Norman Osborn had always carried ambition in his veins. Ever since the moment he became the Green Goblin, he had longed to seize the throne of "New York's King of Crime."
A simple wish, on paper.
But this filthy city was a nest of lunatics and monsters—every one of them hungry for the same crown.
Even after injecting himself with his own company's Human Enhancement Serum, Norman still couldn't crush his rivals.
For a while, he believed that perhaps this desire was something he could take with him to the afterlife…
if God ever allowed him to pass through that gate.
That belief shattered the day Loki, the Trickster God clad in divine arrogance, descended before him. Loki proposed a loose alliance—nothing binding, everything opportunistic. Yet to Osborn, it was salvation, and he accepted instantly.
And indeed, the evil god did not disappoint.
By Loki's charisma alone, countless supervillains gathered.
Under Loki's strategies, the alliance crushed the heroes again and again—so thoroughly that even the Avengers began doubting their purpose.
But instead of joy, Osborn felt dread tightening like a noose.
The more dazzling Loki became, the more unreachable Osborn's dream felt.
Just when he thought hope had abandoned him once more—
Loki, the mighty God of Mischief, was defeated in a single heartbeat.
His own brother subdued him and delivered him to a mysterious magus—an outsider whose existence bent the rules of this world.
Leaderless, the villains drifted—yet for Norman Osborn, it was the return of destiny.
"Gentlemen!" he declared, opening his arms like a mad prophet. "The God of Mischief will surely return in triumph. If we disperse now, it will be a disgrace—an insult! Are we so helpless without Loki's shadow?"
"Think of our victories! We fought side-by-side as if guided by a singular will!"
He pointed sharply at Sandman. "Flint! Tell them how Spider-Man bullied you before!"
Sandman's face darkened. "That clown knocked me straight into the ocean. Couldn't even hit back."
"Exactly." Green Goblin leaned forward. "And now?"
"Now?" Sandman grinned, chest swelling. "Now I'm unstoppable."
Osborn laughed with manic delight before turning to Doctor Octopus. "Otto, tell them. Do you still want to rot in that stinking sewer?"
"Absolutely not," Doc Ock replied, lifting himself on his metal limbs with disdain.
Osborn spread his arms like a conductor. "Then let's begin! Tonight—this city becomes our battlefield! Our carnival!"
He expected applause. Cheers. Violence.
Instead, the room froze.
Just confused stares.
Silence.
Erica crossed her arms with a smirk. "Come on, Green Goblin. Your speech was amazing—but unfortunately… it only inspired you."
"You—what does that mean?!" Norman roared, humiliation burning his face. How dare these fools disrespect him?
Then Dr. Lizard spoke, calm and cold as a winter lake.
"I follow Loki not because he leads us to victory… but because he funds my research. Unrestricted. Unlimited."
"That's right." Doctor Octopus nodded with amusement. "Research costs money, Osborn. So tell me—can the Green Goblin provide me with a cutting-edge laboratory worthy of my genius?"
Erica chimed in, "As a top assassin, my daily expenses are considerable."
"Alright, alright—I'm not exactly strapped for cash," Electro added, fingertips crackling with static as energy pulsed under his pale blue skin. "But Loki gave me respect… and followers beyond counting."
Seeing everyone state their demands so bluntly, the Green Goblin felt an unexpected pang of defeat. It wasn't that he lacked money, but these people were all top-tier supervillains. If he funded them openly with Osborn money, trails would form, suspicions would rise, and sooner or later—
his identity would be exposed.
All his cutting-edge equipment came from Osborn's funds; if the Osborn Group collapsed, his power would be slashed in half.
After all, financial power was power. Losing it would be a devastating blow.
Bullseye, noticing Goblin's crestfallen expression, hopped off the machinery, clapped him on the shoulder, and let out a mischievous laugh. "If you wanna be the boss, pal, you still need a lot of practice!"
Then he straightened up, swept his gaze around the room, and raised a hand confidently. "Listen up! Until Loki returns, I'll cover everyone's funding needs!"
"But with the boss gone and no one steering this ship, this obviously can't last forever!"
"In that case, I propose we rescue Kingpin and have him take command for now. When Loki comes back, we'll sort out the rest. How's that sound?"
Bullseye sounded righteous, even self-sacrificing. No one saw anything wrong with his proposal. Yet Norman and Erica exchanged looks of shock.
Bullseye currently controlled the American underworld. Releasing Kingpin now would be the same as handing his authority back on a silver platter. Had he gone insane?
"Why would you do that?" Norman asked, baffled. "Are you really that loyal to Kingpin?"
But Bullseye was already suffering inside.
Since Loki's disappearance, all the affairs of the American underworld had been dumped on him. He had to guard against backstabbing subordinates, negotiate with New York's officials, and deal with council members who openly disrespected him—some refusing to even let him into their offices.
He was just an assassin. What did he know about politics, diplomacy, or public relations?
Loki had left behind a massive mess, and within just a few days Bullseye had managed to turn it into complete chaos, drawing the attention of rival gangs all across the region.
If this continued, he wouldn't just lose power—
he'd lose his life.
That was why he insisted on rescuing Kingpin.
Even though he had betrayed him, as long as the God of Mischief was alive, Kingpin wouldn't dare kill him.
He could still remain a free agent, doing things his own way.
And once Loki graduated from the magic academy, Bullseye could simply climb back onto his shoulders and reclaim influence from above, using Kingpin as a stepping stone once more.
So while this looked like a selfless surrender of authority…
it was actually a calculated retreat, a way to shed the crushing burdens and save his own skin.
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