Author's notes: This one shot originally was a scene for a chapter that was to be a part of a story. I couldn't figure out how to go about writing an entire AU fanfic. But this piece was too good for me to just delete it. So I made some minor adjustments. I've always enjoyed watching Norman play a villain. Now I see why people enjoy writing him as a major villain.
While skimming through the Ultimate reboot comics, I found it strange how Harry becomes The Hobgoblin, not a Green Goblin. This includes having yellow skin over green with red eyes over yellow. It did mutate him into a physical monster like Norman. Why was this? IDK. Then again, in the same series Peter was bitten by a spider infused with the Oz serum rather than a radioactive one. That's a reboot for you. Enjoy!
Summary: [Alternate Universe] The Goblin chats with Harry about the Osborn destiny.
"Lock Up"
An explosion burst out of a warehouse.
"You won't win!" Venom shouted, zooming out of the smoke. He bore his sharp teeth. His long tongue swung around. "We will dessstroy you! Finisssh you!"
The Goblin also flew out of the eruption. He maintained his balance on his glider. His ride was far larger from his previous craft. The shape appeared to carry more materials. Looking at who attacked him, he became unfazed. "Ah, the symbiote my old employee was working on. What pitiful soul attached himself to you?"
Venom worked his extended claws to slash his enemy. But The Goblin was out of reach thanks to his hefty glider. Despite the machine's extensive size, he effortlessly wavered between streetlights and signs. Venom could only stretch his arms for a chance to slaughter. Once he saw his attacks were fruitless, he tried springing towards his foe. The Goblin, while he had his own brute strength, also carried his weapons. Around one hand was a gray gauntlet. As Venom leaped towards him, he shot electricity.
The spark was one of the symbiote's weakness. The black goop with threads of white spread apart for a moment, revealing its host. Underneath the slime was a blond adolescent with blue eyes. The keeper did seem familiar to The Goblin. He ignored that footnote.
Venom screamed. Overwhelmed by the power of electricity, he swayed to the side. He collided against the asphalt, creating a tiny crater. He was unable to lift himself back up. Perhaps Venom could have lasted longer on the battlefield if its host was more adapted to fighting than racing across a sports field.
"Well, that wasted my precious time," The Goblin mumbled to himself.
Keeping his glider above the street, he inspected the hole. His opponent wasn't much of a fight. His pointy ears picked up the sound of feet running towards him. His yellow eyes noticed a growing shadow. Immediately, he jumped aside. He missed being slashed by a red blade. Turning around, he spotted another creature covered in a red and black color scheme.
"You can't defeat me!" the attacker taunted. "Chaos is under my control! Carnage is order!"
The Goblin easily dodged her attacks. Nonchalantly, he replied, "So the symbiote had an offspring. Let's see if it responded to evolution."
Like the one before, he shot his electricity.
The jolt worked against the red symbiote. As it fell apart, the goop revealed the owner. Underneath the crimson slime was a girl with red hair and green eyes. However, progress did prove itself. The shock didn't give as much effect. Lifting one hand, she morphed her fist into a spiked ball. She was preparing to strike.
"Hmm," The Goblin observed. He was slightly impressed. The scientist within him stirred. However, his monstrous form took control once more. "Perhaps I'll need to adjust the power."
Flipping a dial on his wrist, he did just that. The zap came at a powerful force. Carnage Queen struggled to keep herself together. Her pride kept her from shrieking.
"Leave them alone!" a different voice ordered.
The Goblin searched to see who commanded him. He grinned. "Ah, just who I wanted to see."
He turned off his electricity.
Carnage Queen was free. But she was depleted of energy. Though she was tough, she was not one trained for battle. She collapsed on the empty street.
Someone had jumped and was now standing in front of her. He was far from the average build. He had pointy ears, yellow skin, and burning red eyes. Bits of auburn hair rested on top of the scalp. He was similar to the monster terrorizing the other teens. But he was smaller. He was more like a Hobgoblin.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded to know.
