Again!? thought Peter as he sat straight up in bed, clutching his head as his spider sense overwhelmed him.
"You okay?" asked Weasel, Peter's roommate.
"Nngh," groaned Peter, "Kinda?"
"Is this a Spider-Man thing?"
"Yeah."
"Cool. I'm gonna duck out for a minute," said Weasel, "I'd like to stay as far away from that as possible. I like being alive."
Peter's head throbbing continued as Weasel shuffled out, still in his pajamas. Peter set about putting on his Spider-Man costume. He had experienced this exactly three times before. Once shortly after he got his powers, when Cindy got hers. Then again when Miles Morales showed up and again when Peter B. Parker showed up. Peter was confident this would be something similar.
Spider-Man swung out into the city. He wasn't dazed from the sudden awakening at all. His spider sense put him on high alert right away. He followed the sensation to the source. He recognized his direction quickly and figured it out. It was coming from the abandoned marine biology lab, where they had built the machine that sent Peter B. Parker back to his timeline. Someone must have used the machine again.
Spider-Man rushed into the lab, where he found Silk and Amadeus Cho both looking at the device in question, for which the arch was indeed filled with a white light. It was active.
"Spider-Man," greeted Amadeus, "We figured you'd be by."
"Why's that?"
"Silk came for the same reason," explained Amadeus, "She says this happened the last time we opened a time path as well?"
"Time path?" asked Silk.
"I'm still testing out names for things. Give me a break."
"Not last time specifically," said Spider-Man, "but when Miles and Peter B. showed up, yeah."
"Hm," pondered Amadeus, "Does this mean you're maybe detecting someone on the other side like you detected them?"
"Maybe."
"The people we're connecting with," explained Silk, "they all have powers like us. I think we all feel it when another one of us shows up."
"So there's probably another spider person on the other side," concluded Spider-Man, "I'm going to go find them."
"You sure?" asked Silk hesitantly, "This isn't a day trip, Peter. You're going to a whole nother timeline."
"Actually," said Amadeus, "I'd say it's more akin to an alternate reality. It's sideways in time, not forward or backward. I'm calling it Reality-4."
"4?" asked Spider-Man.
"Well obviously we're Reality-1, that goes without saying," explained Amadeus, "Then the next one we learned about was the future timeline with your buddy Miles, which I'm calling Reality-2. Reality-3 is home to Peter B."
"My point remains," said Silk, "You're going an entire universe away, Peter."
"Something's going on," said Spider-Man, "You, Miles, Peter B… We're connected by more than spider powers. You and I got bit by the same spider, Miles was my successor, and Peter B. is, well, me. I need to know whoever this other person is."
"Fine," sighed Silk, "but I'm coming along."
"I'll stay back here and wait for you," said Amadeus, sitting at a nearby computer.
"Alright," said Spider-Man, "Here goes nothing!"
Spider-Man leapt through the arch, disappearing in the flash of white light. Silk jumped next, but the white light dissipated the moment before she got there, resulting in her colliding with the wall behind the device instead. The portal had disappeared.
"What happened!?" she demanded.
"Huh?" grunted Amadeus, looking up, "What do you-? Oh no."
"Amadeus!"
"Uh…" muttered Amadeus, "One second. I've got this!"
"What's happening!?"
"I'll figure it out!" cried Amadeus, not at all sure whether he could.
"Holy-!"
Spider-Man let out a grunt as he felt himself slam chest first into what seemed to be a coffee table. The small wooden structure immediately collapsed under the impact, sending coasters and magazines scattering across the floor. Spider-Man heard several shrill gasps. He was in an apartment living room. Spider-Man turned around to see a family of four gathered on the couch, scrambling to get up and away from him.
"Wait, wait!" he cried, "Don't worry, I'm not going to-"
Spider-Man's spider sense triggered a reactionary dodge to a flying table lamp, causing it to smash against the wall behind him. He turned and saw the family's father charging at him now.
"No, wait!" pled Spider-Man, dodging punch after punch from the man "I don't mean any harm! Seriously!"
Spider-Man ducked one of the punches, causing the man to punch through the wall instead. Spider-Man quickly fired a web to keep his arm stuck there. The rest of the family was gone now, having run out of the house in fear.
In their defense, thought Spider-Man, a man wearing a mask over his face did just show up in their living room and smash their stuff.
"ARGH!"
Spider-Man clutched his head in pain. It was another strong pang of spider sense, the same one that had brought him here in the first place. It was stronger now. Whoever was setting it off, they were close.
"Freeze!" shouted a woman.
