Harry Osborn drove through the streets of NYC in a modified black Lamborghini. He stopped in front of a bar and entered without even greeting the doorman.
He was Harry Osborn, a wealthy and attractive young man who was both coveted and envied in the city. He was famous for his massive parties and excesses. All the nightclubs, bars, and others knew him, and of course, no one would block his way.
Harry walked in wearing a black suit and sunglasses; no one would relate him to the miserable figure of himself from the night before.
After an unpleasant night, Harry had to salvage his reputation. So, he decided to face it and apologized on social media for his "overbearing behavior" towards Mary Jane Watson and promised not to bother her again.
As expected, Harry handled public relations well, he was the son of Norman Osborn. However, that was only a facade, a mask that hid his true face.
Hatred is a very strong emotion that can change a person. Harry didn't know how to deal with his problems, as well as the need for approval from his father. After MJ's humiliation of his pride as a man and seeing her with Allen the same day, he felt inferior to Allen to the point of hating him unjustifiably.
Harry arrived at a table at the back of the bar where the muscular blond Flash Thompson and his friend William Cruise were seated.
William had brown eyes, black hair, and tanned skin. He was another example that to be successful in sports, you need a blessed physique. At (6'3") tall with bodybuilder muscles, he was the star defender of the football team.
Unlike Flash, William was quiet and usually let others speak. But this was not out of humility but arrogance; he was the kind of person who thought that others should make an effort to catch his interest.
"Here's the rejected young man!" Flash yelled across the place, followed by laughter from some men and women looking for a morning drink.
Flash didn't do it to embarrass Harry but to show that "that" incident meant nothing to him. Harry laughed and approached the table to receive a hug from Flash.
"It was good, but stop exaggerating, Thomson," said Harry in a low voice.
"Hmph, do you think I do it for fun? You pay the bill," replied Flash with slight dissatisfaction. William simply nodded towards Harry, and the three sat down.
"Did you like the video?" Flash said with a mocking smile. There was a time when, like Harry, he had tried to conquer MJ unsuccessfully, but in the end, he gave up to win the favor of the rich boy, Harry Osborn.
Harry gave Flash a deathly look but decided not to say anything. If that video had come at another time, it wouldn't have affected him as much, but given the discussion with his father, it generated an unimaginable negative feeling.
"Flash, thank you for the video of MJ with Walker. I thought after the beating you got, you wouldn't show your face for a good while," Harry sneered with contempt as he grabbed Flash's beer.
"What?!" Flash slammed the table, drawing everyone's attention, but then he calmed down, and everyone returned to their own. No one here cared about the young men's discussion; they were just there to drink for a while.
"And?" William said impatiently. "Are we going to break his legs, or are we just here to rub salt in the wounds?"
"Believe me, William, there's nothing I want more than to break Allen's teeth, but with the video of me harassing Parker being spread, I'm about to be expelled," Flash ground his teeth as he clenched his fists.
"I'm in the same boat. My father's got me by the neck; if I do something stupid again, I'm finished," Harry continued, his face darkening. "Next week is the visit to Oscorp Laboratories, and for me to regain my credibility, there will be cameras, and I'm in charge of being the guide."
"Is that it? We'll just leave him alone. They're a bunch of you cowards!" William got up from the chair.
"Who are you calling a coward, William?!" Flash grabbed William by the collar.
"Sit down!" Harry shouted.
Both looked at the people observing them. Harry gave everyone a look, and they went back to what they were doing. No one wanted to upset the young master Osborn.
"We can't do something direct, but something indirect," murmured Flash. "We can destroy his reputation."
"Do you think that a guy who has less presence than a shadow cares about his reputation?" William interrupted Flash as he lost interest in the conversation.
"I don't mean something as simple as making everyone think he cheats on exams," Flash pulled out a photo and showed it to them. "She's Kitty Clover, one of your fans, Harry."
In the picture was a girl with long hair covering her face, dressed in old-fashioned clothes with a long skirt and a thick sweater. She wasn't someone most people considered attractive.
"Does it matter?" Harry also lost interest.
"Fuck you! for once, I have a good idea. Just listen, she's not just a fan, she's obsessed with you, Harry, I mean really obsessed," Flash lowered his voice to a minimum before continuing. "Tell her you'll go out with her once if she agrees to fake an sexual abuse attempt by Allen Walker."
Harry and William fell silent for a moment.
"Sounds stupid... with Gwen and Mary Jane by his side, he wouldn't pay attention to a gloomy and unattractive girl like that," said William as he drank his whiskey.
"You fool!, it doesn't matter!, we live in a society where a rumor can turn into a wildfire. No one cares if it's real or not," Flash smiled coldly. "And as long as Walker is publicly seen as a sexual abuser, Gwen's father, the police captain, won't let it slide."
Harry and William looked puzzled at Flash as if he were seeing an alien.
"What?!" Flash got annoyed by their looks.
"I thought you were dumb," said Harry.
"I even thought you had a slight mental delay, Flash," commented William with astonishment.
"Sons of a..."
"How sure are you that Kitty won't rat us out?" Harry asked, banging the table in contemplation.
"Check it yourself!" yelled Flash, starting to think that he shouldn't have mentioned this, as none of these idiots deserved his company.
