"My identity doesn't matter," Kurogai said coolly, his tone carrying the weight of absolute certainty. "Unfortunately, you're not the one I'm looking for, and nothing you possess is of any value to me."
Norman Osborn's lips curled into a deranged grin. "Really? I don't think your identity matters either—because the identity of a dead man means nothing!"
With a flick of his wrist, a small, disc-shaped weapon appeared in his hand. The edges shimmered with a green phosphorescent glow as he hurled it at Kurogai. Midair, the device unfolded into a razor-edged blade, spinning at incredible speed. It was a prototype from Oscorp Industries, coated in a neurotoxin so potent that even a scratch would be lethal.
But before the blade could touch him, Kurogai's eyes faintly glowed, and the space around the weapon distorted. The disc froze midflight, suspended in the air like it had struck an invisible wall, before clattering harmlessly to the floor.
Kurogai sighed, looking mildly disappointed. "Don't look for death, Norman Osborn."
He didn't even move from his spot, only glancing at the Green Goblin as though observing a bothersome insect. A small-time villain like Osborn didn't even register as a threat. For now, Kurogai wasn't interested in killing him—Osborn might still serve a purpose in the future. But if he insisted on testing his patience, Kurogai wouldn't hesitate to end it.
"Looking for death?" Norman laughed, madness flashing in his eyes. "Let's see if you've got what it takes to make me die!"
The green light in his eyes intensified as his personality fully gave way to the Green Goblin. His laughter echoed in the sterile lab, a manic symphony of insanity. He knew the earlier weapon had failed, but that only meant he would escalate. He couldn't allow anyone who knew his secret identity to live.
From a hidden compartment on his glider belt, he pulled out a small, spherical device glowing an ominous green—the Pumpkin Bomb. It was the Goblin's signature weapon, notorious for its devastating power. Even Venom had once been disintegrated by a blast from one of these.
Osborn hurled the bomb toward Kurogai, shouting, "Let's see how you handle this!"
The explosion came a second later—a violent detonation that consumed the entire lab. A blinding flash of green and orange light erupted, melting steel beams and glass panels. The resulting shockwave shattered every screen, data drive, and vial of experimental serum in the room. The lab's once pristine white walls were now charred black.
Smoke filled the air. The temperature spiked to unbearable levels, and a burning chemical stench clung to everything. The last of the strengthening potions—Osborn's years of work—was reduced to ash.
Standing amidst the destruction, Norman Osborn smirked triumphantly. "I win," he muttered, wiping the soot from his cheek. "Even if you had strange powers like that damn Spider-Man, you're still human. And the dead can't fight back."
He turned to leave, satisfied that his secret was safe once more.
But before he could take another step, a faint, crimson glow shimmered within the smoke. The air seemed to hum with power.
"I didn't nod," a calm voice said from the haze, "so who told you that you won?"
Norman froze. His blood ran cold.
A thin beam of red light shot out from the smoke, faster than thought, piercing straight through his chest. The energy vaporized flesh and bone on impact, leaving a smoking hole where his heart had been.
Osborn's eyes widened in disbelief. His glider fell from his back as his strength left him. "You…" he gasped, choking on his own blood, "what… are you?"
Kurogai stepped forward from the fading smoke, his black coat billowing lightly in the heated air. His expression remained indifferent, his eyes glowing faintly with cosmic light from the Space Stone embedded within him.
"I gave you a chance," he said simply. "You wasted it."
Osborn's lips trembled as he tried to speak again, but no sound came. He collapsed to the scorched floor, eyes frozen in disbelief as the life faded from them.
Kurogai exhaled slowly, brushing dust from his sleeve. "Wasted enough time," he muttered, glancing at the ruined lab. "Let's clean this up and move on."
The destruction didn't concern him. What did concern him was the attention this explosion would attract. He could already sense faint ripples in the mystic energy of the world—the Ancient One must have felt his use of the Space Stone. That meant others might soon act as well. Staying in one place for too long was a luxury he couldn't afford.
He looked up at the ceiling, where cracks in the concrete revealed faint glimpses of the night sky. "Because of that little gem, everyone's getting restless," he murmured. "I can't waste time on distractions."
With a thought, Kurogai raised his hand. The air shimmered, and a blue space portal opened beside him—its edges glowing with the brilliance of the cosmos. Without hesitation, he stepped through.
The portal closed behind him with a soft hum, leaving the lab in eerie silence.
Moments later, alarms blared throughout the Oscorp building. Scientists and security personnel flooded the hallways, shouting orders, searching for survivors, and trying to understand what had just happened. They found Norman Osborn's body among the wreckage—but no trace of his attacker. Panic spread quickly, and within minutes, the building descended into chaos.
Far from the burning ruin of Oscorp, Kurogai reappeared in another laboratory, this one darker and more secluded. The faint glow of computer monitors illuminated his face as he surveyed the new environment.
"Next target," he said quietly, eyes narrowing. "Let's not waste another second."
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Milestone
100 Power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter.
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