The night was young and the game was on. This was one of the few nights that the green-haired boy let himself relax and do something fun instead of training or studying. The two adoptive brothers were playing games on Midoriyas PC, using controllers they plugged into the back.

Izuku was mashing the buttons at great speeds, but couldn't beat Peter's precise timing. The game they were playing was a classic VS fighting game. Peter had trouble reading the text since it was all in Japanese, but he had picked up enough to learn the controls. It still baffled him that everyone in this version of Japan sounded English when their writing didn't match. Then again, if Izuku came to his world, he would say everybody sounded Japanese.

Peter's avatar performed a finisher on Izuku's, earning victory over his adversary.

Izuku stared at the screen in disbelief, "I pressed all the buttons!" he cried.

"You clicked them too fast," Peter suggested.

"But isn't button mashing what you're supposed to do?"

"It might work against NPC's, but not real people."

Izuku classically tried to ponder the different methods used in gaming. Though he was considered a nerd or a geek, video games weren't something he played too much of. He was dedicated to his studies first and foremost, while still leaving time to fan-boy over different Pro Hero topics. He somehow managed to merge and improve on them.

As the once quirkless child watched Peter select his next character, he took notice of the smile on his face. Despite all that had happened, Peter was still finding a way to be happy. Was he doing it sincerely, or because May asked him to? He hoped for the former, as he deserved happiness more than anyone.

Thinking on that, Izuku pondered his friends in class 1-A, who he would soon be taking a camping trip with between semesters, and a thought came across him, "Peter, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

Playfully grinning, Izuku made a finger gun and fired off a pretend shot with a 'Pew' sound.

"Aaaaaahh," Peter fell to his back, "I am dead."

"No, don't be dead, I actually do have a question for you."

He sat back up with a grunt, gesturing him to continue.

Izuku placed his controller down onto his lap before sheepishly locking his fingers together, "So, our class is going on this week-long camping trip pretty soon, and I had this idea; what if I asked Mr. Aizawa to let you come with us?"

Peter paused with skepticism, "Why?"

"Because it might be a great way for you to reconnect with everyone again! They haven't seen much of you since the funeral, and they keep saying how they wanna see you!"

There was a sense of uncertainty for Peter when he considered this idea. He did think about visiting the school at one point, but mostly just to see the rest of his 'team'; Mina Ashido, Momo Yaoyorozu, and Kyoka Jiro were all 1-A students he fought with against Lumina. Everyone else, though, were wild cards. He hadn't had a real conversation with any of his former classmates since the funeral.

Do they really want to see him again after everything that happened? Is he ready for that?

"Well?" Izuku reiterated, "What do you think?"

"I don't know, Izuku. Don't you think that maybe it's too soon? I mean—I'm not even sure Mr. Aizawa likes me that much."

"Why would you say that?"

"Well, remember the first pop quiz we had when I was still a student? I didn't like one of the multiple-choice answers, so I made up my own."

Knowing how strict their teacher could be, Izuku did consider his hatred of Peter a possibility, but swiftly shook it away, "I'm sure it'll be fine! If I ask him tomorrow, and he says yes, would you be willing to meet with him after school?"

He pondered this a moment and imagined being able to meet with his friends again. He had only grown close to a handful of the twenty students in that class, but he still missed them regardless. He'd like the chance to be able to forge meaningful connections with the rest of them, now that he was going to be staying a while.

Sometimes, he wondered if things happened too fast. Not a few months after finding this world, he found himself a girlfriend, an adoptive family and a new place to call home. He wanted to enjoy it all before it flew by.

"Tell you what," He decided, "I might as well stop by the school tomorrow anyway. I don't know if I can stay the whole week, but If Aizawa says yes, then … I'll talk to him about maybe coming over for a night."

"Just a night?"

"I can't just abandon New York after leaving it for so long; a week is just too long to be away after all of that. I can try to get away for one night. Deal?"

"Deal! You can talk to him while some of us do after school training at the pool!"

"Oo, I might stop by for that if Aizawa lets me."

"Yeah!" he doubled back, "Wait, did you say you're stopping by anyway?"

"Mhm, I need to talk to Hatsume."

