All Might clutched his phone tightly, reading the messages popping up quickly on the screen. He had been getting constant messages from Naomasa and the chief regularly since he chose to take on Peter's case, updating him on the progress of finding the masked criminal. The chief was more than happy All Might was on the case, but Naomasa was different. It's not as though he wanted to hunt Peter, in fact, he wished he could drop the whole thing. However, the chief and the public want it done, so it's not something he can ignore. It's his duty, something All Might unfortunately understands.

Naomasa would never admit it, but he didn't mind vigilantes. If they were able to help out, he never wished to fight them. The public or even the chief, however, can demand something to be done. Once it goes public, they have no choice but to act. It was unfair, but it was also the law, two terms that are often put together. All Might knew this, but he never pressed the subject.

Below their names on the phone as the most recent was Izuku Midoriya. Lately, he couldn't look at that name without feeling some kind of guilt. How was he supposed to tell him that he was going to hunt his former classmate? Knowing how close they were, it's hard not to imagine he would be devastated, maybe even angry with him.

Despite this, it was a conversation that needed to happen.

The Midoriya complex came into view quickly, and he prepared himself with a deep breath. He couldn't go through with finding Peter until Izuku was aware of it. He's kept many secrets from him in the past, especially about One for All. Even though Izuku had come to slowly know each of these secrets, that didn't excuse All Might having a new one. Whether he approved or not, this was just something that he needed to tell him. He only wished that it wouldn't harm their relationship from which they have worked so hard to build.

What came into view soon after was the blinking red lights of a large vehicle, along with a few sirens to ward off oncoming traffic. The vehicle was an ambulance truck, the doors in the back opening to allow a pair of medics to haul out a gurney. All Might's thoughts raced faster than his own feet, assuming the worst had come to pass. Had Izuku hurt himself? Was he attacked? Is anyone injured? He wanted to get closer, but the medics hadn't allowed him through.

Rather than finding someone to be dead, he found May Parker being carried out on a gurney, an oxygen mask over her face. She was lifted into the ambulance truck with Izuku and Inko at her side when the young hero took notice of his teacher.

As All Might had asked what happened, Izuku responded quickly by saying "May just collapsed on the floor! W-we don't know what happened!" The boy was panicking, crying as he was known to do. The event had been so sudden for him that he was still recovering from the shock. All he knew was being in his room studying for the exam when his mother started to shout. Was it a heart attack? A stroke? Neither of them was sure.

He wanted to join his student in the ambulance truck, but the medics wouldn't let him through. Instead, he was forced to watch as Izuku and his mother climbed into the truck with May and drive away, the alarms wailing into the distance. The street became empty rather fast, leaving only the pro hero to hold the memory of what happened.

He had come here with a purpose, one which he had completely forgotten at the moment. It was like the universe was trying to stop him from hurting his successor. What was he supposed to do now? How could he possibly break the news to him when he was already dealing with a crisis of his own? Now his confession felt selfish and wrong.

No, this was no longer the time.

His phone rang once again, the call coming from detective Naomasa. The poor Pro wasn't even allowed a few moments to cope and process the new information. Now was not the time to be bombarded with commands to hunt his former student, not when Izuku needed him most. Still, he felt he had no choice but to answer, using a depressing "Hello?"

"All Might, I've been trying to contact you. Are you busy?" said Naomasa.

"Sorry, I'm just dealing with something."

Naomasa could hear the sound of the ambulance sirens in the distance despite how far away they were. All Might shouldn't have been doing hero work right now, especially with his current condition concerning his quirk, "What's going on?"

"Right …poor May Parker had some kind of incident; the ambulance came to pick her up."

"Is she ok?"

"I think so, but I'm not sure."

"…You said May 'Parker' right? Peter Parker's aunt?"

"Yeah, why?"

The silence worried him. It was clear the detective had come up with some kind of idea, likely concerning the old woman. After that moment of silence, Naomasa put him on hold, saying he needed to "run something by someone".

By the tone of his voice, it couldn't have been good.

…

Izuku stuck by May's side for as long as he could. Panic was stricken all over his face as he watched her struggle to breathe with the oxygen mask. Doctors tried to get him to leave but he resisted, keeping one hand on the gurney while Inko gave up in tears some time back. How could he have let this happen, he thought? He had promised Peter if anything happened to him, he would look after May. Everything was fine until today; how did they not see it coming. There were a few moments of fatigue, but she never showed anything like this. Had she hidden her symptoms?

The doctors finally got Izuku away from the gurney as they hauled May into another room to treat her. He was no longer crying, too in shock while asking himself the same questions over and over. What was he supposed to do now? This was the part of being a hero they never prepared you for; what happens when you fail? What do you do when the enemy isn't a villain, but your own failure to act? If he had paid more attention, maybe he would have seen this coming and gotten her help. If he had only done something sooner.

Inko caught up with him, the same look of worry on her face from which she had passed onto her son. She had been feeling the same kind of guilt, just coming from a different source. She had stressed May out with her thoughts and likely caused whatever happened, she may have just killed her If things go south. Perhaps she should have just stayed quiet and watched the news in peace.

"I'm so sorry, Izuku …" Inko muttered through her tears, "This is all my fault …"

"No," He said sternly, "I should have seen it coming …I promised I'd look after her."

