4 An Incomplete File

"Well, now I know why Peter was acting weird", Grant muttered, entering the room and closing the door behind him.

It was a large room - far larger than the room Peter Parker usually had in the 616 universe or the movies.

A small, standard 6*3 bed lay tucked into the corner, and another door on the side of one of the walls led to what probably was the bathroom. A gigantic desk took up most of the room with a couple of swivelling gaming chairs. A custom-built powerful PC that glowed with the infamous RGB, graced a corner of the crowded desk and the walls were very obviously sound-proofed.

It would've been a fairly normal room if it were not for the strew of highly complicated machines on the aforementioned desk that had to have cost a bloody fortune.

Multiplex PCR, Hot-start PCR, Long range PCR, Gene-Guns, Petri dishes, a gigantic Autoclave and multiple machines of recombinant technology. That wasn't even the end of it. A large transparent cupboard stood next to it, containing Chemistry Lab equipment - Bunsen burners, stands, test tubes, syringes, pipettes, beakers and more. The large fridge on the side had to have contained more temperature-sensitive equipment or samples.

The most interesting part was that most of the expensive equipment had the logo of a large 'O' with a small cut in between.

The logo of Oscorp Industries.

A plate of sandwiches sat next to the PC which was just opposite of a jar with a lizard.

A dead lizard.

One that was embalmed in fluid and looked a little different than usual. It was one-third more than the usual size of a lizard and had more defined muscles and sharper claws. Even its scales were a bit darker than usual, but that may have to do with the embalming fluid.

'I'll deal with this later', Grant thought before relieving himself of his backpack and collapsing on the bed - the dam holding back his suppressed emotions crumbling.

"Whatthefuckwhatthefuckwhatthefuck....", Grant muttered almost deliriously as he held his face, finally processing what had actually happened to him.

"This is real...", he whispered looking at the hands in front of him and lightly touching his bruise, feeling the ever-so-real pain pulsing from it.

"I'm actually in the Marvel multiverse...", he whispered sitting up and looking at his drastically different body.

"And I've transmigrated into a Peter Parker, one of the most tortured characters, who's also destined to die.", he stared at the ceiling.

"Damn..."

It took a few minutes for Grant to truly calm his erratic heart and gain control over his raging emotions. It would do him no good to get riled up and it would lead to nothing productive. He never understood people who were consumed by emotions - perhaps he was weird that way.

He was in a hostile fictional world where he could get unalived any second, and he had to deal with it - whether he liked it or not. He had to take it in his stride, lest he die.

'First things first, I need to accept my identity', Grant thought. 'I cannot separate Grant and Peter, as they're one and the same. Perhaps the Peter of this body died when I entered, but now, I am him.'

Grant took a deep breath and closed his eyes, before opening them again.

"I am Peter Parker", Peter spoke. "And I am NOT going to die."

***

'The second thing on my to-do list is to gain more information. About what I was doing with my life and the world I live in', Peter thought before getting up and entering the bathroom.

It was fairly spacious with a bathtub, a shower, a toilet and a place to wash your hands. A large mirror covered a part of the wall which he graciously used to inspect his new body.

"Still got the Peter charm, eh?" he muttered to himself, studying the new face before him.

He was around 5'10, which was neither too short nor too tall. It was quite comically accurate. Messy brown hair, similar to Aunt May, hung down his forehead and bright, hazel eyes could be seen through the unusually thick glasses he wore.

Even his skinny physique couldn't hide the handsomeness that Peter Parker exuded, which wasn't surprising given the sheer amount of supermodels Spiderman reeled in his comic run. Gwen Stacy, MJ, Black Cat, Silk, Liz Allan, Kitty Pryde, the list goes on.

"Genius-level intellect and good looks", Peter muttered. "At least I have something to work with."

He quickly took a much-needed shower and changed into cleaner clothes that he found in his wardrobe.

"Ah...I needed that", he sighed as he sank into one of the comfy chairs in his room before looking around him. "Did he steal all this stuff?"

