Weeks had been spent in that void since the explosion of color. He did not know where it came from, only that its beauty never left his memory. For weeks, all he could think about was that wonderful arrangement of colors; yellow, red, blue, and all that came in between. He had never seen so many wonderful shades of colors brought together before; he had never felt so alive.

His perception of time was changed, now. Hours passed as they should; he recognized the days and weeks. As this occurred, he began to ask questions he never knew he had. 'Why am I here?' 'What is this place?'

'Who am I?'

…

The young, mysterious girl sat atop the roof with a churro in her hand. She watched it closely despite wearing a blindfold, having not yet taken a bite. She thought it might have been rude to do so. It was given to her so generously by the masked hero, who went out and bought one just for her and her rumbling stomach. To damage such a delicacy may have been inappropriate.

Spider-Man sat next to her, eyeing her blindfold curiously. She hadn't spoken a single word since their meeting in the alley. Only small noises ever escaped her throat, and sometimes her stomach. He didn't know where she had come from, only that she was hungry, yet she refused to eat.

"It's okay," Spider-Man reassured her, "You can eat it; it's good. You don't have any allergies, do you?"

She shook her head; the first response he got in the last half hour. Everything about her was being concealed internally. The only obvious feature of her personality was how shy she was; the way she would huddle with her knees and tense up her shoulders reminded him of his own youth. She wasn't going to talk just because he asked, that much he knew.

"You know," he said carefully, "We should really find your parents. Do you have a mom? A dad? We can go to the police station and-"

She shook her head violently, stomping her feet on the ground. The little girl looked like she was going to get up and run away. Spider-Man could feel it; a gentle but present force attacking his senses again, coming from the mysterious girl.

"Okay!" He surrendered, "We don't have to do any of that!"

She finally calmed down as his senses returned to normal.

He stood up and walked away to give her space. There was a noticeable gasp from her as her shoulders tensed up further. The very idea of him leaving her side provoked fear. Had she not been holding the churro she would have reached out like a baby to a mother. Spider-Man—now that he was so close to her—could almost feel that desperation.

"Is she allergic to cinnamon?" Hatsume asked while eating her own churro.

"No, I think she's just nervous," He said, crossing his arms as he stood beside her, one eye on their guest as she fidgeted with the churro, "I was the same way when I was her age; quiet, reserved, self-conscious…"

"Why?"

"It was after my parents died; I had just gone to live with my aunt and uncle. We don't know what she's gone through, so we need to handle this delicately."

"Why not bring her to the police, then? Can't they find her home?"

"I'm ...not sure she has one," he put a hand to his chin, "She's been following me across dimensions ...there's more to her than we may realize. We don't know what she's capable of, either. I think we should keep an eye on her ourselves until we see Doctor Strange later. She might not even be from this universe, after all. She could be from yours, or some other dimension, which we can't access right now anyway. Too many variables. Besides, I have a feeling that if we try to take her to the police, she's going to use whatever abilities she has to run away again."

"So …no enhanced interrogations?"

"What- no! She's a little girl!"

"You can't trust little girls!"

"You were a little girl once."

"And trusting me was a bad idea."

"Trusting you now is a bad idea."

"Pft, you don't mean that! … you don't mean that, right?"

Hatsume continued to pester him about it as he eyed the young girl. He knew the girl had abilities, but he didn't know what they were. She could tamper with all six of his senses, and jump between realities, and she didn't seem to have any device on her that could grant her such an ability, so it must be her own.

Leaving Hatsume to suffer in her own paranoia, Spider-Man approached the young girl again and knelt beside her. She tensed her shoulders and held the churro close, as though he was going to take it from her. She still hadn't eaten it, but she didn't want to let it go.

"Do you have a name?" He asked, "I should call you something, right?"

She stared at him, then back at the churro, unsure which she was supposed to find safety in. If she ate the churro, it would be gone and she'd have nothing in her hands. If she answered him, he'd have what he asked for and might leave. It was better for her to stay silent, at least that's what she assumed.

"Hey," He put a hand gently on her shoulder, "It's alright. I'm a friend."

