Spyder and The Avengers

Chapter 5 - Bitten

"Great job, Chase!" I said enthusiastically, strangely outgoing in this rather bizarre situation. "Is it okay if we go up to the cross-species lab? I want to talk to you about it, maybe take some more pictures."

His smile faltered. "I don't think anyone's supposed to be there right now."

"Oh," I said disappointedly. "Okay."

Chay-May lightly punched me in the arm. "Just kidding, Pepper. But, instead of seeing the Lab the way tourists do, do you want to see it the way I do?"

My heart started to race. "That'd be amazing! Can we go up now?"

"Of course," Chase said. "We'll have to take my way in order to get there. Hope you can handle it!"

He showed me up a set of stairs that I hadn't noticed before. There was an elevator at the top, marked "Employees Only". He didn't even have to push the button, the doors slid right out. Motion detector, I guessed.

Once the elevator doors closed behind us, Chase pulled out a plastic card and inserted it into a slot above the floor buttons. The mechanisms inside rumbled then spat the card out.

"Welcome, Chase Mason. Enjoy your ride." A female voice said.

Chase pushed floor number 125, and the button lit up. We traveled smoothly up until the doors whooshed open. "Floor one-two-five, have a nice day." Chimed the computerized voice.

We stepped out into a whole new world. Scientists in white lab coats were rushing around, scribbling notes and showing them to each other. Some were staring into microscopes and murmuring into little microphones. A few were typing away at see-through computers.

"Welcome to my version of the cross-species Lab," Chase said with a grin. "What do you think?"

I gaped at my surroundings, astonished. "This. Is. Amazing..."

He winked and ushered me out of the elevator. "Thought you'd like it."

I quickly put my eye to the camera and snapped away, one photo after another. My memory card was going to be full tonight, for sure.

Chase led me over to the cross-species testing area. I took some more pictures, then paused and inspected the area.

It was mainly spiders in little glass habitats, but there were only three kinds; jumping spiders, superfast reflex spiders, and strong-web spiders, as labeled on the containers. I took close-ups of each kind.

"These are the three spiders they breed, making three-skilled 'superspiders.' Isn't that cool?" Chase said. I noticed him rubbing a spot on his hand, almost as if he was doing it unconsciously.

O-kay, then.

Suddenly, I heard an announcement on the speakers. "Everyone, please evacuate floor number one hundred twenty-five. Remain calm. There has been a cross-species spider escapee. Please exit floor one hundred twenty-five. Thank you."

That was our floor. "We need to go," Chase said nervously as he glanced at the area labeled Superspider - CAUTION!

"No, you go," I told Chase, my hands already priming the camera for more shots. "I'll be down soon, I just wanna get some more info. Don't worry about me."

He looked worried anyways, but it didn't seem quite... natural. "But... It's a three-skill spider! Their bites are, like, untested. They could be dangerous. Let's go."

Almost like he was forcing it. You know that reverse-psychology stuff? I think that's what's going on here.

Suspicious? Heck, yeah.