In the aftermath of frantically stopping Mysterio's pet dragons and the crowd attention he got afterward, Peter ran for a secluded area, changed back into his civilian clothes, and walked back to the ruined vicinity of the concert. Knowing it was it ruins as of now was the least of his worries for he wondered whether all of his friends made it out okay. He could have sworn he saw Gwen and MJ standing amongst the crowd he saved on his way out, yet there was no sign of Harry since he left him to get a corn dog. On top of that, four to five ambulances lined the barricaded area, indicating to Peter that some people had been injured in this encounter much to his remorse. Wishing he could somehow save everyone, a weight practically lifted off his shoulders once he dug his way through the crowd to find Gwen and MJ standing at the entrance of the outdoor arena, unharmed, and nervously playing with their hair. Despite his relief, Peter could sense as if through Spider Sense that Gwen didn't look too happy for as soon as she saw him, she let go of her hair and folded her arms.
"MJ! Gwen! What happened here?!" Peter asked them both trying to fake knowing what happened.
"What happened? Why not ask your injured friend, Harry?" Gwen scolded.
Harry's injured? Peter thought to himself. Oh, gosh. This is all my fault! All in an instant, a weight fell onto Peter's conscience. He was basically at a loss for words though he knew he had come up with an explanation for fear of sounding fake. "Wait, I can explain-"
"Explain, what?" Gwen interrupted. "How you ditched him like you always do and let his leg get crushed while he was getting you a corn dog?! Some best friend you are!"
Peter couldn't believe how fired up Gwen was over his simple absence. He knew Gwen to be feisty on multiple occasions, but this was, by far, the most infuriated he had ever seen her. Was this the end of him being respected amongst his old friends?
"Let me handle this, sister," MJ butted in, seemingly cooling her down like Iceman would by planting her hand on her shoulder. "He's very hurt. He broke his leg tripping on and getting caught under some debris. You should probably go talk to him; see if he'll be okay."
There came a tense atmosphere as Peter looked around through the crowd ahead of them full of paramedics trying to wheel at any and all injured patrons. No one died from what he gathered, and yet still the thought of seeing his best friend injured shot a wave a panic through him as if he were being electrocuted by Electro. He finally noticed Harry's red hair as paramedics were carrying him out on one of those stretchers towards the nearest ambulance. As if he weren't already feeling guilty enough, he was struck with even more guilt over the mere sight of his best friend writing in pain all because his alter-ego was too busy to protect him. Of course, he couldn't tell him those exact words for personal reasons, but he knew he had to do something.
Bucking up every ounce of courage he had to speak to him, he pushed all guilty feelings aside, took a breath, and took a step toward Harry. It took some coordinated maneuvering to get through the paramedics, but he finally made it to his side. "Harry! I'm sorry you got hurt and-"
"Zip it, Pete! I saw you talking to one of those mystery kids on my way back from getting you a corn dog!" Harry furiously interrupted, causing Peter's stomach to lurch. Of course, Fred had to make his presence obvious with his classy colors and buff build.
"Harry, I-"
"Don't! Don't even try! If you won't honor my friendly request then I can't be your pal anymore! We're done!" Harry declared angrily whilst he was being loaded into the ambulance. Knowing this had been the worst time to get caught, Peter simply couldn't believe himself. He had lost a friend all because another friend approached him to talk to him about a proposition. If that truly was the case, then there may have been no recovering from this one. And so, he hung his head in shame knowing that he essentially broke their agreement.
From behind, MJ and Gwen approached him calmly, MJ laying her hand on his back. "How'd it go, Tiger?"
"Not good. He saw me talking to Fred earlier and thought I did it on purpose. Now he says we're not friends anymore. I just don't get it! Here I am trying to make new friends and he thinks I'm not gonna be his best friend anymore. I know he has dad issues and all, but to take it to this extreme…" Peter rattled before trailing off. He almost didn't know what to say next knowing this was often where MJ would interject sympathy into their conversation.
"Give it time, Tiger. He may not have known what he was saying. You remember when you boys used to roll around on the floor fighting until you got carpet burn and he blamed you for it?" MJ said, reminding Peter of the days in which they were just innocent middle school boys wrestling.
"I do, but that was just for fun. This time he seemed pretty serious. I feel like he might never forgive me now," Peter mused pessimistically.
"Don't you dare talk like that! There's more to this friendship than you think. If he were to abandon you just like that, would you do the same?"
Hearing this, Peter nodded, rekindling a small amount of hope that this could potentially turn around.
