I was sitting in my first period, covertly trying to talk to Peter and Ned from across the room.
Harry was nose deep in his tablet, spreadsheets, and data scrolling past. Michelle and Mary were gossiping, well, Mary was, while Michelle sat there criticizing that very same gossip.
Dr.Conners called off this week and next, citing an accident. I hope he was okay, but I was glad to be free of the man for a few days while his work wasn't demanding. It was far from easy.
I was thinking about just getting up and moving while the substitute was on her phone, but just when I had decided to do so, the classroom door opened, and Mrs walked in.
Peter waved excitedly along with Ned, but I just gave a soft wave. Mrs.O, in return, made an exaggerated bow followed by a princess wave as her only reply.
I watched as she walked toward the class substitute before kneeling beside the best and whispering to them. At first, I thought the worst—Dr. Conners had left us some work with Mrs.O—but before I could spiral into despair, she turned and flourished her lab coat.
"Good morning, class."
Mrs.O gave a cheerful greeting, but in the void afterward, only a few students greeted her in return.
I was curious to hear what she had to say, but I felt no need to rush her, so I started to pack my sketch pad and art materials. Whatever she had to say was probably going to be the new topic of discussion.
" I've gotten permission to take all junior class students taking a higher grade science and or college course on a field trip, which means each and every student in this room will be attending."
The room broke into loud cheers, me included. That not only means we would miss the vast majority of our classes, but it also means we'd get to have something other than cafeteria food?
"You picked a place yet, Mrs.O?"
A girl in the front spoke up, breaking through the class's excited chatter.
Mrs.O didn't reply right away. Instead, she waited for the class to quiet down and for the quiet to become void of sound. I could feel the anticipation building; that void of silence was only interrupted by louder sounds coming from nearby classes.
".......we will be going to the Oscorp and touring their newest building and the various projects they're working on"
When she was done speaking, the first sounds to emanate from the students around weren't cheers but a groan from Harry as he laid his head down on his desk.
———
" Harry, you know what building she's talking about and what projects?"
Peter's words were only the latest in an endless tide of words that had started the second Mrs.O had left the room.
Harry hadn't raised his head since lying on his desk; instead, he replied to Peter in moans and groans.
But this time, he raised his hand and pointed through the window farther from where we were. He thought that through that window, we could see the latest addition to New York's skyline, a towering structure of black metal and tinted glass.
The abrupt action from Harry actually had Peter go quiet.
"Are you talking about the obelisk?!?"
Mary Jane took Peter's place in the questioning, her eyes glowing with curiosity.
Harry's groan was the loudest yet.
"Please don't call it that, you're only gonna inflate my dad's ego."
Harry's words confirmed that only Mary and Peter would fire off more questions. Peter asked endless questions about the strange buildings' specifications and the labs inside. Mary, on the other hand, asked how no one knew Oscorp owned the building.
———
I was carrying two plates to Aunt May's dining room table. It was an old-fashioned, sturdy Oakwood thing, something Ben had made himself and that would outlive him, her, and whoever they gave it to.
Currently, around it sat, in order from left to right, Uncle Ben at the head, Peter next to him, then it was my seat, followed by Eve and Jr. Further down was Mom with pops sitting at the far end. On the other side, there was Kalani on Dad's right, then Ned, Michelle, Mary, and Aunt May, one uncle Ben's left, in Jr's arms was Felicia, no longer a kitten but not fully grown yet, but still a very spoiled feline.
We had all gathered for Thanksgiving dinner, something that had started after we attempted a friend's giving in the warehouse.
Walking over, I dropped a plate off in front of Uncle Ben, then Peter, with Aunt May behind me dropping a plate off at my seat, then Eve.
"Thank you, Marcel and Aunt May."
Eve's proclamation brought a smile to Aunt May's face and a civil nod from me, but even funnier was the effect it had on Uncle Ben and Peter. The two were already salivating at the food, and years of scolding from Aunt May were the only reason they weren't already asking for seconds.
