One word for this chapter….I like to think dramatic. You might think otherwise, but whatever you think, I hope you

Enjoy!

Fate.

You can believe in it, you may not believe in it. But by the end of the day, Jerome Clarke believed in it. He believed in it with all his heart.

Line Break

"Please," Jerome groaned "I don't wanna do it alone,"

"He's your mentor, dude," Eddie groaned, rolling over on the sofa in the drama room, burying his head into the cushions. He was exhausted. Captain America had taken over all of Spiderman's duties last night, so that Jerome could spend the night with Mara. "And I'm tired, I had to patrol alone last night,"

Jerome ran a hand through his hair, guiltily "But please. This is important Edison, this man could have murdered Harry's father," his voice dropped into a whisper. Eddie remained stubborn, and refused to meet his eyes. Jerome leaned back in the armchair, looking around "Where's Poppy and Harry?" he asked loudly, Mara, Joy and Fabian met each other's eyes, and looked back down, trying not to give the game away. Jerome didn't notice, sighing at the fact that Alfie didn't even react at his voice. He stood, and walked over to him. "Alfie?" he said quietly. Alfie made a point of looking up and Jerome stuck his hands in his pockets, almost nervously.

"I don't know where they are." He stated shortly. Willow shook her head at him, but Alfie ignored her. Jerome sighed.

"I'm gonna go be Spiderman," he said tiredly, everyone hummed their agreement, it was a tired and a slow day. They all had free periods, and even Mara was too bored to study. Jerome leaned down to kiss her forehead, and she looked up in surprise, as if she had forgotten how sweet and caring he was. How could that have slipped her mind, even for a moment? "See you later Jaffray?"

"Sure," she whispered, nodding with a smile, Amber cooed at how adorable it was, and Jerome went on his way.

Line Break

Poppy was nervous. Beyond nervous, Harry had told her to ditch the mask she had worn, and trade them with cool sports glasses, black with a neon strip down the sides, matching his own. It only hid their eyes. "How are we gonna get to where Doctor Conner works?" she asked. Harry looked up, smiling

"A while back," he began, walking down the long corridors of his mansion "My dad invested in a military company, it went downhill, fast, so he took everything he could that wasn't terrible," he stopped at a door, and pushed it open, to reveal another door a few metres back, typing in a code, it clicked open, revealing a totally metal room

"Cool," Poppy whispered, following him inside.

"This," Harry ran a hand through his brown curls, gesturing to a large, metal plate, shaped slightly like a large skateboard. He stood on top of it, side on, and it rose to his command, Poppy watched in awe, "Do you trust me?" he asked, holding out his hand. Poppy bit her lip, but he looked so irresistible, in his costume, with his sunglasses, hand out just for her.

"Of course I am," she adjusted her belt, filled with the marble contained potions, and took hold of his hand, gripping his waist as he flew them right out of the window.

Line Break

Fate.

Maybe fate that Jerome had showed up before them.

"Doc," Jerome breathed, after swinging over to Doctor Conner's office at full speed, it was deserted, another thing Jerome would later peg as being fate. "I need to talk to you,"

"Jerome!" he exclaimed, placing a hand over his heart and setting down his papers as Jerome landed in front of him. "You're going to be the death of me! Why are you all dressed up as Spiderman?"

"I need to talk to you about Mr Osborne," Jerome watched through his mask as Doctor Conners stiffened uncomfortably. He wanted to be sick. So it was true then? Doctor Conners had poisoned Mr Osborne. "Why?" Jerome whispered quietly "What more do you want? You've got a good job, you're arm back-"

"What are you talking about?" Doctor Conners frowned in confusion, when the window beside the two of them smashed. Jerome immediately jumped into action, making a web around Doctor Conners to keep him safe, even though he was a murderer.

"Harry? Poppy?" Jerome frowned in shock, as they both stood on a metal hovering plate, in matching costume "What's this?" he almost laughed at how bizarre it was.

"Do it." Harry ordered. Poppy looked up at him in shock

"He's my bro-"

"Throw it." Harry ordered "Doctor Conners is in there! He killed my father!" he grabbed the marble out of Poppy's hand, and threw it, but Jerome stuck out a web, catching it before it could smash. He brought it up to his face, and gasped.

