Marvel: A Tale of Shadows

After Felicia narrated what happened they went back to talking about details of the apartment. She learned that it is one of the buildings that he owns in the city. He had recently finished building an apartment and was planning on moving in. But the penthouse that he owns is large enough that it has five different master bedrooms and three guest bedrooms with two extra bathrooms. A large luxurious kitchen, dining room, and two spacious living rooms. One on the top floor and one on the bottom floor. There were even two rooms set up to use as home offices.

Both Felicia and Walter were surprised at this revelation, asking how he got to own an apartment building in New York of all places.

Ethan just shrugged and said, "I am just that good." Which was the truth, it took him almost two years during his college years to start up the business associated with apartment buildings he has scattered around New York. It took him less time to accumulate the money.

Then a few hours later, Walter left to go home to get ready for tonight's dinner. While Felicia and Ethan stayed indoors until it was time to go to dinner. They only wore semi-formal attire. When they arrived at the suburbian house Ethan knocked on the door.

Not even a second later they could hear running and something glass breaking as a woman yelled, "stop running." Then the door opened and three adorable heads peaked out, each one stacked on top of the other. Felicia was completely caught off guard.

"Cousin!" The three yelled and then pounced on him before he could blink. The oldest with some shaggy blonde hair jumped onto his shoulders and started giggling, "Mom didn't say you were coming!" The second oldest with a toothy grin attached herself to his right leg, "Do the robot cousin!" The youngest jumped onto Ethan's other leg and started chanting, "Robot! Robot!"

Ethan then walked into the house in a very robotic manner, "I am Ethan Bot-5000. I have come here to tickle little children." He also spoke like a robot, but by the time he had finished his sentence the children had detached themselves and made a run for it. With the two youngest grabbing Felicia's hands and urging her to run. Ethan sighed and closed the door as he chased after his closest target.

But before he could get anywhere he popped his head into the kitchen to see his aunt and uncle, "Hey Felicia and I are here. We are in the basement playroom with the kids." His aunt chuckled.

While his uncle who was manning the stove nodded, "good! Dinner will be ready in an hour."

Then Ethan chased the kids down the stairs, "here comes tickle bot-5000!"

The children roared with laughter as he found one of them hiding by the stairs. He picked up Melissa and started tickling her. She started roaring with laughter but a minute later she was huffing on the ground trying to catch her breath. "Melissa has been sufficiently tickled. Moving onto the next target."

Ethan then walked into the next room and he could easily spot all three of his remaining victims hiding behind the playhouse. He mechanically moved behind and as he was going the kids pushed Felicia into Ethan's path, "hold him off while we get away."

Felicia was surprised for a moment before Ethan tried to find her tickle spots and couldn't. Felicia smiled at him, "I am invincible!" Ethan frowned then gave her a wicked smile and then a second later Felicia moaned. Then ran away while holding her neck with a blush on her face.

While still behind the playhouse Ethan was kneeling on the floor while holding his stomach while out of breath, "worth it."

The shenanigans with the three cousins, Melissa, Samantha, and Jonesy continued for almost the entire hour.

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Meanwhile upstairs after about 15 minutes after Ethan and Felissa arrived the doorbell rang again. Ethan's aunt went and answered the door.

Upon seeing the man she saw briefly this morning she welcomed him inside, "hello again Mr. Hardy." Walter was confused, "Turnover & Hilt is mine and my husband's business. Ethan often orders our breakfast because it is so tasty."

She then led him into the kitchen as the three of them talked while they could hear yelling and laughing coming from downstairs every once in a while.

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Eventually an hour had passed since they arrived. As the three children panted out of breath while they slowly climbed the stairs Ethan was carrying Felicia on his back. Every once in a while she would smack him on the head when his hands got a little too familiar with her curves.

When they reached the kitchen, Tom, Ethan's Uncle said it would be another 15 minutes. So they went to the living room where the kids booted up a video game. It was one of those first person shooter games. Unfortunately it was only four players so Ethan and Felicia swapped out every once in a while.

