Featured song: Wild World (Cat Stevens cover) – Denmark + Winter
I do not own Spider-Man, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 movie, or anything related to the Marvel franchise etc. – you all know the drill!
"Now, from the X-ray, you can see that two fingers are broken. Both have an oblique fracture in the articular bone," explained the senior registrar from orthopaedics, a rather stern Doctor Aldington. "I've also identified old fractures in your fingers. One of those breaks has significantly weakened the finger, hence why it broke so easily this time." He paused and pointed out the fracture lines on the black and white translucent X-ray. "Remind me of the cause again?"
"I shut them in a door."
The doctor appraised the redhead and his brows rose, clearly not believing her weak lie.
"The door is solid mahogany, so it's really heavy," Hayley added whilst fiddling with her ponytail using her good hand. It was a nervous habit of hers she did during stressful times.
She was sitting on a bed in the A&E department of the local hospital. The room she was in was little and square, only housing enough space for a small desk, four chairs, a light box that was fixed to the wall, and the bed. The walls were painted cream but appeared sickly yellow under the cheap strobe lights. Hayley could smell sterile cleaning products, which made her stomach churn - she really hated hospitals.
"May I ask how you broken them previously?"
Unconsciously, Hayley glanced to the corner of the room where Harry was standing broodily. "I…erm…I…When I was working at Ravencroft, one of the inmates attacked me…" she tailed off, not wanting to go into further detail unless the doctor asked.
"I see," Doctor Aldington said steadily, his beady eyes flicking between the two youngsters. "You will need to have your fingers in plaster for a few weeks before we switch to splints. I will fetch one of the on duty nurses to do that for you."
The doctor walked out closing the door, leaving Hayley alone with the man who was responsible for her broken fingers.
She wasn't entirely clear what had happened. One minute she was observing Harry's eyes change, her breath momentarily stopping when she realised something bad might happen. Then the next minute, something bad did happen…to her. As soon as she opened her mouth to scream, Harry's eyes shifted from up in the air and down to her. He had grabbed her face and forced her into a rough kiss, swallowing the sound of her muffled screech. Then he gripped her arm and hurried them both down the street and into the car.
That was all she could really remember. No doubt the pain shooting up her arm had caused her to go into a state of delirium. Once they were in the Sedan, she could only hear loud muffled voices and make out shadowed movement as her vision swam. The rhythm of the car was like a gentle lullaby rocking her to sleep. The journey to the hospital was a dream, with the lights of New York making it seem like a magical blur.
She had fainted, or so the doctor had informed her before she had her hand X-rayed.
Glancing over to where Harry stood, Hayley was relieved to see piercing blue eyes glaring back at her. An angry Harry was better than an angry Goblin. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, with his brow furrowed. The bandage covering the wound on his neck was peeping out from beneath his designer scarf. His neck looked red raw where he had obviously been scratching at the dressing. The shirt and tie he was wearing had been loosened and his grey coat had vanished. In fact, Hayley's own coat appeared to be missing also.
The coats are probably in the car, she thought, and where the hell are the two bodyguards?
Harry had his hands stuffed into his jeans pockets, and with the glowering look on his face it made him appear every bit of a pissed off twenty year old. Why he was so angry, she had no idea, but it couldn't be good.
"So, apparently, your fingers broke when you shut them in a door? The bit about the mahogany was a nice touch," Harry chuckled, pushing himself off the wall to saunter over to her. "But, if you're going to keep using that lie, "he spoke calmly, revelling in the way she shrank away from him as he lifted a hand to her face, "You'll need to make it more believable."
Hayley swallowed, her mouth suddenly going bone dry. On closer inspection, she could pinpoint a few remaining speckles of green shining in his narrowed eyes.
He stared down at her, both hands now cradling her trembling face. "Why did you lie?"
"I-Ha-I – "
"No, no, shhh now, shhh," Harry coaxed, "Why?"
"Because you didn't mean to?" she said slowly, her answer coming out as question rather than a strong statement – she was too afraid that this was a test.
"Did I not?"
"No," Hayley replied, her eyes finding his steadily, "The Goblin hurt me."
Harry pulled away from her, beginning pace manically around the small room as he spoke. "See? This is why I like you! You always seem so sure of yourself, so sure of everything! Why can't more people be as insightful as you?"
She had the distinct feeling that he was mocking her. The way he spoke, calm and slow but with an air of arrogant power, suggested that he wasn't taking her assessment seriously. His usual charismatic personality seemed to be amplified ten fold in such a small space, and he patrolled the room like he owned it.
"Harry, it's ok – "
"No! No, it is not ok!"
"You shouldn't blame yourself, it's not your fault."
"Who ever said it was my fault?"
The hairs on the back of her neck pricked up as she tried to suppress a shudder. "It-it's not?"
"This," he growled with complete and utter certainty on his face, "This is Spider-Man's fault!"
Hayley didn't know what to say; she was speechless.
Fortunately she didn't have to say anything, because the doctor and a nurse walked briskly into the room.
The nurse had long brown hair that cascaded down past her shoulders in a wispy fashion. Her older face was weathered and worn with many creased smile lines. She seemed like a kind and caring nurse, very motherly and protective. The warm smile on her face spoke volumes of her kind-hearted personality. Hayley thought that the nurse was the personification of everything she had ever wanted in a mother.
"Mr Osborn, Miss Carmichael, this is Nurse May, she will be putting your cast on today," the doctor spoke hurriedly as he flicked through a clipboard of papers. "I'll come back to give you a final once over before you can go. If you'll excuse me, I have other patients to see to."
And as quickly as he had come, Doctor Aldington left the room.
The energy in room spiked again, and Hayley cast her eyes back to the corner where Harry had retreated to. The nurse initially had her back to him, so only Hayley could see the hardness in his face, the murderous glare he was giving the kind woman. As she turned, Harry reigned in his frostiness, but only a little.
