Who Is Peter Parker?

by StannisIsTheOneTrueKing

Summary:

Been floating around my head last few days, a reaction fic to the Homecoming trilogy, set after No Way Home. Ofc major spoilers follow for NWH.

Notes:

Well this started in my head on the 15th of December when I saw the film, as of posting chapter one on Christmas Day, I've written the Far From Home scenes, just writing Homecoming now, and then No Way Home, before filling in character reactions to the scenes. I'd expect maybe a week until the first update, but after that, hopefully will be frequent until it's all out.

Chapter 1

“Where are we? What’s going on?” Tony Stark asked as he opened his eyes. The last thing he remembered, he was in his lab, looking over the last measurements for the Quantum tunnel. Time travel, it was crazy, but it had to work, it just did.

“Tony?” A new voice asked, Tony saw Steve Rogers was there before him, the rest of the Avengers scattered around near the two of them.

“Cap? What happened?”

“I don’t know, wait...Sam? Bucky?” Steve asked, turning to look at the other Avengers in the room and seeing the two of them, looking different than the last time they had met. Bucky was in his usual attire, with a short hair cut, and Sam was in a largely white costume, with, was that his shield? How were the two of them even here?

‘Thanos had….Oh God.’

“Steve...Tony? How...How are you here?” Sam asked, Bucky just looked shocked. Looking around, there was a few other surprises with the rest of the Avengers.

“Wanda? What happened to you? I heard something about you and Westview? Liking the new look though.” Bucky said.

“Kate?!” Clint called out, his face had multiple cuts. “Where are you? Wait….Steve? Tony?….NAT?!”

“Who’s Kate, Clint?” Natasha asked, her eyes wide at the sight of her fallen friends before her and Clint, looking so different to how he had just moments ago. Where was the Mohawk?

“How are you all here?” Clint asked, his eyes narrowing. What was going on here? What was Kingpin playing at?

“Clint? What do you mean, how are we all here?” Tony asked, confused.

“Thanos….the Stones….that’s when you’re all from, isn’t it?” Clint asked, seeing the white quantum suits that Steve, Nat and Tony were wearing.

“Yeah...wait...from? Does this mean it works? We won?” Tony asked, seeing those he had seen disappear in Wakanda before him.

“Wait, are you saying the rest of you are from after we stop Thanos? Why aren’t we from then as well? Where are we, when are we, anyway?” Steve wondered.

“Steve...” Bucky started, raising a hand softly towards him.

“We die, don’t we? Somehow, stopping him. It’s why we’re from a different time, earlier than the rest of you, why some of you look like you’ve seen ghosts.” Natasha simply stated, as Clint cringed away from her, looking down to the floor. Steve and Tony looked stunned as everyone else in the room seemed to move slightly further from them.

“Wait, aren’t you Ned Leeds? You look older.” Tony said, noticing a few kids to the side, slightly away from the Avengers, mostly looking at the heroes in awe.

“How does Tony Stark know your name?” Flash Thompson asked Ned who looked surprised.

“I-I have no idea.” Ned stammered out. How did Tony Stark know who he was?

“You work with Spider-Man, don’t you? I think he’s mentioned you...for some reason.” Tony drifted off. Odd, he knew he knew Spider-Man, but how did Spider-Man know this random kid? How did Tony know this random kids name? Did Spider-Man talk often about him? He couldn’t quite place it.

“Spider-Man talked to you about me?” Ned asked, his voice full of wonder. “I mean, I’ve helped him out before, sure, but I didn’t think I’d be worth mentioning to an Avenger.” He joked.

“How would Spider-Man know you?” Flash asked incredulously.

“Because I’m his guy in the chair.” Ned said.

“Then you know who he is under the mask?” Betty asked, excitedly.

“Erm, well, no.” Ned admitted sheepishly. “He’s always been protective of his identity, doesn’t want anyone to get hurt or something, so I’ve never found out.”

“Ah that sucks, I’d love to shake his hand.” Flash said, pouting.

“Wait, why don’t I know his name? I’ve seen him unmasked before, I’m sure of it.” Tony said. “But I can’t, it’s like there’s a blank there. How is this happening?”

“The Runes of Kafkall.” Strange spoke up suddenly, quietly, from the corner, his eyes wide in shock.

“The Runes of what?” Clint asked, not even surprised anymore.

“I SAID MAGIC WAS REAL!” Scott Lang interrupted, shouting excitedly at Hope Van Dyne.

“What are these Runes?” Steve asked Strange seriously.

“One of the big three man, I told you.” Sam whispered to Bucky who glared at him.

“Not the time.”

“One of the most powerful spells we sorcerers have.” Wong began to explain as Strange looked sick.

“Why does the wizard look sick?” Thor asked. If Loki were here still, maybe he’d know what was going on.

“I can see why that would be bad. I don’t know everything about them, but from what I’ve read, that’s an extreme measure.” Wanda said as people turned to her, wondering if she would finally just tell them what they were and why it sounded so bad.

“Can someone please just explain what all this is and what is going on? How are all of these people here? Why isn’t Spider-Man here? What’s these Rune things?” MJ asked.

“The Runes border the line between known and unknown reality.” Strange finally spoke up, finding his voice. “They’re an extremely dangerous spell for a reason. They rewrite reality, as it were. They’re a rune...for forgetting.”

“Forgetting what, Strange?” Tony asked as he felt all the blood flow from his face. Looking around, he could see the other Avengers and the young people who all seemed to know each other had similar expressions.

“Mostly it’s used for events, like a party that got out of hand or something, but it could also be used for...a person.”

“You don’t mean, Spider-Man, do you? It’s why he’s not here, isn’t it?” Clint asked.

“Why do we all remember Spider-Man though, even if he’s not here, if your magic worked?” Happy Hogan finally spoke up. He had been through a lot, losing Tony, losing May, not really a word from Spider-Man in months. Now Tony was here? Why couldn’t May be here with him as well?

“No, it can’t be Spider-Man, the runes are very specific, if it were him, we wouldn’t remember him, even here.” Wong mentioned. “Though I am unsure as to why he isn’t here.”

“Wait, I think I might know.” Tony spoke up, as the others wondered how they could remember Spider-Man if the runes have wiped him out, with him not been there.

“What is it, Tony?” Bruce asked, and Tony just had to ask him at some point, before all of whatever this was, ended, how he was back in his original body again.

“I have helped Spider-Man for years. Ned here is his guy in the chair. We all have a connection to him in some way, I’m assuming?” Tony asked, looking around as they all nodded.

“Spider-Man saved all of our lives in D.C back in 2017.” The former Midtown students admitted.

“Then how come nobody knows who he is under the mask? What does he look like? Even his name? Surely, he can’t have hidden it for years, not from us all, especially with what we’ve been through.” Tony said as the others put the dots together.

“Whoever he is, under the mask...” Ned started before trailing off.

“It would make sense.” Strange admitted. “When I think of Spider-Man, I can remember events with the two of us, yes, but there’s some parts of it, it just feels foggy, like I should know what occurred, but I can’t quite place what it is. I think his civilian identity, the man under the mask, we used the runes, for some reason, to remove all knowledge of it from us.”

“But when were they used?” Tony asked.

“It had to be recently.” Wong said. “I think we would have noticed these gaps much more if it was a longer stretch.”

“Then why can’t Cap, Widow or I remember him either?” Tony asked.

“Because you came here.” A new voice said, turning they saw a figure standing there in a familiar suit.

“Spider-Man? How are you here, and who is that?” Rhodey asked as another figure walked over seemingly out of nowhere, wearing a slightly different but still recognisably Spider-Man suit.

“I’m Spider-Man.” The first one said.

“I am also Spider-Man.” The newest arrival agreed.

“It’s just, we are not your Spider-Man. To save some time, the multiverse is real, we’re from other universes, ones where most of you likely don’t exist, there was never an Avengers in either of our universes.” Spider-Man 1 stated.

“We helped your Spider-Man before with an issue, before we went back to our worlds. We were both back at home, doing our own thing, when we felt a tug, and were here. We saw the rest of you begin to arrive, we were gonna say something, but I felt this force stopping me from moving until just now.” Spider-Man 2 stated.

“So did I. I also found this note, saying you all needed to remember your Spider-Man. Apparently the magic of the runes means we can’t even share our name with you all, since it’ll undo the spell and cause some issues, so we’ll take a spin on something you’ll likely see. We agreed to dub your Spider-Man as Spider-Man 1. I’m Spider-Man 2.” Spider-Man 1, or now 2, stated.

“I’m Spider-Man 3 I guess.” Spider-Man 3 grumbled, before they both removed their masks, revealing two older men with different facial features, but both with dark hair.

“So, why are the two of you here?” Strange asked, he remembered something about three Spider-Men, but the details were foggy to him at best.

“I...don’t know. The note says about remembering your Spidey, which, I mean, we do, but we can’t just tell you. You have to learn for yourselves. I guess we’re here mostly to provide answers to questions if we can, although we don’t know a lot of it ourselves.” Spider-Man 3 told them.

“Shall we get on with it?” Spider-Man 2 asked.

“Get on with what? We’re just in this giant room. Is there even any seats?” Flash asked.

The room suddenly plunged into darkness for a second, as people tried to figure out what was going on, the lights returned, showing a large screen and two rows of seats in a semi-circle around the screen.

“I guess we take a seat.” Clint dryly remarked.

“Wait, should we go over introductions first?” Spider-Man 2 asked. “I mean, us two know almost none of you, and all we can say is we’re Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3.”

“I’ll start I guess. I’m Tony Stark, genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. Also, you know, Iron Man. I’m from 2023, and I guess wherever we are now, I’m dead? Gotta say, thought it would be a lot weirder to hear myself just casually say that I am no longer on this mortal plane at the time I am currently in. You know, deceased? Gone? Atomised maybe? How do I die, anyway?”

“Tones.” Rhodey said softly, coming over to put a hand on his best friends shoulder as Happy did the same at the other side.

“Maybe we save that for later, what do you say, boss?” Happy asked Tony who nodded, glad to have been pulled out of that existential spiral for now.

“I am Steve Rogers, Captain America, also from 2023.” Steve simply said. Was he dead? Nobody seemed to have said outright he was, had they?

“My name is Natasha Romanov, the Black Widow, also 2023.”

“Clint Barton, Hawkeye, somewhat retired, 2024.”

“Who is Kate?” Natasha interjected. “You called for her when we all first got here?”

“Kate...she’s my partner. I’ve been helping her clean up a Ronin related mess in New York, it’s Christmas 2024 for me right now. Christmas Eve in fact, we were in the middle of a fight at the Rockefeller centre when I got here. It was me, her and some of New York’s finest and bravest against an entire Eastern European tracksuit mafia and their boss, a guy named Kingpin.”

“I’m Colonel James Rhodes, or Rhodey, also known as War Machine, I’m from 2024.”

“Sam Wilson, used to be the Falcon, now Captain America, from 2024.”

“I’m dead, aren’t I?” Steve asks.

“Steve...” Sam starts before Steve interrupts.

“Look, I want you to be my replacement, Sam, I really do, you deserve it, but why can’t anyone give me a straight answer? Am I dead or am I alive?”

“I’m James Buchanan Barnes, or Bucky, The Winter Soldier or White Wolf. I’m from 2024. Also, Steve, you’re not dead. You just retired.” Bucky clarifies, watching as Steve calms down. He hates not telling him everything, but it’s for the best. Can’t have Steve change history or whatever whenever whatever this is is over.

“My name is Happy Hogan, head of security at Stark Industries, from 2024.”

“Doctor Bruce Banner, The Hulk, from 2024.”

“Wanda Maximoff, The Scarlet Witch, 2024.”

“Scott Lang, Ant-Man, 2024.”

“Hope Van Dyne, The Wasp, 2024.”

“Doctor Stephen Strange, 2024.”

“Wong, Sorcerer Supreme, 2024.”

“Michelle Jones, soon to be MIT student, 2024.”

“Ned Leeds, also soon to be MIT student, 2024.”

“Betty Brant, intern at The Daily Bugle, 2024.”

“Flash Thompson, soon to be MIT student, 2024.”

“Abe Brown, US Army, 2024.” (He survived the snap apparently, gonna assume a lot of young people joined the military when the world would have been in turmoil) Abe said, saluting to Rhodes, who saluted back.

“Cindy Moon, Med student, 2024.”

“So, are we finally going to watch whatever they want us to see?” Bruce asked.

“I guess so.” Tony said as they all sat down, the screen flashing up with a few words.

MJ summed up what everyone watching thought.

“Who is Peter Parker?”

Chapter 2: Business is Good

Notes:

It seems some people got a bit confused by the location they were in, to begin with, just picture an auditorium, a big space with space for like 20 people to hang about but no seats. Lights go out, come back and its changed to a theatre, just picture your local cinema but the seats are in a semi circle around the screen, not long rows.

The scene opened on a drawing of the Avengers and the Battle of New York by a young child, with two men talking about the drawing, the elder gentleman saying it wasn’t bad and his companion admitting “The kids got a future.”

 

“Isn’t that Liz’s dad?” Abe asked as the Avengers looked in confusion.

 

“Who?”

 

“Liz, she was a classmate of ours back at Midtown High. That’s her dad, the Vulture?” Cindy said.

 

“Oh yeah, I knew it was the Vulture, or at least the guy looked familiar, I’ve dealt with a lot of people. No idea who Liz was though.” Tony admitted.

 

“Didn’t Spider-Man stop him?” Ned queried.

 

“Yeah, he fought him on the Stark jet.” Happy confirmed.

 

The two of them looked up at Stark Tower, now with only an A hanging on it, as they began clearing up the rubble and debris from the Battle of New York. Chitauri pieces lay around them as they worked on a Leviathan corpse.

 

“Wow, is that what the battle looked like?” Flash asked.

 

“Dude, you lived in New York at the time!” Ned said.

 

“I know that, it’s just I didn’t really get a good look at all the destruction.” Flash explained.

 

“It wasn’t a fun sight at all, kid.” Bruce said, as gentle as he could as the memories of that event came flooding back to him.

 

“At least they’re not claiming Ant-Man is there.” Clint joked as the Avengers mostly looked confused.

 

“What do you mean? Of course I wasn’t there?” Scott asked, perplexed.

 

“You guys haven’t seen Rogers The Musical? Oh boy.” Clint grinned as the ones who hadn’t heard of it looked intrigued. Bucky, Tony and Nat especially had predatory grins as Steve dropped his head into his hands. Oh no, they hadn’t, had they?

 

The leader rebuked a new member coming in late, before they were interrupted by an older lady, surrounded by agents, who said they were part of the new Department of Damage Control and were taking over the clean up operations of the Battle, telling the workers to lay down their tools and go home, and to leave any exotic materials or face prosecution.

 

“That’s rough.” Sam spoke up.

 

“What do you mean? They needed professionals to deal with it?” Cindy asked him.

 

“There weren’t any then, I mean, this was our first wide scale contact with alien life.” Sam said to her. “These guys, they had a job, and this is just being ripped from them. This will definitely be a cause for a lot of the problems with this guy.” Sam explained. Guys getting displaced, nothing to do but stew in their anger, he could see this turning South from a mile off.

 

The leader went to speak to her, begging her to reconsider, he had staked his entire wealth and livelihood on this, the contract with the city of New York, the people he worked with would be broke too. She apologised but said she couldn’t help. An agent laughed at him as he hit them, the woman told the agents not to shoot him and told him to speak to her superiors. He asked who they were.

 

“Wow, what assholes.” Everyone agreed. Sure, they knew the Vulture had done bad stuff, he had killed people, sold others weapons that killed people, they didn’t feel sorry for that, but they understood where the pre Vulture version of him was coming from. All of them had staked all they had on that,to be told it was being taken away with no support system in place for it, they could understand, even if they couldn’t agree, with why he turned to a life of crime instead.

 

Seeing a news report that they worked with Stark Industries, he complained that Stark caused this mess and now was being paid to clean it, the other guy with him, Mason, said they still had a truck of Chitauri material, and that they needed to hand it in. Thinking it over for a second, the guy said the world was changing, it was time they did too.

 

“I did this, I caused these guys to do all of this.” Tony muttered.

 

“Hey, Tones, no you didn’t. These guys could have sought out help. Instead, they chose to go down the criminal path. That’s on them, not you.” Rhodey assured him.

 

“I could have helped them out though.” Tony tried to protest.

 

“They made their choices, Tony. You can’t be at blame for everyone on the planet.” Steve told his old friend. Tony finally nodded, maybe he just needed to hear it from multiple people.

 

The scene cut to FIVE years later. (I know it’s eight, but that is clarified by Feige himself as a timeline error. Avengers takes place in early 2012. Infinity War is set in 2018, the absolute latest Homecoming can really be set is 5 years later, with Peter having said it was a few months since Germany at the beginning (We know Civil War is 2016), but since it lasts most of a school year, I’ll give ending in Mid 2017.) Mason counted money in a machine as weapons and tech were showcased throughout a garage. A skylight opened and a man in a mechanic Vulture costume descended, throwing more alien materials to the floor in front of Mason. Their hood was removed to reveal the leader from the opening.

 

“I must admit, that’s one impressive suit.” Scott chimed in.

 

“Definitely a genius.” Hope agreed.

 

“A shame he put those talents to evil.” Bruce frowned.

 

“There you go, Mason. Business is good.” The man said with a smirk.

 

“Well if its on the back of innocents, it’s anything but.” MJ spat.

“A Film By Peter Parker” appeared on the screen as images flash by of a road trip, a plane trip with Happy Hogan sat in one of the seats and Germany, as well as appearances by a boy on the screen narrating it and holding the camera up.

 

“Peter...” Happy breathed, taking a good look at the boy on the screen with him.

 

“Do you know him?” Strange asked, wondering if the spell was lifting, seeing the boy. He couldn’t feel any memories flooding back himself, but maybe for others…

 

“….No, it’s nothing.” Happy said. “It’s like, I could feel I know him, but...I also can’t.” Happy tried to explain. It was like having something on the tip of your tongue before it vanished. He knew he was meant to know this kid, and he had a flash, but now, nothing again. This boy was a stranger to him, and it stung to think like that.

 

“Poor Peter 1.” Spider-Man 2 whispered to Spider-Man 3 quietly enough to not be heard.

 

“I knew he had a much better life, but this, this is him happy, a him we never got to really see. It’s a good look on him.” Spider-Man 3 agreed.

 

“It’s a good look on all of us.” Spider-Man 2 inserted. “Don’t think I can’t see your own frown, thinking back on your own Ben? I know I am. Remember what I said when you called yourself lame though?”

 

“Yeah, I’m amazing. I know.” Spider-Man 3 tried to put on his best grin at his older alter self. He didn’t miss the slight frown he got in return. Guess it hadn’t fully covered it. Damn.

The scene changed to the hotel room and the unveiling of a new Spider-Man suit, and the battle at the Airport, with narration by Peter as the Avengers began to beat each other up and espouse political standpoints with each other.

 

“We look like idiots here, fighting over something that didn’t really matter.” Steve said.

 

“Wow, Cap, I’m surprised you’re saying that.” Tony stated.

 

“What do you mean, Tony?”

 

“I was in the wrong. I’m sorry. I know, you could have told me about Barnes, that’s on you, but I had my head up my own ass due to my guilt over Ultron. It wasn’t our fault, at least not the teams, and giving control over to governments just meant we were divided, if it wasn’t for those damn Accords, Thanos wouldn’t have beaten us in 2018, we’d have stopped him then and there.” Tony explained.

 

The scene changed to the car ride back with a bloodied and bruised Tony joking with Peter and making an alibi video for his Aunt May, telling Peter that someone would call him when he was needed and that he had a little grey area to operate in, to be a friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, before opening the car door for Peter as Peter tried to hug him.

 

“Aww, Spiderdad!” Ned cooed as Tony spluttered.

 

“Spider what?!”

 

“Spiderdad. You know you’ll end up a father figure to the guy.” MJ explained.

 

“I don’t know why, but I’m sure you’re right.” Tony groaned. Sure, he was a good dad to Morgan, but this is him from 2016. He knows he was a bit messed up mentally then. Now he wished he remembered this Peter Parker, were they like a father and son? If so, he hoped it wasn’t anything like his relationship with his own father.

 

“I just wish I knew him.” MJ sighed to herself, unaware that everyone else in the room, other than the other two Spider-Men, shared the same thought.

Chapter 3: Ned Reveal

“Will we get our memories of him back from this?” Natasha asked, wondering if anyone could answer.

 

“I’d have thought not, but nobody has ever tried to bring the memories back like this, or even at all.” Strange admitted.

 

“We saw Mr Hogan have a brief flash a few moments ago, I believe.” Wong elaborated. “It’s certainly possible we will all get our memories back. Though it does raise some questions.”

 

“Why you did it.” Tony dead-panned.

 

“And what happens if we do remember, since it seems we needed to forget, for this to be happening at all.” MJ finished.

 

“Yes, and it’s the answer to those questions that worries me.” Strange spoke up. “Also, I see we have two other men who both act and look as if they are Spider-Man, yet neither wear a costume any of us recognise. That also worries me greatly.”

 

“I’d love to tell you, Doctor, but I’m afraid that this time, seeing will be believing.” Spider-Man 2 explained.

 

The scene changed to Peter riding the subway to school as “Two Months Later” flashed up on the screen. Peter sent a series of texts to Happy, wondering about the next mission, before scrolling through them, seeing hundreds sent, with no reply.

 

“Man, poor kid.” Clint said, looking at how dejected Peter looked to not be getting a response.

 

“I may not remember this kid, but why are you ignoring him, Happy? We saw clips of the Germany stuff, clearly I don’t want him neglected. I remember Spider-Man though, we had a good relationship, at least I thought so. Why would I not want my main guy on him?” Tony turned to Happy.

 

“I don’t know. I mean, I don’t ever recall these texts.” Happy tried to defend his on-screen self, even if he found it indefensible himself. He may not remember any of these texts, but he knew he should have done more. Two months without a reply it seemed, what was the kid thinking by now?

 

Peter got to school to avoid been hit by a car, the driver calling out “Penis Parker!” As Peter walked through the school, he saw a school news report where one of the anchors was shot down for a homecoming dance by another.

 

“So you’re a prick?” Natasha simply asked, glaring at Flash who wilted in his seat. He didn’t remember this Peter kid, but Spider-Man had been his hero for years. To know he had been insulting him like that, he was just glad Spider-Man never bothered to string him up off the Empire State Building and leave him there all day.

 

“I...I guess.” Flash simply said in the end, thinking if he was like this with this Peter now, he would undoubtedly do it again.

 

“Don’t do it again.” Steve simply said, staring Flash down who gulped.

 

“Yes, Mr America, Sir.” Flash promised. He would try be better with others, he didn’t want anything to do with angering the Avengers of all people.

 

Peter reached his locker to be greeted by a teen holding a Darth Sidious lego figure, asking Peter to join him in building a new Lego Death Star, the two of them geeking out over how many pieces it had, before Peter declined to help, saying he needed to be free for the Stark Internship.

 

“Wow, that’s me!” Ned exclaimed, surprised he was in this. Man, he must have been really good friends with this Peter. How did he not remember him?

 

“Ned, are you alright?” MJ asked, looking to her best friend.

 

“No, I’m not. This guy is clearly meant to be my best friend, and I don’t remember a thing about him!” Ned said, looking in horror at the version of himself he saw on screen, so carefree and happy with his friend. “How can I live with myself, not knowing my own life?”

 

“None of us remember this guy. But I can tell just from this you’re good friends, Ned.” Betty spoke up. “You do it because he’s probably out there somewhere.”

 

“She’s right.” Steve said. “You do it as they would do it for you.”

 

Peter then blanked Ned as he saw a popular girl go by, talking to the female school news anchor, and watching her go by.

 

“There I am!” Betty exclaimed, surprised she would be in this that much.

 

“Is that Liz?” Abe asked.

 

“I haven’t seen her in years.” Cindy pouted.

 

“I hope she’s doing ok.” Ned agreed.

 

The scene changed to show a science class and the bully, Flash, being asked a question, getting it wrong, before the teacher called on Peter, who was busy watching clips of Spider-Man. He then answered the question correctly. Flash then told Peter he was dead.

 

“What if he is?” Scott asked the unasked question as Hope elbowed him and the rest of them, except Flash, glared at him. He could even sense under the mask that the other two were glaring at him as well.

 

In another class, Peter looked over notes for an improved formula for web fluid, mixing it in his desk as the teacher droned on.

 

“The kid’s a genius!” Tony and Bruce both happily declared before looking at each other.

 

“I’m clearly the one adopting him, Bruce.” Tony insisted.

 

In the canteen, Peter and Ned discussed whether the girl they had a crush on, Liz, had new clothes, Ned said we should stop staring, before a girl on their own table looked up, said it was too late and they were losers. Ned asked why she sat with them, she said as she had no friends.

 

“Well I’m your friend, MJ!” Ned insisted.

 

“Yeah, I know that, but we didn’t really start talking until Sophmore year, did we?” MJ reminded him.

 

“Oh yeah.”

 

Peter then talked with Mr Harrington about skipping debate club for his Internship, Flash stated he had never even met Tony Stark as the others begged Peter to come, including Liz. The other girl who sat with them stated that she had noticed he had quit other clubs already, saying she wasn’t obsessed with Peter, just observant. They agreed Flash would cover for Peter at Nationals as Peter waited for school to end, being the first out of the door, he jumped the gate to the field below, making it to Queens fast.

 

“I mean, you’re smart, but it seems Peter would have clearly been a better choice to be in the debate team.” Abe pointed out as Flash preened that he was chosen.

 

“I mean, he’s clearly a genius.” MJ agreed.

 

“Definitely gonna scoop him up for Stark Industries when this is all over, we get the memories back and I somehow cheat death.” Tony swore.

 

Strange frowned. It wouldn’t be that simple, he could promise that. Tony had to die, that much was certain. He wasn’t even sure how those from 2023 had forgotten this Peter, it must have been to do with coming back to life in this time.

 

Peter talked to a deli owner, Mr Delmar, asking how his daughter was as Delmar told his employee that Peter’s aunt was hot. Delmar and Peter joked as Peter stroked his cat, Murph. Delmar asked how school was, Peter said he had better things to do, Delmar told him he didn’t want to end up like Delmar, running a deli, Peter said it was a great job he had.

 

“The kid has got some stones.” Clint remarked.

 

“Definitely a good game.” Sam agreed.

 

“I like that he cared for the cat.” Bucky said softly.

 

“My kid will not be working in a deli!” Tony insisted.

 

“Your kid?” Natasha asked, ribbing him.

 

“Clearly I’m his adopted father, I made him a new suit and sent Happy to him. I may not know him, but he’s a genius, how can he not be my kid? I’ll even tell him he is when I meet him again.” Tony promised her.

 

Peter raced down a side alley, stripping off his top and trousers, revealing a six pack and toned body, before slipping on his Spider-Man suit as a onesie, pressing a button it fit to his body, webbing his backpack to a dumpster, he jumped onto a nearby roof and began to swing around, checking the neighbourhood, stopping a bike thief, giving an old lady directions, trying to stop a guy breaking into a car.

 

“Wow, he’s built.” Abe said, thinking on his own body development over the years.

 

“Definitely doesn’t skip leg day.” Ned stated.

 

MJ was having thoughts at the sight of his body. Bad thoughts.

 

“How has his identity not been revealed by now, webbing his clothes to dumpsters?” Clint bemoaned as Natasha grinned. Yep, she needed to give this kid pointers on discretion.

 

“God my tech is amazing.” Tony bragged.

 

“Such a kind kid.” Bruce marvelled.

 

“Well he’s definitely a hero. Wait, didn’t we fight him in Germany?” Sam asked.

 

“We got our asses kicked by a kid?” Bucky moaned as Steve laughed at his two friends misfortune.

 

The guy claimed the car was his as the alarm went off, the neighbours came out and began to complain, shouting at the car owner, Spider-Man and each other before an old man began to chat to a woman in another apartment, enquiring about her mother.

 

“Wow, gotta check first.” Cindy chuckled.

 

“Does that old man look familiar to anyone else?” Tony asked.

 

“Yeah, I think I’ve seen him somewhere before.” Natasha agreed.

 

“I thought he looked familiar.” Rhodey agreed.

 

“Weird.” Bruce said.

 

The scene cut to sunset, Peter telling Happy about the events of the day, complaining he could be doing more, catching his web fluid cartridge before he could s t op it, he spotted a few men wearing balaclavas heading into a bank, muttering that there was finally something good.

 

“He’s determined to prove himself. That could prove costly if he isn’t careful.” Natasha remarked.

 

“He’ll be careful. He’s a good kid.” Spider-Man 3 spoke up before he could stop himself.

 

“Wait a minute, you’ve met him, haven’t you? You’re not Peter as well, are you? Either of you?” MJ asked as the two Spider-Men looked at each other before shaking their heads.

 

“Sorry but no. But we have met Peter, he’s a great guy, really.” Spider-Man 2 affirmed.

 

“We can see that. Why isn’t he here though? Helping us to remember all of this?” Ned protested.

 

“I’m sure he would be if he could be, kid.” Tony told him.

 

“I’m not entirely sure how this has all worked anyway.” Wong said. “So I can’t say why he isn’t here.”

 

Spider-Man stood leaning against the door as the robbers, wearing Avengers masks, used high tech equipment to open the bank ATMS. Spider-Man feigned amazement at the Avengers as they began to attack him, he greeted Thor and Hulk, saying it was good to meet them, but he thought Thor would be more handsome. He asked why Iron Man needed to rob ATM’s as he was a billionaire, before being caught in an anti gravity beam and lifted into the roof and smashed into the floor repeatedly. Spider-Man still managed to quip “I’m starting to think you’re not the Avengers.”

 

“He’s got as bad a sense of humour as you do, Tones.” Rhodey remarked.

 

“Definitely quick with a quip.” Steve agreed.

 

“I’m not sure if that’s a bad thing or not.” Wanda stated.

 

“Definitely a good thing. I’ve got the best sense of humour.” Tony grinned.

 

“What is with all of that tech though?” Clint asked.

 

“Definitely something more than some low level street thugs should have.” Natasha confirmed.

 

“It’s gotta be tied to Toomes, right?” Bruce asked. “With us seeing him and his crew working on weapons.”

 

Mr Delmar phoned the police to tell them that Spider-Man was fighting the Avengers in a bank, Peter tried to web up the crooks as they dropped their device, which went haywire, setting fire to the street, including Delmar’s. Peter raced over to save Mr Delmar and Murph, only to find the criminals had escaped.

 

“At least he saved the cat and Mr Delmar. I remember his sandwiches, they were the best!” Abe cried.

 

“It’s a shame he shut down. I’m glad his son took over after the Blip.” Cindy agreed.

 

“They make the best sandwiches in Queens, he’s a man of culture!” Ned happily cried.

 

Peter phoned Happy to tell him about the high tech weapons, only for Happy to tell Peter he was busy packing up Stark Tower as Tony had sold it and they were moving everything to the new Avengers compound upstate, telling Peter he hoped there was no cell reception there and saying Peter was free not to call him, to leave this threat alone, before hanging up.

 

“Happy, you can’t be like that with your Spiderling.” Cindy admonished him.

 

“My what?” Happy asked, confused and terrified.

 

Peter headed back to his apartment, crawling in across the ceiling, dropping to the floor and closing the door so May didn’t see him, he turned around, taking off his Spider-Man costume, to see Ned sat on the bed, who dropped his Lego Death Star in shock, Peter looking back at him in shock too.

 

“Ned, I need you to track my phone!”

 

“This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me!”

 

“Peter...” Ned sighed, memories hitting him as he saw the reveal on the screen before him.

 

“Ned, are you alright?” MJ asked him.

 

“Y-Yeah, I think so.” Ned shakily said as everyone else in the room looked at him with concern. “I think I got some memories back, I remember him asking me to track his phone? And I said something about how it was the greatest thing ever for me to help him.” Ned explained.

 

“Wow, that’s great!” Spider-Man 2 spoke out and Ned was sure that under the mask, the guy was smiling.

 

“Why can’t we remember anything?” Flash asked.

 

“Maybe it’s like a significant moment with him, that awakens the memories?” Strange queried to Wong, who shrugged.

 

“I can’t pretend I know how this works, Stephen!” He whispered to him.

 

Ned and Peter talked in hushed whispers about Peter and his secret, how Ned didn’t believe he could keep it quiet, but when Peter pleaded, that he didn’t want to upend May’s life anymore than he already had, Ned agreed. Peter then kicked Ned out as he and May went to dinner together, Peter promising he would tell Ned about it all at school.

 

“So, I’m going to hope you keep his secret.” Tony glared at Ned who gulped.

 

“I-I think I do.” Ned sweated.

 

Chapter 4: Lake Party

“Wait, May is his Aunt?” Happy asked. “How did I only just realise that?”

“God, you really are a forehead of security, aren’t you Happy?” Tony teased his old friend who mock glared at him.

“That’s never going to go away, is it?” Happy asked, secretly glad Tony was insulting him like this. He may not understand everything that’s happening right now, but his oldest friend was back, at least for now, and that’s all that mattered to Happy. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to handle all of this as well as Tony had, if he was Tony.

“Are you alright, Happy?” Rhodey asked, seeing the look of consternation of his face.

“Yeah. I’m good, James. Thanks.” Happy smiled back at him.

May and Peter discussed how withdrawn he was recently over Thai food, May saying she wasn’t a big fan of Tony Stark, before he noticed the news report about Delmar’s, telling Peter if he ever sees a superhero fight, to run away from it. Peter said he would as the waiter brought them a free desert, May said he was nice, Peter made a joke about the food and the waiter liking May.

“How can anybody not be a fan of me?” Tony asked in mock outrage.

“I larbed her too.” Happy said, looking sadly at May in her element and so happy. Memories hit him of simpler times with May, sharing lunch in her office, going out for meals and drinks together. Sitting together and chatting in her apartment.

“I’m sorry, buddy.” Tony said, putting his hand on Happy’s shoulder. They may not have explicitly said it, but the fact they had all somehow forgotten Peter, the sadness he could tell Happy was carrying, he had known something must have happened to May.

“I spoke to someone a few weeks ago, by her grave. I asked if all she had done, all she stood for, was that gone now as well? He told me that it wasn’t, if we stood up for what she stood for, she was never going to be truly gone. I liked the idea of that, that she was still here with us, in some way.” Happy said, before his eyes went wide.

“What is it?” Steve asked, noticing the surprise on Happy’s face.

“I think it was this Peter I spoke too.”

“Do you remember if he said anything else?” MJ asked.

“I don’t think he did. Just wished me well I think.” Happy tried to rack his brains, to see if Peter had said anything else at all to him. He was just pulling up blanks.

Ned and Peter discussed his powers and what he could do during all of their classes, Ned asked Peter if he knew Captain America, Peter told him that he had stolen his shield. As they were in gym, they heard Liz admit she had a crush on Spider-Man, before Ned blurted out that Peter knew Spider-Man.

“He stole your shield?” Ned asked, turning to Steve.

“Only temporarily!” Steve protested, seeing the gleeful looks on the faces of the other Avengers. “You guys know I won when he tried to fight me, right? You all saw it.”

“Sure you did.” Bucky teased.

The rest of the class asked Peter if it was true, Peter tried to backtrack on it as Flash made fun of him, before Liz invited both Peter and Ned to a party she was hosting, asking them to bring Spider-Man along to say hi.

“God I’m an idiot, I’ve set it up to give Flash a free laugh and put Peter in a bad situation, haven’t I?” Ned said.

“It’s not your fault.” MJ said. “You’re basically an excitable puppy even now. Something like this happening to you? Of course you weren’t going to keep it in properly.”

“Still, I should have done better.” Ned said.

“You can’t beat yourself up, kid.” Sam said to him. “You just gotta make sure you do better, and when we do get back, when we do remember Peter again, we will do better. All of us. Right now, he’s probably out there all alone. He’s going to need a support network.”

“We’ll be there for him.” Ned promised as the Midtown alumni all nodded, the Avengers silently agreeing to be there as well for the kid. They’d find him and help. However they could.

At the party, MJ called them both losers for being at the party, when they said she was here as well, she asked if she really was. Peter and Ned talked about the plan, Peter telling Ned he wouldn’t appear as Spider-Man was it wasn’t a cheap tool to be used, until Flash tried to humiliate him by asking where Spider-Man was in front of everyone and insulting Ned.

“So why did you go anyway?” Betty turned to MJ.

“To be honest, I don’t think I had anything better to do.” MJ admitted. “It was nearly a decade ago now. Time flies, doesn’t it?”

“Are you sure it wasn’t to stalk Peter?” Betty teased as MJ flushed.

“I don’t even remember him! How could I have been?” MJ hissed at her as Betty grinned.

“Peter and MJ sitting in a tree-” Ned started as MJ turned around and punched his arm.

“Finish that sentence and you’ll wish you were never born.” MJ said to him as Ned shut up.

Peter tried to think of how he would introduce himself, saying he knew Ned as well, as he sat on a nearby roof in his costume, before he saw the sign of an explosion in the distance. Realising it was his duty, he swung away towards it, leaving the party and an impatient Ned.

“The heroes job is never over, is it?” Sam asked sadly.

“It’s the duty we have.” Rhodey told them all. “The kid knows it, he’s got heart.”

As Peter reached the scene, he decided to hang back as he saw three men by a van, two of them showing off some gear to another. Offering him things like Ultron arms and Chitauri cannons, the buyer protested that he just wanted something small to threaten someone, he didn’t want to kill anyone or blast them back in time.

“Well, I mean, he’s a bad dude, but at least he thinks it’s overkill is all of this.” Scott spoke up.

“Still a criminal, still needs stopping before he hurts someone.” Hope pointedly said to him.

“I used to be a criminal as well.” Scott reminded her.

“Yeah, but you weren’t violent, at all. And you have become a hero, you were a criminal for doing a good deed, not for trying to rob people.”

“I know, but I could change, and I could become just a hero. Other people can improve, can change as well.”

Peter got involved and attacked the buy, scattering them, as he chose to go after the sellers, he chased them through the suburbs, as they called their boss in, saying they needed help.

“So this is where he’s first going to meet Toomes, isn’t it?” Abe asked.

“He needs to be careful, that suit is going to be dangerous.” Steve said.

“You do realise this was years ago, we know Spider-Man won.” Natasha told him.

“We were on the run at the time, I wasn’t really paying much attention to the news back then.” Steve reminded her.

As Peter closed in on them, he felt himself rising into the air, turning, he saw a giant vulture creature lifting him, managing to wriggle free, he plummeted towards the Earth at great height, getting tangled in his parachute and crashing into a lake.

“PETER!” Tony screamed at the scene as memories came flooding back to him. The kid on a spinning wheel in orbit, dropping off of the spaceship, the kid in Maw’s ship, discussing strategy to deal with Maw with him, the kid giving constant pop culture references. “I need to help him.”

“You will, Tony. You will.” Steve promised him.

After a moment, an Iron Man suit flew into the lake and retrieved Spider-Man, speaking to Peter, he laid into him as Peter found out the suit was being remotely operated.

“I’m an idiot. I should have been there for him.” Tony panicked.

“You couldn’t have known, Tony. You can’t beat yourself up for everything bad that happens.” Rhodey told him.

“Peter’s clearly a trouble magnet. You can’t keep[ 24/7 tabs on him, Tony. You’ve got your own life as well.” Happy tried to reassure him, judging by the frown that Tony gave though, he doubted this topic was exactly gone.

Peter argued how Tony didn’t think he was a kid when fighting Captain America. Tony told him if Steve wanted to finish him quickly, he would have done. He told Peter to leave the Vulture and the weapons thing alone and focus on neighbourhood issues. Before Peter could retort, FRIDAY informed him that Tony was gone and the suit flew away.

“Wow, that’s pretty heartless.” Betty murmured, luckily Tony missed it, too caught up in the few precious memories he had been hit by of Peter and their time together to hear it.

“So you went easy on him when you two fought, huh?” Bucky teased Steve.

“I mean, I could tell it was just a kid under the costume, of course I wasn’t going to go all out and crush him. He had let Tony’s point of view influence him and wasn’t open to hearing my side of things. I couldn’t just flatten him for that.”

Peter phoned Ned to tell him he was returning to the party, when Ned told him that he shouldn’t bother, putting the phone away from him so Peter could hear Flash riling up the crowd and everyone insulting Peter. Peter told Ned he would see him at school the next day as Peter began to look at the tech he had managed to swipe from the criminals.

“Sorry I was such a dick, Ned.” Flash said, having thought on his past actions over the time they had been there.

“It’s fine, we were both kids then, we’re men now.”

At his base, Toomes landed, berating the sellers as idiots as Mason told him his wife kept texting, asking about her brake light, with Toomes telling Mason to stay off his phone. As the sellers pulled up in their beaten van, Toomes launched into them verbally, saying how they had gone on for years under the radar, avoiding Damage Control and the Avengers, how they were all at risk, they all had families to provide for, they couldn’t make too much noise to be caught.

“Looks like someone’s illegal activities are about to come crashing down.” Betty said in a sing-song voice.

“Well he definitely put himself on my radar when he chose to mess with Spider-Man.” Tony snarled. “If he was still out there, I’d definitely make him a top priority now I recall the kid under the mask.”

Toomes told “The Shocker” that he was out of the crew, he couldn’t be trusted, the Shocker said he’d go, but could Toomes afford him out there, blackmailing him. Toomes turned and grabbed a weapon, firing at The Shocker, disintegrating him. He turned to Mason and said he thought that was the anti-grav gun, Mason said it was the other. Toomes gave the Shocker gauntlet to the other seller and told him he was the Shocker now, and to find their missing tech.

“He...He killed that man.” Cindy said, eyes filling with tears. Abe nodded with a grim acceptance. He had seen death, lived through it, he hated it, but he accepted it as a fact of life. But to see a man killed like that, even if he was a bad guy, that wasn’t right.

“Men like him are despicable.” Scott snarled, Hope nodding.

“He killed to keep a secret. I mean, I can understand it, I’ve had to do it before, but to do it just to get money, to keep despicable things you’ve done hidden? It’s disgusting.” Clint said. Not that he’d admit he had done things possibly worse than Toomes had. He didn’t want to reopen that can of worms, not after he was so close to finally closing it for good with Kate.

As they began complaining about how bad Toomes was, Spider-Man 2 and 3 looked around as they could sense an uneasiness in the air, the world seemed to fall quiet, everyone seemed to drop away, as they looked at each other.

“You feel it too, right?” Spider-Man 2 said.

“Yeah, whatever it is. It isn’t right.” Spider-Man 3 confirmed. “We need to be on guard.”

Suddenly a light filled the room, blinding everyone, and when it cleared, they saw another man sat in the far corner, eyes wide and darting around, they could hear him mumbling to himself.

“Where are we now?”

“Wait, who are you?” Spider-Man 2 asked to the newcomer, recovering from his shock the fastest. He seemed somewhat familiar, he just couldn’t place where from. With his torn clothes, his unkempt hair, growing beard and the reek of alcohol, the guy clearly didn’t have his life together, whoever he was.

“My name is Eddie Brock.” The man explained, as Spider-Man 2 took a cautious step back, a step that wasn’t totally unnoticed. “Where am I?”

“Eddie Brock. Why do I get the feeling that...Spider-Man 2, is it? That you know who that is.”

“I’ve met Eddie before. But not this Eddie. The Eddie I knew, he had...let’s say a friend with him.”

“A-A friend? L-Like who?” Eddie asked, scratching his neck as he freaked out. Did this guy know about Venom? Was he after him?

“Let’s just say, it was a parasite.” Spider-Man 2 sneered as Venom felt his rage building, before Eddie could say anything, he burst from his back and rose into the air above the room.

“PARASITE?!?”

“He doesn’t like to be called that word!” Eddie pleaded.

“WHAT IS THAT?!” Everyone yelled, looking at it as Spider-Man 2’s eyes hardened.

“WE….ARE VENOM.” The black goo spoke.

Notes:

Totally just realised at my third viewing of No Way Home that Venom will know who Peter Parker is still. Many shenanigans will occur no doubt.

Chapter 5: Training Wheels

“So….what are you? What planet are you from?” Tony asked, staring at this Eddie and the giant black thing behind him.

 

“I-I’m from New York, Mr…?” Eddie said.

 

“Stark, and I was talking more to the gooey mess.”

 

“MESS?! I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS, EDDIE! I DEMAND WE EAT THIS ONE!”

 

“We are not eating anybody here!” Eddie hissed at the symbiote, as everyone looked at him in confusion and fear. Tony merely raised an eyebrow at the thought of him being eaten by this thing.

 

“Are...Are you talking to that thing?” Strange asked, looking serious at Eddie as he squirmed under the gaze of everyone.

 

“That thing, is a dangerous alien that will try kill us all if given half a chance.” Spider-Man 2 said, staring at Eddie with a look that the others could only describe as hatred.

 

“What do you mean, eat us?!” Ned panicked.

 

“How do you know this thing? How do you know me?” Eddie asked, wondering who the hell this guy was. He wasn’t Peter Parker, he had seen that kid on the news, this wasn’t him.

 

“Ask that thing in you.” Spider-Man 2 snarled.

 

“I HAVE NO IDEA WHO THE FUCK THIS GUY IS.” Venom assured Eddie. “WAIT...OUR HIVE MIND HAS A MULTIVERSAL CONNECTION. MAYBE HE FOUGHT ANOTHER ME?”

 

“Would explain the hate he has to us both. Maybe there’s another me with another you?” Eddie mumbled to Venom as the others watched the exchange in confusion.

 

“Mind filling us in, Mr Brock, was it?” Bruce asked kindly, looking at the man in sorrow. He knew exactly what it was like to have another personality, as it were, in your body with you.

 

“Well, it’s a long story, mind telling me who you all are first?”

 

“Well, I’m Tony Stark, aka Iron Man.” Tony introduced himself.

 

“Wait...didn’t you die, fighting some purple stones alien?” Eddie questioned.

 

“How do you know about that?” Spider-Man 2 demanded to know.

 

“There was a bar, in Mexico, we somehow ended up there...we spent a few days, then we decided we were going to go to New York, to speak to this Spider-Man, when we vanished again, ending up back home. After that, I spent a few weeks wandering Central America, then….I was in here.” Eddie explained. “I’m not sure where I am or how I got here, all I know is I heard a voice, on my way here, telling me that I was needed to help Spider-Man. I don’t know how I’m meant to do that, but if I can help, I guess I’m here to do so.”

 

“Well...thanks.” Spider-Man 3 awkwardly said, everyone nodding at Eddie, other than Spider-Man 2, who still glared mistrustfully at him.

 

“WE NEED TO WATCH THAT GUY, I DO NOT LIKE HOW HE LOOKS AT US. HE MAKES ME HUNGRY. CAN WE EAT ANY OF THEM YET?” Venom asked Eddie who shook his head violently.

 

“These guys seem to be good guys. Remember the rules?” Eddie demanded.

 

“WE ONLY EAT BAD GUYS.” Venom pouted. He hated that rule. He wanted to eat brains and hunt. Why wouldn’t Eddie let him? It wasn’t like they weren’t fugitives now.

 

Peter and Ned discussed the attack the night before as they hammered at the tech, setting off the power core inside as a spark flew away and caused a commotion in the shop lab. They headed off to go study it when Peter noticed the new Shocker and someone else in the school hallway, and pulled Ned aside, telling him it one of the guys who attacked him and they needed to hide, before realising he may be able to find out who the Vulture guy was if he followed them.

 

“So they have trackers on their weapons? That’s not good for Peter at all.” Natasha frowned.

 

“He can handle them, without the Vulture, they don’t stand a chance.” Ned confidently predicted.

 

“Don’t get overconfident, kid. I’ve seen my fair share of missions go sideways due to it.” Sam told Ned, who nodded.

 

‘I guess they’re right, I mean, I don’t even really know Peter anymore. I can’t really say for sure how it would go.’

 

Peter followed them into the lab as they realised the weapon must have been moved by now, Peter ducking under a table as the two came back, thinking they heard something. As the Shocker was about to leave, Peter fired a tracker with his webs to follow him.

 

“Smart move.” Clint nodded his head.

 

“Maybe there’s hope for him to be a SHIELD agent yet.” Natasha said teasingly, as she saw the look of possessed determination on Stark’s face. He didn’t even fully remember this kid, and she could already tell he’d move mountains to keep him away from Fury and his bullshit. She could respect that.

 

Back at Peter’s, Ned watched the display on his shooters as they chose to have a sleepover to see where the criminals went too. Eventually, they found out the guys were in Maryland as Ned wore the Spider-Man mask. Ned wondered how they were ever going to stop them from New York, before Peter remembered the Decathlon he had dropped out of, telling Ned, Maryland wasn’t too far from D.C.

 

“That’s sneaky.” Abe said.

 

‘I guess that’s why I can barely remember him, we spent almost no time together, using our trips as an excuse to be a vigilante I guess.’

 

“How have these guys travelled several hundred miles and not noticed a tracker on them?” Scott asked. “They must be the dumbest of the dumb.”

 

“You know full well you wouldn’t have noticed one either.” Hope admonished him.

 

“I mean, I admit I’m a grade-A dumbass.” Scott shrugged.

 

Peter asked to rejoin the debate team and was immediately welcomed back despite the protests of Flash, as MJ stated how she wanted to get going so she could protest before dinner.

 

“Protest is a patriotic duty.” Steve agreed with Harrington as the other Avengers rolled their eyes.

 

“Exactly!” MJ confirmed as the other Midtown lot rolled their eyes at her.

 

As they rode on the bus, quizzing one another to practise, Peter received a call from Happy, saying how he didn’t like Happy invading his privacy by tracking him, whispering that it was different to Ned than what they were doing. He told Happy it was no big deal, Happy agreed, but said he was watching Peter.

 

“I mean, it’s really not any different.” Cindy stated.

 

“I think I can give him a pass on illegally tracking someone when he’s doing it to help others.” MJ said. “Though I don’t like that he’s using us to do his own thing.”

 

“He had to stop this guy though.” Ned insisted.

 

“Yeah, but do you like having something you’ve worked hard on being co-opted just so he can play vigilante?”

 

“Well, no, but-”

 

“There isn’t a but, Ned.” MJ said. “Sure, he has to do this, I get that, but finding out that someone was using us all as cover like this? That’s not cool.”

 

Peter and Ned hurried to their hotel room as they hooked up his suit to Ned’s computer, Ned asking why they were going to remove the tracker from the suit.

 

“Because you’re idiots.” Tony told him. “If I’ve put a tracker on his suit, it’s for a reason.”

 

“Well yeah, I can see that, I’m pretty sure even younger me can see that, Sir.” Ned reassured him.

 

Peter said it was because Mr Stark didn’t appreciate what Peter could do and that they needed to stop these guys, and if Iron Man wasn’t going to take it seriously, he would. Ned told him how he had a bunch of protocols hidden behind the Training Wheels protocol, Peter demanded Ned disable it as he could handle himself, eventually Ned agreed too.

 

“I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.” Bruce warned.

 

“Yeah, I’m kinda regretting this. I mean, I don’t recall it quite like this, but I do remember Spider-Man coming to me, I found it weird he was in D.C, he asked me to help him run down some bad guys, he knew I was good with tech he said, he had me hack into his suit, to try and find who the Vulture was, and to help him to shake some tail that was in his suit.” Ned explained. It was weird, thinking that all of his memories of his interactions with Spider-Man were fake, the result of a spell, and wasn’t that the coolest thing ever? Other than the whole losing his memories, that part sucked. He really wish he knew more about Peter than the few flashes of real memory he had gotten, and he really hoped he could fully separate them. Maybe he could ask the wizard to wipe his fake memories?

 

“Well at least nothing too bad will happen. He’s just following them, we know he’s alright, we all remember meeting Spider-Man later on.” Steve said.

 

Peter snuck out of the room, telling Ned to keep the tech safe, only to run into Liz and the rest, heading off to swim. Liz invited Peter as he made an excuse to go studying, before she called him the smartest person she knew. As the rest of them swam and MJ sat reading by the pool, Peter watched from above, in his Spider suit, sorry he couldn’t do this important thing for Liz, before his new suit AI activated.

 

“Poor Peter, you can tell her really likes this Liz.” Bucky said, MJ smarted at the idea. She didn’t know why, it wasn’t like her and Spider-Man had that close a relationship, she had helped him out, especially against Mysterio, but that was it. They weren’t that close, she was sure she didn’t know who he was under the mask, even before she apparently forgot Peter.

 

“Duty before himself. That’s not fair, he’s just a kid.” Rhodey frowned.

 

The AI congratulated him on getting full access to the suit and plotted a course to find the tracker, showing Peter swinging through D.C before jumping off of a truck to a rest stop, seeing a van ahead with the Shocker sat in the front, Peter prepared to attack, before being distracted with all the web options he now had, trying a few out, luckily not getting the attention of the criminals as he fired off taser webs and rapid fire ones. He hid as they began to move out, as a Department of Damage Control convoy drove past, they signalled their boss it was time for him to attack.

 

“So, this is a new voice.” Bruce said of the AI.

 

“I don’t recall Spider-Man ever mentioning he had an AI, I just assumed I hadn’t put one into his suit that I helped design.” Tony said. “Damn, that spell really has messed with a lot of my memories, hasn’t it?”

 

“You can’t blame yourself, Tony.” Wong told him, seeing the look of sadness on the man’s face. “Even we do not fully understand the spell, it travels the border between known and unknown realities.”

 

“WHAT? YOU CAST A SPELL, ON THE ENTIRE WORLD, WITH NO IDEA OF ITS FULL CONSEQUENCES?!” Wanda yelled. “AND I THOUGHT I WAS AN IDIOT FOR WHAT HAPPENED IN WESTVIEW! YOU CLEARLY FUCKED UP HIS LIFE AND THE LIFE OF EVERYONE WHO KNEW HIM, REGARDLESS OF WHY YOU DID IT! YOU MAKE ME SICK, STRANGE!” Wanda finished her rant, breaking down into sobs at the end of it. Clint rushed forward and wrapped her in a hug before she could say anything, as she buried her head into his shoulder and kept sobbing.

 

“Wanda...” Steve said, his voice trailing off. He had been so close to Wanda, at least closer than most of the others had been to the young woman, before the Snap. But this new Wanda, she looked so determined, so powerful, she didn’t need Steve’s help anymore, he knew that. But what had happened to her? Why was she so affected by the idea of using unknown magic, at least more-so than he would have expected? What had happened in Westview?

 

“Wanda...I’m sorry.” Stephen said sadly. “I don’t know what to say, I don’t recall doing it, but I know I must have cast this spell. There’s nobody else that Spider-Man would have gone too. I know what you’ve been through, I saw what happened with Westview. I’m sorry if it’s brought back any painful memories, I truly am.”

 

“What happened in Westview?” Natasha asked, wanting to know why Wanda was so distraught.

 

“There was a thing, and I lost control. I did bad things, I hurt an entire town of people. I didn’t mean to do it, but I did. There was a fight I had with a witch who has been alive for centuries, I won, discovering a new side to myself, but I lost everything all over again by doing so. Since then, I’ve tried to do good, to be better. But I know what doing something without knowing everything about it can do now, it hurts people, it hurts yourself. It seems Strange here didn’t learn that lesson, if he was willing to wipe Spider-Man from everyone.” Wanda said, raising her head to turn her red rimmed eyes towards Natasha.

 

“I know how it feels, to not mean to do something, but to do it all the same.” Bucky explained, turning to Wanda, who looked over to him. “But you gotta move on. It looks like you’ve tried, from what I’ve heard, and what I saw about the clean up from Westview on the news, but you can’t just sit on it. You have to try more everyday, push on, make amends, until eventually, you can look yourself in the face in the mirror. I know it’s hard, I still struggle with it some days, but you can do it, Wanda. I know you can, because I can, and if I can forgive myself for what I’ve done, anyone can for what they’ve done too.”

 

“I do have to say, trying all those different webs looked pretty fun, I wonder which he’ll use most often?” Abe asked, trying to distract from the darkened mood in the room. It seemed to work as a few people cracked small smiles.

 

“THESE PEOPLE ALL HAVE ISSUES, THEY’RE AS FUCKED UP AS WE ARE, EDDIE.” Venom told Eddie who shook his head. At least these people seemed to have each other, with them on the run, Eddie and Venom had nothing.

 

The Vulture landed on the convoy and used some Chitauri tech to make a matter phase portal, hopping into the back of their truck and grabbing some alien weapons tech, as he climbed back out, Spider-Man attacked, managing to knock the equipment back into the truck before falling in himself, knocking himself out as the portal closed behind him, leaving Peter trapped and the Vulture to leave empty-handed.

 

“IS HE OK?!” Betty asked hysterically as they saw Peter hit the floor.

 

“Spider-Man’s had worse, he’ll be fine, no doubt.” Happy reminded her.

 

“I hope so.” Cindy cried.

Notes:

I’ve decided as I’m a sucker for punishment, in addition to these three films, there will be involved in this fic:
. The Battle on Titan and the Snap from Infinity War
. The Battle of Earth and Tony’s Funeral from Endgame
. A summary by Eddie of Venom 1&2 and the post credit of Venom 2 being shown
. All Three Raimi Spider-Man films
. The Amazing Spider-Man 1&2

Will be Homecoming > I.W & Endgame clips > FFH > NWH up until the the two Spideys mention finding Peter > Raimi trilogy > TASM duo > Rest of NWH > Venom 2 post credit > NWH post credit

Chapter 6: Washington

Notes:

Happy new year!!!

Peter asked “suit lady” where he was after he awoke, breaking out of the container, she informed him that he was in the deep storage vault of the DoDC, and the doors would remain closed until morning.

 

“He’s ok!” Cindy cheered.

 

“Well we knew Spider-Man after this, we knew he would be fine.” Flash grumbled as Cindy flushed.

 

“So, trapped inside the DoDC? Must have been a pain to get out of it.” Clint noted.

 

“Is that a wager to try break into their deep storage vaults and see who gets out first?” Natasha asked him with a grin, as Clint painfully smiled back at her. He’d love to do that, but he knew what had happened to her, what would happen when they got out of there. There was no happy ending. They had lost her, and they would lose her again.

 

Peter had his suit lady, who he dubbed Karen, teach him a refresher course on his webs, as well as discussing his feelings for Liz with her. Karen tells Peter that Liz will like him as he is, before he asks how long they had been there. Karen told him it was thirty-seven minutes since they arrived.

 

“Damn, that’s alot of web shooter configurations.” Sam remarked.

 

“Well I’ve got to make sure he’s prepared.” Tony argued.

 

“But does he need that many?” Steve wondered.

 

“OK, maybe I overdid it a little.” Tony admitted. “But its to keep him safe, and clearly will work once he’s properly trained and isn’t skipping ahead.”

 

“I’m sure he’s trained by now on it all.” Spider-Man 3 stated.

 

“How can you be so sure?” Tony asked.

 

“Call it a hunch.” Spider-Man 3 smiled at him.

 

“How has it only been 40 minutes? That’s no time at all!” Betty remarked.

 

“Time doesn’t fly I guess.” Ned joked.

 

Peter showed Karen they were more Chitauri devices in the container he came in, she explained it was an explosive core and with radiation, it would become a bomb. Peter tried and failed to contact Ned and tried to hack the time lock to get out of the vault earlier, saying they’d have to try every combination.

 

“That’s going to take far too long!” Bucky said, eyes widening in horror at what could happen.

 

“Relax, Buck. We know what happened, remember?” Sam tried to encourage him.

 

“Yeah, I just can’t get over that this kid had to deal with all of this. I feel really bad for beating him up in Germany now.”

 

“Please, Spider-Man kicked your asses.” Tony laughed at them.

 

Ned left to go to the Decathlon, pretending Peter was sick in their hotel room as Peter finally got the doors open and flew out after them, trying to get to D.C to stop anything happening. As Peter swung through Maryland and into D.C, the shot changed to show the Decathlon, MJ buzzing in to get the final question and win the Nationals for Midtown High.

 

“Did I ever mention how badass smart you are?” Betty asked MJ.

 

“No, but it doesn’t hurt to say even more.” MJ chuckled.

 

“At least he’s on his way to help out now.” Bruce said.

 

The students celebrated as they approached the Washington Monument, Flash saying how they didn’t need Peter as Abe called out Flash hadn’t answered a single question himself. MJ refused to go up, saying she didn’t want to celebrate something built by slaves, Mr Harrington telling her to have fun reading as they all headed up.

 

“Well, that’s certainly one reason to do it.” Sam said, frowning as he watched the screen. Monuments to that horrible time persisted throughout the States, sure, people today weren’t to blame for it, but the attitudes from those times weren’t gone, and that he couldn’t abide.

 

“I’m sorry, Sam.” Steve said, looking at his friend and figuring out where his brain was heading.

 

“It’s not your fault, Steve. But things like this, monuments built on the back of others suffering? Those things have to be reconciled.”

 

“Yeah, and I agree.” Steve nodded his head. “We do need to do better as a society, I think I know why future me has given you the shield. Because you’re the right man for it.”

 

“I know.” Sam smiled at him. “It took me a while to figure out why you wanted me, why you didn’t want the mantle to just disappear, and I didn’t get the chance to say it to you, but I’m thankful for what you’ve done, Steve, what it means, to give me this shield. Thank you.”

 

“Still can’t believe you thought you were the hero here, when you didn’t answer any questions.” Abe joked at Flash who glared at him.

 

Peter manages to call Ned, before he can explain about the core though, Liz seizes the phone and demands to know what happened with Peter, he tells her to put Ned back on and the line goes dead as the Chitauri core activated as Flash begs to be allowed to tell Peter he’s expelled.

 

“Hey, no expelling Peter for saving lives.”

 

“Damn the core is armed! Guess we know why the Washington Monument was damaged the other year now.” Bruce muttered.

 

Peter reaches the Monument just as the bomb goes off, MJ says her friends are up there as Peter tells her that he will save them. The tour guide tells them that their safe as Karen tells Peter that they’re all about to die, that the safety systems work as Karen says they have all failed.

 

“Well that inspires total confidence in government safety.” MJ dryly said.

 

Peter climbs to the top as he uses a recon drone to find an entrance. Peter finds it’s a small entrance though and has to swing to build momentum, as police helicopters appear, demanding he get to the ground and surrender before they shoot. As they go to shoot, he uses the helicopter to build momentum in the swing and break into the Monument.

 

“Nah they won’t land a hit on him” Tony insisted.

 

“Damn, he’s got some serious strength in him.” Ned remarked.

 

“Well he held up an airport bridge when I fought him....Oh God, I dropped a bridge on a kid.” Steve moaned, closing his eyes and pinching his nose at the thought of it.

 

Peter manages to catch the lift with Liz, Harrington and Ned still inside it, Flash having scurried to safety with the trophy before any of those three could escape.

 

“Our hero.” Ned spat at Flash who cringed away, looking at the floor from all the venomous looks being directed his way.

 

“I’m sorry, alright? I was a jerk.” Flash apologised.

 

He tells them to hang in and tells Ned to stop moving as Ned celebrates. Getting the lift to the top, he gets them out, facing Liz, Karen tells him to kiss her. Before he can, the web snaps and he falls with the lift, as Flash calls down to ask if Spider-Man knows Peter Parker.

 

“I think its safe to say he does.” Cindy laughed.

 

MJ could feel herself getting angry when she heard Karen mention that Peter should kiss Liz, though she couldn’t quite place why she felt annoyed at it. It wasn’t like she was even close to Peter, was it? I mean, they had barely interacted in these clips.

 

Cutting to Toomes, Mason explained that they had only enough alien and exotic tech to fulfill their next weapons order, but unless they got their hands on more, soon, they’d be out of business. He asked if it was time to go for the big job after all, Toomes told him to forget it and said he would kill Spider-Man for ruining them.

 

“You won’t be touching a hair on the kids head!” Tony seethed.

 

“Don’t worry, Tones, we know Spider-Man took these goons down.” Rhodey reminded him.

 

“I know, but seeing the kid, I feel protective of him. I’m just annoyed I barely remember him.” Tony frowned. “Glad these idiots were about to go out of business though.”

 

Shocker pointed out Spider-Man was in D.C, showing the footage of him saving the Decathlon team, and Toomes looking pensive at it as the scene showed all the kids reuniting with their families.

 

“Oh please don’t tell me he’s going to figure out Peter is in the Decathlon from them being in New York and D.C.” Scott groaned. He could tell how this is going to go.

Chapter 7: Ferry Crossing

“I’m sure he won’t figure out who Spider-Man is under the mask.” Hope tried to reassure Scott.

 

“Well with our track record of villains knowing who we are, even before we reveal ourselves, I’m not too sure.” Natasha murmured.

 

Ned and Peter talked as Peter said he had to catch the Vulture guy and he would be leaving school to be an Avenger once he did no doubt, Ned said they had a Spanish quiz, Peter argued he was beyond school when Principal Morita caught him and sent him to his office. He gave Peter detentions for skipping Decathlon, but didn’t expel him.

 

“Busted.” Betty sang as Abe, Cindy, Scott and Ned all choked on their laughter. MJ rolled her eyes like she was beyond it, but a hint of a smile was on her face as well.

 

“Never too important to drop out of school, no Avengers under 18.” Steve insisted, Tony nodded.

 

“Yeah, I’m not letting a kid drop out. When this is all done, I’ll be having a word with Peter.”

 

Peter sat bored in detention and ran off, deciding he had more important stuff to do as MJ sat in detention with him, drawing the coach as something to do, as she liked to draw people in crisis.

 

“You’re pretty talented at that.” Hope told MJ who thanked her.

 

“It’s something to pass the time, I guess.” MJ tried to play it off cool.

 

Peter reviewed the footage of the buy and other encounters with the Vulture, unable to find anything on him, they did flag the buyer from the earlier one had a criminal record, using facial recognition, they discovered an Aaron Davis, with Peter planning an ambush.

 

“Aaron Davis? Why does that name sound familiar?” Sam asked.

 

“I think we looked over the crime in New York, after the Blip? Pretty sure he was some hotshot in crime circles now. This must be when he was still a low level street thug.” Bucky said.

 

“Well at least he has more of a moral code than the others, he didn’t want to kill someone with the weapon, or at least not brutally kill them.” Scott said, thinking back to the buy and when they had all seen Davis before.

 

“Still, don’t like the idea of Peter been anywhere near him.” Tony said.

 

“Dad.” Strange coughed as Tony turned to glare at him, the other Avengers all trying to hide smiles behind their hands.

 

“I’m not his Dad!” Tony argued.

 

“Sure you’re not, Tones. The second we get out of here, I’m fully expecting when we all find Peter, you’ll immediately call him your son, even if he’s confused as hell.” Rhodey stated.

 

“Why would he be confused?” Flash asked.

 

“Well, he’s not here. He doesn’t know we all know of him. Maybe we will forget all of this when we leave wherever we are. We simply do not know anything of this.” Wong informed them.

 

“I wish I could help, but I mean, I just got here, just a heard a voice telling me to help, and I mean, I’m not even from around here.” Eddie croaked out.

 

“Yeah, sorry, but me and other Spider-Man just showed up here too and found ourselves unable to move at first, like I said. No idea how we are here or what the rules are when we leave.”

 

“I need to remember him, I need too.” Tony fervently stated. “I need to help the kid out, it’s clear he needs it.”

 

“How is it clear, I mean, these videos are from, what, seven years ago?” Abe asked.

 

“Because he isn’t here now. If he didn’t need help, he would be, I’m sure of it.” MJ said, agreeing with Tony. Spider-Man, Peter, she reminded herself, wasn’t here. From what she could remember of Spider-Man and what she had seen of this, she knew he would be there if he could be. The fact he couldn’t must mean he needs help of some kind from them.

 

Peter confronted Davis, who figured out this was Peter’s first time with the interrogation methods he used, but he softened when he heard why Peter did what he did, and agreed to help, providing him the location of where they would be that day, saying that he didn’t want those weapons on the streets, he had a nephew he cared for.

 

“He’s not perfect, nobody’s perfect, but he is good.” Cindy said. “He’s trying to be a good man, or at least a better man.”

 

“I mean, I wouldn’t call him good, but not a total dick.” Eddie argued.

 

“HE IS A BAD GUY, WE MUST DEVOUR HIS FLESH AND USE HIS BONES AS A TOOTHPICK!” Venom exclaimed.

 

Scaling a Staten Island ferry, Peter spot the Shocker talking to a man he couldn’t see the face of, telling the drone to follow the unknown man, Peter followed the Shocker, seeing him meet a man with a Scorpion tattoo, the Shocker said the weapons were in a white pickup, calling the drone off of the unknown man, he told it to scan for the vehicle, finding it as the criminals reported all of the weapons were there, Peter attacked, webbing several of them as the Shocker reported to Toomes that Spider-Man was there.

 

“So that’s a bad guy meet up if I ever saw one, like a bad guy expo.” Scott joked.

 

“Toomes was there. Damn, if the kid had known from the start, could have gotten him there and then.” Happy said.

 

“We can’t dwell on the past, Happy.” Steve said kindly. “All we can do is help him in the future.”

 

Peter was suddenly called by Tony Stark, who congratulated him on D.C, before Peter told Karen to hang up on Tony, seeking the Vulture guy out. Seeing the man’s face properly, before Peter could make a move, the FBI arrived, to sweep up the criminals, as Peter panicked, the Vulture suddenly showed up, and attacked Peter, the FBI shooting at him and failing as he and Peter fought, the Shocker ran off.

 

“He hung up on you?!” Rhodey laughed.

 

“Yeah, I’m still salty over that.” Tony pouted.

 

“I think I know why he did. He had to stop them, you would have tried to stop him.” Spider-Man 3 said. “He knows his responsibility, and it involved stopping them.”

 

“I guess you called the FBI?” Bucky asked softly, looking at Tony, who startled to hear him being addressed by Barnes.

 

“Yeah, Yeah I did.” Tony confirmed. “I had listened to Spider-Man, regardless of what Spider-Man himself thought. I valued his insights. Even if I don’t recall being that close to him.”

 

Peter managed to web up the Vulture and pull down his Chitauri gun, that set off and started shredding the ferry apart. Peter ran around webbing the structure together and trying to hold it together as the Vulture and Shocker escaped.

 

“Got to save the innocents. They’re the priority.” Steve nodded approvingly. “That’s the mission.”

 

As Peter struggled, Karen informed him that he was 98% successful as the ship began to fall apart. Before anything else could happen, the ship began to put itself back together, as Iron Man appeared.

 

“Hooray for me.” Tony joked as everyone chuckled. It was good that Tony was here now, clearly the crisis was over, at least for now. Vulture and his friends wouldn’t dare attack Iron Man. They’d run and hide.

 

The people began to cheer Iron Man as Spider-Man begged to help, Iron Man told him to sit it out, he’d already done enough, before flying away as rescue boats arrived to help the people on the ferry.

 

“That’s pretty harsh, Tony.” Sam told him.

 

“I know, but I needed to save the people, I guess I was a bit stressed with everything at the time, things that seem so petty now with what we’ve lived, what I’ve been through, what we’ve all shared and suffered since then.” Tony tried to explain. “I was just a dick, plain and simple.”

 

Toomes, Mason and the Shocker met in their warehouse, Toomes asking if Shocker was running when he saw the bag he held, the Shocker said he wasn’t waiting for the Avengers to bust them, the FBI were waiting, they were all on a radar now. He said Toomes should too. Toomes said he couldn’t and asked Mason if he could get the high altitude seal ready in time, Mason said he could as Toomes asked if Shocker was in.

 

“No, please, just run and hide, don’t do anything else illegal and bad.” Cindy pleaded.

 

“Why is this guy so interested in high altitude?” Steve wondered. He had missed most of the news whilst he was on the run, whilst he knew Spider-Man had stopped this Vulture person, he hadn’t really gotten the full details on it whilst running, and after Thanos, it didn’t seem at all important to look it up.

 

“I’m sure it’ll show it, Capsicle.” Tony told him.

 

Back at the docks, Iron Man visited Peter who sat their in shock. Iron Man began to berate Peter who tried to turn it on him, saying he tried to warn him about those guys but Iron Man didn’t listen. Peter said if Tony cared, he would be there, the suit then opened to reveal Tony, Peter scrambling backwards. Tony said he did, who did Peter think called the FBI. Tony told Peter that he wanted Peter to be better than he was, but he couldn’t be, so he needed the Spider-Man suit back, and Peter was grounded. He told Peter that if Peter was nothing without the suit, then he shouldn’t have the suit.

 

“Wow, now that’s a badass entrance.” Abe whistled.

 

“Tony.” Rhodey said as Tony sucked in a deep breath at seeing this. Obviously he remembered taking the suit off of the kid, but he didn’t recall seeing the kids face after, the homemade suit was already there, underneath, wasn’t it? Somehow? For some reason?

 

“Peter.” Tony said softly, as a flood of memories came rushing back. A young boy, eager to please. Hundreds of texts to Happy and the many complaints Happy sent him about the kid, him and Peter holding up a Stark Internship letter, the letter itself being upside down, as he stuck bunny fingers up behind Peter’s head. Tony could feel a headache coming on. He had to process all of this, and retain it, somehow. After all of this, he needed to remember, he couldn’t forget it all, he would not forget it all, ever.

 

“You remember him?” Happy asked gently.

 

“Flashes.” Tony admitted. “I can remember some stuff, I think the fact it made no sense for Spider-Man to wear his old suit under his new one managed to overwrite whatever spell the wizards did to us, for a moment.”

 

“So what helps us jog our memories of all of this?” Strange asked. He had no clue how this was meant to work, the runes were never used in this way before, as much as he could tell.

 

“I think logical inconsistencies and traumatic shared events.” MJ muttered. “At least, that seems to be the way of it from everyone else. I don’t think some of us have had ours yet as we haven’t seen any of that which we were involved in yet.”

 

“That’s an accurate description of it.” Wong confirmed before he whispered to Stephen “I have no idea how this works, do you?”

 

“Nope, let’s go along with the girls theory."

Notes:

Well updates will be less frequent from now on, going to try write the summaries of the films before I continue posting.

Chapter 8: I'm Liz's Dad

Notes:

Btw apologies for the small chapter, I split the story into what I felt were impactful moments, this was always the shortest bit. Also not too focused on this part of the fic rn, writing up the 2002 Spider-Man part atm as well as another Spider-Man oneshot.

“So, is he done as Spider-Man?” Scott asked.

 

“No, Spider-Man stopped the Vulture, remember?” Ned said.

 

“Oh yeah.” Scott sighed. “Sorry, I was on house arrest at the time for the whole fight in Germany thing, I kinda didn’t really keep up much with the news.”

 

Peter got back home find May freaking out about him, Peter then told May he had lost the Stark Internship, as she began to comfort him. Peter was then seen going to all of his classes, pulling his grades back up, building the Death Star with Ned, going to his detentions and trying to move on to a life without Spider-Man in it.

 

“You just took it all away from him? Like that, not a word, total cold turkey? Damn, that’s harsh, Stark.” Clint told him.

 

“I clearly couldn’t let him keep getting hurt, he tried too much, was too much like me. He needed to be better than me.” Tony tried to justify his actions.

 

“Yeah, I get you wanted to keep the kid safe, but that’s not how you do it, all you managed to do was leave him vulnerable there. It’s a miracle he decided to stop doing the Spider-Man stuff, even without your suit.” Clint explained. “The kid’s got a hero streak you can see from a mile off. If there’s a chance he can help, do you really think taking his suit away will stop him? All you’re doing here is telling him that he can’t rely on your support, and that you don’t care about the little guy. I’m surprised he doesn’t hate you.”

 

“He doesn’t, because that isn’t who Peter Parker is.” Cindy said. “We’ve seen what he’s like, in all of this, and when we hopefully all remember him fully, we’ll remember he’s like this. He doesn’t hate, he doesn’t hold grudges, he does what’s right, for everyone, no matter what. He would never hate anyone.”

 

Spider-Man 2 and 3 looked at each other. They weren’t too sure about that, they had both hated before, and they were pretty sure Peter-1 hated Norman Osborn, but they were also worried, because they were pretty sure he hated himself as well. They knew him after all, and they knew that, even with all the time and the processing of their grief the two of them had gone through, part of them still hated themselves, and probably always will.

 

‘Damn hero complex.’ Both of them thought.

 

He came across Liz in the hall and they spoke about Homecoming, he asked her to be his date and she agreed, he said he’d pick her up that night.

 

“Aww, yay for Peter!” Ned beamed.

 

“Glad the guy has got the girl.” Abe smiled.

 

“What, so that makes her have value?” MJ deadpanned as Abe flushed.

 

“T-That’s not what I meant!”

 

“I know, I was messing with you. I’m glad Peter’s going with the woman he likes, that’ll be good for him, I’m sure.” MJ smiled, even if it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

 

“The kid’s going to grow up so fast.” Natasha said, eyeing Tony who she could tell wanted to claim credit and preen over this.

 

Heading home, Peter got May’s help to get ready, styling his hair, learning how to tie his tie, May dropped him at Liz’s house as Peter prepared himself, the door opened to reveal Toomes, who greeted Peter as Liz’s dad.

 

“WHAT THE FUCK!” Everyone in the room yelled, other than those from Midtown, Happy and Tony.

 

“Oh yeah, I forgot about that.” Betty said sheepishly. They were that caught up in the scenes they saw that they had just put it aside that Toomes was Liz’s dad.

 

Notes:

NO WAY HOME ALMOST HAD A POST CREDIT OF TOBEY AND ANDREW BACK IN THEIR UNIVERSES?! WE WERE ROBBED!!!!!!!!!!!

Chapter 9: You're Spider-Man, With or Without A Stark Suit.

Summary:

Spider-Man vs The Vulture.

"So, the Vulture was his dates dad, huh." Spider-Man 2 remarked.

 

"You ever fought the Vulture in your world?" Spider-Man 3 asked him.

 

"Oh yeah, once, long ago, Along with my Mysterio actually, you?"

 

"I did. Never met a Mysterio though in my universe."

 

"He's a dick." Spider-Man 2 laughed. "Don't recommend."

 

Toomes and Liz’s mother talked as they all waited for Liz, Toomes offered Peter a drink, he refused on his age and Toomes congratulated him, as Liz arrived, he asked Peter how she looked, Peter fumbled his words and Toomes congratulated him again. Asking about the corsage, Peter just thrust it at Liz, unable to take his eyes from Toomes, horror and dread on his face.

 

"Poor Peter, I can't imagine what he's going through." Betty said.

 

"I can." Bruce thought back on Betty and General Ross being after him.

 

"I guess you'd know about the bad guy being your girls father, eh Bruce?" Tony said, dragging his science bro into a one armed hug, as Bruce protested.

 

"He's going to give it away, acting so suspicious." Natasha frowned.

 

"He's young and untrained." Clint pointed out. "He clearly doesn't really do espionage at all."

 

Taking photos, Peter just stared at Toomes as Liz and her mother smiled happily. Toomes then revealed he was their lift to the dance on his way out of town, telling Liz’s mother that this was his last ever job and he would be a stay at home dad from then on.

 

"So this is it, the big job they were talking about." Steve remarked.

 

"Yeah, he went for my tech, remember? I remember Spider-Man saving it all for Happy." Tony stated.

 

"Again, on the run meant didn't really pay attention to the news." Steve grinned as Tony smiled tightly back. That period would still be a little tense for him, no matter how much they'd tried to put that water back under the bridge.

 

They got in the car and drove to the dance as Liz laughed at photos and tried to draw Peter into it with no success, Toomes swore he had met Peter before, but as Liz explained he skipped out on Decathlon and was at her party, Toomes put it together, grinning at Peter as he did.

 

"SHIT!" Scott yelled, as the original Avengers called out "Language!" even if they didn't sound like they had the heart to do it.

 

"He knows. Oh God, he's gonna kill Peter!" Cindy cried.

 

"Peter will be fine, we know he wins, remember?" MJ told her, as Cindy nodded.

 

"What will he do with the information is the main thing." Eddie spoke up.

"HE WILL TRY KILL THE SPIDER-BOY. I SAY WE EAT HIM FIRST!" Venom declared.

 

"We are not eating people." Eddie monotoned, the others were now pretty sure that he and this Venom had discussed eating people many times before.

 

"Either way, the kid has gotta think of a way out of this." Hope said.

 

"He will, he's a genius, we've seen it, no way my son gets outsmarted." Tony replied.

 

"Your son, eh?" Rhodey asked.

 

"Shut up." Tony hissed.

 

At the dance, he kept Peter back and threatened him, but thanked Peter for saving Liz’ life in D.C, so he promised he would let Peter live if Peter agreed to let the Vulture stuff go, go dance with Liz and leave him to his business. Peter thanked him after he prodded it from Peter, and kicked him out.

 

"Wow, a real heart of gold, this one." Ned sneered.

 

"Was that a pun? A really bad pun?" Tony asked him.

 

"Maybe." Ned tried to smoothly reply. Iron Man was talking to HIM. IRON MAN. Wow. This was the best moment of Ned's life that he could remember at least.

 

Peter went up to Liz and apologised to her before rushing out, the Shocker was waiting for Peter, and after a short fight, had the upper hand, Peter back in his home-made suit he had stashed at Midtown. Before Shocker could deliver a killing blow, his gauntlet was pulled away by Ned using Peter’s webs, Peter then webbed up Shocker and told Ned to get on the computer, to track his phone that he had left in Toome’s car, as he went after him.

 

"Go Ned!" Everyone cheered as Ned blushed.

 

"I don't even remember doing this, but I got to help Peter? That's awesome." Ned said.

 

"Even without any powers, you're a real hero." MJ told her best friend.

 

"I guess." Ned agreed.

 

"Glad that Shocker guy got dealt with, he was crazy." Flash stated.

 

Peter stole Flash’s car and began to chase after him, finding him in Brooklyn eventually as Ned figured out how to work the car and called Happy to let him know what Peter had discovered about the Vulture. Realising it was moving day, Peter figured out Toomes was planning to rob the Avengers quinjet and steal Avengers weapons and tech to keep himself going.

 

"He planned to rob the Avengers?" Abe asked, shocked at the audacity of the Vulture.

 

"How didn't you know about that?" Bruce asked. "I thought it would have made headlines."

 

"It was kept largely under wraps." Tony told him. "We put out that it was highly sensitive and valuable materials, but we kept the Avengers name out of the story."

 

"I still can't believe that Spider-Man stole my parents car." Flash bemoaned. "I mean, sure, clearly it was needed, and he helped save the day with it, but it wasn't mine!"

 

"With how you treated his civilian identity, I'd be glad he doesn't want revenge on you." Natasha warned him, Flash gulped as he worked out the threat behind those words. Even if Peter wouldn't seek revenge for what Flash did to him, Natasha still may do.

 

Confronting Toomes, Toomes told Peter why he was doing what he was doing and saying how he admired Peter’s determination, how Peter should be working with him, how men like Tony Stark didn’t care about the little guy, the guys who fought their wars and cleaned up their messes.

 

"Peter will never work with a creep like him. He's killed people, he plans to endanger more!" Tony said.

 

"I mean, I can see his point at least." MJ said, as people turned to look at her, Tony's eyes blazing.

 

"What exactly does that mean? I'm an Avenger, I've saved the world a few times, and I've saved thousands of lives."

 

"I know that." MJ said. "Toomes doesn't see that though. He only sees what he lost due to Stark Industries and you personally, he sees how throughout history, the average man has just been made to bleed and die and suffer so the rich can stay rich and the powerful can get more power. What he's doing is wrong, and from what I know of Spider-Man, and what I've seen of Peter, he won't let him get away with it. But Toomes does have a valid point, even if he's going about it wrong." MJ explained.

 

"It still isn't right." Tony hissed.

 

"I know, but it's his truth." MJ replied.

 

He then sent his suit out, which missed Peter but took out the building supports, Toomes then hopped into the suit and away as the rest of the warehouse collapsed onto Peter, crushing him beneath the rubble.

 

"PETER!" The audience cried out. There was no way this had happened, had it? He was in his home-made onesie, how was he meant to do anything with this? A whole building had fallen on him, how was he meant to get out without any Stark tech to help him? Would Tony come by to rescue him?

 

"Peter..." Tony whispered, eyes filling with tears at the sight. He didn't remember much about the kid, but he knew he was supposed to care for him, dammit. Where was he, anyway?! How could he have taken the suit from Peter, let him go out by himself, let him fight this dangerous criminal without any type of support? How could he live with himself if something happened to Peter now?

 

"Guys, we need to all stay calm about this scene." Spider-Man 2 spoke up.

 

"He's under a building! How can we stay calm about that?" Ned asked, face red.

 

"We know he gets out of it, remember?" Spider-Man 3 said. "We've all met Spider-Man after this."

 

Peter struggled to free himself, seeing his reflection in a pool of water, he realised that he didn’t need a fancy Stark tech suit to be Spider-Man, Spider-Man was who he was already. Struggling, he managed to lift several tonnes of concrete off of him and stagger outside.

 

"COME ON SPIDER-MAN!" Roared the Decathlon team and most of the Avengers.

 

"That's my boy!" Tony cheered as everyone looked at him. He didn't care, he saw Peter as his son already, let them stare.

 

"Come on Peter." Ned, MJ and Happy whispered.

 

"Is he stronger than us?" Spider-Man 2 asked Spider-Man 3.

 

"Definitely close."

 

Toomes launched towards Avengers Tower in the distance as Happy sent the Quinjet off, unaware of the threat it was in, Peter webbed himself to the edge of Toomes’ suit and followed him into the air, unnoticed as Toomes reached the Quinjet.

 

"Go get him Spider-Man!" The Decathlon and Scott yelled.

 

Toomes got inside the cockpit and cloned the transponder, showing Happy a feed of a drone heading to Avengers HQ, as Happy celebrated his success. Peter struggled to cling to the outside of the jet as Toomes began to program the Quinjet to a new location where he could scavenge the tech inside.

 

"He's making a mockery of my forehead of security." Tony growled.

 

"I offered it then and I'll offer it now. My resignation. I shouldn't have dismissed whatever warnings Spider-Man sent me. I shouldn't have gotten duped like that." Happy frowned.

 

"I said at the time and I'll say it now. I don't accept it, Happy." Tony told him. "Besides, if I do have to die, I need you to look after Morguna, Peter and Pep for me."

 

"You know I will, Tony." Happy nodded. "I'd do anything for them and for you."

 

"I know buddy. It's why you're my forehead of security."

 

Toomes marvelled at his success as Peter managed to nudge the altitude seal, alerting Toomes that he was there, Toomes let out a cry of rage before rushing back to his suit, and launching from the jet, attacking Peter. The two of them fought, destroying the planes engines as the jet began to crash towards Coney Island, Happy noticing the crashing plane and realising Ned had been telling him the truth about there being a risk to the plane.

 

"YOU WON'T HURT PETER!" Natasha yelled at the screen.

 

"That's what you get." Steve nodded, seeing the plane crashing and the chances of Toomes getting his big score fading away.

 

"Peter really saved my bacon." Happy noted.

 

'Not bad kid.' Spider-Man 2 thought.

 

As Peter struggled away from the wreckage, Toomes launched himself again, picking Peter up with his talons, he prepared to kill him, before noticing the box of Arc reactors nearby, he dropped Peter, all thoughts of revenge gone, and headed to collect his prize.

 

"IF YOU TRY AND KILL HIM, THERE WILL BE NO HOLE YOU CAN HIDE IN THAT I WILL NOT BLOW UP AND FUCKING END YOUR MISERABLE EXISTENCE!" Tony screamed, before Toomes dropped Peter.

 

"At least he isn't entirely blinded by hatred. He values his money more than any thoughts of revenge and killing." Cindy stated.

 

"Nah, I want Spider-Man to mess him up." Flash replied.

 

Peter tried to web him, noticing his wings about to explode, but Toomes cut the webbing and rose into the air, the wings exploding and sending him crashing to Earth. Peter raced into the fire and cut Toomes free, dragging him away from the burning wreck.

 

"God, he's such a hero." Betty sighed.

 

"I WILL ADMIT, HE IS NOT ENTIRELY AS BAD AS WE FIRST THOUGHT." Venom told Eddie.

 

"What do you mean, not as bad, he's clearly a good guy, clearly Jameson got it wrong." Eddie hissed as Venom stuck his head back out.

 

"WELL I THOUGHT HE MADE SOME VALID POINTS, EDDIE!"

 

"He clearly didn't."

 

"Is this domestic usual for you two?" Clint smirked as they watched Eddie and Venom argue.

 

"NO!"

 

"Yes."

 

"So, yes then." MJ nodded as Venom glared at her, she merely raised an eyebrow in response.

 

Happy arrived at the scene with the DoDC and FBI to find Toomes webbed to a post, with a note from Spider-Man, as Peter watched from atop a nearby roller-coaster, bloodied and bruised but victorious.

 

"YAY FOR PETER!" Abe yelled as the room cheered.

 

Peter and Ned walked through school following the fights, to see Liz and her mother, Peter briefly spoke with Liz, apologising for her dad, she said she was moving to another part of the country and hoped Peter would take care of himself.

 

"I feel for her. Not her fault that her dad was a maniacal prick." Flash said.

 

"Maybe a fresh start would be good for her." Bruce pondered. "Gives her a chance to get away from all of this."

 

At the next Decathlon meeting, MJ was appointed their leader and properly introduced herself, saying her friends called her MJ, to Peter.

 

"It's a pleasure to meet you, MJ." Ned said as she slapped him in the back of the head.

 

Happy met Peter in the toilets and drove him to Avengers HQ to meet Tony, who offered him a spot on the Avengers, his dream, Peter thanked him but turned it down, thinking he should be a friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man. Tony said he respected the decision, before asking if it was a test, Tony said it was and Peter passed, and Happy would take Peter home.

 

"He...he turned down being an Avenger?" Flash asked, stunned, as were the rest of the room that had barely interacted with Spider-Man before.

 

"I thought Spider-Man was an Avenger?" Ned questioned Tony.

 

"I made him one with Thanos, but this was before all of this."

 

"Why do I get the feeling this wasn't a test, and him being a cinnamon roll just upended all of your plans?" Natasha ribbed Tony, whose face turned red.

 

"I have no idea what you're on about." Tony insisted.

 

"So that's a yes." MJ remarked.

 

Pepper then left the next room to ask where Peter was and the press were restless, Tony then asked about a diversion, and Happy tossed him a ring he had carried since 2008, as Tony chose to propose to Pepper in front of the press to save face.

 

``You did that just to cover up Spider-Man turning you down?" Ned asked, remembering seeing that report on the news.

 

"I mean, it's not like I wouldn't have done it eventually anyway. Pepper, she's the one thing I couldn't live without." Tony explained.

 

"2008? That's a tad creepy." Hope told Happy who blushed.

 

"Well you know, I just had a feeling that I'd need it one day, it'd just come like, blam." Happy told them.

 

Peter got home to find his Spider-Man suit waiting for him, putting it on, he felt whole again, until Aunt May appeared behind him, asking what was going on.

 

"Oh God. This kid is incapable of keeping his identity a secret." Wong said.

 

"Wait...." Ned said, getting a flash from something else, a report, he thought he saw before.

 

'SPIDER-MAN'S NAME IS PETER PARKER!'

 

'Where did that come from?" Ned muttered to himself.

 

The scene then cut to Toomes meeting Scorpion in prison, Scorpion said he had heard Toomes knew who Peter was, and demanded to know so they could kill him and his friends. Out of respect for Peter saving him and saving Liz, Toomes lied and said if he knew, Spider-Man would already be dead. The screen then cut to black.

 

"Well, he's a bad guy, but he has a sense of honour. That's respectable at least." Sam said.

