Hesitance.

I guess it should be expected to be nervous about losing your super-powers, but as I stare at the container that holds my cure, I feel something screaming in my gut. 'Don't do it, isn't this what you wanted?'

"How does it feel Norman? You're about to become whole again." Otto speaks sympathetically to his friend, and I snap out it, mentally thanking Octavius for breaking me out of my thoughts. It looks like the anti-serum is very close to being done. "No more darker half... Just you."

"Just me...." I hear Norman mumble in a weird way, turning to Otto with a jovial smile, who reciprocate one in return. I know this is the part where I smile sympathetically as well, but the way Norman said that seemed off, he didn't say it like he was eager for it. More like he doesn't want it at all.

I step forward to get closer to the fabricator, observing the cure. It looks to be in a similar canister as mine, although unlike mine where you pretty much have to drink it, this one has some needles to inject into somewhere on the body.

Norman notices and turns to me. "You excited for your cure, kiddo?" He asks in a low voice, immediately bringing my nervousness back. 

I shrug. "I guess...." I hesitantly answer. Norman gives me a look, curious why I phrased it like that. I let out a sigh, glancing at the anti-alloy. "Life was fine..... But besides Ned, and the others, I never really was in love with my life before all.... this happened." I gesture to my charcoal skin. "There's also the fact that once I'm cured, I won't be 'dead' anymore." I then mention. 

It's true, I probably lost my job at this point, and I'll still have the Inner Demons after me if I don't give them that money. I mean it's not like I have bank blueprints in my back pocket. 

Norman thinks for a moment, but then pats my shoulder in a comforting way. "I understand, life doesn't reward the kind-hearted." He then says in a knowing way, his voice still barely audible. "Even with an entire company to my name, I have to suffer from the selfishness of my co-workers, and employers." He then brings up. I look at him as he now just looks at the fabricator as he talks. "My old 'friends' tried to shut my own company down, behind my back they talked, wanting to take advantage of their position that I lent to them. But thankfully I was able to.... prevent that from happening." He then finishes, clearing hinting something at the end.

"How?" I question. He then turns back to me, an amused smile on his face. 

"Weird as it may sound, if it wasn't for my new.... abilities, I would've had my life's work destroyed." He states reflectingly. The room is now silent besides the machine, the conversation ending.

I then glance down at my hands, I reflect how I've never really been bothered by my new body. Besides a few moments like that plastic water bottle, I kind of liked what I became, what I'm able to do.

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

"I kinda like who I am here, and all the power I had back there.... I could be so much more." 

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

Do I really want to be 'fixed'?

_____________________________________

I decide to head into the kitchen, hoping to find something for

"Okay.... Umm, it just goes right here, like this." Peter slowing brings a device Max's chest, who looks with suspicion at the spider's face looking uncertain as he embeds a drainer on his chest. It hums, beeps, and then begins counting down in a circle, tiny lights flashing up one by one. "That should be drawing power now. I'm gonna come back in a second just to check on it, but... keep an eye on the lights. When they're all green, it means all the electricity in your body's dissipated." He begins to explain, but then pauses to rephrase. "Well, not all the electricity. I mean, obviously you know you need electricity for your brain to function... Your nervous system is..." He stutters. Noticing Max's face. Peter then realizes who he's talking to. "I'm not really sure why I'm explaining electricity to you."

Max shakes his head, thinking the same thing. He then glances at the table, noticing a dangerous object. "Can I ask a question?"

"Sure."

"Are these your Legos?" He points to the blocks that are thankfully, not on the floor.

Before Peter can answer, a rapid beep informs him that Flint's anti-supercollider has finished its construction stage. "Uh... I gotta go, I'll be back." He tells Max as he jogs into the back room.

Max looks down at the device on his chest, breathing heavily as the first light turns green. "S-Something feels off."

"What do you mean?" Flint inquires. Curt looks at his co-worker with a little concern. I know that look Max has, I think I walked into the wrong place to calm myself down. I now feel violins playing again in my head, slowly rising up in volume.

"I don't like this." Max beckons at his 'cure' his hands threaten to grab the device and pull it off. 

"Yeah, you probably wouldn't." I comment. Looking sympathetic as Max struggles to not tamper with the drainer. "I don't think I do either..." I whisper, hoping no one heard me.

"Leave it alone." Flint strongly advises. "The sooner you get through this, the sooner we go home."

