chapter sixty-five
how to change fate

"THE DAILY BUGLE Breaking News! I'm now joined by supervisor Walter Burke, who was at the scene of tonight's disturbance. Mr. Burke, you're saying you saw Spider-Man, with your own eyes, destroying multiple power lines?"

"Uh, Yes. Yes, sir, he did."

J. Jonah Jameson sat up straighter in his seat on Ned's laptop screen. He gestured to the camera. "There you have it, folks. Firsthand, from an unimpeachable witness, the Teen Terror attacking our electrical grid."

"Uh... Yeah, he was talking to the Dirt Man."

"Beg your pardon?"

"Yeah, he was talking to the Dirt Man before▬uh▬they worked together to make the Power Monster disappear with what appeared to be a sparkle web. Uh, yep. Thank you very much."

Jameson pursed his lip on the screen. He twiddled his thumbs, not so sure about his 'impeachable' witness anymore. There was a long, awkward pause. "Well ..." he said at last, "... that." He cleared his throat. "We'll have to▬uh▬circle back and confirm this, folks. And I'll talk to my producer to see if we can find out what's in Mr. Burke's thermos... But the fact remains!" He pointed a finger at the screen. "Spider-Man is a menace!

"We'll be right back after a brief word from Daily Bugle Supplements. The only other daily fix you need. Coming up next, Why Does Spider-Man Hate National Landmarks?"

Ned groaned, annoyed and got out of the tab on his computer.

They had to stay at the undercroft overnight. MJ managed to come up with a pretty good excuse to all of their parents that they were all staying at Peter's for the night (or Happy's), and since both May and Happy had an idea of what they were doing, they could cover their backs. Nina didn't like to lie to her parents, especially after all that had happened, but she had a feeling that if she had to tell the complete truth to them, that is what will surely break her. Felicia brought them actual dinner, this time, and Ned tried to figure out if there was a way they could feed their prisoners (since none of them had any magical abilities to put a hole in the magical barriers to slide food through). In the end, Nina found out that the barriers were one-sided. Confused and wondering how any of this was abiding by any laws in science, she handed out takeaways to the supervillains. She didn't exactly know what a giant Lizard ate, so she gave him the honey chicken. When she passed fried rice to the Sandman, Nina felt a breath of sympathy when she watched his hand pass right through the container▬and sand poured around the plastic and onto the ground.

"Oh," she murmured, suddenly feeling a little inconsiderate. "I'm sorry. I didn't think."

"It's okay," muttered the Sandman in a gruff tone. "I'm used to it. Good thing my appetite disappeared when my stomach became sand, too."

Nina stared at him. She couldn't help it. She has never seen him in her dreams of these other realities. Unlike the Lizard, Doc Ock and Electro, Nina held no memories and no recognition. He was a complete stranger. And perhaps that was why she felt a little bit more comfortable▬and yet it scared her at the very same time; she was in a limbo of confusion, curiosity and hesitance. "How ... What happened? If you don't mind me asking?"

"I ..." he hesitated, watching her with the same curiosity behind eyes that were made up of grains of sand▬just like everything else about him. "I fell into a particle accelerator experimenting with sand while it was on ..."

Nina's breath hitched in her slight awe. "Somehow it bonded you with sand at a molecular level ..." she shook her head, unable to believe it. "That's ..."

"Weird?"

"I mean ... I was more going along the lines of unheard of. What were they trying to do with the sand?"

The Sandman shrugged. "Beats me. I'm not a scientist. It was radioactive?"

Nina slumps. "Yeah, but it's not that simple. Despite what everyone thinks, radioactivity just doesn't ..." she sighed and waved her hands dismissively. "This is why I don't always like science fiction." She pursed her lips and backtracked. "Well ... not to say that I think you are science fiction. Obviously, you are real..." She sighed and winced. "Forget I said anything."

Overhearing their conversation, the Lizard slithered his tongue between his sharp teeth. "You were transformed. Fascinating. But I could transform you into something greater."

Electro looked away from his Mongolian beef, annoyed. "Stop trying to turn everybody into lizards, man. It's weird."

Nina pursed her lips and left the crypt. She walked back up the stairs and found Felicia waiting for her. She tilted her head at the curious frown on her face. "What?"

"You don't know him," she murmured, taking her arm and leading her back towards the others with a cautious glance over her shoulder. "But that sand guy knows you."