 

"This Scorpion, need to make sure he never gets wind of who Peter is." Tony said, mostly to himself. "Can't let him hurt Peter."

Notes:

That's Homecoming finished! As for the script parts, only got No Way Home to do now, done the rest. As for this fic post all of what I've already set out, I'm considering redoing my old Avengers watch the films fic, and maybe making a new fic where they do them all.

Chapter 10: I Don't Feel So Good

Summary:

PAIIIIIINNNNNNN.

Notes:

I was thinking, after the Spidey stuff is done, should I do the other Phase 4 project reactions in this fic? The team all watch them, see what their choices lead too, and then they go back and change the past? Or just leave it as a Spidey fic and do an unrelated change the past fic?

"Where am I?" A new voice spoke up, as the people in the theatre room turned around.

 

"THOR?!" Bruce asked, calling out his old friend.

 

"Banner? It's good to see you again!" Thor cheered, as he approached, he saw Tony, Steve and Nat all sat there as well, smiling at him. "What is this? What trickery is this?!"

 

"Calm down big guy." Bruce tried to assure him.

 

"What has happened here, Banner? What illusions are these?!" Thor demanded to know, his skin crackling with electricity as he got himself agitated.

 

"Easy Point Break." Tony tried to reassure his old friend. "We're really here. It's some kind of theatre thing and we're here due to Peter. You remember him, Peter Parker?"

 

"Who?" Thor asked, confused.

 

"Guess not." Tony sighed.

 

"Well to cut it short, Thor, we're all in a theatre, learning about the life of Spider-Man, or Peter Parker, as he's known under the mask." Steve explained.

 

"The Man of Spiders? He is this Peter Parkerson?" Thor questioned.

 

"Yeah, let's go with that." Clint groused.

 

"Hello? Where am I?" A new voice said from the corner, turning to the new voice, they saw two young women there.

 

"Wherever you are, Kate Bishop, so am I."

 

"Yelena, this isn't helpful." Kate said.

 

"I try....WHAT IS HAPPENING?!" Yelena yelled as she saw Natasha before her.

 

"Yelena?" Natasha asked, her eyes widened, her voice cracking, as the people in the room saw a whole new side to Natasha Romanoff.

 

"Natasha...How?" Yelena questioned, not daring to hope. "What kind of sick nonsense is this, Barton?!" She yelled, seeing Clint there as well.

 

"HEY! Whatever this is, Clint isn't behind it! Are you?" Kate asked him.

 

"Kate, I'm glad to see you're alright. What happened?" Clint interrogated her. "Also, no, I'm nothing to do with this. This is to do with wizards and Spider-Man, I think."

 

"Wizards and Spider-Man? So cool." Kate grinned.

 

"Please, Kate Bishop, he is a liar, like I have said. Now who are you, and if you don't stop pretending to be my sister, I will slit your throat." Yelena spat at Natasha, moving threateningly towards her.

 

Natasha looked sadly at her before she began whistling a tune, causing Yelena to halt in her tracks. Hesitantly, she whistled back.

 

"Nat..." Yelena said, reaching towards her, tears in her eyes.

 

"Yelena." Natasha smiled, moving towards her, wrapping her sister in her arms, burying her head in her hair, not letting anyone see the tears falling down her own face.

 

"Who is this? Another agent?" Tony questioned as everyone except Kate and Clint looked confused.

 

"This is Yelena Belova." Natasha introduced, pulling away, but keeping her eyes on her sisters face, memorising every detail. "She's my sister."

 

"I didn't know you had a sister." Steve said, shocked.

 

"Well I haven't shared my entire life story with you, Rogers." Natasha joked with him.

 

"I'm her younger sister." Yelena told them. "We lived together in Ohio and stopped Dreykov together."

 

"Who are you?" Flash asked Kate, who stood awkwardly at the side with Clint.

 

"I'm Kate Bishop, yes, of that Bishop family." Kate said, as Flash's eyes lit up with recognition. "I'm Clint's partner."

 

"Partner?" Natasha asked, teasing.

 

"Yeah, needed a new wingwoman." Clint joked.

 

"Please, you're my wingman." Kate told him.

 

"How are we here? How are you here? What has happened?" Yelena asked, not letting go of Natasha for a moment.

 

"I don't know. We're here to see about Spider-Man's life, apparently, for reasons I'm not sure. But why we're all here, I don't know." Natasha told her.

 

"Why Spider-Man? What does he have to do with all of this?" Yelena questioned.

 

"He's here?! Where?!" Kate asked, wondering if she could meet a hero.

 

"He's not, um, no." Tony stated. "We're hoping this will explain why."

 

"Can we get back on with this? I want to see what happens now he's stopped the Vulture." Scott said, interrupting before it could go much further.

 

The scene opened up on the hairs rising on Peter's arm, as he stuck his head up and looked around for the danger, he noticed a giant circular spaceship had parked nearby. Nudging Ned, he told him to make a distraction, seeing the ship, Ned screamed they were all going to die, as everyone went to look at the ship, Peter slipped out of the window, grabbing his mask, and putting it on, he swung away towards the ship, as an elderly driver at the front asked them what the issue was, and if they had somehow not seen a spaceship before.

 

"Well, that's a good way to make a distraction, Ned." MJ told him.

 

"Well I clearly have my moments, even if I don't recall this." Ned laughed.

 

"There's the old guy again. What is he doing in all of these?" Natasha asked.

 

"Clearly he's planning an attack. He shaved my hair once. We have to stop him." Thor remarked.

 

Tony was about to be hit by a giant metal claw when it suddenly stopped, before Peter peeked his head around, greeting the thing he was fighting before asking Tony what was happening, being told to help save a wizard and his necklace, Peter helped them fight the two aliens, before he was caught in a tractor beam and lifted to a spaceship.

 

"God this kid is loyal to a fault." Clint murmured.

 

"Never gonna give up when he has a chance. Reminds me of someone else." Bucky smirked, nudging Steve, who flushed.

 

"Alright, he's basically what if I were enhanced as a teenager, I get it." Steve said.

 

Getting to the outside of the ship, Tony told him to let go, sending a new suit out to catch Peter, now in his Iron Spider suit, Tony told FRIDAY to send him home, unleashing his parachute. As the ship left orbit, it showed Peter, still hanging on outside, sneak into the ship.

 

"If only he had listened to me." Tony frowned, thinking back to what had happened on Titan and what he knew had happened to Spider-Man, he had dusted, along with half of the universe.

 

On the ship, Tony looked at Stephen was tortured by Maw, seeing the Cloak was there too, when Peter swung down, telling Tony that he was gonna go home, but the suit knew what he wanted to do, so it was kinda Tony's fault that Peter was there, as Tony and the Cloak both looked at Peter like he had fucked up.

 

"That cloak is truly magical." Thor marvelled.

 

"Does he have a death wish?" Ned wheezed as Tony flushed.

 

"I'd forgotten Spider-Man had said it was my fault he was there." Tony gritted his teeth. "Going to be having words with him, that's for sure."

 

Peter then told Tony that he couldn't be the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man if the neighbourhood was gone. He then told Tony he had a plan, and asked if he had seen the really old film, Alien.

 

"ALIEN IS NOT OLD!" Rhodey moaned.

 

"THERE IS A FILM CALLED ALIEN?! EDDIE, I DEMAND WE EAT ANYONE WHO LIKES IT!" Venom growled.

 

"Woah, calm down, buddy, it's not that bad, really." Eddie tried to placate him.

 

"I get what he means, he can't do what he does if there's nothing for him to do." Scott stated.

 

"What is that?" Yelena asked, as Venom reappeared for the first time since she arrived.

 

"This is Venom." Eddie awkwardly explained.

 

"A Symbiote? I haven't seen one of them in many years!" Thor boomed. "Worthy opponents, they are!"

 

Peter and Tony blew the side of the ship open, Peter saving Stephen as Maw was sucked into space and Tony closed the hole. Strange and Tony argued as Peter awkwardly tried to make small talk with the cloak, introducing himself as Peter Parker then Spider-Man to Strange, before Strange told Tony that to save reality, he would let Tony or Peter die without hesitation. Tony then went over to Peter and did a knighting ceremony, before telling him that he was an Avenger now.

 

"Wow, you're a real asshole, Strange." Tony told him.

 

"I did what I needed to do." Strange simply shrugged. "I needed to keep it safe at the time, I did that."

 

"Is he an official Avenger, is that how someone becomes one?" Flash asked excitedly, Ned and Abe also looked to be vibrating in their seats at the idea.

 

"He is, I guess, but no, that was just some dramatic effect for me." Tony explained, rubbing the back of his head. These young ones were going to be the death of him. Well, that or a giant purple alien, at any rate.

 

Helping Tony to land the ship on Titan, Peter told him and Strange that someone was coming, in a quick fight with a new group, Peter was captured by one, before they all explained that both groups were there to kill Thanos, and agreed to team up.

 

"So, who are these clowns?" Yelena asked.

 

"They're the Guardians of the Galaxy." Natasha explained to her. "They're...how to say, idiots."

 

"But useful morons." Thor agreed.

 

"So they're going to kill Thanos as well?"

 

"They certainly wanted too. Thanos had taken one of them with him, to Vormir. They wanted her back." Strange explained, remembering the reaction that Quill had when he learnt of what had happened.

 

Peter and Tony argued with Quill about their plan and Footloose the movie, as Strange looked forwards in time to view possible outcomes of the fight.

 

"What are you doing?" Kate asked Strange.

 

"Using time magic to see the future, to see how we won." Strange told her, as if speaking to a small child.

 

"How many did you see?"

 

"Fourteen million, six hundred and five."

 

"How many did we win?" Tony asked.

 

"One." Strange replied.

 

"ONE? ONE OUT OF FOURTEEN MILLION?!" Yelena yelled. "Surely, there must have been more ways to win than just that one?"

 

"None that would have been a permanent win." Strange told her in a tone that brooked no argument.

 

"Couldn't you have looked for more? Surely if you looked at more, there would have been more ways to win?" Kate asked.

 

"I'm sure the wizard knew what he was doing." Thor reassured them.

 

On Titan, Thanos stepped through a portal, telling Strange why he was doing this and what his final plan was, as Strange revealed there was more than just him there, as the Avengers and Guardians attacked Thanos. Peter shot webs at Thanos' face before using portals to kick and punch Thanos from every direction, until eventually he caught him and slammed Peter into the ground, growling "Insect." at him.

 

"YOU LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Ned yelled at the screen.

 

"Isn't he an arachnid, not an insect?" Scott asked, trying to inject some humour into it. Most of the room had seen Thanos, if not fought him directly, and the sight of the giant purple grape on the screen did little to ease them, some of them were visibly distressed seeing it, even before what was happening to Peter.

 

"Tony?" Happy asked, seeing Tony beginning to sweat, eyes just staring at the screen, unblinking.

 

"Tones?" Rhodey questioned, putting his hand on his shoulder.

 

"All my fault...." Tony muttered, staring at Peter's struggling form. "I failed him...I let this happen."

 

"Tony. None of this is your fault." Steve assured him, looking up as Tony finally tore his gaze away from the screen. "Peter's alright, you know that."

 

Tony said nothing, his thoughts still all in a maelstrom in his mind.

 

Eventually they managed to subdue Thanos as Peter and Tony pulled the gauntlet off, just as it was released, Quill accidentally woke Thanos up, attacking him as he learnt Gamora had been killed by Thanos, Thanos knocked them all aside and grabbed the gauntlet again, as Peter launched himself after Mantis to protect her.

 

"This Quill man is an idiot." Yelena said.

 

"Well I wouldn't deny that. I only know him a little, and, well, yeah." Rhodey said. "He's definitely not the brightest that Earth has ever produced."

 

"I can't believe Thanos had killed his own daughter. What heartless bastard would do something so abhorrent?" Cindy Moon asked.

 

"Thanos." MJ dead panned.

 

"I mean, I can't deny that Quill messed up, he's an idiot, yeah." Tony started. "But, I can understand. Grief. It makes people do things that seem irrational, but it drives us forward."

 

"Was this part of the fourteen million? Did Quill have to react emotionally and let Thanos get loose?" Wong quietly asked Strange.

 

"Yes." Strange replied. "Or else we would have failed."

 

Thanos fought Strange and Tony as Peter rushed around, catching the Guardians as they were thrown throughout Titan, the planet coming apart as Thanos used the Stones to draw entire moons into it, Thanos revealing he knew Tony. As Peter grabbed the others, Thanos was given the Time Stone by Strange in exchange for sparing Tony's life.

 

"How did he know you?" Happy asked Tony.

 

"He's cursed with knowledge, like me. He studied us." Tony said.

 

"Why would you do that? Why would you give him the thing he needs?" Kate demanded to know of Strange who fixed her with a withering look.

 

"It was the only way." Strange merely replied.

 

On Titan, Mantis mentioned something was happening before she faded to dust right before everyone's eyes. Drax whimpered "Quill?" before he too vanished into the ether.

 

"What's happening?" Spider-Man 2 asked, confused, Spider-Man 3 also looked disturbed by all of this.

 

"What do you mean? It's the Blip." Rhodey said, eyes sad and tone angry, why were these two asking about this, was it a joke? They knew what this was.

 

"In our universes, none of these events ever happened." Spider-Man 3 explained. "We don't have Avengers, or anything like that, no Thanos, no Infinity Stones, at least, that we know of. I've never even fought an alien. We've never seen anything like this."

 

"Right." Steve said, wondering how they could explain such a thing to someone who would have no frame of reference for what had occurred.

 

"Before creation itself. There existed six singularities. In the Big Bang, these things formed into concentrated ingots, each controlled a different aspect of creation. The six Infinity Stones. Power. Mind. Soul. Reality. Time and Space." Wong informed the two Spider people.

 

"Thanos wanted to save the rest of the universe from dying off like Titan did, as he explained." Strange said. "To do this, he planned to wipe out half of all life in the universe, indiscriminately, so the other half could thrive. With all Six stones, he could do it with a snap of his fingers. He's just gotten all Six, and done the Snap. This....this is the aftermath of it, for the rest of us."

 

"Oh God." Spider-Man 2 said, looking sick. Spider-Man 3 also looked queasy.

 

"Steady Quill." Tony said, as Quill simply said "Aw man." before he too vanished.

 

"What's happening to them all?" Spider-Man 3 asked, too afraid to find out the answer.

 

"They're not existing anymore. That's what's happening, they're fading away." Steve said.

 

"Tony. There was no other way." Stephen simply stated, as he too vanished.

 

"Bullshit, Stephen. You know there must have been other ways." Tony spat, eyes alight with fury as he turned his gaze to the sorcerer.

 

"None that would have worked long term, you know that as well as I do." Strange informed him, meeting Tony's gaze with a cool one of his own.

 

"We won. That's what matters at the end of the day." Thor told them all, before others could start to argue on this. "We won."

 

"At what cost?" Clint asked. "Some of us died, and I think we'll have to see those deaths. King T'Chaka was right, in a way. Victory, at the expense of the innocent, is no victory at all."

 

"We did what we needed." Natasha assured him, as Yelena looked at her, a pained look in her eyes. "Now I know we succeeded, if I have to go back, and I do have to die, I'll be happy, knowing my life has helped save trillions."

 

"Natasha...Please..." Yelena said, holding her hand out to her sister, who took it and gave her a gentle squeeze.

 

"Mr Stark." Peter said, as Tony turned to him, fear in his eyes.

 

"No...Please, don't show me this, please, whatever is causing this, please!" Tony begged, closing his eyes.

 

"Peter! No!" Ned and MJ yelled.

 

"This can't be happening, please tell me he's just confused about all of this." Flash said.

 

"Peter..." Spider-Man 2 said, his heart breaking as he heard that tone in his alters voice.

 

"No...Come on, there's no way...Please....No..." Spider-Man 3 said, feeling his eyes filling up as he watched the scene unfolding.

 

"I don't feel so good. I don't know what's happening...I don't know...Hey...Hey..." He said, collapsing into Tony's arms as Tony tried in vain to comfort him.

 

"Pete..." Spider-Man 2 said, feeling the tears flow from his own cheeks. "He can feel this?"

 

"Oh God." Steve said, as the realisation hit everyone else who was watching as well.

 

"I remember nothing, only seeing myself vanishing, and being happy it was all over, the pain was going." Wanda told them. "From what I gathered, nobody else who Blipped felt anything either, just noticed they were going, and they were gone. If Peter could somehow feel it all..."

 

"It would have been an unbearable agony." Strange explained, as kindly as he could. "Are you sure you want to know?"

 

"Yes, dammit. He was our friend. We deserve to know." Tony hissed at Strange, his eyes bloodshot. "I held him, he cried and rambled and begged. Strange. Please, tell me."

 

"He would have felt every molecule in his body dissolving, as his enhanced healing tried to restore them, failing. Peter would have truly suffered the greatest agony you can possibly think of, until he finally vanished with the rest of us." He said quietly, hoping only Tony and a few others had heard. Judging by the horrified looks, and the tears streaming down most faces, he guessed everyone had heard.

 

"I don't wanna go...I don't wanna go...Please, Sir, please...I don't wanna go...I don't wanna go....I'm sorry." Peter whimpered as he faded away.

 

"No. No. You do not apologise, Peter. This is not your fault. Not in any way at all. And I'm going to tell you as much when I see you again." Tony said, looking back at the floor, promising aloud what he'd do, as everyone else seemed to agree. They'd be telling Peter that too, he did more than he could have been expected to do against a foe like Thanos, it was not his fault, not at all, what happened.

 

"We need to find Peter-1, tell him it's not his fault, he has to know we're there for him." Spider-Man 3 said, pulling his alter self aside, who nodded. They wouldn't abandon their little brother, no matter what.

 

"He did it." Nebula simply said, as Tony clutched at the ash that was once Peter, crying into his hands.

 

"I'm sorry, Tony." Steve said, walking over to him and hugging his friend, Tony just sank into his arms, refusing to look up at the screen. He refused to see what had happened, because then the memories would come back, far harsher than they already were. He could see it all. Peter, in his apartment, being recruited for the airport battle. Peter in his lab with him on afternoons after the Vulture, working on new web fluids or better designs for his suits. Peter, annoying him with as many pop culture references as he could spit out, no matter who much Tony protested about it. Peter's begging, pleading, as he faded to nothing.

 

Cutting back to Earth, Rhodey asked "What the hell is happening?" Steve Rogers merely said "Oh God."

 

"Language." Clint said, no trace of humour in his voice, nobody bothered to even try fake a smile at the old joke, so broken were they at the scene.

 

On a distant world, the sun rose as Thanos smiled. The screen cut to black.

 

"That bastard doesn't deserve his happy ever after. When we get back, we are stopping him." Steve said to Natasha and Tony, who grimly nodded. This solidified it for them. There was no happy ending for Thanos, no matter what. They would undo his life's work, and his death would amount to a zero sum.

 

"Excuse me, um, does anyone want to tell me where I am and how I've gotten here?" Said a man in a nice suit, with red tinted glasses and a small white cane in his hand.

 

"Well, we can't really answer either of those, but...who are you?" Clint asked the man.

 

"My name is Matthew Murdock." The man introduced himself. "I guess, if nobody knows how I'm here or why, it's a pleasure to meet you all at least."

Notes:

I'VE JUST LEARNT THAT DISNEY PLUS IS FILMING WITH SAM L JACKSON IN MY CITY THIS WEEKEND! AND I'M WORKING THE DAY IT FILMS :'( Hoping some kind family member will get some set photos for me at least whilst I'm in work.

Chapter 11: JUST A NOTE, NOT AN UPDATE

Short note, sorry not an update, hoping to have an update out for Endgame this week, just been struggling through NWH, longest piece right now is FFH, at 6k words without any reactions. NWH, I'm only at the part where Peter phones the Bugle and it's already at 11k. This may take a while.

 

Chapter 12: Part of the Journey Is The End

Summary:

ENDGAME.

Notes:

Start of all the notes, obviously alot of this is AU to an extent, in regards to Doctor Strange, I knew of the leaks a few weeks back, the trailer we got confirmed they're right. Wanda from this is Wanda that did Wandavision but actually cleared her head after, not the Wanda we will get in MoM. The Eternals story plays the same except Arishem never kidnaps them at the end and Ikaris doesn't suicide, he instead just flies off somewhere else on Earth by himself. Other than that, all current released works will follow their canon 99% of the time, as will Moon Knight.

Figured Natasha deserved her death to be shown as well so that's in here, as well as the few added scenes to make a more cohesive story, like with Steve and Thanos' last appearances in the end of Infinity War. Adding some new folk in here, might be able to guess who, these are the last additions before I finish NWH, don't want too many in at once and these ones make sense thematically, the rest of my list to add (at the bottom) don't really.

I am doing the Phase 4 reactions, so following NWH, will do Wandavision, Loki, FATWS, Black Widow, Shang-Chi, Eternals, Hawkeye, Moon Knight. Undecided on What If? as it has no impact on this story other than one thing you'll find out later on this chapter.

NWH word count is 15,000 without any script. Should I make it two mega chapters (As following the other Peters reveal, I'm doing Raimi trilogy and Webb duology before finishing the NWH story) or split it down like Homecoming and FFH?

"So, what's your deal, Mr Murdock, is it?" Steve asked. The name sounded familiar, he just couldn't figure out why.

 

"Well, I'm not sure why I'm...wherever this is, I'm just a lawyer." Matt said. Whilst he wouldn't say he could see them exactly, he could sense those around him, and the people he could make out, well, he wasn't sure why he was with them unless it was related to the Devil of Hells' Kitchen. Definitely something he wanted to keep under the radar of the Avengers. He recognised Steve Rogers' voice, who didn't?

 

"Do you know a person named Peter Parker?" Tony asked him as Matt shook his head.

 

"I'm sorry, but no, am I meant to know him?"

 

"We don't know, but it seems most of us here have a connection to him." Natasha explained. "We just assumed you did too. Do you have a connection to anyone in this room, perhaps?"

 

"I mean, I'm not sure who is in the room, con of being blind I'm afraid." Matt chuckled. "But I'm not hearing anyone I'm familiar with beyond like the news, with the case of you, Miss Romanoff. I'm sort of wondering how I can hear your voice, or the voices of Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, when it's kinda hard where I'm from to hear any of you speaking live."

 

"Well that's kinda hard to explain. We appear to be in some theatre, taken from various points in time, by someone unknown, to learn about Peter Parker, a man most of us knew, but have all forgotten due to a spell I'm assuming I've cast." Strange told the newcomer. "Perhaps we should resume watching, maybe it will help us to understand more?"

 

A set of lights flashed in the room as a ragtag group arrived in a heap, landing on the floor.

 

"Get off of me!" A man's voice yelled.

 

"Jeez Quill, how much weight have you put on recently?" A small creature snarled.

 

"Why is the rabbit angry?" A woman with what looked like antenna asked.

 

"Because he is extraordinary ugly." A large grey figure laughed.

 

"I'm surrounded by idiots on all sides." A blue woman groaned, before the group disentangled itself and saw where they were and who was with them.

 

"Rabbit?" Thor asked, as some of the others in the room looked thoroughly confused as to who these new guys were.

 

"Thor?" Rocket asked.

 

"The Angel Pirate!" Drax roared happily, rushing forward to embrace Thor, who eagerly greeted the Guardians, Quill looking annoyed as he did so.

 

"So, who are these guys?" Spider-Man-2 asked.

 

"You don't know these guys?" Bruce asked, stunned.

 

"We're the Guardians of the Galaxy, protecting space from intergalactic threats." Quill told him.

 

"We kick names and take ass." Mantis agreed.

 

"Can we please get on with all of this?" Wong begged. He had only met these Guardians once before himself, but even he knew that giving them an opportunity to go into a tangent was asking for trouble.

 

As he finished speaking, a new note appeared in the room, being snatched up by Tony before anyone else could move.

 

"It says that the next scene is the last scene in the past for myself, Nat and Steve. After that, the rest of this recording and all the others are our future."

 

"Well, let's see what we need to do differently." Steve said.

 

"You know you can't change any of this, Captain Rogers." Strange explained.

 

"We can try." Steve firmly rebutted. "We're the Avengers, we don't give up, no matter the odds."

 

Tony was shown cleaning his house, putting away the plates from a family dinner, and looking at the pictures in his lake house. He picked one up, of him at Stark Industries, posing with Peter, Peter holding a plaque legitimising his internship upside down, Tony and Peter both doing "bunny ears" behind each other.

 

"You two really do seem close to each other." Spider-Man 2 smiled at Tony.

 

"Yeah, he's like a second child to me." Tony told them. "The scene with the Snap, it triggered my memories, I remember him, Oh God, the kid needs us. He's my son in all but blood, and I need to be there for him. I need to let him know it's alright, he never let me down, and I'm proud of him. When he's back, I'll need to let him now." Tony said.

 

"I'm sure Peter would love to hear that from you." Spider-Man 3 said, as the others in the room wondered why his eyes seemed so full of sadness saying that. Before they could continue, a bright flash once again lit up the room.

 

"Where am I?" A new figure said, looking around all of the gathered ones in confusion.

 

"Are we just going to have new people thrown in here from who knows where?" Strange asked, eye twitching slightly. "You're in a movie theatre, no, we don't know how you got here, as we don't know how we did, yes, we're the Avengers, as well as some others, before you undoubtedly ask. Now, who are you?"

 

"My name's Sersi." The woman said. "Wait, the Avengers? You're the ones that stopped Thanos?"

 

"Yes we did." Thor boasted. "So, why have you been brought here?"

 

"Sersi?!" A few new voices joined the fray as several more flashes of light illuminated the room.

 

"How are you all here?" Sersi asked them.

 

"Who are all of these new people?" Bruce asked.

 

"My name is Kingo, and I have to say, it's an honour to meet you, Avengers, isn't it? Truly, an honour."

 

"Wait, I know you, you're in like a million Bollywood films, you and your ancestors, going back like four generations, right?" Betty Brant asked.

 

"Yeah, bless them for their accomplishments." Kingo smiled.

 

"I'm Phastos, and I guess you could consider me a scientist, of sorts." A jolly looking larger man stated.

 

"I'm Thena." An older, blonde woman simply stated.

 

"My name's Druig, and this is Makkari." A younger man said, gesturing to a woman next to him. She signed a greeting to the room.

 

"My name's Sprite." The youngest new arrival said, she seemed to look longingly at the last member, a man stood a little away, a pained and brooding look on his face, especially when he looked towards Sersi.

 

"What's your name, guy who looks suspiciously like Barnes here?" Sam asked.

 

"My name is Ikaris." The guy said, flinching away at the glares most of the other new arrivals gave him. Sprite beamed at him, and Sersi looked introspective, but the other glares were downright hostile.

 

"Like the Greek myth, the man who flew too close to the sun!" Ned marvelled.

 

"Something like that." Ikaris said, a slight smile breaking on his lips at the thought.

 

"So, who are you people?" Bruce questioned.

 

"Well..." Kingo began to speak as the screen continued suddenly, cutting him off. Everyone decided to just let it go for now, they'd probably get answers before too long.

 

The scene changed to show Tony in a SHIELD uniform, watching as his past self walked past him with Thor, Loki in cuffs besides them, as they headed into the lobby of Stark Tower.

 

"Is that after New York?" Sersi asked, amazed.

 

"This must be our heist in action." Steve said.

 

"It's weird to see two versions of me like that." Tony stated.

 

"Thumbelina, do you copy, I've got eyes on the prize. It is go time." Tony spoke into his comms.

 

"Who are you talking about?" Scott asked, missing the reference entirely.

 

"Bombs away." Scott said as he dropped from Tony's hair down to his arc reactor powering his chest. "Is that axe body spray?"

 

"Yay, I'm in this!" Scott cheered.

 

"Well we couldn't have done any of this without you Scott." Steve told him with a smile.

 

"You're every bit an Avenger as any of us." Natasha nodded.

 

"A hero." Bruce agreed.

 

"Yeah I had a can in the desk for emergencies, relax." Tony assured him. Scott told Tony he was entering him as a group of men blocked Thor and Tony from leaving, asking where they were going. Thor asked who they were as Tony explained it was Alexander Pierce, the man above Nick Fury as Thor nodded.

 

"What a prick." Steve growled.

 

"WHO IS THAT GUY? HE LOOKS DELICIOUS." Venom spoke up.

 

"He is...was, the leader of Hydra, a Nazi cult that had survived into the 21st century disguised as SHIELD." Steve explained. "This was before we knew Hydra still existed though."

 

Pierce demanded that they hand over the Tesseract and Loki to SHIELD, as Tony tried to prevent them, current Tony told Scott to hurry up and give him a mild cardiac arrhythmia and to do it quickly before they could get the Tesseract away.

 

"Won't that...kill you?" Spider-Man 3 asked.

 

"Nah, I'll be alright. Wouldn't have suggested it if I thought I'd die." Tony confirmed.

 

Scott then pulled the pin as past Tony dropped, everyone rushed to help him as current Tony called for a medic, Scott knocked the case holding the Tesseract across the floor as Loki watched in keen interest, current Tony picked it up and walked away, until he was sent flying when Hulk barged through the door, screaming about having to take the stairs.

 

"Why do I get a bad feeling about the focus on Loki noticing all of this happening?" Thor wondered.

 

"It can't go wrong now, we need it to go right, we won't get a second shot at all of this." Steve warned.

 

The Tesseract itself flew to Loki's feet, who bent down in the confusion and escaped with it before the screen faded to another scene.

 

"What are we supposed to do now?!" Steve cried out.

 

"We only had one shot and Loki managed to screw it up for us?" Tony seethed.

 

"Why are we seeing Loki anyway? What does he have to do with all of this?" Clint asked.

 

"Maybe it's showing us all of the heist?" Scott wondered.

 

The scene then lit up again with Clint and Natasha climbing a rock cliff on Vormir, to be approached by a floating figure, greeting them as "Natasha, daughter of Ivan and Clint, son of Edith." They asked who he was, he said he was a guide to those who sought the Soul Stone.

 

"Wait, why the skip from the Loki stuff?" Nat asked, ignoring the fact that there was someone else with her and Clint for now.

 

"I'm assuming it's only showing scenes either directly impacting Peter, or what is considered important scenes in our own lives." Wong said. "Maybe it skipped what it didn't think we needed to see at the moment."

 

"Then why did it show us Loki in the first place?" Clint questioned.

 

"Who's Peter?" Sprite asked.

 

"Spider-Man." Nebula stated.

 

"So, what's happened since the Snap, I think you called it, other than the scene of Tony at his house and this one of you failing to get the glowing cube?" Eddie asked.

 

"I got home with Nebula after weeks of floating in space, being nearly dead." Tony explained. "We reunited, I fell out hard with Steve again. The remaining ones of us went after Thanos once we found out where he was, I stayed home." Tony said.

 

"He told me I should have gone for the head, just before he snapped. We found out he had snapped again to destroy the stones, so we could never undo what he did. I went for the head this time, killing him." Thor explained.

 

"We then spent the next five years trying to move on, our loved ones dead, the population of the universe halved." Steve said, eyes haunted by the memories, as those from other universes looked aghast.

 

"Five years?!" Spider-Man 3 asked, aghast.

 

"Yeah, we had to move on without those we lost. We grieved, we struggled, and we tried to make the world a better place, a place they would be proud of. Too bad we fucked it all up." Clint said humourlessly.

 

"You just lost everyone, how did you bring them back?" Spider-Man 2 asked, confused. How did Peter come back? He had looked at all of them, the heroes from his time, they all had a haunted look in their face that the three he knew were from 2023 lacked. Sure, they had the looks of people who had lost everything, once, but they all had a glimmer of hope. The one's from 2024, they lacked that. What had happened to get everyone back and what had happened when they did?

 

"Eventually I got out of the Quantum Realm, which is this kind of miniature universe my suit draws power from, where I had spent what felt like five hours to me, to be told they all assumed I had Blipped too, and it was five years." Scott told them. "We thought of a plan to use the Quantum Realm to time travel to the past, get the stones before the snap, and use them now to bring everyone back. I guess Steve, Tony and Nat are from just before we actually did the plan, and I guess I should shut up now and not reveal anything else?"

 

"Probably a wise move, Mr Lang. I suspect whatever or whoever brought us here wants that revealed in its own time." Strange stated.

 

"Tell us where it is and we'll be on our way." Natasha told him.

 

"If only..." Bruce whispered. Now they knew where and when it was, the Avengers who had come from 2024 were all crushed. Did they really have to see this, see what happened? Hadn't they already suffered enough with this?

 

"Ah, Liebchen. (Sweetheart) If only it were that easy." He said, approaching from the shadows to reveal Red Skull.

 

"HOW IS HE ALIVE?!" Steve yelled, seeing the screen.

 

"He died. Years ago." Bucky growled, also recognising the man.

 

"Wanna fill us in on why the two fossils know the man?" Rhodey asked, confused.

 

"That's Johann Schmidt. The Red Skull." Steve informed them.

 

"Who?" Eddie enquired.

 

"Me and Steve are from the 1940's, kinda hard to explain, but we're both here now due to super soldier serums and being frozen for decades. In the 40's, Steve was used by the SSR to fight a group named Hydra. Their leader was the Red Skull." Bucky stated.

 

"Didn't you kill him in '44?" Sam questioned.

 

"The Tesseract, it sucked him in on the plane." Steve said, eyes widening as he realised what must have happened if it was an Infinity stone. "It must have taken him there. I'm not sure how he's still alive after all of this time. But if anyone deserves to be remotely marooned for eternity, it's definitely him."

 

"So why am I sweetheart? Pig." Natasha snorted.

 

Red Skull led them to the edge of the cliff and said "What you seek lies in front of you. As does what you fear."

 

"What I fear?" Natasha asked, as Clint's face turned paler by the second. Seeing it, Yelena's gaze hardened. This was it, wasn't it? Where the bastard had killed her sister. Once she heard it, she wouldn't need to kill Barton, Nat would do it herself, she was sure of it. If not, she'd finish him herself, get vengeance for her sister.

 

“Just watch.” Clint said, his voice strained and pained. He couldn’t do this, please, don’t make him have to do this, relive this again. This was the worst moment of his life. Why did they have to see this?

 

"The stone is down there." Natasha told Clint.

 

“Yes, but not in the way we hoped.” Clint murmured.

 

"For one of you, for the other...in order to take the stone, you must lose that which you love. An everlasting exchange. A soul....for a soul." Red Skull finished ominously.

 

“Death.” Natasha said grimly. “That’s the price of the Soul stone.”

 

“We won’t pay it.” Steve said abruptly.

 

“Steve...” Natasha began.

 

“No. I told Vision in the Compound, we don’t trade lives. We aren’t doing it here.”

 

“Do we even have a choice? Thanos must be stopped. Whatever it takes.” Natasha reminded him.

 

“It doesn’t have to be you.” Yelena whispered furiously to her. “Barton deserves it.”

 

“Nobody deserves it, Yelena.” Natasha said, raising an eyebrow as she frowned. Was she about to find why Yelena seemed so angry with Clint? It was kinda obvious she died here, with Clint being from the future and she wasn’t. She found she was somehow OK with dying, if it saved everyone. It must have done, Yelena was one of those who disappeared. But the level of fury and rage her sister had to the archer, what had happened?

 

"Jesus. Maybe he's making this shit up." Clint said as he and Natasha pondered their options with Red Skull watching them.

 

“He isn’t.” Bruce spoke up, head bowed low. He didn’t want to see this either, he had lost so much for this fight. He didn’t want to relive those losses.

 

"No, I don't think so." Natasha said.

 

“Too smart for your own good.” Clint murmured.

 

"Why? 'Cause he knows your daddy's name?"

 

“That’s low.” Nat said to him, no malice in her tone.

 

“Well I was confused and angry.” Clint reasoned.

 

"I didn't." Natasha explained. "Thanos left here with the stone, without his daughter. That's not a coincidence."

 

“Couldn’t it be, please?” Steve asked. He couldn’t watch this, he couldn’t see Nat die.

 

“Whatever it takes, Rogers.” Nat told him, seeing the look on his face. “I made my choice a lifetime ago. If this is what’s needed to save the entire universe, it’s a small price to pay.”

 

"It's not a price you should pay, Natasha." Yelena stated.

 

"It's a price someone must, and if someone must, it'll be me." Nat spoke in a tone that brooked no arguments.

 

"Yeah." Clint agreed.

 

"Whatever it takes." They both told each other.

 

They both then realised that they both meant themselves to die and the other to live.

 

"You didn't think I'd just let you off yourself, did you?" Clint asked her, his eyes swimming with tears as they got closer to the event itself.

 

"Yes, you idiot." She hissed at him. "Why would you even think of yourself dying, you have a family to go back home too!"

 

"And you don't?" Yelena spat, before Clint could even speak up. "Natasha, I am your sister, Alexei and Melina, they may be idiots most of the time, but they love you as their daughter too. Do you really think any one of us would be happy with you dead? I've hunted Barton here for months, after I was told he was responsible for your death, they know about it, they fully supported me. We all want vengeance for you, why do you think you have no family to come back for?" Yelena asked, looking like someone had ripped her heart out, before turning away from Natasha.

 

"'Lena..." Natasha began as this time Clint cut her off.

 

"Natasha, you know what I did, what happened to me, to get us to that point." Clint told her. "I couldn't just let you do it, it was my burden, my price to pay for my family coming back."

 

"What about Kate?" Natasha asked, looking towards the young woman who looked horror-stricken at what Clint was saying. "Look at her, Clint, really look at her." She begged as Clint tore his eyes from Nat and looked at Kate. "She needs you, and you need her. This, this is the price to pay for what you did, is to help her, teach her, protect her." Nat smiled as Clint's eyes widened. "You don't owe anyone anything, not for what you did or what you'll do, but if you feel you need penance for the time as Ronin, you know, you could do alot worse than helping someone who looks like they're already on their way to becoming a hero to become one."

 

"Thank you." Clint choked. He had heard from Kate before about how it wasn't his fault, Laura had told him he didn't know how many times. The government had even pardoned him of any and all crimes committed under the mantle of the Ronin, and had worked to bury any notion that Clint Barton, former agent of SHIELD and the famed Avenger Hawkeye, could have been a notorious serial killer like Ronin, but still, he blamed himself, he hated himself. But hearing it from Natasha, a miracle he never could have imagined he could get, maybe he could finally believe it, maybe he could finally look to the future.

 

"Natasha, you know what I've done. You know what I've become."

 

"It doesn't matter, not to me, not to anyone who knows you. You've got red in your ledger, we all do. We've all had to take lives before. You did what you did to try make the world a better place, in some sick way, you were doing the right thing, Clint. I can't judge you for that."

 

"Well I don't judge people on their worst mistakes."

 

"Maybe you should."

 

"You didn't." She reminded him.

 

"Yeah." Natasha laughed, her eyes watering as she realised they must be getting close to it now. "You didn't judge me on my worst, you saw what I could become, what I could achieve with support and for fighting for the right cause, the right reasons."

 

"Okay. You win." Clint told her as they embraced, before he threw her to the floor. "Tell my family I love them."

 

"NO!" Kate yelled as she saw that. She hadn't met his family yet, but she knew they were amazing people, they had to be, to be family with someone as amazing and selfless as Clint Barton.

 

"I'm right here, Kate." Clint winced, digging at his hearing aid.

 

"Sorry." She muttered as Yelena gave a small laugh at her antics.

"You are so funny, Kate Bishop." Yelena told her. "Like a little puppy dog."

 

"Hey!" Kate growled at her.

 

"You can tell them yourself." Natasha told Clint with a sad smile.

 

"You tell them yourself." She said, shocking him, as the two of them fought, both determined to be the one who died.

 

"This is the worst thing I've ever seen." Bruce said, horrified. "And I saw the Blip."

 

"Why does this need to be the price? Isn't there anything else we can do?" Steve begged, aiming his question to anyone and anything that was listening. How had they all gotten there? Surely there had to be some force that could do something, it had brought them there, couldn't it stop this?

 

Eventually, they both hung from the cliff, Clint keeping Natasha held up, struggling to pull her up.

 

"Please." Yelena begged, seeing Nat dangling in the air, not wanting to witness this. "Please, don't, Natasha. Please. Think of me, think of all of us. Please. Don't do this."

 

"Hey." Natasha said, taking Yelena's hands in her own. "Look at me, Lena. I have to do this. Don't you see? I'm doing this FOR you, for Alexei, for Melina, for all of our sisters, throughout the world, for everyone in the world, and in the universe. If my death means you're all safe and happy, I'd pay that price, every time. You know that, don't you?"

 

"I do, сестра. But please, Nat..."

 

"It's ok. You'll be fine." Natasha assured her. "You'll be there, for everyone. You'll be there to help them all, I know it." She finished with a smile, pulling Yelena towards her in a hug, both of them crying as they buried their heads in each others hair.

 

"Natasha, please, we can't, we can't lose you." Steve said to her, as she turned to look at him over the shoulder of her sister. "Please, you can't, you lead this team, you're the one who kept us together, after all of this, you're the reason we all fight on, even now, why we didn't just give up hope on changing all of this, even when it seemed like we should. We...We can't be the Avengers without you."

 

"You're always going to be the Avengers, with or without me, Rogers." She replied, wiping her eyes as she did. "We will do this, like we do everything, like we've always done everything, we will do it together. Even if...even if I'm gone, you'll do it together, you'll make the world a good place again, I know you all will."

 

"Let me go."

 

"No. No, please, no."

 

"It's okay."

 

"It's anything but ok!" Betty cried out. She had gained a new respect for the Black Widow having seen her interacting with everyone, how could she possibly think dying was alright?

 

"We all have our time." Natasha told them.

 

"But your time doesn't need to be now!" Steve protested. "We can find another way. Anything."

 

"We can't." Strange simply insisted.

 

"Please." Clint begged, as Natasha kicked off the wall, Clint losing his grip as she plummeted to the hard stone below.

 

“NATASHA!” Several voices yelled as they saw her kick away and plummet from the cliff, as she merely grimaced. This was it, this was where her story ended. Steve scowled at the screen as Bruce’s eyes turned green in his fury at seeing what had happened to her.

 

Yelena couldn’t tear her eyes away from the scene as they welled with tears again, her mouth turned into a sharp snarl and she turned towards Clint.

 

“Barton.” She said, fire in her eyes as she spoke. “I wanted you dead. So badly. You could not imagine how deeply I craved the end of your existence, I would have taken the chance to kill you for free. But after seeing this, seeing what you did, what Natasha did....I forgive you.”

 

"Thank you." Kate smiled at her sorta friend. She didn't want her partner and her acquaintance to fight. She liked them both, Clint as he was Clint, Yelena as she was odd and headstrong and determined and everything Kate wanted to be, minus the murder assassin part.

 

"You are a braver one that most, Ms Romanoff." The newcomer called Sersi said, breaking everyone from their reverie for a moment.

 

"Thanks." Natasha gave her a small smile, her smile not quite reaching her eyes as she took in her own broken form, blood already pooling around her head on the cold, dark rocks of Vormir.

 

"We will make Thanos pay." Tony said, eyes rimmed red. "He will regret all of this."

 

"I know he will." Natasha told him. "Whatever it takes, Tony. We can't let this distract us. We have to do it."

 

Clint then was enveloped in light and awoke in a shallow watery pool, the cliff in the distance and the stone in his hand.

 

"I'm sorry, Clint." Natasha said, seeing the look of raw pain on his face on the screen, mirrored on him now in the room.

 

"It was my fault. I couldn't save you, I couldn't stop you." Clint moaned, putting his head in his hands, as Natasha rubbed his back soothingly.

 

"It was my choice, do you hear me? Mine. I make my own choices."

 

Spider-Man 3 winced at those words, reminding him of something that someone else had once said to him.

 

"Next, we will cut to after you have achieved your task and have used the Stones to restore the universe to balance, returning the half that had vanished." A new voice spoke up, but looking around, nobody could quite tell who had said it.

 

The scene cut to Thor, Tony and Steve all approaching Thanos, preparing to attack him, as he thanked them for getting the stones for him and giving him a new purpose, to entirely destroy the universe and rebuild a new one, grateful to him. Thanos told them that the new universe wouldn't know what it had lost, as the Avengers wouldn't be alive to tell them.

 

"He's completely unhinged." Phastos said, gasping.

 

"I knew he was bad, but this..." Druig muttered.

 

"We should have helped. We should have tried to stop him." Makkari signed.

 

"How would any of us have helped?" Ikaris spoke up softly, as the rest of the Eternals looked at him, glaring, Ikaris winced, as Sprite pursed her lips.

 

"I'm with Ikaris on this, what would we have done? We did what we were told too."

 

"Of course you're on his side." Kingo grinned teasingly as Sprite flushed and Ikaris looked confused.

 

"How would you have helped anyway?" Steve asked them.

 

"I'm sure it'll be explained later on." Sersi spoke up. "There's no need to go into it yet."

 

"She's right, we do need to get through this." Nebula stated.

 

"I'm still confused as to how all of us are here and why we are here exactly?" Quill asked.

 

"We're here because we all know Spider-Man, the new guys, not so much sure as to if they know him personally or not like we do, but we all knew him." Tony explained.

 

"His name's Peter Parker, we all knew him, now, thanks we think to the wizards, we don't. Hoping this will explain why and how we can fix it." MJ summed it up before the scientists in the room could start pontificating on how and why it was all happening.

 

"God, I'm sorry I missed that part." Scott said, gesturing to the three of them confronting Thanos.

 

"Where were you or any of the others anyway?" Steve asked. "It can't have just been us three against him."

 

"We were in another area, I'm sure we'll show up in a few moments." Rhodey explained.

 

The three of them began to battle Thanos as elsewhere, Nebula killed her past self to save Gamora and Clint and Scott struggled to save Rhodey, Bruce and Rocket.

 

"Well, that was something." Rocket said as he watched Nebula kill herself.

 

"She was a fool and an idiot." Nebula simply said. "She refused to see what could be, clinging to her foolish notions that what she had could somehow become better."

 

Tony was knocked out by Thanos and Steve thrown to the side as Thor continued to engage, before Thanos tried to drive Stormbreaker into Thor's chest himself.

 

"Tony!" Steve shouted, seeing his friend knocked to the side.

 

"I'm alright, Cap. You know I'll shake it off, I always do." Tony gave a wry grin as Steve settled down. Tony would be fine, he was impossible to kill after all. Surely they were lying about him being dead in the future, right?

 

As Thor struggled to keep it away, Mjolnir rose from the ground.

 

"Yes, call it to you Thor!" Kate yelled, being one of those in the room that didn't know fully what had occurred.

 

"You're about to send him flying, Thor." Steve smiled.

 

"Well, someone is." Thor replied mysteriously.

 

It flew through the air and struck Thanos, before flying back into the hand of Steve.

 

"STEVE?!" Tony and Natasha shouted, stunned.

 

"I guess I decided to actually use it this time." Steve shrugged.

 

"What do you mean, this time?" Tony asked him.

 

"Back before Ultron, when we all tried to lift it? I always could, I just decided not to do so, figured I didn't have the right to do so, plus I didn't want to show Thor up."

 

Thor then cheered before Thanos kicked him in the head, turning to face Steve, who began to beat Thanos, until Thanos managed to catch him out and send him flying, smashing the shield into pieces. Steve rose, to see Thanos' army had arrived to back him up, all the Avengers were down and Steve strapped his shields remains to his arm, lifted Mjolnir and prepared to fight the entire horde alone.

 

"Steve, you idiot, what are you doing?" Tony hissed at him.

 

"I can do this all day, Tony. If I had to fight them alone, I will." Steve said.

 

"You know, with this, and lifting the hammer, there's something I've known for years really, but not had the chance to say to you. When we first met, I said everything special about you came out of a bottle, but I was wrong. Captain America may be what you can do, but Steve Rogers is who you are. You were already special, possibly one of the most special people to ever live, before any serum went into you." Tony admitted.

 

"Steve has never backed down from a fight he knows he can't win." Bucky told them. "This just further proves it, he won't ever stop."

 

"I always knew Captain America was a hero, but this, this is next level." Abe whispered to the rest of the Midtown graduates.

 

"He's badass." Flash and Betty both said.

 

"I MUST ADMIT, THIS ONE IS A REAL HERO. IT WOULD BE AN HONOUR TO FIGHT ALONGSIDE HIM." Venom spoke up.

 

"Yeah, he really looks the part." Eddie nodded.

 

"Hey Cap do you read me? Cap, it's Sam, can you hear me? On your left." A voice spoke in his comms.

 

"Now that is a badass entrance." Spider-Man 2 said as they watched the heroes of Earth begin to arrive to aid Steve and the other Avengers at the Compound.

 

Portals opened up as T'Challa, Shuri and Okoye walked out, followed by Sam flying through another. Doctor Strange opened on on Titan as Mantis and Drax rushed through, followed by Quill flying in and then Peter webbing in, unmasking as he landed.

 

"Yay, we're in this now!" Quill cheered.

 

"I look terrifyingly strong." Drax stated.

 

"Peter!" The Midtown lot cheered. Tony stared longingly at the screen, seeing his protege happy and healthy again. What he wouldn't give for Peter to be with them now, in the room, with his friends, happy and healthy.

 

The forces of Wakanda filed through with Bucky and Groot, followed by Ravager ships and Asgardian warriors, Valkyrie riding a Pegasus, Korg and Miek ready to fight with Wanda landing next to them. Sorcerers came in, with Hope and Howard the Duck, Pepper even arrived in the Rescue armour as Strange asked Wong if that was everyone.

 

"Is...Is that a duck?" Everyone asked.

 

"I don't recall seeing him in the battle. He must have skipped around and vanished pretty quickly during the fighting." Strange stated.

 

"I think I've seen him before, he was with the Ravagers when he came in, I assume he must have been associated with them." Rocket said.

 

"I am Groot." Groot stated, wisely.

 

"Pepper." Tony said, eyes shimmering, as he saw his wife wearing the suit he made for her, the suit he assumed she'd never wear. "Who is looking after Morgan?"

 

"I was." Happy reassured him. "I'd never leave Morgan alone."

 

"What, you wanted more?" Wong spat back.

 

"Could we have even gotten more?" Wanda asked.

 

"I doubt it, we stretched it pretty thin." Strange remarked.

 

Scott emerged in giant form with Bruce, Rhodey and Rocket. The forces of Earth began yelling as Thanos looked worried.

 

"Yeah, you better be worried, because we're coming for you." Steve growled.

 

"You won't win this time." Tony vowed.

 

"You'll fall, like all tyrants do." Natasha promised.

 

"AVENGERS!....Assemble." Steve said as the forces of Earth charged, Thanos' forces also charging at a sign from him, as the Battle of Earth began.

 

"Here it goes, the coolest event to ever happen in history, ever." Kingo grinned.

 

Kate nodded her head, this was definitely the height of coolness. How could anybody think otherwise?

 

"What about the Deviants and killing all of them?" Druig whispered to Phastos.

 

"I mean, I don't consider murder to be cool, even it if its against Deviants." Phastos gave him a glare. "I just want to know why I'm here and how I can get back to my son."

 

M'Baku screamed "DIE!" as he attacked an outrider, Hulk throwing a Chitauri warrior as Scott punched a Leviathan clean out of the air himself. T'Challa, Shuri and Okoye took out some outriders, as Drax and Korg teamed up on one, Pepper and Tony worked together, going back to back to blow up one of Thanos' smaller ships as well.

 

"Damn, Pepper is a badass." MJ marvelled.

 

"There's a reason she runs Stark Industries, she's far more capable than I could ever be." Tony said proudly. Pepper was the best person he knew, she could never lose his faith in her.

 

"So glad to see my friends work together!" Thor boomed happily, seeing the Drax and Korg tewam up.

 

Steve and Thor fought side by side, swapping back Stormbreaker and Mjolnir when they each held the other, before Tony, about to be hit by a big outrider, had him pulled away by Peter before Scott stepped on them.

 

"Peter's back!" Ned cheered.

 

"It's a shame we won't ever get to have an arachnid teamup." Natasha sighed.

 

"You will, somehow." Steve said. "Whatever it takes to make it happen, you will."

 

"Peter saved me." Tony said, eyes widening. "That's my boy."

 

"Not his father my ass." Sam chuckled as Bucky nodded.

 

"Hey! Holy cow! You would not believe what has happened, you remember when we were in space and I got all dusty and I must've passed out, because I woke up and you were gone. But Doctor Strange was there, right? and he was like it's been five years. Come on, they need us and started doing the yellow sparkly thing that he does all the time." Peter was cut off by Tony hugging him, sinking into the hug, remarking that it was nice.

 

"Peter!" Tony yelled suddenly as his mind was bombarded by the last few memories he was still missing.

 

"Tony?" Steve asked, confused.

 

"I remember everything, Steve, God, I really did a number on the kid, didn't I? I pressured him to come fight you, I ignored him for months, I took away his suits instead of trying to train him, god, why did he even bother coming to work with me in the lab all those times? What sort of man am I, taking someone as special as Peter for granted? For neglecting him at every turn, I said I'd be a better father than my dad was to me, and I like to think I have been with Morgan, and although he isn't mine, the kid is as good as mine, and I fucked up so much with him." Tony moaned, putting his head in his hands.

 

"You didn't fail him Tony, not at all." Strange said. "I could tell just from Titan that you cared for the kid. He knew the stakes, and he loved you, make no mistake about it."

 

"Aww Irondad and Spiderson!" Betty cheered, trying to diffuse the tension.

 

"The what and what?" Tony asked, face turning red as everyone else laughed at the reaction and the phrase the journalist intern had coined.

 

"You're his Irondad. He's your Spiderson. It's simple." Matt couldn't keep a grin off of his face as he explained it to the bewildered Tony.

 

"Were we ever like this?" Spider-Man 2 whispered to Spider-Man 3.

 

"I'd love to say no, but we're still this nerdy." He replied as Spider-Man 2 scowled.

 

Clint rushed with the gauntlet as they tried to get it to Scott and Hope who were trying to fix the quantum tunnel in the van, Thanos moved to stop T'Challa, as Clint passed it on to him, as Wanda intercepted them, telling Thanos he had taken everything from her. When he remarked he didn't know her, she told him he would, before using her powers to lift him into the air, stripping away his armour and crushing him.

 

"Kick his ass little witch!" Thor cheered as Wanda blushed. It had felt good and right to do that to Thanos, he had taken everything she had held dear at the time, and he deserved far worse than what she had managed to do to him.

 

As this happened, Peter caught the gauntlet from T'Challa, activating instant kill with his suit as outriders converged on him, slaughtering them all.

 

"Peter is killing them?" MJ asked, her mouth wide as she saw it, looking around, the others who weren't at the final battle had similar expressions.

 

"Kid..." Tony said, looking stunned. Sure, being in this battle, against these foes, he could understand him using that feature of his suits, but he never expected to see Peter actually use it.

 

"I never expected him to take a life like this, he isn't even angry, just desperate." Spider-Man 3 said.

 

"Well we've seen what desperation can do to someone." Spider-Man 2 said, pursing his lips.

 

"He did what he had to do." Yelena simply said, looking at the screen. "They wouldn't have stopped, he needed to do it to get through them."

 

"It's murder!" Kate argued.

 

"No, it's not. They clearly don't have sentience enough to think, and even if they did, they clearly plan to kill the Spiderling. It is self defence, Kate Bishop."

 

Thanos ordered his ship to rain fire to get Wanda off of him, slaughtering countless on both sides, as the sorcerers directed shields upwards to protect themselves, Stephen used his own magic to hold back the nearby lake, the banks of it breaching and threatening to flood the battlefield.

 

"He's a maniac, with no regard for any life than his own." Eddie said, horrified. He had heard how bad this Thanos was, but seeing it in person, it was truly horrific.

 

"That's Thanos." Nebula said. "My Father was a monster in all ways."

 

Peter began to be overran and begged for help, as Steve threw Mjolnir, Peter webbed to it and was dragged away, as Pepper and then Valkyrie saved Peter and carried him away, eventually the Pegasus was shot and Peter crashed to Earth, protecting himself as he curled up, clutching the gauntlet to him. Suddenly, the firing stopped as the ships guns aimed skywards.

 

"Why have they stopped firing at you all? Clearly they were doing a good job at disorienting you?" Ikaris asked quietly.

 

"Glad they were there to help Peter get that thing away." Ned said.

 

"Maybe there's something else coming?" Phastos answered Ikaris, refusing to look at his fellow Eternal as he did.

 

Friday alerted Tony that something just entered the atmosphere as Captain Marvel flew in, smashing through Thanos' ship and causing it to explode, the heroes cheered as Thanos looked concerned, before Marvel landed next to Peter, asking if he had something for her. He handed her the gauntlet, asking how she would get through the forces of Thanos moving on her, as the other female heroes arrived to provide her with backup.

 

"Is...Is she flirting with Peter?" Flash asked, confused.

 

MJ scowled at the screen, her eyes burning. She barely remembered Peter still, but still, she knew she liked what she had seen so far, and if she could have the chance...she shook her head, surely she didn't like him like that, did she?

 

"Seems to be. Bit weird." Bruce remarked. "He's, what, 16? She's in her 40's, easily."

 

"Well as long as she doesn't try to make any moves on him after all of this." Betty spoke up. "Though all these heroes together, that's a badass scene of girl power."

 

"Seems a tad forced to me, like why are they all together?" Natasha wondered.

 

Thanos was blasted aside as he tried to stop Marvel taking the gauntlet to the now working quantum tunnel, throwing his blade, it smashed into it, destroying the tunnel before she could get there, blasting everyone nearby, including herself, backwards as she dropped the gauntlet.

 

"WE WERE SO CLOSE!" Tony raged, seeing the exploding tunnel. "How do we do it, how do we manage to get the Stones away and save all of these different realities with that?" He turned to Strange. "Tell me, Strange."

 

"You'll see, Tony." Strange told him. "Just watch."

 

"She doesn't have the Gauntlet anymore, we have to get it before Thanos does!" Natasha worried.

 

Tony and then Thor and Steve scrambled for the gauntlet as Thanos went for it, knocking them all aside eventually, Thanos grabbed it as Marvel attacked, he knocked her aside too and went to snap as she pinned his hand, he tried to headbutt her to no avail, eventually he pulled the Power stone from the gauntlet and punched her away with it, putting the stones back, Tony looked to Stephen, still struggling to contain the lake, who raised a single finger in the air.

 

"He's got the Stones, even she isn't enough to stop him and she looks pretty powerful, how do we do it?" Steve asked.

 

"Is this it, is this the one we win?" Tony asked.

 

"It is." Strange confirmed.

 

"How are any of you going to get it from him? He's too strong!" Eddie remarked.

 

"I'm sure we're about to find out." Matt told him.

 

Tony surged forward, grabbing the gauntlet as Thanos easily swept him aside before smirking and declaring "I am...inevitable." and snapping his fingers....to no effect.

 

"HOW DID IT NOT WORK? ARE THE STONES BROKEN?" Venom asked Eddie.

 

"I have no idea, pal, just watch." Eddie told him.

 

Looking around in shock, he saw Tony, on his knees, raise his own hand, the stones now in his own gauntlet, power surging through him.

 

"Tony..." Natasha said sadly. They knew how powerful those Stones were, how hard it would be to wield them, just doing this, she didn't want to think on it.

 

"You know, Tony." Steve spoke up, as a shocked Tony turned to look at him. "When you said everything special about me came from a bottle, I told you that you weren't a hero, you wouldn't make the play. I was wrong. You truly are a hero, Tony, the best of us even, when you want to be. This is you, being Earth's best defender." Steve said with a sad smile as Tony gave him a grateful nod.

 

"And I....Am.....Iron Man." Tony said, snapping his own fingers.

 

"Tones...." Rhodey said, his eyes filling with tears as he thought back to what was about to happen, what had happened to him.

 

"I'm still here, Rhodes. I promise, I won't go anywhere." Tony said to his best friend, wrapping an arm around him.

 

"I should have been there." Happy grumbled.

 

"No, you were with Morgan, believe me, that's more important to me than anything else, Happy." Tony assured him. "My daughter needed protection, there's nobody I would trust more than my Forehead of Security on that."

 

"Thank you, Tony." Happy choked.

 

"You're a brave man, Mr Stark." Spider-Man 2 told him.

 

"Thanks Spidey. I'm sure your Tony thinks you are too."

 

"Never met a Tony Stark, but I'd like to think if I have one, he's as brave as you are." Spider-Man 2 stated.

 

Thanos' forces began to turn to dust and vanish themselves around the heroes, as Thanos sat down on a rock, the sun rising over a grateful universe, as he faded to dust too.

 

"That's what you get, it's what you deserve." Sprite spat at the image of him fading away.

 

"Your daughter? She's very angry." Yelena told Sersi who looked stunned.

 

"Sprite's my sister if anything." Sersi told her.

 

"She's not wrong, it's all he deserves, to be nothing, to be gone from our lived and to no longer threaten the world." Steve growled.

 

"I hated him for the longest time, but seeing him go, all I can feel is sadness as well as relief." Nebula told the other Guardians, who nodded, understanding how conflicting this must be for her.

 

Tony stumbled to a nearby spot and collapsed, as Rhodes approached, he looked Tony over and cried, before Peter arrived.

 

"This is going to crush the little Spiderling." Yelena remarked.

 

"Shouldn't we be like, quiet?" Kate hissed at her as everyone else bowed their heads in sadness at what they knew would happen.

 

"Mr Stark? Hey! Mr Stark, can you hear me? It's Peter. Hey. We won, Mr Stark. We won, Mr Stark. We won! You did it, Sir! You did it! I'm sorry, Tony." He cried as Pepper pulled him away, Rhodey taking Peter aside.

 

"WHY ARE YOU APOLOGISING, IT ISN'T YOUR FAULT!" Tony screamed at the screen. "Look, I get he can't hear us, but whatever brought us here, surely you, whatever you are, can get a message to him? Let him know, it isn't his fault. I did this, I do this, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat to save everyone and everything. I'm just sorry for one thing, and that's that I won't get to see my kids reach the potential I know they have."

 

Tony, I may not remember Peter, but I know Morgan. She knows you’re watching over her. She’s proud of you, so proud.” Happy told him, tears stinging his eyes. “We all know you wouldn’t have done what you were gonna do if-“ Happy cut off.

 

“If? If what?” Scott asked as Happy's eyes widened and he shook his head.

 

“If Peter wasn’t going to be there.” Happy finished with a bright smile. “I remember.”

 

“You remember him?”

 

“It’s hard to say, definitely bits. There’s some that feel like blanks still, I-I don’t think I remember it all, but I do remember the kid. How brave he is. How much like you he can be. How wide his heart is. He’s a hero, Tony, and that, at least partially, that’s on you.”

 

“Thanks Happy, but it’s all on the kid, he’s the best of us.” Tony insisted.

 

“I just hope we were all there for him after this. He’s just reunited with his mentor only for him to die before him.” Hope said. “The kid is gonna need alot of support through all of this.”

 

“He’ll get it.” Steve vowed, as everyone else made mental vows to be there for Peter too when they got back.

 

"FRIDAY?" Pepper asked.

 

"I don't know how Pepper does it." Tony said. "Even now, strong enough for both of us, that's my wife." He smiled. "That's who Morgan will take after, I hope. Not a playboy idiot, but a strong, intelligent and brave woman."

 

"Life functions critical."

 

There wasn't a dry eye now in the room as they watched the final moments of the great Tony Stark, Tony himself just watched the screen with a growing sense of numbness. If this was how he had to go out, he could think of worse ways to go.

 

"Tony? Look at me. We're gonna be okay. You can rest now." Pepper assured him, as Tony's eyes became vacant and the light on his reactor went dark.

 

"I'm sorry." Tony whispered, staring at Pepper. "I'm so sorry."

 

All around them, the heroes of Earth looked at their fallen comrade and took a knee as Pepper kissed Tony's cheek one final time, before crying into his chest.

 

"Why are you all doing that?" Tony asked, perplexed.

 

"If anyone deserved this mark of respect, you did, Tones." Rhodey explained. "You and Natasha both."

 

Clint reunited with his family as Ned and Peter greeted each other at school, Scott, Cassie and Hope sat together on a porch, watching fireworks going off, a scene no doubt repeated throughout the universe. It showed other reuniting with their loved ones, the royals of Wakanda watching the country below celebrate.

 

"The universe, at peace once more." Sersi whispered, her eyes shining, but not from sadness, from joy this time. Seeing this, the celebration of life and love that she knew would be being repeated throughout the universe, she couldn't contain it. This, this is what the Eternals fought for, what Ajax was willing to risk the wrath of Arishem for, and what she would continue to fight for. Her and the others. Even Ikaris would come around on it, she was sure.

 

"I'm back!" Ned said, his cheer lacking some of the usual happiness within it. Now he had seen this, now he knew what Peter had lost, what his friend had gone through...it hurt him. Only Tony seemed to fully remember Peter, at least from the ones from his universe, and wasn't that crazy enough that there were other universes? But Ned hoped this would be the start of him fully remembering, and not just the few flashes he had already gotten.

 

"We're all back loser, wonder where the rest of us are though?" MJ tried to tease, her tone was missing that dry wit though, it just sounded sad now.

 

"Everybody wants a happy ending, right? But it doesn't always roll that way. Maybe this time. I'm hoping if you play this back, it's in celebration. I hope families are reunited, I hope you get it back, and some version of the planet has been restored, if there ever was such a thing. God, the universe now. If you'd told me ten years that we weren't alone, let alone even to this extent, I wouldn't have been surprised, but come on. Who knew, that epic forces of darkness and light that have come into play. For better or worse, that's the reality that Morgan's gonna have to grow up in. So I figured I had better record a little greeting, in case of an untimely death, on my part, not that death at any time isn't untimely. This time travel thing that we're gonna try pull off tomorrow, it's got me scratching my head about this survival thing. Then again, that's the hero gig, part of the journey is the end. What am I tripping over, it's all going to work out exactly the way it's supposed too. I love you three thousand." Tony spoke, addressing Morgan directly, as she, Pepper, Happy, Rhodey, Thor and Steve watched his final farewell.

 

"That was beautiful, Mr Stark." Betty said.

 

"Well for final words, I have to say, not too shabby." Tony teased. "Also, Mr Stark? I think everyone in here has probably earned the right to call me Tony, even Flash Gordon over there."

 

"Hey!" Flash and Peter both piped up.

 

"What do you mean, you? He called me that!"

 

"My name is Flash!"

 

"Sure it is, Eugene." Cindy laughed.

 

Tony's original arc reactor floated away on a bed of reeds and flowers, as Morgan and Pepper let it go, whilst it showed the rest of the funeral, Happy and Rhodey together, Steve just behind them, then showing Peter with May and Thor with Bruce. Bruce's arm in a sling. Stephen with Wong. Hope, Scott, Hank and Janet together. The Guardians, Quill, Drax, Mantis, Groot, Rocket and Nebula. Okoye, T'Challa and Shuri. The Bartons, Clint, Laura, Lila, Cooper and Nathaniel, Bucky, Sam and Wanda together. Harley Keener by himself with Secretary Ross behind him with Hill. Captain Marvel stood alone and behind her, stood Nick Fury.

 

"So I recognise most of you, but who are the others?" Spider-Man 3 asked.

 

"Well the old man is General Ross, a real dick, Maria Hill, someone who has worked with us before is by him, at the very back is Nick Fury, he brought the Avengers together." Clint explained. "The people with me are my family, those...those who Natasha helped bring back, not too sure on who the kid is though."

 

"Harley Keener. He helped me with the whole Mandarin business." Tony told them.

 

"The two old folk with us are Hope's parents." Scott cheerfully supplied as Hope elbowed him.

 

"Remember, you have to return the stones to the exact moment you got them or you're gonna open up a bunch of nasty alternative realities." Bruce explained to Steve, Sam stood with them, as they looked at the Six stones.

 

"So, this is us returning them, wonder why I'm off alone?" Steve asked as Sam and Bucky looked awkwardly between themselves.

 

"You were the only one up to the job, plus you had to return the hammer." Sam told him, shaking his head at Bucky as Bucky went to open his mouth.

 

"Don't worry, Bruce. Clip all the branches."

 

"I did clip them all, didn't I? Will I finally see why I'm apparently gone?" Steve asked.

 

"Yeah, pal." Bucky said, putting his hand on his shoulder. He understood why Steve did what he did, really, but the consequences of it, how it fucked up for everyone, he just couldn't get how Steve of all people couldn't see what him disappearing would cause.

 

"You know I tried. When I had the gauntlet, the stones, I really tried to bring her back." Bruce told Steve sadly. "I miss her, man."

 

"We all do, Bruce." Clint told him, patting Bruce's arm.

 

"I'll miss all of you too, Bruce. You guys, as well as Yelena, Alexei and Melina, you're my family." Natasha stated.

 

"We know, we're all family." Bruce smiled ruefully back at her.

 

"Me too." Steve assured him.

 

"Exactly." Steve nodded in agreement with his future self.

 

"You know if you want, I can come with you." Sam told Steve as they walked towards where Bucky was watching and waiting. Steve holding the Infinity stones in a case as Bruce got to work on the Quantum tunnel.

 

"I guess you couldn't, I guess I need to do this myself?" Steve asked, before a thought occurred to him. No, he didn't, did he?

 

"You're a good man, Sam." Steve told him. "This one's on me, though."

 

"Yeah, I think it is." Steve said, holding back a half laugh and half sob as he realised what his future self was about to do. Is it something he could do though? Is it something he should do? He wasn't too sure on either of those questions.

 

Approaching Bucky, Steve told him to not do anything stupid until he returned. Bucky asked how he could, Steve was taking all the stupid with him.

 

"I think I might be about too." Steve whispered as Natasha and Tony both got an inkling of what Steve was about to do as well. They looked towards him in shock.

 

"Gonna miss you, buddy." Bucky said as they hugged.

 

"I still do." Bucky whispered to Sam.

 

"I think he's figured it out Buck." Sam said, as Bucky turned to see Steve staring at them both wide eyed.

 

"Yeah, I think he has." Bucky agreed.

 

"It's gonna be okay, Buck." Steve reassured him.

 

Steve got up and walked over to Bucky and Sam, grabbing both of them into a hug, despite their objections.

 

"It's going to be okay, no matter what." He assured them.

 

"How long is this gonna take?" Sam asked as Steve stepped onto the platform, Mjolnir awaiting him.

 

"Well that's the thing." Steve laughed to them.

 

"For him, as long as he needs. For us, five seconds." Bruce informed Sam.

 

"A very long five seconds." Bruce muttered.

 

Bruce then sent Steve off, as Steve cast a last glance at Bucky, Bruce dialled it in to return Steve, as nothing happened. Sam panicked and asked what had happened, Bruce said Steve had blew past his time stamp, Sam demanded Bruce bring him back as Bruce tried, Bucky walked away and looked at a nearby hill, before calling for Sam. Sam headed over to see a figure sat on a bench in the distance.

 

"Wait...is that Captain Rogers?" Abe asked.

 

"Maybe." Sam gave a small smile. "I thought Captain Rogers was on the Moon though?"

 

"The Moon?" Steve asked mirthfully.

 

"The rumour that seems to be the accepted version of what happened to you. Either dead or on the Moon." Bucky murmured to him as Steve laughed.

 

The two of them left Bruce and headed over, stopping a short way off. Bucky smiled as he told Sam to go ahead. Sam approached the elderly man sat with a large case, as the man turned, to reveal he was Steve.

 

"What the actual fuck." Flash said, stunned.

 

"How did this happen?" Betty asked, the secret of what happened to Steve been largely hidden to the public.

 

"Damn, you got old, Rogers." Natasha teased him.

 

"I've always been old." Steve blithely shot back with a grin.

 

"You know when I said you needed to get a life, not sure this is exactly what I had in mind." Tony told him. "But I'm happy for you, Steve, if you were happy, so am I."

 

"Am I happy?" Steve asked his two friends who seemed to know him best.

 

"Yeah, you are." Sam nodded.

 

"You may want to brace yourself for something though." Bucky teased him.

 

"Hi Sam." He greeted his old friend warmly.

 

"It looks so weird to see myself looking like that." Steve mused.

 

"So, did something go wrong or something go right?"

 

"I'm not sure how I'd class this, whether it's wrong or right." Steve told them.

 

"Well, after I put the stones back, I thought maybe I'll try getting some of that life that Tony was telling me to get."

 

"If anyone else deserves it, Capsicle, it's you." Tony assured him.

 

"How did that work out for ya?"

 

"Well, from what I can see, it seemed like it worked out pretty well, all things considered." Sam chuckled.

 

"It was beautiful." Steve explained.

 

"Aww." Betty, Hope and Sersi all said.

 

"Blergh." Thena stated.

 

Sam explained he was happy for Steve, just sad he would have to live in a world without Captain America anymore.

 

"I think he may have a plan for that." Tony laughed.

 

"That reminds me." Steve said, moving the large case to Sam, pulling out the shield. "Try it on."

 

"If anyone deserved it, Sam, it's you." Bucky reassured him, seeing Sam glance at the floor at that. "I think you've proven it by now."

 

"Thanks Buck." Sam smiled at him.

 

Sam looked over to Bucky, who nodded to him, before taking it.

 

"It's his." Bucky spoke up before anyone could ask why he didn't take the shield. "I'm tired of fighting, tired of war. Sam, he's a good, no, a great man, he IS Captain America."

 

"How does it feel?"

 

"It took me a while to find out a proper answer to that." Sam told him.

 

"Like it's someone else's."

 

"It isn't." Steve told him.

 

"It really isn't." Steve smiled at Sam. "It's yours, Sam, when I do give it up, which I will do one day I feel, it's yours."

"Thanks, Steve." Sam flashed him a return grin.

 

Sam thanked him for the chance and promised to do his best as Steve shook his hand and said it was why it belonged to Sam. Noticing a ring, Sam asked Steve if he wanted to tell him about her. Steve said he didn't.

 

"Coy to the end, eh, Rogers?" Natasha told him, as Steve beamed at her.

 

"I learnt it from one of the best."

 

The scene then cut to a suburban 1940's home, as Steve and Peggy slow danced before kissing. The screen then cut to black.

 

"Aww, at least you got your happily ever after." Betty said.

 

"Sucks you left your friends behind though for it." MJ stated.

 

"So, heroes, do you want to see who has chosen you? I have heard a few of you ask why you're here and how, after all." A voice said, seemingly from the ceiling.

 

"I'm going to assume you're whoever has taken us from where we were and brought us here?" Strange called.

 

"Yes, Stephen Strange. I am the one who summoned you all, for the greatest challenge you have all ever faced. Saving your reality."

 

"Who are you? What about us from other universes?" Eddie asked.

 

Another light flashed in the room, blinding everyone momentarily, as they looked, they saw a man floating above them, wrapped in purple robes, with an oversized head.

 

"This is about making every life here better, as a reward for the heroics of everyone in here." The new figure said. "I need heroes, and so, you were all chosen."

 

"Who are you?" Thor demanded to know of the newest arrival.

 

"I am the Watcher."

Notes:

Far From Home time! Will be bringing in more people to the fic at the end of NWH for Phase 4, those people will be: Loki, Sylvie, Shang-Chi, Katy, Xialing, Marc Spector, Carol Danvers, Vision, Sharon Carter.

THAT DOCTOR STRANGE TRAILER!!!

Chapter 13: The Plan

Summary:

Sorry I didn't make it clear, the movie part itself, that's done, descriptions, quotes, all done for NWH. I mean reaction not script, that's on me. As for the many other shows people have suddenly began throwing at me, no. This story is getting convoluted as it is, already realised I may have backed myself into a corner in one regard and to fix it, gonna have to really go AU with this after NWH.

"So, you're the one who brought us all here? What...exactly are you?" Spider-Man 3 asked.

 

"I am Uatu the Watcher." The being explained. "I have brought you all here to show you what has befallen your friend and to help you have the chance to change some things."

 

"What do you mean, change things?" Tony asked.

 

"All will be explained in time, Mr Stark. I will just say, some of you will want the opportunity I can provide, others will not. It will be up to all of you, but those who don't take it shall struggle in things to come." Uatu mysteriously said before fading from view before them. His voice lingered for a few moments longer. "These next few clips begin a few months following the funeral of Tony Stark, and will show you what happened next to young Mr Parker."

 

The scene opened on Hill and Fury in the desert, driving towards a small Mexican village, that had largely been destroyed, people picking through the wreckage.

 

“Guess SHIELD is kinda still a thing?” Sam asked.

 

“Haven’t they contacted you?” Steve questioned.

 

“Not any of us I don’t think.” Sam said as the rest of the heroes shook their heads. They hadn’t heard from Fury since Tony’s funeral, what was he doing in Mexico?

 

Hill asked why they were there, people saw things under stress and this was a natural disaster as Fury explained locals saw a face inside the Cyclone.

 

“Well, this is a new one.” Clint raised an eyebrow.

 

“A cyclone with a face? This I need to see.” Tony remarked.

 

Suddenly, a giant green smoke cloud crashed into the ground before them, the two agents whipped out their guns as a man turned to them, asking who they were before saying “You don’t want any part of this!” as a giant rock monster appeared from the ground, Nick and Hill firing at it as well to no effect. The figure let loose a giant green cloud towards the monster as the screen faded to black.

 

“MYSTERIO!” Betty and Flash cheered.

 

“Who?” Steve asked.

 

“Mysterio, he was this new hero, helped save people...” Betty trailed off, her eyes widening. “Spider-Man. Spider-Man allegedly killed him.”

 

“Anyone else instantly calling bs on that?” Thor asked the room, getting nods from everyone present. “Just as long as we’re all in agreement. Gotta keep our eyes on this Mysterious fellow then.”

“Petition to rename him to Mysterious?” Cindy giggled as Abe nodded his support.

 

It reopened with “I will Always Love You” playing in the background, and in memoriam as the image showed Tony, Steve, Natasha and Vision before cutting back to Tony again, as doves flew past. Before it cut away to show Betty and Jason on the school news, complaining that they had to restart the school year after disappearing for five years, but now the school year was over. Jason asked if the Avengers even still existed, and who would save them all next time.

 

“Do the Avengers still exist?’ Natasha asked, worried.

 

“Technically, yeah, but I mean, we haven’t had a meeting or anything since the funeral, haven’t really had a world ending threat that one of us alone couldn’t stop.” Scott said. “Well, I’ve just had family time. I know a few of the others have been busy fighting people.”

 

“So there’s nobody watching out for each other now?” Steve frowned.

 

The scene cut to Peter sitting next to Ned and saying he had a plan. He would sit next to MJ on the flight, watch a movie together, then he’d use the trip to win her over, asking her out when on the Eiffel Tower.

 

“He likes MJ?” Betty teased as MJ flushed.

 

“Shut up.” She glared as others in the room smirked.

 

“Oh my God. You like him too, don’t you?” Ned gasped.

 

“No!” MJ denied.

 

“Well when I met the two of you, you kept sucking each others faces.” Spider-Man 3 teased.

 

“Wait, what?!” MJ gasped. "I didn't just imagine that?"

 

“Spoilers.” Spider-Man 3 said sheepishly.

 

“I have far more questions than answers.” Kate sighed, watching the exchange.

 

Ned said to throw away the plan, bachelors in Europe was the goal, Europeans loved Americans. MJ asked if they were excited for the trip, Ned let slip Peter had a plan then tried to cover it up by saying it was to collect tiny spoons, MJ asking if he was like a grandmother before saying they should download a VPN to not be tracked, walking away .

 

"Smooth, real smooth Ned." MJ laughed.

 

"Well it sounds like a good cover to me." Ned defended himself as everyone laughed at him.

 

"Why doesn't he just ask you out like a normal person?" Yelena questioned.

 

"He's clearly the world's biggest super dork, he isn't going to do that." Kate grinned.

Chapter 14: Bachelors in Europe?

"So, who thinks Peter will ask MJ out and who thinks he won't out of some stupid noble reason?" Cindy asked.

 

"Definitely won't." MJ said. She couldn't have forgotten a boyfriend, could she?

 

"Definitely towards the end." The rest of them chorused.

 

"He's not going to ask me out, I mean, why would he anyway? Does he think I'm pretty and therefore have value?" MJ asked, frowning as she finished. Why did that feel so familiar?

 

The screen turned to night as May spoke to a crowd for a homeless fundraiser, stating when she blipped back and found her apartment was now taken, the wife who lived there thought she was the husbands mistress, the mother thought she was a ghost, and thanking Spider-Man for being there tonight for the fundraiser.

 

"May..." Happy whispered, a slight smile on his face as he looked at her. This, this is where they were happiest, together, after the Blip. Even if he hadn't remembered Peter before now, this is where he should be, with him, with her if they could, happy together.

 

"Are you ok buddy?" Tony asked Happy, who nodded, wiping his eyes. He hadn't even realised he had started to cry.

 

"I will be, we just need to get back to help Peter." Happy said. "Need to be there for him."

 

"We will be, somehow, we'll be there for him." Tony assured him. "First, got to work out a way to save the universe without dying and all that when we all get back to 2024."

 

They went around the back and high-fived as Peter unmasked, talking about how stiff he was and how great May was, beginning to discuss the trip as Happy came back with a giant check from Stark Industries for the fundraiser, the two of them awkwardly flirting as Peter looked between them, asking what was happening.

 

"Yeah, what is happening?" Sprite looked weirded out.

 

"Well when two adults love each other, sometimes this happens." Flash laughed.

 

"You're an insect to me." Sprite shot back, raising an eyebrow as Flash flushed.

 

"What are you, 12/13?" Tony asked.

 

"Something like that." Sersi said, putting her hand over Sprite's mouth before she could speak up again.

 

“Heads up, Nick Fury is calling.” Happy said, Peter asked why he was as the phone began to ring with an unknown number. Peter tried to stall as Happy insisted he speak, before Peter declined the call, heading back out to speak to the public, promising to call after his trip. Happy then answered Fury and insisted Spider-Man wasn’t ghosting him.

 

"He sent Fury to voicemail? Does he value his life?" Clint asked with a hint of mirth.

 

"He's clearly fearless." Natasha smirked.

 

"Or clueless." Happy shuddered. He hated talking to Fury, even if he had put Fury in his place after all of this was done.

 

Peter met with the press as they began to bombard him with questions.

 

“Are you the Head Avenger now?”

 

“No, I’m not.”

 

"Who would be the new Head Avenger now?" Steve asked. "It's not like we have a command structure."

 

"I'd assume it's either Clint, Bruce or me." Rhodey stated.

 

"Makes more sense than anything else really." Betty said. "I'm not sure why they'd think someone who had only just joined and would only be, what, 17 now, would be?"

 

"Well they don't know he's only 17 do they?" Ned pointed out.

 

“If Aliens come back, what are you gonna do?”

 

"You can see him panicking behind that mask. Someone get him out of there." Yelena frowned. She liked this kid, from what she had seen of him, she didn't want him to be panicking like this. She told herself, when this was all over, she'd seek him out, see if she could help him in some way, if she could.

 

“Does anyone have any neighbourhood questions?”

 

"They're leeches. I doubt it." Sam snarled, seeing them close even further in on Peter.

 

“What is it like to take over from Tony Stark? Those are some big shoes to fill.”

 

"He doesn't have to fill my shoes, he's better than I ever was!" Tony protested.

 

"He's got alot of expectations on his shoulder, they know you were his mentor, and you saved the universe, they'd expect him to match that if needed." Eddie noted as everyone glared at him. "Hey, I get what the kid's done, I'm all for him, but from their point of view, he should be stepping up if you trained him. I'm press, I know how they think, in any universe."

 

"He doesn't need to do anything more than what he already does, he already steps up enough." Bruce insisted.

 

"Agreed entirely, he's a true hero." Spider-Man 2 said.

 

Peter thanked everyone for coming before swinging away, looking at a mural of Iron Man on a nearby rooftop and crying.

 

"Peter, I'm so sorry." Tony said, hoping that somehow, some way, Peter could hear him. "I'm sorry I'm not there for you, but believe me, I wouldn't do what I'm going to do, what I did, if I didn't know you and the others would be here to carry on the fight afterwards. To give you a life, I'd do it again."

 

"Nobody blames you, Tony, far from it. He blames himself. I know I probably do." Steve said.

 

"I know I blame myself for not somehow stopping it." Bruce admitted.

 

"As do I, Tony. I blame myself for not stopping him, even now." Thor said.

 

"We're all fucked up, but none of that is on you, Tony." Clint assured him. "Peter clearly blames himself too, and yeah, we'll help him through that, but it isn't your fault, got it, Stark?"

 

"I hear you Robin Hood." Tony chuckled. "I just wish there was some chance I could tell Peter not to cry at all, I did the right thing and did it for those I love. I wish I could tell him how proud of him I am, and how nothing he could ever do would change that."

 

Peter ignored his phone as he packed an old suitcase, looking at the Spider-Man costume and turning away from it as May threw a banana at him, remarking how he can sense bullets yet got hit by a banana, asking if his Peter-tingle could sense it. Peter begged her not to name it his Peter-tingle.

 

"Really? Peter-tingle is so cute though." Betty whined.

 

"I call it a Spider-sense myself." Spider-Man 3 said, as Spider-Man 2 nodded his agreement.

 

"So you are both Peter, right?" MJ asked.

 

"That's classified." Spider-Man 2 said jokingly.

 

"But seriously, are you?" Kate asked.

 

"We already answered that we weren't." Spider-Man 3 stated. Spider-Man 2 nodded, let it be a surprise.

 

Peter told her he really needed a vacation, she said he deserved one but to pack his suit, she had a tingle about it, as he begged her to stop saying the word tingle. Peter then closed his wardrobe and looked at the Iron Spider suit before closing his suitcase, the initials BFP visible on the front.

 

"Who's BFP?" Ned asked.

 

"I recall May telling me about him once, Ben Franklin Parker, her husband who was killed, Peter's uncle." Happy said as the mood turned somber.

 

The scene changed to being on a flight, the teachers discussing chaperoning whilst Flash taunted Peter about planes being like buses for richer people. MJ told the stewardess Flash was only 16 as he blipped, his champagne being confiscated as Brad came past, a lot older than Peter remembered, remarking about classic MJ.

 

"This guy looks like a tool." Yelena drily remarked.

 

"God I hope you don't end up with him MJ." Hope told her.

 

"I don't, I don't recall all of this obviously with Peter missing from most of my memories, but I remember I never even kissed Brad." MJ told them. "Not even sure Brad is into me, just notices me, which I guess is nice." She shrugged.

 

"Brad definitely was into you." Ned told her. "Didn't he tell you he liked you?"

 

"I don't recall it." MJ said.

 

Peter asked about Brad, Ned telling him that all the girls were after Brad as MJ laughed at something Brad said. Peter asked Ned for help getting Peter next to MJ, Ned told Betty he needed her to swap with Peter due to his allergies, causing Mr Harrington to get Betty to sit with Ned, MJ with Brad and Peter to sit at the back with Harrington.

 

"I'm sorry Peter!" Ned cried, seeing his plan backfire.

 

"I'm sure Peter didn't blame you for it at all." Cindy smiled.

 

"I'd say it's a shame Cindy and I were gone and weren't on the trip, but that would have meant we were Blipped too, and that would have been far worse for our families." Abe stated.

 

"I'm glad you two weren't at least, it would have been worse if we all vanished." Betty told them with a smile.

 

"I'm just sorry I was such a jerk in high school." Flash frowned. Seeing these videos, seeing the disapproval of the Avengers it drew, it had made him have a long think about himself, and he knew he had to change himself up in some way, to be a better person.

 

Whilst Peter stewed in the back and tried to figure out a way to get with MJ, Ned and Betty began to talk after ignoring each other to begin with, laughing together after a while.

 

"Is it love?" Cindy smirked as Betty and Ned flushed.

 

"I think it is!" Scott joined in with the teasing.

 

Peter pulled Ned at the end of the flight and spoke about MJ and Brad, Ned told him not to worry as Betty came up to Ned, calling him babe and kissing his cheek.

 

"So what's all this?" Abe asked, smirking.

 

"It was only for this week!" Ned protested.

 

"A summer fling, eh?" Cindy joked.

 

"I mean, I care for Ned and all, and I know he does for me, but I mean, it wasn't ever going to last. He's a genius off to MIT, and I'm gonna be a world famous reporter one day." Betty told them. "But friends? Definitely."

 

"Ten bucks they're back together by the time we finish all of this?" Bucky asked Sam.

 

"You're on." Sam grinned.

 

Peter asked what happened, Ned explained they were dating now, the plan to be a bachelor was a boy talking, now he was a man with a woman.

 

"A real move of maturity." MJ blithely stated as Ned and Betty both flushed.

 

At security, Peter was pulled aside, seeing his Spider-Man suit with a note from May, he began to panic as the security officer just held up a banana and said “This, no.” as the scene cut to the main terminal, and a giant screen showing Iron Man on it.

 

"I guess the entire world loves me even more now?" Tony asked, trying to inject some humour into yet another reminder of his own mortality.

 

"Like your head needed to get any bigger Tones." Rhodey shot back at him.

 

"I like how she went for the banana and not the suit." Scott said. "I aspire to have that level of I don't care about anything else in my job as this woman."

 

"You don't already have that?" Matt asked him. "You seem like the type of person who doesn't care about what others think, Scott."

 

"Well it's a gift." Scott shrugged.

Chapter 15: Venetian Mystery

"So we get to see their time in Venice? I'm sure this won't give us alot of blackmail material." Clint grinned.

 

"Venice? Didn't something go down there a few months back?" Sam asked.

 

"What's the betting it's about to go down now and drag Peter into it?" Yelena questioned. Nobody would take her up on that bet, it was a sure thing in their minds.

 

The class went on a gondola down the canal, taking photos, as Peter and MJ looked at one another, looking away as the other looked. They then pulled up to a dilapidated hotel, as Mr Harrington started moving bags onto the dock.

 

"Well this looks like the five star treatment you'd expect from Midtown, a school filled with largely rich kids." Abe laughed.

 

"Well if I were financing this, it would be much better." Tony said.

 

"Or if my parents did, the first hotel at least wouldn't have been so waterlogged." Flash grumbled.

 

Mr Dell tells everyone to meet up at the DaVinci museum at 3, as the scene shows a montage of them in Venice, Betty and Ned posing for a caricature, Mr Harrington losing his camera, MJ stood with pigeons, Flash being hit in the genitals, and Peter looking around the stores, with a man stood behind him.

 

"Aww you guys look like you're having fun." Kate cooed.

 

"I'm glad someone hit Flash in the groin." Bucky laughed as Flash glared at the floor. He wasn't stupid enough to glare at Bucky himself, that would possibly be suicide.

 

"That guy behind Peter, he looks familiar, doesn't he?" Tony asked.

 

"Maybe?" Natasha said. "I mean, I think I've seen him before, but I don't know."

 

Peter holds a necklace of a black dahlia, walking back to the centre he’s accosted by MJ, who tells him about a new word she’s discovered, whilst the camera lingers on another man behind them.

 

"That's how I got it." MJ breathed as she fingered the necklace on her neck, feeling a wave of sadness crash into her, she recalled a few bits of Peter's face smiling at her, holding her close as they swung through the streets together.

 

"MJ, I-" Peter said as the memory pipeline shut off once again.

 

"Who's the guy it focused on back there? What's he got to do with this?" Eddie asked.

 

"I don't know, he seems familiar as well." Tony frowned. How did he recognise these people?

 

A vendor offers them a red rose as MJ tells him “Boh”, making him leave. She tells Peter its her superpower, the anti Aloha. She asks Peter what he has in his bag, he replies Boh in kind, as she respects it.

 

"Boh. I like it." Yelena grinned.

 

"You're just going to say that about everything now, aren't you?" Kate asked her, exasperated already.

 

"Boh, Kate Bishop."

