled at Venom, who was pretending to choke him.

"Apologize!" Venom demanded, still angry.

Seeing no other option, Maverick pulled out a chocolate bar and handed it to him. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Here's some chocolate. Let's not fight, remember we have a job to do."

"Hmph!" Venom snorted, taking the chocolate and stuffing it into his mouth, chewing angrily as if to vent his frustration.

°°°

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