Story cover art is by MisconToku, who you can find on Newgrounds.

A/N: Hello again! This one features a little more of the social media stuff you saw a couple chapters ago. Just like then, this website REFUSES to let me format it correctly, so you'll have to imagine the AT symbols. Apart from that (and the way it forces SP/dr to have one slash), everything is formatted as it should be. This chapter clocks in about 7.5k words. Hope you enjoy it :)

Recap of last chapter: Last chapter, Peni had to endure a frustrating conversation with Norman Osborn as he drove her to Oscorp HQ. He gave her the mech back, but only on the condition that she helps him market his highly controversial neural implants for children. Specifically, he wanted her to help quell a protest that erupted outside Oscorp HQ. She refused, and he threatened to manipulate recordings of her voice to MAKE her tow the line if she didn't do so in-person. In the end Peni relented, and headed off to do the unpleasant job of lying to the people she fights to protect.

Chapter 13: Heart-Shaped Box (Part 6)

Adrian Toomes's voice fizzed through the comms, "Target location should be right in front of you now, Peni. Estimated number of protesters is around three thousand. Remember, Mr. Osborn said-"

"I know what he said."

We swung up beside a large bus hovering at the edge of a cloud of vehicles. A sign fastened to the bus read UNITED WE STAND. On top stood a group of protesters, some of them human, some of them androids. Suspending the mech from a line of webbing I opened the hatch and staggered onto the bus's roof. I needed sleep. Even when I was standing still it felt like the world was bobbing up and down. I guess that's what happens when you let yourself hit peak exhaustion.

I didn't notice the android protester greeting me until he was right in front of my face, "I knew you'd come!"

I tried my best to smile.

I can't believe I have to do this.

He turned and called out to the crowd behind him, "Hey everyone, Peni's here!"

I don't know exactly when I collapsed. One minute I was there, beside my mech on the corner of Lexington and 65th, the next I was gone. Falling sunny side up. The protesters filled every inch of the intersection, like a swarm of wasps, and I was in the thick of it. It was all wing mirrors and hubcaps on the way down. Someone reached out to catch me, and missed. I felt their fingers whisper past the skin on my arm, right before I felt the ground rush up to get me. One of New York's many skybridges. The last thing I saw was SP/dr, jumping down after me in the mech. But he wasn't fast enough. My head hit the bridge and that was that, sleepy time for me.

we stan the spider spdrpatrol

[seeing a lot of echoes about peni falling onto a bridge? is it true? was anyone there?]

Max Dillon powerguy69

Replying to spdrpatrol

[Saw it with my own two eyes. Went down like a sack of bricks. Nasty.]

Recognizing Android Excellence higherconsciousness

Replying to spdrpatrol

[She fell right after she told us to go home and stop worrying about Oscorp's criminal mistreatment of its inorganic employees.]

Recognizing Android Excellence higherconsciousness

[Reminder that organics will always push us down on their way up the capitalist hierarchy. Collaboration is an impossibility. Assimilation is genocide.]

I woke up to the stark fluorescents of a hospital room. A man in dark glasses was standing over me. On the other side, sitting down, was Aunt May. By the door was Norman Osborn himself.

I was weak, tired, my head hurt, there were tubes up my nose and tubes up places tubes were never meant to go, but I still found the strength to scowl at the man who blackmailed me into this mess.

Aunt May took my hand, "Are you in pain?"

Yes.

"No."

Mr. Osborn didn't waste any time, "The protesters did this to you, didn't they?"

I kept my scowl, "No."

"You don't have to protect them, Peni. You were doing your duty, and they viciously-"

"I just fell, okay? I just… I don't know."

He went over to one of the medical professionals, "Doctor, how badly did the impact damage her memory?"

A soft, feminine voice spoke, "Her memory? It seems to be un-"

She paused. I couldn't see her. No one spoke.

Then she continued, "A fall that great could easily have affected her memory, yes."

Mr. Osborn came back and tapped the man in glasses on the shoulder, "Take a statement from her. I want to press charges as soon as possible."

The man's face remained expressionless, unreadable, "Understood, sir."

I heard a door slide closed. From the sound of things, Mr. Osborn was gone. Aunt May still had my hand in hers.

"What happened, Peni?"

FALL FROM GRACE

Phil Urich, reporter for Gene Pop

15/09/45

This evening our city's angel had a fall that'd make even Humpty Dumpty's head hurt, and I'm not talking about her run-in with a bridge. Despite rumors of a bitter feud between her and her employer (Norman Osborn), Peni Parker swung into a protest in Midtown today to insist that Oscorp's controversial new implants, designed for children, are in fact completely safe. Her message went down about as well as she did. Despite her ties to the company, over the past few months Peni has inadvertently become an anti-Oscorp icon. Her frequent clashes with law enforcement and near-constant engagement with the NYC community on social media have made her the perfect poster-child for the big apple's wannabe freedom fighters. Until today, anyway. Following her pro-Oscorp statements, countless people have taken to social media to share their anger at what they feel is a betrayal of their trust. It remains to be seen if this anger is just a flash in the pan, or the beginning of the end for the mech pilot's rosy relationship with the people of New York.

