chapter two
002. the robot apocalypse

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    DAWSON WAS the worst combination of university lecturers. He spoke in a slow, droning voice with little change and little emotion, never left the podium and presented old slides from three years ago where he read every single word right off the presentation. Randy had fallen asleep in the first ten minutes, just as Grace had predicted▬and so she took notes fully prepared to give them over to him once the lecture finished. But even she was struggling, huffing to herself softly with her chin propped on the palm of her hand, waiting for Dawson to get to the next slide so she could continue writing.

    Over Dawson's slow pace, Grace decided to pull up the amateur article she was writing for Randy about the high rent prices for students and the rally he was preparing. She scrolled through her paragraphs, double-checking and doing some last-minute editing before she would post it later this afternoon before she'd have to leave college to head to her internship at the Daily Bugle. 

    She huffed again and glanced at Randy asleep beside her. Rolling her eyes, she kicked his shin and he woke up, almost leaping right out of his seat. The scuffle should have caught the attention of their lecturer, but he didn't even notice, so caught up in reading the words of the slide. Grace bit her lip, unable to stop herself from stifling some chuckles under her breath.

    Randy noticed, shaking his head. "He really is a robot..." he murmured, dubious.

    Once their lecture finished, and neither one of them really retained anything, the two friends stepped out into the hallway over the journalism building, slowly making their way back outside. 

    Randy sighed and threw his bag over his shoulder again. "And people wonder why journalism is a dying college degree▬because they hire teachers like Dawson."

    Grace slipped her hands into her pockets, glancing up at him. "Well, I hear the warranty on robots is expired after twenty years."

    She grinned when her friend snorted a laugh, throwing an arm over her shoulder and tugging her into a side hug. Afterwards, they walked down the short staircase as they stepped out into the sunlight. The E.S.U. Campus wrapped around them, and they moved through the student traffic, heading back towards the centre before they would have to split up and go to their next classes. 

    "We'll make it, though," Grace said suddenly, determined. "We'll make it as real investigative journalists▬and we'll be out there, finding out New York's dirty secrets and revealing them to the world. Together."

    Randy smiled at that. "Yeah," he nodded, and she gave him a small, encouraging smile. "And nothing's gonna stop us▬because we have each other's backs."

    "And because of your dad," she added and Randy made a face. "Nepo baby."

    "Uh▬no," he said, defensive, and she chuckled. "My dad may be an editor at the Daily Bugle, but if anything, that means he's gonna work me even harder."

    Robbie Robertson was perhaps the reason Grace Avery had her internship, and she couldn't be more grateful for Randy's father. He was like the comforting, slightly embarrassing uncle Grace never had growing up▬always there checking up on her and making sure she wasn't drowning in school work and whatever someone threw at her when she was at the Bugle. He believed in her and was always there to ensure she received opportunities as long as she worked hard for it. That was what she appreciated the most. Even though he had her back, Robbie Robertson wasn't going to give her special treatment▬he was showing her the real world of journalism, and that was what was going to get her where she wanted, not someone holding her hand and taking her to the top for her. 

    "If he works you hard, I'll work hard with you," offered Grace. "We'll be a team. You can be the Robin to my Batman."

    Randy scoffed again. "Girl▬you are Robin. I am Batman."

    She just stopped walking, tilting her head up at her friend and raising a dubious brow. He pursed his lips and sighed, taking back his words with a huff of defeat. "Yeah, you're definitely Batman. But you're Watson."

    "I can't be Watson if I'm Batman," reasoned Grace Avery. "If I'm Batman, I'm automatically Sherlock."

    "Just let me have this one, please," whined Randy and she giggled, shoving him lightly before the two friends continued to walk down the pathway. They passed the social sciences buildings and history and law library. 

    Once they reached the campus centre, both of them stopped once again. Randy faced Grace. "What have you got for the rest of the day, again?"

    And just like that, she was reminded. Avery slumped and let out a long, dramatic sigh. "Ugh, I have my biology lab."

    "Remind me again why you chose biology as an elective when you have no scientific brain whatsoever?"

    Grace smacked Randy, and he let out a small squeal. "Oh, wow, thanks. And you know why▬I have to pick random electives to make up the units of my degree, and all the criminology classes I want to do aren't available until next semester, so I'm stuck with biology. And I couldn't do another literature class. So, it was either that or economics."

    Her friend hissed a wince, his face scrunching up in distaste. "Fair enough. Did you go to the lectures?"

