Going to back to Oscorp was going to be weird. Earlier that morning, Normie got a text from his mom inviting him out to a late lunch then back to Oscorp so she could show him the blueprints for the renovations she was planning.

He was quiet during most of the limo ride from the restaurant as his mom went on about the different changes. Soon, the building was in view. He could already see the scaffolding in place to take down the name. The letters had always beamed with power; bright lights illuminating the sleek design so that they could be seen no matter the time of day or night. Now, they were shut down.

The limo pulled up front and Normie and his mother exited. "You ready?" Liz asked him as she unlocked the door.

He nodded, trying to act casual, but truly surprised at how much he had missed coming here every morning. They walked inside. The spacious lobby was already being deconstructed. The room was lit by the sunlight streaming in from the grand windows. Sheets of visqueen plastic covered the floor and hung from the walls, filtering the light, almost ghost-like.

Normie saw construction lamps, tools, hardhats, and signs of demolition. He allowed himself a moment to remember this space. The lobby was always busy, crowded, and pulsing with a life of its own. Now, it was just empty.

"Okay," his mom began. She had her tablet in hand. "Give me a minute to pull these up." As she searched for the blueprint files, Normie heard a strange whirring sound. He looked up and from the large window, he could see a blurry form flying towards the building. He expected it to swerve out of the way, but it kept its path.

His heart dropped. "Get down!" he yelled pushing his mother out of the way. There was a horrible crash, and the building rattled as debris and glass rained down on them. They hit the ground hard. For a moment all he could hear was a buzzing sound, and it felt like everything was in slow motion, as if reality itself had glitched.

Then there was a cackle coming from up above. The shocking familiarity of it made his stomach drop. Normie flipped over to his mom. She was trying to sit up and looked dazed. "Mom! You okay?"

Liz had a hand on her forehead. Normie could already see a bruise forming. Her blue eyes locked onto their cowled assailant. "No, not again," she whispered, as the figure flew the perimeter of the lobby. Normie and his mother hid in the shadows, just moments away from being seen.

While the figure was up to high to see his face, Normie knew the cowl hid a grotesque mask with glaring, red eyes; eyes he could never forget. According to rumor, Hobgoblin was dead, apparently killed by Spider-Man when he attacked an elementary school. But Normie never fully believed those rumors.

"We have to get out of here," he whispered to his mother. The entrance way was blocked off by debris, but there were emergency exits. Normie wasn't sure if they should risk being seen to make a run for it, or hide and call for back up.

"Follow me," he whispered to his mom, deciding the exits were too far. The Hobgoblin would spot them, and there was no outrunning a glider. They belly-crawled to hide behind the large receptionist dest. Normie knew it was only a matter of time before they were spotted, but if he could use this time wisely, maybe he'd be able to get some help, and then get the hell out of Oscorp.

He dug his phone out of his pocket and started to type.

Annie sighed as she entered her aunt's home.

"Hi Sweetie, how was school?" her aunt called from the kitchen. She could hear the clanging of dishes, and guessed Gayle was emptying the dishwasher.

"It was good," Annie said, fighting the urge to dump her backpack on the floor by the door. This technically wasn't her home, and she wanted to respect her aunt's space.

"Great! Want something to eat?"

Annie walked into the kitchen, and her goes had been right. "I'll grab something," she said.

"You sure you're alright? You seem a little down." Annie grabbed an apple and leaned against the counter. "I'm fine, just tired," she lied. Truth be told, she hadn't heard a word from Normie since their fight on Saturday. It was now Monday, and while not a lot of time had past, it felt like an eternity. She wished she had someone to talk to about her relationship with him, but it being a secret made that impossible. Between her secret relationship and her secret identity, she was getting tired of all of the hiding and half-truths.

She took a bite out of the apple and scrolled through her phone. A news alert popped up: "Hobgoblin Lives Again!" She quickly scanned the article. Apparently the Hobgoblin, long believed to be dead, was spotted flying over Manhattan.

She quickly sent the article to her parents. The Hobgoblin was no joke. She vaguely remembered him attacking her school when she was really young, like maybe first or second grade. Her father had shown up, and fought him, along with the other members of Doc Ock's newest iteration of the Sinister Six. She wasn't sure what happened to him after that, and her dad didn't like to talk about it.

Before her parents could respond, she got a message from Normie. The first one since their fight. She hoped it would end the icy silence between them, allowing for things to go back to normal. But the message he sent turned her blood to ice.

He said SOS, Oscorp, hurry!

Oscorp was in Manhattan. As was the Hobgoblin.

"Annie, you alright?" Gayle looked concern.

"I, forgot about practice, got to go back to school," she said as she rushed out of the house.

"What?! What practice? Annie wait, let me drive you!"

"Seriously, I'm good," she said, taking off. Normally, she wouldn't move so fast out of fear of exposing her secret identity, but right now she didn't care. She ran out of the house before her aunt could grab her keys. Of course, she didn't go to school. In stead, she found a secluded area, slipped on her mask, and threw off her cloths, exposing her costume beneath it.

She called her mom who was working at the store. "Come on, pick up," Annie stressed as changed.

"Hi Annie! Is everything alright?"

"No, there's a situation at Oscorp, call dad, and we gotta get there ASAP!"

"On it. Do not go inside until your father and I are there. You understand me?"

She didn't even need to tell her mom that the Hobgoblin was attacking Normie. It was pretty easy to put together.

"Yes," she sighed. "I understand, just hurry!"

"You know we will." And the call disconnected. Annie ran up the wall, and jumped off the edge. She shot out a web, Manhattan bound.