[ log - backdated to forever ago ]
* NormanOsborn follows Peter out, preparing himself for the phonecall he might be about to make. He's fairly certain that 'patrol' was a lie, but if it wasn't... well, he still has a job to do.
* Spidey is in the hallway, pacing back and forth. Seeing Norman, though, he turns ... and pounces. "Took you long enough!"
Mayday_Parker is suiting up. She's not sure why - they both know her secret identity - but it must be habit, by now. If something bad was going to down, she had to put on the spandex... and May was sure something was going to go wrong. Of course, she could always be wrong, but she'd rather be safe than sorry.
* NormanOsborn goes oof, as he's... well, pounced. Funny, he doesn't seem particularly averse to this positioning. "Had to say my goodnights. Idiot."
* Spidey pulls off his mask and stashes it, then takes Norman's cheeks between his hands. Kisses him. "I - god, you asshole. Could you have been any more of a ..." He sighs and closes his eyes, leaning against the other man. "God. Poor Robbie. He must be a mess."
* Mayday_Parker is suited up and looking for a place to hide. She can't hear them yet, which is probably for the best.
NormanOsborn strokes Peter's hair. "It's -- not pleasant. I'm trying to do what I can, but no one will -listen.- You realise they're going to flay me alive because you found out about him, yes?"
* Mayday_Parker hears sounds and crawls in their direction! She can't *SEE* anything, though, to her extreme frustration.
Spidey "Don't tell them. I won't give them any reason to find out..." Peter starts to tuck himself under Norman's chin, then looks up. "Or, you know, there is another option." He chews on his lip thoughtfully. This isn't exactly something he'd wanted to contemplate, even with Norman now ... on his side. "I mean ... I can't deny that things aren't going so well for me and May right now. Robbie could obviously use someone from the old days looking out
for him, and the SHRA folks would have a real coup on their hands if they could 'get' Spider-Man ... I mean, what about a conditional surrender? If I got to be on your team, and Aunt May got the best treatment there was?" He searches Norman's face carefully for a reaction.
* NormanOsborn tenses, violent enough that it's almost a seizure, and -shoves- Peter away. "-No.- Do not even --" He looks like he's going to be ill. "Don't you -dare.-"
* Mayday_Parker hears something about Aunt May? And-- "don't you dare?" Oh, now, that sounds like fighting words. Taking a deep breath, she checks to make sure her webshooters are full and peeks out from her hiding space in a way that would be comical if it wasn't about to be tragic.
* NormanOsborn may be very close to throttling Peter, so this might be for the best.
Spidey "Whoa. Someone's a control freak," Peter says, confused. He reaches out and takes Norman's hands, rubbing them. Not quite meeting his eyes anymore. "Don't you - I mean, it wouldn't JUST be for Robbie, you know."
* Mayday_Parker is very confused by the snippets of conversation she's hearing! She thought Spidey needed her help, but... what the heck is going on? She peeks out just a little bit more.
* NormanOsborn pulls his hands away, starting to snarl now. "-No.- After everything I've -done- to try and keep you -out,- you'd... You ungrateful little -fool.-"
* Spidey crosses his arms. "Or, you could quit insulting me and just explain. I mean, it's not like I'd -want- to surrender, but goddamnit, it's really beginning to feel like my back's to the wall. And hey, medical care and the two of us being together would be some sort of plus to come out of all of it."
* Mayday_Parker aims her webshooter at Norman, just in case, but she's waiting for Spidey to explain. 'The two of us?' What did that mean?
* NormanOsborn shakes his head, taking another step back. "I'm not going to talk about this anymore, and -you're- not going to throw everything away just for me. If you speak to me about this again, or try to do it, I'm calling in our condition."
* PeterParker slumps. "Well ... that's a hell of a way to win an argument," he murmurs, defeated, half turning away. Awww, don't leave him like that, Norman.
* Mayday_Parker keeps watch, somewhere above them. It seems like things have calmed down... for now. But she won't leave until she's sure Spidey's okay.
* NormanOsborn sighs. "It's not the way to fix -anything.- And besides, do you -really- want to be on the same team as Gargan?"
* PeterParker moves forward, bumping shoulders with Norman. "Mmmm, I guess not. He looks like an Orca, I'd have to restrain myself from tossing him over buildings and yelling Free Willy at the first opportunity."
* Mayday_Parker lowers her webshooters, thinking, but not quite making the connection yet. Why are they being so... well, friendly? Kind of. Except for Norman's controlling outburst. It's -weird-.
