(A/N: Sorry for the shorter chapter, guys. I'm still trying to piece together all the details of the story I have planned out. Also, I'm going to Graduate School so that's something else I have to do though I try to do that more on the weekends. However, I'll still try my best to put out chapters on a regular basis.
I do not own Spiderman. That right belongs to Sony).
Tombstone just stared at the sight before him. Someone with the stature of a young boy dressed in heavy gear and a hoverboard flew above him over the ledge of his building's balcony. To anyone else, this would have surprised and in some cases even frightened some people. However, given that he had been constantly intruded on by young boys in spandex and black alien monsters, this was really nothing to the albino crime lord.
The both of them just stared at each other until Tombstone just raised an eyebrow.
"Well…aren't you going to introduce yourself?" Tombstone asked, getting impatient. He really needed to get back to work.
"Let's just say I'm the new and improved Green Goblin" The armored figure said, putting his hands on his waist and giving an almost silly pose.
"Hm…well the suit's definitely an improvement…along with the fact that you speak in a normal voice. However, I'm not interested in what you're selling" Tombstone said. He then turned and began to walk back towards the door to the office.
However, just as he was about a dozen feet away from the door, the Goblin moved the hoverboard in front of the tall, buff man.
"I think you are, actually. You see, Spiderman took something near and dear to me and I want revenge. You want him out of the way so you can continue your…business. Our interests are clearly aligned" The Goblin said.
Tombstone sighed and rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. Do you honestly think I need your help to take down the Spider? I've been in this business for a long time, boy and villains way above your paygrade, your own father included, couldn't end him. Yes. That's right. I know who you are, Harold Theopolis Osborn"
The figure stayed still on his hoverboard for a few moments before removing his mask, revealing the young face of Mr. Harry Osborn.
"What gave me away?" Harry asked, giving a surprised but serious look on his face.
Tombstone again rolled his eyes. "You look and sound like a teenager, Norman Osborn had only one son and all of a sudden another Goblin is right at my doorstep. How dumb do you think I am?"
The white skinned man asked this as he turned around and again sat down at the table. He could tell he was going to get very little work done tonight.
"Ok so you figured me out. Congratulations. Then you must also know I have access to all the chemicals, weapons and technology that my father had access to before Spiderman killed him. I've been training for a month so far with a family friend and I'd say I'm just as, if not more effective than my dad was as the Green Goblin" Harry explained, moving his hoverboard slowly towards the table.
"Suppose that was even true. Why exactly should I place anymore trust in your family? Your father and I had an agreement and his little stunts as the Green Goblin placed a heavy toll on my operations. How am I supposed to believe this will be any different?" Tombstone asked, crossing his legs.
"I assure you, it will be. I don't have anything to lose so I have no reason to betray you. My dad's gone, my girl left me for my so called best friend and that same 'best friend' manipulated my dad to leave him my family's company over me" Harry explained.
"Ah yes, Peter Parker. I recall the name. Takes pictures of Spiderman. I also heard tragic things about the boy. Heard he developed a bad habit at the end of his junior year" Tombstone said, intertwining his fingers.
"Yeah, he's a raging alcoholic which means he shouldn't be anywhere near Oscorp. He's too reckless" Harry said as he put his mask back on.
Tombstone took a second to take in the sight of a boy on a hoverboard dressed like a maniac calling someone else 'reckless'.
"...Right. And why exactly do you need my help? I can't exactly make anymore supervillains anymore with all the scientists Osborn used to initially make them in jail. What use am I to you?" Tombstone asked.
"It's not really your intellect I'm after, it's your wealth" Harry explained.
"My wealth? You're an Osborn, one of the richest families in the country" Tombstone scoffed with an eyebrow raised.
"Not anymore after my dad left everything to Peter which is why I need your help" Harry explained to the crime lord.
Tombstone began to get a sour look on his face.
"Are you suggesting that I pay someone to off this boy? What kind of man do you think I am, kid?" Tombstone practically scolded. Yes, he was a crime lord but even he had standards and he was pretty sure killing off an underaged boy was crossing the line…
"No, no! Jesus! Even if I'm not really speaking to him right now, he's still my best friend! I care about him a lot!" Harry said, sincerely.
Tombstone was growing curious at what exactly he was suggesting.
"Then…what exactly are you proposing?" Tombstone asked with a raised eyebrow.
"In exchange for ending Spiderman, I want you to buy enough shares onto Oscorp so that at the next board meeting, you can use them to vote yourself Chairman of the Board and knock Peter off as CEO and appoint me instead. That way I can get my life back on track and things can slowly start getting back to where they were before the web-head showed up" Harry explained to the white-skinned man.
Tombstone had to admit, it was certainly an interesting idea but not a very attractive one.
