“This isn’t-” Harry (2) Whispered to himself. Turning his head round and around as if no amount of spinning could cause this to make sense. After all, he had been looking right at it, and now Oscorp was nowhere to be seen. Harry stopped spinning, his suit flaps opened at the sudden stop. In fact, there were some buildings he had never seen before.
Now standing deathly still he racked his brain. People all up and down the crowded New York street passed him by. Was he the only one seeing this? Was he the only one wondering why Oscorp went up in the air? And who the hell Stark was?
Harry (2) shifted his attention, it seemed something was written everywhere. “Mysterio was right?” He mouthed. In fact it seemed all the billboards were about this Mysterio and…
Someone smacked hard into Harry (2). His swoop of brown hair clouded his vision for a moment. Turning his eyes up slightly he saw a glimpse of a dark haired man. There was something about the man that jarred Harry (2). He looked nothing like him, yet there was something of a mirror-image about the way the man looked.
“Sorry I didn’t mean to hit you! I just needed to know how you got your bag?” The tall lean faced man had a sense of desperation in him, but also seemed relieved by something.
Harry (2)’s eyes shifted down annoyed and curiously to his bag. All black except for a white Oscorp logo on the top.
“You know what Oscorp is?” Harry (2)’s voice went down an octave, measuring this man up. Maybe he wasn’t alone in looking for the building.
“Of course I know what Oscorp is.” The lean faced man said matter-of-factly.
“Why? Who are you?” Harry (2) straightened up, which might have been more impressive if he was actually taller than the guy.
“Well, I’m Harry Osborn.” The man said with brutal honesty, maybe even an insecurity.
Harry (2)’s mouth went slack. His lips parting just barley. “You’re Harry Osborn?”
“Yes, do you know what's happening here?" This Harry ran his fingers through his curly hair, "I was looking for Oscorp but I can’t find it, and no one knows what I’m talking about.” Harry (1) exhaled.
“I can’t find it either, but I think something,” Harry (2)’s blue eyes searched for a moment, “Weird is going on, because," Harry (2) Inhaled- briefly aware of the oddity of it all, "My name is also Harry Osborn.”
“But thats, thats..” Harry (1) shifted his eyes away from the apparently other Harry’s blue ones to look at the screen behind Harry (2)’s head. ‘Breaking News’ crowded the screen, then there was Spiderman and Otto Octavius fighting on the freeway to JFK.
“Otto,” Harry (1) mouthed and shifted his eyes down.
“Otto?” Harry (2) Repeated and turned behind to look at the screen, then back to the other Harry, “Wait, you know that guy?”
“Yeah, Oscorp funded those tentacles but now he’s apparently using them to-”
Harry (2) covered Harry (1)’s mouth. Harry (1)’s brown eyes shifted down to the blue eyes of the other Harry. Moving his eyebrows up in a way as if to say, ‘What?!’
“Not here okay. I believe you, I believe that you know that guy and I believe that we are, in fact, both Harry Osborn.” Harry (2) removed his hand from Harry (1)’s mouth. “And I guess,” Harry (2) bent over and grabbed his bag, “It seems there's no need for me to go into work today. Want to grab some coffee and we can figure out what the hell is going on here?”
“Yeah, that sounds okay.” Harry (1) reached up and scratched the back of his head, looking back up at the screen. As if Spider-Man and this Otto Octavius were old friends of his, but he couldn’t make something out of it.
The Harry’s came in and sat down at a table in the little breakfast bar with the same mannerisms; crossing one ankle on the opposite knee and adjusted the collars of their shirts.
The Barista on her way over had to stifle a laugh, after all, it seemed even gay couples could wind up picking a mate that could be a sibling.
“What can I get you,” She asked smoothly, pen and pad ready in hand.
“Black coffee.”
“Black coffee.”
Both Harry's blinked and turned to face each other. The barista gave a small awkward smile and turned on her heel to leave.
“This is going to be a touch odd.” Harry (1) brought his hand up to his curly hair and dug his fingers through.
“I agree.” Harry (2) folded his hands on the table, almost forcing himself to be holding himself a different way. “Don’t talk too loud, but I have a few questions.”
