The time was about an hour earlier.
The moment Norman Osborn heard the words spoken by Hamilton, he was certain: the man was the so-called Goblin King.
Undeniably, the Goblin King's personality was identical to the Green Goblin's personality that Norman was familiar with. He had already checked the Green Goblin AI data and found no issues. If that was the case, the Goblin King could only be Barton Hamilton, who understood the Green Goblin intimately.
And now, all of this was over.
So, after confirming that Captain America had apprehended Hamilton, Norman eagerly took his leave. He no longer wanted another persona to share his mind; he didn't want to remember those actions he couldn't recall or those memories that didn't belong to him.
Thus, Norman went to Oscorp, arriving at the lab. Here, the cognitive enhancement device, created using the electroencephalograph, was ready.
"The device is operating normally. We've adjusted the stability to 97%," reported a subordinate, looking at Norman. "Any further refinement might take several months."
"Then we won't consider it."
Norman quickly made his decision. While having his subordinates begin the final adjustments to the device, he prepared to change into the experimental adjustment suit and enter the chamber.
But before that, he thought hard and decided to make two phone calls.
He first called Peter Parker, but there was no answer. Considering the battle Peter had just gone through, he likely needed rest, so Norman just left him a message.
"Peter, good news. You won't have to worry about the Green Goblin anymore. After today, he will be gone forever."
After leaving that message, Norman hesitated for a long time, until his subordinates started urging him, before he called Harry.
"Hello? Harry?"
"Dad? What's wrong?"
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything that happened after your mother passed away. I'm not trying to blame everything on the persona who doesn't even remember what he did, but he might cease to exist today, Harry."
"What are you talking about? I don't understand."
Harry on the other end of the line was clearly confused, but Norman didn't elaborate further: "The Avengers have captured the so-called Goblin King. I'm innocent, Harry. None of this was the Green Goblin's doing."
"Oh. Uh, okay, Dad."
"Starting today, there will be no more Green Goblin, Harry. When that happens..."
Norman was silent for a while before finally saying what he wanted to say.
"Perhaps we can face the fact that your mother is gone, together."
Or perhaps it was just himself who needed to face it. By pushing everything onto the Green Goblin, he could make everything start over.
Norman took a deep breath, changed into his adjustment suit, entered the submersion pod, and delved into the depths of his memory.
Norman Osborn returned to his childhood. He went into his old house and saw his father.
Old Osborn was beating his son. The old redneck had no skills of his own; his greatest luck was fathering a smart son who had designed several patents since childhood. Because of this, the news media praised the prodigy, almost monthly reporting on Norman Jr.'s latest invention. All Old Osborn had to do was drag his son to various shows and interviews to make a lot of money.
"Why didn't you invent anything new today! Were you slacking off!"
Drunk, Old Osborn, seeing that little Norman might not have an invention for the next show, cursed and picked up a bottle, smashing it down toward his head.
Norman watched his younger self frantically dodge, then saw his father, enraged that he dared to dodge, grab a broom to strike him. Norman stepped forward and knocked his memory-bound father to the floor with a single punch.
Norman smiled, satisfied. That was it. He had been waiting for this punch for too long.
The benefit of this machine was that he could enter the depths of his own consciousness and subjectively modify his memories. That is, no matter how he thought or remembered himself in the past, here, he would modify them into the way he needed.
That way, he would no longer need the protection of the Green Goblin persona, because in his memory, the person who protected him was not the Green Goblin, but the adult version of himself.
"Come on, you old bastard, do you think I'm afraid of you? You bastard, you should have been beaten like this long ago!"
Norman, filled with rage, kicked Old Osborn's body, as if it were the Green Goblin he was trying to discard.
But then, he heard his own laughter.
"Norman, think carefully, Norman."
The younger version of himself suddenly laughed, looking at Norman and abruptly asking.
"Did I really appear to protect you?"
"The Green Goblin you forgot, the me you conjured up, what exactly did he do?"
Norman was stunned, momentarily unable to answer. He then looked to the side. There, the young Norman finally chose to unveil his new invention.
It was a bomb housed inside a plastic pumpkin toy, an unpatented new invention.
"I didn't do it, the Green Goblin did it. I didn't do it, the Green Goblin did it."
Norman kept repeating this, while he himself fashioned a Goblin mask and put it on. He then knocked on his father's bedroom door and threw the initial Pumpkin Bomb inside.
Norman Osborn never conceived of the Green Goblin to heal his childhood trauma.
Norman Osborn forgot that he was the Green Goblin.
"Hamilton lied to me?!"
"I lied to you, Norman."
The younger Norman Osborn looked at him, his face visibly changing. He developed green skin and sharp teeth, then looked at Norman.
"Because I was always the smarter existence that you forgot."
"Norman Osborn never needed the Green Goblin's protection. On the contrary, Norman Osborn forgetting the Green Goblin was your way of protecting yourself!"
-----------------------------------------------
I handpick only the finest and most captivating novels for you. Don't forget to check out my other novels!
p@treon HongMengZi