"So what's this play about?" Felicia asked for what felt like the hundredth time.
"Love and how complicated it can be," I told her as we waited outside our school auditorium doors, waiting for them to open so that we could finally get out of the cold. It was late December now and snow was falling freely. Felicia was shivering — I guess she hadn't expected to wait out here for so long.
"Here, you seem cold," I told her as I handed her my jacket.
"Well aren't you a romantic," she grinned, pulling my coat closer. "Hm, smells like cinnamon. You sure you don't want it?"
I smiled. "No, it's fine. I'm warm enough."
"Well, you are hot-blooded," she grumbled, pulling down her shirt collar to reveal hickies. "You couldn't have shown some restraint?"
I blushed. "Sorry, you make the cutest sounds. I couldn't help it."
"Perv," she hissed, though I couldn't hear any real malice in her tone. She snuggled closer to me and sighed. "I'm sorry about the Oscorp party thing."
"No, it's cool, I understand," I whispered, rubbing her shoulder. Felicia evidently didn't want to spend her time at a stuck-up party with high society douchebags and nerds — her words, not mine. But I understood her frustrations, so I didn't pressure her.
"So what role is Red playing?" Felicia asked.
"Helena," I replied. In the end MJ had gotten the part she wanted and had spent two months practising for it. Harry didn't like the fact she didn't have time for him, but he didn't really seem to complain.
Speaking of Harry, he didn't seem to be around. I kept looking, but I couldn't find him. Strange.
Just then the doors opened and we all quickly rushed inside into the warmth. "Finally," Felicia grumbled as we took our seats near the front.
We waited patiently for the show to begin. I told her what the play was about since English was never her favourite subject.
When the play began I was surprised to find the kids actually had some talent in acting. And when MJ came out I was swept off my feet — she didn't miss a single word of dialogue, her pronunciation was perfect. I knew she would be great one day, but she proved it to the rest of the world that night.
When the play was over, Felicia and I went up on stage to meet the cast. The other actors had many people come up to them and praise them, but MJ didn't have anyone, which again was strange. Where the hell was Harry Osborn?!
"Hey Red, you were amazing," Felicia said with a smile as she handed MJ a bouquet of roses.
"Thanks Felicia," MJ smiled happily. "It means so much to me that you guys came!"
"Yeah, where's Flash and his goon patrol? I expected to see him," Felicia asked bluntly. I had to facepalm — really subtle, Kitten.
"They ah, they couldn't make it. Did — did you guys see Harry in the seats? He said he would be here," MJ asked, looking sad.
"Ah, no," I smiled. "Don't worry, I'm sure he would have been here if he could. You were amazing, MJ. Really."
"Thanks, Tiger," she smiled. "And it's all thanks to you."
"What? What did I do?"
"If you hadn't convinced me to take part I never would have," she smiled. "And you helped me practise my lines — otherwise I never would have gotten this role." She stepped forward and pulled me into a hug. "Thanks, Tiger."
"Oh stop it, you're making me blush," I laughed as I hugged her back. "Besides, it's not all me. You put in the work, MJ. If you didn't, you wouldn't have done anything. If you did well today it's because of you, not me."
"T-thanks," MJ said, blushing.
"Alright, enough with the sappy stuff," Felicia said with a guarded smile. "He's my boyfriend, Red, not yours."
"Oh, are you jealous, Kitten?" I asked, wrapping one arm around her waist.
"No," she growled, removing my hand. "I'll see you both later, after you've finished making up."
She walked away and I sighed. I turned to MJ and smiled apologetically. "Sorry about that. I don't think she likes it when I tease her."
MJ smiled back. "Oh, it's fine, Tiger. Go get her. I have to call up my boyfriend and listen to whatever excuse he comes up with this time. Honestly, that boy..." Just then a few more people came up to congratulate her. "Jean! Robb! You guys came!"
I quietly slipped away and ran out to catch up with Felicia. "Kitten, wait!"
"Ah, are you done flirting?" Felicia shot back as she walked through the snow-covered parking lot.
"Flirting? What are you talking about?! I was just congratulating her!" I argued.
"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, Tiger," she spat back.
"Felicia, wait." I grabbed her hand and pulled her toward me. She tried to break free but I held firm — she needed to understand. "Listen, Kitty. MJ's my friend, okay? And I'll admit I did like her once, but not anymore. Not from the moment I met you."
Felicia looked away. "I don't want to hear it."
"Hey, look at me." I turned her face toward mine. "I'm not leaving you and I'm certainly not replacing you with anyone else — least of all MJ. Got that?"
"Yeah," she looked away, embarrassed to meet my gaze.
