Chapter 8: End of the Run
(SM P.O.V)
Freaky Friday. That's what this is.
Going toe to toe against Heroes of Japan and now this... Just another set of Parker Luck.
After the nice talk with three heroes, which was Again totally self-defense, I've had enough of talking.
Really. Me. The Prince of Jokes was done talks. Everyone should be aware by now that when I'm out of jokes, I'm dead serious.
So, I bid my farewell to the detective and took a giant leap for my next journey... which turned out to be a careless move.
Just as I was about to swing towards the mystery, my Spider-Sense went crazy! It felt like someone was banging my head with an adamantium hammer.
Seconds later, a huge fist-shaped fire came straight at me. And me in airborne with no tall building to swing away, had no choice but to take the heat.
It was that fire beard hero! Endeavor, was it?
I was too focused on dealing with the three heroes on the ground, I totally forgot about the big guy!
I guess he had enough time and firepower to free himself from my webs and decided to come after me.
Man, it was Hot! He sure did not try to pull his punches for that one. That attack was totally meant to give me a full-body fire massage.
And you know what is the most irritating thing about going up against dudes in flames? It mostly ends with my costume burned in scorch marks.
I still remember my first date with the Molted Man and how he left his handprint on my chest. I reeked like a cigar!
Just like that, I crashed down hard on top of a near storage building, covered in smokes.
What happened next? Well, let's just say I've installed contingency plans for these types of things.
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(Flash Back)
"Whoa, What was that a rocket launcher?!"
"No idiot! That was a Fire!"
"Not just any fire. A Hell Fire! And you know what that means."
"He's here! It's The Endeavor!"
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Just as 'Piler of Fire' ignited the blue sky, everyone from the crowd noticed the arrival of The Hero.
The No.2 Ranked Pro-Hero of Japan. The Endeavor!
As for Detective Tsukauchi, he didn't know he should be either cheering or complaining at the No.2 Ranked Hero.
Sure, he wanted heroes to take down the rogue vigilante but burning him up in flames was never an option.
What he and the scientists needed was answers. They needed to arrest this Spider-Man so they could come up with an arrangement to get detailed answers.
However, what actually happened was the worst outcome he feared from the beginning of the chase. Endeavor burning up the vigilante to crisp.
When it comes to Endeavor, he had no restraints against villains. He cared less about the condition which the villain ends up with.
If they survive, they survive. If they die in flames, well that just meant they're weak and received a fitting end for committing a crime against society and its people.
As for vigilantes? He never bothered to give a damn about them. Just disturbing Hero wannabe pebbles in his way.
So what his strong blast of flames indicated was that he was no longer viewed Spider-Man as some kid-vigilante. He was actually treating him as a villain!
His fire blast was to burn the villain as a whole with no regard to whatever the outcome would be.
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"Endeavor! What... What did you do?! Did you just burned him alive!?"
"Shut up Tsukauchi! Are you still saying that kind of crap after what he did to Them?!"
As Tsukauchi shouted in shock, Endeavor, who was floating in mid-air using his flames as an engine, responded in anger while pointing at Three Pro-Heroes who were still struggling from their awkward situation. However, his eyesight didn't move an inch from the point where Spider-Man crash-landed about 100 feet away.
Endeavor's legs, arms, and upper torso were covered in intense flames that were burning like the wraths of hell.
Tsukauchi could clearly see just how much rage was burning out from his body. Literally.
"He is nothing more than a villain now! I don't care if he's a kid or not! The moment he put his hands on Heroes, is as if he willingly announced himself as a Villain!"
"I know that! But he's still a kid! You didn't have to go blast him like that!"
"Hmph! I shot him down with flames just enough to give a 2nd-degree burn to his body so don't worry, he's fine!
And you just saw how that little prick moved around with your own eyes. If I hadn't blasted him like this, he would've gotten away!
A Villain running away after assaulting Heroes?! That is unacceptable!"
"...But"
"Enough of your complaints Tsukauchi! If you have time to complain, why don't you get your men moving and free those rookies!
As for the Brat? This Endeavor shall personally secure him for you. So call for an ambulance for him while you're at it and call David Shield that his little science project is secured. I'll hand him over after I personally teach additional manners into that little brat. Then, you both can go-ahead and... and... Impossible...!"
