Harry was staring at him in what Peter could only call disinterest. He scoffed before running a hand through his hair and leaning up against the wall. "That's the best you could come up with, 'I'm from the future.'?"
Peter chuckled, already knowing that Harry wasn't going to believe him. Yet. "It's the truth. In fact, we're friends."
Harry seemed to give Peter a once-over before sighing and sliding down the wall into a sitting position. He began to rub his temples.
Peter began again when he realized Harry wasn't going to respond. "There are some details I can't tell you yet, but I will. I promised you a long time ago that I wouldn't keep anything from you again. Give me a-"
"Just stop, alright." Harry shook his head. "I don't know you. Just because-" he looked around and lowered his voice even more, "just because we decided to help each other get out of here does not make us friends."
"Okay look," Peter sat down across from Harry, "let's just forget about what I said for now. Just remember that I told you." Harry looked away dismissively. "You'll believe me when there's proof."
The machine that Gustav Fiers had made for Harry would prove useful in that aspect. He would be able to show Harry who he was through his memories. Maybe he could even convince Harry to let him tinker with it so it wasn't so painful...
"How do you know those two that were in here? The girl and Andrew?" Harry asked.
"Andrew?" Peter didn't know Harry knew him by name.
Harry leaned forward. "Yes, Andrew. The one with the," he pointed to his own eyes, "unnatural blue eyes. Has spider powers, sound familiar?"
"Why does it matter to you?" Peter asked. Harry's eyes flashed green and a low growl rumbled in his throat. "Before you get angry, I'm just curious."
Harry leaned back away from him, letting his back rest against the wall again. "You should already know, being from the future and all."
"You're right, I do know most of what happened. You're angry and I get that. Your best friend, Peter, told you he'd help you find a cure for the disease you had. He didn't, or wasn't able to, so you took matters into your own hands. You injected yourself with the spider venom and it affected you differently. It cracked your psyche and now you periodically turn into the Goblin." Peter half-smiled. "Who I am not much of a fan of, by the way."
Harry stared at him in disbelief. "You can't know that," his voice wavered a little. "Only a handful of people know, and due to their involvement, I'd have to assume they wouldn't be senseless enough to tell anyone. And- and Menkin, he... I..." he trailed off, staring down at his hands.
So Harry had killed Menkin this time around again. Not that the man didn't deserve it, but his friend was already a murderer. Then again, most of their little makeshift family has killed before, whether it was out of defense, mind control, or insanity; Harry, Felicia, Mary Jane, Andrew, and even himself. Peter exhaled loudly, moving some of the hair from his face. It was going to have to get cut; it would soon be able to rival Thor's. He let out a chuckle at that thought.
"Andrew told you," Harry growled, pulling Peter out of his thoughts.
Peter didn't respond. Harry was not going to believe anything he said about him being from the future, and he couldn't blame him. If it didn't actually happen to him, he sure as hell wouldn't just believe someone about that without proof. Especially someone that he didn't even know he knew. Harry, obviously annoyed from Peter's sudden lack of conversation, stalked off to the other side of the room. They didn't talk again for the rest of the day.
Peter had already been stuck in Ravencroft for almost a month. The next month went by agonizingly slow. Peter was happy to find that Kasady did end up losing his right to the rec room. The guard Harris would sometimes have 'extra' snacks on him that he snuck to Peter, which Peter would in turn split with Harry.
Andrew and Violet came by to visit him twice a week. They were able to go into detail about everything that has happened so far, and other possible ideas to get Peter and Harry out of there. Peter didn't want them to get involved, and told them he had a plan and not to worry about him. The note that they showed him, "Stop trying, your lives depend on it", confused him. He thought maybe his younger self could have written in, but dismissed the idea.
Gustav Fiers came by once a week to visit with Harry, which was worrying but necessary. From what he remembered, Harry had been in Ravencroft for just over two months before Fiers was able to break him out. This gave them about a week or so before the event was supposed to happen, but Harry hadn't said a word about it to him. Peter wondered if Harry decided to cut him from his escape plan.
He felt like he had made some progress with Harry during their time together. Sometimes they talked about their past (which Peter had to keep vague), or meaningless topics. Some days they would sit in silence, or watch a show. More often than not, Harry was unable to visit the rec room due to his 'episodes' which was code for the Goblin was out.
"What is something that everyone looks stupid doing?" Peter asked one day, trying to pass the time.
"Stepping into a spider web." Peter raised an eyebrow at that. "What?" Harry smirked. "You look like you're trying to fight a ninja ghost."
"A ninja ghost?" Peter repeated.
"Or a ghost ninja." Harry shrugged. "Now you."
Peter thought for a moment. "Chasing a plastic bag."
"I've never done that." Harry shrugged again. "Why would someone do that?"