"Oh, Harry! How wonderful it is to see you again," the nurse gushed, clasping her hands together in happiness. "Now, the last time I saw you, you were such a little thing. I remember how you and Peter used to play out in the yard – "
Upon hearing his old friend's name, Harry blinked, his eyes seemed to glow and his posture became rigid. It all happened within a millisecond and it was fortunate that the nurse had momentarily turned back to Hayley when his green hostility returned.
"Hey, um, Harry," Hayley quickly interrupted, "Why don't you go grab me a soda? A diet soda, please, Harry! Now!"
Harry scowled at her orders but nodded and stalked out the room, banging the door closed behind him.
"He's like a whirling dervish! Always stomping around, just like his father," the older nurse said gently.
"So, um, you know Peter? Peter Parker?"
"Yes, yes, I'm his aunt."
Hayley was lying in their bed, practically hanging off the side. The cast on her fingers felt heavy and uncomfortable. It had taken her so much longer than usual to get undressed and then dressed again into her pyjamas. Who would have thought that having two fingers out of action would make a big difference in carrying out everyday things? It had been so much easier when they had been broken before. However, the doctor had said that the bones were too damaged to use only splints this time, hence why she now had a cast.
It was pretty late when they'd got back because of having to wait in A&E so long. She had gone straight to bed, whilst Harry had stormed off somewhere. They didn't speak during the ride home. Hayley knew that he was secretly upset that he had caused her harm. He couldn't completely blame this on Spider-Man could he?
The bedroom door opened and she stayed quiet, hidden under the covers while he went about his nightly routine in the dark.
Just as her lids fluttered closed, the bathroom door slammed shut, rousing her from the hazy pull of slumber. Hayley could hear the soft padding of his feet on the wooden floor, and felt the bed dip as he slid in next to her. She could also smell the faint scent of whiskey. Holding her breath, she waited patiently for something, anything to happen.
But there was nothing, just the distinct sensation of his soul capturing eyes staring at the back of her head.
Her heart was hammering in her chest, though she didn't really know why. She tried to control her breathing, matching it to his. All Hayley wanted was to rewind the evening back to the restaurant, back to before she mentioned Peter Parker. This secret, this betrayal between the two, was beginning to become unbearable for her. It was affecting her life, and she didn't even know what it was!
It was as if a switch had been flicked, making Harry's rage instantaneously infest his body. To have such a short fuse could be extremely dangerous, especially as he appeared to be loosing the task of keeping his anger, the Goblin, under control.
Those words, that three line phrase about the shadows and darkness was playing on repeat in her head. It occurred just before the bones in her fingers started to splinter and crack. It was really the first act of violence she had seen from Harry since he had been released from Ravencroft. It had rattled her more than she wanted to admit.
When his arm snaked around her stomach and he began to pull her closer, Hayley let him, thinking it better to go with the flow. His fingers made little swirling patterns on her skin, tracing around her belly button and above the hem of her sleep leggings. It wasn't a sexual touch, more of a hesitant exploration. It acted as a reminder of how compassionate and gentle he could be.
"Hayley, you awake?" Harry whispered into her ear, his lips brushing over the soft skin of lobe.
"Mmmmm," she hummed in a drowsy response, feeling all her worries disappear with each velvety touch.
He breathed in and out deeply, and relaxed his body as her own moulded into his. Then Harry reached out, taking his hand off her body. She pouted in the dark and made a little noise at the abrupt departure of his warm hand. Hayley could feel that cheeky smirk of his against her cheek and she sighed, happy to have the real Harry Osborn back.
Then his outstretched hand searched around under the covers. Hayley's stomach flipped and she tensed when his hand enclosed around the cast on her fingers.
"I'm sorry, "Harry sighed sadly, running his thumb over the hard and scratchy cast.
"I know."
"Never mention Parker in my presence again. I won't be able to control myself if you do. Do you understand?"
Hayley nodded, the back of her head rubbing over his lips and nose.
He pressed a long kiss on her auburn hair and brought her even closer into his chest in a possessive hug. "That's my girl."
Later, when she was certain that Harry was asleep, Hayley let her mind ponder over what he had said. It was strange that he had told her not to mention Peter, when in fact it was Spider-Man's presence that had been the catalyst for her broken fingers. She had no idea what that meant but put it down to the Goblin's irrational anger for the spider overtaking Harry's hatred for Peter.
When did life get so complicated? she thought, running her fingers through Harry's soft and rumpled hair.
Harry had warned her that his first day back at OsCorp was going to be awkward and chaotic, but she didn't think it was going to be that awkward and chaotic.
When they were getting dressed that morning, he had informed Hayley that they needed to dress up since there were bound to be a lot press and reporters outside of OsCorp.
Harry was wearing a grey suit that shone silver in the light, with a black shirt and slim black tie. Even his shoes gleamed. The same paisley scarf that she'd seen him wear countless times before was fixed firmly around his neck. Its placement seemed odd to Hayley but she didn't comment on it. His hair was combed to perfection - she had never seen him look so polished and authoritative.
It was quite a sight to see him walking down the marble steps in the foyer of his home. Hayley felt something stir within her; she wanted this man more than she had ever wanted anyone before. He was everything to her. And as he stepped off the last step, Hayley wanted to show how much she needed him, she wanted to kiss those amazing…
"Is that what you're wearing?"
Hayley looked down at her own clothes; a black polo neck with long sleeves, her tight jersey knee length black skirt, and a slim green blazer that she had stolen from Harry's wardrobe when he was in the shower.
"Um…I…um…yes. Are they not…are they…um…it's all I have."
"I guess you'll do," Harry sighed glancing at his Rolex, "You can keep my blazer, you look good in green. But we really need to get you some better clothes."
Did he just insult me, compliment me, and then insult me again? Hayley thought furiously, not having any time to give his comment proper contemplation since he had started to lead her out to the car.
His return to OsCorp was breaking news on every major TV station and newspaper that morning. Which was why Hayley wasn't surprised to see a throng of reporters outside the magnificent skyscraper, just like Harry had warned.
