A/N: Hey guys.

Sorry for not updating in awhile. Long story short, I haven't been feeling super great, emotionally wise. I can't really promise when the next time I'll be updating, since I want to write some stuff for episode 4 beforehand, but it will happen.

Thanks for your patience, and on with the show.

Peter's mouth was dry as he spun a small circle on the street.

Passerbys glanced at him like he was crazy. He didn't care. He ran past them.

"Spider-Man!" He called out. "Spider-Man! I need your help! Spider-Man!"

He jogged, trying his best to locate where Fish-Bowl was.

'I need to get out of his general vicinity.' Peter turned a corner. 'I need somewhere I could change!'

He paused.

'He's following me.' He realized. 'I need to disappear-'

'Or, I need to scare him away.'

Peter had a plan.

He jogged a few streets, ending up somewhere that was a little on the deserted side. He wasn't sure if that was a bad thing or a-

His senses went off.

A puff of green smoke suddenly appeared in front of him.

Peter coughed, and took a few steps back.

'Well, that's a dampen to the plan.'

Once the smoke cleared, it revealed none other than Fish-Bowl.

"I wish I could say that it's nice to see you again, Parker," Fish-Bowl said. "But that would be a lie, wouldn't it?"

Peter took another step back.

'His voice…'

"What do you want?"

The fish-bowl cocked slightly to the side.

"What do I want?" He repeated incredulously. "I think it's pretty clear that what I am craving is your demize, Parker!"

Peter narrowed his eyes.

"If you wanted to kill me so badly," He said slowly. "Then why didn't you wait to make sure that I drowned? Why did you leave?"

"Huh. Smart boy." Fish-Bowl commented. "Well, you see, Peter, I have never killed anyone before. You are my first and last victim. I suppose that I simply have no taste for it."

"Okay," Peter took another step back. "Then why do it at all?"

Fish-Bowl chuckled. "Didn't I already tell you? The idea of more Richard Parkers running around in the world, well, that makes me feel ill just thinking about it."

Peter frowned. 'Wait...does he not know about the sample?'

"So, this is only about revenge." Peter said. "I never did anything to you, you just want to get even with a dead man."

"If you knew the harm that dead man did to me," The villain hissed. "You'd be begging for death at my hands!"

"For some reason, I find myself disagreeing with that, Fish-Bowl." Another step back.

"'Fish-Bowl'?" He chuckled without humor. "Is that what you've been calling me?"

Peter eyed him warily.

"The name I personally prefer," He continued. "Is 'Mysterio'. Has quite the ring to it."

Peter cocked his head.

"You don't want to be called, 'Fish-Bowl'," He took another step. "Then don't add a fish-bowl to your supervillain costume."

"Villain." Fish-Bowl sighed. "Hm...Well, I suppose that is how you'd see me, huh? Alright, then. I'll be the villain, for now. If that's what it's going to take. So, now, Parker, hold still, while I smit you."

He raised his hands. Swirling green smoke began to pool out from his gloves.

'Yeah, not happening.' Peter thought, as he ran into an open alleyway.

Behind him, he heard a chuckle.

"Oh, you still wish to play games?" Mysterio chuckled. "Alright. I'll give you one last game."

Peter narrowed his eyes.

'I've gone this route by rooftops.' He thought. 'Let's hope that I remember it on the ground.'

Left. Right, right, left, straight, left.

At the last corner, he saw it: The gates to Avengers' Mansion.

He ran for it.

Cars honked at him. He dodged them carefully, heart pounding as he rushed to the other side.

He was almost hit by a semi before he landed on the sidewalk. He took several steps forward, and gripped the gate. He turned his head, and there was Mysterio, standing across the street. The pair glared at each other for an entire minute, before the villain turned around and disappeared.

Peter waited a minute before his senses stopped buzzing. He leaned his sweaty forehead against the gate. He took several deep breaths. His heart was pounding like the way it did when he decided to drink seven cans of energy drinks in one day.

"Excuse me, sir," Peter jumped. "May I help you with something?"

The teenager eyed the area.

"Over here."

It was the gate speaker.

Peter flinched. "I...Uh…."