"I'm merely looking to have a word with my son," the green monster replied.
Hobgoblin grunted. He believed The Goblin was searching for someone else. As he assisted the girl to stand, he spotted the crater that housed Venom. Enraged, he shouted, "Get outta here! We lost our tracking for The Lizard when you decided to randomly attack us!"
"I can't leave. I'm far from done here." The Goblin summoned a Pumpkin Bomb from his glider. He shot it. As the weapon flew towards Hobgoblin and Carnage Queen, a webbed up ball knocked it out of place.
"Just the retaliation I was expecting," the green brute smirked.
"He's here," the two teens muttered.
Landing between the young adults and The Goblin was someone wearing the familiar red and blue costume.
"If it isn't Spider-man," The Goblin observed. "It's been awhile since our paths have crossed. Last time I saw him, he didn't have as many arms."
Spider-man rose his head.
"He also didn't have any fangs," The Goblin remarked. "I wonder what could've happened?"
The spider-like teen snarled. He spat. The Goblin avoided the saliva. A wall behind dissolved as it was hit by acid.
A trip to the Savage Land had gone wrong. Something had activated the mutation within Spider-man. He was not only savage. He had grown two extra pairs of arms. He now had a total of eight limbs. The exact same number as a spider. He had also developed a pair of fangs around his mouth. Brown fur-like texture covered his once human complexion. His mask was torn but still covered his eyes. Before S.H.I.E.L.D. could help him, Spider-man, lost and confused, broke free. There was no time to hunt him down properly as The Goblin had risen. To augment the trouble, with himself free of his former employer, Doc Ock had set up his own evil schemes. The mad scientist was planning on bringing out his Sinister Six.
The wall-crawler was not alone. He had gathered his own team, which now coalesced once again. Standing against The Goblin was Savage Spider-man, Carnage Queen, Venom, and Hobgoblin. The villain had yet to move from his spot.
"Spider-man's change has nothing to do with you!" Hobgoblin yelled. "But if you insist on fighting, get ready to face The Midtown Marauders!"
That name struck fear. Perhaps in another dimension that name could've brought a sense of comfort. But now the group was under Doctor Octopus.
"I guess I can kill another five minutes." The Goblin launched his Pumpkin Bomb.
The quartet scattered. Such explosions made the symbiotes uneasy. Their adversary perceived that. As the green monster tried to knock down Venom and Carnage Queen, Savage Spider-man enacted his best in protecting them. Even though he had grown wild, he recognized his buddies. He no longer had his web-shooters. He didn't need them. Not only did his original wrists produce its own webbing, so did his added limbs. That extra ammo did perplexed The Goblin. But he continued to work for his goal.
The Goblin used another one of his weaponry. He shot his Razor Bats. The sharp edges sliced through Savage Spider-man. Even though his newer limbs created a reliable fighting source, they were still a part of him. Those Razor Bats damaged him just as badly. Wailing, he ceased his webbing and dropped down.
Venom and Carnage Queen refused to allow their team to go down. Furious with how his assailant knocked him down before, Venom tried once more to attack him. "Vengeanccce isss mine!"
The Goblin's machine granted him distance once more. He found those symbiotes a nuisance. What particularly annoyed him was how the black one was a result of his previous employee's work. How he hated that man. As he rushed down the street, he noticed something tailing him. He spotted flashes of yellow crawling against the walls of the buildings. He was ready to put his plan into place.
"How charming to see this team work together," The Goblin proclaimed. "Especially since Peter Parker is Spider-man!"
Hobgoblin's eyes widened. As he was planning to pounce on his father, hearing that knowledge shocked him. He missed his target. He fell to the ground.
Pleased that he had eluded one team member, his glider released two containers. They fell on the street. They unfurled. The Goblin rested himself in the center. The two symbiotes rushed towards him. Taking his Pumpkin Bombs, he tossed his weapons at them. The explosion threw them off. As Venom and Carnage Queen were caught in a daze, The Goblin tackled them both with his ride.
