Perry White opened his eyes to find himself still in one piece. He looked up and saw one of the newer interns beginning to stand up above him. The intern offered his hand.
"Thanks, son," Perry said. "Remind me to give you a bonus."
"Sure thing, Mr. White."
Perry's focus returned to the Hobgoblin.
"What the hell did you do that for?" Spider-Man yelled. "I told you to come to me!"
"Silence!" Hobgoblin shouted, spinning around and sending a ball of fire towards Spider-Man. Spidey ducked down, but his momentum sent him flying out of the Daily Planet.
He did a quick backflip in midair and shot a web out to the nearest building he could. He leaned against it, using his powers to hold him there, and thought for a second.
Jimmy woke up, confused. He looked around, and remembered that he was in the dark room.
Then he remembered the last things that Carolyn had done to him.
"Bitch," he whispered, pushing himself up off the floor. "That's it, I'm done with her!"
Just then, his sense of smell returned to him, hard. What's burning? he wondered.
He cracked open the door to the dark room, just enough to see what was going on in the City Room. Jimmy saw the Hobgoblin hovering around and small fires in various corners. His eyes grew wide and he shut the door.
He pulled out his cell phone and started dialing.
"We suck," Natalie said.
"Umm . . . " Victor said, sprawed out on Natalie's bed, not sure exactly how to respond to that comment. He reached down to where she was sitting on the floor, up against the bed, and ran his hand through her hair.
"I mean, we've always talked about doing all this stuff before we graduate, which we haven't done, and tomorrow's graduation, and we're sitting in my room."
"Actually, I'm laying down," Victor said.
Natalie grabbed the teddy bear that was lying next to her, and reached up and hit Victor in the gut with it. Victor recoiled, and started rolling off the bed.
"Oh, no you don't!" Natalie warned.
But it was too late. Victor had already started rolling off the bed, and grabbed her so she rolled with him. He pulled her face close to his, and started kissing her. They rolled on the floor a couple of times, and then stopped, and just continued making out.
Victor pulled back to say, "This good enough for you?"
"It's perfect," Natalie said. They kissed again. "I'm going to miss this . . . "
Victor put his index finger over her lips. "No. No talking about later. Just live now."
They continued making out, but were interrupted by a vibration in Victor's pocket.
"Damn," he said, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket and opening it up. "Jimmy?" Natalie climbed off, and resumed her sitting position beside the bed. Victor sat up as well to answer the call. "Yes?"
"Hey, Vic, do you know where Peter is?"
"Um, he called me earlier . . . uh . . . he said he had to check . . . something out in the city."
"He's not with you?"
"No, I'm at Natalie's."
"Oh. Oh . . . Vic, I'm sorry to interrupt you then."
"No, it's okay. Everything okay?"
"Actually . . . someone's attacked the Planet. Again. I wasn't sure if Peter is here or not, and didn't want to risk his phone ringing. I'm in the dark room."
"Are you okay?"
"Except for the headache Carolyn gave me," Jimmy replied.
"Carolyn?"
"She hit me upside the head with a lamp just before the fun started. Then she left."
"Think she's connected?"
"It makes sense after everything she's done."
"Is Spider-Man there?" Victor asked.
"I don't know. I just took a quick peek outside before calling you."
"Just hang on. I'm sure the cops will be there soon. I'll try to find Peter, make sure he's safe."
"Thanks, and sorry about calling like this . . . "
"Don't worry, man. Just be safe. Bye." Victor hit the end call button on his phone.
"That didn't sound good," Natalie said.
"Trouble at the Planet," Victor replied, standing up.
"What else is new?"
"We don't know where Peter is. He said he was going to Ezekiel's office. Something about getting a call early this morning. He might still be there."
"You gonna call him?"
Victor started walking out of the room. Natalie followed as they walked through the house to the front door. "No. I can't risk it if he's trapped inside and his phone goes off."
"What about mindspeak?" Natalie whispered.
Victor shook his head. "Not knowing exactly where he is, at this range . . . New York's too big for me."
Spider-Man went over his options in his head.
Impact webbing, keep moving, jump around, keep firing webbing . . . no, no NO!
