Chapter 79: Up for Grabs Part Three

Chapter 79: Up for Grabs Part Three: The Master Planner Revealed

Spider-Man stood, absolutely frozen. Surrounded by the henchmen, with electrified nightsticks, and he only had moments before they stuck.. His arms felt like they were weighed down by cinderblocks as did his legs. He tried to struggle, but movement was limited.

“Got to find away out of here,” thought Spider-Man. “Okay, my mind’s still working, that’s a good sign, only have a couple of seconds, got to talk my way out of this one.”

“Really, that’s kind of pathetic,” managed Spider-Man as the Master Planner gang stopped right in their tracks. “Going to beat me to death, while weighed down, you can’t fight me head on. So you’re going to beat me to death, with electrified nightsticks, in those stupid suits.”

“Don’t listen to the web slinger, he’s trying to trick us,” said one of the gang members.

“The only trick is that someone convinced you that helmet was a good idea with that outfit,” said Spider-Man as he stood, and looked forward. “Yeah, you poorly dressed cowards, you’re likely going to kill me. But you know what, you’ll always be the people who couldn’t beat Spider-Man head on, one on one. So all you get is a hallow victory that a five year old could easily get under these circumstances. Brilliant guys, really tough.”

The Master Planner’s gang stood right on the place and one of the gang members stepped forward, before he grabbed Spider-Man right at that moment. Immediately, Spider-Man used whatever strength he could and grabbed right onto the thug. He immediately was able to move a bit better.

“Just as I thought, those belts must be making them immune to Master Planner’s machine,” thought Spider-Man, as he swung the arm of the captured thug, before he knocked the other members of the Master Planner gang to the side.

“Now, we’ll see how we do in a fair fight,” said Spider-Man but he shot a line of webbing out and pulled a belt off of one of the enemies, before he snapped it around his waist. Spider-Man began to dodge the attacks. “Just as I thought, one on one, or twelve on one I guess, with movement, you can’t really beat me head up.”

Two members of the Master Planner gang got nailed right in the head and Spider-Man spiraled right over the head. Two more gang members were webbed together and Spider-Man shot webbing. The wall crawler web bounced off of the face of one of his adversaries, before he sprung in and knocked another enemy down.

“And then there was one,” said Spider-Man, as he grabbed one of the Master Planner gang members, before knocked him right down and sent him right backwards, with a huge crash. The members of the Master Planner gang scrambled to the exit, with one of them inadvertently dropping a small portable computer.

Spider-Man webbed onto the end of it and pulled it right into his hand. “Oh look, a prize.”

“That never gets any easier to deal with,” said Captain Stacy, as he managed to get back right to a standing position, with the others. “He turned it off.”

“Toying with us, he can turn it any time he pleases,” said Spider-Man as he held the device right in his hand. Spider-Man turned it over. “The Master Planner gang got a pretty clean getaway, but now I have something that I can track them with. If I can get it working.”

“Well work on that,” said Captain Stacy, as he turned around. “Spread out, and see if there are any stranglers. Do not engage if you have a choice but follow them, see if they lead you anywhere.”

Spider-Man stepped over and held the device right in his hand, before he turned it over right in his hand.

“Complicated but not impossible to figure out, let’s see what we can do,” said Spider-Man as he turned over. “Nothing that tells me anything what it is, let’s see if this works, no doesn’t work, try now, no, ah I’ve got it.”

Spider-Man looked at the display right in his hand, as it booted right to life. He looked right at it, eyes widened, as it demanded detailed security credentials, obviously so no person off the street could pick up the device and fiddle with it, but it did gave him one important and extremely vital piece of information.

Property of the Krake Research Institution

“Krake Research Institution, the company that….Doctor Carolyn Trainer put together,” thought Spider-Man. “So wait a minute, Krake is another word for…Octopus. The Master Planner’s gang had technology that Trainer’s company developed and Trainer was the number one pupil of Doctor Octopus and of course, it’s obvious, why didn’t I see it before? The pieces fit, the motive fits, the entire revenge on me thing fits, it makes perfect sense. Why didn’t I see it all before?”

“So anything?” asked Captain Stacy which brought Spider-Man right out of his thoughts.

