Maya Stark

Chapter 135: Three Peter Parkers...?

It was almost unbearable. Just sitting at Ned's house, waiting to hear from anyone. Waiting to hear anything. May and I had a quick conversation, informing me that Octavius was cured, and that Peter would text once he was finished. She told me she was happy I allowed him to do this. She told me I was perfect for him. That was it. Silence for hours and hours. It was awful.

And when we finally did get news, I started wishing we were still in the dark about everything. Jameson was there and got it all on video. I watched Peter fight Osborn. I watched the explosion. I watched Happy get arrested. I watched it all. Flashing across a screen. And it was all a little bit too much at once. I was sitting on the couch, my head in my hands as Ned's grandmother puts food on the table. I was trying to make myself stop crying. Normally I can just shut my feelings out, but I couldn't this time. It was too much. Silent tears continue to streak down my face.

'...and we can confirm at least one person has been killed,' the news reporter said.

I take a deep breath, surprised I haven't fallen to a panic attack yet. I can only imagine what's going through Peter's mind right now as Ned turns off the TV. I knew he did it for my benefit. We don't know where Peter is, and he hasn't gotten into contact at all. I know I need to find him, to be with him. But he told me not to leave. If I would've gone with him, I could've been able to help. To prevent this. To save May. Anything, really. Anything is better than sitting here hearing everything from a TV screen.

'Still nothing?' MJ asks.

'No,' said Ned.

I huff and stand, wiping the tears off my face. I sit at the table next to MJ and stare at the box. My finger taps on the table.

'I'm gonna press it,' I say, coming to a final decision.

'What? No!' Ned said, sitting down at the end of the table.

'Parker told me to wait, but... I'm gonna do it,' I say. 'This thing went wrong. That was the final straw.'

'I just wish...' Ned sighs. 'I just wish that we could see him.'

He makes a gesture with his hand – the hand that had Strange's ring on – and sparks appear in the air. We all stare at the same spot, basically holding our breath. Woah.

'Ned?' MJ said.

'Yeah?' Ned said, sounding nervous.

'Do that again.'

'Yeah,' Ned said. 'I just wish we could see him. Okay... I just wish we could see Peter.'

He moves his hand the same way Strange would, and manages to create a whole damn portal. It shows us an ally and there's someone at the end wearing what looks like a Spider-Man suit.

'Salamangkero!' Ned's grandmother says.

'You're right,' Ned said. 'I am magic.'

'Is that him?' MJ says.

'Yeah, yeah, it has to be.'

They start calling out to Peter, but I hesitate in reluctance. 'No, wait,' I say. 'The suit is wrong...'

MJ turns to me. 'What do you mean?'

'I mean... I made Peter's suit, and that isn't it,' I say, quickly. 'Unless he took it off... that's not—'

Before I could finish my sentence, the suited figure walks towards us, jumping through the portal. The suit was different, it wasn't what I made Parker. That I knew. My guard was up. This could end very badly. The second he stepped into the house Ned's grandmother screamed.