The Schemes of Rich Men

Part One

            "So what were they supposed to be working on exactly?" Jonah Jameson asked perplexed at the images taken by one of their up and coming photographers.

            Robertson shrugged, "According to what I could get from the police the lab belonged to a group of researchers under the lead of doctor Otto Octavius. They had a joint grant from the U.S. Government and Stark Enterprises to develop a new energy source."

            "These knuckleheads ended up blowing away the lab?" Jameson sighed, "Well, it's better than all the Spider-Man cover stories we've had for weeks on end." He shrugged, "I swear sometimes I think we've become his publicity agent."

            "Whatever sells papers, I guess." Robertson replied staring at the images taken showing the aftermath of the wreckage, "Whatever happened it must have been a hell of an explosion."

            Jameson nodded, "Didn't you mention somebody surviving?"

            Robertson raised his eyes from the pictures, "What? Oh, yeah, Octavius survived, sort of amazing since according to early reports he's still in one piece although he's supposedly in a coma at the moment."

            "Good, send Parker to go take pictures of the doctor." Jameson ordered casually, "On the double, its top priority."

            "No can do." Robertson responded gently, "Eye witnesses said that he was last seen being taken into government custody."

            Jameson frowned, "Government, what the hell for?" He asked reaching for a cigar from one of his table's drawers.

            "My guess is they want to question him the instant he comes to. I'll have Ben look into it; he's good with stuff like this." Robertson answered waving some of Jameson's smoke from his face.

            "Government these days, no respect for the reporter, keeping everything tightlipped these days and all."  Jameson complained, "What else is going on?"

            "Not much. We're still covering the Kingpin story, besides that really nothing besides the occasional gossip about which star is sleeping with which."

            Jameson sighed, "I hate when things get slow like this. What about the Green Goblin he always sold papers."

            Robertson shrugged, "Nothing's been heard from him in a good long while." He leaned back, somewhat tired from the day's work, "As far as we know he's not even alive anymore."

            The HobGoblin readied his gear. Everything was ready, the pawns would be in place soon and he surmised that before morning he'd be toasting martinis in celebration. He touched his warped skin; it had been the price of victory.

            His glider was prepped along with several other nasty surprises of his design for Spider-Man and his other guest. His crimson eyes glowed brightly.

            "Gwen, this isn't going away with your denial." Clive said as they he and Gwen Stacy sat in his office. "You need to get to the root of your difficulties. You understand that none of the incidents were your fault?"

            Gwen nodded, "I do."

            "Then what is wrong? You're holding something back. Is it about this Peter you told me about?"

            She glanced at him, "No." Gwen replied unconvincingly.

            "It is about him, isn't it?" Clive leaned in towards her, "You can tell me, I'm a doctor and you're my patient, everything said here is totally between us." He smiled, "Trust me."

            Gwen wanted to let loose so badly, she could feel the barriers beginning to fall but once again she embraced them and they held. "Sorry, I can't."

            "If you can't tell me then tell somebody. Your father, Peter, someone needs to hear what you have to say." Clive remarked, "You've held in far too much and now it's coming back and sending you on your way to a nervous breakdown. Tell somebody you trust but do it soon."

            Peter left the house with the occasional security checks from Uncle Ben. He slipped to the back while MJ threw him his costume. The night sky illuminated the moon and the stars around it brilliantly.

            He would have appreciated it if the dreadful sort of anticipation he felt didn't sour the night. "Thanks." He murmured.

            MJ smiled to him, "Are you sure this is the smart thing to do?" She asked from the window of the guest room.

            "Not really, but what choice do I have." Peter replied, "It's my first solid lead on the Green Goblin since we started our little game of tag. I'm tired reacting to him."

            "Yeah but this guy is a Goblin too." MJ remarked.

            She was right and the thought of meeting the HobGoblin face to face tonight sent chills down his spine. "Well let's hope he's got better psychiatrist than the Green Goblin, I'll see you later."

            "Take care, tiger." MJ urged, "Don't die on me."

            "You can count on that." Peter replied, "I love you."

            Norman stared at his son, "I have business to attend to with some CEOs, Harry, don't make noise."

            Harry looked back oddly at him, "You're leaving me?"

            "Yes, I'm afraid so. Take care, Harry."

            "Why?"

            Norman grimaced, "None of your business." He replied nastily.

            Harry reached out to him, "Father, please don't go."

            "Get away from me." Norman demanded sharply, "I suffer your…retardation because at the very least you're more obedient, don't turn our relationship into a total discomfort." He walked to his study, "Now be silent until I return!"

            Uncle Ben knocked on Mary Jane's door and she quickly let him in. "Hey, MJ, where was Peter going again?"

            "He said he needed to do some work at…Harry's house." She replied snappily though with slight hesitation.

            "Harry?" Ben frowned, "Didn't Peter say something had happened, he wasn't talking to anyone?"

            MJ shrugged, "I wouldn't know."

            "I wish he wouldn't hang around that Norman Osborn for so long. I don't like that guy." Ben complained candidly.

            "There are worse people in the world." MJ replied. "At least he's not some psychopath."

            Ben grimaced, "I wouldn't be so sure of that." He said bluntly and then quietly leaving.

            The HobGoblin laughed wickedly as he donned his dull gray costume. This would be sweet indeed. Osborn had brought this about by trying to muscle in on his industry, trying to destroy his entire life's work, well now he would have the last laugh.

