The morning sun glinted off Midtown High's windows, casting long shadows across the front steps. It was the next day, and the school was buzzing with anticipation—today was the field trip to Oscorp. Students clustered in excited groups, some clutching permission slips, others speculating about what they'd see inside the legendary labs.
Peter arrived early, backpack slung over one shoulder, and found Liz, Gwen, and Mary Jane already waiting by the entrance. Liz was flipping through her notepad, her pen tapping restlessly against the page.
"Ready to uncover some corporate secrets?" she teased, flashing Peter a conspiratorial grin.
Peter smirked. "Only if you promise not to get us thrown in Oscorp jail. I don't look good in orange. It clashes with my eyes."
Mary Jane rolled her eyes, but smiled. "Just don't get us kicked out before we even get there, Liz. I'd like to see at least one cool invention before security drags us out. Or before Peter tries to hack a robot and triggers the apocalypse."
Peter grinned. "Hey, if the world ends, at least we'll get out of finals. Silver linings, MJ."
Gwen, practically bouncing on her toes, chimed in, "I just want to see the robotics lab. Oscorp's AI research is supposed to be cutting-edge. Did you know they're working on neural interface tech?"
Liz grinned. "I read about that! Supposedly, they're developing drones that can be piloted by thought alone."
Peter raised an eyebrow. "Great, so if I think about pizza, a drone will deliver it to my desk? Or worse, if I think about my nightmares, the drone will just hover over my bed and judge me."
Mary Jane laughed. "If only. I'd settle for a drone that does my homework. Or one that brings me coffee in the morning."
Gwen nudged Peter. "You nervous? You look like you're about to take a pop quiz."
Peter shrugged, trying to play it cool. "Just… field trips always get weird for me. Last time, someone set the chemistry lab on fire. The teacher said it was an accident, but I'm pretty sure the Bunsen burners are plotting against me."
Liz grinned. "That was you, Parker."
Peter held up his hands. "Allegedly. I plead the fifth. Besides, the fire alarm needed testing, right?"
Mary Jane shook her head, grinning. "If you get us banned from Oscorp, I'm telling Aunt May."
Peter put on a mock-serious face. "If I disappear, tell Aunt May I love her, and that my browser history is already cleared."
Gwen snorted, nearly dropping her camera. "You're impossible."
Peter winked. "That's what my therapist says."
As the students gathered, Dr. Toomes strode up, clipboard in hand. His suit was immaculate, but his eyes darted restlessly over the crowd. He greeted the group with a practiced smile, but Peter's spider-sense prickled as Toomes' demeanor flickered between charming and distracted.
"Everyone ready?" Toomes called, his voice echoing across the courtyard. "Let's make this a day to remember. Please stay with your assigned groups and follow all safety instructions. Oscorp is a place of innovation—and responsibility."
A few students groaned at the mention of rules, but most were too excited to care. The teachers did a quick headcount, and the group began filing onto the bus.
Peter slid into a seat beside Liz, with Gwen and Mary Jane right behind them. The bus was alive with chatter—students trading rumors about Oscorp, debating which superhero might show up, and placing bets on who would ask the most embarrassing question.
Liz leaned in, whispering, "Keep your eyes open. If Oscorp's hiding something, today's our chance to find out."
Peter nodded, glancing out the window as the bus rumbled to life. "I'll keep my spider-senses on high alert. If I start twitching, assume there's either danger or I'm just really hungry."
Gwen leaned forward between the seats. "If you see anything suspicious, let us know. I brought my mini camera—just in case. Maybe we'll catch a mad scientist in the wild."
Mary Jane grinned. "And I brought snacks. If we're going to be junior detectives, we'll need fuel. Also, if we get locked in a lab, I call dibs on the granola bars."
Peter grinned. "If we get locked in a lab, I'm eating the emergency eye wash fluid. I hear it's got electrolytes."
