The TV kept calling it the 'Midtown West District,' but that's just the official name for Hells Kitchen.
Still, Luca had never imagined the chaos after Kingpin's death would ripple this far.
'These punks fleeing Hells Kitchen are actually packing Chitauri weapons now?'
He and Samira exchanged blank looks; neither had foreseen that the Hells Kitchen upheaval would tie back to the aftermath of the Battle of New York.
'Hard to say which faction will rise once the dust settles—or how it'll all end.'
Luca and Samira, however, were no bleeding-heart Samaritans.
Samira and the other Sokovian fighters couldn't care less if ordinary Americans lost their peace because of their actions.
And Luca, a soul from another World, certainly wouldn't lose sleep over crimes committed by street thugs.
They chatted idly for a moment, then went back to their breakfast.
After the meal Samira suggested Luca get some rest.
But having just finished repairing the orange haro mech, Luca was too pumped. With a grin and a breezy 'I'll sleep when I'm dead,' he headed for the lab, the bouncing orange haro in tow.
Samira suddenly remembered something and called after him.
'Young master, I've tracked down the backer funding that experimental treatment panel at Wellhaven Hospital, the one you asked about!'
Luca paused mid-step, turning back in surprise.
'Huh? Wasn't that panel just a smokescreen Kingpin bought from the attending physician?'
The night before he eliminated Kingpin, Luca had overheard Gina's Doctor mention that Wellhaven planned to assemble a team to study neuro-synaptic cocooning syndrome and had told Samira to look into the sponsor.
Yet during the interrogation of his cheap uncle that same night, the man admitted:
Kingpin had bribed Gina's attending Doctor to drag out the inheritance process, fabricating the illusion that Gina might still recover.
So Luca assumed the so-called 'expert treatment group' was merely an excuse the crooked Doctor invented to stall for time.
Once Kingpin was dead, Luca forgot all about it.
He never expected Samira not only to remember but to dig something up.
Samira's expression turned odd; she sorted her thoughts and explained.
'When you sent Green Bull to scare the Doctor who took bribes, Green Bull pried this out of him.
Kingpin did buy him off, but the expert panel is real—he merely…' She hesitated.
Luca finished: 'Took advantage of the situation and scammed Kingpin on the side?'
'Exactly,' Samira said.
Luca was speechless.
'Guess even a nobody has his own little schemes.'
Seeing that Luca understood, Samira went on.
'According to Dr. Wester, the panel is bankrolled by a biotech start-up called Osborn Biology, incorporated only last year—you probably haven't heard of it.
But its registered capital is huge, and its predecessor, Osborn Bio-Experimental, is famous in New York's biomedical field. The two founders—Norman Osborn, an expert in bio-genetics, and Dr. Otto Gunther Octavius, specializing in neurology and mechanical engineering—are known in medical circles as the Osborn Brothers.'
'Huh?'
Halfway through, Luca stood frozen.
Of course he knew the illustrious 'Osborn Group.'
But… 'There's a Green Goblin in the MCU?'
He quickly reminded himself this World wasn't exactly the MCU, just eerily similar.
Still, the rest of the info shattered his assumptions.
'Osborn Biology a fledgling firm is one thing, but why is the Green Goblin partnering with Doctor Octopus? And are they really calling themselves the Osborn Brothers? Is Doc Ock that impressive?'
While Luca remained stunned, Samira relayed what Green Bull had learned from Dr. Wester.
'The treatment panel was established thanks to Norman Osborn's money and connections.
Dr. Wester doesn't know exactly why Norman did it.
Rumor has it Norman's wife suffers from a rare genetic disorder; because it's so uncommon, Osborn could only research a cure in his own lab.
After the Battle of New York, however, many patients exhibited symptoms similar to his wife's—though not the same disease.
So the company decided to assemble a panel and run trials on patients who couldn't afford treatment, hoping to find a therapy.'
Luca felt even more dazed.
He hadn't expected the hereditary illness to strike Norman's wife, not the Osborn bloodline, and for her symptoms to mirror Gina's neuro-synaptic cocooning syndrome.
The shock flashed through his mind and vanished.
Whatever this World was, its existence was its own justification.
Instead, he began thinking quickly.
'Could this actually be good news for me?'
'Without biotech connections, I couldn't find a lab to develop the targeted drug Gina needs.
Maybe Norman Osborn could be the perfect partner.'
He realized:
Osborn Biology was newly founded—well-regarded but still a start-up.
Yet Luca knew it could grow into an industry titan, just like the Osborn Groups in other universes.
If he partnered with them now, might he claim a slice of the pie?
His glasses glinted as he lifted his gaze to Samira and spoke calmly.
'Aunt Samira, arrange a meeting with Norman Osborn, founder of Osborn Biology.
Tell him I have a drug that can cure neuro-synaptic cocooning syndrome.'