"Ladies and gentlemen, let us return to the tour." A confident smile played on Harry Osborn's lips as he gestured around to follow. "What you have seen so far here is the culmination of years of innovation and a testament to Oscorp's commitment to pushing the boundaries of technology. We're not just developing the future—we're building it."
The group of CEOs and potential investors, all dressed in their finest, nodded appreciatively.
Felix walked with Eleanor while adjusting the button on his collar. Aaron Davis was watching.
Harry led the group through a wide corridor, the walls lined with sleek, modern displays showcasing Oscorp's achievements. His voice never wavered as he continued to narrate the tour. "And now, we show our best. We've recently made significant strides in bioengineering and renewable energy. Our latest breakthrough, which I'm excited to share with all of you, is an energy source derived from—"
His Spider-Sense buzzed hard and he couldn't hear.
His mind slowed and Felix's nose crinkled. 'What the…?'
It came and went. The buzz of his Spider-Sense and the thick smell…he didn't imagine that, did he? He peered over his shoulder, nose trying to hone in and failing.
'Was that…blood?'
Felix couldn't think of it too deeply as the group came to a halt next to a small door. "But first, I'd like to introduce you to someone who's been pivotal in these advancements."
The door slid open with a soft hiss, revealing a spectacled male in a wheelchair, his sharp, calculating eyes sweeping over the group.
'Oh.' Felix blinked. 'Didn't expect him of all people.'
"Alistair Smythe, everyone!" Harry said.
After all, Alistair made this place. According to the Oscorp emails, it was all him. He made the idea, the blueprints, and sank in millions on his own.
There was a reason Alistair sat at the same table as the executives sometimes. The guy was a veteran.
Alistair was a man of few words. He wheeled himself forward, nodding briefly to Harry before taking over.
"Thank you, Harry," Alistair said, his tone measured, almost clinical. He wasted no time with pleasantries, instead diving straight into the technical details. "What you're about to see is one of our most advanced projects. This room houses our work on animal genomics and environmental adaptation. We've created controlled habitats that mimic some of the most extreme environments on Earth, allowing us to study the adaptability and evolution of various species in real-time."
The group's attention shifted to the large door that loomed before them. The last door in this long, five-minute long corridor.
Alistair's voice took on a pride that Felix knew him for. "These studies have the potential to revolutionize medicine and technology, giving us insights into everything from disease resistance to sustainable energy sources."
'That's good and all, but…'
The blood. He couldn't get his mind off of it. No one else remotely picked it up, not even Emma Frost the mind-reader. That thick smell that came and went. It must have come from behind a door. But where? Why? His enhanced senses must have picked it up when no ordinary human could. Meaning…was the blood hidden?
As Alistair spoke, Felix leaned slightly toward Eleanor, keeping his voice low. "Impressive, isn't it?"
Gotta hype up his colleague and gauge her reaction and friendliness.
Eleanor turned her head, her cool, discerning gaze meeting his. A small, polite smile curved her lips, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Oscorp has certainly outdone itself this time. But then again, it's what we've come to expect from the Osborns."
Eleanor was as guarded as ever, her words carefully chosen, but there was something in her tone—perhaps a hint of skepticism? He decided not to probe further.
Through the large reinforced door they went. What they saw was a zoo. Glass encasings and scientists everywhere.
Yet somehow, all he could think about was that the smell wasn't here either. Felix almost began to think he imagined it. Alistair continued and they walked. Inside, the clamour of the machines decreased and was replaced by animals. This inkeeping was huge, absolutely huge, and there was so much here that Felix was taken aback.
"This room is equipped with advanced monitoring systems that track every variable—temperature, humidity, pressure—allowing us to replicate conditions found in the harshest environments on Earth. Our goal is to push the limits of biology, to see what's possible when life is exposed to the extremes."
Animals in sophisticated glass cages were everywhere.
"Cross-species genetics is what we specialize in. Talk to my colleagues," said Alistair. "Learn what we are doing. Each species can help us with evolving humanity."
