Hi. Before you start reading, you should be aware of two things: First, this is an alternate universe high school fanfiction where I play with characters from across the Marvel Universe (not mine, I'm just borrowing it) and mess with ages and powers a bit. I might like writing about teenagers, but that doesn't mean I have to write about powerless teenagers. The second warning is that I have a fondness for slash. Among other things.
This chapter's extra wordy because I'm establishing a universe (even though it's the same 'verse as my Marvel High and Deadpool fic, you don't need to read it to read this one) and a character.
Hope you enjoy!
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The science fair was what Otto waited all year for. The other students could keep their dances and proms and football games, Otto had more important things to do. He was working on a project that would make even prize-winning physicists weep. By all rights he should already be in university by now, but the school had something against skipping more than one year. Which they wouldn't let their prize student, Otto Octavius, winner of the past three science fair awards, do because of a certain incident years ago. Get one black mark on your record and it all goes down... Parker got to skip a year, however, due to him being a big blue eyed nerdy goody-two-shoes teacher's pet. That was back in middle school.
Peter Parker was Otto's main rival and competitor in the science fair. Well, technically the projects were sorted by grades, and since Parker was a sophomore and Otto was a senior, that meant their projects weren't hindered by their respective competition, but that wasn't the point. Parker's project was the only one that could rival Otto's, so to him, that was the real competition, no matter what the judges would say. There were other highly intelligent students in the school, but they never seemed to take the science fair seriously. And besides, Parker gained his respect, unlike the others, even if he was younger.
It was a little less than a year ago, at the last science fair, where Parker earned his respect. Otto was walking among the brightly covered booths about growing plants and acid rain, somebody was being questioned by the principle because of the anarchist's cookbook there, and somebody had done a theoretical project about time travel there, the usual. But he was tired of looking at other people's projects, and headed back to admire his own, a small machine that was ten times more efficient with solar power for its size than any other remote-controlled bionic leg out there.
And there was Parker, the first time he met the then-freshman. He was looking closely at Otto's project, and he was holding a camera.
"Ah, no photographs, please," said Otto, coming up behind him.
"Oh! Is this your project?" asked the kid with the ruffled hair, "I'm taking pictures for the school paper, the Bugle? I just joined up."
The other boy adjusted his glasses nervously and looked sideways at the project before saying, "But then I got distracted by your project. Is the efficiency of the power consumption true? Your calculations are amazing!"
Otto was taken aback; this guy seemed to actually enjoy the science fair.
"Eh, yes, I tested it with two different power sources, and my new solar-powered version is much more effected, and sustainable, than the other power source."
The kid then proceeded to bombard him with questions about his project, and Otto was surprised by both his enthusiasm, but also his understanding of the complex science behind his project.
"Yes, 92 over 75, but -- say, who are you? You seem young for a student."
Parker looked surprised, but smiled and held out his hand, "Oh! I'm Peter, Peter Parker. I'm a freshman, though I'm a year younger than the other freshmen, but that's alright, right? So you're, um, Otto Octavius, right?"
"Ah, yes, that is my name, though I would prefer it if you called me Otto," he replied stiffly.
"Heh," said Peter, hiding a smile, "Has anybody told you that you talk like an old man?"
Otto blushed slightly, and said, "If you find my vocabulary inadequate…"
"No no, it's cool," said Peter, "So um, your project probably puts mine to shame, but would you like to see it?"
Otto looked carefully at the other student, as he asked, "You have a project?"
"Yeah, c'mon, I'll show you," said Peter, grabbing Otto's wrist and dragging him away.
Otto could only follow with a puzzled stare. He couldn't help but think this was the nicest anybody had treated him in high school so far, and, despite his reserve, couldn't help but like the younger student. Peter showed him his project (tiny little tracer bugs that could be tracked from more than a mile away using cheaper materials at a much smaller scale than other tracers) with great enthusiasm, and Otto was impressed despite himself.
After that, he and Peter retained an odd sort of half-friendship, more of an acquaintanceship, and a mutual respect. But now the science fair was approaching again, and with repairs to the school along with Otto's disregard with school rules about using the labs after hours, their relationship was strained. Peter didn't quite approve of some of Otto's methods, though he believed Otto was good at heart.
As for Otto? Otto wanted to win the science fair one last time before graduation. He planned to build four robotic arms that would be usual far past merely an award.