chapter seventy
second chances

     THE UPPER New York Bay lit up in gold as the electrical storm festering in the clouds grew to the amount which sent Peter Parker's hair sharp on edge. He glanced upwards, as did his two variants as a voice boomed across the water.

    "What's up, Peter?"

    Electro's voice trembled with a static vibration, and it caused it to dart across the sky like the fork lightning dashing down dangerously close. Peter gasped when one stuck the edge of Lady Liberty's crown a few points down from where he was. 

    And there Electro appeared. Materialising from the yellow haze left behind, the supervillian had turned into a being of lightning from the power of the arc reactor secured onto his chest. Spider-Man's eyes widened, his breath hitching with a slither of fear at the way the energy circled and pointed at Electro's head, creating his own crown▬as if he had turned into a walking star. 

   He grinned at the way Spider-Man's lenses widened. Electro chuckled. "How you like the new-new?"

    Spider-Man tilted his head and his lenses narrowed at the star mask on Electro's face. "I think I wore that when I played a star for my kindergarten nursery rhyme concert. Hey, Max, did you take my costume? You know that's stealing, right? I feel like there should be some royalties, but, I mean▬" he gestured at himself, "▬I'm no expert▬"

     Electro growled, annoyed at his words. "Doesn't matter what universe, you still talk too much. Look," he held out his hands, hovering above Spider-Man, his lightning giving him six points▬like a star (Peter has so many jokes right now...), "you give the box to me, I'm gonna destroy it." He chuckled. "But I'll let you live. Don't make me a murderer, Peter."

     "Before you kill me, can you sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star? Actually, maybe not. I feel like that's a fate worse than death▬" Spider-Man said before running to the tip of the Lady Liberty's crown. He leapt off and somersaulted into a dive down the side of the statue. 

      Peter had not only tinkered with the villains serums, but he had also made time to fix the tech in his suit as best as he could. He grinned to himself when the comm lines of Peter Two and Peter Three automatically connected as his lenses narrowed down onto the area below him. "Okay, guys, here he comes," announced Peter One as he broke his fall, attatching a web to the side of the scaffold and swinging around with a speed that split the air. Lightning splintered inches behind him. Electro jumped across his lightning strikes, riding the energy wherever he wished▬he disappeared and reappeared, darting around as he followed. 

     Spider-Man swung past the lower levels of scaffolding where his two variants waited. They both tugged on their masks and took off at a sprint in opposite directions. As Peter One zipped around the corner, the Amazing Spider-Man took his place.

     "Hey, Max!" he called out, leaping right into Electro's path. The supervillian staggered in confusion when he recognised the voice and glanced over. His eyes widened. "I missed you, man!"

    Anger buzzed and the pure energy bouncing off Electro reflected that. He growled and clenched his hands. "Spider-Man!" he seethed with vengeful menace and flung out his hands. 

    "Whoa▬!" sparks showered as lightning ricocheted off the metal of the scaffold, missing the Amazing Spider-Man by seconds as he yanked himself upwards. 

   With Electro distracted, the first Spider-Man flung himself back the way he came▬he swung a full circle around the statue and twisted his body upwards to where orange light sparked in a narrow circle. As Peter neared the circle, he shouted: "All right, Felicia, heads up!"

     He threw the artefact towards the portal, and just at that moment, a figure in a snug cat suit jumped into the night▬the only way to see her was the platnuim blonde ponytail that shone in the distant lightning, revealing the pointed feline eye-mask of the infamous Black Cat. 

    "Got it!"

    The glinting claws of her suit latched onto the corner of the artefact. The Black Cat flung her free hand back towards the portal and the minature grappling hook she added to her suit tonight clawed its way under the edge of a lab desk. She was pulled backwards into the Midtown High School chemistry lab before Electro could even notice and she landed with the gracefullness of a gymnist.

     Michelle Jones watched the whole interaction with a little flushed look about her, struck with awe. Then, in a whisper, she murmured down at her girlfriend as she stood up: "That was so hot." She tugged her close and kissed Felicia quickly. The Black Cat blinked, startled when MJ pulled away▬and even she was left speechless and blushing. 

     Nina was the first to get them all to focus again. She elbowed Ned out of his awestruck daze. "Ned! Quick▬close the portal!"

     Ned jumped and let out a soft exclaim: "Oh▬oh▬!" and then spun back to the portal entrance. He threw out his hands, pointing his fingers in the same way he had watched Dr. Strange. His brow furrowed in his concentration. The rest of them all waited for the portal to spin close. 

    Nothing happened. 

    A confused pause passed between them.

    Ned tried again. He spun his arm and his eyes widened with a breath of distress when the portal did not close. "Uh ..."

     MJ hunched up and glanced at their friend when the chemistry lab wall was still open to the battlefield at the Statue of Liberty. Lightning shattered across the skyline. "Ned, it's not closing."

    "Yeah, I know!" he said, moving his arm in a desperate windwheel. His breath quickened when the portal only seemed to get larger. "Oh, no, no, no▬"

     "Why isn't it closing?" Nina shuffled on her feet anxiously. She clutching Spider-Plush close for moral support. Her heart started to race. 

     "I▬I don't know!"

    "Did you close it before?" Felicia spun to him as well and soon Ned hunched up under three critical stares.