Izuku nearly gasped his lungs out of his chest as a flurry of excitement came over him. He knew Mei Hatsume to be an inventor and designer. Every time she had worked with Peter had been for the same reason, so this could only mean one thing, "Are you making a new suit?!"

Peter laughed at his excitement with a hint of flattery, "Since Hatsume was able to help me design my stealth suit, I figure I should get her help on Spider-Man 2.0."

"Wait, is she even allowed to help? I mean, last time you used school resources, but …"

"I'm gonna see if she can help me on her own without any school funding. Classic dumpster-diving."

Dumpster diving was a way of life for Peter. Everything he made for his career as Spider-Man was made from whatever he could find that was thrown away. If Hatsume's mind was anything like his, then she likely started the same way. He found when it came to creating gadgets, their thoughts were nearly the same.

"Just wait and see!" Izuku shouted, "It'll be great!"

Peter had to admit that being able to spend a night with all his friends on a camping trip would be nice. Ever since things started to calm down, he had been jumping between worlds for his patrols, school, and dates, all of which were being sloppily juggled. If only he could mush all his problems into one, but the world wouldn't dare make it that easy.

…

Izuku felt only glee on his walk to school. He was excited about the idea of Peter coming with them on the trip and reconnecting with his friends. Though he wasn't sure if Aizawa would accept his proposal, he had faith that things would work out. His face showed delight, even though deep down he felt happy as well as fearful.

As the young hero arrived at his school, he noticed that some of the other students were staring at him, murmuring to their friends. Some would walk away from him while others gave him daggers from their eyes. He hadn't seen this before; why was there so much tension in the air?

"Deku!"

A delightful voice chimed through the thick air as Ochaco Uraraka came rushing down the steps to see him. He felt the blood rush to his cheeks at the very sight of her, and did a terrible job of hiding it. She was one of his closest friends here, and one of the first he had met when arriving this semester. No matter what was against him, she was always in his corner.

Drawing closer, even she noticed the eyes on her friend, and her warm smile faded into concern, "Let's get inside," She said, gently grabbing his hand and pulling him away from the crowd. He looked back as they made their way through the front door, noticing the looks of disapproval on many faces.

Finally, away from the crowd, he managed to escape her grip and walk beside her at pace, "Uraraka, what's going on? Why was everyone looking at me like that?"

From the look in her eyes, she clearly knew what was going on, even if he didn't, and it wasn't something that brought her any joy, "After the stuff that happened with Overcast …people have been talking. I heard some of the other students this morning; they were talking about you and Parker."

"Why?"

"They found out Parker is still living with you and are getting suspicious. I'm worried they might think you're working with him on some… villainous plot."

He came to a full stop, forcing her to hit the brakes, too, as he came undone at the news, "That's insane! Parker isn't a villain!"

"I know!" She reassured, "All of class 1-A knows that, but everyone else …" there was a pause between her words as she tried to collect herself, knowing her friend was rather sensitive, "After the USJ attack and the stuff in Hosu, and Overcast being Lumina …a lot of people don't trust Parker, or anyone he might be friends with."

The idea that people could have seen his adoptive brother— or even himself— as a villain is painful. They had done nothing to hurt other people, yet they so easily would turn against them? None of it seemed fair after all they had done.

"I'm sorry, Deku," She sympathized, "It's not fair to have so many eyes on you. You didn't even do anything."

There was so much that she didn't know about; the multiverse, the other reality he lived in for weeks, and how the fight with Lumina really went down. Everyone thinks it was All Might; no one even acknowledges that Spider-Man was ever there. They don't know about the world Lumina created, or the true consequences of her actions. They would never know that Peter was the real hero; how could anyone be okay with that? How could he?

"Come on," she gently pushed on his shoulder, "Let's get to class before we're late."

She led him into the classroom where all of their friends were gathered. Like usual, Tenya Iida was standing up front as the class president, working to get everyone organized as they all but ignored him. Minoru Mineta was trying his hardest to flirt with the girls, such as Momo Yaoyorozu and Mina Ashido, who turned him away rather quickly.

The rest sat around, sharing videos and talking about things that interested them. This room always had a calming, welcoming feeling for everyone.

