Hello! Welcome to my story!
If you don't know me, my name's Spider Diamond. This is my first fanfic, but I have written other stories before. But, I've decided to share one that I am currently writing, one that I'd like other people to read!
I won't waste your time any more though. Read this chapter and see what you think! Hope you like it!
(Also, if you had somehow missed the warning in the story summary, there will be spoilers for Spiderman: NWH)
Episode One: Three Tiny Spiders (Part One)
Description: Living a life where no one remembers who you are was harder than Peter expects. In a world with no friends and having only Spider-Man as a cheerful hobby, he feels all alone. But, when a sudden villain and 2 heroes shows up out of nowhere, it occurs to Peter that he may not be as alone as he thought.
Log #43
Day 153
Well, here I am again. Writing in this log after what seemed like forever. Sorry I haven't been frequently writing in this as I have been at the beginning. To be completely honest, it's kind of nice writing in a journal, venting about the messy tragic life of Peter Parker. Maybe I shouldn't be so cynical when I say stuff like messy and tragic. But, that's definitely the nicest way to describe it.
Anyways, as I said before, it's been a while, Diary (I know, this isn't a diary, but I'd rather call it that than a journal). The last time I wrote in this was all the way in… I want to say, November. That was one of the first few months of the world forgetting Peter Parker. The world forgetting me. I was a mess back then, considering that half of the logs I couldn't even read properly because of the sloppy handwriting and the smudged ink (probably from the tears).
I can't blame Past Peter for being a tangled ball of emotions back then, being a traumatized and shattered mess of what he once was. It was hard. Trying to adjust to a life where you can't call your girlfriend, where you can't hang out with your best friend, or where you can't turn to your aunt for a pep talk. I was in a dark place… a very dark place.
Nothing's changed, really. As far as I know, MJ and Ned only know me as the "awkward and shy coffee shop recluse, who says his full name one too many times". Sure, I've talked to them before, tried to strike up a conversation. But, I'd rather not relive the stiff small talk that would be followed by long and awkward silences.
As for college-wise… it's complicated. I've tried enrolling into GED courses. But every time I enroll in one, I end up skipping it. Then, I enroll again after I realize I've unintentionally skipped the majority of the course. After I do that, I forget about it AGAIN. That soon escalated into an endless cycle of enrolling into courses then forgetting and/or losing motivation to do it afterwards. Eventually I just stopped. I'm doing just fine completing odd jobs here and there anyways. Not the ideal future I wanted, but hey, it pays the bills.
Like I said, nothing's changed. The only thing that has changed is me. Before, I was depressed and miserable. But now… I wouldn't say I'm content. I guess the right word is nonchalant. Don't get me wrong, I obviously don't like my circumstances. But, I've grown to the point where I'm used to it. It's easier that way, I think. Like someone close to me once said, "If you expect to be disappointed, you'll never be disappointed".
But… I can't help but think… is it always going to be like this? Is Peter Parker simply just destined to live a life full of disappointment and sadness? I wouldn't like to think of it that way, but…
But…
Maybe it is. Maybe… I am.
"I have an order for one Peter Parker?"
At the mention of his name, Peter looked up. He had been pulled away from the deep and dark part of his thoughts, away from the small burgundy notebook that sat on the table in front of him. His vision blurry from staring for what seemed like hours at lined paper and the inky writing that filled the page, Peter blinked, his surroundings coming into focus.
He was in a cafe, sitting alone in a desolate chair and once hunched over the desolate table. He was one of the very small group of customers that either sat at tables of their own or came and went through the glass door that chimes every time it's swung open. And all the way at the counter was a girl with black hair and in a barista uniform, setting a coffee cup and a paper bag on the countertop.
"Peter Parker?" she asked again, her eyes darting here and there in hopes of spotting the customer she's calling.
As the name echoed through the nearly silent cafe, louder than the soft jazz music that played in the background, Peter finally registered that he was the Peter Parker they were calling.
He then stood up much too quickly, causing the chair to screech as it scraped across the tiled floor. Noticing a few people glancing at him, probably because of the sudden movement, Peter's face burned as he rushed to the front.
"Uh… that's me." Peter said, strangely out of breath.
The barista gave a soft smile and nodded at the drink and bag on the counter next to her. With a soft "Oh" coming out of his mouth, Peter grabbed the two things.
"Got a little worried there. Thought you skipped out on us." the barista joked.
Peter looked up at her, surprised that she was talking to him.
"Oh! Um… yeah, sorry." Peter apologized.
"Nothing to apologize for," the barista replied with a dismissive wave, "Just a little concerned about you."
Even though Peter knew that the barista was only teasing, the comment caused a twinge of sadness to come over him.
Is worrying every person I interact with the only thing I can do?
Instead, Peter offered a chuckle that came off a little more somber than he intended.
"No need. I'm fine." he said, trying to keep his voice upbeat.
The barista glanced over at him, and for a moment, Peter thought that maybe the barista WAS concerned and was simply playing it off. But then, the barista smiled.
"That's nice to know. Well, see you tomorrow? Or are you heading over to that other coffee shop? Our competition?" the barista asked.
