Marvel: Master Of Role-Playing

"Luthor... Mr. Luthor."

Emily looked exhausted—no, it was worse than that.

Her pale face alone told Reid everything he needed to know. The moment she learned that Norman had transformed into the Green Goblin and attacked him at the press conference, the shock had been too much. Her body could no longer resist the worsening symptoms of her family's hereditary illness.

And that was just from hearing the news.

Once the trial began and Norman was officially sentenced to prison, the impact would undoubtedly push this already fragile woman past her limit.

Still, Reid wouldn't let any of these thoughts show. He simply put on an apologetic expression.

"I'm very sorry, Mrs. Osborn. Norman... I never expected him to do something like this either."

Back when they worked together in the lab, Reid and Emily had never been particularly close, but they were familiar enough to address each other by name.

However, given the current situation—where her husband, despite being the aggressor, had ultimately been driven to this point by Reid's relentless pressure—it would be shameless to still call her by name. So, instead, he respectfully addressed her as Mrs. Osborn.

"This isn't your fault, Mr. Luthor. It's Norman... he lost his way... cough, cough..."

She trailed off, as if recalling something painful, then broke into a violent coughing fit. Even so, she forced herself to stay upright and determined to speak.

In this battle between Luthor and Norman, there was no clear right or wrong. Power struggles were nothing unusual.

Emily harbored some resentment toward Luthor, but at this point, it didn't matter anymore. All she wanted was to do whatever she could to reduce her husband's sentence before the trial.

"Mr. Luthor, Norman acted on impulse. I know what he did is unforgivable, but... can I please ask you not to pursue this any further?"

Her request was simple—she wanted Luthor to drop any charges related to Norman threatening his life. More than that, she was subtly pleading with him not to use his influence to sway the court's judgment against Norman.

It was the only thing she could do now.

"I believe Norman acted on impulse too, and I won't press charges," Reid said evenly. "But Mrs. Osborn, you have to understand... what he did can't be erased. The soldiers, the reporters—they were living people."

"Cough... cough, cough, cough!"

Emily's entire body trembled as she coughed, Reid's words forcing her to confront an inevitable, hopeless future. The shock hit her even harder this time, triggering an even more violent coughing fit. Yet, she still pushed through, speaking between gasps.

"I know... as long as you don't pursue it... that's enough."

She understood that this wasn't just about whether or not Luthor pressed charges. Even without his involvement, the deaths of those soldiers and reporters wouldn't simply vanish. Norman was still facing the harshest possible sentence.

After saying his goodbyes, Reid left.

...

In the following days, even without actively looking into it, Reid heard about Emily's desperate efforts.

She reached out to everyone she could, searching for anyone willing to help. But even though Reid had kept his word and refrained from pressing charges, Norman's former allies all turned their backs on him.

Not because Reid had secretly interfered. It was simply a matter of self-interest.

Helping Norman and reducing his sentence wasn't impossible—but what could he possibly offer in return?

With the military involved, no matter what anyone did, Norman was guaranteed to face at least half a lifetime in prison. And as long as Luthor was alive, that sentence would be real and inescapable.

By the time Norman reentered society decades later, what could he possibly accomplish?

Nothing.

If helping Norman brought no returns, why would anyone bother?

In the end, Norman had only been in control of Oscorp for two years. Most of that time was spent fighting Luthor. He had never built a true network of allies, let alone close friends who would stand by him.

...

Once Norman regained consciousness, the trial proceeded as scheduled.

His crimes as the Green Goblin—launching a terrorist attack and killing numerous journalists and soldiers—were beyond forgiveness.

The families of the victims hated him with every fiber of their being. The military also saw an opportunity to use this case to strengthen its ties with Luthor.

This was their decision, something no amount of restraint from Reid could change.

Whether Reid asked for it or not, keeping Norman locked away for life was a favor to him. Even if he never acknowledged it, that favor still existed.

Under these circumstances, Norman was sentenced to over 2,000 years in prison. Unless Reid unexpectedly died, Norman would never walk free again.

Emily had braced herself for the worst, but when the final verdict was spoken in court, her mind went blank.

She didn't even know how she made it home.

All she knew was that her breathing grew increasingly rapid, her body weaker with every step.

Then a knock came at the door.

The nanny, hired to care for young Harry, opened it.

"Ma'am, you're back—"

Thud.

Before she could finish, Emily collapsed face-first onto the floor, motionless.

"Ma'am! Ma'am, what's wrong?!"

...

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

The same hospital that had just treated Norman now welcomed his wife.

After running their tests, the doctors all shook their heads.

"There's nothing that can be done."

That was their unanimous verdict.

They recognized it as some kind of hereditary disease but couldn't offer a cure. After all, genetic disorders—illnesses hidden deep within one's DNA—were, for the most part, incurable.

...

Meanwhile, Reid arrived at the hospital's front desk.

"Sir, only family members can access a patient's records," the female receptionist informed him.

"Family?" Reid raised a brow. "Do you mean Norman Osborn, who was just sentenced to 2,700 years? Or Harry Osborn, who isn't even two years old and can't speak yet?"

The receptionist fell silent.

At the same time, Reid casually tossed a card onto the counter. While the receptionist was still stunned, he reached over and grabbed the patient files.

"Spend the money as you see fit," he said flatly. "Just tell your boss Lex Luthor asked for them. They won't dare cause trouble for you."

**

**

**

Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my P@treon:

P@treon/SilverShark769

Your support means a lot, thank you!