Author's Note: Thank you everyone who has reviewed thus far. ^_^ Anyway, here's the third chapter, yes, I realize it's a little slow... but the the next chapter is so worth this one. Especially if you're a Norman fan. Anyway, read and keep reviewing! I like reviews. Katrina likes reviews. They make us feel special and let us know we're not writing for our health. x.x
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"Three hundred dollars each for those great pictures," Peter sighed, closing the door to the apartment quickly. "What a jip." He often spoke with himself, especially in the past month, since Harry hadn't been as available now, what with a company to run and all. "Maybe I should just go on strike." He cracked open a Mountain Dew and took a large gulp of the caffeine drink, swallowing slowly. God did he love Mountain Dew, not to mention the caffeine.
"Yeah, that's it. What would Jameson do if I didn't keep bringing him pictures of myself? Maybe he'd give me a raise." He shook his head, laughing almost bitterly at the statement. The day his boss ever gave anyone a raise was the day he unmasked himself as Spiderman. "That'll never happen."
But before the chestnut-haired youth could consider his strike idea further, the phone was suddenly ringing urgently from its place in the loft apartment's small kitchen.
The boy nearly choked on his drink when the phone rang, surprising him more than he had ever been before. For a few moments, he wondered if Jameson might be psychic and was calling to assure him that he was fired and would not be missed. But, as he picked up the phone, something in the back of his mind told him this was not so. Something told him this was more serious, and, at the same time, much more important. It was as if his Spider sense was on the verge of going off... and it felt odd, something Peter did not like in the least.
"Hello?"
For several seconds there was nothing but deafening silence and then finally, the person on the other side of the receiver spoke, voice shaking. "Peter? It's Harry."
"Oh," He let out a sigh of relief, a smile appearing on his face even though he knew his friend could not possibly see it. "Hey Harry. What's up? You still at work?"
"Yeah," Harry answered. "Look, Peter, could you possibly come down here?"
"What?" Okay, so it wasn't that he hadn't heard Harry, it was more that Peter didn't believe what he was hearing. He'd never, since he'd known Harry or his father, been invited to Oscorp, and frankly, he was taken aback by his friend's request. "Oh, uh, yeah sure. I'll be there as soon as I can." The youth paused, before continuing, "Is everything okay?"
* I hope so. *
"Yeah. But I need a hand with something, and I think you're a bit better qualified than I am... Just hurry, ok?"
"Alright, no problem. I'll be right there." With that, the young genius hung the phone up, grabbing his coat and heading straight out the door.
*
It had been twenty minutes since he last spoke to Harry on the phone. The urgency in the elder boy's voice had made Peter take... the express route, so to speak, and he had reached Oscorp within ten minutes. But in his haste to see his friend, he'd forgotten that he had never been in this building before, and, as a result, had become utterly lost.
Meandering down a few halls, he heard tidbits of different conversations. Something about Harry and how he'd refused to have his father's office cleaned out. That was understandable, at least, to Peter anyway. Another tidbit, and he had discovered that his father's office was on the top floor. He was making progress. If his father's office was on the top, the Harry's had to be nearby.
"That seems only logical. I'm such an idiot at times." Peter stated, stepping into the elevator and hitting the top button. With a ping, he stepped off, glancing around the seemingly deserted halls for any sign of his roommate and friend.
"Peter!" Harry's voice rang out through the corridor. Standing in front of the office's doors was the slightly aged-looking Osborn boy, his brow furrowed in worry.
"Harry!" Peter responded, immediately rushing over to his friend's side. "Sorry I wasn't here sooner," He gave his friend a weak smile. "I got kind of lost." Pushing a hand through his silken hair, the blue-eyed youth glanced around for a second, the eerieness of the hall setting him a little on edge.
"What's going on? What's the emergency?"
"I..." the other man started, emotion catching his voice in his throat, making it hard to continue. Pausing for a moment, he took a deep breath before trying once again. "I can't explain it. Just... come with me in there?" Pointing to the closed door that lead to his father's old office, Harry pushed it open and shot a pleading glance over his shoulder. Then, slowly, the young Osborn entered the room, praying that his friend would follow.
Peter shot his friend a questioning glance, following him slowly. The name on the door made him apprehensive and, for a moment, Peter considered making up an excuse and running. But he couldn't do that, not to Harry. Shutting the door behind him, Peter glanced around the room slowly, and, seeing no glider or flightsuit, he let out a sigh of relief.
"Harry..." He didn't know what to say really, so instead, he let the beginning of his sentence fade away and waited for his roommate to begin speaking once more.
Though before the auburn-haired youth could utter a word, the chair on the other side of his father's desk turned as it had when Harry had entered the first time, revealing Norman Osborn once again. In valuable seconds worth of silence, the former head of Oscorp stared at Harry with cool, questioning eyes, as though he didn't remember his own son. And then, slowly, the same confused stare moved to focus on Peter.
