The endless tunnels of the multiverse were too much for the young women that fell through them. Endless worlds, endless possibilities; it became overwhelming. They were unable to maintain consciousness as they finally tumbled into the physical plain once more.
As Ashido, Yaoyorozu, and Hatsume finally came to the end of the inter-dimensional tunnel, their bodies flew in different directions. Only a few feet apart, but it was enough to separate them completely.
…
Mina's eyes struggled to open, blinded by what little light came from the moon high above her. Her body was covered in bruises. She likely fell some ways before finally hitting the ground and tumbling across it. She could feel dirt against her skin, digging into her nails.
Slowly, she managed to pick herself up and stand with imbalance. Everything was still hazy; her vision just barely starting to clear of stars.
When Mina could finally see properly, she found herself in the middle of a large park. Trees surrounded her while buildings stood tall in the distance. There was an ominous red glow to the darkness of the city night. She could feel its tension even from so far away.
"Hey! A little help?!"
Mina turned and looked up to find Mei Hatsume stuck in a tree by her ankle. She struggled and flailed with annoyance.
"Stop flailing! I'll get ya' down!" Mina shouted to her.
Using what she learned from class, Mina formed a precise shot of acid that struck the branch where Hatsume was stuck. The wood broke away as Mei fell toward the ground. Mina tried to catch her, but instead turned herself into a crash pad for the young inventor.
"Thanks for the landing!" Hatsume cheerfully thanked as she stepped off the alien queen.
"Where's Yaoyorozu?" Mina asked, looking around frantically.
"Forget her! What about us?" Hatsume asked plainly, "Where are we?"
The only time either of them had been to other worlds was with Peter. He was always there to guide them. This time, they were left completely on their own. No magician. No help. No hope.
"We have to find a way back home," Ashido claimed, "But without Peter …I don't know where to start."
"Leave that to me!" Hatsume said proudly, "This ain't the first time I've been stuck on another world! Last time, Parker took us to see some magic wizard dude! I betcha this world has one too!"
"You think this world has their own Doctor Strange?"
"Probs! Constants and variables and all that! Every world has a variation of something else. Let's start looking around and figure out where to go!"
Ashido had forgotten that Hatsume had gotten stuck with Peter on his world once. Peter mentioned it but had not elaborated, or at least, he never got the chance to. He had been so busy trying to clear his name with the people that he never got to see his friends.
"Okay," Ashido surrendered, "Let's go find a wizard."
For a city as large as it seemed, it was rather quiet. As Mina and Mei made their way to the nearest street, they realized just how empty it was. Cars were abandoned on the side of the road. Papers and wallets were left behind. Trash littered the ground with every step.
The first sound they finally heard was a distance chant somewhere down the road. In the distance, they could see a crowd with signs and flashlights and police tape holding them back from something.
"Neat! A protest!" Hatsume said excitedly, "Let's see what's up."
"Is that the best idea right now?" Mina asked.
"Got something better to do?"
"I thought we were looking for a wizard."
"We are! Maybe one of them knows where to look!"
Mina was rightfully scared. She was on a foreign world with no idea how to get home. Her friends were scattered and lost. A super-villain was on the loose. She felt so trapped and powerless. Wandering as they were felt like ignoring the problem. The sooner they got home, back to their friends, the better.
The two heroines approached the crowd to see what was going on. As they got closer, they began to make out the words that they chanted.
"No more mutants!" They shouted, pumping their signs into the air, "No more mutants!"
Mina realized that the crowd was standing in front of an old apartment building. Families were watching from the windows, holding their children in fear. The crowd was trying to break down the barricade that the residents had set up. Some of the people on the street had bats, crowbars, and in some cases, guns.
"Maybe this isn't such a good idea," Mina realized.
One member of the crowd noticed Mina and Mei as they had gotten closer. Their reaction to seeing her was nothing if not repugnant, "There's one!" They shouted, "There's a mutant!"
The crowd turned their attention to Mina, moving toward her with their weapons brandished with evil intent. They loaded their guns and raised their bats as they moved more quickly at the sight of her.
"Get out of here!" one shouted, "You don't belong in this city!"
"Look at her horns! She must be a demon!"
"Look at her costume! She thinks she's some kind of hero!"
"Her skin is unnatural!"
"Take her out!"
"We gotta put her down!"
"Get her!"
The comments kept coming as their violence grew. With every second, the crowd became more confident that they could beat her, maybe even kill her. Mina had never seen anyone look at her that way before. She was not a mutant; she was just like them, wasn't she?
"Ehhhh," Hatsume grabbed Minas wrist, "We should probably scoot!"
The duo took off quickly in the opposite direction as the crowd chased after them. A few in the front got out their guns and started firing. Though they were licensed to wield a gun, they were clearly fueled by rage and their aim suffered for it.
Mei and Mina turned a corner into a nearby alleyway. They hoped to cut through to the next street and lose them there. However, barricades were set up in the alley that cut them off, pinning them into a dead end.
"Hang on!" Mina said, "I'll melt a hole to get through.
As Mina approached the barricade, Hatsume took quick notice of all the wires connected to it, leading back to a power box attacked to the building up above. "Ashido! Wait!"
As Mina touched the barricade, she was struck with an electric shock that knocked her down, temporarily immobilizing her. Hatsume rushed to her side as the crowd found them in the alleyway.
"There she is!" they shouted, "Get her!"
This was it, Mina thought. She could not move, the crowd was closing in, and Hatsume could not defend them. Were they going to kill them? All because of what Mina looked like?
She closed her eyes and waited for whatever was to come.
What fired off through the air was not a bullet. A familiar sound was followed by a large wall of webbing that stuck to the walls and stood between the crowd and the two heroines. The crowd tried to break through, but only got themselves stuck like flies.
A feminine figure jumped down in front of Mina and Mei, landing like a ballerina at the end of her dance. Her skin tight suit clashed colors with black all the way from the bottom of her legs to the middle of her chest, where it then changed to white for her upper torso, arms, and familiar looking mask.
"Ladies," the woman bowed, "Never fear; your friendly neighborhood Ghost Spider is here."
"…Ghost …Spider?" Mina questioned weakly.
