Amazing Spider-Man: True Purpose

(Jean Grey School)

Spider-Man sits on the couch of the living room and watches the news in alarm for his younger self. He just saw Scott hit his mini-me with a full-on optic blast to the back. From the camera's viewpoint, which tells Spider-Man it was a camera phone, it didn't even seem like there was much of a conversation going on before Jean freaked out and attacked the older Scott. Then the man seemed to have retaliated and the feed cut off from there. Leaving the present Spider-Man in worry for his younger self and his fellow time-displaced companions.

He's not the only one watching the news. Logan, Kitty, Bobby, and Ororo are with him in the room they left the young team in. They all have various degrees of shock and horror. They had just seen the young X-men battle Cyclops, Magneto, and Magik. Though it wasn't much of a fight but still, they were worried that something catastrophic would happen. They don't know what will happen if the younger X-Men get hurt, or worse, in the present and how it will affect everyone.

Bobby has his mouth agape as he rhetorically asks, "What just happened?"

Spider-Man rubs his head as he answers, "My younger self got in over his head and nearly had it blasted off."

Which if he remembers correctly, happened often in his younger days.

Kitty gets up from her spot on the couch and begins to pace, "They all got in over their heads. What were they thinking going out there on their own?"

"My guess," Logan starts as he takes a swig from his flask, "Young stretch saw the news and wanted to yell at his older stretch for being stupid."

Spider-Man nods in agreement and comments, "I can understand the impulse."

He really can. If he could, he'd go back in time and yell at himself for lots of things. Maybe smack some sense or just knock a tooth out for every stupid decision he made. He may have been young but still.

Storm storms out(see what I did there;)) and announces, "I'm going after them."

Logan blocks her path and says, "Don't bother. You won't make it in time to catch 'em." Ororo raises an eyebrow at him, "Slim ain't one of my favorite people in the world, but he ain't taking shots at himself or Jean."

"What if he thinks they're not real?" She points out, "What if he believes someone is messing with his mind."

Logan points to the TV they were all watching, "They were talking before the feed got cut. So chances are someone must've said something."

Storm would like to argue with him, but chances are high that older Scott would question their presence immediately, or at least they would've said something that gave the truth away.

But still, she'd feel better doing something and not just standing around doing nothing. She shakes her head and tells the feral mutant, "Nevertheless we need to go after them."

"Why?" Logan questions her choice, "If our Scott realizes this, he'll decide to bail. After that then they're likely coming back here."

Frustrated with the conversation, Ororo shouts, "And what if they're not!? What if they decide to try and track Scott down!?"

Logan stands firm and does not lower his arm, "I didn't send 'em out there, so don't yell at me."

The two glare at each other and the three other occupants of the room watch on awkwardly. There is clearly some unspoken thing going on between the two seasoned X-Men that needs to be addressed. But before any of that, there is something more important that needs to be dealt with.

Spider-Man turns his attention back to the television as the anchorman starts to mention some other stuff about what's going on. Since there is no video feed and just the anchorman's words, he pays half attention while the other half is wondering what the repercussions of today could be.

Time travel is no joke. To mess with the space-time continuum is to invite trouble of all kinds. Hell, his coworker, Grady Scraps, learned that when they saw the world catch on fire when Peter stepped through. Scraps got a lecture from Cap and their boss Max. And that was just a doorway that let you skip a whole day. Hank's thing is definitely bigger. To bring the younger X-men and a younger him, Peter can only imagine the kind of consequences that will follow. But bigger or not, he has to get involved. Especially since he knows himself all too well. He knows that he is going to go look for trouble. He's probably the one that convinced everyone to go after older Cyclops.

Of course, he can't voice that cause otherwise Storm will likely fry him. The woman doesn't seem to be fond of him. And so do a lot of people in the school now that he thinks about it, but Storm doesn't seem to like him for different reasons than them. But he doesn't dwell on that. He has other things to worry about.

He knows there will be some backlash from this, questions he'll have a hard time answering from multiple people, dealing with the fallout of this little adventure of theirs, and then whatever damages Beast to the space-time continuum. Even if they go back and Xavier erases their memories, it is still a whole day they have spent in the future. Not to mention, Xavier will remember. Who knows what he will do with that information?

Spider-Man gets up from his seat and says assuringly, "Look, this isn't their time and they don't know how to find someone in the twenty-first century. If anything they'll just-"

"They need to go home." A new voice speaks up.

The hero looks to the source and is shocked by who it is, "Jean!" Spider-Man exclaims at the redhead and her fiery presence, "What're you-?" He takes notice of how nobody else is reacting to her presence. In fact, they aren't even moving, "Uh guys?"

Jean watches as he waves his hand and snaps his fingers in front of Bobby and Kitty's faces to try and get any kind of reaction from them and explains, "They are fine. It's an old telepathic trick Xavier used many times. Essentially their minds are frozen, but they still function fully."

Spider-Man is kind of in awe over this as he stares at his unresponsive friends, "Cool." He says before he realizes something, "Hang on. Has he done this with me?"

Jean thinks before she answers, "Surprisingly no. But that is more due to the limited interactions you've had with us."

Spider-Man nods, "Yeah that's obviously changed recently."

Actually, he's been interacting with other heroes a lot more recently. Ever since he came back to life, he's really taken his uncle's advice in trusting more to heart. 'As I should.'

"You need to send them home." Jean gets his attention back.

He nods in agreement, "That's the plan." He looks back to the news as it continues to play, "Believe me when I say I want them back where they belong."

"Good." Jean says and she looks to the side, "This incident could have ramifications that neither of us could know."

Knowing what she is now, the hero gets concerned by her statement, "What do you mean?"

Jean's fiery hair becomes more so, "Did you forget about the trial?" She rhetorically questions, making him wince, "Eternity's argument about earth's inhabitants and their complete disregard for the fabric of the space-time continuum."

He actually did forget about that. Back at the trial, Eternity expressed his incensement with humanity in regards to their complete lack of care for the fabric of space and time. People constantly travel through time in so many forms and fashions that tear create so many more problems Eternity has to fix. The worst part is, the guy is essentially space and time given thought and form. So it's like ants digging into the into a lions back and that lion is close to getting rid of them entirely. 

He sheepishly rubs his neck, "That's not really everyone's fault. Just the ones that know about time travel."

"Like your friend Grady Scraps." Jean flatly says.

"He built a door to tomorrow." He weakly defends his coworker before he sighs in defeat, "Alright I'll admit, I'm just making excuses right now. I'll talk to Steve and Tony and see if they can talk to SHIELD or someone and make it illegal to time travel. Although if it's made illegal then it would be made public knowledge that time travel is possible."

As he says this, he wonders how they would even force such a thing. If it's made into public law then it's revealed time travel is possible. Kind of a double-edged sword if he's being honest. If people found out the truth of this, then there would be some who would do it regardless of the consequences. Personal or cosmic.

Politics are a mother.

"Just send the intruders back to the time they belong." Jean commands before she glares out the window, "And make sure Henry does not do something like this again."

At this point, the hero notices how different she seems compared to the last time he saw her. Less composed than the goddess she was acting like. "Are you okay?" He inquires, "You seem frazzled."

Jean seems hesitant before she gives him a resolute frown and says, "You do not need to worry for me. Just make sure that they return to their proper place in time."

He watches her about to leave before a thought occurs to him, "Wait!" He says with his hands up in a stop. She turns back to look at him curiously, "Hang on. Before you go."

He goes over to the desk and scrounges around to find something. Jean continues to watch him curiously, wondering why he wanted her to wait. Her answer comes when he pulls out a marker and quickly heads over to Bobby.

His intentions clear, Jean frowns, "Peter!"

He stops, the permanent marker just a breath away from Bobby, and looks at her innocently, "What? Not appropriate?"

Jean just gives him a frown. One that a mother gives to their child when they're misbehaving.

"It's not a permanent marker."

Her frown does not lessen.

Spider-Man pouts at her, "You're no fun." He says as he steps back and tosses the marker back on the desk.

Jean rolls her eyes before she walks out of the room, "Just send them back."

Spider-Man watches her leave and wonders why she seems less confident than last time. In the cave of the Other, she was regal-like. Not in a conceited sense but more like she just knew what she was doing and she was there to help him.

"You know they're not familiar with anything in this time." Bobby suddenly speaks to him, making him reel back, "So they're likely going to just come straight back here."

