The Heroes
"What the hell is going on?" Tony asked as he shielded himself from the constant explosions surrounding him.
"We're being attacked by one of Spider-Man's enemies," Strange replied while casting a binding spell toward the sky.
"The Green Goblin, to be exact," said Madame Web.
"You can stop covering yourselves now," Strange said, revealing a goblin-costumed figure tied up from head to toe.
"Are you sure there won't be any more surprise bombings, Strange?" Susan asked.
The others looked at Strange, waiting for his answer. After all, while many of those present had tracking abilities, the weaknesses of those skills were obvious—whereas hiding from magic seemed far more difficult.
"No, there's no sign of anyone within a hundred-meter radius." Strange confirmed.
As Strange assured them that no one would attack again, Tony's alarmed voice grabbed their attention.
"Damn it, quick! Break the barrier, or Spider-Man will definitely die!"Tony shouted angrily.
"Jarvis, focus all available energy and fire at the warehouse next to my location." Tony ordered his assistant and butler, Jarvis.
***BOOOOOM***
The heroes hadn't even reacted when a massive explosion erupted just meters away from them. Strange quickly conjured a shield that covered all the present heroes.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Tony? There are children here!" Susan screamed hysterically, protectively hugging her kids.
"Shut the hell up, blondie! Can't you see the man you supposedly considered family is about to die?" For the first time in a long time, Tony spoke harshly to Susan.
Johnny and The Thing were about to defend Susan, but when they heard Tony's last sentence—whether it was the X-Men, the Avengers, the Spiders present, or the Fantastic Four members—everyone turned their gaze to the massive broadcast Tony was watching.
A single glance at the screen sent chills down their spines. Johnny, aware of the children nearby, quickly covered their eyes to shield them from the horrific scene.
On the screen, Spider-Man lay on the ground, bleeding out, with two of his enemies also bleeding nearby.
Just seeing this made the heroes feel all hope drain from their bodies.
"This isn't the time to mourn. The barrier's gone—it's our responsibility to at least save his daughter," Doctor Strange said urgently as he rushed toward the warehouse. The others, hearing this, followed.
Just as they were about to enter, Strange and a few others suddenly froze, stopping everyone from going inside.
"Tony, quick! Tell Jarvis to store all current events in your anti-magic module!" Strange yelled.
"What? How do you know I have an anti-Strange module?" Tony asked, confused—this was one of his trump cards in case magic was ever used against him.
"Just do it, now!" Strange glared at him, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"Alright," Tony said, realizing from Strange's tone that things had taken a dire turn.
"Strange, what's going on, exactly?" Gwen asked, speaking for some of the others.
"I'm sorry, but I have to teleport you all far from here."Strange announced.
"And why's that? In case you forgot, we still haven't searched for Spider-Man's daughter!" Rogue snapped, her voice laced with irritation. So many detours, and now this second-rate sorcerer wanted to send them away before they could even save her?
"Someone is using memory magic nearby. When non-magical people are exposed to memory magic within two thousand meters, there's a risk of permanent memory alterations. That's why I need to get you all away. As for Spider-Man's daughter, she won't be harmed—she has magic flowing through her. I'll save her myself and retrieve Spider-Man's body so we can give him a hero's burial," Strange calmly explained, his gaze sweeping over the group.
The others sighed in reluctant relief at his words.
"Fine," they muttered, though they couldn't help but exchange guilty glances. The shame in their eyes was unmistakable—they felt like cowards for fleeing.
Strange didn't wait. With a wave, he teleported them all back to their respective homes before turning his attention back to the warehouse.
"Finally, you rest. After all your struggles, you've chosen to let go. Heh… I hope this decision doesn't come back to bite you later, Spider-Man," Strange murmured under his breath before teleporting away. Today had been exhausting, and he needed rest.
Only after returning home and watching the broadcasts did they realize what they were truly up against.
On the screen, Mephisto began inflating like a balloon as he uttered the words that explained why Strange had insisted Tony secure the day's events in his anti-magic module.
"Damn you, Spider-Man! Because of you, I'll die—but don't think I'll let you pass into the afterlife without my revenge! Did you really think I'd let you rest? HAHAHAHA! I'll make them all forget you! They'll forget who's behind the mask, who helped them! I'll erase Peter Parker from existence! HAHAHA! And—and you know what'll happen when no one remembers you, right? No one will know your daughter… no one will protect her. I'll make sure she ends up on the streets, used by every man like a wh—!" Mephisto's voice was dark and twisted as he spoke, his body swelling like a balloon about to burst.
***BOOOM***
"Damn it, this stupid TV's glitching again! Useless piece of junk!" Johnny grumbled, heading toward the lab.
"Relax, Matchstick. No need to freak out the stretchy guy over this. Let's just go watch the game at the bar." The Thing said, grabbing Johnny and dragging him downstairs.
"Some things never change, huh? Alright, kids, study time." Susan announced.
"But—"*Valeria and Franklin protested in unison.
"No buts. Study." Susan said firmly, leaving them no choice but to obey.
"I feel like I'm forgetting something… Nah, probably not important." she muttered as she walked to the kitchen to make dinner.