Liz rolled her eyes affectionately. "You two are ridiculous. But I'm glad you're on my team."
Peter smiled, feeling a surge of camaraderie. "Best investigative squad in Midtown. If we survive this, I'm putting it on my college applications: 'Survived Oscorp field trip, 2025.'"
Mary Jane nudged Gwen. "If Peter gets us in trouble, you're writing the apology letter."
Gwen grinned. "Only if I can add a footnote about his tragic sense of humor."
Peter put a hand to his chest, feigning offense. "My humor is a coping mechanism. And a public service."
As the bus pulled away from the curb, the city skyline came into view, sunlight glinting off distant skyscrapers.
The bus rolled through the city, weaving between morning traffic and finally pulling up to the gleaming glass towers of Oscorp. The building soared above the street, all steel and mirrored windows, reflecting the sky like a monument to the future.
As the students filed out, they were greeted by a pair of security guards in crisp uniforms. One scanned their permission slips while the other eyed the group with practiced suspicion.
"Welcome to Oscorp Industries," a polished PR rep announced, her smile as bright as the lobby's marble floors. "Please stay with your group and don't touch anything unless instructed. We're excited to show you the future!"
Peter leaned toward Liz, whispering, "Translation: 'Touch anything and you'll be vaporized.'"
Liz grinned, scribbling in her notepad. "Or at least banned from the gift shop."
Inside, the group was ushered through a security checkpoint and into a vast atrium filled with interactive displays. Holographic screens floated in the air, cycling through Oscorp's latest breakthroughs: renewable energy cells, robotic prosthetics, and self-healing materials.
Gwen's eyes widened as she snapped photos. "Look at this! That's a neural interface prototype—they're years ahead of anyone else."
Mary Jane pointed at a robotic arm assembling microchips with inhuman precision. "That thing's got better handwriting than I do."
Peter peered at a display of tiny drones buzzing in a glass enclosure. "If one of those gets out, I'm blaming you, Liz."
Liz smirked. "If one of those gets out, I'm interviewing it for the school paper."
A tour guide in a lab coat led them deeper into the facility, past glass-walled labs where scientists in white coats worked at glowing consoles. One room showcased a 3D printer fabricating what looked like a synthetic bone.
"Whoa," Gwen breathed, pressing close to the glass. "That's bioengineering. They're printing actual tissue."
Peter grinned. "If they start printing students, I'm out."
Mary Jane nudged him. "Relax, Parker. If they print a better version of you, maybe he'll have better jokes."
Peter clutched his chest in mock agony. "Betrayed by my own team."
The group paused at a display of exoskeleton suits—sleek, metallic frames designed to enhance strength and agility. Liz snapped a photo, her eyes sharp. "Imagine the stories these walls could tell."
Peter's gaze drifted to Dr. Toomes, who lingered near a heavy door marked "Authorized Personnel Only." Toomes' expression was unreadable, his hand resting on the security panel as if he wanted to slip inside.
Liz leaned in, voice low. "That's where the real secrets are."
Peter nodded, his spider-sense tingling faintly. "Yeah. And I bet Toomes has the key."
The tour continued, winding past a wall of patents and awards, and into a robotics lab where a spider-like drone crawled across the ceiling.
Gwen's jaw dropped. "That's the AR-4 prototype. It's supposed to be able to repair infrastructure—bridges, tunnels, even skyscrapers."
Mary Jane snapped a picture. "If that thing shows up in my bedroom, I'm moving to Canada."
Peter grinned. "If it shows up in my bedroom, I'm charging it rent."
The group laughed, but Peter couldn't shake the sense of unease. Oscorp was dazzling, but beneath the surface, something felt off—like a machine running too smoothly, hiding its flaws.
As the tour guide led them onward, Peter caught Toomes glancing back at the restricted door, his eyes dark with something like longing—or regret.
Peter nudged Liz. "Keep your camera ready. I have a feeling the real show's about to start."