Several days later, Cooper was sitting at the table with his parents, eating breakfast before school and work. His parents had the news on, paying the most attention to the weather forecast.

"In other news, two prisoners escaped from the Grand City East Prison earlier today," the newscaster said. Both Cooper and James diverted their attention to the TV. "Beau Anderson and Alexander Hernandez were previously arrested under charges of aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, property damage, and others. They were last seen before a temporary power outage at the prison, where they were later found gone."

"Son of a bitch," James cursed.

"James," Amanda said, looking up at her husband.

"Sorry, babe," James replied with a small smile. "I just hate when this crap happens. Spider-Man helped put these guys away several days ago."

Ricochet and Ox, Cooper realized. He gritted his teeth. He understood his dad's frustration.

"Anyway," James said, standing up. "I gotta get down to the station, try to work out this mess."

"Have a good day. And stay safe," Amanda said as her husband walked towards the front door.

"I will," James replied.

"Bye, Dad," Cooper called out.

"See ya, son," James said, closing the door behind him, his car pulling out not long after.

"I better get to school," Cooper said as he stood up. He grabbed his backpack and headed out the door.

"Love you!" Amanda called.

"Love you too," Cooper replied, headed for the bus stop.

On the bus, Cooper took his usual seat beside Kate. A few minutes later, Seth got on, taking his spot.

"Yo, guys," Seth said as the bus started moving again.

"What's up, Seth?" Cooper replied, not looking up from his phone.

"Are you going to the carnival on Halloween?" Seth asked.

"The one on 13th Street?" Kate asked.

Seth nodded.

"Most of the team is going, so yeah, I'll probably be there," Kate replied.

"Oh, sweet! What about you, Coop?"

"Um," Cooper started, looking up from his phone. "Yeah, I'll try to make it."

"Nice, man. You better," Seth chuckled, leaning back in his seat as they got closer to the school.

Cooper went back to his phone, trying carefully to hide it from his friends. He typed on his keyboard for a few seconds before hitting enter. He had searched up public records regarding Beau Anderson and Alexander Hernandez, trying to learn as much as he could. From what he could gather, they started out small-time in Texas, but they managed to climb up the chain some along the way. As he continued looking through records, Cooper noticed a pattern. There were frequent mentions of a third person in the reports, somebody named Carson Shaw. Eventually, Cooper stumbled across a photo of the three, and something clicked. Cooper looked right into Carson's eyes in the photo, and he could practically see the green goggles and yellow mask over his face. Carson was Shocker.

Cooper locked his phone, looking out the window while his friends talked beside him. Determination fueling him, Cooper wasn't going to give the Enforcers a second chance.

Carson led Beau and Alex into Grady's lab, who was watching his many computer screens.

"You sure we're good?" Carson asked, shutting the big door behind them.

"Yes. No patrols anywhere near this area," Grady replied, swinging around in his chair.

"Listen, Grady. Thanks for helping us get out. According to Carson, we couldn't have done it without you," Beau said with Alex nodding in agreement.

"Of course, gentlemen. We're partners. We help each other," Grady replied.

After a pause, Carson spoke. "Alright, I know we just got back, but we have another job: taking down Spider-Man. You in or not?"

Dark smiles crept up on Beau and Alex's lips.

"Revenge, huh? On the Spider?" Beau said. "I'm in."

"Alex?" Carson asked.

Alex nodded.

"It's settled, then," Carson said, his own smile showing up. "We'll plan, and we won't be stupid this time. We won't rush things. We'll carefully plan everything out. The Spider-Man won't have a chance."

A few days later, on Halloween night, Cooper walked into the carnival on 13th Street. He quickly spotted Seth, who had his face painted like an evil clown.

"Hey, Coop!" Seth exclaimed, running up to his friend. "Aw, you're not wearing a costume? No paint, nothing?"

Cooper chuckled. "Nah, I'm boring," he said, looking down at his own bright orange jack-o-lantern t-shirt.

