My God, man. Do you have to blurt out everything? Is your "job" really something you can just casually talk about in public?
Gwen had literally watched Tobey execute a man in front of her. That was the very moment she had helplessly fallen in love with him.
So naturally, she knew perfectly well that when Tobey said he cleared "underground pests," he wasn't talking about actual bugs. He meant pests of the human variety!
However, Dr. Connors clearly didn't pick up on the lethal double meaning. His eyes simply filled with a profound sense of regret.
"I see... Pest control research, you say? Well, that is certainly noble work."
"With industrial pollution worsening every day, urban pest control is becoming an increasingly complex issue. Having a genius of your caliber dedicating himself to the field could undoubtedly lead to massive breakthroughs for public health."
"It's just a shame. I can't help but feel that, with your extraordinary gifts, restricting yourself to pest control research is a massive waste of your potential..."
On the surface, Kingpin's Fisk Enterprises aggressively maintained the public image of a benevolent, philanthropic corporation. So, Tobey claiming to work in the company's "pest control" division sounded completely legitimate.
Aside from Gwen, who knew the bloody truth, neither Peter nor Dr. Connors suspected a thing.
Tobey replied smoothly, completely unbothered.
"No task is too small. With great power comes great responsibility."
"I happen to believe my abilities are best suited for pest control, so that is exactly what I do. There is no such thing as wasted potential."
Hearing those words, all three of them froze, each struck by a completely different revelation.
Dr. Connors felt a deep sense of shame. He couldn't believe he had lived this long, only to realize he lacked the philosophical clarity of a twenty-something kid.
Peter looked at Tobey with pure awe. He thought to himself, As expected of the cousin I've looked up to my entire life. Even his moral convictions are lightyears ahead of everyone else's!
Finally, there was Gwen. She looked at Tobey with absolute, unfiltered worship.
As expected of the man she had sworn to make hers!
Brilliant, courageous, overwhelmingly powerful, incredibly humble, devoid of greed, and possessing a heart of light despite working in the dark. It seemed every single positive trait humanity had to offer was concentrated in this one man.
Compared to his unimaginably noble character, even his flawlessly handsome face seemed like his least impressive quality!
He is so perfect. God, I love him!
Feeling the intense, overwhelmingly positive gazes locked onto him from three different directions, Tobey fell silent.
Had he said something profound?
He had literally just recycled Uncle Ben's infamous dying words from the canon timeline to sound cool.
Realizing they were all still staring at him, Tobey sighed.
"Weren't we going to tour your laboratory, Dr. Connors? Or are you three planning to just stare at me until the rest of the interns arrive?"
The three of them instantly snapped out of their respective trances.
Dr. Connors entirely dropped the patronizing posture of an elder academic. He spoke to Tobey as an equal, gesturing toward the hallway.
"My apologies, Mr. Parker. Please, follow me. Having you tour my lab is my absolute honor."
With that, he took the lead. The three of them exchanged quick glances before hurrying after him.
After passing through the decontamination protocols, the group entered Dr. Connors's private laboratory.
While the lab wasn't massive, it was incredibly comprehensive. Every piece of scientific equipment was the absolute cutting-edge standard. Several instruments were proprietary Oscorp biological tech that couldn't be bought anywhere on the open market.
Dr. Connors began by showing Tobey and Peter his past research successes.
Pushed along by Tobey and Peter's continuous praise, Dr. Connors eventually introduced the project they were most interested in: his current, incredibly difficult cross-species reptilian genetic regeneration serum.
Looking at the lifeless bodies of several white mice inside a containment tank, Dr. Connors's expression grew deeply sorrowful.
"I have successfully completed countless cross-species biological experiments in my career. But this project... the lizard regeneration serum I desperately want to succeed... has kept me trapped for ten long years. I have been stuck at the final hurdle, completely unable to break through."
"The scientific community calls me the modern Darwin of cross-species genetics. But I know the truth. Compared to the true geniuses of our time, I am always just one step behind. And that single step has become an impassable chasm..."
"If anyone alive deserves the title of the modern Darwin of genetics, it is him. If he were still here, I am certain he would have cracked the final decay rate algorithm years ago..."
Tobey's eyes narrowed slightly. He already knew exactly who Dr. Connors was referring to.
And Tobey wasn't the only one who had guessed.
The bright smile on Peter's face slowly faded. His voice dropped to a quiet, heavy tone as he looked at the doctor.
"Are you talking about..."
"Yes," Dr. Connors interrupted before Peter could finish, his eyes filled with profound guilt. "I am talking about your father, Richard Parker."
When Gwen introduced Peter, she hadn't mentioned his last name. But she had specifically given Tobey's full name.
Dr. Connors was already somewhat familiar with Tobey's background. During Tobey's famous early graduation two years ago, Connors had learned that the boy genius was the nephew of his late colleague.
Since Peter actively called Tobey his cousin, his identity was instantly obvious to the doctor.
That was precisely why Dr. Connors had looked at the two cousins with such complex emotion earlier.
Pushing down his resurfacing grief, Dr. Connors continued.
"Peter... this research was originally pioneered by your father and me."
"With Richard's intellect, I have no doubt he could have completed this regenerative serum and saved countless lives!"
"But tragically, during the final stages of the project, the plane your father was on went down. And this algorithm has kept me trapped in the dark for a decade."
"I am so sorry, Peter. I was your father's colleague and his friend, yet I haven't visited you once in all these years. The truth is... I was angry."
"I was angry that Richard left me right at the most critical juncture of our research. I was angry that he took away my only chance to become whole again."
"But hearing what Tobey just said... it finally woke me up. With great power comes great responsibility. I lacked the power to finish the algorithm, yet I arrogantly tried to shoulder a responsibility far beyond my capabilities. And worst of all, I blamed your father for my own failures. I am deeply, truly ashamed."
"I am so sorry, Peter."
At Dr. Connors's final apology, Peter clenched his fists tightly. His entire body began to tremble.
It was hard to tell if he was shaking from anger, or from overwhelming grief.