“Hahaha!”
“My boy…”
“You’re much tougher than before.”
Norman rode his Goblin Glider effortlessly through the narrow streets between apartment buildings.
Glancing back at the red-and-blue figure relentlessly chasing him, then up at the pursuing helicopter overhead, he burst into laughter.
“This is fun.”
“Really fun!”
He steered the glider straight into a cramped alley.
As he flew through, he smashed countless clotheslines stretched between the buildings.
Wet laundry exploded into the air, fluttering directly toward Charlie behind him.
“Sorry.”
Charlie smiled.
“I’m not short on suit materials anymore.”
Using a web, he swung onto the rooftops.
Spreading both arms…
The web wings beneath them unfolded, allowing him to glide smoothly over the maze-like alleyways below.
“Hahaha!”
“Got you!”
Suddenly…
The Green Goblin burst upward from the alley.
A blade extended from the front of his glider, aimed straight for Charlie’s heart.
Moonlight gleamed off the razor-sharp edge.
The wind screamed.
Charlie’s Spider-Sense…
Didn’t react at all.
But that didn’t mean he’d lowered his guard.
Whoosh!
He slightly expanded his web wings.
His gliding speed dropped instantly.
Norman had misjudged the timing.
The Goblin shot right past Charlie in the blink of an eye, the glider’s exhaust leaving a scorching wave of heat behind.
At that exact moment…
Clint Barton, watching from the helicopter, saw the Green Goblin rise into open air.
He immediately released an arrow.
BOOM!!
The explosion lit up the night sky.
Norman had no choice but to dive back into the residential blocks, escaping Hawkeye’s line of sight once again.
“Kids these days…”
“No manners.”
Norman sighed dramatically.
The next second…
His glider suddenly lurched out of control.
“No…”
“Shit!”
He desperately struggled to stabilize it.
Looking down…
He discovered thick strands of webbing wrapped tightly around the glider.
Turning around…
He saw Charlie gripping one webline with one hand, dragging the glider backward.
Meanwhile…
His other hand repeatedly fired webs directly into Norman’s face.
“Oh…”
“You little bastard!”
CRASH!
Blinded by the webs…
Norman slammed straight into a rooftop water tank.
The impact severed the connection between his armor and the glider.
His body was flung helplessly into the alley below.
“No!”
“No, no, no—”
Crash!
Crash!
Crash!
Norman smashed through several clotheslines before finally plunging headfirst into a garbage dumpster overflowing with foul-smelling trash.
“No!”
“That’s disgusting!”
The dumpster exploded apart.
The instant Norman climbed back to his feet—
Charlie swung down and delivered a powerful kick.
BANG!
Using his full strength…
Charlie sent the Green Goblin crashing into a nearby wall.
The impact woke countless nearby residents.
Windows flew open one after another.
“Oh!”
“It’s Spider-Man!”
“And the Green Goblin!”
“My God…”
“Our laundry!”
Voices rang out from every direction.
Enraged…
Norman burst through the broken wall.
“I am the most terrifying demon!”
“No one can defeat me!!”
Thwip!
Thwip!
Thwip!
Charlie rapidly fired web after web.
Within seconds…
A massive web trap enveloped Norman.
The Green Goblin struggled violently against it.
Then…
His eerie eyes locked onto Charlie.
“Tell me…”
“Why are you still alive?”
For the first time…
Norman sounded tired.
Charlie shrugged.
“Sorry.”
“You never killed me.”
“It was all just your imagination.”
He tapped the side of his own head.
A silent gesture.
Your brain’s broken.
“…What?”
Norman’s pupils shrank.
Then he shook his head frantically.
“No!”
“I’m not sick!”
“I’m NOT sick!!”
Charlie glanced toward the figures descending from the helicopter overhead.
There wasn’t time to let Norman finish another breakdown.
He prepared to seize the Goblin—
Then…
His unreliable Spider-Sense finally activated.
…This feeling.
Charlie’s blue eye lenses flashed.
Without hesitation…
He fired a web and launched himself away from Norman.
BOOM!!
A blinding white flash consumed the alley.
The entire web trap instantly dissolved.
Charlie clung tightly to a nearby wall.
His heart raced.
“…So.”
“This is what a real pumpkin bomb looks like.”
