[Osborn Plot] Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice.

[daretodo]

It was paint, I keep reminding myself. Norman Osborn's hand was covered in red paint. Even knowing that, though, the image is hard to get out of my mind -- Norman's hand dripping in red, the look of insanity behind his eyes, just beneath the surface after months spent buried. The change in weather took away more than just the snow. He's not pretending anymore. Whoever Alton Hartford was is gone, now, and all that's left is Norman.

Norman, Norman, Norman.

I tear through the jungle like a man possessed, adrenaline pushing me faster with each passing second. I need to find Mary Jane -- need to make sure she's alright, need to warn her that what we've been dreading for months is probably right around the corner. When I show up at her hut, drenched in sweat and white as a ghost, I only hope I picked the right one. We can't afford to waste more time.

"Mary Jane!" I call, rapping my knuckles hard against the door. "Mary Jane, open up!"

Comments

[getemtiger.livejournal.com]

It had been months since Mary Jane had last honestly relaxed, no matter how good she was at pretending otherwise. Since New Year's Eve, though, she'd been more on edge than usual, her admittedly uneventful encounter with Norman never far from her mind. Knowing he was there was different than actually speaking to him, after all, even if he did look completely unlike the Norman she had known back home. His appearance didn't make him any less of a sick bastard.

She'd just been trying to keep herself from fretting over exactly that when there was a sudden knocking, pulling her attention away from the book she had been reading. From the sound of Peter's voice through the door, something had to be wrong, and startled, she got out of bed as quickly as she could, letting out a heavy sigh of relief when she did as he'd said and saw him appearing to be uninjured. "Peter," she breathed, standing aside and beckoning for him to come in. "What is it? Are you okay?"

[daretodo]

I match her sigh with one of my own as I push past her and into the hut, running my hands over my head, finally resting them on the back of my neck so that I'm slightly hunched over. She's safe -- that's one concern down, at the very least, and at the moment I'll take pretty much anything I can get.

I don't stop to catch my breath, preferring instead to pace in what little room there is to do so. "I'm fine," I say, distracted. "I'm fine. I just-- I think it's ending soon. I ran into Norman just now, and I think it's ending soon."

[getemtiger.livejournal.com]

For all that Peter was moving around, Mary Jane stayed completely still, frozen in front of the door she'd just closed. The strangest thing, really, was that it wasn't at all unexpected. Some part of her had been waiting for this for months, had supposed it was only a matter of time before there would be more of a threat than Norman's mere presence to worry about.

That made it no less terrifying.

"Shit," she murmured, not bothering to try to hide just how afraid she was. Finally, though, she moved, stepping towards Peter so she could touch his shoulder, trying to get him to stop. Before she panicked -- not that panic was an easy thing to hold off at a time like this -- she needed to get a bearing on what was going on. "Peter, what happened? Tell me."

[daretodo]

Her hand on my shoulder catches me short, and I turn to face her, trying to school my expression as best I can, pointless as it is by this point. My face could be as blank as my mask right about now and it wouldn't matter, not when my body language is all but screaming.

"He was talking to himself. And not... Not like I talk to myself, but like he was honestly expecting someone else to answer. He's not pretending anymore, Mary Jane. Whatever he's been working on all this time, I think it's ready."

[getemtiger.livejournal.com]

Mary Jane nodded once, trying to keep the motion as controlled as she could despite the fact that her expression wasn't much different from his. Just because she honestly couldn't have cared less if he saw how scared she was didn't mean she wasn't going to make some kind of effort to keep herself together. As it was, she was shaky enough anyway, trembling a little as she exhaled.

"So what does that mean?" she asked, getting right to the point. If it was as dire a situation as he seemed to think, and she wouldn't have doubted him on that for a second, there was no sense in wasting any time dancing around the issue. "For us. What do we do?"

[daretodo]

There are precautions, of course. I could have her stay with Johnny or Felicia. Wolverine's pretty much out of commission, but there's an army's worth of superheroes on this little island paradise of ours, so maybe that doesn't matter. Then I remember what Norman's capable of, and know that I don't want anyone else getting involved if I can help it.

"I don't know," I say, shutting my eyes tight, willing myself to think of something that won't just result in more people dead and buried outside my house. "Dammit, I don't know."

[getemtiger.livejournal.com]

Unlikely though she was to admit it, hearing Peter admit to something like that only served to make Mary Jane worry that much more. She couldn't have expected him to have all the answers -- if that had been the case, she wouldn't have spent the last nearly four months looking over her shoulder, constantly on the move -- but for him not to know made them essentially helpless. It was one thing not to know until it was too late, until he was dangling her off a bridge over the water. It was another entirely to know that something was coming, but to be unable to do anything about it.

"We'll think of something," she replied anyway, her voice betraying just how little she believed that. Her hand slid down from his shoulder so she could lace her fingers through his, a gesture that probably wasn't very reassuring, but one she couldn't help. Even if either of them had wanted him to be, he wasn't alone in this. "Just... come sit down. Catch your breath. Just for a minute."