Spider-Man looked up, expecting to see a police officer. Instead he saw a lanky but muscular figure wearing a spider suit much like his own, but with a white, navy, and turquoise color scheme and a hood fashioned over the head. Spider-Man recognized the way she was standing too; it was one of his own battle stances.
"Whoa," said the woman, "Who are you supposed to be?"
"Uh," began Spider-Man nervously, "I'm Spider-Man."
"Spider-Man?" asked the woman, "Seriously? I don't remember franchising."
"I… Um…"
"Skip it," said the woman impatiently, "Just get to the part where you tell me why you're here."
"He's a maniac!" screamed the family's father, still webbed to the wall, "He attacked us in our home!"
"No, it's not like that!" insisted Spider-Man, "I went through an interdimensional portal and… and…"
The woman was standing with her hands on her hips now, tapping her foot.
"Okay, I know how that sounds," said Spider-Man, "but- Hey!"
The woman had fired a web from either of her wrists, pinning Spider-Man to the wall behind him by both of his shoulders. Spider-Man's spider sense didn't catch that. Frustrated, he pulled either web off and detached himself. The webbing was the same makeup as his own, meaning it could be removed if pulled gently.
"How did you-?" began the woman, but she shook her head dismissively and fired webs again.
This time three strings of web came from either of her wrists, all latching onto Spider-Man's chest. Spider-Man went to pull these off the same way, but found that this web fluid was different. It wasn't coming off. Then Spider-Man saw the woman click something on her wrists. The webs leading from her to Spider-Man suddenly lit up. Spider-Man screamed in pain as he suddenly felt his body convulsing in electrical shock.
NO! he thought in a panic, NOT AGAIN!
Spider-Man's body was acting on pure instinct now. He grabbed the strings of webbing, still electrifying him, and fought through his muscle convulsions to yank the woman toward him. Caught off guard, the woman stumbled toward Spider-Man just close enough for him to charge her with a shoulder check, knocking her over and ending the electrical shock.
"Alright," said the woman, quickly recomposing herself, "No more games!"
"No, wait!"
She ran and swung a haymaker at him. Spider-Man dodged, but she followed up with an uppercut. Spider-Man only barely blocked the blow with his right hand, using his left to block her follow-up kick. Then she leapt into the air and delivered a somersaulting downward kick with her other leg. Spider-Man dodged, but the blow still grazed the side of his head, sending him stumbling back. The woman then rushed him with a tackle, sending them both crashing through the window behind him.
The two found themselves falling down the side of the apartment complex, interlocked in combat. Spider-Man was still mostly just trying to block and dodge, while the woman was fully on the offensive now. Spider-Man brought up both his feet and kicked her in the gut with both of them, separating the two shortly before they hit the ground.
Spider-Man coughed out in pain as he landed painfully on his back in the dirt, sending up a cloud of dust. The woman was less lucky, landing squarely on top of a small collection of garbage cans. She cried out as her impact against the metal cans broke her fall and ripped open the garbage bags as the cans spilled over, leaving the woman groaning in a pile of rotting garbage.
"Is that Spider-Woman?" asked one onlooker.
"It totally is!" added another, "But who's that?"
Spider-Man got up to see a small crowd gathered, staring at both him and Spider-Woman. He looked over to her and saw her slowly pushing the piles of garbage off of her as she moaned in pain. Not wanting any further misunderstanding, Spider-Man fired a web to a nearby building and swung away.
"Whoa," said someone, "He's got webbing too!"
"So is that Spider-Man then?"
"I didn't know she was franchising."
By the time Spider-Woman got to her feet her back was aching, she was dripping with some rank liquid from the garbage, and she smelled of rotten food. Spider-Man had already gotten away. Spider-Woman sighed in disappointment and fired her own web to swing off. She left, but not before several pictures were taken of her lying in a pile of garbage.
Spider-Woman Defeated and Humiliated by "Spider-Man"
"Ugh!" groaned Gwen angrily, throwing the copy of the Daily Bugle angrily at the wall.
"Come on," sighed Em Jay, "You know better than to let them get to you at this point."
"I already have to deal with plenty of negative press," said Gwen, "I don't need 'Not as good as male pretender' added to their ammo."
Gwen Stacy and Em Jay Watson had only recently moved in together. They had been in a band together since high school, though things had gotten rocky for their friendship when Gwen initially acquired her powers. Em Jay was among the first to learn Gwen's secret identity and eventually became something of a confidant.
