Chapter 3: Within enemy territory Part 1

(A/N: I made a mistake in making the last chapter too long, so I cut it in half.)

Friday, September 9, 2006

11:05 am

Midtown, N.Y.C.

Alex Pov

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'Man, really starting to feel like we're being carried off to Dracula's castle right now.' I thought to myself, enjoying the view of a light rainy day in new york city from one of the bus's windows. Impressive that the streets can find a way to be still bustling in any weather. 'Speaking of streets, should've we been at Oscorp 15 minutes ago? What's even the hold-never mind.' finding the answer just by looking past the driver. Ah, yes, the most common problem that every major city, even the 'mighty' manhattan, must often face....traffic. Realizing this could last a while, I returned to my original activity without anyone bothering me, drying off my jacket. Peter was assigned to a different bus from me, so I've asked Harry to pull some strings, as he always does, to join Pete's bus to look out for him and to keep him company. My brother's social life was getting worse; I knew from Nate's memories that Pete was bullied in high school, but this was way more than I thought. It wasn't even a month passed in our first year before Pete was the target #1 for the classic high school bully, a.k.a Flash.

I wouldn't say I like that prick; I'm not sure how he and Peter became friends in some versions of spider-man. Not to mention him being the said spider's "biggest fan"; the hypocrite. Flash targeted both of us initially, probably thinking I was just like my twin. However, thanks to whatever kind of awareness I had since birth helped, I think, oddly enough, I got deja vu with every attempt he took at me, which helped me avoid them with ease. Pete, however, sadly wasn't so lucky. When the quarterback realized this, he focused all his attention on my little brother. I tried to stop him peacefully, but the fucker was too stubborn; it wasn't until one day that he went too far; that's when the gloves came off. However, that's a memory for later; shaking my head, I cleared my thoughts, just like the traffic. Agent Venom or not, Flash is just a minor speed bump and not important right now; Peter is.

"And there it is, where everything started." I say to myself, looking toward the somewhat massive tower of Oscorp HQ off in the distance. It resembles the Oscorp building from that one spider-man game that Nate loves. The place, from the outside, looks extremely high-tech but not too out of place with its surroundings. Yet it also gives out an 'evil corporation' vibe the more you stare at it. Seeing that there was still some time before we arrived and no one was paying me any attention, I took this time to review my plan one last time.

The plan was simple. All I needed to do was to get Peter out of the building safely once he was bit and to make my own "backdoor" into Oscorp's servers, but you can't be too careless when it comes to Oscorp. Though the second abjective was the hardest, I did make a friendly little device to help with that. As I pulled a small chip from my jacket to work on its finishing touches, I couldn't help but think about what will happen today. It will all change after this; Peter, the city... hell, everything. I thought about this day for years; you know, I could stop spider-man from being born, prevent the spider bite, and let Peter live the original life he always wanted. Oscorp, in many of its versions, has repeatedly caused problems for my brother as spider-man;... so many crises.

...Uncle Ben

...Gwen

...And so many other things. Why don't I stop it? Why don't I stop this madness before it even begins?

*sigh* But, I-I can't look the other way on this. I know it's not my business, but if this doesn't happen, then will be no one to look after the little guy. Sure there are the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D., but there will be busy dealing with more significant threats to help out. There's even no guarantee that spider-man's villains will even appear. I would've stood there on the sidelines watching as people could die,... just like-. No, I was a kid before but not this time; I won't just watch...not again. My mind was made up a long time ago. For better or worse, the world needs spider-man. I'm sorry to do this, Peter; however, you won't face this life alone. Even if my twin doesn't share his secret, I'll still have his back. It's why I've worked so hard to learn all my different skills over the past years. Not just to have a slight chance to survive but for my brother.

To teach him...

To train him...

To be the best damn guy in the chair for spider-man that there ever was... great, now I'm quoting pokemon. Anyway, after I managed to finish preparing before the bus finally pulled up at Oscorp, I took a deep breath hyping myself up. Pete's life may change after this, but he'll still have me for support from the sidelines as his guy in the chair. After all, what else is my purpose for existing?

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11:43 am

Oscorp Industries, N.Y.C

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"Hello, and welcome to Oscorp Industries, the world's premier leader in biochemical and electronic developments. Our goal is to aid humanity in reaching its next stage by providing you with the technology and research necessary to keep you and your whole family safe. After all, as our saying goes, What benefits you, benefits us all." said a monotone female voice through a hologram of the company logo. It's been the second time it went off since the students arrived/gathered in the lobby. We've been waiting a while for the tour guide, and I took a moment to get a good look around the area.

"*whistle* I got to say, the place looks way better on the inside." I said, actually impressed with the interior. The building was at least 60 or more floors high, and each one seemed visible from where I was standing, all connected by a series of bridges going upwards to what I can guess was the roof. The said roof is a skylight letting natural outdoor light fill the area. "I gotta ask, how often have you been here, Harry? Unlike the rest of us, you don't seem to impress much, although it makes sense given that you are an Osborn." I glance over at Harry, who is with my twin and me, away from the groups of chattering students. He snorted in response while checking out some of the cheerleaders from a distance.