A 'friend', he said. She didn't really have any of those, none she could give the title to, that is. He offered his hand so easily—so eagerly—yet he did not know her. Was kind of person could offer such generosity without fear it would be traded with pain?

"My nickname is Spidey," he told her, "Do you have a nickname?"

"…Cassie," she finally spoke with the softest voice he had ever heard, "I like being called Cassie."

He smiled gratefully under the mask, "It's nice to meet you, Cassie," he nudged her, "You can eat the churro, you know?"

"But then it'll be gone," She argued.

"It's okay! I'll buy you another one!"

"You will?"

"I promise."

He stuck out his pinkie for her, and she watched it with great wonder. It was covered in a bright and colorful cloth. When she wrapped her pinkie around it, it was like a blanket. She could feel the kindness coming from him, and finally relaxed enough to take a bite of the churro.

She now had a new favorite food.

"So, Cassie," Spider-Man started, "I have this friend who is a really good doctor. I'm thinking maybe we can go and see him? He might be able to help us."

"With what?" She asked, her mouth full.

"You've been following me between worlds, haven't you?"

She remained silent, only finding comfort from her guilt in the cinnamon. She had been following him, and she felt guilty about that, especially the few times he had seen her. Part of her wanted to just run away again rather than face the question, but he was so kind that she didn't want to leave. Instead, she nodded shamefully.

"It's okay," he reassured, "We're going to see him later tonight. Until then, you can hang out with us. Sound good?"

She nodded again; her face still full of cinnamon.

He ruffled her hair before sitting back, shrugging his shoulders at Hatsume who still didn't trust little girls.

…

Since the battle at Horizon Labs, Otto had retreated to his warehouse deep into the poorer parts of the city. Once, he had a nice building with his own name on it - Octavius Industries - and he was going to use it to change the world. There wasn't much—no more than a dozen employees—but he had faith he could do the impossible.

Now, he feared it really was impossible.

This is what he'd been reduced to; a pathetic, run-down warehouse no one even knew existed. The people started calling him an Octopus. He had to admit; the octopus was one of the smartest organic beings in nature next to humans, so in some cases, it was a compliment. However, could an octopus change the world? Could it save humanity from itself? No matter how smart it is, it was still an animal.

That's what he was to inferior people, those which heroes protected; an animal.

Otto placed the hexagon device on the desk, wiping away the dust that settled there. It was crude workmanship, as to be expected from a second-class source to his own genius, but it was all he had. Everything else had been taken away from him because the ants in this city—in the multiverse—couldn't comprehend how important his work was.

Part of him did hesitate as he started tweaking the quantum generator. What was the point in trying to get back to the other world? As Parker said, the stones had been destroyed. There was nothing there for him to gain. Yet, he found himself compelled to make his way back, even if just to see it for himself. With the energy he's collected from Parker's portal, coupled with the quantum generator, it should be enough.

Nearly.

…

With Peter wanting to stay in costume for Cassie's comfort, Hatsume was tasked with going to the clothing store with her, equipped with the cash he gave her. Peter walked her through the process in case it was different than home, especially considering all the price tags would be in English numbers and American currency.

Cassie chose her outfit, which was a little out of place from what the employee's had suggested. Hatsume walked out holding her hand. The little girl wore a pair of white shorts, if anyone was able to tell; it was covered almost completely by the over-sized red hoodie she wore over her body. The sleeves hid her hands and the rest dropped below her waist. The employees showed concern, but Cassie seemed to find comfort in it.

They traversed back up the fire escape as wandering eyes from the windows stared in confusion. Spider-Man was waiting up top for them, fiddling with the devices around his wrists. He had left home in a mood and neglected to grab extra web pellets. All he had was the supply in the devices themselves; he'd have to be careful to make them last.

"There you are!" Spider-Man said, "The hoodie is a little big, don't you think?"

"She likes it," Hatsume stated, "Don't try to argue with her."

He shrugged and stood up, pulling his gloves back over his wrist, "I can't imagine the churro was enough, huh?"

Cassie shook her head and put a hand to her stomach.

