Chapter 7

The Goblin cackled. He floated just off the ground on his bat glider. His predatory eyes and snarky grin unnerved those around himself. "Why, Joe Robertson! About time I get someone in charge! Where's Jameson?"

"He's…out." Robbie stiffened. He considered the three ladies with them. Then he turned back toward the costumed lunatic. "Look. You've got me. Why don't you let them go?"

The Goblin laughed. Sarcasm dripped from his tone. "And WHY would I do that? No I want all of you right here!" He looked around the bullpen. His eyes narrowed. "I know that ingrate Peter Parker's here someplace! He was with these two earlier!"

Gwen quaked. She knew of the Goblin from her father of course. She set her jaw. Fear definitely chilled her heart. Still, she would never betray the man she cared for. "Peter's home."

The Goblin snorted. "DON'T LIE TO ME, YOU LITTLE TRAMP!" He let his voice settle down. "No. I know he's here. We're just going to wait for him." He reached into his bag. He tossed a round object at the door.

The weapon exploded. From it, a plaster-like substance expanded over the area sealing the door shut.

Gwen stared at the hall. Panic seemed to leap from her eyes.

"So he is here! Then we'll just wait!" The Goblin grabbed Robbie by the collar. "The next edition shouldn't have to go to press just yet." He frowned at the older man. With his free hand he held up a special pumpkin bomb. "Be happy I don't care about Miss Brant or you!" He tossed Robbie atop Betty's desk. Then he pulled the top off of the bomb, dropped it onto the desk and backed away.

The pumpkin released billows of sleeping gas over the area around that desk. Robbie and Betty coughed and wheezed. Their eye lids grew heavier. She slumped against her chair. He dozed atop her desk.

"Mr. Robertson! Betty!" Gwen protested. She stood and hustled several steps across the bullpen.

"They'll wake up in a few hours. No. I want you two and Peter Parker!" the Goblin snapped. Sparks danced ominously above his gloved fingertips. His eyes seemed to darken. "You'll pay!"

"Why do you want us? What have we done to you?" Gwen demanded. "Peter takes pictures of Spider-Man! He doesn't know him!"

MJ turned her face away. Somehow, she managed not to react to that last statement. She knew full well why the Goblin wanted Peter. We're the bait. This creep wants to draw Petey into a fight. Of all the days for him to be too sick to barely stand up!

"Miss Stacy, you wouldn't understand. Parker has made my life hell! I will be even with him! He will die and that accursed Wall Crawler with him!" The Goblin tensed. "And you two will go with them!"

Gwen bit her lip. She tried to reach for the phone by her hand. A spark burst burned her hand into dropping the receiver.

"Just us. I want that do gooder where I can kill him! You both aren't going anywhere!" The Goblin grabbed onto both of them. He hoisted them up into the air.

"What…what do you want? We…haven't done anything!" MJ challenged.

The Goblin curled his lip. His eyes grew more pronounced if anything. "You, Miss Watson, have done PLENTY! Can't you take the moment of your impending death seriously? IF ANYTHING, THIS SHOULD MAKE IT SERIOUS!"

A loud thumping came from the window in the hallway.

Gwen saw Peter first. She shook her head. "PETER! NO! GET OUT OF HERE! GET HELP!"

The Goblin taunted, "YES, PARKER! GET HELP! BUT WATCH FIRST!" He moved the strained glider closer to the broken window. His head motioned toward the abyss. His breath hung heavily and visible in the chilled air. "THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO BUT WATCH! MAYBE I'LL KILL YOUR OLD AUNT NEXT!"

Peter whacked on the window one more time. Even with the flu, he could have broken down the glass…

…but not without Gwen and MJ finding out the truth….

He winced. I can't break in there without them knowing but…. He glanced toward the next suite. Bromley had left his door open again. That's it. He took one more look. Knowing Gwen was in there with the Goblin seized his heart. Chill shot up and down his spine…for once not from the flu….

He glanced one more time at the Goblin and the two women. He shook his head.

"GET MOVING, PARKER! THEY DO NOT HAVE ALL DAY!" the Goblin taunted.