"We'll get you out of here," Ghost Spider approached them and held Hatsume by wrapping her arm behind her back and under her arms, "Just hang on. Scar!" She shouted to the sky, "You get the other one!"
Ghost Spider jumped and climbed up the wall with Hatsume, leaving Mina alone. '
Just as the crowd started tearing through the webbing, another figure jumped down into the alley. His costume was completely red, except for the sleeveless blue hoodie he wore with a black spider painted on the front and back. His eyes were a bright white and easy to spot in the darkness. They were wide, too, putting emphasis on the 'friendly' in friendly neighborhood.
"I got you," The familiar looking hero said as he approached her body, "Stay still."
Even though the costume was different, Mina recognized the voice immediately, "…Parker?"
The hero looked at her with great surprise and skepticism. How did she know that name? He had no idea who she was, yet she knew that name? Was she psychic? Was that her mutant power?
"Where did you learn that name?" He asked.
"Scar!" Ghost Spider called out from above, "Come on!"
He shook his head, "Just call me Scarlet Spider," He said, "We'll unpack that box later."
Scarlet Spider picked her up in a bridal carry before running up the wall just as the crowd broke through. The two spider heroes swung away from webs, carrying the new visitors with them.
…
It was a blur for Momo Yaoyorozu. She could recall falling a decent height from the sky, far from where her friends were going. Before she could have regained consciousness, she felt her body crash into a body of water. Thankfully, she had not been that high up, or the impact would have surely killed her.
Momo tried to wake herself as her body sunk deeper into the water. The light of the moon grew dimmer with each bubble that left her nose. She wanted to rest after the ordeal she had already suffered, but she knew that a hero must never truly rest.
She forced herself awake and clawed at the water around her, pushing toward the surface with all she had. When her sense came back to her, she quickly manifested a grappling gun, aiming it at the blurry structure beyond the surface of the water.
The grappling gun fired off and erupted from the water, attaching itself to the structure she had passed by upon entry to that world. Momo did not hesitate to click the retraction button and let the device carry her to freedom.
Finally, she broke the surface and gasped for air, coughing and nearly hurling from the water she ingested. She tried to wipe her eyes, but only continued to push water into them. Momo eventually decided to swim to the structure she had seen.
Reaching the base of the metal and brick structure, she finally allowed her body to rest upon it, catching her raspy breath.
Momo realized she was completely alone. Neither Ashido or Hatsume were anywhere to be seen, nor any of the others. They had been separated when Infinity attacked them. Were they okay? Were they even alive?
In that moment, all she could do was survive.
Using the grappling gun again, she fired a line and pulled herself up the structure, which she then realized was a bridge. Momo reached the walkway of the bridge and let her body collapse onto it, knowing she was finally safe from Poseidon's grasp.
She walked slowly into the road upon realizing how empty that it was. Cars were abandoned. The normal sounds of the city were absent. All that remained in its place were the distant sounds of what she could only assume were jet engines.
Engines that got closer as she listened.
A large humanoid figure flew through the sky above her, spotting her down on the bridge. It landed abruptly on the ground with a loud metal clank.
Before her was a humanoid robot standing at almost three stories. It was made from metals painted in various shades of purple. The robots red eyes peered down at Momo, scanning her and analyzing the threat she posed.
"MUTANT DNA DETECTED," The robot announced, "SURRENDER OR BE PURGED."
Momo had instinctively taken a step back. That was enough for the robot as a plate on its arm opened and emerged a mounted gun on its wrist. It aimed for her without hesitation, "PURGE MUTANT ASSAILANT."
The gun fired at Momo. She reacted quickly and created a shield strong enough to block the bullets. A stray bullet grazed her leg, pushing her onto one knee. She had to move before the robot did first.
Momo moved forward and manifested a sticky bomb. As she dived underneath the robot, she tossed the sticky bomb to its back and ran as fast as she could. The bomb went off just as she leapt over a nearby vehicle, hiding behind it until the dust cleared.
The robot was still standing. It seemed as though the attack had almost no effect beyond a few surface scratches.
Momo stayed in her hiding spot as the robot turned around and scanned the area. Its eyes landed on the car where she hid, able to see her with infrared vision.
"MUTANT DETECTED," It proclaimed, "PURGE MUTANT ASSAILANT."
It walked over to her with heavy steps, picking up the car and holding it up over her. She had not the time to react before it brought the vehicle down onto her.
She should have been dead, yet, there was no impact. Momo slowly released her squinting eyes in wonder to why she was still alive.
Standing above her body was a dark, familiarly muscular figure. His costume from the torso down was red, while everything above was black. His bug eyes were blood colored and sharpened to a slant. He was pushing against the car as the robot fought back.
Something sharp extended from the mans wrists, cutting right through the car and tearing it completely in half. The oil just missed Momo and himself as it spilled onto the ground.
The man in red jumped high into the air, landing on the robots face. He stabbed into its eyes, tearing into the metal as though it were scissors to paper. Bits of metal and hardware fell down like drops of blood and pieces of bone. The man was like an animal with how ferocious he was.
He jumped down to the robots chest and shoved his hand into it, searching around the central cavity until he found what he was looking for and pulled it out. A blue orb attached to wires sat in his hand, which he quickly crushed with ease.
The robot fell backwards, crashing into the ground with the man in red on top, holding the crushed heart of his enemy in victory.
"Goddamn Sentinel," The man muttered.
It was brief, and his voice was deeper, but Momo was able to instantly recognize who it was underneath the mask.
The man in red took notice of her, keeping out the sharp objects that stuck out from his wrists as he leapt off the Sentinel and walked over to her. With the moon right behind him, most of his body was covered in shadow. She should have been intimidated, and he had expected it of her. Yet, rather than fear him, she simply stared into his red bug eyes.
"…Parker?" she asked.
His posture noticeably changed. The name seemed to trigger something for the man as he had taken a step back. He was unsure what to say, if anything.
Was Momo right? Was this Peter Parker? His outfit looked different, but the general themes were the same. She was on another world, after all; could he have been this earths Spider-Man?
Booms from distant Sentinels sent the man in red on high alert. He looked back between the sky and Momo, seeing the wound on her leg that likely made it harder to walk.
