He walked with a cool composure down the hall of the hospital. He could sense the tension in the air, as doctors rushed to save a patient. He saw the stares of people in awe to see him. His hands were in the pockets of his overcoat, and his right hand was wrapped around a syringe.
He neared the room. When he reached it, he stood at the door.
"We need to defib, stat!" one of the doctors shouted.
"No!" Doctor Folsome argued. "She was put here by an electric shock, there's no telling what damage that could cause now!"
The man knew what the next question would be, so he pulled the syringe out, and held it up, ready to use it.
"Then what the hell can we do?!" the doctor shouted.
"I believe I have a solution."
All of the doctors stopped to see who the man with the calm attitude was at the door. He was wearing all black - black suit, black overcoat, black gloves, and black shoes. His most distinguishable feature was his bald head.
"Lex Luthor," Dr. Folsome said. "What a surprise."
Lex walked over to Lois's bedside.
"Do you know the patient?" the other doctor asked.
"We've had a few run-ins, so to speak," Luthor replied.
"What do you have?"
"Hopefully for you, a miracle." Luthor then thrust the needle into Lois's chest, and pushed the syringe, injecting her with all of the fluid inside. He then pulled it out and tossed it in the biohazard container.
Turning and walking away, he said, "Wait about ten seconds, and then use the defibrilator."
The doctor grabbed the paddles, and charged them up. Ten seconds later, he shocked Lois.
"Nothing," he whispered. "Okay, we'll try it again."
The nurse helped him recharge. He shocked Lois again. Within a second, her heart started again. Everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief.
"Doctor Folsome, we have to talk."
Peter was at his locker after first period, swapping books. Mary Jane walked up to him.
"Hey, Peter," she said.
"Hey!" Peter replied. "What's up?"
MJ sighed. "Are you busy tomorrow night?" she asked.
Peter thought for a moment. "Uhhhhh, no. I don't think so."
"Good. There's something I need to talk to you about."
"What is it?"
"I'd rather wait until tomorrow night."
"Okay, whatever."
"Have you heard any more about Lois?" MJ asked.
Peter shook his head. "Nothing since we were at the hospital."
Suddenly, an out of breath Jimmy Olsen came running up.
"Yo, what's with the running?" Peter asked.
"I was just at the Planet," Jimmy said. "Would have been here on time, but as I was getting ready to leave, I noticed a commotion."
"Wait, it can't be . . . "
Jimmy nodded. "Jameson made it official this morning. The Daily Planet is up for sale."
"No surprise there, I take it," Mary Jane commented.
"No. Just the timing," Peter replied. "I thought Jameson would still be putting up a fight."
"So did I," Jimmy said. "He even gave me a story to try to save the paper . . . " He trailed off. "But then he made the announcement only moments after I saw him and learned that I had failed."
"Failed at what?"
"Unmasking Spider-Man. But my camera malfunctioned, and I ended up getting a picture of you!"
"That's crazy!" Peter said. So that's what that thing was yesterday. I wonder how it managed to malfunction.
"At first I thought I had you, but Jameson realized the shadows were different, and all. Still, how could Jameson know that quickly?"
"Maybe he was despaired because you didn't bring him the story?" MJ suggested.
"I guess so," Jimmy agreed. "Well, I better get to class. See ya."
As Jimmy walked away, MJ looked at her watch. "Oh, only a minute left. I'll catch you later?"
"Sure," Peter said as he began walking to his physics class.
Just as Peter was about to enter the class, someone grabbed his left arm and pulled him back.
"Wh - Victor!"
"Shh!" Victor warned. "I have some bad news. I was checking up on Lois, y'know, with the whole mind thing, and . . . well . . . "
Victor's hesitation worried Peter. "What happened?"
"She flatlined."
"What?"
Victor nodded.
"What happened after that?"
"I don't know, too much confusion."
The bell rang.
"Are we going to class?" Peter asked.
"No, we're checking on Lois."
"We need an excuse."
"I'm working on it."
"Harry?" Norman Osborn asked as he knocked on the door to the bathroom. "Are you okay, son?"
"No," came the shaky answer, following by ten seconds of hacking and coughing.
Norman grabbed the doorknob, and opened the door. He saw Harry, dressed only in the pants he wore to bed, leaning over the toilet. Blood and vomit not only filled the toilet bowl, but had splattered to the floor and some of the cabinets. Harry looked whiter than a sheet.
"Dad, what's wrong with me?"
Norman walked over and crouched down. He pulled a syringe out of his pocket, and took the cork off of the needle. All of this was done behind Harry's back, so he couldn't see it. With one quick motion, he jammed the needle into Harry's back and pushed the syringe down.
Harry screamed, and then passed out. Norman grabbed his son's head before it hit the toilet seat. He then laid him out on the floor.
The maid appeared at the door. "Is everything all right, Mr. Osborn?"
Norman stood up, pocketing the needle. "Yes. Will you clean up in here and put Harry to bed?" he asked as he walked out.
Peter and Victor waited patiently on the elevator as it slowly ascended to Lois's floor.
"So, how are we going to explain being here?" Peter asked.
