Chapter 176: The Truth Revealed

"What a cunning fellow! How shameless!"

"The ends don't justify the means! Someone like him belongs in prison!"

"We strongly demand the arrest of this old man!"

As McCann's conspiracy was exposed, the citizens erupted in fury. Their outrage was matched only by their sympathy for Harry, who had been framed by this deceitful man.

Walking through the tunnel, Peter could hear the shouts of protest from the square above. Fortunately, George quickly grabbed a loudspeaker and addressed the crowd, reassuring them that McCann had already been taken into custody for investigation.

At the same time, major news outlets were covering the event. The Mayor of New York swiftly scheduled a press conference to explain the city's response, eager to demonstrate that swift action had been taken.

Tony Stark glared at McCann with disgust. The whole situation reminded him too much of Obadiah Stane—the man who had once tried to take Stark Industries from him.

Obadiah had nearly buried him six feet under. If not for the tiny robot, Dum-E, handing him the old reactor in the nick of time, he might have actually died. So seeing another corporate schemer like McCann succeed was infuriating.

[Peter arrived at the abandoned underground station beneath Pershing Park. He could hear two staff members patrolling the old subway route, chatting as they walked.]

[Crawling through the debris-covered station, he maneuvered past a half-lowered roller shutter door and climbed onto the platform. It was clear that this place had been deserted for a long time.]

[Looking around, Peter's eyes landed on a suspiciously different-looking wall. Curiosity piqued, he walked over, took out a coin, and inserted it into a nearby slot. The railing mechanism turned in response.]

[He stared at the wall expectantly. But when nothing happened, he frowned. Was this just his imagination? He pushed against the wall—nothing. Frustrated, he kicked it hard, then hit it again.]

[Whether it was a delayed reaction or a hidden switch, a sudden noise sounded behind him. Peter spun around just in time to see a crack forming along the middle of the subway track.]

[Slowly, the ground parted, and from the depths below, an old subway carriage began to rise. On its side was a faded but unmistakable number: 6688.]

[The carriage's lights flickered to life, and with a mechanical hum, the doors slid open. Inside, a long-dormant computer system rebooted, its screen lighting up with a loading prompt—Richard Parker's files were being retrieved.]

[Peter hesitated only for a moment before stepping inside. The interior was filled with old scientific instruments and research equipment. Moving toward the computer, he saw the completed download notification and took a seat.]

[With a deep breath, he pressed play.]

[A grainy video flickered on the screen. A man appeared—Richard Parker.]

["My name is Richard Parker. No matter what rumors you've heard about me, I hope you'll listen to the truth."]

["Oscorp Industries has led the world in genetic research. But Norman Osborn made a deal with a foreign military organization—they funded my research."]

["At first, I thought it was for scientific advancement. But I later discovered their true goal: weaponization. Biological weapons. I couldn't allow that. So I refused. But because of that, Norman turned against me, fabricating evidence to frame me as a traitor. He wanted my research for himself."]

["But there's something Norman never realized—the genetically modified spiders I created? Their DNA is bonded to my own."]

["That means without me or my bloodline, Oscorp will never be able to replicate or continue my work."]

["I destroyed as many of my records as I could, but I didn't have time to eliminate the spiders themselves. As a scientist, I had no choice but to disappear… as far away as possible."]

["But as a father, it meant something far worse—I might never see my son again."]

["Peter, if you ever see this, know this: nothing is more important to me than you."]

["But I also have a responsibility—to protect the world from what I created."]

["I know Osborn is powerful. I know that history will paint me as a villain. Maybe they're right… maybe I was naïve to think I had more time."]

[Just then, the voice of a young Peter interrupted: "Dad? Dad!!!" At the sound of his son calling for him, Richard hesitated. "I'm sorry," he whispered—then abruptly ended the recording.]

[The video cut out, leaving only the dim glow of the screen.]

Peter sat frozen, his eyes burning with emotion. His father… was never a traitor.

"Father..."

Harry Osborn stood in silence, his emotions tangled in a storm of conflicting thoughts. He had just uncovered McCann's guilt, but the satisfaction of that victory was already fading.

He poured himself a glass of whiskey, staring at it with vacant eyes.

He knew Norman Osborn had only ever wanted to cure himself. He had done terrible things, yes, but he had done them for Harry. How could he hate him for that?

Yet, there was something else—something he hadn't expected. The reason their genetic experiments had always failed... it was because the spiders were bonded to Richard Parker's DNA. Without him or his lineage, their research was doomed to fail from the start.

Peter and Gwen had finished watching the video at the same time. Peter's eyes were red-rimmed, mirroring his younger self in the footage. Gwen's heart ached at the sight. She immediately wrapped her arms around him.

"Peter, are you okay?" she asked softly.

Taking a deep breath, Peter steadied himself and gave a small nod. "Yeah... I just… need to see if there's any more information in here."

While the two of them searched the carriage for additional clues, an uproar erupted outside. News of Richard Parker's innocence was spreading like wildfire.

People who had once branded Peter Parker's parents as traitors were now scrambling to backtrack.

Uncle Ben and Aunt May were equally stunned. They had always harbored doubts about the accusations, but without evidence, they had been forced to accept the government's version of events. Now, the truth was finally out.

And they weren't going to let it go unanswered.

Countless Spider-Man supporters demanded justice. Harry, still lost in thought, barely registered the chaos outside until Felicia Hardy nudged him. Snapping out of his daze, he quickly ordered the removal of all slanderous reports about Richard Parker.

Meanwhile, another controversy emerged. The revelation that the FBI had falsely informed Ben Parker that Richard was a criminal stirred immense public outrage. Fans of Spider-Man were furious, and the FBI director—already under scrutiny after the Rajit case—found himself besieged once more.

The Mayor of New York, desperate to ease tensions, ordered the investigation team working on Ravencroft to also look into Oscorp's connections with foreign military organizations.

Oscorp Industries was in complete turmoil. Its stock price was plummeting. If Norman Osborn were still alive, the backlash would have been even worse. The only thing keeping the company from collapsing entirely was the fact that its current CEO, Harry Osborn, was Peter Parker's best friend.

J. Jonah Jameson wasted no time seizing the moment. His latest editorial tore into those who had once defamed Richard Parker, making it clear that he had always opposed their baseless accusations.

For years, Spider-Man's enemies had whispered and spread lies. Even when the CIA had cleared his parents, the truth had been ignored. But now, with irrefutable proof displayed for the whole world to see, there was no denying it.

The debate was over.

Richard Parker had been innocent all along.

And the world finally knew the truth.

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