URICH
ONE SHOT SPECIAL
"WEBS"
DISCLAIMER:
I really don't think that the owner of such BRILLIANT characters as Ben Urich, Spider-Man, Daredevil and the Green Goblin would be posting fan fiction stories on the net about them. In other words; don't own 'em, didn't create 'em, just love 'em!
NOTE:
Before reading this, please take the time to read my 9 part story URICH (and review it! P), covering the titular hero's first encounters with Daredevil, Spider-Man, Iron Fist, Luke Cage and The Kingpin! This storyline will be concluded whenever I write and put up URICH II on the site.
It was all over the news. The Green Goblin was back in New York City. The last anyone had heard of him was three years before, when he seemingly met his ultimate demise in a deadly battle with Spider-Man, after the Goblin killed a young girl, Gwen Stacy.
But now the psychotic killer wanted revenge and all of NYC was in danger. Ben Urich was sitting at his desk when J. Jonah Jameson hurried over:
"URICH!"
Ben was already leaping up when Jameson arrived. The middle aged reporter pulled on his overcoat and lit a cigarette. Bloody things. They'll be the death of me…
"Yes, Jonah?"
"The Green Goblin's back! He's got hostages on the Brooklyn Bridge again!" Peter Parker, the young photographer, sidled over to Jameson as he heard the shout:
"Did you just say…?"
"The Goblin's alive, Parker, get over it! None o' these punks stay dead anyway! Grab yer damn camera and go with Urich, get me some pictures! Now get goin', you two! The Brooklyn Bridge!"
Parker looked suspiciously unhappy about this arrangement, Ben noticed.
"But, sir…"
Despite the boy's best arguments, there was no fighting J. Jonah Jameson, and the pair were soon in Urich's car, speeding towards the bridge.
"Ben, I really need to…" Began Peter feebly.
"Then jump out!" Was Ben's reply, as he took a long drag from his cigarette, "It's not some kind of emergency is it!?"
"Um… that's kind of exactly what it is, Ben, you see, I need a…"
"Honestly! Kids these…"
And then Ben saw the bridge close up. The Green Goblin was balanced on his glider, holding two young girls over the Hudson River.
"Oh God… what do you make of that, Peter?"
Ben looked around:
"Parker?"
Peter Parker had vanished!
Ben was poised on a rooftop overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge, scrawling notes on the situation. The Green Goblin was flying around over the bridge, swinging his hostages around, yelling for Spider-Man. Urich sighed. It was a terrible situation… but he was still wondering about Parker. And that was when he spotted it… on the edge of the roof… a flashing object. Like the one he had noticed in the Heroes For Hire incident. Ben looked closer: it was Parker's camera! But what did that mean?
Suddenly, Spider-Man swung past the building. Urich looked closely at the vigilante: he was young. About Parker's age? And he must have been about the same height and build…
Ben had noticed something familiar in Spider-Man's voice before. Damn! Another hero!? This was insane! Urich sighed and watched closely. Parker… good grief, he was calling him Parker now... hung by a web in front of the Goblin.
"Hello, Spider-Man!" Cackled the Green Goblin, "Long time, no see!"
But Spider-Man wasn't in the mood for games. He was in the mood for nothing more than beating the crap out of his nemesis! The enemies locked arms and the hostages dropped… somehow Spider-Man webbed them to the bridge as the two enemies fell… and the villain's glider soared under them, sweeping the fighters up, and they fought… they fought until the glider smashed into the roof, inches from Ben.
Spider-Man staggered away, and the Green Goblin limped at him, throwing a weak punch. Parker was not in the mood. He caught the Goblin's wrist, kneed him forcefully in the groin and punched his enemy across the roof. The villain slammed down, bleeding and Spider-Man lifted him by the collar, tearing his mask off to reveal…
Was that who Ben thought it was? Could it be…? Norman Osborn, once a respected businessman, now a presumed- dead ex- businessman, stared up at him, grinning awfully.
"Oh, my God…"
But Osborne wasn't going down… not without a fight. The maniac kicked Spider-Man: twice, thrice, knocking him back, and dropped off the roof. The hero stared down sadly.
"He'll be back. And next time, he'll be even more dangerous."
The vigilante prepared to dive off the roof, but something made Ben speak out:
"Wait! I know…"
"What?"
"I know, Spider-Man."
"Yeah, well I know Status Quo; don't mean I stop 'em rockin' all over the world."
The hero nose-dived off the roof…
Ben sat at his computer that night, frantically researching. He was an old school reporter- he didn't like this technological nonsense, but it did make his job a damn sight simpler… and he needed the story on Norman Osborne- The Green Goblin- fast. He knew no one else knew the villain's true identity- yet, but it could only be a matter of time…
J. Jonah Jameson walked out of his office, pulling on an overcoat.
"Still here, Urich?" Jameson didn't seem surprised. Ben had always been the last to leave the offices since his success with the Daredevil story. Jameson was delighted by this form, but Ben, though he would never lose his determination, knew it was damaging his relationship. It was all right when he was earning more- when he had succeeded in ridding himself of the cut pay he had struggled with for years. After the Bont incident.
"Yes, Jonah," Muttered Ben, "I'm working on a big story."
"Do you ever stop, Ben?" Jameson actually looked a little concerned for his employee… if even Jonah was noticing it, it must have been pretty obvious.
Ben finally found something. A website that seemed very interesting. At first glanced, it seemed your usual run of the mill conspiracy site. "THE GOBLIN'S ALIVE- AND HE'S NORMAN OSBORNE!" Ben read. He noted down the webmaster's name: Jason Macendale.
