Marvel Spider-Man: Web of the Multiverse
Chapter 71: The Two Spiders Meet, A Test of Strength
Night never truly fell over New York.
Neon signs and giant screens bathed the streets in layers of color.
The taillights of countless vehicles merged into intersecting rivers of light flowing through the city.
High above the bustling streets, two figures swung leisurely through the air.
Andrew Spider-Man was not wearing his mask as he normally did.
He wore only his Spider-Man suit, allowing the high-altitude wind to sweep his brown hair back as a blissful smile spread across his face.
His left arm was wrapped tightly around the waist of Gwen Stacy (played by Emma Stone), while his right hand continuously fired webs.
Together, they traced one smooth arc after another between Manhattan's skyscrapers.
Gwen's blonde hair whipped through the air as she clung tightly to Andrew Spider-Man's neck with both arms.
Whenever they reached the lowest point of a swing, she let out a cry somewhere between a scream and a laugh.
"That's enough! Put me down!"
Gwen shouted over the roaring wind.
"As you wish! Hold on tight. We're coming in for a landing!"
Andrew Spider-Man laughed, flipped through the air, and carried Gwen to a smooth landing on the platform at the top of a clock tower.
Among all the Spider-Men across the Parallel Universes, Andrew Spider-Man was undoubtedly one of the most romantic.
He had revealed his identity to Gwen early on, not because she had discovered it, but because he had not wanted to hide anything from her when he confessed his feelings.
Suddenly...
A strange sensation stirred in Andrew Spider-Man's mind.
It was his Spider-Sense, but not the sharp warning that signaled danger.
This was a deeper kind of resonance.
Andrew Spider-Man abruptly turned his head to the right.
His pupils contracted slightly, as though he had seen something impossible.
On the outer wall of the building across from him, a boy of about seventeen stood on a concrete ledge no wider than half a palm.
He wore a tracksuit and had both hands casually tucked into its pockets. He stood dozens of stories above the ground, with the wind howling around him and the cars below reduced to tiny specks.
Yet his expression was as calm as though he were waiting at a bus stop.
Andrew Spider-Man's Spider-Sense grew even stronger.
He had never experienced anything like it before, leaving him both intrigued and confused.
He stared at the boy with only one thought in mind.
Even an extreme sports fanatic could not possibly look that calm while standing in a place like that.
The boy looked as relaxed as though he were standing on his own balcony.
"What's wrong?"
Gwen followed Andrew Spider-Man's gaze and clenched her hands in surprise.
Andrew Spider-Man did not answer. He gently pulled Gwen behind him.
"Wait here. I'll be right back."
"Remember, don't go anywhere."
The moment he finished speaking, Andrew Spider-Man leaped from the platform, fired a web toward the opposite building, and swung over as quickly as he could.
What he never expected was for the mysterious boy to also fire a web from his wrist, leap from the wall, and swing through the air in an arc.
Their movements were almost perfectly identical, as though they had been cast from the same mold.
From the clock tower platform, Gwen stared at them in disbelief, wondering whether her eyes were playing tricks on her.
Oh my God...
Those were clearly two identical Spider-Men!
What was going on?
...
Peter led Andrew Spider-Man across two city blocks before landing on the rooftop of an apartment building.
One second later, Andrew Spider-Man landed behind him. He slowly straightened, his expression wary and tense.
"Who exactly are you?" Andrew Spider-Man stared at Peter while flexing his wrists. "And why can you shoot webs too?"
"You still haven't figured it out?" Peter shrugged. "Or are you wondering why I'm not wearing my suit?"
Peter pulled down the zipper of his tracksuit slightly.
The metallic gleam of the Iron Spider suit underneath made Andrew Spider-Man's pupils contract once again.
"So you really are Spider-Man too!"
Andrew Spider-Man visibly relaxed.
"Dude, were you bitten by a Mutated Spider too? And why does your suit look so high-tech? Don't tell me you built that yourself."
"I couldn't build a high-tech suit like this, but now isn't the time to discuss suit design."
Peter stepped back twice, lowered his center of gravity, and assumed a standard fighting stance.
"You haven't been Spider-Man for long, have you? Attack me however you want. I need to test your strength."
Andrew froze for a moment, then raised both hands with his palms facing outward in a placating gesture.
"Hey, man, are you sure about this? I mean... it'd be pretty bad if I accidentally hurt you."
Peter could understand Andrew Spider-Man's excessive confidence.
After all, Andrew Spider-Man had only been Spider-Man for a week. He had almost no combat experience and no understanding of how dangerous the world could truly be.
