Chapter Text
“That won’t work.”
Peter’s face falls, hoping that he heard Dr. Strange wrong. Surely it could be that simple? That was the original plan to begin with when Mysterio first exposed his identity as Spiderman. If no one knows who Peter Parker is, then all the multidimensional villains won’t have a reason to come to this universe.
"What do you mean it won't work? I thought that was the original plan," Peter stresses, doing everything he can to keep the panic from his voice.
“It won’t be enough,” Dr. Strange continues, most likely seeing the frustration and confusion on his face. “Even if no one knows who Peter Parker is, they won’t forget that Spiderman is here. They’ll keep coming, even without a specific target in mind.”
“Then what am I-” Peter grasps for the words, some solution that is just out of reach. If a spell that makes the whole universe forget who he is won’t work, is there no solution to this mess he concocted? He feels that familiar tug of dread that seems to be a constant rock in his stomach, growing bigger and bigger as events unfold.
“But,” Peter looks up at the wizard with, for once, hope in his eyes, “I can send you to a new dimension. Erase your existence entirely.” Dr. Strange has that look in his eyes. It’s the same one Peter saw when they were on Titan, ready to face Thanos no matter the cost. That look had practically killed him last time, and the feeling wasn’t easy to forget.
“So. Not only will everyone forget who I am, but I won’t even be part of this dimension anymore?” Peter’s voice sounds so tired and so broken. It makes a small part of Stephen Strange cringe inwardly at the amount of pain and suffering this kid has gone through. He can see the full life ahead of Peter. The life this kid will never get to live. That was the life of a hero.
“That’s the only way this will work,” Dr. Strange concludes with a solemn expression. This, too, is the life of a hero. Making the tough decisions that benefits the whole rather than the individual. Dr. Strange is tired of making these decisions over and over again. But now was not the moment to bemoan these thoughts.
Peter physically has to take a step back to process this. Traveling dimensions was a big step up from going to space. At least space was still part of this dimension. Not to mention losing everyone he’s ever known and cared about. Then again, Peter wasn’t new to losing important people in his life. The pain of Aunt May was something he refuses to acknowledge right now, and Tony…
“This is it, huh? No more second chances?” Peter is so tired.
“No more second chances.” So is Dr. Strange.
Peter turns to MJ and Ned. The guy who’s been his best friend his entire life. His only real friend until MJ. And MJ… No, even that was too much to think about. The distress is evident in their wide eyes, and Peter’s heart breaks even more to see it. How do you say goodbye knowing the people you love most won’t even remember you after you’re gone? Before he knows it, both of them have their arms thrown around Peter in a desperate hug.
“You can’t just-” MJ starts, shaking her head when her words give way to a shaky exhale.
“It isn’t fair,” Ned anguishes quietly, clearly at a loss for words himself. Peter can only hug the most important people to him as tight as he can, memorizing their warmth and the way they cling to him. A warmth he would never get to feel again. Peter opens his mouth to try and say something encouraging, but all that comes out is a quiet sob. Dr. Strange smartly hovers further back to give the trio some space. But he knows they’re running out of time.
“This is what I signed up for when I became Spiderman. I knew there would be risks,” Peter finally manages to choke out. But even the reassurances feel hollow in his own ears. “Can’t be a hero without some sacrifices.”
“Most heroes don’t have to banish themselves to an entirely new dimension,” MJ spits out bitterly, her nose pressing into Peter’s shoulder. “The worst was supposed to be over already.”
Peter’s mind painfully flashes back to that fight on Titan, the day everything started to truly fall apart. As if dying then coming back to life wasn't enough, he had to lose everything and everyone else important in his life. Mr. Stark, Aunt May, and now these two… Peter muffles another broken sob into the shoulder of his friends. It's only Ned's tight squeeze on his arm that keeps him from completely spiraling.
“Can’t we go with you? It’s not like this universe needs a Ned or MJ,” he tries to compromise, his voice cracking on the words as he holds back tears. Before Peter can even begin to explain how wrong that would be, Dr. Strange chooses this moment to pipe in.
“That is out of the question. And I think you both know that,” he adds gently at the end. Dr. Strange is a practical and logical man, but even he knows when to be soft. “The kindest thing I can do is send Peter to a universe where Spiderman is needed, and let this one forget his existence.”
Peter squeezes his eyes shut, taking in a steadying breath as a few more tears manage to slip out. His hands grip both of his friends, the people that mean the world to him. The only people he had left. He forces his lips into a weak smile, trying to be brave one last time.