“I didn’t get the device to work,” said Spider-Man. “But…on the bright side, I’ve found our Master Planner. And we might not have much time. He’ll level this entire city if I don’t stop him.”

“Who?” asked Captain Stacy.

“Doctor Octopus,” replied Spider-Man in a serious tone of voice. “That’s why I got to find him, because if he keeps using that device, I don’t know if anyone is going to live to see tomorrow.”

“Find him then Spider-Man,” said Captain Stacy. “I hate to say this, but the entire city…you might be our final hope.

“Yeah, way to put pressure on a guy,” thought Spider-Man. “Of course, the problem is, I’ve never put Doc Ock away myself. He’s either gotten away or I had help. Oh well, fate of the world, got to find him, before he kills everyone in the city when he tries to take it over. If my guess is right…we’re in some deep trouble and there’s really nothing more complicated than that.”

X-X-X-X-X

“You allowed him to bait you. Then you lost some of my technology to him. Where if he figures it out and he just may, he can trace it to the source.”

There was a moment’s pause.

“Good, let him come then. I wish to see the look on his face, when I find out there’s nothing that he can do when I take control of everything. The blood of innocents will be on his hands. I’ll look forward to personally ripping him to shreds.”

The Master Planner, Doctor Otto Octavius, Doctor Octopus, whatever he was called, held his arms, his face twisted into pure menace. He had co-opted the arc reactor technology from Stark, to give him a more long lasting power source for his robotic limbs. Spider-Man would not be able to outlast it.

“Let him come, if he dares, he will be sorry, this I swear.”

X-X-X-X-X

At that moment, Harry Osborn laid right in a hospital, barely there, but still alive. He clung desperately to life, but it was uncertain how good of a life he would have if he survived this, with the long term consequences of his vices.

“No one can find Norman Osborn at the minute to tell him his son nearly died,” said a frustrated doctor.

“No, the butler said that Mr. Osborn is likely out on business, he goes away from weeks at a time, and does not want to be burdened by personal manners”

“But it’s his own son.”

“Mr. Osborn is a busy man, he is trying to protect us all, you’ve seen all of the efforts that he’s done with putting mutants away and off of the streets.”

“Wonder if he should have done a better job of protecting his son, though.”

“Perhaps, but that’s not our place. Try to see if he’s at Oscorp right now. If he isn’t, then we might not be able to reach him until after the holidays. It’s a good thing he’ll be able to pay for the boy’s hospital stay and rehab. Hopefully it does some good.”

X-X-X-X-X

Gwen had dozed off on the couch at that time, where she sat all day. It was well after eleven o’clock at night and it had been quite the day, with each bit of news, worse than the one after it. The Master Planner had once again sent a message and there was a hint the worst might be yet to come.

“Hello,” managed Gwen in a sleepy voice.

“Gwen, I just heard about it, they said it on the news, I knew he was bad, but this…” said Mary Jane who appeared to be absolutely thrown off guard.

“What is it?” asked Gwen who just rather wished that she would spit it out, because it would be a lot worse that way. Although she didn’t need Spider Sense to guess that it is pretty bad.

“Harry, something really bad happened, they said he was found in his room, with bottles next to him, empty pill bottles” said Mary Jane which caused Gwen to bolt up straight, eyes widened. She never could of guessed this, she should of, but she didn’t and now…it would explain so very much.

“Oh my God,” breathed Gwen. “He’s….I can’t believe it, how could we not have…I’ve got to tell Peter about what happened…is he?”

“No, they said he’s alive, but he’s just hanging on, he’s been using for a long time,” said Mary Jane. “I don’t know how long…”

“When he was kidnapped by the Vulture, he broke his collarbone, he got pain medication, but of course, he said that he was going to stop taking them, and then….he had to slip, with all of the pressure, Harry, why didn’t you say anything?” asked Gwen, as she threw her hands up in frustration.

“I guess he wanted to deal with it himself, maybe he thought he was in control or something,” said Mary Jane. “It’s just…he really slipped in, this is…I didn’t push him over the edge…”

“No, don’t blame yourself, if Harry was in that deep, something like that isn’t going to push him,” said Gwen with a frown. “It’s just…I don’t know, there’s no words, I’ve got tell Pete, all things considered, he needs to know.”

