Disclaimer: Really? No reviews for the last chapter? I thought I did a relatively good job on that one. Or, maybe it's because it's the middle of summer and everybody's on vacation.
Either way, Spider-Man, Green Goblin, Gwen Stacy and Howard the Duck (Wait, what!?) are the property of Marvel Comics. (Seriously!? Howard the Duck!?)
Chapter XIV
Harry knew something wasn't right when he noticed 'Ditko's' hand inching a little bit too close to his side arm. Norman was at the window, looking out for any sighting of Vulture anywhere in the night. 'Ditko' was inching closer until he was right behind him. Then he pulled out the gun and held to the back of Osborn's head and cocked it. The resulting discharge of the gun and subsequent splatter of Osborn's brain on the window would've been quick and painless. That was when Harry intervened. Norman turned and ducked away as 'Ditko' and Harry struggled over the gun. A shot was fired, sending a bullet into the ceiling and likely startling the guests outside.
Harry tried to wrestle the gun away from 'Ditko', who at the same time was trying to point the weapon toward Norman and likely Harry as well. 'Ditko' was the stronger of the two and he was winning the struggle, until Mary Jane intervened. She clubbed 'Ditko' with one of her shoes, giving Harry the chance to full on tackle 'Ditko' into the adjacent wall behind. The impact left 'Ditko' in a crumpled heap on the floor and caused him to drop the gun. Mary Jane picked up the gun and held it on 'Ditko' while Harry examined him. Eventually discovering that the man's face was a mask, Harry pulled it free to show that 'Ditko' was the Chameleon all along.
"Ew, he's even uglier up close." MJ said, keeping the gun on Chameleon.
Norman approached and upon seeing Chameleon on the floor, pushed Harry out of the way and grabbed the villain by the collar of his disguise. "How much?" he sneered, drawing Chameleon back to consciousness.
"How much what?" Chameleon asked back.
Norman drew the villain in closer and replied, "How much did Toomes offer you to kill me? TELL ME."
Chameleon simply grinned and stated, "You are a fool, Osborn. You should know that a good businessman never gives away his trade secrets."
Something happened out of the blue; Norman struck Chameleon in the face as hard as he could. He struck him again and again and again, all in rapid succession. Harry and Mary Jane backed away as Norman beat on Chameleon as in he was possessed. Hearing the crackling of fist on face made them cringe more than watching it happen. Norman pounded on Chameleon so hard that he likely would have broken his own hand if he hadn't stopped. But then he started choking Chameleon, who was now trying to get free or fight back or anything. Norman applied more and more pressure, cutting off the flow of oxygen that Chameleon's lung needed. It was all becoming too much for Harry to bear watching and he stepped in to pull his father off Chameleon.
Harry showed surprising strength when he pulled his father away and told him, "Dad, stop it. It's not worth it."
Norman wanted to tear Chameleon apart even more before Capt. DeWolff appeared on the scene with two more officers. The officers picked Chameleon up off the floor while DeWolff took the gun Mary Jane was holding. Norman eyed Chameleon as he was being taken away, and Chameleon smiled at him with no small measure of contempt. Out of nowhere, Norman pushed Harry to the floor and tackled Chameleon again, taking one of the officers down with them. DeWolff and the other officer restrained Norman while the first officer brought Chameleon up and took him away. Eventually, the lights in the building came back on.
As all of this was happening, back in the open space, Spider-Man returned and startled some of the guests in attendance. He quickly noticed Chameleon being escorted out, thus confirming what Vulture told him. Chameleon caught sight of Spider-Man and smiled before he was escorted out. Then Spider-Man noticed DeWolff following with Mary Jane close behind. There was no sign of Harry or Norman yet, so Spider-Man could only assume they were elsewhere. Spider-Man was about to leave when he was approached, rather aggressively by J. Jonah Jameson.
"I should've known you had an angle in this," he shouted and turned to DeWolff. "DeWolff, here's the real culprit in all this. Arrest him."
"Really, Jameson? I just got done flipping the bird on Fifth Ave and I don't need the added motivation to flip you." Spider-Man replied.
"It doesn't take a genius to know that you and Vulture and Chameleon are in cahoots, and when I finally expose you…" Jonah was cut off by a glob of webbing to his mouth.
"Manners, Buzz-Head," Spider-Man said while he wiggled his index finger in front of Jonah just as DeWolff approached. "You're not seriously going to arrest me, are you, Captain?"
DeWolff looked at Jonah as he was trying to remove the webbing from his lips. "Well, considering you singlehandedly shut Jameson up, I can give you a pass. Just get out of here before I change my mind."