    "I▬I mean, I've opened some▬"

    "▬I thought you closed those ones before▬"

    "▬They sort of closed on their own▬"

     "▬Well, we sort of need this one to close!" Nina held her Spider-Plush tighter. "Like▬right now▬"

    "▬Don't pressure me, Nina, I'm sensitive!"

     "Okay, okay, okay," MJ held her hands up, and they all fell silent. "Ned, just ... take a deep breath and we'll try it again. You got this."

     Ned nodded. He took a deep breath. "Yeah, yeah," he shuffled on his feet with fresh determination. "I got this..." he held out his hands again, and then he slouched. "I don't got this."

    "Ned!"

    Meanwhile, lightning dashed past the Lady Liberty's crown as Electro exploded into view in front of the Amazing Spider-Man. He landed on the top of the crown, catching his breath after dodging lightning strikes across metal▬which wasn't exactly the best place to be chased by Electro. "Max, Max, Max▬" he held up his hands to the supervillian hovering in front of him. "Can we just talk for a second? Just you and me▬just talk?"

     Max grinned as he floated a little higher above the Amazing Spider-Man. "Look who showed up," he chuckled and it sounded as if it was echoing through surround speakers with reverb. "My old friend Spider-Man!"

     "I'm just trying to save you, Max," said Peter Three, hoping Max would hear the genuine tone to his voice. "That's all I've ever wanted."

    "You're not trying to save me!" snapped Electro.

    "I am!"

     "You ain't even the shit no more!"

     The Amazing Spider-Man sighed, his head slumping▬even he didn't know what to say to that. 

     "Don't worry about me," said Electro. "I'll save myself." 

      A loud humming buzzed through the Amazing Spider-Man's suit, vibrating up his legs and arms to his ears and giving him a pounding headache as he watched Electro's entire body charge up in a blinding electric light. This was gonna hurt... "BURN UP▬!"

     "Argh▬!" the Amazing Spider-Man jumped backwards and watched the place where he had just been burst into flames a slightning struck it▬and struck it hard. He watched and cried out, frantically flapping his leg as the flames leapt onto the bottom of his foot. His spider-sense lit up like Times Sqaure at New Years Eve and he twisted his body last minute, darting through the gaps in the scaffolding. "Well! I got his attention▬" He swung low to douse his foot in the bay water. "Now what?"

    Across the levels of scaffolding, Peter Two attatched a web to Lady Liberty's arm and swung underneath, picking up speed. "Okay, great▬Hey!" his words were cut off when he felt something latch onto his leg; a mass of weight that suddenly tugged him off balance and he grunted in surprise. He pulled himself up to stop him from breaking his swing, glancing down and felt an uneasiness settle in his stomach to see the vicious, sharp teeth of the Lizard. "O▬Oh, hey, there!"

     The Lizard's tongue slid across his scaly lips before he hissed with fury▬his other hand flung up and Spider-Man quickly kicked the talons away. "Uh... Just FYI, lizard guy's here, too!" He kicked him harder and let go of his web, free falling towards the bright yellow crane. His hand grabbed the bars and the Lizard was knocked free from his legs, screeching as it tumbled a few feet dowards before clawing a grip onto the crane neck. 

     He heard no reply from his variants. "Uh... Guys?" he tapped his earpiece through his mask like they did in the movies. Spider-Man crawled up the length of the crane in a hurry. "Guys? Comm check? Hello?" 

    The Lizard's tail curled as he readied to pounce. Spider-Man chuckled awkwardlly. "H▬Hey, Dr. Connors. You know, in my universe, I was your favourite student▬Whoa!"

    He dodged Connors's pounce and swung underneath the crane, leaping up and landing higher along the neck. 

    Peter One landed on one of the scaffold hallways, watching Peter Two narrowly dodging strikes from the Lizard on the crane nearby. Peter Three dashed past with a strangled yell as he tried not to get electrocuted. 

    "I need Max's cure!" he shouted as he did, his voice passing by with slight delay almost like he was a low flying jet. 

    "Yeah, I'm on it!" 

    Before he could jump up to the next level, Peter Two's voice echoed in his comms. "Peter, I need the Lizard cure!" he was currently scaling the crane like he was playing on monkey bars. 

    Peter One took a few deep breaths, feeling pulled in two different directions. "Okay, okay▬" he took off running, only for his lenses to widen. His spider-sense crawled up his spine, but he was too late. He yelled in alarm when a large, grainy hand materialised from the thin air, carried by the wind until it solidified and snatched him away. The scaffolding shattered and soon, Peter Parker was suspended in the air, trapped in the grip of the Sandman, and despite being made out of thousands of grainy particles, his grip was tremendously strong and solid. 

     Spider-Man glanced back and watched a giagantic face morph into existence from the tornado of sand tunneling up from the island. "Where's the box, Peter?" boomed the Sandman. 

     Peter One took a shaky breath. He had sand ... everywhere and it was uncomfortable. "Flint, we could help everyone!" he tried to reason.

     "I don't care!"

     Lightning darted overhead. Peter One glanced upwards and saw the Amazing Spider-Man dash, leaping up and over the crane where Peter Two still battled against the ferocious lizard. Peter One gritted his teeth and twisted his body, trying to get out Sandman's grasp. He struck a webline to the centre of the crane, hoping to tug it to pull himself out▬

     Peter Three appeared out of nowhere and yelled out in surprise when he hit the webline with enough strength to snap it. He spiralled downwards. 

