91: Cruel Norman Osborn & A Gathering of Trash

Oscorp Industries

Jack and his gang returned to Norman's lab and regarded the radically changed homeless man in the glass enclosure. Jack frowned uneasily. 

"Is this the side effect you mentioned, Norman?" 

Jack had assumed the enhancement formula simply boosted physical fitness to superhuman levels. But the deranged scene before him was discouraging. This man now resembled a caged beast more than a human.

Inside the cage, the vagrant's bloodshot eyes bulged as he slammed the glass furiously, veins writhing across his skin like worms. 

While preparing some medicine, Norman remarked offhandedly, "Yes, initial findings suggest the subject is exhibiting split personality symptoms."

"Split personality?" Jack's eyes narrowed, realizing the formula's side effects went beyond the physical. Observing the crazed homeless man again, Jack deduced the original persona was likely dead, killed by this violent new psyche. 

Any temptation to try the formula himself vanished. At least the current version was suicidal. Jack wouldn't be treating it as a magic pill for power anymore. 

His gang watched the caged man like a zoo exhibit, commenting idly on his deranged behavior.

Soon Norman finished a vial of white liquid. "Alright, give me some space now."

Though unhappy, Jack's group obeyed and moved away from the enclosure at Norman's instruction. 

Approaching the cage, Norman explained, "If it truly is a split psyche, there may still be a cure." 

Jack's interest was piqued again by the possibility of a cure. Norman inserted the freshly made formula into an injector gun. 

"But we'll need to remove him first to administer this. In his current state, we're no match for him."

Jack conceded frankly, "You got that right. Don't wanna get punched by those muscles."

"You needn't intervene. Just get ready to move him after I've pacified the subject," Norman directed. 

After Jack's team changed into protective gear, Norman said, "I'll begin now." 

He pressed a button and white mist immediately billowed into the enclosure from above. Within ten seconds, visibility inside dropped to zero. The endless pounding ceased.

"What's that stuff?" Jack asked curiously. 

"A chemical I formulated to instantly incapacitate an elephant," Norman explained. "He should be unconscious now, so you can retrieve him." 

Another button dispersed the obscuring fog. The homeless figure lay prone and unmoving on the floor.

Jack still felt skeptical. "How can you be sure he's really out cold?"

In response, a mechanical arm extended into the chamber and prodded the vagrant's body limply. "Satisfied?" Norman asked wryly.

Jack smiled embarrassedly. "Yeah, got it. But one other question - can you make an armored suit like Tony Stark's?"

"We pursue different directions," Norman evaded vaguely. "Without his suit, Stark is nothing. I focus on the source of true power - the human mind and body." 

He wouldn't admit failure matching Stark's technology. Jack just nodded, accepting the non-answer. At his signal, the gang extracted the vagrant's dense body with difficulty and strapped it to a hospital bed. 

"This flimsy bed can really hold him?" Jack asked uncertainly. 

"The sedative also induces temporary paralysis," Norman assured. "Even waking, he'll need 24 hours to fully recover strength."

Somewhat reassured, Jack said, "Well, I'll leave you to keep testing. Holler if you need us." He was confident that if this human experiment went berserk again, no one here could stop him. Only super-powered heroes like Spider-Woman or Iron Man stood a chance.

"Feel free to observe, so long as you don't interfere," Norman permitted indifferently. 

Jack grinned. "We're just thugs, ain't seen real science before. Could be educational." 

Norman's sarcastic smile made the gang bristle but they held their tongues at Jack's silencing glare. 

They watched Norman lay out some ominous surgical tools. "This looks less like research and more like dissection," Jack commented uneasily.

"Human anatomy has useful parallels," Norman said dismissively, focused on his tools. "I'll be extracting brain tissue samples to see the effects on his psychology."

Hearing Norman describe such cruelty clinically, Jack fell silent, taken aback. 

As Norman positioned a cranial drill over the homeless man, his closed eyes suddenly flashed open. Norman froze, unsettled by the intense stare.

"I told you I'd kill you all when I got free," the man uttered chillingly. 

Unable to hear from afar, Jack taunted, "What's wrong Norman, lost your nerve?"

Just as Norman looked back to respond, the vagrant effortlessly snapped his restraints and seized Norman's arm in a viselike grip. With a fierce jerk, Norman was flung through the air, crashing through the curtain right into Jack's group.

Oscorp Entrance

Peter jumped out of the cab, leaving the cash behind as he sprinted urgently into Oscorp. Ignoring the staff who recognized him, he raced toward Norman's lab, desperate for answers. 

A thunderous crash resounded ahead from the lab, followed by panicked screams. "Run! Monster!"

A loud bang came from Norman's office.

The loud noise was heard by almost all the employees who were close by. 

Everyone was curious about what happened in Norman's laboratory, but no one went to see it.

Because Norman had said long ago that he was not allowed to enter his laboratory unless he personally invited them. Even if they walked too close, they would inevitably be reprimanded for being discovered by Norman.