Momo had exhausted her quirk in that fight. She had already used up a lot of her strength in trying to contain Infinity earlier, but three creations in the span of not even ten minutes had taken the rest of what she had. The man In red could see just how weak she had become.
The weapons from his wrists retracted back into his body as he knelt down and picked Momo up, slinging her over his shoulder.
"What are you doing?!" She asked.
"Saving you," he said plainly.
The man in red shot a web and swung away just before the patrol of Sentinels could arrive. From high above, Momo saw a banner plastered atop the bridge, one that was torn and falling apart.
It read "PURGE ALL MUTANTS."
…
Ghost and Scarlet Spider carried the visiting heroines across the city, sneaking them into the sewers when they thought they were safe. The underbelly of the city was cold and damp, but it was empty of unwanted attention. No one who took the time to make signs and sharpen sticks would find themselves dead somewhere like that.
The spider heroes led them to a small metal door that was rusted over.
"You'll both be safe here," Ghost Spider reassured.
Through the metal door was a massive, open area. The room was originally used as a hub area for pipes, but it had been cleaned out and scrubbed down. What remained now were two floors of supplies, living arrangements and technology. A small computer in the corner monitored the city. People lingered around the room talking with one another, practicing their mutant abilities.
"I know what you're thinking," Scarlet commented, "Very ninja turtle."
"Ninja what?" Mina asked.
Scarlet turned to look at her slowly, "Are you from another universe?"
Minas expression glowed, "Yes! How did you know?!"
"Because no one could look at this and not get that reference unless they were from another dimension or something."
Mina blinked twice, "Yep; you're definitely Peter Parker."
Scarlet recoiled, "About that-"
"If they're breachers" Ghost Spider added, "We better talk to Anthony. Unpack that box later."
"…Fine," he surrendered, "Anthony works in the lab upstairs. He might be able to help you guys."
"What makes ya' think we need help?" Hatsume asked.
"Well do you?"
"…Not the point."
"I'd say its very on point."
The spiders led them upstairs, where they got a better view of the room as a whole. Secure, stocked with weapons and refugees. This was less a base and more a bunker. These people were hiding away from the horrors of the world up above. The selfish and scared turned the innocent into rats living under their own home.
"Are all these people …mutants?" Mina asked.
"Yep, just like you," Ghost Spider said.
"We aren't mutants. We're just people."
They stopped halfway up the stairs, "I know," Ghost Spider agreed, "I've never liked the name, either. You have powers, yes?"
"Yeah."
"And you were born with them?"
"…Yeah."
"In this world, people like that are called mutants; an added minority among minorities."
"In our world, our powers are called Quirks, and we're the majority."
"Then all of this must be very jarring."
"…very."
The top floor was decked out with even more advanced technology. Where the bottom floor was made into a living area, the top floor was entirely conformed into an advanced laboratory. Tables were littered with scraps of circuit boards and various materials. Working over these tables was an older man with grey hair going down to his shoulders.
"Hey, Ani," Scarlet joked, "We brought visitors. Please be social."
Anthony looked over at the group, setting down his tools and limping over with a smirk on his face, "I refuse to play outside, dad," He joked, "The sun is too bright for me."
"Your mother and I are disappointed," Scarlet gestured to the two heroines, "These two are breachers. They need a way back to their universe."
Anthony laughed, "Good luck with that. You think I can build an inter-dimensional portal with this junk?"
Ghost Spider cut in with a monotone voice, "Dude, you built a suit of high-tech armor in a cave …with a box of scraps."
Anthony raised a hand to make a counterpoint, only for Ghost's blank stare to immediately shut him up. He sighed aggressively, "Okay, fine, I could build you one, but I'd need a better power source. My arc reactor is barely keeping me alive as it is."
"Sir," Mina stepped forward, "Please, we'll do whatever we can to help. If we don't get back home and back to our friends, people are going to get hurt."
"People are always going to get hurt," Anthony argued, "Nothing can change that."
While they talked, Hatsume began looking over the various materials left on the table. Already, she was putting together blueprints in her head, "Oh yeah, we could totally build an inter-dimensional gateway with this stuff. That octopus guy made one of his own; bet I could replicate it with the right parts."
Anthony turned around and stared at her with a raised brow, "You? You're what? 16?"
"You're what? 70?" Hatsume retorted, "If you don't think you can do it, I will. Just gimme an hour alone in here!"
"Uh uh," Anthony limped over to her, "This is my lab and you are not going to upstage me."
"Yes, I am."
"That how it is? Fine!" he picked up his sketchbook, "I'll prove to you I can do it."
Ghost was surprised by his reaction. Nothing was more important to a Stark than their pride. He had not been this lively since the law against powers was passed. Then again, he had no one to but heads with in terms of intelligence since the Avengers were disbanded.
"I think they can figure it out," Ghost Spider said, "Scar, why don't you find a place for our pink friend here to rest?"
"Why me?"
"Cuz."
"That's not an answer."
"It's not a detailed answer, no, but it is an answer."
Scarlet surrendered and gestured to Mina, "Come on, let's find you somewhere to sleep."
Mina took one last look at Hatsume before following Scarlet out of the room. Already, she was butting heads with Anthony, racing to see who can make the plans for the machine first.
Scarlet brought her back downstairs toward the back of the room, where several small tents had been set up. There were no individual rooms in the bunker, so the refugees beds were separated by cloth and string.
"You can rest here for a while," Scarlet commented, showing her into her personal tent, "It's not much, but the bed is comfy."
The mattress was placed on metal bars, with a memory pillow and two blankets. A small set of drawers sat on the side for storage, with a lamp on top. This was the layout of each tent. Scarlet explained that personalizing the tents were limited as people moved in and out frequently. It would do the job after the injuries she sustained.
"Thank you, Parker," Mina said as she sat on the bed.
Scarlet froze up, again, standing awkwardly in front of the bed. Mina took quick notice of this and tried to backtrack.
"I'm sorry. Peter Parker is a friend of mine on my world. I guess secret identities are a thing here too, huh?"
"Are they not on your world?"
"No, not really. I hope I didn't offend or scare you by calling you by your name."
