Forgive Me

“Apparently, Spider-Man’s being challenged to some sort of confrontation. And that raises serious questions about what kind of chance he’d stand against such …”

Harry turned off the TV as they showed MJ, her face the expression of pure horror, screaming. First his father, then he himself and now MJ … how many other people have to suffer because of Peter?

He had been so blind, so naive, so dumb. He had been such a fool. How could Harry fall in love with someone like Peter? With someone who has betrayed his trust and the trust of all those he loved. With the person who murdered his father. With someone who tried to kill him.

“Harry.” Harry never wanted to hear that voice ever again. “I need your help.” Peter was standing on the balcony next to the living room of the Osborn mansion, wearing the suit Harry despised so much. “I can’t take them both, not by myself.”

Harry turned around, revealing the net of scars that covered the whole right side of his face. Scars from the explosion Peter caused when he tried to kill Harry. He could see the pity in Peter’s eyes which made him extremely furious. How did Peter even dare looking at him like that? As if Peter wasn’t the one responsible for it!

“You don’t deserve my help”, Harry finally said.

“Harry”, Peter began, “She needs us.”

“You are the one who’s responsible for this. Now it’s on you to find a solution.”

“I know I did inexcusable things”, Peter sighed. “But you’re important to me. I know I probably lost you forever, but I beg you to give me a second chance. What happened to your face – I didn’t want that to happen. I’m sorry.”

“What did you want to happen, then? Didn’t you wanna kill me?”, Harry spat in Peter’s direction, his voice filling with anger. He clenched his hands into fists and his nails dug into the flesh.

“I want us to become who we used to be. I want us.” Peter sank to his knees. “Please. Help me save MJ.”

“Don’t lie to me. Get out”, Harry said quietly.

“Harry-“

“Get! Out!” Harry had to close his eyes to focus on his breathing. His arms were slightly shaking like every time when the anger took control over him. As he opened his eyes again, Peter was gone.

Harry walked through the mansion, trying to clean his mind from thoughts. He found himself in the Goblin chamber where the destruction caused by the previous fight between Peter and him was still visible. After all Peter had done to him, he didn’t deserve his help, did he?

But MJ…

Peter killed his father, Peter betrayed him and lied to him. Peter didn’t care how much he was suffering, how he was dying inside. So, why should he help him?

It’s not MJ’s fault.

Harry pressed the hands on his ears, closed his eyes and shook his head to make the voice in his mind disappear. Another voice appeared instead.

“It’s the right decision, Harry. You know what he is. He isn’t worth your help”, Norman Osborn’s voice said. “He’s only worth your hatred and violence.”

“But I still care about him”, Harry whispered. “I still love him.”

“You’re so pathetic. You’re not worth to be my son. I should’ve kicked you out.”

“Dad-“

“I’m not your father. You’re disgusting.”

Harry sank to his knees, still pressing his hands against his ears. He wanted the voice to disappear. He didn’t want to hear that anymore. “I’m so sorry”, he whispered over and over again.

Harry heard footsteps approaching, so he forced himself to calm down and get up. It was Bernard who now eyed him suspiciously.

“If I may, sir, I’ve seen things in this house I’ve never spoken of”, Bernard said.

“What are you trying to tell me?”, Harry asked, focusing on making his voice sound normal. The butler shouldn’t know about Harry’s breakdown.

“The night your father died, I cleaned his wound. The blade that pierced his body came from his glider.”

No. No, that couldn’t be. Peter was the one who stabbed his father. Harry tried to keep his composure.

“I know you’re trying to defend your father’s honour but there’s no question that he died by his own hand”, Bernard continued.

Could it be true? Had his father killed himself? It would mean Peter spoke the truth all along. Harry ruined their relationship for nothing. He went through all this pain for nothing. It would be easier to believe Peter and Bernard lied to him but now he knew everything they told him was true.

Harry’s life had fallen to pieces for nothing.

“I’ve loved your father as I have loved you, Harry. As your friends love you. And Peter’s love for you runs even deeper”, Bernard told him.