Peter stilled. He knew the coffee shop the barista was referring to. The coffee shop where MJ was a worker and where Ned was a regular. Just the thought of his former friends almost broke Peter's calm exterior. Almost.
"Nope. You know that I'm always going to come back here." Peter replied.
"Good. Wouldn't want you playing both sides." the barista teased with a wink.
For a small moment, Peter stood there with a barely noticeable smile. But then, the chime of the doorbell disrupted it, as another customer came in. The barista then waved her hands jokingly.
"Now shoo. Someone's gotta take care of these customers if this coffee shop's gonna stay in business."
Peter's eyes widened. "Oh, right. Bye."
The barista gave a small salute before going over to the register to take the new customer's order. Once she turned around, Peter let his "sociable and friendly customer" appearance slip away. He then walked over to his table, holding his stuff. As he approached, his eyes lingered on the open page of the notebook, on the last sentence he wrote.
"Maybe it is. Maybe… I am."
The line seemed so… depressing to him. The sentence seemed like something that Past Peter would've written, the Peter who had just recently lost hope in the world. He could write in it again, end the log on a happy note. But instead, he simply shifted the coffee and the bag to one hand, picked up the book with the other, and snapped it closed.
"Another time." he whispered to himself as he left with his things and pushed open the door, the chime being the last thing he hears from the cafe until it shuts him out into the chilly winter air.
It was March right about now, March of 2025. And yet, the air still held the cold of winter. Nobody outside was caught dead wearing shorts or a T-Shirt; everyone was bundled in coats and scarves of all kinds. Not Peter. All he wore was a sweater and some jeans. Which was why Peter was set on going back to his apartment. It wasn't the best option, since the apartment was always drafty and cold, but it held some semblance of warmth that was better than outside.
Peter walked down the sidewalk, occasionally taking a sip of his coffee. The sidewalks and streets were mostly empty. Only a few cars and a few pedestrians took the time to pass by Peter, on the way to their destinations. The sky above seemed to make Peter's surroundings a little bleeker, with its heavy gray clouds blocking the darkening blue sky, giving the clouds a bluish hue.
No one in the right mind wanted to have a coffee run when it was already evening time, except if they really needed it for, say, a last minute study session or for a late night flight. But, Peter needed an excuse to get out of the drab apartment he lived in. Staying there for too long often sent Peter back to his dark place, alone with dreadful thoughts and even more dreadful memories.
He used to have his coffee runs at the donut shop where MJ worked, only because he wanted to catch glimpses of her and Ned. But, the more he visited, the more he felt that he was intruding. He always seemed to come at the wrong times, almost always when Ned and MJ would be having lighthearted conversations, so it would feel like he was sabotaging their happiness and killing the mood.
That was why he stopped going altogether. Sure, he could try to start up their friendship again, tell them what he was planning to say at the beginning, that they and the whole world had forgotten him in a successful attempt to seal off the multiverse. But, he still felt the way he did when he had first seen them after they forgot: they were better off without him. And maybe, that's the belief that Peter was going to stick with for the rest of his life.
As Peter dwelled on these thoughts however, a scream shattered them like glass. It was a loud and desperate shriek, obviously coming from someone who was in danger and crying for help. Then, there was a series of gruff shouting and thumps.
Peter tensed, forgetting all of his worries in an instant. Quickly, he ducked into the nearest alleyway, dumping his stuff in a corner. He took off his hoodie and jeans, revealing the suit underneath, and draped the clothes over his stuff to hide it from view. Finally, he pulled on his mask, and secured the web shooters on his hands.
Now wasn't the time for Peter Parker problems. This time, it's Spiderman problems.
Once he was ready, Spiderman ran out of the alley, extending his wrist. A jet of webs shot out of his wrist and clung onto a streetlight. Once it did, Spiderman jumped off the ground and swung forward, letting go once he gained momentum.
As he swung through the streets, Spiderman tried to pinpoint the scream, which was getting louder and more harried. Then, he saw them. A pair of robbers trying to rob a couple.
In a flash, Spiderman changed direction and swooped down on the unsuspecting intruders. Sticking out his wrists, Spiderman shot some webs onto the backs of the robbers, and yanked back the strings, causing them to topple over.
As the robbers fell to the ground with a bewildered yelp, Spiderman landed in between the couple and the robbers.
"Robbing a poor couple…" Spiderman sighed while he tutted, "don't you guys have any other hobbies than this? Knitting perhaps?"
As the robbers got up, they glared as they recognized who tripped them.
"SPIDER MAN!" they cursed.
Spiderman winked, doing a small salute of his own. "The one and only."
Quickly, one of them sprang into action, aiming to throw a punch at him. But, Spiderman easily dodged the punch and walked around to stand behind the robber, all in a blink of an eye.
"But, for real. You should take a shot in the textile business. I hear that macrame is a popular pastime. Perhaps that's what you need to dissolve your apparent anger." Spiderman said calmly as he casually rubbed the shocked robber's shoulder.
"Why you…!" the robber growled as he tried to grab Spiderman's hands.