He frowns at Bobby, "I just said that."

Bobby frowns back at him, confused, and says, "No you didn't."

Spidey was about to argue some more before he realizes that Jean likely shut them down before he started talking. Or maybe erased the point in their minds to avoid it seeming like he stopped mid-sentence. Either way, he groans as he tilts his head back, "Oy, that's gonna be so annoying if that's a regular thing."

Everyone looks at him in confusion, "What?"

Spider-Man shakes his head, "Nothing." He says. He feels that if Jean doesn't to talk to them, then it's not his place to oust her. He decides to move on, "Look, there's no point in arguing over what to do. All we can do is wait for them to come back. At which point we send them home. Sound good?"

They stare at him in confusion a moment longer before they release a collective reluctant breath. They know he's right. They chase the kids to another state but then what? They likely won't be there when they get there. So they all get more comfortable. With Kitty resting her head on the arm of the couch and Bobby leaning back on it. Ororo heads to the single seat and Logan opts to stay standing at the doorway.

Spider-Man nods, happy to see that they can relax, before he tenses when his phone rings. He takes it out and then sees the caller ID, "Oh man." He says with a sigh and hits the answer button, "Hi Cap."

All Captain America says to him is, "Explain."

(Flattop Mountain, Colorado)

The young team and hero tag along are sitting at the edge of a cliff with the Blackbird next to them. Scott is sitting at the edge of the cliff with Warren behind him. Hank and Bobby are by the jet on the ground with Spider-Man tending to his wound. Jean is by herself but not too far from them. They are nursing their wounds and trying to come to terms with what they all just went through.

Scott Summers, their leader and dear friend, had become the very thing they are fighting against. He became a revolutionist. The man even went so far as to work with Magneto of all people. It was one thing to hear about it, but it's another to see it with their own eyes.

And what's worse, is that this Scott is very violent. He attacked them. Granted Jean made the first move but still. The way the older one returned fire was devastating. His attack went everywhere. It was fortunate that Spider-Man was there. He did his best to save people and get them out of harm's way. Of course, due to his heroism, he got an optic beam to his back.

Said hero is currently trying to apply some aloe Vera that he got from the medical kit they had on the jet.

"Argh!"

Emphasis on trying. Right now when he tries to move his hands too far back, the pain becomes unbearable. But he knows he has to apply it to ease the pain. He reaches around again but the pain skyrockets again, "Argh! Dammit!"

Bobby looks over to his new friend in sympathy and asks, "Need some help?"

Spider-Man looks to Iceman, in his snowman form, and shakes his head, "With your icy hands? No thanks."

Bobby frowns in offense and informs him, "I can turn back to normal."

"Would your hands be warm?" Spider-Man questions.

Bobby goes silent and looks down at his hands. He looks back at the injured hero and offers, "How about I numb you up? You know, make a big sheet of ice you can lay on."

Spider-Man considers that for a second before he shakes his head no, "No. Ice would increase the chance of infection and make it worse."

"Really?" Bobby asks in genuine surprise, "I didn't know that."

Spidey nods as he educates him, "Oh yeah. Sometimes it even makes it worse. It's known as a cold burn. I learned about it when I got burnt once in a fire. I was pulling some people out and got a nasty one on my arm."

As Bobby mulls over this bit of information, Jean watches the hero continue to try to apply the burn ointment on his back. He got that burn in saving her. She attacked Scott and the man retaliated by blasting them. Spider-Man dove in front of not only her but the rest as well. And he didn't stay down. He quickly got back up and went on to help others in need. Older Scott's attack did quite a lot of damage to the area and put many people in danger.

It's strange really. They were so focused on nabbing evil Scott that they did not consider that he might attack them back. But how could they think that. The Scott they know is nothing like what they saw. 

She continues to watch for a few moments before she gets up and walks to him. His back is to her as she approaches him and says, "Let me."

Spider-Man is startled by her as he turns his head to look at her, "Oh, uh." It takes a moment for her words to register in his head before he hands her the ointment, "Thanks."

She takes the ointment and shrugs, "You saved my life. It's the least I can do."

He clears his throat as he tries to act nonchalant, "It's uh what I do. No biggie."

He fails and Jean smiles a little in amusement at how bashful and shy he's being. He was so confident and heroic when they confronted older Scott. He seems to know how to handle himself as well. But to now suddenly be acting scared and bashful, she can assume it's because of her. She may not hear his thoughts but she can at least tell when a boy is shy because of girls. She's had to deal with other boys besides Scott after all.

Speaking of Scott, the optic beam user watches this with regret. He caused this. Not him personally, but his future self did. He attacked Jean and Spider-Man had to come in to save her. The hero didn't even stop there. Even with his back injured he went and saved so many civilians who were unfortunate to be there.

At the thought of all the damage that was done by his future self, the guilt increases and he hugs his knees closer. How could Scott have become like this? How could he become the very thing he hates? He killed Charles Xavier and is now running around the country leading a mutant revolution with Magneto of all people. Not caring about the lives he's potentially putting in danger.

'Why did it turn out like this?' He thinks to himself. And the others are having similar thoughts.

Hank regrets bringing his friends here and is also upset with his older self in using a time travel device to try and solve his problems. A rather selfish and dangerous method to fix what is wrong. 'But I know why he did it.'

Bobby's thoughts are on how bad his own future must be. So far from what they've seen, nothing seems to be going right with anyone. Scott, Jean, and Hank's futures are very bleak. Warren isn't even around. Which means that they likely drove him away. 'How did it become so messed up?'

Warren is just repeating the same thing over and over again in his head, 'We shouldn't be here.'

Unbeknownst to them, Jean can hear all of their thoughts. All of them at the same time. It's mostly noise but at the same time, some of them are louder than others. Scott's in particular are loud. His thoughts of himself and of her. But she doesn't want to hear any of it.

'How do I fix this?' 'Is there anything that isn't going wrong in our lives?' 'This is seriously messed up.' 'We shouldn't be here.' 'The way she looked at me. The way they all looked at me.' 'There must be something that we can do while here.' 'I don't see how it can be worse.' 'We need to go home.'

Fed up with all of them, Jean shouts, "Just stop talking!"

They all jerk back in surprise and stare at her in shock. Spider-Man leans away from her and says, "I didn't say anything!"

"Not you." She says before she directs a scowl at her friends, "All of you. I can hear all of your thoughts. You're shouting everything you're thinking. Just stop it."

Her teammates look at her with worry and hurt expressions. They did not know that they were doing that to her but they also felt that they didn't need to be berated for it. They try to quiet their minds, whatever that means, but Jean can still hear their thoughts. She tries to block them out but is struggling to do so. She is so distracted that she is unintentionally scratching the back of the injured hero a little.

Spider-Man glances back at Jean, tries not to squirm from her unintentional scratching of his burnt back since she seems frustrated, and asks her, "Isn't it rude to listen to their thoughts?"

Jean opens her eyes and frowns as she responds, "I'm not doing it on purpose." She continues to apply the ointment, this time more gently which Spider-Man is thankful for, "I just found out I can read minds. I'm not trained for it or anything."

"Oh." Spider-Man is stumped as to what to say to her, "Sorry to hear that."

"Thanks." Jean flatly responds.

The time-displaced hero is now nervous, as he is that the redhead is hearing his thoughts, "So you're hearing all of our thoughts?"

Jean stops for a moment and sees he's tensed up from worry, before she informs him, "Not yours. Just theirs."

He glances back at her perplexed, "You're not hearing my thoughts?"

She shakes her head, "No. With you, it's pretty silent." His confused expression remains and she goes into more detail, "I can sense your mind and presence but I can't hear your thoughts. It's like the wind. Except in my head."

He turns his head back forward as he tries to understand the implications of that, "Does that mean I'm an airhead or you are?"

Jean frowns in annoyance, "It means," she digs her nail into his back, "Ahah!" "I don't know what it means!"

"Sorry! It was a bad joke. Be gentle with me." Spider-Man says in a higher pitch than normal.

Jean pulls back her nails and goes back to gently applying the aloe Vera. The arachnid-themed hero could use a lesson in tact, but she figures she won't hold it against him since he did save her life.

She notices how quiet it is. She's not hearing her friends' thoughts anymore. She looks back over at them and sees they are avoiding looking at her and in deep thought. She doesn't want to try and see if she still can, but she is untrained so she begins to hear their thoughts again.

