In a warehouse, a stack of wooden boxes are hit by a blast of shockwaves, blowing them apart.
Shocker holds back his arm, looking at his gauntlet, "Not too bad, Tinkerer. Definitively packing more of an… oomph." He turns to Tinkerer who is studying Ox's suit. "But are you pulling triple duty, also working for Ock and the Big Man?"
Shocker then turns to see Ricochet bouncing around the room in a ball, blowing through a rafter, before landing and checking his suit.
Tinkerer smiles, "I'm a freelancer."
Ox punches through a column, before flexing his fingers.
"Try not to bring down the roof, ya ox," Ricochet walks over Ox.
"Would that mean you have no loyalty, Tinkerer?" Shocker asks, crossing his arms.
"How about the Enforcers' loyalty?"
Everyone turns to see someone in the shadows.
"You worked for the Big Man, and now you're being hired by a competitor," the figure in the shadows continues.
"The Big Man left us in the Vault, while you free us," Shocker uncrosses his arms. "Besides if the rumors are true, the Feds are breathing down his neck so much, the Big Man might be on the outs."
"Meaning…" Tinkerer smirks.
"We're freelancers now," Shocker says, annoyingly. He then takes a few steps toward the shadow figure. "So, what's the job that requires our particular gears?"
The figure holds up a Daily Bugle paper with the headline: "Valentine Gangland".
"This reporter, Frederick Foswell," the figure starts. "He wrote a story that exposed your ex-boss, and before him, an exposé that shutdown Silvermane back in his time. Twice is too close of a pattern. I can't have a possible threat to my growing empire."
"So, you want us to silence him?" Shocker guesses, as Ox and Ricochet stand next to him.
"No, I want you to bring him to me," the figure steps out of the shadows, revealing his suit-wearing appearance resembles a negative photo. "I will bend his will to mine, or break it."
The figure, Mister Negative, starts to crush the newspaper in one hand, as the newspaper turns black, crumbles and falls apart.
"Divergent"
At the Vault, in a waiting room, Gwen is sitting in a chair, nervously, next to Mary Jane, who rubs her hands together.
A guard enters the room from a door across from the girls, "We're ready for you."
Gwen and Mary Jane look to their right, watching as Liz stands up from her own chair.
Liz inhales a deep breath, before approaching the guard.
Liz enters a room which is empty save for a pair of chairs, separated by a glass divider, and sitting on the other side of the divider is Mark Allan.
Mark sees Liz, smiles and waves at her.
Liz gives a nervous smile and waves back.
At the Daily Bugle, Peter places a couple pictures showing Spider-Man webbing a couple crooks to a parking meter on Jonah's desk.
"I know you're still angry about what I said, having a deal with Spider-Man," Peter tells Jonah. "But these pics are worth more than what you're paying for me."
"Who're the award winning newspaper man, you or me," Jonah grabs the photos off his desk, then goes through them. "The composition is all off. This one is barely in focus. And robbing parking meters? That's basically a victimless crime." He drops the photos back onto his desk. "Besides, Spider-Man was probably just getting rid of the competition."
Jonah leans in to Peter, "Better 'pics' would be of the freak behind the blood virus attack. Unless it was Spider-Man behind the attacks." He looks to the side, as Peter looks confused. "Yeah, that makes perfect sense." He looks back at Peter, surprising him. "And as part of your deal, you're avoiding taking any 'bad' photos of Spider-Man."
"What?!" Peter calls out. "I would never. He would never. Spider-Man saves people and fights villains. Like… like not too long ago with the Scorpion."
Jonah looks stunned for a moment, before his face turns red, "Get out!"
In a moment, the door to Jonah's office is slam shut, with Peter on the other side.
Peter sighs, before seeing there's no one at Betty's desk. He then notices Betty and Ned off to the side, with a couple coffee cups.
"I really enjoyed the movie last night," Betty says. "Who knows you're into romcoms."
"I'm full of surprises," Ned says, before gently tabs his coffee cup against hers.
Betty smiles.