They were sitting in their apartment, recounting the events of the past day. Gwen Stacy, who bore the mantle of Spider-Woman when she put on the mask, had felt the strongest pang of spider sense she had felt in years. She had followed it to the source and found "Spider-Man."
"Any idea who he is?" asked Em Jay, picking up the paper and flipping to a picture of him.
"No," said Gwen, "but I think his powers are just like mine."
"Really?" confirmed Em Jay, "And he said Spider-Man was his name? That wasn't just a headline thing?"
"Yup," said Gwen.
"What do you think he wants?"
"No idea," said Gwen, "He ran away as soon as I fell into that garbage."
"Classy."
"Maybe that was his goal."
"How do you figure?"
"Well," said Gwen, putting her thoughts together as she spoke, "First, he somehow managed to trigger my spider sense from halfway across the city. Second, his powers and name seem to intentionally mimic mine. Third, he left as soon as I had been publicly disgraced."
"You think he wants to ruin your reputation?" scoffed Em Jay.
"I think he wants to prove himself superior," said Gwen, "I think he's trying to discredit me so he can be the new spider person in town."
"Don't you think that sounds a little paranoid?"
"You have a better explanation?"
"Not my area of expertise," shrugged Em Jay, "If he attacked you with a guitar maybe I could be of more help."
"Nnngh…" groaned Gwen in frustration, staring at the photo in the paper of her covered in filth, "This is so embarrassing."
"It can't be as bad as that time Liz put a stink bomb in your backpack," said Em Jay.
"Thanks."
"Or that time she gave you a massive wedgie in front of the entire football team."
"Thanks."
"Didn't she give you a swirly once, too?"
"Thank you very much, Em Jay!" shouted Gwen angrily, pink in the face.
"So what's your next move?"
"He wants to see who's the better spider?" smiled Gwen, "Fine, I'll just have to beat him at his own game."
"Wow, cryptic enough?" sighed Em Jay, "Just let me know if you're going to be late for practice."
Peter cringed with regret when he saw today's copy of the Bugle. That had absolutely not been what he intended.
Following his escape from Spider-Woman, Spider-Man had quickly stolen a set of clothes from the first store he came across. He knew that running around in the spandex would just continue to draw unnecessary attention to him. Still, he had to figure out a way to learn more about Spider-Woman. Not to mention a way to get home.
"Hey kid," said the stall operator gruffly, "You gonna buy that or what?"
Peter offered an apologetic wave and continued walking. What was this phenomenon with his spider sense? Why did so many different people seem to have these same powers? Why did they seem connected by it somehow?
Peter caught sight of himself on a TV in a window display. More specifically, he caught sight of Spider-Man on the TV. The news was running the story of the Spider-Man sightings, displaying the photos as they did. The program continued showing footage of Spider-Woman talking into the camera. Peter couldn't hear through the window, but he read it in the captions:
"If this Spider-Man has any self-respect at all, he'll meet me at the north end of the Manhattan Bridge tonight at 6:00 to settle this."
Great... thought Peter.
He didn't want to take the bait, especially since the last thing he wanted was a continued feud with her. He did need to find out more about her though, so he resolved to meet her at the appointed time and place.
It was actually getting close to that time already. Peter ducked into a back alley, changed back into his Spider-Man costume, ran out into the street, and swung off toward the Manhattan Bridge.
"Hey, look!" shouted someone, "It's that Spider-Man guy!"
"Yeah!" shouted another, "You go teach that bitch a lesson!"
Seriously? thought Peter, Is THIS the way I get public support!?
Spider-Man felt bad for Spider-Woman. She seemed to be as unpopular here as Spider-Man was in his own world. It really wasn't fair how quickly everyone was jumping to his side just because they hated her. It reminded Spider-Man far too much about how he was generally treated.
Spider-Man arrived at the bridge at the appointed time. Spider-Woman was standing on the Arch and Colonnade, hands on her hips and stance wide. A bit of a crowd had gathered for the confrontation. There were half a dozen news crews present. Spider-Man didn't like that. He swung up to the far end of the Arch and Colonnade. The two spider-powered vigilantes faced one another.
"Interesting choice of venue," quipped Spider-Man, "was the George Washington Bridge all booked up?"
"No. That place gives me the creeps for some reason," she said, "Kinda like you."
"I don't want to fight," said Spider-Man.
"NOW you don't want to fight?" scoffed Spider-Woman, "Tell that to the family whose home you wrecked."
"That wasn't my fault!"
"Oh? And I suppose humiliating me on the front page was an accident?"
"YES!"
