WHOO! Who's ready for some Parksborn?
I am. I am ready for Parksborn. T.T
This ficlet is set in season 2, episode 8 "Carnage." It's a retelling of the episode and how different it could've gone if Peter actually told Harry that he was Spider-Man. And the amazing inclusion of a budding Parksborn, all nicely bundled with a bit of angst, pining, and daddy issues. :D (All the ingredients to cook up some Parksborn, right?)
Enjoy the mess that is one Peter Parker and Harry Osborn, followed with the exasperation of the team, and the all-around insanity and terribleness of Goblin.
(In case you still didn't realize, this is a Parksborn ficlet, so if you don't like the ship, then don't read. This is your warning – do not whine at me because its Parksborn or else I will combust into a pillar of fire and burn your hair.)
"Harry…. there's something I need to tell you."
Eight words.
Peter Parker, the infamous Spider-Man, former vigilante and current SHIELD agent - a hero who's fought lunatics and mercenaries and villains every other day like it was something as mundane as going out for groceries - a boy who's fought and worked with some of the greatest heroes on the planet, and all it took was eight simple words and he wanted to kick open the door and run for his life.
It was crazy how a single sentence sent him more into a fight-or-flight mode than facing down a gang of robbers, all with guns. He knew he wasn't in any real danger – unless the solidity of his friendship with Harry was considered dangerous, in which case he was in a lot of danger. Then again, he and Harry have been on shaky terms ever since the team started going to Midtown, and their fallout had been a long time coming. But that didn't mean it still didn't hurt.
Thankfully, for the sake of the brittle remains of their friendship, Peter was seat-belted into the limo and the doors were locked, so there was no way of escape. And he didn't let himself even think about busting open the door with his hands and jumping into oncoming traffic, not just because he'd give Harry - and every driver on the road - a heart attack, but because he couldn't run from this anymore.
Just looking at Harry made Peter's fingers wring together in nervous guilt. The other boy was staring aimlessly out the window, head in hand, red-hair as neatly kept as ever, and looking so dejected and exhausted it made Peter's guilt wriggle and writhe like a fish pulled from the water. It was a frightened, panicked feeling because the very knowledge that he had a hand in making Harry look that way made him want to flop and flail on the ground too.
Harry had seen the damage to the Oscorp building the night the Goblin had been born; he witnessed the horrifying acts of the villain as he'd been hunted by the thing that had once been his father, but he knew nothing about the circumstances that led to Norman Osborn becoming the Green Goblin. He didn't know that Peter had been there every step of the way, always ready to intervene on the Osborn's behalf, or that Peter had been too deft and stupid to realize that Norman's been pulling the strings from the shadows since the beginning. And he didn't know that the serum that created the Goblin had bits of Peter's own DNA mixed into the mess.
Harry was in the dark about everything and he didn't even know the half of it. Maybe it was a bit selfish, but Harry needed to know the truth, so he understood why Peter was gone all the time and why Norman became the grueling monster he was. Peter wanted to believe it was because the prospect of Harry knowing would make it easier to protect him, but he couldn't hide the fact that the true reason was because he wanted to stop finally tip-toeing around his best friend in favor of keeping his masked life a secret.
But his chance for a peaceful confession was gone, because Harry hated Spider-Man. Hated him with a burning passion. Blamed the existence of the Goblin on Spider-Man, so how could Peter tell his best friend that they were one and the same?
He wanted to tell him. Wanted to tell him so badly. It sounded both relieving and terrifying, and it sent his heart pumping like an out of control water-pump just thinking about it. How would Harry possibly react to the news? He'd be furious, for sure. Angry. Hurt. He'd hate Peter, and they'd never be friends again, because Peter ruined his life.
But it was too late to turn back. He already uttered those horrifying eight words and Harry was looking at him now, blue eyes trodden and sad, and such a pretty color that Peter's heart ached. Harry must've noticed how anxious Peter was, because he sat up straighter, eyebrows coming together.
"Hey. You okay, Pete?"
"I – I need to tell you something," Peter repeated dumbly, rubbing his fingers against his palms. The triggers to his old web-shooters would've been there if he still wore them, and the bare feel of his skin made him miss them even more. "But it can only be between you and me, okay?" he continued in a rush, "No one else can know this. Do you promise? You've got to promise first."
