The email notification appeared on Alex's laptop Monday morning. He was in the school library during his free period. Working on an outline for his next TechCrunch article about cloud computing infrastructure.
The email subject line made him stop typing immediately.
From: Norman Osborn ([email protected])
Subject: Unique Opportunity
Alex clicked to open it. His enhanced mind absorbed the content instantly while his heart rate accelerated.
"Mr. Carter,
Your recent article in TechCrunch caught my attention. Your analysis of emerging technology trends demonstrates remarkable foresight for someone your age.
I'd like to discuss a potential opportunity at Oscorp Industries. We're expanding our youth outreach programs and seeking perspectives from talented young minds. Your insights could be valuable to our strategic planning initiatives.
Please contact my assistant to schedule a meeting this week at your earliest convenience.
Regards,
Norman Osborn
CEO, Oscorp Industries"
Alex read the email three times to make sure it was real. That he hadn't hallucinated it or misread something critical.
Norman Osborn. The Norman Osborn. CEO of Oscorp Industries. Future Green Goblin. One of the most brilliant and dangerous men in the Marvel Universe.
He wanted a meeting. With Alex. This week.
Alex's thought about it carefully. This was both opportunity and danger combined into one package.
Oscorp had resources that Alex desperately needed. Money obviously. But also technology.
Research facilities. Access to cutting-edge science that wasn't available anywhere else. Patents and prototypes and experimental equipment.
If Alex wanted to survive long-term in a universe with aliens and gods and infinity stones, he would eventually need enhancements.
Super-soldier serum variations. Extremis derivatives. Something to close the gap between normal human and superhuman.
Oscorp was researching exactly those kinds of things. Norman Osborn himself would eventually use experimental performance enhancers that turned him into the Green Goblin.
That technology existed somewhere in Oscorp's labs right now.
But Norman Osborn was also unstable. Brilliant but increasingly unstable. He was ruthless in business. He would become murderous as the Goblin. Getting too close to him was dangerous. Playing in his world meant playing with fire.
'But I need this,' Alex thought. 'I need resources and connections and positioning. I need to establish myself before everything goes completely insane.'
He positioned his fingers over the keyboard and started typing a response. Professional. Grateful but not desperate. Confident but respectful.
"Mr. Osborn,
Thank you for reaching out. I'm honored that you found value in my work. I would be very interested in discussing potential opportunities with Oscorp. Your company's innovations in biotechnology and materials science are genuinely fascinating.
I'm available any afternoon this week after 3 PM when school ends. Please let me know what works best for your schedule.
Best regards,
Alex Carter"
He read it twice. Made a small edit to the second sentence. Then sent it before he could second-guess himself or talk himself out of it.
The response came back in less than ten minutes. That was fast. Suspiciously fast. Norman Osborn was supposedly one of the busiest men in New York.
"Thursday, 4 PM. Oscorp Tower, Executive Floor. Ask for my assistant, Nora Chen, when you arrive. Bring valid identification for security processing. - NO"
Two days. Alex had exactly two days to prepare for a meeting with Norman Osborn.
He immediately opened a new browser tab and started researching. His enhanced mind absorbed information at incredible speed.
Oscorp's current public projects.
Their military contracts. Their pharmaceutical division. Norman's recent public statements and interviews. The company's financial position and stock performance. Their partnerships with other corporations and government agencies.
Everything he could find. Every piece of publicly available information.
Forty-five minutes of intense research later, his phone rang. The number was unknown.
Alex answered cautiously. "Hello?"
"Mr. Carter? This is Nora Chen. I'm Mr. Osborn's executive assistant." Her voice was professional and efficient. Crisp pronunciation. No wasted words. "I'm calling to confirm your Thursday meeting and provide necessary security clearance information."
"Yes. Thank you for calling."
"You'll need to bring valid photo identification. School ID is acceptable. Please arrive fifteen minutes early, at 3:45 PM, for security processing. The executive floor has enhanced security protocols that require advance clearance."
"Understood. I'll be there at 3:45."
"One more thing, Mr. Carter." Nora's tone shifted slightly. Still professional but with a hint of advice. "Mr. Osborn appreciates thorough preparation. He will expect you to have informed opinions about Oscorp's current initiatives and strategic direction. I would strongly suggest reviewing our recent press releases and quarterly reports before the meeting."
That was useful information. A warning disguised as advice.
"I appreciate the guidance," Alex said. "I'll make sure I'm prepared."
"Excellent. I'll see you Thursday afternoon then. Have a good day, Mr. Carter."
She ended the call.
Alex set his phone down on the library table and stared at his laptop screen. His reflection looked back at him from the dark sections of the display.
This was it. The moment when his life started truly intersecting with the major players of the Marvel Universe. With people who would shape the future. Who would fight in wars against alien invasions and robot uprisings.
Norman Osborn on Thursday afternoon.
Felicia Hardy's party on Saturday evening.
Peter Parker would be bitten by that genetically modified spider within the next few weeks when the Oscorp field trip happened.
Everything was accelerating. The timeline was moving forward. Events that Alex had read about in comics and watched in movies were about to become his actual reality.
'I wanted to survive in this universe,' Alex thought. 'I wanted to use my knowledge to position myself for what's coming. Careful what you wish for.'
He had work to do. Serious work. Research to complete thoroughly. Strategies to plan carefully. Contingencies to prepare for multiple possible outcomes.
Because in two days he would be sitting across a desk from one of the most brilliant and most dangerous men alive.
Norman Osborn would be evaluating him. Testing him. Deciding whether Alex was useful or irrelevant. Potential asset or potential threat.
And Alex needed to make absolutely certain that he walked out of that meeting with opportunity instead of a target painted on his back.
The game had changed completely. The stakes had escalated dramatically.
Alex closed his current browser tabs and opened Oscorp's investor relations page. Started downloading quarterly reports and press releases. His enhanced mind would absorb all of it. Analyzed all of it.
To prepare him for every possible question Norman might ask.
He just hoped he was smart enough to play this game. To navigate these dangerous waters without drowning.
Because if he made a mistake now, the consequences could be fatal.
Read more on Patreon at marvelstark