"Kill Nolan Locke?"
The Sandman stared at the Green Goblin with visible hesitation. He had never planned on killing anyone, at least not yet. But before long, his eyes hardened.
"Of course."
Seeing him agree, the Green Goblin let out a chilling, raspy laugh that could make anyone's skin crawl.
"Before that, though, I have a better idea."
A mad glint flashed in his eyes. Nolan Locke was a huge problem, but there was another one he cared even more about. Instead of killing Nolan first, he wanted to deal with a certain little spider. The last thing he wanted was for Spider-Man to interfere when the time came.
Their alliance went unnoticed. Meanwhile, Peter Parker's life had sunk back into its usual chaos after graduation.
Unlike Nolan, Peter was always destined to be New York's friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Because of that, his personal life remained a disaster. He was constantly late for work and had experienced the feeling of being fired more times than he cared to count.
Above him, the giant electronic billboard continued broadcasting J. Jonah Jameson's relentless attacks. Peter had long since grown used to it, though it still annoyed him.
He also noticed something interesting. Ever since Mr. Locke publicly spoke up that day, the Daily Bugle had never again mentioned the name Nolan Locke. Clearly, Mr. Locke's warning had worked. It worked so well that Peter almost wanted to try it himself.
He restrained the thought. After all, he was Spider-Man. With great power comes great responsibility. Uncle Ben's words had stayed engraved in his heart, always pushing him forward.
"Hey, Mary Jane!"
As he walked down the street, Peter's eyes lit up. He hadn't seen Mary Jane in a long time. After the last Green Goblin attack, she had broken up with Harry Osborn and eventually moved away.
He never expected to run into her here again.
Mary Jane was pleasantly surprised to see him, though her smile quickly faded. Of course she remembered the kind and brilliant boy before her, but she was just a restaurant waitress now.
They exchanged a few words before her boss called her back inside. Peter memorized the place immediately. Mr. Locke's earlier advice had left a deep impression on him. Maybe he should try again. His future should be something he fights for, not something he lets slip away.
Over the next few days, Peter often lingered outside the restaurant when he wasn't Spider-Man. He stayed until Mary Jane finished work, then left quietly.
A few days passed. While Peter watched Mary Jane from a distance, a black shadow suddenly flashed across the sky.
"Green Goblin!"
Peter shouted.
A high-pitched, twisted laugh echoed in response.
The Green Goblin swooped down in a blur and snatched Mary Jane up in an instant.
"No!"
Peter's heart dropped. He fired a strand of web immediately. Last time, he had failed to stop the attack on Mr. Locke, and only survived because Mr. Locke had the strength to fight back.
But now, he wasn't the inexperienced Spider-Man he once was.
His webbing latched onto the Goblin's glider. Just as he prepared to leap forward, a massive figure emerged out of nowhere and threw a punch straight at him.
Peter was forced to dodge.
A thunderous boom shook the air.
Peter avoided the hit, but he also lost his chance to chase the Green Goblin. Panic surged through him. The Sandman's attack was powerful, and he wasn't afraid of anything Peter threw at him. Even Spider-Man's full strength only scattered a handful of sand.
Within moments, the Green Goblin vanished from sight. The Sandman dissolved into grains and disappeared as well.
Peter felt his body turn cold, as if he had fallen into an icy lake.
Mary Jane had been taken.
Why Mary Jane?
There was only one answer. The Green Goblin had discovered how important she was to him.
"What do I do, what do I do..."
Despair twisted his face. The next second, he bolted in the direction the Goblin had flown, hoping he could still catch up.
By this time, the Green Goblin had already dragged Mary Jane onto a bridge. Trembling with fear, she screamed uncontrollably. She had never experienced anything like this in her life.
"Shh. Don't scream. It gives me a headache."
The Goblin's cold warning silenced her instantly, though her body continued trembling. Her terror was too deep to suppress.
Moments later, a whirlwind of sand appeared and formed into the Sandman's human shape.
"Let this be Spider-Man's grave."
The two villains stood on the bridge. Traffic came to a dead stop as countless people noticed them. While few recognized the Sandman, the Green Goblin was a nightmare etched into New York's collective memory. He had fought Spider-Man multiple times, injuring plenty of civilians along the way.
This was undoubtedly a major incident.
Peter hurried through the city, but without the Goblin's flight capability, he quickly lost them. He climbed to the highest rooftop he could find and scanned the city. The Goblin wouldn't kidnap Mary Jane without a plan.
Then he spotted it. Police cars were rushing toward a bridge.
Peter leapt off the building and swung toward the bridge at full speed. He knew it had to be the Goblin's work.
Meanwhile, Nolan watched everything unfold on live television.
The Green Goblin.
Reporters had already arrived at the scene, and both the Goblin and the Sandman stood fearlessly in the open, hostages in their hands.
Nolan sighed. If it were only the Goblin, Peter could probably handle him. But with the Sandman there, something had definitely gone off script. A future Spider-Man might be able to handle both, but not the current one.
What a mess. Nolan exhaled sharply.
"Red Queen, let's wrap things up here. Quickly."
He had sensed distortions in this world. Dimensional fluctuations had appeared. That meant he might soon find a weak point in the multiverse and open a path back home.
That was good news.
He really wanted to ask the Ancient One why this was happening, but first, he needed to finish his plans for this world.
Peter finally reached the bridge.
He saw Mary Jane. And he saw the school bus filled with screaming children hanging from the same cable. Dozens of terrified kids pressed against the windows.
Mary Jane hung on the opposite end.
Clearly, the Green Goblin had given him a choice.
A cruel, impossible choice.