I look at Curt, realizing he hasn't said anything, he's now gone to the living room window. He looks to be observing something, I go to stand next to him. "What's up?" I ask him. Curt doesn't say anything but glances back at me, before turning back to outside. 

I follow him stare, I look down at the building's entrance and that's where I see the Daily bugle van. Not only that, but J. Jonah is here as well, why the heck is he here? Was he tracking us the whole time?

J Jonah seems to be shouting at someone who nervously points inside. Curt lets out a smile, looking as if he knows what they're saying. "And so it begins..." He maunders. I notice his skin looking different than usual.

"What's wrong?" I hear Norman. We all turn and see Peter walking out, looking extremely paranoid as he stares at every direction. 

"I don't know, May?" He calls out worried, as if someone dangerous is in the building.

"Peter?" I call out, but he doesn't respond.

"What is it, Peter?"

"What's happening?"

Peter begins to stay still, his special sense is definitely going off, but for what?  We all circle around him, Curt, Flint, and I step forward from the living room, Max looks slightly nervous at the table, May looks concerned on the stairs, Norman steps over to the window, and Otto observes from the back room.

Peter eyeballs all of us, each second turning to someone else. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Max questions him.

Peter closes his eyes, seemingly listening to his instincts. Breathing, he barely makes a motion...... Before webbing Norman's raised hand to the Dum-E. We all stare at the web, not suspecting Norman of all people to be a threat.

Norman stares at his webbed hand. "That's some neat trick..." He mockingly compliments, turning back to Peter with a smirk. "That sense of yours."

"Norman?" Otto calls out.

"Norman's on sabbatical honey~" The very different Norman tells Otto. His voice is also different, which means....

"The hell?" Max curses, bewildered.

"You're the 'he' Osborn was talking about...." I identify, glaring at the newcomer. "The Goblin...."

The Goblin chuckles. "That's my boy." He compliments me, this time sounding more genuine. "Much smarter than society makes him out to be..."

"What are you doing?" Peter interrogates him. He glances at the ball in his hand. Goblin stares at him as if he expected him to have figured it out.

" 'No more darker half.' Did you really think I'd let that happen?" He questions. While he talks, I notice May tiptoing her way to the back room. "That I'd let you take away my power because you're blind to what *true* power can bring you?"

"You don't know me." Peter refutes him, shaking his head. I hear the violins in my head increase their volume.

"Don't I?" The Goblin challenges. "I saw how she trapped you. Fighting her 'holy moral mission'." He downgrades, as I see May step out of the back room, gripping a sack of no-doubt, cures in her hand. "We don't need you to save us..." Goblin shoots me a glance. "We don't need to be fixed!" He then turns to everyone else. "These aren't curses, they are gifts!"

Max looks down at his drainer, only two beeps away from a full green light.

"Norman no-"

"Quiet lapdog." The Goblin quickly shuts Otto up, which for some reason, gave me an urge to chuckle.

"Wh-What're you trying to say?" I probe him. Goblin looks at me, a proudful smile on his face.

"Y/N L/N... You're a boy with amazing potential." He tells me, and I glance at my charcoal hands, what does he mean? "You're not changed, you're gifted. Finally able to take life in your own hands, instead of the life-sucking creatures who think they're above you!" The Goblin then turns to Peter, with a look of hatred. "But Peter? He would take it away, just so he can be the one who saves the day, take all the glory for himself." He claims, speaking bitterly. "Let me show you, stand with me..."

"Don't listen to him Y/N, he doesn't know what he's talking about!" Peter negates the Goblin's words. The violins play louder, as I go into inner conflict. My lava slowly coming back again.

"Really? I've watched you from deep behind Norman's cowardly eyes. Struggling to have everything you want, while the world tries to make you choose." He notes. Max's drainer beeps again and Goblin looks him in the eye. "Gods, don't have to choose.... " He then stares at me. "We take!" 

At that moment, something snaps inside. I look at May, 'they're trying to take it from you, but now you have the ability to take it instead!'

"May, run!" Peter shouts at his aunt, who quickly takes off, with the cures!" 

"ARGH!" I hear myself let out a roar, lava resurfacing, and flames pouring out like a water fountain. I turn to the door and chase after May.

3rd POV:

Max rips out his drainer from his chest, and Goblin easily frees himself. The fight is on.

Max then uses his electricity to pull the fabricator's Arc reactor to him, rendering the fabricator useless. Peter has to quickly dodge as the reactor flies into Max's hand.

