chapter sixty-one
promises he can't keep, part two

MEANWHILE, in another universe, the skies of New York City hung over in dreary grey clouds on a dreary day, surrounding a dreary graveyard. The weather stopped many who may have come to visit their loved ones, but it didn't stop the lonesome young man that stood there in the shadow of the storm clouds. A lonely man in his dark jacket and a dark, sunken look in his eyes. He did not move. He did not stir. He stood at that grave every single day, and he stood there for a long time▬he stood there until he may as well join the ghosts, becoming one himself.

The ghost of the person he used to be.

He crouched down and placed a small bouquet of flowers in front of the grave of the ghost who haunted him daily. Every waking moment, every breath he took, every time he closed his eyes▬he saw her. Her smile, or her tears, or he heard her laughter or her voice; she heard him say his name as if she was still there, hovering in the corner of his room ... Like she never left.

Until he came to this grave and he remembered all that happened with a heart-shattering shock he could never be rid of.

The young man, Peter Parker, fixed the flowers for a second, a lump forming in his throat as he stared at the name of Nina Hart etched onto the gravestone▬a grave he dug.

He took a sharp breath through his nose and rubbed his eyes▬his tired, exhausted eyes, and sat down on the wet grass near Nina's grave. Peter Parker hung his head and rubbed his forehead, taking another shuddering breath as he tried not to cry. He pulled out his phone and he opened it up, staring at pictures he had taken two years ago, now. But they felt like yesterday. Her smile was alive in every photo, her eyes shining and her laughter ringing out in his ears ... and he heard her once again in the wind, calling out to him▬and he had been too late.

But these days, he was starting to forget the sound of her voice. Forget the feeling of her kisses and her hugs. He could never forget the sight of her smile or the way her eyes lit up in a picture ... but Peter Parker was starting to forget what it had been like to see them in real life.

And he felt as though he was losing her all over again. And no matter the number of times he sat here and tried to remember▬visited her grave and talked with her, asked her advice ... tried to think of her voice that would respond ... His memories were turning into imagination▬and he couldn't remember how to tell the difference between what had been real, and what hadn't been.

But the one thing he will never forget, that he wished he could▬was the sound of her hitting the ground.

He will live with that sound forever.

Peter Parker took another deep breath and looked up at her gravestone. He tried to speak with her, but his voice fell short. He furrowed his brows and chewed the inside of his cheek. At last, he managed: "I▬uh▬You wouldn't believe ... um ... You wouldn't believe what happened today, Nina. I stopped▬I stopped this wheel from destroying the city ..." Peter let out a painful chuckle. "You would have ... You would have found it funny, I think... You would have said what you always said: Are you playing with me..." Peter's voice cracked and he sighed out, his fingers pressing down on the bottom of his eyes and moving to pinch the bridge of his nose.

He took a long, deep breath and slumped it out, letting his hand fall and hoping the cool New York air would dry out his tears. Peter Parker cleared his throat. In the end, he shook his head and couldn't keep them in. A tear fell down his cheek and he looked back down at the photo of Nina, asleep and snuggled up beside him.

"It's my fault," Peter told Nina, knowing she wasn't listening. "I should have ... I should have saved you▬I should have used more webs, I should have wrapped them around ... God, I should have gotten you out of there when I had the chance..." Peter Parker's hands shook around his phone. "I ... I'm sorry, Nina. I'm so sorry."

Nina Hart was supposed to be Peter Parker's path. She was it for him▬she was always going to be his path ... He was supposed to follow her for the rest of their lives. Across the universe, he had promised, where you go, I go▬I love you.

Peter Parker should have learnt from his mistakes. He should have reminded himself that Spider-Man can't keep promises▬he can't protect the people he loved.

He wiped away his tears and frowned at the text notification he received. Peter wanted to curse▬the last thing he wanted was some crime or something to take him away from here. But he opened it up nonetheless and read the message.

