Susan's POV:
When dad said that a new intern was joining the lab, I didn't care. When he said that Melissa will be the new intern's partner, I decided to check who the intern was because I did not want any perverts near her. And I was surprised at what I found. The intern was a thirteen year old boy named Peter. An orphan who is living with his uncle and aunt. The boy who is only three years younger than me was a certified genius which was shown by his academic results. His school records also showed that he was a quiet kid and that he was socially awkward.
His picture showed that he was a scrawny kid too(A/N: The dude seriously needs to update his photo.). Looking at Melissa's new partner, I was quite satisfied knowing that she wasn't stuck with a weirdo and him being the same age as her was just a bonus. And then my real excitement surged forth, because Melissa can finally start working on her own personal projects in the lab. Seriously I was against it when my dad made Melissa a receptionist on Uncle David's request. I wanted her to be my assistant so that I can keep a eye on her progress.
Also, she was the only one I can freely communicate with because the other staff were all older than me and never took me seriously other than Dad. Also those creepy college students,Reed and Viktor have been trying to join the Baxter Building and are also trying to score a date with me. And Johnny is too busy hanging out with his girlfriends. So I decided to become Melissa and the new intern's Mentor. Even though the school records show that the boy is relatively harmless, I can't just trust that. I'll be the judge of his character.
Atleast that's what I was thinking before I met him. When he came in, I couldn't even recognise him. I mean the difference between the real him and his picture was unbelievable. In the picture he had brown hair, brown eyes and was really scrawny and he also was a little pleasing to the eyes, but the one standing in front of me was like a young idol. He had black hair that looked similar to obsidian, teal green eyes that seemed to pulse with power. His body though hidden by his big green t-shirt and cargo pants, was much more better than it was in his picture. His arms were toned and he seemed to be taller than he was in the picture and seeing this I concluded that he had a swimmer's build. Though I wasn't sure about the tallness.So much for a scrawny, harmless boy.
And after that meeting in Dad's office, I couldn't stop replaying Peter's words in my head. "Cybernetic implants. Neural interface. A theoretical cure for cancer." At thirteen. And he just dropped it all like it was nothing, like he was talking about some video game he was casually designing. I didn't know how to react at first. Part of me wanted to scoff, because come on—every nerd with internet access dreams of curing cancer. But this Peter wasn't like other nerds. The way Dad reacted said everything. Dad is not an easy person to impress. For him to stop everything and say, "This is amazing,"? That shook me.
And his personality confused me even more. He was so calm. So sure of himself. He didn't act like the socially awkward boy I read about in the file. He didn't stutter or hesitate. No blushing while looking at me and Melissa, maybe it's because he was only thirteen, I'm not trying to brag but I'm pretty confident in my beauty and finally, no awkward laughs. In fact, he handled Johnny's flirt-attempt and that whole awkward introduction with more maturity than what is expected of a socially inept person . I expected some arrogance—most geniuses I've met have egos the size of Jupiter—hidden under that seemingly quite exterior of his, but Peter didn't show any of that.
He gave his ideas with confidence, not cockiness or nervousness. He was also a little humble from what I have seen so far, but I won't decide that immediately, afterall People will start to show the cracks in their mask eventually, if they are wearing one. Most of the older researchers here would twist themselves into knots to make it seem like they thought of everything themselves, but Peter didn't boast about his intellect and his possible cure. And then there was the quiet on the way back to the lab. Melissa and I were both stuck in our own heads. I glanced at her a few times. I knew she was impressed—probably more than she wanted to admit. But I wasn't just impressed. I was unsettled. Not in a bad way, but in a "How do you even begin to understand this guy" kind of way.
I mean, he's thirteen. What the hell was I doing at thirteen? Building half-broken circuit boards and trying to get my dumb peers to stop calling me "Snooze Storm." And here's Peter—already making theoretical breakthroughs in cancer treatment and designing neural interfaces. Peter also was careful and considerate as he didn't try to talk to me and Melissa on our way to dad's office because he didn't want to third wheel our conversation. His confidence and consideration scares me. Because people like that? They either become the greatest minds in the world… or they burn themselves out trying to fix everything. Even though I have only known him for a few minutes, he has managed to impress and surprise me. I don't want him to burn himself up, so I'll be there to make sure he makes a stable progress.
