Day 36: Courtyard

[longlivetehking]

Scar didn't have to think long about which direction to be escorted in for the third shift. He didn't quite enjoy the human activities these nurses forced them to do, so it wasn't much of a surprise that he soon found himself sitting on the grass in the courtyard

Comments

[blacksustenance]

You had to be kidding them.

"That's a great idea, sneaking around," Brock replied. He fixed on an easy-going grin, partially to try to give him some time to come up with a battle plan, mostly because he knew it'd piss of Harry. "So what, you want a round two now? Because I'd love for an excuse to get your ass sedated and if you want a go at me, then go for it."

Especially with Parker conveniently not around - he couldn't protect his spoiled best friend forever and, well, they knew him just as well as he did and so he supposed they'd once been friends too. That thought did give him the willies, though. Maybe in another life they could've been pals - or, rather, he'd use Harry to get what he wanted and Harry would just cling to him, because he did that to Parker - but right now he was wondering how to take him out of the picture permanently. Harry was a shit friend for Parker and if they were ever going to have them for themselves, he had to go.

There was that. And it'd just feel pretty damn good killing him. He didn't remember killing him the first time, but he was up for making some new Kodak moments.

[littlegoblinjr]

Gritting his teeth, Harry held himself back from taking Brock up on his offer and knocking that damn smile off his face. It really hadn't worked out so well the first time he'd tried and he was in no mood to be dragged off like a disobedient child again. He'd just have to find some other way to bring him down a peg or two.

Stepping closer in an attempt to appear more threatening, he growled, "Thanks, but I think I'll pass. You'll have to find some other way to get you kicks today. Besides, you seemed to be having a little trouble last time, you sure you really want to provoke me when the nurses might not get here in time to save you?"

[blacksustenance]

Brock just shrugged, as if they were talking about accidentally locking his keys in the car.

"I wasn't exactly in a good position there," he said, "but if you want to try your luck with my feet under me this time, well, I think things would turn out differently."

He had a feeling Harry wouldn't do anything. Right now he was all bark and acting all alpha male - maybe he was as fruity as they were for Parker and Parker was just too damn clueless to get the big warning signals. That was the real problem with having the kid's stolen genetic memory: they had his memories, his feelings and impressions and it made it hard not to see things from his point of view sometimes when things overlapped, like having some kind of messed up double vision. So while Brock personally thought Harry might be gay for Parker, it was just that - a suspicion. It wasn't like he could rely on their memories to tell them anything concrete here.

Anyway, if Harry thought he could protect Parker from them, he had another thing coming. Brock didn't back down or walk away and didn't plan to any time soon, if only to prove a point.

[littlegoblinjr]

That casual attitude was really getting on his nerves. That Brock could just stand there so calmly like he'd never put the blades of Harry's own glider through his chest - grinding his teeth, Harry forced himself to step back and lean against a tree to reduce the temptation to haul off and punch Brock right there. How dare he come over here and start trying to provoke him!

"Sounds to me like you're making up excuses, but if you really want I'll take you on," he snapped.

Thinking about his murder at Eddie's hands reminded him of something Claire had said to him. Smirking, Harry said as casually as he could while still fuming inside, "You might want to be a little more careful who you upset though. Some people seem interested in your little pet and I can't imagine that's any good for you."

[blacksustenance]

"I don't know what you're talking about," Brock said automatically, even as his smirk twitched a little. The hell? Who told him that?

There were only so many people here in this freak joint who knew about his Other: Parker, Elle, and Sylar were the very few he could think of. So who blabbed? Parker was their first thought, even though bringing up the symbiote would probably also raise some hairy questions about his own behavior (especially considering the number he did on Gobbie Jr's face). Sylar? Brock knew he was dangerous, but suicidal? He had to know if he went running his mouth off then he could expect to get it ripped off the moment he found out it was him?

Elle?

Brock didn't know about that. Maybe. But his money was on Parker having slumber-party girl stories with his "best" friend.

[littlegoblinjr]

Had Eddie twitched when he mentioned the parasite-alien thing? It was hard to tell, but Harry hoped so. Let him see how it felt to have someone know entirely too much about you. He just wished Peter had told him more about whatever the hell the thing was. It'd be nice to know what he was dealing with and being able to rub the knowledge in his face would be a real bonus. He'd have to remember to ask him for more details tonight.

Racking his brain for what else he'd learned from Pete about the freak show in front of him, he tried to come up with something to throw Brock off balance. If Harry could unnerve him enough he might have a chance of finding out what Eddie knew about him and maybe of warning him off Claire and her uncle.

