Peter and Harry, November 16
Nov. 16th, 2014 06:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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om_mainPost hack, Harry drops an Oscorp bombshell (named Richard Parker) on Peter.
Still looking a little disheveled from getting less sleep than he should've over the last few days, Harry made his way to Peter's door. When it opened, he looked up, smiled wryly and said. "I hacked Oscorp.
"And I got something you need to see."
Peter blinked, “Uh, hi to you too. Come on in. Daryl’s out skinning squirrels or something.” He stepped aside so Harry could pass him. “Please tell me you found out your dad secretly collects Precious Moments figurines.” Whatever it was, it was bad. Harry wouldn’t be here like this if it wasn’t serious.
Harry wrinkled up his nose at the skinning squirrels comment, then barked out a little laugh. "I wish--but next time I venture into his house, I will definitely be looking for that collection.
"No, this is much freakier. If you can believe it." He set his phone down on Peter's desk (carefully avoiding Daryl's side, because who even knew what that kid got up to), and called up the holographic display. "Oscorp has been watching you and your family. For years."
“They’ve been watching--What? Why?” Peter stepped in closer to look at the holograms. There were pictures of him walking down the sidewalk, pictures of Uncle Ben taking out the trash, pictures of Aunt May at work... There were photos he’d taken for the yearbook. And were those--were those his school transcripts? And his medical records?!
"I'm not sure, but I have an idea." Harry paused. After everything they'd been through, he wasn't going to just spring a video of Peter's dad on him without warning. "This is about to get weird, just so you know. But I found this, with our dads..."
He flicked open the video app and brought up the one of Richard and Norman. Then hit play.
“What the...?” Peter stared at the video in confusion, barely registering what was happening in it. He’d known his dad had worked at Oscorp, but he’d had no idea he and Norman knew one another, and had worked together.
When it ended, Peter looked over at Harry, “Can we watch that again? I need to--I need to see that again.”
Harry tapped it for a rewatch and moved to stand a little closer to Peter, one hand on his shoulder, as it ran through again. He'd known that Oscorp was working on cross-species genetics in re healing, but he'd never heard of this project, or that Richard Parker had been involved. Why would he, of course, since he'd been three years old, but it was still... weird. What had happened here, and why hadn't this blown up all over Oscorp, if not the world, if they'd had the kinds of potential they were talking about here?
So, the common lizard... The video started and Peter leaned in to listen. This time he was able to register what was being said, process it and make sense of it. They were talking about genetically engineered lizards--Human-lizard hybrids. About using the lizard’s natural ability to self-heal to create a cure. A cure that could heal anything, everything.
“Oh my God,” Peter said quietly and then shook his head. “What does that--I still don’t understand though. Why would they be watching us? We don’t know anything. My parents abandoned me. They--they dumped me on Aunt May and Uncle Ben.”
"I'm not saying it has anything to do with this--" Harry gestured at the display, still showing Richard Parker and Norman Osborn--as he used to be, as Harry still remembered him when he thought of his father--standing side-by-side discussing their big potential breakthrough. "But I am saying it's weird that neither of us ever heard anything about it, and then not long after, your parents ran off.
"I tried to find a reason he was fired or left in the records; there's nothing there. What did May and Ben tell you?"
“Nothing.” Peter rubbed at his mouth and then shook his head, “Nothing. There’s nothing to tell. You know everything that happened. They just left.” He stared at the display--at his dad--a moment longer, and then, overwhelmed, turned away, shaking his head again.
Almost immediately, Peter went still. He looked back at Harry, “What else did you find?” Because this couldn’t be Oscorp’s only secret.
Harry hesitated. "It might be better if you don't know. Things are about to get pretty intense. Stark's wrapped up in it, too."
“My dad was working on something that Oscorp has been keeping a secret,” Peter replied, pointing at the display. “I’m already wrapped up in it, Harry. I want to know.”
Harry licked his lips. Oscorp was already watching Peter--and everyone there knew he was back in Harry's life now. The less he knew about things at Oscorp--things not concerning Richard Parker, which as far as Harry was concerned were Peter's to know--the better. For everyone. "It's nothing to do with your father. Totally separate issue, but--yeah. Norman trying to find a way to stay alive.
"Everything I can find out about this project--it's yours. I swear. There's something like it going on even now. A Doctor Connors--who also worked with your dad."
Peter bit back an argument. It hurt that Harry didn’t want to tell him. It felt like he was hiding something, or maybe thought he couldn’t trust him. When did they start having so many secrets between each other?
