Return of the Goblin, Part III

[itwasablast]

Finally. Norman's been particularly antsy for weeks now, but the second his feet lift off the ground in that outdated Iron Man getup (just putting it on was a task in and of itself), he knows he wouldn't have been able to hold out much longer even if he'd wanted to. Now is when all the waiting becomes worth it. Now is when Spider-Man finally

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[daretodo]

I hear it before I see anything. The detonation of pumpkin bombs tearing up the otherwise idyllic scenery. The all too familiar sounds of people screaming in fear of their lives. That bloodcurdling laugh of his over the loudspeaker of Iron Man's armor -- and whatever that means for Tony, alternate universe version or not, is a question I'm left to wonder indefinitely. I knew things were gonna escalate -- that they had to after our conversation on the Compound steps* -- but somehow I still didn't think it'd be so damn soon.

The only thing I have on me are my web-shooters and my belt loaded with extra cartridges, hidden from sight underneath my unseasonable long-sleeved shirt, the humidity making them sit uncomfortably against my skin. Pumpkin bombs are one thing, but if he's in the armor...

I allow myself one second of blind panic, one second where I can just appreciate how bad this is surely going to get before the day is through. I allow myself that one second, and then I'm already running towards the noise and the mayhem, hoping

[crossyourpath]

Felicia Hardy may be many things but stupid has never been one of them. A single laugh echoing off trees and houses sends a shiver down her spine and starts her angling for a fight.

Stun gun strapped her back, reachable when she's in a rush but not terribly visible underneath the Texas Longhorns shirt that she has one, she starts in the direction of the action. There is no way that she is going to miss out on a chance to do some damage especially to someone who deserves it.

Her sneaker clad feet pound the ground as she races towards the chaos, only slowing down when she catches sight of Spider.

"Spider!" she shouts not caring that he's less Spider-Man and more Science Teacher with a Awful Night Job. "What's the plan?"

[daretodo]

If I'm honest, Felicia's not the person I expected to be calling my name right about now -- no, I expected the dulcet, robotic tones of Norman Osborn calling Spider-Man out to play. Which doesn't mean I'm no less grateful for a familiar, friendly face, of course, so much as it means that, in my rush to get to ground zero, I forgot that I wasn't alone out here.

"Cat!" I call back, skidding to a stop only long enough to see where she's coming from before I start back into a slow, distracted jog. "I need you to go find Mary Jane! I can't... I need to get to Norman before he kills someone."

[crossyourpath]

"That someone is going to be you if you don't let me help," she returns picking up the pace so that she can argue with him face to face. Talking to his back is kind of distracting no matter what the circumstances.

"Tell Hot Rod to save her. Let's face it, she's more inclined to listen to him than me anyways!"

Danger might be imminent but there are some facts you can't ignore.

[heatedrod]

Panic was a reaction Johnny had long outgrown, but he was pretty damn alarmed when something incredibly close to the compound went kaboom. He didn't even give himself time to think as he headed straight to the source, and Johnny almost wished he could say he was surprised to see Pete already there.

"You weren't gonna leave me out, now, were you?" he called out as he caught up.

[daretodo]

"Wouldn't dream of it!" I reply, glancing over my shoulder to find ol’ Hot Rod right there in a fantastic bit of serendipity. Without time to spare, though, I keep it short and to the point -- talking is not a free action when you don't have the speed to go faster than any other normal guy at the top of his game.

"I need the both of you to split up and go find Mary--!" I'm cut off by a distressingly familiar scream, and a figure painted red, white, and Captain America blue streaks overhead. Hearing it was one thing, but actually seeing it, however briefly, sends my mind reeling in about a thousand different directions -- since when does Osborn have a grudge against Stark, anyway? Just how far from the future is he? Or is he from another universe entirely -- and if so, what other tricks will he have up his sleeve? I've dealt with superpowered armor before, but never without my own powers -- will the tinkering I've done to the web formula be enough...?

Focus, Parker

[crossyourpath]

If she had been waiting for an Oh Shit moment, then that had just been it.

Well that can't be good. If the crazy Norman Osborne hadn't been a tip off. Her heart going into overdrive from all of the adrenaline that is being dumped into her system.

"Hey! We're more than capable of handling ourselves," Felicia fires back completely unafraid to speak on behalf of Johnny. If his feelings are hurt, he'll cope. "You need us to save them."

[heatedrod]

Johnny was perfectly fine with Felicia speaking for him.

"There's no way I'm having this argument again," Johnny told Pete, "and having it now is just gonna waste time!"

[daretodo]

If they had their powers, this wouldn’t be an argument. Spider-Man, as a general rule, works alone, it's true, but I'm not stupid enough to think I'm not in over my head here. The problem is, Johnny Storm is just that -- Johnny Storm, not the Human Torch. He's not a brawler like Ben, has no business getting himself into a fight like this where he’s more likely to be a liability than an asset. And as for Felicia--

"What do you have on you, right now? What weapons?"

[crossyourpath]

"Just the stun gun."

Right about now she is seriously regretting her choice to leave the .45 at home. Not that she wouldn't have been tempted to shoot the neighbor's dog if she had it on her.

Pulling it out from its slot on her back she twirls it around her fingers. "I'm like a Girl Scout."

[heatedrod]

"Nice." Johnny gave her an impressed look, though the urgency of the situation -- well, no, this was more like an all out SNAFU -- kept him from actually voicing any thoughts he had about Felicia in a Girl Scout uniform.

He'd save them for later.

[daretodo]

It's the answer I was hoping for. Webbing is too precious a commodity right now to go wasting it on these two, and it's not like I'm about to shoot either of them. Knocking them out, though, that's an option I like just fine. I've spent too many nights at Felicia's bedside, because of some mess or another, and I'm not letting her take the fall for me this time -- not again.

My reflexes are slower than I'm used to, but I'm still quicker than the average bear. Besides, I have the element of surprise working in my favor -- girl scout or not, I doubt she's prepared for this. Thrusting out my arm, I shoot off a strand of webbing towards the stun gun, yanking it from out of her hands and into mine, taking aim and firing as soon as humanly possible -- and there's the kicker right there, huh? She collapses onto the ground in a heap, and I immediately turn to Johnny, unable to look at her for longer than a passing second because there's just no time to feel guilty.

"Go help the others."

[heatedrod]

"Holy $%#@, you did not just stun her!" Whatever resistance Johnny had been expecting, it wasn't that.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he yelled, taking a step forward, arm outstretched and pointing at Pete as if he were accusing him of something. Actually, no, he was accusing Pete of something -- insanity.

[daretodo]

"Wrong answer, pal," I say, and I've gotta believe I'm right in doing this. Mary Jane's life is already hanging in the balance -- I can't have Johnny risking his, too, not when the only thing keeping him safe from a repulsor blast is his big fat mouth.

Catching him by the wrist, I roughly lower his arm and pull him forward, forcing him off balance so that I can follow through with a punch, whipping the back of the gun across his face. He falls to ground just like Felicia. My friends, out cold, because of me. God, I hope I'm right.

"I'm so sorry," I murmur, already taking off in Norman's direction, "but better knocked out than dead."