A sharp scent of disinfectant and formalin filled the air the moment the group stepped inside.
Combined with the cool airflow from the temperature-controlled environment, it instantly erased the warmth of the autumn sun outside.
The Midtown High students followed their advisor through several old academic buildings before stopping in front of a modern structure made of steel and glass.
Its sleek surface reflected the sunlight like a mirror, cold and precise.
At the entrance, a polished stone plaque read in gold lettering:
Columbia University Biological Science Research Center.
“Students,” the advisor said, turning to face them with a small megaphone, “this is one of the top biological genetics research centers in the United States.
Dr.
Connors’ interspecies regeneration lab is located in the basement level.
Today, we’ll be visiting the main labs upstairs and the Arthropod Research Area.
Stay close to the group, and do not touch anything.
Understood?”
“Understood!” the students replied eagerly.
Inside, the lab was bright, clean, and filled with activity.
Glass walls separated different research stations, and scientists in white coats worked silently over microscopes, centrifuges, and sequencing machines.
The entire place radiated a quiet intensity, like every second here mattered.
Peter pressed himself against a glass panel, staring at a cell division experiment with wide eyes.
“This is amazing…” he whispered, almost to himself.
Gwen stood beside him, explaining what she could, equally excited.
“I’ve already decided,” she said with a confident smile.
“I’m applying for Columbia’s pre-med biology program next year.
If my grades are good enough, Dr.
Connors said I can join his lab as an assistant.”
Peter’s eyes widened.
“Seriously?
That’s incredible!
I want to apply too, but… I’m not sure if my grades will be enough.
And Aunt May’s been worried I’m not focusing enough on school.”
Gwen laughed softly.
“You’ll be fine—as long as you stop staring at your camera in class.
And if you’re struggling, we can ask Emily to tutor you.
Her biology is better than both of ours combined.”
Both of them turned to look at Emily.
Emily had been leaning quietly against the glass wall.
To them, she looked like she was observing the experiments.
In reality—
Her consciousness had already moved far beyond the surface.
She had slipped into the internal systems of the building, accessing Dr.
Connors’ private laboratory in the basement.
Data flowed through her mind—serum formulas, experimental records, mutation logs, funding reports.
Every detail.
Every flaw.
Every risk.
Crystal clear.
Hearing her name, Emily blinked and returned her focus.
“No problem,” she said lightly.
“As long as Peter stops secretly taking photos of spiders during class.”
Peter instantly turned red.
“I was studying arthropods!”
Gwen and Emily exchanged a look and laughed.
The group moved forward and eventually entered the Arthropod Research Area.
The air here was heavier, filled with a stronger chemical scent.
Rows of glass cases lined the walls, containing preserved specimens.
Other enclosures held live creatures—scorpions, centipedes, and spiders of various sizes, some small and delicate, others large and unsettling.
The moment Emily stepped inside—
She stopped.
A faint spark flashed across her mind.
This place.
She knew it. New chapters come out on g.com first.
This was where it would happen.
The moment that would create Spider-Man.
Columbia University.
Arthropod lab.
The genetically modified spider.
Peter Parker.
Emily looked at Peter, who was standing casually near one of the enclosures, completely unaware.
Inside, she sighed.
So now she was not just an Observer—
She was a witness to every major turning point.
First Iron Man.
Now Spider-Man.
She spread her awareness quietly.
Her Fire Control Radar activated.
Every detail of the room unfolded in her mind.
Airflow patterns.
Glass gaps.
Movement of insects.
Position of each enclosure.
And then—
She found it.
A small spider with red and blue markings.
Hidden near a ventilation gap.
Moving.
Slowly.
Toward Peter.
Time seemed to slow.
The spider crawled down the metal grate.
Lower.
Closer.
Until—
It dropped.
Silently.
Onto the back of Peter’s hand.
Peter didn’t notice at first.
He was still listening to Gwen, focused on the exhibit.
Then—
A sharp sting.
He flinched.
“Ah—!”
He shook his hand instinctively.
“What happened?” Gwen asked.
“Nothing,” Peter said, rubbing the spot.
“Something bit me.
Probably just a bug.”
He glanced at the small red mark.
Then shrugged.
“It’s fine.”
He didn’t know.
He had no idea.
That single bite had just changed his entire life.
The spider fell from his hand.
It hit the ground.
And began crawling toward a small gap in the floor.
In another second—
It would disappear.
Lost.
Gone.
A slender hand moved faster than the eye could follow.
A transparent petri dish dropped over the spider—
Perfect timing.
Perfect precision.
The spider was trapped.
Emily crouched slightly, lifting the dish and observing the creature inside.
It moved rapidly, striking the glass, trying to escape.
She looked at it quietly.
The origin of Spider-Man.
“Emily?
What are you doing down there?” Peter asked.
“Nothing,” she replied calmly.
With a slight motion of her fingers, a small sealed container formed in her hand.
She transferred the spider into it and slipped it into her hoodie pocket.
“Just caught a bug so it doesn’t scare anyone.”
Peter nodded without suspicion and turned back to Gwen.
He had no idea what had just happened.
Meanwhile—
Inside his body—
The change had already begun.
The red mark on his hand faded slowly.
The modified genes spread through his bloodstream, reaching every cell.
Rewriting.
Rebuilding.
Transforming.
Emily stood still.
Her hand rested inside her pocket, lightly touching the sealed container.
She didn’t know yet—
If what she did was right.
Or wrong.
Should she have let the spider escape?
Should she interfere more?
Or less?
But one thing was certain.
The moment the spider bit Peter, the second great hero of this world had already begun his journey.
And now—
Emily held the spider itself.
The source.
The key.
A variable within a variable.
She looked at Peter and Gwen laughing nearby.
Their smiles were simple.
Carefree.
Unaware of the future waiting for them.
A faint smile appeared on Emily’s face.
It didn’t matter.
She had time.
Time to watch.
Time to guide.
Time to change what needed to be changed.
After all—
She was the Second Observer of Antix.
The one variable that did not belong to this world.
And the story—
Was only just beginning.
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