There he went again with the hero's guilt, putting everything on himself rather than share the blame. That isn't the kind of life she wants him to live, always putting himself in harm's way for others. She knew without a doubt he would switch places with May if he could; she would likely with to do the same. The hero's life has plagued her family for so long; torturing Izuku emotionally for years, and now harming them with worry and guilt over Peter. How could any of it be so worth it as to create an entire school around the subject?

How can being a hero be worth all this pain?

By this point, the news had already gotten involved. Reporters from multiple stations crowded outside the hospital trying to get the story. Normally, they wouldn't bother with a simple case like this, but May was Peter's aunt, and he was popular in the news right now. Getting the scoop on her would mean serious attention for their respective news organizations. If not for her connection to Peter, no one would have cared. They often try to go for stories related to heroes and villains rather than something more down to earth; stories like that are reserved for bloggers or small-time magazines.

Two hours in, Izuku and her mother waited in the lobby to hear about her status. He tried to message his friends, but most of them were asleep. They likely wanted to get as much rest as possible after studying so hard for the upcoming exams; they wouldn't have time to deal with his issues. Putting it like that, he actually felt selfish. This was his mess, his failure, he shouldn't burden anyone else with it; No one was answering, anyway.

Except for one.

Ochaco Uraraka answered just a few minutes after he texted her. Even though all he said was 'Hey, are you awake?', she could tell something was up. He wouldn't have texted at this hour unless it was important. Rather than opt only for messaging, she ended up calling him, for which he hesitantly answered.

"Deku? Is everything ok?" She asked with worry weighing on her voice.

"I'm really sorry to message you so late, Uraraka," He sounded depressed, further signaling that there was a problem. It made her heart drop; was he hurt? Had something happened? Her immediate concern was his well-being, holding her breath until he elaborated.

"Deku, what's wrong?"

"It's May …she's in the hospital."

"What?! What happened?! Is she ok?!"

Her panic only made him feel worse, but he couldn't just hang up, "We don't know yet, she just collapsed in our living room earlier."

There was a lot of pain in his voice, so she realized now that her panic likely wasn't helping. He didn't need someone to solve the problem for him. He wanted someone to comfort him, and tell him everything would be ok. That's all she wanted to do, to make him feel better when he was sad. "Deku …everything will be ok. Do you want me to come over to you?"

"No! No, it-it's ok, I don't want to burden you with anything."

"You aren't a burden to me, though. I can come over if you want me to," She paused, "Do you want me to?"

Of course, he did, but it was past midnight now. He'd be taking away her sleep if he allowed her to come here. At the same time, she would only feel worse having to live with what he's told her, and he didn't want to do that to her. "I mean …yeah? I-it would be nice, but I don't want to make you go out into the middle of the night."

"Well …can I at least stay on the call with you?"

The two remained on call for the next 30 minutes. Most of it was spent in silence, only hearing the gentle breathing from one another to signal they were still there. They would chat every once in a while, but not about much. There wasn't much they could discuss in the wake of May's hospitalization. Still, that didn't stop her from trying. All she wanted was to help him, and all he needed was someone to be there to keep his mind from escaping him.

After another 15 minutes, a doctor finally approached Izuku and his mother, who stood immediately after seeing them. They hadn't hesitated to ask if May was alright, scanning every inch of the doctor's face to get a sneak peek at the answer.
"May Parker is doing fine; we stabilized her condition. Right now, we're letting her get some rest, but you can come see her if you want to."

They gasped in relief, including Uraraka who had been listening through the phone, "Thank goodness!" Said Izuku, "I was so worried!"

"You can head to room 616 when you're ready."

Giving the doctor a thankful nod, Izuku returned to the phone with a smile on his face, "May is gonna be ok!"

"That's good, Deku! I'm glad!"

"Yeah …thank you for staying with me."

"Of course. You should go and see May, I'll call you in the morning."

"Right, thank you for everything Uraraka."

The call finally came to an end, and he put his phone back into his pocket. He wouldn't have gotten through the last hour as well as he did If not for Uraraka. She had always been there for him when he thought he was alone. When no one wanted to partner with him at the sports festival, she was the first to happily volunteer. She was always at his side, no matter what.

Izuku ran ahead of his mother, who trailed behind at half speed, weighed down by her guilt. Would May even want to see her after what happened? She wouldn't have to be here if she hadn't freaked out at her. What if she hates her now for nearly killing her? Everything they've built would come crumbling down because she let herself get too emotional.

That was something she and her son had in common.

Izuku raced up the stairs to the sixth floor, counting the rooms one by one. The smile on his face only grew bigger when he saw the label for room 616 in the distance. However, that happy feeling shrunk when he noticed two people standing outside the door. One he immediately recognized as his mentor, All Might, reduced to his weaker state. Since he had seen him outside his home earlier that night, he assumed he was here to check up on May and himself. Come to think of it, he hadn't figured out yet why All Might was at his house in the first place.

Everything changed when he saw the other person.

Speaking with All Might was detective Naomasa, the same man who came and arrested Peter a few weeks earlier at the sports festival. The same man who lead the case against Peter, branding him a criminal. What was he doing here? It couldn't be a coincidence he was here at the same time as All Might. They must have been here for the same purpose. Whatever that purpose was, it scared Izuku before he even met it.

"Hey …" Izuku slowed gradually to a stop just a yard from the duo, his arms drooped to his side, "What are you doing here?"

