Chapter 14: Night of The Goblin
Thursday, June 15, 10:02 am…
New York…
"From up here, New York looks so peaceful," Spidey commented, sitting on the edge of a skyscraper.
"If only every day could be like this." Spider-Man sighed as sirens blared from below.
"But I'm not that lucky," Spider-Man muttered before standing up and stretching as several police cars chased after a stolen bank truck down below.
"I was hoping for a small break after the Spider-Slayer fiasco, but this is a nice distraction from life problems," Spider-Man noted, remembering his encounter with Norman a few nights prior.
He then leaped off the roof, diving down before firing off a web to chase after the escaping truck. Said truck had two criminals firing at the police, who chased after them from the back of the truck, struggling to fire accurately and not fall out.
"Keep the damn truck steady!" One of the criminals demanded as he held onto the open door.
"Shut up and just kill those cops on our tail! We don't want to catch the wall crawler's attention!" The driver spat as the two criminals continued to fire at the police.
But before they could get many shots off, their hands were hit by webs stopping them from shooting further. No sooner did that happen did Spidey swing down, shooting another web, yanking one of the shooters out, and pinning him on a web.
"Didn't your parents ever tell you that it's dangerous to play with guns?" Spider-Man questioned as he fired two webs and launched himself into the back of the truck.
He kicked the second shooter into the front of the truck before pinning him there with two webs just below the peek hatch. The sudden commotion caused the driver to become nervous as he readied his gun.
"What's going on back there?" The driver questioned as he looked into the back, only to see nothing.
"What the…?!" The driver gasped as he turned around to see Spidey sticking to the driver's side window.
"Hey, there, I have a comment on your driving. I'm afraid I'll have to call the number on the back of the truck." Spider-Man snipped before flipping onto the roof as the driver shot his gun.
Unfortunately for him, he didn't think to lower the window causing the bullets to hit the bulletproof glass. This caused the driver a lot of pain as the blowback and the sound disorientated him making him let go of the wheel.
The truck began to go out of control, forcing Spidey to act fast as he grabbed onto the truck and fired a web at a nearby building to keep it on the road and stop it from hitting civilians. When he was clear, he moved back to the driver's side door and broke through the window.
"I think you've had enough fun, pal," Spider-Man stated as he grabbed onto the driver and tossed him out onto a large web trapping him.
"Alright. Big pedal, big pedal." Spidey murmured as he hopped into the front seat and slammed on the break.
Having only driven in small parking lots when his father was still alive, Spidey wasn't confident in driving. So, in addition to hitting the break, he fired several web nets out the front to force the truck to come to a stop. With little trouble, the truck came to a stop as Spider-Man got out, watching as the cops arrived.
"That went better than the last few times I had to stop a truck," Spider-Man noted, remembering how much trouble he had stopping Taskmaster and even Shocker.
"Better bail before I get blamed." Spidey sighed as he swung off before the police could get to him.
Though the public was starting to see Spidey in a better light, that didn't change the fact that he was still a vigilante and was breaking the law. So the police would still be after him for a long time. But that didn't bother him too much.
"My real problem is still what to do with Norman." Spider-Man thought as he ran along the wall.
"I need definitive proof that he and Goblin are connected and that he is dealing underground deals. Otherwise, he might weasel his way out of it." Spider-Man noted as he zipped over to another building.
"Sure, I have a hard drive from his computer. But I can't prove it was from his computer due to the damage I caused. It doesn't show the OS it was on." Spider-Man sighed as he landed on a rooftop.
"I could try breaking in again, but I doubt I could pull it off with the security level it has now." Spider-Man thought as he looked over at the Oscorp building.
"Though that being said, did Jett ever finish that drone he was making?" Spidey wondered as he took out his phone.
"At least Godfrey is calling out Norman." Spidey chuckled as he texted Jett.
"Ladies and Gentlemen. I know what you're thinking. Gordon is about to go on about how the metas are ruining our society once more." Godfrey began as he stood in front of his cameras.
"But no. Not today. I believe I've said enough for now. The actions of a certain arachnid 'hero' speaks far more than I need to." Godfrey continued as images of Spidey appeared on the screen behind him.
"Today, we'll be talking about another New York resident. Namely one Norman Osborn." Godfrey stated as Norman's picture replaced Spider-Man's.
"As many of you know, his company was the one responsible for the Spider-Slayers, which went on a rampage only a few days ago." Godfrey went on as several Spider-Slayers appeared on the screen.
"He may want you to believe he had nothing to do with it. Even going so far as to fire Alistair Smythe, the one who made the Spider-Slayers. But I ask you this who ordered their production?" Godfrey questioned as he began to walk around.
"Alistair Smythe may have made them, but Norman wanted them made, and don't forget the blatant lies both told during the reveal!" Godfrey shouted as a video began to play.
"The Spider-Slayers aren't equipped with weapons that can cause damage but only weapons that are made to subdue someone." Norman had said as a Spider-Slayer lowered to his level.
"These drones are equipped with tranquilizers and rubber bullets…." Norman continued until the video paused.
"Did you hear that? Tranquilizers and rubber bullets. Well, that certainly doesn't sound like the weapons they used when they attacked the set of Space Trek!" Godfrey countered as footage of the attack played.
The footage showed the Spider-Slayers firing live rounds and Spider-Man and Garfield Logan. Additionally, it showed how they used their sharp legs in battle and how many innocent people got caught up in the crossfire.
"This was the 'trial run' they promised us. They weren't meant to be near this set, yet look what happened! Do you expect me to believe Norman Osborn didn't have anything to do with this?" Godfrey spat as he slammed his hand on his nearby desk.
"No doubt the blame was placed on Alistair so that Norman could avoid any consequences. Now he's trying to divert attention with these Spider-Man products!" Godfrey continued as he pretended to gag after images of the products appeared on the screen.