      He aimed blindly to stop himself from hitting the ground. He heard a yelp when the webs hit Peter Two right in the face. His yelp turned into a yell as the Lizard chucked him across the scaffold. "Sorry!" called out Peter Three and let go. He pulled him out of his fall last minute, desperately webbing a scaffold pole and slingshoting himself back up into the air. 

     Peter Two tugged the webbing off his face. "Urgh▬Gross!"

    He heard the loud scrape of the Lizard's talons clawing up the scaffold and he gasped, quickly scrambling higher up to put space between him and those sharp claws. 

    A distant thud told him Peter Three landed on the scaffolding as well, glancing up at Electro who chuckled, enjoying this very much▬as if he was the cat chasing his favourite mouse. "Sad to tell you, Sandman," his voice was carried with the thunder, "nobody's going home."

    Electro blasted a line of electricity straight for the Amazing Spider-Man. Even though he leapt away, the lightning exploded the crane off its support, and Peter Two desperately held on as the entire neck of the machine tilted dangerously towards the island below, snapping in two. He coughed when the crane smashed right to the Sandman's arm and Peter One's yell was muffled by the wind as he fell. 

    Peter Two gasped and pushed himself to a sprint, racing across the length of the crane as it fell. His heart was pounding, his spider-sense pulsing with the pace of his heart, filling him with adrenaline that made him feel ten years younger. He leapt off just as the Lizard reached. The creature's talons tore his suit at his leg, but the Spider-Man was free of his grasp. He aimed for the scaffolding and pulled himself back into the construction, twisting through the crossed bars and landing on the hallway platforms. 

     He glanced back and watched the Lizard fall with the crane, trapped at the foot of the Statue of Liberty with a vicious screech. 

     With an explosion of white and yellow, the Amazing Spider-Man crashed through the scaffold and landed nearby, his suit smoking. He groaned and Electro disappeared into the storm. Peter Three turned on his side, muttering, "Ugh▬there goes my organs."

     Sand billowed away from the very end of the platform. Peter One gasped as he tugged his mask off his face, coughing. His eyes widened, still a little dazed from his fall as the world around the Statue of Liberty turned into a full on sand storm, filled with thunder and bright yellow lightning▬they were surrounded. But perhaps it was in their favour. The Sandman was furious with Electro, and the Lizard was fighting his own battle; all three of them had different aims with the artefact that battled with the others. Right now, Flint Marco was swarming Max Dillon, and he left the three Spider-Men alone. Peter One groaned and couldn't help but wheeze, his hand clutching his side where his ribs burnt with pain. Cuts on his brow and jaw stung from the sand. One was starting to swell above his eye. He was still bruised and battered from his fight with the Green Goblin. Peter didn't know how he was still standing. 

     But he had to get back up. He had to. 

     For Aunt May. 

     For New York. 

     His ears were ringing, but he heard Peter Three as he rushed over to him. "What the hell is going on out there?" Peter One suddenly felt hands grip under his arms and he yelped out many painful 'ow's!' as the Amazing Spider-Man pulled him up onto his feet without even glancing at him, focused on the older Peter Parker who followed. "I keep yelling at you, Peter Two! Peter Two▬!"

    "But I thought you were Peter Two▬?" 

    "▬What? I'm not Peter Two▬" the Amazing Spider-Man frowned, bewildered.

    "▬Stop, stop arguing, both of you! Listen to Peter One!" Spider-Man forced himself to stand steady, even though he felt light-headed▬his entire body was screaming with pain, but he pushed on. "Look, we're clearly not very good at this."

    "I know, I know!" sighed the Amazing Spider-Man loudly over the sandstorm. "We suck! I▬I▬I don't know how to work as a team."

    "Me neither," admitted the older Spider-Man.

    "Well, I do," said Peter One. "I have been in a team, okay? I don't wanna brag, but I will. I was in the Avengers."

    "The Avengers?" grinned Peter Two, looking very proud.

    "Yeah!"

    "That's great!" There was a hint of sarcasm. 

    "Thank you."

    "What is that?!"

     Peter One blinked, startled. He frowned at his two variants and only just noticed their confusion. "Wait ... You don't have the Avengers?"

    "Is that a band?" asked Peter Three, full of delightful intrigue. "Are you in a band?" His eyes widened as he looked at Peter One with a sense of wonderment. 

     Peter One's frown deepened with incredulement. "What? No, no, I'm not in a band. Dude, the Avengers. The Avengers is the Earth's mightiest▬"

    "How is this helping?!"

    He jumped at Peter Two's frustrated exclaim. "I▬uh▬It's not important!" he quickly said. "Look, all we gotta do is focus, trust your tingle, and coordinate our attacks, okay?"

    "Yes," Peter Two took a deep breath, calming himself down. "Okay. Let's pick one target."

    "Right!"

    "We take them off the board one at a time," added Peter Three.

    Peter One nodded. "Yes! Now you got it. Okay! Peter One▬" he pointed at himself. "Peter Two▬" he moved his finger towards his older variant who sighed and nodded. The finger darted towards the third in their group, "▬Peter Three? Okay? Remember." They both nodded. "All right. Let's do this. Ready?"

     But before they could go, Peter Three cried out: "Wait, wait, wait▬!" 

    He turned them back towards him and took a breath. He smiled. "I love you guys."

    There was a long pause. The other two Peter Parker's had no idea what to say. They shared a glance before in the same, awkward tone, they muttered: "T▬Thank you."

