Chapter 9: Run Goblin Run
"…no, I don't have a guide dog, so it won't be a problem." Matt Murdock said. "Yes, I am blind, I have been since I was a kid, but I've managed to get around New York blind for years." He sighed. After recent events, Matt Murdock, better known as Daredevil, had decided to move back to his one time stomping grounds of San Francisco. Of course, for a blind lawyer, finding a decent apartment was harder than it used to be. "Look, a client just walked in, so I'm going to have to call you back about that apartment." He said, and hung up. "I know your scent anywhere, Peter." He turned to look at the window, where Spider-Man was sitting on the window, and although Matt couldn't necessarily see it, he knew Spider-Man was wearing a new costume. His shoulders, head, and part of his torso were red with a web pattern, his lenses were black, the spider emblem was similar to the one he had when he wore the black suit, except it was black from the chest and forearms down, with the legs of the emblem wrapping around his shoulders, and on each wrist was a silver gauntlet like device with a red screen. On his back was the same emblem he always had, except it was obvious that this was more than a decoration, almost as if it was some sort of backpack,
"I gave up trying to sneak up on you years ago, Matt." Spider-Man said, and got off the windowsill. "Black Widow told me that you're moving."
"Yeah. After everything that's happened lately, I need to get away from the city." Matt said. "So what brings you here?"
"Well, about a day after Smythe tried to breakout, I was sitting in Spider Island, and I started thinking: how could I repay the city for giving me my own base? And then, it occurred to me. Tell me, my fearless friend, what's one of the biggest eyesores in this city? I'll give you a hint: it's owner has a permanent investment in this city's all you can eat buffets." Spider-Man said.
"Shadowland. You want to take it out." The blind lawyer said.
"You guessed it." The Arachnid Avenger said. "That things been standing in our city for too long, and the residents of Hell's Kitchen are stuck under Kingpin's gigantic thumb."
I'm guessing you have a plan?" Matt said.
"Go in, bounce Kingpin like a bouncy ball, and knock it down." Spider-Man said. "I figured you'd want a piece of the action, seeing as how your old neighborhood is living in constant fear for their lives."
"You figured right." Matt said, already reaching under his desk for his Daredevil costume.
That Night, Shadowland
Kingpin, Hobgoblin, and several Hand ninjas were gathered around a map of New York, with various sections marked. "We've managed to…persuade…the new White Dragon to give us his territory, and the Owl will fall soon enough." Kingpin said. "Hobgoblin, did you do what I said?"
"Yessir. I laid a nice little bread trail for the cops to follow straight to Owl. They should be arresting him any minute now." Hobgoblin said.
"Excellent. The evidence won't stick, but it will leave him detained long enough for us to claim his territory." Kingpin said. "Out next order of business will be rigging the next/" Kingpin was cut off as an explosion rocked the building. "What the hell? Someone report!"
"We're under attack sir! It's the Avengers!" A voice said over a radio. In an abandoned apartment complex that was right under Shadowland, the Punisher held an empty RPG.
"This is Castle. I've rung the doorbell." He said as he began walking down the stairs of the complex, loading his guns as he did.
"Good job, Punisher." Spider-Man said over the communicators. "You're using rubber bullets, right?"
"These are immortal ninjas. If you think I'm using rubber bullets against f**king immortal ninjas, you've been inhaling too much web formula." Punisher said, and exited the complex, where he found a squad of Hand ninjas waiting for him. "I'm gonna have to call you back." At the entrance to Shadowland, Spider-Man, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Daredevil, Falcon, Spider-Woman, and Captain America were engaging the Hand.
"Remind me of the plan again!" Spider-Woman said as she blasted the face of one ninja."
"We fight our way to the top of the tower, then we arrest Kingpin." Captain America said as he blocked the sword of a ninja before bashing him in the face with his shield. "Spider-Man, this is your op. Any suggestions?"
"Yeah: be on your toes." Spider-Man said as his gloves sharpened into claws, and slashed an archer's bow in half before kicking him in the face. "I don't know who Kingpin's got in that tower, so be prepared for anyone."
"Can someone tell me why we didn't do this sooner?" Luke asked as he punched a ninja in the face.
"Corruption runs deep in this city." Daredevil said as he swung his bo staff into the head of a Hand member. "Fisk pays enough city council members to make enough red tale to keep the Avengers or SHIELD out."
"Then it's a good thing that this isn't an Avengers mission." Spider-Man said as two hand ninjas cornered him. "This is a strike by a group of superheroes, most of which happen to be Avengers, and are lead by an Avenger."
'Incoming call from mayor Jameson.' His communicator said, and Spider-Man sighed.
"I'm sorry, can you wait a moment? I need to take this." Spider-Man as two mechanical legs, similar to a spiders, came out of his backpack, stabbing the two ninjas in the shoulder. "JJ! How can I help the Mayoral Mustache?"
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Jameson yelled. "You and your spandex wearing comrades are attacking privately owned property!"
"Do you know what this building is, Flattop? This is Shadowland." Spider-Man said. "You have the headquarters of an international assassin organization, not to mention the headquarters of Wilson Fisk, a criminal who has been convicted of too many crimes to count, sitting right in the middle of your city, and what do you do about it? Nothing!" Spider-Man punched a ninja in the face, before delivering a roundhouse kick to another. "You shut down the Raft to protect the people of New York, but do you do anything about Shadowland? No, you let Fisk just run around doing whatever he wants!"