"No, no, it's not that, it's …" Scarlet fidgeted, feeling nervous around the pink Aphrodite. He decided it would be easier just to show her.
Carefully, he took off his mask. Underneath was a face she recognized as Peter Parker, but with subtle differences. His eyes were blue instead of brown, and his hair was blonde. Mina had to fight off a blush upon seeing his face.
"My name is Ben Reilly," he stated.
"Ben Reilly?" Mina questioned, "So, you're not Peter Parker? Are you related?"
Ben shrugged, "Sort of? I'm …his clone."
Mina blinked twice, "Come again?"
Knowing there was no avoiding the conversation, and not wanting to by the look in her sparkling eyes, he sat down on the bed next to her, "Our worlds Peter got his powers at 15. About six months later, Oscorp realized one of their escaped experimental spiders bit him and wanted his DNA to reverse engineer their research. They hired a man named the Jackal to get the sample."
"That name screams mad scientist," Mina commented.
"Right? So, Jackal got the sample, but instead of turning it over, he used it to further his research in genetic duplication. Peter's DNA was unique, so he thought it'd be …fun."
"If a bad guy made you," Mina asked, "Why are you working with the heroes?"
"When I woke up, I had all of Peter's memories. I remembered being a hero, so, I wasn't going to stop."
Mina knew of quirks that allowed for temporary duplication, but she had never heard of something this advanced. The idea that a human being could be completely copied was straight out of science fiction. Ben looked like the genuine article, minus a few small details. He even had Peters mannerisms. If he had claimed Peter's identity, she would have believed him. "If you're not Parker …where is he?" she asked.
Ben was hesitant as he avoided her gaze, "He …he isn't with us anymore."
She gasped quietly, "Oh ...what happened?"
"He and I fought after I was created, thinking the other was the clone," Ben explained, "The warehouse we were in came down, and ...he didn't make it."
"So, how did you know you weren't ...him?" She asked hesitantly.
"I tested my DNA to be sure, after the incident. Most of my DNA is Parker, but 1% - just 1% - is the Jackal; like a signature on his work. I knew the real Peter was gone and ...I was left."
It was not her Peter, and Mina knew that. Still, hearing that he was gone struck right at her heart. Since Ben looked Peter's age, that means he died as a teenager. He died young. Peter never had the chance to become the hero she always thought he could be. She imagined if it was her Peter that died. That would be a loss she could never recover from.
"I should leave you to rest," Ben said with a forced smile as he stood up, "I'll wake you up when we've got some news."
"Thank you …Reilly," She corrected herself, still uneasy with the idea of cloning.
Sensing her discomfort, he left without another word.
Ben was approached by Ghost Spider almost immediately after he left the tent. He gave her no reaction as he put his mask back on to hide a face he found repulsive.
"How did it go?" She asked.
"I don't think she likes me," Scarlet commented as he kept walking. Ghost skipped to keep up.
"You told her the clone thing, didn't you?"
"She asked! I'm not going to pretend I'm Peter."
"I'm not asking you to, Ben. I doubt she was actually uncomfortable. In fact, I think she kinda liked you."
"Doubt it."
"Come on!" She complained, "She totally does!"
"She likes Peter," he corrected, "And I'm not him, Gwen. I never will be."
Scarlet left Ghost alone as he stormed off in a huff. She wished he would stop comparing himself to Peter. Even she, someone who loved him, never wished for a replacement.
No one could ever replace Peter.
…
The red suited man brought the injured Yaoyorozu to a part of the city that was all but abandoned. He only let her onto her feel once they arrived on the fire escape. They had come to an apartment building, one with broken windows and holes in the floor. It was not much, but it was what he called home.
Inside through the window was a living room with a couch, desk, and a computer plugged into the wall. Only a single bulb lit the room. Momo could hear a generator in the next room. The building was likely taken off the grid since no one else was living there. There was even a sign saying it was scheduled for demolition two years prior.
"Sit," The man commanded.
"What?" Momo questioned.
"Sit," he reinforced.
Considering the wound on her leg had started to sting, she obeyed his command and sat on the couch as he rummaged through the cabinets. He pulled out an old medical kit, setting it onto the other couch cushion as he pulled out rubbing alcohol, cloth and bandages.
He started by cleaning the wound with cloth and a bottle of water, before drying and applying the rubbing alcohol. Momo winced from the pain, making the man glare at her.
She looked out the window at the city. Many buildings were on fire. It was absolute anarchy, as though the Government had completely abandoned everyone.
"…What happened to the world?" Momo asked.
"What rock have you been living under?" The man asked, "Who are you?"
"…Yaoyorozu. Momo Yaoyorozu."
"Japanese?"
"Yes."
"Long way from home."
"You have no idea."
He looked back at her for a moment before face palming, "You're from another dimension."
"Wha- how did you know?"
"No one says 'you have no idea' unless the circumstances are way larger than first assumptions. Considering you confirmed you are Japanese, that rules out Alien. You don't look like a fish out of water so that rules out time travel. Alternate dimensions. Besides, only someone from a parallel universe could dress like that."
"What's wrong with my clothes?"
"Very revealing."
"It's for my quirk!"
"Is your quirk attraction?"
"No! My power is creation- wait, are you saying you're attracted to me?"
He froze, considering his options, and said "I mean, yeah. You're good looking. That bad?"
"…Thank you?"
"You're welcome."
He finished bandaging her leg and stepped away quickly. His bluntness was unexpected for Momo. It was like he had no shame, yet, he had not made a move on her, or taken advantage of his position. Saying something like that normally meant someone was hitting on her, yet, he spoke it as though it was just a universal fact.
Blunt, but respectful.
"Can I ask you something?" She said, "Are you Peter Parker?"
The man stopped at the window, looking out and away from her. He suddenly became sheepish. The very mention of the name sent his mind into a spiral. How should he answer her? What answer did she want?
"…Would it make you feel better if I was?" He asked.
"…Only if you are," She answered.
The man processed this proposal. Something in his spider sense told him she could be trusted, so he did not want to disappoint her. He also believed it was none of her business who he was. She was just some girl he rescued. Once she's healed, she'll be long gone and never think about him again. Someone like him—someTHING like him—was not worth thinking about.
