Warning: Story contains subject of abuse.

Author's notes: Slight inspiration from The Superior Spider-Man Team Up #11, 2014, in where Norman/Green Goblin trains with Otto/Doc Ock to take down Spider-Man. Their partnership goes about as well as you think. Enjoy!

Summary: Outside destroying their mutual enemy, even villains find common ground among each other.

Men and Kings

"Wow, Dad!" Harry praised. "You beat the preset record!"

Peter cheered as well, "Way to go, Mister Osborn!"

The two teens resided in the Osborn penthouse. In front of them was a screen almost as large as the wall that carried it. They were enjoying a night in when a third player arrived. They knew of the older Osborn's enjoyment of games with an even greater commitment to winning.

Holding the controller, Norman smiled. He was proud of his victory. "See, Harry? This is what a cleared, determined mind can achieve."

The excited atmosphere changed when the older Osborn stood up.

Harry spotted the pattern. After Norman checked in on him—for times when he bothered to—he would deliver a lecture and then depart. He came to his feet as well. "Dad? Where are you going?"

"I'm heading back to the lab. I have some business to take care of."

The man left the room without looking back.

Disappointed, Harry closed his eyes and sighed. He disliked his father's preachments. Especially since his only parent was solely concerned with his grades. Never about his personal life or interests. But he wouldn't mind the admonishing words and materialistic gifts so much if his dad stayed a bit longer.

Peter turned towards Harry and noticed the sorrow.

((In the time I've gotten to know the Osborns, I've often seen Norman's sudden departures from his son. I get the work upon work the owner of an entire empire needs to place in. Unfortunately, such dedication doesn't lessen the pain for my best bud.))

He placed a comforting hand on the young heir's shoulder.


A door to an underground lab opened. Large, bright screens were mounted on the walls. Clear keyboards rested right underneath. The monitors displayed complex math problems and innovative designs. Their purpose, however, were far from the side of justice and improving humanity.

Something within the darkness moved. The only hint to its form was the lights from the screens. Four mechanical limbs sprouted from his back. Unkempt greasy hair swayed past his chin. A set of round glasses rested on his face.

"If it isn't my employer Norman Osborn," a deep, ominous voice greeted. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Norman ignored the cold welcoming. His hands remained in his pockets as he held his head high. "I thought I'd come to see how things are progressing."

He walked closer. His footsteps echoed behind him. He fixed his gaze on the many monitors.

One screen played Spider-man. The display was on a loop of his latest mission. He dodged. He attacked. He used his webbing. It was important to observe his moves and find a pattern. It was also a chance to spot any weak points. The hero dressed in red and blue always made time to save the citizens.

"All has been going according to plan," the man with the mechanical limbs answered. He expected to hear an insult or a harangue. He then expected to hear his cruel employer leave. However, Norman stayed.

The businessman's eyes caught sight of something. On a table was a board. The board contained a grid of black and white squares. On top were matching black and white pieces. The sixteen pieces appeared to be made of fine craftsmanship. Perhaps it was a gift given long ago. Both ends of the grid kept their sides.

"I see you have this chess board set up," Norman remarked.

The game of chess was a game of intellect. A game of strategy. It is an old hobby with ancient roots played around the globe.

"A game keeps my mind sharp," Octavious explained. It also offered a break from his work, an escape from his subjective reality. With the way his old lab partner controlled his life, he half-expected to be chided like a child for keeping around a memento. Of course, being controlled by another person wasn't new to him.

Norman, however, didn't change his demeanor. He appeared like he was thinking. He then remarked aloud, "I don't think we've played a match since the accident."

Octavious wanted to raise an eyebrow.

"Shouldn't you be getting back to your company?" he asked. "Or your son?"

"Everything is running on time," Norman coolly replied. They had been watching the young web-head ever since his debut. The only noticeable difference was his new alliance with S.H.I.E.L.D. and a team. They made adjustments but sustained their goal. He then said, "And Harry has his good friend around."

Unknown to him, the brunet had given a lame excuse to so he could return to S.H.I.E.L.D. for a briefing, leaving the auburn teen alone.

"Besides," Norman added. "As you said, the game keeps the mind sharp."

He took a seat.

