Chapter 2

The morning after Abel's nocturnal excursion dawned gray and sullen, much like the mood at the Gordon household breakfast table. Jim nursed a cup of black coffee, stealing glances at his son over the rim. Abel, for his part, was doing his best impression of a zombie, dark circles under his eyes betraying his late-night wanderings.

"Late night?" Barbara asked, her tone a touch too innocent as she buttered her toast. At 19, she was home from Gotham University for the weekend, her fiery red hair pulled back in a neat ponytail.

Abel grunted noncommittally, shoveling cereal into his mouth.

"Your brother was working on a fascinating project last night," Jim interjected, clearly trying to spark a positive conversation. "An algorithm to predict crime patterns in the Narrows."

Barbara's eyebrows shot up. "Really? That's... actually pretty impressive, Abel."

"Don't sound so surprised," Abel muttered. "I didn't mean—"

"Kids," Jim cut in, his tone weary. "Can we just have one peaceful morning?"

The silence that followed was thick with unspoken tensions. Abel could feel his father's concerned gaze, Barbara's mixture of curiosity and frustration. He knew they worried about him, about the company he kept, the risks he took. But they didn't understand. Couldn't understand.

"Don't forget, you have that field trip to Metropolis today," Jim said, breaking the silence. "To LexCorp, right?"

Abel nodded, suppressing a sigh. The last thing he wanted was to spend a day corralled with his classmates, listening to sanitized corporate propaganda.

"Try to stay out of trouble," Barbara added, her tone half-joking, half-serious.

"Because that's all I'm good at, right?" Abel snapped, pushing back from the table. "Getting into trouble?"

"Abel, that's not what she—" Jim started, but Abel was already heading for the door.

"Save it," he called over his shoulder. "Wouldn't want to be late for the magical mystery tour of Lex Luthor's ego."

The slam of the front door punctuated his exit.

........

....

...

The bus ride to Metropolis was a study in social dynamics. Abel sat alone near the back, headphones firmly in place, while the usual high school cliques chattered and laughed around him. Occasionally, he caught whispers and glances thrown his way – a mixture of curiosity, disdain, and a touch of fear.

His reputation preceded him: Abel Gordon, the commissioner's wayward son. Too smart for his own good, running with a rough crowd. There were rumors of hacking, of midnight break-ins to abandoned buildings, of secret fight clubs in the Narrows. Some were true. Most were exaggerated. All of them served to keep people at arm's length, which suited Abel just fine.

As the Metropolis skyline came into view, gleaming and pristine in the late morning sun, Abel felt a twinge of... something. Not quite envy, not quite disdain. Metropolis was everything Gotham wasn't: clean, optimistic, bathed in light. It made him uncomfortable.

LexCorp Tower loomed over them as they disembarked, a monument to ambition and technological prowess. Their tour guide, a peppy intern with a blinding smile, led them through security and into the bowels of the building.

"LexCorp is at the forefront of numerous cutting-edge fields," she chirped as they walked. "Biotechnology, clean energy, artificial intelligence..."

Abel tuned her out, his eyes roving over the sleek labs and workstations. Despite himself, he was impressed. The technology on display was light-years beyond anything he'd seen, even in the most advanced Gotham facilities.

As they entered a particularly secure area, Abel's attention was drawn to a commotion near one of the sealed chambers. Scientists in hazmat suits were gesticulating wildly, their voices muffled but clearly agitated.

"Nothing to worry about, folks!" the tour guide said, her smile growing slightly strained. "Just a small containment issue. Let's move along to the next area, shall we?"

But Abel hung back, curiosity piqued. Through the glass, he could see a small, dark shape scuttling across a countertop. A spider? But there was something odd about its movement, almost... mechanical.

Suddenly, alarms blared. Red lights began to flash, and the scientists' movements became more frantic.

"Everyone, please remain calm and follow me to the nearest exit," the guide called out, her composure finally cracking.

In the ensuing chaos, Abel felt a sharp, burning pain on the back of his hand. He looked down just in time to see a small, iridescent spider skitter away, disappearing into the panicked crowd.

"Ow! Damn it," he muttered, rubbing the bite mark. Already, the skin around it was beginning to redden and swell.

As security guards rushed past, herding the students toward the exits, Abel cast one last glance at the sealed chamber. Whatever had been in there, whatever had bitten him, it clearly wasn't supposed to get out.

A wave of dizziness washed over him, and he stumbled slightly. Must be the adrenaline, he thought. Or maybe...

But there was no time to dwell on it. He allowed himself to be swept along with the crowd, out of LexCorp Tower and into the bright Metropolis afternoon. As they regrouped on the sidewalk, Abel's mind raced. What exactly had he just witnessed? And more importantly, what had just bitten him?

One thing was certain: this field trip had turned out to be far more interesting than he'd anticipated.