Spider-Man nodded before he jumped back out of the broken window and swung out of sight. Meanwhile, Norman emerged from hiding amid a room full of startled guests. And, he was seething. "Get out of here," he snarled too quietly for anyone to hear him. "I SAID GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE. GET OUT! GET OUT! ALL OF YOU GET OUT NOW!"
That was enough for the guest to start filing out of the penthouse in droves, except for Wilson Fisk. He stopped briefly and whispered, "Wonderful party, Norman. Too bad that it won't save what's left of your company."
Norman glared at Fisk, whispering back, "What are you talking about, Fisk?"
Fisk smirked and replied, "Talk to Menken. Or better yet, check tomorrow's headline." Then Fisk left with the rest of the guest, leaving Norman to seethe even more.
Returning to the last place where he'd left Vulture defeated and tied up, Spider-Man was soon relieved to see that the villain hadn't made a move since then. The NYPD had just arrived and were in the process of taking Vulture into custody. That was one more villain Spider-Man didn't have to deal with, and it made two with Chameleon's capture as well. Beetle made three, but Shocker was still on the loose, meaning Spider-Man had to keep his eyes and eyes wide open. Shooting a line out, Spider-Man left the area to attend to the more important matter.
Spider-Man quickly returned to where he'd left Gwen, inwardly beating himself up for having done it at all. When he got to the site, Gwen was nowhere to be found and he worried that something had happened to her. Spider-Man reached the ledge of the rooftop and search all over the streets below. That was where he found Gwen. She appeared to be alright and recovered from her ordeal with Vulture and she'd likely gotten down from the rooftop on her own. Spider-Man couldn't help but be relieved while he kept a close eye on Gwen as she was walking down the sidewalk. A few of the people that she passed by gave Gwen a quick glance before moving on, assuming that she'd just left a party. Gwen stopped by the curve and began to hail for a cab. At least she had plenty of the yellow vehicles from which to choose.
Spider-Man had the instinctive desire to descend and offer to web swing Gwen back to her home, free of charge of course. That would've only exasperated the lingering animosity that Gwen had for the web slinger if that hadn't happen already. He then considered approaching Gwen in his civilian identity and offering to accompany her home. But that would've raised more questions than answers and Gwen would've become suspicious. Spider-Man couldn't risk that, so he remained stationary and watched Gwen closely until a ride came along.
A cab did eventually stop for her and Gwen opened the backseat door. Before she got in, she looked up and saw Spider-Man watching her. There was a tense stare between them, neither making an immediate move. Spider-Man noticed a different look in Gwen's face; there was no contempt or agitation or indignation. There was instead a degree of thoughtfulness and concern, as if she was reading his eyes through his mask. Spider-Man again felt the need to approach Gwen and perhaps beg her for forgiveness for letting her father die, but he couldn't bring himself to do it without making it worse.
After a long while and with the cab driver growing upset, Gwen stepped into the cab and shut the door. Spider-Man remained on his perch and watched the vehicle drive off until he'd lost sight of it in the traffic. He stood and jumped off the ledge, firing a web line and returning home after a very long night.
The following morning, Peter was sprawled out on his bed in the apartment he shared with Harry wearing nothing but a pair of white boxers. He scanned the room and the floor more specifically and was relieved to see that the individual pieces of his Spider-Man costume were nowhere in sight. Assuming that he'd undressed the previous night, Peter looked under the bed to find the costume stuffed under the bed. He praised the Lord for having the presence of mind to do so before passing out. The last thing he needed was for Harry to burst into his room and find Spider-Man in his best friend's bed. That would've been awkward.
Dragging himself out of bed and throwing on a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt, Peter walked out of his room and ventured into the living room. His first instinct was to make breakfast when arrived at the kitchen. As he went, Peter caught movement out of the corner of his eyes. Harry was sprawled out on the couch still in his suit from the charity event. Peter noticed a bottle of scotch and few shot glasses on the coffee table beside Harry. He resolved that Harry had drunken himself into a stupor before eventually passing out.
Taking the bottle off the table, Peter sat down in the chair across from Harry just as he was waking up. "Morning, buddy. Rough night?" Peter asked.
Harry grunted and groaned from the massive hangover he was receiving. "That's putting it mildly. After last night with Vulture and Chameleon both trying to kill my dad, I needed to take my mind off of it."
"At least you didn't drink yourself dead. What would your dad think of that?" Peter asked, although he already knew the answer.
"I'm pretty sure he wouldn't bat an eyelash," Harry replied and thus confirmed what Peter expected. "I'm more worried about Gwen. I watched as Vulture took her hostage. You think she's…"
"She's okay. Spider-Man saved her before he brought Vulture down for the cops."
"I guess you'd know; you two seem pretty tight when it comes to getting photos."
