B4 wasn't the same as B3. B3 was Dr. Octavius's office, while B4 seemed to be the actual laboratory. A place that, as soon as he entered, he saw technology. He saw the future.
The laboratory was spacious, well-lit, and meticulously organized. A gleaming white floor extended in all directions, reflecting the crisp, white light from overhead. Stainless steel and glass surfaces gleamed, giving the space an air of clinical precision.
State-of-the-art equipment and machinery lined the perimeter of the laboratory. Computers with multiple monitors displayed complex data and accompanied each piece of equipment. Three of the parking spots seemed to be missing, likely the ones being used. The soft hum of machinery and the occasional beep of monitors did daze Felix a little.
It was all so much.
In the center of the lab, a large work table held a mesmerizing array of components and prototypes, from advanced robotics to holographic interfaces. Test equipment, 3D printers, and prototypes were scattered across the table.
That was where the good doctor was, her team of six scientists, and a certain dark-skinned teenager.
"Oh, uh, hey," Reed greeted. "Nice to see you again."
"H-hey."
"Ah, yes, Felix Faeth." Dr. Octavius smiled. The two arms attached to her back were active, moving like snakes. "That's with an 'e', not an 'i', correct?"
"Yes, correct."
"I would tell you to call me Liv but that would be a little weird. We don't usually call each other doctor but because you're new I expect you to refer to me as that."
He was nervous but that was to be expected. Her team was intimidating; serious and diligent as they stared at him.
Dr. Octavius gestured to the Indian woman closest to her. With a red Tilak on her forehead, golden hoop earrings, black hair done in a messy bun, she was a sharp looking middle-aged woman. He guessed she was in her late thirties. "This is Kavita Rao. She has PhDs in mutant genetics and biochemistry. Fun fact: she's a big Star Wars fan."
Kavita gave him a nod. Felix nodded back.
"Next up, Maya Hansen. Two PhDs, one in bioengineering and another in systems biology."
To say he was impressed was an understatement. He expected high credentials, but bioengineering and systems biology? Those weren't easy fields. Lots of mathematics and computational analysis on top of a thorough understanding of complex biological systems.
Especially because she was quite young, with luscious brown hair and bright brown eyes. He suspected she was in her late twenties.
"Nice to meet you," Maya said.
"You too."
"Now, we have Barbara Morse, but we call her Bobbi. She's our bio expert, or as I like to say, our biology pest."
Bobbi rolled her eyes and put her hands in her lab coat. "How am I a pest if I correct you from total failure?"
"Agree to disagree," said Dr. Octavius.
'She certainly seems to be a biology expert.' His eyes travelled up her figure. While cloaked by her white lab coat, her tight brown pants could not hide the curve of her hips nor did her sweater hide her gracious mounds.
Blue eyes, platinum blonde hair, and a phenomenal figure, she was better suited to being a model rather than a so-called biology expert.
"Jane Foster and Faiza Hussain, our two resident doctors." A kind-looking brunette and a brown woman in a white hijab waved at him. Felix waved back at them but was a second too slow as they went back to reading their clipboard. "Faiza is my direct assistant, so expect her to be running errands and being my servant."
"I do my best," Faiza said.
"Finally, Alistaire Smythe: PhD in mechanical engineering. He's a little bit of a butthead but he knows what he's doing."
Alistaire was the only one to actually greet him. He was in a wheelchair, expression full of determination, and shook hands with him. He had one hell of a grip.
"Firm grip," Alistaire complimented. "I read your papers. Idealistic but respectable. I was the same at your age."
"Thank you."
'That was a compliment, right?'
"Now that we have the gang all together." Dr. Octavius clapped her hands together. "Reed, Felix, today we'll be filling out paperwork but know that you are officially part of your team. If you're quick enough, we might even be able to join in on the fun. Regardless, welcome to the greatest assembly of scientists in the modern era!"
From behind them, Barbara muttered, "She's exaggerating."
***
Reed, a teenager, and Felix, an adult newcomer, sat in Dr. Octavius's office, the air filled with a palpable tension. They both stared at the paperwork in front of them, unsure of how to break the silence.
Felix finally cleared his throat. "So, what do you specialize in, Reed?"
"Oh, um, a bit of everything." Reed stopped to think. "Although I've always been into robotics."
Felix tried to be encouraging. "That's great. My focus is on nanotechnology which is similar."
There was an awkward pause as they continued to fill out the forms, the silence punctuated by the occasional scratching of pens on paper.
Reed glanced at Felix. "So, why did you choose Oscorp?"
Felix shifted in his chair. "Fresh out of college and just conveniently found the job listing here. Nothing more to it. You?"
Reed nodded. "I've always wanted to work at a place like this. Dr. Octavius is pretty good and so are her facilities."