As a Spider-Man who had traveled across dimensions, Peter felt obligated to make him realize that.
Besides, Peter needed a clear understanding of Andrew Spider-Man's abilities before he could decide on his next move.
"Is that so? Then go ahead and try. If you manage to hurt me, I'll tell you a secret about your father."
His father?
Andrew Spider-Man froze at the word.
The expression on his face slowly became serious.
"You'd better not be joking."
"I'm not."
Peter shook his head.
"All right. Here I come!"
The moment the words left Andrew Spider-Man's mouth, he burst forward and charged at Peter.
As he sprinted, Andrew Spider-Man repeatedly raised his hands and fired webs.
Peter merely shifted his body from side to side, avoiding every strand with the smallest possible movements.
Taking advantage of the opening, Andrew Spider-Man fired a web onto the water tower behind Peter.
He used the web's elasticity to build momentum, then launched himself toward Peter with a flying kick.
To learn the secret about his father, Andrew Spider-Man held nothing back.
Of course, he remained ready to pull his strength at any moment in case something went wrong.
But Peter met Andrew Spider-Man's full-force flying kick with nothing more than his raised right forearm.
Thud!
A dull impact echoed across the rooftop as their bodies collided.
Peter's body merely swayed.
Andrew Spider-Man felt as though he had kicked a wall of solid steel. A crushing sense of powerlessness immediately filled him.
He quickly retreated to a safe distance, unable to keep himself from muttering inwardly.
'My God! How is this guy so much stronger than me?'
'We're both Spider-Men. What makes him special?
Chapter 72: Spider-Man's Special Training, Rematch with The Lizard
"We're not done yet. Keep going."
Andrew Spider-Man decided to try a different approach.
He lowered his center of gravity and charged straight at Peter, feinting with his left fist before throwing a right at Peter's face. It was his smoothest close-range combination.
Peter tilted his head aside to avoid the left fist, then caught Andrew Spider-Man's right fist in his hand.
It was like an adult catching a rubber ball thrown by a child.
Andrew Spider-Man tried to pull his hand free, only to find that he could not.
That overwhelming difference in strength again.
"Good reflexes. Your senses are sharp too."
Peter released his fist.
"But you rely too heavily on instinct. Every one of your attacks is far too easy to predict."
Andrew Spider-Man finally became completely serious.
He fired webs from both hands, weaving them into a net in midair that descended over Peter.
At the same time, he circled around behind Peter and drove his right fist toward the back of Peter's head.
But Peter vanished.
A hand descended from above, five fingers pressing down on Andrew Spider-Man's shoulder.
An irresistible force drove Andrew Spider-Man to the cold stone rooftop, pinning him against the ground.
"All right, you never actually wanted to fight me." Andrew Spider-Man lay on the ground and spread his arms. "You wanted to show me the right way to fight."
"Congratulations, you got it. Your fundamentals are good, but instinct alone isn't enough. You need to learn how to use your head in a fight."
Peter pulled Andrew Spider-Man to his feet.
"And when it comes to protecting Gwen Stacy, romance alone isn't enough. You need to be strong enough too."
"So you need some special training."
Special training?
Andrew Spider-Man's head was still spinning.
"All right. You've clearly been Spider-Man longer than I have, so I'll follow your lead."
The two Spider-Men began their acquaintance in this rather unusual way.
Afterward, Peter explained where he had come from.
When Andrew Spider-Man learned that the Multiverse existed, he became visibly excited and began muttering about finding a chance to visit other universes.
"Don't worry, you'll definitely get the chance. Just give it a few years."
Peter thought of the classic moment in the MCU when Tom Holland's Spider-Man summoned Tobey Spider-Man and Andrew Spider-Man. He could not resist giving away a tiny spoiler.
"Really? That's awesome!"
Andrew Spider-Man grinned.
But his smile quickly faded.
"Can you tell me now? What exactly is the secret about my father?"
Seeing the unease on Andrew Spider-Man's face, Peter told him what he knew about Richard Parker.
"Your father isn't dead. Richard Parker was once Oscorp's leading genetic engineering researcher. He worked for Norman Osborn for many years, until he discovered Norman's true objective."
"To protect you, your father faked his death and deceived Norman Osborn."
By the time Peter finished, Andrew Spider-Man's eyes were completely red.
He opened his mouth, closed it again, and repeated the motion several times before finally managing to speak.
"He... Where is he now?"
"I don't know. Maybe once we deal with the crisis Norman Osborn has created, he'll come back to see you."
Peter looked up at the sky as he voiced his guess.
