Chapter Text
“Hey I uh, I actually have something I wanted to tell you.”
Ned looks up at Peter, “Okay…?”
“You're finally telling him?” MJ asks, not even looking up from her sketchbook.
“Finally–What is it that you know and I don't?” Ned looks at MJ until she looks back at him.
“Shouldn't you be asking him that?” MJ points her pencil at Peter.
Ned makes a face of understanding and nods, turning his attention towards Peter, “What is it that she knows and I don't?”
“You make it seem like such a bad thing! It's not a bad thing.” Peter waves his hands dramatically.
MJ shrugs and goes back to sketching. Peter sighs and looks over at Ned, who's waiting for an explanation.
“Okay, where do I even start? Uhm, alright this is going to sound insane.”
“More insane than becoming friends with Spider-Man?” Ned jokes.
Peter laughs awkwardly, fidgeting with his hands while looking at his lap.“Yeah, you could say that actually.”
“So uh- We used to know each other. We were actually the three of us, friends. I went to high school with you guys and funny enough you were the first person to know I was Spider-Man.”
Peter pauses and glances up at Ned, gauging his reaction before continuing.
“But uhm, something bad was happening, and worse things were going to happen. So I had to have everyone forget who I was, and that included you guys. I swear I was going to tell you.” Peter glances up, over in MJ’s direction, “I really was. But I put the both of you in a lot of danger just by being close to you. I mean even back in DC, the elevator? That was my fault. All because I didn't want Mr.Stark treating me like a kid. Which is ridiculous looking back because I was a kid.”
Peter takes a deep breath, “I was going to tell you, but I saw a potential future where you guys’ lives weren't at risk because of me anymore, and after losing everyone else. I couldn't.”
“So that handshake, it was–”
“Muscle memory, probably.” Peter cuts in
“Okay I still can't get over the fact that I knew who Spider-Man was. I spent so many hours trying to figure out why it felt like Spider-Man was almost following us around. We had so many run-ins with you it was almost unexplainable. Yeah a lot of people have a Spider-Man story but having multiple? It was practically unheard of.”
“Yeah and that's part of it you know? I kept having to save you…because I kept endangering you guys.”
“Wait you said you were going to tell us but when did we–forget you? “ Ned asks.
Peter takes a deep breath, “Almost four years ago. December 4th. I was–I almost told you on the 7th, after I healed up a bit. I wrote a letter and visited the donut shop MJ worked at. While working myself up to it, I overheard that the spell that made you guys forget me had also allowed you guys to go to MIT.”
MJ tunes in. “Wait what?”
Ned looks between MJ and Peter, “Allowed us? What do you mean by that?”
“Well, the entire problem started because there was this guy, Mysterio.”
“Yeah we know who Mysterio is. He posed as a hero but when he got his hands on this technology from the Avengers he started committing mass acts of terrorism; making up villains to defeat so he looked good.” Ned says casually.
“Loser.” MJ mutters under her breath playfully, smiling as she quietly laughs to herself.
“Yeah...I thought I could trust him. That technology was the one thing Mr.Stark left for me and he was going to hurt a lot of people with it. So I fought for it back but then right before he died–he leaked my identity to the world. Guess he didn't want to be the only one going down. Suddenly instead of just you guys and everyone that mattered knowing, everyone knew. And that meant everyone also knew that you guys were close to me. MJ as my girlfriend and Ned as my best friend.”
“You're dating Spider-Man?” Ned asks in a hushed whisper.
“Was. She's in a relationship with–” Peter pauses as he realizes he doesn't know MJ’s boyfriend's name.
MJ sighs, “He's not really all that relevant. Excluding the fact that I do have a boyfriend, I don't know Peter on that level. Those memories are gone.”
“I mean but he's Spider-Man.” Ned whispers.
“I am right here.” Peter says defensively.
“Sorry dude, just–you're Spider-Man.”
Peter sighs, pinching his nose bridge. “I know I’m Spider-Man. Dude can we just–move on?”
“Okay. Okay.” Ned pauses, “So like, how did I find out? Originally.” Ned asks.
Peter laughs, “You uh probably don't remember but there was an ATM robbery right across the street from Mr.Delmar’s.”
“He definitely remembers, loser’s memorized every encounter of yours that's ever been publicized.”
“MJ!” Ned exclaims.
“What it's true? Besides, I even remember that. It took them weeks to finish fixing up Delmar's which sucks because they have the best sandwiches."
“Sub Haven is pretty good.” Ned chimes in.
“Too much bread.” MJ and Peter speak at the same time, both of them shaking their heads.