Urich decided to find the man. He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a copy of the telephone directory. He knew the Bugle had their own address database, bit Ben still preferred to keep these things "old school" whenever convenience allowed.
There. Just the one Macendale, J in the whole directory. 44 Stane Way.
Ben was at Stane Way in twenty five minutes. It was in the very grimiest inner core of Clinton, the district better known as Hell's Kitchen. Ben hurried into an aged, decrepit apartment block. He stopped to talk to a fierce looking woman- the superintendent. She eyed him suspiciously:
"Who the 'Ell are you?"
"Uh… Urich… Ben Urich, investigative for the Daily Bugle," Stammered Ben nervously, "I was wondering if I could see Mr. Macendale."
"Jason Macendale? Have ya finally pinned that little punk for murder or somethin'?" Grunted the superintendent.
"Not exactly… could I see him?"
"Sure, I guess, but be careful that little turd doesn't knife ya! Apartment 15. Third floor."
"Thanks," Ben smiled weakly and proceeded up the stairs, nervously, wondering what kind of psychopath this Macendale was…
However, when Ben reached Apartment 15, he found little more than a rather nervous looking young man with untidy blond hair, wearing an open necked shirt and jeans.
"Hello?" Asked Macendale as he opened the door.
"Jason Macendale?"
"Um… that's me, yeah."
"Ben Urich, investigative reporter for the Daily Bugle," Ben introduced himself in his usual manner, "You are the creator of yes? The website devoted to proving Norman Osborne to be the Green Goblin?"
"Yeah. He gonna sue me for libel or somethin'?" Macendale looked worried.
"Not at all, but I believe Mr. Osborne is indeed the Green Goblin," Macendale's eyes opened wide, "You do!? Come in!"
Ben allowed himself to be shown in. Macendale talked for hours about how he worked out how Osborne's disappearances always seemed to coincide with the times the Goblin appeared. How Osborne seemed to die at the same time as his counterpart…
"And now Norman Osborne is back in town," Summarised Macendale, "And so is the Green Goblin. We have to get evidence!"
"What do you suggest?" Ben was excited. This was a chance to do some real good, and redeem himself for his mistakes against Wilson Fisk.
"I say we break into Osborne Manor!" Exclaimed Jason, "And find proof. We have to find the truth."
"It's too dangerous," Argued Ben. He wanted to be a hero, not a corpse! "I have… a friend who can help."
"We have to do this, Mr. Urich!"
"I…" But Ben was too keen. Too determined, "Let's do this." He knew it was a stupid thing to do, but it was necessary…
Ben soon regretted it. Macendale had evidently got good plans… but this was suicide. He had seen the guard dogs and armed men patrolled the outside of the mansion, with more surely inside. He and the young fanatic were deep within the sewer system…
Macendale suddenly stopped and spoke:
"The wine cellar is directly above us, and that leads…" He paused for some kind of dramatic effect, "…into Osborne's office."
Ben secretly wished he could run, but he knew Macendale would never agree, and he would never leave a man behind. Never!
Macendale fiercely tore off some loose ruts of metal. Ben thought the sound must have been audible from Osborne's office!
"Careful!" He hissed, "Could you be any louder?"
"It's OK," Macendale actually grinned, "Osborne's out to a conference in LA… and he never lets anyone near his office… not even guards, or his kid."
Jason punched again and again at now visible floorboards and knocked them loose, pushing up. He clambered into a dark room, speaking quietly:
"Osborne left that area weak deliberately… in case he was found out and he had to get out fast."
"I see," Ben was beginning to wonder how Macendale knew so much. His reporter's instinct was kicking in there, but he knew something was up.
He scrambled up after Jason and they hesitated momentarily in the cellar.
"You OK?" Macendale smiled assuringly.
"Yeah, I guess," Ben tried to smile back, but he didn't think his attempt was very satisfactory.
"Then let's get the Hell up there and find some real evidence."
The duo hurried up some creaky wooden steps and Jason slowly opened the door. They stared into a dark office. A fire burned in the grate. A grandfather clock loomed ominously before them.
"A fire? You said he was in L.A!" Hissed Ben.
"I thought he was! But he's not here, is he? And we won't get another shot at this, Ben," Replied Macendale and he slipped into the office, "Hmm… if I were a goblin, where would I hide my lethal arsenal of weaponry and incriminating evidence against me?"
"The grandfather clock?" Ben smirked as Jason hurried to it and found a hidden button on its side, "Told ya so. A little clichéd, don't you think?"
"Who's complaining?" Jason pressed the button. The door slid open. And Ben gasped in horror…
Norman Osborne leered at them from inside some kind of armoury, clutching one of the Green Goblin's infamous "Pumpkin Bombs" in each hand.
"Evening, Mr. Urich," He said, "A nice day to die, eh?"
Osborne didn't even look at Macendale; he just lazily tossed one of the specialised grenades to his left. The explosion launched the young man through a wall, screaming. Fire blocked Ben as he ran to aid Macendale and Osborne stepped nimbly forward, punching Ben into the wall. The reporter felt the fist like a cannon ball… Osborne was too strong for a middle aged, overweight businessman.
"It's true then," Grunted Ben, "You are the Green Goblin. I wasn't totally sure if I believed it… not 'til now…"
Osborne laughed:
"Yes, I suppose I am. But don't worry, Mr. Urich, I won't kill you yet. Why ever would I when we can have a nice chat, over my torturing you?"
Ben tried to dive towards the now unmoving Kingsley; though he knew the man was surely dead. Osborne hurled his bomb at the ceiling. It exploded and bricks dropped down, trapping Ben…
"No! Dammit!" He gasped as he lost consciousness…
TO BE CONTINUED IN: URICH II
COMING SOON!