Nina frowned. She turned to her friend as they stopped near the table. "He hasn't said anything?"

Cia squeezed her arm. "It's his expression▬" she backtracked, "▬or, the way the sand on his face moves. I've been watching him. He recognises you."

She took a seat back down next to MJ. "But I haven't seen him in any of my dreams," she murmured.

"Maybe there's a universe you haven't seen, yet?" offered Michelle, finishing her dinner and setting the plastic container aside.

Felicia crossed her arms and leaned against the table, thoughtful. "Or maybe there's a universe that hasn't been decided yet. It's uncertain. Nina hasn't dreamt about it because ... maybe the ending hasn't happened yet?"

Her eyes widened as she realised what the Black Cat was saying. "There could be a universe where I haven't died yet?"

"And so the fate is uncertain," finished Ned, understanding. He had a breathless, excited gleam about him▬like they were playing some game with an unexpected plot twist. "Like a choose-your-own path!"

MJ smacked him. "No, not like that. And stop getting so excited."

Ned became sheepish. He glanced at Nina. "Sorry. I can't help it."

Nina didn't notice or listen. She was frowning to herself, troubled. Maybe she didn't want to hope for too much. In every universe, she has died. She knew that. She dreamt about it. She has seen herself fall, again and again, and again▬she has watched no Peter Parker ever catch her in time. Instead of giving her determination and fresh hope, this uncertainty only made her more anxious. But maybe Felicia was right. If she hadn't dreamt about a universe in which the Sandman existed, perhaps that meant there was a Nina Hart out there, alive and living▬and it meant that there could be a chance that the universe could be changed once again for this Nina Hart, here; for her.

They waited through the rest of the night for Peter to return. Nina couldn't sleep. Even when she was growing exhausted and she slumped in the chair Ned had offered her while he was sprawled out on the couch (after making Felicia dust it and smack it for any crawling critters that could be hiding in it), her eyes drooping, Nina forced herself to stay awake. She kept checking her phone to see if Peter would text her. He sent her a few every now and then▬little updates that made her feel as though he wasn't sleeping, either. The city never slept, and neither did Spider-Man. While Ned was out cold on the couch, MJ and Felicia managed to find old blankets in the laundry room and were snuggled up on the floor next to the couch. Nina wondered how any of them could sleep when there were supervillains just metres away▬even if they were locked up. Nina couldn't do it. Not when she knew what most of them could do▬what they had already done.

She put her Airpods in, hoping that her music would keep her awake. But even something upbeat like Better Than Revenge couldn't keep Nina from eventually dropping her head down into her arms in utter exhaustion.

In the end, Nina was startled awake early the next morning when Siri told her very loudly in her ear that she received a text message from Peter. She gasped and the chair rolled backwards slightly▬Nina had to grab the edge of the table to pull herself back forward and not fall off.

She groaned and rubbed her eyes, frowning down at the text message as her eyes slowly adjusted to the light of her phone in the dark room. When she finally read the message, Nina felt her blood run cold. I found him, said Peter. She didn't need to ask in order to know who 'him' was.

Nina's breath hitched softly. She glanced upwards and into the crypt▬she checked each and every cell behind transparent barriers ... but she did not see Norman Osborn in any of them. Nina frowned and turned back to her phone. With shaky thumbs, she replied. Then where is he? He's not in the crypt? Are you ok?????

She stared at the three floating dot points, her heart racing.

Then, Peter answered: I just need you to trust me right now. Be there soon xx

Nina was worried about what that meant.

Anxious, she got to her feet and slowly made the rounds of waking up her friends. It took MJ smacking Ned harshly on the shoulder to get him to wake up. They waited around, all of them a little worried and apprehensive for Peter's return. Nina kept checking to see whether the Green Goblin would show up in the crypt, but he never did. It was about eight in the morning when they finally heard footsteps coming down the stairwell. A pair of footsteps▬two people.

Nina felt her hair stand on end▬almost like she had her own spider-sense and it made her shuffle behind Felicia and MJ when Peter stepped back into the undercroft. He looked freshened up▬his Spider-Man suit was clean of green slime. And following him, was▬

"Uh, guys▬" Peter gestured to the Green Goblin behind him, a little awkward. "This is Mr. Osborn."

"Hey," said the Green Goblin, "it's 'doctor'."

