Two days. Two whole days were lost to him and he didn't have a clue as to how. His memory was fuzzy on where he was before he blacked out. While looking in the Daily Bugle's morning edition he noticed a picture of him was plastered in the lost and found section. He shook his head in disbelief. He started climbing up the side of the building he was clung to when a dark voice interrupted him.
"I see you."
Spider-Man froze in his tracks as if some powerful force held sway over both his mind and body. The purple and green nightmare that uttered those words lowered with in eye level of the young hero on a jet glider. His wide sneer had instilled some fear in the frozen form of Spider-Man. He whispered another command into Spider-Man's ear and the web-slinger eyes hazed over. He stood tall on the building and jumped onto the side of the glider as the Green Goblin took off.
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #11 "IT'S BEEN A WHILE…"
Dark lined ambers dropped from the smoking cigarette and hit the dust-ridden floor. A petite Asian woman bent down to sweep it up, but a hand grasped her arm and she was smacked across the face. She eyed the stranger and stepped away from his fearful gaze. The stranger looked at the mugs in the room and wafted the cigarette smoke from his face.
"All right youse mugs. With the Kingpin kaputz its time some one new took over the streets."
"I suppose your electing yourself."
"Mebbe I am, Fortunato. Ways I see it. None of youse got the muscle to run this town, not like I can."
"What if we refuse?"
"Well," The stranger said as put out his cigarette and walked over to Fortunato. "Then we would have a problem."
Fortunato stood up to the stranger and the stranger laughed in Fortunato's face in front of the other mobster's as if it was some kind of joke. Fortunato couldn't figure out what the stranger found so funny nor did he care as he could see the glint of madness in the stranger's eyes. He dismissively turned away from the stranger and started to walk out when he felt a throbbing pain in his back and realized he was being stabbed in the back. As Fortunato lay on the floor dying from his bleeding kidney, the stranger kneeled over him and slit his throat before the disbelieving mobsters. They're on looking horror made the stranger smile in a way that creeped out everyone in the room out. He looked at all of them holding the bloody knife in his hand and motioned to the dead Fortunato.
"Does any one else have any objections to me takin' ovah?"
The stranger's men cocked their guns and the mobsters shook their heads. The stranger motioned two of his men to dispose of Fortunato's corpse. He then eyed the other mobsters one last time before he left with confidence that they got his point.
---
The Kingpin sat in the library of the Ryker's Island prison, which he had donated through one of his many charities. He was in mid-session of his brail reading when a guard walked in and whispered in his ear. The Kingpin tore the book in half and muttered something to the guard before he stood up and dismissed himself from his session.
---
Sheets of red silk lay on the desk before Matt Murdock. He ran his hand across them with his hypersensitive fingers and felt the sticky wet blood matted on them. He sniffed the air and came to his bedroom where Elektra laid prone on the floor. Matt bent down as he could hear her shallow heartbeats and he whispered in her ear. Gently he lifted her up and carried her out the secret passage of his brownstone to the only place that could help her.
---
The classroom was silent as MJ strode inside. Her backpack slung over her slender shoulders. She walked into the back of the class and took a seat. The teacher started up where he left off and MJ looked to the seat next to where Peter would have sat. Jessica tapped MJ on the shoulder and lifted up her notebook showing MJ a message written on it.
He's still missing. His aunt doesn't know where.
MJ wrote a response.
What could have happened to him?
Jessica waited until the teacher wasn't paying attention and scribbled her reply.
I haven't a clue.
MJ wrote something and showed it to Jessica only to hear the teacher call her name. After he scolded her, she lowered her head. Jessica bit her lip and wondered where Peter was.
---
Spider-Man stood stock still as the Green Goblin went about his work. He had fits of laughter as he played back the tape of Peter being bitten by the spider that forever altered him and made him what he was today. The Green Goblin turned to him and removed his mask. Peter uttered his foe's real name and the Green Goblin laughed.
"Yes Peter. I'm Norman Osborn. I'm the ultimate evolutionary step of mankind and with your unwilling help I will solidify a power base so strong that no one would dare oppose me."
"N-never."
"You have no choice!" The Green Goblin wiped his lip. "No…you do, but its one you would regret if chose to defy me. I have planted hypnotic suggestions in your mind, but they are only temporary as your unique physiology seems to make you much more difficult to program."
The Green Goblin turned his back to Spider-Man, "I could crush you now like the worm you are, but it would be far too easy. I would rather to have you at my side then destroy you and everyone that you care about."