Dr. Octavius? Pretty good? That was one hell of a statement for a kid to say. He did research on her and in the field of nuclear physics there were a handful of scientists in the world that could claim to rival her.
Felix managed a small smile. "Absolutely. She's one of the brightest minds in the world."
The conversation continued in fits and starts, each sentence punctuated by awkward pauses. It was clear that both of them were feeling a bit out of their depth and unsure of how to connect.
As they finished the paperwork, Reed cleared his throat. "Well, I guess we'll be working together on some projects, right?"
"Guess so." Pause. Then Felix asked the question he had wondered the second he laid eyes on him. "Aren't there, you know, child labour laws? You are under eighteen, right?"
"I just turned sixteen, yeah. I have a special waiver from the government," Reed replied. "Fair warning, er, I do have a knack for getting into trouble."
"The good or bad kind?"
"...bad. When I was six, I was expelled from my high school for burning down the school's main wing with cosmic fire. Then at my next school I was expelled for causing another fire in my first semester. Years later, I was enrolled in the Future Foundation but was expelled for causing an incident involving cosmic ice."
"You went to the Future Foundation!?" Felix's jaw dropped. "That's like the most prestigious of the prestigious! Jeez, how old were you?"
Reed scratched his head. "Ten."
"Talk about bad luck. I would have killed to get in there."
"Where did you attend?"
"Eh, nowhere special. Just a science academy in Montana. Both my parents were scientists so it was just natural for me to follow their path. They're in retirement homes now though, so it's just me here in New York."
"Me too. It's…just me."
Felix finally met Reed's gaze, his uncertainty giving way to a genuine smile. "Well, I guess we're two peas in a pod, Reed."
Reed returned the smile, feeling a bit more at ease. "I guess."
The doors opened and the eccentric Dr. Octavius walked in with a big smile. "I hope you're finished, boys! It is time for a proper tour."
Back into the elevator and down to B4 it was.
"Currently, we have four on-going projects. Everything is classified, of course, that's why you signed those papers. Anything inside that gets leaked out and you two will be the first suspects; and if found liable, well…let's not get to that."
"So what are the projects?" Reed asked.
"Ahh, well, you two are newbies. Sorry to say this but for the sake of corporate secrecy, I can only tell you the first two. Project Rebirth II and Project Oscorpeus. Rebirth II is—" The elevator stopped and they entered the B4 Lab. "An attempt to replicate the Super Soldier Serum that the legendary Abraham Erskine developed."
'Woah! That's a hell of a project! Jesus!'
Swallowing, Felix asked with a measured tone, "You want to create another Captain America?"
"Precisely! No shame in saying that we are. Everyone has been trying to do it."
"And failed," Felix pointed out. Everybody in school knew about the various felted human experiments. There was some deep, dark shit in there. Whether it was America or the Soviets, governments did terrible things in order to achieve success.
"Ah, but failure is merely a stepping stone to success," Dr. Octavius said with a smile that irked him. "Project Oscorpeus, on the other hand, is for the development of the Araneus Oscorpeus."
Felix didn't understand. Reed apparently did.
"Araneus, a genus of orb-weaving spiders." Reed blinked twice. "You're trying to develop a new species of spiders, perhaps? Maybe create a type of webbing that is as hard as steel?"
Dr. Octavius leaned on the table in the middle, facing them with a grin. "Reed, I knew you would understand! You did research papers on the Ghost-Spider and how her powers came to be. It was an impressive thesis but I believe it went the wrong way. We at Oscorp believe she was mutated by a spider, not injected by a special fluid like Captain America was."
"The origin point is a spider's venom." Reed went into a thinking pose. "I don't believe it. How?"
Felix threw out a half-hazard suggestion. Clearly, between everyone here, he was the dumbest. Might as well pull shit out of his ass, right? "Cross-species genetics maybe? Like a serum containing its DNA and you inject it in yourself to change yourself?"
However, his words brought great pause to Reed and Dr. Octavius.
"Cross species? We were thinking of genetically modified species. Creating a venom that changes the host with a bite," said Dr. Octavius.
Reed was muttering to himself. "Instead of liquid, gas might work…"
Someone put a hand on his shoulder. It was the pretty blonde woman, Barbara—sorry, Bobbi. She smiled at him and said, "I think you'll fit in right in, Felix."
"Thank you," he replied, hiding his nerves again.
The rest of the day was largely uneventful. Mostly just learning what equipment did and how to use it. As well, Dr. Octavius mentioned that she was the leader of the squad and therefore should be told of any major steps in any project they do.
"I really don't want to be surprised by a breach in protocol, or a breach in scientific discovery. Seriously, I want to be there and you better let me know." The doctor's words were stern yet filled with the determination of a true seeker of knowledge. Felix wouldn't want to undermine his job and salary, so he agreed. Reed did too, albeit he seemed a little slow to nod on it.
