I Won't Have To Lift A Finger...
Five minutes went by like five seconds. The pit in Peter’s stomach grew deeper and deeper with every worried glance Mr. Stark spared him.
“Tony, choppers are approaching you gotta get out of there,” Bruce said through the coms.
“Sorry kid, we gotta go.” Mr. Stark said. His eyes never met Peter’s. “Steve let’s go.”
The floor rumbled as the plane rose into the air. Peter sighed. He knew they had to get the kids out of there. But, maybe he could still help Gwen. He was moving before he could even think. He ran out of the cockpit and down the airstairs.
“Peter!” Mr. Stark shouted after him. Peter didn’t stop though. His feet left the rumbling floor and for a moment he was flying. The night air blew harshly against his face. A hand grazed the back of his collar. Mr. Stark had almost caught him. Peter landed on the gravel of the roof with a roll. He could hear the sound of the helicopters. They would buy him some time. But, not much. Tony could have the suit on in seconds.
He didn’t waste any time. He instantly took off to the stairwell door. The sound of Tony’s shouts disappeared as the door swung closed behind him. He jumped down the centre of the stairs and fell for a moment before shooting a web at the ceiling. It stuck and he jerked to a stop harshly. His shoulder popped unnaturally. He ignored it and swung his legs over the railing releasing the web. He landed gracefully and opened the door.
The first thing he saw was Gwen. Her arm was being held by one of the many security guards. Speaking of, there were at least ten of them. And of course, Norman Osborn.
“What are you doing here?” Gwen shouted. “I told you to go!”
“I told you he’d come back,” Norman grinned. Peter realized too late what was happening when he heard the high pitched squeak.
The thing on his neck erupted to life. Peter’s body froze and collapsed. This time was different though. He didn’t pass out. He stayed awake. His breaths were shallow and sporadic. His body was uncontrollable. All he could do was stare up at the ceiling.
“You see, Peter. You’re predictable. I knew you’d come back for her. Even though she betrayed you and helped me kidnap you. You still trusted her. You believe in people too much Pete. You think they can change,” Norman crouched down beside him and smiled.
“You’ll kill him!” Gwen shouted.
“Oh no, a shock this low won’t do anything but incapacitate him. I just want him to have a taste of what’s yet to come. You shouldn’t have come back, Peter. You could’ve been scot-free. But you wouldn’t leave without her would ya?” The smile spread across Norman’s face.
He looked at the remote and shrugged. He pressed a button and the pain was gone. Peter’s lungs instantly filled with air. He coughed for a moment before Norman spoke up again.
“Bring them to my private lab on level 70,” He said. The smile had dropped from his face. Two security guards grabbed Peter by the arms and began dragging him away. He was too tired to fight them. He was more worried about staying awake than getting away. He could hear Gwen struggling and shouting though. But, he knew it was impossible to escape. There were too many of them. And as long as Norman had that remote, Peter was useless.
They eventually reached the lab. Peter was lifted onto the table he’d just untied the kid from. They strapped him down again and did the same for Gwen. Peter wasn’t tired anymore. He just stared up at the ceiling in defeat. Gwen hadn’t given up her fight. She struggled against the bonds. Of course, nothing happened.
“Here we are. Right back where we started. Now then. Let’s begin cure trial number three shall we?” Norman said, spreading his arms like a showman.
“We set the kids loose. How will you test it?” Gwen said with a laugh.
“That is an excellent question Ms. Stacy,” Norman said. “I’m really glad you asked. You see if I don’t have any mutants to test it on, I’ll just have to make one.”
Peter really didn’t like the sound of that.
“You’re wondering how I’m able to do that aren’t you? Oh, it’s easy. How do you think our friend Peter got his powers?”
Peter’s hands curled into fists.
“That’s right, good ol’ spidey got his powers right in this building, didn’t he? He was sneaking around in some rooms his highschool field trip wasn’t authorized. But, that’s all water under the bridge huh? Spidey’s outta commission for a while. Isn’t he?”
