EPILOGUE
10:30pm, Le Barman Mordant. Downtown Paris.
"So, if everything is to be fully understood, you two want an audience with Lord Von Doom?", asks a shady, bearded man slouching inside an even shadier pub booth."My great Lord and Savior Von Doom?" "Yes, God damnit!", replies a bitter, impatient Harry Osborn, slamming the table furiously. "How many times do we have to—" "Patience, boy, patience", interrupts Otto Octavius, quietly sliding his upper left tentacle on the boy's shoulder to remind him of where he is. "Yes, we've stated this multiple times already, my good sir. The both of us have a reputation amongst the American Supers community that proves we deserve one moment with Lord Doom."
The sleazy pub, once minding their own nefarious business, swiftly turns their attention towards the three gentlemen inside the booth second to the far left wall. "So you are indeed Dr Octopus and the Green Goblin's son, no?", interrogated the bulky, jaded, elderly barkeep. "Who would ever be interested in meeting someone so low-level and unimportant as Dr Octopus and the baby goblin?", Otto mockingly replies, staring directly into the negotiator's eyes.
"Come to our back alley tomorrow at noon; we may have an offer that would intrigue men like you", the barkeep tells Otto via a telepathic wavelength. "I think in all honestly, sir, if you won't let us talk with your king, perhaps others have more persuasive methods of entering his halls." "What did he say?" "Who?" "The barkeep. He's a mutant, isn't he? Using his powers for Yankees like you!"
"We might be Yankees, but at least we know a shit dealmaker when we see it", Harry adds, spitting in the middle man's drink before leaving the booth on Otto's orders. Furious with Harry and Otto's persistence, the middle man pulls out a modified six-shooter, capable of blasting shotgun shells. Before he can pull the trigger, nearby patrons dog pile him as the two Spider-Man foes walk out unharmed. "Was the spit really that necessary, Osborn?" "No, but it made sure that Latverian asshole knew who he was fucking with!", he replies in glee, giggling at his disrespect.
"You sound just like your father. We'll refine that part of you soon enough", Otto dryly states, swiftly grabbing him as he starts his climb amongst the Parisian skyline with grace and power. "Why do we gotta fix my awesomeness when it works? That whole pub was on OUR side!" "They were on MY side, because I do something you can't do." "Cosplay a plate of calamari?" "No", Otto replies while lightly slapping the back of Harry's head.
"I command fear and respect sincerely. You demand attention and roughhousing, like a puppy! I will make you feared and respectable, much like a trained German shepherd." "Can you, though? Your fear and respect hasn't brought us any good crew members yet, Mr Master Planner!" "That's because I brought you along to get the one-off henchmen." "What? I haven't been in a different room as you unless I had to shit." "Allow me to introduce you to our REAL team", Otto replies, with his top right tentacle showing off a silhouette of criminals and villains of the past ready for a new future with Doctor Octopus and The Hob Goblin.
THE END OF SPIDER-MAN…?