Octavious spotted the man's eyes on him. The other man invited him. He could see his employer would not move. Once Norman Osborn established his mind, he went for his goal. No doubt he was already planning, calculating. There was no escaping.

"Very well," the man with the mechanical limbs accepted. He placed himself on the opposite end. He figured he could gain a few laughs should he best his boss over a grid board. He knew how much Norman hated losing.

The two players were ready. Pieces began to move. Each man was already premeditating his strategy. For a while the only sound was the pieces being lifted and set down. One head was gripped with human fingers, and the other head was gripped by metal claws.

Both intelligent men grasped the object of the game. They rarely made mistakes. Pawns were exchanged for steps towards victory. Each one had faced others. This time around, they were playing against an equal partner. Both men were men of science. They had studied extensively the scientific fields—biology, chemistry, even engineering. Yet despite their bright minds, they played differently, gaining towards their goal differently. Octavious was one who refused to make a step until he was one hundred percent certain of his results. Though Norman was a scientist as well, he was also a businessman. He knew when he needed to take risks. What was an uncertainty to one was an opportunity for the other.

Norman moved his eyes towards his queen. The queen was a strange piece. It was the most powerful on the board. And some versions of the game had the queen disregarded entirely. The king needed a queen to survive.

Octavious observed his opponent.

The businessman sensed eyes on him. He knew some of his actions caused his employees to become quizzical. He had reasons to follow his quaint process.

"Life can't all be numbers," Norman announced.

Octavious raised his head.

The older Osborn continued, "Sometimes what comes best are the surprises. Of course, a rose will only smell sweeter after hours of effort placed into hard work."

"What idea are you talking about?" the other man asked. He felt himself growing inflamed. He refused to allow the one he resented to psyche him out.

"I was gifted that experience by my wife. I was happily married to a wonderful woman. Emily Osborn née Lyman. We were childhood sweethearts. She reminded me to be sporadic from time to time." Norman's genial face darkened. "Even with all our years together, it wasn't enough. She died when Harry was only a year old."

Such a pain never left his heart.

The man with the mechanical limbs glanced at the board. He understood a bit more of his opponent's less than methodical strategy. Perhaps aside from an understanding and appreciation of science, they shared something else. Talking did the strangest things to people.

"I was briefly engaged," Octavious announced.

"Were you now?" Norman questioned. He couldn't help but chuckle.

"Before the accident." The handicapped man waved around a tentacle to encase his timeline. "Mary Alice Anders. She was brilliant."

An image clicked inside Norman's mind. "Yes, I believe I met her once or twice at the lab. So what happened, if you don't mind me asking?"

Octavious was silent. If there was ever something to keep away from his confiner, he had to play it right. This wasn't one of them. "My mother disproved of my relationship. I was a fool for ever having to listen to her."

He openly displayed his hatred: "Mary Lavina-Octavious… That was my mother's name. She had encouraged me to become a scientist. She wanted more for me, to be something that her husband wasn't. Torbert Octavious was my father. He was a construction worker. Not the owner of the company. Not even the boss. He only followed orders. Like a lowly sheep to a slaughter house. When he died from a construction accident, I was all she had left. She wanted me to be loyal only to her. She was less than pleased when I finally introduced Mary Alice to her. She forced me to break off the relationship. I complied. I was foolhardy in doing so."

Staring at this particular board reminded him of who he surrendered over. He recalled what he gave up. "I became enraged when I found out that my mother had met someone for herself. When I called her out on her hypocrisy, she suffered and died from a heart attack. Freed at that time, I was unable to reconnect with my love. However, she had already left. I never saw Mary Alice again."

He thought about searching for her—be honest and open with his injudicious choices. He longed for her forgiveness. His hope perished after his accident.

Norman kept his frosty gaze on the board.

"Mothers can be just as foolish," he coldly replied.

He did have his own troubles. He never felt sorry for his own mother. She accepted the strikes when Ambrose went on his intoxicated rampage. He saw first-hand of a husband assaulting his wife. Mrs. Osborn did all she could to safeguard Norman. However, he didn't see a woman protecting her only child. He believed she deserved the abuse as consequence for being married to a disgraced man.