"Betty and Ned are dating?" Peter realizes, before looking to the side slightly. "Good for them." Peter starts to walk away. "Maybe it's time I move on from Gwen…"
"Mysterio?"
Peter stops walking and turns to see Foswell standing at his desk, talking on his phone.
"Are you sure?" Foswell says to his phone, before taking a pen and writes on a notepad. "Huh-uh, huh-uh. Okay, thanks."
Foswell hangs up his phone and tears the page from the notepad.
Peter walks over, "Mr. Foswell, is something going on?"
"It might be, Peter," Foswell looks at the notepad page, then looks at Peter. "I just got an anonymous tip about Mysterio. He was spotted at an old abandoned warehouse."
"Mysterio?" Peter responds.
"Yeah, this could be a huge scoop," Foswell pockets the paper.
"And a chance to finally nab the real Mysterio," Peter says, before he holds up his camera. "Sounds like you're gonna need a new photographer."
"Okay, let's go then," Foswell says.
Foswell and Peter then rush to the exit.
Liz is seated across from Mark.
"Things had been great since that madness a few weeks ago," Mark explains. "I've been seeing someone from Ravencroff. Ms. Ashley Kafka. She has been helping me with my gambling addiction. Although, I do have a long way to go."
"I'm happy to hear that, Mark, I really am," Liz tells him. "But you had said similar things in the past."
Mark sighs, "I know I had burned a lot of bridges in the past, figurative and literal, but I am working on it. I do hope to make amends." Mark holds out a hand. "So, how have you been doing, Liz?"
"It's been… difficult," Liz admits.
"Why, what's wrong?" Mark asks, with Liz looking down for a second. "Oh, how are things with you and Peter?"
Liz nervously rubs the back of her head.
Foswell and Peter walk away from a taxi, which quickly drives away.
Peter looks at his camera, then up at a warehouse two buildings away, "That the place? So, how are we going to do this…?"
Peter looks at Foswell, to see him putting on a wig and an eyepatch.
"I almost forgot he's a part of the secret identity club," Peter thinks to himself.
"I'm gonna tell Mysterio that my boss wants to offer a business opportunity, get what information I can, then we'll contact the police," Foswell/Patch explains.
"What business opportunity? Child parties?" Peter jokingly asks. "Are you sure about this, Mr. Foswell?"
"Don't worry, Peter, I've done this my entire adult life," Patch tells him, before walking past him.
"Wow, all that nerve and courage, and not a drop of superpower," Peter says, before he looks at his camera. "Speaking of which, I better get into position."
After a few minutes, Patch enters the warehouse, finding several boxes and crates, and a containment unit. As Patch walks through the warehouse, Spider-Man opens a window on the roof and jumps onto a rafter. He sits his camera on the rafter, fires a small webshot to contact it to the rafter.
Patch looks around, until he sees Mysterio, his back to him, standing at a table, like he's working on something.
Patch clears his throat, "Mr. Mysterio, my boss had sent me here… to offer a b-business opportunity." Mysterio doesn't respond. "M-Mr. Mysterio?"
"Odd, the not-so-mysterious Mysterio usually loves the sound of his own voice," Spider-Man thinks to himself.
"Mr. Mysterio," Patch turns around Mysterio, whose arms fall limp. "What?"
Suddenly, green gas starts to shoot out of small holes throughout "Mysterio's" body, with Patch starting to cough.
"Another robot?! I knew he's never real," Spider-Man starts to hold out a hand.
Suddenly, the entrance bursts open, with a bola flying in, wrapping Patch and the Mysterio robot together, knocking off Patch's wig and eyepatch. Foswell continues to cough, until he passes out, still tied to the Mysterio robot.
At that moment, Ox, Shocker, and Ricochet enter the warehouse.
"Knew 'borrowing' that Mysterio-bot from Tinkerer was a good idea," Shocker says.
"This is the easiest buck we have ever made," Ricochet adds.
Suddenly, a web blast hits Shocker in the back, pinning him to the floor.
Spider-Man swings past the Enforcers, "You lowered your pay to a buck? Makes sense." He lands next to the tied Foswell and robot. "You get what you pay for."
