No Way Home

Otto Octavius got into action with skill, catching the pumpkin bombs of the Green Goblin out of Strange's way, while the three Peters, Alex, J'onn and Mia quickly dodged multiple explosions.

Taking advantage of the chaos, the Jester flew around and managed to take over La Macchina di Kadavus. One of Octavius' tentacles clung to the glider, holding the Goblin in place, while Alex fired a blast from her Martian weapon, immobilizing the glider in the air. Mia fired an arrow that damaged the flying machine.

"You don't belong here, Norman Osborn!" J'onn roars in a hostile voice. "Your killing madness ends now!"

"You have nowhere to go!" added Alex in a threatening voice, holding the beam of her weapon to immobilize the sinister visitor.

"You've failed this city!" cried Mia with fury.

Dr Strange used an Eldritch Whip to take back the Box. Furious, Goblin turned his glider and cut off Octavius' tentacular arm. The distraction allowed him to escape from Alex's paralyzing ray. And flew away, despite the glider malfunction caused by Mia's arrow.

Strange manipulated La Macchina di Kadavus with his magic. The three Spider-Men felt something wrong in the mystical box, something inside. A pumpkin bomb left by the Goblin.

Peter ran to the Master of Mystical Arts.

"STRANGE, NO…!"

The bomb exploded, destroying La Macchina di Kadavus. Fragments of debris thrown in all directions... followed by the swirling and spinning magic of the broken spell, unleashed and unstable. The unleashed energy of the broken spell ran through the entire Statue of Liberty and broke the scaffolding, rushing through the levels of the scaffolding, an avalanche of twisted metal collapsing.

Screaming in terror, MJ fell backwards, falling from the crumbling scaffolding. Ned tried to catch her, but lost his footing. He barely manages to catch a twisted pole, suspended in the air. Peter, hearing MJ, plunged after her, reaching out his hand almost there. But the Green Goblin, on his glider, hit him, taking him in the opposite direction.

The eyes of MJ widened with horror as she fell. The Amazing Peter reacted quickly, leant towards her and caught MJ just in time. He turned around and pulled a web up as the strap attached to the scaffold, while they safely descended on the ground, with the Amazing Spider-Man holding MJ in his arms like a bride.

The Amazing Peter stared at her with a look full of emotions and wet eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm okay." replied MJ nodding, breathing quickly, her body still full of adrenaline from the fall before she noticed the painful expression on her savior's face. "Are you okay?"

The Peter of another Earth nodded his head swallowing, his lips trembling before a sad smile. He couldn't save Gwen Stacy, but he could save MJ. Didn't that count for anything? At least he had not repeated the mistake he had made in his world.

Doctor Strange was trying to hold the spell with all his might. Ned was desperately clinging to his rivet. Octavius moved to the lower levels, with Max and Mia in his tentacles. Strange struggled with the spell to its last, but failed and a wave of magical energy spread through New York. Ned let go, screamed and fell. Fortunately, the Cloak of Levitation came to his rescue, attaching to Ned's arms and holding him in the air. Meanwhile, the elderly Peter threw a web, helping Alex and Connors reach the ground safely. They all landed safely. Standing on the torch of the Statue, Strange watched with horror as reality cracked open, creating inter-dimensional portals for those who knew Spider-Man's identity to pass through. In the air, J'onn, in his Martian form, joined him at the top of the Torch of the Statue of Liberty.

"Strange, what's happening?" asked the Martian in a daze.

"The botched spell has spread everywhere." explained Doctor Strange with horror. "And now our reality is going to be destroyed."

He immediately began to seal them, but the cracks in the sky did not close. Earth – Prime's Peter brutally hit the Green Goblin's glider with his right elbow until he opened his supply with pumpkin bombs. He took out one, activated it and forced it into the glider, destroying it. The flying machine instantly lost altitude, Spider-Man and Osborn crashed into rubble before finally landing under the few remains of the scaffolding. Ned lands gently on an observation deck as the Cloak returns to Strange.

"Thank you, Mister Cape, sir." exclaimed Ned as he saw the Cloak return to its owner.

"Ned! Ned! Ned! Ned!"

MJ turned the corner and ran to Ned's arms.

Peter stood up, worried, and looked around.

"MJ? Ned?"

