Disclaimer: That's more like it, more reviews. In addition to the chapters of this story, I'm also brainstorming a voice cast chapter which has become my Modus Operandi over the years. (It's Latin, look it up).

That said, Spider-Man and Company belong to Marvel Comics.

Chapter XV

Peter arrived at the Daily Bugle to find it in anarchy, and a little more than usual. He pushed passed a couple of random employees and barely even managed a passing glance at Betty before he made it into Jonah's office. Jonah was pacing back and forth while Robbie was reading the latest Bugle paper. Peter caught a glimpse of the headline and for once it had nothing to do with Spider-Man. It read; OSCORP TO FILE FOR BANKRUPTCY. Normally, this would mean enormous profits for the Bugle. But Jonah was still pacing around behind his desk, so Peter naturally suspected that something was wrong.

"Is everything okay here?" he asked, and Robbie was the first to respond.

"Hey, Peter. I'm guessing you heard the big news by now." said the City Editor.

"Yeah, I read about it about while I was on my way to the building. It's surprising that the Bugle would print it at all." Peter said.

"That's the problem, Peter; the Bugle didn't print the story." Robbie revealed.

Peter look at Robbie utterly shocked. "What?!"

Jonah suddenly drew attention to himself, planting both hands into the top of his desk and shouting, "It's a damn travesty, Parker. Somehow and someway, somebody within my newspaper leaked this story about OsCorp's bankruptcy without my approval."

"We haven't been able to find who leaked the story without us knowing, but we think whoever it was may have underworld connections." Robbie explained.

"You mean like Kingpin or Silvermane?" Peter asked.

"Maybe, but without evidence, nothing can be proven if either of them are involved at all." Robbie stated.

"I don't care if you have to interview every single person in this building, Robbie. Find out who had the audacity to leak this story and get them in my office so I can fire them personally," Jonah shouted loud enough for Betty to hear from outside the office. Then he looked at Peter. "And what the hell are you doing here, Parker?"

"I brought you the latest photos from the charity event last night like you wanted, Jonah." Peter said.

Jonah rubbed the bridge of his nose with clear aggravation. "Obviously, they have to include Spider-Man and Vulture. Listen kid, for once in my life, I'm not in the mood for any pictures of that web-spinning poster boy. I've got a more important crisis on my hands right now with the OsCorp story leaking. Now get out of here and don't come back unless I'm in a good mood."

Which would be never. Peter thought before he started out.

The answering machine on Jonah desk rung and Betty called from her own desk, "Mr. Jameson, I have Norman Osborn on Line #3. And he doesn't sound like he wants to wait."

"Great, more good news. Robbie, get the kid out of here." Jonah snapped, and Robbie escorted Peter out of the office, stopping just short of the threshold.

"I'll take these and show them to Jonah later, and then you'll get your check in the mail. Okay?" he said to Peter.

"Yeah, no problem." Peter said and left the office.

Betty was at her desk looking into the office when Peter reached her. "I'm guessing word's gotten out about the OsCorp situation," she said, to which Peter nodded. "It's hard to believe that Norman Osborn was practically kicked out of his company."

"I know, and I can't help but have a really bad feeling about it." Peter replied.

"I don't see why, Peter. I mean, this is Norman Osborn we're talking about. You just know he'll have a plan to correct this setback," Betty stated positively. "What's the worst that could happen?"

Peter thought, Why did you have to say it, Betty?

"Why in the hell would your print the OsCorp story, Jameson. What the hell are you trying do to me?" Norman bellowed over the phone of his limo.

"Like I told you before, Osborn; I didn't approve this story nor was I even aware that it even leaked. Someone on the inside had to have leaked and whoever it was had to have underworld connection. Otherwise, you think I'd be stupid enough print something without approving it first." Jameson bellowed back from the other line.

"You're damn newspaper has spent years trying to make my company look like Armageddon was at hand. You've tried to make me appear like the damn Antichrist," Norman shouted just as his ride had pulled up to the lobby of his penthouse. "For all I know, you've probably accepted bribes from Wilson Fisk, who by the way, is now in control of my company."