'Even now I'm hurting her.' 'He said she would be able to read minds years later.' 'If she hears what we're thinking, does that mean she can hear what we don't want to think about?' 'I wonder if-'

She closes her eyes and tries to focus on shutting the noise out again. She tries to focus on something, anything else to lessen the headache she is getting from hearing them.

She tries to focus on her breathing.

It doesn't help.

Maybe the animal noises. Like the crickets or the birds.

It doesn't help.

She feels the wind on her face and focuses on it. Suddenly she doesn't hear anything anymore. Just the wind. She becomes confused though. Because the wind she is hearing doesn't seem to be in sync with the wind she is feeling on her face.

She opens her eyes when she realizes she is not listening to the wind outside her head but inside her head. She realizes she is focusing on Spider-Man's mind. She looks at the back of the hero's head and wonders why she is hearing the wind. No, that isn't right. She's not hearing the wind. It's more akin to the wind being in her head.

"Why aren't I hearing your thoughts?" She inquires.

Spider-Man glances back at her and shrugs, "I don't know. Maybe I'm naturally immune?"

She thought the same but that doesn't make any sense. If he was, wouldn't she be hearing nothing at all? She hasn't been a telepath long but that seems like the most logical conclusion. She does wonder what he's thinking though.

Spider-Man however is thankful she is not hearing his thoughts. Mostly because they are a jumbled mess. He knows he should be focusing on the fact that he died but it's very hard to, considering what's happening now. A girl is touching his back. A very pretty girl is touching his back. He's had to deal with pretty girls, Betty Brant and Liz Allen come to mind, but nothing this intimate. He's trying his best to not seem nervous. Takes slow breaths to steady his heartbeat and reign in his hormones.

Seeing how silent the hero is, Jean decides to start a conversation to get to know him better, "If I could hear your thoughts," Jean grabs the hero's attention, "What would I hear?"

"Uh…"He hesitates to answer and comes up with the best lie, "Lectures. Lots and lots of science and stuff that you'd be bored of."

He cringes on himself. Maybe being nerdy isn't the best way to go but better than being pervy.

She raises an eyebrow at his back, "So nothing about girls?"

He is startled at the question, "Wha-wha-what? No. I don't even like girls."

He said that loud enough for everyone around to hear him and blushes in embarrassment from all the looks he is receiving. While Jean gives him a bizarre look that he doesn't see, he does see Scott giving him one. Hank and Warren give him weirded-out ones while Bobby seems to be looking at him curiously.

"I-I mean I obviously like girls!" He quickly tries to cover up, "Obviously! It-it's just I-I just don't think of them!" Their expressions become more evident, "I-I mean I think about them but not in that way! I was raised to respect women! And I do! I respect women! Rosa Parks, Joan of Arc, Marilyn Monroe! I even think that a woman can be president if she-"

"Stop talking."

"Yes ma'am." He looks down, his face burning from embarrassment. He hopes nobody ever mentions this moment ever again.

'Smooth.' All the other boys think dully and Jean rolls eyes. Like they're any better.

Okay yes, the hero clearly needs to learn to talk to girls. But if Jean is being honest, she actually likes his personality. The hero isn't cocky. He could brag about how great he was in not only saving her and so many others like Bobby would and has done in the past, but he could also be trying to impress her by bragging. But he's not. If anything he's extremely humble about it. To him, it was just another day.

Makes her wonder how much good he's done.

She finishes applying the ointment and closes it. She puts it in the kit before she pulls out some wrapping and asks him, "Want me to wrap you up?"

Spidey, still embarrassed by his blunder, shyly nods and doesn't look at her, "Yes please."

Jean huffs a little in amusement before she walks around to stand in front of him and proceeds to wrap the tape around his body. She notes how muscular he is. Very defined. His abs and pecks are very-

"Jean?" Spider-Man brings her out of her trance.

Jean jerks back when she realizes she stopped wrapping the medical tape and has her arms around his back. She blushes before she continues to do as tasked. She tries her best to not focus too much on his body.

Spider-Man is oblivious to this and looks to the rest of his company, "So what now?"

The boys do not answer immediately. They look down in thought. That is the question, isn't it. What do they do now?

Warren knows what he wants to do and voices it, "I say we go home."

Spider-Man nods in agreement as Jean continues to wrap him up, "Home is good. Home is nice. Home is where my bed is."

Bobby nods as well, "I agree. We go home and forget everything that's happened here."

"No." Scott says, making them all look at the teen as stands up and walks to them with a hard look, "I don't want to forget. I can't forget. I can't let this be my future. I won't let myself become that man I saw today."

The boys of the team look at their leader and give him pitiful looks. They know he hates what he saw today, hell they hate what they saw, but they also know that they don't belong here.

And the one who is not part of the team voices his thoughts on the matter. "No offense man but what good is gonna come from this?" Spider-Man questions him. "You remember this and then what? You can change your future but we have no idea if what you do will result in a better future for anyone. You or the people around you."

Scott frowns at the hero and looks toward Jean, who is avoiding looking at him, "Jean? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Scott." Jean responds rather angrily, "Just helping out a friend."

Scott looks at his girlfriend with a hurt expression. He knows she heard his older counterpart's thoughts but she should know that whatever he was thinking is not what he thinks. He would never work with someone like Magneto of all people.

The others look at the couple awkwardly, not knowing what to say or do. Except for Hank who is not looking at the couple and has a contemplative look on his face.

He thinks over everything that has happened and does indeed come to the conclusion he did before. His future counterpart is dying. He knew that going into the time cube and coming back to the past to retrieve them. Though the answer to the question of why he brought Spider-Man is still eluding him, Hank does know why he and his teammates are there.

The young genius stands up and announces what he wants to do, "I want to at least go back to the mansion. I want to make sure I live before we leave."

They look at Hank as he walks to the jet. None of them argue. Frankly, that plan is better than no plan at all.

They head to the jet with Spider-Man and Jean walking behind the group. The hero tenderly touches the back of himself and winces a bit from the pain. He will have to do something about that before he goes home. And also something about the suit, "You think big me has a spare suit I can borrow?"

The question is directed at Jean, and she raises an eyebrow at him and responds with, "Wouldn't it be baggy on you?

He shrugs as the two enter the jet, "Maybe he has an old one lying around?"

(Jean Grey School)

It is late in the day, near dinner time, when Spider-Man is in a more private section of the school while on the phone talking to his former boss J. Jonah Jameson, and explaining how he was in Dallas with Cyclops and the original X-Men team. He had just gotten off the phone with Captain America and while the man had concerns he was much more easily assured than the mayor is right now.

Spidey told the good Captain that it wasn't actually him but his younger self that Beast brought to the future. That of course raised all sorts of alarms with the WWII vet. Spider-Man did his best to calm the man down and make sure he didn't come here looking to start a fight with the X-Men. While he accomplished that though, Jonah called immediately afterward and demanded answers himself.

Spider-Man was reluctant at first because he knew if certain information were to get out it would be more disastrous, but he has to trust Jameson to not blab. The mayor did agree to perhaps be a sponsor for a team the Queensborn hero will be leading. How will it look if said hero is fighting alongside terrorists?

"Jonah, I will explain everything when I get back." Spider-Man tells the man on the phone, "First thing tomorrow." Bobby and Logan come by at this point and the hero sags, "Yeah yeah."

The hero hangs up and lets out an exhausted groan as he rubs his eyes and slumps against the wall.

"Mayor giving ya a hard time?" Bobby rhetorically asks.

Spider-Man however answers as he rubs his eyes through his mask, "He's got a million questions. He called Steve demanding to know why I'm associating with a known terrorist."

"Bummer."

Spidey gives his friend a flat look, "Your sympathy is so touching." His phone starts to buzz again and when he sees the caller ID, he slumps, "Aw crap." He hits the answer button and jubilantly says, "Hey MJ."

The two mutants wince and say, "Ooh."

He gives them both an annoyed look as he hears Mary Jane ask, "What's going on?"

"You saw the news?" Spider-Man inquires, knowing it's a dumb question, and then sighs as he rubs his neck, "It's a little complicated." He would like to leave it there but he promised there'd be no more secrets with her, "But basically a friend went back in time and brought his teammates and myself from the past into the present, their future."