"People, we must hold this man accountable! Or else we risk events like these happening again!" Godfrey shouted as he recomposed himself.
"But we'll get him. Make no mistake on that." Godfrey smirked as he began to change the topic.
"In other news, Billionaire Bruce Wayne will be visiting to host a charity event where he'll be donating money to local orphanages and to the reconstruction of S.T.A.R Labs," Gordon revealed his tone revealing his disinterest before the feed cut off.
"Didn't like the show?" Dick asked over the phone as Bruce Wayne sat in the back of his limo.
"Not necessarily. But Godfrey has a knack for making drama." Bruce responded as a small drone flew next to him before connecting to the small screen in front of him.
"He does have a point about Norman. As I figured out with my stakeout, he knows about Spider-Man's identity, and he's actively trying to kill him." Dick explained as the screen displayed footage of Norman and Spidey's encounter.
"Do you know how Spider-Man got this evidence he threatened Norman with?" Bruce inquired as Dick sighed.
"Unfortunately, no. I'm not quite sure how he figured it out, but he did break into Oscorp about a month ago." Dick reported as he showed clips of the break-in.
"It is also possible that he was bluffing to scare Osborn off. But I doubt that." Dick added as Bruce nodded.
"Perhaps it's time you make contact with him once more," Bruce suggested as the drone disconnected from the screen.
"I agree, and M'gann has been wanting me to help some of the members of the Team try and convince Spider-Man to join up one last time," Dick replied as the limo began to slow down.
"It couldn't hurt. With the recent increase in meta activity and other super criminals, who knows when Spider-Man will meet his match." Bruce agreed as the limo came to a stop.
"For now, I want you to attend the charity event tonight. Wilson Fisk will be there, and I want you to place a bug on him." Bruce insisted as he exited the limo.
"Alright, I'll meet you there," Dick replied as he hung up. Getting out of the limo, Bruce entered the New York chapter of Wayne Enterprises to help set up the event for that night.
Curtis Conner's Home…
Jay tossed the top half of his costume onto his bed as he sat at his desk, looking at the small Spiderbot he retrieved from Jett's home. Thankfully Sara wasn't home, so obtaining the Spiderbot wasn't too hard.
That being said, there were some problems with the Spiderbot itself. Jett had yet to work out many of the software kinks due to his lack of programming skills. But he managed to at least get the controls handled and the recording function down.
Other than that, he couldn't use some of the other functions, such as the GPS tracker and the taser built-in. But it would work well enough for Jay as he began testing it out per Jett's instructions.
"This works better than I was expecting. I'm going to have to remember to thank Jett in person when he gets back." Jay noted as he moved the Spiderbot around with the controller.
Jett and Mark were apparently doing well at the Taos metahuman facility, and hopefully, they'll be out after another month. He couldn't wait to see his friend again as things were very boring without him around.
"He'd probably have some ideas on how to deal with Norman," Jay murmured as his door opened up.
"Good, you're back. I thought I was hearing things." Curt commented as he entered Jay's room, having heard him land on the roof and climb in.
"Sorry about that. I'll try to be quieter when climbing in." Jay apologized as he turned off the Spiderbot.
"It's fine. But I wanted to remind you that I'll be attending Bruce Wayne's charity event tonight along with many other S.T.A.R Labs employees." Curt reminded as Jay nodded.
"Right. Any news on when construction might finish? Max has been having real trouble finding a job and could really use his old job back." Jay inquired as Curt sighed.
"They say by the end of the summer. But I'll talk to some people and see what can be done." Curt answered as Jay smiled.
"Thanks, Uncle Curt. It would mean a lot." Jay thanked as Curt nodded and left Jay's room, closing the door behind him.
Just as Jay's door closed, Curt felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder, causing him to grasp at it before rushing to the basement. Moving quickly across the freshly paved basement floor, he grabbed onto a vial and drank it ending the pain.
"It's getting worse…." Curt breathed as he took off his shirt and looked at the green rash that was growing larger.
"Even with two doses, it continues to grow," Curt murmured as he pulled out his restored research notes.
"I need something stronger. Something more permanent." Curt stated as he began writing down formulas.
Meanwhile, Jay was finished familiarizing himself with the Spiderbot placing it on his belt before getting ready for his plan tonight. He was planning on using the Spiderbot to spy on Norman and, hopefully, get something on him.
"Couldn't hurt to try, at least." Jay sighed as he made sure he had enough web fluid.
Chrysler Building…
"I hope the lab is to your liking, Smythe," Fisk smirked as he led Alistair through his new lab.
"Yes, it's very impressive and much larger than my lab at Oscorp," Alistair commented as he looked around the lab.
"Of course. I can't have you suffocating in such a small space. Visionaries need room to grow their craft." Fisk replied, receiving a skeptical look from Alistair.
"This is all very nice, Mr. Fisk. But what's the catch?" Alistair questioned, knowing there had to be a caveat to all this.
"No catch. I just need your loyalty and you to keep our business a secret." Fisk responded as Alistair looked confused.
"What is it that you want me to do here exactly, Mr. Fisk?" Alistair inquired as Fisk chuckled.
"Tell me, Alistair. What do you know about the Kingpin?" Fisk asked, responding to Alistair's question with one of his own.
"The Kingpin? I've heard the rumors. He controls all the crime in New York and keeps meta trafficking out of the city." Alistair answered, confused as to why Fisk was asking this.
"Well, he is very real, and you're standing before him right now," Fisk revealed as he walked over to a shocked Alistair.
"You're the Kingpin?!" Alistair gasped as he stared at Fisk, or rather Kingpin, who remained unfazed.
"Precisely, and I am offering you the opportunity of a lifetime. Work for me and aid my criminal empire, and I will fund all your projects." Kingpin explained as Alistair looked nervous.
"What happens if I refuse your offer?" Alistair questioned, getting right to the point.
"You walk free, of course. But you'll never speak of this conversation to anyone." Kingpin stated as armed men walked into the room and stood by the exits.
