Disclaimer: Okay before I get started, I want to be up front and honest. I've read the reviews on this story and I'm confused and annoyed by all the frequent suggestions and requests. Let me be clear; I cannot and will not make tweaks to the story because I'm being asked. Doing so could adversely compromise the overall effort.

I'm also aware of the references to various Marvel characters, but they WILL NOT be featured either, barring cameos by Elektra and the Punisher.

Finally, there's Spider-Gwen. Even though she's quite popular, (I've seen the art, trust me) I can't just hotshot a sudden change of Gwen into her superhero persona especially so late into the story without ruining it. It is NOT going to happen. EVER.

I'm skipping the usual disclaimer bits.

Chapter XXII

Inside Manhattan General, the doctors rushed the unconscious man on the gurney to Intensive care as quickly as possible. Five minutes ago, those same doctors marveled at the fact that the man was Norman Osborn himself, and were further astonished that he'd appeared to suffer an accident of some sort. That was according to Peter, who was forced to fabricate a story to throw the medical personnel off his trail. It was slightly more difficult to convince the police that Norman had been involved in what Peter claimed was a hit-&-run accident. Peter didn't like to lie, but it was the only way to keep the authorities from learning that he was Spider-Man and Norman was the Green Goblin. At least Peter was able to discard the Goblin's equipment beforehand.

Harry crept into Peter's thoughts after Norman was sent into the ICU room and Peter was prevented from entering. Peter was all sure that Harry had to have heard by now and was on his way to Manhattan General, along with more questions that Peter wasn't sure he could, or even should, answer. One of the doctors stopped Peter from entering the ICU, but Peter still caught a glimpse of Norman being laid onto operating table. The defibrillator was brought out, and Peter feared that the resulting shocks would bring Norman back to life as the Goblin. The first of the shock jolted Norman's bare chest but didn't resuscitate him.

Every time the doctors tried to revive Norman, Peter felt his own heart jump up to his throat. The frightening image of the Green Goblin reviving and going on a rampage continued to flood Peter's mind. None of that happened while the doctors worked to revive Norman and eventually succeeded. Norman was still thankfully unconscious, as morbid as it seemed for Peter to think that. He caught movement out of the corner of his eye and noticed Harry frantically approaching with Gwen in tow. Peter found it strange that Gwen was with Harry, but thought nothing more when Harry reached him.

"Where is he, Peter? Where's my father?" Harry frantically asked.

"He's okay, Harry. He in ICU and the doctors just finished working on him." Peter stated in an attempt to quell Harry's despair.

It didn't work, and Harry burst into the ICU; one doctor tried to stop him, telling him, "I'm sorry, but you can't be in here."

"Let me go, damn it. That's my father. Let me go," Harry demanded and pushed the doctor away from him. Reaching Norman, Harry whispered, "Dad, can you hear me? Dad, it's me, it's Harry. Dad?"

Norman began to stir ever so slightly until he opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was his wayward son. "Harry? Harry… is that you?"

"I'm here, Dad," Harry replied. "The cops said you had an accident. Can you tell me what happened?"

One of the doctors put a hand on Harry's shoulder and said to him, "I'm sorry, Mr. Osborn, but your father needs rest and perhaps further medical attention."

"Mr. Osborn is my father," Harry quietly snapped before turning back to Norman. "Dad, what happened?"

Norman looked thoughtful but weak. He replied, "I don't remember."

Then Norman slipped back into unconsciousness, and the doctor whom Harry pushed aside started to push him back out of the ICU. Harry still was able to get one last glance into the ICU and watched the doctors continue their efforts. All the while, Harry fought back tears. The last thing he wanted was for Norman to know he was crying. It wouldn't have been the Osborn way, according to Norman, to show that sort of weakness. So it seemed strangely ironic that in the ICU, Norman Osborn was at his weakest.

Harry turned to Peter, who had walked a short distance away. Gwen had remained where she stood when she and Harry arrived. Harry began to approach Peter with sound authority, completely ignoring Gwen when she tried to talk to him. Peter was leaning up against the wall with his hands in his pocket when he saw Harry coming, along with the upset glare in his eyes. There was that belief going through Peter's mind that Harry was going to deck him right there. Even though he could easily avoid the blow, Peter didn't intend to avoid it. But no such attack came; just the face of a desperate son seeking answers.

"What happened to my father, Peter?" Harry asked, and Peter wishing that Harry would've just took a swing at him.

Again, Peter hated lying, even more so to his best friend. "The police didn't tell you anything?"

"They told me that Dad was involved in a hit-&-run accident, according to what you told them. So what aren't you telling me?" Harry asked.