"Let's see. I can be here because of closest next-of-kin, since I live in the city. I'm sure they called."
"What about me? I should be at school."
{Who's to say Spider-Man can't show up?}
Peter thought for a moment. {Good point,} he thought back. {After all, this is still a continuing investigation.}
The elevator stopped and dinged. The doors opened, allowing Victor to get off. Peter nodded as Victor looked back, and then pressed the button for roof access. He could go up there, change into Spider-Man, and then come back.
When Victor walked into the room, he saw Lois resting peacefully, and Dr. Folsome standing beside her with a clipboard. He knocked to let the doctor know he was there.
"I'm sorry. Only family is allowed in right now."
Victor smiled. "It's okay. I'm family. Her cousin, sort of."
"Sort of?"
"A few times removed, or something like that. My grandmother was her dad's aunt."
"Oh. So you must have heard."
"About this morning?"
"Yes. She did flatline, but we - actually, an . . . associate was able to bring her back."
"An associate? Who?"
"I'm not at liberty to say."
"Don't give me that crap," Victor said. "We're talking about her life here."
"It's part of the arrangement."
"Arrangement? Now you're starting to sound like the Godfather or something. Can you at least tell me how her life was saved."
"All I can give out now is that we used an experimental drug."
"Experimental? I thought those could only be used with patient's consent? And that's funny that you used it, because Lois doesn't look like she's in a consenting kind of mood right now."
"She is unconscious. That is implied consent."
"Oh," Victor said, backing down from the argument. "Still, I don't like this whole 'associate' business."
"That's not your call, son."
Victor gritted his teeth. "Don't call me son." He turned and left. Walking down the hall, he saw Spider-Man.
"Vic, where are you going?" Spidey asked in a low voice.
"I need to talk to some people," Vic replied. "But if you need to shake the doctor up, feel free."
"Why?"
"An 'associate' of his used some experimental drug on Lois."
"What kind of experimental drug?"
"I don't know. Maybe you can find out. Also, find out who the associate is."
"Okay. Where are you going to be so I can get you any information I find out?"
"Just find my grandfather. He should be at home."
"What about our excuse from school?"
"Say that I found out about Lois, and brought you with me because I wanted someone else to be there."
"Okay. Catch you later."
The two walked in opposite directions. Spider-Man popped his head into Lois's room. "Hello?"
"I'm sorry," Dr. Folsome said. "Family only, and you're definitely not family."
"No, but I'm investigating."
"Investigating what?"
"The cause of Ms. Lane's condition."
"I'm sorry, you're going to have to come back at another time."
"It was Electro."
Both Spider-Man and Dr. Folsome turned their heads in Lois's direction.
"She's conscious!" Dr. Folsome exclaimed.
"Master of the obvious," Spider-Man said. Folsome glared.
"I'm going to alert the other doctors."
Folsome walked out. Spidey came to Lois's bedside. She grabbed his hand.
"Electro was in my apartment," she whispered. "I could feel the static in the air."
"Lois, how do you feel?"
"Fine. A little weird. Felt like I was dead for a while. Oh, and I'm sore right here," she added, rubbing the spot where the needle had gone in. Spider-Man looked and saw the puncture.
"Probably where they injected you," he said.
"Who?"
"Don't worry about it. Look, I better get out of here. I'll let everyone know that you're okay."
"Thanks," Lois said.
Spidey knew that Victor could barely have gotten out of the hospital, so he found the nearest empty room, opened the window and jumped out. He landed gracefully near the front entrance as Victor came walking out.
"Spider-Man!" Victor said. "What are you doing down here?"
"I talked to Lois."
"You talked to her? That means she's conscious!"
Spidey nodded. "It was Electro, she knows that. Of course, I already knew that after fighting him yesterday."
"So, does this prove anything?"
"I don't know, but it will make the police look for Electro."
"Not if we find him first."
"Vic, think first. That's not the best idea. Someone here is playing a game, I know it. I'm sure Electro will pop up soon enough on his own. When he does, we'll get him."
Victor looked at his watch. "We might have time to get to third period on time."
"Grab my neck," Spidey said, turning around. "We'll get there on time."
"Come in," Norman Osborn said as he heard the knock. The door to his office opened, and Lex Luthor walked in.
Osborn stood up, and walked around the front of his desk. "Lex," he said, extending his hand. "What a pleasant surprise!"
Lex shook Norman's hand for a brief moment. "Yes, and I want to say congratulations. Jameson officially announced the sale of the paper."
"So I heard," Osborn replied. "I also heard that it is a rare occasion that you congratulate anybody. I should be honored."
"Perhaps," Luthor said. "But don't celebrate too soon. We still have some details to work out of our deal."
"Of course," Osborn agreed, returning to his chair. "Please, sit down." He gestured to the chairs in front of his desk. Luthor sat. "First, I must thank you for delivering the Oz to Ms. Lane. She will make an excellent field candidate."
"Like your son?"
Osborn tried to hide his shock. "How did you know?"
"There is very little I do not know."
Osborn changed the subject. "Our first order of business is to determine what to do with Jameson now."