"Think it over Spider-Man. Because in the end you and those you care about will be the ones who suffer."
The Green Goblin slipped his mask on, opened the skylight, and motioned Peter to go. Once Peter had left, the goblin activated a self-destruct mechanism contained with his secret lair and fled through a secret entrance.
---
Twenty-five blocks later Spider-Man stopped on a roof and shook his head as the mental conditioning wore off. His head was swamped with confusion and he felt extremely dizzy. It took several minutes for those symptoms to pass. Spider-Man lifted up his mask, spit up some mucus, then pulled it back down. He looked back the direction he came and saw smoke ushered upward toward the clear blue sky. He bounded back that way as fast he could move.
---
The stranger smoked his cigarette and blowed the foul nicotine into the face of Silvermane. Silvermane's right hand stood at one side with his thick muscles stretching out the shirt he wore. The stranger eyed the right hand, put out his cigarette, and light up another.
"Youse think you can go toe to toe with me, Silvermane."
"Whoever you are, you obviously have watched too many godfather movies. If you think you can come in here and strong arm Silvio Manfredi then you've got another thing coming."
"I don't think nuthin'. I do what I want Silvermane. Your granite faced pug don't scare me none and neither do your goons. You see I'm taking over all the crime in New York and if oppose me then you will be crushed 'neth my heel."
"Get out of here before I have Marko here rearrange your face!"
The stranger got up, flicked his spent cigarette on Silvermane, and walked out with his crew.
"Are you going to let him do this boss?"
"You some kind of idiot Marko? Of course, I'm not. Get Snitch and a gang together. Find out where this rat's held up and wipe him out."
"I'm on it."
---
Nothing remained on which to figure out what Osborn was up to prior to when the fire broke out. Spider-Man stood up as the police sirens draw closer and took off before the officers arrived. While bounding from roof to roof to get a clear shot for some web swinging, the hero decided to head home and deal with the repercussions of his missing before dealing with the other matters.
---
Doctor Octavius woke up unable to move. He struggled to free himself, but he couldn't move a muscle. His metal appendages had been removed and his mind was haunted by the ghost feelings of their removal. He laid there in agony as Norman Osborn stepped over him and smiled at him.
"Thought you could betray me!"
"N-no I--"
"No excuses this time Octavius. When my pet relented from killing you I knew that it was up to me to do the job that his stupid sense of morality and responsibility wouldn't allow. So whatever happens next Octavius remember that screaming only makes it worse."
"I WILL ESCAPE AND HAVE MY REVENGE OSBORN!"
"We'll see about that…"
Osborn walked out and the door shut behind him. Vents all around Octavius started to pump in an odorless, colorless gas and the demented doctor shivered in fright as he struggled to breath.
---
Peter climbed in through the window and disposed of his used costume in the laundry basket in his room. He slipped on some sweats and a t-shirt, socks, and shoes then snuck around the front and rang the doorbell. Aunt May opened the door and completely freaked out. She picked him up, laid kisses on him, and sat him down, but then her expression changed.
"Peter Benjamin Parker! How dare you scare me like that?"
"I'm sorry Aunt May…"
"Where have you been?"
"I felt guilty about MJ and…I just needed time to myself…"
"Why didn't you let me know where you were? Why didn't you tell anyone?"
"Because…I was…lost."
Aunt May placed her hands on Peter's shoulders; "Don't ever do that to me again, Peter! I mean it. I want you to go up to your room. No computer and no television for two weeks. I also want you to check in every other hour from now on. If you don't then you won't be allowed to work at the Bugle anymore or see MJ and Jessica."
"But…yes Aunt May…"
"I love you Peter."
"I love you too, Aunt May."
---
After being phoned by Peter, MJ laid back her in feeling more at ease then she had been in a while. Hearing Peter's voice was exactly what she needed right now. She wanted to see him, but he wasn't sure it was such a good idea with how his Aunt was still peeved. She sighed. It would have to be tomorrow when she could see Peter again. Right now, she had her own things to deal with. She looked at the phone number of the suicide counselor that the hospital recommended and hesitantly picked up the receiver.
---
Marko and his goons pulled alongside a non-descript building and armed themselves, as they got ready to burst inside.
"This is it," Marko said. "This is the place that creep hangs out. Everyone ready?"
"We're ready Marko," Snitch replied.
"Now I'll show them why nobody messes with the Maggia and especially Man Mountain Marko!"