Seth chuckled. "Whatever, man. Hey, let's go find Kate. She's at a booth with the rest of the volleyball team," he said, leading his friend along. They quickly found Kate, who was at a booth with her team, selling treats, such as caramel apples, cookies, drinks, and candy. The whole team was wearing costumes, Kate wearing skeleton clothes with her face painted white. "Hey, Katie, what's up?!" Seth exclaimed as they approached the booth.

Kate rolled her eyes. "I swear, if you call me Katie again, I'll strangle you," she said with a sly smile. "Hey, Cooper, glad you could make it."

"Yeah, of course," Cooper replied. "Got a fundraiser going?"

"Yeah, coach suggested it. To help a little," Kate said. "Want anything?"

Cooper shrugged, grabbing a soda. He forked over a couple of dollars, cracking the soda open.

"Thanks," Kate smiled. "Anyway, I'll take a break here in a minute if you guys wanna do anything."

"Sure," Seth replied, paying for a caramel apple, Cooper nodding as well. "We'll meet you in a bit."

Kate nodded. "Ok, see you soon."

Cooper and Seth walked around the carnival, mostly just looking around. Eventually, they stopped at a skee-ball game. "Ten bucks says I win," Seth said, smirking.

Cooper laughed. "Alright, let's do it," he replied. They paid the carny, who gave them their skee-balls. Once the score reset, they were off. Cooper started rolling the balls, Seth his. Cooper got lucky and made a couple in high score holes early, but Seth managed to hit the highest score hole once. They quickly rolled the rest of the balls, trying to beat the other. "Yes!" Cooper exclaimed as Seth's last ball landed ten points. Cooper had won by 30. "Pay up. This was your idea," he said, smirking.

"That was bullshit," Seth laughed, pulling out his wallet. He slapped a crisp Hamilton in Cooper's palm.

"Get beat, Seth?" Kate said, walking up to the two boys. She had washed the white makeup off her face.

"He got lucky," Seth grinned.

Cooper laughed, shaking his head. "Whatever, dude."

"So what now?" Seth asked, still smiling.

"I've heard the view from the Ferris wheel is nice," Kate said. "If you guys wanna do that."

"Sure, sounds fine with me," Cooper replied.

"Well, let's go!" Seth said, already walking ahead. "Shit, tell Ashlyn to meet us there, Kate."

Kate shook her head with a laugh. "She's working, Seth."

"Ehhh," Seth replied, swiping his hand. "I'll get her someday."

At the Ferris wheel, Kate gave them each a ticket, and they got in line. Once they got down the line, Seth looked back. Cooper noticed him staring. "What's up?" Cooper asked.

Seth bit his lip. "Damn, she's bad," he said. "I'll catch up with you guys!" Seth ran out of line and went to the back, where he got right behind another girl, who he soon started a conversation with.

Cooper chuckled, watching.

"He's such a flirt," Kate said with a smile.

"Yeah," Cooper replied. "If he gets a girlfriend, I'll legitimately be concerned."

Kate laughed. "It'll probably knock some sense into him."

By then, the two got to the front of the line, getting inside the gondola, which slowly took them up.

"I can't believe it's already Halloween," Kate said, looking out at the ground, seeing all of the decorations. "Time flies."

"Yeah," Cooper said, also looking out. "Christmas will be here before we know it."

"Yeah," Kate said, looking back at Cooper. She loved the way the dark sky seemed to glow behind him, the Ferris wheel lights giving off a soft glow. It was a very peaceful, intimate setting. She wanted to kiss him right there, but she was too afraid. Afraid of rejection.

Cooper turned and locked eyes with Kate. Something sparked deep within him, but he ignored it, pushing it down. He forced his eyes to look down at their shoes, feeling somewhat awkward. "So, um… how's the fundraiser? It seems cool," he said, looking back up, but he still didn't make eye contact.

"Uh, no, it's good. It's good," Kate replied, also avoiding eye contact now.

"That's good," Cooper said. He wanted to slap himself. What the hell was wrong with him? He was struggling to have a conversation, something he never had problems with. "So what're you doing after the carnival? I mean, I know it's still going on for a couple of hours, but I'm just… wondering."

