"Yeah, Mom, I'm fine. I wasn't even at the football game when he attacked."

Harry heard a sigh over the phone. "Good, good." She sounded a bit tired. "Sorry that I sound like I'm going to collapse. I'm just a bit ragged from running Oscorp. It's tough business."

Harry smiled sadly. It sucked that his mom was being swamped with all this work. Though, ironically, she had been a lot more present in his life now. She wasn't too distant in the past, but she was making actual efforts to be involved with his extracurricular activities, like showing up for a play he was in and helping him with his homework. Guess she realised how she needed to do better after she thought Dad died. Even now, she was convinced that the Green Goblin in Metropolis was a fake. "I understand," he said. "Speaking of which, how's production going on the new Osberry?"

"Mmm." He could practically hear Mom's smirk. "Are you asking me this so that you can get one sooner than the public?"

Harry chuckled. "Maybe." He looked at the elevator buttons: he had just arrived at his floor. "Alright, I'm going to the pharmacy for medication. My therapist wrote me up a prescription. See you."

"See you, Harry. Love you." A soft drone came from the phone as Harry pocketed it. He sighed as the doors opened. Right in front of him, sitting at a desk overseeing the city, underneath the twentieth logo for the building he was in, was Lex Luthor.

"Hey." Harry's voice carried enough volume to reach Luthor. He didn't respond though. He kept his gaze on something in his hands. Harry huffed, stomping over to him.

"I'm talking to you, Lex. What's the matter? Don't wanna talk to your partner?"

Now that he was standing right behind Lex, he looked over his shoulder. The guy was fiddling with some kind of advanced Rubik's Cube. He was solving it easily, and he looked bored while doing so. Harry was two seconds away from grabbing him by the face and forcing him to look at him when Lex turned around.

"Can I help you, Harry?" Lex sounded as bored as he looked.

"Yeah, you can." Harry's face softened. "Where's my dad? I wanna talk to him."

The corners of Lex's mouth twitched upwards slightly. "Why? Got your butt kicked by some thug at your school and need him to sort it out?"

Harry itched to deck him in the face. "I've barely spoken to him since I've arrived in Metropolis. You, meanwhile, have been buddying it up with him while I'm off doing my silly little project."

Lex folded his arms. "You've done Shakespeare, didn't you?"

Harry blinked. "What? I mean, yeah, but-"

"Then have you heard of the drama Othello?" He turned away. "How they talk about the 'green-eyed monster' of jealousy?"

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Are you accusing me of being jealous? Of what, your wealth?" He placed his hands on his hips. "Oscorp makes just as much money as LexCorp does, I'll have you know."

He heard Lex scoff. "God. If there's one thing you didn't inherit, it was intelligence. I'm not talking about measuring company stocks. I'm talking about your dad."

Harry felt his cheeks flame. That made more sense. "W-what do you mean?" He tried to make it sound like he had no idea what Lex was referring to.

Unfortunately, this only made the smug look on Lex's face become even smugger. "It's about the time I've been spending with him, isn't it?"

Harry's voice had been caught in his throat. Good. He didn't trust himself not to make himself look like a fool. "I..."

Lex rolled his eyes. "I knew it." He walked over to his water cooler. "Thirsty?"

"Yeah." He tried to sound emotionless. "Sure, I could do with some water." He walked up behind him, waiting as Lex filled up a Styrofoam cup.

"How has your 'silly little project' been going, Harry?" Lex turned around, holding the cup. "Hope you haven't been slacking when it comes to important things, like learning how to fly your hoverboard straight."

Harry's jaw clenched. "It's none of your concern." He grabbed his own cup. "Now please elaborate: what do you mean you were talking about my dad?"

Lex brought the cup to his own lips. After a nice long sip, he spoke. "You feel like you're being replaced."

Harry felt like he had been slugged in the stomach. "What?"

"You heard me." Another sip. "You're jealous of me spending so much time with your dad. You resent me for it. Wish I wouldn't do so." He placed the cup down. "So, listen, Ozzie-"

"Don't call me that."