Normally, All Might would be happy to see young Midoriya, but this was different. Today, he was sad to see him, knowing he wasn't here for a reason he'd like, "Midoriya … Detective Naomasa and I …we're here because-"

"It's not his business," Naomasa said, "I'm sorry, but this is police matters."

"Police matters …" Izuku muttered allowed. Knowing Naomasa's connection to Peter's case, this had to be about him somehow, "If this is about Peter, May has nothing to do with that! You aren't here to arrest her, right?!"

"No! No! Of course not!" Naomasa waved his hands around, "It's not like that at all."

All Might groaned, muttering a curse under his breath as he went to rip the band-aid off the truth, "The police are here for Peter, Midoriya."

"Peter?" He questioned his mentor, "But, Peter isn't here."

"No …not yet, anyway," He paused, his fist clenching, "The police believe that once he hears about what happened, Peter will come and see his aunt here in the hospital."

It made sense, thought Izuku. May meant everything to Peter, and this was going to be all over the news. Knowing how much he cared about people, especially those close to him, he wouldn't just leave them in a hospital bed without visiting. Of course, if the police were here because of that fact, it meant one thing, "You're using May as bait," he realized, looking directly at Naomasa, "How could you …how could you do that?! How could you use an innocent woman as bait to catch a hero?!"

"We won't be doing the catching, that job belongs to All Might."

"All Might …?" He looked to his mentor, who refused to make eye contact with him. That's why they were here, to catch Peter. Naomasa, he understood, but All Might? Peter was his student too, how could he agree to do something like this? There had to be more of a reason than that, there just had to be more too it. Yet, as he looked into All Might's black eyes, he found no evidence of foul play.

"I'm so sorry," All Might said with a ripple in his voice, "I was on my way to tell you earlier. It's not that I see Parker as a villain, really it isn't. The longer he stays out there, the more harm he puts on not only others but also himself. I just want to bring him home so he can go on trial. We don't want him behind bars, but he needs to face what he did. He'll get the best lawyer-"

"He's a hero!" Izuku cried, feeling genuine anger toward his mentor and friend, "He's just trying to do the right thing!"

"So am I, young Midoriya. If he goes on trial, we can try to fight for a house arrest, then possibly parole. We want what's best for him."

"Then leave him alone!"

All Might had never seen Izuku get angry at him like this before. He had always fawned over his strength and reputation. Now, though, he was genuinely angry and disappointed. To see someone who has spent most of their life idolizing you suddenly reject you, that stings worse than the wound on his stomach ever could.

"I don't want to hurt him," All Might reassured, "I just want to help him. Other heroes have already tried; Kamui Woods, Mt. Lady, Miruko, none of them could contain him. If I don't do this, they'll just find other heroes, and they'll likely try and hurt him."

All Might tried to reach out and put a hand on Izuku's shoulder, but the boy pulled away with tears in his eyes. Perhaps Izuku wouldn't have been as upset if he didn't know the truth about Peter. He knew what he was up against and why he needed to be out there. That aside, All Might should have understood better than anyone the burden of being a hero. Couldn't he realize Peter was doing this for a reason? Why did he have to obey his duty?

This was his job; he had almost forgotten.

A piece of him wanted to accuse All Might of doing this only because they offered him a lot of money. He realized, though, that he wasn't that kind of hero. All Might really cared about people, and wouldn't take a job like this unless he felt he needed to. Perhaps he really believed what he was saying, but that didn't make it better.

He understood why, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

Without saying another word, Izuku moved past the hero and detective, opening the door of May's room. All Might tried to say something, but Izuku had no response for him. He wasn't sure whether or not to be angry, so silence was the only option he felt comfortable taking.

"I'm sorry, Toshi," Naomasa said, crossing his arms and looking down at the floor, "He'll eventually understand that this is the right move."

"It's the responsible move," All Might corrected, "That doesn't make it right."

Izuku entered the darkened room that May was placed in. The lights were dimmed as not to hurt her eyes while she slept but left glimmering slightly in case doctors came in to check on her. The lights, dim as they were, were a nice yellow color. It was comforting, giving him a sense of safety, he so desperately needed after that encounter with his mentor. May was laying on the bed in the corner; a small radio device on the table next to her was playing ocean sounds to help her sleep. She seemed fine now, breathing steadily according to the movement of her chest. Whatever happened before seems to have passed, for now.

He grabbed a chair and sat next to May, looking at her face in great detail. She wasn't exactly pale, but despite her calm state, she didn't look well. She seemed so frail, more so than usual. How could he not have seen that something was wrong with her? He promised he'd take care of her and he hadn't done that. He could have caught this and got her the help she needed, but he failed to act. Now, this was his fault.

Some time went by, and he remained there in silence as he watched over May. He was surprised his mother didn't come in to visit, but she must have had her reasons. While he could have left at any time, he felt if he did, then the promise he made would be broken once again. Peter is counting on him, and he can't let him down.

A knock on the door pulled him out of his trance, making him blink repeatedly to regain focus. He didn't need to announce that the door was open, instead watching as the handle was pulled down and pushed in. He expected his mother was finally visiting, or perhaps a doctor. Maybe it was All Might coming in to talk to him about Peter. Instead, however, entering the room was his fellow classmate and friend, Ochaco Uraraka.

