"By the way, Arthur," Tony said, that familiar glint in his eyes, "there's a Monaco race in two weeks. If you're interested, you can come along."
Arthur thought about refusing, but something in him wanted to see that circus unfold. "Sounds interesting. I think I'll stop by."
Tony made a face as if he were already planning everything in his head. "I knew you'd be in. You drive well, right?"
Arthur smiled. "I know a thing or two."
Tony replied, "Then let's race together. Get ready to see the machine that is me in action."
"By the way, Tony, you said you needed ideas for your new project, right?" Arthur smiled as he looked at him.
Tony stared at Arthur with a curious, slightly skeptical look.
"Alright, let's hear it," Tony said. "But if it's another illogical idea, you'll lose my respect."
Arthur laughed, but wasn't intimidated.
"No, nothing that absurd," he replied. "It's something that could change how we deal with technology. I was thinking about building machines—but on a nanometric scale. Tiny. So small they could enter the human body, repair tissues, destroy diseased cells. Or maybe assemble and disassemble material structures from the inside out."
Tony frowned, clearly intrigued.
"That's pure science fiction, Arthur. No one's even come close to something like that yet."
"Exactly—yet," Arthur replied.
"Besides, your armors are science fiction too. And we could work with structures that respond to external commands. Maybe based on molecular circuits, activated by specific frequencies. Or… imagine if you could power those structures directly with your arc reactor?"
Tony leaned forward, his expression now much more serious. "You're suggesting I use my reactor as some kind of energy hub for nanodevices?"
"Exactly. And not just for medical applications. Think about armors that assemble themselves, or materials that self-repair."
Tony fell silent for a moment, his gaze drifting to some distant point. It was clear the idea was starting to take root.
"Okay, now you have my attention. But you know that if we make this work… we'll be creating a new technological era the world isn't ready to see."
Arthur smiled. "And since when has that ever stopped anyone from innovating?"
Tony replied with a crooked grin.
"Fair enough."
---
After saying goodbye to Tony Stark and Pepper—who barely spoke during Arthur and Tony's nerdy conversation—Arthur returned to his workshop to finish his work.
---
Oscorp
In his panoramic office at the top of Oscorp Tower, Norman Osborn gazed out at the distant city. The night reflected a dark gleam in his eyes. Something was simmering beneath that silence.
An executive entered hurriedly, yet mindful of his boss's controlled posture.
"Mr. Osborn, how can I help?"
Norman didn't turn around. He merely extended his hand, letting a business card fall onto the desk.
"Is this hospital under our administration?"
The man picked up the card, skimmed it quickly, and replied firmly,
"Yes, sir. It's under my direct supervision."
Norman turned slowly, his sharp eyes fixed on the executive.
"The police recently admitted a patient named Peter Parker. Are you aware of this?"
"I heard about a patient under police custody, but I didn't know the name. It could be him, sir."
"I want you to bring me a blood sample tonight. No noise, no questions."
The executive hesitated for only a moment, then nodded.
"Understood. Where should I send the blood, sir?"
"Send it directly to my personal laboratory."
Norman took a step toward the coat rack, put on a white lab coat with a surgeon's precision, and headed for the elevator without another word.
---
Hospital
In the reinforced security wing, two police officers stood guard at the entrance to Peter's room. A nurse approached, carrying a tray of medical supplies.
"Who are you?" one of the guards asked, straightening up.
"I'm here to draw blood. It's just an evaluation for possible post-trauma complications," she replied calmly, professionally.
The officers exchanged glances. Everything seemed in order.
"Go ahead, but make it quick."
The woman entered and, a few minutes later, left with a small thermal container in her hands. In the hallway, she passed George, who had just returned from a shift change.
"What was she doing here?" George asked, frowning.
"Blood test. We checked—everything was in order."
George nodded, but his eyes still followed the nurse as she disappeared down the corridor.
"Alright. You can rest. I'll take over from here."
---
One hour later…
Norman Osborn contemplated the two freshly collected tubes of blood as if they were treasures. His eyes gleamed with excitement as he examined the samples under the microscope.
The laboratory was cold, sterile, and, frankly, frightening. Inside containment tubes, hybrid organisms and genetically modified beings floated in a state of suspended animation. Some were human. Others… not quite.
After a few minutes of analysis, Norman let out a soft, satisfied laugh.
"Just as I suspected…"
He stood up and walked to a large panel displaying old research records. At the center was an image of Captain America.
"Howard Stark… you created an icon. But I? I will create an army."
He stared at the blood under the light.
"The super-soldiers I develop won't just surpass your beloved Captain… they'll redefine the very concept of power."
He slammed the panel shut and smiled to himself.
"Just wait and see. I am Norman Osborn. And I will carve my name into history… as the man who succeeded in recreating the super-soldier serum."
With the experiment underway and a new plan taking shape, Norman left the laboratory and went straight to his car.
---
The Osborn Residence
Harry was already waiting in the main hall, pacing back and forth as if the tension might burst at any moment.
The moment Norman stepped through the door, Harry turned around, his face marked by anger and disappointment.
"Why didn't you give Peter and Dr. Connors more time?!" he snapped, not even waiting for a greeting.
"If you'd waited just a little longer, none of that would've happened to Peter!"
Norman calmly closed the door and hung his coat on the stand beside it.
"Harry, I'm not the sole owner of Oscorp," he replied in a cold, controlled tone. "I gave them all the time I could. It was the board of directors who decided to shut the project down."
"That's a lie. You wanted it to end from the very beginning!" Harry shot back.
Norman narrowed his eyes, his jaw tightening slightly.
"Take him to his room. He needs to calm down," he ordered the butler who was already approaching.
"Don't touch me!" Harry pulled away sharply. "I can go on my own."
The old butler hesitated, then stepped back with a worried look. Harry stormed up the stairs without looking back, anger pulsing with every step.
Norman watched in silence. When his son disappeared from view, he let out a long sigh—more weary than helpless.
"I'm doing this for Oscorp's future, Harry… someday you'll understand."
Minutes later, the butler returned.
"Master Osborn, young Harry is just worried about his friend. I hope you won't punish him for that."
"It doesn't matter," Norman replied, regaining his impersonal tone.
"Send in the staff. I need a massage. Now."
"Yes, sir."
---
Tony Stark's House — Private Lab
Tony stared at the new arc reactor at the center of the lab.
The energy pulsing within it felt different.
Now it was balanced and pure, no longer slowly killing him.
With a firm motion, Stark removed the old second-generation reactor from his chest and placed the new one in its stead.
The moment it locked into place, a wave of energy surged through his body.
The effects of palladium poisoning vanished as if they had never existed.
"This feels amazing!" Tony exclaimed, eyes wide with satisfaction.
"It's like I've been reborn."
He raised his arms, testing his movement.
"JARVIS, all systems ready?"
[Ready, sir.] the AI replied, as calm as ever.
Tony donned his brand-new Mark VI—an audacious, powerful design, shining just like him.
Within seconds, he was flying through the night sky, leaving a trail of light behind.
"Wooooo!" he shouted, thrilled like a child with a new toy.
The sky was his stage once again.
---
(End of Chapter)