"What the hell are you both doing?"

"You killed my father." Harry whispered, a tear fell from beneath his glasses, and Jerome sighed.

"No I didn't, Harry. Doctor Conners killed your fath-"

"No I didn't!" Doctor Conners cried. Harry narrowed his eyes at Jerome, scowling in anger.

"You killed him!" he roared at the top of his voice, charging the hovering plate towards Jerome who only just managed to swing away. Poppy screamed, holding onto the plate tightly, as Jerome swung out of the building into the city, and Harry followed, whizzing through the air behind him.

Jerome was breathing heavily, he could feel the force of Harry's will in the hover board behind him, he tried to swing faster but was trying to get his mind around things. What was Poppy doing with Harry? Why the hell was she with him, and why were they wearing matching costumes? Were they working together? Were they going to kill Doctor Conners for killing Harry's father? He wanted to cry.

"I'll squish you," Harry roared from behind him, Jerome looked around desperately, the wind raced past him, he could still hear Poppy's screams, he needed to get out of the city. He swung a sharp left, and could hear Harry grunt as he tried to control the hover board.

Soon, they got so far away from the city, to the dusty dry part of the country, miles and miles from where they had been, beside steep cliffs and valleys, and there was nothing for miles. Nothing for Jerome to swing too, so he shot a web under Harry's hover board, to be pulled along. Harry didn't express his frustration, apparently expecting it, flying it lower so that Jerome was being dragged along the dry and dusty ground. But Harry got so caught up in trying to fly lower, that the hover board hit a sharp rock, and all three of them tumbled off it, landed in the sand.

"Poppy!" Jerome cried, pulling off his mask and rushing to his sister, who's eyes were closed. Harry pushed himself off the ground in shock, his eyes trained on Poppy's limp body.

"No…" he whispered "No….she can't be dead, I lo-"

A shuddering breath was drawn from Poppy and both boys almost fainted in relief. She was okay, getting up slowly. Jerome stood, mirroring Harry. "What are you doing, Harry?"

"My fathers dying wish," he pulled off his sunglasses, tossing them to the ground, so that they could see each others faces. "You killed him, he told me to kill you,"

"Harry," Jerome raised his hands in innocence "I promise you, I didn't kill you father. I'd never met the man in my life."

"What were you doing with Doctor Conners?" Harry asked "Huh? Discussing on how well your plan worked?"

"I did-"

Harry smiled, as an idea struck. He noticed Poppy brushing herself off, limping slightly, but she was okay. "You're not the only one sneaking off to make plans Jerome, did you know, that I'm dating your little sister?"

Jerome froze, and Poppy looked up in complete shock. "What?" Jerome whispered

"Yeah," Harry laughed, as he goaded Jerome on, watching him get angry. "Yeah, me, me 16 year old Harry Osborne, I'm dating your little sister."

"You're not." Jerome clenched his fists in anger, visibly shaking. He turned to Poppy, but just one look at her face, and he knew Harry was telling the truth.

Harry's voice dropped to a whisper as he taunted Spiderman "I brush her hair back, and hold her in my arms, as I kiss her. Your baby sister Jerome," he was trying to make him uncontrollably angry, just for satisfaction, just to see him "Who knows what else we've done? Huh?" He started lying, ignoring Poppy's frantic gestures "Maybe I've taken advantage of your little sis-" Jerome couldn't take anymore, he leapt forward, tackling Harry to the ground, and the two boys rolled along the sandy plane, punching each other. Jerome had never been a physical person, but he was today.

But for every strong punch Jerome gave, Harry returned a better placed one, he apparently had judo training. But the difference was, Jerome's cuts healed, the dry blood only stained, but Harry, the normal human being, his cuts kept bleeding.

"Stop it!" Poppy cried, stamping her foot because they weren't listening to her "I said stop it!" then she screamed, because the two boys had just let go of each other, as they tumbling down a steep hill.

Poppy ran after them, sliding herself down the hill, only to cover her mouth in shock. They were about nine metres apart, but they were mirror images.

They were on the edge of the cliff.

