Legacy

Felicia and I had a long talk with Quintien Beck, and after a while it didn't take long for him to consider his limited options.

Not long after that there it was, the news segment where former Oscorp researcher and developer Quintien Beck revealed his lies to the world, along with the man who had hired him too.

Norman Osborn.

The world once again had been turned upside down, but finally Spider-Man's name was in the clear, and not only that but Norman's depravity had come to light and his possible connection to the Green Goblin terrorist, and although a warrant for his arrest hadn't been issued yet, I was sure that his time would come.

*Hey, Pete. Me and Arthur are waiting for you to start movie night. Mom's gonna be working all night again so I'm sure you can stay over later.*

I read Gwen's message over and over again, just trying to figure out when I managed to find someone so perfect for me.

If this were a couple of weeks ago I'd rush straight over, but right now I owe it to a friend to go by and see him.

I knock on Harry's door, my heart beating a bit louder than usual as I wait for the door to open. If it even does.

Slowly, the door creaks and Harry sticks his head out, before smiling and pulling me into a hug. "Hey, man. How are you?"

I smile back weakly, not seeing the baggy eyes or the worn down Harry from before...he looks...healthier. "I-I'm good. I just came...to see you."

Harry ushers me inside with the same smile he had before he was hooked on those goblin pills, almost like the old Harry was back. "Yeah? Well, I'm glad to see you. How's May? Any better?" He says as he leads me to his fathers old office.

"She's about as good as she can be. Still no responce, and the diner isn't doing any better either. I'm managing though." I tell him, hoping that I'm not dropping too many things at once.

He nods taking a seat at the desk in his father's office, and I take a seat in the chair just in front of it as he stares into an opened computer. "Yeah, I can't even imagine. What about Gwen? I'm sure she's having a terrible time right now."

I look away. "She's also just...managing."

Harry closes the laptop intertwining his hands in front of him as he watches me closely. Almost like he's observing me. "I'm sure. So, what's with the unexpected visit? It wouldn't have anything to do with my father's most recent controversy?"

I couldn't help but feel a little awkward at his bluntness, I mean, even I wasn't fully sure why I had come here so unexpectedly. Was it for friendship? Information? I don't know. "I-I just..."

He puts his hand up halting me from speaking. "Look, it's alright I get it. They say my father may have had something to do with the bombing that put your aunt into that coma. But...it's not true okay? My father has nothing to do with that...monster."

Then it hit me, something I hadn't really had time to consider. Does Harry know his father is the Green Goblin? I mean, before it seemed that way, the guilty look at the hospital, that terrified phone call to me, I mean all signs pointed to yes he knows. Yet, here he was, telling me...that his father had nothing to do with the bombings.

Is he just trying to protect me? Trying to shield me from the truth? Or...is it something else?

"Harry, I'm not here to talk about...that." I say, not sure if I wanted to believe Harry would really cover for his father even after all he'd done. "I just wanted to come see my best friend."

Without Norman, and with all the controversy surrounding Oscorp, the company's on a downward spiral. Harry's been trying to hold it together, but I can tell—it's eating him alive. I was hoping, that maybe it wouldn't be too late to try and lend a hand, to show him that regardless of everything that was going on. There was still a way out, and a way forward.

"I'm grateful, Peter. I am. But...right now isn't the best time. They want my father off the board," he says, voice tight. "They're acting like he's already dead, like he's some kind of liability they need to cut loose before he drags them down with him."

I let out a breath. "Harry... maybe that's not your problem to fix."

His head snaps up, eyes narrowing. "Not my problem? This is my family, Peter."

I nod, but carefully. "I know. But—what about you? What do you want? Your life, school, your future? You don't have to be the one to save Oscorp."

He shakes his head, like I don't get it. Like I never could. "If your Uncle Ben had a legacy to leave behind, wouldn't you do anything to protect it? To honor it?"

I go quiet.

Because I know the answer.

I wouldn't let anyone take away what Ben left behind. I wouldn't let him be forgotten.

I swallow, forcing my voice to stay steady. "Do you have any idea where he is? Your dad?"

Harry exhales sharply, shaking his head. "No. But I will find him. And I will save him."

There's something in the way he says it that makes my stomach twist. It's not hope. It's not determination. It's something darker, heavier.

He looks at me then, really looks at me, and I don't know if it's meant to be an accusation or just the plain, bitter truth.

