Sinners and Villains

Part One

Police captain George Stacy wearily stared at the map of NYC hung on the wall. He was in his office talking to two of his sergeants, men by the names of O'Hara and Hernandez. The sounds of argument and conversation crept in through the walls.

Stacy was standing behind his desk, while on the other side both men stared at him intently.

"This city's becoming a keg ready to explode." Stacy remarked, "Crime has gone up by ninety percent in the last few months and things aren't looking any better."

Hernandez nodded, "We're losing shields on the streets. Word is Kingpin is launching his new War on Law." He leaned into his seat and sighed, "And it looks like its working. Brooklyn and Hell's Kitchen are now war-zones."

"Well, that's not why I brought you here. If the NYPD is going to go on the offensive against Kingpin then let the commissioner and mayor make that decision. In the meantime we have to deal with this new rash of murders in our area."

"Spider-Man's the bloody culprit." O'Hara replied angrily, "It's the same dirt bag."

Hernandez tapped the table slowly, "And if the reports are correct he's decided to emulate the Punisher. His victims have been drug dealers, murderers, rapists and so forth. He's decided to hand out his own lethal brand of justice." He raised an eye.

Stacy rubbed his eyes; he was tired from a full night's work. "The reason I brought you two here is I need to know what we can do about it."

"Not much." O'Hara said fatally, "We're undermanned, we can barely deal with the guys who are bootlegging Star Wars movies down the street."

"We've gotten bogged down." Hernandez said agreeing with his fellow sergeant, "I think O'Hara's right, we can't do anything to stop him. We don't have the resources to mount a real investigation or a manhunt."

Stacy cursed angrily, "What about F.B.I.?" He raised his hands curiously, "I'm sure they wouldn't mind nabbing Spider-Man."

Hernandez laughed, "The Feds have a bigger problem. Word is some sort of corporate war has broken out; factories and tycoons are getting hit all over the places. Feds can't figure out whose behind the attacks. We're on our own, sir."

"Corporate war?" Stacy said dumbfounded, "What's going on in this city?"

"I've heard imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." The Green Goblin said soaring atop his glider, over one of Osborn Industries burning factories. "But I can't say that I appreciate it much."

The HobGoblin cackled, "Imitation? I'm the real deal, Osborn."

Norman Osborn grimaced, "It seems you've caught me at a disadvantage. You wouldn't be so kind as to supply me with a name, would you?"

"Is that really important?" The HobGoblin inquired gripping the pumpkin bomb in his hands tightly atop his own glider.

"No. I don't suppose it is." Norman charged up his own glider and closed in on his doppelganger. "Glider: fire missile one!" He roared.

The mechanism complied and launched the deadly projectile straight for his opponent.

The HobGoblin smiled and flung his own bomb into the path of the missile. The two collided safely away from either target.

"Blasted copycat." Norman murmured and pulled his glider around for a strafing run.

For weeks, factories and other centers belonging to Osborn Industries had been attack and burned to the ground. Norman had been lying in waiting at one of the few remaining factories and had been shocked when he saw who was responsible.

Norman threw his own pumpkin grenade straight for the other Goblin. Much to his dismay, the HobGoblin narrowly avoided the explosion. "Ah!" He was becoming frustrated.

Meanwhile, the HobGoblin remained focused. He made a way for Norman and unleashed a spray of machine gun fire. "Chew on this, Osborn!"

Norman pulled his glider up and boosted the acceleration to maximum power. He could feel the heat from the bullets as they passed by. He was in a vertical ascent, fleeing the attacks from his foe. "Glider: Arm and detach missile two."

The warhead simply fell away from its source. The HobGoblin, who had been in close pursuit, had little time to react. He managed to raise his glider like a shield and protected himself from the force of the blow. The explosive shred his transportation. "No, no!"

"HAHAHAHA!" Norman cackled and turned his glider around to face his opponent, "What's the matter? Lost your wheels?"

The HobGoblin had only a moment to react and did so immediately. He unleashed a quick blast from his zap gloves. His shot landed on Norman's chest.

The Green Goblin grunted and quickly became disorientated. Losing his focus, the glider quickly began to spiral downward.

Both of the hideous Goblins came crashing down like flies. Each one hit the roof of the flaming building in a rather spectacular fashion.

"Damn." HobGoblin murmured on the roof, tasting his own blood, "This part of the deal wasn't mentioned." He turned over only to witness a sadistically happy Osborn slam him in the ribs with a kick that sent him spiraling across the floor. He coughed blood onto the floor and pulled a small communication device from his gray satchel. "Reserve glider: come to user. Code red." Another blow to the ribs sent him down.