Nina was staring at a ghost. Just like the others, it was the very same Osborn she remembered from her dreams. The Green Goblin with greying hair and a malicious glint in his eyes▬there was something about him that made anyone on edge; something about his smile. But right now, he looked ... nothing like the Norman Osborn she remembered. He was shivering slightly in a loose dark purple jumper and green winter coat, he hadn't shaved and his hair was a mess. That malicious glint in his eye seemed clouded, almost▬clouded with confusion and fear.

She didn't trust it.

In fact, Nina trusted it less.

She felt Felicia tense up. All three of her friends: Cia, MJ and Ned stood rigid and on guard, doing their best to try and hide Nina from the monster of her nightmares.

"Sorry," Peter was saying. "Dr. Osborn▬" he gestured to the four of them, "▬these are my friends. This is Ned▬" Ned waved awkwardly, "▬Felicia▬" the Black Cat scowled, "▬MJ..."

"Mary Jane?" Norman Osborn cut him off and Peter frowned, confused.

MJ pursed her lips. She eyed the Green Goblin warily. "It's Michelle Jones, actually..."

Peter frowned at Norman Osborn for a moment, wondering who Mary Jane was but decided to move on. Hesitant, he gestured to the last of their group▬his girlfriend who was slightly hiding behind the rest of them. "And this is..."

The Green Goblin recognised her. Nina tensed up. She hid herself further behind Felicia. "Nina Hart," let out Osborn, shocked. He took a curious step forward but even Peter held a hand out, awkwardly stopping him in his path. He didn't notice, just continuing to stare at Nina over the shoulders of her friends▬she felt her knees quiver. "You look exactly the same ..." Osborn shook his head, unable to believe the sight. "How is that possible?"

Nina couldn't speak. Her mouth was dry. Peter answered for her. "She ... uh ..." he grew tense as well at the way Osborn stared at her. "You knew a variant of her, back in your universe. But ... she's not the same..."

The Green Goblin watched her for a moment longer until she felt bile in her throat before he moved on. He glanced around the undercroft. "Fascinating..." he mused as he wandered down the stairwell towards the crypt.

They watched him walk away, very on edge.

A thought struck Ned. He frowned with interest and turned back to his computer. "Do you think there are other Ned Leedses?"

As soon as the Green Goblin wasn't looking, Nina met Peter's gaze with a frantic stare▬desperate and demanding an explanation. Peter immediately made his way over to her and took her head. "I know, I know," he said to her softly but she shook her head.

"What is he doing here?" she whispered harshly under her breath, stepping in very close to him so their conversation wouldn't be overheard. "Peter, he should be in one of those cells, okay? He▬he is more dangerous than any of them▬"

"I know, I know," he kept trying to calm her down and opted to give her a brief kiss on her forehead to try and help. Peter met her gaze afterwards and said in a softer tone: "He doesn't remember what he's like, okay? He's lost. He's really lost ..." he glanced anxiously at Norman Osborn. "May says he's very confused and his mind ... his mind is all over the place," he dropped his voice even lower to make sure that Osborn wouldn't hear.

"How do you know that?" Nina argued back in a low, quiet voice. "How do you know he isn't lying? That's what he does. He's crazy and he's a creep▬he kidnapped me and he dropped me off the top of the Manhattan Bridge▬or the other version▬you know what I mean!"

"Hey," Peter grasped her shoulders gently. "I'm right here, okay? If something happens, I'm here and I'll stop him. But ... him ..." he glanced at the crypt, "... all of these guys, they're lost, Nina. We're gonna send them back, but they also need our help. That's what we do. We help people."

"How can you be so sure you can trust them?"

"We can't," Peter agreed, his voice soft and Nina slowly started to calm down just at the way he looked at her, gentle and caring. "But ... I just ... I've been thinking about what Uncle Ben would do, and he would help anyone who needed that help, no matter who they were." Her slight anger dropped at the mention of Peter's uncle. "And if we can help them▬if we can help Mr. Osborn ... maybe that means I can help you, too. I can stop the loop."

She realised. Nina was still unsure. She glanced sideways down into the crypt as Osborn slowed, staring at all of the villains they had already captured. He blinked, very bewildered at the Lizard. He took a breath and then decided to look away, deciding it best not to question.

Pursing her lips, Nina turned back to Peter and whispered. "I still don't trust him."

"I know," murmured her boyfriend. "I don't either, but▬"

"But I trust you," she quickly finished what she wanted to say. Nina managed a little smile just for him and Peter went soft; warm in his chest.

