SSC headquarters, three underground containment areas.
This is the area with the highest security level in the entire building. The thick alloy walls block out all signals, and each cell is equipped with an independent energy suppression device and 24-hour uninterrupted monitoring.
Six specially designed cells lined up along the corridor, housing Sandman, Vulture, Doctor Octopus, Electro, Venom, and Green Goblin, respectively.
In the monitoring room at the end of the corridor, two agents on duty were staring at the holographic screen in front of them. The screen was divided into six views, showing the situation in each cell in real time.
The Sandman sat on the bed board, a few grains of yellow sand occasionally scattering uncontrollably from his body, but overall he remained very calm.
The Vulture leaned against the wall, its mechanical wings disassembled and placed in a corner. It would glance at the wings from time to time, its eyes filled with complex emotions.
Doctor Octopus sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at his hands, lost in thought. Electro was locked in an insulated cell, a blue arc of electricity occasionally flashing across his body, but he didn't try to absorb the electricity, simply sitting quietly. Venom and Eddie were curled up in the corner of the cell; both had shown abnormal physical signs after being separated, and to maintain their condition, they had to be kept in the same cell. The Symbiote formed a thin black shell around Eddie, and both were resting.
In the Green Goblin's cell, Norman Osborn sat on the bed with his hands on his knees, head bowed, looking unusually quiet.
In the surveillance footage, he sat there motionless, as if deep in thought or perhaps in repentance. From the moment he was locked up until now, he hadn't uttered a single word, made any demands, or even changed his posture.
An agent, holding a coffee, glanced at the Green Goblin screen. "He's surprisingly quiet. I thought this madman would be making a huge scene."
Another agent, without looking up, said, "Wouldn't it be better to be quiet? The quieter it is, the easier it will be."
"Yes."
Unbeknownst to them, a strange smile was slowly creeping onto Norman's face as he lowered his head.
He was naturally quiet.
Because he never truly surrendered.
Norman Osborn, founder of Oscorp Industries, a brilliant chemist, and a business tycoon. He experienced countless failures in his life, but each time he rose from the ashes. Defeated by Spider-Man? Imprisoned? These were just another setback for him.
He's waiting.
Waiting for an opportunity.
When he was imprisoned, his glider was confiscated, his Pumpkin Bomb were taken away, and his green armor was removed. But what those people didn't know was that Norman Osborn's most dangerous weapon was never any of that equipment, but his brain.
He is a chemist.
And in the prison cells, there are plenty of things that can be used.
The metal frame of the bed, the paint chips peeling off the walls, the cleaning agent in the toilet, even the smell of disinfectant in the air—all these were chemical raw materials that he could combine. For the past dozen or so hours, he had been using the most primitive methods: scraping with his fingernails, rubbing with the corner of his clothes, and biting with his teeth, to collect these materials little by little, and then carrying out the most basic chemical reactions in the sweat on his palms.
He was holding a small pinch of grayish-white powder in his left palm.
It was a mixture he had painstakingly collected and refined bit by bit from every corner of the cell over a dozen hours. Although the quantity was small, it was enough to create a small explosion.
More importantly, a miniature sound generator hidden between his teeth was not detected during the body search.
That's Oscorp's latest product, smaller than a grain of rice, specifically designed to send directional voice signals in emergencies. Metal detectors can't detect it, and X-rays can't see it either.
He had already used the transmitter to send messages to the people in the two adjacent cells.
Electro Max Dillon, and Venom Eddie Brock.
He needs allies.
That idiot Sandman is obsessed with his daughter; he definitely won't go with him. Vulture is a pragmatic man; he won't take any risks as long as he can go home. Doctor Octopus has already found himself again, so it's even less likely he'll go with him.
Only Electro and Venom still have any value.
The Electro craves attention and power; he will waver if promised a wider stage.
Venom... no, I should say Eddie Brock, that guy's obsessed with revenge, he'd definitely be tempted.
Norman's fingers gently rubbed the powder in his palm, a glint of madness flashing in his eyes.
