Chapter 22
The Plan
Peter sat a table with the blueprints for the new and Normanized Empire State Building. Harry, Gwen, Mary Jane, Ben Sr and Jr, Al Daras, and Frank Comet all were with him as he detailed his plan of attack.
"Al, who is your most, trusted man besides Frank, one who you'd trust your life with?" Peter asked the veteran police officer.
"Uh, actually it wouldn't be a man; it would be Captain Jane DeWolf, she was one of Captain Stacy's best partners back in the day." Peter nodded.
"I need her up here stat." Al nodded and ran to get her. Peter continued.
"Ms. DeWolf is going to lead every single police unit we have, except for Al and Frank. They will attack the front door, and just bash the front. Draw all the robots to them." Frank looked at Peter.
"Won't Norman realize its just diversion for you to get in? I mean, it's pretty obvious the attack is just a diversion?" Peter smiled.
"I'm counting on it. Norman wants to show the world he's superior in every way to me. He'll want a one on one fight, so I'm gonna give him one. While this diversion takes place, five officers are going to plant twenty detonators in the building. I counting that none of our officers even get inside. When these bombs go off, the robots default controls will be destroyed, so they'll be deactivated. The building will also be destroyed, and then the officers can liberate the people here." Ben Sr smiled.
"What about the core group? You know, you, Ben, Harry, Al and Frank?" Peter nodded to his Uncle.
"While the battle rages, Frank and Al will be dropped on the third floor of the building by the three supers." Supers were the term for Harry, Ben, and Peter that M.J. had come up with.
"They will then plant the bombs, and get out of there as fast as they can by going down the fire exit that's only accessible from the inside. They have the easy job."
"Once were done we'll come out and fight with Captain DeWolf aye?" Al said. Peter nodded to him. He then turned to Ben Jr and Harry.
"We have the hard part. I'm sure that Norman will have Dock Ock and Scorpion guarding him. The three of us will fight them, defeat them, and then take down Norman. During our fight I'm sure that the bombs will go off and then we get out of there. Norman won't want to end it on our terms so he'll give chase on his glider. Then it's just an aerial battle from there. Everyone get it?" They all nodded gravely to him. Peter stood up.
"Well, we attack in 8 hours, so I suggest you guys get some sleep." Peter said as the group walked away. Peter walked towards his room and slammed the door shut. He sat on his bed and sighed. He laid back and saw Eddie Brock standing in front of him.
"Hello Peter." Peter leaped up and Eddie suited up, only his suit was different then the last time. Venom stood more upright and seemed more filled out, he also had the raised webbing pattern like Peter's new suit, and the tongue was gone, although the still ferocious looking teeth were still there.
"Well Pete what do ya think? I've gotten more control over my friend here. I could make it look even more human like, but I think the teeth and huge gums are a pro. Now, I think it's time for a little pay back if you know what I mean!" Venom grabbed Peter by the neck and held him into the air. Peter looked at Eddie with sorrowing eyes.
"Eddie, you told me once you would never harm an innocent." Venom smiled his frightening toothy grin.
"Well Pete, we don't really classify you as innocent bud, so try that card against us again and we'll kill you were you stand." Peter continued after Venom's interruption.
"I may not be, but the citizens of New York are. They need me to take down Osborn! What about all the innocent people of New York!" Venom frowned at Peter.
"You're just trying to confuse us like you did last time!" Venom screamed at Peter and Peter shook his head.
"Please Venom, Eddie, whoever you are, let me take down Osborn! Once that happens, I'll immediately go to a place of your choosing and fight you! Osborn has to be taken down; you know that as well as I do! I swear on my family that I will fight you with everything I have wherever you want right after I beat Osborn! Please, do it for all the children who will lose there fathers like you lost yours!" Venom dropped Peter.
"After you beat Osborn, meet us at the church. You know which one. If you don't come, we'll kill Stacy, Watson, Osborn, and Reilly." Venom reverted back to his Eddie body in a black shirt and jeans. He stopped just short of the door.
"You better not die out there. Only I can kill you." Eddie opened the door and walked out. Peter was confused if that last comment was a threat or not. Peter stumbled out of his room to see Ben Reilly. Ben rushed to him.
"What the hell happened, you look like you just saw a ghost!" Peter grabbed his cousin's shoulder as Ben carried him back into his room. Ben laid him on his bed.
"You alright Peter? You look really out of breath! What's wrong?" Peter sat up and looked at his cousin.
"Ben, I think I just made a deal with the devil." Ben looked at Peter strangely.