"Terminate him," Luthor said bluntly.
"But he will no longer be an obstacle."
"No, but he will be a vocal opponent. That's too much of a wild card for my liking. Send in some of your cronies and take care of him. Soon."
Osborn nodded. "Yes, sir. What of the staff?"
"There are many who will be a great asset to us. That Parker kid seems to know a lot about computers, and can help with web design. He seems harmless. Plus, he seems to know Spider-Man, so we can use that to our benefit. And I've always wanted to put a leash on Lois Lane."
"I understand. Does this mean she'll keep her job?"
"She'll not only keep it, she'll be unable to quit and find another job."
"That seems a little cruel."
"We're not here to be nice. We're here to conduct business, and gain the advantage for ourselves."
Harry woke up with a start. He could feel the sweat all over his body. He slid his hands around him. His sheets were soaked as well. He sat up.
Something's not right, he thought. Why did I feel a needle? And why was he sneaking around with it?
Harry stood up, almost surprised that he could.
I gotta tell someone. It's gotta be the Oz.
That afternoon at the Crib, Peter and Victor were sitting in a booth near the rear of the establishment. It reminded Peter of the day he first met Mary Jane, when Intergang attacked. He hoped nothing as exciting would happen this time.
"You said someone was playing a game," Victor said. "Who?"
"I'm not sure," Peter replied. "But I wouldn't be surprise if it was Osborn or Luthor. I haven't been able to piece it all together."
"What do we know, then?"
"Let's see, let's start with Lois getting attacked. It was done by Electro, who first showed up around Christmas. After our initial fight, he ran off, and supposedly got a suit from Stark. But then he disappeared, only appearing a few weeks later to fight me."
"Right before the Sinister Six attack."
"Right. And then, he attacks Lois."
"Wait a minute," Victor said. "Didn't you get attacked at school?"
"Yeah. That's right. By the Ice Queen. I think she was watching me."
"And the most obvious connection between you and Lois . . . "
" . . . is the Daily Planet. And, the Goblin came to take the Ice Queen away."
"So, that means, the Ice Queen, the Goblin, and Electro are working together."
"Or at least working as pawns."
"For Osborn? Or for Luthor?"
"I'm leaning towards Osborn," Peter replied.
"And speaking of Osborn, his kid got sick yesterday."
"Interesting, how Osborn is also creating some kind of drug."
"Could he have injected Harry with Oz?"
"Or was he continually giving it to Harry, and then stopped?"
"There are too many questions. But no answers."
"Oh, there are answers," Peter argued. "We just can't find them."
Harry ran into the Daily Planet. He didn't have time to wait for the elevator, so he just ran up the stairs to the City Room.
"Is Jimmy Olsen here?" he asked, stopping the first person he saw. It was Ben Urich.
"Uh, yeah," Urich replied. "I just saw him in there. But - "
"Thanks!" Harry ran into the City Room. He saw Jimmy standing by a desk, sorting photos.
"Harry, what are you doing here?" Jimmy asked.
"I gotta tell you something. It's about my dad. I think he was doing something to me."
"What do you mean 'something'?"
"Oz, man. I think he injected me with Oz."
"That would explain why you're sick."
"You gotta help me."
"How? What can I do?"
"We gotta get the word out."
Spider-Man entered the bank. It was the same bank he held an account in his days as an entertainer. His simple entrance through the front door caused a wave of murmuring. He walked up to a teller.
"I received a message to come here."
"Yes," the teller said. "The bank president would like to talk to you. Through that door back there." The teller pointed.
Spidey walked to the door and knocked. It was already partially open.
"Spider-Man!" the president exclaimed. "Come in!"
It gets real annoying for everyone to exclaim "Spider-Man!" when they see me.
The president took his seat, and Spider-Man followed suit. "Why did you want to see me?" Spider-Man asked.
"We have found new evidence that your bank account was tampered with," the president said.
"I know. Mysterio didn't take my money."
"Mysterio?"
"The guy impersonated me."
"Oh, yes. Well, we learned that at the same time he came in, someone electronically emptied your account."
"I figured as much."
"We've been attempted to trace the transaction. But, with it being as long ago as it was, it isn't easy."
"But you are making progress?"
"Yes. In fact, we think we might know where the transaction originated from, but we don't want to disclose that information until we are sure."
"Understandable," Spider-Man said, standing up. "Anything else?"
"No. But we hope you will continue to bank with us, when we get your money back."
"If you get it back."
When Peter Parker returned home, he was tired. The recent events were taking a toll on him.
"Peter, are you okay?" Aunt May asked at dinner.
"Yeah. I'm fine. It's just so much going on."
"I'm sure Ms. Lane will be fine," May replied. "She does seem to be recovering nicely."
"It's not just that. It's the situation with the paper."
"I'm sure everything will be fine. Now, calm yourself. You worry too much."
Peter ate the rest of his dinner in silence, silently praying that everything would be okay, but seriously doubting his aunt.
Next issue: The big finale. Everything from the past twenty-four issues comes together in the explosive climax. The lives of all the characters will be changed forever. Don't miss Spider-Man #25!