"And why would I ever do that? If I suddenly gain interest in taking control of Oscorp, the government will inquire why, especially after Spiderman's death. Also, if you are caught executing that plan, the police will investigate and possibly find a link to the Spider's death to me and finally, what makes you think that even with all the training you've apparently done that you even stand a chance against him? Everything that I've thrown at him, he's managed to throw right back at my face. Sure it distracted him well enough for a time but he thwarted enough villains to still cause considerable problems to my operations even before Valentine's day" Tombstone said.
"There won't be anything linking you to his death. I swear. I'll be discreet as I can and you're an impressionable guy. I'm sure you can say you trust me more than Peter to use Oscorp for better humanitarian use than my dad did" Harry said.
"Maybe so but that still leaves the issue of you actually taking on the Spider himself. What makes you think you're even qualified to wash his suit let alone fight him, especially now that he has little sidekicks fighting by his side from what I heard" Tombstone said, still not convinced at all by this plan.
"I'll have the element of surprise by my side. They won't know that there's a new Green Goblin and also, his cronies won't be able to handle the new technology that I've been provided with. The hoverboard gives me better control and the Spider won't be so easily able to grab on like he did with my dad's Glider. Also, I know his tricks now. I saw him first hand how he took my dad out. He won't be able to do that again" Harry rationalized.
Tombstone just sighed. This kid was persistent, he had to admit. He also had very little options nowadays against the Spider. If he was going to keep his operations intact, he needed him gone. There was however still an issue of trust on whether or not he would be able to accomplish this. He needed a bit more assurance before he'd be able to completely believe this kid could take down Spiderman.
"Hm…I'll tell you what, kid…if you find yourself a suitable partner to work with on this, I'll accept your offer" Tombstone said, leaning forward.
"What?" Harry said. Even behind the mask, Tombstone could tell he had a questioning expression on his face.
"You heard me loud and clear. Even if you're as good as you say and hardly anyone ever is, you'll likely do much better if you have someone by your side. The Sinister Six and the Enforcers prove this despite their eventual failures. Find someone to work with and you have a deal but not a moment before. Understand me?" Tombstone said, looking up at the boy on his hoverboard.
Harry just stood silent for a moment. He was kind of offended, he wasn't going to lie but he was pretty damn annoyed by it. How the hell was he going to find someone to partner up with? The redhead teen needed to think this over.
"...Fine…but if and when I go through with this and succeed, I expect you to hold up your end of this bargain" Harry practically demanded.
Tombstone just let out an amused huff and gave a slight nod. "But of course. I'm a man of my word"
"...Good. I'll keep in touch, Mr. Lincoln" Harry said before he just flew off into the night sky, leaving Tombstone alone with just his thoughts for company.
The white skinned crime lord just sat for a moment and tapped his foot. This was certainly going to be an interesting development. He didn't exactly expect the boy to actually go through with his but at this point, he was willing to try anything to go back to how things were before Spiderman appeared. After a few minutes of sitting and thinking, he got back up and went back inside his office, finally able to do some work after constant interruptions. Once back at his desk, Tombstone just continued to type at his computer.
*At the same time, Ravencroft institute*
Eddie Brock was just getting done with a shower. It had been a long and frustrating day. How dare Parker could think he could just waltz in here, give a half assed apology and think he could actually convince him to be friends with him again. Not this time, he thought. He was solid as a rock on this and there was no way in hell he'll every agree to be friends with or even start to like the son of a bitch again.
As he wrapped his lower body in a towel after drying himself off, he gave a stretch. God, he hated this place. It had been several months since he had been outside the walls of this place. He missed New York City and he missed ESU. He missed his classes, his dorm room and he missed the Connors themselves despite stabbing him in the back by firing. There had to be a way out of here, the blond man thought.
As Eddie contemplated this as he went to get dressed, there came a noise behind him. A slight noise but enough of a noise to catch his or anyone else's attention. He turned and saw that this noise was coming from the shower drain. This caused him to raise an eyebrow. That was certainly bizarre.
Eddie walked towards the drain and looked down. There wasn't anything down there, he initially thought. Just pure and utter blackness.
"Hm…strange" Eddie thought at first. When he was about to pull away and go change, there came a movement within the drain that he recognized…something he recognized quite well.
The blond's eyes widened with shock. It…It couldn't be…could it?
"My…my love? Is…is that you?" Eddie asked, kneeling down at the drain, his eyes staring down inside.
He was answered as a black goo appeared out of a hole in the drain. Eddie's heart raced as his ecstasy grew. After several months and practically giving up hope, his prayers were finally answered.
The black goo grew larger in size as it continued to crawl outside the drain. When it was fully outside, the both of them practically snatched at each other.
The symbiote attached itself on Eddie's hand. It felt the rage growing within Eddie's body and a strong bond forming within them once again. The effects of the gene cleanser Peter Parker poured into Eddie's mouth had gone away and there was no longer anything holding them back from being together again.
"Finally…finally…we're together again" Eddie said, gazing longingly at the goo like it was a wife he had been married to for decades. "We will become what we once were. We…are once again Venom!"