Harry pondered for a moment and accepted the idea. "Sorry, Flash, it's a great plan," Harry patted Flash on the back and left a couple of thousand dollars on the table. "Drink all you want; I'll get in touch with her."
Harry left the place with renewed spirits; a false accusation of sexual abuse can socially destroy a man. This will only harm MJ slightly, but it's enough to alleviate his irritation.
Compared to supervillains, this trio of idiots was just a joke, but they shouldn't underestimate the effects of bullying; it can drive young people and children to the brink of ending their own lives.
Put it in perspective; let's suppose the target of these three isn't Allen but a regular guy. What would he do? He has two fearless football brutes willing to break him a bone or two, and Harry is a rich with a lot of power and no fear of consequences. What can a regular guy do to defend himself? The answer is nothing.
===
Allen was at his house and was oblivious to all of this; his primary focus was on Mary Jane and Wednesday Addams.
His original plan was to tell Mary Jane to stay and live here, but with the issue of dolls coming to life, he didn't know how to address it.
Should he introduce Wednesday as if it were nothing? It's impossible for Jane not to notice a doll moving around the place.
Should Allen hide Wednesday's existence? No, that would be cruel to Wednesday.
Allen decided to think of a solution while proposing the idea to Mary Jane of living here.
"Jane, I'd like you to live with me," said Allen as they had breakfast together.
"Huh?" Mary Jane was shocked, holding a piece of pancake on her fork.
"I said I want you to live here," Allen stated without doubt. It wasn't a question but a direct request.
Mary Jane blushed immediately and started to lose her ability to speak. "I-I'd like to, b-but isn't it too soon? Plus, I think I should talk to Gwen and m-m-me."
Allen realized his mistake and grew anxious. "No, wait, Jane! Yesterday, you said you were going to rent an apartment. If you want, you can live here; I have spare rooms, I can rent you one very cheap."
Seeing his girlfriend's reaction, Allen hurriedly rectified his lack of explanation; in fact, it seemed like he was proposing to MJ.
Mary breathed a sigh of relief but also with a bit of disappointment. She's aware that she's pushing too much; she had just barely gotten Allen to accept her feelings yesterday, and they had even shared their first time. More than that, it's already unfair to Gwen; no, it's been unfair from the beginning from every angle. MJ lowered her head.
The young man with white hair affectionately patted Mary Jane's head. "Don't worry, MJ. I never regret my decisions. I know Gwen, even if she gets upset over this, our relationship won't be broken," Allen said with certainty.
"I'm a bit envious of that confidence between you two," murmured Jane, but she didn't feel upset or sad; she felt relieved. It might sound unpleasant, but she was the one who came between them, not the other way around. She has the responsibility to accept the consequences and, most importantly, to prevent Allen from suffering.
«Having a relationship with two girls so blatantly is dangerous in the present time. I hope you die quickly when they stab you.»
Wednesday spoke venomously via telepathic communication with Allen. It seems that she can not only hear the voice of the system but also communicate with Allen.
Allen sighed helplessly; Mary Jane was more concerned about this topic than he was. While it was true that he might have problems with Gwen, the main issue was Gwen's father, George Stacy.
...
After thinking about it for a couple of hours, MJ agreed to live with Allen, paying a small rent. At this time of day, her parents weren't home, so she was going to get her things.
Allen offered his help, but she initially refused, saying she almost had everything packed and would just call a moving service.
Allen was surprised and realized that Mary Jane was serious; she hadn't intended to live in that house for a long time.
He could only give her his unconditional support. Even with her refusal, Allen convinced her to let him accompany her, and together, they went to Mary Jane's house for the last time.
...
Indeed, nobody was there. Inside the house were bottles of beer, cheap wine, and whiskey. The smell of weed was strong, and there was garbage all over.
Used condoms and men's and women's clothes were scattered everywhere. Allen took Mary Jane's hand while controlling his anger, she smiled happily, accepting his warmth.
"Don't worry... they can't hurt me anymore.... my happiness is somewhere else now," MJ leaned on Allen's shoulder.
Allen felt moved and vowed to protect her smile. At the same time, he felt disgust toward MJ's parents. There's a limit to how bad a parent can be, and they were close to being criminals.
Perhaps they never hit MJ, perhaps they never abused her, but the psychological damage they caused her from living in this environment, she'll carry with her for many years. Allen will be there to cover all that pain with his love, but still.
The moving truck arrived, and they loaded all of MJ's things, none of her parents appeared.
Both returned by taxi, and MJ nestled in his chest. Allen felt a wave of sadness coming from her and hugged her tightly while kissing her.
"I'm here, Jane, I always will be," with determined words, Allen declared what seemed like an indestructible pledge.
Someone who doesn't know Allen might doubt his words, but anyone who has the slightest idea of what Allen is like, 'll know how seriously he said those words.
«...»
[...]
Both Wednesday and the system remained silent as the couple embraced for a while until Mary Jane fell asleep, this time from the release of accumulated stress.
Upon arrival, Allen took her to her bed. MJ slept, and a tear threatened to fall from her eye, but at the same time, a broad smile was drawn on her face.
The truck arrived with Allen's things, and after a few hours, MJ's new residence was ready. Allen felt satisfied and decided to share this with his followers.
At that moment, Allen didn't know that this good mood wouldn't last because he would be risking his life facing a maniac clown alongside Batman.