Hey, Parker, look at this▬

They had sent a link to a video of Spider-Man fighting the 'Big Wheel' (affectionately named by the person who sent him the message)▬the fight Peter had been in just earlier today.

Hope you got some pictures for Jameson on this. I can write a killer article on it, too. Don't tell Robbie I was there, though, or I'm screwed. I was supposed to finish my art critique. (By the way, the guy that was in the wheel, his name is Jackson Wheele▬I shouldn't laugh, but ... this is gonna be a great article!)

Peter Parker felt his fingers clench around his phone as he read her message. He was expecting it▬He had known she had been there. He had only just directed the Big Wheel away from where she had been recording.

Avery▬that was her name. Grace Avery. Ambitious, stubborn, and determined▬she was an amateur reporter at the Daily Bugle desperately trying to get her big break in the field as an investigative journalist. And if anyone told her that it was a dying field, it only made her even more determined to prove everyone wrong. She was the bane of his Spider backside▬because she was also so determined to figure out his secret identity.

(Little did she know she was texting the 'bane of her career' right now).

Too many times has Peter Parker nearly lost his mind trying to make sure damned Avery was safe in every dangerous situation she put herself in. Too many times has Peter Parker wondered whether he was going to sit at her grave, too. Avery was a friend, and she was also a rival. She was Peter Parker's coworker and Spider-Man's frustration. But Peter Parker and Spider-Man were the same person. And every time ... things always became complicated. He didn't know whether he should tell her the truth. He didn't know how she'd react.

He knew what happened last time when he let someone get too close.

He failed to save Nina Hart.

And Avery ... Grace ... that was complicated.

Peter Parker gazed at Nina's name, the lump in his throat returning and he turned off his phone, feeling a guilt rise up in his chest to even open a message from Grace when he sat here.

Where you go, I go▬He had promised Nina. She was his path. She was always going to be his path.

Peter fiddled with Nina's flowers once again, lingering with a terrible pain in his chest.

He received another message from Avery.

Hey, I'm gonna need you to like reply super soon, Parker. If you got pictures I sorta need them now. Like right now.

Peter set his jaw and turned his phone off, stuffing it into his coat pocket. He took a deep breath and was determined to get Avery off his mind. Peter Parker, the Amazing Spider-Man, brushed his fingers across the top of Nina Hart's gravestone, some part of him wishing she could feel his touch beyond life and death.

His coat sleeve had brushed upwards at the movement, and Peter saw the hairs on his arm stick up on end. The feeling spread up his arms and to every part of his body, and his eyes widened. He looked upwards, trying to follow the feeling of his spider-sense as it picked up something▬giving him a warning.

Peter Parker spun around, his heart racing and his head ready to attack just before he saw it. And he couldn't stop it▬he couldn't do anything.

The wind picked up. His breathing quickened. He watched the New York skyline in front of him split in two right in front of his eyes; as if someone had dragged a knife right through it, like it was a painting, leaving a scar into an ocean of pink, purple and blue. He heard a distant shout and he frowned, his enhanced hearing helping him put the words together: "Basically, everyone that knew I was Spider-Man before should still know▬!"

Peter Parker frowned, bewildered. Spider-Man? He was Spider-Man ... there▬there was no other Spider-Man that he knew of?

(Right?).

And then the wind picked up. Peter Parker couldn't fight it. He let out a yell as he felt his feet be lifted right off the grass. He fiddled with his web shooters, twisting his body as he was dragged▬pulled▬through the scar. He yelled. He desperately tried to attach his web to something as the wind picked up▬

But he missed.

The Amazing Spider-Man yelled with a breath of terror as he tumbled into the vortex, and the world▬his home▬was shut off from his view.

Peter Parker was gone. No evidence that he had even been there in the first place except for the lonely bouquet of flowers in front of Nina Hart's grave.

*ೃ༄

THE DOOR was slammed right in Peter Parker's face.