"Mr. Mayor, it's our duty to take him down. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a few personal reasons for this." Daredevil said. "I brought the Hand and Shadowland to New York, and it's because of me that Kingpin is in charge here, and it's my fault these people live in fear of him."
"Jonah, we're doing what you should have done a while ago." Spider-Man said as he swung one ninja into two others.
"The minute Fisk took over, you should have marched your little 'anti-Spider Squad' in here to arrest him. Instead, you devote taxpayer dollars on trying to arrest my male counterpart Spider-Man." Spider-Woman said.
"Look, JJ, think about it: heroes take down criminal empire with approval of Mayor Jameson." Spider-Man said as he tripped a group of ninjas up.
"That's make for one hell of a headline." Falcon said as he kneed a ninja in the groin. "Just imagine the approval ratings." Jameson was silent for a moment.
"Alright, fine. I'll file the paperwork, but I want Fisk in handcuffs by morning." Jameson said, before hanging up.
"Man, what an ass." Falcon said. "Has he always been like that?"
"He used to be worse." Luke said
"Don't sound so surprised, everyone." Iron Fist said as he punched a ninja in the gut. "Jameson's had a mad on for Spidey for years. We shouldn't be surprised that he ignored Kingpin to go after Spider-Man."
"Well, at least we're finally fixing this problem." Wolverine said as he stabbed a ninja. Inside Shadowland, Kingpin watched the battle with unbidden rage.
"This is unacceptable!" He yelled. "Send out Lady Bullseye!"
"You want me out there too, boss?" Hobgoblin asked.
"No, I want you right here." Kingpin said, reading they would have to use plan B.
Captain America, Daredevil, and Falcon were making their way through several dozen ninjas. "Keep it up people! Were almost through!" Falcon said, when something hit him in the back of the neck.
"Sam!" Captain America yelled, and Daredevil sniffed the air.
"I know that scent." He said, and 'saw' Lady Bullseye with his enhanced hearing. "You're still working for Fisk, Lady Bullseye?"
"No, I am working for the Hand. Unlike you, I know where my loyalties lay." Lady Bullseye said. "I never betrayed the Hand because of misplaced sympathies for American super-heroes. Now, Daredevil, prepare to-" Lady Bullseye was cut off when a gunshot went off, and a bullet went through her skull. As she fell down, everyone saw the Punisher, who only had a few cuts and bruises.
"F**king magic ninjas." He grumbled, and walked over to the group. "Who else has Fisk sent out?"
"I know Hobgoblin's here, but Fisk hasn't sent him out. Other than that, Fisk doesn't have any super humans out right now." Daredevil reported. "What about you? Have you come across anyone?"
"Only the Hand's regular ninjas." Punisher said. "How's Falcon?"
"Looks like he only has a small concussion. He'll be fine." Captain America said, when Daredevil gasped.
"Oh god, not her." He said. "We need to get to Spider-Man and the others, now!"
Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist were fighting their way towards the entrance of Shadowland. "Does anyone know the layout of this place?" Luke asked.
"I do." Spider-Man said. "When Daredevil built it here, he had to file blueprints with City Hall. I'm uploading the layouts into my lenses. Kingpin's office is-" he was cut off by his Spider Sense going haywire.
"Way out of your reach, arachnid." A woman with red hair and an open leather jacket said.
"Typhoid Mary." He said. He'd only encountered her once, years ago, and he'd prayed ever since that he would never meet the bundle of insanity and mutant powers that was Typhoid Mary.
"That's my name. Don't wear it out." Mary said.
"Aw crap, this is the crazy one Daredevil told us about isn't it?" Luke asked, preparing for a fight.
"I think so." Iron Fist said as Green Energy surrounded his fist.
"Guys, be prepared." Spider-Woman said. "Typhoid Mary is an extremely powerful telekinetic and pyrokinetic, and her Dissociative Identity Disorder only makes her more dangerous."
"But which personality is in control?" Spider-Man asked Typhoid, his claws and four mechanical arms ready to rumble.
"Oh, I'm not any you've come across before. See, Kingpin awakened my true self. I like to call this one…Mad Mary." Typhoid said.
"Mad Mary? Really?" Spider-Man said. "And I thought 'Rhino' or 'Doctor Octopus' was tacky." His Spider Sense flared, and he was hit in the chest by a telekinetic blast from Mary, sending him flying back, but he quickly recovered.
"I think you'll quickly find I'm different than the other Mary's." Typhoid said. "While the others had their weaknesses, I have none. While they were burdened by personal desires, I only have one: obey Kingpin." She created a flaming sword in her hand.
"That's…not in the files." Spider-Woman said. "Spider-Man, tell me you expected her."
"I wish I could. I didn't even know she was still alive." Spider-Man said. "I came only expecting Hobgoblin of Lady Bullseye, but not her."
"How about we use the best strategy there is: but her til she stops moving!" Luke said, and he and Iron Fist ran at her. Luke slammed his fist towards her, but she caught with telekinesis. Iron Fist tried performing an uppercut, but Mary blocked it with her flame sword. They were telekinetically thrown back by her, and Spider-Woman began firing venom blasts while Spider-Man shot impact webbing at her.
In Shadowland's main office, Kingpin and Hobgoblin watched the spectacle. "Plan B has been initiated." Kingpin said.
"Uh, boss? If you don't mind me asking, what's plan B?" Hobgoblin asked.
"Typhoid is a last resort. If any of these so heroes manage to defeat her, she has been instructed to take her own life. Her death will set off explosives set to detonate when he heart stops beating, and the explosion will be enough to destroy Shadowland's lower support beams." Kingpin said. "The hope is that the ensuing collapse will be enough to destroy not only the heroes, but Hell's Kitchen as well."