“I totally agree,” Harry (1) leaned forward, once again a hint of desperation crept into his voice, then placed his hands folded on the table, perfectly mirroring the other Harry.
Harry (2)’s eyebrows shifted down annoyed. Then lazily placed his hands on either side of himself, “So, that Octopus guy, is named Otto?”
“Yeah, Otto Octavius.” Harry (1) agreed.
Harry (2) blew air out of his nose in a sort of half-laugh. “An Octopus guy named Otto Octtavius?” Harry (2) said slowly and enunciated the repeated ‘oct’s’ in an amused mocking tone.
“I’m sure he was interested in the legs for more than just his last name.” Harry (1) had a somewhat defensive tone, but an altogether grin about the ordeal.
“Ha, I bet. Man with all thats going on, I wish I had some whiskey to put in my coffee.” Harry (2) blew the air out of his lungs and turned to the TV above the bar side of the cafe.
“Wait, are you old enough to drink?” Harry (1) asked.
“What? No. Nevermind that, Do you know that guy?” Harry (2) pointed to the screen, eyes locked on the green monstrosity on the screen, gliding around the same JFK intersection that octopus guy had been at.
“The Green Goblin, yeah. He threw my girlfriend off a balcony. A real piece of work, He hasn’t been seen for at least a year actually. In fact, I haven’t actually seen him since my dad died.” Harry (1)’s voice shifted. Like there was something about that he knew he was missing.
“Retroviral Hypodysplasia?” Harry (2) asked.
“What?”
“Didn’t your dad, your Norman Osborn, die of Retroviral Hypodysplasia?” Harry (2)’s eyes shifted. Did this other Harry not know what he was talking about?
“No! Nothing like that!” Harry (1) was pushing the boundaries of what could be considered a whisper, but in a hushed voice leaned in even closer to his counterpart. “No, Spiderman killed my dad.”
“Really?” Harry (2) 's voice sounded impressed, “I think I’d have thrown Spiderman a birthday party if he did me a solid like that. Hell, he could have a plane if he wanted.” Harry (2) couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face at the idea.
“Look I know he could be a pain, maybe even envious of Peter Parker, always wanting a smarter son but I never wanted him to-”
Harry (1) stopped talking when he could tell Harry (2) was laughing.
“What, what's so funny?”
“Nothing, I’m sure that was rough, er- Harry.” Harry (2)’s grin faded for a moment and he gripped his opposing hand, feeling the beginning of a tremor. “So you're not dying I take it?"
“What?”
“Here’s your guy’s black coffee,” the brightly smiled waitress cut their tension instantly, both of them shifting their first real difference into identical smiles, “And I’m so sorry if it's not my place, but I overhead, do you guys know Spider-Man?”
Harry (1)’s grin was the first to fade, “no, we just-”
“Oh, I'm sorry, I really get it. I mean who isn’t talking about Peter Parker these days.” Her brown hair bounced and her shoulders stiffened.
Harry (2)’s grin faded slowly. Something shifting into place, “What's Peter Parker got to do with Spider-Man?” He asked slowly, measuring the young girl's face.
“What, um. Well don’t you know?”
“Know what?” Harry (1) looked like he was about to stand up.
“Peter Parker is Spider- Man.” She said with a curiosity, after all, why did this gay couple not know the biggest news in the past year.
Harry (1) now stood up for real, leaving the coffee house with aimless determination.
“What?” The Barista started, turning to watch Harry (1) leave, then turning back to Harry (2), “What's wrong?”
“Nothing, I'm sure he’s just a bit surprised.” Harry (2) said, trying to sound casual. “I have a question for you, On the T.V. Have you ever seen Otto Octavius or that Green Goblin guy before?”
“No, nothing like that! Would you like the coffee to-go?”
“Nah, apparently I now have to run after him. Thanks for the information though,” Harry (2) gave the barista a fifty and turned on his heel to the door.
Finding Harry (1) was easy work, as Harry (2) knew it would be, after all, it's not like either one of them had much of a place to go to here. By the nearest street corner he found him.
“Maybe it doesn’t mean what we think it means.” Harry (1) said with a sad hopefulness.