“I like bread.” Ned says defensively.
“Besides I was heading home after dealing with all of that but someone stole my backpack, which had my change of clothes in it. So, I had to scale into my and May’s apartment. You were uhm, on my bed waiting for me so when I crawled in the window and across the ceiling to close the door without May seeing me, you saw me.”
“So I found out by accident?”
“I figured it out.” MJ brags.
“What?!”
“She did, yeah.” Peter smiles to himself remembering that's also when they told each other that they liked one another.
“Wait so who else knew?” Ned asks.
“Uh well the Avengers and any people connected to me through them, you guys and…May.”
“May Parker..” Ned mumbles.
“Well yeah. I am Peter Parker.”
“It's weird. I think I remember her, didn't she speak at that charity fundraiser for those displaced by the blip?”
“Uh, yeah she did..actually. Is that all you remember about her?”
“I think so, yeah. It's odd, I thought May sounded familiar.”
Peter begins whispering to himself, “So because you knowing May was so intertwined with knowing me, you also forgot May. Which must be why Happy still knew May because he knew me primarily as Spider-Man.”
“Have you found and told her yet?” MJ asks.
“Oh she actually…uh–” Peter swallows slowly, taking a second to find the words. “She never got the chance to forget me.”
“Oh Peter I’m sorry–I didn't–”
“It's fine really. There's quite literally no way that you could've known. But uh, yeah.” Peter wipes at his teary eyes. “That's what I wanted to tell you.”
Ned stares down at his lap. “I have so many questions.”
“You can ask me anything, it's the least I could do.” Peter smiles.
“You have no idea what you just did.” MJ says, still focused on her sketchbook.
MJ was right, Peter completely forgot that Ned's questions wouldn't just be about his memories but about being Spider-Man in general. Similarly to when he first found out he's been asking him whatever pops in his head, absolutely whatever.
“So how far can you shoot your web? Is it different now that you create it organically?”
“I mean I still haven't really tested it. Not with my new tech and not with my–” Peter looks down at his wrists and shudders. “ new webbing.”
“Can you spit venom?”
“Not that I'm aware of.”
“Who is the worst Avenger to work with?”
Peter whips towards Ned, “What ?! None of them. They're the Avengers dude.”
“Can you speak to spiders?”
“Nope.”
“Does the government pay you?”
“No dude, I’m basically a glorified volunteer.”
“What about the other Avengers?”
“One, I'm not an Avenger. And two, Stark Industries takes care of all of that, not the government.”
“Can I be your guy in the chair. I mean, I did build Spidey Tracker.”
Peter freezes at hearing that causing him to drop the dish in his hand, making a loud clang as it falls in the sink.
“You good?!” MJ yells from the other room.
“Yeah!” Peter yells back.
“You okay man?” Ned asks.
Peter shakes his head, “Yeah sorry it's just–you used to say that. Before . And you kind of were my guy in the chair.”
Ned pumps his fist as he makes his way out the kitchen, “Yes!”
Then Ned asks him arguably the hardest question he's had to answer yet.
“You told us when we forgot you but, when did we first meet?”
Peter looks up, “Uhm, well–” he glances over at MJ.
“We both met MJ when about mid freshman year she joined the Decathlon team, but we didn't really get close until after DC when uhm, Liz left.”
“And me?” Ned asks.
Peter takes a deep breath, “We were ten.”
“Wait what?!”
Peter throws his hands up, “Hold on let me explain!”
“You mean to tell me I'm not just missing four years of knowing you but double that?!”
“I was ruining your life Ned! Your dreams of going to MIT were nearly shattered because of me.”
“Maybe but did it ever occur to you that you must've been my only friend growing up! That with my memories of you gone, I was alone!”
Peter hadn't thought of it that way. He looks at the pained expression on Ned's face and feels guilt begin to settle over him. Just as much as Ned was Peter's only friend growing up, he was Ned's.
“I'm sorry Ned I hadn't– that honestly hadn't occurred to me.”
“Give him a break Ned.” MJ cuts in.
Ned and Peter both look over to her where she sits at Ned’s desk. “He thought he was protecting us. You've seen the people he's gone up against, give him some slack okay? He can't exactly undo it.”
“Okay. Okay fine. Since we were ten, wow .” Ned whispers to himself.
“Yeah. I really am sorry about keeping you guys in the dark for so long. MJ’s right, it wasn't my decision to make and it was selfish.”
“Hold on wait, you called Spider-Man selfish?” Ned looks over to MJ.
