After injecting Cletus with mind-altering chemicals, Norman returned to the basement. So far, his tracer had backtracked through thirteen locations from Mary Anna’s last call. Satisfied with the progress, he readied for the fun part – further humiliation of Spider-Man.
He slipped into the goblin costume. The rubberized body armor felt smooth against his flesh, invoking a sense of solemn reverence, not just for the costume, but also for the mantle of the Green Goblin. A legacy followed whoever wore the talisman. One day, Norman wished to have a son with Mary Anna Parker and establish a blood rite to the goblin throne. With the madness of the goblin genes multiplied through exposure to strength heightening chemicals merged with the latent power of the radioactive spider, the next Green Goblin could rule the world.
Half crazed with expectations, Norman adjusted the demon-like mask. The everyday problems of Norman Osborn faded as the goblin persona took control. Shutting off the sonics to the symbiote’s quarters, he freed Chrissy/Carnage from its dormant state. It too hungered for revenge and craved to become one once again with its former host.
The Green Goblin accelerated the glider through the house. Maniacally he fearlessly twisted around bends and squeezed through doorways, only inches sparing him from injury. A maddened smile widened under the mask.
The symbiote kept pace with its erstwhile ally. Tendrils snaked outward, caught on walls, and aided powerful legs in zigzagging through the corridors. Arriving at an oversized fireplace, the symbiote followed the goblin into its maw and up into the night. Shooting out a strand of itself, it affixed to the glider. The rushing wind filled it with excitement of the hunt, the blood, and the carnage that awaited in the city. With the glider’s propulsion, they should reach Time’s Square in little time.
They broke free from the concealed Osborn property nestled among a several forested acres. Norman had purchased the massive estate through a myriad of holding companies. It was nearly untraceable. He considered it a safe haven to escape New York, yet enjoy the proximity to his hunting grounds. He had other residences the world over, all similarly owned, but this was the prime living quarters of the Green Goblin.
The distance between houses diminished as the city approached. Long Island disappeared and they flew over the East River. Carnage couldn’t wait. Randomly, it launched bullet-like projectiles, maiming innocent bystanders on the streets.
Whizzing past the Empire State Building, they approached Times Square. After their encounter with Spider-Man, the goblin knew that he must have been hiding near this part of Manhattan. A little mayhem should draw him out. He hovered over the building that dropped the ball on New Year’s Eve. The symbiote scurried down its side, anxious to start the festivities. The goblin felt his companion’s hunger and drifted down with his partner.
Forty feet above the alley floor, the goblin floated silently as the symbiote clung to the wall. They enjoyed their hold over the life and death of passers-by oblivious to their presence. A random choice would extinguish the dreams of their victim.
Chrissy/Carnage wormed a piece of itself down the building and over the walkway. A man and woman pushed a baby carriage. An infant cooed up at his parents. Salivating, the symbiote snagged a wheel of the stroller and held fast.
The father noticed a weird string latched to the carriage and tried to kick it away. The tendril snaked around the man, wrapping him like a mummy. The mother screamed and the carriage began rolling away. Chrissy/Carnage jumped from the shadows towards the stroller while suffocating the father in its deadly embrace. The goblin smiled, ready for innocent bloodshed.
“Spider-Man!” a pedestrian yelled from across the street.
Chrissy/Carnage extended clawed appendages from its forearms in a mockery of Wolverine and lunged at the infant. A web from higher on the wall shot past the symbiote and snagged the baby moments before the carriage was shredded.
“That’s not Spider-Man!” a voice shouted. “I am!”
The goblin glanced up. Startled by the unexpected, Chrissy/Carnage eased its grip on the man. Spider-Man clung to the wall, slowly sliding down as gravity pulled him from his perch. The child cried from his arms. The other arm was around the corner as if anchoring himself.
“This can get interesting!” The symbiote’s surprise changed to delight. Pointed teeth formed a smile as it lunged.
“Don’t kill him yet!” the goblin shouted, filled with glee, relishing the spectacle about to begin.
Feet from impact, Spider-Man swung his other arm from around the building. Somewhere in the symbiote’s brain, it recognized the device. It tried to swerve, but Spider-Man’s aim was true.
An explosion of intensified sound blasted into Chrissy/Carnage. Shards of the symbiote scattered to the street as the amalgam of daughter and enemy writhed in the alley. Spider-Man cringed at Chrissy’s sobs as he dropped to the sidewalk and handed the mother her child.
“Get out of here,” he ordered.
She raced away with her infant, but a crowd of bystanders gathered. Many from this generation had never seen a super powered individual before, let alone three. Several pulled out video devices but were surprised that none of them appeared in their viewfinders
“Now it’s just you and me, goblin!” Spider-Man yelled, setting the gun down.
He sprung at the floating figure. The Green Goblin easily evaded the attack. Spider-Man stuck to the wall, perhaps too long, allowing the goblin a chance to retaliate by knocking him to the alley floor. He rolled with the blow.