She was dressed in her casual clothes, a simple t-shirt, and shorts with sandals on her feet. She had an awkward smile, knowing that Izuku told her she didn't have to show up. Her clothes were wrinkled like she just threw them on before coming here. Had she woken her parents up to drive her Did she end up walking here? It was at least an hour past midnight now; she should have been asleep, yet here she was.

And she was here for him.

"Uraraka …" Izuku muttered, "You came?"

"I couldn't stay away," She smiled, approaching him as she looked between him and May, "I don't know her very well, but I know you."

"You should be asleep, though. You need to rest for the exams coming up."

She could tell he was troubled, despite how happy he seemed when they last spoke on the phone. It had only been less than an hour since they hung up, did something happen in that time? Had her condition gotten worse? She didn't look too bad to Uraraka, so it must have been something else. "You ok, Deku?"

Asking that question for him was like giving him permission to cry. He did that a lot, but it felt serious this time. Normally he cried from distress, but this was genuine pain he was feeling. It hurt to see the boy she looked up to for strength feeling so weak.

Gently, she put her hands on his shoulders and he remained stationed in the chair. One of her feet balanced on its toe, leaning in on his body. She wasn't here to judge, and he knew that.

"…I should have seen this," Izuku murmured, fighting through the choking grip of his tears, "Before Peter left, he once made me promise to look after May if anything happened to him. Now, something happened to May and I wasn't there to prevent it. I should have paid more attention; that's what a hero is supposed to …I failed the one thing he asked me to do …"

"Oh, Deku … I'm so sorry. I didn't know you were going through this."

"I'm supposed to be a hero," he cried harder, "H-how could I l-let myself fail?!"

Uraraka leaned down and hugged him tightly, running her hand through his hair. His tears rolled onto her shoulder and down her back, but she didn't mind. He was shaking in her grip, trying to find stability in the warmth of her body, "It's not your fault, Deku. You couldn't have known this would happen, and you did look after her. You brought her here, right? You haven't let Parker down. I know you always do your best for others no matter what!"

"…I just want Peter to come home."

"Me too. We're still here, though, and we'll always have each other, right?"

He smiled and looked up at her, "Right …thank you, Uraraka."

They remained in the embrace for some time, enjoying each other's company. It meant a lot to him that she had chosen to come and see him despite being urged not to. He liked her, more than a friend likes another, but he was still too nervous to tell her that. She was cute, sweet, bubbly and fun. Beyond that, she was loyal to her friends and everyone she cared about. When he needed cheering up, she was there for him as she was now.

If only she could accept her feelings as he did.

…

He was close to home now, closer than he had been in quite some time. The wall-crawling hero kept close to the shadows since the Hosu incident, using his stealth suit as much as possible. Because of this, his suit was now out of charge, and he was stuck wearing his regular suit under his clothes. The night was warm since It was getting closer to summer now, and he appreciated not having to freeze while finding a place to sleep every night, whether it be a bench or in a tree.

Peter could be swinging right now, soaring through the sky on strands of webs. Unfortunately, those webs have a limit. He exhausted much of his supply during the Hosu crisis. To make more, he would need materials that he doesn't have access to as a fugitive. A few pellets remained, enough for one or two swinging sessions and a few quick fights, but that was it. Preserving it by operating on foot has helped, but not enough.

If he wanted, he could go and visit May and the Midoriya's right now; it's just a swing and a half away. Thing is, it probably wouldn't be safe with the police after him. It shouldn't be surprising if they had their home under watch. Home; he called it his home. Yes, it's where he slept and ate and studied, but was it his home? It was a place he felt safe, a place he belonged in even if it wasn't originally his own.

Yes, it was his home, and he missed it.

As he walked the streets with his hood up, doing everything he could to hide in plain sight, he saw something that intrigued him. More accurately, he saw someone that he knew. Walking out of a store with an envelope in his hands was the man he knew briefly as Jin Bubaigawara. He hadn't seen him since the attack in Hosu, and had been wondering what happened to him. Jin didn't look hurt, so he must have got out of Hosu unharmed. Being that he helped fight Carnage, he was probably one of the few out here he could talk to without getting arrested.

Entering a speed walk, Peter called out for Jin who seemed to ignore him. It wasn't until Peter grabbed his shoulder than he finally paid attention and realized who it was.

"Parker?" Jin questioned, "The hell are you doing here?"

Hey! Our buddy! Fate has reunited us! Said the voice in Jin's head.

Peter readjusted his hood before answering, "I was gonna ask you the same thing. What happened to you after Hosu?"

Peter was the last person Jin had expected to see after what happened in Hosu. He didn't see what happened after the building came down, so he simply assumed he was dead. Seeing now that he was here, the voice in his head couldn't shut up about it, screaming 'Friend!' every second. That voice was the leading cause of most of his migraines. "I thought everything was said and done, so I took off. Started thinking you were dead."

"Had a close call, but still breathing," With more people passing by, Peter found he needed to quiet his voice in case he said something someone would hear. This wasn't the best place for them to talk, "You wanna go somewhere else?"

Reunited, the two outcasts made their way through the city together. Neither of them had any money, and the hour was late. The only place serving any food or shelter was the nearby soup kitchen, which was thankfully open 24/7. It was nicer than the one they had met in; it was cleaner, had better food, and a nice radio playing in the corner. The music playing was some upbeat yet slow and sweet piano music. Despite the late hour, there were quite a few people there, but the duo was still able to find a table at the far corner of the dining room for privacy.

