Oscorp — Norman Osborn’s Office — Day
In the cold, silent atmosphere of his luxurious office, Norman Osborn was focused on a technical file, jotting down a few notes among confidential blueprints while the screens arranged around him displayed various encrypted data.
Nothing seemed capable of disturbing his calm until the door suddenly burst open with a loud crash.
Tombstone stormed into the room with heavy steps, clearly furious, followed closely by Hammerhead, who was doing his best to hold him back before he did something he might regret.
— “Calm down, boss! Don’t do anything stupid!” he said worriedly.
— “Get out of my way, Hammerhead!” Tombstone growled without slowing down.
Despite the brutal entrance, Norman showed no sign of concern.
He simply looked up calmly from his file to observe the two men, completely unfazed by Tombstone’s obvious anger.
— “Oh… hello, you two. How are you? It’s been a while.”
Norman’s politeness only fueled Tombstone’s anger even more.
— “Enough games, Osborn. I’ve been patient and reasonable with you.”
Norman tilted his head slightly.
— “What do you mean?”
— “Don’t play dumb. Without me, you don’t have any—and I mean any—test subjects for your experiments. We had a deal: I bring you subjects, and you create mercenaries capable of taking out that damn spider. And what happened? Four of your creations screwed up, and my business is paying the price! More and more people are refusing to work for me and my income is dropping, so…!”
Tombstone didn’t get the chance to finish venting his anger.
Norman cut him off sharply, without raising his voice or losing his composure for even a second, as though the accusations he had just heard didn’t impress him in the slightest.
— “You know… just because some of my creations failed doesn’t mean they’re complete failures. It all depends on how you look at it. Maybe they’re not the ones who are weak. Maybe Spider-Man is simply too strong… especially when they’re alone or only fighting in pairs.”
At those words, Tombstone narrowed his eyes slightly.
His anger didn’t disappear, but Norman’s remark had sparked enough curiosity for him to keep listening.
— “What are you saying, Osborn? Be clearer.”
Norman let out a slight sigh.
— “If one or two aren’t enough, then an entire team might be.”
A heavy silence immediately settled over the office.
Tombstone stared at Norman with a tense expression, slowly processing what that simple sentence implied.
— “Was that your plan from the beginning? You had all of this planned?”
Norman gently shook his head.
— “No. To be honest, Spider-Man surprised me just as much as he surprised you. I thought one or two mercenaries would be enough, but apparently not.”
— “So… what’s your plan?”
Norman finally left his chair and slowly stood up.
He took a few steps through his office, clearly deep in thought, before turning back toward Tombstone to explain the rest of his idea.
— “It’s simple. We create two new super-mercenaries. They fight Spider-Man, and then two possibilities arise: either they beat him and the matter ends there, or they lose and end up in prison.”
Norman eventually stopped in front of Tombstone.
A slight smile appeared at the corner of his lips as his expression grew darker, as though the true part of his plan was only just beginning.
— “In the latter case, that’s when the next phase begins: we organize the escape of all six creatures—Shocker, Scorpion, Rhino, Sandman and the two new ones. Together, they’ll form a formidable team against Spider-Man. So… what do you think?”
Hammerhead, who had remained in the background until then, thought about the proposal for a few moments before turning toward his boss.
Despite the caution he still had toward Norman, the reasoning seemed logical enough for him to agree.
— “Boss… honestly, it makes sense. If one or two aren’t enough, a team of six should be able to do it, right?”
Tombstone remained more suspicious.
Before agreeing to anything, he turned his attention back to Norman, determined to know just how far he had actually planned things out.
— “And how exactly do you plan on getting them out? You already have a plan, I assume?”
— “Of course. Leave the execution to me. Once even one of them escapes, the chaos begins. All you’ll have to do is watch Spider-Man die.”
Tombstone remained silent for several seconds, studying Norman as though still trying to find a flaw in his plan.
Eventually, he seemed satisfied with what he had heard and slowly nodded.
— “Very well.”
— “But I’d rather warn you… this kind of operation can spiral out of control. There will be unforeseen consequences. I suggest you think carefully about that. Consider it advice between… partners.”
— “I don’t give a damn about the consequences, Osborn. As long as that insect dies.”
A tense silence settled over the office.
Norman said nothing, simply staring at Tombstone while a disturbing glint briefly crossed his eyes.
— “Let’s go, Hammerhead. No point staying around to watch their monsters being born. As long as Spider-Man is eliminated, I don’t care what Osborn does.”
Hammerhead immediately followed his boss.
— “Yes, boss.”
The two men eventually left the office, leaving Norman alone behind them.
When the door closed, silence immediately reclaimed the room.
Norman remained standing, motionless and thoughtful, reflecting on what had just been decided.
