"Let's congratulate Spider-Man! He has killed the last of the Goblins. Oh dear, Spider-Man has once again protected the entire city of New York! A joyous occasion!"
Steve Rogers ignored the staff's attempts to stop him and rushed into Barton Hamilton's psychology clinic. Several nurses hastily tried to block the man who, despite having no arrest warrant or law enforcement credentials, exuded an air of authority just by standing there.
Rogers walked politely to the door of Hamilton's office. He looked at the few nurses surrounding him and nodded politely: "Apologies, ladies, but I'd like to have a word with Dr. Hamilton."
"But Dr. Hamilton said he is seeing a very important guest."
"Did you see who the guest was?"
The Captain asked the women, who shook their heads. Steve nodded and then kicked open the door to Hamilton's office.
Inside the room, which had been designed with warm-toned wallpaper to create a cozy and inviting atmosphere, there was no patient, only a Green Goblin—green skin, sharp teeth, and pointed ears—who was raving into a computer microphone.
The nurses who witnessed this scene scattered and fled, while Hamilton, who was speaking on television, displayed an exaggeratedly comical grin before cutting the signal with a final sentence.
"Well then, let's continue our game next week!"
"I'm not surprised at all," the Captain said as he entered the room. The Hamilton Green Goblin sneered and pulled a pumpkin bomb from under the desk, tossing it at the Captain. The Captain hurled his shield, slicing the pumpkin bomb in mid-air, and the bomb detonated.
Hamilton immediately leaped over, charging through the flames. He first batted the returning shield aside and then punched towards the Captain.
"You World War II relic! Do you still think you're the pinnacle of the world's technology?"
The facts, however, proved otherwise—
"I can tell you're relying entirely on brute force." Without his shield, the Captain landed three quick, tight punches on the other man's face. Yet, the Green Goblin was completely unharmed and lunged forward again. The Captain collided into him, forcing him to take a few steps back before kicking him in the neck.
Hamilton maintained his smile, his neck unmoving.
"Hahahaha, hahahaha! An old relic, thinking he can lecture others? You—Oof!"
The Captain punched him squarely on the bridge of his nose.
A Green Goblin without an exoskeleton armor was clearly much weaker. The opponent's reflexes, speed, and strength held a distinct advantage, but regardless, Hamilton hadn't been the Green Goblin for more than a month. Some things couldn't be compensated for in a month: combat experience.
The Captain drew a dagger and a handgun from his utility belt, adopting a fighting stance. This was his standard gear; no one ever said Captain America could only carry a shield.
"You think you can defeat me with a little handgun and a tiny knife?"
Steve Rogers smiled slightly: "Let's find out."
The nurses and doctors outside huddled under office desks or hid behind walls. No one had guessed that their boss was the terrifying Goblin King. They waited for Captain America to arrest him.
Then, they saw a concrete wall collapse, and Captain America flew out, slamming into the opposite wall. As he rose, he glanced at the dagger snapped in half in his hand and then raised his pistol, firing continuously at the Green Goblin. Several wounds appeared on the Green Goblin's body, streaming gamma-radiated green blood. He saw the Captain standing up, roared, and directly picked up the nearby office desk, hurling it at him.
The Captain executed a nimble roll, dodging the desk. He then shot at the Green Goblin's knee, but the opponent's knees seemed to be reinforced as well; the 9mm handgun couldn't penetrate them. After emptying the magazine, the Captain threw the pistol and the broken knife aside and walked towards his opponent.
"Look, a washed-up old relic, still thinking he can do something." The Green Goblin smirked as he walked up and threw a punch at the Captain: "Without that shield, what can you do?"
"Too much wind-up!"
Bending and dodging the Green Goblin's punch, the Captain moved back in front of the Goblin, punched him in the jaw, and then continued to land a series of punches on the Goblin's face while "instructing" him.
"Your eyes are too obvious; anyone can tell how you're going to strike!"
A string of punches left the Green Goblin with a bloody nose. Captain America then blocked the two fists coming at him (one from the front, one from behind) with his left and right hands, followed by a headbutt to the Goblin's forehead. Taking advantage of the Goblin's stunned retreat, he kicked the knee he had just shot, forcing the opponent to kneel. Then, he delivered a high kick to the Green Goblin's temple.
The Goblin staggered and fell to the floor.
Finally, the World War II veteran offered a sharp critique to the new-era super-soldier on the ground.
"And remember not to just use your fists. Your head, legs, even your teeth are weapons."
Steve Rogers put his hands on his hips, breathing heavily. He looked down at the defeated Green Goblin and shook his head, uttering a sigh of lament.
"I really miss the days when I was the pinnacle of human technology."
"I have to say, you sounded pretty beat up over the comms, Cap."
Tony's teasing voice came through the earpiece, followed by a curious question: "Wait, I remember you weren't wearing a helmet, were you? Your opponent's fate suggests we should all wear helmets next time. After all, Captain America's forehead isn't bulletproof either."
Tony then moved on to the main business.
"So, is our Dr. Hamilton the Goblin King?"
"The Goblin King speaking on TV is definitely him, but does he have someone behind him? I don't know. I hope not."
No sooner had the Captain finished speaking than bad news came from Tony's end: "Wait, the micro-drones you sent in also found a bomb in his body. It looks like he's just a disposable pawn. We'll have to keep searching."
"Then I'll bring him back. How's Spider-Man doing?"
"He's alright. The symbiote took some damage, and his hands have a few burns. Oh, and he managed to catch Roderick Kingsley."
The Captain instantly made the most suitable arrangement: "Invite Emma Frost of the X-Men to the Avengers Tower. Hamilton knows quite a bit; we need to dig some information out of his mind."