Chapter 28: The Eclipse

Peter stared at his phone, rereading Harry's message. A charity ball at Osborn Tower? Sounded innocent enough, except it wasn't.

Norman Osborn had just been kicked off the board. Why would Oscorp suddenly host a high-profile event to attract investors? And why was Harry inviting him?

"He doesn't want to feel left out. Wants someone he can trust around."

That part felt genuine. But Peter's gut told him there was more to it.

["You going?"] AXIS's notification popped up.

"Yeah. But I've got time before then."

His mind drifted back to Connors. The pieces weren't fitting together. Victor Shade's death, Billy Connors acting weird and Connors' behavioural shift.

His next lead? Connors' new assistant, Terri. Billy Connors was kept aside for now. For it was better to visit the Connors household as Peter Parker and surely Martha Connors, Dr.Connors' wife should probably know him by now.

Before heading out, Peter had an idea. He leaned against the wall and asked, "AXIS, what's the maximum restraint the UMF suit can exert per square inch?"

"36,250 tons per square inch."

Peter blinked. "Holy fuck."

He rubbed his chin, gears turning. "AXIS, restrain me with 41 tons. Increase by 1 ton every minute."

Instantly, his muscles locked. His entire body felt like it was sinking into the ground, his arms and legs frozen as if trapped under a collapsed building.

His heart pounded. Every movement was a struggle. Then, suddenly, it was gone.

Peter gasped, sweat forming at his brow. The next second, the weight increased by a ton. The same crushing pressure. The same unbearable restraint. And then, gone again.

Every minute, the process repeated. His body fought, adapted, overcame.

The exhaustion should've built up, but it didn't. His cells adjusted faster than he could process, erasing the strain in an instant. But only for the cycle to start over.

A grin formed on his lips. "Oh, this is gonna be fun."

Peter flexed his fingers, feeling lighter than ever, before vanishing into the city shadows.

Peter changed into his suit, the unstable molecular fibers shifting to the red-and-black patterned suit, as he perched on a rooftop, watching.

Terri walked out of Oscorp, checking her phone as she headed home. Peter followed from above, moving silently across the skyline. When she turned into a dimly lit alley, he dropped down in front of her.

She gasped, stepping back. "W... What-?"

"Relax, I just wanna talk."

Terri's heartbeat spiked. Peter listened carefully, gauging its rhythm. "Tell me what you know about Connors' recent work."

"I... I don't know much!" She swallowed. "He kept a lot secret. But one night, I heard him yell that the serum was a success."

Peter tilted his head. "What serum?"

"ReGen," she said quickly. "But he wasn't alone. He was working with Dr. Elliot Thompson. Dr.Elliot also co-authored the paper on ReGen serum."

Peter narrowed his eyes. "Wait, ReGen serum? I thought it was completed a lot earlier? It was all over the news."

Terri grew more nervous,"I don't exactly know the details, but this time the ReGen serum was used as a secondary compund to another serum."

"Alright, but what about Connors? Was he happy or sad, throughout the completion of the serum?" Peter asked, connecting more dots in his head.

Terri hesitated, and her pulse jumped. "No… he didn't seem happy at all. He kept saying that Peter, the old lab assistant, should've been the one to co-author his paper."

Peter clenched his jaw. He knew Connors had respected his work, but if Connors was being forced into something, that changed things.

"What else?" Peter asked.

Terri shook her head. "He was stressed for days after that."

Her heart rate stayed steady. She was telling the truth.

Peter gave her a nod before vanishing into the shadows.

Spider-Man wasn't in the mood for games.

Breaking into Dr. Elliot Thompson's apartment was easy. Oscorp employees were predictable. A cracked window, a quiet landing, and Peter was inside, watching Thompson scribble in his notebook.

Thompson looked up and froze.

"Evening, Doc," Peter said, voice light. "Hope I'm not interrupting."

Thompson shot up. "W..What do you want?"

Peter tilted his head. "The truth."

Thompson bolted for the door.

Bad move.

A web shot out, pinning him against the wall. Peter walked up, voice dropping. "I don't have time for polite chats, so let's cut to it. What were you working on with Connors?"

Thompson struggled. "I..! I can't say!"

Peter's patience snapped. He grabbed a chair, spun it in his hands, and slammed it into the wall, barely an inch from Thompson's head.

Thompson paled.

Peter leaned in. "Last chance, Doc."

Thompson swallowed hard. "Norman… Norman Osborn had me keeping an eye on Connors. He wanted control over the ReGen Serum, but Connors resisted. That's why I was brought in... To monitor him."

Peter's eyes narrowed. "And the Eclipse Project?"

Thompson hesitated. Peter grabbed another chair.

"It.. it was about adding ReGen serum as a secondary compound to another serum !" Thompson blurted. "Something to… enhance its effects."

Peter's mind raced. "What other serum?"

"I don't know! Norman never told me what it was! But my best guess is it was something similar to a super soldier serum. Connors refused at first, but then…" Thompson shook his head. "One day, he just stopped fighting it."

Peter exhaled. That matched the timeline of Victor Shade's death.

Norman must have made Connors fall in line.

There could be other options like the Hand, Hydra or even the Kingpin... But Norman is the most obvious one.

Peter released Thompson and disappeared into the night.

If my guesses are right, the Goblin Serum was mixed with the ReGen/Lizard serum enhancing it. That explains all the secrecy and scales. The charity event must be a ploy to get all of Norman's enemies at one place. Sigh! No rest for the wicked.. and the Spider-Man...

Peter quietly stepped into his home, the warm scent of tea and honey filling the air. Aunt May sat at the kitchen table, a small smile on her face as she flipped through an old magazine. She glanced up as he entered, her expression softening.

"It's late. But considering your new busy life, you are early." She noted, setting her cup down. "I thought you'd be out all night doing… whatever it is you do."

Peter chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, well, got invited to some fancy event tonight."

May arched an eyebrow. "Fancy event? Who's the lucky girl?"

Peter groaned. "It's not a date, May. Harry invited me to some charity ball at Osborn Tower."

She hummed thoughtfully, taking another sip of tea. "Harry, huh? He's been having a rough time lately. Be there for him, Pete. He needs a real friend."

Peter nodded, her words striking a chord.

"I know," he said. "That's why I'm going."

May gave him a knowing smile before gesturing toward his room. "Then go get ready. And try not to embarrass yourself."

Peter grinned. "No promises."

He stepped into his room and shifted his UMF to a tuxedo. Black, crisp and expensive. A huge upgrade compared to the one he had in his closet.

He ran a hand over the fabric before sighing.

"From web-slinging to wearing a tux in one night. What a life."

With one last deep breath, he straightened his tie, adjusted his cuffs, and stepped out the door.

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