Many things went through the baffled Peter's mind as he sat alone near his workbench, wearing blue jeans, teen shoes, and a white T-shirt with a picture of Albert Einstein sticking his tongue out. Yet strangely enough, his bruised and bloodied face was now miraculously healed. Though one of his spider abilities was healing faster than an average human, it was never this quickly. And the reason for his face's sudden restoration left Peter in total disbelief, and the young man was still trying to wrap his head around it…

ONE HOUR EARLIER

With half the kitchen now covered with bubbles and zero ideas on how to clean up this, the bruised-faced Peter was now consumed with panic as he grabbed his head and paced left and right. "Ooooh, I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die! I. Am. Going. To. Die! As soon as Aunt May sees this, she is SO going to kill me! No, she won't kill me; she wouldn't hurt a fly. Instead, she'll give me 'the glare'! You know the glare, Parker! When she stares into you so intensely, it feels like it's piercing your soul! A fate worse than death! A fate that Aunt May will bestow upon me as soon as she's this! THAT IS IF SHE DOESN'T HAVE A STROKE FIRST!"

Suddenly, Peter's panic attack was cut short by the voice of an adult man in a calm but condescending tone. "Nice to know you keep a cool head under pressure, Mr. Parker."

Naturally, Peter was puzzled when he heard the voice and as he turned around, what he saw left him in pure shock and disbelief.

It was that two men standing in front of a wormhole of sparkling golden energy were on the other side looked like that of a library.

The first was that of a thinly built, fair-skinned man in his early forties with black hair, with the sides turning grey, complete with a matching black goatee. His attire was of Tibetan design, but he wore a blue robe over black pants and boots and was held closed by a gold sash tied around his waist. On his shoulders was a red cape with an oversized collar, and around his neck was a golden amulet in the shape of an eye.

The second, who was the caped man's partner, was a Tibetan man with tanned skin and a portly body shape, also wearing the same clothing as his caped associate but with a blue vest over a dark red robe with matching red pants and black boots underneath.

Something which caused Peter's anxiety to skyrocket. "W-What?! Who the hell are you guys?! How did you get in my house?!" As he continued to question this unknown visitor, Peter's eyes grew wider when he saw the sparkling ring in the kitchen. "AND WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"

The caped man looked up at the golden ring that caught Peter's frantic eye. "Oh, you noticed the interdimensional portal," said the calm-caped man, who then looked forward and was surprised when he saw the bubbly foam taking over the kitchen. "Just like how I just noticed that you are no housekeeper." In normal circumstances, the caped man felt that what he was about to do was reserved for much larger threats rather than domestic chores. But at the same time, he knew he had to win Peter's favor somehow. Thus, the caped man put aside his feelings towards playing maid, held up his hands, which had the tips of his middle and ring fingers in his palms, and with concentration, caused two golden energy circles known as Tao Mandalas to appear. From here, the caped man pressed them both together, then channeled more of his energy into them, which caused them to grow brighter. Finally, once this cloaked stranger felt they had enough power, he threw his arms out, and the combined Mandalas burst into a golden light, encompassing the entire room. After a few seconds, the light dimmed, and the bubbly foam vanished, leaving the kitchen completely spotless.

This outwardly but powerful act was the result of magic, and it was a display that even caped man's partner, who looked on at the now clean kitchen with his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised in approval. "Not bad, Strange. Maybe now, you can help me when it comes to tending to the Sanctum."

The cape man named Strange only turned to his comrade and gave him a skeptical look. "And allow you to be lazy? I don't think so!" As Strange looked forward, he noticed Peter, still dumbfounded by what transpired, and cringed a bit when he saw the young man's bruised face. "But I'm afraid I missed a spot. And by spot, I mean the kid." Strange later smirked as he turned back to his comrade with his arms pointed at the confused Peter in a 'be my guest' fashion. "And Wong, since I'm speaking as a comrade who wants to ensure that you're on your toes, would you be so kind?"

After rolling his eyes and shaking his head in annoyance, the man that was Wong held up his left hand and created a Mandala just like Strange. He also channeled his willpower into the golden circle, but this time, he caused it to grow to the same height as him and change from gold to green. Seconds later, Wong used his right hand to push the giant Mandala forward, which caused it to move at a speed comparable to a bullet shot out of a gun.

Amid his bewilderment, Peter soon noticed the green Mandala speeding towards him and instinctively held his arms over his head to defend himself. However, as the ring passed over him, Peter's body began to glow, and instead of hurting him, he could feel his entire body tingling all over, more so on his face. After a few seconds, the glowing light that encompassed Peter's body disappeared, and the young man moved his arms away from his face, which now was instantly healed! It wasn't until Peter briefly glanced down at the stove, where thanks to the now shiny black marble top, he saw a small glimpse of his reflection and was astounded that his swollen eye and bloodied lip were gone and his entire face was restored.

Strange was amazed at Wong's mastery of the spell, though it was something he wouldn't say out loud. Thus, he just decided to address Peter, still transfixed at the reflection of his fully healed face. "We'll, looks like that that Schultz character did a number on you, Spider-Man."