“I did not say all of that. I just–I told him it wasn't his decision to make and I asked why he would do that to us. I was angry, he didn't even actually tell me I had to find a letter after he left me at this guy's place to hide me or whatever.”
Peter sighs, “Because you were in danger.”
A small silence stretched over the group of them, the air tense.
“Can you undo it?” Ned asks.
“What?” MJ and Peter speak at the same time.
Ned stands, “The spell, I mean the Avengers were able to bring back those who were blipped but not alter events that had already happened. Is it so far-fetched to believe there would be a way to–restore the memories back to those you wanted to?”
“Dr.Strange said-”
Ned cuts Peter off, “But it is possible? Theoretically, I mean. Like I remembered the handshake and everything seems to be okay.”
Peter shakes his head, “Yeah…I guess you have a point but still it's dangerous. We can't risk undoing what the spell fixed.”
“Speaking of, what exactly did the spell...fix?” Ned asks.
“Uhh, well it started because I went to Dr.Strange for a spell. I was trying to fix things. I wanted to make it where the people that didn't matter, forgot that I was Spider-Man. Because you guys didn't get into MIT…because of me.”
“How would that have been because of you?” MJ asks.
“They said that because of the controversy attached to me they weren't able to consider your applications.”
MJ sets her pencil down against her sketchbook and sits up, “I still feel like that's not your fault though. I mean Mysterio is who leaked your identity right?”
“I mean yeah–”
“So why not blame him? Rather than yourself. I can't imagine that either of us blamed you then either.”
“You guys didn't, but regardless. I went to try and fix it and because I kept trying to change the spell because at first I only included you and Ned knowing. But then I remembered the Avengers, and then I remembered May. So I wanted to change it one last time to just everyone who knew before Mysterio leaked it but I kind of ripped a hole in time and space because I kept changing it over and over. Which made everyone that knew Peter Parker was Spider-Man start coming here. Including villains and people from other worlds.”
“Wait like the multiverse?” Ned asks.
“Yeah exactly.”
“The multiverse is real?!”
“He just said that.” MJ says in a monotone voice.
“Does nothing impress you?”
“Where did you get that I wasn't impressed?” MJ questions.
“Uh maybe the lack of excitement in your tone? It's the multiverse?!” Ned exclaims.
MJ narrows her eyes and tilts her head, “Yeah I know but is it really that surprising? I mean with everything else that we know I feel like the confirmation of the multiverse isn't as exciting as you're making it seem.”
Peter smiles watching as Ned and MJ bicker with each other, he really missed them.
“So what exactly was the spell? like the wording of it?” Ned asks.
“Uhm, I'm not like a hundred percent sure. He didn't exactly like chant it out or anything. But I asked him if making everyone forget who Peter Parker was would work to stop our universe from literally collapsing, and he said it would work. It would just be like I never existed.”
“Wait, do you have like any proof of your existence before the spell? like pictures or something?” MJ asks.
“Yeah I do? Why?”
MJ stands and leaves the room, leaving Ned and Peter alone on Ned's bed. They look between each other confused.
“Do you know what she's going on about?” Peter whispers, leaning over towards Ned.
Ned shakes his head, “No idea bro.”
MJ rushes back with a small binder in hand, flipping it open as she sets it on the bed standing between them.
“You said you were here right? In DC with us.” MJ points to the page with pictures from the Decathlon team trip.
“Yeah..? I'm not exactly understanding.”
“I always liked either drawing or taking pictures of people. I preferred it to actually talking to them half of the time; so I took a ton of pictures in DC of the team, but you're not in any of them. I have pictures of everyone, except you .”
Peter shrugs, “Well I kind of ditched the Decathlon to go after Vulture so I wasn't exactly present for you to even take pictures of me.”
“You got there somehow right? I assume you took the bus with us.”
“Yeah…I did.”
“Who did you sit by?” MJ asks.
“Uh–” Peter takes a second to think back, “I was in the back behind Ned.”
MJ flips to a page where there's a picture of Ned from the bus ride there. “You should be visible in this picture then. But you're not. You still having pictures of yourself shows that the spell didn't erase every proof of your existence. I mean if that was the case you wouldn't even have a social security number and I'm guessing you still do right?”
Peter stands shaking his head, waving his hands. “Okay. I–I really don't get what this has to do with anything though.”
Ned smiles, understanding. “If there's traces of you in the physical world it stands to reason there's traces of you in our minds as well. Surely if we can trace back enough we could remember you, without undoing the spell.”
Peter swallows thickly. He feels winded, he wants so badly to believe that Ned and MJ could remember him, actually remember him.
“I need to talk to Dr.Strange.”