"I told the protesters…that the implants are safe. Then…"

Then I really couldn't remember.

She kissed my forehead, "It's okay."

I tried to move my arm and winced as pain stabbed my back, "Is it bad?"

The doctor came into view behind my aunt, "It's a miracle you aren't dead."

"I can't feel my legs."

"Your spine took a beating. You'll need some bone reconstruction, but you'll recover."

"Isn't that expensive?"

"Mr. Osborn will be covering the cost of your care. Completely. He's also allowed me full use of the company's laboratories. With the kind of therapies we have today, you should be out walking again in less than a week."

"Wow! Less than a week?"

"Only because you got lucky. If you'd landed any differently I wouldn't have any bone to work with."

I flopped my head to the side to looked out of the window. It didn't have much of a view. All I could see was the windowless wall of an adjacent skyscraper. Pristine, perfect, gray.

"What day is it?" I asked.

Aunt May answered, "Wednesday. You were out for almost fifteen hours."

"Fifteen hours…"

It was a big fall.

"Why were you at the protest?"

I heard the distant beep of a heartrate monitor, "Mr. Osborn told me to go."

The moment those words left my lips, Aunt May's expression darkened, "Is that right?"

She looked almost… angry.

"Yeah," I mumbled, still not fully awake, "he…"

-told me he'd use my voice against my will if I didn't.

"…thought maybe I could calm them down."

"You should've been at home, resting. When he called to say he was gonna pick you up, I assumed he was gonna take you and Harry together."

"No, just me."

Her lips were a flat line, "So Harry wasn't with you?"

"Some Oscorp guy picked him up, I think."

Her eyes glazed over, "I see."

"Aunt May?"

Suddenly she got out of her seat, "I have to go now."

"Why? Is something wrong?"

She brushed down her lab coat, "Nothing's wrong, sweetie. My break is almost over, that's all."

"Oh…"

The door opened, "But I'll be back tomorrow. I promise. Your phone is on the table, and I left some nutrient bars there too."

"Any candy?"

She smiled, "There might be a little candy."

"Thanks Aunt May."

"I love you."

"Love you too!"

Then the door closed, and it was just me, the doctor and…

I turned to the man in glasses, "Who are you, anyway?"

He moved closer, "Oscorp's attorney. And now, yours. Doctor, I'd actually like some time alone with my client, if you don't mind?"

The doctor waved a hand, "Not at all. Just try to avoid causing her any additional stress, please."

"Duly noted."

She left. A heavy silence settled on top of me. I stared into the lawyer's glasses. I could almost make out my own reflection in their jet black lenses.

"I'm Matt," he said.

"Peni."

My phone buzzed on the table, making me jump. The muscle spasm wrenched at my misplaced bones.

"Agh!"

Stupid phone!

I snatched it up, grimacing. One new message.

Probably Cindy or Harry or something.

I opened it. It was Mysterio.

[Now the world has seen your true face, Parker. I hope you feel safe in that hospital bed, because your torment has only just begun.]

Cold sweat ran down my forehead.

Matt asked, "Everything okay?"

"Yup!" I lied, putting the phone back, "Everything's good!"

I can't fight Mysterio like this. If he teleports here now, I'm as good as dead.

Matt sat down, looking off into nowhere in particular, "First things first, why don't you tell me what happened?"

"So… what actually happened, or what Osborn wishes had happened?"

His expression remained unchanged, "I only deal in truths, Miss Parker."

"Just 'Peni' is fine. And okay… well…"

Do I tell him about the blackmail? No… he'd just tell Mr. Osborn…

He shifted in his seat, "Peni?"

"Just thinking."

"Of course. I appreciate your memory isn't as good as it usually is."

"No! My memory's fine. It's…"

"What?"

The phone buzzed again. This time I ignored it. The heartrate monitor started beeping faster.

Great, now he knows I'm nervous.

I got an answer out as quickly as I could, "I… I remember going to the protest. I got out of my mech. I got onto one of their buses, on the roof. Then I explained… about the implants."

"That they're safe?"

"Yeah."

"Do you believe they're safe?"

I felt my heart start to race again, "Sorry?"

"I want your honest opinion."

"Does it matter? Why would Mr. Osborn care about-"

"I'm sure he doesn't."

