Let me adjust the scene: Otto is now managing Stark Industries while Tony and Pepper are on their honeymoon. He walks into the Bio Department and
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Stark Industries – Bio-Lab Wing
Mid-Morning
Gwen Stacy hunched over her workstation, pipetting proteins into a new growth medium, when a low, familiar voice rang out behind her.
"You know, some might say working this hard is a sign of rebellion."
She didn't have to look to know who it was. "And some might say sneaking up on interns is a sign of a control freak."
Otto Octavius stepped beside her, dressed not in armor, but a sharp, dark blazer and dark red shirt. His mechanical limbs were retracted for once, though his presence still commanded the entire room. The other interns all became very interested in pretending they weren't eavesdropping.
Gwen turned, leaning back casually. "How's the CEO life treating you, boss?"
Otto gave a mock sigh. "I just had to correct a department head for using Comic Sans in a financial report. Stark Industries is on the edge of collapse."
She smirked. "Tragic. Want me to draft a recovery plan using glitter pens and sarcastic comments?"
"I'll make you my VP if you do."
They both laughed — a sound that startled a few nearby researchers.
Dr. Kendrick stepped over nervously, wiping sweat from his glasses. "Mr. Octavius, we didn't expect—"
"Yes, yes, I'm terrifying," Otto said, not even looking at him. "You can return to whatever it is you do that keeps you employed."
Kendrick scurried away like a spooked lab rat.
Gwen turned back to her work, hiding a grin. "You're really enjoying the power trip, huh?"
"I'm merely ensuring the machinery runs efficiently," he said. "Also, Tony is somewhere on a yacht right now trying to understand how to open sunscreen."
"Do you miss the field?" she asked quietly.
Otto paused for a beat, watching her. "At times. But seeing you here — knowing you're in this building, safe, curious — it's a decent trade-off."
The air between them thickened with something unspoken.
"I mean," he added quickly, "until some lunatic fires a laser through the wall or Hammer tries to buy the cafeteria."
She chuckled, then nodded toward her screen. "I'm mapping protein decay using accelerated cell oxidation. Wanna pretend to be impressed?"
He leaned over her shoulder, eyes flicking over the data. "You're off by 0.6 nanoseconds in your decay window."
She elbowed him. "Nerd."
"I'll have Adele flag your work for the advanced projects initiative," he said. "You'll be paid, too."
Gwen blinked. "You don't have to—"
"It's not charity," he cut in, softer. "You're brilliant, Gwen. Don't argue."
Their eyes met for a moment — longer than necessary. Then:
"I still owe you coffee," Otto said, straightening.
"Make it lunch," she replied with a grin. "Interns need real food."
"Tomorrow. My office. Don't be late."
And just like that, he turned and walked away, cloak flaring behind him, as Gwen stared after him — smiling and just a little breathless.
Stark Industries – Bio-Lab Wing
Mid-Morning
Gwen Stacy hunched over her workstation, pipetting proteins into a new growth medium, when a low, familiar voice rang out behind her.
"You know, some might say working this hard is a sign of rebellion."
She didn't have to look to know who it was. "And some might say sneaking up on interns is a sign of a control freak."
Otto Octavius stepped beside her, dressed not in armor, but a sharp, dark blazer and dark red shirt. His mechanical limbs were retracted for once, though his presence still commanded the entire room. The other interns all became very interested in pretending they weren't eavesdropping.
Gwen turned, leaning back casually. "How's the CEO life treating you, boss?"
Otto gave a mock sigh. "I just had to correct a department head for using Comic Sans in a financial report. Stark Industries is on the edge of collapse."
She smirked. "Tragic. Want me to draft a recovery plan using glitter pens and sarcastic comments?"
"I'll make you my VP if you do."
They both laughed — a sound that startled a few nearby researchers.
Dr. Kendrick stepped over nervously, wiping sweat from his glasses. "Mr. Octavius, we didn't expect—"
"Yes, yes, I'm terrifying," Otto said, not even looking at him. "You can return to whatever it is you do that keeps you employed."
Kendrick scurried away like a spooked lab rat.
Gwen turned back to her work, hiding a grin. "You're really enjoying the power trip, huh?"
"I'm merely ensuring the machinery runs efficiently," he said. "Also, Tony is somewhere on a yacht right now trying to understand how to open sunscreen."
