Part Three

"This is unit three-six-nine in pursuit of the suspects." Said Police officer Dwight. Three police cars sped down the streets of New York chasing a small and fast red car.

The radio dispatcher replied, "Understood. Two more units are en route."

His partner nervously checked his weapon and gazed at the red car as it turned a corner. "I'm feeling pretty nervous."

"Don't worry about it." Dwight replied as he kept on their target's tail. "These guys are a known pair of killers. You have every reason to be nervous."

The partner gazed out the window, "One of them is popping out." He said as he saw a figure began to peek through the red car's passenger side window. "Look out!"

The killer inside held a machine gun in his hands, purchased illegally. He pulled the trigger and covered their car in a hail of gunfire. Dwight closed his eyes as the glass shattered but kept on course. "Fire back!"

His partner complied and fired his much weaker pistol in hopes of hitting the gunner. "What's that?" He asked pointing to a blur in the sky. "Look!"

Spider-Man landed on the top of the red car. The driver realized they had an unwelcome visitor and began to careen across the streets in hopes of losing him.

Peter Parker clung to the roof for dear life as they smashed into mailboxes and parking meters. The gunner raised slightly from the window just enough to gaze at their attacker.

"What the hell are you?"

Peter swung his entire body around and kicked the machine gun from the killer's hands. "The collection agency!" He then punched straight through the roof of the car and tore it away like paper.

The two men inside turned their heads up towards him in shock. The driver screamed first, "That's Spider-Man!"

Peter gazed forward and saw they were heading straight for a church at the end of the street. "Great."

The killer saw the building straight ahead and in a moment of psychotic insanity pressed hard on the acceleration, "Get off or I'll hit that church!"

"How about this instead?" Peter said just before he grabbed each man by the collar and flung him both out of the car. He jumped into the driver's seat and gazed at the numerous dials. "I don't even know how to drive this thing!"

Both killers crashed onto the street and landed with only a few cuts and bruises. It was only a moment before four cops descended on them.

Meanwhile, Peter found himself having more than enough trouble on his hands. "Which one's break?" Peter asked himself looking at both pedals. He clenched his teeth, "Hope this works." He stomped down on one of the pedals only to have it accelerate on him, "Whoops!" He immediately tried the other one and as he approached the church put himself into a spin.

The car was out of control and all Peter could do was hope he came out on top. After a harrowing moment Peter opened his eyes to see he was still alive. "I'm never doing that again." He got out of the car and realized how close he had come to disaster. He was only three feet away from the front door of the church.

He laughed in celebration of his victory, "You guys didn't even make me break a sweat."

"Hey you!" One of the cops yelled out approaching Spider-Man with his weapon drawn, "You're under arrest!"

"Me?" Peter asked in shock, "What are you talking about? I just saved your butts. That guy was about to blast you all away with that machine gun!"

The cop ignored his pleas and acted as procedure dictated, "Put your hands on the floor, now!"

Peter shook his head, "That's gratitude for you." He leaped away from the church and soared through the air at an amazing speed before landing on the side of a building.

"Come back here!" The cop demanded.

"Maybe next time." Peter responded before scaling the side of the building and vanishing from sight.

"So that's what I get?" Peter asked angrily as he stood on the ledge of a building filled with gargoyles. "I saved a bunch of lives and I nearly get arrested."

He angrily hit the wall with his fist. The concrete cracked under his blow but remained stable.

Peter took off his mask and gazed across the skyline of New York, "I've stopped close to two dozen crimes in the last few weeks. You'd think the police would be a tad grateful."

He sat down on the ledge and shrugged his shoulders, "What can I do about it?" He looked at one of the gargoyles staring down at the street beside him, "Got any ideas?"

The gargoyle answered him with its blank stare.

"I didn't think so." Peter replied and continued to take in the sights of New York. "Funny, I used to be considered the school nerd and now there's not a single person that can even challenge me." It was then that he noticed a billboard several rooftops away. "Wait a tick."

