----
Inside the lab…
"Awake yet, Norman?"
Nolan stood beside the reinforced surgical table, where Norman Osborn lay shackled in magnetic restraints. His Goblin mask had already been removed.
Nolan studied him with clinical detachment.
After being taken down and hauled in for testing, Norman had been subjected to multiple blood extractions specifically to analyze the composition of the so-called Goblin Serum.
Though the substance gave him regenerative properties and immense power, Nolan suspected the serum wasn't the real catalyst. It was a conduit something else was triggering the shift into the Goblin persona.
Still, it was worth dissecting.
The way Norman flinched with every prick of the needle told Nolan all he needed to know.
The Goblin was scared.
And that fear, at last, pushed the darker persona into hiding leaving Norman Osborn, the man, to face his reality.
As Norman's pale green eyes faded back into normal brown, Nolan gave a nod to the assistant. "Pause extraction. I think Mr. Osborn is ready to talk business."
The truth was, acquiring full control of Oscorp wasn't going to be cheap. The shares were now split three ways: Nolan, Norman, and a scattering of minor shareholders. Buying the rest would require an insane amount of capital and even then, there was no guarantee he'd hit the 67% threshold needed for absolute control.
But then… Norman walked into his trap.
And with Norman's voting shares added to his own, Oscorp would be his.
"You…" Norman wheezed. His eyes locked onto Connors. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Nolan smiled. "You can call me Nolan. You already know who I am the new majority shareholder of Oscorp."
Connors didn't respond. His allegiance was clear. The man who had once signed his paychecks now meant nothing to him. He'd tolerated Norman only because he needed funding for his research.
Now, he didn't need to tolerate anything.
Nolan pulled up a chair beside Norman. "Let's talk business."
"You want my shares?" Norman barked. "Forget it. Oscorp belongs to the Osborn legacy. Always has. Always will."
Nolan shrugged. "What if I told you I could cure your genetic illness?"
Norman blinked.
Nolan had done his homework. All these so-called villains had reasons for becoming what they were. Norman was driven by a genetic disease. Connors by the loss of an arm. They weren't born evil they were men who broke under pressure.
And Nolan?
Nolan gave them the one thing no one else could:
Control.
"You're bluffing," Norman scoffed. "I'm a scientist, A genius. I created Oscorp from scratch. Enhanced my own physiology. And I still haven't solved it."
"Believe what you want," Nolan said with a grin. "But you'll see soon enough. I always show good faith."
Suddenly, Nolan's expression sharpened.
"Though I have to say… you really left a mess. You've got a tail."
---
Outside the estate...
Perched in a tree overlooking the heavily guarded estate, Peter Parker scanned the compound through his mask.
There were no tall buildings around here making web-slinging impossible. If anything went wrong, he'd be fighting on the ground.
"Is this where the Goblin's been hiding?" he whispered to himself.
After tracking the signal from one of his bugs, Peter had followed it here and to his surprise, he'd spotted someone familiar.
"…Professor Connors?"
Peter narrowed his eyes. He recognized the man walking through the courtyard deep in conversation with someone else.
Was Connors… the Goblin?
He stayed hidden in the trees, unsure. He couldn't read lips, and there was no clear audio feed.
---
Inside, Nolan sipped coffee by a window, casually watching Peter from a screen.
"Cautious little guy," he muttered. "I thought he'd come storming in by now."
Connors stood beside him, watching the monitor as well.
"Want me to go out and draw him in?" Connors asked. "If I pass by him on the road, I'm sure he'll approach me."
"Good idea," Nolan nodded. "He's tricky not because of his strength, but because certain people are watching him."
S.H.I.E.L.D. was already starting to splinter. With Hydra exposed and the agency collapsing into chaos, it wouldn't be long before everything unraveled.
And soon after?
Civil War.
Peter Parker would side with Tony Stark. That much was canon. But Nolan had his doubts that this would play out like some airport brawl between friends. According to Klaue's intel, dissent was already brewing across the superhuman community.
Even the Fantastic Four were showing signs of resistance.
"This world's not a comic book," Nolan said softly. "When the Superhuman Registration Act drops, it won't be a slap fight. It'll be war."
He folded his arms.
"I wonder who's going to get more support Cap, or Iron Man…"
---
Meanwhile, in the trees, Peter watched as Connors climbed into a car and drove away from the estate.
Without hesitation, Peter dropped from the branches and took off after the vehicle on foot, pulling off his suit along the way.
He had to know the truth.
Was his beloved mentor… the Goblin?
He moved fast faster than traffic cutting through the woods and across the pavement. When the car slowed on a bend, Peter raced ahead and planted himself on the roadside, pretending to be lost.
Connors spotted him immediately.
"Pull over," he told the driver.
The car came to a stop.
In the back seat, Connors looked at Peter in surprise and mild amusement. He outran a car. So that's the power of Spider-DNA... he thought.
"Peter?" he said aloud. "What are you doing out here?"
Peter gave him an awkward smile. "I was looking for some lab samples. Got a little turned around. You heading back to Midtown?"
"Actually, yes. Need a ride?"
"Wow, talk about perfect timing. Thanks, Professor."
Peter climbed in, trying to play it cool. But his spider sense wasn't giving him anything.
That was the downside of precognition it didn't work until danger happened.
Still, he had to know.
Was the man beside him really the Goblin?
Or something… worse?
----
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