[daretodo]

With a sigh that's equal parts exasperated and exhausted, I lift our intertwined hands, brushing my lips against her fingers before I let go, and move towards the bed. Even in sitting down, though, I can't relax, every muscle just as tense as before. I draw my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around my legs. My toes tap in a nervous beat against the edge of the bed.

"Get a grip on yourself, Parker," I mutter.

[getemtiger.livejournal.com]

Not hesitating a moment, Mary Jane crossed to the bed to sit beside him, wrapping one arm around his shoulders, her legs tucked up at her other side. Telling him to relax was obviously not going to do any good, but staying close couldn't hurt. It may not have helped, but it was something.

"I'm scared, Pete," she admitted on an exhale, not realizing she'd spoken until the words had already left her mouth. Of course, it was stating the obvious, and one of the biggest understatements possible. She just didn't think she needed to mention that retrospectively. He probably knew, anyway.

[daretodo]

"I know," I murmur. It's probably the only certainty in this whole mess, but it doesn't help to have it stated so plainly. I need to put on a brave face for both our sakes, but I just need one more minute. I've faced enemies without my powers before,* but comparing the Tarantula to the Goblin is laughable.

"This would be so much simpler if I could take the fight to him, on my own terms."

* ASM #341-343! -- Notating Nix

[getemtiger.livejournal.com]

Closing her eyes, Mary Jane let her head rest against his shoulder, drawing in a deep breath that was meant to steady herself but didn't even come close. There was too much to worry about, and the idea of him fighting Norman, even on his own terms, really didn't help matters much. This whole thing was a mess, and she hadn't the first idea how to deal with it.

"You have no powers here," she said, lifting her head again so she could try to meet his gaze. It was a statement of fact rather than a challenge, and she really, really hoped he knew it. The last thing she needed now was for him to misinterpret what she was saying. "Tell me, if -- when -- he makes a move..." For a moment, she trailed off, teeth pressing to her lower lip. "Do you think you'll be able to take him?"

The question was earnest, one that would have passed as mere curiosity if their situation weren't so dire. She had no lack of faith in Peter and his abilities, but Norman was scary enough to have had him on edge all this time, too. If this were going to be simple, that wouldn't have been the case.

[daretodo]

Accidents happen.

I don't say anything at first. Instead I focus on my breathing, force myself to relax until I'm perfectly still under Mary Jane's arm. I'm no good to anyone all riled up. I mean, I'm not exactly known for my spectacular planning even on one of my better days, and the question she's asking -- the same question I've been asking myself for the better part of four months -- requires a level head before I answer. She looks me in the eye, and I perform the simple courtesy of doing her the same, though I'd be more than happy to continue staring a hole through the wall.

"He's an old man, MJ," I murmur. "He's 56 years old. And he's good, I won't deny him that, but if it comes down to a fistfight... I don't have the strength behind it anymore, but you can bet I still know how to throw every punch, every kick. I have all the muscle memory. But even if I didn't, I have the same advantage over him that I've always had -- I don't know how to give up."

[getemtiger.livejournal.com]

"You call that an advantage?" Mary Jane asked, trying for a laugh but not nearly managing. What he was saying ought to have been reassuring, but to her, it just sounded like he was asking to get hurt. Any faint smile she'd attempted was gone within seconds, and she let out a slow, shaky breath, a look on her face like she was pleading with him, though she didn't even know what she meant to say. It wasn't like there was much more either of them could do. "If anything happened to you, Peter, I... I don't know what I'd do. Promise me you'll at least be careful."

It wasn't saying much -- they'd both spent months doing exactly that -- but it was as close to a reassurance as she was likely to get this far down the line. She could barely even bring herself to think about the possibility of him losing to Norman. The very prospect made her chest tighten, eyes widening in something close to panic, though she remained perfectly still at his side, save for the fact that she was shaking a little. She'd spent four months fearing for her own life, and now, all she could do was think about his.

[daretodo]

"Why wouldn't it be?" I counter, fixing her with a curious look. I don't assure her verbally just yet, instead moving to cover one of her hands with my own. She's trembling. Any promise I make would be a lie in the end, anyway. There comes a point in every fight -- and there will be a fight, that much I know with utmost certainty -- where you either need to commit to it in its entirety or surrender any chance you have of winning. In other words, there comes a point in every fight where careful could get you killed.

[getemtiger.livejournal.com]

"Because if you don't know how to give up, you won't be able to stop and protect yourself if things gét too bad," Mary Jane replied, quiet but bordering on desperate. She barely knew now what she was saying, or what she meant to say, the situation too unfamiliar for her to make sense of it on the spot. Back home, she had loved Peter Parker and she had loved Spider-Man, but until the end, they had been two separate entities; she'd made her choice, but had never gotten to be the superhero's girlfriend. Now, with this Peter powerless, it struck her as even more difficult than that would have been, and she hated that feeling of helplessness. "I can't lose you, Peter. I can't."