Detective Tsukauchi noticed the change of tone in Endeavor's voice. Though he couldn't see clearly from the ground, he noticed that Endeavor was in shock.
Endeavor clearly saw a shadowy figure slowly rose up as the dust and smoke cleared from Spider-Man's fallen position.
Unlike before, he was now holding a new type of equipment in his arms.
A large chunk of white substance big enough to cover his body. It was more like lines of threads artistically weaved into an Oval Shaped object.
Its edges were still caught in flames and melting. But other than that? To his anger, everything seemed just fine.
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(SM P.O.V)
My trusty Emergency Web-Shield!
I never used them very often but, after the Convergence? I made sure to utilize it whenever I had the chance.
Since my fellow villains such as Rhino, Hulk, Juggernaut, and Venom, and on and on could tear through it like paper, I kind of felt no use for the web-shield as a defense.
I'm no Captain America. Why bother blocking when I can just easily dodge them, right? I mean, I'm a superhero who dodge bullets and lasers for a living, and unlike Cap's Shield, this thing costs money. my Rent money! It may be tough, but it's not 'Unbreakable and free to use whenever I want' type of thing like Vibranium Shield.
But after going toe to toe against guys like that zombie soldier Wesker, Fire Breathing Gargoyle, Sentinels, and Magneto, and on and on, I figured that using a shield more often might not be a bad idea after all. What Cap used to say? A perfect defense leads to a perfect offense.
I still remember the first time I had to block the Serious Hadoken from Ryu with my webs. A guy with no Superpowers and he almost vaporized me!
After that event, I built in the Emergency Web-Shield that would come out from the launcher on the back of the hand. Combined with Spider-Sense, Spider-Speed, Spider-Reaction, and the Advancing Guard technique I picked up after observing Ryu and Dante, I can protect myself even from this Hot Beard Hero's blasts unharmed.
Well, mostly unharmed.
Even though my webs were heat resistant, I still couldn't do anything about the intense heat that spread all around me.
It's just Webs, not Vibranium. I had few burns and scorch marks here and there but, I survived. Standing Tall with my mask covering my tears of joy and pain.
And for some reason, I think it really got under the skin of this No.2 Hero cause his face turned all hot and red, and was about to explode.
Yup, I was in for one hell of a ride.
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(Flash Back)
"You Little Brat! How are still standing unharmed!? Where did that thing come from?!"
Endeavor shouted in disbelief.
He was 100% certain that his aim and timing was perfect. Yes, it was perfect.
'That was one of my fastest long-range attacks! Besides THAT Bastard, no other Pro-Heroes would even come out of that blast unharmed! My aim was perfect! I even waited for the perfect moment when this damn brat would let down his guard and helpless in mid-air! Even if his built-in tech or radar detected it, he's not supposed to react and come up with a countermeasure simultaneously! And Those webs... So you're saying it can even withstand my flames?! MY FLAMES?!'
As Endeavor slowly descended and landed on top of the building roof below him, he noticed Spider-Man was now throwing away his shield and making a fighting stance. This made Endeavor furious even more. Not only this little villain withstood the Endeavor's flames, but he was also showing no sign of retreat or even fear. Unforgivable!
"Yow... That was HOT! Are you really a Hero? You could've burned me alive! Where did you learn this type of heroic manner? From Anti-Hero School?! Sheesh"
"Just what did you do?! That blast should've taken you down for good!"
"I can't tell you the details, company secret, but let's just say I used my 'Spidey Speed' to shield myself with my webs.
Just like using solid 'sun cream' only made of webs. And there's also the beautiful toughness I gained from hard workouts."
"Grrr!"
"Whoa whoa whoa. Chillax OK? What are you a Hulk? Why are you angry all the time? It's not like I insulted you or anything?"
"Just what is up with your quirk?! How is your quirk able to withstand my Flames?!"
"What my webs? Huh... I don't remember calling them my 'Quirk'. Did I say it was a quirk? It's called science, bro. Greatest achievement from a young genius ."
"Grrr! I've had enough of you and your jokes! I have no forgiveness against a villain like you! Especially an annoying bug, like You! This time, I'll make sure you experience the Hell Flame of Endeavor to the bottom of your bones. When you wake up in the hospital, only then, you'll learn to respect and fear the might of Endeavor!"
