Work Text:
Peter approached the door to his former place of employment, scanning the key card to enter for the last time.
"Oh wow," Miles said as the two of them entered. "This is so cool!"
"Not bad, huh?" Peter replied. After the grant committee and the owners of the building contacted him about collecting his belongings he had at the lab before everything else was taken away, he had initially planned on going himself. However, as he thought about it more, he felt it would be good for Miles to tag along. He knew his young friend would have an appreciation for the tech that would be there, plus he wanted someone else to see the good man that Otto had been before being consumed by vengeance. Mary Jane had offered her help as well, the two of them fresh off of getting back together. Peter had told her he wanted this to be something for just him and Miles, which she had accepted, even telling him she was proud of him for how he was pouring into the boy's life.
"Is that one of your prototypes??" Miles asked excitedly, moving over towards the metallic arm Peter and Otto had frequently utilized in their work.
"Yep," Peter replied. "This was before we had fully developed the intracranial neural network. Here, let me show you."
Peter grabbed the remote control for the arm, which could be synced up with it. Placing a coffee mug on the table, he began to manipulate the arm over towards it, the fingers gently grabbing it and lifting it up into the air.
"Wow, that's awesome!" Miles said excitedly.
"That was my thought the first time I saw it work too," Peter replied. "Here, why don't you try. Just have it set the mug back down." Peter then handed the control unit to Miles, showing him the basics of what was what and trusting his protege to figure out the rest. Sure enough, Miles worked it so that the arm gently set the mug down with no issue.
"Not bad," Peter said, taking the control unit and shutting it down.
"You guys were really doing some good work here, weren't you?" Miles said, his voice now less enthusiastic and more somber.
"We were," Peter replied, his tone nostalgic. "Come on, we better get started."
Peter didn't have much that was actually his own at the lab; mostly just his suit repair equipment and some basic analysis materials. This did allow for some extra time to let Miles see some different areas of the lab as they went and try some more of the equipment out, with Peter giving his young friend the opportunity to show off his scientific prowess. He was thoroughly impressed by Miles's knowledge and ability.
As they finished up gathering his things, Peter glanced up at the board in one of the rooms that contained the final designs for the mechanical arms that would turn Otto Octavius into Dr. Octopus. His mind wondered back to all the time he and the doc were working together, all the signs he should've seen. Maybe, if he'd just paid better attention...
"Pete," Miles said, the feel of his hand on Peter's shoulder bringing the latter back to the moment. "You good?"
"What? Oh, yeah. Sorry Miles," Peter said. "Just reflective I guess."
"You really looked up to him, didn't you?" Miles observed.
"Yeah," Peter replied. "He carried a lot of hate in him, but I still have to believe that, somewhere inside of him, there's still the good man I came to work for. He was like a father to me. I think all the time about what else I could've done."
"Hey man," Miles spoke up, "what happened to him wasn't your fault."
"I know," Peter replied. "Well, when I'm really, really honest with myself, I know. That doesn't mean I don't stop thinking about it."
"I hear ya," Miles said. "I do the same thing with my dad I guess. I always wonder what I could've noticed that would've saved his life. Is this whole guilt complex thing something all Spider-Men go through?"
Peter let out a small laugh. "Something like that," he replied.
They finished packing up, and Peter told Miles he needed a minute and he would join him shortly. Miles silently nodded, grabbing a box of materials and walking out the door.
For a moment, Peter just stood in the center of the room, looking around at everything, taking it all in one last time. What had started off as a hopeful place filled with possibility had become a bitter reminder of the tragedy that was Otto Octavius, a horrid example of what happens when vengeance and hate consume a man. Still, despite all of that, Peter knew he couldn't forget the good times that happened here as well; honestly, he didn't even want to forget. No matter what, he would always cherish the memory of the kind, caring and determined scientist that the man had once been. His white spider outfit was a reminder of that every time he put it on; it was a testimony to his kind and generous nature.
Finally, Peter grabbed the box he needed to take and walked over towards the door. Grabbing the handle, he turned around so the lab was in full view.
"So long, Otto," Peter said. "Whether you're still in there somewhere or not, I'll never forget you."
Peter then turned and walked out, closing the door behind him for the last time.