"That seems a little…extreme." Hobgoblin said. "Wouldn't it be easier to just take them on yourself?"
"Not with this many." Kingpin said. "If it was simply Spider-Man and Daredevil, you and I would be able to easily kill them. However, I never expected Spider-Man to bring several Avengers with him. Come with me." Kingpin lead Hobgoblin to the opposite wall, and pushed it open to reveal a set of stairs. "No one down here, except for a trusted few, have seen this place." The crime lord said as he lead his Goblin downstairs, and eventually they saw a large man who looked exactly like Kingpin eating a bucker of fried chicken.
"Mr. Fisk! I didn't know you'd be stopping by!" The look alike said.
"Uh, can someone please explain what's going on?" Hobgoblin said.
"Hobgoblin, this is Smeadly Kornfield." Kingpin said. "He has undergone extensive surgery on both the physical and genetic level to look exactly like me in case I need him." He walked over to Smeadly. "Smeadly, I've given you everything you could want. Video games, TV, all the food you can eat…would you say this was a good life?"
"Yeah." The lookalike said.
*SNAP!* Smeadly's body, which now had a broken neck, fell to the floor. "Holy s**t!" Hobgoblin yelled.
"I'm afraid this was necessary. Smeadly has my DNA and my dental record, and after the fire, will be completely indistinguishable from me." Kingpin said.
"Fire? What fire?" At that moment, Kingpin doused the whole room with gasoline, before lighting a match. "Oh. That fire." Another secret door opened, revealing a one person craft. "I hate to be that guy, but that's a one seater."
"Very astute, Hobgoblin. I'm afraid this is where we say goodbye." Kingpin said. "It has been a pleasure working with you, and I wish you the best of luck." When Kingpin turned to shake Hobgoblin's hand, he was already gone. "Smart boy. Though I suppose that's one more loose end I'll have to tie up."
Shadowland exit
"Goddammit!" Hobgoblin yelled as he exited. "Kingpin wants me dead, the Avengers want me captured…what the actual hell?! Things were going so well!"
'Unit 213 performing sweep.' A mechanized voice said, and Hobgoblin turned to see a spider bot, squealing like a scared little girl.
"Oh crap, it's one of Spider-Man's little robots!" He said, raising his flame sword to destroy the robot.
'Goblin Protocol activated.' The Spider Bot said as it analyzed Hobgoblin's face. 'No activity detected. Continuing sweep.' It scurried off, leaving a confused Hobgoblin.
"Well, didn't see that coming. Must be defective." Hobgoblin said, before hauling his ass out of there.
Shadowland entrance
The battle against Typhoid was not going well. Iron Fist, Spider-Woman, and Luke were unconscious, and despite being joined by Daredevil, Captain America, Falcon, and the Punisher, the heroes were still outmatched. "We need a plan." Falcon said. "Cap? Spidey?"
"I might, but it's a long shot. It relies entirely on if I can scratch her." Spider-Man said. "DD, Punisher, you take her left. Falcon, Cap, you two take her right. Distract her, and I'll do the rest."
"You got it Web Head!" Cap said as he threw his shield, the large Vibranium discus flying through the air. Typhoid effortlessly caught it with her mental powers, and created a shield that blocked bullets from Punisher and flechetes from Falcon. Daredevil attempted to get in close, but Typhoid created a wall of flame to keep him back. Unfortunately for her, distributing her telekinesis and pyrokinesis like that left a huge opening in her defenses.
"There we go!" Spider-Man said, leaping at her and taking her with his claws, enough to draw blood, and she threw him back.
"I don't know what you though you would accomplish by that." Typhoid said, holding all the heroes by their throats.
"Well, I don't know if you've heard, but I've got these new toys called 'micro-trackers' in my claws. And you've got them in your bloodstream now." Spider-Man said, and held his gauntlet to his mouth. "Micro-Tracers: bioelectric pulse." Mary was confused, until what felt like a dozen volts of electricity made her drop to her knees, dropping the heroes. "Like that? Don't worry, they're designed to only stun for a second, not kill." Spider-Man said, and Typhoid began chuckling madly.
"Good to know." She said, and grabbed a knife strapped to her thigh and slit her throat open from ear to ear, shocking all the gathered heroes.
"What the actual f**k?" Falcon said, and Daredevil grabbed her body, holding his ear to her chest.
'Wait, that almost sounds like a-' his eyes widened as he realized Typhoid's plan. '-pacemaker!' Spider-Man's spider sense began to sing Beethoven's 5th at that moment.
"Everyone get back!" He said, and tapped his gauntlet as Cap grabbed Luke, Falcon grabbed Iron Fist, and Punisher grabbed Spider-Woman. "Plan Beta 5!" Blue domes surrounded the buildings of Hell's Kitchen, and Shadowland's support structures blew, and the structure began to collapse. The heroes managed to get under one dome just before it closed, and the debris bounced harmlessly of the fields. "Thank god…I wasn't entirely sure that would work. A good thing that all that concrete and metal isn't as strong as the Hulk." Spider-Man said, and noticed the residents of the building the dome covered watching the scene with what looked like shock. "Oh. Hi, everyone."
"My word, it's like some sort of twisted Thanksgiving parade." An elderly woman said.
"No way, it's like the Fourth of July!" A young boy said.
"No son. It's Bastille Day." The boy's father said.
"Is it over?" The boy said
"What's your name, kid?" Captain America asked the little boy.