"I understand how you feel." Lex crossed his arms. "You feel a... disconnect from your dad. And, well, I can relate."

Harry didn't expect that. "Really? W... what do you mean?"

Lex frowned. "As I'm sure you're aware, I'm a genius. But my dad... well, he's more into the farming lifestyle. He just doesn't understand how my stuff - my company, inventions - work." He scoffed. "I can understand though. He's not a genius. Not like me."

Harry kept his mouth shut. Last thing he needed was him saying something stupid and Lex flying off the handle at him.

"I mean, he's a good dad. A great dad, even." Lex leaned against the wall. "But he's just... not the one I really need."

Harry frowned. "I... Is that why you're hanging out with my dad so much?"

Lex shrugged. "Your dad's a smart man. Really smart. And, well... there's a connection with us." He smiled. "He really understands my intellect and all I've done."

Harry bit his lip. "Do you feel like your dad... doesn't pay attention to you?" That had to be it. Lex said he related to Harry. Honestly, he was feeling a bit sorry for Lex.

"Nah."

Harry's eyebrows raised. "Huh?"

"My dad's always in my life. Takes me out for family outings, play games... all that jazz." Lex walked up to Harry. "Why do you ask?"

At the rate he was biting his lip, Harry felt like he was about to draw blood. "No reason."

Lex's smirk grew wider. "It's because you feel like that with your dad, don't you?"

"I..." Harry was fixing to give Lex a nice smack upside the head. "Don't you think you're being a bit unfair on your dad? You just admitted he loves you, spends time with you... I want that from my dad."

Lex rolled his eyes. "Were you listening to me? My dad can barely understand what I do. Can't articulate how he finds me smart. Trust me, spend a day in my shoes and you'd understand." Then he grimaced. "And another big issue in my life."

"What's that?"

Lex's grimace grew pronounced. "Superman."

Harry blinked. "You mean the guy with the cape?" He threw his hands into the air. "He's, like, the nicest guy ever! Well, from what I've read. Even though he's a bit of an egotist."

The way Lex stared at him... Harry didn't realise that the gaze could get more poisonous. "Superman-" Lex sounded poisonous too. "-is a glory-seeking, attention-sucking, arrogant twit. He makes humanity dependent. He makes us weak. He-"

Harry held up a hand. "Wait a sec. Are you just saying this... because you're jealous." Lex didn't say anything, causing a grin to cross Harry's face. "Oh my God, you are."

"Shut up!" Lex pointed at him. "I thought you'd relate to me. What with your clear daddy issues."

The smile on Harry's face disappeared like a line in the sand. "Excuse me? I think there's a pretty big difference with those two issues."

"Pfft." Lex turned his back on him. "I wouldn't expect you to understand. Don't even know why I thought it would."

"Screw you." Harry placed his hand in his pockets, turning around as well. "Me and my 'daddy issues' aren't the same thing as Metropolis liking Superman more than you."

Before he could actually start to leave, Harry felt something hit his back. Something hard enough to make him hit the ground. He cursed as he brought a hand to his nose. It was bleeding. When he looked up, he saw Lex standing over him. And he looked pissed.

"Don't you dare talk about what you can't understand!" Lex sounded a lot less suave and sophisticated now. "I'm a tenth-level intellect, what's your biggest achievement? Sneaking your dad's drugs?!"

Harry stared up at him with wide eyes. Then he closed them when Lex raised up a foot.

"Uh... sir?"

Then he opened them again when he heard the voice. He turned to the doorway, seeing Lex's assistant. She looked slightly baffled.

Lex blinked a few times. "Oh, hello Mercy." He smoothed out his suit and adjusted his tie. You'd have never guessed he had just assaulted him. "Are we ready?"

"More or less." Mercy looked at Harry. "What happened to you?"

Harry opened his mouth to speak, but Lex held up a hand. "He fell over. Landed on his nose."

Mercy didn't look convinced, but seemed to accept it. "Okay. Well, come on." She turned around. "No one ever changed the world by sitting around."