Kate's face lit up some, but of course, Cooper didn't notice. "Nothing. Nothing. Some of my teammates are going to that diner around the block. I thought about going," Kate said. "You're more than welcome to come. If you want."

"Yeah. I mean, I'll try," Cooper replied with a smile. "Thanks."

Kate nodded, swiping a loose strand of hair out of her face, trying to hide her cheeks growing red.

The two spent the next couple of minutes making small talk before getting off the Ferris wheel, Seth getting off soon after.

"No girl?" Cooper asked as Seth walked back over to the two.

"Nope," Seth replied. "She's been texting a guy, so that was a pretty awkward ride."

Both Cooper and Kate laughed. "You need to settle down, man," Cooper joked.

Seth laughed back. "Maybe someday, dude," he said as he started walking, Kate following him.

Cooper started to follow, but he stopped when his phone went off. He pulled it out of his pocket and read it, looking back up at his friends when he was done. They hadn't noticed yet. Cooper put his phone back in his pocket and ran in the opposite direction, headed for the alley where he stashed his backpack.

Cooper, now in his Spider-Man uniform, landed on the roof of the museum exhibit. It was the same one from several days before, when he had taken down Ricochet and Ox. Something was very off. Cooper jumped down through the broken skylight, landing quietly on the floor below. He slowly started walking around, when his spider-sense went off. He turned just in time for the green blast to hit him in the face.

Shocker emerged from the shadows with a chuckle. "Did you think we'd quit that easy?" He called out.

"We?" Cooper asked, getting up. He only saw Shocker, at least until his spider-sense went off again. He flew through the air, getting hit in the back from Ox.

Ricochet ran out from the shadows, jumping and grabbing Cooper in midair, using his shockwave from his suit to send Cooper the other direction.

Cooper coughed as he looked up. All three of the Enforcers stood in front of him.

"You made me abandon my team," Shocker growled.

"I didn't make you," Cooper replied, standing up with a groan. "You could've went to jail with them. Would've made me happier."

Shocker chuckled. "Yeah. But then I wouldn't be here, doing this," he said raised his arms, pointing his gauntlets right at Cooper.

Cooper quickly took his chance. He fired a web-line at Shocker's arm, flipping to the side, pulling the web at an angle. This made Shocker's arm swing right into Ricochet's face, knocking him down.

Ox raised his gun and started firing shots towards Cooper, who swung and flipped to avoid the bullets. Cooper swung towards the Enforcers, kicking Shocker, who was trying to pull the web off of his gauntlets, into Ox, knocking both of them down.

By then, Ricochet got back up, unsheathing his katanas. He threw one, cutting Spider-Man's web, making him fall to the down. Ricochet sprinted towards Spider-Man and lunged, swinging his remaining katana.

Cooper flipped backwards, narrowly missing the katana blade. As he flipped, he fired a quick web at Ricochet's face, temporary blinding him.

"NO MORE GAMES!" Shocker yelled as he got up. He fired a shockwave, hitting Spider-Man as he landed his flip. He flew across the room, hitting a stone column. Shocker walked over to the fallen Spider, Ox following, Ricochet cutting the web off of his face.

Cooper could hear the Enforcers in front of him. He started to get up, but he was knocked back against the column by Ox's large foot. Cooper looked up, his body aching.

Ricochet stepped forward, setting his foot against Cooper's chest. He held his remaining katana against his neck.

"Like I said," Shocker breathed. "No more games."

"Agreed," Cooper replied quietly. He kicked Ricochet in the stomach, pushing himself up. He grabbed the katana by the blade, kicking Ricochet again, making him lose the sword, while Ricochet fell backwards.

By then, the sound of sirens were heard in the distance, quickly getting louder.

Cooper threw the sword backwards. He fired a web-line at Ox's gun and slid under his legs, pulling Ox down. Cooper shot a web at Shocker's face, pulling it downwards, connecting it with his knee. Shocker stumbled backwards, his green goggles shattered.