I sighed and looked up. "Tomorrow's Christmas Eve, right?"
"Yeah," her voice was muffled as she spoke into my chest.
"Hm...well, I was going to wait until tomorrow to give you this, but..." I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small black disc. Felicia looked at it and blinked.
"What is it?"
I clicked the centre button and a holographic photo of us appeared. "I made it in the Baxter Building. I know we just started dating, so expensive gifts were off the table, but...well, I figured you'd like something more thoughtful."
Felicia looked at the hologram. It was us on our first date at the movie theatre. She smiled and turned to me. "I'm sorry. It's just...I've never done this before. You're the first serious boyfriend I've had and sometimes it feels like I'm slipping away from you. You're always working, we barely get to spend any time together and..."
"Hey, I'm new to this whole relationship thing too. We'll take it one step at a time, okay?" I told her, planting a kiss on her cheek. "Merry Christmas, Kitten."
She took the gift and smiled. "Merry Christmas, Tiger." She kissed me back on the lips.
I dropped her off at her house and then went home to get ready. It was time for the Oscorp party, and I was going alone tonight.
---
I wore the same suit I wore to Homecoming — it was, after all, an Oscorp party, high class and all that. However, I wasn't going unarmed. I wore my Spider-Man costume underneath my suit, the arc reactor switched off, making it look more like a thermal underlayer than a superhero costume. My mask was hidden inside my suit jacket in its inactive flat form and the gauntlets were hidden up my sleeves.
I took a cab to Oscorp Towers. When I arrived, people were already gathered, all dressed in expensive clothing, walking into the large tower as though they owned the place. Norman had said he was going to make an announcement, so the air buzzed with anticipation.
I got in without much hassle — I just had to show the text Norman sent me as proof of invitation, along with a driver's licence. I stepped into the lift with a beautiful blonde woman and her date. They pressed the button for the top floor. I supposed that was where I was headed as well.
The elevator opened into a high-class ballroom that was filling up by the second. I walked in and moved quietly to the corner, not trying to draw attention to myself. There was food being served near the back, waiters circling with snacks and drinks, a band playing soft classical music in one corner, and in the centre a large circular structure of some kind covered by a cloth.
It was obvious that the hidden machine was what everyone was here for, but I couldn't sneak in for a look underneath — too many guards keeping a watchful eye. I could cause a distraction, but I doubted anything short of Iron Man dropping in could surprise them. I could ask Johnny to make an appearance, but Sue had told me the FF needed to stay out of the public eye when it came to people like Osborn.
I was stuck and I knew it. I had to sit here and wait.
I looked around and recognised a few faces — the mayor of New York was there, the DA, a few police captains judging by their uniforms, a handful of celebrities I recognised and many more I didn't, and even the occasional scientist who looked completely out of place in the formal surroundings. Like me, honestly.
I was about to wander over and get something to eat when I spotted Harry in the distance with Flash by his side. They were discussing something. I was just about to find somewhere to hide when Flash looked up and spotted me immediately.
"Parker!" Flash grinned, pointing in my direction. Harry quickly spotted me too. Great. Just great. They both walked over with matching grins. Wonderful.
"Osborn. Flash," I nodded at them. "I had a feeling I'd find you here."
"Yo, Peter, how'd you get in?" Harry asked in surprise.
"Your father gave me an invitation," I told him. "He said I'd be interested in some kind of announcement."
"Oh, right, of course he did," Harry grumbled.
"This party's kind of lame though," Flash growled. "We can't get any beer and the adults are so boring!" Just then a supermodel passed by and all three of us watched her go. "But, ah, it is important."
I rolled my eyes. "Sure it is." I turned to Harry. "Why didn't you come to MJ's play?"
Harry blinked. "Oh damn, that was today, wasn't it?!"
I nodded. "Yup."
"Oh man, I'm in so much trouble! I couldn't help it — Dad wanted me here to help set all of this up!"
I shrugged. "I don't care, Osborn, but I suggest you call her and explain."
Harry sighed. "Yeah, I'll do that, Pete. Thanks."
"You know, Harry, didn't your dad mention something about finding him if Peter showed up?" Flash asked.
"What? He did?" Harry asked in surprise.
"Yeah, remember? He told you like ten minutes ago to bring Peter to him as soon as he arrived."
"Oh, right, you're right. Come on, Peter," Harry said, looking even more deflated than before. It wasn't hard to figure out why — Norman liked me and always compared Harry to me unfavourably. Of course Harry wouldn't want me anywhere near his father.
We pushed through the crowd with Harry leading the way. Flash and I followed. The guests spared us a single glance before looking away — good. Not many of them knew who I was yet, otherwise this would get complicated.