    "Nope," grinned Grace as she started walking towards the biology buildings. "And I haven't watched them either."

    Randy saluted her as she went. "You're screwed."

    "Okay, well, how hard could it be?" she shrugged, walking backwards. "I'll be fine. I'm good at everything I put my mind to. Besides▬" Grace held up her phone. "Google."

    She waved goodbye to Randy before spinning on her heels, jogging a little to push through the crowd and come out on the other end, beginning the track towards the other end of campus. 

    Randy was right. Grace Avery wasn't a science type of person. She barely passed biology in high school and failed chemistry and physics▬look, how was she supposed to understand how Captain America's shield worked?! It betrayed the laws of physics! But if she wanted to get the credits she needed for this semester, she had to do two electives on the list she was provided. She was already doing an additional literature class, and that had maxed the number of level one units she could do in her minor for her first year▬so she couldn't do that class. She was never going to step foot in an economics class if she could help it, and so, out of the classes that were entry-level and running this semester, she was left with biology. 

    And since Grace didn't fail biology, she thought that perhaps she'd be able to figure her way through to the end of the semester. If she set her mind to something, she was able to do it▬she was sure of it. But she had to admit, she wasn't to a great start. 

    She followed the map on her phone to get to her biology lab. The biology building was situated adjacent to the chemistry building▬a very impressive-looking building with tall glass windows, interesting green hexagonal architecture features along the outside and a bridge connecting it to its sister chemistry labs. Seeing it made Grace bitter, though, because it reminded her where the funding at her college was focused. Here she was trying to find her way through the maze of new infrastructure, polished tiles and newly built rooms with high-tech, expensive-looking equipment after just leaving her musty lecture hall that hadn't been updated since the 1980s with a lecturer who couldn't care less▬and with no new academics in the field being hired to replace him. 

    The inside of the building was an absolute maze▬nothing made sense. She was sure that the numbers were going backwards, and then suddenly switched to forwards. She went upstairs and the numbers at the front of the numbers were different. She'd go back downstairs and she was nowhere close to the number she should be at. 

    Grace was getting frustrated. At this point, she was going to be late to her first lab▬and she was never late. To anything. 

    She glanced down at the number she had written down on her hand, growing frustrated pretty quickly. She decided to backtrack▬maybe she had missed some twist or turn. Grace Avery whipped around the corner to the next hallway in a rush▬

    Grace suddenly collided with a body so hard she dropped her phone and bag. She let out a gasp of surprise, feeling a jab of pain against her forehead, where she had knocked it against the person's nose. "Hey!" she let out, not able to hold back her frustration. "Watch where you're going."

    The stranger had been ready to blurt into a flustered set of apologies until the girl snapped that at him. He faltered. "What? Me? Watch where I'm going?"

    Grace huffed and crouched down to gather her things, not looking at the guy she had barged into▬or had barged into her. "Yeah," she grumbled, checking that her phone and laptop were okay. "You came flying around the corner without even looking."

    "Me?" he let out again, incredulous. "Y▬You were the one that came flying around the corner and barged into me."

    She stood up and finally looked at the guy, startled and annoyed that she wasn't getting an apology. Grace scoffed softly. "You're kidding, right?" 

    The guy looked her age. Taller than her but shorter than most guys▬maybe standing at about five foot seven. He was cute, she supposed▬in a dorky way with honey-brown curls and hazel eyes wrapped in a blue flannel over a shirt with some science pun she couldn't be bothered to try and decipher. He held a textbook in his arms and had a backpack slung over his shoulders. Maybe he was more than cute, he was definitely good-looking with his sharp jaw and nose, and maybe she might've tried to talk to him if he hadn't just walked right into her. 

    He frowned at her, very confused. He stammered slightly, as if not sure how to react or what to say. He scoffed, too▬much more quiet and much more reserved than Grace was. But her attitude brought a sudden tick to his jaw. "You ran into me."

    "No," said Grace stubbornly. "You ran into me. If you're coming towards a corner, then you should be the one looking out for someone coming around the corner."

    He made a face. "That's▬that doesn't make sense. I mean, technically we're both coming towards the corner▬"

    "Oh, so you think you're smarter than me?"

    "What?"

    "I'll have you know," Grace was on a tangent▬she was frustrated, late to class and intimidated, and more importantly, she was prideful and stubborn. Even if she was in the wrong, she wasn't prepared to just go ahead and admit it. "I might not be a science major, but that doesn't make me any less smart than anyone else here."