So many people are just curious. But Peter knew that things might have gotten too far. He sped up and ran over. 

Inside Norman's laboratory, the flung Norman smashed straight into Jack, and both fell to the ground. A few younger brothers immediately went over and helped the two of them up. 

"Norman, what the hell are you doing!" Jack shook his dazed head and was about to stand up and question Norman properly. 

The scene in front of him instantly made him understand what was going on. Because at that moment the isolation curtain was slowly opened, the tall tramp walked out with a smile on his face. 

"Hi everybody."

Jack looked at Norman angrily: "Didn't you say it's okay?"

Norman, who was supported from the ground by some of his subordinates, also smiled bitterly: "The genetic medicine not only changed his strength but also accelerated his metabolism. In this short period of time, those drugs have been decomposed in his body." 

"I didn't expect this to happen."

"Get out of the way." 

Before Norman could finish explaining, Jack saw the homeless man lift the cart and smash it. Fortunately, Jack reminded them in time so the others avoided the smashing cart in danger. 

The powerful force instantly shattered the cart that hit the wall. Jack on the side looked at this scene with an ugly face: "Norman, what should we do now?"

"You said he didn't have the strength, he didn't have the strength?" 

Norman's face flushed with anger in an instant, but he couldn't refute it. Because, as he said, whether the tramp still has strength or not, it's all guesswork. But one thing's for sure, once the bum gets out of the lab, things will get out of hand. 

Thinking of this, Norman couldn't take care of it anymore, and rushed over with an injection in his hand. He believed that as long as the potion in his hand was injected into the homeless body, the homeless person could be completely subdued.

When the homeless man saw that only Norman rushed over, he immediately laughed. The iron pipe in his hand smashed down on Norman's head with all his strength. 

"It's happened!"

By the time Norman found out that something was wrong, he was already unable to escape. If it was hit by this iron pipe, his head would likely directly turn into a rotten watermelon. 

The iron pipe was getting closer and closer to Norman's head, and the corner of the tramp's mouth twitched into a grin. Peter's expression also changed. Just at the critical moment, Peter rushed towards Norman. The iron pipe swept across him. 

And Norman avoided the fatal blow and looked at the man who knocked him down: "Peter?"

Norman did not expect that the last person to save him would be Peter. And at that moment Peter's brow also flowed red blood. Peter was just bruised and bleeding profusely. It showed how powerful the pipe was.

Seeing that he couldn't get a hit, the homeless man didn't stop, and decisively threw away the iron pipe in his hand and ran out of the gate. Norman also knew that he could not keep him on his own. 

Seeing the homeless run away, Jack came over with a few people, and helped the two people who fell to the ground meaningfully. Peter put a hand on his forehead to stop the bleeding: "Dr. Norman, that was..."

In fact, from the size and strength of the homeless man, Peter had already analyzed what was going on. It was just that he still didn't believe it, and wanted to get a positive answer from Norman's mouth. 

Norman looked at Peter who was injured in order to save himself, and couldn't help but nodded in shame. He now regretted not listening to Peter's words and conducting human trials with incomplete experimental data. His more regret came from the tramp escaping from Osborn Industries.

Whether or not Norman would regret it was one thing if the tramp hadn't escaped. With a gloomy face, Peter looked at Norman, and finally all the anger converged into a long sigh. 

"Then what do we do now?"

Without waiting for Norman to speak, Jack on the side said first: "Whatever you do is up to you." 

"We brothers are not worthy of you mad scientists going mad here."

Then Jack stepped forward and patted Norman's chest: "Although people escaped, my money should not escape."

Norman also looked at Jack with a gloomy expression. Just as they were about to react to their just inaction, countless screams came from the Osborn industry outside. 

Norman's face suddenly changed: "It's over!" Norman ignored Jack and Peter and ran out of the lab. Peter listened to the noise outside and ran out despite the pain on his forehead. 

"Jack, what should we do now?" A little brother came up and asked. 

Jack thought for a while, then said, "Let's go out and have a look too."

Inside Osborn Industries, the homeless man was rampaging. Many people were screamed at and screamed by this sudden big man, and the entire Osborn industry was in chaos. The huge amounts of Osborn Industries made it impossible for him to tell the difference between east and west.

Not to mention finding the door to Osborn Industries. 

"Say, how am I going to get out of this hell?" The homeless man directly grabbed a researcher and asked aggressively. The researcher was immediately frightened, and could still not remember which way to go out. He could only point in one direction at will.

The tramp threw the researcher randomly and ran quickly in the direction he pointed. Over time, the drugs in his body were also broken down faster and faster. The running speed was also constantly getting faster. 

Soon he saw that the end of the road was not an exit, but a high wall. The homeless man narrowed his eyes and jumped to the half-height position of the wall after the run-up. Then, with another force, he jumped over the high wall directly. Completely disappeared from the Osborn Industries.