The golden revolving door, the only entrance into OsCorp, was so surrounded by people that you could barely see it.
There were an additional ten guards standing on watch outside instead of the usual two, along with twenty cops and a couple of patrol cars. All the reporters, photographers and journalists were kept behind a barrier of metal fencing, the type that was used at concerts.
When they first rounded the corner in the Sedan, Hayley could see that the sea of people were still and quiet, ignoring all the normal OsCorp employees. However, as soon as one noticed the car, everyone went insane. A frenzy of movement and noise erupted, and she could hear the many shouts of her name and Harry's even from inside the car.
She didn't want to leave the safety of the car; she didn't want to face all those people. And as their vehicle came to a stop, Hayley turned towards Harry, hoping to get some support. He hadn't said a single word or even looked at her since leaving the house. It was like he was purposefully ignoring her.
Her breathing started to accelerate as she watched bodyguards James and Pete leave the car and make their way round to open the door for them.
"Harry, I'm scared."
Nothing.
"Harry," she pleaded, grabbing his hand, "Please, say something!"
"I am the shadow…you are the dark… "
"Harry! Now is not the time for that! I can't do this! I'm scared!" Hayley shrieked, practically hyperventilating as a clicking sound came from the car door handle.
"I am the shadow…you are the dark… "
A knock on the window from the outside was the signal from James that the door would open in ten seconds.
"Harry, please, I-I think I'm going to pass out, I can't do this!"
The door opened.
Harry gripped her hand firmly and stared into her eyes. "Sink or swim," he said, before sliding from the car and pulling her with him.
The noise outside the car was absolutely deafening.
They had to fight their way into OsCorp, with even James and Pete having trouble keeping the sharks at bay. But once there were inside the building, everyone could breathe a sigh of relief.
Every time she entered OsCorp tower, Hayley found herself adoring it more and more. The architecture was breath taking; everything was stripped back, with glass and steel giving an industrial and contemporary feel to the vast building. It reminded her of a very modern and very expensive Hogwarts. Sure, the skyscraper tall staircases didn't move and there were no ghosts in the toilets, but OsCorp was colossal and held many secrets. There were so many corridors and floors that she had never and probably would never be able explore them all. Hayley had only ever visited the employee dinner lounge, the floor where her science labs were, the women's toilets, and the ground floor bookstore.
The enormity of it all made her feel very small, but Hayley liked that she could be invisible and disappear into a sea of the hundreds or thousands of OsCorp employees.
However, today was different. Today, everyone saw her, everyone knew her, and, everyone was staring at her. Well, they were staring at Harry more, but it still freaked her out. So Hayley cast her anxious emerald eyes downward and focused on the honeycomb logo pattern that was on the white and grey marble floor. She tried to zone out and listened closely to K.A.R.I, the holographic blonde woman who was the artificial intelligence program that controlled the whole building.
As usual, she was informing all OsCorp employees of the latest business news:
"OsCorp Industries is proud to announce the full restoration of Manhattan's electromagnetic power grid… Today marks the return of OsCorp Industries CEO, Harry Osborn…"
Hayley suddenly felt pressure leave her hand and she realised that Harry had hastily let go of it. She glanced up at him and saw that he had his business face on. His jaw was rigid as was his posture, and he seemed to be surveying his surroundings with an air of superiority, like he owned the place. Which, he did of course.
Harry's eyes narrowed as an older man in an expensive grey suit moved towards him.
"Mr Osborn," spoke Donald Menken gracefully, clearly putting on a show, "On behalf of the OsCorp board and employees, I would like to welcome you back."
He held out his hand and Harry took it, their shaking of hands prompting a very stilted applause from all the surrounding people. The employees were staring at their returning CEO and the quiet redhead, some with fear, some with hate, and some with an emotion Hayley couldn't identify. The overall feeling was incredibly uncomfortable. All the unwanted attention reminded her of the two excited girls who had wanted her autograph. Except everyone here probably hated her and they certainly did not want her autograph.
"I trust I will see you at the ten o'clock meeting with the board?" Menken asked, the two men releasing hands like they had burned one another.
"Why, of course," Harry spoke eloquently, folding his arms to conceal his shaking hands, "I am CEO, and that meeting cannot happen without me."
The older man nodded and walked away, freeing up Harry's attention for another well-wisher to fill his place. A recognisable brunette stepped forward, a clipboard in hand, her radiant smile being the only genuine one in the entire building.
"Mr Osborn," greeted Felicia, handing her boss his morning latte. "If you would like to follow me sir, I'll take you through today's scheduled meetings."
Harry returned his secretary's smile with his own cheeky smirk, making Hayley feel completely invisible.
The three of them strode in silence to the elevators, their footsteps on the marble floor the only sound other than K.A.R.I. The OsCorp employees seemed to be waiting for their boss to enter the elevator and leave the ground floor before moving themselves.
As the elevator doors closed all three of them inside, Hayley vacantly watched the fifty display screens on the opposite wall. They showed the morning news, which, no surprise, focused on Harry's return to OsCorp. Some live footage was being shown from when they had entered the building only a mere ten minutes ago. She would never get used to seeing her face on television.
The elevator started to move after Felicia spoke the floor number. Down in the foyer, everyone had started to move and go about business as usual, though they constantly glanced up at the travelling glass box. It made Hayley so angry but she tried desperately to ignore the huge amount of people who were still staring at them.
Harry let out a sigh of relief, his body relaxing ever so slightly, but not enough to crack his strong and stoic façade. "I see everything is back to its expensive glory," he said sarcastically.
"Yes, we had all the damage repaired," Felicia confirmed.
"I wonder how much all that cost? No doubt I paid for it, since it was me who destroyed it, right Felicia?" smirked Harry, giving his secretary a wink and one of those flawless bang flips he had perfected.
"Ye-I mean…Mr Osborn, you have a - "
"You can drop the formalities Felicia," Harry drawled, "I already have too many fake people in my life and I don't want you to be one of them."
