Sinister Intentions

"Ack!" Gwen grunted as Giganta swatted her away, sending her flying. She shot out a webline, and quickly regained control, zipping through the air back to a safe spot.

"Emily! Hobgoblin's here... and he's got some buddies with him!" she told the vampire woman through her comm link.

"Shit! Well, I can't say I wasn't expecting him to have backup... try to keep them busy. I'm sending some of the girls out to help!"

"I can do that," Gwen answered back as she spotted Scorpion's stinger, webbing it to the ground as she swung out of the way. "Talk later. Hellcat! How're things going on your end?"

"I'm not dead -- I consider that a win right now," Trish answered as she dodged Hobgoblin's pumpkin bombs. "You know these guys?"

"Some of 'em, yeah," Gwen answered, slingshotting herself back into the fray and nailing Giganta with a well placed kick to the jaw. "Looks like Goblin recruited some new blood, though. Guess Doc Ock wasn't returning his calls."

"Yeah, it's a mix of familiar faces and some total weirdos..." Trish answered. "How well do you know these guys?"

"Well, I have way too much experience with goblins, and fishbowl and Scorp are old friends," Gwen said as she fired off web lines to bind Giganta's wrists. "Wonder Girl's told me all about the giant lady... and I think the mud guy and Mr. Freezegun are Gothamites. No idea what they're doing here..."

"I'm sure they'll tell you if you ask nicely," Vixen interjected as she leapt into the fight, flanked by Fire & Ice.

"Damn, you ladies got here fast," Gwen remarked. "Not that I'm complaining. Did your boss give you any instructions for us?"

"Keep these guys away from the show -- and from X'ara. And take Kingsley down," Vixen explained, smirking at the web-slinging spider-woman as she landed beside her. "We expose him her as the Hobgoblin, and he's finished. He won't be able to worm his way out of prison after his little public display the other night..."

"Yeah, I heard you were there for that," Gwen remarked as the group began to take the fight to the Hobgoblin and his hired help. "I bet you've been looking forward to round two, huh?"

"You have no idea," Mari replied as she lunged lunged at Scorpion. She, Tora and Beatriz help turn the tide against the Sinister Six's new lineup; Mysterio bailed immediately after coming face-to-face with Vixen, leaving Hobgoblin's group down a man which allowed the heroes to gain the upper hand. They managed to keep the rest of the group at bay until the show had finished up, allowing the spectators to make their exit and ensuring the safety of the crowd.

Unfortunately, when X'ara (flanked by MJ & Kori) had made her way outside, she was spotted by Hobgoblin, who made a beeline for her. Just seeing her set him off somehow, and he immediately swooped down in an attempt to take her out.

"MJ... look after X'ara for me. I'll deal with Hobgoblin," Kori said, firing off a round of starbolts in the air to counter Kingsley's pumpkin bombs. She took to the air to duel Hobgoblin, while MJ guided X'ara back inside.

"Back off, freak. I haven't got time for you," Hobgoblin hissed. Kori continued to hurl starbolts and energy beams at Hobgoblin, but in his increasingly unhinged state, he seemed to keep getting stronger.

"X'ara is under my protection. As long as I draw breath, you will not harm her," Kori said defiantly as the duel intensified while onlookers watched below. It wasn't long before Hobgoblin connected with a heavy strike, knocking Kori back. Kingsley charged in on his glider, grabbing Kori by the throat. "Then I'll have to remedy that quickly..." he growled as he tightened his grip.

Gwen, seeing her window of opportunity, sprung into action, leaping onto Hobgoblin's back and slamming a syringe with the Goblin serum antidote into his arm. The effects were almost immediate, as Kingsley found himself weakening, allowing Kori to slip free from his grasp.

"Thank you, Gwen. Your help is much appreciated," Kori said to the spider-woman as Hobgoblin lost control of his glider, tumbling to the ground.

"Any time. Kori. You know I've always got your back." Gwen replied, landing next to the downed Hobgoblin and webbing him up. "Now, for the Scooby-Doo style unmasking -- let's see who this Hobgoblin *really* is... OK, we already know who it is, but let's confirm it for everyone else."

Gwen pulled off the goblin mask and revealed to the press and the public what she and everyone else at Looker aready knew -- that the mysterious Hobgoblin that had been terrorizing New York City was, indeed, fashion mogul Roderick Kingsley. The press immediately began taking pictures, and it was instantly obvious -- Kingsley was finished.

Which is why it was so confusing to Gwen & Kori when he started cackling maniacally. "You think I'm done, don't you?"

"Uhh, you look pretty done to me. That antidote's purging your body of all that goblin crap -- you do realize that, right?" Gwen said apprehensively. She didn't like where this was going...

Kingsley's body began to grow, his muscles expanding to a freakish size as he tore through Gwen's webbing. Gwen & Kori looked on as Kingsley went through a transformation that very much reminded them of Bruce Banner's transformations into the Hulk.

"NOT... DONE... YET!" Kingsley roared as the people who had gathered around him started to panic. Fortunately for Gwen & Kori, they didn't seem to be his target as he charged into the theater.

"MJ... X'ara!" Kori exclaimed. She immediately shot into the theater after Kingsley, followed closely by Gwen. They didn't know how they were going to take Kingsley down now, but they knew they couldn't hesitate... even if things were going to get much worse before they got better.