After sighting the two, Spider-Man had followed, thinking of a way to get what he needed. His hesitation was part of the plan. He did not want the goblin to realize he knew about the symbiote’s bacterial status. While hidden in the shadows, feigning injury, he scraped several crimson drops into an empty web cartridge and stuck it into his belt.
Chrissy’s pain covered face disappeared as the symbiote enveloped her body once more. “You’ll pay for that,” it said. Halfway through the sentence, Chrissy’s voice transformed into a guttural parody.
The goblin swooped for another attack. A pumpkin bomb flew towards Spider-Man. Leaping away, a whip of the symbiote lashed out and held him in place. Still weakened by the sonic gun, the strand gave as Spider-Man tore free. Continuing his leap, he caught a mild blast of the bomb’s force, but the concussion splattered Chrissy/Carnage again.
Curious, people watched the fight unfold. Knowing that the goblin might use them against him, Spider-Man shot bursts of webbing towards them, hoping to discourage them. Spinning in the air, he rapid-fired at the goblin. A line caught the glider.
Gunning the throttle, the Green Goblin yanked Spider-Man before he could plant his feet. He let go of the strand before being raked across the side of a building. Still, the impact knocked the wind out of him.
Gasping, he never slowed as he bounded to the ground and retrieved the sonic gun. Where are the deregulators? They’re my only chance of escaping. Their firepower should be enough to scare the goblin back to his lair.
As the goblin darted down, Spider-Man unleashed a sonic blast. It didn’t affect him. Unknown to Spidey, the Green Goblin had similar sonic circuitry sewn into his gloves in case the symbiote got unruly and had proper protection against the attack. Even so, his teeth rattled as he dove at Spider-Man.
Tossing the gun aside, Spider-Man dodged. The goblin came to an instant stop inches from the ground and discharged a dose of electricity from his hands. Though his costume was composed of an energy dampening fabric, the electrical burst stunned him. Spider-Man dropped to his knees. The goblin climbed off the glider and gloated.
“I’m better than any other Green Goblin ever was!” He booted Spider-Man in the stomach. He tried to roll to his feet, but the goblin pummeled him back to the pavement. “You’re a has-been, old man! I can kill you anytime!”
“Wanna bet,” Spidey proclaimed through clenched teeth. He fired a dose of webbing at the goblin’s boots, sticking them to the ground. The goblin tore free.
“Do you think that I’d let you web me up? You truly are pathetic.”
A fist slammed towards Spider-Man’s face. He timed it perfectly, making a glancing blow seem solid and slumped to the asphalt, feigning unconsciousness.
The crowd pressed around them. The goblin addressed the mass of people. “You have all witnessed Spider-Man’s defeat; however, my existence must remain a secret. Therefore, you all have to die.” Pointing his gloves at the crowd, he powered up for a wide discharge.
“No!” Spider-Man jumped up and grabbed the goblin’s wrists, raising his aim into the sky. Lightning bolts shot upward. The crowd panicked, fleeing in all directions.
Taking the goblin by surprise, he pushed his advantage, kicking at the goblin’s knee. Though heavily protected, the force caused the goblin to falter.
“No,” he murmured, his knee buckling. “I will not be beaten by you.”
He heaved his weight forward, sending Spider-Man to his back. Contact with the ground tore open the claw scabs. He winced, the goblin towering over him.
“I think I’ll kill you now!”
Spider-Man shot a strand of webbing between his legs.
“You can’t even hit me!”
“I know, Einstein” Spider-Man nagged. He yanked and the stroller shattered against his foe’s back. “I wasn’t aiming for you.”
Springing to his feet, he slugged the goblin across the jaw. In younger days, the blow would have taken his head off. Now it simply staggered him. Spidey swung again, but the goblin recovered, blocking with his forearm. Spider-Man grabbed his wrist and flung him against the building. He leapt at him, hoping for enough force to knock him out. No such luck.
The goblin was barely stunned, catching Spider-Man in a mercy hold. Hands locked, both combatants pressed with all their might. It was no contest. The Green Goblin forced Spider-Man back on his heels. Spidey tried to break free, but the goblin was too strong. Thinking quickly, he shifted his grip just enough to launch a ball of web fluid into the goblin’s glove. It was just enough to allow him to slip from the goblin’s grasp.
He jumped backwards, putting as much distance between them as he could. Wanting to flee, he knew innocents would pay the price. With great power comes great responsibility. He also knew that this mantra could cost him his life. If things weren’t bad enough, Chrissy/Carnage emerged from the alleyway. Rage burned in its eyes. Spider-Man webbed the sonic gun. While reeling it in, he leapt up the building to avoid the symbiote’s charge. The goblin, back on his glider, raced towards him.
Suddenly, a siren blared and an intense spotlight ignited the block. A megaphone enhanced voice boomed, “Spider-Man! There is no escape! You are wanted in connection with numerous crimes! Surrender!”