Both Venom and Carnage Queen crash landed in the traps. Rising up, they tried to bash against the clear panes. Their strikes were no match against the sturdy material. The prisons activated their electric defense. They cried in pain. They could only remain in the center. The symbiotes were powerless to escape.
"What did you do?!" Hobgoblin yelled, toiling to bring himself to his feet. He was still aching from his unprolific battle against The Lizard. He had his own fair share of claw marks across his yellow build.
"Simply putting away the criminals," The Goblin replied. "S.H.I.E.L.D. can escort them to the Vault."
The Vault was a maximum security prison that detained supervillains. While the main location was in Rocky Springs, Colorado, other prisons under the same control were sprinkled throughout the country.
Recovering from his attack, Savage Spider-man looked up. He spotted that his friends were in danger. He bolted towards them. Without holding back, his fists struck. His strength did produce noticeable dents. But it would still take time before the entire trap would break.
"Don't worry about us, Tiger," the girl tried to assure. She was already aware of who was under the mask. Everyone in the Midtown Marauders was familiar with the others. She encouraged, "Focus on The Goblin. Don't let him get away with this."
While Savage Spider-man was tending to his buddies, The Goblin raised his electric gauntlet. He already knew who he needed. He sent a wave of electricity towards Hobgoblin. Helpless, the mutated teen was forced to come towards the green beast.
"Hey!" Hobgoblin yelled. "What are you doing?! Let me go!"
Hearing the shouts of his best friend caused Savage Spider-man to turn back around. The depths of his chaotic mind recalled the true nature behind The Goblin. He remembered the vile identity that harmed the young Osborn. Roaring, he sprinted towards him.
Now that the green beast had snagged who he wanted, he was prepared to leave. But he still had one more obstacle to overcome. Flying above, he had his glider release a snare. A giant web toppled over the spider-teen. Using his many arms, he tried to break free. But his powerful strength was worthless.
"Having fun trapped in a web?" The Goblin grinned at the irony. "I think you'll find this one to be quite shocking."
The trap set off electricity. Savage Spider-man screamed in pain.
Hobgoblin could only gasp as he watched in horror.
The streets filled with a chilling laughter courtesy of The Goblin. Satisfied with his work, he began to fly away.
Carnage Queen and Venom witnessed the terrible action from behind their pane. The girl tried once more to free herself. The electricity activated, hurting her.
"Harry!" she shouted. The symbiote split from her face, showing her frightened green eye.
Hobgoblin looked behind him. "No! M.J.! Flash!"
His eyes fell on the other mutated teen. He became speechless.
Savage Spider-man forlornly watched as The Goblin took off holding his prisoner. The mutated creature roared. His cries parted from sounding like a wounded animal. He was crying after the loss of his best friend.
The teen awoke. He felt dizzy. He found himself strapped to a chair.
Harry Osborn struggled with his shackles. They clattered as he raised his wrists, moving the restraints only a couple of centimeters. He was unable to break free. His average fortitude proved useless, and his whole body was sore. He also felt a strange irritation on the back of his neck.
The space around him appeared like a normal living room. There were couches with side tables, potted plants, a bookcase, a wooden floor, and a circular rug in the center. On the wall above the electric fireplace was a portrait of a man. He had brown hair and wore a suit. Harry knew it was his father, Norman Osborn, owner of Oscorp. He could tell it was recently commissioned. The eye color was a sickening green instead of his normal blue. No doubt he had been altered by the wicked Goblin serum.
A door slammed shut on the other end.
Surprisingly, the shackles retracted into their slits. Harry wondered if now was his chance to escape before he could land in anymore danger. He grunted, trying to bring about his Hobgoblin powers, but he stayed in his human form. "What's going on?! Why can't I change?!"
"Don't even bother trying to transform," a familiar voice from the shadows sneered. "I've given you a drug that will dormant your Hobgoblin abilities for a full forty-eight-hour period."
The back of the teen's neck itched. At least now he had an answer for its cause.
