"Letting go means to come to the realization that some people are a part of your history, but not a part of your destiny." – Steve Maraboli
Stephen never liked to exaggerate a situation if he had it under control. The once world-famous surgeon always took a calm and rational approach to any problem standing in his way. Thinking outside the box to find a solution was the most valuable lesson he learned from the Ancient One. Unfortunately, the (former) Sorcerer Supreme was starting to realize he might not be able to undo the damage done by the botched spell, intended to make everyone forget Peter Parker was Spider-Man.
Instead, the opposite happened.
Everyone from across the multiverse, regardless if they were allies or enemies of Peter Parker, headed for their world. The sheer effort it was taking to simply hold back the incoming tidal wave was starting to wear down the powerful sorcerer. Something needed to be done, or the situation was going to get a lot worse. The villains who slipped through the cracks earlier were only the beginning if they couldn't undo the mistake.
He came to the only conclusion; a drastic solution was needed to fix everything.
As he floated above the ever-famous torch of the Statue of Liberty, Stephen saw a familiar face quickly climb the statue. Peter Parker, battered and bruised, seemed startled by what was happening in the morning sky. It seems as if a mirror had shattered, revealing the terrible darkness that lies beneath the surface of the cosmos.
"Strange, what's happening?!"
"T-They're…" Stephen gritted his teeth. The sorcerer could feel the multiverse throwing its weight in an effort to drain him of his strength. "They're starting to come through. And I can't stop them."
Over the past few days, Peter was really starting to think messing with magic was a mistake. The young hero looked around with his eyes filled with uncertainty. He turned back to face the sorcerer, "There has to be something we can do! Can't you just...I don't know...cast the spell again. But the original way, before I screwed it up."
"We're too late for that. They're here." The price for breaking the rules of magic was always high, and Stephen began to ponder on the terrible thought that his decision to help the kid was the wrong one. For a brief moment, Stephen allowed his frustration, which has been building up throughout this mess, to dictate the next words to come out of his mouth. "They're here...because of you."
Those words became the final nail in the coffin for Peter. He let those words sink into his mind before recalling the sorcerer mentioning how he was stuck trying to live two different lives. The young man wanted to maintain a personal life as Peter Parker while dealing with the responsibility of being Spider-Man, and every decision he's made in the past few days has led to this very moment.
The exhausted hero grimaced at the sight of the morning sky being torn apart. There was no other way for him. It was their one chance to fix everything.
'To fix my mistakes.'
Peter voiced the solution to end it all, "What if everyone forgot who I was?"
His suggestion threw Stephen for a loop, "What?"
"They're coming here because of me, right? Because I'm Peter Parker." He may not be a magic expert or studied at some fancy magic school, but, he did understand the core problem staring their universe in the face; everyone knew who he was underneath the mask. What they needed to do was remove him from the equation. "So...cast the same spell, but this time...make it to where everyone forgets who Peter Parker is."
He saw the objection forming on the sorcerer's face but spoke up.
"Make everyone forget...me."
"No."
Stephen responded quickly and emotionally.
"But it would work, right?"
The sorcerer's logical side overruled his emotions on the matter, forcing him to acknowledge what the kid was proposing. "Y-Yeah, it would work." Stephen, in a rare moment, tripped over his words. The weight of such a decision couldn't be overstated, and he needed to let Peter know what exactly he was asking for right now. "But you gotta understand, it would mean everyone who knows and loves you, we...we'd have no memory of you. It would be as if you never existed."
Peter, never one to back down from danger...or do the right thing, simply smiled at the sorcerer.
"I know. Do it."
Nothing more needed to be said between them. Stephen, reluctantly, accepted the idea with an almost unnoticeable nod. It was a testament to the former surgeon being shocked by the determination of the young man before him. Only a handful of people would be willing to make such a life-altering decision for the greater good. Hell, some heroes would be reluctant to agree to such a thing as well.
"You better go and say your goodbyes. You won't have long."
"Thank you, sir."
In spite of everything between them, Stephen didn't feel right letting the kid address him like that for the final time. Not after what he's endured these last few days. Right before the young man leaped down to say what he needed to say, the wizard called out to him.
"Just...Just call me Stephen."
Somehow, for some stupid reason, the kid was able to look him in the eyes and accepted his request, "Thank you, Stephen."