Lex smirked. "Reading from my autobiography, have we?" He looked down at Harry with a frown. "Tell your dad about this and I'll make you regret it."

With that, he walked away, following Mercy. Harry stared at the ground, clenching his fists. Humiliated, pushed around, suffering a nosebleed, and now being threatened if he told his dad that he was attacked. If he only had some Green...

No. He wasn't going to go back on the Green. It was clearly making his dad crazy. He didn't need it, anyways: he had the Hobgoblin armour. He just needed to stay calm. Clear his mind, be the bigger man, and cowboy up. Do what he had to.

Standing up, Harry walked back to the elevator. Oh, but not before 'accidentally' knocking over one of Lex's many awards on the shelf. Oopsies.

Peter squinted. And he squinted harder. And harder. Nope, his eyes were deceiving him. Something was wrong.

"Hey, Babs? Zee?"

As soon as he said that, he heard some footsteps. "Yeah?" Babs asked.

"...Did you two edit my costume?"

When he turned around, he saw Zee and Babs, both with wide grins on their faces. "We sure did!" Babs looked especially pleased with herself.

Peter's eyes narrowed slightly. "...How so?" He held up the costume. "I mean, I know what you edited." He gestured to the web-armpits. The fabric had been altered, and they were slightly wider. "But why?"

Zee smirked. "Well, I was looking at your suit." She gestured to it. "And I thought those... 'web-armpits' looked a little weird. I mean, they're not even doing anything so..."

Babs stepped forward. "Your web-armpits have been reincarnated into beautiful web-wings!"

"Web-wings?" Peter felt the fabric of his new 'web-wings'. "What does that mean?"

Zee laughed. "What do you think? They allow you to-"

"Fly?" Peter smiled. Sure, web-slinging was great fun, a good rush, but being able to fly could really save on web-fluid.

"Uh, no. Just glide." Zee folded her arms. "In future, please let me finish."

"Oh." Peter looked at the wings. Well, they would still be useful. Hopefully. He did kinda wish they had come to him before making them, though. How would they like it if he meddled with their costumes with his lack of costume design skills? Not to say that they didn't have costume design skills but- Okay, Pete, you've been thinking for too long and Zee's looking at you funny. "Thanks," he said.

Zee's smile returned. "You're welcome." She sat down a beanbag. "Come and sit with us."

Babs smiled as well. "Yeah. They're really comfy."

Peter took a seat. Babs was not lying. He smirked as he lay back into the beanbag. "I can see why you guys have a secret base. Wish I had one. Wouldn't have to hide my costume in the costume and/or under the bed."

Babs shrugged. "I usually hide my costume in my bag. Which I usually bring with me or hide in my closet. Thankfully, my dad doesn't usually come in unless I'm making a lot of noise or the place needs cleaning."

Peter nodded. "Cool." He started staring into space, allowing his thoughts to run wild. About the fact that Norman was still alive. About how Harry would take the information if he knew. Why, if he was alive, he didn't just reveal himself to his family, his grieving family who-

"What are you thinking about?"

Peter turned to look at Zee, blinking rapidly. "Uh... nothing much."

Zee's eyes narrowed the slightest bit. "Might you be thinking about a blonde with glasses?"

Peter's felt his face crimson. That was the one thing he wasn't thinking about. "No." Although that was the truth, he didn't sound too convincing. And judging by the sly smile on Zee's face, she didn't believe him for even a second. "Look, I'd... rather not talk about it."

Zee frowned. "Why not?" She folded her arms. "I mean, it's clear you still have a 'thing' for her, so to speak."

The heat only increased as Peter gritted his teeth. "Yeah, well..." He ran a hand down his face. "Urgh, this is difficult to articulate."

"Take your time." Babs fiddled with her hoodie's drawstring. "You're not in any rush."

Peter smirked. "Thanks guys." He sighed. "Well, I mean... I do still have feelings for Gwen. As much I've been trying to deny it, it's true."

Zee grinned. "I knew it!" When Peter raised an eyebrow, the grin shrunk down to an awkward smile. "Sorry, sorry. Continue please." She rested her chin on her interlaced fingers.

