In the Baxter Building, home of the Fantastic Five, numerous crucial research projects were underway, crucial to the future of humanity. These included sustainable energy sources more efficient than nuclear power, portable teleportation devices for evacuation, and extraplanetary and transdimensional communications.
A young adult with dark skin and black hair pulled back in a short ponytail hurried in through the employee entrance. He was athletic, though his height of about 5'7" made him blend into the crowd. He sighed with relief when he saw that none of his colleagues had noticed him. He quickly went to the locker room to change into his lab coat.
He emerged triumphant, thinking that for once everything had gone well for him.
– Good morning Varga.
"Good morning, Mari..." Carlos Varga stopped dead in his tracks, his mouth agape. He looked down and to his side, where he saw a woman about four feet tall wearing a lab coat and with a very unfriendly expression.
– You're late. Again. If it weren't for the fact that Dr. Richards holds you in such high esteem...
"Come on, Maria, you know I always give it my all here," Carlos complained. It was true that he was sometimes late, maybe too often, but he poured his heart and soul into his work. He knew he could help there without wearing tights.
– Yes, Varga, you give it up the whole time you're here, which isn't as long as you should be. Come on, let's go to the lab already; you're the only one who knows the trick to getting food from the machine without paying by heart.
Carlos Varga accompanied his superior to the genetic research laboratory. It wasn't his specialty, but he had used his work with chromosome simulation machines to advance his doctoral studies.
Every time he entered those laboratories, he was transported back to his home in New Mexico, the place where it all began. Carlos Varga, a diligent student with extraordinary ingenuity. At sixteen, his class went on a field trip to a Banner Industries facility where they were experimenting with the effects of Gamma energy on animals.
One of the subjects, a spider, escaped its containment and bit Varga. As a result, Carlos Varga was clinically dead for a minute due to the radiation. Even so, it was never known whether it was a miracle, luck, or fate, but he was able to return to life. Within a week, Carlos began to manifest a series of special abilities. From that day forward, for seven years, he was the one and only Spider-Man.
"Varga! How are you, buddy?" A surprise hug snapped him out of his reverie. It was a boy his age, with brown hair and an athletic build, who was at least ten centimeters taller than him.
"Rick?" Carlos returned the hug. Rick Jones had been his best friend since his school days in New Mexico. Brave, intelligent, athletic—Rick Jones had it all. And if it weren't for him and his mentorship with Dr. Banner, he would never have gotten his powers. "What are you doing here?"
– You know, old Bruce is working on a project with Doctor Richards, he's sent me here to supervise on his behalf.
– Then we can see each other more often.
– I know! Isn't it fantastic?
– Ahem. – Anna Maria coughed in the background, waiting impatiently for Carlos.
– Dude, I have to go to work.
– Sure, man, science's calling. Shall we meet after school for something to eat?
"Of course, see you later, Rick." They both said goodbye with a hug, happy to see each other again. Carlos followed his boss to the lab, where they got down to work collecting data.
"I didn't know you were close to Mr. Jones," his boss said, putting on her glasses and gloves before handling a sample of an insect from the Negative Zone.
I've known him since we lived together in New Mexico. He's always been there for me; he's a good person.
— Hmm. Interesting. Help me with this and turn on the machine; we need to do a thorough investigation of this… — Anna Maria pointed at the insect leg. — Dimensional cockroach.
"Heard, boss." Varga, her routine now mechanical, turned on the scanner. "It's incredible that we're the first to be able to investigate these specimens."
– It was the Fantastic Five who discovered how to enter the Negative Zone, so it's only fair that we have priority in investigating it. Hopefully, we can discover how they communicate with the hive mind.
Thus, Anna Maria's team conducted numerous experiments with the insect, testing its resilience and its composition. The hours flew by, marking the end of the day.
Carlos stretched, his back cracking in the process. His lab colleagues mimicked him, sending the not-so-subtle message that they were tired and the workday was over.
– Yes, yes, I get it. Everyone go home, see you tomorrow.
Goodbye boss.
"Is anyone coming to karaoke."?
All the lab staff left the facility. Carlos was about to leave to meet his friend, but Anna Maria stopped him. "Varga, do you have a second?"
"That's it, she's going to fire me," Carlos thought. In the end, his late-night visits had cost him dearly. "Of course she will, boss."
We're no longer on working hours, you can call me by my name.
Whatever you want, Anna.
"Good. You know I have some reservations about you, it's no secret. You're late, you make excuses, and you often come home smelling of sweat. One day you even came in smelling burnt." Carlos glanced back, vividly remembering the day Electro had hit him with one of his beams and he'd gone to work without showering. "But you're intelligent, hardworking, and creative. Dr. Richards appreciates that, and so do I. When your scholarship ends, we'd like to keep you on."
"Wait a second, maybe I'm hearing wrong." Carlos was perplexed. "Are you offering me a job?"
Yes, Varga. We want you in the Baxter building.
Carlos didn't answer because he was still in shock. After a moment he composed himself. "Are you kidding me?"
Sorry? Are you playing a joke on me? Because then it's not funny.
"I'm serious. I recommended Dr. Richards to you, and he's enthusiastic about the idea. What do you say."?
"Yes! Of course! Thank you, Anna!" Carlos grabbed Anna Maria, hugging her and lifting her into the air. "You won't regret it!"
Let me go, or you're the one who's going to regret it!
"Oh, right, sorry." Carlos set her down on the ground with a nervous smile. "Thank you so much, really."
Yes, yes... Come on, go have dinner with Jones now. I wouldn't want you to lose touch with Dr. Banner's
That's a very ugly way of looking at friendships, but you're right. See you tomorrow, Maria.
Varga said goodbye with a smile, which brought a smile back to the veteran's face. She was only five years older than him, but she could tell he was still as energetic as a college student. "Let's hope he doesn't screw this up..."