“Yeah, well if you call Pete, his aunt’s worried sick about everything that’s happened,” said Mary Jane. “If Peter left your place, he never got home and with everything that’s happened…you don’t think someone got him?”

Gwen just paused. What if? No, as she found out too many times, Peter was too good at keeping himself from doing something too dangerous. Well mostly.

Still he should be fine. She had to believe that. It was a thought that kept her sane.

“I have to think that he didn’t, he just got caught somewhere,” said Gwen.

“Yeah, let’s hope that’s it, I mean, Harry overdosing and Peter…that would be bad, in the same day if something happened,” said Mary Jane.

“Understatement,” muttered Gwen. “Okay, I’ll call Pete, let him know…I’ll call you back if I hear anything else.”

“Same here,” said Mary Jane seriously and Gwen hung up the phone.

“Come on, Peter, pick up,” muttered Gwen, as she heard nothing on the other end.

“Okay, don’t panic, really, Peter’s likely fighting someone, for his life,” thought Gwen. “Or he’s following some lead, so I can can wait, or he’s unconscious or….no he’s okay, he has to be okay, I have faith in this, I have faith in him. Try him again in an hour.”

The night ticked on and Gwen wondered when the next time she would be able to sleep with everything that happened. Peter was out there, her father was still out there doing his job, and Harry was lucky he wasn’t dead.

X-X-X-X-X

Right over the town, well past Midnight on December 24^th, swung Spider-Man. The bitter cold of the night caused him slight discomfort but his determination pushed on. In the end, everyone would be in more discomfort. He watched right over the sky, as he looked.

Spider-Man landed right on the ground, paused. There was no scuffle between rival gang members right there, which made his job easier.

He had managed to track down one of the bases of operation for the Krake Research Institute.

“Let’s see what’s behind door number one,” thought Spider-Man as he reached and pushed the door. “No spider sense, good sign. Let’s find out what we’ve got here.”

Spider-Man crept around inside. There were crates, most of them empty. Obviously a lot of the technology had been moved, co opted for the plans of Doctor Octopus. Immediately, Spider-Man stepped around right inside, and reached for the office door. He struggled with the knob and turned it right open.

“Trainer’s office, if I find anything, it has to be in here,” thought Spider-Man, as he made his way right into the office area. “I kind of feel bad about not answering my cell phone, but…I can’t be distracted. Besides, the entire city is on the line.”

Spider-Man overturned a waste basket in the office area but found absolutely nothing within it.

“Breaking and entering, I see, Spider-Man,” said a familiar voice and he turned around to go face to face with Hammerhead.

“Didn’t you get enough last time, Hammerhead?” asked Spider-Man.

“Yeah, I’ve been meaning to settle a little score with you, I don’t know why you’re snooping around here, I just followed you, that’s all,” said Hammerhead as he rushed forward and aimed a punch right at Spider-Man but Spider-Man dodged the attack.

“Listen, I don’t have time for this, the entire city’s…” managed Spider-Man but he was cut off, when he got nailed right in the chest with a charging headbutt and knocked backwards, the wind out of him and Hammerhead lifted up Spider-Man but the hero kicked right off of his chest and aimed a kick, to stagger Hammerhead.

“Time for you to make time, web head,” said Hammerhead, as he tried another headbutt, but Spider-Man dodged and Hammerhead connected with some crates to the side. The web slinger dodged around and grabbed Hammerhead, webbing around his ankles and threw him.

“Read my lips, the entire city is on the line, I don’t have any time!” shouted Spider-Man as he knocked Hammerhead back and webbed him right to the wall, before he hit him with two punches. Hammerhead hunched over, the wind knocked right out of him. “Got the message, yet?”

“No, but you’re going to get one,” managed Hammerhead and Spider-Man found his spider sense blaring. A bullet smashed right through the window and sent glass flying in every direction. Spider-Man ducked and rolled, before he managed to see an old gangster from the car.

Another shot but Spider-Man dodged it and web slung over, before he pulled the gun right out of the hands of the man.

“Drive!” snapped Silvermane. “We’ll get him next time, if Hammerhead had him better distracted, that useless….”