Unlike the last place, this soup kitchen had servers who brought food to the people, menu included. After ordering, they sat and waited to see who would speak first.

"So," started Jin, "What happened in Hosu? How did you survive the building collapse?"

"Luck," Answered Peter, "And a little help from the enemy. Managed to stop him though, that's the main thing. How about you? Where did you go?"

"After the building came down, I figured I wasn't needed anymore, so I took off."

There was a sincere lack of confidence when he said that, and Peter easily picked up on it. There wasn't all that much he really knew about Jin, now that he thought about it. He never seemed like the confident type, always putting himself down in solitude. What else could be going on in his head that he couldn't see from the outside?

"Still on your own?" Asked Jin.

"Yeah, still on my own. Haven't had much of a choice."

"We all know what that feels like. Well …except me."

"Why is that?"

Jin almost forgot that he hadn't told Peter much about the voice in his head, much less anything about his quirk. Would he judge him the same way that Kyoka had? True, she didn't have any verbal objections, but her body language told him she didn't feel safe around someone like him. Could he really take the risk and allow someone else to judge him for something out of his control?

Come on! Just give it a try! Said the voice, Peter's gotta be different! Outcasts stick together!

"…Yeah, maybe you're right," Jin nodded.

"Right about what?" Peter tilted his head in confusion.

"Not you," Jin put a finger to his temple, tapping it a few times, "Him. I have this …voice in my head, thanks to an accident I caused. My quirk lets me make copies of things or people. I let all my clones do my work until they rebelled and scarred me. The trauma caused …him."

Peter absorbed the information, understanding it was probably taking a lot of strength to tell him this. Talking about your own mental health issues is difficult, especially in today's society, in any world.

"Sometimes I worry I'll split again, so I put on a mask to make me feel whole. That's why I went by 'Twice' in Hosu," he rubbed his face in aggravation, "It's why I'm on the street, kid. I can't hold down a job with my condition; Drives me to nearly split. Nobody trusts a guy like me, who can blame 'em?"

People with mental health issues often got rejected in society. It was terrible, but it was simply the truth. A lot of people believed if you had a mental health issue that you were dangerous in some way, or belonged in an asylum. This wasn't true of everyone, not to that degree anyway, but many felt uncomfortable around people like that and possessed a form of prejudice toward them. As a result, it was hard for them to find jobs.

"I'm sorry, Jin," Peter apologized, "I know that must be tough. The world isn't as forgiven for someone who's different."

Tell him about our plan! Don't make him all sad and wimpy! Don't you dare!

"It's not all bad," Jin spat out due to the influence of the voice, "There are these people …a group of outcasts, you may say. I've decided to try joining them, find a place where I actually belong. Suppose to be meeting them soon. Part of me is having doubts though …it feels pretty risky."

"Jin, if you feel like you've found a place you belong, you deserve to seek it out. Everyone needs something like that, a sense of purpose and belonging. If you think this group provides some sort of support system for you, I say give it a shot."

It was to know Peter supported him, but he didn't know the full story. He didn't know what this group was all about, their purpose, why they formed, what they want to do. It seemed risky to take that path, but it's the only one that seems to make sense. Besides, maybe Peter is right; he deserves to have a sense of belonging, wherever it may be.

"Yeah …maybe you're right, kid," Jin smiled, "Thanks. You're pretty mature for your age, you know that?"

"Experience is a great teacher. Then again, so was Mr. Miyagi."

The joke flew right over his head, but Peter didn't really mind, nor did he take notice. His eyes were fixed on the television playing in the upper corner of the room. A late-night newscast had been playing with breaking news from back home. The second it concerned that city, he tuned in to see what happened. His heart dropped when he saw the camera fixate itself on a place he recognized; The Midoriya complex.

"The victim has been identified as May Parker, the aunt and sole family of the recently outed U.A student-turned villain known as Peter Benjamin Parker, A.K.A Spider-Man," Said the newswoman, "Mrs. Parker seemed to have had some sort of accident in her home and collapsed to the floor in critical condition. She was rushed to the hospital after a speedy call from one of the residents of the house she was staying in. They had no comment to make on what transpired, but local residents discuss what they think of the incident."

"The poor woman!" A man said into the camera, interviewed by the reporter, "She has nothing to do with her nephew's crimes, yet the universe is punishing her!"

"How do we know she's not exactly like her nephew? Or maybe he sabotaged her! We don't know the story!" Said another.

Jin looked between Peter and the Tv, worried about how focused the kid's eyes were. It looked as though his entire world just shattered like a mirror in a rockslide. He was shaking rapidly, trying to control his finger movement but failed miserably.

"…I have to go," Said Peter, "I'm so sorry, I-"

"I get it, kid," Said Jin, "Family is important. Go be with her."

A quick thank you, and Peter rushed out of his chair and zoomed past the waiters, just as they had finally delivered their food to the table. Now, there were two plates of food; despite their being only one body to consume, at least he wouldn't be eating alone.

…

The hospital was lit up by the moonlight, casting a shadow behind it as long as a football field. It was cold, the only warmth coming from either the light of the sun or gas from a car exhaust pipe. Doctors were moving in and out of the hospital, changing their shifts for the next few hours. They went off to their homes so they could sleep the day away and prepare for the next night shift. They preferred this, despite the reversal of their sleep schedules. It was quieter at night, easier to handle unless there was a specific occasion.

