Fifty Bucks

In a room filled with sparks and twisted metal lay a mangled Doctor Otto Octavius. His unconscious body lay strewn on the floor in a complete heap, strangely protruding from his body was the waldos he had been most proud to control. Seemingly to be wrapped in a cocoon-like shape, the Doctor managed to rouse himself enough to see those same mechanical arms welded to his body in a grotesque combination of flesh and metal. Fear overtaking him, he attempted to rip them from his body, only to confirm his suspicions of what has happened to him. At the horror of reality, the doctor screams.

"Professor... is that you? What happened!?" Weiner called out in panic at the scream and state of the strangely warped room. Suddenly his voice was cut short and the doctor heard a loud crash and a scream.

Ock struggling he managed to look up in time to see one of his waldos hit his assistant with such force he had flown out through the opposite door of the corridor.

'Why did he do that?' Otto asked himself only to get an answer he hadn't expected to receive, 'Because he was useless. He couldn't even get a document from a washed-up physics professor. You don't need him when you have us..." The voices that seemed to answer all at once scared him at first but as he lost consciousness he realized they actually had a point.

EMPIRE HIGH - 2:00 AM

Throughout, the city along police siren penetrated the calm of the silent city streets. Dozen's of police cars pulled to a halt in front of the smoking school, joining many NYPD cars that were already parked. Along with a nuclear regulatory van, a few ambulances, and alone van from the environmental protection agency, the police officers were struggling to hold back a crowd of press, students and general onlookers.

Eddie Brock was pushing his way to the front of the mob in time to see a couple of cops hustle a few other bugle photographers back from the taped off a section of the scene. Discussing with the other photographers he gets a run down.

"Hey, Bill what's going on?"

Bill Stringer was a middle-aged man. Up until recently, Bill had been showing him the ropes so he felt pretty confident about the words his old mentor had to say.

"Eddie, JJ got you on this gig too?"

"Yeah, the old man wanted me to get my feet wet with something big like this. So what do ya got so far" Eddie asked hoping to get some quick information that he didn't have to work too hard for.

Bill smiled. He liked Eddie, but he was just a little too ambitious and a little too lazy at the same time. If Eddie did the work... he would be great, but as they say 'with youth also comes idiocy'.

"They ain't talking Eddie, I've heard things like; nuclear accidents, a meltdown. I've heard its possibly genetic engineering gone wrong. Some are even saying something about making Mutants. It's honestly a toss up on what is actually happening."Shaking his head Eddie thanks his old mentor and picks up his phone to give his boss a rundown of the situation.

J. Jameson was setting in his large office chair at the Bugle smoking his expensive cigar, at the sound of the phone ringing he throws down his guilty pleasure only to pull out a fresh one and light it up.

"What is it!?" JJ demands as he picks up the phone

"Hey Boss, its Eddie. They aren't letting anyone inside."

"...And?"

"Well, there will be a press announcement in the morning Mr. Jameson..."

"Brock! Do I need to come down there to do your job? No one is just going to tell you! If getting news was that easy then we could all just ask nicely!"

"Y-yes sir, Mr. Jameson..." Eddie said quietly but before he could say anything more the line went dead.

As Eddie tries to figure out what he can do to get the scoop as Thorkel arrives to address the crowd.

Speaking through a red bull horn the school provided for situations such as this Thorkel says, "There is no danger. Please go back to your homes. I repeat, there is no danger."

Eddie approaches him determined to get something out of the old man, "Spill it, Professor! The public wants to know!"

Suddenly noticing Eddie has started to ask questions the crowd of onlookers closes in on Thorkel.

"Who are you?" Thorkel asked frustratedly.

"Eddie Brock, Daily Bugle, now what really happened here?"

"I have nothing to say... there will be an announcement. Now, please go home... everybody... we must clear the grounds..."

Peter had been on his way back to his apartment when he heard about an explosion at the campus, fearing for Dr. Octavius whom he had just left he attempted to get back to check on him. Arriving at the back of the crowd Peter spots Harry, standing beside Liz, Flash, and Kim. It wasn't too unexpected to see them together because they all lived on campus. Approaching them he hears part of their conversation.

"You think they'll cancel classes?" Flash asked with a slight smile on his face.

"Probably... the whole building must be contaminated with some kind of radiation," Harry said sounding a little happy

"You think it's contaminated?" Peter asked surprising them all for a second but quickly their attention was back on the conversation at hand.

"My God... should we even be this close?" Kim asked yet nobody moves.

"Could anyone be in there, Peter?" Liz asked worry lining her face.

"I don't know... Maybe Professor Octavius. He was working late..."

"That nut, I bet it was all his doing..." Flash said crossing his arms.

Without warning, Peter's phone started ringing. "It's my boss give me a sec." He said to Liz.

"Nobody cares, nerd," Flash said sounding board.

"Hey, Parker! Peter Parker!" He heard JJ's voice on the other end of the line sounding excited.

Stepping away from the group of four Peter pushes the phone away from his ear at the loud voice.

"Mr. Jameson! Why are you calling so late? What's going on?"

"That's for them to know, and for you to find out."

Confused Peter started to ask what he was talking about but Jameson kept talking.

"That was your school with the explosion, right..."

Catching on he responded, "Yes, but..."

"Look, kid, I know you are still learning this stuff but I feel that I can rely on you. Do ya got your camera?"

"Sure, but I can't--"

"A hundred dollars says you can?"

"Yes, sir!" At the sound of making money, Peter quickly changes his mind.

"Get inside and get pictures, fifty bucks."

"You just said a hundred." Peter protested

"Seventy, but I want blood and gore."

"Ok, Mister Jameson."

Peter dashes off in a sprint around the building. Harry overhearing the short conversation shakes his head in dismay at his friend.

"Where's he going?" Liz asks at the retreating form of the skinny boy.

"To make fifty bucks," Harry said with a frown on his face.