I swallowed, which only made my tongue feel drier, "Is it illegal to lie?"

His mouth stretched in a cynical smile, "Depends who's doing the lying. Peni, this isn't a court. I'm your attorney. Anything you say to me is strictly confidential."

"What about Mr. Osborn? You have to tell him everything, right?"

"Only with your permission. Do I have your permission?"

I felt dizzy.

Is this a trap? A test to see if I'll tell the world Osborn's secrets? Oscorp's secrets?

Tiny legs crept onto my cheek.

"SP/dr!"

I'd almost forgotten about him in my drug-induced stupor.

"SP/dr…" I sighed in relief, "I'm so glad you're okay."

Then I remembered.

"The mech!"

Matt held a hand up, "Undamaged. You built it well."

"It's my dad's design."

"I hear he was a good man."

I closed my eyes, "He was the best… and he…"

The image of the explosion engulfing him flooded my senses. The sound. The heat.

I opened my eyes and stared at the white ceiling, knuckles clenched, trying hard not to let my imagination in.

"Sorry," Matt said in a low voice, "I know how hard it is to lose someone…" he leaned closer, "I know how hard it is to keep a secret as well. Peni, if anything happened at that protest-"

"Nothing happened at the protest!" I yelled.

Silence. Suddenly my breathing sounded deafeningly loud.

"Nothing happened at the protest," I repeated, "I was just tired."

"Why?"

"What do you mean why? I hadn't slept in over a day."

"You went to the Reed Richards Science Center."

"That wasn't to share corporate secrets."

He leaned back in his chair, "I know."

"You…know?"

"You could say I'm good at reading someone's character. Didn't seem like something you'd do."

I huffed, "Not like Mr. Osborn doesn't deserve it."

"So you don't get along?"

"That's not a secret."

"No, it's a rumor."

"It's true."

"But you decided to help him out today."

I looked away from the lawyer, at the chair Aunt May was sitting in before she left, "It was a dumb idea."

"Your Aunt said something about him picking you up from school?"

"He did."

"So why didn't he take you home?"

"I went to get the mech."

Like an aggravated wasp the phone buzzed and rattled across the table, teetering on the edge, threatening to fall on my face. Beep beep beep went the heartrate monitor.

"You should check that," Matt said flatly.

"It can wait."

"It makes you nervous."

I glared at him, "It doesn't matter."

"Tell me."

"I just wanna rest."

"I can help you."

"Help me what? How can you possibly help me!? You're a lawyer!"

He leaned on the bed's railing, the hint of a smile crossing his lips, "I have a friend. I think you know him."

"…huh?"

A friend?

"I believe in the law, Peni. It's fair, it's rigorous, it's blind - when administered properly. When the law is working as it should, I'm exactly the person you need. When it isn't… I turn to my friend…" he lowered his voice to barely a whisper, "Daredevil."

I gasped, "Dare-"

"Shh!"

I covered my mouth with my hands and immediately regretted it.

"Owwww!"

"Sorry."

"Are you serious, though?"

"Completely."

"But even if… even if he could help. The stuff I'm dealing with… it's the worst thing I've ever faced. Even worse than that guy who could turn himself into a poop mountain."

"They don't call my friend 'the man without fear' for nothing, Peni. So come on, tell me. I'm on your side here."

"You've gotta promise not to tell anyone. No one except your friend can know."

"You have my word, both as your lawyer and as a fellow human being."

I reached for the bag of candy and plopped it onto my bed, "It all started on my first day back at school…"

AND SO THE MASK COMES OFF

Editorial by J. Jonah Jameson

I take no pleasure in gloating. I take no pleasure in seeing the good people of this city hurt, cheated and tricked. I take no pleasure in seeing the inevitable unfold. But folks, it has to be said: I told you so.

Here at the Bugle we've been reporting on Oscorp's corruption since day one, and the same goes for their trojan horse mascot, SP/dr. The people of this city have had to watch that menace attack our police, destroy public property, destroy their own employer's property - and for what? Protection? Give me a break. There's only one crook we need protection from, and that's Norman Osborn. He thinks that just because he built a few towers and funded a bridge or two that he has the right to play games with our lives. The worst part is that we let him do it! And why? Because he dangled the carrot right in front of us, the carrot of his little mech-riding heroine, Peni Parker.