[daretodo]

"No, it's when things get bad that I don't give up," I say with the slightest shake of my head, the corners of my mouth upturned in something that could've passed for a smile if our circumstances were any better. "When the odds are stacked against me, when everything looks lost... That's when I find my strength. In that moment. That's when I pull myself together. That's when I know I won't lose. Mary Jane, whatever's about to happen, you've got to remember one thing -- I'm still here. After all I've been through, after all I've done, I'm still here. So I'm not going anywhere, you hear me? Because I won't let that happen. I refuse to give him that satisfaction."

[getemtiger.livejournal.com]

Though unconvinced, Mary Jane nodded, too weary already to risk fighting with him at a time like this. She would just have to trust him. Even if she hadn't before now, it wasn't like she really had any other option. He knew far more about Norman, this Norman, than anyone else could, and he'd managed to get them this far. It counted for something.

"Just take care of yourself," she murmured, turning her hand slightly so she could clasp his. "You've made it this far, but... not like this. I believe you can make it through this, Peter, but you've gotta look out for yourself, too."

[daretodo]

"I have no intention of dying," I say, just as quietly. The part I keep to myself -- the part I have no need to voice aloud while she's here -- is that I also have no intention of getting out of this entirely unscathed. There's a grave outside my house that stands testament to what can happen if things go south, and that reminder weighs heavy on my mind, even now.

I can take care of myself. It's her I'm worried for.

[getemtiger.livejournal.com]

"No one ever does," Mary Jane pointed out, worrying at her lower lip. She didn't need him to say anything for her to know that he had no intention of dying. It wasn't under his control, though, at least to an extent. None of this was. That was what made it so goddamn difficult. "But I need you to make it through this in one piece."

She paused, reconsidering the wording of that. "I need you."

[daretodo]

"Hey, hey, hey," I whisper, lifting my hand to cup her cheek. Turning a little, I lean forward, resting my forehead against hers. "Look at me. I'm going to live through this, okay? Both of us are. So I'm not leaving. Because I want to marry you someday, Mary Jane Watson, and I can't do that if I'm gone."

[getemtiger.livejournal.com]

Mary Jane stilled at that, lips parting in surprise. Given what was going on and that they'd only been back together for a matter of weeks, she couldn't say she had expected anything like that, not so soon, and not when they were planning how to stay safe from a murderous psychopath. Still, it was hardly anything she wouldn't have wanted. If anything, it gave her all the more reason to want to keep holding on.

"You want -" she began quietly, then shook her head a little, leaning into his touch. It wasn't the time to focus on that. "You better live through it," she settled on instead, breaths growing shakier. "Don't you even think about anything else. That's all that matters, that we can make it through this. And then, after, we can think about... You really mean that?"

[daretodo]

Remember what I said before, about not being known for my spectacular planning? This is one of those cases. Mary Jane's mouth opens in surprise, and for a moment my expression mirrors hers. I want to marry you -- it's the sort of thing that sounds good in the moment, easy like breathing, a promise that you have no intention of keeping. Except, of course, for the part where I meant every word of it. We've gone through our ups and downs -- and there's no question that we're about to sink lower than ever before at Osborn's discretion -- but if our month apart taught me anything, it's that I can't lose her again.

"Yeah," I say on an exhale, with a short, decisive nod. "Yeah, I do."

[getemtiger.livejournal.com]

"Oh." It sounded stupid, beyond stupid, even, but for a moment there was nothing more Mary Jane could say, struck speechless by both the prospect of marriage and the context in which he'd mentioned it. All sorts of responses were filling her head, variations on how much she wanted that too, or that he was speaking in a time of crisis and wasn't thinking straight and they could talk about it when, God willing, Norman was taken care of and they'd made it through this, but though she tried, she couldn't make any words come out. Finally, she took a deep breath -- not an easy feat, given all that was on her mind, and nodded once. "Right."

Before he could respond, she leaned in and kissed him, gentle but with intent, about the only way she could think of to tell him her thoughts on the matter. She just hoped he would get the message, if only because she wasn't sure how likely she would be to manage anything coherent just yet.

[daretodo]

My eyes fall shut. Despite everything -- the panic, the fear, the almost overwhelming sense of dread for the inevitable -- I smile against her mouth, barely enough to even qualify, but just a little all the same. I take a deep breath through my nose, sliding my hand from her cheek to the back of her neck, her skin impossibly warm under mine. Holding her like this, it strikes me how selfish I'm being for dragging her into this mess, a remnant from an entirely different universe of which her only tie is me. If I were a stronger man, maybe I would drive her away all over again, but I'm not. I'm not that strong. The honest truth is, I don't know what I'd do without her...

Which is why there is no power on this island that will prevent me from keeping her safe and whole.

[getemtiger.livejournal.com]

Mary Jane stayed where she was got a long moment, unwilling to pull away and be faced with everything that was wrong again, but having sense enough not to do anything more, either. All she knew was that it was ending soon, which to her meant anything from weeks to mere minutes, and it wasn't worth the risk of something happening now. Finally, reluctantly, she eased back, just enough to rest her forehead against his. She still ought to have said something, she was sure, but she didn't even know where to start, or if it was even something she was supposed to mention again, so she didn't. Instead, she stayed still under his touch, gaze not leaving his. If he wanted to say anything more about it, he would, and that was that.