Mark did not collect Norman's body.
He erased the traces he had left behind, then returned to the roadside to wait for the tow truck.
Before long, the tow truck arrived.
"Thanks. The base towing fee is 150 U.S. Dollars, plus a 50-U.S.-Dollar nighttime surcharge. Two hundred U.S. Dollars total."
The driver's words made Mark swallow the "thank you" he had been about to say.
"Can insurance cover it?" His smile strained.
The driver shook his head. "You can talk to your insurance company, but you'll have to pay first."
"Fine. I'll pay."
Mark gritted his teeth and paid, then followed the tow truck all the way out to the suburbs.
He planned to scrap the car.
By the time he had finished everything, dawn was breaking.
When Mark reached the memorial service, he happened to spot Gwen Stacy and the others.
"Hey, you came too."
He glanced at Felicia and Cindy. "Did you lose any relatives in the incident?"
Felicia shook her head. "My dad's safe."
Cindy shrugged as well. "My family's safe too."
"We're here to comfort Harry." Peter stepped out from among them.
He looked at Mark, feeling a pang of emotion.
"Looks like you're all right," he said cryptically.
Mark scratched his head. "Shouldn't I be?"
"You should be."
Peter had just learned from the reporters that Spider-Man had vanished while chasing the Green Goblin.
Now that Mark had appeared, it meant the Green Goblin had either escaped or... died.
Then Harry approached them, looking exhausted.
"I just got word that my father's missing. The Green Goblin must have targeted him!"
Harry gritted his teeth. "The Green Goblin targeted my father because the Osborn Group manufactures weapons too. That's why he blew up the whole tower and killed so many people. That damned bastard!" he cursed.
Mark opened his mouth, then hesitated.
He glanced at Peter, who looked perfectly untroubled, unsure how to broach the subject.
Having his best friend kill his father would surely devastate Harry.
Harry's gaze settled on Mark. "You're my best friend. You'll use your superpowers to help me find the Green Goblin, right? Then we'll take him down together."
Mark nodded. "Yes, we're best friends. But about taking down the Green Goblin..."
He was halfway through speaking when a reporter nearby suddenly cried out.
"Oh my God! I've got breaking news! Spider-Man killed the Green Goblin! Get to the shore! His body must be somewhere nearby!"
With that, the reporters raced excitedly toward the coast.
Hearing this, Harry grew excited too.
"Yes! Spider-Man killed the Green Goblin! He avenged us!"
Peter frowned instead. "If the Green Goblin's dead, where exactly is Uncle Norman?" he asked.
Harry's expression changed as well. "Let's find the Green Goblin's body at the shore first and see if there are any other clues."
"Let's go."
He called his butler, who sent a business van large enough for all of them.
Soon, the shore was packed with reporters.
Harry and the others searched along the shoreline.
Mark followed behind them, watching as they drew closer to where Norman's body lay.
He suddenly felt a twinge of guilt.
He did not know why.
Fortunately, by the time they found the giant crater, Norman's body had already vanished.
"Huh?"
Staring at the empty crater, Mark frowned.
Looking at the empty Giant Crater, Mark frowned.
Could something unexpected have happened again? When Harry and the others discovered the Giant Crater, they immediately connected it to the Green Goblin too.
"According to those reporters, Spider-Man sent the Green Goblin flying to the shore with one punch, so he must have left this crater."
Harry looked certain. "The Green Goblin disappeared. He's not dead yet."
"But we still haven't found Uncle Norman." Peter looked worried.
Beside him, Gwen Stacy looked thoughtful. "I heard a soldier almost caught Professor Connors. If we can find Lizard Man, we should be able to find the Green Goblin too."
"Exactly."
Harry's eyes lit up. "I'll ask them right now."
Those agents had already contacted him earlier.
With their contact information in hand, and the Osborn Group at the center of this incident, Harry figured they would not hide anything from someone directly involved.
Sure enough, as the sun rose, Harry contacted Coulson and made his first visit to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Building.
Nick Fury's office.
"Let them all in."
"Commander, they're here."
Coulson opened the door, and Mark and the others followed Harry into the office.
Nick Fury glanced over the group, his gaze lingering briefly on Mark.
He had more than one reason for allowing people other than Harry to come into contact with S.H.I.E.L.D.
He rose and approached Harry. "Coffee? Or cola?"
"We're not little kids."
Harry looked straight at Nick Fury. "You're the boss here?"
"More or less."
"Then where's the Green Goblin?"
"He's already dead."
Nick Fury's words startled everyone.
Mark's interest stirred too.
"You found the Green Goblin's body?" he asked.
Nick Fury nodded. "Yes. We brought his body back before you arrived."
Harry immediately grew agitated. "Give me his body! I'm going to teach him a lesson... his corpse, anyway."
Nick Fury gave Harry a meaningful look. "You don't know who the Green Goblin is?"
"How would I know?"
"Then you don't need to."
Nick Fury sat back down in his chair and relaxed.
Natasha had located the Green Goblin's body using videos taken by bystanders. His position as commander was finally secure.
"Until the higher-ups give the word, I can't disclose the Green Goblin's true identity," he said.
"Why?"
Harry glared at him. "The Green Goblin blew up Osborn Tower! I'm a victim! I have the right to know everything!"
"You won't want to know everything."
Nick Fury's tone was firm. "Perhaps you'll find the clues yourself, but I hope you won't regret it."
With that, he turned to Mark and Peter Parker.
"You've come
at just the right time. Professor Connors escaped again. He's bound to keep coming after you. Tell me what you're thinking."
Peter shrugged, looking unconcerned.
"I'll follow Mark's lead."
Mark shrugged as well, looking equally unconcerned.
"I'm not afraid of him anymore."
He flexed his biceps. "I've gotten stronger. Really strong. Super strong. He can't pose a threat to me anymore."
Nick Fury could not be bothered with this psychiatric patient.
"Fine. That's your choice."
"Now, the third matter."
His expression turned serious, and he looked directly at Mark.
"Would you like to join us?"
He had given this decision careful consideration.
According to the report Steve had submitted, Professor Connors was very powerful.
Mark had escaped from Professor Connors repeatedly. His abilities surely were not as simple as they had imagined.
On top of that, he suspected Spider-Man, like Mark, had once been a patient at the Mental Hospital.
Keeping a lead connected to Spider-Man close at hand could only benefit S.H.I.E.L.D.
Mark, however, looked disdainful.
"Sorry, but let me make this clear again. I'm not joining you."
"A six-figure annual salary." Nick Fury suddenly made a hand gesture.
Mark swallowed.
"You, you, you... I'll have to think about it."