For a strange moment, he almost found himself wanting to say something else▬to tell Nina something very important. The sentence clawed at his chest and tried to rise up, warm and right▬three words he meant with every beating pace of his heart. Words he has said before, but right now, the breathless second where he almost said them again ... they meant something far stronger than they ever did before.

He lost the chance when they heard Osborn speak up. He frowned at someone he recognised in the crypt▬and his words were distant in surprise. "Octavius?"

The formidable Doc Ock turned around, his metal arms coiling in like snakes. He frowned as soon as his eyes set upon the Green Goblin. He looked even more shocked. "Osborn?"

Norman Osborn shook his head. "What happened to you?"

Octavius's brows shot up. "What happened to▬?" he cut himself off, scoffing in horrified disbelief. "You're the walking corpse."

The Green Goblin frowned. He let out a shaky breath, glancing around▬he looked terrified for a moment. Lost and terrified. "What▬what do you mean?"

Doc Ock set his jaw. He narrowed his eyes onto Osborn. "You died, Norman," he said with no empathy on his tongue. "Years ago."

Peter glanced over, his hands falling from Nina's shoulders the moment he heard that. Hers, MJ, Ned and Felicia's gazes all followed. While her friends looked equally confused, Nina pursed her lips.

Osborn shook his head. He scoffed, slipping out a bitter chuckle. "You're insane," he told Octavius. That tone was much more familiar to the Osborn Nina remembered, and she felt herself stiffen at the sound.

Electro grinned at the growing tension. He kept his eyes fixed on the confrontation, filled with mirth. "God, I love it here..."

Peter double-checked whether Nina was okay before leaving her, stepping down into the crypt. "What are you talking about?" he asked Doc Ock. "He's standing right there. He's not▬"

"Dead," spoke up the Sandman, sounding very grave. He walked up to the edge of the invisible barrier. "They both died," he muttered, glancing at Osborn and Octavius, "fighting Spider-Man." Nina slowly started to frown as well as she heard him speak, a slow realisation hitting her. A dreadful chill ran down her spine as she realised where Sandman was from, and why she hadn't seen him before. He was from the same universe as Doc Ock and the Green Goblin▬a universe where Nina was yet to reach the ending. Very quickly, the hope she had before dwindled to almost nothing. "It was all over the news. Green Goblin, impaled by the glider you flew around on. And a couple years later, you, Doc Ock, drowned in the river with your machine. And then you," the Sandman fixed his gaze onto Nina across the room. Everyone turned to look at her. "I watched you fall. I watched that car hit you and you fell with it, all the way to the ground▬Dead," he said again. "And Spider-Man watched. And I watched him give up."

Nina felt like she was going to be sick all over again. She grew pale and felt as if she had suddenly gotten a fever▬she heard how she died from the mouth of someone else; someone who saw it happen. A death she was yet to experience, and yet hearing it this way, was far worse.

She knew Peter was watching her. She couldn't meet his gaze. She was too scared to.

"That's nonsense," snapped Doc Ock in the chilling silence. "Spider-Man was trying to stop my fusion reactor, so I stopped him. I had him▬" he held up his fist, "▬by the throat, and then I ..." He faltered. His vicious stance slacked. His arm fell and he glanced at Osborn. His gaze drifted away, lost in memory. He paled. "And then I was here..."

Electro scoffed at them all. "Please," he sneered, very smug of himself. "Let me tell you something. I was whupping Spider-Man's ass. He'll tell you. And then he caused an overload. I was stuck in the grid, absorbing the data." He took a deep, pleasant breath. "I was about to turn into pure energy, and then..." his eyes opened. He backtracked. "And then ..." Electro slumped and stepped back. "Oh, shit. I was about to die."

The Lizard stood up as well. He hunched over, peering at Electro with his tail in between his legs. "Max, do you know?" he asked, terrified of the answer. "Do I die?"

An orange glow sparked to their left in the crypt. A circle of sparks spun upwards and there revealed Dr. Strange, floating in midair. He took a deep breath, his legs slowly dropping down to set his feet on the stone ground. He held something in his hand. A box with gold and copper casings that wrapped around each other. When he opened his eyes, he saw Osborn. "Oh, great," he muttered casually. "You caught another one."

He waved his hand. Peter started forward. "No, no, no, wait, Strange▬!"