    Peter One offered him a little smile. He then took a deep breath. The Spider-Man of this universe glanced up at the shield held by the Statue of Liberty. He remembered the day he stole Captain America's shield on that airport in Berlin. He never got the chance to truly know why Steve Rogers chose to do what he did, but there was some part of Spider-Man right now that wondered if Captain America would be proud of him not giving up. 

     "All right," he said, forcing all of the courage left in him to give him the ability to get through this. "Let's do this."

     He tugged down his mask, and the other two Spider-Men followed suit. Peter Parker led the way down the platform, his feet pounding on the surface▬he pushed himself into a sprint, his heart racing to the same beat of his feet, thundering in his ears. 

    When his feet were on the edge, he leapt off, and the cheer that erupted through his throat matched the other two Spider-Men behind him▬other two hims. Two Peter Parker's who knew what it was like▬this life; who knew the importance of the mask they were and shouldered the responsibility. Who have faced loss, and that loss has pushed them to continue fighting▬fighting for others who couldn't fight for themselves.

    He pressed the trigger on his web-shooters and the air split; parting through the lightning and sand as he arched himself back upwards into the night sky. He tunneled forwards and twisted his body, following the momentum around the side of the statue with his team behind him▬they were more than just a team. They helped him when he was alone▬they fought for him, too. 

     Spider-Man attatched two webs and flung his team forward, and they both cheered as they soared towards the skyline at his side. New York blinked a million lights in the distance. Brooklyn and Queens was behind them. These people were all counting on them. The little guys. 

     The three Spider-Men landed on the Lady Liberty's crown, ready to end this once and for all. 

     Spider-Man narrowed his eyes at the sandstorm which slowly drew itself together, rising to form the giant of the Sandman, rumbling a growl that shook the entire island. On either side, the clouds burst with lightning as Electro revealed himself, and amongst the shadows of the scaffolding, the Lizard and crawled his way back to the light. 

     He leapt out of his crouch, leading the fight as he flew across the island, heading straight for the Sandman. Peter Three jetted forward beneath, landing a kick across the Lizard's jaw. Peter Two somersaulted towards the static cloud that was Electro. 

     Just as he was about to land into Sandman's nose, Peter One twisted and dived down past his chin and down into the depths of the construction. He free fell past the copper dress of the Lady Liberty, his lenses narrowed onto the path he had to take. "Okay, Spider-Mans▬" he swung out of the dive in an explosion of lighting, missing Electro's strike and web-zipping through the scaffold before tugging himself around on the otherside. "Sandman's first!"

    He wrapped his hands around a scaffold pole and caught himself, watching Electro shoot out of the hallway and hover in front of him. "Hey, Twinkle Star, how's it going?" Spider-Man swung his body upwards to the next scaffold bar, dodging Electro's furious aim. "Whoops! You missed. Maybe next time, yeah?"

    "I'm gonna lead him inside the statue," Peter Two's voice was frazzled slightly with the wind of a sandstorm following him, but Peter Three understood his plan. 

    "I'll meet you at the top▬" Peter One saw him swing kick the Lizard as he manouvered through the narrow scaffold platform hallways. The Amazing Spider-Man couldn't help but laugh slightly as he slipped underneath the Lizard's arm as he tried to punch and slid across the platform, snatching the Sandman's cure from its hiding spot and jumping up to the underside of the platform above. 

     The Lizard leapt up and they both went crashing to the platform. He let out a grunt as his head his the metal. "Argh!" The Amazing Spider-Man struggled to push the creature off. "Hey, Dr. Connors."

     The Lizard sneered, his tongue slithering out and Peter Three groaned in slight disgust. "Hello, Peter."

     He heard lightning crack. Swinging towards them was Peter One, dodging static and yellow lightning blasts with graceful swings and somersaults▬all the while managing to taunt Electro to using more and more power, which would definitely tire him down. The Amazing Spider-Man was a little proud. 

    "Peter One!" he shouted and chucked the cure into the night. 

     This universe's Spider-Man's lenses locked on the object and swung a wide arc towards it. His hand reached out and he caught it as he turned around the outside corner of the construction. "I got it▬!"

     Electro suddenly appeared in front of him and he cried out when he was hit with a lightning strike right to the chest. The Sandman's cure flew the opposite direction back towards the scaffolding, landing a few levels of platforms below the Amazing Spider-Man. "I don't got it!" shouted Peter One, his voice getting more and more distant as he fell. "Dammit!" 

     Even with his insides burning and his tech fluctuating despite his insulation, Spider-Man spun his body so he looked upwards. The world tunnelled around him as he fell. He gritted his teeth and forced his arms up. He pressed his third and forth fingers against the trigger of his webshooters and watched as ziplines of tight, strong, fabricated webbing shot upwards back towards the top of the statue.

    "Guys, I'm at the top!" came Peter Two's voice▬it echoed in the small corregated iron room inside the Lady Liberty's head. He sounded a little breathless. "I need the cure! Like ... right now. It's getting a little hard to breathe in here▬Argh, Flint, stop▬!"

     The two webs attatched to the side of the scaffolding and Peter One clenched his jaw, managing to press his feet on the side of Lady Liberty. He pulled against the webs as far as he dared▬and then let go. He cheered as he was propelled upwards at high speed. "YEAH! That's what I'm talking about!" He flipped backwards and thwipped a web down towards the statue. "I'm coming, Peter Two. I'm coming, I'm coming▬"

      On the other side of the statue, the Amazing Spider-Man managed to free himself from the grasps of the Lizard and found the serum. He had done the same thing, leaping high up in the air just as Peter One soared over the top of the Lady Liberty's crown. He flung out his arms and laughed with delight to still feel his web wings working. He glided towards the Amazing Spider-Man as he threw the cure over the statue's head, lit up in Electro's storm. 