"This place is disgusting," Emma remarked. "And, no offence, keeping monkeys in here doesn't exactly bring me safety."
'Ah? Don't tell me…' Felix recalled their conversation. 'Human brains…Emma Frost, in all likelihood, can't control animals. Ha, another weakness!'
Alistair smiled at her sassy comment. "Think of it this way, Ms. Frost: Person gets Parkinson's when the brain cells that produce dopamine start to disappear. But the zebra fish has the ability to regenerate cells on command. If you could somehow give this ability to the woman you're talking about, that's that. She is, well…"
"...she's curing herself," Emma finished, crossing her arms. "Hm. Not bad. Not bad at all."
Once Emma Frost was intrigued by something, so was everyone else. They dispersed like ants, going toward each animal and the scientists waiting for them.
Herbie had already scanned this area in terms of size. A three minute walk back and forth, making it 250 feet, less than the length of a football field. Impressive nonetheless and more than enough space to slip away unnoticed.
Felix and Eleanor went over to the lizard section, but two minutes in, Felix saw his opportunity. The noise level had risen enough to mask his movements, and the group's focus was entirely on finding their own interest. He stepped back. A quick glance at Eleanor confirmed that she was engrossed by the lizards in the glass casing.
"—as you may remember, Dr. Curtis Connors dabbled in cross-species genetics and created what we call the Lizard Formula. Unlike us, however, he did not have the money or time to experiment. He injected a high school student with the formula who died not long after. But at the same time, we saw what Oscorp theorizes to be the first successful example of cross-species genetics: Gwen Stacy, otherwise known as Spider-Woman. These lizards have been mutated to—"
Eleanor nodded along as did some others. Felix wanted to snort. The story they were telling left out key details. For example, the student who took the Lizard Formula did it of their own volition. Second, Gwen Stacy killed the Lizard by accident. And third, their very own Harry Osborn had become the Lizard at some point too.
Indeed, out of all the animals here, lizards were the most common. Felix saw nearly every breed of them. Green iguanas, bearded dragons, and even…
'Wait, that's not a lizard.'
"The near extinct axolotl. It took a lot of money and effort to find it," the front scientist explained. "It is an aquatic salamander from Mexico and, if you know your trivia, known for its 'superpower regeneration'. Its limbs, spinal cord, heart, and other organs. Even the brain can be healed. Our little guy here, we call him Harry, did just that yesterday."
Now that wowed everyone. Emma Frost arrived and others followed. The scientist smiled and re-explained this specimen, the lizards, and salamanders they kept together.
This was actually super interesting. His Advanced Glasses couldn't fully scan the creatures and he wasn't sure that it could. Whatever Oscorp had done was crazy. Salamanders were supposed to live in or near water yet these guys were kept in cages that had not even a drop of it.
He was sure they would explain what they had to do—or if they wouldn't for the sake of not confusing the rich people, Felix could ask and they could answer.
But then his Spider-Sense went off.
'That's…'
It was a split-second decision. In the midst of the explanation, Felix took his chance. He stepped back and then darted away, the door to the corridor quietly opening. Felix walked down the corridor, away from the zoo now.
The further he got, the more his Spider-Sense began to buzz, faintly at first, then steadily growing stronger. There was something here, something important that he needed to find.
The hallway grew quieter as he put more distance between himself and the tour group.
'Come on, come on…'
He couldn't take too much time either. There were workers walking along who didn't seem to notice him.
Then he caught it—the smell.
'I wasn't imagining it. That's blood! Has to be!'
He walked faster. His Spider-Sense guided him, leading him to a nondescript door. This one, like few in the facility, required a high-level access card. "Hrn."
Aaron Davis was watching this. The perspective was limited by his chest, not to mention the feed could be manipulated by Herbie.
He tapped at the Advanced Glasses.
FEED HACKED.
Perfect. Now whatever Aaron saw would be filtered and delayed.
