Hobgoblin Rises Episode Two

"Is she going to make it?" that was the question that was plaguing his mind. He had no time for formalities. He had no time to be tacky. He was only focus on one individual who lay on the hospital bed, fighting for her life. As soon as the doctor came back with the results, Eddie Brock was going to be the one to ask him that question.

The captain of the New York Police Department along with his unresponsive wife sat across from him in a complete slump, Captain Stacy's pained face revealed that of defeat and anguish. Eddie had seen it before. Whenever he had done a workout improperly, whenever a girl had rejected him, whenever a college refused him, Eddie had seen that look before. He wore it himself on occasion.

Eddie sighed and decided to break the silence. It was beginning to be unbearable.

"There's no reason why someone like Gwen should…" Eddie began to say but reconsidered his words and took a deep breath in before he spoke again. "When I met her, I thought to myself, 'Holy Crap, this girl is unstoppable'. I mean sure she could be stubborn and selfish at times but there was something else there. Something even she didn't realize. Chances are….I was probably the only one who saw that potential. She had strength."

At this time, Captain Stacy was now looking at Eddie Brock, apparently paying attention to him.

"I'm talking about the strength that keeps a person going. I tried to help her out at the time and after several tries, she finally let me. She was humble. But unfortunately, my heart was broken in the long run when she had feelings for another guy. Now….that was pain I couldn't even begin to describe. But I appreciated her for that. Pain keeps me going. She gave me new pain. You can call me a masochist if you want…." Eddie shrugged.

Captain Stacy began to frown as he tried to understand Eddie's words.

"What I'm trying to say is Gwen is a friend of mine and if friendship is the only thing she could show for me, so be it. I still don't want her to die."

"Thank you for that. That's….that's nice of you to say." Captain Stacy managed to say but with some difficulty heard.

Peter saw the whole scene from the corner of where the hallway was about to meet the lobby. He took a peak at the people talking in the waiting room. He heard everything Brock had told Gwen's father. It had surprised him. Everything Brock said was on spot and on point in regards to Gwen.

'But how could he possibly know her that well?' As far as Peter knew, Gwen and Brock only met a few times. But was that all it took? 'Is that all it takes to know someone?'

Everything Eddie had said made Captain Stacy welcome him with open arms. Something Peter felt he knew he could not do should he ever divulge his secret. One thing was certain as he analyzed the whole scene.

'I don't belong here…' Peter thought sadly and walked away.

But not before sneaking past the orderlies and the reception area and went into Gwen's room. It was empty and the last doctor finally came out presumably with the results already in hand. Peter wanted so much to ask him the diagnosis but of course, he had to be discreet.

He made his way inside as carefully as he could. Peter had a case of Déjà vu when the whole scene of Gwen laying comatose reminded him of Aunt May when she suffered a stroke.

'History repeats itself. Sometimes I feel like my life is too friggin cliché.' He thought with disappointment.

As Peter got closer and inspected Gwen, he was a little better knowing she was breathing, although she wasn't necessarily out of the woods just yet.

"God…I wish I can go inside your mind and try to fix what's wrong." Peter whispered. "I wish I can fix what's wrong with me too."

Gwen remained unmoving and continued on as if she were sleeping.

"You want to know the truth? Do you really? You really want to know if I'm somebody I should be? I don't even know if I want to be that person anymore…" he sighed and a tear was let down from his right eye.

"I'm just tired. I mean good. I try to do good but it all falls apart faster than I can fix it."

Peter saw that she still didn't open her eyes. He went on either way.

"I was given a chance to make a difference. But…I don't know if I'm meant to, not with what happened to you and what happened to Arthur." He choked out.

"You've been a lot of things lately, Gwen." Peter said. "You've been caring. You've been selfish. You've been my friend. You've been manipulative. There's two sides of you that are fighting with one another. I want to see the caring side win. It's more 'you'. I have no doubt you can be a strong and good person, Gwen. It's just...I haven't seen it. I hope that quality comes out."

Peter finally got up and left as soon as he heard voices from out at the hall.

"Feel better. You got to." Peter said to her before getting out the window.


When he was a boy, he was always fascinated with how human beings invented clothing. From the primitive ape, to the Victorian Era, to today, the young man was always fascinated with clothing shaped the lives of people. The world had changed because of how certain shirts, jackets, coats, pants, and slacks operated.

'They gave style. I want style as well. For that, I became what I am today.' The man thought.

The man was a fashion designer. But he was a vain fashion designer. 'So be it, if that makes me rich, let the media brand me with that title.' He crushed his competitors in unrelenting ways. He was at the top of fashion chain or so he thought. His company Kingsleywear, a big fashion industry, was about to run out of money.

The man stared away from the window. He had not gotten any sleep whatsoever. It had been a trying day. In a high penthouse suite, the man contemplated over what he had initiated. It was going to be a big war. His animosity with OsCorp was getting him into a battle he wasn't sure he could afford.

He felt he made a good start so far. He remained elusive but that time was almost done. He could feel it. 'Like a splinter in my hand…'

It was almost getting to the point to where he wished he never saved Mary-Jane. His associates and him felt they were grasping at straws.

'But we need her.' The man kept reminding himself. 'She is the necessary pawn. Now that she is moved, the pieces coming from destiny will soon move as well.'

"Sir…" his aide came into the room. He was a middle-aged man looking tired as if he had just woken up.

"Yes?" he said calmly while staring out the window.

"The accounts have been disclosed. They've hacked into OsCorp."

