Spider-Man waited for both Brock and Foswell to both head home. He decided on putting on some Spider traces which he had to rush home to grab from his room and then rushed back to the Bugle bugging Foswell's car, but couldn't find one for Eddie Brock which he found quite suspicious. He decided following Brock would be his best choice and then check on Foswell later on.
I'm going to get to the bottom of this business if it's the last thing I ever do! Peter exclaimed to himself and then turned red. I certainly hope this isn't the last thing I ever do, can I call a take backsy? He wondered to himself and then spotted Eddie leaving the Bugle. Okay Eddie, let's see what you're up to when you're off.
He followed him carefully, seeing him waiting for a bus. Of course, if your super villain wouldn't want a car that can be tracked right? Peter reasoned and followed along on the rooftops after the bus.
Where are we going? Peter wondered to himself following along, getting impatient. It took an hour getting to his destination. Once there, Peter was sure to toss a spider tracer on him. Eddie then went inside of an apartment building which didn't seem in the best of shape. Ah of course, a run down building never would expect a criminal mastermind to be living out of this kind of place. Peter thought to himself and crawled along the building following him upstairs and finally stopping at an apartment. I've got a bad feeling, I might've been wrong.
Peter listened close inside of the apartment.
"Ann honey?" Eddie asked, sounding like he stepped inside. "What the hell?" He was confused and a loud thud was heard.
Oh boy, not good sounding.
Inside Eddie was shoved against a wall by some thugs and held his wife hostage at gunpoint. "Don't you make a sound Brock. Or your woman dies, got it?"
Peter heard it and sighed upon hearing it.
"Okay, okay I'll do whatever you want, just don't hurt her please." Brock pleaded.
"Crime Master, tell us everything you have on him." One asked, shoving a gun in Eddie's face and pulling the safety off.
He shook his head quickly. "I-I don't know anything. I was investigating a serial killer, nothing about Crime Master, I wasn't on it!"
"You're a listener Mr. Brock. And that has consequences." They nearly pulled the trigger, but fortunately Spider-Man shot a web into the gun stopping it from firing and jumped inside kicking one into a wall. Then spun around punching the one out who nearly shot Eddie and webbed a third one holding onto his wife and flung them forwards into his welcoming fist.
All three of the goons were knocked out.
"Hey, good thing I was in the neighborhood huh?" Spider-Man joked.
Eddie ran to his wife to check on her.
Spider-Man approached them both. "Do either of you have any idea why these jokers wanted you dead?" He asked.
"No clue, I didn't do anything. This wasn't my investigation; they've got misinformation." He said, crossing his arms.
Peter didn't look sure. "They said something about you being a listen, what does that mean exactly?" He questioned further.
"It means I've got a nose for stories, but not this one. I want no part of this Crime Master crap. I could care less, this would get my wife killed." Brock said genuinely.
"Not sure if I believe you." Peter said getting closer
Eddie sighed. "FIne, I think a man named Fredrick Foswell could be connected to the Crime Master, I was digging into it."
"You lied." His wife looked mad at him and went to her room.
"Why are you lying to me?" Spidey asked, confused.
"This is my story and I wanted to get more evidence before I said anything." Eddie claimed looking away, arms crossed
Peter shook his head. "What happened to your life being in danger and your wife's life?" He looked disappointed.
"My life has risks to it, maybe I shouldn't have lied. Look, I'm just trying to make a living and help people with my stories. It's important to me." Eddie admitted.
"Looks like you're not the Crime Master then." Peter said to himself.
Eddie looked bewildered. "You think I was The Crime Master? You're not a great investigator at all are you?" He pointed out crossing his arms.
Peter ignored that and turned to one of the thugs waking them up. "Why were you here? This guy didn't know anything."
"Had to make sure, The Crime Master wanted us to be sure. Couldn't let his enemy get any room to learn anything."
"What enemy? A rival ganglord? Some crazed super villain? The taxman?"
"I won't tell you anything, other than his enemy isn't one you'd want to cross again. His is for The Crime Master to finish off."
He knocked out the thug again and then Spider-Man turned to the window. "You should call the police to get these bozos arrested and be made aware of what's happening." He then leaped out the window swinging off.
Eddie Brock held his wife close. "I'm so sorry this happened, I prayed the job wouldn't be bringing trouble like this to our doorstep. It'd be dangerous having a kid in the middle of all this mess."
She looked calmer and put her hand on his face. "Eddie, we'll get through this, we always do and I'd never ask you to give up your job, like you'd never ask me to give up mine. They're both dangerous, but we'll get through it together."
They hugged feeling better about the situation feeling more hopeful.