We reached Norman, who was talking to the couple from the elevator. Beside him stood another pair — a short man of average build with messy brown hair and a kind-faced woman around his age. The man looked familiar, though I couldn't quite place him.
"Father, Peter's here," Harry said softly.
Norman turned and shot a brief glare at his son for interrupting, but when his eyes landed on me they lit up with warmth.
"Ah, Peter! Glad you could make it, please come," he said, pulling me forward and dismissing Flash and Harry with a look. They retreated reluctantly, tails between their legs.
"Connor, Natalie, Otto, Rosie — may I introduce this young man, Peter Parker," Norman announced proudly, his arm around my shoulder. "A friend of my son's from school, and I've only recently learned of his remarkable talent in science."
I froze the moment I heard the name Otto. Otto Octavius. The man who would become Peter Parker's most feared enemy, second only to Norman Osborn himself. He was the short man holding hands with Rosie — I saw matching wedding bands on their fingers. Which meant...the events of Spider-Man 2.
"So, Peter, interested in science are you?" Otto asked with a genuine smile. "Tell me, what's your favourite field?"
"I — I," I gulped. "I don't really have one. I just follow whatever interests me at the moment."
"Oh, and what would that be?"
I thought it over before answering. "Alternative sources of energy."
"Ah, then you've certainly come to the right place," said Connor — an older man with grey hair whose date looked young enough to be his daughter, though judging by where his hand rested on her back I highly doubted that.
"I'm sorry, what do you mean?" I asked, feigning ignorance. I already knew the answer, of course. Otto Octavius was attempting to create a new source of energy by generating a miniature sun. That giant machine hidden under the sheets — it had to be his experiment, which meant he was planning to run it tonight.
"Well, you see, my husband here is the leading scientist in that field," Rosie said, patting Otto's shoulder. "And tonight he's going to change the world by creating the first source of truly clean energy."
I raised an eyebrow. "I think Stark already has you beat on that front."
Otto laughed. "True, Stark's arc reactor can power one of his suits — but my experiment can power an entire city."
I raised an eyebrow. "How?"
"Well now, Peter, you'll just have to wait and see," Otto said with a wink.
I snorted. "Yeah, I don't think so. I'm not the patient type." I looked over at the covered machine and began pulling up everything Peter had ever absorbed about Otto Octavius. "You did your doctorate on the process of nuclear fusion as it occurs in the heart of stars — specifically on how one might replicate such a reaction without a massive capital mass. You've made contributions to mechanics and biotech along the way, but stars have always been your primary subject. Five years ago Osborn hired you, and you've been working for him ever since. Clean energy, was it? You're...you're making a miniature star."
The silence that followed was absolute. Otto looked as though he was about to have a heart attack. Norman was the only one who smiled — like a cat that had just caught a very satisfying canary.
"Told you he was clever," Osborn said with obvious satisfaction.
"H-how do you know that?!" Otto demanded.
"Educated guess," I shrugged. "You want clean energy, you study nuclear fusion in stars — put two and two together and there it is."
"Peter, would you like a job?" Rosie asked.
I shook my head. "Thanks, ma'am, but I already have one."
"What? Where?!" Connor asked.
"The Baxter Building."
Otto chuckled. "That actually makes sense. Good lord, how did you not notice him sooner, Osborn? He would have made an amazing addition to my team!"
"Alas, that will always be my greatest regret," Osborn sighed theatrically. "Well, I'll leave you three to talk science. Connor, Natalie, would you like a drink?"
They left, leaving me alone with Otto and Rosie. I knew I shouldn't be too worried — the man wasn't a villain yet — but I also knew what was coming. The magnetic shields he had installed on his machine would fail, and people could die. Maybe I could prevent it.
"So, Dr. Octavius, tell me — what safety measures have you installed to make sure the world doesn't ignite in a few nanoseconds?" I asked.
"Well, Peter, I have four magnetic shield generators keeping the heat and magnetic bursts under control. We'll be quite safe."
"I see...and when the sun doubles in size? Have you accounted for the sudden increase in mass causing an exponential rise in magnetic disturbance?"
"Excuse me?"
"Well, you are going to increase the size of the sun, right?" Otto nodded. "Then won't the magnetic force against the shields also increase in proportion? Would the shields be able to handle that sudden stress?"
"I..." Otto trailed off. I could practically see the equations running behind his eyes. He stopped dead, turning pale. "No...no, they wouldn't!"
"Otto?" Rosie asked, alarmed.