"We can wrap this up quickly," said Spider-Woman, "Take that mask off and tell me who you are."
"I'd rather not do that in public."
"Oh? Does accountability scare you?"
"Yeah?" said Spider-Man, getting angry, "Why don't you take off your mask first?"
"You have no idea why I do this, do you!?" demanded Spider-Woman, "Why I wear this mask?"
"I imagine it's similar to why I wear mine."
"Sorry to disappoint," said Spider-Woman, "but I don't do this to stroke my own fragile male ego."
"Okay, fine!" conceded Spider-Man angrily, "Have it your way! You wanna fight? Let's fight!"
Spider-Woman ran at Spider-Man as the crowd erupted into cheers of excitement. Spider-Man dodged Spider-Woman's first punch and went to elbow her in the gut to slow her down. Spider-Woman caught his elbow, stopping the blow in its tracks. She began to squeeze the elbow and push back. Spider-Man cried out in pain. She was stronger than him.
Spider-Man disengaged and rolled away, clutching his bruised elbow. He wasn't going to be able to take her in a close-quarters fight. He'd have to change things up if he wanted to survive much longer.
"Come on," he taunted, "Let's do this like the web slingers we are!"
Spider-Man fired a web off to the side and swung away from the arch. Spider-Woman followed closely behind, both of them swinging on the buildings alongside the bridge. Spider-Man wasn't sure what his plan was; just because he couldn't outfight her didn't mean he could necessarily outrun her.
One of Spider-Woman's webs caught Spider-Man's ankle.
"Oh no."
Spider-Man yelped as he was yanked backward by the leg, flailing about in the air as he flew right toward Spider-Woman. She brought her arm and clotheslined him midair, hitting his throat hard and sending him falling onto the roof of the car directly below him.
Spider-Man groaned, happy he was only about one story in the air at the time. He rolled off of the damaged car and braced himself against it to keep his balance. He was still disoriented. Shaking it off, he took a step forward and looked for Spider-Woman.
He found her when she leapt down and landed on his shoulders. Spider-Man winced and braced his legs, remaining standing as she stood on top of his shoulders. Her balance and grace continued to impress Spider-Man. Then she crouched, still balanced on his shoulders, reached down his back and pulled up the bottom of his shirt.
"You know something?" she asked snidely, "I think you could use a little taste of humiliation yourself!"
Spider-Man didn't have time to react before she reached down his spandex pants, grabbed the waistband of his compression shorts, and yanked them up with all of her spider strength. Spider-Man's face contorted in pain under the mask as he felt the nylon stab deep into his butt and crush his balls.
"Believe it or not," squeaked Spider-Man, clutching his crotch, "I think I have a pretty good understanding of the concept…"
Spider-Woman released the waistband, letting it snap back to Spider-Man's butt. She did a backflip off his shoulders and snap kicked him in the face on her way down. Spider-Man's head flew back and bounced off the damaged car.
Before Spider-Man could collapse on the ground, Spider-Woman grabbed him by the stretched out elastic and swung him around, hurling back up at the Manhattan Bridge. Spider-Man squawked in pain as he flew through the air and landed on the subway tracks. Spider-Woman leapt up after him and pinned him on his back before he could react, straddling him.
"Wait!" cried Spider-Man, but Spider-Woman ended the fight with one last punch to his head, knocking him out.
"Alright," said Spider-Woman, grabbing his mask, "Let's see who you are, you little-"
Spider-Woman let out a gasp when she saw his face.
"...Peter?" she whispered.
"This is unprecedented," said Donald, "They're genetically identical."
"And we're sure Peter's still in his cell?" clarified Samantha.
"Yes," said Gwen solemnly, "I double checked."
"Then who IS this?" asked Jessica.
"Good question," said Gwen.
Peter, who had had his mask, gloves, and web shooters removed, was unconscious and strapped to a steel medical table. Donald Blake, Samantha Wilson, Gwen Stacy, Jessica Jones, and Janet van Dyne all stood around looking at him.
The S.H.I.E.L.D. Saber Facility was a highly advanced base located under New York City. It served as the primary base of operations for the Avengers, led by Samantha Wilson as Captain America. Also on the team were Wasp, Thor, Jewel, and Spider-Woman herself.
Gwen had changed out of her spider suit and into baggy blue jeans and a white hoodie that accentuated her platinum blonde hair. She had an extremely concerned look on her face. Jessica wore a sweater over her unflattering jeans and dorky gym shoes, fiddling with her har. Donald Blake wore his usual slacks and button down, using his cane to get around the room. Janet looked as sharp as ever with her tightly cut hair, high waisted blue shorts, and beige top. Samantha Wilson was out of costume as well, wearing a T-shirt over skinny jeans and boots.
