Later into the next day, Peter was at work sweating nervously about the incoming situation with JJ putting a bounty on his head and everything. It turned out, putting out a bounty on someone's head thankfully wasn't as easy as that. However, it was still obviously going to be a problem as he wasn't going to let that stop him. Along with making the front page be all about bringing Spider-Man to justice.
JJ's really gone off the deep end. Maybe I deserve this. Or maybe I should make him pay. Wait no, why would I think that? I don't want to hurt him, how would that help matters at all! His thoughts were interrupted by Mr. Foswell.
"Are you alright Peter? I know this has gotta be stressful. Everything that happened with John and Spider-Man. Can't believe he'd do that." Foswell admitted.
"Spider-Man wasn't who he seemed to be I guess." Peter replied, frowning.
"Perhaps there is something wrong with him. That black suit, it could be connected. It seemed strange having a change like that and being so savage."
Peter then glared at him. "I'm sure that's nothing. I mean, I highly doubt that black suit has anything to do with it. Maybe Spider-Man just made a mistake."
"A very bad one." Foswell responded. "John is a good man."
"Perhaps he should've been smarter." He then snapped, but before Foswell could take that in, Robbie came over sighing.
Robertson was shaking his head and sat down. "JJ's going on the warpath Foswell, I'm worried about him. This is a horrible idea. And he won't listen to reason."
"You're right, but Spider-Man did lose it. Be it that suit or maybe JJ was finally right, he needs to be stopped if he's going down a darker path." Foswell pointed out.
"Why would he snap now? And you know Spider-Man has been trying to help, you've worked with him in the past even. Why aren't you believing in him now?" Robertson asked, confused.
"I'm not optimistic, what can I say?" Foswell admitted.
Peter rolled his eyes at him. "I agree with Mr. Robertson. Spider-Man is clearly innocent and JJ's lost his mind."
Robbie turned to him. "Watch it Peter, even if I don't agree with Jonah right now, insulting him isn't something I'm going to tolerate."
"Whatever." He walked away feeling annoyed.
Foswell and Robertson looked concerned about him, but kept speaking.
"Listen I'm sorry Robbie, it's just I was thinking of something Eddie said to me, if not for Spider-Man and myself, he'd probably still have his job. He's really struggling and that's taking a toll on me, it was my screw up."
"It was his screw up Fredrick. Don't blame yourself for Brock getting fired. That was his own mistakes that got him into that position." Robbie replied.
"It's not just that, he was doing a lot of research into creaking open the lid on Hammerhead. Finding out a lot about his operations, it could've been the end of him and it was fantastic work. JJ's thrown out everything he had. I think it was a mistake and we could've given the guy a second chance." Foswell sighed.
Outside of the building, Spider-Man was now suited up. The black suit was still on, it just changed into civilian clothing. That's a really neat trick. I'm loving that one. Peter smiled to himself and looked at the streets below. JJ is really causing me a problem, I could rough him up. No! What am I saying, I won't do that. I'm not going to threaten the guy into dropping the bounty on my head! Down below, the police were racing by. Ah, forget it! I've gotta follow them. And so he did, speeding along hot on their trail, finding them dealing with a fire and shootout. Finally something for me to actually have a challenge against. He thought and leaped down finding one goon running away, which wasn't going to stand so he grabbed them wanting answers.
"What's going on here?" Spider-Man immediately asked and hanged them upside down.
"Oh great! You're here too!" The goon replied.
Spider-Man got closer. "My presence is thinning."
The thug nodded rapidly, raising their hands. "I work for Tombstone! Somebody from our crew ratted us out to Hammerhead and he's gotten bolder taking a shot at us!"
"This is Hammerhead's doing?" Spider-Man questioned and noticed a bunch of armored thugs opening fire on the police. "I'm guessing it's them? Where on earth did they get all that gear? Whatever." Spider-Man left the thug and rushed towards them, quickly cracking them all across the face and kicking the last one, who tried coming from behind, webbing them all to the ground easily.
"How are you so fast!" One of the thugs asked.
"I've been eating my fruits and vegetables. Where did you creeps get all this weaponry, way I heard it Hammerhead was on his last legs."
"We've got a new boss now and no way in hell we're telling you who! He's much more evil and tough then Hammerhead ever was!" One thug cried.
Spider-Man moved in close looking more sinister himself. "Do I look as if I'm asking you nicely young man? Where did you get it from?"
"Our new boss bought it from some major international players! That's all I know!" The thug exclaimed, scared.
"Tell me the name of your boss!" He yelled, then got distracted by Captain Watanabe once again pointing a gun at him. "Lady, I'm really sick and tired of you. Can't you give me a moment to figure out who the mastermind behind this is?"
She declined. "You're under arrest. Don't move a muscle."