Felicia clasped her clipboard tighter and looked up at her boss from beneath her fluttering eyelashes. The look she was giving Harry made Hayley want to vomit. Did the brunette not know that he only liked redheads? As in the redhead standing the next him…as in her, Hayley.
Do they even know I'm here? she wondered, as the man she loved and the woman she greatly disliked, talked about boring business type stuff.
Hayley didn't really know why she was even in the elevator with them. She should have got out about twenty floors down. It just seemed right to follow Harry to his office. Besides, she actually hadn't seen his office before and she wanted to familiarise herself with it for when she performed his daily check ups.
She glanced over to Harry and Felicia who were laughing about something. Rolling her eyes, Hayley went back to staring at the frosted company logo on the inside of the transparent elevator. Her own green orbs were reflected faintly in the glass, and for once, she was scared at what she saw. Jealousy stared back at her clear as glass.
"Hayley?" called Felicia softly, "You coming?"
Blinking, Hayley realised that the elevator doors were about to close and the brunette was waiting for her in the room outside. She dashed between the doors, practically falling over the polished marble floor in her haste. Harry had disappeared somewhere, so she followed Felicia, seeing no reason not to. She noted how the woman was wearing a very tight black skater dress that showed way too much skin. Well, more skin than Hayley would ever show.
Did guys like that? Hayley thought, looking down at how covered she was and remembering what Harry had said earlier. Maybe the polo neck and long sleeve combo was a bit too covered. But at least my skirt is tight-ish…
It emerged that the elevator doors opened straight into what appeared to be a waiting area. It had a couple sofas, works of abstract art on the walls, and two astronaut suits. The astronauts were there probably because Norman Osborn had something to do with landing on the moon, or some sort of space shuttle technology. There were even mini lights to help display the suits – clearly, money was no object. There was also a massive plasma TV screen like the ones opposite the elevators in the foyer, only a lot bigger. Hayley had a feeling that OsCorp really liked TV screens.
Felicia beckoned Hayley forward and they both walked towards the transparent doors that led into the CEO's office. When the doors suddenly opened automatically and disappeared into the surrounding marble wall, Hayley's eyes widened in wonder and amazement.
Is everything in this place made of glass? It's like OsCorp is obsessed with the material, it's beyond ridiculously amazing! Hayley thought.
Walking into Harry's office was like how she had felt walking into his home for the first time – absolutely overwhelmed by the wealth of it all.
The office was spacious and light due to the room tall glass windows that surrounded it. A web of honeycomb steel on the outside of the building encased the room, creating geometric industrial feel. The stone floor had a similar hexagonal pattern, so that even though the office was minimalistic, it actually appeared busy due to the numerous shapes on the polished ground.
There were various seating areas, a sound system, and there was even a freaking bar! With way too many bottles of whisky and expensive liquors for Hayley's liking. There was also a separate meeting room divided by glass walls, with it's own long glass table and leather chairs. On the wall, Hayley could see a type of blue stone map. She couldn't make out what was on it, but it probably listed all the areas on the planet where OsCorp has some kind of trading export or business control.
Harry was sitting behind an interactive glass desk that was glowing as he pulled up various files - he appeared completely at ease.
Felicia moved down towards her boss as Hayley continued to stand in the doorway looking like an idiot, her mouth open wide in complete awe.
"Do you need to be here?" Harry snapped looking pointedly at the redhead.
"Erm, I guess not?" Hayley questioned slowly, slightly irked by his sudden hostility. "I'll have to check on you at midday for your – "
"See that you get up here ASAP!" he barked," I'm a busy man, and I don't have time for your pointless check ups!"
Hayley was absolutely flabbergasted: Where the hell had that come from?
Even Felicia seemed taken aback, and her hazel eyes kept flicking from her boss and the redhead, at a complete loss at what to say.
"One day, these pointless check ups will save your life Harry," Hayley spoke quietly, but loud enough for all three of them to hear. Her voice was dripping with disdain.
Before Harry could even respond, she turned and stormed out of his office, her head held high. It was only when she was back in the elevator and on her way down to the labs, did she risk bringing up a finger to remove the water droplets from her eyes.
"Are you here to do his check up?"
Hayley had barely got out the elevator and already Felicia had pounced on her.
"Yes," she replied, pointing to her bag of medical supplies, "Why are you out here?"
Felicia was sitting in the waiting area with only her clipboard, the astronauts and now Hayley for company.
"Oh, I got kicked out. Harry may like me but the board members do not."
Ignoring what the brunette had said about Harry liking her, Hayley checked her watch, and her small face expressed her puzzled thoughts. "So, who's in there with him now then?"
Harry's secretary glanced up from her clipboard and notes, as the redhead sat in the chair opposite her. "Menken," she replied.
"Shouldn't Harry be in a meeting with Wilson Fisk right now?"
"Yes, but Fisk changed it to ten o'clock last minute."
"But wasn't that when the board meeting was meant to be?"
Felicia sighed and rubbed her forehead in frustration. "Yes."
"So, Harry is probably more pissed off than this morning, right?"
"Yes. I've had to deal with a lot of pissy men today."
"Great."
An uncomfortable silence stretched between the two young women as they both tried and failed to ignore each other and keep from making eye contact. Hayley was the first to finally think of something to say.
"Felicia, I never really thanked you for the whole Starbucks thing."
"The what?"
"When I rang you really early in the morning and asked for Harry's favourite drink, remember? I never thought you'd actually give me the real answer, so…erm…thank you," Hayley told the girl honestly – it really had been a nice thing for her to do.
"I didn't want to irritate my boss," Felicia responded truthfully, putting down her clipboard since the redhead was clearly going to keep talking to her. "Plus, I didn't want to risk pissing off his girlfriend."
"Yeah, I guess so. Wait, how do you know I'm his girlfriend?"
"Is it not obvious?"
"Is it obvious? I mean, you saw how he was earlier."
"You're not the only one, Hayley. He's been shouting at me all morning."