"Who the hell is dumb enough to do something like that?"

That was a voice he was not expecting, "Felicia?"

"It's a conference call." Mary Jane explains, "We were talking when we saw the news. Figured something big was going on after we saw what was maybe a clone."

"No no." He assures them, "No clones this time. As far as I know, still just got the one running around."

"I'm sorry one?" Felicia was unaware of his clones.

"One?" As are Bobby and Logan.

Spider-Man realizes this, "Oh right I haven't told you, Kaine is back." He explains "He headed up to texas and got his won thing going there"

There is a moment of silence before he hears Felicia question, "Is anything simple with you?"

"Considering my current relationship status? No." Spider-Man jokes but also knows there is so much truth in that.

He is happy about his current relationship with the two, 'Three. Sonja is included,' women. He knows how it looks to people and how it will look to others. But he doesn't care about that. He wants this to work. Which is why he's telling Felicia the same thing he's telling MJ.

Though there are some things he wants to tell her but can't due to the harm it might cause to both women. But still, he will at least tell her about everything else. As much as he tells MJ/Sonja.

"So I guess this means we're postponing our getaway?" MJ asks with a disappointed tone.

"No! Absolutely not." Spider-Man vehemently tells her as his two male friends reel back from his sudden outburst, "We are gonna get out of the city and get away from all the craziness for a while. I promise."

"Peter…"

"No no, listen." He stops her before she continues, "If we don't do this now, then chances are it'll never happen." He slumps sadly as his heart drops in recalling the times his other life got in the way of his normal one, "You girls know how my life tends to get. Something always happens and I have to put something important off. We need this vacation to happen and it's gonna happen. Tomorrow. I will drag myself there by the ear if I have to."

He gets nervous when it gets silent. He knows his word is barely any good in these kinds of situations because he's never been able to keep these sorts of promises to Mary Jane. He expects Felicia to be more flexible since most of the time they spent together was in their costumes, but he'd rather not get their first real relationship off to a bad start.

"Are you sure you can leave? This won't interfere with our plans?" MJ questions him.

A spark of hope reignites in his heart at her asking him this, "Yes. I promise you by tomorrow this will be just a weird day that I can look back on and laugh." He pauses before he looks to Bobby inquisitively, "After I dye Hank pink at least."

Bobby nods and holds up some pink hair dye he took from Quinten Quire's room. Logan looks at the two before he rolls his eyes. The man finds this to be stupid but won't stop them from doing it. On the inside, he is happy about what Hank did, but that doesn't mean it wasn't stupid.

Spider-Man waits for one of the girls to say something. Again he becomes worried at the long silence. They are obviously weighing their options on the matter. He hates how his track record in regard to situations like this is not stellar.

Eventually, Felicia speaks first, "My yacht is all good to go. Tomorrow around noon we meet at the dock?"

Spider-Man reassuringly says to them, "I will be there. I promise you."

"Okay." "Alright." MJ and Felicia say respectively.

The hero slumps again, this time in relief, before he says, "I love you both."

"Love you too."

He hangs up the phone, leans back, and slides down against the wall before he drops his head and has his hands resting on his knees. He really hopes he can keep this promise. He'll do his best but he's made promises to both girls in the past. 'MJ more than Felicia but that doesn't mean I haven't disappointed her either.'

Iceman and Logan walk up to their friend as it seems he's finally done with all the phone calls he'd be receiving for the day. Bobby decides to ask the obvious, "You're planning a getaway?"

He was informed about the weekend the webhead had with three women from Johnny Storm. Who had heard it from his nephew, who had heard his parents discussing it after Tony informed Reed. Bobby was skeptical at first but after hearing the conversation the web-swinging hero just had over the phone, well there might be some truth to what Human Torch said.

Spider-Man nods but doesn't look up from the ground, "Yeah. It's supposed to be a way for us to work on this relationship of ours."

They both look at the hero with raised skeptical eyebrows as Logan questions, "Relationship?"

"You mean that wasn't just a one-time thing?" Bobby inquires.

Spider-Man shakes his head and leans back, "No. I know how ridiculous this sounds but I love them. MJ and Felicia. I love them both."

Logan is still skeptical, "What about that other redhead, Sonja?"

Spider-Man winces at the mention of the warrior and rubs his neck uncomfortably, "I care about her a lot but I'm not there yet with her." He sees the looks they are giving him and reiterates, "Look I know how this sounds, okay."

"Do you?"

He groans and slumps more to the ground, "Logan I don't know what to say. I mean they're willing to make this work. I got to do something too."

That is the problem with this relationship. He feels like they are trying more than him by putting up with each other for his sake. He's got to give something too.

"Bub I ain't judging you." Logan tells him honestly, "But dating two women and trying to make everyone feel loved…" He trails off as he gives the hero a pained expression, "Just seems like you're asking for a lot of trouble."

Spider-Man ruefully laughs a little, "That's my thing. I can't help but go looking for trouble."

His past self running off with the original X-Men team certainly confirms that. He wonders how much trouble his mini-me is getting him into and will be getting him into when all is said and done. Because so far, all that has happened he expected to happen. No curve balls or nothing have gone his way.

'Parker luck, what are you planning?' He cynically wonders.

"So this vacation plan?" Iceman takes him out of his mind.

Seeing no harm in it, Spider-Man tells him, "We're gonna take Felicia's yacht. Don't have a destination in mind. I figured we might just float aimlessly since we can't get anywhere good in time to enjoy and get back."

Bobby and Logan look at the spandex hero dubiously as Bobby comments, "Really? That's it? You go out into the ocean and screw yours silly?"

Spider-Man whips his head to his friend and gives him an offended frown, "No! Why does everyone assume it's just about the sex?!"

"What else could it be about?"

"How about being with two women I love?" He nearly shouts. He takes a breath before saying, "Look I would love to plan dates, I would love to take them to dinner, the movies, or just lay with them on the couch and watch cheesy action films. But I know and they know how my life is." The man looks down morosely, "I can't stop being Spider-Man. I've got too much responsibility to just give it up. But recently I learned that I also have a lot of responsibility outside of the mask. That includes them. I'm hoping that it'd be good for us to get out of the city for a while and work on this."

While the two men chew on this, Spider-Man thinks about his own words. He knows he truly means them. But as he's recently learned, he's an idiot when it comes to relationships and women in general. He confessed to Black Cat after he revealed his identity to her again. And all the memories that she lost came crashing back. Though unintentionally, he overwhelmed her. Lots of emotions were going through her, and then he dropped a bombshell that he loves her…

'I'm an idiot.' He berates himself as he hangs his head. He knows his flaws, so that's a win. But acknowledgment of his stupidity is not enough. He needs to know what to do. The question is, who can help him in his situation?

He looks at the two men who are in the room with him, and he realizes one of them might actually be helpful.

He lifts his head up and asks, "Don't suppose you have any pearls of wisdom to offer me in regards to this?" The question was directed at the feral mutant.

Logan gives him a bewildered expression, "What makes you think I have any experience?"

"You are literally my oldest friend." Spider-Man points out to him with a shrug, "I figured you've been around long enough to know some things."

Logan can see the logic in that, as does Bobby, and is not offended by it. He looks back at his long history and tries to see what he can offer the Queensborn hero. As he thinks he comes to the conclusion he has nothing to offer the man.

"I don't personally have any experience in this but I've known people who do." He tells him, "I'd say you're already doing a better job than them. "

Spider-Man is surprised by this, "Really?

Logan explains his answer, "Bub, most guys in a situation like yours just tend to see the women in their life as either property or prizes to flaunt around. I know you aren't the type to do that, so yeah, I'd say you're off to a great start.

Spider-Man contemplates the older man's words and comes to the conclusion that he is right. He is doing what he can to make this unusual relationship work. And he's definitely doing something anyone else who would find themselves in his unique situation wouldn't be doing.

He gives the man a small grateful smile, "Thanks."

Logan gives a dismissive grunt as he crosses his arms, "Just don't screw this up"

Spidey chuckles a little, "I don't think I'll have much say when that happens."

Before any more comments are made, a rumble of the windows grabs their attention and they look out the windows to see the Blackbird landing in the yard.

"Looks like they're back."

The three of them start to head outside. As they walk, Spider-Man thinks about how to handle this. Go up and berate his younger self for being stupid? Some would view it as harsh but he does that to himself now anyway. Although it would seem hypocritical for him to do that since he did what he would do. 'He's you.' He mentally reminds himself.