Spider-Man was too late. The Green Goblin was engulfed by Dr. Strange's power and he materialised inside one of the cells. He spun around, trembling. He pressed his hands up onto the invisible barrier, horrified. Peter quickly held out a hand. "It's okay. It's okay," he reassured Osborn.

He turned to Strange, looking very annoyed. But his scowl knitted into confusion when he noticed the object in the sorcerer's hand. "What is that?"

"It's an ancient relic," answered Dr. Strange. Inside the bronze and cold square cage, was a spinning, writhing, overlapping ball of furious energy. "The Macchina di Kadavus. I've trapped your corrupted spell inside, and once I finish the proper ritual, it'll reverse the spell and send these guys back to their universes."

"And then what?" demanded Doc Ock angrily. "We perish?"

Electro shook his head. "No. No, thanks." He took a wary step backwards in his cell. "I'll pass on that."

"Let me out of here▬!" The Green Goblin slammed his hands onto the barrier. "Peter!" he cried out.

Peter clenched and unclenched his hands. He took a sharp breath. "Strange," he said, "we can't send them back. Not yet."

Dr. Strange did not look happy. He scowled. "Why?"

Spider-Man's breath was a little shaky. He dropped his voice to a whisper. "W▬Well, some of these guys are gonna die."

"Parker," Strange stared at him as if he had gone mad. "It's their fate."

Nina, Felicia, Ned and MJ all shared apprehensive looks as the tension growing in the room started to become suffocating.

Peter Parker narrowed his eyes into a glare. All of a sudden, this became more than about the villains at their mercy. It narrowed down onto the girl who watched on with a hitched breath▬whose death had been held, dangling from Spider-Man's own web this whole time. And it was about to snap. "Come on, Strange, have a heart."

The staredown between Spider-Man and Dr. Strange was growing more and more heated by the second. "In the grand calculus of the multiverse, their sacrifice means infinitely more than their lives."

Spider-Man's gaze snapped away from Dr. Strange, settling on Nina's for the briefest moments▬but that was enough. He set his jaw and fixed his glower back onto the sorcerer. Strange sighed. "I'm sorry, kid. If they die, they die."

He watched Dr. Strange lift the artifact into the air between his hands. It started to unlock. With all of his concentration fixed on his magic spells, Spider-Man slowly lifted his arm.

Webs struck out and snatched onto the edge of the artefact. Strange stared at him, startled. "Don't▬" Spider-Man flung it back towards him and into his hand. With his other hand, he pressed the trigger onto his enchanted web shooter and Dr. Strange was engulfed by his own magic and into one of the cells. He spun around, dazed amongst the broken branches and tree leaves.

Spider-Man set his jaw. "Don't call me kid."

Ned exclaimed, shocked. "Dude! What are you doing▬?!"

"Get out of here!" cried Felicia, rushing over and shoving him up the stairs of the crypt. "Go, go."

"She's right, you gotta go. Leave!" MJ leapt out in front of him where he had just been, throwing out her arms as if she was going to block Dr. Strange herself.

Nina gasped and her heart jolted. She forced herself into action. She pushed Peter to get running. "Go!"

Spider-Man glanced back to meet her gaze one last time before he sprinted up the narrow stairwell.

*ೃ༄

NINA SPENT the next thirty minutes pacing around, her heart racing with her. She knew what had just happened. Peter had stolen that artefact with the spell caged within it▬risking the universe to try and save the lives of villains who didn't deserve it. They had done horrible things, they had killed people and tried to kill even more before they were stopped. But Peter Parker was going to try and save them anyway because unlike them, he was a good person. But it was more than that. Peter Parker was risking the universe▬was trying to change the fate of these villains ... to change hers.

He was fighting Dr. Strange▬a man who was once the Sorcerer Supreme; one of the most powerful beings to save her life.

Peter Parker chose Nina Hart over the entire universe.

When a circle of burning copper sparks twisted and spun back into the room, Nina swivelled right on her feet. She watched Peter somersault through it and land on the stone, the artefact in his hand. He glanced back at Dr. Strange's shocked face, suspended like a bug in a web as the portal closed.

Spider-Man fought Dr. Strange ... and he won.

Nina rushed forward and flung her arms around Peter's shoulders before he even stood up completely. She held onto him tight for a short moment. He wrapped his free arm around her, squeezing her tight and letting out a breath of relief▬Peter turned his head to rest against her cheek, his mask brushing her skin.

