Chapter 9 - Planning and Preperation

Tyler Riddle

Thursday

I decided to skip school like Matt advised, but I took every day off until the field trip to Oscorp and me and Gwen's date night. I have a lot to do and frankly, not much time. I told Gwen and Pete that I was technically I'll, but I wasn't in any serious condition and I just needed a break. With what happened on Tuesday, they didn't ask many questions. Nia was a too scared that I would avoid her more if she asked me questions, so I just quieted her fears. I can focus on answering all their questions later. 

I took yesterday to alter my brain to work a lot better. It was a very, very tedious process since I had to create new, better brain matter, make all the connections, then transfer my memories from the old brain cells to the new ones. I also had to make sure that both my subconscious and conscious selves stayed intact through the whole process, so I never dared to move very fast. That being said,  I did make a few changes to my brain besides just giving myself perfect memory. Firstly, I improved my ability to detect magnetic fields kinda like most birds. Not very useful for things besides giving me an edge against Magneto and detecting natural disasters even better, but hey, there is no such thing as a tool that is too strong. The other major change I made was to improve the speed of my brain and nervous system. It only increases my reaction time by a couple fractions of a second, but fights to the death in Marvel can be decided by nanoseconds. 

I really want to steal the Oscorp spiders, because whatever abilities I can get from them will merge well with my own. I can let Peter get bit. His personality is really necessary in a team of people with superpowers. I'll help Cindy Moon acclimate to her powers after she gets bit. I've never really interacted with her besides in group projects, but I need all the help I can get for what I want to do in the future. I plan to use the 42 spider that Miles is supposed to get bitten by for myself. Invisibility, moderate super strength, and bioelectricity are too good to pass up.

My main concern right now is how I'm going to steal the spiders. The field trip is my chance to map out the facility to the best of my ability. The  internship opportunity is my way in after  the field trip. The only problem is how I'm going to evade the security measures around the labs and how I'm going to get away from the employees. I'm currently making weak, low cost, single use, EMP devices to counteract the security measures around the labs. They aren't going to melt wiring or destroy electronic devices like proper EMPs. At best they can disrupt devices and cause a system to reboot if I use enough of them. I've also played around with what I could use as disguises. My current best thing I've come up with is to use my powers and incase myself in rubber with a layer of Vantablack on top of that. The rubber helps with grip and impact resistance as well as making sure my DNA doesn't get out. The VantaBlack increases stealth and serves as an intimidation factor when I run into someone. Anybody would be scared when they see a black humanoid void approaching them.

I feel a little guilty towards Gwen, because I kinda need to ruin our date night in order to accomplish my plans. But I could just hit her with the " I need you to do this for me. I'm sorry about this, in case I don't make it, just know that I love you." From what I've seen in movies and comics, this play always works. Of course, I'll have hell to pay when I come back alive, but I'm running on a very short clock here.

I still have some time to burn until my sparring session with Matt, so I guess I can maybe study about using pressure points I combat. Maybe I can use it tomorrow.

=÷=

11:30  p.m.

Central Park

After I got out of my sparring session with Matt, I felt very tired. Mostly because he knocked me to the ground more times that I'll be telling anyone, but also because I've been so busy plotting that I haven't taken the time to eat or absorb anything all day. I decided to take a breather and walk in Central Park. I can dip my hand into the water and absorb it without raising 5oo much suspicion. 

It's actually quite calming being around here so late at night. Sure there are still a lot of cars and traffic not too far away, but it feels a lot calmer. It was then that I hear someone shout at me form a nearby park bench.

" Whatcha got your hand in the water for, boy?" The man hollers.

I noticed him before but I didn't take a good look at him. He looks like black middle aged homeless man in beat up shoes and clothing with a medium sized travel backpack. 

"I'm just cleaning off my hands. I figure that the water is cleaner than any park bathroom around here." I reply to him, standing up and walking over.

"Ain't that right. New York can be both beautiful and ugly. Trash is never too far from wealth in this city."

"Yeah...hey do you have some information on the word on the street?"

"Yeah, but everything has a price."

"There's a pretty cheap burger place nearby. I'll give you 6,000 calories minimum in fish sandwiches."

"No cash?"

"Money gets stolen when you're homeless. The sandwiches provide you the calories you need and you reduce your stress significantly since you won't have to worry about what to eat for 3 days."

"You seem to know a lot about homeless life."

"I try to understand how the repressed and downtrodden in society live."

"Huh. You're a weird one kid. Alright, I'll give you information if you give me some fish sandwiches."

Fifteen minutes later, I was back with six fish sandwiches.

"Here you go." I say to the man, handing over the sandwiches.

"Thanks kid. I don't know much except what flows through the homeless by word of mouth. Word is that the Life Foundation in San Francisco is offering good deals to the homeless if you participate in some of their experiments. I'm thinking about hopping onto the Greyhound and riding over there."

"Well don't do that. The deal isn't as good as they advertise." The Life Foundation runs experiments on the homeless with the symbiotes. Their bodycount is ridiculously high for a company that helps solve cancers and other diseases.

"How do you know?"

"I just know. Any other big news, something a bit more local?"

"There's movement in the triads in Chinatown. A lot of drugs are being moved and Wilson Fisk seems to really want a set of apartments in the drug hotspot. He even uses intimidation tactics to make residents sell off."

"Thanks for the info."

"No problem kid."

"Oh yeah, I never asked for your name." I say, realizing I must have been a little rude.

"It's Harold. What's yours?

"Tyler Riddle"

"That's a white ass name for a mixed kid like you."

"Ain't that the truth. I'll see you around Harold." I say to him, getting up and heading home. I'm up too late as it is, since I need all the rest I can get for tomorrow.