By now Harry was sitting up straighter in his seat. The glum countenance he'd been wearing was gone and replaced with something as confused as it was curious, with a gentle touch of concern that made Peter's chest swell. Even while mad at him, Harry still cared.
"Oh, uh – sure. Yeah, I won't tell anyone. I promise."
Peter glanced at the limo driver through the open window that separated him from his tenants, and Harry pushed a button on his side-door so a dark panel slid shut, effectively separating them.
"You sure there aren't any microphones or - or cameras in here or-"
"Pete," Peter slowly looked up from where he'd bent over the leather seats, fingers stopping their search through the crevices. "No one is listening," Harry assured him firmly, "What is it?"
Peter took a deep breath, sitting back against his seat, legs bouncing and fingers tapping against his thighs in nervous agitation. The backpack at his feet seemed to lean more heavily against his leg, and he wondered if the air-conditioner had been turned on or if he'd simply gone into a cold sweat. Gosh, he felt as though he was preparing for a fight or something. Maybe he was.
"Okay, this is going to sound completely, 100% crazy, but I promise I'm not lying. Just…just try to keep an open mind and let me explain before you start judging me," or hating me, he added silently.
"Uh…okay," Harry said, eyes roaming over Peter as if picking up on all his silent tells. His eyes widened suddenly, as if a thought came to mind, and he leaned forward, "What are you, like…gay, or something? Cause if you are, that's fine, Pete. I'm not going to hate you over it or anything. I mean, you already know I'm bisexual, so I really don't have a problem with-"
"What? No, no," Peter shook his head rapidly, cutting through the air with his hands, "That's not it. I actually think I'm bisexual too, if I'm being honest."
"Really?" Harry's eyebrows shot up and he grinned, "Dude, that's awesome! Does anyone else know?"
"Thanks," Peter couldn't help but grin back, "Aunt May already knows, and I'm pretty sure MJ suspects, so I'm planning on telling her soon. I've been meaning to tell you too, but – wait, no, this isn't what I wanted to talk to you about," he said in frustration, making 'stop' gestures with his hands, "This is different, Harry."
"Oh," Harry sat back, "Okay, what did you want to talk about then?"
Peter took another deep breath, looked around one more time to make sure they were truly alone, and blurted before he bit off his own tongue, "I'mkindof-sortof-Spider-Man,"and winced, heart pounding so loudly in his ears he was almost positive Harry could hear it too. His fingers curled anxiously around the loop atop his backpack as he stared at his friend.
Harry stared back at him blankly, blinked once, and leaned forward. "What?"
"I'm…Spider-Man," Peter repeated, forcing himself to speak slower. "I know it sounds really crazy, but it's true, and I know you said you hated Spider-Man, but I feel like you just really need to know, and because I fought your dad – er, well, the Goblin – this morning, and I think he's coming after you, and I need to make sure you're okay."
Harry was still staring at him like he was trying to absorb all this new information. Out of everything though, he seemed to only register the first bit and repeated quietly, "You – you're Spider-Man?"
His voice was skeptical, but at least he didn't laugh. Peter didn't think he could take it if Harry downright laughed at the idea and told Peter to stop joking with him. He probably would've panicked and passed it off as a joke too.
"Yes," Peter said, "I dress in tights every day and I fight criminals and bad guys. And I'd like to repeat that I think your dad is coming after you and we seriously need to get you somewhere safe, and I know you don't like Spider-Man, but please believe me when I say that I never meant for your dad to end up like this."
Harry swiped his hands through the air, as if trying to chop Peter's words into tinier, more digestible pieces. "Okay, whoa, whoa – you can't just say something like that and just –" he took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair, mussing it a little, "Where's your proof? If you're claiming to be Spider-Man, I need, I don't know, confirmation. Evidence. Proof. Anything."
Peter nodded quickly, rubbing his thighs in thought. Yeah, should've expected that. Made sense. He pulled his backpack onto his lap, unzipped it, and leaned it toward Harry so he could peek inside.
"Okay," said Harry, unimpressed, "It's a costume."
Peter brought his wrists up, showing Harry the bare skin, before he pushed a button and his web-shooters morphed out of thin air, fading out of camouflage mode. This time Harry gave a surprised gasp, mouth falling open, before he leaned forward with curiosity. To confirm any more suspicions, Peter flexed his wrist and pushed his middle and index fingers down to his palm so a string of webs hit the door.
"And just so you really believe me," Peter held out his hand, "Give me your hand."
