It was a complete disappointment.
He arrived, began dealing with the criminals, and was done in minutes.
He sighed at the absence of any real challenge, searched their belongings, took their money, found a set of car keys, pressed the button, and watched the lights flash on the correct vehicle.
He drove to the warehouse.
Ten minutes.
He found an entry point, a second-floor window, climbed through it, and began checking the space for anything of value.
There were only disappointments in that department. He took what he had come for and left.
Three trips to get all the components into the car, but he managed it without alerting anyone.
As for security and cameras: before arriving, Cortana had altered the security system so no alarm would trigger.
Once inside, he had handled the guards himself by setting off a false alarm that brought them to him one by one, after which they were unconscious with various structural problems.
Some ended up dead. A few.
Back at Baxter, he drove into the garage, parked, transferred everything to the private elevator, asked Cortana to delete the recording of the past few hours and restrict elevator access to his floor only, then moved the three bags at a run through the corridor and into his lab.
Inside, he exhaled, arranged the bags in the designated area where the molecular condenser would eventually live, and began opening them and examining the components.
"This is old," he said. "But not so old that I cannot improve it. There are a few things I can update."
"So why not simply request one from the company?" Cortana asked.
"Easy answer. They would ask a large number of questions and I do not feel like answering them. The other option was to purchase one, but that requires significant paperwork and a waiting period of several months, which I do not want. Stealing it was faster and more efficient."
"Understandable."
"Okay... Sweetheart, do you have the blueprints for this device?"
"Yes. They will appear on your screen now. I have also included the blueprints for the current molecular capacitor."
"Perfect.... That tells me what to improve and what to repair." He clapped his hands together. "Let us get to work."
Improving and repairing the condenser took time. Several components required sourcing from the Foundation's warehouse or from Richards' supply, which Richards continued to not notice.
The improvements were modest but real. He was in the middle of something he was genuinely enjoying when an alarm went off.
"What the hell is going on? Cortana, report!"
"The imminent danger alert you configured has been triggered. There is currently a significant incident in Harlem. More specifically, a catastrophe. A fight is developing between the military and a green monster."
She brought up the live feed.
On the display, a reporter was speaking rapidly: "There is total chaos in Harlem! A greenish creature came out of nowhere and began destroying everything. Multiple witnesses report hearing it say:
'Where are you?! Come here! I want to have some fun!'"
The camera struggled to hold steady on the creature.
Peter stared at the feed.
'Abomination,' he thought. 'The Hulk events are already happening. They started sooner than I expected. Do I have to go?'
He paused. 'No. It is not my problem. Let Hulk handle it.'
Another pause. 'But.... something inside me is telling me to go, while another part is strongly suggesting I find the darkest available hole and stay in it.'
He sat with this for a moment.
'Nah. It is not my problem. Hulk versus Abomination. Hulk wins. Let it play out.'
He started to turn back to his work.
'Wait a second, Abomination + Hulk = Fight, Fight + Punches = Wounds, Wounds + Punches = Blood, Blood! If I can get some of Hulk's blood, that would be extraordinary. Even more so if I get Banner's samples and Sterns' notes.' He stood up. 'I have decided. I am going to Harlem.'
"Cortana, lead the fight," he said, searching for his suit.
"Excuse me?"
"Mark the location of the fight."
"I am not going to do that," she said, and her arms were crossed and her expression was the one she used when she had made a decision.
"I am not, and neither should you. He is completely out of your current league. You will end up hurt. Or worse."
"Fine.... Do not mark it. I will go anyway. I just have to follow the trail of destruction."
"No," she said. "I will not allow it." The entire lab sealed.
"Everything is locked. And I highly doubt you would use brute force, since that would alert everyone in the building."
"Open the doors."
"No."
"Open the doors.... NOW."
"I will not."
"Open it.... NOW!"
"NO!"
"OPEN THE DAMN DOORS!"
"I DO NOT WANT YOU TO DIE!" she said, and the room lit blue around her.
He went quiet. He exhaled. He brought himself down and answered calmly.
"Cortana. Please open the doors. I have to go."
"This is not your fight," she said, and she moved as if to reach his face. "What if you die at the hands of that creature? What happens to everything we have worked for?"
"Cortana. I have to go. I have to save as many lives as I can." He watched her prepare to speak and spoke first.
"I know this is not my responsibility. But I cannot let children and innocent people die if I have the power to prevent it. I have to at least try. And if I fail...."
He breathed. "If I fail, I know I cannot make it worse. But I can promise you I will come back."
A silence.
"....Good," she said, and snapped her fingers and everything opened. "I hope you do not die. I will be waiting with the Lizard formula in case you arrive badly injured."
"Thank you, beautiful," he said, and started putting on his suit.
"And then he says he is not a hero," she said, to no one in particular. "Liar."
"I am not!"
"Okay, there's a place to save" Spider-Man said, running for the open window and jumping.