Goblin takes the opportunity to swat Peter with his back hand, slamming him into the upper stairs and onto the ground. Flint, knowing plans have changed, turns into sand and flies into the front door. 

Curt lasty, starts to turn even more into the Lizard, his clothes tear off once again as his skin turns back to green and his eyes transform into more of a Lizard's.

May runs to the elevator, spamming the button, but the elevator most likely stops as the building's power goes out, due to Max absorbing all the energy inside.

"Oh my... what have you done?" Otto asks Max and the Goblin with dread, his tentacles rising up for a fight.

Max looks up at Otto, the arc reactor fueling him with energy, letting his eyes flash once again. "I liked you better before..." He comments disappointed, Electro is back.

As Octavius rushes at him, Electro shoots lighting at him in defense, pushing him back and eventually powerful enough, the doctor goes through the wall. The Lizard follows, sticking his claws into the walls. 

Otto uses his tentacles to catch himself, sadly one slips. Thankfully though, one is able to get a grip on the concrete, the rest doing the same.

"Up here! He's up there!" Jonah points to his camera man at the Doc. "It's the guy from the bridge!" The camera is now pointed at Otto. Knowing there's nothing he can do right now, Octavius quickly retreats away alongside buildings with his tentacles helping him.

May decides to use the fire escape, but then she hears someone stomping her way. It's Y/N, who looks at her with an intimidating look. "Give me that bag!" Y/N demands her, his molten hand eager to take it. "Don't make me hurt you!"

May rushes and tries to open the door to the stairs, but it's locked. Y/N marches closer, but suddenly, a mace made out of sand knocks him away. Sandman then reforms in between the Molten Man and May. "Go!" Flint yells at May, his eyes still on the Y/N who's now getting back up. May kicks the door and runs down the stairs as Sandman and Y/N glare at each other.

Max, now having gained tremendous power again, turns himself into electricity, flying himself out of the area. While Lizard jumps and lands on top of the F.E.A.S.T truck, fully turned, the Lizard lets out an animalistic roar, before hopping back on the building's walls and climbing up.

Jonah looks scared at what he just witnessed. He turns to his camera man. "Was that a dinosaur?"

Back in the condo, The Molten man glares angrily at the Sandman as he they stare each other off. "You're making a mistake, kid." Flint implores, The Molten Man looks deadpan at him.

"I just want our 'cures' destroyed, I don't need to kill anyone." He informs him. Flint shakes his head. Even if he doesn't, he's worried this kid will end up making the same mistake he did... with Ben Parker.

Flint hesitantly makes a kind of defensive stance, his left fist enlarging in size. "I don't want to fight you."

"I wouldn't want to fight me, neither." Y/N remarks before charging at the Sandman. 

Flint throws a punch with his left, but The Molten Man's powerful strength allows him to block it with his right. He then starts punching Sandman with his other hand, eventually though, Flint catches his left hand and the two wrestle around, trying to get the other to let go. They smack into walls and doors as they try to gain the upper hand.

Meanwhile in Happy's apartment, The Goblin and Spider-Man are also having a brawl of their own. Peter gets up and rushes towards Goblin, who swiftly side-steps. Spider-Man quickly turns around and punches the Goblin several times, but his opponent just responds by punching him harder, against the window. 

Spider-Man falls out, but acts fast, shooting a web to get back inside. Unfortunately, The Goblin catches it and uses it to throw him through another one, sending him to the balcony.

Meanwhile, Sandman and Molten Man slam themselves through a wall and into another apartment. The wrestling match continues however, with Molten Man getting on top of his opponent and raining blows down on him.

Thankfully for Flint, he thinks of something. He dissipates into sand again and slips out of Y/N's hold. The Molten Man falls on the floor, looking up he sees Sandman's large fist coming down and punching him down to through the lower floor and to a different apartment.

Y/N quickly moves to the side as Flint hops down. The Molten Man spots the kitchen's sink, knowing Flint is made of sand, he goes with his new idea. As Sandman charges at him, Y/N rushes to the sink, takes the faucet, points it at Flint and turns it on. 

The Sandman is caught off guard by the sudden water attack. With him disoriented, Y/N easily charges and bulldogs Flint into the wall, sending them back to the hallway. 

May continues to run down the stairs as the two brawls ensue. The Goblin has Spider-Man against a frame. He grabs the Spider's chest, preparing to deliver blows, but Spider-Man uses his two hands to web up to the ceiling, turning both of them around and kicking the Goblin through the floor, into a lower balcony.

