stark, peter parker

xviii. faith and trust and a little bit of pixie- damnit!

"that's some neat trick, that sense of yours." the green goblin said to peter. "'no more darker half?' did you really think that i'd let that happen? that i'd let you take away my power, just because you're blind to what true power can bring you?

peter shook his head. "you don't know me.

the goblin smiled. "don't i?" he replied. "i watched you from deep behind norman's cowardly eyes. struggling, to have everything you want, while the world tries to make you choose." he smiled again. "gods don't have to choose. we take."

peter turned to his aunt, who was on the other side of happy's condo. "may... run."

⎊‎⎊‎⎊

dakota was outside of the avengers compound as soon as j. jonah jameson's voice had begun to play in j.e.e.p.'s system. she'd asked her ai to give her updates on peter's situation, despite her and hazel digging into their own mess.

"tragedy." the voice said. "what else can i call it? what more need be said? the damage... the destruction... you saw it with your own eyes. when will people wake up, and realize that everywhere spider-man goes... chaos and calamity ensue. everything spider-man touches comes to ruin. and we, the innocents, are left to pick up the pieces."

she found him on the top of midtown tech, curled in on himself. she didn't say anything as her black suit of iron opened up and she walked out of it, moving to crouch by peter.

at first, he didn't move. he took a shaking breath before then collapsing into her arms. "may.. may's gone." he sobs.

dakota's heart dropped, and her arms wrapped tightly around him. she knew what it was like to lose a parent, but she didn't know what it was like to feel this guilty for it. she didn't say anything, though. there wasn't anything to say. she just held him.

peter calmed himself after a moment, squeezing her arms slightly. "did you.. did you find out anything new? about the hydra lady?"

dakota couldn't believe he wanted to know about her situation when his was much more serious, but she supposed he wanted the distraction. "um, well... she might actually be my mother, but she's also a hydra villain. she's killed hazel and i in five other universes."

peter looked up, his eyes wide. "what?"

she nodded. "yeah. we're... hazel and i are going to fight her."

his grip on her body tightened. "no. no, i can't lose you, too."

dakota shook her head. "pete, baby, i have to–"

"no!" he cried, beginning to shake. "no. i can't..."

she wrapped her arms around him again, letting him cry into her shoulder. it wasn't long before ned and mj walked onto the roof, and dakota opened her arms for them. all four held onto each other, feeling peter's body shake occasionally with sobs.

"peter," mj said, breaking the silence, "there's... there's some people here..."

they all looked up as two men, one in a spider-man suit, joined them on the roof. "sorry... about may." the one that wasn't in the suit said.

"yeah." the other one agreed. "sorry. i got some understanding of..."

peter shook his head. "no, please don't tell me that you know what i'm going through. she's gone... and it's all my fault. she died for nothing. so i'm gonna do what i should've done in the first place." he reached for the glowing box.

"peter..." the one began.

"please, don't." he cut him off. "you don't belong here. either of you. so i'm sending you home. those other guys are from your worlds, right? so you deal with it. if they die, if you kill them... that's on you. it's not my problem. i don't care anymore. i'm done. i'm really sorry that i dragged you into this. but you have to go home now. good luck."