"Norman Osborn, huh?" Shuri muttered. "I should have suspected."
So the CEO of Oscorp was behind Project New Element. That…didn't tell him much.
"My brother once said there are three people in the business world to look out for," Shuri continued, raising a finger for each man. "Anthony Stark, Emma Frost, and Norman Osborn."
Liv pursed her lips and kept them sealed.
"I've heard the rumours too. That he conducts less than ethical experiments. Frankly, there's been no evidence but there's something fishy with him."
The Princess was very blunt. Did she not care that she was employing their boss? No, she was doing it on purpose, he realized. She glanced between Liv and Felix, trying to gauge something. But what?
"How much of Project Element is finished, Dr. Octavius?" Shuri asked.
"We, um, do have the particle accelerator eighty percent done. The particle accelerator device is a combination of Reverbium, True Adamantium, and Wakanda's Vibranium, and with it, I can create the necessary small-sized particle accelerator to synthesize my theoretical element." Liv pushed her glasses up.
"You want my Vibranium, in other words? My notes, knowledge, as well as my supply? Quite the greedy little scientists, aren't you?"
"But you're the world's leading expert on Vibranium," Felix interjected. "It's taken a lot just to understand Reverbium and True Adamantium. The project could be delayed another year if we try to incorporate Vibranium with our own experts."
That was what Herbie was telling him anyway. Wakandan scientists were paid handsomely and refused to leave for the western world. Brain drain, the concept of the smartest people of a small nation migrating to larger countries for opportunity and money, did not apply to Wakanda. The African nation kept everything close.
"Time, eh?" Shuri whistled. "And Norman Osborn to boot…my brother isn't going to be happy."
"Even if renewable energy is possible?" Liv pressed.
"Look, even if everything works out the way you say it will, who will this new element benefit most? Oscorp, obviously. They'll have a monopoly on this new element. They can sell it as high and low as they want. I don't care about that stuff but my brother does. How will I be able to hide this from him? How can I look him in the eye and tell him that I helped an American competitor instead of our own country's interests?"
Liv didn't know how to respond, opening and closing her mouth. Felix stepped in.
"But won't Wakanda be the first on our list of customers? Not just first either, but perhaps they could share a portion of the profits. After all, we're not hiding anything. You're not going to be a mercenary that we hire and dump. You're a Princess. You're a part of this now."
Liv looked at him like, "She is?"
The doctor was a bit slow when it came to business politics. Due to Felix's upbringing and his father's role as a head scientist, he was more or less aware of how phone calls went. He understood the ins and outs of scientific negotiations and profit margins.
"With Wakanda's resources, copying the particle accelerator might take time but it will happen," Felix said. "Oscorp and Wakanda will both have a monopoly and in the near future, perhaps our efforts will come together into one—or perhaps the competition will help both of us."
"Hm. Hmmmmm." Shuri tilted her head back till she was staring at the ceiling. She said nothing, simply thinking, until she smiled and looked back at him. "That might work. My brother might see the positives in it. Alright then, the two conditions are set: one, I will receive all data and blueprints of Project New Element; two, Wakanda will be first on the list, and three, I will also have a share of the profits. Fifteen percent."
"Twelve," Felix rebutted.
"Thirteen."
"Twelve."
"Fine, twelve. Be sure to let Norman Osborn know."
Felix exchanged a meaningful look with Liv, who, though visibly nervous, nodded in agreement. The die was cast; there was no turning back now. It was do or die.
Click! Click! Click!
Felix's ears twitched as high-heels echoed from the polished lobby, coming closer and closer to the lab. A second later, Okoye the driver arrived, still in her black dress and still having that distinct golden neck ring. Her stoic expression had remained unchanged from before.
Without preamble, Okoye addressed the group with a stern tone, her words cutting through the air. "Princess Shuri, there's a matter of great concern," Okoye declared, her eyes sharp and focused. "The Empire State Building has been attacked."
'...huh?'
