From Richard Parker's perspective, he saw no way to stand out among the many research groups. Since failure seemed inevitable and Norman Osborn's scoldings were certain, Richard decided to use Osborn's substantial funds to pursue his own research interests.
Despite his outward compliance, Richard Parker covertly focused on his secret project. Initially, he didn't shine among the research teams, so Norman Osborn didn't suspect anything unusual.
The video from JARVIS paused here; a large portion of the original tape had been destroyed, and even JARVIS couldn't reconstruct it. Just being able to glimpse Richard Parker's early days at Oscorp from the incomplete footage was impressive.
"It seems both sides had their issues. My father was overly ambitious, but your father..." Harry Osborn trailed off, looking at Peter Parker, struggling to describe Richard Parker.
"Was also somewhat selfish..." Peter sighed. He could see that Richard Parker had changed since the last time they met. Despite the pressures of his job, Richard nurtured his own schemes.
Even though Richard Parker was just an employee, Norman Osborn's payment was generous. Richard took advantage of this to fund his research. Norman Osborn's drive to cure the family's genetic disease was serious and he was willing to pay any price for it.
"There must be more to this. Even with years of hiding and the subsequent death, Richard Parker wouldn't have reacted the way he did during our confrontation if there wasn't something else going on..." Peter mused as he watched the data stream from JARVIS, pondering how Richard Parker came to research spiders.
However, the details of how Richard Parker began his spider research and its process were missing. The footage had been severely damaged, beyond JARVIS's ability to reconstruct.
"Look, it's back on!" Harry Osborn exclaimed, snapping Peter out of his thoughts.
In the footage, Richard Parker and his wife were present alongside Norman Osborn and numerous research team members. They were all working on serums and the Osborn family genetic disease, except for the Parker couple, who had their own secret project.
Norman Osborn had called them together for a straightforward reason. His health was deteriorating rapidly, and he wanted to know if any research had yielded potential cures or at least methods to improve his condition. The research teams were a significant financial drain on Oscorp, and board members were increasingly unhappy since these projects didn't benefit the company directly.
Norman Osborn decided to downsize, keeping only the teams that showed promise. He planned to fund these with his own money rather than Oscorp's.
Richard Parker's team was the top candidate for cuts. They consistently performed poorly while consuming the most resources. Even Norman, with his large financial commitment, didn't want to keep them.
Yet, just as Norman announced his decision, causing a stir among the teams, Richard Parker stood up and claimed his research surpassed all others.
Richard revealed some of his spider research results. Although it wasn't directly aimed at curing Osborn's disease, the research showed potential in human enhancement that could alleviate Osborn's symptoms.
The spider project was still immature and couldn't cure Norman Osborn yet. However, the progress was enough to boost Norman's confidence in the Parkers. He immediately increased his funding, hoping to expedite a solution to his genetic disease.
Norman wasn't just concerned about his own health. He didn't want his son, Harry, to endure the same suffering. Harry deserved a better life.
That success convinced Norman that the Parkers were his best hope of overcoming the family's genetic curse. He fully trusted them and continued to fund their increasingly expensive experiments.
If events had followed this course, the spider research, even though not originally intended to cure Norman's disease, might have significantly aided his recovery, perhaps even turning him into a superhuman.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as Norman hoped. After securing substantial funding again, the Parkers disappeared with all their research results. They even destroyed the security tapes, and if not for Norman's timely discovery, nothing would have remained.
Even with the remnants, until his death, Norman never knew what the Parkers had truly been up to. Peter and Harry still couldn't understand why Richard Parker fled Oscorp with his research. Peter noticed that Richard's expression during his departure was identical to when they last argued.
Peter suspected that once the Parkers began the spider experiments, their inner darkness grew until they fully embraced this dark path.
"No more?" Harry Osborn asked, staring at the fading screen, bewildered.
"No more. That's how it was. Although we don't know what happened during the experiments, Richard Parker's greed led to their current predicament…" Peter gave a bitter smile, speaking softly.
Peter had come searching for the truth because he didn't believe Richard Parker had always been like this. But the reality was different. Despite the changes in Richard's demeanor during the spider experiments, he had chosen this path from the start.
Richard Parker bore most of the blame for the tragic outcomes of both the Parker and Osborn families. Peter even thought it might have been better if Richard had died at Norman's hands, allowing Norman to use his blood to find a cure for the genetic disease, paying off the debt.
"Peter, it's not your fault. You didn't know it would turn out this way…" Harry patted Peter's shoulder, speaking gently. "Besides, Richard seemed different after starting the experiments. Maybe the experiments influenced them. We need to uncover the true story…"
"I'll find out. Trust me, I'll get to the bottom of this! I'll give both our families an answer!" Peter shook his head, determined as he looked at Harry.
"It's too dangerous for you alone. Didn't you say he has a giant spider? I can help. My father left me a vial of serum…" Harry started, but Peter cut him off.
"No!" Peter's voice was firm. "You know the risks of the serum. You don't need to take that chance. I've left some of my blood. I'll ask JARVIS and Mr. Stark to help develop a cure for your genetic disease. Just wait."
Peter didn't say everything. If he could defeat Richard Parker, he would return to help Harry with the genetic disease. It would be a way to make amends for the Parkers' mistakes.
But if Peter failed and there was a bigger threat behind Richard, the Avengers would handle it. Peter's blood and messages left with JARVIS would be seen by Tony Stark and others. They would help Harry.
"No!" Harry's voice was equally resolute. He stared into Peter's eyes. "Even if I don't use the serum, I can't let you face this danger alone. My father's Green Goblin armor and glider can be modified. I can help, at least to provide support!"
"I know you're a famed Avenger, strong enough that even a serum-enhanced father was no match for you. But I also know you don't want to involve the Avengers because this is our families' issue. We should solve it ourselves!"
"If you go alone, planning to sacrifice yourself, I'll never forgive you, Peter Parker!"
Peter fell silent, surprised that Harry had guessed his fleeting thoughts. He felt conflicted.
"Don't worry. If things get really bad, I won't hold you back!" Harry said, pulling Peter away from Oscorp. "Now, I need your help. Modifying the equipment alone is too slow. With your brains, you'll be a great help…"
Peter, almost on autopilot, was dragged to Harry's research base. They started working on the Green Goblin armor and glider.
Days later, a new armor, somewhat resembling Peter's, was completed. Both stood on gliders, heading to the abandoned subway.
Inside the derelict station, Richard Parker continued his research. He seemed to have shifted from bioengineering to exploring supernatural forces. The equipment lay unused, while some eerie substance flowed in his hands. He muttered to himself.
The giant spider lurked in a corner, its gaze filled with malice. But when it saw Richard's hands, it shivered in fear and looked away, unable to face him.
At that moment, a loud crash echoed through the station. The pile of debris, which had been carefully rebuilt, collapsed again. This time, Peter Parker chose to confront Richard directly.
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