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"HOW'S THE MISSION GOING?" VERONICA ASKED DURING DINNER LATER THAT NIGHT, "the C.A.M.P is expecting an update."
Theo rolled a piece of broccoli around on his plate, picking at it, not making eye contact with his mother. "It's going," Theo said. "Trying to build a rapport with the target is proving to be a little tricky. He seems. . .wary of me, to say the least. I still don't know who his true identity is underneath the mask, but I think I'm getting close to finishing the job."
"Well, you are trying to kill Spider-Man," Veronica acknowledged jokingly, "I would hope he'd be at least a little worried."
Theo let out a huff of a laugh before spearing his fork through the broccoli floret. In an attempt to somewhat normalize the conversation, he added, "I got invited to a party this Saturday."
Veronica nodded before taking a bite of her steak. "You're not trying to build any friendships, are you? That could jeapordize the mission."
Theo paused, mulling over the question. He hasn't really bonded with anyone the month he's been at Midtown, but he figured he'd have to fake a few friendships to keep his guise as a normal teenager under control. He couldn't really consider Peter a friend just yet, with the pain in the ass that was the science project they were working on—they were lab partners at best. "I'm only going so I don't blow my cover. But I do think it would help not stick me out like a sore thumb."
Veronica eyed him, slowing the cutting movement she had on her steak. "Friendships, okay? Nothing more. I cannot have the C.A.M.P on my ass."
Theo heaved a sigh then, clamping his mouth shut and grinding hard on his teeth. Vicious humanity, the C.A.M.P counselor would spit, the one thing that couldn't shut him down and turn him into a cold-blooded killer; that little piece of purple between his red and blue. It was the exact reason he was perfect for the job, no matter how many times the counselor and his mom took a knock at him for it—a seemingly nice, new student who was a little rough around the edges but was still a little soft on the inside, like the perfect chocolate chip cookie, cooled to the right temperature.
But that wasn't what the C.A.M.P. wanted, apparently. They wanted someone ruthless, calculated, and who was capable of taking out the target without raising any red flags. Theo was two of those three things, but apparently the center was starting to have their doubts, which seemed a little strange to Theo considering he was only a month into the mission. These kinds of things took time, who knew how long this could take? The C.A.M.P.'s last successful mission took over eight months to complete and it was done by the best Robin they had before Theo came in. Spider-Man was going down.
Theo made sure of it.
It was ten minutes to the end of PE when Theo had a hunch—it wasn't the most far-fetched thought he had but there was only way to find out that what he had in mind was true.
