Delightful

Peter remembered this dining room table. He was sure Harry had taken it from the veritable penthouse that Norman called "a humble lounge and study" on West 42nd Street. It was the same table that they'd all been sitting at the day Norman Osborn had made his most infamous suggestion... that Harry should treat Mary Jane as a common whore. "Do what you need to with her then broom her fast." Peter had liked Mr. Osborn less and less... up until the day he discovered the truth about him. His own product had driven him mad.

"Please, sit."

Both Peter and Mary Jane sat down at this.

"I thought we agreed that this would be a short visit," Mary Jane whispered.

"Trust me, we'll be out of here in no time," Peter whispered back.

"Well!" Audrey said, very loud in contrast to their own indistinct conversation. "What's the occasion?"

"Hm?" He had been thinking intently on an escape plan.

"Pete... she wants to know why you're here," said Harry. "So do I...– I mean, it's just... Aren't you busy– with the wedding and all?"

"Not really." Why was Harry making excuses for them to leave? Maybe he did know more than Peter had assumed.

Audrey sat beside Harry... right across from Peter. They faced eachother, as they often did, with a shared look of confidence and superiority.

The conversation continued as usual. Simple small talk mixed with underlying jibes from Audrey that no one seemed to notice or had pretended not to. No one except Peter. He was delving into the quiet chat as if he expected a murder confession to arise. The appetizers were nearly gone when the questions became more intense.

"So, Audrey. I bet the conspiracy at Oscorp has got you on edge."

"Not at all. It'll be taken care of, and I'm glad to know that our company will be safe again once that terrible woman is put into jail."

"I just hope they've caught the right person. Wouldn't it be sad to keep an innocent person while some criminal genius was still out there?" Peter took a large amount of the pale liquid on the table into his mouth which he assumed to be water. He was wrong. It had the musk of alcohol about it, and a single gulp make him cough. He hoped that she had no intention of poisoning him.

"No Peter, the water is the one on the left."

"And that was... what?"

"That was 90 proof vodka."

Harry felt the need to interject, opening his mouth, preparing to speak, but decided it was better to keep his mouth shut, and closed it again.

"It was Norman's..." Audrey added, which was exactly what Harry hadn't dared to say.

Peter found this disturbing, the fact that they kept the man's alcohol here and served it to guests. Who knows what could've been in that violent drunkard's liquor.

"What else of Norman's have you kept, Harry?" Peter asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice.

Harry paused to look at him, then answered, "What are you getting at, Pete? I just kept his liquor 'cause it's a good stock. Why waste it?"

"Because your dad was an alcoholic, Harry! Why would you keep it?"

"My dad was not an alcoholic! He drank some to relax, but that's not why he died." He knew his father was an alcoholic. But the last words were true. Alcohol didn't kill him... Peter did. Spiderman murdered his father, for whatever reason, and now he was insulting him even after he was dead?

"No, he died to make up for the murders he committed."

"Pete, stop it!" Mary Jane said, putting a hand on his shoulder. She looked slightly frantic, as if she finally believed that she was sitting across from a murderer.

Harry couldn't believe was he was hearing. His father didn't commit any murders! Norman was a businessman!

Then what of that stockroom you found? The one behind the mirror. You know he was helping someone, the way he had all those bombs, those test tubes and spare gliders. How often do you go back there and wonder why he helped such bold criminals?

"My father wasn't a villain. DON'T YOU REMEMBER PETER? He took you in when you were jobless, BROKE. And this is how you repay my father."

They were both standing now, at the head of the table. Blood raged through Harry's veins, rushing like a river flooded, turning his face slightly pink with anger. His eyes bloodshot, glaring; he never looked so terrifying in the eyes of Audrey Sterling... And she loved it.

Peter looked angry, but not as enraged as his best friend. Reason was lost. Now it seemed war. "He was a good businessman, and he was nice, but Harry– he was insane! HE MURDERED PEOPLE, HARRY! Don't you see any fault in that?"

"YOU BASTARD, MY FATHER WAS A GOOD MAN. HE WANTED YOU FOR HIS SON, PETE. He didn't need a son like me when he had you. Smart; a real future. That Parker, he's going places. A good, honest worker. He hate freeloaders like me. HE LOVED YOU MORE THAN HE DID HIS OWN SON, AND STILL YOU KILLED HIM."

Audrey was taking particular pleasure in seeing Harry so white-hot with anger. He had the power that his father never had. It was honest vengeance, instead of particularly selfish. He wanted to save his father in order to prove he was the better son... She had never loved Harry until this moment when he could have killed Peter with just a glance.

"I'm leaving, for both our sakes... this isn't going anywhere. I'll see you in the morning, Harry."

"Don't you walk away from me, coward! I'll come after you."

Mary Jane followed Peter closely, clutching his arm, trying not to look back at Harry.

"I had the girl, too. I HAD EVERYTHING AND YOU TOOK IT AWAY, PETER."

Mary Jane turned and approached him. "You have everything and still you're not happy. Leave Peter alone, Harry! It's not his fault that—"

A swift backhand struck its forceful blow across her face, and she was flung to the ground. The joy on Audrey's face was distinct and refused to leave. This is what she had hoped for. Harry growled in undertones. "Get away from me. You've overstayed your welcome. My dad was right about you, MJ. I just wish I'd seen it then."

Peter ran at Harry, his fist coming in swift contact with Harry's jaw. Not broken, he didn't want to. If he had needed to hurt him that badly, Harry would be dead right now. Audrey fell to her knees and cradled Harry's bleeding head in her arms, stretching him out across her lap.

"I don't want to see you anywhere near my wife, Harry. You understand?"

Audrey turned her head up to glare at him. "Go home, Parker. And don't come back." She was incensed at the sight of such force. Peter was still more powerful than her poor Harry. But not for long. Not if she could help it.

A/N: I kinda revoked a chapter and then added this one in its place. It's short, I know... but Harry's such a beast. ;) Next chapter is already started. Hopefully I'll send it on the next day I have off... THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING if you have, and if you haven't... do so. It's only a click away.