Welcome back to A Song of Spiders and Dragons! Last time, Spyro, Cynder, and Spider-Man brought the mask to Martin Li, only to discover it's a demon mask. And then he cryptically warned them, or rather MJ, who they said was investigating it, to stay away. After passing the warning on to MJ, the trio realizes they're late for a fitting, and dashed off. So, what's going to happen at the lab? Read on to discover...

(Our story resumes back at Octavius Industries, where Doctor Octavius is working with a man at a table, getting him ready for a prosthetic limb fitting. And as the two sit down, Spyro, Cynder, and Spider-Man arrive)

Spider-Man: Sorry we're late. Traffic is crazy right now.

Lance Corporal Texidor: I'll speak to that. Had to leave two hours early to get here on time.

Octavius: Even if you hadn't, we would've been more than willing to reschedule. It's the least we can do for all you've done for this country. Now, if you'll just take a seat, we'll get the fitting started.

(Fast forward a few minutes, and Lance Corporal Texidor is fitted with the arm on the table)

Lance Corporal Texidor: So, all I have to do is think about moving this?

Octavius: Yep. And it'll move just as fluidly as the arm you lost.

(There's a moment of trepidation, but Lance Corporal Texidor follows through on the instructions, and sure enough, the arm moves. Slightly slower than a regular biological arm, but still with amazing fluidity. The entire room is stunned, as excited high-fives and handshakes are exchanged. But of course, the good times don't last forever, as the door bursts open, revealing a small army of city workers)

Spider-Man: Hey! What are you doing here?!

Spyro: This place is open by appointment only!

City Worker: Not to us. (Hands Spider-Man a clipboard) This site has been declared a safety hazard.

Octavius: (Seeing the equipment being removed) Hey! Stop this, right now! This is very delicate equipment! That's it, I'm calling the mayor's office directly!

Spyro: I don't understand! What's going on?!

Cynder: There's only one person who could pull the strings necessary for this.

?: Peter Parker! Spyro, Cynder! How the hell are you three?

Cynder: (Seeing who's just walked through the door) Him.

Octavius: Speak of the Devil.

(And sure enough, standing in the room is Norma Osborn, the now Mayor of New York City.)

Spider-Man: Mr. Osborne?

Osborn: Please, Pete. How long have we known each other? It's Mr. Mayor. (Chuckles) Only joking, just call me Norman.

Octavius: Norman, what do you think you're doing?

Osborn: The grant agreement you signed has some very strict safety provisions. And based on the smoking display the last inspection reported, I'd say you haven't followed through on them. And we all know this isn't your first violation.

Octavius: Those were excused.

Osborn: By me. I really should've had this equipment confiscated a long time ago.

Octavius: You can't stop us now! We've just had a major breakthrough!

Osborn: (To Lance Corporal Texidor) Thank you for your great service to this country. These folks will escort you to Oscorp Robotics, where we ensure you'll get the latest in prosthetics technology, free of charge of course.

Spyro: This isn't about safety violations at all, is it Osborn!?

Cynder: You're just trying to poach Doctor Octavius' work to fatten your wallet!

Osborn: No need to jump to catastrophic conclusions, you two. I'm trying to help Otto as much as you two are. You can continue your work, in a more secure environment.

Octavius: You mean at Oscorp.

Osborn: You always were the smartest guy in the room, Otto.

Octavius: You haven't changed at all.

Osborn: Neither have you. (To Spider-Man) Hey, Peter, got some news for you. Harry's coming back from Europe early next year. Maybe this is the perfect time for you two to start that business you always talked about. This is opportunity knocking, kid. Don't leave it hanging.

(And with that, Osborn leaves, with all of Octavius Industries in his pocket. Octavius is so disheartened by all of this that he almost falls into a chair, but Spider-Man helps stabilize him)

Spyro: Bastard. I can't think of a single life that man hasn't ruined.

Cynder: How did somebody that evil get elected again?

Spyro: I didn't vote for him. Your theory of him committing election fraud is getting more and more viable every time I meet him.

Spider-Man: They didn't take everything, we may still be able to start again...

Octavius: Peter, there's no "we" anymore. Without the grant from the city, I won't be able to pay any of you.

Spyro: You know our offer to fund Octavius Industries from the Embassy still stands.

Cynder: The work you're doing is too important to be bogged down in the profit seeking of men like Osborn.

Octavius: I appreciate the thought, you two. I really do. But I couldn't impose that burden on you in good conscience. (Sighs) I need some time to think. In the meantime, I'm thinking the three of you should look for a new job.

(And on that incredibly depressing note, our tale ends for today)

And that looks like a good place to wrap up for now. Depressing note to end on, but still. And no, that election fraud thing isn't in the actual game, but it just feels like the sort of thing Norman Osborn would have done to get elected to any political office. At least Doctor Octavius would probably think it's in character. And only in getting to this point did I realize I spelled "Osborn" wrong when I last mentioned him. This chapter has the correct spelling, and thus will be how I proceed. So, looks like Octavius Industries is in jeopardy. Will the good doctor pull through? Tune in next time to find out! Same time... same channel!