Crossed the Stars - TASM Peter Parker

02

After the initial shock had gone, Juno decided to return to the coffee shop. Little did she know things wouldn't be how she remembered. She arrives back to where she had sworn the shop was only to find that the door is locked and on the inside only darkness. What happened? She sets a couple steps back to see a big sign on the window. A for sale sign.

Juno frowns, not sure if she's at the right building, though she had worked here for the past 6 months. She should know where this is by now. She looks around, realizing that some buildings look different, and the signs that usually hung around are gone. What did that portal do? 

Juno puts her hands in the pockets of her jeans, she takes out her wallet and phone but after looking at it for a few seconds she remembers it being in her bag, not her pockets. She unlocks her phone to call someone but quickly realizes that the Samsung J6 plus is now a Samsung galaxy note 3. She used to have this one somewhere in 2015.

"What the hell?" Maybe she's just hallucinating. Sure, sounds about right. Juno puts her things back in her pocket and walks towards her apartment, a couple blocks away from the shop. Maybe she'll find answers there. She soon makes it inside and stops when the lobby looks different. The usual beige colors are now mostly red.

"Can I help you?" A woman behind the desk asks. Juno shakes her head, smiling about to go to her apartment but she freezes when her eyes land on the calendar behind her. August 2014.

"You should probably update that calendar." The woman looks behind her and frowns before turning back.

"Why? It's correct. 9th of August 2014." Juno wants to say something, oh she desperately wants to but she decides against it. Instead she makes up an act.

"Right, seems to me like I stumbled in the wrong building." Or year. "Have a nice day." Juno says before walking out. She looks around, desperately trying to find out where she is and how she got here. This would be so much easier if Stephen never took away her ring, she would've made her own portal and returned home. But she can't, not like this.

She tries to remember where she would be at this point in time. 2014... she came from 2021 where she is 20 years old. She would be 13 here. Juno knows she would be with Stephen, still learning how to control her powers. He lives around here somewhere... The Sanctum Sanctorum. She might want to find that place soon.

Juno quickly realizes that she had been standing around for the past hour or so while processing all of this information. The sun is going down and for all she knows, she's homeless. Two weeks. In two weeks Stephen Strange will check on her and find out that she's not there. He will probably figure it out himself and come get her.

Until then, she will stay on the low, not drawing attention to herself. She starts walking, her shirt quickly becoming very cold in the fresh New York night wind. She wished she had a jacket or something but she doesn't. If anything the uniform is the only thing she has with her and it sucks. When night has officially fallen, she feels more uncomfortable then ever.

The streets look unfamiliar and she fears something or someone will soon take advantage of a lost girl all by herself. She stops in her tracks however when she sees two guys towering over a third one. Juno walks closer, hoping to keep herself in the shadows.

"Empty your damn pockets." One of the two taller ones says.

"I don't have anything."

"Don't fuck with us, kid." The first punch is thrown, just when Juno wants to intervere, another figure pops up. She frowns and looks him up and down before realizing he is wearing a spider suit. Did Peter become Spiderman this early on? 

"I suggest you let go of him." 

"Or what?" The other tall guy asks back, taking out a small knife. Peter suddenly acts all funny. 

"Is that a knife?" Cue to him falling to his knees dramatically. "Is that a real knife?"

"Yes it's a real knife." The guy replies.

"My weakness, small knives." Juno snorts at this, catching the attention of the two. The one with the knife suddenly pushes her in front of him and he places the knife against her throat. Peter stands up and holds his hand out. "Okay, not cool man. Don't bring an innocent girl into this."

"Innocent? Yeah, you wish." Juno replies, lifting her left feet between the legs of the guy behind her and hitting him right in the balls. He bends over as she escapes his grasp. The other guy tries to attack but Spidey already used his webs to glue him against the wall. 

"Did it." Peter says, happily. The guy with the knife cuts his friend lose. Spiderman turns around to face Juno while the guys run away. "Are you okay?" Damn. Juno thought Peter was a bit shorter than her, not taller.

"Yeah, they need more than two guys with a silly knife to take me down." She replies. "Are you alright, Peter?" Spiderman freezes, it's only then that she realizes he doesn't know her yet. 

"How do you know me?"

"Good question." Juno replies. 

"Who are you?"

"Another great question." She tries to come up with an excuse. "I got nothing that would make sense to you, honestly." Spiderman takes off his mask and looks her up and down, even in the dark she can see that this is not her Peter. "Wait, who are you?"

"Who am I? Who are you?"

"I am Juno Mae Mathews, your turn."

"Okay, Juno Mae Mathews." He mocks. "As you said, I'm Peter."

"Parker?"

"Yes." Impossible. Her Peter looked different, he is a midget compared to this guy and not even half as handsome-- wait, what? "I'll ask again, how do you know me?" That damn portal.

"Okay, this is gonna sound strange, but I promise you it's the truth." Peter nods for her to continue. "I'm a sorcerer raised by another sorcerer and I think I might've accidentally travelled between universes." 

"You're right, this is strange." 

"I'm not lying."

"You expect me to believe that?"

"It would make this conversation a lot easier." Peter rolls his eyes and starts to walk away but a bright blue flame stops him. He turns around to see the smoke come out of her hands. 

"What is that? What are you doing?"

"It's magic, my magic." She steps closer to him. "I promise you, I'm not lying."

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Word Count: 1111

Written: 26/12/2022