     "THOSE ARE SO COOL▬!" shouted the Amazing Spider-Man before he swung past. Peter One collapsed his wings and reached for the cure. He caught it midair and flicked the switch, watching as the light inside started to glow a bright gold. Before it was too late, he chucked it through the windows of Lady Liberty's crown where Peter Two was waiting. 

     Out from the mound of sand, a hand flung upwards, catching the cure. Peter One shielded his eyes and swung away as the Lady Liberty's crown lit up in a spinning wheel of golden light. A miniature molecular accelerator created by Stark's fabricator▬and if it worked, would bond with Sandman's DNA and reverse the effects the first particle accelerator had done in his universe. 

     Peter One held his breath as the spinning light died down. He caught himself before he'd hit the ground and zipped to land on a platform, listening to his comms, bated with anticipation. 

     Inside the Lady Liberty's crown, Peter Two tugged his mask off to finally breath as the sand around him dispersed. He leaned against the metal and glanced over. His eyes widened and he felt something in his chest lift▬a weight he's held since Nina's death, and he could breathe a bit better as he watched the sand fall away from the body of Flint Marco. Flint.

     A man with his own hands again, with green eyes that widened with brief terror until he realised what was happening. He stumbled as he watched sand fall away from him, running down his legs and revealing a body he thought he'd never get back again. Behind the sand had been a father▬a man misunderstood. A man whom Peter Parker had made amends with for Uncle Ben. A man whom was yet to take away someone else from him▬a man who was given a second chance. 

     Peter Two smiled and he slumped, a little emotional as he realised what he had just done. He watched Flint stare at his hands, stunned to silence when he could feel again▬he could touch and the first thing he did touch was the necklace hanging from his neck; a locket that held his sick daughter close to his heart. "It's okay, Flint. We're ... We're gonna get you home."

      Flint Marco had been given a second chance. But it was more than that. After years, Peter Parker had finally made amends to the mistakes that led to Nina Hart's death. To his mistakes. Somewhere, out there, in another world, there was a Peter Parker just like him, clutching his Aunt May's engagement ring and standing on the edge of the world▬or felt like it, wanting to ask the girl he loved to spend the rest of her life with him. He will make mistakes, and he will feel like he's lost her, but in the end would finally be fast enough to catch her▬to save her life. 

     This Peter Parker could feel it. He knew it. Like a distant breeze that soothed his ageing smile lines and joints. A whisper from the girl he once knew ... a Thank you ... One last time. 

     He smiled. 

*ೃ༄

     WHILE THE Spider-Men fought three of their greatest villains, the Friends of Spider-Man were having their own troubles back inside the lab at Midtown. 

    "I'm trying to close it," Ned exclaimed, panicked and flustered. "I▬I can't help that it's not working▬!" 

    "▬You've said that the last fifty times you tried▬!" stressed Felicia. 

    "▬What if you just close your eyes, take a deep breath, and just imagine the portal closing▬?"

     "▬We've tried that already, Nina▬"

    "▬Yeah, but maybe it'll work this time?"

    The portal had still not closed. It stayed gaping wide and open, giving the group of them a perfect view of the battle happening just outside on Liberty Island. Nina was on her toes, feeling like her heart was out there with her Peter Parker, fighting these villains from her nightmares. She felt like she heard every yell, could see every painful hit he took, and knew she couldn't do anything to help him. It was terrifying in a way she had not experienced yet. She winced at every lightning strike that fractured the sky, and she heard one of the Peter's yell as he was suspended up into the air, surrounding by bright, blinding yellow light. Nina spent most of this time trying to decipher each shout and strangled cry, praying that it wasn't her Peter Parker going through that pain. 

     "It's fine," MJ said for the hundreth time as Ned once again failed to close the portal. "No, it's fine. We're gonna do it again," she spoke over his frantic words, and the lab had become a flurry of incoherent comments from the four of them. "We're just gonna keep trying."

     "All right, all right, we got this," Ned hyped himself up again. Felicia looked like she was about to burst with frustration. 

    "Yeah, you got this," Michelle was great at keeping a level head right now. "Just focus and close the portal. Take a deep breath▬not that deep▬and close the portal. Close the portal, Ned."

     As Ned took a few deep and frantic breaths, puffing out his chest as if that were the key to performing magic, Nina narrowed her eyes at something through the portal. A figure shifted in the distance, down the platform. The shadows twisted and moved▬moving towards them. When the night lit up with more bright lightning, Nina recognised the scales, and the sharp talons.

    "Uh ... guys?" she let out, very unsure. 

    None of them were listening, both MJ and Felicia focused on Ned and making sure he didn't hyperventilate before trying to close the portal again. Meanwhile, the Lizard was getting closer ... and closer. Nina's heart skipped a frantic beat. "Ned, close the portal!" she cried out. "Now! Now, now, now▬!"

    "Don't rush me, Nina▬!"

    "Ned▬!" 

    He realised. His cheeks turned a sickly colour. "Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no, no▬" he waved his arms frantically. The portal didn't shift. The Lizard was bounding towards them on all fours, menacing and murderous. 

