Ultimate Spider-Woman: Change With the Light

Chapter 9: Blinded by the Light

"Come on, Harry!" Gwen Stacy insisted, knocking on the door to Harry Osborn's apartment for the seventh time. "I know you're in there, so will you just let me in already?"

She had been knocking on Harry's door for almost ten minutes, having gone down to his place at Liz's request to try and find out where Harry had been disappearing to, and why he no longer seemed to be attending classes. All Liz had been able to tell her was that Harry just blew her off when she called, telling her he had no time to meet with her. Hurt and angry, Liz had taken up Gwen's offer to try and talk to Harry and see what was going on.

Finally, Harry flung the door open in considerable irritation, an ugly look on his face as he glared at Gwen.

"What the hell do you want?" he finally demanded. "I have-"

"-a girlfriend who's been a saint in putting up with your bullshit," Gwen said calmly but firmly, struggling to keep her own temper in check. "Look, whatever it is, you owe Liz an explanation, at least."

Harry paused for a moment, his expression softening briefly.

"Fine, then get in here," he finally muttered, letting Gwen in and slamming the door behind her.

SPIDER-WOMAN #9

"BLINDED BY THE LIGHT"

"So what the hell do you want?" Harry demanded as he sat down in a chair, gesturing for Gwen to sit down across from him.

"Look, Harry, Liz is worried sick about you," Gwen said, once again trying to keep her temper under control. "You haven't contacted her since before Christmas. So what's so important that you drop off the face of the earth and don't even contact your girlfriend?"

"What business is it of yours?" Harry sneered, folding his arms and leaning back in his chair.

"Because Liz is my friend!" Gwen snapped, unable to keep an edge from creeping into her voice. "Harry, she was kidnapped by a fucking supervillain last week! Why the hell didn't you return her calls? You're her boyfriend, for God's sake!"

Even as she spoke, Gwen winced inwardly-this wasn't going the way she had hoped at all.

Harry turned pale, before he became crimson with anger, sitting in silence for a moment.

"You have no goddamn idea what I'm going through, Gwen!" Harry finally shouted at her. "I have enough shit to put up with without getting the third degree from you, of all people!"

"Well, can't we help you?" Gwen asked, fighting to keep control of her voice. "What's the problem, anyway? If it's your father, then I know-"

"Don't even start, Gwen," Harry spat in disgust. "Little Miss Ice Queen finally feeling guilty about her subjects?"

Now it was Gwen's turn to go pale.

"Wh…what?" she fumbled. "Harry…If it is about your father, then I-"

"No, you don't!" Harry shouted at her. "You think you know, Little Miss Perfect? You think you know what it's like to have that bastard yelling at you day after day after day, telling you you're a disgrace to the family name, threatening to throw you out on the street if you don't shape up? You think you know, with your perfect hair, perfect looks, perfect clothes, perfect fucking life?"

"Oh, and you know what I'm going through?" Gwen finally lost her temper. "You're not the only one who's had to put up with these problems, Harry! And some of us don't just run and hide from them like a fucking coward! How about trying to find enough money to stay in school? How about trying to find a bloody job? How about trying to keep your mother from losing her mind? You ever have to put up with that?" she shouted right back.