Spider-Man swung right over. Hammerhead was webbed up, slumped against the wall, he was not going anywhere any time soon.

“Worry about them later, right now I’ve got to worry about this,” thought Spider-Man.

With swift precision, Spider-Man returned to the office where he had been searching. The computer was likely locked down with the heaviest encryption. Even the most skilled hacker would take weeks to break through.

Spider sense once again clued him in that something was wrong and he turned to see members of the Master Planner’s gang. They faced him but they were prepared, as a grenade was thrown right in the office. A large sonic wave had knocked Spider-Man off balance and immediately, Spider-Man was knocked loopy.

“You were correct in your assessment that Spider-Man would come here,” said Trainer, as she looked forward but she pointed a weapon right at his head. “He’s down, I can finish him off once and for all…”

“No,” said Doctor Octopus. “Bring him to me. The pleasure of disposing of Spider-Man will be mine and mine alone.”

One of Spider-Man’s eyes flickered open but then he laid completely still when he heard that proclamation.

“Respectively speaking, Master Planner, I have the perfect opportunity to finish him off, we should not squander it,” said Trainer, who was inclined to kill him because Spider-Man had been going through her office and snooping though her personal possessions. She only called her teacher out of a courtesy and out of respect.

“Do you doubt my capabilities, Doctor Trainer?” asked Doctor Octopus and the scientist gulped, at the malice in her teacher’s voice, the cold fury.

“Absolutely not, it’s just…you may becoming obsessed with Spider-Man, with all due respect,” stammered Trainer.

“Obsessed, you think I’m some kind of crackpot, mad, deluded by revenge, perhaps” said Doctor Octopus. “It doesn’t matter, I’m still your employee. And if it weren’t for me, you’d be nowhere. I taught you everything you know Carolyn, but not everything I know. Do try and remember that.”

“Of course,” said Trainer as she backed off but regained her composure in the face of the thugs. “Make sure he’s secure and we’re bringing him straight to the Master Planner, right now. The pleasure of eradicating to this parasite is his.”

Spider-Man remained motionless, as he felt the Master Planner gang secure him and carry him off to parts unknown.

X-X-X-X-X

Spider-Man was thrown right down to the ground roughly by the Master Planner’s gang. The web slinger appeared motionless.

Right on cue, Doctor Octopus showed up, right above Spider-Man, once his gang had fled. Immediately Spider-Man bounced right back up to his feet.

“Okay, Master Planner, or should I say, Doctor Octopus, I’ve got you right where I wanted you!” cried Spider-Man as he dodged the robotic limbs and pivoted underneath them, before he shot webbing around them wrapping them together.

“One would think that,” said Octopus, but immediately he broke free from the strong webbing like it was tissue paper. “And one would be wrong!”

Spider-Man ducked and dodged the robotic arms, as Ock made an attempt to smear his guts right over the lab, as the webs linger ducked and dodged the attacks.

“You’ve meddled in my plans for the final time, Spider-Man!”

“Yeah, I get that one a lot!”

Spider-Man moved away from the attack, as he nearly was sliced and diced by the attacks. The calm and calculating mask that was the Master Planner had melted away to the crazed, vengeance happy, and rather dangerous Doctor Octopus that our friendly neighborhood hero had known and loathed over his entire career.

Spider-Man immediately was wrapped up with the arm. He struggled against the iron grip.

“No, bad touch!” grunted Spider-Man, as he broke free and managed to kick Doctor Octopus in the face.

A second shot was swatted away and Spider-Man found himself right down right on the ground.

“For almost two years, you’ve foiled my plans, time and time again, you meddlesome, insufferable, obnoxious, arachnid!”

Spider-Man dodged each and every attack with expert grace and perception, as he saw Ock melt down right before his very eyes. “Only three adjectives, I’m hurt.”

Ock gave a dangerous battle cry and knocked Spider-Man right across the room, but Spider-Man slid right under the assault, before he sent webbing but Ock sliced right through them. Somersault right to the rotating buzz saw of the web slinger, but Spider-Man was grabbed by the foot and tossed right across the room.

“This battle is pointless,” grunted Doctor Octopus, as he sent the arms right at Spider-Man again. “And you will stop fighting, if you know what’s good for you and the poor people in this city.”