"Parker?" Osborn asked, his voice hoarse. "Peter Parker?"
His voice caught in his throat, a gasp the only thing able to escape from Peter Parker. His blue eyes locked tightly on the man before him. A man he had previously thought dead. A man that had tried to kill him. What was this? Was he a ghost? That was completely illogical, he knew that, but... how did one explain this.
"Mr..." He couldn't get the words to come out. All Peter Parker was able to do was stare at the ghost of the man that sat before him. This was crazy. Was he dreaming? But slowly, he nodded his head, eyes still wide in surprise and confusion.
"Mr. Osborn?"
"Peter, oh Peter," the older man repeated softly, his lost expression fading into one of relief.
Content that his roommate had seen enough and in need of a moment or two of private conversation with Peter, Harry linked his arm with Peter's and eased the younger boy gently towards the door. "C'mmon Peter - we need to talk."
And suddenly the same terrified, child-like eyes Norman had used on the chestnut-tressed boy's alter ego to beg for his life were focused on Harry's back. "No Harry," he whispered, the apprehension that had been banished only seconds before creeping slowly back onto Norman's face. "Don't leave me here. Please...?"
The young Osborn paused, shooting a glance back at his father. "We'll be right back dad," Harry said softly, he tone one of forced reassurance that was the exact opposite of the look of worry on the young man's face. Then, silently, he was easing Peter towards the door again. And only once they stood outside the small office, with the door closed tightly behind them, did he dare to speak.
"It's a miracle Peter. It's a miracle. He's alive. It's really him. Did you see his suit? It's covered in dirt. He must have been alive when they buried him. And here he is now. He doesn't remember anything... but he's alive." Taking a deep breath, Harry fought back tears and the rather confusing string of words that threatened to over take him. Then, once he had regained his composure, he began trying to explain what had happened in a slower, saner manner.
"I found him in there this morning. He barely seems to be aware of what's going on around him... I mean, you saw the way he looked at us. And he didn't know how he got back to Oscorp either... It's as if something's wrong with his memory." Harry frowned, but his eyes remained hopeful. "There's gotta be a way to help him... There's gotta be a way to get my dad back to the way he was before Spiderman took him."
Without realizing it, the older man fell back into his frantic rant. "I don't want anyone to see him like this, though... So I can't take him to a shrink or a doctor. You've gotta help him Peter, I... I don't trust anyone else."
"But how?" The look in his friend's eyes struck a chord in Peter. He wanted to help, he really did, even if this was his former arch-nemesis. But Peter was no fool, far from it actually. He was not a psychology major and he had trouble socializing with people as it was. How was he supposed to get Norman Osborn out of this state? Moreover, if he could figure out a way to do that, how could he make sure that he didn't awaken the Green Goblin once more? It was confusing, and the younger boy couldn't help but look away from Harry's eyes, disappointed with the fact that he couldn't think of anyway to help him. He wanted to help, he really did, but...
"I don't know what I can do..."
"Just try. Please Peter?" he responded, his eyes once more threatening to overflow with tears. "...I want my dad back..."
Peter couldn't answer at first, searching Harry's eyes for something, anything. Finally, after a few minutes of contemplating the situation, Peter nodded hesitantly. Maybe there -was- a way for him to help Harry and Norman at the same time. Maybe...
"Sure Harry. I'll try, I promise you that."
A sigh of relief passed over the other boy's lips, the apprehension in his eyes fading only to be replaced by a glimmer of hope. "Thanks, Pete. I appreciate it."
Peter nodded in response, eyes travelling back to the door, which held his former enemy's name. He was crazy. Why was he doing this? One look into Harry's eyes answered his question and brunette smiled slightly. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea. Maybe he was going to be able to help the Osborn family after all.
"You're going to be there to help right?"
"Are you kidding me?" he asked, a wry smile touching his features. "This is a miracle. My dad's back... and there's no way I'm gonna push him aside for anything. I'll be there."
"Good. As long as I don't have to do this on my own, I think we will succeed." He placed a reassuring hand on the older boy's shoulder. "I'm happy for you Harry. Really, I am."
"Thanks," Harry repeated, shooting a glance at his father's office. "We'd better get back in there before he freaks out... You ready?"
Peter hesitated for a moment, eyes flying from Harry to the door. This was it. Taking a deep breath, he nodded, his mind screaming at him the whole time. His heart, however, forced him to ignore his mind, as it so often does, and Peter moved next to Harry, deciding it would probably be better if Norman Osborn saw his son enter the room first. "After you, my friend."
Harry simply nodded, pushing the door to the small office open once again. For a moment, the young Osborn hesitated, as though he expected his father to yell at him for not knocking as had often been the case when he had been younger. And then, realizing that no scolding would come, that his father barely remembered his name, let alone the fact that he liked to have people knock before they entered, he moved inside.