Spider-Man saw No.2 Hero of Japan, Endeavor, firing up more than ever. Even from 100 feet away, he could feel the atmosphere heating up.
He realized that this was it. One last stand against this Flamed Hero. It was a 'do or die' moment for both of them.
He had no choice but to face head-on in a battle. Neither of them was coming of this unharmed.
"You've had enough? Dude! I'm the one who has been on the run all day! Not only you guys disturbed my launch break, but you also chased me all around the town. Not to mention you gathered reinforcements and ambushed me, attacked me, slammed me, and smack me through a car. And you even Cowardly attacked me from far away! Well, I'm done being the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man! So bring it Mr. Number 2! Let me evaluate your combat skills and see if you're worthy enough to challenge No.1!"
"Enough!"
Explosive flames fierce enough to burn every last drop of moisture around the area launched the Endeavor like a Jet.
'You dare challenge me?! You would challenge this Endeavor?! Fine! This time I'll take you down with no holding back! Don't you dare think flames are all I have in my arsenal! I'm not like That Bastard who relies on his stupid strength! I've trained to the extreme longer than you were ever born! Look at you and you're little silly stance!
You look like a rookie who barely knows anything about fighting! Let me, The Endeavor, teach you a lesson!'
As Endeavor closed in the 100 feet gap, he saw Spider-Man lowing his stance and clenching his fist. It was a boxing stance. A stance which was to throw an arching punch.
A silly move against a fast charging opponent. Endeavor gave credit to Spider-Man for not running away and stood still for the encounter. But that was not going to save him from Endeavor's wrath.
About 2 feet away from Spider-Man, Endeavor used his flames to accelerate once more before closing in the distance.
With a fierce speed that only a 'speed type' quirk users could react, Endeavor threw his right-hand fist at the dead center of Spider-Man's chest.
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'POW!'
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An explosive sound rang across the area. It gave chills to Detective Tsukauchi who barely witness the collision of the Pro-Hero and the Vigilante.
The impact was horrifying. It even shocked Endeavor himself as he felt his fist pierced through Spider-Man who just stood by and took the direct hit!
Endeavor did expect to land a direct hit, which he did, but he never expected his first to pierce through Spider-Man.
Yes. Endeavor's fist literally pierced through Spider-Man like he just nothing. Endeavor felt every piece of Spider-Man's upper torso shattering like hard glass.
He could almost feel every bit of Spider-Man's molecules burning away by his flames. He felt hardly any weight from the broken body as it shattered away.
Due to this shock, Endeavor forgot to slow down. He kept flying more than at least 10 feet more and landed on the next building. It felt all wrong.
'What? What just happened? I felt my fist landing a direct hit. I felt the flame from my fist melting away his body. I felt his body shattering.
No... it was not the usual feeling of a fist connecting to a human's flesh. Before that, even to the last second, the brat didn't do anything.
Judging from his past reaction and his dual against Those Three, he should've at least tried to dodge or counter.
But he didn't do anything. Rather, he disappeared like an illusion after I pierced through his body. Like An Illusion... No! It Can't Be!'
Endeavor, realizing the anomaly, quickly returned his sight to the collision point where Spider-Man was standing.
Spider-Man WAS still standing. As if nothing happened, Spider-Man stood tall, covered in greenish light, and facing the Endeavor while making a Heroic Stance.
Endeavor couldn't believe his eyes as he clearly saw cube-shaped molecules merging together and Spider-Man's body glitching like...
"Hologram... A HOLOGRAM?!"
"Wow, you really are good at this stuff, aren't you? Not 100% accurate but still impressive. 'HL Holo-Decoy'. Experimental AR tech combined with Hard Light particles.
It's just a prototype though. It can't do anything besides standing still and sending vocal messages, but very effective when it comes to playing Toro."
"You damn brat! Where did you get your hands on... When did you?!"
"Self-Made. With the materials from my personal workshop. As for when just right after you shot me down. When I was covered in smokes. Classic bait and switch."
"Grrrr!"
"Dude, What did you expect? Me going fistfight with you while jeopardizing my reputation? I'm a superhero, remember?
Sure, I did say 'bring it' but I never said anything about 'bring it Right NOW'. I don't know about you but my priority is to go home. I'm past due on my rent!"
"You... You think you can run away from me?! From Endeavor!"
