Author's Note: Well, I've been threatened with the jedi powers of two jedis here at ff.net. ::grins:: So, in fear of my life, I post another chapter. Ok, not really. But hey, it's sounds a lot better then me actually trying to rationalize why I'm posting another chapter. ^_- Heh... Read, review, and be merry.
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Heart racing and chest screaming in protest, Spiderman watched in horror as his enemy reached the control panel, pushing himself harder than he had ever pushed himself. He had to reach Harry, and he had to stop Goblin. But now his forest green rival was blocking his path, and the super hero, still at a run made a quick decision. Harry came first. Goblin could wait.
Making a mad dash and putting all his strength into it, Spiderman flipped over his opponent, heading straight for the confused boy that lay in the lion's den.
A grin spread across the Goblin's face as he watched the other man run towards the pit. So Spiderman was going to skip the fight part and risk his life to save Harry? Not on his time. Reaching out deftly, he attempted to wrap his green-bound fingers around his rival's ankle to pluck him out of the air and pull him back into their fight.
And sure enough, the Goblin succeeded, pulling the super hero down from his great leap. Unwilling to waste time, Spiderman turned around awkwardly to face the Goblin, hitting the ground with a soft thud which caused more pain to rack his body like waves upon rocks.
This was no good. Resorting to his secret weapon, Spiderman turned again, raising his hand and firing webbing directed at the Goblin's eyes. Not waiting to see the results, he continued to struggle with his enemy's grip trying desperately to get away and at Harry.
Yowling like a cat that had just been thrown into a bathtub full of water, the Goblin released his grip on Spiderman for a moment to claw wildly at his eyes.
With his foot now released and his ankle likely sprained, Spiderman hobbled off as fast as he could, lowering himself down into the compactor and ignoring fire that was coursing through his body.
"Harry, take my hand! Quickly!"
Not one to argue when his life was on the line, the younger Osborn reached up and grabbed the hand that had been offered to him.
Using the webbing that slept within his body once more, Spiderman, after gripping onto something sturdy, began to hoist himself and Harry out of the death trap that was becoming smaller and smaller. Body aching with the added weight and webbing weakening with the rain, the blue and red clad hero glanced about nervously as he continued to lift them up and out. Where was the Goblin?
"Quick," He started, holding on tightly as he watched the webbing begin to snap. "Climb out. Hurry."
Nodding mutely, Harry climbed out, nearly slipping back in to the rapidly closing deathtrap twice as he did. And when he finally reached somewhat solid ground, an even worse fate was awaiting him. The Green Goblin, who was peering down at the college-aged boy with a far from happy expression on his face.
"I thought I told you to buzz off," the Goblin growled, slipping a hand around Harry's neck. With a sharp jerk he drug the auburn-haired youth to his feet and shot a quick glance at the trash compactor before looking back at his host's son. For half a second, he considered tossing Harry back in, and then he decided against it. Spiderman would just catch the boy again if he fell. So instead, he tossed Harry aside casually, only looking back once - at Norman's pleading - to see if he was still alive. And he was. In evident pain, but alive.
Returning his light gaze to the pit, half of him prayed that the spider would slip and fall to his death.
Rain still pouring down around him, Spiderman grimaced once more as another strand of the webbing snapped, leaving him with a weakening escape rope. There was no way for him to grip onto the walls, they were too slippery with filth and water to really get a hold of. His only way out was up and it seemed now that this was failing him as well.
Another snap and he was pulled away from his thoughts. He didn't want to die, that was for sure. Climbing up the rope as fast as his deteriorating strength would allow, he barely made it out before the compactor slammed shut behind him. While normally, this would make him sigh with relief, he had no chance to rest, for, standing in front of him, was the Green Goblin, Harry laying in pain only a few feet behind him.
The Goblin sneered. "Don't know when to die, do you, hero?"
"Don't know when to stop, do you, Gobby?" Spiderman spat back, voice soft as he continued to struggle with his breathing.
