so, obviously, peter was wrong. the reveal of his true identity had become a bigger deal than anything, and all of the papers in new york were quickly all swarmed with hateful words about peter/spider-man, and jameson hadn't quit his antics.

things had really amped up when the fbi got involved, practically breaking and entering into the parker apartment and then putting out a warrant for peter's arrest.

dakota, ned, mj, and may were soon after rounded up into the police station for interrogation as well. peter looked up as he watched his friends all walk past him into their own respective rooms. "ah, they have nothing to do with this, sir!" he claimed to the officer in front of him, who didn't seem to care at all.

looking into the glass room, dakota pointed at peter. "don't say anything without a lawyer!" she, may, and mj all said in unison.

kodie reluctantly slumped into the open seat in her interrogation room. "miss stark." the man sitting inside introduced. the girl looked up wordlessly, her face not hiding any of her boredom. "would you like to tell me why you were with peter parker when he killed mysterio?"

she looked up at him again. "i'm not saying anything without a lawyer."

"why would you need a lawyer if-"

"if i have nothing to hide? because i am well aware of the law and of my rights, and i want to have a lawyer."

the agent smiled at her, sitting down across the table from her. "i know your dad, and i know how little care he seemed to have for the law. but, the times have changed, miss stark. and you're now a potential murder accomplice. so you're going to need to take this seriously."

dakota had purposely begun to stare off into the distance, and pretended to be awoken from a daze, looking over at the man. "sorry i'm not reacting to this news with the appropriate excitement.. i'm really hungry."

⎊‎⎊‎⎊

of course, dakota was worried about peter. she cared about the boy more than anything, and seeing him in trouble made her equally upset. but, as much as she wanted all of this mess to be over for him, she also wanted it to be over for her. she was about to turn eighteen, and stark industries would soon be under her control.

"stark industries was caught in the web of the spider-man/mysterio controversy today when federal agents opened an investigation into missing stark technology." a man on the radio was saying as dakota ran her hands through her hair. "agents want to know exactly what was taken and whether or not it could fall into the wrong hands."

dakota scoffed, watching the broadcast in the parker living room. "it's not like we just handed it over to him with a little bow on the top! obviously it was stolen, what do they not understand-" she stopped when peter put a comforting hand on her back, looking down at her anxiously. "i'm good." she assured him with a sigh, grabbing onto his hand.

the group all looked back at the tv, now showing a very dated photo of happy with his long hair. "at least they used a good picture." he said, frowning.

"that's good?" kodie retorted.

peter's lawyer turned to look at the group once he got off of a phone call. "well, i have some good news, peter. i don't believe any of the charges against you are going to stick."

may smiled. "oh, i knew it."

"oh my god, mr. murdock. thank you!" peter said.

"however, mr. hogan... miss stark.. the feds are actively investigating the missing technology. i uh, understand your loyalty to mr. stark and his legacy. but if you were involved.. i advise securing a lawyer."

dakota ran a hand over her face, slumping back into her chair. "okay, thanks, matt."

happy, on the other hand, was panicking. "i need a lawyer because i'm- i'm under investigation?"

matt nodded. "you're gonna need a really good lawyer." he advised before turning back to the boy. "peter, you may have dodged your legal troubles, but things will get much worse. there is still the court of public opinion."

a brick suddenly burst through the window, only to be stopped as matt, despite being blind, caught it mid-air.

"how did you just do that?" peter asked, noting matt's nonchalant face.

the man shrugged. "i'm a really good lawyer."

may looked down at the brick. "we're gonna need a safer place to live."

peter and may then moved into happy's condo, which he preferred to call the 'spiritual oasis'. kodie entered the main door with one of peter's boxes in her hands, scanning the room. a robot in the corner immediately perked up at the sight of her, and she lamely waved a hand. "hey, dum-e." she greeted.

after setting down all of their boxes, peter and dakota sat in what was peter's makeshift room.

"i'm sorry you got dragged into this whole mess." the boy spoke, holding her hands.

kodie's brows furrowed. "hey, don't worry about it. it isn't your fault, okay?" she looked at him until he reluctantly met her gaze, making her smile. "besides, this isn't the first mess i've been in, and i'd honestly be disappointed if it was the last."

