[Osborn Plot] It Begins.

[daretodo]

Continued from here

I walk faster than's strictly necessary, but not fast enough that she can't keep up. Even as we move further and further away from the field, I stay on the lookout, not wanting to risk the chance that I'll miss something -- or someone. People might call this paranoia. I call it being smart. The way I see it, my concerns – and boy, am I concerned -- are entirely called for. 'Cause, well, Norman Osborn isn't exactly your typical psychopath. Just before my three hour tour got extended, I spent months thinking Aunt May was dead because he had a few of my old pals bury her alive in Uncle Ben's grave,* all from the comfort of his prison cell. The prison cell Cat and I had to help him break out of. Long story. And that's not to mention the clones,** Mary Jane's miscarriage,*** Harry's drug addiction,**** Harry's death...*****

Gwen. Not only did he kill the woman I love,****** he apparently killed the mother of his own children.******* I wish I could say that was it. I wish I could say that list of things was finite, but that's only the tip of the iceberg.

And now he's here.

I let go of her hand abruptly – or what I imagine probably looks abruptly, seeing as MJ's not psychic – and I jump up onto the nearest boulder without breaking stride, using the extra height to grab onto a branch. Kicking my legs forward, I use the momentum to swing up and over, finally landing in a crouch. A normal person might be holding onto the tree for dear life. Me? I dig my elbows into my knees and hang my head in my hands.

I don't say anything for about a minute, too busy trying to not hyperventilate. Then: "It happened this morning."

*MKSM #9-12
** ASM #121, ASM #149,
***SM #75
****ASM #96
*****SSM #200
******ASM #121
*******ASM #509 What can we say? Norman's been a busy guy! – Notating Nix.

Comments

[getemtiger.livejournal.com]

She didn't necessarily like the idea, but Mary Jane could lie, and she could do it well. It came with the territory of being a good actress, something she wouldn't have bragged about but that she mostly knew was true. Already her head was practically spinning as she tried to work out how she was going to do this, who she could go to, who wouldn't ask too many questions. She could do this. They could do this. She may have, frankly, been terrified, but she had every confidence in that.

As soon as he spoke again, though, all of that was nearly forgotten. She had a feeling she knew what was coming, but that didn't mean she liked it. Expression going blank, she nodded a little, just to show she understood. Her voice just barely loud enough to be audible, she said, "You."

[daretodo]

"Me."

This is supposed to be the part of our conversation when I give the it's not you, it's me speech, but I'm the one thing my experience hasn't been clear on. I've pushed her away, kept her close by, made her stay with my relatives... But when it's come right down to it, it's never seemed to matter what I do. Everyone I know has a target painted on their backs for the sole reason that I exist -- that doesn't change based on our physical proximity.

"If I'm with you, there's all the chance in the world that you'll get caught in the crossfire." The anger's still there, but it fades from my voice, at least. I physically can't bring myself to relax anywhere else. "But if I'm not with you, there's all the chance in the world you'll get caught by him when I'm too far away to do anything about it."

[getemtiger.livejournal.com]

"Are you breaking up with me?" Mary Jane asked bluntly, unable to help herself. The anticipation, she was sure, was worse than the act itself. Standing around and wondering if this was the end or not wasn't going to do her any good, and if he was breaking up with her, there was no way she was just going to stay here much longer. She just needed to know so she could deal with it.

[daretodo]

Her question hits me harder than any punch ever could. For a second I forget to breathe, the shock registering all too clear on my face. It's replaced quickly by confusion. Uncertainty. That's not where I was going with this in the slightest, so I ask, "...do you want to break up?"

[getemtiger.livejournal.com]

The response struck her as strange, but she was enough on edge herself that she didn't even think to ask about it. It wasn't like this was going to be easy, either way. If there was anything she was sure of -- and there wasn't much that fit that criteria -- it was that anything that happened now wouldn't be for lack of feelings for each other. "Well, it kind of sounds like that's what you're doing," she pointed out, tense. "And, I mean, I'd get it. If you did."

It wasn't an actual answer to his question, but she didn't want to say anything that might affect his decision. There were bigger things at stake here.

[daretodo]

"What?" I say, going back over the last couple of minutes to see where she would've gotten that idea from. Okay, so maybe I could've put things a little differently, but I really wasn't going that way, scout's honor. When I was younger, it would've been my first idea. Keep in mind, though, that when I was younger, I was also an idiot. Breaking up to protect someone sounds good in theory, but in practice? Not so much. If anything, you end up worrying more, and then you have the disadvantage of not having a good reason to check up on them. And here in the Land of No Cellphones, that's sort of a necessary thing to have. "What good would it do? It's not like it would trick him."

[getemtiger.livejournal.com]

"Then what do you want to do?" Mary Jane asked, considerably more quiet. She couldn't let herself be relieved, not yet, when everything still seemed to be such a mess. There was no simple solution here, but if he wasn't breaking up with her, it seemed to her that he must've had something else in mind. Just then, she really didn't care what it was, either. All that mattered was doing the best they could to stay safe.

