“And they were saying, they were saying that the big companies gonna go bust and the big bosses son is going to jail for a long time.”
“Uh huh” I said with a small smile.
I sat at the table with Ryo as he bounced around excitedly recounting all the stuff he’d been waiting to tell me.
“And Dad said that it’s good and bad because a lot of people are gonna lose their jobs but the big boss and his family weren’t very nice.”
“Is that true?” I said chuckling.
“Also he said that the other heroes should help the spider squad because they’ve been doing too much. He said uh… he said they can’t stop the riots alone.”
I paused looking to Ryo as he nodded to himself pleased. A small smile spread across my face as I looked to him.
“That’s a good idea” I said.
“I think we should play with their action figures” Ryo said. “To give them good luck.”
“That’s also a good idea” I said. “Should I get the toys out.”
“Wait, let me finish eating first” he said. “You should eat first too. Otherwise your skin won’t heal.”
“Ye sir” I said, chuckling.
“Oh and I want to play as the spider squad first. You be the villain”
“Ok. Just let me go toilet and brush my teeth. Then I’ll eat and we can play.”
“Be quick, be quick”
“I will, I will” I chuckled. I yawned, standing and quickly made for the bathroom. I paused, staring at myself in the mirror, and the scarred skin tissue that ran along my arm, part of my neck and my left cheek. It wasn’t too bad, and the doctor said it would mostly heal with time, but it was still strange to look at.
I sighed and shrugged. It be fine. I went to grab my toothbrush and paused frowning as I looked at myself again. Wait, were my eyes, green? No, not green but, well greener than before? I shook my head, then switched on the light, the effect fading. Yeah, it’d probably just been the natural lighting. Weird.
I grabbed my toothbrush, yawning again before readying to brush my teeth. Then I paused, staring at my reflection in surprise. My canines were sharp. Really sharp.
I leaned forward, closer to the mirror as I gripped the sink, inspecting my teeth closer. It wasn’t just my canines. My other teeth were slightly sharper too. Like the goblin’s had been.
“Uh… well this isn’t good” I muttered. I looked back to my eyes, leaning even closer to the mirror to get a better look at the hints of green that lingered just beyond the regular brown. Then a loud crack echoed through the bathroom. I jumped backwards, hitting my head against the ceiling before crashing back to the floor as I stared at the sink. One thin crack ran along the side centred around where I’d placed my hand.
“Well” I muttered, looking down at my hands, then back at the sink. “This really isn’t good.”
---------------
06/01/2027
Don’t know what exactly to write in here? Doc said I should start writing a diary to keep track of my thoughts. I’ll probably try and do it at least once a week.
---------------
06/09/2027
Went rock climbing with Mariel. Was fun. Been forgetting to write in here. I’ll try to do it more, but I don’t know how often I’ll be able to. Have my therapist for this stuff anyway.
---------------
06/16/2027
Elliot decided it’d be a good idea to visit Japan, so we did. It was nice. Better than I’d expected. A lot more beautiful than I remembered, especially some of the beaches in Okinawa. Really enjoyed it. Might let him have more holiday recommendations.
---------------
06/22/2027
Dad completely blew up on me in a meeting. I messed up so it was my fault but I don’t know how I made such a big mistake. Feels like I’m slower somehow these days. It’s weird. Mariel’s noticed it too. I don’t know. It’s frustrating.
---------------
07/08/2027
I stopped taking my meds. I couldn’t handle it anymore. Feeling so slow. So broken and defeated. It’s like my spark is gone. Like I’ve lost something integral to who I am. I mean who would even prescribe something like that? What kind of first-rate doctor gives you a medicine that slowly kills your mind? Fucking idiot. Dad doesn’t take any medication and he’s fine.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
I can be fine too. I will be.
---------------
07/22/2027
Mom and Mariel won’t leave me alone. Think somehow that constantly pestering me about everything will make things feel better. But it won’t. Because everything’s already better. Clearer. They don’t understand. No one does. Even Dad. I thought that I’d get healthy and he’d see, but nope. He’s just as unimaginative as everyone else. Just as misguided.
I have so many ideas! And no one wants to do anything with them. It’s fucking pathetic. This world as it is is useless. Pathetic. I need to change it somehow. It’ll take time, but I think I can manage. Just need to get someone to listen
---------------
08/03/2027
Mariel won’t let me see Elliot. Says I’ve gone mad, that I need help. Mom’s getting the lawyers to quiet things up. But I don’t want them to. I just want my boy.
---------------
08/16/2027
It came to me like a flash in the night. A sudden vision of the greater. The grandeur. I snuck into the lab and saw the ████████████. Dad thinks it will wake up Harry, cure him and thinks it’ll make everything he’s done worth it. But it does nothing. I got hopeful too for a second, but like always it was a fucking nothing. A flash in the pan. But I know what to do now. I’ll expose dad. Not with some stupid fucking press tour or anything like that but something real. Something ridiculous he’d never see coming. I’ll distract him by killing some of the deals, and then I’ll raid the fucking lab.
When he breaks, then everything’s mine.
Mariel will come back and Elliot and then everything will be perfect.
Everything will be perfect.