Why didn’t you tell me?, Harry wanted to ask but it was impossible to let out a word as his eyes filled with tears and his throat tightened. If Bernard had told him earlier, he would’ve had the chance to heal. Now he could only try to make up for everything he did to Peter.

Harry wiped his eyes and picked up the sword. Peter needed help. MJ needed help.

This time, Harry would be there.

He put on his armour and took his glider as his vision became blurry. Harry desperately tried to find something he could hold onto as the room spun but there was only emptiness.

Harry slowly dissolved. What was happening to him? He was existing but at the same time, he wasn’t. He was alive and he wasn’t. Nothing surrounded him.

Harry was in a void.

Then, he fell.

Harry hit something hard. He sat up with a groan and looked around. He was in a room full of bookshelves. The shelves were clean and tidy. Some books lay on a small table next to a comfortable looking armchair. Harry sat up, took his glider and wandered across the room. It felt familiar to him even though he had never seen this room before.

He opened the door and entered a giant room. Harry’s heart skipped a beat. It was the living room of the Osborn mansion.

It was his home.

The room Harry woke up in was the chamber where his father had experimented with the Goblin serum. But why was it a library now?

“Bernard?”, Harry called. Maybe the old butler had an explanation. “Bernard, are you there?”

“Who are you?”, a female voice asked. An older woman entered the room, holding a frying pan defensively in front of her.

“Who are you?”, Harry responded. What did a strange woman do in his house? “Where’s Bernard?”

“Who is Bernard?”

“My family’s butler. He’s living here with me.”

“And you are?”

“Harry Osborn. This house has been in my family for generations.”

The woman frowned. “I’m sorry but this house never had an owner named Osborn. It’s Mr. Holmes’s property. And there’s no Bernard.”

How was this possible? Where was he and what happened to his home? What happened to his father? Fear spread through Harry. What if he had to stay here forever? What if he could never go back to his real home?

The woman must have seen his fear because she carefully approached him. “Maybe you should sit down, boy. I’m sure we’ll find an explanation for all this.”

Harry only nodded. He didn’t know what to do. He was in a home that wasn’t his anymore and there were people he had never seen before while all people he knew seemed to have disappeared from the world.

She led him to the sofa. “I’m Martha Hudson, by the way, but you can call me Martha. I’ll get you a cup of tea and some cookies, alright? Everything’s gonna be okay.”

When Martha came back, she handed Harry a cup of tea, some cookies and a sandwich.

“It’s very delicious, thank you”, he muttered and ate another cookie.

She smiled. “Thank you, dear. So, why are you dressed like you are about to fight in a battle?”

Harry looked down at himself. He must look like a criminal. “Oh, uhm, I’m an actor”, he lied.

“An actor? Which movies did you star in?”

“Spider-Man.” It was the first thing that came to his mind.

“Spider-Man? That’s not a movie, that’s a boy”, Martha said.

There was a Spider-Man wherever he was? Harry needed to find him. If anyone could help him, it was Pete. “Do you know where I can find him?”

“His aunt May Parker owns F.E.A.S.T., a place where homeless people and people in need find help.”

“Thank you, Martha. Thank you for everything”, Harry said and jumped from the sofa, running out of the room.

“Harry, wait! You can’t walk through New York dressed like that”, she called and made him stop. She was right. He couldn’t walk through New York looking like a criminal. “Let me give you some fresh clothes.”

“That’s very nice of you but my t-shirt and my jeans will do. But thanks for reminding me.”

“It’s November, I won’t let you go outside dressed only in a shirt. You’ll catch a cold”, Martha scolded him which reminded him of Aunt May. “Wait here.”

While waiting for her to return, Harry put off the armour. But now he had a new problem. How to transport it? Martha came back and handed him a dark blue coat and a light blue scarf. It suited him perfectly.

“I’ll return it as soon as possible”, he promised.

“Oh, you don’t need to. Sherlock owns plenty of them. I also found an old backpack to put your costume in.”

Harry hugged her. “Thank you for everything.”

Then Harry left the mansion to start his search for Spider-Man.