"You're the one who's gonna pay, spider-punk," Ricochet says, before he bounces forward in a ball.
"Ricochet, right?" Spider-Man jumps up, fires a webline at the flying Ricochet. "More like yo-yo."
Spider-Man lands and pulls the webline, launching Ricochet, who is caught by Ox, but sends both of them flying backward.
Spider-Man jumps back to Foswell and the robot, then rips the bola.
Shocker's suit sends off a vibration, breaking off the webbing, then stands up, "I warned you about making the Enforcers look bad."
Spider-Man shoots two weblines, connects them into one long line and pulls the Mysterio robot back on the line, "But it's just so easy."
Spider-Man releases the webline, launching the Mysterio robot. Shocker fires a shockwave blast, blowing apart the robot.
Spider-Man grabs the unconscious Foswell over his shoulder, swings up to and through the opened window, with a webline fires back to grab the camera and pulls through the window.
"I never liked Peter Parker," Mark crosses his arms, as he sits back. "He's just a selfish jerk."
"It isn't that simple, Mark," Liz tells him.
"I don't believe it, Liz, you are actually defending him?" Mark asks, before shaking his head. "Wait, do you still love him?"
"That also not that simple," Liz says, as she looks over her shoulder.
In the waiting room, Mary Jane turns to Gwen.
"Since we have some time to kill, Gwen, how are you really doing?" Mary Jane asks.
"I don't want to talk about it," Gwen says.
"That might just mean you need to talk about it," Mary Jane suggests.
Gwen sighs, "Trying to be with Peter was a mistake. Harry needs me."
"I thought you loved Peter," Mary Jane says.
"I'm too young," Gwen says, before looking over to her. "Maybe you had the right idea about dating."
Mary Jane stares at the door leading to the visitation room, "I'm not sure anymore."
Spider-Man gently pats the side of Foswell's face, "New York to Foswell, New York to Foswell."
"Heh," Foswell slowly opens his eyes, seeing Spider-Man before him. "S-Spider-Man?" Foswell sits up, before realizing they are on a building's roof, and starts to scratch his torso. "W-Why are we here? The last thing I remember is Mysterio and… Peter!" He looks around. "Where's Peter Parker?!"
"I got Parker away before I rescued you from the Enforcers," Spider-Man tells him.
"The Enforcers?" Foswell asks, continuing to scratch.
"Of the Big Man's Enforcers," Spider-Man explains, before holding a hand to his chin. "Wonder if Big Man could want revenge for what happened on Valentine's Day." He removes his hand. "Good writing, by the way."
"Thanks," Foswell says, continuing scratching. "But I don't think you're right. You see, I'm working on a follow up, and from what I can tell, L. Thompson Lincoln is using all his resources and focuses on dealing with the feds' investigation."
"So he's too busy to cause trouble, a concept I could get behind," Spider-Man. "But if not him…"
"It might be the new guy," Foswell suggests.
"New guy?" Spider-Man asks. "What new guy?"
Suddenly, they hear repeatedly pounding, before bouncing from an alley is Ricochet, who slams against Spider-Man, knocking him back.
"Spider-Man!" Foswell calls out, before resumes scratching.
"You found us already?!" Spider-Man flips back, lands on a ventilation unit, then jumps off it.
"Can't escape from the Enforcers," Ricochet bounces off the ventilation unit, launching himself into the air.
"Like a bad rash," Spider-Man fires a webline to the roof and pulls himself back down, with Ricochet missing him. Spider-Man lands on the roof and looks back up. "And let me point out, in an open space like this, your power is pretty useless."
"Won't bet on it," Ricochet stretches out past the building, grabbing a flagpole, spins around it, and flies back.
"I really hate the creative ones," Spider-Man says, with widened eyes.
Ricochet slams against Spider-Man, knocking him back.
Foswell stands upright, scratching, unaware of someone coming up behind him from the fire escape.
Suddenly, Ox grabs Foswell by one arm, still standing on the fire escape.
"Ah! Stop!" Foswell complains, trying to break free.