Let's wait a little longer.
The moment the Spider-Man lower their guard, the moment the sorcerer prepares the resurrection ritual, that's when he'll make his move.
The next morning, in the top-floor conference room of SSC headquarters.
Little Peter sat at the head of the long table, with a holographic screen in front of him displaying detailed profiles and risk assessment reports of six alternate villains.
Tobey and Garfield sat on either side of him, Otto Octavius was also present.
His robotic arm has been re-equipped with restraints, which, while not as stable as the original chip, are sufficient to keep him conscious.
Strange said the repatriation ceremony could begin tomorrow, but Little Peter. gathered everyone in the meeting room early this morning because he had an idea.
"I don't think we can just send them back like this." Little Peter cut to the chase, swiping his finger across the holographic screen to bring up the risk assessment data for the six individuals. " Doctor Strange's repatriation ritual can only send them back to their original universe, but it doesn't solve the fundamental problem. They'll be back to normal. Electro will still go out of control, Venom will still be affected by the Symbiote, and Green Goblin... will still continue to wreak havoc."
He paused, then looked at everyone. "We went to so much trouble to capture them; we can't just send them back and start all over again. At least before sending them away, we should eliminate any potential threats they pose. That way, even if they return to their original world, there won't be any more problems."
The meeting room fell silent for a few seconds.
Tobey spoke first, "What do you want to do?"
Little Peter quickly explained, "It varies from person to person. Sandman's body is unstable, so we can use a biological stabilizer to solidify his particle structure, at least preventing him from collapsing at any time, thus solving his daughter's illness. Vulture just needs his mechanical wings removed. Electro's abilities are out of control, so we can help him create an energy stabilization device so he no longer needs to absorb electricity to maintain his form; as for his mental state, we'll have to return him to his original world later. We're already working on Doctor Octopus's limiting chip. Venom... Eddie's relationship with the Symbiote is rather special, but at least we can help them establish a balance, preventing the Symbiote from completely altering Eddie's consciousness."
He paused here, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "As for the Green Goblin..."
" The Green Goblin is the biggest hidden danger."
Tobey picked up the conversation, his tone heavy. He looked at Norman Osborn's file on the screen, his expression complex. In his universe, this man was the father of his best friend Harley. He knew better than anyone how dangerous the Green Goblin was.
"The problems of the others are all technical. Sandman's is physical instability, Electro's is uncontrolled abilities, Venom's is Symbiote relationship—these can all be solved."
Tobey's voice was low, "But Green Goblin is different. His problem lies in his mind. He's split-personality, insane, paranoid, and extremely cunning. He's not controlled; he actively chose to be insane. No matter how good the technical solution you give him, he'll find a way to circumvent it."
Tobey looked up at Little Peter, "And I know him. Norman Osborne never truly gives up. He seems quiet and cooperative now, but it's all an act. He's waiting for an opportunity, he's plotting something."
The atmosphere in the meeting room became heavy.
Garfield frowned. "You mean, he might be planning an escape?"
"It's not possible, it's certain."
Tobey's tone was firm. "If I were locked up in that kind of place, I'd find a way out too. Let alone someone like Norman Osborn."
Otto nodded in agreement. "I've dealt with Norman for many years. The quieter he appears on the surface, the more dangerous his thoughts are. If he's really plotting something, we must deal with him before sending him back. Even if nothing's wrong now, sending him back would be like releasing a tiger back into the mountains."
Little Peter looked at everyone, his gaze resolute. "So my idea is to start with Green Goblin. He's the craziest, most dangerous, and least likely to be reformed among them. If we can solve his problem, the others will be much easier to handle."
Garfield asked, "How do we solve this? His problem is psychological; we can't exactly give him a lobotomy, can we?"
"Of course not."
Little Peter shook his head. "I have an idea. Doctor Otto's robotic arm was previously controlled by a limiting chip, right?"
Otto paused for a moment, then understood. "You mean, make a similar suppression device for Norman too?"
