Jupiter [Marvel Phase I]

twenty-nine.

No one was left in the labs. That's how Dev knew it was late without having to check the time. He definitely should've been home by now. Nanomedicine began at eight the next morning and he still hadn't done the reading for it.

Dev had long since given up the delusion that was happening at all tonight. He could barely maintain focus on his thesis project - something he was actually super invested in. But he also knew he wouldn't be able to sleep if he tried. And why waste valuable hours of consciousness?

Normally, Dev enjoyed a good winter storm. He loved the way the thunder echoed on and on between the skyscrapers. Right now, it was just distracting. Every flash of lightning or clap of thunder sent his gaze wandering to the one petri dish tucked away in the back of his lab station.

He still had a culture of Jenn's cells from the beginning of the year. They hadn't been easy to keep. Dev had to watch them even more carefully than his thesis samples. It was probably a poor investment of his time when he had more pressing work to do - particularly if he had nothing more planned for them. Except he always knew he would come back to them someday. There was so much left to learn. Maybe today was that someday.

Another thunderclap sounded in the distance. "Ah, bugger it," Dev decided, reaching for the dish. So long as he wasn't getting any thesis work done tonight, he might as well do something with his time in the labs. He could do a whole DNA extraction, throw the sample in the PCR machine overnight, and basically have something ready for sequencing the next day.

"Bad move," said a voice behind him.

When he told this story later, Dev would be sure to omit the very high-pitched scream he let out in that moment. He whirred around, hand over his rapidly thumping chest to see who'd just spoken.

"Alicia?" Dev asked, voice squeaky. He hadn't even heard her come in.

While he tried to catch his breath, Alicia went on, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Dev put the petri dish back down on his work bench, then hesitated. Why did he follow that order so unblinkingly? "Why? Wha- You don't even know what I'm doing. You- you don't even know what this is," he stammered. "It's, uh, it's just a normal part of my thesis by the way."

"No," Alicia said curtly. "That is a sample you procured from Jennifer Stanton, a.k.a. XTS-141. Or, well, I guess she's going by Jupiter now."

A chill ran from the base of Dev's spine to the top of his skull. "I don't-"

Alicia held up a hand. "Cut the crap, we don't have time for this." When she spoke again, her voice was...different. "Relax, I'm one of the good guys. My name is Dr. Melinda Leucenstern and I'm an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.." She pulled a badge from her pocket. Certainly looked official enough.

"You're..." Dev trailed off. "Australian."

Alicia- er, Melinda? Agent-Doctor Leucenstern? Whichever, she let out a solid groan. She nodded to the door and Dev followed without question. As they left the labs and headed up the stairwell, Melinda explained, "I was placed here by S.H.I.E.L.D. to keep track of Jenn at university. Somehow I nearly missed an entire vigilante career, but that's what happens when you get a scientist to do a field agent's job."

"Oh my god, Jenn was right when she thought you were a little too keen on us," Dev muttered, watching his crush die before his eyes.

"She knew I was watching her, huh? Jenn was always more observant than I gave her credit for," Melinda shook her head.

Melinda pushed open the doors to the roof. When she tapped something on her keychain, the air shimmered. In a matter of seconds, a small jet materialized, seemingly from thin air. The technology! The super-spy cliches! Dev had to resist the urge to let out a squeal of delight as he followed Melinda aboard.