"Still feels weird." The powerful sorcerer was unable to get over how strange it was to hear someone so young address him by his name. But, for today, he would let it go.
"I'll see you around."
"See you around, kid."
The young hero never heard those final words from the sorcerer, who remained baffled at why someone like Peter Parker was willing to throw away everything. Maybe his aunt's death was the final straw for him. Or the stress of everything finally got to him. Whatever the reason for his decision, it's completely pointless for him to think about. In a few moments, Stephen would no longer know Peter Parker. He'll only remember Spider-Man, not the man beneath the mask though.
Fighting on Titan with Peter? Gone.
Saving the universe with Peter? Gone.
The last few days with him? Gone.
Stephen knew his primary job was to protect this world from inter-dimensional threats and anyone who posed a danger to the greater good. He began to craft the spell, making the changes needed to ensure it works. He noticed the damage being repaired. It was a good sign Peter's suggestion was going to have the intended effect.
Meanwhile, on the ground, Stephen witnessed the interactions between Peter and his counterparts from other universes. It made the sorcerer wonder if the individuals cursed to become the wall-crawler were always destined to suffer in numerous ways. Was a normal life even an option for them? Personally, the sorcerer thought it was possible.
He just hoped the Peter of their universe will find peace down the road. The three Spider-Men hugged each other, a sight that reminded Stephen of older brothers saying goodbye to their youngest sibling. It was the interactions between Peter and his friends that truly made him think about what was about to happen.
Two best friends exchanging their last hug for...potentially the last time.
A young couple, who could've been happy together, was torn apart so early in its infancy.
Both of them begged Peter to look for them in the aftermath of today and explain everything to them, and Stephen knew the young hero was lying through his teeth. His proof was standing a few feet away from them. The older Spider-Men looked at each other, grimacing at the promise their counterpart had made. It was like they were watching their younger selves play out in real-time.
Across the multiverse, Peter was always destined to lose a loved one. It forced them to truly take into consideration the people around them. Stephen, in some ways, understood them. He reflected on his decision to ultimately walk away from Christine and whatever life they could've had together. Maybe there was a future for them…
That was no longer an option for someone charged with protecting their dimension, and maybe Peter was going down the same road as all of them.
Whatever the case, the sorcerer managed to finally complete the spell. As if sensing the completion of the golden ring surrounding the top of the statue, Peter looked up and met his eyes. No words needed to be said.
'It's time.'
Soon, the young man walked away from his friends and stood on the remains of the shield, which was meant to celebrate Captain America and honor his sacrifice for the world. Today, unfortunately, another hero would be forced to give everything up. Stephen knew there wasn't going to be a parade or medal waiting for Peter.
No, the young man would gain nothing...and lose everything.
Peter put on the mask, concealing his face once more. A second later, the wall-crawler leaped into the air and started trying to put as much distance between himself and the island. At the same time, Dr. Strange activated the spell. The golden ring etched with symbols of powers began to expand outwards in every direction. Minds and machines, no matter how strongly protected, would be wiped clean.
'See you around...Spider-Man.'
(X)
Here Lies May Parker
"When you help someone,
You help everyone."
19XX – 2024
The funeral for May Parker was a very quiet affair. Only a handful of people were invited as a result of the media coverage surrounding her death. Yet, for those who attended the ceremony, it was a powerful moment as they celebrated a kind woman who impacted their lives in so many ways. It became obvious to them someone like May Parker didn't come around too often.
One person, however, didn't share such feelings about the service. Peter Parker, due to the spell, could not attend the ceremony without drawing attention to himself. On that day, he was forced to watch from a safe distance. He recognized a few faces in the crowd like Happy and those who worked with her for years.
It was a struggle to hold back his tears throughout the ceremony. Yet, in the end, the tears came down as he witnessed them lower Aunt May's casket into the ground. Whatever small part of his mind which prayed everything he experienced with Dr. Strange was nothing more than a nightmare, was finally put to rest.
She was gone, and nothing can bring her back.
In the weeks following the conclusion of the service, Peter never failed to visit his aunt's gravestone to keep it clean and bring fresh flowers. In a twisted part of his brain, the young man believed this was a perfect punishment for himself. Aunt May's gravestone would forever remind him of his worst mistake, and a mistake he had to live with for the rest of his life.