"Rosie, we need to change the settings. Now! The entire system will fail if we don't!" Otto immediately ran off without another word. Rosie looked between me and her husband before giving a quick, apologetic smile and hurrying after him.
I smiled quietly to myself. Crisis — hopefully — averted.
I watched Otto rush up to what appeared to be four assistants and together they hurried over to Osborn. They whispered something in his ear and he looked thoroughly annoyed. Osborn asked Otto why, and Otto pointed at me. Wonderful. Osborn's eyes landed on me in obvious surprise before he nodded and waved Otto toward the machine. Otto and his team disappeared beneath the cover and lights began flickering on beneath the sheets. I exhaled. Thank God.
I moved away — the last thing I needed right now was Osborn's scrutiny. I found a quiet corner and leaned against the wall. I wondered what Cat was up to.
I called her. "Hello?"
"Hey, Kitten."
"Oh, hey, Tiger. How's the party?"
"Dull. The only people here I can actually talk to are Flash and Harry."
"Hm. Sounds rough. Did you tell Harry that MJ's upset?"
"Yup."
"Did he care?"
"Not really," I sighed.
We talked for a bit before Otto announced that the presentation was about to begin. I had to hang up, though I promised I would call her later that night.
Everyone gathered around the large machine. I positioned myself near the back, close to the washroom in case I needed a quick exit to change into Spider-Man if everything still went sideways.
Otto gave his speech — how he was going to revolutionise the world's relationship with energy. He then brought out the arms. The four mechanical arms I had sincerely hoped I would never have to face. He removed his jacket, revealing a white muscle shirt underneath, and attached the harness to his spine. The arms came alive, responding to his every command as he moved them around for the crowd. He then brought out a small globe of tritium — the fuel for his miniature star.
He took it carefully with one of his arms and placed it in the centre of the machine. He activated it, and nuclear fusion slowly began to take place as a glowing ball of fire grew inside the containment chamber.
I edged slowly back toward the bathroom, watching. So far everything looked stable. He must have taken my warning to heart. The shields held perfectly.
The miniature sun rotated on its axis for several minutes while people took photograph after photograph. At the ten-minute mark, Otto shut the machine down, and the glowing mass contracted back into the small globe of tritium it had started as.
I exhaled in relief. Everyone applauded. It had all gone off without a single hitch. And best of all — Otto would not be becoming a supervillain tonight. Thank God, or whoever the equivalent of God happened to be in this universe.
The party resumed its festivities and the room buzzed with excited conversation. I decided it was probably best that I left, now that I knew Otto was safe.
Before I could, however, Osborn and Otto intercepted me.
"Peter, do you know what you've done?" Osborn asked.
"Ah...prevented a city-wide disaster?" I ventured.
"That, and ensured my life's work wasn't destroyed! Who knows what could have happened!" Otto exclaimed.
"Yes, we'll be sure to discuss your...oversight in detail, Otto," Osborn said tightly before turning back to me. "This is the third time I find myself in your debt, Peter. And this time I won't take no for an answer." He handed me his phone. I looked at the screen — stock figures, his company's, rising sharply.
"Congratulations," I said. "What does this have to do with me?"
"That is one percent stock in my company, Peter. As of five minutes ago, it has been transferred to you."
My eyes went wide. "Rich man says what now? Mr. Osborn, I can't accept this!"
"I don't think you quite grasp how much money you've just made me," Osborn laughed. "You really are a remarkable young man, Mr. Parker. Trust me, this is the very least I can do."
I didn't know what to say. "Thanks?"
"My pleasure. Now if you'll excuse me." He left quickly, leaving me and Otto alone.
"I'm genuinely disappointed in Osborn now," Otto sighed. "If only he'd recognised your talent a few days sooner." He shook his head. "But enough of that. You've done me a tremendous service tonight, Peter. I fully expect that one day it'll be me coming to see your latest invention. I look forward to that day. If you ever need anything from me, please — just ask."
We spoke for a while longer. I was genuinely curious about his technology and how it worked. He gave me the basic details, and when I asked him about the mechanical arms he admitted they were more of a side project — he hadn't even bothered to patent them yet. Too much of a hassle, he said.
I bade him farewell and left the party.
The thought followed me down in the elevator. If Doc Ock was never going to exist — if Otto genuinely didn't care about those mechanical arms — maybe I should take a look at them. The idea of four additional limbs was fascinating. Two could shoot web lines and help with swinging across the city. The other two could serve as an extra pair of hands. The possibilities were genuinely endless.
I got downstairs and was about to hail a cab when my phone buzzed.
I looked at the contact. It was Felicia.
"Hello?"
"Tiger...can you come over?" She sounded nervous. Why?