Yes, that's right. It was all a ruse, a trick to make us complacent about Oscorp's borderline criminal business practices. How can you hate a hero who opposes the big guy, opposes her own employer? The rebels amongst us loved it. We all ate it up. Of course, I never did, but I can't blame people for swallowing the easy pill. You have to have eyes like a hawk and a heart of steel to see through all the lies around us nowadays. It's my job to cut through the crap. Not for me. Not for this company. For you, the people of New York. That's why I'm calling it now:

Peni Parker is, and always has been, nothing more than an Oscorp propaganda campaign. She's a shill, a liar, a puppet, and most certainly not a hero. If you can't see it then your eyes aren't open. Mark my words, as Oscorp expands its insidious child brainwashing program she'll be leading us along like the pied piper. But I'm done following. It's time to take a stand and say no more. No more Oscorp lies, no more SP/dr.

Now who's with me?

Three days later I was back home.

Aunt May wrapped me in her arms, squeezing me gently so as not to hurt my still-recovering spine.

"Welcome back!"

I smiled into her shoulder, "It feels so good to walk again. Where's the mech?"

"In the back yard, but-"

"Great! If it's alright with you, I'd like to-"

"Before you do," she said, holding my shoulders in her hands, "you should know, I talked to Mr. Osborn."

Cold dread sank through my body, "What did you talk to him about?"

"Your fall."

"He was probably annoyed that I didn't blame the protesters, right?"

"Not exactly…"

"Okay… so, what?"

"Well, in the end we agreed that your safety comes first."

I couldn't help but feel nauseous as I realized where she was going, "Right. I mean, the mech is pretty safe. I was outside of it when I fell."

"Yes, because he asked you to handle the protesters."

"I shouldn't have agreed."

"No, you shouldn't."

I tried to move past her, "And I promise I won't do it again."

"Peni, wait-"

"Look, if he wants to take the mech away-"

"No, that's not it."

"Then what?"

PENI PARKER: OSCORP ERRAND RUNNER?

Phil Urich, reporter for Gene Pop

21/09/45

Has anyone seen SP/dr around lately? I'll tell you someone who has: Union Allied Logistics. The formerly beloved hero of New York seems to have hung up her cape to take on a new role as shipment container bodyguard. Woe betide any criminal that dares to attack UAL's merchandise. The everyday citizens of NYC, however, are free real estate! Crime is soaring, and SP/dr is nowhere to be found. So it's been up to the new kid on the block, Mysterio, to catch all the wannabe supervillains. But let's be honest: he's doing a better job. Crooks are so scared of him they're turning themselves in. Maybe it's for the best, though we will miss printing the Peni Parker Summer Calendars!

I shuffled into class 3-3 for the morning homeroom session. Cindy was already there.

"You look terrible," she said.

I slumped into my chair, "Thanks."

"I read the news. Is it true? You're just doing corporate contracts now?"

"I don't wanna talk about it."

She whispered, "I thought you hated all that stuff?"

"I do," I whispered back, "but if I don't do it, things could get…bad. I have a friend looking into it, but it's taking a while."

"Anyone I know?"

I rested my chin in my hands, "You've probably heard of him."

"Oh, like a super friend."

"Exactly."

She gasped in excitement, "Is it Mysterio!?"

The class became hushed. I leaned close to Cindy, "No! And keep your voice down."

"Sorry."

Eventually Mrs. Drew strode in with her usual confidence.

"Sorry I'm late! You wouldn't believe the traffic. It doesn't help when Rhino is clogging up the intersection."

I couldn't help myself, "Rhino broke out of Ryker's!?"

"Don't worry," she winked, "he got dealt with pretty quickly. That Mysterio guy showed up right away."

Ugh, of course he did. He's probably the one that broke Rhino out in the first place.

She clapped her hands together, "Anyway, enough of that. It is now officially school time, so let's take those lunch orders and get on with the day, shall we?"

SP/dr therealspdr

[Spaghetti again today! ^w^]

(IMG: 'spaghetti')

we stan the spider spdrpatrol

Replying to therealspdr

[you can never have too much of a good thing!]

Joe joescoffee

Replying to therealspdr

[where were you when my store got robbed last week?]

fluff ~ and ~ sparklez unicornnation

Replying to therealspdr

[Sure, live it up in your fancy private school while the rest of us burn. Hero of the people my ass.]

In Mysterio We Trust mysterymachine

[You'll never catch our boy Mysterio slacking off on the job. You know he saved TEN kittens from trees yesterday? TEN!]

After lunch I caught Cindy in the hall.

"Cindy! I forgot to ask," I lowered my voice, "Has Professor Richards contacted you yet?"

She shook her head, "No, but the pill he gave me is keeping it under control… mostly."

"Well that's something at least. I'm always here for you if you need me."

She smiled weakly, "It's okay, I know you're busy."

We walked into class, "No, I'm really not-"

The maths teacher didn't let me finish my sentence, "Peni! Late as usual, I see. Though I'm disappointed in you, Cindy."

I was only late by a minute.

Back home, I went to my room and lay down on my bed. Cindy's words replayed in my mind.