"That's not fair, Harry." Peter pointed out.
Harry bowed his head and stood up. He said, "You're right, man. I'm sorry I said that."
Peter determined that something else was bothering Harry and said to him, "You okay?"
Harry stumbled slightly but managed to reach the window without tripping over himself. "Something's not right with my dad. You should've seen him after MJ and I stopped Chameleon from hurting him."
"What do you mean?"
"He was different; angrier than usual. He took Chameleon and beating the living hell out of him, right in front of me and MJ. It was like my father just became somebody else." Harry explained.
Peter was instantly very deeply concerned with what Harry had told him about Norman. If Harry was to be believed, booze or not, than Norman may have begun a slow descent back into becoming the Green Goblin. Harry obviously had no idea that his father was the Green Goblin; that much Peter was knew. He'd taken every possible step to make sure that Norman's dual identity wouldn't be discovered by anyone, including Harry. After their first encounter, Peter saw to it that every single trace of the Goblin was destroyed. He went so far as to dropping the Goblin's costume and mask into the Hudson River. That was easy.
It was the psychological evidence that Peter was concerned about. He was aware of Norman's own history of severe mentor and emotional problem and then, coupled with the Globulin Green performance enhancers, was what let to the first appearance of the Goblin. Any kind of serious stress could have enough of an effect to send Norman off the deep end. The recent attacks by Shocker and then Vulture and Chameleon would've been enough to cause Norman to snap. Peter was obviously worried that Harry might have seen the first sign that the Green Goblin was returning to form, and he didn't realize that his own father was the Goblin. Peter was hoping to God that Harry would never find out. And that meant that he would have to keep a very, very close eye on Norman – for Harry's sake.
When Donald Menken arrived at the penthouse, he was astonished at the amount of damage done by Vulture's intrusion. How Norman managed to survive the encounter was beyond him. When Norman called him to his home, Donald was instantly petrified based upon the angry tone of his employer's voice over the phone. Though he assumed that Norman's rage filled tirade was the result of Vulture's attempt on his life, Donald wasn't entirely confident that it was only that. He simply watched the paid workers attempt to repair the damage done to the windows and the floor behind a DO NOT CROSS tape barrier set up by the police just last night.
Donald started on his way to Norman's office, inwardly swallowing the gulp he didn't realize had swelled up in his throat. The door to office was wide open, all too inviting for Donald, who felt more like he was walking the plank of the Queen Anne's Revenge. Why reference of the galleon captained by Blackbeard came into Donald's process of thought was, he didn't know. Inside the office, Donald saw Norman standing at the window. A glass bottle of liquid and a shot glass was on the desk, which made Donald slight more nervous than when he first received the call. He cleared his throat and braced himself.
"You wanted to see me, Mr. Osborn."
After a tense few moments of pure silence, Norman spun around and threw the morning's Daily Bugle newspaper onto the desk. The headline read OSCORP TO FILE FOR BANKRUPTCY. "You have five minutes, Menken. Five minutes, to explain to me how you managed to allow my company to file for bankruptcy."
Donald realized right away that he was screwed; Kingpin had to have had the story run regardless of their previous interaction. "Sir, I can explain this if you'll just allow me…"
"Allow you to what? Stammer? You'd better grow a spine, Menken, and you'd better do it fast. Tell me what I want to know." Norman snapped.
Donald felt as small as a microorganism at that point. "The OsCorp stocks had gone considerably after your… you're self-imposed absence. I thought I could to find a way to recoup the company's losses in the wake of last year's factory explosion."
"And did you?" Norman asked, but he already knew the answer.
"No," Donald choked out. "My efforts were didn't have the results I'd hope for. I was desperate when received calls from numerous rival companies. Stark Enterprises, Hammer Industries, A.I.M. Even Victor von Doom offered to make the purchase. Ultimately, I elected to allow Quest Aerospace to go ahead with the buyout."
"Quest? Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't Quest Aerospace the same company that once employed Abner Jenkins, who also was the same man who attacked Quest Tower not that long ago." Norman angrily stated.
"Y… yes, Mr. Osborn. Unfortunately, the attack on Quest Tower halted any future negotiations."
"And would you care to explain how the story leaked? Or should a take wild guess who leaked it," Norman was looming like an eclipse over Donald. "It was Fisk, wasn't it?"
"Yes."
"You've been dealing with the Kingpin behind my back," Norman accused Donald, taking a step toward the wavering man and making him take a step. "I put my faith and my trust in you, Menken, more than I have my son, and this is how you repay me."
"Mr. Osborn, if it's any consolation, I've arranged a Board of Directors meeting for today. Hopefully, we'll be able to clear this up and find some way to recoup the losses to the company."