    MJ shuffled on her feet, starting to tremble as they all watched the Lizard draw nearer. "And that is a lizard and we should go▬!"

   "Nina▬!" Felicia chucked her the artefact and she caught it just as the Lizard burst into the high school lab. She squealed with terror and followed MJ and Ned around the desks as the nearby cupboard went crashing down, shattering beakers onto the floor. 

   The Lizard chased them around the small room, targeting Nina the moment he saw the artefact in her hands. Felicia noticed and pushed herself up ontop of one of the desks. Her claws extended from her suit and she launched herself at the Lizard, raking her claws across his scales. She planted her foot against his jaw and somersaulted away from him before he could hit her, distracting him from Nina, MJ and Ned as they frantically tried to get away. 

    Felicia grappled with the Lizard, but she was definitely outmatched. Nina skidded to a stop and glanced back at her friend. When she saw the Lizard throw the Black Cat across the room, she made a decision. 

    With the artefact in one hand and Spider-Plush in the other, Nina Hart raced across the rooms, ignoring Ned and MJ's shouts. She headed straight for the fire extinguisher. Setting the artefact and the stuffed plush on the bench, she tugged the fire extinguisher off the wall and spun around. "Hey!" 

     The Lizard spun around at her voice. Nina stepped to the side, giving him full view of the artefact and he snarled. He charged. She held up the fire extinguisher. "Taste this, doc!"

     She twisted the nozzle and squealed, closing her eyes when the foam spray burst from the fire extinguisher, straight into the Lizard's face. Dr. Connors screeched and clawed at his eyes, covering them as he stumbled into the nearest bench. The stools snapped at the legs at the impact. 

     Once the foam faded away, Nina hitched her breath. She held it up as if to use it as a weapon when the Lizard fixed his beady reptilian gaze back onto her. He snarled▬and if he wasn't angry and murderous before, he definitely was now. 

     Felicia was on her feet, but she wouldn't get to her in time. "Nina! Run!"

    That was when someone else joined the fight. 

    Spider-Man▬her Spider-Man▬launched himself at the Lizard right before he could attack. Both of them went crashing into the wall, and the tiles cracked; some fell to the ground. "Didn't anyone ever teach you how to play nice, Connors?" He had his arms wrapped around the Lizard's neck, the both of them struggling and wrestling in the lab. "First rule: Don't hit girls!"

     Nina grabbed the artefact, leaving the Spider-Plush for now and sprinted to meet up with Ned and MJ. The Lizard noticed and growled. He threw Peter off him and Spider-Man hit the roof. She gasped and stumbled, barely missing his talons that swiped overhead. Nina ducked under the next desk and heard the Black Cat land a kick, forcing the Lizard off balance. She made a break for it, glancing back to see both the Black Cat and Spider-Man work together to fight off the Lizard. While Peter sent one punch across the creature's face, Felicia was there ready to leap off his crouched back, somersaulting and slamming her foot down onto the Lizard's head. 

    That wasn't enough to stop Connors. He forced his way out of the Midtown lab and back onto the scaffolding, chasing after Nina. She ran as fast as she could, being tugged along by Ned and MJ as all three of them raced to get away. 

     "Connors, stop!" shouted Peter, doing everything he could to stop him from reaching his friends. He tried to kick him again, swinging from the underside of the platform above, but the Lizard just grabbed him and forced him, painfully to the ground. Felicia helped him up. "No▬!" 

     The Lizard continued his rampage for the artefact, prepared to take out anybody in his way. 

     Nina, MJ and Ned continued to sprint down the platform. As they reached the corner, Ned threw out his hands and spun a rushed portal right as they turned. Nina heard the rush of ocean water▬an entire wave flushed through the portal and onto the platform, gushing and flooding the Lizard backwards. Her Peter grabbed Felicia by the arm and pulled them both up to the roof, just escaping the overflow as it threw Dr. Connors into the next scaffold corridor. 

    "Nice!" grinned Nina, impresed by Ned's quick thinking. 

    "Guy in the chair!" he replied, laughing a little himself at what he had just managed to do. 

     She chucked a little herself until she saw the Midtown water bottle in the distance. She pushed herself to run faster, groping for the bottle and tugging it until the webs snapped. Nina continued running, wrapping back around as her Spider-Man dived down into the level below, kicking the Lizard back into the water flow. Dr. Connors stumbled.

     "NINA!" he shouted and she rushed to the railing. They locked gazes across the scaffold and she flung the cure for Dr. Connors with all her might. 

     Just as the Lizard launched through the waterfall, Spider-Man caught the bottle. He held it up, blocking the blow and the Lizard's teeth pierced the container. A billowing, green smoke cloud hissed out of the bottle, and Dr. Connors inhaled it. He screeched and fell backwards into the mess of scaffolding and loose metal beams. 

    Peter let out a tired breath, clinging onto the scaffold bars. Nina clutched the platform barrier, staring down as slowly▬ever so slowly▬the large, scaly figure of the Lizard began to shrink and curl up. When the green cloud cleared up, there lied not a vicious green monster, but instead the dazed body of a man▬of Dr. Connors. 

    Nina chuckled with relief, feeling her heart swell with pride. Peter was doing it. He was saving them all. 

    Now, only one supervillain remained. Nina's eyes widened. "Electro," she breathed and rushed to the other end of the platform. She caught up with Felicia who was staring at the horrifying sight above. Nina's breath hitched with terror. "Oh, God▬Peter."