He gazed at the billboard. It showed a picture of a rather surly man with a mustache and crew cut. The message on the bottom read: Come to work with the Daily Bugle. Opportunities!

Peter raised his eyes and remembered his short discussion with Robbie Robertson from the Bugle. A smile swept across Peter's face, "Photographer."

Norman Osborn gazed at the television set in his study. He closed his eyes for a moment whispering something below his breath that only he should hear.

"Flint Marko after extensive surgery will soon be transported to a prison hospital where he will await trial." The anchor began another report immediately fighting to maintain the attention of the audience, "Meanwhile, senator Kelly continues to try and get his Mutant registration Act passed in the Congress."

"Marko?" Norman raised an eye suddenly remembering from gazing over the numerous documents he had been given he learned Flint was one of the Kingpin's business associates.

Norman rose from his comfortable seat and gazed out his windows towards the majestic city below. "The transfer is sure to be televised, and Kingpin will be watching of course." Norman smirked, "What a perfect opportunity to give poor Mr. Marko a get-well card."

"Goddamn it, Peter." Mary Jane Watson said as she stood at a payphone on the streets of New York. "Pick up." She said to the monotonous noise coming from the phone.

"Hey, MJ, hurry up!" Flash Thompson said talking to some buddies, "We don't got all day."

She sighed, "Yeah." MJ had no idea why she'd decided to call Peter, but she felt she just had too. Suddenly a voice on the other side said hello, "Peter?"

"No, he's not here." The old and raspy voice responded, "This is his uncle."

MJ frowned in defeat and felt a sudden coldness develop in her stomach. She slowly hung up the phone without saying another word and with a certain weight in her steps returned to Flash's side.

"Mr. Jameson." Betty Brant said as she stepped through the door leading to the editor's office at the Daily Bugle. The sounds of work and men arguing with one another was all around them.

The surly Jonah Jameson raised both his eyes slowly away from the document on his rather clean desk, "What is it Betty?" He angrily asked as he brushed with white and gray mustache.

"There's a young man to see you." She replied, "He say's he has some pictures you might be interested in."

"Oh?" JJ asked skeptically, "What of?"

Betty gulped nervously, "Spider-Man."

JJ was silent for a moment. His stony expression unsettled Betty to no end. He suddenly laughed out loud, "Sure he does. Spider-Man is a hoax, a game, something some punks came up with to explain a botched robbery." He shrugged, "Go ahead and show him in. It's been awhile since I've seen a fat man in a superhero costume."

Betty left the office for a moment leaving JJ alone to chuckle in anticipation at what he would see. He could see her leading a young man back towards his office through the windows of his office. She opened the door again, "Peter Parker, sir."

"Good to meet you, son." JJ said as the young and awkward looking teenager entered his office, "Parker is it?"

"Yes sir." Peter replied as Betty slammed the door behind her as she left. He was dressed formally and held a large brown envelope, "I'm here about the position of photographer."

JJ nodded, "Oh yes, of course." He smiled, "You say you have pictures of Spider-Man?" Peter nodded, "Good! I just hired a man last week. He had found Dr. Doom's lair! Of course I'm really interested in some good Captain America pictures, you know they say he's nocturnal!"

Peter realized he was being made fun of by old JJ, but kept quiet. He merely lowered his head and took a deep breath. He could already feel his palms becoming sweaty.

"Let me see them." JJ reached out and Peter handed him the envelope. He opened the envelope and pulled out six pictures inside, "Let's see what you got." He gazed at the first one: it was an image of what JJ realized was Spider-Man flipping through the air. The next one showed him landing on a lamppost, and then landing on a wall and clinging to it. The remainder was stills of him crawling along the side of an apartment building. He gazed at Peter silently and then at the pictures. "T-these are of Spider-Man?"

"Yes sir."

JJ rose suddenly from his chair in an excited and frenzy and mustered every ounce of strength in his body, "Robbie!"

"No!" Norman Osborn declared in his den. He clasped both of his hands against his ears, "I can't do this!" He gazed at his own horrid reflection in the mirror, "What have I become?"

