Chapter 1

015.M3, Segmentum Solar, Solar Sector, Sol Subsector, Sol System, Terra

The Warp unceremoniously deposited three souls onto the dirty pavement of some dank alley. While both were filthy, the people held a different sort of dirt than the alley surrounding them. The air smelt of fermenting garbage and the ripe tang of too many people living in too small an area. The three people smelt of war: must of the battered earth, acrid smoke from fires natural, electrical, and supernatural. They were all bloodied.

The one garbed in red robes was the first to show any forms of movement.

++Systems Initializing++

The lump of red fabric made a whirring sound, like a computer booting.

++Initializing Diagnostics++

++Mechadendrites: offline++

++C: Drive: initializing++

++Servos: initializing++

++Bionics: initializing++

The red lump stirred as its limbs came to life. Its bionic lungs inhaled and its glowing green optics took in the world about it.

++Air Quality Index: Excellent++

++Temperature: 21C++

++Local time: Unknown++

++Location: City. Verification necessary++

The red figure forced itself upright, its head looking back and forth as it further examined the area. It paused as its sight fell upon the other two prone figures. One was a youth, his flak jacket and fatigues torn and bloodied, lasgun at his side, and numerous other munitions hidden about his person - a Cadian Shock Trooper. The other was a woman in a heavily embroidered coat and peaked hat with a long power sword and bolt pistol held limply in her hands. A commissar.

The Tech Priest, considering that it was alive, made the leap to the logical conclusion that they had not died when they were sent through the Warp. Instead it would seem they were sent… somewhere else. Which, when considering the fickle, mutable nature of the Warp and Chaos, is expected. But it was more the matter of where and when that gave its travelers pause.

Spider-Man was swinging over the streets of Queens. School had let out a few hours earlier, and the wall-crawler had met up with his best friend, Ned Leeds, for homework and vigilante planning. They'd developed a system where Ned could monitor calls to the police and relay that information to Peter out on the streets. It was working for them so far. Besides taking out thugs and stopping robberies, Pete's reputation had begun to grow in other circles. Villains as Doc Ock and the Green Goblin began to rise to challenge the do-gooder.

"Any news yet?" Spider-Man asked impatiently.

"Mmm, nothing yet," replied Ned

"Really? I've been swinging for like, what? A half-hour? And nothing?"

"Nope. Nada. And you've only been out there 28 minutes."

"Who's counting, anyways? Can you try another channel?"

"Yeah – there's nothing besides some regular low-key stuff that they've already got guys on."

"Wait," Spider-man said, spying a mechanically-appendaged figure maneuvering something in an alley.

"Yeah?"

"What has Doc Ock been up to lately?"

"Besides the big thing from last month? He's been keeping pretty quiet – staying out of the headlines. Why?"

"Because I think he's up to something."

"Shit, dude. Keep me updated."

"I'll try," Spider-Man said before turning his full attention to the suspicious alley.

He swung himself to the entrance of the alley, landing light as a cat. He was rather proud of himself for pulling off such a quiet landing. He was sure he would catch Doc Ock surprised this time.

"Hey, Doc, remember me?" Spider-Man said as he shot webs at the mechanical limbs. He was surprised when the figure actually dodged the webs. He was further surprised when the figure looked up from what it had been doing with a distinctly non-Doc Ock face.

"Um, hey. Sorry. I must have mistook you for someone else. One of those faces, amiright?" Spider-Man quickly, said backpedaling.

The thing growled something. It sounded a bit like an old dial-up connection. Something definitely no human could make.

"Hey, uh, Ned? I've got a bit of a situation here. Doc Ock hasn't been researching robots, right?"

"Let me get on that for you."

"Do hurry. I think I upset this robot," Peter said as the red robed figure advanced, the mechanical limbs on its back moving snakelike and smooth.

"Ubi sumus? Quid est mundus?" the thing growled.

"Um, no comprendo? Hey, Ned? Do you know Latin or anything? Angry robot seems to know Latin."

"Hold on Spidey. First, no. Doc Ock's been with his usual. No word on attempts at mind-control or anything. Second, Latin? Really?"

"Yes, really!"

"Nam Gloria Omnissiah, Dicere! Loqui! Orate!" the red-robe spat angrily in its mechanically flat voice. "Ubi sumus?"

"Um, yeah. Mr. Roboto, Yo no comprendo what-o you're saying. I don't know what you're talking about! And Ned, find out what 'Ubi Sumus' means. I think my life depends on it," Spidey said.