Spider-Man then punches the Goblin a few times before trying to sling himself away. "No, you don't!" Goblin, barely wounded by those strikes, denies him this by grabbing onto his leg and instead, sends him through another window. As the two fight, The Daily Bugle's helicopter captures the whole thing, shining the light on them both.

In one of the hallways. The two elemental figures, once again wrestle for complete control of the fight. Flint knocks Molten Man off of him, then turns a hand into a sand-mace, that smacks Y/N across the face. Although he's able to take it, the Sandman is able to quickly grab him with both hands and slams him into the wall. 

Although it feels harsh of him, he holds Y/N by the neck with one arm, while repeatedly punching him the face with the other, attempting to knock him out.

As he keeps punching however, Flint notices the boy, barely moving, then his head stays completely still, despite him still throwing hits, seemingly not receiving any more punishment. Y/N glares menacingly at the Sandman, his heat continuously building up. 

The Molten Man then manages to free himself, then he puts his fist into Flint's chest, his hand now hot enough it feels like he's turning him into glass. Flint growls in pain as Y/N then punches him hard into the wall.

With the Sandman now having to recover himself, Y/N takes the advantage to force the Elevator open, not wanting to waste any more time. The doors open to show it conveniently has the elevator on the lower floor. As Flint watches, struggle to get up, The Molten Man rips the cables apart, not worried about fall damage. It sends the elevator and him diving to the bottom.

Meanwhile, Spider-Man flies through the apartment's wall sending him to the hallway. The Goblin then punches out the front door and swaggers over to him. 

"Strong enough to have it all..." As he talks, Spider-Man webs a bench and chucks it to him, but the Goblin just smashes it in half with his wrist. Spider-Man then follows up with strikes, but the Goblin catches both hands. "Too week to take it!" He then moves the Spider to the other side then delivers a punch that knocks him away, although, Spider-Man quickly gets back up and charges again. 

He jumps against a wall and catches the Goblin's head with his knees. With his opponent against the wall, Spider-Man delivers punches to the Goblin's face, and the man just laughs at him. "HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!"

Spider-Man looks at him in shock, but keeps punching, however, Goblin grabs him by the thighs and slams him through the ground. Looking down at his wounded opponent, he walks away and calls his glider.

The injured Peter staggers over to the hallway's balcony, he webs and hurls the exit sign to break the glass and sticks to the outside wall. Heavily breathing, he begins climbing to a safe position to try and recover.

The Daily Bugle's helicopter relocates him however, its light flashing at him. J. Jonah grins at the Spider. "Now, I've gotcha." He mumbles victoriously.

Spider-Man stares back until suddenly, he's grabbed by a massive hand that springs out of nowhere. It brings him down to a hallway window. "I told you there'd by consequences!" The Lizard remarks before throwing him through the window, right in front of the Goblin.

The Spider-Man can't even get up as the Goblin grabs him, throws up against the ceiling, and then catches him to slam the Spider through many floors until they reach the ground floor.

May also reaches the bottom, watching as the two hit the floor and bring a hole in the ceiling with them. As the Goblin starts choking Peter, she then searches through her sack to find Norman's cure.

"Your weakness, Peter, is morality." Goblin lectures the Spider under his grip. "It's choking you! Can't you feel it?" He then quips, unsuspecting the woman behind him.

May finally finds and takes out the anti-serum. However, the elevator doors to her left suddenly open, revealing a glowing figure. "Hi." The Molten Man casually greets as May turns to face him.

"Y/N, don't do this..." May pleads to him. The boy crawls out of the crashed elevator, giving May a look that tells her to obey him.

"Give me the sack." He orders again, letting out his hand. May looks somberly at the kid, but instead she bolts over to the two others. "Hey!" Molten Man chases her down, not wanting to shoot a fireball, but he's not fast enough to stop May from injecting the cure into the Goblin's neck.

Y/N's POV:

I'm unable to stop May as she injects the cure into the Goblin's neck. To my surprise however, the Goblin just pulls it out, his face showing no signs of changing. "It didn't work..." He points out. Chuckling, he turns to me, realizing I'm here. "You see that? It didn't work!" He mockingly laughs before turning to May with a disgusted look. "Norman was right! He got it from you, that pathetic sickness!" He yells as he kicks down Peter as he tries to get up, to which I cringe a little bit.