"Uh, I actually did once and doing it right now? I'm miles away as I speak. I never wanted things to go like this but I have my own urgent reasons. So this is goodbye.
Let us all go our separate ways and hope we never see each other again. Adios! Oops, wrong language. Sayonara!
This Unit Will Now Self Destruct In Ten Seconds... (I always wanted to say that)"
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As the holo decoy crumbled away to nothing, the chase was over. The little Holo displaying device self-destructed in sparks.
And all that police officers, Detective Tsukaushi, and Three Pro-Heroes could hear was Furious/Frustrating Roar from No.2 Ranked Hero.
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(SM P.O.V)
Yes, I know. It was a very anti-climatic and lame ending but that was the best runaway scenario I could come up with!
Sure, I could've gone in a fistfight with the guy but the only outcome I could imagine from that was either me being roasted alive or locked in a cell after being roasted alive.
In my early days, I would've gone head-on, but I'm not that reckless anymore. I know when to go full throttle and when to back off.
The last time when I actually lost my cool and went all out on a guy like him, I ended up blowing a whole city block of Manhatten in flames.
I got lucky for it since the other guy was an alien and it gave me an excuse to deliver a non-stop beatdown, but this Endeavor guy is different.
He's an actual Hero of this country. Any property damage caused by his hot temper would be on MY head. And a Hot-Head like him? Would never even think about going easy and giving up on burning me down to crisp even if he had to burn the whole block down. The best way to get away from hulking guys like him is to make them angrier, lose their cool, and charge in like a mad bull without thinking. Note: This will NOT work on The Hulk so don't try it if you want to stay alive and enjoy your happy life.
And if No.2 Hero was like that... Wow, I really don't want to find out what No.1 is like!
So, yeah. I had to sacrifice one of my most expensive gears and make a sneaky getaway. I'm sure I heard his scream or something but... forget it, I did NOT hear that.
Anyway, I decided to go for a wall-run from building to building for the time being. Couldn't risk myself being exposed to Endeavor and that Detective from swinging again.
Besides, I had more pressing matters to deal with than running away from heroes and the police!
Remember that strange tingling from my 'Spider-Sense'? Well, It came back. And this time it was stronger than ever! My Spider-Sense was kept tingling in certain patterns. For the past 8 years as Spider-Man, not even once it had a certain pattern of its own. Not like this! It was always a constant long tingling until the matter or a threat was resolved. But, for the first time since that spider bit me, my Spider-Sense was acting like a beacon.
It was like this:
Tingle, Tingle, Tingle,Tingle / Tingle / Tingle, Tingle~~, Tingle, Tingle / Tingle, Tingle~~, Tingle, Tingle /
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It was a Morse Code! My Spider-Sense was actually tingling in a pattern of Morse Code that only military or shield operatives would use in the field!
How is that even possible?! I had no idea. I've told my trusty friends and allies that I had a Spider-Sense as an alarm system but I've never told anyone about its frequency!
But somehow... Someone or Something was actually sending messages through my Spider-Sense. This headache surely was a very effective method to get my attention.
While running, I checked my surroundings numerous times, but even with my Spider-Lenses 'Spider-Uped' eyesight, I couldn't see anything that could be a potential danger. Then there was the tingling again. This time I focused my senses to interpret what this Spider-Sense was telling me.
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[H.E.L.L.O. S.P.I.D.E.R. M.A.N.]
[P.L.E.A.S.E. F.O.L.L.O.W. T.H.E. I.N.S.T.R.U.C.T.I.O.N.S.]
.
Before I could come up with a 'What Instructions? Who Are You?!' in my head, my Parker-System of my lenses picked up a little yellowish light. Pilar of yellowish light was lighting the daylight through my embedded AR system. Showing the destination and distance (Wait... I don't remember hacking any tower this time?).
It was pretty far away. Definitely far away from the airport but what can I do... I can't just ignore it if my Spider-Sense is screaming like this none stop.
All I could do while heading to the unknown location was to hope for no more unnecessary negative surprises.
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(Mean While)
"NOTHING Happened."
"Endeavor are you sure that's.."
"NOTHING. Happened. Tsukauchi! Make sure you don't let anyone leak or leave any kind of footage of this incident to anyone or anywhere else!"