A fierce snarl passing his parted lips, the green-clad villain lunged forward, ready to restart the deadly dance of blows they had started earlier.
And far behind them, Harry Osborn stood slowly, leaning on the remains of a car to keep his balance. Spiderman and the Green Goblin were fighting over him. Why, he didn't know. Maybe it was over which way he was supposed to die, after all they were both murderers, but he wasn't going to stand by and let them come for him in their own sweet time. He was going to escape. But to do it, he needed a weapon. Spotting the javelin-like remains of a TV antenna, he hobbled over to it, eyes locked on the two fighting me the entire time, his body crying out in pain every step of the way.
Catching hold of the Goblin's hands as they grabbed his shoulders, Peter was able to hold him off for a little, digging his heels into the dirt. He glanced behind the Goblin as they stood at a stalemate, watching Harry get up and dash off toward a pile of junk. But he didn't let his eyes linger for long.
"This needs to stop." He muttered, starting to push back against the mental case that was trying to kill him.
"Well, you could always end it and die."
A crash echoed somewhere behind the two of them, and the Goblin took a second to look over his shoulder, spotting Harry near a pile of garbage, which had just toppled all over the muddy ground. Sneering at his host's son, he took a second to direct a kick at Spiderman's ribs, before turning away from the wall-crawler to go after the younger Osborn. So Harry wanted in on the party too? That was fine with him.
Gasping in pain, Spiderman crumpled to the ground, holding his wounded rib and struggling, once more, to breathe. Damn bones and their ability to break. But he couldn't stop. He had to give Harry time to escape. This in mind, he stood once more, costume coated with mud and silt, lunging at the back of his rival in an attempt to knock him down.
"Harry, get the hell out of here! Hurry up!"
The college-aged boy blinked, lowering his weapon ever so slightly. Why was Spiderman protecting him? He had killed his father... so why all the bother with saving him? Frowning, he shook his head, as he watched the Goblin stumble and fall as the red and blue hero jumped the villain.
"No."
Not like the Green Goblin or Spiderman would let him get away, anyway.
"No? What do you mean, no? Do you want to die?!" Spiderman shouted, struggling to keep the forest green menace below him under control. God, was that a task.
"Get out of here before he tries to kill you again!"
"I'm not going to let you try to kill me the minute I try to get away," Harry snapped back, raising the jagged pole across his chest as he watched the Goblin struggled to get back to his feet.
"You idiot!" Spiderman snapped back, pressing all his weight onto the Goblin's back. "I'm not the one trying to kill you, he is! I'm trying to save you!" This was so frustrating. Here he was, trying to save his best friend from his homicidal father, and he had the crazy idea -he- was trying to kill him. God, fate was so cruel.
"Then why did you kill my father?"
"Yeah, hero," the Goblin began, disdain dripping off ever word, "why -did- you kill his father?" Standing suddenly with a great burst of strength that pushing Spiderman off of him, he offered a taunting grin. It was evident now that if he was going to kill Spiderman - and eventually Harry - he would need the younger Osborn's help. And what better way to do it than to goad his host's son into attacking - and most likely distracting - Spiderman long enough for him to make his move.
"Enlighten us."
He clenched his jaw, hands forming into fists as he pushed himself up from the ground. "I didn't kill Norman Osborn," He started, moving slowly forward in order to keep both men in sight. "The Goblin did that. I was trying to save him." He pointed at the eccentric villain that stood only a few feet away. "If anyone's to blame for your father's death, it'd be him." Spiderman paused, turning to face the Goblin fully.
"In more ways than one."
"He's lying," the Goblin hissed in return, raising his hands defensively as he caught Harry's eyes with his own. "I tried to help your father. He walked in to the middle of a fight between Spiderman and myself, and I told him to get away."
It was a half-truth. His alter ego -had- interrupted his fight with the youthful super-hero in an attempt to beg for his life. But the Goblin had by no means told him to go away... in fact, it was the green-clad monster who demanded Norman step in and do something for once. Still, it sounded good enough, and from the confused expression on Harry's face, he could tell the college-aged boy didn't know what to believe.