The webslinger knew he was in over his head. No matter what he did, Hobgoblin was going to embarrass him. He needed backup, but who? This was clearly out of the Shadow's league.
Just then, Spider-Man noticed the cops who had barricaded the streets around the Daily Planet building. He swung down and saw Captain Stacy standing, looking up at the now-windowless City Room.
"Captain Stacy," Spidey said, touching down. "What do you know?"
"Other than the windows being blown out, nothing," Stacy replied. "I assume you've been up there?"
"Guy called the Hobgoblin. Kinda powerful," Spidey replied.
Stacy turned to the cop behind him. "Tell the SWAT team to standby."
"Don't bother," Spidey interjected. "I think he's a demon or something. I got lucky that I'm still alive and not that hurt right now, but if I went head-on into a fight, I'd probably lose. You guys don't stand a chance."
Captain Stacy muttered a curse under his breath. He didn't mind the superheroes running around in the world, but it bothered him when they were the only solution to a given situation. "What do you suggest, then?"
Spidey took a deep breath and looked up at the building. "I don't know. I just don't want to get anyone hurt." He turned his attention back to the street and saw a familiar car drive up behind the barricade. "Uh, I got an idea. I'll be back in a couple of minutes." He quickly swung up and around.
Victor and Natalie got out of the car, looking up at the Daily Planet. They saw Spider-Man swinging away.
"Where's he going?" Victor whispered.
"Vic!" he heard someone call out behind him. He turned to find Peter running up to him.
"Peter, what's going on?"
"Hobgoblin. Demon. Blew the windows out. Blew Perry's office to bits," Peter answered.
"Damn. Is Lois okay?"
"I think so. I don't think he's hurt anyone . . . yet."
"We double teaming?"
"No. He's too powerful for me. I don't think you can handle him."
"What about a distraction?" Victor asked.
"Huh?"
"You go in, fight him long enough for me to get the people out of there."
"It could work. Let's go."
"Wait!" Natalie said as the two young men were getting ready to run off. "What should I do?"
Victor handed her his car keys. "Here. If things get real bad, leave. You have your cell?"
Natalie held it up. "Always." She reached up and kissed him on the cheek. "Come back."
"You know, part of that pissed me off," Victor said as he was swinging with Spider-Man on their way back to the Daily Planet.
"What part?"
"Natalie. 'Come back,' she said."
"She's concerned."
"Yeah, but the irony stings."
"Oh," Spidey replied, realizing what Victor was thinking. "You ready?" he asked.
"Don't have a choice."
Captain Stacy looked up and saw Spider-Man swinging into the Daily Planet. Someone was hanging on his back. Must be his hero friend . . .
"Captain Stacy?" a deep voice asked behind the policeman.
"That's me," the captain said, turning around. He was not prepared to see a SHIELD agent standing in front of him, in the full blue SHIELD uniform. The agent was also carrying a rather large gun.
"Agent Marcus Bristow, SHIELD," the agent said, flashing his credentials. "The Hobgoblin and his accomplice escaped from SHIELD custody a few weeks ago. We are here to apprehend him."
"Accomplice?"
"Our people have already infiltrated the building. Tell your men to stand down, this is our jurisdiction now."
"Says who?"
"The President of the United States," Agent Bristow replied, holding up a sheet of paper. "Have your people clear the streets. We don't want any more causalities than we need."
Spidey and the Shadow landed inside the Daily Planet, only to find the City Room deserted. The Shadow whipped out his cell phone and quickly dialed a number.
"Hello?" the voice on the other end asked.
"Jimmy, you still in the dark room?"
"No. Some guy in a weird uniform threw open the door about a minute ago and told me to evacuate the building. We're headed to the street."
"Where's Hobgoblin?"
"I don't know. He was gone when I came out."
Spidey put a hand on the Shadow's shoulder and pointed to a massive hole in the floor near Perry's office. "I think I know."
Victor ended the call abruptly. The two superheroes approached the hole, which had counterparts in many floors below. They could see straight down to the bottom floor.
"I don't see him!" the Shadow exclaimed. "Wait a minute, Jimmy said strange uniform. You think . . . SHIELD?"
