Part Four
Gwen Stacy patted the back of a depressed Peter Parker as they stepped through the doors of their school and into freedom for another few hours. "Don't be like that, Pete. I know this thing about your uncle has you bummed out, but you have to get through this."
"Every time, things look like they're going good, something bad happens to drag me back down." Peter remarked somberly. "I'm beginning to wonder when it is I'll be able to live a normal life. I never asked for these troubles, I never wanted them."
The blonde sighed deeply, "I know, Pete. At least you've got me." She said clutching his hand within hers, "I'll be here for you no matter how tough things get." Gwen smiled, "You can hold me to that."
Peter frowned guiltily, "Listen; there's something I haven't told you."
"Hold on, before you do, I was wondering if you were going to come to the party at Jack's." Gwen stated.
"I don't know." He said cautiously, "Things are kind of hectic right now."
Gwen shrugged as she prepared to go her own separate way, "Just remember that I'll be here. I love you, Peter."
He watched her vanish into the crowds of people roaming the streets of New York with a heavy heart. "I wish I could tell you, Gwen. I wish I could do you the dignity of telling you how things have changed. Sometimes I wonder if I'm a coward."
"Parker, my boy, you're a knight in shining armor." Norman exclaimed gleefully looking at the groceries that he had brought in. "This is exactly what Evans needed." He said referring to the butler while inspecting a bag of garlic. "Dinner will be at eight."
Peter nodded, "Is Harry coming?" He asked, observing the absence of his friend from the living room where he usually sat.
"Harry has schoolwork to attend to. Don't worry; Evans will give it to him." Norman said assuring the teenager, "Parker, I visited your uncle Ben."
Peter raised both his eyes at the sound of that name, "How is he?" He asked eagerly.
"Volatile." Norman replied, "I tried to offer him legal help but I guess at his age he's allowed pride to blind his reason. Maybe you should go and convince him to accept my assistance." The tycoon raised his hands apologetically, "Tell him I won't think anything of it."
"He didn't want help?" Peter frowned, "That's not like Uncle Ben."
Norman shrugged, "He's an old man, I'm sure this is putting terrible amounts of strain on him."
"I guess." Peter said unconvinced. He knew his uncle. He wasn't the type to turn away help, especially in a situation like this. "I'll try and drop by later tonight."
"I'm afraid that's impossible." Norman replied, "His trial began today. I didn't want to inform you because you're overworked as it is."
"What?" Peter asked shocked, "I-I wanted to be there."
Norman nodded, "I completely understand, but how much can you really help? Don't worry, my lawyers are leaving no stone unturned, they'll have this mess sorted out by the end of the week." He could see Peter was startled, "Tell you what, come home early and I'll give you ride to your uncle, how's that?"
"Thanks." Peter said uneasily. "I'm going to do my homework." He walked towards the study, "I'll see you later."
Norman nodded, "Good man." He watched Parker leave his sight, "Kid should have been born an Osborn."
Ben Parker watched the trial playing out before his eyes. His future hung in the balance.
The Prosecutor was a slick young man full of confidence and bravado. His defense attorney, Kyle Erickson was the complete opposite and looked as if he was about to trip on his shoe-laces.
"In your experience was Mary Jane Watson a troubled child?" The prosecutor asked the child psychologist that had taken the stand.
The latter shook her head immediately, "No." You can get an expert to say anything. It just depends on picking the right expert.
The prosecutor smiled, "Why is that?"
The judge trying the case took notes down, looking at the old man with a fair measure of suspicion.
"Well, Ms. Watson had no injuries that I could see and she seemed fairly attached to her parents." The psychologist reported. "In fact from all accounts, her schoolmates say that she was always happy."
The defense attorney rose to his feet, "Objection your honor, this isn't a custody hearing. The emotional state of Mary Jane Watson has nothing to do with the case."
"Your honor, the state of the daughter is vital to my case. I intend to prove that Mr. Parker's abduction of the girl was not in her best interest as he claims."
"Overruled." The Judge replied. "Sit down Mr. Erickson."
The defense attorney leaned into the contours with a face that spelled Ben's doom in an instant.
The old man looked into the audience and with a hopeful gaze stared at the faces. He grimaced and lowered his shoulders, "Peter, where are you?" He whispered.
Suddenly, his attention was grabbed by the implication of sexual interaction. "Objection!" His attorney roared.
The judge nodded, "Sustained."
Ben rubbed his cheek gratefully. Well at least I'm not completely dead in the water.
Mary Jane was alone. The school she had been thrown into was full of people either destined for a life of violence if they hadn't already experienced it. She looked at the people around her on the bus headed for school. They stared at her with eager eyes and lusty thoughts.
She clenched her teeth and watched the cars pass by. She could hear somebody fumbling with a switch-blade near the rear of the bus.
MJ gulped and prepared to do something she had hoped that was behind her. She looked at one of the tougher members of the group watching her and smiled. She was falling back in.
One week later… Norman Osborn stared at the report he had requested. Despite his companies' technological capability they had been unable to determine the source of the calls to his home that turned Harry against him.
"All those millions into surveillance and security systems and nothing to show for it." Norman said, disgusted with the results of the investigation. "It's obvious that the HobGoblin was behind Harry's treachery, the boy turned on me almost immediately after our first encounter."
He clicked his tongue, contemplating the elements of his precarious situation. "At this point there's nothing I can do with this information." He clasped his hands, secluded in the darkness of his study. "There are other matters that need my attention. The old man's case is breaking down, he'll be lucky if he doesn't get life at this rate."
Norman tapped his fingers along the edge of the stand next to him, "Meanwhile, Harry's become as exciting as a wooden plank. It just doesn't make sense." He grimaced, "The formula should have cured him of his weakness, not expunged any signs of life from him."
"I guess I'll have to invest what's left in Parker." Norman remarked, "The boy makes me more sure every-day that he's the perfect heir. Removing the old man is best for him; it's the best for all of us."
Peter sat in the confines of the guest room of the Osborn home. "I can't let Ben go down sinking while I sit on my butt doing nothing." moon stared at him through the window, casting light across the dark city.
He walked to his bed and reached under the mattress, "I have to do something." He pulled out a small suitcase and laid it on the bed. Peter looked at the door cautiously to ensure that he would not be interrupted and opened the case revealing the contents in side.
"Spider-Man has to do something." He said grabbing the crimson mask in his hands.