They arrive outside in time to see the students and staff of the school all standing outside or at the windows watching the spectacle. Kitty is at the front with Ororo waiting for the time-displaced teens to disembark their jet. Eventually, Logan and Bobby walk up next to them with Spider-Man just behind them. As much as he'd like to get his younger self back to where he belongs, this is more of an X-amen problem than anything.

The team walks out of the back of the jet with young Hank in front of the group and asks loudly, "Who's in charge?"

Logan, Kitty, and Ororo speak at the same time, "Me."

Spider-Man jerks his head at the three before he says, "You guys might want to talk about that."

Ignoring them, Hank walks past them and informs them, "I will be attending to my medical situation. I believe I know what is wrong and I request that you leave me to my work."

Before they can tell him he doesn't need to do anything, another voice speaks up, "That will not be necessary, my young handsome friend."

Everyone present turns their attention to the entrance and sees Beast walking down the steps with his fiancé Abigail assisting him. And the genius mutant looks very different. Though still looking beastly, gone is his cat-like nose and whiskers, and now replaced with more primate-like features. The man is also half a foot taller than before and more muscular.

The new Beast reaches the bottom of the steps and informs everyone present, "I believe I am out of danger now."

Absolutely relieved to hear that, Ororo and Kitty rush to hug the man, "Hank!"

He catches them and stumbles back a bit but laughs, "Easy, you two. I may be better but I'm still rather dizzy." He lets them go as some others congratulate on his recovery. He then turns his full attention to the man responsible for his recovery, "Abigail informs me I have you thanks for my speedy recovery."

Spider-Man waves it off, "Don't mention it. What was I supposed to do? Let you croak?"

Smiling at the typical behavior his friend is showing, Hank responds, "Nevertheless, I am thankful for your help. I have not felt this good in ages."

"Well, I'm glad," Spider-Man says with a smile that is prominent through his mask. The hero then places a hand on the larger man's shoulder, "Now Henry, maybe now you can tell me something." He suddenly grabs him by the chest hair and shakes him, "WHAT THE HELL IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?! WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?!"

All the X-Men and students reel back in shock as the arachnid-themed hero continues to harshly shake the recently recovered Beast like a rag doll by his chest hair. Logan and Bobby quickly go to try and pull him off but do not match the strength the hero has to do so.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA THE KIND OF PROBLEMS YOU ARE MAKING ME DEAL WITH?!" Spider-Man furiously shouts, ignoring his friends and Abigail's pleas to release the recently recovered man, "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING YOU BLUE FURRY SESAME STREET CHARACTER REJECT?!"

"IF yOU wOUld aLLoW mE To EXplAIn, I'D be MOrE tHAn hApPY tO!" Hank manages to get out as he continues to be shaken by the aggravated hero.

Logan has his arms around his friend's neck and Bobby has them around his midsection in a vain attempt to pry him off their friend. They aren't worried he'd kill Hank, but certainly worried he might hurt him more than necessary. And also the students could get the wrong impression about what's going on.

"C'mon, man! Ease up!" Bobby tries to pull his friend from his stomach as hard as he can, "You kill him and we might not be able to send them back!"

Spider-Man stops his shaking of Beast as he lets Iceman's words sink in. He releases the hairy mutant from his grip, "Fine."

Beast drops to the ground like a sack of potatoes with swirls in his eyes. Abigail immediately gets to his side in worry but gives a small dirty look to the hero who was shaking him, unnecessarily rough in her opinion.

Meanwhile, the younger Spider-Man stands by his friends and watches his future counterpart with a startled expression, "I might need to cut back on my coffee intake. I'm too high-strung as an adult."

His older counterpart hears this and responds like he was offended, "I'm not high-strung. I'm neurotic."

"Still?" Young Spidey says in disbelief, "You mean we never grow out of that?"

"No." Spider-Man, Bobby, and Logan shake their heads and say with dull tones at the same time.

The younger slumps and lets out a sigh, "That's more depressing than what I found out today."

Older Spider-Man looks at his younger self inquisitively, "What'd you find out?"

"That I died." He answers as if it's not a big deal. And it really isn't if his older self is here.

Though the older Spider-Man looks at him with worry as he asks him, "Who told you?"

Young Spidey shrugs, "Some hot scary blonde Russian girl with a big sword."

Spidey groans as the other grownups glance at each other. They know with that description he is referring to Magik, Illyana Rasputin, who they knew was running around with Scott. Spider-Man is bothered that such a thing was revealed to his younger self. And him being dismissive about it is not really a surprise. He remembers what he was like. He was a teenager. Responsible for sure. But still a teenager for the most part.

While the grownups are musing, young Iceman looks at his new friend curiously, "You thought she was hot?"

"You didn't?" Spidey questions back as he recalls the attractive woman, "She had nice legs. And despite the scowl, she was really pretty."

The boys near him nod and concede but Jean is not happy. "She tried to kill you." She points out with an upset look, "She confessed to killing you."

She is not jealous or anything. She is just finding it dumb how the hero found the woman who killed him attractive.

He waves off the valid point, "Meh. Nobody's perfect." He quips, "And I doubt I can be picky, am I right?"

The self-depreciating joke of a question was directed to his older self and the older Iceman scoffs at the young Spider-Man's words, making the team look at him curiously, "Yeah right. Webhead's troubles with women are more who he can pick."

Now this grabs the younger arachnid and X-Mens attention. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing." Spider-Man says as he glares at his friend to shut him up, before looking at his younger self, "Don't worry about it. Let's just get you guys and girl back where you belong."

Spider-Man's young self doesn't seem to be against this and Angel has a look of relief on his pretty face. The other teens on the other hand…

Jean's face is set in an upset frown. She does not want to leave until she knows everything that has happened to her and her friends. They have barely been told anything. They don't even know why they're here in the first place. Blue Hank said he wanted them to stop Scott from committing mutant genocide, but younger Hank said that wasn't the truth. What he really wanted was to fix one thing before he died. Jean doubts the man was even thinking clearly when he did this.

She looks over at the recovered Beast and wonders if she can maybe get more information out of him. She starts to feel an odd sensation. A similar sensation to when she can read minds. But now it's a little different because she can feel it in the front of her brain.

Before she realizes it, she starts to get images in her head. Blurry and barely discernible, and then it becomes like a movie.

A movie about her life.

She sees everything she goes through. Her dying was just an end to all the pain and suffering she will endure. The numerous times they battle powerful enemies and loss good people, the times they have endured so much hatred from people the world, and the heartache she has gone through with friends and romantic relationships. Some bright spots here and there but they are vastly overshadowed by all the darkness that surrounds her life.

"NO!" Jean shouts as she drops to her knees clutching her head.

All her friends recoil at her sudden shout and Scott is by her side immediately, "Jean?! What's wrong!?"

She pushes the poor boy off of her, "Get away from me!"

Scott falls on his butt and looks at his girlfriend with a hurt expression. He is not physically hurt but certainly hurt that Jean pushed him away. As if he did something to her.

The young teenage girl is shaking as tears drop from her face, "I-I saw it." She says in dismay, "In Hank's head. I saw everything that's happened to us." The traumatized girl closes her eyes, "To me."

Her teammates look at her in shock and worry. What they have learned was minimal but still painful to know what they will go through when they travel back to their time. All the X-Men of the present time look at her with pity and remorse etched on their faces. They know Jean's life has been a painful journey, all of theirs had, and for the younger Jean to see it makes it worse.

Logan walks up to them and firmly states, "That settles it. You're going back."

Young Hank and Bobby seem to want to say something but hold their tongues. The man before them doesn't seem like the reasoning type. Warren is becoming more relieved at the grownups saying they should go back. He did not want to be here in the first place. To know how bad things have gotten to the point where Scott is now like Magneto…

Warren doesn't even want to know how his life is.

But while the team doesn't protest, Scott certainly does, "We can't go back." Cyclops tells the old mutant as he gets up from the ground, "I can't leave knowing this is how I turned out."

Logan growls at him and jabs a finger in his face, "Listen Slim, the only way you're staying is as a corpse."

Scott doesn't waiver but he does sweat, "How is someone as violent and angry as you an X-Men? I can't imagine Professor Xavier being okay with it."