Peter Parker stared at the rich blue doors of the Sanctum Sanctorum with pursed lips. He winced, filled with a fresh wave of utter embarrassment. Until he realised he couldn't waste any more time. He had to figure out how to talk to the people at M.I.T.▬how could he do that? Peter Parker thought very quickly off the top of his head. Of course, maybe he could have just searched them up and called the office, but drastic times called for drastic measures...

Spider-Man scrambled for his phone and quickly dialled the one person he never expected he'd ever need help from.

He held his phone to his ear, rushing down the front steps of the Sanctorum with his heart racing. "Come on, come on, come on," willed Peter Parker. "Pick up, pick up, pick up▬"

At last, the ringing cut off and Flash Thompson replied with a very flat: "Dude, what? I'm busy."

Peter rolled his eyes and resisted the urge to say something rude. "Flash, where's the M.I.T. mixer?" he asked, very rushed.

"Why?"

He clenched his eyes shut, trying to stay calm. "Because I need to come and talk to someone," he told Flash▬clipping his words in great detail in hopes that he would understand. "I'm trying to get Nina, Ned and MJ a second chance at getting in."

There was a pause on the other line. Then, Flash Thompson muttered. "What's in it for me?" Peter set his jaw and clenched his hand. He took a deep breath. Calm... "I'm risking a lot just talking to you."

Peter Parker took a sharp breath through his nose and tried to think. "Okay," he grumbled, reluctant, "I will ... um ..." he huffed out his breath and muttered, "... pick you up and swing you to school for one week?"

"For a month," replied Flash instantly.

Spider-Man rolled his eyes. "For a week."

"Two weeks."

"Flash, please!" Peter let out, growing angry. "Help me."

In a low and quick voice, Flash Thompson murmured: "You know what I want."

Peter gritted his teeth. He glanced around at the surprisingly empty street, feeling his blood boil▬he knew exactly what Flash wanted. Spider-Man threw his gaze up to the sky before closing them ... he swallowed his pride and relented: "Okay, I'll tell everyone you're my best friend."

At the quiet squeal on the other end, Peter knew Flash was celebrating and he hated him for it. "Flash!" he snapped, grabbing his attention. "Please, help me."

Flash cleared his throat. "Cool, cool. Cool." Peter rolled his eyes again. "So, there's this lady▬"

"▬Okay▬"

"▬She's the assistant vice chancellor. You can plead your case with her."

"Okay," nodded Peter, his limbs buzzing and his feet shuffling with already an urgent need to leap up onto the lampost and swing away. "Okay▬perfect. Where is she?"

"She left."

"To go where?!"

"To the airport...? Where else would she go▬?" Peter hung up on him, already making a wide swing around the side of the Sanctorum.

(Because first, he was going to need a change of clothes).

*ೃ༄

NINA WAS glad when her shift finally ended and she could swap over before she ended up in tears. She got those stupid Halloween directions down and cleaned up all the mess, and for a while, that kept her distracted▬but as her shift got to its end, Nina started to think about M.I.T. and N.Y.U. all over again, and now that Peter wasn't around, she started to feel that disappointment eat up her chest all over again.

She had ripped up those letters and she meant each and every shred. She would never go back and change anything she did▬any decision she made. She did not regret a single thing. And Nina wasn't prepared to say that they wouldn't find another way▬that there wasn't another avenue they could figure out that will get them where they wanted to go. But after a whole month of stressing and telling herself: the next one will be different ... there were no more letters to wait for.

That had been it.

And that anxiety, those dreams, that hope▬for a brief moment, she supposed it was all over. All that waiting, all those promises, all of those ambitions and determination to make it to her dream college straight out of school.

Nina thought of that envelope full of photos Peter gave her for her birthday and the little message written on the back; a promise for the life they were going to have in either Boston or here in New York ... and maybe one day Nina will get to put them up on a wall▬but right now, Boston, N.Y.U ... it all seemed very, very far away.