"You know, Peter... I've been weak. My whole life. In every way that matters." He clenches his jaw. "But if I can do this—if I can save my father, save his company—then maybe..."

He doesn't finish the sentence. Maybe what? Maybe he won't be weak anymore? Maybe he'll finally prove himself?

I want to say something. To tell him that he isn't weak, that he doesn't have to do this, that he's enough as he is.

But the words don't come.

Because I know he won't hear them.

And as he turns away, his face set in stone, I feel it again—that aching, familiar helplessness.

I'm losing him.

And I don't know how to save him

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The bills are piling up. Aunt May's medical expenses, the repairs to the restaurant—everything is a weight pressing down on my shoulders, and no amount of super strength makes it easier to carry.

Felicia had taken pictures for the insurance claim, but we're still waiting to hear back. And even if it is approved, it won't be enough. May's medical bills are the real problem. No health insurance means every test is a direct hit to the already empty bank account.

I sit at the kitchen table, sifting through paperwork, my head in my hands. Felicia leans against the counter, watching me.

"Y'know," she says, crossing her arms. "Maybe I should head home."

I glance up. "What?"

She shrugs, but there's something careful in her tone. "You've got enough going on. You don't need me hanging around when you're trying to juggle all this. Your aunt, the restaurant, the whole... Norman Osborn trying to kill you situation."

I shake my head. "I'm not just gonna send you off back to your dads because things are hard. May wouldn't want that."

Felicia tilts her head, watching me with something softer than usual. "You're an annoyingly good guy. Y'know that?"

I let out a breath, some of the tension leaving my body. "Debatable."

"I know you can't accept a compliment to save your life. But don't you think you've done enough for the city for a while? Can't you just...be Peter Parker for a while?" She asks, and I wish it were that easy.

For me to put the mask behind, and move on with my life, like any other kid. But that's the thing, I'm not just any other kid.

Not anymore.

"No, Felicia. I can't." I say, and she sighs as if she were expecting this answer.

She bits her lip, resting her hands on her hips. "Not to bring this up while you're thinking about all this other nonsense, but what's your plan for Osborn? You think he's plotting his next move?"

I stare down at the table, pressing my fingers against my temples. "I have no idea. I've got all these powers, but at the end of the day, I'm just a kid. Norman's playing a dangerous game, and I've barely figured out the rules. I don't know where he is or what he's planning. All I can do is hope I'm there when something happens." My jaw tightens. "And that nobody else has to die."

Then it hits me.

The news—when they arrested Doc Ock, they said he'd been working out of an old Oscorp facility. If Norman's hiding out somewhere, it makes sense he'd do the same. But how do I even begin to track that down? Doesn't matter, trying and failing is better than doing nothing at all and waiting around for him to pull whatever else he's got planned for me. I'm not going to just sit around while he hurts more people.

I quickly explain my thought process to Felicia, who agrees with me.

I look up at Felicia. "Oscorp must've owned a ton of buildings. I don't even know where to start."

She smirks. "That's easy. We check their website. Or city property records. Cross-reference with tax filings, maybe—"

I groan. "That could take forever. There have to be hundreds of locations."

Felicia tosses a bag of chips at me. "Then I hope you like all-nighters, because we're not sleeping until we find something."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hours pass. The table is a mess of notes, half-eaten snacks, and Felicia's boots kicked up on the edge.

We cross off locations the police have already searched, thanks to my less-than-legal access to their systems. Felicia texts some of her "friends" to see if any shipments of Goblin pills have been spotted moving through the city, but nothing turns up.

I lean back in my chair, rubbing my eyes. "This is going nowhere."

Felicia shrugs. "Then we need a new angle."

I stare at the map in front of me. Oscorp had to be getting their Goblin pill shipments from somewhere. And if there was anywhere he'd be hiding we both agreed our best chance would be to find that warehouse. It's a long shot, but it's all we have. It wouldn't be a public lab—Norman was keeping it quiet. That means off-the-books deliveries.

Then I remember—back when I fought Shocker in that warehouse, I saw trucks from different companies.

I sit up straight. "Fleet management software."

Felicia blinks. "The hell does that mean?"

I pull my laptop closer, my fingers flying across the keyboard. "Companies track their trucks in real-time to make sure they're on schedule. If I can hack into the systems of the companies I saw that day, I can find out where their deliveries overlapped. If multiple trucks stopped at the same place, chances are it was a supply point for the Goblin pills."

Felicia frowns. "You say that like I'm supposed to understand it."