"We're here, dad. Peter and I are here..."
---------------------------------------------------
"Three hundred dollars each for those great pictures," Peter sighed, closing the door to the apartment quickly. "What a jip." He often spoke with himself, especially in the past month, since Harry hadn't been as available now, what with a company to run and all. "Maybe I should just go on strike." He cracked open a Mountain Dew and took a large gulp of the caffeine drink, swallowing slowly. God did he love Mountain Dew, not to mention the caffeine.
"Yeah, that's it. What would Jameson do if I didn't keep bringing him pictures of myself? Maybe he'd give me a raise." He shook his head, laughing almost bitterly at the statement. The day his boss ever gave anyone a raise was the day he unmasked himself as Spiderman. "That'll never happen."
But before the chestnut-haired youth could consider his strike idea further, the phone was suddenly ringing urgently from its place in the loft apartment's small kitchen.
The boy nearly choked on his drink when the phone rang, surprising him more than he had ever been before. For a few moments, he wondered if Jameson might be psychic and was calling to assure him that he was fired and would not be missed. But, as he picked up the phone, something in the back of his mind told him this was not so. Something told him this was more serious, and, at the same time, much more important. It was as if his Spider sense was on the verge of going off... and it felt odd, something Peter did not like in the least.
"Hello?"
For several seconds there was nothing but deafening silence and then finally, the person on the other side of the receiver spoke, voice shaking. "Peter? It's Harry."
"Oh," He let out a sigh of relief, a smile appearing on his face even though he knew his friend could not possibly see it. "Hey Harry. What's up? You still at work?"
"Yeah," Harry answered. "Look, Peter, could you possibly come down here?"
"What?" Okay, so it wasn't that he hadn't heard Harry, it was more that Peter didn't believe what he was hearing. He'd never, since he'd known Harry or his father, been invited to Oscorp, and frankly, he was taken aback by his friend's request. "Oh, uh, yeah sure. I'll be there as soon as I can." The youth paused, before continuing, "Is everything okay?"
* I hope so. *
"Yeah. But I need a hand with something, and I think you're a bit better qualified than I am... Just hurry, ok?"
"Alright, no problem. I'll be right there." With that, the young genius hung the phone up, grabbing his coat and heading straight out the door.
*
It had been twenty minutes since he last spoke to Harry on the phone. The urgency in the elder boy's voice had made Peter take... the express route, so to speak, and he had reached Oscorp within ten minutes. But in his haste to see his friend, he'd forgotten that he had never been in this building before, and, as a result, had become utterly lost.
Meandering down a few halls, he heard tidbits of different conversations. Something about Harry and how he'd refused to have his father's office cleaned out. That was understandable, at least, to Peter anyway. Another tidbit, and he had discovered that his father's office was on the top floor. He was making progress. If his father's office was on the top, the Harry's had to be nearby.
"That seems only logical. I'm such an idiot at times." Peter stated, stepping into the elevator and hitting the top button. With a ping, he stepped off, glancing around the seemingly deserted halls for any sign of his roommate and friend.
"Peter!" Harry's voice rang out through the corridor. Standing in front of the office's doors was the slightly aged-looking Osborn boy, his brow furrowed in worry.
"Harry!" Peter responded, immediately rushing over to his friend's side. "Sorry I wasn't here sooner," He gave his friend a weak smile. "I got kind of lost." Pushing a hand through his silken hair, the blue-eyed youth glanced around for a second, the eerieness of the hall setting him a little on edge.
"What's going on? What's the emergency?"
"I..." the other man started, emotion catching his voice in his throat, making it hard to continue. Pausing for a moment, he took a deep breath before trying once again. "I can't explain it. Just... come with me in there?" Pointing to the closed door that lead to his father's old office, Harry pushed it open and shot a pleading glance over his shoulder. Then, slowly, the young Osborn entered the room, praying that his friend would follow.
Peter shot his friend a questioning glance, following him slowly. The name on the door made him apprehensive and, for a moment, Peter considered making up an excuse and running. But he couldn't do that, not to Harry. Shutting the door behind him, Peter glanced around the room slowly, and, seeing no glider or flightsuit, he let out a sigh of relief.
"Harry..." He didn't know what to say really, so instead, he let the beginning of his sentence fade away and waited for his roommate to begin speaking once more.
Though before the auburn-haired youth could utter a word, the chair on the other side of his father's desk turned as it had when Harry had entered the first time, revealing Norman Osborn once again. In valuable seconds worth of silence, the former head of Oscorp stared at Harry with cool, questioning eyes, as though he didn't remember his own son. And then, slowly, the same confused stare moved to focus on Peter.
"Parker?" Osborn asked, his voice hoarse. "Peter Parker?"