As she left work, taking her skateboard towards the store to pick up some milk, bread and eggs for her parents, Nina texted Peter▬hoping to get an answer as to where he went so suddenly. But she hasn't heard back from him yet.

Nina slipped her coat on as she pushed her skateboard to go, hugging herself for a moment in the chill November air. There was a grocer not far from here. She would grab the things she needed and then make her way straight for the subway▬hopefully when she got home, her mom would have finished work, and Nina could cry about not being accepted to her.

As she pulled her skateboard to a stop, kicking it up and holding it under her arm outside the grocer, Nina noticed some cameras across the road. She sighed and looked away, not in the mood.

Nina slipped inside the grocer and made her way through the aisles, giving the cashier a little awkward smile when they immediately noticed who she was. She grabbed a basket and grabbed what she needed, chucking in some gum and other random things she felt like paying for that she might not even eat in the next week▬and some more hot chocolate. She stacked up on hot chocolate to an unhealthy amount.

She brushed past a tall guy that was near the fridge. "Excuse me, sorry▬"

He didn't recognise her, which made her feel better, and she stepped around him to reach in and grab the milk. He glanced over, almost confused by the thought of someone stepping around him. He held an energy drink in his hand. Out of the corner of her eye, Nina saw a man who could have been around his early twenties with a narrow face, dark brown hair and hidden in a warm coat. Nina sent him another awkward smile as she tried to step back around him. She supposed he finally noticed who she was now because he did not stop staring.

"Sorry," she muttered, gesturing around him. "I just▬I need to get to the counter▬"

"Oh!" the young man let out, stumbling backwards. "Sorry, I'll just▬" he hit the fridge door and cursed. He spun around when a couple of milk bottles started to fall. "Oh, no▬" he scrambled to catch them all before they fell. "Oh, wait, wait▬nope▬"

Nina made a slight face, rather impressed at how easily he caught each and every one of them▬balancing them. She tilted her head at him. There was something that struck her familiar. Which was strange. Nina shrugged it off and chuckled. "Nice reflexes," she told him.

The stranger stared at her, at a loss for words. "I▬uh▬" he stumbled again and hurried to keep the multiple milk bottles in his arms. "Y▬Yeah, I▬uh▬Yeah. Yeah. Reflexes..."

Nina smiled at him again before nodding and moving on. She paid for her things and took the bag, trying to figure out a way to keep herself balanced on her skateboard with the eggs and milk. She supposed she couldn't crash▬at all▬the entire way to the subway. Those eggs were expensive.

When she stepped out into the street again, pushing her skateboard onwards and letting herself skid along the pavement for a moment, Nina noticed the cameras again. She watched them across the street for a moment. Some waved at her and called out her name. Nina pursed her lips and focused on what was ahead of her, avoiding people that were walking her way.

But the shouting and calls did not stop. They began to follow her. Nina frowned, incredulous and glanced over her shoulder. Her eyes widened to see the paparazzi closer. They were on the same sidewalk, now, and were tagging along behind her, trying to get a picture of her on the street▬despite it being a busy day in the middle of Queens.

Nina tried her best to ignore them, hoping that if she didn't give them the time of day, they'd get bored of her and leave. But her plan didn't work the moment some group of people tried to stop her. They were walking her way and as soon as they saw it was her, the group▬instead of their faces lighting up, they turned up their noses.

"That's Spider-Man's girlfriend," one of them muttered to her friend, and they both looked at Nina disdainfully. "You know, the menace that murdered Mysterio?"

"Why would some girl like her date a murderer?"

Nina got distracted and her skateboard hit the upturned pavement she always knew to avoid, but today, she didn't see it. She gasped as she was flung forward, and she had a crazy flash of deja vu to the night she had tripped her skateboard on the same spot, and Spider-Man▬who she didn't know was Peter at the time▬webbed her up before she'd hit the pavement.