"…Call me Kaine," he finally ended the silence.
"Well, then, thank you, Kaine," She smiled warmly.
Kaine turned away, again, trying to ignore the flutter in his chest. That was the first time anyone ever said his name in such a positive way. Gratitude was not a feeling he had ever experienced before.
"You still haven't answered my question," Momo reiterated, "What happened to the world?"
"People happened," He answered, "Mutants take up twenty percent of the population. The people—the government too—never liked people who were born with their powers. They passed law after law to reduce their rights until it practically became perfectly legal to kill them on the streets."
"That's …horrible," Momo shivered, "Why would they do that? If they were born with their powers, then they can't help how they are!"
"Doesn't matter," he said plainly, "Either they turn themselves, or the sentinels hunt them down like animals. Any mutant that resists is listed as KOS; Kill On Sight. I don't know what you call yourself on your world, but here, you're considered a mutant. The people could kill you and string you up and it would be perfectly legal. Anyone caught helping mutants are branded fugitives. So, when most of the super heroes supported the mutants, the government dissolved and arrested them."
"There are no Pro Heroes?"
"SUPER heroes, and not really. Just the street level vigilantes remain since the public never liked them anyway. Defenders are still operational, but the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and the X-Men especially are out of the picture."
Momo could not fathom a world that would hate the idea of super powers so much. It was one thing for villains to wish death and demise for heroes, but the people? How could the average citizen ever support killing an innocent person, even if they were not trying to be a hero? No 'mutant' can help how they are; why should they be punished for it?
"I can't believe this," Momo shuddered, "On my world, people with powers are praised for their acts of heroism."
"There's no heroism, anymore," Kaine stated, "There is only survival."
"So, is this what you do? Save mutants?"
"I try to stay out of it and do my own thing."
"Then why did you save me?"
"I was in the neighborhood."
Kaine had no intention of saving anyone when he had gone out that night. His goal was just to fight criminals and brutalize drug dealers. Seeing Momo in danger, however, his body took control and jumped into action. There was something in his spider sense that told him to act. He did not regret it, but now he had to watch over her until morning.
"The sentinels patrols will lighten up by morning," Kaine told her, "I might know some people who will be able to get you home."
"I can't wait that long," She stated, "My friends may still be out there!"
Kaine groaned, "Of course, you have friends. How many?"
"Two, at least."
"If they are on this world, in New York, they've either already been killed by sentinels, or … "
"…Or?"
"Or those friends I mentioned found them first. Well, I say friends, more like mutual acquaintances. When the streets are clear, we'll move out."
Kaine was set on this plan. As much as Momo wanted to leave and find her friends, she was in no state to do so. Until her energy came back and her wound healed, she was stuck where she was.
All she could do was hope Mina and Mei were alright.
…
Hatsume was working at a pace which Anthony just could not keep up with. Her genuine excitement for inventing matched a child's excitement to being at a theme park. She would start on an idea as quickly as she would scrap it. It seemed impossible for her to focus on something for more than a few minutes. She was clearly brilliant, but wild and untamed in her profession.
"Nah, nah, nah!" Hatsume said as she swatted a piece of metal out of Anthony's hand, "That stuff ain't conductive enough!"
"Nothing is gonna conduct multiversal energy well," He explained.
"Blueshirt!"
"You mean bullshit?"
"That too!"
Anthony admired her intelligence, but her outward energy was rather annoying. He preferred working on his own because others' ideas and voices were always too loud for him, and she was beating out everyone he had ever been forced to work with. How a single, fifteen-year-old teenager was able to accomplish this was beyond him.
"How's it going?" Asked Ghost Spider as she jumped up to the second floor.
"I'm juggling quantum theory and a literal child," Anthony groaned, "How do you think it's going?"
"I think you've just finally met your match," Ghost teased.
"Don't you have a web to spin?"
"Don't you have a reputation to ruin?"
"…That was cold. I respect that."
"You really shouldn't, but okay."
Ghost paced around the lab as they worked, having nothing better to do but watch them. She had seen plenty of things since getting her powers, but travelling to another dimension was a new one. Surely, the Avengers have done it plenty of times, but she had always been a street level hero.
"So," Hatsume greeted Ghost, "Are you, like, Spidey's girlfriend? Sister? Booty call?"
"I'm not his sister," Ghost Spider explained, "And I'm not …that last thing. I …was his girlfriend, once."
"He dump you?"
"He, uh …died."
"…Ah," her expression froze, "That's …pooey. What happened?"
"He was a hero. With the life he lived, it just happens …" she held her hands behind her back, balancing on and off her tip toes like a ballerina, "I didn't actually get my powers until he was already gone. Oscorp tried to replicate his powers again and one of the spiders bit me. Scarlet told me the truth about Peter and …I wanted to carry on his legacy."
"Well, your costume is dope. I have notes, though."
"Notes?"
"Yeah! I helped make our Peter's costume! I could totally help with yours!"
Peter was alive on Hatsume's world. She knew the multiverse existed, yet she never thought about it before. Somewhere out there are versions of her boyfriend that are still alive, still fighting crime, still being a hero. It should have made her feel better, but she only felt jealous of the people who still had the greatest man she had ever known.
The closest thing she had to him was Ben, but it was too weird for their to be anything more than friendship between them. No matter his memories, he was not Peter, and he should not have to be.
"I'll keep you posted," Ghost said.
"At least lose the ballerina shoes," Hatsume pointed to her feet.
"Hey! I like dancing! They are an aesthetic choice!"
Downstairs, Mina had just come out from her tent after taking a short nap. Her body had recovered from the electric shock she received earlier in the night. Mina looked around at the mutants lingering in the lounge. With people of so many different abilities and appearances, it started to feel like she was home again.
Of course, she was not home. She was as far from home as could be.
She turned around to go back to her tent. Hanging upside-down on a web behind her was Scarlet. She instinctively smacked him in the face, jumping back and covering her blush of embarrassment. Scarlet did not react and let his body swing back and forth from the impact.
"…Ow," Scarlet finally said.
"Sorry! You scared me!"
"I'm that repulsive, am I?"
"No, no, I-!"