She pulled away as the others raced over, too.

"What happened?!" let out Ned immediately.

"What the hell?!" instead exclaimed Felicia.

"I had a fight with Strange!" explained Peter in a rushed voice. Nina stepped back as well, her eyes wide. "I had a fight with Strange and I totally won! With geometry!"

"What?!" gasped Ned in a high-pitched voice.

Spider-Man held up something in his left hand. Something small and gold. "Dude, look! Look▬" he shoved it into Ned's face, "▬I stole his ring thingy▬" Ned gasped a soft 'Dude!' and took it in his fingers, marvelling at the sight.

"What happened?" MJ asked again, trying to get to the point.

"Oh, uh▬" Peter's mind was going a million miles per hour, "▬Uh▬I was swinging through the city, and then I went through this massive mirror dimension thingy▬" he pulled off his mask with a loud grunt, his hair ruffled and his cheeks flushed with excitement, "▬and it was basically made up of geometry and then I was back▬"

"Where is he?" Nina cut him off, asking about Strange.

He turned to her. "Uh, he's trapped, but I'm not sure for how long. I totally beat magic with math. It was so cool!"

"You could have left us to die."

They glanced back at Doc Ock's words. Octavius frowned at Peter with fresh interest. "Why didn't you?"

Nina stepped in next to Peter, right at his shoulder. "Because that's not who he is," she said immediately▬almost defensive; no she was defensive of Peter, and protective▬especially in front of these guys. "He's the Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man. He's a superhero."

She missed the look of pure adoration Peter Parker had on his face when she said that.

He then cleared his throat and stepped forward towards the supervillains. "I think I can help you guys," he said to them. "If I can fix what happened to you, then when you go back, things will be different, and you might not die fighting Spider-Man."

(And if Peter Parker could do that ... if Peter Parker could change their fates, then the theory stands that he can change Nina Hart's fate, too).

Electro frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Our technology is advanced," explained Peter.

"I can help you," offered the Green Goblin. Meanwhile, Ned was struggling to force Dr. Strange's ring onto his fingers, off in his own world. Osborn set his shoulders and nodded, a little proud of himself. "You know, I'm something of a scientist myself." He nodded to Doc Ock. "Octavius knows what I can do."

However, Doc Ock wasn't too agreeable. He was still stiff with suspicion, his metal arms rising up over his shoulders as he narrowed his stare on Peter. "Fix?" he sneered. "You mean, like a dog? I refuse."

"I can't promise you guys anything," said Peter, trying to persuade them, "but at least this way, you actually get to go home and have a chance. A second chance. I mean, come on, isn't that worth trying?"

The Lizard's tongue flickered. "Trust me, Peter, when you try to fix people, there are always consequences."

"I mean, you don't have to come," shrugged Peter. He pursed his lips at Connors. "I also didn't know that you could talk. But if you stay here ..." he sighed and shrugged once again. "You're gonna have to deal with the wizard."

"Oh, so we go along or die. Not much of a choice, is it?"

The Sandman crossed his arms. "I just wanna go home," he murmured.

"I▬myself▬don't wanna be killed," admitted Electro, "especially by a guy dressed like 'Dungeons & Dragons', so▬" he reluctantly sighed and turned to Peter, "▬what's your plan?"

Spider-Man went to say something. Then he faltered. He hesitated. "I▬I have it all under control." He turned around and walked back to his friends. They huddled together and he held the artefact between them. Then, Peter whispered: "What are we gonna do about this thing?"

They shared frowns, neither of them too sure.

"Uh▬well," MJ pursed her lips, trying to think off the top of her head, "▬we need to find somewhere safe for it, right?"

"Yeah," Ned nodded, agreeing.

"Yeah, okay, sure," Peter nodded, too. He turned to Nina. "You gotta take it."

She stared at him. "Wait, what?"

Peter held the artefact out to her. She met his gaze, not too sure about this. "If something bad happens, I text you, you just push this▬" he hovered a finger over what looked to be a trigger, "▬and then it's all over. They'll be gone."

Nina shook her head. "B▬But we're not gonna leave you," she murmured, her heart clenching at the thought of Peter being alone with all five of the worst supervillains in her nightmares. "I▬I don't wanna leave you."

Peter frowned back at her, incredulous at what she just said. "What? Nina, you can't." He told her. "It's too dangerous."