That was unlikely, as former Peter wasn't someone who would do such a thing, and stealing so much expensive shit for a mega-corporation was practically impossible for a seventeen-year-old.

He got up and walked around the room examing the equipment, marvelling at its functions. Most of the machines were ones he recognized - he'd worked with them after all, but most of the recombinant technology was something he had never seen.

Only more prolific people such as his former professor had the chance to work with it.

"Nucleic Acid Polymer Technology", he whispered, a look of worship in his eyes when studying the biggest machine in the room. They were the core technology that allowed humans to manipulate and evolve DNA sequences.

It included enzymes that could throw a middle finger at the usual 3'-5' exonuclease activity, those that are fused with processivity-enhancing domains to improve speed and fidelity, and enzymes that have broad substrate specificity to allow incorporation of modified bases.

There even was what seemed to be an improved version of the Amidator that could rapidly produce synthetic proteins with amino acid chains up to 164 units long.

"No wonder Parker could achieve so much and even synthesise the Lizard serum", he muttered. "But why the fuck would Oscorp gift Parker these?"

He went around the room, opening the numerous drawers of the large desk, revealing files upon files of papers that clearly were the product of Peter's work on genetics. He temporarily ignored them, though his inner scientist was bubbling with excitement, and proceeded to open the 6th and final drawer that had only one file titled 'Project Lizard ( Incomplete )' and a large envelope.

He picked up the envelope and out slide two letters, one large and one small. He read the larger one first while taking a bite of the ham sandwich to calm his growling stomach.

***

Oscorp Industries

Norman Osborn, CEO

123 Oscorp Tower

New York, NY 10001

January 13, 2007

Mr. Peter Benjamin Parker

123 Main Street

Forest Hills, NY 10002

Dear Mr. Parker,

I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. It is with great pleasure that I extend my heartfelt gratitude on behalf of Oscorp Industries for your remarkable discovery in the field of cancer research. Your recent breakthrough involving the study of cancer cells, achieved within the confines of a school laboratory - one that you sent us, has flabbergasted and frankly embarrassed our scientists. Your young scientific mind has possibly cracked the code to deal with cancer far more easily and efficiently.

The pursuit of knowledge and innovation is at the very core of Oscorp's mission, and your passion for scientific exploration resonates deeply with our values. We believe that your findings hold immense promise in the fight against cancer, a battle that has touched the lives of countless individuals around the world. Your commitment to making a difference has not only captured our attention but also earned our respect.

In light of your extraordinary achievement, I am pleased to inform you that Oscorp Industries is prepared to offer you a unique opportunity. We recognize your aspirations and wish to nurture your talent by supporting your educational journey. We are delighted to offer full funding for your college education, ensuring that you have the resources necessary to continue your pioneering research. The details regarding the scholarship and other jargon shall be sent to your guardians shortly.

Furthermore, I understand that you have reservations about joining us at the Oscorp labs directly during your final school years. We respect your decision and are more than willing to accommodate your request. We will have our team send the necessary laboratory equipment to your preferred location, as well as arrange for skilled technicians to assist you in setting up the equipment. We hope that the chemical you've theorised can be perfected and synthesised by you with the aforementioned equipment by August 18th - your graduation.

Moreover, I am pleased to inform you that we have arranged for you to work closely with Dr. Curt Connors, the head of our Department of Cancer Biology. His expertise and guidance will undoubtedly provide you with a rich learning experience that complements your research aspirations. You will have the opportunity to collaborate, learn, and contribute within a supportive environment that encourages the exchange of ideas and the pursuit of excellence.

The laboratory equipment and our dedicated technicians will arrive at your designated location within the next three days. While we provide these resources to aid your education and research, we kindly request that the laboratory equipment be returned to Oscorp Industries upon your graduation. This will enable us to extend this opportunity to future brilliant minds, just as we are doing for you now.

Once again, Mr. Parker, I extend my congratulations and gratitude for your remarkable achievements. Your dedication to scientific progress is truly inspiring, and we are honoured to be a part of your journey. Should you have any questions or require further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at norman.osborn@oscorp.com.