"How dare you accuse me of accepting anything, Osborn. Besides, how do I know that you haven't sold company secrets to some foreign power?"

"You think I'd be that stupid and irresponsible, like you? I suggest that you do what you have to fix your idiotic mistake and do it fast, before Fisk runs my company into the ground. And if I go down, Jameson, I'm taking both you and Fisk down with me." Norman slammed the phone into the receiver.

Norman quickly stepped out of his limo only to be confronted by a swarm of news crews, paparazzi with cameras and other random people. Every one of them were screaming and hollowing to get his attention in any possible way imaginable. Norman put on a pair of sunglasses to mask the rage boiling up inside him and did the very best that he could to tune out the people. Every one of them were asking the same question in different way, further reminding Norman of what he'd lost so suddenly that morning. And to top it all off, Whitney Chang was front and center at the front entrance with a camera man shadowing her.

"Mr. Osborn, do you have time for a quick interview?" she asked.

"No."

Whitney, who had a reputation for persistence, asked, "Would you care to offer a statement on OsCorp filing for bankruptcy as well as Wilson Fisk being appointed as interim CEO?"

"No."

Again, Whitney was ever persistent. "What about the rumors of a possible merger of OsCorp with certain rival companies such as Stark Enterprises or Advanced Idea Mechanics or even Quest Aerospace? Would care to comment on that? Mr. Osborn…"

Out of nowhere, Norman spun around and snatched the video camera out of the cameraman's hand with near-blinding speed. He then tossed the device into the wall of the building just by the front entrance. The camera exploded on impact and shattered into pieces on the ground. The image of Norman's action silenced the gathered people and news crews and even Whitney. She then felt Norman's eyes on her, and she was paralyzed as if she'd encountered the Greek monster Medusa. Her trademark persistence failed her faster than her knees did and she and her cameraman backed away. Norman continued to leer at the people gathered to watch his unexpected outburst of rage before he stormed into the entrance and disappeared.

A few minutes later, Norman reached his penthouse suite and stormed into the living room where a lone bottle of liquor was waiting for him. He quickly picked up the bottle, uncorked it and drank from it without even bothering with the shot glass. The taste was bitter and pronounce, just the way he liked it. But today, he didn't like it. It reminded him of the string of mishaps that had plagued him since he returned to the public eye. Still, he continued to drink like his life depended on it.

Hours passed and it was now late in the afternoon. Norman was drunk and halfway passed out when Hendry came into view. "I've completed my duties, sir. With your permission, I'd like to leave for the rest of the day."

Norman gave a snort and muttered, "Fine. Get out."

Hendry left without another word. Norman went to take another heavy gulp of the liquid only to find the bottle empty of the substance. Huffing at the bottle, Norman threw it into the fireplace where it shattered and sent flames jumping out. Norman wandered to the mask collection and studied it, thinking of the places he'd traveled to acquire through business approaches or certain, other means. Sometimes, Norman thought the masks were staring back at him, watching him and waiting for him to fall asleep so they could take him down to whatever hell from which they came. Norman was never a superstitious man by any stretch, but he certainly felt like he was living in Hell now.

Norman wandered to the nearby cabinet which he opened to find yet another bottle of liquor just waiting to be consumed. This time, he took a shot glass before he opened the bottle and poured the substance into the shot. Taking a full gulp, the liquor was gone in seconds. Norman poured another shot and drank it, then another and another. Based upon the amount of liquor consumed, a normal person would likely succumb to alcohol poisoning. But Norman seemed to be able to hold his liquor better than most. Just as he was about to finish the next big gulp, he heard it… that twisted and distorted cackling that came from everywhere and nowhere. The sound of the cackle startled him into dropping the bottle, causing the contents to spill out onto the floor.

Norman took a deep breath, trying to focus and drown out the sounds around him. At first, the cackling subsided and Norman thought they had ceased. Then he heard the voice…

"You feel that cold shiver going down your spine?"