As they played Felicia had started feeling more and more relaxed. Now she had completely forgotten about her close call and just wanted to enjoy life instead. It was too short to worry about the 'What could have?' of a situation. She looked at Ethan as he was completely focused on dominating his cousins in this game. She smiled, she should focus more on those important to her.

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While Felicia was coming to her post trauma realization another person was coming to a realization of his own as he caught sight of several women going to his and his father's penthouse in which they were dressed in rather… loose attire and slutty.

He had his driver take him out to his mother's seaside villa that he inherited. He hadn't been there since before his mother died but now that he has some time and he doesn't want to go home he might as well stay there and start clearing out some of his mother's stuff.

As soon as he arrived he dismissed his driver telling him to have someone pick him up in the morning. He then ordered some pizza from the pizza joint he and his mom had always got when they came out here. He was feeling nostalgic today. While he was waiting he started looking around the place. He quickly packed up his room, there wasn't much there. He then moved on to his mother's room and he was surprised by what he saw. The room was filled out almost completely, if he didn't know any better he would suspect she lived here for a while.

His eyes flashed with sadness. He started cataloging everything that was around he started at the bookshelf. His mother loved to read, she had a range of books from mystery novels to bibliographies. She even had a few textbooks from various studies. Then at the bottom of the shelf were her diaries, each dated by the year they represent.

Her textbooks included books about genetics, biochemistry, cybernetics, and a history on chemical compositions. She always pushed him to choose whichever career he wanted, which is why he decided to go into environmental science. Something that his father hates, and as soon as his mother died he started forcing him more into chemistry and weapons tech instead.

He set down the catalog he was making of what was here. Just thinking about it annoyed him. He was about to walk away but then saw his mothers diaries. He grabbed the one from 2007 to the last one that was labeled as 2009. He brought them out to the table and sat down. He opened the 2007 book and started reading through it. He smiled as he read it.

It was generally about him and about his mother's days. But then there was a sad note when she noticed that she was feeling sick and went in for a check-up only to discover that she was dying from some unknown cause. Apparently she went to one of her family doctors instead of her father's doctors because they all said she was fine.

At this point the doorbell rang and he answered it and got the pizza he ordered. He set it down on the table and ate while he continued reading. He continued reading for another two hours until he stopped dead in his tracks when he read something he didn't expect.

His mother had caught his father in bed with another woman. When she asked him about it he told her that it didn't matter and that he had gotten all he wanted from her. So, it didn't matter anyways.

The next few pages were his mother's anger at Norman's, his father's, boldness as he started bedding more women and more frequently. It also detailed how she kept this 'detail' from her son. Then towards the end of the year it seemed she grew sad and resigned.

He quickly finished the pizza and dumped the box in the recycling bin in the garage. When he entered the garage he noticed there was a workbench with some devices on it. It looked like research equipment. But his eyes were mostly drawn to the fucking motorcycle. This wasn't here last time he was here.

He did not understand much about motorcycle's but he understood enough to know that this one was fast. But what was his mom who was supposedly sick and dying doing with a motorcycle.

He walked back to the table in a daze. Since he finished the book labeled 2007 he decided to read the 2008 book. Sitting on the couch he was surprised by the first passage. It described how her son Harry went to the Parker's Family New Years Eve party. How she hoped he wouldn't end up like his father and try to steal or disrupt the unspoken relationship between Peter and Mary Jane. Harry felt sad and guilty when he read this, because this was what he has been trying to do.

He then read how her husband rented a hotel room and brought several women for an orgy. She finally couldn't take it and left the loft. She went wandering for a while until she entered a random bar and started drinking.

The next day was the first day of 2008. This time the tone of the passage was happy, he dared to say his mother was ecstatic. But Harry had to reread it multiple times.

His mother woke up in the bed of a college student with a young man beside her. She felt guilty at first but after what she very much detailed as a relaxing experience given by the young man throughout the day she felt less guilty and more excited with the prospect of having such a passionate young lover.