"He's waking up," said Donald.
"I'll conduct the interrogation," said Samantha sternly, "The rest of you are to leave."
"Sam-" began Gwen, but Samantha stopped her with a hand.
"That's an order," she said, "All of you, out. I'll let you know what I learn."
They all nodded and slowly left the room. Gwen was the last one to leave, taking a moment to look back at Peter sadly before finally walking out. Samantha paced back and forth, waiting for Peter to fully come to.
"Nnnngh…" he muttered, "...well I'm going to guess I lost that fight."
"You'd be guessing correctly," said Samantha.
"Oh, hello," said Peter, taking in his surroundings.
He had been kidnapped so often at this point that it hardly phased him anymore.
"Do you know why you're here?"
"The most convoluted misunderstanding in modern history?"
"Does the name Peter Parker mean anything to you?"
Peter was nervous. Should he answer? This wasn't his own universe, so he didn't know that his identity mattered as much. Then again, he had no idea how long he'd be stuck there. His indecision tried Samantha's patience.
"How about Gwendolyn Stacy," she added, "That name ring a bell?"
It didn't.
"Listen," sighed Peter, "Can I just tell you my side of this?"
"Go ahead."
"I'm… not from around here," he began, "I'm from another universe: Reality-1. Er, well, I guess for you THIS would be Reality-1. Man, this is getting confusing."
"Another universe?" asked Samantha, voice dripping with skepticism.
"Yes," said Peter, "I know how it sounds, but my universe was visited by time travelers. My friend used what we learned from that to build his own time machine. Only it didn't send me forward or backward in time, it sent me sideways. So here I am."
"Very well," said Samantha, "Say I believe you: why are you here?"
"I need to talk to Spider-Woman."
Samantha Wilson made a face.
"I don't want to hurt her or anything!" insisted Peter, "It's just that… I think there's something about our powers that connects us somehow. I felt her from my universe when the portal opened. I think she felt me too, but I have to talk to her."
"And if she doesn't want to talk to you?"
"...then I guess I should find a way back home."
Samantha considered for a moment. Then she walked out of the room. She walked around the observation room where the others had been watching the exchange through a one-way window. They all turned to Samantha when she entered the room.
"Think he was telling the truth?" asked Jessica.
"His pulse didn't falter," commented Donald, watching the medical info on his tablet.
"What do you make of this, Gwen?" Samantha asked.
"I don't know," she said, "It's… surreal. His powers really are just like mine. And he's right. My spider sense went off the charts when he showed up. It led me right to him."
"It sounds like his story holds at least some water," concluded Samantha, "but is it even scientifically possible?"
"If anyone would know," said Donald, "it'd be Bruce. He's been studying temporal physics."
"Get him here," ordered Samantha, "Gwen, did you want to speak with this Peter?"
She nodded.
"Clear out, everybody," ordered Samantha, "I don't want anyone in this room until Gwen is done. We'll reconvene after I speak with Bruce."
Gwen looked at Peter through the one-way window. He did have some of the same mannerisms as her Peter. He even had the same sense of humor. It was hard to look at. Still, she had to know. She steeled herself and entered the room.
"Hey," she said as she walked in.
"Hi," said Peter, looking over, "I don't believe we've met."
The weird thing is: we have, thought Gwen.
"I'm Spider-Woman, Peter."
Peter froze. He didn't want to say or do anything that would compromise his identity. Then again, she had just confessed to being Spider-Woman. Their fight had just been over a misunderstanding, maybe he could trust her.
"Well then you'll be happy to know that the wedgie is still in there," scoffed Peter, "Not like anyone removed it for me when I was out. Feels like the nylon's halfway to my small intestine by now."
"Yeah…" muttered Gwen, blushing, "I'm… really sorry about that."
"Don't be," dismissed Peter jokingly, "People kick my butt all the time. Comes with the job."
"I mean I'm sorry about the wedgie specifically."
"Oh," said Peter in confusion, "It's okay. Why?"
"...do you really not recognize me?" she asked.
Peter shook his head.
"Well I recognize you," she said, "This is… surreal."
"Have we met?"
"I have."
"What?"
"I'm sorry," stuttered Gwen, backing away, "I can't- I have to go."
She rushed out of the room, leaving Peter to watch in confusion. What was her deal?
"Theoretically, yes," said Bruce, pulling up a chalkboard, "Assuming we subscribe to the Nur theory that time is only one dimension of a larger transdimensional plane."
