IX. PETER, PETER & PETER
"i missed you"

ADMITTEDLY, ISABELLA IS INCREDIBLY WORRIED ABOUT PETER. After the death of his Aunt May, he had fled the scene and not told her where he was going. She is aware that he probably wouldn't want the company anyway, so she makes her way back to Ned and MJ. The two of them are probably filled to the brim with fear for their best friend.

Knocking on the front door, Isabella is met with Ned when it opens. The sorrow on her face is more than enough to clue him into what had happened, the news reports blasting in the background. He moves out of the way and she walks inside, giving the older lady a small smile as she watches.

"Where's Peter?" MJ asks and the brunette girl bites her lip as she tries to think of some response.

"He took off. His Aunt–" She cuts herself off, unable to handle the way Michelle's face seems to crumble. "I couldn't find him. I was hoping you two would know where he'd go,"

Sitting down beside Michelle, Isabella lays a gentle hand on the younger girl's shoulder. Ned takes a seat on the other side as MJ begins to look at the mysterious box that could send them all back to where they're supposed to be. The girl from the other dimension swallows lightly, wanting to help Peter before leaving but knowing that this is probably for the best in the end.

"I-I think I should send them back,"

Isabella doesn't miss the glance, one that is so hesitant that's it's almost heartbreaking, from Michelle when she speaks. The older girl nods her head encouragingly, smiling softly as if telling her it's the right thing to do.

"I know he told us to wait but I don't think I can," She adds on as an afterthought.

"I just wish we could see him," Ned comments gloomily, causing Isabella's heart to ache even further. These poor kids, what a terrible situation they've found themselves in.

Isabella snaps her head to the side when a small inkling of one of Doctor Strange's portals begins to appear before them before it's gone. Looking back to Ned, her eyes have widened slightly. He has the Wizard's item and suddenly he can open portals?

"Ned, do that again," Michelle interjects, obviously seeing the exact same thing she had. "Say his name or something,"

"I wish we could see Peter," Ned speaks a little louder and suddenly there is a full on portal before them. Isabella is on her feet in an instant, standing in front of the teenagers who watch warily over her shoulder.

"Peter!" Ned calls but Isabella shakes her head, putting her arm out to stop him from moving forward. This is not their Peter.

There are several telling characteristics that Ned and MJ have likely not picked up on, considering the fact they're worried for their friend. For one, he is significantly taller than the Peter she'd been with less than half an hour ago, at least a head. Another would be the way the suit is different, it's not the same. However, she will admit it's familiar. Peter had also left with his mask off, he has no reason to hide his identity any further.

She can feel her hands glowing, her eyes more than likely following suit when the Spider–Man approaches them. When he walks through the portal, Isabella lifts her right hand in warning only for him to quickly take the mask off his face.

It's Isabella's turn to be shocked, her body slacking and the glow fading from her palms and eyes. Before MJ or Ned can even question what has happened, Isabella throws herself forward and clutches the boy as tight as she possibly can. The tears are already leaking, her face pressed against his chest.

"Bee?" Peter questions softly, disbelief evident in his voice. She doesn't answer him as his arms wrap around her carefully, afraid that the slightest of touches will make her fade away.

"Bella?" MJ is the one speaking now, her tone somewhat guarded. "Who the hell are you?"

The words are obviously now directed towards the boy who is holding one their allies, they'd even go as far to say she's a friend.

"I'm Peter Parker,"

"That's not possible,"

Isabella has been taking about a Peter Parker since she'd met them, so obviously it is possible but it is more than likely the disbelief that prompts this reaction.

"I'm Spider-Man," Peter adds. "Right, and then yesterday I was just here?"

"The magic," Ned seems like he's in awe.

"Magic? Bee?"

The brunette pulls away from him and sniffles, shaking her head lightly. "There's like an actual wizard guy here,"

"Multidimensional reality? It's real. I knew it!"

Isabella rolls her eyes slightly. "Nerd,"

"Hey!"

"Prove it," MJ suddenly pipes up. "Prove you're Spider-Man,"

"What? Isabella, tell them," Peter speaks and the girl bites her lip.

"I think you should prove it to them,"

Peter looks flabbergasted as amusement washes over her face.