From the base of the Statue of Liberty, MJ and Ned looked to see their friend on the shield of Captain America fallen to the water. MJ waved his hand.

"Peter! Hey!"

"Are you okay?" asked the young hero from Queens to his friends.

"We're okay." MJ assured him.

Peter sighed with relief. Meanwhile, the Green Goblin stood up at the other end of the shield. The sun was just beginning to break through the horizon. Peter turned to him, eyes blazing with rage and hatred. The man who caused his aunt's death. Seeing him filled him with rage. He wanted to kill him so badly. He had no glider. No more pumpkin bombs. He had to pay.

The Goblin gets up and pulls off his goggles.

"Poor Peter." he said in a mocking and sinister tone to the sight of Spider-Man in a fighting pose. "Too weak… to send me home to die."

"No... I just wanna kill you myself." Peter raged violently, and aggressively.

Osborn gave him an evil smile.

"Attaboy!"

The two charged and fought, exchanging blows. With a deadly intensity, Peter threw two webs on the Goblin, which he quickly avoided and swung at the young weaver. Peter stooped, avoiding the shot, and plunked Osborn's foot to the surface, then gave him a massive punch, sending him to the ground. He then tried to perform a potentially deadly jump attack, but the Green Goblin freed himself quite quickly and turned around. He stood up, pulled out a blade from his gauntlet, whistled and smiled like a madman. The fight began again. Peter made a few shaky escapes before hitting the Goblin hard. He dodged the blade again, but Osborn struck him in the face with his other hand. Peter almost instantly recovered and plowed his enemy's legs back to the surface and struck him at the shore, but he cut off his arm with the blade of his gauntlet. Enraged, Peter hit him in the face with much more rage, violence and aggression. The maniac freed himself once more, struck but without success, and finally lost the upper hand. Peter disarmed him, struck him repeatedly, put him on his head and pulled him to his knees, hitting him, then grabbed him and executed a revenge suplex, ruthlessly throwing his opponent to the ground. The Goblin could no longer fight back. Peter gave him a volley of blows to the face, each successive blow being stronger. Ned, MJ, Alex, J'onn and the two Peters watched their friend's actions with horror. The two Peters exchanged looks in a silent agreement, knowing that they could not let their young counterpart commit an act he would regret for the rest of his life. Peter finally stopped hitting the Goblin and went to get his glider. Horrified, Alex watched as he lifted the glider of the maniac and ran to him.

"Peter? Peter! Peter, stop! PETER, STOP! DON'T, PETER!"

Peter lifted the Goblin's glider over his head and dropped it back on his opponent's head with a violent, aggressive cry of rage. Alex came running behind him, grabbed his body, both arms pressed against his chest, and squeezed him to prevent him from stabbing the psychotic scientist. Old Peter appeared in turn and caught the glider. Peter tried to get through and reach the Goblin, but old Spider-Man didn't let go. Without a word, he stopped the young man looking at him with understanding, compassion and supplication. Alex thanked him for the look while trying to control young Peter from Earth – Prime. The latter was fighting against those who stopped him to kill Osborn.

"Don't, Peter! Don't!" Alex begged in a panicked voice. "Stop! Put down that glider! Peter, drop it! Put it down!"

"HE KILLED MAY!" yelled Peter with rage, struggling against his doppelgänger. "YOU KNOW WHAT HE DID! HE KILLED MAY! HE DOESN'T DESERVE TO BE PROTECTED!"

But Alex continued to pull the young man against her.

"I know what he did! I'm not protecting him, I'm protecting you! May would never wanted this! She had faith in you! Faith in Spider-Man! And she would never have wanted you to become a murderer! You're Spider-Man! Spider-Man is a hero, and heroes don't decide who lives and who dies! Be better than Norman Osborn! Even Stark and Oliver would never have wanted this for you! They both saw a hero in you! Don't dishonor them by lowering yourself to his level! Peter, put down that glider! Please! For Stark! For Oliver! For May!"

Still silent, old Peter begged his young double to lower the glider of the Goblin. Peter listened to Alex's words while he stared at his old doppelgänger. He remembered their conversation a few hours earlier, as he relaxed, an understanding passing between them.