            Spider-Man was simply the missile; the HobGoblin viewed himself as the delivery system. How ferocious these corporate wars were. He wondered what Norman would do if he learned that one of his greatest enemies was in fact Roderick Kingsly a fellow businessman and creator of Kingsly Enterprises.

            He remembered bribing just the right people to learn what Norman Osborn was really about, whispers in the company pointed to the possibility that someone in Osborn Industries was in fact the Green Goblin. People looked to the work they had been doing for the government before the death of Mendel Stromm halted their progress indefinitely as evidence, but there had been no proof to indicate to who it could be and the gossip was disregarded as a rumor, Roderick in his infinite brilliance found the truth out beyond a doubt and administered formula Green on himself.

            The enhanced intellect and strength it had granted him allowed Roderick to wage a war on Osborn. His company still lived; he expected he couldn't say the same for Norman when Spider-Man accomplished his mission like any good soldier.

            Peter swung high above the park. He was forced to use greater amounts of his webbing to account for the increased distance he needed to connect with nearby buildings to swing with. He wished the HobGoblin hadn't called the meeting at Central Park where there were so few high-rise locations for him to use.

            He gracefully came down fast like some sort of bird of prey ready to snatch its prey. Except for Peter he made no ascension. He found the highest tree branch within his grasp and gripped it tightly. He flipped over the branch and leapt to another.

            He did this for a moment finally landing on a concrete path cutting through the park. Immediately, his spider-sense informed him he was not alone. "I was wondering if you'd actually be here." Peter stated turning to face the hovering figure behind him.

            The HobGoblin grinned widely, "Hello, Spider-Man, I knew you'd be here." He gestured towards the sky subtly, "That was an impressive display."

            "Cut to the chase, Hobby, why am I here?" Peter inquired praying this wasn't a waste of his time.

            "Very well however, there is one more guest coming. Then everything will be made known to you." He smiled, "While he waits, may I ask a question of you?"

            Peter watched the HobGoblin suspiciously, "Shoot."

            Roderick's eyes opened, "Are you a mutant?"

            "No." Peter replied firmly, "Mutants are born with their powers."

            "Is that so?" Roderick smirked, "I had no idea. You were given your powers?"

            Peter shrugged, "Freak accident." He looked around nervously; he was getting a really bad vibe from this.

            Roderick nodded slowly, "Life is humorous that way, we all seem to just fall into events, plans, schemes and traps of somebody we can't understand." He laughed, "My fall was losing my humanity in becoming this."

            "What do you mean by that?" Peter asked suddenly, "What part of your humanity did you lose?"

            "That is none of your business, child." The HobGoblin replied sternly. He looked to the sky, "He's here."

            Peter's spider-sense started screaming. Something was coming this way, something nasty. "What is this? This is a trap?"

            Roderick laughed, "Of sorts I suppose but he has as little idea of what I've planned as you." He pulled a pumpkin grenade from his satchel and smiled, "Don't take it personally, Spider-Man, this is simply business."

            "What is this?" The Green Goblin barked as he hovered over the trees, his yellow eyes darted back and forth between them, "So the imitation has joined forces with the whelp!"

            Peter raised his hand, "Hold on, Goblin, I'm not here to fight you, Hobby here is trying to pull something." He could see the scarred flesh where an eye used to be and was startled, had that been the result of their last skirmish?

            Norman, the Goblin, stared at them and frowned, "What is going on here? I was told to come here for an opportunity to destroy you, Spider-Man, and instead I find the HobGoblin and you!" He pulled a flaming pumpkin from his own satchel.

            "HobGoblin told me that he would help me take you down." Peter replied.

            The Goblin and Spider-Man turned their sights on a smug Roderick, "I must admit its true; now that that's out of the way you two may proceed to tear one another apart."

            Norman scoffed at Roderick's request and moved towards his nemesis slowly, "Spider-Man, though by no means this is an end to our feud I propose we destroy this two-faced liar before commencing hostilities between us." Norman suggested angrily. He'd been used and he didn't like it one bit.

            For Peter the feeling was mutual. "That might have been the first thing you've said that makes sense since I met you, Goblin."

            "I must protest." The HobGoblin interrupted their verbal agreement, "You see you will destroy Spider-Man and the latter will do the same to you."

            Norman grimaced; he was visibly pissed off, "I don't do what cheap imitations demand of me!"

            The HobGoblin grinned, "I suspected you'd respond like this so now I must provide you with proper motivation." He turned to the web-slinger, "Spider-Man, the Green Goblin is none other than the infamous tycoon Norman Osborn."

            With that, Peter's world collapsed.What? No! That can't be true; he is Harry's father, why would he become the Goblin? He's Harry's father, I respect him he's a friend. He's a friend! He can't be the Green Goblin, it's not possible. He's threatened everyone I love; he's tried to kill them all; he wants to know who I am. Jesus Christ, we wants to see my face, he wants to kill me. Dear God, this can't be true, dear God, I shouldn't have come here, I shouldn't have learned this. What if he takes off my mask and escapes, what if he finds out who I really am? What will he do to Mary Jane, Ben, God this is wrong; it can't be this way. He is the Goblin; I can see it on his face. My God, Norman Osborn is the Green Goblin.

            Norman snarled at the HobGoblin and then gazed coldly back at Spider-Man who seemed oddly in shock, "I'm sorry to go back on our pact so quickly, web-head, but unfortunately I can't risk you leaving with the knowledge of my identity." He looked at his double, "You will suffer greatly as soon as I eliminate the wall-crawler; you've been a thorn in my side for too long." He pulled back his arm ready to thrust the pumpkin in Parker's face, "The same applies to you."