'I know you've been busy.'

Come to think of it, we haven't really talked much since my fall.

It took a while to look at my phone again. My online space had gone from being mostly wholesome to being wall-to-wall bad content. If it wasn't yet another irritating message from Mysterio it was some rando on social media airing their take on why I was the worst thing to ever happen to humanity. It took all the strength I had to share that post about my lunch, and look how well that went.

I'd been avoiding the mech, too. I was only allowed to use it for Oscorp business, or else.

What am I afraid of? He can't do anything to me.

He knew better than that. But Aunt May, now she was scary. She didn't want me in the mech either. No one wanted me in the mech. Not even New York wanted me in it, now. They wanted their new favorite celebrity, Mysterio.

I slammed my fist down onto the mattress. Mysterio. All of this was because of him. I pulled the stupid message he wrote out from under my bed.

'THERE IS NO ESCAPE FROM ME, PENI PARKER'

Suddenly I was overcome with rage. Gritting my teeth I tore the message in half and crushed the halves together into a tiny ball. Then I threw it across the room, barely suppressing the urge to scream.

"I hate you," I hissed.

He'd ruined my entire life. It only took him two days. Two days and he'd completely replaced me.

He's not even a hero. He's a monster.

But all anyone ever saw was a god. A man who could do the impossible. But I knew he was lying. I knew that under that mask he was just a powerless human being, like me.

"I just need to prove it."

UNSTOPPABLE FORCE MEETS IMMOVABLE OBJECT

Phil Urich, reporter for Gene Pop

23/09/45

Protesters clashed with Oscorp-backed police forces this evening as tensions mount between the people of New York and the much maligned megacorporation. There were twenty-six casualties, bringing the total death toll to a grim one-hundred and five. Oscorp's response? To continue pushing ahead with their new implants. Clearly old Norman can't take a hint. How many people will have to die before he changes his mind? Only time will tell. But one thing is for certain: the number of people unhappy with Oscorp's behavior is going up. And up. And up.

The next day, I didn't ride the mech to school. Sitting in it didn't feel the same anymore. Instead I got the bus. That was a mistake, too.

"Hey, is that Peni Parker?"

"Looks like it."

"Fucking sellout."

Ten minutes felt like ten hours, but in the end I got there. The other students ignored me as they barged through the steel doors at the main entrance. Somehow that was worse than the stares I got when they thought Cindy and I were dating. I raided my secret candy stash, but it wasn't as sweet as I expected.

Even candy doesn't want me anymore.

I made my way down the hall towards class. Flash was waiting for me.

I sighed, "Please, not today Flash."

I readied myself for whatever crap he was gonna pull. He moved closer, towering over me. I scrunched my eyes closed.

It'll be over soon.

A heavy hand clapped my back, then he said, "Pull yourself together, Parker."

I opened my eyes, "…huh?"

He gave me a stern look, "You're lettin' this Mysterio guy walk all over you."

"I…"

"What happened to skipping school and kicking ass?"

I was shocked speechless.

He tutted, "Whatever. It's no fun picking on you like this."

Then he walked away.

What the heck was that about?

Homeroom was homeroom. Lunch was lunch. I didn't bother checking Echo. I already knew what people were thinking. I helped Harry with his homework and avoided his questions and the sad look in his eyes and went back to class.

I hate everything.

Next class was biology. Ashley Kafka. I didn't register anything she said, but it didn't matter - I already knew what she was teaching. Towards the end Cindy started slouching over her desk.

"Cindy?" I whispered.

"I don't feel so good."

As if my day couldn't get any worse.

"It's okay," I said, rubbing her back, "We'll get you to the bathroom. No one will think twice about it."

Then Miss Kafka spoke, "Cindy? Everything alright?"

I replied, "She uh, needs to go to the bathroom."

"The bathroom?"

Cindy lifted her head and shakily answered, "Yeah."

"Look at you! You're as white as a ghost. You need more than the bathroom young lady, you should go to the nurse's office."

Immediately I said, "I'll take her."

"No, I can take her."

"I can do it, Miss Kafka. We don't wanna interrupt class."

"I have a duty of care to my students, Cindy included."

"But-"

"We'll both take her, how about that? Follow me. No need to hurry. Class, read pages fifty-two to fifty-six while I'm gone. I'll know if you haven't, so behave yourselves."

The three of us raced down the hall, Cindy's arm over my shoulders.

Crap crap crap. I canNOT let Miss Kafka know about Cindy's mutation.

"This way," Miss Kafka said, pointing to a grey door, "It's the fastest way to the nurse's office."

I knew the layout of the school like the back of my hand. The route we were on wasn't a shortcut. In fact it was even longer than just sticking to the main halls. But there was a bathroom.

