The evidence was conclusive.
With the help of an anonymous good Samaritan and Peter Parker, the NYPD gathered solid evidence of Oscorp's recent criminal activities.
Oscorp had stolen a genetically modified lizard from International Gene Cooperation without approval, reverse-engineered it, and provided it to Dr. Ethan, which led to the fatal cancer outbreak in a graduate student already suffering from cancer.
This included conducting dangerous human experiments without proper authorization, which resulted in the death of MacDonald Gargan, also known as Scorpion.
Additionally, unauthorized dangerous experiments were performed on Alexei Mikhailovich Sytsevich, which caused him to go berserk and cause massive destruction in New York City.
TN:The Rhino btw
There was also an attempted human experiment that was foiled before it could be carried out.
Moreover, Oscorp coerced Adrian Toomes into handing over one of his personal inventions, which was then weaponized for military purposes.
A key witness was none other than the young man saved by Adrian.
Leo immediately informed George of what had happened at Adrian's house, and when officers arrived, they found soldiers lying unconscious in the ruins, including Christoph.
With complete evidence—including both material and witnesses—gathered through Leo's efforts, the prosecution had everything they needed. Leo himself became a crucial part of the evidence chain, and half of New York had already seen him "on the scene."
With such a major case and such well-documented evidence, the prosecutor's office was overjoyed.
There was something odd, though: Adrian hadn't deliberately attacked the soldiers or agents. While the explosions and impacts severely injured the soldiers, it was too much of a coincidence that they all lost consciousness. Someone else must have intervened.
Given the current situation, the head of the unaccounted-for agent group seemed quite suspicious.
"Christoph Vernade, can you guarantee everything you've stated is true?" asked the court.
Christoph Vernade, standing in the witness box, replied, "Yes, everything was orchestrated by Oscorp."
"I see here that you're not a U.S. citizen, and there's no record of your entry. Are you an illegal immigrant?"
"No!" Christoph was furious but managed to restrain himself. "In Latveria, they said we'd have food as long as we participated in the experiments! Then they brought me here!"
"Were you informed about the vulture suit experiment?"
"No! They said it was a flu vaccine!"
"Do you have proof?"
Frustrated, Christoph glanced at Leo, who gestured for him to calm down.
The prosecutor submitted evidence, showing that Oscorp's internal records indeed had Christoph's details, proving that Oscorp had "purchased" human test subjects.
But that was where the trail ended.
The judge was content—cases with too many complications could become highly difficult to resolve, so it was best to take it one step at a time.
"So, Oscorp is also involved in human trafficking," the judge concluded.
The defense lawyer remained silent; he had been instructed not to contest these points.
Norman Osborn, the defendant, sat in the defendant's chair, wide-eyed, unable to say a word.
Every second a brain injury goes untreated, the condition worsens—and Norman's was severe.
A rupture in his brain's capillaries had left some of his neurons dead due to lack of blood supply. His language and motor centers were damaged, leaving him bedridden for life.
He could hear and see, but he couldn't speak or move.
The trial continued as Martin walked in and quietly spoke to Leo. "The judge is ambitious. I've spoken with him, and everything else is in order."
Leo nodded.
The history of separation of powers in the U.S. is long-standing, with each branch seeking its own authority. Since the day Nick Fury appeared and the prosecutor's office didn't react, it was clear they were fully willing to oppose the administration.
If the executive branch could trample over the law, then the judiciary's interpretation of the law would be meaningless. The "smart" judicial system wouldn't be happy with such a situation.
By satisfying their political desires, they would gain the politicians' support, making the whole process much quicker.
The trial continued.
Besides recent events, the NYPD's records contained enough evidence to mount opposition against Oscorp.
Now it was time to settle all the accounts.
The documents also revealed that Oscorp had engaged in numerous illegal business practices over the years.
What used to be a gray area had now become outright illegal with a complete chain of evidence.
They also uncovered an old case.
This old case also involved human experimentation—a human trial accident that Oscorp had buried.
In this incident, Oscorp conducted experiments on a child named Li. The experiment went wrong, causing an explosion that killed the entire Li family.
A video recording clearly documented the experiment, but Oscorp had never disclosed the incident.
Martin clenched his fist, then released it.
That child named Li was him.
His superpowers had emerged from that explosion, at the cost of his parents' lives.
He stood beside Leo, expressionless, watching Norman Osborn on trial, convicted of one crime after another.
"That was me," Martin said quietly.
Leo didn't reply, just listened.
"My family was so poor. We lived on handouts, and the work we did was grueling.
At the time, Oscorp was collecting biological data from people, and I participated—thinking it might ease the burden on my family.