    "I'm not even▬" The stranger held up a hand in surrender, a little flustered. "Look, I▬I'm sorry," he decided to say, even though he knew he wasn't at fault here. "I'm running late for class, I didn't see you."

    Grace huffed and pulled her tote bag over her shoulder again. She sent him a sweet, sarcastic smile. "See? Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

    She brushed past him, determined to find her way to her class before she was even later.

     Bewildered, the boy slowly turned on his heels and watched her march away, not exactly sure what even happened. He watched her glance at the next door and huff to herself, annoyed. Awkwardly, he called out. "You▬uh▬need help finding your class?"

    Stubborn and prideful, Grace shot him a look over her shoulder. "I am not lost."

    "You kind of look lost▬"

    "No, I don't▬" she replied indignantly.

    "You sure?" he tilted his head, shrugging with a slight apprehension about him. "What room are you looking for?"

    Grace set her jaw, not wanting to admit to needing help▬she was never one to ask for help, regardless. But, in the end, she pursed her lips and awkwardly spun back around, her shoes squeaking on the tiles. "Lab G47."

    He stood up a little straighter when she said that, and the look on his face▬it was if he wasn't sure whether to be amused or exasperated. With a subtle cheekiness about him that Grace almost didn't see underneath the shy hesitation he wore on the surface, the boy pointed his thumb back over his shoulder. "G47 is that way."

    She pursed her lips, feeling a little embarrassed. She wouldn't admit that. Grace straightened her shoulders. "I knew that."

    She started a purposeful walk back the way she came, but as she passed the boy once again, he blurted out. "I▬I'm heading that way, actually. I'm in the same lab."

    Grace glanced over her shoulder back at him and couldn't help but murmur an exasperated. "Of course, you are."

    He frowned at her and shuffled along to catch up, awkwardly walking beside her as the two of them rushed to get to their lab. "Well, just so you know, I'm not exactly pleased by the idea of you being in my class, either."

    "Well, aren't you charming," she said sarcastically. 

    "I wasn't trying to be," he muttered as he reached the entrance to the lab. 

    Grace sent him a sarcastic smile before stepping inside the lab. Her confidence wavered when she noticed a full class already prepped and ready at each of the stations in their lab coats▬and they were all looking at them as they entered.

    She took a deep breath and clung to the strap of her bag. The professor glanced away from his laptop to look at them and stood up straighter. He pushed his square glasses up his hooked nose. "Oh, hello," he said.

    "Sorry I'm late," said Grace, sounding very awkward. "I▬uh▬was caught up in another lecture," she lied quickly. 

    "It's all right," the professor glanced at his laptop. "Uh ... Miss...?"

    "Avery," she muttered quickly, walking over to him. "Grace Avery."

    The boy that she had run into in the hallway rushed over, too, clutching his biology textbook. "Uh▬yeah, and I'm▬uh▬Peter, sir. Parker. Peter Parker."

    Their professor read the names on his laptop screen for a quick few seconds before sitting up straighter. "Ah▬well, that works out perfectly. You two are lab partners. Find a spare workstation, we'll be working through the first lab worksheet."

    Grace Avery stared at her professor, unable to believe what he just said. Slowly, she turned to the boy beside her, who subtly closed his eyes, his head falling as he muttered a soft curse to himself. Peter Parker pushed it down and managed a little awkward smile, but she had seen his reaction as clear as day. 

    She sighed softly to herself and pushed past Peter Parker without another word, leading the way to the last empty workstation at the back of the lab with him following a few steps behind. 

    Grace set down her bag and turned up her nose at the cell dishes already laid out in front of her. She slipped on her lab coat and pulled out her laptop. She didn't say a word to Peter who awkwardly threw on his lab coat as well, sitting down beside her. 

    "All right," sighed their professor and stood up, stepping away from his laptop and facing the entire class. He tugged at his labcoat sleeves, offering them a little smile that crinkled at the corner of his eyes. He was lanky with little muscle to him, with a high hairline and short brown hair. "Now that everyone is here let's get started. In case some of you were unable to come to the lectures, my name is Dr. Farley Stillwell. I'm a professor in the School of Chemistry and Biology, and if anyone is interested, I do most of my research in molecular biology and genetics, with a particular interest in scorpions," he chuckled, holding up his hands. "A very specific niche, I know, but isn't that the case for all of us?" There were a few awkward chuckles like the students were simply laughing just to make their professor feel better. Grace made a subtle face. "Would any of you perhaps have an idea on why scorpions would be a key interest for both geneticists and molecular biologists alike?"