"You'll fund all my projects?" Alistair asked as Kingpin nodded.
"ALL of them. I promise you, Alistair, unlike Norman, I won't throw away such valuable talent." Kingpin assured, dismissing the armed men.
"Alright then. I'll work for you. If just only to rub it in Norman's face when I gain success." Alistair agreed, making Kingpin smirk.
"Very good to hear, Alistair, and don't worry. You'll get that chance soon. I'd like you to first make that Metagene Detector. One more discrete than you made, Norman." Kingpin requested, clasping his hands together.
"Simple enough. But please note it can only detect active metagenes, not inactive ones." Alistair replied as Kingpin nodded.
"That will do, Alistair. Now I must take my leave. I have a charity event to attend." Kingpin stated as he left Alistair to work.
Later That Night…
Curtis Conner's Home…
Jay moved the Spiderbot around the wall of his room, getting some last-minute practice in before he left for Oscorp. Once he was confident with his control of the Spiderbot, he put the top of his costume back on and opened the window.
"Time to find out what you're up to, Norman," Spider-Man muttered as he leaped out the window and swung off toward Oscorp.
If he wasn't on a mission, Spidey would have enjoyed swinging around a little more, as the city always looked nicer at night. But Spider-Man would have to wait for another night to enjoy the city as he ran along the side of a building.
"But man, I can't believe Jett got this thing to be so small. I can't even tell it's on my belt." Spidey thought as he swung around a corner.
Once around the corner, he had Oscorp in his sights. Though he's been by the building several times, it never stopped giving him chills. It was this building that changed the course of his entire life. Because of Oscorp, he gained his powers and lost his father.
"I'll expose you, Norman. Just wait and see." Spider-Man thought as he landed on a building adjacent to Oscorp.
"Now, where would I get in?" Spider-Man wondered, inspecting the building closely.
"Perhaps I don't need to get in," Spider-Man murmured as he looked at an air vent.
Jumping down, he swung towards Oscorp as he took the Spiderbot off of his belt. Just as he passed the building, Spidey tossed the Spiderbot on the vent before swinging away. The Spiderbot immediately latched onto the vent as Spider-Man landed on a nearby building.
"Okay, let's hope I'm still close enough," Spider-Man smirked as he grabbed onto the controller.
Pressing on a button, he turned the Spiderbot on as the live feed appeared on his phone. Making small movements, he managed to get the Spiderbot inside the vent. Thankfully there didn't seem to be any new forms of security in the ventilation, but to be safe, Spider-Man decided to take it slow.
Moving through the ventilation, Spider-Man looked for anything suspicious while keeping in range of the controller. Unfortunately, that left his view of Oscorp very limited, and all he could see were a few things that didn't prove anything.
"Now, where would I hide illegal activities in a legitimate business?" Spider-Man wondered as he peeked through one of the vents.
"That's!" Spider-Man gasped as he looked at the image of Norman on his phone.
Norman was walking through the halls of his company building fast as if on a mission. Oddly it seemed that Norman was talking to himself, but his voice was too low for the Spiderbot to pick up, leaving Spider-Man in the dark.
"Oh well. Follow the leader, I suppose." Spider-Man smiled, following Norman as he entered the elevator.
Breaking through the vent, Spidey moved the Spiderbot to the top of the elevator as it moved down. Upon realizing that the elevator was going down farther than expected, Spider-Man was forced to climb down the building he stood on to keep in range.
"Come on, how far down are you going?!" Spider-Man questioned as he landed on the ground in an alley.
"Great. Out of range." Spider-Man sighed before putting his phone and the controller away.
"From what I remember, there wasn't much underground. What's he doing down there?" Spider-Man wondered, looking back at the towering Oscorp.
"Guess I have to wait until the signal comes back," Spider-Man muttered, moving to climb back up the building.
But as he clung to the wall, his spider-sense went off, warning him of imminent danger. Jumping back, Spider-Man just barely managed to avoid a fireball that collided with the wall. Landing on the opposite wall, Spidey was left frozen at the sight in front of him.
"It can't be." Spider-Man gasped as Hobgoblin floated before him, standing on his glider.
However, the illusion of Hobgoblin soon disappeared as the real Goblin came out of the shadows, and instead of Hobgoblin, it was Green Goblin that appeared. The Green Goblin, who once looked like a savage monster, looked more human than before.
He now looked a little smaller than before and slimmer. His horns were a little smaller than before, and his eyes showed clear intelligence. Additionally, Goblin now wore a purple suit that covered his torso with a matching cowl, boots, and gloves, along with a brown satchel around his shoulder.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't my old friend Spider-Man." Goblin laughed as he flew toward the arachnid hero.
"Tell me, what brings you around these parts?" Goblin inquired as Spidey jumped higher onto the wall.
"I could ask you the same question! Don't tell me you're here to finish off, Norman?" Spider-Man questioned, causing Goblin to laugh.
"Me kill Norman? It seems you've greatly misunderstood my motives. Then again, a child like you would have trouble understanding." Goblin replied as he shot toward Spider-Man.
Jumping over, Spidey avoided Goblin as the green menace sunk his fist into the wall. Shooting a web, Spider-Man pulled himself back, kicking Goblin into the wall. But the Goblin stuck his arms out and stopped himself from hitting the wall before spinning around and knocking Spidey to the ground.
"Nice try!" Goblin smirked as he flew down.
Digging into his satchel, Goblin pulled out a spherical device before quickly pressing a button on top and throwing it. The device suddenly exploded, and several spinning blades flew out, shooting toward Spider-Man, who got to his feet.
"Oh shit." Spidey cursed as he jumped up to avoid the blades, only for Goblin to grab him.
Goblin flew up with Spider-Man in tow before the green menace tossed the arachnid into a nearby building. Crashing through a window, Spider-Man fired to webs to slow his momentum and allow him to shoot back out toward Goblin.
