Meanwhile, Duncan was now in his room, having just portaled back from the alleyway, looking quite tired and just wanting to laze around for the rest of the night. The sky was clear, and the boy sat beside his window, watching the streets of his neighborhood from his room. It was the 31st of October, which means that tonight is Halloween.

Duncan had completely forgotten that today was Halloween—not that it matters, because he dislikes the holiday. Tonight was the night that kids would have a sugar rush, and the only night that teenagers got dressed like total sluts and could get away with it.

Duncan could see from the window that the kids were walking around the neighborhood holding decorated buckets and knocking at every single door. Some went alone, some were with their parents, and all were wearing costumes.

Suddenly, Duncan’s phone buzzed; a message had been delivered. The boy took out his phone, only to see that Gwen had messaged him.

[Gwen: wyd?]

As Duncan read the message, he quickly answered with a short reply.

[You: nothing really]

[Gwen: That’s great]

[Gwen: The girls are going to Liz's party, wanna come?]

[You: I thought you don’t like that sort of thing]

[Gwen: I don’t]

[Gwen: They’re forcing me to go]

[Gwen: pls come]

[You: why don’t you ask your dad to check on the party? See if there’s any stuff there]

[You: i’m sure they’ll be thrilled to see a cop on their front door]

[Gwen: …]

[Gwen: you are evil]

[Gwen: but i like it, won’t do it tho]

[Gwen: so you coming or not?]

[You: my bed looks really comfy]

[Gwen: i hate you]

[Gwen: fine, i’m gonna use you as an excuse instead]

[Gwen: i’m telling them that i’m going to your place tonight]

[You: you’re not going to actually come here right?]

[Gwen: depends]

[Gwen: do you want me to?]

[You: i don’t want my head to be blown to bits by your dad tomorrow]

[Gwen: such a spoilsport :(]

Seeing the last text, Duncan just threw his phone on his bed before walking towards his bathroom to take a night shower, intending to freshen himself.

—

When Duncan finished taking a shower, he took some clothes from his drawer and wore them neatly. He decided to go downstairs to get some night snacks because the hour wasn't really that late.

When he walked down the stairs, he realized that there were some noises coming from the dining room. It sounded like people were chatting there. The boy just quickly climbed down the stairs, and approached the kitchen. He noticed that the kitchen seemed to have been used recently, which is rare in this household considering that Duncan’s mom usually came home late and tired.

As he was about to open the fridge, a voice suddenly called him from behind.

"Duncan? Where’ve you been?" the voice asked. It was his mother, wearing a rather semi-formal dress.

"Hanging out with a friend, why?" Duncan said, confused.

"We were supposed to have dinner tonight with my friends from work, remember?" his mum pointed out.

Duncan raised his brow, still confused. "No… you never told me anything."

"What? But I texted—"

When his mum checked her phone, he finally realized that she hadn't sent her message yet. "Ugh, I forgot to send it. Just go upstairs and change to something polite."

"What’s wrong with this?" Duncan asked, looking at his shorts and t-shirt combo.

"We’re having dinner, Duncan, not a sleepover." Catherine sighed. "Now go."

"Alright, alright, geez."

The boy quickly returned upstairs, changing into more polite attire. He quickly put on some jeans and a collared shirt. And after that, he came back downstairs, walking towards the dining room.

As he entered the room, he looked at the people that sat at the table. At first, he didn’t really know who they were, that was until he focused his attention on a teenage boy besides the adults.

It was Flash Thompson.

"Oh, this is your son, Cat?" said a man who sat on the table, curiously looking at Duncan.

"Yes." Catherine hummed. "This is Duncan. Duncan, this is my friends from work, Harrison and Rose. And this is their son, you must’ve heard of him, he also goes to Midtown, this is—"

"Flash." Duncan nodded.

"Flash?" Catherine questioned, a bit confused. "No, this is Eugene."

"I-It’s my nickname at school." Flash said awkwardly.

"Oh, are you familiar with each other?" asked Flash’s mother, Rose.

"We’re teammates." Duncan said, sitting down on the table.

"Teammates? As in, academic decathlon?" Harrison inquired.

"As in Football." corrected Duncan.

"Really?" said Rose deeply, as she turned her gaze towards Flash. "That’s… interesting."

Flash didn’t say anything, he just sat there, playing with his food as he slowly chewed on the steak.

"Are you guys doctors too?" Duncan asked, breaking the awkwardness.

"Oh, no, we’re researchers from NYU," said Harrison.

"Really?" Duncan said. "What kind of research are you doing right now?"

"That’s… classified."

"Classified? You work for the government or something?"

"Your mother didn’t tell you?" Rose asked. "Yes. we’re currently being contracted by the government. Along with your mother."

"No, Rose. Not anymore, I resigned." Catherine said clearly.

"I’m sure we could talk about that." Rose smiled widely at Catherine’s words, placing her hands on her thighs. "We need you, Cat."

Catherine sighed, putting her spoon and fork neatly on top of her plate. "I see that this is not just a social visit."

She then quickly turned to Duncan. "Duncan, why don’t you sit outside and give those children some sweets? We have chocolates and toffees in that drawer over there."

"Oh, nice." Duncan whistled.

"Don’t eat it." warned Catherine.

Duncan just clicked his tongue, and walked towards the drawer, retrieving the sweet box from there.

"Eugene, why don’t you accompany him?" Rose told her son. "Me and your father need to talk to Cat here privately."

Flash sighed. "Sure, why not?"