“What are you getting out of this? Why go through the trouble?” Peter spoke up.
“Other than having complete control of the world?” He sneered.
“You can’t beat the Avengers. Nobody has.”
“But, the virus can. I just need to wait for them to be infected. Then, it’s just a matter of days until they’re extinct. I won’t have to lift a finger.”
“Mr. Stark has my blood. He can replicate the cure.”
Norman raised an eyebrow and scoffed. “Sure. As for right now though, we can begin.”
The nurses Peter had knocked out earlier walked in. They did not look too happy.
“I think I know what we were missing before. What if there was a significant spike in adrenaline? The last two trials you were unconscious and relaxed. What if that’s what we’re missing?”
“I’m still stuck on the whole creating a mutant thing,” Peter said.
“I’m sure you saw that I injected myself with a certain serum today yes?” Norman said.
“You’re testing it on yourself?” Gwen asked.
Norman smiled. “I never said that.”
He picked up a similar-looking syringe. Green liquid sloshed around inside. He spun it around in his hands for a moment before continuing.
“I was planning on getting your help. Maybe you’ll make it work when your own life is on the line.”
“What?” Gwen asked.
“No!” Peter shouted. He began struggling against his bonds again. Norman just rolled his eyes. He gestured towards Gwen and the nurses surrounded her. Peter shouted for them to stop but they didn’t care. They first injected her with the green serum and then the orange one.
“And now, we wait,” Norman said with a wave. Peter noticed the slight green tinge his skin had taken on before the door closed behind him.
His attention was brought back to Gwen when he heard a groan from beside him. Her eyes were shut tight and her breathing was hoarse and shallow.
“Gwen?” Peter said. “Gwen are you ok?”
She nodded and let out a deep breath.
“Do you really think Osborn’s plan will work?”
“Maybe. But there’s no way in hell I'm helping him.”
“What? No, you have to. You’ll die.”
“I don’t care. He’s not getting what he wants. When Stark gets here. Tell him about my files on the cure. There might be something useful.”
“You’re gonna help him with it yourself ok? You’re gonna tell him about the notes yourself.”
She looked at Peter for the first time. He saw the pain in her eyes. She wasn’t afraid though. That’s what hurt him the most. She was prepared for it.
He tore his eyes from her. His eyes stung. He heard her cough. All his thoughts stopped. The virus was beginning to affect her. That meant Norman had successfully made her a mutant.
“No no no no,” Peter said, turning back toward her. “You have to make the cure. If there’s even a slight chance you can save yourself.”
She shook her head. Her eyes were shut tight again. She was clearly in pain. More coughs ripped out of her throat. They were deep and wet. Peter noticed a familiar green tinge appear in her veins.
“Osborn needs the cure for himself too. If he gave me the same thing he took earlier. He’s at risk too,” Gwen replied between coughs.
“I can’t just watch you die.”
“You have to.” Her voice never wavered or cracked. It made him nervous. She was too brave for her own good. It made his stomach twist.
“Ready to start that trial, Gwen?” Norman asked cockily as he returned.
Gwen took a deep raspy breath and shook her head. Norman looked shocked.
“You’re willing to kill yourself to let me fail? You’re really that arrogant?”
“I’ll see you in hell,” She spat.
He curled his hands into fists and the green tinge got slightly deeper. Peter had a hunch of what Norman had turned himself into. He just really really hoped he was wrong. If it took iron man and half a city’s destruction to knock the hulk out once, he really didn’t want to be correct.
“It’s fine. I have your notes. You put them on my private server. Don’t think you’re clever!” The last sentence didn’t sound at all like Norman. His voice had changed. It was hoarser and deeper.
He turned and began typing on the computer in the corner. Peter watched the screen as he clacked on the keyboard. He stopped abruptly when he didn’t find what he was looking for. The file was empty. Peter grinned. Mr. Stark had cleared their files. Genius. Norman couldn’t make the cure if he wanted to.
