The Change
Peter could not get over why Gwen Stacy, one of the hottest girls in school, had helped him in giving him a head start. But he took it regardless. He didn't have time to think. He only had time to run. Peter heard the door to the stairwell bursting open as he went up.
"Hey man! There he is!" one of his friends pointed upwards.
"Parker you geek! I'm gonna get you!" Flash roared.
Peter ran up the stairs faster. He soon got to a door that he quickly opened. As he burst in, he looked around and saw that it was a complex division hallway as he judged by the décor and taupe colored walls. He made his way toward another door, it was a women's restroom. 'Good chance he won't find me in there.' He thought.
Just as he approached it, the door swung forward hitting Peter square in the face and knocking him to the ground. He was seeing stars. "Oh man!" he said rubbing his forehead.
"Peter! Peter Parker?" a voice asked sounding concerned.
Peter opened his eyes and saw a red-haired beauty staring at him. 'Be still my foolish heart. Actually that may be part of the anxiety from Flash and his thugs trying to get me though…' he thought.
"Mary Jane?" Peter asked. "What happened?"
"I was just coming out of the bathroom. I think I must have hit you pretty hard."
Peter began to get up. "Oh no, no. I honestly didn't feel a thing." He said reassuring her. The truth was he was feeling a great wave of pain in his forehead. He had been hit harder than he thought. He also felt a trickle of blood pouring out of his nose.
"What are you doing up here?" she asked.
"Apparently Flash is not too happy that he's getting more homework." Peter replied.
"Oh. Well I was up here because I needed to get away. I was getting bored from the lecture. Don't worry, just hide in here." Mary Jane said as she pushed him inside another room.
"Whatever happens…don't leave until it's okay to do so." She then shut the door as quick as she could.
Peter saw to his amazement that it was a lab of some sort. It was dark save for a few lamps turned on stationed on top of several work desks. Despite the room looking a bit ominous, Peter saw another room up ahead. He looked back at the door where he thought he heard Mary Jane talking to some people. From what it sounded, she was talking to Flash and his friends.
"I don't know where he is, Flash! I just came out of the damn restroom!" her voice shouted.
"She's right. There ain't no one in there man." A baritone voiced individual said.
"You better not be hiding him, you slut-bag!"
"Shut your mouth! I'm not afraid of you!" Mary Jane's voice cried out in anger.
Peter had the urge to go back and help Mary Jane but that would mean revealing his location and getting him and Mary Jane into more trouble with Flash. He hoped nothing happened to her.
Chances are they could search every room in this corridor. Flash was relentless and persistent. He was right in thinking that. The next thing he heard was Flash saying.
"Let's look in all the rooms!" he said.
Peter had no choice. He made his way to the other room behind the one he was in. Going in, he saw it was a large compartment with swirling containers all around. Through the swirling containers, a large dome of pure unknown energy was shown. Peter curious as he was, tried to get closer to see it. But couldn't despite the small containers full of…spiders.
Peter now turned his attention to the small containers carrying the same creatures that he saw earlier on in the trip. He could understand now that the same energy was responsible for changing the spiders into whatever it is they were being.
Suddenly the lights in the room turned bright yellow and the swirling containers swirled faster. Peter had an inkling that he should get out. Before he knew it, one by one the containers opened unleashing the spiders. All of them fell onto the floor and Peter got out just in time before the door closed indefinitely. Peter heard from the clanking that it had locked.
He breathed out a sigh of relief.
'Oh man! I could have been God knows what if I was still in there!' he thought.
Peter was unaware that a small spider made his way upward from his leg.
"No one can begin to explain how I am right now." A man looking at his workers from the left and right side of the table. Each one of them looked at him waiting for what he was about to say. A man in a silver suit and black tie, Norman Osborn, the president of such an establishment was glad each of his CEOs were nervous. He let out a smile and it was apparent that they were calmed down.
"So far, we've made profits in the robotics division but right now we should be focusing on something more different, something more substantial. We should be focusing our attention to the cross-species division is what I'm saying. Our numbers suggest that they are in lack of a better term…struggling."
"We've not seen any variation that our experiments are showing any potential or in any way profitable. Which is why I'm suggesting expansion. Who here has any ideas on how?"
There was silence spread throughout the board.
One of them spoke. A balding man with glasses. "We would have to let go some of the unworthy projects, sir."
"Interesting. Why?" Osborn asked frowning and he crossed his arms to his chest as well.
"If we are to expand sir. Then any of the projects that have been proven effective must stay. It is the common course. We must let go of the weak."
"Exactly the point I'm about to make just now.." Osborn said standing.
The board looked a bit anxious now.
"In case you wanted to know how I am right at the moment...I'm feeling very disappointed at some of you." his calm demeanor now changed to a serious one. "I'm thinking about sending some pink slips, if you catch my drift." he raised an eyebrow.
Norman Osborn raised a finger and pointed it to all his members."You're all to an extent responsible for any flaws this industry has. We shouldn't even be having this meeting! An empire must not have any weaknesses to begin with!" he slammed his fist down on the table in emphasis resulting in several members getting startled.
Several of them began either sweating or gulping. A few did both.
"But I am not without compassion. If you're all perfect, then I'm wrong."
Norman Osborn was a bit pleased that the members of the board were looking intimidated. 'As they should...' he thought.
"Now...let's talk about 'Project Green'..." he said with a hint of smirk on his face.
Seeing that the coast was clear, Peter made his way down the stairwell where he had run in earlier. He had to thank Mary Jane for saving him moments ago. But it still meant he had to deal with Flash at some point. As he got to the level the class had been in, just as he was getting out of the stairwell door, he felt a sharp prick at the back of his neck.
"Uhhh!" he cried out and winced. Peter could swear something had bit him just now.
"Yo Peter. You alright? Where have you been?" Harry asked as he grabbed his friend's shoulder.
"One word says it all: Flash. I don't even know where I went." Peter said a bit wearily. He continued to fidget with his neck. Nothing was on his neck.
"Look we're about to leave right now. You sure you're all right?" he asked again.
"Yeah I'm just suddenly very tired."
"You've been that way throughout this morning."
"I guess I'm not 100%" he pointed out with a weak chuckle.
"Hey Pete! Glad you survived the torture. You alright?" a sly Gwen Stacy from before came up to both Harry and Peter. "You look rather pale."
Harry looked shocked beyond belief that Gwen was talking to Peter.
"Yeah. It was a long run."
"Well nice to know you didn't get your ass kicked. That means my work is done." she said smiling.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.
"Let's just say Pete always needs to have a woman to look out for him." Gwen said. "That and the fact that Flash and his friends were escorted out by security just now for trespassing."
"She helped me out with Flash." Peter explained to Harry.
"Oh..."
"But hey! So did Mary Jane." Peter pointed out as he finally remembered.
Gwen's face turned a bit disappointed and serious at the same time. She was surprised. "Mary Jane Watson?" she asked amazed.
"Yeah if it wasn't for her, I'd really be dead meat."
"Well nice to know that..." Gwen managed to say before walking away abruptly.
"What was that about?" Peter asked confused.
"I don't know but why I do I get the feeling that you're getting all the hot girls now?" Harry said impressed.
Peter scoffed. "Don't even start man. Let's go home. My neck's killing me."
Peter Parker thought it had turned out to be a very interesting day so far.