"If that's the case here, then maybe before he's out of the hospital I'm sure he'll see things differently," MJ laid a hand on his shoulder and smiled to which Peter then reciprocated. There was a warmth to her touch that made everything somehow seem okay. The moment he stared into her deep blue eyes was the moment he felt like everything was going to be okay. No amount of guilt or remorse could have possibly amounted to the reassurance she provided him in this very moment. And for that, Peter wanted to share major affection to the one he knew he could trust.
Before he could speak, however, the three of them were approached by a fit, white haired man in his fifties donning a police uniform that Peter would recognize anywhere: Captain George Stacy. After the same mastermind behind both Hex Girls concert attacks struck a second time, he undoubtedly had to make sure everyone, especially his daughter was okay. Much to his relief, she was, but he also had to be present at the investigation too.
"You two lovebirds doing okay?" the man asked concerningly. He knew the first thing ought to be to make sure every uninjured person within the vicinity hadn't been harmed in any way.
"Present and accounted for, sir!" Peter responded cleverly. His relationship with the captain couldn't have been more humorous at times.
"Glad to know you and my daughter are safe, son," George commented much to the sarcastic dismay of his said daughter.
"Hello, MJ's here too!" Gwen snarked, her dad completely understanding what she was on to.
"Not to worry, all have been accounted for. Injuries, escaped patrons, confiscated items, you name it. Except then there's a band of four teenagers and a dog back there that insist on staying, claiming that 'Spider-Man will show up' to help them investigate," the captain revealed much to Peter's shock.
Of course, he should've suspected it, but then he didn't realize that Fred, Velma, and Shaggy had left a few more texts for him in the time he took to be Spider-Man and come back as himself. Without even reaching into his pocket, he subtly looked at his phone, not bothering to even read what they said for fear of revealing his secret identity to everyone in the vicinity. Still, he couldn't just tell the captain all this either since he didn't seem to know. Right then, he thought maybe to buy his way in to help them despite the fact that he just lost Harry for interacting with them. What would it ever matter though? He wouldn't know in the long run.
"Um, sir, I happen to know those kids. They're Mystery Incorporated from Coolsville, Ohio. Ever heard of them?" Peter asked optimistically.
"A bunch a mystery solving sleuths from out of town hardly escapes my attention. I practically thrive on observing their tactics to improve the efforts of my own men in the unit," the captain stated firmly. Captain Stacy was the least likely to have been a fan much to Peter's surprise.
"Well, they were sort of… hoping to help me with field notes for mystery solving. They worked with Spider-Man the other day. Could they possibly make another exception with me in tail?" Peter pleaded, hoping he didn't give away any clues as to who he was.
The captain thought long and hard about his wants, diligence, and demeanor. If he needed another hand, surely Peter could be the man they needed for the job. Plus there was his oath he still stood by under any circumstances. He ultimately gave a nod of approval. "Just this once, you can help them and they can help you. They may not be police official, but if they're with Spider-Man, they're definitely in good hands."
Peter smiled, throwing up his fist and shouting "Yes!" He then shook his hand avidly. "Thank you so much, sir! I really owe you one!"
"Don't mention it, son," he leaned in to whisper closely to him. "And I mean not to anyone from the presses or Jameson. Got it?"
"Will do, sir!" he affirmed him before thanking him and giving him a pat on the back. This was a pact he would no doubt follow for life knowing he and his mystery solving friends. Leaving his friends behind, he then proceeded to walk back with him into the outdoor arena, which was now littered with pieces of robots from the previous skirmish - including, but not limited to, the dragon robot's endoskeleton sitting there in a haunting state of disrepair as Peter examined it. Once they reached the crowd of uniformed cops arguing with the colorful gang of meddling kids - sans Daphne for reasons no one knew about - Peter and George broke up the dispute by stepping in and proclaiming they're with them and Spider-Man. The gang stood back and watched them debate over what they would do for the next minute of two. When the cops asked why Spider-Man wasn't there to help, they gave him compliments for his previous heroics, stating "The Web-head swung off to stop more serious crimes in progress." And so, with enough persuasion and encouragement from the cops, Peter split off from Captain Stacy to join his fellow mystery solvers. Seeing as they just did him a favor, the gang smiled at Peter for his persuasive tactics and began to investigate the aftermath of the crime scene, confident that Mysterio wouldn't return to wreak havoc.
"So what'd you figure out since last time?" Peter asked as he walked with the four of them toward the stage. "And where's Daphne?"
"We've figured out a lot since last time, but Daphne's gone missing!" Velma exclaimed of great concern. "I wasn't backstage and I haven't seen her since!"
Meanwhile, Fred was noticeably panicked, fidgeting as if antsy to find Daphne to make sure she wasn't hurt. "We-we gotta find Daphne! I can't bare to live without her!" he exclaimed almost hopelessly, hyperventilating simultaneously. To Velma and everyone else, this was one of the few times he showed emotion for anything other than traps.