Behind Wolverine, Spider-Man mumbles to Bobby, "Him being a teacher is what shocks me."

Bobby nods with a smirk and Logan ignores him in favor of glaring at Scott, "Chuck trusted me to keep his dream and school alive after you tucked tail and ran."

"That wasn't me," Scott says with a fixed frown.

Wolverine scoffs, "Not yet." He says before he gets a contemplative frown, "But maybe my idea ain't such a bad one. Unless I'm mistaken, I kill you here and now, Xavier lives."

Spider-Man decides to intervene at this point by quickly getting between the two. "Woah there!" He says with a hand on the feral mutant's chest, "First off, you are not killing anyone. I hear a snikt and I will web those fists to your cheeks. And I don't mean your face." He tells him seriously with his finger in the man's face, making Wolverine grunt at him, "Second, you would be mistaken. Killing him here means you'd change everything that's happened up to this point. Scott's life had a huge impact on everyone here. So you don't know what the ramifications would be."

Logan snarls before he crosses his arms and turns away. Scott gives a grateful nod to Spider-Man, who waves it off, before the hero sighs, "Okay, kids." He addresses the time-displaced teens, "Field trip is over. Time to go back to school, before you miss class."

Jean is too distraught by what she saw in Blue Hank's head to acknowledge him. The poor girl is on her knees with her head in her hands and is trying not to hyperventilate. Everything they go through will lead them to this horrible future. How can she just go back and accept all of this?

"Jean?" She hears Scott, but she doesn't look at him. She can't look at him without seeing everything he will become. She thought that he was the most honest down-to-earth man. But now…

"We can't go back," Jean says with a crack in her voice. She gets up from the ground and looks at the adults pleadingly, "We can't leave our lives like this.

Logan's face softens, "Jean-"

"No!" Jean is not having it, as she gets teary-eyed, "I know what you're going to say. And I'm sorry that it's hard for you. But we're not going back."

Scott nods, "Then it's settled."

Warren, having had enough of others making lateral decisions without his input, frowns in displeasure and says, "Do the rest of us not get a say in this?"

Jean wipes the tears from her eyes and looks to her friend. She would like to compel him but refrains because of everyone around her. So she tries instead to seem negotiable, "I'm sorry guys. You're right. We're a team, so we should vote on it." She raises her hand up, "All in favor of staying here."

Kitty tries to stop this, "You guys are just kids, okay? You do not have permission to stay here."

"We were brought here by him." Scott points to Hairy Hank, "We didn't ask to come, but here we are." He then raises his hand, "I vote we stay."

Warren keeps his arms crossed and looks at his teammates stubbornly, "We need to go home. We don't belong here."

Young Hank raises his hand as he gives his older self an accusing glance, "As my older self has shown, I would be remiss if I left things as they are without at least trying to fix something."

Bobby looks at his friends with raised brow before he nonchalantly shrugs, "Meh, what the hell? We're already here."

Warren lifts his arms up in defeat, but not in acceptance. Young Iceman gives his friend an apologetic look before he turns his attention to the last person who came with them to the future. And he notices he has not said anything. "Dude?"

Young Spider-Man jolts back at being called out, "Oh I'm sorry I thought that…" He looks at his fellow time travelers as they look at him expectedly. He rubs his neck uncomfortably as he explains as carefully as he can, "I mean I got to get home. I have responsibilities. And this is really more about you guys than it is about me."

Okay, maybe he could be better at explaining.

Scott and Hank just give him raised eyebrows, as they are just curious what he is talking about, Warren gives him a frustrated one, since it seems like the hero will be going home while Angel will be stuck here. Jean and Bobby however give him incredulous and hurt expressions. Bobby asks, "Seriously?"

He cannot believe that the hero is abandoning them when they need him.

Young Spidey gives him an apologetic expression and raises his hands in defense, "Look I don't mean to leave you guys hanging, but I got responsibilities back home."

His Aunt May immediately comes to mind. The poor woman is likely worried to death about him. However, unless he's mistaken, they will send him back the moment he left. If anything it'll only seem like he was gone for a few seconds. Other than him, no one else would notice.

But while he's thinking of his dear aunt, Jean is unaware of his true reasons. She believes he is merely being selfish and is uncaring that their lives have turned out the way they have. While he may have died, it didn't seem to stick like hers.

Her most recent at least.

She gives him a harsh glare and huffs, "Then go." She harshly says before she turns and walks away, "Go live your perfect life."

While older Spider-Man look at her in bewilderment, wondering where she got the idea that he has a perfect life, young Spidey looks at her with a hurt expression and watches her walk away, "Jean, I'm sorry I-"

"Go!" Jean shouts without looking back, "We don't need you here."

She goes into the school as the other students step aside for her, not wanting to incur her wrath. The stories that surround her paint her to be a saint but also extremely dangerous when angered.

The grownups outside turn their attention back to the original X-Men as they begin to follow after Jean. Scott doesn't bother to acknowledge Spider-Man, he doesn't really care if he stays or goes. Hank does seem hurt but is more understanding. Warren is more irritated that the hero gets to go home while he is Rick here. And Bobby is hurt that his new friend doesn't want to stay and help them out with their problems.

And young Spider-Man dejectedly watches them walk into the school feeling guilty. He would like to stay, but he knows that he can't. He has his Aunt May to think about, his job, and his schooling. He can't say in the future and find things out that he probably shouldn't find out about.

He feels a hand on his shoulder and sees it's his older self giving him a sympathetic look. He wants to ask him if he could talk to the team, and maybe try to explain his side of things but senses that it'd be pointless.

Older Spider-Man turns his attention to Hank, "Send him home. And do not do this again."

Hank nods, "Of course." He watches as the hero walks away but then a thought occurs to him, "Spider-Man before you go, I have a request."

Spider-Man turns around and looks at the blue furry mutant incredulously, "Seriously? After all of this, you want to ask a favor from me?"

Beast gets a sheepish expression before he steals his nerves, "It's not for me." He tells the spandex-wearing hero, "A student here, Broo, was gravely injured." He looks at the hero with hope, "You were able to heal me, perhaps you can do the same for him?"

Spider-Man frowns, incensed at the request he obviously can't deny, before he grumbles out, "Fine."

Beast smiles gratefully at the hero, "Thank you. I greatly appreciate this."

Spider-Man walks past him to the entrance, "Remember that. 'Cause I'm shaving you before I leave."

Beast reels at the threat while Iceman looks perplexed as he calls out, "I thought we were gonna dye him pink!" Beast turns to his longtime friend with a hurt look and Bobby gives him a flat one, "You're my friend and I love you like a brother, but dude this was stupid of you."

Beast's hurt look morphs into an agitated one. It seems as if nobody will let him forget this whole time traveling to the past and bring the team to the present issue anytime soon.

Kitty walks up from the side and tells her ex, "You are not dying him pink."

"Aw." Bobby pouts as she walks into the school, "Can I at least help shave him? Or just shave my initials on his back?"

Kitty ignores him. Ororo rolls her eyes before she begins to usher the students back to their room, and they comply as it seems like the show is over.

Logan stands outside for a bit and rubs his forehead to alleviate the headache, "I need a drink."

(Felicia's Penthouse Suite)

Felicia sits in front of her couch with her phone in her ear and discusses with Mary Jane what the next course of action they should take.

"So what do you think?" She asks the redhead. The model knows relationships better than her. And one with Spider the redhead would certainly be the expert in.

"I think he'll try his best to get there." Mary Jane states but in a tone that suggests she is expecting bad news.

"You don't sound very confident in him," Felicia says with worry.

She hears MJ sigh, "Let's just say I'm glad we're going on a yacht because we would not have the best luck with airports."

Felicia frowns. That isn't reassuring her about this relationship. Spider-Man clearly wants to make this work and, oddly enough, so does Felicia. She doesn't know why she does but she does. She was hurting more than she showed when she said that it was a one-time thing back at the mansion. Now that Spider says it's not, and after hearing MJ's tone she can't help but want to reassure the redhead now.

Being supportive isn't her strong point but maybe she can try a method that she finds helpful.

"Why don't we be proactive?" Felicia inquires.

MJ pauses before asking, "How so?"

Felicia takes a moment, "We head over to his apartment." She proposes as she gets up from the couch and heads over to her closet, "Next morning we make sure he's ready to go. Whatever's going on we help him deal with it."