The two leaned back from the plates in unison and looked up towards me and Aunt May.
"Thanks"
In sync, the two spoke, but unlike with Eve, I tried not to laugh while Aunt May glared at the two.
It wasn't long before we had delivered plates to everyone, and Aunt May and I had taken our seats. Normally, Aunt May would lead a prayer, but this was one of the few times she didn't, as nearly half the people there weren't strictly catholic or religious.
"Like always, I want to thank everyone for coming, and I'm glad to see everyone in good health. Marcel and I cooked this year, and as always, there was more in the kitchen."
The words were akin to a starting bell. Uncle Ben and Peter had already started eating. Everyone was used to it by now, as they could easily eat ten plates between them.
They wouldn't be social until their third or so plate. On the other hand, most others and I still retained some home training. I thought about starting a conversation, but Mary beat me to it before I could.
"Marc, what do you think we'll see at Oscorp?"
"Probably Mrs.O's humanitarian work, rapid deployment of infrastructures, and work on faster-growing crops."
As I thought it said, Oscorp was originally Norman's idea. Despite the off-putting feeling the man always gave me, he always tried to involve his wife and son, eventually leading to the opening of a subdivision. Mrs.O's empathic nature resulted in the creation of the Life Foundation.
The Life Foundation specialized in more humanitarian space developments, while Oscorp created more commercial and civil-focused products, such as tablets, phone processors, and everyday objects.
" You think we'll get to see the "new" projects? I mean, why else would they need a whole new building, let alone a new headquarters?"
As I finished speaking, Ned spoke up in my place. What she said got me thinking, and judging by the silence, everyone was also pondering her words.
That was when Michelle spoke up.
"They bought up Stark Industries' weapons contracts. I mean, what else could be the reason? And this isn't their only new building. After our conversation with Harry, I looked into it. They bought part of Vandenberg Space Force Base, along with an old Hammer Industries site a few miles outside the city."
At Michelle's words, everyone besides Eve Jr and Kalani looked at her in surprise.
Most of all, Mary, out of the two Mary was the more investigative sort, while Michelle was more analytical.
"Slow down for an old man. I know it's been a minute, but we all know Emily, bless her heart, wouldn't let Norman touch weapons development even with a million yardstick."
Uncle Ben stopped eating to speak, showing how the conversation shifted with Michelle's sharing.
" Probably a concession of some sort, from what I know, Norman has no interest in space, but Harry has always had an interest, and while Michelle beat me too it is that while Oscorp bought space and a facility in vandberg its actually under the life foundation andddd as of 24 hours ago the life foundation is legally a subsidiary of Oscorp and a legal company of its own and not just a branch off"
When Mary was finally done speaking, she let out a sigh, and the self-assured look she had plastered on her face made me laugh. While Mary and Michelle were friends, they were competitive as hell, but some part of me still found it weird, as they hadn't acted like this in a while, not since the warehouse, really.
"Okay, okay, hold on, gimme a second to register this, Norman gave up the life foundation, his wife's life's work to buy up Stark's corps."
My mom's words had me wincing, which only grew worse as I saw Aunt May frowning. Ma, Aunt May, and Mrs had been close until Norman went all businessman and moved to a penthouse downtown, but even then, it caused a rift between them, for which the two women chewed him out, all for the sake of their friend.
"Uhhh, no, not exactly, he sold the life foundation to her…. I didn't know why, I just know the timeline adds up."
Mary quickly backpedaled, not stumbling over her words, but she sounded less sure now. She was there when the women found out Norman had been staying in the office for days, leaving Harry and Mrs.O at home.
"Mhhhhh….enough of this topic. I'll talk to her later, sweetheart. Are you taking the boys up to the cabin this year?"
Aunt May's tone was clipped and cold, before suddenly becoming warm.
"We have to, Uncle Ben. We didn't go last year, but we have to go this year."