He stumbled across his home and slipped into the bathroom. He turned the water on and splashed his face with the soothing cool liquid. He took deep breaths just as he had been taught at numerous sessions in the past.

Norman frowned and backed away from his own face as it gazed back at him in this mirror. "This can't go on. I have to put a stop to it!" Osborn declared. "I am Norman Osborn, a respected businessman. I'm a father. I-I can't allow this to happen!"

Suddenly, his expression contorted and twisted around into a snarl. "I am the Goblin!" He smashed his fist against the glass and cackled madly.

"Its great." Robbie Robertson said as he excitedly gazed over the pictures. "You did these?" He asked of Peter Parker who stood behind him and JJ as they ran their eyes across the images.

Peter nodded with a smile starting to spread across his face, "Yes I did."

JJ grinned, "Really, that's something, kid." He took a deep breath, "Of course I have seen better."

"Better?" Peter asked, his smile vanishing.

"Oh yeah." JJ answered, "These are good for a kid, I guess. But if I had a professional, like Eddie Brock on this, I'd have top-rate pictures."

Robbie frowned and grabbed Jameson's arm, "Come on, JJ. These shots are great, pay the kid right."

JJ frowned and leaned towards Robbie, "I'm trying to cut our expenses." He whispered angrily. "Now, Mr. Parker." JJ said with a strong hunger building in his eyes, "I'll give you a hundred for the whole pack."

"A hundred?" Peter asked somewhat confused, "I thought they'd be a little more valuable."

"Sorry." JJ answered, "Its either that or go the Sun and they pay a lot less than I'm offering." He put his hand on Peter's neck and smiled sympathetically, "Besides, it's the experience not the money that makes a man out of a kid." He said like a true car salesman, "Trust me you'll never regret it." He extended his hand happily, "How about it, Parker?"

Peter raised an eye, "I don't know, a hundred does seem low."

JJ sighed, "Fine, I'll give you a hundred-fifty! You'll be hard-pressed to find a better deal in this city! So I guess that means we have a deal." He shook Peter's hand before the young man could even reply, "That's great." He said in response to whatever complaint Peter could bring up.

"Sir, I'd like a job." Peter remarked, "A permanent one."

"A job?" He looked at the photos on his desk that Robbie was inspecting. "Sure. However, before I give you a job, I'll need you to meet two conditions."

Peter nodded, "I'm ready to do anything you need done."

"Firstly, I get these photos in exchange for a weekly paycheck." JJ looked forward to getting exclusive Spider-Man shots for minimum wage. "Secondly, you need to do at least one other job for the Bugle."

"What of?" Peter asked nervously.

JJ scratched his chin, "You're seventeen, right?" Peter answered with a quick nod, "Good. Ned Leeds cancelled on the Marko transfer right?"

Robbie turned around with two wide eyes, "What? Oh, yes. He said he needed to do some work in Boston for the week. We haven't found a replacement yet."

The old editor slowly turned around towards Peter and grinned, "Kid, get your camera and be at Saint John's hospital on Wednesday around six p.m., that should be after school-hours. Get some shots of Flint Marko being moved on a stretcher and then get back here. Then, if they're half-way decent, I'll see what I can do about that job."

Peter rose from the seat, "Thank you, sir." He said with a mix of fear and eagerness.

"That's wonderful." He said as Peter began to leave the office. "How about this for the front page tomorrow? Spider-Man: Man or Freak?" He asked Robbie.

"Sir?" Peter asked at hearing the claim. More so because he was the one being accused of being a freak!

"You're still here?" JJ asked, "Get out there kid. Get me more photos."

Peter wanted to protest but sighed in defeat and slipped out of the office with a bittersweet taste in his mouth. He wondered for a moment if he should go back and pound the living hell out of JJ for trying to short-change him. Peter could do it, there was nothing he couldn't do, it seemed. Yet, with all of this newfound power at his fingertips he was still being pushed around. "Some things never change."