His hand low, with his index finger pointed forward, he let a small jolt of black electricity swallow the scanner. The card reader crackled briefly before the light on it turned green, and the door clicked open.
But before he could take a step further, he collided with something—no, someone. The impact was light, but enough to make the other person stumble. A soft gasp filled the air, a cap tumbling off and silky white hair rising.
For a moment, time seemed to slow. Felix reached out instinctively, catching the person by the waist to steady them.
They were steadied and they came close to his face. Too close. He met blue eyes. He stared into them. Then he pulled back and saw the whole of her majesty. She was beautiful, with sharp, feline features and eyes that gleamed in the low light.
"Oh, my~"
Herbie scanned her face in an instant, but the result flashed across Felix's lenses:
NO MATCH!
The woman before him didn't exist in any database—Oscorp's, the NYPD's, or any other Felix had access to. Impossible.
'She's wearing the worker's uniform…'
This white-haired woman, whoever she was, smiled and pushed back his glasses. "Are you going to stare into my eyes all day or are we going to dance?"
Her finger went from his glasses down to his nose, cheek, and then lip. Felix titled his head. The scent of antiseptic was stronger here, mingling with a faint, metallic tang that reminded him of blood. His Spider-Sense became stronger. Behind him, someone was approaching. Felix stepped forward, hand still on her waist, and kicked the lock. The door closed behind him with a soft hiss, sealing him in the quiet, sterile room.
For a brief moment, neither of them spoke, the air between them thick with tension. Partially because of the unsaid accusations in their heads and partially because her waist was a perfect fit for his arm.
"Sorry about that," Felix managed, his voice low as he released her.
The white-haired woman's lips curled into a small, enigmatic smile, but she said nothing. Instead, she bent down and retrieved her cap from the floor, placing it back on her head, her white hair once again hidden from view.
But it was too late. With hair that white, with looks that stunning, with an ass that jutted out that much, there was no doubt in his mind that she was not some ordinary person. Her figure was blessed by the greatest genetics in history on top of being tempered by training.
"You're not supposed to be here, are you?" the white-haired woman said, rising to her full height and smirking.
"And neither are you."
"Such a strong accusation." She gasped dramatically. "How could you say that?"
They both weren't supposed to be here. They both knew that.
"A stolen worker's uniform," Felix noted as he looked her up and down. He didn't want to get too graphic but damn she filled that uniform well. Green and tight and highlighting the perfect hourglass body. "I don't work here but I do work for Oscorp." Felix edged closer to her. The woman's smirk did not wane. "Internal politics?"
He could have said anything. He could have accused her of being a thief or a traitor but no. This was better. This way, despite seeing him, she couldn't say a word. She wouldn't. By saying this was politics, there was a sense of belonging.
"...something like that."
"Then it seems like we can use each other." Felix walked right past her and checked the room out. There wasn't much to check out save the incomplete cage that swallowed everything. Half the glass was installed while the other half was open and allowed direct access to the grass.
Felix stopped short of the grass and dirt. He was thinking, analyzing, and then asked, "What's your name?"
"Ashley." The white-haired minx stood next to him and casually proceeded to place her elbow on his shoulder. "Neat little place, isn't it? Bet it could fit a couple lions."
"It's for gorillas. The grass and trees they're growing here are fit for large primates."
"Really? Gorillas?" Ashley, if that was her real name, gave him a look.
'Hm, she doesn't seem to know anything, does she? Then again, I wouldn't either even if I did work for Oscorp. It's a big company.'
"Oscorp has been experimenting on lizards for the sake of medicine."
"Oh yeah. Regeneration and all that."
"Exactly. And what comes before human testing?"
Ashley blinked and looked at him fully, her elbow still on his shoulder. "Now that's dark."
"Not dark. It's science. It's how everything happens."
"As long as they are not experimenting on cats…"
"The public would go crazy if that came out." He heard a sigh of relief. "That's why they do it unofficially."
Ashley pursed her lips. "I never had strong feelings for Oscorp but now I do."
