Dark clouds obscured the stars and moon, shrouding New York in an oppressive darkness...
Mary Jane awoke from unconsciousness, a sudden chill running through her body. As she stood and looked around, she realized she was on top of the Brooklyn Bridge.
Below her, an endless stream of cars flowed like a river, while cargo ships and passenger boats dotted the water's surface. The cold wind whipped at Mary Jane's thin frame, forcing her to grip the metal scaffolding tightly, terrified of slipping and plummeting to her death.
"HAHAHAHA!" A shrill, maniacal laugh pierced the night.
Mary Jane turned toward the sound and saw the Green Goblin (the infamous super-criminal who had terrorized the city) standing atop his glider, cackling with unrestrained glee.
A micro-missile launched from the glider and streaked toward a construction site beneath the bridge.
*BOOM!*
The explosion lit up the night sky, flames roaring as the shockwave rippled outward.
Cars on the bridge swerved in panic and crashed into guardrails and each other in a chain reaction of collisions.
Within moments, traffic had ground to a halt, a tangled mess of metal that even the arriving police cars couldn't navigate.
...
From a distance, Sean and Gwen watched the chaos unfold...
The Green Goblin had issued a challenge to New York's friendly neighborhood hero... Spider-Man.
And sure enough, a red-and-blue figure soon swung into view, soaring through the air like Tarzan on a web.
Spider-Man landed nimbly on the bridge, only to be met with the Green Goblin's cruel game...
"Spider-Man! This is why only fools become heroes... because you never know when a madman will force you to make an impossible choice! Let's see… will you save the woman you love… or a bus full of innocent children?!"
In one hand, the villain held Mary Jane, suspended over the river. In the other, he gripped the steel cable suspending a school bus over the edge.
"Spider-Man!"
"Help us!"
"Please, someone do something!"
The children inside the bus screamed for help, while Mary Jane dangled helplessly in the open air. One slip, and she would plunge into the icy depths below.
"Choose quickly, Spider-Man!"
The Green Goblin reveled in the torment, savoring the hero's anguish.
"Being a hero comes at a price!" His voice was laced with mockery.
"Don't do this, Goblin!" Peter begged, unwilling to abandon either option.
"Fate is in your hands! Now... DECIDE!"
With a final, gleeful cackle, the Green Goblin released both Mary Jane and the bus at the same time.
Screams filled the air... children crying out in terror, Mary Jane shrieking as she fell.
Spider-Man lunged without hesitation and dived after Mary Jane first. He caught her midair, then fired a web-line to snag the plummeting bus just in time.
Now, Peter held Mary Jane in one arm while straining to keep the heavy bus from falling with the other.
And the Green Goblin wasn't done.
He swooped in on his glider, taking full advantage of Spider-Man's vulnerable position. Peter could do nothing but endure the brutal kicks and punches, refusing to let go of either Mary Jane or the bus.
"Time to die!"
Blades extended from the glider as the Green Goblin prepared to impale the defenseless hero–
*BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!*
...Gunfire rang out.
Bullets sparked against the Goblin's armor, the impact knocking him off course.
On the bridge, the police had finally arrived. Among them was George Stacy, recently promoted police captain and Gwen's father.
"That's my dad!" Gwen gasped, recognizing him immediately.
Sean held her back, "It's too dangerous. You can't help right now. But don't worry, he'll be fine."
He couldn't risk Gwen getting caught in the crossfire. Not with so many witnesses around.
...
Back on the bridge, the battle raged on...
A passing cargo ship had caught the school bus, and Mary Jane was now safe.
Freed from his dilemma, Spider-Man turned his full attention to the Green Goblin.
The two clashed fiercely, neither gaining the upper hand. The Goblin relied on his advanced weaponry, while Spider-Man dodged with inhuman agility and countered with well-placed webs.
"Let's take this somewhere private, hero!"
With a sudden lunge, the Green Goblin looped a steel cable around Spider-Man and yanked him into the sky, dragging him away from the bridge.
"It's over. You can go to your father now."
Sean played the role of the dutiful escort and guided Gwen toward the police cars. But by the time she turned to introduce him, he had already vanished into the night.
.....
~Abandoned Building – Queens~
Spider-Man crashed through the rotting roof of an old house and landed hard on the floor below. Before he could rise, a pumpkin bomb rolled to his feet.
*BOOM!*
The explosion sent him flying, burying him under a pile of rubble.
"You chose a tragic fate, poor Spider-Man…"
The Green Goblin dismounted his glider and strode forward to deliver a savage beating to the already wounded hero.
Peter could barely defend himself, taking hit after hit without retaliation.
"I expected more of a fight. How disappointing."
Ripping off Spider-Man's mask, the Goblin planted his boot on Peter's head and snarled, "My son called you his friend, and you betrayed him... sneaking around with that redheaded whore! You'll pay for this, Peter Parker!"
Blood trickled down Peter's face as he looked up in horror, "Uncle Norman…? It's you?!"
The young hero couldn't believe it.
Norman Osborn; Harry's father, the man he had known as kind and respectable.... He was the monstrous Green Goblin...
*Thud*
A kick to the face finally knocked Peter unconscious.
"Too bad you'll take that secret to your grave." The Goblin's bloodlust surged.
He raised his foot, ready to crush Peter's skull–
"Honestly Norman, must you always resort to such theatrics?" A new voice cut through the tension.
The Green Goblin whirled around.
A young man stepped from the shadows, his expression calm, as if he had been watching an entertaining show.
"Who the hell are you?!"
"A boring question..."
*Whoosh!*
In a blur of motion, Sean closed the distance.
His fist connected with the Goblin's chest like a freight train, sending the villain flying.
*CRACK!*
A scream tore from Norman's throat as Sean crushed his arm underfoot.
Sean ripped off the Goblin's mask, revealing the pale, twisted face of a desperate man, "Time to say goodbye, Norman Osborn."
"Please! Spare me! I'll give you anything! Money, power... just let me live!" The once-mighty CEO of Oscorp begged like a coward.
"Tsk. Still scheming, Norman?"
*Crack!*
Another sickening snap as Sean broke his other arm, "Trying to control the glider? Not very smart..."
"...What I want, I'll take myself. As for Oscorp… don't worry. I'll take good care of it."
One by one, Sean arranged the Goblin's pumpkin bombs in a circle around him, like some macabre ritual.
"NO! WAIT—!"
Norman tried to scramble away, but Sean kicked him back into place.
*BOOM!*
The explosion consumed the Green Goblin in a fireball, his screams cut short as the flames reduced him to ashes.
"A productive night."
Sean turned away, his silhouette fading into the darkness, leaving only silence behind...
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