But, in one fell swoop, Spiderman grabbed one of the robber's hands, and twirled him around like a dancer would do to their partner.
"Or maybe, dancing's more your style. Don't worry, I don't judge. You do you."
After he said that, Spiderman let go, sending the robber stumbling into the brick wall, making the couple jump with fear. Before the robber could recover, Spiderman immediately covered him in webs, trapping him.
Suddenly, he heard a gun cock. The couple looked behind him, clinging onto each other and their faces showing their apparent horror. Spiderman then turned around to see the other robber pointing a gun straight at him.
"Don't fucking move," the robber barked, "or else I'm putting a BULLET in your head!"
Spiderman raised his hands up, feigning a look of incredulous shock.
"Woah there, pal! Let's keep it E for everyone!" he gasped.
Quickly, he shot a web at the gun and pulled it away from the robber, almost making the robber fall forward. As the gun entered his hand, Spiderman took out the bullets and tossed them aside.
"You know, you can really get hurt with this. Didn't your parents teach you that weapons are bad?" Spiderman said with fake sympathy as he tossed the gun aside too.
"ARGH!" the robber roared in frustration as he lunged towards Spiderman.
But before he could reach Spiderman, the latter dodged him, causing the robber to stumble to a stop, shocked. Spiderman then took his opening, and karate chopped the robber's neck, sending the latter falling to the ground while knocked unconscious.
Once the two robbers were immobilized, Spiderman flipped over the unconscious robber to lay face-up. Strapped over his shoulder was a designer purse, which Spiderman slid off and took it in his hands as he walked over to the couple.
"I believe this is yours, ma'am." Spiderman said in a friendly tone.
The woman, emotional with gratitude slowly took the bag, her eyes filled with unshed tears.
"Thank you so much." she replied, her voice barely a whisper.
Her boyfriend gave an appreciative smile.
"You saved our lives! Please, let me repay you."
He then took out his wallet, and took out a couple of hundred dollar bills. Spiderman's eyes widened at the sight of the money. That was way more than what he would make in a week.
He could take the money. It could help him a lot financially. But… no, that's ridiculous. Whenever he saves people, he never ever expects them to owe him some kind of debt. Spiderman was only Spiderman because he wanted to be a hero, not so he could earn a profit by doing what's right. This time, it was no different.
Spiderman finally cleared his throat then shook his head.
"No way. You keep that money. Gotta keep it safe from robbers, after all."
The man froze, as he was just in the middle of closing his wallet.
"Are you sure? I insist, I'm fine with paying you for your services."
Spiderman flashed a thumbs up. "I'm good, honest! I don't take money from the other people I save. You're no exception. Trust me."
The man hesitated for a few seconds before putting the money back in his wallet with a grin.
"God bless you, Spiderman." he said gratefully.
Just then, a siren wailed in the distance as flashing blue lights drew closer. Spiderman glanced at the lights before looking back at the couple.
"Well, that's my cue to leave. Stay safe out here, okay?"
With that, Spiderman was off, swinging away from the scene, as the couples shouted their thanks and waved their goodbyes. As the sound faded and as soon as he was far from the scene, Spiderman ducked back into the alley, receding into the shadows.
Soon after, Peter Parker walked out of the alley, back in his regular clothes. His coffee was lukewarm by now, so he chugged the rest and threw it into a nearby trash can. Still holding the bag (which held his breakfast for tomorrow), Peter then continued his route back home.
It was at that moment when Peter realized it. He was smiling, the corner of his lips tugged upwards in a tiny smirk. He knew why. Being Spiderman put a smile on his face just as much as it put a smile on his fans' faces. Peter has lost a lot lately. But, what had to be the only constant in his life was his alter ego. He never gave up crime fighting. Unlike the name "Peter Parker", he made sure that nobody forgot the name "Spiderman".
Hero life wasn't always perfect, obviously. Instead of being a famous hero known to be a part of the Avengers and who helped save the world, Spiderman was known as a shifty and mysterious vigilante. And while the majority of Queens saw him as a hero, there were people who resented him, going so far as to call him a villain. That resulted in him going out of his way to avoid the police and to not stay too long in a crime scene after calming the situation.
It wasn't like Peter feared the naysayers. He faced worse. Way worse. But, he still took their criticism into account. Especially one that seemed to be said by most of them.
"Spiderman's too dangerous!"
As much as he wanted to deny it, dismiss it as jealous commentary, Peter knew that it was true. The life of Spiderman definitely came with its fair share of risks. And it was a lie to say that people never got hurt due to the mistakes he would make. Peter had tried and is still trying to fix that, make it so that nobody innocent ever has to fear their own safety when caught in the crossfire between Spiderman and the bad guys.
Before he knew it, Peter was at his apartment building. It wasn't the best place, being an old and homely building located in an area which was constantly disturbed by the rumbling and screeching from the nearby train station. But it was cheap; about $800 per month was needed to pay the rent. It was manageable to pay, only because Peter didn't really eat out that much and he used public transportation.