Ricochet jumped up and charged Spider-Man, tackling him to the ground. He quickly flipped Spider-Man around, activating his shockwave. He hit the ceiling above and fell, narrowly catching himself with a web.

Shocker slowly got up. He aimed his gauntlets and screamed, letting his rage boil over.

Cooper was hit by the shockwave, flying into the wall behind him. Every time he tried to move, he was hit by another shockwave. He wasn't quick enough, the fatigue getting the better of him.

The cops started pounding at the door, trying to enter the building.

"Beau! Get Alex and get out of here!" Shocker yelled, continuing the fire shockwaves.

Ricochet ran over to Ox and helped him up. "What about you?" Ricochet yelled back.

"I'll be behind you. And if I'm not, I'll be dead," Shocker growled.

Ricochet and Ox retreated to the massive hole in the ground, where they jumped in.

Cooper fired a web towards a chunk of debris. When he had an opportune moment, he swung it towards Shocker, knocking him to the ground. Cooper sprinted towards Shocker and tackled him as he tried to stand up. All it took was three good punches to knock Shocker unconscious.

Cooper climbed off of Shocker, his body aching. He slowly stood up and fired a web at the skylight, pulling himself up just as the police ran in.

On the roof, Cooper laid on his back as he listened to the cops below take care of business. He was honestly about to fall asleep until he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He figured it was either Seth or Kate, but it wasn't. Cooper sat up as he read the crime alert. As much as it pained him, he jumped up and swung off.

Cooper approached DDX, which was already smoking from the fire. Firefighters were running around, trying to put them out, while EMS were tending to the injured. Cooper climbed in the same window he had when the Enforcers were here. Climbing along the ceiling, Cooper trusted his gut and crawled towards the server room.

When he eventually found the door to the server room, it was barricaded with various debris. Cooper crawled through the same air vent, jumping down into the room.

In the room, a man stood at one of the consoles, typing away. He was wearing armor, along with a hood that covered his head. The armor was different shades of gray and dark green, along with hits of purple. The man chuckled as Cooper cautiously moved towards him. "I wondered when you'd get here," the man said, his voice slightly higher than expected.

"What are you doing here?" Cooper asked, stopping. "These servers were wiped. There's nothing to get."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. The main servers were wiped, yes. But not their secret server that they have buried away. That's where they have their dirty secrets," the man chuckled deeply.

This guy was legitimately scaring Cooper. He didn't know why, but whenever he spoke, the hair on his arms stood up. He couldn't be trusted. "What kind of secrets?"

"Projects that the public, and especially the government, wouldn't want to know about. They're quite extreme, if you ask me," the man turned his head just enough for Cooper to catch a glance of a glowing orange eye coming from his mask. "And now they're mine."

Cooper continued watching. How did this guy know all of this? "Who are you?" He asked. It was a stupid question. As if he would say.

The man chuckled. "Now, now. I can't tell mine if you don't spill yours. It's why we wear these things," he replied, tapping on his metal mask. "But if you must call me something, I think the Goblin describes me quite well." He unplugged a drive from the console and turned around, letting his orange eyes glare. The mask did have a goblin-type feel to it.

Cooper put his fists up, not saying a word.

Goblin sighed. He walked towards Cooper.

When he got within range, Cooper swung. Goblin ducked under the punch and delivered an incredibly quick one-two punch to Cooper's face, knocking him down. Cooper gasped for air. The pain. Not even Ox had hit him that hard.

"See you soon, Spider-Man," the Goblin said. He tapped on a control panel on his wrist. Some type of glider came down from the hole in the ceiling, the Goblin jumping on it and flying away.

Cooper slowly sat up, his head pounding. He pulled his mask off, letting his face get fresh air. Breathing heavily, he pulled out his phone and tapped on the camera. There wasn't any bruising, probably thanks to his powers. As he was examining his face, he got a text from Kate, asking if he was going to be able to make it to the diner. He responded he would, putting his phone away. He climbed up through the same hole in the ceiling as the Goblin had, where he jumped off and swung back towards the carnival. As he was swinging, questions pulsed alongside the pain in his head. Who was the Goblin? And what was his game?