Forgive Me

An orange circle appeared and a man wearing a red cloak came out of it. The box was in his hand. Harry prepared to fight him.

“That’s the sorcerer?”, Peter exclaimed.

“The what?”, Harry asked. “Sorcerer as in Harry Potter? Did you go to Hogwarts?”

The sorcerer looked at Harry with a death stare. “Sorry to ruin your childhood dreams but Hogwarts is not real. And if you don’t shut up, I’ll turn you into a goblin. Who are you anyway?”

But before Harry could answer, Peter 1 interrupted them. “Strange, wait.”

Seriously? The sorcerer’s name was Strange?

“I’ve been dangling over the Grand Canyon for twelve hours, Parker!” Obviously, the sorcerer wasn’t pleased by what they had done.

“You went to the Grand Canyon?”, Peter repeated accusingly.

“He could’ve used your help”, Peter 3 added in the same accusing tone.

“It’s okay”, Peter 1 tried to calm them. Then he turned to Strange. “These are mes from different universes. And Harry, the son of one of the villains. They’re all here to help.”

“Look, kid, I’m impressed that you managed to give them a second chance, but this has to stop. Now”, Strange instructed.

“Can the Spider-Man come out to play?” Harry would’ve recognised the voice everywhere. A shiver ran down his spine as he heard his father’s voice.

A storm of blades approached them, but Harry sent a storm of the same blades in the direction of his father. Dr. Octavius used his metal arms to protect them from being cut in half. With another arm, he caught Harry’s father so Strange could take the box from him. But a bomb was placed inside the box.

“Don’t touch it!”, Harry yelled but the bomb already exploded. Harry could barely see but he heard someone scream. MJ.

Harry didn’t hesitate and jumped on his glider to fight his father. He wouldn’t let him hurt his friends. He wouldn’t make the same mistake again.

This time, Harry was there to help his friends.

Norman Osborn directly started punching him as Harry was in his reach. Harry tried to dodge the punches and fought back. He knocked his dad off the glider and Norman didn’t hesitate to pull Harry with him.

They were falling onto the giant shield that loosened from the Statue of Liberty. Harry tried to soften the impact on the ground, but he still couldn’t move for a few seconds as he hit the ground. His whole body ached but he had to get up.

Norman Osborn lay on the other side of the shield. He didn’t move. Harry’s heart skipped a beat, and he ran towards him. What if he had killed him? Harry knelt next to his father. “Dad?”

Norman opened his eyes.

Relief spread through Harry. “Dad, I’m so glad-“

A fist punched Harry in the face, causing him to stumble backwards. His father laughed but it wasn’t a normal laugh. It was a completely insane laugh. “Oh, look at you, little Osborn.”

Harry got to his feet again and punched his father. No, this wasn’t his father. This was a lunatic. A criminal.

The goblin dodged Harry’s attacks effortlessly. “You are an embarrassment to your father.”

Harry clenched his jaw and kicked the goblin in the stomach.

“He is so ashamed of you”, the goblin laughed.

“You’re a liar!”, Harry growled and punched him.

“I know what he thinks. I can hear his thoughts. He would rather have your mother back than live with you.”

Harry couldn’t breathe. It hit like a punch in the stomach. Or maybe he was punched in the stomach. Harry didn’t know. He didn’t care.

He’s lying. He’s just trying to manipulate you, so you stop fighting.

But how could Harry know what just came out of Norman Osborn’s mouth wasn’t the truth?

“How many times he wished you weren’t born. He would’ve been happier without you.” Harry didn’t feel the punches anymore. There was just numbness. “And do you know why?” The goblin punched Harry on the nose. “Huh, do you?”

Harry stayed silent, trying to suppress his tears. He wouldn’t give him the satisfaction to see him crying.

“No? That’s what I expected.” The goblin looked spitefully at Harry. “It’s because you’re weak. And you’ll be weak until you take control.”

“I’m not weak”, Harry growled.

“Then punch me. Kick me. Make me beg you for mercy.”

Harry obeyed. He landed punch after punch in his father’s face.

“Harder! Or are you a weakling?”

The spiteful tone made Harry see red and he didn’t care that his father was somewhere deep inside this body. Harry stopped pulling his punches. His fist on his father’s face was satisfying.

It felt good.

“Harry! Stop it!”, Peter yelled and tried to approach them. “You’re not like him. You’re better than him. Stronger. Kinder. You wouldn’t kill your father. I know you love him.”

Harry hesitated. Peter was right. What he was doing wasn’t who he was. Harry let his arms sink. “I won’t kill you”, he whispered.