"Do you like meat?"

She nodded.

With a smile under his mask, he picked up the plastic bag that was resting at his side. Inside it was a small kids meal from O'Hara's Pizza; two slices of cheese pizza with a side of chicken tenders and ranch dressing, and a water bottle. He set it down for Cassie, not wanting to just put it in her hands. It was better if it was her choice to eat; her comfort was the most important thing right now.

Gently being released from Hatsume's grasp, the little girl approached the meal inside the bag and opened it up. Again, she stared at it as though she could see it beyond the blindfold, which still astounded Peter. It didn't take her long to start eating, then devouring the meal.

"It's the ranch, right?" Spider-Man asked rhetorically, "Works with so many things."

"I'm a ketchup girl myself," Hatsume added.

"You would be."

"You would be!"

"What does that even mean?"

Cassie giggled between bites at their bickering, making sure not to get any crumbs on her new clothes. Though it was a small reaction, he knew that it was progress.

"Do you like superheroes, Cassie?" Spider-Man asked.

She nodded.

"Am I your favorite?"

She paused, but nodded again.

"Growing up, my favorite was Iron Man," He said, "He saved me, once, from this robot invasion. I wanted to be a hero, just like him. What do you wanna be when you grow up?"

She shrugged.

"I remember I wanted to be a scientist," He continued, "I still do; thinking of working in a big lab with an over-sized lab coat and geeky glasses."

Cassie laughed again, despite how she tried not to. She was glad that he wasn't interrogating her, or asking her questions she didn't want to answer. He was being so kind to her, treating her so gently despite how she spied on him.

He really was the hero she hoped he was.

"Hey," Spider-Man said, "How about we go somewhere fun once you've eaten? There's a playground in central park I think you'll like. They have swings and everything! How's that sound?"

"…Okay," she said quietly, guarding her food once again.

…

The little Cassie swung her legs back and forth to build momentum on the playground swing. She was smiling for the first time since they met, which was nice to see. Spider-Man had chosen to take her here as a way to calm her down, perhaps get her to open up to them a bit more.

Spider-Man perched atop the swing as he watched her, while Hatsume sat alone on the seesaw. She was bored; they hadn't done anything but try to entertain the little girl for the last half hour. Peter wanted to get Cassie to open up naturally, rather than just question her outright. It was slower, but he also said it was safer for them.

They didn't know who she was, where she came from, or why she was following Peter. All they knew was how shy and small she was, and Peter had a soft spot for that. Always the hero; helping out wherever he can even when he knows little to nothing. Hatsume admired that about her best friend.

"Look! It's Spider-Man!"

The playground was no longer vacant of small, excitable bodies. Several young children ran onto the field as they saw the multi-colored hero standing atop the swings. Their parents weren't around; likely hanging out a small distance away in the park. If they were here, they'd probably throw food at the hero and yell at him to leave.

"Spider-Man!" one kid yelled, "Is it really you?"

He answered by front-slipping onto the wood chips and striking his signature pose, "Not sure, feeling more like Iron Man, today."

The kids cheered and clapped before pulling out their phones, "Can we get some pictures with you?"

"Sure! Just get my good side! Kidding, I have no bad side!"

Cassie watched as the hero indulged in his fan's excitement. She had stopped swinging and let her feet dangle, kicking the wood chips. The fact that the hero's attention was no longer on her was bothering. He was a feeling of safety, but only when he chose to care for and focus on her. Seeing him talking to these other children was making her jealous.

As much as she wanted to do something about it, she was too sheepish to stand up.

"What an attention hog," Hatsume joked as she sat in the swing next to Cassie, "Amiright?"

Cassie didn't know what she was supposed to say, and instead chose to keep staring at the wall crawler.

"Yep," Hatsume continued, "Heroes be like that; save the world, take pictures with fans."

"He must have lots of fans," Cassie said softly.

"Not really. In fact, most people seem to hate Spider-Man for some reason. They keep calling him a menace, branding him a villain."

"Why?"

"Cuz' their dumb. Still, doesn't seem to stop him. Real heart of gold, right there," Hatsume turned her head to stare at the little girl with a smile, "That why you following him? Do you need a hero?"