Peter tried to come up with the best way to ease Harry's anger without revealing the truth, while Gwen was standing by. She didn't say anything, but she was moving her lips in a manner that suggested that Peter come clean with Harry like he did her. Peter knew he couldn't do that. Harry was getting agitated with Peter's hesitant, and it told him that Peter was obviously hiding something he didn't want Harry to know.

"Harry, I already told you everything I know. I don't what else you want me to say."

"How about you tell me what my father, one of the richest men in the world, wound up in the middle Manhattan without an escort. He wouldn't go that far from home unless it was on his private jet. Plus, you just so happen to be there? Sounds way past coincidental, man."

"Harry, I swear to God in Heaven, I can't tell you anything else about what happened. It all went by too fast for me even think." Peter claimed knowing he was digging deeper into the lie.

"You can't tell me or you won't tell me," Harry was clearly becoming more and more agitated, this much Peter could see. "TELL ME!"

"HARRY!" Gwen shouted at the top of her lungs while stepping in between Peter and Harry.

It was enough for Harry to step back without taking his eyes off of Peter. When he'd calmed himself enough and saw his own hands shaking, Harry said, "I'm sorry." Then he walked away without another word.

Peter and Gwen let him go, but the damaged seemed to be done already. They exchanged glanced to each other without speaking a word. Then Peter walked away. Gwen wanted to talk to Peter from the second they locked eyes, and yet he suddenly bolted fro her. Which meant Harry was right; Peter had something to hide. Gwen quickly rushed after Peter just as he rounded the next corner, and as soon as she rounded that same corner, Peter was nowhere in sight. Up until recently, Gwen hated whenever Peter up and vanished from sight. It usually meant he'd run off to snag photos of Spider-Man or some random super villain.

But after he'd revealed that he actually was Spider-Man to her, Gwen's overall opinion changed. But her concern did not change; she knew Peter was hiding the truth about Harry's father from him. But was it to protect Harry or to hurt him? Gwen had to find out but the second she barely entered the next hall, something grabbed her and pulled into the janitor's closest. Gwen was staring right back into Peter's eyes, a mixture of hurt and relief while he had his hand over her mouth. Peter looked out the small crack in the doorway before he released Gwen.

Gwen gasped for air and said, "Jesus Christ, Peter. You didn't have to do that."

"Sorry, but I couldn't risk Norman waking up and going on a rampage." Peter claimed, further confusing Gwen.

"What are you talking about," Gwen asked but received silence from Peter. "Talk to me, Peter. What happened?"

Peter wasn't even remotely certain of telling Gwen anything. But she already knew the truth about him, so there was no reason he couldn't say anything. "Norman Osborn… he, uh…"

"What, Peter? Talk to me, please." Gwen pleaded with Peter.

Peter struggled to speak, struggled to find the best way to tell Gwen what he was about to tell her. There was no best way in the end. "He knows, Gwen. Osborn knows that I'm Spider-Man."

Gwen was shocked when she replied, "He knows? How? Did you tell him yourself like you told me?"

"He ambushed me earlier tonight."

"Ambushed you…? Oh my God, it's him. He's the Goblin, isn't he," Gwen deduced, to which Peter nodded. Gathering herself, Gwen asked, "What about Harry?"

"Harry doesn't know; he can never know."

"What do you mean he can never know? He has to know. You have to tell Harry the truth." Gwen reasoned.

Peter snapped back as quietly as possible, "It's not as simple as that, Gwen. I can't just tell Harry that his father, one of the wealthiest and most respected men in the world, is also a murderous psychopath."

Gwen hated to admit it, but she knew Peter was right. She then asked, "So what happens now?"

Peter thought for a long time while Gwen peered through the crease in the door. "Gwen, first chance you get, I want you on that plane to London and out of the city."

Gwen was stunned and replied, "What? Are you serious, Peter?"

"There's a chance that Osborn could wake up and some point and regress back into his Goblin persona and if that happens, he'll stop at nothing to get to me." Peter explained to Gwen.

"Then come away with me, Peter. Forget all this, forget all the crime fighting and come with me to London where we can be safe." Gwen begged Peter, even grasping his shoulders as tightly as she could manage.

"You know that I can't just walk away from this. I'm the only one who stands a chance against the Goblin. I'm the only one who can stop him." Peter argued.

"But why? Why not some other superhero; why does it have to be you?"

"Because it's my responsibility, okay? I made a promise to Uncle Ben after he died, and I can not turn away from it."

Gwen was on the verge of tears even when she knew that Peter was right. She still didn't like it. "I'm your responsibility, too. Are you so desperate to push me away so you can go to war and not come back to me?"