“Too bad”, the goblin laughed and before Harry could react, a bomb exploded.

Harry was thrown backwards. He didn’t know if he had been unconscious or for how long but as he was able to open his eyes, Peter 1 and Peter argued.

Peter 1 held Norman Osborn’s glider and tried to get it down, but Peter tried to prevent him. Behind Peter’s back, Harry saw his father kneeling on the ground. His face was covered in blood, and he looked exhausted but there still was this wild, animalistic expression in his face.

As his vision grew sharper, Harry could see his father’s hand move inside his pocket. The animalistic expression on his face turned into a sadistic grin as he pulled out a knife. He wanted to stab someone. Peter was standing in his reach, his back turned to him.

His father wanted to stab Peter.

Peter used all his strength to prevent Peter 1 from stabbing Norman with the glider. He didn’t want him to make the same mistake he had made when Uncle Ben died. He had killed an innocent man.

Norman was innocent too.

It was the goblin who had killed Aunt May, not him. He didn’t want Peter 1 to go through what he had gone through. Peter 1 let his arms sink and together they put the glider aside as he heard someone gasping in pain.

Peter turned around and saw Harry sinking to his knees. The goblin laughed and pulled a knife out of Harry’s stomach.

No, no, no, no, no. Not again!

Before Harry could hit the ground, Peter caught him. Peter carefully laid Harry on the ground and knelt beside him. He pressed his mask on Harry’s wound. “You’re not gonna die. I won’t let that happen”, he stated, and his eyes filled with tears. “We need to get him to the hospital!”

“No”, Harry said. He knew he wasn’t destined to survive. He knew he died in their universe and now he would die to save Peter. And Harry was happy with dying like that. He had finally made up to Peter.

Maybe his death meant more than his life.

Peter took Harry’s hand and tears rolled down his cheeks. “I won’t let you die again.”

Harry reached out to Peter and groaned in pain, but he ignored the pain coming from the wound and wiped the tears from Peter’s cheeks. “I’m sorry, Pete. For everything. I just want you to know that I still love you. And I always will.”

“I love you too. I didn’t stop loving you, Harry. You are my first thought when I wake up and my last thought before I fall asleep”, Peter sobbed. “One more miracle, Harry, please.”

“Pete, I want you to promise me something.”

“Anything. As long as you don’t leave me, anything.”

“Ask MJ out. She wants you and I have the feeling you want her too.” Harry smiled at the thought of Peter being happy. “Don’t let her go because you think you owe me something.”

“Harry, I-“

“There’s no need to feel guilty”, Harry interrupted him.

“What have I done?” Norman approached them. He looked frightened as he knelt beside Harry. “Harry. My boy.”

“Dad. Are you okay?”

“I’m in control again but-“ A sob forced him to pause. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t want that to happen.”

“It wasn’t you, Dad”, Harry tried to calm him. He had never seen his father crying before.

“We have to bring him to a doctor!”, his father yelled.

“No, Dad. It’s fine.”

“But you’re gonna die!”

“I know”, Harry whispered. That’s what he had decided but it didn’t change the fact that he was afraid of dying. “Maybe I’ll meet Mom.”

“She loved you so much, Harry. I love you so much.” His father sobbed and took Harry’s other hand. “I’m so proud of you, Harry. I wished I would’ve been a better father.”

“Me too”, Harry agreed but he smiled. “I love you, Dad. And I forgive you.” Then he turned to Peter. “And I forgive you.”

Peter smiled through his tears. “I forgave you a long time ago.”

Harry felt that there wasn’t much time left for him. “You didn’t promise me.”

“I can’t”, Peter admitted. “It feels like betraying you.”

“Oh, Pete. Keep me in your heart but don’t let me be your heart", Harry breathed stertorously. "You have to promise me, please.”

Peter swallowed but he nodded. “Okay, I promise.”

Harry smiled and weakly squeezed Peter’s hand before he stopped moving.

“NO!”, Peter and Norman yelled as they leaned over Harry. Both were desperately clinging onto Harry as if it could bring him back to life. Norman seemed to be trapped in a paralysis, whispering “It’s all my fault” over and over again until he started to fade away.

Peter knew he would fade away soon as well, but he couldn’t let that happen. He couldn’t leave Harry. Peter gently kissed Harry’s forehead.

Again, he held the corpse of his great love in his arms. Peter never wanted to ever experience this again and yet it had just happened. He felt how his body slowly dissolved and he clung onto Harry, trying not to lose him again.

But his body and the universe around him dissolved and Harry was gone.