"You're acting out of your mind! What would Captain Stacy say to this huh?"
"Well, he isn't here and maybe he'll never be waking up. Even if he does, hopefully he'll not be returning to duty." She replied, making Peter angry.
He webbed a hold of her gun, crushing it. "You really know how to make a guy pissed don't you? Watch what you say about him, he's a better person than you!" Spider-Man departed having enough.
Why would Stacy trust her? She's a disgrace! If Captain Stacy was here he'd understand me, or officer Dewolff! This lady is getting on my nerves! All these cops are, the cowards they are! Speaking of which, where is Hammerhead then? It's time we start using this suit to the full extent! Did I say we? Whatever, I'm going to find Hammerhead and get to the bottom of this once and for all! Peter declared in his head and set out to find any leads.
Elsewhere, Eddie Brock was having the same idea going to speak with a contact of his about Hammerhead's operations. He might've not been a reporter, but he still was wanting to help get to the bottom of everything. Even with his diagnosis, this was still important him.
"You seriously want to investigate Hammerhead still? Are you crazy! Don't you know who's running the shoots now?" His contact expressed sweating.
"No, I've got no clue. Nobody does right now. It's only been a day since this takeover, how bad of a guy could this new boss be?" Brock questioned.
The contact sighed and looked around. "It's that Goblin guy."
"There is more than one." Eddie reminded him.
"The Green one, he nearly killed Spider-Man! That freak is dangerous, he could've killed Hammerhead and his whole crew from what I've been hearing. To make matters worse of that green creep he's having all sorts of weapons deals lined up! I think he's using Hammerhead to make a powerplay!" The contact explained.
Eddie pondered it. "No clue who he is huh?"
"No way. Nobody knows, he just seemed to come out of nowhere when that Hobgoblin showed up. Or two of them."
He continued thinking about it. "There is a slim chance they're not connected, maybe both mysteries can solve both the question behind who both of these guys are. And what they're after. My gut tells me it could be more than power alone. They both could easily crush the other crime bosses, question is what there after? I need to find out, somebody does. Everything is connected, keep your ears wide open."
The contact sighed. "Fine, I'll keep my ears on. You better still be able to pay me."
"I will. I'll find a way." Eddie replied, knowing he couldn't guarantee that and was going down a dangerous road. "You always liked some excitement didn't you?"
"Yeah, till the Goblin showed up. Though you did too, you've been all serious as of late." The contact responded and went to walk off.
"Ah tell you what, we'll get hammered once we're done with this. Drinks on me, that'll cheer us up right?"
"Right." They scoffed and walked off.
Eddie then pulled out a recorder, revealing he was recording everything. "Someone has gotta hear this."
As he walked off, the contact ran off once he was out of sight and called up The Green Goblin. "Boss, it's me. That reporter, Brock, he's asking a lot of questions!"
The Green Goblin laughed through the phone. "How unfortunate for him. A man's life could be in danger asking such pressing questions!"
"What? Are you going to kill him boss?"
"Thinking, thinking. That's what I'm doing! Tell me more about this Mr. Brock and perhaps I might come up with a plot!" Goblin replied.
The contact thought about it. "Say! I heard of this Sandman guy who had it out for Eddie Brock, he's been hanging around. Some thug named Flint Marko."
Goblin laughed once more. "Now that's what I like to hear! Find me this Sandman, I'd love to speak to him! You might get a rise with this kind of thinking young man!" He then laughed maniacally, which made the contact uncomfortable.
Spider-Man kept on moving throughout the city, hunting down any leads he could on Hammerhead or Tombstone. He was creaking a lot of knuckleheads, fortunately not literally. The word was getting out that the friendly neighborhood hero wasn't exactly acting like himself, which reached the ear of a friend who was tracking him down getting on his trail while he was cleaning up some thug hangout by a corner.
"I'm only asking twice! Where is Hammerhead! Or Tombstone, or any crime boss for that matter! Start yapping or I'm going to start creaking you!" Spider-Man threatened a scared thug.
"I-I don't know where either of them are! I don't work for anybody big, you just kicked my boss's lights out!" The thug claimed.
"Useless." Spider-Man threw them away and webbed them up.
The one following him revealed themself. "What are you doing?" She asked.
He turned around to see The White Tiger. "I'm searching for some super villains, what are you doing?" Spidey asked sarcastically.
"Coming to see what's the matter with you." She responded.
"Nothing is wrong, I'm just trying to be more proactive with taking down some of the criminals in this city." He simply responded.
White Tiger looked unhappy, shaking her head. "You questioned my brutality, got me to snap out of that horrible phase as a hero, no I wasn't even being heroic then. I wasn't being any better. Now it's my turn to return the favor."
"What? You're here to knock some sense into me? Literally, or figuratively?"
