Chapter 84: Harry and the Devil

"Why?" Harry asked, staring at the lifeless body of his pet dog at his feet, his face marked with disbelief and shock.

Before he went to school, the dog had been perfectly fine. Yet, upon returning home, he found his beloved pet lying in a pool of blood.

Though the housekeeper had explained that the dog had been involved in a car accident, Harry found it hard to believe.

His pet, "Churchie," would never run into the road. It made no sense.

With a heavy heart, Harry dug a hole in the courtyard and buried "Churchie."

Grieving the loss of his pet, Harry struggled to mask his sorrow during dinner, but his father, Norman Osborn, remained indifferent.

"Dead is dead, Harry. No amount of grief can change that," Norman remarked, his brow furrowed.

"I know. I just can't accept it," Harry murmured. "Maybe I need some time, Dad."

Norman's voice grew more rigid. "I've always disapproved of you keeping pets, Harry. They only distract you. The Osborn family's focus should be on ambition, not on the whims of pets."

"Maybe you're right, but we're different," Harry muttered, uninterested in further arguing with his father.

Norman's eyes darkened. "You are my son. You were born to be extraordinary. Stop sulking. You're acting like a failure!"

The dinner ended in discomfort.

Back in his room, Harry couldn't shake the image of "Churchie," remembering their moments together. He recalled the first time he had brought "Churchie" home, the way it clumsily bumped into the bathtub, and how, despite its antics, it became a companion he had grown fond of.

Yet now it was gone, and the weight of that loss crushed him.

While lost in these memories, Harry remembered the camera he had set up in the dog's nest. He had installed it out of boredom, wanting to observe his pet's activities. Not even his father knew about it.

With a renewed sense of urgency, Harry switched on his computer and brought up the video from earlier that day. The footage was saved automatically, and he began watching it from the morning when he had left for school.

At first, everything seemed normal, but by noon, things took a disturbing turn. His father, Norman, appeared on the footage, walking past the dog. Suddenly, "Churchie" sprang from its nest, barking furiously at Norman and even lunging at him as if to bite.

Harry's heart sank as he watched Norman kick the dog. "Churchie" whimpered in pain, blood spilling from its mouth, and it struggled on the ground before finally dying.

Harry's eyes widened in shock. "What... how is this possible?!" he gasped.

"Churchie" had been killed by his father? And why had it attacked Norman in the first place? This didn't make sense.

His mind raced as he processed the information. His father had lied to him, claiming the death was a car accident.

Not only was the truth worse than he could have imagined, but Norman's strength was also far beyond what Harry had thought.

Consumed with anger and disbelief, Harry stormed to his father's room.

As he reached the second floor, he overheard a conversation from behind his father's door. Someone was speaking with Norman, their voices low.

Curiosity took over, and Harry crept closer to listen.

"Just follow the plan and continue to investigate Gwen. If necessary, take action. I don't believe she will willingly cooperate. And Peter Parker..."

The words hit Harry like a lightning bolt. His father was planning something against Gwen? His good friend Gwen? The betrayal stung deeply.

He had always known Norman as his father, but this... this wasn't the man Harry had grown up with.

Feeling a surge of unease, Harry backed away, his hand instinctively reaching for his phone. He needed to warn Gwen immediately.

As he silently retreated down the hall, he froze when he heard the creak of the door opening. His heart skipped a beat.

Norman stood in the doorway, his eyes glowing with an eerie red light. He stared at Harry with an almost demonic intensity.

At the same time, across town, in the Brooklyn Detention Center, Matt Murdock stood behind the glass, staring at the figure before him with a mixture of surprise and disdain.

He hadn't expected this particular person to come to visit him. Though, truth be told, Matt's heightened senses could easily identify him, even if he couldn't see.

Peter Parker, on the other side of the glass, picked up the phone and gestured for Matt to answer.

Despite being behind bars, Matt didn't seem perturbed. If anything, he was more intrigued.

"It's quite the surprise," Matt said with a wry smile. "I thought my first visitor would be my old law partner. He always wanted to punch me for cheating him."

Peter's voice came through the line. "If you'd like, I can do the honors."

"Thanks, but I'll pass. We're not that close," Matt responded, adjusting his red sunglasses.

Peter didn't waste time and immediately got to the point. "Do you know a woman named Helen Nolan?"

The mention of her name immediately struck a chord with Matt. His calm expression faltered.

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