Lights will guide you home and ignite your bones and I will try to fix you
Peter spent most of Tuesday taking pictures of what was left of the Daily Planet building and talking to the survivors. He checked in on Betty and Lance, relieved to hear they would both survive. Four didn't make it and Peter knew that for once Jameson was determined to get the issue out as his way or honoring his people he lost. He was a tough guy to figure out sometimes, but Peter saw the edges of his boss fraying. Everyone at the Daily Planet were sort of in shock and it was Jameson who pulled them together and gave them something to focus on. It was almost comforting if not for the fact that Peter had his own investigation to to conduct.
When he left the Daily Planet he went to Oscorp and nearly lost his lunch when he smelled the smoke coming from Norman's private office. God, Harry, what the hell? He thought as he rushed in, relieved to see no trace of Harry, but wondering where he ran off too. It was Griffin who provided the answers as he found Peter in the partially burned office.
"Parker, we have a problem. That Connor guy dragged Mr. Osborn out of here unconscious and took off in his car. I saw them from my window and wasn't able to get down to the parking lot in time to warn Connor that Mr. Osborn is sick." Griffin looked pale as he passed over the file in his hands to Peter. He paced in the office as he waited for Peter to read the report. "I don't understand. How did he experiment on himself and we didn't realize it?"
"Oh, Harry," Peter whispered as he scanned the report and felt his heart stop beating for a moment. It was there in black and white. The proof that Connor and Peter had hoped not to find. Harry was using the enhancement drugs. Damn it! Why? Why would he do this instead of talking to Peter? Peter thought he and Harry had worked out their problems, but he still remembered the comment Harry made about the webs. Clearly they were not on as steady ground as Peter had assumed. "We need to stop production on the enhancement drug project now and focus our attention on an antidote. I want everyone working on it, day and night, until we have one. You're in charge. I have to find Harry."
Griffin frowned, folding his arms across his chest as he looked at Peter. "I don't think you have the authority to make that judgment call. The board is not going to accept either of us changing the project's focus."
"I know, but for now they are not to know. Look, Harry needs us to find an antidote and this is his company. We're going to fix him and we're going to do it quickly. I'll find him and bring him some place safe until we can figure out how to help him, but for now I need you in charge of the antidote so I can focus my attention on finding Harry."
Peter sighed and looked down at the results again as he reached for his phone and called Connor only to receive voice mail. "Connor, this is an emergency. I know you're with Harry. You need to call me back so we can meet up. I have the latest drug tests on Harry and it's vital that you and I get him some place safe immediately. Call me."
The next few hours was spent looking for any sign of Connor and Harry as well as patrolling the city for the Goblin. Peter came up empty on all counts and became increasingly frustrated as he continued to try Connor and Harry's phones but received only their voice mail. He left a message for Harry hoping that Harry would at least call him back. "Har, it's Peter, listen it's okay. I know that whatever happened was out of your control. I want to help you, but you have to call me so I can find you. Connor probably thinks he's helping you by hiding you, but he's not. The drugs are dangerous, Harry. They are dangerous and that is why I kept stressing it wasn't ready to be tested. I want to fix you, but you have to.." The phone cut him off before he could add, "let me."
On Wednesday night Peter got the text message from Connor stating that Harry had been admitted to Silver Hill the private psychiatric hospital that a lot of the celebrities and socialites checked into when they needed to rest. He was relieved that Harry was some place safe, but infuriated that Connor did this without talking with Peter. There were things they needed to discuss and honestly Peter was shocked that Connor had the ability to even check Harry in. He called the institute to ask what a person needed to check another person in and nearly dropped the phone when he heard it required power of attorney. Harry Osborn was worth millions and millions of dollars and he had signed over everything to the boyfriend he had not been dating for long? Peter could not help but be suspicious. It seemed like the one who benefited from Harry losing his mind was Connor. He didn't want to suspect Connor, but his actions of hiding Harry away and then committing him before Peter could get answers made it seem like Connor had something to hide.