The next few weeks had two parts; each one was how she was worried about her son. The other was about her rendezvous with her lover. She even brought him back to the villa. He really sprang off the couch when she detailed how they made love on just about every piece of furniture in the house, except her son's bedroom. Harry frowned and brought the diaries to his bedroom to read. He felt uncomfortable reading in a place where they probably had left their mark.

The passages never mentioned his name. Just that he was a graduating college student and incredibly intelligent.

Then she stopped separating the passages at one point and he understood why. It detailed how her lover discovered her sickness, much to her trying to hide it. But instead of pushing her away he took her in his arms and just embraced her as she cried because she was scared. Something her husband never did when they discovered she was sick, in fact she recalled him scoffing and not caring when she told Norman about her condition.

But the next morning her lover took a sample of her blood and started running tests. Which is when they discovered the truth. She wasn't sick, she had been poisoned.

The next few weeks are about Harry's schooling and how she was setting up plans for after she died. They also talked about her and her lover's progress in developing a cure. Which continued for the next year. At the end of the passage there was a loose note left specifically for Harry.

"Harry my sweet child I know you will find this eventually. I apologize for the umm… detailed passages at the start of the diary. I was just excited, I had never enjoyed sex that much before I met my lover. Anyways as you noticed I did leave a separate inheritance that your father will have no control over or knowledge of. In fact this house, the seaside villa is included. When your father's lawyer hands out the rights for the will I am sure any other properties that Osborn knows about will be stolen by them."

Harry smiled sadly as he read, "But all of those places were worthless anyways, my family did not trust your father in the slightest. I instead left you a set of properties including the rights to this villa with my lover. When you turn 18 a lawyer will approach you and give them to you. As for when you go to college, I have set up a scholarship fund for you to go and do whatever subject you want. But I did put in a GPA requirement so keep up your grades son!" Harry chuckled when he saw that. The only things his mother ever wanted from him was to do what he enjoyed and to be good at it.

"I did this because now that I am seeing your father for who he truly is I figure he will probably try to force you to be like him. Which is another point. Your father and you both probably have an inherited mental disease. I haven't done a blood check on your father but I have done one on you. So I have set up for you to start seeing a psychiatrist a few years after I am gone, probably when you are 17." Harry sucked in a breath of air when he saw this.

"Now for the next thing-" Then a bunch of stuff was erased and written down over and over again. "On second thought that is all for now. Make sure you hide my diaries from your father." Then that was it for the year 2008 book.

Harry picked up the next book. It read similar to the end of the last diary except after two weeks there was a note. "We have done it. We successfully made a cure. Now he just needs to test it against the animal test subjects and against my blood in order to make sure there are no side effects. If all goes well I will be cured. I need to start thinking about what to do afterwards. Because if I stay with that psychopath he will probably just try to kill me again. Maybe I should just die?" Harry started out excited but then was saddened by the end of the passage.

Then the next few passages talked about how their testing phase was going. The first few animals showed no signs of side effects but after a week the first side effect appeared. The animals started taking a younger appearance and in most cases they would naturally become more healthy.

After a month the next side effect appeared, the male animals died due to organ failure. But at the same time the female animals displayed heightened sexual drives. For half of them we provided mates. The females that got mates displayed a decrease after a week. The females that did not slowly died to organ failure and fevers as well.

After another week of testing they determined that the side effects can not be removed. Then they tested it against his mother's blood and they determined that it would be effective for treatment. The following day his mother told her son and husband that she was going on sabbatical. Harry remembered this, she went to her family's properties in Europe for rest.

But the diary said differently, instead of seemingly going on sabbatical. She went to an apartment her lover set up and took the cure. After she took the cure there was a time skip before she wrote again.

But her lover whose handwriting was different did make notes on his mother's progression. The first note was how the change was noticeable, for the first week she looked normal then the following week her stamina increased and she became more fit and healthy. The next week she looked like she did when she was in her late twenties. It stopped there for the de-aging effect of the drug.

But the next month was spent in passion as the lover noted that her sexual drive decreased each day until it was back to normal. But while they were doing that he did notice a few other side effects that were not noticeable.