 

"She's not going to stop that now." Natasha laughed. "You've created a monster." She said, turning to MJ who winked.

 

The scene cuts to the waters below Venice and the waves moving in, Peter notices the water draining as Ned and Betty are rocked on a gondola, suddenly the water rises up as people run and scream, Peter looking shocked as a giant figure appears in the water and Ned and Betty are thrown to the shore.

 

"Great, so there was a cyclone one in Mexico and now a water one here?" Steve questioned.

 

"Do you know anything about this sort of thing?" Eddie asked Venom.

 

"NO, THIS IS NEW." Venom confirmed.

 

"Any ideas, wizards?" Sam put out there.

 

"It isn't anything to do with us, and we aren't wizards." Wong told him.

 

"We're sorcerers who practise the mystic arts, Mr Wilson." Strange told him.

 

"Wizards without the hats then." Sam confirmed as Bucky and Wanda both snorted. Strange and Wong glared at all three of them.

 

"How is he supposed to fight that thing?" Scott asked.

 

"Wait, didn't Mysterio stop this thing?" Flash asked.

 

"Yeah, we saw him fighting it!" Betty cheered. "I bet he'll show up in a minute and help Peter with it."

 

Ned asks Peter what he will do, Peter tells him to get people away, he doesn’t have the suit with him so will have to try fight it unmasked, so needs privacy. The figure began smashing up Venice as Peter raced to a nearby bridge, hurrying people off and taking the blow as a watery fist smashed into it.

 

"Smart, keep your cover whilst still doing what you can to help." Rhodey nodded.

 

"Jeez, that had to hurt, right?" Scott asked, worried.

 

"Just looks a bit wet, he'll shake it off in no time." Flash reassured him. "It's clear Peter can handle this, him and Mysterio, when he shows up."

 

"I'm still not sure I trust this Mysterious fellow." Drax spoke. "If the Pirate Angel Thor doesn't think he's trustworthy, nor do I."

 

"I'm sure he's fine." Quill told him.

Suddenly the figure stumbled as the flying man from Mexico attacked the watery monster. Peter rushed around trying to help as the man attacked it, forcing it to retreat slightly and try escape. The man tells Peter to lead it away from the canals.

 

"At least Peter is doing what he can to help, it seems like this thing is something you can't just shoot webs at." Hope said.

 

"I don't know, something seems off about all of this, this guy just flies in out of nowhere and knows what to do? How did he even know to be here?" Steve asked.

 

"Gotta agree with Cap, this whole thing seems off somehow." Tony agreed.

 

"Ah, you're probably just thinking too much into it as Mysterio was a new hero." Flash said.

 

The class reach the Da Vinci museum to find its closed as the monster comes past them, the mystery man in tow, battling through the streets. Peter, above them, tries to web up a collapsing building to keep it standing. Peter eventually loses control and the building collapses as the people of Venice and the class cheer the mystery man, with the water monster seemingly splitting into two and vanishing.

 

"Well, he certainly seems able to fight at least." Sam noted.

 

"Yeah, something definitely is off with this." Nebula agreed with the earlier comments.

 

"Is Peter alright?" Tony worried, he'd hit his head a few times with the bell tower, surely he didn't have a concussion or anything, did he?

 

"Yeah, he's fine, he walked away." Ned stated.

 

The screen shows the class at the hotel discussing the battle, Flash states Spider-Man could have taken him, as Mr Dell states as a man of science, he believes the reason behind the monster is witches. Peter tells May on the phone that they want to stay on the trip and not return home due to it, he then finds out Happy is with her at her office eating lunch, he greets Happy, who awkwardly says hi back before hanging up.

 

"Definitely a scientific approach with witches." Bruce agreed, nodding sagely before cracking a grin.

 

"So Peter can take anyone, can he?" Abe asked Flash with a smirk as Flash glowered at him.

 

"You know what I mean, he's a great guy, clearly." Flash reasoned.

 

"So, are you already dating by this point?" Tony asked Happy who nodded.

 

"Well, yeah, a few days now at least, a summer fling kinda thing I think she called it." He frowned. God, he had loved May, but had she loved him back? He never did get a straight answer on that, and now, now he never would. He sighed, thinking back to all the times they had together.

 

The class discuss the new hero, Flash again praising Spider-Man, MJ asks what is his obsession with Spider-Man, Flash says Spidey is cool and a hero before greeting Peter as “Dick-wad”.

 

"Really?" Steve raised an eyebrow at Flash.

 

"I'm sorry, I've said that before, I messed up with him in the past, clearly, and when we do get back, I'll try make it up to Peter, if I can." Flash told them.

 

"See that you do." Thor grumbled.

 

The news calls him “Mysterio” as the gang remark on the idea, with Betty and Ned both calling it a cool name in sync. Peter asks MJ how much she saw, she said she didn’t see much as she was running, he awkwardly stated he too was running away before discussing the trip, MJ saying the Eiffel tower was her favourite part due to a theory it was a mind control antenna.

 

"Well now we've got to see if it is, don't we?" Scott asked.

 

"I think we might be fine to leave it alone, no need to rampage through Paris over it." Natasha said.

 

"But you should check it out." Yelena teased.

 

"It'd be cool if it were one." MJ agreed.

Chapter 16: The Multiverse Is Real?!

Ned and Peter discussed him asking MJ out when Ned suddenly collapsed onto the bed, a dart in his neck. Peter turned to see Nick Fury sat in the chair, stating how Spider-Man was a difficult person to talk too.

 

"Ah, wonder what took him so long to track the kid down." Clint asked.

 

"Well if he's there, what's the betting this Mysterio is with him?" Steve wondered.

 

"I doubt Fury doesn't have his hand in it somewhere. But something still doesn't feel right about this and about Mysterio as a whole. If this guy has powers, why hasn't he come forward to help us before now?" Natasha questioned.

 

"I got shot by Nick Fury? That's the coolest thing that has ever happened to me, ever!" Ned beamed.

 

"Getting shot is cool?" Kate asked, bemused.

 

"What about dating me?" Betty teased.

 

"With a tranquilliser? Yeah. Sorry Betty, but yeah, coolest thing ever!" Ned reiterated.

 

Peter then stumbled over himself with excuses as Nick mentioned how he had to bring him in, their conversation being interrupted by constant knocks on the door, eventually Nick told him that if someone else knocked on the door, He and Peter would be attending another funeral. He told Peter to get changed into his suit and come with him.

 

"Yeah, that's not really a time to network." Tony joked.

 

"Damn, Fury is really not taking prisoners with this, he's pissed at Peter, no doubt." Scott remarked.

 

"I'm glad I've never met this Nick Fury." Spider-Man 2 remarked to his alter self, who nodded.

 

"He seems intense as hell. I'm surprised Peter-1 is so calm with him, I know I'd have mouthed off by now."

 

Nick and Peter went to a tunnel in a speedboat as Nick presented Peter with some glasses, a last gift from Tony Stark, saying “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. Stark said you wouldn’t get that as it’s not a Star Wars reference.”

 

"I'm sure the kid knows other pop culture, he did know Alien after all." Strange smirked.

 

"Looks cool, a secret base inside the Venice canals, got to try find that someday." Cindy marvelled.

 

"If you find a secret SHIELD base, walk away, they'll lock you up or worse, recruit you." Yelena remarked.

 

"We never locked up or recruited everyone." Natasha rolled her eyes.

 

"I'm giving him E.D.I.T.H, I guess that's a good idea." Tony shrugged.

 

"What's E.D.I.T.H?" Rhodey asked.

 

"Even Dead I'm The Hero." Tony smirked. "It's a command piece, I guess, giving Peter access to all Stark Industries systems and tech."

 

"That's alot to give to a kid." Rhodey frowned.

 

"Even weapons?" Steve asked, as Tony nodded and everyone's eyes widened. That was some serious power for someone so young to wield, they just hoped it didn't go to Peter's head.

 

"There's something about that, I'm trying to recall exactly what it was though." Happy said, Ned and MJ had similar thoughts as well.

 

Nick introduced Peter to his team, finishing with “Mr Beck.”

 

"Beck? Why does that sound familiar?" Tony remarked, as they got a good look at Mysterio for the first time.

 

“Mysterio?” Peter asked as Beck looked confused. Peter explained that was what they were all calling him, Beck saying “You can call me Quentin.”

 

"Quentin Beck!" Tony gasped. "I knew I recognised him!"

 

"Who is he?" Steve asked, eyes hardening. If Tony knew him, and had seemed suspicious of him from the get go, it couldn't be good.

 

"Quentin Beck. He used to work for me, he helped develop my therapy machine, B.A.R.F, the thing I used to deal with painful memories, I showcased it just before Lagos happened." Tony told them, as Steve winced.

 

That was definitely a bad time for them all and he was glad they had put that behind them since the Snap happened.

 

"B.A.R.F is illusion technology, allows you to render illusions. He must be using it somehow to look like he has powers." Tony explained.

 

"That's how he's hurting these monsters whilst Peter struggled. They're not real, it's a projection." Natasha said.

 

"But how is he doing that? There was genuine damage." Betty argued.

 

"Drone technology, I remember helping Spider-Man in London, drones were attacking. I didn't recall all of what happened, but we helped Peter deal with this." MJ spoke up.

 

"So Mysterio's a bad guy?" Spider-Man 3 spoke up.

 

"I should have known." Spider-Man 2 stated, everyone looked at him confused.

 

"How would you have known about this?" Eddie asked.

 

"When they named him Mysterio. I should have clicked straight away. There was a Mysterio in my world I had to fight a few times." Spider-Man 2 explained.

 

"Peter needs to stop him before he can do any further damage. But how is super spy Fury falling for whatever he's pedalling?" Tony wondered.

 

Peter was told by Beck that he did good work and he could have used him on his Earth. Peter asked what he meant as Nick explained that they were from another universe. Beck clarified he was from Earth 833 as Peter geeked out about the physics behind it all. The rest of the team looked bored and Peter apologised, before Beck told him to never apologise for being the smartest person in the room.

 

"Bullshit." Clint coughed.

 

"I mean, I hate Beck, I want to know what he's up too, but I do agree, Peter's the smartest one in that room by a mile, he shouldn't apologise for it." Tony agreed.

 

"I mean, it isn't all lies. The Multiverse is real." Strange admitted.

 

"It is?!" Tony and Bruce geeked out.

 

"I mean, how do you think we got here?" Spider-Man 3 said, gesturing to the two Spider-Men and Eddie.

 

"Oh yeah." Bruce rubbed his neck sheepishly.

 

"It's something we know frighteningly little about though, and not something to take lightly, even if this guy is lying about being from elsewhere within it." Strange warned them.

 

"Definitely not to be trifled with without foreknowledge." Wanda agreed. "I looked into it, shortly after Westview, trying to understand my own powers, but once I learnt a little about it, what it could cost me to explore it and use otherworldly powers, I shut it down. It's far too dangerous without some way to navigate it."

 

Beck explained how these creatures, the Elementals, were formed in black holes and destroyed his Earth, he was one of the last defenders trying to stop them, but they could only delay it. Now they were attacking their Earth, Hill stated that their satellites confirmed they were hitting the same spots that they had hit on Beck’s Earth.

 

"How are they faking it so well that Hill and Fury are believing this though?" Natasha asked. "Neither of them are this gullible."

 

Nick says three are down, there’s only one left. Beck explains its fire, the strongest of them all, the one who destroyed his Earth and killed his family, as he twirls a wedding ring on his finger. Peter apologises as Hill explains it’ll be in Prague in 48 hours, Fury tells Spider-Man he’s coming with them to kill it.

 

"He's trying to manipulate Peter." Clint's eyes narrowed.

 

"I WILL EAT THIS BECK MYSELF!" Venom vowed.

 

"No eating people!" Eddie hissed.

 

"Actually, I'm alright with this one being eaten." Tony's eyes also narrowed at the screen. What did Beck want, how was Fury falling for this and why are they trying to force Peter to help them with it?

 

Peter explains he’s busy and asks if Thor, Doctor Strange or Captain Marvel could help, being shot down each time, he says how he really can’t help, and eventually they agree they’ll do it themselves, returning him to his hotel.

 

"Yeah, I was never even contacted. Why is Fury lying about all of this?" Strange questioned.

 

"Oh my God." Natasha started.

 

"What is it?" Yelena asked, concerned.

 

"That's not Fury. Is this all a Beck illusion?" Natasha said as everyone gasped.

 

"This is not good at all." Steve shook his head.

Notes:

Back to work after a week off tomorrow, so updates about to slow down again.

Should check out SpiderWidowFam88 and their story "Avengers Watch Spider-Man No Way Home" if anything, it's even better than this one, last update they've just brought the Peters in and it's an amazing fic if you haven't read it!

Chapter 17: E.D.I.T.H

"Is everything here just an illusion by Beck?" Steve wondered.

 

"I doubt most of it is, but anything to do with Mysterio, probably." Strange agreed.

 

"He was a hero though? We saw him save lives!" Abe protested.

 

"He saved us in Prague!" Betty said, turning to Ned. "Him and Night Monkey! He saved us in London too, didn't he?"

 

"He was causing all of it." Ned told her, shaking his head.

 

"What's a Night Monkey?" Quill asked.

 

"He's this hero in Europe!" Flash said excitedly.

 

The next morning, Ned is being cared for by Betty before he speaks to Peter, Ned tells him being knocked out by Nick Fury is the coolest thing to ever happen to him, Peter says he’s happy to not go to Prague as Mr Harrington tells them that the tour company upgraded them and they’re going to Prague, introducing their coach driver, one of Fury’s team.

 

"Fuck whoever is pretending to be Fury." Tony snarled.

 

"So they're just going along with this, not questioning the sudden upgrade at all?" Hope asked.

 

"Hang on, is that Roger Harrington?" Bruce asked.

 

"Do you know him?" The Midtown alumni all asked.

 

"He used to let me into the computer lab, back when I first became Hulk, he was at college at the time." Bruce said. "He's a good guy."

 

"Peter doesn't have anything go the way he wants, does he?" Nebula asked. "Feel a bit sorry for the kid."

 

As they drove through Austria, Flash bragging it was a private driver as Dimitri shook his head, Peter checked out the glasses from Tony, reading the note Tony had left him, telling him for the next Tony Stark, he trusted Peter. Putting them on, the system loaded up, identifying itself as E.D.I.T.H.

 

"Wow, that's very advanced tech." Spider-Man 2 noted.

 

"IT IS IMPRESSIVE, WE SHALL KEEP THIS ONE ALIVE FOR TECHNOLOGY." Venom told Eddie who just shook his head at this point at the threats to eat people. He knew Venom clearly didn't really mean it with the people in the room, they'd grown to like them in the last few recordings they'd seen.

 

"I want to know what it can do." Rocket grinned.

 

E.D.I.T.H told Peter he now had access to all of Tony’s protocols, and it stood for “Even Dead, I’m The Hero.” before it explained how he now had access to all Stark Industries weapons systems, satellite programs and access to read all texts and see all phone usage whenever and from whoever, which he looked around the bus on, scrunching his face at Ned and Betty texting that they missed each other when sat next to each other.

 

"How could you give that to a kid? Do you know what good could be done with all of that in the hands of the military?" Rhodey asked Tony, who stared at him.

 

"I do know what good could be done, sure, but I remember the Mandarin, I remember Hydra. I know what could be done by those in government with bad intentions." Tony said. "The kid's good, his head and heart are so firmly pointing North its unreal, if anyone could use it responsibly, it's Peter." Tony insisted.

 

"That kind of tech shouldn't exist, it's too dangerous." Natasha said, steel in her voice as Clint nodded. They knew what kinds of danger were out there, better than most of the room even, what kinds of madmen would do anything to possess that.

 

"That's his angle." Scott spoke up as everyone turned to him. "This thing has access to everything Stark Industries? Beck used to work for you? He wants E.D.I.T.H, he wants Peter to somehow give it to him, the Elementals? I bet it's designed to make Peter believe they're best with Beck."

 

"Son of a bitch, I think Thumbelina is onto something." Tony shook his head.

 

"Good catch Tic Tac." Sam congratulated his friend.

 

"Well we don't know that for sure yet." Bucky spoke up. "But yeah, it looks likely."

 

"Humans really want to use this level of tech against each other?" Ikaris asked Phastos, who glared at him for a moment before sighing.

 

"Why do you think I walked away from them for seventy years? I told Ajax, when they used the bomb on Hiroshima, that Druig was right, that they didn't deserve to be saved. I realised how wrong that is now, but yeah, humans at their core can be cruel to one another. This level of technology, of course they'd use it if they could."

 

"I know it's been said, but we can't let something with that capability exist, Tony." Steve spoke up. "You remember Hydra, so you know its too dangerous. When we get back, please, before we go, shut it down."

 

Tony said nothing as they all turned back to the screen.

 

The bus pulled into a stop for a fifteen minute break as Dimitri grabbed Peter and pointed out a woman in the distance waiting for him, going with her, she told him to strip and put on a stealth suit that Fury had provided.

 

"Are you alright, MJ?" Betty teased as she could see the fire in her friends eyes at this woman watching Peter start to strip.

 

"Damn, fake Fury at least puts the effort in to keep up the appearance that he is Fury at least." Clint stated. "This is exactly the kind of thing Fury would do. Beck's good at his research, I'll give him that."

 

Before he could change into it, Brad walked in, stating that he had to go after snapping a photo, Peter raced after him before Brad said that he also liked MJ and had to show her the picture of Peter changing in front of a woman to her, to torpedo Peter’s chances.

 

"Why would I ever be into a jerk like that? I'm sure Peter would have had his reasons, if he wasn't into me." MJ flushed as Betty grinned.

 

"So, when do you think you'll end up with Peter?" Betty asked her.

 

"I hope I don't." MJ said bluntly to her.

 

"What, why?! Clearly you're into him and he's into you!" Betty protested.

 

"I forgot all about him. Why? What was so bad I had to forget him with a wizards spell? He could be dead for all we know, back where we're from. I don't want to get hurt, and I don't want to hurt him." MJ explained.

 

Peter brought out E.D.I.T.H to try get her to deal with the photo Brad had of him, E.D.I.T.H asked Peter if Brad was a target, after he said so, E.D.I.T.H stated she was launching a kill vehicle, as Peter began to panic.

 

"This is why you can't leave dangerous technology in the hands of just anybody, Tony!" Bruce pinched his nose. "We all know Peter wouldn't have set murder bots on another kid if he'd known anything about how this E.D.I.T.H worked at all. You gotta shut it down when you get back, you can't let this kind of technology exist."

 

"I hear you, I do. But I can't, I can't just leave the kid with nothing." Tony said, defeated.

 

"He won't have nothing. He will have all of us to back him up." Strange told Tony with a strangely warm smile.

 

Flash grabbed the glasses and asked Peter how much they cost, in a hurry, Peter accidentally slapped Flash, knocking him out and taking the glasses back.

 

"I guess I kinda deserved that." Flash admitted, rubbing his head. He had wondered how he had injured himself on that trip, he recalled being unconscious for a time, and a searing pain, but he had no idea how it had happened. There was one small mystery explained at least.

 

As he tried to call off the drone strike, everyone began to ask if Peter had knocked Flash out, distracting them with a fake baby goats si ghting , everyone turned as Peter leaped out of the bus, used his webs to destroy the drone and landed back in.

 

"How close did we all just come to dying?" Betty asked, her eyes wide as they took in the sight.

 

"Well fortunately Peter was there to save the day." Ned smiled.

 

"Yeah, but he did also cause it." Betty said, eyes dropping at the glares she received. "I'm not saying it was on purpose, but I mean, I'm sure he'd agree with me!"

 

"Sadly, I think he would." Happy frowned.

 

Betty complimented him on his new hairdo, the wind having swept it, as Peter sat back down and got E.D.I.T.H to delete the photo, as Flash sat back up, wincing in pain.

 

"So, gonna try learn it properly with no instructions? This will be fun." Yelena grinned.

 

"At least I'm conscious again." Flash muttered.

 

"It does look pretty good on him." Hope noted as Scott narrowed his eyes jokingly.

 

"Do I have to show him who the better bug is?"

 

"Spiders are arachnids, not bugs!" Spider-Man 3 chimed in as everyone laughed at Scott. Peter-2 nodded to Peter-3, who smiled back at him, a warm feeling in his chest.

 

"At least for now, it's not too bad, I'm just worried about what will happen when they have to deal with Beck again." Natasha frowned, bringing down the mood again.

Chapter 18: Prague

"So, let's see what else the creep is up to." Sersi growled. This Beck guy sounded like he would be a real piece of work, she was only sad that they couldn't do anything to him, even if their purpose had been a lie, he was still a human, and they had to protect them only. Though from what she had gathered from the others, this Beck had already been dealt with.

 

They got into the hotel, seeing it was a five star upgrade, as Harrington plugged the festival of lights that was happening at the time, Peter received a call from Hill, telling him they only had hours left and it was time to prepare. Ned begged Peter to fix it, as Peter looked at the class in worry, the scene jumped to show Fury telling Parker to get ready, as Mysterio told Fury that Peter was just worried as they had kidnapped him.

 

"You mean you kidnapped him by guilt tripping him into this." Matt stated.

 

"I'm such an idiot, not focusing on what's up with him." Ned sighed.

 

"No, you're just worried, that's fine, you're there for Peter, he knows that." Spider-Man 2 reassured him.

 

"Yeah, he appreciates you, man." Spider-Man 3 said, flashing a smile at Spider-Man 2 and Ned. Both nodded back at him.

 

"I'm gonna punch Beck when we get back, heist or no heist." Tony vowed.

 

"I'm helping." Natasha told him.

 

Peter went through the plan, calling him “Mr Beck” to which he replied that his name was Mysterio, with a raised eyebrow to Peter who grinned. Mysterio then told him that they had to keep it from metal, if it grew too big, it would be unstoppable, and that civilian casualties were to be avoided if possible but were acceptable if necessary.

 

"He's trying to win Peter over, he's definitely after E.D.I.T.H." Bruce stated.

 

"It's working too, poor kid, lost alot of role models in his life, now one literally drops from the sky and takes an interest and liking in him, of course he's falling for it." Natasha sighed sadly.

 

"Civilian casualties are never acceptable if they can be avoided." Wanda growled.

 

"Beck cares only for himself and how he's viewed, he's an egomaniac." Clint scowled. "The more dead the better if it helps make him look good, I'm sure."

 

Fury laid into Peter, saying he had been given a multi billion dollar defence network and tried to kill his friends with it, that Peter wasn’t ready for the responsibility of being a hero. The scene then changed to him sat at the bell tower, Mysterio flying up to speak to him, saying Fury felt bad.

 

"I have to say, this fake Fury does nail all the right beats." Steve stated.

 

"Are we sure he really is fake and just isn't off his game? I mean, he may not have contacted Strange as he didn't have a contact for him?" Flash asked.

 

"No, the wizard is right. I don't know Fury well, but I do know the mortal is smart enough not to fall for these cheap tricks." Thor told him. "Whoever this is, or whatever this is, it's not Fury."

 

"He's an absolute idiot, Peter's doing his best, he hasn't tried to kill anyone on purpose, and he saved Brad's life!" MJ railed.

 

"Well he doesn't know Peter like we clearly do...did....do?" Ned asked. "I hate magic sometimes."

 

"Why is he saying Fury feels bad?" Betty asked. "Also, no you don't Ned."

 

Peter asked “Really?” and Mysterio asked “You guys do have sarcasm on this Earth, right?”

 

"There's the other world thing again. Really trying to appeal to Peter's sense of scientific discovery." Eddie noted.

 

"HE IS SMART. HIS BRAIN WILL TASTE DELICIOUS." Venom stated with vindictive glee as he came out again to the wider room.

 

"What the fuck." Kingo said, looking at the Symbiote properly for the first time. "Have we ever seen anything like that before?"

 

"I think it's a Symbiote." Spider-Man 2 told him quietly. "Just ignore it and don't provoke it."

 

"How would you know what that thing is?" Kingo asked him.

 

"We're acquainted, in a sense." He said grimly.

 

Mysterio asked how he was, Peter explained he had a plan with this girl he liked and didn’t think he would have to save the world that summer, that he could have a normal experience. Mysterio explains he isn’t bad for wanting a normal life, that part of him wishes he could tell Peter to run, but the rest of him knows what they’re against, that he needs the help and is glad Peter is there.

 

"He's really laying it on thick to try manipulate Peter, isn't he?" MJ growled.

 

"He's a master at it." Tony agreed, scowling. "At least Pete likes you, huh?"

 

"I mean, I don't get why. I doubt we even got together." MJ blushed, trying to hide it.

 

"I wouldn't be too sure." Happy teased.

 

"We don't, do we?" MJ asked. It sucked that Happy seemed to fully remember Peter and she only had bits of it, it was her that Peter liked, wasn't it? Why couldn't she remember more?

 

Mysterio jokes if they survive, Peter will have all summer to kill Brad as the two smile at each other. Peter then jumps down and gets E.D.I.T.H to get opera tickets for his class to keep them indoors whilst he fights the fire Elemental.

 

"Well I don't think Peter plans to ever try kill anyone again." Scott remarked.

 

"Opera? Good choice of a distraction, would keep them busy for a few hours, odds are Beck will target a busier area, the opera won't be that busy, compared to other parts of the city." Natasha noted.

 

The class complained about the Opera as Peter got Ned to rally them saying how it would be a good experience as Mr Harrington led them through the Festival of light crowds and to the Opera. Peter and MJ spoke at the Opera, both saying the other looked pretty and MJ saying she would save Peter a seat until he was called away by Nick and Hill and left the rest of the class behind, claiming illness and fuming as Brad swore at him and sat down. MJ, Betty and Ned rose from their seats to follow Peter to escape the Opera.

 

"Well I wouldn't want anything to do with him anyway, Brad's a prick." MJ stated.

 

"I used to like Brad, he was dreamy, but yeah, that's just the move of a jerk." Betty agreed.

 

"Ned with the great saves." Abe laughed.

 

"Why are you all following him? You don't want to get caught in Beck's crossfire." Bruce said.

 

"We have to see what our friend is upto." Betty insisted, as the others nodded. Peter would need their help, even if they didn't remember doing this or helping him.

 

Fury asked how the suit was as Peter complained it was tight, before it cut to Ned and Betty boarding the Ferris wheel, MJ looking through the crowd for Peter before a nearby statue began to bubble, the fire elemental breaking out of it and devouring the statue as people began to panic, Peter called for Mysterio who flew in, saying Peter had the lead.

 

"Couldn't Fury get the measurements right?" Scott joked.

 

"Damn, that certainly looks real." Abe stated.

 

"Meh, I've seen better illusions." Sprite shrugged.

 

"Giving Peter the lead? Why?" Steve asked.

 

"Trying to manipulate Peter into thinking he cares about him." Yelena noted, eyes narrowing.

 

Peter and Mysterio fought around the elemental as it grew bigger, feeding on the metallic structures of the playground, Betty and Ned panicked in the wheel, Betty asked if the black suited hero was Spider-Man, Ned explained it was a European ripoff named Night Monkey, as the two of them began to call for Night Monkey to save them.

 

"How did I fall for that?" Betty groaned, putting her head in her hands.

 

"Well I'm an incredible liar." Ned teased, grinning.

 

"That must have been a terrifying thing for you, are you both alright?" Kate asked them.

 

"It seems to have been a common thing before all of this, D.C, The Blip, Prague, London, we clearly had alot." Betty said. "I just wish I remembered it all better."

 

Mysterio saved Peter from an attack and called for Plan B, throwing rocks and other materials it couldn’t absorb at it, sealing them in with Mysterio’s energy, hurting it, Mysterio called for Peter to keep his distance and to stop it reaching the Ferris Wheel, as it went towards it, Mysterio slowed it with his energy beams.

 

"You know if this was a real threat, I'd be impressed." Rhodey remarked.

 

"He's definitely good at the theatrics of it all, probably studied the Avengers for years." Clint nodded.

 

"Well why isn't Peter realising his attacks aren't doing any real damage to it, you'd think he'd see that?" Kingo asked.

 

"Heat of the battle, you never really notice that if you're in a team until going over it after the action." Thor told them. "Surely you'd know that, Eternals?"

 

"What's an Eternal?" The Avengers and Midtown group asked.

 

"A story for another time." Thena spoke up.

 

"Agreed, we should really find out what Beck was up to and if it factors into all of why we can't remember Peter, bar a handful of us now." Matt stated. "Personally, I'm hoping my interactions with him are far less stressful than all of the fighting."

 

"You're a really good lawyer." Happy said, chuckling to himself as he remembered the exchange at the flat after the trials. He did wonder though, how had Murdoch caught that brick when it was behind him and he's blind?

 

Peter shot a web towards the wheel, being confused as something went flying away, it landed in a side street as MJ noticed it. Mysterio and Peter then continued to fight the elemental, which was growing more and more, Mysterio worrying as it got even bigger, before declaring

it was too late to stop it as Hill said it was too late.

 

"What was that?" Druig asked.

 

"A way to end this." MJ said, thinking back on how she had shown Spider-Man the drone parts. Well, showed Peter she guessed, it was still foggy in her mind was that interaction.

 

"So going for the grand finale, saying they can't stop it before some miraculous way to do it?" Rocket asked.

 

"Yeah this isn't Hill, Hill wouldn't buy this BS." Natasha said. "Why is Beck projecting Fury and Hill though when they're not with him?"

 

Beck told Peter whatever happened, he was glad they met, saying he was gonna do what he should have on his world, drawing his own power into him, he charged into the Elemental, as it exploded, Beck landed on the floor in a heap as Peter rushed to his side. Beck opened his eyes as Peter helped him up. Betty telling Ned she would kiss him if she hadn’t just thrown up as Ned said he had a mint.

 

"God, he's pretty good at all of this. If I didn't know he was a fraud, I'd probably think he was a massive hero, I mean, at the time, I did." Kate admitted. "He's definitely good at playing it up and manipulating it all."

 

"He's really trying to channel me, saying he's glad he met Peter, how he would make the sacrifice play like I clearly do, he's good." Tony growled, thinking of all the ways he was going to rip Quentin Beck apart.

 

"I mean, I would have kissed you still." Ned told Betty, blushing, as she blushed too.

 

"Well...Maybe you still can?" Betty asked as Ned grinned, leaning in to press his lips to hers as everyone else turned back to the screen.

 

Fury said that wasn’t the last threat Earth would ever face, saying he was having a meeting in Berlin in a few days to discuss forming a new Avengers, and that he wanted Beck and Spider-Man there. Beck said he would, Fury told Peter that maybe Stark was wrong about Peter, that the world needed him to step up now, but would he do it?

 

Beck patted Peter and said “Let’s get a drink.” as they headed to a local bar together.

 

"Yeah it wouldn't be, if it were real, but a new Avengers? We still exist, even if we've not really had a need to come together since Thanos." Rhodey frowned.

 

"If Beck had been in a new Avengers, I'd have resigned." Scott said.

 

"Are you even an Avenger, Tic Tac?" Sam joked.

 

"I'd say anyone who fought Thanos deserves to be recognised as an Avenger." Steve stated. "That includes everyone who fought him in here."

 

"I've been wrong about many things in my life, just blindly trusting the Accords and the good of the government was one of them. But there's definitely one thing I was never wrong about, and that was how Peter was far better than me, and that he was the future. I would have never been wrong about him." Tony insisted.

 

"Peter shouldn't be drinking, he's just seventeen." Hope frowned.

 

"He's a warrior!" Thor exclaimed. "A man who has earned it!"

 

"Exactly, the Man Spider is a hero." Drax concurred.

Chapter 19: To Mysterio!

"I have a bad feeling about this, Beck isolating Peter with no backup from anyone, taking him away to a bar or something." Eddie said.

 

"I'm sure Peter will see through him, he's a smart kid." Tony tried to refute it, surely Beck couldn't fully fool Peter to get whatever he wanted, which was probably E.D.I.T.H, could he?

 

The two of them talked about Beck and about what Peter wants with his life, Peter says he isn’t sure he is the next Tony Stark, there’s too much pressure on him, and he doesn’t think he can live up to Tony’s legacy. He tells Beck that he could though, and letting Beck wear E.D.I.T.H, he looks like Tony.

 

"Kid, I don't want a next Tony Stark, Peter Parker is a much better hero than Tony Stark could ever be." Tony said. "There's no pressure to be a new me, I wouldn't want anybody to be me. I'm a mess."

 

"You're selling yourself way too short, Tony." Happy reassured him. "You're the best there is."

 

"For now, maybe. You know the kid too, Happy, if he wants too, he'll be the best hero we could ever see, he could lead humanity to the next level."

 

"I see Beck looks like Tony a little in this, something tells me he meant too?" Mantis asked.

 

"Probably, he's doing what he can to make Peter believe he's a successor of Tony, looking similar is a good effect to do that." Natasha grudgingly accepted.

 

"Well he was smart enough to work on this B.A.R.F for Tony, so he's got a brain." Bruce said. "Still, when we do get back, I'm gonna enjoy using whatever platforms I can to smear his name and legacy into non-existence."

 

Beck tries to refuse it, but Peter insists, and Beck eventually agrees, Peter transfers control of E.D.I.T.H to Beck and welcomes him to the Avengers, saying he won’t go to Berlin and he has to go win MJ, Beck wishes him good luck with MJ as Peter leaves, before lights flicker, showing most people in the bar were just projections. Beck then grins at everyone still inside, including the man from Venice.

 

"God, he's an idiot." Ikaris said, as everyone else turned to glare at him.

 

"What did you just say?" Steve asked, voice deathly calm.

 

"I'll give you one chance to eat those words, before I make you eat them when we get out of this place, dead or not, I'll come for you." Tony promised him.

 

"I'm sorry, alright? I wasn't thinking, I mean, I guess he did get duped pretty bad, the kid seems a trusting sort." Ikaris tried to explain himself. He was still sore over what had happened with Tiamut and the other Eternals, he didn't also want the Avengers on his case too.

 

"He has to win me? What am I, some prize?" MJ tried to joke. She was also furious at this Ikaris guy for calling Peter an idiot, but she needed to distract herself from it, it wasn't like people better suited than her to kicking his ass wouldn't already do it anyway. She had to focus on getting out of here after they had seen whatever all this was, getting her memories back of Peter, and she was sure there was alot, and maybe telling him how she felt? He clearly liked her and even though she couldn't recall most of it, she was sure she liked him too.

 

"So they were all projections?" Bucky asked, stunned.

 

"That guy by the bar, he looks familiar, from somewhere..." Rhodey trailed off, trying to recall.

 

"Wasn't that guy behind Peter and MJ in Venice?" Abe asked, pointing out Guterman.

 

"He was!" Cindy remarked, shocked.

 

“See, that wasn’t so hard. Somebody get this stupid costume off me!” He said as they began cheering.

 

"So he's a grade A dickwad." Eddie stated.

 

"HE IS REALLY MANIPULATING POOR PETER." Venom growled. "I VOTE WE FIND AND EAT THEM ALL."

 

"We aren't eating people. even if they probably deserve it!" Eddie replied.

 

"No, I'm for letting the blob in this case." Tony told the two of them.

 

I AM NOT A BLOB, AM I?” Venom asked Eddie who shook his head slightly whilst gesturing side to side with his hand.

“I mean, you kinda are.” MJ spoke up.

“I WILL NOT EAT YOU FOR THAT ONE, AS I LIKE THE PARKER BOY’S LOVE FOR YOU. I WILL NOT BE CALLED A BLOB THOUGH! IT IS DEMEANING!”

“You eat people’s brains, Pal. I don’t think you have much say in what is or isn’t demeaning.” Eddie told Venom

“YOU TAKE THAT BACK NOW, EDDIE!” Venom roared at him.

“Brock, Venom. Can we just move on? I need to know how badly I also need to hurt Beck and his crew.” Sam spoke up.

“FINE. ONLY AS I WANT TO SEE WHO TO EAT NEXT.” Venom grinned.

Peter walked past a mural of Iron Man, happy in his decision to trust Beck as the next Iron Man as Beck told his team to integrate their network into E.D.I.T.H, giving a toast after pressure from the others, thanking Tony Stark, their old employer.

“So they did all work for me.” Tony put his head in his hands. “God, I really dropped the ball for Peter, didn’t I?”

“Hey, no. It’s not your fault for what these guys chose to do. It’s not your fault they decided to go after Peter.” Rhodey told him. “We’ll sort this, all of this, don’t worry Tony.”

“How can I not be? Look at him, Peter thinks he made the right call and all pressure is off. How can you say we can sort this when I know they're going to go after him, and none of us could remember him, what’s to say they haven’t gotten to him whilst we’ve been in here?”

“They have not, Stark.” The Watcher’s voice spoke up, seemingly from above them. “No harm has come to the Parker boy since you began watching these. It isn’t like I can’t just put you back at the moment you came from anyway.”

“I hate villain monologues so much.” Ned groused.

“No you don’t.” Betty teased.

“Yeah, I don’t, but poor Peter.” Ned’s face dropped

Beck reveals he created B.A.R.F, and was fired by Tony for being unstable, that William had worked for Stane to try create a mini arc reactor and it was their illusion tech and drone tech that allowed them to stage the elemental fights, alongside the fake story of a multiversal warrior named Quentin Beck, and the use of EMP to trick Fury’s satellites into confirming their lies.

 

"Riva! I should have known he was involved." Tony said.

 

"How would you know though? You haven't seen him in over a decade." Rhodey pointed out tp him.

 

"I don't know, but I should have." Tony blamed himself for letting these guys go. He should have done more to somehow cut them off, make sure they couldn't use their intellect to hurt him and those he loved some day.

 

"They're all former Stark Industries?" Wanda asked.

 

"Yeah, people I fired for thinking they were unstable or out for greed. I mean, I was clearly right about their motives, but I should have done something different to cut them off." Tony said. "I don't know, but I did this, I caused all of this for Peter."

 

"No, Tony, you didn't." Clint told him. "These guys chose their path. You fired them as they were doing wrong. They chose to turn to crime, to villainy, after all of that. That's on them. You never let Peter down, I can see how much you care about him, you would never let him down. I'm sure he knows that."

 

Beck stated how the world needed a new heroic leader, and with E.D.I.T.H and with their illusions, Mysterio would be that hero, rounding it off with thanks to Tony, to the idea of Mysterio and to Peter Parker.

 

"You'd never have been a hero, the rest of us would never have accepted you." Bucky snarled.

 

"I mean, wouldn't we? If we didn't see all of this, would any of us have doubted his story, especially in Fury was backing him up?" Scott asked as they looked between each other, realising they probably would have bought it all. With a purple alien wiping out half the universe, would the multiverse really seem so far fetched?

 

"Don't you dare toast Peter, you scum." Ned growled at the toasting villains.

 

"Peter will kick his ass." Happy nodded. "Don't worry."

 

“Poor kid. Let’s get to work!”

 

"I don't want to know what they consider to be work." Sersi frowned.

 

"Nothing good, I'm sure." Matt agreed.

 

The scene cut to Peter running into the hotel to see Ned in a bathrobe, who told him the trip was over and they were all heading home, before Mr Harrington came out on the phone and saw Peter, hugged him and thanked him for not being dead and to stay alive and in the hotel.

 

"Well at least Peter's alive!" Cindy cheered.

 

"Well I'm rather glad he wasn't murdered by evil ex Stark employees." MJ said.

 

"I'm sure he's glad of that too." Kate remarked.

 

"Ned rocking that bathrobe." Betty winked at Ned who blushed.

 

"So the witches are to blame again are they?" Flash joked.

 

Peter watched as people rushed past or opened and closed their hotel rooms before MJ opened hers, asking Peter where he had been. MJ said they were worried about him but was glad he was back as they awkwardly talked, before she shut the door. He went to knock on the door as she opened it again, he asked her to go do something fun with him, with MJ agreeing, the two awkwardly laughing.

 

"Aww!" Cindy teased as MJ turned to her, cheeks aflame, and tried to glare.

 

"Shut it." MJ hissed.

 

"So, finally, a date?" Kate asked with a wink as MJ glared at her as well.

 

"I don't care who you are, I'll get revenge." MJ promised her as Kate gulped.

 

"Message received."

 

"You are very funny, MJ. I like you." Yelena beamed at her.

 

"Is that a compliment?" Ned asked warily, having seen Yelena acting.

 

"Absolutely." Natasha assured them.

 

Peter and MJ left the hotel as a news report mentioned Mysterio and Night Monkey fighting a fire elemental, Brad watching them leave from his seat in the lobby. They walked along the Charles Bridge, their hands touching slightly before they pulled away. Peter awkwardly tried to tell MJ his feelings for her before she interrupted, saying he was Spider-Man.

 

"Why is Brad still a thing?" Abe asked.

 

"Well it looks like he's been shut out, so I'm sure we can all happily forget he exists at all." Flash said.

 

"Aww, poor Peter, trying to confess his feelings." Spider-Man 2 smiled.

 

"Parker luck, eh?" Spider-Man 3 asked his alter, as the two men laughed.

 

"Well it was obvious. Even if we hadn't seen all of this, I'm sure it would have been obvious." MJ shrugged.

 

"If SHIELD was still a thing, I'd offer you training, those observational skills, they'd come in useful for a job like agent." Clint told her as MJ flushed.

 

"I'm not that good, really, I just notice thing." MJ tried to explain.

 

"Selling yourself short there." Ned told his best friend.

 

"I'm not that good, honestly." MJ insisted.

 

"Believe me, you're smart enough for any career really." Tony told the surprised girl. "I remember everything with Pete and I now, how he'd talk for hours about what geniuses his best friends Ned and MJ were, how they could easily beat him to get into MIT, and believe me, Pete was going to MIT on his grades alone."

 

Peter denied it until MJ showed him the projector piece she had picked up, Peter realised that Beck had set it all up and the Elementals were fake, before he told MJ she was right, he was Spider-Man and they needed to get back to the hotel, immediately.

 

"Well at least he knows now." Clint shrugged.

 

"I'm so going to kill him." MJ said, gasping.

 

"What's up?" Ned asked, panicked.

 

"I remember, us here on the bridge, me watching Peter for weeks, thinking he was Spider-Man, me and him in his hotel room, us running in London." MJ told him. "God, I remember so much of it now I didn't before. But if Peter had anything to do with these Runes and what the wizard guy did, I'm gonna kill him."

 

"Forget killing Peter, I'm gonna kill Beck." Tony growled.

 

"He's already dead, Tony." Happy stated. "He died a few days after all of this, remember? The kids brought it up when we first started?"

 

"I'll bring him back just to do it again!" Tony vowed, pressing on.

 

"I can't believe he just admitted you were right like that." Bucky laughed.

 

"Well he is in a hurry to get her to safety and go through all of this it seems." Steve pointed out.

 

"I just hope Beck doesn't find out that Peter knows." Hope worried.

 

"Parker luck." Spider-Man 2 and 3 groaned. Of course he'd find out pretty fast. It was their way.

 

Chapter 20: Maybe If You Were Good Enough...

"Great, back to this idiot again." The room groaned as it showed Beck and his team.

 

In a warehouse. Beck, William and the others ran through their plan for an attack on London, Mysterio saying there needed to be maximum casualties, he needed to be seen to save the world from an Avengers level threat to be the next Iron Man.

 

"They're monsters." Cindy gasped.

 

"Watcher, can you provide us with their names when we do leave this place?" Thor asked.

 

"Why would I do that?" The Watcher's voice called out to him.

 

"I want to know the names of the people I must kill."

 

"No, Thor, we prove what they did and we make sure all of them go to jail for life." Bruce told him.

 

"If they hurt Peter though with this, I will hunt them down myself." Kingo promised.

 

"Why?" Druig asked.

 

"I like the kid, don't you?"

 

"Yeah, he seems charming enough in an oddball kind of way."

 

"Just like you." Makkari signed, smirking as Druig flushed.

 

Beck realised a projector was missing from one of the drones, and threatened to shoot his entire crew, saying if he didn’t kill Nick Fury, Fury would kill him, and nobody wanted a bullet in their head.

 

"He's completely unhinged." Kate gasped.

 

"Why are they following him if he's threatening to kill all of them?" Cindy asked.

 

"Fear and anger are powerful motivators." Ikaris spoke up.

 

"Yeah, Barnes 2.0 is right." Tony said as Ikaris and Bucky both looked incensed.

 

"Hey!" Bucky yelled.

 

"They're scared of Beck and what he can do, and they're too blinded by their anger at me to look for better options. They hate me more than they fear him." Tony stated.

 

"Well they won't need to worry about that when the Avengers arrest all of them." Scott smirked.

 

Once he ran a search for the projector, finding Peter Parker had it, Beck told William that oneday, after he had killed Peter Parker over this, he hoped William realised Peter’s blood was on his hands.

 

“If you even try to touch Peter, there won’t be a hole you can hide in that I won’t find you.” Rhodey growled. “If Tony isn’t there to stop you all, you best believe I will be.”

 

“All of us will be after them.” Scott promised, dropping his usual grins and glaring at the screen. “Let’s see how they like if I expanded inside of them.”

 

“Damn, that’s dark, Tic Tac.” Sam said, giving Scott some side eye.

 

“Deserved though.” MJ said, glaring at the screen as well. They would not get anywhere near her Peter. She remembered their kiss on the bridge. He was hers, no matter what, and when they did find him, she’d remind him.

 

Peter told MJ about how he almost killed Brad and how he needed to get to Berlin to speak to Nick Fury in person, as he couldn’t just phone him with Beck likely to have tapped his phone. As he was changing into the Night Monkey suit, Ned entered the room, as Ned and MJ realised the other knew about Peter.

 

“I was so confused when he just word vomited about trying to kill Brad.” MJ stated.

 

“I think we all are even now.” Spider-Man 2 shrugged.

 

“That’s not the real Nick anyway, so don’t worry about the wire tap.” Yelena helpfully exclaimed.

 

“But if it were?” Natasha asked.

 

“Oh then absolutely worry that any number of entities can learn your identify in moments and probably all actually do anyway.” Yelena smiled as Cindy, Ned, Flash and Betty looked horrified at that.

 

“Damn, those abs.” Cindy grinned and winked at MJ as she narrowed her eyes at Cindy teasingly.

 

“Mine.” MJ simply stated.

 

“This is the weirdest reveal I’ve ever seen.” Spider-Man 3 laughed.

 

“Do you often have your friends learn the others know of your identity?” Matt asked him.

 

“Oh, I’ve only got one person now who knows about me and being Spider-Man, so it all works out for me.” Spider-Man 3 supplied.

 

Peter told Ned to get May to lie about why he went to Berlin as Ned awkwardly told MJ it wasn’t a competition but he knew first. Peter swung to the train station and rode atop the train to Berlin, getting off, Nick Fury pulled up outside the station, and told Peter to get in, saying he had a lot of explaining to do.

 

“A competition, really?” Bucky asked.

 

“I think I win anyway. I knew first.” Ned said.

 

“You found out by accident, I worked it out and he admitted it to me.” MJ shot back, sticking her tongue out at Ned.

 

“Such children.” Abe sighed.

 

“Tell anyone and I’ll deny it.” MJ promised.

“So Beck knows he’s in Berlin then and got to him.” Steve frowned.

 

“I’m sure Peter will kick his ass. He took me and Cyborg here down.” Sam tried to reassure his friend.

 

“Peter doesn’t know about Fury though.” Natasha stated.

 

“Killjoy.” Sam huffed. “Let me hope Peter kicks his ass instantly, please?”

 

“Fake Fury looks do done with the broken seat belt.” Sersi laughed.

 

“Beck did his homework, that’s how Fury probably would react in that situation.” Clint stated.

 

Peter explained that Beck had faked it all with illusion tech and drones as Fury and Hill listened, before he sensed Beck was there, Hill and the rest of the building vanished as a drone decloaked and shot Fury, before knocking Peter down several stories.

 

“Wait, Fury was real?!” Tony asked.

 

“I’m not buying it. He might not be an illusion but there’s no way actual Fury would buy this.” Clint insisted.

 

“Yeah, this still doesn’t feel right. I guess he isn’t an illusion if he’s been shot though whilst everyone else disappeared.” Natasha conceded.

 

“Beck has Peter right where he wants him though!” Eddie exclaimed as everyone looked worried about what could come next.

 

Beck spoke to Peter, telling him Fury had to die, but not Peter. Peter told him to stop hiding as he fired webs at the drones, missing as they cloaked again and began projecting more illusions.

 

“Damn, how is he meant to hit this guy if he can’t see him?” Thena asked.

 

“Game gotta recognise game. Those are some solid illusions.” Sprite marvelled. She could definitely do better, but for a human, this Mysterio was pretty skilled.

 

“Seriously?” Phastos said to her.

 

“What? I’m just saying, good craftsmanship, it takes alot to impress me.” Sprite stated.

 

"Why isn’t he using his tingle?” Spider-Man 2 asked.

 

“You all call it a tingle?” Happy questioned.

 

“Not at all, but since we met Peter, have to say, the word has grown on me.” Spider-Man 2 admitted as Spider-Man 3 nodded beside him.

 

‘That’s not all that’s grown on me.’ Spider-Man 3 thought to himself as he eyed up his older alter, before shaking his head.

 

“He refuses to fight man to man?! He is a coward of the highest dishonour!” Thor roared.

 

“He and the Man of Spiders should fight with knives.” Drax sagely agreed.

 

“Oooh yes please, with knives!” Mantis nodded fervently.

 

Peter found himself hitting walls and unable to fire any webs at Mysterio as they faced off at Midtown High, hearing MJ cry for help, Peter smashed through a door to find her on the Eiffel tower, Mysterio throwing her off of it as Peter dived after her.

 

‘I’m not there, I’m right here, I’m safe!’ MJ felt like yelling as she saw Peter throwing himself around after these illusions, doing exactly what Beck wanted him to do, going where he was leading him. She didn’t know what Beck had planned, but it clearly wasn’t going to be good for Peter.

 

“Pete...” Tony whispered as he saw his protege getting more and more worked up, saw Beck playing with him, anger pumping in his veins as he saw the Mysterio figure appear over and over

 

Peter found himself in front of a building with a neon “Queens” sign as Mysterio’s fist flew through it, smashing Peter through a mirror and to the floor, where tens of other Spider-Men climbed onto him, pinning him down.

 

"How is he meant to stop this guy? He can't see him, he can't sense him, he's just getting pummelled!" Abe cried.

 

"He's Peter, if anyone can do it, he can." Tony said almost manically.

 

"I'm not sure he's going to get through it this time." Spider-Man 3 said sadly, looking down at the struggle Peter-1 was having, wishing he could do anything to be there to help him.

 

"I'm gonna bring Mysterio back from the dead to kill him over and over." MJ whispered to Ned, noting he had tears in his eyes as she felt a warmth in her own.

 

"I'll help you." Ned told her.

 

"So will I." A voice spoke in their heads, looking around in a panic, they saw Wanda wink at them. "Sorry, old habit, working on controlling it."

 

"That is so cool!" Ned called out, as most of the rest of the room looked confused.

 

"What's cool about this prick?" Yelena hissed.

 

"Not that, I meant...never mind." Ned sat back, looking worried at the screen again, trying to forget about the woman who could put her voice in his head.

 

He shook them off to find himself back in his original home-made costume, as Mysterio showed him statues of the Avengers smashed on the ground, a giant Mysterio standing above them all, as he said Peter didn’t know what was real, that Mysterio is the truth of the world.

 

"He really thinks he will be bigger and better than us?" Clint scoffed.

 

"Well, he's a good showman, I can see him convincing a fair few, even now, I remember people who claim Mysterio was the greatest hero ever and that he was murdered." Abe supplied.

 

"He's really enjoying this, messing with Peter, isn't he?" Bruce growled.

 

Peter managed to web Mysterio and pulled, as a crane fell to the floor, dodging it, the fist of the Mysterio statue collapsed onto him, as he found himself back in his normal Spider-Man costume before a tombstone that read “Anthony Edward Stark”

 

"Jesus that was a crane?!" Happy yelped.

 

"What. Is. That?" Tony asked, his voice suddenly deathly calm.

 

"If he's about to do what I think he's going to do, I swear, I will kill all of them." Rhodey stated.

 

"I'll be right next to you as you do." Bruce agreed.

 

"As will I." Thor's gaze darkened.

 

"Peter...." MJ trailed off, she didn't know what she could say that would make this situation better, she was just glad, in some small way, that Peter wasn't with them to relive all of this.

 

“if you were good enough, maybe Tony would still be alive.” he said as a zombie Tony rose from the grave in his Iron Man suit, repulsor lit up.

 

"HE SAID WHAT?!" Steve yelled, feeling himself so angry at those few words.

 

"Watcher. When you send us back, can we go kill him?" Natasha asked, completely serious as she looked at the ceiling.

 

"No can do." The Watcher simply replied.

 

"Not even for those who saved the universe?" Bucky asked.

 

"Not even for them." The Watcher stated.

 

"Please. Let me kill him. He can't do this, not to Peter. He's fucking with my kid and I won't allow that. I invented time travel. I will find a way to come back and kill him. I swear it." Tony vowed.

 

"You can't just kill people!" Sersi exclaimed. "Even if they're as deserving of it as this guy seems to be."

 

"Oh, I think I could support an exception." MJ glared. "He's hurting Peter, he's crushing him, and I want him dead. Not dead, destroyed. Wiped out from existence. Wait a minute, was he Snapped?"

 

"No." The Watcher said. "He survived Thanos."

 

"Pity." Ned snarled. "I would have gladly wanted him left gone."

 

"If he had been, when we got back, I'd make sure he didn't return." Tony promised.

 

Mysterio then showed New York icons rising around Peter, showing Mysterio’s head as a snow globe he was trapped in, Mysterio threatened Peter some more before the projection suddenly cut out with a gasp, Beck dropping to his knees as a struggling Fury lowered his pistol, Europol agents swarming around behind him.

 

"YES FURY!" Most of the room cheered. Fake or not, at least Beck seemed to be dealt with.

 

"Wait a minute." Natasha narrowed her eyes.

 

"You think it too?" Yelena asked.

 

"Think what?" Kate asked.

 

"Beck died but fighting Spider-Man publicly. This isn't that. Also, this seems a bit too neat, don't you think?" Yelena said.

 

"It's another illusion!" MJ gasped, horrified at how depraved Beck was.

 

Fury demanded to know who Peter told about everything, he explained just Ned, MJ and maybe Betty. Fury laughed and called Peter dumb and a sucker, the last in Beck’s voice as the illusion finally lifted, revealing Beck stood there. He told Peter that he was truly sorry for this, as the illusion started up again, driving Peter backwards, ending as a train hit him.

 

"He's not an idiot! You creep!" Cindy yelled.

 

"Sadly I think he's telling the truth." Spider-Man 2 said.

 

"About what?" Tony asked, offended.

 

"That he's sorry about what he's doing to Peter. I think he genuinely does like Peter." Spider-Man 2 frowned.

 

"That makes him even more of a sick prick." Hope growled.

"I agree." Spider-Man 3 glared.

 

"That was a train! How the hell is Peter still alive?!" Sam asked, giving up on trying to understand the kid. He knew he had to survive, for some of these people to know him, but that was a speeding train. How did that not kill him?

 

Beck looked at the train speeding away before bringing up E.D.I.T.H, telling it that Peter’s class needed to fly home from London.

 

"I'm going to kill him myself." Betty promised.

Chapter 21: You're Never Gonna Be Iron Man

"I'm gonna find him and tear him to pieces. The heist can wait. I've got someone to deal with first." Tony said, eyes rimmed red as he saw Peter vanish, saw the train vanish. He knew Peter had to be alive, he just did, but seeing that, it broke him.

 

"Tony." Bruce said softly. "We can't change what happened. But I swear to you, we will find everyone who worked with Beck, and they'll all pay for this."

 

"Pete..." Spider-Man 3 whimpered, having seen his brother vanish.

 

"Hey, he's alright, we met him after all of this, remember?" Spider-Man 2 tried to cheer him up, noticing how it had affected his alter self. Pulling his other self in to him with one arm, he wrapped his arm around his shoulder and squeezed him reassuringly.

 

"I know." Spider-Man 3 said, wiping his eyes and smiling at the contact from the older man.

 

A bloodied Peter struggled onto the train and into a seat before passing out.

 

"He can't be killed!" Ned cheered.

 

"The Immortal Spider-Man." Yelena grinned.

 

"The Amazing Spider-Man!" Cindy cried as Spider-Man 3 choked on a laugh.

 

"What's so funny?" Abe demanded to know.

 

"That's what I'm sometimes referred too in my universe." Spider-Man 3 explained.

 

"I'm just glad Peter's ok." MJ frowned. She hated that she wasn't there for him with all of this, and her past self had no idea that Beck was coming for her at that moment.

 

Peter awoke to find himself in a prison cell in the Netherlands, using his strength to escape the cell as the other prisoners refused to leave their nice conditions, he found himself wandering around a small village, getting a phone, he phoned Happy for help.

 

"Well they seem nice at least." Hope stated.

 

"May have to take a holiday to the Netherlands, they seem like nice folk." Betty nodded.

 

"At least you're calling Happy, Pete." Tony smiled.

 

"He's a smart kid, he knows Beck probably isn't tracking me and what I'm doing, so he can get some outside help that he knows will come to help him." Happy agreed. "I just hope he'll trust me to help him again when we get out of here."

 

"Will the spell remove our memories of this again?" Wanda asked Strange and Wong.

 

"Not a clue, sadly, like we said, it's a spell that travels the border between known and unknown reality and magic. It might do, it might not." Wong spoke to her quietly.

 

Happy landed in a tulip field as Peter limped towards him, stopping Happy and getting him to verify who he was, Happy reminded him about Germany and Peter renting an adult film, Peter telling him that it was him and to stop.

 

"That's too funny!" Scott wheezed as he wiped his eyes.

 

"Poor Peter!" Clint chuckled.

 

"I'm never going to let that kid anywhere near something resembling my money ever again." Tony grumbled jokingly.

 

"I wonder if it was any good?" Ned asked, turning to MJ with a grin as she glowered at him.

 

"One more word." She warned as he wisely shut up.

 

Peter hugged Happy as Happy asked what was happening, on the plane, Happy bandaged Peter’s wounds as best as he could as Peter explained how he had messed up, had betrayed Tony’s memory and couldn’t be the next Iron Man.

 

"I wouldn't want you to be the next Iron Man, Pete." Tony said, looking at the screen. "You're better than me. You're the future of the Avengers, you and those in here."

 

"You're a good guy, Happy." Sam smiled, seeing Happy trying to help Peter as best as he could with the first aid.

 

"I swore I'd be there for Tony's family, after he was gone. Pete's his family, and mine." Happy shrugged. "I'll be there for him from now on when we get back. I've failed him, and I won't do that again."

 

"You didn't fail him, Mr Hogan." Matt told him. "If we've all forgotten Mr Parker, you haven't failed him at all. You can't be there for somebody you don't recall, no matter how much you want to be. When you do get back, you'll be there for him, to me, that's anything but failing him."

 

"Thank you." Happy smiled at the mysterious lawyer.

 

Happy explained that he hadn’t, nobody could be as good as Tony, not even Tony. Tony had always doubted everything he did, the one thing he didn’t doubt was trusting Peter Parker. Peter would never be Iron Man, but he wasn’t meant to be, Spider-Man was better. Beck may have the upper hand, but they could stop him, and what did Peter need.

 

"Thank you, Happy." Tony choked back a sob as Rhodey and Happy both put an arm around him.

 

"I'm always going to be there for them, Tony. Morgan, Peter, Pepper, whatever they need, I'm there, you know that."

 

"So am I." Rhodey promised.

 

"I've gotta admit, I thought you were dropping the ball on this speech at first, telling him he was never going to be Tony, but you pulled that into something that even got me motivated." Sam acknowledged.

 

"He's got a gift for a good pep talk." Clint noted.

 

"Yeah, Peter! Kick his ass!" Cindy cheered.

 

"Oh, I'm sure he's gonna make Beck wish he had never messed with Spider-Man." Flash agreed.

 

"Peter's gonna wipe the floor with him, he can lift a building, what hope does Beck have?" Abe asked.

 

Peter found out from Happy’s phone they were in London and said he needed a suit, Happy opened up a portable lab at the back of the plane as Peter got to work, and Happy put on the music, Tony’s favourite, as Peter worked in the back, looking exactly like Tony would have.

 

"Damn, he really does look like you right now, Tony." Steve noted.

 

"I'd be glad if he was biologically my son." Tony beamed.

 

"Have to say, he looks good." Kate grinned, winking at MJ who glowered at her, as Yelena and Natasha both laughed and nodded.

 

"You have a lab on your plane? That's amazing!" Ned marvelled.

 

"You should see the labs at the Avengers Compound. It's like an R&D candyland." Bruce told him.

 

“I love Led Zepplin!” Peter called out.

 

"WHAT?! That's it, the kid's disowned." Tony called out as Rhodey and Happy looked shocked.

 

"Isn't that Led Zepplin?" MJ asked.

 

"It's AC/DC!" Tony cried, scandalised as everyone else laughed.

 

Peter worked on his suit as the real Nick and Hill in Germany got a ping of a new EMP in London.

 

"The big one's coming." Ikaris frowned.

 

"Beck's getting everything ready." Sprite said. "His big one."

 

"Worried it'll make your illusions look bad?" Druig teased her.

 

"No, but I'm worried what his plan was. Sersi and I lived in London, remember? I don't recall much of this, but I do remember seeing the humans screaming about monsters."

 

"You're one of them now, remember?" Phastos asked her as she frowned.

 

The scene cutting to the class in London, Brad broke, wondering where Peter was, arguing about the deleted photo he took of him, as MJ made fun of him for his obsession with Peter, Brad was ridiculed by the class as Mr Dell spoke to him about lying as Brad began to wipe away a nosebleed.

 

"Go MJ!" Betty cheered.

 

"Poor Brad though." Ned said as the others from the school turned to him. "I mean, he's back to the nosebleeds again, that can't be good development, even if he's a dick and trying to ruin Peter's love life."

 

"I suppose it wouldn't be too good for him." Sam stated.

 

"Deserves it though." Bucky told him as Sam gave away a small grin.

 

As they got to the tour bus, the driver was Guterman, the member of Mysterio’s crew.

 

"Oh God." Scott said. "Beck's covering all of the angles."

 

The scene changed to the top of a skyscraper in London, Fury and Hill checking their instruments as Mysterio flew up to them, telling them he had swept the perimeter but found nothing so far. Mysterio said he would try again as Fury said Mysterio was all they had. Beck disconnected before asking William if he was ready, no Avengers would be coming so it was his time to shine.

 

"He's making sure to stack the deck in his favour." Matt frowned.

 

"Well if this is the real Fury, and I've got some big doubts about it, he hasn't tried to contact any of us. I know I never got a call about helping." Strange told the room.

 

"Neither did I." Sam confirmed.

 

"Nor I." Rhodey shook his head.

 

"Yeah, I'm pretty positive even if this one somehow isn't an illusion, he's an idiot and not the real Fury." Clint agreed.

 

"Well next time something like this happens, he can be damn sure an Avenger will be there to stop him." Bucky stated.

 

"If not, we will be." Sersi quietly told the other Eternals.

 

Beck spoke to the rest of the crew, making sure they were ready, before firing the drones off, telling them to start the show, and on his command, telling E.D.I.T.H to kill MJ, Ned, Betty, Hill and Fury.

 

"I came so close to dying." Betty whispered, the gravity of it all setting in on her.

 

"We all did." Flash whimpered, recalling he was there in the London attack too.

 

"How is Peter meant to stop all of these drones by himself?" Natasha asked, terrified at the thought of one of them being injured.

 

"He'll do it, he's Peter." Happy grinned. "Don't worry about that."

 

"I'm giving your boyfriend a massive hug when we reunite, ok?" Betty turned to MJ who nodded.

 

"So am I." Flash insisted.

 

Guterman hopped off the bus, telling Beck the kids were in the kill zone as Fury received a call from Happy with a coded message that appearances could be deceiving before Fury hung up on him before he looked at Hill. Happy told Peter that Fury had the message as Peter said his suit was almost ready, Happy would retrieve the kids from Tower Bridge whilst Peter stopped Beck, Peter gave Happy the black dahlia and told him to give it to MJ from him if anything happened to Peter.

 

"Nothing will happen to you, ever, do you hear me, Parker?" MJ asked the screen, more memories hitting her as he discussed giving her the necklace, as she twirled it in her fingers now. "I will not let it."

 

"Goals." Betty and Ned sighed, before looking at each other, blushing as they looked away.

 

"That was your best code?" Hope asked.

 

"It worked!" Happy defended himself.

 

"A true forehead of security." Tony teasingly said.

 

Peter walked Happy through his plan, get inside the illusion, take it down, Beck was an ordinary human so just seize E.D.I.T.H from him, Happy asked what about the illusions affecting Peter, Peter told him he had a sixth sense, Happy asserted the Peter-tingle, Peter said he had to rely on that kicking in for him this time.

 

"It's not a Peter tingle!" Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3 insisted.

 

"Well it wouldn't be for you two, you're not Peter Parkers, are you?" MJ asked, arching an eyebrow. She was pretty sure they were Peter's too, even if they denied it.

 

"Well yeah, but I mean, it's a Spidey sense or a sixth sense." Spider-Man 2 tried to explain.

 

"Sure it is." MJ drawled.

 

The students fled the bus as the illusion began, Mr Dell insisting the witches were back as he and Harrington argued over responsibility. Giant water spouts rose from the Thames as lightning filled the skies above. The drones attacked the city as the kids ran past Guterman, the giant Elemental in the illusion turning to the kids as Dell said they joined forces like the power ranges, Harrington saying he was thinking of Voltron.

 

"Damn, that thing looks terrifying." Kate gasped.

 

"Definitely looked like an Avengers level threat." Makkari signed.

 

"How come nobody called any of us in for this, even if it turned out to be fake?" Clint asked.

 

"Must not have had the time to do so." Wong shrugged. "I'm pretty sure this was all over within an hour."

 

"It's definitely Voltron." Bruce nodded.

 

"Is that the most important thing right now?" Steve asked.

 

"Well, no." Bruce shrugged.

 

 

"If that was real, I'd be terrified right now." Scott admitted.

 

"I'm a little scared and I know it's not only fake, but it's been dealt with." Abe admitted.

 

Mysterio suddenly flew in and engaged the monster as Brad and the others cheered, MJ told Ned that Mysterio knew about them and Ned said they were in danger, pulling Betty with them, as Flash noticed them leave and followed. Beck spoke to Fury in a hushed voice, telling him he didn’t see it ending well and telling Fury to hide, Fury said he would wait it out.

 

"I think even this Fury is noticing the lies spewing from his mouth." Natasha noted.

 

"Get out of there, go!" Hope said to those on screen running.

 

"We got away, we're all here." MJ reminded her.

 

"I'll admit, he looks good at the ploy, looks every bit the hero." Sprite nodded. "Really hope to see him hit in the face soon."

 

"I'm sure you will." Matt smiled towards her.

Notes:

Only one last chapter for FFH, and then....NO WAY HOME.

Chapter 22: SPIDER-MAN'S NAME IS PETER PARKER

Notes:

So this is the finale of Far From Home, NWH will probably take a little while to come out, the people have spoken so it will be just two chapters, but both will be about 10-15k long in words. So, yeah, expect it to take a week or two at least for the next chapter.

Peter hung onto the outside of the quinjet as he told Happy they needed to get high so Beck didn’t see him drop in, before telling Happy they needed to discuss Happy and May together before he flew off the plane.

 

Tony went to make a joke about it, but stopped at seeing the haunted look in Happy's eyes at the reminder of his time together with May.

 

"I'm sorry pal." Tony said softly to him as Happy smiled back at him, his eyes watering.

 

"I loved her, man."

 

"I know. I'm sure she loved you too." Tony reassured him.

 

Fury asked for a report as Beck called on Guterman for a response, giving one to Fury about the new Elemental drawing power from the Earth’s core as they had all fused into one. Fury just turned to Hill and said how it was some bullshit, before Hill and Fury noticed Peter dropping into the storm from above.

 

"I guess they did get what Happy was on about after all!" Betty cheered.

 

"I guess even if it's not Fury, this guy isn't a total idiot." Clint shrugged.

 

"I like how he can't even think of a lie for himself, he needs a storyteller for it." Sprite giggled.

 

"I'm sure you could make up a towering story for any illusion, Sprite." Druig teased her.

 

"I could definitely come up with something better than what he did." Sprite protested.

 

"What experience do you have with illusions?" Bucky asked.

"More than most." Sprite simply said, turning back to the screen.

 

Fury told Hill to get ready for anything as Peter entered the illusion, calling the appearance awesome, as Hill got atop the building they were in with a large case. Beck noticed the drones were breaking formation as Peter webbed them, William told him it was probably just some birds, as Beck insisted on viewing it. Seeing Peter swinging around his drones and webbing them, William asked if Beck saw what it was, Beck said he had, and he was going to kill him.

 

"Damn, I have to admit, that does look pretty good." Sam admitted.

 

"Why couldn't he have just assumed it was birds as well and let it go?" Kate moaned, tugging at her hair as she watched, stressed. She hadn't ever met Peter and she already knew that she wanted him to be safe.

 

"You aren't going to touch a hair on Peter's head, not if I have anything to say about it!" Tony growled.

 

"He won't hurt Peter ever again, you know that Tony." Rhodey tried to calm his old friend. "Don't worry, we just need to sit through this and get back to him, help him."

 

"That's easy for you to say, I can't help him." Tony frowned.

 

"You've helped him for years, Tony. Peter idolises you, it's clear to see, I'm sure that'll never stop. Now it's our turn to help him." Spider-Man 2 spoke up, interrupting Tony's train of thought.

 

"How would you know that? You never knew me." Tony told him.

 

"We know Peter though. He wouldn't be the hero he is today if it wasn't for you or the others in this room." Spider-Man 3 explained. "You helped shape him, all of you."

 

"He's going to kick Beck's ass, make no mistake." Spider-Man 2 said. "What worries me is the aftermath of it."

 

"What do you mean?" Rhodey asked.

 

"The kid needs support." Eddie spoke up for the first time in a while. "We'll all be there to give him it."

 

Peter activated his taser webs as the drones began to short, de-cloaking and ending the illusion. One appeared before Fury as he asked “You got me?” before the drone exploded, focusing on Hill, aiming a rocket launcher, she just said “I gotcha.”

 

"Well at least they didn't totally ignore my warning." Happy grinned.

 

"I love those taser webs. Will one of you brainiacs make me some?" Yelena asked, looking around to the scientists in the room, who all tried to avoid eye contact with her.

 

"Tell you what, I somehow meet you, I'll make you them." Tony promised.

 

"I'll hold you to that, Stark." Yelena smirked at him.

 

William told Beck the illusion was failing as Peter launched himself towards Beck, Beck used E.D.I.T.H to get Peter away as he told William to end the illusion, asking William to get his illusion suit ready though.

 

"Face himself you coward!" MJ yelled.

 

"You said it yourself, young one, he's a coward, he won't." Thor told her. "Not unless he thinks he has the advantage in some way or Peter forces a confrontation."

 

"Peter will win, he always does." Tony chanted, desperately hoping the kid came out of it unscathed.

 

"He'll be fine, Tony." Steve tried to reassure him. "Believe in him, you know what he can do."

 

"What's he planning now?" Natasha narrowed her eyes.

 

Flash reported the elemental was full of drones as they raced towards the Tower of London, Happy using it to land near to them. Beck noticed the quinjet landing, and as Happy told the four kids to get on the jet, Beck sent some drones to blow it up, forcing the five to flee to the Tower, more drones in pursuit.

 

"Now he's after Happy and the kids again." Bucky glowered.

 

"He won't get us you know he doesn't, we're all in here." Flash reminded him.

 

"Doesn't mean I can't hate him kid, even you, who has just been a prick during all of these so far, doesn't deserve to die."

 

Beck told E.D.I.T.H to target Spider-Man, saying he’d kill the kids himself, sending a few drones after them, they raced into the Crown Jewels vault as the guards opened fire on the drones, taking one down as the others entered the Tower.

 

"You know Peter would never let you kill any of us." Betty stated.

 

"He won't harm any of you, you're safe from him now." Bruce said.

 

"Yay for the random guard!" Scott cheered.

 

Beck opened fire on a suit of armour as MJ hit the drone with a mace, knocking it to the floor, they raced further into the vault as Happy threw a shield at the drone, it falling to the floor harmlessly, Happy asked “How does Cap do that?”

 

"Years of practise." Steve grinned at Happy, who scowled at the reply.

 

"That was a pretty good swing, you may even be skilled at wielding Mjolnir." Thor told MJ who blushed.

 

"I know I'm not gonna be able to lift that." She replied.

 

"We could always see?" He asked her with a raised eyebrow and a slight smirk as she blushed even redder.

 

Peter checked in to make sure Happy was still alive as he swung around, throwing things at the drones to try shake them off of him as Beck sent more and more after him, using flamethrowers on him as well. Peter used a bunch of webbing to destroy some drones before more used sonic blasts to knock Peter off the bridge.

 

“Gee, glad he thinks of us.” Ned joked.

 

“This Beck guy is a real d-bag.” Quill growled.

 

“You’ve only just realised that?’ Rocket asked.

 

“No, I just didn’t think it needed saying until now.”

 

“Then why say it at all?” Nebula asked.

 

“I don’t know!” Quill responded.

 

“I SAY WE USE THESE DRONES TO DICE BECK INTO LITTLE PIECES, HE CAN BE FINGER FOOD FOR DAYS TO COME!” Venom exclaimed, overjoyed at having a new idea, as Eddie shook his head fondly.

 

“No, buddy, no finger food people.”

 

“BUT EDDIE!-"

 

“-No.”

 

“FINE. PUSSY.”

 

“PETER!” Happy yelled, not seeing this part before as Peter went tumbling towards the Thames

 

Beck remarked “Finally” as William rebooted the Elemental illusion, unsure how Beck would spin it as Peter climbed back onto the bridge. Seeing he was out of webs, he saw a nearby trapped drone still blasting sonic waves. Throwing a stuffed bear at it, he saw it blast the bear into the sky, where other drones shot it to pieces.

 

"Damn, how is he meant to get through all of that back to Beck? E.D.I.T.H is defending him too well." Spider-Man 2 spoke quietly to his other self. Fortunately he had never had anything like this with his Mysterio, but his had been bad enough, how did little Peter manage to pull this off?

 

"He's brining the illusion back, why?" Sprite wondered. "It was clearly a fake, how can he possibly explain it as real now everyone has seen the drones?"

 

"People are easily fooled." Natasha frowned. She had a bad feeling he would manage to pull off a spin on this, somehow.

 

Cutting back to the Tower, Ned wondered if they were going to die as the drones continued to hammer at the door, they began sharing truths, like MJ saying how she pushed people away, Ned said he wasted his life playing video games and Happy admitting he was in love with Spider-Man’s aunt before saying how they were sharing.

 

"You've always got us MJ, you haven't pushed us away." Betty told her with a smile as MJ gave a hesitant smile back. She had let people in alot more in the past year, but she still worried she would. She didn't fully remember everything that happened with Peter, did she drive him away? Is that why she couldn't remember him? It may have been a worldwide thing, but what if she was the cause? What if Peter had actively tried to avoid her over something? Is that why he didn't try get them? Did he even remember her? How would she find him again after all of this?

 

"Awkward moment to admit it, Happy." Tony laughed as Happy scowled.

 

"Well I didn't expect to have to rehash ever saying that." He crossed his arms as everyone laughed.

 

Peter rigged part of a drone and grabbed the Tower Bridge sign, forming a makeshift shield and hammer, reminiscent of Captain America. The drones turned and began to fire at Peter as he threw the drone part at them, it exploding as a makeshift bomb, destroying the nearby drones and sending Beck reeling.

 

"He stole your look, Steve!" Sam joked as Steve pouted.

 

"Gotta say, he does make the look work." Bucky joked.

 

"Damn, now you're scared, aren't you Beck?" Tony grinned as he saw Beck stumble away.

 

"Go get him Peter!" Cindy cheered.

 

Using the sign as a springboard, Peter flew through the glass floor of the bridge, grabbing Beck and punching him as the drones broke through at the Tower, suddenly stopping. Peter told Beck his lies were over as Beck called on E.D.I.T.H, as a drone blasted Peter backwards.

 

"He's not out yet." Yelena snarled.

 

"Peter's gonna kick his ass, don't worry." Kate told her, looking like she was reassuring herself.

 

"Give up Beck." Quill said to the screen.

 

"You know he can't hear you, right?" Rocket asked Quill as he looked embarrassed.

 

"You know what I meant." Quill defended himself.

 

Peter stood up and told Beck to hand E.D.I.T.H over, Beck said if he wanted the glasses, he would have to come take them, firing up another illusion. Peter closed his eyes and begged the Peter-tingle to work as he ran forward, dodging drones and smashing them into one another, clearing through the bridge, Beck ordered E.D.I.T.H to fire all drones, regardless of the risk to himself, he had to kill Peter there and then.

 

"He called it the Peter tingle!" Happy cheered.

 

"A dumb name still." The two Spider-Men groaned.

 

"I bet you both call it a tingle of some kind." Scott grinned.

 

"No comment." They both said after a long moment, to the delight of the room.

 

"Damn, his senses are absolutely insane." Bruce said, jaw dropping at Peter dodging and throwing drones about.

 

"He's the best of us all, I said that." Tony stated.

 

"He's completely mad though, all of those drones attacking one area at once, he'll definitely be hurt by it." Bucky said.

 

"The Mysterio man is insane." Drax agreed.

 

“FIRE ALL THE DRONES, NOW!” Beck screeched at her as more drones began to fire.

 

"Is he meant to be this stupid?" Mantis asked, confused as to why he would risk his own life in this way with the drones.

 

"No, he's just desperate, he knows he can't win fighting Peter and he knows Peter will get past the drones when they're just using illusions." Nebula explained.

 

"Desperation makes people do foolish things." Sam agreed.

 

Peter used one of the drones as a shield to block the gunfire as he smashed through other drones, one of them hitting Beck in the crossfire. As he took down the last drone, he saw Beck on the floor, clutching his side. Peter ran over to him, telling Beck he trusted him, Beck said that was the most disappointing part, such a weakness in him.

 

"There's nothing wrong with trusting others, it's when you don't trust anyone, issues can happen." Natasha said sadly, thinking on her own life, Yelena and Clint nodded along with her.

 

"But to trust overly is also bad, isn't it?" MJ asked.

 

"Yeah, it can be, as Peter learnt here, but how many sleepless nights do you think Peter has had after this, wondering if he can trust everything, with all of these illusions?" Yelena asked MJ who pondered it.

 

"Peter is always going to be stronger than you." Tony hissed.

 

"Tony, he's safe now, he won." Rhodey told him. "You can relax man."

 

"I'm kinda sad he got shot, as I don't want anyone to be, but if anyone deserved it, he did." Ned said as the others nodded. Beck was definitely a piece of work.

 

Beck offered E.D.I.T.H back to Peter, saying Stark was right and he did deserve them, before he could take them, Peter swung around and grabbed Beck’s arm as a gunshot missed Peter’s head.

 

"HE DESERVES HIS BRAIN TO BE EATEN!" Venom roared.

 

"He came so close to being shot, how did he do that?!" Abe called out.

 

"He's Spider-Man." Spider-Man 3 grinned.

 

“You can’t trick me anymore.” Peter said as Beck looked stunned.

 

"DAMN RIGHT YOU CAN'T!" Scott cheered as everyone else in the room smiled.

 

The Beck on the floor faded away as the real, injured Beck fell down. Peter swiped E.D.I.T.H from him and took control of the system again, telling it to execute all programmes to cancel the drones programming and end the attack. The drones began returning to the Stark satellite as Happy took a weapon from Ned to protect them, in case the drones returned, and Peter said a small thank you to E.D.I.T.H and to Tony.

 

“Yay Peter!” The room cheered at large as they saw the young man take back control of the system.

 

“Even dead I’m the hero, kid.” Tony smiled, eyes watering slightly. “That settles it, first thing I’m

doing when back, before the heist even, is destroying the E.D.I.T.H system.”

 

“I think that’s one of the smartest moves you’ve ever made, Tony.” Steve beamed at him.

 

Peter turned to the dying Beck and asked how could he do all of this, Beck whispered that people need to believe and nowadays, people will believe anything. Peter asked E.D.I.T.H if this was real, E.D.I.T.H confirmed all illusions were gone. Cutting to the van, William finished downloading a program and left.

 

“He’s not wrong. People will believe alot of stuff these days. Everyone believed Mysterio was a

hero. When we get back, we need to do something to prove he was a fraud.” Abe said.

 

“I feel so bad for Peter. He can’t trust his own senses, especially when it comes to Beck.” Cindy

cried.

 

“He’s had a harder life than most, even without the superhero stuff.” Bucky said gently. “It’s natural

he would be like that.”

 

“It’s not right though.” Betty sniffled.

 

“It’s not right at all, but it’s what he has.” Ned sighed, pulling Betty in for a hug.

 

“I just wish we could help him.” Betty murmured into his shoulder.

 

“When we get home, we will.” Ned promised her before they broke apart.

 

“I’m sure we all will, however we can.” Matt said, as Ned looked over at him, shocked.

 

“How did you hear that?” Steve asked.

 

“I’m a really good lawyer.” Matt smirked as the assassins narrowed their eyes. More and more

didn’t add up about Murdock.

 

“What did he put on that USB?” Tony demanded.

 

“Whatever it is, it isn’t good.” MJ said.

 

Happy and the others left the Crown Jewels vault as MJ raced off, meeting Peter on Tower

Bridge, she told him what had happened to them, hugging, MJ showed him the black dahlia

necklace, seeing it was broken, Peter apologised and started rambling about the plan, before

MJ kissed him.

 

“Goals.” Hope snorted as she saw them reunite and kiss.

 

“MJ, you ok?” Ned asked as he saw her suddenly bend over, putting her head in her arms, noticing

her shake slightly, he reached out an arm to comfort her.

 

“That little shit. He promised us, Ned! He promised.” MJ choked out.

 

“MJ?” Ned asked, still somewhat confused.

 

“You don’t remember, do you?” MJ asked, her voice sounding hollow as she spoke, worrying most

of the room. What did she now remember? What did Peter do that was so bad? Was it to do with

Strange and these Runes?

 

“I remember bits of what happened after this, but not all of it, no.” Ned replied quietly. He’d gotten

most of his memories back, he was sure, he remembered returning to New York after London, he

 

remembered applying to other colleges and being rejected, but what had gotten MJ so scared and

angry? "What happened? What did he do?"

 

“He promised us, Ned.” MJ said again, stunned and angry and most of all, heartbroken as she turned away, unsure how to react, what to say, what to do. All she knew was, Peter Parker had broken her heart, and she hated him for it.

 

MJ explained she wasn’t just watching him as she thought he was Spider-Man, that she liked

him. He apologised for the broken necklace again, as she said she preferred it broken and they

kissed again.

 

“I kinda like it broken too.” Cindy smiled at her old friend, before falling silent at the haunted look

in MJ’s eyes.

 

“Seriously, what’s so bad about all of this?” Tony asked, starting to get annoyed. He had a terrible

feeling about whatever was eating MJ so badly.

 

MJ said nothing, just starting at the screen in silent horror.

 

MJ went back to the class as the scene cut to the waterfront and Nick Fury approached Happy. Nick said he needed to speak to Spider-Man, Happy told him that Peter would call him. Nick asked incredulously that Spider-Man would make him wait, Happy confirmed he would, Nick showed he respected both Peter and Happy and left.

 

"You tell him, Happy." Clint smirked along with Natasha, seeing this Fury lookalike back down. They both wished they had told the real Fury more where to stick it sometimes, so to see it happen now, even if this guy wasn't the legit Fury still in their eyes, was still good for them.

 

Returning to New Jersey, MJ told Peter to not be late as she left, asking Betty and Ned for a double date, they explained to Peter they had broken up, Betty calling Ned wise as she left. Flash was then seen sad as he was greeted by a chauffeur, his mother too busy to come meet him.

 

"I'm sorry, Flash." Abe said to his old schoolmate, who shrugged.

 

"I went to MIT to get away from my family, it hurts that they don't really care about me, but I'm starting to move on with it. Got to live my life for myself, nobody else." Flash said, looking down.

 

"I am wise, aren't I?" Ned asked, winking at Betty.

 

"Well I'd say so." Betty replied, walking over to him and kissing him on the cheek.

 

"What was that for?" Ned asked, confused.

 

"When you figure it out, tell me." Betty said cryptically.

 

Back at his apartment, Peter spoke with May and Happy about their relationship, her calling it a fling as Happy thought it was serious, as they awkwardly discussed what was happening with them, Peter told them he had to go, grabbing MJ, he began to swing her through the streets of New York.

 

"Your first proper date?" Sam asked MJ, who still said nothing, still shocked at the scene. The sense on unease deepened in everyone who didn't know what Peter had done. MJ seemed so tough, what had caused this in her?

 

"I'm sorry Happy." Rhodey said, seeing May dismiss it as a fling.

 

"It may not have been a proper thing to her, but she cared for me, and I cared for her. To me, that's something." Happy said sadly.

 

Putting her down after their mini date and going to head off, he was interrupted by a news broadcast, showing the last moments of Mysterio a week before, through footage obtained from the Daily Bugle and J. Jonah Jameson, Mysterio stated he had sent the Elemental back, but Spider-Man had called on drones to attack him and London, saying he would be the next Tony Stark, nobody else.

 

"This is total bullshit! Nobody will believe that!" Tony roared at the screen.

 

"I'm sorry to say, Mr Stark, but many people did." Abe frowned. "I remember alot of backlash against Spider-Man due to it all."

 

"Who would believe a crackpot like the Bugle though?"

 

"It's come along alot in the past few years, especially with this scoop against Spider-Man." Cindy shrugged.

 

"Damn, they've managed to edit it well, if I didn't know Spider-Man before all of this, if I saw this for the first time, I may have fallen for it." Sam admitted as most of the other Avengers sadly agreed. If they didn't know Spider-Man before all of this, they may have believed Mysterio and may have gone after him for this attack.

 

"How could this get any worse?" Tony worried, thinking Peter may be on the run now as Spider-Man.

 

Jameson called Spider-Man a murdere r and Mysterio a hero before cutting back to Mysterio with Mysterio then hitting them with a bombshell.

 

"Wow, he looks so similar." Spider-Man 2 said.

 

"Jameson?" Spider-Man 3 asked, as everyone else listened in.

 

"Yeah, he looks exactly like he does in my universe." Spider-Man 2 stated. "Weird, I assumed different versions always looked different."

 

“Spider-Man’s name is Peter Parker!”

 

"WHAT THE-?" Tony asked, incensed, as everyone else looked shocked as well.

 

"Now I think I know why we used the Runes of Kafkall." Strange ominously spoke.

 

"It's still wrong, but I think I can guess why you would have." Wanda agreed.

 

"He made us forget him." MJ whispered out of nowhere, drawing everyone's attention back to her, with several of those in the room gasping as they realised what she had said. "Peter made the entire world forget him over this. It wasn't something the wizard just did, or anything. Peter made this happen."

 

The scene then cut to Fury and Hill, who changed to reveal they were Skrulls, before they called Fury up, to say there were issues, but they thought it all went well and Peter got the glasses from Stark. The screen cut to black as it showed Fury on a spaceship, calling for someone to bring him his shoes.

 

"Fury wasn't even there?!" Steve asked.

 

"I knew it." Natasha narrowed her eyes. "What are those things though?"

 

"Skrulls." Nebula said, eyes darkening. "Beings with the ability to shapeshift."

 

"I'm not the only one thinking it, am I?" Scott asked, gulping.

 

"What if one of us in here is a Skrull?" Quill questioned, as everyone looked between each other.

 

"Great, so we've got magic and shape shifting aliens." Clint drawled. "We need to get out of here and fix all of this mess, somehow."

 

"He made us forget him." MJ said again. "I don't think this can be fixed, and even if it could, I don't think Peter wants us to fix it. He made his bed, I say we let him lie in it."

 

Notes:

Poor MJ.

Chapter 23: How Peter Parker Broke the Multiverse

Summary:

NO WAY HOME PART 1 OF 2.

Notes:

Seen a few people annoyed by how MJ is acting, don’t worry, she won’t still have this attitude at the end of NWH, but she’s just learnt that she’s been living a lie for months, her first reaction, quite understandably, is anger towards Peter. It’ll fade. Before then though, I said nobody new until after NWH. I lied. There’s someone else coming this chapter.

I've been full of Covid and Angst this week, Covid from you know, Covid, angst from reading NWH fix it fanfics that make me want to cry. Yay. Anyway, on with this.

“OK, time out. I need to discuss and digest this first, and I think it’s time for a few secrets that clearly people are keeping bottled up to come out. What do you mean, Peter is the one who made us all forget him?” Bruce asked, askance.

 

“He got the wizard to do the spell.” MJ sniffled, wiping her eyes.

 

“How? How could he? Why would he?” Tony asked, confused and worried.

 

“It will be explained in the clips. For now, watch.” The Watcher’s voice spoke up again.

 

“Why should we?” Kate asked. “I think most people in here deserve the answer.”

 

“You shall all get it, in time. When you do, you’ll understand why the course of action was taken. I ask you all to keep quiet on the subject for now.” He replied in a voice that brooked no argument. After a few grumbles, they all nodded their assent, even MJ, who looked mutinous at it. “As a thank you, I shall present you a gift of a new audience member.”

 

“Peter?” Tony asked hopefully.

 

“I’m afraid not, Stark.” The Watcher said as a glow filled the room once more. As it faded, a woman stood before the room looking confused and scared, a bag in her hands as she panted.

 

“Where am I? How did I get here?” She asked, confused after what she bad just been through.

 

“Fear not, you’re safe now.” The Watcher spoke again, appearing before her, as she screamed, the rest of the room too stunned to move or speak still.

 

“Who are you?!”

 

“My name is Uatu, or The Watcher. I have brought you here to see the events leading up to where you come from, and what comes next for you and others, May Parker."

 

"May..." Happy breathed, seeing her in the flesh before them.

 

"Happy? What's going on? Where are we? Where's Peter?!"

 

"May, I don't know how to tell you this..." Happy started, trailing off as she looked desperate.

 

"Please, tell me, where's Peter?"

 

"May.." Tony began as she turned to him, looking stunned.

 

"YOU! But you...you're...you're dead!"

 

"I am and I aren't. Long story." Tony grinned.

 

"Can someone please tell me what's going on? Why are there two people dressed like Peter? Why is there a giant black goo head sticking out of that man? Why am I in a room with several dead people?!" May began to panic. "I was running, Norman, he....what happened to Peter?"

 

"May." Happy said, getting her attention back to him. "I'll explain it all to you. Just take a deep breath, alright?"

 

"Ok." She said, trying to calm herself, whilst still looking around, as if waiting for Peter to appear.

 

"Well, I don't get all of it myself, so I'll explain what I can. Basically this man who has brought you here, the Watcher, is it?" Happy asked at the ceiling.

 

"Yes."

 

"Yes, well anyway, him, he's brought us all here to watch these videos about Peter and his time as Spider-Man, and events that affect us all regarding him. You're from the fight in the apartment, right?" Happy asked as May nodded slowly. "Most of us are from a few months after that. Tony, Steve and Natasha are from just before they brought you all back with the Snap. We've seen Peter starting as Spider-Man, and just finished the events with Beck in London and his identity being revealed."

 

"Why are we all here though? Where is Peter? Why are we being shown this?" May demanded to know.