Norman was instantly spooked but tried to focus more. "You're not real. You are not real."

"I'm more real than you'd dare admit. I can't help but wonder why you so insist otherwise. It's pathetic and even insulting, the way you continue to pretend like I don't exist."

Norman held his hands to his head and even plugged his ears shut. "You're just in my head. It's all in my head. You are not real."

"I'm real whether you want to admit it or not. It's about time you acknowledged it," the voice bellowed despite Norman attempts to dull it. "And you need me, Norman."

"I don't need you. I don't want you. Just leave me alone. You're not real, damn it." Norman shouted out to the voice

"Well, it's about time that you remembered just how real you made me."

((One year earlier:

"Norman, we can't go through with this test. The Globulin Green serum is still in its experimental stage," The man speaking was Norman Osborn's associate Mandel Stromm. "Pushing it now could have unforeseen consequences."

"Stop being such a coward, Mandel," Norman said, who busied himself at a console. A large Plexiglas chamber rested just in front of him. "You of all people should understand that risks are as much a part of science as anything else."

On this, Mandel agreed even he didn't immediately say it. While Norman started undoing his lab coat and dress shirt, Mandel stated, "That data alone isn't enough to justify this test. Consider the earlier tests we'd run on our rats. We've seen evidence of unprovoked violent, aggression and one case, even insanity."

"That was only one trial – on rats."

"Maybe so, but we don't know what effect the serum will have on a human being," Mandel explained, but Norman still wasn't listening as he continued to work. "Norman, I'm begging you; give me at least a week to assemble a proper medical staff and a volunteer. One week is all I need."

Norman spun and looked Mandel dead in his eyes. "One week is one week too many, Stromm. I'm not going to stand idly by while men like Tony Stark or Justin Hammer find new ways to perfect their technological advances. I won't let that happen."

As Osborn entered the chamber, Mandel announced, "I won't have any part of this, Norman. You don't know what will happen if you inhale the serum in a gaseous form."

Norman was finished listening to Mandel when the machinery outside the chamber whirred to life. Mandel stepped back and watched as the chamber began to fill with a sickly green vapor that spread out slowly around Norman. Norman didn't flinch or show any sort of trepidation at the sight of the vapor as it filled the chamber. Right as the vapor reached his face, Norman took as deep as any breath that he'd taken in his life. The vapor tingled and stung his nostrils and his throat while it traveled to his lung. A moment later, Norman could feel his muscles bulging in his arms, his diaphragm hardening and most importantly, his considerable intelligence expanding. Norman Osborn began to feel like a new man.

Then the convulsions began. Outside of the chamber, Mandel watched in horror as Norman convulsed and thrash violently from inside. It appeared that Norman was having a lethal seizure right before his eyes, and it was about as difficult for Mandel to watch as it was for Norman to experience. Norman fell to his knees, using his hand to brace himself and he crawled and clawed toward the chamber's door. He began pounding on the door, trying desperately to urge Mandel to open it and let him out. Mendel reached for the computer to shut down the chamber before he would get inside to tend to Norman. Instead, Mandel pulled away.

Right then as Mandel backed away from the chamber, Norman knew that he'd been left to die in the very chamber he'd stepped into. He continued to pound on the glass and gasp for air before he vanished into the cloud of green gas. Mandel lingered a while longer. Then warning sirens began blaring in the lab. The console sparked and a fire broke out within moments. A crack in the chamber allowed the green vapor to seep out. Mandel decided now was the time to get out of there and fast and so, he made a break for it. The fire spread and engulfed much more of the machinery, causing the flames to grow out of control.

Outside of the facility, Mandel lingered at his car when he heard a loud sound from inside. Then there was an explosion that gutted the area where the chamber, and Norman, was stationed. Mandel resolved quickly that Norman couldn't have survived but rather that explain to the authorities what happened, he entered his car and drove off. A larger explosion rocked the facility and by intents and purposes, Norman Osborn was likely dead.