Felix blinked twice. Immediately, Herbie got to work and analyzed a dozen different CCTVS. The conclusion?
ALL CCTVS ON 33RD AND 34TH STREETS HAVE BEEN DEACTIVATED.
'All of them? But how—' He blinked again. 'EMPs. It must be Crossbones!'
Shuri's playful demeanor vanished instantly, replaced by a grave expression. "Attacked? By whom?"
"We're not certain yet," Okoye responded. "But initial reports suggest a coordinated assault. The security teams are assessing the situation, and there are casualties."
"Is my brother okay?"
"We don't know," Okoye replied bluntly. "However, it is with luck that you left early."
Shuri glanced at Felix and Liv, sighing. "Yeah, thank goodness. We should remain here then."
"What's their goal?" Liv asked. "J-just out of curiosity."
Okoye narrowed her eyes by a fraction of an inch. "Unknown. Given the number of VIPs, it is impossible to say."
'Shit, shit, how do I get out of here?' Felix thought. 'If I'm too obvious, they'll know something is up—'
"Felix Faeth, Olivia Octavius," Okoye said. "You two come with me."
Liv didn't understand. "Why—"
"In the event you are involved, I cannot compromise the princess' safety. I have called over drivers to send you home."
"That's…" Felix pretended to look conflicted. Yes! Thank god for Okoye's paranoia. "Fine. Let's go, Liv."
"I have informed the drivers that if Fifth Avenue is crossed, they should instead take a detour," Okoye added, her expression unyielding. "Apologies for this inconvenience. I do not wish to put the princess' acquaintances in danger."
Shuri's labs sat at the edge of Midtown Manhattan—specifically, it was on East 57th Street. Shuri groaned and said, "Okoye, really?"
"You have met them for the first time today," Okoye stated matter-of-factly. "Apologies for the lack of trust."
"None taken," Felix reassured, flashing a smile. "Come on, let's get going, Liv."
"Y-yeah," Liv stammered, clearly rattled by the sudden turn of events. The pair were guided by Okoye to leave the building, with two yellow taxi cars waiting for them. Felix sent Liv a nod, trying to tell her, "We made progress today."
That was what mattered to Felix Faeth.
He sat at the back of the car and instructed, "Hey, I think I'm going to buy some groceries instead of going home. You know Whole Foods Market on 57th Street? Take me there."
Where was Daxter Lab? Lexington Ave & E 58th St, New York, NY 10022, USA. A five minute drive from here according to Herbie. Not too close so that the driver, a potential spy, would suspect him nor too far so as to waste time.
It was time for the Spiderling to appear.
***
In fifteen minutes flat, he ran to Daxter Lab, wore his black suit, and web-swinged all the way to the Empire State Building. Nighttime once again served as the perfect cover. He swung and thwipped without a camera in sight—without getting caught.
He landed on the Herald Towers, previously the famous Hotel McAlpin. Currently, there was a Harry Potter exhibition event going on. He was able to feel the tremors below him. His focus, however, was on the building three hundred feet across from him.
The Empire State Building. From the outside, nothing was wrong. Judging by traffic and the lack of lights in nearby areas, that wasn't the case. Something was up.
"How long has it been since Okoye's warning?" he asked.
"Seventeen minutes now."
The entrance was at the north side where an Amazon corporate office faced it. Interestingly, traffic was completely stopped and besides the twenty-seven cars parked at the front entrance, there was not a soul in sight.
Moreover, on top of the Amazon corporate office, he saw snipers. Everything, from their weapons to their attire, was military-grade.
'It's them.' His lenses zoomed in three hundred feet, gaining detail on the snipers. 'Crossbones' crew.'
"Herbie, is it possible to figure out what's going on inside? Or should I just sneak in?"
"EMPs have been deployed, thus a non-technological approach is suggested to gain information."
Thwip! Thwip!
There was no time to think. He shot two lines of webbing at two parallel antennas and pulled himself back. The cover of the night as well as the speed of the web-slingshot should theoretically help him avoid detection.