There was really only one other thing he knew about this whole set up, hopefully it would get the desired response. "You sure you don't? Cause last I heard you were running around with Peter's cast-offs. Seems kinda sad if you ask me."

[blacksustenance]

Had to be Parker. Had to be. They weren't sure how much the Spider blabbed but it was enough to get it eerily close.

Still, if Harry wanted to play war games, fine.

"I'd rather be stuck with his cast-offs than get my face get hit by the ugly truck," Brock retorted. "The one smart thing Parker's ever done was doing that," he mirrored Harry's scars, tapping the side of his own face, "to you. Now the outside matches the inside."

[littlegoblinjr]

Harry jerked forward angrily, lunging towards Eddie and reaching out to grab a handful of his shirt.

"You have no idea what went on between me and Peter," he snarled, "So you just keep your damn mouth shut or I'll give you the same treatment."

[blacksustenance]

"You know, you saying it doesn't make it true," Brock said, the very picture of infuriatingly calm, maybe even a little cheerful. But despite the front, he could feel the points of his fangs suddenly start to lengthen - it was just a little, like some kind of reflex in the presence of threat, and probably just about useful as a cat arching its back. All he knew was he suddenly had the healthy urge to sink them into any part of Harry he could reach and start tearing. "We all know what happened: Parker got you good with your own bomb, right here in your pretty little playboy face. So knowing how it all went down, I don't see how you giving me the same treatment will work out unless you got our mutual friend to do your work for you."

He kept his hands free and at his sides. If Harry wanted a brawl, he'd defend himself, but he'd make sure he made it look like Harry was the guilty party and get his ass sedated. If any nurses were looking this way, they'd see Harry with Brock's shirt in his hands, looking like he was ready to start a fight.

[littlegoblinjr]

And they were back to the same thing that kept bugging him about Brock. Just how did he know such personal details about his life? It had been just him and Peter alone that night. The staff had all gone home for the night and there was no way anyone could have witnessed what happened. Even if Eddie had picked up the parasite responsible for Peter's actions, it didn't explain how he seemed to know everything about Harry.

Mouth still twisted in an ugly snarl, he shoved Brock backwards as hard as he could, replying "Let's get some things straight first up. Peter is no friend of yours and if you go near him again I will make you regret it. And if you don't tell me how you know so much about me right now, you better start watching your back wherever you go, because I'll find a way to beat it out of you if I have to."

[blacksustenance]

Brock stumbled back a step, then two, from the push but he kept his legs under him this time - it was amazing what having solid ground under you this time did for your balance.

Of course Harry was pissed. And confused. And honestly, Brock couldn't help himself - even if he despised Goblin Jr just on sheer principle, it was also pretty fun pushing his buttons, especially since he really did have no idea how close they were to Parker. Obviously Dear Old Pete hadn't been that upfront with his supposed best friend. There was no one who could be possibly closer to the Spider than they were, who had all his memories, everything he felt at the time, even things he wouldn't even admit to himself - the only being who could possibly get that close was another symbiote and since he was now theirs, they'd have to fight tooth and claw for that privilege. Brock took the time to brush his shirt off.

"We'd pay good money to see that," he said, not even looking up, meticulously smoothing his shirt. Unless Harry suddenly hooked up with Elle and her abilities rubbed off, Brock was pretty sure he didn't have anything to worry about. "Anyway, shows how much you know. If you want the whole story, you really should ask yourself 'hey, maybe he didn't tell the whole truth' and see where that takes you?"

He leaned up against a tree trunk, crossing his arms over his chest and leering at Harry.

"I'll give you a hint, since I'm such a nice guy: when Pete and I were together and real close, he let slip a few things."

That was being really vague, but Brock wasn't going to go out and say he had Parker's genetic memory, flat up. Screw that. If he was going to admit jack, it was going to do so in a way that would fuck around with Harry.

[littlegoblinjr]

Scratch that. He didn't care what Brock did and didn't know about him, he was going to kill the smug bastard and then it wouldn't matter. Unfortunately, as much as Harry wanted to believe Eddie's confidence was all talk, he remembered how close Brock had come to killing Peter last time, to say nothing of his own death. While Eddie had to be weaker now, Harry still didn't think he had a chance against him on his own. No, much as he hated to admit it, he was going to need help on this one. Fortunately he had feeling he knew where he could get it, while leaving Peter safe on the sidelines. He just had to remember not to get carried away now, in case the staff really did decide to sedate him.

