Part Eight
Peter fired a burst of webbing that threw the pumpkin from Norman's hands and it exploded harmlessly away. "You're calling the end too early. This is just getting started."
"On the contrary, it's just finishing." Norman cackled.
Peter's spider-sense gave him a heads-up and he ducked out of the way as the glider zipped by. Norman jumped on top of it, "Maybe I should start tearing everything I see up, I'm sure Ben Parker or Mary Jane Watson will be killed after I've toppled enough buildings."
"I won't let you!" Peter jumped through the air with his fist extended. Norman merely moved aside allowing Spider-Man to smack against the side of a wall. "Moron." The Goblin flew towards Peter as he clung to the wall exhausted.
Peter let go of the wall, allowing Norman to crash straight through the side of building. He sent debris in all directions, ripping apart the brick exterior. "What a loser." Peter crawled up the side of the building and looked in through the hole that the Goblin had entered through.
It appeared to be a factory devoted to making cars. Peter crawled in through the hole while the workers fled the building. "If there are any Green Goblin's in the building please raise your hand."
His spider-sense flared. It was too late. Norman had been hiding under the hole and now landed his fist into Peter's gut, "Right here!" He clutched his costume and threw him onto one of the processing lines.
"Uh." Peter moaned as he tried to regain his senses. Each one of his nerves where on fire, screaming in agony.
Norman suddenly appeared over him and clutched his neck, "Now you die, Spider-Man." He looked at the packaging machine ahead, "This should be fun. Don't worry I don't think it'll hurt too much." Some debris on the line got smashed by the machine just ahead. "Of course I could be wrong.
Peter stared at the machine hard at work. Soon he would be twisted and manipulated into something unrecognizable. He struggled against Norman's grip. Yelling out for help Peter pulled the Goblin's hand away from his neck and twisted it away.
"Ah!" Norman clasped his arm and backed away as Peter rose back to his feet. "What the hell do I have to do to kill you?"
Peter panted for air, "Sorry, Goblin, can't answer that one. You've never been good or smart enough to finish the job."
Norman snarled, "We'll see."
Spider-Man and the Goblin clashed again. A dazzling array of flips, attacks and counters progressed. Peter blocked one of Norman's rights and followed up with an uppercut to the stomach.
Norman shrugged off the blow and head-butted Spider-Man in the face and landing a few jabs in on his ribs. Peter backed off, a crimson stain forming around his nose.
"What's the matter, Spider-freak, been picking your nose too much." Norman rushed back in and landed a blow across Peter's jaw and continued his assault with a kick to his shins.
Peter could barely stand. The world refused to focus. The Goblin punched him straight in the face. He spit out blood from his lips and it pressed against the inside of the mask.
Norman smiled, "See that, every time that happens you die just a little more." He closed in on his foe, "It's going to feel so good to finally be rid of you."
Peter roared and landed two blows against Norman's face. He attacked with an uppercut and then a short kick. He performed a back-flip slamming his heel against Norman's jaw.
He came back down as Norman spit out a tooth onto the floor. "There, we're even again." Peter stated.
Norman attacked. Peter dodged the first punch and then the second. He hit Norman with a round-house kick.
"You creep." The Goblin exclaimed falling against the wall. "You're just a kid that's played a little too many times in mommy's clothes."
Peter smirked, "Yeah and you're the poster boy for masculinity."
Norman charged forward. Peter back-flipped onto the processing line and Norman quickly climbed on. The two immediately battled as the line moved forward to its ultimate destination.
Norman brought his arm down on Spider-Man only to have it deflected. Peter retaliated to the attack with a knee to the gut. The battle continued. Up ahead, a car was being assembled by the various welding machines.
Peter collapsed to the floor of the processing line after taking another blow from the Goblin.
"You see the futility?" Norman inquired sadistically, "There is no hope."
Peter rose back to his feet, "For you, yes."
The Goblin dived in with another attack. He discharged blast from his zap-gloves while Peter fought to keep the deadly blasts away from his face. Smoke poured out from the blast marks.
One blast made it through, scorching Peter's chest. He fell to his knees, too weakened to fight on.
Norman spotted the welding machines ahead and smirked. "Come on, my boy, we're about to see if you're fire-proof." He raised Spider-Man by his neck and thrust him forward, "I have to give you credit. Few would have dared to face me again. It's interesting how we always end up here." Just a few seconds and Spider-Man would become BBQ. "It's familiar isn't it, you end up in death's grip and I standing before you trying to convince you of the inevitability of your defeat."
Peter grabbed Norman's wrist, "I never did like the whole destiny thing." He began to pull the Goblin's hand away from his neck. His spider-sense warned him of the oncoming welding machines.
He twisted Norman around, "It never seems to pan out like you think it will." Peter wrestled with the merciless Goblin. The wielders came down on both of them. Peter landed a jab on Norman's face breaking their hold of each other. He bent down and created a web-shield just as the fire spewed forth. The intense blast of the fire pressed against the webbing. It wouldn't hold out for long. The world around him became orange as the heat did it's best to reach him.
Peter clenched his teeth and roared as the webbing began to dissolve. Then unceremoniously it was over. The fire ceased and he punched a hole in the webbing and ripped his way out from there.
He jumped off the line and landed on the floor of the factory. The Goblin was nowhere to be found. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air. Peter walked towards the breach in the side of the building and saw that the Goblin's glider was gone as well.
He was gone. "Guess things got too hot for him." Peter was aching all over but it could have been worse. It had been worse in the past. He jumped out the breach in the side of the factory and swung away. Despite the victory here, he couldn't shake the specter of things to come.
The HobGoblin watched the news play out on the television from the sanctity of his office. Things had fallen apart as of worse. His public and covert war against Osborn had hit a wall and didn't look they were about to get any better.
The reporter read the words given to him, "The battle between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin has been reported to have caused property damage in the millions. Eye witnesses say there was no clear winner."
HobGoblin drank the wine in his cup and placed it on the table meticulously. "This Spider-Man interests me. Perhaps, I've found just the Ace card I was looking for."
Norman entered his bathroom. He staggered with every step and shook off the urge to collapse almost immediately. Everything had gone wrong. Ben had beaten the kidnapping charge. Both Ben and the redhead had survived his murder attempt and he had been reduced to fleeing from a battle with Spider-Man to lick his wounds.
He stared at himself in the window with disgust. The wielders had come down and despite his speedy escape had done their damage. His left eye was nothing but a mess of burnt flesh.
"It's time I focused on what was important. I've allowed myself to become distracted with Parker." Norman smashed the glass with his fist, "I need to find out who Spider-Man is and dissect his life one person at a time."