---------------
08/23/2027
What kind of life was this? One so cruel that all things, circled back on themselves. One so cruel it torments those that had been begriefed by the greatest torment before. And it repeated the act, over and over, as if to justify every previous act. One so cruel that for some it served as a constant violation of the sanctity of peace. I am worthy of this company. And yet no one cares. They recognise each other but not me, and I am going green with envy. Somehow I hope that after this, they will see. I hope that after this they will all see and understand, not that which confirms their biases, but that which opens their eyes anew. I have worth. We all do. But my worth is here. I hope only that it can be recognised now and forever, by those I cherish.
I just want you to see me. I just want you all to see me for what I really am.
A hero.
---------------
Harry set down the diary on his bedside sighing to himself. He’d read it seven times now. The same pages over and over and over again. It’s all he had of his brother now. That and the few good childhood memories. He and his sister had never exactly seen eye to eye, but she always knew how to cheer him up or at least help him get closure. She was the reason he didn’t mind when mom didn’t call during things like this. With a sigh he closed the diary, clutching it to his chest.
“No idea how she got it, but I need to thank Suse for bringing that to me” he muttered.
“Harry, I don’t want to tell you how to handle this situation, but I don’t think that’s the best thing”
“Harry?” MJ said. “Maybe you should stop reading it” MJ said.
“Probably” he muttered, before frowning. “Do you guys think there was anything I could’ve done?”
“Probably not” Ned said, quiet.
“You sure? Cause I know the coma was a while, but I really think I could’ve-”
“Don’t beat yourself up about it” MJ said. “Really.”
Harry nodded, leaning back in his bed as he winced.
“Well, I probably should’ve been there for him more.”
“Don’t think like that” Ned said, “it won’t help.”
“Doesn’t make it wrong” he muttered, “Not thinking about it just makes me a coward.”
“It doesn’t” MJ said. “And he’s still here. You can visit him at the Hortz-Bruig.”
“Really? You saw the news MJ. Whatever the hell that thing was isn’t my brother anymore” He scowled, before forcing a laugh as he shook his head. “The only thing we have in common are our burns.”
“Harry please. You can’t think like that” MJ said, her words not reaching him. “I know it’s hard, but looking forward will help you get through this. Right guys?”
“Yeah?”
Peter didn’t respond.
“Pete?” Ned said, tapping him. “Peter?”
“Hm?” he said, sitting up quickly as his blinked sleep out of his eyes.
“We’re you- nevermind” MJ muttered, sighing. Harry frowned looking to his friend, and saw the bags under his eyes, recognised the tiredness in his expression, not just one from lack of rest.
“You okay man?”
“Hm? Yeah” Peter said, sitting up as he leaned back in his chair, his movements stiff. “I should probably be asking you that though.”
“No, no” he said. “You’re here and that’s enough. And you were friends with him anyway. When we were younger at least.”
“Yeah. Just… you know”
Silence carried through the room for a moment before Peter’s watch beeped and he sighed looking to it.
“Dammit” he muttered.
“What’s wrong?” Ned said
“I… I have to-”
“You have to go?” Harry interjected.
Peter looked up and nodded, a shame in his eyes. “Forgot to do something at work.”
“Stay safe” MJ said, somewhat tense.
“Yeah” Ned said. “There’s still looting happening throughout the city.”
“Will do” he muttered, pulling his bag onto his back. “Sorry Harry, for everything. I wish I could’ve stayed longer.”
“It’s fine. We can always talk another time man” he said. Peter nodded, a small hint of relief passing through his expression before he stepped out of the room. The three of them sat in silence, staring at the door before Harry let out a sigh.
“You think being Spider-Man is getting to him?”
MJ and Ned turned to him wide eyed. He chuckled offering them both a weak smile.
“Saw his face right before the green guy blew off half of my mine”
“R-right”
“When did you find out?”
“Same night” MJ said. “In the middle of everything.”
“He told me when I started question why he was leaving work so often” Ned said. Harry nodded as the trio fell into a silence again. He tapped a finger against his bedside, then looked to the door and sighed. He still didn’t know what to make of it all. He wanted Pete to tell him, it hurt that he didn’t, but he understood too. He wasn’t a stranger to keeping secrets after all.
He grabbed the remote control for the TV from his bed side, then looked to the others
“Can I turn on the TV?”
“I-it’s yeah” MJ said, still off balance.
“It’s your room” Ned said.
“Alright” he muttered. He grabbed the controller, wincing slightly before turning on the TV. He flicked through a few of the channels before pausing and going back to a news one. A reporter stood in as police men and fire fighter rushed about behind her frantically towards their vehicles. Then the feed cut from her to a view of Chinatown from a helicopter as people ran though the streets and black smoke billowed high into the air.
“It appears that there’s been a major attack or should I say bombing only a few minutes ago on Canal Street. As of yet it’s not known who or what committed the act but as you can see this was no standard attack. Reports currently state that there were several gunshots heard before the bomb went off and the attack may be a continuation of what we believe to be a gang related feud. If you find yourself heading towards Chinatown, please find a safe space to remain until the danger has been removed. And for those in the general area watching this who cannot evacuate, please avoid any hostile entities or looters in the area until a hero has arrived.”
The reporters’ words ended and Harry and the others watched as flashes of gunfire illuminated the smoke from the street below.
“Well” Harry muttered, “that’s not good. That's not good at all.”
