Chapter Text
Peter blinked back tears at the view atop the Statue of Liberty. Knowing anyone he’d ever met would forget him wasn’t something he could truly process at the moment. It was heartbreaking, filling his chest with a heavy feeling that made it hard to swallow.
Aunt May is gone.
Just like his uncle. His parents.
Mr. Stark…
And now Peter was going to lose everything else too. His life, his friends, and his family. It hurt worse to know the only one carrying these memories would be Peter himself. Would it have been better if he forgot too?
Looking down over at the rubble, his eyes stung when he thought about the people most important to him will forget him. MJ and Ned, they were there for him, supporting him for most of his life, and especially with Spider-man. It hurt to know that everything they had been through together would only live on in Peter's memory.
It hasn't fully sunk in yet, that he is losing Ned, MJ, and Happy. The only people left in his life could be counted on one hand, and yet, he couldn't even manage to keep them. Made him think that maybe he wasn't meant to be happy. Peter wondered what he did to deserve this constant loss. Maybe he was cursed.
Sadness clouded Peter's mind, more than it had since the start of this whole mess. It felt like despair, with how his wounds ached less than the pain of losing his family over and over again. Holding his breath, no, holding back the tears, the young man watched Dr. Stephen complete his spell. In the end he couldn't contain a stuttered sigh, breath hitching when he looked away to find the image of MJ and Ned at the base of the statue, stumbling their way to safer ground. Maybe they’d be safer without him, Peter thought, trying to find some way to rationalize the situation. He thought of all the times Ned and MJ had been hurt around him, every time he couldn't protect them. Would they be safer without him? Peter hoped so.
Peter took a breath, returning his gaze to Dr. Strange more determinedly, ignoring how his hands shook. With each passing second, the wizard closed up each and every portal that had opened, all the silhouettes of people from other worlds disappearing like smoke. But of course things wouldn’t be so simple. Alarm bells rang in the back of Peter’s mind, air caught in his throat as he tried to take a breath. In between the next blink his vision blurred, then changed abruptly to a glowing toxic green. His spider sense went off like a bell, giving him a sharp pain in his head. Peter gasped, blinking again to find himself back at the statue with Dr. Strange.
Stephen caught his eye, and Peter was confused by the alarm in the wizard’s eyes when he looked at Peter. His mustache dropped with his frown, eyebrows pulling together as the man tried to figure out what was happening, and Peter suddenly felt like something had gone wrong. Peter blinked to get rid of the fuzziness, frowning when he could see Strange saying something but couldn’t hear.
Peter’s gaze unfocused, the green taking over his sight again and Peter took a stumbling step back. His whole body seemed to tingle… It felt like slipping in and out of unconsciousness. Blinking rapidly, Peter was able to bring himself back to the present when abruptly, he felt like he was suffocating. His feet lost purchase on the heavy metal of the statue and he flailed, trying to grasp onto something, anything. He opened his eyes to see the toxic green consumed his vision. He was immersed in it, endless green that not only covered his eyes but his entire body.
It hurt, his body strained with wounds and his lungs were begging for air, his spider sense blaring in alarm inside his mind. Peter fought to get out but he was stuck in the green.
He couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, he just wanted out of this water.
Bubbles escaped him, and he accidentally inhaled some of the water, burning as it went down his throat. Peter tried to cough but only ingested more of the water. Finally, after what felt like forever, Peter breached the surface with a ragged gasp. He coughed, struggling to stay above water as his arms and legs threatened to give out on him. He fought to crawl his way out when his fingertips finally brushed something solid and soft. Dirt, Peter though absently. Struggling for the edge, he managed to pull himself to the side of the horrible glowing green pool. Fighting with all his might, he was finally able to drag his wrecked body out. He could breathe, panting, and clinging tightly to what appeared to be a rocky, wet surface, but breathing.
Peter coughed, vomiting out whatever water he’d swallowed in his panic. His mind raced but he couldn’t land on a single thought through the panic overwhelming him. Everything was so loud, too bright, and he gulped in as much air as he could through his scratchy throat.
Before Peter had a chance to collapse to the ground, half in and out of the pit of green, he was suddenly grabbed harshly by the arms and hoisted up. He tried to speak but nothing but a raspy croak left his mouth. Whoever was holding him didn’t let him get his feet underneath him before he was being dragged. To where, he didn’t know. His spider sense was ringing still, like it hadn’t realized he’d been free of the water yet. Vision still blurry, he tried to focus on his surroundings only to pick up slightly muffled voices.
On the verge of unconsciousness, Peter couldn’t help but be reminded of when he was dusted. Tony’s arms around him, Peter unable to hear the words his mentor was saying as he crumbled, only to be brought back what seemed like seconds later and thrust into another fight so soon. Everything was going too fast, he couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, and everything faded to black before he could get a good look at the room he was in.