MJ makes a hesitant sound, "I don't know Felicia."

Felicia comes out of her closet with her Black Cat outfit along with some normal clothing, "Look, you don't have to stand on the sideline anymore, remember? You can get involved."

As she lays her clothes on the couch, Felicia recalls all the times she has heard both of them complaining about the other. Peter saying how Mary Jane hated his Spider-Man life and MJ not liking how she was the girl waiting for him to come back home while Cat was right there fighting beside him. The model held no real malice for the thief, Black Cat was his partner when she was around after all, MJ was upset over just being part of one life of his and not the whole thing.

"Felicia," MJ takes Felicia out of her head, "He doesn't want me to be heavily involved in that life. He wants me to keep doing what I enjoy. He wants me to be happy."

Felicia smiles fondly, that sounds like their man, "I get that, Red. I do." She says before her face becomes determined, "But at the same time, you want him to be happy with you, don't you? You want him beside you, to take you out on dates, to fight with him when he needs it, and to not be so guilt-ridden. So take some of that burden off his shoulders."

Again Mary Jane goes silent. The woman is obviously contemplating what Hardy said to her. And the platinum blonde taps her foot as she patiently waits for a response. She kind of expected the actress to maybe argue a little more or just relent. She did not expect for her to ask a question.

"What about you?"

Felicia tilts her head curiously, "What about me?"

"Don't you think you should try some normalcy too? For his sake?" Mary Jane points out to her.

Felicia gets an uncomfortable frown, "Red, normal is not for me."

She closes her eyes as she tries to repress the painful memories of how a 'normal' life hurt her. She doesn't like reliving any of those moments. That's why she is more Black Cat than Felicia Hardy, that aspect of her life helps to ignore them. Healthy? Probably not. Useful? Most definitely.

"Hey, Felicia?" Mary regains her attention, "Why don't you join me in running the club I want to open?"

"What?"

"Yeah. It'll be fun."

Doesn't sound very fun if Felicia were honest. She frowns as she tells the redhead, "Red. I don't know the first thing about being a business owner."

"You think I do?" MJ sarcastically asks before her voice gets a vulnerable tone, "Look, to be honest, this is a huge risk for me. And I need someone I can trust to come with me on this."

Felicia is taken aback, she is not sure she heard that right, "You trust me?"

"If I didn't, do you think I'd share a man with you?"

Felicia concedes to that but she gets an uncertain expression as she is not sure about being a co-owner to a nightclub, "I don't know."

"Please?"

Ugh, she is now picturing the model with doe eyes. Felicia wonders if this is how Spider feels when the thief does that to him. With a sigh, she says, "Alright. I'm in. But we still need to go to Peter."

The redhead releases her own reluctant sigh, "Yeah okay." Felicia hears some shuffling and assumes the redhead is getting ready, "You know where his place is?"

Felicia takes off her robe as she shakes her head, "Text me the details. I'll meet you there."

"Kay."

Hardy hangs up and starts slipping on her Black Cat outfit first. It is comfortable enough to wear under her civies for a quick change if they need it.

And with Spider-Man, it's always best to assume it'll be needed.

(Jean Grey School)

Spider-Man stands in Hank's lab with the mutant genius himself and his fiancé. The three of them look at the unconscious form of Broo on a hospital bed with a portion of his head wrapped up in gauze. At the desk of the hairy mutant, young Spidey is curiously watching his older self, waiting to see what he will be doing with Kitty Pryde and Iceman standing by.

Spider-Man goes to stand next to the little alien and sees that his head is heavily bandaged, "What happened to him?"

Hank stares at his student with sorrow, "He was shot in the head in a church some time back." He walks over to his computer which shows the alien's vitals. "I did everything I could to help him but Brood physiology is not a subject I'm familiar with."

Spider-Man nods in understanding. Geniuses they may be, but even they have limits in understanding different sciences. Reed is the smartest man on the planet but even he has trouble understanding certain fields of science, like computer science of the same caliber as Tony. And Tony is too proud to admit it, but he struggles with plenty of feileds himself.

The hero looks at the little alien. While he might be a bit freaked out at the Brood alien, from all the stories he's heard they are not friendly, he can't help but feel sorry for him. The little alien does not seem like a monster that his species was often described as.

"Are you going to fix him?"

A new voice from behind him startles him out of his thoughts. He turns around to see a young girl in the school uniform standing at the entrance to the lab with a sorrowful expression.

"Spider-Man." Hank walks past the hero and stands by the girl as he gestures to her, "This is Idie Okonkwo. She is a friend to Broo." He places a comforting hand on her shoulder, "She is also the one who found him."

The girl looks down with remorse and Spidey gives her a pitiful look, "I'll do what I can. But I don't know if it'll work." He looks back at the little alien, "He's missing a portion of his head and brain."

"You healed me." Beast points out as he goes to stand by him.

"This is very different." Spider-Man states and motions to the multiple monitors showing the alien's vitals and physiology, "He is missing a part of his head and brain. I don't know if it'll grow back or he'll have to get used to having half a brain." He gives the Beast's new form a once over, "And in all honesty, I wasn't expecting what I did to work on you. It was a shot in the dark."

"…That was a very poor choice of words," Beast says with a flat look after an awkward moment of silence.

Spidey raises his hands in defense, "I swear it wasn't on purpose."

Idie has enough and pleads with the hero, "Please just fix him." Tears gather in her eyes while she looks at her alien friend, "He's my best friend."

Spider-Man inhales before exhaling and taking off his web shooters, "Alright here goes nothing."

Young Spider-Man becomes curious about what his older counterpart is doing, "What're you gonna do?"

Spider-Man places his web shooters on the tray by the bed as he answers, "New trick I picked up when I came back to life."

Spider-Man fires his natural webbing at the little alien's head where his bandages are. This excites the younger Spider-Man, "Woah! I'll be able to shoot webs naturally!"

"Yeah." Spider-Man says after he finishes wrapping the Broods head, "I can heal people with them too.

"No way." Young Spidey says breathlessly as he tenderly touches the webbing around the alien's head, "What else can you do?"

Spider-Man rubs his neck, "I uh don't know. I haven't really been checking what I can do now."

This perplexes his younger self, "Why not?"

"You know how busy you are back in your time?" Spider-Man questions before he gets a nod in response and then dejectedly says, "Yeah it gets worse as we get older. Barely any free time whatsoever."

He slumps as he thinks it's all the more reason for him to go on this vacation with the girls. He knows he has a responsibility to the people of the city he swore to protect, but he also has a responsibility to this relationship that frankly is hanging by a thread. He can't just expect MJ and Felicia to be fine if he's putting minimal effort in their relationship because of his Spider-Man life. Sure they're understanding for the most part but that doesn't mean they still won't be resentful plenty of times. 'Especially if I make promises that I don't keep. I've made plenty of those already.'

While Spider-Man is in his head, the younger is bewitched by the power he will be possessing. To heal people with his webbing is an astounding ability that he can definitely use. Though the fact that he probably has to die to obtain it is not an appealing aspect.

Young Spidey notices the girl, Idie, walk up to the other side of the alien, Broo, while clutching onto a necklace. He can assume it might be a cross due to hearing her muttering some prayers.

He shifts his eyes back and forth between the two before he says, "You said he was your friend?"

Idie doesn't take her sad eyes off the alien as she nods, "Yeah. My best friend." She grabs his little hand gently, "I found him at the church I went to seeking advice."

Young and Older Spidey reel back horror as the grownups present look at her with pity as they can only imagine the shock the poor girl went through in seeing her friend with his brains all over the place.

Idie doesn't see this and just continues, "Being a mutant isn't easy. All the hatred and harassment I see on the news people like me have to deal with, it made me wonder why. The priest told me that what I am is evil. So I'm damned no matter what I do."

Young Spider-Man is stunned to hear that, "A priest told you that?!"

He may not go to church every Sunday but he knows priests don't do that. Silent judgment is more their thing.

"He wasn't a real priest." Idie explains sadly, "He was some robot thing that was just making me hate myself." Idie closes her eyes in shame, "What I am."

Spidey gives her a sympathetic look. He can understand what that's like. He's the scrawniest smartest kid in school and he's bullied for it all the time. It often made him hate himself for it. Until he got bit by the Spider. Now he doesn't hate himself for being so smart.

