3 Reed Richards

Two weeks went by. Project Rebirth was coming along smoothly, or so Bobbi said. Felix spent a lot of time with her and as the junior member of the team did the nitty-gritty. It was Felix that adjusted the levels and amounts of the vita rays and substance. It was Felix that went outside and grabbed them coffee for lunch.

What about Reed? He might have been the youngest employee and that worked to his detriment. Consciously and unconsciously, the ladies thought him to be TOO young, in spite of his great achievements. Ordinarily, Felix would have agreed. Teenagers weren't adults. There was just a huge gap in maturity and life experience.

But Reed was an exception. When it came to what he talked about, he was an expert like no other. He talked and talked and talked about his new inventions, failed or successful. Gadgets based on Spider-Gwen, the secret web formula, the Wasp and what he theorized were Pym Particles, and so much more. Reed was a boy with ambition and the intelligence to show for it.

Much smarter and greater than Felix would ever be, that was for sure.

"Hey, man."

"Yo." Reed saluted him. "Ready for today?"

"Nope."

Felix wore a small smile. "Me neither."

Up at the foyer, they met up and approached Czarina. For the past two weeks, she had been dropping them off to the basement levels. Not today. Today, Czarina remained in her seat and slid them ID cards.

"Here," Czarina said. "Your Oscorp ID. It gives you level six clearance."

The card was hooked to a band meant to be worn around the neck. Felix put it on and felt the hard metal between his index finger and thumb. It reminded him of a metal magnet. "Level six? What's the highest level then?" Felix asked.

Czarina didn't bother to look at him. "Classified."

"It's level ten," Reed answered. Czarina narrowed her eyes at him but Reed just shrugged. "I did my research."

'You mean the nonpublic kind, right?'

Felix and Reed managed to become fast friends. Half of it was because they were closer in age than their peers and the other half was because Reed didn't really listen to anyone except Felix.

"Please don't go advertising that information," said Czarina.

Reed grinned. "I—"

"We won't," Felix interjected, gesturing at Reed to follow. "Let's test our cards out, see how they work."

Reed dutifully followed, like a little kid. "Sure."

The card and the cord holding it was long, so Reed was able to slide his card through the scanner, and the outline of the elevator turned green. "Fascinating," Reed mused, turning the card over in his hand. "This card is more than a simple magnetic strip. There must be embedded technology, perhaps RFID or even biometric authentication."

"Right, it's definitely beyond standard security measures."

The elevator started moving and Reed's mind was already racing with hypotheses. "I wonder if there's a nanotechnology component involved. Microscopic sensors could interact with the security system, allowing for seamless access."

Felix furrowed his brow in contemplation. "Or it could be utilizing quantum encryption. Oscorp is known for its cutting-edge advancements in quantum computing. That could explain the instantaneous authentication."

Reed nodded, impressed by Felix's line of thought. "I really want to take these apart now."

"Please don't. I believe Bobbi said they're one of a kind. There's a reason why it takes two weeks. We could get fired on the spot if they learn we've been fiddling with it."

"Guess you're right," Reed mumbled.

The elevator stopped and opened at B4. The lab came into view and they be-lined to the right side where the gamma ray chamber was, where Bobbi was.

"Hello, Bobbi," Felix greeted, getting her to look at them.

"Felix, hello!" The blonde smiled brightly. "How did you sleep?"

"Well, I think." It wasn't like he worked late but the timing was late enough that there were so many things for him to do at night. Mostly, it was him going on his new PC playing games and doing research for the next day of work.

"Good. Kavita and Maya should be coming in a second. They need to get their daily dose of coffee."

"By the way, remember, your two weeks are done. Meaning, the kiddie gloves are off. We won't be as forgiving as we were before when it comes to dosage and mixture mistakes." Bobbi crossed her arms. "Especially Kavita. She's the merciless of the merciless."

Bobbi's face was hard all of a sudden. Felix faced her with an equal determination. "Yes, ma'am!"

***

'No, ma'am…'

God, that was tiring. Three hours in and Kavita couldn't have been less bitchy. It got to the point that Reed had to step in and help out. With him, things went smoothly. They always did, the kid was a genius.

