Hello, Peter here!

If you're hearing this who still uses voicemail? Text me! I'm probably busy with school or errands for Aunt May or at my, uh, internship. I'll reply quick as I can and if this is Ned, don't touch the stuff on my desk okay?

Imagine blacking out in the worst nightmare imaginable. Knowing that the only man left behind will break himself because he survived. Feeling his tears against your neck when everything fades away. It’s a strange thing. Because in that moment Peter Parker knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was loved. That Iron Man, no-- that Tony Stark cared so much for Peter that he’d hug a random kid from Queens who’s always been as much of a headache as he has been a help. Cry because Peter was dying. Because that’s what happened.

Peter’s sure of that much.

He’s pretty sure waking up again isn’t how dying works. Not like, totally sure? He’s never done it before and to be honest doesn’t really want to try it again anytime soon. Like over half a century anytime soon to be specific here because never is impossible and Soon is just some vague term that doesn’t give any real meaning to… Right. Rambling. He does that when he’s nervous. Or when he’s panicking. He does a lot of that in the scant few minutes it takes for Dr. Strange to show up with his teleporting magic circles. He’ll swallow even more when the sorcerer supreme explains what’s happening back on Earth.

Armies invading. The Avengers hopelessly outnumbered. One chance to make a difference.

Except this isn’t punching out goons or being a distraction. This is killing before their enemies kill everyone that’s left. This is beyond anything he’s signed up for. Beyond what he’s even really prepared to do. He could go through and find a place to hide. Peter’s sure he could do that. Stay out of the way. Except. If he did that and then something bad happened? It would happen because of Peter. That’s how he’s always felt. It’s not fair that he’s having to make this decision minutes after being pretty sure he was dead for a bit there. It’s never been fair. There’s no time to pity himself.

“I have more to gather. You stay with these space pirates and wait for my signal. You’ll know when.” Dr. Strange hands Peter back his mask. When he leaves a dirty hand settles itself onto Peter’s shoulder. Starlord and his friends have picked themselves up too.

“Don’t worry about it, kid. Kicking ass and saving the day’s kinda what we do around here. We’ve got this handled.” Maybe Starlord believes that. Maybe he’s just putting on a show of bravado because Peter’s just a kid. In the end it doesn’t matter that much. It makes Peter feel better with people near him. He nods and pulls his mask back on, good and tight.

Hold on Mister Stark, everyone. The world's friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is on his way.

Peter's been in and out of the Nexus for close to a year now. In the suit and out of it, he's tried to extend his friendly neighborhood do-goodery to the sprawling neighborhood that is the Nexus in the time he's been here. All the friends he's made have made him stronger. The allies he's made have inspired him to do better, be better than he was. To believe that he's good enough to make a difference.

It's thanks to time spent at Captain America's elbow, in a sparring ring with the God of Thunder, in between Lokis enjoying a peaceful night and a not so healthy snack, sitting on the floor of the hideout with his fellow Spider-Man designing costumes and gadgets together that make Peter web himself back onto Thanos' ship. He could have easily listened to Tony Stark, gone back home to help defend the Earth from more of the titan's minions. Even been tempted to. But you can't be a friendly neighborhood Spiderman if there's no neighborhood left. If their world--their universe-- is in danger...

Then so is the Nexus.

All worlds will suffer. Not just Peter's own. Hasn't Miles suffered enough? Hasn't Loki or Steve or...the list goes on and on. Mister Stark's new suit has all kinds of bells and whistles on it. Peter takes the precious little time he has stowing away on the ship to try and figure them out. Tries to ease his nerves by telling himself that next time he won't lose to Thor if he comes wearing This bad boy out onto the sparring ring. For a time there is no thoughts of the multiverse or his friends from other worlds. There's no time to think beyond the present because every second is a struggle and a fight for survival.

But Peter thanks his time spent in the Nexus for the ease at which he's able to focus on the fight at hand, rather than the alien sky overhead. For the ability to run with the magic he's watching Mister Stark's new wizard friend with the aptly Made-Up-Name of Doctor Strange pull out of thin air rather than freaking out about it. He has no idea what's going on. Only that they have one chance.

One chance to stop the big purple grape man who yeets moons at people Peter likes an awful lot.

One chance to save the weird space egg lady and her friends before they're crushed by Thanos' powers.

One chance before--

Before it all goes wrong. Peter's never had an anxiety attack this strong before. All of his senses are screaming at him and he knows something is wrong. Something bad is happening and he can't stop it. And then Mantis crumbles to dust and Peter's eyes fly wide when he rips off his mask. No. No nonono no why? There's no time there's not. Not for them.

He fishes his PINpoint out of his pocket and wraps it in his mask. Sends it out into the multiverse with as much of a warning as he dared make time for before it occurs to him just how bad things are about to become. His senses finally stop crying out and Peter knows. He can't fight this. He got to hug Mister Stark, made it to his hero's side. It doesn't make the feeling of being ripped apart any less horrifying. He doesn't want to go.

Can't see. Can't feel.

There's only darkness as the memory of Tony's warm embrace fades away.

To nothing.

Spider-man's mask and PINpoint sit on his bunk inside Steve's safe house, sitting innocuously atop Miles' physics homework.

Thanos is here andwe couldn't stop him. Dont come shut down anyway to your worlds. I'm sorry, I dont want to go.