"So even I can't go in? I'm Harry Osborn." I asked again, just to be sure I heard him right.
"Sorry, sir, but Mr. Osborn's instructions were clear. Nobody is allowed inside. Nobody." To my surprise, the guard didn't budge an inch. There was a flicker of hesitation in his eyes for a split second, probably didn't expect me to show up but he still held his ground.
"It's okay."
I didn't bother wasting more time. It was obvious neither he nor the other guards were going to let me through. Turning around, I walked back to my bike. Sitting on it, I looked at the building in front of me one last time before starting the bike.
Oscorp.
Completely sealed off.
It's kind of funny. A chemical leak in a company like this should be all over the news, but there's barely anything about it. Meanwhile, yesterday's Lizard incident is still sitting at the top of every headline.
Yeah… money really does control what people see.
Still, I don't buy the "chemical leakage" story.
Not even a little.
If anything, it's more likely Norman or someone else figured out the Lizard's real identity and decided to act fast. Shutting down the building isn't about safety. It's about control.
Connors' lab.
His research.
Anything he might have left behind.
They don't need an actual leak to justify this. Just a believable excuse to lock everything down and sweep the place clean without drawing too much attention.
It's just a hunch.
But I doubt I'm wrong.
One of the top scientists turns into a walking mini-Godzilla… and the very next day the building he worked in gets sealed?
I don't think it's a coincidence.
I would've gone in if I had some kind of proper super suit. Right now, with just a normal hoodie to cover myself, it's not worth the risk. Getting spotted once is all it takes to complicate everything.
It's not like I'm scared of the guards. If it comes down to skill, I doubt anyone inside is better trained than what Damian's instincts are already giving me. But experience is a different thing altogether. They've been in real situations, dealt with pressure, panic, uncertainty. I haven't… and people do stupid things when they panic.
One bullet in my head is all what will take to kill me.
Still, even if this trip didn't go the way I wanted, it wasn't a waste.
If anything, it made something very clear.
I'm not ready yet. Not when it comes to resources.
Right now, I don't have what I actually need to handle situations like this properly. No suit, no proper weapons, no equipment.
I'm definitely not using the Goblin suit I got from GACHA anytime soon, and the pumpkin bombs are limited. They're not something I can rely on repeatedly.
Which means I need to start preparing.
Properly.
That brings me to the next issue.
Resources.
I'll need materials, tools, and probably specialised equipment if I want to build anything useful. Buying everything outright isn't realistic, and stealing everything isn't an option either.
Well… not entirely.
I will steal some things eventually. That much is inevitable. But I can't build everything on that. It would attract far more attention than necessary, and right now attention is exactly what I need to avoid.
Some things have to be obtained legally.
Facilities. Laboratories. Even a satellite access at some point. Infact multiple.
And yes, Oscorp is an option.
But that comes with its own set of problems.
Monitoring. Oversight. Questions.
Too many eyes watching every move.
If I push too fast there, it'll only raise suspicion.
And it's not like I can just do whatever I want anyway. I'm not Bruce Wayne, and this isn't some empire that bends to my every command. Oscorp isn't mine… not yet. I can't just burn through its resources however I like without consequences.
Still…
That doesn't mean I'm stuck.
If anything, it makes the solution pretty obvious.
I need something of my own.
My own company.
Not just for control, but for flexibility. If I want access to high-end tech, research, and resources without constantly worrying about being watched, I need a structure where I make the rules.
And let's be serious… if I'm going to live in a world like this, I might as well enjoy the perks properly. Sure, I could manage without it, cut corners, rely on the system and a few smart moves here and there.
But that's not the same.
I want to see what it actually feels like… to operate at that level. Having a Trillion Dollar Companie at my tips. And with what I know, it's not unrealistic.
Meta knowledge alone is an advantage most people don't have. I already know which fields are worth investing in, which technologies will matter, and where things are headed.
More importantly, I know something people usually overlook.
Geniuses aren't rare in this world.
They're just ignored.
They may not be of Stark and Richards level but they are still genius, have plenty of potential and needed platform to show that.
And then there's the mutant population. An entire pool of talent, abilities, and perspectives that most of the world either fears or avoids. Which means less competition… and more opportunity for anyone willing to look at them differently.
If handled properly, that's not just manpower. That's an advantage.
But what should I actually start with?
Something aimed at the general public makes more sense than targeting a niche group. The larger the user base, the easier it is to scale and build influence. And currently most of the big players here are too focused on high-end tech for military contracts, or private use. They can build things for everyday people… they just don't bother.
Which leaves a gap.
A pretty big one.
Sectors like media, entertainment, and social platforms feel underdeveloped compared to what I remember. It's not empty, but it's definitely not saturated either.
There are also electronic products but I don't want to jump into something like that right now. Manufacturing physical products needs capital, supply chains, people… too many moving parts.
I need something lean.
Low investment.
Something I can build and control myself, at least in the beginning.
So yeah… software makes the most sense. Web platforms, apps, services.
Facebook already exists. YouTube is there too, and Reddit as well, though none of them are as dominant as they should be yet since it's their start. That means there's still room.
The question is where to enter.
Instagram? WhatsApp? TikTok?
These are solid ideas, but I want something more simple to start.
Then there's infrastructure like cloud services.
Google Cloud…
Now that I think about it, YouTube hasn't even been acquired yet. If I remember right, Google buys it for over a billion later. There's no way I can pull that kind of money anytime soon. So it's acquisition is out.