"I understand." Andrew Spider-Man wiped his eyes and looked at Peter with determination. "Tell me what I need to do."
"That's the look I wanted to see." Peter dusted off his hands.
"First, take your Gwen home. Then come back and find me."
...
Gwen Stacy had been in a bad mood lately.
Peter Parker had been nearly impossible to find. He had even stopped attending class and disappeared for the entire day.
Worse still, on the rare occasions when she did see Peter Parker, his face was always covered in bruises. Yet he seemed unusually cheerful, so it did not look as though he was simply being beaten up.
This continued for three full days before the bruises on Peter Parker's face finally began to fade.
Even then, he remained extremely busy, though Gwen had no idea what he was doing.
Meanwhile, in the sewers beneath New York City, Curt Connors stood before a laboratory bench, his body covered in mud and filth. It was impossible to tell how many days it had been since he last bathed.
Half of his face was human. The other half resembled a lizard.
"Peter Parker."
He repeated the name over and over, as though speaking to someone who was not there.
"You don't understand. You have no idea what you're trying to stop!"
"A new era is coming. There will be no disease, no death, and everyone will possess incredible power."
"And I will be the one who ushers in that new era!"
As he muttered to himself, Curt Connors injected vial after vial of fluorescent green serum into his severed arm.
Just then, a chat window appeared on the computer screen beside him.
The username was a string of garbled characters, while the avatar depicted a Green Goblin.
However, tracing the IP address would reveal that the anonymous user was connected to Oscorp.
The latest message contained an extremely complex chemical formula.
A single sentence had been added at the end.
"Lizard, I look forward to witnessing your final evolution."
The anonymous user's Green Goblin avatar turned gray, indicating that the connection had been severed.
Curt Connors studied the chemical formula, then began preparing it as quickly as possible.
Soon, he had produced a vial of serum in an even deeper shade of green.
Without hesitation, he plunged the needle into his carotid artery and pushed the plunger all the way down.
ROAR!
Curt Connors unleashed the roar of a savage beast as a massive tail extended from behind him.
Thick scales erupted across his skin, ripping his clothes apart.
In a matter of seconds, Curt Connors grew from 1.8 meters tall to a towering three meters.
Enormous muscles that looked carved from stone covered his entire body, granting him terrifying strength comparable to Rhino.
The fully transformed Lizard had been born.
"Spider-Man!"
The Lizard roared and plunged into the murky sewer water, swimming toward Midtown High School.
...
At noon, the bell rang at Midtown High School.
Students and teachers emerged from their classrooms with relaxed expressions, ready to head to the cafeteria for lunch.
In a first-floor restroom, two students lit cigarettes and took turns blowing clouds of smoke.
Before long, one of them frowned and turned to the other.
"Do you hear that weird noise?"
The other student listened carefully. Sure enough, a strange rustling sound was coming from the final stall.
The two slowly approached and cautiously opened the stall door.
The next second, as they stared in absolute horror, a sickly green hand burst out of the toilet and shattered the entire bowl.
...
Chapter 73: The Blood of Spider-Man
The two incredibly unlucky students stared at the lizard monster that had emerged from beneath the floor, too terrified even to scream.
Their mouths hung open as they gazed at it in horror.
It was the primal fear inspired by a creature higher on the food chain.
It was like standing face-to-face with a dinosaur.
The Lizard, however, had no interest in these ordinary people.
He had only one target: Andrew Spider-Man.
He stepped out of the restroom and casually swung an arm, smashing through the brick wall as though it were made of cardboard.
Striding over broken bricks and ruptured water pipes, he marched into the hallway.
Every inch of his scales reflected a cold, menacing gleam.
His sickly yellow slit pupils slowly turned within their sockets as he confirmed that the person he sought was not in the hallway.
The Lizard drew a deep breath and unleashed an earthshaking roar.
ROAR!
The sound wave swept through the entire school building, shattering the windows along the hallway.
On the second floor, Andrew Spider-Man and Gwen were heading toward the cafeteria.
The moment the roar sounded, every hair on Andrew Spider-Man's body stood on end.
"He's here."
Andrew Spider-Man clenched his fists.
He had waited far too long for this moment.
In fact, he could hardly contain his anticipation.
During their last encounter in the sewers, The Lizard had beaten him badly. In the end, Andrew Spider-Man had practically fled for his life.
Now it was time to prove the results of his special training.
He turned toward Gwen. She had clearly realized what was happening and was looking at him with concern.
"Get out of here. Wait for me in the open area outside."
Andrew Spider-Man's voice was steady and resolute.