"Do you miss the field?" she asked quietly.
Otto paused for a beat, watching her. "At times. But seeing you here — knowing you're in this building, safe, curious — it's a decent trade-off."
The air between them thickened with something unspoken.
"I mean," he added quickly, "until some lunatic fires a laser through the wall or Hammer tries to buy the cafeteria."
She chuckled, then nodded toward her screen. "I'm mapping protein decay using accelerated cell oxidation. Wanna pretend to be impressed?"
He leaned over her shoulder, eyes flicking over the data. "You're off by 0.6 nanoseconds in your decay window."
She elbowed him. "Nerd."
"I'll have Adele flag your work for the advanced projects initiative," he said. "You'll be paid, too."
Gwen blinked. "You don't have to—"
"It's not charity," he cut in, softer. "You're brilliant, Gwen. Don't argue."
Their eyes met for a moment — longer than necessary. Then:
"I still owe you coffee," Otto said, straightening.
"Make it lunch," she replied with a grin. "Interns need real food."
"Tomorrow. My office. Don't be late."
And just like that, he turned and walked away, cloak flaring behind him, as Gwen stared after him — smiling and just a little breathless.
---
Stark Industries – 10:42 AM
CEO Day 7 – Chaos Level: Moderate
Otto Octavius strode through the upper levels of Stark Tower with the confidence of a man who could crush a tank with a thought — and had, once, for testing purposes. Since Tony and Pepper had jetted off on their honeymoon to a remote island with no Wi-Fi ("the greatest sacrifice I've ever made," Tony claimed), Otto had been left in charge.
He regretted it instantly.
"Sir!" barked his assistant from three steps behind. "The Marketing Department accidentally tweeted a meme about Hydra. They thought it was a Star Wars reference."
Otto stopped. "Fire them."
"But—"
"Okay, suspend them with reading material: 'What Not to Post as a Multibillion-Dollar Tech Company.' Volume I."
"Yes, sir."
He turned the corner and nearly collided with a rolling server cart.
"Watch it!" a tech intern yelped.
Otto stepped aside, barely moving. "You are aware this facility contains enough vibranium to vaporize a city block, correct? Perhaps… less cart racing, yes?"
The intern nodded rapidly and fled.
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Bio-Lab, Minutes Later
Otto finally entered the quiet sanctuary of the Bio-Lab. At last — a place of science, reason, and—
Psshhhhhh!
A pipette exploded.
Gwen Stacy yelped as pink foam sprayed upward like a fizzing soda bottle. A junior intern panicked and slammed the emergency decontamination button, unleashing a comical blast of mist that drenched half the lab.
Otto blinked.
The entire lab froze as if caught mid-crime.
Gwen, soaked but smiling, pushed damp hair behind her ear. "Well. That escalated."
Otto slowly turned to the soaking intern. "Did you just try to neutralize a protein spill with hand sanitizer and mentos?"
"I—uh—yes?"
"Congratulations," Otto deadpanned. "You've discovered America's new favorite soda."
Laughter rippled through the lab. Otto's tone softened as he walked to Gwen, handing her a clean towel. "This is why I wear armor."
Gwen grinned. "This is why I bring spare clothes."
He glanced at her data. "Still working on your protein decay model?"
She nodded. "Tried to accelerate reaction time with a sugar-based catalyst."
Otto raised an eyebrow. "Result: Strawberry explosion."
"Next time I'm calling it 'The Gwen Effect.'"
"You'll need a better press agent."
---
Conference Room – Later That Day
A video call blinked to life with Justin Hammer waving dramatically. "Octavius, baby! Heard you're running things now. Can we talk synergy?"
"No," Otto said flatly, and ended the call.
He turned to Adele, his AI. "Remind me to block all communications from Hammer. And send him a fruit basket made of expired apples."
"Noted," Adele replied in her calm British accent. "You have a lunch meeting with Miss Stacy in twenty-five minutes."
Otto checked his reflection in the dark glass. Shirt straight, hair sharp, wolf cut on point. "Right. Time to act normal."
Adele chirped. "Sir, you once blew up a vending machine for rejecting your dollar."
"That machine disrespected me."
---
Café Stark – Rooftop Garden
Gwen sat at a private table, now in dry clothes, looking over a few biology notes. Otto approached carrying two trays — one with quinoa salad and grilled chicken, the other with exactly eight espresso shots.