"Well, you would be right about not being impressed; seen it once, seen it a thousand times, you know. Granted, I don't often come here, only to see my dad for whatever reason he wants. Though I can easily count the number of those visits on one hand." He said as I noticed his eyebrow twitch while mentioning his dad. It looks like both father and son's relationship is a little tense at the moment and as sad as it may be, I'm glad to see that this part of the plot is still happening. "Anyway, the last time I came was before the summer break with Peter over there." he motions behind me with a grin. I turned around only to sigh; my twin was gawking like a kid in a candy store while looking all around the place, trying to take it all in. "Your brother was like that the first time he came, even though he wasn't allowed to go near the labs."

"Alright, if everyone would please follow me?"

Seeing that the others were being led upstairs, I lightly tapped Pete's forehead to get him out of his daydreams. "Come on, bloodhound. You can smell the science later." With an "ow," he began to follow everyone else while rubbing the spot. I chuckled at this before hearing, "shut up, Alex." from my bro, which made me laugh even harder. I made doubly sure to stay close to him as it was step 1 of my plan; Keep an eye on Peter at all times. However, I have not forgotten to look for Gwen once we got here. Harry mentions that she was in Oscorp, for what he won't say. Gwen is one of the most brilliant people I know, and that's saying a lot coming from me, so I know she can take care of herself, though I can't help but think I'm not going to like what I find.

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We've walked around the facility for a while now. This place was much bigger than I thought it'll be; I couldn't make heads or tales on which room was which. There were some "exciting" areas behind closed doors, but I can't afford to look suspicious now; it's best to keep them in mind. Besides, if everything goes well, I can easily find out what Oscorp is hiding later. Not listening to our guide's sales pitch for a tour, I failed to notice that we had entered the laboratory I had waited SO long to see, and boy, was it amazing.

The lab was long and spacious, even though various types of technology were scattered around the lab. Two lines of desks were going across the room, splitting it in half; each desk was on all sorts of research equipment neatly placed in an orderly fashion from beakers, test tubes, books, and...computers. Perfect. There were multiple other types of equipment, making the lab fully furnished, but something else caught my attention. Glass cages adorned the walls, each holding different types of lizards common throughout the world. Last but certainly not least, I saw them in a single glass cage far off in the corner.The Spiders...I couldn't help being excited as I glanced around the room, knowing that a very special arachnid was somewhere around.

"Ah, Hello, everyone. It's wonderful to meet you all." A voice called out to the group of high schoolers as two individuals walked into the lab; my eyes widened as I instantly recognized them. One of them was a middle-aged man with brown hair and blue eyes; he was wearing a lab, but his mechanical left arm was the most eye-catching thing about him. He coughs in his other hand to get those who are staring attention. "Well then, I think it's time to introduce ourselves. My name is Dr. Curtis Connors, and yes, in case you're wondering, I'm a southpaw." he lightly joked, getting most of the students to laugh nervously. Dr.Connors waved them off with a smile, "Don't worry about it; it wouldn't be the first time I've been stared at." he then processed gestures toward the young lady beside him. "And I'm sure most of you are familiar with one of your classmates, and starting today, one of my new interns, Ms. Stacy."

'Gwen' she stood there elegantly as possible despite how nervous she must be with all the attention on her, doing very well in hiding it. She wore a black strip long-sleeve shirt and her iconic purple skirt, highlighting her curves if you look closely. Along with the black headband she always wears, going amazingly with her blonde hair. Gwen fixed her lab coat while trying to look at anything but the crowd until she focused her blue eyes on where Peter, Harry, and myself were. She smiles at me or us and mouths out something before turning towards Dr.Connors. I didn't catch what she said as I was too busy being frozen in place, thinking just how fucking hot Gwen looked. Only to snap out of it after realizing what the future lizard said, 'wait, whose intern was she?' then I saw the Oscorp badge; Ah Fuck.

Connors then continues, "Anyway, cripple or not, I'm still a scientist and the world's foremost authority on herpetology. That's reptiles, for those who are not aware. Though this field of research didn't always drive me, no, that drive came from what you see before you." he said, holding up his mechanical arm. "I was a field medic in the army in the middle east before I...*sigh* fell prey to a nasty trap. Stricken by grief about not being able to hold my wife and son as I used to, I search for an answer to my plight. It wasn't until later that I found that answer; could anyone care to venture a guess on what that is?" he paced a little bit, waiting for someone to give their answer. Nobody dared to try until Peter raised his hand.

"Cross-species genetics." my twin stated as the crowd parted. "Much like most reptiles over there, they can separate one of their limbs to escape predators or other dangers. Once doing so, the said reptile would be with its missing limb for months. While also growing the limb back as if it never was lost."

"Bold from the start...and accurate, as I expected nothing but the best from you, Mr.Parker." Conners said with a proud smile. This confused me; how did he know who Pete was? If the doc is here, this is supposed to be their first meeting, and I don't see any chart with our names on it.

"Well...I think it's best to come to work prepared for anything, right?" he asked sheepishly. I, on the other hand...