But I can still try buying smaller things, projects or startups that I know will be successful, or at least ones I can make successful with what I know.
Still… I need to start with something first.
Maybe a game.
Yeah, that's not a bad idea.
I'm in high school, which means I already have a built-in testing ground. Promotion would be easy, feedback would be direct, and if it clicks, word spreads fast. And small games aren't that hard to make, at least compared to everything else I'm thinking about.
Simple but addictive.
That's the key.
Games like Candy Crush, Subway Surfers, or Geometry Dash, CoC, nothing too complex, but enough to hook people in. Easy to pick up, hard to put down.
That kind of thing can blow up fast if done right.
…Wait.
Hold on.
There isn't even a proper centralised app store here yet. No proper ecosystem for distributing apps at scale.
"Hehe…"
Yeah.
This… this is it.
I'm really going to be a billionaire.
I should also decide on a company name and get it trademarked.
What should I name it… Abstergo, Umbrella, Atlas, Omni, Hyperion…
My thoughts drifted again. Didn't I get a movie travel card? Maybe it's time to use it. If I pick a low-level world without anything supernatural, I could bring back some useful tech, smartphones, laptops, processors and many other things.
Although… thinking about it now, the tech here isn't exactly behind. It's just… inconsistent. Some things feel like they're straight out of future, while others are still stuck in past. 4G is already a thing but at the same time, there's no proper app ecosystem yet.
It's weird.
Like the world skipped steps in some places and completely ignored others.
Which… works in my favour.
_______________________________
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters (New York City)
"Anything new?" Phil Coulson closed the file in his hands and looked up at the agent who had just walked in.
"No, sir." Grant Ward shook his head. "That Lizard has completely vanished. We can't find a single solid trace of him."
Coulson frowned slightly, fingers tapping once against the folder before going still.
"That's not possible. A creature that size doesn't just disappear without leaving something behind." His tone stayed calm, but there was a clear edge of concern beneath it.
"With the number of casualties reported yesterday, we need him either contained or neutralised as soon as possible."
"Agreed." Ward nodded. "The Analysis Division has been going over the footage and patterns. Their current theory is that he can switch between two forms… similar to hulk."
Coulson's eyes narrowed slightly at that. "His level transformation?"
"Not in terms of raw power," Ward clarified quickly, "but the concept fits. A human baseline with a triggered transformation. It would explain how he appeared in the middle of the city without setting off any early alerts."
Coulson leaned back slightly, thinking it through. "That makes things complicated," he muttered. "If he can blend in as a normal human, then we're not just tracking a creature anymore, we're looking for a person hiding in plain sight."
A brief silence settled in the room.
"What about Spider-Man? Wasn't he there too?" Coulson asked, recalling the footage. "He was the one who engaged the Lizard."
"After their confrontation, he disappeared," Grant replied. "From what we've analysed, it doesn't look like he's connected to the incident. More like he ran into the Lizard during his usual vigilante activity."
Coulson didn't look convinced. "Doesn't matter what it looks like. He might know something we don't." He paused for a second before adding, "We still don't have his identity?"
"No, sir." Grant shook his head. "And from the way he actively avoids surveillance, it's clear he's aware of us. The only solid leads we have are that he's connected to Midtown High School and operates out of Queens. Though… it's possible he's deliberately misleading us."
Coulson let out a quiet breath.
"It's almost funny," he said with a faint chuckle. "S.H.I.E.L.D., with all its resources, and we can't track down a teenage vigilante. You'd think someone that young would slip up, impulsive, careless…"
He shook his head slightly.
"But some of them are different."
A small pause.
"At the very least, it's clear he's trying to help. That counts for something."
He straightened again, the brief lightness gone as quickly as it came.
"Anything else?"
Grant hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Well… the MRD is trying to take over the case."
Coulson's expression didn't change much, but there was a subtle shift in his eyes.
"The Mutant Response Division, huh," he said calmly. "So they think that Lizard was a mutant."
He didn't sound surprised. He'd seen this pattern before. The MRD had a habit of labelling anything unusual as mutant first and asking questions later. It wasn't new, just… inconvenient.
His gaze drifted for a moment, thoughtful. "Mutant or not… doesn't really matter," he said quietly. "What matters is control."
He straightened slightly, the decision already made in his mind. "Pull our men back. There's no need to create a scene," he continued in a steady tone. "I'll talk to the Director. We'll give them what they want...for now."
There was a brief pause before he added, a little more deliberately, "If we manage to capture it before they do, we get everything we need. If not… we'll make sure they share whatever they find."
Grant nodded without hesitation. "Understood, sir."
"You can go."
"Okay, sir." Grant gave a short nod and walked out, leaving Coulson alone in the office.
For a few seconds, Coulson just looked at the closed door, his thoughts running quietly beneath his usual composed exterior. Then he reached for his phone and dialled a number.
"Director, I have something to report…" he said, his tone shifting slightly more formal. There was a short pause as he listened. "…Yes. Regarding the recent incident... Understood."
Coulson stood up, already reaching for his coat. "A new mission? The Arctic?" he repeated, more to himself than anything else.
A final pause.
"Alright, sir. I'm on my way to your office."
The call ended, and for a brief moment, he just stood there before exhaling lightly.
"Things really don't slow down…" he muttered, before heading out.
*************
Does moon knight actually change the stars position or was it all illusion in the series?