Hayley leaned forward with a heavy sigh and clutched her head in her hands. "He must be so stressed being back at OsCorp. And here I am feeling sorry for myself. I'm such an idiot and a crap girlfriend!"
Felicia started to giggle slightly and Hayley blinked up at her thoroughly confused.
"Sorry, it's not funny," the secretary explained, "It's just that after you left, he said that not only was he a shit CEO but also a shit boyfriend."
Hayley smiled sadly, "He isn't shit, far from it actually." But then her eyes flicked down to the cast on her fingers.
"What happened to your hand?"
A tremendous crash and raised voices from inside Harry's office interrupted Hayley's answer. The two women shared a worried look, left their sets and ran into the office.
Nothing appeared out of place and initially the room seemed to be empty, until another crash directed the women to its source. In the separate meeting room on the right, Harry and Menken were arguing. Hayley could see that there were a few smashed mugs on the floor and an upturned leather chair.
"Did you think I wouldn't find out what you were up to?" Menken accused loudly, standing behind a chair near the blue stone wall.
Likewise, Harry was standing on the opposite side of the table with his back to the two women. His posture indicated that he was much calmer than the older man.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said slowly, his eyes twinkling wickedly.
"That's right, pretend to be the innocent, you arrogant defective – "
Harry laughed. "Oh, I'm sorry, do you not like it when I play the plausible deniability card?" Placing his hands on the glass table, he leaned over it, trying to intimidate the man opposite, "You should, after all, it was you who taught me that."
"You can't hide it forever!" Donald Menken sneered, looking down his nose at the young Osborn, "I know what you are up to! I will show everyone who you truly are."
"Your threats mean nothing to me!" countered Harry, "I control this company, not you. You're lucky I even tolerate you! I should fire you Menken!"
"Then why haven't you? Because you're a coward! A freak like your father!"
"HOW DARE YOU COMPARE ME TO HIM!"
It took approximately five seconds for the situation to go from bad to dangerous.
In a fit of rage, Harry darted round the table, aggressively shoving anything in his path. As chairs started to fall, Menken scrambled backwards but only to avoid the furniture. He stood his ground, keeping the hard look on his face as he tried to remain indifferent to the young man's outburst. But Harry was having none of it.
Harry quickly closed the short distance between himself and Menken. He stopped when their noses were practically touching, both men staring each down.
"I am nothing like him," Harry seethed.
Just as a counter comment started to form on Menken's lips, he was violently pushed back into the hard wall as Harry clamped his hands round the older gentlemen's neck.
"My father was like you, he only cared about himself. And where is he now? Dead! I killed you once with a little help from my electrical friend, so you know I can do it again," he threatened, eyes narrowing as he concentrated on choking the life from his victim. "It would bring me great pleasure to watch you die."
"Harry! Let him go!" screamed Hayley.
The redhead and brunette had been watching the two men converse, silently hypnotised by the entire situation. They hadn't risked announcing their presence in case it made things worse. But now they could no longer stand at the sidelines.
Hayley dropped her medical bag and sprinted across the office, with Felicia hot on her heels. When they climbed the three steps up to the higher platform, she slowed down her movements and gently grabbed the silver handle on the glass doors. She opened it carefully, not wanting to make any sudden movements. Felicia stayed on the steps keeping the door open wide in case a hasty exit was needed.
"Harry," Hayley said calmly, tenderly placing a hand on his tension filled shoulder, "Let go of Menken."
Harry barely showed any indication that he'd heard her, with only a small twitching movement of his head in her direction betraying him. He continued to squeeze Menken's neck, his green eyes fixated on the way the man frantically tried to gulp down air. All Harry could see was green. A beauteous rage of green.
"You're going to kill him! Harry, stop!" Hayley tried again, with a little more urgency in her voice, all the while tugging on Harry's arms. She was very aware that the older man was quickly running out of air. "He's going to die! Harry! Please stop!"
But nothing would stop him. The look in his eyes was the same as the night when she gave her permission for him to kill Kinsey; murderous.
There was one last thing she could try.
"I'm sorry Harry," she whispered as she brought back her hand and slapped him round the face.
Instantly, he released his hold on Menken in shock, and man fell to the floor gasping for air. Hayley took the small window of opportunity to push Harry against the wall, trying to direct his attention to her. She held his face in her hands, needing his eyes to turn back to their usual sky blue tone. However, he was still obsessively focused on Menken who Felicia was quickly ushering out of the meeting room.
If Hayley could just get him focused on her then he would be able to calm down and walk away from the whole thing relatively unscathed.
"Harry," she said firmly, "I want you to look at me. I want you to look into my eyes, focus on my face."
She cupped his face harder, trying with all her strength to move his head in her direction, but Harry only had eyes for Menken, for the man he wanted to kill. Except Hayley knew that he wasn't a murderer…someone else was.
"Goblin, " she whispered.
Harry immediately looked down at her. "What?"
"I need you to calm down."
"Why?"
"Because Menken isn't worth getting thrown back into Ravencroft."
"Oh, I think he is," the Goblin hissed, glancing back up and glaring at Menken who was now standing with Felicia near his desk in the general office.
"But I wouldn't be able to help you like before. We would be separated."
Hayley could see the Goblin mulling it over, weighing up all the pros and cons of killing Menken. She needed to get through to him, get through to Harry, to both of them!
"Please don't make Harry into a murderer," she pleaded.
"Kiss me, and I will spare his life."
Nodding, Hayley pulled his head further towards her own and pressed her lips to his. Instinctively her eyes fluttered closed and she kissed him as hard as she could, hoping that it would satisfy his murderous lust and spare Menken from death. It was one of the few times that she had actually kissed Harry as the Goblin, and his insistent use of tongue was a dead give away. However when the initial roughness ceased, she opened her eyes and was surprised that Harry had his open also. They stared intensely at each other as their kiss continued. Hayley watched in amazement as his eyes rapidly transformed back to their normal piercing icy blue colour. She let out a little moan of relief, thankful that the situation was finally under control.