    Someone held up their hand, and Dr. Stillwell nodded at them. The student lowered his hand and stood up straighter. "Antivenom?" he suggested.

    Dr. Stillwell considered his answer. "Perhaps. Scorpion venom is very tailored and highly selected between species▬out of nearly two thousand species, you'd be surprised to know that less than fifty of them have a poison able to kill humans." Grace made a face to herself once again. Only? Knowing that there were at least thirty species of scorpions that could kill her wasn't exactly comforting. "But I'm looking for something a bit more innovative for scientists. Anyone else?"

    Beside Grace, Peter Parker raised a shy hand amongst the many others who were eager to speak. 

    Recognising one of his late students was willing to speak, Dr. Stillwell gestured to Peter. He pursed his lips and cleared his throat, pushing his voice to be a bit louder, "Scorpions have a lowered metabolism." At the look on their professor's face, Grace could tell this was the answer he was looking for. Peter awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. "Some species require less oxygen to live and only might eat one insect a year. If you were to somehow mutate that gene and transfer it to another host, like humans, for example, I mean..." he shrugged, smiling nervously, "... on the extreme, you could theoretically help astronauts spend longer intervals in space, travel greater distances..."

    "Or create a Scorpion-Man," muttered Grace under her breath and Peter sent her a short look, not amused by her comment. 

    But despite her comment, Dr. Stillwell seemed very impressed. He tilted his head, a little smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Mr. Parker, isn't it?"

    Peter nodded, flushing a little at the cheeks. "Yes, sir. I▬uh▬" he shrugged again, "▬read your article."

    Grace pursed her lips, not even sure why she found his response annoying▬she just did. 

    A few more random questions and discussions, and things about safety Grace didn't particularly pay attention to▬something about not being able to eat or drink inside the lab, and she'd have to go outside to even just take a sip of water, or whatever▬she turned back to the workstation and bit the inside of her cheek, trying to make sense of what she had to do. 

    She pursed her lips, glancing down at her worksheet on her laptop screen, and then back at the cell dishes in front of her. Avery awkwardly poked one of them, her nose turning up in her disgust. 

    Beside her, Peter Parker was already scribbling on his worksheet he had printed out, bringing the microscope closer to him. "Can you pass me the first one, please?"

    Realising he was talking to her, Grace stood up straighter. "Uh▬" she cleared her throat and glanced out at the cell dishes in front of them. She frowned, trying to figure out which one was which. She looked at the name in the first question and hovered over them all with her fingers. "Right. The first one ... the ... first ... one ..." she murmured under her breath, her words slow as she tried to think. 

    Peter Parker glanced at her, confused. He watched her with what she could feel as the burn of incredulous judgment. "It's labelled▬"

    "I can see that," Grace cut him off, holding up her hands in a short breath of frustration. 

    When she was still struggling, her annoying lab partner frowned. "Do you need help▬?"

    "I'm fine," she stressed.

    "▬You sure▬?"

    "▬Yes, I am sure▬" she glanced at him, flustered.

    "▬It's on the worksheet▬?"

    "▬I know what I am looking for▬"

    "▬Okay, okay," Peter Parker held up his own hands in surrender, his voice going a little high-pitched at her tone. He awkwardly pointed out the right petri dish. "It's that one by the way▬"

    Grace quickly reached out to grab it just as he spoke before he could finish his sentence. "Yeah," she cut him off, too stubborn to admit she was feeling a little clueless right now, "I was just about to grab it, so..." she set it down in front of him, a little curt. 

    "Thanks," muttered Peter, hiding a subtle roll of his eyes which matched her own that neither noticed. "I guess..."

    (This was going to be a long laboratory session). 

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    THE DAY AFTER Peter Parker had been bitten by that radioactive spider, he felt like he was stepping in through the doors of Midtown High School an entirely new person. He had never felt better in his life. Somehow he had grown taller overnight, he no longer needed his glasses that made his eyes look ridiculously big and he had muscles? He had gotten ripped overnight! How great was that? It was every skinny, nerdy Freshman's dream!

    He walked through the doors more confident than he'd ever felt. Not even Flash Thompson calling out, "Hey, Penis Parker!" the moment he saw him outside the front steps of Midtown High could dampen Peter's mood. 

    He could see so clearly▬it was crazy. His vision had suddenly become twenty-twenty, even better, like he was seeing the world in high definition. He was a walking burst of energy▬every step he took, Peter felt like he could suddenly run a mile or leap a world-record high jump. Whatever that spider bite had done to him, it was the best thing he could have ever asked for. 