Octavious noted the disgusted tone. He would deny his enemy to use his past against him. He recalled what Norman had revealed to him. "And how would Emily have been as a mother?"

Returning to the present, Norman answered, "Harry and I have had our… differences. But I'm sure that Emily, rest her soul, would have loved him just as well."

"I've come to notice through our time working together that you hate dotards. If your wife wanted to make you happy, would she then have hold different parenting styles?"

Norman looked at his opponent. He scowled. "What are you implying, Octavious? That Emily would have coddled Harry? Raised him to be as strong as a bowl of mush?"

"Only if she wanted to ensure that the next generation evolved from its predecessor." Octavious smirked. Maybe he only wanted to agitate the one who had imprisoned him. It was one of the few pleasures he had. He did have to be careful.

"To evolve also means keeping alive what works," Norman corrected.

Both men continued their part in protecting their king. The king was the most important piece. For if the king is captured, then the other player wins. Men design themselves to be like kings. Some are benevolent. Some are ruthless. And some men never grow past being a pawn.

Octavious wondered if he could turn the tables. He decided to insert another insult. "Fathers are more expendable. Movies and TV have shown it. They are not that far off for some."

Norman had trouble with his father, Ambrose Osborn. Octavious had trouble with his father, Torbert Octavious. The former was an incompetent businessman who blamed everyone else for his terrible management. The latter was a mere construction crew member who never appreciated the intellectual gift his son had. Both had felt the unending rage.

"Weak men are expendable," Norman reclaimed. "A man who disappears without any mark on the world is no man at all."

"Such stalk lessons. Do you plan on passing these ideas down?"

"I have given my son plenty outside life lectures," Norman defended. "Just last week, I bought him baseball season passes for him and his friends. And the week before that, I extended his bedtime by one hour so that he can enjoy his new gaming station I bought him. He'll only maintain that freedom so long as his grades don't slip. Don't want to spoil him too much."

These would keep Harry occupy. It was also an opportunity to show that the Osborns had wealth. It was to show others that the teen had a good father, a father who provided. That was something Norman was denied while growing up.

"By society standards, that is an achievement," Octavious remarked.

"What do you mean?" Norman asked.

"It seems this is a part of the human dance that I'm unable to participate in. You managed to produce an offspring, someone to carry on the Osborn genes. Your linage should be proud."

Norman detected the sarcasm that fell on the last line. "I accepted my role as a father from the moment Emily told me she was pregnant. After she fell ill, I promised to protect my son. I may have lost my wife, but I gained a new love."

"The line has been expanded. Will that include inspecting potential in-laws?"

Norman pondered the questioned. He released a boisterous laugh, like he heard a joke. "Harry is far too young for that. He needs to keep his focus on his studies."

"You've set an example."

"For him and his best friend. The poor Parker fellow lost his parents and then his uncle." He knew Peter had a brilliant mind and a bright future. He wanted his son to take the reigns when he will be gone. Norman insisted on taking that role. "They just need the proper motivation to move on in the world."

Octiavious ignored the backstory but listened to the meaning. He couldn't deny what his opponent had declared. "It is the proper motivation that makes a man stay a pawn or move onwards to become a king."

"Indeed. All men should strive to be kings. Nothing is more valuable than that."

The two continued to play.

Perhaps, if they hadn't permitted their ego to get the better of them, if they hadn't had something against Spider-man… If they didn't allow their pasts to dictate them but instead find common ground… Perhaps in another dimension, the two could have been friends.

End Men and Kings

Emily Osborn-Lyman, for initial appearance in a photo, see Spectacular Spider-Man #180, 1991 ("The Child Within: Part 3 of 6"). For full appearance, see Spider-Man: Revenge of the Green Goblin #1, 2000. For her possible return as Emma, see Amazing Spider-Man vol. 1 #789, 2018.

Mary Alice Anders/Burke, see Spider-Man Unlimited #3, 1993.

Mary Octavious-Lavina, see Spider-Man Unlimited #3, 1993.

Torbert Theadore Octavious, see Spider-Man Unlimited #3, 1993.

Amberson "Ambrose" Osborn, see The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #14, 1994.

Mrs. Osborn (left unnamed), see The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #14, 1994.