"That's good. That's very good. Revenge is a dish best served cold, as they say. Soon OsCorp's stock will fall and my own company won't be shadowed anymore by that over-the-top, megalomaniacal corporation. I want to see it fall. Why? Because of what it did to me…" the man looked away as if ashamed.

"Sir, the Mary-Jane woman-"

The man interrupted his aide. "Why the girl, you may ask? It's a means to an end."

"Roderick…please. Have you thought this through?"

He heard his own name and it repulsed him. Ever since, he became a fashion designer, Roderick never liked his own name. Roderick Kingsley was not a name anyone was impressed with. For that, he wished he had it changed.

"Just go away, Rupert." Roderick said with no emotion and walked away himself before Rupert his aide, ever moved.

Roderick knew one thing. Whatever he did even if he failed…it would damage OsCorp severely and greatly. He was going to use Mary-Jane Watson.

"I saved her from my enemies." 'For a reason…she reminds me of my mother.' he thought as he saw a photo of him as a young boy and his red-headed mother smiling in the background.


He came into the house and closed the door with tremendous force that he felt it would have broken. But Peter didn't care. His day did not go well.

"Peter?" Aunt May called out from the kitchen.

Peter paid her no mind and simply went upstairs ignoring her. As he got to his room, he closed his door and stood there, breathing heavily. He threw away his coat away as if it had been something foul. Peter wanted so much to punch something but it would give away too much about him to his aunt.

Instead he did the only thing, he could do, he knelt down in anguish. He collapsed again.

The door to his room opened and Aunt May came in.

"Peter? What's wrong?" she frowned.

"Gwen's in the hospital." Peter finally said. It was a struggle to even say such a thing.

"Oh my word! That's terrible. What happened?"

"Something bad." 'Me…I let this happen. I should have saved her in time and I didn't .' he wanted to say.

"Was it what that Dr. Octavius did?"

Peter couldn't give a straight answer. He wanted to so much to tell the closest thing to a mother that he was Spider-Man and that he had failed.

"Honey, I'm so sorry." Aunt May knelt down and hugged him. "I know what it is like, sweetheart. The pain, it's unbearable." she whispered. "But everything will be alright. I believe…everything will be alright. You have to believe it too, Peter."

The hug was comforting and he was glad that he had it. He clutched his aunt's arm and poured out everything he had. Every emotion and for a moment, he started to feel better.


School started the next day and each day that Peter went he had to wonder with all the craziness that had happened at the particular institution, how could it possibly keep going on?

'I mean hey, I'm barely standing and walking myself.' Peter thought miserably.

He was hit with drama and he was hit by superpowered bad guys. Peter felt like a punching bag with stuffing sticking out at this point. Frowning, he saw Harry up ahead. It was great seeing him. He walked toward him seated at the lunch table.

'Good to see him. I need someone to talk to.' Peter thought happily.

As Peter sat down next to him with usual 'hey,' He noticed that Harry took no regard to him and was still punching his smart phone with his fingers.

"Harry?"

He looked up and Peter could tell that Harry had seen better days. Harry looked different and not in high spirits.

"Hey." He said carelessly before he went back to his phone.

"How you been?" Peter frowned.

"Fine." Harry muttered without taking his gaze off the phone.

"I haven't seen you in a while." What's up with you lately, man?"

"Been busy." Harry said putting the phone down on the table and finally looked at Peter with steel eyes. "Like now."

"Ok…." Peter said leaning back appearing bothered at Harry's behavior. "I take it you're really busy then?"

"Correct. Peter I understand you need a shoulder to cry on what with Gwen being in the hospital and all that other stuff, but don't come to me when I'm at a crucial point in my life and expect me to give a damn. I mean, come on, man I'm busy!" Harry's outburst caused a couple of students to look in their direction now.

A confused Peter could tell Harry was really heated and so he snapped too. "I guess it's all….'Everybody hates Harry day is it? You having a bad day? Is that it? What? Did OsCorp misplaced a few leaky cannisters of God-knows-what? Or is it that time of the month again?" he said.

Standing, an incensed Harry looked down at Peter. "How dare you criticize me and OsCorp? You don't understand what I'm going through!"

"And what a surprise!" Peter said standing and matching Harry's anger now. "I'm not having a good week either! I would have thought you show some damn decency as well! I would have done the same for you!"

"This conversation serves no further purpose!" Harry said and walked away leaving his lunch tray on the table.

Peter couldn't even comprehend the way things had turned out. It was no use. His anger made it difficult for him to think clearly. If Peter had his share of problems, so did Harry. 'Ironically, another thing we have in common. We got anger issues.'

"What was that?" a stunned voice asked behind him.

Turning around, he saw Liz Allan along with Flash beside her.

"Yeah, Pete." Flash grinned. "You look like you and Harry were about to bash each other's skulls out."

"It's not like that. We just…have problems." Peter said.

"I'll say." Flash grinned. "Well whatever. Hey man…listen I'm sorry about Gwen. You know if she's gonna be alright?"

Peter was amazed at the concern Flash showed, similar to the way Eddie expressed his feelings at the hospital lobby the other day. It was almost uncanny.

"I don't know." Peter whispered.

"I'm about to visit her. See if she's OK." Flash nodded. "She's my ex. I still care about her."

"Really?" Liz asked outraged beside him.

"You know what I mean!" Flash looked annoyed.

"OK…" Liz rolled her eyes and walked away from Flash.

"Oh come on! Liz…." He called after her but she just kept on walking.

"I should leave you guys." Peter nodded and walked away.

As he walked, Peter had not turned back around when Flash caught up with Liz. Their conversation had ended with Liz hitting Flash in the face. Regardless what Peter heard from behind, he kept on walking, not caring.