Izuku, Inko, and Uraraka were asked to leave some time in the night. Since the event happened so late, they were allowed to stay until all the records were written for May's hospitalization. Once that was done, visiting was no longer allowed until morning. It had meant a lot to Izuku that Uraraka stayed for as long as she did before she returned home, further reinforcing those hidden feelings he has for her. Having her there helped him cope with his guilt over May, and get his mind off of All Might.

It was hard for him to sleep through the night knowing what was going to happen. Peter would definitely be going to the hospital to check on May, which means All Might will be waiting for him when he gets there. As strong as he believes Peter to be, All Might was the symbol of Peace, and a holder of One for All. His speed and strength were unrivaled by anyone. Then again, he was slowly growing weaker because of his injury, so Peter could potentially hurt him. If that was the case, how far would Peter go to defend himself?

No matter who wins, it doesn't end well.

Sitting up, Izuku clenched his blankets with faint tears in his eyes. He couldn't just sit here while his friend gets arrested for trying to help people, but what was he supposed to do? If All Might saw him, he'd know exactly why he was there; trying to stop him from taking Peter down. If he did nothing, Peter would be forced to face All Might and he would have no choice but to fight.

He couldn't fail to act; Peter wouldn't.

His mind made up, Izuku dressed up in his white shirt and hoodie and moved to the window. There were only a few hours until daylight, and the night was already lighting up with a blue tint. Opening the window, he activated his Full Cowling and jumped out, landing on the roof further down from him. He needed to stake out the hospital until Peter arrived, and stop him from making a mistake.

…

A lot of webbing was being used up by swinging this fast, but he didn't care. Even if it used the last of his supply, he needed to reach Aunt May as soon as possible. By using his momentum to fling himself farther, he could make a distance of two or three swings for the price of one. Often had he treaded around the city, but never actually let himself come back. It was the first place they'd think to look for him, and the last place he expected to be. Sneaking around would be more difficult since his stealth suit was still depleted of energy, so he wore his classic suit under his clothes as a substitute.

"Please be ok," he said to himself over and over, almost once per swing. He had lost so much already; his parents in a plane crash, his uncle in a mugging; both of which he felt were his own fault in some way. May was the only constant in his life right now, especially after arriving here. It's not a matter of not wanting to lose her, it's a matter of that he can't lose her. Finally, he was feeling like he understood who he was; why does the universe feel it needs to balance his happiness with more trauma?

It took him some time, but he finally found the hospital just as the sun was creeping over the horizon. Pink and orange colors filled the sky, still being pushed back by the blue of the stratosphere. As the stars faded away, he found himself on the roof where he opened the ventilation shaft and hopped inside. No matter what world he was in, vents were still his friend.

Carefully he crawled through the tight space of metal, moving slowly as not to alert anyone below him. There was no plan, no pattern to how he searched the building. Everything was connected, so he was bound to find her eventually. All he could think about was if she was ok or not, so he blindly crawled in hope of a miracle. What made it harder to crawl was the bag on his back. He could have left it somewhere, but being on the move left few options for a hiding place, especially with what he was carrying inside.

He had almost forgotten the infinite potential he was carrying.

Crawling for almost 30 minutes, he finally found her room on the sixth floor. Before entering, he observed her through the grates to see if anyone else was around. From what he could see, she was all alone in the dark, at least for now. She was breathing, too, and she looked overall fine. Still, that didn't mean he was leaving. Peter opened the grate and jumped down, landing on all fours as to limit the noise. His spider-sense was clear, though he should keep it on high alert.

Seeing May laying there, tucked in with the blankets and her head resting on the pillow, she looked so fragile. The slightest touch might shatter her like glass, so he wouldn't dare touch her. It wasn't fair for her, having to go through everything in this world all because of Peter. She should get to go home and live out her life, but instead, she was stuck here dealing with his mess; May deserved better.

On the desk next to May was a clipboard, holding a stack of papers against its surface. A closer look revealed it to be a copy of May's diagnosis report. There was no hesitation in picking it up; he needed to know what had happened. It could have been sabotage, maybe Norman escaped and poisoned her. Perhaps someone sniped a drug into her system from far away, or maybe she still had internal injuries from the attack on the school.

What proved to be the truth was something out of his control.

The symptoms included in the paper were shortness of breath, fatigue, erratic pulse, nausea and paleness. None of that sounded good on their own and it was even worse together. The generic symptoms could have been anything, but the rest is what pinned it down. He didn't need to read the official diagnosis to know what was going on.

Dilated Cardiomyopathy; a type of heart disease.

"I was hoping you wouldn't have to see that."

May's voice sprung to life in the darkness of the room, catching Peter's attention in a net of worry and relief. He immediately put the clipboard down and jumped into a chair next to her, his hands on the bar of the bed, "Hey, Aunt May."

May put a hand to his cheek, smiling warmly in the cold of the dark, "I missed you so much, Peter."

"I'm sorry I've been gone for so long. I should have been here and seen you were sick."

"No, don't do that. Poor Izuku is already blaming himself for that same reason. It's I who should have taken care of myself."

The message was subtle, but he caught it easily before it could go over his head, "You knew you were sick? How long did you know?"

"A while," She sighed, "Long before we came to this strange new world."

