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James stood to the side, staring blankly at the unconscious figure on the floor. The air still smelled faintly of metal, electronics, and sweat. For a few moments, he was frozen.
"It… it's really over?"
His voice broke the silence.
Part of him had been bracing for the Green Goblin to suddenly rise again with a terrifying last strike. A classic comeback moment—perhaps even a final, desperate detonation. But… that never came.
Instead, one clean punch from Nathan had ended the fight.
It felt surreal. Like skipping the climax of a thriller. But it wasn't underwhelming. No, it was terrifying. Terrifying how easily Nathan had ended it.
James glanced at him again, now filled with awe. This wasn't just someone with guts and some fancy gadgets—this was someone deadly. Someone who had just effortlessly dismantled one of the most dangerous men in the city.
In James' eyes, the Green Goblin was a monster. His strength, agility, tech—it was all overwhelming.
But what he had just witnessed… Nathan had suppressed him with terrifying ease.
Nathan looked down at the limp body of the Green Goblin and murmured to himself, "I thought I'd need to use magnetic restraints mid-fight..."
"But clearly I gave you too much credit. Your combat skills are laughable."
With no rush, Nathan reached to his waist, pulled out two pairs of magnetic handcuffs, and clicked them onto the Green Goblin's wrists and ankles. The cuffs locked with a faint electronic chime, their magnetic mechanisms sealing tight.
Only then did he turn to James, calm as if nothing had happened.
"Alright. Now that that's done, let's continue with the contract."
James snapped out of his daze and nodded quickly. "Yes! Right away, Mr. Nathan!"
Nathan returned to the coffee table, retrieved the two copies of the contract, and handed them over. James, still a little shaky, picked up a pen and began to sign. His hands were steadier than before—he wasn't afraid anymore. He felt like he had a titan behind him.
And in truth, he did.
Nathan sat calmly, his gaze on the contract, but his thoughts were already on the future.
This was a major win.
He had negotiated a deal worth 13 million on paper… but he secured it for 11 million. And it wasn't even up-front cash—it was tied to future Osborn profits.
A brilliant deal.
With this 20% in hand, and a bit of cleanup in the stock market tonight, Nathan would have a 51% controlling interest in Osborn.
After tonight—Osborn Industries would belong to Nathan.
In the original timeline, Norman Osborn—the Green Goblin—would have eventually stabilized. His intellect and cunning would push Osborn Industries to new heights. The company would grow into a tech giant, rivaling even Stark Industries.
But now?
Now history was already diverging.
From this moment on, Osborn Industries was destined to become a global empire—but under Nathan's rule.
James signed the final page, stacked the documents, and handed one copy to Nathan.
"All done, Mr. Nathan. Congratulations—you're officially the new owner of Osborn."
Nathan extended his hand with a small smile. "Thank you."
They shook hands firmly.
James glanced at the unconscious Green Goblin. "What about him?"
"I'll take care of it," Nathan replied casually.
Without breaking a sweat, he hoisted the limp villain over his shoulder and grabbed the flight glider. As if hauling groceries, he walked out, popped the trunk of his car, and carefully stowed the Green Goblin inside—placing the hoverboard beneath the seats.
Then he drove.
The car moved smoothly under the neon canopy of the city. Lights flickered, signs blinked, and the streets were alive with that unique pulse only New York possessed.
Inside the vehicle, a mellow track played: "Sunset Boulevard."
Nathan's voice softly joined in, humming along with the lyrics:
"We run in the middle of this road
We cry at both ends of this road
Whenever the sunset sunlight colors everything
I see the darkness of the night
The evening breeze blows over the golden beach banquet
I'm still not used to that taste…"
As the song continued, Nathan stared at the glass skyscrapers stretching into the sky, and for a moment—just a moment—he felt like he was home again.
His past life flickered before him.
The awkward school days, the late-night studying, the quiet moments with friends, the heartaches, the small joys. All of it felt so close—yet belonged to another world.
But reality pulled him back.
This wasn't his world anymore.
This was the Marvel Universe.
And fate had given him a front-row seat to chaos, superheroes, villains, and gods.
As he approached Hell's Kitchen, a thunderous crashing noise broke the calm.
Bang! Bang!
Not far ahead, a jewelry store had just been shattered.
A hulking figure with gray, rock-like skin smashed through the front window, his massive hands full of gold and diamonds. Clerks cowered behind the counter, too frightened to move.
A rhinoceros-themed brute, muscles like steel cables, his massive horned helmet shining under streetlights.
Nathan narrowed his eyes. He recognized the man instantly.
Rhino.
The supervillain with enhanced strength and near-bulletproof hide.
For a moment, Nathan considered intervening. But then he shook his head.
"No… not now."
He had more important things to do.
His lab work, and most of all—his new captive. Green Goblin still had secrets to share, particularly about the enhancement serum he'd used on himself.
A few blocks later, Nathan pulled into the hidden driveway of his safe house. The facility looked unremarkable from the outside—just another brick building nestled between bodegas and apartments. But inside?
Inside was his private fortress.
He carried the Green Goblin into the underground laboratory, opened the reinforced basement door, and placed him carefully on the examination table.
With another pair of magnetic cuffs, he bound the Goblin tightly to the metal slab. No escape. No leverage.
The room itself was armored glass—an upgrade he'd implemented after the last containment breach. Each lab table was its own sealed unit.
As he walked out of the room, several of Nathan's clones and helpers peeked from behind the glass walls, their eyes flickering with sympathy.
Another poor soul captured.
Nathan noticed their glances and pressed a wall-mounted button. Instantly, the transparent glass walls turned opaque, cutting off all visual contact.
He turned his back on the prisoner.
Now, he'd wait for the Green Goblin to wake up and start talking.
In the meantime, he had work to do.
Back in his equipment lab, a row of small spherical weapons lay neatly across the workbench—button weapons.
These weren't ordinary gadgets. Each one held unique power in its tiny shell. Two types had already proven useful in combat:
Neurotoxin buttons, which could silently knock someone out with a single contact.
Electromagnetic pulse buttons, like the one that had brought down the Green Goblin's tech.
But two more were in development:
A high-voltage shock button, designed to emit a short, stunning burst of electricity capable of immobilizing even a large enemy.
An alarm button, useful for perimeter defense. When activated, it could send alerts or trigger automated defenses if movement was detected nearby.
Nathan worked quickly, hands a blur.
He soldered connections, checked circuitry, and fine-tuned energy outputs. The lab filled with the scent of burning metal and ozone as device after device took shape.
But then—
A vibration.
The ground trembled slightly, followed by a muffled BOOM.
He turned to his surveillance monitor.
Outside, chaos had erupted.
Rhino had somehow made his way into the neighborhood—and was now brawling in the street with another costumed figure.
It was Ghost Spider. Gwen Stacy.
Her slim form flipped through the air, gracefully dodging Rhino's clumsy but powerful strikes. His punches shattered parked cars. Debris flew in all directions.
A car smashed into the wall across from Nathan's building. Cracks splintered the brick—but held.
Another blow, and this time a section of the wall buckled.
Nathan narrowed his eyes.
"This idiot is going to level my house…"
He didn't hesitate.
Sliding on his tactical goggles and fisherman's hat, he stepped outside.
In a fluid movement, he scaled the front wall and crouched at the top, watching the fight play out from above.
The street below was chaos. People screamed. Car alarms blared.
Nathan lowered his hat brim, his voice low and sharp.
"Hey, big guy. Can you not destroy my house?"