At the end of their tour, they were back at the center table. Dr. Octavius crossed her arms, smiling. "Any questions?"
Nope. Both of them exchanged looks and remained silent.
"Felix, Reed, you two will be in Team Rebirth II with Kavita, Maya, and Bobbi."
The blonde, who had been waiting, cleared her throat and said, "And please, do call me Bobbi. I'd prefer one name over two."
'Bobbi, not Barbara. Okay, got it.'
Another silent nod.
"I'll leave you with them," said Dr. Octavius. She raised a hand and bid them farewell with fiddly fingers. "See you guys at the end of the day. Oh, uh, Bobbi will tell you why. It's to sign out, let me read what you've done, and get your hours. Make sense? For the first month, it's a requirement."
Oscorp sure was tight. Then again, what they were doing was classified stuff. He couldn't blame the extra vigilance.
"Oh, also! You'll be getting your cards in two weeks—"
Bobbi sighed and waved at her to leave. "I know, I know, I'll be telling them, Liv. Go before you're late for your meeting."
Her lab coat spun and Dr. Octavius practically ran off. Reed and Felix watched her till she was gone.
"So," Bobbi began, smiling, "you two are the new hires. Young too. I hope you have enough lab experience."
"We do," said Felix.
"Good. My team, Team Delta, is working on Project Rebirth II." Bobbi started to walk, her lab coat flipping over for a moment to reveal her blue jeans and tight ass. Felix promptly looked away and followed. "So far, we've been experimenting with gamma radiation. There's potential in that."
'Gamma radiation?'
"Wouldn't vita rays work better?" Reed asked.
"We…haven't thought of that," said Bobbi. "Err, rather, the project hasn't gone that far."
"No human or animal testing yet?"
Reed was just full of questions, wasn't he? Honestly, Felix appreciated it. He wasn't a biology major; he could use all the questions he could get.
Bobbi hesitated to answer, however. "Animal testing, yes. Humans, no." She stopped and cleared her throat. "Anyway! This is the gamma ray chamber!"
Felix nodded, half impressed. The chamber was a marvel of advanced technology, encased in a sleek, metallic chamber that gleamed with a brilliant stainless steel finish. Inside was a vertical stretcher to be strapped into, with soft, ethereal blue lights bathed the interior.
"The liquid is administered through here." Several strings connected the machine to heavily fortified metal cases containing bubbly green liquid.
"So you adjust it here?" asked Reed.
"Precisely. Although we haven't adjusted it in a week. So far, the rats that were administered this particular serum have lived normal lives. Super-powered, of course, but well-lived and healthy. Jane and her intern are keeping watch at B2. That's where all our animal experiments go," Bobbi explained.
'So B2 is where they're animal experiments go, B3 is Dr. Octavius' office, and B4 is here. Memorize that, Felix. Memorize it.'
He had a pretty poor sense of direction so he really needed not to forget.
"I have a suggestion," said Reed.
"Oh. I appreciate the enthusiasm, but—"
Bobbi was cut off by the eager teen. "I really think this will work."
"Sure—"
"Again, no offence, but this is pretty primitive. I think I can do better in regards to the design of the chamber."
Okay, enthusiasm and teenage antics aside, this was going a little far. Felix put a hand on Reed's shoulder. "Come on, let's hear the lady out before we start giving ideas. Maybe they already plan to change it but just don't have the materials."
Reed paused to look at him. "Huh. Fair enough." He rubbed his shoulders, suddenly embarrassed. "My bad."
Bobbi smiled weakly. She looked like one of those employees who thought this was going to be an excruciatingly long week.
***
Czarina swiped her Oscorp ID card down the scanner and the elevator's buttons shifted into a green colour. Felix smiled at her graciously but the redhead didn't seem to notice. Great. Well, at least she had cleavage to compensate.
The elevator doors closed and promptly moved. Of course, it was too smooth to tell whether it was actually moving.
'I can't believe Reed decided to stay for extra time on our first day. He doesn't even get paid either.'
"Uh, thank you. Good night."
"Good night," Czarina replied.
Felix wondered how long Czarina stayed for, because she went right back to her desk and dialled a number on the phone.
The sky was dark and taking the train felt slightly unsafe. He kept to himself, eyes on his smartphone, and refused to make eye contact with anyone else. When it came to people on the New York train, there was no such thing as being too careful. Things could go crazy.
Coming out of the train, the station was empty. Too empty. The shadows seemed almost suspicious as he began walking.
"Hey, you! Turn around! Now!"
'Oh, you have got to be kidding.'
Felix turned and was met with a gun pointed to his forehead. 'Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit!'
