chasing waterfalls [Peter Parker]

~67~

"Where is he?" Strange asked before going to grab the box from MJ. 

"Wait, wait. Before you do anything, Mr, Dr. Strange, sir. Peter's plan is working." Strange looked at Ned.

"What plan?" I flew over. 

"He's curing them." He looked around to see that we were right. 

"Well, I'll be damned." He turned to face Ned. "Did you just open a portal?" Ned looked nervous. 

"Yes, yes sir I did." Strange nodded, walking past Ned. I chuckled, looking at Ned's flabbergasted expression. 

Strange walked through a portal to where Peter 2 was talking to Octavius. Peter 1 jumped down to meet him. 

"Strange, wait. We're so close." Peter started to explain, but Strange cut him off. 

"Skip it! I've been dangling over the Grand Canyon for TWELVE hours." I looked at Peter with a confused expression. 

"I know, I know, I, uh..." The other two Peters dropped in next to him. Strange looked at the three Spider-Men. "I'm sorry about that, sir. I mean..." Peter 2 stepped forward. 

"You went to the Grand Canyon?" Peter 3 joined in the conversation. 

"He could have used your help." Peter 1 shook his head. 

"No no no, it's okay. These are my new friends. This is Peter Parker, this is Peter Parker. Spider-Man, Spider-Man. They're mes from other universes. They're here to help." Strange sighed. 

"No, no, no." Peter turned to Peter 2.

"This is the wizard I told you about."

"Look, I am really impressed that you've managed to give them all a second chance, kid. But this has to end. Now." Peter nodded. 

All of a sudden, we heard a voice coming from the sky. 

"Can the Spider-Man come out to play?" Goblin flew in from behind a cloud with blasters aimed at the statue. He grabbed the box. Octavius sent an arm after him and it grabbed his board. Strange threw a magic lasso to grab the box. Goblin cut Octavius's arm and flew away. 

It was almost too easy. As Strange prepared to press the button, I saw the same look on all 3 Peters' faces. It was then that we noticed the bomb sticking out of the box. The box exploded, sending out 3 golden rings. The blast caused the shield on the Statue of Liberty to fall. I steadied myself, but then I heard screaming. 

I turned around to see MJ falling off the scaffolding and Peter diving after her. Before he could grab her hand, he was pushed away by Goblin. Before I could do anything, though, Peter 3 had dove after her. He grabbed her, and shot a web out to safely land. I sighed in relief before turning my attention back to Strange, who was struggling to keep the rings in place. Unfortunately, he could not, and purple cracks started appearing in the sky. As the scaffolding collapsed, I flew myself down to the ground. 

The purple cracks started growing, spreading across the sky. Strange started casting spells to try to close them, but there were too many. I heard a blast and turned my head to see Peter and Goblin falling. Peter got up slowly. 

"Nixie! MJ! Ned!" He called out and I saw Ned and MJ run out from the rubble. "Are you okay?" MJ nodded. "We're okay." He looked at me. I nodded. As Goblin got back up, Peter turned to face him. 

"Poor Peter." It looked like Goblin was taunting him. "Too weak to send me home to die." Peter shook his head with a look on his face that I had never seen before. 

"No. I just wanna kill you myself." Goblin grinned. 

"Attaboy." Peter charged at Goblin, shooting webs and throwing punches. Goblin dodged them, but Peter shot a web at his foot, followed by a punch that knocked Goblin to the ground. They fought for a few minutes, which turned into Peter punching Goblin over and over again. I brought my hand up to cover my mouth.

Peter turned around to grab Goblin's glider. He lifted it over his head and aimed it at Goblin, bringing it down. Peter 2 jumped in the way to stop Peter from killing Goblin. Both Spider-Men struggled. Eventually, Peter put the glider down. Then, Goblin stabbed Peter 2 in the back. He went down. 

"She was there because of you. I may have struck the blow, but you... you are the one that killed her. " Peter 3 threw the device to Peter, who jammed it in Goblin's neck. Goblin went down, and Peter 3 ran over to help Peter 2. As the three Peters talked, I flew up to where Strange was. 

"What's going on?" Strange looked at me. 

"The multiverse is collapsing." Peter swung up. "They're starting to come through. And I can't stop them." 

"There's gotta be something we could do. Can't you just cast the spell again? The original way, before I screwed it up." Peter suggested, but Strange shook his head. 

"We're too late for that, they're here. They're here because of you." I looked over at Peter, who was thinking. He looked up at Strange.

"What if everyone forgot who I was?" 

"What?" Strange and I asked at the same time.

"They're coming here because of me, right? Because I'm Peter Parker. So cast a new spell, but this time make everyone forget who Peter Parker is." My stomach dropped. "Make everyone forget... me." He looked over at me. I couldn't say anything. 

"No." Strange replied. 

"But it would work, right?" Strange sighed. 

"Yeah, it would work.  But you gotta understand, that would mean that everyone who knows and loves you... we... we'd have no memory of you." I had to steady myself so that I wouldn't fall.  "It would be as though you never existed." 

"I know." Peter replied. "Do it." Strange nodded. 

"You better go and say your goodbyes. You don't have long." Peter nodded. 

"Thank you, sir." Strange chuckled.

"Call me Stephen." 

"Thank you, Stephen." 

"Yeah, still feels weird." Peter smiled. 

"I'll see you around." He looked at me before swinging down. I looked at the sky and at Strange before flying down to join him. As Strange cast the spell, Peter said goodbye to both Peters. Tears were forming in my eyes. I couldn't imagine a world where I didn't know who Peter Parker was. He swung over to Ned and MJ. He said his goodbyes to them and hugged them. He and Ned did their special handshake. I had to stop the tears from streaming down my face. He then ran over to me. 

"Nixie..." He started, and I wiped the tears from my face.

"I know. You have to do this." Through my tears, I chuckled. "You're not the only superhero here, you know." He sighed. 

"Like I just told Ned and MJ, I'm gonna come find you. And I'm gonna make you remember me." I  nodded. 

"I know you will." He gently grabbed my face and kissed me. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, not wanting to let him go. "I love you, Peter Parker." I said as I broke away from the kiss. "Remember that." He smiled, tears in his eyes. 

"I love you too, Nixie Romanoff." I stayed in his arms for as long as I could, before he backed up and jumped onto a ledge. He looked up at Strange, then at Ned and MJ. He then swung away. Strange completed the spell, and a golden ring shot out into the sky.