The night… Ben died, I hunted down the man who I thought did it. I wanted him dead. I got what I wanted. It didn't make it better. It took me a long time to… learn to get through that darkness.

And he thought of Tony Stark akas Iron Man. The man who was his idol. Who sacrificing himself to save the universe. And Oliver Queen. His friend who had faith in him and died to save the Multiverse. He remembered what Oliver had told him during the Crisis before his death.

The heroes are the ones who have to keep going, no matter what.

And at that moment, he knew that killing Norman Osborn wasn't the good thing to do. It wouldn't erase the suffering he already had. And he also knew that neither Iron Man, nor Green Arrow, nor even Aunt May would have wanted him to take this dark path.

Peter gasped, feeling the force full of rage slowly leaving him as he began to put down the glider, when suddenly the elderly Peter leaned out as a sound of metal piercing flesh was heard. The Green Goblin drove away after stabbing his Spider-Man from behind with his other gauntlet blade, while old Peter collapsed on the ground and the Amazing Peter rushed to the scene, While Osborn stood up and looked at Peter.

"NO!" exclaimed Alex horrified at seeing the body of the elderly Peter on the ground.

"She was there… because of you!" gloated Osborn staring at Peter with a sinister look. "I may have struck the blow, but you… You are the one that killed her."

And he laughed like a horrible maniac.

Alex finally yelled out of rage, and came to kick Osborn in the face. The Goblin collapsed, while Alex had rushed him to beat him with fists in the face.

"You don't know anything about Peter!" she yelled with eyes blazing with anger. "He's not weak! He's all that you will ever be, Osborn! You have lost! And if your destiny is to die impaled by your glider, it won't happen today!"

The Amazing Peter launched the injector containing Norman Osborn's antiserum. Peter immediately caught it, while Alex continued to yell at the mad scientist on the ground.

"You're not gonna die, Goblin! You'll just wish you were dead!"

Peter of Earth – Prime stabbed him in the neck. Goblin staggered, shocked, in pain. And Peter injected him with the antiserum. From the floor of the shield, the elderly Peter smiled with relief.

From the pedestal, the Amazing Peter sighed with relief as well. Osborn fell back on his hind legs, then... seeming to come to his senses, Osborn looked confused for a moment before looking at Peter with recognition.

"Peter?"

Peter gasped. Even if he had killed his aunt's murderer, seeing Osborn become normal didn't make his rage go away. The latter looked at the elderly, wounded Peter before turning to Peter, beginning to remember, feeling horrified as remorse invaded him, his voice breaking.

"What have I done?" he murmured with horror.

Without answering him, Peter and Alex backed away from him with furious looks.

The Amazing Peter ran to join the inert body of the elderly Peter. The latter realized that his counterpart had thrown to his other counterpart the Goblin's antiserum.

"It's you..."

"You okay?" asked the Amazing Peter worried about his old counterpart.

Alex joined them both and knelt down near him, anxious.

"Hold still, Peter! Hold still! It's gonna be okay! Stay with us!"

But the elderly Peter gave her a reassuring look, despite his weak state.

"I'm fine! I'm fine! I've been stabbed before! I'm good! I'm good!"

"Oh, God. Good, good, good…" replied the Amazing Peter, relieved.

Peter of Earth – Prime joined his two doppelgängers.

"Hey, nice catch." says Amazing Peter.

"Nice throw." Peter replied in turn.

Alex smiled at the three Spider-Men.

"You three handled that well, the Spider-Mans!"

All four shared a moment. When suddenly, chaos rumbled from the sky.

"Is… Is that happening? Or am I dying?" exclaimed the elderly Peter with his eyes fixed on the sky, his gaze bewildered.

"No, no, that's happening." replied the Incredible Peter.

"Are there people in the sky?"

Above the Statue of Liberty, the spell was breaking… the sky seemed to tear and shadowy silhouettes were forming everywhere. From the top of the Torch of the Statue, Dr Strange trembled at the effort to hold the Multiverse at bay. But despite all his efforts, more and more silhouettes kept appearing.

J'onn joined Alex and the three Spider-Men.

"Alex! It looks like the sky's being destroyed and other interdimensional visitors are coming to us!"

"It's Strange' spell all breaks loose." explained Alex with her eyes fixed on the sky. "Osborn destroyed the Box containing the spell. And now it's breaking and affecting our reality."