Both of them, hanging, their two hands scrabbling for a grip, and slipping quickly. "Help me!" Jerome cried, raising his hand as he saw Poppy, he groaned in frustration. The drop was deep, leading down into a stone covered valley "Poppy please!" Jerome whispered, trying to shoot his web, but he was so exhausted from fighting someone, who had never been more of a match for him before "Please help me-"

"Poppy!" Harry cried, swallowing thickly, he had a deep gash in his forehead, and was bleeding profusely as it dripped down the side of his face. Poppy stood between them, completely frozen. "Poppy please…" he was crying, sobbing "I can't die! I can't die like my dad, Poppy please!"

Poppy's heart had stopped beating, a thousand thoughts racing through her mind, and she felt like she had paused forever, when in reality, it had only been half a second. Her first love? The man who loved her, and she loved him? Or her brother? She had known them both the same time, but one was family. But the other…could become her family. She looked between them, torn, and pulled at her hair in frustration. "Who do I go to?" she called loudly, as if they would help her. But both remained silent, not wanting to waste their remaining energy.

And she ran to Jerome.

He shuddered in relief as he pulled his arms up, and he collapsed onto his knees. When they both heard a crack, the edge supporting Harry was giving. He screamed, and they both rushed to him, Poppy leaned down, offering her arm, but the ledge had sunk, and was out of reach. Jerome lay on his stomach, eyes glistening "Harry, give me your hand," Harry stretched his arm upwards, sobbing, but it was obvious it couldn't reach. Jerome tried his web, again and again, but he just couldn't do it.

And Harry fell.

For a few moments, the Clarkes just watched in shock, until Poppy gripped Jerome's arm. Jerome nodded, flicking his wrist, and this time, the web came. He wrapped his arms around her, and lowered them down slowly. Poppy spotted him first, lying on his back on the rocks, one arm on his stomach, more blood on his head. "Harry!" she cried, running to him, Jerome ran after her, and the two knelt on either side, Poppy by his head, Jerome by his side. "Harry," she whispered, brushing the hair out of his eyes, as they flickering dimly, she got blood on her hands.

"Harry," Jerome looked at him, battered and bruised, and the way his Spidey sense was tingling, wasn't going to make it. "I'm so sorry, I…I just couldn't-"

"No," Harry swallowed thickly, meeting Jerome's eyes "No mate you didn't do this. I did this. I just…" his eyes watered and his voice broke "Wanted my dad to be proud of me,"

"He was," Poppy whispered

"Poppy," Harry felt his heart clutch in pain, just because he wasn't going to be with her anymore "I'm so sorry. I love you, I really do, what I did was wrong-"

"It's okay," she whispered, leaning down to kiss him softly. Jerome swallowed, watching them with teary blue eyes. Jerome took his hand, and Poppy rested her cheek on his, and the three of them cried.

"I'm okay dying like this," Harry whispered, almost smiling, Jerome gave a watery smile back, and Poppy just kissed his jaw. "Here with my friends…I can die like this,"

The red sky shone behind them, silhouetting their figures and elongating their shadows. Poppy looked down at the boy she loved, and almost felt her heart completely break when he turned his head towards her ear, and whispered with his dying breath, that she was his soul mate. Jerome watched Poppy cry, he watched his best friend die before him, and he stared right at the sun, and hoped to be blinded, so he could never witness it again.

But perhaps the entire day couldn't have been helped. Maybe it was always meant to pan out the way it did. So many little coincidences. Jerome wondered, maybe the whole thing was fate.

Review? OBVIOUSLY IF I DO A HARRY/POPPY SPIN OFF, HARRY WOULDN'T DIE. Otherwise it wouldn't be much of a story, would it?

Rachel: I think everyone hates algebra Hope the science was easy! Love you Rachel! Your reviews always make me smile! I love how you comment on certain things, because it let's me know that the readers are actually understanding what I'm writing…or maybe you and I are just on the same wave length!

Lorna: Don't you worry about a thing! I still love you! and both your reviews were so amazingly heart felt and wonderful that you could have posted them sometime next year and I wouldn't have minded! Your guesses were amazing and exactly right, anyone else! Goodbye Osbornes!

Beth: hahaha, ran out of ideas? Wow! I didn't know you were in the Philippines! That's so coooollll! I would love that! Christmas lasting like four months! Love your review, thank you so much

xxx