Chapter 8: The Oscorp Industries Science Exhibition

"Peter…" Gwen's gentle voice instantly caught Peter's attention.

"Gwen." Peter glanced at Alan, standing beside her, and a flicker of jealousy flashed in his eyes. But he hid it well, not letting it show.

"Peter, Dr. Connors. Are you both alright?" Gwen asked, ever the caring person. After all, standing before her were her longtime friend and that friend's mentor.

"We're fine, it's something we've gotten used to," Dr. Connors replied, forcing a smile. However, everyone present could see the complex emotions beneath that smile.

"And who is this student?" Dr. Connors noticed Alan standing behind Gwen and, curious about this unfamiliar face, asked.

"This is Alan Ford, a new transfer student to Empire State University. I'm showing him around the campus," Gwen explained.

"Hello, I'm Alan Ford," he stepped forward and introduced himself.

Dr. Connors and Peter returned the greeting with polite introductions.

Dr. Connors then said, "Peter, your friends are here. Why don't you go entertain them? I'll tidy up here."

"But, Doctor…" Peter wanted to stay and help, but seeing Dr. Connors' expression, he realized the doctor needed some time alone.

"Gwen, Alan. Let's go for a walk outside," Peter suggested.

Gwen and Alan both nodded. As they left, Alan glanced back at Dr. Connors by the table and sighed quietly.

The man was already on the brink of psychological collapse. It was only a matter of time before he became the Lizard.

At the lab entrance, Gwen looked concerned. "Peter, is Dr. Connors really okay?"

Peter gave a bitter smile. "This isn't the first time the experiment has failed. I believe the doctor will pull through."

"By the way, Peter, there's an Oscorp Industries science exhibition happening in three days. Would you like to go?" Gwen suddenly remembered the upcoming event.

Peter's tired eyes lit up at the mention of the exhibition. "Gwen, are you going too?" he asked.

"Of course! You know how much I love scientific research," Gwen replied with a smile.

Oscorp Industries science exhibition? Alan's interest was piqued. Wasn't this the event where Peter Parker would be bitten by the radioactive spider, marking the beginning of his journey as Spider-Man?

This could get interesting.

Then, out of the blue, Peter asked, "What about you, Alan?"

"Oh, I just remembered this event. I haven't mentioned it to him yet," Gwen admitted, looking a little embarrassed. She glanced at Alan, curious if he would want to join them.

"I'd rather stay at home and read books," Alan replied.

For some reason, Peter felt a surge of happiness upon hearing that.

But a trace of disappointment flashed in Gwen's eyes. If Alan didn't go, it meant she would be alone with Peter.

However, before Peter could fully enjoy the thought, Alan continued, "But since Oscorp is a leading company in life sciences, I've been reading some of their books recently. It might be worth going to broaden my knowledge."

Of course, this was just an excuse Alan made up. His real reason for attending was to witness the birth of Spider-Man firsthand.

Since he had crossed over into this universe, Alan wanted to witness these historical moments firsthand.

When Gwen and Peter heard that Alan wanted to go, their reactions were quite different.

"Peter, it's settled then," Gwen said cheerfully. Peter could only smile and nod along, though he secretly wished Alan wouldn't come along.

Of course, Alan had no idea what Peter was thinking. Even if he knew, he wouldn't care.

In Alan's eyes, Peter was too much of a "hero complex." This indirectly caused one problem after another for the people around him once he became Spider-Man.

Even Gwen's family got caught up in it...

It was best to avoid getting too close to someone like him.

"Peter, Alan and I are going to take another walk around campus. Do you want to join us?" Gwen asked. "You look a bit… I think you should take some time to relax. Dr. Connors too."

But Peter shook his head firmly. "No, Dr. Connors is still inside. As his student and assistant, I feel like I should stay with him and help him figure out why the experiment failed."

Gwen nodded, understanding. She had noticed how lost Dr. Connors looked when they left. Right now, Peter was the only person who could comfort him.

After a bit more small talk, Peter turned and walked back toward the lab while Alan and Gwen left together.

Not long after they had gone, Peter appeared from around the corner, watching Alan's retreating figure.

"Just wait. Once my experiment succeeds, I'll be able to confidently ask Gwen out for a dinner," Peter muttered to himself. "You, the transfer student, won't be sticking by her side forever."

Meanwhile, Alan and Gwen were walking toward the school gate. Gwen began speaking quietly, "Peter's had a tough life since he was young. I'm one of the few friends he has, and he's also one of my few good friends."

Alan stayed silent, listening to Gwen as she recounted Peter's backstory. This helped him piece together more about Peter Parker's life.

When Peter was young, his parents left on a trip and entrusted him to his Uncle Ben Parker. This wasn't too different from what Alan already knew about the storyline.

Currently, Peter was living with his Uncle Ben and Aunt May. But since they were both getting older, they only had a pension and did odd jobs for extra money.

This left Peter living a rather impoverished life, which made him feel inferior at State University, where many students came from wealthy families. He had very few friends as a result.

Soon, Alan and Gwen reached the campus gate.

"Okay, we've finished our tour of the campus. Now it's time for you to fulfill your promise," Gwen said with a grin.

Alan chuckled. "Of course, though I'm new to New York, so I don't really know which steakhouse is good."

"I know! There's a great steakhouse over on 13th Street," Gwen replied.

Alan blinked in surprise. Could it really be that close? Was it right downstairs?

Curious, Alan said, "Then let's go, Miss Stacy."

Gwen laughed, covering her mouth. "Of course, Mr. Alan."

...