Peter's words came loud and fast as he stood up, empty plate in hand. The cabin had been a tradition, just as Thanksgiving dinner was. It came about after the women kicked all the boys out for making a ruckus after Christmas. At first, it was just me, Peter, and Uncle Ben, but it had slowly grown to encompass Pops and Jr.
Uncle Ben owns a cabin about three hours from New York. The first time we did this, we scared the living shit out of everyone because we hadn't told them. There are nearby hiking trails and untamed wilderness to explore, so most of the time, we just explored, but it's always where Uncle Ben taught us to hunt and track.
Like most men his age, he spent his earlier years in the military, specifically the Marines, before returning to the army for the Vietnam War.
"Yeah, yeah, I talked to someone about expanding the place early this year, and they should be done in time."
Kalani's eyes widened to the size of her dinner plate at his word.
" Does that mean we get to come, Uncle Ben, pleasessssss?"
Kalani didn't hesitate to ask, as it had been something she'd been interested in for a while. She wasn't interested in the outdoors, but she wasn't afraid to admit that Pops was her favorite person. Wherever he went, she would follow.
"Yep.."
Before Uncle Ben could even finish speaking, Kalani was squealing her little heart out. Within the second, she was out of her seat and running toward Uncle Ben.
———
Sitting next to Peter on the bus as people boarded, I used my elbow to nudge him, prodding his ribs again and again as I pestered him.
"So, where did you and Mary get off after Thanksgiving? Come in, you can tell me, I won't tell, I promise, scouts honor."
At my words, I raised my hand to my heart and lowered my thumb and pinky.
"That's not even the right salute, and shit, she's right there."
Peter leaned close as he spoke his words barely more than a whisper.
"Ohhh, you didn't, but I thought you and Michelle got together."
I didn't give up. I simply lowered my tone and whispered, "I had waited all of Thanksgiving break to ask. It's not my fault they decided to sit next to us for the field trip."
"Shhhhhhhhhh shut up. It's complicated, man. After the warehouse, things were weird for a while. They're weird.
At Peter's words, I looked at him, then Michelle and Mary, then him again.
"Their? As in both Peter, as in both"
At my words, Peter simply blushed, his skin turning crimson. I didn't need him to say a word. I had hoped something like this would happen. Who didn't want the best for their boy? But this was reality, not a story. At best, I'd get both wanting Peter so bad he could pick, god, that sounds bad now that I'm really thinking about it.
Leaning back, I gave myself a mental pat on the back. Now that I had clearly thought about it, I could see it. Ever since July, the two had grown closer. I mean, they were already close, but they both were for Peter. Lately, I've been seeing them talk more and more. Worse, I had seen the share of Peter. They would pull him into a conversation that was previously just them. Oh god…..
As I thought, I saw the pieces fall into place; I was blind to my machinations developing right before me.
Looking over, I saw the two subjects of my thoughts sharing a hushed conversation, Mary's face just as red as Peter's.
Smiling, I looked behind the two and further back to where Ned and Harry were. Now, all I needed to do was get Ned someone, then lay down and get Harry to look anywhere besides his tablet.
It wasn't long after that that Mrs.O boarded the bus after the last of the students. She stood dressed in floral-patterned pants and an emerald green trench coat, her pale skin standing out from others with its warmer tones, almost olive in color. Her hair was in a tight braid, spun into a neat bun.
"Alright, class, sit tight. As many of you know, thanks to my son spoiling the surprise, we'll be going to the building nicknamed the obelisk. Today will be its formal opening to the public, and you all will be the first to get a tour."
At her words, the previously mild chatter turned into static, making it hard to hear the person next to you.
Seeing the servant chatter, Mrs.O simply smiled before stepping out of the center row and taking her seat in front of Parker and me.
The ride there was noisy, with students chattering in excited tones, but as we pulled to the front of the building, the voices slowly went quiet.
Standing up, Mrs.O slowly rose from her seat before turning around just as slowly, clearly enjoying the process of prolonging something so simple.
"Students, please slowly exit the bus one at a time."
Mrs.O's words were just as slow and deliberate as her actions, each syllable feeling like it had been said through molasses.
