𝘸𝘦'𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 , peter parker

ʟɪᴋᴇ ʀᴇᴀʟ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴅᴏ

WE'LL MEET AGAIN.
02. ❛ like real people do - hozier. ❜

"SO, WHAT IS THIS PLACE?" Peter asked as he looked around. The room was a simple storage area for various artefacts and old spellbooks.

"The sanctum's built at the intersection of cosmic energy currents and we were the first to seek them out. Some of these walls are thousands of years old." Stephen explained. "And they shot an episode of The Equalizer in the early '80s."

"Shall we begin?" Stephen asked, powder falling into the centre of the podium before a ring of magic lights up the basin of the podium, he moved his hands in intricate motions, seemingly pulling a thread of magic between his fingers from a holographic disk from his hand before waving around his arms as a ring of energy surrounds them.

A ring of orange symbols and ruins formed in a circle around Stephen. "I, um, I really appreciate you doing this for me, sir." Peter thanked the man as he walked forwards so he can properly see the wizard.

"Don't mention it, and don't call me 'sir.'" Stephen smiled at the boy as he pulled another thread from the holographic disc.

Peter chuckled and nodded, "Right, sorry."

Stephen nodded and crossed his hands, "Nice knowing you, Spider-Man."

Peter nodded before he froze and took a couple more steps closer to the sorcerer, "Wait- excuse me."

Stephen lifted a hand and started the spell, "The entire world is going to forget that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Including me."

Peter's eyes blew wide and he walked closer, "Everyone?! Uh, can't some people still know?"

"That's not how the spell works and it's very difficult to changes when casting," Stephen explained.

"So my best friends are just going to forget about everything we've been through? I'm mean- are they even going to be my best friends?" Peter asked with a panicked voice.

"That depends, were they your best friends just because you're Spider-Man?" Stephen remarked with a slightly sarcastic smile.

"I mean- I don't know." Peter asked shakily before looking back up at Stephen, "I really hope not."

"Alright, fine," Stephen announced and threw away the spell before pulling a thread yet again from the orange circle. "Everyone in the world is going to forget that's you're Spider-Man except your best friends."

Peter let out a sigh of relief before he looked back up again, "Thank you so much I- oh my god. Lyra."

Stephen pulled out a rune and looked at Peter, "What is a Lyra?"

"Uh, she was my girlfriend's mum, she's been there for me as much as...look it's really important to me that Lyra knows, I mean she's back in London right now but still," Peter explained as Stephen took a deep breath.

The wizard pulled out another ring and started again, "Okay... let's not change the parameters of this spell anymore while I'm casting."

Peter nodded, "Okay, I'm done, I'm done. I swear I'm done. But my Aunt May should really know."

Stephen's patience was wearing extremely thin, "Peter, stop tampering with the spell."

"When she found out that I was Spider-Man it was really messy and I don't want to go through with that again." Peter explained, "So my Aunt May-?"

"Yes." Stephen cut him off and started another spell.

Suddenly, it was like a switch went off in Peter's brain as he looked back to Stephen again, "Happy."

"No, I am annoyed," Stephen said with frustration.

Peter shook his head rapidly, "No, it's a nickname, Howard 'Happy' Hogan. It's really important that he knows-"

The ruins started to shake as Stephen felt himself lose control over the spell as the rings of energy shook and the floor and walls started to break apart. Peter levitated off the ground and in the air as Stephen tried to take control of the spell.

"Basically everyone that didn't know I was Spider-Man before should still know!" Peter shouted over the loud noise that began to form in the room.

Cracks appeared above them, and it seemed like shaped figures appearing before finally, the room stopped shaking as Peter dropped back on his feet. He notices a gem-like object sitting on top of the podium, noticing the rings of energy swirling around inside of it, "Did it work?"

"No." Stephen huffed, "You changed my spell six times-"

"Five times." Peter corrected with a nod.

"You changed my spell. You don't do that!" Stephen yelled as he pointed a finger at the boy. "I told you and that is why. That spell was completely out of control and if I hadn't shut it down something catastrophic could've happened."

Peter fumbled over his words as he tried to apologize, "Stephen, listen, I am so sorry-"

"Call me 'sir.'" The man corrected Peter.

Peter hung his head slightly and nodded, "Sorry, sir."

Stephen sighed and rubbed his forehead, "After everything we've been through together, somehow I always forget... you're still a kid. Look, Parker, the problem is not Mysterio, it's you trying to live two different lives and the longer you do that the more dangerous it becomes. Believe me."

Peter nodded and let Stephen continue, "I'm so sorry about you and your friends not getting into college, but if they rejected you and you tried to convince them to reconsider there's nothing else you can do."

"When you say convince them," Peter started, "You mean, like, I could've called them?"

Stephen nodded casually, "Yeah."

Peter froze, "I can do that?"

Stephen made a face of disbelief at the boy, "You haven't... called?"

"Well, I mean, I got their letter and I assumed that-" Peter rambled.

"I'm sorry." Stephen moved the circular podium out of the way as he approached the boy, "Are you telling me that you didn't even think to plead your case with them first before you asked me to brainwash the entire world?"

The teenager stood in silence for a bit before he broke it, "Well, I mean when you put it like that-"

The next thing Peter knew, he stood outside the sanctum with the door shutting in his face.