They were in a stand-still. The red-robed figure stopped its advance, and Spider-man was too afraid to move. He didn't want to take any actions that could be perceived as hostile. He didn't know what would set this crazy robot off. He leaned to the side slightly, trying to get a better idea at the figures the thing had been moving. There was one woman in a heavily embroidered jacket. She was rather severe-looking. Peter didn't think he would like to get on her bad side when she became conscious. He looked at the other figure. A boy, the calm of his youthful unconscious face made him look only a couple years older that himself, but the guy was dressed in full combat gear. Flak jacket, fatigues, boots, and the strangest, bulkiest gun he'd ever seen. Was there some sort of convention in town? Who was he kidding. This was New York. There'd always be some weirdo with a military fetish. Just his luck that two of them would be… kidnapped? Mugged? Whatever this situation is, together.

After what felt like an eternity, Ned replied. "Spidey, that phrase means 'Where are we?' Looks like Mr. Angry Roboto doesn't know where it is."

"Thanks, Ned," Spidey quietly replied through the earpiece. "Um, hey. New York City? You're in Queens, New York?"

The red-robe did not respond. At least, not immediately.

"Query: Quid est "New York City"?"

"Oh my God, Ned, he doesn't know where New York is," he muttered to his friend. "Um, what about United States of America? Earth?

"Earth?" the thing said. Its oculars dimmed before flaring. "Earth… est Terra. Sancta Terra. Gratias civis. Gloria Omnissiah." It made a strange sign with its hands. The knuckles interlocked and it bowed to Spidey.

"Hey, Ned – good news: Mr. Roboto no longer wants to kill me."

"Really? What's it doing now?"

"It's… examining the bodies."

"Woah. Woah woah woah. You said nothing about bodies. Plural. With an S. This is serious stuff, man. Do you want me to call back up? I can call back up right now. I've got the police on speed-dial."

"No, just, hold on. Not yet. I want to see what he does."

"Ay, man, just let me know before you join them."

Spider-Man cautiously inched toward the red-robe and other two figures.

"Um, hey. I don't know much in the way of medicine, but we all had to take this first-aid course in school. Maybe I could help?" he hazarded, his voice scratchy and horrendously adolescent.

The red-robed figure turned and look at him.

"Right. What am I even saying? You can't even understand me!"

"No. Say. Transferendum. Learn," the red-robed thing replied.

"Uh, so you're learning English by me speaking it?"

"Yes. What you speak has been added to the Lingua Compendium."

"Uh, yeah, I don't think I want to even ask about that. What about these guys here. Are they gonna be okay?" Do you want them to be okay? Spider-man hoped.

"Travel through Immaterium always a risk," the red-robe replied.

"Are you sure you don't need a hospital or something? I can call an ambulance so some doctors can look at these two here, or there's some homeless shelters where you can stay the night."

"No. I watch. We survive."

"Really? Because it really looks like those two need some medical attention. She's got - Jesus! Her arm's bleeding! And the kid, he's probably got a concussion or something."

"I watch. I tend."

"Yeah, I'm sure you do. You'll watch them bleed to death. Ned, do me a favor. Get me an ambulance. One's been shot with I don't know what and the other's unconscious."

"You got it. Emergency personnel should be arriving within 10 minutes," Ned replied.

"And you, Mr. Roboto, should probably remove the getup. You stick out like a sore thumb."

"Query: What is 'Getup'?" the red-robed replied.

"Uh, costume. Like what I'm wearing. It keeps you incognito so people don't find out who you really are?" Spider-man answered.

The red-robed figure nodded in understanding at the statement.

"Enginseer Linux, Adeptus Mechanicus," The being said as it lowered its hood. It face can only be described as humanoid. It was once human, but it had been so thoroughly modified by bionics and mechanical additions that it was difficult to affirm that the thing standing before Spidey was still human. Tubes snaked out of the things mouth, and a strange device was situated on the neck. Its eyes were replaced by optical sensors, and a plethora of other wires and tubes crowned the things head like some gruesome halo. Unconsciously, Spider-man took a step back.

"Um, yeah. Linux? Normal people… I don't even know where to begin."

"I will accompany these two with the local Medicae," Linux said.

"Yeah, the doctors aren't going to have any problem with them, but... "

"Comprehension not reached. Will accompany the local Medicae."

Spider-man placed a hand to his head in frustration. This was so weird.

"Dude, you look like some alien! The doc's're gonna freak when they see you!"

