He walked forward without stopping, step after step, not knowing how long he had gone before finally emerging from the shadows. Under the cover of night, something secret and silent was unfolding.
After entering the alley, Harry kicked off from the walls on either side and leapt up to the rooftop.
Confirming the direction Susan Storm had gone, he began moving between buildings, following her trail from above.
Susan had no idea Harry was behind her. After leaving the fiery battleground, she made her way through the city and toward the Brooklyn Bridge. Once there were no more tall buildings in her path, Harry dropped down from the rooftops and followed her quietly through the streets.
Although he was clearly walking behind her, the invisible Susan didn't notice him at all.
Harry kept his steps light and silent as he followed. With the Invisible Woman's own power at his disposal, he could sense every movement around him — every heartbeat and footstep in his radius. Normally, Susan's field of awareness would detect anyone entering that range. But the fact that she didn't sense him at all proved that her current condition wasn't good.
"Look over there! It's the Invisible Woman!"
"It really is her!"
Even in the dark of night, when people passing by the bridge spotted the bright, tight-fitting blue uniform, they cried out in excitement. Fans surrounded her, the air filling with the sounds of shouting and camera flashes.
The crowd pressed in close, but Susan didn't react to any of it. She just kept walking forward, eyes blank, and bumped into the blond man who had appeared in front of her.
"Miss Storm," Harry said softly — but Susan didn't respond. She just kept walking, her gaze empty and unfocused.
Harry frowned, then reached out to catch her arm. In one smooth motion, he lifted Susan in his arms and jumped, vaulting over the crowd's heads. As they rose, he activated the invisible field. A surge of power thrust them upward.
With a sharp whoosh, Harry and Susan shot into the sky like an arrow leaving the string.
"They flew away!" someone shouted in shock as the onlookers stared after the receding figures.
"It's that guy from before!" a woman cried out.
"That looked like Harry Osborn!" someone else said immediately.
The flashes erupted again, cameras clicking wildly as the two figures disappeared into the night.
…
Harry held Susan high above the sea of clouds. Below their feet, lightning flickered in the dark storm banks, the electric light splitting the clouds for miles at a time.
Even standing above the thunderheads, there was still danger of being struck — but under Harry's control of electricity, every bolt that came near simply curved away and discharged harmlessly into the distance.
"This is… the sky…" Susan's voice trembled as the wind howled around them. She blinked and came back to her senses, but the rush of air swallowed her scream. The fierce wind forced her to bury her face against Harry's chest.
When he finally stopped, she lifted her head, gasping, and saw the sea of rolling clouds below — lightning weaving and flashing like silver serpents through the mist.
"Ah!" Perhaps because of all the pressure she'd endured with Victor earlier, Susan flinched at the sight of the thunder and quickly turned her face away again — pressing it right back against Harry's chest.
"Miss Storm," Harry murmured, tightening his hold to keep her steady after the jolt of fear.
"Mr. Osborn? Harry Osborn?" Hearing his voice, Susan looked up into his face.
"Yes." Harry lowered his head, smiling faintly.
"Feeling calmer now?" he asked.
Susan looked up at him through the whipping wind. The night sky was dark, but as a cloud shifted, the moon emerged, spilling a pale light that traced along the edges of his face. The faint glow caught the curve of his mouth when he smiled.
"Yeah…" she murmured, then lowered her head again, pressing closer. "It's just… a little cold."
Harry paused, then summoned a faint blue sphere around them. The energy dome wrapped both their bodies, sealing out the chill.
"How about now?" he asked, patting her shoulder gently.
"Hm?" Susan lifted her head, testing the air — and found the cold gone. "Much better."
"Want to try standing?" Harry asked with a teasing glint, and before she could answer, he carefully set her down. Under her startled cry, she found herself standing on an invisible surface parallel to the bottom of the energy sphere.
"This… this is my field!" she said in amazement, bending slightly to test it.
"It's my version of it," Harry replied with a small laugh. He had discovered that the ability he gained from Susan worked incredibly well — likely strengthened by his powerful mental energy. In that moment, he felt a flicker of satisfaction; injecting the spider venom back then had indeed been a wise decision.
That venom had twisted his spirit to dangerous levels before, but even after the system had cleansed him, the growth in mental strength had remained. That strength had accumulated deep inside him — until he acquired Susan's power, which relied on mental energy to shape force fields. Once that energy was released, he had adapted quickly and could now control it with precision.
"Your field?" Susan whispered, tracing the shimmering surface again — it felt exactly like her own power.
"How did you do this?" she asked, confusion written across her face. She was certain that only she, Reed, Ben, Johnny, and Victor had been altered during that cosmic storm, and none of their abilities were alike.
"It came from… a mysterious power," Harry said with a half-truth and a playful grin.
"Would you like to know more about it?" His tone turned light, almost teasing, as he reached out and lifted her chin gently with a finger. The longer he held this power, the more he could sense her presence — as if Susan were somehow an extension of himself. The connection sent a strange, irresistible current through him.
Susan's heart fluttered under his gaze. Memories of confusion and heartbreak surfaced, but there was something different in Harry's eyes — sincerity that disarmed her. Despite his reputation, she could feel that his emotions toward her were genuine.
"Of course," she whispered, her eyes softening. Emotion stirred there — and something like longing.
She lifted her arms, looped them around his neck, and rose on her toes, closing the distance between them.
…
High above the clouds, a faintly glowing sphere drifted slowly through the darkness — unseen by anyone below.
Or perhaps… not entirely unseen.
---
A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
Support: patreon.com/Narrator_San