"I'm kidding …I don't think you ever said your name."
She composed herself before holding out her hand, "Ashido. Mina Ashido."
Scarlet landed back on his feet and shook her hand, "Feeling better?"
"Better than before, yeah. Still a little sore."
Scarlet was not sure what to say, next. He still did not know whether she was uncomfortable around him or not. He was, after all, a clone of someone she knew. Gwen was taken aback at first, too.
"Listen," Mina said sheepishly, "I'm sorry if I came off a bit distant, before. I really don't mind that you're a clone, I just …it's all so much."
Scarlet sighed with relief, "It's okay, I get it."
"Were you worried I didn't like you?" she teased.
Scarlet shook his head awkwardly, "No—well, yeah, kind of—not that it would have mattered—not that I don't care that it would or would not matter—It totally matters, so I'm not saying I don't care about your feelings—not that I thought I was coming off like I didn't care, cuz' I do, even though we just met, I just mean-"
"Someone's getting flustered," She cooed.
"Well, I mean look at you—I mean-!"
"So, you think I'm cute? Hmmm?"
"I mean you're not, not, not, not, NOT …too many negatives."
Mina starting laughing, cutting him off, "You're certainly as smooth as Parker."
Scarlet chuckled gracelessly, "Yeah …he passed on pretty much everything."
Mina could see a resentment in Ben, but not for her; for himself. Even though she had seen his face already, he still chose to wear his mask in front of her. Was he ashamed of what he was? If she were to find out she was a clone, it would be a lot to take in. To find out your life was someone else's could not have been easy, but finding a way to become your own person had to be so much harder.
"You're …not Peter Parker," She stated.
Ben looked down, almost having expected such a statement at one point or another. He expected more diminishing words. Instead, she took his hands and rubbed the back of them with her thumbs.
"You're Ben Reilly," She smiled, "And I happen to think Ben Reilly is pretty cool."
Ben could not stop himself from smiling underneath his mask. He thanked god that he was wearing his mask so she would not see him blushing. Even though he chose the name of Ben, he had never seen himself as anything more than a copy of a real hero. It was nice for to be acknowledged for who he was trying to be.
The entire bunker was suddenly filled with the echo of an angry alarm and the flashing of red lights. Ben's spider-sensed had caught it only seconds before.
Ben and Mina rushed upstairs to where Anthony and Hatsume were working. Anthony was looking over his computer set up, where he pulled up a map of the city, covered in moving red dots.
"What is that?" Mina asked.
"The Sentinels are on the move," Anthony said, typing furiously on the keyboard.
"Sentinels?" Mina wondered.
"Robot Mutant hunters," Ben answered, "Not friendly."
"They've broken their patrol routes," Anthony claimed, "They only ever do that when they've located a high level threat. Thankfully, their moving away from the bunker, so we should be safe."
"Where are they headed?"
Anthony pulled up a picture of the location the Sentinels were headed. It was an old apartment building all but abandoned. Ben knew that at least one occupant lived there.
"Kaine," Ben realized, "That's where Kaine hides out."
"Who's Kaine?" Mina asked.
"Uh, well, he's kind of like …he's my brother, in a way."
Mina stared blankly at a moment before it hit her, "There are MORE clones?! Why did you not mention that?!"
"Oh, I'm sorry! Was I supposed to reveal my ENTIRE life story in our—what—second conversation?!"
"Bicker like a married couple later," Ghost Spider said as she equipped her web shooters, "We have a job to do."
"Like hell we do," Anthony argued, "Our forces are thin as they are. We can handle quick rescues and smuggling mutants out of the city, but fighting Sentinels head on? Forget it!"
"Gwen is right," Ben said, "We have to go out and help him."
"Whatever Kaine did to get on their bad side is his problem. What's important-"
"What's important is NOT standing by and letting someone suffer or die because you do nothing!" Ben shouted.
"Yeah?" Anthony scowled, "That you talking, or Peter?"
Ben seemed to quietly come apart at the seems upon hearing that. Whatever arguments he had were quickly torn apart. He had so much trouble trusting his own thoughts, wondering if they were just echo's of Peter's ambitions. Perhaps his desire to be a hero really was because of Peter, but does that mean it is a part of him he should bury and ignore?
"BEN is right," Mina put a hand on Ben's shoulder, "We have to do something."
"We?" Ben asked.
"We."
"…Okay, dope."
Scarlet, Ashido and Ghost turned their backs to Anthony despite his complaining and walked away, preparing themselves for the fight to come. Anthony tried to argue that they stay, but they seemed to completely ignore him.
"Ugh!" Anthony scoffed, "Children!"
"You could probs help them," Hatsume pointed out.
"I'm too old for that shit."
"You're never too old to do the right thing, dumbass."
Anthony glanced at a suitcase resting in the corner that was covered in dust. He had not opened it for a very long time, especially not since the Avengers were disbanded. There was no room in the world for heroes, anymore.
Was there?
…
Kaine had not moved from the fire escape for some time. He had gone out there for solitary while Momo rested her leg. The pain had mostly subsided and the bleeding stopped. While things were quiet, she decided to get up and look around.
The room was barren of any personal items. All she found was empty boxes of Chinese food, pizza boxes, and crates of garbage he used to craft his gear. Did he live here, or was he just squatting for the time being? Did Kaine have a real place he could call home? There was barely enough here for one person. Was he all alone?
She knew loneliness, in a way. Before U.A. established the dorms, Momo lived at home in her massive mansion. Her mother and father always worked and were rarely ever home. Her life had been put in danger many times, and she only ever got a voicemail or text from her guardians while they were away. This, however, was different. It was clear that Kaine chose to be alone.
Momo approached the fire escape carefully as not to disturb Kaine too badly. He paid no mind to her as she stepped out through the window, sitting on one of the steps while he sat with his back to the wall.
"How's your leg?" he asked.
"Better," Momo said, "Thank you."
"You should go back inside and get some sleep. There is a mattress in the other room."
"And where will you sleep? Unless you planned that …we would share," She blushed.
"I don't always sleep," he said bluntly, "I'll keep a lookout."