Harry hesitated, before slowly doing so. As soon as their hands touched, Peter fused his skin to Harry, and the boys eyes went wide at the sensation. He lifted his hand, not even gripping, and Peter's followed his up. He shook it and the hand remained firmly fixed to his skin.
After a moment, Peter unstuck and dropped his hand, but Harry's remained frozen in the air.
"You…you really are Spider-Man?" He whispered.
Peter nodded again and quickly yanked the string of webs from the door and stuffed them into his backpack, if just to buy himself time from Harry's reaction. Besides, he didn't need that little piece of evidence lying around.
"Yeah, I am."
Then, slowly, Peter watched as the information soaked into Harry's skin, and his shoulders dropped dolefully when Harry's face darkened. "You are Spider-Man," he repeated, this time with more of a growl.
"Okay, I know you're probably pissed, but first we've got to," Peter's spider-sense buzzed, crackling across his brain and spine like lightning, and quicker than what should've been possible for a normal human, he unclipped his seatbelt and threw himself over Harry, forcing them both down, "Get down!"
Milliseconds later, the limo squealed as they suddenly began swerving, the tires screeching against the pavement as they spun and lurched. To Peter's relief and surprise, they didn't roll over, but he had a niggling suspicion that whoever had caused the limo to veer off hadn't meant to cause them harm.
Peter unclipped Harry's seatbelt and he slumped slightly, eyes wide and stunned as he used Peter's arms to brace himself. They were both kneeling on the floor of the limo when a spine-tingling CRUNCH ripped through the metal. They looked up in horror as a pair of monstrously clawed hands dug into the roof of the limo and pried open the top as easily as popping open a soda can.
"Goblin," Peter said at the same time Harry gasped, "Dad?"
Goblin's large green face turned upward into an appalling grin, the sides of his lips reaching too far up his leathery cheeks to be natural, as his yellow eyes narrowed in a pleased way.
"Gentlemen," he greeted, flashing his teeth, with a deep odious voice that sent unhappy shivers down Peter's spine. Was it just him or was Goblin looking at him rather funny?
Peter didn't give himself the chance to figure it out. Goblin leaned down, hand out as if to grab them, and Peter acted.
"Run!" he shouted, grabbing the collar of Harry's shirt as he kicked the door open, and pulled them onto the street. He switched his grip to Harry's arm as their feet hit the pavement and they turned for the closest route of escape. Harry stumbled slightly, still looking shocked, and Peter stabilized him, pushing him in any direction that wasn't toward the hulking green figure crouched on the limo. Goblin straightened slightly, still perched onto the vehicle roof, but watched them go almost as if amused.
Peter was sprinting behind Harry as they beat down the sidewalk before his thoughts caught up to him and he gasped, jerking to a stop. He turned back toward the limo, gasping, "My costume."
His eyes zeroed in on the backpack, where it was slumped against the limo floor. He could almost imagine a red spandex sleeve unzipping the bag and pointing an accusatory finger at him.
"Whoo-hoo," Spider-Man's obnoxious voice rang in his head, "Petey. Don't catch a cold crime-fighting without me!"
Peter withered, glaring at the backpack and his own imagination. "Brilliant, Pete."
He noticed Goblin staring at him. He still hadn't moved from the car and was still holding the crumpled metal top in his hands. Gosh, it probably looked like Peter was staring at him. Oof – maybe Goblin didn't notice.
He didn't feel very confident when Goblin's grin grew.
Well, there was no chance going back and getting it, and as much as it grated on Peter's nerves, he unhappily spun on his heels and sprinted after Harry, who was still making a mad dash down the street – he probably hadn't even noticed that Peter stopped. Then again, the abrupt and loud hum of Goblin's glider firing up and flying after them was more than enough motivation to get anyone hot-footing it away, superhero or not.
Likely hearing the glider approaching, in a burst of panic, Harry lurched to the side, running into the nearest alleyway. Peter inwardly groaned. 'C'mon, Harry, we've watched enough cheesy monster movies to know you NEVER run down the deserted alleyway.'
But, regardless, Peter followed him in. Deserted alleyway or not, he wasn't going to abandon Harry to the likes of the Goblin.
He found Harry pressed up against the wall, breathing hard. The other boy immediately slouched in relief when Peter stopped next to him, so maybe he had noticed that Peter fell behind. With a moment to breathe, Peter peered around the corner. Goblin was up and chasing them now and would be upon them in seconds if they didn't move.