“What do you know about Dr. Connors?” Peter asked.
Thank god, Harry thought, trying not to look relieved that Peter had let him move on--for the moment, at least. "I thought you'd ask that, so I prepared."
He flicked a few files here and there until he came up with a presentation of Connors, a middle-aged white guy whose only real defining traits were the British accent and the missing right arm. "And here's the weird part--all his work is totally public, as much as anything is in terms of research, and literally everything to do with your father's old work is classified under Special Projects. But they dovetail. So what the fuck, right?"
Harry pressed play and Dr. Curtis Connors introduced himself and a pair of mice called Fred and Wilma.
Peter watched quietly. Without seeing and hearing his father for the first time in seven years, it was easy to follow along the first time. It was fascinating. Amazing. But, it was so similar to the project his father had worked on. He didn’t...he didn’t understand. This didn’t explain anything. All he had were more questions.
“I have to--I have to go,” Peter said suddenly, quickly, crossing the room to grab his bag.
"Pete." Harry followed and snagged his friend's sleeve. "Let me help. Tell me what you need. I'll get it."
He hesitated, but couldn't stop himself saying, "This could be big for me, too. If your father managed what he wanted to do..." It could save me. It hadn't saved Norman, obviously, but with Richard Parker disappearing like he had... Harry didn't want to hope, but he had to.
Had. to.
Peter winced and stopped walking, turning to Harry, his heart twisting at the look on his face. “I know,” he replied, putting his hand over his. “I’ve thought of that.” That had been his first thought. And then the doubts had followed. Why was his father’s involvement kept a secret? If the project had been a success, why didn’t Oscorp know about it? And was it just a coincidence his parents had disappeared around the same time? There were so many questions without answers. But, if Connors was still working on the project... That had to be promising, didn’t it?
“I’m going home. I need to ask Aunt May if he she knows anything about my dad.” Peter shouldered his bag, “And I need to do it by myself.”
Harry nodded, flipping his hand over to squeeze Peter's. He'd always thought it was so fucked up, that Pete's parents had just dumped him and run, no explanation. "Let me know if you need anything," he semi-repeated. "And good luck."
“Thank you,” Peter replied, grateful for the offer, and even more grateful that Harry understood that he needed to do this on his own. He squeezed his hand in return. “I’ll text you when I get back.”
Still looking a little disheveled from getting less sleep than he should've over the last few days, Harry made his way to Peter's door. When it opened, he looked up, smiled wryly and said. "I hacked Oscorp.
"And I got something you need to see."
Peter blinked, “Uh, hi to you too. Come on in. Daryl’s out skinning squirrels or something.” He stepped aside so Harry could pass him. “Please tell me you found out your dad secretly collects Precious Moments figurines.” Whatever it was, it was bad. Harry wouldn’t be here like this if it wasn’t serious.
Harry wrinkled up his nose at the skinning squirrels comment, then barked out a little laugh. "I wish--but next time I venture into his house, I will definitely be looking for that collection.
"No, this is much freakier. If you can believe it." He set his phone down on Peter's desk (carefully avoiding Daryl's side, because who even knew what that kid got up to), and called up the holographic display. "Oscorp has been watching you and your family. For years."
“They’ve been watching--What? Why?” Peter stepped in closer to look at the holograms. There were pictures of him walking down the sidewalk, pictures of Uncle Ben taking out the trash, pictures of Aunt May at work... There were photos he’d taken for the yearbook. And were those--were those his school transcripts? And his medical records?!
"I'm not sure, but I have an idea." Harry paused. After everything they'd been through, he wasn't going to just spring a video of Peter's dad on him without warning. "This is about to get weird, just so you know. But I found this, with our dads..."
He flicked open the video app and brought up the one of Richard and Norman. Then hit play.
“What the...?” Peter stared at the video in confusion, barely registering what was happening in it. He’d known his dad had worked at Oscorp, but he’d had no idea he and Norman knew one another, and had worked together.
When it ended, Peter looked over at Harry, “Can we watch that again? I need to--I need to see that again.”
Harry tapped it for a rewatch and moved to stand a little closer to Peter, one hand on his shoulder, as it ran through again. He'd known that Oscorp was working on cross-species genetics in re healing, but he'd never heard of this project, or that Richard Parker had been involved. Why would he, of course, since he'd been three years old, but it was still... weird. What had happened here, and why hadn't this blown up all over Oscorp, if not the world, if they'd had the kinds of potential they were talking about here?