"Easy, pretty boy!" Velma laid a hand on him. "We'll get to it eventually. Right now we gotta figure out what these robot dragon things were."
"Like, they were robots?!" Shaggy asked, startled by the revelation. "Zoinks!"
"Robots are almost scarier than monsters!" Scooby commented rather disheartened.
"I know, they could easily take over the world any moment if we're not careful," Velma snarked causing Scooby to cling to Shaggy's side, whimpering and shivering together with his owner. "Anyway, now that we're done scaring, let's get to caring. Fred and I will investigate out here while you all look for Daphne."
"And by that you mean me, Scooby, and Shaggy, right?" Peter asked with concern for the duo's well-being.
"You said it, Mr. Parker!" Velma gave him props. "Say, what made you decide to join us today of all days?"
"I happened to be nearby at the concert and Fred asked me if I was still interested so I took the opportunity!" Peter explained, making excuses as usual.
"But you left us earlier right before Spider-Man showed up," Fred noted. "It was all so coincidental that-"
"Yeah, I don't really enjoy magic shows that much so I left. Sorry I must have missed Spider-Man," Peter lied trying to cover his tracks. "Come on, Scoob and Shag, let's go!"
Peter hastily walked out of there before Fred could deduce any further what he was up to. If he hadn't figured out he was Spider-Man by now, he may as well have not figured out at all for the sake of his own safety. As Peter walked away with the team cowards, Fred winced as he then turned to investigate the robotic dragon and Mysterio clone wreckages with Velma.
Backstage, Scooby, Shaggy, and Peter investigated every part of the area, turning over props and everything in search of their faithful companion, Daphne. As Scooby sniffed with his dog nose, little did he realize that Peter was actually utilizing Spider Sense to blanket the area like he usually did in his superhero identity. In the back of his mind, he almost knew how crushed they would be to find out it was just him under that mask. Hopefully, he would keep it that way.
Through his infrared-like vision, Peter continued to scan the area until he was finally able to make out a silhouette of a girl through a blank, locked door. Everything about it matched Daphne's and so he was more than certain it was her. Even though he could most certainly pretend he to have a hunch, he couldn't look too good in front of his biggest fans.
He reached forward as if to shake hands with the door and rattled it to simulate Daphne bashing up against the door. "Guys, I think she's in here!" he yelled out fakely, yet somehow convincingly. This perked up Scooby and Shaggy to where they ran over to assist their new friend. "Help me get this door open, okay?"
"Like, you got it, Pete!" Shaggy affirmed.
"Haven't you heard? Only my friends call me Pete," Peter joked with him.
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, like, I consider you a friend too!" Shaggy reassured his new friend.
"Reah, me too!" Scooby repeated.
"That's good, guys," he said patting Scooby on the head. "Now on the count of three. One, two-"
Before he could reach the 'three', the three of them were already pulling on the door in an effort to bust it open without trying too hard. However, the door seemed to be locked from their side, leaving them with no success.
"Must be locked," Peter noted.
"Oh, well, we tried," Shaggy said, giving up almost on the spot.
"You know what? I think we need to try another way," Peter suggested not wanting to give up while also kind of pep talking to his friend and his dog to keep trying. "Stand back everyone!"
Scooby and Shaggy backed away as Peter assumed a running start position as if he were about to break down the door single handedly. Collectively, Shaggy and Scooby shrugged at each other, wondering how on Earth he was going to pull this off. Even in their somewhat illogical, cartoonish thinking brains, they each had their doubts about Peter being able to break open a door single handedly. They couldn't even break open any of those classy pop bottles from the ads they saw regularly on TV. Suddenly, as if not even trying, Peter charged into the door, ramming it with all his might, breaking it off the hinges and causing it to fall inward, leading the light into the dark room.
"Wow! I must really like to work out," Peter commented proudly sensing that Scooby and Shaggy were a combination of both impressed and confused right about now; he honestly didn't know how he felt about utilizing his super strength in the midst of solving a mystery as himself, though he felt as though he had no other choice. He then turned to witness Daphne in the corner of the room, all tied up in ropes across her legs and arms all while gagged in her mouth. Through the rope in her mouth, she spoke muffled as she could not get her words out without help. "Daphne!" Peter exclaimed, worried for her safety.
Peter knelt to Daphne as Shaggy and Scooby followed him into the small closet. Thinking smart, he pulled the gag from her mouth as she took a deep breath for the first time in who knows how long. "What happened? And why am I tied up back here?" Daphne questioned as if she had been unconscious prior to this moment.
"Like, after Scoob and I were fighting over the remote, you just disappeared," Shaggy explained. "Like, we thought you went to talk to Fred or something."
