Disclaimer: Well, I just saw Guardian Of The Galaxy recently and I have to say, IT WAS AWESOME. It was far better than I expected given that I knew relatively little about them… except for the post-credits scene.
I said the same thing about Thor and look what happened; I became a fan… of Jaimie Alexander. Gimme a break here, she's hot.
Here's the next chapter. I own nothing, so go ahead and read. I gonna go pine over Lady Sif.
Man, I've got issues.
Chapter XVI
Blackie's was a legitimate and popular nightclub on Manhattan's Lower East Side, a dive where some of the less savory of the city's denizens came to relax and unwind and, often, avoid dealing with the police. Herman Shultz, the civilian identity of Shocker, frequented there when he had the free time available to him and he and Blackie Gaxton went as far back as he could remember. Since his failed attempt on Norman Osborn's life, Shultz was lying low and waiting for any calls from Kingpin. He did find it somewhat amusing when he'd heard that Fisk had taken over OsCorp. Maybe that was his plan all along; Shultz didn't care. At the moment, he cared only about getting that elusive black 8 ball into the pocket to finish his Billiard game.
One shot later, the game was over and thus, Shultz's night was over. His opponent, a low-level crook whose name he didn't care to remember, begged him for one more game. Shultz brushed him off as a nuisance and left through the back exit just behind the bar, waving off Blackie as he went. Outside in the parking lot, Shultz approach his 1973 Gran Torino and started to unlock it. He turned at the sound of some commotion somewhere in the shadow, hearing the clatter of a trash can lid and a screeching cat. Shultz dismissed it as simple paranoia before entering the vehicle and as he went to start the engine, he heard a faint beeping sound coming from the back seat.
Looking back, Shultz saw a small orange orb with small lights in the grooves. "What the hell…" he cursed when the beeps pulsed faster.
Instantly, Shultz bolted from the car just moment before the car exploded in mass of fire. Pieces flew every which way while Shultz was sent crashing to the ground from the shockwave. Shultz mentally commented on how it felt to be on the other side of that much force. Putting that thought aside, he covered his head as shrapnel rained down around while also dealing with the ringing in his ears from the explosion of his car. Making matters worse was that a couple other cars, each with Anti-theft alarms, blared out of control. Shultz finally was able to assess the damage down to what used to be his vehicle before he confronted by a pair of boots.
A second later, Shultz was hoisted up and thrown against an intact car that apparently had no alarm. Then the beating came; whoever was behind the rapid strikes to Shultz's face wasn't holding back. Shultz would've put up a fight if he had his gauntlets, but they likely blown to Hell since they were in the car when the Goblin destroyed it. It was clearly a case of bad luck on his part, because his assailant was beating the hell out of him. The beatings stopped as soon as they started, allowing Shultz to identify his attack.
"You!" Shultz snarled at the face of the Green Goblin.
The Green Goblin sneered back at Shultz, replying in a high-pitched voice, "Me! I'll just bet you're mighty shocked to see me again."
"What do you want?" Shultz asked.
"Isn't it obvious? I want your boss; I want Kingpin and you're going to tell me how to find his big, bloated ass." the Goblin said, and he pushed Shultz into the vehicle to keep him from escape.
Shultz chuckled and replied, "You are one dumb son of a bitch, Goblin."
"No one's ever accused me of being dumb." the Green Goblin quipped.
"You must be dumb if you think I'm going to sell out Kingpin." Shultz said in defiance.
"And you must be even dumber if you think you can protect him," the Green Goblin said and slammed Shultz into the vehicle so hard that a depression was left behind. "Now tell me; where's Fisk?"
Shultz remained defiant against the Green Goblin. "I wouldn't tell you jack even if I did know. But I can tell that he's got an inside man; same guy that sold out Osborn so Fisk could take his company."
"Donald Menken. He's next on my To-Do List, but thanks for hinting at him," the Green Goblin stated while he released Shultz. "I always liked you, Shocker, so I won't kill you. But if you try to warn anybody that I'm coming…" He head butted Shultz in the face, knocking him out cold and slumping to the ground. "…then I'll be back for you."
The Green Goblin pressed a button on his wrist. A second after, his glider arrived and settled on ground level hovering inches above. The Green Goblin, thanks to his heightened senses, could hear the sirens of radio chatter of incoming NYPD officers in their vehicles. They were coming his way, just as he'd planned. Shultz was starting to stir when the Green Goblin stepped up onto his glider, causing the machine to jut slightly under the weight. Shultz realized that the Green Goblin did something, because the police rarely harassed Blackie's if at all.