“I love you guys. So much. Even…even if you guys have to forget me, I’ll never stop loving you both. No matter where I end up,” Peter manages to say, his voice only hiccuping once in the middle. And this is one promise Peter knows he could never break. With one last tight hug from both of them, Peter steps back towards Dr. Strange, slipping the mask back on to hide the tear stains trailing down his face. Dr. Strange’s face is tight with a mix of emotions. He has to be strong, to be the adult. But that doesn’t mean he can’t mourn the decision he has to make.
“Wait.”
MJ quickly slips something around Peter’s neck, and he realizes that it’s the necklace he gave her in Germany. He delicately fingers the broken flower, reminiscing briefly how much time he took in picking it out just for her. Funny how things seem so much simpler back then when faced with the present.
“Something to remember us by,” she explains quietly, swallowing back a lump in her throat. Peter almost tells her to keep it, that she’ll need it to remember him. But he knows ultimately she will never remember how she got it in the first place. He can only nod before lifting the bottom of his mask to give MJ one last kiss. He can taste the salt from tears. His or MJ’s, he couldn’t say.
It’s not enough, not when she pulls away and steps back to Ned who can only give her hand a reassuring squeeze. At least they would have each other. Wherever Peter was going, he was going alone.
“It’s time, Peter.”
He looks up at Dr Strange, who isn’t floating anymore but stands a few feet back from Peter. The wizard reaches forward to give his shoulder a strong squeeze, something Happy might have done to encourage Peter. At the reminder of Happy, Peter's despair only worsens. He won't even have time to say a proper goodbye to the man who was there for him when Peter thought he had nobody else during Mysterio's chaos. His last real reminder of Tony.
"There is no more time," Dr. Strange says gently, as if knowing exactly what Peter was thinking. Peter swallows and nods, even though his heart breaks to know that Happy will have no clue what's happening. Not that he'll even remember his existence after this.
“I’m sending you somewhere with no Peter Parker. Somewhere that could benefit from the friendly neighborhood Spiderman.” His expression goes tight again as he thinks over how to word his next thought. “I’m not going to pretend that this will be easy for you. But I also know that if anyone can, it’s you, Peter. Trust yourself.”
Peter can only nod, swallowing to wet his dry throat as Dr. Strange presses his fingers together. That familiar buzz of his magic fills the air, and Peter squeezes his fists tight. There’s a tug at his gut, like something is physically grabbing at his body. He tries not to look back, but he does against his better judgment. The last thing Peter sees as his body is violently pulled into a portal is the face of his friends changing from anguish to confusion to blank neutrality.
***
Peter is falling. In a brilliant flash of light, the cold air is whipping around Peter as he stares up at a smoggy, dark sky. His brain is muddled, moving slowly as he processes that he is likely falling to his death. It's almost peaceful for a moment. But, the promise of an impending death quickly wakes him up as he flips his body around in the air, taking stock of the water he is quickly approaching. Using his night vision, Peter clocks the nearest stretch of land. A harbor. A string of webs shoots from his wrist, deftly sticking to a crane arm suspended over a supply ship.
Just in time, the line tugs and pulls Peter to the side, creating an arc as his feet just barely brush against the surface of the water before he flips through the air to land on top of the crane. Looking at how polluted the water was, Peter’s even more grateful for his quick actions. He’d rather not start his first day in a new dimension smelling like sewage and whatever else has been dumped in this bay.
Speaking of which, Peter turns to gaze at the city skyline before him. It’s dark, well past midnight according to his suit. The smog in the sky helps provide a grim image of this city bathed in the night. Is he even in the U.S. anymore? Does the U.S. exist in this universe? Dr. Strange didn’t exactly give him any idea of how similar this universe would be to his own. Is there even a Dr. Strange in this universe?
…Is there even a Ned or MJ in this universe?
Peter was holding out some hope that alternate versions of his friends existed wherever he ended up. That maybe he could start over with them, even if they weren’t quite the same. His hand wraps tightly around the necklace draped around his neck. No, Peter doesn’t think he can do that again. Not when it isn’t them. Not really.
Peter clears his mind of the painful reminders of everything he’s lost. He needs to focus. If this universe has no Peter Parker, that means he effectively doesn’t exist. At least, in the eyes of the government. He’ll need to get an ID, somehow. Nothing some hacking and good old forgery couldn’t fix. He’ll also need a place to live, which will probably be harder considering his wallet isn’t in his suit. Maybe he should have asked Dr. Strange to send him with some money.
Peter’s thoughts are interrupted by the unmistakable tingle that has him snapping his head to the left. Someone just landed quietly on a warehouse on the harbor, and their eyes were unmistakably on him. Instead of sticking around to figure out if this was a good or bad thing, Peter shoots another web in the opposite direction and quickly swings away. However, that tingle comes back to let him know that the person is now in pursuit. So much for laying low to get the scope of this new universe.