"But I can help," she tried to argue, refusing to take the artefact. "I▬I can help. We can do the science together▬"

"Nina, no▬" Peter was no relenting.

"▬But, Pete▬"

"▬Nina," he said her name again and she pursed her lips, recognising the sterner tone to it. This wasn't just Peter telling her 'no', it was also Spider-Man. He was being serious. "You can't come with me, okay? I'm not playing around, this is serious."

"No, Peter, she's right," Ned murmured. "We're in this together."

"Yeah," agreed MJ.

Felicia nodded. "Yeah, we want to help."

Peter sighed. "I know we're in this together, guys," he said, "but I can't do this if I know that you're in danger." He met Nina's delicate gaze again. She didn't want to go. She didn't want to leave him alone. "Nina," he murmured, "Ni..." her brows lifted at the nickname he used to say to her when they were little kids, "I need you to do this. I need to know that you're somewhere safe, okay? Please..." She was still hesitant. He took a soft breath. "It's okay," Peter promised her in a soft whisper. "I'm gonna be okay, I'm gonna come back to you. But ... But I can't let you near these guys, not right now. So, please, just take this, okay?" He gently placed the artefact into her hands.

She didn't want to leave him▬not at all, but Nina realised she had no choice. Peter was right, no matter how much she didn't like that fact. In the end, she relented and closed her fingers into a ginger grip around the artefact. "Okay," she mumbled.

He let out a soft sigh, nodding. "Thank you."

Nina chewed on her lip with worry. "Just ... Be safe, Tiger, okay?"

The corners of his lips tugged up into a smile at the nickname. "Always."

MJ then stepped in and pointed a stern finger at Peter. "If she doesn't hear from you," she told him sternly, "she'll press that button."

A little startled, Peter quickly nodded. "Sure. Okay."

"And she will do it!" Michelle raised her voice, threatening, to the group of villains in the crypt. She pointed at Nina who held up the artefact awkwardly. "You bet she will do it."

"Yeah," added Felicia. "You slimy guys try one thing, and our girl Nina will press that button, you hear us?"

"This button," MJ gestured to the artefact, "one press, you guys▬" she mimicked an explosion, "▬boom. Gone. Dead."

"I will do it," Nina spoke up, feeling a bit more confident in her ability to press the button, now.

MJ pointed at Nina one last time. "She will do it."

Electro frowned, taken aback. "Yeah, we all believe you, Michelle..." he muttered.

Peter gestured at MJ who fixed her finger on all of the villains in turn. "She's right."

"Totally," said Ned, nodding.

Michelle gave the villains all one final glare before turning back towards them. The group of friends huddled together once more.

Peter swung his arms, nodding. "Okay." He took a deep breath. He and Ned's hands met in their own special handshake. "See you later."

"Be safe."

"You, too."

They touched elbows before pulling back for finger guns. A spark of light jetted out from Ned's fingers that held the ring on them. They all stared.

Ned gaped. "Whoa..." he then rushed off to the stairs, staring at his hand in awe.

"Don't do anything stupid," Felicia then said to Peter.

He nodded. "Sure." He high-fived the Black Cat. "Quiet as a cat."

"Sneaky as a spider," she fist-bumped him before following after Ned.

"Make sure you text," MJ waved a finger at him.

Peter offered his friend a kind smile. "I will, I promise."

She narrowed her eyes as if she didn't believe him, before squeezing his arm and rushing to catch up with Felicia.

Nina was the last to send him off. She stepped towards him and he met her in the middle, sharing a chaste kiss. Nina held onto it for as long as she could, and it wasn't as long as she'd like. She pulled away and met Peter's gaze. There were a long of things she wanted to say, but there was only ever one that said it all: "Go get 'em, Tiger."

Peter couldn't help it and quickly pecked her lips again. "Keep your window open."

Spider-Man watched Nina Hart jog up the stairs, something weighing down on his heart▬a spider-sense different than any other.

*ೃ༄

a/n: i am not ready.

i didn't write the fight scene between peter and strange purely because the maths scared me cos i'm a dumb fuk.

bro the next few chapters ...

i am so not ready at all.

(dude should have said 'i love you' when he had the chance...).

i'm not gonna explain more on how nina died in spider-man 3 because it gets explained later on so pls don't ask me and just be patient ily <3

(minimal editing. i think undercroft might be capitalised and non-capitalised my brain couldn't make up its mind).