"I hope not," Spidey replied. "Look, you get out of here. I'll go down and find out what's going on with Hobgob -- "
He was interrupted by a massive explosion that shook the whole building. Lights and tiles fell from the ceiling. Cubicle walls fell to the floor.
The emergency exit door opened to reveal a SHIELD agent. "You two, get out of here! This whole place is gonna go!"
"Where's Hobgoblin?"
"We got him. You go!" the agent shouted. Spidey caught a glimpse of his nametape. Using his eyepieces in his suit, he could read it: Koeing.
"Right!" Spidey exclaimed, grabbing Victor and swing out of the building.
Carolyn Trainer stood in front of the computer, hand over the CD drive.
"C'mon, I don't have time."
The building shook once more, disrupting power, and causing the computer to cut off. She punched the casing and pulled the disc out of the burner using her massive strength. She was getting ready to run to the door when it was kicked open by a squad of SHIELD agents.
"Freeze!"
"I don't think so," Carolyn said, punching the wall behind her and ducking into the hole.
"Damn it! We have to go back!" the Shadow exclaimed as he and Spider-Man touched down behind the barricade.
"We can't," Spidey replied. "SHIELD won't let us near Hobgoblin now."
"But Carolyn . . . "
"Carolyn?"
"Jimmy said that she knocked him out in the dark room. I think she's tied in.."
"Then SHIELD's got her."
Captain Stacy walked up to the superheroes. "What happened up there?"
"No clue. SHIELD took over," Spidey replied. "When the building started shaking, we got out of there."
"Over there!" a policeman shouted, as the staff and visitors of the Daily Planet came running out of the front. Spidey caught glimpses of Lois, Perry, Jimmy, even Ben Urich. He breathed a sigh of relief.
And then the building starting to collapse.
"Clear the street!" Captain Stacy shouted. "That globe is gonna come loose!"
"It's no use," Spidey said. "We don't have time, or space to move."
Just then, the SHIELD helicarrier shimmered into view above the street. As the top of the Daily Planet building slammed against the ground, the globe stopped moving, and a slight shimmering could be seen around it.
"Tractor beam," Spidey said. "SHIELD did good."
Not long after, Lois and Jimmy had found Peter, Victor, and Natalie. They watched as the NYPD and SHIELD worked to clear up the mess.
"Hmm, it's been an interesting year," Victor finally said, looking at Peter. "Started with a bang . . . "
"And ended with a bigger one."
"Bruce Wayne's not going to be happy," Lois added.
Saturday. Graduation Day.
Peter looked out at the field, full of his classmates and parents. Wow. After the next five minutes, I won't ever see many of them again. For some reason, the thought wasn't as sad as he thought it might be as he thought back to years of teasing and torment.
The principal was giving a few last words to the senior class. Everyone had their diplomas.
" . . . and I now present the newest graduated class of Midtown High . . . "
The crowd of students erupted into cheering before the principal could say the year. Caps were thrown up into the air, along with water bottles, beach balls, and silly string. Peter congratulated his fellow honor graduates with handshakes, high fives, and even a few hugs. While he was hugging the salutatorian, a cute blonde named Sally Avril that he had known since elementary school, he looked out into the crowd and saw his Aunt May standing. Behind her stood a man, younger than her, but with a stature similar to Peter.
Dad . . . ? Peter wondered. He saw May speaking with the man. He let go of Sally and made his way down the stage. He tried getting around his classmates, but they were taking their time filing out of the ceremonial area, either because of parents coming in, or just wanting a last conversation with an old friend or acquaintance. Ducking in and out, Peter tried to keep his eyes on his aunt and this mysterious man, but there were too many people blocking his view. By the time he reached his aunt, the man was gone.
"Oh, Peter!" May exclaimed, giving him a hug.
"Who was that man you were just talking to?"
"What man?"
Peter decided not to press the issue, knowing he wouldn't get any more information.
Nearby, Victor had made his way to where his mother and grandfather had been watching the ceremony. He hugged both of them.
"Congratulations," Lamont said, shaking Victor's hand.
"Excuse me," a man said behind Victor.