"Get spidering Spider-Man," Isabella says with a smirk, stepping away from him.

Isabella laughs loudly when MJ throws bread at him, hitting the boy. She has no idea what the girl is trying to achieve, but it's funny nonetheless.

"Why'd you do that?" Peter asks.

"To test your tingle thing," MJ replies.

"I have the tingle but just not with the bread,"

Isabella smirks when the girl picks up more bread only for Peter to ask her to not throw it again. He looks unimpressed, but raises his hand and attaches his fingers to the ceiling. Peter's feet leave the ground and he looks at MJ and Ned, the girl still not looking satisfied.

"Crawl around," MJ speaks again.

"Why do I need to crawl around?" Peter asks.

"Crawl around,"

"Cause it's not enough,"

Letting out a frustrated sigh, the man gets onto the ceiling and crawls over to a spider web that the older lady had asked for him to get down. Isabella can't help the snort that she lets out.

"This funny to you?" Peter asks his former girlfriend's little sister who nods her head enthusiastically. "Yeah, thanks for that. Look, Bee, can you please tell them I'm Spider-man?"

"I'm pretty sure the suit is enough to give that away," Isabella states before looking to MJ. "He's fine, I promise,"

MJ nods at Peter who then leaves the ceiling, standing beside the familiar brunette and throwing an arm over her shoulder. Isabella's arm goes around his waist in a hug, still in disbelief that he's here.

"So I opened the portal to the wrong Peter Parker," Ned explains.

"Yeah, I guess you just keep doing it until you find the real one," MJ speaks.

"Ouch,"

Ned grabs the item that the other Peter had stolen from the wizard guy, Doctor Strange, and lifts his hands up. "Find Peter Parker,"

The teenager repeats the same phrase several times before a portal opens up, showing another man. Another Peter. As he walks through, Isabella takes note of the fact he looks older than the one standing beside her.

The girl can feel her heart racing, and she knows that if the others were to look close enough, they would see the palms of her hands starting to glow a little. This often happens when she's overwhelmed, and it still hasn't come to a head yet.

"So you're Spider-Man too?"

Isabella, who had admittedly tuned out of the conversation, looks back to the older Peter who nods his head. The brunette girl scowls when some webbing manages to hit her shoulder as the two Spider-Mans fire webs at each other.

"My Lola's asking if you could clean up the webs that you just shot," Ned says to the two Peters.

Isabella raises her eyebrows as Peter brushes off her shoulder with his hands after apologising to the older woman.

"I've been trying to find your friend since I got here," the older Peter says. "I just have this sense that he needs my help,"

"Our help," Peter pipes up from beside her.

"We don't know where he is and right now, we're all he has," MJ speaks, sadness seeping into her tone.

Isabella frowns lightly, the ache in her heart returning. She remembers the looks on his face before he'd left her only about half an hour ago. That poor kid.

"Well, is there some place, that he might go that has meaning to him? Like a place where he would go to just —" Older Peter starts.

"Get away from everything?" The other interjects.

It's weird how they finish each other sentences, then again, Isabella knows they're literally different versions of each other. That's still weird to think about.

"For me, it was the top of the Chrysler Building," Older Peter states.

"Empire State building,"

Isabella winces a little at the name, remembering some of the events that went down there. MJ and Ned look at each other before stating they know where he could be.

"Bella, c-can you head to the school?" MJ asks which makes the girl furrow her eyebrows. "I-I know you haven't attacked him or hurt anybody but you came through with them. H-he might not react well to you being there,"

And as crazy as it is, Isabella understands. She was there fighting when he lost his Aunt, much like Spider-Man had been there with her father and Gwen. She wasn't involved directly but she was part of the reason he decided to let those villains out of their 'cages'.

"The school?" Isabella questions.

"There's science labs there, and we need to cure them so that's probably where he'll want to go," MJ explains.

"How do you know he'll still want to cure them?"

"Because I know him and in a way, you do too,"

Isabella looks over to the Peter from her universe, watching as he talks to the other version of himself. She does know him.

"Okay, you got it. If you need me to flee there too, make sure to tell me,"

Isabella pats the younger girl on the shoulder, kissing Peter on the cheek on the way past before leaving the rest of her newly formed squad to go and help the youngest hero in the group.

NOTE!

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