“I think for the moment we have to believe it.” Harry (2) said dulfully. Looking down at his apparently more hot-headed and also apparently more optimistic counterpart.
“But we do have differences between us,” Harry (1) argued with more of a sad desperation than that of anger, “I mean, I’m not dying of that retro thingy. And you-”
“Are.” Harry (2) finished with his eyebrows lowered in minor irritation. “Look, I don’t want to believe it either, but I think for right now, while I’m here, I think we might be the ones transported from our worlds to this brightly colored New York because we must have something to do with Spider-Man.”
“Brightly colored,” Harry (1) laughed. “This place is way duller than my New York.”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Harry (2) let an exasperated sort of smile across his face at the idea. “I have to admit, I had no idea Peter had it in him.”
“I know right!” Harry (1) laughed once, then frowned hard, “Did, Peter, kill my dad?” He said each word with more and more disbelief.
“Maybe we don’t know that, and anyway, I can’t imagine Norman Osborn being a good dad in any universe.” Harry (2) voice was conversational but his eyes cast hard shadows under them.
“Yeah he wasn’t too pleased with my lackluster grades. My dating Mary Jane. Not to mention me flunking out of nearly every school except Midtown High.” Harry (1)’s posture went slack for a moment as he turned up to the sky, thinking back.
Harry (2) watched the other Harry closely, what he had said of his life sounded nothing like his own. “Mine has been dying from the moment I knew him. Shipped me off to boarding school to find himself a cure, and then sent me to pretty much any country he could think of." He stuffed his hands into his dress pants pocket, "You dated a girl named Mary Jane?” Harry (2) cocked one eyebrow up.
“She actually didn’t smoke weed.” Harry (1) laughed still looking up and thinking off.
The sky had grown much darker and was even nearing nighttime. Just at that moment the bliboard screens changed from the old news of Green Goblin and Otto Octavius. To that of an apartment building.
“What is that?” Harry (1) asked in an awed tone that neared horrified.
“Aw Jeez.” Harry (2) stepped forward, eyebrows turned down. “Alright, I wasn’t in town when it happened. But that would be Dr. Conners who turned himself into a lizard last year. Then apparently he wanted to turn everyone else also into lizards.”
“What on earth?” Harry (1) turned down to face the other Harry in the eye, was he actually saying something like that so nonchalantly.
“Otto Octavius who has octopus tentacles and his name has nothing to do with it?” Harry (2) shot back in a deadpanned tone.
“Fair enough, wait thats-” Harry (1) now stepped forward too. They weren't the only ones either, the dark New York streets were all watching. Staring at the screens like they were caught in them, hypnotized.
Sand was flying out of the windows, electricity went out on all the floors as the Lizard crawled around. There was Spider-Man crawling and trying to keep up, seeming to be the most preoccupied with a shadowed figure.
“That one guys Sandman.” Harry (1) said.
“Yeah and I know Electro.” Harry (2) added.
The crowd watched the Daily Bugle in horror as it seemed the villains were not only winning, but getting away. Just before It seemed the broadcast would have to come to an end. They got their first good glimpse at the shadowed Green Goblin figure. Harry (2) had to admit that there was something off-putting about seeing the guy without a mask.
“Nooooo!” Harry (1) actually yelled.
Harry (2) got his hand to rap around his counterpart's lips just late enough. Everyone had already taken the time to turn to look at them instead of the screen.
“That's my dad, that's my dad.” Harry (1) was mumbling through Harry (2)’s fingers. “He’s actually. He’s actually-”
“Do you know those freaks?” A lady gripped Harry (2)’s shoulder harshly.
“Do I look like I would hang out with those nightmares?” Despite being a little shorter than average Harry (2) knew his tone of voice and goth-like attire was creepy enough to get him out of there.
Sure enough the lady backed off, stepping back and getting a grimace type expression.
“Shut up Harry. We’ve gotta get out of here.” Harry (2) was pulling the other Harry by his hand, weeding him through the crowd of people. Harry (2) walked and walked until they were far enough away that no one was looking at them anymore, just the screen.
“I don’t want coffee.” Harry (1) said through gritted teeth. Harry (2) couldn’t see the other Harry's face, but he sounded changed.
