Spider-Man: Web of Shadows

Chapter 22: The Face of Evil

The shock coursed through Peter's body, each jolt of pain sending waves of electricity through his nerves. His limbs trembled as the man's grip tightened on his wrist, the electric pulse only intensifying. His mind raced as he struggled to regain control, every second feeling like an eternity. The darkness of the facility swirled around him, but his focus narrowed on the face that had been a nightmare of his past—the face of the man who had orchestrated so much of his pain. Norman Osborn.

Peter's eyes blurred, but he could still make out the cruel smile spreading across Osborn's face. The shock was relentless, and Peter's muscles screamed in protest, but he wasn't done yet. Not by a long shot.

With every ounce of strength he could muster, Peter gritted his teeth and fired a web from his wrist, catching the edge of a nearby pillar. The sticky strands recoiled like a slingshot, pulling Peter's body away from Osborn's grasp just in time to avoid another surge of electricity.

The sudden release of tension sent Peter crashing into the wall behind him with a grunt, but the shock had stopped. His body still ached, but he had regained enough control to move again. He quickly scrambled to his feet, ignoring the stinging sensation in his limbs. His eyes were locked on Osborn, who was slowly approaching, his lips twisted into a smug expression.

"I must admit, Spider-Man," Osborn's voice was calm, almost too calm, "I thought you would put up more of a fight. But you're only a child, playing at being a hero. You have no idea what you're up against."

Peter wiped the sweat from his forehead, his breath ragged but steady. "You're insane, Osborn," he growled. "You've been hiding behind this mask for far too long. You've hurt so many people, and you think you can just keep getting away with it?"

Osborn laughed, the sound echoing in the empty facility. "I haven't gotten away with anything, Spider-Man. I've been building an empire. And now… now it's time for it to come to fruition. Your pathetic little attempts at stopping me won't change that."

Peter's mind raced, searching for a way to end this, to stop Osborn before it was too late. His eyes scanned the room, looking for any advantage. But Osborn was too calculated. Too prepared. Every move Peter made, Osborn had anticipated it.

"You don't get it, do you?" Peter said, his voice low and dangerous. "This isn't just about you anymore. This is about everything you've done. About my parents, about MJ, about everyone you've hurt. I'm not letting you get away with this."

Osborn tilted his head, studying Peter with an unsettling intensity. "Your parents?" He said, almost as though the words were foreign to him. "Ah, yes. Richard and Mary Parker. You still believe they were innocent, don't you? Such a naïve little boy."

Peter's blood ran cold. "What are you talking about?"

Norman's smile grew wider, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling gleam. "I've been watching you, Spider-Man. Watching you struggle with your little mysteries. But you're missing the biggest one of all. You think your parents were just innocent victims of a tragic accident? That they died because of some random twist of fate? No, Peter. They were part of something far bigger. Something that you'll never fully understand. Something you can't even begin to comprehend."

Peter's mind reeled as the words hit him like a punch to the gut. His parents weren't innocent victims? They were involved in something… bigger? It didn't make sense. He had always believed in the story they told him—their death had been a result of a plane crash, a tragic, senseless event. But now, Osborn was telling him something different.

Peter clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. "What do you mean?" he demanded, his voice rising with anger. "What did you do to them?"

Osborn took a step closer, his voice lowering to a menacing whisper. "Your parents were more than just scientists, Peter. They were part of a project. A project that would have changed the course of history. They were working for me, whether they knew it or not. And when they got too close to the truth—when they realized they had outlived their usefulness—they became expendable. Just like everyone else who stands in my way."

Peter's mind spun, the pieces of his past beginning to shift and form a horrific picture. His parents, whom he had idolized for their brilliance, had been working with Osborn. They hadn't died by accident. They had been murdered.

Peter's heart pounded in his chest, the surge of emotion overwhelming him. Anger. Betrayal. Grief. All at once. He wanted to lash out, to destroy Osborn for what he had done, for the lies he had fed him, for the life he had stolen from him.

"You—you killed them," Peter breathed, the words tasting bitter on his tongue. "You murdered them."

Osborn's eyes flickered with something—satisfaction, perhaps? "I didn't kill them, Peter. I simply removed them. And now you're here, chasing ghosts. But it doesn't matter. Because you will never stop what's coming. Not even you can save this city. The wheels are already in motion."

Peter's blood boiled. "You won't get away with this."

Osborn smirked. "You'll try to stop me. I'm sure of it. But when the time comes, you'll see just how powerless you really are. All the web-slinging and bravado won't save you."

Peter's fists tightened. "We'll see about that."

Suddenly, a loud mechanical whir echoed through the facility, followed by a hiss of air. Peter's spider-sense went wild. Something was coming—something dangerous.

Osborn's grin widened as he stepped back, his hands raised in mock surrender. "I think it's time we had a little fun, don't you?"

Before Peter could react, the ground beneath him trembled. The sound of heavy footsteps grew louder, accompanied by the screech of metal on metal.

Out of the shadows, a hulking figure appeared—something huge, something monstrous.

Peter's eyes widened as he saw the creature in front of him. It was a massive mechanical suit, bristling with weapons and armor. The figure inside the suit moved with mechanical precision, and Peter could just make out the twisted grin on Norman Osborn's face.

"It's time for you to meet the Green Goblin, Spider-Man," Osborn sneered.

Peter's mind raced. The Green Goblin? The villain who had tormented him for years? Now, Osborn had taken things to a whole new level. This wasn't just a man in a suit. This was an unstoppable force of destruction.

As the Goblin's heavy footsteps grew closer, Peter didn't hesitate. His body moved on instinct, webs flying from his wrists, pulling him up into the air as he avoided the first massive punch from the Goblin's mechanical hand. The fight had just begun—and Peter was about to learn just how dangerous the Green Goblin could be when backed by technology and power beyond anything he had ever faced.

Osborn's laugh echoed through the facility, and Peter knew then that he wasn't just fighting for his own life anymore. This was a battle for everything. For his past, for his future, for the city he called home. And he wasn't going to lose.

End of Chapter 22