AN: So I gonna be honest. There was no writers block that prevented this from coming out in a timely manner. I was just too busy playing video games, watching tv/movies, and reading to care about getting this down on paper. Sorry for the wait folks, but I hope that you all enjoy it.

Chapter 4

Shocker wasn't known for panicking. He had worries, sure. On a rare occasion he had even been afraid to a certain degree. But panicking was not something that a professional such as him did. However, in his current position, explaining how he had messed up a job for Wilson Fisk, The Kingpin, Shocker felt himself feeling the dark, sinking, feeling that might be panic encroaching on the edge of his mind.

"Explain to me why I shouldn't have you dragged out of my office, and thrown out of my building in the most direct route possible." The Kingpin asked in a veiled threat.

Shocker looked around the office to glance at the lavish surroundings. The large man who was threatening him sat behind a large wooden desk, in a high, leather wingback chair. A bay window displayed the New York City skyline below. A large bookcase full of a variety of leather bound books occupied one wall, while a variety of art, ranging from landscapes to the abstract, occupied the other wall. The Kingpin himself, in his brown suit with salmon button down shirt and tie, waited for an answer.

Shocker decided that his best way out was to be combative. Either it would save his skin, or get him tossed out the windows of the lobby outside the office, which seems to be Kingpin's original idea. "Because you still don't have whatever the hell you wanted out of the back of that truck." Shocker said aggressively.

"I fail to see why your failure to perform should be the reason that I don't admonish you." Kingpin said, making it seem like he was a teacher punishing a student who failed a test.

"Because you didn't reveal that you hired others to steal your thing-a-ma-jig." Shocker said with anger. "I don't pull competition jobs just because you want to hedge your bets."

"What on earth are you talking about?" Kingpin questioned, not breaking is calm demeanor.

"Yeah. That nut Hobgoblin showed, blowin' stuff up. Overheard him say that he was pulling a job." Shocker explained, his tone slightly more calmed. "You're the only person I know who wanted that tech."

"I see." Kingpin got up from the desk and moved around to stand directly in front of the yellow felon. "You are fortunate that I no longer have The Hobgoblin in my employ. I found his schemes…disagreeable with my endeavors."

"How about know?" Shocker questioned with a hint of sarcasm.

Kingpin glared at Shocker. "As it so happens, I am aware of corporate competitors with the means and motive to also attempt to recover the program that I so desire. I accept that I hired you under inaccurate circumstances."

Shocker almost failed to believe that his plan was working out to the degree that it did. "I want double." He knew that he was pushing his luck with that demand.

Kingpin seemed to be doing some math in his head. "I will supply you with the location of the next time that the Alchemax drive will be available, and knowing that there are competitors out there, am willing to pay an additional thirty percent."

"That's a bogus amount." Shocker insinuated.

"Consider that fact that I am giving you a second chance." Kingpin said, implying another subtle threat.

Shocker rolled the idea over in his mind. This job was getting crazy now, and while crazy suited the Hobgoblin, Shocker considered himself more grounded. But money was money, and Kingpin sure had a lot of it. He also had the ability to discredit him as a thief and stick up man if he backed down. It looked like his mouth had wrote a check that he now needed to cash.

"Alright. I'm in."

"Splendid." The Kingpin said with the faintest trace of a smile.


Hobgoblin crawled up out of the sewer into the drainage cellar of a small warehouse where he stored some of his munitions, explosives, and other instruments that he used in his symphony of destruction. Hobgoblin replaced the manhole cover, gritting his teeth. The entire way back to the warehouse he had been cursing the Black Cat and think of the ways that he would maim and kill her in the next confrontation. But first he needed to let out some steam, and simultaneously cover his ass.

The Hobgoblin walked over to a nearby laptop and turned it on. He then turned on a web chat program to contact the person who hired him to steal the nano-tech program. It turns out, the man had been waiting for him.

"Hobgoblin, we've been waiting for an update." Said a mysterious man in a dark blue suit on the other side of the computer. The man wouldn't look out of place in a bank, or on Wall Street with his tanned features, and his slicked back black hair.

"Well if it isn't my favorite Raxxon Energy suit monkey." Hobgoblin said in an overly friendly tone. "I have a bone to pick with you." He followed up in a much more serious tone.

"What happened?" The man from Raxxon Energy Corporation asked plainly.

"Well you see, I was flying along, preparing myself for an leisurely armed assault on an Alchemax security van full of valuable bit of technology to steal for you all, when out of the blue, the van was hit by The Shocker and some other numbskulls." The villain said sweetly. "Why on earth would another crew be hitting my target?"

"Because you former employer, The Kingpin, also wants the nano-tech program." The Raxxon man said. He was an expert in dealing with people, and knew that bring up the Hobgoblins old boss would sufficiently motivate him to work harder.

"That gelatinous mass always did tend to have his fingers stuck in too many pies."