At lunch, which was on the second floor of the building, Felix sat at the cafeteria. Alone because he had no friends and only colleagues. It sucked.

Felix was stuck with a bagel in his hand. He sighed and bit into it. It wasn't good.

'At least there's the money.'

Eyes closed, he heard somebody sit across from him. They were fast and breathing heavily, "Hey!"

"Hm?" Felix opened an eye. Dark-skin and the weird grey hairs? "Reed?"

"Extremis."

Felix dropped his bagel. "Huh?"

His eyes were almost wild and he put his hands on the table like an eager child. Which, well, he was, but he looked less like a teen and more like he was eight. Reed continued, "I went to visit Dr. Octavius and saw the papers. I heard about it during your interview but I didn't really pay attention. It's…really, really cool!"

"Uh…" Felix gestured at him to lower his voice. "Okay? So?"

"Like really, dude! You must be a greater genius than me!"

'Uh…what? No, definitely not—!'

"When did you write it? College? High school? It looks old!" Reed said.

'Now I'm offended!' Felix thought, wanting to scoff. 'Old!? It's not old, it's just…badly written.'

"...y-yeah, uh, I wrote it in high school and published it during college 'cuz, you know…"

Reed shook his head. "Because they only take you seriously when you're an adult, I get it."

'I mean…yeah. It was just a bunch of random bullshit if I'm being honest…'

"Can I tell you something? A secret?" Reed said excitedly. Too excitedly.

"Maybe not…here." At Oscorp, it felt like the cameras were always shifting suspiciously. Whatever this secret was, he didn't want it to jeoparize Reed.

"Oh yeah, fair enough. Let's meet after work."

"Uh, where will we go?"

Reed leaned over the table and beckoned him to stand up and hear him closely. Reluctantly, Felix did and let Reed whisper in his ear. "I have a super secret base. Let's go there."

'A super secret base? What is he, twelve?'

Four hours went by as it typically did. Lots of nagging by Kavita and unnecessary engineering. The day wound down at Oscorp, and Reed and Felix wrapped up their research for the day. Sorry, their forced labour.

The lab buzzed with the sound of equipment winding down and the occasional tap of keyboards as their superiors finalized their notes.

Before he could breathe and relax, Felix was approached by Kavita. "Felix, excellent work today. Tomorrow, you will also be taking on a bit more responsibility."

"Oh, what?"

'Better not be something crazy,' he thought to himself.

"Tomorrow, I will need you to compile a report summarizing our progress and findings. You'll be giving it to Dr. Octavius' desk on B4 at this time instead of me," Kavita instructed. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Now off you go."

"Yes, ma'am," Felix said on instinct. Kavita wasn't a bad person inherently. There was a distinction to be made between bad and annoying. Kavita fell into the ladder. Even for a boss that was supposed to be whipping him into shape, she was excessive.

Getting out felt like freedom, especially as he saw Reed in the foyer.

"Yo." Felix put his hands in his pockets. "You said we're going to your place?"

The glint in Reed's brown eyes almost glowed. "Follow me."

Reed led Felix to a nearby bus stop on 42nd Street and Madison Avenue. It was almost robotic in the way he took Felix there.

"Here's where we catch the bus," Reed informed Felix, checking the timetable displayed at the stop. "It will be here soon."

Felix remained tight-lipped and nodded. 'Okay, dude.'

As the bus arrived, Reed and Felix boarded, finding seats toward the back. Reed subtly scanned the passengers, ensuring no one paid them undue attention. 'He seems awfully secretive,' Felix thought. 'Is it really that serious?'

He didn't think it was.

The bus rumbled through the city streets, navigating the urban labyrinth of Manhattan. Reed occasionally glanced out the window, observing the familiar landmarks passing by—the vibrant streets of Times Square, the iconic buildings lining the avenues, and the energy that defined New York City.

'I never really explored New York after my first tour around. I mostly just kept to Harlem. You kinda forget about the craziness,' Felix thought, fist in his cheek. He was at the window seat, because Reed thought it would be better for him to keep watch.

Weird kid. Really weird but smart.