"What did you do, Goblin?"
"Oh, I simply tipped off the boys in blue of a flaming vehicle near Blackie's, perpetrated of course by one Herman Shultz AKA Shocker AKA Montana AKA… whatever other nicknames you go by nowadays."
Shultz wasn't even able to stand as he repeated collapsed to the ground. "You're a friggin' psychopath."
"Duh!" Then the Green Goblin took off into the night sky, cackling all the way out of sight.
Shultz was still unable to rise up from the ground, but it ultimately didn't matter when the police arrived at the scene. Three squad cars pulled into view, each with two NYPD officers emerging. They had their side arms trained on Shultz. If he had his gauntlets on, Shultz would've made short work of them. But the gauntlets, much to his chagrin, were blown up with his own car, and the Green Goblin likely knew it. Defeated and even without putting up a fight, Shultz put his hands up and awaited the cop that were about to arrest him and take him away.
Far out of the sight of the cops atop a building, the Green Goblin was watching the entire scene with a twisted grin on his face. The Green Goblin was at least honest enough that he liked Shultz enough that he'd let him live. But Donald Menken was another story. He sold Norman Osborn out, allowing Kingpin to take OsCorp right out from under him. Kingpin was next on the Green Goblin's hit list, but the Green Goblin was saving the best for last: Spider-Man. Gunning his glider's engine, the Green Goblin rocketed away toward his next target.
Gwen was going to be leaving for London in two nights, meaning she had precious little time to prepare. That wasn't exactly the case since she'd taken all the necessary steps to get everything in her life squared away and handled. Most of her essentials were packed and ready to go and Liz offered to drive her to Newark International Airport come flight time. So between now then, Gwen had some free time, and she chose to spend it by taking a short jog around Central Park. She kept a knapsack on her person with a bottle of pepper spray inside in the off-chance that some random mugger decided to cross her. Failing that, there was always the self-defense training her father put her through when he was alive.
She was able to log a lap or two around the park, briefly glancing at numerous couples out enjoying the night. The park lights bathed Central Park in a bright yellow glow, making it impossibly easy for Gwen not to know where she was running. She ran three more laps around, periodically taking a sip from a bottle of water as she went. After an hour of jogging, Gwen was finished and took up a fast walk back to where her car was parked. Relief washed over her face as she noted that the vehicle hadn't been tampered with in any way and she opened the back seat door, taking a towel and another bottle of water.
Taking another sip of water and wiping the sweat from her face, Gwen was ready to head home for the night. But she paused and dropped her arm without dropping the bottle. He was there. He was closer than she'd liked and it annoyed her more than she intended to admit. Gwen wasn't entirely sure where he was hiding but she knew he was there like some crazed stalker… minus the crazy. She sighed and turned around toward the park. No one was there except for Gwen and the presence she'd detected through simple chance.
"I know you're there, Spider-Man." she said, and Spider-Man lowered himself from his hiding place in the branches of the nearest tree.
"Wow, I guess I'm not the only one with a spider-sense." he quipped to try to lighten the already palpable tension.
"Call it a woman's intuition? What do you want?"
Spider-Man dropped from the line he was hanging from and stood up straight. "To be honest, I was hoping we could talk. Maybe we could clear the air between us and put this hostility to rest."
Gwen was skeptical from the moment she felt Spider-Man's presence in the park, but she wasn't sure if he was stalking her or not. Throwing her towel into her car and then leaning back on its finish, she said, "Okay, go ahead and talk. I'm all ears."
Spider-Man was relieved that Gwen wasn't telling him to leave, though also a bit surprised all the same. Now was the time to get serious. "Look, I know you hold me responsible for your father's death. Believe me when I say this; I relive that moment every day of my life, wishing I could've done more. So, I get why you despise me as much as you do."
"I don't despite you," Gwen replied, surprising Spider-Man. "In fact, I don't even blame you for my dad dying. I blame Octavius for putting so many people in danger, including that little boy. I know all about it."
"You do, don't you?" Spider-Man asked.
Gwen sniffed and fought back a tear that was already welling up in her eye. "My dad; he did what was expected of him. He put his life at risk to save a little boy who was put harm's way by Octavius. He died so that little boy could live. I'm proud of my father for his actions. But you," Gwen addressed Spider-Man directly. "Like I said; I don't blame you for my father's death. But I do blame you for not preventing it. I blame you, Spider-Man, for not acting fast enough to save a good man who respected you."
"Sometimes I wonder if I deserved that kind of praise." Spider-Man admitted, given his love/hate relationship with much of the city.
