Could someone actually want Norman Osborn dead?
Bant hesitated for a moment.
Then it hit him—there were far too many people who wanted Osborn gone.
In truth, Norman Osborn had always been a walking disaster magnet.
Across nearly every version of him, the man was either on the verge of being kicked out of his own company, turning into the Green Goblin, dying…or turning into the Green Goblin and then dying.
And when Norman finally bit it, that wasn't the end. His son Harry would leap up to take his place, become the second-generation Goblin, and then die horribly in front of Spider-Man.
A Spider-Man without a Ben Parker was cursed.
But who could say… Norman Osborn wasn't his own kind of "Ben"?
Even in Universe 6160—where Spider-Man didn't originally exist—Norman still couldn't escape the noose of fate.
"I remember Osborn had a genetic disease," Bant murmured, thinking it through. "A hereditary defect passed down through the family?"
If that was the case, then the Little Broken Watch might actually be able to cure both Norman and Harry.
Letting Norman die had never once crossed his mind—even if the man might eventually become the Green Goblin.
To him, Harry was a friend. The kind of friend who would throw ridiculous amounts of money behind something he didn't even understand, just because Bant asked. Loyalty like that wasn't something you could fake.
Norman, for all his scheming, treated him and Peter like genuine juniors he cared about.
From any angle, Bant wasn't about to let Norman or Harry die.
As for the Green Goblin?That wasn't something he cared to consider.
Honestly, if Norman wasn't forced out of Oscorp and his genetic curse was removed, whether the Green Goblin would even exist was up in the air.
Because the real villains of this world were never just the Goblin or the Lizard.
They looked brutal, monstrous—but that was only the visible fruit, the surface-level symptoms of deeper rot.
The true roots of evil had never been a single supervillain. They were the devils and systems that nudged them onto that path.
Heroes defeated enemy after enemy, but new threats always rose in their place.
No Lizard? Then a Vulture.No Vulture? Then an Electro, a Sandman.Kill one Green Goblin? Another would take his place.
And disturbingly often, all these villains shared the same tragic script:
Decades of research stripped away like trash.The company they built stolen out from under them.Founders exiled from their own creation…
Spider-Man beat them down, thinking that meant victory.But he never really won.
Because the soil of the world itself kept breeding new monsters.
He tirelessly wiped the dust off the city's surface, never realizing that in its darkest corners, the real stench had already seeped into the entire city—into the entire country.
Those above were everywhere, poisoning every layer of the earth. And from the rotted roots buried beneath, new poisonous fruit would always grow.
Of course, Bant didn't care.
He didn't obsess over whether Norman or Harry would turn into Goblins.
Who said a Green Goblin had to be a villain?
The thought flickered through Bant's mind.
In some universes, the Goblin might even be a hero.
But naturally, he didn't immediately suggest treating Norman's condition.
He couldn't expose the Little Broken Watch yet. Treatment would have to wait until the lab was built—he could hide the process behind formal equipment. Oscorp's internal issue was the real problem that needed fixing first.
Norman didn't stay long. After taking a phone call, he left with a stormy expression, climbing into his Rolls-Royce and speeding away.
Harry, looking guilty, broke Bant's train of thought.
"Sorry, Bant… I didn't mean for my dad to find out."
"It's fine. At least the outcome is good," Bant said calmly. "Now that the funds cleared, we can start preparing the lab."
"I really don't get why Dad didn't just let us use Oscorp's labs. Their equipment is top-tier," Harry grumbled.
"If we used Oscorp's instruments, who would the inventions belong to?" Bant asked. "Do you think the board would pass up a chance to profit?"
Harry blinked, then nodded. "Fair point."
A moment later, he raised another question.
"So… when are we telling Peter?"
—
Peter stepped into Oscorp Tower.
Something felt wrong immediately.
The usually bustling building was completely deserted. Not a single employee in sight. Even the reception desk was empty.
Yet the main doors had been wide open.
The hollow silence of the atrium sent a chill up Peter's spine. He hopped over the security scanners and headed toward Dr. Connors' lab.
"Dr. Connors? Are you here?"
His voice echoed down the corridor—no reply.
Peter tightened his grip on his backpack. His nerves were taut, but at least…
His Peter-Tingle wasn't buzzing.
"Well… at least I don't have to worry about a giant lizard jumping out to tear me apart."
Muttering to himself, he reached Connors' office.
He pushed the door open—
And froze.
The place was a wreck.
Just a week ago, he and Connors had been chalking out equations here. Everything had been neat, organized. Now?
Shattered test tubes littered the floor.Every precision instrument was gone.The whole lab looked like it had been looted—if the thieves had left anything heavier than a desk, it was a miracle.
"Dr. Connors?"
A heavy dread crept into Peter's chest.
He stepped deeper into the room—
A shadow moved in the dark corner.
Peter tensed instantly.
"Peter?"
It was Connors.
Only… he wasn't wearing his usual white lab coat.
Peter let out a breath. "Doctor, what happened here…?"
Connors seemed surprised Peter had shown up, but he didn't look alarmed."I gave everyone a week off."
He truly admired Peter's brilliance.
But his frail little body?Pitiful.
(Spider-Man: "Say that again?")
Peter didn't doubt him and quickly returned to his reason for coming.
"Doctor, I wanted to ask—how do predators usually track reptiles?"
Connors reacted as if Peter had told a joke—one that annoyed him as much as it amused.
"Predators? Hmph."
"There are no predators. Reptiles are apex creatures. They sit at the top of the food chain—they are the true rulers."
"But they must have weaknesses, right?"
Peter pressed on, and that persistence finally raised Connors' suspicion. He turned sharply, eyes narrowing. Under the dim light, his skin seemed to shimmer with a faint green sheen.
"Why are you asking that, Parker?"
His voice went cold.
/-\
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