Finding the Way Home

Chapter 8

Peter could do nothing as the press dragged his name through the mud along with Michelle's and Ned's. Pepper worked all day with Mr. Murdock, assuring Peter that they would be able to clear his name from Beck's death, but it did little to comfort him. After the Times dropped Michelle's interview and Ned got a call from his boss requesting he take a few weeks off―"Just as a temporary precaution," he had said―Peter needed to do something.

Instead, he was stuck in the Tower with nothing to preoccupy his thoughts. Even Morgan had left for school, taking her contagious energy with her and leaving Peter to sit on the couch with Michelle under his arm and Ned across from them.

"This sucks, man," Ned grumbled, setting his Xbox controller aside.

"You're just saying that because you lost," Michelle teased. "Again."

Ned scowled and Michelle smirked, but Peter couldn't be bothered to join their teasing.

Suddenly, there was an Xbox controller being thrust into his hands and Michelle was shifting beside him.

"Your turn, tiger," she said. Her hand dropped to his knee and she tilted her head back to look up at him. "Ned needs to win at least once."

"I can beat Ned," Peter countered, glancing down at her. "Call of Duty is, like, the easiest―Hey! Not that map!"

Ned snickered, ignoring Peter's cry of protest and pressing X to start.

Playing Xbox with Ned and Michelle was only distracting for so long. Pepper and Mr. Murdock interrupted sporadically, asking to speak with Peter throughout the day to the point where they eventually decided to turn off the Xbox altogether.

After the fourth time Peter returned from a murmured conversation with Mr. Murdock, Ned was on the verge of what he decided was a great idea.

"The wizard guy could fix this," he told Peter conspiratorially. "He probably has some magic spell to make everyone forget about this whole thing."

"Ned." Michelle rolled her eyes. "Be reasonable."

"I am!"

They turned to Peter, both looking for his support but he just blinked.

"Dr. Strange has more important things to deal with," he said eventually. Michelle rolled her eyes again as Peter went on to say, "He's, like, the guardian of the multiverse or whatever. My identity being revealed is nowhere near his paygrade."

"I doubt he's doing anything more than shuffling his magic cards and waving his wand," Michelle said. Peter didn't point out her sudden change in opinion.

"He doesn't use a wand," he muttered. Michelle grinned. "He's not―We can't just walk up and ask him to fix this. It's my mess. I should be the one to fix it," he insisted.

"Peter." Michelle sighed, turning on the couch to face him with one leg tucked under her. "Murdock can drop the murder charges for you, but the whole world is still gonna know who you are. Dr. Strange might be the only one who can fix that."

"It's worth a shot," Ned added with a small, hopeful smile, "isn't it?"

With a bit of reluctance and a dramatic groan, Peter agreed and the three of them found themselves in the elevator down to the ground floor.

As they stepped through the elevator doors, Michelle tugged the hood of Peter's sweater over his head. No one in the Tower spared them a glance, but Peter was glad for the gesture all the same. When they stepped onto the streets of New York to hail a cab, however, they drew attention.

"Get in," Peter muttered as a taxi stopped at the curb for them. Ned climbed in first and Peter held the door open as Michelle followed. He slid in after her, giving the driver Dr. Strange's address and locking the door beside him.