 

"Listen, Mrs Parker, to fix everything, shortly after where you come from, I think, Peter had Doctor Strange here-" MJ pointed out the wizard. "-Cast a spell, so the entire world forgot him. We've been watching these to help us understand him apparently, and to get our memories back. I've just got mine back, and I'm sorry, but I'm gonna kick his ass when I see him again. As for where Peter is, we've got no clue. He isn't here." She said, finishing off with a glance towards the other two Peter Parker's she knew were in the room, who were actively trying to look as non suspicious as possible.

 

"WHERE IS MY BABY?!" May turned frantic as she looked around, stared up at the ceiling where the strange figure had vanished too. "WHERE'S PETER?!"

 

"Fear not, May Parker. You shall be reunited, in time. For now, please, sit, reunite with friends, and learn what has happened to young Mr Parker's life. I warn you though, even with all you do know, it is not a pleasant experience."

 

With that horrifying thought in their heads, everyone began to watch again, May choosing to sit near Happy.

 

The scene opened on the news report about Mysterio's death at the hands of Spider-Man, as Peter saw a crowd below on the street begin to swarm around MJ, demanding to know if she was dating Spider-Man and if she had helped him to kill Mysterio.

 

"Why would she have killed anyone?!" Ned raged at the screen. "Stupid idiotic people!"

 

"Ned, relax, this is all in the past, at least for me. I don't know why you don't have all of your memories back, but you'll get it, I'm sure." MJ said. "Speaking on that, how come you remember Peter, Mrs Parker?"

 

"Why would I forget Peter? He's my nephew!" May asked, wondering why MJ would possibly think that.

 

"The spell would have effected her, but I am not entirely without my own powers." Uatu spoke up. "I have held it back from May Parker."

"Couldn't you just remove it for us all?" Clint asked.

 

"Yes. I could." The Watcher stated.

 

"Well do it!" Cindy demanded.

 

"No."

 

"Why not?" Natasha asked.

 

"Once you finish this recording, I'm sure you'll understand why I have spared May Parker from forgetting her own nephew. As for the rest of you, I'm sure you'll fully remember Peter by the end of all of this." The Watcher explained.

 

"They better not harm MJ at least." Abe said, crossing his arms.

 

"They don't." MJ reassured him. "Peter got me away from them."

 

Peter jumped down to get them away from her as the crowd attacked him, trying to unmask him and saying he assaulted them as he grabbed MJ and took off swinging her away again.

 

"It doesn't matter what he does, now this is out, they'll have people suspicious of him the entire time until this spell." Hope shook her head sadly.

 

"The court of public opinion is cruel and unfeeling." Matt sighed. "He's just a kid, he doesn't deserve this."

 

"He's anything but a kid, not with everything he's experienced." May told him. "He'll always be like a son to me, but Peter has not been a kid for a long while now."

 

Swinging MJ to the top of a nearby bridge, as tourists took photos, Peter answered a phone call from Ned, both yelling dude at each other until MJ reminded Peter she was still there, hanging up, Peter grabbed her again, apologising as they discussed what to do now.

 

"Hey, did that say Roosevelt?" Spider-Man 2 asked.

 

"I think so?" Bruce said.

 

"Huh, we have that too in my universe. I once saved a bunch of kids in a Roosevelt cable car from a guy named Green Goblin." Spider-Man 2 said, not missing the slight flinches that May, MJ and Happy gave at that name.

 

Natasha, Yelena and Clint also didn't miss the flinches, and frowned, eyes narrowing.

 

"My dad will kill you."

 

"I'm sure after the Vulture, Peter's really scared of your dad." Abe grinned.

 

"He was pretty scared when he first met him." MJ smirked, before scowling. She was angry with Peter, he had done the unthinkable to her, she couldn't be nice about him now. He had hurt her, he had let her down and he had tried to control her, control her decisions. He could rot for all she cared. Really, he could.

 

"I thought you said he really liked me?"

 

"I think that ship may have sailed, Roos." Tony sighed.

 

"Yeah, well not anymore."

 

"Definitely not if he's a Bugle fan." Betty shook her head. She loved working for the Bugle, it was a foot in the door towards a career in journalism after all, but...hang on....the Bugle....PARKER! Betty gasped.

 

"Peter?" Betty asked suddenly, to the wider room, getting Ned and MJ's attention at least.

 

"What is it?" Ned asked, worried at the sudden change in Betty's demeanour and the shocked tone.

 

"The Bugle. I work for them, remember?"

 

"Yeah, but what about it? Sure, they're clearly out for Peter, and I remember they hate Spider-Man, but that's not on you." Ned said, as the wider room began to pay attention to it.

 

"We got a new photographer the other week, someone who has been really good at taking photos of Spider-Man, Jameson raves about them, even if they won't admit they like them." Betty explained, noticing everyone looking at her. "The new guys name is Peter Parker."

 

"He's working for Jameson? Taking photos of himself? That's hilarious." Quill roared with laughter, most of the Avengers, Midtown and the Guardians joining in.

 

"Smart move, kid." Spider-Man 2 nodded.

 

"I did that too." Spider-Man 3 whispered to his alter self. "I assume you did too?"

 

"Yeah, worked for him for years. In my world at least, he wasn't such a bad guy. He lied to Norman's face about not knowing who took the photos of Spidey, even after he'd only known me for a few weeks."

 

"That sounds nice. I barely met Jameson myself in my world, I mostly just sent stuff in online to them." Spider-Man 3 said.

 

They decided to head to Peter's as they began swinging through the streets and the subway tunnels to get back to Peter's apartment as fast as they could, going past Flash, who was stunned at the reveal of the news on his phone, exiting the subway tunnels by Delmar's new shop, Peter hurried to his, entering with MJ through his bedroom window.

 

"Jesus, I really was an idiot. I look like my entire world was shattered." Flash shook his head.

 

"I mean, it was when you learnt it here, wasn't it?" Ned teased him as Flash glared at him half-heartedly.

 

"Shut it, Leeds." He said.

 

"The bedroom, moving fast there." Tony wiggled his eyebrows at MJ who flushed and looked away.

 

At Peter's, May was showing Happy the door as he cried about the end of their relationship, as she said it was a good time and that's why they called it a fling, that they flung. A crashing sound came from Peter's room as Happy charged back in, opening the door, the two of them saw MJ helping Peter get dressed into normal clothes and spoke about having safe sex before May introduced herself to MJ.

 

“I’m sorry, Happy.” May said to him, seeing how badly the breakup had affected him again.

 

“Don’t be, it was my fault. I read too into it.” Happy said with a pained smile.

 

“I do love you, don’t get me wrong, and I had fun, I’m just not ready for something like that, not after Ben. I don’t know if I ever would be.” May said as Happy winced.

 

Happy wasn’t going to break the news to her, she didn’t deserve to spend the entire time watching this on edge to see her own death. He’d be there if she needed to talk afterwards, if she needed someone to support her, but he wasn’t going to ruin this for her before it had too.

 

“We weren’t having sex!” MJ groaned as she looked around the room at some of the glances being sent her way.

 

“Well, I know that now.” May went bright red.

 

Peter sat them down in the living room and said he wanted to discuss their relationship as he rushed around closing windows and curtains as people outside called out to him, until they saw a news report of some helicopters circling outside, reporting that Spider-Man's identity had been revealed. Peter then showed them the awaiting helicopters.

 

"Kid can't catch a break." Sam sighed.

 

"Well it was certainly one way to get onto the news." May grinned.

 

"Maybe it won't be so bad."

 

"Famous last words." Tony said resigned to the circus that was clearly going to follow Peter around.

 

"Governments around the world launch investigations into Spider-Man, AKA Peter Parker, AKA the web-headed war criminal!" J Jonah Jameson reported on his show in his living room as several news reports showed Spider-Man having paint thrown on him by a Mysterio supporter and investigations in London found the drones used to attack the city belonged to Stark Industries.

 

"He does this in his living room? That's hilarious!" Quill roared with laughter at the sight, the other Guardians seemed somewhat confused, but they all cracked grins at the sight of Quill having fun. If they got the gist, the man did seem pretty pathetic, even if he wasn't attacking Peter, a guy who seemed decent from what they had seen.

 

"They're throwing paint on him?" Thor asked. "Is this significant in any way?"

 

"It's a way of showing displeasure non violently." Sam told him. "Though it's a dick move."

 

"Pepper's going to be having a nightmare with that." Natasha noted as Tony looked down. He had left Pepper and Morgan alone to deal with all of this. He had failed them. He knew he had failed them, no matter what anyone else might have said on the issue. He had failed Pepper, he had failed Morgan, he had failed Happy and Rhodey for years, he failed the Avengers and he failed Peter.

 

'Here lies Tony Stark. Father. Fighter. Failure.' Tony glumly thought. 'That is what any memorial to me should read. I let them all down, creating E.D.I.T.H, spending more time on Iron Man than my family. I let everyone down.'

 

Peter and May where then interrupted by a knock on the door and a yell of "Federal agents! Open up!" Opening the door, she was greeted by an agent "Department of Damage Control. We have a warrant for the arrest of Peter Parker." They entered, seizing the Iron Spider suit, the E.D.I.T.H glasses, and photos of Peter with MJ and Ned.

 

"They better not hurt a hair on his head." Nebula growled.

 

"I gave them to Peter as gifts, they're his. How dare they take them from him!" Tony shouted, outraged and incensed. "I funded the DoDC, they can be damn sure Stark Industries is pulling any and all funding for them now."

 

Peter defended himself from the agents, telling them Beck killed himself and Fury could explain everything.

 

"I don't think that Skrull thing is going to speak up for Peter for some reason." Clint snarled.

 

"Are we sure nobody in here is a shape shifter?" Scott laughed nervously.

 

"We can't afford to not trust each other. But I'm sure the Watcher could tell us." Bruce stated.

 

"None of you are Skrulls." The Watcher confirmed.

 

"Nick Fury has been off planet for the past year."

 

"How do they know that and the Avengers don't?" Yelena asked, perplexed.

 

"I have no idea, maybe Fury trusted them more than us? He does hardly know most of the current Avengers." Bucky suggested.

 

"He should trust the Avengers are there to do the right thing, as they always have been." Steve replied. "He should trust that we will always fight for what's right."

 

"What?" Peter asked, as Ned, MJ and May were also brought in to be questioned, May and MJ both yelled at him to not say anything without a lawyer .

 

"Good advice." Clint nodded.

 

"I've studied all of their tricks." MJ jutted out her chin as she looked towards them as if challenging someone to contradict her.

 

"Miss Jones-Watson."

 

"Watson?" Spider-Man 2 asked.

 

"Yeah, but I don't go by it. Why?" MJ asked.

 

"The MJ I know in my universe, her surname is Watson." He explained.

 

"Interesting." MJ said, in a tone that said she really wanted to avoid talking about that name.

 

"Miss Jones. I don't go by Watson."

 

"Fair. I respect the bluntness." Spider-Man 3 nodded to her, as she gave him a small smile in return. She wasn't going to out who they were, it wasn't these two Peters she was angry with, and they had said at the beginning they were told not to reveal their names, she didn't know why, but she felt this Watcher just liked drama by this point.

 

"Miss Jones. Why do you want a lawyer-"

 

"Because it's her right to have one there?!" Matt asked incredulously.

 

"Well put." Steve said, the lines of his mouth tightening as he frowned. The USA was built on ideals of fairness and equality, why were these guys trying to avoid the rights of the Constitution, they worked for the Federal Government! Even if agendas changed, and nobody could fully trust people in power, to try deny people their constitutional rights? It seemed nothing got better after all of this, not really.

 

"If I have nothing to hide?"

 

"Damn, getting to the core of it from the get-go." Cindy marvelled.

 

"You'd make a fine lawyer." Matt complimented her.

 

"Thanks, but I couldn't give my life away to some soulless corporation, no offence, Mr Stark." MJ nodded to Tony, who waved it away.

 

"I was thinking more of a defence attorney, or someone who represents the little guys, like I do." Matt smiled at her, as MJ paused to consider his words.

 

"Unless-"

 

"This guy is about to have a rude slap down, isn't he?" Flash grinned.

 

"Yup." MJ smirked.

 

"Unless I'm guilty? I'm very aware of your tactics and my rights." MJ told the agents. They said she was bright, what was she doing throwing her life away to help a vigilante like Peter Parker?

 

"I think she'd be risking her life more by being known as an associate of him and cutting off all ties with him." Kate stated.

 

"Absolutely. Peter would do anything for his loved ones." May asserted. "He'd do whatever he could for anyone, as that's who he is, but he'd never stop to help his loved ones."

 

"Believe me, I know." Tony laughed. "Did I ever tell you about the time he webbed Rhodey up for hours after he thought Rhodey was yelling at me?"

 

"I was picking webs out of my suit for days!" Rhodey groaned.

 

The DoDC then interrogated Ned, offering him snacks and agreeing he shouldn't speak with them, then asked him what it was like when MJ told him that Peter was Spider-Man, Ned said he knew first and was his guy in the chair, the DoDC agent then said "So, you were Spider-Man's main accomplice?"

 

"I fell for it like an idiot." Ned groaned, putting his head in his hands as MJ and Betty tried to cheer him up, telling him it wasn't his fault, he was excitable like that.

 

"I would like my words stricken from the record." Ned meekly mumbled.

 

"Sadly it doesn't work like that, kid." Matt said gently to the young adult, who nodded sadly.

 

May was then interrogated, with the DoDC telling her to lawyer up as child endangerment was a bad charge and she was a terrible mother figure, letting him go out and fight crime.

 

"MAY WAS NEVER A RISK TO PETER!" Happy roared at the screen.

 

"We know she isn't, Happy." Tony called to his old friend. "But these guys are trying to get a rise out of you all, you know that."

 

The scene showed DoDC seizing tech from Stark Industries before it cut to a photo of Happy, providing no comment, as Happy sat in the Parker apartment, telling Peter and May that at least they used a good photo.

 

"I mean, is it?" Thor asked as Happy glowered at him.

 

"I just hate that Pepper and Morgan are getting sucked into this." Tony crossed his arms.

 

"It's not too bad now, but I'll see what I can do to help more when I get back." Rhodey promised him. "I should have done more to begin with to limit government meddling."

 

A man came onto screen holding a walking stick and thanking someone on the phone, sitting down, it revealed the face of Matt Murdock.

 

"Ah, here you are, Matt." May smiled at the lawyer.

 

"At last we see why I was brought here." Matt beamed back at her.

 

"Well I have some good news, Peter. I don't think any of the charges against you are going to stick." Matt said as Peter, Happy and May thanked him and celebrated the good news.

 

"Due process finally works!" MJ said sarcastically as Matt laughed.

 

Matt then told Happy that he would need a really good lawyer, as charges against him for missing Stark tech would probably be filed, as Happy panicked. Matt then warned Peter that the court of public opinion would still be against him, even if he had dodged his legal issues.

 

"The public are fickle." Bruce sighed.

 

"No charges will happen, Pepper won't let that happen to you." Tony reassured Happy.

 

"I know, this all happened already for me, remember?" Happy grinned.

 

"The Forehead of security, correcting moi?" Tony gasped mockingly.

 

A brick came flying through the window, Matt, his back to it, reached out and caught it as everyone looked shocked. "How did you do that?" Peter asked him.

 

"Yeah, how did you do that?" Nebula glared.

 

"Peter was about to catch that. Him doing it I can understand, but your back is to it, and I hate to point it out, but you can't see it!" Ned gasped.

 

"I'm a really good lawyer." Matt explained.

 

"Now, the truth, How did you do that?" Natasha asked, eyes narrowed, noticing the rest of the room had also turned their full attention to Matt.

 

"Like I said, I'm a really good lawyer, that's all." Matt weakly tried to defend himself.

 

"Watcher person, can you tell us?" Cindy asked.

 

"Matt Murdock, I'd just tell them if I were you, it will be brought up later if not." The Watcher spoke up from somewhere else, as Matt sighed.

 

"Fine. Have you ever heard of Hells Kitchen and the vigilantes who operate around there and the surrounding areas?"

 

"I've heard stories, urban legends. Most of them are about a decade old, but I'm assuming the Snap impacted them as well." Clint said. "I know I never ran into any of them when I was the Ronin."

 

"Are you saying you know something about them?" Rhodey asked.

 

"What do you know about the Devil of Hells Kitchen?" Matt asked.

 

"Daredevil?" Yelena asked. "He is a very skilled fighter, I've seen reports and videos, he wears a funny mask, or sometimes just covers his upper face entirely though. What does he have to do with this?"

 

Matt sighed and cursed aloud for a moment, before noticing they were all focusing intently on him for an answer.

 

"I'm Daredevil." Matt admitted. "As I can't see, no point having my eyes exposed, it wouldn't do anything anyway and may give away my identity."

 

"You're Daredevil?! I've seen all the videos, I looked you up, you're a legend!" Kate said excitedly.

 

"I'm not, please, I'm just doing what I can." Matt said.

 

"Your actions are a bit on the extreme side from what I've heard." Steve frowned.

 

"I've never said I was perfect, far from it." Matt shot back. "I try do what I can through the justice system, if it were up to me, that would solve everything, but I know it doesn't and won't. It can be corrupted, it can be perverted. I have the skills to help in another way, and despite any reservations, I know I have a duty to help however I can. Look, I don't like the Avengers, not really, you're all big and flashy and honestly, you don't care about the little guy. I know, before you say anything, that you do fight for the good fight as it were, you do try to help, but you do overlook the few for the many. I don't do that. I work to help everyone, it's why I have to say, Spider-Man has my respect at least. He does care for the neighbourhood. Am I a good man? I can't say, I'd like to think I am, but I can't say for sure. But do I try? Yes. That's the difference, I try, you Avengers, you don't care." Matt finished. MJ looked impressed, as did Yelena, whilst Kate and most of the Avengers looked mutinous.

 

"Moving quickly on." The Watcher spoke up, heading off a rant from any of the Avengers.

 

Peter read the note attached to the brick, reading "We Believe Mysterio" as May said they needed somewhere safer to live.

 

"Of course you believe him, whoever threw the brick, you're an idiot." Quill said.

 

"The brick isn't an idiot, it can't think." Drax informed Quill, who looked like he wanted to say something but decided against it, just staring open-mouthed at Drax.

 

Cutting to Long Island, Peter and May moved into an apartment, with Dum-E inside, as Happy walked through the door, welcoming them to his place.

 

"DUM-E!" Tony cheered.

 

"What's a Dum-E?" Abe asked.

 

"One of the first robots I ever made, years ago. I guess Happy got him after I...left." Tony trailed off.

 

"I took good care of him, Tony." Happy promised him. "Pepper said that you had always wanted him to go to me, something about me and him both driving each other insane?"

 

Peter was then shown scrubbing to get the green paint out of his suit when he went exploring, finding a box labelled Stark, he muttered about Happy.

 

"What are you hiding?" Rhodey asked Happy with a look of concern.

 

"Nothing bad! It helped, in a way!" Happy defended himself.

 

"What is it?" Tony asked.

 

"One of your replicators, that's all!" Happy insisted.

 

"Why do you have that?"

 

"I didn't want the government taking everything of yours, and it ended up helping Peter." Happy explained.

 

On a call with MJ, Peter said how he had just sent off his application for MIT, she said she had too. They talked about whether she was being too pragmatic, as Peter reassured her he loved that about her, and she was an optimistic, people person who loved sports, before Happy's snoring with a sleep mask on disturbed them.

 

“I’m a fountain of optimism, just ask anyone.” MJ deadpanned. “Can’t beat the sports team we support, right?”

 

“Absolutely.” Drax nodded.

 

“It’s sarcasm man.” Quill whined at Drax who looked confused.

 

“She does not like the sports? But she has an athlete’s build!”

 

“How?!” Rocket demanded to know

 

"Does any part of you feel relieved about all this?" MJ asked him.

 

"Relieved that his life has gotten ruined?" Rhodey asked incredulously.

 

"Relieved that he didn't have to live two lives anymore." MJ corrected.

 

"Ever since I got bit by that spider, I've only had one week where my life has felt normal, or kinda normal. That was when you found out. Because then everyone who was in my life who I wanted to know, knew. And it was perfect. Now everybody knows and I am the most famous person in the entire world. And I'm still broke." Peter joked as MJ laughed.

 

"That sucks." Spider-Man 2 said. "To have the best version of your life, to have it ripped away, I've got some experience of that."

 

"You do?" Spider-Man 3 asked him quietly, from what he heard, Peter and MJ in his world had made it work, hadn't they?

 

"Yeah. I've lost things, lost people, you know how it is. I mean, I said me and MJ made it work, that was a lie, we're friendly, sure, and keep good terms for our kids, but we split romantically years ago."

 

"You have kids?" Spider-Man 3 asked, shocked.

 

"Yeah, a boy and girl. Ben and May." Spider-Man 2 smiled.

 

Happy then told them to wrap it up as he needed his eight hours sleep, as they hung up.

 

 

"Need more than eight hours there Happy." Tony grinned.

 

The scene cut to Midtown High and Betty Brant covering the first day of school for the Daily Bugle.

 

"I'm back!" Betty cheered. "Will I be in this one more than the last one as well?"

 

"We barely saw you this year as you got that intern position at the Bugle." MJ reminded her.

 

"So, I'm not going to be in this much?" Betty asked.

 

"No, this is your only time in this recording." The Watcher confirmed to her as her smile faded. She liked being in the previous ones, it was a shame that she seemingly had little to do with Peter when his identity was out. When they got back, she'd make sure to befriend the photographer.

 

"We're here covering the first day of senior year for Midtown High's most famous student, Peter Parker! Go get 'em tiger, or should I say, Spider?"

 

Spider-Man 2 laughed at that as the others turned to him.

 

"I mean, it was a good pun, I guess, but what's so funny about it?" Betty asked him.

 

"In my world, my partner would always say "Go get 'em tiger." to me. I just thought it was funny, that's all. Plus, I attended my Midtown, we were the Tigers there too."

 

"Hey, same here!" Spider-Man 3 pointed out.

 

Peter held MJ's hand as they walked between a crowd, half of them holding banners supporting Peter, the other half condemning him as a murderer. Behind them walked Ned and Flash, now with blonde hair. Ned was stopped for comments, as Flash interrupted, saying he was Peter's best friend and plugging his new book, Flashpoint, about his story and his friendship with Peter.

 

"Public opinion never gets one hundred percent positive, let me tell you that." Spider-Man 2 said.

 

"I can relate." Matt agreed.

 

"I've heard stories, of what you've done, mostly when I was the Ronin." Clint told Matt. "I just want to say, you kept criminals scared and probably made the Avengers jobs slightly easier, at least until the Blip. So, thank you."

 

"I don't do it for thanks, Mr Barton." Matt said.

 

"I know, but you deserve it. You're as heroic as any Avenger, even if your methods are usually a bit more violent than our own, with regards to ordinary people."

 

"Well thank you, I guess." Matt noted, smiling slightly. He supposed he could grow to like at least some of the Avengers, they clearly didn't mean all the property damage. Plus the Accords were super illegal anyway, and Matt hated them.

 

"Why are you claiming to be Peter's best friend?" Ned asked Flash, who looked stunned.

 

"I don't even remember that book at all, what happened to it?" Sam asked.

 

"About ninety percent of it was changed to fit in with the spell, and it plummeted as a result of clear and easily checkable falsehoods." The Watcher told them as Flash frowned. It sucked that it was a best seller for a few weeks and then was gone suddenly from the best selling lists, collapsing down the charts on places like Amazon.

 

"I wanted the clout of being Spider-Man's best friend, even if I didn't have a clue who Spider-Man was or if he even knew me at all." Flash explained, shaking his head. "I'm sure it made more sense before this spell though, when I actually knew who he was and what I was talking about."

 

As they reached the doors, Peter was ushered inside after going through a security check, being left alone as MJ was checked, whilst people asked her if she was going to have Peter's spider babies. Getting inside the halls, Peter was accosted by several teachers, who showed him a shrine they had built to him, as his gym teacher said he believed Mysterio and Peter was a murderer.

 

"Spider babies, really?" MJ raised an eyebrow.

 

"Would any kids of his have his Spider DNA?" Bruce wondered aloud.

 

"No idea." Tony shrugged.

 

"No." Spider-Man 2 stated.

 

"So Coach Wilson is a conspiracy theorist too?" Abe asked, shocked. The guy was odd, but he wouldn't have pegged him as a conspiracy theorist.

 

"Yeah, but he's a harmless idiot." Ned explained before the angry looks the Avengers were giving the screen could move into anything else.

 

Peter then walked through the halls, the students of Midtown parting before him, as they all used their phones to take photos of him and film him.

 

"They've known him for years! How rude!" May protested.

 

"It's the life of a celebrity sadly." Cindy said. "To have photos taken even in your most private moments, to not truly be able to walk away from the general public, to be at the centre of their attention all of the time."

 

Peter and MJ talked on the roof of the school, laughing at what the press said about him as he asked if they could just stay up there together, moving in to kiss, they were interrupted by Ned, asking about whether they could finally get some privacy up there.

 

"Come on man, uncool!" Quill called out Ned who blushed.

 

"I'm sorry! It's not like I knew, was it?" Ned cried.

 

"Don't worry, Ned, I don't blame you." MJ smiled at her best friend. She looked at the scene with a frown, those were happier times, even if the entire world knew their names, because those were times that it was just the three of them against the world, times she felt were the best of times.

 

The three of them discussed their plans for college, with Peter saying MIT was the goal and he could Spider-Man in Boston, that they could get a three person house together. They also mentioned how they had linked their backup schools so no matter what, all three would be together. MJ then tried to pour some water on the ideas.

 

"Yeah, mad crime in Boston." Flash chuckled.

 

"We were all going to get a place together?" Ned asked, eyes wide as he felt unshed tears welling up inside of it again.

 

"Yeah, dork. I know it's just you and me now, but yeah." MJ told him.

 

"Well why can't we still do that?" Ned asked. "When we get back, and we find Peter again, he can come live with us still."

 

MJ said nothing as she sat back, thinking all of this over again. Ned meant well, but she definitely didn't see that happening anytime soon.

 

"If you expect disappointment then you can never really get disappointed." MJ explained sadly, as Peter looked at her in sorrow, determined that they wouldn't miss out.

 

"Got to have faith." Steve said.

 

"We're in, that's the main thing." MJ said, cutting off the conversation.

 

Peter went through rejection after rejection before meeting up with Ned and MJ at the coffee shop she worked at, saying they only had MIT left, all the others had said no. Reading through it, Peter's face fell.

 

"Kid..." Tony breathed. He was going to do something about this, some rework of his charitable donations to MIT, they were going to let Peter Parker attend, come hell or high water. He would find a way to make it work, even with this spell that apparently makes everyone forget Peter exists. He'd find a way, he was Tony Stark.

 

He asked MJ, she said no as well, as they turned to Ned.

 

"I'm sorry." Happy told them.

 

"It isn't anyone's fault, except Beck and his friends." MJ replied.

 

"In light of recent controversy, we are unable to consider your application at this time." Ned sadly read out.

 

"This is bullshit!" Yelena decried.

 

"It's unfair, but that's America for you." MJ drily replied.

 

"This is totally wrong, isn't there anything we can do?" Kate asked.

 

"The Spell undid this. Ned and I are in MIT now." MJ told them. "But thanks for the offers." She smiled.

 

"This is so unfair, I didn't do anything wrong, you guys certainly didn't do anything wrong." Peter said.

 

"Life isn't fair like that sometimes, kid." Bucky said, not unkindly. He had plenty of experience of an unfair life. Steve and Sam both laid their hands on Bucky's shoulders in a show of moral support.

 

"Expect disappointment and you can never be disappointed." MJ blithely said.

 

"That's a horrible philosophy to live by still." Scott shuddered.

 

"Yeah, she's a glass totally full kind of person really." Betty winked as Scott snorted.

 

Flash then walked through the door, celebrating as he wore a new MIT hoodie, before finding out the others didn't get in as they actually were Peter's friends. He then left, saying he had to go to a party for the new admissions anyway, bidding them farewell.

 

"YOU ARE A WEASEL, MAY I EAT YOU?" Venom spoke up.

 

"W-What?!" Flash asked, scared.

 

"Venom, we've talked about this!" Eddie hissed.

 

"I'M SORRY, MAY I EAT YOU, PLEASE?" Venom asked again as Flash paled further.

 

"No?" Flash squeaked.

 

"FINE, BUT I DEMAND WE EAT SOMETHING, EDDIE!" Venom turned to his host.

 

"We can eat more chickens!"

 

"I HATE THEM, BUT FINE." Venom pouted.

 

"I mean, I was just excited, I thought they'd get in, clearly." Flash defended himself.

 

"We know." Cindy reassured him.

 

"You seem like less of an idiot in this one than the last one." Thena told him.

 

"Thanks, but I'm probably only less of one as I'm probably in this one less than the others." Flash admitted. "When we get back, since Peter seems to still know us, if MJ is right about this spell thing, when we find him, I'm apologising for all the dick things I ever did to him and everyone else."

 

"That takes real courage, Flash, is it? To admit to your mistakes like that." Matt smiled at the young man.

 

"Yeah, speaking of mistakes." Steve spoke up. "I've been doing alot of thinking during all of these, and I want to apologise to you, Tony."

 

"To me? Why?" Tony asked, confused. Hadn't he and Rogers already agreed to bury the hatchet on the Barnes thing by now?

 

"I messed up. I still think the Accords were wrong, and I know you thought they were right, I know you've agreed maybe they weren't the best, I mean, the DoDC thing alone shows that, but I'll admit, oversight, it isn't always a bad thing. My issue was it needed to be oversight we could trust, oversight that would let us function when we were truly needed."

 

"I understand, Steve, I do." Tony reassured him. "But I'm glad you can see my points. We did need oversight, in the future, it seems we will still need it, to an extent anyway. Sure, maybe the UN wasn't the right choice, it certainly seemed they tried to back-stab us during the whole Zemo mess, forcing us apart, sending you guys to the Raft, but we do need something, we weren't any better than the villains if we refused to be accountable to the people who we say we're there to protect."

 

"I'll tell you what, if we get through all of this, and somehow change this so we don't die, we'll hash out a new Accords, together? All of us, a way to have oversight but also be able to go to the places we're needed, to fight the battles that they never could." Steve offered his hand out, as Tony grasped it.

 

"I'd like that, I have missed the team, and all of you guys, but once they're done, I think I may hang up the suit. The world has better heroes than Iron Man now. Once Thanos is beaten, and we're all still alive and laughing about it, I'm retiring." Tony told them.

 

MJ and Ned said they wouldn't change a thing they did, ripping up their letters, until Ned said he had to show his mother his, and took it. MJ was told to take down the Halloween decorations, and seeing a likeness of Doctor Strange, Peter got an idea.

 

"Standing by your friends, truly honourable." Druig smiled at them.

 

"This is where the start of this horrible idea has come from, hasn't it?" Wong asked.

 

"I'd be lying if I said no, I imagine." Strange remarked.

 

Getting to the Sanctum Santorum, Peter was greeted by two teens shovelling show, as Wong greeted him, calling on Stephen to deal with it. Stephen came in, ridiculing Wong for forgetting to maintain the seals on the Sanctum doors, as a blizzard had come from Siberia to cover the place in snow. Wong told him that the Sorcerer Supreme was too busy for menial tasks like that.

 

"I am too busy!" Wong stated.

 

"Sure you are, or you're just forgetful." Strange continued their argument.

 

"I have other duties, you are the protector of the Sanctum, it's on you!" Wong told him again.

 

"Fine." Strange said, finally admitting defeat, as Wong smiled and turned back to the screen, Strange noticed Wanda watching him and gave her a wink. This was not over by a long shot.

 

"Wait, I thought you were the Sorcerer Supreme?" Peter asked Strange.

 

"So did I." Tony frowned.

 

"Yeah, about that..." Strange started as the screen continued.

 

"No, he got it on a technicality because I Blipped for five years." Strange explained.

 

"Well, that." Strange shrugged.

 

"What sort of technicality?" Wanda asked.

 

"I was dead, I guess, so it counts against me." Strange sighed. "I'm sure I'll get the position before long."

 

"You're a Sanctum guardian, I am your boss, deal with it, Stephen." Wong grinned at him.

 

Peter congratulated Wong as Strange continued to complain about it and say how he would have done better as Wong slapped him down.

 

"Strange, you look so done." Steve said as Strange glared at the screen. Why did this have to keep reminding him of Wong getting the position he seemed destined to have?

 

"I'm really sorry to bother you Sir-"

 

'Call me Stephen-'

 

'Yeah, still seems weird.'

 

'Everyone who loves you, we...we'd have no memory of you.'

 

Stephen Strange bent forward, grabbing at his own head for a moment, before sitting upright again, eyes wide and alert.

 

"Stephen?" Wong asked with alarm.

 

"I remember. Oh god, Wong, I fucked up so badly." Strange told him, alarmed.

 

"Calm down, Strange, how did you fuck up?" Wanda asked, her and Wong helping Strange to his feet as the three magic users broke away from the main group to form their own conversation, the rest of the room looking over curiously.

 

"I cast the spell, I think we all knew that, but I just remembered all of it, the trigger was him calling me Sir, I remembered, I helped fuck this all up, I helped ruin the kids life, even if it wasn't the aim, and I've cut him off from everyone. I could have thought up something else, I could have tried something different, I've left a child alone in the world. I did what I thought I needed to do for the good of everyone, but what if I did it just as it was the easiest choice? I swore an oath, to save lives. How does ruining a life count as saving it?!" Strange freaked out to the other two, the only ones who may have an idea of what they could do to help in the room when it came to magic. He knew the others weren't all that magically clued up, and he had the feeling that the Watcher, even if he could help, and he probably could, would just string things along and try get concessions from Stephen.

 

"Stephen, look at me. I don't recall all of this, but I do know you. You wouldn't do anything if there was another way to do it." Wong tried to tell his friend.

 

"Strange, I know how you're feeling, believe me, I thought I had ruined lives, in fact, I did. I struggled, in my grief. I almost tore through the multiverse after a long lost dream. The reason I didn't totally collapse into madness? You. You came to me, you helped me see the Darkhold was corrupting me, that Agatha was winning every time I used it. You helped me learn to harness my power, and helped me to move on from Vision and the twins, to realise that I was living a lie, and even if they did exist somewhere else out there, I couldn't take them from their loved ones for my own sake. You're a hero, Stephen, and I'm sure Peter doesn't blame you for anything that happens in these, understand?" Wanda asked him, as Stephen nodded, the three of them moved back to the main group, not saying a word of what had happened, as the screen resumed, Stephen stared at Wanda, deep in thought.

 

She had been angry when they first arrived, having flaunted magic when he had chastised her for using such things at Westview and afterwards, but she had thought over what they had done, how Stephen had tried to help her, helped her channel her magic in the orchards, how she had studied at Kamar-Taj for weeks on end, devouring all she could on her powers, on the legends of the Scarlet Witch. She wasn't perfect, far from it, and she knew she'd need years to fully come to terms with her life so far and her powers, but she knew Stephen wouldn't give up on her, not like some others had done. She glared at Steve for a moment, thinking of how he had abandoned her and left to go be with Peggy, before focusing back on Stephen. He, at least, had stayed to help her. He hadn't abandoned her.

 

"Why did you all walk off?" Scott asked.

 

"I remembered. They were helping me to process all of it." Strange simply stated, looking at the screen and ignoring the looks from those who wanted to know more about what he had remembered.

 

"Please, we saved half the universe together, I think we're beyond you calling me Sir." Stephen said, as he lit a fire for the two of them.

 

"That's a neat trick." Ned said, awed.

 

"Thanks, Mr Leeds." Stephen said, voice unusually quiet as he looked over at the boy. "Maybe I can show you how to do it sometime?"

 

"You'd show me magic? My lola says we have magic in my family, I'd love to learn it if I could!" Ned babbled.

 

"Ok. Stephen." Peter smiled.

 

"His smile is so cute." Cindy cooed, looking at MJ out of the corner of her eye as she said it, seeing her classmates eyes harden and her mouth tighten.

 

'Yep, she's still in love with him, now just to get the dork to admit it.' Cindy thought, looking over to Betty, watching MJ as well, and nodding as she got her gaze.

 

"That feels weird but I'll allow it." Stephen told him.

 

"Would you allow me to call you it?" Wanda asked him, jokingly, as Stephen arched an eyebrow.

 

"I thought you already were going too?" He asked her warmly as she beamed at him.

 

Peter explained that when Mysterio revealed his identity, it screwed up alot of people's lives and he wondered if Strange could change time so Mysterio never did. Strange explained that he couldn't, he no longer had the Time Stone, and he wasn't risking the timeline as Peter's life got messy.

 

"Come on Strange, have a heart." Bucky frowned.

 

"I'm doing what's good for the entire world, not just one person." Strange explained. "I'm sorry for Peter, really, I am, but clearly I was making the right choice here, and from what's happened later on, it's clear I was right to refuse at first."

 

Peter said he was doing it to help MJ, Ned, May and Happy, as Strange considered a spell that could work, the Runes of Kafkall. Wong said not to use it, Strange asked if Peter hadn't been through enough already, Wong simply said to leave him out of it as he headed to Kamar-Taj through a portal, as Stephen said he'd help Peter.

 

"I wish I had listened to you, Wong." Strange admitted.

 

"It's always wise to listen to me." Wong said with a serious face before cracking up after a moment, stopping when he saw the pained look on Stephen's face. "I'm sorry, Stephen." Wong whispered to him after a moment.

 

"Don't be, like I said, it was all my fault. I could have looked for something else, I could have tried to get the kid to listen to reason a bit more than I did with all of this. I messed up just as much as Peter did, if not more. I deserve all the hate I feel is going to be coming my way after all of this." He sighed, looking at the Avengers watching the screen, knowing a few of them, especially Tony, would likely hate him after this video was over.

 

"Yeah, hasn't he been through enough?" Sam asked, turning to Wong.

 

"I didn't mean it like that!" Wong protested, breaking away from Stephen to deal with the room. "I only meant not to risk the stability of the entire universe, it's kind of our role to prevent the universe destroying itself."

 

Strange told Peter about the history of the Sanctum, that it was built on ancient powerful boundaries and the Sorcerers weren't the first to try harness the power of them. He then started to prepare the spell, before saying "Nice knowing you, Spider-Man."

 

"I wonder how many other civilisations and entities have tried to use it before?" Wanda asked.

 

"Countless." Strange murmured to her.

 

"Wizards." Sam smirked at Bucky who scowled.

 

"I'm not getting drawn into this, Wilson, I keep telling you."

 

"Are you two going to just kiss already?" Yelena asked them.

 

"I DON'T LIKE HIM!" Sam yelped.

 

"NO!" Bucky yelled at the same time, both men turning slightly pink.

 

"Nice knowing you, Spider-Man?" May asked, not having received the full story from Peter.

 

"He's a noble, self-sacrificing, idiot." MJ growled.

 

"Excuse me?" Peter asked, confused.

 

"Yeah, I'm wondering why he's saying that and why you're all looking like it's a death sentence." May demanded.

 

"The entire world's about to forget that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. That includes me."

 

"So I'm assuming this is why Peter's been struggling with these people from other worlds?" May asked. "He said some visitors had come due to a spell messing up, and that he was trying to help us all with it, but he didn't explain what the spell was."

 

"Wait, everyone? Can't some people know?"

 

"Yeah, why can't some people still know?" Hope asked.

 

"Because that isn't how this particular spell works, sadly." Strange explained.

 

"That's not really how the spell works." Strange explained, still casting as he spoke.

 

"Then why don't you use something much less reckless?" Tony hissed.

 

"Believe me, Tony, if I could change all of this, I would." Strange told him. "I'm sorry, truly, for everything."

 

"What do you mean, what else is worse than what we've heard?" Tony asked. May died, Peter forgotten, what could be worse than both of them?

 

"Nothing's worse, but there's more bad things in this than just those things." Strange explained.

 

Peter then began to ask about MJ, Ned, May and Happy, as Strange got angrier and struggled more and more to contain the spell. Peter eventually said that everyone who knew before Mysterio revealed it publicly should still know, as Strange gave a yell and a bright flash consumed the room.

 

"I hate to break it, but you knew the kid, you should have known he'd blabber like that and tack things on he needed." Happy said to Strange who frowned.

 

"Maybe, but he was still an idiot not to specify them all to begin with."

 

"It's at least fifty percent your fault, Doctor Strange, Sir." Ned spoke up, as Strange levelled him with a glare, he met it with a stern look of his own. "You cast the spell, you didn't think of any other way to help him, so that's on you. You know it is."

 

"I can't fault you, Leeds." Strange admitted quietly after a moment.

 

Strange then laid into Peter, saying how the spell had been changed six times and if he hadn't shut it down, something catastrophic could have happened.

 

"Peter only changed it five times." Matt noted, smirking at Strange.

 

"Ok, fine, I added myself, happy?" Strange scowled.

 

"Stephen, listen, I am so s-"

 

"Don't apologise, Peter!" Natasha called out, winking as Strange glared at her.

 

"Call me Sir." Stephen told him.

 

"Ouch." Bucky said.

 

"Sorry, Sir." Peter said sadly.

 

"He looks like a kicked puppy, please tell me you kissed him better after this, Michelle Jones?" Yelena asked MJ who sighed.

 

"Not exactly, no." She told them.

 

"After everything we've been through, I somehow forget you're still a kid. Look, Parker, the problem isn't Mysterio, it's you. Trying to live two separate lives." Strange told him. He needed to choose. But if he had pleaded his case to the colleges and they had rejected him still, there was nothing more he could do to help.

 

"I mean, I guess that's fair, all things considered, if he's tried every route, there's nothing else you can really do." Bruce said.

 

"We haven't seen him call them?" Rhodey asked.

 

"You mean I could have called them?"

 

"What does he mean, he could have?" Tony asked.

 

"Yeah."

 

"I can do that?"

 

"I thought he was meant to be a genius, Tony?" Steve asked.

 

"Just because I'm smart doesn't mean I'm not dumb." Cindy said with a straight face as all the former Midtown students and Kate laughed.

 

"I'm sorry, are you telling me, that you didn't even think to plead your case to them before asking me to brainwash the entire world?" Strange said, closing in on Peter, tone and gaze like steel as he did.

 

"I mean, when you put it like that, it does sound kinda bad." Eddie said.

 

"He didn't mean it like that!" Tony protested.

 

"Oh he absolutely didn't, I can tell." Druig said.

 

"Got some experience." Makkari signed with a smirk as Druig flushed.

 

"I was trying to help them!"

 

"Are you enhanced?" Steve asked with a wary look at Druig.

 

"In a way, I guess you could say that." Sersi gave a small smile. "We all are, except Sprite there."

 

"I was." Sprite said. "But something happened, so I'm just normal now."

 

"What are your powers?" Clint asked.

 

"You may get a chance to see them in action, sometime." The Watcher interrupted. "For now, back to the Peter Parker story."

 

Peter panicked and said he didn't think of it, or that he could do it, before the scene cut to him outside the Sanctum, the doors closing shut on him.

 

"That's gotta be upsetting." Ikaris said quietly.

 

Peter then called Flash to ask where the MIT party was, so he could plead the case for Ned and MJ to go to MIT, after agreeing to tell everyone that Flash was his best friend and legitimising Flash's book, he told Peter the VP of Admissions was there, but she had left to go to the airport already.

 

"Well, I really dropped the ball there, didn't I?" Flash asked. "I should have just said where she was earlier, not made him agree to call himself my best friend."

 

"If it's any consolation, he never did." MJ smirked.

 

"That's more than fair. Hey, Mr Watcher, will I get my memories back of how I treated Peter?" Flash asked, a bit worried to know the answer.

 

"Yes, you all shall do. Some later than others however." The Watcher replied.

 

Peter swung to the bridge where traffic to the airport was stalled, waving to a news chopper that was filming him, before changing his suit back into civilian clothes as he looked for the lady, Flash sent a photo of her for him, but all Stark Industries tech was disabled, including E.D.I.T.H and Karen, so Peter had to look himself. Finding her car, Peter went and knocked on her window as she put down Flash's book, rolling it down, he began to awkwardly pitch that MIT needed to be smart and take in Ned and MJ, and to not be dumb like a version of him who didn't have their help would have been. Before he could finish his speech though, he felt his Peter tingle going off.

 

"That's alot of nerd babbling. How do you stand him doing it all day?" Yelena asked MJ.

 

"I don't!" MJ squawked.

 

"I see she even thinks your book was awful!" Ned laughed as Flash flushed.

 

"Alright, it wasn't the best work anyone has ever done." Flash admitted.

 

"He's really not helping his case here, is he?" Cindy asked.

 

"I'd give him about fifty-fifty odds of it working." Tony stated. "But my hopes plummet with every word he's babbling."

 

"Is that his tingle going off again?" Happy asked.

 

Looking around, Peter saw people running away as the driver of the car got out, leaving the VP trapped inside, Peter had donned his Iron Spider suit again as the bridge gave way ahead of them, with gigantic metallic arms coming out of the ground, as the dust cleared and Peter was crouched in a fighting stance, a man, wearing dark glasses and supported by four metallic arms smiled at him.

 

"What the fuck is going on?!" Kate asked.

 

"Who is this guy?" Rhodey asked.

 

"Just wait and see." Strange told them.

 

"Hello Peter."

 

"How does he know Peter?!" Tony asked.

 

"Has anyone ever seen a guy like this before?" Steve wondered.

 

"You'll see soon enough." MJ promised them.

 

"Hi...Do I know you?" Peter asked him.

 

"Yeah, do you know him?" Natasha asked.

 

"What have you done with my machine?"

 

"His machine? What is this guy on about? Does he work for Vulture or something?" Abe questioned.

 

"Sir, what machine?"

 

"Yeah, that's what I want to know!" Natasha said.

 

"The power of the sun in the palm of my hand. It's gone."

 

"The power of the sun? Does he mean an Arc reactor or something?" Tony asked.

 

"A portable sun? How would that work?" Thor pondered.

 

"Sir, if you stop smashing cars, we can work together and I can help you find your machine." Peter tried to assure the newcomer.

 

"See, now that's a hero. Even totally confused, he's trying to help this random newcomer." Steve stated.

 

"What's this guy wanting though?" Tony asked.

 

"You'll see." Spider-Man 2 said.

 

"Wait a minute, do you know about this?" Bruce asked the two Spider-Men.

 

"We get involved in this at some point, yeah." Spider-Man 3 acknowledged.

 

The man told Peter to catch if they wanted to play games, throwing cars full of people at him, Peter was knocked from the bridge but caught the car, helping the people to escape, before being grabbed by the metallic arms and thrown around again, the man yelling that his fancy new suit wouldn't save him as he did.

 

"New suit? He's had the Iron Spider for a while by this point!" Tony protested.

 

"Should have killed your little girlfriend when I had the chance." The man said, as Peter used the metallic legs in his own suit to help him up, glaring at the man as he asked what did he say.

 

"He didn't go after MJ, did he?" Natasha asked, looking at the girl in question.

 

"No, he didn't." She smiled, as everyone seemed even more confused.

 

"Now that's a man who is in love." Kate whispered to Yelena, seeing the look of determination through the mask that Peter adopted on hearing that threat.

 

"Looks like we've got competition." The man said, addressing his own arms.

 

"Is he talking to them like they're alive?" Phastos asked, both horrified and intrigued at the same time.

 

Peter and the strange man began to battle each other throughout the bridge, knocking cars around and slamming each other into signs, as the man wrapped Peter in his arms again and tried to force his head into a helicopter rotor, he managed to break out, charging to save the VP from her car that was perched on the edge of the bridge, calling out his name, as the new guy tried to smash him with building supplies.

 

"Damn, this guy's got some serious strength in those things, and clearly no morals about harming civilians." Scott frowned. This wasn't looking too good for Peter.

 

Peter managed to get her car webbed to the underside of the bridge as the new man approached again, catching Peter and pinning him to a wall. The man remarked he was impressed by Peter's new nanotech suit, as his arms absorbed some of it to increase their own power before he used a spike on his arms to try kill Peter, the nanotech in his suit moved to protect his chest, revealing his face. Seeing his face, the man removed his glasses to get a good look at him.

 

"GET OFF OF MY TECH!" Tony roared as the man stole the tech from Peter's suit to enhance his metallic tentacles.

 

"At least there's enough still in it to protect Peter's chest." Bucky smiled.

 

"Why does the man seem so confused to see Peter all of a sudden?" Sam pondered.

 

"You're not Peter Parker." The man said, confused.

 

"Erm...he is?" Kate asked, totally confused.

 

"Yeah, who else is Peter Parker and Spider-Man?" Ned asked.

 

"I'm sure we'll find out what the nice man is confused about before too long." Strange explained.

 

"We better do, as this is making no sense whatsoever." Yelena grumbled.

 

"I'm so confused right now." Peter remarked, wondering what the man meant. The man questioned what was happening as the arms began acting on their own accord, as Peter got a notification that his tech had a new device, and asked if he wanted to pair with it. Doing so, Peter found himself able to control the arms with his movements. The man protested, telling the arms that they obeyed him, as Peter laughed. Peter then used the arms to force the man to walk to the top of the bridge again, using them as well to save the woman and her car.

 

"You show him Peter!" Scott cheered.

 

"Don't ever doubt Stark tech." Tony sneered at the screen.

 

"So, we gonna find out why this guy was trying to kill Peter anytime soon?" Bruce asked.

 

The woman thanked Peter and called him a hero, as he protested, she said she would speak to admissions about Ned, MJ and him, he said he didn't need her to speak about him, as she said she would. She then told the new man that he should be ashamed of himself, as Peter kept him wrapped up in his own mechanical arms. Peter's tingle then went off again, as he heard a clanging noise, a small golden and green ball landing on the ground, exploding as Peter put the nanotech over his face again.

 

"Woo Peter!" Quill cheered, seeing that MIT were going to give him a chance after all.

 

"But if MIT are giving him a chance, what's the issue? Problems solved, right?" Bucky asked.

 

"I fear it isn't going to be quite that simple." Nebula frowned.

 

"Who's the new guy with the green get up? He looks like an elf." Cindy said.

 

"Green Goblin." MJ whispered, horrified, thinking over everything that had happened with Osborn. How could she have not even thought he'd show up? What would everyone do when they saw what he had done, how he had finally broken Peter?

 

A man on a glider appeared above the bridge, laughing manically as he did.

 

"This guy's a real creep." Hope shivered.

 

"Osborn?" The man in the arms asked, as the green flying guy approached, Peter suddenly saw himself in a different place, as a golden glow enveloped him.

 

"The tentacle guy knows him?" Steve asked.

 

"It'll be explained." Strange assured them all.

 

"Where did these guys come from though? They seem to be villains, but Peter doesn't know them and clearly none of us do either?" Kingo asked.

 

Peter looked around in confusion as a green monster threw itself at a glass window behind him, making Peter jump as he turned around, seeing the man from the bridge throw himself at another window behind Peter. A hand touched Peter's shoulder as he jumped with a yell.

 

"WHAT IS THAT?!" Venom asked, stunned at the sight of a giant lizard.

 

"It appears to be a lizard, you're literally a goo monster from space, and yet a lizard freaks you out?" Eddie asked him.

 

"THAT THING IS NOT NATURAL!"

 

"You're not natural." Eddie shot back as Venom turned to glare at him.

 

"Be careful what you wish for, Parker." Strange told him.

 

"Are you a genie now?" Betty asked Strange, who pinched the bridge of his nose.

 

"It's just an expression, are all kids these days idiots?"

 

"No, I was just being sarcastic with you, Sherlock." Betty shot back.

 

"What?" Strange asked.

 

"You're right, he does look alot like that Sherlock show's actor, doesn't he?" Cindy remarked, eyes widening.

 

"I am not an actor." Strange glared. "I don't look like this Sherlock. Can we please just move on?"

 

Strange explained the spell that was meant to make everyone forget Peter is Spider-Man had actually pulled people in who knew Peter was Spider-Man, from every universe. The man with the arms asked what he meant, if this was like a birthday party, pretending to be magic. Peter asked what he meant, Strange asked the man with the arms if he knew a Peter Parker who was Spider-Man. He said yes, Strange asked if this was him, gesturing at Peter. He denied it was, as Strange gestured to Peter and said "See?"

 

"The multiverse..." Bruce breathed.

 

"I mean, we are right here." Spider-Man 2 said, gesturing to himself, his alter, Eddie and Venom.

 

"I mean, it's one thing to have someone say it, it's another to see it like this!" Tony said. "String theory, is that real too?"

 

"Big time." Spider-Man 3 grinned.

 

"Wait, so the Spider-Man he knows is also Peter Parker?" Ikaris asked.

 

"Most Spider-Men are, in most universes, from what we've gathered." Spider-Man 2 said.

 

"Are you two?" May asked, to no answer.

 

Strange told Peter to go find the others who had been brought through, starting with the "little green elf" that Peter had seen, Strange remarking that man sounded jolly, before the universe unravelled or worse, Wong found out what had happened. Peter asked how he was meant to bring them back to the Sanctum, as Strange fired a spell, trapping Peter in one of the cells. The man with the arms asked how he did that, Strange said plenty of birthday parties. Strange then released Peter, charming his web shooters, and telling him to hit the visitors with it, and it'd send them to the dungeon. Peter said he'd need help to do it.

 

"That's heresy, tampering with my tech like that!" Tony protested.

 

"If anything, I improved your work, Stark." Strange winked at him.

 

"I wonder who he'll call?" Kate asked sarcastically, as everyone looked at MJ and Ned.

 

Ned and MJ walked into the Sanctum as Ned said "I can't believe I'm in the Sanctum Santorum!"

 

"Neither could I." Strange remarked.

 

"The Sanctum always does look awe-inspiring, the first time you enter it." Wanda said.

 

"I'd love to see it sometime." Kate grinned.

 

"No, no more teens destroying my property!" Strange growled.

 

"Your property?" Wong asked with a raised eyebrow.

 

"I'm the Sanctum guardian, like you said, so it's mine. My precious." Strange said, staring down Wong, both men threatening to crack with every passing moment.

 

"Neither can I." Strange said drily.

 

"You look so done with this idea already." Wanda told Strange.

 

"I was." He admitted. "I'm loathe to admit, but clearly they needed each other, all three of them."

 

Peter welcomed the two of them as they discussed what had happened, Ned telling Strange that maybe he was magic as he had tingly fingers in his family, Strange told him he should consult his physician about tingling fingers.

 

"Now you think it may be magic?" Ned asked.

 

"I know it is, Mr Leeds. You've got-"

 

"-Doctor Strange magic." Ned whispered quietly.

 

"Ned?" MJ asked.

 

"I remember it all, MJ. God, what am I even doing? What was he even doing? We need to find Peter, we need to fix all of this, now." Ned began to babble, as MJ and Betty tried to calm him down.

 

"We'll help him, Ned, you know we will." MJ promised him. "Right after I've kicked his ass for breaking his promise and leaving us."

 

"I'll be right there with you doing that." Ned promised her. "I thought we were best friends? How could he do this? How could he not come back?"

 

"Ned, look at me." Betty said, cupping his head in her hands, turning his gaze to her. "It's ok. Everything is going to be ok, we're going to see what this says, why he did it, and we're going to reunite with him, alright? I promise you, it'll be alright." Betty finished, moving closer and pressing her lips to Ned's before breaking away, bright pink.

 

"Y-You..." Ned trailed off, stunned at what had happened.

 

"I-I-I..." Betty choked as well, shocked at what she had just done.

 

"It's about time you two nerds got back together." MJ teased.

 

"We're not!" Both protested at once as most of the room laughed.

 

"Well, do you like her?" Kate asked Ned, who blushed before nodding.

 

"Do you like him?" Cindy asked Betty who followed suit.

 

"There you go." Flash smiled.

 

Strange told them to sort their mess and to focus on the negatives, not the positives, as MJ said he did a dangerous spell without knowing the repercussions, so it was his fault that it all happened, and Strange needed to say please. Strange then said please, and banished them to work in the Undercroft, which Ned said sounded cool.

 

"You got him to use his manners? Shocking!" Wanda jokingly told MJ as Strange looked mutinous.

 

"I can just ban you all from the Sanctum in the future." Strange warned.

 

"No you can't Stephen, you need me there to train me on how to use my powers better." Wanda told him with a smirk as Stephen narrowed his eyes and frowned.

 

Peter apologised for what was happening, as Ned explored the cool magical artifacts and said it was the coolest thing ever to happen to him and he didn't care, MJ said it was totally ok and she was fine with it, provided Peter run it by them in the future so they could workshop solutions.

 

"Yeah, I'd like to workshop things in the future, especially concerning magic." MJ said, with a look at Strange.

 

"I'm keeping you all away from magic in the future, other than Leeds." Strange promised.

 

Peter showed Ned and MJ the crypt as the man with the arms asked who these two were. Peter introduced Ned and MJ and asked what his name was.

 

"You're only just asking his name now?" Rocket asked, stunned.

 

"We had alot of other things on our mind!" MJ defended herself.

 

"I'm still wondering how you work, like, are you a magic raccoon or?" Spider-Man 3 asked, eyeing Rocket up who growled at him.

 

"No, he's just a trash panda." Quill laughed, as Drax and Mantis joined in, Rocket turning his glare to him.

 

"Now I wish we hadn't brought you back with that Snap." Rocket said.

 

"You'd be lost without all of us." Nebula said as Rocket shrugged.

 

"I guess, but still, I'd be captain with no challenges if Quill wasn't there."

 

"We can just maroon him sometime." Nebula suggested as Rocket grinned.

 

"Agreed."

 

"Hey!" Quill protested.

 

"Doctor Otto Octavius."

 

"Really? That's his name?" Rhodey laughed.

 

"That's the best villain name I've ever heard!" Scott stated.

 

"I'm definitely looking him up on our return, make sure there isn't one of him in our universe." Tony promised.

 

"I feel for him, I mean, imagine all the bullying he got over that name." Hope joked

 

"No, seriously, what's your actual name?" Peter asked, as the three of them laughed. Ned then asked if the other being was a dinosaur, as he looked over at them.

 

"Poor Otto." Spider-Man 2 muttered.

 

"Nope, just a lizard." Spider-Man 3 said.

 

Peter got to work trying to clean his suit as they searched for references to the green elf on Tiktok and other socials, MJ looked over a beard dye that Strange had lying around and Peter told May he couldn't drop by the shelter to get the suit cleaned as he had to catch these guys. Eventually found something about some flying monster attacking a military base just outside of NYC.

 

"I'm never letting it go that you dye your beard, Strange." Tony wheezed.

 

"I'm going to cast these Runes again just for that." Strange warned them all.

 

"So, this Osborn, or whatever the Doc called him, he's attacking military bases now?" Rhodey asked.

 

"Not quite." MJ smiled sadly.

 

"It's gotta be the guy I saw on the bridge, right?" Peter asked the other two.

 

"I mean, how many others are there? Must be him." Scott said.

 

"It's impossible." Octavius spoke up.

 

"How? I mean, that guy fits the bill of would attack military bases." Yelena remarked.

 

"You know him, don't you? On the bridge, you said his name." Peter turned to him.

 

"Are they from the same universe? Does their Peter not know how to keep his identity hidden?" Natasha wondered.

 

"Norman Osborn. Brilliant scientist. Military research. But he was greedy, misguided..."

 

"Sounds like Tony before Afghanistan." Happy said.

 

"I was never greedy." Tony pointed out.

 

"True, but it sounds like this guy could have been your mirror."

 

"He's anything but." MJ shuddered. From what she had seen and had been told by Peter, Tony Stark was a man who always meant well, and tried his best. Goblin was anything but that.

 

"What happened to him?"

 

"Yeah, I've been wondering why this guy is talking about this Norman guy like something terrible happened." Sam stated.

 

"WE TIRE OF YOUR QUESTIONS, BOY!" Octavius roared at Peter as he and MJ took a step back.

 

"Well someone got out of the wrong side of their tank this morning." Cindy laughed.

 

"He isn't a real octopus." MJ deadpanned.

 

Peter turned back to the others as Octavius continued. "It can't be him."

 

"Why?" Betty asked.

 

"Why?" MJ asked.

 

"Hey, that's what I said!" Betty exclaimed.

 

"Because Norman Osborn died, years ago." Octavius explained. "So either we saw someone else, or you're flying out into the darkness, to fight a ghost." He said as the screen showed Peter's shock.

 

"But we all saw him, he isn't dead?" Clint asked.

 

"What's going on with all of these people?" Bruce wondered.

 

"He isn't a ghost." Ned simply stated.

 

"Definitely not." Strange agreed.

 

The scene cut to Peter swinging through woodland as MJ and Ned spoke on his phone camera, keeping an eye out as Peter landed. He looked around, as the sun set, not seeing the ground moving in the background. Suddenly, he stopped, as the Peter tingle kicked in, as behind him in the sky, a man appeared, seemingly made of electricity, coming from the nearby power lines.

 

"Ok, so now we've got an electric man?" Thor asked. "I wonder if he could go up against me?"

 

'Max...' Spider-Man 3 thought sadly, seeing the man forming in this new world, he was probably confused and scared, having just come from fighting Peter in their universe.

 

Peter asked the man if he was from another universe, being ignored, MJ said to web him, the magic web passed harmlessly through him, sending a tree to the Sanctum Crypt. The attack did alert the figure who began to fire bolts of electricity at Peter, who thanks to Ned and MJ yelling, was distracted and hit, his phone fried as he fell to the floor.

 

"Great, so now Peter has no backup and his webs aren't doing anything to trap this guy like Strange set it up? How's he meant to get the electric guy to calm down?" Kate asked.

 

"I'm sure he's got a plan, doesn't he?" Sersi asked those who knew what had happened.

 

"It'll become clear in a minute, I'm sure." MJ told them.

 

Suddenly a wall of dirt rose into the air to block the electric attack as a man's face appeared before Peter.

 

"Did...Did the ground just move?" Clint asked, shocked.

 

"You're not hallucinating, Barton, I saw that too." Yelena remarked, mouth agape.

 

"Peter, it's me, Flint Marko! Do you remember?"

 

"There's another guy here as well? That's five now!" Tony remarked.

 

"That's all of them, don't worry." Ned informed the others. "Just the five."

 

Peter quickly explained he was a different Peter to the one Marko knew and he needed his help to stop the electrical guy. Marko quickly went to work covering him in a whirlwind of dirt and sand as Peter began to web the electrical pylons to drain the energy from the area and from the electrical man. Eventually Marko stopped as Peter pulled the plug, and the electrical man returned to the ground as Peter and Marko also reunited.

 

"I bet that was quite a shock to this Marko guy." Natasha stated.

 

"I'm just glad we have one good guy at least amongst all of these visitors." Bucky said.

 

"We'll see if they remain a good guy. At least they stopped the electrical man." Hope noted.

 

"Different Peter, weird." Marko said as Peter unmasked, Peter smashing his hand as he went for a handshake and apologising, Marko told him not to worry about it.

 

"Well at least he has manners." Sprite said.

 

The electric man then appeared before them, saying he had his body back, as Peter told him he was in a different universe. The man said he was feeling the power of the new universe, it was different and he liked it. Peter explained it was his fault they were both in this universe.

 

"Great, so another madman who just wants power?" Steve sighed.

 

"It's not your fault, kid. Not entirely anyway." Tony said. "Isn't that right, Strange?"

 

Strange just sighed and nodded his head.

 

"You all just gonna stand here and act like I ain't butt ass naked?" The electrical man asked.

 

"I'd rather we did, yes." Thena remarked.

 

"I am." Marko told him as Peter got the man some clothes then blasted him to the Crypt.

 

"Well, that was a pretty anti-climatic capture in the end. At least Peter got him some clothes first." Kate said.

 

"What did you do to him? Did you kill him?!" Marko asked, turning on Peter who tried to explain, asking Marko to trust him, Marko said he didn't and swung for Peter, who shot him to the Crypt too.

 

"I mean, I can understand his reasoning, you didn't explain it to him, just attacked another guy and made him vanish and then attacked him too, I'm sure he's terrified." Bruce stated.

 

"Could have stayed calm and tried to talk about it at least." Happy shrugged.

 

"What is this?" Marko asked as he bounced off of the glass holding him.

 

"Wizards dungeon." Ned smirked as MJ choked on a laugh.

 

"You picked the wrong side....Connors?" The man asked, seeing the Lizard creature laughing.

 

"The lizard thing has a name?" Thor asked.

 

"I want to battle this creature, he seems like he would be a strong foe!" Drax remarked.

 

"No, you really don't." Strange informed him.

 

"Wait, you know this creature?" Otto asked.

 

"Are they from the same universe, like this Doctor Octavius and Osborn fellow seem to be?" Sam wondered.

 

"Yeah." Ned told them.

 

"Not a creature. A man. Doctor Curt Connors.-"

 

"I never mentioned, I had a Doctor Connors in my universe who taught me." Spider-Man 2 whispered to Spider-Man 3.

 

"No way, did he turn himself into a lizard as well?"

 

"No, but I mean, gotta keep my eye out, he always could do." Spider-Man 2 chuckled.

 

"Let's hope he doesn't." Spider-Man 3 shivered, not wanting Peter-2 to have to go through fighting a respected mentor like he did, he didn't want Peter-2 to be hurt, at all, in any way.

 

"Yeah, let's." Spider-Man 2 smiled back at his younger alter, seeing the younger man pale slightly, he wondered what was going on in his head.

 

"From the same universe?" Ned asked MJ, awed.

 

"Yep." Ned answered his younger self.

 

"- He was a scientist at Oscorp when I worked there. A brilliant scientist, until he turned himself into a Lizard. Then he tried to turn the whole city into Lizards! It was crazy!"

 

"What's Oscorp?" Rhodey asked.

 

"It's a company, in most universes. It doesn't exist in your universe however." The Watcher explains. "It's somewhat similar to Stark Industries, in that it's a military contractor. The man on the glider, Norman Osborn, he's its founder and head in all universes it exists in."

 

"Ah, so is that glider thing Oscorp tech?" Tony asked as the Watcher nodded.

 

"It wasn't crazy, Max, it was the next step in human evolution." The Lizard spoke up. "Speaking of which, what happened to you? Last I recall you had bad teeth, glasses and a comb-over. Did you get a makeover? You know I could give you a real makeover."

 

"Let me guess, into a Lizard?" Sersi asked.

 

"I want to know what made this guy's appearance change." Scott stated.

 

"Let me guess, into a Lizard?" Max stated.

 

"Hey, that's what Sersi just said!" Ikaris remarked.

 

"Precisely."

 

"Well, at least he's got a plan, even if it is a horrible one." Natasha noted.

 

Marko told them to shut up and asked where they were, MJ said a wizard's dungeon as Max panicked, she said there wasn't a way to sugar coat it, it was a dungeon and belonged to a wizard. Max said they could keep their magic, he wanted a taste of that new energy as the lights flickered in the room. MJ then called Peter, who said he was staying behind to fix the damage the fight with Max caused, before he was blamed, and said he couldn't do any of this without MJ. Ned told her to ask Peter if the tree was a scientist or a monster, Max said it was just a tree.

 

"I mean, there was no way to sugar coat it, it was a wizards dungeon." MJ defended herself at a few looks.

 

"I suppose the Undercroft is a name that would cause apprehension." Wong mused.

 

"Yeah, they're gonna blame the kid for that for sure, Jameson will do a witch hunt." Tony frowned.

 

"A tree monster, really babe?" Betty asked Ned.

 

"Hey! Weirder stuff has happened!" Ned protested.

 

"That's a fair point." Eddie agreed. "I mean, just in this room alone, weirder stuff has happened."

 

In an alleyway, Norman had taken off the Goblin mask and was hiding the glider and other stuff under some rags, as the mask called to him, calling him a coward and saying they had a new world to conquer. Norman turned to it, begging it to leave him alone.

 

"Wait, it's two different people almost?" Bruce asked. "I've got some experience with that, if he can communicate with this other self, it must be rough."

 

"Norman is the sweetest guy really." May said. "Goblin, the other version....not so much."

 

"A world to conquer? Pretty sure the Avengers would stop him before it got to that." Betty said.

 

"We're not invincible, sadly, and I have a feeling this Goblin would be a hard foe." Thor remarked.

 

"Sadly, true." MJ said, looking down at the floor, worrying most of the room. What did Goblin do to Peter?

 

"Hiding in the shadows. Hiding from who you truly are."

 

"No!"

 

"You can't escape yourself!" It said as he picked up a rock and smashed the mask, running away as the Goblin's laughed echoed behind him.

 

"Damn, I feel bad for this Osborn guy, he clearly wants no part of whatever this is." Rhodey said.

 

"I don't think the Goblin character will give him much of a choice." Wanda stated.

 

Fixing the damage, Peter got a call from May, telling him the guy he was looking for had just walked into FEAST and asked for him.

 

"I bet that shook him up." Druig mused aloud.

 

Landing at FEAST, passing a billboard that someone had tagged "Mysterio was right" onto, he charged in, changing his suit as he asked people where May was, rushing to the kitchen, he found her sat with a dishevelled Norman, calming him.

 

"He looks so worried for you." Yelena told May.

 

"He was raised right, raised to care for others." May informed her.

 

"It seems he got it from you." Tony smiled at her. "You don't know this guy, but you're trying to help him."

 

"If you can help others, you have a moral responsibility to do so." May shrugged.

 

"Norman Osborn?"

 

"In the flesh." Scott quipped.

 

"I saw Spider-Man in an ad for this place, and I thought he could help me. But you're not him." Norman said to Peter, clearly shaken.

 

"Well if he knows another Peter, then he'd definitely think that." Steve said.

 

"I'd love to meet another Peter." Tony said.

 

"Believe me, you don't want too." Strange said, giving the other two Peter's in the room a sideways glance.

 

"Wait, so you want Spider-Man's help?"

 

"Well if he wants to get away from this Goblin persona, I can't think of anyone else he'd probably trust more, if Spider-Man has a history with him." Abe reasoned.

 

"He-He just wandered in." May explained.

 

"He must be so confused, poor guy." Kate sighed.

 

"I didn't know where else to go. Someone else is living in my house. Oscorp doesn't exist, and my son..." Norman broke down. "Sometimes, I'm not myself. I'm...someone else. and every time he's in control I can't remember and now I'm here and I don't, I don't know what's going on with me!" Norman cried as May told Peter he was lost, in his mind and the cosmos, asking if they were all like this.

 

"Poor guy, to find everything you knew doesn't exist, it must be daunting." Hope felt her heart going out to the poor Norman, clearly he just needed help, but she was sure if anyone was going to be able to give it, just judging from these videos, it was Peter.

 

"He has a son?" Clint asked.

 

"Harry Osborn." Spider-Man 2 quietly said. "They exist in most universes as well."

 

"Do they exist in both of yours, I'm guessing?" Natasha asked.

 

"Harry was my best friend." Both Spider-Men spoke up at once.

 

"In both? What a coincidence." Yelena remarked.

 

"Wait, was?" Tony asked.

 

"Was." Both of them confirmed again, a sad tone in their voices that nobody wanted to pry with.

 

Peter said they were as May said they needed his help, Peter told her it wasn't his problem or responsibility, as May said it was, telling Peter to look around, and what they did was help people. He needed to help these people get fixed, rather than just sending them home and hoping they got help there.

 

"You know, I just realised something." Spider-Man 2 whispered to his alter.

 

"What?" Spider-Man 3 asked.

 

"Pete said it isn't his problem, the day Ben died, I told someone that I missed the part where it was my problem when someone asked me to help stop a thief who had stolen from a guy who screwed me over."

 

"I told a guy that it wasn't my policy after he asked me to chase down a thief when he'd refused to let me off a few cents on a drink as it was his policy." Spider-Man 3 said sadly. "That thief then killed Ben."

 

"My guy, I thought he'd killed Ben as well for the longest time." Spider-Man 2 said. "I just hate that we can't change this for Pete, he's telling them that it's not his issue, and we know what happened between Goblin and May. I just hate that we can't help him."

 

"Parker luck." Spider-Man 3 nodded sadly.

 

At the Daily Bugle, now in better studios, JJJ ranted against Spider-Man some more, before receiving a call that Peter had just left FEAST with his aunt and some other guy, JJJ told the guy on the phone to follow and that he would be right there, leaving the studio.

 

"This jerk again, I really need to buy his company then shut him down and get him blacklisted somehow." Tony mused to himself.

 

"Why can't he leave Peter alone?" May frowned.

 

May pulled up in the FEAST truck outside of the Sanctum with Norman and Peter, Norman thanked her as he left, with Peter thanking her for cleaning his suit, as May left the two of them, Peter took Norman inside the Sanctum.

 

"Norman does sound like a nice guy pretty much." Steve admitted.

 

"He was." May agreed.

 

Peter introduced them to Mr Osborn, as Norman corrected it was Doctor Osborn.

 

"Definitely got the ego that Tony had." Natasha teased.

 

"These are my friends, Ned and MJ."

 

"Mary Jane?"

 

"Mary Jane?" Cindy asked.

 

"In other universes, Spider-Man, especially Peter Parker, has a girlfriend called MJ, but it stands for Mary Jane in those universes." Spider-Man 2 explained to the room.

 

"I can't imagine you as a Mary Jane." Ned told MJ who nodded.

 

"It's Michelle Jones, actually."

 

"Now that sounds more natural to me." Flash agreed.

 

"Fascinating." Osborn remarked as he headed towards the Crypt.

 

"I can only imagine how fascinating it must be to be in another universe." Bruce marvelled.

 

"No, don't even ask about sending you to one, ever." Strange warned him, noticing the faraway look in the eyes of Bruce and Tony.

 

"Do you think there are other Ned Leeds'?" Ned asked in wonder.

 

"Yes, there is." The Watcher informed Ned, who smiled. He'd like to meet them sometime.

 

"Octavius?" Norman asked as he approached Otto.

 

"This is going to be an awkward reunion, I'm sure." Quill stated.

 

"Osborn?"

 

"Well, he ain't dead, Doc, clearly you had your info wrong." Scott remarked. The spies in the room narrowed their eyes though, they could feel something was off about all of this. It wasn't going to be Beck again, or anything...was it?

 

"What-What happened to you?"

 

"I'm gonna assume he means the giant tentacle arms?" Kate asked.

 

"What hap- you're the walking corpse."

 

"Nope, pretty sure he's alive." Bucky said, confused more and more by the second by this.

 

"What are you talking about?"

 

"Yeah, what is he on about? Norman is clearly alive." Betty noted.

 

"You died, Norman. Years ago."

 

"But he didn't!" Sam stated. "He's right there."

 

"You're insane." Norman chuckled.

 

"I think the tentacle arms gave away he probably was." Phastos said. "Remarkable technology though."

 

"God I love it here." Max piped up.

 

"He would." Spider-Man 3 whispered to his alter.

 

"What are you talking about? He's standing right there, he's not-" Peter spoke up before Marko interrupted.

 

"Yeah, of course he isn't dead!" Sprite said. "It would take phenomenal power to maintain that as an illusion, so unless he faked his death, he didn't die, Octavius."

 

"Dead? They both died. Fighting Spider-Man. It was all over the news. Green Goblin? Impaled by the glider he flew around on. Then a couple of years later, you, Doc Ock, drowned in the river with your machine." Marko said as Norman and Otto both looked confused, Otto sneered at it, saying he had Spider-Man by the throat, he had stopped him from preventing his machine working, when suddenly....he was there.

 

"Jesus, Peter's not getting a break, is he?" Steve asked sadly.

 

"They both die, fighting...Peter?" Cindy asked, aghast. "But Peter's so nice, I doubt any version of him could do that!"

 

"He killed people in the first recording we saw." Ikaris told them.

 

"He killed mindless monsters that would have ripped him apart, and he wasn't happy about it!" Ned rounded on the tall man. "Peter couldn't sleep for days afterwards! He told me he woke up screaming and crying as he'd killed these things, and he didn't have a choice, they wouldn't have backed off or ever stopped, he had no choice!" Ned finished his rant. "I'm sure these other Peters, whatever happened, didn't have a choice either. They even said Ock drowned with his machine and Goblin impaled himself, Peter didn't kill them, he couldn't!"

 

"They must be so confused." Yelena said quietly. "To have suddenly arrived there when they last remember somewhere and something completely different."

 

Max spoke up that he was whopping Spider-Man's ass, he was about to become a being of pure energy as Spider-Man had tried to overload him then suddenly..."Oh shit, I was about to die."

 

"Damn, what was he trying to do and how was overloading him gonna stop him?" Bucky asked.

 

"Well if he's powered by electricity, overloading him would cause him to shut down, if he becomes pure energy, it's what he wants, to get more energy, and it saves the city from him." Spider-Man 3 rationalised.

 

"Sounds like you've got experience." Natasha remarked.

 

"He's called Electro, he's not just in one universe." The Watcher stepped in.

 

"Max, do you know, do I die?" Lizard spoke up, worried.

 

"Does he?" Ned asked.

 

"Yes, eventually, they all do." The Watcher explained.

 

The camera focused on Ned and MJ approaching Peter who looked confused and sick by what he was hearing. Other versions of him had killed these men?

 

"Yeah, whatever the plan was, it's gone now. There's no way he will let you send these guys back to die." Tony said.

 

"Yeah, I should have thought about that at the time. Parker's too bloody noble for his own good." Strange grumbled.

 

"Did you help him to help them, Stephen?" Wanda asked softly. "Like you helped me?"

 

"It's why I helped you, Wanda." Strange replied, just as softly, gazing at her. "Because Spider-Man showed me there was a better way to deal with problems, rather than just killing it or banishing it. I could help. I could be what I once was, a doctor. A healer."

 

"Yeah, Peter would never let them die without trying to help them first, it's not who he is." MJ grumbled. "Bloody self-sacrificing idiot."

 

"But you love him regardless." Mantis said.

 

"Yeah, I do." MJ admitted. "God, I want to be so angry with him, I want to hit him, to yell at him, to curse him out, but I can't, I think if he were here now, I'd just hug him and kiss him and tell him everything was alright, we'd be ok. I want to be angry, I want to hate him, but I can't, you're right. I love him."

 

Strange then appeared in the room, congratulating Peter on catching Goblin and banishing Norman into a cell as Peter objected. Strange then said he had the spell ready to reverse, to send these visitors back to their own times and places.

 

"Come on, you can't do that! Look at them! They need your help!" Sam protested.

 

"Wilson, please, just watch." Strange said, dipping his head down, thinking of his past brash actions regarding this.

 

"Strange, we can't send them back. Not yet." Peter tried to plead as the visitors begged for their lives, Norman calling for Peter to let him out.

 

"They're literally begging for you not to kill them." Scott hissed at Strange, his tone unusually angry. "Hear them out."

 

"Tic tac is right. Have a heart." Sam agreed.

 

"Why?"

 

"Why? Can you literally just not hear these guys?" Bucky asked, disgusted.

 

"'Cause some of these guys are gonna die." Peter said, in a tone that said that was all that mattered.

 

"That's exactly why. If we can save lives, we have a responsibility to do so." Tony agreed. "I supported the Accords as I was sick of recklessness and risking lives that didn't need to be risked, this is a situation where you can save lives, don't risk them now."

 

"Parker. It's their fate."

 

"But it doesn't have to be! You can change it!" Wanda told Strange.

 

"I know that now, but at the time, I didn't, I didn't want to hear it." He admitted.

 

"Come on, Strange. Have a heart."

 

"Yeah, exactly!" Sam agreed.

 

"In the grand calculus of the multiverse, their sacrifice means infinitely more than their lives." Strange explained, as Peter looked stunned and the visitors looked terrified. "I'm sorry, kid. If they die, they die."

 

"Are you saying that Natasha and I, our lives were worthless compared to our deaths?" Tony asked, voice eerily calm as he turned to face Strange, eyes blazing.

 

"No, I'm saying to the universe, it was. To your friends, your loved ones, your lives mean so much, they meant so much, but to the wider universe, your sacrifices, like these men on screen, means so much more than your lives ever did." Strange softly said, eyes downcast, refusing to look at the rest of the room, he didn't want to see the anger and the hate he knew would be directed at him right now.

 

"If my life meant nothing compared to my death, then I'm calling bullshit on that." Natasha said. "But if you're asking if I'll go back and die, to save the universe, to bring my loved ones back? I'll do it in a heartbeat." Natasha finished as Clint and Yelena both looked stricken at her. "I'm here for now, aren't I? We've got these moments, let's make them count, eh?"

 

Peter shot a web at the box holding the spell, Strange looked at him and said "Don't!" as Peter grabbed the box and ran, blasting Strange into one of the cells as he left, Ned and MJ said they'd try stall him.

 

"RUN, PETER, RUN!" Venom cheered as Strange looked at the alien with disdain.

 

"Remind me to find a way to banish you back to your own universe quicker. Mr Brock can stay at least."

 

"Oh thank God." Eddie said as Venom scowled.

 

"EDDIE IS MINE. I GO WHERE HE GOES." Venom adamantly stated.

 

"Defend Peter!" Yelena told MJ and Ned sagely, as they nodded in total agreement.

 

"This is why I never had kids." Strange said, walking out of the cell he shared with Marko, Marko tried and bounced off of the glass. Easily passing Ned and MJ, Peter got outside and began to swing, heading through a portal and landing back where he started. Turning around, he saw Strange leaning against the doorway. "Give me the box."

 

"Well I guess it was too much to ask that the wizard would be stopped by muggles." Sam remarked.

 

"I'm not a wizard!" Strange protested. "I'm a sorcerer!"

 

"Which is a wizard without a hat!" Sam shot back.

 

"Just...Just don't." Bucky sighed.

 

"So, are Strange and Peter gonna wizard fight?" Hope asked.

 

"My money's on Strange." Abe, Bucky, Clint, Ikaris, Phastos, Kingo, Druig, Wong, Matt, Eddie, Venom, Rhodey, Thor, The Guardians group and Thena said.

 

"Mine's on Peter." Cindy, Sersi, Sprite, Makkari, Sam, Steve, Tony, Yelena, Scott, Hope, Wanda, Happy, Betty, Flash, Kate and Natasha said, Wanda giving Strange an apologetic look as she did.

 

"I already know the outcome so I'm not getting involved." Strange remarked, as the others nodded in agreement. They already knew, so they weren't getting involved in this.

 

Peter refused as Strange vanished the portal web-shooter from him, Peter tried to swing away again as Strange made a portal so Peter webbed himself, he then summoned Peter towards him, separating his astral form from his body as he landed.

 

"What is that?!" May yelped, seeing Peter's body and his spirit separated.

 

"DID YOU JUST KILL HIM?!" MJ demanded, rounding on Strange.

 

"You know he didn't die here." Strange reminded her.

 

"Oh my God, I'm dead!" Peter cried as he saw himself floating.

 

"Wait, didn't you do this on Titan, when fighting Thanos?" Steve asked, recognising the signs.

 

"Good observation, Captain Rogers." Wong nodded to the man.

 

"You're not dead, you've just been separated from your physical form." Strange said, going to grab the box from his unconscious body, his hands moved the box around so Strange couldn't grab it.

 

"How is he doing that?" Wong asked Strange.

 

"I suspect his heightened senses and this tingle allowed his body to move like this, even without a soul inside of it." Strange reasoned.

 

"How are you doing that?" Strange asked as he tried to get it, Peter took the chance to try swim back to his body, getting into it again and jumping away from Strange.

 

"I take it that it isn't meant to do that?" Yelena asked.

 

"It's unheard of for someone to be able to move their body at all when their astral form is outside of it." Wong said. "The only time I've seen anything similar is Wanda, and hers was more of a projection, rather than her actual body moving."

 

"Peter really is one of a kind." Kate stated.

 

"That might be one of the coolest things that has ever happened to me, but don't ever do that again." Peter told him, swinging away with the box this time.

 

"Can we do that with my training?" Ned begged Strange.

 

"Possibly." Strange smirked. Oh, he was going to put Leeds through the wringer for what had happened to him with Parker, and for Leeds using his sling ring for most of a day.

 

Peter found the Cloak of Levitation chasing him, slowing him down as Strange rounded a corner, a magazine showing Liz calling Peter a liar, as he forced Peter into the Mirror Dimension, following after him.

 

"Isn't Liz the girl from the first one?" Clint asked.

 

"Yeah, she was our classmate, she blipped as well." Abe stated. "I guess she was angry at Peter for capturing her dad when it came out he was Spider-Man?"

 

"Why is your cloak after Peter? I thought he liked Peter?" Scott asked.

 

"Yeah, but now it needs that box back. It answers to me, even if it clearly likes the kid." Strange told him.

 

"What's this place?" Tony asked, scared for Peter.

 

"It will explain." Strange said.

 

"What is this place?" Peter asked as trains flew at him, buildings collapsed and reformed around them.

 

"Well?"

 

"It says!"

 

"The Mirror Dimension, where I'm in control." Strange said, as he caused the Grand Canyon to appear above Peter's head.

 

"A whole new dimension?" Sam asked.

 

"It's not new, but yes, we saw it in the Titan battle as well, I trapped a blast from the Power stone in it." Strange said.

 

"It's not meant to be used beyond training really, anything that happens in it doesn't impact the real world, so we can practise our magic safely there." Wong explained.

 

"Can we go there?" Wanda asked.

 

"We'll give it a try for your training." Strange assured her.

 

"Strange, stop, can we please talk about this?" Peter begged.

 

"Yeah, can we please talk about this?" Steve begged.

 

"Parker, don't you understand, in the multiverse, there are an infinite number of people who know Peter Parker is Spider-Man, and if that spell gets loose, they're all coming here!"

 

"Does that mean every villain we've ever fought could come here?" Clint asked.

 

"In theory, yeah, there could be more Vultures, Mysterios, Zemos, even Thanos." Wong stated. "It's why we don't mess with spells that travel the boundaries between known and unknown magic and space." He finished with a look at Strange, who avoided his eyes.

 

"Look, I know, I get it, but we can't just send them home to die." Peter tried to reason with Strange.

 

"Because it's wrong to do that without trying to save them first!" May agreed.

 

"It's their fate. You can't change that anymore than you can change who they are." Strange told him.

 

MJ gave a little snort at that, as did Ned as Strange rolled his eyes.

 

"But what if we could? What if we could change their fate?" Peter asked.

 

"It's a nice thought, Peter, but I'm not sure if it could happen." Happy said.

 

"I'm sure the kid will surprise us all." Matt told him.

 

Strange then bent the train they were on around Peter, using the cloak and portals to get the box from him and leaving Peter behind, the Mirror Dimension crashed into itself, revealing different forms.

 

"Woah, that is so trippy, how do you stand to look at it all?" Yelena asked.

 

"Years of practise." Strange replied.

 

"Wait, that looks familiar!" Tony said.

 

"No, it can't be one, can it?" Bruce asked.

 

"I think it is!" Tony said excitedly.

 

"Of course the nerds figure it out." MJ said as Ned also looked excited at the sight. She had to admit, even she found it fascinating, how the Mirror dimension looked and how Peter had managed to use it to his advantage.

 

"Wait a minute. Is that an Archimedes spiral? The Mirror Dimension is just Geometry? You can do Geometry, you're great at Geometry!" Peter psyched himself up as he webbed the various formations around the spirals.

 

"The great Stephen Strange, undone by mathematics." Wong said as Strange groaned.

 

"I'm never going to live this down, am I?"

 

"No." Wong assured him. "I'll remind you daily."

 

"It's over Parker, I'll come pick you up when it's done." Strange said, preparing to leave Peter trapped in the Mirror Dimension.

 

"I wouldn't be too sure on that." Spider-Man 3 grinned.

 

"Hey Strange, you know what's cooler than magic? Math." Peter said as Strange was entirely webbed up.

 

"AND THE WINNER IS....SPIDER-MAN!" Betty cheered as those who had said Strange would win looked askance.

 

"H-How?" Bucky asked, floored.

 

"Never bet against a determined Peter Parker." Spider-Man 2 shrugged, also grinning as he saw his youngest alter outwit a doctor in one of their own fields.

 

"Don't do this." Strange warned him as Peter took his Sling ring.

 

"Peter, yes." Ned grinned.

 

"I'm sorry Sir, but I have to try." Peter said, stepping through the portal, it closing behind, trapping Strange in the Mirror Dimension.

 

"Not a word." Strange threatened as he saw a few faces, especially Tony, grinning from ear to ear as they turned to him.

 

Ned asked what happened as Peter explained he had just beaten Doctor Strange in a fight, Ned took the Sling ring as Peter said he was trapped but he wasn't sure for how long.

 

"Longer than it should have been." Strange muttered as Wanda flashed him a sad smile.

 

"You could have just left us to die, why didn't you?" Otto asked.

 

"Because that's not who he is." May firmly stated.

 

"Because that's not who he is." MJ told them all.

 

"Exactly!" Cindy cheered.

 

"I think I can help you guys, if I can fix what happened to you, then when you go back, things will be different and you might not die fighting Spider-Man." Peter explained.

 

"I really hope that happens, there's been too much death in these already." Kate said.

 

"Sadly that's the hero gig, sometimes, lives are lost." Natasha sighed.

 

"Are they back and normal in your world?" Spider-Man 3 quietly asked his alter self.

 

"Yeah, they're all back, currently they're all getting the best help money can buy, courtesy of Oscorp, and Doctor Osborn and Otto work with me on new projects." Spider-Man 2 explained (Look, it's never stated outright if time travel works in the Sony universes the same as the MCU, I'd like to believe they're all together, so Sony universes get Back to the Future time travel in this fic, not MCU time travel)

 

"Ah yeah, I was gonna say, Doctor Connors and Max are both normal now in my universe, which was a help." Spider-Man 3 said. "Much easier to get them into custody when not super powered. I visit them both weekly, trying to cheer them up, help them get through their issues, it's taking time, but, I think we're getting there. They both know I'm the version they met here now, so at least they don't have to pretend they didn't go to another universe, as I'm pretty sure the me that they knew until a few weeks ago would have had no clue what they were on about." He babbled, noticing the way Spider-Man 2 softly smiled at him, the way the lines around his eyes crinkled as he spoke. He could feel a warm feeling in his chest as he took in his older alters features, and turned away as he felt a blush rising.

 

"What do you mean fix us?" Max asked.

 

"He means to help you." Matt said.

 

"Our technology is advanced." Peter started as Norman interrupted.

 

"I'm gonna assume you'll be using my tech to help them." Tony insisted.

 

"I can help you. You know, I'm something of a scientist myself. Octavius knows what I can do."

 

"That he is." Spider-Man 2 muttered. "Doctor Osborn always was a brilliant scientist."

 

Octavius refused as Peter told them he couldn't promise them safety, but he could promise them a chance to have a second chance at a life, and wasn't that worth trying for?

 

"It's always worth a chance of a better life." Natasha said, eyes gleaming. "Both of my families have taught me that over the years."

 

"Trust me Peter, when you try to fix people, there are always consequences." Lizard told him.

 

"i don't like the sound of that." Scott frowned.

 

"Very ominous." Hope agreed.

 

"You don't have to come. I also didn't know you could talk." Peter acknowledged. "But if you stay here, you're gonna have to deal with the wizard."

 

"I don't want to deal with Strange when he's not wanting me dead, I'll pass on that." Tony joked as Strange scowled.

 

"Ah, so we go along or die. Not really much of a choice, is it?" Lizard said.

 

"In the circumstances, I think it's all you're going to get." Rhodey remarked.

 

Marko said he just wanted to go home as Max said he'd go along with it, as he didn't want to be killed by a guy dressed like dungeons and dragons. He asked Peter what the plan was.

 

"Yeah, I wouldn't want to be either." Abe called out.

 

"He just wants to go home." Kate cooed. "Marko is definitely the nicest of the five."