So, the common lizard... The video started and Peter leaned in to listen. This time he was able to register what was being said, process it and make sense of it. They were talking about genetically engineered lizards--Human-lizard hybrids. About using the lizard’s natural ability to self-heal to create a cure. A cure that could heal anything, everything.
“Oh my God,” Peter said quietly and then shook his head. “What does that--I still don’t understand though. Why would they be watching us? We don’t know anything. My parents abandoned me. They--they dumped me on Aunt May and Uncle Ben.”
"I'm not saying it has anything to do with this--" Harry gestured at the display, still showing Richard Parker and Norman Osborn--as he used to be, as Harry still remembered him when he thought of his father--standing side-by-side discussing their big potential breakthrough. "But I am saying it's weird that neither of us ever heard anything about it, and then not long after, your parents ran off.
"I tried to find a reason he was fired or left in the records; there's nothing there. What did May and Ben tell you?"
“Nothing.” Peter rubbed at his mouth and then shook his head, “Nothing. There’s nothing to tell. You know everything that happened. They just left.” He stared at the display--at his dad--a moment longer, and then, overwhelmed, turned away, shaking his head again.
Almost immediately, Peter went still. He looked back at Harry, “What else did you find?” Because this couldn’t be Oscorp’s only secret.
Harry hesitated. "It might be better if you don't know. Things are about to get pretty intense. Stark's wrapped up in it, too."
“My dad was working on something that Oscorp has been keeping a secret,” Peter replied, pointing at the display. “I’m already wrapped up in it, Harry. I want to know.”
Harry licked his lips. Oscorp was already watching Peter--and everyone there knew he was back in Harry's life now. The less he knew about things at Oscorp--things not concerning Richard Parker, which as far as Harry was concerned were Peter's to know--the better. For everyone. "It's nothing to do with your father. Totally separate issue, but--yeah. Norman trying to find a way to stay alive.
"Everything I can find out about this project--it's yours. I swear. There's something like it going on even now. A Doctor Connors--who also worked with your dad."
Peter bit back an argument. It hurt that Harry didn’t want to tell him. It felt like he was hiding something, or maybe thought he couldn’t trust him. When did they start having so many secrets between each other?
“What do you know about Dr. Connors?” Peter asked.
Thank god, Harry thought, trying not to look relieved that Peter had let him move on--for the moment, at least. "I thought you'd ask that, so I prepared."
He flicked a few files here and there until he came up with a presentation of Connors, a middle-aged white guy whose only real defining traits were the British accent and the missing right arm. "And here's the weird part--all his work is totally public, as much as anything is in terms of research, and literally everything to do with your father's old work is classified under Special Projects. But they dovetail. So what the fuck, right?"
Harry pressed play and Dr. Curtis Connors introduced himself and a pair of mice called Fred and Wilma.
Peter watched quietly. Without seeing and hearing his father for the first time in seven years, it was easy to follow along the first time. It was fascinating. Amazing. But, it was so similar to the project his father had worked on. He didn’t...he didn’t understand. This didn’t explain anything. All he had were more questions.
“I have to--I have to go,” Peter said suddenly, quickly, crossing the room to grab his bag.
"Pete." Harry followed and snagged his friend's sleeve. "Let me help. Tell me what you need. I'll get it."
He hesitated, but couldn't stop himself saying, "This could be big for me, too. If your father managed what he wanted to do..." It could save me. It hadn't saved Norman, obviously, but with Richard Parker disappearing like he had... Harry didn't want to hope, but he had to.
Had. to.
Peter winced and stopped walking, turning to Harry, his heart twisting at the look on his face. “I know,” he replied, putting his hand over his. “I’ve thought of that.” That had been his first thought. And then the doubts had followed. Why was his father’s involvement kept a secret? If the project had been a success, why didn’t Oscorp know about it? And was it just a coincidence his parents had disappeared around the same time? There were so many questions without answers. But, if Connors was still working on the project... That had to be promising, didn’t it?
“I’m going home. I need to ask Aunt May if he she knows anything about my dad.” Peter shouldered his bag, “And I need to do it by myself.”
Harry nodded, flipping his hand over to squeeze Peter's. He'd always thought it was so fucked up, that Pete's parents had just dumped him and run, no explanation. "Let me know if you need anything," he semi-repeated. "And good luck."
“Thank you,” Peter replied, grateful for the offer, and even more grateful that Harry understood that he needed to do this on his own. He squeezed his hand in return. “I’ll text you when I get back.”