Exiting the bus at a discreet stop on 58th Street and Lexington Avenue, Reed led Felix through a series of inconspicuous turns into a seemingly abandoned building. Brown, made of plain bricks, with windows that were seemingly blocked by shutters.

For a moment, Felix thought he was going to get jumped. Luckily, that wasn't the case. Reed approached the door and, instead of producing a key, he spoke a series of coded words in a precise sequence.

"Algorithm Sigma, Phase Delta, Authorization: Richards-One-Two-Seven," Reed recited, his voice calm yet infused with the subtle command of someone intimately familiar with the security protocol.

A soft beep sounded from the door's panel, and as if acknowledging Reed's voice, the door's locking mechanism disengaged with a faint click. The door slid open smoothly.

"Cool, huh?" Reed grinned at him and beckoned him to come in.

Inside was…nothing. Literally, the building seemed abandoned. Almost too abandoned, if that made any sense. Everything appeared so deceptively empty that Felix instinctively knew this wasn't it. Wherever this secret base was, it wasn't this empty building.

Suddenly, as they approached the wall to the east. He assumed he was going to press a button or open a gate under them that would lead to a storage room.

Boy, Felix was wrong.

Again, Reed's voice triggered the security measures. "Biometric clearance: Richards Alpha-Three-Nine," he intoned, and the brick wall rearranged itself and opened up.

"This…" Felix was wide-eyed and hesitantly stepped in. The sleek, futuristic elevator whisked Reed and Felix downwards with a barely audible hum. "Am I crazy or is this better than Oscorp's stuff?"

"I made it, so of course it's better," Reed said cheekily.

"Welcome back, Dr. Richards," an automated voice greeted them. "And a guest! I am H.E.R.B.I.E! Nice to meet you!"

"I-is the elevator talking to me?" Felix asked.

"Nope, just my laboratory's primary caregiver." A pause. Then, Reed added, "It's artificial intelligence."

"W-what? Seriously?"

"It's a natural-language user interface computer system. The closest thing to an AGI in the world, I think."

"Did it complete the coffee test?" Felix asked.

Reed grinned at him. "Yep."

Felix pursed his lips. "Jesus."

This kid was frigging crazy. An AI capable of passing the coffee test? Ridiculous. There was artificial intelligence that could memorize. Machines that could take jobs. However, the ability to adapt, assess, and execute complex human commands in a real-world scenario was something else entirely. Therefore, the coffee making test was created. An advanced AI would not only understand commands like 'brew a cup of coffee,' but it would also comprehend the nuanced instructions, such as 'make it strong, with a dash of cream, at 80 degrees Fahrenheit.' It would be able to go into any American human and be capable of making a cup.

Also, wow, this elevator was taking a while.

As he thought that, the elevator door opened and the secret base unfolded before him.

It definitely lived up to the hype. The room itself was a blend of sleek design and functional efficiency. Up ahead were high-tech consoles and computers monitoring what seemed to be the entirety of—

'New York? No way.' Felix came close, scanning everything in his path. It was a massive place, as large as the Oscorp laboratory. 'But how did a kid manage to make something like this?'

On the left, a series of workstations brimmed with prototypes and experiments in progress, while on the right, a sophisticated analysis area housing state-of-the-art diagnostic and medical equipment as well as holographic displays.

That was when he saw it. Operating at the workstation was a flying robot. It had two hands, four purple lights under it that seemed to grant it flight, and a rectangular monitor that gave its eyes and mouth. Hearing their footsteps, the robot turned and greeted them with a wave.

"Hello, Dr. Richards! I saw on the cameras that you brought a friend. Is this the creator of the Extremis virus?"

The robot spoke. It spoke with emotion, its electronic eyes blinking and its head tilting. Wow. 'Maybe it is the most advanced AI in the world.'

"Wait, virus?" Felix tilted his head. "It's not a virus, it's…a solution."

"When I analyzed the research, it sure felt like a virus to me."

"Wait, hold on." Felix shook his head. "Reed told me he discovered Extremis today. How in the world do you know about it?"

"Dr. Richards sent me a picture of it on his phone. Everything his phone receives, I also receive. We are connected."

"Yep." Reed chuckled around the expansive lab. "Welcome to my secret base, located at 128 East 58th Street. Herbie runs the place most of the time though. I only come when I have to."