"I am doing this to protect you, Gwen. You and Mary Jane and Harry and Aunt May… I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to any of you. I'm sorry."

Gwen felt tears welling up in her eyes, knowing that Peter had made his choice and wasn't going to budge from it. "I'm sorry, too. Goodbye, Peter."

She stepped out of the closest and back into the hall before walking off. Peter exited soon after but didn't follow Gwen. He instead allowed her to walk away but deep down, he was hoping that she'd turn back to him. Gwen didn't turn around. She simply kept on walking as if nothing happened. By the time she rounded the next corner and disappeared from view, Peter collapsed against the wall and slipped down to the floor. He pounded the wall with his fist repeatedly until he couldn't anymore and kept mentally telling himself that pushing Gwen away was the only way to keep her safe. Somehow, he wasn't entirely convinced.

Gwen made it outside the hospital while she tried to wipe away the persistent tears from he face and didn't see Harry leaning against the wall by the door. "Is everything okay?" he asked.

Despite being slightly startled, Gwen quickly replied, "Yeah, fine. Peter and I were just… you know."

"Actually, I don't know. I can't shake the feeling that Peter is hiding something from me. Kind of bugs the crap out of me when a guy who's supposed to be my best friend does that." Harry stated.

Gwen couldn't exactly argue with Harry's claim when she stated, "Peter can be pretty complicated like that, but I'd like to believe that he has his reasons."

"Yeah, I guess," Harry said. " So, what did you talk about?"

Gwen looked at Harry but wasn't entirely sure she even wanted to answer the question. "I don't think Peter would appreciate us talking behind his back."

"He seemed content about talking behind my back, keeping things from me, things that I have a right to know." Harry claimed, sounding more and more cold as he went on.

"Harry, you know Peter better than anyone. You know he wouldn't lie to you." Gwen stated, trying to convince Harry.

"Do I know him, Gwen? You tell me; do I really know my best friend? It doesn't seem like it anymore," Harry said and punched the brick side of the building. "At least I've still got you."

Gwen felt strangely uncomfortable when Harry said that and she simply replied, "Yeah. At least!"

Harry didn't bother to return to his own apartment, instead choosing to sleep at his father's penthouse since that was what felt like home to him. Taking a spare blanket and a pillow out of the closest in his room, before Norman renovated it into a new work area (nice of him, really) Harry collapsed on the couch in the living room and slept. But he barely got as much as an hour and a half of sleep. He found himself repeatedly waking up and staring at the ceiling over and over again. The thought of seeing his father nearly comatose in the hospital seemed to knag away at Harry like he had brain cancer or an inoperable tumor. It was hard to determine which was worse.

But there was something far worse eating away at Harry, and it had to do with the Green Goblin and his father's supposed connection to the criminal. Harry headed up the stairs toward his father's office and as soon as soon as he reached the door, he went inside. On a normal day, Norman would've been in the office and would've be shouting at Harry to get out. But with Norman in the hospital, the office was fair gain for Harry.

He went to Norman's desk and started opening all the drawers one by one, but he wasn't even sure of what he was expecting to find. Maybe he was holding out that his father wasn't as evil as some people made him out to be. Opening every drawer, Harry found nothing incriminating. That should've been ideal for him, but then he noticed that one of the drawers had a hollowed out section. Harry reached around the majority of the desk for a latch and found one before giving it a tug. The hallowed out section popped out.

Harry looked inside and found a file without any indication of whether it was business relation or a possible hint at bribes or anything more accusatory. That most likely meant that the file was confidential. Taking the file out of the section and sitting on the chair, Harry began to study the file. Page for page, Harry found numerous references to his own father's involvement with the criminal underworld. Other pages referred to several well-known super villains like Sandman, Rhino, Electro and Doctor Octopus. Others still were devoted to efforts to possibly buy out rival companies such as Stark Enterprises or Hammer Industries. There was even an invitation from Victor Von Doom dated a year and a half ago. Then Harry found what he was looking for. Inside the file was a set of blueprints for the high-grade battle armor that was supposed to go to the United States Military.

That was before the ranking officers pulled out at the last minute and Norman was left without a contract. There was more in the blueprints from what Harry could tell. Weaponry and various images of equipment were found to appear similar to the weapons the Green Goblin tended to use. Harry's heart sank further with more blueprints detailing the array of equipment the Goblin regularly used to attack each and every enemy he had, including Spider-Man and Wilson Fisk. It was too much for Harry to take and he threw the file across the room in anger and slammed his fists onto the table.

