Spiderman retires

Flashback inside the Flashback

Several weeks ago, while Norman was reviewing financial reports for his projects, the office door swung open without a knock. Norman glared sharply at the intruder, ready to reprimand them, but his words froze at the sight of Reed Richards.

Reed entered slowly, wearing an elegant suit, but his demeanor was nothing like the images or formal meetings Norman had seen before. There was an unfamiliar hardness in his face, and his eyes glimmered with a cold light.

"Norman, we have much to discuss," Reed said in a steady voice, skipping introductions or pleasantries.

Norman was stunned but quickly regained his composure. "Reed Richards? What an unexpected honor. What could a great man of science want from a simple businessman like me?"

Reed smirked coolly as he closed the door behind him and approached the desk. "I know you hate Spider-Man as much as I do now. I'm here to offer you an opportunity you can't refuse."

Norman leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes. "An opportunity? Tell me, Reed. What could drive a man of your supposed pristine reputation to collaborate with someone like me?"

Reed sat in the chair opposite the desk, crossed one leg over the other, and leaned back confidently. "It's simple, Norman. I want to break Peter Parker—not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. I want him to destroy himself, and you're the perfect person to help me do it."

Norman chuckled sarcastically. "You want to break Spider-Man? Well, I've tried that more times than I can count. But why do you care? Aren't you and Peter friends?"

Reed paused for a moment before replying sharply, "That's none of your business. Focus on what you stand to gain from this collaboration."

"Fine, impress me then. What's the plan?"

Reed began explaining his idea, his voice chillingly calm. "The relationship between Peter and Mary Jane is at a delicate point. Mary Jane is planning to move to Pennsylvania due to the tension between them. This is the perfect time to intervene."

"And what do you propose?"

"We'll kidnap Mary Jane before she leaves New York. I'll use my technology to create a clone of her, and we'll have the clone take her place. The clone will be flawless—genetically and behaviorally. Peter won't be able to tell the difference."

Norman raised an eyebrow skeptically. "You're betting a lot on an untested technology. And then what? How does this unfold?"

Reed continued with a deadly smile. "The clone will perfectly play the role of Mary Jane. Then, we'll stage a confrontation between her and a man with a grudge against Spider-Man—a man who lost his wife and daughter during the Avengers' battle with Kang but blames Spider-Man for their deaths. This man will act as though he and Mary Jane are now married after she 'moved on.'"

Norman squinted. "So far, this sounds like a cheap psychological game. What makes it special?"

Reed smiled broadly. "The second phase is the key. We'll program the clone to become obsessed with killing Peter. She'll hunt him down and do everything she can to end his life. When he finally confronts her, he'll have no choice but to kill her himself. That guilt will destroy him."

Norman burst into loud laughter, then looked at Reed with a mocking expression. "Really? You think making him kill Mary Jane—or even a clone of her—will break him? Let me remind you, I killed his first love, Gwen Stacy, right in front of him. He didn't break then, and he didn't fall into darkness. Peter Parker is stronger than you think."

Reed paused, then spoke with confidence. "The difference this time is that he'll think it's his fault. With Gwen, you were the villain. But here, he'll deliver the killing blow. The guilt will eat him alive."

Norman studied Reed closely. "You're not doing this just to take down Peter, are you? This is deeply personal."

Reed's expression suddenly shifted to anger. "That's none of your concern, Norman! All you need to know is that you stand to gain a lot if you cooperate."

"And what exactly do I gain?"

Reed smirked coldly. "You'll get a broken, obedient Spider-Man—ready to become your perfect successor. You'll mold him into whatever image you want."

Norman leaned back in his chair, resting his hands on the armrests. "A perfect successor, huh? Well, you certainly know how to tempt someone like me."

Reed stood, preparing to leave. "So, do we have a deal? You'll provide the equipment and technology I need for the cloning. Leave the rest to me."

"Couldn't you do that yourself?" Norman asked, amused.

Reed replied curtly, "Your role is to supply the necessary resources. You're the best in this field, and it won't raise suspicion if you're the one who did it."

Norman nodded slowly. "You're walking a fine line of madness, Reed. But I'll join this plan, only because I want to see what happens when everything falls apart."

Reed scowled at Norman's words. "Enough talk. Yes or no will suffice."

Norman nodded. "Deal. But if your plan fails, consider yourself finished."

"Don't worry, everything is under control. The plan is foolproof and more."

Norman smirked at Reed's confidence. "I'll have the site ready for you as soon as the lab is prepped."

"It better be this week. Mary Jane leaves in a week."

"And how exactly do you know that?"

Reed clenched his fist, his knuckles whitening. "Those were Peter's own words."

With that, Reed turned and left Norman's office, careful not to arouse suspicion.

As Reed exited, he muttered softly to himself, but his words didn't escape Norman's enhanced hearing thanks to the Goblin serum.

"You took her love for me, Peter... so I'll take your love from you... and more than that, your mind."

Norman remained seated at his desk, pondering the last words he had heard.

He knew Reed was hiding his true motives, but he didn't care.

What mattered was finally seeing Spider-Man fall and realizing his dream of total control.

That night, it became clear that even Earth's smartest and most celebrated heroes could fall for any reason—so far as to dig a pit for a colleague to fall into.

End of Flashback Within a Flashback.

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