Looking up, Harry spotted The Goblin standing several yards away from him. He glared at the monster. Because of the narcotic, his brawniness was stolen from him. His muscles ached. He bore trouble keeping his head up. But that didn't cease his enmity. His mind still raced with what took place.
"Why did you take me?" he asked, his voice unafraid to exhibit his displeasure. "Wasn't it Peter you were always after? You had your chance."
His eyes expanded with rage. "Why didn't you take it?!"
Silence exchanged itself in the room.
Panting, Harry restlessly awaited a response. He recalled the years Norman neglected him, abandoned him. He was aware of how much his father favored his best friend over him. Somehow the man had figured out that Spider-man is Peter Parker. He needed answers.
The Goblin looked at the auburn boy in amusement. He knew of his limitations. To him, Harry was nothing but a rat dog yapping at a wolf. He steadily replied, "Peter does show promise with his bright mind, yes. But his skills for the world of business need a little… refurbishing before he can fully become an Osborn. That's where you come in."
Harry loosened his fists. He couldn't believe his ears. His father had praised him, given him approval for a talent he carried that his best bud didn't. But he refused to allow that commendation to control him. He couldn't fall into the devious man's clutches.
"Well you can forget about me helping you at all!" he shouted. "I'm fed up being used by you!"
"But you're fine with your employment under Octavious?" The Goblin challenged. His voice was strong but carried an odd undertone. He almost sounded hurt and betrayed.
Carnage Queen, Venom, Hobgoblin, and Savage Spider-man. Those names struck fear into the people of New York City. They had teamed up with Otto Octavious, also known as Doctor Octopus. The evil scientist was an enemy against S.H.I.E.L.D. Octavious was a rival of Osborn. They had their supplies in their base of operation, Midtown High.
"We were only hunting down members for his Sinister Six," Harry grumbled.
That was their job—to recruit other supervillains to obey a man with mechanical limbs. Savage Spider-man and his team had their powers to aid them. Their only issues were city police, remaining heroes, and bad guys who may resist the invitation. The Lizard, a scientist and S.H.I.E.L.D. employee named Curt Connors, was on that list. But he escaped when The Goblin crashed the chase.
"My point exactly," The Goblin replied. "You're soiling your hands for someone else. Octavious needs a pathetic team to carry out his little projects. I've managed to achieve my goals via my own talents."
Harry listened but refuted the response. He understood the rivalry between Doc Ock and The Goblin, between Otto Octavious and Norman Osborn. He didn't care about that. He only saw the battle as a childish way to prove who was the greater scientist.
"So what about Spider-man?" he asked. "You plan to have him stay like that?"
"Solving for X will be simple once I find the root. Of course, I'll be careful in what my antidote will do." The Goblin rashly grinned, "Be a shame to lose all that power."
Harry grew disturbed but also enraged. "But you still want Spider-man? He's the one who defeated you over and over again. Now that you know he's Peter you're just fine and dandy with that?"
"I could ask you the same thing. You weren't too happy with Spider-man going up against The Goblin once you realized who it was."
Harry grunted. At one time he couldn't battle against his father. Yet his viewpoint altered once he saw the man's true colors, which was a repugnant green. Forgiveness would be hard to deliver once he witnessed the harm that came to his buddies. He had enough of the deception. He had enough of the rejection. The hypocrisy sickened him. He grumbled, "Says the man who keeps up false appearances."
The Goblin was quiet, as though he were contemplating what the adolescent had muttered. "I believe I can talk to my son in my other form."
Harry watched as the beast retracted itself into the familiar industrialist. He grew surprised. His father was far more capable of shifting appearances than he was. To Norman, the act was as simple as switching costumes. The man now wore his usual smirk. He kept his altered green eyes on the teen in front of him.
After sitting in silence for a moment, Harry mumbled, "So no one knows that the great Norman Osborn, head of Oscorp, is actually The Green Goblin."