"Leo." He said.
"Well, Leo, it's all over." The First Avenger said. "No more being afraid of Fisk, no more living in the shadow of evil. And do you know why?" He pointed to Spider-Man. "Because of this man."
"Please, I didn't really do a lot." Spider-Man said. "It was guys like Cap or Daredevil who did all the heavy lifting."
"Nonsense." Daredevil said. "It was Spider-Man who decided to come here, and it was him who got all of us together. Without him, none of this would have happened."
"Well, yes I did, but it was-" Spider-Man started to say, when Spider-Woman covered his mouth.
"Web head, stop being so modest and say a few words." She said.
"Ok. Well, um…" he looked at Leo and his father. "What's you're name?"
"I'm Jaime Maldano, and this is Leo." The father said.
"Well, Jaime, Leo, I want you to know that I did this all for you." Spider-Man said. "The people of Hell's Kitchen have been living in Kingpin's XXXL shadow for too long, having to pay for all his all-you-can-eat buffets. You can all rest easy tonight, and know that from now on, Hell's Kitchen is now under my protection, and I promise, the monsters will never come back!"
Sewers
A group of Hand ninjas were being lead by two men in Goblin Masks through the sewers of New York. "Gentlemen, welcome to the Goblin Underground. You'll be safe here." The man in the lead said.
"Safe? We are unworthy." One of the ninjas said. "We fled from battle. We do not deserve to live!"
"Dude, just because you ran from a fight with the Avengers. That don't make you a coward, that means you're smart." One of the men said.
"And to the Goblin King, you are FAR from unworthy." The other man said, and they were lead into a large room where several members of the Goblin Underground had gathered.
"If like to thank you all for coming here today. With Mr. Fisk's former employees joining us, and his infrastructure becoming ours, we've passed the tipping point!" Goblin King said. "52% of all organized crime in this city is ours! And for that, we have to give Spider-Man a big round of applause for cutting off the heads but leaving the bodies!" He said, letting his subjects cheer for him before silencing them. "Your Goblin King is now the Goblin Kingpin of Crime! Hee hee…without even lifting a finger, I've won! NEW YORK IS ALREADY MINE!"
Later that night, A Small Fix-It shop in Brooklyn.
Phineas Mason, better known as the Tinkerer, pleas polishing an antique clock when he heard knocking at his fire. "We're not open for business…" Tinkerer started to say, when the bell above the door rang, signifying that someone was coming in, and Tinkerer turned to see Hobgoblin, one of his repeat customers, enter with a duffel bag. "…yet. I told you, no costumes through the front door! I swear Goblin, if I have to change shops again, I'll-"
"Shut it, Tinkerer. Spider-Man's gone nuts!" Hobgoblin said. "He got a bunch of his Avenger buddies and attacked Shadowland! Blew up the whole damn building, even took out the Kinglin!" Silence hung in the air for a moment. "Yeah, let that sink in for a moment. Took out Fisk like he was nothing."
"What do you need?" Tinkerer said, and Hobgoblin put his duffel bag on the counter and unzipped it.
"I need some new gear, plus a charge for the sword. I also need some pumpkin bombs, and not the usual stuff. Double yield." The second-rate Goblin said.
"That'll cost you." Tinkerer said.
"Don't worry, I'm good for it." Hobgoblin said. 'Especially after I sell this bat-cam video to Robbie and the Bugle.' He thought, patting the camera in his costume. "Hurry it up. I'll be back at the end of the day." Hobgoblin said he left.
"Don't worry. I'll put my best man on it." Tinkerer said as he pressed a button, causing a secret room to open, where a young man wearing a blue polo shirt, a bow tie, glasses, and tattoos on his arms was working on various pieces of equipment. "I'm guessing you heard all that?"
"Yeah, I did." Tiberius Stone said.
"Guess that means you won't have to stay here anymore." Tinkerer said. "It's too bad. I was enjoying your company, not to mention that a second hand to do things around here is really useful. Not to mention you were cheap."
"Well, where else could I go?" Stone said.
"Just do your old pal the Tinkerer a favor, Ty. One last job on your way out?" The supervillain equipment provider said.
"Sure. It's the least I can do for you putting up with me." Tiberius said, and went to his lab with Hobgoblin's equipment. 'Oh this is TOO good. Hobgoblin's toys, mine to play with. When I think of all the times he threatened me, made fun of me…' Tiberius thought, looking at a cork board covered with pictures of Kingpin, Spider-Man, and the Horizon Labs team. 'Been hiding here for months. After Spider-Man ruined my plans…after Kingpin made me a marked man…after Max Modell and Horizon turned their backs on me…I've been holed up here for months, wih nothing better to do than think of ways to show you all…' "YOU MESSED WITH THE WRONG NERD!" He yelled.
Noon that day, the smoking crater that used to be Shadowland
Giant-Man picked up a large piece of concrete, and Iron Man blasted several smaller pieces of rubble as NYPD officers cleaned the debris, assisted by the Avengers. "Put it over there Hank!" Spider-Man yelled, leading the whole effort. "Wonder Man, Black Widow, you two check that building over there! Cap, you and Beast look through the buildings on the south side. We need to make sure Fisk or his cronies didn't get away!" Carlie and Captain Watanabe watched the spectacle, impressed by how well Spider-Man was coordinating it.
"Damn Spider, you know how to make an impression." Carlie said. "First you lead a small strike team to take out Shadowland, and now you're coordinating the clean up? Why can't all guys be organized like you?" She said with a but of sarcasm.