Damn it, Dad. I don't want to know that you're involved with the Goblin. Or was Spider-Man right all along?

It all seemed to be getting far too much for Harry to handle, believing the worst that his own father could very well be in league with a mad man in a ghoulish mask. He still didn't want to accept it but the proof was in all the documents from the file. Anger washed over Harry and prompted him to gather every piece of evidence with the intent of burning or shredding it. Maybe his father would be grateful or maybe he would be furious and beat the hell out of Harry. Harry didn't care. He knew the reasons why he sought to destroy the file. If anyone were to find out about Norman Osborn's connection with the Green Goblin, they'd take him away. Harry wasn't going to let that happen.

Once he'd gathered the file and content, Harry started toward the door. He stopped. Something caught his attention in the bookshelf on the right side of the office. It appeared to be another file, likely more evidence against his dad. Harry took the file from the shelf and opened it. His eyes widened in astonishment.

"No way…"

Wilson Fisk didn't normally consider himself lucky. Fortunate seemed like a more optimum term he'd use to describe his recent string of encounters with the Green Goblin. In fact, Fisk was fortunate when he was still a kid growing up in Hell's Kitchen, smartening up enough to take care of himself and over the years, amass his criminal empire. But as he watched the late night news and saw the raw footage of the Green Goblin's rampage, Fisk was starting to think Lady Luck was on his side. And, he didn't believe in Lady Luck. So he watched and listened to Whitney Chang run down the details of the Goblin's latest appearance.

"Authorities and civilians alike are still baffled by the sudden appearance of the super criminal known as the Green Goblin followed by his subsequent disappearance soon afterward. Eyewitnesses claim that the criminal was quote 'manhandling an unknown person'."

Fisk continued to watch and listen as a random civilian appeared on screen. "I heard a sound like a, like a jet engine. I looked up and I saw what looked like the Green Goblin just thrashing this random guy around. Lost sight of 'em over the rooftop. It was freakin' crazy."

The image switched back Whitney Chang while Fisk kept watching. "The identity of the mystery person has not been determined although other eyewitness accounts claim that it may have been Spider-Man in civilian attire. As of this moment, the Green Goblin remains at large. This is Whitney Chang reporting live."

Fisk wasn't entirely convinced it was just some random person the Green Goblin attacked. Although he wasn't a betting man, he was convinced the Goblin attacked Spider-Man. Which meant; the Goblin knew who Spider-Man was under the mask. Fisk was sure he could benefit from the knowledge of Spider-Man's secret identity, maybe even blackmail the hero into doing whatever he wanted. But that meant confronting the Goblin to get that information, and Fisk was far from stupid. But Norman Osborn…. He knew how to reach the Goblin. All Fisk had to do was confront him, but the next report to come over the newsfeed piqued his interest.

"In other news, industrialist Norman Osborn has been hospitalized at Manhattan General following an alleged hit & run accident earlier tonight. Thus far, no suspects have been confirmed. Mr. Osborn is expected to make a full recovery as of this report."

Fisk shut off his TV and took to rubbing his chin for a while. "Well, Norman, what sort of trouble have you gotten yourself into now?"

As intrigued as he seemed, Fisk was slightly concerned since Norman had information on the Goblin that Fisk. Hospital or not, Fisk was going to get it by any means. So he picked up the phone from the coffee table beside his doublewide couch. The couch creaked slightly under his massive girth. Fisk dialed a series of digits on the phone that he knew were the number of Manhattan General and then waited for a response from the other end.

A young sounding woman on the other end of the line responded, "Manhattan General; Kelly speaking."

"Hello, Kelly. This is Wilson Fisk. I was wondering if you could tell me of the current condition of Norman Osborn and expectations for his recovery."

"Well, Mr. Osborn is currently in stable condition and is expected to recovery fully. Will there be anything else, Mr. Fisk?"

"Yes," Fisk made sure to sound as polite as possible without giving himself away. "Would it be possible for me to schedule a visit for tomorrow morning."

"It's possible. I'll see about getting you listed in our visitor's listings. Will there be anything else, Mr. Fisk?"

Fisk couldn't keep his devilish smile from appearing. "No. Thank you, Kelly," he said before hanging up, clasping his hands and going into thought. Alright, Osborn. Let's see what you know about the Goblin.

Author's note: Oh my God, I can't believe how long it took me to finish this damn chapter. Just to reiterate, I WILL NOT TAKE REQUESTS. I will not compromise my efforts to please those who wish for it. I' not trying to be a jerk; I'm just being honest.

If there are any suggestions to be made, please just PM me at my profile. Otherwise, send a review to keep the story alive. Thank you.