"Uh…" murmured Jessica, completely lost.
"Think of it this way," said Bruce, using his chalk to put a dot on the board, "This is us, right here, right now."
"Okay…"
"This is everything that's ever happened before," explained Bruce, drawing a line in one direction from the dot, "our past."
"Right…"
"And this," he said, drawing the line out from the opposite direction on the dot, "Is our future. Or more specifically, one of our futures."
"Um…"
"This," he said, drawing another line from the dot, "is another one of our futures. Nur's theory holds that all of these times and space exist simultaneously, in a manner of speaking."
"So he's from the future?" clarified Jessica, scratching her head.
"Not quite," explained Bruce, "You see, we're not the only ones with more than one future. Our past selves have them too."
"..."
"Here," said Bruce, pointing to the line that represented the past and placing his chalk at a single point along it, "Let's say this moment was… the fall of the Berlin Wall, right? Or any point in the past. Well, we know that we're currently living in one of its futures, but what if there was another?"
Bruce drew a line out from the line in the past, creating another branch alongside the rest of the diagram.
"And what if this," continued Bruce, circling a point on the branched timeline, "is right here, right now, but in a different future?"
"Hm…"
"And what if someone found a way," said Bruce, drawing a dotted line between that point and the point from which he started, "to connect them?"
"...huh."
"Make sense?"
"Yes, actually," nodded Jessica.
"I think he's telling the truth," said Gwen suddenly.
The others all turned to her.
"You sure?" asked Janet.
"Yes," nodded Gwen, "If alternate dimensions can really happen, then his explanation is the only one that fits. He must be telling the truth."
"Then we should let him go," said Donald.
"And find him a way home," added Samantha, looking to Bruce. Bruce nodded.
The rest of them walked down to the holding area where Peter was being kept. They walked in. Donald tapped some options on his tablet and a small chime sounded. The restraints opened up, freeing Peter. He got up, shoved both hands down the back of his pants, and let out a long sigh. Janet and Jessica giggled. Gwen blushed.
"So," said Peter, "What changed? Why are you letting me go?"
"Because we believe you," said Gwen.
"...thanks."
Peter looked around and realized he didn't know most of the people in the room. He wasn't quite sure how to act, seeing as they did help hold him captive. Then his eyes met Jessica's.
"Wait a minute!" he realized, "You're Jessica Jones!"
Jessica stepped back in astonishment. She didn't expect to be recognized.
"You look… different," he said.
"There's someone like me in your world?"
"Yeah," said Peter, "She's… really something. She's also one of my closest friends."
Jessica smiled. That seemed to make her... cheery. She really was nothing like the Jessica Peter knew.
The others went around introducing themselves as well. Finally, Peter formally introduced himself. They finally had confirmation of his name. Peter noticed Gwen uncomfortably avoiding eye contact.
"Can I ask something?" requested Peter.
"Yes," nodded Samantha.
"Is there… Someone like me in this universe?"
"No," said Gwen quickly, "You're nothing like him."
"Him?"
"Our world does have a Peter Parker," said Jessica quietly.
"...is he dead?"
"No," said Gwen, almost emotionless, "No, he's alive. He's here, actually. You can see him if you like."
"Gwen," cautioned Samantha, "Are you sure that you-?"
"Yes," she insisted, "I think it'll help him understand."
"I want to understand," affirmed Peter.
Gwen motioned for him to follow. He did. They began the long walk down the hall and entered an elevator. Peter was shocked at the number of basement floors on it. They began their long ascent to the deepest floor.
"So those web shooters," commented Peter, "Pretty nifty. How'd you get them?"
"I built them."
"Really?" asked Peter, "Does that mean you're the one who invented the multi web firing and electrified flud?"
"Yup."
"That's impressive!" smiled Peter, "Mine can only shoot the normal kind."
"We're here," said Gwen as the elevator arrived.
Peter frowned. She was not in the mood for smalltalk. This was deadly serious to her. What in the world had happened to him in this world?
Gwen punched in a code on a keypad at a security checkpoint. A heavy blast door opened, leading into some sort of airlock. The blast door behind them closed before the one in front of them opened.
"...what do you keep down here?" asked Peter with concern.
"It's not what," said Gwen, "it's who."
Gwen led Peter down a long dark hallway with blast doors lining either side. They approached a blast door labeled '65.' Gwen punched in another code as the blast door began to rise, revealing a glass wall behind it. On the other side of the glass was an all white room. Relaxing on the bed in that room was someone who looked identical to Peter wearing a prison uniform. It sent a shiver down his spine. The other Peter looked at them contemplatively. He walked over to the glass divider and stared intensely at Peter.