"It was more than that. My father talked about you all the time, talked about all the good you were doing in the city and all the lives you've saved. You were like a son to him. So it's ironic that for all the lives you've save, you couldn't save the life of the one who mattered most. That's why I can't forgive you." Gwen explained.
Spider-Man wasn't surprised, nor would he have asked for any forgiveness. He told Gwen, "You're father's not the only person I failed. A couple years ago, I allowed another good man to die because I failed to act. I vowed never to let that happen again; same thing with your father. So if it means anything, I'm sorry for not saving your father."
Somewhere in the recesses of Gwen's mind, an apology was what she was expecting from Spider-Man all along. Even if she didn't show it, she was grateful that Spider-Man had apologized. She also seemed to have a slightly different perspective of him now; he was flawed just like everyone else. He made mistakes like everyone else, but he always tried to find ways to make up for it all. Maybe that was what George Stacy saw in Spider-Man; not just a costumed hero but a human being just like him or Gwen or anybody. It wasn't until Gwen noticed that Spider-Man was about to leave that she suddenly grabbed him by the arm to halt him.
"Wait," she said and drew Spider-Man's attention to her. "Who are you?"
"You already know who I am." Spider-Man stated.
"No, I don't. I don't know who you are under the mask. But I suspect that my dad did; he wouldn't have confided in you otherwise." Gwen clarified.
Spider-Man sighed, holding one hand to his waist and using the other to scratch the back of his neck. "Yeah, he knew who I was. He died knowing; that's why I can't tell you. If the people I care about the most knew who I really was, they could be at even greater risk. Worse, if my enemies found out who I was, they wouldn't hesitate to target the ones closest to me. I can't take that risk."
Gwen stopped Spider-Man from leaving again and she stated, "I don't know how or when my dad found out who you were behind the mask, but he knew the risks when he did. And I'm every bit the person he was. That means sooner or later, I going to know are you really are. You can either tell me now or I'll take a chance and find out for myself."
Spider-Man was inwardly impressed with Gwen tenacity even when she relinquished her grip on him. Then he walked by her and hopped onto the roof of her car; she didn't object. "It's like I said; you already know who I am. I just told you about the first mistake I made."
"All you told me was that you let a man die because you didn't act." Gwen pointed out.
"Yeah; his name was Ben Parker." Spider-Man shot out a web line and swung out of range and out of sight.
Gwen was already too late to ask what Spider-Man meant, but she knew Ben Parker. She'd meant him years ago when she'd first met Peter. Ben was easily one of the nicest, most gentle people she'd ever known, always good-natured, good-humored, loving and responsible. Those were the same qualities Peter had, and one of the reasons why Gwen loved Peter for so long. Then Ben died; a victim of a petty criminal that was eventually captured by Spider-Man when he first appeared. Gwen wondered how Spider-Man possibly could've known Ben Parker. Then she put the pieces together and he eyes widened in astonishment while she let out a gasp of realization, and already she doubted it all.
She whispered, "It can't be…"
The décor of Donald Menken's apartment was a dark shade of green, but that was only because it came that way. Wilson Fisk obviously spared no expense in giving Donald a few perks for his unwilling assistance in ousting Norman Osborn out of his company. Even though Fisk offered him a place as his right-hand man, Donald declined. He'd stated that he wanted no part in whatever direction Fisk was going to take OsCorp. Fisk wasn't the type who took kindly to rejection, meaning Donald Menken was likely on borrowed before Fisk sent someone after him. Donald decided he wasn't going to sit and wait for the inevitable.
Most of the furniture would remain; Donald was packing several suitcases with clothing, handheld devices and any other essentials he would've needed. He was so focused on getting everything he needed, it made him strangely lightheaded. Then he started to grow increasingly dizzy and after a few seconds, Donald suddenly collapsed to the floor. He was still conscious of his surrounding when he noticed a faint mist spraying out of the ceiling sprinklers above. Then he tried to move but it was as if his muscled froze in place. His bones felt stiff and rigid yet his internal organs were functioning properly. But he simply was unable to move.
"What's happening to me?" he asked even with no one nearby to hear him.
"Help me, help me! I've fallen and I can't get up," said a high-pitched voice, and then the Green Goblin appeared directly above Donald. "Poor Mr. Menken. Spray a bit of nerve gas and you fold like origami."