As he entered the building, Peter briskly made his way through the dim lobby, through another door, up a couple flights of stairs, all the way to his apartment door. He then took out his keys, fumbling with them for a few seconds before inserting it into the keyhole and turning it.
The door slowly creaked open to reveal the apartment inside. It more or less looked the same as it did when Peter had first seen it. The walls were still bare, the floor still had dust on it. A lone mattress was tucked to the side. There were some improvements of course. The desk next to the mattress was replaced by a newer and bigger one. Paper plates and plastic utensils were sitting in the kitchen cabinets, while groceries crowded the counters.
Peter dropped off his bag on the kitchen counter before heading to the desk and sitting in the office chair that twirled slightly from the motion. After it slowed to a stop and faced forward, Peter took the time to look at his desk. Paper and all kinds of drawing supplies crowded it, while pictures and drawings were hung above Peter's head, dangling on a clothesline.
Before all of this happened, Peter never really had many hobbies. He liked to work with stuff concerning Spiderman, like making webs or improving the suit. But, when the world forgot him, he had much more free time. Meaning he had more time to try and find a passion that didn't involve Spiderman for once.
He tried a few new things from time to time, and tried different types of hobbies. One that stuck though was drawing. He really liked to draw. Just like writing in journals, it was nice to let out all of your stress by working on sketches. That was why he had so many of them.
The drawings that were hung up were Peter's favorites. The ones that he never wanted to lose or forget about. They were drawings of the people he loved. MJ, Ned, Aunt May and Uncle Ben, Tony Stark, the Avengers, to name a few. Not only were those drawings a comfort to Peter, but it was also some of his best work.
After a few moments, Peter set down his notebook and grabbed a nearby pencil. He tapped it softly against his cheek as he looked at the papers on his desk, trying to decide what he should draw this time. But then, one drawing caught his eye. It was buried underneath some things, so Peter gently pushed colored pencils and erasers out of the way and picked up the paper. As he looked at the drawing, Peter's eyes widened.
It was a drawing of him. And they were right beside him, both of them having one arm wrapped around Peter's shoulders. The two alternate versions of himself. Peter 2 and Peter 3.
This one was the most recent thing Peter had been working on. Originally, he had started this drawing back in the first few days alone. But, there were many failed attempts trying to recreate his special moment with the two Peters. Each attempt was briskly crumpled up and tossed away. For the life of him, Peter could never seem to complete the drawing in a way that satisfied him. But, as he stared at the drawing now, glancing over the partly finished drawing, Peter knew he had to complete it. So, he gathered together the supplies he needed and started drawing.
At first, he couldn't seem to find the motivation to go through with every edit he made, erasing every new line he drew. However, Peter decided to stop erasing and just go where his mind takes him. That was a good decision, as the more he drew, the more he felt confident about what he was doing. Occasionally, a voice inside his head critiqued the work.
Shade that line a little more.
Add more color!
Okay, come on. Peter 3's hair doesn't look like that!
Don't forget the eyes. Remember Peter 2 has blue eyes.
Alright… almost… done.
Finally, when the sky was completely dark and it was way past 12 AM, it was finished. Peter shifted the paper into the light of the lamp. It showed the three Peters embracing, smiling as the sun set behind them. Peter 2 had a friendly and excited smile, while Peter 3 had a wider and ecstatic grin, and Peter himself had an open-mouthed smile, as if he was in the middle of a laugh. The sky above their heads not only showed a sunset, but also glittery purple and white cracks, representing the multiverse revealing itself in Peter's universe. As he looked at the drawing, Peter added one more thing. His name in the bottom right corner, in sprawling letters and punctuated with a tiny web symbol.
Peter smiled as he held up the drawing. It was perfect, one of his best works. For a moment he considered putting it up with the other perfect drawings. But, he held onto it. Even as he got up from the desk and turned off the desk lamp. Even as he finally changed out of his clothes into his pajamas. Even as he flopped on his mattress, ready for bed.
Once he was comfortable, Peter looked once more at the drawing. Only this time, he didn't look at it with pride but with sadness. And for a few seconds, Peter didn't even know why until it suddenly hit him.
Peter 2 and 3. He missed them.
It felt weird, missing your alternate selves who you only knew for a couple of hours. But in those hours, Peter had one of the best moments of his life. Just talking with them and joking, as if they were brothers and knew each other their whole lives. It was amazing. THEY were amazing.
If only they were here now. That would make at least some of Peter's new life better than anything could. Even being Spiderman couldn't compare to being Spiderman with them around. Imagine the fun. The adventures. But alas, Peter 2 and Peter 3 don't belong here, in Peter's universe. They have universes of their own. Lives of their own. As he thought that, Peter unintentionally thought of a depressing scenario. Do they even remember him? It's been almost half a year, 5 months to be exact. Maybe in that time, 2 and 3 simply forgot about the time they spent outside of their universes. Or better yet, they did remember, but simply didn't care.
… no, that was ridiculous. Such an important moment couldn't be dismissed just like that. Right?