    Peter searched the hallways for his best friend, eager to see him. He wasn't sure what to tell him▬heck, he wasn't sure whether he should tell him, or if he would even believe him. Peter could always trust Ned Leeds to be there for him, for sure, but there was something outside of the excitement he felt▬almost like an itch he couldn't quite get rid of▬telling him he had to stay quiet about the spider, and whatever it had done to him. Could he now join a sports team? Be a sports hero? Could he do that now?

    For some reason, he had expected people to do double takes when they saw him walk past▬people who he had sat next to in class or who had asked him for his homework but never chose to remember his name. Peter Parker had always been so easily forgotten. And right now, not even his sudden glow-up was enough to turn heads. He was a little disappointed. 

    He reached his locker without some extraordinary entrance like in the movies and sighed, scrambling the combination and opening it up to shove his books inside, realising today was going to end up just like every other day. 

    Except there was always one person who would never forget him, no matter what. She found him in the hallway first▬searching for him the moment she arrived. 

    "Pete! Hey!"

    Her voice was suddenly so loud in his ears, that Peter jumped and dropped his biology book before he could get it into his locker. He frowned, massaging his ear and wondering why her voice was so loud as if it had echoed over the intercom. Peter continued to frown, very confused as he crouched down to pick up his book, but someone was already there to help him.

    Nina Hart smiled, chuckling a little with gentle amusement at Peter's reaction. "Hey," she said sweetly, and Peter's breath hitched in his throat▬like it always did. "What's got you so jumpy, Tiger?" she teased as she stood up with his book. Peter followed her, his heart skipping a few beats. 

    "N▬Nothing," said Peter quickly. "Just▬still waking up."

    She grinned, chuckling again. Nina Hart passed him his book, and Peter was mesmerised by her smile. She looked beautiful this morning▬she always looked beautiful. Peter would easily say she was the prettiest girl in school with her sun-kissed blonde hair, soft round cheeks and a happy smile. Whatever room she was in, Nina Hart always brightened it▬she was a beacon people were drawn to; with her kindness, genuine charisma and sweet heart. She was beautiful, inside and out. 

    And somehow, along the line, after years of being childhood friends, Nina also for some reason decided Peter Parker was worthy enough to be her boyfriend. 

    She had liked him without his strength, a few inches shorter and with those stupid glasses that made his eyes look ridiculously large. She liked Peter Parker for who he's always been▬unforgettable, and vowed to always remember every small part about him ever since they were little kids. 

    He realised he hadn't taken his book back and quickly did so, chuckling nervously. "Uh▬thanks."

    Nina tilted her head at him, immediately realising there was something different about him. "Since when did you get contacts?" her lips quirked into a curious smile as she reached out to brush his hair that hung low over his eyes out of his face. 

    "Uh▬" Peter stammered, not sure what to tell her. He swallowed and suddenly was left with a lie on the tip of his tongue. "They're new. Aunt May picked them up yesterday."

    "Well," she lowered her hand, satisfied with his answer. "I'm happy to see you▬I was worried when you went home sick from the science trip yesterday. You never replied to my text?"

    "Yeah, sorry, Ni," he put his biology book into his locker and closed it before turning to face her. "I fell asleep as soon as I got home. Must've just been a random stomach bug or something."

    "It's okay," Nina stepped closer to him and he smiled, wondering how in the world he got so lucky. "But if you're still feeling a little off, I can always come after school and keep you company? I'll bring snacks and hot chocolate, and we can have a Star Wars marathon."

    "I'm down for that even if I'm one hundred per cent better," said Peter and she chuckled, shaking her head at him. "You're amazing."

    She blushed, the pen she had been fiddling with in her other hand lifting to tap against her cheek. "Well, face it, Tiger," she teased him softly, "you've hit the jackpot."

    (He really had).

    Nina tilted her head up at him again, her smile faltering a little and some of the concern returning to her gaze. "You sure you're all right?" she asked after a small moment, watching him intently. "There's just ... you seem different. I can't explain it."

    Peter shrugged, making an overly dramatic face of confusion. Then, he suddenly shifted to one of conspiracy and leaned in closer. Nina's breath hitched and she stiffened, eager to hear whatever secret he had to tell her. "I actually have superpowers."

    She smacked him lightly, shoving him back with a short scoff of laughter. He grinned, amused at her reaction. "Are you playing with me?"

    "Always," he smiled.