Good. Confusion would make it easier for the auburn-haired youth to swallow whatever he told him.
"I told him to get away, but your father insisted he stay. He wanted to stop Spiderman as badly as I do. He wanted to stop the -hero- from killing anyone else, like the web-head had his board members. And I tried to help him, Osborn. I tried to help him keep Spiderman from hurting you... or MJ... or Peter."
"Harry, listen to me." His anger was building at how ridiculous this whole situation was. What bothered him more was that Harry was actually listening to the Goblin. "I didn't kill your father's board members. He did. Remember? He attacked during the Unity Festival. Blew the floor right from under you and almost killed you and Mary Jane in the process." The visions, the memories... they were all coming back as he tried desperately to convince Harry he was the one telling the truth. He hated thinking about all of that. He'd put it behind him, something he'd hoped never to relive again. But here he was, recounting his nightmares over and over. "And he was the one that attacked Peter's aunt and tried to throw Mary Jane off the bridge." His hands balled themselves into fists, flexing the muscles that had been aching only a few moments ago. "He almost killed all those children. All without remorse." Oh how he wanted to punch the Goblin right then. He thought better of this though. If he attacked the Goblin, he'd only use that as something to convince Harry.
"Do you remember that Harry? Reading it in the newspaper? Do you remember all the horrible things he did? All the lives he took without second thought?"
Now Harry's eyes found Spiderman, confusion clouding them. Who did he believe? Spiderman, the man who killed his father? Or the Goblin, the fiend who'd murdered the board members? Biting his lower lip and tightening his grip on the jagged metal pole, he resolved to stop them both, eventually. But first, he'd get Spiderman for killing his father... because at least he knew that was a fact.
Pointing the antennae at the wall-crawler, he lunged forward, shouting, "Did you take my father's life without a second thought, too?"
And at this, the Goblin grinned, folding his arms over his armored chest. Good. He'd said something that had been more influential then whatever Spiderman had tried to feed the young CEO of Oscorp. Now all he had to do was sit back, relax, and wait for a opening in which he could use to attack Spiderman.
---------------------------------------------------
Heart racing and chest screaming in protest, Spiderman watched in horror as his enemy reached the control panel, pushing himself harder than he had ever pushed himself. He had to reach Harry, and he had to stop Goblin. But now his forest green rival was blocking his path, and the super hero, still at a run made a quick decision. Harry came first. Goblin could wait.
Making a mad dash and putting all his strength into it, Spiderman flipped over his opponent, heading straight for the confused boy that lay in the lion's den.
A grin spread across the Goblin's face as he watched the other man run towards the pit. So Spiderman was going to skip the fight part and risk his life to save Harry? Not on his time. Reaching out deftly, he attempted to wrap his green-bound fingers around his rival's ankle to pluck him out of the air and pull him back into their fight.
And sure enough, the Goblin succeeded, pulling the super hero down from his great leap. Unwilling to waste time, Spiderman turned around awkwardly to face the Goblin, hitting the ground with a soft thud which caused more pain to rack his body like waves upon rocks.
This was no good. Resorting to his secret weapon, Spiderman turned again, raising his hand and firing webbing directed at the Goblin's eyes. Not waiting to see the results, he continued to struggle with his enemy's grip trying desperately to get away and at Harry.
Yowling like a cat that had just been thrown into a bathtub full of water, the Goblin released his grip on Spiderman for a moment to claw wildly at his eyes.
With his foot now released and his ankle likely sprained, Spiderman hobbled off as fast as he could, lowering himself down into the compactor and ignoring fire that was coursing through his body.
"Harry, take my hand! Quickly!"
Not one to argue when his life was on the line, the younger Osborn reached up and grabbed the hand that had been offered to him.
Using the webbing that slept within his body once more, Spiderman, after gripping onto something sturdy, began to hoist himself and Harry out of the death trap that was becoming smaller and smaller. Body aching with the added weight and webbing weakening with the rain, the blue and red clad hero glanced about nervously as he continued to lift them up and out. Where was the Goblin?