"You're a riot, Detective. How're things going around the precinct?" Spider-Man said. "I would have stopped by sooner, but I've been busy."
"Pretty quiet, actually. We get the occasional mutant robber or wannabe Red Skull, but other than that, it's pretty silent." Yuri said.
"Captain! Spider-Man!" A member of CSU said. "We've got a body. You're gonna want to see this!" Spider-Man and Yuri exchanged a look, before walking over to where CSU was shifting through the rubble, a charred body being examined by the ME.
"What's the COD?" Yuri said.
"Hard to tell. Body's been burned to a crisp, not to mention all these broken bones, but those could have been caused by the rubble." The Medical Examiner said. "But if you ask me, the snapped neck is the cause of death, and the fire was to cover it up."
"Care to explain how you thought this was important?" Watanabe said.
"Because we ran the prints using one of those mobile fingerprint scanners the FBI sent over." The ME said. "Most of the prints were burned, but we managed to get a complete one from the thumb. And you'll never believe who it came up as." She showed the superhero and the police captain the scanner, causing their eyes to widen.
"The Kingpin…" Yuri gasped.
"Daredevil! Wolverine! Get over here now!" Spider-Man yelled, and soon the Man without fear and the best at what he does walked over to where Spider-Man was.
"What is it, Spider-Man?" Wolverine asked.
"Apparently, crispy here is supposed to be Kingpin." Spider-Man said, pointing at the body. "I want to see if those sniffers of yours can tell us anything different." Wolverine crouched down, sniffing the air.
"Hard to tell. There are too many accelerants, but I'm getting a faint aroma of fried chicken." Wolverine said. "Daredevil?"
"I'm afraid I'll have to agree with him. The fire makes identifying by scent impossible." Daredevil said.
"Well, the fingerprints say it's Wilson Fisk, but I think you'll understand if I have my doubts." Spider-Man said. "He survives attempts to take him down from me, Daredevil, Cap, Punisher, Heroes For Hire, even SHIELD…only to die in a fire? I don't know, maybe I was just expecting something more…climatic."
"Well, they can't all be grand final battles." Yuri said. "I know a few people at the DA's office who'll be glad we don't have to spend money holding a trial for him."
"Hmmmm. Logan, do you still have connections in Japan?" Spider-Man asked his mutant teammate.
"Yeah. You want me to put out feelers in case the Hand shows up?" The mutant said.
"It couldn't hurt." Spider-Man said. "What about Hobgoblin?"
"We haven't found either him or his body." CSU said. "He probably escaped."
"He must have gone through the sewers. I had Spider Bots covering every possible exit." Spider-Man said.
"Why didn't you put any in the sewers?" Daredevil asked.
"All that concrete and lead interferes with the signal. Makes images spotty at best." The wall crawler explained, before yawning. "Well, sorry, but I'm going to have to hit the sack. Think you guys can take things from here?"
"Kid, I've been leading construction efforts since before you're grandpa was born." Wolverine said, and Spider-Man nodded before swinging away, unaware of Carlie watching him.
'I don't know how, but I know that GeneWeb is connected to you, Peter.' She thought. Over the past two months, she'd hit a wall in her investigation, finding no information about Gregory Mendel where he supposedly grew up, and had managed to track the finances of GeneWeb to a Swiss bank account, but she hadn't progressed any further. Unknown to her, she was being watched by a bird that had a camera for an eye.
Phil Ulrich's Apartment
Phil sighed looking at the check in his hands. "I'm lucky Robbie cut me a big check for the Shadowland footage." He said. "Between rent, Tinkerer, and Kingsley, I won't have any left over." His laptop started to ring, showing 'encrypted caller.' Phil sighed, before clicking answer, and the scree filled with the face of the original Hobgoblin, Roderick Kingsley.
"What's going on, kid?" Kingsley asked. "You're late on your late on your monthly fee. Care to tell me what that's about?"
"I don't know if you've seen the news, but my main source of income just bought it. Plus, I need to keep my equipment maintained." Phil said. "Look, I'll get you your money. You just have to be patient!"
"Listen, Phil, you've got potential. A lot of it. I mean, not everyone can come out alive from their first encounter with Venom." Kingsley stated, referring to when Hobgoblin had attacked a transport carrying Human Fly, coming into conflict with Agent Venom. "But I've got a lot of guys who would kill to be the new Hobgoblin. And if you can't pay your fee? Well, I haven't forgotten what you did to my brother." The way he said it made Phil gulp, suddenly regretting killing Daniel Kingsley and becoming the Hobgoblin that day.
"With Kingpin feeding the worms, I've only got one job, and they don't pay half as well as Kingpin. How am I supposed to get the money for you?" Ulrich asked.
"Are you serious? You're a supervillain! Rob a bank, attack a charity banquet , hell hold up a goddamn gas station!" The original Green Goblin knockoff said. "Because if you're going to balance the books, you're going to need to pay some interest."
Two Days Later, Spider Island II
Mary Jane whistled as she took in the massive facility. "Damn. Can't believe that Jolly Jonah gave you this."
"Me neither. I just got finished setting everything up." Peter said. Today was the first free day Mary Jane had had in weeks, and he was showing her around his completed superhero headquarters. "Reed, Franklin, and Bentley helped me set up a lot of the equipment, and we're going to begin converting the cell blocks to labs soon, in case Horizon needs to use them."
"So if Horizon ever uses this place, isn't it going to seem suspicious that Spider-Man donates his headquarters to them?" MJ asked.
