Expect Disappointment, But Hold Onto Hope

Chapter 3

A/N: Hey people! So, this has become some Peter whump, and I've already committed, so there's no backing out now. 😅 I think this is gonna be longer than I first expected, but that's okay, because you guys seem to be enjoying this (I'm so happy about that!!!). Yeah, it's gonna take longer than 4 chapters to resolve the plot, so I guess we'll just see where this takes us (???). 😁

Disclaimer: You already know I don't own stuff. 😂

Warnings: SPOILERS PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TW: Just classic whump (emotional and physical) so alight violence and angst are to be expected.

Also, a special thanks to HydrodragonY31 and lormygirl567 for their comments and votes on previous chapter, and to Kittenshine for the villain suggestion. I appreciate and love all of you readers! ❤

They just stayed like that for a while; the sky was darkening already. That criminal guy had run off a while ago too, but Peter didn't really care. The police had to have caught him by now, and, if not, he would just do it some other day himself.

They had been there so long that Peter almost forgot they weren't supposed to know each other, and he did something that he would later deeply regret.

He kissed her.

Sure it was the top of her head, and sure it was through the mask, but he did. And, unlike how he'd hoped, she noticed.

He could feel her grip on him tighten as she brought her head up to rest on his shoulder. Surprisingly, she was smiling. It was that same smile that used to make butterflies flap their wings in his stomach. It still did.

"Who…who are you?" Peter had never heard it said like that before. Not quite a demand, but more of an inviting question with genuine curiosity behind it.

"Well I don't carry an I.D. with me. Ya know, it kinda defeats the whole "anonymous superhero" thing."

That seemed to spark something in her. A flash of a memory appeared in her eyes, a brightness that faded in a moment, but Peter didn't miss it. She blinked a few times and shook her head slightly.

"I-"

Spider sense-

"How perfect." Peter knew that voice, didn't he? "I thought I recognized those voices." Oh, yeah, he did. "Miss me, Peter?"

"'Peter,'" MJ muttered, realization sweeping over her. Peter didn't even notice.

"How did you get here?" Traveling across the multiverse didn't seem like an easy task, and, considering the man in front of them was about to die in his own universe, he shouldn't have been able to.

"Ah, well, your 'cure' didn't exactly cure any of us. I was quite disappointed to be honest. And studying your fighting style during our time together was extremely helpful in killing my Spider-Man. So, after his…untimely demise, I tweaked my prized machine and achieved interdimensional travel."

This was not good. Like really, really not good. He killed a version of Peter 2 and discovered how to hop between dimensions. That meant trouble in every universe. And if he reunited with the other villains, Peter doubted he could take them all by himself -- all three of him barely managed to before!

And MJ was here, right here waiting for Octavius to take her and use her against him. He couldn’t let her get hurt because of him.

Peter slowly stood up, holding his hands out in front of him in a non-threatening way.

"Hey, come on. You don't have to do this," Peter pleaded. "Please, don't do this."

But all of them already knew what the Doctor's answer would be.

Before he knew it, Peter was being smashed head-first into that brick building they'd just been leaning on. What was it? A pizza parlor? Judging from the familiar scent that filled it, Peter assumed it was. He cracked his eyes open, but was met with only debris and what looked like flour that clouded the air.

From there, everything seemed to move in slow motion, but it all happened in a flash. Octavius was on top of him, and, in one swift motion, Peter was soaring through the air again -- until he smacked into another wall. Yeah, not the best day for this pizza place.

He staggered back up to his feet and let out a ragged cough. This has officially tainted Peter's view of pizza.

It had only just occurred to Peter that "Doc Ock" as he'd dubbed him was nowhere to be seen. And MJ was-

Oh crap!

Sometimes he really hated his spider sense. During fights it could be helpful but other times it was just…not.

He stumbled back, eyes fighting to stay open. And, of course, Doc Ock chose now to jump out of nowhere and slap him to the side. In one of his other tentacles was a thrashing girl, and Otto sneered at her with a passion. She was glaring right back.

Yep, that was MJ.

He honestly felt bad for Doc Ock. He messed with the wrong girl and the wrong Spider-Man, at the wrong time in the wrong universe. The odds were really stacked up against him.

And yet he still managed to carry her all the way up to the top of the (still being) reconstructed Statue of Liberty. That unpredictability hiding behind that maniacal grin was what put Peter on edge.

He knew that he was going to drop her from the crown, but he half expected a glider to come behind her and slash her side. Or maybe she’d turn to dust and fade away. Or perhaps she’d bleed out in Peter’s arms as he desperately cried for help. Maybe when he dove to catch her, she’d be consumed by green smoke and he’d be surrounded by darkness. Or Octavius could just snap her neck here and now. So many options, but none for Peter. He knew that feeling too well, and yet he still could never find a solution to this paradox.

All he could do was wait.

Maybe it was the adrenaline, or maybe it was the pure fear that overtook him, but he could have sworn that he saw an orange flicker behind Octavius.

Before he actually had time to process it, the villain tossed MJ aside and his tentacles slithered beneath him as he made his way over to Peter.

He came close, too close, and whispered "I'm not here for her."

Peter knew it was coming -- well, he knew something was coming. Since he knew what would happen, all he had to do was get out of the way. Simple, right? The only problem was that he couldn't move. He felt like his feet were rooted into the ground, so the "get out of the way" plan was a no-go.

He saw the blade extract from the claw-like end of the tentacle. He saw that evil smile return. He felt a sharp pain in his stomach. And right before the black seeped into and obscured his vision, he heard someone scream his name -- his real name, and it sure wasn't Doc Ock.