fiction | Part of the journey is the end

3. Hello, Peter

Peter called Flash and asked where the MIT mixer was as he was trying to get Ned and MJ a second chance.

"What about you?" Scott asked. "College is important for you too."

"Ned and MJ first and then me," said Peter. "I created this problem for them, so I have to fix it."

Flash asked what was in it for him. Peter sighed and said he would pick him up and swing him to school for one week.

Peter stared at Flash. "Is he joking? That's what he wants?"

"Well, he is Spider-Man's #1 fan," Natasha said, amused.

Flash and Peter bickered about the time length before Flash said Peter knew what he wanted. Peter agreed to tell everyone Flash was his best friend.

"Why would he want that?" Bruce asked. "Ned got rejected from MIT because he's Peter's friend."

Flash grinned.

Everyone snorted while Peter rolled his eyes.

He said that Peter would plead his case with the Assistant Vice Chancellor and said she was going to the airport.

"Please don't tell me that you're going to try to plead your case while she's on the way to the airport?" Stephen asked. "You're not going to make a good impression."

Peter didn't reply.

Later, Peter wore his Iron Spider suit as he soared through the air.

"Uh, I didn't know the Iron Spider suit could do that," Peter told Tony, who blinked in surprise.

"Because I didn't design that part," A smile formed on Tony's face. "But your red and black suit can do that. You've been upgrading the Iron Spider suit too."

"Oh." Peter nearly drooled at the thought of upgrading a nanotech suit.

Peter's HUD said that the Stark Network was unavailable.

Tony let out a loud sigh. "Because SI's caught up in this mess. Great."

Guilt was written all over Peter's face.

He got a text from Flash with a picture of the Assistant Vice Chancellor. Peter sighed as he heard the Daily Bugle helicopter filming him. He waved and said he could see him.

Peter tiredly ran a hand down his face.

"Jameson needs to get a life," said Clint.

"Peter's basically single-handedly funding the Daily Bugle with Jameson's Spider-Man obsession," Natasha added.

"Jameson hates me and Daredevil, so Kate's most probably next," said Peter.

Clint's stomach dropped. "Absolutely not. I'll tear him to shreds if he says a single word about her."

"Get in line!" Tony snarled.

Scott scowled. He wished he could get the truth out there about Peter. He froze as he got an idea. He could start a podcast! It could become the anti-Daily Bugle.

Peter dropped down to the road, and the Iron Spider Suit retracted.

"I'll never get used to taking off the suit in public," said Peter. "I know there's no point in keeping my identity a secret because everyone knows, but it's just weird."

"You'll get used to the stares soon enough," said Steve.

A toddler noticed him. The toddler waved and said, "That's Peter Parker." Peter waved back.