Their kiss only lasted mere seconds but it was long enough for the dangerous Id inside Harry to relinquish ownership.
"Nice to see you taking your therapy so seriously," Menken shouted, "Always the playboy Harry, surrounding yourself with an infinite number of whores – "
In a split second the green eyes were back and Hayley didn't have the strength to prevent the Goblin from charging out of the meeting room. She chased after him, with her slight frame and the adrenaline enabling her to get in front of him. Hayley pushed herself in between the two men just as it looked like one of them was going to punch the other. Even Felicia had thrown her arm in front of Menken in an effort to stop the men from making contact.
"Harry, stop! He is not worth it!"
"That's right, take orders from a woman. We all know you're sleeping with her!"
Hayley pressed her hands as hard as she could against Harry chest, urgently trying to stop him as he reacted to the man's poisonous comments. He was shoving his chest so hard against her body in an attempt to reach his target that Hayley let out a painful squeak as pain shot through her injured fingers.
Menken eventually broke free from Felicia's efforts at holding him back, and he made a grab for the scarf perfectly coiled around Harry's neck. As soon as the silken material dropped to the floor, there was a collective gasp from the two women. Hayley removed her hands from holding his chest and brought them up to her mouth in shock.
Around the white bandage covering his most aggressive lesion, Harry's skin had become completely mottled green, the spread disappearing underneath his shirt collar and growing up to his jaw. The surrounding veins were raised and black, making his usual complexion appear much paler than usual.
"That, is who you are," Menken jeered triumphantly, "A monster."
Hayley turned on the spot and glared furiously, jabbing her finger into the older man's chest. "No! You are wrong Menken. That is a disease! It does not define him! It is just a disease!"
"You keep telling yourself that. If you believe that lie, then you two deserve each other," Menken retorted, shrugging off Felicia's hands again as she tried to subdue him. He straightened himself and began walking towards the exit. "He'll destroy you in the end, Miss Carmichael, the Osborn men always do."
"Get out! GET OUT!" Harry bellowed.
The older man sneered and ascended the three steps up to the waiting room, the glass doors automatically opening.
"And Menken," Harry called softly, all hint of anger erased from his voice, "If you say anything, anything…I will kill you."
Hayley shuddered and she felt sick to her stomach; Menken would die eventually and there would nothing she could do to stop it.
So she instead of worrying about the future she remained in the present and needed to focus on the immediate danger that was Harry. Turning back towards him, Hayley gently pushed on his chest, ignoring the pain in her finger. She steered him over to the lounge area by the bar. When he realised where they were headed, he abruptly moved away from her hands and walked the rest of the way unguided.
Harry slouched in one of the black chairs and banged his fist on the low table beside him. "Felicia, get me a drink," he demanded rudely.
"Maybe alcohol isn't – "
"I said do it!"
Felicia flashed Hayley a look but did as her boss told her to. When she brought back a glass of whisky, Hayley noticed that the girl's hands were shaking.
Harry grabbed the glass and drained the amber liquid in one gulp. "More."
"First, Fe, could you please bring me my medical bag?" Hayley's eyes followed the brunette and when she was further away from them, the redhead continued squeaking quietly, "You do not need anymore alcohol! Have you taken your medication today?"
"Yes."
"I thought you promised that if I kissed you, you wouldn't kill him?"
She gave Felicia a grateful smile when the girl placed Hayley's medical bag on the table. Then the brunette picked up the empty glass and went to fill it with more alcohol at the bar. Hayley noticed that she didn't immediately reach for the bottle of whisky like she had previously. Instead, Felicia appeared to be searching for a drink with a little less alcoholic potency.
"I never promised you."
"But you said – "
"Why would I when it would be a promise I don't intend to keep?"
Hayley shook her head incredulously and began to go through the tedious routine of taking his vitals. She noted down a few irregularities like how high his blood pressure was and the way that his eyes were impressively switching from blue to green. The wound on his neck was seeping clear serous fluid, so she cleaned the area and applied a fresh bandage. Harry was too irritated for her to check the other wounds on his body, and she decided that it would be easier if she examined them back at Osborn Manor.
Throughout her inspection, Harry had stayed quiet. Even when his eyes had finally returned back to blue, he continued to be frosty with her and Felicia. Hayley ignored it, but his change in personality worried her. It was almost as if Harry and the Goblin were merging into one.
It was only when she had left Harry and returned back to the labs, did she realise that no one could ever read her findings from today. No one in the research team could know. Her notes may lead to a better understanding of the long-term progression of Harry's illness, but it could also lead to a second incarceration. Everything she had written documenting Harry's change into the Goblin had to be deleted or hidden from OsCorp. The changes to his Retroviral Hypoplasia like his skin lesions and vitals when they flared up in times of stress would be the type of data she could report. The full manifestation into the Goblin however, when his eyes turned green and his voice changed, would have to be kept a secret.
What would have happened if she and Felicia hadn't been in the room? Would the Goblin have killed Menken? Something in the back of Hayley's mind said that the older man had just missed out on death.
It was late afternoon and Harry was sitting behind his desk, calmly sipping his latte. All the excitement from this morning had died down and it had taken him a good hour to reassure Hayley that he wasn't about to murder Menken. He was also certain that she had asked Felicia to check in on him every hour just in case.
He placed the strange little square hard drive his father had given him onto the interactive glass pane. All the files he had only seen briefly before his incarceration were now accessible. Searching through the entirety of his father's work was going to take time, but today Harry only need to find a few select files.
Pulling up the one marked "Parker", he spent two hours reading through and watching all the surveillance footage and information that had been collected over the years. In some video clips he saw himself and Peter playing at the park before Harry had been shipped off to boarding school. It made him feel angry that his father had paid more attention to Peter than his own son. One of the last videos had been filmed after the death of his father, which surprised Harry. It showed him and Peter throwing rocks across the water. He remembered what Pete had told him then about hope.
There was still hope.