But Goblin was waiting for him digging out a pumpkin-like device from his satchel, which lit up in flames in his palm. Goblin quickly threw the device, which set off Spidey's spider-sense. The arachnid hero just barely twisted his body out of the way, avoiding the pumpkin and allowing it to fly past him.
However, even though he dodged the device, his spider-sense wasn't going down as the pumpkin hit the building. When it made contact with the building, it created a massive explosion shattering a large part of the building's wall and several floors.
The explosion itself engulfed Spider-Man in flames, as he was sent flying away, disorientated, while Goblin cackled with glee. Unable to regain his bearings enough to attach a web to a wall, Spider-Man improvised by firing off the parachute function of his web shooters.
Firing the parachute, his momentum slowed, but he still crashed into another building, shocking several office workers on night shift. They quickly ran away when Goblin flew in and grabbed onto Sidey, pushing him through several more walls.
"What's wrong, Spider-Man? Too much to handle?" Goblin questioned as they broke through the opposite end of the building, and Goblin threw Spider-Man toward the ground.
Barely clinging to consciousness, Spider-Man fired a web attached to a building slowing his descent just enough as he crashed into the hood of a taxi. Collapsing onto the ground, Spidey gasped for breath having the air knocked out of him by that last move.
Shakingly getting up as several people got out of their cars as Spider-Man leaned on the broken taxi to keep his balance. After a quick inspection, he was relieved to see no serious injuries, though his suit was severely damaged.
"Get a grip, Spider-Man," Spidey muttered before dropping down to avoid Goblin.
As Goblin flew over him, the green menace dug into his satchel and threw out several spinning blades that shot toward Spider-Man. Jumping back, the blades dug into and cut through several cars before shooting passed Spidey, cutting into his arms and legs.
"Gah!" Spider-Man gasped as he fell to the ground.
"Come on, don't tell me this is all you've got, Spider-Man?" Goblin laughed as he dove down and picked up Spidey.
"Truly, I am very disappointed. I was actually expecting a little more!" Goblin snickered, pulling Spider-Man up to eye level.
"Then I'll stop disappointing!" Spider-Man hissed, firing a web into Goblin's eyes, causing him to scream.
Goblin let go of Spider-Man to pry the webs from his eyes, allowing Spider-Man to land on his glider. Using this opening, Spider-Man landed a swift yet strong blow to Goblin's face before quickly following it up with another to his gut.
Spidey let loose a little bit, hitting Goblin with nearly everything he had, only holding back enough to what he was comfortable using. Once Goblin got the webs off of him, he quickly fought back by slamming a fireball into Spider-Man's chest.
This sent Spider-Man flying off the glider as Goblin extended two blades out of the front of his glider. Goblin shot toward Spider-Man, hoping to impale the hero, but Spidey used his webs to pull himself out of the way and land on a nearby wall.
"As much as I'd like to continue this little game of ours, Spider-Man, I've got a party to crash and people to kill!" Goblin cackled as he threw another pumpkin at Spidey.
"Not good." Spider-Man gasped as he attempted to run away, only to be caught up in the explosion.
Waiting for the smoke to clear, Goblin didn't see a trace of Spider-Man in the rubble his bomb created. With a satisfied smile, Goblin flew off into the night, leaving Spider-Man for dead, only for the arachnid hero to push a large piece of rubble off of himself.
"Oh god…that was way worse than fighting Octavius," Spider-Man muttered, pulling up his mask to cough up blood.
"Definitely have broken bones. I just hope I don't have internal bleeding." Spider-Man sighed as he looked for Goblin.
"Damn, he got away." Spider-Man cursed before remembering what Goblin had said.
"A party to crash? It couldn't be…." Spider-Man murmured as he swung off.
Wayne Enterprise New York Chapter…
Rooftop…
Dick Grayson adjusted his tie as he walked through the crowd of partygoers, saying the occasional hello and avoiding the news crews who were filming the event. He was making sure to not draw any suspicion to himself as he got closer and closer to his target.
Wilson Fisk.
The man, also known as the Kingpin of Crime, was currently mingling with other guests. At first glance, it seemed he was nothing more than a stand-up citizen who wished to give back to the community.
The only thing "odd" about him was his tall stature and body mass which most mistook for fat. All Dick needed to do was wait for the perfect time to place the bug on him. As he walked around, he got a sudden update from Oracle.
There are several reports of Spider-Man fighting someone similar to Hobgoblin nearby
He's not doing well
He might need help
"Great. Just what I needed." Dick sighed as he knew he couldn't leave such information alone as he walked toward Bruce, who stood on stage.
"So we hope to have the facility up and running by the beginning of August, and everyone, no matter what role they had, will have their job back," Bruce assured, looking at the one-armed scientist.
"I hope that when S.T.A.R Labs is rebuilt, I'll see every one of you making the world a better place," Bruce added, raising his drink for a toast. Dick joined in on the toast and waited for the crowd to disperse before approaching Bruce, who walked down the stage.
"I know you want me to plant the bug, but if the kid's in trouble, I have to help," Dick stated, knowing Bruce had received the same message from Oracle.
"Then go, don't worry about the bug." Bruce insisted as he poured the rest of his drink into a nearby plant.
"Just make sure nobody sees…" Bruce continued before turning his attention away from Dick.
"Mr. Fisk! A pleasure to see you can make it." Bruce greeted as Wilson Fisk approached the two.
"The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Wayne. It's an honor to be able to donate to this cause." Fisk replied, shaking Bruce's hand.
"Any amount always helps, and your donation definitely made waves for the restoration," Bruce noted, forcing a smile.
"And you are Richard Grayson, correct?" Fisk inquired, turning to Dick.
"Yes, that's right," Dick answered, shaking Fisk's hand and hiding his annoyance at this delay.
"It's good to see such a bright young man like you helping around here," Fisk commented as Dick readied the bug.