"What is this?" he asked, his voice coming out of a speaker over his cell, "A clone? ...no, too many inexplicable genetic variances…"
This Peter's attention shifted suddenly from Peter to Gwen.
"Who is he?"
Gwen didn't say a word. She just stared him down.
"Fine," he dismissed walking back to his bed, "Why start trusting me now, right?"
Gwen still didn't speak. Peter looked at his other. The other Peter suddenly rushed at the glass and pounded on it. Neither Gwen nor Peter's spider sense activated, so neither of them flinched. The glass held him easily. The other Peter grimaced, glaring at Gwen.
"What, was this just to taunt me?" he asked spitefully, "You found a new, more compliant version of me. Is that it? He seems nice. You two must get along splendidly."
Gwen said nothing.
"You know it's only a matter of time before she betrays you too," said the other Peter, "Isn't that right, Gwendolyn?"
She didn't speak.
"ANSWER ME!" he screamed, pounding on the glass again.
Gwen refused to move a muscle. She just continued to stare.
"You know what?" realized the other Peter with a smile, "Maybe you won't betray him. Maybe he's smarter than me. Maybe he won't give you the chance."
Peter considered speaking, but he wasn't sure what to make of what was happening. Why was this other version of him like this?
"That's what I want," whispered the other Peter, "I want him to turn on you the way you turned on me. I want him to give you hope that things will be alright. I want you to be happy. I want you to love him. Then I want him to trick you. I want him to let you believe he loves you too. Then, when you're at your weakest, when you're beaten and bruised, I want him to ruin you. I want him to let you know just how much he's repulsed by you and how every kind word was just pity. I want him to leave you broken and alone and I want you to DIE THAT WAY!"
"This is Peter Parker," said Gwen after a moment, "He was my best friend."
The other Peter scoffed and turned away.
"What happened?" asked Peter.
"I'll tell you what happened!" snapped the other Peter, spinning back to them, "I gave her everything. EVERYTHING. I lived every second of every day for her. She let me believe she felt the same way. If only I'd have known it was just because she thought I was pathetic. Then I wouldn't have been so hurt when she betrayed me!"
Peter saw Gwen wince.
"Let me be clear, Gwen," he continued, "You did betray me. It was your fault."
Peter saw Gwen's lip twitch, almost a quiver.
"It's because of you that I resorted to this," hissed the other Peter, his eyes turning black.
Peter gasped and stepped away as he watched the other Peter's very skull contort, jutting outwards under his skin in multiple directions. The protrusions slowly began to burst through the skin as long, fine hairs began to grow out of his body. He became larger and larger as his head turned a dark grey and more eyes opened in on his forehead. Two large mandibles grew out of his mouth. His lower back enlarged into a huge thorax with eight long spider legs growing out of it. The rest of his body dangled from the thorax as the spider legs stood up straight. Venom began to drip from the fangs.
"I lied earlier," whispered Gwen, her voice shaking, "When you asked if our Peter Parker was dead. The answer is yes. He died a long time ago."
Gwen turned away, taking a shrill gasp to hold back her sobs. The spider monstrosity in the cell chuckled.
"It's okay, Gwen," said the mutated Peter, "I know you're afraid of me. Of course you are; I'm actually willing to stand up to you. I have these powers now, and I will use them to take back what's been taken from me MY ENTIRE LIFE!"
The spider monstrosity turned to Peter. It tilted its head.
"You must have some powers too," he said, "I felt a surge of spider sense the other day. That was you, wasn't it? What are you using your powers for?"
Peter didn't respond. Gwen suddenly turned around and punched a code into the keypad. The blast door in front of the glass wall began to slowly come down as Gwen walked away Peter rushed after her. After passing through the checkpoint, they were back in the elevator again.
"...can I ask?" said Peter after a moment, "What was he talking about?"
Gwen sighed.
"Peter and I were best friends all through high school and even into college," she explained, "Junior year, there was this field trip to Oscorp. That's where I got my powers: a spider bite. I became Spider-Woman after that. Peter was the only one I told at first."
"You really trusted him," said Peter.
Gwen nodded, eyes tearing up.
"Yeah," she said, "Only he didn't feel exactly the same way. One day he confessed that he was in love with me; he said he had loved me like that since high school. I was shocked. I had no idea. I… didn't feel the same way about him. I loved him dearly as a friend, but I wasn't interested in…"
"He didn't take it well," realized Peter.