Upon seeing him, Momo, Mina and Kyoka waved to Deku, who reciprocated awkwardly as he found his seat. The few had grown closer since fighting alongside Spider-Man; unlikely allies despite being in the same class. As Mina once said, everyone sticks to their own groups of three or more, until Peter came into their lives.

"Good morning, Midoriya," Greeted Yaoyorozu, her dark eyes focusing on him, "Why do you look so pale?"

Izuku waited until he was seated to actually try answering her, "Just all the students who are talking about Parker…"

"Oh …are they still gossiping?" She groaned, "They've been like that for a few days now. I'm surprised you didn't notice."

Uraraka jumped in with her hands on Deku's shoulders, trying to help him relax, "Deku is usually off in his own world most of the time," She joked, "I'm sure the gossip will go away soon!"

As soon as the door opened and Aizawa entered, the entire classroom went silent. His body was covered in a strange kind of sleeping bag, with only his head being revealed. He stood in the front while everyone returned to their seats, awaiting instructions from the rather frightening man, even if he didn't look the type.

"Good morning," He said, rather lazily, "I'm sure you're all excited for the camping trip coming up soon. Keep in mind this is still a school trip, so the best behavior is expected from you, though at this point I anticipate trouble."

"Hey!" Shouted Mineta, "That's not fair to assume."

"Yes, it is," Kyoka cut in, "Especially from you, perv."

"That's sexist!"

"That's sexist?"

Aizawa cleared his throat to grab everyone's attention, stealing the two students from their argument.

When the room seemed to fall into a calm silence, Izuku Midoriya raised his hand high, "I have an important question," he asked, waiting until Aizawa granted him permission to speak, "I had this idea …for the camping trip, I mean. Would it be alright to let Peter Parker come along?"

The reactions from the class were rather mixed. None of them believed Parker a villain like they used to, yet they were still uneasy. With all that had happened this semester alone, was it such a good idea to push things too quickly?

Others were excited, such as Mina and Momo. Having Peter along would've been nice; a chance to hang out as friends instead of fighting terrible threats.

Aizawa pondered his request carefully, showing some actual emotion in his eyes for once, "Your request is complicated, Midoriya. Parker is no longer a student here at U.A High. He would need special permission from the principle."

"So, if you ask the principle, could he come along? I asked Parker to come by after school; maybe you could talk to him?"

It wasn't hard for Aizawa to see how badly the kid wanted this. All the stress and danger they've had to face with Peter was too much, and they needed something to tip the balance. It could have been a good opportunity to show that Parker wasn't a villain, but it could just as easily be an equal blow to his already damaged reputation. What he was asking for wasn't a cut and dry decision, "I'll speak with Parker after school once I've discussed this with the principle."

Izuku's eyes lit up with excitement, an action shared by some of his friends.

"Awesome!" Shouted Mina Ashido, "I would love to have Parker on the trip! This'll be so much fun!"

Seeing them happy was nice, thought Aizawa, but he hoped it wasn't going to be in vein. As much as he acted otherwise, he did care for these kids and only wanted the best for them. Still, dashed hope was far worse than having none at all.

…

Midtown High School was a place so different from U.A. Peter had almost forgotten the layout of the halls, having gotten lost a few times. The school day had just gotten out, and all the students were collecting their stuff from their lockers to head home. Catching up on all the late work was a challenge, but one Peter had expected from his absence.

Those who usually bothered him daily had mostly left him alone since he came back. Flash Thompson was often the lead in these emotional attacks on him, but had mostly backed off due to the news of his aunts passing. Peter's attitude on this world was different as well. He was sluggish, somewhat depressed.

The only real friend he had in New York wasn't talking to him.

As he finished filling his bag with books, he noticed that particular friend in the corner of his eye. The boy was standing at his locker, sending messages through his rather expensive looking phone. It wasn't hard to spot him through the crowd with his deep red hair. It was a stronger tone than his fathers, which he hoped was the only thing he inherited.

He couldn't take it anymore; with a deep breath, Peter closed his locker and approached his friend "Harry."