"Okay." He folded his arms. "It's just that, it's been really hard to actually interact with her."

Babs blinked. "How so? You two seem like pretty good friends."

"We are." Peter's eyes narrowed slightly. "But she's been... pretty busy. Busy with Harry, mainly. Every time me and her try to have a real conversation, Harry ends up getting her away from me." He frowned. "I'm not trying to blame him. He's been struggling ever since Norman 'died'. But..."

"Hey, hey, it's okay." Zee held his hand. "I know how it must feel. Like, if I was struggling to have a major conversation with one of my friends, I'd been pretty frustrated too."

"Yeah." Babs offered a supportive smile. "I know if it was me and Harley, I'd be more than frustrated. I might even do some deep detective work to discover whether or not the cause of it was something to worry about and..." She continued going on about such a hypothetical situation, making Peter chuckle. He hadn't known Babs for very long, but he knew that when she got started on something, it was pretty hard to make her stop.

"Thanks guys." Peter stood up. "Though, I do really wish I could reach out to her. Heck, I could even help her with helping with Harry. Like I said, he's still struggling with issues, and he needs all the help he can get."

"Sounds like it." Zee placed her hands on her hips. "Maybe we can get Jess to help. Trust me, when she sees a problem, she won't stop trying to fix it for anything."

Peter smirked. "Cool." Then he awkwardly coughed. "I'll try and talk more with Gwen, and help Harry. I just need to unwind for now."

"And we'll help you," Babs added. "Though, since you're not doing anything..." She ran over to the TV. "Wanna watch Just Before Dusk 3?"

Peter raised an eyebrow. He had heard of the Just Before Dusk movies. They didn't really appeal to him, he had never been too into romance films... but then again, he supposed it couldn't hurt to try and watch one.

"Uh... sure." He leaned back into the couch. "Will any of you fill me in on the plot details?"

Zee smirked as Babs grabbed the disk and slammed it into the DVD player. "Sure thing. So basically, Aiden and Caitlin are star-crossed lovers..."

"Are you ready, Willis?"

Livewire stopped fidgeting with the cables attached to her fingers and looked up. She smirked. "I've been ready for the past few hours." She rolled her eyes. "And where's the other guy?" Then a look of confusion spread across her face. "Actually, who is the other guy?"

Norman just interlaced his fingers. "Glad you asked." He pressed a button. "Bring in Electro."

Behind the glass, a metal door slid open, a loud buzzing noise filling the air. Standing behind it was a man in a green containment suit. Several tubes connected to the suit buzzed with electricity. The lenses showed two glowing eyes, that were narrowed. As if the man underneath was just as impatient as Livewire was.

"About time," the man hissed. "I feel like I've been waiting for hours." He raised an eyebrow when he saw the girl (though it was hard to tell thanks to the mask). "What? Who's the kid?"

"Kid?" Livewire grimaced. "I'm, like, eleven months away from being eighteen!"

"Right." Electro looked at the people outside. "Wait, is this kid the one doing the experiment with me?"

Lex folded his arms behind his back. "That's right." He looked at Livewire. "She's got a lot of power, and shares the same electric powers you do."

This seemed to interest Electro a bit. "Interesting, I guess." Then he looked at the machine in the room: an egg-shaped chamber with several large tubes attached to large batteries. "What are we doing, exactly?"

Lex's smile grew wider. "Glad you asked. What we're looking at is an exchange of energy. The both of you have different forms of electrokinesis. Max constantly produces a form of bio-electricity, while Willis is able to absorb the electricity from different technology. She even has the ability to turn herself into living lightning." He looked at Electro, who was still staring at the machine. "And she is able to be outside of a suit. Wouldn't you want that?"

Max dug his fingers into his palms. "But I like the power. I'm not Max Dillon anymore. I'm Electro."

Livewire stared at him. "Are... are you good?"

Norman adjusted his goggles. "Don't worry, Electro. If all goes well, you'll be able to 'turn on' the electricity in your body. You'll be able to drain electricity yourself. Don't you want life outside of that suit?"