Melissa's POV:
I'll admit it. I was skeptical at first. I mean, a thirteen-year-old intern? We are the same age! Sure, I've been surrounded by scientists and prodigies my whole life thanks to the Baxter Building, but they're always… weird. Condescending. Treating me like a sidekick or a note-taker. When Iet Peter in the dojo, I didn't think much about him, then when he came here for the interview, I realised he was smart,and once again ,I didn't think much of it and I decided to make him help me to get a job in the lab under the pretext of him being my partner. And then he instantly figured out what I wanted and pointed it out,and then he offered to help, showing me how kind hearted was.
It wasn't just how he looked—though that definitely threw me off. He looked… sharp. And calm. And strong in a way I hadn't expected. He looked AMAZING . And yeah, maybe I was checking him out a little. Sue caught me, I'm pretty sure. But it wasn't just attraction. It was curiosity. That curiosity turned into awe in Mr. Franklin's office.
"A cure for cancer." At thirteen. With preliminary data. With a logical pathway. And backed by real biochem. How? How does someone that young already have that level of knowledge? 'And why didn't he act like it was a big deal?'. I've worked with people twice my age who brag about adjusting pH levels properly. Peter dropped a potential game-changer like it was his weekend project and asked for feedback. And he wasn't even arrogant about it, he was just...humble. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous.
But it wasn't the ugly kind of jealousy. It was the kind that pushed you to do better. The kind that made you sit up straighter and say, 'Okay, I've got to step up my game.'. And then there was the way he handled Johnny. Ugh. Johnny. I love the guy, but sometimes I want to slap the hell out of him. Peter just casually inserted himself between me and the Storm flirt machine and avoided the awkwardness by introducing himself with ease. It was almost graceful. I didn't have to say anything. He didn't make a scene. He didn't try to act like a hero when he saw that I didn't want to reply to Johnny. He handled it.
I thought he was just some smart orphan kid with a decent brain and good grades. But now? Now I'm thinking Peter Parker is a lot more than he lets on. After we left the office, I tried asking him about his research—just casually—but he brushed it off. "Still in the simulation phase," he said. "Don't want to jinx it." It was modest. Almost… humble? Nope, it was definitely humble. That's when I started watching him more closely. Peter never brags. He doesn't need validation. He just works. Thinks. Plans. Like he has some giant mental blueprint in his head and he's just following the steps one by one. Once we went to our new workstations, he just asked Sue to not mind him, and went to work immediately while taking out his materials from his bag. I saw him fiddling with some circuits in the corner of the workstation he had claimed as his. But it wasn't idle work. He was fast. Efficient. Focused. Like he was solving three problems at once and already onto the next solution. It was both impressive and inspiring. A little intimidating, too.
And maybe that's why I feel this strange pull around him. Not just because he's smart or good-looking or mature. But because there's something in him. Not obvious. Not dramatic. Just… subtle. Like a secret he carries so well you won't even notice it's even there until you look closely. Call it girls curiosity, but, I want to know what that secret is.
Susan's POV:
I know what Melissa's thinking. I've known her long enough to read her expressions, even the tiny ones. The slight smile she gave when Peter deflected Johnny. The way she leaned forward just a bit when he started explaining his projects. The way she stayed silent, just listening, when Dad praised him. She's curious. A little smitten. Maybe even inspired. I don't blame her. But I'm watching. Because Peter Parker is like a storm cloud gathering in slow motion. Beautiful, mysterious, and brimming with potential energy. He could light up the whole sky—or burn down the world. I won't let him be ignored. And I won't let him fall. Whether he likes it or not, he has my attention now.
Peter's POV:
"Eh?", why the hell are both of these girls looking at me like I'm a tasty piece of meat. I feel like, indirectly I complicated my future, 'Oh well, I'll just roll with the punches. Afterall, there is no rest for the wicked!'
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I'm back!!! Writer's block is a annoying piece of shit. It took me what? Almost two months to overcome it! I'm really sorry guys for not updating. I was stuck writing this one chapter for a long time cause I'm not that good at writing these types of internal monologues. Anyways, Ciao.