"Of course not," Norman replied, his voice poised yet robust. He grabbed his business jacket off a chair and placed it over himself. "That'll be bad for business. Enemies of Oscorp and enemies of The Goblin are separated right now. They could collaborate to bring about my end if word got out. Until then, it is a secret."
Looking at his boy, he smirked, "And I know I'm not the only one who has kept it."
Aggravated, Harry turned away. Those who knew about the man's dual identity was a small group. As Norman's son, he would be a reliable source should he give any leads to any news medium. He had kept his mouth shut. He had his reasons. "Why'd you bring me here in the first place?"
"Harry, why wouldn't I? I'm your father. It's my job to safeguard you."
"Since when? From what?"
"You shouldn't associate yourself with Octavious. He has only shown feeble diplomacies. Your place is here, at Oscorp. By my side."
"Sorry if I don't find your invite so welcoming." Harry understood his father was using his usual tricks in order to get him to obey.
"My invite should be the most trustworthy. We are Osborns. We have a vast empire to run. We can have it all. Father and son. With no one being able to stop us. Not Octavious. Not S.H.I.E.L.D. And if he continues to resist, not even Spider-man."
The auburn teen grew furious recalling his best friend. He argued back, "I'm not just an Osborn!"
"You will always be an Osborn first," the father sternly replied. "All that you are. All that you've ever come to possess. Everything has its origin from your genes, my genes. Even The Goblin."
Harry declined that statement. He wanted to make something of himself. "No! If that's what it means to be an Osborn, then I reject that name!"
Norman turned around and faced his son. He was boggled by that announcement. "What?!"
"You believe everything good that's happen to me is because of that last name! But while you were out being this Goblin, I was making things better for myself!" Harry spat, deciding to unleash what he had been privately carrying. "Despite what you believe, I was doing much better at Midtown High than I was at Standard! You may want him as your son, but Peter is my best friend! He didn't mind giving me his time of day to tutor me! I had actual friends! I was even about to get a real girlfriend—"
"Girlfriends are replaceable," Norman spat back. He believed he needed to pull his son out of his fantasy and back to reality "Friends will dissipate your talents and stab you in the back. But your family… Family is forever."
The young adult growled. He came to terms with people using him for his money and connections. That was what made the intelligent brunet and the spunky redhead so different. He refused to allow that line to shake him. He needed to strike back. He muttered, "Replaceable, huh? Even Mom?"
That objectional remark struck the industrialist hard. He marched forward. His face steamed like a boiling heater. Placing his hands down on the sides of the chair, he trapped his boy in between his arms. He bellowed, "Don't you ever speak of her that way!"
Harry gave no retort. He stayed down. The city found The Goblin terrifying. But Harry was aware of the true wrath that Norman could display and give.
The businessman fought to restrain himself. He pulled himself away from the chair. He then straightened out his jacket. Calmly, he muttered, "Your mother, rest her soul, did all she could for you. She gave herself up just to have you. You should always show respect towards that."
Harry became cautious. But he couldn't submit himself. Not this time. "So what if me, Peter and… Venom and Carnage Queen were working for Ock?"
He was careful of what more he revealed. He couldn't risk the safety of his other two cohorts, who were also his buddies. He continued, "After I became The Hobgoblin, what was I supposed to do? You were gone. I at least had shelter at Midtown High. Why are you taking this all so personally, anyway?"
"Osborns help themselves. You are my first born son. My family."
"Again with your idea of family. From what I remember, Ock was once working for you. He did stuff for you. Stuff that wasn't even legal. Wasn't he part of the family?"
Norman was quiet. While he had his plots to carry out, he never intended for his worlds to cross. He had always distanced his other business from his boy. But such an option was no longer available. His once underling now enemy had dragged Harry into this other world. "When Octavious gets taken down and his plans are dashed—which they will be—he will be locked away. That will include his Sinister Six team, plus anyone who had been affiliated with him."