Another message that didn't sink in with him right away. He had never told her, yet she spoke as though it was a familiar subject. Once it hit him, disbelief came next, "You know about that?"

"It didn't take much to figure it out, Peter. We lived in a world with gods among us, a new world isn't all that new. A simple search on the internet told me things were different."

Peter tried to keep his attention away from the clipboard. He thought, perhaps, if he ignored its existence, then it would just go away. It would just disappear along with her sickness and everything would go back to normal. Of course, things were never that easy; the universe was never that kind to him. There always needed to be a balance. If the universe gave him happiness, it also needed to take something away as an exchange.

"I'm old, Peter," She said weakly, "This was always coming for me; it's better if I just accept it."

"I-it might not be that bad, yet!" he stuttered, "Don't sign the reapers contract before you've read the fine print!"

"I sign it a long time ago, Peter."

"Then burn the contract! You don't have to accept it!"

"Peter," Her tone became stern, yet retaining a warm feeling, "My time is running short, and yours is still beginning. I was always coming to this, even before you were Spider-Man. I know you're dealing with so much, and I don't wish to put more on you. That's why I want you to understand."

He didn't understand, and he couldn't accept it.

Emotion overran his mind, his breathing quickened as he fought the tears in his eyes. Quickly, he pulled his bag off his back and unzipped it, making a loud noise that forced him to recoil. No one came in to check on it, so he continued and dug into his bag. He hadn't actually seen them since he found them, often ignoring they were there to avoid temptation. This was different though, right?

In his hands now were two of the Infinity Stones; The Power Stone and the Reality Stone. They glowed dangerously as they hummed in his palms. May looked at them as though she was staring at a shooting star. Even she could feel the raw power coming from inside their casing.

"You see these?" He held them close so she could see, impatience and desperation taking over as he stood tall, towering over his aunt, "It doesn't have to be our reality. I can stop it …I can make it all go away. Just one thought, and I can cure you. You'll be ok, and everything will be fine."

He spoke gently, stuttering and repeating himself as he tried to justify his actions. All he needed to do was bring the two stones together, make a wish, and May would be fine. Everything would go back to the way it was. May would be ok, and she could get out of here in the morning. It's not like Norman or Lumina; He's not cheating death if May hasn't died yet. It's just a little tweak to reality. He's done it before, even if it was on accident.

"Well?" May asked, "If you're so sure, go ahead."

May's permission should have made it easier. He should have slammed those stones together and done it, yet he hesitated. He shouldn't be waiting, not with the little time that she has left. Norman and Lumina didn't understand how to use them properly. They only wanted something for themselves, to cheat the rules of reality. Peter only needed to shift it slightly, speed up her recovery. Everything would be fine as long as he used the stones. May will be healed, and it'll all be okay. There's so much he can do; He can heal May, clear his name, stop Lumina; all he needed to do was use them.

That's why he couldn't.

Rather than bring the stones together, he chucked them to opposite sides of the room in a fit of anger. Slumping against the wall, he finally let himself cry those tears he fought so hard to contain. In his hands he held the power of gods, the universe would have bent to his will. Instead, he ducked out and wasted that potential. There was a voice in his head that told him he couldn't, he shouldn't.

"I can't!" he exclaimed, "I can't do it! I'm sorry, May! These stones, they corrupt whoever uses them! If I heal you, I know it will never be enough! I won't be able to stop once I start! Lumina, Norman, they've been corrupted by the influence of the stones and welcome it! I can't be like that, I won't! I won't lose myself and become a danger to the world and everyone around me! This should be easy; I'm doing it for you!"

All while he cried tears of pain, May looked over him with sympathy, her expression remaining the same, "Be honest with yourself, Peter, It's ok."

There was, in fact, a truth he couldn't admit because he thought it would hurt too much. Unfortunately, that truth lined up with everything he stood for, so he knew he needed to stand by it, "If I use the stones, I risk becoming addicted to their power. I don't know how far I'll go to make everything perfect. I'll become dangerous, doing more harm than good. And …" he took a deep breath, sniffling as he wiped his tears, "It's not worth it. Saving you means possibly dooming so many others, and corrupting everything I've achieved, everything that I am. I can't allow myself to take that risk."

"Finally," May smiled, a breath of relief escaping her, "After all this time, you've finally thought about yourself first."

"That shouldn't be a good thing."

"It is, though. I love the person that you've become. Who you are is someone who protects others, making the responsible choice. You always do what's right even if it hurts. I would never want you to save me if it meant sacrificing the amazing man, I know you are. The world needs that man, it needs Spider-Man, and I can't let you kill him."

"But I'd have to kill you!"

"No, you wouldn't, because …?" She waited for him to finish, knowing he knew what she meant.

"…Because you're old."

"As old as the colors in the sky."

They laughed as she gestured him to sit back in the chair. Once he had, he rested his head on her lap as she ran her fingers through his hair. What remained of his tears dripped onto the blankets, barely staining them.

She had accepted this a long time ago.

Sitting his head on her lap, she felt the tears come through the blanket. As she rubbed his head, she sang to him the tune he's heard so many times before. It was the same tune she sang to him time and time again as he grew up; the very same she sang to calm him at his uncle's funeral.