I don't answer. I'm already too deep in code, bypassing firewalls, accessing shipment logs, marking locations in my notebook. It takes hours, but finally—finally—one place keeps coming up. A decommissioned Oscorp facility. One that's not on any of the lists we checked.

I point to the screen. "That's it. That's where he is. It has to be."

Felicia leans in, studying it. "We can tip off the cops. An anonymous call, let them handle it."

I clench my fists. "No."

Her eyes narrow. "Peter—"

"I don't want anyone else getting hurt." The words come out sharper than I mean them to. My mind flashes to Captain Stacy, to his lifeless body in the street, to the blood that won't ever come out of my suit. My throat tightens. "I can't let Norman get away with this."

Felicia exhales. "You've fought him twice already, and he nearly killed you both times. You go in alone, and...you may not come back this time. And I don't want to lo—"

I meet her gaze. "I've been in this fight alone ever since I got these powers. This time is no different."

She grabs my wrist, her grip firm, her eyes locked onto mine. "You're not alone anymore."

I pull away. "Once I stop Norman, everything will go back to normal. No more of the supervillains he created. May will be okay. And Gwen and I can finally move on. From all of this."

Felicia shakes her head. "Peter, listen to me—"

"I have to end this. Whatever it takes."

The decision is made.

I stand, pulling my suit from my bag and slipping it on putting it beneath my clothes.

Felicia watches me, her expression unreadable. "You're really doing this, huh?"

I force a smile. "Don't worry. This'll all be over soon."

She doesn't return it. She just shakes her head and whispers, "Peter, be careful. And—Come back."

I don't look back as I head for the door.

I can't fail.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I knock lightly on Gwen's door, my hand lingering against the wood for just a second longer than necessary. Every part of me screams to turn back—to run before I have to face the look in her eyes. But I can't. Not without seeing her first.

The door opens, and there she is—Gwen, smiling through the remnants of her latest breakdown. Her eyes are red, her cheeks blotchy, and I know without her saying a word that she's been crying again. But she still smiles, still wraps her arms around me the moment she sees me, holding me like she's afraid I'll disappear if she lets go.

"You just missed the season premiere of Captain Woman," she says, her voice warm, teasing, like she hasn't been hurting all night. "But they're playing a two-part special, so you can still watch the second episode with me. Don't worry, I'll explain the first one—"

She grabs my hand, tugging me inside like she always does, like nothing's wrong. But I don't move. I just stand there, staring at the ground, my fingers curled tightly in hers.

Her smile falters. "Pete?"

I don't answer. I just pull her close and kiss her.

For a moment, she freezes, caught off guard. Then she melts into it, her fingers tangling in the fabric of my jacket, holding me like she never wants to let go. When we finally pull apart, she's smiling again, breathless—until she sees the look on my face.

Her brows knit together, and she searches my eyes, her fingers still laced with mine. "What's wrong? You have that 'Peter' look on your face again."

I swallow the lump in my throat. "There's something I need to do." I squeeze her hand. "I just... wanted to see you before I left."

Gwen stiffens. "Okay, that's super cryptic. And kinda scary." She tries to laugh, but there's an edge of panic creeping into her voice. "Peter, what's going on?"

I don't answer.

Her grip tightens. "Why do you do this?" she whispers. Her eyes glisten, and she blinks rapidly, like she's trying to hold back tears. "Why do you always feel like you have to hide everything from me?"

I look away, jaw clenched. "This'll all be over soon," I murmur. "And when it is... I'll tell you everything. All the times when you were confused, and hurt, and felt like you didn't know what's going on with me. That ends. I just need to take care of this thing first."

She sniffles, swiping at her eyes, trying to keep herself together. "So, you mean like...everything? Is—Is that a Promise?"

I force a small smile. "Yeah, I Promise."

For a second, that seems to be enough. She nods, exhaling slowly, like she's convincing herself to believe me. But then I hesitate—just for a second—and she notices.

"Peter, what is it?"

I shake my head. "Nothing, I just..." I take a breath, my heart pounding. I can't tell her, but there's a chance I might not be able to keep that promise, there's a chance that when I go and find Norman tonight...he might really kill me. In the end, I suppose Felicia could tell her everything for me. I hope she would, but there's one thing I wanted to say, something that would never sound right coming from someone else. "There's something I need to say to you. Something I don't want to regret never saying."

Her lips part, confusion flickering across her face. "You're being cryptic again," she says softly.

