The evening in New York carried a charming allure, with the lingering glow of sunset draping over the bustling city like a reluctant, graceful beauty...
Harry returned home in low spirits, his head hanging as if he had suffered some tremendous blow. His usually handsome young face was now covered in a look of utter dejection.
Recently, Oscorp's stock had been plummeting. With the Green Goblin incident exposed to the public, the media backlash had been overwhelming.
People directed their anger toward Oscorp, and while a well-handled PR crisis could have mitigated the damage, Harry's father had shut himself away, seemingly indifferent to the company's struggles. He remained locked in his room, refusing to see anyone.
Leaderless, Oscorp now teetered on the brink of collapse...
Rumor had it that many shareholders on the board were secretly negotiating with Wall Street bankers, planning to dismantle and restructure the massive corporation that spanned biogenetics, energy technology, and more... for massive profits...
Aware of all this, Harry was frantic with worry. Yet, he had no way to solve Oscorp's crisis.
To make matters worse, he had just discovered that his girlfriend and his best friend, Peter, shared some ambiguous, unresolved feelings between them...
The double blow left Harry emotionally drained...
On one hand, his father's life's work (his business empire) was on the verge of crumbling...
On the other, his longtime best friend and the girl he loved were entangled in an unclear relationship...
These complicated, tangled problems left his mind in chaos.
'If only Sean were here...'
Exhausted, Harry dragged himself home.
Lately, Sean had been elusive, nowhere to be found. Even Gwen who usually spent time with him had no idea what he was up to.
Without a trusted friend to confide in, Harry could only return home in despair...
...
Meanwhile, upstairs in his bedroom, Norman Osborn clutched his head in agony...
It was as if a terrible demon whispered in his mind, murmuring incessantly.
The grotesque Goblin mask rested on a chair, like a manifestation of Norman's other self...
A sinister voice echoed in his ears:
~...Maybe Spider-Man can't be beaten, but we can destroy Peter Parker!..~
Not long ago, Norman had discovered Spider-Man's true identity... Peter Parker, his son's best friend...
"I can't do it..." The CEO of Oscorp trembled, his voice strained with torment.
~...I won't tolerate betrayal. He must be taught a lesson!..~
The voice in his head grew harsher.
After a long silence, Norman turned to the grotesque mask, "What should I do?"
~...Make him understand pain and loss. Make him suffer. Make him wish he were dead!..~
Norman knelt before the mask as if submitting to his darker self... The voice in his mind grew clearer:
~...Start with the people he cares about. That redheaded girl, Peter Parker's beloved...~
The Green Goblin's malevolent persona had taken full control, dominating Norman Osborn's consciousness. He donned the monstrous mask, unleashing the cruelty and darkness within.
"Tonight, New York belongs to me!"
.....
A cool night breeze drifted through the streets as Sean walked alongside Gwen, carrying bags of groceries...
Neon lights flickered brilliantly, their colorful glow reflecting the vibrancy of the city.
Having finished a long day, Sean had planned to head straight home, but he ran into Gwen on her way to shop.
At her invitation, he tagged along and picked up snacks, drinks, and comic books for the little girl at home. Lately, she had been well-behaved... she deserved a reward.
"My cousin from Canada is staying with me. Her parents died in a car accident, and with no other family, she had no choice but to come to me. Sending such a young child to an orphanage would have been too cruel."
Sean delivered the lie flawlessly, even allowing a hint of sorrow to flicker in his eyes as if genuinely mourning his "cousin's" tragic past.
His acting was Oscar-worthy...
"You know, I lost my parents when I was young too. Every time I see Mindy, it's like looking at my younger self." He sighed, his expression darkening as if recalling painful memories.
Gwen watched him with sympathy and admiration. Despite life's hardships, this young man hadn't strayed down a dark path. Instead, he faced everything with resilience.
'He's truly admirable!'
Seeing that Gwen had swallowed the story whole, Sean quietly exhaled in relief. Hopefully, this warm-hearted blonde wouldn't pry further into his background.
Ever since the carnival incident (where Sean had played the hero), Gwen had taken a keen interest in him.
Meanwhile, her feelings for Peter (who should have been her love interest) remained strictly platonic...
Every time Sean ran into the awkward young Spider-Man, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt for 'stealing' his girl. But given his personality, that guilt never lasted long...
"Oh, by the way, what have you been working on with Dr. Connors? I barely see you anymore." Gwen adjusted the bags of groceries and CDs in her arms, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
"Dr. Connors cracked the decay rate algorithm, but we still haven't resolved the genetic compatibility issues. That's what we've been focusing on." Sean kept his tone casual.
He had given Connors the formula precisely to leverage the scientist's expertise in completing this groundbreaking project.
Gwen gasped, covering her mouth. She hadn't expected Sean who's still just an intern to be so deeply involved in the research. For an undergrad, this was practically unheard of.
The two strolled through the lively streets, chatting about school gossip, occasionally touching on the messy love triangle between Harry, Peter, and Mary Jane.
Gradually, the cheerful atmosphere shifted into something more delicate, an unspoken tension lingering between them.
"Hey… Sean!"
Gwen suddenly called out to him, her usual vivacious demeanor replaced by a shy, almost innocent hesitation.
Even Sean who is usually unflappable paused in surprise.
Just as Gwen gathered her courage to confess her feelings, a piercing siren shattered the night. Multiple police cars tore through traffic as they sped toward the Brooklyn Bridge in the distance.
"Something's happened." Sean narrowed his eyes.
Even from here, he could make out a massive crane in operation on the bridge... and a school bus dangling precariously over the edge.
In the dim night sky, a figure swooped erratically, tiny flashes of light flickering.
'The Green Goblin...' A faint smirk curled at Sean's lips.
As he took in the scene of the school bus suspended perilously over the bridge, he could guess what was coming...
'The show's about to start, isn't it?'