Chapter 308: Green Goblin and Vulture
CRASH!
Toomes heard the sound and braced for impact, but realize he felt no pain. Opening his eyes, he saw Spider-Man holding the massive chandelier.
"Can you stand up?" Peter asked, looking down before tossing the heavy fixture aside.
"No," Toomes replied honestly, though he didn't understand why Spider-Man was asking.
Without another word, Peter lifted Toomes and slipped into the Shadow Kingdom. Just as the bar began to finally collapse, he brought Toomes safely outside.
The transition from the fire-engulfed bar to the cool night air of the street was instantaneous, leaving Toomes utterly bewildered. What just happened? He was inside a second ago. How were they outside? If not for the sight of the roaring blaze behind him, he would have suspected it was all an illusion.
"Alright, time for a trip to the police station, Mr. Bird-man," Peter said, dusting off his hands. Bringing the Vulture to justice was his final goal.
"Hmph!" Toomes was about to offer a word of thanks, but upon hearing Peter's nickname for him, his gratitude vanished. His mood shifted from relief at surviving to a sullen silence. He had just started making real money, only to be caught.
Originally, his crew didn't need to rob banks; they made a killing selling salvaged alien weapons to gangs. But after Peter's recent interference and the heat he brought, the gangs were no longer willing to do business with him.
Just as Peter was about to haul the villain away, a shrill, manic laugh echoed from the sky.
"AHAHAHA! Spider-Man! You really are alive!" Harry Osborn, riding his glider, circled above them.
"Green Goblin." Peter's heart sank. Why did the Goblin have to show up now? And based on his tone, it seemed the explosion at the bar was his doing as well.
Toomes looked up at the strange figure, realizing this was likely an enemy of Spider-Man's.
"Let's have some fun!" Harry shouted, throwing a Pumpkin Bomb.
Peter had anticipated this and fired a web, hurling the bomb away into the air.
BOOM!
The explosion lit up the surrounding area in a flash of orange. Harry dove down, using the blades on the side of his glider to try and slash Peter. Peter ducked low, letting the glider streak past before firing a web that clogged the thruster ports.
With his thrusters blocked, Harry lost his lift and plummeted to the ground.
"No flying allowed!" Peter quipped. Having dealt with the Vulture, he knew the easiest way to deal with a flyer was to just ground them.
Harry threw another Pumpkin Bomb to create a distraction while he frantically tore the webbing off his glider. Peter webbed the bomb into the sky and then charged forward, landing a heavy punch. Harry raised his arms to block, but the raw strength of the blow was more than he could handle. He was sent flying backward, skidding across the pavement.
"Such strength..." Harry muttered, looking at his numb, trembling hands. Even with his armor, he couldn't fully negate the force of Spider-Man's strike.
Peter fired several more webs, pinning the glider to the asphalt to prevent the Goblin's escape.
However, seeing Spider-Man distracted by the new threat, Toomes grabbed his weapon and pointed it at him. "Look over here!"
Peter instinctively turned his head and was immediately hit by the concussive shockwave, slamming him into a nearby wall.
Toomes shouted to the Goblin, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend! Shall we cooperate?"
"Of course!" Harry agreed. He would help deal with Spider-Man first, and then take out this scavenger afterward.
Harry tapped a transparent interface on his gauntlet. A fresh, secondary glider streaked in from the distance. He leaped onto it and threw more bombs. "Have a taste of these!"
While the Goblin kept Peter busy, Toomes—looking at his broken wings—activated a signal on his chest communicator. It was a distress call to his crew. He needed to leave before the police arrived.
The Abduction
"So cool!"
"Spider-Man, get 'em!"
"Go, Spidey!"
A crowd of students had gathered, holding up their phones to record the fight.
"Everyone, I really think we should leave," Gwen whispered, her voice urgent. She had just called her father, and he had told them all to get out of the area immediately. It was too dangerous.
Unfortunately, no one listened.
"She's right," Felicia agreed. If the villains decided to target the crowd, they'd be sitting ducks.
Ned was a mix of anxiety and excitement, while Betty looked at him with sheer adoration. Silas was busy watching Peter handle the two-on-one fight when a hand grabbed his arm.
"It's time to go, Silas. This is getting dangerous; we need to get to safety," Felicia said with a small smile.
"Alright," Silas nodded. He figured he could slip away and help Peter once he got Felicia to safety.
"NO!" A scream erupted from the crowd.
The Green Goblin, tired of the stalemate with Peter, suddenly veered toward the students. Silas reacted instantly, pulling Felicia down into a crouch. But Gwen, startled, remained standing.
Harry's eyes lit up under his mask. He dove down and snatched Gwen up in one hand. "AHAHAHA! Spider-Man, look! I've got a little lady for you!"
"Let her go!" Peter yelled, his heart stopping. That's Gwen!
The Goblin laughed and soared away with Gwen in his grasp. At the same time, Toomes's crew arrived in a heavy pickup truck to extract him.
Peter hesitated for a split second, caught between the two villains. But seeing Gwen being carried into the sky, his choice was made. He fired a web and swung after the Goblin with everything he had.
"Oh no... Gwen," Felicia gasped, her hand over her mouth.
Just then, sirens wailed as police cruisers screeched onto the scene. Captain Stacy stepped out of the lead car, his face pale with worry.
"Gwen!"
"Captain! She was taken by the green flying monster!" one student shouted.
Captain Stacy didn't hesitate. "Investigation team, stay here! The rest of you, follow me! We're heading after that thing!"
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