* NormanOsborn laughs, and leans back against the wall. "And we couldn't have that, no. Even if it would make a marvelous --" And he manages to glance -just- the right way. Blinks. Pauses. Turns his head, to look straight up at her while still staying by Peter. "My dear, do you -mind?-"
* Mayday_Parker almost falls off her upwards hiding spot. Almost. "I... what's going on here?! I-" she looks at Peter, confused. "I thought he was going to... what's going on here?"
* PeterParker startles, and hops a foot sideways. "Mayday -- ! Uh ..." Peter half-looks at Norman for guidance, then turns back to her. "Well, I -- we -- " Yeah, that's smooth. "So, um. We were just talking, that's all. About Robbie."
* Mayday_Parker looks at Peter the entire time she's climbing down. "Just talking...? But, when you left, I could've sworn you were going to- and he-" she points at Norman, "He was threatening you! And... I don't understand." But she has a feeling she's being lied to.
NormanOsborn You don't -need- to understand, because it is -not- your business. Rest assured, though, that I -am- capable of simply speaking with Parker without anyone dying. *glances at Peter* We can perhaps continue this later? I -- might not be around too much in the next few days, but after that...
* Mayday_Parker looks away from Peter and to Norman. "B- but... he's my friend, and I thought you were going to attack him! How is that -not- my business?!" She's shaking a little, in her anger.
* PeterParker does glare at Norman, a little. "You don't need to be -rude- to her, you know - oh, Mayday. May, it's okay. He wasn't going to hurt me, and I can kick his butt anyway." He moves to her, now, reaching out.
* NormanOsborn makes a low, frustrated sound. "I'm leaving. If I come back and say yes, Peter, kindly kill me again? I'll thank you for it just as much." He gets out his PINpoint, and PINs out.
* Mayday_Parker steps back from Peter. She's not in the mood to be touched right now, not when she can't shake off the feeling that something here is deeply wrong, and Peter's -lying- to her about it.
* PeterParker starts, "I --" and then cuts himself off.
* PeterParker -is- lying, after all, and yet he's not.
* Mayday_Parker looks up at Peter, voice sarcastic. "You? ...What, took a trip to the Dark Side?" Oh, if she only knew how true it was. "Why can't you tell me what's going on? I thought we were friends."
"We -are-... but I can't. It's not ... this isn't really my - my thing that I can tell you about," he says, helplessly.
* Mayday_Parker scoffs. "Not 'your' thing to tell me about? Geez, Spidey... if this was anyone else, I'd think-" she stops and laughs. It's not her normal laugh -- it's too high-pitched. "Never mind. Really. It's not my business. Really."
PeterParker "If it was anything else, you'd think what?" he asks, voice sharp. He's not about to let her get away with that one. "Tell me."
* Mayday_Parker can't look at him. "I don't know. The two of you walk off, and when I find you, you're all... chummy. And Norman tells me it's none of my business, like- and -you- won't give me a straight answer, and... what am I supposed to think? You're acting like- like you're... with -him?!- With Norman Osborn?!"
* PeterParker sucks in a breath as though he were trying to get enough oxygen for them both at once. "I ... Mayday ..." he tries, weakly, then scrubs at his cheeks. You aren't getting a second chance on this one, Parker. "I don't even know how to explain this, May, but I don't want to lie to you. Not for him."
* Mayday_Parker puts her head in her hands. "Oh my god," she wants to tell him to stop, to just let her go away and believe she was wrong, but she can't. "I thought my imagination was getting away with me."
PeterParker "No," he says, unsure. He'd - really been hoping no one would find out this soon, and least of all her. "You ... must think I'm some kind of freak, right?"
Mayday_Parker "I..." she bites her lip. He'd been honest with her, so she should be honest with him. "I do think it's pretty sick, yeah. I'm probably the last person who should lecture you about being with a Goblin, but Norman's -not well-, and the things he's done to you! It's- I'm trying not to be all judgemental here, but..."
* PeterParker flinches, hunches his shoulders. "Yeah, I - I know. I -know- how it looks on the outside, believe me." He half turns away, leaning against the wall, forehead to palm. "I haven't forgotten, but ..." His voice drops, almost to a whisper. "You weren't there. You didn't have to - when I was on the island ..."
* Mayday_Parker hunches her shoulders, as well. "Yeah, seems like that game flipped everyone's moral compass," she says, a lot more bitterly than she meant. You, Reilly... I mean..." she looks down. "That came out wrong. Look, Spidey. I -do- want to understand, so explain it to me." Because right now she thinks Pete's got a raging case of Stockholm Syndrome. At best.
PeterParker "Do you know I had to kill him?" Peter asks, point-blank.
* Mayday_Parker looks up, mouth hanging open, eyes wide. That would be a no.