Cassie gripped the chains of the swing tightly, biting her lip as though to imprison the words between her cheeks. There was something she wanted so desperately to say, but couldn't.

Still, she tried anyway.

"I'm …different," Cassie said, "I was born …different."

"With a quirk?"

"The doctors called it a 'mutation' I think. I can do things …hear things."

"Like what?"

"…thoughts …voices …things that are gonna happen."

"So, your psychic?"

Cassie shrugged, "I don't know. Sometimes …if I follow the voices …I end up somewhere else."

Hatsume quickly realized she was referring to her world; is that how she was able to jump between realities? Is it her power? "Why follow Spider-Man?"

Cassie shrugged again, but not because she didn't want to give the answer. In reality, she had no idea what that answer was, "I just …wanna be near him," She muttered, "I feel safe around him."

"Why do you feel unsafe?"

"Because all these voices …they're really scary," She started tearing up, "Sometimes I hear this one voice …he calls out really loudly …he's so scary and mean and I…" she started to choke on her tears, unable to form any more words.

Spider-Man suddenly took her hands gently. The kids had gone off to show their parents the pictures they took, and the hero caught the latter half of her cry for help. He looked at her with those intimidating, yet comforting white eyes, and she immediately calmed down, "You're safe," He said, "I promise."

In that one moment, they both felt it; an intricate connection formed between them. He could sense her presence without even having to look at her. Is that how she knew where to look, even with the blindfold? What were the extent of her abilities, and why was she using them to meet Spider-Man? Why, despite having only met, did they feel so close?

Cassie raised her head, looking around for something that wasn't there. Spider-Man's sixth sense followed her warning only a few seconds late, and they both trained their instincts to the source. A shadow had been cast above them in the form of Otto Octavius, who came crashing down over them. Spider-Man reacted quickly by grabbing Cassie with one arm and Hatsume with another, leaping out of the way by pushing off the bars of the swing set.

Otto lands with the aid of his metal arms, scattering wood chips everywhere. Spider-Man dropped Hatsume next to the slide while he remained perched atop it, holding Cassie close to his chest with her head on his shoulder.

"This is a place of fun, dude!" Spider-Man scolded, "Do you have no respect for child innocence? And what timing, man! Were you waiting to make a dramatic entrance? You were, weren't you? That's so you."

"Quiet!" Otto shouted, "I tire of these games! Hand me the breach device, now!"

Spider-Man slid down the slide and handed Cassie to Hatsume before taking a few steps forward over the wood chips, "Don't have it, right now. Come back when we get new stock, or try another store, or just go home!"

"Liar! You have it; I know you do!" He holds up a small tablet in his hands, "This device traces inter-dimensional energy on this Earth! You have something that's harnessing an extreme amount of that energy right now! Give it to me, or I will take that energy by force!"

Otto was so prideful to admit that he could take that energy away. He obviously wanted it for whatever scheme he had cooked up to traverse the multiverse. His prideful boast, however, revealed key information to the hero, "The breach …when it imploded, energy was leaking away! That was you!"

"I had nothing to do with the breach imploding; I only collected the energy I needed to study, but now I need more to finish what I've started! And this device has let me right to you!" He held up the tablet again, "More specifically, it's lead me right to …"

Checking the scanners again, he realized the energy wasn't directly coming from Spider-Man. There were traces of that energy within him, but the source was coming from somewhere else. More accurately, someone else.

He pointed the scanners at the little girl cowering with Hatsume, and the readings spiked.

"…you," Otto finished, pulling out a small cylinder he kept attached to his belt, "That girl; hand her over."

"Oh, hell no!" Spider-Man stood between them, "You really have lost it if you think I'll just hand her over to you!"

"Do it, now!"

"Psycho says what?"

"Quiet!"

"No, that's not your line."

Otto shot his metal arms toward Cassie, but Spider-Man webbed them together before shoving them aside so they would just barely miss. The mad scientist continued the onslaught as Spidey fought him off, giving Hatsume time to drag Cassie off the playground set.