Either way, regardless of whether or not Peter 2 and Peter 3 cherished the moment just as much as he did, Peter wanted to see them again. Even if it was for a fleeting moment, a moment long enough for a simple hello. But, that couldn't happen. The multiverse was sealed off for good.
That didn't stop Peter from reminiscing on the good times he and them had, and wishing for more. As he drifted off to sleep, Peter found himself thinking one single thought.
I just want to see them. Just one…
… last…
… time.
"So… you want to see them, huh?"
Peter's eyes flashed open, completely confused. He had no idea where he was, but it looked like he was in a field of some sort. The sky above looked strange, but similar to his drawing: purple and white cracks stretched over a dark blue expanse filled with bright stars.
There was someone else there, standing in front of him. It was a girl, wearing a light and silky outfit. But due to a hood and her hair shadowing her face, Peter couldn't figure out who he was looking at.
"What? What's going on?! Who are you?" Peter yelped.
The girl shook her head slightly, her long navy blue hair swishing with the movement.
"Don't worry about that. But, you do want to see them, don't you?"
Peter stepped back, scared out of his mind. "Who are you talking about?"
"Your alternate selves. Your siblings."
Peter's eyes widened. How does she know that? Know them?
"You can see them again, you know." the girl continued, "Not just for a second, but for forever. You can be with them for the rest of your life. All you have to do is wish. Wish for it, and it can be yours."
Peter shook his head slowly. "That's not possible. The multiverse is sealed away. There's no way that can happen."
"Not unless you wish for it. Come on. Don't you want to see them again? Be HAPPY with them?"
Peter froze. This is all too much. This has to be a dream, right? A fantasy conjured up by his mind to simply play tricks on him. And yet...
"Then, do it, Peter." the girl urged, "Make this wish and let it come true."
Before he knew it, Peter was saying, "I just want to see them."
The girl nodded in encouragement. "Say it again."
"I want to see them."
After he said that, the purple cracks in the sky seemed to get brighter.
"Louder." the girl pressed.
"I want to see them again!"
"One more time."
"I WANT TO SEE THEM AGAIN!"
The girl then smiled, as she outstretched her hand palm up, and raised her head, the only facial feature shown being her mouth.
"Then, your wish is my command."
At those words, the purple cracks grew so bright that the color enveloped Peter's surroundings in blinding light. Then… darkness.
Peter woke up with a gasping yelp, his eyes flying open for real this time. He wasn't in an empty field. He was in his twin mattress in his small apartment. And instead of a starry sky disrupted with purple-white rifts, Peter was staring up at a cream colored popcorn ceiling.
He should've known that it was a dream. It was too freaky to be real anyways. Maybe he should stop drinking coffee right before bed.
As he sat up, he realized something with a start. His drawing. Where was it? Quickly, he pushed his blanket out of the way, looking desperately for it by messing up his bed. But then, he found it, untouched and underneath the pillow. Deep down, he wondered how it ended up being placed under his pillow while he slept. But overall, he didn't care. What mattered was that it was safe and not ruined.
He picked up the drawing with a sigh, then got up and went over to his desk. He grabbed a clothespin, and proceeded to hang it up next to the other drawings. After securing it, Peter took a step back to look at it. It was a nice addition to the collection of prized art. The sunlight streaming from the window behind the desk made the sunset in the drawing, as well as the rifts, glitter and sparkle, further emphasizing the focus on the three Peters smiling.
Peter didn't like to prioritize one drawing over another when it came to his favorites. But, he had to admit. That one was his best work yet.
But, the moment of pride and contentment didn't last long. One second, he's looking at the drawings. The next, a feeling of alertness and suspicion overcame him as Peter's view came into sharper focus. His instincts were screaming at him to take cover. The reason why they were, Peter found out a split second afterwards.
Suddenly, a rumble shook the apartment. This wasn't unusual— after all, the building was located next to a train station where passing trains always sent rumbling through the building. But then, the rumble escalated quickly, as everything in the apartment that was unsecure started to tremble. The windows then began to rattle as the lights flickered.
This wasn't a harmless rumbling. This was an earthquake.
Quickly, Peter dove under his desk as everything started to rattle violently. Dust started to fall from the ceiling, as pieces of it threatened to collapse. Helpless, Peter could only hug his knees to his chest and duck his head, praying for it to stop.
And then, it did. The earthquake soon calmed, disappearing as if it never happened. A few seconds of silence passed before Peter looked up, unfurling from his position. Slowly, he crawled out and stood up, surveying the damage. There wasn't much of it, unless you counted fallen groceries and papers. No broken glass, no shattered furniture. Everything was more or less unharmed.
"That was close." Peter sighed.
But, he still felt on edge. His Spider-Sense was going crazy, giving him a pounding headache. Something else was going on, something more than a simple earthquake. Peter couldn't place exactly what that something was. As he tried to think however, something happened that made him literally jump to his ceiling.
It was a loud bang. A snappy yet extremely violent sound, that was like the sound of a lightning strike combined with the sound of an explosion.
