8 Are You Crazy?

"You kidnapped us?" Harry asked. 

The others stopped eating and looked at Bruce. 

"I didn't kidnap you. The Servants of the Slumbering Serpent kidnapped you," Bruce said.

"Who are they? They sound scary," Ned asked.

Harry looked at Ned like he was an idiot.

"He's the Slumbering Servants, he made them up," Harry said. Bruce smiled. 

"Why would you kidnap us?" Gwen asked.

"Duh, it's because we're all in danger. Oscorp is doing things it shouldn't be doing and we were put in danger by them. If he lets us go home, we're more than likely going to get attacked," MJ explained. 

"Not bad," Bruce was impressed by both Harry and MJ who both seemed to think critically. The others were much more naive. 

"However, Oscorp isn't a problem anymore," Bruce said. 

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

Bruce tossed him a thumb drive, "Go and watch it for yourself. It's your father's confession about how he and Oscorp engaged in illegal human experimentation.

When he learned his spider room trap nearly cost him his son, your father no longer cared about himself."

Harry held the thumb drive as if it were a strange artifact. He looked at the floor, "but without the research Oscorp is doing my father will die soon."

"There are a lot of people in the world with incurable diseases, does it make it okay for them to rob and kill?" Bruce asked.

A moral question is easy to answer when you don't have any skin in the game, but Harry did. His father suffered from a genetic disease and it was killing him. If he were being honest, Harry would also suffer from this disease. If a cure wasn't found, perhaps he would succumb to the same disease in the future. 

When Harry didn't answer, Bruce took note of it and understood the problem. Harry was a kid and in his situation questions of morality weren't a dilemma. With the power the kid had, he couldn't continue to think like a child. Bruce needed to guide him toward another path.

"You don't have to worry about your father's condition. I've stabilized it and he'll likely be able to recover in the future. As far as your situation, it looks like you won't need to worry about the disease in the future," Bruce said. 

The others didn't know that Harry's father was sick, or that Harry might get sick at some point in the future. They did understand that Norman Osborn used them as an experiment and then tried to kill them.

"It bothers me that you're worried about your family's medical issues, but not that your father tried to kill you and your friends. 

Your father's confession and other evidence were turned over to the FBI. He is under arrest and guards are sitting in his medical room. His medical care will continue even while he is serving his time in jail. 

To be honest Harry, your father will probably spend the rest of his life in jail. He committed too many crimes. 

The board members of Oscorp are probably the same. Oscorp will serve as an example to other companies who think they're too big to fail. 

Oscorp stock prices are at rock bottom and more than likely, the corporation will get chopped up and sold off to pay its debts. 

You need to embrace the reality that your father is in prison and you'll be left with nothing," Bruce's hard words delivered harshly caused Harry to snap. He rushed toward Bruce, he wanted to punch something. Why not punch the man who ruined his family?

"Alfred"

Bruce only said one word, a name. The old butler dashed in front of Harry and reached out. Instinctively, Harry avoided the hand and did a backflip in the air. When his feet touched the ground, he felt danger was coming for him and he dodged once more. 

To his surprise and horror, the friendly Alfred fired a burst of laser beams from his eyes! Harry stopped moving as Alfred's eyes were still glowing red. He looked like he was about to shoot again.

"Have you calmed down?" Bruce asked.

"What is he?" Harry asked.

"He's Alfred, my butler," Bruce responded. 

"No, I mean how can he do what he just did?" Harry clarified his question.

"How can you do what you can do?" Bruce retorted.

Harry didn't understand, "What do you mean?"

"Alfred, toss that iron rod to him," Bruce commanded Alfred who immediately complied. 

"Take it, Harry!" Bruce commanded. At first, Harry didn't reach for it, he stood there stunned and scared of Alfred.

"Take it!" Bruce ordered. For some reason, Harry responded and took the iron rod.

"Now, bend it," Bruce said.

"That's imposs..." Harry began.

"Do it!" Bruce commanded once more. Harry grabbed both ends and pulled down easily bending the iron rod. He looked shocked.

The others were also shocked.

"This is the result of getting trapped among the spiders. Each of us was bitten by the spiders and inhaled that gas. Now, each of us has strength similar to what Harry demonstrated. 

Imagine going home and hugging someone you love without understanding your strength. You might squeeze them to death.

Listen, kids, there is an untrained and unknown strength within us. Until you can understand this power and control it, do you really want to go home?

This is why you had to be kidnapped so that I can help you go home. When you go home after my training, you will not be a threat to your family or friends.

Until my training ends, you are my guests."