Peter's guilt over being unable to save his aunt made its way into his nightmares. Every night was the same. He was forced to rewatch the moment of her death over and over, unable to stop what he knows is coming. These nightmares, ultimately, influenced his decision to go back on his promise to Michelle and Ned. Their lives would be so much better off without him around.
Besides, Peter had a lot more pressing concerns. He was effectively forced to rebuild his life from the ground up. All of his information was gone. School records, medical information, and family history no longer existed in any system. In other words, May and Ben Parker never had a nephew. That also meant his parents, Richard and Mary Parker, never had a son.
Peter was alone in the world.
Seeing the gravestone of his aunt and uncle next to each other put things into perspective for the young man. All throughout his life, people of importance to him have died tragically. Uncle Ben was shot and died in the middle of the street. Mr. Stark gave his life to save the universe. The most recent addition is Aunt May.
He was going to be forced to live with these unresolved feelings for the rest of his life, and the first real step in trying to move forward is living up to the words left behind by his aunt.
"With great power comes great responsibility."
He was truly beginning to understand what it meant to become Spider-Man. A hero who is forced to endure pain, misery, and suffering. Yet, despite knowing the struggles that lie ahead, Peter didn't want anyone else to experience what he's gone through over the past few weeks. No one deserves to know what that feeling is like. If he has to shoulder such an immense weight to make a difference, then so be it.
"My, those are some powerful words, Mr. Parker."
The young man suddenly felt a shiver crawl up his spine upon hearing his name being called out. In an instant, questions started coming to the surface as he recognized the voice. There's no way he could've forgotten Stephen Strange's voice. Slowly, Peter stood up and turned to face the person.
Imagine his surprise when he was met with the familiar face of the powerful sorcerer. He couldn't hold back the question already at the tip of his tongue, "W-Who are you?"
Leaning against a nearby tree was none other than the Sorcerer Supreme. Or, Peter wanted to believe it was him. His newly named spider-sense was going completely haywire. Like it was screaming at him to get away from this man. What added to the conflict growing within him was the wizard wardrobe. A mixture of dark clothing, unkempt facial hair, a darker shade to his eyes, and a smirk that made Peter feel…
Nervous. Concerned. Terrified even.
"Good, it seems you're still the same smart kid as ever," Stephen said, an unsettling smirk on his face. "That is very nice to know."
"What are you talking about?"
Peter watched the wizard move away from the tree and walk towards him. "Kid, you're not wrong to be confused. By all accounts, I shouldn't know who you are. After all, the spell was effective in removing every trace of your presence from this planet," The wizard explained as he pocketed his hands. "Well, I do have to say...I'm not your universe's Dr. Strange."
In any other situation, Peter might've called out Stephen for pulling such a cruel prank. However, after being exposed to the multiverse, he was forced to take the man at his word. He did, after all, meet other Peters from different universes. So the idea of a Stephen Strange from a different universe wasn't totally impossible. His appearance, however, is a cause for concern. Strange sent everyone back home.
If the person standing in front of him was lost, they should've already been sent back weeks ago.
"...D-Did he not send you home?"
Peter's question didn't get the intended answer as the sorcerer, for some reason, merely chuckled.
"Kid, my sole reason for being here is because of what you and Strange did. You both violated some of the rules kept in place to prevent such incidents from happening. As a result, the cosmos has to find a way to punish those who believe themselves to be above the rules. Unfortunately, what is to happen to your universe's Dr. Strange...is none of your concern." The man lost his grin as it was replaced with a hardened expression. "I really don't hold anything against you. In fact, I applaud you for making such an incredibly difficult decision."
During the entire time he was speaking, Peter felt his skin crawl. He knew something bad was about to happen but was almost unable to do anything to stop it.
What made the situation worse is witnessing the terrifying changes going on around him. Buildings off in the distance began deforming into a black substance. Meanwhile, the snow beneath his feet started to almost harden. There was even a fog that started to set in.
"It...It wasn't his fault," Peter argued against the man's claim. He tried to take the blame for the spell going horrendously wrong, "I was the one to ask him for help. If...If it wasn't for me, none of this would've happened."