Like always, he joined in with her and sung along, though more gently as to be a whisper. It didn't cure him of his guilt, but it helped him to accept it. The leaves turning brown, the snow falling white; The grass growing green and the sun shining light. The song told the story of natural progression and reaching the end of a cycle, only for a new one to begin in its place. When a tree is chopped down, a seed falls and grows where it once stood. Whether Peter liked it or not, it was coming time to be that new tree.

"I don't know what I'm gonna do without you," Peter choked.

"Sometimes," She rubbed his head, "We have to accept the reality we are given. If we want it to change, we have to work for it, not force it; It'll never last that way. We do what we can with what we have, and that's all anyone can hope for."

"…Excelsior."

May looked at him with a confusing look, almost laughing at the word she hadn't heard before.

"It's something someone taught me," he explained, "It means 'ever upward'. Keep moving up no matter what drags you down."

"Sounds like he's a wise man."

"He was. He reminded me so much of Uncle Ben, actually; always there for me, even in death."

"Just as I will be," She smiled, a single tear rolling down her wrinkled face, "Even when I'm gone, I'll always be with you. When that day comes, I hope I've prepared you for a world without me."

To him, no one should ever be 'prepared' for someone's death because that implies that there won't be pain or sorrow. It's not as though she's going to die today or tomorrow, but this wakeup call tells them that time is running out. There is no being prepared for losing someone; it happens, and how you take it is up to you.

"You probably shouldn't leave those on the ground," She pointed out, looking at the stones he had chucked around the room.

He stood up chuckling while wiping his tears and went to pick up the stones. Not even a crack in them, especially with how hard he threw them. That was to be expected of objects so strong.
As he picked up the last of the two stones, he heard a thud sound from behind him. A quick breeze informed him the window had been quickly opened. Falling face-first on the ground was Izuku Midoriya, his legs flailing in the air. They were at least six stories up; did he use his quirk to jump up here? What was he doing here? If Peter had known which window May was at, he would have used that instead.

When Izuku managed to get to his feet, all the color drained from his face upon seeing Peter was already here, "Peter! You can't be here!"

"I just wanted to visit May, don't worry. I'll be gone soon-"

"No, you really can't be here!" Izuku crossed the room to enter his personal bubble, quickly and awkwardly saying "Hi May" to her before returning attention to the wall-crawler, "It's a trap! The police knew that you would want to come and see May. You gotta go before they realize you're here! They even got All Might to help capture you!"

"What? Are you sure?"

"All Might told me himself! We gotta get you out of here before he finds you!"

Perhaps Peter didn't interact with All Might as much as he should have, but he thought they had a decent bond. They fought together, and Peter knew the secret of his quirk. He assumed there was some form of trust, clearly not strong enough, however. If All Might was really after him, then he just became his enemy; a danger to him.

As a danger, he registered with his spider-sense that had just started going off.

Turning around to face the door, Peter kept Izuku behind him as the handle turned. Letting the light shine through as it opened was the symbol of peace, All Might, standing tall in his strong form as his shadow stretched toward the pair of young heroes. His hands were on his hips, keeping the smile on his face he was so famous for. The only difference is that for once he wasn't smiling to comfort others, rather to comfort himself for what he was about to do.

"You were there the whole time, weren't you?" Asked Peter, "Just waiting for the right moment."

"You came all this way," Replied All Might, "You deserved to spend a moment with your aunt to ensure she was ok. I thought I'd at least give you that."

Izuku tried to step out of hiding behind Peter, but his former roommate kept him in place, "All Might!" he shouted, "Don't do this! Peter isn't a villain!"

"Step aside, young Midoriya. Parker is coming with me, one way or another."

Though he tried to argue with him, it was clear the symbol of peace had fully made up his mind. Izuku kept looking to Peter, wondering what he was going to say or do in response to the hero's powerful presence. Yet, there was silence. Perhaps he was just thinking, thought Izuku.

Peter backed up with his hands behind his back, pushing his palms against Izuku's chest. Dropping out of the spider's hands and into his own were the two Infinity Stones he had taken out earlier. They vibrated with intense heat in his hands, yet he fought through it and clamped down on them, keeping them hidden by his skin for Peter.

"You want me?" Peter asked, "Come get me!"

From his wrist came a ball of webbing that struck All Might between his eyes, blinding his line of sight. Despite his super strength, removing the substance proved to be difficult as his hands got stuck on it. With him distracted, Peter abandoned his bag on the ground and leaped out the open window into the waking world, using a web to slow his fall as he rolled onto the ground. All Might ripped the webbing off his face and ran out the door, knowing he wouldn't fit through the window at his size.

Why was Peter running, thought Izuku? He should have known he couldn't outrun All Might. His speed and strength outweighed his own, as impressive as he was. In fact, why didn't he take the stones with him if they were so important? Only one explanation made sense to him; Peter knew he couldn't escape on foot. He didn't know if he would get away, so he left the stones with someone he trusted as he led All Might far from the hospital.

With him gone, Izuku opened his hands and stared at the stones. They looked just like the mind stone he once held at the auction house, except they felt different in his grip. They vibrated at seemingly different frequencies, sending pain into his chest that simultaneously pulled his heart toward them.

He shook his head and snapped himself out of it. Peter worked hard to keep these out of the wrong hands; he couldn't let himself fall to temptation. Instead, he put the stones in the backpack and threw it over his shoulder.

"Peter …" Izuku spoke to himself, looking out the window, "Be careful."