"Is that all for you?" she asked, eyeing the coffee.
"I don't sleep much."
"Because of corporate stress?"
"Because the coffee won't let me."
They ate in peace for a moment, the hum of city traffic miles below. A Stark drone whirred past with a rogue pigeon chasing it.
Gwen chuckled. "It's weird seeing you like this. Running a company. Being… normal."
"I'm not normal," he said, sipping his espresso. "I'm a genius. There's a difference."
She smiled. "You're doing well. Even if you did threaten to fire half of Accounting over a decimal error."
"They added an extra zero to the repair budget. I nearly approved a billion-dollar popcorn machine."
Pause. Gwen leaned in, teasing: "You're kind of cute when you're overworked."
Otto blinked. "Do you say that to all your terrifying CEOs?"
"Only the ones who give me protein models and towel rescues."
He smiled — rare and genuine. "Then I suppose I'll have to rescue you more often."
---
Scene One: "The Octavius Effect"
Stark Tower – Executive Level – 10:37 AM
Otto Octavius sat at the head of the boardroom table, face schooled into his usual frown of mild disdain. His mechanical arms were retracted under his jacket — part of his recent "approachability campaign," which he loathed. A Stark employee nervously clicked through a slideshow about sustainable packaging.
"…and as you can see, our new branding features 87% less plastic and 50% more eco-efficiency."
Otto tapped the table. "Wonderful. How much does it cost?"
"Uh… more."
"Rejected."
The intern paled.
Otto stood. "If we're saving the planet while bankrupting the company, congratulations — we've invented noble incompetence."
As the room cleared, Adele, his AI, chimed in through his earpiece:
"Mr. Octavius, there was another incident in the bio-lab. Pink foam. Again."
Otto sighed. "Let me guess: Gwen?"
"Confirmed. Also, you have a meeting with Hammer at—"
"No, I don't." He deleted the calendar alert mid-stride. "No one has meetings with Justin Hammer. That's like inviting the flu."
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Bio-Lab – Level 29 – 11:12 AM
A chemical scent hung in the air like a mistake waiting to be reported. Gwen Stacy stood near a table, hair damp, lab coat half-buttoned, surrounded by disgruntled interns and one panicking biohazard team.
Pink foam oozed off the table in a suspiciously cheerful color.
Otto walked in like a dark prince of sarcasm. "What happened this time?"
Gwen gave him a winning smile. "You know how you told me not to mix sucrose-enhanced proteins with reactive isotopes?"
"Yes…"
"I didn't listen."
He raised a brow. "And what have we learned?"
"That pink is flattering, but corrosive."
One of the interns spoke up, "She also hit the wrong button. We got emergency decontaminated."
Otto turned to them. "That explains why you all look like half-melted cotton candy."
Everyone collectively nodded.
"Great," Otto muttered. "This lab's IQ just dropped thirty points. I'm going to need to recalibrate the air filter… and perhaps reality."
Gwen stepped beside him with a playful nudge. "You're just mad it smells like strawberry."
"Don't push me, Stacy. I run a trillion-dollar company, and I haven't had coffee yet."
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Rooftop Café – Stark Tower – 12:03 PM
Otto and Gwen sat at a small outdoor table with a view of the skyline. A few drones zipped overhead, and in the distance, a seagull tried to fight one for its lunch.
Gwen picked at her salad. "You know, I didn't expect my internship to involve fire extinguishers and lab evacuations."
Otto sipped his espresso — third one that morning. "That's just Monday."
"I think the other interns are scared of me."
He tilted his head. "That's how you know you're doing well."
Gwen smiled. "And what about you? How's CEO life?"
Otto groaned. "Half the board thinks I'm a reformed supervillain. The other half think I'm a vampire. Only Tony trusted me to run the company while he's off getting sunburned with Pepper."
"Maybe you should rebrand."
"To what? CEOctopus?"
Gwen laughed, covering her mouth. "That's terrible."
"It's terrible enough to work. I'll trademark it by noon."
They shared a long moment of quiet, their gazes meeting — his sharp and calculating, hers amused and warm.
Then Otto muttered, "You still owe me a new centrifuge."
"And you still owe me lunch."
"This is lunch."
She grinned. "Then next time, I pick the place. And maybe something without foam explosions."
Otto smirked, setting his cup down. "Next time, Gwen. And bring gloves."
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