"I'll deal with the big guy crawling around downstairs."
Gwen opened her mouth to speak, but Andrew Spider-Man had already placed a hand on her shoulder. His touch was gentle, but his gaze left no room for argument.
"Trust me."
Andrew Spider-Man pushed open the hallway window, braced one hand against the frame, and leaped out.
During the brief half-second fall, he reached into a hidden compartment of his backpack and pulled out his mask.
He flipped in midair, completing his red-and-blue costume before he landed.
He touched down at the opposite end of the hallway, ten meters from The Lizard.
Shards of glass fell behind him with a crisp clatter, drawing The Lizard's attention.
"Hey, Green Lizard Monster!"
Andrew Spider-Man crouched at the end of the hallway and raised a hand in greeting.
"Could you take a shower before we start? You smell pretty bad."
The Lizard slowly turned around, his slit pupils locking onto the little red-and-blue insect in the distance.
The next instant...
BOOM!
The Lizard lowered his head and charged.
Every step shattered the hallway floor beneath him, his momentum like that of a hundred-ton truck barreling forward.
After his special training, Andrew Spider-Man's combat experience was far beyond what it had been before.
He waited until the last possible moment before flipping into the air, allowing The Lizard to charge beneath his feet.
The Lizard crashed through an entire row of lockers, and the shriek of twisting metal echoed down the hallway.
Andrew Spider-Man seized the opportunity and fired two strands of webbing at the floor. Using them for leverage, he launched his signature flying kick, driving both feet into The Lizard's head.
The Lizard saw stars as the impact sent him stumbling several meters backward. His back slammed into the wall at the corner of the hallway.
Before The Lizard could recover, Andrew Spider-Man grabbed a box of chalk and crushed it in his hand.
He hurled the powder into The Lizard's face.
Smack!
A cloud of chalk dust engulfed The Lizard's head, completely obscuring his vision.
As The Lizard flailed his arms wildly, Andrew Spider-Man leaped onto his back.
He locked both legs tightly around The Lizard's neck and began hammering the back of his head with relentless punches.
The smooth combination left The Lizard dazed and disoriented.
He desperately swung his fists at his own back, but could not touch Andrew Spider-Man.
Although The Lizard was far stronger, he had no chance to bring that strength to bear.
Andrew Spider-Man was as slippery as an eel, always evading him in unexpected ways.
It was a complete victory in combat awareness.
After his special training, Andrew Spider-Man's practical combat ability had improved dramatically.
By this point, The Lizard had been beaten so badly that he was beginning to question everything. Had he been the one to evolve into his complete form, or had Spider-Man?
Finally, Andrew Spider-Man circled The Lizard while firing web after web.
Once The Lizard's entire body was covered, Andrew Spider-Man yanked him into the air and secured his limbs and tail to separate anchor points.
"Doctor, now we can have a proper conversation."
...
Meanwhile, a hundred meters above Midtown High School, a drone hovered silently in the air.
Its high-definition camera had recorded the entire battle.
After The Lizard was defeated, the drone emitted a faint hum and began preparing to ascend and leave.
At that moment, a sharp whistling sound cut through the air.
Smack!
A stone struck the drone's wing with pinpoint accuracy, sending it spiraling out of control.
Before it could hit the ground, a hand caught it securely.
Peter studied the drone in his hand, his expression turning grave.
He had been watching Andrew Spider-Man's battle from a distance and had unexpectedly noticed the drone hovering overhead.
Just as it was about to fly away, Peter had thrown a stone and knocked it down.
"Looks like there really is someone pulling the strings from the shadows. I knew it wouldn't be that simple."
...
New York, Long Island, Gold Coast.
Osborn Manor stood within this famous wealthy district, occupying one of its most prestigious locations.
At that moment, on the top floor of the manor's main building, inside Norman Osborn's bedroom, a withered old man with a deeply wrinkled face lay upon luxurious silk sheets.
Across from him, more than a dozen screens covered an entire wall.
The central screen was frozen on the final moment of the battle between Spider-Man and The Lizard.
Clearly, the drone Peter had shot down had been deployed under Norman Osborn's orders.
But that was not the most important part.
Norman Osborn slowly raised his right hand and held a test tube up to the light.
Inside was a small amount of dark red blood.
The blood had been collected during The Lizard's previous battle with Andrew Spider-Man in the sewers.
At the time, Andrew Spider-Man's lack of combat experience had placed him at a disadvantage, allowing The Lizard to leave deep claw wounds across his body. A considerable amount of blood had remained on The Lizard's claws.