"Ngh. Quick, bring me blueprints of the building."
Here was the thing about the Empire State Building. Up close, it was massive. Even the Herald Towers, which were over three hundred feet tall, paled in comparison to it. Nothing in New York compared to it. As he walked further and further back, as the webs stretched and built up pressure, Felix grew excited.
The eight tallest building in the world, the fourth tallest in New York City, and standing at a whopping 1,453 feet at the peak. Felix's destination? The 102nd floor. An observation deck offering unparalleled views of New York City from a height of 1,250 feet. He had went there just half an hour ago as a normal person, riding up the elevator and stepping into a gorgeous space.
Now he was going to climb his way up there.
Sling!
He aimed slightly high and flew the gap between himself and the State Building in two seconds. The world wasn't a blur, he understood every little millisecond and grunted as his hands and feet landed on the side of the building. It was the western portion. The snipers were facing the north. A tiny bug like him wouldn't be noticed since he had gone closer to the southern edge too.
At first, he was slow. Climbing, climbing, climbing, ascending the Empire State Building, his every move seemed to defy gravity, a spectacular display of agility and strength. The windows, like a grid of countless reflections, stretched out across the façade.
Indeed, there were many, many windows and he was almost disoriented. Almost. Then the adrenaline kicked in and he went faster and with greater focus. It was like his body refused to accept mistakes.
"How long till I reach the 102nd floor?"
"Five minutes."
"Shit. I don't have the time for that. Anything could be happening," Felix said. Inhaling sharply, he lifted one hand from the window, gulping. He was really going to do this. He was going to do this!
'Don't be nervous! Come on!'
Once one hand was off, the second soon followed. He lifted himself and focused only on his feet. Defying gravity, defying physics, he remained standing there, his weight miraculously being supported by his feet.
Felix began walking. Walking turned into full-blown running.
What should have taken five minutes of crawling took one minute.
The cool breeze whistled past his masked face, and he marveled at the sheer scale of the undertaking. The windows, now passing by in a blur, reflected the ambient glow of the city lights. Herbie counted every floor they passed. He didn't pay too much attention until the 86th floor was arriving and his Spider-Sense buzzed.
Felix slowed down and went back to crawling. His Spider-Sense lingered, seemingly proven correct as he heard cries and screams.
The 86th floor was an observatory deck like the 102nd floor except for the public. Where the 102nd floor offered floor-to-ceiling windows on all sides, the 86th floor was open-air with fences and binoculars. A place for the common people, put simply.
Felix didn't know what to expect as he crept up, revealing only his green lenses. He expected hostages. He expected abuse like his team had.
Felix did not anticipate seeing Emma Frost and her gorgeous face declaring, "Every single one of you…die."
And for the six soldiers to actually comply with her order and shoot their brains out.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
His ears began ringing and his eyes went wide. The stench of blood made him tense up and his Spider-Sense went wild. This woman, this blonde bombshell in dark blue lavender, was supremely dangerous. He was right in her line of sight, right where she could potentially issue another order.
But how? How did she make six soldiers kill themselves? How did she make Crossbones' soldiers end their lives for no reason at all?
Blood spilled over to her heels which she seemed oddly comfortable with. She didn't notice Felix either, wiping away the blood on her cheek and turning to the cowering Anthony Stark. He was on the ground, bruised across the cheek.
"E-Emma, how in the world…" Anthony raised a shaky finger, gulping. His eyes were full of fear even though he had clearly been saved. "Y-you're…"
"You will forget everything that happened here." Emma's eyes glowed, her blonde hair momentarily glowing with it. "And you will pass out thinking you were dragged here with me and interrogated. Ah, and maybe you pissed your pants." She giggled. "Let's do that too."
Her words were absolute and Anthony Stark—billionaire industrialist, weapons manufacturer, and coffee magnate—wet his pants. Then…thud! He fainted. Just like that. Felix was flabbergasted as Emma stood over the Stark, smirking.
That was when he understood it.
Emma Frost was like him.
She was special.