I chuckle under my breath. "Yeah, I guess I am."

I stare at her, taking in everything. The way her hair falls over her shoulder, the way her brows crease when she's worried, the way her lips part slightly like she's about to interrupt. I want to tell her. Need to tell her.

But before I can, she stops me.

"Not yet," she says, pressing her fingers against my lips gently. "Take care of whatever this is first. And then come tell me."

"Gwen—"

"I-It sounds like you're saying goodbye right now," she cuts me off, shaking her head. "And I hate goodbyes." Her voice wavers. "So I'll wait. You come back, and then we'll talk."

I stare at her for a long moment. And then I smile, soft and small.

"Okay," I whisper. "It's see you later, then."

Gwen smiles through her tears. "See you later."

I turn to go, but just as I step off the porch, she calls after me.

"Hey, Peter?"

I glance back.

She wipes her eyes. "You better not keep me waiting too long."

I swallow the ache in my throat and force another smile. "I won't."

And then I walk away, hoping—praying—that I'll get the chance to keep that promise.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The steady beeping of the heart monitor is the only thing breaking the silence in Aunt May's hospital room. The rhythm is slow, steady—but it reminds me of a countdown.

I sit beside her bed, my hands curled into fists, my mask tucked into my pocket, the city forgotten for just a moment. She looks so small here, so fragile. The woman who raised me, who always had a kind word, a gentle touch, a way of making the world feel less terrifying—reduced to this. A frail body hooked up to machines, fighting a battle I can't punch my way out of.

"I'm gonna fix this, May," I whisper. My voice cracks. I clear my throat. "I promise."

My fingers brush over her hand, cold beneath my touch.

"I know you'd tell me I don't have to do this alone," I say, forcing a small laugh that dies in my throat. "But I do. I have to. For you. For Harry. For Gwen. For everyone he's hurt."

She doesn't answer. She just keeps breathing, unaware of the war about to unfold outside these walls.

I squeeze her hand one last time before I stand. "I love you," I say, barely above a whisper.

And then I walk out the door.

I swing through the city, the wind howling in my ears, my vision locked ahead. I move faster than I ever have before, my body cutting through the night air with precision, determination.

This is it.

For Harry. For Gwen. For May. For Captain Stacy.

For every life Norman Osborn has ruined.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I land on the rooftop of a decrepit Oscorp facility, a rotting skeleton of industry forgotten by time. The windows are shattered, the walls covered in grime, the air thick with something... wrong. The kind of wrong that prickles at my skin, tightens my chest, sets my spider-sense on edge.

I shrug off my backpack, hiding it in a crevice in the rooftop. Then I step inside.

It's silent.

Too silent.

I move carefully, my feet barely making a sound against the cold concrete floor. The air smells stale, thick with something metallic. Blood.

I swallow the bile rising in my throat.

The deeper I go, the worse it gets.

Then I see them.

Bodies. Hung like meat in a butcher shop, suspended by thick chains, their eyes vacant, their mouths frozen in silent screams. Their bodies are... wrong. Twisted. Torn open.

I gag, slapping a hand over my mouth, trying to keep my composure.

Then I see the others.

The ones split open, hollowed out, their organs—gone.

I grip my stomach, my knees nearly buckling. What the hell is he doing?

And then—

A choked gasp.

My head snaps toward the sound, and I see him.

A man, barely alive, his body half mutated. His skin peeling, turning green in patches, his limbs contorted unnaturally. A shattered vial of sickly green ooze lies beside him.

I step forward, reaching out—

Then...a sound that's deeply engraved within the deepest depths of my mind—that laugh—his laugh, fills the room and my blood runs cold.

My muscles tense, every nerve in my body on edge. The air is thick, heavy with the stench of rot and chemicals, and my breaths come slow and careful.

Then, something sharp cuts through the silence—a mechanical whir, fast and violent. My spider-sense screams. I throw myself to the side just as a massive shape tears through the crumbling wall, sending chunks of concrete flying.

The glider streaks past me, metal blades glinting in the dim light before circling back and hovering above.

And then I see him.

The Goblin.

He's standing tall on the glider, his wicked grin splitting his face like a gash. His yellow eyes glow in the darkness, locked onto me with something almost like pride.

He spreads his arms, voice thick with amusement. "Well done, Peter! I must admit, I wanted this next part to be a surprise. But I have to say, I'm impressed. You found me all on your own. Even my own son could never have done such a thing."