Parker House — Late Afternoon
Peter was home alone and taking advantage of Aunt May’s absence to try repairing his suit in his bedroom.
Sitting at his desk, he did his best to stitch up the few tears still damaging the fabric, but despite all his concentration, the result was far from convincing.
— “Seriously… I don’t understand how Aunt May does it. I watched her, she explained it to me… but I just can’t do it at all.”
Peter let out an annoyed sigh as he stared at the needle between his fingers before turning his attention back to his suit and the little progress he had managed to make.
— “I guess you just have to accept that there are some things you’re not made for…”
Just as he was about to resume his work anyway, the doorbell suddenly rang.
Peter immediately lifted his head and frowned slightly, surprised to have a visitor at this hour.
— “Huh? Someone’s at the door? Aunt May? No, that can’t be her… why would she ring the bell?”
Intrigued, Peter temporarily left his suit on the desk, left his bedroom and quickly went downstairs to the entrance.
When he opened the door, he found himself face-to-face with Gwen.
— “Hi, Peter.”
Peter remained silent for a brief moment, clearly caught off guard by her presence.
— “Gwen?! But… what are you doing here? And the hospital?”
— “I’ve been out for a week. I’m feeling much better and… I wanted to see you.”
They remained there looking at each other for a moment without adding anything, both overcome by slight awkwardness.
Peter felt his cheeks grow warm before realizing that he was still making her wait on the doorstep and immediately snapped out of it.
— “Uh… sorry. Come in!”
— “Thanks.”
Gwen entered the house and removed her jacket before letting her eyes wander around the place.
It had been so long since she had last been here that seeing the inside of the Parker house again naturally brought back a few memories.
— “It’s been so long since I’ve been to your house…”
Peter smiled.
— “That’s true. It must’ve been years. We grew up… we had other priorities than constantly hanging out at each other’s houses.”
— “That’s true.”
It was only then that Peter realized he had completely forgotten to offer her anything.
Even though they had known each other for years, Gwen was still his guest, and he felt a slight sense of embarrassment when he realized he had forgotten his manners.
— “By the way, do you want anything to drink or eat?”
She looked around.
— “And your aunt? Where is she?”
— “At work. She should be back before too long, I think.”
— “Oh, okay,” Gwen replied.
Then she looked back at him.
— “And what were you doing here all by yourself?”
— “Oh… well…”
Rather than explaining, Peter simply invited her to follow him and went back upstairs with her to his bedroom.
Once inside, Gwen immediately noticed Spider-Man’s suit lying on the desk, still marked by several small tears that Peter had tried to repair.
She laughed lightly and teased him.
— “You’re sewing your suit?! I didn’t know you knew how to do that…”
— “Ha ha, very funny.”
He rolled his eyes.
— “But seriously, I can’t do it at all. I’ve been trying for two hours and I’ve made basically no progress. And they’re only tiny tears! Imagine if it had been worse… I think I would’ve just gone out in civilian clothes.”
Amused, Gwen walked over to the desk and sat down in front of it.
She picked up the suit along with the sewing supplies and, unlike Peter, began stitching the fabric with obvious ease and skill.
Peter watched her for a few seconds, then his eyes widened.
— “Wait… YOU KNOW HOW TO SEW?!”
— “Yeah, since I was little. My mom taught me.”
Peter stared at her in disbelief.
— “And you never told me that?! That’s amazing! Just looking at your hands, I can tell you’re not kidding! I stab myself with the needle every time…”
A mischievous smile appeared on Gwen’s face.
— “Everyone has their little secrets, Peter.”
She looked up at him.
— “You should know that better than anyone.”
Peter let out a dramatic sigh.
— “Oh, come on! Are you done making fun of me?”
Gwen’s smile grew wider.
— “I don’t know… maybe. Or maybe not.”
Gwen calmly continued her work while Peter watched her, clearly impressed by how easily she handled the needle.
A few moments later, she finished the last stitches and proudly held the suit up in front of her to show him the result.
— “There, finished!”
Peter blinked several times.
— “Already?! Impressive…!”
Proud of herself and still amused by the situation, Gwen struck a theatrical pose.
— “That’s right! You’re the Amazing Spider-Man… and I’m the Amazing Seamstress!”
Satisfied with her work, Gwen carefully placed the repaired suit back on the desk before joining Peter and sitting beside him on the bed.
— “I really am lucky to have you as my girlfriend, then. At least I won’t have to learn how to sew.”
At the word “girlfriend,” Gwen’s cheeks turned slightly red.
Peter, however, didn’t dwell on her reaction.
His expression changed almost immediately as he looked at her with much more serious concern.
— “But Gwen, seriously… are you sure you’re okay?”
