MAGIC TRICKS [PETER PARKER]

FIFTY-FOUR

"SPIDER-MAN'S NAME... IS PETER PARKER!"

Nadia's blood turned to ice. She could barely hear Peter atop the lightpole. "What the fu—!"

A loud honk interrupted him. People began to gather around Nadia, pressing her against them at they gaped at the screen. Her heart pounded. What the hell?

"That's right, folks," said J. Jonah Jameson, with his gruff, matter-of-fact voice. "Peter Parker. A 17-year-old high school delinquent..."

Peter looked back at Nadia, and even through the mask, she knew he was freaking out. All they'd worked for to keep his identity a secret, all they done— all for nothing. She swallowed thickly and looked back at him.

"Hey! She knows him!" shouted the man behind Nadia, and suddenly, all the eyes were on here.

The people pressed in closer, and Nadis discovered she had severe claustrophobia.

Someone grabbed her arm, spinning her around. "Are you Spider-Man's girlfriend?"

"I..." She couldn't think straight.

"Are you? Did you know he was Spider-Man?"

"Do you know the Aura?"

Nadia's breath came in fast pants. Her head spun so drastically, she couldn't figure out what they were saying, couldn't comprehend what they yelled at her. "I..." Her hand reached up to grab her necklace, the one Peter had given her. It was hot against her palm. "I..."

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa, hey!" Peter had landed a few feet away and was pushing through the crowd to get to her. "Please don't touch her, sir." He pushed the man grabbing Nadia's arm away.

Only when Peter touched her shoulder could she think straight again, and understand the chaos around her.

"You're just a kid?"

"You murdered Mysterio!"

The next question shot at her.

"You helped him murder Mysterio?!"

Nadia swallowed thickly and ran her hand down Peter's arm, grasping his hand tightly. "I didn't... No... He didn't—"

A woman with long curly hair marched forward. "C'mon, kid! Let me see your face—" She grasped for him suddenly and Peter flinched back.

Nadia swore she saw red, and her hand shot out to push the woman away.

"He hit me!" the woman screamed. "Spider-Man and his girlfriend hit me!"

Hands grappled at Nadia's clothes until Peter slid his arm over her shoulder and lead her away, while the chaos ensued. She tried to keep her head down, wanting to avoid being on camera, but that wasn't an option with how many were pointed at her.

Peter shot a web towards the nearest building and wrapped his arm firmly around her again, as J. Jonah Jameson's vocie boomed over the streets again.

"All this time, people looked up to this boy and called him a hero. I'll tell you what I call him... Public enemy number one!"

Nadia clutched onto Peter with an unknown ferocity as they swung over the gossiping streets. "Oh, God... Oh, God, Peter..." She squeezed her eyes shut. "What the hell just happened!"

"I don't know!" he shouted back, voice wavering in panic, as he zipped from building to building. "Where are we gonna go?!"

"I don't know!"

"Your apartment?" he asked.

Nadia quickly shook her head. "No, no! Landlord kicked me out!"

Peter zipped them past another screen plastering his face on it. "Okay, w-what about your wizard friend? Where does he live?"