     Her voice was drowned out.

    The other two Spider-Men weren't having any luck. Electro had them both struck and dazed. The cure was long discarded on the metal platform below them. The Amazing Spider-Man struggled, groaning out in strangled pain as electric shocks rocked through his entire body. Electro still had him in his grasps, hovering above the statue and watching with glee as Peter Three bit back a yell with each shock that coursed through him. 

     Peter Two managed to get back up on his feet. He struck a desperate web, encasing the electronic siphon and pulling it towards him. But before he could try and stop Electro, something long, twisting and metal launched up from the side of the statue. Metal talons wrapped around Peter Two's chest and the device dropped from his hands. 

     Another arm spiralled upwards and grabbed Peter Three. Nina felt her heart twist in her chest, both confused and terrified as from behind Electro, emerged the formidable Doc Ock. He smirked in the yellow haze, watching both Peter Parker's tremble as pure electricity danced across their limbs. 

     "Leave them," said Doc Ock to Electro, his remaining two metal limbs climbing up towards the Spider-Men. "They're mine."

     MJ and Ned were hovering over Nina and Felicia's shoulders in seconds. "I thought Peter cured him?" whispered Michelle. Nina didn't have an answer. She thought that, too. But then what was Doc Ock doing here? Had ... had it not worked? 

     "I don't need your help!" sneered Electro, enjoying the sight of both Spider-Men in pain. "I got it just fine."

    Peter Two struggled, grasping at the metal arm keeping him captive. "Dr. Octavius," he rasped, his suit starting to smoke. "N▬no..."

     Doc Ock lifted himself up level with Peter Two. He smirked. He lifted another metal arm; the iron talons twisted and opened with a menacing snap. Nina's eyes widened▬

     The arm flung backwards and latched around the arc reactor on Electro's chest. The lightning let go of its grip around both Peter's. Max stared at Dr. Octavius in shock. "What▬" he struggled angrily, trying to force the metal arm away. "What are you doing?! Get it off me!"

    Doc Ock slowly turned to face Electro. He let go of Peter Two and Peter Three, and the Spider-Men crumpled to the ground, both of them groaning and their suits covered in ash. One of Octavius's metal limbs deliciately picked up the cure for Electro and before Max could do anything, ripped the arc reactor off his chest. He replaced it with the device and Electro stared, eyes wide as the yellow lightning around him began to disappear. The storm above lifted. The device on his chest ticked away until every light had turned bright green.

     Dr. Octavius smiled. "There you go."

     He lowered Electro to the platform and Max Dillion collapsed to his knees. He glanced down at the device on his chest, and he slumped to feel all of his power drained away, until all that remained was a dim spark in his eyes. 

   The four friends watching on all shared a breathless silence, until Ned murmured: "I can't believe that just happened."

    "Me neither," admitted MJ. 

     "Doc Ock saved the day," said Nina, a little amazed at the thought. Until she realised she still held the artefact in her hands. She gasped and turned to Ned. "We gotta hide this!" she exclaimed. 

      And the group of them were lurched back into focus. Ned stumbled a little. "Oh, right, right, right▬" he turned to the cityscape behind them and took a deep breath. He held out his fingers and moved them around in a wide circle to open up another portal. 

     Nina, MJ and Felicia all grinned and exclaimed their pride and excitement. Ned laughed with delight, victorious over his newfound ability. "Yes! I did it! I..." His voice faded away as somebody stumbled through the portal. 

    The four of them went silent and stared, hunched up and shocked to meet the gaze of Dr. Strange. He glanced around, looking breathless and very, very angry. The portal closed behind him and he faced them. "Where is he?" he demanded. The anger grew when he saw the artefact in Nina's hand. 

     She had no chance against Strange's magic. All she could do was cry out a desperate: "No, wait▬" when he forced it out of her fingers and into his own with a spell. "Wait!"

     "Before you do anything, Mr▬Dr▬Sir▬uh▬Dr. Strange," rushed out Ned, stumbling on his words and holding out his hands, "you have to listen!"

    "Peter's plan is working," added MJ, breathing quickly. 

     Strange hesitated. He frowned at them, his red, magical cape flowing behind him. "What plan?"

     "He's curing them," said Felicia. 

     Dr. Strange's frown deeped at this. He stepped towards the barrier and the group of them parted to give him room. He gazed down and Nina thought she saw a flicker of suprise when he saw no fighting, but instead a gentle silence settle over Liberty Island. The supervillains who had once threatened the multiverse were now sitting back, surrendering with no vicious intent left in their beings. Their powers gone, their minds restored▬and it was as if all three Peter Parker's had turned back the clock. Nina smiled slightly. Everyone had received a second chance today. 

    "Well, I'll be damned," murmured Strange. Another thought occured to him and he turned to Ned. "Did you just open a portal?" 

    Nina, Felicia and MJ all peered around Strange's shoulders to gauge Ned's reaction. He stammered, stunned to silence for a moment before awkwardly nodding. "Uh▬Yes, sir, I did."

     Dr. Strange didn't say a word. He stared at Ned for a long moment before simply nodding and moving past. Once he couldn't see, Ned's eyes widened and he mouthed an, Oh, my God at his friends. Nina grinned and gave him a thumbs up. 