"Not at all," said Gwen, strained thinking about it, "Between that and years of bullying, he became convinced that the world owed him more. He created a crude version of the serum from the spider that gave me my powers and used it on himself. You saw what it did to him."
"Yeah," said Peter, "I don't know if I've ever seen anyone so hateful."
"That wasn't the serum," said Gwen shaking her head, "He was like that the moment I turned him down."
"...it sounds like he missed out on an awesome friend," said Peter.
"Yeah," sighed Gwen, wiping her nose on her sleeve, "Maybe."
"I'm sorry," apologized Peter, knowing there was only so much he could say.
"It's fine."
The elevator arrived.
"Come on," she said, "Let's see if Bruce has figured out a way to get you home."
Peter nodded. He saw that Gwen was connected to him just like Miles, Cindy, and Peter B. were. She was close with a Peter Parker too. Peter sadly accepted that not every spider person would be connected to him in a comfortable way.
"Wow!" exclaimed Peter, "You did all of that today?"
"Don't get too excited," explained Bruce, "It's an indelicate solution. We should be able to use the residue from your trip here to forge a path back for you, but it might get a little bumpy."
"Fine by me," said Peter.
Bruce, Peter, and Gwen were all in another room in the facility. Bruce had successfully rigged the Dyne Particle accelerator to break a hole in space-time when it activated. Theoretically, he could send Peter home that way.
"Leaving so soon?" asked Samantha from behind.
Peter turned around to see Samantha, Donald, Jessica, and Janet.
"Yeah," said Peter, "My friends are probably pretty worried by this point. It's been over a day since I went into that machine."
"Why did you come here anyway?" asked Janet.
"I wanted to find Spider-Woman," he explained, "I wanted to understand. I think I do now, at least a little bit."
"Well tell your Jessica I say 'hi!'" smiled Jessica, "Hope you visit again soon, Peter!"
"...are you sure your name is Jessica Jones?"
"...yes?"
"Sorry, that joke would be a lot funnier if you knew my Jessica."
"We're ready when you are, Pete!" announced Bruce from the controls.
"Alright everybody," said Peter, pulling his mask on, "It's been real."
"Stand in front of the accelerator," said Bruce.
Peter did just that. Bruce powered up the machine as Peter waved good-bye to the Avengers of Reality-4. There was a bright flash of light.
"Holy-!"
"Did it work?"
"There he is! I see him!"
The light faded and Peter was standing under the arch of Amadeus's time machine. His vision cleared up and soon he saw Amadeus, Cindy, Mary Jane, and Jessica all standing a few feet away from him.
"Peter!" cried Mary Jane in relief, rushing up to him.
Peter opened his arms as Mary Jane rushed in and embraced him, squeezing him as tightly as she could. Peter gently placed his arms around her and brought her in close. He held her tight. He promised himself that he would never undervalue her kindness or friendship like the other Peter had done with Gwen. He was in love with Mary Jane. For that, he owed her everything. The hug ceased when Mary Jane ripped off the mask and pulled Peter's head in for a long kiss.
"Gross," coughed Jessica.
"Alright, alright," said Cindy, "Save it for the bedroom, you two!"
"You're one to talk," scoffed Jessica, recalling the countless times Peter and Cindy had been openly horny in front of her.
"What happened?" asked Amadeus, "What did you see?"
"It's not what I saw," said Peter, "It's what I learned."
"Oh my God!" groaned Jessica, "Even after being missing in an alternate dimension, you can't help but be a massive nerd, can you?"
"Hey," said Peter as he walked into the apartment.
"Hey," said Jessica, not looking up from her laptop.
Jessica often left her door unlocked during the day when she was in the apartment. She knew that she was personally more of a burglary deterrent than a locked wooden door. Peter had taken to letting himself in on these occasions.
"So?" asked Peter expectantly, "Did you find anything?"
"Your alternate ex-girlfriend or whatever is nothing special," said Jessica, "She works as an assistant in the R&D Department at the Baxter Building. None of their high level stuff though."
"You sure it's her?"
"She's a blonde named Gwen Stacy," said Jessica plainly, "That's all I had to go off of."
"And there's nothing else unusual about her?" clarified Peter, "No connections to any tied to Oscorp or the radiation experiments?"
"No," said Jessica, "I looked pretty deep into this, Peter. No powers, no high tech weapons, no spider nonsense. She just leads a normal life."
Peter smiled.
"What?" asked Jessica.
"Nothing," said Peter, "I'm happy for her."