How desperate would someone become to survive when they're on the brink of death?
Harry Osborn gave the world a perfect demonstration.
But no one knew that he had sold his soul to more than one demon…
It was a dark and windy night.
Even the brilliant lights of New York, the city that never sleeps, couldn't illuminate every corner of the metropolis. The sky was covered with thick clouds, so there was no moonlight.
A high-tech Goblin Glider soared through the sky, gliding almost silently despite being able to carry up to 400 pounds.
Inheriting his father's Green Goblin suit, Harry Osborn's devilish helmet had a pair of yellow electronic eyes with highly advanced target-tracking capabilities.
"I've found you!"
On the terrace of a villa below, Liz was on the phone with Peter.
Since that party, the two had gotten together. Snagging the title of "Peter Parker's girlfriend" amidst the many women surrounding him made Liz quite proud.
Women can be strange like that—some like to hold on to one man, while others enjoy chasing after the men that other women fight over.
Liz felt as if she had just won a beauty pageant crown.
"Peter, I miss you."
"I miss you too…"
As Peter, who was at home, pulled out a small slip of paper with romantic lines he'd prepared to impress Liz, he suddenly heard a startled scream from the other end of the phone.
"Ah—who are you?!"
The fear-distorted tone of Liz's voice was far too real to be an act. Hearing this, Peter's nerves instantly went on high alert.
There was no need to guess. A hoarse, menacing male voice came through the phone: "Peter Parker! Or should I call you... Spider-Man?"
"Wait! You've got the wrong guy! I'm not Spider-Man!"
"Oh? Is that so? You can deny it all you want, but my partner and I have already captured your uncle and aunt, as well as all your women—Mary, Gwen, Michelle, and..." The voice rattled off several names, making Peter's heart practically leap out of his chest.
He dashed out of the house like a madman, only to find it empty. Even the rocking chair by the window still had a steaming cup of coffee next to it. Uncle Ben and Aunt May were gone.
"What... what do you want?"
"Tonight at midnight, the top of the Empire State Building. If you're late, we'll drop one of your loved ones or girlfriends every five minutes."
It was like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over Peter in the dead of winter. He was utterly shocked.
Just as the call ended, the TV blared an emergency broadcast—
The beautiful field reporter, her voice trembling as if in tears, reported: "Electro, who was supposed to be in custody, has reappeared! He's taken over New York's newest power station. Oh no! The unstable voltage is affecting hospitals! All the patients are at risk. Oh, and the latest news—due to the power failure, the airport control tower is down. We might witness a plane crash!"
The screen shifted, zooming in several times to reveal a terrifying figure engulfed in electrical currents between massive power poles.
Once a blue-colored figure, Electro—Max Dillon—now resembled an overcharged incandescent bulb, his entire body glowing an eerie platinum color.
"Spider-Man! Where are you?! Come out! If you don't show, I'll destroy this city!" Electro's power seemed even greater this time.
The screen changed again, returning to the reporter, who was now shouting: "Where is Spider-Man? Where's Iron Man? Or that mysterious bald guy who defeated the Lizard? Anyone! New York needs you!"
At this moment, Peter found himself in an intense moral dilemma.
Should he save his loved ones or rescue a city in crisis?
It was like the cruel trolley problem—an out-of-control train, and Peter had to decide: should he let the train kill a few family members or let it run over countless innocent civilians?
For the first time in his life, Peter faced such an agonizing ethical paradox.
Just then, Peter's phone rang again. He didn't have time to think and answered the call from an unknown number.
The voice on the other end wasn't unfamiliar.
"I'm Kratos. That human eel is mine."
"Good." Peter remembered well the man's immense strength. In the chaotic situation where even Gwen had been captured, having an ally, even a theoretical one, was a blessing. Peter didn't hesitate to accept.
The call ended.
But then Peter suddenly realized: "Wait! How does he know I'm Spider-Man?!"
Spider-Man's true identity…
The enemies knew.
The allies knew.
So why was Peter the only one unaware of how he was exposed?
Ah! Peter's dilemma was his own misery.
For all the masked superheroes out there, Spider-Man had the unfortunate characteristic of being an *open book*—exposing his identity to classmates, girlfriends, enemies… As a high school student, his slip-ups were far too many.
But this time, he was lucky.
At least Atreus had his back.
A lightning storm was raging over half of New York.
In the sky, bolts of lightning several meters—sometimes tens of meters—wide streaked across the night, striking majestic skyscrapers and blasting cars on the streets below.
Entire walls of buildings, weighing tons, sheared off, exploding mid-air into deadly showers of debris that sent citizens fleeing in panic.
Cars were blown up by lightning strikes, and a bus was easily overturned, sending its passengers tumbling in a heap, their fates uncertain.
Police and SWAT teams were dispatched but were swiftly defeated.
Electro was too powerful. After taking over the state-of-the-art power plant, he was like Thor, the Norse god of thunder, summoning a relentless storm.
A single strike from him sent deadly electrical currents extending hundreds of meters.
Whether it was a police car or a heavily armored vehicle, they were destroyed before getting close to the plant. Numerous officers fell, their bodies charred beyond recognition.
In the midst of this hellish scene, a reporter in a news helicopter suddenly spotted a towering figure standing atop an abandoned high tower across from the power plant.
"Look over there!" The reporter's scream prompted the helicopter's spotlight to immediately focus on the figure.
It might have been impolite, but in a moment when New York needed a hero the most, the mysterious bald giant who had killed the Lizard appeared.
"Ah! It's that bald hero!" the reporter excitedly shouted to the cameraman.
At that moment, the news station received another urgent update:
"Breaking news! A group of mysterious individuals has taken over the top floor of the Empire State Building, killing several guards and holding women and children hostage. Our reporters have spotted Spider-Man heading toward the building to rescue the hostages. God! What's going on tonight? How did two groups of criminals appear at once?"
Electro was wreaking havoc.
The Empire State Building was under siege.
Either event alone would be headline news, but both were happening simultaneously, leaving the TV network's producers overwhelmed with a strange "happy dilemma."
Reluctantly, multiple channels resorted to a split-screen broadcast, covering both battles at once.
Over at the power plant, Max—Electro—was visibly displeased at Kratos' arrival.
"I'm waiting for Spider-Man! Not you, baldy!"
Atreus smiled, though in Kratos' menacing outfit, that expression turned into something much more sinister.
"Die."
Without another word, Atreus displayed his terrifying physical strength, honed through countless battles. In an instant, his body leaned forward. The moment it aligned parallel to the ground, his legs kicked backward with immense force.
*Boom!* A thunderous sound echoed as he shot forward like a cannonball, crossing the hundred meters to Max in the blink of an eye...
(End of Chapter)