Peter wasn't around this time, and Nina struck the pavement. Her bags went sliding across the pavement and people gasped when the eggs cracked, spilling out. A few grumbled, annoyed and stepped around her. Others laughed and chuckled, moving on. But a few had taken their phones out▬a few had already recorded the entire thing. And the group of paparazzi...

Nina winced, holding her hand up at the bright flashes and loud questions. She hugged her legs towards her, in pain from where she hit the concrete▬she was barely able to comprehend what had happened before she was swarmed.

But just as the next camera flashed, the shot they received was not of Nina at all. It was of▬

"Oh, my God▬!" someone ran straight into the first camera, and just like that, his entire arm's worth of milk bottles crashed to the ground. Nina stared, bewildered as they hit the ground and spilt all over the pavement. "Oh, no▬Oh, I am so sorry▬" the stranger she had met in the store stumbled back into the group of cameramen as they and a few onlookers rushed away from the pooling milk on the sidewalk. As he did, he threw his arms up and they crashed into the camera lenses▬there was a ruckus as cameras were knocked upwards and hit a few noses. "Oh, no! I just▬I just ran right into you, I'm so sorry▬" he stepped onto the next cameraman's shoe and he cried out. "I did not mean to▬that was▬"

Nina couldn't help but scoff a grin of disbelief, watching this stranger muddle the entire group in a mess of spilt milk, broken cameras (and broken noses). The energy drink he had had in the store then suddenly burst in his hands. Nina's eyes widened, surprised▬it was as if he had the strength to crumple it like he was squeezing air. The energy drink spurt upwards like water from a fountain and got all over the next guy's jacket. "Oh, my god▬I just got my drink all over your jacket and camera▬I am so sorry▬!"

All of the attention drifted off Nina on the ground and onto the stranger at the cameramen. They started laughing and pointing, taking photos and videos amongst the annoyed shouts and desperate attempts to get away from this single person who caused an absolute catastrophe.

"My bad, I▬" he held his hands up and stepped away, watching the group of paparazzi give up and leave, shouting curses at him and threats that he'd pay for the equipment he just broke. "I am so sorry!"

Nina was amazed as▬just like that▬the crowd that had been around her was gone. Moving on about their days once the cameramen were gone, they no longer found Nina's trip at all interesting. Instead, she just became another random annoyance on the average New York day.

The stranger turned back to Nina once they were gone and stepped over the pool of milk without another thought. She stared up at him, frozen in surprise over all that had just happened. He hovered over her before crouching down, and the look on the stranger's face made it seem as though Nina was a ghost that left him trembling with shock; a shock that she even existed.

She stared at him for a long time, and he stared back at her. Nina frowned, her brows knitting together as she took in his rounded nose, his messy brown hair that hung over thick brows, some stubble and that look in his eyes▬it made her heart in her chest twist with recognition, even though she was sure she had never met him before today.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, sounding breathless.

Nina nodded. She looked down at her knees and pulled up her hands, checking her palms▬they were scraped, but she was going to live. "Yeah," she chuckled, pushing away the strange feeling she had. "I'm okay. Thanks for that, by the way▬that was so cool."

"N▬No problem," he still checked her over, as if wanting to make sure she was really okay.

She tilted her head, starting to get a little incredulous at the way he kept staring at her. "Um..." Nina grabbed her skateboard and stood up. In a jagged delay, the stranger leapt up onto his feet straight after. Then she noticed her bags and winced when she saw the egg yoke all over the pavement. "Oh, no... The eggs."

"The eggs?" the stranger blinked, confused. Then he glanced down, too. "Oh, no▬the eggs!" He set that stare back onto Nina. "I▬I am so sorry."

Nina shook her head, waving it off. His apology sounded so deep and weighted over this, so she was quick to reassure him. "It's okay. Don't be sorry. They're just eggs. I can buy more▬"

"No," the stranger cut her off and she tried not to be weirded out. "No, I wasn't there for you▬" his voice seemed to break, "▬when you needed me..."