Just about 15 minutes after the clash with Spider-Man, both Endeavor, and Tsukauchi gathered in where three other Pro-Heroes were held in Spider-Man's webs. The police forces tried to cut heroes loose, but even with their equipment cutting through the webs was a lot tougher process than they expected. As Endeavor used his flames to help the process, no one, not even three heroes said a word Their gloomy facial expression told the whole story that this defeat was embarrassing and frustrating for everyone.
Endeavor, who comparably had the worst day among everyone, had the expression of pure rage. Not once, not twice, but three times he was humiliated by the same kid vigilante. In just One day! Just thinking of this, Endeavor felt as if his rage was about to explode.
"That brat! That equipment of his can't be self-made! He must have someone backing him up or supplying him with illegal gears! Go check for his source whether it's from the legal department or underground black market! He must've left his track somewhere along the way. He used a handful of gears today so he has to show up somewhere for resupply and that will lead you to whatever you're looking for with those pranks last night! And if you do... Make sure to inform me of that damn Brat!"
"Endeavor! Where are you... Endeavor wait!"
And just like that, without even bothering to give further attention to Tsukaushi and 3 Pro-Heroes, Endeavor walked away from the scene in frustration and anger. Detective Tsukauchi who wanted to ask the details of Endeavor and Spider-Man's collision, couldn't do anything but to gaze at the disappearing back of No.2 Hero.
He couldn't even imagine the frustration and humiliation Endeavor must've felt from his engagement with Spider vigilante. Even though there was the fact that Endeavor went easy on the vigilante in order to capture him as requested, this vigilante continuously managed to outmaneuver him. Despite the power level difference between their quirks, this kid vigilante actually came up with methods to fool Endeavor not once, but twice. For a prideful hero Endeavor, this was unacceptable and unforgivable. Tsukauchi silently prayed to God that villains aren't stupid enough cause any more trouble for the rest of the day. If not... God have mercy on their souls.
After the exchange with Endeavor, Tsukauchi changed his view to three Heroes who were resting for the debrief. Kamui Woods and Death Arms seemed to be lost in each of their own thoughts while MT. Lady was still struggling with brushing off the leftover webs which were still stuck to her hair.
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"Is everyone doing OK? I'm sorry for getting you all into this. It was our job to restrain him but he was more troublesome than we ever imagined"
Detective Tsukauchi said as he slightly bowed his head to appreciate the help from three Pro-Heroes.
"There is no for an apology Tsukauchi-San. In fact, it is I who should be apologizing to you for failing this operation. I'm sorry for not being much of a help"
Kamui Woods. The wood skinned Hero stood up and greeted the detective by bowing 90 degrees.
The tone of his voice indicated that this young hero was so resented that he was almost on the verge of tears.
"That's right Tsuakuchi-San. Us three... this is on us. We underestimated that kid from the start... I guess we still have much to learn."
Death Arms. The powerhouse hero backed Kamui Woods with a facial expression of defeat.
"I... I wasn't ready today. I was suddenly summoned by Death Arms senpai without any information so this doesn't count. Next time I will get him for sure!"
Mt. Lady. The size-shifting hero said as her face turned red due to the frustration.
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"So, who was that kid anyway? What in the hell is with his quirk? What's going on here?" - Death Arms
"(Sigh)Long story short, that kid vigilante's web and his whole body were soaked in Unknown Energy particles or whatever which is related to Energy Cloud from last night. To one of the top scientists of I-Island, he was the only lead to studying the phenomenon. Unfortunately... this kid was... NOT a cooperative type. Not to mention Annoying! He actually managed to strike Endeavor's nerve more times than any villains would in their lifetime." - Tsukauchi
"Isn't that amazing in its own way? Making Endeavor-san angry and running away from him... I would never even dream of doing that even if I was paid." - Mt. Lady
"Though I no longer think he has anything to do with whatever happened last night, I believe he was near the proximity of those 'energy clouds'. And for his quirk, It is obvious that it's Spider related mutant type, but what was beyond any of my expectation was his overall skills." - Tsukauchi
"I agree with you Tsukauchi-san. His fluent movements and speed... it was beyond the level of a rookie. This was the first time in my career when I failed in restraining a suspect with my 'Lacquered Chain Prison'. Twice! In one day! He must be on par with Mirko to a certain extent." - Kamui Woods
"Don't forget his strength level. He withstood the strike from Mt. Lady and still managed to go up against me! My... My best shot was stopped by a 5'6ft kid. With one arm! That... that never happened to me before... If it were All-Might I'd understand, but to think I lost to a mere kid..." - Death Arms
"His web-like things were bothersome too! It is way stronger than steel cable... and sticky! My hair is all messed up! - Mt. Lady
"My theory is that him being exposed to those 'Energy-Cloud' might've been the cause which gave him a super boost to his quirk.