 

Peter told Ned and MJ to go take the box, if anything went wrong, he'd text MJ to press the button and send the visitors home, but to keep it away for their safety, saying they had already done enough for him.

 

"Smart, always have a backup plan." Clint approved.

 

"Well we wouldn't let him do this on his own." Ned told them.

 

"We're a team, for better or for worse." MJ agreed.

 

Ned and Peter shook hands and MJ kissed him as they left, the visitors remarking they believed MJ when she said she would send them all back without hesitation, Lizard saying there was no way she was Peter's girlfriend.

 

"What does he mean by that?" May asked.

 

"They think I'm too intimidating to be with a puppy like Peter." MJ smirked. "Believe me, he's got some real steel in him, as you've all seen."

 

He invited the visitors to come with him, they agreed too, Max saying if it went sideways, he'd fry Peter from the inside out, before the scene cut to Happy's and all of them going into his apartment, Peter asked May where Connors was, she said he wanted to stay inside the FEAST truck.

 

"You won't harm Peter!" Scott said. "Bug brothers!"

 

"You know he's not a bug. It's Arachnid twins." Natasha told him.

 

"I'm a Widow too. Arachnid triplets." Yelena shot back.

 

"I can understand him wanting to stay in the van, being a giant lizard and all will draw attention." Clint reasoned.

 

Ock remarked Peter would kill them all, as Peter said he was up first, setting up the fabricator to make cures for them all as Norman, May and Max watched, Max's eyes lit up at the sight of the arc reactor powering it and all the energy within it. As it smashed the kitchen wall as it extended out, Ock reiterated that Peter was going to kill them all.

 

"He's not going to kill you all. But I am worried about how that Max, Electro, whatever, is eyeing up my tech." Tony frowned.

 

"Well hopefully he won't get ahold of an arc reactor. That would be bad news indeed." Thor agreed.

 

Cutting to their work, Peter explained to Norman how the tentacles were controlling Otto, as the chip he had to control them was fried, saying it explained how he was so miserable, as May poured Otto a drink of water, asking if he wanted salt water instead as he was an octopus, as Otto just looked confused by her questions.

 

"It must be agony." Bucky agreed, remembering back to his own time as the Winter Soldier, not being in control of his actions.

 

"Hey, we're all here for you, Buck, you know that." Steve and Sam both told him, noticing the look on Bucky's face at those words.

 

"Thanks guys." Bucky smiled at them.

 

"Well it's not my fault I thought he was an Octopus, weirder things have happened!" May defended her past self.

 

Max spoke to Marko, saying he liked who he was in this new universe and all the possibilities the energy of the place offered to him, as Marko said they just needed to hang tight until he cured them all and then they could all go home. Marko asked how Max got like that, he said the place he worked experimented with electricity and he fell into a vat of electric eels. Marko said he himself had fallen into a super collider as Max said that everyone has to watch out for what they fall into.

 

"What is it with villains and getting powers from falling over? I know if I fell over, all I'd get would be a concussion." Ned joked.

 

"Well, let's not test out giving you any latent super villainy, shall we?" Wong asked.

 

Going back to Peter and Norman, Norman said how extraordinary it all was, both the chip and Peter.

 

"Is he trying to poach my boy?" Tony glared.

 

"Irondad." Kate coughed.

 

"Well he isn't wrong, Peter's a genius." Bruce remarked. "I'd love to get into a lab with him when we get back and just let him run wild, see what he can do, what new theorems he can come up with."

 

"If you need a job and you're willing to commute to another universe..." Norman left the offer hanging as Peter pulled off his goggles, noting that the chip was functioning and it was time to put it into Octavius.

 

"No multiversal hopping ever, especially for a job." Wong and Strange said, especially at the look of the Midtown and younger Avengers groups.

 

Otto told Peter to leave him alone as Peter forced him to hold still to insert the chip, threatening when he got out to rip Peter apart before the chip took effect, knocking Otto out. Peter looked worried as Otto was unresponsive, the rest of the room looking scared as well, until Otto suddenly awoke.

 

"Oh thank God, for a moment I was worried he had committed manslaughter." Matt gasped.

 

"It's so quiet. Those voices, inside my head. I almost forgot." Otto spoke up.

 

"I think it worked." Clint breathed.

 

"I told you, kids a genius!" Tony cheered.

 

"Otto." Norman said.

 

"Old friends, reuniting." Cindy smiled.

 

"Yes, Norman. It's me." Otto laughed as Peter released the arms back to Otto's control, Marko was shocked it had worked to cure him.

 

"Well, he is a genius and working with advanced technology of mine, of course it worked." Tony huffed.

 

"I'm sure it's just overwhelming for them all." Rhodey told Tony.

 

Otto then used one of the arms to return the nanotechnology he had taken from Peter's suit back to him.

 

"Well at least he isn't planning to steal any of my tech." Tony grumbled.

 

"I wouldn't discount that Electro though just yet." Happy glared at the screen.

 

"I'm grateful, dear boy. Truly. How can I help?" Otto asked as he shook Peter's hand.

 

"One more egghead working on it, will help it go quicker I guess." Natasha noted.

 

Happy then left Peter a voicemail, saying he had seen the visitors coming in on the doorbell cam, asking who they were and asking Peter to call him back.

 

"I was so confused by all of it." Happy admitted. "Just a group of random guys going into my place, I didn't know what to think of it all."

 

"How does it feel, Norman?" Otto asked as it headed back to Norman and Otto working on cures for everyone else, Norman included. "You're about to become whole again. No more darker half. Just you."

 

"That's a nice thought, him, whole again, away from that Goblin persona and evil voice." Abe shivered.

 

"Just me." Norman said, his back to Otto and his voice somehow different.

 

"Something doesn't feel right about that, did it?" Natasha asked.

 

"No, it felt off." Clint agreed.

 

"Definitely sounded wrong." Matt concurred.

 

"What else could go wrong for him that already hasn't though?" Yelena questioned.

 

Peter set Max up with a device to draw the excess electricity out of him, awkwardly explaining electricity to Max who looked at him unimpressed. Max then asked if the legos were Peter's before he headed off to check on another device, before Max started to worry.

 

"I don't like this, I feel he's about to freak out and attack Peter, try to escape." Flash worried.

 

"I'd like to test his electricity against mine." Thor declared, eyes lighting up. "I'm sure I could teach this Electro a thing or two about lightning."

 

"Something doesn't feel right." Max said.

 

"No kidding, this entire scene seems to be tension building." Betty remarked.

 

"Leave it alone." Marko warned him. "The sooner you guys get through this, the sooner we go home."

 

"All Marko wants is to go home, he doesn't care about schemes or anything." Ned remarked with a smile.

 

Outside the building, a Daily Bugle van pulled up and JJJ got out to meet his informant, who said Peter was inside, JJJ blasted him, saying he needed incriminating footage of Spider-Man, and he had already called the Department of Damage Control on Peter. Inside the nearby van, Connors remarked "And so it begins."

 

"That rat!" Scott yelled.

 

"So he's actively going to make this situation a million times worse." Bucky shook his head.

 

"Connors seems to want this to fail for some reason." Sam noted.

 

"If it fails, he can try attack Peter again, that's probably why." May worried.

 

Peter suddenly stood up in the apartment, his Peter tingle going off, as he walked around, Norman and Otto asked what was wrong, he said he didn't know as he looked around, everyone gathered around him as Norman walked towards the window, Otto looked at him as Max asked why Peter was just staring at him. Peter then fired a web, sticking Norman's hand to the window, he then turned and smiled at Peter.

 

"Is that what Peter's sense is like?" Quill asked.

 

"It looks so surreal." Hope gasped.

 

"We also have senses like this, and yeah, it can feel really out of body and weird at times." Spider-Man 2 confirmed.

 

"I knew something was wrong with Osborn." Natasha said, biting her lip in worry.

 

"That's some neat trick, that sense of yours."

 

"Hang on, why is his voice and teeth different?" Happy asked.

 

"Norman?" Otto asked, confused.

 

"I don't think that's Norman..." Clint gasped, as everyone else in the room paled, hearing that.

 

"Norman's on sabbatical, honey."

 

"Oh God." Abe whispered.

 

"Goblin." Peter whispered, looking to May who sneaked out of the room.

 

"He's here." Eddie said, as Spider-Man 2's face darkened. The Green Goblin. His greatest and oldest enemy. He just wished he had found Peter-1 quicker, maybe he could have prevented some of this.

 

"No more darker half, did you really think I'd let that happen? That I'd let you take away my power just because you're blind to what true power can bring you?"

 

"He's insane." Kate stated.

 

"He does have a point." Yelena shrugged. "He just uses his powers for the wrong reasons."

 

"What does he have a point on?" Steve asked sharply.

 

"People with true power, people like you for example, Captain America, can take what they want. They just don't, as they have a moral code. He doesn't."

 

"You don't know me." Peter told him.

 

"Sadly, I think he does." Tony remarked. "If he knows another Peter Parker, and it sounds like this other one is similar to you, Roos, then he does have a good idea about how your thoughts work and your moral compass, and he'll exploit it."

 

"Don't I?" Goblin asked. "I saw how she trapped you, fighting her holy moral mission." He said as May nodded to Peter, she had all of their cures in a bag. "We don't need you to save us, we don't need to be saved! These are not curses, they're gifts." He finished. Max looked at his chest and the nearly finished extraction, Marko looked reflective. Otto shook his head and tried to argue against it, as Goblin spat at him "Quiet, lapdog."

 

"My moral mission?" May laughed. "Peter knows right from wrong, and he knows he can help others, that's not a moral mission, that's just basic decency."

 

"You don't know what you're talking about." Peter said.

 

"He really doesn't." MJ agreed, her eyes blazing as she knew what was about to come and all she could feel was glad that Peter wasn't here to see all of this again.

 

"I watched you from behind Norman's cowardly eyes. Struggling, to have everything you want, whilst the world tries to make you choose. Gods don't have to choose." Goblin said. "We take."

 

"You're not a God, you're just a lunatic!" Cindy insisted.

 

"May. Run." Peter said as Goblin and Peter ran at each other, Max ripped off the extractor and pulled the arc reactor from the fabricator towards him, as Marko turned to sand and Goblin threw Peter into the stairs. May headed down to the lifts as Otto tried to get Max to stop, Max said he preferred Otto before, blasting him out of the building, as Marko and Max followed through the hole left behind, heading away from the building, as Otto caught himself and also ran away. The lifts not working, May ran down the stairwell. JJJ on the ground below recorded what was happening as Lizard burst out of the truck and fled, seeing it, he asked if the cameraman had seen that.

 

"Damn, now they're all splitting up and going against the plan!" Steve moaned.

 

"Didn't take Max long to decide to steal the reactor." Tony frowned.

 

"I see Otto at least tried to stay good, but he's fleeing now as well." Kate sighed.

 

"This is where I'm from." May remarked. "I was running down the stairs, carrying these cures when I was here." She said, gesturing to the bag she had brought with her. Opening it though, she saw it was empty.

 

"I have removed them for now. They're not needed in here." The Watcher explained as she looked confused.

 

"The look of confusion on his face at Lizard escaping though, that's so funny!" Mantis cried as most of the rest of the room laughed at JJJ's shocked face.

 

Goblin punched Peter through the glass, his powers allowing him to keep his footing as he threw himself at Goblin, Goblin grabbed his arms and threw him through another window. Following behind and grabbing Peter, Peter webbed the ceiling above and flipped them over, planting his feet into Goblin, he webbed down and pushed down with all of his force, sending them falling two stories, smashing into Goblin as they landed. Peter tried to swing away as Goblin grabbed his leg and pulled him back down, punching Peter as the Daily Bugle helicopter shone a spotlight onto the two of them.

 

"Damn, they're really going all out against each other!" MJ yelped. She had seen Peter after the fight, and he looked bad, for obvious reasons, but to see the fight itself happening, it was horrifying.

 

"Peter...my baby boy..." May whimpered, seeing him being smashed through a window and thrown into concrete floors, unable to help him. "Please, Mr Watcher, I need you to send me back to help him!"

 

"When you return, no time shall have passed, May Parker. Please, calm." The Watcher said to her. "You must see what happens next."

 

"Peter's got some serious techniques at least, he's come a long way since the airport." Bucky smiled. "He's got some serious skills, he should be proud of them."

 

"He shouldn't need to be using them like this at all!" Betty cried out.

 

"No, I agree, but it's better he's able to handle it if its happening to him." Bucky agreed.

 

Goblin then threw Peter through a wall into a corridor, as Peter got up, Goblin approached again, taunting him.

 

"How is this guy still standing?! Peter's thrown him around like a rag doll his fair share of times as well!" Sam remarked.

 

"The serum that gave him his powers also gave him crazy super strength." Spider-Man 2 explained. "It does to all of them when they make the formula, he can almost go toe to toe, in an extended fight, Peter should win, but it will always be a close fight."

 

"Strong enough to have it all." Goblin told him, blocking some debris Peter threw at him, he punched Peter in the chest, sending him flying across the hall. "TOO WEAK TO TAKE IT!"

 

"No, he's too good to just take it." Tony hissed.

 

"This guy's crazy strong!" Sersi remarked.

 

Peter then jumped on him, wrapping his legs around him and repeatedly hitting Goblin in the face as hard as he could, as Goblin grinned and laughed as he did. Peter yelled as he repeatedly hit Goblin, the man moving before slamming Peter through the floor to the hallway below.

 

"He's been hit, these blows would probably cripple a normal person, and he's laughing as Peter does this?" Matt asked, askance. "Goblin is far too dangerous, he's got nothing to lose and everything to gain."

 

"PETER!" MJ yelled, seeing him being thrown through the floor.

 

"He's alright, we meet up with him after this." Ned told the rest of them, who looked shocked at what was happening and MJ's reaction. "We just never saw what happened here."

 

Goblin walked away as Peter limped to the edge of the hall, the helicopter blasting the glass of the window with how close it was, Peter jumped outside and began to climb the side of the building, back towards where Goblin was, struggling to catch his breath, he looked down to see JJJ far below, smiling at him.

 

"God I want to hit him with a repulsor blast so much right now." Tony growled at JJJ's smug look.

 

"Now I gotcha." JJJ said.

 

"You small, spiteful, little man." Betty spat. "Peter has never done anything wrong to you, he even poses photos for you. That's it, when we go back, I'm resigning. I'd rather have my morals intact."

 

"I'll leave a note before this heist thing, whilst I'm doing everything else." Tony told her. "I'll ask Pepper to take you on as a Stark intern, clearly you're smart enough to be on, going to Midtown."

 

"That'd be amazing, thank you!" Betty gushed. This may have just been the best career choice she ever made.

 

Peter was then suddenly attacked from above, as Lizard grabbed him. "I told you there'd be consequences!" he yelled, throwing Peter through another window. He then raced up the building again as Goblin grabbed Peter and lifted him up, slamming him into the ceiling before smashing Peter down into the floor again, the two of them fell through the floor, and kept falling, smashing every story on the way down to the lobby of the apartment complex.

 

"Connors, you traitor!" Sprite yelled.

 

"How is Peter still standing after all of that?!" Bruce asked, stunned.

 

"Well, I think that settles the debate on strength, I don't even think Bucky or I could still walk after that." Steve admitted.

 

"No, he's definitely more durable than us." Bucky agreed. "Can probably lift more than us as well."

 

"I'd like to try him with my hammer." Thor mused. "Just to see..."

 

"He absolutely could." Tony cut Thor off.

 

They collapsed into the lobby just as May arrived there herself, cures still in hand. She pulled out the cure for Goblin and approached them.

 

"Be careful, May. Goblin's too unhinged to try reason with." Abe warned.

 

Nobody caught the look on the faces of Happy, Ned, MJ and the two Spider-Men.

 

"Your weakness, Peter, is morality." Goblin said, wrapping his hands around Peter's throat. "It's choking you! Can't you feel it?" He asked, a demented look in his eyes as he grinned down at the struggling Peter.

 

"He better get his hands off of him, now!" May shouted.

 

"Peter will throw him off, you know he will." Clint fervently said. "The kid doesn't give up."

 

May ran over and jabbed the cure into his neck, as he stumbled away, Peter was able to catch his breath. Goblin then turned to May in a rage. "It didn't work." He said, putting his foot on Peter's back, pushing him back down. "Norman was right, he got it from you. That pathetic, sickness. He tried to fix me, now, I'm gonna fix you." Goblin said, holding Peter's head up, Peter, struggling to talk, begged May to run as she picked up some debris to defend herself with, not seeing the glider arrive at the front doors behind her.

 

"How didn't the cure work?!" Tony asked, stunned.

 

"He's going to hurt one of you, you need to get out of there, now!" Matt called out.

 

"How are they meant to stop this guy? He's unhinged and unwilling to back down." Yelena frowned.

 

"May, run, please." Peter begged as the glider flew in, smashing into May and sending her flying, as Goblin jumped onto it, turning to Peter as he got to his feet, a pumpkin bomb in Goblin's hand.

 

"May, please, run!" Happy begged, knowing what would happen but still wishing it could change, somehow.

 

"That's one of the bombs he used on the bridge, that blew it up." Sam said, recognising it.

 

"A dangerous weapon." Spider-Man 2 stated.

 

"Peter, Peter, Peter. No good deed goes unpunished. You can thank me later." He said, activating the bomb and throwing it towards May, flying away as Peter dived for the bomb, the explosion sending Peter flying once again. Goblin threw another at the police cars outside, exploding them and causing police and JJJ to run for safety as the DoDC arrived in their trucks.

 

"Are they both ok?!" Steve demanded to know, turning to the ceiling.

 

"Watch." The Watcher simply stated.

 

May got to her feet and struggled to Peter, both of them reuniting, both badly injured from the attacks and the blast. May hugged him as they both told the other they were ok, Peter said he thought his ribs were broken.

 

"At least you're both alright, you'll be fine, just need to get some medical help." Kate said optimistically, Scott nodding.

 

"I've got a bad feeling about this still." Clint stated.

 

"This is all my fault, May. I should have just listened to Strange and let him send them back."

 

"No, you did the right thing!" May insisted, still somewhat shocked at having seen Goblin target and attack her as well. "You're helping them, that's all that matters, that's the right thing, to help them."

 

"No, you did the right thing." May assured him, shaking her head. "They would have been killed, you did the right thing."

 

"Yes, yes you did do the right thing!" May agreed.

 

"It's not my responsibility." Peter told her as she told him to ignore what Norman had said about her moral mission.

 

"Sadly, it is, kid." Tony said sorrowfully.

 

"Yeah, he knows it is." May told him.

 

"Peter, listen to me." May said, "You have a gift. You have power. And with great power there must also come great responsibility." May finished.

 

"Wise words." Bruce remarked as May smiled softly.

 

Nobody noticed either Spider-Man wipe their eyes slightly as they took in the scene.

 

Peter said he knew as she recommended them both leave, taking a few steps, May said she needed to lie down for a moment, Peter helping her to lay down. DoDC troops piled out of their vans and headed towards the building, guns raised, as Peter told May she was ok and asked what had happened to her.

 

"Peter...It's alright." May softly said to the screen, wishing he could hear her. What else could she say, what else could she do? She had a good idea of what was going on and it frightened her. Not for her own sake, she'd see Ben, and Richard and Mary again, but for Peter, leaving him alone in the world.

 

"It's not though." Natasha said, bitterly. She felt her heart going out to the kid in these, and he didn't deserve this, May didn't deserve this. "You don't deserve this."

 

"We don't always get what we're owed." Steve said quietly.

 

"Why aren't they trying to help? Just grabbing their guns and pointing them towards it, they should be helping!" Rhodey protested.

 

"Because they're assholes." Bucky spat.

 

"Just need to catch my breath." May told him as Peter assured her he was right there and they could catch their breath before leaving. Peter then began begging someone to get an ambulance as he found the bleeding, May looking at him in confusion and worry.

 

"Oh God." Sam whispered, horrified at the scene playing out before them.

 

"No, she's ok, she is. She just needs to catch her breath, remember?" Cindy asked, tears in her eyes at the sight.

 

"I don't think this has the happy ending we all want." Wanda said sadly.

 

"What happened?" May asked as Peter wiped her face, telling her she was ok and calling out for help some more.

 

"Save your breath, just focus on Peter." Tony whimpered.

 

"I'm still here for now, Stark." May told him with a sad smile. "If this is what has to happen, then I'll go to it, as I have too, but I want you all to promise me, you'll look out for Peter when you get back."

 

"We will." Everyone from the present chorused.

 

"I just need to catch my-" May trailed off as Peter kept saying "I'm right here, I'm right here." Then May's head turned to the side, Peter telling her she was ok and it was just the two of them, as May stopped breathing.

 

"I'm sorry, I wasn't there to help, if I had been, maybe I could have-" Happy broke down crying, unable to finish as he felt the walls closing in on him, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't see, what was happening?

 

"Happy, breathe." May said, taking his hands in hers. "I'm still here for now. Please, focus on my voice. What happened is not your fault, at all. It's only the fault of the Goblin. I don't blame you, I don't blame Peter, I don't even blame Norman. It's only the Goblin. Alright? Please, look at me. I'm here, I'm not going anywhere, not yet. So, please, breathe."

 

Happy nodded, wiping his eyes and taking deep, steady breaths to calm himself as he listened to her.

 

"May?....May?...Can you look at me, May?....May? May? What are you doing, May? Please, will you just wake up and talk to me, please?" Peter cried and begged as the troops closed in on him, guns raised.

 

"God." Betty whimpered as she felt herself crying at the scene, looking around, there wasn't really a dry eye, other than Venom, and could he cry at all?

 

"I'm sorry, Маленький паук." Yelena said.

 

MJ and Ned just wrapped their arms around each other and hugged, tears down both of their cheeks.

 

Happy then pulled up between them and him, looking into the ruined lobby, he could see Peter crying and May's body on the floor. Troops aimed their guns at Happy as he looked devastated, his eyes cast downwards. He raised his hands and climbed out of the car as the troops forced him onto the bonnet and cuffed him, he yelled for Peter to run as the troops yelled for Parker to come out with his hands held up. Peter kissed May's head, telling her how sorry he was, as the troops opened fire, one clipped Peter, but as the dust settled, Peter was nowhere to be seen, as a tear rolled down May's cheek.

 

"THOSE FUCKERS!" Venom growled. "I DEMAND WE EAT THEM ALL!"

 

"You're not going to get a protest from me for once, if we go back there somehow, we're eating them." Eddie nodded, furious.

 

"I'm just sorry I can't be there for you, Peter." May cried.

 

"This is not your fault, remember?" Tony told her. "I'm just sorry I can't change this for you."

 

"Tragedy. What else can I call it?" JJJ's voice echoed as Peter stood in the rain, May's bag of cures at his feet, looking at the broadcast on a large public screen. The rain and blood mingled together in Peter's hair and on his skin, pouring down to join his tears, as JJJ continued to ramble on. "What more need be said? The damage, destruction, you saw it with your own eyes. When will people wake up and realise that everywhere that Spider-Man goes, chaos and calamity ensue? Everything Spider-Man touches comes to ruin, and we, the innocents, are left to pick up the pieces. J Jonah Jameson, reporting. Good night, and God help us all." He said, as the broadcast shut off, leaving Peter, soaked in rain, tears and blood, staring at the black screen before him.

 

"God...." Everyone whispered, seeing the scene and the look of total dejection on Peter's face.

 

"He broke him." Bruce said quietly.

 

"I fucked up so badly." Strange told Wong and Wanda quietly. "He's lost so much, and I took even more from him."

 

"You didn't." Wong tried to reassure him. "You did what you needed to do, that's all, Stephen."

 

The scene cut to Ned and MJ at Ned's home, seeing the news report about the battle and reporting the death of an unnamed civilian, as MJ told Ned she was going to press the button to send them all back.

 

"Good, send them back before they can cause any more damage." Steve urged.

 

"Fortunately, a better option presented itself." MJ said cryptically, wiping her blood red eyes from the last few scenes still.

 

"Like what? What could possibly be better than getting these dangerous criminals out of our universe?" Natasha asked.

 

"Just watch." Ned urged.

 

Ned said how he wished they could see Peter, as a yellow light fizzed in the room. MJ told him to do it again as they realised he was wearing the Sling Ring from Strange, he did it again, waving his hands, as a portal lasted slightly longer before collapsing. Ned then stood again, saying "I just wish we could see Peter!" As a portal opened, showing Spider-Man looking around an alleyway.

 

"You found him already?" Tony asked, surprised.

 

"I've got Doctor Strange magic." Ned proudly smiled as Strange rolled his eyes.

 

"This is why I'm teaching you, Leeds, but please, stop calling it Doctor Strange magic."

 

"No promises." Ned shot back.

 

"Is that him?" MJ asked as Ned's lola mentioned how he was magic. Ned said it had to be as the two of them started yelling for Peter to come to them, Spider-Man raised his arm in greeting then ran towards the portal, hopping through it to reveal a Spider-Man in a different costume.

 

"Hang on, that looks alot like your suit." Natasha accused Spider-Man 3.

 

"Trust me, it isn't mine." He smirked at her.

 

Spider-Man called out he was a nice guy as Ned's lola began screaming and ran, before he whipped off his mask to reveal a different Peter Parker.

 

"Why'd you lie?!" Scott asked.

 

"Well, I think it was the Watcher, you contacted us at the start, right? Asking us not to say anything?" Spider-Man 3 said.

 

"Yes." The Watcher simply stated.

 

"Wait, so are you Peter Parker?" Clint asked, to no response.

 

"Who the hell are you?" MJ asked.

 

"Just tell us." Rhodey stated. "Are you Peter, or are you not?"

 

"I literally give my name in a minute." Spider-Man 3 informed them.

 

"I'm Peter Parker, I'm Spider-Man. In my world, and then yesterday I....I was just here." Peter-3 said as MJ remarked it wasn't possible for him to be Peter.

 

"Peter?" May asked, turning to the young man in disbelief.

 

"Hi, May." Peter-3 smiled at her warmly.

 

"Peter..." Tony breathed, taking in the appearance of this other version of his protege.

 

"Mr Stark." Peter-3 respectfully nodded.

 

"Why didn't you tell us that you're Peter?" Sersi asked.

 

"I was asked not too." Peter-3 chuckled. "Plus Happy, MJ and Ned were keeping my secret too."

 

"We did only remember recently though!" The three in question protested.

 

"Wow...String theory...multidimensional reality...and matter displacement...all real?" Peter-3 asked excitedly.

 

"Is there any universe Peter Parker isn't a giant nerd?" Bruce asked.

 

"Nope." Peter-3 grinned.

 

"Yeah." Ned told him.

 

"I like how easily you're taking this, babe." Betty told him.

 

"At this rate, I'm expecting all sorts." Ned stated.

 

"I knew it." Peter-3 grinned. Ned mentioned to MJ it had to be due to the spell as Peter-3 asked if magic was real here as well, looking like all of his wildest dreams had come true.

 

"Nerd." Spider-Man 2 whispered to his alter.

 

"So?" Peter-3 grinned, blushing at the twinkling in Spider-Man 2's eyes. "It's not like you're not a giant nerd too."

 

"Touche." Spider-Man 2 grinned back.

 

"Prove it."

 

"How?" Cindy asked MJ.

 

"Prove what?"

 

"Prove you're Peter, I'm assuming." Bucky stated.

 

"Prove you're Peter Parker."

 

"Do many of you carry ID on you?" Peter-3 asked, winking at MJ as the heroes denied they did.

 

"i don't care an ID on me. Kind of defeats the whole anonymous superhero thing." Peter-3 said as MJ threw a loaf of bread at him, hitting him.

 

"Yeah, exactly!" Yelena remarked. "It does defeat the point, Michelle Jones."

 

"Well I know that now!" She drily shot back.

 

"Why'd you do that?"

 

"Probably to test your reflexes." Sam noted. "Not a bad move actually."

 

"Do you have the tingle thing?"

 

"Do you?" May asked, drinking in the sight of another version of her nephew.

 

"I do, but not for bread. It's for danger, bread isn't a threat." Peter-3 smiled softly.

 

"I have the tingle thing, but not for bread." He told her, confused. "Can you not throw the bread again?" he asked as she grabbed another piece. "You're a deeply mistrusting person...and I respect it."

 

"That's so sweet." Kate cooed as Peter-3 blushed.

 

Peter-3 then jumped and stuck to the ceiling, Ned and MJ eyed him, he shrugged as if it to say "See?" MJ told him to crawl around, throwing more bread when he said it was plenty of proof and he wouldn't. Ned's Lola came and asked Ned something, as Ned asked Peter-3 to get the cobweb from the corner, which he did. Coming to the floor again, they accepted he was another Peter Parker.

 

"Am I just a performing monkey?" Peter-3 groaned as everyone laughed at the antics that Ned and MJ put him through.

 

"You're a performing spider monkey, get it right." Abe joked as Peter-3 scowled.

 

"I miss my universe already." He pouted.

 

"So I opened the wrong portal to the wrong Peter Parker?" Ned asked.

 

"I'm sure the next one will find our Peter." Tony smiled. "Not that I'm against seeing any Peter Parkers really."

 

"Yeah, I guess you just keep doing it until we find the real one." MJ told him.

 

"Put some ice on that burn." Sprite giggled as Sersi beamed. She had taught her well.

 

"Ouch." Peter-3 said, turning to them.

 

"That's the right mood, is it?" Phastos asked.

 

"Close enough." Cindy laughed.

 

"Find Peter Parker....Find Peter Parker....FIND PETER PARKER!" Ned called out, doing the circles as Peter-3 asked what was happening and MJ shushed him.

 

"Gotta let him focus, man!" MJ fake told off Peter-3, who put his hand over his heart, mockingly offended.

 

A portal opened behind them, MJ looking at it, as another man walked out, looking up at them, it was yet another Peter Parker.

 

"Peter?" May asked again, turning to Spider-Man 2.

 

"Yeah, it's me, May." Peter-2 smiled. "Well, another version anyway."

 

"How many more Peter Parkers are there?" Happy demanded.

 

"Just the three of us, at least in this." Peter-3 assured him. "Right?" He asked the Watcher.

 

"Oh there are infinite Peter Parkers and most of them are Spider-Man in their universes, but yes, for this adventure, it's just the three of them." The Watcher confirmed.

 

"Look at you, both of you, heroes." May told them with a grin as the two Peters moved towards her, she opened her arms as they moved into them, the three Parkers wrapping each other in a hug. "I know I'm not your May, but you're both still my nephews."

 

"You're still our aunt." Peter-2 insisted as Peter-3 nodded as they all broke apart and sat down once more.

 

"Great its just some random guy." Ned said.

 

"Anything but." Cindy laughed, as everyone took in the sight of the three Parkers sat together.

 

"Hello." Peter-2 said, waving at them. "I hope its ok, I just came through this...oh, it just closed."

 

"Is there any universe where the kid is rude to anyone?" Clint asked.

 

"I've had my fair share of rudeness." Peter-2 shrugged.

 

"I doubt that very much." Betty laughed.

 

"You're Peter." MJ stated.

 

"An amazing deduction." Flash teased her as MJ shoved him.

 

"Yeah...Peter Parker." Peter-2 told them.

"The one and only, when ignoring the others." Peter-2 remarked.

 

He then spotted Peter-3, the two of them attacked each other, thinking the other was an imposter, before Peter-2 managed to web Peter-3's shooters.

 

"Why did you attack each other?" Cindy asked.

 

"Well we didn't know who the other one was, so were wary." Peter-3 explained.

 

"Wait, if you're Spider-Man too, why didn't you just say that?" Ned asked.

 

"Hiding the identity." Peter-2 shrugged.

 

"I generally don't go around advertising it. Kinda defeats the whole anonymous superhero thing." Peter-2 explained.

 

"That's what the other Peter said!" Kate stated.

 

"That's what I just said." Peter-3 grumbled.

 

"Exactly!" Eddie agreed.

 

"That's what he just said." MJ remarked.

 

"Is there an echo in here?" Matt joked.

 

Lola asked them to clean up their webs as Peter-2 remarked he had been looking for their Peter since he got there, having a feeling that he needed his help, Peter-3 nodded and said he needed their help.

 

"He really did need your help, more than any of us know I think, and he isn't here, I know he'll have said it, but I want to say it as well, thank you, both of you." MJ said, turning to the two Peters. "For everything you did, for him, for the universe and for me."

 

"It's what we do." Peter-3 grinned, looking at Peter-2, who nodded at him.

 

MJ explained that they were all Peter had left at the moment. Peter-2 asked if there was anywhere he would go, Peter-3 interjected about getting away from everything, showing how issues got all of them sometimes. Peter-2 said for him it was the top of the Chrysler building. Peter-3 said it was the Empire state for him, better views. MJ said yeah there was somewhere like that.

 

"Those are some pretty sweet views. I've used them as nests before." Clint stated.

 

"I flew up to them too, they are nice." Tony concurred.

 

"Wait, why did the screen turn off?" Ikaris asked.

 

"I figured you deserved to know more about these two, so before you see what happens next here, I'll be taking you back in time to see the events that led up to this for these two, the lives of the two Peter Parkers before you, and how their choices shaped their destinies." The Watcher explained.

 

"Do we have to?" Peter-2 asked.

 

"I'd rather not." Peter-3 agreed, thinking on what it would likely show.

 

"Sorry, but they need to see. We shall start with your first few years." The Watcher told Peter-2. "These events will cover your dealings with the villains you have seen Peter from this universe face, showing how they became the villains they are now."

Notes:

Holy heck. Morbius. There's still a week in most places until release, so the director decides "Let's do a spoiler filled interview" and my God, this movie is gonna be a trainwreck. I was hyped for it, but now, no. I shall be making references to Morbius in NWH chapter 2, but as you can see, I'm doing the Raimi trilogy AND the Webb duology BEFORE NWH 2, so expect a few weeks to months until that drops. Jesus, this film. Most of the bad stuff is to do with Michael Keaton as well, just saying.

Chapter 24: Mary Jane Watson

Summary:

Spider-Man (2002) chapter 1.

Notes:

Gonna watch Spider-Man Homecoming again before Morbius, so I can mourn the real Adrian Toomes.

"So, these next few will be following you, Peter?" MJ asked Peter-2.

 

"Yeah, I guess so, the first few years, my dealings with Doctor Osborn, Otto and Flint." Peter-2 explained.

 

"I do want to see how the other thing wraps up, but I am excited to see different universes." Bruce remarked.

 

"Is our Peter going to be ok?" May asked. She was glad to see these other two, they were still Peter after all, but she needed to know where hers was.

 

"He's fine. Remember, you'll see what happens shortly, and as I've stated before, time does not pass whilst you're here." The Watcher said. "Now, please, on with this."

 

The scene opened up on a school bus, with a girl sat on it, smiling at her friends as a man narrated that she was the girl next door.

 

"Is that you narrating?" Happy asked with a raised eyebrow.

 

"Yep." Peter-2 groaned.

 

“Mary Jane Watson. The woman I’ve loved since before I liked girls.” Before the man explained he wasn’t any of the people sat around her, showing him chasing the bus and yelling for it to stop.

 

"Me in your universe?" MJ asked Peter-2, who nodded.

 

"As far as I can tell, yeah you're this universes MJ, I mean, this universes version of my MJ, you see why this multiverse stuff is confusing?" Peter-2 asked everyone, most of them nodding in agreement.

 

"I'm assuming that's you?" Abe questioned.

 

"Yup, that's me before I got my powers." Peter-2 explained. "Back then, I was just regular old Peter Parker, local nerd."

 

“Catch a cab, Parker!” A jock on the bus yelled as Mary Jane got the driver to stop the bus.

 

"Jerks." Natasha muttered. "At least this MJ seems nice."

 

"I'm starting to see how they were so confused when you called out for Peter in the lab, Ned." MJ whispered to her best friend.

 

One of the jocks nodded to another and stuck his leg out as Peter passed, tripping him and sending him flying .

 

"How do you not react to that?" Peter-3 asked.

 

"Years of practise. I haven't seen most of these guys in nearly twenty years, so that also helps."

 

They arrived at Columbia University as the teacher spoke to them all, addressing them as Midtown High.

 

"Oh, you went to Midtown too?" Tony asked, unsure where he stood with these two new Peters. He knew his Peter, but these two, they didn't seem as eager to get to know him. Had they said they knew Tony Stark?

 

"Yeah, so did I." Peter-3 nodded. "Guess it's universal."

 

Mary Jane waved towards where Peter stood, as he awkwardly raised his hand and waved, she smiled as two girls behind him waved back to her and ran up to talk with her, Peter lowered his hand with a sad smile as he followed the rest of the class into the building.

 

"Rejected." Cindy said, as Peter-2 laughed.

 

"Oh God, did we do that?" MJ asked Ned, remembering something.

 

"What do you mean?" Ned asked.

 

"A few weeks after the fight, you came to Peter Pans and I gave you a donut as I was serving a weird customer. I waved to you and he raised his hand at first, before putting it down, that alone seemed odd to me. He introduced himself as Peter Parker."

 

A Rolls pulled up outside, with two men, Harry and Norman Osborn inside of it. Harry tried to get the driver to pull up around the corner, embarrassed that he was possibly up showing all the public school kids with his wealth. Norman told him not to be ashamed of who he was and that he wouldn’t be with public school kids if he didn’t drop out of every private school he was sent too.

 

"Doctor Osborn." Peter-2 said firmly, noticing the hostile looks the screen was getting from most of the room, and the stunned look that May was giving it. "He doesn't have the darker half in him, at least not then,

 

"So, is this your Harry Osborn?" Clint asked.

 

"Yeah, my best friend." Peter-2 said with a small sad smile as Ned's eyes widened, he looked over to Peter-2 to see the man looking at him, he gave Ned a small nod, answering the unasked question.

 

"Seems Norman was a strict father." May finally spoke, her voice shaky as she took in the screen.

 

"He was, Harry hated that about him, but, after a time, he wished he had more of it."

 

Harry caught up to Peter and they went to go in as Norman rushed upto them with Harry’s bag in his hand, meeting Peter for the first time, he learnt what a genius Peter was from Harry, saying that he was something of a scientist himself. Peter and Norman discussed nanotechnology and Norman’s research into it before the two of them left.

 

"He's a genius then, great." Bruce remarked.

 

"Well, you don't set up a multi billion dollar company as an idiot." Peter-2 noted. "But sadly, the Goblin is just as intelligent."

 

"What year is this?" Tony spoke up.

 

"Erm, 2002?" Peter-2 asked.

 

"Nanotechnology in 2002? And our Peter said our science was advanced. The wider world here barely had nanotechnology starting in 2016."

 

“He doesn’t seem too bad.” Peter told Harry.

 

"He wasn't, at that time." Peter-2 admitted.

 

“Yeah, if you’re a genius. I think he wants to adopt you.”

 

"I feel sorry for Harry, clearly he just wants his fathers approval, and he thinks he'll never get it." Kate said. "I can only guess what resentment that'll breed."

 

"Oh, you have no idea." Peter-2 laughed.

 

"Imagine, Peter Osborn." Bucky grinned.

 

"I'd rather not know if there's a universe where Norman Osborn is my father." Peter-3 piped up.

 

As they toured the university, the tour guide discussed their experiments with spiders as Peter geeked out over the advanced equipment they had, as Harry looked bored, and Mary Jane tried to fend off the advances of the lead jock.

 

"At least she wants to learn." MJ nodded at her alter, she guessed, with approval.

 

"Spiders, eh? Is this going to be what I think it is?" Happy asked.

 

"The day I got my powers, yeah." Peter-2 admitted.

 

Peter and Harry discuss spiders as Harry seems bored with all of it, as the jocks try to knock Peter off of taking his photos for the school paper. The teacher reprimands all of them and tells them to settle down.

 

"What assholes." Yelena spat.

 

"At least you're trying to educate him." Bruce smiled at Peter-2. "A noble idea, Mr Parker."

 

"Yeah, Harry was always smart, he just always lacked focus on some things, I guess." Peter-2 noted.

 

"Always gotta keep focused." Matt said.

 

Harry told Peter to talk with Mary Jane, as Peter chickened out, Harry went to talk with her instead, telling her spider facts to impress her. The guide discussed that they had 15 genetic super spiders, with Mary Jane pointing out one was missing, the guide said the scientists must be working on it as it cut up to show the spider in a web high above them.

 

"Genetics in 2002 on spiders that advanced? That's pretty impressive." Natasha said.

 

"Well, I'm not sure who worked on the project, but it was definitely something." Peter-2 said.

 

"I don't think they're working on that spider." Flash joked.

 

Peter approached Mary Jane as the rest of the class moved on, asking to take her photo with the spiders, as she posed for him, the super spider dropped down on its web and landed on Peter’s hand, biting him.

 

"That must have hurt!" Ned yelped, seeing the spider bite.

 

"Oh, it did." Peter-2 said.

 

"Mine did too, felt awful for ages afterwards." Peter-3 agreed.

 

"Is that how our Peter got his powers?" Cindy asked.

 

"Yes." The Watcher simply stated. "Most Spider-Men get their powers this way."

 

"I hope we can see that sometime, but I also don't want to see that." Abe stated, as they all turned back to the screen.

Notes:

I've actually decided I'm a prophet now. If Sony follow the plan I think they might be angling for, they're geniuses. A Sinister Six film that is also the live action Spider-Verse they apparently want, so Morbius, Vulture, Venom, probably Ock, Goblin and Mysterio too, against Maguire, Garfield and Holland? Yes. I'll take that.

If Sony don't do that though, they're idiots.

Chapter 25: Back To Formula?!

Notes:

Had a few ask, sorry, not including Comic Spider-Man, Spider-Verse or Nicholas Hammond Spider-Man in this. Also no Morbius, there will be a mention to Morbius, sure, but not any time soon. Also, as for why Peter and MJ broke up, they didn't. All will become clear...eventually.

"So, spider bite huh?" Rocket asked, turning to the two Peters.

 

"Yup." Peter-3 popped.

 

"That must have been quite the spider." Drax remarked.

 

"Well, modifications to its biology will do that." Peter-2 said with a dry laugh. "It's dead now anyway, just like Peter-1's."

 

"Peter-1?" Tony asked.

 

"Well we had to figure some way to differentiate ourselves when talking. You'll see it I'm sure when we go back to looking at what came after we met up with Ned and MJ." Peter-3 stated.

 

The scene cut to Oscorp and a man wearing the Goblin suit and on the glider.

 

May's eyes widened, seeing the suit and the glider that would, will, had, killed her. She could feel her heart beat racing and her breaths shortening as she took in the sight, jumping slightly when she felt a hand on her shoulder, turning to the one who was offering her some slight comfort.

 

"I'm here. You're safe. You're with us now, May." Happy smiled back at her.

 

"Happy...I..." May trailed off as he just gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze and smiled again. No words were needed, he knew what she meant, and he knew he'd be there for her.

 

"Take your time. All the time you need." Happy told her.

 

"Thank you, Happy, I don't, I don't know what I'd do, what Peter does-" May broke off.

 

"It's alright, May." Happy insisted. "We'll be there for him, we'll find a way to fix this, all of this, it'll be like it never happened."

 

"Promise me?" May begged.

 

"I promise, I'll make it right." Happy swore.

 

"Are you alright?" Peter-3 asked Peter-2, seeing the man pale slightly.

 

"Yeah." He said after a moment. "It's just, Goblin was wearing a modified version at Lady Liberty, this, seeing the original costume again, after all of these years, the near misses I had with that thing trying to kill me, it's just alot. Brings back alot of painful memories. Most ancient, some, sadly, somewhat recent." Peter-2 explained, a bitter edge to his voice, and Peter-3 decided not to press him any further, at least for now.

 

A general was talking with the scientists in charge, the Oscorp board of directors with him, as Norman came in, wearing a lab coat, greeting them. They chatted for a bit about the finances, before Osborn was told they had two weeks to create the super soldier they were going for, otherwise the funding would be pulled for Oscorp.

 

"So, they need a new source of funding? That's why we used contracts with the military, sure, but we largely made and licensed our own products. Being totally reliant on one source, not a good move." Tony noted.

 

"They had their fingers in many pies, but this was by far the largest, perhaps too large." Peter-2 sighed.

 

"Two weeks to achieve something that they're nowhere near ready for, even if they take another year or two, they probably wouldn't be? Does this general just hate Oscorp?" Bruce asked.

 

The scene changed to show a small house in the suburbs and two elderly people inside, one fitting a new bulb as the other thanked him. The man addressed the woman as “May.”

 

"Is that....?" May blinked.

 

"Yeah, that's my version of you and Ben." Peter-2 smiled at her. "They, honestly, they were the best parents anyone could have ever asked for."

 

"They were?" Natasha asked, looking at Peter-2 sadly.

 

"I'm older than alot of you in here. They were already old, as you can see, when I was the age of your Peter. Sadly, life doesn't give us forever. You've got to take what you get whilst you can, and cherish every moment. I didn't always do that, but I like to think I was grateful for what I did get." Peter-2 smiled, wiping a tear away that came to his eye as he thought about his May and Ben, and all they had done for him.

 

Peter came back in as Ben looked over job vacancies in the paper, rushing up the stairs, claiming to be ill and not hungry as he left the two of them. Getting to his room, Peter looked feverish and ill as he collapsed onto the floor, pulling his blanket over him as the spider bite on his hand grew massively.

 

"They must have been so worried about you!" May told Peter-2 with a stern tone, as he sheepishly shrunk under her gaze.

 

"Yeah, and I wish I had properly apologised for all of that." Peter-2 said. "I just felt like I was about to explode, I'm sure Peter-3 can back me up?"

 

"Oh yeah, I felt on deaths door when it happened to me."

 

"Peter was ill in bed for about a few days during his freshman year, shivering, crying out, I didn't know what to do, but then one day, the fever broke, and he was back to his old self again immediately." May's eyes glazed over as she thought back to that. "It must have been then he got his bite."

 

"Sounds like it could have been." Peter-2 nodded.

 

Meanwhile, at Oscorp, Norman Osborn loaded a test of their super soldier serum into the lab as the scientist who opposed human tests begged him to reconsider. Norman said that risks needed to be taken and he would undergo the procedure himself. The scientist reluctantly set it up for him.

 

"He's testing it on himself?!" Bruce asked, aghast.

 

"He thought it was the only way to save his company, and with all those successful trials, to one failure, he thought the benefits outweighed the risks. He couldn't have been more wrong." The Watcher stated, before Peter-2 could contribute.

 

"There's alot of things that I wish Doctor Osborn had done differently, after I found out about this, this was one of the biggest." Peter-2 said.

 

"How did you find out about this?" Clint asked.

 

"A few years later, I found out I'd been left some things from the Osborn estate. His notes were one of them. I never did find out why he had left them to me, one last bit of revenge, somehow? Sadly, I never learned why." Peter-2 explained.

 

"Why is this guy even helping him? Didn't he tell the military to cut the funding pretty much?" Tony asked.

 

"He just wants to keep his job." Peter-3 defended the man he'd never met, he could understand doing stuff you don't want to do to keep a career, he'd done it, he'd seen it, and, judging from the look Peter-2 gave, he'd done and seen it as well. Every Peter had probably had to do things they didn't want to do to keep themselves going, to keep a job, to let them still be both Peter and Spider-Man, and he'd wager by now, Peter-1 had as well. How dare this rich guy judge anyone on that? He may not know Tony Stark that well, and he knew Peter-1 thought the world of the man, but, if he was being honest, Peter-1 could do much better for a role model than this rich sleaze ball.

 

"There are other ways to do that that don't violate ethics and the law." Tony shot back.

 

"It's not worth getting into this." Peter-3 shut it down before Tony could respond again.

 

Norman began to flatline and as the scientist pulled the plug, his eyes opened, lifting him by the neck, he screamed “BACK TO FORMULA?!” Before throwing him through the room and through some glass, Norman then jumped after him, snarling as he killed him.

 

"He killed that man." Kate said, horrified.

 

"That's no longer just Norman Osborn, sadly." Peter-2 said. "That's the Green Goblin now."

 

"It's ironic." Matt spoke up.

 

"What is?" Ned asked.

 

"The day that Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man, Norman Osborn becomes the Green Goblin. I just find it ironic, that these two sides of the same coin have gained their powers on the same day." Matt explained.

Notes:

I know there was an idea to have both Peter 2 and 3 explain to Peter 1 how Green Goblin is their greatest foe, if it's in the deleted scenes, I'll use it in the lab scene in NWH, as I assume that's where it'll be. If it isn't, I'll make up a scene fitting it there as well.

Chapter 26: Jesus Parker, you are a freak

"So, what kind of super soldier serum was that, that made him that strong that he could take our Peter's punches and just laugh them off?" Steve asked.

 

"Something of his own making. I got a look at the recipe for it a few years ago, definitely advanced stuff, not something the average person or even average scientist could put together." Peter-2 told him. "But Doctor Osborn, for all of his faults, was always a genius."

 

"I'm worried with it. Peter struggled with Norman, Norman even outmatched him at points in that fight." Tony said. "How are you meant to beat him?"

 

Peter woke up to find he no longer needed his glasses and he had developed muscles and abs overnight, as May asked if he had any changes, he remarked he had a few.

 

"Yeah, I'd say." Kate said, eyeing up Peter-2's body.

 

Peter looked out of his window to see Mary Jane getting ready for school, racing down the stairs, jumping several of them as he bounced from the wall, he greeted Ben and May, promising to be back to paint the kitchen later on, telling Ben not to start without him.

 

Peter-2 looked misty eyed at the scene, internally cursing his younger self for being so self-absorbed and selfish during this time. He knew May understood and Ben did too, but all he could feel was anger that he didn't appreciate the time he had with them both.

 

"That's some amazing parkour." Scott grinned.

 

"Well, it comes naturally now." Peter-2 smiled back at him.

 

"At least you're helping with the family, a noble endeavour, to help others." Thor approved.

 

"I tried where I could, I didn't always get it right, I'll admit that now." Peter-2 stated.

 

Peter headed out of the door to see Mary Jane being yelled at by her father, following behind her, Peter thought over about talking to her, when she stopped to get into a car with her friends. As Peter watched her leave, the school bus drove past him again, chasing it, he got his hand stuck to the school banner, pulling it off as the bus left him behind.

 

"She's got a bad relationship with her family?" MJ asked, feeling alot more of herself in this girl with every time she was on the screen.

 

"Yeah, she did have a pretty poor one, at least when she was younger." Peter-2 stated.

 

"Still working on controlling those powers?" Tony asked.

 

"We all struggled for a time, Mr Stark." Peter-3 said. "I did, Peter-1 even did."

 

"Oh I know Peter did." Tony told him. "I was just surprised it was so multiversal."

 

At Osborn’s house, Harry saw his dad on the floor and rushed over to him, helping Norman up, asking why he was on the floor. Norman said he wasn’t sure, before an aide visited, telling him Doctor Stromm had been killed overnight and the flight suit and glider had been stolen from Oscorp.

 

"How did he get back home?" Quill asked.

 

"No idea." Peter-2 shrugged. "He stole the glider and suit, I assume he used them, but I don't know what exactly he did."

 

"He looks so shocked by that." Flash said.

 

"Well he did say that he doesn't remember what happens when the Goblin has control." Ned told him.

 

At school, Mary Jane slipped on the floor as Peter caught her and her food flawlessly, as she complimented his reflexes. She noted his eye colour and went to go sit with her friends, Peter returned to his meal to find his fork was stuck to his hand, trying to dislodge it, he stuck his tray, trying to get it off, he threw food all over the main jock, as Peter hurried out of the cafeteria, he noticed Peter leaving and followed.

 

"Those are some incredible reflexes." Natasha complimented Peter-2.

 

"Thanks, I don't even know how I managed to do that on the first day of having powers." Peter-2 admitted.

 

"Is this what they call a meet cute, Kate Bishop?" Yelena asked Kate, who laughed.

 

"Sure." Kate agreed.

 

"That's gotta be awkward." Bucky laughed at the sight of the webs stuck to the stuff.

 

"Yeah, it's pretty annoying." Peter-2 chuckled.

 

"I've just realised, you don't have web-shooters?" Bruce asked.

 

"Yeah, I'm not sure why it's different in your universes, but my powers are fully in my DNA, I make my own webs, somehow, unlike Peters 1 and 3, who use tech to do it."

 

"That's incredible." Steve said, amazed.

 

"I need to study you. So badly." Tony geeked out.

 

"Yeah, everyone seems to want too." Peter-2 smiled. "I'll let you run some tests someday, how's that sound?"

 

"Well if we ever do meet again after this, I'll hold you to that." Tony laughed, knowing that wasn't going to happen.

 

Flash called Peter out as a freak and threatened to hurt him as Mary Jane tried to de-escalate the fight, Peter dodged Flash’s attacks as Mary Jane told Harry to help, Harry asked which one he was meant to help, as Peter shoved Flash away, sending him down the hall. Everyone looked at Peter in confusion and fear as Harry asked Peter how he did that. Peter then ran off.

 

"That's some amazing sense." Ikaris admitted, studying the two Peters.

 

"Well, it's helped in a few situations." Peter-3 snorted.

 

"I'm just a dick in every world, aren't I?" Flash asked, seeing his alter attack Peter-2.

 

"You get better in most of them." Peter-3 told him. "I had my own Flash Thompson, and he ended up alright with me."

 

"I never really saw my Flash after high school." Peter-2 said. "But he wasn't as bad the times I did meet him. Plus, you've clearly grown being here, you've realised how bad you were and you're working on it, that's all anyone can ask, that you try to be better." He smiled at Flash, who gave a hesitant smile back.

 

"I can get why you're worried and confused about all of that." Phastos told Peter-2.

 

"Yeah, it was definitely a wakeup call."

 

Peter ran into a back alley and began testing what he could do, climbing walls, using web-shooters, swinging across buildings and hitting a billboard.

 

"I'd like to see how the other Peters managed their powers to begin with as well." Clint said.

 

"Well you'll see mine I'm sure." Peter-3 spoke up. "Who knows on Peter-1 though."

 

"That billboard hit had to have hurt." Abe hissed.

 

"Yep, wasn't fun, that's for sure." Peter-2 drily stated.

 

Chapter 27: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

Notes:

I did have a rant planned due to Peter-3 being more comic accurate and the fact he'd call out Tony for his bs, and the mindless Tony fans hating but, I decided, fuck it, it's my fic. If you hate Peter-3 calling out Tony, you're free to stop reading. I might even have him call out Tony again now just to annoy you all further.

Peter raced home as it was dark to find the kitchen already painted and a note from Ben saying there was food for him in the oven. He saw Mary Jane being yelled at by her father and headed outside, throwing away the trash as she came out as well. Noticing Peter, the two of them talked for a bit, talking about what they planned to do when they finished high school and moved out of their homes, Mary Jane said she wanted to act on stage, Peter telling her she was an amazing actress.

 

"Damn, you forgot to go back to help?" Betty asked.

 

"Yeah, I did." Peter-2 frowned. "I was a reckless idiot sometimes. If I could change things, I'd have started here really, I could have done more to show my appreciation for Ben and May."

 

"Do you want to be an actress?" Yelena winked at MJ, seeing the younger girl frown at the scene as she heard her other self talking about the stage.

 

"No, I want to do something I find meaningful with my life." MJ shot back.

 

"She really was." Peter-2 said to his past self on the screen, misty-eyed.

 

Mary Jane told Peter he shouldn’t hunch, standing tall looked good on him, before Flash pulled up outside with a car, Mary Jane rushed off to join him as Peter got an idea.

 

"A first compliment? Married by the weekend." Eddie teased.

 

"Not a bad car for the early 2000's, I guess." Flash said, seeing his alter on the screen.

 

"I'd never date Flash." MJ grimaced.

 

Peter looked over adverts for used cars, before seeing a car for just under $3000 and an ad saying colourful characters were wanted for amateur wrestling, 3 minutes for $3000, and an idea formed as he began to draw up different costume ideas, Peter worked on his designs for a costume over and over again.

 

"You made your costume to take part in a wrestling contest so you could buy a car to impress Mary Jane?" Ned asked.

 

"Yeah, at that time I didn't really care about these powers beyond how I could use them to impress her." Peter-2 admitted.

 

"I can't say I blame you, part of my fun as Iron Man, at least to begin with, was the attention of others, especially women." Tony admitted. "I'll admit, I wasn't perfect. I know what you meant, Peter, when you rounded on me for calling out that guy. I didn't think about what others have to do sometimes, but I like to think I've got it right most of the time."

 

"From what I've heard about you, Mr Stark, and what I've seen in these, you're a good guy, hell, even a hero. I know you've meant well, and I know Peter-1 worshipped the ground you walked on, I guess what I'm saying is, I've got no issues with you." Peter-3 shrugged.

 

Cutting to Norman Osborn, he reads the Daily Bugle report on how Oscorp and specifically Osborn himself may be finished when he heard a maniacal laugh. Looking around, he saw nobody.

 

"Well, that isn't creepy in the least." Cindy shuddered at the Goblin laughter.

 

At the Parker household, Ben said to May how something was bothering Peter, and as Peter said he was heading to the library, Ben said he would drive him, as he told May he would speak to Peter. Before Peter could get out of the car, Ben stopped him leaving as he told him he wanted to speak to him now. Ben said how Peter was changing, and was acting different, giving Peter a talk as Peter denied they changed the exact same way.

 

"He really cares about you." May smiled, remembering how her own Ben cared for Peter as if he were their own.

 

"I doubt there's any universe where Ben doesn't care for me." Peter-2 stated, Peter-3 nodded.

 

"I didn't always appreciate Ben, what he did for me, but I know he only had my best interests at heart, always."

 

"Mine too." Peter-2 smiled at his alter, smirking as he saw the younger man blush slightly.

 

"You do seem like you're changing with your powers from how you were at the beginning of the videos." Clint remarked.

 

"I did let them go to my head, the ability to stand up to Flash, to do all these amazing things, I did let go of my responsibilities to Ben and May." Peter-2 admitted.

 

Ben told Peter that even if he could beat up Flash, he shouldn’t, as “With great power comes great responsibility.”

 

"Wise words to live by." Natasha nodded, seeing the tears in the eyes of both Peters, Ned and MJ.

 

"What's so important about that? I know May said it?" Steve asked.

 

"In most universes." The Watcher's voice began. "The loved ones of Peter Parker say that, motivating him to become the hero destiny wanted him to be, but at a terrible cost."

 

"What's the cost?" Yelena asked, worried she already knew, having heard May say something similar before they saw her death.

 

"An everlasting exchange." The Watcher's voice spoke again before falling silent.

 

Peter told Ben to stop acting like his father, he wasn’t, and he didn’t need to lecture Peter.

 

"Harsh." Tony noted.

 

"I was a dumb kid and should have thought more about what I was doing and saying." Peter-2 admitted. "I hurt him and all he wanted to do was help me."

 

Ben said he’d pick Peter up at 10pm, as Peter got out and he sadly drove away.

 

"Poor Ben." May sadly said, looking down at the scene.

Notes:

Moon Knight was amazing.

Chapter 28: I Missed The Part Where That's My Problem

"So, are we about to see your amazing wrestling career?" Peter-3 smirked at his alter as Peter-2 mock glared at him.

 

"I'll have you know I won my only fight, you whipper-snapper." Peter-2 joked.

 

"I do want to see what you use, did you use all of your powers?" Scott asked.

 

Peter snuck into the wrestling arena, to see the wrestler, Bonesaw, crush another competitor. Peter watched the crowd cheer for Bonesaw, the commentator telling everyone to give it up to Bonesaw, before asking if there was anyone man enough to stand up to Bonesaw for 3 minutes.

 

"That guy looks really built, even with your powers, you sure you can take him, you're only just starting out?" Hope asked Peter-2.

 

"Oh, don't worry, I handled it." Peter-2 smiled back at her, before frowning when the commentator came onto the stage.

 

"You ok?" Druig asked, seeing the smile drop from Peter's face.

 

"I'd forgotten about him really, but you see the commentator? He'll pop up a few times in these if they cover my entire journey around these villains." Peter-2 explained.

 

"Why would he?" Tony asked.

 

"He's called Quentin Beck. He's my universe's Mysterio. He was tough to fight when he revealed his true self." Peter-2 said.

 

"Your Mysterio?" Happy asked, perking up, noticing MJ, Betty and Ned, who had more experience with him than the rest, also paying more attention.

 

"Yeah, he's into illusions, just like yours was. He didn't use tech really though, I think he actually did have something going on." Peter-2 said. "Eventually, I found out about what he was doing, he was working with some others to steal things, you know, the general villain behaviour, but eventually I was able to stop him."

 

The commentator tried to hype Peter up to the crowd, and hearing he planned to go by the name “The Human Spider”, he decided to announce him as “Spider-Man.” Peter tried to argue that it wasn’t his name, as he was pushed towards the ring, the crowd and the support cast all booing him and threatening him, food and drink thrown at him as Peter climbed into the ring.

 

"The Human Spider? Really?" Natasha asked, arching her eyebrow.

 

"I mean, I wasn't planning to be a hero, and I figured it worked well!" Peter-2 defended his past self. "I think it worked out well."

 

"I like how you got the name Spider-Man from a villain." MJ winked at Peter-2.

 

"I'd have thought of it eventually!" Peter-2 argued.

 

The cage came down as Peter protested that he hadn’t signed up for a cage match. Bonesaw attacked him as he jumped into the air and mocked Bonesaw, before he used his webs to avoid him again. Before Peter could do much more, Bonesaw attacked him with a chair and then attempted to hit him with a crowbar. Peter then used his foot to deliver multiple kicks to his face and knocked Bonesaw out, being declared the new champion.

 

"Wow, a gay joke, really?" Cindy asked, annoyed.

 

"I can't defend that." Peter-2 shrugged. "All I can say was it was a different time really, but I know that's weak, I regret it, it was a dumb thing to say and all I can do is apologise."

 

"Hmm." Cindy nodded tightly. Peter-3 also frowned at his other self, a sinking feeling in his chest. Is this what Peter-2 thought about others?

 

"So, new champion? Ever defend that title?" Peter-3 asked his alter quietly.

 

"Nope." Peter-2 firmly said, seeing a lost look in Peter-3's eyes and feeling a slight pang. Had he done that to him, with his past remark? He'd speak to his other self when they got a moment, clear the air, he mentally promised.

 

In the back office, Peter was given $100 and told that the $3000 was for lasting 3 minutes, he won in 2, so it was $100 and he was lucky to get that, when he said he needed the money, the organiser asked what part of it was his problem. Peter left the room as another man, with blond hair walked into the room.

 

"He's ripping you off!" Kingo said, incensed at the dishonesty.

 

"Yeah, but he was scum, so what can you expect?" Betty asked, taking in the scene.

 

"What part of that is his problem? He had a deal with you!" Clint growled.

 

"I've met guys like him before, caring only for themselves and their bottom line." Tony frowned.

 

“Carradine.” Spider-Man 2 growled, seeing the car thief again.

 

“Wait, Carradine, as in Dennis Carradine?” Spider-Man 3 asked.

 

“You know him?” Tony asked, before Spider-Man 2 could mention anything.

 

“He’s the one who killed my Uncle Ben.” Spider-Man 3 said. “I guess you’ll see it if it shows my origins too.”

 

“I thought he had killed mine, but I was wrong. I ended up chasing him down, wanting him dead, and I got what I wanted, you’ll see it soon enough.” Spider-Man 2 stated, his head bowed in sorrow as he remembered that time.

 

“I started as Spider-Man to hunt him down as well.” Spider-Man 3 informed them. “I never found him, when I did, he had already been killed by this serial killer, Cletus Kasady, and-”

 

“Wait, Cletus Kasady is a serial killer in your universe?” Eddie asked, eyes wide.

 

“Yeah, how do you know Kasady?” Spider-Man 3 asked.

 

“HE WAS A FUCKING PRICK.” Venom helpfully added, rising out of Eddie’s back once again.

 

“Yeah, still never not going to find that weird.” Clint murmured.

 

“Hang on, he had this thing with him, it was like you, but red actually.” Spider-Man 3 said.

 

“CARNAGE IS ALIVE THERE?! WE MUST GO TO THAT UNIVERSE AND KILL IT, EDDIE!” Venom demanded.

 

“Hey, no, we are not killing other versions of your kids.” Eddie insisted.

 

“Wait, what do you mean, your kids?” Spider-Man 2 asked.

 

“WE CAN MULTIPLY IF WE FIND A SUITABLE HOST, THE SERIAL KILLER CLETUS KASADY OF OUR UNIVERSE BIT EDDIE AS WE INTERROGATED HIM FOR A STORY AND ABSORBED SOME OF MY POWER, IT DEVELOPED INTO A RED SYMBIOTE, NAMED CARNAGE. RED ONES ARE MORE SADISTIC AND PSYCHOTIC THAN SYMBIOTES OF OTHER COLOURS. WE HAD TO STOP HIM AND WE DID. WE SHALL STOP THIS VERSION FOR YOU AS WELL, AND MAYBE ANOTHER ME.” Venom told them.

 

“No, it’s ok, I stopped him, Kasady is in prison and Carnage is dead in my world.” Spider-Man 3 insisted. “Though I had no clue that thing was an alien, I just thought Kasady had some spider mutations.”

 

“Well two universes both with a Cletus Kasady and in both he’s a serial killer? When we get out of here, I’m gonna to have to run a search for this Kasady in our world. If he’s alive in ours, I’ll keep tabs on him. If he does become a killer, or he already has, I’ll stop him.” Rhodey promised.

 

“No, Rhodey.” Bucky said softly. “We will stop him. The Avengers, together.”

 

Peter saw the thief running down the hall and let him past, the guy thanked him as the elevator closed and he escaped, the organiser told Peter he could have stopped him and got his money back for him, Peter said he missed the part where it was his problem.

 

"Why didn't you stop him?" May asked, frowning. Clearly this May and Ben shared her values and had taught Peter right from wrong.

 

"I was angry." Peter-2 shrugged. "I'm not proud of it, I know I should have, I knew just afterwards I should have, but I felt this guy had messed with me, and I was an idiot with it."

 

"Did he kill Ben?" Peter-3 whispered to Peter-2 suddenly as May turned away again. "I let my Carradine go and he shot Ben, did that happen to you?"

 

"I thought he had, he didn't, but this will probably make it seem like he did." Peter-2 told his alter. "I'm sorry if this is hard on you, Peter."

 

"I'll be fine." Peter-3 insisted, looking away from Peter-2. He didn't want to think about Carradine for longer than he had to, he didn't want to think about how he had failed Ben. How he had failed to be a good person when he first had the chance. He was trying to be better now, motivated by his other selves, but still, he felt he had failed, and he didn't want to be reminded more of the first.

 

Peter-2 just looked sadly at his alter before turning back to the screen, worried about what he knew would come next.

 

Peter headed out of the building to see sirens and lights, heading over, he found a crowd gathered around someone, pushing his way through he saw Uncle Ben on the floor. He was told there was a carjacking, Ben looked at him, and simply said Peter, before his eyes closed.

 

"Oh God." May cried, seeing another Ben on the floor, thinking back to what had happened to her Ben.

 

"Peter, I know nothing I could say could change anything." Steve said, seeing the look of pain in both Peter's eyes at the scene. "But I am sorry."

 

"It's not your fault, Mr Rogers." Peter-2 said. "You don't even exist in my universe. But thank you. This was a long time ago for me, I thought I had moved past this, at least more than I have done." he said, wiping a tear from his eyes.

 

"It's alright to mourn the ones we've lost." Yelena told them. "To carry them with us is the most important part, to make them a part of us."

 

"I just wish we had gotten to see more of my time with him." Peter-2 told them all. "He was really the best."

 

Peter heard the police say where the carjacker was heading and rushed off in pursuit, swinging between the rooftops, he managed to get the man cornered in a warehouse, taking away his weapons and hitting him, Peter realised it was the man he had let go from the wrestling building. The man took a step backwards from Peter and fell out of the window, to his death.

 

"Damn, seeing you use your powers properly for the first time, it looks amazing." Ned told Peter-2.

 

"Its a pretty fun feeling to use them, even now." Peter-2 admitted. "That first time, it's like nothing else, even if I just had anger fuelling me at that time."

 

"Don't you feel angry about it now?" Sersi asked. "He did hurt your loved ones."

 

"I made a mistake." Peter-2 said. "It'll be revealed later, I'm sure, but Carradine didn't kill my Uncle Ben."

 

"Who did then?" Matt asked.

 

"It'll be revealed later on." The Watcher spoke up once more.

 

"Do you regret it?" MJ asked, seeing the look on Carradine's face and on Peter's face as he fell from the window to his death.

 

"Yeah, I might not have actually killed him, but I may as well have done. I chased him there, I terrified him, and I forced him towards the window." Peter-2 said. "I hunted him down, I wanted him dead and I got what I wanted, so I do regret this."

Notes:

If you're wondering how Peter-3 knows of them, Kasady and Carnage are in TASM 2 video game. It'll be non-canon if TASM universe and Venomverse are one and the same, as it seems to be, but I'm keeping it as its interesting.

Chapter 29: Joining The Bugle

"So, what's next then?" Bruce asked.

 

"Some more of my life sadly, it's close to my graduation, so I imagine we'll see that." Peter-2 supplied.

 

"Oh God, Peter won't ever graduate now will he?" Sam realised as everyone else looked stricken.

 

"I'll figure out a way to get him back into Midtown." Ned promised, as MJ, Betty and Flash nodded. They wouldn't leave their classmate out, even if they had no records he ever was their classmate.

 

Peter headed home and hugged May, who waited up for him, before the scene cut to Quest Aerospace and their test of the new exoskeleton. Before they could fully try the test, a figure on the stolen Oscorp glider appeared and attacked, killing the pilot and destroying the bunker, killing the general inside as well.

 

"How sweet." Cindy beamed.

 

"Well, she's the best, all versions of her." Peter-2 said, smiling at May who grinned back at him.

 

"Aren't these the guys competing with Oscorp?" Abe asked.

 

"Yeah, I get a bad feeling about this." Clint said as they watched the scene pan out.

 

"Isn't that Osborn with the glider?" Kate questioned.

 

"He just killed them all!" Happy said, stunned and horrified by what he was seeing.

 

At Peter’s graduation, Norman congratulated Harry on his success before speaking with Peter, Harry wandered off to see Mary Jane break up with Flash, as Norman told Peter that he was family, and if he ever needed anything, just to call him.

 

"Well, I guess that's nice of him, even if we know he's secretly insane." Sam drily remarked.

 

"I see Miss Watson is back on the market?" Tony teased as Peter-2 smiled sadly.

 

"Still a while to go before you see our happy ever after."

 

"That sounds like what he said to our Peter." Betty remarked. "About how he'd help him."

 

Peter and May returned home, as Peter went up to his room and cried, saying how he missed Ben and his last talk with him was him insulting Ben. May said he would have known, and that Peter wouldn’t disappoint Ben, he was meant for great things.

 

"Peter. Listen to me. It's alright to miss Ben, I know I miss him every day, and I know your May will as well, but you can't blame yourself for what happened with him, you weren't to know, and I knew Ben, I think I can tell you how he would have thought in your universe too, he wouldn't have blamed you for that argument, his last moments, he would have just been happy to see you there, and grateful he wasn't alone." May insisted before Peter-2 could say anything.

 

"I know." Peter-2 nodded after a few moments, wiping his eyes. "He was always right though."

 

"Well, he was a Parker." May winked at him as the two of them grinned at each other, Peter-3 laughing besides them.

 

Peter then thought back to Ben’s last words to him, as a montage showed him setting himself up as Spider-Man in New York, stopping crime, making waves, until it showed a man reading the Daily Bugle, talking about how Spider-Man was a criminal and a menace. Lowering the paper revealed J Jonah Jameson, editor of the Daily Bugle.

 

"It's just skipping ahead of you learning to be Spider-Man?" Natasha asked.

 

"I guess it didn't feel it was too important, just seeing me stop drug dealers and muggers." Peter-2 shrugged.

 

"So the Bugle is an actual newspaper in your world?" Rhodes turned to Peter-2.

 

"Yeah, been going nearly forty years now." Peter-2 smiled.

 

"Aren't variants usually different looking?" Ikaris asked, having seen different ones in the three Peters.

 

"Yeah, I'm not sure why Jonah looks the exact same." Peter-2 shrugged.

 

Jameson wanted to know why Spider-Man didn’t unmask and called him a criminal that he didn’t want in his newspaper until he learnt they sold four printings fully out. He then demanded Spider-Man be page one again the next day with a better picture, his assistant said they had tried for ages but Eddie couldn’t get a good photo.

 

"He sure changes his tune pretty quick." MJ raised an eyebrow.

 

"He's a good man, at least in my world. Though he cares about the bottom dollar after all." Peter-2 laughed.

 

"Do they mean me?" Eddie asked, as he heard a reference to an Eddie.

 

"I don't know. Maybe?" Peter-2 stated. "I did meet you from my universe, but not for a few years after all of this."

 

"That'll be weird to see." Eddie noted. He wondered what another version of him looked like, how the guy acted.

 

Peter walked through the streets and saw Mary Jane exiting a diner, they caught up as he found out she worked in the diner, she begged him not to tell Harry, he asked why he would, she said they were dating and if he and Harry lived together now, didn’t Harry tell him? Peter said he’d catch up with her sometime, as she told him again not to tell Harry, before they parted ways.

 

"Wow, Harry moved in fast on her, didn't he?" Sam remarked.

 

"That'd be like if I dated MJ, which is so gross." Ned shuddered as MJ gave him a mock glare.

 

"Well you're mine so." Betty said, kissing Ned's cheek.

 

"I guess you didn't bring it up with Harry?" Peter-3 asked.

 

"No, I figured it wasn't my business, which it wasn't." Peter-2 stated.

 

Back at his place, Peter found Norman was there on the phone, Peter told Harry that he was late for work and Doctor Connors fired him from his job helping him. Harry asked where did Peter keep going off too if he’s always late to work. Norman then asked Peter to tell him who Harry was dating, Peter glared at Harry as he said Harry hadn’t mentioned anyone. Harry then tried to divert to Peter getting a job from Norman, Peter refused, saying he wanted to be a self-made man, Norman said he could respect that.

 

"Doctor Connors?" Peter-3 asked, whipping his head about.

 

"Yep, think we may have a common theme there, but mine never became a lizard." Peter-2 explained. "At least, not that I ever knew."

 

"I see you're a bit annoyed at not knowing about Harry and MJ." May teased her nephew who gave her a wry smile.

 

"I guess I was a bit immature about it all, yeah." Peter-2 admitted.

 

"I can get him respecting making it yourself." Tony nodded, he hated the Goblin, but it seemed Norman Osborn at least did seem to genuinely care for others.

 

"Yeah, I was always taught the values of working hard." Peter-2 agreed.

 

Norman asked what Peter had skills wise, Peter saw the Daily Bugle ad for Spider-Man pictures and said he was considering photography. The scene changed to a truck being robbed at night and a camera, webbed up on a nearby lamp to capture the scene, as Spider-Man stopped the crime and had some candids shot.

 

"I guess that's a decent profession to go into, it plays to your interests." Bruce told him.

 

"It's pretty useful for getting me to places where Spider-Man would draw unwanted attention." Peter-2 said.

 

"I'm a photographer too, I've found it helps alot too." Peter-3 supplied.

 

"Such a poser." Yelena remarked as they saw the candid shots that Peter was taking with the camera.

 

"Well I needed something that would stand out!" Peter-2 protested.

 

"Are all superheroes such posers?" Yelena asked the wider room.

 

"Yes." Natasha simply stated.

 

Peter took the photos to JJJ, who tried to rip him off, as Peter went to leave with them, he told him he’d offer $300 for them, and said to run the story “Spider-Man: Hero or Menace?” as Peter tried to defend Spidey, JJJ said he’d make the headlines up. Peter then got rejected for a full time job, been offered freelance work only, before being sent out to get the cheque from Betty Brant for his work.

 

"So he's going to try short sell you every time?" Ned asked.

 

"He does pay me a fair rate eventually, I even get a full time job with him after a few years, when he realises how valuable an asset I've been to the Bugle." Peter-2 smiled.

 

"Wait, is his assistant who I think it is?" Cindy asked.

 

"Yep, that's my Betty Brant." Peter-2 grinned at the shocked look on Betty's face at that revelation.

Notes:

Yeah I've never played the TASM video game, I just liked the link, I'll probably keep the entire game as canon as it'll be nice to give Kingpin comparisons when it gets to Hawkeye, but it won't be often referenced. As for other characters, not bringing anyone else from Raimi, Webb or any other universe other than MCU. I mean, I don't read the comics and as for the films, Black Cat is only in one of 8 live actions films, and in that she isn't as Black Cat and her entire personality is basically "Aloof and smart assistant". Not exactly someone to build on, and I don't want to just rip off other fanfics portrayals of her. I am torn though, I did say I'd add Peter-1 after NWH, but now I'm considering adding him for part 2 of NWH. Thoughts on that?

Chapter 30: Unity Day

"So we've seen variants of MJ and Betty, will we see the rest of us?" Cindy asked.

 

"Maybe, but a few of you I've never met before. The woman on the bus near the beginning with the glasses,, who told me not to sit with her? She's my universes Liz Allan, so the daughter of your Vulture." Peter-2 explained.

 

"Have you ever met another version of me?" Ned asked. "I didn't ever get the chance to ask you when we met before."

 

"No, sadly never met another Ned Leeds. Will have to keep an eye out for one though." Peter-2 smiled at him.

 

At Oscorp, Norman celebrated that they had overtaken Quest Aerospace as the main supplier to the military, before the Oscorp board revealed they had agreed a deal to sell Oscorp to Quest instead, and that Norman was being retired from the company. He tried to protest, as they told him it was over, and he should get his affairs in order to leave the company. Norman raged “YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I SACRIFICED?!” to no avail.

"Yeah, the Goblin isn't going to just accept that happening, especially when he's tried to cripple this Quest company." Steve noted.

 

"Part of me does feel bad, he clearly spent years building up that company, just to see others take it from him, I can understand why he'd be angry." Tony stated. "Then I remember everything we've seen him do as Goblin already, and think of what he has undoubtedly done, and realise he kinda deserves this."

 

"I can see that outburst being a meme if someone had seen it." Flash joked as the other younger generation in the room chuckled.

 

Peter was taking photographs at the Oscorp Unity Day Festival of the crowds and the musical acts, as she looked at the balcony high above where the main guests were. He saw Mary Jane up there with Harry, Harry noticing him far below, ushered Mary Jane away from the edge and to meet some of the Oscorp board members, who said Norman wasn’t there that day. As this happened, Peter’s Spidey sense kicked in and he looked around for the cause.

 

"That looks amazing, what is that?" Kate asked.

 

"The Oscorp Unity Day Festival, a celebration of the country and the city, funded by Oscorp." Peter-2 explained. "Don't you have any celebrations like that in this universe?"

 

"No!" Ned exclaimed, being stunned by the sight. "It'd be amazing to do something like this."

"I'll have to remember to add this as well to the long list I'm making of things I need to get around too before the Heist." Tony whispered to Happy and Rhodey. "Let Stark Industries give people some happiness with a celebration like this in New York every summer."

 

"That sounds like a great idea, Tony." Happy agreed with him.

 

"Maybe the Avengers could put in an appearance every so often?" Rhodey suggested.

 

"Absolutely great idea." Tony nodded.

 

"I see Harry is being a dick to you?" Peter-3 asked Peter-2.

 

"I'm not even sure why." Peter-2 shrugged. "I hadn't even pulled him on him dating MJ. I guess he just knew I'd be jealous and he probably knew that I'd seen them." Peter-2 rationalised.

 

"Is that your Peter tingle going off?" May asked as Peter-2 nodded. "Yeah, something went down here."

 

A green figure appeared in the skies above the festival, flying around the parade balloons as the Oscorp board members asked if that was the missing glider, until the figure threw several bombs at the balcony, instantly killing most of the board and causing massive damage. People below began to scream in terror as they came in for another pass and Peter rushed off so he could change into Spider-Man. The Goblin rose up behind Mary Jane, alone on the crumbling balcony, the rest were dead or unconscious like Harry, before he could do anything, Spider-Man came swinging in and kicked him off his glider to the floor below.

 

"Oh God, what's he going to do?" Bucky asked, worried about what could happen.

 

"He just murdered those people!" Abe cried out in horror. He'd seen fighting, serving during the Blip years had seen to that, but the way this Goblin just murdered those men, not even a moment of hesitation, that was horrific.

 

"He's even attacking his own son, does he have no morals?!" Thor boomed, anger in his voice as he took in the scene.

 

"When Goblin is in charge, he doesn't really think of Harry at all, he hates Harry, considers him part of Norman's weakness." Peter-2 explained.

 

"Wait, is this your first fight with the Goblin?" Sersi asked.

 

"Yeah, this is the first time we crossed paths, and it's basically a surprise for us both, I didn't know he existed, he knew almost nothing about me as well."

 

Spider-Man saved a young boy from one of the collapsing parade balloons as Goblin found himself surrounded by the police. He raised his hands and announced his surrender, as they approached to take him, he began hitting them and knocking them out as Spider-Man came at him, Goblin caught his punch and said “Impressive!” before kicking him backwards.

 

"He's just toying with them, why?" Makkari asked.

 

"Trying to explain the mind of a maniac is an exercise in futility." Druig told her. "Believe me, I've tried to work them out, far easier to suppress them."

 

"He's just as crazy strong against you as he is against our Peter." Steve noted, seeing Peter-2 getting thrown backwards by the kick.

 

"I'm not sure how strong he was in the end. I'd say I was maybe a shade stronger." Peter-2 suggested. "But I don't know for sure."

 

Goblin hopped on his glider and chased Spider-Man, firing a machine gun from his glider at him, as well as a small missile, before Spider-Man tried to get to Mary Jane, Goblin attacking him as he tried and throwing him away. Mary Jane warned Spider-Man as Goblin approached behind him, webbing Goblin’s face then ripping into his glider, the glider veered away, Goblin promised they’d meet again as Spider-Man rushed to save Mary Jane from the collapsing balcony.

 

"He's using all of this near children?!" Clint asked, enraged. He wished he could somehow go there and take Goblin on himself. He had kids, he wouldn't allow anyone to target an innocent child if he could help it.

 

"At least you managed to chase him off." Sam nodded approvingly.

 

"It was a bit of luck." Peter-2 admitted. "Like I said, he wasn't too sure about me, either. I managed to surprise him, that's all. But I'm glad I managed to stop him when I did, before he could hurt anyone else."

 

Spider-Man swung her to a nearby church yard, as Mary Jane asked who he was, he replied he was just her friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man before running away, leaving her staring after him.

 

"Really?" MJ asked, smirking at Peter-2.

 

"Well I can't just tell her who I am. If my enemies knew, you've seen what happens, they target you. I had to keep those I cared for safe, I still have too." Peter-2 acknowledged.

Chapter 31: Eventually They Will Hate You

Harry called Mary Jane from their apartment, asking how she was, as Mary Jane brushed him off and hung up, Harry informed Peter how she was and apologised for not telling Peter earlier about him and her. Harry said he never made a move though and Peter agreed, saying he didn’t. Harry asked what that thing was, referring to the Goblin, Peter said he didn’t know but somebody had to stop it.

 

"Harsh, but I get why she thinks like that." MJ noted.

 

"Why does she?" Cindy asked.

 

"In her eyes, she was saved by a hero, one who has clearly captured her heart by doing so, whilst Harry ran away. They're definitely on borrowed time in that relationship." MJ explained.

 

"Yeah, I think I'd be wondering what he was if I didn't know about Goblin." Bruce muttered.

 

At his own penthouse, Norman was visited again by a cackling voice, asking around for the source of it, he saw his own reflection, meaner looking, speaking and moving independently of himself. It told him how they had killed the board members and had made so many good things happen for Norman all at once. Goblin told Norman they could have unlimited power, and only Spider-Man could stop them, but what if he joined them instead?

 

"That must have been so jarring for him, to be faced with his darkest impulses, tempted by them, offered the world by it." Ikaris shook his head, casting a longing look at Sersi. What would he give to have a chance to take it all back, to get back with her?

 

"He wanted you to join him?" Steve asked Peter-2.

 

"He figured we could do much more together than opposed, either that or he just wanted to keep an eye on potential competition, but it was never an offer I'd consider, and I think any Peter Parker would have turned him down." Peter-2 firmly stated.

 

At the Bugle, Peter showed his photos to JJJ, who demanded to copyright the name Green Goblin, as Peter said they were slandering Spider-Man, JJJ said it was in print, so it was libel. JJJ dismissed Peter when he threw his cigar out of the window, being shocked as it returned. His office then exploded as the Goblin appeared, grabbing JJJ by the throat and demanding to know who was the photographer involved with Spider-Man. JJJ insisted he had no idea, the stuff came in the mail, before Goblin could hurt him, Spider-Man swung down, webbing JJJ when he tried to accuse them of being in cahoots. Before Spider-Man could do anything, Goblin told him to sleep as he sprayed him with some gas, knocking Spider-Man out. Catching him, Goblin flew them both away.

 

"I mean, it's a catchy name, but I do prefer flying green elf." Wanda joked, trying to lighten the mood.

 

"That's some neat skills to catch a cigar in the air like he must have done." Abe stated.

 

"Wait, JJJ is protecting you? It can't be that hard for Goblin to see it's you, your name would be in the print, wouldn't it?" Matt asked.

 

"Yeah, at first I thought it was just to protect his source of Spider-Man photos, but I realised about the byline, Goblin could have found my name easily just from that. I know JJJ, like I said, in my world, he's a good guy, not like the sleaze ball he seems to be here." Peter-2 said.

 

"Well, he's definitely a bit of a dick." Betty admitted.

 

"I think he genuinely wanted to keep me safe, just some random kid he had only met a few weeks before, but he wanted to keep me safe from this villain, even if it meant risking his own life." Peter-2 finished.

 

"He knocked you out?" Tony asked.

 

"I was fine. I'm not entirely sure why he used the knockout gas, I never saw him try use it again and he didn't use it when he was here."

 

Spider-Man woke up as Goblin told Spider-Man how the people would eventually turn on him, even with all the good he was doing, but Goblin planned to rule the city and they could do it together if he wanted, or they could fight and kill each other and the people would just brand them both as criminals. He told Spider-Man to think on his offer to join forces as he left Spidey alone.

 

"He does have a point. I've seen heroes get torn down before by fickle opinion. But trying to rule over the city and causing fear and panic wherever he goes isn't the way to fix that." Eddie said.

 

"I never even considered what he offered me, I just knew I had to stop him, somehow." Peter-2 explained.

 

"Even heroes fall." Peter-3 said quietly, thinking back to his own world, how he had gotten more violent, and what Goblin said, they would turn on him, in his world, they had.

 

The next night, Peter caught up with Mary Jane, who he had heard had an audition, as he saw a Daily Bugle, with citizens calling for Spider-Man to be arrested. Mary Jane said she was told she needed acting lessons by the casting crew of the soap opera, as Peter offered to buy her a cheeseburger. She declined, saying she was going out with Harry, offering Peter to come with, before he declined as well. Mary Jane and Peter painfully flirted without actually properly flirting for another moment before she left him alone in the rain.

 

"They're calling for your arrest?!" Hope asked, angered.

 

"JJJ saw me go away with Goblin and I hadn't returned, he managed to spin it to make it look like we were working together." Peter-2 shrugged.

 

"That's not nice of them." Betty glared.

 

"At least she's off out with Harry to cheer her up?" Flash offered.

 

"She should be going out with Peter!" Cindy insisted.

 

"Are you two just badly flirting?" MJ smirked at Peter-2 who flushed.

 

"I was awkward!"

 

"She definitely thinks you might be Spider-Man." Nebula simply stated.

 

"She definitely did have her suspicions already." Peter-2 nodded.

 

Peter saw two men decide to follow her and headed off, as Mary Jane was chased into an alleyway, Peter saw four men trying to assault her and attacked, webbing them and then beating them, all unmasked. Mary Jane tried to follow as he fled down a side alley to hide, she looked around before he swung down, upside down, his mask now on, to tell her she had a knack for getting into trouble. Mary Jane thanked him for saving her, calling him amazing, before rolling his mask slightly down, uncovering his mouth and kissing him.

 

"I guess, even if it isn't really me, thank you." MJ told Peter-2.

 

"Why were they after her?" Sprite asked.

 

"Some people are just the worst." Phastos told her. "That's all the reason they need."

 

"Why are you doing this without your mask on, do you want her to find out who you are?" Tony asked Peter-2.

 

"I mean, she probably already figured it out." Peter-3 sheepishly said, glaring slightly as she saw Mary Jane and Peter-2 kissing.

 

"Aww, that's so romantic!" Cindy and Betty cooed as they watched the upside down kissing.

 

"I bet I could do that." Ned huffed in mock annoyance.

 

"We'll try it out sometime, babe." Betty winked at him.

 

Notes:

Decided to do another mega fic alongside this one, as I'm an idiot. The first chapter will be published in the next few days, the title will be "I Was Iron Man" and the premise is its a time travel fix it as well as an MCU rewrite, but a slight deviation on any other I've seen before. Basically it'll be a they all go back in time, from the moment they were last in the MCU, or latest period of the timeline, depending on the hero, but they'll only get their memories back at their first on screen, in other words, when Wanda is in Sokovia getting her powers, she'll get her memories back then, whilst Tony will get his back years earlier when he's in Afghanistan.

Chapter 32: Thanksgiving

Notes:

Did everyone miss the upside down kiss was in the last chapter? Keep being told it was missed, it absolutely was not.

"So, an upside down kiss in the rain?" Peter-3 turned to his alter.

 

"Believe me, it was far less romantic than it looked." Peter-2 explained.

 

"It looked pretty romantic." Tony teased.

 

"I mean, I guess." Peter-2 defended himself.

 

"Have you and Peter done that?" Ned asked MJ.

 

"No." MJ simply said, refusing to indicate whether she'd do it or not with him.

 

"Still angry at him?" Ned followed up.

 

"A little." MJ admitted. "But I'm also thinking of how odd that must be, and the rain would probably go into his sinuses."

 

The next day, a fire broke out at a building, Spider-Man swung in and saved a baby in the fire, being thanked by the mother. The police arrived to arrest him until someone said there was someone else still inside, as a woman’s screams could be heard. The police said they’d be there when he returned, Spider-Man said he wouldn’t return, the police told him to go save the woman. Getting inside the building, he found a woman in a cloak in the middle of the blaze screaming, heading to her, she threw down the cloak to reveal it was the Goblin, and a trap.

 

"At least that cop realised that saving lives was better than his job." Sam nodded in approval.

 

"I'm shocked they're willing to arrest you based on a smear campaign." Scott said.

 

"Have you not been paying attention to them arresting our Peter in that previous recording?" May asked.

 

"Of course it's him, I bet he started the fire." Thor growled at the sight of Goblin.

 

"He's sick and twisted." Happy sneered.

 

Spider-Man said Gobbie was the one who was out of his mind, as they two exchanged blows, Goblin throwing boomerang ninja stars at Spider-Man who dodged most, being sliced on the return on the arm. Goblin was kicked away and as he turned around, he saw Spider-Man had left, shouting that nobody turned him down.

 

"He's completely insane." Bucky stared at the screen, horrified by the actions. Even as the Winter Soldier, he was never this unhinged with his targets.

 

"How are you able to dodge all of that?" Kingo asked, impressed.

 

"Spider senses." Peter-2 grinned. "But it was hard, he got a good slice in, and obviously I wasn't trying to kill him or anything in return."

 

"Nobody turns you down? So petty." Yelena scowled.