The sheer force exerted from the sound made everything topple over, including the drawings. As the clothesline of drawings fell, Peter quickly jumped down with wide eyes, and raced to grab the papers as they fluttered all around the room. Thankfully, he was able to get them all, and he quickly placed them on the desk. He would worry about hanging them back up later. What he had to worry about was this situation that clearly needed Spiderman.
So, Peter quickly grabbed his suit, changing into it in a flash. Once he was suited up, he raced to the window, threw it open, and jumped out. As the window closed behind him, something happened, something that Peter was not there to witness.
The drawing with the three Peters had changed. Now, there was only one Peter. Peters 2 and 3 had strangely disappeared.
As soon as Spiderman came outside, he heard panicked screams from all directions. Quickly, he clung to the side of the building and scaled the wall all the way to the roof. Once he was there, Spiderman looked around, to get a picture of how bad this situation was. As he looked around, Spiderman suddenly froze, as he saw something that made his heart drop.
"Holy shit…take mushrooms."
What he saw were cracks. Large and wide purple-white cracks that splintered across the early morning sky. Light seemed to come alive in those rifts, pulsing erratically and churning like a whirlpool. And Spiderman wasn't the only one witnessing it. Everyone in the whole area could see it, which was probably why people were panicking and fleeing in the streets.
Spiderman did a double take, even lifting up his mask to see it again with his own eyes. But, there was no mistaking it. The interdimensional rift, the multiverse that was once sealed away was now free and uncontrolled. What that meant for Peter's universe, he had no idea. All he knew was that the events that were to unfold next were going to be bad.
Peter clearly had a lot of questions. But, he also had priorities. The first one was calming down the crowd of terrified citizens as Spiderman.
So, he quickly pulled down the mask then took a running jump off of the building. As he used his webs to slow his descent, Spiderman landed in the middle of the large and horrified crowd. As he landed, a man next to him tripped and fell, prompting Spiderman to help him up.
"Are you okay, sir?" Spiderman asked.
The man barely nodded before running off. Spiderman stood still for a second more before being forcibly pushed by the tide of frantic people, getting tossed around by panicked and aggressive shoves. Unable to stay in the crowd any longer, Spiderman shot out a web to a nearby building and yanked himself out of there.
He couldn't help these citizens, not if they kept running like headless chickens. He had to calm the crowd first, placate them long enough to at least get the message across that he was here to help. That was why Spiderman jumped off again, this time swinging above the heads of the scared citizens until he was able to land a few yards in front of the crowd.
"Uh, guys? Can we just chill for one second please-"
The people either didn't hear Spiderman or didn't care, as they stampeded past him as if he wasn't even there. As he was pushed to the ground, Spiderman groaned with pain before pulling himself out again. This time around, he went farther ahead of the crowd and landed on top of a stationary truck. From this viewpoint, Spiderman could see hundreds of people racing in his direction, making him gulp.
"Here goes nothing…" he mumbled.
Finally, he cupped his hands around his invisible mouth, and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"EVERYONE, STOP!"
As Spiderman's order echoed throughout the entire street block, the crowd started to slow. First, the front stopped. Then, everyone else in the back slowed, everyone's screams stopping slowly. All of them stared at Spiderman for a few moments, until shouts broke out among them.
"It's Spiderman!"
"Thank God! I'd thought he'd never show up."
"You have to help us!"
Spiderman motioned for everyone to calm down.
"Okay. I get it. I get it! You're all scared and terrified. Believe me, I know. And I just want you to know that I'm here to help."
Spiderman paused as the crowd grew silent, and seeing their relieved faces encouraged him to continue.
"I'll be honest, I don't know that much about space rifts. But, don't worry. My first priority is to ensure all of you are safe from it."
After he said that though, Spiderman saw the faces in the crowd slowly look confused.
"Did he say space rift?"
"What is he on? There's no 'space rift'."
"What even is that?"
As he listened to their murmurs, Spiderman became confused. How did these people not even know what they were running from? That's fine then, he'll just tell them.
"Yeah, guys, when I say space rift, I mean that big crack in the sky." Spiderman said while pointing.
As soon as he pointed, everyone turned around, looking in the direction where he was pointing. But then, they said something that Spiderman least expected.
"What CRACK?!"
Now Spiderman was full-on baffled. "The crack, people! Look, I don't fully know how to describe it, but you gotta help me out. It's in the sky."
Simultaneously, everyone tilted their heads, looking at the sky. This prompted Spiderman himself to even doubt what he was saying. But just then, the crack suddenly started to glow brighter, causing him to jump.
"See?! That's what I'm talking about. Now, do you see it?"
The crowd's faces remained unchanged as they looked back at Spiderman. Slowly, one person stepped forward.
"Uh… Spiderman? When I tell you that the question I'm about to ask you is not an insult and is coming from a genuinely concerned citizen, I mean it. … Are you on drugs?"
Spiderman blinked, actually considering the question, before realizing how ridiculous it sounded and shaking his head.
"What?! No! Are you telling me that NO ONE sees the crack in the sky? No one? Anyone at all?"
Everyone shook their heads, while muttering versions of the word no. Spiderman dropped his arm, completely shocked and at a loss for words. After a few moments of sputtering, a question came out of his lips.
