On Friday morning, New York’s autumn sun carried a gentle warmth.
Two yellow school buses with Midtown High’s crest printed on the side were parked outside the school entrance.
Students rushed toward them with backpacks over their shoulders, laughing, shouting, and chatting loudly enough to be heard from half a block away.
Emily followed Gwen and Peter onto the bus.
The moment she reached the back, she was surrounded by excited voices.
Almost everyone was talking about the same news.
“Tony Stark Rescued — Stark Industries Announces Permanent Closure of Weapons Manufacturing Division.”
“My god, has Tony Stark gone crazy?” one student exclaimed.
“Stark Industries became rich from weapons, and now he’s closing that department?”
“My dad said Wall Street is losing its mind.
Stark stock dropped the moment the market opened!”
“What happened to him in Afghanistan?
He came back like a totally different person.”
Emily quietly took a window seat.
She was not surprised.
Tony Stark had returned from the cave and cut off the foundation of his old life with his own hands.
Beside her, Peter leaned closer to Gwen, his eyes shining with curiosity.
“Who do you think got that ten-million-dollar reward?
The news said the military found Tony because of an anonymous source.
Ten million dollars!
Aunt May and I could live forever with that kind of money.”
Gwen rolled her eyes.
“My dad doesn’t tell me work secrets.
But I heard him mention that whoever provided the information was like a ghost.
The money went through an anonymous overseas account, then got split and moved instantly.
No trace.”
Peter’s mouth fell open.
“Even the FBI couldn’t find them?”
Gwen shrugged.
“Someone who can locate a hidden Ten Rings base in Afghanistan and send the information without leaving a trail clearly isn’t normal.”
Emily, who had been silent until now, turned her head.
Seeing Peter’s face full of dreams about sudden wealth, she smiled faintly.
“If you want to get rich overnight, I know a few fast methods.”
Peter’s eyes lit up.
“Really?”
“Of course,” Emily said seriously.
“Most of them are written very clearly in the U.S.
Criminal Code.
The money comes quickly.
The risk is just a little high.
So, Peter, want to do something big with me?”
The bus went silent for two seconds.
Then Gwen burst out laughing.
Peter’s face turned red instantly.
“No!
No need!
I’ll just study hard!
I’m not doing anything illegal!”
Emily smiled and looked back out the window.
“Then stop dreaming about ten million dollars.”
The bus crossed Manhattan and soon arrived at Columbia University.
The moment the students got off, their eyes filled with excitement.
Columbia’s old buildings, wide paths, and autumn-covered trees made the place feel different from Midtown High.
There was history here.
Prestige.
A quiet weight that made even the loudest students lower their voices.
Curt Connors stood at the front and clapped his hands.
“Alright, everyone.
Today’s visit has two parts.
In the morning, we’ll tour the Physics Department’s Quantum Mechanics Laboratory and the Chemistry Department’s Organic Synthesis Laboratory.
In the afternoon, there will be lectures on new energy materials and cross-species genetic inheritance.
You may choose which lecture to attend.”
He adjusted his glasses and continued, “Columbia’s laboratories have strict rules.
Do not touch equipment, do not leave the group, and do not wander alone.
Understood?”
“Understood!” the students answered together.
Peter looked like a child entering a dream world.
He kept pointing out buildings to Gwen, talking excitedly about labs, professors, and research projects.
Emily walked beside them quietly.
Her gaze moved toward the Biological Sciences building.
Her expression did not change, but her consciousness had already entered Columbia’s internal network.
Dr.
Connors’ lab access records.
Experimental progress.
Osborn Group funding.
Animal trial reports.
Everything unfolded clearly in her mind.
The Lizard serum experiments had already reached the final stage.
The limb-regeneration tests had succeeded in mice.
But the side effects were also obvious.
Aggression.
Scale growth.
Abnormal mutation.
Everything was moving toward the crisis she remembered.
Just then, a small commotion came from the front of the group.
A young man in an expensive dark gray suit stood beneath a plane tree.
Two bodyguards followed him.
He looked elegant, wealthy, and completely out of place among the students.
When he saw Peter, his eyes lit up.
“Peter!”
Peter looked up, then smiled in surprise.
“Harry?!
I thought you were still in Switzerland!”
Harry Osborn walked over and punched Peter lightly on the shoulder.
“I just got back.
Came to Columbia for some business and didn’t expect to run into you.”
He took two gift boxes from one of his bodyguards and handed them to Peter and Gwen.
“Swiss chocolates and watches.
Apology gifts for missing the start of term.”
“Wow, thanks, Harry!” Gwen said with a smile.
Peter grinned.
“It’s just good to have you back.”
Only then did Peter remember Emily.
“Oh, right.
Harry, this is Emily, our transfer student and friend.
Emily, this is Harry Osborn, my childhood best friend.”
Harry turned to her with a polite smile and extended his hand.
“Nice to meet you, Emily.
I’m Harry Osborn.”
Emily shook his hand lightly.
“Nice to meet you.”
Her tone was calm, but inside, she felt a faint sigh.
Poor kid.
Harry Osborn looked bright, confident, and privileged, but Emily knew the shadow behind that name.
Norman Osborn’s failing health.
The desperate funding of Dr.
Connors’ research.
The coming Green Goblin.
The future collapse between Harry and Peter.
Harry’s tragedy had already begun before he even understood it.
Dr.
Connors approached and nodded politely to Harry.
“Mr.
Osborn.
Long time no see.
How is your father’s health?”
Harry’s smile faded slightly.
“Same as usual.
Thank you for asking.
My father is very concerned about your research progress.
He wanted me to ask whether the recent animal trials have made any breakthroughs.”
Dr.
Connors’ eyes flashed with excitement.
“There has been progress.
Limb regeneration has succeeded in mammalian subjects.
There are still side effects, but with more time, we may be able to move toward human trials.”
“That’s good,” Harry said.
“My father hopes to see results soon.
Osborn Group’s funding and equipment will continue supporting your work.”
“I understand,” Dr.
Connors replied, though there was a faint urgency beneath his calm tone.
Emily listened silently.
She knew the truth behind those polite words.
Norman did not care about saving humanity.
He wanted a cure for himself.
And Connors, driven by the dream of restoring his lost arm, was walking closer and closer to the edge.
This conversation was one of the sparks leading toward the Lizard crisis.
After speaking with Connors, Harry chatted briefly with Peter and Gwen, arranged to meet them over the weekend, then politely said goodbye to Emily and walked toward the administration building with his bodyguards.
Peter was still happily looking at Harry’s gift.
He had no idea that his best friend and his respected mentor might one day become two of the greatest tragedies in his life.
Emily watched Harry’s back as the autumn wind moved the hem of his suit.
He looked proud and young.
But also lonely.
A faint line of pale blue code flickered across Emily’s fingertips and disappeared.
In her consciousness, she silently entered Osborn Group’s internal servers.
Norman Osborn’s medical reports.
The family genetic disease records.
Research funding logs.
Everything began opening before her.
Emily looked toward the Biological Sciences building, her sea-blue eyes calm.
She had changed Ethan’s fate.
So why couldn’t Harry’s tragedy and Connors’ fall also have another ending?
Gwen nudged her arm.
“Emily, what are you staring at?
Dr.
Connors said we’re going to the Physics lab first.”
Emily blinked, then smiled faintly.
“Coming.”
She followed Gwen and Peter into the group.
Sunlight filtered through the plane tree leaves, falling across her silver-white hair.
This destined Lizard crisis might not end the same way anymore.