    Peter Parker's memories haunted him. 

    They followed him around▬a ghost he could never rid himself of. Remnants of a life he once had, and would give everything to have back, but knew he had lost forever. But the memories were the curse he had to face every day he was still living and breathing. Names and faces and laughter and smiles▬a time where Peter Parker wasn't alone. People that were now gone. People he had lost▬and there was no one else to blame except himself. 

    He was cursed to remember every single moment of the life he once had, while the people who had been the most important parts of it had forgotten every single trace of him. They continued on with their lives so easily with him missing▬like he had never truly been that important to their lives in the first place. He had always been so easily forgotten. 

    Even the girl who always saw him, even when he was invisible, eventually forgot. 

    Peter Parker sat on the edge of the highrise rooftop▬hidden behind the mask of Spider-Man and within the grey clouds of New York City. He gazed down into the streets below just under the shadows of the N.Y.U. campus. There was a little coffee shop on the corner of the campus block. There, like clockwork every morning, Nina Hart went to buy a hot chocolate and study under the small table umbrellas▬sometimes alone or sometimes with her friends. Every day, within the same hour, she showed up without fail with her bag full of her biology and chemistry textbooks, her notebook, her pencil case, her laptop and her iPad▬and she would sit there for two hours at the very least, going through her college work with a sense of calm about her Peter Parker had never seen▬at least, never while she knew he was Spider-Man.

    Now that her memory had been wiped, and she forgot who Peter Parker was, she was living the life she deserved▬the life she would have never gotten if she had stayed with him. In every universe, knowing Peter Parker got Nina Hart killed▬and this was the only way this Peter Parker could save her and keep the universe from falling apart; the ultimate sacrifice. 

    Spider-Man swallowed the heavy lump in his throat but couldn't look away as a pretty girl with sandy blonde hair, soft round cheeks and a beautiful smile laughed at something one of her friends said. He heard her laugh like it was the only sound left in the world. She sat out the front with two other girls, her laptop perched on the table and her hot chocolate next to it. Her fingers fiddled with the charm dangling from a chain around her neck▬a broken glass mug.

    Nina Hart was someone memorable▬a face so unforgettable and a smile so delightful that it brightened up the dull cold day of New York with a sudden breeze of summer. Kind-hearted, brilliant-minded, charming and sweet, with a dream to help others and the environment▬she was something so incredibly special, bright and unique in a world that could be so dark.

    Someday, she was going be someone no one would ever be able to forget. But she'll never remember him.

    He'll always remember her, though. Peter Parker would never forget the days they used to spend at each other's side▬facing the world together in both the high school halls and outside of them; the rooftops that had become their own special hideouts in a vast, scary world.

    Peter Parker saw Nina Hart laugh once again and felt his heart tug painfully▬wanting nothing more than to be sitting down there with her.

    But he couldn't. Not unless he wanted to put her in danger▬again.

    And he could never do that to her, no matter what felt▬no matter what he remembered.

    Spider-Man sat up straighter on the edge of the rooftops, taking a deep breath. 

    He had been sitting here for too long. He needed to get back out into the streets and patrol▬the police radio kept itching him to move in his ears. He was itching to move and to get out his frustration after his (incredibly) annoying biology lab from this morning, but Peter Parker was frozen in place as all of his memories with Nina flashed before him again and again like a horror movie he couldn't turn off. 

    Spider-Man waited until Nina Hart and her friends closed up their books, laptops and tablets▬placing them back in their bags▬and stood up to leave. He hovered until they disappeared back inside the campus grounds, and Spider-Man could be sure that Nina Hart was safe.

    It was a promise he'd always keep and never break▬no matter what. Peter Parker would always look out for Nina Hart, even if he couldn't be there for her in person▬he would be there for her as Spider-Man from a distance so that she'd never be in danger again. 

    He sighed and stood up, running his hand down the side of his face▬feeling the fabric of his mask. Spider-Man needed to get out there▬to distract himself. He needed to fight some new villain to fight▬some new lowlife criminal to stop from robbing a shop. Something to keep him moving, to keep his days busy and to stop him from thinking about all that he had lost. About all those who he had lost. 

    Spider-Man rolled back his shoulders and checked his webshooters, getting himself ready for a long afternoon and night. 

    But then the sky suddenly got brighter. Spider-Man flinched and hunched up, frowning upwards and placing his hand over his eyes to try and see. The flash was blinding▬but it was for a brief few seconds. After that, it was gone, and his shoulders slumped when he realised what had happened. 