Once she was done, she turned and slowly exited via the four stops on the right of the driver. Once she was gone, Peter and I waited for Michelle and Mary to go before he followed behind them.
Once we exited the yellow bus, students who were less patient filed out in a hurry, slowly crowding around Mrs.O, who was not talking to a shivering lab tech in a white lab coat.
While we waited, I started to scan the crowd and the building where we now congregated. I stared at the building in awe, and judging by the open mouths around me, so did others. From afar, the building lived up to its name, a black stone obelisk, but up close, the black metal framing the form in a spiral pattern wasn't back. Still, a deep green that from below looked light in coloration, the glass was also similar. Still, instead of flat panels, each one was curved in a way that made it look like a waterfall. With the addition of green color, it looked as if we stood in front of a waterfall made of emeralds.
"Alright, class. Welcome to the new headquarters of Oscorp. More importantly, please remain with the group and follow me inside."
Mrs.O's were now quick, the slow, methodical tone gone, replaced with rapid-fire syllables that had the group lurching to motion. Before I knew it, we were approaching the building. I expected us to approach a glass second, but instead, we walked toward a wall of black, green metal. At our approach, the metal separated, revealing itself to be doors.
"Alright, students, first fun fact: the glass of this building is triple-layered AM-III, which, in plain speak, is a type of glass strong enough to scratch diamonds and nearly impossible to shatter. Trust us, we tried. It's also the most expensive thing Oscorp has bought in total and by square footage. Not to mention we layered it with an electromagnetic film that, when an electrical charge is pushed through it, replicates the visual effect of fogged glass. You'll notice many labs also have it instead of walls. If this building falls, the glass will still be perfect even if the steel frames are bent or melted.
Mrs.O's long, fun fact saw us through the doors and had me whistling. Talk about overkill. I'm starting to wonder what the fuck they're working on here.
As we walked around the first floor of the building, Mrs.O took great pleasure in sharing a minor fun fact about the building: We had yet to reach the labs, instead taking a tour of the employee spaces, such as the cafeteria, lockers, and even the bathroom.
By the end, Mrs.O's grin was that of a monster; I could even see students yawning, sleep pushing at the edges of their consciousness.
When people started to audibly complain and drag their feet, Mrs.O finally led us to the elevator. Without saying a word, she pressed the button for up like we hadn't spent the last twenty minutes walking around.
Mrs.O turned around while we waited, eyes scanning the students before speaking.
"Alright, students, we'll ride up to the 3rd floor. Since there are fifteen of you, we'll do three trips of five. Once everyone is upstairs, each of you will be given an access card that gives you access to floors one, three, four, five, and six. I know there are not a lot of floors, but from that point on, you are allowed to roam freely. Each floor has a different focus, so I suggest visiting each one. You are not allowed to enter a lab unless the lead engineer or scientist allows you."
At her words, it was as if she had given each and every student an energy drink. The tiredness slowly built as students began to talk, some gathering into groups, and others plotting which floors to visit first.
On the other hand, I immediately grinned at Harry Peter and Ned and pulled them to the stairs. We had lagged behind, and it would take far too long to get upstairs inside for my liking.
"What are you doing, Marc? The elevators are over there."
Peter was the first to complain, but I ignored his commentary. Instead, I pushed Harry toward the door, his brainwashing taking a second to register what happened. By the time he did and brought his hand up, he was already colliding with the door.
"What the hell, Marcel? What was that fu-"
Before he could finish, the light that had previously been red on the steel door turned green, and Harry slipped inside, falling flat on his face.
Looking over to Peter and Ned, I spoke.
"Faster"
A light started to shine in their eyes, and before the first five had even boarded the elevator, we were running up the stairs. I had thrown him over my shoulder in case any more doors needed to be opened.
By the time we reached the top, Ned was breathing harder than everyone else, but despite his size, he had handled the task better than I thought he would, patting his back.
"Nice job, bombastic belly."