“Something harder?” Harry (2) offered in an exasperated sort of tone.
“We’re not old enough to drink, and even if you are, we shouldn’t risk our ID’s here” Harry (1) sounded bitter and sad.
“Fine.” Harry (2) almost spat. Turning on his heels and slammed the other Harry against the brick wall behind him. “What is it that you want to do?”
Even with Harry (1)’s taller body, darker eyes, and lanky looking face. His face seemed to crack a bit at this question from the smaller Harry. “I don’t know.” He answered honestly. “I hate my dad.”
“I doubt Norman Osborn is a great man in any world.” Harry (2) agreed. But still held his counterpart still. Waiting for another unpredictable outburst. “What is it that you want to do?” Harry (2) repeated. Needing an answer he could work with.
“Look, I just,” Harry (1) was thinking over this question, and growing embarrassed by the passer by looks. “What do you think we should do?”
Harry (2)’s eyes stiffened, caught off guard. “Look, Harry. I haven't loved my dad in years, maybe ever. So I don’t pretend to know what you're going through. But I am not interested in making any big, emotional, angry choices.”
“So what?” Harry (1) really looked at the other Harry, growing angry at what felt like a reflection with deliberate mistakes. “Do nothing? Just because it's not your dad!” Harry (1) was angry, but whispering each word.
“What good will it do you?” Harry (2) squinted his blue eyes. “Will it make him love you? Is that flying green nightmare really the father you want?” Harry (2) inhaled. “Or just take a moment. Really think about it. This. Isn’t. Our. World.”
“So what? Wait to get sent back?” Harry (1) could feel the ghost of a tremor in the hands that held him. Reminded of the other Harry's problems from his own world.
“Yes.”
“What?’ Harry (1) couldn’t believe he was the same as this guy. Was he really saying to do nothing?
“I thought about it while we we’re waiting for the coffee. No one cares who we are here. I don’t really want to fight Spider-Man or the green whatever or that lizard from my world.” Harry (2) finished, growing excited from the prospect that no one knew who he was here, now releasing the grip he had on the other Harry.
“Not our problem?” Harry (1) said bitterly, instead of sharing the better mood with his counterpart. Then again, the idea of just letting this all go for a day, Harry (1) had to admit was a nice thought. While still upset, maybe he could manage to leave his problems to his own world.
"Fine, this can wait." Harry (1) said evenly.
The pair pulled up to a crowded restaurant in the area. Each aware of their own, distinctly 'Harry' type problems. But both beginning to believe that it was sorta funny that they were literally the same guys from other worlds. Who, thankfully, no one here knew.
“Has anyone ever told you guys that you look alike?” Their tall blonde waiter said smoothly as he passed out their coasters.
“All the time.” Harry (1) said with a self satisfied smile.
“Seen the news today.” They're cheerful waiter said.
“Wild.” Harry (1) agreed.
“Spider-Man always fights weirdos,” Harry (2) said, trying to keep up the casual tone while fixing the cuffs of his shirt.
“Yeah, I know.” Their conversational waiter's tone shifted down, “You know, I know Iron Man's dead, and the Captains gone, but I really expected to see a few more Avengers helping him.” Their waiter then shook his head as if to say, ‘It's a real shame Spider-Man's all alone.’
“Right.” Harry (1) agreed, though Harry (2) noticed his confused eyes.
“Ah well, what can I get you guys to drink?”
“I’ll take a coke.” Harry (1) said casually.
“As will I, - though,” Harry (2) pulled out a fifty, “If you could make it a jack and coke I’d be grateful.” Harry (2)’s charm was edging close to being considered flirty.
Harry (1)’s eyebrows turned down at his counterparts' audacity. To Harry (1)’s surprise though, his shock wasn’t shared by their cheerful blonde waiter.
“Ha,” He leaned his head back in a jock-ish belly laugh. “Sure thing dude. And hey I get it, my girlfriends got the same problem with her ID too, after being blipped and all.” He grinned at the pair once more and turned around weaving through the tables to get their drinks.
“Blipped?” Harry (2) turned to the other.
“The Avengers?” Harry (1) agreed.
