By Sunlight (P.P + M.J)

34. Motives

*Spector's pov*

Marc Spector flew his glider all the way to the top of an obscure building on the docks of Manhattan, and a trap door opened for him upon his arrival. He quickly descended through it until he came to a dimly lit laboratory, his glider setting itself on a landing pad. His arm band lit up to indicate one of his colleagues had sent him a message. But he didn't even pay any attention to it, for he jumped off the glider and threw his hood back, anger coursing through him as he tore his damaged white mask off his face.

"Norman!" Marc called angrily, and the man appeared, peeking out from behind a computer wearing a lab coat. A stout, short man in a beanie stood next to him, measuring a set of vials whole injector an eery green fluid into each one. Norman had been typing something into his computer when he'd been interrupted. He didn't seem at all bothered by Marc's frustrated manner, but did seem surprised that he had come back alone.

"No success?" Norman asked evenly.

"What do you think?" Marc spat viciously, tearing off his white gloves and armguards. "There's more heroes in this city than I can handle."

"Run into Spider-Man, did you?" Norman asked the question in such a way that it almost sounded teasing, and his gaze returned to the computer screen and he continued to type. It was almost as if Marc's failure amused him.

"Yes, and not just him," Marc replied, "there was another, someone very strong. They would have had me if not for the glider."

"Oh, so it worked," the man with the beanie said with an appreciative smile, and Marc scowled at him.

"There are three of them now," he snarled, "three. The lycan will be much harder to capture with Spider-Man and whoever his friend was are hanging around."

"I wouldn't advise going to Hell's Kitchen then," Norman said with a light chuckle, "heroes are everywhere over there."

"Are you not listening?" Marc was beside himself with fury. "I caught the girl and Russoff didn't even show. Spider-Man did, along with his friend."

"Yes, yes, I hear you, Marc," Norman sighed as he finally finished typing, "and if it's back-up you want, it's back-up you'll get."

"I refuse to work with any of your foolish cronies," Marc snapped with a pointed look at Norman's partner. The man, known as the Tinkerer to most of the criminals in New York, had been employed by Norman Osborn to build their secret technology for Marc's usage, like the glider and even the massive Rhino armor.

Norman merely laughed at Marc's comment. "Of course not."

Marc raised an eyebrow, and Norman went on, gesturing the vials of green liquid in them, "you surely remember the story of my old employee, Doctor Curtis Connors, and his research regarding limb regeneration and the improvement of the human body." Marc nodded, and the Oscorp CEO continued, "well, when he was arrested for being a fool and lost you your subject, Mr.Russoff, he left behind his research, including several of his transformative serums and samples of your lycan's blood. I've dedicated much of my corporation's time and money to perfecting what I hope to be a new serum altogether, one Connors was probably hoping achieve."

He then grabbed a vial to show to Spector. "Not only does it improve bodily function, but it won't create lizards."

"What will it create?" Marc asked.

"Someone who no hero will be able to stand against."

"But it still has some problematic factors," the Tinkerer suddenly interjected, "every mouse we've tested it on has come out a mutated wolf-lizard thing, with horns and an overbite but containing incredible abilities. Human trials aren't going to be a thing for a while."

"Yes, all in good time, Mason. This has the potential to be a perfect replicate of the famed Super Soldier Serum and I'll most definitely become the richest man in the world, even richer than that insolent Tony Stark," Norman retorted hotly, and he eyed Spector, "not everything is about you and your... exploits."

"I'm trying to rid this city of a monster," Marc said through gritted teeth. "And if your serum falls through, you'll be creating more of them."

"So either way, it'll be good hunting for you. I'm sure you'll have your wolf tomorrow, won't you? Shall I have Mason whip you up some more gadgets?"

Marc ignored the offer, asking, "And what will you do with this serum, once it's completed?"

"My dear Spector, when you can go back to your foundation and experiment on Russoff all you like, I'll be solidifying my place in history," Norman answered.

Marc frowned at his words, but chose not to argue with him. It was interesting to Marc that Norman was close to mastering a serum for heightening abilities, and the news came as a slight shock. Norman didn't know what the CEO of the Life Foundation intended to do with the lycan as soon as he was apprehended, and it was something he would continue not to know, especially after hearing about his work with the serum.

Motives were simple things, but they had a tendency to clash.

For as a matter of fact, Marc was working on his own means of creating a Super Soldier Serum, but it wasn't concocted in a lab, nothing close to an injectable green liquid. He had been working with Norman long enough to become aware of his ambition, and if he found out just the kind of "factor" Marc had obtained, their partnership might quickly become a rivalry.

For Marc's secret factor was no simple serum, but something far more... intelligent.

He turned away from his partner to tend to his damaged armor, and finally looked at his arm band that still displayed that he had a message. When he was far enough away from Osborn, he waved his hand over it and a faint image of the message in the form of a hologram appeared just over his wrist.

Carlton Drake:
It has lashed out again. We have to get back to LA before we can no longer control it. I think it's getting smarter.

Marc brought up a holographic keyboard and quickly typed a response, saying that "I'm not leaving without the lycan. Manage it."

Putting the message away, he stooped to pick his bent mask up off the floor. No, he wouldn't be leaving without the lycan, for he would serve an important role in the nefarious businessman's plan. A plan that required a particularly strong host. And that host was Jacob Russoff.

And no spider was going to get in the way of that.

Ohhh boy, I'm really starting to set something up now. Hope you enjoyed this little interlude villain chapter, for we're gearing up for Part 2 of the action. Thank you again for all your support of this fic and honestly nothing is better than reading your lovely comments. Now let's go!

~Fargone5