The key had to be the spider venom, and the answer had to be in Peter's blood! Why had it worked for Peter and not him? Spider-Man held the cure and Harry would get it eventually, one way or another. Even if it meant he had to kill Peter.
He had just pulled up the "Special Projects" folder when his cell started ringing.
"What do you want?' Harry asked in a very bored voice.
"How was your first day back?" his lawyer queried, completely ignoring his client's attitude.
"You sound like a parent asking their kid about school."
"Yeah, well, I'm not your parent," Manners snapped back down the receiver, "Though sometimes it feels like I am!"
"Get to the point Manners, I'm a very busy man," Harry drawled, opening up the schematics and information on his glider and body armour battlefield suit.
"I get enough shit from my other clients, I don't need it from you too! Just because you are now reinstated as CEO it doesn't mean you have to act like an arrogant little shit."
Harry sighed. "Fine. To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?"
"Other than every news channel yammering on about your return to OsCorp," Manners explained, "The picture of Hayley's mugger has been released to the news networks, so her attack is also one of the top news stories today. Furthermore, I have set up a reward sum for the return of the stolen emerald jewellery. And I have arranged for private police surveillance cars outside Hayley's home in the Bowery for her protection – there are going to be some nasty paparazzi out there wanting the best pictures."
"You should probably tell him that she lives with us now," the Goblin chimed in gleefully. He had lain dormant in Harry's mind after the confrontation with Menken, but now he couldn't resist annoying his host.
"How's Hayley?" Manners asked, completely unaware that a third person had been added to the conversation.
"She's fine."
"She's more than fine, Harry, she's a flaming hot redhead! You need to give her a little more credit than that!" the Goblin laughed in his head, "So feisty today, I simply couldn't resist getting a kiss."
"How's your therapy going?"
"Fine."
"None existent."
"Anything thing I should know?"
"Yes!"
"I'm always so happy that we have these little chats Manners," Harry sighed sarcastically.
"You going to tell him that we nearly murdered someone today?"
"Just to pre warn you," Harry said slowly, "Menken might be an issue that you need to revisit."
"Why?" asked Manners cautiously.
"Because he's becoming a liability! He thinks he can swan in to my office whenever he likes and tell me how to run my company!" Harry shouted maliciously down his cell.
"Harry, you need to calm the fuck down!" the lawyer shoot back with just as much venom, "He was your father's personal assistant for over twenty years! If anyone can help you with OsCorp, he can!"
"He thinks he has power over me! No! Not this time! I knew I should have killed him when I had the chance!"
"Exactly! Kill him! We should get on our glider and drop him off the top of OsCorp – "
"Look. Harry, I get it, he's a dick, but unfortunately he's a dick we need to keep around. He has a lot of friends in high places, and it is in your best interest to keep him alive!" Manners tried to reason. "What would Hayley think? How do you think she would feel if you murdered someone?"
"She didn't have any qualms when we killed Kinsey."
"Fine. But he discovered something about the E.C.T.F. We need to keep him quiet. You need to do something Manners!"
"All I can do is pay him off with more money," the lawyer clarified, "You're already paying him a small fortune!"
"No, we need a change of tactics. Threaten to stop supplying him the bribe money. Menken is narcissistic and loves the luxurious life that money brings. Threaten to cut him off."
"Ok, I'll try. And what happens if that doesn't work?"
"It will. He knows that if he puts a toe out of line, I will kill him."
It had been a very long week. What with caring for Harry in between his excessive amount of meetings, to being in the laboratories analysing data, to dodging the incessant reporters every morning and evening, Hayley had a lot to deal with. And she was exhausted.
All the data she collected from Harry's daily check ups was beginning to take its toll. The fact that the majority of it was falsified really went against everything she believed in. She had to keep reminding herself that she was protecting Harry. The notes she fabricated on his worst days were to keep him out of Ravencroft. However, she had a feeling that all her lies would catch up to her in the end.
The team of scientists were continuing their work from where they left off when Norman Osborn had died. They were excited to be able to study the disease in such a young subject. Hayley could tell that the team wanted to examine Harry in person, to document the progression of how Retroviral Hyperplasia manifested itself in the earlier stages. As much as she knew that Harry would eventually need to be studied in person, she suggested that this happen in a month's time after he had settled back into working at OsCorp. The scientists grudgingly agreed to her request.
Harry had become very distant ever since he broke her fingers and had the fight with Menken. Usually he bounced back from all the drama but she could see that the stress from running his own company was getting to him. She hadn't seen his cheeky smirk all week and it was beginning to concern her. Plus, he looked positively knackered from the lack of sleep his sleepwalking caused. She probably had dark bags under her eyes too from being woken up every night from his screams. Hayley needed a break from all this but she knew that wasn't an option. Instead, she decided that she could really use a friend to talk to. And there was only one person other than Harry that she considered a friend.
She'd sent him a text that morning saying to meet her at Gwen's grave around noon. It surprised her that she got to the grave first, especially since she had to exit OsCorp incognito, hiding from not only paparazzi but also from James and Pete the bodyguards. It had taken her quite awhile to find an exit other than the front entrance.
Either way, Hayley was there, and she sat down on the cool grass. She pulled out the weeds surrounding the grave and brushed away the autumn leaves. Soft footfalls caught her attention and her heart beat wildly in her chest, the memory of footsteps in the alley echoing in her mind.
"Hey," Peter Parker said, taking off his backpack and joining her on the ground.
"Why were you at the gala Peter?" she asked calmly, cutting to the chase.
"I had a press pass from the Bugle – I had to take pictures."
"Oh."
Of course that's the reason, idiot! Hayley thought, cross that she hadn't come to that conclusion herself.
"I'm sorry if seeing us together upset you. If I had known, I – "
"Hey, it's cool, it's ok," Peter joked, holding up his hands in surrender, an attempt to make light of the situation. But one look at Hayley, and he knew, now was the time to be honest. "Just seeing you, with him, well, it's hard, you know? My ex-friend with my dead girlfriend's friend, it's, I don't know, it seems messed up. But, I guess, the main thing, is that even though you went together, you're not actually together."