 

The scene changed to Norman in the lift to Harry and Peter’s home, struggling to stand as he got there, Harry quickly tied as MJ and May cooked and set the table for Thanksgiving dinner. Norman revealed he was late due to work and had brought a fruitcake, as Peter swung inside upstairs, them hearing him land and remarking they didn’t know he was there. They all headed upstairs as May said he better have brought the cranberry sauce.

 

"Thanksgiving? We haven't really celebrated that all that much the last few years." Peter-3 said.

 

"We kinda dropped it for a few years in this universe, not much to be thankful over when half of the universe no longer exists." Steve stated.

 

"How are you going to hide from all of them, especially Norman, when he has heightened senses now as well?" Flash asked.

 

"I managed it, just about." Peter-2 said.

 

Peter hopped onto the ceiling as they entered his room, Norman remarking it was strange there was nobody there, but called Peter a slob, May said all brilliant men were. A drop of blood hit the floor from Peter’s arm as Norman turned around at it, heading to look over the balcony, as Peter had fled to hide underneath it. Peter then walked in through the front door with a can of cranberries as everyone welcomed him.

 

"I'll admit, that's pretty true. The amount of your stuff I've tripped over over the years, Tones." Rhodey said.

 

"Peter's room often looks like a sty if I don't get him to clean it up." May agreed.

 

"I can't believe you didn't realise you'd been cut. He could have figured it out from that!" MJ berated Peter-2.

 

"I was a bit busy with everything else!" He defended himself.

 

"That was close, he's definitely suspicious." Happy frowned.

 

"Are you seriously saying you beat up an old woman?" Ned laughed.

 

"She packed a mean swing, wanting that cranberry sauce." Peter-2 joked back.

 

May put the turkey onto the table as Norman tried to help himself to some food, May slapped his hand and asked him to do the honours. As Norman sharpened the knife, May noted that Peter was bleeding, as he tried to explain the injuries, Norman focused on it, putting it together in his mind.

 

"He better not hurt your May, I see the way he's glaring at her." Cindy frowned.

 

"Are all Peters just really bad at lying?" Hope asked with a wry grin.

 

"Well, I do like to tell the truth." Peter-2 defended himself.

 

"So, he knows you're Spider-Man?" Clint asked, horrified at Peter letting himself get into that.

 

"Yeah, and now you'll see what he does with that." Peter-2 grimaced.

 

Norman excused himself as Harry raced after him, demanding to know where Norman was off and saying he had arranged this so Norman could meet the girl he liked, Norman said she was sniffing around for his money, all women were like that, even Harry’s mother. He told Harry to have his fun with Mary Jane then dump her, as Peter looked apologetically at Mary Jane and she looked angry. Mary Jane thanked Harry for standing up for her against that creep as Harry exploded that she should shut up and if he was lucky, he’d be half the man Norman was.

 

"Norman's a horrible father, I take back anything nice I've ever thought about him at least caring about Harry." Most of the room muttered an agreement.

 

"It's not his fault, well not entirely, he's off-balance, he knows who I am, and he's stressed with it all. He's losing time, remember, he doesn't recall what happens when he's the Goblin." Peter-2 tried to defend his actions.

 

"How dare he say all women are just after money?" May hissed.

 

"Ok, that you can't possibly try to defend." MJ said as Peter-2 nodded.

 

"Yeah, that's way out of line."

 

"Is he saying that Harry should just use MJ for sex and then leave her?" Betty asked, askance.

 

"Why is he defending this prick?" Natasha glared.

 

"He doesn't know any better, he knows all his dad has achieved and he's got an inferiority complex over all of it." Nebula spoke up, recognising it. It was something she'd suffered with for years herself, in regards to Gamora. "He sees anything his father does as good and he feels the need to prove himself, to himself and to his father." She said sadly. "It's something I sadly know all too well."

Chapter 33: Godspeed, Spider-Man!

Notes:

I'm probably gonna pause this fic for a little bit here. Not for ages, hopefully, but writing this, having a few ideas for other fics (Doctor Who and Pokemon Legends Arceus) as well as long work hours, I'm feeling a little burnout right now. I'll hopefully be back on Saturday with a new chapter for this, but for now, a few days off. In the off time though, I'll probably write up the description parts for Black Widow and Shang-Chi at least...

"So Norman could have come from any time around now?" Ned asked, remembering that the villains had to know who Peter was beforehand.

 

"I believe he likely came from around now, yes." Strange told him.

 

"Great." May murmured, thinking back to what she had experienced and what she had seen the Goblin would do to her.

 

"He can't hurt you here." Happy told her softly.

 

"I know, but he's still going to hurt this Peter now." May said, glancing at her nephews alter who smiled back at her.

 

At Norman’s, the Goblin spoke to him, telling him that whilst Spider-Man was invincible, Peter Parker was not. Norman, on his knees, begged to know what to do, Goblin told him they had to target Parker’s loved ones, target the heart, make him beg for death, before granting his wish. As May prayed at home, Goblin broke in and attacked her as she cried about the devil.

 

"You leave Peter alone!" Tony yelled, listening to the Goblin discuss how best to break the young man he had come to consider a son in all but blood.

 

"Why is Norman working with the Goblin personality now?" Betty asked, confused by this change.

 

"He thinks Peter knows who he is and wants to stop him from undoing all of his work I'm guessing." Natasha noted.

 

"Who is he going to attack though?" Ned asked, a sinking feeling in everyone's stomachs as they thought it over.

 

"Finish it? What kind of sick animal is he, tormenting her then forcing her to finish a prayer before attacking her?" May spat.

 

At the hospital with May, Mary Jane came to visit, asking how May was, Peter said she was doing well, just sleeping now. He asked about her and Harry, she said she hadn’t called him back yet, and she thought she was in love with someone else now. She explained she loved Spider-Man, and Peter talked with her about it, saying that he had spoken to Spidey about her, and how amazing Mary Jane was, as May faked being asleep still and Mary Jane took Peter’s hand. As she did, Harry walked in, she dropped Peter’s hand as Peter greeted Harry.

 

"Awkward." Rhodey coughed as Peter-2 flushed at the reminder of these early days, did MJ know then he was Spider-Man? She'd never really given him a clear answer either way if she did or not. He liked to believe she did though.

 

"I bet Harry's going to have noticed that." Scott frowned.

 

"Congratulations, you're a prophet." Peter-3 joked.

 

"He's going to do something stupid, isn't he?" Sprite asked.

 

"Why do you think that?" Nebula asked her.

 

"Because it seems too likely based on Parker luck." Wanda interjected.

 

Harry visited Norman and told Norman he was right about Mary Jane, that she loved Peter. Norman asked how he felt about her, Harry said Peter loved nobody more than Mary Jane, as Norman told Harry he hadn’t always been there for Harry. Norman then promised he would be there for Harry from now on and would clean up certain issues.

 

"He's giving Goblin more ammunition to target the Man Spider with!" Drax growled.

 

"We should kill him, with knives." Mantis said.

 

"Or a big gun." Rocket insisted.

 

"He didn't know!" Peter-2 defended his old friend. "He was heartbroken and here his dad is offering him everything he's ever wanted! I don't blame him at all, and I ask you guys don't either!"

 

"Well, I speak from personal Osborn experience, when I say yours seems way nicer than mine, so I won't judge him." Peter-3 earnestly promised his alter, getting a blinding smile in return that made his heart flutter.

 

"I suppose so, you do know them best." Clint admitted.

 

At the hospital, May told Peter to go home and get some sleep, as he refused, they talked about his feelings for Mary Jane, Peter deciding to call her to let her know. As he called, he got her voicemail, asking her to avoid dark alleys, before the phone picked up and the Goblin asked “Can the Spider-Man come out to play?”

 

"You really shouldn't bottle up your feelings, is it a Peter trait to just do that?" Ned asked.

 

"I guess you could say that." Both Peters admitted sheepishly.

 

"Wait, didn't Goblin say that at the statue?" MJ asked Strange, who frowned for a moment before nodding.

 

"I believe he did say that, yes."

 

The scene cut to Mary Jane waking up to find herself atop the Brooklyn Bridge, Goblin floating around, singing a take on Itsy Bitsy Spider to threaten Spider-Man. Goblin then fired his missiles at a tram station, Spider-Man arriving as Goblin held a tram in the air by its wires and Mary Jane in his other. He taunted Spider-Man, telling him to choose, the innocents or Mary Jane.

 

"I really hate that song." Peter-3 shuddered.

 

"One of your villains sing it to you?" Happy laughed.

 

"When I was fighting Max, he can turn into electricity and jumped between these pylons, making the pylons play the tune of it as he did." Peter-3 said, thinking back to the beginning of that night, trying to prevent himself from dwelling on what happened after he and Gwen had stopped Max.

 

"It's definitely an annoying nursery rhyme." Abe said as the rest of the room nodded.

 

"He's an unhinged lunatic, completely irredeemable." Sam spat, seeing the choice that Goblin was laying at Peter's feet.

 

"If anyone can stop him and save everyone though, it's Spider-Man." Flash said, full of fervent belief in that statement.

 

Goblin told Spider-Man to choose who he is, as he dropped both, letting Spider-Man decide who died. Spider-Man dived off the bridge and caught Mary Jane before swinging to catch the tram car as well, dangling dangerously over the river. Spider-Man told her to lower herself down to the tram car as a barge sailed towards them to collect it, as Goblin flew around, punching Spider-Man in the face and causing both Mary Jane and the tram to swing dangerously.

 

"Go Peter!" Cindy and Betty cheered as the rest of the room also clapped and cheered at Peter-2 saving both of them, Peter-2 himself began blushing, a blush that only extended when Peter-3 leaned into him, throwing his arm around him and cheering for his alter self.

 

"You did it, man!" Peter-3 told him.

 

"I was there!" Peter-2 protested. "This is all very old for me, remember?"

 

"Take the praise, you are amazing, after all!" Peter-3 told him with a cheeky grin as Peter-2 flushed even more.

 

"At least they're not too far from the barge." Bucky reasoned, hoping they'd all be ok as Goblin tried to kill as many innocents as he could.

 

Goblin came in for another attack, glider blades extending, as Spider-Man struggled to keep the tram from falling, as Mary Jane hung on the edge of it dangerously. As he told Spider-Man it was time to die, he was blown off course as several people on the bridge below threw trash at Goblin, telling him that if he messed with Spidey, he messed with New York. Spider-Man managed to lower the tram and Mary Jane onto the barge as the people on the bridge cheered.

 

"Let's hear it for the brave people of New York!" Steve cheered as the others in the room joined in, happy to see ordinary people willing to stand up and refuse to take evil lying down, no matter what they could do, no matter how many of them there were.

 

"Now they're safe, go kick his ass, Pete." Tony smiled at Peter-2 who grinned back.

 

"Oh, I plan too."

 

Goblin threw the cord from the bridge around Spider-Man and dragged him behind, flying him back into the city itself. Goblin threw him into an abandoned building, and as he dodged the debris inside, Goblin threw a pumpkin bomb behind, blasting him through another wall. As Spider-Man struggled to his feet, Goblin landed and told him that he has chosen misery.

 

"Jesus, how are you still going after being strangled, thrown through walls and having bombs explode around you?" Ikaris asked Peter-2.

 

"I'm pretty durable." Peter-3 shrugged. "Plus, I can't just give up and let him win. Doctor Osborn was a great man, and someone I respected, but this monster, it's something that needed to be stopped, even if I didn't know he was Norman Osborn yet."

 

Goblin then began to beat Spider-Man, punching and kicking him around, before pining his arm before he could fire anymore webs. Goblin then said he was going to kill his little girlfriend nice and slow, angering Spider-Man, as Goblin said “MJ and I? We’re gonna have a hell of a time.”

 

"We saw on the bridge, that's the fastest way to make Peter Parker pissed and find an extra surge of strength, threaten MJ's life at your own peril." Ned joked as MJ jokingly glared at him.

 

"He's truly demented." Bucky spat.

 

Spider-Man rose to his feet, catching the blade Goblin pulled out and rammed at him, knocking Goblin flying, he webbed a wall and pulled it down onto Goblin, Spider-Man began smashing Goblin into a wall, as he fell to the floor, he begged.

 

"Damn, don't piss Peter off!" Cindy called out.

 

"Damn right." Both Peter's said before giggling.

 

"Wait, is this Norman coming back?" Kate asked. "Please tell me you help Norman?"

 

“Peter! Stop! Stop, it’s me!” He cried as Norman removed his helmet, revealing it was him. Peter stopped hitting him as he listened to him.

 

"Something feels off about this still, why would the Goblin let him have control back? He'd know Peter would just arrest him." Yelena frowned. This wasn't right.

 

Norman insisted the Goblin killed everyone, he had nothing to do with it and begged Peter not to let the Goblin take him again. Peter said he had tried to kill May and Mary Jane, Norman said never Peter, he knew if anything happened to him, Peter would help Harry, as Norman fiddled with his wrist, his glider silently rising behind Peter.

 

"Yeah, there's definitely something wrong here, he's not acting exactly like Norman. He's a bit too desperate to get Peter to help him." Clint's eyes narrowed.

 

"Wait, look at his mouth, the teeth seem to look different each time. They're crooked, IT'S STILL GOBLIN!" Steve realised with a start.

 

"He's going to try sneak attack with the glider? Coward." Happy spat.

 

He begged Peter to help him up, to be a son to him now as he was a father to Peter. Peter told him he had a father, named Ben Parker. Goblin let the facade fall and snarled “Godspeed Spider-Man!” as he sent the glider flying forward. Peter sensed it with his spider sense and jumped, Norman saw the glider approaching and simply said “Oh.” Before it impaled him.

He looked at Peter, begging him not to tell Harry, before dropping onto his glider, dead.

"That was beautiful." May smiled at her nephew, hearing him say that Ben was a father to him.

 

"It's true." Peter-3 chimed in. "Uncle Ben was a father, to me, to Peter-2 and I'm sure even Peter-1 saw Uncle Ben as a father."

 

"I'm sure he did." May smiled at him as well. "I do feel sorry for Norman though, he didn't want this to happen." May frowned, seeing her future killer get his own comeuppance.

 

"I'd say I feel bad for Norman, but a larger part of me is just so glad that the Goblin is gone." Happy remarked.

 

"Oh, I wish there were true." Peter-2 muttered. The ghost of the Goblin had caused him heartache for years to come following this, he just didn't know it at the time.

 

"That was Norman at the end, wasn't it?" Hope asked.

 

"Asking me to make sure Harry didn't find out? Yeah, it was." Peter-2 said. "The Goblin never cared for Harry, but Norman, deep down, he did."

 

Peter took Norman back to his penthouse, dressing him in normal clothes, as Harry saw him leaving him there, asking Spider-Man what he had done.

 

"Oh no, he's blaming you?" Cindy asked, horrified.

 

"He had no idea, but he hated Spider-Man for years after this." Peter-2 admitted.

 

"What made him stop?" MJ asked.

 

"Love." Peter-2 smiled.

 

The scene cut to Norman’s funeral, as Harry parted ways with Peter for now, saying he had to get revenge for the murder of his father and he had nothing left but Peter now. Mary Jane came and hugged Peter as he was at Ben’s grave, she said when she was on the bridge, she only thought of one person, and it was Peter. She said she loved him and kissed him, before he told her he couldn’t be in a relationship with him.

 

"He still loves you at least, even if he hates your secret self." Makkari signed. "That's something, right?"

 

"It's not that easy." Tony said, eyeing Steve. "Believe me, when that secret comes out, and with the kids luck, it will, it'll break Harry."

 

Peter-2 said nothing, not wanting to think back on it all.

 

"Why are you rejecting her? You've loved her for years, she's saying she wants to be with you, and you're turning her down?" Flash asked, perplexed.

 

"If she's with me, she's in danger. I couldn't risk her getting hurt by my enemies." Peter-2 explained, as MJ pondered his words. Is that why Peter hadn't come to find them, beyond that first time when he said nothing to her? Did he think he was protecting her, somehow?

Peter walked away from her, saying that he would always be there for her as a friend, before talking to himself, that Uncle Ben was right, he had responsibility to the city and he had to be Spider-Man. Then the screen cut to black.

 

"You don't just have responsibility to the city, you do to yourself as well!" Matt said to Peter-2.

 

"I know that now, but then, I was pretty stuck in my head." Peter-2 stated.

 

"Like you're not now." Peter-3 told him.

 

"Pot, kettle." Peter-2 grinned.

 

"Now we've seen the beginnings of the origins of Peter-2, as you have dubbed him, do you wish to continue to see more adventures, or would you like a new addition to this watch party first?" Uatu's voice asked the room at large.

Chapter 34: Pizza Time

"So, who are you bringing here? Who could be possibly related to all of this that isn't already in here?" Peter-2 asked.

 

"This is...unexpected." Uatu appeared before them all and explained. "I can't seem to get them here. I guess you'll have to continue without them then for now." Uatu finished, disappearing once more before anyone could ask him what he meant. "For now, continue the watching."

 

"Well that was weird." Scott frowned.

 

"Who did he want to bring in?" Cindy wondered.

 

"Is it still me?" Peter-2 asked.

 

"Yes."

 

Peter-2 groaned at the idea as everyone settled in to see what it would show them next, many still pondering who The Watcher had tried to add to the room. One name on most of their minds.

 

'Was it Peter?'

 

Peter rode on a bike, seeing a poster of Mary Jane modelling perfume, before almost hitting his boss, Mr Aziz, who he delivered pizzas for.

 

“This is about two years after the last one ended.” Spider-Man 2 provided for context to the room as people gave confused looks about the poster and Peter delivering pizzas all of a sudden.

 

"Ah." Wong nodded.

 

Mr Aziz explained how they had 8 minutes to deliver the pizzas or he would lose a paying customer and the trust of his 29 minute guarantee.

 

“Wait, does that say Bleeker Street?” Strange asked.

 

“Oh, yeah, that was where he was based, why?” Peter-2 asked.

 

“There isn’t a Joe’s in this universe then. My HQ, I guess you could call it, is on Bleeker Street. Yet to see a pizza shop nearby.”

 

"A 29 minute guarantee in New York seems a bad idea." Wanda noted.

 

Aziz told him he had 7 minutes to do 41 blocks or be fired. Peter got caught in New York traffic and took to the skies as Spider-Man to deliver the pizza, he saw two kids almost get hit by a truck and swung down to save them, webbing the pizza to a nearby roof. He told the kids to be good as he went after the pizza, stopping a guy from stealing a slice as he took it to the customer. As he arrived, he found he was a few minutes late, and the customer refused to pay.

 

"How is he meant to do that in peak New York traffic, even with his powers?" Steve asked, askance.

 

"Well I did try at least." Peter-2 shrugged. It was weird seeing Aziz again, it had been so long since he had last been to Joe's. Maybe when he got home, he could call in for a slice, reflect on all the good times.

 

"That was amazing, Peter!" Betty said, remarking about him saving the two kids.

 

"Just being your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man." Peter-2 beamed at her.

 

"I guess that guy thought this was his lucky day." Kingo joked at the man having the pizza taken back off of him again.

 

"How were you meant to do it in a handful of minutes?" Bruce asked, shocked that they were still going to hold this over Peter.

 

"She just looks so done with her job." Peter-3 said, noting how the receptionist looked.

 

Returning to Aziz, Peter begged to be allowed to keep his job but Aziz said he couldn’t, he liked Peter, but he couldn’t rely on him. At the Bugle, JJJ said Peter was fired as well as the photos he had weren’t of Spider-Man. Peter said it was as JJJ had turned the city against Spider-Man, JJJ said he was proud he had.

 

"That's not your fault!" Cindy protested.

 

"Yeah, but I get it. I was always late back then, I didn't manage my time at all, I was pretty lazy, relying on my powers way too much for things." Peter-2 justified Mr Aziz's position. "I get why he did it, I don't blame him."

 

"Ah, good old JJJ. A prick in any universe still." Tony laughed.

 

"He's got a heart at least." May shrugged. They'd seen this JJJ defend Peter in the first one, not something their own JJJ had ever or probably would ever do.

 

"Why would he be proud of the fact he's targeting a hero?" Rhodey asked, disgusted.

 

"He was just glad for the paper sales mostly." Peter-2 told him with a shrug.

 

JJJ was pestered by his staff as Peter handed over a Spidey pic he had, demanding $300 for it, JJJ said it was outrageous, and done. Peter then went to Betty and checked his payment, she said it didn’t cover his advance sadly, so no money, but to keep his chin up.

 

"Well he'll pay whatever you ask for the photos, there's that at least." Happy smiled.

 

"Yay, I'm back!" Betty cheered as she saw her own alter on the screen again. "Hey, do you guys think dark hair would suit me?"

 

"I think you'd look perfect no matter what hair you've got, babe." Ned told her with a loving smile as Betty kissed his cheek.

 

"Not even enough to cover the advance? I'm sorry man." Peter-3 said to his other self who smiled back.

 

"It was fine in the end, don't worry." Peter-2 told him.

 

Notes:

Yeah, it was gonna be Peter-1 I added here, but I've gone back to thinking "Either after TASM 2 wraps or after NWH wraps" But I'm leaning more towards after TASM 2.

For fans of "I Was Iron Man" chapter 2 will hopefully be out tomorrow.

Also, I've heard the comments, I guess it couldn't hurt to flesh out the Watcher a bit and add other realities, so, yeah, I'm doing What If? Captain Carter script part is done. But I'm wondering, should I have that in this or have What If? as a parallel fic, set in this continuity but separate?

Cons of that: No What If? in this fic
Pros: You get What If? earlier AND Peter-1 will be in What If? If I do make it its own fic, I'll probably put all the Disney Plus shows in that fic, and save this one for movies only.

Chapter 35: How Is The Bug?

Notes:

So, some mixed reactions to "Who Are The Avengers" the tv show driven spin-off to this. Will be returning to that fic before too long, but don't want to let this fall to the wayside. For those who keep asking "Where is Who Is Iron Man chapter 2?" It'll be a few days. I've got a few days of long work shifts, I don't have another day off until Monday, and I often don't have the energy to write after work. It's coming, don't worry.

At college, Peter had his stuff knocked around and walked into Doctor Connors, who said his class was finished, and Parker was late, again. He told Peter if he wanted to be there, just be there. Peter needed to sort himself out, get a work-life balance. Peter said he was going to write his paper on Otto Octavius, Connors said he was a friend of his, and Peter had better do his research.

 

"How are you so unorganized?" May asked with an amused tone.

 

"In my defence, Spider-Man duties took up alot of my time!" Peter-2 defended himself.

 

"Octavius? The tentacle guy from the other one?" Rhodey asked sharply.

 

"He hasn't gotten them yet, but yes." Peter-2 nodded. "This is not too long before I meet him for the first time."

 

Peter headed to May’s to find Harry and Mary Jane there, to celebrate Peter’s birthday. Harry said Peter didn’t return his calls, and asked how the bug was, as May said the less seen of Spider-Man the better. Peter asked how Oscorp was, Harry said he was about to make a breakthrough on fusion with Otto Octavius, ending with him inviting Peter to meet the man.

 

"Harry and MJ are back I see." Peter-3 smiled.

 

"What's other me going to do this time?" MJ wondered.

 

"He's really obsessed with Spider-Man, isn't he?" Steve frowned.

 

"He does blame him for his dads death, as far as he knows, Spider-Man killed Norman, doesn't he?" Sam reasoned.

 

"I can agree with my other self, the less said to antagonise two friends, the better, even if she's unknowingly insulting you." May explained to Peter-2, who nodded.

 

"I understand what she was getting at, and I agree, the one person not needed in that was Spider-Man."

 

"He's offering you the chance to meet your hero?" Tony smiled, glad Harry had some priorities right at least.

 

"Yeah, he was a good friend." Peter-2 sighed.

 

"Was?" Ikaris asked, being ignored.

 

Harry said that Mary Jane was into Peter and he should try rekindle something with her, as Harry pressed about Spider-Man and Peter wanted them to leave it in the past. Peter stayed late and found May asleep, covering a letter of foreclosure she had received. Peter woke her up as she told him not to worry about it, before the topic got onto Ben, and how they both missed him.

 

"Is he trying to help wingman you? I thought he liked her as well." Ned asked.

 

"I think he just wants his friend to be happy. He's a good friend, apart from the obsession with Spider-Man." Abe reasoned.

 

"It does no good to hold onto hate." Thor mused. "It blinds you to all that is truly important."

 

"Poor...me." May blinked, unsure of how she was meant to address that herself. "I miss Ben myself, every day. He was a great man and he always did he best by us."

 

The two Peters nodded, fully agreeing. Ben had always had their back, even when he seemed to be hard on them, they both knew it was to help them in the long run.

 

Peter took out the trash to find Mary Jane still there, next door. They talked as she tried to come onto him, Peter then awkwardly backtracked on it, asking if she still lived in The Village. She said he was a mystery as she cupped his face. She then wished him a happy birthday as she left. She then turned to say she was seeing somebody now that she liked, as Peter congratulated her. Peter then said he would come see her play the next night, promising to be there. She begged him not to disappoint her, as he said he wouldn’t.

 

"Why is she there? I thought she hated her home life, the first videos seemed like she did." Cindy frowned.

 

"She was just visiting." Peter-2 assured her.

 

"Wait, she was flirting with you before revealing she was already dating someone else?" Happy asked, feeling disturbed by it.

 

"We had a discussion about this a few years later. We aired it all out, I found out why she did what she did." Peter-2 said simply, refusing to elaborate further when the others looked over at him.

 

Peter got back home to have his landlord, Mr Diktovich, ambush him, Peter promising to pay his rent when he got his next paycheque. Diktovich’s daughter wished him well, as Peter headed to bed. Waking the next day to a knock at the door, Diktovich was there to ask for rent again.

 

"This guy is very determined to get his rent out of you, isn't he?" Bruce asked.

 

"Surely your world has laws against harassment?" Matt questioned.

 

"Mr Diktovich wasn't bad really, he genuinely cared for me even, in some way." Peter-2 told them. "I was all over the place at the time."

Chapter 36: Brilliant But Lazy

"So, are we about to meet Doctor Octavius?" Ned asked. From what he knew of the man, the man seemed decent enough, when not being a tentacle controlled villain.

 

"Yeah I think we are." Peter-2 smiled. "Otto was a good man, just remember that, all you've seen of him so far is his corruption by his machines, but Otto Octavius was a good man who wanted to help all of mankind. That's the Otto I remember, and the one I hope you'll all get to know if we're seeing this."

 

Harry took Peter to meet Otto Octavius, Harry said they’d all be rich and get a Nobel prize,

as Otto insisted it wasn’t about prizes. Harry introduced them as Otto said he couldn’t deal with any students right now, Harry cleared his throat and left as Otto decided to humour him and keep Peter around for now.

 

"It absolutely isn't about the prizes, it's about the betterment of mankind!" Bruce agreed with Otto.

 

"I mean, winning a Nobel Prize isn't something to reject either though." Tony joked.

 

"I mean, it sucks he needs to keep Harry happy to keep his funding, but it's nice that it allowed you to meet your hero and spend time with him." Betty stated.

 

"I appreciated it, truly. I didn't like that Harry was using nepotism to get what he wanted me to have, but I appreciated it, I still do, even now I've matured on the idea." Peter-2 explained. "He was just trying to make me happy, and I'm grateful for it."

 

Otto said he was told Peter was brilliant but lazy. Peter said he was trying to do better. Otto told him brilliance alone isn’t enough, he needs to be dedicated too. Peter then spoke about Otto’s fusion machine, getting his attention, and before they knew it, two hours had passed, they shared tea as Otto told his wife he loved Peter.

 

"That's all you can do, try to be better than you were before." Steve told Peter-2. "If you're better than you were the day before, that's all that matters."

 

"Yeah, you can't rely on just intelligence, got to work at it too, got to put in the effort every day." Bruce nodded. This Otto didn't seem like such a bad guy in this one at least. Maybe if he had a counterpart in their universe, or they ever met the cured him, Bruce could have a few discussions with the man.

 

"I think it's impossible for anyone to spend any time with a Peter Parker and not love being in their company." MJ smiled as the rest of the room agreed.

 

Otto and his wife discussed affairs of the heart with Peter, and suggested poetry is the way to do it, as Peter began to read poetry books to try and win Mary Jane whilst at the laundrette, where he put his Spider-Man costume in with his whites.

 

"Poetry is the way to win every woman, is it?" Flash asked, eyes wide as the women in the room giggled.

 

"Why are you putting your reds in with your whites?" Tony asked with a smirk.

 

"Just because I'm smart doesn't mean I'm not an idiot as well." Peter-2 defended himself.

 

Peter prepared for the theatre, buying carnations, getting into a suit, escaping Ditkovich and his rent demands, as he drove towards the theatre on his bike, a police chase caused him to lose the bike, doing a flip, he told some kids to eat their green vegetables to be able to do that as well. As the chase progressed, Peter decided to help the police stop it, as he did, he got to the play as it was in full swing.

 

"I see you're getting ready to impress, going to try win back MJ?" Wong asked.

 

"I've gotta stop just wallowing in my own self-doubt, if anything, all of this taught me that." Peter-2 beamed.

 

"It's nice you're encouraging kids to eat better and be healthy." Hope smiled.

 

"I see your time keeping is still impeccable with all of this." Peter-3 ribbed his alter.

 

"I'd like to see you do better." Peter-2 grinned.

 

Stopped at the door by the usher, Peter was made to do his shoelace, tie and his hair, before being denied entry as it “Helped maintain the illusion” and told he had to leave.

 

"I see Mysterio is back." Tony growled.

 

"This guy does realise he's been super obvious, right?" Bucky asked.

 

"I'm pretty sure that was half of the fun for him." Peter-2 shrugged.

 

Dejected, Peter waited outside for Mary Jane. Waiting outside, he heard someone singing a Spider-Man anthem, seeing Mary Jane leave, Peter headed towards her, until he saw her kiss a man who walked up to her. Peter then turned and left, following another car chase, before Mary Jane could see him.

 

"Poor Peter." Cindy frowned.

 

"I got over it." Peter-2 laughed.

 

"I do like the music, got your own theme song?" Peter-3 joked.

 

"Don't you?" Peter-2 winked.

 

"At least you're heading off to go save innocent lives rather than wallowing." Quill reasoned.

 

As Peter swung after it, his webs stopped working and he fell onto a rooftop, hitting his back hard. Asking what was happening, Peter kept trying his webs, and failing. As he looked down, a sense of anxiety hit him, and he used an elevator to get down to the ground again, standing next to a dog walker as he did who complimented his outfit.

 

"What happened? Your webs come out of you, don't they?" Rhodey asked.

 

"Yeah they do." Peter-2 said. "I explained it to Peter-1 and Peter-3 before, but I had a time I went through some existential crisis stuff. This was the beginning of that and during it, my powers shorted out a few times, I fell off walls, webs wouldn't come out of me, alot of things." He frowned. It wasn't a good time at all.

 

"Well I can't wait to see you get past it." Peter-3 smiled at him. He didn't like the idea of his alter self suffering at all, especially with how nice the man was.

 

"At least this guy compliments the outfit." Kate smirked. "I've got ideas for improvements though."

 

"Don't." Clint groaned. "The one you suggested for me is bad enough."

 

"This I've got to see." Natasha gave him a feral grin as Clint gulped.

Notes:

Doubt there will be an update before Monday, got about 30 hours of work over the next 3 days, so enjoy and see you soon!

Chapter 37: The Power of The Sun...

"The next bit, if this is going to go where I think it is, will be rough." Peter-2 addressed the wider room. "We're going to see Doctor Octavius become, as he was coined in my world, Doc Ock."

 

"Doc Ock?" Clint laughed.

 

"The name fits, if you remember the tentacles." Peter-3 grinned.

 

"How could we forget them?" Kingo shuddered. "Such weird things."

 

"A marvel of technology." Phastos mused. "I can't wait to see more about how they came to be."

 

"I wonder if you had a part in their influence in his reality?" Druig muttered to his fellow Eternal, low enough so most of the room wouldn't hear him, though a few who did frowned, wondering what he meant be that, how would this guy be behind it?

 

The next day, Peter phoned Mary Jane as she listened, to apologise for missing the show. He explained how he had missed the show, and how sorry he was that he had missed it. Peter lost connection to her and told her the truth, knowing she couldn’t hear him, saying why he couldn’t be with her, and how he wished he could tell her how he felt for her, before leaving.

 

"Aww, you two just need locking in a room together until you sort it out and kiss already." Kate told Peter-2 who chuckled.

 

"We've been married for over a decade now, I think we got past this part."

 

"I'm sorry, Peter." Bucky said softly to him, knowing the pain of not been able to be totally honest with people, how do you explain to a random date that you're a hundred years old?

 

Otto welcomed everyone to his fusion project as he began his presentation, before showing off his assistants, four actuators, impervious to heat and magnetism, that he controlled the AI for with a chip in his skull, giving him four robotic arms.

 

"Gotta admit, they're impressive. Scary, especially when they tried to kill Pete, but impressive." Tony remarked.

 

"This Otto is absolutely ingenious." Bruce agreed.

 

"I wonder what he needs so many of them for though, we never found out in the other recordings." Abe mused.

 

Otto talked about how Oscorp was funding the precious metals needed for this fusion reaction, Harry said they were happy to pay the bills as Otto set the fusion device going, achieving a successful fusion reaction as everyone celebrated, Otto remarked “The power of the sun, in the palm of my hand. "

 

"Harry's really sinking alot into this, isn't he?" Rhodey frowned. That didn't sound too healthy, gambling all of his chips on one thing.

 

"He was desperate for a win as he saw it." Peter-2 felt his smile drop. "He wanted to do something, anything, to redeem the legacy of Oscorp and to show himself to be his own man, free of his fathers shadow."

 

"Sounds like you with the Avengers." Clint winked at Tony who groaned.

 

"I did even state once I wasn't running a bed and breakfast for a biker gang!" Tony protested. "Clean up after yourselves, people!"

 

"The power of the sun in the palm of your hand? I bet I could beat that." Ikaris smirked as his fellow Eternals gave a small smile, maybe he could.

 

"I'd like to see you fight the sun sometime." Druig told him dryly.

 

"The power of the sun in the palm of his hand? Is that thing really that powerful?" Natasha asked, eyes wide.

 

"Absolutely." Peter-2 grimaced. "Dangerous device if it goes wrong."

 

"Which it absolutely will, due to your luck." Ned stated.

 

Peter noticed something was wrong just before everyone else did, as the fusion core began to fluctuate, becoming magnetic, it stripped part of the containment field away, the reaction beginning to get out of hand as Harry demanded it be shut off as it was his money, Peter returned as Spider-Man, saving Harry as a large crate barrelled towards him, Harry told Spider-Man this changed nothing between them.

 

"Something's happening." Happy groaned, knowing with the kids luck, there had bound to be something go wrong with all of this.

 

"They have to shut that thing down! If it goes too out of control, it could take out the city!" Bruce exclaimed, horrified.

 

"It's too powerful!" Flash whined.

 

"Why is Doctor Octavius still trying to get it to work? He needs to shut it off!" MJ berated the screen.

 

"He cares too much about his project, he doesn't think he can let it go." Peter-2 reasoned.

 

"Why is Harry being a dick? You saved his life!" Cindy argued.

 

"He's still blinded by anger over his father, it doesn't matter what Spider-Man does, to him, he took his father." Matt explained to her.

 

Spider-Man went to shut down the machine as Otto defended it, sending Spidey flying, as the pull from the fusion machine shattered nearby glass, which sliced up and killed his wife, Rosie. A blast from the fusion machine fried the control chip Otto was using, as the fusion machine cut off and Otto was left under the rubble of his own machine.

 

"Don't try stop him, Doc!" Peter-3 yelled. "He's trying to save your life!"

 

"He's too engrossed in his work, I know all about that." Rhodey said, casting a glance at Tony who grinned at him.

 

"I've no idea what you mean, honey bear."

"His poor wife." Betty whispered as they saw her fall, sliced to pieces.

 

"His hubris did this." Thor murmured.

 

"How could he let that happen?" Nebula questioned.

 

"He didn't mean too!" Kate argued.

 

"So that's how his control chip got destroyed and the arms took control of him?" Abe asked.

 

"Yep." Peter-2 nodded sadly. "That did it."

 

Harry remarked outside how he was ruined and humiliated by Spider-Man, whilst Rosie’s body was wheeled away. Peter left the building in civilian clothes again, whilst at the hospital, surgeons joked as they set about going to cut the mechanical arms off of Otto. The arms defended themselves, killing the surgeons as they awoke Otto, dragging him away from the hospital and, after throwing a taxi around, taking him to the site of the fusion machine.

 

"How has Man-Spider ruined you, small man?" Drax asked the screen. "He saved your life."

 

"I'm not even going to try." Quill muttered.

 

"You got changed pretty fast from there." Yelena told Peter-2 who nodded.

 

"It's just a shame Harry raced off before I could speak to him after all of this."

 

"They're joking when people have died and the patient before them is badly injured?" Sam asked, shocked.

 

"Those tentacles are dangerous and they need to stop it." Bucky said, seeing all of them going around throwing things around and killing people.

 

"Why are they bringing him back to the scene of the explosion?" Steve frowned.

 

"To motivate him to replicate his work." Tony sighed. "An idiotic idea."

Notes:

Not sure when the next update will be, my laptop is doing the "crack of death before the screen snaps" so may have to replace it.

Moon Knight finale was incredible, and I've got Doctor Strange tomorrow, so yay! If I really like the film, and I imagine I will, I may try slip it in here, even though it'll be super AU since this Wanda decided to sort herself out and seek out Strange after Wandavision, rather than trusting the Darkhold.

Chapter 38: Butterfingers

At the Bugle, JJJ mentioned about the mad rampage of Otto and asked for a name for him, Doctor Octopus was mentioned, which he shot down, as was Doctor Strange, which he said was taken, he then said Doctor Octopus himself, or Doc Ock. He then told Peter he needed him to work on a planetarium party for him, even though he was angry Parker had no photos of Ock already for him. JJJ’s assistant said he heard Spider-Man was fighting Ock, glancing at Peter as if to acknowledge he knew it was him.

 

"Doctor Octopus? Kinda catchy." May mused with a grin.

 

"Doctor Strange is taken?" Strange choked. "I exist in your universe?"

 

"I've no idea, I've never met a sorcerer before, but maybe?" Peter-2 shrugged.

 

"I wonder if there's another me in that universe." Wanda mused.

 

"Maybe we can find out one day." Strange smiled at her.

 

"I'd like that...but what if my kids exist in that universe? The ones...from Westview?" Wanda turned to Strange with a forlorn look.

 

"Wanda...You know they weren't real." Strange told her gently. "You...we...can't tamper with the fabric of the multiverse and reality itself to even try and find out if it's true."

 

"I know." Wanda gave him a small, sad smile, after a long moment of pause. "It's nice to think of though, right? What if they are real, out there? Who is their father?"

 

"In another lifetime, I'm sure." Strange gave her a small smile back, reaching out a hand to her in support, a hand Wanda took and gratefully squeezed.

 

"I guess the first idea really is the best I guess." Ned grinned, as everyone tried to not cast glances at Strange and Wanda bonding.

 

"So you have to go to a party for him to take photos of him schmoozing?" Abe asked.

 

"May as well be the already on staff photographer who he knows needs money." Peter-3 chuckled darkly.

 

"So how widely known is your secret identity?" Sam asked with a grin.

 

"Pretty more widely than I'd like." Peter-2 admitted with a shake of his head.

 

"This guy can be trusted to keep quiet, can't he?" Steve questioned.

 

"Oh absolutely, he'd have said to JJ before then if he was going to speak." Peter-2 told them.

 

At the docks, Otto mourned his wife, saying how he and the arms should be gone too, the arms spoke to him in his mind, corrupting his thoughts, telling him he was right, he hadn’t miscalculated the equations like Peter was worried he had. He said he would rebuild, make it bigger and stronger, but they had no money. The arms convinced him to rob banks, to steal the money to redo the experiment.

 

"Poor Otto, he just wants to mourn his wife and the arms won't even let him do that." Cindy pouted.

 

"He has killed several people." Flash reminded her.

 

"He's just misguided. He didn't mean to do it." Peter-2 defended his old mentor. Otto hadn't been evil like Goblin, he truly was just misguided and corrupted.

 

"Committing crimes is still a crime." Matt pointed out with a bemused tone.

 

"He needs help, alot more than I thought he did even with the other videos with him." Tony remarked. "Is there no way to help him from our own universe?"

 

"Not without risking the safety of the multiverse, something we won't allow to be risked anymore than it already has been." Wong warned.

 

Peter helped May at the bank as they were denied for a loan, Peter told May that they'd figure it out, whilst over at the vault, Ock revealed the arms, ripping it open and helping himself to it. In the commotion, Peter ran off, leaving May with the teller, as he went to change into the Spider-Man suit. Ock and Spider-Man began to fight, Ock throwing moneybags around as a weapon, Spider-Man throwing them back as well as trying to web him up. The teller tried to pocket some of the loose coins as May slapped his hand. Ock wrapped Spider-Man in his arms and tried to crush his head before Spider-Man broke free and sent him flying.

 

"Why are they denying you for a loan? That's bull!" Yelena protested.

 

"Economy be rigged." MJ said without a hint of mirth.

 

"What are the odds he hits the bank just as Spider-Man is going for a loan?" Scott laughed.

 

"Well at least it won't take too long to stop him." Hope reasoned.

 

"He's got four mechanical arms and desperation on his side, he's gonna be hard to beat." Thena reasoned.

 

"I fancy Peter's chances." Betty smirked.

 

"I don't." Peter-2 mumbled so only his alter could hear him. Peter-3 frowned at that, did it go badly somehow?

 

"How are you managing so many quips during all of these fights?" Clint wanted to know.

 

"A naturally snarky attitude towards life?" Peter-3 deadpanned. "I'm just as bad."

 

"So is Pete." Tony gave a small smile. He really wanted to see the kid again, timelines or memories be damned. He needed the kid to know just how proud he was of him and all he had done.

 

"How did you get him off of you? He had your head in a vice!" Kate yelped.

 

"Skills." Peter-2 joked.

 

As the police closed in on him, Ock grabbed May and demanded they didn't follow as he began to climb the building using the arms, Spider-Man in pursuit. Ock agreed to hand May over before dropping her, saying he had butter fingers as Spider-Man used his webs to catch May, throwing her into the air as Ock attacked him again. Ock threw Spidey into another building before grabbing May again, saying he would kill her. Spider-Man launched himself at him in a slingshot, as Ock turned one arm into a needle, waiting to strike, seeing it, May smacked him with her cane, sending Ock flying, but being knocked off of the building herself. Spider-Man launched himself to her and saved her, putting her down before vanishing, Ock having taken the chance to escape as well.

 

"He's taken May hostage?!" Peter-3 roared. "Bring him here so I can kick his ass as well!" He demanded.

 

"He won't ever kill May." Happy snarled. "I'd kill him if he hurt any version of May."

 

"He's cheating to try and cheap shot! Not cool!" Ned yelped.

 

"GO OTHER ME!" May cheered as she saw her older alter slap Ock with her cane, shocking him and knocking his aim off course.

 

"Save her Peter!" Kingo cried as he saw May plummeting, before they cheered as he saved her.

 

"He got away!" Sprite called out, angered. "How are you meant to track him down?"

 

"You'll see." Peter-2 smiled.

Notes:

MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS IS SOO GOOD! GO WATCH IT ASAP IF YOU HAVEN'T!

Chapter 39: Spider-Man No More

Notes:

Angst ahead.

"So, you're at a party now?" Ned asked.

 

"JJJ was hosting it, yeah, basically anyone who was anyone in my New York was at this party, plenty of government types as well." Peter-2 stated. "Though as you'll see, it wasn't too fun a party."

 

At the planetarium, Harry drunkenly accused Peter of betraying him and caring more for the Spider-Man, saying they weren't brothers, before leaving in a huff. Peter saw JJJ's son with Mary Jane, following her outside, he recited poetry to her, as she told him it was too late. Returning inside, he saw Mary Jane had accepted JJJ's son's proposal, as Harry turned to Peter, slapping him and calling him brother accusingly.

 

"What's wrong with Harry? Why is he blaming you for everything to do with Spider-Man?" Cindy cried.

 

"Because he knows I have a connection to the man he hates and he's lashing out, his investment in Otto failed, and he's in free fall emotionally." Peter-2 explained. "I don't blame him, not really."

 

"Wait, you've got manned Moon missions in your world?" Bruce asked, shocked.

 

"Yeah, don't you?" Peter-2 questioned, tilting his head.

 

"No, we stopped them a few decades ago. There's plans to go back soon, but nothing has happened yet, with everything that happens with aliens these days." MJ explained.

 

"We haven't had one in decades either." Eddie stated.

 

"Nor us." Peter-3 agreed.

 

"Huh. Weird." Peter-2 shrugged.

 

"So, MJ is dating a famous astronaut?" Betty cooed. "Should still be with you though."

 

"He's also JJ's son." Peter-2 pointed out. "This was always going to be a Jameson festival."

 

"Are you seriously trying to win her over with poetry like Otto suggested?" Tony arched an eyebrow.

 

"Hey, it worked for Otto!" Peter-2 defended himself.

 

"It's cute." Hope smiled at him.

 

"Doomed to fail, but I guess cute." Yelena admitted.

 

"How was it meant to work?" Clint asked.

 

"I'm sure the right words could impress the right woman." Natasha reasoned, glancing at Steve, who purposefully looked away from her when he noticed her look, blushing as he did.

 

"Why is Harry being such a, what is the word Quill uses, dick?" Mantis asked, perplexed, as she saw him slap Peter. "I thought he was your brother?"

 

"I would never slap my own brother. We would punch." Drax stated.

 

"Every word you speak, I'm reminded that you are the biggest idiot in the galaxy." Nebula hissed.

 

"He's going off the rails." Abe sighed.

 

"He really needs to sit down and have a heart to heart with Peter at some point." Cindy said.

 

"I'm sure he'll get the chance." Bruce smiled.

 

"She's marrying him?" Ned asked. "But you're meant to be together!"

 

"We are...eventually." Peter-2 told him. "I'm starting to think Peter and MJ is destiny in most universes."

 

MJ turned away hearing that, a small smile on her face.

 

Going on patrol to clear his head, Peter found his powers failing him once again, resolving to go to the doctors. The doctor found nothing wrong with him physically, as they discussed his mental state, Peter pretended he dreamt he was Spider-Man losing his powers, the doctor suggested maybe he was trying to live two lives too much and had to decide on one.

 

"How does this keep happening to you?" Bucky asked.

 

"Existential crisis stuff." Peter-2 laughed.

 

"It's not a joking matter, what if you seriously injured yourself!" May rebuked him.

 

"I heal really fast?" Peter-2 defended himself, wilting under her stern gaze.

 

"You may be about my age, but don't think I won't ground you. If your May isn't here to do it, I will!"

 

"Yes, May." Peter-2 looked down, ashamed.

 

"So is this Doctor also your therapist?" Peter-3 asked his alter, who shook his head.

 

"No, he just seems to always know what to say."

 

That night, Peter dreamt he was speaking to Uncle Ben again, telling Ben he loved Mary Jane, Ben told him that Peter had to do right by everyone, as Peter decided he had to live for himself, not for the dream of Ben, deciding he was just Peter Parker, Spider-Man no more.

 

"Is this really happening, or is it all in your head?" Ned asked with a slight grin.

 

"Of course this is happening inside my head. But what's to say it's not real?" Peter-2 winked at him.

 

"You're giving up being Spider-Man?" Rhodey squawked.

 

"It was just temporary, I figured with the powers shorting, I couldn't do it, and to be honest, it helped me. I needed to work out a balance between Peter Parker and Spider-Man, something I'm worried that both of the others need to do as well." Peter-2 frowned.

 

"I'm doing perfectly fine!" Peter-3 protested.

 

"Are you? You told me, and I quote, "Got no time for Peter Parker stuff" and remember what Ned and MJ said, about little Peter making everyone forget him? Removing all trace of him like Strange mentioned? Do you really think he's balancing his time, he'll almost exclusively be Spider-Man at the moment in their world." Peter-2 shot back.

 

"That's different and you know it!" Ned argued.

 

"How?" Peter-2 asked.

 

"Peter did that to save the world! Am I angry that he did it? Yeah, and when I finally do see him again, I don't know if I'm going to hug him or punch him in the face, but he gave up being Peter for a good reason. It's not the same!" MJ argued.

 

"I know he did! I'm not denying it, but it's definitely a self-destructive tendency we all have in common!" Peter-2 replied.

 

"I can't argue with that, you all do seem to choose the option that hurts you most." Natasha shook her head, thinking back on the recordings they had already seen.

 

"I'm still not like that though!" Peter-3 argued with his alter, his cheeks heating up as he spoke.

 

"Literally how aren't you? You've basically forsaken all hope of romance, and given up on being Peter Parker, even saying you've got no time for Peter Parker!" Peter-2 called out, not missing the wince his younger alter gave at that and wishing he could take it back.

 

"My actions cost Gwen her life." Peter-3 hissed, fury radiating from him. "My hesitation cost her and it cost me everything. Don't you dare ever say Peter Parker didn't cause that. I chose to just focus on Spider-Man as Peter wasn't good enough, Peter couldn't save her. Peter couldn't save anyone. I lost Ben. I lost Gwen. I lost my parents. Peter didn't save any of them, but maybe, maybe if I had just been Spider-Man, maybe I could have!" Peter-3 broke off, choking on his breath as he felt the tears pouring down his face, hot and sticky on his cheeks. "I refuse to be Peter Parker, not because I don't feel I have time to be Peter, but because I know if I am, I'll lose the ones I love."

 

"I know that feeling." Peter-2 admitted to him after a moment of stunned silence filled the room. "I told you I didn't have MJ in my life anymore, didn't I?"

 

"I think you said something, what happened? She walk out on you?" Steve worried.

 

"She's dead." Peter-2 sadly said.

 

"She's what?" Peter-3 blinked, reeling backwards, stunned. He'd never mentioned she was dead, not once. Why was he saying this? Peter-2 was happy, he and MJ made it work, he even said so at Midtown. What was he talking about?

 

"What do you mean?" May asked softly, turning her full attention to Peter-2 who looked shocked and horrified at what he had said, his face paling.

 

"She...She's gone." Peter-2 said after a minute.

 

"What do you mean, she's gone?" Peter-3 asked.

 

"There's this villain, Chameleon. I was fighting him, he got away. He found out my identity, a few of my villains know who I am under the mask, or at least a few of them did. I was out on patrol, looking, when I got an alert there had been an attack. I got there to find...MJ...my children....gone. All my fault. I...I couldn't....I didn't....I failed them." Peter-2 choked out, his head dropping as he finished, sobs wrecking his body.

 

"You didn't fail them, Peter Parker." Uatu spoke, appearing once more from the ceiling. "You did what you always have done, fought for others. They knew that, Mary Jane Watson loved you for that. Would you blame yourself for it, dishonouring her as you do?"

 

"Don't speak her name!" Peter-2 yelled at the Watcher, anger coursing in his veins. "I tried so hard to keep it away from everyone, I was in a new universe, helping a younger me with his issues, I couldn't tell him of what a failure I was, how I had failed to protect everyone I loved. How I had messed up. I had to lie, to tell them I was happy and it had succeeded. You can undo it, can't you? Make everyone forget what I said? Please!"

 

"No. You may have only just met most of these people, but these people can help you, Peter Parker. You must learn to let others in again, and you must learn, as both of your alter selves must learn, you must all learn to care for yourself and to not blame yourself for all of the worlds issues and ills. You are a hero, you just have to remember that, all of you do." Uatu said, fading once again before Peter-2 could respond.

 

"Peter..." Peter-3 whispered, moving to his side and wrapping his other self in a hug before he could say anything, feeling the older man shake, feeling his tears, he gently shushed him and held him tight, glaring at anyone staring until the rest of the room turned its attention back to the screen.

 

"Thank you." Peter-2 whispered to him, whimpering.

 

"I'll always be here for you." Peter-3 vowed. "No matter what."

 

Throwing away the Spider-Man suit, Peter re-dedicated himself to Peter Parker, holding down his job, ensuring his grades went up and he arrived places on time, watching Mary Jane perform on stage. After the show, he went for something to eat with her, and tried to talk her out of marrying JJJ, saying he was there for her now, Mary Jane said he was too late, and she was engaged now. Mary Jane then left him, saying she was marrying JJJ's son, but she did love Peter.

 

"Well, one good thing is you seem to have your life sorted again, getting good grades, having a job, being there for your friends." Happy noted.

 

"It's not a life of true happiness though, I can tell." May sighed. "Spider-Man is a part of who Peter is, I know he can't ever give it up. It calls to him."

 

"If she loves you, why is she still marrying him? You gave up Spider-Man, partly for her!" Cindy bemoaned.

 

Peter-2 said nothing, still curled up in Peter-3's embrace.

 

At the Bugle, Betty brought in a garbage man who had the Spider-Man costume, JJJ celebrated driving him to throw in the towel as his assistant held the mask and looked sad. JJJ then hung the suit on his wall after taking photos of it and printing "Spider-Man No More" as the violinist from before asked where had Spider-Man gone?

 

"I'm back, and I hate seeing how sad the other me looks." Betty noted.

 

"Spider-Man No More?" MJ shook her head. "Truly, original."

 

"I don't think he's truly happy Spider-Man is gone." Sersi noted. "He'll be begging you to don the suit again by the time you do."

 

Peter-2 simply sadly smiled as he wriggled out of his alters embrace slightly to look around the room once more.

 

Peter walked down a street, ignoring a mugging, as the scene cut to Ben's grave as he helped May there, before returning to hers, Peter admitted it was his fault Ben had died, he wasn't at the library like he said, and if he had been, Ben wouldn't have been shot and killed. He explained how he could have stopped the man who killed Ben but he didn't and the man then went and killed Ben. He said how he wanted to tell May so many times as she recoiled from Peter.

 

"You can't just let them get away with stuff like that if you can help, kid. I get it, it shouldn't be on you, but if you can help, you need too." Tony stated.

 

"I know that now, Mr Stark." Peter-2 croaked. "I wasn't in the best head-space, even if I thought I was."

 

"You're telling me that Ben died, and you think it was your fault?" May asked him softly. "You know, even if she's moving away from you now, she won't truly hold it against you. It wasn't your fault Ben died. Never believe it was."

 

"For the longest time, I thought it was." Peter-2 admitted, Peter-3 nodded as well. "But you're right, May. Ben wasn't my fault and I eventually got over it."

 

"You will with MJ too. Her and the kids, it wasn't your fault, man." Bucky told him gently.

 

Peter-2 simply said nothing to that, shaking his head as he turned back to the screen.

Chapter 40: My Back!

At the docks, Ock completed his device before telling the arms they had one more chore. At Harry's manor, he looked over newspaper clippings of Spider-Man as Ock attacked him, demanding the Tridium. Harry said he could have it, if Ock brought Spider-Man to him alive. Ock asked how, Harry said Peter Parker knew who he was. He just asked Ock not harm Peter.

 

"He's rebuilding that device? Is he insane?" Bruce asked, aghast.

 

"Those arms definitely are. I'd love to take them apart, see what their AI is doing." Tony stated.

 

"He's going after Harry now? What does he think he'll get from him?" Sprite asked.

 

"This Tridium? Ah, the material that powered his device the first time. I'd love to know more about it, I'm pretty sure it doesn't exist in this universe." Phastos remarked.

 

"It's probably like Badassium." Tony grinned.

 

"Badassium?" Peter-3 asked.

 

"An element I invented." Tony explained.

 

"You invented an element? How?!" Peter-3 exclaimed, excitement coursing through him. "How is that even remotely possible?"

 

"Desperation and having the right resources at the right time. It's a synthetic version of Palladium, in the simplest terms." Tony waved it off. "I'll have to try find a way to show you guys it sometime."

 

"Harry is too consumed by his desire for vengeance against Spider-Man, he's going to risk everyone for a grudge." Sam scowled.

 

"At least he cares enough about Peter still to ask Ock not to hurt him." Kate reasoned.

 

"That won't be a good thing I'm sure once Harry finds out the truth, this just seems to be setting up towards Harry learning who is under the mask." Clint stated.

 

Peter read a Bugle page that said crime was up 75% as he heard screams nearby. Heading over he saw a house fire, he realised he wasn't wearing the suit but with nobody there to help, he raced into the burning building to try rescue a child he knew was on the second floor. Finding the kid crying in a wardrobe, Peter helped her out and carried her to safety as the flames threatened to engulf them both. One of the firefighters said Peter had guts as Peter heard there was someone else in the fire who never managed to escape.

 

"Up 75%?! Is Spider-Man alone such a deterrent to crime in your world?" Ned asked, astonished.

 

"Yeah, aren't you all deterrents here?" Peter-2 asked, finally looking around the room again, trying to ignore the pitying looks he was receiving, knowing his eyes were likely red.

 

"We help, sure, but we focus on larger threats, not really on crime itself, we leave that for local law enforcement, so, whilst crime is lower than it was without us, it's not a sizeable drop." Steve explained.

 

"During the Blip, I guess it's going to be called, crime was way higher for a time before dropping, as order was re-established, and we did help on the ground alot more than we had before Thanos, it wasn't exactly rock bottom rates still." Natasha agreed.

 

"Huh, I guess that comes with being the only crime fighter really in the city, but crime drops alot when I'm active, and it increases if I have time off for any reason." Peter-2 supplied.

 

"Yeah, I've found the same, when I've been off a few times before with cold, it's gone up, when I return, it drops." Peter-3 agreed.

 

"You're going in without a suit? You could be hurt or worse!" May yelped.

 

"I had to help, I may not be in the suit and may be trying to walk away, but I can't stand still and let crimes happen anymore." Peter-2 insisted.

 

"I know." May said, eyes watering. "Because you're a hero, Peter."

 

"She's very sweet." Betty cooed at the sight of the young child Peter-2 saved.

 

"I've checked in on her a few times over the years." Peter-2 admitted. "She's doing well, finishing high school up about now actually."

 

The mood of the room plummeted when they heard about another person on a different floor being trapped and dying in the blaze.

 

"Peter." Happy said, seeing Peter-2's face drop when he heard again about the person he didn't know about dying, Peter-2 looked over at him. "It's not your fault, never even think for a moment it was. You didn't know they were there. That's not on you."

 

"I could have done better though." Peter-2 sighed.

 

"No. You really couldn't have. You saved a life, Peter. That's the takeaway. You can't be everywhere all at once, you know you can't." MJ insisted. "You can't blame yourself for every issue in the world, none of you can."

 

Peter asked himself what should he do, should he give up the life he wants to be a hero again, when Ursula, Ditkovich's daughter, knocked to offer him some cake and milk, which he accepted, then to let him know he had a message from his aunt.

 

"I already knew the answer, deep down." Peter-2 said. "I had to take back the suit again."

 

"Ursula seems kinda nice." Cindy stated as MJ frowned.

 

"She was nice, a good neighbour and a good friend." Peter-2 agreed.

 

Heading to May's, he found her packing up the house, heading to move elsewhere. She told him she forgave him and loved him, and it was brave he told her the truth about the night Ben died. He asked where his comics were, she said she had given him to the neighbourhood kid. The kid asked him if he was the guy who took photos of Spidey and whether Spidey was ever coming back. Peter said he didn't know. May said how both her and Henry knew Spider-Man was a hero and people needed heroes in these dark times.

 

"She's moving?" May asked.

 

"Too many memories and the bills are a bit much. She needed to get away from there." Peter-2 explained.

 

"I told you she wouldn't hold it against you." May smiled at him as Peter-2 smiled back.

 

"She gave away your comics? Uncool!" Ned laughed.

 

"It really wasn't cool at all." Peter-2 nodded.

 

"He really is a hero, and we really do need heroes." Flash agreed.

 

"Does she know that you're Spider-Man?" Matt asked.

 

"I think she did, even then." Peter-2 nodded. "She definitely knew eventually."

 

The scene cut to Peter on a roof, trying to jump it, shouting "I'm back!" before hitting the floor and holding his back, whimpering "My back" as he hobbled away. The scene then cut to Mary Jane and JJJ's son discussing the wedding, as she told him to keep his head back as she tried to recreate the upside down kiss she had with Spider-Man. Mary Jane realised it was a mistake, as she invited Peter for a coffee.

 

"Well, seems your comeback went amazingly well." Thor laughed.

 

"I may have overestimated myself." Peter-2 grumbled. "This did delay the return by a day."

 

"Is that how your back thing started?" Peter-3 whispered to him as Peter-2 nodded.

 

"Yep, many hits to the back haven't helped alongside the swinging strain."

 

"Is she really comparing him to Spider-Man?" Hope asked.

 

"How is he meant to compare to a literal superhero? Even as an astronaut?" Cindy asked.

 

"I don't think he's meant too, I think she wants a reason to leave him without being bad. A reason to follow her heart and go after Peter, who I expect she already suspects could be Spider-Man." Abe reasoned.

 

"Right in one." Peter-2 smiled tightly.

 

Peter and Mary Jane talked about them, as Peter said he couldn't be there for Mary Jane, both of them said their minds played tricks on them. She asked Peter if he loved her or not. Peter said he didn't, as Mary Jane asked him to kiss her, just once, to prove something. Peter looked at her engagement ring, as he moved towards her, until his Spider sense kicked in, as a car smashed through the window behind them, he hurried to protect Mary Jane as Ock attacked, throwing Peter into a wall and grabbing Mary Jane. He told Parker to tell Spider-Man to meet him at 3 o'clock or Mary Jane would die.

 

"Why can't you be there for her? It's kinda obvious she doesn't care about the danger risk, she's at threat even without being with you." MJ challenged.

 

"It was complicated, but it boiled down to my own fears, I guess." Peter-2 admitted. "We got there eventually though, we did make it work."

 

"You shouldn't kiss her, even if you end up together, she's with someone else." Steve told him.

 

"Don't worry, I didn't." Peter-2 assured him.

 

"Ock found you then, huh?" Bucky asked as they saw his spider sense kicking in.

 

"Yep, rather a bad bit of timing from him." Peter-2 joked.

 

"You're not ready to face him, are you?" Sersi asked.

 

"I wasn't, but I had to try. I couldn't let MJ die." Peter-2 said. "Although it was all for nothing in the end..."

Chapter 41: You Want Him? You Gotta Go Through Me

Notes:

Look, whoever keeps trying to hack my account, why? Is there something fascinating about my account? I have all of my documents backed up. If you want me to leave AO3, sure. I'll make this FFN exclusive.

At the Bugle, JJJ realised that maybe Spider-Man was a hero, and he couldn't see it. Before he could say anything else, the Spider-Man suit vanished from the wall, with a note left that he was taking it back. JJJ demanded that Spider-Man be caught, the Bugle printing a special edition "HE'S BACK!"

 

"He's even willing to admit you do good for the people and are a hero? What twilight universe is this?" Abe sniggered.

 

"JJJ isn't too bad, at least in my universe. He seems like a prick in yours." Peter-2 explained. "He's helped me out, like you saw with Goblin. He's a good man, deep down."

 

"I mean, is it theft if he literally got it from the trash?" Ned asked.

 

"I'd argue not, but at the same time, is it theft for Peter to take his stuff back if JJJ isn't the legal owner and everything?" Scott pondered.

 

"If he's as good as Peter-2 says he is, and he's publishing an article revealing the Spider-Man is back, I get the feeling he won't be attempting to press charges for the theft." Bruce smiled.

 

Spider-Man met Ock at the tower, as Ock attacked him, they fought through the streets and onto a subway train, both landing some hits before Ock disabled the brakes and jumped off, telling Spidey it was him or the train.

 

Damn, are neither of you worried about fall damage from that tower?” Sam asked.

 

“I’ve survived worse falls before.” Peter-2 smirked. “I’m just blinded by rage here though, he’s taken MJ, I’m worried he’s going to hurt her or worse, I still care for her deeply, I love her. I wasn’t going to let him get away with it.”

 

“Those poor people on the train.” Happy muttered. “Please tell me you make the right choice, kid?”

 

“I’m probably your age, Mr Hogan.” Peter-2 laughed. “Or at least close. Though to answer you, yeah, I chose the train.”

 

Spider-Man stopped the train after removing his mask but exhausted himself, collapsing, the people on the train caught him before he fell off of a bridge, all promising to keep his identity safe and thanking him for returning and saving them.

 

“How are you possibly doing that? Your webs alone couldn’t be strong enough, could they? You’re clearly barely slowing it by using your feet and your body weight and should by all rights be dead.” Tony gaped.

 

“Just good old Parker determination and Spider-Man grit.” Peter-2 joked.

 

“They caught up and pulled you into the train? They’ll know who you are!” Cindy gasped.

 

“I wouldn’t discount all New Yorkers as bad apples just yet.” Steve smiled, having an idea what might happen if the people were rescuing Spider-Man.

 

“How old is his kid? You’re like 20 here, aren’t you?” Ned asked.

 

“Yeah, never did find out if he’s got a really old child.” Peter-2 stated.

 

“They’re going to keep your secret? Humans never fail to surprise me.” Nebula blinked.

 

“THESE ARE GOOD PEOPLE. THEY WILL NOT BE EATEN.” Venom grinned.

 

“I’m sure they’d be thrilled to know that, buddy.” Eddie told him with a sigh.

 

“Aww the little kids are offering you the mask back and thanking you.” Scott beamed.

 

“They were good kids.” Peter-2 agreed. “Glad that train did keep my identity secret.”

 

As Spider-Man took his mask back, Ock attacked, Spider-Man telling the people to stand down and let Ock through, who knocked Spider-Man out and carried him away

 

“Is he seriously going to hurt all of these people? He’s a vile monster. Forget anything about him seeming nice at times in the last one, he’s evil!” Betty cried.

 

“It wasn’t Doctor Octavius’ fault!” Peter-2 protested. “The AI had control of him here. You saw the real Otto beforehand and after your Peter cured him. He’s a good man, he just made some mistakes. He redeemed himself.”

 

“They’re seriously not going to let him past? What about the threat to them, they’ve just got fists. He’s got mechanical arms.” Sprite asked, bewildered even now at how selfless humans could be sometimes.

 

“They’re New Yorkers. We may seem to hate everyone, but we defend our own fiercely.” Peter-3 grinned.

 

“A true hero, not letting him harm the innocents and sacrificing yourself for them.” Thor nodded in approval.

 

“Well I can’t let suffering happen if I can stop it.” Peter-2 insisted.

 

“He’s going to take you to Harry, isn’t he?” Bucky asked as Peter-2 nodded.

 

“It’s time Harry learnt the truth.”

 

At Osborn's Manor, Ock dropped Spider-Man off on the same couch he left Norman's body on, as Harry opened the safe for the Tridium. Ock knocked him aside and took it without a glance backwards, as Harry moved towards Spider-Man, wrapped up in barbed wire, raising a knife. He said he would look into Spider-Man's eyes as he died, ripping off the mask.

 

“He’s just giving him the Tridium?!” May asked.

 

“Harry has what he wants, Otto has no personal beef with Spider-Man, he just wants to complete his experiment, no reason for them not to take what they want and go away happy.” Peter-3 muttered.

 

“Harry isn’t going to use that knife, is he?” Flash asked, stunned and scared.

 

“No.” Peter-2 simply frowned.

 

“Definitely got some demons in him.” Yelena shook her head.

 

“Now he knows the truth, this is going to turn ugly, isn’t it?” Kate worried.

 

At the sight of Peter, Harry dropped the knife and mask and stumbled backwards. Sitting up, Peter ripped through the wire and asked where Mary Jane was. Harry said he didn't know about that, all Ock wanted was the Tridium. Peter realised he had rebuilt his machine and he needed to go stop Ock before he destroyed the entire city. Harry said Peter had killed his father, Peter said there were bigger things happening than the two of them, he had to stop Ock.

 

“You’ve just upended his entire worldview. The only one he thought was in his corner is the one he hates more than anything.” MJ sighed, seeing the shock on Harry’s face. “What does he do about it?”

 

“Well he didn’t stab me, that’s a positive.” Peter-2 deadpanned before winking.

 

“Did you really think he would know where MJ was?” Clint asked.

 

“I have no idea, I was worried and Harry seemed to be in on it in some way.”

 

“Damn, how strong are you, to rip through barbed wire like that?” Natasha asked.

 

“Pretty strong.” Peter-2 laughed.

 

“Harry isn’t going to let it go for the sake of your friendship, is he?” Cindy asked, hoping she’d be wrong.

 

“Sadly not. I may not be the immediate issue, Harry still cared for MJ after everything, and wasn’t going to stop me then, but the bill would come due for me and him eventually.”

 

“That doesn’t sound ominous at all.” Kate spoke up.

 

“The Bill comes due.” Strange whispered, thinking over what Mordo had said to him, all those years ago. That reminded him, he had to track down Mordo eventually. Stop the madness the man was spreading by hunting down sorcerer

 

Chapter 42: Go Get Em Tiger

Summary:

Spider-Man 2 finale

"Is Harry going to help you rescue MJ?" Natasha asked.

 

"No, he has no way to help and is too confused by everything to even think straight." Peter-2 explained. "This just me and Otto. I had to try appeal to him, somehow."

 

"I get the feeling he's past the point of reason here." Happy frowned.

 

"He came to your universe after this point, he even said, he had me by the throat. That hasn't happened yet." Peter-2 told them. "He was able to be reasoned with in your universe. He still can be in mine at this point."

 

Peter arrived at Ock's lab to see Mary Jane tied up, rushing to free her, he just dodged the metal beam Ock threw at him, saying he knew Osborn wouldn't be able to kill Spider-Man. Peter told him to shut it down, as Ock said he was willing to risk the lives of half the city, Spider-Man said he wasn't. The two of them began to fight, throwing each other around as the lab collapsed around them and Mary Jane, the reaction began to go critical again, trying to drag Mary Jane into it.

 

"He's trying to kill you?!" Cindy asked. Wasn't Peter saying how Otto didn't have any personal fight.

 

"He's trying to stop his machine still, Ock won't let that go." Clint pointed out.

 

"Why is he willing to risk killing half of the city if not more over this? Work on the maths, make it safe." Bruce said, stunned Otto was willing to be this blind with regards to reason.

 

"He's lost too much on it. His wife, his professional and personal reputation, his funding, his entire life goals. He can't stop it. The AI won't let him either, clearly, it's also focused on the goal." Tony mused.

 

"He's completely lost it." Matt was stunned. "Completely off the rails now."

 

"It's going critical, you need to get it shut down, now!" Phastos cried.

 

"I managed it eventually." Peter-2 grumbled.

 

"Is MJ ok?" Betty asked, seeing that she was floating in the air, being dragged towards the miniature sun.

 

Peter managed to knock the power out as Ock was electrocuted, but the fusion was self-sustaining. Unsure of what to do, he saw Otto in the water nearby, the arms AI knocked out, he went over, asked how they could shut it down, unmasking himself.

 

"Is Otto alright?" May asked, alarmed as she saw him being shocked.

 

"He was fine, it helped alot actually though." Peter-2 smiled.

 

"That thing's going under its own power now?" Bruce yelped.

 

"Going to assume that isn't a good thing?" Sam asked.

 

"It can't be stopped if that's happening." Tony shook his head.

 

"It must be stopped, right?" Eddie demanded to know.

 

"Just watch." Peter-2 simply said.

 

"Peter Parker. Brilliant but lazy." Otto smiled.

 

"Yeah, I really was." Peter-2 shook his head fondly. "You taught me to do better, to be better, Otto."

 

He said he wouldn't destroy it, holding Peter by the throat with the arms, as the AI took back control. Peter told him that they had discussed intellect being used to benefit mankind. That Otto needed to ignore the arms and help him save mankind now. Peter managed to get through to Otto, who forced the arms to listen to him, he said the reaction couldn't be stopped now, not by conventional means, but he could end it. Forcing the device into the water, Otto planned to drown it in the river.

 

"C'mon Doc, you were doing so well!" Happy cried as he saw Ock snap again and attack Peter-2.

 

"This is where Ock comes from, isn't it? He said he had you by the throat and then he was in our universe." MJ pointed out.

 

"Yeah." Peter-2 smiled at her.

 

"You tell him, Parker!" Bucky said.

 

"He's going to do it, isn't he?" Abe questioned.

 

"Yeah, Otto is going to save the day." Peter-2 beamed.

 

"How is he controlling the arms though? It can't be just willpower, can it?" Cindy asked, tilting her head.

 

"I'm not sure. It could be just his willpower, or if they're from after they were here, then maybe Peter's chip is working and he's controlling the AI again?" Strange wondered.

 

"Time travel doesn't work like that though, it has to be willpower!" Bruce argued.

 

"Time travel doesn't work like that here." Steve spoke up. "Maybe it's different in other universes?"

 

"It's...possible, different universes would have different rules on things like that. Physics can change between them." Wong interjected.

 

"Drowned in the river with your machine." May said sadly, remembering what Marko had said about the others from his universe, in the Sanctum with Peter.

 

Peter turned to Mary Jane, who smiled as she saw his face. The machine began to suck Mary Jane in again, Peter holding up several tonnes of the building to stop her being crushed. Otto reached the fusion and said "I will not die a monster!" as he dragged the reactor into the water, drowning with his machine as Peter told Mary Jane how he felt about her, that he loved her.

 

"Which one of you is stronger? You or our Peter? Both of you have held up buildings or lifted them off of you?" Clint asked.

 

"I really don't know the answer to that, we may all be as strong as each other." Peter-2 shrugged as Peter-3 nodded.

 

"Not sure how we'd measure that really." Peter-3 agreed.

 

"You didn't die a monster at all, Otto." Peter-2 smiled softly, feeling a tear in his eye.

 

"FINALLY, YOU TOLD HER!" Venom grinned at Peter-2.

 

"Well yeah, I realised I had to stop running from my feelings, and she knows the truth now. She knows I'm Spider-Man."

 

"That's how she found out?!" Ned asked, shocked.

 

"Yup."

 

Swinging the two of them to safety, Peter talked to Mary Jane in a web he had made, as she said part of her always knew, and Peter said this is why they couldn't be together, he couldn't risk Mary Jane's life. He would always be Spider-Man, so her and him could never be. He then lowered her to the ground as she stared after him, Spider-Man swinging away when she was safe and with JJJ's son again.

 

"You can't just reject her like that, Peter. She knows everything now, she wants to be with you, you can't let her go like that!" Yelena called him out.

 

"I was an idiot, I get that now." Peter-2 agreed. "Don't worry, it all worked out, even with how great Jameson was for her really. He truly loved her, just as much as I did, if anything."

 

At Harry's, Harry sat wallowing in his despair, as he heard the Goblin's cackle. Looking for the source, he saw his fathers reflection in the mirror, calling him weak. As he got more angry, Norman demanded Harry avenge him, Harry screamed as he threw his glass at the mirror, shattering it to reveal a secret room behind with a glider, a costume, pumpkin bombs and the gas that gave Osborn his strength.

 

"Is that Norman's laugh?" Tony asked sharply.

 

"It sounds like it." Natasha frowned.

 

"Is Harry also infected like his father was?" Happy questioned.

 

"This part is new to me as well." Peter-2 stated. "Let's just see what happens."

 

"How is he there? How is he doing this?" Sersi asked, horrified.

 

"I've no idea." Strange muttered.

 

"Dark magic?" Wanda queried quietly.

 

"Delusion is more likely." Wong muttered.

 

"So, he's found his fathers stuff and will try avenge him now no doubt. This isn't good." Steve frowned.

 

"You're telling me." Peter-2 groaned.

 

At Mary Jane's wedding, the groom waited for her, as she got herself ready, before she realised where she needed to be. Rushing off and running through the streets in her wedding dress, as JJJ told the caterer to cancel the caviar he had paid for, she ended up at Peter's small apartment, confessing her feelings, as the two of them kissed. There was then a police siren alert, as she said to Peter, changing into his costume. "Go get 'em, Tiger."

 

"She made the right choice. He was a nice man, but clearly, she loved you. She made the right call." Betty smiled.

 

"Did she?" Peter-2 asked bitterly. "If she had stayed with him, she'd still be alive."

 

"You don't know that! You had a wonderful life together, from what I've heard from it, and you had two kids! Don't you dare tell me if would be better for her to have not had that happiness!" Peter-3 protested. "It wasn't your fault, no matter what you think, I know you man, you wouldn't have let it happen if you could have stopped it."

"You also can't see the future, she could have died in any other way." Drax tried to point out helpfully, getting a scowl for his efforts. "What did I say?"

 

"Who is the guy in the dark jacket checking her out as she's running?" Hope frowned, disgusted a guy would be ogling her.

 

"That's Frank Castle." Peter-2 breathed, shocked the man had been there.

 

"The Punisher?" Matt asked sharply.

 

"He's the Punisher in your universe as well?" Peter-2 questioned.

 

"Who is this Punisher guy?" Eddie asked.

 

"He's a vigilante, like most of us." Matt explained. "I helped defend him in a trial, when he was arrested for murder, he works with me from time to time, but his methods are extreme. He kills his targets, reasoning that the only difference between us is that when he fights his enemies, they stay down."

 

"So he's a psychopath?" Scott asked.

 

"Pretty much." Peter-2 nodded.

 

"Finally you kiss properly this time!" Cindy and Betty cheered.

 

"Go get em tiger, eh?" MJ winked.

 

"Stop." Peter-2 groaned.

 

She watched as Peter swung through the streets towards the police cars, following them as they headed towards the scene of the incident as the screen cut to black after focusing on Mary Jane watching him leave.

 

"She'll wait for you, always." Ned smiled at the older man.

 

"That's the issue, she waited too long for me." Peter-2 whispered, thinking back on that day, what Chameleon had done, how he could have changed it, if he had just been better.

Chapter 43: Gwen Stacy

Summary:

Spider-Man 3 time!

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Peter-2 pulled his younger alter aside before the next recording could start.

 

"What's up?" Peter-3 asked, frowning.

 

"I just want to let you know, if the next video is what I think it'll show, please, don't hold any of it against me or dwell on it."

 

"Why would I?"

 

"I heard what you said about your Harry, what happened with him. Mine did something similar, and you told me about Gwen, you're about to meet mine."

 

"You had a Gwen Stacy too?" Peter-3 asked, stunned.

 

"Yeah, she's a great friend." Peter-2 smiled softly. "I just don't want to hurt you with it, we could ask that Watcher guy if it'll skip it?"

 

"No, I'll be alright." Peter-3 reassured him. "Thank you though, for telling me before it all came out."

 

"Anytime." Peter-2 beamed back at him, as they went to sit back with the others.

 

The scene opened on Spider-Man swinging through the streets, before revealing it to be a promo video for New York City, Home of Spider-Man. Several kids cheered as Spider-Man swung on the screen before heading off, as Peter told them it would start again in a few minutes if they waited.

 

"They've got official promotions of Spider-Man now?" Wanda asked, confused. Wasn't the public opinion a bit split on him?

 

"Yeah, this is a couple of years after the last one as well, basically the people of New York love me here, I've saved the city a few times, posed for the camera, and everyone loves having a hero around to help out." Peter-2 grinned.

 

"I like how you're trying to get them to stick around to watch it all over again." Tony teased the eldest Peter who blushed.

 

Peter spoke about how New York loved Spider-Man, and how he was still top of his class, succeeding with Doctor Connors, raising his hand to answer a question, Connors called on another student, Gwen Stacy, who got the right answer.

 

"Loving Spider-Man are they, even JJJ?" Eddie asked with a teasing smirk.

 

"I have to say, he's still not the biggest Spidey fan, no." Peter-2 sighed.

 

"Still with Connors?" Peter-3 smiled.

 

"Yeah, he hasn't tried to turn into a lizard as well, so always a bonus." Peter-2 smirked.

 

"Wait, the Lizard, it's the same Doctor Connors?" Flash started.

 

"Yeah, this is my version. Never became a Lizard in my world at least not to my knowledge." Peter-2 informed him.

 

"Hang on, Gwen Stacy?" MJ asked sharply.

 

"Wait, didn't Peter-3 mention a Gwen?" Bruce asked as the room turned to the two Peters.

 

"Alot of people have alters who interact with each other. We both have a Norman and Harry Osborn, both have a Doctor Connors, and yeah, we both had Gwen." Peter-3 informed them, voice hitching slightly at the end.

 

"I wouldn't be surprised if there's a Norman, Harry and Gwen somewhere in this universe, even if Oscorp doesn't exist here." Peter-2 told them.

 

"That must be weird, to know there's so many different versions of your friends out there." Steve remarked. "At least I only know of one me."

 

"Oh, there are many Steve Rogers." Uatu addressed him, as Steve startled.

 

Peter then talked about how he's in love with Mary Jane, showing her in a Broadway play, Peter picking up a ticket and sitting to watch, as it panned to show Harry in a box seat above, watching Mary Jane before turning his gaze to Peter, just staring at him.

 

"She's performing on Broadway now? She's managed her dreams, that's amazing!" Cindy cheered.

 

"I'm happy for her." Betty congratulated the screen too, as Peter-2 smiled sadly at it. MJ always was happiest when on the stage, the adoration of all on her.

 

"Oh God, Harry is going to do something stupid, isn't he?" Ned asked.

 

"He's definitely planning something against you Pete." Tony sighed.

 

"This was a long time ago for me, it's dealt with." Peter-2 assured them.

 

Outside the theatre, Peter saw Harry and ran to him, telling him that he needed to speak with him and explain things, Harry told him to raise Norman from the dead and explain it to him. Peter insisted he is Harry's friend and cared for Norman as Harry drove away.

 

"He's not going to listen to reason." Yelena frowned, looking at the hate in Harry's eyes as he took in Peter.

 

"I know that now, but I had to try, I had to get my friend back before he did something stupid." Peter-2 defended his past actions.

 

"Wow, he's really going for the low blows, isn't he?" Kate remarked.

 

"Yeah, he knew they'd hurt, because he knew, deep down, I truly did care for him and I did care for Norman as well, he was like a father figure to me in a way." Peter-2 explained.

Going back to the theatre, Peter congratulated Mary Jane on her performance, Mary Jane showed him the flowers Harry had sent and asked if he was there, Peter said he was and it was complicated why he and Harry were not on good terms at the minute. Mary Jane asked if she really was good, as Peter awkwardly tried to explain why the applause wasn't loud, with her fondly calling him a nerd.

 

"Wow, is Harry compensating for something?" Tony joked.

 

"He's trying to show Peter up, play to MJ's affections and come between him and MJ." MJ said, shuddering. She understood what Peter-2 was saying about Harry, but if there was one in their universe, and he'd act like this to hurt Peter, she didn't want to ever meet him.

 

"Real smooth." Peter-3 winked at and nudged his alter, who flushed.

 

"I was panicking, ok?" He whispered hastily at him.

 

The scene changed to Harry's house, with a close up on several gliders and Goblin masks, as well as a computer monitor, showing muscle growth, as Harry stepped out of a green gas cloud, strength and speed now increased, like Norman was.

 

"What is he doing? He isn't seriously going to make himself into a second Green Goblin, is he?!" May yelped, horrified at what she was seeing.

 

"Not exactly." Peter-2 told her. "He never took up that name, and he had spent two years working on it, the formula just built up his strength, and whilst it did help boost his aggression, it didn't give him the psychotic split personality that it did Norman."

 

"He's going to war, isn't he?" Scott asked.

 

"Yeah, he's going to try hunt me down."

 

Peter and Mary Jane laid together in the park, using a giant spider web as a hammock, as they watched the stars above, Mary Jane saying she wanted to sing for the rest of her life with Peter up front, he said he'd be there and he loved her so much. As they kissed, neither noticed the meteorite falling to Earth and crashing into the park near to them.

 

"Isn't it a bit obvious if you're making a giant web hammock?" Abe asked.

 

"It's romantic, shush." Cindy and Betty told him.

 

"You two are so romantic, it makes me feel sick." Yelena groused.

 

"Wait, why is it focusing on a crashing meteorite?" Clint asked.

 

"Oh no." Eddie whispered, having an idea of what might be about to happen, based on what Peter-2 had said before.

 

"EDDIE, WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE." Venom said in his mind.

 

As they left the park, a black goo left the crash site and crawled to Peter's scooter, climbing onto it as they departed.

 

"Wait, is that black goo moving?" Peter-3 asked, eyes widening, as he and everyone else turned towards Eddie and Venom, who appeared to be sinking into their seat.

 

"Hi?" Eddie asked nervously.

 

"YES, IT IS MY OTHER VERSION. THIS MOVIE WILL NOW BE BETTER. LET US IGNORE ANYTHING STUPID HE DOES, HE IS NOT ME!" Venom declared.

 

"I don't think they're just going to let it go, buddy." Eddie told him.

 

"THEY SHOULD DO, I AM NOT HIM, IS THAT NOT ENOUGH?"

 

"Nope." Bucky chuckled.

 

"Let's face it, anything your alter does in this video, we're going to insult you for." Kingo said with a smile. "You may as well accept it already."

 

Eddie groaned at that, this was going to be a long video.

 

Chapter 44: You Knew This Was Coming, Pete

So, when do we get to meet Alter Eddie?” Thena asked.

“In time.” Peter-2 replied.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” Eddie grumbled.

The scene changed to an escaped convict fleeing from the police, running through the streets and avoiding patrols looking for him. He climbed a fire escape and crawled into a window where a young girl laid in bed, an oxygen tank by her bed. He placed a bundle of letters from himself to her under her pillow, revealing her to be his daughter, Penny and revealing his name as Flint Marko.

 

“That guy looks familiar, why is he running from the police?” Kate asked.

 

“Oh God, that poor kid.” Happy remarked, seeing the oxygen tank.

 

“Wait a second, that’s Flint, isn’t it?” MJ questioned.

 

“Yeah, that’s Marko. He’s just escaped from prison.” Peter-2 nodded.

 

“I see what he meant about getting back to his daughter in our universe.” Tony stated. “If this happened to me, I’d do anything to get back to Morgan and Peter.”

 

“Peter as well?” Natasha teased him as Tony shook his head fondly.

 

"Yeah, yeah, I'm his dad, I got it." Tony grumbled. "Though I mean what I said. The kid deserves the world."

 

"He really does." Strange agreed. "The kid has a way of getting to you."

 

As Flint got some food and clothes, his ex-wife interrupted him, calling him a thief and asking if he had killed a man, saying he wouldn't go near his daughter, as she listened in at the door. When they noticed her there, Flint went to her and told Penny he missed her, she said she missed him too as she gave him a pendant of hers. Flint promised he would get the money to make her healthy, no matter what, as his ex demanded he leave.

 

"He killed a man?" Matt questioned.

 

"He did, but it was an accident." Peter-2 said.

 

"How do you know it was an accident?" Steve asked.

 

"It'll come up in this. Let's just say, I don't hold it against Flint, he made mistakes, he tried to do better, and that's all." Peter-2 said in a firm tone.

 

"He's not really a bad guy, he didn't seem it in the recording we saw of him here, but he genuinely does want to help his daughter, he's not doing what he's doing out of some selfish desire, is he?" Ned asked.

 

"No, he went about it the wrong way, and he paid the price for that, but he really was doing it to help someone else, not for his own gain." Peter-2 confirmed.

 

"I'm not a bad person. Just had bad luck." Flint explained as he fled into the night.

 

"Yeah, I'd say that sounds right from what we've seen." Peter-3 agreed.

 

The scene changed to Peter visiting May, telling her he planned to propose to Mary Jane, and discussing her engagement and marriage with Ben. May told Peter a man had to put his wife first and asked if he could do that for Mary Jane, Peter saying he would. May gave him her engagement ring from Ben, telling him to propose properly.

 

"You're going to finally pop the question?" Peter-3 grinned.

 

"Well we had been together a few years at this point, it was time I made an honest woman out of her." Peter-2 laughed.

 

"Don't you mean she made you an honest man?" Flash asked.

 

"You know you can put her first." Cindy smiled.

 

"MJ and the kids were far more important to me than anything, I'd have given up being Spider-Man had she only asked." Peter-2 informed them with a sad tone.

 

"Yeah, you better propose properly, she deserves that." May told him.

 

"I did!" Peter-2 argued.

 

As Peter drove back from May's, a masked assailant came from above and grabbed him, lifting him into the air and attacking, as Peter used his webs to try escape, the guy sliced his webbing and threw him into a wall. As Peter, dazed, recovered, the man descended to reveal it was Harry.

 

"Who is this guy?" Rhodey asked, seeing the guy attack Peter and dodge Peter's own attacks.

 

"I don't know, but he's clearly skilled, is he working for Harry maybe?" Happy asked.

 

"Well he probably isn't working with Marko, Peter doesn't even know about him yet." Yelena supplied.

 

"I'm pretty sure he's to do with Harry, he's got a glider too, doesn't he?" MJ pointed out.

 

"Yeah, definitely, his blades are cutting through your webbing, I thought your webbing was pretty strong?" Tony asked Peter-2.

 

"Not indestructible though." Peter-2 pointed out.

 

"That had to hurt?" Sam asked as he saw Peter flung into the wall.

 

"Well it wasn't a picnic, that's for sure." Peter-2 agreed.

 

"Harry, why?" Bruce asked, as Harry revealed his face.

 

"He's become twisted by that serum, hasn't he?" Bucky questioned.

 

"No, this is his own rage." Peter-2 explained. "He perfected the serum, he isn't completely twisted like Norman was."

 

"You knew this was coming, Pete." He said, as he charged forward, Peter tried to tell him that Norman killed himself, as Harry smashed a wall with his bare fist and screamed at Peter to shut up.

 

"Did you know it was coming?" Scott wondered.

 

"I knew Harry would do something reckless someday, I just hoped I could stop whatever it was before it happened." Peter-2 admitted.

 

"He's really not going to listen to anything you say, is he?" Betty asked, hands covering her mouth in horror at seeing these two, all but brothers, trying to kill one another.

 

"My God." Hope cried, seeing Harry smashing the wall with his fist and screaming at Peter.

 

Peter was thrown about by Harry, being hit over and over and dropping the ring from May, Peter then grabbed Harry and threw him off the glider, webbing himself to fly towards where the ring was, catching up to it and catching it as Harry managed to draw the glider to himself and attacked again, following Peter down a narrow alley, he withdrew a blade and began to slice at Peter, who dodged every attack, before pulling out the Pumpkin bomb ninja stars and throwing them, as Peter remarked he hated those things.

 

"Stop him Peter!" Scott yelped.

 

"I was definitely trying!" Peter-2 shot back.

 

"You dropped the ring, how are you going to get it back?" Betty worried.

 

"Don't worry, it wasn't too hard." Peter-2 smiled as they saw him regain the ring.

 

"He's able to draw it to him with the tech, could Norman even do that?" Tony blinked.

 

"Not as well. Harry refined it." Peter-2 explained.

 

"He's been training hard for this, hasn't he?" Quill asked.

 

"He wants to kill Peter." Peter-3 mumbled. "I imagine he's done nothing but train for this, trying to kill an established hero won't be easy."

 

"I can see why you hate them." Wanda laughed.

 

As Peter managed to deflect or destroy all of the stars, despite both him and Harry having been sliced multiple times, he eventually managed to trip Harry with a web, sending him flying, hitting his head on multiple objects as he fell to the floor below. Peter rushed to his friends side and began to give him CPR as he was unresponsive.

 

"That had to hurt!" Eddie said as they saw Harry hit his head.

 

"It needed to happen though, he wouldn't have stopped coming after Peter, no matter what." Ikaris reasoned.

 

"Is he alright? Please, tell me you didn't accidentally kill him!" MJ startled.

 

"He survived this." Peter-2 reassured them all.