"Comprehension not reached. This one is not xeno."

"Hey, Ned? How much longer for the ambulances? I don't think I'm gonna be able to get of here before they arrive," Spider-man voiced to his friend.

"Gimme a sec - about 5 minutes. Why? Did Mr. Roboto do anything?"

"No. Linux - Mr. Roboto - doesn't want to leave the bodies. I think I'm gonna have to stay and smooth things over as Spidey."

"Wait, you said his name's Linux? Haha! He's gotta be some sort of huge nerd. You say he's friendly now?"

"Not quite friendly, just not actively killing me yet."

"Okay, well, that's a start. Man, I'd love to meet him,"

"Yeah," Spidey said, glancing back over at the cyborg, "I'm sure the two of you would get along just fine. You could talk about the rigs you've got set up, but I'm think his would beat yours - wait, I think I hear the sirens now."

True enough, Linux also seemed to be listening intently to the crescendo of the wailing sirens.

Moments later, the ambulances arrived.

"... Two bodies, one shot - the male needs triage," the EMT's said as they swiftly exited the vehicles with their equipment. "Oh, wow! Spidey's here! Hey, Spider-man, what happened?" one of the older EMT's asked upon seeing the young superhero.

Spider-man cleared his throat in an attempt to deepen his voice with authority. "Uh, two civilians were found here in this alley -"

"Medicae: Commissar and guardsman were engaged with the Cultists. Rift in the Immaterium was opened. Two squads from the Cadian 1214th were lost to the Warp. Status of allies unknown. Commissar and guardsman are survivors."

The medic shifted his look from Spider-man to the red-robed figure when it interrupted Spider-man. In disbelief, the medic looked back to Spider-man as if hoping the hero would dismiss what the thing was saying as some sort of made-up crack dream. Spider-man did nothing but shrug in defeat.

By this point, the two bodies had been loaded into the ambulances. Linux looked over as the doors of the vehicles were slammed shut.

"I assist," Linux said in his mechanical voice.

"Okay, well, there's two ambulances. You can only ride along in one. Which'll it be?" the EMT asked, obviously holding judgement.

"The Commissar," Linux answered after a pause.

"I'll ride along with the kid. Wouldn't want him to wake up alone," Spider-man said.

"Alright, then," the EMT said skeptically. He wasn't fond of the idea of having the strange-looking guy riding next to him in the ambulance, but if a hero was giving the okay, he wasn't going to argue. At this point, he just wanted to get the Jane Doe to the hospital and finish his shift.

Spider-man sat on the jumpseat near the gurney as the ambulance sped along the road, jostling the medics and their equipment as they went. As a 15-year old kid, there really wasn't much he could, so he sat there in quiet support. As Spider-man, his presence seemed to set the medics a little more at ease, because, hey, there's a hero who'll save the day.

The medics were quickly trying to triage the kid on the gurney.

"Airway's clear!" one EMT shouted.

"Patient's breathing!"

"Blood pressure's low. Possible syncope."

"I'll start the IV. Get me access to his arm."

"On it." The medic moved to further devest the kid of his clothes. They all took a sharp breath as they took in the kid's scars.

"Christ…" one mutter.

"Hey, Spidey?

"Yeah?"

"Where'd you say you found these guys?"

"Just in an alley - I thought they were cosplayers or something."

"Well, this kids' been through hell. Scar's everywhere, and with that uniform getup, I'd suspect something like a child soldier, but I don't recognize any of the insignias."

Spider-man frown beneath his mask.

"Hey, uh, do you mind if I can get a look at the insignia?"

"Wha- oh, here," the medic said, depositing a small golden pin into his hands. A double-headed eagle.

"Oh, sh-," Spider-man cut himself off, trying to maintain some semblance of professionalism. Carefully, he touched the communicator in his ear. "Hey, Ned, you still there, man?"

"Still here. Those ambulances get to you yet?"

"Yeah. I think the situations' developed more. I think we've got some," he glanced up quickly at the medics who were still working on the kid, "HYDRA agents," he finished in a whisper.

"Shit. Seriously? HYDRA? You think Doc Ock's working with HYDRA?"

"I don't think Doc OCK's a player in this, but I definitely found a double-headed eagle on the kid."

"Double-headed Eagle? Isn't that more Nazi than HYDRA?"

"Yeah, but Mr. Roboto looks more like some experiment gone wrong, and the kid looks like a child-soldier."