After several hours, garish, demon-like figure rose up from the inferno. It rode atop a bat-like wing, sported a sickly green complexion and a hideously twisted grin. It cackled a sinister laugh as it launched into the night.

"That was night that Norman Osborn ceased to exist, and his death gave rise to the Green Goblin. It didn't take long for me to weed out the little weasel that left Osborn to parish. Then, I went after all the crime bosses of this city with the intent taking over as the one true crime lord of New York."

Soon after his arrival, the Green Goblin target and successful murdered Mandel Stromm and set about taking over the criminal underworld. He targeted Wilson Fisk, Silvio Manfredi, Leland Owsley and Martin Li with the express intent of killing them. That was when Spider-Man intervened and in the ensuing conflict, the Green Goblin was unmasked… revealing him to be Norman Osborn himself.

"Had Spider-Man not gotten in my way, had he not discovered who and I am, I would have succeeded. And then you, Norman, you had to lock me away."))

Norman was down on his knees, pressing his hands to his head a vain attempt to dull the voice in his head. "I don't… I don't remember any of that. You're lying. You're not real."

"Oh stop with the denial, you whining little excuse for a man," the voice demanded. "I was your greatest creation that day, bringing you all the power that you always wanted, smiting those who have wronged you, tried to squeeze you and crush you and take everything from you. You created me to put a stop to it all."

"Shut up, shut up… SHUT UP. I don't want to hear it and I don't want to hear you. Just get the hell out of my head." Norman demanded and even went so far as kicking his study chair over.

"When you locked me away, I was content to stand by and allow you to live out you worthless life as you saw fit. But after the likes of Kingpin, Shocker, Vulture and Chameleon decided to make their play, I decided I wasn't going to stand by any longer."

Norman rushed up the staircase to the upper level and staggered toward his bedroom. "Shut up, please."

"It doesn't have to continue, Norman. You don't have to stand by and watch your world crumble around you. Let me out and I'll take care of the rest."

Norman made it to his bedroom where he collapsed to the floor. "No. No, I won't do it. I won't fall back into the life. You hear me? I won't become that… monster."

"MONSTER?! THINK ABOUT ALL THE HARM THAT'S BEEN DONE TO YOU WITHOUT ME TO PROTECT YOU, NORMAN; KINGPIN, VULTURE, MENKEN AND EVEN SPIDER-MAN. AND I'M THE MONSTER? ALL THOSE WOLVES IN THEIR SHEEP'S CLOTHING – THEY ARE THE MONSTERS. THEY ARE THE ONES TRYING TO HURT YOU AND THEY WILL SUCCEED IF YOU DON'T LET ME OUT."

Norman stumbled in the bathroom, approached the mirror and when he looked at his reflection, he saw the monster staring back at him. "Leave me alone, Goblin. I can't let you out – I won't…"

"You can, you will and you must," the Goblin snapped back. "Let me out, Norman. LET ME OUT – NOW."

Norman finally snapped. He screamed at the top of his lungs before driving his fist into the reflection and shattering the mirror. He punched the mirror twice more, lacerating the flesh but surprisingly not shattering the bones underneath. Then, Norman grabbed the polished toilet seat, ripped it off its hinges and threw it right through glass shower screen. Then just as quickly as he threw his tantrum, Norman fell completely and eerily calm as though he'd discovered a moment of clarity. Rubbing his hands against his face as if attempting to wipe away a nonexistent sweat, Norman peered at the broken mirror. But it wasn't Norman anymore, because he produced a grin.

He was so very different now, as if every one of his senses were heightened to superhuman levels. So much so that he could hear the faint crackling of a door opening in the main room of his home. He also heard the even fainter footsteps of an intruder right before hearing the voice of Hendry calling his name.

In the main room, Hendry was surprised and concerned to see the chair turned over and shards of broken glass on the floor. Crouching down to collect the shards, Hendry didn't notice Norman standing atop the staircase glaring down at him. Hendry simply busied himself with cleaning up the mess his employer left behind, never noticing Norman's silent steps down the stairs. Once most of the shards were recovered, Hendry would've instinctively searched for a trash can when Norman finally arrived at the foot of the stairs.

