Mercuria: Here it is! The fourth and final chapter! Aren't you glad?
*jumps for joy*
Oh, and I re-wrote basically the entire chapter because it was really boring me. And if I was bored, the Nonexistant Deity only knows what it'd do to YOU.
The language warning applies here in full force!
The 'paste' feature isn't working.
X.X
*with false cheer* Do you know what THAT means, readers? It means that ... *gulp* EVERY single line of this chapter ... will be completely re-typed by hand ... *faints*
Do I EVER stop editing this thing? Well, I guess I don't, actually.
********
It could not have been more perfect. The Green Goblin had found the most adorable and pathetic bunch of children he could have asked for, grabbed the little wretch Mary Jane, and waited for Spider-Man.
Of course he had come. How could he resist?
"So you appear, Spider-Man," the Green Goblin said. "Well, in every hero's life, he must make a choice. Here's yours. What will you do? Let die the woman you love, or suffer the innocent children?"
Behind that mask, he just knew that Spider-Man was glaring at him. But he was still getting warmed up.
"I've always wondered," said the Green Goblin, "upon dropping them, which would hit the water first: the trolley full of children, or the irritating young woman. Let's find out."
"Don't you dare!" Spider-Man growled.
The Green Goblin wasn't listening.
"I've got it in for you, you little bitch," he hissed in Mary Jane's face. "I won't share him with someone like you!"
And he let them go.
'Let's see you handle that, little spider,' the Green Goblin thought with a smirk. 'Once you choose, you'll realize that you'll have failed either yourself or your adoring public. And I'll be here, just waiting for you to come to me.'
Turning his attention to the bridge, he saw that Spider-Man had managed to keep both Mary Jane and the children from watery graves with his webbing. However, he was now just barely hanging on to both of them.
"Impressive!" the Green Goblin called, gliding over to him. "But how long can you keep that up?"
"Awhile," Spider-Man grunted.
Grinning maniacally, the Green Goblin rammed into the struggling superhero, causing him to nearly drop the webs which kept Mary Jane and the kids in the trolley from plummeting into the river.
A boat sailed towards them, moving at an agonizingly slow pace.
"We'll catch the trolley when we get close enough!" someone said through a megaphone. "Hang in there!"
'Literally,' Spider-Man thought grimly.
"You have to climb onto the trolley!" he shouted to Mary Jane, who was already about halfway down the web. She nodded.
The Green Goblin once again zipped in circles around Spider-Man.
"Good job so far, hero," he sneered. "But aren't you getting tired? If something were to happen at this point in the game ..."
To demonstrate his point, the Green Goblin slammed into Spider-Man again, with much more force than the last time. Mary Jane had slid onto the roof of the trolley and was about to relinquish her hold on the web when she felt the sickening sensation of falling. Spider-Man had dropped the web!
Thinking quickly, he fired another web onto the trolley, stopping its hasty descent before it crashed into the river. Mary Jane nearly cried in relief.
The boat was now positioned directly under the trolley. Gratefully, Spider-Man lowered the trolley onto its deck. Mary Jane climbed down from the roof a bit unsteadily as the children exited quickly.
'Damn it!' the Green Goblin thought. 'He saved them BOTH?! Not only those little brats, but HER, too?! How the hell could he do this to me?!'
With a feral growl, the Green Goblin shot a metal cord at the blue and red superhero. After a quick look back to make sure that Spider-Man was bound tightly, the Green Goblin proceeded to unceremoniously drag him along through the air.
******
After dropping Spider-Man somewhere amongst the rubble, the Green Goblin leapt off his glider and went in search of him.
He found the spider getting up unsteadily, shaking his head. The Green Goblin crept up behind him. As if somehow alerted to his presence, Spider-Man whirled around. The Green Goblin grabbed his throat with one hand.
"I offered you friendship, I offered you LOVE," he hissed. "And you spat it in my face. Well know this, Spider-Man: No one says no to me!"
His fingers tightened around Spider-Man's throat. Spider-Man feebly tried to pry his hand off, but without success. The Green Goblin dropped him to the ground; he still wanted to play with him.
Spider-Man jumped up and ran at his enemy somewhat dizzily. The Green Goblin punched him in the jaw, making his head spin. Exhausted from his episode on the bridge and weak from nearly being strangled to death, Spider-Man was in no condition to fight.
Nevertheless, the Green Goblin kept attacking him, letting out all of his frustration at Mary Jane as he kicked and pummeled. He barely noticed that Spider-Man was far too worn out to fight back, or even to defend himself.
Spider-Man dropped to his knees, gasping for breath. The Green Goblin chuckled.
'So, I've brought you to your knees after all, haven't I?' he thought.