The wizard stared at him for what seemed like an eternity before he let out an exhausted sigh, "Don't make this any harder than it needs to be, Parker. What's going to happen to your magical friend is none of your business anymore. As far as I'm concerned...this whole universe is no longer your concern. You heroes are always willing to pay the ultimate price to do what's right. Unlike you, I didn't possess the kind of strength needed to sacrifice what I held dear to me. In some ways, I can almost admire that part of you. But it doesn't mean people won't take advantage of that."
"...I only did what was right, sir."
The strength behind his words managed to earn a small nod of respect from the powerful sorcerer. He walked towards the gravestones before scoffing at him, "And look where your decision to do the right thing got you in life. No one cares about your existence anymore. Spider-Man is all they care about, not Peter Parker. That, son, is the truth. Your personal life is meaningless in the grand scheme of things. As long as you fulfill your role as the wall-crawler, the world will continue to spin regardless if it comes at the expense of Peter Parker."
Those also happened to be the last words Peter would hear from the man as he suddenly felt something pierce his chest. Looking down, the young man saw an invisible blade made from...glass? Air? Some strange magic element? Whatever the blade was made from, it wasn't detected by his sixth sense. All he could see was the blood starting to soak his clothes underneath.
He felt Strange place a hand on his shoulder, "For what it's worth, I do hope you can find happiness in what comes next for you, Parker."
Peter tried to reach out. Attempting to muster what little strength in his body to do something...anything to stop what was happening. But it was useless as the man reached out and placed a hand on the invisible blade that pierced his chest. Was he truly going to die again? Peter already knew what lies on the other side. The last thing he wanted was to experience death all over again. The effort was soon stamped out as Strange started pushing the blade deeper into his chest.
"Your fate isn't death. So...take solace in that knowledge."
For possibly the last time ever, Peter found himself staring at the graves of Aunt May and Uncle Ben as he fell to the ground. He was terrified by what was going to happen next. Most people would ponder what lies on the other side. The unfortunate truth is Peter already knew what happens when someone closes their eyes for the final time…
There was only eternal darkness and silence.
(X)
"I am not asking for you to fix the space station, Mr. Yamata."
"..."
"And that's not my problem. I've told you for the past two weeks about this being busted."
"..."
"Excuse me! How about I go down there and–"
"..."
"H-Hello?"
Nemuri Kayama, otherwise best known as Midnight: The R-Rated Hero was doing her best to remain calm while dealing with an extremely irritating problem. Apparently, for some Goddamn reason, the landlord of her building couldn't be bothered to come to her unit and repair the broken air conditioning unit. The dark-haired woman stared at the phone screen and scoffed at the rude man for hanging up on her without warning. She shook her head in disbelief, 'You think for someone who's saved quite a few people and stopped dozens of criminals in my career, the guy would be willing to give me a hand? Does that asshole know what's it like to prepare lessons in the summer?!'
Irritated about the air conditioning unit being broken in the middle of August, Nemuri resisted the urge to storm the man's apartment and show him why criminals, despite their tendency to drool, did not like fighting her. A mental image of the landlord tied up, squirming and begging for mercy, nearly tempted her to go.
The sheer enjoyment she would get out of the scenario was unbelievable. Unfortunately, there was one problem standing in her way, and it was a certain sharp-tongued and exhausted-looking coworker by the name of Shota. He would immediately scold her and force her to apologize to the landlord if he did catch her doing such a thing to a civilian.
'At least, Tensei would let me have some fun from time to time.' Nemuri forgot how mundane their lives outside of being a superhero tended to be in reality. The landlord being an asshole was the best example of how people don't care if someone is a hero. 'Maybe I should ask Higari if he's willing to help me out with this stupid problem.'
Asking a coworker to fix her air conditioning unit is probably lazy and taking advantage of someone's valuable time, but Nemuri was growing desperate to get this thing fixed before the incoming heat wave hits the area. While she didn't have to worry about working in the heat at U.A High, the problem was trying to create lesson plans in a very, very hot apartment.
She really needed to think about moving out soon if the landlord was going to treat her request in such a rude manner. 'I guess I'm not entirely blameless for simply looking at the price. Damn it, I knew the price was way too good to be true.' She wanted to punch something out of frustration before letting out a sigh of exasperation.
Nemuri put the cell phone in her back pocket before heading toward the bathroom.
