Mark exited the game and opened his eyes to his familiar room.
He checked the time.
Hmm, I should still make it.
He changed clothes, but just as he was about to leave, something occurred to him.
He had no transportation.
The little scooter Peter had bought earlier had been sold, too.
Because he didn't have a driver's license.
So Mark opened the window and leaped onto the roof of Mary Jane's house.
Demon Hunter Set!
Skills activated!
[Quick Movement (Level 2): Increases movement speed by 20%. Consumes 1 Stamina per second.] [Jumping (Level 2): Increases jumping distance by 20%. Consumes 1 Stamina per second.]
With 6 points of overall speed and the boost from his level 2 movement skills, Mark became an agile black cat in the darkness, bounding across the residential neighborhood.
Even after entering Hoboken, Mark didn't stop.
He had no intention of taking a cab.
He had better uses for his money.
Before long, Mark leaped down from a high wall and arrived outside an upscale apartment building in Brooklyn.
By now, he was panting, thoroughly exhausted.
That was life when you were poor.
He took a moment to catch his breath before entering the building.
Kölly Apartments, unit 1404.
"Ding-dong!"
Mark rang the doorbell, and Peter Parker opened the door.
"Hey, Mark, you finally made it."
Peter waved Mark inside.
The room was filled with colorful balloons, and everyone was showing off their gifts.
Seeing Mark enter, Gwen Stacy interrupted the others with a smile.
"Mark Parker, our new friend," she introduced him.
Among the group, a silver-haired girl smiled and waved.
"Hi, so you're Mark Parker. I'm Felicia Hardy, a good friend of Gwen's."
Mark nodded. "It's nice to meet you all."
"Me too! I'm another good friend of Gwen's, Cindy Moon." The pretty girl greeted him with a smile.
Mark responded to each of them.
Felicia Hardy, Cindy Moon-those names sounded pretty familiar.
But someone even more familiar came over.
"Hey, Mark, long time no see."
A cheerful young man threw an arm around Mark's shoulders. "My friend, congratulations on getting out of the hospital."
"And you are?" Mark studied the handsome young man before him.
"I'm Harry. Harry Osborn."
Harry's smile stiffened. "Looks like you haven't fully recovered yet."
"But that's all right. I've transferred to Empire State University, so we'll have plenty of time together."
As he spoke, he nudged Peter with his shoulder. "Right, Peter?"
Peter smiled and nodded. "Of course. Now that Harry's back, we can let him pick up all our tabs."
"Peter, you've gotten funny," Harry teased.
Peter shrugged without saying anything.
His sense of humor had been honed by a mental patient.
Meanwhile, Gwen Stacy watched Mark, looking as though she wanted to say something.
Felicia, standing beside her, immediately understood.
She pulled Gwen Stacy forward.
"Mr. Mark, as a good friend of Gwen's, where's your gift?" she asked, holding out her hand.
Mark handed Gwen Stacy the gift bag. "Happy birthday."
"Let me see." Cindy grabbed the bag first, leaving Gwen Stacy a little disappointed.
"They're shoes. Ballet shoes."
After inspecting the gift, Cindy looked slightly displeased.
"Mark Parker, your gift is too ordinary," she complained.
On Gwen Stacy's behalf, of course.
But Gwen Stacy snatched the gift back. "Green ballet shoes. I love them."
She hugged the gift tightly.
At that, Cindy couldn't help exchanging a glance with Felicia.
The two smiled at each other.
Their smiles held a hint of teasing.
"Oh yes, Gwen really loves them."
"Of course. Looks like we'll have to give her ballet shoes for her next birthday, too. Green ones."
With the two taking turns teasing her, Gwen Stacy seemed a little embarrassed.
"No, I love your gifts, too."
Then she changed the subject.
"It's almost time. Bring out the cake."
"Coming."
Harry wheeled the cake over to everyone, and Mark lit the candles with a lighter.
Peter turned off the lights.
"Let's sing happy birthday."
"I'll start us off."
"Happy birthday, Gwen."
Soon, Gwen Stacy finished making her wish and blew out the candles, and the lights came back on.
"Cut the cake!" Peter had been drooling over it for ages.
Just as he was about to cut into it, the doorbell rang again.
"Gwen, did you invite someone else?"
Mark asked curiously, turning to open the door.
When he opened it, a kindly face greeted him.
"Hey, you're Mark."
Mark nodded. "And you are?"
"Norman Osborn."
Norman smiled. "Looks like you haven't fully recovered yet."
At those words, Mark discreetly took a step back.
"Uncle Norman, I remember now." Mark smiled and led Norman inside.
Seeing Norman, Harry asked in surprise, "Father, what brings you here?"
Norman smiled and held up the gift in his hand. "I was passing by and remembered it was Gwen's birthday, so I bought her a gift."
He looked at the pleasantly surprised Gwen Stacy. "I hope I'm not interrupting."
Gwen Stacy shook her head repeatedly. "Not at all, Uncle Norman. We were just about to share the cake. You're right on time."
"Well, that's wonderful."
Norman made himself at home, accepting the cake Peter handed him with a small smile.
"Peter, long time no see."
"Yes, it's been a while."
Peter was completely unguarded.
He ate his cake while chatting casually with Norman.
In the corner, Mark accepted the cake Gwen Stacy handed him, keeping a constant eye on Norman's movements.
If he remembered correctly, Norman Osborn was the Green Goblin.
The Green Goblin was also the reason Mark had managed to get out of the hospital.
"Hey, Mark, you seem distracted." Gwen Stacy noticed that something was off.
Mark turned to her and smiled. "No, I just didn't sleep well last night."
Harry happened to overhear him.
He squeezed past Gwen Stacy and threw an arm around Mark's shoulders.
"If you didn't sleep well, just skip sleeping altogether. It's my treat tonight. I'll take you all clubbing."
He didn't notice Gwen Stacy's resentful look.
And since someone else was paying, Mark certainly wasn't going to refuse.
Just as he was about to agree, the hairs on his arm suddenly stood on end.
For an instant, an inexplicable dread gripped him, and he instinctively looked toward the darkness outside the window.
A streak of green hurtled through the darkness.
At the same time, Gwen Stacy's expression changed.
She heard the voice of the one inside her.
"Watch out!"
She shouted, and in that instant, the green light outside smashed through the floor-to-ceiling window.
Crash!!
The glass shattered, flying shards slicing everyone's skin.
"No!!"
"What happened?"
Startled by the sudden commotion, everyone instinctively dropped to the floor.
Amid the wreckage, a green demon slowly rose, tilting his head with a sinister grin.
"Gahahaha, Peter Parker. Found you."
The demonic mask twisted, and a pair of evil golden eyes locked onto the terrified Peter Parker.
"What? Me?"
The Green Goblin's sudden appearance filled Peter Parker with terror.
He had no idea why the intruder was looking for him.
Norman reacted first, stepping in front of Peter with a look of grim determination.
"Evil Green Goblin, don't hurt Peter!"
Mark: "????"
He looked back and forth between Norman and the Green Goblin, unable to understand what was happening.
Could Norman not be the Green Goblin in this universe?
No, something's wrong!