She noticed he wasn't stopping and so she just nodded, leaning back slightly at the way he held out his hands▬as if begging for her forgiveness.

"I should have acted faster and▬"

"▬No, it's fine, honestly like▬"

"▬I know I could have done better," pleaded the stranger in a desperate voice and Nina glanced around her, hoping no one was recording this, too. "If▬If I had another chance ... if I could turn back time to make sure I saved▬"

The stranger started to realise. He stopped suddenly, noticing the incredulous stare she was trying her very best to hide. He pursed his lips and finished with a sad sigh: "▬Your eggs before they ... fell... They should give you all the eggs in the whole store. You deserve all ..." he stopped again and slumped.

Nina frowned. "Are ... are you okay?"

He blinked. He stood up straight and the miserable look he had held before disappeared. He cleared his throat. "Uh▬Yeah," he nodded at her. "Yeah. I'm fine."

Nina nodded slowly, not quite believing him. "Well, thank you ...?" she prompted him for his name.

He jolted and blurted out. "Oh! My name is Pe▬" he backtracked and quickly switched over, "▬Ben. Yeah, yeah, my name's Ben. Uh ... Ben Reilly...?" The stranger, Ben Reilly, seemed to wince at his own name.

She smiled awkwardly. "Okay, Ben Reilly," she couldn't help but tease slightly. "Thanks, again, for the save." Nina then gestured behind her. "But I▬I should really go or I'm gonna miss my train, so..."

Ben Reilly quickly nodded. "Yeah. Yeah! Yeah. Uh▬It was nice to meet you, uh...?"

"Nina," she smiled, curious as to why he didn't know her name. There was something strange about this Ben Reilly▬something that made her curious. But she supposed she also felt relieved to be able to introduce herself to someone as nobody else, but as herself▬as who she was, truly. "Nina Hart."

That sad smile returned to Ben Reilly's face. "It's nice to meet you, Nina Hart."

Nina's smile brightened for a moment, and it reached her eyes before she turned on her heel and started walking away. Though she couldn't help but glance back and see Ben Reilly watching her, still▬and that strange feeling returned.

*ೃ༄

PETER FOLLOWED Flash's intel to the Alexander Hamilton Bridge to chase down this assistant vice chancellor. The Iron Spider suit was Spider-Man's most impressive-looking suit (Peter thought so), and so he donned it in hopes it would give him and his friends some additional browny points. But it was also great to cover long distances without using his webs. Even though its GPS, A.I. and other gadgets were useless since Damage Control locked down onto Peter and Stark Technology, its web wings helped him gather extra speed between buildings and when diving down to make it to the bridge in time.

Soon, the bridge was in his sights. It was jammed with traffic▬as it usually was this time of day. The exit to JFK Airport was just as jammed; barely moving at all as cars tried to merge into the right lane to leave out. Some stupid driver had gotten themselves stuck outside the lane and was waiting to sneak back in to leave the bridge. There was roadwork on the bridge which was causing every single delay in the world possible.

Peter landed down on top of the strip of street signs above the heavy traffic, taking a breath. Underneath his suit, he had rushed on another suit▬he hadn't ironed it at all ... but he was short on time.

He glanced down at the group of cars, and his facial recognition▬like everything else▬failed. Peter grumbled, annoyed. He couldn't use the picture Flash sent him from here. Stark technology was no longer going to help Spider-Man at all. If he wanted facial recognition and everything else, he was going to have to figure out how to craft it himself.

His senses piqued and he glanced overhead, seeing the chopper before he heard it. Peter scowled behind his mask, noticing The Daily Bugle lettering on the side of it. He sighed and stood up, waving sarcastically at it. "Hi▬" he grumbled. "Yeah, I can see you!"