Felix looked at the workstation. "A-are those web shooters?"

"A failed imitation, I'm afraid," said Herbie. "The chemical process is a work in progress."

"Me too. I never paid attention to chemistry so it's not a big deal," Reed said, shrugging.

"Dude, this is incredible," Felix exclaimed, taking in the impressive setup and everything involved with it. "You seriously don't come here often?"

A faint smile crossed his features. "It's, well, not really mine. Not me me, anyway."

'Me me? What is he talking about?'

"Man…I always wanted to tell someone. I'm glad that it's you though." Without meeting his eyes, Reed went over to the computer area. There was so much security footage that Felix knew this wasn't legal.

"So…whose is this?" Felix asked. Reed didn't immediately answer. "Come on. I know it's not you. I doubt you made everything here. Plus, the hacked security footage? It has to be some older guy."

"Something like that." Pause. A sigh. Reed sat on the leather chair and brought his fingertips together. "Okay, here it is." Reed took a deep breath. "The multiverse…actually exists!"

"...what?"

"I was actually mentored by an alternate version of myself! He, well, died—sorry, killed, by another adult version of me. But I killed him and got revenge."

Felix blinked. He looked at the robot, then him. "What?"

Reed continued, "Okay, so he had this sick capsule device that could create laboratories by just throwing it down on the floor. He did that with this building and voila! The lab was made! His super advanced robot—Herbie over there—hacked almost every database I requested just because I asked. Not on purpose, of course, I was mostly just joking, and things snowballed…." Reed laughed, but his laughter soon subsided. "Yeah. That's the story. After my alternate me died, I just…never felt like coming here all that much."

That was…yeah, that was a lot. "Is there another chair? I need to sit."

Reed chuckled and gestured with his hand. "Herbie?"

"Coming, Dr. Richards!"

The chair he brought to him was easily the most comfortable chair he had ever sat on. "What is it made of…?"

"Unstable Molecules," Herbie answered.

"What the hell are Unstable Molecules?" Felix asked.

Reed replied enthusiastically, "A configuration of atomic nuclei and electrons that respond to the energized matter around it. In this case, your butt! The original Dr. Richards discovered it."

Great. This was great. A whole new set of molecules too.

'I feel like I'm dreaming.' Quietly, Felix pinched his thigh. 'Not a dream. Great. Just great.'

Everything was great! Totally!

***

Hours passed. Felix asked every question he could. He threw curveballs and hypotheses, and Reed answered to the best of his knowledge.

"...but, unfortunately, accessing the multiverse is impossible. Our technology is pretty primitive, actually. It would take a thousand years before anyone could create a multiversal device."

"Seriously? Are we like the dumb Earth?"

"I think we're more like…the grounded Earth. Things happen on other Earths that never happen here. I remember older me and some heroes talking about a monster that can eat planets."

Felix crossed his arms. "That's gotta be a lie."

"Nope, I'm telling the truth. His name is…well, I never got the name but I heard he's very strong. He said if I ever meet him on my Earth, you might as well call it the end of the world."

Felix sighed. "That's not comforting."

"The sun will explode and end the world anyway."

"Yeah, in like nine billion years. By then, we'll have either left the Earth or gone extinct," Felix shot back.

"...okay, yeah, that's true."

Felix checked the time. The security catalogue said it was almost nine. "I gotta go," Felix said. "We have work tomorrow too. It's a Tuesday."

"Oh, um, I'm not coming tomorrow," Reed said.

"Oh, why not?"

"I have a test."

Felix blinked. "Oh, right, high school."

The teen raised a brow. "No, it's for my sixth doctorate. If I don't pass this, then I won't get it. So unfair." He hung his head.

Felix sighed too. 'Geniuses.'

The evening sky had enveloped New York in its comforting darkness. Even so, the commute to Harlem was long and hard. Felix hated it.

He reached his apartment. The building stood tall, a brownstone amongst brownstones. The street itself hummed with life—neighbours chatting on stoops, the distant sound of music filtering through open windows, and the comforting aroma of home-cooked meals drifting from nearby kitchens.

