Peter sat in the same booth as before, corner seat, his fingers tapping lightly against the tabletop. The pizza place was as empty as last time—midweek lull, a few students eating silently, some college kid scribbling into a laptop by the window. The air smelled of oregano, cheese, and simmering red sauce.
He glanced at the wall clock. 5:58 PM.
From what he knew of the young man, Peter suspected Ethan would show up precisely on time, no sooner.
Peter had arrived early on purpose.
It gave him time to think. To overthink.
'What exactly am I walking into?'
He hadn't told anyone at the Bugle about the meeting. Robbie would've asked too many questions. MJ was busy. Aunt May… he didn't want to worry her. This "Ethan" kid—there was something about him that unnerved Peter. Not in the same way as Norman Osborn or Otto Octavius. No, this wasn't a monster waiting to explode.
It was more like sitting across from a chess grandmaster… and not knowing whether you were part of the game or the board.
And now he wanted Peter to help someone else. A "friend." No name. Just a request.
Face-to-face.
He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. This wasn't even the weirdest thing he'd been asked to do this month. Not by a long shot.
The bell above the door jingled softly.
He looked up.
There they were.
Ethan stepped inside with a hooded girl at his side. She walked like someone used to being watched—nervous shoulders, downward gaze, feet always shifting. Ethan, by contrast, was a glacier: still, calm, surveying everything without showing a flicker of emotion.
They crossed the room. Ethan gave Peter a polite nod.
"Evening," Ethan said. "I hope we didn't keep you waiting too."
Peter leaned back. "Just enough to give me existential dread. You know, the usual."
The girl didn't laugh. Her eyes flicked up for a second, then darted away again.
Peter's smile softened. "You must be the friend."
Ethan gestured toward her. "Peter, this is my friend Amy. Amy, this is Peter Parker."
Amy nodded faintly. "Hi."
Peter stood, extending a hand. She hesitated, then took it briefly before pulling away.
"She's still figuring things out. Apparently, she's not sure what will come out of her hand," Ethan said simply.
Peter's gaze flicked to him. "Aren't we all?"
They sat. Ethan didn't bother ordering. Amy barely looked at the menu. Peter waved the waiter over and asked for a pepperoni and soda trio. When the server left, silence settled in for a moment.
Peter broke it with his usual: "So… how's everyone's week been? Anybody fighting any dimension-hopping demons lately?"
Amy blinked. Ethan said, "She was actually in the dimension with us and was the one possessed by the demon at the end."
Peter's expression shifted. "Sorry. Bad joke."
Amy gave a weak smile. "I… I kind of get it. I'm the type to also crack a joke if it feels awkward."
Peter looked at her carefully. She was pale, thinner than she should be. Her fingers fidgeted with a napkin, twisting it into tighter and tighter curls. There was something in her eyes—something that screamed help me, even when her mouth stayed quiet.
Peter leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.
"Okay," he said, his tone dropping the joke entirely. "Ethan asked me to talk with you. He thinks I might be able to help. I'm guessing that's got something to do with… powers?"
Amy's eyes darted to Ethan. Ethan nodded once.
She inhaled slowly. "It started after we got back from the incident with the demon. Ethan and I did a ritual to make me an avatar of a goddess, which worked, but I soon got possessed. After the… thing. The demon.
I've had trouble controlling my new abilities.
I've started glowing at night. And floating. And my dreams… they don't feel like dreams anymore."
Peter didn't flinch. He didn't blink.
"I see."
Amy blinked, surprised. "You… believe me?"
Peter shrugged. "Why wouldn't I?"
"Most people would say I'm crazy."
"Most people don't know what I've seen," Peter said. "And you're not crazy. You're scared. I understand that better than anybody."
She looked down.
Peter reached into his pocket and pulled out a worn coin—just a simple quarter. He set it on the table.
"You mind?"
She shook her head.
Peter tapped the coin lightly. "You see this? Ten years ago, I watched a guy turn one of these into a sonic bomb using nothing but his voice and a tuning fork. Powers aren't the problem. How you use them is."
Amy looked up, her eyes uncertain but curious.
Peter smiled gently. "You're not a monster. You're not broken. You're just… different now."
She didn't cry. But her shoulders eased, just a little.
Ethan, watching quietly, offered no interruption. He let Peter take the reins.
"Do you know what your powers are?" Peter asked.
Amy shook her head. "Not really, I know what I can do theoretically, but actually doing it is a problem. I just… glow sometimes. And I hear things. Like songs or whispers. And sometimes when I close my eyes, I see stars, but they're not from here."
Peter raised an eyebrow. That sounded more… cosmic. Maybe celestial since she said it was done through a ritual and that she was an avatar, then maybe asking Doctor Strange later might lead to some insight since he deals with things like that.
"Alright," he said. "We'll take it slow. One step at a time. I can teach you how to control your breathing. Keep your head clear when the powers act up. Most of the time, when powers act up or fail, it's due to emotional problems, so a simple breathing exercise can help."
Amy nodded.
"And if it turns out this is something bigger—something interdimensional or divine—then I know people. We'll figure it out."
"You'd really help?"
Peter's voice softened. "With great power… comes great responsibility. Someone said that to me once. Changed everything."
She looked at him for a long moment. Then, slowly, she nodded.
The pizza arrived. The scent cut through the tension. Peter nudged a slice her way. She hesitated, then picked it up and took a bite.
Ethan finally spoke. "You're good at this."
Peter glanced at him. "Yeah, well. Not my first teenage superhero crisis."
"You don't ask for much," Ethan observed. "You just… help. I like that about you, Peter."
Peter leaned back. "Yeah, well, I've seen what happens when people don't get the help they need. I'm not letting that happen again."
Ethan's gaze was unreadable. But Peter could tell something behind his eyes was calculating, measuring.
He filed that away.
As the meal continued, Peter talked gently with Amy—about school, about calming techniques, he revealed to her that he was Spiderman and even talked about the Avengers. Ethan only chimed in to answer if Amy was to flustered to answer herself since she was talking to one of her favorite heroes.
But Peter noticed the way Ethan watched. Not like someone worried. Like someone taking notes.
As Amy stood to go to the restroom, Peter caught Ethan's eye.
"You really care about her, right?"
"Of course I do, Peter," Ethan said simply.
"Then let me do my job," Peter said.
Ethan nodded. "I wouldn't dream of interfering. This is outside my pay grade."
Peter glanced in the direction Amy went. "I doubt that. She said you and she did the ritual, but I figure you planted the idea in her head, right? So what was she, an experiment to see if you could get powers?"
Ethan looked at Peter for a moment before saying, "I did teach her how to go about it, yes. However, I cautioned her against it multiple times. Truthfully, I tried to keep my distance from her at the beginning, but the incident with the demon occurred. Yes, I did want to save my life, but Amy pushed me and herself to save the other girl, Rachel. She's not like me, who would have been okay abandoning the girl. For some strange reason, it made me go against my better judgment and help."