Norman’s excited expression froze.
Unwillingness and resignation settled into his eyes.
“That’s right.
Lately I can feel my body falling apart.
I’m afraid it won’t be long before I end up like my father, stuck in a bed until I die…” “Hasn’t Miss Private Angel found anything yet?” Dean’s face went dark.
Norman forced a smile and patted Dean’s shoulder.
“It’s useless, Dean.
That supe you brought into the estate can only fix physical wounds and organ problems at best.
The Osborn family disease is genetic.
Even if you threaten her, she still can’t do a thing…” “Damn it, what a waste!” Dean cursed, then asked, “What about the Super-Spider research?
The one that strengthens genes?” Norman shook his head again.
“Still no good.
Richard Parker already ran the biological tests.
Every creature injected with Super-Spider venom went through malignant mutations.
Either they turned into half-human half-spider freaks, or their genes collapsed and they died not long after.” “All failures?
That doesn’t add up…” Dean’s frown got deeper.
Logically, in this universe, because of his interference the Super-Spider project never became a military war tool.
Richard Parker never defected from Oscorp.
He stayed and kept researching the Super-Spider for way longer than in other timelines.
It should have been more refined by now.
In other universes the Super-Spider turned Peter into Spider-Man.
This version shouldn’t be spitting out mutations.
Could it really be like the comics?
That Peter only got spider powers because he was chosen by the Spider Totem?
And anyone or anything not chosen by the Spider Totem who got injected with the venom just turned into a monster?
He remembered a comic story where every citizen in New York City became Spider-Man for a while, then all mutated into spider monsters.
A real nightmare tale… Had he changed the fate of Peter’s family only to still fail at changing the fate of his adoptive father and the Osborn line?
No.
Fuck fate.
Clatter—!
Dean set a black box on the table.
“What is this?” Norman asked, puzzled.
Dean opened it.
Several blue vials lay inside.
Norman stared at them, running through every similar agent he knew.
“Is this… Super Soldier Serum?
Or Compound V?” In his mind those were the only two things valuable enough for his adopted son to pack this carefully.
Anything else Dean would have just shoved in his pocket.
Dean wagged a finger.
“Nonono, Dad.
Your thinking is still too narrow.
Those two aren’t worth me going to this much trouble.
This stuff is way stronger than Super Soldier Serum and Compound V.
This is… V1.” “Vought’s first-generation Compound?!” Norman was genuinely shocked.
Even if his adopted son had somehow gotten Super Soldier Serum or regular Compound V, Norman would not have been this surprised.
Dean’s strength already made that possible.
But V1… “Wasn’t this stuff supposedly completely destroyed by Vought?” What confused Norman was not whether Dean could get it, but the fact that it still existed.
Dean snorted.
“That’s why ‘rumors’ are complete bullshit.
I could also claim the entire state of New Jersey got wiped off the map, but those assholes are still living large.” Norman: … That description was pure Dean.
“I dug around for a long time before I finally tracked down the old lab where Vought first cooked V1.
These are the last few vials left.” Dean kept going.
Norman picked up one of the vials.
Hope lit up in his eyes again.
“They say V1 can give people powers even stronger than V5, and it has the immortality that V5 never had.” Dean smiled and nodded.
“Exactly.
So it will definitely cure the genetic disease in you and Harry and let both of you live long enough.” Norman fought the urge to inject it right then and hesitated.
“But the success rate on V1 is only supposed to be one percent.
I don’t care about myself, but Harry is still young.
Gambling his life on a one-percent shot just isn’t worth it…” “Hehe.
If your sluggish brain, slowed down by the disease, can think of that, how could I miss it?
Look at this.” Dean chuckled and pulled several more blue vials straight out of his pocket.
“And these are?” Norman’s mouth twitched hard as he watched his son actually dig vials out of a pocket.
He had only thought it earlier.
He never expected Dean to actually do it… You’re the eldest son of a top biotech company, for fuck’s sake.
Show a little professionalism!
At least put them in a box… Norman complained silently.
“V5.
The mass-market version Vought secretly pumps into those so-called superhero supes.” Dean set the vials on the table and spoke like he had all the time in the world.
“How the hell did you get V5?
That stuff is Vought’s top-secret treasure.
You didn’t break into Vought and rob them, did you?” Norman put the V1 back in the box and picked up a vial of V5 to examine it.
Dean gave a mysterious smile.
“Relax.
No need to rob anyone.
I’ve got a little connection inside Vought~” “Oh.” Norman nodded and did not dig further into who that connection was.
A thoughtful look settled in his eyes.
“If it’s V5, the adult mortality rate is eighty percent and the success rate is twenty.
That’s way better than V1’s one percent.
Definitely worth gambling on.” Clatter!
Dean snatched the V5 right out of Norman’s hand before he could try anything and rolled his eyes.
“What are you thinking?
If I wanted you to roll the dice on a twenty-percent shot I would have brought you V5 ages ago.
Why wait until now?” “Then what are you talking about?” Norman asked, confused.
Dean picked up a vial of V1.
His eyes burned.
“I’m only pulling out the V5 now because I found a bug in Vought’s compounds.
Any supe who has already used V5 and then takes V1 sees the success rate jump from a pathetic one percent straight to a full one hundred percent.” “In other words, as long as you and Harry take V5 first and then V1, you both get to join me in true immortality.” “So our job right now is to have Oscorp’s top scientists go all-in on researching V5.
Raise the adult success rate to one hundred percent.
After that, you and Harry inject V5, then V1.” Norman looked confused again.
“Then why don’t we just research V1 directly?” “Research V1?
I’d love to.
But there are only two vials of V1 left in the entire world.
If you take them to the lab and the research fails, they’re gone forever.
You willing to risk losing immortality over that?” Dean was speechless at his cheap dad.
Norman froze.
“Two?
But there are three right here.” “There will only be two in a second.” Dean grinned.
Purple electricity condensed into a blade at the tip of his left index finger and sliced across skin that was tougher than alloy, exposing the bright red muscle underneath.
Then, right under Norman’s wide eyes, Dean calmly opened the V1 syringe and drove the needle straight into the open muscle of the wound.