"If these people come on our Earth, it could cause the destruction of our universe." said the Martian with anxiety. "How can we fix this?"

From what Alex and J'onn said, Peter realized that time was running out. The Earth was going to be destroyed, and by his fault.

"I gotta go." declared Peter as he left them.

"J'onn! Go and join Strange up there." said Alex.

The Martian nodded, turned and went into the sky, leaving Alex and the Amazing Peter with the elderly Peter.

Peter rolled webs after webs to the top of the Torch of the Statue where Strange was, busy maintaining the broken spell. J'onn flew through the air. He joined the two people above the Torch.

"What's happening?" asked Peter.

"They're starting to come through and I can't stop them!" declared Strange struggling with his magic.

"There's got to be something we can do!" insisted Peter. "Can't you just cast the spell again?"

"There must be a way to save our universe." J'onn added in his Martian form, flying around them.

"Like, the original spell, before I screwed it up?" suggested Peter.

"We're too late for that!" roared Strange, giving the young hero of Queens a reproachful look. "They're here! They're here because of you!"

Peter thinks for a moment. J'onn was right. There must be a way to fix this. If the universe were to be destroyed, it would dishonor Oliver's sacrifice during the Multiverse Crisis. He promised her with Barry, Kara and Sara that he would protect the new universe. And then everything seemed to be coming to an end. No, Spider-Man couldn't let that happen. He understood then that there was only one way and it would not please him. Nor to others.

"What if everyone forgot who I was?" he suggested.

"What?!" Strange, always struggling with his magic.

"They're coming here because of me, right?" Peter said. "Because I'm Peter Parker? So cast a new spell. But this time, make everyone forget who Peter Parker is. Make everyone forget… me."

"No!" said Strange, shaking his head.

"Peter, do you know what that means?" J'onn asked with sympathy.

Peter ignored the Martian, looking only at the Master of Mystical Arts.

"It would work, right?"

Strange stared at Peter with a grieving look. He seemed to have a real sympathy for him. With gentleness and much reluctance, he nodded to him, his eyes saddened:

"Yeah, it would work. But you got to understand, that would mean everyone… who knows and loves you… We'd… We'd have no memory of you. It'll be as if you never existed."

Peter struggled to stay rational. Everything was going to change for him. Everyone who knew him would forget about him. It would broke his heart, because it meant goodbye to Ned, Alex, Kara, Thor, Sara, Clark, Barry, Jefferson, Logan, T'Challa and MJ... He had just lost his aunt and now... he was going to lose everyone. But it was the only way to protect the new universe. And the words of Oliver came to his mind:

The heroes are the ones who have to keep going, no matter what.

With a resolute look, he watched Strange calmly.

"I know. Do it."

Strange reluctantly nodded, heartbroken for Peter.

"Well, then go and say your goodbyes. You don't have long."

J'onn bowed his Martian head with sorrow for Peter.

"Thank you, sir." replied the young hero of Queens.

"Call me Stephen." Strange says to him with a sad smile.

"Thank you, Stephen."

The Master of Mystical Arts giggled with amusement.

"Yeah… Still feels weird."

Peter smiles back.

"I'll see you around."

As he hurried down the Statue with his webs, Strange swallowed his emotion.

"So long, kid."

J'onn was about to fly away from the Torch when Dr. Strange called for him.

"J'onn J'onzz. There is one thing you need to know. I'm going to cast the spell to make everyone forget who Peter is. But it won't affect everyone. Some people will still remember him."

"Who?" J'onn asked, puzzled.

"The Paragons. All nine. You will be the only ones who remember him."

J'onn nodded.

"Do what he told you. Cast your spell and don't screw up this time."

The Martian flew away from him. Strange then looked at the sky, the Multiverse uncovering itself through the rifts that were forming. He began to cast the new spell, creating a golden runic circle in the sky.

Peter returned to the ground of the Statue. He came to Mia.

"Mia! Thank you for your help, and sorry to have brought you here." he said nervously.

But the future female archer smiled at him with sympathy.