If that really was the case, it would explain how a youngster like him was able to take down three rising Pro-Heroes. " - Tsukauchi
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As their debrief went on for an additional 30 minutes, Detective Tsukauchi was having a headache more than enough for him to just call it a day. Their sharing thoughts was going nowhere. There was neither the evidence nor clue that this vigilante had something to do with the 'Energy Cloud' event.
And it was also iffy to label him as a villain. While he did attack the Pro-Heroes, his actions were more of self-defense than provocation and he really didn't do anything to civilians. If this encounter was somehow leaked to the public, as Endeavor said, there was a high possibility that Pro-Heroes might end up getting the blame. Because of this Tsukauchi couldn't just put out a wanted warrant against Spider-Man. All they could do for now was to settle this case down and wait for Spider-Man to make his next move.
"(Sigh) Anyways, I again thank you all for your cooperation. We'll continue further investigation ourselves. However, if any of you find any new information which could lead us to solve this whole matter out, please give me a call. I have a feeling this might NOT be the last time we ever cross paths with him."
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(SM P.O.V)
And here I am. Right here... in front of a... Manga Shop?
Yep, Manga Shop. Not that I'm complaining since I've always wanted to visit a Japanese Manga Shop before I die but to think I would be coming here like this...
Why Manga Shop of all places? Why not some high-tech secret S.H.I.E.L.D Base? Don't tell me there's a bunch of Hydra agents or Skrulls swarming inside.
Maybe entering without doing any recon isn't such a good idea. There could be pumpkin bombs, tranquilizing darts, or even Saw Tapes for all I know and...
[Spider-Sense]
Ow! Ok Ok Fine. Even to the very end, this weird tingling is getting on my nerves.
It feels like a backseat driver just hijacked my brain and is pinching it whenever I have doubts.
"Uh Hello~? Any Doombot-maids around here?"
So I do as I'm told. I enter the Manga Shop, while on guard. This place has a surprisingly clean and large space that is filled with all kinds of light novels, comics, mangas, and it even had private rooms. What was absent was the people's attention. Literally, no customers, no shop managers, and no clerks were giving me the slightest attention as if I didn't exist. Do I look that silly? Then a small help-bot stopped in front of me. It gave me a bowl of french fries and a simple note.
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[Welcome, True Believer. Please head to V.I.P room NO. 8 on the 4th floor]
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'True Believer? So a familiar quote. Where have I heard this before? And these fries... This flavor. I know this taste!'
I instinctively hurried my way to the V.I.P room. I need answers. When I arrived, I noticed that the room had two seats, a round table, a laptop, and pair of glasses. As it was prepared just for me. But what caught my eyes the most was the brown-colored backpack that was laid on top of a leather seat. And on the top of its pocket, there was this very familiar formula and handwriting I would recognize from anywhere.
[W/GP = GR]
Holy! It was my Backpack! My backpack from my high school days was here in a perfect state! The light brown color and the family formula my dearest Uncle Ben left me proved that this backpack was one of a kind. Only for Peter Parker.
Inside had more surprising and familiar stuff than I expected. There were a set of civilian clothes, Portable Flash Drive, Spider-Bots, my Webware prototype, and other things I worked on in my basement, Horizon High, and in Stark Tower. All the ideas I came up with through my adventures.
"Just what I needed, a new set of clothes and my Spidey-Drive! Hope it still works. ... (System Loading) ... Yes! Everythings here! From every data to blueprint. This is going to be very useful! IF I had a lab and useful materials that is."
The Good News? I don't how, but this backpack is full of my personal stuff I use as Spider-Man. Well, except for the comics I've collected over the years but still.
The Bad News is that I couldn't put any use to it. I still have no network connection, no money, no materials, and no shelter. Not even a map.
And this laptop. It looks like an advanced model but it was not even booting. I guess someone forgot to charge this thing.
