(Disclaimer: I don't own any Marvel characters in this story)
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'Terrible days seem to last forever, while the good days only last for a moment. That's life huh'
Just as Liz Allan got through the hospital doors, she walked alone in the cold weather of Queens, New York.
She was somewhat frustrated, mostly at herself, but slightly at Peter. The brunette constantly told him that she would be there for him, for better or for worse.
But earlier, her grieving Peter pushed her away, like she was nothing to him.
There was also a sense of emptiness in her heart as well, due to the loss of May Parker. They loved each other dearly. Aunt May was similar to a motherly figure to her.
While her own Mom ran away from her late father and Liz because she gave up on their family. Especially when Mark was sent to prison, it broke the Allan Family.
Liz decided not to reminisce about the negative memories of her mother and her family. It wasn't a good time to.
All she just wanted to remember was the greatness of May Parker.
'May lost her husband but didn't consider leaving Peter on his own or taking her own life. She dealt with the cards she was given, and it worked.'
Suddenly, as the Latina sped through the crowds of people, a mysterious hand landed on her shoulder. Immediately there were chills on her arm. She feared who it was. She was hopeful that her powers were ready for use.
So she instantly turned, to see a familiar figure. It was, who she believed as Peter's cousin, Daniel.
"OH MY GOD, YOU SCARED ME….. Daniel..is it?" Liz tried to regather her breath because she thought she was going to be robbed.
"Um...Yep, that's definitely it." The Older Peter lied while maintaining a straight face. He had to swallow that guilt because no one else knew a thing.
He followed Liz to the nearest stop. It was awkward silence for the rest of the walk to the nearest crosswalk.
Liz finally spits out, "It's weird how Peter never mentions anything about you since you are his cousin.."
He tried to keep a straight face, but he couldn't. He gulped.
Peter Parker was good at many things, although lying wasn't one of them. They may have lied before, but confrontation made him scream inside.
"I um...his long lost cousin…" The Older Peter explained. He tried his best to not sound suspicious.
"Then he would've told me about him meeting you"
Pete was dead silent, didn't know how to respond back.
"tell me the truth. Who are you?" Liz stared him in the eye, which he shied away from.
He was silent, and looked down, avoiding eye contact. 'DAMMIT, I'm SO BAD AT LYING!'
"Come on, you can tell me, I will probably understand…"
" ...fine...I admit it, I'm lying to you…"
"I knew it! Who really are you? I guarantee I get upset…unless you are part of the FBI, then please never mention me.." she babbled to him.
"I'm not part of the FBI…. just promise you'll believe me…" He mumbled to her.
"I promise! Just tell me who you really are! PLEASE!" she aggressively pleaded.
"Okay, this may sound crazy but... well…"
"Well, WHAT?"
"I'm P-Peter Parker...too" he admitted.
At that moment, Liz stopped to process what she heard. 'WHAT THE HECK! This dude isn't Pete!'
"Wait….no no no, Please tell me you are on some crazy medication! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!"
"Well it's possible, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't possible..."
"Why would Petey say you were his cousin?"
"I'm not, he lied. I swear...I'm Peter, but obviously an older version"
"Wait, so you aren't lying about this?"
"Of course not."
"H-How? I may not be as smart as both of you, but I do know that there aren't devices to travel into PARALLEL UNIVERSES!"
"Correction: it's called, 'ALTERNATE UNIVERSES' and...Yeah, it may sound absolutely crazy…"
"This is more than crazy, this is next level insane."
"Yeahhh"
"Wait, that means, you have powers TOO!"
"Not so loud...wait, what are you talking about? Wait a sec, you know I'm, well, he's spider-man?" he whispered in her ear. Liz immediately nodded. "Why would he tell you!"
"Why wouldn't he tell me! Petey tells me plenty of things ...now"
''UGH...we have to go somewhere else to talk about this…also you call him PETEY? Gross..."
"What's wrong with the name Petey?"
"It just doesn't roll off the tongue well?"
"You say, 'roll off the tongue?'Only old people say that!"
"Hey, I'm not that old, I'm in my thirties, thank you very much!"