Then what I thought was an opportunity came: Oscorp invited me to participate in an experiment."
The events that followed were just as the evidence showed.
Martin wasn't inherently evil, nor was he as extreme as he often appeared.
He not only founded the Inner Demons but also established homeless shelters to provide for the less fortunate.
"You know," Martin said, "when I saw you trying to save Norman Osborn, the man about to die from his own evil, I wanted to kill you."
"I knew—could feel it. How about now?"
"Now? This is better than I imagined. Osborn, paralyzed in prison, watching his decaying empire crumble. And I..."
Martin didn't finish his sentence.
It felt a bit dramatic to say that in front of Leo, and strange.
What he meant to say was that he could continue doing good without being torn apart by the growing sense of right and wrong.
Yes, the battle between good and evil raged inside him, and it wasn't pleasant. What kept him going was revenge.
Leo didn't dwell on what Martin hadn't said and corrected him, "Just to clarify, as I've said before, I was only saving Adrian. Norman's situation doesn't concern me—I just didn't save him."
Why would he make a 911 call for someone who wasn't his problem?
The judge spoke: "Does the defense counsel have anything to add?"
Norman's eyes bulged as if to burst: "Say something, damn it! I hired you to defend me, and you just stand there?!"
Finally, the defense lawyer spoke up: "Oscorp undertook military contracts for the incidents mentioned, intending to serve the nation."
A slight smile tugged at the corner of Norman's mouth. Yes! Oscorp had done it for the country, for the great and victorious United States!
The prosecutor raised an eyebrow, but he wasn't worried. There was more evidence against Oscorp.
If the Pentagon wanted to risk getting its hands dirty by protecting Norman Osborn, it could go right ahead and jump into the cesspool.
"But he botched the execution," the defense lawyer added.
Norman's eyes distorted. What do you mean, "botched the execution"?!
"It's an undeniable fact," the defense lawyer said regretfully. "But it all stemmed from his love for his son. We've learned that Harry Osborn suffers from a rare disease, requiring extensive research. This drove Norman to lose his sanity. After all, what parent could remain rational when their child is in danger?"
This was mostly a token defense—though technically there was nothing wrong with the argument.
But this wasn't just about losing sanity.
The judge prepared himself—this was his moment to make a name.
"A rich man's child and an ordinary man's child are equal in the eyes of the law. If saving one rich child requires sacrificing ten poor children, then it's a sin—a societal sin."
Harry, sitting in the family section, felt conflicted.
He'd spent recent days recuperating at home—he did have a hereditary illness.
But even he couldn't accept what Norman had done.
Seeing his son's look, Norman grew more agitated. Yet, all he could do was watch.
Just like all those he had wronged—able to hear and feel, but unable to express himself.
The gavel came down.
The matter was mostly resolved.
Martin had secured the judiciary's support.
He would build a new prison in New York to house special criminals, like Norman Osborn.
Both he and Leo would have preferred to reinstate the death penalty, but that would be a long-term fight.
Norman would be sent to this prison under heavy guard, and his assets—Oscorp—would largely fall into Martin's hands.
However, Martin wasn't strong enough yet to fully take over Oscorp and would need to employ other methods.
The trial ended, and Norman was about to be taken away—Martin, Leo, and Matt approached him.
By now, Norman had gone quiet, or rather, he was completely broken inside.
Of course, he was paralyzed, so his expressionless face didn't show much, but his eyes betrayed his despair.
Leo spoke, "Oscorp is finished—you know that, right? No one is coming to save you, and no one can save Oscorp either."
Norman stared at Leo, unable to react, his eyes seemingly frozen.
"But you see, Harry, although he's a spoiled kid, isn't a bad person. Now that he's lost his status as the heir, he's someone we actually want to help.
Hand over all the Oscorp's assets to us—that's the only way to save your son."
The ironic part is—Norman had trusted his big clients, thinking they were his safety net. But just like Ethan abandoned his student, they abandoned him.
Now, believing those people would take care of his son? He could forget it.
Instead, he could only trust those people he once saw as thorns in his side—good people.
Among them were Harry's friends, like Peter, whom he had once deceived with sweet words; Connors, whom he'd driven to the brink with ruthless business tactics, and Otto, from whom he'd outright stolen research; Leo who had given up the chance to watch him die just to save a random engineer;
And that rising financial star who seemed familiar—Martin Li.
All these people exhibited traits Norman used to sneer at, but they were now the only ones he could trust.
Because they had strong principles, and those principles, linked together, formed a foundation people couldn't help but trust.
It was like a wall, standing tall between enemies and allies. Maybe both sides felt differently about that wall, but... they all knew how solid it was.
"If you agree, blink."
Norman struggled, but finally blinked.