Nathan's gaze swept across the open doorway, catching a brief glimpse into the small bedroom.
The scene was pure teenage chaos—a battlefield of comic books, half-folded laundry, tangled phone chargers, and smelly socks strewn carelessly over the floor. The air practically vibrated with adolescent energy.
But none of that mattered.
Because amid the clutter, sitting in a prominent place on the desk, was something Nathan had been hoping to find.
A familiar black photo frame.
There it was—the exact same one he had seen in the lab recordings, the one Richard had removed the day he wiped all experimental data.
It sat angled slightly, reflecting the afternoon sun, still showcasing the smiling faces of the Parker family—Richard, Mary, and little Peter.
"Bingo," Nathan thought.
He hadn't expected it to be this easy. In fact, he had mentally prepared himself for a slow, awkward search. But now, with the evidence right in front of him, all he had to do was bide his time and make the move.
Before he could study it further, Aunt May walked up and gently pushed the bedroom door closed with an apologetic smile.
"Peter's room is always a mess," she said, chuckling with slight embarrassment.
Kurt laughed, helping to lighten the mood. "Totally normal. I think every teenage boy's room looks like that. Mine definitely did."
May smiled warmly and walked back into the living room, placing a tray of refreshments on the coffee table. She passed glasses of water to the guests, maintaining her usual grace despite the unexpected visit.
Nathan, having removed his hat and sunglasses, sat on the edge of the couch. His youthful face, even with a trimmed beard, was impossible to ignore.
Aunt May tilted her head slightly, visibly surprised. "My goodness… you're so young."
Nathan offered a polite smile. He was used to this reaction by now.
Kurt beamed proudly. "He may be young, but he's brilliant. Our boss is the future of biotech."
Nathan nodded, not downplaying the praise.
Their driver stepped forward and placed the neatly wrapped gift baskets and supplements on the table—items Nathan had insisted they bring. Aunt May thanked them graciously.
The conversation shifted toward Peter. Aunt May spoke warmly about her nephew—his interests, his brilliance, his quiet personality—and how much he missed his parents. She beamed with pride when talking about his grades and love for science.
After a while, Nathan rose from his seat. "Mind if I take a quick look around his room? Just to see if there's anything we can help him with?"
Aunt May chuckled, waving a hand. "It's a disaster in there, trust me. Nothing in need of rescuing."
Nathan smiled. "Kurt already confessed his room was a warzone growing up. Mine wasn't any better."
"I'll just take a peek. Don't worry—I'll be quick."
With that, he approached the door and gently pushed it open again.
He didn't close it. He made sure every movement he made was visible from the living room. He needed to be careful—too much attention would ruin everything.
He entered the messy room, careful not to step on any comics or clothes, and began to casually examine a few items.
He picked up a well-worn Iron Man action figure, raising it for them to see.
"Looks like he's a big Iron Man fan?"
May's face lit up. "Oh yes. Ever since he saw the Avengers save New York, he's been fascinated by superheroes."
"But his favorite, by far, is Tony Stark."
"Peter really looks up to people who use their minds to change the world. And they say Stark is the smartest man alive."
Nathan nodded, eyes twinkling. "Smart kid. There's a lot to admire in Stark."
The room had a number of family photos, some with Richard and Mary, others with Aunt May. The ones with May outnumbered the rest—a visual timeline of Peter growing from toddler to teenager.
Nathan took his time, occasionally picking up a photo, offering polite comments, drawing just enough attention to avoid suspicion. He moved slowly, circling closer and closer to the desk.
Kurt and Aunt May chatted about Peter—his love for robotics, his high school science fairs, his winning project on prosthetic sensors. Nathan mentally noted every detail. The boy really was a prodigy.
Finally, Nathan felt the moment was right.
He reached the desk.
He picked up the photo frame.
Using the angle of his body and the edge of the desk, he subtly blocked the view of his hands.
With the skill of a practiced technician, he ran his fingers along the bottom edge of the frame.
Click.
A tiny magnetic seal released, and within seconds, he removed the thin back panel.
His heart skipped as something fell into his palm—a compact mini USB device.
He had found it.
The missing research.
The answers.
Suppressing the surge of excitement, Nathan quickly slipped the USB into his pocket and reassembled the frame.
He placed it back in its original position, even tilting it at the same angle.
He took a deep breath, letting his heartbeat steady.
Then he exited the room and spoke casually: "Excuse me, where's the restroom?"
Aunt May pointed down the hall. "Second door on the left."
Nathan smiled his thanks and walked away.
---
Inside the bathroom, Nathan locked the door and immediately retrieved the USB.
From inside his coat, he pulled out a tiny OTG adapter and connected the drive to his phone.
The screen lit up.
Two folders appeared:
[Experimental Records]
[Work Notes]
He tapped open the records first, skimming quickly.
Gene breakdowns, retrovirus sequences, CRISPR templates, protein splicing data—all referencing the extraordinary spiders.
His eyes moved rapidly. This was years of work, compressed into a digital archive.
It was real.
He opened the work notes.
Inside was Richard Parker's full theory and testing logs on merging spider genetics with human DNA. Diagrams detailed the construction of a custom retrovirus—a delivery system that could safely rewrite the genome without triggering rejection.
Nathan's breath caught.
In one of the final entries, Richard recorded a critical breakthrough.
"Spider Trait #27 successfully encoded. Full integration achieved within experimental host spider 044. Observed characteristics: wall-climbing, danger sense, proportionate strength. Human trial viability: High."
Nathan clenched his fist in silent triumph.
The Spider Ability had already been developed.
Richard hadn't just theorized it—he completed it. He edited it into the spider's genome.
Now it was just a matter of extracting the spider's encoded DNA and applying it to a human subject.
Nathan's mind raced. He was days—maybe hours—from replicating Spider-Man's powers.
He carefully ejected the USB, tucked it back into his pocket, and flushed the toilet for good measure.
Then he exited the bathroom, expression neutral.
---
As he returned to the living room, the front door opened.
Click.
A cheerful voice called out: "Aunt May! I'm back!"
Peter Parker stepped inside, followed by his best friend Ned.
Peter stopped short, eyes locking onto the unfamiliar faces.
Aunt May rose to greet him. "Peter, these are visitors from your father's old company. They came to check in on you."
Peter looked surprised but quickly stepped forward, polite. "Oh—uh, hi! Nice to meet you."
Nathan turned slowly.
For a moment, the world stilled.
Peter Parker—the future Spider-Man—stood in front of him.
The kid looked exactly like the photos. Messy hair, lean frame, intelligent eyes behind nerdy glasses.
Nathan felt something shift inside him.
This was a moment that, not long ago, belonged to comic books and dreams.
But now, the legend was real, and Nathan was holding the blueprint to everything that made him extraordinary.
He extended a hand.
"Hello," Nathan said smoothly. "I'm Nathan. CEO of Osborn Biotech."
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