When Andrew Spider-Man fled in disarray, he even forgot to retrieve the camera bearing the name [Peter Parker].
There was no chance he would have remembered to worry about the blood he had left behind.
After obtaining Spider-Man's blood, The Lizard used it as leverage to strike a deal with Norman Osborn.
Chapter 74: The OZ Formula, A Terrifying Truth
As the head of Oscorp, Norman Osborn had known about every stage of The Lizard's research from the very beginning.
Unlike his portrayal in the movie, where he did nothing but lie in bed waiting to die and knew nothing about The Lizard's research, that helplessness was merely a facade Norman Osborn presented to the outside world.
As an Oscorp employee, The Lizard's research would naturally have been monitored at all times.
After what happened with Richard Parker, someone as cunning as Norman Osborn would never make the same mistake twice.
In truth, Norman Osborn had been secretly pushing The Lizard toward his current path all along.
Even the final formula that allowed The Lizard to evolve into his complete form had been provided by Norman Osborn.
In return, Norman Osborn obtained what he needed most.
Spider-Man's blood.
The Osborn family of this Parallel Universe suffered from a severe hereditary genetic disorder.
Members of the Osborn family began developing symptoms in their teens. Their bodies would gradually decay and mutate, though the rate of progression varied from person to person.
Those whose condition progressed quickly would die within a few years, such as Harry Osborn in this Parallel Universe.
Those whose condition progressed slowly could live to around sixty.
Norman Osborn belonged to the latter group, which was why he had survived this long.
To cure this nearly incurable genetic disorder, Norman Osborn had spared no expense on research and experimentation. Richard Parker, Peter Parker's father, and Curt Connors, The Lizard, had once conducted that research.
The project was called the [OZ Formula].
Unfortunately, just as the [OZ Formula] was on the verge of a breakthrough, Richard Parker destroyed everything and deceived Norman Osborn by faking his own death.
From that point onward, no one was able to recreate the [OZ Formula].
It was not until Spider-Man appeared that Norman Osborn, who had already lost all hope, finally saw another possibility.
The secret of the [OZ Formula] was hidden in Spider-Man's blood.
Knock! Knock!
Someone knocked on the bedroom door.
"Come in."
A middle-aged white man in a lab coat entered.
"Dr. Warren, Spider-Man's blood is here. I'm leaving the final step of deciphering the OZ Formula to you."
Dr. Warren accepted the test tube, a flicker of delight appearing in his eyes.
The middle-aged man's full name was Miles Warren. He was one of the world's leading scientists in genetics and cloning technology.
In the Prime Marvel Universe, Earth-616, Miles Warren was also a Villain known as Jackal.
Although Jackal was a relatively obscure Villain, he played an extremely important role.
Jackal was directly responsible for triggering the major Spider-Man event known as the [Clone Saga].
Through cloning, Jackal also created a fairly famous Spider-Man.
Ben Reilly, the Scarlet Spider.
In this Parallel Universe, Jackal was a super-scientist hired by Norman Osborn to take over Richard Parker's research.
"I won't disappoint you, Mr. Osborn."
Dr. Warren made the promise with complete confidence.
Norman Osborn nodded slightly before issuing another order.
"Tell the butler to prepare for our departure to Secret Base No. 1. Someone will find this place very soon."
After pausing for half a second, Norman Osborn added another instruction.
"Bring Harry as well. Tell him we need to take a long trip."
"Understood, Mr. Osborn."
Dr. Warren bowed slightly and left the bedroom.
Silence returned to the room. Norman Osborn stared at Andrew Spider-Man on the screen and remained lost in thought for a long time.
...
In the dark and gloomy sewers, Peter and Andrew Spider-Man brought The Lizard, who had reverted to his human form, back to the makeshift laboratory.
Peter approached the lab bench, where the old computer screen was still flickering.
He opened the file directory on the desktop and moved the cursor over a folder labeled [Lizard Serum Bomb].
Inside were pages of densely packed formula data and deployment plans.
Unless something went wrong, a single serum bomb would be enough to turn the entire population of New York City into Lizard People.
Without hesitation, Peter permanently deleted every file.
He then removed the computer's hard drive and crushed it to pieces in his hand.
With that, he had physically eliminated the terrifying plan to transform New York's population into Lizard People.
After finishing, Peter turned toward a dark corner of the laboratory.
"Come out, and keep a firm grip on whatever you're holding."
A figure in the shadows trembled violently.
A few seconds later, an Indian man dressed in an expensive suit emerged, his face covered in cold sweat.