Not giving it another glance, Spider-Man dropped down onto the bridge. As soon as he landed, his suit dematerialised around him, and he walked through the sea of cars in search of the woman in the picture Flash sent him. He tried to flatten out his suit as much as possible and fixed his tie around his neck. It had gotten even more wrinkled on the way over.

Peter Parker ducked his head, checking each and every window as he rushed through the aisles of cars heading towards the exit. So distracted, he didn't even notice the dog until it barked right in his ear. He yelped, "▬Oh, my God▬!" and stumbled away, holding his hand to his chest.

He skidded to a stop near a car where he thought he saw her, only to be mistaken by a mother and her children in the backseat. Her youngest, a little boy no older than six glanced up and when he saw Spider-Man outside the window, he waved his hand.

Peter managed to stop and wave back at him, smiling. "Hey▬" he said and the boy's sister gasped, her eyes widening with delight. Mom! Peter saw her call out, grinning. Mom, look▬!

Spider-Man rushed onwards, ducking to and fro in the search for the assistant vice chancellor. He narrowed his eyes, hoping his enhanced senses would pinpoint where she was. He scanned each and every car, until finally, he found a sleek black car in the right lane. In the back seat, he noticed a woman sit up in her seat, and when she glanced around, Peter Parker recognised her hair and red suit▬it was the woman in the picture.

He took a deep breath and flattened his suit once again. Then he rushed over, walking around cars until he made it to her passenger window.

She was on the phone. But slowly and surely, she noticed the shadow and glanced up. Peter Parker put on his best smile and waved.

The assistant vice chancellor of M.I.T. sighed, but she ended her phone call and slowly pressed the button to lower her window. Not impressed, she said: "Yeah?"

He blurted out without even another breath: "Hi. I'm Peter Parker▬"

She frowned at his crinkled suit. "You do know you're in the street, right?"

"Y▬Yeah, I'm sorry▬" Peter Parker fiddled with his fingers, very nervous under her dubious frown. "I just▬I really needed to talk to you and I know you're on your way to the airport." She hummed, urgent. Peter pursed his lips and took a short breath, trying to keep this short and sweet. "Okay▬uh▬Look, Nina Hart, MJ Watson and Ned Leeds are three of the smartest people I've ever met in my entire life and I'm the dumbest person because I let them help me, but if I didn't let them help me then millions of people would've died so please don't▬don't let M.I.T. be dumb like me."

He took a long breath, a little bit winded after all he had said.

She wasn't impressed. Her brows shot up and she said, annoyed: "M.I.T. is dumb?"

Peter's eyes widened. "No!" he rushed out. "No, I▬I'm saying don't let M.I.T. be dumb." She arched her brow. Peter cursed under his breath, growing flustered. "I▬I mean, like the .. the ..." He glanced up, trying to think off the top of his head (and this wasn't going well...) "... dumber version of me that wouldn't have let them help."

The assistant vice chancellor sighed. She brushed some of her blow-wave, dark brown hair out of her eyes. "You didn't rehearse that, did you, Peter?"

He winced. He took a breath and tried to explain. "Basically, what I'm trying to▬"

Peter Parker frowned. His eyes locked upwards as he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. A chill ran down his spine and his stomach twisted▬he started to hear the sound of horns blaring so loud they pounded in his ears. There were shouts down the road▬shouts of distress. No one would have heard from here, but he did ... and he heard something else ... the scrape of something metal on slabs of concrete.

Spider-Man glanced over, searching for the source of the sound. His spider-sense was on high alert▬crazy high; so high that his heart raced and his feet launched off the ground without a second thought. He landed on the top of the car and tried to stare down into the distance▬lines and lines of cars ... and yet, nothing.

But the troubling feeling did not leave him. It only got worse. Spider-Man held his breath and started to see blurs in the distance. They sprinted towards him▬people leaving their cars and fleeing in absolute terror. "W▬what▬?" He watched a few people race past him. "Why are you running▬?!"

