As the Alloy Iron Gate crashed down, Mark and the others slowly entered the Demon Dragon Lair.
It was an enormous laboratory.
Under the bright lights, all manner of high-tech laboratory equipment came into view.
Gwen Stacy roughly estimated the equipment's value and was stunned.
"At least thirty million dollars' worth of laboratory equipment. An ordinary company couldn't possibly afford this. Who on earth is the Green Goblin really?"
Steve was startled by the figure. "Thirty million?"
"That's right."
Gwen Stacy nodded, her expression grave. "The Green Goblin is no ordinary man. Before this, even if we'd caught him, the people behind him wouldn't have let him end up behind bars.
But now that he's blown up an entire building, no one can save him."
Steve frowned. "What do you mean?"
Gwen Stacy glanced at Steve. "You don't seem to understand what I'm saying."
"No, I don't."
Steve said, "If someone does something wrong, they have to pay for it. Especially someone as notorious as the Green Goblin. He must face justice."
"Sir, times have changed. No, actually, they haven't. It's always been like this."
Gwen Stacy shook her head. "My father is a police officer, so I know a lot of things aren't as simple as they look.
I've seen rich people openly mock their victims in court. They never faced justice and went right on living like gods.
I've also seen bullies enjoy their protection, while the people they hurt had no choice but to transfer schools.
And I've seen homeless people disappear without a trace, only to hear about some company releasing a brand-new product shortly afterward."
She looked at Steve. "After everything I've said, you should understand.
If the Green Goblin is a very rich man, he can hire an entire legal team to get him off the hook.
Things like that happen every day."
Steve's expression darkened.
"Is that really how the world works?" He seemed to be questioning his entire worldview.
Gwen Stacy studied his outfit, puzzled herself.
"Sir, judging by your appearance, you're a soldier. You should understand these things."
Steve exhaled. "Sorry. Maybe I've never experienced the real world.
In my memory, everyone fought hard against a common enemy.
There was friction sometimes, and arguments, and a few bad people, but far more people fought with everything they had to protect everyone else.
Through a stroke of luck, I once became someone they aspired to be.
I had the power to protect everyone, but I still ended up as a mascot.
I tried to understand the decisions made by those above me. I believed they were for everyone's good.
Later, though, I refused to keep being a mascot. I fought for real and earned everyone's recognition.
That time, I gave everything I had to defeat the enemy, and I lost my friend and the woman I loved.
Even now, I'm still proud of what I did."
At that, he looked earnestly at Gwen Stacy and said,
"So I'm sorry, but until I see what you've described with my own eyes, I won't believe you."
Gwen Stacy shrugged. "That's fine. Get out more, and you'll discover what the real world is like."
"I will."
Suddenly, Mark's cheering interrupted Steve's thoughts.
Suddenly, Mark's cheering interrupted Steve's thoughts.
"Wahahaha! The Demon Dragon's treasure! I'm rich! I'm going to be rich!!"
Mark lay on the floor with a giddy grin.
Beneath him lay mountains of gold coins and gems.
Converted into real-world U.S. dollars, that wealth would absolutely make him financially independent!
Mark had already begun imagining his blissful future.
Gwen Stacy and Steve could only shake their heads at the sight.
He was having another episode.
No!
Suddenly, a warning from her Spider-Sense made Gwen Stacy's expression change.
At the same time, Mark felt an ominous sense of foreboding.
Whoosh!
In an instant, a flash of cold steel swept toward him. Mark rolled aside to avoid the blade.
A moment later, the wall shattered, and a green monster lunged at Mark.
"Die!!"
The Lizard Man's claws drove straight toward Mark's throat, seeking to kill him in one strike.
At the same time, laboratory equipment in the corner was violently shoved over. The armored Green Goblin joined Professor Connors in a pincer attack, determined to make sure Spider-Man never left.
He was out of Pumpkin Bombs.
So he resorted to the most primitive form of violence.
The sudden commotion caught everyone off guard.
Steve was just about to throw his shield when the Glider shot out of the corner and slammed him away.
Meanwhile, laboratory equipment exploded beside Gwen Stacy, engulfing her in surging flames.
The ambush had been planned well in advance.
Boom!!
Amid the spreading flames, the monstrous Professor Connors struck Mark's throat squarely with his sharp claws.
Norman's Arm-Blades struck Mark's chest as well.
At that moment, sinister smiles of triumph spread across both monsters' faces.
"We did it."
"Die, you little bug!"
But what happened next completely threw them off.
Crack...
Mark stood firm. The sharp points at his throat and chest had pierced his Suit, only to be clamped tightly between his steel-like muscles, unable to advance another inch.
"What?!"
At that moment, Professor Connors and Norman both froze.
Their eyes widened as they stared in disbelief.
Coming back to his senses, Mark cried out.
"It's the Dodge Skill!"
[Dodge: When activated, your reaction speed increases by 10%, and the probability of your target hitting you decreases by 10%. Consumes 1 Stamina per second. No cooldown.]
He had dodged the fatal blow!
Professor Connors: "!!!!"
Norman: "!!!!"
Bastard! When did he dodge anything?
Before either of them could react, holy light blazed forth.
"Nooo!"
With a howling rush of wind from Mark's punch, Professor Connors screamed as he was sent flying backward into the wall.
Then Mark, without the slightest
hesitation, activated more skills.
Quick Movement!
Jumping!
He leaped back, refusing to confront the terrifying Dangerous Class Demon Dragon head-on.
He believed he was no match for a Dangerous Class demon.
So as he retreated, he drew Liana's Holy Light.
Clang!
The bullet struck the Green Goblin's mask, sending sparks flying.
Mark was horrified at the sight.
"What a terrifying fellow! He's immune to soul attacks!"
Norman, meanwhile, glanced at Professor Connors, whom Spider-Man had punched away. Alarmed, he summoned his Glider without hesitation, turned, and smashed his way out of the laboratory to flee.
Norman believed he was no match for Spider-Man.
With the ambush a failure, he could only retreat for now.
Bang!
A manhole cover near the ruins was suddenly blasted into the air, and green flames shot skyward.
The commotion drew everyone's attention.
"Director, it's the Green Goblin! He's nearby." Coulson hurriedly stopped Nick Fury, who was about to leave.
Nick Fury perked up. "Natasha, gather all the agents here and stop him."
"Understood."
Natasha, who had been keeping watch nearby, immediately sprang into action.
But the Green Goblin was far too fast. She couldn't catch him.
"Agent Hill, lock onto the Green Goblin's flight path."
"I'm working on... oh my God, it's Spider-Man!"
Staring intently at the Satellite Feed, Agent Hill suddenly cried out.
She saw him.
The Green Goblin was flying through the city on his Glider, with Spider-Man hot on his heels.
He had tethered himself to the Glider with webbing.
"It's Spider-Man! He's alive!"
"No, the Captain's there too."
Just as Agent Hill finished speaking, the Lizard Monster and Steve emerged from the sewer, one after the other.
"Lizard Monster, I can chase you all day..."