"You've never had to chase a plastic bag? Never accidentally let one go and the wind took it away? Plastic is horrible for the environment," he deadpanned.
Harry sighed and rested his head against the wall behind him. "I need to get out of here." His voice was flat.
Peter snorted. "Sorry my company isn't all too entertaining."
"It's not that," Harry was clenching and unclenching his fist, "it's me. I need to figure out a way to stop these... transformations from happening. It hurts."
"Has Fiers figured out anything yet?" Peter questioned in a low voice.
Harry steepled his fingers, humming. "There are a few things that he's looking into for me." Peter didn't miss the analytical look he threw at Alexsei.
"Way to be cryptic," he said in mock irritation.
"No worries, Richards." Harry smirked at him. "You helped me, therefore I'll make sure you get out of here with me."
Peter nodded. He honestly could not wait to get out of this place.
Harry began to restlessly shake one of his legs up and down. "You're still not going to help me with with Parker and that shadow of his?"
It was Peter's turn to sigh now. He tried to ignore how the way Harry practically spit his name hurt. "I told you, Andrew is under my protection."
"You still won't tell me why!" he growled.
Peter studied him for a moment. "You will understand in time." Harry scoffed. "Also, I don't think picking a fight with Spider-Man would be smart."
"You and I together could destroy him." The way Harry was grinning made Peter's stomach turn; he looked down at his hands instead. He had almost forgotten the amount of hate Harry had had for him at this point in time.
"I can try to help you in some other way, but I am not going to allow any harm to come to them." Peter said with finality.
"Fine," Harry snickered, causing Peter to look back up at him. "When that time comes, we're just going to have to take you down too."
The Goblin's sinister green eyes were staring back at him.
"Just go talk to her. It's not that hard. Just... just go downstairs and ask her to- no, that's stupid." Peter ran a hand through his hair, trying to convince himself to talk to his new neighbor. Well, she wasn't exactly new, seeing as they had been childhood friends. Finding out that she had moved back into her aunt's house, who Peter's aunt was friends with, was a nice surprise.
Mary Jane Watson was currently sitting cross legged in a chair on her front porch. She has come over the other day to inform him and Aunt May that she moved in with her Aunt Anna and was staying for the foreseeable future. Mary Jane had moved in about three weeks ago and Peter had only talked to her twice.
Peter had taken a break from being Spider-Man after Gwen's death. A part of himself would always feel guilty about what had happened, but in the end he had done everything he could to save her. Andrew and Harry were to blame.
Especially Andrew.
So after about a month of wallowing in his own self-pity, he put on the suit again, and he couldn't have made a better choice. He had a responsibility to the city and it's people, and he wasn't going to abandon them again any time soon. He had returned to being Spider-Man again just a week before Mary Jane had moved in.
Peter opened the upstairs curtain just a fraction. Mary Jane was already out of her chair, picking up her book and other belongings before heading back into her house. It was going to start getting dark soon. Peter let the curtain go, figuring he could try talking to her tomorrow instead.
Aunt May would be at work for another three hours, because she had taken to picking up extra shifts at the hospital, so Peter decided to suit up and go out into the city. Crime had been fairly mild lately; mostly muggings and the occasion building that caught on fire. No lizard monsters, people who could turn into an electric current, or anything out of the ordinary.
Peter sat down on the edge of a paper company tower, looking out into the city as the sun set behind it. After admiring the view for a few minutes, he swung into the city and got to work.
Within the next two hours, Peter had to only stop two muggings, break up a bar fight that had shifted onto the public streets, and stop someone trying to break into an ATM. As Peter watched from a distance, making sure the police picked up the ATM thief, he realized where he was. The Osborn mansion was just a couple blocks away from here. He deliberated for a moment, but curiosity got the better of him. To his displeasure, it began to drizzle.
Making sure to stay out of sight, he crouched on top of the masonry fence and scanned the property. He wasn't exactly sure what he had expected. It was completely dark inside the mansion, not a single light had been left on. Peter wondered if any of the caretakers still kept up with the place since Norman Osborn had passed and the last remaining Osborn was in Ravencroft.
Peter felt an enormous wave of guilt as he thought about Harry. There had been several times he questioned whether or not he should visit him in that place, but he was still unsure on what he would even say, or if Harry would even want to see him for that matter. Make no mistake, he would never forgive him for what happened with Gwen, but he still couldn't get over how much he regretted what happened to Harry.
Finding a way to cure Harry should have been his priority. He couldn't go back in time and fix what happened, but his friend shouldn't have to suffer for his mistakes. The more that he had thought back on it, the easier it was to see that Andrew had stopped him every time he wanted to go to Oscorp. Peter wasn't sure what his motives were, but he couldn't believe he had been mislead like that. Andrew had let him down, and in turn, Peter had let down Harry.
