With his body dressed in a lab coat, a harsh sigh fell through San's lips that had been freshly doused in lip balm to disguise their distressed chapped appearance.
"Choi?" A voice called out, jumping San out of the daze he'd been locked in all morning. "Long night, buddy? You look hungover and exhausted." The man before him was dressed in a similar coat, though his had more random stains and a tear towards the bottom. His eyes formed crescents through his thick clear-rimmed glasses when he smiled at the boy. While his hair had resorted to only staying put on the sides of his head.
"Thanks, you look great too, Doc." Continuing his tired sigh, San turned himself towards the older man. He was grinning at the boy in a cheeky manner, as if he discovered something about him due to his messy appearance.
"Why don't you clock off early, I know how nights go when you're young."
"Oh, no, Doc. I'm alright, just had a hard time getting to bed last night." After darting his hands through his black locks, he resumed with organizing the array of metal materials sitting before him on the Doctor's desk.
"Just take the time off and enjoy a break for the day," he patted San on the shoulder while his smile refused to fade, disregarding the fact that San's eyes were stuck in a glare. The younger had no choice but to oblige, arguing would just upset the Doctor, and he wouldn't do anything to jeopardize his job with the man.
He'd been working there for the past two years. Due to Spider-Man reasons, he had to drop out of college, so the idea of becoming a scientist was out of the question. A PhD was absolutely impossible for San. Dr. Octavius had known him when he was young, and in high school, San would often visit the Doctor in his lab whenever he wasn't busy with class. The two would discuss whatever Dr. Octavius was studying, and he'd help San with whatever theory he had been curious about.
When San was offered to work as a research lab assistant, he knew he'd forever be indebted to Dr. Octavius. Even if it meant listening to his strange requests, like to stop working and take the day off. Who was San to argue? The Doctor didn't even need an assistant, but he always made an effort to involve San the most he could. And San would be forever grateful for it. In addition to the constant consideration from his boss, if San had a Spider-Man problem arise, he'd never get questioned or in trouble for leaving on short notice. It was the best possible situation for a part-time superhero.
San's hands clung to his apartment keys and his long brown jacket before throwing it on over his wide set shoulders and digging his hand into his pockets, tossing his backpack over his shoulder. Opening the metal door that sealed the lab shut, the freezing air of New York seeped to his skin. The wind wasn't kind, either, and it brushed harshly against every inch of the city. The laboratory was on the roof of a building, and San proceeded to hobble down the fire-chute stairs to get to the ground.
He hadn't planned on ditching work, so his day was completely free. San began to stroll, which he never got to do much. Taking in the shivering scenery around him was almost a foreign concept, as he was typically swinging across the tops of every building.
He paused to stare at pigeons pecking against the concrete of the sidewalks. They were dumb creatures, but San found them cute. Simple minded beings that weren't haunted by the brutality of humanity, he was envious.
After watching the birds for a few long moments, he resumed his stroll. Gazing upwards at the buildings before him, his eyes began to land on the skyscraper a few blocks away.
Oscorp. A much better funded research facility, but they'd never hire someone who was a college drop-out. Oscorp was nothing but a pipe dream to San. He sighed, again, which had felt like the hundredth time that day, before he got an idea.