Hayley bit the side of her cheek, scared he would see right through her. "Mmmm…though, I'm kind of living with him now but it's not what you think!" she spoke quickly, not leaving him any room to interrupt, "I have to do a lot of medical stuff with him throughout the day, monitoring his condition and that. It just seemed like the only logical thing to do." Cracking her knuckles, Hayley tried desperately not to look at Peter, too terrified to learn his opinion on the matter. "Apparently Norman had eight live-in doctors before he died," she added swiftly.
There was long pause while Peter digested that piece of information. He decided to not ask further questions on the subject because it most likely would make him angry.
"So, I saw what happened on the news," he continued, hanging his head, glancing up at her through guilt-ridden hazel eyes, "I saw what happened after I let you jump out of the cab."
Hayley visible tensed at the memory
"If hadn't been so stupid…I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you – "
"You couldn't have done anything Peter, the guy had a knife. People can't play hero, they have to look out for themselves. It's not like you're Spider-Man or something!"
"What? Ha! Me? Spider-Man? Pfft! Imagine running around in all that latex – not my style," he diverted quickly under the pretence of trying to make light of the subject. "But it did happen and I should have done – "
"Seriously, can we just forget that night ever happened? I really don't want to think about it anymore. It's bad enough I have to see his face on the news and in the papers."
"Spider-Man will catch him, you will have justice," Peter said a little too passionately.
Hayley quirked her eyebrow, before shaking her head and smiling at him, "You really believe in that spider guy, don't you?"
"Gwen believed in him, therefore so do I. Because, if I had the same powers he did, I would only use them for good, I would never harm anyone, I would be compelled to help, you know? I believe he didn't harm Gwen because I know that's what she would have believed."
"Your right, she did believe in him," Hayley stated sorrowfully, picking at the grass again.
"He's a symbol for the people," Peter continued, trying but failing for her to see his arachnid alter ego as anything but bad, "He wouldn't kill one of the people he was trying to protect."
"Hey Parker, can I tell you something? When I was in the alley, on the ground, apparently someone found me and called an ambulance. The crazy thing is, even after all the stuff with Harry and Spider-Man, I still want to believe in him. Even though he can't be everywhere, I like to pretend that the spider was that guy, the one who rang the cops."
Peter stared at her, grinding his teeth; should he tell her? Should he tell her that in fact it was Spider-Man who rang the cops? That it was he, Peter Parker, who found her in the alley and was too late to save her from the mugger? Should he tell her the truth? Should he tell her that he is Spider-Man?
"It's stupid really, just a strange fantasy of hope," she chuckled bitterly, "I'm not blind Parker, I know that Harry is flawed and I know that he has a dark side. So, as much as I blame Spider-Man for Gwen's death, a small part of me wants to believe he didn't. I want him to not have killed her." Wiping away the tears that were slowly tumbling from her eyes, Hayley continued to express her worries, "But if I think like that, then the only person it could have been is-is-I can't think like that, it's safer not to think of that option."
"It would be safer if you weren't involved at all."
"It's funny," Hayley went on, completely ignoring him, "But I think Harry hates you just as much as he hates Spider-Man."
Now, I'll tell her now, thought Peter.
"What happened? How did you betray him?"
"I didn't betray him. I did what I thought was right at the time," Peter said assuredly. "And, I still think, no, I know I was right."
Tell her now! Come on, don't chicken out Parker, Peter thought.
"I haven't really been a good friend to you, and I'm sorry," Hayley confessed, "I think we both went into our protective bubbles when Gwen died, and really, we should have been there for each other. I let my working relationship with Harry diminish my friendship with you. I'm sorry Parker."
There was long pause of silent lament as the pair gazed upon the grave of the one who connected them, the one who had made them friends in the first place. Even though they didn't look at each other, both knew that the other was silently crying. They could feel it in the cool air.
Rubbing his hand over his face, Peter put an arm around Hayley and gave her an awkward side hug. "Pfft, come on Carmichael, you and me are still friends, still pals!" He flashed her a genuine smile, meaning every word he said. But then when she went to wipe away her tears, he noticed the cast on her hand. "What happened to your fingers?"
"He-I-there was an incident with a door," Hayley said quickly, gently shrugging of Peter's arm now that their little friendship reconciliation moment was over.
"Oh yeah? Does that door happen to have a multi-million dollar company?"
"No." Hayley lied, though she knew that he wasn't buying it.
She hated the way people immediately thought Harry had hurt her – it made her want to hide the truth even more, because she knew that it was the Goblin's anger, not Harry.
"You know you can walk away from this," Peter said, knowing full well that she couldn't, that she was in too deep.
"There is nothing to walk away from."
"Have you told him about our conversation in the cab?"
"No"
"Have you told him that I was in the cab?"
"No."
"Have you told him about coming to meet me here?"
"No."
"He'll be angry when he finds out," sighed Peter. He was concerned of what might happen when Harry finally discovered Hayley's lies, what he might do to her in a fit of blinding rage.
"He won't find out."
"Hayl – "
"I know he'll be angry. But it's ok, I can handle it."
Peter glanced to her bandaged fingers before making eye contact with Hayley. "Can you? Can you handle it?"
"Yes."
A tiny voice inside her head, so teeny tiny that she barely knew it was there, whispered, "No. No I can't."
Apologies if the Harry/Menken fight scene is a bit shit. I've struggled with it for five days and I decided that no matter what I did I was always going to think it was crap! So, hopefully it didn't turn out too badly.
Btw if you want to see something fun, search Dane DeHaan "Jesse D'Amato Fuck compilation 1" on YouTube – he swore sooo many times during the TV show "In Treatment", it's hilarious! My apologies if you are against swearing or are really young, because then you shouldn't watch it!
Also, Dane DeHaan is in a new music video for the band Imagine Dragons "I Bet My Life"… YUM!
You guys are awesome and are the best readers ever! MUCH LOVE XXX