Back in Peter's head, he had many thoughts on his mind. Mr. Foswell, this isn't looking so good for you. Please, please don't tell me he's The Crime Master. I'm not liking this and now that I think about it, he knew MJ's father that'd be a connection to how they'd meet. A pretty clear one. Not good, did he blackmail him? Could MJ be in danger then? Was he playing me? Oh I'm getting to the bottom of this, at least I can scratch Eddie Brock off the list of people who want me dead. Peter thought to himself rushing after the spider tracer location.
He rushed after him and swung quickly after him, while on the way, the phone began to start ringing, it was MJ.
"Hey Peter, are you alright? Aunt May was asking where you were and I had to cover for you, hope you're up to something important, lying isn't something I enjoy doing." She said, sounding a bit upset.
"Oh shoot, I completely forgot about everyone. I'm chasing down a lead on The Crime Master. I think I've got him in the ropes, he won't get away, everything else has blurred out." Peter confessed.
She didn't respond immediately. "That is quite important, yeah, do you think you're going to find my father?" She asked.
Peter stopped in his tracks. "I'm not sure, I haven't thought of that. Didn't even get to tell you I came across him yesterday. He was working with the bad guys, but he had a chance to finish me off and he spared me, letting me have enough time to escape. And believe me if not for him I think I would've been splat into the ground." Admitted Peter.
"Really he saved you? I wonder why he would do that." She questioned.
"Maybe there is some good in him." Peter suggested trying not to push it.
MJ sighed. "Maybe, but it doesn't change much, at least he isn't a complete jerk. I'm glad he saved your life, can't believe you're still swinging around after a near death experience then, aren't you in pain?"
"Oh boy yeah, a lot of pain. Though there is a bad guy in need of a whooping and I'm the guy who's going to give it to him." Peter said and thought of the possibility of it being Foswell, remembering his connection to MJ too and decided to keep it to himself until he was completely certain.
"Keep safe then Peter and don't die, or I'll kick your butt." She joked, sounding like she said with a smile, which gave Peter the motivation to keep on going.
He smiled. "Thanks MJ, I will do that. See you later."
Peter reached Foswell's house and saw a suspicious van sitting outside of his house and the door opened. "Oh great." Peter said allowed heading inside and then immediately had his spider-sense go off getting shot at.
"It's Spider-Man!" One shouted and proceeded to get kicked in the face.
"Very insightful. How about we stop what we're doing and surrender?" Spidey asked and saw them all raise their weapons. "Your choice."
Spider-Man webbed up and their guns smacking them all without much trouble, then could hear the van speeding off. No time for questions, got to stop that van. He webbed up all the bad guys and rushed out of the house seeing no sign of Foswell and assumed he was in the van. Either they took him hostage or he was escaping Peter had reasoned to himself.
He then jumped onto the van zooming away and peaked inside looking at the driver and webbed their hand to the wheel. "Perhaps you should stop the van?"
The one beside him shot a shotgun beside his head at Spidey who avoided it.
"What the hell are you doing man you almost hit me!" The driver exclaimed looking over at his partner who shrugged.
"I have to agree, that was quite a dangerous tatic and if you hit him you'd crash." Peter pointed out mocking him, knocking the gun out of the van. And then knocked the both out making the car come to a stop.
Spider-Man rushed to the back of the vehicle reaching for the doors having his spider-sense go off again and got surprised by the doors getting flung open. A mountain of a man stepped out, cracking his neck. "Don't worry boss, I'll kill the spider." He said, while Foswell looked confused by him saying it to him.
"Oh a big boy aren't you? Well I've thought a lot of tough guys before, you don't look so scary." Peter joked and went to punch him, barely moving him. "Crime Master sure likes you big boys. Or should I say Foswell?" This feels off. Peter then thought seeing Foswell just sitting there.
He shrugged and continued to fight the bad guy in front of him punching him a few more times until he gave up seeing it wasn't working so well.
"You've got a bad punch." The big guy said.
"Where the heck do all you guys keep coming from?" Peter asked and started webbing him to the ground which seemed more effective.
"You think a little webbing will stop me!" He exclaimed trying to break loose as Peter continued making a larger web.
He finally stopped when he had to switch out web cartridges. "Goodness, another one of my cartridges. I swear someone is going to pay for this." He remarked seeing the large man now stuck to the ground and Foswell got out of the van.
"Thank you Spider-Man I-" He started to say before Peter started pointing at him.
"You stay where you are, I haven't ruled you out of being the Crime Master just yet, this big guy did just call you boss. Maybe you knew I saved Eddie Brock and was on your tail, so you were trying to make a grand escape and now you're trying to act like we're buddies, then you'll stab me right in the back. Hopefully not literally please." Peter declared on guard.