Peter followed the trail of carnage that Connor left Wednesday night. He was appalled by the methods that Connor was using to get answers, but he did understand his motivation. Once again, Peter could not help thinking, that if Connor would just calm down and work with him instead of against him they could finish this faster and get Harry the help he needed. Peter found Connor fighting the Goblin, or more accurately, about to kill the Goblin before they had a chance to find out who the guy behind the mask was. For the briefest of moments Peter wondered if it was Harry and Connor had set all of this up. That he had drugged Harry and sent the text message stating Harry was committed just so he could kill Harry and inherit his fortune. It made him feel sick to think of that possible of Connor, but it didn't stop him from preventing Connor from killing the Goblin. Connor and Peter fought, and the Goblin got away. Peter tried to catch him, but was unsuccessful. It was then he decided he had to find out for sure if Harry was in Silver Hill. He called Bernard and asked him if there was a way he could check. Bernard said that Harry was indeed a patient and that he could not have visitors for seventy-two hours. That meant he probably could not break out either. They had a second Goblin. Who?
By the time Peter and Connor met up for class on Thursday they could barely manage a conversation. It was clear they both felt the other was messing up the investigation. When Connor said that he would catch the Goblin and get Harry out of the hospital, Peter stared at him. He said in a quiet, but firm voice, that Harry was not going to be ready to be released until an antidote was made. That he would help Dr. Griffin create one and that the full staff at OsCorp would be working on it, but it wasn't safe for Harry or anyone else if he were to be released before an antidote was reached. It was then that Connor informed him that no one would keep Harry in that hospital once the Goblin was caught. They were at an impasse and neither was willing to compromise. Peter realized that after they had the Goblin he was going to have to fight Connor to ensure that Harry remained safe. It was an impossible situation because if Connor was hurt...or killed what the hell good would an antidote do for Harry? He'd never come back from that. Peter walked away from Connor and didn't look back. He knew this was no longer a team effort which meant he had no choice but to find the Goblin first and figure out how he could keep Harry in the hospital despite Connor having power of attorney. Unless he could find an alternative. Perhaps there was some place Harry could be kept where he could not hurt himself or others. First things first, he had to stop the Goblin before he killed again or was killed by Connor before the Goblin confessed and cleared OsCorp and Harry of all the crimes.
When he left the Daily Planet he went to Oscorp and nearly lost his lunch when he smelled the smoke coming from Norman's private office. God, Harry, what the hell? He thought as he rushed in, relieved to see no trace of Harry, but wondering where he ran off too. It was Griffin who provided the answers as he found Peter in the partially burned office.
"Parker, we have a problem. That Connor guy dragged Mr. Osborn out of here unconscious and took off in his car. I saw them from my window and wasn't able to get down to the parking lot in time to warn Connor that Mr. Osborn is sick." Griffin looked pale as he passed over the file in his hands to Peter. He paced in the office as he waited for Peter to read the report. "I don't understand. How did he experiment on himself and we didn't realize it?"
"Oh, Harry," Peter whispered as he scanned the report and felt his heart stop beating for a moment. It was there in black and white. The proof that Connor and Peter had hoped not to find. Harry was using the enhancement drugs. Damn it! Why? Why would he do this instead of talking to Peter? Peter thought he and Harry had worked out their problems, but he still remembered the comment Harry made about the webs. Clearly they were not on as steady ground as Peter had assumed. "We need to stop production on the enhancement drug project now and focus our attention on an antidote. I want everyone working on it, day and night, until we have one. You're in charge. I have to find Harry."
Griffin frowned, folding his arms across his chest as he looked at Peter. "I don't think you have the authority to make that judgment call. The board is not going to accept either of us changing the project's focus."
"I know, but for now they are not to know. Look, Harry needs us to find an antidote and this is his company. We're going to fix him and we're going to do it quickly. I'll find him and bring him some place safe until we can figure out how to help him, but for now I need you in charge of the antidote so I can focus my attention on finding Harry."