"Don't be. Actually… I'm glad you brought me here. I think I needed to see you to find my brother. I had to understand what it is to be a hero. Thank you for reminding me of that. And with what I've been through with you, I have regained hope. Hope to see William again. Thank you, Peter Parker. I finally understand. Today, I know what my dad saw in you. And wherever he's now, I'm sure he's proud of you. So do I. In the future where I come from, Spider-Man's a hero that is very popular and inspires so many people. So, keep being the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, no matter what."

Peter smiled at her. Then he turned to his two counterparts and friends. His time was short. He wanted to say goodbye.

Mia replied kindly.

"Go see them. Go! Goodbye and thank you, Spider-Man! Good luck! You'll need it!"

"You're welcome, Green Arrow." Peter replied with a smile.

He walked away and joined Alex. Judging by her face, he knew she was aware of what was going on. She had heard him talking to Strange. Alex looked at him with sadness.

Sheepish, Peter spoke to her.

"I'm sorry, Alex. There's no other way. Everyone must forget me. So that this Earth can exist."

Alex nodded her head with a smile and a resolute sadness.

"I know… You have to do. Don't worry, kid. I'm sure we'll see each other. You're like my sister. Supergirl would do the same if she were you. I'm proud of you, Peter. And so would May."

Peter nodded with a smile.

"I'll see you around."

He rushed to meet his two counterparts. The elderly Peter was supported by the Amazing Peter.

"I-I think this is it. I think you're about to go home." Peter told them.

"Okay." The old Peter nodded.

"Okay." added the Amazing Peter.

Peter stammered, not knowing how to say goodbye to his doppelgängers.

"But I… uh… Thank you. I just wanted… I wanna tell you that… I really don't know how to say this, like…"

But both Peter had understood what he was trying to say.

The elderly Peter smiled at him with sympathy, supported by his Amazing young counterpart.

"You know. It's what we do."

"Yeah. It's what we do. Right." Peter said. "I gotta find Ned and MJ."

He walked away, then quickly turned around and hugged them both.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

And he departed from them.

"I guess I'll see you." he says to them with embarrassment.

The two Peters nodded their heads and smiled. One last smile between the three. More than just counterparts now. Friends. Brothers.

As Peter walked away to meet his friends, the elderly Peter moaned in pain with a grin.

"You're in so much pain, huh?" the Amazing Peter pointed out.

"I am." he replied.

Our Peter came to meet MJ and Ned, knowing what he had to say. He hugged them.

When MJ sees him, she sighed with relief.

"We're okay."

A nice group hug. And Peter went away from them, and came to them with what he was going to say. He noticed a cut on MJ's face, but she reassured him that she was okay.

"We should… go, right?" she offered gently.

Peter had trouble finding the words. The thunder was ringing above him. The new spell was progressing rapidly.

"You're gonna forget who I am." he said sadly.

"What?" said Ned, confused.

"Peter, what are you talking about?" asked MJ with anxiety.

"It's okay…" says Peter. "I'm gonna come and find you, and I'll explain everything. I'll make you remember me. It'll be like none of this ever happened. Okay?"

The faces of MJ and Ned darkened when they realized what their friend was trying to tell them. They would forget him completely.

Panicked, MJ spoke while looking at Peter.

"But what if that doesn't work? What if that doesn't work? What if we can't remember you? I don't wanna do that. I don't wanna do that."

"I know. MJ, I know." Peter said, distressed.

"There's gotta be something we can do." MJ said anxious. "We can't come up with like a plan or something? There's gotta be something we can do!"

Peter shook his head as he repressed his tears.

"There's nothing we can do." (Then he gave her a cheering look.) "But we'll be okay."

"You promise?" asked Ned, tears in his eyes.

"Yeah, I promise." he assured Peter.

He gave him a customary handshake to his best friend and pressed him against himself.

"I'll come find you. Okay?" promised Peter while doing everything not to cry.

"I know you will." said Ned with deep sorrow.

Then Peter turned to MJ, who gave him a resolute look.

"You better." she said a little firmly. "If you don't, I'm just gonna figure it out. I've done it before, I can do it again."

"I promise I'll fix this." Peter promised her.

"I really hate magic." she said tearing up.

"Yeah. Me, too." he replied with a smile and a rebuke to his sadness.

And she took his face in her hands.

"I love you." she murmured.

"I love…"

"Just wait. Wait and tell me when you see me again." said MJ with tears in his eyes.