"You shouldn't have messed with the master, sonny!" Norman stated grinning. He took several confident steps to the downed HobGoblin, his glider had landed roughly on the roof but was operational; "I think when I'm finished with you I'll have you stuffed. I've always said my game room was missing something!"

The HobGoblin rolled on his back and hurtled a pumpkin bomb straight into Norman's chest. The explosion sent the elder Goblin flying back and landing almost on the other side of the building.

He rose back to his feet and stared at Norman wearily stand back to his feet. "Osborn is stronger than I anticipated."

Norman finally recovered from the blast after several long moments. His purple tunic was torn and his green exterior singed. His eyes were furious and his hands trembling with rage. He could barely contain his rage and screamed when he charged at the HobGoblin like an animal.

"I may have just made a mistake." He murmured and fired a burst of energy from his zap gloves. The blast slammed into Norman's shoulder, but he did little than jerk back. "Oh no." He fired another blast followed by another, but none brought down a furious Osborn.

The HobGoblin reached into his satchel for another pumpkin bomb too late. Osborn tackled him and they both crashed down on the roof. Each Goblin struggled for superiority against the other.

Norman cackled into the face of the HobGoblin and pushed his hands down to the floor. "Looks like the best Goblin won, after all, HAHAHA!" The HobGoblin groaned against Norman's control. Each of them had equal strength but the latter's fury gave him the edge he needed. "Now, who the hell are you?"

"Your superior." The HobGoblin replied.

"Not likely." Norman commented, "I am stronger, faster, smarter more determined. Although, I'll admit you must be insane to come up against me!"

The HobGoblin frowned, "No! I'm not the insane one! You are!" He wriggled his knees under Norman's gut and threw him off, "You're the crazy one!"

Norman landed on his back several yards away and slowly raised his head, "A bit touchy?"

The HobGoblin smiled as he saw his glider arrive on the scene. "We'll finish this some other time, Osborn."

"No!" The Green Goblin barked, "Get back here!" He yelled as the HobGoblin mounted his glider. Norman rose to his feet and took several angry steps towards his foe. "You're nothing but a craven coward!"

"Hah!" The HobGoblin grinned slowly hovering over the building. "Don't worry, Osborn, you'll have your chance again, but on my terms! Until then!" He soared away from a furious Osborn, satisfied with his deeds for tonight, "Soon enough, Osborn!" He roared, flying off into the distance, "Soon enough!"

MJ was sitting silently on her bed in the guest room of the Stacy home. Although, captain Stacy had been reluctant to allow a relative stranger into his home, Gwen convinced him.

She held a phone in her hands. "I should go home." She murmured, "I can't leave mom alone at a time like this."

"I think home is the last place you should be." Gwen remarked standing in the doorway. "What you need is time to rest."

"It's been almost a week!" MJ exclaimed, "I can't just hide here forever."

Gwen raised her eye, "Why not?"

MJ rocked her head back, "What does that mean?"

The sun was beaming through the window on this Saturday afternoon. Her room was small and simple but adequate. It had done her good the last few days to sleep in a home were yelling wasn't a constant.

"You can stay with us. Listen, my dad knows all about the problems at your house. He's seen enough reports from the cops that were called to your house, night after night, to know what the situation is. I talked to him the other day and he said you could stay for as long as you needed. Consider it a blank check."

MJ smiled, "I appreciate that." She sighed, "Listen, I know our past history has been a little spotty. We've had our disagreements, mainly about Pete, and I need to know something. Why are you being so generous to me?"

Gwen clicked her tongue and nodded her head gently, "I guess, it's my way of making it all up to you. You've had problems at home with your parents, problems at school with the rumors, some I had spread myself. I guess I'm trying to say sorry and let you know that there's a shoulder for you to lean on if you need it."

"Thanks." MJ replied.

"That and its what Peter would have wanted." Gwen added distantly. She walked towards a window and looked at the street, as if expecting him to stroll down the asphalt any minute.

MJ bit her lip, "I know." She said sympathetically, "I miss him too."

Nick Fury smiled widely at the weapons test. "Excellent." He was standing behind a protective glass that peered into a large empty room. On one end were several agents of S.H.I.E.L.D holding a hi-tech rifle in their hands. On the other side of the room was a container full of a small sample of the suit, brought from a supplier with great difficulty and expense.