"At the very least, I'll have to come clean with Max and my other 'Lucky Seven', but I don't think it'll be a problem." Peter said, and his phone made a honking noise.
"Why do you assign certain ringtones to specific people?" MJ asked.
"It's better than called ID." Peter said as he reached into his pocket.
"So what's mine?" MJ Asked.
"A tiger, followed by the noise a slot machine makes when you get the jackpot." Peter said. "That time was the one that alerts me to news updates from the Bugle." He looked at his screen, and his jaw dropped. "What the actual frickity frack?!" He exclaimed.
"What? Did something happen?" MJ said, and Peter showed her his phone.
"Hobgoblin continues robbing spree." Peter read. "His latest victim is the First Bank of New York."
"So? How surprising is a supervillain robbing a bank?" MJ asked.
"Mary Jane, I have Spider Bots stationed outside every major bank in New York." Peter said, and tapped his chin. "Hobgoblin must have found some way to get around them, or else they would have alerted me or the Avengers."
"Relax, tiger. Maybe you're robots are on the fritz. Nothing's perfectly designed." MJ said. "Hobgoblin will slip up, and when he does, you'll be there to catch him."
"Thanks, Mary Jane. I just wish I knew HOW he did it." Peter said.
That Night, undisclosed location
Norman Osborn and a man wearing a purple cap walked through the dark alleyway towards a parked RV. "The Goblin Protocol is working exactly like it should." The man in the cap said. "Spider-Man's robots are unable to pick up Hobgoblin on their sensors."
"That idiot could ruin everything we've worked towards. I designed the Goblin Protocol to ignore our people, but that moron is taking too much advantage of it." Norman said. "He does this too much, and Spider-Man will begin to suspect that it's more than a simple software problem."
"What are we going to do?" The man asked as Norman began to put on his Goblin King costume.
"Tell the boys to lay low for a while. I'm temporarily deactivating the Protocol." Goblin King said. "It's time to get rid of the liability that is Hobgoblin."
The Next Day, Empire State University
"Well, Mr. Parker, you're certainly a surprise." Doctor Lamaze said. Lamaze had called Peter and Anna Maria to his office, and to say Peter was nervous was an understatement. In his experience, when refuses called students to their office, that usually meant they done f**ked up. "Despite having enrolled in my class at the beginning of the year, and your attendance fluctuating in recent weeks, your test scores make you one of the brightest to ever pass through these halls, and will be awarded a full credit."
"Thanks, Doctor. Your teachings, even in small doses, and Anna Maria's tutoring were critical to my time here." Peter said. 'Un-frickin-believable. Doctor Lamaze is nice and all, but I can't just sit here while that maniac runs around free to do whatever he wants.'
"Well, that means that the next time we see each other will be when you present your thesis to the board next month." Lamaze said.
"I'm looking forward to it." Peter said, and and Anna Maria exited the building. "Dead God that was boring!"
"Hey, you should know that college isn't all parties and football games." Anna Maria said.
"At least after today I'll only have to come back once." Peter said. "Say, what are your plans after you present your thesis?"
"I'm not sure. I was thinking about going to a government research lab, but since mutants have started popping back up, I'm sure they'll have us trying to cure mutancy." Anna Maria said.
"Why not Horizon?" Peter said. "If you want, I can call Max Modell and put in a good word for you."
"That'd be awesome." Anna Maria said.
"Here, let me call him and I'll…where's my phone?" Peter said, patting his pockets.
"I picked your pocket." Anna Maria said. "I didn't want it to go off and land you in trouble, and you know how Lamaze gets when someone's phone goes off when he's talking." She handed him his phone, and to Peter's shock there was a black spider emblem on the screen.
"Anna Maria, how long has that been ringing?" He asked.
"About five minutes. Why?" She asked.
"It's…my friend. He's a huge Spider-Man fan." Peter said. That icon was what assigned his spider bots, and he had programmed them to alert him when the Hobgoblin showed up again.
141st and Lex
Hobgoblin flew threw the air, a bag of money in each hand. "Alright, so far so good. No superheroes, no cops, not even a pigeon! At this rate, I'll be able to pay off Kingsley in no time, and I'm good as gold!" Unknown to him, Tiberius Stone was watching on a tablet from a nearby rooftop.
"Not if I have anything to say about it." The former Horizon Labs scientist said. "Oh, look who's here. It's about time. This has been going on for days…where have you been web head?"
Hobgoblin sailed above the rooftops, when Spider-Man crashed into him. "Good to see ya again Hobby!" Spider-Man said as he landed on Hobgoblin's back, attempting to steer him. "You've got to tell me how you avoided my cameras. You could make a killing selling your methods to celebrities." Hobgoblin did a barrel roll, causing Spider-Man to fall off and start chasing him with his webbing.
"Why do you have to always ruin everything I do?!" Hobgoblin yelled. "I had everything! A high paying job, a beautiful girl, and the admiration of my friends and family, and then YOU march in there with your Avengers and f**k things up!" Hobgoblin reached for his sword, powering up the flaming blade. He swung the sword, and Spider-Man, who was in mid-air, was unable to dodge. However, just as the sword reached his neck, the sword fizzled out. "What the-?! I thought Tinkerer charged this thing to last a full week!"
"Oops. Wonder how that happened." Tiberius said. On his tablet was displays showing readouts of Hobgoblin's wings, swords, and pumpkin bombs, and each had a 'deactivate' button on it. Back at the fight, Hobgoblin dropped his sword as Spider-Man scratched him with his claws, injecting several micro tracers.