    Left behind in the grey sky, illuminated with bright yellows and oranges, leaving a tail of smoke were the words written amongst the clouds: MEET AT THE USUAL PLACE! 

    Spider-Man huffed▬his plans had now changed. 

     With a sigh, he turned towards the harbour and ran to the edge of the building, leaping off and swooping low down the street. 

    Spider-Man picked up the pace, making a beeline for the silhouette of the Statue of Liberty in the distance. After his fight with five of the most dangerous Spider-Man supervillains in the multiverse (long story), the Statue of Liberty had been put under construction▬again▬for a year. Now, alongside her torch, there in the skyline was another symbol of hope and determination. Captain America's shield glinted in the slight sharp cut of sunlight through the crowds▬a beacon for the lost and the lonely. 

    He had never expected the place where he lost it all to become the place he would go to whenever he needed company and advice. It all started when Spider-Man broke into the Baxter Building▬which was now housed inside the old Avengers Tower in the centre of Manhattan. He had needed to use one of the old labs to better insulate his suit when Shocker decided to escape prison with new, updated gear and go on another robbery spree. It hadn't been his best idea, he would be honest. He had been found out and caught by the new, superhero inhabitants after their multiversal travels▬or, rather, by one of them. 

    Spider-Man landed on the Statue of Liberty's flame, folding back in his web wings. 

    "You don't have to set the sky on fire every time you want to talk to me, you know?" he muttered when he saw someone else drop down beside him. Their entire body which was erupting in flames sizzled to reveal a young man a few years older than Peter himself. He ruffled ash out of his blonde hair, a cheeky grin tugging at the corner of his lips. He patted out some leftover flames on the long-sleeved, full-blue body suit with a bold 5 circled at the centre of his chest: a symbol that was rapidly becoming famous▬or infamous, depending on who you spoke to. "I think it's actually bad for the environment. You could just send a text like a normal person. Did you even see the last text I sent you weeks ago?"

   Johnny Storm made a face, whistling lowly and clicking his tongue with dismay as he sat down beside Spider-Man. His legs swung over the edge. "I'm what TikTok calls the 'avoidant'," he gestured quotation marks with his fingers. "Aka▬I don't do texts. You're giving me 'anxious'," he made the gesture again, "every time we do text, and it's setting off my trauma reactions to withdraw from our relationship."

    Spider-Man rolled his eyes under his mask, wondering how he managed to befriend someone like Johnny Storm▬but a lot of things in his life had changed in twelve months. "At least you're self-aware," he muttered sarcastically. "Have you told your girlfriend about your new excuse for being emotionally unavailable?"

    The Human Torch's grin broadened with amusement, Peter's comments bouncing off him as nothing more than a joke. "She told me to shut up and gave me the washing."

    "And you did it?"

    "She's the only one who can get me to do the washing."

    "Because you're scared of her?"

    "Oh, definitely."

    Spider-Man managed to chuckle, he couldn't help it. Johnny Storm always seemed to find a way to make him laugh▬despite his many faults (and there were many), the Human Torch was a surprisingly very good friend. 

    "So," Spider-Man glanced at his friend. "Why did you want to meet here?"

    Johnny held up a hand. "Not so fast, not so fast, webhead▬" Peter's shoulders slumped with a small breath of exasperation. "Is business all I mean to you? That hurts." At Spider-Man's blank lens stare, the Human Torch sighed. "All right, fine. A little bird told me something I figured you'd want to know about your high-speed chase this morning."

    Spider-Man frowned, tilting his head. "What about it?" he asked, suddenly on edge. 

    Johnny stood up, starting to walk around in aimless circles on the top of the flame▬always restless and unable to sit still. "You ought to get yourself a friend in the police force," he suggested, not answering him right away. "It's like the number-one thing in the superhero handbook."

    "Well, surprisingly, the police and I always don't always get along."

    "You just haven't met the right fish in the precinct," grinned the Human Torch before facing him. "Anyway, usually Reed is just being paranoid, but this time, he actually had some sense in him▬I checked in with my buddy in the Thirteenth about your friends this morning and he told me that the truck was filled with stolen equipment and a container with at least forty vials of some unknown substance from OSCORP."

    OSCORP.

    A chill ran down Spider-Man's spine. The infamous company belonging to the equally infamous▬and dangerous▬Norman Osborn had suddenly appeared in New York earlier this year. Osborn had bought out multiple buildings in Manhattan and Hell's Kitchen for warehouses, laboratories and their main centre and laboratory in the centre of New York. Already it was competing against Stark Industries, and coming very close to overtaking as the number one new scientific research company. 