Little Peter nodded. "Yes. It's not about controlling his mind, but suppressing the Green Goblin personality within him. Norman himself is actually a normal person, even a genius. But the Green Goblin personality amplifies his dark side, making him insane, violent, and ruthless. If we can create a device that automatically releases a suppressor signal when the Green Goblin personality appears, reverting him to Norman, then at least we can ensure that he won't cause problems again after returning to his original universe."
The meeting room fell silent again.
This plan is bold, but it is indeed feasible. Otto's limiting chip works on a similar principle; it doesn't control the host, but rather suppresses external AI/personality. Theoretically, it's possible to apply this technology to the Green Goblin.
Tobey frowned and said, "But there's a problem. Norman will definitely not cooperate. He'll resist, and might even cause trouble while we're installing the device on him."
Little Peter stood up. "So we need to check on him first. Let's go to the containment area. If he really is plotting something like Tobey said, we can expose him on the spot. If he's genuinely cooperating, then we'll talk to him about the suppression device."
Everyone stood up at the same time and walked towards the containment area on the third underground level.
The third basement level, the corridor of the containment area.
Little Peter walked in front, with Tobey and Garfield on either side. Otto's four mechanical arms swayed gently behind them, emitting a soft metallic hum. The Sandman and the Vulture were also temporarily released—they had agreed to cooperate, and Little Peter felt that having two more people would be safer.
The corridor was dimly lit, the alloy walls reflecting a cold white light. The doors to the six cells were specially made, with only a small observation window visible from the outside.
Little Peter walked up to the Green Goblin's cell and looked inside through the observation window.
Norman Osborne remained seated on the bed, head bowed, hands on his knees, exactly as seen on the surveillance footage. Quiet, composed, even a little weary.
He looks like someone who is genuinely remorseful.
But Little Peter noticed a detail.
Norman's left hand was always hidden in the shadow of his right.
Little Peter said to the agent beside him, "Open the door."
The agent hesitated. " Mr. Parker, this... he's a high-risk prisoner. According to regulations, at least two senior officers are required to escort him to open the door."
Little Peter said, "I know the rules, but I should have enough authority. With so many of us, we can stop anything that happens at any time."
The agent hesitated for a moment, but ultimately entered the password. The cell door slowly opened, making a heavy metallic scraping sound.
Norman looked up, saw the crowd at the door, and gave a gentle smile.
His voice was calm, even tinged with weariness. " Peter Parker. And two Spider-Man? And Doctor Otto? You've all come? What a rare treat. So, is the ceremony to take me home ready?"
Little Peter walked into the cell, Tobey and Garfield following behind him. "Not yet. We want to talk to you before we send you away."
Norman smiled. "What should we talk about? The crimes I committed? Or how I should repent?"
Let's talk about how to help you.
Little Peter looked him straight in the eye. " Norman, we know the Green Goblin personality is affecting you. We can help you by making a suppressor to hold that personality down and let you return to your normal self."
Norman's smile froze for a moment.
But he quickly regained his gentle expression. "A suppression device? You want to put something in my head? Peter, I appreciate your kindness, but I don't need it. I'm fine, really."
Tobey stepped forward, looking at him coldly. "Is that so? Norman, I've known you longer than you think. You can't fool me. You look exactly the same as you did before you died."
Norman's gaze shifted to Tobey, and the smile on his face gradually faded.
His voice deepened, "You are... from the same universe as me? Am I dead?"
Tobey's tone remained completely unchanged. "You chose the Green Goblin yourself. I just stopped you."
Norman was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly burst into hysterical laughter.
He stood up, laughing. "Hahaha... Fine, fine! I admit it, Peter. Yes, I was faking it. From the moment I was locked up until now, I've been faking it every single second! You really think I'd obediently wait to be sent back? Dream on!"
His left hand suddenly emerged from the shadow of his right, and the clump of grayish-white powder in his palm scattered in the air.
"Watch out!" Otto shouted, and four mechanical arms simultaneously appeared in front of the group.
boom--!