"No, Mister Negative wants to see you," Ox tells him.
"You fool," Shocker says, standing a level below on the fire escape. "You just gave away the boss' name."
Spider-Man lands on the roof, "A new boss, huh? Or are you now goons for hire?"
"We might be 'goons for hire'," Shocker places a hand on Ox's back and leaps over him onto the roof. "But we'll squash you for free."
Spider-Man jumps to avoid Ricochet bouncing past him, before getting blasted by shockwaves, sending him flying against a chimney, damaging it.
Ricochet lands several feet in front of Shocker, "How about a double team?"
"Reading my mind," Shocker says, before firing shockwave blasts.
Ricochet curls into a ball and is blasted forward by the shockwaves.
"I know it's only April," Spider-Man says, as he flips over the chimney, fires two weblines to the roof and pulls, "But May-be Santa'll forget me," and kicks the chimney off its spot.
The chimney slams against the flying Ricochet, knocking him back against Shocker, whose suit's vibrations send Ricochet back.
Spider-Man flips over Shocker and lands on Ox's shoulder, putting off his balance. Ox uses his free hand to steady his balance on the fire escape.
"You look busy, let me take this off your hands," Spider-Man pulls Foswell out of Ox's arm, before jumping off Ox's shoulders.
Spider-Man, with Foswell in his free arm, web swings away.
"Nice going," Ricochet says, as he walks over, while Ox looks slightly annoyed.
"It doesn't matter," Shocker turns to where Spider-Man web swung. "They won't escape us."
Spider-Man, carrying Foswell, lands on a factory, near a smokestack. Spider-Man lets go, as Foswell looks at the smokestack.
"You're not gonna hide me in a smokestack, are you?" Foswell asks, scratching his torso.
"Of course not," Spider-Man tells him. "Besides, we swung so far away the Three Stooges shouldn't be able to find us. Now, who's this Mister Negative."
"The new guy I mentioned," Foswell tells him. "At the moment he's just an urban legend, but Mister Negative is supposed to be the leader of the new Inner Demons gang."
Spider-Man crosses his arms and leans against the smokestack, "Guess it was wishful thinking hoping that things will get easier with both 'Ock-Planner' and Silvermane locked up, and Tombstone under the Feds' microscope." He straightens up. "Hold on, you're the one who exposed the local gangland's Valentine Summit and that led to the new status quo. Could that be why this Mister Negative might be after you."
"If that's true, then it's surely terrifying," Foswell says, continuing to scratch.
"Are you okay?" Spider-Man asks.
"Besides the threat against my life? Yeah," Foswell says, scratching himself. "Although I've been itching ever since I woke up."
"Really?" Spider-Man asks, before he hears something and looks off the factory's roof to see a van pulling up in an alley.
After a few seconds, Shocker, holding something, Ox, and Ricochet exit the van.
"Great, the Enforcers have a… battle van, but…" Spider-Man says, as he notices Shocker is holding a small box with a round top, which has a radar screen. "Is that a tracking device?"
The Enforcers look up at him.
"Yep," Spider-Man's eyes widened.
Shocker fires a shockwave blast, with Spider-Man leaps back, as the shockwave blasts the smokestack and Foswell yells.
Spider-Man fires two weblines to the roof and pulls, kicking the damaged smokestack, knocking it off the roof and crashes on top of the van.
"Are you kidding me?!" Shocker complains.
"Not again," Foswell says, as Spider-Man grabs him and starts to swing away.
"The knockout gas that was used on you must've placed some sort of tracking agent on you, which is how the Enforcers are able to find us," Spider-Man says, as he web swings with Foswell.
"So there's no way to stop them from finding us?" Foswell asks.
"Not necessary," Spider-Man says, web swinging. "By the way, are you a strong swimmer?"
"I used to go for a swim during the summer when I was a kid," Foswell says, confused.
"That's good," Spider-Man says, as he web swings low to a river, then drops Foswell into the river.
Ox pulls the smokestack off the van, tossing it to the side.
"Hurry it up," Shocker says, as he and Ricochet get into the van's front seats and Ox into the back.