His head spun to the right quickly as a light flickered. There was a guest house at the end of the property, although Peter and Harry were never allowed to go in there when they were children. He could have swore the light had turned on, but there shouldn't be anyone here. He was about to leap down onto the property when somewhere in the distance, a woman screamed. The light suddenly became insignificant and Peter took off in the direction of the sound. The rain picked up.
He was just closing in on where the scream had came from. This time a man starting yelling, "No, no!" Peter began climbing around the side of the building in order to get a quick view of what he would be up against. A woman wearing a short black skirt, presumably the one who had screamed, came running from around the corner. She didn't look behind her, but did shout out a "thank you!".
Admittedly a little baffled, Peter quickly climbed around the corner of the building. There were two figures; the first of which had his back turned to him. They had a dark hoodie on, covering the back of their head, with their fists clenched at their sides. The other person was laying back down on the pavement; he had been knocked out and his hands looked tied together. Peter narrowed his eyes and even through the rain, he could tell what was holding the man's hands together; webbing.
"I know you're there." Andrew called out, just loud enough for him to hear.
Peter's teeth clashed together in anger and he dropped down to the wet pavement below. Andrew hadn't even turned around.
"I thought I was clear when I told you I never wanted to see you again," he spat.
"This piece of garbage was going to..." Andrew sighed loudly, unclenching his fists that had gone white at the knuckles, "that girl. She needed help."
Peter glanced down at the man on the ground. His right eye was red and swollen and a switchblade was a few feet from his unconscious body.
"I could have taken care of it," he said through his teeth.
Andrew turned then, pulling back the wet hood from his face. The rain, just as soon as it started, began to lighten. His eyes narrowed momentarily as he made eye contact with Peter before his expression became unreadable.
"The police are almost here." Andrew shifted his gaze to behind Peter.
Peter turned towards the noise of the approaching sirens. Somebody must have heard the commotion. He turned back towards Andrew, but he was gone. "Oh, no you don't!" he yelled as he spotted Andrew climb over the top of a building.
He reached the top of the building, quickly jumping over just as Andrew was leaping to the next building. He wasn't going to get away. Peter followed him building after building, getting closer every time, until Andrew suddenly stopped in his tracks. Peter nearly ran into him, skidding to a halt as he turned around. The corner of Andrew's mouth quirked up as if he was trying to hold in a laugh, but his expression dulled quickly.
"What are you doing!?" Peter threw up his arms in question.
"I wasn't trying to run away, I just thought it would be better if we weren't at the scene when the police arrived." Andrew shrugged.
Peter shook his head at the nonchalant gesture. "Why are you even here still!? It's been two months already. I told you what would happen if I saw you again," he said threateningly.
"You said if you saw me again, you were going to kill me," Andrew said casually as he crossed his arms. "Well, here I am."
Peter took a step forward. Here was one of the people responsible for Gwen's death. He could get revenge if he wanted to; a life for a life. He did say he would kill him if he ever saw him again. He had wanted to. Peter had become friends with this person, trusted him with his secret, and even opened his home to him. What did he get in return? Betrayal. Andrew raised an eyebrow at Peter's hesitation.
"I'm not going to kill you." Peter sighed.
Andrew slightly narrowed his eyes, almost studying him. "Because... Spider-Man doesn't do that. He doesn't kill people. Not even the bad ones."
"At least you admit you're not a good person."
"I've done a lot of bad things," Andrew shook the rain from his hair, "and maybe I'm not necessarily good, but I wouldn't say I'm a bad person."
"You killed someone." Peter said straight faced.
"What if I said there was a pretty significant reason for what I did? A life-or-death kind of situation?"
Peter ripped off his mask. "Except someone did die. Her name was Gwen." Andrew winced. "Leave the city. Tonight. You and your sister, and your 'dad' or whoever that was, considering you told me he was dead," he added on as an afterthought.
"We thought he was dead, I never lied to you about that. I never wanted to lie to you about anything." Andrew sounded so sincere that Peter wanted to believe him. "As for my Dad, he's in Ravencroft. I'm not leaving without him."
"Maybe you should be in there with him." Peter laughed without humor. "I can always just turn you in."
Andrew smirked challengingly. "That'll never happen."
"If you leave the city, we won't have to find out."
"I'm not leaving." Andrew said more forcefully.
"I can always out your name to the public."
Andrew nodded his head thoughtfully. "You could do that, but it would be pointless. Everyone I care about has powers to defend themselves." Except Aunt May. "Besides, do you really think Grimshaw is my real last name?"
Peter shook his head. "It doesn't surprise me. Just another lie." Andrew frowned.
"You want to know what my last name is?"
Peter held his hand up. "It doesn't matter." He put his mask back on. "Leave the city, I don't need another ex-friend of mine ending up in Ravencroft." Peter left without another word.