As I hesitantly walk up next to the Goblin, he turns to me with an approving smile. "I'm proud of you, son." He tells me, slightly patting my shoulder despite the heat I'm carrying. "You took your first step into fighting against heroism. And for that, you shall walk away guilt free while the rest are punished." He says with proudful eyes, something I didn't know I needed until now.

Goblin then turns back to the downed Peter, and pulls him up by his head, forcing him to look at his aunt. May then grabs piece of rebar from a ceiling waiting for whatever's coming, but part of me knows she's unable to defend herself against whatever happens. I shake my head at her, trying to hint that she should run.

"You tried to 'fix' us...." I hear the Goblin whisper into Peter's ear. May still stands defensive, despite my secret warnings not to do so.

"May, go..." Peter manages to get out, despite being barely able to breath from his position.

"Now, I'm gonna fix you." Goblin tells him. I then hear something soaring, and suddenly, some kind of glider comes down and hovers behind the door. Peter sees this and mentally panics.

"May, run... please..." He begs her aunt, and I give her a look that tells her the same. But instead, May stays still not seeing the glider that flies straight through the door and May's shoulder. "May!"

"Oh my gosh..." I mumble shocked. This isn't what I wanted, but I guess I should've expected something like this to happen, part of this is kind of because of me after all.... Goblin then jumps on his glider, another one of those balls in hand.

"Kid, listen to me." He then talks to me. I turn to him as he gives me a serious look. "If you want to continue this path, come to alley where you first met Norman." He instructs me. He really does see through Norman's eyes.

The Goblin then turns to Peter. "Peter, Peter, Peter. No good deed goes unpunished. You can thank me later." He quips before glancing at May and tossing it over to her fallen body.

I'm unable to react quick enough as the now-obvious bomb, hurls towards May and explodes before I can move an inch. 

"No!"

 Then the ceiling comes down around us....

___________________________________

I open my eyes, waking up from what was probably a two minute nap. I look around me, the building. My memories of earlier events pop back into my mind, what've I done?

I easily push whatever wreckage off of me as I look around again to see where I'm at. Then I spot May and Peter, and they both look incredibly beaten up.

"Let's get the hell out of here." I hear May advise her nephew; I stand up. "I just... need to... catch..." She then stops, touching Peter's shoulder, then suddenly collapses and, Peter quickly catches her before she hits the ground. 

I hear sirens rings out, it's definitely not the blown-up police cars, the SWAT are here. "What happened? Are you okay? Yeah, you're okay. What happened?" Peter rapidly asks her aunt, extremely concerned.

I see May smile with whatever effort she has. "Just help me... to catch my breath..." 

"Okay. Well, catch your breath. I'm right here." Peter nods to her aunt. We're gonna take our time, you catch your breath, and... and we'll take you to a doctor, okay?" He reassures her, but something's wrong.

I stand up, slowly walking over to both of them. I don't get too close, but close enough I see Peter's hand my eyes widened, he sees it too and notices in fear that she's bleeding. "Are you okay?" May asks, seeing Peter's feared expression.

"Somebody help! I need an ambulance!" Peter yells out toward the outside. Please, somebody..." With him looking outside, he then notices me. He glares before turning back to May.

"Nothing. You're okay. You're okay." Peter tells her with a forced smile, but it's contradicting the tears rolling down.

"I'll just... catch my breath..."

"Okay. I'm right here. I'm right here. I'm right here. We're okay. Just me and you." Peter says, praying to death that she's alive.

However, as I walk closer, I shake my head mournfully, she's stopped breathing. "May?" Peter calls out, no response, not even a look. "May? Will you look at me, May? Please? May? May? What are you doing, May? Please, will you just wake up and talk to me, please?"

I then take another step, suddenly webs enclose around me, but they obviously melt upon touch. Glares at me with the most murderous face I've ever seen on him. I can tell what that means.

"Say it." I urge him, looking him dead in the eye, even as I hear the SWAT officers march closer to us. Peter doesn't say anything, still having the same face. "Come on..."

"Go. Away." He orders me, looking as if he's barely keeping himself together.

"Say. it." I repeat, this time more demanding. "Make it all worth it." I challenge him. Peter stands up, walks up to be face-to-face with me.

"If I see you again, I will kill you." Peter promises, his expression black, showing he means it. I then nod at him, satisfied.

"That's all I needed to hear." I coldly thank him before walking off to the emergency exit. Not wanting to waste time fighting the cops.

It's just like I was told, Spider-Man would show his true colors, and they're black as can be. The Goblin was right, heroism doesn't last long....

And Spider-Man is no hero.

________________________________________