They don't have all day! I don't either! Peter slipped into Bromley's office. He webbed the door shut. Panic sped his actions up. He practically ripped his outer clothes off and webbed them into a bundle. He pulled on his gloves and mask. Ready or not, Osborn, here I come, you Lunatic! He pulled the webpack onto his back. Then he forced himself to crawl the few feet toward and over the broken window.

"RUN, PETER! GET HELP! CALL THE POLICE!" Desperation and Relief pushed at Gwen simultaneously. She grabbed at her attackers' wrist and hand trying to loosen his grip.

"There's no…time for police," MJ disagreed. She hooked her foot on a desk to slow the Goblin down from that window. Once more, she recalled that awful night years earlier. A clock ticked away in her head. She tried to buy two or three precious minutes. With each thought, the inevitable ate at her. She turned to her friend. She gulped. "Gwen. There's something you need to know…" She shook her head.

"But what's Peter going to do? Don't be telling me last confessions! Harry's going to be okay! Peter will get help!" Gwen demanded.

MJ rolled her eyes. She sighed and glanced at their captor. "I know he's getting help. Just not the police." She bowed her head.

The Goblin cackled. Realization dawned across his consciousness. "You know, Miss Watson? You actually know Parker's secret? And she doesn't? SHE REALLY DOESN'T KNOW?"

"Know what, you Animal? Peter's not a bad person! Whatever it is, I can deal with it!" Gwen slapped him across the face. "He's worth a thousand of you!"

The Goblin chuckled. "Oh such loyalty! I expected as much! Miss Watson can tell you on the way down!" The Goblin yanked MJ away from the desk. He moved toward the open window. "Time for you both to get your fresh air!" He flexed his arms raising each woman higher into the air. He prepared to throw them to their deaths far below….

…then two webbed boots rammed into his chest knocking him, the glider and the girls backward…

"It's the door you open for a lady not the fiftieth-floor window, Goblin! Get that straight already!" Spider-Man staggered a bit on his feet. Still he shot a pair of web lines at the hostages. Each one hit their target perfectly. He yanked—granted not that hard but still hard enough.

Gwen managed to land six inches beneath on Ned Leeds' desk although the impact left a crack in it.

MJ grabbed onto one of the outer partitions to break her fall. She still sat down hard against the tile. She shook her head. Peter, so help me. That's really going to hurt!

"STAY DOWN, BOTH OF YOU!" Spider-Man watched the Goblin carefully. He knew the door remained gooped shut. The only way out was the window he'd just swung in through. Colors danced in front of his eyes. Chills stabbed through his arms and legs.

"Feeling a bit weak, Parker?" The Goblin pulled himself to his feet. "That wasn't up to your usual standards."

Gwen gasped. Her eyes went wide. Her jaw dropped. "Did he just…?"

Spider-Man clenched his fists. Anger flared inside of his gut. He looked back briefly at Gwen. Regret numbed him. He shook his head. His eyes met hers. Gwen, I'm sorry. I couldn't… I wanted to. I….

"PAY ATTENTION!" The Goblin picked up a desk and flung it across the room.

"LOOK OUT!" Gwen yelled.

Spider-Man managed to leap out of the way. He twisted through a double somersault in mid-air to the ceiling. From there, he sprayed webbing between himself and the two girls.

Before the webbing sealed her off, Gwen looked to the Wall Crawler. As long as she could, she kept him in sight. Then the barrier closed. She saw MJ crawling toward her. "Are you all right?"

"My hip hurts. At least I'll live. How about you?" MJ bit her lip.

"I'll live too." Gwen pulled MJ under the desk with her. "But you knew Peter was Spider-Man? With everything that's happened, you knew?"

"Yeah. I've known since his Uncle Ben died. I've kept his secret. Sorry. I figured he'd tell you himself." MJ apologized.

She thought back over the years. "So when he was running away from a fight, he really wasn't running away?"

MJ shook her head. "He was running to change and get into the fight." A crash echoed from across the bullpen. "Like right now!"

Gwen shook her head. He's really Spider-Man! She touched the web barrier with her fingers. When it actually sprang back against them, she gaped. He wasn't being a coward. I can't believe I thought that about him. She mouthed a silent prayer and braced herself.

Seemed there was a lot to think about….