He turned to the teen. "That's why you won't be with him. I won't have you tossed into a cell with common criminals. Imagine the consequences. Those damn news outlets like Jameson and his Daily Bugle or Bushkin and his Daily Globe will trash Oscorp. They're like jackals after a piece of meat. The only leverage The Goblin has with Urich of The Front Line is some dirt on his nephew. He does show more promise to be a Hobgoblin than you."
Disheartened, Harry lowered his head. His father didn't care about him. The man only cared about his reputation. He cherry-picked the definition of family.
"There's no controlling Octavious and his imbecilic goals," Norman continued, overlooking his son's reaction. "He'll do whatever he pleases. I have no doubts he would've betrayed you and whoever else aided him. That's why I pulled you away. I'm keeping you safe. And when you work with me, we can protect Peter as well."
"Did you see what you did as The Goblin back there?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow. "You just threw away our other teammates. Our friends. What makes you think Peter would want to be an Osborn at all? Why did you turn in Spider-man to the Vault?"
"I may have become The Goblin, but Oscorp still has its empire to expand. I became one of the owners for the Vault and voted to have a location open here in New York. Freeing Spider-man should be less of a problem. As for Peter, there are many doors that the Osborn name can open for him. I can also imagine Peter wouldn't anything else to come to his own best friend."
Harry fell silent. He had witnessed his father work as head of Oscorp. Now that he was The Goblin, he had become ruthless in accomplishing whatever he wanted. Somberly, he turned his gaze towards the ground. He debated if joining The Goblin, his own father, was his only option. Perhaps, if he struck the deal, he could request a pardon for his captured buddies.
Norman was pleased with what he saw. Despite their argument, he was actually proud that his boy was not surrendering himself so easily. As an Osborn, Harry needed to be strong. He needed to ensure a stable cooperation, one where nobody would steal his son away from him.
"Of course, you will need to make a final change," he conditioned. "All you need to do is cut your unfruitful ties with not only Octavious, but also those with the wretched symbiotes."
Disbelieving the demand, Harry shot up his head. "What?"
The man added in a disgusted tone, "Those hosts to those symbiotes are nothing but children. Regardless of their own circumstances, they also chose to support Octavious. You're either with me or against me. Frankly, I'm not even sure how you made those connections in the first place. And if Spider-man does stand by them, well, I can't guarantee that those inmates inside the Vault wouldn't want a chance to whack the so-called hero who sent them there in the first place."
Harry had about as all as he could take. None of his pals took pride in working with Doc Ock. They had made that pack to help the others survive after gaining their own curse. He couldn't abandon them. Gathering his strength, he stood up from his seat. "No!"
"No?" Norman repeated. He grew surprised with how his boy managed to garner some muscle despite the given stimulant.
Standing on his feet, the teen bellowed, "I'm sick of supporting you when all you did was criticize me! I can't forgive what you did to my friends! You can forget about your deals! I won't join you! EVER!"
He huffed. Out of energy, he fell back down on the chair.
Norman couldn't believe what his son was denying. He seethed. "You're choosing those others over me?! Your own father?!"
Pushing himself up, the teen stared back. "I'm standing by my friends."
Their burning eyes remained locked.
Norman stared at the auburn boy. He could tell that he would stand by his position. He had to break him of that vile rebel character. "Well, then, if that's the way it'll be…"
He reached over and snatched the back of the teen's shirt. He effortlessly rose him above the chair. Though in human form, he still retained his Goblin strength.
"Hey!" Harry cried. "What are you doing?!"
He tried to break free of the man's strong grip, but his body was still far too weak. The drug maintained its control over him.
Norman ignored his son's howling. Keeping the boy above in hand, he marched towards the other end of the room. He pressed a sequence of numbers on a keypad. A hidden door slid open.
Harry glanced inside. The room was too dark to see anything. His heart raced even faster. "Just what are you planning?!"
"A little discipline," the man steadily replied. He smoothly tossed the adolescent into the confided space.
Harry yelped as he landed on his side. The ground was soft, like it had been padded. The only lights emitting came from the outside. He grunted as he glared at the notorious businessman. Norman's tall, dominating figure was outlined by the light.