Setting Harry down, I dusted him off and pouted towards the door to the third floor.
"After you, your majesty."
At my words, Harry rolled his eyes while he held his stomach, but he didn't protest. Instead, he pushed the door open with his side and walked through.
By the time we made our way into the first group, we hadn't even made it yet, but I could see the elevator had arrived, and the doors had yet to open.
"Onward, my compatriots, for today marks our journey as great explorers."
Blow
Before I could say something, Ned pushed past me, speaking as he did.
Following behind, we approached a giant circular desk that took up most of this front room.
Upon reaching the desk, the Asian-looking security guard nodded at Harry before holding out three green keys with black clips that they attached to our shirts.
"No waiting for Mrs.Osborn"
Peter beat me to the chase to ask what we were all wondering, but the reply came from behind us.
"Nope. I had a feeling you guys would skip the line. You could've just skipped getting the passes entirely, as Harry has one already. You'd have to stay with him, of course.
At her words, I groaned and gave Harry a stare of exasperation.
"You didn't give me a chance to speak, one second we were in line, the next I was on the floor, and then I was on your shoulder, not comfortable or cool by the way."
At his words, even Peter and Ned groaned while Mrs.O simply laughed.
After a couple of seconds, we pushed back towards the elevators. With passes, we didn't need Mrs. O to take us up, so we all piled into one.
"Which floor first people?"
My words had everyone looking at Harry's eyebrows raised.
Instead of instantly replying, he placed a finger to his chin and started tapping his foot.
"Son like mother, ughhhhhh"
The words that came out of Ned had me and Peter laughing while Harry blushed.
"Fuck you, Ned. We'll start with floor three. The labs are based on funding, which is then based on the premises and success, so far, meaning all the boring ones are on the lower levels."
At Harry's words, a light grew into a blazing flame, one that had me reaching over and pressing one of the higher floors before Harry could object.
"MARCEL, what are you doing?"
Harry's outburst was tinged with a bit of stress as he frantically tried to move my hand.
"I don't even have access to tha-"
*ding*
Before Harry could even start his argument, the elevator itself shut it down.
"It appears you underestimate yourself yet again, Harry."
As I spoke, a full-blown smile crossed my face, as if a cat had eaten the canary.
Ned once again tried to move my arm, but it was Peter who stopped him this time.
"Come on, man, you rarely hang out with us anymore, and now you don't even wanna do something a little risky. What happened to Harry that was down to do anything, even if the risk outweighed the reward?"
Peter's words were a low blow, guilt-tripping at its finest. At that moment, I was as proud as a father watching his son graduate.
"He grew up, Peter. I can't just go around doing anything I want anymore, I have an image-"
This time, I was the one to stop Harry. His words were bullshit; I had heard this argument before.
"No Harry you don't man, your Harry Osborn Osborn not Norman nor Emily Osborn, your not a self made millionaire and CEO nor a woman with five doctorates in field half the damn world can't pronounce, your Harry 'having balls' Osborn, the kid that used to be up on stage with me the kid who'd do anything just for a thrill even when everyone else was chicken shit"
By the end of my tirade, my voice had grown into a full bellow, bouncing off the walls of the small elevators.
When I was done, the elevator was clicking away floor after floor, but worse was Harry. His face was bright red, and not in a bashful way but in the way that signified an explosion.
"You don't understand, none of you. You haven't gone to the event and seen people who touch shoulders with presidents look at you and find you wanting. You don't go home and see that same look from your own dad. You don't, so let's just go back down before you get us all in trouble like always."
Harry's voice was loud but not as loud as mine. Instead, it was cold and biting, not at us but at the world.
" God your ego is about as big as you fucking dads, no none of us have names as weight as Osborn, but Peter over there is the nephew of a U.S lieutenant general and the sine of who while still insisted as a fucking U.S colonel earned four fucking degrees that no one besides him could even pronounce, Ned over there is the son of immigrants he'll be the first of his family to go to college let alone an ivy league college. So no, we don't have weighty names, but we all have expectations on our backs that are just as heavy as yours."