Shocker starts to drive the van, though it's slow and unsteady.
Shocker looks at the tracking device sitting on the dashboard, when the blinking red beep disappears, "We lost the signal."
Spider-Man helps Foswell out of the river and onto the street, "Sorry about that, Mr. Foswell, but that should get rid of the tracking agent on you."
"Hope so," Foswell says.
The two turn to see the Enforcers' van driving toward them.
"Of course, that won't stop them from actually seeing us," Spider-Man says.
Spider-Man grabs Foswell, fires a webline and starts to swing away.
The van starts to turn to a stop, with Shocker holding out an arm, firing a shockwave blast, "Not this time, bug."
The shockwave fires through the webline, cutting it as Spider-Man and Foswell fall through a church window, with Spider-Man shielding Foswell with his own body.
In the center of the church, Spider-Man and Foswell return to their feet.
"Are we…?" Spider-Man looks around. "Oh, this is not good for my reputation."
At that moment, the Enforcers enter through the church's front doors.
"Your reputation is the least of your concerns, bug," Shocker says.
"Trust me, it is," Spider-Man says, before looking at Foswell. "Sorry about this."
"Sorry…?" Foswell starts, confused.
Spider-Man webs up Foswell, throws him into the air, past the rafters, and fires a webline, connecting Foswell to the ceiling next to a bell.
"Now," Spider-Man turns to the Enforcers. "Let's go."
"Let's," Ricochet says, before Ox holds a hand out in front of him.
"No," Ox says, looking down at Ricochet. "We can't fight in a church."
Ricochet and Shocker look at Ox, dumbfounded.
"Are you serious?!" Ricochet asks.
A webline shoots past Ricochet, which he notices before Spider-Man tackles him out of the church.
Soon after, Spider-Man web swings away from the church, with another webline connected to Ricochet.
"I just have to stop you from ricochet and you'll just be Dan," Spider-Man says, swinging.
"That's Fancy Dan, and you won't stop me from anything," Ricochet says, before he crunches into a ball and starts to swing back and forth.
"Whoa, what are you doing down there?" Spider-Man asks.
Ricochet continues to swing uncontrollably, until he slams against a building's wall, then starts to ricochet all around, still connected to the webline.
"Great… a human wrecking ball… and he's gonna rip my arm off," Spider-Man swings around, as he notices an alley with a dumpster. "Unless I take the trash out."
Spider-Man, with some difficulty, swings Ricochet into an alley, with his bouncing back and forth between the walls, until he bounces straight up. Spider-Man swings into the alley and lands on the dumpster, then looks up.
"C'mon, Rico-Dan, do I need to paint a bullseye on my chest?" Spider-Man mocking asks.
Ricochet comes straight down.
Spider-Man fires a webline on the dumpster's lid, pulls it open as he jumps off, allowing Ricochet to fall into it, before slamming the lid. Spider-Man quickly web the dumpster shut.
There's repeatedly slamming noises inside the dumpster before stopping, and Ricochet is heard from within, "Argh man, this stink!"
"I heard tomato sauce is perfect for that," Spider-Man jokes.
Spider-Man starts to walk out of the alley, "One down, two to go."
Spider-Man's spider sense goes off, but before he could react, Ox slams against Spider-Man, sending him flying against the van.
"Here comes number two," Spider-Man rubs his head. "Oh, that comes out wrong."
Ox charges at Spider-Man, who flips onto the van, allowing Ox to slam against the van.
"I hope Shocky has good auto insurance," Spider-Man jokes, before the van shakes. "Whoa-oa!"
"Gonna crush you," Ox holds the van over his head.
"Better idea," Spider-Man says, before he jumps off the van, spins in midair and fires two weblines, connecting to the cables between his gauntlets and shoulderpads. "I'll add some weight to your burden."
Spider-Man pulls on the weblines, ripping the cables.
"Argh!" Ox struggles to hold up the van.