"haha, very funny." peter replied, a smile playing at his lips.

⎊‎⎊‎⎊

the next night, the two were laying in their respective beds (or, in peter's case, a couch) on the phone when dakota asked about college applications.

"i literally just finished my mit one." peter told her, running a hand through his hair. "can you imagine if me, ned, and mj all got in?" he wondered aloud. "i still wish you'd go."

the girl smiled, shaking her head. "i would, but unfortunately my iq is too high for me to be accepted." he rolled his eyes at her comment, but couldn't wipe the smile off his face. "what's that noise?

peter shifted in his spot on the couch. "oh, it's happy. look. he gave his room to may so he's sleeping down here." he turned the phone, giving her a clear view of happy, passed out on a chair with a sleep apnea mask that he managed to snore through.

dakota covered her mouth with her hand. "that's amazing." she laughed, her face becoming more somber with thought. "i have a weird question. um.. does any part of you feel relieved about all this?"

"ever since I got bit by that spider, i've only had one week where my life has felt normal. or kinda normal, i guess. and... that was when i said i loved you. because then, everything i wanted to say had been said, and everyone who i wanted to know about me being spider-man knew. but now everybody knows. and i am the most famous person in the entire world... and i'm still broke."

they laughed, and kodie smiled at the phone in her hand. "i'm excited to see you tomorrow." she said, thinking about their plan to meet up for coffee.

"yeah, me too."

their tender moment of silence was interrupted. "wrap it up!" peter turned to see happy awake. "you both like each other, we get it. hang up. there's no new ground being broken. okay? i need my eight hours."

"have you been listening this whole time?" peter asked.

"hey, happy." kodie said.

happy frowned. "uh... not by choice."

"kodie says hi."

"hello."

⎊‎⎊‎⎊

the next day, peter prepared for his first day back at school since his identity was revealed. a crowd of protestors and supporters alike stood outside the doors at midtown, and he tried to shrug them off as he walked through the doors with both ned and mj on his side.

"is dakota going to have you spider babies?!" a man, with dakota's face printed on his shirt, asked peter.

after seeing a spider-man shrine and getting photos taken by all of his classmates, peter had had enough with school for a lifetime. he called his girlfriend immediately, and was relieved to find her sitting on top of the roof.

"you sure this is okay?" he asked as he laid down next to her.

the girl shrugged. "i've broken enough laws already, might as well violate property."

he laughed, laying his head down on the concrete. "can we just, like, stay up here all day? it is so crazy down there."

kodie nodded as she moved next to him. "i found this newspaper." she said, holding it up. she stopped him as he groaned, a laugh forming in her throat. "no, no, listen, this one's good. 'some suggest that parker's powers include the male spider's ability to 'hypnotize' females, which he used to seduce miss stark into his cult of personality.'"

peter shook his head. "oh come on... stop. stop!"

"yes, my spider-lord." she replied in a mock trance.

the two found themselves moving closer together, and they were about to kiss when they were interrupted.

"finally, some privacy!" ned exclaimed. "it is so crazy down there!" mj walked behind him, and gave the couple an apologetic smile. "so, i was thinking, when we get into mit, we should live together."

peter nodded. "yeah, for sure."

"yeah, i'd love that." mj smiled.

"and kodie, you'll have to live either with us or near us, too, even if you're too cool for school." ned added.

the girl nodded her head. "for sure. if i don't live with you guys, i'll be bothering you every day."

"good." ned smiled, pulling out his laptop to show a photo of students at mit having fun in the quad. "this is gonna be us."

mj nodded. "yes, minus the frisbee. and the smiling."

"mit's obviously the dream," peter said, "but if we match up our backup schools, then either way we'll all be together in boston, closer to kodie. new school. new town. i can spider-man there. i mean, they have crime in boston, right?"

dakota nodded. "yes, yes they do."

"yeah, wicked crime." ned agreed.

"yeah, so it'll be like a fresh start."

"a fresh start." kodie nodded.