Victor turned to see who had come up behind him. It was a middle aged man, who looked strangely familiar. There were tears in the man's eyes. "Congratulations . . . son."
Victor felt his breath leave him. He looked back at his mother who was starting to cry. She nodded. He turned back to the man.
"Victor, I've been waiting for this for a long time," Monty Cranston said.
"Not as long as me," Victor replied, giving his father a hug for the first time in his life.
A few hours later, several recent grads of Midtown High were gathered at Jimmy Olsen's place for a graduation party. Naturally, they had all ditched the gowns and dressed down to a more casual atmosphere.
Victor was pouring himself some soda in a plastic cup when Peter came up behind him.
"Hi," Peter said. "I take it we'll probably be working together a lot this year. I'm Peter Parker."
Victor smiled, remembering the first day of school. "Victor Cranston. You can call me Vic."
"Well, Vic, do you like science?"
"Did it ever occur to you how much of an understatement that opening line was?" Vic asked, breaking from the memory.
"Not really. Never really thought about it, till now."
"Heh," Victor said, half laughing.
Peter noticed something not quite right with Victor. "You okay?"
"Yeah," Victor said, nodding. "It's just that . . . my dad . . . "
"Oh. Getting used to knowing what happened."
"Actually, it's not that. He's back."
"What?" Peter was certain that he had misheard.
"Yeah, right after graduation, he came up to me."
"So . . . "
"It's still sinking in. I don't know what comes next."
Just then, Mary Jane, Natalie, and Jimmy all seemed to find Peter and Victor at the same time.
"Well, isn't this a happy coincidence?" Jimmy said. "All of us standing together . . . for maybe the last time."
All five stood in silence for a moment, letting the reality wash over them. Victor broke the silence.
"There is a bright side," he said. "We survived. Not just high school, but the entire thirteen years."
Peter shook his head. "I never thought I'd get through them. But I guess things turned out alright," he said, putting his arm around MJ's shoulder and giving it a quick squeeze.
"So, you and Victor rooming together in the fall?" Jimmy asked.
Peter nodded. "Hopefully they don't screw up the paperwork. How 'bout you?"
"I have to deal with the random freshmen roommate nightmare."
"Good luck with that," Victor said.
"Hey, did you ever hear what happened to Carolyn?" Peter asked.
Jimmy shook his head. "After SHIELD came in and the building crashed down, I never heard anything else about what happened." He looked around to the rest of the party. "Well, I better mingle some more. It is my party . . . " Jimmy walked off.
"I feel like I should be going somewhere to do something, but I don't," Peter said. "No homework, no job . . . not even any superhero stuff."
"Don't get used to it," Victor replied.
"Well, there is that one thing," Mary Jane said, looking at Peter. She turned back to Victor and Natalie. "Excuse us," she said, leading Peter away.
Vic raised an eyebrow, understanding what MJ was doing. He looked at Natalie.
"You know, ever since senior skip day, the one thing that's kept me from completely losing it is that I still had to get to graduation before even really worrying about you actually leaving. It was sort of a safety net, you know?"
Natalie nodded, feeling the tears forming up in her eyes.
"But now, we're here, and that means you won't be here for much longer -- " He was interrupted by Natalie grabbing him and kissing him passionately.
"There's one thing that they really drilled into us the last few months," she said after the kiss was done. "Carpe diem. Seize the day, because tomorrow is a whole different challenge."
"I knew there was a reason I loved you."
On the other size of the party, Peter and Mary Jane came up for air.
"I just thought of something," Peter said.
"What's that?"
"Both of us lost our jobs by an explosion."
MJ chuckled. "And for some reason, I don't think either of us care?"
"Eh, I wasn't really doing much for the Planet recently anyway. I'm sure there's a campus paper I can work on, if I get the journalism urge."
MJ kissed Peter again, and then said, "We'll be okay, right?"
"Of course we will. Why wouldn't we?"
"Everything's different now . . . "
"But we're still here together. As long as you're beside me, nothing can be wrong."
Mary Jane kissed Peter again.
Next issue: Spider-Man #39 comes your way, beginning the next phase in the lives of our heroes: College! You definitely don't want to miss this issue!