“Finally figured out you’ll never win,” said Spider-Man but his latest attempt of an attack was foiled. Doctor Octopus launched him right across the room.

“Halt, Spider-Man, or I’ll active my device but while the other two times were mere warning shots, this time the outcome will be very different,” said Doctor Octopus as Spider-Man gave mere pause. “Thousands will die this time, all because of your heroics.”

“You can’t do that,” said Spider-Man, struck numb.

“Can’t I?” asked Doctor Octopus with pure sadism written on his face. “I can. Even if you do defeat me in battle, the result for you will still be failure. You’ve failed them all. I understand this about you Spider-Man. For some unfathomable reason, you care. You care about these people and will do anything to save them, even if it means putting your own life at peril.”

“He’s got my number there,” thought Spider-Man.

“I’ve been more than fair to give this city a chance to see the error in their ways, but the error is you. Should I choose, should my device be activated, the consequences will be catastrophic. People will be unable to draw breath. They will be unable to pump blood to their hearts. Planes will fall from the sky, cars will crash, life saving medical processes will be unable to be performed, not that it matters. By increasing the strength needed for every action by a factor of ten, you might be able to break through with your spider strength, but the normal people you recklessly save will not last long.”

Spider-Man threw his hands down and stood. He had no choice.

“You win, Doc Ock,” said Spider-Man flatly and Ock just turned to him with a stoic nod, as four robotic limbs shot out, and grabbed Spider-Man around each of his arms and legs, to pull him up to face Doc Ock.

“It was inevitable,” said Doctor Octopus who took a moment to cherish his triumph. “Now, there’s only one more thing to do….accessing vocal activation….input factor of ten…activate device.”

“NO!” shouted Spider-Man as he struggled against the grip of Doctor Octopus. “You lying…son of a….”

“I have come to one conclusion, Spider-Man, while you might be out of the way, this city is a breeding ground for your type. A breeding ground for fools that will engage in heroics, the fools that will continue to risk their necks always in vain for those who do not appreciate the sentiment. Therefore, there is only one logical course of action. The only way to bring order to the chaos is to destroy it. It is a pity, but I do what must be done.”

Spider-Man remained immobilized.

“But, I will do you a small mercy, a mere favor, to rip you right to pieces right before you have to live with the ramifications of what occurred to everyone in the city. No one can save you right now.”

Immediately, Spider-Man, inspired by adrenaline, managed to break free and send both of his feet right into the face of his enemy.

“No, I’m not letting you kill everyone!” shouted Spider-Man, with renewed determination, as he began to knock Octopus around.

“It’s not what you allow, Spider-Man, but it’s what I will do,” said Octopus, but Spider-Man nailed him right in the face with a fire extinguisher that hung from the wall. “I’m sure you think you’ll outlast me, well with my improved power source, everyone will long since be decayed.”

“Is that…oh no…the arc reactor…he hired AIM to steal the technology from Stark, I almost forgot,” thought Spider-Man. “But he can’t have…no…that explains too much.”

“Octavius, that arc reactor that you’re using, you can’t have properly had the time to fine tune it and make it safe!” shouted Spider-Man. “If you made one small misstep, the radiation is poisoning you!”

“I made no mistakes,” said Doctor Octopus, as he continued to recklessly attack Spider-Man.

“You’re breaking down, pull yourself together,” said Spider-Man. “Stark took years to make it completely safe, you had months, if that, it’s not technology that you can safely whip up on a slow day.

“You’re just trying to distract me, but it won’t work,” said Doctor Octopus, but Spider-Man continued to avoid them. “I NOW CONTROL LIFE! I WILL END YOURS!”

“You’re going mad, Otto!” shouted Spider-Man, eyes widened and frantic beneath his mask but. The fight continued, Doctor Octopus’s sunglasses had been knocked off, revealing blood shot and unblinking eyes.

“I…AM….NOT…MAD!” shouted Doctor Octopus, who resembled a rabid dog, very nearly foaming at the mouth.

“You went from wanting to rule the city to destroying it on a whim, how is that sane?” asked Spider-Man without any humor present in his voice, as he dodged the attack, which caused Doctor Octopus to stab himself with the end of his own arm.

