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Video; UN: p.parker

[The feed opens with Peter on his bed.

Not hungover, thank you.

But he looks a little rumpled, in that healthy way, a way that says he's actually gonna sleep early today.]

Ummm. So... This is weird. I, okay — here it goes.

Number one... Hey, hi, I'm — I'm 16-year-old Peter Parker. Not the puny one in the Iron Man mask anymore. But thanks a lot if you helped me out, back there; it means a lot. I was a little bit of a handful and all, but you guys were awesome babysitters? That's kind of embarrassing, but you know, that's just how a Parker rolls.

[Peter breathes out a sigh after a moment's hesitation, leaning back from the feed and tapping a pen on a notebook on his knee that is probably too full of science mumbo-jumbo and math notes — among other things. Liiiike bullet points on what to say for this message. He feels like he's got butterflies in his stomach, honestly. Which is stupid. But he's never been great at having an audience; you wouldn't catch him in drama with all those actor-types.

Okay, Pete. Just go down your list, you got this.]

Mr. Stark — Tony Stark, that is... and Sam Wilson, they've gone home. Captain America, too. A lot of people have: people from my world, some from worlds like it — and friends I got to make from wildly different places have left, too. And I just... wanna say, this place has been so good to me, you know? Sure, some really messed up stuff happened here and there, but. But it's been a place where I could think. And make new friends. And be way more open than I was back home.

I just know what I have to do now. It's been eating at me for a while, so... Decisions made. And all that.

I'm gonna take the next portal they can give me, and I'll be going home as soon as I get the word. [Some people know what that means. A lot of people don't, and he doesn't plan to tell them the grim reality behind it] There's a ton I have to do back home, responsibilities I gotta tend to and things I gotta be a part of, for better or worse. And it's not right for me to put it off. Like... how you avoid studying for the SATs until the night before? Yeah, it's super irresponsible.

... I don't know when it'll be exactly. I guess nobody does. Or else we wouldn't get pulled here or pushed away.

But yeah.

[He swallows.]

Anyway. I'd like to do as much as I can on my dumb to-do list thing, for this really weird and long vacation I've been on. I wanna hang out with all my friends who're still here and really just... have a lot of fun? Until I go back to my usual life. I hate goodbyes, so I'm not gonna think about saying them right now, but I just wanted everyone to know you've been so awesome, and I've learned so much, and I've had a blast.

... Mostly. Not including being hungover.

[He smiles a little more, warm and confident in his words.]

And, um, for certain people, I've got something else to tell them?

But I'll let you know in a more private feed.

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Y-yeah...! I mean, I'm not saying you're the cause — but... like... the Apocalypse might happen in some way because of whatever this guy's doing. Or what others are doing. Back home, everything awful that was happening was because of this alien dude named Thanos.

[He bites his lip, gesturing between the two of them.]

Maybe... you guys have a Thanos that you need to take down, in your own way. Maybe Warren's it.

[Richard lets out a heavy sigh, holding the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. Of course, they were going to start talking like all this was true, and Alex would make it sound as if he really was the key to destroying the world. Of course, they were.]

I'd prefer that we stick to the facts and now debate on the plausibility of this whole thing.

The fact of the matter is that Warren is the closest thing we have to a Bond villain, honestly. So maybe your Thanos analogy isn't entirely off. But we know that he is up to something. And we know that he wants us in Geneva. Well, Richard anyway. I mean, he could have grabbed me the night that someone recorded me sleeping but...

[Alex just lets that thought drop off with a little sigh, because honestly, she doesn't even want to think about Tall Pauls and the like right now. But she believes and he doesn't, and that's not likely to change even if the two of them were in Geneva facing whatever it was.]

[Okay, 'recorded me sleeping', that's creepy. Muy creepy. Yikes.]

... You guys have a lot going on back home.

[The pot calling the kettle black, basically.]

The same can be said about many people.

[It was important to keep things in perspective. He and Alex weren't the only ones who had things going all over back home.]

We aren't particularly special.

[Hey, at least she didn't bring up the creepy demon and he missed it when the video itself was actually on the network. But Alex does agree with Richard, and she just dropped onto the arm of the chair.]

