Chapter 2

Family Redux





"Where is my son?!" Norman Osborn demanded

"He's probably down in booking. Do you realize the charges he could be facing?" Police Captain Cameron Bullock calmly said to him. Both men looked at each eye to eye inside the commander's office of the Major Crimes Unit. Bullock had been alerted as to who Grover and Cronin got in the bust.

"I want him out of there now."

"Then get a lawyer."

"I already have." Osborn said. He pointed to the door and then a lawyer appeared into the office. He dressed just as well as Osborn. Bullock wasn't familiar with him.

"You are?" Bullock asked

"Clifford Parkes, defense attorney."

"For the rich who want to get away with it, probably." Bullock said

"I'm sure Captain you know to watch your mouth."

"Oh I do as does everyone else in the GCPD. Not to mention the DA's office, City Hall and most of the judiciary in the city."

"Well my record precedes me. Anyway Harry Osborn goes out on bail. We'll set a date."

"He was caught buying narcotics."

"But the purpose of the bust was to remove substances that you and the department knew could be fatal to the user. Not to nail users. Please Captain, for everything you and your squad does I've got a way tweak, adjust and tailor the answers I need to get for my clients."

"A basic F*&^&ng of the truth." Bullock shot back

"Maybe so, but it pays the bills."

"Not to mention a coke habit." Bullock muttered.

Parks glared at him. "You watch your mouth Captain, otherwise Gordon might need to remove you from your command."

"Fine, Harry Osborn goes out on bail. Mr. Osborn just go down to booking where you can take of the paper work."

"Thank you, Captain Bullock. I appreciate we didn't need to get into further unpleasantness."

Osborn and Parks went towards Bullock's office and then Bullock said one other thing. "By the way, Mr. Osborn I'm aware with who are the rich and powerful in this town. Don't think you can do what you did in New York you can do in Gotham."

"I'll remember that Captain, Thank You." Osborn said with a sarcastic tone. The two men left the office and closed the door behind them. Bullock could feel he was going to run into the Osborn's again. Whether it'd be Norman or Harry. He had a feeling something was going to happen.



"What are you stupid?! I told you that s^&% was going to get you into trouble." Norman Osborn's voice boomed inside the car. He drove himself over to GCPD Headquarters making sure he wouldn't attract unwanted attention. This was what he needed now. A son with a drug habit and his company in the balance on the whim of a military bureaucrat. Norman couldn't think of a even worse situation.

"When did you start using?" Norman asked

Harry sat next to him and appeared to be shaken. He was now going to face the full force of his father's wrath. Something he had seen before when he had done something disgraceful to either the family or to Norman himself.

Norman slammed his hand on the dashboard. "WHEN DID YOU START USING!?" He screamed

"About a year ago." Harry said meekly. His eyes beginning to well up with tears.

"Well for one thing you are not leaving the house. Only school and home. No parties, activities, nothing."

"For how long?"

"Until I say so. Now first off we're going to the right doctor's to see if it's done any damage. Then I'm putting you in a top-of-the-line program. Something where they will do it right. Hell, it worked for celebrities it should work for you." Norman Osborn hit the dashboard in frustration. "I can't believe you would do this. Why would you do this?"

"Because" Harry said as held back his tears. "I'm tired of living like this. The pressure of living up to you and the family is excruciating. I-I just wanted a release. I wanted to get away. "

Norman pulled the car over and looked at his son. He could see his son was crying. Although not the type of loud squealing crying that babies would do to get attention from its parents. But rather a silent, stifled cry as if he were still trying to hold the facade of prestige and power that had been put onto him.

"Look, I'm sorry for getting angry." Norman paused so he could choose his words carefully. "It's just you're my son. I mean after your mother's death. It's just the two of us. I want you to have the best Harry. Believe me, trying to have the best means you have to live up massive expectations and sometimes we brake down. I've done it before because I couldn't take the pressure. But that doesn't mean you can't runaway from what you'll eventually be. That's no excuse to destroy your life from either drugs or booze. Just we learn from our mistakes. From that knowledge we can improve ourselves and our future."

Harry stopped crying and looked at his father. "Does that mean-?"

"Your still grounded until I say otherwise. But at least we're at better terms." Then Norman did something he didn't do very much. He reached across the seat and hugged his son. Harry hugged back and for that small moment. They were a family.