"Quick," He started, holding on tightly as he watched the webbing begin to snap. "Climb out. Hurry."
Nodding mutely, Harry climbed out, nearly slipping back in to the rapidly closing deathtrap twice as he did. And when he finally reached somewhat solid ground, an even worse fate was awaiting him. The Green Goblin, who was peering down at the college-aged boy with a far from happy expression on his face.
"I thought I told you to buzz off," the Goblin growled, slipping a hand around Harry's neck. With a sharp jerk he drug the auburn-haired youth to his feet and shot a quick glance at the trash compactor before looking back at his host's son. For half a second, he considered tossing Harry back in, and then he decided against it. Spiderman would just catch the boy again if he fell. So instead, he tossed Harry aside casually, only looking back once - at Norman's pleading - to see if he was still alive. And he was. In evident pain, but alive.
Returning his light gaze to the pit, half of him prayed that the spider would slip and fall to his death.
Rain still pouring down around him, Spiderman grimaced once more as another strand of the webbing snapped, leaving him with a weakening escape rope. There was no way for him to grip onto the walls, they were too slippery with filth and water to really get a hold of. His only way out was up and it seemed now that this was failing him as well.
Another snap and he was pulled away from his thoughts. He didn't want to die, that was for sure. Climbing up the rope as fast as his deteriorating strength would allow, he barely made it out before the compactor slammed shut behind him. While normally, this would make him sigh with relief, he had no chance to rest, for, standing in front of him, was the Green Goblin, Harry laying in pain only a few feet behind him.
The Goblin sneered. "Don't know when to die, do you, hero?"
"Don't know when to stop, do you, Gobby?" Spiderman spat back, voice soft as he continued to struggle with his breathing.
A fierce snarl passing his parted lips, the green-clad villain lunged forward, ready to restart the deadly dance of blows they had started earlier.
And far behind them, Harry Osborn stood slowly, leaning on the remains of a car to keep his balance. Spiderman and the Green Goblin were fighting over him. Why, he didn't know. Maybe it was over which way he was supposed to die, after all they were both murderers, but he wasn't going to stand by and let them come for him in their own sweet time. He was going to escape. But to do it, he needed a weapon. Spotting the javelin-like remains of a TV antenna, he hobbled over to it, eyes locked on the two fighting me the entire time, his body crying out in pain every step of the way.
Catching hold of the Goblin's hands as they grabbed his shoulders, Peter was able to hold him off for a little, digging his heels into the dirt. He glanced behind the Goblin as they stood at a stalemate, watching Harry get up and dash off toward a pile of junk. But he didn't let his eyes linger for long.
"This needs to stop." He muttered, starting to push back against the mental case that was trying to kill him.
"Well, you could always end it and die."
A crash echoed somewhere behind the two of them, and the Goblin took a second to look over his shoulder, spotting Harry near a pile of garbage, which had just toppled all over the muddy ground. Sneering at his host's son, he took a second to direct a kick at Spiderman's ribs, before turning away from the wall-crawler to go after the younger Osborn. So Harry wanted in on the party too? That was fine with him.
Gasping in pain, Spiderman crumpled to the ground, holding his wounded rib and struggling, once more, to breathe. Damn bones and their ability to break. But he couldn't stop. He had to give Harry time to escape. This in mind, he stood once more, costume coated with mud and silt, lunging at the back of his rival in an attempt to knock him down.
"Harry, get the hell out of here! Hurry up!"
The college-aged boy blinked, lowering his weapon ever so slightly. Why was Spiderman protecting him? He had killed his father... so why all the bother with saving him? Frowning, he shook his head, as he watched the Goblin stumble and fall as the red and blue hero jumped the villain.
"No."
Not like the Green Goblin or Spiderman would let him get away, anyway.
"No? What do you mean, no? Do you want to die?!" Spiderman shouted, struggling to keep the forest green menace below him under control. God, was that a task.