"Figuratively I hope." She replied, crossing her arms. "It's that black suit that's been tied to you acting uncharastically violent." She pointed out rightfully.
Spider-Man scoffed. "This suit has actually been helping me without its power, I wouldn't be able to clean up NYC so fast and effectively. Why on earth would I want to give this up? Go back to being my old self, too slow to stop criminals or too weak!"
"And what exactly is that costing you huh? I have its scent, yours isn't right. None of this is. I'm concerned." White Tiger persisted.
"Oh, well I'm very sorry for concerning you White Tiger. How about you run along now and let me get back to business. How's that sound?"
"Peter, listen to me. This isn't you." She said genuinely concerned for him.
"Okay, Ava. No codenames? I think I'm just going to leave then, maybe I'll head home if that'll make you so much happier." Spider-Man said rudely and left, leaving her looking unsatisfied from that and knowing this wasn't over, thinking of what next move she'd be forced to make.
Elsewhere in the city, Eddie Brock returned home.
"Finding leads?" His wife asked.
"How'd you know?" He questioned and kept a straight face, not wanting to tell about the cancer or how little time he had left.
She laughed softly. "You always have that determined look on your face, when working on a big case. Still going after Hammerhead?"
"Yes I am. Like we agreed. I'm keeping myself safe. Not throwing myself in the fire anymore just as promised."
Ana sat back down. "Neither am I." She sighed. "It is less exciting, I'll admit that."
Eddie sat next to her. "In complete agreement, but it's all for Dylan. The little man is my top priority now."
She looked at him.
"Same with you of course. I love you." Eddie replied.
"Love you too." They kissed briefly. "So, what leads are you getting?" She then asked curiously, much like how she was more often before the pregnancy.
He chuckled. "Those costumed nuts are taking over. The Green Goblin takes over Hammerhead's operations, imagine that. After all these years, an old school gangster standing alongside Silvermane gets overthrown by a guy dressed for halloween.
"It's the changing tide, old school is getting replaced by all those people dressing up for halloween seasons early. With bad gimmicks too." She remarked.
"Right about that hun." He replied.
Unknown to them, their building was being staked out and their apartment was being listened into by some thugs, who were giving it all back to The Green Goblin.
"Now, now. How insulting. I think this Goblin has just made a decision." He smiled to himself sinisterly.
Spider-Man left quickly, ignoring all of her concerns. What does she know? I'm feeling better than I ever have in my life! And I'm closing in on Hammerhead and Tombstone, this new boss too. Nobody can hide from me now. Though, maybe I was being harsh towards Ava, she did just want to help me after all. On the other hand, I'm right. I've almost got those crime bosses right where I want them. I've got a couple more addresses to search, maybe something could turn up. Maybe, I should act a little more like friendly, then enraged. He thought and creeped into yet another warehouse, they were all starting to look the same, but this one had something the others didn't.
"Tomestone." He said to himself upon seeing her.
"I want everyone on alert! We're being squished into a box here, Hammerhead and now Spider-Man are coming to take us down! Nobody gets in here! Everyone is armed until we can figure something out!" Tombstone shouted and headed into an office.
Perfect pickings, look out here I come. He thought to himself easily webbing a few thugs away from the group with ease.
"We're missing people here!" One thug exclaimed, freaking out.
"Who's out there!" Another cried out.
A third opened fire rapidly with a lot of bullets into the dark corners around them. "Who's out there! Show yourself you freak! Come on!"
This poor unfortunate thug got pulled away into the darkness screaming for a moment.
Tombstone finally stepped out. "What the hell is going on?"
"I'm outta here there is a ghost!" One shouted and ran away.
"Oh no. There aren't any ghosts, but I'm certainly not feeling as friendly as I have been in the past I'm afraid to say. And that you are all going down!"
"Show yourself coward! Spider-Man! I thought you were being more bold lately, let's have a fight, come on!" Tombstone shouted around the room.
Spider-Man laughed creeply. "Don't worry Tommie, I'll give you a fight alright!" He leaped out of the shadows. "Round 1, let's go."
"I'm going to enjoy this." They claimed, cracking their knuckles.
"Doubtful I'm sorry to say." Spider-Man replied, doing stretches. "I'm feeling pretty strong in fact." He paused and had an incoming punch from Tombstone come into his face, which he grabbed before it could connect. "Stronger than you big girl." He then finished saying, twisting her arms and throwing her away against the way.
"Cute, acting cocky aren't you?" She asked, getting up.
"Certainly so." Spider-Man charged at her, confident as ever and ignored his spider sense as it warned him he was going to get punched, which he did across the face causing some discomfort even making him flinch.
"I was holding back, clearly I undermated you. Won't be doing that again." Tombstone responded and tried going in for another punch, but was grabbed again. This time putting up more of a fight.
