Chapter 348: Is the Hobgoblin an Osborn?
A red figure was crawling along the windowpane.
"Peter, the Vulture's location is three kilometers away from you," Gaia reminded him.
"Got it, thanks. But right now, we have something more pressing to deal with." Peter didn't immediately go to capture the Vulture. Instead, he chose to continue his reconnaissance of Oscorp Industries.
Instinct was telling Peter that something was wrong with Oscorp—something big. From Richard's diary, it was clear that Oscorp had once been obsessed with researching anti-aging genes. Although Richard and Mary were gone, Oscorp had undoubtedly continued their research in secret.
"What is the Vulture doing right now?" Peter asked.
The Spider-Drones could do more than just track a location; they could eavesdrop and monitor conversations. Gaia immediately played the audio from the Vulture's current hideout.
"Basically, no one wants to work with us anymore."
"Yeah, they're all afraid of being snatched by Spider-Man during a deal. Heh..."
"Let's put things on hold for now. We'll wait until the heat dies down before continuing the plan."
"Fine."
Then came a clicking sound. The visuals showed the Vulture's flight suit being placed into a storage crate.
"It looks like they aren't an immediate threat," Peter said, feeling relieved. If the Vulture had been planning to terrorize the city or deal weapons, he would have had to intervene. Since they were laying low, he didn't need to rush.
"Understood, Peter. Should I hack into Oscorp's internal systems to see what secrets they're hiding?" Gaia asked.
"Cool—give it a shot." Peter was intrigued. Having Gaia around made things significantly easier.
With Peter's permission, Gaia rapidly began infiltrating Oscorp's network. Meanwhile, Peter wasn't idle. He reached into the Shadow Kingdom and pulled out his father's old access card.
"Check if there's any information on my father, Richard Parker, in their database," Peter suggested.
Gaia immediately complied, diving into the personnel archives and scanning through thousands of employee files.
"I'm sorry, Peter. There is nothing," Gaia reported. Since Richard was deceased, Oscorp had likely purged his records long ago.
"I see." Peter sighed. He had hoped this would lead to more answers about his parents.
Gaia continued her search. In truth, Kingpin's previous attack had already turned Oscorp upside down. However, that raid had mostly focused on pharmaceutical research data, not genetic engineering.
"I'm sorry, Peter. I cannot find any data regarding genetic experiments," Gaia said.
"Nothing?" Peter was surprised. Gaia was an AI; the internet was her playground. If she couldn't find it, it meant either the experiments didn't exist, or Oscorp wasn't keeping the data on the network.
"Wait a second..." Peter suddenly remembered. He had been bitten by that spider at an Oscorp science exhibit. A flash of realization hit him. He pieced together the information and arrived at a bold hypothesis: the spider project was something his father had left behind in secret—something even Oscorp might not fully understand.
Wait! A terrifying thought crossed Peter's mind. What if his parents' deaths weren't an accident, but a murder?
"Osborn..." Peter felt he was getting closer to the truth. He clenched his fists. He had to find out the real cause of their deaths, and the answers were buried somewhere in this building.
"Gaia, activate Stealth Mode."
"Activated, Peter."
Peter began to blend into his surroundings. No one noticed a Spider-Man crawling along the ceiling. Looking down at the employees, he noticed the halls were much emptier than before. After Kingpin's attack, many had resigned. Oscorp's stock was plummeting, and people were losing hope. The public was already speculating whether Stark Industries or Parker Industries would eventually acquire the remains of Oscorp's pharmaceutical empire.
Peter reached an empty office and slipped into the ventilation duct. "I still prefer this route," Peter joked.
"You're a superhero, Peter. You feel more like a burglar right now," Gaia teased.
"It's called 'infiltrating enemy territory.' We have to be careful."
Gaia provided a detailed architectural map of the building, highlighting the path Peter needed to take. "I've been looking for this," Peter said gratefully.
"Good luck."
Looking at the blue holographic screen, Peter said, "We didn't get a clear look at that underground lab last time. This time, we're finishing the job."
"But Peter, if you want to go there, wouldn't it be easier to just use the Shadow Kingdom?" Gaia reminded him.
Peter stopped crawling. He analyzed Gaia's words. She's right.
The Underground Laboratory
Peter peeked out from a dark corner. Seeing no researchers nearby, he hopped down. "I felt something was off here last time," Peter noted. Why would Kingpin go through so much trouble to hack this specific database?
As he walked cautiously along the wall, he heard footsteps approaching.
"Stealth Mode," Peter whispered. He pressed himself against the wall, his suit mimicking the texture and color of the surface perfectly. A researcher in a white lab coat, clutching a folder, walked right past him.
"What's in that?" Peter decided to follow.
He tailed the researcher silently until they reached a heavy steel door. The researcher knocked, and a guard peeked through a small window. After checking the ID badge, the guard let him in.
Clang! The door shut tight.
"A massive tech giant like Oscorp is still using old-fashioned physical ID checks?" Peter muttered. He expected fingerprint scanners or retina biometrics, not a manual door.
"I understand now, Peter," Gaia said suddenly.
"Understand what?"
"The reason we couldn't find the genetic database is because it's not on the computer network. They are using physical folders to store data, including their researcher files."
"I see!" Peter realized. No wonder there was no digital footprint.
Little did he know, Oscorp had used digital databases until Tony Stark perfected JARVIS. Fearful that Stark's AI could infiltrate their secrets, Norman Osborn had ordered all sensitive genetic data to be moved to physical storage and a single, isolated supercomputer that wasn't connected to the internet.
"Luckily, we have the Shadow Kingdom." Peter opened a portal and slipped into the laboratory.
Following him, a group of Shadow Ninjas manifested in the dark hallway outside. They looked at each other and pulled out rectangular black boxes from their robes.
Inside the Lab
"So this is where they're hiding," Peter whispered, looking at the fifty or so scientists working around a massive central computer.
Every time the computer finished a calculation, the result was written down on paper, and the digital record was immediately deleted.
"Ever since Dr. Connors disappeared, progress has been agonizingly slow," one disheveled researcher grumbled.
"Yeah, and since Norman's death, Harry's leadership hasn't helped. Oscorp is in a tailspin," another replied, sighing. They were in charge of re-calculating formulas. Under Norman, things were brutal, but at least they felt they were going somewhere.
"I want to quit," one researcher whispered, gripping his pen.
"Forget it. The last guy who tried to quit is probably at the bottom of the ocean feeding the sharks."
Working for the Osborns meant losing your freedom, regardless of the high pay.
"That's... the Hobgoblin's armor!" Peter's eyes widened. On a rack against the wall sat a set of familiar yellow armor. Why was it here? Was the Hobgoblin actually an Oscorp operative?
"Peter, I need to infiltrate that computer. Can you help?" Gaia asked.
"Sure. What do I do?"
"Insert this chip into the computer." A tiny microchip popped out from the spider emblem on Peter's chest. Peter caught it and prepared to move.
Suddenly, a voice boomed through the room.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
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