The Green Goblin stood over his opponent triumphantly, then roughly hauled him to his feet. Spider-Man's mask had partially come off, exposing a smooth cheek, two lips, and a firm chin. The Green Goblin took in these details as he leant him against a wall.
"So, Spider-Man," he teased his nearly unconscious adversary. "Are you ready to give in and stop fighting me? Because you need me, you really do. The darkness makes the light shine brighter, you know. How bright are you shining tonight, my little spider?"
"I-I don't belong to you," Spider-Man managed hoarsely.
The Green Goblin smiled.
"Oh, but you will," he assured him. "And when you do, I'll make sure that you never look at that simpering Mary Jane ever again."
This was entirely the wrong thing to say. Something deep within Spider-Man snapped. Pushing Green Goblin off him, he shot a web into his face. As the Green Goblin struggled to tear it off, Spider-Man kicked him into the very same wall he had been leaning on. In a frenzy of rage, he beat the Green Goblin savagely, striking at anything he could hit. Finally, Spider-Man delivered a blow to his enemy that was so powerful it knocked his mask off.
Spider-Man stared in shock at the face that was revealed to him.
"Mr. Osborn?" he said in disbelief. "But ... Aunt May, Mary Jane, all of those innocent people you attacked ... why?"
The Green Goblin decided that it was time to do a little bit of acting.
"I didn't want to," he protested. "But he ... he took over my body ... oh please, Peter, don't let him take me again ..."
He gave Peter a desperate look.
"I never attacked you, Peter. I stopped him because ... because I love you."
Spider-Man gasped.
"Through all of this, I always believed in you; I believed that no matter what happened, you , Peter Parker, would save me. Thank God for you, Peter, thank God for you."
Spider-Man looked suspicious.
"I've always tried to be a father to you, Peter. I've always tried to treat you like one of my own. Please, be a son to me now. Take my hand."
'There,' thought the Green Goblin. 'THAT should do the trick.'
Spider-Man glanced at the proffered hand, then at the Green Goblin.
"I have a father," he said, quietly but with great conviction. 'His name was Ben Parker."
The Green Goblin could feel his features twisting into a scowl.
'He just had to be all sickening and noble,' he thought. 'Well that's fine. But if he wants to play it that way, he can die with me!'
"All right," he said aloud. "But please, grant me one thing."
"What do you want?" Spider-Man asked.
The Green Goblin stepped up to him and placed a hand at the back of his neck. As if he was in one of his dreams, Spider-Man felt unable to move.
"What do I want?" the Green Goblin asked softly. "A kiss before you die, my little spider."
He crushed his lips onto Spider-Man's. Spider-Man struggled, but the hand at the back of his neck kept him from escaping. His spider sense was warning him that he had to get away from where he was standing, and quickly. In desperation, he shoved the Green Goblin away and leapt to the side, just in time to avoid the glider as it came whizzing by. It pierced the Green Goblin's flesh, pinning him to the wall. Shocked, he gasped for breath.
"Peter," he choked, the psychosis leaving his eyes. "I-I'm sorry. Oh, God, I'm sorry. Please ... don't tell Harry ..."
With that, Norman Osborn slumped over, and the Green Goblin was no more.
*******
Peter could not believe that he was standing there, listening to what Mary Jane was saying. The words he had been longing to hear since first grade. She loved him. And now ...
"Peter," she said, looking into his eyes. 'I love you. I love you so much, Peter."
Mary Jane reached up and kissed him. It was a sweet and gentle kiss, but he still remembered ...
A rough hand at the nape of his neck.
Crushing lips bruising his own.
He was reminded exactly why he couldn't do this.
'I can't,' he thought. 'I'm Spider-Man. Anyone who comes after me will end up coming after her. I couldn't bear to lose her.'
He broke off.
"Peter?" said Mary Jane.
"Mary Jane," he said. "I want you to know that I will always be there for you. I'll always be around to protect you. I will always be your friend."
Mary Jane's beautiful eyes filled with tears.
"Only a friend?" she asked.
"That's all I can give you," Peter said softly.
Mary Jane nodded and walked away. Peter saw her body shake with sobs. He felt tears beginning to form in his own eyes.
'Why can't I live a normal life? Why do I have to reject the only woman I've ever loved? Why?!'
Even as he asked himself these things, Peter could hear his Uncle Ben's voice in his head.
'With great power comes great responsibility ...'
*********
Mercuria: Cliche ending. I know. Okay ... those of you who have read this and the original chapter ... DON'T TELL ME WHICH ONE YOU LIKE BETTER! I just don't wanna know! I can't stand criticism!
*takes deep breath*
Okay, I've returned to being a competent, mature sentient being now. Go ahead and do whatever.

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