"Then, what or who are you running from?"
Just then, another bone-rattling earthquake occured, this time a lot stronger. As the ground shook, everyone immediately scattered, running into another street before Spiderman could stop them.
Quickly, Spiderman jumped down, and approached a citizen, the one who asked if he was on drugs.
"Who's causing the earthquakes?" Spiderman asked.
The citizen looked at him as he backed away, looking fearful.
"The Rhino, man!"
This time, Spiderman was the one who tilted his head. "Rhino Man?"
The citizen chose that time to run away, screaming. "RHINO!"
Once the guy left and the streets were empty, Spiderman perked up with realization. "Oh, he meant Rhino." But then, he frowned. "Rhino? Who the heck is Rhino…"
Suddenly, there was a crash, prompting Spiderman to look forward, still drawing out the "o". A hunk of metal had emerged from an intersection a few blocks down, crashing into a building.
"…okay." Spiderman whispered with a gulp.
As the metal tore away from the building however, it was revealed as not a hunk of metal at all, but rather an inhumanly muscular guy decked out in metal armor. And he was barrelling down the street, heading right towards Spiderman.
"Aw geez, this is gonna hurt, isn't it-"
As if on cue, Spiderman was suddenly plowed by the guy, before the latter threw him several feet away. Spiderman then rolled a few more feet away before slowing to a stop.
As Spiderman laid on the ground, trying to recover, the guy stomped slowly towards him.
"Tiny spider… I thought I had dealt with you before. But, you're quick and slippery, you…"
Spiderman slowly got up as Rhino approached, clutching his side.
"Look. I am sorry. But, I have never seen you before in my life."
Suddenly, Rhino seized him and pushed him into a building wall, holding him by the throat.
"DON'T LIE TO ME, SPIDER!" Rhino roared into his face.
Spiderman quickly extended his wrists, shooting webs into Rhino's eyes. As he yelped in shock and covered his eyes, Spiderman was able to drop to the ground and back away a considerable distance.
"Personal space, please! We'll both benefit from it, I swear."
Rhino finally tore the webs off of his face, before looking at Spiderman with unbridled fury.
"So, you've still got jokes, huh? Well, tiny spider, we will see if you're still laughing when I destroy your little city."
Before Spiderman could react, the Rhino stomped on the road hard, sending large cracks and ripples throughout the street. As debris and pieces of broken asphalt flew up into the air, Rhino grabbed one that was as big as him and chucked it at Spiderman.
As it flew towards Spiderman, it was like time slowed. Not wasting a second, Spiderman climbed up onto the large projectile and jumped over onto the other side. As his feet hit the ground, time sped up again and the asphalt went flying. Quickly, Spiderman whirled around and shot webs that clung onto the large piece. Then, he yanked it hard, making it lose its momentum and drop to the ground.
But as he let go of the webs, Spiderman was given very little time to breathe as Rhino suddenly pushed him from behind, sending him flying. Spiderman turned around in midair and shot webs at Rhino. Even though Rhino ended up blocking the web shot by using his forearm, Spiderman still held onto the web, yanking himself towards Rhino and kicking him in the forehead, finally landing as Rhino fell. Before Rhino could get up, Spiderman immediately tied him up with a double thick layer of webs, trapping him.
"Okay. Fun's over. We need to have a talk." Spiderman huffed as he stood on top of Rhino's chest and bent forward to look at him, his hands on his hips.
Rhino squirmed, and yet Spiderman didn't budge, standing perfectly still. Finally, Rhino hollered, "NO TALKING! I ONLY DESTROY!"
Spiderman sighed, then said in a mock Russian accent, "'No talking! I only destroy!' Calm down, Transformer. I'm not in the mood for a fight, I'm in the mood to save people."
Rhino glared at him hard before muttering, "Self-righteous spider…"
"I'll take that as a compliment, thank you. Now, we need to talk about the elephant in the room. Well… more like the spatial rift in the sky. Do you have something to do with all of this?"
Although he was still glaring, Rhino looked confused, just like the crowd before.
"What are you talking about?"
Spiderman groaned. "AW COME ON! PLEASE don't say that you don't know what I'm talking about. Don't you see that huge purple crack?"
Rhino moved his head to look around Spiderman, before raising an eyebrow.
"Do you need to get your spider visor checked? There's no crack."
Spiderman was still for a moment, before jumping off and sitting beside Rhino, burying his face in his hands.
"Oh my god… what is HAPPENING?!"
At the last word, Spiderman threw his hands up while standing, before going over to asphalt pebbles and kicking them in anger.
"Why is NOBODY seeing this?! I KNOW I'm not CRAZY!"
Rhino hummed skeptically. "Are you sure about that, tiny spider? As far as I know, you've been close to going off the deep end for quite some time."
"SHUT UP!" Spiderman shouted, wrenching his eyes closed and throwing his head up.
The two words echoed clearly, seemingly throughout the whole city. And as it did, the crack slightly grew, unbeknownst to Spiderman. As Spiderman kept his eyes closed, Rhino was secretly freeing himself, removing the webs bit by bit. When Rhino was halfway free, Spiderman talked softly.