His voice caught in his throat, a gasp the only thing able to escape from Peter Parker. His blue eyes locked tightly on the man before him. A man he had previously thought dead. A man that had tried to kill him. What was this? Was he a ghost? That was completely illogical, he knew that, but... how did one explain this.
"Mr..." He couldn't get the words to come out. All Peter Parker was able to do was stare at the ghost of the man that sat before him. This was crazy. Was he dreaming? But slowly, he nodded his head, eyes still wide in surprise and confusion.
"Mr. Osborn?"
"Peter, oh Peter," the older man repeated softly, his lost expression fading into one of relief.
Content that his roommate had seen enough and in need of a moment or two of private conversation with Peter, Harry linked his arm with Peter's and eased the younger boy gently towards the door. "C'mmon Peter - we need to talk."
And suddenly the same terrified, child-like eyes Norman had used on the chestnut-tressed boy's alter ego to beg for his life were focused on Harry's back. "No Harry," he whispered, the apprehension that had been banished only seconds before creeping slowly back onto Norman's face. "Don't leave me here. Please...?"
The young Osborn paused, shooting a glance back at his father. "We'll be right back dad," Harry said softly, he tone one of forced reassurance that was the exact opposite of the look of worry on the young man's face. Then, silently, he was easing Peter towards the door again. And only once they stood outside the small office, with the door closed tightly behind them, did he dare to speak.
"It's a miracle Peter. It's a miracle. He's alive. It's really him. Did you see his suit? It's covered in dirt. He must have been alive when they buried him. And here he is now. He doesn't remember anything... but he's alive." Taking a deep breath, Harry fought back tears and the rather confusing string of words that threatened to over take him. Then, once he had regained his composure, he began trying to explain what had happened in a slower, saner manner.
"I found him in there this morning. He barely seems to be aware of what's going on around him... I mean, you saw the way he looked at us. And he didn't know how he got back to Oscorp either... It's as if something's wrong with his memory." Harry frowned, but his eyes remained hopeful. "There's gotta be a way to help him... There's gotta be a way to get my dad back to the way he was before Spiderman took him."
Without realizing it, the older man fell back into his frantic rant. "I don't want anyone to see him like this, though... So I can't take him to a shrink or a doctor. You've gotta help him Peter, I... I don't trust anyone else."
"But how?" The look in his friend's eyes struck a chord in Peter. He wanted to help, he really did, even if this was his former arch-nemesis. But Peter was no fool, far from it actually. He was not a psychology major and he had trouble socializing with people as it was. How was he supposed to get Norman Osborn out of this state? Moreover, if he could figure out a way to do that, how could he make sure that he didn't awaken the Green Goblin once more? It was confusing, and the younger boy couldn't help but look away from Harry's eyes, disappointed with the fact that he couldn't think of anyway to help him. He wanted to help, he really did, but...
"I don't know what I can do..."
"Just try. Please Peter?" he responded, his eyes once more threatening to overflow with tears. "...I want my dad back..."
Peter couldn't answer at first, searching Harry's eyes for something, anything. Finally, after a few minutes of contemplating the situation, Peter nodded hesitantly. Maybe there -was- a way for him to help Harry and Norman at the same time. Maybe...
"Sure Harry. I'll try, I promise you that."
A sigh of relief passed over the other boy's lips, the apprehension in his eyes fading only to be replaced by a glimmer of hope. "Thanks, Pete. I appreciate it."
Peter nodded in response, eyes travelling back to the door, which held his former enemy's name. He was crazy. Why was he doing this? One look into Harry's eyes answered his question and brunette smiled slightly. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea. Maybe he was going to be able to help the Osborn family after all.
"You're going to be there to help right?"
"Are you kidding me?" he asked, a wry smile touching his features. "This is a miracle. My dad's back... and there's no way I'm gonna push him aside for anything. I'll be there."
"Good. As long as I don't have to do this on my own, I think we will succeed." He placed a reassuring hand on the older boy's shoulder. "I'm happy for you Harry. Really, I am."
"Thanks," Harry repeated, shooting a glance at his father's office. "We'd better get back in there before he freaks out... You ready?"
Peter hesitated for a moment, eyes flying from Harry to the door. This was it. Taking a deep breath, he nodded, his mind screaming at him the whole time. His heart, however, forced him to ignore his mind, as it so often does, and Peter moved next to Harry, deciding it would probably be better if Norman Osborn saw his son enter the room first. "After you, my friend."
Harry simply nodded, pushing the door to the small office open once again. For a moment, the young Osborn hesitated, as though he expected his father to yell at him for not knocking as had often been the case when he had been younger. And then, realizing that no scolding would come, that his father barely remembered his name, let alone the fact that he liked to have people knock before they entered, he moved inside.
"We're here, dad. Peter and I are here..."