Felix stepped into a well-maintained hallway that retained the building's classic aesthetic. The walls were adorned with vintage photographs capturing moments from Harlem's vibrant past. He wasn't a local but he could still appreciate the glimpses into the past.

Soft, warm lighting illuminated the hallway, casting a welcoming glow on the tiled walls and the patterned carpet that ran along the center of the floor. A few potted plants and framed artwork added a touch of homeliness.

Voices echoed faintly from behind closed doors, carrying the sounds of everyday life—a neighbour practicing piano scales, the laughter of children playing, and snippets of conversation that contributed to the building's communal ambiance.

Felix lived on the second floor, so he tended to take the stairs. By coincidence, he almost ran into someone at the staircase door.

"Oh, Miles. Sorry, go on ahead."

"Hey, man. Thanks." Miles smiled and opened the door to the staircase. "Have a long day? My mom said you usually come earlier," he said.

"Ah, yeah, I was just over at a friend's," Felix replied. "He was…yeah, it was fun."

Miles adjusted the strap of his backpack, sweat glistening on his forehead. "Yeah, I feel you. I had to stay too long 'cuz my friends kept wanting to play. My mom is gonna kill me."

Wow, that sent him back in time. Back when he played with neighbourhood kids and often stayed out too long. All of a sudden, he missed his parents.

"If you want, I can vouch for you," Felix offered.

"Really?" They stopped right before the door to the second floor. "I, uh, really appreciate it but it has to be believable. My mom doesn't fall for easy tricks."

Felix went into a thinking pose. "...did you hear about that new exhibit at the museum downtown?"

"No…?" Miles admitted slowly.

"Well, now you have," Felix said. "The museum is run by Oscorp, where I work. I gave you a ticket because I saw potential in you and you, as a science enthusiast, swung by."

Miles scratched his cheek. "I think that will just get me in more trouble. Also, I dunno if I like that science that much…"

"You'll be in trouble no matter what you say. The trick is to get her to believe it was something good. In this case, an educational museum. If you mention traffic or something dumb like that, she will still say you could have messaged her."

"Wow." Miles blinked. "My mom was right, you're really smart."

Felix laughed. "I do my best."

When they reached Miles's apartment door, Rio promptly opened the door. Immediately, she was pissed. "Miles Morales. You no good…Llegas tarde otra vez! ¿Dónde estabas?"

'That…doesn't sound good.' Felix did not understand Spanish at all. However, the language of parental anger was universal.

Still, he stepped in, wearing a reassuring smile on his face. "Mrs. Morales, I'm sorry for the delay. It was my fault. I wanted to take Miles to the new Oscorp museum."

"Oh." Her expression melted into confusion. "A…museum? What?"

"I see potential in him, a real interest in science. I…thought about giving him an internship," Felix explained, casting a glance at Miles, who looked slightly surprised but played along.

Rio's eyes widened in surprise and then softened with gratitude. "Felix, that's so thoughtful of you! I had no idea Miles was interested in science. Thank you for looking out for him," she said, genuinely touched by Felix's gesture.

Not wanting to contradict him, Miles nodded along. "Yeah, Mom, Felix thought it'd be cool to check it out. I'm actually curious and he's thinking about an internship. Cool, right?"

Rio did not take to her son as kindly. "Miles, quiet." Then, she switched to Felix and beamed, her eyes glistening with appreciation. "Felix, I cannot thank you enough. It means a lot that you're taking an interest in Miles's future. Next time though, I would appreciate a text."

"Sure." Felix promptly took out his phone. "Let me know your number—"

"How about you come in?" Rio suggested, hands together. She was eyeing the phone but also pretending to ignore it. "I'm making dinner. We could use another person."

Felix's face fell. "I…have to take a shower and clean up."

"After then!" Rio exclaimed.

"Uh…" Felix trailed off, speechless. He really didn't want to have dinner…

"Mom, quit pestering him. He has important work to do." Miles sent Felix a knowing look as he went inside and pushed his mom aside. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

Felix replied without thinking, "Yeah."

"Maybe tomorrow then—"

Rio was cut off by the closing of the door. Felix stood there, bewildered.

'Well, that was…something.'