Naturally, hearing Strange address Peter by his 'work name' rather than his real name shocked him back to reality. And it wasn't until he noticed through the marble top that he saw his costume and remembered that he was still wearing it, which caused his eyes to grow large and made him turn to address the mysterious two men who literally showed up out of nowhere. "What?! I-I'm not Spider-Man," The flabbergasted Peter responded, then held up his hands to show the costume as he continued with his story on why he was wearing it. "This is cosplay! I'm just trying it on so it could fit me for the upcoming convention coming up! And as you can see, it's a perfect fit! As for the mask and gloves, I-!"

"Don't waste your breath, kid," Strange replied, cutting Peter off as he had no time to hear a horribly executed lie to protect his identity. "We've known about you and your double life for a long time. Even before your little fight with a guy dressed like a seat cushion."

Peter's anxiety reached full mass once Strange's remark hit his ears. "Wait, you know?! How would you-? WHO ARE YOU?!"

"Ah, right, sorry! Forgot the introductions," Strange replied in a more chipper tone. "I'm Doctor Stephen Strange. Sorcerer Supreme and protector of Earth." After giving his nonchalant introduction, Stephen briefly pointed his open right palm to the right to present the steadfast Wong right beside him. "And the man who just fixed you up is my assistant, Wong." Stephen waited a few seconds to allow Wong to give the confused Peter a respectful bow before continuing. "We're part of a group that tries to keep not just the city but the entire planet in one piece. As previously stated, we've known about your secret life of swinging around the city in tights for quite some time. But whether or not you can go on swinging, that's up to you."

For Peter, the fact that wizards and the concept of magic were real was already hard enough for him to process mentally. But the remark regarding him 'going on swinging' was troubling and felt like a threat. All of which made the young man more suspicious of the Sorcerer that stood before. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I far as protecting the city and its people, you're rough around the edges." Strange explained, then followed it up with a slight shrug. "So much so that some of us see you as much of a threat as the criminals you put away and have to deal with you." Seeing that Peter was about to interject angrily, Strange quickly held up his right hand to show that he wasn't finished. "But if you want to change that," Strange soon pointed down at Peter's right hand as he continued. "All you have to do is go to that location tonight."

Hearing Strange's answer, as well as seeing his point downward, only confused Peter all the much more. But it wasn't until Peter looked down that he received another surprise when he saw a white business card suddenly appear in his hand, which showed the address of a building located somewhere in Manhattan.

As Peter looked at the card in astonishment, Strange and Wong had already walked back to the other side of the wormhole to take their leave. "Be there at nine o'clock; Another associate and I will meet you there. Oh, and I highly advise you to be there on the dot; the colleague I'm referring to doesn't take kindly to late arrivals. Hope to see you around, kid."

"What? Wait, hold on!" Peter cried out, but by the time he looked up to address Strange, he had already closed the wormhole, and both he and Wong were gone. All Peter was left with now was a spotlessly clean kitchen and a state of pure confusion…

PRESENT

…a state which still lingered in Peter's mind as he sat alone in the basement, trying to make sense of what transpired. He knew that his luck was bad, but he never thought it would attract people who knew his secret, chief among them a powerful sorcerer. And could very well be the worst kind of enemies he could face because they knew the people he held dear and might want to hurt them. And speaking of people he held dear, Peter was soon prompted to check on one of them. As he placed the card on his worktable, he caught a glimpse of his iPhone and, with wide-open eyes, saw that he had five-six missed calls from MJ.

"OH CRAP!" Peter thought in dread, for of all the scary things he's faced since becoming Spider-Man, an angry Mary-Jane Watson was what he truly feared. Nevertheless, she was Peter's oldest friend, and he didn't want her to think he was ignoring her or worry about his safety. And so, letting out a somewhat reluctant sigh, Peter picked up the phone and pressed the icon, which caused it to dial MJ's number automatically.

It didn't take long for MJ to pick up on the other end and her scowling face showed up on the screen, as Facetime was their usual way of communicating besides texting. "Well, look who's finally decided to return my calls," said a less-than-pleased MJ with anger and sarcasm in her voice.

"Sorry, MJ," said Peter nervously but sincerely as he used his other hand to scratch his head as he tried to think of an excuse on the fly. "I must have forgotten to turn on my ringer. I've been so caught up in making this place spotless for Aunt May I haven't checked my phone. It's been a busy day."

This excuse further angered MJ, which she showed Peter with a narrow brow. "Really? Well, I was busy myself, along with my boss at the bookstore, in trying to keep customers safe from the fight Spider-Man was having with that pillow guy."

"WHAT?!" Peter exclaimed loudly, as he couldn't believe he had let the fight with Schultz arrive near his female friend and civilians. "Oh man, are you okay?! Were you or anyone else hurt?!"

"No, I'm fine! So are everyone else at work!" MJ replied somewhat softly, as she knew that despite his flaws, she knew that Peter did care for other people; it was one of the reasons why she became friends with him. However, it wasn't enough to quell her anger at that moment. "Fine enough to catch that news reporter of Spider-Man and that Schultz guy at the bank an hour ago!"