Shielding his eyes, Spider-Man glanced down. The Green Goblin and symbiote stopped their pursuit, staring back into the light. Two trucks the size of fire engines idled next to a van parked in the intersection. A uniformed officer stood outside an open door, a microphone in hand. Three more armed agents of the Deregulation Committee stood nearby. It’s about time! But why are they only after me? Spider-Man charged up the wall.
Energy weapons fired from all directions. Without the use of his spider sense, he zigged and zagged, praying to escape a direct hit. At the top, he vaulted onto the roof and peeked over the ledge. The symbiote dangled from the goblin’s glider as it charged him. He sprinted across the roof, but could not outrun his foes. Chrissy/Carnage anchored him with a tendril around the waist, pinning the sonic gun to his body.
“Let him squirm a little while longer,” the goblin ordered. The symbiote hesitated. Spider-Man saw blood boiling in its inanimate eyes.
Struggling against the appendages, he asked, “Why are they only after me?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” the goblin taunted, before addressing his ally. “Throw him back to them. This should be fun to watch.”
Spider-Man sensed the tension between the alien and the goblin. Besides bloodlust, he also saw a hidden desire glint in Chrissy/Carnage’s eyes before extending him over the edge and letting go.
As Spider-Man fell, weapons blasted again. Aiming at the spotlight, he returned fire with the sonic gun. The shock wave did not shatter the globe, but tilted it to a different angle. Twisting in the air, he shot a web strand across the road and swung between the two buildings.
Engines revved on the street. Spidey raced up the wall just as one of the trucks wheeled into the alleyway. Four agents in jetpacks burst out and took chase. He crisscrossed strands of webbing through the alley. Two pursuers tangled in the sticky mess. The others bypassed the obstacle.
On the roof, he paused to catch his breath. His heart hammering, begged him to stop. He couldn’t. The first deregulator rose out of the alley, startled to see Spider-Man so close. Veering sharply, he collided with the other agent. Both tumbled towards the ground. Spider-Man jumped to the edge and webbed them before they splattered to the pavement.
Whirring above attracted his attention. An assault chopper bore down, releasing an oversized net. Spider-Man jumped back into the alley, falling past the deregulators that had managed to free themselves from his web. Then the net entangled them.
Deregulator trucks blocked both of the alley exits. Escape up was impossible due to the net. Trapped. A tingle reminiscent of a spider tracer buzzed in his skull. The signal came from one of the buildings. Taking the sonic gun, he blasted a hole just as five more deregulators flew after him.
Spidey dove through the opening and heaved a heavy file cabinet through the hole, knocking the lead deregulator back. Next, he drained his web-shooters into the void. It won’t be long before they come in another way.
He dashed through the office and into the hall. Different doors led to various establishments from jewelers to doctors. The pull urged him to an elevator. He ripped the doors open. An empty shaft plummeted down two levels below the ground. The signal resonated from there. Well, it’s either Carl or Flash. Trusting his judgment, he scaled the shaft.
At the bottom, he tore open another set of doors. Pitch black greeted him. A shimmer of light seeped from a crack in the concrete floor. Spider-Man stomped on the breach. The ground crumbled into a near perfect circle. Light shined up. Spidey jumped down to it.
An old-fashioned oil lantern burned from the floor, struggling to reach into the thick black. Spider-Man recognized the insides of an old subway station. Sewers, Morlock tunnels, and now extinct subways. When they say Underground, they mean it.
He scanned the darkness. No one was there. An old spider tracer rested on the concrete, connected to what appeared to be an amplifying device. Spider-Man picked it up and examined it. It truly was ancient. He hadn’t used one this obsolete in over thirty years. Where did this come from? And who rigged it to amplify beyond the concrete tunnel and save me? Again, he searched the shadows for his invisible savior. He felt the tiny tingle of being watched, but he did not see anybody.
Pursuit echoed above. A lighted arrow flashed above one of the many tunnels and extinguished. Spider-Man raced towards it. At its mouth, he turned around and called, “Whoever you are, if you can hear me, thanks.” Without looking back, he charged into the darkness. In a mile or so, he could break one of the barriers separating this old, underground world from the surface and escape into the night.
#
As soon as Spider-Man disappeared down the tracks, a click sounded. A figure materialized in the shadows. Harry Osborn wore a light refractor belt, a device of his own design. It bent light waves around its wearer. In the open, he seemed as a lump of opaque matter, but in darkness, he was rendered invisible.
“You’re welcome, Peter,” he whispered. “I only pray that you can stop my son. If I come out of hiding to do it, too many people will be hurt by my resurrection. Good luck, my friend.”
Two deregulators poked through the opening above. Harry pressed the button at his waist and vanished. Knowing the limitations, he lay on a pile of concrete debris. If lights happened to shine on him, his form would not appear unusual. Soon, six deregulators gathered in the abandoned station. Realizing the number of exit points, they gave up their search. Harry waited until they were gone before following the direction that Spider-Man took.
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Not Yet Published (but I am trying) 