Spidey looks at the little alien and says to the girl, "Don't listen to people like that." She looks at him curiously, "Someone close to me said that people who make fun of you for 'faults' that you have are people who are jealous you have something they don't. I just met you, but you seem like a great person."

Idie looks back to her friend before she asks, "So people who hate us mutants are jealous of us?"

"Maybe." Spidey says, "But it could also be because you're different. And people don't always like different."

Idie thinks on his words for a few moments before she makes a request, "Will you pray with me?"

Spidey rubs his neck uncomfortably. "I'm not really all that religious. I mean I believe in god, but I don't go to church every Sunday or confession when I need to. I was raised by people who do though."

Idie ignores his rambling and just continues to look at her friend sadly. Spidey sees this and becomes guilt-ridden before he lowers his head and offers a silent prayer. Truth be told he did pray a lot when he was younger, but it got harder for him to have any faith when all his prayers went unanswered.

A groan and gasp bring him out of his prayer and he sees the little alien groggily open his eyes. Broo's blurry gaze immediately turns to the girl and just recognizes the shape, "Idie?"

Idie has happy tears cascading down her cheeks and hugs the alien, "Broo!"

The little alien grabs his webbed head as the girl continues to cry on him, "My head feels weird." He groans out as he tenderly touches the part of his head wrapped in webbing before he looks to see Beast standing over him, "Professor McCoy? What happened?"

Kitty steps forward and answers for Hank as he looks over the readings on the computer, "You were shot in the head. Idie found you in the church."

Idie lets go of Broo with tears in her eyes, "I'm so sorry this happened to you. I didn't know that he wasn't-"

"The pastor." Broo groggily interrupts as he remembers what had happened, "He wasn't real. He was being controlled by-"

Beast places a gentle hand on his student's head, "Rest Broo. We can talk about it in the morning."

Hank turns and presses a button to inject some anesthesia into Broo. The alien's eyes begin to droop before he loses consciousness. Idie does not leave his side though. She continues to hold his hand and be there until he wakes up again. Extremely happy and thankful that her best friend is fine.

Beast looks at Spider-Man with a grateful smile, "Thank you."

Spider-Man nods and thumbs to his younger counterpart, "Send him home and we'll call it almost even."

Beast raises a curious eyebrow, "Almost?"

"Pink hair dye or shaving you completely bald." Spider-Man firmly states with his arms crossed, "I'll leave that up to you."

Bobby, from his position in the back, holds up a can of pink hair dye and an electric shaver with an excited gleeful smile on his face. Hank looks at his longtime friend in betrayal. He feels that the punishment the two wish to commit is unnecessary.

Young Spider-Man raises his hand, "Can I stay long enough to see that?"

Spider-Man gives him a dull glare while he shakes his head, "You'll see it yourself years later." He tells him before he points to the lab's exit, "Walk."

Young Spidey pouts at his older self, "Rassom frassom."

He walks out of the lab with Spider-Man in tow and the other grownups. When they exit the lab, they see young Iceman and Hank waiting in the hallway.

Spidey is surprised to see them. "Hey." He calls out to them with some hesitation, "I thought you guys were sticking around."

Iceman shrugs a bit bashfully, "We are. But me and Hank figured we could at least say goodbye to you."

The awkwardness between the three of them is palpable to the adults. Though the young men don't know the specific reasons for their new friend's unwillingness to stay and help them, they figure he must have good reasons. Short as it was knowing him, they do know he's a good guy all around. From just spending time with him to everything they've heard. And neither can deny that they look forward to being friends with him.

But as nice as it is for them to want to say goodbye, Spider-Man points out an obvious fact, "You do know that Beast will send you guys back at the same time he arrives."

The sweet moment ruined, the two young teens blush as Spidey looks at the blue genius that brought them curiously, "Really?"

Beast nods his head as he walks past the teens, "That is the plan." He tells them as he enters another part of his lab that has a giant platform in the middle. "I also expect Xavier to erase any memories he has of today."

Spidey reels back in horror at this declaration, "That seems like a violation of my rights."

The idea of someone entering his head and erasing this does not sound appealing.

"You're an underage time traveler." His older counterpart says while Beast starts typing the necessary information in the computer, "Your rights are what we say they are."

Spidey scrunches his face at his future self, "Why am I so grouchy as a grownup?" He questions the man quipidly, "Am I still broke? Am I still single? Am I still constipated? C'mon, I'll have my memory erased so does it really matter?"

Spider-Man scowls at him, "We weren't consti-" He stops before he takes a breath and says, "Look, I'm not mad at you. Just the situation. Trust me when I say that you going home is best for everyone."

Young Spidey feels like there is a lot that the older man wants to say to him. He obviously can't because of the repercussions that would ensue and that is frustrating him. Or maybe he is scared of what Spidey might learn beyond him dying at the hands of a crazy blonde with a big sword.

And that is a terrifying thought.

So Spidey decides to take his older self's words at face value and just say, "If you say so."

The young man waits for Beast to finish typing the needed information to send him back to his why he's not using the portable time box he originally used to bring him and the others here is a curiosity. But he doesn't dwell on it.

Spidey turns to the two boys he came with and feels like he should say something to them. He doesn't want to leave on a bad note. They don't know that he has an aunt that depends on him. Not to mention school and his work as Spider-Man. He can't abandon all of that to fix the future of the new friends he just made. Selfish as that may seem.

He gets a little awkward as he says to the two teens, "Hey guys." They look at him with raised brows, "I just want you to know, that if I could, I would stay and help fix your lives."

They both give him appreciative smiles as Bobby says, "Don't sweat it, man. I mean this is our problem, not yours."

Hank nods in agreement, "He's right. You have your priorities back in our time. Whatever they may be, they are important to you."

He smiles back before he frowns and says, "Tell Scott, Jean, and Warren that I'm sorry."

Both mutant teens sigh as they nod. The others certainly weren't as understanding as the two boys. They didn't even want to come down to say goodbye to the hero they came with.

A ding grabs their attention and Beast announces, "It's ready."

Spidey turns back to the two young X-Men and offers Hank a handshake, which the young man reciprocates. He offers Bobby a fist bump and the boy returns the gesture happily. Spidey then heads over to stand on the platform as he waits for whatever to happen, happen. He looks to his older counterpart and says, "This may seem very self-serving, but considering everything I've learned, it just seems appropriate." He gives the traditional Vulcan salute, "Live long and prosper."

Spider-Man snorts in amusement and returns the gesture wholeheartedly. Hank joins in as does his younger self, along with both Bobbys. Logan rolls his eyes, annoyed that he's surrounded by people like this, and Kitty facepalms before she does the gesture as well with her free hand. She is a bit of a nerd too after all.

Spidey is happy to see so many like-minded nerds like him. He stands proud on the platform and declares, "Beam me up, Scotty!"

While the ones that did the Vulcan goodbye smile in amusement, Logan groans in disgust and pulls out a flask as he mumbles out, "How does a dork like you have three girls?"

Fortunately, the only one who heard him was Spider-Man and he shrugs his shoulders and responds, "The same way I wound up dating a supermodel. Things just happen to me."

Bobby scoffs next to him, "Things happen to me too. But nothing like dating a girl that pretty."

Kitty's feminine intuition kicks in, "What was that?"

Bobby becomes frightened, "Nothing."

Kitty narrows her eyes suspiciously at her ex, making him sweat some more. Both Spider-Man and Logan snort in amusement.

All the chatter stops as the machine powers up. A bright light in the shape of a box comes up from Young Spidey's feet and starts to travel upward. It reaches his navel and that's when it stops. The lights on Beast's computer begin to go red and alarms go off, making everyone jerk back in shock.

"Hank!?" Spider-Man calls out to him over the alarms, "What's going on!?"

Beast scrambles to shut down his equipment, "I'm not sure!" He shouts back. Eventually, he manages to power down his machine, "This shouldn't be happening!"

Spider-Man leans over the man's shoulder to read the information on the computer, "What's happening?"

Beast squints his eyes and looks through the multitude of data that is on the screen, "This doesn't make any sense." He says and points to some data on the screen, "Unless I'm mistaken, this here is telling us that time is showing signs of resistance."

Spider-Man, nor any of the other adults, like the sound of that, "Meaning?"

Beast says something that sends a shock through Spider-Man's body. "Something is blocking me from sending him back."