Chapter 31: The Cycle Ends

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He's had enough.

The black suit clings to his body, a symbol of his rage. A rage that has been building up for years, ever since he lost Gwen. Ever since he lost Harry. Ever since he let the Green Goblin live.

But not anymore.

He's going to end this. Once and for all.

He swings through the night, following the trail of destruction. The screams of the innocent, the explosions of the pumpkin bombs, the laughter of the madman.

He finds him in the tunnel of love, a twisted mockery of romance. The Green Goblin is having a blast, literally. He tosses his deadly toys at the terrified couples, reducing them to bones and ashes.

He doesn't see Spider-Man coming.

He feels a fist slam into his face, then another, then another. He feels a hand grab his collar and pull him close.

Spider-Man: "No more!"

Spider-Man snarls, his voice distorted by the suit.

He throws him across the tunnel, smashing him into the rock wall. He leaps after him, landing a knee to his jaw, sending him reeling.

Spider-Man: "All the people I murdered," (Spider-Man says, as he delivers an uppercut that knocks him down) "by letting you live."

He knows the truth now. He knows that every time he spared the Green Goblin, he was responsible for the deaths of countless others. He knows that he can't let him go on.

He advances towards him, ready to finish him off.

The Green Goblin spits out blood and grins.

Green Goblin: "I never kept count."

Spider-Man grabs him by the throat and lifts him up.

Spider-Man: "I did."

The Green Goblin's grin widens.

Green Goblin: "I know."

He flicks his wrist, revealing a blade. He slashes at Spider-Man, but Spider-Man dodges and counters.

Green Goblin: "And I love ya for it!"

The Green Goblin says, as he lunges at him again.

They trade blows, each one faster and harder than the last. The Green Goblin manages to cut Spider-Man's abdomen, making him stagger and clutch his wound.

Green Goblin: "It's finally here, isn't it?" (the Green Goblin says, as he tackles Spider-Man to the ground.) "The moment we both dreamed about."

He wraps his hand around Spider-Man's throat and tries to stab him, but Spider-Man grabs his wrist and stops him.

Spider-Man gasps for air, feeling his strength fading.

Green Goblin: "Oh, don't tell me you're gonna fall asleep before we finish!" (the Green Goblin says, as he notices Spider-Man's eyes drooping.) "You're still recovering from that coma, aren't you? After you recovered your body from Octavius?"

Spider-Man snaps out of it and punches the Green Goblin in the face. He kicks him off and grabs him by the throat, slamming him into a wall.

Green Goblin: "Not quite how I imagined it, but..." (the Green Goblin says, as Spider-Man squeezes his neck.) "We can still end on a high note!"

He laughs maniacally, as he stabs Spider-Man repeatedly in the stomach.

Spider-Man feels the pain, but he ignores it. He twists the Green Goblin's neck, breaking it. He lets him go, and watches him slump to the floor.

Spider-Man: "The cycle ends here, Norman," (Spider-Man says, through his breaths of exhaustion.) "It's over."

He walks away, leaving the Green Goblin to his fate.

He feels the blood dripping from his wounds, but he doesn't care. He's done it. He's finally done it. He swings away, leaving the tunnel of love behind. He doesn't look back. He doesn't want to see the Green Goblin's corpse.

A figure appears in the darkness, a woman of immense power and beauty. She is Gaea, the Elder Goddess of Earth, the Mother of Pantheons, the one who has gone by many names. The one who gave birth to Thor.

She looks at the Green Goblin, her ocean blue eyes filled with fury. She doesn't say a word. She doesn't need to. Her thoughts are clear.

He is a cancer on her planet. A deranged abomination who spared no one. The moment he killed one of her worshippers and tormented her son for years, she was enraged. She will not tolerate these transgressions.

She raises her hand, and a thick vine emerges from the ground. It wraps around the Green Goblin, squeezing him like a python or a boa. He gasps for air, but no one hears him. He struggles, but no one sees him.

She drags him underground, into the depths of her domain. His fate is uncertain. But she makes it clear that it will not be a gentle one.

And ungentle it was.

She then grabbed him by the face.

Gaea: "This is for Peter, Norman! To Hell with you!"

She then effortlessly crushed his head like a grape, causing blood and brain organs to spill out. A terrifying reminder that Gaea, while compassionate & kind, can also be cruel.

A/N: Hey guys and gals. I'm terribly sorry about the wait, I was just more occupied with my oneshot stories and the Astra Prime anthology series. But I've regained motivation to continue this one.

A/N: This is obviously another The Dark Knight Returns miniseries reference. And a God of War reference, but I think that whole "The cycle ends here" moment would also be conveyed in other events in different franchises. And Gaea crushing Green Goblin's head is obviously due to how strong she is. As an Elder Goddess, her strength surpassed the second generation of deities by an extremely long margin. And ending the Green Goblin would've done everyone else a favor.

A/N: Anyways, I hope you enjoy this one! Please tell me your thoughts, and unleash the comments & votes! See ya 👋! And I hope y'all had a good thanksgiving!

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