Disclaimer: I do not own Spider-Man or anything else you may recognize
This was inspired by a video I saw where Tobey's Spider-Man and Rosemary's Aunt May comfort Andrew's Spider-Man at the end of TASM 2.
And it's also inspired by the deleted scene where Peter's dad returns.
Hope you like it.
Peter Parker was standing by Gwen Stacy's grave again, everything around him covered by snow due to the cold weather.
He came here almost every day, and stood there. To remind himself of what him breaking his promise had cost.
His selfishness had led to him losing his love forever.
She had a bright future ahead of her, she was going to London and start a fresh life, with better opportunities lined up for her.
But he just couldn't let her go! He had to be selfish and try to get back with her, then just be confused about it. He should have just listened to Captain Stacy and honored his promise instead of being so selfish.
Now because of him the Stacy family had lost not only George but also Gwen in such a short span of time.
He could feel the tears about to flow down his cheeks already.
"Peter."
Peter turned to see a middle-aged man, around 40 years of age walking to him. He looked decently handsome, but his eyes, they had not only sympathy, but pain of their own.
"I'm so sorry."
"Who are you?" Peter asked, walking to this man, who had his hands in the pockets of his coat.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you", the man shook his head.
Peter stood in front of him. "How do you know me?"
"I know you're blaming yourself because you failed to save her", the man said as Peter realized he knew.
"Who the hell are you and how do you know who I am?" Peter snapped in anger.
The older man sighed, looking down, then looked back up at him. "I'm Peter Parker."
Peter seemed to get angrier. "Are you trying to threaten me or joke with me or something?"
"No Peter, I'm not", the older Peter assured while shaking his head. "I am Peter Parker, from a different world, where I'm Spider-Man."
"Different world….like….." Peter trailed off. "The Multiverse is real?"
"Yes", the older Peter nodded. Strange had recruited him to help fight against Mordo and his fellow turned Sorcerers, but an accidental stray blast from the clash had sent him here to this world, where he'd seen the disappearance of Spider-Man on the news, and then the death of Gwen Stacy.
It hadn't taken him long to put two and two together.
"So you're…you're me…." Peter processed it, pointing at the other him, then himself. "From a different….."
"Yeah", the older Peter nodded. "I know what happened was…but don't-"
"Don't say that!" Peter now snapped, grief-stricken and angry. "SHE IS DEAD! AND-"
"I'm sorry", older Peter raised his hand. "I know you are-"
"WHAT? HUH?" Peter grasped his older self by the shoulders, now pretty much losing it. "SAY IT! SAY WHAT YOU WANNA SAY! WHAT DO YOU WANNA SAY?!"
"Peter-"
"SHE'S DEAD!"
"I have failed people too, Peter", the older Peter gently grasped his younger doppelganger by the shoulders. "It hurt, it hurt like hell. I almost couldn't get through it, but I did."
"I can't…I just can't….."
"I'm sorry Peter", older Peter hugged his younger self, allowing him to break down as both fell to their knees, the older Peter sharing in his younger self's grief.
A while later, both of them sat together on a bench as Peter was telling his older self. "-And then I knew it, in that moment, she was gone…." He was close to crying again. "And it was my fault. I should have just listened to Captain Stacy."
The older Peter remembered some of his own selfish actions had bad consequences, and this one was no different, but he was missing one detail.
"When Gwen died that night, she came to help you of her own free will", the older Peter reminded the younger one. "You told her to go because Electro might kill her. But she took the risk because she wanted to help the city, help you. The city was saved from Electro thanks to her bravery. Then Harry came and…" the older Peter trailed off. "She died that night, but she died a hero, Peter."
It was no different from his Harry, who had died a hero to save him from Venom all those years ago.
Peter was looking ahead. "I just don't know how to…."
"Peter, the hardest part of this job is- You can't always save everybody."
It was unfair, he had saved the world, but he couldn't save HIS world.
"I don't know how to go on without her", Peter sighed sadly.
The older Peter remembered something his Aunt May had told him once. "Well, you start by doing the hardest thing: You forgive yourself." Peter looked at his older self who put a hand on his shoulder. "I believe in you, Peter. You're a good person. And I know you'll find a way to put it right one day."
Peter nodded, trying to process it as his older self told him. "Both of us, we now speak for the dead. Don't go on without her. Take her with you."
At that point, Peter started. "How do I know this will end differently again?"
"The spider, it could have bitten anyone, yet it bit us, in different worlds", the older Peter pointed out. "Perhaps, it was because we were meant to be the ones who'd help people, give them hope. With great power, comes great responsibility."
Those words seemed to reignite a lost spark in Peter as the older Peter assured him. "Remember these words. You are a hero, Peter."
Peter looked back at his older self and after some consideration when a variety of emotions played through his face, he nodded.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Eventually, Strange found the older Peter and took him back to their world, as Peter became Spider-Man again and renewed his job.
The two met once more years later when an even younger Peter messing up a spell brought them to his world, and they together comforted him over his Aunt May's death and saved him from going down a dark path as well, while Peter finally redeemed himself over Gwen by saving MJ from a similar fate.
And this is done, hope you liked it.
There was a reference to Raimiverse Strange in Spider-Man 2.
This won't change NWH's plot much, except that Maguire's and Garfield's Peters already knew each other, and Garfield's version did not become rageful and bitter due to Maguire's advice to him.
Hope all enjoyed and see you all next time with some other update.