"Get out of here before he tries to kill you again!"
"I'm not going to let you try to kill me the minute I try to get away," Harry snapped back, raising the jagged pole across his chest as he watched the Goblin struggled to get back to his feet.
"You idiot!" Spiderman snapped back, pressing all his weight onto the Goblin's back. "I'm not the one trying to kill you, he is! I'm trying to save you!" This was so frustrating. Here he was, trying to save his best friend from his homicidal father, and he had the crazy idea -he- was trying to kill him. God, fate was so cruel.
"Then why did you kill my father?"
"Yeah, hero," the Goblin began, disdain dripping off ever word, "why -did- you kill his father?" Standing suddenly with a great burst of strength that pushing Spiderman off of him, he offered a taunting grin. It was evident now that if he was going to kill Spiderman - and eventually Harry - he would need the younger Osborn's help. And what better way to do it than to goad his host's son into attacking - and most likely distracting - Spiderman long enough for him to make his move.
"Enlighten us."
He clenched his jaw, hands forming into fists as he pushed himself up from the ground. "I didn't kill Norman Osborn," He started, moving slowly forward in order to keep both men in sight. "The Goblin did that. I was trying to save him." He pointed at the eccentric villain that stood only a few feet away. "If anyone's to blame for your father's death, it'd be him." Spiderman paused, turning to face the Goblin fully.
"In more ways than one."
"He's lying," the Goblin hissed in return, raising his hands defensively as he caught Harry's eyes with his own. "I tried to help your father. He walked in to the middle of a fight between Spiderman and myself, and I told him to get away."
It was a half-truth. His alter ego -had- interrupted his fight with the youthful super-hero in an attempt to beg for his life. But the Goblin had by no means told him to go away... in fact, it was the green-clad monster who demanded Norman step in and do something for once. Still, it sounded good enough, and from the confused expression on Harry's face, he could tell the college-aged boy didn't know what to believe.
Good. Confusion would make it easier for the auburn-haired youth to swallow whatever he told him.
"I told him to get away, but your father insisted he stay. He wanted to stop Spiderman as badly as I do. He wanted to stop the -hero- from killing anyone else, like the web-head had his board members. And I tried to help him, Osborn. I tried to help him keep Spiderman from hurting you... or MJ... or Peter."
"Harry, listen to me." His anger was building at how ridiculous this whole situation was. What bothered him more was that Harry was actually listening to the Goblin. "I didn't kill your father's board members. He did. Remember? He attacked during the Unity Festival. Blew the floor right from under you and almost killed you and Mary Jane in the process." The visions, the memories... they were all coming back as he tried desperately to convince Harry he was the one telling the truth. He hated thinking about all of that. He'd put it behind him, something he'd hoped never to relive again. But here he was, recounting his nightmares over and over. "And he was the one that attacked Peter's aunt and tried to throw Mary Jane off the bridge." His hands balled themselves into fists, flexing the muscles that had been aching only a few moments ago. "He almost killed all those children. All without remorse." Oh how he wanted to punch the Goblin right then. He thought better of this though. If he attacked the Goblin, he'd only use that as something to convince Harry.
"Do you remember that Harry? Reading it in the newspaper? Do you remember all the horrible things he did? All the lives he took without second thought?"
Now Harry's eyes found Spiderman, confusion clouding them. Who did he believe? Spiderman, the man who killed his father? Or the Goblin, the fiend who'd murdered the board members? Biting his lower lip and tightening his grip on the jagged metal pole, he resolved to stop them both, eventually. But first, he'd get Spiderman for killing his father... because at least he knew that was a fact.
Pointing the antennae at the wall-crawler, he lunged forward, shouting, "Did you take my father's life without a second thought, too?"
And at this, the Goblin grinned, folding his arms over his armored chest. Good. He'd said something that had been more influential then whatever Spiderman had tried to feed the young CEO of Oscorp. Now all he had to do was sit back, relax, and wait for a opening in which he could use to attack Spiderman.
