Time flew by, and before anyone fully realized it, December 2012 arrived.
Aside from squeezing in a few extra dates with Gwen and navigating the usual high school drama, Peter Parker spent the tail end of the year in an incredibly, almost uncomfortably, uneventful way.
It was so quiet it bordered on unbelievable.
Ever since the blackout, Doctor Octopus and Mister Sinister had vanished without a trace. Spider-Man's patrols were reduced to stopping petty muggings and the occasional carjacker. World peace was certainly a good thing, but it's a lot harder to enjoy when you know for an absolute fact that world-class terrorists are plotting in the shadows.
It was the classic calm before the storm. Peter was absolutely certain his enemies were building something terrible; he just had no idea what it was.
And so, December rolled around, bringing with it a highly anticipated Midtown High field trip: a return visit to Oscorp Industries.
"Do you think Norman Osborn is planning to cast a sequel to the Spider-Man origin movie?" Gwen asked playfully as they stood outside the towering Oscorp building. "Maybe he organized another tour just to see who else he can bite."
Peter let out a dry chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. "If he is, I'd highly recommend keeping your hands in your pockets. The guy currently running the Super-Soldier program is Dr. Curt Connors, and his favorite subject right now is reptilian DNA. Trust me, you do not want to become a Lizard Woman."
Gwen vividly imagined herself covered in green scales with a crocodile snout, and a visible shiver ran down her spine. "Point taken."
As the school buses unloaded into the subterranean lobby, Peter took a quick head-count. His friend group was notably sparse today.
Harry had skipped the trip entirely, still harboring a deep, rebellious grudge against his father. Amadeus Cho was absent as well; the boy genius had been burning through his accumulated absences lately, apparently acting as a mortal tour guide for Hercules. Even Cindy Moon was a no-show, having been quietly pulled out of class to handle some classified S.H.I.E.L.D. business.
With the board cleared, Peter actually let his shoulders relax a fraction. At least he only had to worry about keeping Gwen safe today.
"Welcome to Oscorp Industries. I am Norman Osborn, Chairman and CEO."
A hush fell over the students. Surprisingly, Norman Osborn himself had stepped out to personally receive the Midtown High tour group. Dressed in an immaculate, razor-sharp suit, Norman offered a solemn, corporate smile as he led the teenagers into the newly renovated primary exhibition hall.
However, as Peter and Gwen walked into the massive lobby side-by-side, Peter immediately noticed a glaring difference from their last visit.
There were no bio-luminescent terrariums. There were no radioactive spiders. There were absolutely no genetically modified creatures on display. It seemed Norman had zero intention of risking another "accidental" PR nightmare.
Instead, despite this being a science exhibition aimed squarely at high school students, almost every single product on the showroom floor was strictly military-grade hardware.
Oscorp wasn't traditionally known as a weapons manufacturer like Stark Industries used to be, but they clearly provided massive amounts of battlefield support tech. The hall was lined with next-generation automated drones, heavy-duty exoskeleton powered armor, and a range of highly lethal tactical devices.
Peter paused in front of a sleek, aerodynamic display. It was a new generation of hovering flight platforms. It looked suspiciously similar to Adrian Toomes' Vulture wings, but stripped down and repurposed into a jagged, personal glider. Well, that practically has 'Green Goblin' written all over it, Peter thought dryly. Assuming Norman ever actually loses his mind in this universe.
"Is this the usual Oscorp aesthetic?" Gwen muttered, looking warily at a hulking suit of powered infantry armor. "This is completely different from the bio-genetics lab we saw nine months ago."
"Yeah, it really isn't his usual style," Peter agreed, his eyes sweeping the room.
Why on earth are you showing heavy artillery to a bunch of high schoolers? Peter's inner monologue raced. Are you expecting to recruit teenagers for the infantry? Or trying to secure future defense contractors? It doesn't make any sense.
Peter stopped in front of a reinforced display case housing a prototype combat suit. A strange, nagging feeling tugged at the back of his mind. He looked across the room at Norman Osborn, who was shaking hands with a teacher.
"What's wrong?" Gwen asked, noticing Peter's sudden frown. "You look like you're trying to solve a math equation in your head."
"I just figured it out," Peter whispered, his eyes narrowing. "This impromptu military exhibition isn't for the school. It's a front to grab my attention. Osborn didn't reach out to me through official channels, but he personally showed up today. He has something he desperately wants to talk to me about, but he's too paranoid to do it in public."
Gwen's eyes widened slightly. "So... you have to go to work?"
"I'm not sure yet. Give me one second."
Peter smoothly excused himself, slipping away from the tour group and ducking into an empty, tiled restroom. He quickly pulled out his phone and dialed Harry, who was currently killing time lounging at the Web.
"Hey, Pete," Harry's voice echoed over the line. "How's the incredibly boring technology exhibition?"
"It's actually highly suspicious," Peter said, leaning against the sink. "Your dad is hosting a military tech fair that is completely inappropriate for high schoolers. He invited my class, but he hasn't actually approached me. I think something is going on behind the scenes, and he's terrified of being watched. Can you do me a favor and dig into his recent files?"
Harry hesitated, the sound of a keyboard clicking stopping entirely. "Are you serious, Pete? The servers at the Web-Base were all donated by Oscorp. You really think I'm going to be able to stealth-hack my dad's personal files using his own company's operating system? He'll flag us in two seconds."
"Harry, I ripped the Oscorp OS out of those computers months ago," Peter smirked. "I completely replaced the underlying architecture with the Avengers' secure network. You're directly linked to JARVIS. You're a ghost."
Harry let out a sharp, excited laugh. Hacking his overbearing father using Tony Stark's AI was an opportunity he couldn't pass up. "Oh, that is beautiful. Give me five minutes. I'll tear his digital footprint apart."
Peter hung up the phone. He quickly drafted a text to Gwen, apologizing and saying his stomach was acting up so he was going to head home early.
With his alibi secure, Peter tapped his watch. The black symbiote surged out, rippling over his civilian clothes and instantly shifting its pigmentation to match the exact color and texture of the restroom tiles. Completely invisible, Spider-Man crawled up the wall, popped the ventilation grate, and began the stealthy ascent toward Norman Osborn's private executive office.