Wait until Norman comes out and takes a look, except for the cluttered Osborn Industries. The homeless man has long since disappeared. Norman could only slam the railing heavily, venting his anger.

Peter also ran out of the lab at that moment, knowing that the subject had escaped from Osborn Industries. "Dr. Norman, the side effects of strengthening reagents, is it a second personality or amplifying emotions?" 

Norman pondered for a moment: "It's the second personality, and judging from his reaction...The second personality is better than the main character in all aspects, and the second personality has a very strong tendency to violence..."

"That is to say, the second personality obtained after using the strengthening agent is dangerous?" After Peter finished analyzing, Norman nodded. 

"Then he's out of Osborn Industries now, and we have to call the police right away." "Otherwise, what if he hurts innocent people!" Saying that, Peter took out his mobile phone regardless of the pain in his head. He was prepared to call the police.

Norman grabbed Peter's hand that was about to call: "Andrew, what do you want? Do you know what it means to me for the entire Osborn industry if you call the police!"

Peter pushed away Norman's hand and scolded: "I only know that if I don't call the police, countless people will be hurt in the future." "A runaway strengthening person out there, you know what that means!"

Norman, who was reprimanded by Peter, was stunned for a moment, and allowed Peter to call the police. But Norman was not found by Peter's conscience, but found the remaining injection in his hand. He was planning to use it against the homeless just now, but now...

"Hey, hello, I want to..." Before Peter finished speaking, Norman, who was behind him, stabbed Peter's neck with the needle. Immediately, he felt dizzy, and all kinds of negative effects flooded his body. 

Peter turned his head back helplessly and looked at Norman in disbelief: "Dr. Norman..." The next moment, Norman took the phone from Peter's hand with a smile on his face: "I'm sorry, the children at home made random calls." 

Peter slumped to the ground weakly, and saw Norman squatting in front of him in his dim eyes. "Peter, you can't blame me for this, you can blame yourself for not cooperating with my research..." Until the end, everything in front of him was completely plunged into darkness.

Behind Norman, Jack came out mockingly: "He saved your life. You are so cruel." 

Norman stood up and said to Jack behind him: "He wants to destroy me too, I can only do it. You guys, take him back."

Jack smiled: "Norman, did you forget, I said just now that our cooperation is over." 

"Over?" Norman looked at Jack and continued: "You guys were the ones going crazy outside. You think if he makes some trouble out there, you can get off the hook?" 

Norman's words changed Jack's expression and he stared at Norman: "You've been plotting against us from the very beginning. No, if you listen to me at first and take off your uniform, nothing will happen. It's all yours now."

Norman looked at Peter lying on the ground and said, "Now carry him in." "The rest of the Osborn Industries, I'll go and gag them." "What we can do now is try to control the news as much as possible." "Until we get that test item back." 

"You better not lie to me!" 

"Definitely, we are still partners." Norman patted Jack on the shoulder and walked straight back to the laboratory. 

Jack looked at Norman's back and pouted softly: "You two, bring him in."

Inside the S.H.I.E.L.D mothership, Nick Fury stood on the podium and watched what appeared on the monitor in front of him. A big man escaped by jumping over the walls of Osborn Industries. Then he rushed into the alley and disappeared.

"Hill, this is their 'New Captain America' plan?" Nick Fury turned to Hill behind him. Hill flipped through the documents, then nodded: "Yes, the cooperation between the military and Norman Osborn. But for now, the military has not offered any help." 

"Just a promise to Norman Osborn that as long as the experiment is successful, they will announce a stable partnership with the military." 

Nick Fury's expression changed. He thought he was quite cunning, but he didn't expect that the people in the military were more cunning than him. Obviously, it was a white wolf with empty gloves. If they succeed, they will make a lot of money. If their research fails, it has nothing to do with them. It was a really good plan. 

This Norman also sacrificed himself for fame and wealth. "These guys always have a gap with Howard." Nick Fury said so. Hill, who was not familiar with Howard, didn't say much, but asked, "Then this guy who escaped from Osborn Industries, are we going to keep an eye on him?"

"No, there is no need to waste energy on this waste." "Besides, don't we have a friendly neighbor Spider-man in our city?" "So... over there with Ivan Vanke and Justin Hammer?"

"Don't worry about it, the two rubbish and the Ministry of Defense rubbish, Tony will take care of it." "We'll do it when he can't solve it." 

"I'm more concerned about that hammer right now." Pikachu changed the scene, a strong man with blond hair beat a group of S.H.I.E.L.D agents and then ran to the side of the hammer. "Good skill." 

Nick Fury praised. Although those were ordinary agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Nick Fury still knew their skills. This blond man could defeat so many people before the hammer, which proved his strength. Even Nick Fury believed that maybe he could lift the hammer as easily as a golden mech.

But soon he was disappointed. Under the torrential rain, the blond man could not even shake the hammer half a point with all his strength. Finally, the blond man screamed in the sky, venting his endless dissatisfaction. Finally Phil Coulson appears and takes him away...

To be continued...