My words had a blizzard effect. As they came out one after another, I could see Harry's chest and body stiffen before finally, at the end, he deflated like a balloon that had been popped.
"You know you're an asshole, Marcel, like a giant bullshit spewing, itchy one?
Harry's words had me smiling, ear to ear.
"I'll take the asshole bit, I'll even. Take the itchy, but I deny the bullshit part."
My words had Harry bent over laughing, then Peter and Ned joined in.
By the time they had all stopped laughing, the atmosphere within the elevator had become several degrees lighter, and I was holding the now-open elevator door open.
After a few more seconds, Harry walked through, followed by Ned and Peter.
"Sooooo, Harry, you got an idea of what's on this floor?"
As I walked through, last words bounced clear across the floor, causing an echo that had Ned shivering.
Harry's reply was immediate
"Nope, all I know is everything above fifteen is some new sector my dad's starting personally."
At his words, I shared a look with Peter, I could admit that this was probably a bad idea and now would be a good time to call it off but after calling Harry out I really didnt wanna go back in my words worse, something in the back of my brain was pushing me forward, that same voice that i had had all my life that once told me i was meant to be something great, told me this place was more that it had weight.
Before I knew it, everyone else was already a step ahead, and I was the one lagging behind. As I followed them, I truly took in the floor. It wasn't like the others. It was an open space, with no real walls or doors. Instead, there were cubes of glass, most frosted like they had been out in the middle of winter.
Catching up to Ned and Peter, I watched as Harry touched one of the cubes, and the glass suddenly went from fogged to clear. Inside what armor? It was segmented pieces of some metal placed over a black suit, which in turn was placed on a mannequin. As Harry held his hand to the glass, a portion of it slid away, allowing us entry.
It wasn't long before Harry himself stepped in by Peter, then me as I dragged Ned in.
"Harry, why does that look like armor?"
Ned, bless his soul, was the first to speak his words, echoing ominously in the small chamber.
"Ned, you know my dad doesn't do weapons or anything close, it's probably just an exo-suit, like for construction, or rescue work, or maybe an atmospheric suit. I asked my dad if we could step foot into the space industry, and he said he'd think about it, you know."
As Harry rambled, his tone grew sharper and sharper, his breathing growing shorter. Harry had a few flaws—even I knew that we all did—but one of his was his heart and his unwavering trust in his father.
Harry was a bleeding heart among bleeding hearts, fearless, yes, kind, yes, sometimes outspoken, yes, but he'd sooner grab a poisonous snake and take it outside bare-handed than kill it. He took after his mother in that sense, even if his mother was more pragmatic,
"Dude, call down, you're probably right, look over there."
As I spoke, I stepped next to Harry, resting a hand on his shoulder as I used the other to point at a table also in the room. On it rested a metallic frame that resembled a skeleton.
"The audible breath of relief that came from him was saddening.
Harry has unwavering belief in his father, that childish light we see our parent in as kids never left him, in his eyes he saw his father as a true beacon of humanity, form poor kid from the middle of no where to a multi millionaire is one hell of a story after all, focusing those millions on helping is even more of a plus but ever since i first meet norman he put me on edge, like an elle, not overtly dangerous but not safe.
Using my hand on Harry's shoulder, I slowly pulled him free of the glass cube. As I did, I shot Peter and Ned a look that had been silent, Peter gawking at the suit and its tech, Ned doing much the same.
"Uhh yeah man, from what I could see it's heavily utility focused, the uhh amor lookin bit is probably just for padding"
Peter's words came out unsure and just as shaky as Harry's early ones, but they had a visible effect on him, as Harry should have relaxed just a little bit more.
Once we were out of the room, I stopped and looked around. There had to be dozens, maybe even a hundred, glass cubes. Picking a random one, I dragged Henry to it. Without any prodding, he placed his hands on the glass, and first, it unfrosted, revealing cubes of various materials: glass, steel, concrete, and more.