Harry didn't look at him right away, choosing to close his locker and sling his bag over his shoulder, before finally addressing his friend with eyes locked, "Peter."

Peter went over there with such confidence, but now he was short on meaningful words. This was his best friend, and he couldn't find anything to say. Harry could only stare at him as he waited for him to speak.

"Well?" Harry asked, "I swear, if you say 'how are you doing'…"

"…How are you doing?" Peter asked, earning a groan from Harry, "What else am I supposed to start a conversation with?!"

"Anything but that."

"What about 'hope you're doing well'?"

"That's worse."

Peter brushed his hair aside and itched his head, feeling the full recoil of his awkward behavior, "I just wanted to talk to you, Harry."

"Peter, look," His friend sighed, tightening the straps of his bag, "I'm sorry about your aunt, I really am. I understand why you had to go away for a while, but you never even called. Not one message from you in all that time. I thought you were dead!"

He knew this was a problem he would face. His civilian identity had disappeared off the map and it took jumping through several hoops to explain why. The only ones who would really have missed him were Harry, and some of the employees at the Daily Bugle like Betty Brant and Robbie Robertson, "I know, and I'm sorry," he tried to explain, "My aunt got sick and I just sort of …shut down."

"Like I said, I get it, but you didn't even message me once," he rubbed his face in annoyance, "I'm dealing with my own crap; they just transferred my dad to the Raft and his court trial is gonna be soon. I can't deal with this right now, okay? I'm sorry, Pete."

As Harry began to walk away, Peter panicked and blurted out the first words he could think of, "Do you want me to come to the trial?"

Harry stopped and pondered this, only turning ninety degrees to look at him, "It would be nice …that's if you can make it."

"I'll make it. You have my word."

"Assuming that means much."

Harry left those hurtful words behind with the lonely boy, who stood there with deep breaths of sorrow. They had been friends since childhood, and were always there for one another. Now, Harry was so distant from him, which only made sense; his best friend vanished and his father was now in prison. Everything had turned upside-down for him all at once, and no one was in his corner to keep him standing.

Peter heard laughter down the hall and turned to see a few students staring at him. It was Flash Thompson and his friends, chuckling at the interaction. They had the humanity to not physically approach him, but 'not laughing' behind his back was too much to ask for.

The little scientist scurried out of the halls, pained by the torment he had put his friend through, and the knowledge that it likely won't end soon.

He exited the school and carried himself across the street, hiding in the nearest alleyway. These alleys had become a godsend for him. There was a good chance he spent more of his civilian time in the cracks of the city than anywhere else. They were some of the only places he didn't have to pretend to be someone else.

He wanted to head straight for Midoriya's world to speak with Mr. Aizawa, but the sound of sirens in the distance beckoned for him. They went off throughout the day, every day, and it was painful to listen during school and do nothing. Now, they pulled at his heart with a string wrapped around it. Aizawa likely wouldn't be at the school all day, but some teachers often stick around for a few hours.

Regretfully, he slipped into his costume and swung toward the danger.

…

"Say that again, asshole! I dare you!"

She was known better to most as the Rabbit Hero, Mirko. Her sleek appearance and iron feet were none to be messed with, likely to give a challenge even to All Might himself. Perhaps that's why the man who made the suggestion was so scared of her right now, not knowing if she would crush him or not.

Many Pro Heroes had been gathered around a large table, called there to meet for a specific purpose. They began to notice the tension between the civilians concerning recent events, and decided to discuss possible solutions to the problem. Many of the issues they identified trailed back to one individual; Peter Parker.

It was no wonder she was so upset.

"Mirko, please relax," Said the frightened hero, "It was only a suggestion, but I think we should look into it."

"I'll look into beating your face in!"

The heroes had began to argue among themselves, some trying to play peacekeeper while others chose to feed the flame. One hero finally spoke up after a dedicated silence, bringing everyone's words to a halt.

His costume looked as though it was made entirely from jeans, with part of it covering the lower half of his face, yet no one had trouble understanding him, "The fact of the matter is that Peter Parker is an anomaly in the system we've created. If something is not done, things will only get worse."

"Hasn't the kid suffered enough?!" Mirko argued, "We forced him on the run! He lost his aunt! And should we not appreciate how he stopped Lumina?!"