Electro's eyes narrowed slightly as a smile formed under his mask. "That sounds... good, actually."

Livewire looked at Lex. "Wait, what do I get out of this? I know I probably should have gone over this beforehand but I needed to check my Supersta."

Lex just rolled his eyes. As good as a friend Livewire was, he felt like this same scenario had happened ten times before. "You'll be able to supply your own electricity. No more need to worry about losing power. And how does that sound?"

Livewire grinned. "Like it's my birthday."

Lex smiled. "Excellent!" He fitted on his goggles. "Okay, Electro. Step into the machine."

Electro looked back at the machine. "I gotta get into that?"

"Yes, Electro." Norman's tone was impersonal. "It's a chamber that connected to Livewire. This is how the power exchange happens."

Electro was silent for a bit, before muttering an "Okay then." He stepped into the egg-shaped machine and a glass door closed behind him. Livewire just breathed in, smiling. She nodded at Lex, signalling him to begin. Lex looked at Mercy.

"Activate it."

Mercy pulled down a switch. Almost immediately, the chamber Electro was in started to glow and hum. The cables connected to Livewire's fingers also started glowing. Yellow electricity travelled through the cables, turning Livewire's outline almost yellowish. Within the chamber, Electro looked totally serene. His eyes were closed and Lex imagined that there was a content smile on his face. Everything was going according to plan.

Then he heard a spark. Lex's eyes narrowed slightly. What? He looked at the machine, his eyes widening when he saw that some of the wires were sparking. Yellow arc of electricity were travelling up and down the wires and the outside of the machine. Even Electro seemed to notice that.

"What's going on?" Electro's voice was loud enough to be heard over the sparking. Even Livewire looked a bit perturbed.

"Sir?" Mercy sounded apprehensive. "Should I do something?"

Lex opened his mouth to tell her to shut it down, only to feel a hand clasp over his mouth. "More energy," Norman stated. His voice was completely stoic. Several of the technicians hit a few buttons. The sparks grew larger and brighter as the machine started juddering.

"Okay, screw this!" Livewire tried ripping the wires off her fingers, but they were stuck to her fingers. "Lex! Do something, dude!"

Lex opened his mouth to speak, only for Norman's voice to drown him out. "Don't stop now!" He barked. "Keep going!"

The sparking grew in volume, to the point where Lex could barely hear his own thoughts. "No!" He yelled as loud as he could. "Stop it right no-"

Banging. Loud, fierce banging filled the air. Lex stared at the machine: Electro was banging on the door. "Let me out!" He roared. "It hurts! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME-" He was cut off by himself screaming in agony. The light was blinding at this point, but Lex could still make out how it almost looked like he was getting... pulled into some of the cables. The man himself had suddenly disappeared, leaving an empty suit to collapse.

The wires connected to Livewire glowed bright yellow as her eyes widened. She opened her mouth to say something, but only an ear-piercing scream came out. Her entire body started to glow yellow as she threw her head back, hands on either side of her head. She almost seemed to lose shape as the glow grew brighter and brighter. Her screams reached a new volume before... she collapsed into a few sparks. The wires fell to the floor as a few yellow sparks arced across the floor before fizzling out. Lex stared in open-mouthed horror as the machine powered down and opened up, revealing the suit that once contained Electro.

"Dear God..." He muttered. He didn't want this to happen. Hell, Livewire was one of his friends: someone to hang out with while playing games. "N-now what?"

Norman removed his goggles. "We'll just have to try again. No one ever made a change to the world without a few mistakes along the way." He looked at Lex. "Don't be so soft, Lex. Men like us are made of stronger stuff."

Lex felt his face go pale. "Of... of course." Swallowing a little, he looked at Mercy. "Throw out the suit. We... need to send out the troops." With that, he exited the room, with Mercy, Norman, and the rest of technicians following him. And as they left, they failed to notice the green electricity make its way from the loose wires on the ground and to a plug socket as if it was alive.