"Seriously? Dude! This is insane! You want me to try contacting Fury?"

"Yeah. This is getting really weird, really fast."

"On it - Ned out"

One of the medics had moved to examine the kids' eyes. "Pupils dilate," the medic said, "but I've never seen iris's this color."

"What do you mean? Wow. You're sure those aren't contacts?" the other replied, leaning in to see the wounded kid.

"I'm sure. See, no lenses, and look at the pupil. It's all natural."

"What's going on?" Spider-man asked.

"Johnny Doe here's got purple eyes."

They arrived at the hospital not too much later. Quickly, they wheeled their charged into the Emergency Care bay. Spider-man hopped out of the ambulance, trying to stay out of the way of the bustling emergency personnel. There was a small group of nurses standing about on a smoke break. They were discussing one of the newest charges.

"Couldn't understand a word of what she was saying," said one.

"Nearly broke my nose with her fist," another said, shaking his head.

Spider-man ambled over to the group. "Hey, do you know if there's a woman in there. Unconscious?"

One of the nurses just raised her eye before taking another drag on her cigarette. "You're gonna have to go through the administration desk. HIPAA."

As Spider-man entered the hospital and began to search for the desk, he heard the overhead voice calmly sound.

"Code Grey, Emergency Department. Code Grey, Emergency Department. Code Grey, Emergency Department."

Oh, no, Spider-man thought to himself. Quickly, he picked up his pace, dodging around distressed families and friends and health care providers seeking to get away from the combative person responsible for the code. As he neared the emergency department, he heard a woman shouting. Harsh, shrill, and that sort of pseudo-latin he'd heard from that cyborg. Turning a corner, he came into the department proper. From where he was, he could see the red-robed figure standing over one of the beds in a bay, almost all of its limbs in use holding the agitated patient down, with one free limb holding the doctor and nurses back.

"Woah, hey, what happened?" Spider-man asked the nearest nurse.

"Jane there woke up," the nurse said, pointing, "Her friend there was kind enough to restrain her, but he won't let any of close enough to sedate her."

Spider-man looked back to the strange duo. The woman's face was contorted in something of rage - brows furrowed, teeth bared in a snarl. She barked something incomprehensible, to which Linux replied with something equally incomprehensible.

Enginseer Linux was busy restraining the Commissar down and fending off the strange, heretikal medicae. There was so much wrong in this hospital. The medicae used equipment without appeasing the machine spirits! No one chanting prayers, honoring the Omnissiah or praying for any sort of divine intercession. The medicine itself, though, appeared exceptional, as if it were pre-Age of Strife. While he lacked an expertise on medicine currently, he noted to himself that this place's medicine would be something to look into. Perhaps he would be able to find a way to remove the heretical components to use it without damnation.

And then there was the commissar herself. The last thing the woman seemed to recollect was being surrounded by those cultists. In hindsight, it was good that these heretek medicae had removed her bolt pistol and power sword.

"No, you will not receive your arms back until you calm down," Linux told the Commissar.

"CALM DOWN? I have just been separated from my men, failed to terminate the heretical threat to the empire, and been sent through the FUCKING WARP and you want me to calm down? Give me my weapons so I can continue the Emperor's mission! We'll find out where we are, you can go back to Mars, and I can get back to protecting the Imperium."

"Holy Terra," Linux said simply.

"What?"

"You asked where we are. Holy Terra."

"Hah! No, this Emperor-forsaken backwater planet cannot be Holy Terra," the commissar said, shaking her head.

"I spoke with one in red and blue. They speak an extremely ancient dialect of High Gothic. I have heard enough of them speak that I have a rudimentary lingua translator spirit in development. It has been aiding me in conversing with the local citizens."

"Well, then, what is the date?"

"I have not ascertained the precise Imperial date."

"Then go and ask your red and blue friend. I'm sure he be more than willing to enlighten us," the commissar replied acerbically. "Hey, kid! What's the Imperial Date?"

"He can't understand you," Linux replied, looking at the kid in the tight red and blue suit. He still couldn't understand what sort of ministerium the boy would be in to designate that uniform. Still, he decided to inquire for the commissar.

"What is the date?" Linux asked, beckoning for the boy dressed in the red and blue to come closer.

With some amount of trepidation, the boy closed the distance. "What?" the boy replied.

"The date. What is the Imperial date?" Linux asked again.

"Uh, I don't know much about the Japanese Imperial date - and I don't really know why you're interested - but it's currently 2015. Uh, August 27, if you really wanted to know."