"Can't miss this chance." Dick thought as he went to place the bug on Fisk.
"Well, It's my pleasure to help however I can," Dick replied, attempting to slip the bug on Fisk's jacket.
Dick moved ever so slightly to place the bug on the crimelord doing his best not to be noticed, hoping to get it done and go help Spider-Man. But before he could, the sound of cackling laughter filled the air causing the entire rooftop to fall silent.
Looking around, Dick spotted something fast approaching the rooftop as several people looked over in awe and confusion. But as the object got closer, Dick tensed up as it became clear that this was a man on a glider.
"Hit the deck!" Dick shouted as he pushed Bruce and Fisk down.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Goblin laughed as he threw down a pumpkin, destroying the stage.
"Sorry to disturb your little party, but the Green Goblin is crashing your event!" Goblin stated as he jumped off his glider and onto the roof.
The second he landed on the roof, the guests cowered back as security ran forward to confront the Goblin. But Goblin easily dispatched them by digging into his satchel and throwing out several spinning blades which cut into the guards, incapacitating them.
One who managed to avoid the blades shot at Goblin, who dodged the bullets and ran up, grabbing the guard. Picking the man up, Goblin hurled across the roof, causing him to crash into the buffet.
Dick used this chance to attack Goblin, but the green menace was unfazed, spinning around and kicking Dick in the gut. Doubling over in pain, Dick was at Goblin's mercy, or so it seemed, as Goblin went to hammer him down.
But Dick was faster, slipping past Goblin and grabbing hold of him, hopping to incapacitate the green menace. However, the Goblin didn't flinch as he used his superior strength to rip Dick off of him and lift him into the air.
"Heroics only get you killed, boy!" Goblin laughed as he threw Dick to the ground as some guards attempted to attack him again.
Goblin easily knocked them off, and as if to prove a point or just a sadistic form of "fun," Goblin grabbed onto one of the guards and threw him off the roof. Everyone screamed as they watched the guard fall. Dick ran to the edge, unable to do anything but watch as he fell.
"Wait a minute." Dick gasped as Spider-Man swung over him with the guard in tow.
"Guess your mother never told you not to throw people off buildings," Spider-Man commented, glaring at Goblin as he landed on the roof, placing the guard down.
"You should have sat back and died, Spider-Man!" Goblin shouted as he threw several fireballs at Spidey.
The arachnid hero shot two webs and pulled over a nearby table, using it to intercept the fireballs before rushing toward the Green Goblin. But Goblin avoided him by jumping back onto his glider and flying up.
Spinning around, Goblin grabbed onto some pumpkins before lighting them up and throwing them down at Spidey. Flipping backward, Spider-Man avoided the bombs as they destroyed large chunks of the roof below.
Landing on a table, he shot a web net to cover the holes Goblin had made before jumping off the table and shooting a web to throw it at the Goblin. The green menace paid the table no mind, easily maneuvering around it before grabbing on and returning it to Spidey.
Jumping out of the way, the table crashed onto the rooftop, shattering upon impact as Spider-Man went for Goblin. However, Goblin flew down to avoid Spider-Man as he grabbed onto the hero's leg and threw him into the roof.
As the two continued to fight, Dick and Bruce opened the rooftop door and began to usher people out and to safety as Spider-Man distracted Goblin. The crowd flooded toward the small doorway, causing evacuation to be slow.
"I've got to move this fight somewhere else." Spider-Man thought as he avoided another one of Goblin's fireballs.
Flying down, Goblin extended two blades out the front of his glider, attempting to impale Spider-Man. But the arachnid hero ducked down, letting Goblin fly over him. With a snicker, Goblin tossed a pumpkin over his shoulder as he flew off toward the rushing crowd.
Jumping back, Spidey crossed his arms as the explosion sent him flying off the roof. Meanwhile, Goblin flew over the scared crowd toward the doors where Bruce and Dick were. The Goblin reached down and went to grab at not them but Wilson Fisk, who was leaving through the door. But he was stopped when a glass zoomed past his head.
Putting his glider up vertically, Goblin came to a stop as he turned to see Curtis Conners picking up a champagne glass. As their gazes met, Goblin remembered the torn piece of clothing he had found during his days in the sewers and a certain lizard the clothing belonged to.
With an evil grin, Goblin turned around and flew toward Curt, grabbing a pumpkin out of his satchel. Goblin threw the pumpkin at Curt, ready to see the once lizard blown to bits, only for Spider-Man to launch himself into Curt and push him out of the way.
"How come it's so hard to kill an arachnid!?" Goblin questioned before turning around.
"You okay?" Spider-Man inquired as he put Curt down.
"I've been better. I might need to practice throwing with my left arm." Curt replied as Spidey nodded.
"Alright, get to somewhere safe." Spider-Man insisted as he got up and jumped at Goblin.
But Goblin flew just out of his reach before Spider-Man could get to him. Landing on his hands, Spider-Man flipped onto his feet just in time to react to Goblin's next attack. Ducking down, he avoided the blades on Goblin's glider as he flew over him once more.
Firing a web, Spidey hit the back of Goblin's glider allowing him to pull himself onto the glider grabbing onto Goblin. The two struggled, fighting over control of the glider as Spider-Man attempted to force Goblin away from Wayne Enterprise while Goblin fought to stay.
"Insolent little brat!" Goblin spat, slamming his elbow in Spidey's face.
Spider-Man retaliated by grabbing onto Goblin's arm and twisting it around, allowing Spidey to push Goblin and, in turn, his glider away from Wayne Enterprise. But it didn't take long for Goblin to break out of Spider-Man's grip before grabbing Spider-Man and throwing him off the glider.
However, Spider-Man fired a web at the bottom of Goblin's glider and pulled himself back up, landing on the bottom. Swaying back and forth, Goblin attempted to shake Spider-Man off to no avail as Spider-Man plunged his fist into the glider's bottom.
