Reticent Monsters (Ultimate Spider-Man - Cartoon)

Chapter 10: *Subject - Alpha S

"And how is our patient doing today?"

The hydra agent jolted up. His feet plopped down from where they'd been propped on the table and his hands fell from behind his head. In his haste, his coffee teetered precariously around the table and would've fallen if not for his sudden guest, who caught it with a single clawed hand.

Straightening the cup and returning it to a more stable spot, the hand returned to its position behind his back as he looked at the screens with a smile.

The agent anxiously smoothed out his uniform and made a cursory attempt to organize his desk, shooting quick glances at his guest. He quickly gave up on the mess and leaned toward the camera feed as well, pretending that's what he'd been doing this whole time.

"Uh...he appears to be sleeping, Sir."

"Has he done anything active since his last endeavor?" he asked, lips twitching upward in amusement

The man already expected great things from their prisoner, but he'd been pleasantly surprised when he'd been notified that the boy was becoming active. He had expected as much, but for the subject to find the camera so soon. It was fascinating.

"Well, uh..." the agent swallowed, scrambling over the memory of his long tedious shift. He licked his lips, a bead of sweat peppering his bow. He went rigid and sputtered, "Oh. Yes. Yes, he did. He was pacing the room and muttering to himself. The white room might be affecting him already, huh?" the agents' smile was somewhat wry as he watched the sleeping boy through the screen, "We all have bets on how long it'll take for him to snap."

The man grunted, obviously disinterested in the grunts and their means of entertainment. "And was he pacing on the floor?"

"Uh, no actually. He was on the ceiling. Oh, and I think he was muttering something about webs? But that was all the microphones could pick up."

The man nodded slowly, rubbing his chin in thought. He'd been tasked with observing their newest project. Spider-Man recently renamed Subject Alpha S - or simply Subject when he felt like being informal. Their specimen was quite the genetic phenomenon. Octavius had revered him enough in their time working together that some of that fascination had rubbed off on him.

Sure, he's dealt with samples from this Subject before, mulled over video footage, seen him in action, and even fought him a few times, but to actually get to study him. Pick apart his psychology and figure out the biology behind his powers. It was a scientists' wet dream. His Subject had basically come to him wrapped in a silver-trimmed bow, like a child on Christmas.

Just by watching the Subject, he had so many theories. It was still too early for physical tests, so for now, he spent the time analyzing blood and urine samples. Which was for the best. After all, work came before the fun. He needed to study the Subject's genetic make-up and dissect the fundamentals of his spider side thoroughly before proceeding with the entertaining bits of the experiments.

He observed the boy a few minutes longer before spinning on his heels and heading toward the door, shoving his hands into the pockets of his long white lab-coat.

Over his shoulder, he said, "Tell the guards to give him his web-shooters."

The agent spun quickly from his chair, gaping. He stumbled after man, sputtering "But S-Sir! Crossbones said he didn't want the prisoner-"

"Crossbones left me in charge of the Subject, correct?" the man seethingly hissed, turning just enough to glare at the agent, "And I said to give him his web devices. If you defy my orders again, I'll have you fill the Subjects spot in my experiments. Or maybe I'll just do to you what I did to the last idiot who questioned me. Do you want that? I'm sure you heard what happened."

The agent stopped dead in his tracks, and if not for his mask, one might've seen the blood draining from his face. He shook his head quickly, stumbling over his apologies like a baby with their first pair of shoes.

"Good. Be sure to deliver his little gadgets to him after his next feeding."

He left the agent, slouched and defeated, and returned to his lab. The interior was decorated with an abundance of tables, science equipment, chemical vials, and the presence of a certain octopus-themed scientist who was chained to the far wall. Chained might not have been the right word. The glowing strips of light that were clasped around each individual metal "arm" didn't even closely resemble chains. But they kept him leashed to the wall, with just enough room to work within the perimeter he'd been set.

Yes, leashed was a better word. A tethered dog waiting on the words of its master.

"Ah, awake I see," the man grinned, "Then let's get back to work, shall we?"

Octavius glared spitefully, but with the collar sealed around his neck, responding wasn't an option. It was the very same one he'd been using on Spider-Man. The irony was cruel, and the man loved it.

He laughed at Octavius's loathing stare and approached the air-sealed glass tubes firmly clamped into a table, which had been bolted and welded to the floor. It was positioned toward the center of the room and closed off to everyone but him. He tapped the thick glass and grinned when the swirling mass of black goo attacked the spot his finger grazed. It stretched and twisted in aggravation and struck the walls of its prison with determined violence until he chuckled and stepped away. There were two more identical tubes nearby, both empty.

But not for long.

"Well, let's get a move on, Octavius, these symbiotes won't create themselves."

He didn't bother addressing the other scientists' burning eyes as he stopped at a thick metal door fitted into the far side of the room. Cautiously, he punched in a code, all too aware of the way Octavius craned his neck to see the keypad. A low hiss followed the swinging door and a swath of cold air broke loose. .

He pulled on a pair of thick insulated gloves as he stepped inside.

The air was chilly enough that puffs of condensed air escaped his mouth and nose. He stopped at a thick metal containment unit, bolted by the wall, and entered another complex code. The lock beeped in confirmation and he carefully lifted the lid. White froths of fog spilled over its sides and scattered across the floor like a foamy waterfall. He swiped it away impatiently, eager to lay eyes on the prize within. Dozens of cryovials lined the interior, each holding a dark red substance.

He picked one and examined it through the cool light of the room, twisting it at different angles. Funny how such a small amount of DNA could create something so powerful. So deadly. Especially from someone so seemingly harmless.

Amazing. Truly amazing.

"Your contribution is appreciated, Alpha S," he grinned.

With the cryovial in hand, he closed the containment unit, listened to the lock click sharply, and pocketed the vial. He stopped by the door to glance over the other containment units filling the space, all in long neat rows. Almost all of them were packed with vials identical to the one in his pocket.

Spider-Man was certainly earning his keep.

Grinning, he closed the door. It emitted a low sound, like the hiss of an animal, as the room was sealed once more.