om_main | Brian and Harry, Friday afternoon

Harry runs into Brian at an Oscorp Lecture. Neither is impressed.

Aka: Rich White Boys Being Dicks

Doug was at home going through the encrypted data, so Harry took the opportunity to show up at Oscorp for the latest lecture series. Show his face, smile, and bask in his untouchability.

Yes, I did just break into my father's office and files. No, there isn't anything you can do about it.

He hadn't heard a word from Norman, but if he had, it would've been bad; no news was always good news, in Harry's experience. Tacit approval was the only approval Norman was capable of.

And, in light of what he'd seen in Special Projects, Harry was intrigued by the lecture series itself. Electronic mimicry of the CNS, effectively--nerve-electronic hybrid chips that had potential applications all over the place. Including places Oscorp--and, it seemed, Stark Industries--would most certainly not want aired at this particular event.

Harry listened with interest to the first presentation, taking it all in and turning it over in his mind, thinking of the body armor in Special Projects all the while. Wondering. And, if he was being honest, hoping. Possibly that was why he didn't notice Brian Braddock two rows back until the break. He caught Braddock's gaze and smiled slightly, lifting his chin in a nod of acknowledgement.

Brian nodded back, neither friendly nor hostile, before glancing back down at his notes and jotting something down. He'd not expected Harry to be here, to be honest, but he supposed he could hardly complain. This was Oscorp's lecture, after all.

Which was about what Harry expected, from Brian; Betsy had clearly sucked all the charm out of the womb and left Brian with the... well, there had to be something, if he was a friend of Alice's.

Or maybe it was just the abs? Probably the abs.

Harry stood and stretched, and when he wandered by Brian's row finally, said, "I had no idea you left your basement cave for anything but class, Braddock. Working on electro-nerves down there?"

"I am working on some experiments premised on the multiple worlds theory," Brian replied, looking back from what he had been writing. "The technology being discussed here is more a means to an end, to me, than an end in itself. Do you often attend the lectures offered by Oscorp?"

Frankly, Brian rather doubted it.

Harry bit back a smart remark about all technology being a means to an end, especially at Oscorp, and managed to keep it to just the faintest of smirks creeping through instead. "The mind boggles at the possibilities." Or your unwillingness to share anything remotely resembling one. But who's counting? "I don't know if I've been home long enough to consider it 'often', but when there's something I'm interested in, I turn up.

"It's good to make sure they don't forget my face, anyhow." And that it'll be the one in charge before long...

"I sincerely doubt they would do that." Not given Harry's media profile and his family's ownership of the company.

Harry couldn't tell if the big lug was trying to double down on his irony or if he'd actually missed it. His eyebrows disappeared under his perfectly manicured bangs. "Yyyyeah, you might be right there. I like my hand on the wheel, all the same, when I can get it.

"Care to share how this particular research relates to multiple-world theory, or is it on the downlow for the moment?" Scientist, academics, and their inherent belief they could keep a secret... it was cute, really.

"Would you understand it?" Brian asked, his voice politely curious, as though it were a genuine question.

Harry barked out a sudden, nearly silent laugh, eyes full of genuine amusement. "Boy, you are a charmer.

"Yeah, man; you've got no reason to know this, but we Osborns got to be upstart new money by being actually smart." Plus, with Harry's mutation, there was very, very little he couldn't grasp these days... in fact, he'd yet to run into any such thing. "I'm not just a pretty face in Prada. I'm just drawn that way.

"But keep your secrets, if you want. I know how you academics get."

"Several individuals know of my research. Everything essential is patented," Brian said calmly, ignoring Harry's dig. "If I am to breach the barrier between worlds, I can hardly send myself, can I?"

Oh, but I'm starting to wish you would, Harry thought, with absolutely zero ire behind it. "Like shooting a monkey into space, but without bringing PETA to your doorstep.

"Why not just something like the Mars Rover, with decent sensors? Stark makes them by the bucket-load."

Brian shrugged, as though the answer were obvious. "I need something more durable, don't I? After all, until someone breaches the barrier, no one can know what is on the other side. Space, on the other hand, has been studied for millenia."

Harry wasn't totally sure that logic was sound, from an R&D perspective, but Braddock had the time, money, and intelligence (of a kind) to do it, so, hey. Whatever made him happy. "Fair enough.

"Is it university-related, or outside research? Oscorp's done a lot of work with that kind of thing, lately" --not that they'll admit to the really good shit-- "so if you wanted to talk to Dr. Panchal or something..." He let the offer hang there.

"It is university and think-tank funded, though I appreciate the offer," Brian said, genuine for perhaps the first time during their conversation.

Harry nodded. "I like the idea of Oscorp being open to our community, especially, for research needs. Tam's been working here sometimes; if you know anyone else at the school who might benefit, send them my way, Mr. Teaching Assistant."

"I will keep my eyes open," Brian promised. "Have you made this offer to Lydia Martin or her young assistant? I believe they are involved in some promising genetics research that might have medical application."

Yes. Brian Braddock owned stock in Oscorp. He owend stock in Stark Industries, as well. It would benefit him for Lydia's research to bear medical fruit. Beyond that, however, he truly believed in the healing properties that might be discovered, and made available.

"I had no idea our intrepid PR and Math whiz had medical research on the brain, too. Will wonders never cease, with the women of Xavier's." Harry looked and sounded genuinely impressed. "I'll mention it. Who's the young assistant?"

"Miss Scully, I believe."

Harry smirked. "Riiiiight, the one who looks at me like she's wanting to stick dissecting pins in all my major organs and see what makes me tick. I shoulda known.

"I'll talk to her."

Brian hardly knew Dana Scully well enough to know how she might look at Harry Osborn, so he simply nodded.

Harry smirked again. "I'm not even sure how it is you're looking at me, Braddock. At least with her, I can tell."

"I am not looking at you in any particular manner," Brian assured Harry primly. Not strictly true. He was looking at him as though he was the boy Alice was choosing to spend a great deal of time with, to date. No reason to bring that up, however. "Simply as an acquaintance."

"A student, even," Harry suggested, ever-so-helpfully. He knew better; no one just looked at him as 'an acquaintance', possibly even less than anyone ever looked at Brian Braddock as such. They were their names, they were their families, they were what anyone made them.

"Indeed," Brian said, voice mild.

"Well, professor," Harry said cheerfully. He wasn't sure how much more of Braddock he could really handle before the sheer dullness made him want to throw himself down the elevator shaft. "On that note, we probably both have studies to get back to. Let me know how you get on with the robots, though, huh?"

"Mmm." Brian made another note on his pad of paper. "As always, Harry, a pleasure to speak with you."

Like a professor dismissing his class, all right. "Isn't it just?" Harry smirked, tossed off a mock-wave, and wandered away. Maybe he'd stop and say hello to Menken, just to be smug...