"We? There is no we, Menken. I am going to the meeting with the Board. You are going to spend the rest of your day, and the rest of the following days searching for another form of employment because you're fired."
Norman shoved Menken hard into the wall with his last word and stormed out of his office, infuriated with how the past few days had gone. As if it couldn't possibly get any worse for Norman Osborn…
An hour and a half later, Norman Osborn was sitting front and center in the boardroom of OsCorp Tower with the nine other board members that ran the company. Norman had his best smile plastered on his face to show that he wasn't angry but in good spirits. That wasn't to say he wasn't boiling inside after the news of OsCorp's impending bankruptcy, no thanks to the recently fired Donald Menken. Norman was also certain that Kingpin had a hand in this situation. At any rate, with the meeting in progress, Norman put his best and most charismatic foot forward to convince the board that all was well at OsCorp. Somehow, the board members didn't seem convinced.
"Now, it's no secret that OsCorp has suffered significant losses recently due to mismanagement on the part of Donald Menken. You can all rest assured that Mr. Menken has effectively been relieved of his duties."
One board member by the name of Murphy exclaimed to Norman, "Perhaps the firing of Menken is for the best, but we still need to discuss our financial situation, Norman. Most of the board has already determined that OsCorp could thrive again if there was a change in management, especially in the wake of the recent attack on Quest Tower."
"A change in management," Norman repeated without sounding worried, which he was on the inside. "While a small shake up would likely be a benefit, it still doesn't take away that in spite of this setback, OsCorp is still the leading principle supplier on the East Coast to the United States Military."
"Maybe, but we cannot overlook the competition, Norman," said a female board member named Shaw. "Rival companies like Stark Enterprises, Hammer Industries and Advanced Idea Mechanics could capitalize on this setback by purchasing OsCorp."
Another board member, Balkan, added, "And there's even word from Latveria that Victor von Doom wishes to purchase the company."
"Our hands are tied here, Norman. So the board ruled by unanimous decision that in order that ensure a future for OsCorp, you would have to step down as the company's CEO." Murphy stated.
Norman looked utterly stunned. "Step down," the board members, Balkan, Shaw, Murphy and the rest of the board tried to appear indifferent. "After everything I've done to bring this company to the heights it's reached, you expect me to step down. I started OsCorp, damn it. Do any of you have idea how much I sacrificed."
"Norman, I'm sorry. I know this isn't an ideal solution, but it seems like the only way to salvage the company is if you resign." Murphy said.
"I WILL NOT allow myself to be ousted out of my own company." Norman shouted.
"I'm afraid you don't have a choice, Norman."
Norman spun around and saw Wilson Fisk entering the boardroom, a sly grin on his face. "You did this, didn't you? You had this planned along, you and Menken, to take over my company. How dare you, Fisk."
"Let's not make this any more difficult than it needs to be, Norman," Wilson said. "When Menken and I talked, I told him that I would offer to take the reins of OsCorp on the condition that you'd step down as CEO, willingly or otherwise."
"So this is a hostile takeover." Norman said.
"Think of this as more of a transitional arrangement until the finances are cleared up. But rest assured that OsCorp will be in good hands," Wilson stated but sounded as if he was practically gloating. "Now you have two options at this point, Norman; you can leave this building on your own, or I can have security escort you out."
Norman felt the sudden urge to choke the life out of Fisk and every board member in the room. The board members in turn saw the wide-eyed expression on his face. There was a fury there but there no telling how deep it went. Norman was snorting and snarling through his nostrils like a volcano waiting to erupt and blanket the sky with ash. Wilson motioned toward the door and two security guards entered the boardroom waiting for the next order. Norman began to regain his composer in spite of this clear hostile takeover of his company and his ousting from it. Wilson apparently grew tired of waiting for Norman to make a move and motion the two guards to take Norman. Norman pulled away from the men.
"Don't touch me. I'll leave on my own," he snarled and started toward the door. But he stopped and looked menacingly at Wilson and snarled, "This isn't over, Fisk. I know what you are, even they don't."
Wilson was nonplussed and replied, "I'll be expecting your resignation."
Norman seethed even more before storming out of the boardroom. Then he heard the voice. You were right, Norman; this isn't over.
Author's note: Another chapter done and I think we're starting to see the downfall of Norman Osborn. The earlier chapters were meant to build up to the moment of said downfall and the return of the Green Goblin. Hopefully, I can do justice to the story's main antagonist.
I hope this also further emphasizes Kingpin's role as the secondary antagonist, since he instigated a hostile takeover of OsCorp.
Here's hoping that you find this chapter to up to par, while I get to work in finally introducing the Green Goblin. Be sure to leave some much appreciated feedback.