She stared into his crimson bug eyes, trying to find the man behind the spider. He hid it well, but the remnant of humanity he tried to cover up was calling out from beneath the spandex, "Who are you?" She asked.
"I told you; I'm Kaine."
"I mean, what's your story?"
"You don't want to hear my story."
"Yes, I do."
Her pouting lip and puppy dog eyes were too much for Kaine to resist, and he groaned in annoyance, "Fine, fine, just put those away."
"Put what away?"
"The eyes! And the other things while your at it! Put on a damn shirt!"
"I dress this way for my quirk. I create weapons from my skin."
Kaine finally looked at her curiously, "Like, any weapon?"
"Yep."
"Like …a gun?"
"I don't like making guns, but yes."
"Can you make other things?"
"As long as I know the atomic structure, yes. Stop avoiding the subject."
"I'm not avoiding; I'm strategically diverting the conversation."
"And I'm diverting it back."
Kaine growled and looked back down at the street, "You wanna know my story? I'm a clone. I was cloned from a fifteen-year-old kid who is now dead. There's another clone who keeps trying to call me brother even though I hate it. I take out all my anger on the city by beating up criminals. I'm genetically modified with stingers in my wrists that I use to stab people. My webs are organic. Part of my DNA comes from a psychopath who calls himself the Jackal, and by extension, I am also a psychopath. A psychopath in spandex. Happy?"
Momo processed the information he had dumped on her and did her best to understand it. The most important thing she got from that rant was not that he was a clone, but rather that he expected her to turn away in disgust. He wanted her to sympathize with him, but did not believe she would. He likely believed that she would hate him and run away after hearing of what he was and what he had done. Everyone else had.
Not her.
Momo reached her hand out and put it on his leg. Her warm touch caught him off guard. She should have been scared, or uncomfortable after hearing all that. She was not. If anything, she felt sympathy for all he had endured. What she understood from his words was that he was hurting, and she was willing to ease that pain.
"…You're definitely from another world," he told her.
"Is that okay?" she asked.
"…Yeah," he grinned under the mask, "It is."
She nudged her body forward, examining his mask and finding where the seams met. She was slow and gentle as not to startle him. She wanted him to know he could stop her at any time if he was uncomfortable.
As she reached for his mask, he instinctively grabbed her hand. That mask was his only shield from the world. As long as he wore it, he was nothing but a monster, and monsters could not feel pain. Once it was gone, he would be human, and humans can be hurt; humans can die.
Her warm smile reassured that with her, he was not a monster.
Kaine let go of her wrist and she proceeded to remove his mask.
The man underneath looked just like Peter, with a few key differences. His black hair was short but thick on top, with his side burns completely shaved off. In-between his grey colored eyes was a faded scar that reached diagonally from his forehead to his cheek. Above all else, he looked tired. So tired.
Kaine had not the strength to look at her, until she gently nudged his chin upwards. Seeing him like this reminded her of when she would see Peter at his lowest, bruised and beaten from the abuse of the world he tried to protect. Like Peter before him, all she wanted to do was protect him. Momo did not know him, yet, she felt she had known him forever.
The streets rumbled. Something in the sky was coming closer and closer. The duo looked up and into the distance, where they saw a patrol of Sentinels coming their way. Four of the murderous robots were headed straight for the apartment building, aiming their laser sights on the fire escape.
Kaine reacted quickly, grabbing his mask and putting it back on before picking Momo up and jumping from the fire escape. The moment they were airborne, a laser fired at the building, causing an explosion behind them.
The disorientation prevented Kaine from firing a web, so instead, he twisted his body around while holding Momo so his body would his the street first, cushioning the impact for her. They hit the ground hard as fire and debris fell around them.
Four Sentinels landed on the street, walking toward them with great intimidation. Kaine positioned himself in front of Momo to protect her.
"Run!" he demanded, "I'll hold them off!"
"I'm not leaving you behind!" She said, manifesting a large hammer in her hands. Though she had a few snacks in the hours since her arrival, she still felt out of breath holding the weapon in her hand.
As the Sentinels prepared to attack, they were suddenly stopped when a barricade of webbing appeared and blocked their path, and it was not Kaine's doing.
Scarlet and Ghost landed in front of the duo with grace, continuing to fire webs at the Sentinels various limbs. They knew it would only hold for so long.
"Reilly!" Kaine scowled, "What the hell are you doing here?!"
"You're welcome!" Scarlet said cheerfully.
From the rooftops above the Sentinels, Mina Ashido leapt through the air and landed on one of their backs. She slid down while secreting her acid, tearing right through their metal exterior. The acid melted straight into the circuits of the robot as it toppled over.
Mina slid past the wall of webs and came to a sharp stop when she saw her friend, "Yaoyorozu?!"
"Ashido!" She exclaimed, running up and hugging her classmate, "I was so worried! What happened?!"
"Got picked up by a cute boy," She answered with a smirk, knowing full well Reilly could hear her, "He's very nice. We're going steady."
"I agreed to nothing!" Reilly argued, "Your friend is a tease!"
"She does that," Momo agreed.
"Catch up later!" Ghost Spider commanded, "They're breaking free!"
The Sentinels shot wide lasers from their eyes, cutting through the webbing and tossing it away in a clump. Each of the heroes jumped out of the way as the Sentinels shot suppression rounds at them. Mina and Momo instinctively stuck together, hiding behind a nearby abandoned vehicle.
"We need to stop them from moving!" Ghost Spider exclaimed.
"Leave it to me!"
Ashido jumped from her spot and slid into the middle of the street, letting her trail of acid spread across the ground. When the Sentinels stepped into the acid puddle, their feet sunk into the street. They tried using the jets in their feet to escape, but the acid had already dried and hardened.
Kaine jumped up with his stingers extended and sliced across the neck of one of the Sentinels, exposing the circuitry. One other Sentinels grabbed him while he was still airborne, slamming him back into the ground. Momo used her hammer to whack the giant metal hand off of his body.
"We gotta move!" Momo claimed.
The heroes gathered together and made a run for it, but another Sentinel landed in front of them. Each Sentinel behind them had freed themselves from the acid prison and stood ready to fight. They were surrounded from both sides.