Smoke billowed in the corner of his eye. He jumped backwards, hearing the split in the concrete like it was splitting inside of him. He didn't need his enhanced senses to hear the screams now. His eyes widened when smoke billowed once again and a few cars tilted dangerously forward; Spider-Man tensed to see the cars fall right through the bridge and down onto the train tracks below.

Thud. The bridge shook. More smoke billowed. Cars closer to Peter Parker were swallowed by the gaping cracks in the bridge.

Thud!

People screamed and fled their cars moments before they fell through; fissures splintered across the road. Roadwork signs topped over. Spider-Man saw the wheels of cars tremble.

THUD!

Spider-Man crouched down, his suit materialising back over him. He had no idea what was coming for them, but he could hear its pounding steps. Thud. Thud! THUD▬! As it stepped closer and closer.

"Oh, my God▬" He quickly knocked on the roof of the car beneath him. "Uh▬Ma'am? Ma'am, you should get out of the car▬" he flung his arm out. "EVERYBODY GET OFF THE BRIDGE!"

Thankfully, they listened to him. People abandoned their cars, throwing their doors open and picking up their children▬they all ran for their lives as the entire Alexander Hamilton Bridge shuddered at the thunderous steps of the unseen monster. Peter heard the scrapes of metal against stone louder this time; like something was clawing its way towards him.

The driver of the car below him stumbled out of his seat and left his passenger without a second thought. Peter thought the assistant vice chancellor would follow, but she struggled inside. She pushed at the door, and she gasped. "HEY!" her voice echoed from inside. "The door's locked▬HEY!" but the driver was long gone.

The thing was getting closer with each car it swallowed through the cracks of the bridge▬it dragged them beneath and as it neared, Peter started to see how. Spider-Man's chest tightened in fear when twisting, sharp metal arms dug up through the concrete. Glinting talons dug into the bottom of cars and pulled them towards it, like a lurking sea creature snatching its prey. Cars exploded. The bridge shook and quaked.

And finally, from the depths, the thing emerged.

And it wasn't a thing at all.

Spider-Man stared, horrified at the sight of a man being lifted out of the destruction by four, winding metal arms. His long trench coat drifted around his feet in the wind and the explosive fires he caused glinted, malicious, in the reflection of his dark glasses.

He towered over the cars, chuckling amongst the screams and chaos. The strange, villainous man with the steel arms of an octopus set his devilish gaze behind those glasses onto Spider-Man and he grinned.

"Hello, Peter."

*ೃ༄

a/n: a few things.

1. andrew's peter's age is different in this book than he is in nwh movie. they sorta worked around the ages of the actors as to how old each peter parker is. now, that works for tobey's peter in my story, but for andrew's peter and his development in this fic it didn't. so, he's younger which makes nina's death still fresh in his mind.

it's been two years since nina died in his universe which makes him around 21 because nina died at 19. (a year older than the nina in this universe).

2. ben reilly is a reference, not me including him in this book. peter comes up with the name as a little reference, but ben reilly is a completely different character/clone (it's complicated). but ben is for his uncle and then reilly is may's maiden name so peter chose those off the top of his head lol.

3. i'm still adding different scenes to add to the story and to add to my plot. aka the scene at the start of this chapter which brings us to Grace Avery. she's a new oc of mine that i've added because i love the second love trope and andrew's peter deserved happiness and closure after nina's death. so does tobey's peter (but i won't speak much on him because we learn more about what happened to nina in his universe later and how his life his going these days).

but you'll learn more about avery later. you won't meet her (or will you 😉?), but like how in the comics, mary jane is sort of like a second love after gwen stacy, grace avery sort of represents that for peter 3. there is this beautiful scene where mj consoles Peter in the comics. like she could just leave after how he snapped at her, but she hesitates, then closes the door and sits with him and *sobs*.

that's sorta all i can say without giving away too many spoilers.

(i'll try and make some memes for next chapter xx love you all).