“And I thought my world was odd.” Harry (2) exhaled before turning back to the other him, “And look, I’m sorry if I was a bit rough with you back there. I don’t imagine seeing your dad like that was fun.”
“Ah, forget about it.” Harry (1) waved his hand loosely, and scanned the room with his dark eyes. “It was probably for the best. After all, I’m not sure what good I could do about it here.”
“I could drink to that.” Harry (2) agreed.
“I bet you could,” Harry (1) started, “You know, let's ask each other questions, Is there anything you want to know?”
Harry (2) shifted his jaw as he thought. “Well, alright I’ll start with a softball, how old are you and do you really not drink?”
“I’m 20. And I have drinked before but I don’t seem to be on my way to a problem like you might be.”
“Smarter than your dad gave you credit for.” Harry (2) smiled. “Alright your turn.”
Harry (1) sucked in his breath thinking. “ Alright Harry, are you like goth or something?”
“That's good, I’ve never heard that before,” Harry (2) said with a sarcastic tone and smiled. “I guess I just like the color black and don’t really care enough about what that makes me come off as.”
Harry (1) leaned back a little, almost impressed at how different, but ‘of a feather’ they really were. He felt like this other Harry was an angrier and more bitter version of himself. It was sort of cathartic actually. Like defending oneself. It was also funny to him that this angry version of himself was a little pale goth guy.
“Here’s your drinks fellas.” Their charming waiter put down their spiked and clean soda’s with a grin. “Anything to eat?”
“Spaghetti and meatballs.”
“Spaghetti and meatballs.”
Both Harry’s turned to each other, no longer annoyed now just having to keep themselves from nearly breaking into laughter.
“Can do,” They're ever charming waiter just cracked a smile as he made the note in his book. “It’ll be out shortly.”
“Thank goodness he seems so well meaning because this is turning into an awful kept secret.” Harry (1) turned to the other him and gave a confused sort of smile.
“No one would believe us if we told them, and anyway, he’s kinda like a golden retriever.” Harry (2) agreed.
“That's actually, exactly what I was thinking.” Harry (1) leaned back with a small smile, actually enjoying himself, even if just to get his mind off things.
“Alright, my turn.” Harry (2) leaned in and took a generous gulp of his drink. Now too into the conversation to realize that the two of them were sitting in the exact same way. “Its a dumb question really, but it also a classic, and oddly fitting.” Harry (2) locked his jaw to regain his composure and keep himself from laughing. “Would you have sex with your clone?”
“Wait, that's a real question? People just ask each other that?” Harry (1)’s voice went up an octave. Once again surprised at the other Harry’s audacity.
“Yeah, of course it's typically just a hypothetical. Maybe even a test to see just how okay the other is with masterbation.” Harry (2) took another heavy gulp of his drink.
Harry (1) really looked at this other Harry. He must be enjoying himself. After all, he was the one who was more interested in no one knowing who he was here. while not getting excited in the way a normal cheerful person would. All things considered, the guy was still being quiet. But now was seeming to let his guard down.
“Masterbation,” Harry (1) repeated in an amused whisper, “Well it would be a fun hypothetical, if it wasn’t coming from you to me.” Harry (1) smiled to himself and took a sip of his own drink. “But doesn’t having sex with your clone also seem a bit gay?”
“Only if you think masterbation is gay?” The second Harry leaned in with a devilish sort of self-amusing grin.
“Probably as much as you do.” Harry (1) smiled, “Then again, I am also curious if this, hypothetical of course, clone would look just like me?” After all, he wouldn’t have pictured Harry (2) if asked this question yesterday.
“That's a fair point, given we are not identical.” Harry (2) agreed.
“Fair point. But we are both, i’m assuming, at least bisexual?” Harry (1) offered.
“And okay with masterbation.” Harry (2) winked as he took a third, impressive gulp.
“Here are your guys spaghetti and meatballs.” their smiling blonde waiter threw a towel over one of his broad shoulders as he gave the first dish to Harry (2).
As they ate, they both realized just how hungry they both had been. They had been in this world for hours and never so much as had their coffee. They ate in almost total silence until the bar-tops screen showed the Statue of Liberty.