"What are you talking about man? All day you've been helping us get ready for the attack, and you think you made a deal with the devil!" Peter smiled at Ben's attempt of humor.
"Nothing, just a little nervous I guess. So, do have a name yet or what? Do we have to call you "The Amazing Spider-Ben" or something stupid like that?" Peter replied.
"No, I was talking to Gwen about it earlier, and I thought up "The Scarlet Spider". What do you think?" Peter started to laugh.
"I think it's stupid, that's almost as bad as Doc Ock!" Ben smirked sarcastically as Peter.
"That's what Gwen said you'd say. She said that you thought Spiderman was stupid to." Ben replied. Peter smiled.
"That she did. Well, I could care less what you name yourself as long as you can help me stop Norman." Ben nodded solemnly.
"Peter, is it wrong of me to want to kill Scorpion? I mean, from what I here he is the one that killed me." Peter sighed.
"Ben, you have to do what you think you have to do. I didn't kill him when I got the chance, and I don't think you should either, but it's your call, so do what you need to." Ben sighed, got up and left. Peter also got up and walked into the main hall. There he saw Harry sitting my himself. He sat down by him.
"Hey Harry, how ya holding up?" Harry turned to Peter and smiled a weak smile.
"Oh you know, fine, ready to kill the man who raised me, however bad a job he did at it." Peter looked Harry.
"Listen, Harry, if you can't do this then stay here. I would never make you come with us if you didn't want to. If you can't do this, stay with MJ and Gwen, they'll need you here also." Harry turned to Peter.
"Peter, you're my best friend and have been since we were 6. I wouldn't abandon you because of blood. I would choose you over Norman any day, and that's not what I'm worried about." Peter looked at Harry puzzled. Harry sighed.
"To escape from my father with MJ and Gwen I had to take his formula, the one that gave him his powers. I know how to ride that glider thing. I'm afraid I'm going to become him… Peter punched Harry. Harry looked at Peter sadly.
"Harry, you are nothing like Norman! Not only are you not related by blood, but you are nothing like him! He's a megalomaniac who literally is trying to take over New York. You told me in 7th grade you thought he killed your mother! I know you Harry, and you would never kill someone out of anger, ever, period, and end of story." Harry smiled at his best friend.
"Thanks Pete, I needed that. I will come with you tonight, and stop Norman." Peter smiled and Harry got up to get ready. Peter stayed seated and started to think to himself but was interrupted minutes later.
"Nice speech there tiger." Peter turned to see the girl he had lusted after since 3rd grade, Mary Jane Watson. Of course now he loved Gwen, but Mary Jane was still his friend, and besides, Mary Jane would never love him anyways.
"Yah, I'm feeling very generalist today." They both laughed and Mary Jane looked at him.
"You know, I think I knew you were Spiderman the whole time. It was just in the back of my mind, and then when I fought with you against Sandman and you knew my name, I think I just knew. And then Gwen told us and all this started…" Peter smiled.
"MJ, we've been friends longer than anyone here, and I just want you to know, that I'll be thinking of you when were out there. Please, keep Gwen sane while this happens." MJ smiled, but inside her heart dropped.
"He loves Gwen…." She said to herself. What was she thinking that she could steal Peter on the biggest night of his life? What a fool she'd been, just like her father had said. She smiled at Peter.
"Of course I will Peter. You just keep your mind on what's important, and stop Norman. Gwen and I will hold down the fort here." And with that she left.
Peter was confused. MJ had left so abruptly. Had he said something wrong? Peter sighed and continued to think about Eddie.
"I had to have made that deal. There was no way around it. Why am I letting it bother me so much! I beat him before I can do it again. I have to keep my mind on what's important right now…." Peter looked up and saw from when he had first talked to Venom till now it was twenty till the time of the attack. The police were already being briefed by Jean DeWolf. He had just spent 15 minutes thinking about Venom.
"Hey handsome." Peter turned to see Gwen standing there over him. He smiled at her.
"Hey to you too." Gwen sat down next to him. She looked at him with a mix of pity and sadness.
"You're driving yourself to death Peter Parker. What are you thinking about! It certainly isn't the attack tonight. I would be nervous, but you're the type of person who wouldn't think about. You'd…." Peter stood up and kissed her hard. He stopped and walked towards the door, as the clock struck 9, the time of the attack was at hand. Gwen started to cry as Peter, Ben, and Harry, kids she'd known since kindergarten, walked toward the exit like soldiers. MJ walked towards her and put her arm around her as the two Spiderman suited up and Harry stepped on his glider……