"If I'm right, just pulling some 'plugs'," Spider-Man lands, then jumps to the top of the van, and flips off it. "Including your little backpack." He spins and fires a webline to the pack on Ox's back, before pulling on the line and rips it off. "Your impressive super strength went down a volume."
Ox falls down, with the van on top of him..
Spider-Man then webs Ox to the ground, "Now, without your added weight and the lack of leverage you won't be able to free yourself.
Spider-Man looks away from the van, "Now where's the third Stooge could be?" His eyes widened. "Foswell!"
Inside the church, Shocker looks up at the webbed Foswell.
"Oh boy…" Foswell mumbles.
"Mister Negative said he wanted you alive, but he never said anything about being bruised," Shocker says, as he starts to hold up his arm.
Spider-Man starts to swing past Shocker, "That's just rude." He fires a webline and pulls himself straight up to the ceiling.
"You won't win, bug," Shocker says.
"Of course I will," Spider-Man lands on the ceiling. "I just need to ring your bell."
Spider-Man grabs the rope holding the bell up and rips it, causing the bell to fall down through the rafters and onto Shocker.
Shocker's suit starts vibrating, as he holds onto the sides of his head, screaming, with the bell shaking. Suddenly, the bell blows apart.
Shocker takes a couple steps, with his hands on the sides of his head, before he collapses.
Spider-Man sighs, "It's finally over."
"I'm not so sure…" Foswell says.
Liz enters the waiting room, with Mary Jane and Gwen standing up.
"How did it went?" Mary Jane asks.
"It was… good," Liz admits. "A lot better than I thought it would be. Mark even has been getting help for his gambling."
Mary Jane smiles.
Liz looks at Gwen, "I know we had our… problems in the past, but thanks for talking to your father about visitation."
"Oh, huh, y-you welcome, don't mention it," Gwen nervously says, before turning to Mary Jane. "So do you want to talk with Mark too?"
Mary Jane brushes some out of her face, "Thanks, but I'm not ready for that just yet."
The next day, in Jonah's office, Foswell is sitting in a chair, with Jonah and Robbie next to him, and in front of a Federal agent.
"This is an outrage, Dogan," Jonah says, angrily.
"It's Duncan, Agent Fred Duncan," Agent Duncan says.
"Whatever, that doesn't matter, what does matter is you can't guarantee Foswell's safety," Jonah tells him. "It's not like we could count on Spider-Man protecting him from some negative psycho."
Duncan sighs, "Like I said, we had no idea who Mister Negative is or where he could be. We weren't even sure he's real until this entire mess."
"But if Mister Negative sent the Enforcers after Frederick, then he might come after him again," Robbie says. "Maybe even personally this time."
"The only way we could protect Foswell is by placing him into witness relocation," Duncan says.
"Witness relocation?" Foswell repeats.
"Unfortunately, there's a chance you might not be able to return to your old life," Duncan adds.
Robbie places a hand on Foswell's shoulder, with Foswell looking down.
Shortly later, in the Daily Bugle's bullpen, Foswell is standing in the center with his coworkers all around, and Duncan standing off to the side, talking on a smartphone.
"This is very hard, the Daily Bugle has been my life for so long," Foswell says, before rubbing the back of his head. "Sometimes I feel like you all are a second family."
"We feel the same way, Freddy," Betty says.
"Don't get all mushy, this is just a business, after all," Jonah looks to the side, with his hands in his pockets. "Even though, it is gonna miss you… slightly."
Peter looks over at Jonah, "So JJ do have a heart."
Foswell smiles, as Duncan gets off the phone and turns to them.
"Mr. Foswell, a temporary safehouse is ready, while we finish the process of placing you into witness location," Duncan says, with Foswell turns.
"Okay, let's go," Foswell says, saddened.
"Take care, Freddy," Betty says, as Foswell starts to walk toward the exit with Duncan.
"Don't worry, we'll shut down Mister Negative," Ned says.
Peter continues to watch Foswell, "Mr. Foswell has always been nice and helpful to me, while he constantly worked hard to expose crime lords in the city." Peter focuses his eyes. "By going after Foswell, Mister Negative had declared war." Peter clenches his fist.