Notes:

BTW IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET, THE SHE-HULK TRAILER RELEASED ABOUT AN HOUR AGO, AND....MOMMY <3

Chapter 45: It's Brock, Sir, Edward Brock Jr

Notes:

Having a few people ask about Multiverse of Madness, I'm not sure about reacting to it, but it's non canon to this story, as I've said before this Wanda came to Strange for help after Westview, she never allowed the Darkhold to corrupt her, she never chased America or anything. That being said, I'm considering it as Strange deserves to have the father/daughter relationship that MOM set up for us between him and America, and America deserves to be protected. If I do include MOM though, I'll be bringing America into this.

"Is Harry alright?!" Peter-3 asked, stunned by what he had seen.

 

"Yeah, I said he was fine, didn't I?" Peter-2 asked.

 

"I mean, he wasn't breathing." Bruce noted.

 

"Honestly, believe me, this is the part where Harry and I finally rekindled a brotherhood." Peter-2 smiled softly, lost in memories. "If only it had stayed..."

 

"You can't blame yourself, Peter." Peter-3 whispered to him. "I did tell you about my Harry, didn't I?"

 

"Not that much, no."

 

"Harry had a rare genetic thing, it was killing him. He tried to synthesise a cure, using my blood, even though he should have had years left and I had found out that my blood would have killed anyone who wasn't a Parker, he went ahead and tried it. He managed to survive, by using built in medical attachments from his Goblin suit, but it warped him, in both appearance and mind. I tried to get him to stop, just like you did with your Harry, but he was, like yours, too consumed by his rage and his paranoia to listen. You can't blame yourself, you just can't. I spent a long time beating myself up over it, if I had done things differently, what could have happened. Some of the consequences, I'll never be able to forgive myself for, but for what Harry chose to do, I know that one isn't on me, and I know it isn't on you with your Harry either." Peter-3 finished.

 

"Thanks, I think I really needed to hear that." Peter-2 smiled at him.

 

Cutting to the hospital, doctors tried to restart Harry's heart, trying several times before drawing the curtains.

 

"That doesn't look like he made it." Flash frowned, feeling sorry for this guy he'd never met. He seemed to make Peter-2 happy, even if he hated Peter-2 at the moment, and he hoped they could have fixed their relationship, but this didn't look like he was alright, not at all.

 

At police HQ, Captain Stacy was told that Flint Marko, the man linked to the Ben Parker homicide, was trapped in the marshlands during a police hunt, before the scene cut to dogs and officers chasing him into a super collider testing site. Flint fell in and before the police could arrive, scientists at the sight turned on the collider, dissolving Flint's body into sandy atoms as he dropped his daughters pendant.

 

"How is Marko involved in your Uncle Ben's death?" Steve frowned.

 

"You'll see." Peter-2 said, thinking back to that night, and to how he had reacted, both with Carradine and when he had found out Marko had pulled the trigger.

 

"Wait, is that a super collider?" Bruce asked.

 

"Yeah, I think it is." Tony's eyes lit up at the sight.

 

"Didn't Marko say he got his powers from falling into a super collider to Max?" Kingo asked, as everyone looked at him. "What? I pay attention."

 

"What the hell is happening to him?" Natasha asked, horrified by what she saw as Flint literally dissolved before their eyes.

 

"He's been changed at a molecular level." Hope breathed. "He's not entirely human anymore, he's something more."

 

At the hospital, Peter was told Harry was awake but had short term memory loss, going to see Harry, Harry asked what had happened, he heard his father was dead? Mary Jane came in to greet Harry as Harry said he felt he was gone for a long time and was now back home, before Peter and Mary Jane left him to recover. The nurse said Harry had good friends, as Harry said he would give his life for them.

 

"Short term memory loss? How short are we talking?" Sam asked.

 

"It varies person to person does things like this, there's no way to know for sure." Bruce inserted.

 

"It must be rough, to wake up, find out you can't remember the past few years, and that your parent, the one who raised you, is gone? I can't imagine something so horrible." Betty cried.

"Aww, he's so sweet like this." Cindy cooed.

 

"He's Harry how he was at the beginning of the first one for the most part." Peter-2 told them. "It'll change, sadly."

 

Back at the testing site, the sand atoms began to come together to form a man made of sand, as Flint struggled to pick up his daughters pendant, he looked at it sadly, he stood and managed to make himself look normal again, as he walked out of the testing site.

 

"Well, I guess we saw how he became Sandman then." Strange noted.

 

"I feel sorry for him, all he wants to do is do right by his daughter, get her the medical help she needs. Is there nothing we can do to try help him?" Wanda asked Strange quietly.

 

"Not without risking fracturing the multiverse even more. We got lucky with the last few events, Dormammu, this with Spider-Man, the ripples throughout the Cosmos caused during Westview. We can't risk further tampering." Strange told her gently. "I'm sorry Wanda, but he's on his own for this one is Mr Marko."

 

At Peter's apartment, he looked over a restaurant reservation he had made as Mary Jane came by, lamenting a bad press review of her play, Peter tried to tell her it was alright, he was blasted like that in the news too, not to worry about it, with her saying being Spider-Man was not the same here. Peter had to go with a crane collapse, as she watched him leave sadly, leaving herself, unaware of the black goo on his floor moving around.

 

"You both need to sort out your priorities here." MJ glared as Peter-2 looked over.

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"She's more worried about what some critic is saying, rather than listening to what you, her loved one, is telling her about it, meanwhile you're too wrapped up in acclaim for Spider-Man to see she's struggling with her own self belief and offering her the comfort she needs, making it about you." MJ stated. "You both need to focus more on the other one in this situation."

 

"You're right, I was an idiot here." Peter-2 admitted after a moment.

 

"Jeez, you need to go save them." Abe exclaimed.

 

"Don't worry, I saved who I could." Peter-2 assured him.

 

"So I guess your other self is making a move?" Eddie asked Venom.

 

"I HAVE NO IDEA, I DON'T RECALL THEIR MEMORIES OF THIS, I'M NOT FULLY TUNED INTO THEM ALL, EDDIE."

 

At the site of the crane moving, there was a photo shoot with Gwen Stacy involved, as the crane crashed into the building, it took out several bystanders on the street below, as Captain Stacy arrived, a photographer took shots and noted it was Gwen. Stacy asked who he was, the man introduced himself as Eddie Brock, working for the Daily Bugle and said he was dating Gwen.

 

"Is that Gwen in a photo shoot?" Peter-3 blinked, surprised she was doing a raunchy looking photo shoot.

 

"She's looking good." Tony winked as both Peter's glared at him. "I'm kidding, happily married man, remember?"

 

"Didn't your Gwen ever do this?" Ned asked Peter-3.

 

"A raunchy shoot? Not a chance." Peter-3 laughed. "She was photogenic as hell, even let me snap her pics a few times, but it was never anything even as remotely suggestive as this." He sighed. "I guess that's another difference between our universes."

 

"It wasn't that raunchy! It was just some posturing!" Peter-2 protested.

 

"I've just realised her father is the police captain. He was in my universe too." Peter-3 blinked.

 

"Was?" Flash asked.

 

"Lizard." Peter-3 simply said, not wanting to go into further details. Fortunately, nobody pressed him, having an idea of what had happened just from that word.

 

"Who's the guy with the camera?" Sprite questioned.

 

"EDDIE, I DO NOT LIKE THIS." Venom hissed to him.

 

"Yeah, neither do I, I get the feeling that this photographer will be someone I want to punch." Eddie replied.

 

"WHY?"

 

"I think it's me." Eddie said simply, as if that explained everything.

 

"THIS GUY? HE LOOKS LIKE HE WOULD FIT IN ON A SITCOM, EDDIE. HE CANNOT BE YOU!" Venom declared.

 

"Eddie Brock? Is he you?" Ikaris asked Eddie, who shuddered..

 

"Yeah, I think this guy is my alter." Eddie cringed.

 

"He looks flamboyant, I'll give him that." Clint quipped.

 

"He does seem more put together than you at least." Natasha told Eddie. "If I had to describe you, I'd say that you need a good nights sleep. He seems at least together."

 

"Gee, thanks." Eddie grumbled.

 

"You're dating Gwen?!" Peter-3 turned on Eddie, feeling angered for some reason.

 

"He is!" Eddie protested, pointing at his alter. "I've never even met anyone named Gwen Stacy!"

 

Spider-Man arrived and caught Gwen, swinging her to the ground, she thanked him and ran to her father as Eddie approached Spider-Man, taking his photo and telling him that he was gonna cover Spidey now for the Bugle, that Parker was an amateur who made Spidey look bloated in photos. Gwen watched as Spider-Man swung away and smiled.

 

"Woo, go Peter!" Cindy cheered as they saw Peter save her from the collapsing building.

 

"Wow, my alter really is a prick." Eddie growled, seeing him snap photos of Spider-Man and state he was going to take over for him from Parker and that Parker sucked at his job.

 

"Not cool." Peter-3 glared at on-screen Eddie.

 

"He was just excited about the chance, and kind of a sleazeball as well." Peter-2 stated.

 

"You don't make yourself look bloated!" Ned protested.

 

"Thanks man." Peter-2 smiled at him.

 

"Someone's got a crush." Betty teased, seeing the way Gwen watched after Spider-Man as he left. MJ pursed her lips. It didn't matter what universe it was, Peter was hers.

Notes:

I'm really tempted to write a dark Spider-Man fic, like blood, gore, Spider-Man straight up torturing folks, the works. Ofc it'd be super OOC, but whatever. Issue is, if I do, I'm splitting my time between even more fics. Would anyone want to see it?

So tempted to abandon this fic for like a week or two, just spend the time rewatching MCU stuff and making the scripts for the rest, since I've got to do that eventually anyway.

Chapter 46: Lay One On Me

At the Bugle, one of the assistants was pitching JJJ a new ad as Betty kept buzzing an intercom to remind JJJ to keep the blood pressure down and to take his pills, as a visibly done JJJ thanked her quietly as he did so.

 

"It's a really bad ad idea." Cindy sniggered.

 

"I'm back? Hopefully I've got a bigger role in this one." Betty smiled.

 

"JJ really has to keep that blood pressure down here too, ranting about Spider-Man." Rhodey stated, frowning.

 

"I just like how done he looks with the entire thing about watching his health and the loud buzzing." Happy grinned. "What? I picked up some things from the kid." He defended himself at the Avengers staring at him, agape.

 

Eddie came in with new photos of Spider-Man, creeping out Betty as she welcomed Peter, telling him to get in with JJJ before Eddie could do too much. JJJ decided to run Eddie's photo, as Eddie asked for a staff job. Peter said he deserved it if there was one, JJJ's assistant who knew Peter was Spidey said Peter deserved it, JJJ asked if anyone cared what he wanted. He told them both that whoever found the picture that proved Spider-Man was really a bad guy could have the job.

 

"Why is my alter such a sleaze-ball?" Eddie moaned.

 

"No idea, but I'm not into it and neither is that version of me." Betty cringed.

 

"I don't blame you, I know he's not me and you're not her, but I'm sorry for what he's doing." Eddie offered Betty who smiled, smiling even more as Ned slipped a protective arm over her.

 

"Yeah, Peter does deserve it!" Sprite argued.

 

"So does this Robbie know for sure you're Spider-Man?" Ned asked.

 

"Yeah he does." Peter-2 smiled. "I think we discussed this earlier, didn't we?"

 

"So I'm going to guess I'm going to frame you somehow?" Eddie asked Peter-2, who grimaced. "That's a yes."

 

On the street, Peter saw a news report saying that Spider-Man was to be given the freedom of the city as an old man next to him told him how he guessed one person could make a difference.

 

"You've got the freedom of the city?" Peter-3 asked.

 

"I do." Peter-2 smiled. "You don't?"

 

"They don't exactly like me all that much, at least over the last few years." Peter-3 frowned.

 

"Wait, that old man, he looks familiar." Tony narrowed his eyes as a few others in the hall did the same.

 

"I think I've seen him before on a bus." Strange noted.

 

"He cut my hair on Sakaar!" Thor grumbled, still not having forgiven that slight.

 

"Didn't he drink at the Tower with us, just before Ultron attacked?! Steve questioned.

 

"I've seen him, he spoke to Venom and I once!" Eddie exclaimed.

 

"Who is this guy and how is he there?" Natasha frowned.

 

"He's an informant who works for me and my kind." Uatu spoke up. "He appears many times, watching all of you, assessing threats, letting us know if we need to intervene to help keep stability or if you heroes can handle it."

 

"Wait, you spy on us all?!" Natasha asked, furious.

 

"Of course. We monitor. We watch." Uatu simply stated. "We need informants to do so, he is one. That is the mystery solved, we watch throughout the multiverse, your own universe alone isn't our only focus."

 

"Not sure how I feel about that, definitely an invasion of privacy." Matt said distastefully.

 

At Harry's, Peter and Harry caught up and played some basketball as Harry discovered he had no love life at the minute, they dropped the ball and Harry caught it effortlessly, Harry wondered how he did as Peter remarked he had the moves, worrying about the Goblin serum in his body.

 

"That must be bad, to think you're this attractive man and not have someone special in your life." Abe shook his head.

 

"Truly, that must be the worst thing ever." Cindy glared at him.

 

"How has Harry caught that?" Sersi asked.

 

"It's the Goblin serum in him, he still maintains his powers." Peter-2 explained.

 

"That'll probably help jog his memory, that isn't good at all." Ikaris frowned.

 

At her Broadway play, Mary Jane learnt she was being fired due to the bad reviews, leaving to see them replacing her name on the sign.

 

"They're firing her over that? She would have done better!" Betty yelled, incensed.

 

"It's the nature of performance, sadly." Kingo frowned. "If you fail, even once, you're done. Take it from me, I know all about it."

 

At the Spider-Man appreciation fair, Peter walked around taking photos of everything as he talked with Mary Jane, who was upset at her being fired, lying to Peter and saying she was still in it. Meanwhile Eddie photographed Gwen, who said they weren't together and it was one drink they shared, they weren't dating.

 

"You two really need to communicate better. If she had told you the truth, that she had been fired, what would you have done?" Wanda asked, tilting her head at Peter-2.

 

"I'd like to think I would have, I know if it was now, I'd have given up the celebration and everything for her, but at the time, I really don't know." Peter-2 frowned.

 

"Your alter is a real creep, they weren't even dating." Yelena hissed at Eddie, who raised his hands in a peaceful gesture.

 

"Hey, I'm not him!" Eddie protested. "I like to think I'm not some super creep."

 

"WHAT ABOUT ANNIE?" Venom teased him.

 

"Who?" Kate asked.

 

"That wasn't the same and you know it! I just was hung up on her, I never stalked her, if anything, you did that!" Eddie berated Venom.

 

"ANNIE BELONGS WITH US, EVEN SHE KNOWS IT, ONE DAY, I'M SURE SHE WILL ACCEPT IT TOO! EVEN IF DAN IS NOT QUITE AS LOATHSOME AS ONCE THOUGHT."

 

"I'm not even sure I want to know what the baggage is with you two." Tony murmured.

 

"I'm sure it'll come up at some point, if they're going to torture us all." Eddie muttered. (Yes, I've decided I'm going to do not just the Venom 2 post credits, but both movies, fully)

 

Down a nearby street, Flint walked through the streets, as some local cops recognised him and chased him, Flint ran into a sand truck and attacked the cops as they tried to circle him, forming a massive sand cloud and dispersing into the sky.

 

"They don't stand a chance of capturing Flint, do they?" MJ asked.

 

"Nobody did really, other than me. Kinda hard to cuff a guy who can dissolve before your eyes." Peter-2 nodded.

 

"Where's he going?" Ned asked.

 

"Take a wild guess." Peter-3 laughed, thinking with Parker Luck, it had to be just one place.

 

At the celebration, Gwen Stacy introduced Spider-Man who swung in and hung upside down, telling her to kiss him for the cameras, which she did. Meanwhile Mary Jane caught up with Harry who wondered where Peter was as they watched the celebration together. As Gwen smiled and Spider-Man waved, Mary Jane, having seen it all, stormed off in anger, Harry asking if she was alright.

 

"What are you doing?!" Most of the room yelled at Peter-2, who scratched the back of his head.

 

"I was an idiot, I can't really justify it, I was trying to play to the crowd and forgot how that'd make MJ feel. It wasn't my brightest moment at all."

 

"I don't blame her for storming off and Harry checking up on her." MJ glared at Peter-2, who shrunk under her gaze.

 

"Neither do I, I'm glad he was there to help her, even if it didn't do too good in the long run."

 

The cheers turned to screams as the sand cloud approached, Spider-Man chasing it to a nearby bank van. Getting inside, he found Flint robbing it, getting into a fight, Spider-Man saw his fist go straight through him as Flint knocked him out of the van, Spider-Man had to stop several civilians and the drivers being killed in the fight, Flint managing to escape in the confusion, but empty-handed.

 

"Here's Marko to ruin it all, isn't he?" Ned sighed.

 

"Luckily Spider-Man is there to stop him, even if he has to stop snogging the woman he isn't dating." Cindy glared at Peter-2 again.

 

"I said I was sorry!"

 

"Your punches are going straight through him, how are you meant to stop him when he can hit you and you can't hit him?" Bucky frowned.

 

"I fought wiser eventually." Peter-2 simply said.

 

"At least you managed to get him to flee empty-handed." Sam noted.

 

"That'll just make him more determined next time." Rhodey frowned. This was definitely not over for Marko.

Notes:

I'm not abandoning this fic anytime soon, don't worry, I meant that after finishing Raimi 3, writing scripts for Shang-Chi, Black Widow and some other stuff before doing the Webb reactions.

Chapter 47: Peter Pecker

Peter dusted himself off and got ready for his date with Mary Jane, who saw a picture of Gwen kissing Spider-Man in a newspaper on her way there, souring her mood. At the restaurant, Peter was stopped by the host, who happened to be the same man from the theatre performance and the wrestling announcer, who kept calling Peter "Pecker".

 

"That's a good way to keep Mary Jane angry with you." Tony frowned.

 

"It isn't my fault she saw it!" Peter-2 protested.

 

"Maybe don't kiss random women next time." Peter-3 glared at his alter. He understood it was the heat of the moment, he did, but knowing his alter had a happy marriage eventually, it annoyed him to see his alter having risked it before, especially with an alter of his own Gwen.

 

"Is that Mysterio again?" Bruce asked, askance.

 

"Yeah it is." Peter-2 shook his head. "This time, at least he wasn't been a hindrance, other than the name calling."

 

"Did he know your secret identity?" Rhodey questioned.

 

"Yeah, he knew all along, since the night of the ring fight." Peter-2 told them. "He laughed about it at one point, how he made sure to always appear at moments to give me the most irritation."

 

Peter told him he planned to propose and to hide the ring in champagne, to be given at a hand signal. The man said he would as Peter waited for Mary Jane, as she arrived, they talked about her play, the subject turning to Spider-Man being a star for the city. Peter then waved as he saw Gwen Stacy there with her parents, trying to talk with her and Mary Jane whilst preventing the host from bringing the ring, thinking he had sent the signal.

 

"That's an extremely cliche proposal." MJ said, looking at Peter-2 with a dead-eyed gaze as he gulped, not noticing the slight twitch at her lips.

 

"She's not going to like talking about her play." Cindy shook her head.

 

"Well it wasn't like I knew she had been fired, she kept it from me!" Peter-2 protested.

 

"It always comes back to Spider-Man, doesn't it?" Flash questioned.

 

"Sometimes, I really wish it didn't." Peter-2 grumbled as Peter-3 nodded in agreement.

 

"Of course she's there, this is going to go amazingly well, isn't it?" Eddie grumbled.

 

"He definitely knew you didn't give the signal then, didn't he?" Tony asked, chuckling.

 

"Absolutely." Clint agreed.

 

Gwen left after kissing Peter's cheek, angering Mary Jane, who stormed out of the restaurant after arguing with Peter about his feelings for Gwen, which he said he didn't have, and she was just a friend from school to him. The waiter then brought out the ring, thinking Peter had given the signal again, after Mary Jane had left.

 

"This is going about as bad as it possibly could, isn't it?" Ned winced.

 

"You could say that." Peter-2 agreed.

 

"I can see why she won't believe you, with Gwen acting like that." Steve noted.

 

"Why is he so determined to mess with you like this?" Sam questioned.

 

"Because he's an asshole, like our Mysterio was." Bucky snorted.

 

"Well, true." Sam agreed.

 

Peter then tried to call Mary Jane to apologise for his actions, her listening to his voicemail but missing him when she decided to pick up the phone. Peter then received a phone call, asking him to come to the police precinct to talk to Captain Stacy.

 

"Like passing ships in the night." Strange shook his head.

 

"What does Gwen's father want you for?" Peter-3 asked his alter.

 

"You'll see." Peter-2 grimaced.

 

Captain Stacy explained how Dennis Carradine was only an accomplice, and Flint Marko killed Ben Parker, as Peter recognised Marko from the bank truck, running the night Ben died again through his mind as Captain Stacy talked. Peter then said the police weren't doing enough as Stacy said they'd catch Marko.

 

"Wait, Marko killed Uncle Ben?" Peter-3 asked. "You never mentioned this before."

 

"It didn't matter who did it. It was done." Peter-2 simply replied.

 

"Of course it matters! YOU HUNTED DOWN AN INNOCENT MAN!" Peter-3 yelled.

 

"Hardly innocent." Nebula scowled.

 

"Look, you don't have the full story yet, when you do, you'll understand." Peter-2 tried to placate his other self.

 

"Don't defend that monster. At least tell me you caught him."

 

"I did." Peter-2 nodded.

 

"At least your past self has the right idea, hunt him down, at all costs. Bring him to justice." Eddie frowned.

 

"Like I said, it isn't so cut and dry. My past self was blinded by rage and didn't have all the facts. When you do, I'm sure you'll think like I do." Peter-2 rationalised.

 

Back at Peter's, as he listened to radio scanners, Mary Jane dropped in, telling him she heard what had happened from May, and that she was there for him, and forgave him for his mistake with Gwen. She said everyone needed help sometimes when Peter insisted he was fine, and she left before he fell asleep listening to the police scanner.

 

"She really cares for you, she knows you well enough that she knows you'll do something stupid if caught up in your own head, if you're enough like me." Peter-3 smiled.

 

"Yeah, she was the best." Peter-2 gave a small smile back. "I was stuck in my own head alot, too much if anything."

 

"You need to be Peter more, this obsession, it's clearly eating you up, it's only going to get worse, isn't it?" May asked her nephew sadly.

 

"You clearly know me so well." Peter-2 drily remarked. "I'll admit, it got bad."

Notes:

Apologies for the lateness, been working alot of hours recently and had MCM comic con, The Jubilee as well as The Boys, Kenobi and finally watching all of Stranger Things.

Chapter 48: Good Riddance

Notes:

Illness and babysitting has delayed this chapter from being finished as well as delayed other works. Long work weeks about to start as well, so for fans of my other works, especially "I was Iron Man", updates will be a while yet sadly, haven't even started the next chapters.

As he slept, the black goo attacked, covering his Spider-Man suit and his body, as Peter dreamt of the night Carradine died, he then found himself outside in the new black suit, remarking how he felt so much more powerful than ever before.

 

"I'm sorry you're having to relieve it, both then and now." Sersi said, giving a smile to Peter-2 who nodded back to her.

 

"Thank you."

 

"I have experience in betrayals." Sersi admitted, casting a glance at Ikaris who firmly fixed his gaze towards the floor as she spoke. Sersi tried to not let a frown take over her face at that. She'd have to pull him aside at some point, to truly clear the air between the two of them.

 

"Is this what it was like for you, bonding with Venom?" Ned asked Eddie.

 

"No, not really, I mean, it was definitely painful, but it wasn't quite like this, I mean, I also wasn't asleep during all of it." Eddie stated.

 

"IT WAS NOT THAT PLEASANT FOR ME AS WELL, EDDIE." Venom huffed.

 

"What does it feel like?" Natasha questioned.

 

"It's insane." Eddie said, as Peter-2 nodded his head. "You feel awful, to begin with, and it takes its toll on you, you need to feed, to keep him sated, but the strength you get, the speed, the durability, there's nothing like it, at least not in my world."

 

"You feel so much power in you, you can swing further, jump higher, punch harder." Peter-2 explained, trying to get across what happened with his version of Venom. "It amplifies negative emotions though, it makes you lash out, act erratic, believe me, it's not worth it."

 

"I AM PERFECTLY NICE!" Venom protested.

 

"You are, buddy, kinda, after ages of learning different. The you in that universe though, he clearly didn't learn that." Eddie justified their reasoning to the symbiote, who nodded after a moment, sporting his usual sickly grin.

 

"I can see why you'd feel so powerful with that." Tony stated, seeing Peter-2 swinging with Venom inside of him on the screen.

 

He took a sample of the goo to Doctor Connors, who remarked about it and said to Peter that it definitely wasn't from Earth. He told Peter it seemed to like him, but don't let it touch Peter, it seemed to be a symbiote, and these things need to bind to survive and can be hard to unbind.

 

"Yeah, that's definitely not a part of the animal kingdom." Cindy laughed, seeing the little black blob on the Petri dish.

 

"I AM AN APEX PREDATOR!" Venom disagreed harshly.

 

"Sure you are, buddy." Eddie chortled.

 

"Yeah, bit late for the no touch advice, you think?" Rhodey snorted.

 

"Sound advice though, especially if he exists in this universe." Peter-2 sagely nodded however.

 

"Was it hard to unbind?" May asked her nephew softly.

 

"It was agony." Peter-2 admitted.

 

"The times me and this guy have tried to unbind, it almost killed us both." Eddie quietly agreed, as Venom ducked his head too. It was truly pain beyond compare.

 

Getting home, Peter heard a police report of a bank robbery with a sandstorm, grabbing the black suit, he took off after Marko, getting there as Marko headed down a sewer, he was stopped by Eddie who wanted new photos of him. Spider-Man smashed his camera and fled into the sewers after Marko, leaving Brock behind.

 

"Sounds like Marko is active then." Flash stated.

 

"Oh God, what is that idiot doing there?" Eddie groaned, seeing his alter was there.

 

"How did he even find out about the robbery and get there just as Peter did?" Betty frowned.

 

"Probably listened in to a police scanner illegally." MJ scowled.

 

"Could see that having happened." Peter-2 shrugged.

 

"He's going to try make you look like a criminal, especially smashing his camera up like that, isn't he?" Yelena questioned.

 

"You may just be a prophet." Peter-2 chuckled.

 

"Alter Eddie is definitely going to be out for revenge on you." Bruce said.

 

"Oh, he was." Peter-2 didn't further elaborate.

 

Peter and Marko fought in the sewers and subway tunnels, kicking each other into subway trains, until Peter managed to flood the area with water, soaking Marko and dissolving him, as he faded away, screaming, Peter simply said "Good riddance."

 

"Damn, you're really going for a horror vibe, disappearing into the shadows, firing webs at passing trains, being far more violent than usual with criminals, even if it's Marko." MJ shook her head. "This isn't Peter Parker, this isn't Spider-Man, and you know it."

 

"Yeah, it wasn't me, not really. Like I said, the symbiote heightens aggression and negative emotions, it was fuelling my anger more and more." Peter-2 explained. "It made me reckless, but I should have done better, should have been more careful."

 

"Wait, why is the water doing that to him?" Sprite asked.

 

"You remember what happens to sand when water washes over it, it becomes clumpy and collapses, just like that." Phastos reminded her.

 

"It's been a while since I've been on a beach, really." Sprite shrugged. "Or at least since I looked at the sand on the beach, anyway."

 

"Good riddance? You killed a man!" Peter-3 hissed at his alter. He had taken lives before, sure, and he hated himself for every one of them, Peter-2 was such a nice guy, why was he so uncaring and even happy that Marko was dead?

 

"He isn't dead." Peter-2 explained. "I was a jerk though, I can't defend that."

 

Returning home, Peter let the symbiote control his emotions, when Mr Ditkovich asked for rent, Peter yelled "You'll get your rent when you fix this damn door!" before storming inside, Ditkovich remarking Peter was a good boy who must be in trouble, letting it slide as he stood there, shocked.

 

"Poor Ditkovich." Sam shook his head as Peter-2 winced.

 

"Not my finest hour, he was a great landlord, and a good man, just like Ursula was a good friend." Peter-2 stated. "I was awful to them back then, and I couldn't apologise enough for it."

 

"I kinda liked how you flew off the handle, it's odd, but cool, to see this darker tone with you, to see you let a more darker version of yourself out." Yelena grinned as Peter-2 grimaced.

 

"I was a dick." He simply replied.

 

Peter then spoke to Aunt May, telling her Flint Marko was dead and Spider-Man killed him. May asked why Spider-Man would, he doesn't kill. Peter said he thought she'd be happy that Marko was dead, May said Ben wouldn't want anyone living with revenge and it wasn't her place to say if Marko deserved to live or die.

 

"Wise words." May nodded at her alter on the screen.

 

"Yeah, it's not our place to judge whether someone deserves to die, no matter their crimes." Matt agreed.

 

"We've all taken life, or at least, most of us have." Kingo replied. "But you're right, nobody should take a life just because they think it's deserved. It should always be a last resort."

 

Mary Jane then was shown taking a new job as a waitress and singer, before she called Harry, asking if she could come over, he told her to do so then asked his butler to go get some food he could make with her. Peter apologised to Mr Ditkovich for what he had said as he was told to phone Mary Jane, before he put the phone back and walked away.

 

"It must suck to go back to that job after having escaped that." Flash muttered.

 

"If she enjoyed it, that's the main thing." Betty argued.

"Well Harry seems happy to see hear she's coming." Abe frowned.

 

"He was still in love with her, from his point of view, he had suddenly learnt that they'd broken up." Peter-2 reasoned in defence of his old friend. "He didn't know what to do with those feelings."

 

"It's good you're apologising to him, he didn't do anything wrong." Natasha told Peter-2, nodding at her.

 

"Yeah, like I said, he's a good man."

 

Chapter 49: Gonna Cry?

Mary Jane came over to Harry's and cooked with him, sharing stories and laughing before they kissed. Mary Jane then left, realising her mistake, as Harry went back to his study, he heard his fathers voice, touching the mirror, he remembered everything that had happened and his promise to avenge his father against Peter as he was told to attack Peter's heart.

 

"It's sweet that they're good friends, even with Harry losing so much of his memories of the two of them." Cindy smiled, until they saw the two of them kissing.

 

"No, MJ, don't! Peter's an idiot but you two belong together!" Kate yelped.

 

"This is ancient history to me, you do know that, right?" Peter-2 asked, eyebrow raised with an amused tone.

 

"Wait, is he remembering?" Bruce frowned, seeing Harry stumbling.

 

"This isn't good, not at all." Sersi gasped, seeing Harry being hit by the memories, and seeing the reflection of Norman in the mirror.

 

"Norman..." May breathed again, still stunned.

 

"How can he be there? He's dead!" Happy called out.

 

"It's his psyche, just like it was for Norman himself." Tony theorised. "The serum is manifesting itself as his father, using his guilt over Norman and his subconscious desire for his fathers approval still to control Harry."

 

"I'd say that's pretty accurate." Peter-2 nodded.

 

"He's going to go after MJ as well, isn't he?" Peter-3 asked his alter, worried. He was still disgusted by how his alter was acting in these recordings, but he couldn't tolerate the thought of MJ being attacked by Harry Osborn like his Gwen was.

 

Mary Jane got home to hear a voicemail from Peter, as she went to hear it, Harry arrived on the glider, pinning her to the wall, telling her that if she wanted Peter to live, she'd do as he told her. Peter then got a message from Ursula, saying Mary Jane was on the phone, as she asked him to meet her at the park.

 

"Leave her alone!" Phastos yelped, seeing Harry attacking MJ on the glider.

 

"What is he going to do to her?" Cindy frowned.

 

"This can't be good." Quill muttered, hearing MJ talking on the phone, sounding dull and unemotional with Peter-2.

 

"Yeah, there's definitely something Harry has going on here, he's going to try sneak attack Peter at the park." Nebula reasoned.

 

Getting to the park, Mary Jane said she was breaking up with him, she loved someone else now and left, as Peter was heartbroken, Harry said "Bravo." to Mary Jane.

 

"Damn, that's heartless." Rocket remarked, giving Harry some grudging respect for how calculating he could be.

 

"You showed her the ring as well?" Betty gasped.

 

"Yeah, I wanted to be with her." Peter-2 shook his head. "We did make it eventually though."

 

Peter met Harry at a pie shop, where Harry told Peter that she had a new job and was fired from the show, as Peter said she had left Peter for another man and that he was gonna propose to Mary Jane. Harry said he was the other man and figured he owed it to tell Peter, Peter left as Harry turned and winked at him, before Peter could make a move, Harry vanished.

 

"You two really needed to communicate better, Harry clearly wouldn't have been this successful if you and MJ had communicated more!" Sam called out to Peter-2 who winced and nodded his head.

 

"I agree, I was too stuck in my own head for her at the time." Peter-2 scowled.

 

"I'd ask why you're telling Harry about this, I mean, even thinking about it for a moment, it'd be obvious if there was another man, it'd be him, but I can see the reasoning. You need a friend, and you believe he's still your friend here." Clint reckoned as Peter-2 nodded.

 

"Yeah, I had no clue the Goblin was back at that moment, I did figure it out pretty fast during this though."

 

"Why is he telling you he's the other man? Sure, it hurts you, but he must know you'd hit him or something?" Kate questioned.

 

"He's enjoying Peter's pain too much, I don't think he'd care if Peter did attack him, it'd make Peter look bad in public if he did." Matt noted.

 

"I assume him winking at you told you the Goblin was back?" Peter-3 whispered to Peter-2, seeing his alter wince a little at the memories.

 

"Yeah." Peter-2 told him with a small smile. "It did."

 

Peter turned up at Harry's home to find Harry drinking, offering Peter one, he provoked Peter by saying Mary Jane knew Harry very well and her kisses still tasted of strawberries, as Peter attacked, realising Harry had remembered everything, he let the influence of the symbiote take over, smashing Harry through walls and glass, getting the upper hand. Harry asked if Peter would kill him like he did Norman, and yelled that Norman loved Harry.

 

"Surely you saw he was baiting you, right, Peter?" Bucky asked, seeing the younger Peter-2 visibly getting angrier.

 

"I knew, I just didn't care." Peter-2 scowled.

 

"LET ME OUT, PETER, YOU KNOW I CAN TAKE HIM, HE IS NOTHING!" Venom demanded, seeing how his alter self would help Peter-2.

 

"I let you influence me in this, yeah." Peter-2 grimaced as they saw him begin to beat Harry up, Harry fighting well, but being no real match for Peter-2 in the end.

 

"He's never going to realise you didn't kill his father and tried to stop the fighting, will he?" May gasped.

 

"You'll see." Peter-2 smiled sadly.

 

"No, your father despised you. You were an embarrassment to him. Look at little Goblin junior. Gonna cry?" Peter mocked him as Harry charged at him and Peter knocked him down. Harry threw a pumpkin bomb at him which Peter deflected back, exploding by Harry's face as Peter just walked away.

 

"Damn, that's harsh." Steve said with a frown.

 

"I regret what I said." Peter-2 said softly, trying to avoid looking at some of the hurt glances he could see being aimed at him.

 

"That reminds me of my relationship with my father." Tony frowned, trying to avoid thinking about Howard.

 

"He's going to use those exploding killer bombs on his best friend?" Ned gasped.

 

"I sent it back to him, hurting him even more." Peter-2 scowled at his past actions. "I just wish I could have done better by Harry."

Notes:

I've had alot of comments about it...THE PETER DANCE IS THE NEXT CHAPTER!

Chapter 50: Double Time!

"So, want to talk about what happened?" Peter-3 asked his alter, pulling him aside.

 

"There's nothing to talk about." Peter-2 simply tried to brush him off.

 

"No, come on man, don't do this to me." Peter-3 protested, laying a hand on Peter-2's shoulder. "Don't shut me out, please. Talk to me. I can see that watching all of this is affecting you, and I think you haven't really gotten the chance to talk about much of your Spider-Man life, outside of your MJ that is. Talk to me. Please."

 

"What is there to talk about? It all happened, a long time ago for me, can we just drop it?"

 

"You're clearly still not alright, not with all of it. The effect that Venom had on you, your relationship with Harry, sure, my relationship with my Harry isn't exactly stellar, but it wasn't this layered and wasn't this crippling on me."

 

"Didn't he kill Gwen?" Peter-2 asked.

 

"Yeah, he did, and I can't ever forgive him for that, but it wasn't like this, he was driven out of desperation, not hatred and revenge, not at first, and he wasn't trying to destroy me nearly as much as your own Harry did. You need to talk about it." Peter-3 argued.

 

"I'll talk about it when you talk about your own demons, how you've done better since we met Peter-1, how you've tried to honour Gwen once again." Peter-2 shot back, as Peter-3 slumped. He had tried, he was better than he had been, but he knew he still had a way to go, and he wasn't there yet, he wasn't ready to talk. He shook his head and stalked back to the others, as Peter-2 winced behind his back.

 

'That could have gone better.' Peter-2 thought to himself. He wanted to get through to Peter-3, to help him in a way he wished he had gotten help as well.

 

"Peter." May called out to Peter-2, as he looked over to her. "Can we talk?"

 

"What is it, May?" Peter-2 frowned. He had an idea of what she'd say, what his own May had said after she had learnt about all of this probably, and whilst he respected her, he didn't want to hear how it wasn't his fault but he could have done better by his friend right now.

 

"How are you holding up? I know these videos must be hard on you, having to relive all of these events." May softly said, giving him a small smile.

 

"I'm...I'm alright." Peter-2 sighed after a moment to think on it. "It's hard, seeing all of this, having to remember what had happened, what others did to me, what I did to them, but I'm handling it, I just don't like the idea of all of this being out there, I mean, it can't be changed, it happened, what am I supposed to do on this?"

 

"There's a reason we're seeing it. To get to know you. To help you. You may seem to have it all together, but clearly some of this stuff still haunts you. You need to forgive yourself. MJ and your kids, they weren't your fault. You have to learn to forgive yourself." May told him kindly, giving him a small smile as he looked sadly at her.

 

At the Bugle, Peter found out Eddie had a photo of Spider-Man being a thief as the people outside muttered they trusted Spider-Man but he was a bad apple. Realising Eddie had used an old photo of his and changed the colour, he called Eddie out.

"What's he done? Clearly it's a fake, but how?" MJ asked.

 

"You'll see, one of the few times I have to admit, I don't regret how I acted, even if it did push Eddie to do some unsavoury things." Peter-2 admitted.

 

"I kinda want to see my alter get a good punch, but as he's also me, I kinda feel for him, I guess?" Eddie stated as everyone nodded. That made some sense, you wouldn't want yourself getting shown up really.

 

"You're trash, Brock."

 

"Yeah he is, sorry Eddie." Ned said as Eddie waved it away.

 

Eddie pleaded that Peter let it go as Peter exposed him, getting a retraction for the first time in twenty years from JJJ and Brock fired from any paper in NYC.

 

"Yeah, them's the breaks, you messed up buddy and now you've got to reap what you sowed." Eddie grinned.

 

"I do feel bad for him." Cindy pouted.

 

"You shouldn't, he committed a crime really." Matt told her. "He should be grateful he was only fired."

 

Peter then began creeping around town, dancing weirdly as he came onto women, getting the staff job from JJJ for his shots as black suit Spider-Man and flirting with Betty Brant, as Doctor Connors examined the Symbiote more and asked Peter if he still had any, Peter lied and said he didn't as Connors said it amplified its hosts characteristics, especially aggression.

 

"What is that dancing?" Flash wheezed as they all began laughing at the antics on the screen, Peter-2 pouted and flushed as even his alter choked back some laughter.

 

"Are you seriously throwing your arms into the air?" Tony barked out.

 

"It looked cool..." Peter-2 murmured as everyone laughed harder.

 

"I mean, it's not the worst dancing I've ever seen, but it's pretty bad, man." Peter-3 smiled at his alter.

 

"It's really bad!" MJ grinned.

 

"I could dance better than that." Ned told him as Peter-2 scowled.

 

"I am a good dancer!"

 

"No, you're not." Ikaris smirked.

 

"Wait...are you flirting with my other self?" Betty wrinkled her nose at what she saw as Peter-2's face turned red and Ned glowered at him.

 

"Yeah, not one of my better points. Betty is a good friend, as I'm sure you are to Peter-1, but that relationship thing that really went nowhere, not a good idea." Peter-2 admitted.

 

"Listen to proto-Lizard!" Kingo told Peter-2. "Get rid of it!"

 

"Well I mean, I wasn't exactly thinking straight at the time, I did get rid of it shortly after this." Peter-2 promised them.

 

In the sewers, Flint Marko began to reform, looking at his pendant of his daughter and promising to help her.

 

"Well I'm glad he wasn't dead." Bruce smiled.

 

"He couldn't have died if he met our Peter after this though." Abe reminded him.

 

"Point." Bruce nodded, giving the young man a smile.

 

"I'm just glad he seems to be focused on his daughter, even if going about it the wrong way." Clint stated.

 

Peter took Gwen on a date to Mary Jane's bar as they walked past Eddie looking defeated. Peter then began to sing and dance for Gwen, before she realised it was just to make Mary Jane jealous and she stormed out after apologising to Mary Jane. Mary Jane told Peter to get lost as Peter tried to win her back, the security tried to get Peter out as he beat them up and hit Mary Jane by accident.

 

"Why are you taking her to a date where my alter works?" MJ demanded to know.

 

"I was being a selfish idiot." Peter-2 winced, thinking of how angry they'd all be when they saw just how much of a dick he had been.

 

"I don't know if I can feel that sorry for my alter, he was a piece of work, and clearly obsessive over Gwen, but at the same time, I do feel bad for him, does that make sense?" Eddie asked the room.

 

"Jeez, you really were an asshole." Natasha glared at Peter-2, who shied away.

 

"Yeah, I was. I'd say Venom made me do this, but it just heightened what was inside, Connors even said so, there was always this douchebag inside of me. Venom just let it out."

 

"HEY, I RESENT THAT!" Venom shot back.

 

"You know full well your other self has caused this." Eddie reminded him as Venom shut up and nodded. That was a fair assessment of the situation, he guessed.

 

"YOU HIT HER?!" Happy yelled, stunned.

 

"I didn't mean too, I apologised for it, I was sorry!" Peter-2 tried to defend himself.

 

"I was going to say you're reminding me of a younger, idiotic me in this." Tony said. "But I never went as low as that. I know you had that thing influencing you, but still."

 

Peter went atop a church tower and went inside, as Eddie Brock prayed at the altar below, asking God to kill Peter Parker for him. Peter began ripping the Venom suit off of him as the church bells tolled, weakening it with sound, as he ripped it off, the pieces of it dropped to the floor below, where Eddie Brock watched in fascination, asking "Parker?" As he saw it happen. As the symbiote left Peter and he left, it bonded to Eddie.

 

"What are you doing in a church?" Peter-3 asked his alter.

 

"Getting rid of the Devil." Peter-2 smiled softly at him.

 

"You're there and my alter is praying for you to die, I get the feeling something bad is about to happen." Eddie frowned.

 

"I have a bad feeling about this." Ned grinned.

 

"What?" Eddie asked him.

 

"You don't have Star Wars?!" Ned asked, stunned as Eddie shook his head.

 

"We do, I just...wasn't expecting a Star Wars reference."

 

"He's getting the Venom Symbiote, he's going to go off the deep end, isn't he?" Abe worried.

 

"With great power, comes the absolute certainty, that you'll turn into a right cunt." Flash muttered, Peter-2 laughing as he heard it.

May visited Peter at his apartment as Peter told her that he wasn't ready to propose, he wasn't ready to put Mary Jane ahead of himself. May told him that she believed in Peter, that he was a good person and would find a way to make things right, leaving the ring for him.

 

"Well I'd say you weren't ready to propose, with how you were. I'm just glad you've gotten rid of the Venom symbiote." May told Peter-2, who smiled.

 

"I just wish I had been more careful with it." Peter-2 frowned.

 

"You are a good person, Pete. You just need to remember that sometimes it seems." Matt told him, Peter thanked him for that.

 

Flint attacked what he assumed was Spider-Man, until he revealed it was Eddie, who said he was looking for Flint as he knew Flint hated Spider-Man for stopping him seeing his daughter. He said they both wanted to kill the Spider, working together, he didn't have a chance and was Flint interested?

 

"Oh no, I get a bad feeling about the two of these being together." Kate cried.

 

"How did Peter stop him seeing his daughter? It was his choice to do the crime!" Cindy called out.

 

"He's just manipulating Flint to do what he wants." Eddie growled.

 

"They're not going to kill Peter!" Betty yelped.

 

"I'm right here." Peter-2 reminded her.

 

Notes:

Yeah, not gotten nearly as far through all this as I had hoped to be, met David Harbour at the weekend, that was lovely, and now to begin work on a Stranger Thing watch the show fic instead of focusing on my current ones, yay!

Chapter 51: Confessions and Loss

Notes:

I see some people are sad a few deleted scenes weren't included, sadly this fic is only using the versions that were released. The extended cut of NWH will also NOT be used in this fic as the script parts have already been written for NWH.

"So Flint is going to team up with Eddie? What are they going to do?" Scott asked.

 

"You'll see." Peter-2 whispered, thinking back to the events of that night, the loss of Harry, having to kill Eddie...he still woke up screaming some nights from it.

 

Mary Jane got into a taxi as she missed Peter, waiting outside of her apartment for her, the driver turned around to reveal it was Eddie. The news then showed the taxi hundreds of feet in the air, webbed up, with Mary Jane inside, the police being kept back by Marko's sandstorms, Eddie had webbed a message saying "Spider-Man, stop us if you can."

 

"He better not harm a hair on her head." Betty growled, seeing the sickening grin that Eddie gave to Mary Jane.

 

"You'll need to get in there, the police are clearly outmatched." Steve frowned.

 

Peter went to Harry to beg his help to save Mary Jane, Harry told him that he didn't deserve Harry's help. As Peter left, Bernard approached Harry and told him that he had hidden the truth from Harry, that Norman had died by his own hand, that Spider-Man was innocent.

 

"You went to Harry for help?" Natasha tilted her head.

 

"We had our problems, yeah, but he was the only other powered person in the city who I could have possibly called on, I knew he still had feelings for MJ, and I hoped our shared history would allow him to put it behind him for a night, and help me save our friend." Peter-2 explained. "But he was right, I didn't deserve his help, I had ruined his life, scarred him and tried to kill him even. I didn't blame him for saying no, even though I knew it would take alot more to save her and stop therm without assistance."

 

"So he wouldn't listen to you, but he'd listen to his butler?" Tony asked, stunned.

 

"Well, he had been more of a father to Harry than Norman ever was." Peter-2 reasoned. "Either way, I'm glad he was able to get through to Harry and dispel Norman's presence in his mind."

 

Reaching the site, Peter was immediately ambushed by Eddie, who easily knocked Peter down and webbed him to his own webbing, unmasking him and telling Peter he was going to humiliate him, asking Peter if he remembered what he did to Eddie. Mary Jane dropped a block on Venom as he said he was about to kill her, distracting him as Spider-Man got free.

 

"This guy's gotten used to the powers way faster than you'd have thought, it's not even been a full day, has it?" Bruce asked.

 

"He was already fuelled by his hatred and jealousy, and Venom, at least, mine, just heightens that." Peter-2 explained.

 

"I DO NOT!" Venom protested. "TELL THEM, EDDIE!"

 

"I mean, he hasn't heightened those emotions for me but I am always eating weird stuff now thanks to him." Eddie shrugged.

 

"How are you meant to beat him, you're alone, he knocked you aside easily and has you pinned in his own webs." Cindy moaned. "I'm not sure what you're meant to do, you have to win, you're here, but how?"

 

"Well you'll see if we watch I'm sure." Yelena remarked.

 

"How did Peter humiliate him? He was the one who lied, and who thought he was dating Gwen when she had never said anything of the sort." Peter-3 snarled. "Entitled prick, no offence." He nodded to Eddie, who waved it away.

 

"No, you're right, my alter is a dick."

 

"GO MARY JANE!" Kate and Scott cheered as Yelena and Hope rolled their eyes.

 

Spider-Man and Venom fought until Venom kicked him away, as Sandman appeared, attacking Spider-Man. Spider-Man raced up towards where Mary Jane was in danger of falling, to be attacked by Venom again, who webbed him down as Sandman began punching him, the reporter nearby remarking on how it looked like the end for Spider-Man.

 

"How are you meant to fight two at once? I wish Harry had his head out of his ass." Kate grumbled.

 

"I've said before, I don't blame Harry for how he felt, to him, I stabbed him in the back, and I must admit, I didn't try reason with him when I had Venom with me, I just tried to beat him up."

 

"I can't disagree with the reporter, how are you meant to get out of this, they have you outnumbered, outmuscled, and clearly have no moral dilemma about trying to kill you." Sersi remarked with a frown. How was Peter supposed to defeat these two?

 

As Sandman prepared to finish Spider-Man off, a bomb exploded in his head, as a figure swooped down and smashed into Venom, sending them flying. The figure unmasked to reveal it was Harry, offering a hand as Peter said "You came."

 

"Wait, is that..." Clint trailed off before they saw Peter's saviour arrive.

 

"It is Harry!" Thor grinned.

 

"Well, I'll be." Strange blinked. "I didn't think he'd get his head out of his ass, even with that talk."

 

"He swatted them aside like they were nothing!" Sprite noted.

 

"He's got the same serum in him that Norman Osborn has, so hugely increased strength and stamina." Phastos reminded them,

 

"At last, the two best friends reunited." Ned smiled. "I can't wait to reunite with our Peter as well, hopefully not in a life or death situation though." He trailed off at the last part.

 

Peter and Harry turned back to back, Peter taking on Eddie as Harry fought Marko, JJJ was in the crowd, hustled by a child to get a camera and some film to have shots of the fight with Peter nowhere in sight.

 

"Not too sure how you're meant to harm a giant sandstorm really, but I'm glad to see you've got each others backs." Tony smiled.

 

"It's always good to see JJJ scammed, no matter the universe." MJ grinned as most of the rest of the room laughed.

 

Peter and Harry worked together to save Mary Jane as the webbing holding her finally collapsed, saving her, Harry rushed off to send Sandman flying as Spider-Man and Venom resumed their fight. Venom had the upper hand and had Spider-Man captured, when Harry returned on his glider. Venom sent him flying but the noise from the crash weakened the symbiote as Peter realised its weakness.

 

"At least you saved MJ." Cindy smiled. "That's the most important thing, saving the innocents."

 

"Absolutely." Peter-3 beamed at her.

 

"Is Harry ok?" Flash's eyes widened as he saw Harry thrown from his glider, to no response.

 

"Wait, the noise, the bell weakened him in the tower, letting you get it off of you, didn't it?" Bruce noted, as Peter-2 smiled at him.

 

"Got it."

 

"I DON'T LIKE MY WEAKNESSES BEING EXPOSED LIKE THIS." Venom murmured to Eddie, who chuckled.

 

Venom grabbed the glider and prepared to stab Peter, as Harry dived in the way, taking the stab. Venom kicked him down a storey as Spider-Man broke out of Venom's webbing and set a trap around it of metal pipes, chiming them to weaken it. Using his webs, he pulled Eddie from it, and as Venom grew to a massive size, he used the noise again to weaken it and threw a pumpkin bomb into the ring to kill it, Eddie jumping in to try save Venom, both were killed.

 

"HARRY!" Everyone cried, seeing the glider pierce him like it did his father. Peter-2 looked away from the screen, knowing it was coming, but the outpouring of anger and sadness from everyone else had stunned him, but he couldn't see this, he couldn't watch. He screwed his eyes closed and turned away from the screen, missing the concerned look that his younger alter gave him and the frown that May gave him as well.

 

"Smart, using the sound waves to hurt it." Happy nodded his approval.

 

"That definitely has to hurt, it's even making my ears ring." Matt noted.

 

"Why isn't it hurting Venom?" Eddie wondered, as much as he may complain about the symbiote, he didn't want it to be hurt.

 

"I am able to contain it so it has no effect on your friend within here." The Watcher spoke to him.

 

"Don't!" Tony yelled, seeing the two separated and Eddie's alter trying to save alter Venom.

 

"I may have disliked my alter, he was needy, whining, entitled, and a liar...but I'm not happy to see him die, even if it was his own fault." Eddie said, after taking a moment to see the outcome of the battle and seeing his other self sacrifice himself rather than live without Venom, rather than live without power.

 

"Poor Eddie." Betty cried, she didn't like this version of him, especially how he was creeping over her alter, but she didn't like seeing anyone die.

 

"I have to see, seeing Venom outside of a host, massive like that, it's scary." Abe gulped.

 

Peter then turned to go to Harry to be confronted by Marko. Marko explained what happened the night Ben died and how it truly was an accident, Peter remembered what Ben would have wanted, told Marko he was forgiven as Marko turned to sand and blew away, to try reconnect with his daughter.

 

"I like Marko, at least, in our universe, but come on, he needs to get to Harry!" Kingo called out.

 

"So, it really was Carradine's fault, it was all an accident, he didn't plan to pull the trigger, Carradine surprised him?" Peter-3 asked softly.

 

"Yeah, literally a mistake, wrong place, wrong time." Peter-2 said bitterly. "I can forgive Flint, he didn't mean to do it, it was a mistake, but I hate the fact there's nobody I can really blame, Carradine died, Marko didn't mean to do it and if Ben was literally anywhere else, he'd have lived for years longer." Peter-2 muttered angrily.

 

"I'm proud of you, and I know your Ben and May would be too." May told Peter-2 with a wide smile, as he smiled back at her, swallowing his anger for the moment. Yeah, he knew Ben would have been proud of him in that moment.

 

Rushing to Harry, Mary Jane and Peter both spoke to him and held him as Harry told Peter he was his friend, his best friend, before dying in Peter's arms, Peter and Mary Jane holding Harry as the sun rose over New York.

 

"I'm so sorry Pete." Tony said, looking at Peter-2, the rest of the audience also giving their condolences, as Peter-2 choked back his sobs, turned his head away and tried to drown out his last words to Harry, not wanting to relieve those last moments, even as his mind replayed it over and over, torturing him as it mixed it with the memories of finding Ben, May and MJ dead in their home.

 

Peter and Mary Jane looked at one another as Harry was buried by his father, before the scene cut to Mary Jane singing at the diner, Peter came in, took her hand and the two of them slow danced together as the scene cut to black.

 

"A happy ending." Peter-2 murmured, hating that it wasn't the happy ending it had appeared it would be, that he had lost everything in the end, all he had now was Spider-Man.

 

"So, now you've seen what shaped the elder Peter before you. Before we return to see how Peter dealt with the multiverse breaking over, it is time to see what shaped the younger Peter before you all." The Watcher said as Peter-3 groaned, with the rest of the room grinning at the idea of what they would be about to see, even as they worried about seeing Gwen and Peter-3's reaction to his lost love.

Notes:

FINALLY FINISHED THE RAIMI TRILOGY! NEXT UP, THE WEBB DUOLOGY!

Also, it's my birthday today, so yay!

Chapter 52: Morning, Flash

"So, I guess it's time for you all to find out about me and the villains who your own Peter fought?" Peter-3 asked, already dreading watching all of this. Peter-2 smirked at him as he glared back at his older alter.

 

"I'm hoping this is more upbeat than the older Peter." Matt said as Peter-3 snorted.

 

"Not a chance."

 

The scene opened up on a young boy, head in his hands, counting for a game of Hide and Seek, before walking through the rooms of his house, searching for his father, checking behind curtains and doors, wearing his fathers glasses, before calling for his father after entering his study and finding the place had been damaged badly.

 

"Oh, we're starting here." Peter-3's breath caught in his throat, wondering what relevance this had, if this was about Harry, sure, but he had a feeling this would be about Doctor Connors and him becoming Spider-Man.

 

"Who is that guy?" Yelena asked, having an inkling.

 

"A scientist, working on some secret projects." Peter-3 said. He hoped he wouldn't have to mention who the man actually was, he knew if he did, it'd open some wounds.

 

His father entered the room and began to search for a folder, finding it, he told his wife to get his son and go as he wiped his research from his chalkboard. Driving in the rain, they pulled up outside of a small house, going inside, they sat down with the occupants as the young boy sat in the next room.

 

"He's definitely got something he needs to hide, something dangerous, maybe?" MJ questioned.

 

"Extremely, in the wrong hands." Peter-3 clarified.

 

"Why do I have a bad feeling about all of this?" Cindy asked.

 

"Because it doesn't have a happy ending, unfortunately." Uatu explained.

 

"You're gonna stay with Aunt May and Uncle Ben for a while." The father said to the young boy.

 

"That's you?" Tony asked Peter-3.

 

"Yeah, that's the last time I ever saw my parents alive." He said, looking down sadly as everyone cast him sympathetic looks.

 

Peter's mother told his Aunt how he liked sandwiches and to sleep, as Peter begged to go with his parents, his father telling him to be good. The scene then cut to the present, Peter sticking photos in a high school display before being hit by a basketball in the head, greeting the guy who hit him with "Morning, Flash."

 

"I'm so sorry, Peter." Kate told him as he gratefully nodded to her.

 

"Thanks, my Aunt May, she couldn't give me a perfect life, but her and my Uncle Ben, they gave me a good life, a life of responsibility and instilling good values." Peter-3 stated. "I'm forever grateful for what they did for me, even if I didn't always appreciate it or realise at the time how they were helping."

 

"Wait, that big guy is me? Why is every other Flash jacked and I'm like this?" Flash moaned.

 

"Well, at least you seem to be alot smarter than our versions of you." Peter-2 joked as Flash shook his head and gave a small smile back.

 

Peter skated through the halls, being called over to be asked to photo a classmate's boyfriends car, as a teacher called Peter out to tell him to not skate in the halls, he approached his locker to find a couple making out against it.

 

"Why does every universe seem to have a Midtown High, or some version of it, with at least a Peter and a Flash?" Betty asked.

 

"The multiverse is a concept about which we know frighteningly little." Strange told her.

 

He scowled when he heard what sounded like a hastily covered "Bullshit." from Natasha, coughing into her hand.

 

Peter went out into the school yard and took a photo of a woman sitting there, reading a book.

 

"Stalker." Coughed MJ, but stopped mocking at the look of pain on Peter-3's face.

 

"Who is that?" Ned asked.

 

"That's Gwen." Peter-3 explained, his voice shaking as he spoke. "Gwen Stacy. She....She was my MJ, or Mary Jane."

 

"Was?" Bruce asked softly.

 

"Was." Peter said, facing the floor again. "There was a fight, with Electro and with Harry Osborn, my Harry, my Green Goblin. I tried to keep her away from it, tried to keep her safe. She insisted on coming. She...she didn't make it."

 

"I could have sworn I had a dream about this once..." Peter-2 mumbled to himself.

 

At another table, a crowd gathered as Flash dunked a kids head in some food, demanding Peter take a photo, who refused. Peter then called him Eugene, as Flash dropped the other kid and attacked Peter, knocking him to the floor with a punch and throwing him down several more times when he tried to rise.

 

"Wow, I'm an even bigger dick in this universe than in the other Peter's, aren't I?" Flash asked.

 

"You got better." Peter-3 smiled to him. "Or at least, I didn't notice it as much."

 

"You just don't know when to stay down, do you?" Clint teased.

 

"It's a Peter Parker trait." May proudly smiled.

 

Gwen then got in the way and told Flash to leave him alone, reprimanding him for not studying. In class, Gwen turned to Peter and said what he did was great, stupid but great, then asked him to confirm his name in case he had a concussion.

 

"She's told you." Abe jabbed Flash.

 

"It isn't me!"

 

"It's a shame we didn't have our own Gwen to keep you in line." Ned told Flash, who glared at him.

 

"Yeah, best check there's no concussion, you'd hate to have one." Natasha nodded.

 

Chapter 53: Oscorp Tour

Back at home, Peter told his Aunt and Uncle he fell off his skateboard, before dragging Peter downstairs to help with the flooded basement. Peter identified the issue and said he'd fix it tomorrow, before Ben asked if the other guy got beat up as well, saying he recognised the signsof a fight and told Peter not to tell his Aunt, before asking him to bring up anything else he found in the basement worth saving from the flooding.

 

“Really, fell off your skateboard?” Peter-2 snorted.

 

“Hey, it worked!” Peter-3 defended himself.

 

“Sure it did.” Clint rolled his eyes.

 

“I see you’re a bit of a handyman? Our Peter is the same, a wizard with repairs and tech.” Ned smiled.

 

“See, knew he’d look right through that.” Peter-2 teased his alter.

 

“Yeah, never could get anything past my Uncle Ben.” Peter-3 said softly.

 

“I’ll assume you find something important in the flooding?” Cindy asked.

 

“You’ll see.” Peter-3 winked.

 

Peter found an old briefcase underneath some boxes, recognising it as his dads from the night he last saw them. Ben mentioned how 19 year old Richard bought it, and the saleswoman was Peter's mother, and it was how they met. Inside the briefcase was just a few old items and a newspaper clipping of Richard with another scientist.

 

“Is that Dad’s?’ Peter-2 asked as Peter-3 nodded.

 

“Yeah, Uncle Ben explained it to me, think its about to show it.”

 

“Is that how your parents met?” MJ asked Peter-2, who shrugged.

 

“I have no idea, but I like the idea of it.” He smiled.

 

“That’s similar to how Richard and Mary met in this universe, only he was the one in the shop.” May told them all as Peter 2 and 3 both had a grin on their faces.

 

“Who is that with your dad?” Bruce asked Peter-3.

 

“It says.”

 

Peter explored the items he found, as Ben came into his room to explain the man in the photo was Doctor Curt Connors, a close friend of Richard's, but after his death, they never saw Connors again, he never even called after them or Peter. Ben remarked Gwen, front and centre of Peter's computer screen, was pretty. Peter told Ben he was a good dad.

 

“Wait, Lizard? This is what he looked like?” Strange’s eyes widened.

 

“Not too bad.” Wanda teased as Strange flushed.

 

“He never even kept in touch? What a jerk.” Betty growled.

 

“He was a jerk, wasn’t he?” Peter-3 mused.

 

“Got a crush, do we?” Scott laughed.

 

“Yeah.” Peter-3 said, sighing as he saw Gwen again, just out of his reach, as always.

 

Peter then searched about Doctor Connors, finding out there was an Oscorp internship programme he was hosting, as Peter planned to try speak with him, about what his father was doing before he vanished. Peter headed into Oscorp and lied about being an intern, riding up the escalator to the other interns as he passed a presentation about Oscorp's history and its founder, Norman Osborn.

 

“Smooth lies, really.” Bucky smirked.

 

“I was under pressure! I think I did well.” Peter-3 replied.

 

“I need to teach every Peter Parker how to lie, they’re all terrible at it.” Natasha stated.

 

“I’ll help.” Yelena chimed in.

 

“Do you really think Connors will be able to help you?” Bruce wondered.

 

“If anyone could have, it was probably him.” Peter-3 said.

 

“Osborn looks different in this universe.” Peter-2 remarked, seeing the hologram of Norman.

 

“So does Harry.” Peter-3 idly stated.

 

Joining the internship group, they were greeted by Doctor Connor's assistant, Gwen Stacy.

 

“Oh, you’re about to be busted.” Eddie grinned.

 

“Big time.” Peter-3 groaned.

 

Doctor Connors approached the group and explained about his work, asking the interns what they thought, as Peter spoke up, Gwen recognising him immediately. Her and Peter traded barbs about who was the brightest in their class as Doctor Connors took a call and Gwen herded the students out, pulling Peter aside as she did.

 

“He’s definitely got some big ideas, where did it all go wrong and Lizard happen?” Tony pondered.

 

“I got involved.” Peter-3 said.

 

“I know that look. It’s not your fault, whatever he did to himself based on however you helped him, it isn’t your fault.” MJ told Peter-3 fiercely, who nodded.

 

“Busted.” Hope smirked, seeing Gwen recognise Peter.

“Yeah, not my best disguise attempt.” Peter-3 rubbed his head as everyone laughed at him.

“She’s going to give you the talk about getting out of there and not ruining it for her, isn’t she?” Sersi asked.

 

“Got it in one.” Peter-3 shook his head.

 

Gwen asked Peter what he was doing as he awkwardly said he loved science, as she jokingly accused him of stalking her. She then told him to stick with the group and not get her in trouble, and they would be discussing it later. Gwen led the tour group on as Peter knocked into a man, picking up his files, he saw it was the same symbols as the work his father did, and began to follow the man, sneaking away from the tour group.

 

"Yeah, that's definitely going to convince her you're there for no specific reason and belong there, instead of, you know, being up to something." Abe shook his head.

 

“I may have hoped at least?”

 

“You tell him Gwen.” MJ smiled. She was sad she wouldn’t ever get to meet Gwen, they seemed like kindred spirits of a kind. Keeping their Peter’s in check.

 

“Wait, that’s the symbol from your father’s work, isn’t it?” Sam asked Peter-3 who nodded.

 

“You’re about to witness history being made.”

 

Peter saw the man leaving a lab with some others and went to enter the lab himself. Seeing they were testing with textiles that appeared to be spider webs, and seeing a room full of spiders, he went inside of it, brushing his fingers against their interconnected webs, the machine suddenly stopped, releasing the spiders. Several landed on Peter, who struggled to get rid of them all.

 

"Are those spiders?" Tony asked, an eyebrow raised.

 

"Well, had to find a radioactive spider of my own of some variety." Peter-3 smirked as the room watched with shock as they saw spiders raining down on him.

Notes:

Peter Parker belated birthday update, next update is coming....eventually. Probably next week at some point. All other fics aren't abandoned, but they're all on semi-hiatus. They'll be updated when I can.

Chapter 54: Peter?

"So, those the spiders that gave you your powers? Look a bit different to mine." Peter-2 noticed.

 

"Different function I feel." Peter-3 smirked but didn't elaborate.

 

In a conference room, the man with the files spoke to Doctor Connors, remarking on another failure, and saying they didn't have time to wait as Connors insisted they needed, Norman Osborn was dying.

 

"Norman was dying in your universe?" May furrowed her brow, unsure how to feel about that.

 

"Died years ago now, but yeah, at the time, he was starting to fail." Peter-3 nodded.

 

"So they plan to use Connors research to save Norman?" Phastos asked.

 

"Yeah, that was their hope."

 

Peter walked back to the group to find Gwen waiting, she took the badge from him as a spider he had missed bit his neck. On the subway home, Peter fell asleep, as some men acted like jerks. His new senses alerted him as he jumped onto the subway ceiling. He accidentally got his hand stuck to a womans shirt as the men in the car attacked him, Peter knocking them all out accidentally, with one breaking his skateboard, and rushing off of the subway when it came to a stop.

 

"She doesn't miss a trick, does she?" Ned laughed.

 

"Not at all." Peter-3 agreed.

 

"That looked like it had to hurt, were you ok?" Happy asked, seeing the spider bite Peter-3.

 

"Yeah, it didn't hurt me much, I had forgotten about it within moments."

 

"What creeps." Cindy huffed, seeing the idiots on the subway, before Peter jerked up and flew upwards from his new senses.

 

"What's going on?" Sprite asked.

 

"My senses kicking in, I couldn't control it at first, and...you see." Peter-3 blushed, hiding his face in his hands as everyone saw him kick the asses of the guys on the train and accidentally undress the woman before fleeing from the train.

 

Peter rushed home in the dark to find Ben and May waiting for him, he apologised, as he caught a fly. He picked up alot of the food from the fridge and rushed it all upstairs as Ben remarked that nobody liked May's meatloaf, and May asked why he hadn't told her before that he didn't.

 

"You can't keep them worrying!" Yelena admonished jokingly.

 

"I didn't mean too!" Peter-3 shook his head.

 

"Is her meatloaf really that bad? I know I'm a good cook." May said as Happy shook his head to the room at large as May looked away.

Peter picked at a web he found attached to his neck, pulling the spider from his clothes as he struggled to keep his eyes open. The next morning, he found new strength meant he smashed his alarm clock, squirted too much toothpaste and destroyed his sinks and door handles without the utmost care.

 

"That must have been disgusting, pulling that spider from you." Flash scrunched his face up.

 

"It wasn't too bad." Peter-3 chuckled.

 

"It must take some getting used too, all this strength, regulating it so you don't smash things up." Ned frowned.

 

"Yeah, it does take a while, but we make it work." Peter-2 smiled.

 

In his room, he could feel his senses heightened, seeing a spider on his board, hearing the rustling of his blinds, paper getting stuck to his feet. Peter began to research spiders and what could have happened to him, how spider bites could affect human biology. He then noticed his keyboard keys were stuck to his fingers.

 

"That has to be trippy." Sam remarked, seeing the tension that Peter-3 is going through and how his senses were going haywire.

 

"Yeah, I was freaking out throughout it, I wasn't used to all of this and thought for a while I had been drugged. Once I started smashing things though, I figured I had best see if I could research what was happening, if it had happened to anyone before." Peter-3 told him.

 

"Well that's not good." Ned laughed, seeing the keyboard keys stuck to Peter's fingers.

 

"It's expensive." Peter-3 groaned as Peter-2 nodded. He'd had similar incidents before.

 

Peter then looked over his fathers notes and Doctor Connor's, seeing a solved decay rate algorithm, he went to Doctor Connors, who asked him to make an appointment, until he introduced himself as Richard Parker's son.

 

"Well, I can't blame him for turning away what seemed to be some random student on his doorstep, not at all how you go around getting support." Bruce said as Tony nodded.

 

"Yeah, but his tone changed as soon as he heard who Peter was." Clint said.

 

"I imagine he wants something from Peter, or wants to know something." Natasha reasoned.

 

"Peter?" Doctor Connors asked.

 

"Well at least he remembers your name, it's still weird to see this guy pre Lizard, especially now I've seen the dinosaur version." Quill stated.

 

"I think he looks better the other way." Nebula shrugged.

 

"The other way would have made a more interesting opponent." Thor concurred.

 

Doctor Connors and Peter discussed the theory of cross species genetics, Doctor Connors saying how they were derided, before Richard Parker made the breakthroughs, but then he was gone, and Connors was so angry he stayed away from Peter and the family, apologising for it.

 

"Well on the face of it, I must admit, it does sound insane, but looking into it, it's definitely plausible. Insane and shouldn't be done, clearly, going on what happened to Connors, but maybe it could be done in some ways." Bruce theorised.

 

"Your father must have been a me level genius to do that." Tony told Peter-3 who nodded.

 

"He really was, Mr Stark."

 

"Well at least he's apologising for leaving you for years with no contact now, even if it was a douche move to do." Abe frowned.

 

Peter discussed the theory more, showing the decay rate algorithm, lying and saying he had just thought it up as Connors asked how he figured it, Connors asked him to come by the lab one day. That night, Connors looked at his missing arm in the mirror.

 

"Seriously, how can you be a genius in every universe? It's not right." Tony moaned, seeing Peter-3 solving an issue that had eluded Connors for over a decade with ease.

 

"Oh, he's getting ideas, isn't he? That's not good at all." Happy said, shocked.

 

"This is where he's going to become the Lizard, isn't he?" Cindy asked.

 

"Not for a little while yet, he's not started on it." Peter-3 told them.

Chapter 55: Note

There will be no updates before September 24th now due to today's tragic news.

Chapter 56: Not My Policy

Notes:

Now a few of you may notice you can't comment on this work anymore. That's for being human scum. Those who still can, congrats, you're decent people. As for the review about Spider-Man 2, yes, Frank Castle played by Thomas Jane IS in Spider-Man 2. If I recall correctly, it's his stunt double playing him, in a blink and you miss it cast over his shoulder as MJ runs through the park in her wedding dress.

In the gym the next day, Flash knocked over a paint can for a banner, as Peter picked up the ball. Flash demanded it back as Peter began to mess with him, doing tricks and beating Flash over the court, before slam dunking the ball and smashing the hoop and frame.

 

"So I'm still a dick, just less of one, compared to the other version?" Flash asked the two Peters as they nodded.

 

"Yeah, this one doesn't seem as bad as mine, and you're better than both of them were at your age." Peter-2 assured him.

 

"Nicely done." Rhodey nodded, seeing Peter embarrassing Flash. "You showed him up without any violence."

 

"I shouldn't have done it that way." Peter-3 shook his head.

 

Peter was reprimanded as Ben asked him if humiliating Flash was about getting even, if it made Peter feel big. He then told Peter he had to pick up May at 9 that night, before noticing Gwen and telling her that Peter had her on his computer. She asked if it were true as he awkwardly tried to explain it, laughing as he said he was touching up stuff.

 

"I'm sorry, Flash." Peter-3 said to Flash, who waved his hand.

 

"It isn't me, remember? Besides, I was an ass and so is this version of me, you've got nothing to apologise for." Flash told him.

 

"Smooth, Parker." Natasha laughed at him as Peter-3 flushed.

 

"I got better!"

 

"It's a good thing she clearly already has a thing for you, isn't it?" Tony smirked.

 

"Yeah...yeah it was." Peter-3 smiled.

 

Peter then awkwardly asked her out as Gwen awkwardly agreed as well. They both said they were so busy at the moment, but agreed just on some other time.

 

"Awkward." Clint stifled a laugh.

 

Peter then headed to the docks to skateboard and test his new strength, hanging upside down, swinging on chains and yelling and cheering as he did.

 

"Damn, that's impressive strength, especially for someone only just learning to deal with these powers." Thor nodded approvingly.

 

"Thanks." Peter-3 blushed at the praise.

 

At Oscorp, Connors spoke to Peter about the various devices at the tower, and the Ganali device and its capabilities for both good and bad. Peter and Connors then tested the algorithm on a mouse, as Peter declined a call from Ben, after several failures, they eventually succeeded as Connors thanked Peter.

 

"Why is he drawing attention to that device?" Nebula asked.

 

"It's a device that can spread toxins in the atmosphere, if it fell into the wrong hands, it could be extremely dangerous." Peter-3 scowled, remembering the night Connors had used it, and what had been lost due to it.

 

"You're a genius, have I said that enough yet?" Bruce asked, marvelling at what Connors and Peter-3 had achieved.

 

"I'm really not." Peter-3 said meekly.

 

Peter got home to find Ben on the porch, telling Peter to ignore his phone and demanding an apology for May, who Peter had forgotten to go meet. May said it was fine as Ben demanded that Peter buck his ideas up, that he was like his father alot, but Richard lived by a code, that they had the moral obligation to do what was right if they could, not choice, responsibility.

 

"He was wrong to put that on you." May spoke up as Peter-3 turned to her.

 

"No, it took me a long time to realise, but he was right. I should have been there, I gave my word that I would, and I was wrong to let her be at risk like that. Your Peter wouldn't have done it, and neither should I have done it." Peter-3 explained. "He was right, I have responsibility."

 

Peter then argued, saying his father should be there and how dare Ben act like it, before storming out, smashing the window behind him, as Ben followed him, calling out to him.

 

"Peter..." May said softly, unsure of what to say to him.

 

"I was an ass." Peter-3 said bitterly, Peter-2 just stared at his younger alter, knowing from his own experiences what that was like, that feeling of anger at himself, for blowing Ben off and causing his death.

 

"You were just a kid, you didn't know any better." Steve told him with a sad frown. "Don't blame yourself for it."

 

"I did, for a long time." Peter-3 whispered hoarsely.

 

Peter went to a store before the clerk told him he couldn't have his milk as he was two cents short. The next customer distracted the clerk and robbed the till, tossing Peter his milk. As the two of them left, the clerk chased after the thief, asking Peter to help, Peter said "Not my policy." as the guy ran, Ben went to stop him, the man, Carradine, dropped a gun, as Ben went to wrestle for it, the man shot him. Peter rushed over and cradled Ben in his arms as he died.

 

"What an asshole, it's literally two cents." MJ fumed.

 

"He's clearly just doing his job, but yeah, he's a prick." Matt agreed.

 

"Why aren't you stopping that guy robbing the place?" Tony asked Peter-3, shocked.

 

"Same reason Peter-2 didn't stop his version, he wronged a person who had just wronged him, I didn't see it as my place to help him when he hadn't helped me." Peter-3 frowned at his own past "actions.

 

"That's never the right way to go about it, kid." Steve said, he could see how hurt the decision had clearly made Peter-3, but he felt he had to speak up on the issue even so.

 

"I know, I made a stupid mistake and now you can all see what it cost me." Peter-3 said bitterly as they saw Ben try to stop Carradine and get shot for his heroics.

 

"I'm sorry, Peter." May said, putting her arm on her alter nephews shoulder, who smiles at the touch of kindness.

 

"Thank you, Aunt May." Peter-3 nodded to her.

 

At the house, Peter realised the killer was the thief he let go as the police showed him a sketch, as May cried, Peter went to the bathroom to hear the last voicemail Ben ever left him, apologising for his shouting at Peter.

 

"You couldn't have known." Peter-2 told his younger alter, seeing the look of pain on his face now, and the pain and rage on his face on the recording. "Just like I didn't know about Carradine being involved with my Ben."

 

"I know that now, looking back on it, but I could have stopped him. I know I could have stopped him. Why didn't I?" Peter-3 asked.

 

"You were angry, and you wanted some petty vengeance. It's not right, but it's understandable. I'd be lying if I said none of us had probably gone for it as well, except maybe Steve." Sam smiled.

 

"Oh, I've done petty things before too." Steve admitted. "None of us can blame you, Peter, and I'm sure if he could see all of this, Ben wouldn't either."

 

"I guess." Peter-3 admitted, mulling over their words. Maybe they were onto something, Ben wasn't his fault...was it?

Chapter 57: Spider-Man

 

At school, people gave Peter sad looks, as Flash approached him, Peter attacked Flash, who held his hands up and said he wanted to say sorry to Peter, he knew how Peter must be feeling and he was there for him. As Peter raced off, Gwen stopped him, hugging him before he left again.

 

"So I'm not a complete dick then." Flash smiled, seeing his other self at least attempt to make amends.

 

"Yeah, I was saying you weren't as bad as you were for Peter-2." Peter-3 smiled at him. "Still a dick though."

 

"I guess." Flash laughed. "I just hope I get the chance to apologise to our Peter sometime for how I acted in Midtown with him."

 

"You know you shouldn't shut out friends." Peter-2 told his younger alter.

 

"You're one to talk." Peter-3 chuckled "Remember Harry and MJ?"

 

Peter-2 just blushed as they focused back on the screen.

 

Peter went into a dark alley, looking for Carradine, attacking a man he believed may be him, after a short fight, he learnt it wasn't before falling through a ceiling and finding some old posters of wrestlers giving him an idea for a costume. Gwen watched in worry as she saw Peter drawing in class, until on a night he was going around in a hood attacking people to find Carradine, and using Oscorp spider pellets with synthetic webbing to try and create a spider web that could support him swinging through the streets with his new capabilities.

 

"Is that really where you got your costume idea from? An old Mexican wrestling arena?" Tony laughed.

 

"It worked!" Peter-3 defended himself, as everyone laughed.

 

"You should have talked to her, clearly she was worried for you." Hope told Peter-3.

 

"We did talk eventually." Peter-3 admitted.

 

"Got to admit, those pellets are pretty good. Not as good as our Peter's synthetic webbing though." Tony smirked.

 

"I'd say my organic webs have you both beaten." Peter-2 teased.

 

Peter then took on criminal after criminal, handing them to the police as the police captain discussed with an officer about this new guy, calling him an anarchist. Peter then looked up some new types of clothing to wear, before building his own Spider-Man suit.

 

"Yeah, you're not going to make any friends by doing their work." Bruce told him.

 

"Well someone had to do it, and they clearly didn't care enough." MJ argued in defence of Peter.

 

Peter then waited in a car for a criminal, attacking him and asking him about his activities. As the police arrived, Peter mocked the criminal and them for being slow, as they turned their guns to him and ordered Spider-Man to surrender, Peter fled the scene, being chased by the police throughout the city until escaping eventually.

 

"Why do all Peter Parkers just wise crack?" Sam groaned.

 

"It's our curse." Peter-2 and Peter-3 shook their head mournfully, making the rest of the room laugh as Sam continued to groan.

 

"So I guess they've decided you're public enemy number one, not all the rest of the scum?" Scott asked.

 

"Yep."

 

Back home, Peter got more food from the fridge as May asked what Peter had done, with his injuries, asking how he got them and who he let do this to him.

 

"I hated lying to Aunt May, but I couldn't let her know what had happened." Peter-3 said.

 

At Oscorp, Doctor Connors refused to rush human trials to save Norman Osborn, as Osborn's assistant said they'd try the Veterans hospital for unknowing trials, as Connors protested more, he mentioned how Richard Parker had stood up to them, fifteen years earlier, before he vanished. Did Connors want the same to happen, and implied Connors had something to do with it. He then said Connors was fired and could say goodbye to getting a new arm. He had the rest of the day to clear out his office.

 

"They do realise that rushing to a human trial, when you're only just into animal testing, will do far more harm than good, right?" Bruce asked, askance.

 

"They were desperate." Peter-3 reasoned. "They wanted to save Norman, no matter the cost."

 

"They really want to try to do this using unwitting veterans?" Rhodey seethed. The whole room was disgusted.

 

"Well, that's only going to encourage Connors to take personal risks himself then, denying him the help." Betty shook her head.

 

Gwen caught up with Peter at school, asking him where he had been, before inviting him around to her house that evening to study and have dinner with her family, to have that date finally.

 

"Finally got a date with her, have you?" Peter-2 teased his younger alter.

 

"At least mine was pretty quick, how long did you and your MJ take?" Peter-3 shot back as Peter-2 blushed.

 

At Oscorp, Doctor Connors stole some of the serum and used it on himself, making himself a test subject to see if it could cure human limbs.

 

"Well, this went from a bad time to an even worse one." Flash shook his head as they all saw the serum affecting Connors.

 

"At least now you'll get to see what happens to me when I go around to Gwen's." Peter-3 said, rueful.

Chapter 58: I'm In Trouble

At Gwen's, Peter entered via the fire escape, Gwen remarked it was 20 stories as Peter said the doorman was intimidating. As Peter and Gwen discussed his suit for dinner and the flowers he had brought, Gwen's father walked in and greeted Peter, revealing it was the police chief.

 

"You do realise she's not an idiot, right?" MJ asked, raising her eyebrow as Peter-3 sheepishly rubbed his head.

 

"Well yeah I know she's not an idiot, I just hoped she'd buy it." Peter-3 lamely excused.

 

"So her dad is the police chief, like he was in Peter-2's world?" Ned asked. "That must have been fun, considering he was chasing after you."

 

Doctor Connors found he had grown a new arm and tested it out, before calling to get the assistant to not take the serum to the hospital, he found the new arm began to act up, getting into a taxi, he demanded they drive fast as his skin began to become covered in scales.

 

"This is why you don't do human trials without rigorous testing first, kids." Bruce said in a joking tone as the room shuddered, seeing the arm become scaly.

 

At Gwen's, the subject got to the Spider-Man as Peter and Captain Stacy began to argue, Stacy saying he was a criminal, an amateur and was a danger, Peter saying he was providing a public service and most would agree with him. Gwen eventually called it off, telling Peter to get some air as Peter apologised for offending Captain Stacy.

 

"You're going to make him suspicious, defending Spider-Man so much when as a regular college age New Yorker, you shouldn't particularly care about him." Bucky pointed out.

 

"I couldn't just let him slander me like that, Spider-Man was helping to clean up the streets. Sure, I probably could have gone about it in a better way, all I did was raise his suspicions as well as Gwen's with it." Peter-3 agreed.

 

Peter tried to explain he had been bitten, as Gwen said she had too, Peter tried to say it was about something else, but couldn't get the words out, as Gwen began to walk away, he pulled her to him by a web and kissed her, she tried to say he was the Spider-Man as he told her to shut up and they kissed some more. Her father left in a police car as her mother told her to come inside, Peter jumped off the roof to chase after whatever he was going for, as Gwen said to herself that she was in trouble.

 

"I'm feeling sick at seeing her take it as this cutesy thing." MJ shuddered.

 

"Well that's one way to reveal your identity to her." Tony's eyebrow raised, seeing Peter being so open with his powers, the rest of the room also looked shocked, they imagined it would take alot longer for him to reveal to Gwen who he was.

 

"Well at least you finally kissed, took you long enough, even in this one." Eddie told Peter-3 who blushed.

 

"So her father has been called away, I'm going to guess that Connors has fully snapped?" Strange queried.

 

"Sadly."

 

On the bridge, the Lizard attacked cars, looking for the assistant, as Spider-Man engaged him, before rushing off to save a young boy trapped in a car that was falling off the bridge. Peter unmasked and told the boy to wear it to be brave, rescuing him and seeing the Lizard had escaped, Peter also fled as the police arrived.

 

"Is he still trying to find the assistant to stop the forced trials?" Scott asked.

 

"Yeah, he still retained his mind during all of it." Peter-3 shook his head, thinking of what could have been different if he were just a mindless beast through all of this.

 

"See, this is why Peter Parker is a hero in any universe!" Ned told Peter-3 who flushed again at the praise.

 

"I only did what anyone would do."

 

"Not everyone, I know people who would have left the kid." Clint told him.

 

Doctor Connors reverted back human and found himself in the sewers, following a small lizard through them, wrapped only in a coat.

 

"Well doesn't he look positively charming at that moment, a far cry from the respected scientist he was earlier." Cindy wrinkled her nose.

Chapter 59: It's Aggressive When Threatened

The next morning, Peter saw Captain Stacy issue an arrest warrant for Spider-Man before meeting Gwen, telling her she was the only one who knew about him and discussing him laying low, he said he had to stop whatever was on the bridge, it would have killed everyone on it and it was too big to be human, he had to try stop it and maybe it was his job to try as Gwen and Peter both said they liked kissing the other.

 

"Well there goes any hope of you working with the police." Ned shook his head.

 

"Yeah, we didn't have the best relationship, still don't really."

 

"Really? Neither do I!" Peter-2 remarked.

 

"Our Peter has always gotten on reasonably well with the police, at least pre Thanos he did." Happy noted with a frown.

 

"Why does every Peter have to put himself in danger? There are others who could have dealt with Connors!" May protested as Peter-3 gave her a sad look.

 

"You know the police couldn't have stopped him, the world needed me to step up and stop him."

 

Peter went to Oscorp and found Doctor Connors, asking him about hunting a reptile, Connors warned Peter that he doesn't, a reptile would hunt him if anything, saying there's a new species in town and its aggressive if threatened, as Peter asked for ways to hurt a reptile. As Peter left, he found the mouse they had tried the serum on, it had gone feral and cannibalistic, killing the other mice.

 

"Well that doesn't sound overtly threatening at all." Kingo laughed.

 

"I'm pretty sure Connors wants you to know he's the villain." Scott frowned.

 

"He was just too emotional and felt like I was threatening him, even if I had no idea about him." Peter-3 stated.

 

"So yeah, that was clearly not an actual success story." MJ frowned.

 

Peter then visited Captain Stacy, begging him to investigate Doctor Connors, saying he believed Connors was the lizard monster. Stacy laughed it off as Connors was a good friend and had helped Gwen alot, telling an officer to take Peter back to Midtown and ensure he went there. Peter begged him just to look into it, as Stacy mulled it over, then told a deputy to look into Curt Connors.

 

"Gwen's dad won't help, he dislikes you and he seems to love Connors, especially if Connors has recommended Gwen to have a great career." Bruce said sadly. It seemed yet again that the law would be of no help to a Peter Parker.

 

"I wouldn't be too sure about that." Peter-3 smiled coyly.

 

"Well, I have to say I'm shocked he agreed to that." Bucky blinked, seeing Captain Stacy order an investigation into Curt.

 

In the sewers, Connors experimented on himself again, using stronger doses of the toxin, as Peter dived into the sewers, setting up a web system to warn him if the Lizard was on the move nearby, figuring it would use the sewers for transportation.

 

"Yeah, that's not going to end badly at all, giving himself more and more of that unstable stuff." Ikaris shook his head.

 

"That's actually pretty ingenious, I need to do something similar if my Connors ever goes off the deep end." Peter-2 surmised.

 

Peter followed a strand with small lizards moving on it to come face to face with the Lizard, who attacked him. Following a short fight, Peter was knocked into the sewers and washed away, as Lizard was blinded by a camera flash, grabbing the camera, he saw it belonged to Peter Parker.

 

"Well that's one way of getting his attention." Tony frowned.

 

"So he can control lizards like I can control ants?" Scott asked, excitedly.

 

"I'm not sure, I only ever saw him with the little lizards once, perhaps they were merely drawn to him, like an alpha lizard?" Peter-3 pondered.

 

"So now he knows who you are. Wonderful." MJ facepalmed.

 

"Could he have come from here?" Ned wondered aloud, thinking all the villains came from a time they learnt who Spider-Man was.

 

"Possibly." Peter-3 agreed.

 

Peter hurried to Gwen's, still in costume, ending up cuddling her on her bed and trying to hide as her father stopped by to check on her. She got her father to leave as she saw Peter was wounded, and bandaged him up, the two of them making out as Gwen said she had feared every day if her father wouldn't make it home due to his job, and she didn't want that with Peter as well, as he promised her he would, but he had to stop the Lizard as he made them. Gwen asked how, Peter said he gave them the equation that allowed them to do it, it was his fathers, and he had to stop them.

 

"I'm surprised she let you in and didn't rat you out to her father." Flash muttered.

 

"Gwen would have never done that." Peter-3 said, stunned that someone would have even mentioned that as a possibility.

 

"Not the best time to be getting it on when you're badly injured." MJ raised an eyebrow as Peter-3 laughed.

 

"Aww, that's sweet, in a morbid way." Cindy cooed, hearing Gwen tell Peter she feared for his life.

 

"With great power." May said sadly, hearing Peter give his reasoning for why he had to stop Connors.

 

Peter asked if they could get out of there for a minute as Peter took Gwen swinging through the streets and to a clock tower.

 

"Yeah, I'll never get used to swinging around the place and I hope Gwen was the exact same." MJ shook her head.

 

"Nah, she loved it." Peter-3 winked.

Chapter 60: You Gotta Let Me Go

Notes:

Well I've finished TASM 1. You may notice this isn't all of it. For once I'm writing ahead. You're getting a chapter every day for the next three days. Have a fantastic festive period, whatever you believe.

"So Connors knows who are you are and is no doubt going to come for you and your loved ones." Flash summarised.

 

"Another day in the life." Peter-3 grinned wryly.

 

In the sewers, Connors decided he needed to spread the toxin species wide to evolve humanity, before deciding he had to stop Peter Parker from getting in the way of his plan first. The next day, he crawled through the plumbing at Midtown High, looking for Peter.

 

"Why is it always the world domination types who get powers?" Sersi shook her head.

 

"Because if there is a higher power out there, even above this Watcher, they hate us?" Nebula snorted.

 

"Eww climbing through the toilets?" Betty crinkled her nose.

 

Spider-Man and Lizard began to fight, revealing they both knew who the other was, as Lizard told Peter to join him and Peter used quips and insults as they fought. Gwen joined in and hit Lizard with a trophy as he turned on her, muttering Gwen, before Peter webbed him up, crawling over him like a spider. Peter then got Gwen out as the police arrived, before Lizard and Spider-Man began to fight in a library, an old librarian had headphones on and missed all of it as they battled behind his back.

 

"Well as long as you don't let him tell the entire world who you are." Ikaris shook his head.

 

"Don't worry, he didn't." Peter-3 said.

 

"Gwen needs to get away from him, he'd rip her apart!" Ned blanched.

 

"Oh I wasn't going to let him go anywhere near her." Peter-3 firmly stated.

 

"Are you seriously crawling like a spider would over its prey?" Bruce shuddered.

