Oscorp is also a Book

Did someone want Norman Osborn dead?

Bren felt a bit confused.

But then he realized that there were too many people who'd probably like to see Oscorp gone.

Oscorp really was an unlucky guy.

Almost every version of him had to face the crisis of being kicked out of his own company by the board, or worse, either turning into the Green Goblin or dying...

Or perhaps, first turning into the Green Goblin and then dying.

One Norman dying wasn't enough, his son Harry would step in and take over, becoming the second-generation Green Goblin, only to die in Spider-Man's sight.

Spider-Man not being a part of this was like a curse.

But who could say, Oscorp wasn't part of it?

Even in the 6160 universe, where Spider-Man didn't exist, Norman still couldn't escape death.

"I remember Oscorp has a genetic disease, stemming from a defect in the Osborn Family's genes?" Bren pondered.

If that were the case, then maybe the Omnitrix could heal Norman and Harry.

He had never really considered just letting Norman die, even if it meant he might turn into the Green Goblin.

For him, Harry was his friend, and supporting him, even without fully understanding everything, by offering so much money, was enough to show his loyalty.

Norman, though self-interested, still cared for him and Peter like a mentor.

No matter the angle, Bren couldn't let Norman or Harry die like that.

As for the Green Goblin, that wasn't really something Bren was concerned with.

To be honest, if Norman hadn't been kicked out of Oscorp and the genetic defect was cured, whether or not the Green Goblin would have been born was still uncertain.

Real villains were never just Green Goblin or Lizard Doctor.

They might seem brutal and vicious, but they were only the outward manifestation of evil, the fruit borne from the tree of crime.

The real source of evil was never a single supervillain, but the devils and systems that pushed them onto that path.

It's like how superheroes defeat one enemy after another, but new ones always pop up.

Without Lizard, there's Vulture, Electro, Sandman, and even if one Green Goblin dies, there's always a new one... and they all seem strikingly similar:

Years of research stripped away, treated like garbage, abandoned; the companies they founded overtaken, and the founders themselves booted out...

Spider-Man beats them, thinking it's a victory, but he doesn't realize, he never truly wins.

Because in the soil of evil, new evil always grows.

He just endlessly wipes away the dust from the city's surface, not knowing that in the dark corners, the real, foul corruption has already permeated the whole city, even the nation!

They are high above, spread throughout every patch of soil, and beneath that soil, the rotten roots always bear toxic fruit.

Of course, Bren didn't care.

He wasn't all that concerned about Norman or Harry turning into the Green Goblin.

Who said the Green Goblin had to be a villain?

Bren thought.

In some universes, the Green Goblin could even be a superhero.

Of course, he didn't immediately propose treating Norman Osborn.

The secret of the Omnitrix couldn't be exposed yet, and the treatment could wait until the laboratory was set up, using the lab equipment as cover. The internal problems of Oscorp Enterprises were the real issues that needed solving.

Norman didn't stay for long. After taking a call, he left with a serious look on his face, getting into a Rolls-Royce and driving away.

Harry, looking apologetic, interrupted Bren's thoughts.

"Sorry, Bren, I didn't mean for my dad to find out."

"It's okay, at least the result is good." Bren naturally didn't blame him, "Now that the money has been transferred, we can start preparing the lab."

"I really don't know why Dad didn't just let us use the Oscorp Group's lab. Their equipment is top-notch." Harry complained.

"If we really borrowed Oscorp's equipment, whose inventions would they count as?" Bren countered, "I'm sure the board wouldn't miss any opportunity to make a huge profit, right?"

"Right."

Harry nodded, then raised another question.

"When do we tell Peter about this?"

…

Peter walked into the Oscorp Tower.

What struck him as strange was that the usually busy building was completely empty today—not even the front desk was manned.

Yet, the building's doors were wide open.

The empty central hall made Peter feel uneasy. He skipped the security check and headed for Connors' lab.

"Dr. Connors, are you here?"

He called out, his voice echoing down the corridor, but there was no response. Peter instinctively tightened the straps of his backpack, his nerves on edge. The reassuring thing was that his "Peter Sense" didn't go off.

"At least I don't have to worry about a big lizard jumping out to tear me apart."

After muttering this, Peter realized he'd reached Connors' office.

He pushed open the door and stepped inside.

The place was a complete mess.

He froze for a moment.

Just a week ago, he and Dr. Connors had been here discussing formulas, and everything was neatly organized. But now?

Test tubes containing chemicals were shattered on the floor, and the precision instruments in the lab were gone. It looked like a robbery had taken place, everything was stripped clean, and the tables weren't even left.

"Dr. Connors?"

A bad premonition crept up on Peter.

He walked further in, and in the dark corner of the lab, a shadow appeared.

Peter immediately became alert.

"Peter?"

It was Connors.

However, today Connors wasn't wearing his usual white lab coat.

Peter let out a sigh of relief.

"Doctor, what's going on here?"

Connors seemed surprised by Peter's appearance but didn't show any unusual reaction. "I gave everyone the week off."

As for Peter's intelligence, he highly admired it.

But when it came to Peter's weak body, he found it quite pitiful.

(Spider-Man: What do you mean by that?)

Peter didn't suspect anything and didn't forget his purpose. "Doctor, I want to know, how do predators usually find reptiles?"

Connors seemed to hear some kind of joke, feeling both amused and a little angry:

"Predators? Hmph."

"There are no predators. Reptiles are at the top of the food chain, they're the masters!"

"But they must have weaknesses, right?"

Peter wasn't giving up, but his probing brought Connors' suspicion. He turned to face Peter, his gaze serious. In the dim light, his skin seemed to emit a green glow.

"Why are you asking this, Parker?"

He asked coldly.