Last time…
One of those bombs had reduced him to ashes.
Norman slowly emerged from the smoke.
The malice in his eyes had only deepened.
“Very good.”
“You’re much more cautious than last time.”
he praised.
If those special pumpkin bombs weren’t so difficult to manufacture…
And if he hadn’t been running low on them…
Every S.H.I.E.L.D.
agent tonight would’ve been blown to pieces.
Charlie crouched on the wall without making another move.
After everything he’d observed…
Norman’s raw strength wasn’t actually that impressive.
It wasn’t even ten tons.
The real threats…
Were his instantly summoned glider…
And those terrifying pumpkin bombs.
Even after taking Hawkeye’s explosive arrows…
And suffering repeated heavy impacts…
Norman recovered astonishingly quickly.
His Goblin armor had barely sustained any damage.
Advanced technology.
Exceptional physical abilities.
And an incredibly cunning mind.
Without overwhelming power…
Defeating someone like Norman would be nearly impossible.
“Need a hand?”
Steve Rogers suddenly jumped down from the stairwell, shield in hand, cutting off Norman’s escape route.
“So you’re Spider-Man.”
Steve raised his shield.
“Where are you from?”
Charlie landed lightly beside him.
“Uh…”
“Queens.”
“You?”
“S.H.I.E.L.D.
Dormitory Number One.”
Steve answered proudly.
“One kitchen.”
“One bathroom.”
“And my own bed.”
Back in Steve’s era…
That was housing reserved for senior officers.
Charlie scratched his head.
“…That’s…
impressive.”
“I think introductions can wait.”
Natasha, standing on the rooftop above, aimed her pistol directly at Norman.
From another rooftop…
Clint drew his bow.
“My place has five bedrooms.”
“Two living rooms.”
“And it’s a two-story house.”
Charlie sighed.
“I hate this kind of competition.”
Norman slowly looked around at everyone.
The grin beneath the Goblin mask became increasingly sinister.
“Have any of you poor people…”
“Ever lived in a castle?”
Steve answered without hesitation.
“No.”
“But once we catch you…”
“We can sell your castle to pay for all the damage you’ve caused.”
The moment he finished speaking—
Steve hurled his shield.
At the exact same time…
Hawkeye’s arrow screamed through the air.
Norman wasn’t about to sit still.
He threw every remaining pumpkin bomb in every direction.
BOOM!!
BOOM!!
BOOM!!
A series of terrifying explosions engulfed the entire area.
Nearby civilians screamed as they fled.
The arrow shattered.
Steve’s shield embedded itself into the pavement.
And Norman…
Had vanished.
Cough…
Cough…
Amid the smoking ruins…
Steve covered his mouth before walking over to retrieve his shield.
“…He escaped.”
Clint carefully scanned the surroundings.
“I’ve lost him.”
Natasha sighed helplessly.
“So…”
“Mission failed.”
She shook her head.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve faced someone this troublesome.”
“I guess three Avengers aren’t enough.”
“…Wait.”
“Where’s the little Spider-Man from Queens?”
She looked around.
Charlie had disappeared too.
At the same time…
Police sirens echoed through the city.
Amid the chaos…
Norman draped a bedsheet over himself and calmly blended into the evacuating crowd.
“Hahaha…”
“Nick…”
“These Avengers you gathered…”
“They’re pathetic.”
“A bunch of idiots.”
Norman could barely contain his satisfaction.
Hunched over beneath the blanket, he casually slipped away from the crowd before ducking into another narrow alley.
“Hahaha!”
“This is fun!”
“So much fun!”
Inside the empty alley…
Norman removed his Goblin helmet.
He danced excitedly down the alley, occasionally kicking over trash cans as he celebrated his escape.
Then…
He stopped.
His smile slowly disappeared.
A gigantic spider web stretched across the alley ahead.
Sitting cross-legged at its center…
Was the familiar red-and-blue figure.
Norman’s grin slowly returned.
“Charlie.”
“My brilliant boy.”
“I absolutely adore you.”
Charlie remained seated atop the web.
“…Don’t say the word ‘dead’ around me.”
“I’m allergic to it.”
As soon as the words left his mouth…
He tugged on one of the web strands beside him.
In an instant…
An enormous web trap dropped from above, swallowing Norman whole.
(End of Chapter)