Peter recognized him. He was an Oscorp executive and Dr. Connors's immediate superior.
In the movie, he was the unlucky man who had been swallowed whole by The Lizard.
He was currently clutching an aerosol anesthetic device, his hand shaking uncontrollably.
Peter raised his hand and fired a strand of webbing, pinning the anesthetic device to the opposite wall.
He then took a step forward, frightening the Indian man so badly that he collapsed onto the floor.
"What do you do for Norman Osborn at Oscorp?"
Peter did not raise his voice, but the question made the Indian man tremble from head to toe.
"I... I only forward documents. I don't know anything."
The Indian man waved his hands frantically, barely able to form a coherent sentence.
Peter picked up a syringe from the floor. Traces of fluorescent green serum still clung to it.
"Would you like to try becoming one of the Lizard People?"
The Indian man shook his head desperately. He had completely broken down. To him, becoming one of the Lizard People would be a fate worse than death.
"Then tell me everything you know."
The Indian man nodded and haltingly revealed a terrifying truth.
"The OZ Formula... Oscorp has been secretly researching the OZ Formula this entire time. After Richard Parker left, Norman couldn't find anyone capable of replacing him, so he launched a human experimentation program."
"Every year, more than two hundred homeless people are taken from shelters and off the streets, then sent directly to underground laboratories. It's been going on for fifteen years. I only passed along the documents. None of this has anything to do with me!"
Peter was deeply shaken by the horrifying truth the Indian man had revealed.
Norman Osborn in this Parallel Universe was even more deranged than Peter had expected.
Over the past fifteen years, countless innocent people had died so that he could develop the OZ Formula.
Even a conservative estimate placed the number above three thousand.
Norman Osborn was utterly irredeemable and unworthy of salvation.
Calling him a Demon wearing human skin would not have been an exaggeration.
Chapter 75: In Search of Spider-Man's Father
Peter's expression had grown grave.
Although every identifying mark had been deliberately removed from the drone he had shot down, making its origin impossible to trace, only Oscorp currently possessed the technology to manufacture such a compact and highly intelligent drone.
After all, the Green Goblin's hoverboard had been developed from this very drone technology.
On top of that, the Indian-American executive before them had clearly been sent by Norman Osborn to The Lizard's sewer laboratory.
That proved Norman Osborn had been manipulating everything from behind the scenes all along.
To Norman Osborn, The Lizard was nothing more than a pawn.
Therefore, defeating The Lizard and stopping him from detonating the Lizard Serum Bomb was not the ultimate goal of Peter's Interdimensional Travel.
Peter's journey could only end successfully once Norman Osborn had been dealt with for good.
Once he reached that conclusion, Peter did not hesitate. He told Andrew Spider-Man everything.
When Andrew Spider-Man realized that every tragedy in his life could be traced back to Norman Osborn, rage consumed him.
His father, his mother, and Uncle Ben could all have remained by his side.
Norman Osborn had destroyed all of it.
Andrew Spider-Man, who normally wore a carefree grin, now had fury burning in his eyes.
He clenched his fists, paced back and forth several times, then finally drove a fist into the wall.
BOOM!
The tremendous impact shook the entire sewer. The Indian-American executive curled up with his hands over his head, terrified that falling concrete would crush him.
Peter watched in silence.
Only after Andrew Spider-Man had vented most of his anger did Peter step forward and pat him on the shoulder.
Andrew Spider-Man turned his head. The dim sewer lights reflected off his lenses, revealing that the fury inside him had not yet subsided.
"I'm going to bring Norman Osborn to justice myself and make sure he faces the punishment he deserves."
Even after Norman Osborn had destroyed his family, Andrew Spider-Man never considered killing him with his own hands.
That was the one thing Spider-Man and Batman had in common. Both remained firmly committed to the No-Kill Rule.
"Then you'd better move fast. I have a feeling Norman Osborn won't sit quietly at home waiting for us to pay him a visit."
Peter's words filled Andrew Spider-Man with unease.
He turned toward the Indian-American executive, who was still trembling in the corner. Peter followed his gaze.
The moment the executive saw both Spider-Men looking at him, his entire body visibly shook.
His lips trembled as he tried to speak, but only a few meaningless sounds came out.
Andrew Spider-Man approached and crouched in front of him.
"Where is Norman Osborn right now?"
Upon hearing the question, the Indian-American executive closed his eyes and released a long sigh of relief.
He had been afraid that Andrew Spider-Man, blinded by rage, would kill him on the spot.
...
An hour later, the two Spider-Men landed silently atop the wall surrounding the Osborn Estate.