PeterParker "He ... he has fail-safes in his bloodstream to keep him from killing people -- and the island depowered all of us, but ... not the failsafes. So," Peter says grimly, his face almost expressionless, "he was in a deathmatch without being able to kill anyone. And someone tried to kill me, he went after them to defend me, and ended up unable to walk. So he ... begged me to take Reilly's gun and --" A convulsive swallow. For a moment, he can't go on. The memories are still fresh, of the little room, the cot, Norman's face --
* Mayday_Parker is silent. Partly because she has no idea what to say to that, yet, and partly because she can sense Peter needs a moment.
PeterParker "So I gave him what he wanted. And just like that, he was gone, and it was my fault. And he'd won, because it'd been something he'd been wanting for years ..." He turns back to look at her a little bleakly. "We got a second chance, though, and what I had to admit to myself was something I've known for a while, which is that we're too closely tied together for -- for this to be black-and-white, love-or-hate. I don't know, May. I'm not being very clear at all."
Mayday_Parker "Not really," she says softly, giving him a little smile. "But I think I understand, sort of. I can't really, I know- but you wanted to start over and put... everything behind you? Yeah, I do get that."
PeterParker "Maybe not behind," Peter says, feeling things through, "but ... moving past. It's ... complicated." He chuckles. "To say the least." A nervous look -- he's not quite brave enough to ask, "Are we still friends?" but the expression and stance are pretty clear.
Mayday_Parker "Yeah. Complicated," May nods, slowly, and chuckles. "That's, like... the biggest understatement I have -ever- head, Spidey. -Ever.-" Then she looks at him, bemused, and goes back to staring at her hands. Body language-ese for "We're still friends, but I reserve the right to think you're brainwashed or something and worry a -lot-, because -wow-, Spidey. Wow."
PeterParker "He's not brainwashing me. It was -my idea-!" Peter protests, which is so not the best defense ever, under the circumstances.
Mayday_Parker "Defensive much?" She jokes, trying to hide her surprise. He could -tell- she was thinking that? "But, um. Yeah. You'd probably feel a little... different if you were brainwashed. Alexa did."
PeterParker "Yeah. I wonder where she's been, anyway..." Peter sounds a little regretful, and maybe a tad guilty.
Mayday_Parker "I think... off planning her wedding? Like time I talked to her, anyway," she says, sounding equally regretful and guilty. With a sigh, Mayday blows some hair out of her face. "Can I just ask you one thing? And please... don't take it personally, but I need to know."
PeterParker "She's getting married?! -- Well, all right," Peter blinks, looking at her a bit warily. His fingers tap on his web-belt a bit nervously.
Mayday_Parker "Boxers or briefs?" She waits far too long to add, "Just kidding. Do you trust him?" She fidgets with her hair. "And, um, yeah. She and Rory. They've been engaged for a while. Maybe they're already-- I don't know."
PeterParker "Silk," Peter says drily. He doesn't answer the trust question.
Mayday_Parker "I really didn't want to know that," she mutters, getting up.
PeterParker "I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Jeez," he sputters. "I wouldn't tell you that! ... Tony's the one with silk boxers."
Mayday_Parker "Now that I -really- didn't want to know," she chuckles. Her back's turned to him, and for a second, it looks like she's thinking about leaving. But she stops. "You don't have to tell me, if you don't want to. It's just that I'm going to worry, okay? I mean, I get it. I think I do, anyway, but I still think it's a -bad- idea," aaand now she is definitely getting ready to leave.
PeterParker "Yeah," Peter murmurs. "Thanks for hearing me out, though." He pauses, unsure if he's about to cross a line. "Mayday - you ... won't tell anyone?"
Mayday_Parker Her shoulders droop. "No, I won't tell anyone." Promise void if she ever, -ever- thinks Norman is hurting Spidey, though.
PeterParker "That means a lot to me," he says, seriously. "Thank you."
Mayday_Parker "You're welcome," she smiles at him. "But know if he ever... blows your brains out with a pumpkin bomb or something, I am going to be -so- mad," she laughs... although it's really not funny. And an awfully specific example. "Also? No details. Ever. Even on accident, because I do -not- want to know."
* PeterParker salutes. "Yes, ma'am. And he won't hurt me."
* Mayday_Parker rolls her eyes. "He better not. 'Night, Spidey!" Then she fires off a webline, ready to head home and try to get some sleep. Which she already knows will be a failed endeavor.
* PeterParker waves, a little lamely. "Goodnight! -- And thanks again!" He's already putting on his mask, ready to head off to his own patrol. He's not even going to pretend to get to sleep.