A cold shower might be enough to cool her down. God knows she was ready to activate her quirk to let out some steam. Her experience, however, prevented such a thing from happening. There's a chance of the gas escaping and leaking into the other apartment units.
She was about to walk out of the living room but noticed something out of the corner of her eye. For a split second, Nemuri caught what look like a golden spark in the middle of the air. She narrowed her eyes after witnessing yet another spark of light outside the window to her living room. Nemuri didn't think twice about reaching underneath the counter and grabbed the wrapped-up whip she hid there in the event of an emergency.
Heroes were constantly on the lookout for criminal activity. It meant always being prepared if some villains grew bold enough to attack a pro-hero in their home. They were exceedingly rare attacks, but they did happen. She knew whoever was out there was taking a big risk if they intended to harm her tonight. She watched another flicker of golden light appear once more.
However, unlike the other sparks, this one was different from the previous ones as something actually happened.
The golden light didn't fade into the night sky. No, she witnessed a rare sight. A portal formed right before her eyes. The temptation to reach for her phone and speed dial her coworkers was certainly there. Yet, the next thing to happen came from within the darkness of the portal. She squinted her eyes for a moment before her thoughts escaped her lips.
"Is...Is that a person?"
Her question was answered as she saw a mass of winter clothing fly out of the portal and right through her living room window. The sound of shattering glass was followed by a solid 'thud' as the individual fell onto her coffee table and broke it in half. Afterward, the portal vanished a second later. Nemuri kept an iron grip on the whip as she looked down at the individual for a closer inspection.
The hardened sky-blue eyes immediately widened in shock, realizing the person was a young man. He seems to be no older than maybe nineteen or eighteen years old. Nemuri rushed over to the person's side and started checking over them.
She made out a few details about the person. For starters, he appeared to be American. His short brown hair and western-looking features stuck out to the pro-hero. What was more concerning was seeing the dried blood right over the spot of his heart. This prompted the woman to get to work.
Years of experience took over at that moment, allowing Nemuri to focus on removing the winter clothes covering the young man. During the middle of her search for any forms of identification, she managed to come across items of interest. A pair of well-designed red gloves and a mask of some sort. They had only brought more questions to the woman's mind.
What was someone his age doing with these kinds of things? The mask easily provided an answer, but she wanted to hear it directly from the young man lying on her living room floor.
'He doesn't seem to be too hurt.' She deduced from a quick look over at him. The blood on his chest was a cause for concern but didn't find any puncture wound. His clothes also appear to be relatively in good shape. 'Let's get him out of those clothes. I can only imagine what this idiot was thinking wearing these clothes in this weather.'
When she started removing the clothes on his torso, Nemuri ran into the most surprising part. Under his shirt was a damaged costume. She could tell it wasn't some cheap suit as it appeared to be made from the same durable material as the gloves and mask. What stood out, even more, was the black lines etched onto the costume in a design, reminiscent of a spider's web. But they paled in comparison to the massive golden spider-like design right on his chest.
The arms stuck out in multiple directions and wrapped around his chest. Nemuri began to wonder if this kid was some newly graduated pro-hero from overseas. It might explain why he was suddenly thrown through her window.
'Doesn't explain the portal opening right outside my apartment.'
Teleportation quirks were a rare sight in their society. The few documented individuals with such powers were kept under strict surveillance to ensure they didn't become a menace to society. As for those in other nations, Nemuri heard they took a similar approach to these powers.
Now wasn't the time to worry about potential villains busting through her door. She resumed her search for any injuries on the young man's body. Thankfully, there didn't appear to be any. It was an odd sight if the dried blood covering his clothes belonged to him. Confusion was easily the word to describe her thoughts on what just happened.
...And there were only two people to turn to for help in this odd situation.
'I don't need to wonder if Shouta is awake. That man never sleeps. Hizashi, on the other hand, I really do hope she doesn't mind if I borrow him.'
So, this has been rewritten for the third time. Things have been changed around to fit the future ideas I've been planning with my brand new beta, Zaru, for the past few weeks. I really do hope you guys can enjoy what's coming. One of the biggest is Peter will NOT be a student at UA High. Obviously, he's too old for such a thing as he's 18 years old. So there are going to be a lot of changes to accommodate his age and situation.
I hope you guys are excited about what's coming down the road in this story.