"You seem winded, sir." The voice continued. "Would you be requiring the assistance of the Avengers?"

"N-no!" The teenager tugged his hand away from the gate. "I-I don't need their help! I'm doing fine on my own-"

He winced.

The voice paused.

"You appear to be in distress, sir. Would you like to leave your name? I can inform the Avengers-"

"No, I'm fine." Peter shook his head, backing away slowly. "I...Thanks, but I'm fine...uh ...?"

"JARVIS, sir." The voice informed him.

Peter froze. He glanced at the speaker curiously. "I...JARVIS? Like...the AI?"

"That would be correct, sir."

"C-cool." Peter squinted at the speaker. He froze when he realized that there was a small camera attached.

He ducked his head down. "Well, thanks for the offer, but my friend is waiting for me, and I need to get going, thank you for your help!"

And he took off before any of the Avengers might have stepped outside.

'Yeah, looks like the right place.' Spider-Man thought as he lowered himself at the store front.

Despite the 'Open 24 hours' sign, the lights were off, and the door was closed.

Spider-Man knocked his hand against the glass. "Hello? It's safe to come out now."

The cashier from earlier peeked his head from the desk. With his super hearing, he could hear him telling someone to stay there while he checked it out.

The clerk stiffened at the sight of the super hero, before opening the door.

"Spider-Man?" He asked carefully.

Spidey cleared his voice. "Uh...yes. There was a boy out here earlier, telling me that there was trouble. Well, I dealt with it, and you're safe now."

"Oh, cool!" The clerk relaxed. "Uh...hey, you're a bit shorter in person-"

"Yeah, I get that a lot."

"Spider-Man?"

Peter stiffened. Mary Jane stood up from behind the desk. She walked towards him carefully, her eyebrows furrowed.

"Oh...uh...hi..uh…" He deepened his voice. "Hello, ma'am. Would you happen to be Jane Mary Watson?"

"Mary Jane." She corrected, frowning slightly. "Is Peter okay?"

"Oh-oh! You mean the Bugle kid? Oh, he's fine. Uh-He was worried about you, and I told him that I'd walk you home, and stuff, so…I mean, if you're okay with that, that is."

MJ raised an eyebrow. She thanked the clerk for helping her, before turning to Spider-Man.

"Wow, you really are shorter in person." Her eyes narrowed. She seemed to be analyzing something.

"Yeah-well, some people are gifted with height, so…"

"Your voice sounds weird."

"I get that a lot."

"It doesn't sound like it does on YouTube."

"The camera adds some squeakiness."

Mary Jane frowned at him. "Right. So…"

"Oh, right! Walking-"

"Where's my friend?"

Spider-Man gulped.

"I made him go home." Spidey explained. "Things were getting dangerous."

Mary Jane stared at him.

'Oh god, she knows, oh god, she knows, oh god, she knows, oh god oh god oh gooooooddddd-'

"Right." She said. She frowned at him. "Are we walking or doing that thing you do?"

"What? Swinging?" A tickling excitement flickered in Peter's stomach. "I-I mean, we can do either or. Up to you."

Mary Jane glanced at the street.

"Raincheck on the swinging." She said. "I had too much excitement for one night."

"Okay, sure."

"But I do want to try some day."

"I-I can arrange that."

They began to walk.

"Really? You just do that swinging thing with random citizens?"

Spider-Man cleared his throat.

'Be cool.' He told himself.

"Not really." He admitted. "Only if they're-like-super pretty. And funny."

'I said 'cool' not creepy!'

Peter winced. "Ah...sorry. That was weird."

"Yeah, it was super weird." MJ agreed.

"Fair enough." Spider-Man said. "I deserve that."

"You did."

They walked for a little while in silence. Finally, they get to a bus stop.

"This is good." Mary Jane said.

Spider-Man frowned. He glanced around. "Uh…."

"I don't want you to know where I live."

"Oh."

She shrugged. "No offense."

"None taken."

Awkward pause.

Mary Jane sat down. She tugged out her phone. After pressing some buttons, she pressed it against her ear.

In his back pocket, Peter's phone began to buzz.

The redhead's eyes immediately went to the vigilante.

"You're not going to answer that?" She asked.