[daretodo]

"Well, not hurting you is one of the better ideas I've had in the past thirty seconds," I reply, huffing out a short, disbelieving laugh. She can say she'd understand all she wants, but that doesn't fly with me. "But the fact is, I can't protect you every second of every day. It's... It's not feasible. That's what I was getting at before, not breaking up."

And I'm starting to have the sneaking suspicion that she suggested that from personal experience.

[getemtiger.livejournal.com]

"So, what, you want to hire me a couple of bodyguards?" Mary Jane asked, raising an eyebrow. After all of this, she couldn't quite help the edge in her voice, but she was sure he would understand. This couldn't have been any easier for him than it was for her, after all. "I can be careful, Peter. I won't, you know, go wandering around alone late at night."

[daretodo]

Yeah, bodyguards wouldn't be conspicuous at all. Sheesh. It's not that bad of an idea in theory, but the only person I'd really trust to do the job isn't here, ruling it out right off the bat.

"I'm hoping you weren't doing that before anyway."

[getemtiger.livejournal.com]

"To and from work," Mary Jane said with a shrug, suddenly self-conscious. It hadn't been a big deal, before. Now, she wasn't sure she wanted to do much than sit around her hut, or at least after she got her new one, whenever and wherever that may be. "I won't have to worry about that anymore, though. I'll quit as soon as I can. Tonight, even."

[daretodo]

"You have a good reason to tell them why?" I ask, pushing back the annoyance that flairs up at her admission. "The truth's not an option."

[getemtiger.livejournal.com]

"Isn't working out," she said simply, like that ought to have spoken for itself. As far as she knew, the less information she gave, the less detailed the story, the easier it would be. "Maybe I just don't like working below a strip club. Maybe I want to have my nights to myself. You really think they'll even ask?"

[daretodo]

"I would." Then again, I'm pretty nosy. I worked for a newspaper for years. Hard to do something for that long without learning a few tricks of the trade.

[getemtiger.livejournal.com]

"Then, if they ask, I'll pull the moral thing," she said decisively, not letting it faze her. Really, that was the least of her worries. She could tell a convincing story if they needed to. "Say I was willing to overlook the strip club, but I just couldn't do it any longer."

[daretodo]

"Fine." It's as good a lie as any, that much I'll agree. Besides, she was right before -- they probably won't ask. People here are entirely too willing to turn a blind eye. One day that's going to get them killed.

[getemtiger.livejournal.com]

"So now what?" Mary Jane asked quietly, after falling silent for a moment. It was already more than clear that just about all she could do was follow his lead with this. Doing anything else just wouldn't be worth the risk."

[daretodo]

I don't answer. Really, my silence is probably answer enough. I can't tell her how afraid I am -- one of us has to be the strong one, and when it comes to things like this, I'm the one by default. Some days I wonder what it's like to have a normal life, to have the luxury of someone else doing the saving for once, to not have this incredible weight to bear, but I can't stand here and wait for that day to come. I can't wait for a hero to save us -- I am the hero. I don't get to be saved.

[getemtiger.livejournal.com]

The silence was telling, and Mary Jane lowered her head, at a loss for words herself. She was usually optimistic to a fault, but now, things were different and she knew it. This wasn't New York, Peter was without powers, and if she didn't recognize Norman, it was entirely possible that others wouldn't, either. He already seemed to be passing himself off successfully as someone else.

"I think I'm going to... head home," she said weakly, not bothering to try to hide the unsteadiness of her voice. "Maybe get some things together, stay the night at a friend's. Not really sure I want to be where I could be found right now."

[daretodo]

"Yeah. That's... That's a good idea," I reply absently, and hating myself just a little bit for it. Not that he'll try anything this soon, but somehow telling her that doesn't seem like it'll be all that reassuring -- nothing at this point will be all that reassuring.

[getemtiger.livejournal.com]

"Will I get to see you any time soon?" she asked, sounding a little more hopeful than she'd have liked. She couldn't help it, though. Even if he wasn't breaking up with her, everything seemed so shaky now that it was hard to know where they really stood with each other. She didn't want to let this drive them apart.

[daretodo]

"Of course you will," I sigh, walking towards her -- the first time I've moved in a while -- and I find her hands, holding them loosely in my own. There are about a hundred things I could say right now, and ninety-nine of them would be lies. I go for the only true one out of the bunch. "I love you."

[getemtiger.livejournal.com]

Undeniably relieved, Mary Jane closed what distance was left between them, keeping his hands in hers as she eased in close, resting her head by his shoulder. She knew she was going to have to put on a brave face and act like she was okay around other people, if only to avoid sharing too much, but around him, at least, she could let her guard down. She had honestly believed for a while that things were going to be different here. Now, she didn't know how she could've been so stupid.

"I love you, too," she murmured, the words half-muffled, and she breathed in deep, relishing the embrace as if it were going to be the last one. "We'll... we'll get through this. Somehow."

[daretodo]

Easing back, I let go of one hand so I can cup her cheek, and for a second it looks like I'm about to say something -- maybe one of those ninety-nine lies -- but then I think better of it. Instead I just nod slightly, using it as an excuse to lean in and kiss the top of her head. "Somehow."