"C'mon backup, do your backup thing," Peter grumbled, glancing around the emptying street nervously. Most people knew the drill by now, and the moment Goblin had been spotted, civilians hurried off the streets to avoid the ensuing battle. Tourists who were new to the system of New York took up precious seconds shrieking or pointing at the flying villain, but it didn't take them long to follow in the footsteps of the cities natives.
Peter only wished he and Harry could disappear into the crowds, but that would put a lot of innocent people at risk. Goblin didn't care who he hurt in his attempts to get what he wanted.
A shadow fell over them as Goblin hovered in the air, tall and looming and as hideous as ever. Instinctively, Peter stepped in front of Harry, one hand out to keep his friend out of the line of fire. Thankfully, neither he nor Goblin had the time to act when a bright streak of light exploded against the wall next to Goblin, effectively drawing both their attention.
Peter nearly sagged in relief as the team came sprinting down the street.
"Hey," Powerman shouted, grabbing a newspaper stand and hurling it at Goblin, "Get away from Pet – uh, from that random kid whom we do not know personally."
Peter blanched and refrained from face-palming. Way to be suspicious, Luke.
"Yeah," Nova continued eagerly, "that random, defenseless, and wimpy kid!"
Peter scowled, glaring at the both of them, "Hey, you had me at random!" Most of it was drowned out by the next Nova blast, which Peter was actually grateful for. Didn't need to add any more gas to that burning dumpster fire of a save.
Remind him to talk to Director Fury about secret identity lessons and how to not be suspicious about it. He's had a good year or two to get a basic system down for himself, but the team had been picked up by SHIELD not long after they'd gotten their powers, if what they'd told him was correct, so they probably weren't used to keeping their identities secret.
Thankfully, Goblin looked more irritated than suspicious and switched his attention toward the team instead of him and Harry. Peter sighed, his anxiety and tension easing enough to allow him to breathe. Good, the team had been training harder than ever so they could take on the Goblin. At the very least, it should buy him some time to get Harry somewhere safe before making his way back to the limo to fetch his costume.
Peter grabbed Harry's wrist, taking a single step to get them moving again, when a flash of movement made him stop. Goblin wasn't even diving in for a real fight, instead he flung several green orbs at the team, which instantly expanded into large, green bubbles. It was fast and unexpected, the first one enveloped White Tiger, then Powerman and Iron Fist, and finally Nova, despite his last-minute attempt to veer out of the line of fire with a surprised yelp.
They swiped and punched at the bubbles, but whatever they were made out of must've been some strong stuff. Not even Powerman seemed able to punch through it right away, and Tiger's claws had little effect.
Peter cursed and pulled Harry down the alley, "Come on!"
They still had a few seconds, at least, to gain some ground. Goblin would probably hang there for a moment or two to make sure the team was properly stuck before pursuing them again. But it was all too soon that Peter picked up the whirring gears and hum of an engine – thank goodness for enhanced senses.
They turned a corner, Harry shouting, "This way!" only to stop dead. The alleyway cut off by a brick wall, and their only other escape was blocked by a large fence with a spool of barbed wire curling the top, on the other side a couple of large delivery trucks were neatly parked. Harry glanced around desperately, taking a defeated step toward the wall, then stopping near the fence, curling his fingers around the metal loops and tugging, as if to pry them apart.
"There's got to be a way out!" he cried desperately.
Peter didn't stop, nor hesitate, as he ran up to the wall, jumped onto the bricks, grabbed the iron ladder connected to the fire-escape, and yanked it down. Harry gaped at him, eyes wide, as if he'd completely forgotten the conversation they'd been having in the limo.
Under normal circumstances, the look on his friend's face might've made Peter laugh, but the sound of Goblin's glider was getting closer and he could feel their time slipping out of their hands.
"Come on, up here," Peter said, and waited until Harry was climbing up the ladder, still dumbstruck, before following him up. They didn't climb to the very top of the building but stopped on the first landing of the fire escape to climb over the fence and onto the delivery trucks. Once again, Peter waited until Harry was over first before following in suit.
By the time he was climbing off the truck though, Harry was standing frozen just outside the open street, staring up hopelessly as Goblin descended, blocking off their final escape.
"Uh-oh," Peter breathed, stopping next to him.