His silhouette ordered, "You can come out when you're ready to accept your destiny."
Realizing the severity of the situation, Harry's eyes widened. He tried to stand up. His heart raced as fear engulfed his mind. "Dad! Please! No!"
He failed to make it towards the exit. The door slid closed. He crashed into the wall. Like the ground, the closed-off exit was padded. His weak legs caved in under his weight. Losing his balance, he fell back to the soft floor. He was now completely surrounded by darkness.
"Damn…"
A few tears made their way down his cheeks. He had been separated from his friends, Mary Jane and Flash. His best friend, Peter, had been seriously injured. He was now trapped, just like they were. As his mind enveloped with its own misery, a memory came to mind.
Two students were cleaning up a chemistry lab at Midtown High before it was wrecked. Peter was placing away used beakers and flasks on a cart while Harry re-shelved supplementary reading materials in a bookcase. Both boys were there during the after school hours. One was there to make up a lab, and the other was there for tutoring.
Once they finished cleaning and gathered their supplies, Harry remarked to his friend, "You're really good at science. And you're organized… for the most part. Ever thought about starting your own company?"
"I may be good at building things and working with chemicals, but my head isn't wrapped for the economics side," Peter replied as he slipped on his backpack. He smiled, "If I ever did, something with a cool name like Parker Industries, I'd hire you in a second."
"I'd be your man for the job." Harry smirked, "Sorry I can't say the same for someone with his head in the clouds."
The two laughed.
That was before he realized the truth. He became aware of how busy the brunet was with his heroic duties. How he needed to leave at an instant or arrived so late. And now Peter was trapped in some strange, mutated state. Despite the occasional envy that would arise in the auburn teen, he was best friends with Peter. He recalled how valiantly the transformed teen fought for him against their shared enemy.
"No! I can't give up! I can't let The Goblin win!"
He sat up and aligned his back against the soft wall. His whole body was still sore and unstable from his given drug. But his determination burned on.
"I'll show Norman that I won't cave in so easily. I may have become The Hobgoblin, but that doesn't mean I hafta follow the path of The Goblin. If he wants a fight against an Osborn, then he's got one."
He felt the blowing of air. He figured a vent must be high up. He didn't need to worry about air. He had a forty-eight-hour period until his powers returned. Silently, he waited.
Remaining in his human form, Norman kept his hands in his pockets as he walked down a flight of stairs. His steps echoed. He was on his way to a secret lab within the Osborn manor. Gathering his son was only a portion of his ultimate plan.
He held no regrets in his chastisement principles. He briefly recalled his own time trapped within a dark mansion, imprisoned by his own father. He shivered. Refusing to allow such misery to dominate him, he shoved down those negative feelings.
"I have something big to achieve," he muttered to himself. "There's no time to dwell on the past."
He came to an underground lab. Giant computer screens mounted the walls. A full-fledged table housed various chemicals and expensive equipment. Machines above and around the room hummed. But the private lab had a few personal touches.
On the wall was a giant portrait. The subject was woman. Presented from her waist up, she wore a sleeveless coral pink turtleneck. She had on a smile that showed off her perfect teeth. Around her lips was a dark colored lipstick. Her pixie hairstyle curved against her features. Her genuine smile squinted her eyes.
Underneath the artwork was a side table. A bottle of champagne rested on top. He poured himself a glass. He wore a large grin.
"I managed to do it, Emily," he spoke towards the artwork, raising his glass. His tone carried his usual arrogance. He sounded proud of himself. "I got our boy back from Octavious. Harry may have shown a little resistance, but that's the Osborn spirit in him. I'll get him to rejoin the family and accept his true role soon enough."
He cackled menacingly, growing from madman to Goblin.
End "Lock Up"
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.
Author's note: Well this was a joy to write. While the Osborns have a strange relationship with each other, I think Norman, specifically his Amazing comics counterpart, does care for his son… in that twisted, abusive relationship and controlling manner.