"Nice try." Spider-Man replied and kicked her legs, making her fall and giving an opening to start punching on her repeatedly backing her into a corner.
Tombstone spat at him. "Going to have to try harder than that, Spider-Man." She kept on trying to fight, but failed, getting another crack across the face and another. It finally stopped after Spider-Man saw how much harm he was doing, knocking her out pretty badly this time, leaving her face a little bloody.
What! I didn't mean to push myself that hard, again! Why aren't I being more careful! What's wrong with me! He thought to himself and left, not even webbing up the rest of the bad guys. "I gotta get this under control! I could seriously hurt someone." He then said allowed to himself, now sitting outside of the warehouse. "I've gotta be exhausted! I haven't slept in almost 24 hours now, MJ, Aunt May. They all have gotta be worried sick about me. That settles it. I'm going home." And he did exactly that heading there, until he saw more police cars zooming away. "Oh great! Now what! At this rate I'm going to drop dead from exhaustion!" He remarked, swinging along.
Minutes earlier is where the answer laid to Spider-Man's question.
At Eddie Brock's apartment, there was a loud knock on the door.
"Hold your horses! I'm coming!" He replied to the angry knocking, which only continued as he got closer. "I've got a sleeping kid! Keep it down! I'm here!" He opened the door and found a thug wearing a trench coat.
"You know who I am? Eddie Brock?" The man asked.
He looked concerned. "No! I don't know you! And my name isn't Eddie!"
"Really?" He was blasted back into his apartment via some sand, meaning the thug was no ordinary one, it was The Sandman. "How about Nicholas Powell?"
"I don't know who that is!" Brock exclaimed.
Sandman got closer. "Chance? You got him arrested, you know, Spider-Man told me so! That little idiot wasn't so bright sharing that information was he?"
Eddie shook his head rapidly. "I didn't mean to, let's just talk about this I'm sure we can come to something civil!"
"Doubtful, I'm not here for that. I'm here for what my brand new boss wanted. Let's hear what he's gotta say, right?" Sandman revealed a radio pulling it out.
"Hello, hello! It's The Green Goblin, you've been selected to be put onto my very naughty list, Mr. Brock! See, you've been doing far too much digging my good sir and now it's going to cost you dearly!" Green Goblin laughed.
"Just punish me! Not my family!" Eddie cried and looked towards his wife calling the police hiding with their son.
"Now, now. I believe in cutting the head off of everyone in my way! Apologies to you, it seems like your family's time is coming to a horrific conclusion! Sandman, please kill Mr. Brock and the family!"
Sandman seemed unsure. "Mr Goblin sir, I don't want to kill a family. No. I won't! Not for all the money in the world! I might be a crock, but not that bad, not a freaking monster!"
"Ah yes, I suspected as much." He replied and went silent, until he came speeding through the window cackling. "Fine, I'll be doing it myself!" He was interrupted by a couple of officers shooting at him. "Oh, quite rude! Perhaps I'll have to commit some more murder first!" He laughed and turned out the window throwing some pumpkin bombs into the street laughing while he did causing a lot of destruction.
This didn't last much longer, as Spider-Man finally arrived trying to grab a hold of the goblin's glider, but failed as he flew up.
"Ah Spider-Man! I knew you'd show up soon enough!" He laughed.
"Green Goblin, oh. I feel bad for you coming back now." Spider-Man replied, clenching his fists.
"We'll see about that, Spidey! Now, let's have a test! What exactly matters most to you, hmm? Taking me down! Or an innocent man over his head!" He threw a bomb, as Spider-Man felt his spider-sense triggering and thought quickly about his next move.
Thanks for reading, the saga continues with a lot going down.
I don't have much else to say. Sorry or your welcome? I do apologize for the weird release schedule. The end is approaching closer, I'd say only 25% or less remaining now. So hopefully by the end of 2024 I'll be done or at least closer to that goal. It's really hard to believe how long this series has persisted for. I hope the next chapters will be worth the long wait between them.
To C.G
Happy Holidays to you and hope that you have a happy New Years as well. Best wishes to your family too. Thanks for all the patience this year, I am deeply sorry barely anything was accomplished this year for Batwoman. I'm working away at chapter 2 currently 25% or so done, hopefully will pick up the pace. Can't say how next year will go, but hopefully next will bring more progress for stories. Batwoman in particular.
In truth my year with writing wasn't a complete waste (hopefully) I was working on other things throughout just behind the scenes so to speak. Hopefully all that work won't come to a waste.
Again, fingers really really crossed 2024 will do a lot better in terms of Batwoman progress. I still can't believe I only got 1 or 2 chapters done this year. I'll hopefully remain for the next year. Hope the rest of season 3 will be worth the wait.
Best wishes to you.