Dark water churned behind them, while a meticulously maintained lawn stretched out ahead.
Even though evening was approaching, most of the estate's windows were dark.
Only the largest bedroom on the top floor gave off a faint glow.
According to the Indian-American executive's testimony, Norman Osborn had been hiding in the estate while recovering from his illness.
The official explanation was that his hereditary genetic disease had continued to worsen.
His doctors had supposedly advised him to distance himself from the pressures of the city and Oscorp so that he could focus on his recovery.
But it was all a carefully staged performance for the outside world.
Every order Norman Osborn issued from his bedroom could control Oscorp's operations.
From within the estate, he could rule over a vast business empire.
He could also monitor the human experiments taking place deep beneath Manhattan in real time.
The two Spider-Men silently leaped down from the wall.
They followed the shadows around the edge of the estate, slipping through shrubs trimmed with almost excessive precision.
Automatic sprinklers rotated across the lawn, the only movement anywhere on the deserted property.
The estate was so quiet that it felt unnatural.
Peter's brow furrowed as the ominous feeling in his chest grew stronger.
He quickened his pace and climbed the exterior wall of the main building.
Before long, he reached the only illuminated window.
Peter silently pushed open the bedroom window. The night wind rushed inside and stirred the silk covers on the large black bed.
The bed was empty.
Across from it, more than a dozen high-definition monitors formed a massive surveillance wall.
Every screen was still flickering silently.
Peter stood motionless, his eyes sweeping across the displays.
His suspicions had been confirmed.
Norman Osborn had fled before they arrived.
Perhaps he had made the decision the moment the drone was shot down, or perhaps when The Lizard was defeated.
Either way, the man had reacted with fox-like cunning.
"Things have taken the worst possible turn."
Peter's low voice made Andrew Spider-Man's shoulders tremble slightly.
Peter looked over at him. Even through the mask, he could almost see the confusion on Andrew Spider-Man's face.
For a rookie who had been Spider-Man for less than two weeks, the situation had grown far beyond anything he was prepared to handle.
Fortunately, Peter was there as the more experienced Spider-Man.
"Looks like we need to find someone who can help us."
Andrew turned toward him.
"Who?"
"Your father, Richard Parker."
Andrew's pupils contracted sharply beneath his mask.
This was the second time he had heard that name from Peter.
Why had Peter brought up Richard Parker again so suddenly, and why did he clearly consider him so important?
Peter gave Andrew Spider-Man little time to think.
He led him back through the window and out of the silent, unsettling bedroom.
Once they reached the deserted rooftop, Peter explained the next part of his plan.
"Norman Osborn escaped, but we still have crucial evidence of human experiments that cost more than three thousand innocent people their lives."
"The moment that truth becomes public, Oscorp's stock price will collapse. Norman Osborn built that business empire with his own hands. There's no way he'll stand by and do nothing."
At last, Andrew Spider-Man understood.
...
Chapter 76: Are Both Father and Son Spider-Men?
Peter needed to find Richard Parker so he could testify against Norman Osborn and Oscorp for conducting illegal human experiments.
As a former Oscorp researcher who had supposedly been dead for fifteen years, Richard Parker's reappearance in the public eye would create an enormous media storm.
Once that happened, even if Oscorp's public relations department pulled out every trick they had, they would never be able to cover it up.
Andrew Spider-Man nodded, agreeing with Peter's plan.
If the plan succeeded, Norman Osborn would undoubtedly come forward to save his business empire.
Then they could completely reverse their current disadvantage and confront Norman Osborn directly.
However, Andrew Spider-Man was more worried about something else.
"He's been hiding from me for more than ten years." His voice was hoarse. "Will he even agree to see me?"
"He's been protecting you in his own way all this time," Peter said. "Now it's time for him to meet you. Besides, I have a way to make him contact you himself."
...
Early the next morning, the giant LED screen mounted on the exterior of the Daily Bugle building lit up right on schedule.
The screen covered three entire floors, and Jonah Jameson's face, which bore a striking resemblance to Omni-Man, appeared across it.
He leaned forward, visibly agitated, his body trembling slightly.
This time, however, he did not begin the broadcast by pounding the table and berating Spider-Man.
Instead, he revealed another bombshell to the public.
"Good morning, citizens of New York! This is your favorite Jonah Jameson!"
His voice echoed throughout Lower Manhattan, causing countless pedestrians to stop and look up.
"Late last night, the Daily Bugle received an anonymous letter delivered to me personally by Spider-Man. The sender signed it with two letters... P.P."