Soon enough I saw the sign jutting out of the wall.

"Cindy," I said breathlessly, "There's the bathroom."

She didn't waste any time. Panting, she barged through the door. I didn't follow. I had to keep the teacher busy.

Or at least, I thought I did. All the urgency had disappeared from her face. Now she looked serious. Like she was thinking. She pulled a phone out of her pants pocket.

"Ohnn, do you have my location?"

What…?

"Good," she continued, "tell Beverley to get the truck ready. Yes."

She tapped the screen and put it back in her pocket. Then she looked at me.

She was grinning.

"Not such a genius after all, it seems."

I took a step back, "Excuse me? Miss Kafka?"

"Miss Kafka is gone."

"I don't understand."

She moved closer, her eyes bulging wide, "When you put me away I was wearing a different face. A double homicide. I doubt you'd remember. Miss Kafka was my psychiatrist. She was a good woman. The best face I've ever worn."

My phone. Need to hit the panic button.

But my phone was back in class, inside my backpack. I screamed, "HELP! HELP! SOMEONE!"

She slapped a hand over my mouth and pushed me to the wall, "I've always wanted to wear your face. And now, thanks to Mysterio, I will."

With her free hand she gripped the inside of her mouth and pulled. Like a surgical glove her face peeled off. Sticky, wet. What I saw underneath made my blood run cold. Not a skull. Not some beast's face, or steel apparatus. No, underneath was nothing. A white head, like a mannequin. Expressionless. Emotionless.

Before I had time to process what was going on I fell through the floor. So did Kafka. I landed butt-first on something hard. As I got my bearings I realized I was inside some kind of container. Kafka stepped away. Then I saw him.

Mysterio.

"It must be frustrating," he said, "To be shown what a fool you are. Is it frustrating, Peni?"

I heard the roar of an engine beyond the box's steel walls. We were moving.

But how?

"Where are we?"

A quiet laugh escaped his glowing helmet, "On the way to your grave."

SP/dr climbed onto my shoulder and bared his fangs. Kafka, or the thing pretending to be her, grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet.

"Keep your hands off me you-"

Mysterio wrapped a gloved hand around my neck, silencing me.

"Such a pretty face. You have no idea how lucky you are. With a face like that you could have the whole world at your feet," he clenched his fingers tighter, making me grimace in pain, "You don't deserve such a gift."

I felt myself being lifted into the air. My feet were dangling. My lungs, burning.

Can't breathe!

"You can't even imagine what it's like to be hideous, to be an outcast. Do you know how much I've struggled? Do you!?"

SP/dr dashed along his arm. But the Kafka thing was ready. They whacked SP/dr clean off of Mysterio's arm with a single swipe.

NO!

"Good job, Chameleon."

My fingers were round Mysterio's wrist. Pushing, straining, but there was no strength in my arms anymore. It was over.

I'm sorry SP/dr…Aunt May…Uncle Ben…

Dad…

"I should've been New York's hero from the beginning. And now, finally, I am. Goodbye, Parker. And good riddance."

Can't breathe… can't think… can't…

Just as I was about to pass out, the Kafka impersonator, Chameleon, shoved themselves into Mysterio, knocking me out of his grip. I fell coughing and gasping to the floor.

"Chameleon, what the hell are you doing!? You fool!"

"You promised me her face! If she dies I get nothing!"

"Don't forget who freed you, you ungrateful little-"

Suddenly a blue light exploded from behind me. The two villains stopped arguing and stared past me, at the source.

Chameleon spoke first, "Ohnn? Is that you?"

Mysterio growled, "Ohnn, shut that down this instant!"

A black hole opened up behind them. From the hole stepped a black-and-white polka-dotted man. His whole body was polka dots. He didn't even have a face.

Need to find SP/dr…

The man must've said something cos Mysterio was furious, "What do you mean you didn't make it!?"

I turned and crawled along the floor, searching for my friend. Then I saw where the light was coming from.

"Holy crap…"

A vortex had appeared at the back of the container. It was black and blue and green and red and every other color you could ever think of. A swirling rainbow carved out of thin air.

And it was pulling me in.

"What is this, Mysterio?"

If he replied, I didn't hear it. Not that it mattered. The thing was pulling me in whether I wanted it to or not. I could feel it. Feel it pulling me from my feet, like there was a bungee cord attached to my waist. My shoes slipped through. Then my skirt, my chest, my neck.

My whole body was spinning. For a moment I was suspended in infinity, surrounded by crystal webs that stretched on forever in every direction. Every color, all at once, everywhere, rushing past me in a kaleidoscope of light.

"Wow…"

I saw my mech floating above me.

"SP/dr!?"

Then light. Bright light. Synthetic light under my feet. Getting brighter.