Frick, frick, frick – what was he supposed to do now? There was no way Peter was going to let Goblin take Harry – not this time. But he didn't know how to do that without throwing his identity on the ground while he was at it. If he threw a punch hard enough to dent a car, or did a fluid back-spring off the wall, it'd be the same as standing in front of Goblin in his costume and yanking his mask off, proclaiming, "Yep! I'm Spider-Man! Deal with it."
Peter cared for Harry – cared for him deeply – maybe so much that it scared him a little, but he still needed to keep Aunt May, MJ, and everyone else he knew, safe.
Maybe Harry noticed too. He glanced between Goblin's grinning face and Peter's tensed stance, and his eyes set in hard determination. The same look he got when he set his mind to something and no one could talk him out of it. He grabbed Peter's shoulders, pulling him back.
"Stay back, Pete. I got this." It sounded a bit too tense to be friendly, but not necessarily hard or angry, so Harry was still probably thrown in the loop with the news of Peter's "hobbies." But he was making the choice for Peter. He wasn't going to allow Peter to sacrifice his identity to the Goblin.
It made something in Peter's throat clog and choke, forcing him to swallow thickly just to get around it. And yet, oddly, a flush of warmth bloomed in his chest. Whatever the problems they were having, Harry wasn't going to let him throw his identity away.
But his awe and affection was doused quickly enough when Harry stood before the Goblin, back straight, as the green monster jumped off his glider and landed on the ground with a loud thud that nearly cracked the cement.
It amazed Peter how different they were in size. Harry looked positively tiny compared to Goblin's wide, threatening girth and height. He barely made it to the middle of Goblin's torso and was so much thinner, he looked like a twig standing next to an oak tree.
Still, Harry's voice was strong and forceful when he said, "Leave him out of this, dad," sweeping an arm back to gesture to Peter, "It's me you want."
Peter's heart seized in panic as Goblin's large hand fell on Harry's shoulder, his yellow eyes bright and his grin feral and amused. Peter took a step forward, preparing to put himself between Harry and Goblin, terrified of the repercussions that might come later.
For a frozen second, Goblin looked down at his son. Then he said, "Oddly" and promptly threw Harry to the side, right into a group of trashcans and garbage. Harry landed in the mess with a shout and a grunt, and jerked up, searching for Peter who was still cornered by the delivery trucks.
Peter backed up, a new panic seizing his heart as Goblin stalked forward. He was used to seeing that horrendous face behind the lenses of his mask, and he felt terrified and vulnerable to see it as Peter Parker.
He withdrew until his back was pressed to the front of the truck and suddenly he had no more room to move. "Okay," he said nervously, "This is creepy. Even for you."
Goblin didn't stop till he was right in front of him, and it was painfully obvious how much taller Goblin was face to face. There was no climbing the walls for higher ground, or swinging up and down for better vantage points for attack. Here, Peter was forced to look up and get the full, terrifying force of the Goblin, with the sharp edges of his armor, the bulging intimidation of his stature, large claws that had ripped the very mortar from buildings, feet that had pinned him to the ground on more than one occasion, strength that had threatened to break him a thousand different ways, and a look so cruel and insane it sent Peter's spider-sense packing – no backup, no powers, and no way out. Just a small teenage boy against a colossal of a person.
"Peter Parker," Goblin's voice rumbled, bracketing him from all sides like a cage, and Peter shuddered, "I want you."
Those same large hands fell on Peter's shoulders, almost gently. Like a father prepared to invoke his son with a bit of wisdom. Uncle Ben had done the same to him before, marking it as an affectionate touch. Than his spider-sense flashed, reminding him that this was not the same as Uncle Ben, and a powerful blast of electricity coursed through his body. He shouted, knees buckling. Goblin's hands kept him up for a few more seconds, allowing the electricity to run a thorough course, before letting go and Peter slumped to the ground.
He was already unconscious by the time he hit the cement.
Alright, guys, I was originally going to post this as one huge one-shot, because the final draft reached 16,000+ words, but I decided to split off into chapters. The entire one-shot is already written, so you don't have to worry about long breaks between updates for this story
The next chapter will be out in a few days.
Anyway, hoped you enjoyed the first chapter! As you can see, there are several similar elements to the original episode in this story, I just added my own bits and pieces as I went (and because I enjoy exploring their thoughts during the events of the episodes.) There will be more similarities to the episode as we go on, but there will also be some very new scenes that I've added because I can, and I wanted to, and I did.
See you next update! :D