"And the contents of this letter reveal the most horrifying scandal in the history of the Daily Bugle!"
He raised a stack of printed documents, waving the pages in his hand.
"For fifteen years, Oscorp has secretly conducted human experiments! The estimated death toll exceeds... three thousand people!"
"Those homeless people, those poor souls abandoned by the entire world, were taken from the streets by Oscorp, sent into underground laboratories, and used as test subjects for their so-called [OZ Formula]."
"And the mastermind behind all of this... Norman Osborn, may be sitting in his office at the top of Oscorp Tower right now, pretending to be a philanthropist in front of the cameras!"
Jameson drew a deep breath, slammed the documents onto the desk, and yanked the microphone closer.
"Three days from now, a researcher who worked for Oscorp fifteen years ago will personally come forward and testify that Norman Osborn orchestrated everything. For now, his identity will remain confidential."
"Stay tuned. Three days from now, at the same time and in the same place, Jonah Jameson will be right here conducting an exclusive interview with that researcher!"
The morning broadcast struck like a meteor crashing into the ocean, instantly sending enormous waves across the city.
Countless New Yorkers began discussing the scandal on streets and in alleyways throughout the city.
The story was spreading at an astonishing speed.
It would soon become the focus of nationwide attention.
Wall Street, in particular, was already descending into chaos.
Countless stockbrokers were frantically selling their Oscorp shares.
They knew that regardless of whether the allegations were true, Oscorp's stock price was certain to plummet.
After all, public opinion often affected stock prices more powerfully than the truth itself.
...
As chaos spread across Wall Street, a man in his fifties stood at a workbench inside an old garage, conducting a chemical experiment.
His hair had turned gray, and his facial features closely resembled Andrew Spider-Man's.
The garage had been arranged with meticulous care, making it look as clean and orderly as a laboratory.
Beside the workbench, Jonah Jameson's voice played through an old radio.
The middle-aged man emptied the remaining reagent into a flask and observed it for several minutes.
Then he extinguished the alcohol lamp, bringing the experiment to an end.
He walked over to a desk in the garage and opened a drawer.
From inside, he removed an oxidized, yellowed Oscorp employee ID card.
He wiped the dust from its surface with his finger, revealing the name printed on it.
Richard Parker.
Richard Parker stood before the workbench, holding the fifteen-year-old employee ID in his hand as he remained silent for a long time.
At last, the corner of his mouth twitched into an extremely complicated smile.
"P.P.," he murmured into the empty air.
"Those are Peter Parker's initials."
"It seems there's no point in hiding any longer. Some things have to be faced sooner or later."
...
As evening fell, Peter and Andrew Spider-Man opened the front door of Aunt May's house.
Peter had been staying there for the past few days as a friend of Andrew Spider-Man, and he had already become familiar with Aunt May.
Aunt May sat on the living room sofa with a cup of tea in her hands.
Another cup of hot tea rested on the small table in front of her.
The atmosphere in the living room felt completely different from usual.
When Aunt May saw them enter, her eyes held a complicated emotion that Andrew Spider-Man had never seen before.
Someone else was sitting on the sofa.
A middle-aged man in his fifties.
"Peter."
Aunt May set down her teacup.
"This is... Richard Parker."
Andrew Spider-Man said nothing. It felt as though something had lodged in his throat.
Richard Parker rose from the sofa.
Without saying a word, Aunt May picked up her tea and walked into the kitchen, leaving the living room to them.
Richard Parker stood in the middle of the room, looking at Andrew Spider-Man.
"Could I speak with you alone?"
Richard Parker's words were directed at Andrew Spider-Man, clearly suggesting that Peter should leave.
"There's no need. He knows everything about me."
Richard Parker nodded and did not insist.
"All right. Some things are difficult to explain, so it would be easier to show you."
Richard Parker raised his right arm.
His sleeve slid back, revealing a crude but intricately constructed device strapped to his wrist.
A Web-Shooter.
Its structure was somewhat similar to the Web-Shooter used by Andrew Spider-Man.
However, this one looked extremely old, its metal surface covered in countless fine scratches.
At that moment, Andrew Spider-Man was not the only one left stunned.
Even Peter was caught completely off guard.
Richard Parker, the man whose research had led to Spider-Man's creation, was also Spider-Man?
Were both father and son Spider-Men?
This was something Peter had never considered.
However, he soon noticed a small but important detail.
His Spider-Sense had not reacted.
That seemed to confirm that Richard Parker was not a full-fledged Spider-Man, but merely possessed some abilities similar to Spider-Man's.