— “Well yeah, I’m fine! Can’t you see? I’ve been out for a week, and my injury is—”
Peter gently interrupted her by bringing a finger to his temple.
— “I’m not talking about your physical injury. I’m talking about the rest. Are you okay… up here?”
Gwen’s smile slowly faded.
Peter, meanwhile, didn’t look away, carefully watching every one of her reactions.
He continued calmly:
— “With everything that happened… we haven’t really had time to talk about it. You can tell me if you’re not okay. It was terrifying, after all. So you should know it’d be completely normal if you—”
— “Peter, you worry too much! I’m fine, I told you!”
— “Gwen, I’m serious. You can really…”
Peter suddenly stopped.
A tear had just rolled down Gwen’s cheek, betraying the smile she was still trying to maintain.
His expression immediately filled with concern and he moved closer to her before gently lifting her face.
This time, Gwen couldn’t hide it anymore: she was crying.
— “Gwen…?” Peter said softly.
— “If you can pretend everything’s okay… why can’t I?”
Without hesitation, Peter pulled her against him and placed a reassuring hand on her head.
At that moment, Gwen completely stopped holding back her emotions and burst into tears in his arms.
— “Honestly, Peter… I was so scared. Facing that thing, on the bridge… alone, defenseless… I thought I was going to die. I was convinced I’d never see my dad again… or you. I was so scared!”
Peter tightened his embrace around her, keeping her close while she finally let out all the fear she had kept buried since the incident.
— “I know, Gwen. And I’m sorry. But now, I promise you: I’ll be there. I won’t let something like that happen to you again.”
They remained like that for several long minutes, holding each other without trying to break the silence.
Little by little, Gwen’s sobs finally began to calm down.
She wiped her eyes, slowly caught her breath and pulled away slightly from Peter, visibly embarrassed that she had allowed herself to become overwhelmed by her emotions.
— “I… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…”
— “Don’t apologize, Gwen. It’s good that you told me. Keeping all of that to yourself really wasn’t a good thing. Trust me.”
Gwen’s shoulders finally relaxed.
She genuinely felt relieved.
— “T-Thank you, Peter…”
As calm slowly returned to the bedroom, the sound of a door opening suddenly echoed from downstairs.
— “Sounds like Aunt May’s home. Do you want to see her, or would you rather…?”
Gwen took a deep breath to regain her composure.
Her eyes were still slightly red, but she had calmed down.
— “I’ll be okay. Let’s go say hi to your aunt.”
Peter nodded.
After regaining her composure, Gwen stood up with Peter and the two of them left his bedroom to head downstairs.
Peter arrived first, followed closely by Gwen.
The moment Aunt May saw the young girl behind her nephew, her face immediately lit up.
— “Well, look at that… Gwen Stacy! It’s been so long! Come here!” You are reading on novelping.com, the official source.
Without even giving her time to react, May walked over to Gwen and warmly pulled her into a hug.
Surprised by such an enthusiastic and affectionate welcome, Gwen remained caught off guard for a moment before returning the embrace.
— “I’m really happy to see you again too, Aunt May! It’s been years.”
A sincere smile appeared on both women’s faces.
— “Exactly! You’ve grown so much! But tell me, what are you doing here? Have you been here long?”
— “No, not really. Actually, I was about to head home.”
Gwen glanced toward the door, but May immediately spoke up:
— “Go home? Right after I just got here? Oh no, no, no! You’re staying the night here, young lady!”
— “What? But…”
— “No ‘buts’!”
Quickly realizing that she would have a very hard time changing May’s mind, Gwen immediately turned toward Peter for support.
— “Peter, help me!”
But he had already understood that there was no point in fighting it.
— “Sorry, Gwen, but once she makes up her mind… there’s no changing it. And besides… I want you to stay too. It’s been a long time, after all.”
Peter gave her a sincere smile that was enough to make Gwen blush slightly.
Without waiting any longer, he pulled out his phone and stepped a few feet away, leaving Gwen with May while he took it upon himself to inform her father.
— “Don’t worry! I’ll tell your dad!”
Peter called George Stacy, who answered almost immediately.
— “Hello, George! It’s Peter!”
— “Hello?”
A light amused laugh echoed through the phone.
— “It’s getting pretty late, Peter.”
Peter awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.
— “Oh yeah… good evening.”
— “So? What’s going on, kid?”
— “Gwen’s here and Aunt May would like her to spend the evening with us since it’s been so long. I just wanted to ask for your permission.”
— “Of course, no problem. It’ll do her good. The accident wasn’t easy for her, even if she tries to hide it. Spending an evening with you and May will be perfect.”
A gentle smile appeared on Peter’s face when he heard George’s answer, especially since he now knew just how right he was about Gwen’s condition.