"Screw this!" Hobgoblin said, and threw a smoke bomb. When it cleared, Spider-Man saw that there was no Goblin to be seen.
"Oh Hobby, come out come out wherever you are!" Spider-Man said, following his microtracers signal, finding Hobgoblin's armor and gear on a balcony. "Ah, the old strip-n-run. Seeing as how there aren't any naked Goblins running around, my guess is he's in civilian clothes." Spider-Man said aloud. "Let's see, cross referencing tracer signal with surrounding phone GPS's in the area, and-oh god no."
Daily Bugle Offices
"Robbie!" Phil yelled as he burst through the doors, a memory card in his hand. "Robbie! Where the hell are you?! I've got Hobgoblin footage for you!"
"Phil? What's going on?" Norah asked.
"Where's Robbie? I need to give this to Robbie!" Phil yelled, becoming almost hysterical.
"Phil, what's gotten into you? Ulrich, restrain your nephew!" Robbie yelled. Outside the Bugle's window, Spider-Man listened to the whole ordeal, and had his head bowed.
"Phil…Ulrich…dammit all to hell. Why'd it have to be him?" Spider-Man said, and crawled in through the window. Tiberius was listening as well, and grinned.
"Well this is just perfect!" He said, and first hacked into the Bugle's webcams, then into the city's news feed.
"Spider-Man? What are you doing here?" Ben Ulrich asked.
"Hey, Ben. Man, I can't believe I haven't been in the Bugle's new offices yet." Spider-Man half lied. As Peter Parker, he worked here when it was still Front Line, but Spider-Man had never been inside yet. "But I wish to god I was just here for a social visit."
"Why are you here?" Norah asked, and noticed Phil started sweating bullets.
"For the past three days, Hobgoblin has been on a crime spree. Somehow, he circumvented my cameras, until today. We fought, and I managed to plant some microtracers on him. I tracked him here." Spider-Man let that hang in the air for a second, before looking at Phil Ulrich. "The signal is coming from him." The reactions among the Bugle staff was varied. Most gasped, Robbie's jaw dropped, Norah took a step back, but Ben's look of heartbreak and betrayal took the cake.
"I don't want one word of this leaving here." Robbie said. "First person to tweet, post, share, or comment about this grits fired."
"Uh, boss?" One employee said, pointing at his computer. "I think it's a little too late for that." Everyone looked to see that there was a live feed of the scene inside the Bugle. "It's on every news site, from the Times to TMZ."
"I'm picking up a signal, and I could crack it, but I need time." Spider-Man said.
"Can we focus on why you're here?" Phil said. "There's no way I can be the Hobgoblin. After all, I'm just a-"
"No." Norah said. "It all makes sense now. The late nights, the exclusives, the expensive restaurants, the fancy clothing…it all makes sense. I've had my suspicions for a while, but I didn't want to think it was true." The ace reporter said. "Phil, look me straight in the eye, and say one thing: I'm not the Hobgoblin."
"Norah, I hate to be that guy, but the signal is coming from his body. Specifically those scratches on his face." Spider-Man said, and Phil started chuckling.
"Wow, you really are the worlds greatest detective! Would a little physical aid suffice?" Phil said as he pulled out his fire sword, and grabbed Norah, holding the blade to her throat. "There, y'see? I really AM the Hobgoblin. Want me to prove it? After all, nothing says Goblin like a dead blonde!" Norah stomped on Phil's foot, before punching him in the face.
"Ulrich you dick! You drink my last beer, make me watch Expendables 2, and now this?! We are so done!" Norah said, and Phil spit out a little blood, before he started chuckling.
"Oh crap. Everyone run!" Spider-Man yelled.
"Yeah, you would say that." Phil said, before unleashing his Goblin Laugh, causing several windows and screens to crack. "You're protected from my laugh, but what about the others? They're not so-"
"Yearghhhh!" Ben yelled, blood leaking from his ears and nose, making Phil stop.
"Uncle Ben?" The goblin said, and Spider-Man leapt in front of his uncle.
"Micro-tracers: detonate." Spider-Man said, and Phil screamed in pain as several microscopic trackers detonated under his skin, causing him to scream in pain. "Sorry I went and blew your chance at the Big Time, but a funny guy like you? You'll be a bomb in prison." The wall crawler said as he tackled Ulrich out of the window, and in front of the waiting cameras of the mass media and waiting police officers.
"Oh god…it's everywhere." Phil said as he looked at a nearby screen.
"Give up, Ulrich." Spider-Man said. "There are armed police officers with their guns trained on you, not to mention me." Ben walked up to Phil.
"Please, Phil, just give up. There's no point in making things worse for yourself." Ben said. Phil's muscles tensed like he was ready to attack, before dropping to his knees. Cops came up and placed handcuffs and a special power reducing collar on him, and Spider-Man looked at Ben.
"I'm sorry it had to turn out this way, Ben. Believe me, if there was any other way to have handled this, I would have." Spider-Man said.
"I know, Spider-Man." Ben said, watching as cops loaded his nephew into a transport.
Tiberius Stone's secret Lair
"Perfect!" Ty said as he watched the whole ordeal. "Alright, that takes care of activity number one!" He said, and looked at the rest of his list. "Up next: ruin Horizon!" He said, opening a file on his computerlabelled 'Alchemax.'
That Evening, Jersey-Holland Tunnel
"-all I'm saying is that it's ridiculous. It was way easier to just drop these freaks off at the Raft and be done." A transport driver said as he sped along through the Jersey-Holland Tunnel.
"That was the point. It was easier for them to breakout too. Just a quick swim across the pond, and they'd be back in the city." His passenger said.