"...that's old"
"WHAT!"
"Nothing…" she mumbled.
They agreed to walk over to Liz's place, so nobody could eavesdrop into their conversation. It took them thirty minutes to arrive at her place.
Once they arrived, Pete was in awe of her house, it had a black and white, modern aesthetic with large windows, which had a yellow glow. In short, IT WAS GORGEOUS.
"Wait, are you sure This is your Place? Seems pretty expensive and fancy,"
"Yep! Well, it's technically my distant Uncle's place, so DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING! I'm just glad I live here rent-free."
"Can I go inside!?"
"Well, that's why we went here, so we can talk in private...Duh!"
"Right."
Liz led him in the house, which he was in awe of the beauty of the interior of the house. An excited Pete slid across the cold, marble floors.
"Didn't you say this was your uncle's place? Where is he?" He peered around to see if anyone was around.
"Don't worry, He shouldn't be home, he's working. My Aunt works with him as well. They both work for a government agency."
"you must get pretty lonely... I can't imagine what it's like…"
"Not really, I'm at this other school during the weekends. The only person I think is lonely is Petey…"
"Can you stop calling me...him... that! It's embarrassing, at least for me.…" he grimaced while blushing slightly. "Also, what school?"
"It-it's a school...with kids…" Liz regretted that she blurted about the secret school.
"That is most schools though… and what's the school called?"
"I-I don't know…" she gulped.
"You don't know the name of the school you go to? Teenagers I swear!"
"Fine...I'll tell you the school...if you cook me dinner…"
"Why?"
"Cuz...I'm hungry...and I can't talk on an empty stomach."
"Wha-F-fine…"
"Cool...but can you cook?
"Um…"
"YOU CAN'T COOK… man, not even Petey can cook"
"If you say that one more time-"
"Fine….grouch...old people, I swear,"
"I'M THIRTY- FIVE! THIRTY-FIVE! Y-You, know what! I'm just gonna go use the bathroom…and wash my hands"
However, he thinks he found the restroom, but it was just a large closet.
A few moments later….he screamed to the top of his lungs, "This house is like a maze! How does anyone find anything here?!"
He could hear his echo bounce off the tall ceiling.
"Don't worry, I get lost all the time, just to find a bathroom, but you gotta admit, it's one nice looking maze"
"That's one thing we have agreed on the whole day." The pair smiled at each other.
Later on, they both gave up trying to find the restroom and decided to use the kitchen sink.
The whole kitchen may be beautiful, but Pete hated it.
Cooking wasn't his greatest strength, that's why he would buy Chinese take out food or ask Mary Jane to cook. Whenever he tried, nine times out of ten, burned the food.
All he could do was follow the cookbook, not well, or microwave frozen food, and even then it was slightly crispy.
"Sometimes I don't understand, you two are super talented, but you all can't COOK! Seriously, Peter tried to make lasagna for Thanksgiving one time, and let's just say he screwed up…"
"Lasagna? Never really liked lasagna that much, but hey, different versions of you probably like different things!"
"I'm kinda hungry, so I was hoping you can cook...obviously that's a let down"
"Hmm...I found spaghetti, I can try spaghetti, I'm pretty sure I can't burn that! Like who burns spaghetti"
After Liz got the spaghetti out of the fridge, she told the older peter how to cook spaghetti, "it's been ages since I've last cooked," he mentions as the water was boiling. If there was someone who could cook spaghetti or anything really, do not trust Pete.
Cracking like an Egg
"Okay, time to get into the nitty-gritty...WHAT'S THE SCHOOL?!"
"Why are you still bugging me about this, Pete?"
"Well, you seem reluctant to tell me, and also...no one likes to go to school on the weekend unless this universes' Peter does, then well...he's a FREAK…"
'He's you, ya knumbskull' a voice hissed quietly in his head. 'Very true'
"Anyways, since I'm cooking you dinner, so you gotta tell me please!"
"...F-fine...Please never mention this to anyone!..."
"I promise!"