Donald had the look of a man horrified by the sight of the Green Goblin, who grabbed his leg and dragged him across the mist choked room toward the windows. It helped that the Green Goblin had a built-in gas mask in his costume; it was the only reason why he wasn't affected by the nerve gas. Upon reaching the window, the Green Goblin smashed the glass into a million shards before holding Donald over the edge. Donald instantly started screaming and flailing in the air, held upside down by the Green Goblin, who was smiling a twisted grin at the sight of Donald's flailing. The mist was dispersing into the open air and was the reason for the sudden return of Donald's motor functions, not that it mattered with the Green Goblin holding him by his leg.
"Oh, stop whining, you little worm. You're only about 17 stories above the ground. And if you're lucky, you might see it coming in the event that accidentally lose my grip." the Green Goblin quipped, and he feigned dropping Donald.
Donald was frightened beyond thought when he said, "No, don't drop me, please. I'll do whatever you want, just don't drop me."
"Whatever I want, huh? Okay, let's start with you telling me where I can find the Kingpin since you're suddenly all buddy-buddy with him." the Green Goblin said.
Donald looked up at the Goblin, ignoring that he appeared upside down, and he said, "The Kingpin? I don't know what you mean. I have nothing to do with the Kingpin or Silvermane…"
"STOP LYING TO ME," the Green Goblin bellowed a feigned dropping Donald again. "I know you and Fisk conspired to oust Norman Osborn out of his company."
Donald was still flailing around even as the Goblin held him tightly. He spotted the Goblin's glider approaching from afar before the Green Goblin hopped onto the machine. Gunning the engine, the Green Goblin flew across the way from Donald's apartment. He was still holding Donald by his leg, keeping a tight enough grip that he could snap the bone under the skin and flesh. Donald was already sure that was what happened, as he was starting to lose feeling in his leg. The Green Goblin hovered miles above the city streets with a degree of carefree recklessness, cackling as he went. His antic weren't drawing the attention of the police or even Spider-Man. But that would come later; Kingpin was the priority.
"Are you ready to talk now, Menken?"
"I'll tell you whatever you want to know, just don't kill me." Donald begged and pleaded.
"Tell me where I can find Kingpin and I give you my word; I won't kill you." the Green Goblin stated, and he sound oddly sincere.
"Okay, okay. From what I've heard, Fisk is set to take part in a summit with the other crime bosses. Silvermane and Mr. Negative are expected to be there." Donald claimed.
"Where and when?"
"One minute after midnight. There's an old oil refinery on the Lower East Side. Rumor has it that Bolivar Trask used the place to house his Sentinel robots before he was arrested and the program was cancelled." Donald stated.
"Interesting. Thanks for the info," said the Goblin before he returned Donald to his apartment. Once there, the Goblin added. "By the way, when I said I wouldn't kill you…"
"What?!" Donald asked.
"Relax, Menken. I said I wouldn't kill you, but I didn't say anything about gravity."
Then the Green Goblin released his grip. Donald Menken went into immediate freefall, screaming and flailing and, as the Goblin suggested, see the ground coming the entire way. Down below, a middle-aged tycoon was escort a pretty young woman to a Rolls Royce parked nearby. The woman was smiling at her meal ticket before Donald Menken collided with the top of the Rolls Royce, sending glass flying and collapsing the roof of the car. The old tycoon was in shock, most likely at the sight his car being smashed while the woman screamed at the top of her lungs. Up above the chaotic scene, the Green Goblin was looking down with an evil grin.
"Well, that looked like it really hurt. But now's not the time to grieve," The Green Goblin gunned his engine and prepared to jet off. "I've got a much, MUCH bigger fish to fry. So get ready, Fisk… 'cause I'm coming for you."
Then the Green Goblin was gone, cackling the whole way toward his next target.
Author's note: That's one more chapter finished and in record time too. Damn I'm good. There are a couple points of interest here; this chapter marks the last time we'll see either Shocker or Donald Menken.
Shocker was beaten up by the Goblin and arrested by the police, and his gauntlets were likely destroyed in his car. Menken met his end at the hands of… gravity. At least the Goblin didn't kill him. Right? The Goblin even speaks a line from The Spectacular Spider-Man.
A much more important part of this chapter was the interaction between Spider-Man and Gwen. I've gotten statements that Peter should just come out and tell Gwen that he was Spider-Man. It's not as simple as one might think and in my opinion, it should never be as simple as that.
So I thought it'd work better if Spider-Man dropped subtle hints. Now it's up to Gwen if it's true or not.
Also, I have no idea why I name dropped Bolivar Trask and the Sentinels; guess I've still got Days of Future Past fever. Go ahead and review… before the Sentinels kill us all.