Part Seven

I am going to die. That's the first thought that popped into Peter's head as he soared down towards the street like a ton of bricks. He flailed his arms wildly for something, anything that might help him. "Come on, give me something to work with!" He screamed, "I won't die like this, I can't!"

His fingers briefly touched the end of a flagpole. It was only at the tips of his fingers, but they connected. He grabbed the pole and managed to hold on ending his deadly fall.

"What is it with this guy?" The Goblin asked, his anger slowly building up to a peak, "What do I have to do to kill him?"

"Warning: Glider forward Thruster reaching unsafe temperatures."

Norman's eye twitched slightly, "Shut up!" He ordered, "I won't be made a fool out of that freak!" He put his glider into full acceleration and began a pass straight for Spider-Man. "Glider: Melee Assault!" Out of the glider popped two very sharp and deadly steel spikes.

Peter saw the Goblin closing in atop his glider. "I'll only have one chance at this." He said nervously. "A little closer." His eye's slowly widened and sweat poured from his head, "Now!"

He leaped off the pole and landed on the side of Norman's trashed glider, "Long time no see." Peter exclaimed before slugging the Goblin across the jaw, "Why don't you ever call?" Peter landed another punch, "Or even send a letter?" His blows focused on Norman's gut, "I mean we were best buds in school, what happened, don't worry I won't take it hard!"

"Silence you worm!" Norman elbowed Peter in the face, "Now get off!" He grabbed Peter by the neck, "Off I say!" He threw Spider-Man away from the glider.

Peter landed safely on the side of a building and watched the Goblin soar away on his glider, "Damn, I lost him."

Norman cackled, "Maybe next time, Spider-Man! HAHAHAHA!" He began to set a course for home, "Until then web-head!"

"Forward Thruster reaching critical temperature. Catastrophic failure imminent." The computer informed him without the slightest hint of emotion.

"What?" Norman's eyes widened, "No!"

Peter nearly lost his grip when the Goblin's glider exploded in a massive fireball. He shielded his eyes until the inferno subsided. He glanced at the spot of black smoke in the sky. He sighed in relief and shook his head, "He's gone; nothing could have survived that."

He then winced due to a spasm of pain from his ribcage, "Ouch." He looked across his war-torn body, "Now what about me?"

Uncle Ben heard a knocking at the door, "Hold on, I'll be just a minute." He rose from his seat facing the television and put down the newspaper on the table.

He made sure he looked presentable and slowly walked to the door. The home felt quiet these days, almost lonely. Ben opened the front door letting in a wave of warm sunlight, "Hello?" His eyes widened at the shocking sight he saw. He knew who it was because of the paper, but he could hardly believe it. "Spider-Man?"

There at his front door in a ruined and tattered costume stood a battered hero. He was barely able to stand and reached out, "Uncle Ben." He mumbled before collapsing on the floor.

Ben's mouth hung open in shock and his eyes slowly began to become filled with tears, "What?" He pulled Spider-Man over and quickly pulled off the mask revealing the face of his nephew covered in bruises, "Peter?" He pulled the body into his arms and dragged into the house, "Come on kiddo stay with me!"

"I don't know what's happened to Mr. Osborn." His secretary said nervously to a man on the other line, "He's been gone since yesterday." She shrugged, "I'll tell him when I see him. Yes, okay, goodbye." She hung up the phone, "Where the hell is that creep."

She opened up the newspaper and gazed at the page. "That's Spider-Man?" She asked looking at the picture, "Nice body."

"Excuse me, Ms. Banks." A demanding voice called to her.

She lowered the newspaper to see Norman Osborn standing on the other side of her desk in a clean and neat business suit, "Oh, Mr. Osborn! How good it is to see you!"

Norman frowned, "I'll bet."

"Sir?" She pointed to his jaw and cheek, "What happened to your face?" She asked in reference to the bruises across his face.

He was silent, revealing that it was not a question to be asked or answered. "Please cancel all my meetings today."

"Yes sir." She replied, "I'll get right on it."

Norman nodded and took one step towards his office before stopping dead in his tracks, "May I see that newspaper."

She raised both her eyes as if asking a question before realizing what his request had been, "Of course. It's from the Daily Bugle."

"I can see that." Norman replied and gazed at the picture of Spider-Man on the front page. He slowly crushed it into his hands and mashed into a small paper ball, "Don't buy the bugle anymore, Ms. Banks." He stomped into his office and slammed the door.

Banks frowned, glanced at the crushed picture of Spider-Man on the floor and shrugged her shoulders, "The way Mr. Osborn acts you'd think he wants to kill the poor guy."