"This must be a storage or showroom, a place where they display different projects."
Ned's words had me thinking he was probably right. It made sense. I had tapped one of the higher floors—I don't remember which—but it was a row down from the last few.
Pulling on Harry's arm, I moved to the next, but halfway there, Harry regained some vigor and started moving on his own. At the next cue, he placed his hand on it, and inside, the canisters revealed themselves to be stored with different labels.
As Peter got close, he began to read aloud.
"Algee sample, coral reef sample, seaweed sample"
As Peter read, it became evident that the cube was Aquatic research, something to heal the ocean.
"Boring"
Despite my words, it wasn't me who said anything; instead, it was Ned as he took hold of Harry and dragged him to a different cube. This time, Harry started moving on his own even faster than before.
Soon enough we were going cube to cube to cube, some contained more samples from around the world, one even contained live animals, rabbits, fish and such, another contained the little circular balls, and a tablet, harry read from it supposedly they were readily deployment fire suppression, supposedly you could toss one in a place with a fire and foam would explode from it. After that, we slowed for a little bit again, but after finding a giant drone and I dared Harry to fly it while I stood on it, we were back at full steam.
Eventually, we came across a cube filled with insects, all labeled as different experiments. I didn't bother going inside, even if that almost voice was back urging me to step inside. I would've done it in a heartbeat if it were big cats or dogs. Instead, Peter was the only one to step inside. His curiosity had him looking at the admittedly strange bugs.
"Come on, man, we're gonna have to go back soon."
At my words, Peter groaned before eventually leaving the cube. Deciding to open one more cube harry walked up to a cube and inside several vials filled with various liquids sat, scanning the cube not many made sense, such as a vial with a red liquid tinged with green or another labeled x genetic marker, but one i did recognized one that everyone recognized was a vial a qatar of the zone of the previous smallest, on it was a label that read S.S and inside was a lightly glowing blue liquid.
"Oh shit, is that what we think it is?"
Harry was the first to speak, his words filled with awe.
"Uhhh, I would think so, man, how many glowing blue liquids could have the initials S.S., because I can only think of one. How about you, Ned?"
Peter's words were rapid as he practically shoved his face against the glass behind which this particular vial was locked behind unlike the others.
"Nope, man, only the one."
Ned's reply was fast, but I could hear him chuckling under his breath.
Before I could reply, any of us could say the magic words. All of our passes in our hands beeped, and Harry's phone went off.
"It's my mom, she says it's time to go."
Harry's words had us collectively groaning.
"But we just got to the good shit, man".
My words came out in an exaggerated tone, almost whining, but not there yet.
All Harry could do was shrug as he walked out of the cube and towards the elevator.
As we got closer to the elevator, Ned cleared his throat, getting our attention before speaking.
"Uhh, guys, how do we close the cubes?"
Ned's words had everyone but Peter pausing.
"Uhhh mayb-"
Before Harry could finish, Peter interrupted him.
"They've been closing behind us automatically; we just need to get far enough away."
At Peter's words, all three of us turned back towards the cubes to see he was right. While a few remained up, it was far fewer than we had opened.
"How did you even notice that, Peter?"
As I started moving, I questioned Peter.
"I tried to go back to the drone while you were looking at the cool fabric."
At his words, I had to suppress a laugh. The "cool fabric" was a fabric that could not only change colors but could also become rigid.
___
We were back in the lobby when Peter Parker slapped the back of his neck.
" oww, what the fuck"
Peter's words had me moving closer. Currently, he was talking to Mary and Michelle, who had been talking to Cindy. But now he was just standing there holding the back of his neck.
"What happened, man?"
My question had Peter turning towards me, hand still covering his neck.
"I think something just bit the fuck out of me, man."
At Peter's words, I circled around him and pried his hand off the back of his neck. Underneath was a small red mark no bigger than a pimple, a small pimple at that.
"It looks like a mosquito bite, you'll be fi-"
Before I finished, I heard Cindy exclaim in pain, similarly to Peter.