Chapter 2: A Day to Remember

Norman, who had finally left the laboratory, put away his smile as he took out his phone and dialed in an unknown number.

Ring~ Ring~

The phone responded, emitting a resonant, gruff voice that reverberated with a deep, rugged tone.

"What's the job?"

"I need you to deal with someone named Nora Parker"

"Any condition?"

"No... as long as it doesn't connect to me or my company"

"Understood"

As soon as the phone call ended, Norman seamlessly transitioned to another call, and within a second, it was immediately answered.

"Donald"

On the other side of the phone, Donald Menken, secretary of the founder of Oscorp. Upon hearing Norman Osborn's voice, he promptly straightened up his back and adopted a professional demeanor.

"Yes, sir?"

"Find me what Nora has been researching lately"

Upon receiving the orders, Donald swiftly sprang into action, turning on his computer to locate Nora Parker's ongoing project. After a quick search, he successfully found the information and shortly conveyed it to Norman.

"Spider?"

"Yes, sir. She's been researching spider genetics for a while now"

Hearing this, a puzzled expression crossed Norman's face as he questioned why Nora was studying spiders. After a moment of contemplation, he shook his head, pushing the thought to the back of his mind.

"Erase everything"

"Excuse me, sir?"

"I want you to erase everything about Nora Parker. Her research, her presence, and even the connections she has in this company... erase it, everything"

"..."

"From now on, Nora Parker does not have any relation to Oscorp Industries"

*****

Queens, New York...

"No bedtime stories?"

Barry, nestled comfortably in bed, turned his gaze toward Nora and Henry, his eyes conveying a cute and pleading expression. Regarding this, Nora responded with an amused smile while Henry wore a dubious look, seemingly uncertain about Barry's request or plea.

"You're already ten years old, it's time for bedtime stories to stop"

"Aw... well, it was worth a shot"

In a swift motion, Barry reverted to his usual expression, nonchalantly tucking himself in under the blanket comfortably. This abrupt change left Henry feeling dumbfounded, prompting a small laugh from Nora as she found amusement at the scene before her.

"Haha, that's our Barry"

Seeing Barry finally asleep, the two shared a momentary glance and smiled before silently departing from the room, careful not to disturb his slumber.

And for a while, it was peaceful and quiet when in the next second, Barry suddenly stood up from his bed.

"..."

Looking around and finding no one, he assumed that both of his parents had already fallen asleep for the night. Seizing the opportunity, he smirked and rose from his bed, making his way toward the desk on the other side of the room.

Moments later, he stood in front of the desk, where his backpack rested. Opening it, he retrieved a beautifully decorated music box and delicately placed it on the surface of the desk.

Gazing at the music box with a sense of satisfaction and pride, Barry nodded approvingly. In truth, both he and his father had dedicated weeks to crafting this exquisite piece together while secretly keeping it away from Nora until tomorrow's surprise.

Although Barry inadvertently revealed some aspects of the plans earlier, he kept his promise and didn't tell Nora about the music box as he wanted it to be a real surprise for her tomorrow.

The reason he retrieved the music box was that it still remained incomplete, with some crucial parts missing that had only become available today. Barry intended to use this night to complete the final touches, ensuring that the surprise gift for Nora would be perfected and ready for her birthday tomorrow.

And with that, he started working on it using the tools hidden inside the drawers on the desk and it took him until midnight to finally complete it.

"Finally done!"

Barry sat up from the chair with a joyful expression, releasing a satisfied sigh. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and gently placed the tools down on the surface of the desk, a sense of accomplishment evident in his demeanor.

Observing the completed music box with a triumphant nod, Barry hid it away safely. Suddenly, a wave of fatigue swept over him, making him acutely aware of his exhaustion. Recognizing the need for rest, he decided it was time to surrender to sleep.

"Yawn..."

Just as Barry was about to settle onto the soft and comfortable bed, he was momentarily startled by a sudden clattering noise emanating from downstairs in the kitchen.

"...!?"