“Harry, check it out.” Harry (1) took a massive gulp as he lifted a lazy fork to point to the screen. “Does your Statue of Liberty look like that?”
Harry (2) turned and squinted. Sure enough, the freaks and weirdos from both their worlds crawled and flew around the green monument.
“Well my statue’s not under construction, and it also doesn’t have a combat shield.” Harry (2) took a considerable sip of his drink, mildly entertained by what an odd thing this all was.
“Same here.” Harry (1) was leaning so far forward he looked like he might tip over, “Are you seeing more than one Spider-Man”
Harry (2) squinted further and nodded. Sure enough, there were at least three.
“Man, three Peter Parkers, could you imagine?” Harry (1) said with an almost impressed tone, his eyebrows pinched together at the idea.
“Almost as bad as two Harrys.” Harry (2) said.
“At least there's only one Norman Osborn here.” Harry (1) smiled before frowning.
“Cheers to that.” Harry (2) agreed and finished off his drink.
“Thanks for stopping me from doing anything.” Harry (1) eyebrows arched up. Imagining briefly what he might have been driven to do.
“Think nothing of it,” Harry (2) waved a lazy hand. “I doubted you would have done much alone anyway. I mean really, who are you more mad at? Norman or Peter?”
“I don’t know.” Harry (1) leaned back and smoothed the napkin on his lap. “A Green Goblin father isn’t much of a dad. Not that he was fantastic as Norman.” Harry (1) was scanning the room, as if he was imagining how happy and carefree everyone else must be. “But Parker being Spider-Man?” Harry (1) shook his head. “It feels like he can be a hero to others, just not to me.”
Harry (2) nodded. In truth, Harry (2) was aware of what a reflection Harry (1)’s life was to his own. Their lives were different, no doubt about that, but the feelings he saw in the other Harry were like looking in a mirror.
“That sounds about right,” Harry (2) agreed. “Well, Harry, what do you suppose you’ll do when you get back?”
Harry (1) took a big gulp of his soda and then sat back, eyebrows down in thought. “I don’t know yet.” He turned to look at the screen. “But there’s something about this. What I’ve seen today. And it might even be considered self-serving or vain, but even to talk with you, has been great for me. I mean, - I just don’t want to be one of those guys.” Harry (1) stuck a finger at the screen.
“Yeah they look pretty fucking silly.” Harry (2) smiled. “But I agree, talking with you, it cleared my head some.”
“Any room for dessert?” their blonde, Ken-doll like waiter asked.
“The check is fine.” Harry (2) smiled, “Though I wouldn’t mind a refill.”
“Sure thing dude, I'll be right back.” He winked to the pair and left.
“I can pay.” Harry (1) offered.
“I’m sure you can, but really it doesn’t matter much if I lose a few hundred in an alternate world.” Harry (2) said casually.
Just then they both felt it, as if their limbs knew the moment before they started turning translucent. Harry (1) and Harry (2) turned up, almost as if they were fearfully looking in the mirror. As If a death rattle was telepathically shared among all Harry’s. Harry (2) smiled a bit sadly to himself and quickly put down a few hundred dollars. Harry (1) looked at his counterpart and for a moment felt their pain shared. They both did.
Harry (2)’s body was starting to become see through, as if he was saying his last words ever- he spoke, “Good luck Harry, may your days be longer and better than mine.”
Harry (1) could now see the table better than his own hand, knowing they both had mere moments. “Back atcha, give 'em hell and cheer up.”
In their final moment with each other the two Harry's felt a form of self-love neither had thought possible for themselves. That rooting for each other was the only way they could go back and be okay.
The money glided gracefully to the table, dropped from Harry (2)'s disapeared hand. No one in the dark restaurant noticed at all. They were all preoccupied with the fact that months were being added to the Statue of Liberty's construction.
The barista that night went home and figured her boyfriend would never believe the odd interaction she had had with a goth gay couple until he showed her the few hundred dollars he had gotten from, what had to be, apparently the same pair. Eventually though, their conversation slowed. They both found themselves having a hard time remembering what all they talked to the goth couple about, now going to bed like everyone else across the world, having never heard the name Peter Parker.