"Give me all your money!" the thug demanded. He was wearing the traditional black mask of a burglar. It looked ridiculous yet the threat struck fear in him. "Now! NOW!"
"Okay! Okay, let's just calm down. Here. Take it. Take it all."
With trembling hands, Felix reached into his wallet, extracting the cash, and reluctantly handed it over to the assailant. The silence of the alley was broken only by the rustle of money changing hands. Forty-two dollars, that was all he had: two twenty dollar bills and two dollar coins.
"Fine. Good." The thug, breathing heavily, used his gun to point at the staircase. "Now, go! And I better not see you calling the police! Ya hear me!"
"Y-yes! Of course!"
Felix ran and did as he was told. Call the police? Screw that! It was too much of a hassle and he just wanted to get home. Not to mention they were useless anyway. They would ask him a few questions, take a sketch of the culprit, and put the casefile into the backmost drawer. Useless, useless, useless.
He reached the fresh air of Harlem, and then gasped and choked on freedom. God, this sucked. God, this was humiliating. He knew realistically there was nothing he could do about a gun. Even so, life was just so damn unfair!
If Spider-Gwen was still around, this wouldn't have happened. He missed her. The city missed her. His apartment seemed dead from the outside. Must have been because of the night sky.
He didn't encounter Rio Morales either. He really wished he had. He could have used her smile and her lovely voice.
Instead, he tumbled into his unit, dropped into bed, and fell asleep.
***
Felix woke up the next morning and saw the morning sun rise. The orange hue coloured his form and he stretched his arms and swung his legs over. He rubbed his eyes, wiping away his drowsiness.
'Time, time, time…'
He checked it: six o'clock. Five hours till work.
Work. Ha, just saying that made him happy. Now he was making money. Now he was actually experiencing New York life.
His phone suddenly buzzed. 'Huh?' The notification wasn't a spam call or email—it was a direct deposit into his account. Oscorp had paid him on the first day. 'Eight hundred dollars!? Holy crap!? That's like eighty dollars an hour! Holy shit!'
He stood up, flabbergasted. Seriously, if Oscorp paid him this kind of money this early, then he was going to stay loyal to them for the rest of his life. The mafia could torture him and he wouldn't betray Oscorp.
To think just yesterday he got robbed. He contemplated reporting the incident to the police. It wasn't too much money. Still, a gun had been pointed at him…
'I could have died.'
He said that in his head, yet the effect didn't linger. He was going to die, but he didn't. That was all that mattered to him for some reason. Maybe it was because of the money. If he got paid eight hundred dollars everyday, then he could pay rent in three days. Three friggin' days!
All of a sudden, he was pumped. "This is just the starting salary too! Imagine if I get a promotion! Imagine what I'll make after a year or two!"
Project Rebirth II—that was his assigned project. 'Time to do some research!'
Motivation by money was a hell of a drug. But first, a shower and breakfast.
***
Like yesterday, he shyly greeted Czarina, glanced at her purple bra when he could, and went to B4. According to Bobbi, everyday the teams had their own meetings. Bobbi was waiting for him at the Gamma-Ray Chamber.
"Good morning," said Bobbi. "Did you have a good night?"
"Oh, yes." He glanced at the chamber. "Um, yeah, I did some research before coming here and I just wanted to ask some questions. Is that okay?"
Bobbi urged him, "Go ahead."
"Well, I specialize in nanotechnology. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to help in a project like this revolving around genes and biology."
Bobbi opened her mouth but didn't get the chance to answer. Instead, it was Kavita that answered, coming in hot and stern.
"Don't underestimate Oscorp. You are exactly where you're needed to be," Kavita said. "Your job will be to be an engineer alongside Bobbi. I hope you're okay with that."
"Oh, okay. But, I mean, I can do that but I feel like you could have someone that does engineering specifically," Felix said.
"Besides you and Bobbi, none of us are engineers. Of course it will be you." Kavita rolled her eyes.
The brunette, Maya, stood beside Kavita awkwardly. "Um, isn't that kid Reed also into engineering?"
"Right. A kid." Another roll of the eyes by Kavita. "That's comforting."
'So Bobbi is the nice one, Kavita is the mean one, and Maya is the awkward one. Good to know.'
Reed arrived a minute later, arriving right on the dot. Felix greeted him first, "Good to see you."
"Yeah, you too." Reed smiled. "My scooter almost crashed. My bad."
He navigated through New York in a scooter. That sure was a unique roundabout to driving.
"Alright, no breaks, no tom-foolery, straight work!" Bobbi announced. "Reed and Felix, you two come with me. I'll give you a rundown of our schematics."
With that, his first day at Oscorp began. Surprisingly, it wasn't too eventful. It was exactly as he expected. Lots of reading, memorizing, and understanding of tough material. Reed seemed to take it in stride and Felix pretended to do that also.