—

Duncan sat on his house’s front porch, holding a box of sweets to be given to children that came to ask for them. Besides him were Flash, quietly sitting as he enjoyed the unique atmosphere of the 31st of October around the area.

Seeing the box of chocolates, Duncan couldn’t help but to take one, and ate it.

"Want one?" Duncan offered Flash a piece of the chocolate as he chewed on one.

"Dude, the coach told us not to eat candies."

"It’s just one chocolate bro." said Duncan, waving the chocolate to Flash. "‘Sides, no one listened to him."

Flash just shook his head and took one, before also eating it. "You don’t really care about football business huh?"

"I’m in it to have fun, not to torture myself." Duncan shrugged.

"Well, some of us want to go pro."

"By ‘some’, you mean only you."

Flash chuckled. "I guess…"

A group of middle school girls suddenly approached Duncan’s house, holding their own candy buckets. They were wearing diverse costumes, from a ‘desexualized’ black widow costume to a ‘feminized’ Captain America suit. Both boys quickly gave some candies from their own boxes, and the girls left.

"So what’s your deal?" Flash asked. "I noticed your mom has a British accent."

"Yep, she grew up near London, but then she came to the US to pursue a career and because of some family stuff." Duncan explained. "I’m a first gen American."

"What about your dad?"

Duncan chuckled. "Don’t know anything about him, to be honest. Mum said he died right before she gave birth to me. She said he wanted to be buried in London, so his grave is there."

"So your mom transported your dad’s corpse to London? How rich is your family?"

"My mom’s family is supposedly rich." Duncan said. "But she told me that she never knew my dad’s family."

"Are they married?" Flash asked again. "Sorry, it’s just a bit weird that your mom didn’t come home when your dad died."

"They were married, that’s why my surname’s Plagmann." Duncan hummed. "And my mum isn’t exactly on friendly terms with her family..."

"What’s your mother’s maiden name then?"

"I'm not sure; I never really asked." Duncan answered. 

"Really? Like ever?"

"She doesn’t like to talk about it." Duncan shrugged. "Anyway, so what’s your parents’ deal?"

"I don’t know myself, they just told me to come," said Flash. "I didn’t know that I’d be having dinner in your house, or that your parents and mine are colleagues."

"Well, the world’s smaller than you think."

From the porch, Duncan could suddenly hear some shouts from the house. It wasn’t clear what they were shouting about, it’s certainly not a friendly discussion.

"I hear shouts from inside, wanna check it out?" Duncan said.

"You think they’re having an argument?" Flash raised his brow.

"Only one way to find out."

The two boys then proceeded to enter the house again, approaching Duncan’s mother's study room. As they neared the room, Duncan could finally hear what they’re saying.

"Ross is delusional!" screamed Catherine. "Experimenting on volunteers is another thing, but death-row inmates?! Do you know what you all have done!?"

"That is why we need you, Cat! Your expertise on these sorts of things could be used right now!"

"No, I’m not my brother! I’m a doctor, I did not sign up for human experimentation!" Cat replied.

"We all know it would lead to this, Cat."

"I did not, I was told that this was going to be a project to cure cancer! Not a fucking project to make super soldiers!"

"But we did find a way, Cat!"

"It only made it dormant! We didn’t cure anything! And then there's the fact that Ross is now experimenting on inmates; do you even know what the nature of that ‘thing’ is?! Those symbiotes will try to match their personalities with their hosts! If you bond them with fucking murderers, do you know what that means?!"

"That’s why we came to you, Cat. We need your help, those things are running wild, trying to escape the facility. We need you to find a way to reverse it."

"No, you can’t just do that. Unless you have the technology that could wipe a being’s mind that we don’t even know the half of, then you can’t do it."

"Then call your brother."

"No." Catherine chuckled deeply. "No. Nathan cannot do this."

"His field is genetic engineering, surely—"

"Get out!" Cat practically screamed. "I’m done with you all!"

Duncan then saw his mother’s study room door abruptly open, and he saw how angry his mother was.

"I need you to think about it, Cat." said Harrison, exiting the room. 

"I’ll think about it, but do you want my advice?" Cat chuckled. "Burn it. Burn all of them."

"Ross won’t like that idea."

"Then he can go fuck himself." Catherine cursed. "Now please, get out."

The Thompson couple could only sigh, before walking towards the front door, intending to leave immediately. Seeing this, Flash just nods at Duncan, and follows them suit.

Duncan quickly heard chains breaking from his head, indicating a rise in rank.

Catherine quickly sat on the sofa, massaging her tired head.

"You okay?" Duncan asked calmly, grabbing some water for her. "What was that about?"

"An example of mankind’s arrogance." she said, before shaking her head in regret.

Duncan gave the cup of water to her, sitting in front of her. "You have a brother?"

"You eavesdropped?" Catherine frowned.

"Not much." Duncan lied.

The woman just sighed. "I do. Older brother. I have a sister too, older than me."

"So you’re the youngest." Duncan hummed. "Why have you never told me anything about your family?"

"Because it doesn’t matter." She said, "They don’t want anything to do with you."

"Alright…" Duncan raised his brow. "At least tell me your maiden name, so I can look it up online."

"You’re really stubborn, aren’t you? Fine, it’s Garrett."

Duncan recognized the name but couldn't put it into words.

"Anyway, if you want to wait outside and give sweets to children, you can do that," said his mother, standing up. "I’m going to bed."

"Sure…" Duncan said. "Good night."

"Good night."

===

Chariot - [IV] None