A bewildered Foswell shook his head rapidly. "No! These thugs took me hostage, I was just about to get a lead on Crime Master I thought. Yesterday I hoped to see someone who claimed to know their identity, but I was careful and spotted it was a trap. I informed the police about that and I figured it'd be the end of it, until I got home finding those thugs waiting for me in my home. Whoever Crime Master is, he's trying to tie up all loose ends for some reason. Something must've happened that triggered him until believing he was in danger of being caught." He explained.
"You know what, your right I feel a bit stupid. That does make more sense. Unless you're using your journalist brain against me." Peter said, thinking it was in his head.
"What?" Foswell asked, continuing to be completely bewildered.
Spider-Man looked embarrassed looking around and kicking some dirt. "I honestly thought I said that in my head, sorry. Just brainstorming, I'm 99% sure you're innocent."
"Really not anymore sure?" He asked.
"Treading on the side of skepticism. Sorry, don't mind me." Peter shrugged and began to think to himself. I feel like I'm getting played here, this is all wrong, very wrong. I must've made Crime Master want to clean house after kicking all his bad guys butts really good. I have to get to Ned, he could be the next target!
"Have you spoken to Ned Leeds at all, uh that Brock guy mentioned him and how he was caught up in this too. So I uh, probably should check up on that guy." Spidey said.
"Oh right, you should. I'll tell you his address, hurry!" Foswell exclaimed, telling the address and Peter gave a lot.
"Don't worry, I'll get him! And be safe!" Peter expressed and swung after his apartment.
Spider-Man shortly arrived at his apartment building, which seemed like a decent place of residence. A window was opened and he crawled in creeping inside carefully. "Hello? Is anyone here, it's your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, not a bandit I promise. Here to help and kick any bad guy butt." He was saying cautiously and then spotted Ned sipping coffee at his kitchen table.
"Spider-Man? What are you doing here? Is something wrong?" Ned was surprised by his appearance.
He looked out the window and turned back to Ned. "You're in grave danger, two of your colleagues were already attacked. Have you seen anything suspicious?"
"You mean Crime Master don't you? I should've known he'd retailite and I should've been far more prepared. This is very serious business!" He expressed.
"Doesn't matter now, we should leave. Right now!" Spider-Man said, motioning him to get ready for a ride.
However, Ned put up his hand shaking his head, seeming to ignore his warning. "There is something else, quite important. I've had a question on my mind." He began saying.
Peter's head started hurting a lot and it wasn't spider-sense. "Not the time for questions, time for running. I think Crime Master is here. Come on!"
Ned turned to Peter looking at him directly. "You're right about that."
"No, no. You can't be." Peter said, trying to step back, but his head's pain was only increasing more and he fell to the ground.
"I am. The Crime Master, as I've been called. Now you know who I am, only fair I learn of your identity. I figured you'd be coming here next after my people's failed attempts on Brock's and Foswell's life. My question was, are you Peter Parker? Or has he been yapping to whoever you are under that mask? After all, only Peter would know about Crime Master setting up that ambush which I anticipated. And the trick leads, again only something Peter would be aware of. Let's find out the truth, shall we?" He grabbed Peter's mask, pulling it off as he struggled against it trying to push back his shocking foe, but failed.
Spider-Man was now unmasked at the mercy of The Crime Master, Ned Leeds, someone he had trusted and never imagined could be capable of doing such unspeakable crimes as this.
"Peter, Parker. Looks like we've got a lot to speak about today. I do have a lot of questions and it looks like you'll not be going anywhere."
Surprise, I hope, with Ned Leeds being revealed as the main villain of the Crime Master arc, being said villain! I tried to set up the groundwork for revealing him, so I'm interested if anyone became curious about him. (Though I could've set it up and built it up a lot better, just wanted to say I was very much aware of my failures) More of Ned's motivation and goals will be revealed next chapter and his continued confrontation with an unmasked Peter. I was excited to finally reveal the twist with Ned Leeds being not as he seemed and how it'd affect Peter. Having the villain pulling off Peter's mask was something I was excited for too, increasing the threat as nobody else knew besides Mary Jane. I'm sure this won't have repercussions for the future…
I had planned on it since early on, I never intended for anyone else to be Crime Master. I briefly considered Eddie Brock, a while ago. This was always my end goal for this and it'll be a big change hopefully. I'm excited to be in the final stretch and for everything else coming along next. Hope everyone enjoys the final chapters of this arc. A very long time coming and it's nice to finally execute the twist.