"MJ, I swear to you, that wasn't me!" Peter told the girl in a pleading tone, knowing that she shared Harry's feelings regarding him working for a newspaper that demonizes Spider-Man rather than phrase him for his good deeds.

"Chill, Parker, I know it wasn't you," MJ replied bluntly, which earned her a confused look from Peter. "Or at least, I know now."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, when we saw the news reporter, Dad told us that he was there, calling Spider-Man every curse word under the sun for saying he made him and the rest of the cops 'look bad'. He also spotted someone recording the fight, and when I asked him if it was you, he said, and I quote, "No, just some frosted-haired dumbass who was just as dumb as Parker for recording what went down!" And as glad as I am that you weren't there, Pete, I'm still pissed! Because you didn't answer the bajillion times calls I made to you, and you made me think that you were there! I was worried sick that you might've been hurt or worse!" As she continued, MJ's eyes looked like they were watering up. "For God's sake, Pete! The fact that Harry's life is hanging by a thread is already bad enough! HOW DO YOU THINK I WOULD FEEL IF I LOST YOU?!"

At that point, Peter was utterly taken aback by MJ's words. Though she knew that MJ was the time to care deeply for those she cared about, he had no idea that her feelings towards him were that strong. So much so that he almost began to blush. "MJ…"

MJ soon realized what she had just said, stood there with a stunned bright red face as tears ran down her cheeks as if she couldn't believe what she just blurted out. "Well, I…" MJ's anger soon returned, but she directed it at herself this time, as she felt she revealed a little too much to Peter. "Just-Just forget it, Parker!"

"No, MJ, Wait!" Before Peter could explain himself, MJ ended the call, and the screen to black, along with white letters that spelled 'Call Ended.' All of which made Peter let out a loud grunt. "Damn it!" Peter cursed mentally. "Not only do I have to deal with some sorcerer and some group who know my secret, but I also have my best friend mad at me! Talk about the perfect way to end a perfect day!"

Suddenly, Peter is alarmed by more sounds from upstairs. Namely, that of the basement door opening and the sound of May's voice but sounding a bit sterner. "Peter, I'm home! And we need to talk! Now!"

Upon hearing his aunt's less-than-pleased tone, Peter immediately felt a shiver crawl up his spine. "No, THAT is a perfect way to end a perfect day," thought the terrified Peter, as he could already imagine May waiting upstairs for him with 'the glare' on her face. "Uh, sure thing, Aunt May! I'll be right up!" After giving that reply, Peter briefly put the phone down, breathed in through his nose, and exhaled out of his mouth to settle his nerves. "Aunt May must've seen the news report too! Whoever this 'frosted-haired' guy is, he is officially a bigger headache than Jameson and Shocker combined!" As he turned to the stairway, Peter noticed the business card on the table and stared at it suspiciously. "Well, after I tell Aunt May that I had nothing to do with that video, I'll check on my new 'fan club' and hope they'll be a lot easier to handle than Shocker."

ELSEWHERE

Inside a darkened room, two men sat at a round table waiting for someone so they could begin their next assignment as the Enforcers of the Kingpin.

The first was an African American male wearing a white dress shirt with a black tie, grey slacks, and black shoes, which appeared to be cleaning the blade of a Chinese Jian sword. Though his given name was Daniel Britto, his expertise in various martial arts was known to be graceful and deadly. Hence his codename, Fancy Dan.

While the second was Raymond Bloch, a fair-skinned, bald, and very muscular giant of a man, who also wore a white shirt but with a red tie, beige slacks, and black shoes. He was also shown to be reading a book, one entitled 'Greatest stories of Dr. Suess, and was really looking at the pictures than just reading the words. However, his pure brute strength and hulking appearance were favored over his intelligence, all of which earned him his nickname, Ox.

Moments later, the office door opens, and Montana walks in, dressed in his bright yellow business suit, wearing a white cowboy hat on his head, and carrying an envelope in his right hand. "All right, boys! Just got another job from the Big Man last night," Montana told the two men while holding up the envelope, then caught a glimpse of Fancy Dan holding up his sword and grew intrigued. "Hey, Fancy Dan, that sword looks new."

"Got it from a high-stakes poker game from the triads in Chinatown," Dan explained with a smirk.

Upon hearing that reply, Montana raised an eyebrow as if impressed. "Didn't know poker was your game, hoss."

Dan's smirk soon turned into a grin as he gave this answer. "Never said I played."

Montana responded with an understanding nod, though he still looked impressed. "Fair enough."

Ox, eager to get the day started and not wanting his boss to see what he was reading, quickly tossed the book aside and showed both his tenacity and masculinity by popping his knuckles. "So, whose skull do we gotta crush this time, boss?"

"Glad you asked, Ox," Montana answered, glad to see his team riled up, especially Oz. Afterward, he opened the envelope, pulled out a photograph, and placed it on the table so his team could see that their next target was of Spider-Man. "For this job, the sorry son of a gun we're bein' paid to squash…is a bug!"