     When Nina noticed Dr. Strange open up a portal to the top scaffold platform, her breath hitched and she quickly rushed forward. Not thinking, she pushed her way through the portal and stumbled onto the scaffold before Strange could even blink. "What the▬? Oh, are you kidding me?"

     "Peter▬!" Nina called out and ran forward. She didn't notice the way the Amazing Spider-Man turned around, almost as if expecting her to run to him, until her arms found her Peter Parker and clung on tightly. 

     "What are you▬?" he chuckled and pulled away, tugging off his mask to stare at her. She saw a smile on his face. "You're insane. You just jumped through Dr. Strange's▬" Peter then seemed to remember Strange was there and his eyes widened. He pulled away from Nina and held out a hand to the sorcerer. "Strange▬" he noticed the artefact in his hands, "▬wait, wait, we're so close▬"

     "Skip it!" snapped Dr. Strange, livid. "I've been dangling over the Grand Canyon for twelve hours!"

    "I know, I know, I know," rushed her Peter, and she glanced at the other two Spider-Men as they stood at their sides, frowning at Dr. Strange. "But, Dr. Strange, sir, I▬" 

     Strange's eyes flickered at the other two Spider-Men, a stunned realisation crossing over his face as he connected the pieces▬from their similar suits, to the way they held themselves; but even then, it wasn't hard to tell the truth. Even without their suits, there was a breath in the air, an understanding of who they were. 

      "I▬I'm sorry," continued Nina's Peter, "I'm sorry about that, sir. I mean▬"

     "You went to the Grand Canyon?" Peter Two cut him off, stepping in front of the younger variant of himself▬almost protective. 

    "Yeah," added Peter Three, clenching his hands with a smiliar stance. He scowled at Dr. Strange. "He could have used your help."

     "No, no, no, no▬" Peter One frantically shook his head and stepped forward as well, leaving Nina standing behind him. "It's okay, it's okay. These▬these are my new friends," he added at Dr. Strange's tense stance. "This is Peter Parker, this is Peter Parker. Spider-Man, Spider-Man. They're mes from other universes▬" 

    Dr. Strange clenched his eyes shut as if this was the worst news possible, "Oh, God▬"

    "▬They're here to help," her Peter glanced at his variants and said in a lower voice: "This is the wizard that I was telling you about▬"

     "Look," Strange cut him off before he could continue. Nina awkwardly listened on, peering over her Peter's shoulder at the sorcerer. "I am really impressed that you've managed to give them all a second chance, kid. But this has to end. Now."

     "But he saved them," Nina argued, frowning. She couldn't believe Dr. Strange. "Peter saved these guys, and you want to just ... throw all that away?"

     Her Peter glanced at her and murmured quickly: "It's okay, you don't have to..." He froze. Nina tilted her head, watching the way his breath hitched and the colour drained from his face. 

     "What?" she whispered. 

     On either side of her, the other Peter Parker's all stood still, tense and rigid▬all of them sensing something that made them alert. They glanced up at the sky.

     "What is it?" but Nina was fixed on her Peter, who did not look away from her. She was getting worried. She's never seen him so startled and spooked, like he was about to flinch at even the slightest movement. "P▬Peter...? A▬are you...?"

     Suddenly, he grabbed her shoulders. Nina jumped, shocked at the grip. It hurt. "Get out of here," he told her.

     Her breath hitched, so surprised for a moment that she didn't move. "What?"

    "You need to get out of here," he said, growing frantic. Her heart raced. She was scared, not of what he was warning her of, but of the look on her Peter's face. "Get out of here. You need to get out of here, now▬!"

     He tried to push her towards Strange, but he didn't do anything. Nina was stranded between the three Spider-Men and Dr. Strange as a chilling laugh echoed down from the dark clouds. A laugh that crawled up her spine and made her shiver. 

    "Can the Spider-Man come out to play?" 

    The voice carried down from above. Nina's skin turned ice-cold. She glanced upwards, recognising that voice▬her knees quivered. 

     From the clouds, something green and monstrous descended on a sharp, ghoulsih glider. On it, was Nina's first nightmare▬the monster under her bed. He had returned. Even if he did not wear his mask, that horrifying grin still spread across his cheeks▬daunting, menacing, and nightmarish; it was unatural, and the laughter that escaped that grin was just as chilling. 

     The Green Goblin. 

     "Nina, run▬!" shouted her Peter and she gasped. She spun on her feet, and yet everything seemed too slow. Her legs, her Peter's voice, the way that the other Spider-Men tried to stand in front of her, even Doc Ock standing nearby raised his metal arms▬all of them desperately trying to protect her. 

     But they were too slow. They were all too slow. 

     Nina screamed when the glider swooped low and laughter cackled in her ears as the Green Goblin snatched her and the artefact both up into the air. Explosions rocketed beneath her▬fire billowed and the Spider-Men had no choice but to dive out of the way. 

    Her Peter Parker rolled across the platform and looked up through the smoke and haze, yelling with fury as the Green Goblin stole Nina Hart away. 

*ೃ༄

     a/n: a long chapter today. sorry if it's meh. i need to work on writing action scenes - find a balance that keeps the action and doesn't like bore it out, but also includes the imagery and description i like to include when i write without making it feel repetitive. 

    anyway, cliffhangeerrrrrrrr.

    i know y'all are probably screaming. haha. 

   i hope you guys do end up liking the ending of this book. I have it all planned out. i'm not gonna spoil anything, obviously, but i do hope you guys are happy with the ending. 

    (minimal editing).