"Evening, Hendry." he said, startling Hendry into turning around.

"Mr. Osborn, I didn't hear you arrive. You almost startled me." Hendry nervously stated.

"Almost?!" Norman said.

Hendry smiled to play off the trepidation. "I apologize for being here at this hour. I seemed to have misplaced my house keys. It's ridiculous, I know."

"And you came back here to find it, have you?"

"Again, it's a ridiculous notion. I do apologize for it, sir." Hendry said, but he began to sense something was amiss with Norman.

Norman began to approach Hendry slowly, furthering the butler's suspicion that something wasn't quite right with his employer. "How long have you worked for me, Hendry?" he asked.

"18 years, sir." Hendry replied.

Norman nodded as he drew closer and closer to Hendry. "And in those 18 years, you've never once asked anything of me." By then, they were face to face.

"No, sir."

"Why is that? Is it because of your unyielding and unquestioned loyalty to me, or because you secret saw fit to take what you pleased without my knowledge?"

Hendry was stunned by Norman's sudden accusation toward him. "Take what I… No, no sir. I've never even entertained the thought of taking anything from you. My loyalty is to the Osborn family and no one else."

Norman rested a hand over on Hendry's shoulder and replied, "I believe you, and on behalf of the Osborn, I'd like to thank you for all that you've done."

Hendry smiled nervously right before he felt a sudden pain in his body. Looking down, he saw shard of glass embedded into his stomach, put there by Norman. "Mr. Osborn, what are you…"

Norman pulled the shard out and jammed it back into Hendry's stomach, causing Hendry to wince in pain and confusion. "Hendry, it is my sad duty to inform you…" He pulled out the shard and stuck into another point of his victim's stomach. "…that your services are no longer required."

Hendry felt one last, sharp pang of pain course from his stomach all the way through his frail body before Norman allowed him to collapse to the floor where he lay still. Norman tossed the glass shard into the fireplace, flicked his hair and then wondered to the bookcase. A small tug a single book that wasn't a book at all opened a passage into a hidden vault. Norman took the carcass of Hendry into the vault and cropped it in an out-of-the-way place where no one would notice, despite the vault being kept secret regardless. After disposing of the corpse, Norman traveled to another larger area of the vault and flicked a switch.

A series of ceiling likes flickered on, revealing an armory of weaponry and apparatuses. A large, winged glider in the shape of a bat rested in the corner flanked by a nearly limitless collection of small, orange pumpkin-like spheres. Norman approached a wall console on the adjacent wall and punched in several key digits. The wall broke away and revealed a green and purple jumpsuit, as where as a rubber mask that Norman took and examined closely. The mask eyes were reflective, showing Norman's face in them. Again, Norman grinned.

Within a matter of minutes, Norman had the full gear on his person save for the mask which he was saving for last. The glider was now a takeoff platform, full loaded with the orange spheres inside small chambers on each wing. Norman then stepped onto the glider. He put the rubber mask over his face, which took on the face of the monster that had haunted him for so long now. Gunning the engine, the glider lifted up into the air and passed through the skylight above Norman's penthouse. In the night sky, Norman Osborn was gone. In his place was the Green Goblin and he rocketed into the night, laughing maniacally.

Author's Note: He's BAAAAACCCCKKK. Yep, this chapter has been completed and it was all about the return of the Green Goblin. And he's got some serious scores to settle, I think.

Interestingly, I hinted at there being an inside source at the Bugle that leaked the story about OsCorp.

Also, I thought it best to do a flashback of how Norman first became the Goblin. This meant introducing Mandel Stromm in said flashback, as well as the first encounter with Spider-Man.

On Hendry's death, (he was an original character, so it doesn't matter) I originally wanted to have Norman throw him at the window. But I decided to keep it subtle by having Norman stab him to death. This was inspired by a scene from The Punisher (2004).

So, give me a heads up and let me know what you think.