And then the glasses. After a quick check and confirming that there are no security cameras, I decided to take off my mask and put it on. Nothing happens.
"OK now, what? Am I supposed to just wait while eating my french fries? Give me some answers! Man, I wish I can just say 'Open Sesame' or 'Grant Me Access' or.."
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[Request Acknowledged. Access Granted]
[Basic Protocol Activated]
[Initiating Retinol and Bio-metric Scan... Please Stand By...]
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'Huh? Hey, wait! I was just talking to myself. What is up with the scanning?'
Before I could understand what is happening, the laptop before me initiated another throughout scan of my body. From top to bottom.
When I sat down and tried to tinker with the laptop, I notice that there was no stopping to this process. There was nothing I could do but sit and wait in confusion.
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[Scanning... User Bio-metric Scan Complete]
[Initiating Status Adjustments... Confirmed]
[User Personal Status Has Been Adjusted As The Following]
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-Status-
Name: Peter Benjamin Parker
Gender: Male
Origin: Earth-610486
Age: 15
Date of Birth: August, 27
Height: 5'6
Weight: 145 lbs
Quirk: Currently in Development... Standing By For Further Update
Relatives: Richard Parker(Father, deceased) & Mary Parker(Mother, deceased)
Birthplace: Queens, New York, U.S.A
Current Address: Unknown... Require User Update.
Current Occupation: Exchange Student from Midtown Academy of U.S.A
Current Affiliation: None
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"Whoa... Hey, wait a minute what's with this status?! That's not right. What's up with my Age?! I even have 3 mature chest hairs! And did my body really changed that much? I'm sure I'm taller than that! And a Quirk? What is it with this Quirk again?! I thought it was a Japanese term for power?! So does this mean my 'Spider-Power' does not count as a Quirk? And an Exchange Student? Why am I an Exchange Student? I have no business here. I'm soon to ship myself back to New York!"
[Status Update Confirmed. Commencing Global Network Access... Success... Initiating Upload]
"What?! Hey! I don't want to upload my..."
[User Status Upload Complete]
[Confirmed. User Can Now Be Verified As A Resident Of This World When Needed]
"Of this world?"
[Basic Protocol Complete. Initiating User-Interactive/Guidance Protocol]
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While Spider-Man was in chaos with catch up to process, the system from the laptop finished running its scan & upload operation. Moments later, the screen was showing what looks to be a future version of Advanced OS with a big 3D model of white-colored spider emblem as background. Then Artificial Female Voice spoke to him.
"Hello, Peter Parker. Congratulations on your safe arrival. I am your personal AI assistant. My service is to provide you the support and guidance you need."
"Uh... Hello? Wait are you... Ms. F.r.i.d.a.y? What is all this?! What's with all the Scanning and Uploading?! Where is Tony Stark?!"
"For your answer: No, I am not F.r.i.d.a.y. I am very different from the one you recall. I don't have any given name yet. You may call me however you like. Your voice command activated the basic protocol. The scanning process was simply to check your physical status and register you as the rightful owner of both glasses and laptop platform."
"My retinal and facial scan... Was that even necessary? It's not like I'm going to live here forever. Before that... What about the others? Am I the only one who's been blown away into the future?"
"I'm sorry Peter. But, I have no information on the whereabouts of others you ask. And the answer to your other question would be Yes and NO. While you could say you are in the future compared to your original timeline, but not the future of your world."
"My... My... Not the future of my world? I'm in the future but not in the future of my world... the Future of another world... Oh, God For Crazy Bananas! Please tell me you're not about to say what you're about to..."
"Yes, Peter. This is not the world or should I say Universe that you know of. 'Alternate Universe' would be the proper term to describe it."
...
'Alternate Universe'
Frustration, shock, timidity, astonishment, uncertainty, etc.
All kinds of emotions swarmed inside of him. Peter Parker was now sitting on the edge of his leather seat with a stunned expression. He was lost of words... out of jokes... With no idea what to do next. If what this Laptop was saying was true. Then he was indeed stranded in the middle of nowhere... Alone.
"Are you OK, Peter? My scan indicates that your blood pressure is being elevated at a high rate. You seem to be in distress. Why try the fries before you. It'll help you calm down for your upcoming meeting."
"Yes... I mean No. No... I'm... I'm fine. I just have to catch my breath and get my thoughts together... So... What you're saying is that I'm in an Alternate Universe? Not a Parallel Universe... Not Another Dimension... And Not even a Mircoverse?"