Norman was silent. It was scary how silent he was. He wasn’t still though. His whole body was shaking. Peter saw the veins in his neck turn a deeper green. He slammed his fists onto the desk. Peter jumped at the sudden noise.
Norman’s breaths were labored and deep. The nurses returned. They looked around for what could have caused the noise. Norman’s head whipped around towards them. They backed off instantly. But, that wasn’t enough. Norman got up out of the swivel chair and grabbed the closest nurse by the throat. He threw him across the room. The nurse hit the wall with a sickening crack. He grabbed the next nurse and with one fluid motion, cracked her neck. She instantly collapsed to the floor.
The third nurse had made it into the observation room. He was trying to unlock the door but he was too slow. Norman came up behind him and grabbed him by the hair. He hit his head against the door again and again until he too collapsed on the floor.
Peter felt like he was going to puke. There was blood all over the door and the wall.
Norman appeared in the doorway. And for the first time, Peter got a good look at his face. His skin had turned fully green like the hulk. But, he wasn’t big and muscley. His eyes were also glowing yellow. He had a sickening grin spread across his face.
Peter struggled and thrashed as Norman approached. Slowly. He was enjoying it. His hands were dripping in the third nurse’s blood.
“You think you can outsmart me, Parker? Do you think you can outsmart Norman Osborn? Well if I’m gonna die the best thing I can do is take you with me!” He leaned over beside Peter and wrapped his hands around Peter’s throat. Norman was stronger than Peter expected. And even if he wasn’t, Peter wouldn’t have had any way to stop him. His arms were bound.
Gwen was shouting and thrashing beside him. But, all noises began to fade away. Dark circles crowded his vision until he lost all vision. He thought of May. She would be so pissed. She was gonna kill him when she found out he died.
Then, the pressure released. His lungs filled with air. He coughed violently before his vision returned. Gwen’s table was empty and the straps were snapped. Peter whipped his head around when he heard a loud bang.
Gwen was fighting Norman head-on. Peter was about to panic until he realized she was winning. She grabbed him by the back of the neck and slammed his head against the wall once before he collapsed. She reached into his pocket and pulled out the remote. She looked at it for a moment before looking up at Peter.
“Sorry if this hurts,” She said, and double-clicked the button. There was no high pitched sound and definitely no pain. The metal circle on his neck released its claws and fell to the floor. Gwen grinned and quickly turned back to Peter and began unbuckling him.
“What? How did you…” Peter began.
“I don’t know. Let’s go. Now,” Gwen responded grabbing Peter’s hand and half leading half dragging him out of the room. Peter was still very light-headed. Gwen noticed. She wrapped Peter’s arm around her shoulders and they both hobbled down the corridor. “Do you think Stark is still on the roof?”
“Don’t know…” Peter replied.
“We have to find a way to contact him…” They rounded a corner and instantly saw four security guards standing in a circle. Peter and Gwen froze and slowly began creeping back around to where they had come from.
“Hey!” one of the guards shouted. Gwen began to sprint down the hall and into the stairwell. Peter could hardly keep up. His head was still swimming. Everything was going too fast. Still, Gwen kept moving.
They darted down the stairs until they heard the guards close behind them. Gwen found the closest door and flew through it. They were in some kind of office. There were desks and walls everywhere. It was kinda a perfect place to hide.
Or it would’ve been if Gwen hadn’t started coughing again. The two fell to the floor. Peter’s head was finally clear enough to allow him to sit upright. He noticed the green tinge in her veins had gotten deeper. He also noticed the blood she was coughing up. There was a lot of it. It soaked into the shitty carpet.
“Through here,” Peter heard one of the guards outside. He needed to get them hidden. They were out in the open. He grabbed Gwen’s arms and dragged them under one of the far desks. He leaned up against the divider and Gwen was laying in his lap.
Peter heard the door slowly creak open. He could hear the guard’s footsteps and the metal clanking of their guns.
He had to cover Gwen’s mouth as another coughing fit rose from her chest. He could tell she was trying to hold it in. But, they would be discovered soon. He had to think of something quick. They were running out of options.