A ray beam came in from a distance, cutting straight through a Sentinels eye and sending it to the ground. The other robots looked up at their new target as it came flying down, firing off small missiles to throw them off balance.
Flying above them in a silver metal suit was Iron Man, struggling to maintain flight, "Don't stand there and gawk!" He shouted, "Move!"
"Anthony?" Ghost questioned, "You're wearing your suit!"
"Don't make a thing of it! I don't have a lot of power in this thing! Now, go!"
"But-"
"Go!"
As the group ran from the scene, Iron Man fought off the Sentinels. The old man struggled to keep up with the adaptive programming of the mutant killers, but he still gave them a challenge regardless. His arc reactor was trying to both power his suit and keep him alive.
A Sentinel smacked Iron Man down onto the street, damaging the suit. He tried to stand back up, but the outdated armor just could not function like it used to. The Sentinels approached him, labeling him as a threat that needed correcting.
"PURGE THE MUTANT SYMPATHIZER," They chanted.
He felt his death approaching, and in that moment, he had accepted it. Though he did little but help others live another day, at least he would go out a hero.
As they fired off a laser intended to kill, the Scarlet Spider swung in and grabbed Iron Man by the shoulder, lifting him up and out of the Sentinels reach. He swung through the air while carrying the former Avenger.
"Uh uh!" Scarlet said, "Nice try! No dying on us today, Stark!"
"You …came back?"
"That's what heroes do!"
Scarlet swung away from the Sentinels, escaping their grasp and retreating with the others.
…
Coming back to the bunker felt like soldiers returning from war. They had to pry Anthony from his armor like melted cheese from bread. A makeshift infirmary was setup next to Anthony's lab, where he laid on a futon being held together by tape.
His armor laid in pieces next to the futon as Scarlet worked to bandage him up. Momo and Kaine followed the team back to the bunker, since Kaines home had been all but completely destroyed by the Sentinels.
"This feels degrading," Anthony complained.
"It is, but we love you anyway," Ben commented.
"I can't believe you actually put on your armor," Ghost Spider said, "I could have sworn you grew allergic to it."
"Well ..." Anthony rolled his eyes, "You're never too old to do the right thing."
"HA!" Hatsume laughed hysterically, earning a glare from Anthony which she completely ignored.
Seeing everyone talk and laugh together, Kaine thought it best to slowly slip away from the group and make his way to the stairs. He came only because he wanted to be sure Momo was safe and secure. Seeing that she was now among real heroes, there was no need for him, anymore.
"Kaine."
Of course, she seemed to disagree.
Kaine only made it halfway down the stairs when Momo called his name from the top step. She leaned on the cold rail looking down at him with an expectant stare.
"Where are you going?" She asked with sadness.
"Away," Kaine said bluntly, "You'll be safe here. They can protect you until you return home."
"And what about you?" Momo moved down the steps toward him, "Where will you go?"
"Wherever. I was only squatting at that apartment so I didn't lose much."
"Stay," she said bluntly.
He was taken aback by her forwardness, but played along, "And why would I do that?"
Momo finally got close enough to take his hand, "Because I asked."
With his strength, it would have been easy to rip his hand away and storm out of the bunker. He had already thought of six places he could stay that night. Mapping out the best hiding places in the city had become something of a pastime for him. Yet, when he felt her hand in his, the warmth of her body and the softness of her skin, he did not move.
He had been taken into such a trance that he had not noticed when Momo lead him back up the stairs to rejoin the group.
"So, how about that gateway?" Mina asked Hatsume.
"We got the plans together, but we still need a power source," Hatsume answered, "After reviewing the footage from your battle with the Sentinels, I think a few of the cores from those murder bots could makeshift a one-way trip for us."
"Collecting them is the hard part," Anthony reiterated, "But with Kaine and Pinky here, we might stand a chance. They were our heavy hitters in that battle."
Mina posed triumphantly.
"So, until we get that portal working," Hatsume concluded, "We're stuck on this rock."
They had expected they would be here for a while. None of them knew much about multiverse travel, but they were lucky enough to have run into the right people. They only hoped their friends had gotten just as lucky.
"For now, everyone can rest," Anthony declared, "Let me and the kid work in peace."
"And by he and the kid," Hatsume corrected, "He means me, while he watches."
"…You know, I've never killed before …" Anthony joked.
The group dispersed while the nerds got to work.
Kaine leaned on the rails overlooking the first floor. He had never stayed in one spot for any longer than a few days. It was better that way, at least, for him. With the life he had chosen to live and the past he ran from, staying still never felt like an option. He had never felt safe anywhere. Anywhere, that is, except with her.
"So," Ben leaned on the rail next to Kaine, "It's been a while."
"Still doing stupid shit?" Kaine asked seriously.
"Still being a stupid shit?" Ben retorted.
Kaine glared at him before smirking, "You've grown a backbone."
"Just trying to do better. I thought you'd have sneaked off by now."
"I tried."
"What stopped you?"
Kaine looked down at Momo, who was hanging around the couch with Ashido and a few of the other mutant refugees. She was smiling and laughing with them, which force a similar smile on his cheeks, "I haven't put my finger on it, yet," Kaine answered.
"One word."
Kaine thought about it for a moment, then told him "Light."
Ben snorted, "Poetic."
"I'll kick your ass."
"Missed you, too."
On the first floor, Momo and Mina let themselves rest on the couch. It had been a long night for them both. As much as they wished to avoid the conversation, it had to happen sooner or later.
"Do you think they made it?" Momo asked, "Parker and the others?"
"I'm sure," Mina said confidently, "Parker is tough, and so are the others. I bet their looking for a way back to us right now!"
"Everyone back home will be worried when they realize we've gone missing …"
They had not even considered that. Everyone in class 1-A will realize they were gone when they do not show up to class the next day. They could only imagine what chaos will ensure from that, let alone what will happen with infinity.
"We got each other," Mina said, "Let's focus on that."
"But-"
"Strudels."
"No, not that again-"
"Strudels."
"Ashido."
"Stru-of-the-dels."
Momo laughed in surrender to Mina's endless optimism.
The two heroines knew that they had many dangers to face before they returned home. They only hoped their friends were safe—wherever they were.