With no knowledge of the layout of this city, Peter swings around aimlessly, changing directions sharply every so often to lose his shadow. This only works a handful of times, and it’s never long before that shadow is back. Whoever it is, they don’t get close enough for Peter to get a proper look at them. Surely, if this person was out to harm Peter, they would have done so already. Getting tired of this cat and mouse game, Peter changes directions and doubles back, losing his shadow for just long enough that he can get in behind.
When the figure lands on a rooftop to try and find their target again, Peter quickly aims two shots at their feet, effectively sticking them in place. He lands just as the guy, Peter realizes, whips his head around. He’s clearly another hero–at least, he hopes–with a domino mask covering his eyes and a black and blue suit over his body. There’s even two escrima sticks attached to his back.
“So, I guess this city has heroes too, huh?” Peter muses in lieu of an introduction, sizing up the guy following him. He was a few inches taller than Peter and built like an acrobat. Clearly his training was well-tailored for swinging around the city on the grappling hook in his hand. He has to admit that this guy is evidently skilled. Even if Peter felt slightly annoyed at being chased within the first 5 minutes of him landing here.
“What’s a New Yorker doing running around Gotham? I haven't heard of any new vigilantes across the water,” The guy shoots back, his feet tugging at the webbing sticking him to the roof. It’s honestly a little ridiculous looking to see him fight against them. “Actually, more importantly, did these come out of you? ‘Cause that’s pretty gross, not gonna lie.”
Peter is then reminded of how Peter Two doesn’t need artificial web cartridges and shudders at the memory. He ignores the painful sting that comes with that memory as well as he remembers the two guys who came the closest to being like brothers.
“Lucky for you then. They’re artificial,” Peter quips back, taking stock of the information he’s gathering. The New Jersey accent is as clear as day, and apparently this city is Gotham. It doesn’t sound like any New Jersey city back in Peter’s universe, which creates another large difference between the two. This wasn't boding well for Peter's hope to find some similarities between here and his home.
“And for your information, I’m your friendly neighborhood Spiderman.”
The vigilante’s lips quirk up in the hint of a smile.
“Is that the whole name?” He asks with clear amusement in his tone. Peter only rolls his eyes, the goggles of his suit mimicking the action.
“It isn’t, and you know that.”
“Nightwing. What did I say about engaging?”
The voice crackles through an earpiece the vigilante–or rather Nightwing–is wearing. The voice is gruff and clearly annoyed with him. A normal person wouldn’t have heard this, but there are some benefits to having enhanced senses. Not that this guy needs to know about that.
“Usually, this is the part where you introduce yourself,” Peter points out, throwing the guy a bone. Nightwing looks momentarily surprised, but is quick to school his expression. Which means he’s a well-known vigilante around here. Peter decides he needs to do some research on this universe and its band of heroes ASAP so he doesn't stand out too much.
"Nightwing. I guess we aren't as well known over in New York," he comments, pointedly ignoring the voice in his earpiece. Peter is quick to catch the implication that there are more vigilantes than just Nightwing. "Can you get me these off me now?" He gives another sharp pull of his feet, the webbing not budging a bit. Peter is quietly proud of himself for his web formula.
"That depends. Why were you chasing me?"
"Because I've never seen you before, which could be a good or bad thing around these parts. Bad more often than not. And, you look pretty rough, man."
Peter quickly looks down at himself and immediately remembers that he's still not 100% from the fight with the villains from Peter One and Peter Two's universes. His healing factor has helped the worst of the wounds, but there are still areas where the suit exposes some cuts and dark bruises. Add fixing his suit to his ever growing list of things Peter needs to figure out.
"Rough? This isn't even top 5 for me." If that ranking doesn't include emotional damage. But Peter is still ignoring that.
"Nightwing? I'm en route."
It was a different voice that came through this time. How many vigilantes were actively in Gotham? Was there an Avengers-like team operating here? Maybe there was an equivalent to Tony-
"Those will come apart in a few minutes," Peter cuts his own thoughts off. "And I think I'll use that time to swing outta here." Peter gives a salute to Nightwing, who clearly doesn't want him to leave.
"Why in such a hurry? I wanna know-"
"It has been a pleasure, Nightwing!"
With that, Peter is quick to pull himself a way with a web. Nightwing calls protests after him, but they're ignored as Peter quickly makes a getaway to slip out of sight. Priority number one now was to get out of this suit and into some civilian clothes.