"Correct. While this world has a similar history as yours to a certain point, however, the pivotal events are very different. Although, this shouldn't be too surprising to you. Based on my database, it seems you've already had firsthand experience with such events as Convergence?"
"Yeah but... That was when that ugly Thanos dude and Ultron and Jedah and that... what was his name again... Mundus? Yeah. Those Wackos used the Infinity Stones to mix two worlds and reshape them into their own playground! Sure, I had live in that new Wacko World with other Heroes, Demons, and Androids for a year but we've managed to set everything back to normal. And that was it!"
Convergence.
It was one Extremely Weird and exciting experience he could never forget. Learning the existence of a wholly new and different universe was one thing, but to see two worlds merged as one, then living with them, going on team-up missions, having a pizza party with demon hunters was a whole new level of another. He even had the honor of getting punched by a devil king straight to the face. One gruesome memory that even made demons feel sorry for him.
"But, I've never actually been stuck in an Alternate Universe before. Not like this! Alone! And this world is even different from the one before! How am I supposed to get back?! What am I supposed to do?!"
"Sorry, Peter. I'm afraid I cannot answer to the event that brought you here or caused your body to change. I can look upon the network and the database on this platform for any data related to dimensional travel but coming up with a solution will take a while. In the meantime, I suggest you use this platform and gather as much information you can and adapt to this world. As you said, this world is very different from the other one you've encountered. You might want to adapt yourself to this world."
"I... I guess you're right. By the way, What did you mean by the upcoming meeting? Do I have a meeting?"
"Yes. My creator is willing to meet you. He's currently busy cooking for other customers. I am told that He'll be here by an hour or so."
"Cooking?"
.
For the next full hour, The A.I provided basic information that Spider-Man needed. Peter was able to summarize pieces of information he gathered and understand the world he was in. How this world was different from his own, System of current Society, Meaning of Quirk, Pro-Heroes and so on. While getting some sort of information from The Laptop, Spider-Man also took the luxury of chance and decided to re-establish network connection to his phones and 'Paker System' as well.
"It's just like that Detective said. No Avengers, No Stark Tower, No Baxter Building, No Shield, No Hydra, No Fantastic Four, No X-men... Not even Kingpin, Norman Osborn, or Dr. Doom... God, I can't believe I'm saying this but... I'm starting to miss Loki and even Thanos for god sakes."
After learning that he was truly on the Alternate Universe, a Universe with nothing in common with his home, Peter Paker was now dwelling in frustration and almost in despair. He prayed this was all just a bad dream which he would wake up soon, but this was the reality. What was beyond frustrating was that he still absolutely had no clue what was the cause of all this and if he had any chance of going back.
'What I wouldn't give for a chance to bargain with Dormammu right about now...'
.
[Be careful what you wish for Peter. You might end up getting more than you could ever chew.]
.
A sudden Familiar voice broke his concentration and put Spider-Man on Maximum Alert. This voice came out of nowhere. More importantly, his Spider-Sense didn't go off. As Spider-Man raised his head away from the laptop's screen, he noticed that an old man was looking at him gracefully across the round table. He was wearing a set of casual suit from top to bottom. He wore glasses which were reflecting the stunned expression of Spider-Man. And smiled as if a proud father would smile at his son.
.
"Sorry for being late Peter. I wanted to greet you properly but today's been a busy day at the kitchen so I got delayed."
"What? I... I didn't even notice you coming in?! And You... you're that cook from Mick's Diner?!"
"Yes, Peter. But please do call me by my favorite name. Stan."
"Stan? What? How did you even get past my Spider-Sense?! No, before that, how did you get here? I thought I was the only one?! Was it you who brought me here? Were you the one who kept sending weird instructions to my Spider-Sense?! You're the one who created this A.I and coming to meet me? Who... Who are..."
"Calm down Peter. We have a lot to talk about."
"Sure WE DO! To Hell with calming down! What is all of This! Everything is all Crazy Bananas! Stan?! Who ARE YOU?!"
"C'mon Peter. You KNOW who I am."
.
Then Peter Parker saw IT. The Light. Brighter than Phoenix. Brighter than Dawn. Brighter than the Sun. The Light of...
"You... You're..."
.