"Oh my GOOOOOOD!"

Hurtling at incredible speed into a-

"BILLBOARD!?"

I saw the mech hit it. A red splat in the middle of 'MR TOMATO HEAD'. The cockpit opened.

"AAAAAAHHH!"

Face first into the chair. Flipping over. Hitting the ceiling. Click of the cockpit door closing. Before I knew it I was upside down in my chair staring out at a tower made of glass.

"That better not have broke my spine again…"

The mech's lights flickered into action, and SP/dr's emoji face filled the screen.

"Boy am I glad to see you, buddy. I don't know how you found the mech, but the important thing is you found it."

I righted myself and activated the electromagnetic seatbelt. From the looks of things I was in a city. But not my city.

"Where even is this place?"

I was on a roof, that much I could tell. The building looked old, like old old, and the skyscraper in front of me didn't look much newer. Billboards and electronic signs lined every wall of every tower, yelling their messages into the night. Down below, people flowed through the roads like ants. Any space that wasn't taken up by people was taken up by taxis. Lots of them, all yellow and black. The sky, unlike the streets, was empty. The crazy thing was how much sky there was. From where I was standing it was like you could see out to forever.

"What's the atmosphere like?"

SP/dr immediately began analyzing the surrounding air. I read off the results.

78% nitrogen… 21% oxygen… 1% argon…

"Are we really on Earth? If this is Earth, then-"

I tried to ping one of Oscorp's satellites. Nothing came back.

That's impossible.

"Alright SP/dr, we're gonna need to tune in to one of the local satellite signals. Hopefully with some geolocation we can-"

There was a clunk on the side of my mech. Then another. Little raps, like someone knocking on a door. I dimmed the lights, removing any glare from the cockpit window, and watched the dark rooftop from the safety of my pilot's seat. The knocking slowly moved around the mech, until finally the cause revealed itself.

"Is that…a pig?"

A pig in a red and blue outfit no less.

He caught sight of me through the window and waved, "Hey kiddo! I just dropped in from out of town. You wouldn't happen to be from round here, would you? I kinda need the little pig's room and well, New York is New York and-"

"Did you say New York?"

"Well it sure ain't San Fransokyo."

I opened the cockpit's glass hatch and stepped out, taking SP/dr with me. The pig was even shorter than I was.

"You don't look like a supervillain…" I said.

"You should see me first thing in the morning," he glanced at my shoulder, "Nice spider you got there."

"His name's SP/dr."

"Inventive."

"It's not spelled like you think."

I crouched down so our eyes were on the same level. Then something strange happened. My spider-sense began tingling. It wasn't painful or jarring like it normally is. Just a low hum, like a cat purring.

The pig's eyes widened, "You're like me!"

"Huh?"

"Don't you feel it? Your spider-sense?"

"My spi- how do you know about spider-sense?"

He shook his head in mock anguish, "Oh boy, I can tell this is gonna be a long conversation."

Then from the shadows came a low voice, "One of you jokers care to tell me what the hell is going on here?"

Out of the darkness stepped a man dressed entirely in black. Even his face was covered by a black mask, with reflective goggles over his eyes. He also had a fedora, though that was by far the most normal thing about him.

I raised my hand, "I think I have an idea, but…"

He came closer, then suddenly stopped, "Wait… are you…?"

The pig winked at him, "Take a guess."

"I thought I was the only one…"

The only one…

It was at that moment, on the roof of a city I only half-knew, that I realized just how alone I'd been ever since Dad died.

I asked them, "Are you both from New York?"

Simultaneously they replied, "Yes."

"So am I, but…"

The pig finished my sentence, "Not this one?"

I nodded, "I think, somehow, we've all been pulled to another dimension. Another New York in some other world."

"Well then!" the pig cheerily declared, "I guess we'd better get to know each other! I've seen this kinda stuff before, you know. Getting it fixed is a real pain in the tushy. Ever heard of 'The Room With a Moose?'"

I frowned, "No…?"

"I don't recommend it. Anyway, call me Peter."

The man in black quietly chuckled, "I'm also Peter. Peter Parker."

I stared at him, "Parker? That's your last name?"

"Always has been."

"I'm Parker too. Peni Parker."

The pig clapped his hands together, "Oooh, Peni's a nice name! Very cute!"

I smiled, "Thanks. But don't you think it's odd that our names are so similar?"

"Very. But you know what else I think? I think it's time for tea."

"Tea!? Didn't you want the bathroom earlier?"

"It can wait. Sit down," he pulled a full picnic basket out of his pocket, along with two windbreakers, a lit campfire, and some cutlery, "Hope you like PB&J."