That was considerably harder to remember when Eddie started talking about Peter like that. Was he implying they'd - what? Slept together? There was no way in hell Peter would sink that low, no matter what else he'd done. But he'd also suggested Peter hadn't told him the full story about Brock and whatever his deal was. Eddie had to be just pushing his buttons, trying to rile him up. Had to be.

Except, Peter had been keeping secrets from him for years now, keeping him in the dark about things he had every right to know. Was it really that hard to believe maybe he was still doing it? Harry had never understood why Peter felt the need to keep him in the dark about so many things to start with, it was worryingly easy to think maybe he'd decided to keep his history with Eddie, whatever it was, to himself as well.

Realising he'd been silent too long - Brock had to know how much he'd managed to get to him - Harry desperately tried to pull himself together. "There's no way Peter would ever 'get close' to someone like you! And he sure as hell wouldn't tell you anything about me!" he shouted, but even to himself he sounded uncertain.

[blacksustenance]

This was almost too easy. Brock didn't even have to look to feel eyes of the closest staff turning toward them, keeping an eye even as Harry started yelling, drawing even more attention to them. If he kept it up like this, hell, maybe he really could get him sedated - and to make it even better, he was pretty sure he'd pressed some buttons he'd been wondering about, seeing as it seemed to piss him off that Brock might just be that close.

Maybe he really was gay. Brock could see how having a dad like Norman would make a guy get closeted.

"How else would I know all this? I mean, I even know about the day his second puberty smacked him in the face," Brock said. "The day he changed, only you didn't even notice. Great observational skills there, by the way. And chill out - you're the one who goes charging at people. No wonder he decided to fight back for once instead of letting you run over him again."

He grinned. His fangs weren't visible yet.

"Don't be so surprised. There's a lot he told me," not willingly and maybe he didn't even know how much they gleaned from him, but that was beside the point, "that you have no idea about."

[littlegoblinjr]

Harry didn't even notice the attention he was drawing, too focused on Brock and the surge of jealousy inspired by his talk of Peter gaining his powers. It sounded like Peter had willingly spilled all his secrets to someone he barely knew after keeping Harry, his best friend since they were both teenagers, in the dark for years. Never mind Peter hadn't exactly seemed happy to see Eddie the other day, he had to have told Brock all about being Spiderman, probably all about Harry too. How else could he know so many personal details? It was entirely too easy to picture the two of them sitting together, laughing at him.

As always happened at times like these, his father started shouting at him, telling him to man up and do something for once, or was he just going to stand there and cry like a little girl?

"You want me to act, fine," he spat back at Norman, lunging forward, swinging a punch at that stupid grin that had been irritating him ever since he came over here.

[blacksustenance]

Spoiled brat or not, Harry could move when he had to. They remembered that, both from Parker's brawls with the guy and the incident a few days ago at the cafeteria. He moved almost as fast the Spider, faster than a normal human could, and while they had better ground and could probably hold it this time, Brock knew he'd just have to take it like a man. After all, what better way to get Harry sedated? What kind of nutjob would go around punching poor, recovering patients?

Brock blinked and Harry was suddenly pretty much on top of him. The punch landed, knocking him onto his ass and seeing stars. Symbiote or not, getting clocked like that was bound to rattle even a Host like him. If they were normal, one like they were supposed to be, they'd probably laugh it off and then bite his head off just for kicks - but right now his head spun even as he counted on the nurses to come running.

"Help!" he shouted, moving to defend himself before Harry could get too many more hits in. Even as he yelled for help, he smirked up at Harry through his split lip, blood trickling his chin - he made it look like he was trying to fend off his attacker, but he was actually trying to grab him and keep him from running before the nurses got there with their druggie cocktails. Above all, he wanted to see the spark go out in this asshole's face, watch the drugs take effect and watch his handiwork. But that meant Harry couldn't suddenly bolt on him just when things were getting good.

Despite their strength, it wasn't easy to hold down Harry. He might be a bitchy, spoiled brat who thought he was entitled to all the answers, but he was also pretty damn strong from whatever he took from Daddy Dearest.

[damned_nurses]

The nurses had been keeping a close eye on these two patients and when it came to blows, it didn't take long before they were over and pulling the two men apart. One orderly for each and a nurse between them. She was a tall, thin woman who would have looked frail if it wasn't for the hellfire in her eyes and the two syringes in her hand. It was obvious who had started the fight, but the nurse needed to know what was going on before she stuck either of them for the day.

"Explain. Now."

[kaze]