"It's been a few weeks since the fiasco on the Statue of Liberty, and after the incident with the return of Mysterio, Spider-Man's cultists continue to contend that the vile vigilante is a hero." Jameson started to rant. "But if he were a hero, he'd unmask himself and tell us who he really is. Because only a coward conceals his identity. Only a coward hides his true intentions. Rest assured, ladies and gentlemen, that this reporter will uncover those intentions, through hell and high water."

On a snowy, cold street Peter Parker-Coulson walks to reach a familiar cafeteria store. He mentally re-reads the introduction lines that he planned to at least talk to MJ first to reintroduce himself. See how things go with her before moving to the Agents.

"Hi. My name is Peter. You don't know me, but I..." Peter didn't exactly know how he was supposed to reintroduce himself to his friends. "My name is Peter and you don't know me, but... Okay..."

He reaches the store and walks in, ready for everything. He sees MJ chatting with a customer on the other side of the counter. She turns and notices him and she waves at someone. Peter thought it was for him when he turns and sees Ned enter the store with Ava right behind her.

Watching the girl he helped mold into the second greatest Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. stroll past him like he was nobody immediately stung him. That was worse than any weapon that could have been thrown at him.

"Hey." Ned greeted MJ.

"Sup?" Ava greeted her as she walked past.

"Hi," MJ said to her friends before she looked at Peter (ouch!). "Can I help you?"

Peter watched the interaction and sighed as he looked at MJ, who looked at him like he was a stranger. "Hi. Um... My name is Peter ." But before he could say anything, he looked into her eyes and gave up. "And I... would like a coffee. Please."

MJ seemed off put by the way he said that but shrugged it off. "Okay, no problem, Peter ." She then went over and packs some donuts for Ned and Ava as she gives them to the two. "Donuts for my fellow Engineer and best friend."

Ned didn't seem to follow what she was saying. "Wait, what?"

"MIT, they are the school of Engineers," MJ explains to him.

Ned then caught on and laughed. "Oh, right, right, right. I should probably know that."

Ava couldn't help buts smile, Peter watching them interact in sadness. "Look at you with the school spirit."

"Tell anyone, and I will deny it," MJ promises her. "Where are the girls?"

"Well, Doreen is babysitting Luke's daughter if you will believe it. Kamala went with her." Ava was shocked herself, shocking Peter as well since didn't know Doreen babysitted for them. "Laura and Kitty are with Fitz-Simmons, working on some things. May is...on leave."

"Understandable. Can't believe Coulson's gone like that." MJ said in sadness before walking away.

Peter looks at his best friend with amusement for a while. Looking over to Ava, he wondered if he should even try to get them to remember him. They had a future now. His friends had a chance to help others in secret again.

"Peter? Peter?" MJ broke him out of his own head. "Your coffee."

"Right," Peter said as he took the cup. "Thank you. Um...Are you excited about MIT?"

MJ was a little confused before she remembers she was just talking about it. "Right. Yeah. Yeah, actually I am excited, which is weird because I don't really get excited about things. I kind of expect disappointment."

Peter sighed as he remembered MJ's motto. "'Cause then you'd never actually be disappointed. Right?"

MJ was a little confused about how he knew that but figured it was something she says a lot. And others probably say the same thing. "Yeah. Right. It's just... I don't know... It just kinda feels different this time for some reason."

"That was..." Peter was saying when he noticed MJ looks somewhat lost. "You okay?"

"Doesn't really feel like it anymore." MJ shrugged it off. "Is there anything else?"

Peter stands there for a bit before he finally forces a smile. "No. Thank you."

"No problem. See you around." MJ tells him

Peter then looked over to Ava and Ned before just walking out. As soon as he left, MJ pulled out the Black Dahlia necklace around her neck. Still broken and damaged from the fight in London.

And as he was leaving, Ava started to sniff the air around her, starting to smell something familiar to her. She looked to where it was coming from and saw it was coming from Peter.

"Who's that?" Ava wonders why he smelled familiar.

Peter took a stroll around the city as he was still trying to see at least how his family was doing without him. His friends were doing okay, he certainly was never going to get close to his friends at S.H.I.E.L.D. again. But then by some miracle, he noticed a familiar face seemingly trying to get to his family for the holiday.

"Come on, Kate we've gotta hit the road if we wanna get there by tomorrow." Clint Barton, Peter's uncle, called out to his now protege Kate Bishop.

Lucky the Pizza Dog noticed Peter and started to bark from inside the car. His barking got Clint's attention as he turned and faced Peter.

"Oh, hey." Clint greeted the boy he didn't know was his nephew.

Peter hid his emotions as well as he could seeing that one of his other father figures didn't even recognize him. "Hi."

"You...waiting for something? Looking for me?" Clint wonders, seeing he's an Avenger in the street. "Waiting for an autograph?"

"Oh, no, nothing like that," Peter assured him. "I'm just... waiting for someone."

"Really? Out here in the cold?" Clint wonders.

"I don't freeze easily," Peter said, knowing the Clint he knew would laugh at that reference.

Clint did chuckle, just not for the same reason Peter knew he should have. "Well, it was nice meeting you. I'm Clint."

"Peter." Peter introduced himself to his uncle. "Peter... Parker."

"Peter Parker. Nice name." Clint said as Kate came running out of the house.