Peter sighed and looked down at the results again as he reached for his phone and called Connor only to receive voice mail. "Connor, this is an emergency. I know you're with Harry. You need to call me back so we can meet up. I have the latest drug tests on Harry and it's vital that you and I get him some place safe immediately. Call me."
The next few hours was spent looking for any sign of Connor and Harry as well as patrolling the city for the Goblin. Peter came up empty on all counts and became increasingly frustrated as he continued to try Connor and Harry's phones but received only their voice mail. He left a message for Harry hoping that Harry would at least call him back. "Har, it's Peter, listen it's okay. I know that whatever happened was out of your control. I want to help you, but you have to call me so I can find you. Connor probably thinks he's helping you by hiding you, but he's not. The drugs are dangerous, Harry. They are dangerous and that is why I kept stressing it wasn't ready to be tested. I want to fix you, but you have to.." The phone cut him off before he could add, "let me."
On Wednesday night Peter got the text message from Connor stating that Harry had been admitted to Silver Hill the private psychiatric hospital that a lot of the celebrities and socialites checked into when they needed to rest. He was relieved that Harry was some place safe, but infuriated that Connor did this without talking with Peter. There were things they needed to discuss and honestly Peter was shocked that Connor had the ability to even check Harry in. He called the institute to ask what a person needed to check another person in and nearly dropped the phone when he heard it required power of attorney. Harry Osborn was worth millions and millions of dollars and he had signed over everything to the boyfriend he had not been dating for long? Peter could not help but be suspicious. It seemed like the one who benefited from Harry losing his mind was Connor. He didn't want to suspect Connor, but his actions of hiding Harry away and then committing him before Peter could get answers made it seem like Connor had something to hide.
Peter followed the trail of carnage that Connor left Wednesday night. He was appalled by the methods that Connor was using to get answers, but he did understand his motivation. Once again, Peter could not help thinking, that if Connor would just calm down and work with him instead of against him they could finish this faster and get Harry the help he needed. Peter found Connor fighting the Goblin, or more accurately, about to kill the Goblin before they had a chance to find out who the guy behind the mask was. For the briefest of moments Peter wondered if it was Harry and Connor had set all of this up. That he had drugged Harry and sent the text message stating Harry was committed just so he could kill Harry and inherit his fortune. It made him feel sick to think of that possible of Connor, but it didn't stop him from preventing Connor from killing the Goblin. Connor and Peter fought, and the Goblin got away. Peter tried to catch him, but was unsuccessful. It was then he decided he had to find out for sure if Harry was in Silver Hill. He called Bernard and asked him if there was a way he could check. Bernard said that Harry was indeed a patient and that he could not have visitors for seventy-two hours. That meant he probably could not break out either. They had a second Goblin. Who?
By the time Peter and Connor met up for class on Thursday they could barely manage a conversation. It was clear they both felt the other was messing up the investigation. When Connor said that he would catch the Goblin and get Harry out of the hospital, Peter stared at him. He said in a quiet, but firm voice, that Harry was not going to be ready to be released until an antidote was made. That he would help Dr. Griffin create one and that the full staff at OsCorp would be working on it, but it wasn't safe for Harry or anyone else if he were to be released before an antidote was reached. It was then that Connor informed him that no one would keep Harry in that hospital once the Goblin was caught. They were at an impasse and neither was willing to compromise. Peter realized that after they had the Goblin he was going to have to fight Connor to ensure that Harry remained safe. It was an impossible situation because if Connor was hurt...or killed what the hell good would an antidote do for Harry? He'd never come back from that. Peter walked away from Connor and didn't look back. He knew this was no longer a team effort which meant he had no choice but to find the Goblin first and figure out how he could keep Harry in the hospital despite Connor having power of attorney. Unless he could find an alternative. Perhaps there was some place Harry could be kept where he could not hurt himself or others. First things first, he had to stop the Goblin before he killed again or was killed by Connor before the Goblin confessed and cleared OsCorp and Harry of all the crimes.