"We don't know if that's how it went down. Things went quiet after All Might-"

"Bullshit!" She slammed her hands on the table, "None of you are seeing the bigger picture!"

"I thought you weren't one for team-ups, yet your defending this kid? Why are you so fond of him?"

"Why are you so against him?!" She stood from her seat, "This is ridiculous, I'm out of here. I ain't gonna watch as you treat an innocent, good-hearted kid like a criminal."

She stormed out of the room as the heroes continued to deliberate. Each of them had different ideas of dealing with Parker, and how his presence disrupted the status quo. Some suggested deportation, or surveillance, or some form of punishment, all to make the people happy. They were stupid, she thought, if they couldn't see a legitimate hero right in front of them.

…

The day had quickly begun to rest as the sun fell into the earth. The sight of Musutafu was drenched in a gentle orange light that overtook everything. It had only just begun to set, making Peter believe he still had time as he sprinted down the street. He had lost track of the day on his patrol and hadn't realized it was just after five o'clock.

Finally, he found the gates of U.A and ran straight through, not wasting any time getting to the front steps. Just as he had reached the top, the front door had opened to his former teacher, Mr. Aizawa. They stared at each other as they traded feelings rather than words. The older man could tell that Peter was full of fading hope, desperate for an answer to his brother's question.

Unfortunately, he had that answer.

"Mr. Parker," Aizawa greeted, "I was beginning to believe you would not show up."

"I got really held up, I'm so sorry," he shakily exhaled, "But I'm here now! It's not too late to talk …right?"

"No, you caught me just as I was leaving. Midoriya filled me in on your request during class. I'll admit, I was surprised."

"…And?" he sounded hopeful.

"I talked it over with the principle. I'm sorry, but we can't allow you to attend the camping trip."

The little hope he had suddenly shattered into broken glass all around him, tugging his heart down into his stomach as he accepted the inevitable reality. Just as he had started looking forward to the chance, the universe stole it away like always.

"Let me explain, because this isn't out of malice," the teacher reassured, "I did want you on the trip. It would be a good way for you and the other students to reconnect, and there was a possibility it could repair your relationship with the school. However, there was just as much of a possibility that it would only make things worse."

"I don't understand …"

"You're on thin ice with the people of this city. Some of them see you as a villain on probation and don't trust that you won't hurt someone. If we send you on the trip with the others, people will believe we're trusting a villain around our students and lose faith in us, and we are already in hot water with them after the USJ attack. They don't believe we can keep the children safe, and we have to do everything we can to prove otherwise."

It made sense— of course it did. Associating with Peter, now, would only hurt both their reputations, which had already been through so much lately, "I get it …no camping trip," he finally accepted, "Can I at least see everyone? Midoriya said they would be at the pool till five, so I figured-"

"I'm afraid I've already sent them all home," he cut off, staggering his hope once more, "I'm sorry …but that brings up another issue I want to discuss with you. You need to be careful about who you're seen with in public, Mr. Parker. The police are getting daily reports about you from civilians who get frightened you'll hurt them."

"I didn't even do anything!" he argued.

"I know, but they don't know that. Until things cool down a bit more, it's best you keep your distance from others in public. This includes your friends."

This wasn't easy news to brake to the young boy, but it needed to be said. The city's eyes were on Parker all the time, and they were ready to think the worst of him. Just being seen with Kendo might make people think she was a villain too.

Still, seeing the look on Peter's face made him think perhaps this wasn't the right choice. The boy only wanted to be happy, and here he was, taking that happiness away.

"I'm …I am sorry, Parker," He said with genuine sorrow, "Hopefully, such precautions won't last forever."

There were no more words as Aizawa left him there. The boy stood at the steps breathing deeply, controlling the pain and rage surging through him. There were no tears from this sorrow, just anger at how unfair this was. He understood why it was like this, but he still didn't like it. After all he had done for this world, the people still only saw him as a criminal.

No matter where he went, things would never change.