"Okay...I-I might sound a bit crazy, hehe, but I go to a school...for the gifted"
Once the older Pete heard her confession, his jaw dropped. He knew what she was talking about, for once.
"Waaaaaaiiiiit, THE SCHOOL FOR THE GIFTED? Sounds familiar…" Pete curiously asked.
"D-Do you know like Professor Charles Xavier?" he added.
"Yeah, it's the bald dude on the wheelchair, who can read minds, kinda freaky..."
"YES! HIM! Also, what do you mean, mind reading is AMAZING!" he exclaimed. "Wait… so that means you're a mutant…. Right?"
"...y-yeah!"
"What makes you so special? What's your power?"
"I'll show you…"
Liz held her hand out high. She tried to focus and control her unseen ability, but nothing came out. "It usually takes a while," she added. It took a minute to channel her powers at one. 'Cmon, please!'
Finally she felt vigorous heat erupt from the palm of her hand.
"Y-You Have Fire Powers!?" The thirty five year old exclaimed in surprise. Pete found fire powers the most fascinating, but he never knew why.
However as older Pete was distracted, they smelt something burnt. And Peter knew the smell of burnt food better than anyone.
"Is that smell coming from your hands?"
"no...it smells like burnt food-like spagh-wait YOU BURNT The SPAGHETTI!" Liz exclaimed, as the flame on her palm dissipated.
As soon as He saw smoke coming out of the oven, he clarified calmly,"well I did say 'pretty sure' and not 'completely 100% guaranteed' that I wouldn't burn it"
"Maybe some subway sandwiches would be a better choice-"
"Hehe right!"
For a desperate attempt to eat some food, the pair ordered food from a sandwich place nearby. Once they returned, older Pete mentioned to her, "so, you seemed to have trouble with showing your power."
"Yeah...I have trouble focusing"
"D-do you want me to help you?"
"with what?"
"with controlling your powers."
"You want to train me?"
"Y-yeah...if you are willing"
"Yes Of course!" Liz embraced him. "But, are you sure, it won't get in the way"
"Of what? I accidently got this universe , with no idea how to get back, so I guess one way to spend my time is helping you."
Broken
Hours felt like days to Peter. He sat there in silence, hunched over on his seat in the hospital. There were tear stains that remained under his eyes.
Grieving was a process, and unfortunately for Peter, he'll have to experience it...again.
First with his parents he never grew close to. Then his Uncle Ben, his father figure. Now, his motherly figure, precious Aunt May.
Some days as Spider-Man, he would feel on top of the world. Looking down on the citizens of New York would cause him to smile. But if it was a rough day patrolling, like getting a bus thrown at you, at least Liz would make him feel a bit happier after. If it was a rough date with Liz, either the food was terrible or they weren't in the right mood, Aunt May would be there, waiting by the door.
Peter had a support system. They were essential to balance his life as Spider-Man and Peter Parker.
But one of them is gone. Taken away.
At that moment, the nurses were ready to take the bed away, where his Aunt laid. They laid their hands on the side of the cart. But before they could, a powerful voice could be heard, ordering them to refrain from doing so. The man's presence could be felt in the room. It was familiar to Peter. He looked up to see the man.
That man was Tony Stark.
"Peter." The billionaire headed towards the grieving teen and embraced him.
Usually Peter would fanboy over the fact that he is in front of one of the most incredible tech geniuses ever.
However, that Peter wasn't him. He needed someone to embrace and let all of his emotions out. He regrets making his girlfriend and alternate universes self, leave, he needed that emotional support. But those regrets are in the past.
All he needed was someone to hold on to. So, Tony stood there, holding him up.
"It's going to be alright, Pete."
Peter would keep hearing that phrase, repeatedly, hoping things would be.
The End of Part 1
Authors' Message
Mckinnell: Sorry this one took so long, me and writing were very busy, hopefully this was worth the wait, right?
The Author: Very exhausting story to write. Lot's of distractions in the way, but I hope this was worth the wait. Also, there will be a part 2 to this story, so be patient.
Of course let us know any ideas for part two. This will be the end of this book as more projects are on the way! STAY TUNED!