Peter gulped. "Er...no. No. That'd be rude to you."

Mary Jane shrugged. "I don't care."

Finally, a bus pulled up.

MJ stood up. "Thanks for the assist, Spider-Man."

"Uh...no problem." Under his mask, Peter blushed.

It didn't occur to him until after MJ entered the bus that neither of them knew where this particular bus was going.

Peter groaned.

'Looks like I'm going to be doing some well intentioned stalking tonight.'

PP: I got attacked again.

GS: ARE YOU SERIOUS?!

HO: R u ok, man?

PP: Yeah, fine. SPM saved me.

LA: SPM?

MJW: Spider-Man.

MJW: Dude walked me to a bus stop.

PP: Are you okay, MJ?

MJW: Fine. Why didn't you answer your phone when I called?

PP: Sorry, showering.

MJW: Right. Course you were.

HS: R u guys ok?

MJW: Little shaky. Thought tiger was going to die.

MJW: Idiot literally walked into danger

GS: WTF, Peter?

LA: Would it kill u to call the police for 1?

PP: I'm okay, guys.

PP: SPM saved my ass.

PP: I'm fine.

MJW: What happened, exactly?

PP: Well, I bumped into Mysterio, of course.

LA: ?

PP: Fish-Bowl.

GS: Is that what he calls himself?

PP: Yup

MJW: Someone is clearly over compensating for something.

PP: Anyways, blah blah blah, he said that he thought he killed me

PP: Blah blah, doesn't want any more Richard Parkers in the world

PP: Blah blah, revenge shit

PP: But that isn't what's important.

LA: Someone attempting to murder you for the second time isn't important.

PP: I think I know who he is.

GS: What?!

LA: Why are you waiting until now to tell us? Tell us!

PP: Call me.

"Is everyone alone?" Peter whispered.

"Yeah, I'm in my room." Liz said.

"Same." Mary Jane replied.

"No one's home." Harry replied.

"My family think I'm asleep." Gwen whispered.

"Don't beat around the bush." Harry said. "Who is it, Pete?"

"Beck. I think it's Beck."

Everyone paused.

"Who?" Liz asked.

"The scientist dude that we talked about today. Remember?" Peter laid down on his bed.

"Hold on." Harry muttered. There was a shuffling, and a creaking of doors.

"Harry?" Liz asked.

"I'm checking the employee database." He replied.

"Wait, are you sneaking into your dad's office?" Peter felt concerned.

"Yeah. One sec…"

There was some typing.

"Why didn't you do this earlier?" Liz asked.

"Cause...cause my dad would have killed me." Harry replied. "But...ugh, Peter almost died again."

"Bro…" Peter replied softly.

"Okay, I'm in." Harry muttered something under his breath. "Beck, Quintin. Looks like he was a lab assistant about ten years ago."

"Lab assistant?" Liz repeated.

"Yeah. But he quit a year later. Records don't explain why…"

Peter nervously tapped on his bed. The sounds of keys turning a lock gave him pause.

Peter gulped.

"I'm going to go, guys," Peter said. "I think I know someone who might have some answers."

There was a pause.

"And you'll tell us what the results are?" MJ asked.

"Yeah. I promise."

There was a pause.

"Alright." Mary Jane said. "Night, tiger."

"Get some rest, dude." Harry added.

Once everyone finished their good-nights, Peter tossed his phone to the side. He took a few deep breaths.

He stood up carefully, before opening up his bedroom door.

"Peter?" May called out. "What are you doing up? You have school tomorrow."

The teenager approached the living room with caution. He studied his aunt carefully.

"Peter?" May frowned.

"Aunt May, I need to talk to you about some things." He said.

May sighed. "Peter, it's very late-"

"It's important." He insisted.

His hands began to shake. It was starting to hit him that Mysterio made a second attempt on his life that night.

"Really, really important." He stressed out.

May looked alarmed. She sat down, and patted the seat next to her. Peter took it.

Aunt May touched his shoulder. "Baby, what's wrong? You're shaking."

Peter gulped.

"May," He said slowly. "I-I need you to tell me everything that you knew about Dad. What he did before he and Mom died."