— “Could you just put your aunt on the phone for a couple of minutes? I’d like to say hello.”
— “Yeah, of course! I’ll put her on!”
Peter returned to Gwen and May, then directly handed his phone to his aunt without giving her any explanation.
Slightly intrigued, May took it anyway and held it to her ear.
— “Hello? Who is this?” May asked.
— “How are you, May? It’s George!”
May’s eyes widened.
— “George?! Oh my God, it’s been so long! I’m doing very well, and you?”
While May and George began their conversation, Gwen took the opportunity to grab Peter and pull him slightly aside, away from the kitchen, so she could ask him for an explanation without being overheard.
— “What did you do this time, Peter?”
— “Thank me: your dad said yes.”
— “Seriously?! How did you do that?!”
Instead of answering, Peter gave her a particularly satisfied look, clearly very proud of himself.
But before he could enjoy his little victory any longer, Aunt May’s voice suddenly rang out from the kitchen, calling them.
— “KIDS! COME HERE!”
At May’s call, Peter and Gwen immediately returned to the kitchen, where she was waiting for them with a huge smile.
— “Good news! I got to talk with your father, Gwen. We even set a date to see each other again. And he agreed to let you stay the night here! It’ll be just like old times! So you, Peter, make the popcorn, while Gwen and I pick the movie!”
As soon as she finished speaking, May grabbed Gwen by the hand and pulled her out of the kitchen with her, without really giving either of them time to react.
Peter was left alone behind them, an amused smile spreading across his face.
— “It’s been a long time…” Peter thought.
He began preparing the popcorn, enjoying that familiar feeling he hadn’t experienced in years.
Yet, as he waited for it to finish popping, his thoughts gradually drifted away from the peaceful evening.
Without even realizing it, Peter thought back to the conversation he’d had with George at the hospital.
— “So, what did you find out about him?” Peter asked.
George crossed his arms.
— “Well, to be completely honest… not much, except that his real name is Lonnie Thompson Lincoln. From a very young age, he didn’t have an easy life because of his albinism, but also because of a condition that weakened his voice.”
That revelation immediately allowed Peter to make the connection with Tombstone’s very distinctive voice.
He now understood why he constantly spoke in such a low, quiet tone, almost giving the impression that he whispered every word.
— “As a child, he trained to compensate for his disabilities until he became a real machine that no one could stop. Later, he became a hitman and worked for Wilson Fisk, also known as the Kingpin. Then, he was apparently given the mission of taking over as New York’s crime boss. And of building a colossal fortune… probably for his boss.”
— “I see…”
Despite his answer, a slight disappointment could be heard in Peter’s voice.
The information certainly allowed him to learn more about Tombstone and his past, but it wasn’t what he had hoped to discover.
There was nothing compromising enough to bring him down.
Sitting beside him, Gwen also noticed the frustration that had just taken hold of Peter.
— “I know what you’re thinking. You would’ve liked to find something concrete to arrest him with. But we’ll have to find another way. And there’s one important thing you need to know: Tombstone is willing to do anything. Absolutely anything, to achieve his goals.”
George looked Peter straight in the eyes.
His expression had become particularly serious, as though he wanted to make sure the young man fully understood the weight of his warning.
— “Imagine the worst things possible, and assume he’s capable of them. So be ready to fight with everything you’ve got when we finally get him. We can’t afford to waste that opportunity. For now, he hasn’t done anything too serious yet, but everything could spiral out of control at any moment.”
Peter slowly nodded as his gaze hardened almost immediately.
— “I’ll keep that in mind. Don’t worry.”
The memory faded as Peter turned his attention back to the popcorn, which had just finished popping.
For a few seconds, he remained motionless in the kitchen, staring straight ahead while George’s words continued to echo through his mind.
— “Willing to do anything, huh…?”
Peter finally picked up the bowl filled with popcorn and left the kitchen to join Gwen and Aunt May in the living room.
— “Oh, sweetheart, you’re finally here! And you’ve got the popcorn! Wonderful!” May said with a huge smile.
— “Peter, hurry up and sit down! We found a great movie!” Gwen exclaimed excitedly.
— “I’m coming! Make some room for me!” Peter replied.
Peter sat down between them, the bowl of popcorn within reach and a sincere smile on his face.
For a moment, everything seemed perfectly peaceful.
Surrounded by Aunt May and Gwen, he found that familiar warmth he had missed so much, as though time had momentarily stopped around them.
Yet behind that peaceful moment and the smile on his face, George’s words remained firmly rooted in his mind.
Peter hadn’t forgotten Tombstone or the threat he represented.
— “Whatever you do, Tombstone… be sure of one thing: I’ll stop you.”
TO BE CONTINUED.