Instead of immediately going home, Peter chose to sit on the steps of the school with his head in his hands, feeling the weight of the world sitting on his shoulders without any care to the strain it took on him. His breathing exercises were all that could keep him calm, isolating the burning feelings inside of his chest. He'd dealt with this plenty as Spider-Man, but now he faced it as Peter Parker; He had no mask to hide behind here.

"Hey, Parky Parks!"

A face had suddenly been shoved into his own with no spider-sense to warn him. Peter recoiled and fell onto his back as he looked up at the perpetrator. Standing over him with hands on her hips was Mei Hatsume, laughing hysterically at his predicament with the widest, most infectious smile.

"Thought I'd find you moping out here!" She exclaimed, "How ya' doing, Parks?"

He had almost forgotten how energetic this girl was, considering how reserved she was during May's funeral service. It seemed like she was finally back to her old self again, "Hatsume?" Peter questioned, "What are you still doing here?"

"Well!" She yanked him onto his feet, "That green haired kid came by and said you wanted to talk to me after school, so I waited out here for you!"

"…For two hours?"

"Duh! That's how time works! So, what do ya' need?"

He didn't really feel like asking her about this anymore, not after Aizawa's unfortunate truth-bomb, but the look on her face made him think otherwise. She was so happy to see him with that genuine smile. Mei normally focused only on her work and little on the people around her, but it was different with him. She seemed excited to talk to him, seeing him as a real friend.

"Well?" She reiterated, "Speak, spider-dude!"

"It's …Spider…Man ... need your help with-"

"Shut up!" She suddenly grabbed his arms, "You want help building a new suit?!"

How she could have possibly guessed that is incredible, "Uh …yes?"

The girl squealed so loud, he thought the windows might break, if not his arms from how tightly she gripped them, "Why didn't you just lead with that, dumbo?! We should get started right away!"

"Well, not today," he tried to slow her down, "But maybe this weekend? Or some point after school-?"

"Fine!" She dragged, "Tomorrow after school! We'll meet at my place and get started!"

She practically tore her backpack off her shoulders and ripped out a piece of paper, scribbling something down before forcing the page into Peter's pocket, "You call me first thing after school!"

"I kind of do stuff after school-"

"First. Thing. After. School," She stared him down, before immediately turning back to her chipper self, "Bye, bye!"

She quickly strolled away, almost jumping with every step. He couldn't help but laugh at her enthusiasm, finding he felt a bit better. With the rejection he received left and right, it was nice to know he still had people on his side.

Regardless, he couldn't let go of the camping trip. It would have been great to be with them all, roasting s'mores and talking by the campfire, even helping them train.

Perhaps it just wasn't meant to be.

The conflicted young man began his journey home, unaware of the rabbit hero watching him from above.

Mirko stood atop the roof of the school, staring down the boy with utmost concern. She wasn't really certain why she came looking for him, perhaps to ensure he was still safe. The other heroes spoke of him like he was a problem, and not a person. She wanted to warn him of the hero's intent to 'deal with the issue', but she had no idea what their action would be.

Perhaps she should have stuck around to the end of that meeting to find out.

"Hello there, Mirko!"

The Symbol of Peace, All Might, stood behind her in his strong form, which had nearly ripped the fancy suit he wore. He watched over her with his famous smile, one she was not particularly in the mood for.

"What brings you here?" All Might asked, "Spying on young Parker, are we?"

She wasted no time getting in his personal space, almost making him back up, "Let me ask you this, All Might. That day when we all tried to take down Aihara, the only two who made it to the roof are you and the kid. I need to know," She stared deep into his eyes with great fury, "Who stopped her? You, or Spider-Man?"

He winced at the question, as the answer was difficult to give. He had been told by young Midoriya the story of the alternate world, and how he worked with Peter to beat Lumina. Why was Mirko even asking this? Why now? "I'd say it was a team effort-"

"Don't give me that crap," She protested, "Who stopped her? You or him?"

"…Young Parker had defeated her just as I arrived on the roof. That is the truth, Mirko."

All Might wasn't often one to lie, so she accepted his answer and made for the edge of the roof, "Try to remind everyone else in this God damn city that the kid saved their asses, okay?"

She leapt into the air and vanished behind the clouds, leaving All Might alone with her vulgar words of wisdom.