Web of Deception: The Webbed Avenger

Chapter Eighteen: The Spider's Agility

1995

It wasn't exactly the best time, considering what had happened a month earlier concerning the Subject Zero escape.  Norman was under fire over the mysterious deaths of  General Slocum, Mr. Fargas, and Mr. Balkan, as they believed Norman had something to do with their deaths.  Quest Aerospace wasn't exactly the safest company out there, and it wasn't that far off that their supposed super soldier serum was unstable, much like how the early versions of the Lycan Serum was.  The only perfect test subject they had so far was Subject Zero: Derek Hale.

With Hale being gone and having disappeared into the sunset, Norman needed to find something new that would progress things along, but at the very moment that was not his main concern.  Today was a good day, Norman told himself as he heard his phone ring and he answered.  It was his beloved wife, Emily calling him to inform him that she was going into labor and was going to the hospital.

That was how it all started, Norman had told himself.  It was the moment where he truly felt like he was equal with his inner light and darkness.  For that day he felt in tune with who he truly was.

How could he not be happy?  Today his son would be born into the world, and he would get to spend the next eighteen years with his wife watching him grow into the man Norman could only dream of.

When he got to the hospital, it was a long excruciating five hours, which by far was not that long considering some births took well over the twelve hour mark, even breaching the terrifying twenty hour mark... Norman cringed at the mere thought of it.

He had been so happy, for the first time Norman had been genuinely happy.  There was nothing that could ruin his joy, after all... he had a family of his own now.

Then out of nowhere that joy went down the drain, and all he could feel was despair and horror.  Emily became ill following the birth, and as Norman learned she had amniotic fluid embolism, and nobody had known about it until it was far too late.  She passed away a few hours later in her sleep, and Norman... he felt like he had woken up to a world of nightmares.

The love of his life was gone, and he was going to be a single father.  It was going to be the hardest thing he had ever faced, and he didn't know how he was going to do it.

So, there Norman was kneeling at his wife's bedside, holding her hand pleading for her to come back.  "Emily... please, please... don't leave me.  I can't do this without you."

Behind him was his butler, Bernard whom had been a trusted servant and family member to Norman since he himself was about twenty.  Norman felt Bernard's hand on his shoulder, and he turned to the closest thing he had to a friend.

"Mr. Osborn, I know you are grieving, but you are not alone.  She might not get to see first hand how your beautiful baby boy will grow up, but she is still here.  She will never leave you, the people we love never really leave us." Bernard gave a weak smile, to which Norman wiped the only tears he had ever shed in front of the butler, and nodded.  "Now, as much as you should grieve, there is a matter at hand you need to contend with..."

"What do I need to contend with at a time like this?"

"You have a son that needs his father.  You know as well as I do that family is the most important thing; what did she name him?"

"Harold... she named him Harold." 

Wednesday, August 22nd

2012

Norman opened his eyes as he noticed his sleeping wife beside him, a content smile on her face.  He gave a weak one himself as he knew that deep down she was in a lot of pain just like he was; how could she not, considering that she was going to possibly face the death of her second husband.