"Yes. We will not be paying you extra. You assured us that you could acquire the assets for reverse engineering." Raxxon man reasoned. "We will only pay the rest of your fee upon promised delivery."

"Well you happen to be in luck." Hobgoblin said in a sing song voice. "I will take any chance that I can get to hurt the fat man and his little criminal empire."

"Very well. We await further updates." The Raxxon man said in a no non-sense manner.

"Just get me the next time that the program will be out in the open…or semi-open…or you know what, just tell me where it is now. I could use some more excessive violence in my life right now." Hobgoblin rambled on. "Random acts of violence and destruction add zest to life." He finished cheerfully.

"That should be easy enough." The Raxxon representative replied, "Wait for further information." He fished and logged off, making the screen on Hobgoblin's computer go black.

"Huh. Kinda rude if you ask me." Hobgoblin said to himself. "I do hope that Shocker shows up to lose, and that Spider-Man and his ferocious, feline, female partner show up to fight. I need some payback against that insufferable woman in the black bodysuit."

He walked over to a workbench with a canvas tarp covering the surface. He yanked it off to reveal a new glider that was outfitted with missiles and other assorted weaponry. "Hello old friend." Hobgoblin said fondly. "It's good to see you." He pulled out a toolbox from under the bench to work on the glider while humming the theme to Ride of the Valkyries.


Peter Parker sat on his couch in a t-shirt and sweatpants holding a bag of ice to his jaw and looking at the news on TV. The news crew was on the scene of the fight that had occurred earlier. The in lieu of an actual recording of the robbery, they were running stock footage of The Shocker, Hobgoblin, and Spider-Man with Black Cat. The news team had reached out to Alchemax for comment, and some public relations person had responded with how they were shocked that someone would go to such extreme lengths for some 'rudimentary software' as the guy in the $5,000 suit had described. Peter had translated 'rudimentary' as 'prototype'.

"Look." Peter shouted without taking his eyes off the TV. "We made the headline news."

Felicia walked into the room wearing purple tank top, panties and a bag of ice as well. She held her cooling object to her left side though. She pranced slowly over to the couch and took a seat next to Peter. "What are they saying?" Felicia asked.

"Same as usual. Villains attempt robbery. Spider-Man and Black Cat stop said robbery. Alchemax won't tell anyone what was in the truck." Peter rambled.

"Ugh." Felicia responded with a combination of frustration and disgust.

Peter moved to sprawl along the whole length of the couch and simultaneously pulled his girlfriend on top of him. Peter then changed to station to a science channel (one with actual science and not just reality TV with science factoids). While the narrator explained the discovery of various elements that are in common use of the computer, the two just laid there. Peter gently stroked Felicia hair, enjoying the way she smelt, and felt. This was one of their bigger loses that the two had dealt with, and they both had bruises on their egos to go with the ones on their bodies.

Felicia was the first one to break the silence. Peter figured that it was because she couldn't stand what was on TV. "What do you think was goin' on?"

Peter thoughtfully mulled it over for a minute. "Well, Shocker mentioned something about what went on being a job. But he doesn't steal tech stuff. He goes after money, jewels, gold…you know…stuff you used to like."

Felicia looked up at him grinning. "Still do."

"Anyway. Shocker was probably hired by someone to steal whatever was in that van."

"OK. Who?"

"That's question. Ain't it?" Peter said as he adjusted the bag of ice on his face with a wince. "Ow."

Felicia eyes flashed with concern. "Are you alright?"

"Just got hit in the face. Spider Armor took most of it, but it was a good hook." He said with a grin. "How are you?"

Felicia shrugged. "Could be better." She then lay her head down on Peter's chest. "Better now."

The two lay there for a few more minutes, No longer paying attention to the TV, just think about what may be going on with Shocker, and who was behind him. It was a situation that left them both wondering what they were going to be doing in the future.

"What about the circus freak?" Felicia eventually asked.

"Well ol' Hobbie will steal anything that is valuable, that he can use, or that is dangerous that isn't nailed down. Even then, he would probably just blow the floor and steal the room. So I don't really doubt that he isn't in this for himself."

Felicia's eyes grew wide. "But's he's not."

Peter furrowed his brow. "How do you know?"

"Because." She started. "Right before he got away, he mentioned that the job was more eventful then 'they' said it would be."

Peter dropped the ice away from his face. "Great. More mysteries."

"Yeah." Felicia said in agreement. "Why can't anything be simple with us?"

Peter cracked a big grin. "This pretty easy." He said and gave her a quick kiss.

As he pulled away, he saw that she was smiling as well. "Well, well. Look at you being smooth. You should try that more often."

Peter laughed and held her in his arms.

AN: I know that this is a weaker chapter. I wanted to go with straight plot development as opposed to triying to write a flashy scene or witty and clever dialogue. I would love to read what you guys though of it though.