[In the elevator, Gwen was still catching her breath when a voice suddenly startled her from behind: "Gwen Stacy!"]
["Oh…!!!" Gwen gasped, whipping around to see Harry Osborn, his hand pressed against his chest as if his heart might leap out.]
["Sorry!" they both blurted out at the same time, exchanging awkward smiles before Gwen added, "It's okay!"]
["Uh, I'm Harry. Harry Osborn," he introduced himself with a small grin. "I'm an old friend of Peter's."]
["Yeah, I know who you are," Gwen replied, her heart rate finally slowing. "Sorry, I was just... a little rushed back there."]
["It's okay," Harry chuckled. "What a shame Peter didn't introduce us properly. I thought you two had broken up."]
[At Harry's words, Gwen's smile faded slightly. "Oh... yeah. We did." She forced a small laugh, though it sounded hollow. "It's complicated."]
["It's always complicated when it comes to Peter," Harry added with a knowing grin.]
["Yeah, you're right about that," Gwen sighed, her thoughts drifting to Peter's latest dilemma.]
["That's why he needs you, doesn't he?" Harry said, his gaze sharpening slightly. "To help him make the right choice."]
[Before Gwen could respond, the elevator dinged, signaling her floor. She gave Harry an apologetic smile. "Nice to meet you, Harry."]
["The pleasure's mine, Gwen," Harry replied, watching as she stepped out of the elevator. Left alone, his mind swirled with uncertainty. Would Peter find Spider-Man in time? And if he did… would Spider-Man actually help him?]
Later that day, Peter, Gwen, and Dr. Connors arrived at Harry's office. Harry's eyes widened when he saw them, especially the small glowing vial Peter held in his hand.
Felicia had informed him that they wanted to meet, but seeing Peter with the potion confirmed what Harry hoped for—Peter had made a deal with The Screen.
"Peter… what kind of deal did you make with The Screen?" Harry's voice trembled. A lump formed in his throat, and he felt an unexpected sting of tears. The idea that Peter would bargain with something so powerful, just to save him, was overwhelming.
"Don't ask too many questions, Harry," Peter said firmly. "Just inject this. It'll cure your genetic disease. You'll be free from it—and so will your descendants. This ends with you."
Harry's eyes searched Peter's face, but Peter's expression revealed nothing more. Truthfully, Peter didn't know what The Screen would ask of him in return. He could only pray that it wouldn't be something terrible. But if it was, he'd face it. As long as Harry could live, Peter would accept whatever came his way.
Without another word, Peter injected the glowing serum into Harry's arm. As soon as the liquid entered his bloodstream, the empty vial disintegrated into white light and vanished into thin air.
Everyone stared in shock, except Gwen, who remained calm. She had seen something similar happen when the spider bit her. Dr. Connors, however, couldn't hide his disappointment. If only the vial had remained, he might've been able to extract residual samples.
"Harry, how do you feel?" Peter asked, his voice tight with concern. Harry's face flushed as heat coursed through his body. He swayed slightly, and Peter quickly guided him into a chair.
"Oh… this feeling..." Harry murmured, flexing his fingers. His right hand, which had been trembling for years, suddenly stilled. A surge of strength pulsed through him, radiating from his core.
"Peter," he whispered, his eyes wide with awe. "I feel better than I ever have!" Grinning, he clenched his fists and, to everyone's shock, effortlessly lifted the heavy table in front of him with just one hand.
"Wow!" Peter exclaimed, his jaw dropping. "Harry… you're stronger?" His mind flashed to Harry in the first generation Spider-Man universe. Could The Screen have given Harry the same type of serum?
"Yeah," Harry nodded, feeling the newfound power humming through his veins. Overcome with emotion, he stepped forward and wrapped Peter in a tight hug. "Thank you, brother."
[The scene shifted to Ravencroft Mental Institution. In a sterile, dimly lit room, a man in a white coat adjusted his glasses and slipped on a pair of specialized gloves. Dr. Kafka moved toward a large, humming machine as soothing classical music played softly in the background.]
[The machine lifted, revealing Max Dillon strapped tightly to it, his body restrained by thick metal cuffs. Dr. Kafka ascended a small platform, while a staff member wheeled Max closer to the center of the room.]
[Max's eyelids fluttered open, and he groaned softly. Kafka typed commands into a computer nearby, speaking in a calm, almost condescending tone. "You've had quite the accident, Mr. Dillon. I'm Dr. Kafka, and I'm here to help you."]
["Is that right, Doctor?" Max sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Is that why you strapped me down with military-grade bio-stimulation electrodes? And high-strength capacitors from the Austen Group? You're really trying to help me?" His eyes flickered with contempt as he strained against the restraints.]
["You're right," Kafka admitted with a thin smile. "I'm studying you. I want to understand who you are—and how you became this way. I will find the answer."
[Without further warning, Kafka pressed a button on the control panel. A surge of electricity crackled through the room, sending volts of pain through Max's body. His scream echoed off the walls, but Kafka remained unfazed, his eyes glued to the monitor.]
[McCann, standing in the corner, watched with detached interest as Kafka continued his experiment.]
["I always find the answer," Kafka whispered, almost to himself.]
["You know this prison uses electricity to hold me, right?" Max hissed, his body trembling from the current. "I can feel the power running through this place, like it's flowing in my veins. You can't control what you're doing now, Doctor. This is the power of nature—the same power that flows through me."]
[Kafka glanced down at a pen rolling across the table under the influence of Max's electromagnetic field. With a smug smile, he pressed the pen down and flipped the switch again, sending another wave of electricity through Max's body.]
[Max's groan grew into a roar, his eyes glowing with fury. "You want to know how powerful I am? I want to know too!" he bellowed, his voice filled with venomous promise.]
[Kafka pretended to flinch but kept his finger on the trigger. Max's anger surged, the energy within him building to a dangerous level.]
["You'd better kill me this time, Doctor!" Max threatened through gritted teeth. "Because if I survive, I'll turn off every light in New York. I'll plunge this city into darkness. Then everyone will know what it's like to live in my world!"]
["A world without electricity! A world without kindness! A world without Spider-Man! Then they'll finally recognize the real me!"]
[As Max's rage reached its peak, red energy began to crackle beneath his blue skin, pulsing like molten lava. McCann glanced nervously at the rising energy levels on the monitor.]
["Who are you?" Kafka asked, his curiosity piqued as the data spiked beyond expected limits.]
["Don't you know?" Max snarled, his voice reverberating with raw power. "I'm ELECTRO!"]
[At that moment, a surge of electricity exploded from Max's body, sending shockwaves through the room. Cracks spider-webbed across Kafka's glasses as the lights flickered violently. McCann narrowed his eyes, realizing the situation was spiraling out of control.]
[An alarm blared through the facility. "WARNING: POWER RESTRAINT OVERLOAD. IMMEDIATE CONTAINMENT REQUIRED!" The automated voice echoed as McCann snapped his fingers, signaling the staff to act quickly.]
[The guards scrambled to seal Max back into his water chamber, the only thing capable of containing his volatile energy.]
["Incredible," Kafka murmured, removing his cracked glasses and staring at Max with fascination. "Simply incredible."]
["Seal the subject!" McCann barked. The mechanical arms of the chamber clamped down on Max, dragging him back toward the water. Despite his best efforts to resist, Max could only watch helplessly as he was submerged, the blue glow of his eyes dimming beneath the surface.]
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