"Comes with the job."
"What's your name again?"
No point in hiding it. "Felix."
"Felix, nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too." The two of them stood there, pretending that they weren't suspicious of the other. Pretending that they wouldn't strike at a moment's notice. "You mentioned politics. What kind?"
"You first."
"Ah, no, I insist."
"Ladies first."
Ashley laughed. "What a gentleman. But haven't you heard? Curiosity kills the cat." Her tone was sultry, seductive without trying. It almost felt like she was staring him right in the eye.
"Shot in the dark," Felix said, "you're here to steal a lizard."
"...and if I am?"
"Then good luck. Where they keep the lizards, they have dozens of scientists at most hours and right now they're busy with CEOs and investors. The probability of stealing from them is close to zero. Unless…" Felix side-eyed her. "You already knew that?"
Ashley smiled and winked at him. "'Probability' is just a five-dollar word for 'luck'. And I'm nothing but bad luck, baby."
"I'm here to discreetly investigate this place for an executive," Felix said.
"Ooh~! So we're both for-hire! That's fun!"
Yeah. Fun.
'She's…something, alright.' Felix glanced back at the grass laid out in front of him. 'But I don't think she caused my Spider-Sense to go off. I don't feel it very strongly on her. Not to mention she smells…'
Wonderful. Like a goddess. Like the best Chanel perfume, fresh cut roses, ended with a lick of champagne.
Definitely not blood. Not even close.
'So…what was it? Where is it coming from?'
His gaze shifted from the half-constructed cage to a nearby pile of tools, and his eyes locked onto a shovel propped up against the wall. A thought flickered through his mind—illogical at first, but it quickly took root, growing more insistent.
'There's no way…right?'
No…
No, it couldn't be…
This was not something a robot could have figured. This was human fear playing. The imagination stretching to the point of disbelief.
Without a word, Felix moved toward the shovel, grasping its worn handle firmly in his hand. The sensation of the rough wood against his skin grounded him as he surveyed the area. Ashley watched him with mild curiosity, one eyebrow arched as if she were trying to decipher his next move.
"What's this?" Ashley asked. "Planning to build a sandcastle?"
Felix ignored her, the weight of the shovel pulling him forward as he walked toward the patch of grass inside the unfinished cage. His Spider-Sense buzzed at the back of his mind, a persistent itch that demanded attention. Something was buried here, he was certain of it, and whatever it was, it was connected to the odd smell of blood he had caught earlier.
Felix planted the shovel into the earth with a firm thrust, the blade slicing through the grass and dirt. He began to dig, his movements methodical, almost mechanical, as he focused all his senses on the task. The silence stretched out, only the sound of the shovel scraping against the soil filling the room.
After a half a minute of digging, Ashley sighed dramatically and rolled up the sleeves of her stolen uniform. "Alright, fine. I guess I can help. Just don't expect me to be good at this."
She moved to his side and grabbed a second shovel from the tool rack, mimicking his movements as she began to dig alongside him.
"Any chance you're digging for treasure?" Ashley quipped, tossing another clump of dirt to the side.
Felix shot her a quick glance but said nothing. He could feel it now—he was getting closer. The air grew colder, denser, as they dug deeper into the earth. The scent of blood was stronger here, mixed with the musty odour of decay.
Ashley wrinkled her nose. "Ew, okay. Not treasure, then."
Another shovel of dirt was removed, and then another, until finally, Felix's shovel struck something solid. He paused, his breath hitching slightly as he knelt down, brushing away the remaining dirt with his hands.
Ashley crouched beside him, her eyes narrowing. "What...the hell is that?"
Felix didn't answer immediately. He gently wiped away the last of the dirt, revealing what appeared to be a human hand—decayed, discoloured, and grotesquely twisted. The skin was pale, almost waxy, clinging to the bone in a way that suggested the body had been buried for months. His stomach churned at the sight, but he forced himself to continue, clearing away more dirt until the full horror of the scene was laid bare.
"Oh my god..."