Spidey kicked the octopus into the swings, bending the metal bars. Though his metal arms were tough, the older man's weaker bones were not.

"Want me to call a hospital? Or the police?" Spider-Man asked.

Otto quickly recovered and struck Spider-Man with two metal arms. The impact sent him crashing into the larger playground set, collapsing it around him. It pinned him against the wood chips with several poles jabbing into his back.

Spider-Man watched as Otto proceeded toward Hatsume and Cassie.

He saw the fear in Cassie's eyes as Hatsume stood in front to protect her. Despite not having combative powers, she wasn't afraid to stand between them. Otto didn't care for her bravery; he had lost all his empathy for others and wasn't afraid to hurt—maybe even kill her. The scared, hopeless child behind her cowered with her knee's quaking.

All he could think of was every other time he failed. He couldn't stop Goblin alone, or Tombstone. Both had him dead in their hands if not for sheer luck. Now, again, he was going to fail because he wasn't enough.

When Peter looked at her, for a moment, he saw himself the day his parents left him behind.

In a cry of defiance, a spark of blue energy erupted from his body. The wave of power pushed all of the playground debris off his body and scattered it everywhere. The blue energy flowed around him like a mist, orbiting him in perfect sync to his movements. Sparks of electricity jumped between his fingers with every twitch. The eyes beneath his mask glowed, changing the white lenses to blue.

Spider-Man leapt toward Otto as he cracked the ground beneath his feet. He came at the octopus with blinding speed as his fist connected with his face. The blow sent Otto back, crashing into the ground and dragging across it, leaving a small trench behind him.

There was a blind rage fueling the hero's new state of being. Very little reason could fit in the room of his mind, occupied only by different kinds of anger. All he knew was that he wanted to hurt Otto, and protect Cassie. That was all he needed.

"This is impossible!" Otto shouted as he recovered, barely, "This is not one of your abilities!"

Rather than retort, Spider-Man charged him again. Otto was able to dodge this time, but Spider-man retaliated with a spin kick to the liver. Otto stumbled back as Spidey continued his assault. For the first time, the villains metal arms could not keep up with the hero's new reaction times.

It was unlike anything Peter had felt before, like he could tell where the attacks were coming from long in advance, with greater prediction than his spider-sense ever could before. He didn't question it; there was no room to with the space rented out by adrenaline.

A final strike to the chest sent ripples through Otto, shattering the goggles he wore over his face and nearly cutting his eye. Otto jumped back to try and get some space between them. "I don't know what's happened to you," He spat, "But it won't stop me forever! I'll get back to that world! You can't prevent the inevitable!"

Otto retreated from the playground with his metal appendages doing all the work. Spider-Man wanted to chase after him, but he couldn't.

His entire body wobbled as the energy dispersed from him, ending their light show. Up became down, hot was cold, and his balance was untrained. As his eyes filled with stars, blinding him completely, he couldn't stop himself from falling over and passing out as everything went dark.

Hatsume rushed to his side as Cassie awkwardly strayed behind. The inventor called his name but there was no response, only the subtle breathing and weak heartbeat of his chest. Her partner—her best friend—was down.

"W-we need to get him to that doctor guy!" Hatsume cried, "I-I'm gonna try and carry him!"

"Where?" Cassie asked as she walked up to her.

"What?"

"Where?"

"I don't know! It's a big building with a weird skylight!"

…

"Like that one?"

Hatsume looked up now, realizing they were now in the sanctum. The skylight of the building was shining light down to them. It was just like what Strange had done before; just as instantaneous. Hatsume didn't quite register the sudden change in location right away, but Cassie did.

"You were …thinking about it," Cassie stated, "I just …focused on that."

In sensing the disturbance within his own home, Strange manifested himself at the top of the rooms stairs. The first thing he took notice of was Cassie, immediately realizing she was the source of the disturbance. The second thing he saw was Hatsume over Spider-Man's unconscious body.

There were no physical wounds he could see, but the hero's usual aura was different; altered.

"Bring him upstairs," Said Strange, "I'll see what I can do."