"2015? As in 015.M3?"

"I'm gonna be honest with you. I have no idea what any of that means."

"The 15th year of the 3rd millennium?"

"Well, if you put it that way, then yeah, I guess that's the date."

"You guess? Or you know?" Linux further inquired.

"Uh, I guess I know?"

Linux shook his head in exasperation.

"Well?" inquired the commissar.

"He says we are in the 3rd millennium. Well before the time of the Emperor and the Imperium."

The commissar, disgruntled, held her chin in her hands. Linux had removed his hold over her - she had calmed down well enough.

"Well. Our work is cut out for us. It looks like we'll have to find a way to survive here until we find our ways back to the front, then, won't we?" she replied after a bit of thought.

Spidey looked between Mr. Roboto and the woman lying in the bed. Linux had relaxed his grip on the woman, and she was no longer struggling so violently. Then, Linux questioned him on the date, as if this were some bad sci-fi novel involving time travelers or something. Still he offered it to the cyborg. The two continued to talk in that strange latin-esque language for some time more. Meanwhile, Spider-man tried to find out what the situation was with Ned.

"Hey. What'd they say?"

"Nothing. Couldn't get a line anywhere near Fury."

"Really? What'd you say?"

"I stressed the urgency of the situation and insisted to speak to Fury several times, but no matter who they bounced my calls to, I wasn't getting through to Fury," Ned replied.

"Well, did you try anyone else?"

"I tried Mr. Stark, since you have that "internship" with him, but, again, nada."

"Seriously? Dude, this is so not right. I don't know what I'm gonna do with them."

"Just leave them and continue as you always do."

"But Ned: they could be HYDRA agents of all things. I feel like we need to keep some sort of eye on them."

"Okay, so you set them up at some sort of homeless shelter and keep an eye on them. You are Spider-man, after all. I'm sure we could work up a system to monitor them."

"Yeah, but I think it's weird that Linux just asked me for the date. Can't tell if it was what he was expecting, but dude. Don't they only do that in movies and books?"

"That is majorly weird. What, do you think they're HYDRA experiments from the future?"

"I don't know. Wait. Hold on, Ned. Linux is headed my way."

"And dude, I still can't get over that name. Stay safe, man."

Enginseer Linux closed the distance with Spider-man, leaving the woman's side. She continued sitting upright in her bed, her stern, scarred face glaring at him. Honestly, if he hadn't met her when she was unconscious, he would have been unsure if she could make any other sort of expression. But Linux was back in his space.

"We will require aid," Linux said plainly.

"What?"

"Can we expect your aid in assimilation upon discharge from the medicae?"

"Um, yeah. I'll try to help you guys. Are all three of you together?"

"Yes."

"Okay, so once the three of you get discharged, we can look for jobs and a place for you guys to live. You do have somewhere you're going to sleep for now, right?"

"I will recharge in the hospital vestibule."

"Uh, yeah. I guess that can work for now."

"I will remain close to the Commissar."

"Who's the commissar?"

"Poltava. She is awake," Linux said, gesturing an augmented limb at the expectant woman.

"Okay. Is she always like that? Short-tempered, I mean?"

"She's a commissar."

"O…kay, then," Spidey said, assuming that was all the answer he was going to get. He glanced at the lonely clock on the wall. "Shit - uh, sorry for the language. Uh, I need to go, but I'll be back here later tomorrow."

"That is acceptable. I will fulfill compliance."

"Uh, you are free to move about. Just, I'll meet you at whichever room… Poltava or the other kid-"

"Guardsman Trembley"

"Trembley, then, whichever room someone's occupied. Agreed?"

"Acceptable."

AN: So this is my first serious fanfic I've been working on. I realize the beginning is a bit rough, and there are some out of character moments for some people (along with the comment about Doc Ock - I realized several chapters after writing this that he exists after Pete went to college, but it was too golden of a moment to pass up). Just, suspend you belief and I'd love to hear feedback on speculation - I have a good chunk of the beginning down, and I have an ending in sight, but now I need to work on the journey to get them there. I do not own Marvel or the Avengers or GW or Warhammer 40k.

Update 11/10/2018: Edited the date Peter gives. I guess I pasted the wrong draft of this here, and I noticed only now. Just a small detail, but enough of one that would annoy me if I was trying to follow anything chronologically. I also realized I was in a mind fog and wrote "commissioner" instead of "commissar" in a couple places. It has been fixed.