"Well yeah, but now we have to put up with these freaks in the back for longer." The driver said, pointing to the back. Inside were Phil Ulrich, Jack O'Lantern, and a young man with brown hair and eyes who bore a startling resemblance to Norman Osborn.
"So, Ozzie Jr, care to tell us what you're here for?" Jack said, and the man sneered.
"Shut up, lantern. My name is Gabriel Stacy, and trust me when I say I will-" Gabriel started to say, when something began ripping a hole in the roof.
"What the-?!" Phil exclaimed, and the ceiling parted to reveal Menace, her golden horns gleaming in the golden sunset. "Oh god, are you with Kingsley? Tell him I'll get him his money somehow, I promise!"
"Stop your sniveling, whelp. Kingsley is old news. Sign up with the Goblin King, you will not have to worry about him." Menace said, and turned to Gabriel, before kneeling. "My Prince. Your father, the Goblin King, has requested your assistance with his endeavors to destroy the Spider."
"My father?" Gabriel said in disbelief. "I accept his summons."
"Can I come too?" Jack asked. "Just point me at a target, and I'll kill whoever you want. No questions asked."
"You are Jack O'Lantern, Crime Master's lapdog. Will you pledge your allegiance to the Goblin King and only the King?" Menace asked.
"Lady, as long as I get to kill, I'm in." Jack said, and Menace grinned.
"Very well then."
Goblin Underground
Phil, Jack, and Gabriel were waiting in a room filled with TV's, and Phil watched a news screen with the Bugle on it. "…in other news, Norah Winters, known for her exposes on Goblin culture, was laid off from the Daily Bugle this morning due to her romantic involvement with Phil Ulrich, who was exposed by unnamed sources as the Hobgoblin. Ulrich was instantly found guilty on several felonies, including murder, arson, extortion, theft, and blackmail, but escaped while in transit to New Jersey state Prison. Mayor Jameson and Ben Ulrich refused to comment." The newscast said, and Phil looked at the ground. Gabriel put his hand on Phil's shoulder.
"Don't despair, Phil. You've left that life behind. Now, all that is left is the Goblin within." Gabriel said, and Phil noticed Gabriel's new get up. He was now dressed in a grey version of the Green Goblin's costume, minus the mask, and Jack O'Lantern was wearing an updated version of the costume he wore before he was captured by Venom.
"How come I'm the only one without any fancy new duds?" He asked, and Menace came in, carrying a box.
"Put these on." She ordered, and Phil obeyed. When he was fully dressed, he was wearing silver armor with pumpkin shaped shoulder plates, orange boots, and a hood over his Goblin like mask, and all three were kneeling before Goblin King.
"Gabriel, my son, from this moment, you are not only the Grey Goblin, but also the Goblin Prince." Goblin King said. "Rise, and take your place at my side."
"Yes, father." Grey Goblin said, and stood next to his father.
"Jack O'Lantern, there is no title that fits you other than the one you have taken. Rise, and stand next to my son." Goblin King said.
"Whatever. You're the boss." Jack said as he stood next to Grey Goblin.
"Phil Ulrich, you have used the Hobgoblin identity to further your own goals. Tell me, in exchange for me giving you your life, what will you give me?" Norman said.
"The spider. I will give you the spider." Phil said.
"Very good. Hobgoblin is dead, buried in the ashes of Shadowland. Rise, my Goblin Knight!" Goblin King said.
Epilogue 1
Carlie Cooper sat in her apartment, looking at what little evidence on GeneWeb she had gathered. "Still nothing. What the hell are these people?" She said out loud, when she noticed an orange dust coming in through her windows.
"Something that's way above your head." A voice said , and her vision started to cloud as her lungs burned.
"Be careful not to get too carried away, Carrion." Through her faint vision, Carlie saw a yellow skinned man with an bio face and a purple hood, and a man with green fur who resembled a jackal. "After all, we don't want our newest test subject to get too banged up." Miles Warren said.
Epilogue II
One Week Later, Jean Grey School for Higher Education
"And stay out!" Wolverine said as he kicked out a man who looked exactly like Peter Parker, and a young Hispanic girl.
"Jeez, don't thank me for helping you out with the Assassin's Guild or anything!" Kaine, the first clone of Peter Parker, said as he and Aracely, his sidekick/adopted sister, dusted off their clothes.
"Listen, Kaine, I appreciate you helping me out with that, but you jammed a stinger in my chest. I don't know if you've ever had to regrow a heart, but it hurts. A LOT." Wolverine said. "Look, I get the feeling that if we had met under different circumstances, we would have gotten along great, but if I ever smell you anywhere near here, I'll gut ya like a fish." With that, Logan slammed the door shut.
"He didn't mean it." Aracely said. "I talked to Beast and Rockslide, and they say he's nice once you work past the gruff exterior."
"Wonderful." Kaine grumbled, and the two walked towards a taxi Logan had called for them.
"So are we going back to Houston? I hope not. I really wanted to see New York." Aracely said.
"Don't worry, Aracely. We're not going back just yet." Kaine said as they got in the taxi. "There's someone in New York I need to see. I think you'll find him pretty amazing."
A/N: and thus, the Grey Goblin and Jack O'Lantern have joined the Goblin Underground. Jackal and Carrion have kidnapped Carlie, and Kaine and Aracely are headed to New York for a meeting with Peter Parker. Fists will fly, cars will explode, and a new ally rises in the first part of this arc.
Next time: Sibling Rivalry Part One: Family Reunion