    Only Peter Parker knew how dangerous Norman Osborn was. He had dealt with another multiverse variant of the billionaire and underestimated the ruthlessness of the Green Goblin. He had thought Norman Osborn didn't exist in his own universe▬he was sure he was free from the manic laughter of the monster under his bed. Until OSCORP Industries started to show up on billboards, the side of buses and on the news. He had thought he had imagined his nightmares▬but it was real. His nightmare had shown up in his life once again, and even though Spider-Man kept an eye on OSCORP Industries at least twice a week, and Norman Osborn's whereabouts even more frequently ... there was no sign that Osborn was the same Osborn he had lost so much to last year. But he had underestimated him once, he would not again▬he wasn't going to make the same mistake he did last time. 

    But now that Johnny said that, his fear for a future he had seen crawled back up his chest and into his throat, making it suddenly harder to breathe. The Green Goblin took everything from him. His life, his future, Aunt May... and in every other universe, some version of him had taken away Nina Hart, too. Peter thought he had escaped that▬he thought he had saved her. And yet ... Norman Osborn has showed up anyway.

    That thought terrified him▬the thought that after all he had sacrified, Nina Hart was going to die anyway, and it had all been for nothing. 

    Spider-Man swallowed the lump in his throat. "A▬Anything about the guys who stole it?" he forced his voice to work. "Who they work for? They mentioned something about their boss."

    He had been thinking about the answer to his own question all day. There were many possible players in New York▬Hammerhead and Tombstone, and their ongoing battle for power in the streets being a few. But there was something that told Peter Parker that this was something different▬something bigger. 

    Johnny shook his head. "That's all I got, sorry man. Forensic teams are still trying to figure out what's in those vials▬Simpson says they have no clue, apparently."

    Peter frowned, troubled. What could OSCORP possibly be experimenting with? What have they created?▬that is the more troubling answer. And what did this mysterious criminal boss want with them?

    "What are you going to do?" the Human Torch crossed his arms as Spider-Man stood up again. "Want company?"

    Spider-Man shook his head immediately. "No," he said. He was done with working in teams. He was done with putting others in danger because of the mask he wore▬even superheroes. "I ... I work better on my own."

    Johnny pursed his lips. That joking facade dropped, and behind it was the gentle hesitation of a concerned friend▬of someone who cared very deeply about those who meant a lot to him; about anyone, really. "Hey, man ... I get it," he said carefully. "I used to think being the lone ranger was the way to go, too. But if there's one thing I've learned ... is that just because we have awesome powers, doesn't mean we're invincible▬sometimes even the strongest superheroes need a little help. Heck▬I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for my team."

    Spider-Man stopped at the edge of Lady Liberty's flame right before he could leave▬and he had a raw ache of deja vu deep in his chest, remembering the last second of his life as Peter Parker, saying goodbye to his friends at the edge of this island before they would forget him forever. 

    It was a painful reminder of what happened when Spider-Man let people get too close to him. 

    He glanced back at Johnny. "Thanks for letting me know. I'll see you around, Torch."

    Spider-Man then leapt off the edge and dived into the wind, activating his web wings and gliding through the wind gusts across the water back towards the city. 

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    a/n: hi guys, i'm still alive, i'm just a struggling uni student lol

    peter and grace met <3 

    also pls don't get angry at grace, she's very important to me because we share a lot of personality quirks. she's intimidated and prideful - she feels like the only person she's ever had, and is going to always have no matter who she is surrounded by is herself, and the only person who will get her where she wants to be is herself. she's hyper independent, and she's stubborn, and she's defensive - she can't always admit when she's wrong, yes, but every character has faults otherwise we wouldn't have character development.

    i love them. like i said, i'm not going to tell anyone who the love interest is, whether there is a love traingle, whether nina and peter, or grace and peter are endgame - or whether if grace and peter are a possible thing to begin with. because right now, that's not important, nor is that on the forefront of my mind. 

    right now, peter is not in the right head space for a love interest or romance. he's still distraught and in love with nina, definitely. but right now, what he needs is a friend. so yeah, everything is strictly platonic right now, and i just want you guys to read and follow along with the story - that way however it goes, i can feel confident that you guys have read everything to understand whatever ending i have and respect it :)

    any plot theories? i would love to hear what you guys are theorising as we move through this story haha. 

    (minimal editing)