"Okay." replied Peter.

Ned looked up at the sky, and new rumblings were heard as the new spell took effect.

Peter turned to MJ. They really ran out of time. He drew MJ in a kiss. Magic swirled over them, just as when the original spell was first cast in the Sanctum. Peter and MJ hugged.

At the top of the Statue of Liberty, Dr. Strange maneuvers the new spell to undo the one that was broken. Arm in arm, old Peter and the Amazing Peter watched as magic took over. The sorcerer continued to direct the spell, while Max Dillon disappeared, followed by Octavius. Norman Osborn disappeared in turn. Inside the crown, Flint Marko evaporated. Connors also disappeared. Dr. Strange was floating above the Statue of Liberty, manipulating the radiant circle of the spell. Mia, smiling, continued to greet Peter of Earth – Prime with gestures of the hand and disappeared in turn, returning to her future. The two Peters said goodbye before disappearing too.

Peter and MJ always looked at each other, hesitating to move away from each other. It was he who took the first step, backed away, jumped on a ledge. But before he flew, he looked up at the Statue of Liberty, where Stephen Strange, his new almost completed spell, nodded goodbye. And he saw Alex and J'onn in his human form, nodding their heads with resolution.

Peter turned to MJ. The spell was about to affect her, but she managed to say one last "I love you".

Peter flew away with his webs just before the light of the finished spell invaded them. An explosion of magic covered the entire Statue. The sky is clearing. The new spell was completed. The sky was back to its former state. Everything was quiet.

As the morning sun rose on the Statue of Liberty.

Inside the L-Corps building, Lex Luthor was waiting impatiently for news about Parker. He had him followed. He had learned about visitors from other universes through the spell of Strange. He knew he would face all his enemies at the Statue of Liberty. And for hours, he had no information. As if nothing had happened. What disgruntled him. He kept calling his lackey Otis. For hours he had become silent or deaf to his calls.

Finally, the doors of his office opened to see Otis enter.

"Well… it's about time!" grumbled Lex with fury. "I've been waiting for hours to hear from you."

"You wanted to see me, Mr. Luthor?" asked Otis with confusion.

"Yeah, Captain Obvious!" grunted the bald billionaire raging with rage. "I asked you to have Parker followed. And now, I have not get any information for hours. Your cell phone ran out of batteries? I want a briefing. Where's Parker now?"

"Who?" replied his lackey, frowning with anguish.

But the look of his underling was terribly annoying Lex who had trouble keeping his calm.

"What do you mean 'who'? Peter Parker, you idiot! The kid from Queens in New York! You're not that dumb? Where's Peter Parker? I want to know where he is!"

But Otis was increasingly confused, as if he did not understand the anger of his boss.

"Sir... who's Peter Parker?"

"What?" said Lex, intrigued.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Luthor, but I've never heard of Peter Parker." explained Otis in confusion. "I don't know where he is, because I have no idea who you're talking to me about."

Lex appeared stunned. He thought at first that he was faking. Otis was stupid, but he couldn't lie to him. And there was no trace of faking in his voice or his behavior. He looked clearly and sincerely confused, as if he didn't understand who he was talking about. How could he have forgotten who Peter Parker was? That he was Spider-Man? Something was wrong. Not everyone could have forgotten that Peter Parker was Spider-Man. It was impossible.

Confused in turn, Lex then looked at his computer on the news sites. He was surprised to find nothing on Parker. It was as if he had never existed. What was going on? He eventually found the link to a video of J. Jonah Jameson's morning report. He clicked on the video and the journalist said:

"The Statue of Liberty was attacked last night. By none other than this wretched crawler on the wall known as Spider-Man. This criminal who's putting our citizens' lives in danger. And yet Spider-Man's cultists continue to contend that the vile vigilante is a hero. But if he were a hero, he'd unmask himself and tell us who he really is. Because only a coward conceals his identity. Only a coward hides his true intentions. Rest assured, ladies and gentlemen, that this reporter will uncover those intentions, through hell and high water…"

Lex was stunned with incomprehension and disbelief.

"They forgot him! They really forget him! It can't be! How? How it's possible? The Monitor is gone! There is no more Crisis! It makes no sense! What does that mean?"