"OW!" Spider-Man cried, waving his hand to alleviate the pain.
"Oh? Did you really think I would use such a shabby model like Hobgoblin?" Goblin laughed as he turned his glider sideways and crashed Spider-Man into a nearby building.
"Now then. Where did my little piggy run off to?" Goblin wondered, turning around and looking down at the people below.
But before he could get a good look, he was hit in the back by a large desk causing him to spin out of control. When he regained control of his glider, he was met with Spider-Man's fist. The arachnid hero slammed his fist into Goblin's face knocking the green menace back.
Taking this chance, Spider-Man fired several webs, binding Goblin's arms to his side as he zoomed past him, landing back on the roof of Wayne Enterprise. Firing another web onto Goblin's glider, Spider-Man began to reel him in, pulling him closer to the roof.
"How does such a little glider have such a push?" Spider-Man wondered, struggling to pull Goblin in.
His breath became haggard as the several injuries he had sustained up to this point were finally getting to him. Eventually, his arms began to shake until Goblin finally broke free from the webs, using his flames to burn through the webs.
"Nice try, Spider-Man!" Goblin snarled as he cut off the web attached to his glider.
Digging into his satchel, Goblin pulled out a pumpkin rearing his arm back to throw it at Spider-Man, only for a birdarang to hit his hand. This caused Goblin to drop the burning pumpkin causing it to explode below Goblin, damaging his glider.
"What?!" Goblin gasped, looking over to see who hit him.
But Dick made sure he couldn't be seen when he threw the birdarang, keeping to the shadows as Goblin began to fly uncontrollably. Taking this chance, Spider-Man jumped off the roof and tackled the Goblin pushing the green menace away and causing the two to crash into a nearby building.
The two hit the floor, rolling along as Goblin's glider crashed through several walls. Goblin was the first to recover as he looked at the incapacitated Spider-Man. He readied to kill Spider-Man, who lay on his stomach. But Spidey stopped him by shooting two webs at Goblin's feet, allowing him to flip onto his back and jump back up and pull Goblin back to the ground.
He fired several webs, pinning the Goblin onto the ground before staggering back and leaning against a pillar to support himself. Taking deep breaths, Spidey got what rest he could before smoke began to rise from the Goblin.
"Oh, come on." Spider-Man sighed as Green Goblin broke free from the webbing that bound him and got back to his feet.
"Not bad. But not good enough. I'm not so easily beaten like Hobgoblin." Goblin smirked as he pressed a button on his belt.
Suddenly the sound of several wall breaking could be heard as Goblin's glider came bursting through the wall aiming at Spidey. Thankfully his spider-sense had already warned him of the threat allowing him to dodge the smoking glider.
But Goblin was prepared, grabbing onto Spider-Man and throwing him through a pillar and against a wall. Collapsing on the floor, Spider-Man attempted to get back up, but Goblin stomped him back to the ground, causing the hero to lose consciousness.
"Now, to finally be rid of you," Goblin muttered, fishing a large blade from his satchel.
Raising it above his head, Goblin swung it down, hoping to pierce through Spider-Man's neck. However, before his blade could connect with Spider-Man, Goblin was struck in the head, knocking him back. Shocked, Goblin looked around to find out what hit him, only to see nothing.
"There's no point in hiding. If you don't come out, I'll just blow up this entire floor." Goblin stated as his glider moved toward him.
Just as he was about to jump on, something shocked him in his back before he was swept off his feet. Not faltering, Goblin immediately rolled into a crouch before throwing his blade where his assailant was, only for it to hit the wall.
Growling Goblin went to retrieve the blade, only for the assailant to attack once again, striking him in the back of the head. This time Gobin reacted immediately, spinning around to hit the assailant, but the attacker was faster, having already anticipated the move and ducked down.
The assailant then shot back up, hitting Goblin in the chin with an eskrima stick and knocking him back down. Looking up, Goblin finally got a good look at his assailant, most notably the large blue bird on his chest.
"Is this all you've got? Call me moderately whelmed." Nightwing snipped, looking down at the Goblin.
"You're Nightwing? Thought you only operated in Bludhaven." Goblin commented as he eyed his glider.
"I'm on a sabbatical of sorts. But it's always good to get good exercise every now and then." Nightwing replied, spinning his eskrima sticks before swinging at Goblin.
But before he could connect, Goblin's glider shot over, forcing Nightwing to jump back as Goblin hopped on. Flying over, Goblin snatched his blade from the wall before flying back toward Nightwing.
"If you want to die along with Spider-Man, be my guest!" Goblin shouted as he set the blade on fire before throwing it at Nightwing.
The crusader easily knocked the blade aside, but it was only a distraction for several fireballs thrown by Goblin. Jumping down, Nightwing rolled across the floor to avoid the flames as Goblin spun around and swung at him.
Laying flat on the floor, Nightwing narrowly avoided Goblin's reach before getting back to his feet. Grabbing a few birdarangs, Nightwing threw them at Goblin, who used his glider as a shield allowing the birdarangs to dig into the metal.
"You're going to have to do better than that to…." Goblin began until he was cut short by his glider sparking up.
"Looks like your ride is on its last legs." Nightwing pointed out, causing Goblin to growl in anger.
Suddenly a bright light filled the room as a police helicopter flew outside, shining a spotlight on them. Upon seeing that, Nightwing knew that the situation was beginning to worsen. Grabbing a pellet from his belt, Nightwing threw it on the ground creating a large smoke screen covering the floor.
However, the smoke screen didn't last long as the wind from the helicopter's propellers and Goblin's glider blew it away. But by the time the smoke dispersed, Nightwing was already gone, and so was Spider-Man.
"Took the arachnid with him. Oh well, it seems my mark is gone anyway." Goblin muttered as he flew off past the helicopter, leaving a trail of smoke in his wake.