My fists clench. Rage coils tight in my chest, burning, suffocating. The sight of him—the man who took everything from me—makes my vision blur at the edges. I take a slow step forward, my fingers twitching, my jaw locking.

"I'm going to kill you." The words slip out before I can stop them, low and raw.

The Goblin tilts his head, pretending to think it over. "Oh? Now that doesn't sound very heroic."

I don't let him say another word. I shoot a web straight toward him and yank myself forward, launching a punch aimed right for his jaw. He moves at the last second, and my fist slams through the concrete wall behind him, sending dust and debris flying.

I don't stop. I flip back, twisting midair, aiming a kick straight for his head. He dodges again, laughing, always laughing, like this is just a game to him. It makes my blood boil.

"I have to thank you, Peter," he taunts, circling me like a vulture. "You changed my life. Helped me see what needed to be done. In the end, you were the key to everything."

I don't care what he's saying. I don't care about his twisted justifications. I lunge at him again, but he's faster than I expect, his glider whipping around behind me, forcing me to dodge at the last second.

"Too slow," he sneers. Then the glider pivots and slams into my ribs, sending me crashing through a pile of rusted equipment. Pain shoots through my side, sharp and searing, but I push through it, staggering back to my feet.

The Goblin watches me, head tilted, grinning wider. "You still don't see it, do you?"

I force myself to breathe. "See what?"

He gestures to the facility around us. "That you were never just some accident, Peter. No, no, no. You... you were proof. Proof that with the right formula, the next step of human evolution was possible."

I shake my head. "You're insane."

The Goblin laughs, delighted. "And yet, here you are. Living proof that a new age has come upon us! That the next step is just around the corner."

I don't wait. I lunge again, but he's ready this time. He dodges with ease, ducking under my punch before driving his elbow into my ribs. I gasp, barely able to react before his fist slams into my jaw, sending me staggering.

He doesn't let up.

Blow after blow, he beats me back, his attacks ruthless, precise, like he's been waiting for this moment. My head rings, my vision swims, but I refuse to go down.

I force myself up, panting. "I won't let you get away with what you've done. I'll make sure you pay for each and every life you've taken. You'll pay for all of them!"

The Goblin only smiles. "Oh, Peter. I admit that there are times I forget you're just a boy. All that power, and yet you've no idea what to do with it. Let me show you. "

Then, before I can react, he leaps onto his glider and grabs me by the throat. My feet leave the ground, the air rushing past me as we shoot up through the ceiling, shattering through layers of metal and concrete.

And then we're above the city.

My stomach twists. Below us, the skyline stretches out endlessly, but something is wrong. A blinding light pulses from every Oscorp building, filling the night with an eerie green glow. And then...

The fog.

A thick, sickly green mist begins to descend, creeping over the streets, swallowing everything in its path. Then I hear it—the screams.

Not just fear. Pain. Agony.

And then something else.

Deep, guttural roars, inhuman and monstrous, echoing from below.

My blood turns to ice.

"Oh god..." I whisper, my voice barely audible. I turn my gaze back to Norman, my heart hammering against my ribs. "Norman... what have you done?"

His eyes shine with something dark, something triumphant. "Yes, what have I done? I've done it. You remember my goblin pills? Quite a hit on the black market, and yet also the catalyst that will help bring about my new world. Of course, I couldn't have done it without my favorite Spider." he says. "This is just the beginning. You see, Peter, evolution isn't something to be feared. No, no... it's something to be embraced."

I thrash in his grip, struggling against the iron hold he has on my throat. "Harry... he took those pills," I manage, my voice strained. "Whatever you've done, it'll affect him too!"

For a moment, just a moment, Norman's grin falters. Then, he laughs. "Then maybe I'll finally have a son worthy of the Osborn name."

Rage explodes inside me. "I'll get you for this, Norman! I'll make you pay! I'll kill you! You're a monster!"

He only smirks. "And you're a loose end."

Something cold presses against my side.

Pain. Blinding, searing pain.

A blade, sharp and unforgiving, drives deep into my ribs, twisting, cutting through muscle and bone. A choked gasp rips from my throat, my vision blurring as warmth spreads down my side.

Then, suddenly, I'm falling.

The city rushes toward me, the air roaring in my ears, drowning out everything except the distant, echoing laughter of the Goblin above me.

This... this is the end.

I can feel it in my body, the way the air hits my back as I plummet back down below.

All the sacrifice, all the hardship.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, everyone.

Gwen, please forgive me.