Green Goblin

Golden light filled the hall, the crystalline chandelier's refracted beams making it seem to spin slowly. A light, soothing melody coiled through the air as military dignitaries in medal-laden dress uniforms moved about the bright chamber, joined by prominent figures from New York's political and business circles.

Michael Passo and his secretary Elizabeth entered the venue around eight o'clock. Brad Bowen from the Military Committee, a neatly groomed, impeccably dressed old man, gave an immediate impression of warmth and amiability. A genial smile on his face, he walked toward the door.

"Go grab a drink and relax," Michael murmured in Elizabeth's ear. "I'll call if I need you."

"Understood, sir."

Elizabeth said nothing more, stepping aside and withdrawing. Brad Bowen approached with a smile, extending a rough, powerful hand to shake Michael's.

"Mr. Passo," Brad said. "What a surprise. I'd heard your busy schedule rarely lets you get away."

"That's usually the case. But Elizabeth told me tonight's banquet had invited quite a few important friends from the military, so I figured holing up in the lab wasn't a good look." Michael paused, then added half-jokingly, "Besides, I plan to drink all the beer here."

Brad chuckled. The two began walking side by side through the crowd toward the center of the hall.

"About those micro-missiles you mentioned last time," he said. "Any progress?"

"Going smoothly." Michael shrugged, grabbing a glass of whiskey from a passing server. "The size issue is solved. Now we're testing different warhead types for effect."

"And the power?"

Michael smiled mysteriously, raising his glass. "You'll see it at the live demonstration."

"Alright, I'll be waiting."

The background music swelled toward its climax, the lively rhythm seeming to energize the hall's atmosphere.

Until an uninvited guest suddenly pushed it to its peak.

With a sharp crack, the tall glass wall shattered. A green figure on a silver Glider Board burst through the opening, twin flames trailing black smoke from its rear. The green demon circled the chandelier twice on his board, cackling hysterically.

"Hey~! Big shots of New York! Having a good night?"

He bellowed, then burst into another fit of manic laughter. Gun barrels emerged from the Glider's underside, spraying bullets indiscriminately across the hall. Glass and plates shattered, wine and food splattering everywhere. Guests screamed and dove for cover as fear seized control.

Security rushed in, but they were clearly outmatched. The green madman on his Glider suppressed them with overwhelming firepower; they didn't even last ten seconds.

The green figure was pleased with his control. He stopped the Glider, no longer buzzing around like an annoying fly. Beneath the mask, his sharp, venomous gaze swept coldly over the elegantly dressed elite, quickly locking onto Michael.

The Glider hummed as it descended, hovering before Michael Passo. The young man stood unflinching, arms crossed, looking up at the oddly costumed figure on the board as if watching a stage clown.

"Look, our genius Michael Passo, as arrogant as ever," the green figure rasped in a strange, shrill voice.

"I think I'm fairly polite to most people," Michael said flatly. "But for some clown who wasn't invited and decided to crash through a window in a Halloween costume—I'll admit, he doesn't deserve much respect."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," the figure wagged a green finger. "That's because you don't know me well enough yet. You don't understand what I can do. Once you grasp the terror of the 'Green Goblin,' you'll start praying."

"Sorry, that name just feels dated and uninspired to me." Michael shrugged, then lifted his eyes, a blade-like chill flashing in them as he lowered his voice. "Or maybe we should just call you Mr. Osborn instead, what do you think?"

The Green Goblin—the evil persona born from Norman Osborn's failed Oz Human Experiment—granted Osborn superhuman strength and reflexes, a classic villain from Marvel's Spider-Man series. As a transmigrator, Michael's knowledge of Marvel comics wasn't deep, but he wasn't so clueless as to miss such a famous character.

The grotesque green mask hid the Goblin's expression, but his eyes flickered the instant his identity was exposed. He quickly recovered, letting out another burst of manic laughter.

"Oh? Is that so?" He lowered the Glider, leaning close to Michael, his sneering words carrying a biting chill. "You know nothing about the Green Goblin, Mr. Passo."

"If you want a private chat, I've got time," Michael said calmly. "But there's no need to hold all these guests hostage."

The Green Goblin laughed again.

"See, you don't get it at all," he declared. "That's what makes it fun! So many people watching, so many spectators! The show's just heating up!"

A sharp tap of knuckles on glass interrupted the exchange. Everyone turned to see a slender figure in a red-and-blue skintight suit crouching at the shattered window opening, his web-patterned head peeking through the gap.

It was Spider-Man, who'd been active in New York lately.

"Sorry to interrupt, pal," he tapped the glass to get attention. "But I'm debating—should I come in through this hole, or make my own? 'Cause, you know, it's a real dilemma."

Spider-Man, huh? Michael raised an eyebrow. So this wasn't purely the MCU film universe—the timing of Spider-Man and the Green Goblin's appearance proved that. He'd have to treat future MCU plot developments as rough references, not fully base his plans on the movies.

"You." The Green Goblin turned, eyes narrowing behind his mask.

"Me." Spider-Man leaped down, landing on a messy table. "Seriously, Halloween's still a ways off. And that costume's not very convincing."

The Green Goblin abandoned Michael for now, steering his Glider toward Spider-Man.

"Says the guy with a web-covered head," the Goblin taunted. "Honestly, I've got a better idea. You and me—we're not so different. Imagine what we could do together, Web-Head. New York's underworld big shots would be history!"

Spider-Man propped his chin, pretending to think hard.

"You mean ruling Manhattan? Or all five boroughs? Sounds tempting." He waved a hand. "But on second thought, nah. I just remembered—I don't work with green people."

"Ha! A pity, but not surprising. If I were you, I'd think twice." The Goblin paused, lowering his voice to a cold, eerie chuckle. "...Parker."

Spider-Man's eyes shrank behind his lenses.

The Green Goblin raised his right hand; fire burst from his glove's index finger. Spider-Man dodged swiftly, the table behind him blasted into a bowl-sized hole.

Spider-Man shot two webs to the second-floor balcony's underside, yanking himself upward, flipping midair, and kicking both feet at the Goblin on his board. The Goblin leaned back, the Glider's tail flame reversing to evade. He laughed triumphantly: "Ha! Missed!"

Spider-Man somersaulted twice, landing on the inner glass wall. The Green Goblin spun, multiple gun barrels extending from the Glider's base. A long burst of rat-tat-tat fire erupted; Spider-Man agilely dodged, the barrage shattering the glass wall. The hall erupted into chaos as guests surged toward the exits.

"Green Goblin!" Spider-Man, midair, snagged two chairs with webs and hurled them like projectiles at the airborne Goblin. "Catch!"

The Goblin dodged one chair, smashing the other apart with an arm swing, but his momentum faltered. Spider-Man seized the chance, swapping webs to swing close and pounce onto the Glider.

"Hey! That's not your toy!" the Goblin yelled, throwing a punch at the web-covered face. "Get off!"

Spider-Man ducked, returning a hook punch. "Yeah? I doubt you've got a license for this thing. Let me check your ID."

The green and red figures jostled on the cramped Glider, neither giving ground—verbally or physically. The board careened like a runaway fly, buzzing wildly through the hall as the two fought fiercely, neither able to throw the other off. Moments later, the erratic Glider smashed another new hole in a window, carrying the grappling pair far into the moonlight and out of sight.

(Thanks to readers 160701224116320, 不知所言也, kabuto555, 士兵97 for the 100 Qidian coins, and 皖水庶人 for the 500 Qidian coins!)