Elsewhere…
Later That Night…
Letting out a soft groan, Spider-Man's eyes began to flutter open. The last thing he remembered was fighting Green Goblin. Now he was somewhere else completely, but at the very least, he wasn't dead.
"Good, you're awake. You were in a bad spot back there." Nightwing commented as he walked into Spider-Man's view.
"Y-You're Nightwing…" Spider-Man murmured as he attempted to get to his feet.
"Stay down. You're in no condition to stand up." Nightwing insisted pushing Spidey back down.
"Where are we?" Spider-Man inquired, looking around at the unfamiliar surroundings.
"A safe house of sorts. I brought you here after the police showed up." Nightwing explained before turning on the lights.
The safe house they were in was a relatively small room, no bigger than a studio apartment. It was surprisingly bare for a safe house as the only items of furniture were the bed Spidey laid on and a desk and chair with a small laptop on it.
"What about Green Goblin? Is he still out there?" Spider-Man questioned, concerned that the green menace was still at large.
"He ran off not long after I got you out of there," Nightwing answered as he leaned against the wall.
"But we can't let him get away!" Spider-Man shouted as he stood up and attempted to leave.
"You're in no condition to attempt to go after him. Besides, you didn't fair that well against him the first time." Nightwing pointed out, stopping Spider-Man with a small push.
"If I don't do something, who will?!" Spider-Man questioned as he attempted to push past Nightwing.
However, Nightwing easily stopped him by grabbing onto Spidey's hood and throwing him back toward the bed. Getting back up, Spider-Man jumped onto the ceiling to bypass Nightwing, but the crusader just grabbed onto his grapple and hooked it on Spider-Man's leg, allowing him to pull the arachnid down.
Even after being pulled down, Spider-Man wasn't done as he got to his feet. But Nightwing prevented him from doing anything else by sweeping his feet and controlling the hero's fall to push him back toward the bed.
"You done?" Nightwing inquired as Spider-Man got back up.
"I really want to say no, but…It's getting hard to breath." Spider-Man answered, hunching over.
"Good. Now hit me." Nightwing insisted, confusing Spidey.
"I'm sorry?" Spider-Man gasped, unsure if he heard right.
"I said hit me," Nightwing repeated, beckoning Spider-Man toward him.
With a sigh, Spider-Man stood up straight and walked over to Nightwing before swinging at him. Unfazed, Nightwing easily grabbed onto Spider-Man's arm and spun him around, pushing him back toward the bed.
"Again," Nightwing ordered as Spider-Man sighed.
Running back toward Nightwing, Spider-Man swung at him again, only for Nightwing to duck down and flip the arachnid over his shoulder. Hitting the floor, Spidey stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before getting back up.
"What was the point of that?" Spider-Man questioned as he rubbed his back.
"The point was to drive home that you're still wet behind the ears. You didn't beat the Green Goblin because you don't know how to fight." Nightwing stated, crossing his arms.
"You're basically just throwing yourself at those you fight, and it seems like your best at simply dodging attacks," Nightwing explained as Spidey scratched the back of his head.
"Yeah, well, when you have a sixth sense that warns you of danger, you get pretty good at avoiding attacks," Spider-Man replied as Nightwing's brow raised.
"A sixth sense that…whatever I've heard crazier powers." Nightwing sighed as he walked up to Spider-Man.
"But the fact remains that you nearly died tonight. If nothing changes, you'll end up in another situation like tonight, and I might not be there to bail you out." Nightwing pointed out, making Spider-Man avoid eye contact, knowing he was right.
"I know, but there's no real instruction book on how to be a superhero! I've been learning it as I go!" Spider-Man replied, throwing his arms out.
"Trust me, I know," Nightwing replied, remembering his early years as a hero.
"But it could change," Nightwing said, confusing Spider-Man.
"What do you mean? Is this about that secret Justice League team?" Spider-Man inquired as Nightwing shook his head.
"Not exactly. I know you're not ready for big missions or going underground. But I could help you get better." Nightwing offered surprising Spider-Man.
"You want to train me to fight?" Spider-Man asked as Nightwing nodded.
"I'll at least get the basics in for you. That way, you can be more prepared for the future." Nightwing responded as Spider-Man fell silent.
"Can't really refuse that offer, can I?" Spider-Man stated, breaking his silence.
"To be honest, I know I'm not much of a fighter. You and Taskmaster showed me that much." Spider-Man noted, remembering his fight against Taskmaster.
"Good to hear." Nightwing smiled, patting Spidey on the shoulder.
"But what about Green Goblin?" Spider-Man questioned as Nightwing sighed.
"Like I said, he got away, but the next time he shows his face, you'll need to be ready," Nightwing explained as Spider-Man nodded.
"Alright. Anyway, it's been a long night. Can I go home and rest because I need to heal some bones. Especially the ribs I rebroke." Spider-Man requested, clutching his chest.
"Sure. When you're ready for your first lesson." Nightwing began as he pulled out a card.
"Meet me at this address." Nightwing insisted as he handed Spider-Man the card.
Oscorp…
"That didn't go well," Norman commented as he stood in the elevator, adjusting his suit.
"Yes, Spider-Man alone was an annoyance, but Nightwing was unexpected." Goblin replied from the reflection.
"But we just need to bide our time. We'll get Fisk next time." Goblin added as Norman sighed.
"Yes. For now, I have to deal with the press drama Godfrey has brought down on Oscorp." Norman stated as Goblin laughed.
"Perhaps in due time, we can kill him as well." Goblin suggested as the elevator doors opened.
"Maybe. But for now, we must wait so that Fisk doesn't suspect that we're after him." Norman replied as he walked into his office.
Central Park Zoo…
"Just great stuck on patrol during the night shift." A Guard muttered as he walked through the zoo's paths, shining his flashlight around the dark corners.
"I could be lounging in the security room, but I'm stuck walking through the zoo over and over…God, I need coffee." The Guard sighed as a loud growl caught his attention.
