Did someone want Norman Osborn dead?
Ben was a little confused.
But then, he realized there were too many people who wanted Osborn dead.
Actually, Osborn was quite the unlucky fellow.
In almost every version, Osborn faced the crisis of being kicked out of his own company by the board of directors, or he'd turn into the Green Goblin, or he'd die...
Or he'd turn into the Green Goblin and then die.
It wasn't just one Norman dying; his son Harry would follow in his footsteps, becoming the second Green Goblin, and then die before Spider-Man's eyes.
Spider-Man not having a Ben was a curse.
But who could say Osborn wasn't a Ben?
Even in the 6160 Universe, which originally had no Spider-Man, Norman couldn't escape death.
"I remember Osborn has a genetic disease, rooted in a genetic defect in the Osborn family?" Ben pondered.
If that were the case, then the Little Broken Watch might be able to cure Norman and Harry.
He hardly considered the outcome of letting Norman die, even if the man might turn into the Green Goblin.
To him, Harry was his friend. The fact that Harry was willing to provide so much money, even without fully understanding the situation, just to support him, proved how loyal he was.
Though Norman had selfish motives, he also cared for him and Peter like an elder.
From any angle, Ben wouldn't let Norman and Harry pass away because of this.
As for the Green Goblin, that was outside Ben's scope of consideration.
To be honest, if Norman hadn't been kicked out of Osborn by the board of directors and the genetic defect had been resolved, it was uncertain whether the Green Goblin would have even emerged.
The true villains in this world were never just the Green Goblin or Doctor Lizard.
They appeared brutal and ferocious, but they were merely the outward manifestation of sin, the fruit borne by the tree of evil.
The true root cause was never a single supervillain, but the devils and systems that pushed them onto the path of sin.
It was like how super heroes defeated enemy after enemy, yet new enemies would still appear.
If not the Lizard Man, then there would be the Vulture, Electro, Sandman. If one Green Goblin died, there would be a Little Green Goblin... And we would always be astonished to find how similar these supervillains were—
Their research results, painstakingly developed for over a decade, were snatched away carelessly, and they were discarded like trash; the company they founded was usurped, and they, the founders, were kicked out...
Spider-Man defeated them, thinking this was victory, but he didn't realize he had never truly won.
Because new evils would still sprout from the soil of sin.
He had merely tiredly wiped away the dust from the city's surface, unaware that in those dark corners, the truly unbearable filth had already permeated the entire city, even the entire nation!
They were high above, yet spread across every patch of soil. Beneath this soil, the rotten roots always bore poisonous fruits.
Of course, Ben didn't care.
He didn't really care if Norman or Harry turned into the Green Goblin.
Who said the Green Goblin had to be a villain?
Ben mused.
In some universes, the Green Goblin could even be a superhero.
Of course, he didn't immediately offer to cure Norman Osborn.
He couldn't reveal the secret of the Little Broken Watch yet. The treatment could wait until the laboratory was set up, using the experimental equipment as a cover. Instead, the internal problems of Osborn Corporation were what needed to be resolved most urgently.
Norman didn't stay long. After taking a phone call, he got into a Rolls Royce with a grim expression and left.
Harry interrupted Ben's thoughts with an apologetic look.
"Sorry, Benny, I didn't mean for my dad to find out."
"It's okay, at least the result is good." Ben wouldn't blame him. "The money has arrived now, so we can start preparing the laboratory."
"I really don't know why Dad didn't just let us use the Osborn Corporation's lab. Their equipment is top-notch," Harry complained.
"If we really borrowed Osborn's equipment, then who would the inventions we create belong to?" Ben countered. "I doubt the board members would pass up any opportunity to make a fortune, would they?"
"You're right."
Harry nodded, then raised another question.
"When are we going to tell Peter about this?"
—
Peter walked into Osborn Tower.
To his surprise, the usually bustling tower was deserted today, even the front desk was empty.
Yet, the main entrance was wide open.
The empty central hall made Peter feel a bit uneasy. He jumped over the security scanner and headed towards Connors' laboratory.
"Doctor Connors, are you there?"
He shouted, his voice echoing down the corridor, but there was no response. Peter subconsciously tightened his grip on his backpack straps. He was a bit on edge, but what reassured him was that his "Peter Tingle" hadn't activated.
"At least I don't have to worry about a giant lizard jumping out and tearing me to shreds."
After muttering to himself, Peter found himself at Connors's office.
He pushed the door open and walked in.
The inside was a mess.
He froze for a moment.
A week ago, he had been here with Dr. Connors, working out equations. Everything had been neat and orderly then, but now?
Test tubes filled with chemical reagents were shattered on the floor, and the precise instruments in the lab were gone. It looked like the place had been ransacked, as if after a robbery, with only the tables left behind.
"Dr. Connors?"
A bad feeling suddenly welled up in Peter's heart.
He continued walking further in. At this moment, a shadow appeared in the dark corner of the lab.
Peter immediately became alert.
"Peter?"
It was Connors.
Except today, Connors wasn't wearing his usual white lab coat.
Peter breathed a sigh of relief.
"Doctor, what is this place...?"
Connors was surprised by Peter's appearance, but he didn't show any abnormality. "I gave everyone a week off."
He greatly admired Peter's intelligence.
However, he found Peter's frail body quite pathetic.
(Spider-Man: You saying that again?)
Peter didn't suspect anything and, more importantly, didn't forget his purpose: "Doctor, I want to know, how do predators usually find reptiles?"
Connors seemed to hear a joke, finding it both amusing and somewhat infuriating:
"Predators? Hmph,"
"There are no predators. Reptiles are at the top of the food chain; they are the rulers!"
"But shouldn't they have weaknesses?"
Peter was still persistent, but his questioning drew Connors's suspicion. He turned his head, looking at Peter with a serious gaze. Under the dim light, his skin seemed to glow green.
"Why are you asking this, Parker?"
He asked coldly.
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