Perplexed, Barry felt an inexplicable urge to investigate the source of the noise downstairs. As he slowly approached, perhaps it was his gut feeling but a growing sense of unease suddenly crept over him, intensifying the closer he got.

And finally, he arrived at the scene...

"M-Mom...?"

Barry was shocked to witness a tall, cloaked man with a masked visage gripping Nora by the neck, steadily tightening his hold, causing her to gasp for breath. The ominous scene unfolded, with the man pausing in his actions only when he noticed Barry's presence.

"Barry...?"

Nora, caught in the clutches of the assailant, weakly turned her head to the side, her eyes widening in shock as she glimpsed her son, Barry, standing there in a state of fear and stupefaction.

"M-Mom, what's going on?"

"Get away from here, Barry!"

"W-What...?"

Barry experienced a whirlwind of emotions upon witnessing the distressing scene before him—ranging from fear, anxiety, and nervousness to confusion, shock, and an overwhelming sense of helplessness.

Despite the overwhelming mix of emotions, Barry gritted his teeth and summoned the courage to stand his ground. With a steely resolve, he glared at the unknown assailant, channeling a potent blend of anger and hate in his gaze.

"G-Get away from my Mom!"

In a burst of adrenaline, Barry shouted, grabbing a nearby frying pan and pointing it menacingly at the assailant, issuing a bold threat. To Barry's surprise, the unknown assailant complied, forcefully hurling Nora against the wall, prompting a pained groan from her.

"...???"

Barry's confusion quickly morphed into fear as the unknown assailant, displaying a chilling nonchalance, advanced toward him with an unsettling calmness.

"Don't get any closer or else!"

With a growl, Barry issued a warning, tightening his grip on the pan. However, the assailant remained unfazed, showing no sign that Barry's threat had any effect whatsoever.

Frustrated by the assailant's lack of response, Barry's frown deepened, his muscles tensing. In a burst of determination, he shouted at the top of his lungs and swung the frying pan with all his might at the oncoming assailant.

Swoosh~

But to Barry's shock, the assailant effortlessly seized the frying pan by his/her hand with remarkable ease, leaving him wide-eyed in disbelief.

"T-This..."

Stripped of his weapon, Barry started feeling scared as beads of sweat formed on his forehead. The assailant, having discarded the frying pan, stood menacingly in place with his/ her cold and calculating gaze fixed on Barry with an unnerving intensity.

Now Barry started to feel regret, perhaps if he had run away earlier then...

'NO!'

Barry slapped his face, using the pain to shake away the grip of fear. With a grim determination, he clenched his hands into fists and glared defiantly at the assailant, readying himself for a fight.

Despite the realization deep down that victory might be impossible, Barry knew that fleeing could endanger his mother. The thought of the assailant potentially targeting her fueled a steadfast resolve within him, compelling him to stand his ground and face this man or woman.

'Come on!'

As Barry psyched himself up, he couldn't help but notice a subtle glint of amusement in the assailant's eyes. This observation earned a small frown from him, feeling humiliated at the thought of being underestimated.

Given his young age was just 10 years old, it was understandable that Barry was being underestimated. However, amidst the tense situation, he momentarily forgot about this factor, focusing solely on the immediate challenge at hand.

"HA!"

Barry, fueled by determination, rushed forward and pulled back his fist before delivering a powerful punch to the assailant's stomach in a bold and daring move.

Bam!

But the punch had no effect at all, still, Barry remained undeterred and continued to throw punches at the assailant.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

The assailant, seemingly growing tired of the confrontation, abruptly ended the exchange by smacking Barry's face to the ground, an assertive action that left Barry sprawled on the floor.

"Keuk!"

Lying on the floor, Barry experienced a stinging pain in his cheeks, a desire to cry welling up within him. Despite the urge, he fought back the tears.

And Nora, the helpless spectator, felt her eyes welling up with tears at the sight of her son in pain, aching to intervene but bound by the circumstances as she could only watch the assailant walk closer to where his son was.

"Barry..."

Just as despair seemed to settle in, a sudden intervention occurred as someone stormed into the kitchen and tackled the assailant with force.

"Get away from my son, you bastard!"