P.S: I understand that you wish to keep this a secret from Harry and your other friends to eventually surprise them. I shall do so too, though I'd appreciate it if you informed me when you've spilt the beans, as I'm notoriously known for being unable to keep secrets. :)

Wishing you all the best in your endeavours.

Sincerely,

Norman Osborn

CEO, Oscorp Industries

***

"Well, that explains a fuck ton...", Peter muttered to himself, surprised at the resourcefulness of the former Peter.

He wished to synthesise the Lizard serum, so he created a method to treat cancer in a school laboratory and sent a part of it to a company that was pioneering research in Biochemistry and genetics - one whose CEO he probably knew personally.

He refused the request to work in the Oscorp Laboratories and requested equipment to be sent to his home. Equipment that he would use to synthesise the serum.

The scholarship and internship were just bonuses. This universe's Peter was probably much smarter than usual.

Though the former Peter may have thought this to be a great plan, the current Peter wasn't so sure.

'Norman Osborn cannot be trusted', he thought to himself remembering the sickness that Osborn, the Green Goblin, was in the comics. Spiderman was a goddamn idiot for not killing him when he had the chance.

Norman Osborn was originally a failing businessman who sold his son's soul, Harry Osborn's soul, to Mephisto, who was practically the devil, in return for growing his company and becoming rich.

'Mephisto....', Peter thought with slight nervousness. Spiderman's torturous life could practically be attributed to Mephisto, that fucking piece of shit.

Mephisto had once peered into his Destiny and saw that his kingdom would be destroyed by Spiderman and his daughter, thus resolved to prevent that from happening by torturing Spiderman mentally and killing his unborn child.

'He's probably the greatest threat to me currently if he exists in this universe. He's probably a greater threat for Gwen than me, though', Peter thought worriedly. 'Even then, he'll probably use me to get to her eventually. I noticed the looks she was giving me during the ride home.'

He didn't what to think of Gwen just yet, other than the fact that she was incredibly beautiful. He would address the topic at a later date. At the moment, he would focus on surviving.

He looked at his phone in his pocket, which displayed the date as January 19th.

'No wonder former Peter was acting weird the past three days. He had finally gotten access to the equipment he yearned for.'

He put Norman's letter down and picked up the smaller one which was from Dr Curt Connor. The man who actually was the Lizard in Earth - 616, the Prime universe. In this universe, however, he was the head of the Department of Cancer Biology.

Perhaps he hadn't lost his arm in this world, which would mean that he wasn't as interested in Regeneration biology.

The letter merely consisted of Dr Connor wishing to meet him a few days from now on January 23rd. He also gushed over former Peter's breakthrough, which was basically artificially synthesising a protein that would detect cancer cells and induce programmed cell death, or apoptosis in them.

'Ingenious...', Peter thought and his probably comically accurate IQ of 250 went to work. 'The chemical would have to activate Caspase-8 which would activate caspases-3, -6 and -7 and BID. Which would then have a cascade effect.....Thus the ingredients would include copovidone, colloidal silicon dioxide, polysorbate 80, sodium stearyl...no, not that....Pottasiu....'

It would have to work on most types of cancers, thus he couldn't concentrate on only one. He continued theorising before he successfully composed a theoretical model for the treatment.

"Wait...", He jerked back to reality. "Did I just formulate a cure for cancer in three minutes?!"

His heart pounded in his chest as he just created something that humanity as a species had hoped for since the dawn of time in less than five minutes. Just what else can my brain, no...what can I do?

"Calm down...", He told himself after a few seconds. "I have a far better base of medical and theoretical knowledge from a far more advanced time."

It was true. It was merely 2007 now, while he was from 2025. The progress humanity had made in a couple of decades was not to be scoffed at. Integrated circuits spoke for themselves. What Peter took weeks to figure out, took him minutes.

He looked to the side and picked up the file next to the now discarded envelope.

Project Lizard ( Incomplete )

"If I cure cancer in a few minutes....just what can I achieve with this..."

***