"I'm NOT crazy. I'm not. Something's clearly going on, right? A problem that only I can see. But, how am I going to fix this? I'm not like Doctor Strange or Scarlet Witch. I'm just Spiderman. Boring… old… Spiderman. There has to be something I can do though-"
Suddenly, at that moment, Spiderman's Spider Senses fired up, causing him to open his eyes and turn around. But it was too late. A split second after he turned, Rhino rammed into him, picking him up into the air. As Spiderman fell to the ground, Rhino turned around and ran into him again.
"Some good hits will do you in. This is the end of the line, spider!"
Spiderman gasped as his head hit the road, stars flooding his vision. Immediately after he fell, Spiderman tried to stand up, his whole body bruised. But before he could fully get up, Rhino grabbed him by the back of his neck and hoisted him up into the air, trapping Spiderman in a chokehold.
As Spiderman wheezed for air, Rhino smiled victoriously, an evil glint in his eye.
"Say goodbye, Spiderman."
The more Rhino kept him in the same position, the more Spiderman's frantic movements began to slow. He knew that if he wasn't able to free himself, he would black out or worse. But, Rhino's grip was incredibly strong, so it wasn't easy to pry his fingers off.
Spiderman's eyes started to water as he closed his eyes. Rhino was right. This really was the end of the line.
At least he thought so. Until his Spider Senses got so strong that it nearly made his eyes pop out of his skull. As his head buzzed, Spiderman heard a very familiar voice.
"... Peter? Peter! Is that you, man?"
Spiderman couldn't believe it. That voice. It couldn't possibly be… No, it couldn't. The voice wasn't real. It had to be a near-death occurrence. Which means, the voice talking could be…
"God?" he thought, slowly glancing upwards.
This was weird. Spiderman definitely had no idea if God ever called down to people when they die. But, then again, he wasn't really normal. For all he knew, his Spider Senses probably granted him the ability to communicate with the supernatural when close to death.
But, as the voice replied, it sounded bewildered.
"God? What?! I'm not God!"
Spiderman was amazed at this point. Who knew that God sounded an awful lot like Peter 3? But before he could reply, another voice spoke, sending another jolt through his brain.
"He may be delusional. He's suffocating from the lack of air. Quick, we need to tell him the plan before we lose him!"
Huh? Who was that? Maybe… Jesus? Wow. Who knew that Jesus sounded a lot like Peter 2?
"Yeah yeah, you're right." the first voice said to the second voice before talking to Spiderman, "Okay, look Kid-Pete. I need you to listen to me very carefully. Got that?"
Spiderman blinked, then thought, "Whatever you say, God."
The first voice sputtered before sighing and mumbling, "Alright."
After that, the voice suddenly grew deeper and more commanding.
"I need you to do me a favor, young one. Any moment now, someone's going to… uh…. come down from Heaven and kick Rhino's face in. When that happens, you have to free yourself from the sinner's grip before he takes you down with him. Okay?"
Spiderman's eyes widened in wonder. Did he mean that an angel was going to save him? This was so cool…
"Sure. But if you don't mind, I have a few questions about the whole Heaven thing-"
The voice interrupted him quickly, speaking normally. "Okay, we gotta go now. Byeee!"
And just like that, Spiderman's head stopped buzzing as the connection dropped. Once it did, he relaxed. That really was a cool experience.
But what wasn't cool was the fact that Rhino was still choking him.
"ARGH! Why aren't you FAINTING?!" Rhino shouted in frustration.
Spiderman was able to twist his face into a smirk, and gather up the strength to tell Rhino something.
"Because, Rhino, it's not the end of the line for me. It's the end of the line for you."
Rhino glared, baffled. "What are you talking-"
Suddenly, he was interrupted by a new voice shouting, "TALLYHOE!"
As Rhino looked in the direction where the shout came from, he was immediately kicked in the face by someone swinging towards him. Rhino roared as he was thrown to the side, and as he was, Spiderman was able to detangle his fingers from his throat and jump out of the way. As he landed, he stumbled and fell to the ground, distracted with breathing fresh air into his lungs.
When Spiderman's breathing became more even and his vision went back to normal, he heard the voice that talked to him before.
"Whew! That was close!"
Spiderman blinked. This voice wasn't in his head. He could actually hear it with his own ears. But, who could be talking? It could be the angel "God" had mentioned before, the one that swooped in and saved him.
As he thought of this, Spiderman didn't notice two people rushing over to him. Not until they pulled him up to sit upright. At this position, Spiderman could finally see who saved him. And as he did, he became totally speechless, and the two people in front of him finally spoke one sentence that confirmed that they really were real and in front of him.
"What's up, Peter One?"
And here it is! Chapter 1! I really hope you like it. This idea's been in my head for a while, ever since I saw NWH in theaters. So I thought, "Hey, why not make a Spiderman fanfic?"
If you like it, please let me know! I appreciate feedback, whether it's positive or constructive. Also, let me know if I should post Chapter 2!
That's all I want to say! Bye!