Turning heel, he was faced with a tiger that was eyeing him down, preparing to pounce on him. The guard was horrified at the sight, shocked that a tiger was able to escape. He attempted to radio for help, but before he could grab his radio, it was pierced by a blow dart.
"What the hell?!" The Guard gasped as the tiger slowly backed away.
"Tigers can sense your fear, you know. They prey on all who show them fear." A Voice stated as a man came out from the shadows behind the tiger.
"But they will fear you when you show them who is the greater predator." Kraven snickered as he drew his machete.
"Freeze! Stay back!" The Guard demanded, holding up a taser.
"Cute." Kraven chuckled as he rushed it and knocked the taser out of the guard's hand.
The hunter then whipped the guard in the back of his neck, knocking him out cold before going up to the security cameras and disabling them. He had been slowly taking control of this zoo for the past few days and would soon be ready.
"Just wait, Spider-Man. Soon my hunt shall resume." Kraven declared as he moved off into the darkness.
Author's Note:
Whew! Finally got this chapter done! Sorry for the wait, guys, but I had a little writer's block, and I had to rewrite the fight in this chapter several times. The first draft had the basic formula I've been following of Spidey fighting and then losing before coming back to win in the second round.
But I felt that I could do better and that I could do better than following a formula, and I want to break said formula. That's why I had only one fight with Jay, just getting his shit kicked in by Green Goblin. I wanted to have his inexperience finally get the best of him as I've yet to fully show it save for his fight with Taskmaster.
Plus, it makes Green Goblin more of a threat to Spider-Man due to his better weaponry and power and his savagery. Overall when writing this chapter, I felt a whole lot better writing this way than keeping to the same formula. Hopefully, in future chapters, I can continue to expand how I write this story.
Of course, now that Nightwing is going to help train Jay a little, he's going to get a little better at fighting. I can't tell you how much fun it was just writing that little scene where Nightwing just outclasses Jay, prevents him from leaving, and stops his attacks. Just had fun showing how more experienced he is.
I would have made it a little longer, but I felt it would have gotten a little repetitive, so I decided to keep it short and sweet. Either way next chapter, we will finally see Kraven once more as he sets up to continue his hunt. Can't wait to write that chapter, but it won't happen until next year, I'm afraid (Damn you, December, lol).
Now let's get to the reviews:
Magnouce Elie (Guest) – Yeah, no, I've stated several times that Jay will not keep the symbiote. It's a neat idea, but if I do that, then there won't be a Venom. When I eventually do give Jay the symbiote, it will be different from Peter's but not entirely in such a drastic way. Plus, symbiotes aren't born evil…well, unless their parent was evil.
Jay won't be meeting any other Spider-Man or Woman anytime soon, so, unfortunately, you're going to have to wait.
BurnedByDaylight – I'm glad you're enjoying the story! I also can't wait to write for Mysterio, but we'll have to wait just a little bit. But he'll come soon.
DarthCaedusKun7 – Here's the update.
Lycannon – Thanks happy to see you like the story.
Vfc15650 – Sorry the update took so long, but I hope the wait was worth it, especially as this is the first proper (In my mind, at least) fight between Jay and the Green Goblin. I can't wait to further explore their dynamic, as this is just the beginning of their rivalry.
Guest – I will not be adding the rest of the Fantastic Four, such as Susan, Ben, or Mr. Fantastic, as I think it just wouldn't feel right. That being said, his time at Taos will be essential for him as he will make connections there, just not right now (I don't want to say too much).
As for Von Doom, well…you'll just have to wait and see.
Bearticguy7 – I have no current plans of introducing mutants, inhumans, or eternals, as metahumans are the basic equivalent to them all. Additionally, I'm not as knowledgeable about them as I am about other Marvel stuff, so I wouldn't be comfortable using them without doing a lot of research first.
As for the others, it will be as follows
Luke Cage and Iron Fist: No current plans but might make a one-off.
Fantastic 4: If you're referring to Reed, Susan, and Ben, then no, I don't plan on using them.
Dr. Strange: Idk I don't think I can really fit him in the story but maybe as a one-off or recurring side character.
The Spider Warriors: Are you referring to the Web Warriors or something because I honestly have no idea what this is supposed to be? Either way, other spider people won't be showing up for a while.
Venom: Oh yeah, he'll show up one day, just not as you think he will, and unfortunately, it won't be for a while, as Jay won't be getting the symbiote any time soon.
Black Cat: No, not at all. I feel she has too much of a personal connection to Peter that I just wouldn't want to use her in this fic.
Morbius: Yep, he's coming soon.
Iron Man: No, Iron Man isn't going to be here (I don't want to use too many main marvel heroes like Iron Man, Captain America, or Hulk).
Vulture: God no I am not using the ultimiate version of Vulture. If I do bring in Vulture, it'll be the original or more similar to the original.
Cloak and Dagger: Probably not, but I might change my mind.
Jett will be the only Fantastic 4 representation, as in the comics, Peter and Johnny Storm are really good friends. I wanted to reference that in Jay and Jett's friendship. So no, he's not really representing the original Human Torch.
Reader2020italia – If I do make a Fantastic 4, that would be a good idea ;)
Biospark (Guest) – He kinda is, as he's willing to help out the Team if they ever need it.
Martin (Guest) – Yeah, I found it funny to make Jameson the one supporting Spider-Man. Plus, I just like Jameson, so I wanted him in.
Fictionreader23 – To be fair to M'gann, this is Season 3 M'gann, who fakes incidents to increase the reputation of the Outsiders. She fears for young heroes who have no training or mentor to protect them. So while yes, Jay's been mostly holding his own, he's also been pretty reckless and has suffered numerous injuries time and time again.
So it's fair for her to want to get him on the Team so that he can gain experience safely and become a better hero, and if he says no again, then she can at least say she tried.
Well, that's all I have for today see you guys next time!