"Sorry. Had to pack that suit of yours." Kate said as she carried a suitcase with the Ronin suit and jumped in the car. "Come on, now I'm waiting on you."

"Alright," Clint said as he walked up to the car. "Nice meeting you, Peter."

"Nice meeting you, too," Peter said as he watched the car drive off. "For a second time."

Now Peter was at a cemetery, standing in front of Coulson's grave, holding a white rose. He then puts it on his tombstone, which has an engraving:

He gave us his wisdom, his love, and his life

(A couple of times)

Peter couldn't help but chuckle at that remark. But he immediately quieted down when a familiar figure joins him. Standing over Peter was no other than Nick Fury. He stood there in a winter coat and sunglasses with his beard grown out.

Peter almost wanted to get mad at him for not being here. But he knew wherever Nick was, it was somewhere he needed to be.

"How'd you know him?" Nick asks him, breaking Peter's heart for the third time today.

"A friend of the family." Peter decided to go with it as a convincing lie. "You?"

Nick smacked his lips with a sigh. "I guess you could say the same."

Peter nodded as he looked down at the gravestone. "It just hurts."

"It always hurts," Nick informed the kid. "That's how you know you're still human. If it didn't hurt, then you've lost your humanity. It's the pain that keeps us going. Trying to either submit to it or outlive it. Because those are the only two choices in life. Lie down and take the hits or try and get back up after you fall down."

"How about you?" Peter asks him. "You submit or outlive it?"

"I've outlived a lot of things, kid." Nick sighed as he fixed his glasses. "Some can keep weighing you down. But that's part of life, too. Show if you have the strength to push on despite the weight." He then gestured to the tombstone. "Coulson died, but he was a hero. What are you?"

Peter looked to the grave and thought of that himself. "I'm not entirely sure anymore."

"That's what we all need to figure out," Nick said as he looked at Peter. "Who we are after they're gone."

Peter couldn't believe he was still getting good advice from Nick, even after he's forgotten him. "That's some good advice. I'll have to think about that."

"You do that," Nick said as he sighed. "Take care of yourself, kid."

Nick then walked off as Peter needed to look over to see if he actually did remember him. Even with a spell guaranteeing him that Nick can't remember, he couldn't help but feel Nick remembers him. But maybe it was just a fool's dream.

He was on his own now.

The last survivor.

Peter kneels to come close to guarantee that Nick would these, even though he was far gone. "Thank you. Thank you for being the best guardian that I could have ever had." He immediately started to cry as he was saying goodbye to Coulson. "You were there for me through my darkest hours, my brightest of moments. I never knew my real father, but you were as good as a father I was going to get. I won't forget what you've done for me. For this city. For the world. I'll try my best to honor your sacrifice. And I hope I make you proud."

.

Peter then stands outside of the Grand Central Terminal and between the old Avengers Tower. He was there because there was someone there that he needed to talk to.

On a plaque, it had a saying:

ON THIS SITE IN 2012

DURING THE BATTLE OF NEW YORK

THE AVENGERS FIRST ASSEMBLED:

STEVE ROGERS

TONY STARK

THOR ODINSON

BRUCE BANNER

NATASHA ROMANOFF

CLINT BARTON

Peter looked at all of the named and eyed a specific one. The one who trained him to lie, steal, fight, and even a little bit of dance.

"Nat...I really need to talk to you." Peter started to tear up at the reminder of his dead aunt. "You just had to do what you did. You had to be the best of all of us. I have done the best that I could to live up to your legacy. But I don't know what that legacy is anymore." He quickly wiped away the tears. "Even if you were here, you'd never even recognize me. And that's something I could never live with. But Clint's okay. Ava and the gang are okay. Guess the only real question is...am I okay? I don't know. Did I do the right thing? Not telling them about our friendship? I just...I really miss you. But I can't be what they need me to be anymore. Humanity's Shield is gone. I'm what's left in his place. It's better this way, I guess."

Peter then took a few steps back to keep his eyes on the plaque.

Peter's new apartment door opens as he sees the new living arrangements he has to now live with. Young Parker gets a quick reminder from his landlord before he walks in.

"Rent is due at the end of the month. Don't be late." His landlord warns him.

Peter carries a box into a studio apartment. Turns on the light and takes in the barren space. His new home. A fresh start. He opens a box containing a GED test study manual and sets out his personal effects... including the LEGO Emperor Palpatine figurine from the Death Star set he and Ned built [and rebuilt] many times together. He also had a few personal items he was able to steal back from their home. Just because nobody remembers him doesn't mean he never existed.

Later on, Peter looks out the window. Snow falling on New York. He turns to his Spider-Man mask on the bed and grabs it... Peter follows a New York police precinct app on his phone.

"4-3 Edward, do you need EMS assist?"

"Uh, negative, Central. We're gonna need a car tow."

Peter dons his new, blue and red, hand-made suit he made after he leaps outside. Closing the window to his home in the process, he climbs his way up to the rooftop.

He leaps and skids against the rooftops, trying his new suit as he leaped off the edgel he then soars over the Rockefeller Christmas tree with a newfound sense of freedom.

Liberated from having to juggle two lives. Ready to take on new challenges.

Peter Parker-Coulson, Agent S, is no more, but Peter Parker, Spider-Man, lives on.