It's weird. It seems like everyone here does have something going on back home for the most part. We're all... protagonists in our own stories, I guess. Which makes sense.

... I dunno, I think you guys are pretty special.

[He says it in a totally sappy, dumb way, so he'll just move along-]

... I dunno if I feel like a protagonist...

More like a confused side character fumbling through the script. You know?

We all feel like we're fumbling; especially when we're young. Eventually, you'll figure out what you're supposed to do.

[Comforting Peter was far easier than explaining his life to the boy, he was happy that the conversation had taken a turn, even if it was a turn that wasn't exactly pleasant.]

Peter you definitely are. You’re Spider-Man for crying out loud! So you’re pretty special too! But yeah I agree with what Richard said about figuring stuff out. But you’re pretty great even now.

[Alex just grinned at him quickly and nodded.]

You really don’t give yourself enough credit.

[Heh. He ducks his head, grinning.

As bad as things're gonna be back home... he at least can say he's Spider-Man.]

Thanks, guys.

Whatever happens back home for you, just remember you guys deserve a lot of credit, too.

I'm sure you guys'll get things worked out.

Hopefully with Thomas Warren behind bars.

[He'd say dead, but that seems a bit harsh for Peter to hear.]

[Alex is under no illusions after everything that Warren will spend any time in a jail cell. He's too powerful and has too much money and owns more than a little piece of too many things for that. So, she just nods along.]

With him just being stopped. But you don't worry about us, Peter. If you're going home, then we both need you to worry about yourself, okay?

[And Alex is going to frown quite deeply, because she doesn't want you to die, Pete!]

[Ah. He smiles coyly, and it ends up more a wince.]

Y—yeah, yeah! Yeah, of course.

[And then he hastily sips his now cooled hot chocolate.

Read: He's still gonna worry about everyone else more.

... Oh—]

This is really good.

[Richard knew that poor attempt at shrugging off being concerned.]

Peter, you need to focus on yourself.

[In this, Alex and Richard are in complete and full agreement, without a doubt, and in this they're definitely going to tag team him.]

Peter, I know that you're always going to want to help others, but it's also okay to look after yourself a bit. That's what we want for you. I know what you're going home to, and even if you have just a couple of years before everything...

[Alex frowned quickly, and she just sighed before she added:]

We want you to take your time and enjoy it, okay?

[He stares into his mug for a moment, as if the little marshmallows are the most interesting thing in the world. Only really, he's not sure how tackle his feelings about home yet. He knows he has to go back, because blah blah responsibility blah, and because he loves his team, and his family and friends... He doesn't know. He doesn't know how to really say how he feels aloud.]

I will. I will enjoy it! I mean... If I go home and don't even remember any of this, then I won't have any reason to panic, right? So... So no harm, no foul.

Alex and I will be here when you come back.

[If he came back. That was the truth, but Richard was choosing to be optimistic - for once.]

[Alex couldn't help but beam at Richard more than a little bit when he said that they'd be here when he got back. Because honestly she was the one who was more optimistic than he was, and right now that wide-eyed optimism seemed very far away at best.

Then again, Alex knew what Richard didn't about how half the universe back home died. It was hard to be optimistic with that.

Reaching out, Alex put a hand on Peter's.]

It's okay to hope you don't remember when you get home, Peter. If I was from your universe and knew what you do, I wouldn't want to remember either.

... I wish I could remember. I want to.

[He clears his throat, looking down at Alex's reassuring hand.

It helps. Makes him feel supported. Breathing shakily, he says:]

I want to change what happens, and save my friends. If I could remember... I just...

I'm sure you'll figure something out.

[While Richard doesn't rest his hand or anything, his words are soft, encouraging.]

Sometimes knowing things can change it for the worse though. We don't know what might happen if you did know something. I want you to be able to save your friends and yourself, and everyone else, Peter. I want you to be able to come back here after starting your first year of college or whatever.

[A beat, and and she just smiled again.]

Whatever happens, Peter. I know that you're going to be alright, that somehow things will work out in the end.

[Call it that old Alex Reagan optimism, but it's there nonetheless.]

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Video; UN: p.parker

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