His personal aide, Jan, approached the enigmatic leader quietly. "Sir." She whispered, "We have a problem."

Fury frowned, "What sort of problem?" He inquired.

"Come with me, please." Jan said walking back down a corridor. Fury quickly followed suit.

"This had better be good. I've been waiting for some time to see the new sonic guns in action." He remarked.

The corridor they made their way down was bland and gray. The soldiers who guarded it were men who had devoted their life to the cause that Fury headed. If that meant the loss of their lives, so be it.

Jan nodded, "Yes, I know sir, and it is important." She remarked. "As you know, for some time we have devoted our considerable resources and manpower into finding and locating Spider-Man."

"I don't suppose you've found him yet." Fury said dryly.

"No." She replied. They turned a corner and made their way to a large steel door at the end of the hallway. "However, our intelligence leads us to believe that the situation has changed."

Fury offered his I.D. to the guards protecting the blast doors. They quickly confirmed his authorization and opened the door. "How so?"

Jan lead her leader into the control center of S.H.I.E.L.D, "It's complicated." Her tone was cautionary. The command center; resembled many of the shots seen from NASA's own headquarters. A large screen was mounted on the wall. The room was unusually dark; the only real illumination was from dim lights and computer screens. She walked to a computer panel and brought up the data she had compiled. "This was Spider-Man before he acquired the suit." An image of the web-slinger in his red and blue costume appeared on the screen. "Now, after he took the suit." Jan stated.

The new image was that of the vigilante in his black duds. The coldness portrayed here in contrast to the previous image was undeniable.

"Is there a point to this?" Fury asked irritated that he had been pulled away from the weapons test.

"Of courssse. Do you think we would call you here, if we didn't have one?" Lizard said grimly emerging from the shadows of the center. "Tell him."

Fury frowned, "Tell me what?" He absolutely hated being out of the loop.

Jan brought up a newer image. It was a shot of Spider-Man standing on the top of a devastated car menacingly. "What can you tell me about this, sir?"

"I don't have time for fifty questions." Fury replied. "Just cut to the chase, damn it."

The Lizard snickered, "I sssupposse you never enjoyed ssschool, did you?" He raised his finger and pointed straight at the image, "Look at it, Fury. Look at the change."

He stared at the screen for a moment, confused. "I don't see anything."

"To the untrained eye, it may be identical to previousss imagesss." The Lizard stated, "But he isss in fact different." He hissed quietly, "Hisss body masssss has increasssed by ten percccent."

"What?" Fury stammered. "How?"

Jan raised her eyes, "Our guess is that something's happened since taking the suit and now." She bobbed her head, "Not only that but he's gone on a rampage within the last week, killing anyone he sees fit."

Fury clenched his teeth, "What does all this mean?"

"It'sss fairly obviousss." The Lizard said coldly, "The sssuit isss essstablisshing control over Ssspider-Man." He rubbed his hands together, "I would love to ssstudy him. Sssuch a ssymbiosssisss going wrong isss unheard of."

Jan nodded in agreement, "Something has provoked this change. He's been bonded with the suit longer than any of the test subjects, that could be a factor." She studied the image for a moment, "He may have even suffered a blow that caused death."

"Death!" Fury yelled out. "What the hell do you mean by death?"

"If Spider-Man was fatally injured, the suit may have been forced to establish a deeper amount of control to save the host." Jan elaborated. "Once the injury was repaired, the suit may be either unwilling or unable to restore the symbiosis."

Fury stared at Jan intently, "Do we have to change the plan?"

"Not necessarily. However, with these sudden changes, we have to be ready for anything." Jan warned, "We don't know where this will lead."

"Lizard." Fury barked angrily, "I want Spider-Man's name, now! No more games."

The Lizard hissed, "No."

"Give me the name!" Fury roared.

"No." The reptilian monster stated again, "If you want the name to sssimply locate him, then I will do it myssself."

Fury grimaced, "You want us to let you leave the compound without supervision? Are you crazy?"

"Not at all." The Lizard stated, "I am in control. You can sssearch blindly for Ssspider-Man and hope that he doesn't get the better of you. Or, you can allow me to locate the web-ssslinger. I only ask for very little in exchange."

"What?"

The Lizard grinned, "Free reign in my lab, a larger ssstore of chemicalsss, and an end to your sssurveillanccce of me."

"Out of the question." Fury responded.

"Then I give you nothing." He said simply.

Fury sighed, exasperated, "Fine. On the condition, that you find Spider-Man. Now get out there and find him."

The Lizard snarled, "About damned time."