But his mother's lover only stated how his mother was very animal-like and instinctual like a beast in heat. Which made sense but he thought she might maintain her sanity through the process. There was another note but it was scribbled over beyond readability.

When they were at the end of a month his mother started talking more and she calmly became normal again but she remembered what happended during her bestial episode. Talking about her behavior like it was something she regretted.

Then his mother started writing again, this time it talked about the process and how it felt like she had no control the entire time. Up until this point he was stunned at what he had read. He never expected his sweet mother of all people to be able to maneuver around his father. Then he opened the next page. But it also appeared to be the last passage.

"March 3rd, 2009.

This morning I discovered I am pregnant. In addition to the animal-like effect. We have determined another side effect of what we now call the Bimini Cure, which is a temporary or possible permanent increase in fertility. My lover also noted that I had an increase in my strength, speed, and endurance as well, although it was only minor."

Then under that there was another small note for him, "that's right. Harry you have a sibling by the time I am writing this she has already been born and is a beauty. I can't wait for you to meet her."

Harry was stunned, he was a big brother. He looked at the clock and saw that it was 10 pm. He thought for a few moments before he called the only person he could think of to ask for help. He wanted to find his little sibling and figure out if what happened to his mother was really an accident.

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Meanwhile at the same time across town in the suburbs in Mary Jane's room.

Mary Jane was pinching the bridge of her nose while trying to not be annoyed at the sight of Peter Parker that was sitting on his ceiling. Peter was a bit embarrassed, he showed Mary Jane his powers so she could be able to help him with catching the Rhino.

As smart as Peter was, he was not very good when it came to this investigation stuff. To this Mary Jane could only agree with her boyfriend. That's right her boyfriend, who she started going out on a date with… today.

As Mary Jane looked annoyed at the nervous Peter she calmed down but as she was about to speak she was interrupted by a phone ringing. Looking at her phone she answered, "this is MJ." Only reason she answered was so she could put off figuring out what to do with Peter.

"MJ, it is Harry I am going to need your help looking into something." Harry spoke over the phone. "And I will need you to keep it from Peter, after his uncle's passing it seems like he has too many problems of his own. I don't want to stack mine on top of his." MJ was quiet for a moment as she frowned.

"Harry… if this is some roundabout way to-" MJ started as she thought this might be another attempt at organizing a date. As much as she liked hanging out with them she saw Harry only as a friend, but she also noticed he had strange moments of desire towards her despite her objections.

"It isn't a way to get a date, it… it is actually related to my mother. I don't want to give you the details over the phone but it appears there was more going on behind the scenes then I originally knew." Harry told her.

"Okay. But shouldn't you just leave it to your-" MJ was once again interrupted by Harry.

"Leave it to my father? Forget it, if I am right my father killed my mother." Harry's words absolutely shocked her.

She stood blinking, not knowing what to say then after a few minutes she sighed, "okay bring what you have to school tomorrow."

After hanging up she looked at Peter who was still on her ceiling, "first off, get off the ceiling." Peter obediently climbed off the ceiling and sat on the floor in front of her. "Secondly I will help you look up stuff. But! I won't help if you start skipping out on your school work in exchange for this… stuff." Peter quickly nodded.

"Good, now go home I will look into the stuff tomorrow." MJ sighed as she sat down when Peter left, through her window of all things. Sometimes geniuses were real idiots.

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Meanwhile at a desolate warehouse.

"Yes sir, I plan to lay low for the next few days. I also plan to start accepting work from other clients so they won't be able to determine who I am working for." Rhino told his client then hung up.

He frowned as he thought about it, "that spider kid was pretty tough getting punched by him actually stung a bit."

He then stood up and turned on the news. According to the news he wasn't the only new villain in town. There was also some guy that was causing whirlwinds through Broadway and stealing purses and wallets.

Nonetheless, the news was more focused on him since he had caused major damage. He smiled as he watched, he never knew he would get so much satisfaction from becoming a villain. A super villain even.