“You will pay for that, you blithering simpleton!” shouted Doctor Octopus in pain as blood dripped to the ground as he moved, slowed down.

“Don’t have much time, if my hunch is correct, the offending device is just right beyond that door,” thought Spider-Man. “I think I can get him to open it, just got to get it together.”

Spider-Man rolled and sure enough, he smashed the door open. He entered the room and found himself thrown right to the ground.

“Got to get to the controls somehow, even with the belt on, everyone is counting on me,” thought Spider-Man as he struggled against the field that was pulling down. “Do or die now, Spidey.”

Spider-Man pushed himself right through and collapsed on the console.

“Warning: Reaching Critical Output,” read Spider-Man. “I know I’m stating the obvious but that isn’t good.”

Spider-Man took a breath, as he tried to pull open the side of the device.

“No not that, not that, not that, that!” thought Spider-Man, as he managed to pull out the components that his spider sense told him to.

The device hummed, but Spider-Man felt the hyper gravity around him disappear, and the device gave a hiss before it sputtered to a stop.

“Just barely saved them all,” thought Spider-Man, but an arm smashed right through the wall and pulled Spider-Man right into the other room before he flung him into the wall.

“Ruined everything, you always ruin everything, you always ruin my plans!” yelled Doctor Octopus but he grew suddenly calm and a triumphant expression appeared on his face. “But in a way, while you might have stopped me from winning, you still lose.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Spider-Man.

“You saved the city, Spider-Man, bravo,” said Doctor Octopus with a malevolent grin. “But, in three minutes, this lab will explode. If my device was shut down by anyone but me, I’ve set up self-destruct sequence was activate that would destroy anyone who was in the lab at the time.”

Doctor Octopus remained unmoving and unblinking.

“Aren’t you going to escape?” asked Spider-Man.

“I’m willing to die, but I will die happy, knowing that I took you with me, Spider-Man,” said Doctor Octopus.

“Don’t have much time to be conflicted, I need to find a way out of here,” thought Spider-Man

Spider-Man made a move to the exit, but a robotic limb shot out from in front of him to block his way. A second limb tried to get him from behind.

“Look, I can get us both out of here, there’s still time, you were one of the most brilliant scientific minds ever, are you going to throw it all away for revenge?” asked Spider-Man.

“I’m willing to if it means to see your end with my dying breath,” said Doctor Octopus, but Spider-Man dodged around the attacks, as he launched the debris at Doctor Octopus who dodged it, to smash them with those robotic arms. “In the end, you proved yourself to be the hero, amazing, spectacular, and even ultimate, at the peril of your own life.”

Ock smashed Spider-Man down with an attack.

“It would be inspiring…if it wasn’t pathetic.”

The hero tried to make haste, without being panicked.

Doctor Octopus smashed open the roof of the lab, which indicated to Spider-Man that they were fighting right beneath the city this entire time. Spider-Man tried to make one desperate grab for Ock, but he was not being willing so he had to save himself.

With great power, there must also come great responsibility, so he had to try one more time, to save Ock from his own madness.

“Take my hand, before it’s too late!”

“I prefer…you go down with me.”

Ock grabbed right onto his ankle, but an explosion had caught Doctor Octopus off guard, and the lab collapsed right from underneath him, as a section of the street had been blown up.

There was thankfully no one who was severely injured, as Spider-Man rolled onto the street, costume torn a bit. He looked down.

By all signs, Doctor Octopus had been buried alive in his own lab.

At the second thought, Spider-Man looked down and spotted the robotic arm of Doctor Octopus poking out from underneath the debris and it still offered some signs of movement.

“Well, it was lucky that something made Ock let go of my leg when it did,” said Spider-Man as he brushed the dust off of his shoulder.

Immediately his Spider Sense went off and he turned, to dodge something. An explosion went off and he saw a green gas engulf the area around him.

“No not luck, Spider-Man, more like design.”

“No,” thought Spider-Man in horror, as he realized who he was dealing with. “He’s back.”

“Welcome to the Green Goblin’s New York, Spider-Man, you won’t survive the experience,” said Green Goblin, as he hovered right above him on his glider and launched another pumpkin bomb right at the web slinger.

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