"Well, I seemed to have been knocked out after witnessing a fishbowl-headed man with a green lightning bolt confront me backstage," Daphne explained trying to remember the last thing she noticed.
Peter knew exactly who she was talking about. "Fishbowl head, green lightning bolt… Mysterio!"
Once the trio of Peter, Shaggy, and Scooby extracted Daphne from her hiding spot, the gang of misfits brought her to regroup with the rest of the gang. Fortunately enough, Captain Stacy stood there sternly with them, his commanding presence filling Peter with a load of reassurance.
"Captain Stacy, this girl was found backstage tied up after Mysterio attacked her. Whoever he is, he needs to be caught and jailed, sir!" Peter explained and suggested, pointing in the direction of Rykers.
"I'll file an arrest warrant soon as I can," the captain affirmed. "Tell them Mysterio's wanted on accounts of assault, abduction, and property damage. And I'll make sure your parents know your safe and sound, Ms…"
"Daphne Blake, sir," Daphne politely stated her name to him.
"Very well, Ms. Blake. I'll ensure you answer a few questions later in order that we can get a good lead on where Mysterio went and what he truly looks like," the captain offered to which Daphne nodded. George then turned to round up his men. "Alright, fellas, it's time we look deeper into this case at the precinct…"
Soon as the captain trailed off, the gang turned to face each other once more.
"Glad to know Daphne's okay," Velma stated. "It seems she's always getting abducted for a change."
"Try being the one abducted, Velma. It's not as fun as you'd probably make it sound," Daphne sassed back at her.
"Oh, Daphne, I almost thought I'd never see you again! I was getting worried," Fred said aiming to take hold of her hands.
"W-were you, Fred?" Daphne asked him, surprised.
"Well… you know, it's only a matter of… how much we'd all miss you," Fred changed gears, almost afraid to express his feelings. "Can't have Mystery Inc. without you in the picture, can we?"
For a change, Daphne didn't know whether to be flattered or dismayed. Instead, knowing Fred wasn't the best expressing himself, she chose both. "I suppose we can't in face of emergency," she finally stated to which he then smiled.
Ignoring the previous exchange, Velma continued. "I deciphered a lot of the tech Mysterio left behind in the area as well as the fact that the stage didn't burn down despite all the fire everywhere. My guess is Mysterio used real robots that breathe fake simulated fire to give the illusion of a real fire."
"Like, no wonder it didn't burn down," Shaggy said.
"Reah. Daphne had have been a goner if it were real," Scooby added distressingly.
"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Velma stated, dismayed that Scooby and Shaggy were still contributing nothing meaningful to the conversation. "And then there's the Hex Girls' abduction. The fact that they're missing is upsetting enough, but I don't have a lead on where they could have wound up."
"We might just have to formulate a plan to track Mysterio if ever he shows up again! Until then, I think the investigation's wrapped up for today, Peter," Fred said turning to Peter.
"Hey, this was fun while it lasted! Too bad I don't have my notes with me or I'd have taken plenty backstage," Peter announced wishing he'd be able to act out his ploy convincingly.
"Notes or no notes, Parker, you can still take some at home while you're studying," Velma suggested. "That's what I'd do in any given situation."
"Thanks for the tip, Velma," Peter stated, giving her props. "I knew I could count on you guys for help!" Really he was referring to how well he had learned to investigate for clues since their first investigation together. In a way, though, he still felt like he was betraying Harry who, even though in the hospital, might have cared lots if it had been MJ or Gwen captured instead.
"Don't mention it," Fred added. "Mystery Inc.'s always got your back!"
"Might wanna hold the cliches, Fred," Peter joked. "If anything you guys should come up with a good slogan to help with publicity."
"Jinkies! Maybe that will help sell the vlogs better," Velma squeaked. "You're a genius, Peter!"
"Not a problem," Peter finished. "Anyways, I'd better get home. My aunt could be worried sick that I'm out so late after an attack in the city."
"Like, whatever you say, Pete," Shaggy commented. "Later!"
Waving, Peter walked away from the arena, proud to finally hold true to his promise to work with his favorite mystery idols as himself. As if helping them as Spider-Man wasn't thrilling enough, they got to see his face this time around and not know it was him before. Except for maybe his voice and the fact that Fred saw his costume hanging out of his bag, there was somewhat of a guarantee they could potentially figure out his identity before long. And then, of course, he broke the door with his sheer strength in front of Shaggy, Scooby, and Daphne, not realizing he wasn't in costume. It was almost as if he let the bliss of it get to his head again that he wound up revealing more clues about himself. Maybe as long as Daphne didn't notice and Scooby and Shaggy didn't use their brains, he would still be able to maintain his identity for a while longer before anyone found out.