The man in black crouched by the fire, "None of this makes any sense, but I won't say no to free food. Been a while since I ate anything."

Peter the pig tutted, "You can't skip meals, Peter. Not good for your gut."

"Don't always get a choice."

A freshly made sandwich was placed on a plate in front of me, "Peter-"

Both Peters looked at me.

"Uh, pig Peter, I-"

The pig gave me a dirty look, "Pig Peter? Honey, you can do better than that."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Call me Ham."

"Just Ham? Are you sure?"

He stuffed a whole sandwich in his mouth, "I'm sure that I prefer Ham to Pig Peter."

I picked up my sandwich, "I just wanted to say…thanks. For all this."

"It's nothing, sweet cheeks. That's what friends are for!"

SP/dr crawled down my arm and onto the tips of my fingers to nibble at the bread, "Normally I'm the one doing stuff for people."

"Gotta say, I don't do anything normally."

I grinned, "I can see that."

A gust blew across the roof, rattling the windbreakers. I butt-shuffled closer to the campfire. The Peter in black had lifted his mask to just over his nose, and was quietly eating his peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The sandwich looked normal, the color a sandwich would normally be, but his face was as grey as stone, his fingernails chalk white.

I wanted to ask him why he was monochrome. Instead I asked, "What's your New York like, Peter?"

He snarled, "A shithole."

I waited for him to elaborate, but he didn't. I decided to try another question.

"Are you both heroes in your universes too?"

Ham replied first, "I'm the Spectacular Spider-Ham."

"Wow, that's a heck of a name."

He poured himself a mug of tea using a thermos he'd pulled out of his back pocket, "What's your hero name?"

"SP/dr."

"Straight to the point, huh?"

"It looks cooler on paper."

"Don't we all?"

"No, cos like, so…SP/dr. It sounds simple, but it's spelled like, S, P, slash, slash, D, R."

Peter hummed, "Same as me. Back home they call me The Spider. Sometimes Spider-Man."

Ham was impressed, "Oooh! See now that's different, cos it's got a 'the' in front of it! Everything sounds more important with a 'the'!"

I asked, half-joking, "So should I call myself THE SP/dr?"

Ham scooted over and patted me on the shoulder, "No no, Peni, you're fine just as you are. Your name also makes the rest of ours look better."

"Hey!"

"It's only fair, as you get to ride in a robot on the job. Me? I just get this onesie. At least old Maltese Falcon over there has a fedora."

Peter grunted, "Got it from Sears. It's nothing special."

I took a bite from my sandwich, "I think it looks cool."

"See?" Ham said, "You're cool, I'm a onesie wearing maniac."

The conversation continued liked that late into the night. For the first time in a long time I could just talk openly about my hero life without any judgement, without worrying about someone taking my mech away or grounding me, without someone getting jealous. Though we were complete strangers, I felt like they really understood me, or at least the spider-powered part of me. It was addictive. I could've talked forever, but the night was cold, and soon it started raining.

"Oops!" Ham said, "That's our cue! Time to find a better place to crash till the morning."

We started swinging down the road, looking for shelter. Then we saw it.

"Fellas," monochrome Peter said, latching himself onto a nearby wall, "I think I know why we ended up here."

The image on the billboard was that of a blonde man. Peter Parker. Next to his smiling face was a picture of Spider-Man mid-flight.

'NEW YORK'S HERO, SPIDER-MAN, FOUND DEAD AT 26'

Ham was beside himself, "Oh no… twenty-six? He was so young."

Peter looked away, "We live in a sick world."

"Do you think he has an Aunt May?"

"I have an Aunt May. Do you?"

"Of course!"

They both looked at me. Using the mech's speakers, I replied, "I have an Aunt May too."

"Well that settles it then!" Ham declared, "We need to go see his Aunt May. Why else are we here?"

"But we don't even know where she lives!"

"If she's anything like my Aunt May she lives in Forest Hills."

"She isn't your Aunt May!"

Ham shot a webline onto a neighboring skyscraper, "She is now. Follow me. If I'm wrong I'll buy you both a box of donuts from Crepey Cream."

And so we swung off into the night, the cheerful campfire already a distant memory as the rain pelted the mech's glass screen. I began to wonder… would my New York report me dead when I didn't show up for school tomorrow?

What about Cindy? Is she safe?

I'd never know. That world was gone. Maybe forever.

No, there has to be a way back.

Strangely that thought didn't ease my mind. If anything it made me more anxious. Sure, there were people that needed me… but there were even more people that really, really didn't want me around.

Maybe it's better this way. At least here I can be around people who understand me.

I had so many questions, but they'd have to wait.

Ham's right. My world may not need a SP/dr. But this one does.

"Sure hope this world's Aunt May isn't as intense as mine."