 

"It's effective." Peter-3 shrugged, grinning at him.

 

"Isn't that the old guy from the other ones?"

 

"How is he able to go between universes?"

 

Gwen phoned Peter as he followed Connors into the sewer, he asked her to go to Oscorp to make an antidote as he found out he planned to use the Ganali device to make all of Manhattan into Lizards as well, firing it from Oscorp.

 

"Smart, split up, hit both targets at once." Nebula nodded.

 

"Dangerous though, if he gets to Oscorp before you do." Happy frowned.

 

Captain Stacy sent teams after the Lizard and demanded Spider-Man be found and taken off the street as well as Connors was attacked by the teams, playing dead, he got them in close before attacking, infecting them all with gas before running through the city towards Oscorp, infecting everyone he could on the way.

 

"How is taking Spider-Man off the streets going to help against the Lizard?" Abe asked, incredulous.

 

"At least he's taking Connors seriously." May muttered.

 

"He thinks Spider-Man will just get in the way, or worse, help the other freak." Peter-3 explained. "I can't say I blame him for trying to be prepared for the worst."

 

"Oh God those poor people!" Betty cried, seeing the police all infected with the Lizard toxin.

 

Peter phoned Gwen as she said they still had 8 minutes until an antidote was ready and she was staying at Oscorp, before she triggered the emergency exit alarms. Peter was swinging towards her when the police fired tasers at him, one taking him down.

 

"She does know Lizard is on his way there, doesn't she?" Ikaris asked.

 

"Yeah, she's the key to all of this." Bucky shook his head, was the clone of him not watching?

 

"PETER!" Happy, Tony, Strange and May all cried, seeing Peter-3 get tased and fall to the ground.

 

"I'm alright." Peter-3 chuckled.

 

Cops rushed him and cuffed him as Captain Stacy came over and took the mask off, Peter then rushed them, keeping his head down and face hidden, he took out all the cops except Stacy, who pointed a gun at him, Peter turned and revealed his face to Stacy, telling him the Lizard was heading to Oscorp and Gwen was there, and he had to let Peter go. Stacy told his men to not fire, with one not hearing and clipping Spider-Man, as Spider-Man put his mask back on and chased after Lizard.

 

"You're taking them all down without even looking at them?" Sprite asked, impressed.

 

"Spider sense." Peter-3 grinned.

 

"How are you going to get out of this? He's seen your face! He knows who you are!" MJ hissed, worry for Peter coursing through her.

 

"He knows it's true, you're the only one who can save Gwen and stop Lizard, they're outmatched." Tony shook his head.

 

"He's smart, that's why he's going to help." Natasha nodded.

 

"At least he isn't too caught up in himself. I bet Ross would have ordered them to shoot still." Bruce grimaced.

 

"Seems that one idiot cop didn't get the memo." Cindy snarled.

 

At Oscorp, Gwen hid as the Lizard finally arrived, smashing through the lab, she managed to chase him away with fire as he tried to attack her, before he decided to leave her and seized the Ganali device and headed to the rooftop.

 

"Go Gwen!" Hope cheered for her, seeing her drive away the Lizard temporarily.

 

"He's got the device though now and the antidote isn't ready!" Steve worried.

 

"We know he stops this though, after all, Max said Connors was stopped, remember?" Sam reminded him.

Chapter 61: Poor Peter Parker

"We're finally going to see Peter stop Connors then?" Flash asked.

 

Peter-3 just nodded, remembering back to what had happened that night and what they had lost, who had been lost, to make sure Connors was stopped.

 

Seeing on the news that Spider-Man was struggling with a gunshot and too far to get there in time, crane operators moved their cranes to give them a swinging path straight to Oscorp Tower. Webbing up his wound, Peter began swinging from crane to crane and arrived at the tower.

 

“The people of New York never cease to amaze me, when it comes down to it, we’re good people.” Peter-2 smiled at the scene, seeing the cranes move into position for his alter.

 

“At least you’ve got a way to get to Lizard now.” Sam nodded.

 

“The skyline of New York saves the day!” Betty cheered, laughing.

 

“Using your webs as a way to apply pressure? You’re a genius.” Bruce marvelled as Tony’s eyes lit up.

 

Gwen went outside with the antidote as her father arrived, he demanded she get in the car, and said he'd take the antidote up to Spider-Man, letting her know he knew who was under the mask. She got in as he headed into Oscorp.

 

“Well she’s definitely got some explaining to do when all this is over I reckon.” Phastos laughed.

 

“At least he isn’t hunting Peter at the moment.” Eddie nodded.

 

At the top, the Lizard prepped the device as Spider-Man arrived and the two began to fight, Spider-Man trying to use liquid nitrogen to freeze him, Lizard managed to grab Spider-Man and wrap his tail around his neck, and crush his web shooters, making it impossible for him to web him up.

 

“This is brutal.” Ned said, eyes glued to the screen.

 

“It had to be. He was beyond reasoning and too strong for a non enhanced to have a chance.” Peter-3 frowned.

 

“How are you meant to get out of this with no webs?” Wanda asked, horrified.

 

Unmasking Peter, Lizard began to taunt him.

 

“Leave Peter alone!” Yelena yelled.

 

"Poor Peter Parker. No mother. No father. No uncle. All alone."

 

"Peter will never be alone." MJ hissed at the screen.

 

"Not whilst he's got all of us behind him." Ned agreed.

 

"Thanks guys...I...uh...it means alot." Peter-3 blushed, seeing everyone nodding their heads in agreement with the comments of the two Midtown students.

 

"Peter will never be alone, not as long as one person is willing to stand up for what's right." Peter-2 insisted hotly.

 

"He has family, in all of us in this room, and all the people of New York." Tony agreed. "He'll never be alone."

 

"He's not alone." Captain Stacy said, loading a shotgun and shooting the nitrogen tanks, forcing Lizard to drop Peter as Peter grabbed the hose and froze his tail, Stacy shooting the frozen limbs off.

 

"Yay for Captain Stacy!" Abe cheered.

 

"I couldn't have gotten away from Connors without his help." Peter-3 agreed.

 

"Have to say, freezing the limbs so they won't regenerate straight away when you remove them, definitely a smart move." Druig noted.

 

"Gift from Gwen. I've got this, Peter. GO!" Stacy said, handing the antidote to Peter and shooting the nitrogen tanks and Connors, forcing him back into a small ditch filled with the tanks.

 

"He's a good man." May smiled, seeing Peter head off as Captain Stacy forced Connors away from him, pushing Connors back.

 

Peter climbed the tower as the tanks ran out, the Lizard quickly escaping and stabbing Captain Stacy with his claws, throwing him aside and chasing Peter. With seconds left, Peter switched the pathogen, and, as the two of them watched, the antidote spread over the city.

 

"Captain Stacy!" Flash called out, horrified.

 

"They knew it wouldn't hold him forever." Sam shook his head sadly.

 

"He's going to be alright, isn't he?" Scott asked, worried, as Peter-3 ignored them, staring at the screen with horror, remembering that night, remembering his promise and how he broke it.

 

"At least you're getting up the tower, you're going to get there before he can!" Sersi said, excited. Phastos watched with inquiring eyes too, as did Bruce and Tony, the scientists wanting to see the effects of this serum.

 

Affecting Connors first, he fell down the tower, as he transformed back to human. The blow of his falling caused the tower, already frozen by nitrogen, to collapse as well, to the streets below.

 

"At least Connors is back to human again." MJ smiled.

 

"Well that isn't good at any rate." Sam groaned, seeing the tower falling to the world below, he knew that'd be a health risk. Hopefully Peter would be fine and land safely by Connors.

 

Connors grabbed Peter's hand as Peter almost fell, pulling Peter to safety. Peter then left Connors, staring at his disappearing hand in sadness, as Connors reminded him about Captain Stacy.

 

Getting to Stacy, they both could tell it was fatal. Stacy demanded that Peter promise him something, he'd keep Gwen safe by staying away from her. Peter agreed to it as Stacy died.

 

"I guess Connors has enough of his mind left after all, to see reason and to be a good guy." Natasha blinked, shocked Connors saved Peter's life.

 

"Yeah, he wasn't a bad man, just desperate and misguided towards the end." Peter-3 defended his old mentor. Connors hadn't been bad, not really. He was doing what he thought was good for everyone.

 

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions." Steve murmured, seeing his face and guessing his thought process.

 

"Captain Stacy, you need to get to him!" Cindy called out, forgetting Peter had seen all of this already.

 

"That's not good." Ikaris muttered, watching the screen.

 

"He's really asking you to promise him that you'll leave Gwen alone? He can't be serious, can he?" Wanda asked, flabbergasted.

 

"I can understand why he'd ask that, our life, it isn't one you'd want your loved one to be involved with, but he can't really be asking that of you, I know you Peter, if nothing else, because you're me. I know you'd agree to it." Peter-2 said, shaking his head sadly.

 

"Bloody hero." MJ wiped a tear from her eyes, seeing Peter agree to it.

 

Peter returned home to May who hugged him, just glad he was safely at home with all of this business now behind. At Captain Stacy's funeral, Peter watched from afar as Gwen mourned her fathers passing, looking to the sky as if to see Peter there.

 

"I'm so sorry Peter." Bruce said, giving Peter-3 a sad smile as Peter-3 nodded back, throat feeling too tight to speak, thinking back to what had happened during it all, seeing the fight with Connors, the aftermath again, it was too much.

 

"I'm sorry." Peter-3 mumbled at the screen, seeing the grief that Gwen was going through, how he wished he had been there to comfort her from the beginning. The enhanced in the room purposefully ignored him, pretending they hadn't heard what he had said.

 

Gwen visited Peter's afterwards, where he told her he couldn't see her anymore, she asked if her father had made him swear to leave her alone, and he told her he had as she left.

 

"You listen to me, and you listen well, Peter Parker." Betty hissed, turning to him, eyes blazing, as Peter-3 moved away from her in fear. "You love Gwen. Gwen needs you there to help her with her grief, and I swear to God, if you don't end up back with her in this, there is no universe you can be safe from me."

 

May then talked some sense into Peter, saying it wasn't that he was no good for Gwen at all. He was good. Peter then played Ben's last voicemail to himself again, hearing Ben tell him again that Peter had great power and with it, great responsibility to use them.

 

"Listen to her, Peter." May urged him with a small smile.

 

"You do, and that responsibility doesn't include hurting Gwen and yourself." Happy told him with a forlorn look towards May, who noted and gave Happy a smile of her own. They hadn't talked much yet about their own feelings, even knowing how it was meant to end, May felt she owed that much to Happy, after everything that had happened, putting it off with the identity reveal, she owed him that.

 

At school, Flash hugged Peter, complimenting him as Flash revealed himself to be a Spider-Man fan, Gwen then walked past Peter, not looking back at him.

 

"I'm not a total dick everywhere, yay." Flash smiled at the screen.

 

"Talk to her." Bruce pleaded with on-screen Peter-3.

 

"You really shouldn't be late to classes." MJ mock glared.

 

The teacher told Peter not to make promises he couldn't keep, as Peter whispered to Gwen those were the best kind, and she smiled.

 

"You really shouldn't promise things you can't deliver." Rhodey told him.

 

"YES! YES! YES!" Cindy, Scott and Betty cheered, seeing Peter and Gwen would still be together after all. The rest of the room smiled, happy for Peter, even if it was a deathbed promise, Captain Stacy couldn't really expect Gwen and Peter to be miserable. She'd be in danger anyway, she was someone who wouldn't stay out of the way and would try to help that was obvious.

 

'I wonder how he'll react to her web crawling alter.' Uatu wondered, seeing how grief stricken Peter-3 was, no matter how much he was trying to hide it in that room, how impacted he was by seeing Gwen's smile on the screen, how she had reacted to him telling her that he wouldn't keep the promise.

 

The scene cut to Spider-Man, chasing criminals through New York again, swinging through the streets and alleys, firing a web as the moon illuminated him, before it cut to black.

 

"Spider-Man is here for New York." Ned grinned.

 

"I just wish Pete could see this." Peter-2 grimaced.

 

As they all looked at the screen, waiting to see what would happen next, a gust of wind pushed against them all from behind, turning to the sudden burst, they saw a glowing portal standing before them, and through it, a familiar place.

 

"Isn't that our compound?" Sam asked.

 

"Before the next video, I think you should go through it, at least those who most know Peter personally. Guardians, Eternals, I'd recommend you stay here. The rest of you, go on through. They'll return shortly." Uatu's voice spoke to them, as they all thought on what that could mean.

 

"LET'S GO!" May called, rallying before anyone else could.

 

"Let's bring that loser home." MJ said, eyes shining.

Notes:

That's right, Peter-1 is joining this fic for the 1 year anniversary of its release tomorrow! Now to go finish that chapter xD

Chapter 62: Peter-1

"So, this is the new Compound? I must say, it doesn't look bad at all." Tony remarked as the last of them stepped through the portal the Watcher created.

 

"Well they've made some improvements with your money." Rhodey joked.

 

"Hey guys, isn't that Peter on the news?" Cindy asked, pointing out the screen.

 

The gathered group looked at a news report on the screen, shocked at what they saw.

 

"Carnage in downtown as Spider-Man faced off against Kraven The Hunter."

 

"Spider-Man, in his new black suit, faced off against Kraven the Hunter, renowned Russian big game hunter, who has publicly vowed to expose the web-slinger's face after he has captured him. Spider-Man managed to subdue his assailant, leaving him for the NYPD to pick up afterwards. This reporter wants to thank Spider-Man for once again helping the people of New York, and I wish you all a Merry Christmas!"

 

"Black suit? The suit we saw was red and blue?" May asked, confused.

 

"It's Christmas?" Abe asked, eyes bugged. "I'm supposed to be with my family right now!"

 

"I've not heard of a Kraven the Hunter?" Ned questioned.

 

"I have." Rhodey said. "He's bad news."

 

"How have you heard of him?" Tony asked.

 

"He's a mercenary for hire. Put a lot of high value targets down. But he's odd, he likes to target game, as he calls them. I guess Spider-Man fits the bill as game to him."

 

"So, how are we getting Peter here is the main thing?" Cindy asked.

 

"Way I see it, we've got two choices. Either let Peter 2 and 3 go get him, or we send someone like Rhodey or Bruce to try recruit him for the Avengers." Steve said.

 

"It'd make more sense with Bruce and Rhodey." Peter-3 said. "I mean, why would we know about this place?"

 

"Sure, should we tell him on the way?" Rhodey asked.

 

"I'd wait until he's here." Tony told them.

 

"Sedate him, if you need too. I just want him here safe." May said, worried Peter would be hurt before they could get him safely back to the Compound.

 

Rhodey and Bruce left, hurrying to the quinjet to get to New York, before Peter-2 startled, looking at Eddie in horror, the rest of the room looking at him in concern.

 

"What's up?" Hope asked him.

 

"Black suit, there's a Symbiote in this universe." Peter-2 hissed.

 

"THERE ARE NONE LIKE ME, ONLY ME!" Venom said, sticking his head out from Eddie, before falling silent.

 

"Why do you say that?" Steve asked, tilting his head.

 

"THAT SUIT LOOKS LIKE ME, I AM THE ONLY ME." Venom stated, before his own eyes betrayed his shock.

 

"I don't like that look." Scott groaned.

 

"What is it?" Peter-3 demanded.

 

"I think Venom is here, somehow, in this universe. That's part of him and Peter-1 picked it up." Peter-2's eyes widened. "We have to get that thing off of him!"

 

"I AM NOT LIKE YOUR VENOM! I SHALL BE KIND TO THE BOY IF IT IS I!" Venom roared back at Peter-2.

 

"What if it is more the Peter-2 Venom? I best go sort this out, I'll get there much faster than even the Quinjet. Let Rhodes and Banner know they may come with me if you can get to them before they depart." Strange said, as Bucky nodded and went to go get the others.

 

"Can we just hurry up, get Peter back here and go finish this?" MJ impatiently asked.

 

"I can guarantee he will be back with you within minutes, Jones." Strange told her. "Go stare out a window or something whilst we work out how to get the Symbiote off of him when we do get him back."

 

"Loud noise does the trick." Peter-2 simply stated.

 

"I've got it, loud noise to get them apart then cut the noise and Venom and I will come him, absorb him into us, keeps him out of trouble." Eddie suggested.

 

"YOU WANT ME TO EAT HIM?" Venom questioned.

 

"Like Carnage, remember buddy?" Eddie asked as the Symbiote nodded.

 

"Do I even want to know about you eating someone?" Tony asked.

 

"I'm sure the Watcher will air my dirty laundry too before this is all done, so you can then." Eddie told them.

 

"So, who wants to explain to Peter what's happened and why?" Happy asked everyone.

 

/

 

"Spider-Man!" Strange yelled as he exited the portal, Rhodes in his War Machine armour and Bruce behind him, seeing Spider-Man swinging past in his new black suit. He came to a stop before the Avengers, and they could see her was smirking beneath the mask.

 

"What's up, Doc?" They heard Peter's voice from beneath the mask, but the tone, it sounded so unlike him. More biting, more cynical.

"Can we speak to you for a moment?" Bruce asked as Peter landed beside them.

 

"What do you want?"

 

"We wanted to offer you a place in the Avengers, Spider-Man." Rhodey told him, as Peter broke out into chuckles.

 

"What could I possibly gain from joining your boy band? Been there, got the t-shirt with Thanos. I lost too much from the last time I got involved with you lot. Why would I ever do it again?" Peter cocked his head, mocking them with his tone.

 

"You could regain what you've lost." Strange said, trying to ignore the bait that Peter was wanting to put out. He knew it was the Symbiote, heightening his aggression. They just needed to get him back to the Compound then separate them. It was just a matter of trying to get him there willingly before they had to use force.

 

"What do you know about what I've lost, Stephen Strange?" Spider-Man hissed at him, voice barely concealing his rage at that sentence. "How have you possibly any notion of what I've lost in service to the holier than thou greater good? I do what I do to help the little guy and that's enough. Leave me alone."

 

"Look, Spider-Man, I get it, I really do. More than you could possibly know, I know what you've faced, I know what you've lost, and I want to tell you, I'm here for you. I can help you, but only if you let me have that chance." Strange explained to him.

 

"Please, listen to him, come with us back to Avengers HQ so we can talk this over?" Bruce asked Peter, trying to keep the arachnid calm before he bolted.

 

"Why would I need your help?" Peter spat at them, before jumping high into the air and swinging away from them.

 

"I've got it." Strange told the others, opening a portal in Peter's path, he fell through and landed next to the Avengers once again.

 

"Now can we just talk?" Rhodey asked Peter as he glared through the mask at them again.

 

"What part of fuck off don't you guys understand?" Peter asked them, tilting his head, as if thinking... or listening, Strange, Bruce and Rhodey noted.

 

"The going away part, mostly." Rhodey drily remarked, causing the other three to look at him. "I spent years around Tony, did you really think I had no sense of a dry wit myself?"

 

"Whatever, I'm leaving. Don't try and stop me again if you know what's good for you, Strange." Peter spat, preparing to swing away as Bruce and Rhodey stepped before him.

 

"No, we're going to talk, right now, back at the compound, Peter." Strange told him.

 

"What did you just call me?" Spider-Man said, tone sharpening as he crouched. The others recognised he was about to attack.

 

"Look, why don't we all calm down and go talk about this together, alright?" Bruce asked, raising his hands as a sign of surrender, as Peter leapt at him, only to vanish as Strange opened a portal before his eyes, to a holding cell at the Compound.

 

"What did you do that for?" Bruce asked, seeing where the portal ended up before it snapped shut behind Peter.

 

"As we needed to contain him until we can get that thing out of him. Now let's get back to the others and see what Mr Brock can do to help Peter." Strange told him, opening another portal back to where the rest of the group were waiting in the common room.

 

/

 

"Where is Peter?" May asked as she saw the three men step back through a portal without Peter.

 

"The Symbiote made him hostile to our overtures." Bruce shook his head.

 

"You didn't just leave him there, did you?" MJ rounded on them.

 

"Not at all, Jones. He's in the Compound holding cells. We'll get Brock to go down and extract the Symbiote, and then we'll see about bringing Peter up here to reunite with everyone. And no, before you all clamour to go, none of us should know him, we managed to distract him with calling him by his name when we found him. It'll just be the three of us who have interacted already and Brock, just until he returns up here." Strange said, in a tone that brooked no argument.

 

“We can’t just leave him there!” May protested.

 

“In his current state, he’s likely to attack if he sees anyone he thinks is dead or shouldn’t have a memory of him.” Strange explained. “It’s best to keep it to those he’d expect to have a legitimate reason to want him. I’ll be there to keep him contained and Brock will get the parasite out of him.”

 

“PARASITE?!?!” Venom screeched, annoyed when Strange blanked him.

 

“So are we all in agreement? We’ll go down there, try to talk sense into Peter whilst Eddie gets the Venom Symbiote out of him.” Bruce stated as everyone grumbled their agreements. Bruce, Rhodey, Eddie and Strange headed down in the elevators whilst the rest mingled around the room, reaching the containment level, they walked out to see Peter, glaring at them from within his cell, mask removed.

 

“Spider-Man. Good to see you’re alright.” Rhodey greeted him warmly.

 

“Why did you take me? Let me out of here. Now.” Peter-1 demanded.

 

"No can do." Strange said, smiling a little at the sight of Peter, even if Peter was just glaring at him at that moment.

 

"Let me out of here, Doc, or believe me, pulling a rabbit out of a hat will be the least of your concerns." Peter-1 spat at him.

 

"Oh if only I had a nickel for every time someone thought I did magic tricks." Strange remarked coolly. "Look, I'll cut to the chase, I'm Doctor Stephen Strange, this is Doctor Bruce Banner and Colonel James Rhodes, and we would like to offer you, Spider-Man, a place in the Avengers."

 

"Why? I already said I'm fine without your little boy band." Peter-1 mocked him.

 

"Yeah, look, we've been watching you, and we're interested in you, especially the guy whose with you." Eddie said, stepping forward.

 

"And who might you be? The good Doctor didn't mention you." Peter-1 quipped, eyes narrowing at Eddie.

 

"I'm just a reporter." Eddie said.

 

"Do the Avengers lock up most people they plan to recruit and why is a reporter here if this is for recruitment?" Peter-1 snarled.

 

"I think you know why I'm here." Eddie smiled. moving closer to the cell, Venom popping his head around from behind him.

 

"I'M NOT GOING BACK!" A second Venom head roared from behind Peter-1 before retreating into him, covering Peter's body, as he grew, a long tongue out of his mouth as he roared.

 

"What should we do?" Bruce asked.

 

"Let us in." Eddie told them. "We can handle this."

 

"I'd let you, but I'm pressed for time. Mr Brock, please go through here." Strange said, opening another portal.

 

"What's in there?"

 

"Safety." Strange told him, as Eddie stepped through. Closing the portal behind Eddie, Strange turned back to Peter and Venom.

 

"Sorry, kid. This'll hurt you more than it hurts us. FRIDAY, Sonic level 2, please."

 

"On it." The voice of FRIDAY rang out as a loud sonic blast was heard over the PA system, Bruce, Strange and Rhodey covered their ears at the pain, whilst Peter and Venom screeched.

 

"RELEASE me!" Venom and Peter demanded, as the symbiote began to writhe around Peter, Peter screamed as the Venom symbiote screamed too, before it eventually fell apart from him, Peter slumped across the floor as it curled up into a ball at the edge of the cell, trying to find its way out.

 

"Shut it off, FRIDAY!" Bruce yelled as Strange opened another portal, directly inside the cell, as the noise shut off, and Peter groaned in relief, the symbiote made a dash for him again, before it found itself being scooped up, screeching, it faced Eddie and Venom.

 

"YOU ARE COMING BACK!" Venom told it, raising the squealing piece of the symbiote to his mouth and feeding on it, as it screamed and vanished into the gaping maw. "CHEWY."

 

"Peter?" Strange asked, rushing into the cell and helping the young man up as he winced in his arms.

 

"S-Stephen?" Peter croaked, before passing out.

 

"It's going to be alright, kid. Banner, let's get him to the med bay and then tell the others." Strange informed him as Strange opened another portal.

 

/

 

"Where's Peter?" May asked as Rhodey returned to the others with Eddie.

 

"He's alright, he's just in the med bay. We got the rest of Venom out of him." Eddie explained.

 

"Why isn't he with us if he's alright?" MJ demanded to know.

 

"We had to use a sonic attack to disrupt Venom." Rhodey explained. "With Peter's own enhanced senses, it hurt him too. We figured it'd be best to check him over and explain everything to him, in a relatively peaceful environment first."

 

"I want to see my nephew." May demanded.

 

"You will do, when Strange brings him up. He will do very soon, I promise you." Rhodey told her. "For now, everyone, please, just wait, I know it's hard, but please, just trust Stephen knows what he's doing."

 

/

 

"W-Where am I?" Peter-1 asked, opening his eyes warily, looking at the sterile white room, the flashing monitors and beeping screens.

 

"Hello Spider-Man." FRIDAY spoke from a speaker in the ceiling. "I will inform Doctor Strange you have awoken."

 

"Where am I? Is this the Avengers HQ?!" Peter-1 asked, fear rising. How was he here? They didn't know who he was, did they?

 

"Yes it is." Strange said as he entered the room again. "Hello Spider-Man."

 

"Doctor Strange....what happened?" Peter-1 asked. Where was Venom? Why did he feel weaker than ever? Why did his mind feel....clearer?

 

"What do you remember?" Strange asked, giving Peter-1 a sympathetic look.

 

"I remember the park, there was Doctor Banner and Colonel Rhodes, then....I remember a loud noise, I was in a cell and I woke up here." Peter-1 said, rubbing his head. Why did the memories all feel fuzzy? Why was he in a cell, and now in a bed?

 

"Yeah, sorry about that." Strange rubbed the back of his head. "We needed to get Venom out of you."

 

"How did you know about Venom?" Peter-1 asked, eyes wide.

 

"That's...a bit harder to explain. It's a long one and I don't want you thinking I'm lying, or this is a ploy by Beck."

 

"How do you know about Beck?" Peter-1 asked, voice hoarse, as he scrambled to try get away from Strange.

 

"Ah shit, sorry, kid, I didn't mean to mention him, I forgot you would think it's gone." Strange tried to explain as Peter-1 leapt from the bed, and crouched, hissing in pain as he did.

 

"STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME! I KNEW YOU COULDN'T BE GONE!" Peter-1 yelled frantically, throwing the equipment towards Strange, who deflected it all away with ease. "You did a good job with the projection of the Avengers compound, but now it's time to shut it off, Beck and face me like a man!"

 

"Fuck it." Strange muttered. "Peter. Please. Stop. I remember you."

 

"FUCK YOU BECK!" Peter-1 roared, leaping at Strange, before being yanked back by the cloak.

 

"Could Beck hold you in place like that?" Strange asked him, raising an eyebrow. "Can Beck open portals like I can?" Strange asked again, opening a portal to the Sanctum Sanctorum. "Why would Beck know what the Sanctum looks like?"

 

Peter-1 looked at Strange with a mix of hope and fear. How would Beck know about it? Beck couldn't make portals that looked like Strange's, could he? But Parker luck didn't work like that, he couldn't allow himself to think Strange somehow remembered him, why would he? If Strange did, why only him? Why couldn't others, Ned....MJ...it all hurt to think, best to shut down that train of thought before it began.

 

"Look, Doctor Strange, please, I, why?" Peter-1 asked, wondering why they'd come for Venom, how did they even know about Venom?

 

"I'm here, Peter. Believe me, I can't begin to express how sorry I am." Strange said, sitting down on the bed and getting the cloak to release Peter. gesturing to the spot beside him. Peter-1 sat down on it, confusion running through his mind, but feeling glad to be able to talk to someone fully again, talk to someone, not just as some nameless intern, or as Spider-Man, but as Peter Parker.

 

"Why?" Peter-1 asked, not understanding.

 

"What do you mean?" Strange asked, turning to face him, and Peter could see the man was crying. Why was he crying?

 

"Why are you upset? It was my fault, all of it. I messed it up, it was my burden to bear. Why are you sad? You didn't do anything wrong, Sir."

 

"I thought I told you to call me Stephen." Strange said with a sad smile, wiping a tear from his eyes.

 

"Ok...Stephen." Peter-1 smiled softly.

 

"As for why I'm crying, I am sorry, Peter. You may have asked me to make the world forget about you being Spider-Man, but I was the one who didn't explain the rules of that spell fully. I'm the one who let it get out of hand, I'm the one who made you have to choose whether to save the visitors or not. I'm the one who should have taken responsibility for it all and I'm the one who ruined your life in the end, and for that, I can never forgive myself." Strange said, feeling the tears pricking his eyes again.

 

"Stephen." Peter-1 said fiercely, making Stephen turn to him. "I forgive you for that, for all of that. I should have thought it all through myself, I should have done better, tried harder. If you're going to blame yourself, I'm going to blame myself."

 

"I don't blame you though!" Strange insisted.

 

"Nor I you. Please, it's not your fault." Peter-1 pressed again, until Strange choked back a sob and nodded, wiping his eyes again.

 

"I'll accept that if you accept none of it was your fault either, Peter." Strange told him.

 

"Some of it was. My actions directly led to Norman killing May. You can't argue against that." Peter-1 told him grimly, shaking his head, trying to keep the memories at bay.

 

"Peter..." Strange began, wondering how he was going to explain that May was just upstairs, and he had a chance to be with her again, however brief the Watcher made it so.

 

"Please, how did you remember me?" Peter-1 asked.

 

"Like I said, that's a bit harder to explain. There's something upstairs that can explain it much better than I could." Strange told him.

 

"Lead on then." Peter-1 said, standing up, still a bit wary, but if Strange could remember him, maybe this way could also help Ned and MJ? He knew it was wrong to hope for a solution, but Peter found himself hoping.

 

/

 

Stephen led Peter-1 to the lift, heart hammering. How was he going to make Peter believe this was real without possibly inducing a cardiac arrest in the young man? As he thought on that, he didn't notice the elevator doors ding.

 

"So the common area? What will that do?" Peter-1 asked.

 

"Just follow me." Strange said, jerkily, as Peter followed behind, warily watching around for anything. His spider sense was going haywire, and he had no idea. What was it? It didn't feel like danger, but it felt like something explosive could happen at any moment. Turning the corner, he saw a room full of people, and he stopped.

 

"How?" Peter-1 asked, trembling, tears welling in his eyes. This had to be a trick of some kind, how could it not be? Yet how was Strange taken in? Clearly he was no illusion, was he?

 

"Peter." May breathed, staring at her nephew. "My sweet boy."

 

"May...How?" Peter-1 asked, not believing what his eyes were showing, he tore his gaze away from her, the hardest thing he had ever done, looking around the room, he saw other Avengers, some of his old Midtown classmates, and five others he never expected to see again.

 

"Peter, my brave man." May smiled at him as she took Peter-1 in her arms. "I know what you're thinking, this can't be real, and blaming yourself. Listen to me, I may have told you you have a responsibility with your power, and you do, but you don't have a responsibility over what happened to me. It was my choice to be there, it was I who provoked Goblin to attack me, don't ever blame yourself, please." May pleaded with her nephew.

 

"No, May, it was my fault he was even there. I did it, Goblin was right, I'm the one who killed you."

 

"Peter." May said, her tone turning sharp to get him to focus. "No matter what he said, no matter what your own guilt was telling you, listen to me. It was not your fault, none of it was."

 

"May..." Peter breathed again as she shook her head.

 

"No. Your blameless. Now, go greet your brothers."

 

"Peters?" Peter-1 asked, searching as the two waved to him from across the room.

 

"Hi buddy." Peter-2 grinned at him.

 

"How's it going, mini me?" Peter-3 winked.

 

"Ned?" Peter-1 asked, turning to his oldest friend.

 

"Dude, I have so much to tell you." Ned gushed to him.

 

"This can't be real..." Peter-1 muttered to himself as he turned back to another ghost, one just as painful for him as May was.

 

"Hey Underoos." Tony Stark beamed back at him.

 

"Mr Stark?" Peter-1 asked, voice breaking as he took him in.

 

"Yeah, far better looking than I was the last time you saw me I guess?" Tony teased.

 

"H-How?"

 

"I was brought to this room to find out about this kid called Peter Parker, same as all of us. If you're asking when, I'm from just before we attempted the heist to bring everyone back. Knowing we succeed, knowing you're here and you're now safe, believe me, it's worth everything that's coming, everything I know is going to be coming my way."

 

"You died because of-"

 

"Nope. Nothing you did contributed to my death. You're the reason half of the universe came back, kid. You inspired me to be better." Tony told Peter-1. "You made me a better hero, hell, a better man. Nothing I did was your fault, Pete. You gave me hope."

 

"I-" Peter broke off, unsure of what to say, how to make Tony see reason, understand it was Peter's fault and nothing he could do would change that, how Tony, and everyone even, would be better and safer staying away from Peter. "How are you back?"

 

"There's a guy named the Watcher, he's brought us all to see you and fix things, and I think he wants you to come with us, if you want it?" Tony asked Peter, who gave a jerky nod. He wanted that, more than anything, but he didn't want to see how it would mess up, it always did, inevitably. "First though kid, think there's someone else here you need to say hello too." Tony gave Peter a small smile as Peter's gaze moved over to see MJ stood before him.

 

"MJ..." Peter-1 choked, as she glared at him, her face unreadable other than the tears he could see, still freshly wetting her cheeks.

 

"Dork." MJ said, her voice far softer than Peter-1 believed it had any right to be, especially aimed at him.

 

"How are you here?" Peter-1 asked her, approaching her slowly, arm outstretched, as if she would disappear the second they touched. As his hand reached her cheek, she leant into his touch, closing her eyes.

 

"I'm here, Peter." MJ told him. "I didn't know what I'd do when I saw you." She admitted, opening her eyes and gazing into his, as Peter-1 looked at her with a mix of fear and devotion. "Whether I'd kick you in the balls, or kiss you until neither of us could breathe."

 

"What do you want to do?" Peter-1 asked her gently.

 

"This." MJ said, grabbing his head in her hands and smashing their lips together, an electric shock going through her body as she did, unaware one was going through his too. Two halves, whole once again.

 

"I love you." Peter-1 choked out as they broke apart.

 

"I love you too." MJ told him.

Notes:

They'll go back and have some other reunifications next chapter, but for all, Happy Holidays!

For fans of HoTD/GOT, second chapter of Way of the Dragon is on its way and chapter two of Westeros Watches, which has been in progress of writing for like 2 years now, has finally resumed work. Hoping an update of that in a week or so.

Chapter 63: You're Somebody

Peter broke apart from MJ and looked around the rest of the room, never letting MJ move out of his reach, in case he woke up and it was all a bad dream.

 

"So, are we going to save the rest of the reunions until we get back to the other place? There are more of us waiting there after all." Tony laughed.

 

"I still don't understand how this can be a thing, or any of this, but there's one thing I have to do first if it is real, or even if it's just a great dream I'll wake up from at any moment." Peter-1 told him, before heading over to Ned, offering his hand. Ned, grinning, took it as they performed their special handshake, ending with Peter pulling Ned towards him in an embrace.

 

"Well, are we going or not? Because I know the Guardians will probably want to say hi, and I'm sure those Eternal folk are curious about him after all we've seen." Happy said, giving Peter a small smile. "Hey kid."

 

"Happy." Peter breathed. "I'm so sorry about your-"

 

"Save it. You're far more important than some apartment to me, kid."

 

"Happy, I can't-" Peter started again before Happy raised his hand in a stop motion.

 

"Peter, please. You didn't do anything I wouldn't have done in your situation. I'm just sorry I wasn't there with you, you know..." Happy trailed off, unsure of how to finish what he was saying.

 

"You were there when I needed you the most, Happy." Peter reassured him, rushing forward to wrap the older man in a hug.

 

"Look, as touching as all of this is, we do need to be heading off before that Watcher fellow probably starts throwing us around for taking too long. I've no idea how any of this works." Eddie shrugged as Peter looked at him in confusion.

 

"Who are you?"

 

"Eddie Brock, you may not remember, we had a little argument when you had Venom in you. I'm sure we can talk more about it soon." Eddie tried to flash Peter a smile, who looked even more confused.

 

"I'm sure that'll help." Peter smiled at him.

 

"So, shall we all head back? It's mostly just the Guardians and the Eternals through the other side, so won't need too many catchups." May told her nephew who smiled at her.

 

"Thanks, May." Peter nodded, as others began to head through the portal again. MJ took Peter's hand as May walked through, Tony gave them a smile as he headed through, leaving just Peter-1 and MJ. Together, they walked through as well.

 

Inside the room that the Watcher had gathered them all within, Peter stood in shock at so many faces, most so familiar, some so new, all smiling at him as he entered, spread out on seats of different sizes, all gathered around a large screen.

 

"Hey, Spider-Man." Steve Rogers smiled at him.

 

"Cap-Captain." Peter-1 stuttered at him as Sam shook his head.

 

"I thought I was Cap now?" He teased Peter with a smirk as Peter blushed.

 

"Hey Cap." Peter eventually said to Sam as well, who nodded before roaring with laughter along with Steve.

 

"Just ignore them." Wanda smiled at the younger man.

 

"Hello Miss Maximoff, where have you been?" Peter asked, not hearing of Wanda since the whole thing on the news about Westview.

 

"Having some time off." Wanda said. "Something that you'd probably benefit from too, Spider-Man, from what we've seen."

 

"The city needs me too much." Peter-1 interjected.

 

"From what we saw about Venom, maybe both the city and you could do with a short break, Pete." Tony told him. "Luckily, there's something for that. This room."

 

"I can't just take time off to sit in a room, no matter why." Peter-1 argued back.

 

"Well time doesn't seem to pass here like normal, so you're all good on that one." Tony assured him.

 

"Just sit down, Peter, please." May implored him, Peter sighed as he took a seat, with the rest of the room soon following.

 

"Well, let's see what they've got to torture us with next." Peter-3 joked.

 

"Well we had three with me, I'm going to assume you'll get at least two." Peter-2 told him with a grin as Peter-3 blanched. He didn't want to see what he thought it may show.

 

The scene opened on Richard Parker working on spiders at Oscorp, as he looked at the security cameras, before seeing his clearance had been revoked. Hurrying home, he found his office had been trashed, as he rushed his family out, leaving Peter with his brother, he and his wife got on a plane, as he decided to upload his research and findings to something called Roosevelt.

 

"Is that...?" Peter-1 asked, mouth agape at what he was seeing.

 

"Dad." Peter-3 nodded sadly, tears already pricking his eyes as he saw his last moments with his parents play out for everyone, being left with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben, them saying they'd be back for him, only to never return, dying in that plane crash.

 

"Why was Dad running?" Peter-2 asked, he was pretty sure this wasn't how it went down in his universe and from the confused looks that Peter-1 and his May had, it can't have happened this way in their world either.

 

"He was working for Oscorp, trying to make a way to use spiders as regenerative material, but they wanted to be more nefarious with it, Dad refused and so they had him labelled a traitor, planning to sell military secrets abroad, and tried to have his research taken and him killed." Peter-3 said, glaring at the screen.

 

On the plane, an attendant came and talked to Richard, who noticed blood on the man's hands. He withdrew a gun and locked the door, locking Mary Parker inside a toilet. Mary got out as the man threatened Richard and the three began to fight. Mary was shot in the confusion as they managed to overpower him, Mary dying of her wounds as Richard shot the window, the engine exploding and the man being sucked outside of the door during all of the fight. Richard checked Roosevelt and saw it had uploaded the data, as he looked at Mary, as the ocean rapidly approached, he closed his eyes as the plane hit.

 

"Leave them alone!" Peter-3 raged, seeing his parents being attacked by the stranger.

 

"Kick his ass!" Tony cheered on Richard Parker, before they all winced, seeing Mary get shot.

 

"Mom..." Peter-3 whispered, reaching out to the screen. He knew she'd died, she'd been dead for years, but seeing all of this, having to relive it all, he couldn't help the tears he could feel stinging his cheeks. He let out a sob, and felt someone pulling him towards them, unsure of who it was, his senses going haywire with the overload of emotion, he just let them cradle him and cried.

 

"He was a brave man, braver than most." Ikaris noted, seeing Richard accepting the end with dignity.

 

The scene showed Spider-Man swinging through the city as he heard of an Oscorp truck full of plutonium being hijacked, the police struggling to deal with it as he swung down and began to attack the driver, a man with a comb over dropped his blueprints in the road, as Spider-Man noticed, he left the chase to save the man, calling him by name with his name badge being visible, as the man said he was a nobody, Peter said he was a somebody and that he was Spider-Man's eyes and ears in the city.

 

"Why is it always Oscorp and radioactive stuff?" Peter-2 tried to lighten the mood, seeing Peter-3 still curled in his arms. Peter-2 frowned and looked at his younger alter.

 

"Hey, man, you want to go into the corner for a moment and talk?"

 

Peter-3 said nothing, just rising and heading to a corner, Peter-2 smiled apologetically at everyone around and headed over, after shaking his head when Peter-1 perked up as well, mouthing an apology to his youngest alter.

 

"Wait, they mentioned a bad comb over, is that Max?" Bruce asked, seeing the man Peter-3 had saved.

 

"It seems it is." Tony nodded.

 

"Looking out for the little guy, we've got to do." Peter-1 smiled, hearing similar things to what he'd say from his alternate selves.

 

Peter rushed back to the chase, catching all the plutonium as it fell from the back of the van, before being hit by a police cruiser. As he hitched a ride of its bumper, Gwen phoned to ask where he was, he said he was stuck in traffic and denied the sound of sirens as Gwen pressed him, he looked over to see what looked like Captain Stacy in another car, watching him as Gwen hangs up to go present a speech as Valedictorian.

 

"God that had to have hurt." Sersi winced.

 

"From experience of being hit by cars, it does." Peter-1 agreed.

 

"Why is he seeing Captain Stacy in that car?" Druig asked.

 

"Guilt." Strange said, knowing it all too well. "His guilt over not keeping the promise he gave Captain Stacy as he died to stay away from Gwen."

 

"Poor Peter." Betty sighed.

 

Peter then webbed up the criminal as he got the plutonium away, whilst Gwen gave a speech about immortality and about making a life worth living, before swinging in to the presentation as his name was called, whilst an old man exclaimed he knew that guy. He got his award, kissed Gwen in front of everyone and then high fived the dean.

 

"It's always important to make a life worth living, to leave a legacy behind." Tony agreed.

 

"Wait, isn't that the old man from everything else?!" Rhodey asked.

 

"I'm just not questioning when he arrives anymore." Scott said.

 

"Gwen looks so embarrassed by that PDA." Kate grinned.

Notes:

Well I finally finished a chapter of this! Next time, Peter and Gwen break up and Max meets Gwen in the elevator.

As for ATSV, I haven't seen it yet, I'm seeing it tomorrow, but I've already had it spoiled entirely, thanks Internet. I only watched ITSV for the first time the other month and a rewatch yesterday for the new one. Speaking of ITSV.....

I shouldn't, but I am. As part of this fic, after they watch NWH, they'll also get to see Into the Spider-Verse as well as Across the Spider-Verse, and since it'll probably be out by then, Beyond the Spider-Verse too. Writing the script of ITSV now, instead of working on the next chapter like I should...

Chapter 64: The Amazing Spider-Man

Notes:

Considering cutting the kiss between Peter-2 and Peter-3 I was planning, isn't really fitting with current plans for this fic.

"Are you ok?" Peter-2 asked his alter as everyone else around them focused on the screen and the events going on there.

 

"Yeah, I'll be fine, why?" Peter-3 asked, wiping his eyes and looking at his older alter.

 

"Come on man, I know you're not. You can talk to me. If you can't talk to yourself, who can you talk too?" Peter-2 joked as Peter-3 gave him a deadpan stare. "Guess I'll leave the quipping to you?"

 

"Look, I appreciate it, I really do, but this is something I have to look at on my own. I thought I had moved past all of this, the loss of my parents, any guilt I had over it, but clearly I hadn't." Peter-3 said. "I'm not sure anyone can help me with that."

 

"Peter." Peter-2 said, fixing him with a serious gaze. "I lost my parents too, plane crash, same as you. I'm not sure if Dad was being attacked by an assassin, I doubt it, but they died in a similar way. We both lost our Uncle Ben's, I know what loss is. I've had it wrap its hands around my throat so many times, if there's anyone who can help you with all of this, all of this guilt, all of this sorrow, it's me." Peter-2 insisted.

 

"All of this, Dad was accused of being a traitor to his country, he and Mom were murdered, we even got to see that, and with all of this, it's where Osborn comes in." Peter-3 spat, as Peter-2's eyes widened. Now they got to it. Richard and Mary died in every universe it seemed, that wasn't something they could do anything about but grieve together, but this, Peter-3 still blaming himself for Gwen. That was it.

 

"Peter, I know what you're thinking." Peter-2 said quietly as Peter-3 looked angrily at him.

 

"No, you really don't."

 

"Gwen wasn't your fault. I thought you had realised that by now."

 

"Don't bring her up." Peter-3 hissed. "You don't have any idea what you're talking about."

 

"I don't know what it's like to have the love of my life die? I think I know that better than anyone." Peter-2 shook his head. "Look, I spent a long time in the darkness, thinking about how I let Mary Jane down, how if I had been faster, I had been more careful...It took me a long time to get through that darkness, I know how it feels. You've struggled, Peter, I know. Gwen was your MJ, your rock. I'm not going to pretend it'll ever be fully alright, but you know how she was. Just from what I've seen in these and heard from you about her, she wouldn't want you hating yourself for it. It was Osborn, nobody else was to blame. Especially not you. Gwen made her choice to help you, and I don't think she doubted it for a second, do you?"

 

"Well of course she wouldn't, but-"

 

"But nothing. You love her. Honour her. The way to honour her is stop beating yourself up over this and to work to be better, to be what she wanted you to be."

 

"What if I don't know how to do that? What if I can't be that anymore? The day with you two was the best I've had in years, and I'm not sure I can find myself again, even with that bright light."

 

"All you can do is try. Put in the work. Each day. Try to be a bit better than you were the day before. Help one person more. Stop one bad guy more. Hold back on that last punch. You do one thing every day, you do one thing better than you did the day before, and you'll get there, Peter." Peter-2 assured his younger alter. "You just gotta believe that there can be a better way, that you can be the hero that Gwen knew you were." He smiled at his younger alter, heading back to the group, seeing Peter-3 was mulling over his words.

 

May and Peter spoke about what Ben would have said and wishing he was there to see this day, as they joked about what he would have done with this. May then told Peter to go to Gwen as Gwen told her family she'd be a moment.

 

"I wish Ben could have seen me graduate." Peter-3 said bitterly.

 

"I wish he'd seen me too." Peter-2 admitted.

 

"He'd be proud of you both, as I know your Mays are." May told them both with a smile. "Don't think we won't be getting you a way to graduate, somehow." She warned Peter-1 who gulped.

 

'Who would be there to even see it? I've got nobody.' Peter-1 thought to himself darkly, seeing his expression cloud, MJ squeezed his hand, making him look at her until he gave her a small smile.

 

Peter spoke with Gwen as she invited him to a family dinner that night, invited over to take photos with the family, he declined, seeing Captain Stacy behind them and remembering his final promise to him.

 

"You can't let your guilt do that to you, Pete." Tony said to Peter-3 who glared at him.

 

"Gwen would want you to be happy." May told her alter nephew.

 

At the restaurant, Peter showed up late and hung outside, Gwen noticed him and went to speak with him, Peter explained he kept seeing her father and had to honour the promise he made to him, Gwen said that Peter was meant to love her, he said he did, but he couldn't risk her being hurt. Gwen then said he wouldn't break up with her as she was breaking up with him.

 

"You can't expect anything less from that." Ned awkwardly said, seeing the heartbreak on Peter-3's face on the screen.

 

"I know." Peter-3 said. Part of him couldn't believe his past self had been such an idiot, letting Gwen go. Another part wished he'd kept her away, so she wasn't there that night. He should have let her go to Oxford.

 

Spider-Man was then shown going around the city, saving the day time and time again as callers argued with the radio whether he was a hero or a villain, a caller named Max saying Spider-Man was his friend and a hero to all, when Peter webbed up a criminal whilst ill and sneezing. During all of this, Spider-Man helped a little boy named Jorge with some bullies and fixed his science fair project.

 

"Ahh the old passage of time montage, to skip to the important things." MJ said. "Cliche."

 

"Even when you have a cold, you're going out fighting? You really should focus on your health and relax sometimes." Bruce stated, raising an eyebrow at Peter-3.

 

"I'll take better care of myself, Doc." Peter-3 said with a mock salute.

 

Peter watched Gwen from afar before rushing into a burning building, as May spoke to him about helping her get her car as he struggled to get out of his costume, forgetting to clean his face from the smoke, Peter lied that he cleaned the chimney as May said they didn't have one.

 

"You know she definitely didn't buy the excuse of cleaning a chimney, right?" Peter-2 asked as Peter-3 blushed.

 

"I was stressed!"

 

"I'd say about talking to her, but I can see he's beating himself up about not talking to her already." Cindy whispered to Abe and Betty.

 

Peter then looked at his fathers old briefcase, thinking back to memories he had with him as the scene cut to Max, grooming himself in a room dedicated to Spider-Man, thanking Spider-Man for wishing him a happy birthday and calling him the Amazing Spider-Man.

 

"Is it bad I kinda feel sorry for Max, seeing all of this?" Sam asked.

 

"I think we should all feel a little sorry for Max." Steve agreed with him.

 

Peter asked May about her shifts at the restaurant as she tried to get shifts at the hospital, May and Peter then argued as he tried to do his own laundry, her insisting it was her job to do so.

 

"You should talk to her, let her know everything, it never hurts to have someone else to rely on, Peter." May told her alter nephew with a sad smile.

 

"She already knows about me being Spider-Man, I just didn't want to dump my issues on her, and I guess I made her feel like I was trying to exclude her from my life? I've apologised a million times over, but when I get back home, I'll apologise again, just for you, May." Peter-3 smiled at his aunts younger alter who beamed back at him.

 

At Oscorp, K.A.R.I, the new AI interface, discussed how Oscorp now powered all of New York City with green renewable electricity and planned to go global eventually, as Max was pulled by his supervisor. Max said he designed the new systems as his supervisor laughed at him, saying he was Spider-Man if so and telling Max to get to work. Max imagined himself threatening the guy for lying about being Spider-Man.

 

"Well a world ran by Oscorp energy sounds terrifying." Steve blinked.

 

"Don't worry, it never went any further than New York." Peter-3 assured him.

 

"Good, because I don't want to have to get the team back together to go to another world and stop another evil Oscorp plot." Steve said. "Just seeing you guys fighting against Norman or something Norman caused has been bad enough."

 

"I figured Max was smart, but that's seriously impressive." Tony said as Max explained he invented the system. "But he's not getting near an Arc Reactor ever again."

 

"Well I can certainly see why Max would jump at the chance to have any power, always denied it." Wanda murmured.

 

Max got into the elevator and held it open for Gwen as they talked about it being his birthday, and Max mentioned how Spider-Man had once saved him, saying he needed Max, Gwen bitterly said it must be a nice feeling before she stepped off of the elevator

 

"Seems Gwen has alot of pent up anger at Peter." Strange noted.

 

"I imagine everyone has a lot of anger at this idiots noble self-sacrificing." MJ said as Peter-1 frowned at her words, unnoticed by the room at large.

Chapter 65: Goddamn Eels

At a manor house, a car pulled up as a young man exited the car, heading into the manor, he sat at the bedside of a man identified as his dying father, who lamented that he would die seeing his son as a stranger, before identifying him as Harry Osborn.

 

"That's Harry and Norman Osborn in this universe?" Bucky asked as Peter-3 snarled at the screen, seeing his most hated enemy.

 

"Got to admit that you feel a little sorry for them, seeing them this way." Clint whispered to Nat, Yelena and Kate.

 

"He didn't deserve to not have his father in his life, but it doesn't justify anything that came after." Kate noted.

 

Norman and Harry argued as Norman said he didn't expect forgiveness from Harry, but he had a final gift for him, he knew that Harry was the age that the genetic disease that was killing him began to show up, asking if Harry's hands were shaking yet. He pressed a device in Harry's hand, telling him it had all the information he had on their disease and research for a cure, telling him to succeed where he had failed.

 

"Wait, the Osborn's have a genetic disease in your world?" Peter-2 asked.

 

"Yeah, they didn't in yours?" Peter-3 questioned. "I know it was never brought up, but it could have explained the Goblin, couldn't it?"

 

"Maybe, but they had nothing like that as far as I know." Peter-2 told him.

 

"He wants his son to survive, there's something at least. Norman didn't seem to care about Harry nearly as much in the older Peter's universe." Clint remarked.

 

"Norman cared for Harry, the Goblin not so much." Peter-2 told him with a shake of the head.

 

"At least they've studied it, surely that's got to help?" Bruce pondered.

 

Peter sat in a cafe sending pictures of Spider-Man to J Jonah Jameson, who derided them as bad, when he saw a news report that Norman Osborn had died and was succeeded by Harry Osborn.

 

"Harry." Peter said, seeing a photo of him.

 

"I can only imagine it'd be a shock seeing your childhood friend now in this difficult position." Natasha smiled sadly at Peter-3.

 

At Oscorp, people gave toasts to Norman as a message played from him about why he founded Oscorp and its goals, as Gwen received a call from Oxford University, offering her an interview for a scholarship.

 

"Gwen's off to Oxford?" Betty asked. "That's an amazing opportunity!"

 

"It was." Peter-3 agreed, eyes watering at the thought of what could have been.

 

Max was about to leave with everyone else, when his supervisor made him stay behind to check an electrical flow issue in a lab, telling Max it was because he was special and wishing him a happy birthday condescendingly. Max headed into the rafters above the eel tanks, checking the issues, asking for the power to be cut, being ignored, Max tried to do it himself, before being electrocuted, falling into the eel tanks below, the electric eels changing him and his biology.

 

"Why would they send him by himself with no assistance or any safety equipment?" Bruce asked, apoplectic at the lack of scientific safety.

 

"Because they're overconfident idiots?" Tony snorted.

 

"I feel sorry for Max." Abe admitted, seeing the man fall into the vat.

 

"That had to hurt." Ned winced.

 

Harry was at an Oscorp board meeting, being told Oscorp needed to be steadied in the recent wake of breaches of trust by Doctor Connors, Harry saying where he tried to turn the entire city into lizards. Harry insulted the board before calling on the assistant, Felicia, saying they all worked for her now, before dismissing himself when he was told there was a Peter Parker there to see him.

 

"Well I mean he's not wrong, he's inheriting all of these issues but the board should have already been dealing with them before he came in." Tony stated.

 

"Wait, his assistant is called Felicia?" Peter-2 asked with a groan.

 

"Yeah, why?" Peter-3 wondered.

 

"Felicia Hardy is the Black Cat in my world."

 

"Wait, she's the Black Cat? I've been after her for months!" Peter-3 groaned. "Guess I know where to go looking now."

 

"Whose Black Cat?" MJ asked, wondering why all these Peters know her.

 

"She's a master thief, guess is the only way I can describe it, we had a fling for a while too." Peter-2 admitted.

 

"In most worlds, Peter Parker and Felicia Hardy have a romantic entanglement for a time." The voice of Uatu admitted from somewhere beyond their room.

 

"Just great." MJ frowned.

 

"I love you." Peter-1 said, taking her hand and getting her to look in his eyes. "Not some woman I've never even heard of, you're the only woman for me, MJ." He promised, smiling as she smiled at him.

 

Heading to the hall, Harry greeted Peter, asking how long it had been and why Peter was there. Peter said he had heard the news and wanted to make sure Harry was alright. Harry said he was busy at the moment, Peter said he was here as Harry had been there for him when his parents died, and now he was there for him. Peter went to leave as Harry called him back, reminiscing on the old times, before the two of them embraced.

 

"He was there for you when your parents died? My Harry was much the same." Peter-2 told his younger alter.

 

"Yeah, he was really my best friend as a kid, our dads worked together, it made sense." Peter-3 noted. "We lost touch just after my dad died and he moved to a boarding school. Seeing him again, seeing what he was going to have to go through, I figured I could try help. My mistake." Peter-3 finished bitterly.

 

Harry and Peter walked around the waterfront as they discussed their lives, whether Peter had a girl, he said it was complicated, but her name was Gwen Stacy and she worked for Oscorp and Harry. Harry asked if Peter ever found out why his parents bailed on him, he said he hadn't, all he had was a briefcase of junk from his father.

 

"Well now you know at least." Peter-2 smiled at his younger alter, who nodded back.

 

"Parts of it though, I wish I didn't know."

 

Peter told Harry about Spider-Man who laughed when Peter said he thought Spidey brought hope to others, as it cut to show someone spying on them, one of the spies being another Oscorp Executive, who said they needed to find a way to get Harry out of the company, before he asked about Mr Dillon's accident, and keeping him invisible.

 

"So what did they do to Max?" Hope wanted to know.

 

"Nothing good I bet." Clint muttered.

 

Notes:

Finally finished the script part of ITSV as well this morning, will be keeping ITSV as one chapter and ATSV as one. ITSV clocks in, before any reaction, at 6400 words, so those chapters will be mammoth sized.

Chapter 66: Electro Arrives

Notes:

Two chapters in one day as I finally remembered how to not procrastinate for a few hours, before returning right back to it

In a morgue, the lights began to flicker as Max sat up, his skin now completely blue, electricity crackling through him, he struggled around the place, finding the electrical devices turning on around him, he found a hoodie and stumbled out of the door.

 

"Ok, Max definitely didn't look like that in our universe." Clint blinked.

 

"I'm not sure what happened with him." Peter-3 admitted. "Have to say, he did look better in your world."

 

"Might have been due to the different dimensions." Bruce stated. "I'd be fascinated to study it sometime."

 

"Yeah, let's keep the multiversal travels to a maximum of never, please." Strange warned them.

 

At the docks by himself, Peter got a call, heading to a park, he met Gwen waiting for him. Walking into the traffic, just raising a hand to them as he headed towards her, eyes glued to her, Gwen told him she had thought it over and they should just be friends, Peter said if they were, they needed to establish some ground rules, as they joked over them.

 

"Well friendship can't hurt." Hope smiled.

 

"Well it certainly didn't work out, we had too much attraction between us." Peter-3 ruefully said.

 

Max stumbled around the town, finding himself being able to see electrical currents, as he began to walk towards the bright lights of downtown.

 

"Oh no what is he doing?" Kingo asked.

 

"All the electricity, it'll be calling to him." Phastos said.

 

"Like a moth to a flame." Abe gasped.

 

Gwen found out Peter was following her as she said that she loved a Korean meatball place and he said he knew, down on 6th. She asked why, and how often, he said at least once a day and it was to keep her safe and it was the closest he could be to her without being with her. He went to kiss her as she revealed she was moving to England if she got a scholarship.

 

"I get the sentiment behind it, you wanted to keep your promise yet keep her safe, but it did seem a bit creepy." MJ shook her head as Peter-3 gaped.

 

"I...didn't think of that." Peter-3 mumbled.

 

"Wait, she was moving to England?" Peter-1 asked.

"If I wasn't such an idiot, she'd have gone there and been safe and happy." Peter-3 bitterly spat.

 

Peter felt his tingle going off and turned around, Gwen asking what was wrong, as he noticed Max in the city, he headed off, suiting up as Gwen hurried to the scene herself.

 

"Well this won't end well at all, Max idolises you, this'll break him as you'll have to stop him." Natasha blinked.

 

 

Peter engaged Max, who was frightened by his powers, he tried to talk Max down, remembering him, Max began to calm down until the police attacked him, returning shots at them with electrical bolts, Peter used a fire hose to knock Max out. He then went over to Gwen, asking if she was serious, before leaving.

 

"Well it would have worked if the NYPD weren't so trigger happy." Cindy scowled.

 

"Poor Max, he was just misunderstood and wanted help." Makkari signed.

 

"Humans." Druig shook his head in disgust. "If it's different, it must be destroyed, right?"

 

"Not all humans are like that, you know that." Sersi told him sharply.

 

"Most are." Druig fired back.

 

At Peter's, he looked at the web shooters that Max had fried during their fight before giving up, and laying on his bed. Noticing the briefcase of his fathers, he opened it out and looked through it, making a board of all of his parents stuff and what he knew had happened to them, as well as bits about Gwen, with a note asking if he had to lose her too.

 

"So I'm assuming you're going to go down the rabbit hole to try find out what your dad was into?" Clint asked.

 

"Oh I can only imagine what a bad idea this'll turn out to be." Tony remarked.

 

"A very good one." Peter-3 shot back. "It helped me finally come to terms with my parents being gone after all."

Chapter 67: Bring me Spider-Man

Harry looked at a news report about Spider-Man before turning it off, noticing he had started to develop symptoms of his fathers illness, he looked into old Oscorp files and found out about the Parker and Connors research into cross species genetics and their aims with it.

 

"How has the symptoms developed so quickly? I thought they took years in his father?" Ned asked, perplexed.

 

"I'm not entirely sure, I think it may have been a mix of the stress over it all as well as his attempts to find a cure making it worse." Peter-3 shrugged. "Eventually, I think they did make a cure for him with it. Not that he deserved it at all."

 

"He believed your father had somehow found a cure and hid it?" Bruce asked.

 

"Yeah, he was kinda right I guess." Peter-3 stated.

 

At Peter's he worked on his web shooters to devise a web that could survive an electrical hit, being electrocuted several times during it. He woke up the next day to a phone call from Harry, who told Peter he was dying, but Peter could help save his life.

 

"I'm assuming you did eventually figure out a way to save yourself being fried when against Max if you beat him?" Scott asked.

 

"Yeah got it eventually." Peter-3 said.

 

"What does Harry think you can save him? Does he think you know your fathers research?" Betty questioned.

 

"Not exactly."

 

At Oscorp, Harry showed Peter the videos of Richard Parker's work, before revealing that he knew Spider-Man had been bitten by one of their spiders and had developed his powers. He said he knew Peter had a relationship with Spider-Man, and he needed him to bring Spider-Man to Harry so he could ask for a blood transfusion and a cure for his disease. At the same time, Gwen looked into Max, recognising him from the fight, no results came up, but her profile was locked.

 

"So he wants you to bring yourself to him?" Flash snickered. "This'll be funny."

 

"It became obsessions when I did what I had to do." Peter-3 shook his head.

 

"So the company executives don't want anyone asking questions at all about Max, I bet Harry doesn't even know about Max, does he?" Ikaris asked.

 

"Not at the time, fortunately."

 

Peter agreed to try find Spider-Man for Harry as he left, Gwen running as security came to try grab her for looking for Max, running into each other, Peter told Gwen what Harry wanted as she revealed Max was being vanished from the system and they were after her for looking into him, and that Max must have been not in control the other night as he loved Spider-Man from what she remembered, as Peter said he felt more "trying to kill me" vibes from it. He then tried to talk about her going to England, as she just kissed him.

 

"How did you both manage to hide with the ruckus you were probably making?" Peter-2 laughed.

 

"Well I mean he did give off killing me vibes in that fight!" Peter-3 protested.

 

"Only after the police attacked him, he was standing down when you just spoke to him." Ned pointed out.

 

"I'd rather she had gone to England rather than kiss me. She'd be safe if she had." Peter-3 ruefully shook his head.

 

Gwen and Peter left the cupboard they were in as Gwen hurried to the lifts to get out of Oscorp, as Pet e r distracted the security after her, throwing coffee on them, tripping them and tying their shoelaces, apologising for his mistakes as he did, before walking off, tapping his shoes together in a dance after their kiss.

 

"Have to say something for the Parker luck klutz moves." MJ laughed. "Do like the little skip and jump at the end you did."

 

Peter-3 just blushed at seeing his past self acting so giddy.

 

In the lift, Gwen relaxed until a voice behind her said "Gwen Stacy." turning, she saw Harry Osborn stood there. Harry and Gwen talked about Peter and how complicated things were with him, before Harry said he needed Gwen to keep things clear. Gwen then hurried off as Harry bade her farewell.

 

"Well that didn't seem creepy at all." Tony shook his head. "Think Harry was going for creepy stalker boss there."

Chapter 68: I Can't Die More

The scene cut to Ravencroft Institute, and scientists torturing Max, trying to see how impressive his powers were, as the Oscorp executive watched on. Max threatened to plunge the city into darkness when he got loose, so everyone knew what it was like to live in his world, a world where all is unseen. The scientists dubbed him Electro as they put him into lockdown and shut down his electricity access.

 

"That's barbaric, how can they do that to him?" Cindy raged.

 

"Humans, never satisfied unless torturing each other." Druig spat. "I can't say I blame him threatening them, even if it makes him no better than they are."

 

"Well at least we found out where the idea of Electro came from." Clint shook his head. This was horrendous.

 

At Peter's, May was waiting for him, asking what his board was, looking for his parents. They got into an argument as May insisted Peter stop idolising his father, that it was her and Ben who were there for him. Peter said he loved May and she was his everything, but he needed to know the truth. She told him how the FBI came by after they vanished, and said he was betraying his country and selling Oscorp secrets to foreign powers. May said maybe he was hiding stuff, maybe everyone hid part of themselves.

 

"I don't see why she'd be like that, when have you ever been ungrateful for May?" Ned asked, confused.

 

"Because she's scared, feeling like I'm isolating her, everything." Peter-3 explained. "I can understand where she was coming from, we got it all sorted in the end at least, and like I said, she knows the truth now. She was even right in a way, Dad did hide stuff, even parts of himself, but the government and her were wrong, it wasn't anything to do with betraying the country. You'll see what it was I'm sure before too long."

At Harry's, Peter swung down from the ceiling, to tell Harry he couldn't give him any blood as it was too dangerous and it could kill Harry. Harry argued he couldn't die more as he was already dying. Harry then asked how much Spidey wanted, he said he didn't want money, as Harry insisted everyone wanted his money. Spider-Man apologised as he left, as Harry raged that he was a fraud.

 

"I can sympathise with him, he thinks everyone is out for themselves in regards to him and wants to use it to his advantage." Tony shook his head.

 

"I mean he was right that he couldn't exactly die more." Flash spoke up.

 

"He could die faster and even more painfully though." Peter-2 pointed out. "I think that was what Peter-3 was worried about."

 

"I wanted to help my friend, but I couldn't risk him hurting himself, or finding out my identity through some way." Peter-3 agreed. "I knew if he used my blood it would somehow make it all worse."

 

Peter caught up to Gwen as she went for her college interview, telling her everything he knew about his parents were a lie as she told the interviewer she would just be a second, he tried to talk with her as she said that maybe they were just on different paths now.

 

"Yeah, probably not the best time to pull her aside for a talk, she needs to do that." Bruce winced.

 

"She was right, we should have stayed on different paths." Peter-3 muttered to himself, the other Peters raising eyebrows at his words.

 

Peter tore down all of his findings on his parents and smashed his fathers calculator, to find old subway tokens. Searching about the D train and Roosevelt, he found out about an old abandoned subway station.

 

"Well, that's definitely something that'd shock me to find it." Wanda blinked.

 

"Reminds me of finding out about my dad and his experiments." Tony pondered aloud.

 

At Oscorp, Felicia asked Harry if he needed anything, he said he needed the spiders, she told him they had extracted the venom and it was in an off the books place called Special Projects. Looking it up, Harry found he had apparently authorised research into it, finding out about Max, his survival and his powers. Harry was then ambushed by the executives with security, telling him he had covered up Max's death and he was out, having him taken from the building. Harry said he would go quietly, and left Oscorp.

 

"Well at least she can be trusted to get the job done, though if she does become a jewel thief, maybe that's not the best thing." Ned shrugged.

 

"So they're committing fraud, using his name to hide their illegal activities?" Thor asked. "Is this common amongst bad humans?"

 

"Well I guess they decided the time was right to kick Harry out, I assume they must have seen him becoming more neurotic with it all." Yelena stated.

 

"Well I get the feeling now he knows about Max, he's got a chip on his shoulder about Spider-Man and Oscorp and he knows Max will too, he's going to go offer him a team up?" Kate guessed.

 

"I'd say you're a prophet." Strange smirked.

 

Peter went to Roosevelt station and found the secret subway car there, entering it, he found his fathers secret lab and all of his files he had transferred from the plane, Richard revealed the spider DNA worked due to human DNA, Parker DNA. Only a Parker would be able to get the powers that Peter had from a bite from it, anyone else, it would only be a painful death. Richard then apologised for what he had done, as he heard Peter calling him to his study.

 

"Wait, so it only works as you're a Parker in your universe? Is it the same here?" Peter-1 asked his alter.

 

"Did Dad help work on your spider?" Peter-3 asked.

 

"I doubt it."

 

"Then likely not. I'm not entirely sure how it works, seems to be different for every Peter." Peter-3 explained. "Who knows?"

 

"Why is your Dad apologising?" Natasha questioned.

 

"Because he can't tell the truth about any of it and he has to leave me, I think he knew he'd never see me again." Peter-3 said, face dropping as he did. "I just wish I could have told him he didn't have to apologise, he needed to do what he did."

Notes:

Who knows, I may finally finish TASM 2, break this streak of slowness and move back to NWH.

Order at the moment for Who Is Peter Parker?
TASM 2
NWH
Venom 2 post credits
ITSV
ATSV
BTSV (If that does somehow come out by then, if not, drop this to the bottom)
Multiverse of Madness
Eternals
Guardians 3
Wakanda Forever
Quantumania

Chapter 69: You're My Path

At Ravencroft, Harry managed to get in and find Max, as security came down after him, he begged Max for help to retake Oscorp, offering Max the power grid in exchange. As Harry was subdued, Max managed to escape, taking out all of the guards and killing them and the scientists, except the main one, who he put into his prison, freeing Harry as they agreed to be friends and work together to catch Spider-Man.

 

"Well this isn't good at all, them two teaming up just screams bad." Hope shook her head.

 

"Max killed those people, he said he'd never killed anyone..." Peter-1 muttered, eyes wide. Max was meant to be misguided but nice enough, wasn't he?

 

"Why is it always wanting to catch Spider-Man? Why not grab a coffee and be friends with Spider-Man?" Peter-2 joked, trying to lighten the mood after the massacre they had just witnessed.

 

Peter walked out of the subway tunnels to a message from Gwen, telling him she had gotten into Oxford. She had tried to see him but he was gone, and she was on her way to the airport, and this was goodbye, saying how it was easier this way, and it was time to let it go, due to her loving him, she had to let him go.

 

"Are you going to just let her leave without a goodbye'?" Cindy asked, shocked.

 

"I wish I had." Peter-3 whispered hoarsely, remembering what was to come, what he felt, what he would feel, before it all happened, before his world ended.

 

At Oscorp, Harry and Electro attacked the new CEO, taking over the office. Harry forced him to walk at gunpoint to show Special Projects to Harry, as Harry told Electro that the power grid was his to do with as he pleased, as Electro went into it.

 

"Well that isn't good, Electro could crash the entire city with ease." Bruce blinked.

 

"Why do I feel there will be other special projects to worry about?" Clint asked.

 

Harry then went to Special Projects and injected himself with the spider venom, collapsing due to it as the CEO escaped, Harry then struggled to the life support suit his father had made, as the venom wrecked his body, mutating his skin and deforming his features.

 

"Oh God, what is it doing to him?" Ajax asked, horrified.

 

"It's making his outsides match his insides." Ned shook his head, disgusted.

 

On a bridge, Gwen sat in traffic on the way to the airport to see a giant message from Peter saying "I love you" as she looked at it, he swung by and carried her atop the bridge, to tell her he loved her, telling her that she was his path, and would always be his path. He wanted to be with her, that he would come with her to England, he could Spider-Man there, he would follow her everywhere for the rest of his life.

 

"Aww that's adorable." Betty and Sally cooed, seeing the giant message across the bridge.

 

"Going to do that for me?" MJ whispered to Peter-1, who blushed.

 

"I'd do anything for you, MJ." Peter-1 mumbled to her as she nodded.

 

"Right answer, loser."

 

"Would you really do the whole Spider-Man gig in England?" Tony asked.

 

"Yeah, wherever I'm needed." Peter-3 said wistfully.

 

"I really don't recommend being Spider-Man in Europe, it sucks." Peter-1 shook his head as the room laughed.

Chapter 70: The Itsy Bitsy Spider

As they embraced, the power went out around them as Max began to form at the nearby power station, realising what was happening, Gwen told Peter about a reset at the power plant, he said Max would fry his shooters as she told him to magnetise them, realising it would work. Meanwhile the airport tried to get air traffic control back online.

 

"Oh God, Max is starting his attack on the city now? Can't you just have five minutes of peace?" Eddie asked.

 

"EAT MAX AND STOP THIS!" Venom demanded.

 

"I'm not too sure eating him will do much here." Wanda said.

 

"Magnetising, of course!" Bruce clapped his forehead. "Why didn't I think of that before now?"

 

"Don't worry, I didn't make the connection either Brucey Bear." Tony reassured him.

 

Peter and Gwen hurried to a nearby cop and got him to magnetise his web shooters, as Gwen said she was coming with him, he said she wasn't, webbing her to the car, he hurried off, as she yelled his name after him, covering her mouth. At the hospital, May tried to help patients with no power at all.

 

"Well at least that's sorted the issue of the webshooters." Scott remarked.

 

"You had better not even think of ever doing anything like that to me." MJ warned Peter-1, fixing him with a glare as Peter gulped at her gaze.

 

"No, it'd be stupid to do something like that to you."

 

"Except the web gag, perhaps we can explore that." MJ teased Peter-1 in a low whisper at the end with a wink, as he flushed.

 

"Well I'd have to help, no matter what." May said, smiling at seeing her alter also helping people wherever she could.

 

Electro entered the city properly, drawing Spider-Man after him, as air traffic mentioned there were two planes on intercept path with each other, unable to contact the other or the ground.

 

"Oh God, they've got to get those systems back up and fast! The casualties would be catastrophic." Sersi stated.

 

"It nearly was." Peter-3 grimly remarked.

 

Spider-Man and Electro ended up at the power plant, fighting with each other through it, Spider-Man using his magnetic webs to stop Electro shocking him and throwing him around, being thrown around himself by Electro, who mostly just roared at him in anger whilst Spider-Man used some quips. Meanwhile, Gwen cut herself loose and headed towards the power plant.

 

"Well at least the magnetised webshooters are holding up." Tony smiled.

 

"Yeah, but Max is just getting angrier, he's going to do something reckless and dangerous for sure." Bruce shook his head.

 

"Well at least Gwen will be on her way to help." Flash said, as Peter-3 just stared after her.

 

Electro then went into the grid, blasting through the pylons and into Spider-Man over and over, beating him down as the electricity played the beat of "Itsy Bitsy Spider" as Peter remarked he hated the song.

 

"That song is way overdone." Betty groused.

 

"Derivative to play it when fighting Spider-Man for sure." Ned agreed, kissing his girlfriend on the cheek as he did.

 

As Electro pinned Spider-Man, Gwen drove the police car into the plant and smashed into Electro as she got out and began yelling at Peter, he told her she needed to be gone, as she said it was her choice to be there, with him agreeing to let her be there. They came up with a plan to reset the power lines and overcharge Electro, Gwen heading into the control room as Spider-Man distracted Electro and got the lines connected.

 

"Well that's one way to get Peter out of a jam." May blinked.

 

"Yeah, it's her choice!" MJ cheered a little, wincing when she saw the look of dread on Peter 3's face. It had to be soon.

 

"Well it's a good plan, considering he told us he was being overloaded before arriving in our world, I assume it has to work." Tony noted.

 

Spider-Man managed to get the lines connected as Gwen reset the power, overloading Max as he became pure energy and vanished. Suddenly, the electricity came back on as the planes were able to narrowly avoid one another and the hospital could get back to work.

 

"At least the city can recover from this pretty fast with luck and they've managed to minimise losses." Ikaris nodded approvingly.

 

"Poor Max, he's dead though." Mantis shook her head.

 

"He is not. The blue man was back in the other one, remember?" Drax told her.

 

"He was?" Mantis asked. "There was no blue man in the other?"

 

"Idiots." Nebula said fondly, looking as the two of them bickered with each other.

 

Notes:

Next chapter is the final one for TASM 2....It's The Clocktower.

Chapter 71: The Clocktower

Summary:

Sadness.

"Peter." Uatu said, reappearing beside Peter-3. "If you wish to avoid this part, perhaps I can make an exception for you to leave."

 

"No." Peter-3 said, after thinking for a moment. "Gwen deserves this at least, I have to see this through."

 

"Very well." Uatu said, before vanishing again.

 

As Peter and Gwen went to reunite, they saw a flying figure approach and laugh, as Harry descended on a glider, seeing Gwen with Spider-Man, he realised who Spider-Man was, telling Peter that he had betrayed him and taken away Harry's hope, so Harry would take away his, grabbing Gwen and flying away, as Peter gave chase.

 

"He's here." Peter-1 spat, seeing the Goblin glider descending, even if it was a different goblin and a different glider, the feelings of hatred bubbled inside of him.

 

"Well, the secret is out about the identity now." Kingo grimaced. This wouldn't be good at all.

 

"Gwen!" Cindy cried, as Harry grabbed her and flew away.

 

Peter-3 clenched his jaw seeing the scene unfolding, feeling the tears prickling at the edge of his eyes already. He wouldn't give in to it, the feeling of helplessness, washing over him again. He wouldn't give his inner demons the satisfaction, he was with his brothers, their friends, he wouldn't break in front of them, he just couldn't.

 

Peter begged Harry to let her go, it was between them, Harry agreed and dropped Gwen, Peter catching her as they fell through the clock tower ceiling, Harry dropping a bomb after them. Peter saved her and lowered her further down as Harry swooped in, Peter jumping around him, throwing webs at him as Harry chased Peter.

 

"Why would he do that?!" Betty demanded to know as Harry dropped Gwen, breathing a sigh of relief as Peter-3 caught her.

 

"Kick his ass, Pete!" Tony cheered as the two men began to fight, seeing Gwen in danger still.

 

"Knock him out!" Quill cheered.

 

Peter and Harry caught one another as Gwen fell further down, Harry's glider smashing into the platform she was on. Peter caught Gwen in a web and held her as Harry tried to pin his arms, Peter wrapped another web around his neck and tightened it, as Harry tried to strangle Peter, the web holding Gwen finally gave way, caught in a clock clog, and she fell.

 

"I can't watch." Cindy whispered to Betty, covering her eyes as she saw the scene get more and more dangerous. She knew how this would end, how there was going to be no happy ending, but she couldn't watch this.

 

'Kick his ass, Pete.' Clint thought, seeing it all. He knew he couldn't say it aloud, it's the last thing Peter-3 would want to hear at that moment. He could tell the moment was coming, he could see it in the haunted look in Peter-3's eyes, the slump of his shoulders, the slight quivering in his entire body. He knew if he said anything, Peter-3 might snap.

 

"No!" A voice screamed out, Peter-3 whipped his head around, trying to figure out where it had come from, who had yelled out at this moment, seeing Gwen fall, before realising it was his own mouth that had opened, had screamed.

 

"I-I can't." Peter-3 mumbled, before rising to his feet, rushing as far as he could, as fast as he could, he saw a door appear and raced through it, as it closed, they could all hear his sobs.

 

"I'll go to him." Peter-1 and 2 said at the same time, before looking at each other. Giving a slight smile to the other, the two of them left together, Peter-1 mouthing an apology to MJ, who waved it away. His brother needed him.

 

Peter threw Harry off of him, webbing him to the side and jumped after her, throwing another web to her, catching onto her.

 

"Kill him." Flash growled, seeing Harry thrown off and webbed to the side. "Don't let up on him."

 

"I wish I had." Peter-3 snarled. He hated seeing Harry again, if only the man could have died of his disease, not been cured later on.

 

"Please...Please..." Betty chanted to herself, hoping Gwen would be ok, that she'd get out of this somehow, even though she knew the truth.

 

The room watched in bated breath as they saw time seemed to be slowing, the web was slowly inching towards Gwen, Peter's look of horror through his mask, Gwen closing her eyes as she felt herself plummeting towards the ground below.

 

"I can't watch this." Peter-3 mumbled, sagging in his seat as he closed his eyes. Peter-1 and Peter-2 looked over at their brother in concern, both putting an arm on his shoulders to let him know they were there for him, no matter what.

 

"We won't make you do so." Natasha said. "Go to the corner with your...brothers, if that's allowed?" She asked, as a door appeared. "Or go through there, I guess."

 

Peter-3 stood up shakily, walking towards the room, Peters 1 and 2 on either side of him, offering support, as he looked at the screen one last time, seeing Gwen's look of horror as she gazed at him, knowing the web wouldn't reach her in time, he bit back a sob and hurried. The other two Peters walked in behind, as the door closed. The rest of the room waited for a moment, hearing nothing, before the screen began to play again.

 

He reached the floor himself to find that Gwen had hit her head, and snapped her neck. Peter cradled her, calling her name, as she gave no reply, eyes closed that would never open again. He clutched her close and began to cry.

 

"Peter..." May whimpered, wishing she could do something, anything, to help him with the pain he must be feeling, the pain he felt at the time.

 

"Harry Osborn is a dead man, even if I have to figure out a way to travel between universes myself." Tony said. Most of the room looked like they agreed with him, whilst Wong,Wanda and Strange shook their heads.

 

"Yeah, we won't be doing any of that." Strange told Tony with a glare.

 

"I just wish there was something I could do to help Peter, all of them." Happy sighed.

 

"I'm sure they're helping each other." Natasha told him.

 

The scene changed to Gwen's funeral, and Peter watching it, still standing there after everyone else had left. The scene showed the changing seasons and Peter, still by her grave, visiting every day, deep in grief and mourning.

 

"This isn't healthy." Bruce shook his head.

 

"What else is he going to do? He's had his heart ripped out, and he has nothing there to replace it." MJ replied.

 

"He needs to talk to someone, anyone, about all of this." Bruce stated.

 

"I get the feeling he'll be getting that with the others." MJ returned.

 

At Ravencroft, it showed Harry still alive and recovering, speaking to a man about forming a group of villains to take down Spider-Man, with the Special Projects at Oscorp tech to be used to do so. He suggested starting with the man who had stolen the Plutonium that Peter had caught so long before. A mysterious man walked past tech that looked like Vulture's Wings and Doc Ock's tentacles before coming to a giant mechanical suit.

 

"He's been cured?!" Tony raged.

 

"And he's still plotting ways to hurt Peter, as if what he did wasn't enough." Betty growled.

 

"We have to go deal with him." Matt shook his head in disgust.

 

"No multiversal travel, even for this." Strange insisted. "I mean, I'll just portal a Stark missile onto him if you want?" Strange tried a joke, worried how many people nodded at the idea.

 

"Wait, aren't those Vultures wings?" Ned asked.

 

"And Otto's arms?" Abe wondered.

 

The news showed the escape of the criminal as Jorge, the child who Spider-Man had helped so long ago, watched it, the news said Spider-Man had been gone for five months and New York cried out for his return, as Peter also watched it in sadness.

 

"Five months? Oh Peter..." May covered her mouth with her hands.

 

"Harry truly broke him." Cindy cried.

 

May told Peter she was sorting Ben's stuff, that she couldn't get rid of it, Ben was a part of her, but she could hide it away, put it where it belonged, so she could move on. Peter then went upstairs and listened to Gwen's full speech from her Valedictorian speech, talking about how they had to be the hope of the world, to bring hope, even when all seemed lost, to be the good in the world, when the world seemed darkest.

 

"I get that, I was the same." May admitted. "I couldn't just get rid of their stuff, it would have felt like I was getting rid of them." May said. "But I could move it, so I could move on too."

 

"I like we're getting to see the rest of her speech." Ned said. "I think it's just what Peter needed to hear at the moment, he's a symbol of hope, no matter what he may think, what any of them may think, and they need to embody that."

 

In downtown, we see Rhino attacking the police as Jorge, dressed as Spider-Man, slipped under the cordon and challenged him, Rhino prepared to attack, mocking Jorge as he slipped his homemade mask over his head. People began to look up and talk as a voice thanked him for stepping up when he was gone. Turning, Jorge saw Spider-Man stood before him. He then told Jorge to run to his mother, as he dealt with Rhino.

 

"That poor kid, he's going to get hurt." Wanda's eyes widened, seeing Rhino threaten to attack the kid.

 

"Peter's back!" Betty, Flash, Abe and Cindy cheered as they saw Jorge turn to him,as Peter thanked him for stepping in.

 

"This Rhino guy doesn't stand a chance." Tony smirked.

 

Spider-Man then used a megaphone to ask Rhino to surrender, who said he would kill Spidey. Spidey then said he would be right with him and that there was no place like home, as he and Rhino charged each other, Spider-Man grabbing a manhole cover and swinging it towards Rhino as the screen cut to black.

 

"Well at least villains don't know when they're beat in any universe it seems." Clint tried to lighten the mood with a quip.

 

"Yeah. that's true." Scott said, thinking of San Francisco. "There is no place quite like fighting to protect your home."

 

"That looks badass." Kate blinked, seeing Peter-3 swinging a manhole cover.

 

"I hope the three of them are ok." MJ bit her lip, looking towards the room that the Peters had taken themselves into.

 

"They will be." Happy assured her.

Notes:

So, this is done. Next chapter will be the three Peters in a heart to heart, and then, NWH PART TWO!

Chapter 72: Peter Talk

Notes:

Yeah I noticed the last chapter had the Peters leave twice. That'll be staying for now. Really want to get through this and don't have the time or energy at the moment to change that and write a new chapter.

"Peter, are you ok?" Peter-2 asked as the two other Peter's entered behind Peter-3, seeing him at the far side of the room, curled up on the floor.

 

Peter-3 ignored them as the two approached him slowly, sitting down on the floor next to him, silently offering their support to their hurting brother.

 

"I thought I'd moved on from this, I thought I was doing better than this." Peter-3 said after a long moment.

 

"It's alright to grieve her still." Peter-2 told him with a sad smile. "You don't think I think of May and Mayday daily? You think I don't hate Chameleon for what he did?"

 

"I know I shouldn't ask, but what sort of name is Chameleon anyway?" Peter-1 questioned.

 

"He's a master of disguises, alot like Mysterio, except he doesn't use technology to achieve his deceptions." Peter-2 spat.

 

"I hope you made him suffer." Peter-3 spoke up, looking at Peter-2, seeing the rage in his eyes even as he gave his younger brother a soft smile.

 

"I really wish I had." Peter-2 said. "When I came in, found them on the floor, I knew what had happened. We had security footage in the house, I saw myself come in, and I knew it wasn't me. I knew who had done it. They didn't even suspect anything, right until the moment he pulled out a gun. I hunted him down, I found him on a pier, he knew I'd come for him. I beat him within an inch of his life, I knew one more hit and I'd end him...but I couldn't. All I could see was MJ telling me not too, I dropped him, called the police and never looked back at him. I just, I just spent the night after walking. I was found the next day over in Brooklyn. I'm not even sure even now how I got there."

 

"You did the right thing." Peter-1 spoke up quietly after a long pause. "You did what you had to do in the end, letting him live."

 

"Did I?" Peter-2 asked mirthfully. "Are you sure?"

 

"Yes." Peter-1 insisted. "You stopped me from making a mistake I'd never be able to come back from, and you stopped yourself. It takes a real bravery to do that, Peter. A bravery I'm not sure I have."

 

"You did." Peter-3 stated as well after a while. "Look, I won't deny, I was in a bad place, in some ways, I still am." Peter-3 admitted. "But you rose above all of that, you showed it can be possible to do better, to be better, to be something more than that darkness. It's a quality I'm not sure I have, even if Gwen thought I had it in me."

 

"You know I've met you, Peter, I know you have that ability to be more than you think you are, to be the man that Gwen knew you are, you just need a chance to see it in yourself and bring it out. I'm hoping that maybe that's what the Watcher is also hoping to achieve here, to bring you a chance to see the good in yourself." Peter-1 told his older alter.

 

"You really think so? That I can be better, move on from that darkness?" Peter-3 asked softly.

 

"You stopped me from descending into it." Peter-1 said firmly. "I know you can."

 

"I'll admit I struggled with it, I still do, every day." Peter-2 spoke. "I know we can all do it though, I've got hope, if nothing else." He trailed off. "Look, I didn't want to be the one to mention this, but it's clearly needed. Group hug?"

 

"Group hug." Peter-1 nodded.

 

Peter-3 gave a small smile in agreement as he felt his two brothers wrap their arms around him. After a long moment, Peter-1 broke off and looked back at the door towards the main group.

 

"We should probably look at getting back in there and finishing this." He let the words die in his throat, wondering what would happen if they got through all of this and caught everyone up. Would they have to go back?

 

"Yeah, we should. We'll catch you up in a moment, little Pete, can you give the two of us a moment?" Peter-2 asked before seeing Peter-1's face had dropped. "We'll talk again after all of this, no matter what this Watcher wants us to do, I promise."

 

Peter-1 nodded, giving his two alters a small smile before slipping away back into the other room, leaving the two older Peters alone.

 

"So, what did you want little Peter out of the room for?" Peter-3 asked, worried.

 

"I wanted us to talk, I wondered if I'd done anything wrong? At the start of all of this, we talked between us a fair bit, but now, we don't, I get its heavy for you, all of this, it has been for me too, I just wonder if I've said or done something in all of this to upset you?" Peter-2 questioned. Maybe he had upset Peter-3, if he had, he knew he had to fix it.

 

"No, not at all!" Peter-3 quickly tried to reassure his older alter, seeing the worried look in his eyes. "I've just been wrapped up in all of this, I've been thinking on all of this, getting worked up as I've worried about what will be shown, dealing with the thoughts about Gwen again. I thought I'd worked through all of this, especially after our multiversal vacation. I went to therapy, I got help, I've tried to be the symbol of hope that she knew I could be, but there's still that lingering doubt there, am I betraying her memory by trying to move on?"

 

"I get that." Peter-2 told him. "I ask myself every day, am I betraying MJ by seeking to move forward? Do I even deserve happiness? I'm a mess myself, I wake up hating myself for not being killed with them, and I go to sleep hating myself that I didn't kill Chameleon."

 

"You don't fail her at all, you did the thing that Spider-Man is meant to do, you stopped the bad guy without killing them." Peter-3 reassured him.

 

"Yeah, I know, but I still feel like I failed her, I always will do." Peter-2 quietly admitted.

 

"I can't say anything that will make you stop thinking like that, I mean, it's me you're talking with here, but I can honestly say, you never once failed her, Peter." Peter-3 reassured the older alter.

 

"Thanks, Pete." Peter-2 told him, eyes shining as Peter-3 wrapped his arms around him.

 

"Anytime." Peter-3 said before looking at Peter-2 for a moment, their eyes meeting, he leaned forward and grazed his lips against the older alter. For the longest moment, their lips pressed together, before Peter-2 stumbled backwards.

 

"Oh...I'm sorry, Peter, I didn't know you thought that about me...I..."

 

"No!" Peter-3 said, eyes shining as his cheeks flamed red. "I don't know what came over me. I know you don't like me like that, I don't like you like that, I don't know why I did that, I'm so sorry, can we just..."

 

"Forget all about it? I'd like that, I mean, I do love my brother, just not that way." Peter-2 gave him a sheepish grin. "Shall we get back to everyone else and finish this?"

 

"I'd like that." Peter-3 returned a smile, glad he hadn't made it too awkward between them, as they headed back to join the others.

 

 

Notes:

Next time (I've no idea when before anyone asks, probably a few months) NWH Part 2.

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of Who Is Peter Parker?