AN: I wanted to be the first one to do a crossover between these two shows, so now here we are. I chose to use the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon for this story, because that's the best version of Spider-Man. He was the kind of person who believed in others. He gave people second chances, even if they were the worst of the worst. He always tried to give people a fair shake. And most importantly, he never gave up. And I know that the show might have been a bit goofy, but it nailed it when it came to showing us what a true hero should look like.
With that all being said, I think the way that the people treated The Shield Hero wasn't just cruel and uncalled for, but it was also downright unfair. And I just know that if this version of Spider-Man had to go through the same thing as The Shield Hero, then he probably would have handled it much better than he did. So if you'd like, then you can just picture this story as a way for Spidey to tell everyone in the anime to "Bring it on."
Also, this story will take place after the series finale of Ultimate Spider-Man, and right at the start of the Rising of The Shield Hero anime. Simply because I have watched all the anime, but I haven't read a single word of any of the novels.
Now let's jump into it.
New York City
For the first time in a long time, things were actually going pretty well for Peter Parker. As well as things can go for New York's most infamous superhero, of course. Unknown to a great deal of The Big Apple; Peter Parker is actually the web slinging superhero, Spider-Man. He's done a lot of good as Spider-Man. However, his single greatest regret was his inability to save his Uncle Ben.
When he was fifteen, his uncle was killed by a burglar who broke into their house. Peter then used his powers to track down the burglar. He had him cornered, and was ready to end him. But then he remembered that that's not what Uncle Ben would have wanted. He would have wanted Peter to be a good man. He always told Peter, with great power, comes great responsibility.
So Peter instead left the burglar for the cops. To this day, the one bit of comfort that he carries with him, is knowing that his Uncle Ben would be proud of him. Proud of all the people he's saved. Proud of all the things he's done. He's had many adventures since he became Spider-Man. S.H.I.E.L.D. trained him to become The Ultimate Spider-Man. He was at one point, part of the Avengers.
He went on to inspire a whole new generation of heroes. He went toe to toe with the Sinister Six, and came out on top. He prevented a war between humans and inhumans. He explored the multiverse, twice. He even saved New York from The Grandmaster and The Collector; two brothers with a lot of cosmic power, and way too much free time on their hands.
Although there were some who were grateful to Spider-Man, there were also those who hated him. Chief among those people was J. Jonah Jameson. He would constantly use his Daily Bugle news outlet to slander Spider-Man, at any chance he got. Although lately, Jameson has been rather quiet. Peter has been swinging around the city in his Spider-Man outfit for about an hour, and he hasn't heard a peep out of Jonah on any of the jumbotrons.
"Huh, no J.J today? Maybe he has a cold or something" Peter said in between swings. Peter was supposed to be meeting MJ today, but he thought that he could have some Spider-Man time before he had to meet up with her.
Then he perched himself on a building, right before he got a call on his S.H.I.E.L.D. communicator. When the picture came to life, it was revealed that MJ was the one who was calling him. "Peter, you said you were going to be here half an hour ago. Where are you?"
"I'm only a few blocks away. I'll be there soon, honest" Peter said. Just then, an explosion can be heard off in the distance.
"Peter, what was that?" MJ asked.
"Uh...nothing, got to go" he said as he cut the call short. MJ was going to kill him if he made her wait any longer. But he knew that if people were in danger, then he had to help. So he jumped off the building and swung towards the disturbance.
When he got there, he saw that Molten Man was tearing up the neighborhood, and hurtling fireballs at the cops. Spidey hadn't replaced his S.H.I.E.L.D. Web-Shooters, since his last fight with Doctor Octopus; and he couldn't afford to wait for any of the other heroes to show up. So the question was, how to stop a guy who's covered in flames from head to toe. He then racked his brain until he came up with a solution.
If he couldn't beat him with fists, then he'd just have to outsmart him. He then jumped down to ground level and said "Hey Molten Man; you know, I'm supposed to be across town right now. Which means you're making me break a promise to a friend. So let's try to make this quick."
"Oh I'm sorry, did I pick a bad day to go on a rampage?" Molten Man said before he started laughing.
Molten Man started throwing fireball after fireball at Spider-Man. Thankfully, Spidey was able to dodge every single one of them. He then countered by firing multiple shots of webbing at him. But the webs evaporated when they made contact with his skin. "Is that all you got, because that was just pathetic" Molten Man mocked.
"Well, you know what they say. If at first you don't succeed-" Spider-Man said as he fired a web-line that went right past his enemy.
"HA! You missed!" Said Molten Man.
"Uh, dude, I was So not aiming for you" Spidey said. Then he yanked on the web-line, ripping a fire hydrant right out of the ground. The water shot out of the ground like a mini geyser, before Spider-Man created a web net to narrow the stream at Molten Man.
Molten Man was getting drenched by water, until he finally collapsed. Spidey put the fire hydrant back in its place, and webbed it to the ground. Hopefully, it would hold until the city could properly get it fixed. Spider-Man approached his enemy and said "You know, my only regret right now, is not thinking of any good jokes for splashing you with all that water."
"I...hate...you" Molten Man said before he passed out.
"Sweet dreams, wet head. Ah man, I shoulda used that one. Hey, you guys got this from here, right? Because I've got somewhere I've gotta be right now" Spider-Man said to the cops before he shot off a web-line and swung away.
Peter was running down the sidewalk, with his Web-Shooters and costume safely nestled away in his backpack. He was supposed to be meeting MJ at the public library to help her study for some college entrance exams. But when he finally reached her, she looked disappointed. Probably because he made her wait too long. No one in the world has been a better friend to Peter than Mary Jane Watson. They've been best friends even since they were children; and the one thing she asked of him, was to help her with her studying. But he couldn't even be on time for that.
"What happened?" MJ said in a calm demeanor; despite her annoyance with his tardiness.
"Molten Man was tearing up the city, and throwing fireballs at the cops. So I had to stop him." Mary Jane was now upset that Peter didn't call for backup.
"You should have called, Peter. I would have helped you. Now I feel like a jerk for stressing about you being late. And all while you were fighting a supervillain."
"I couldn't afford to wait. He could have really hurt someone, given enough time. And besides, I did manage to beat him fairly easy."
"That's not the point. I thought that you would have learned by now, that you don't have to do this alone anymore. I know you can handle yourself; I just hate the thought of you getting hurt."
MJ's worries weren't altogether unwarranted. She and Peter only graduated from S.H.I.L.E.D. Academy a month ago. But a month in New York, can feel like an eternity of strangeness. A lot's happened to the both of them. MJ learned that all of her friends were secretly superheroes. She was bounded to the Carnage Symbiote, to become the Ultimate Spider-Woman. However, Peter also had no shortage of adventures/misadventures.
He's helped save the world at least half a dozen times. He has been cloned. Some of his greatest villains figured out who he really was. His family's been threatened on more than one occasion. Also, the last time they fought, Doc Ock destroyed his S.H.I.E.L.D. Web-Shooters.
MJ did ask Peter why he never replaced his Web-Shooters. Especially since the ones that Nick Fury gave him, could do so many amazing things. But when he was asked, Peter simply said that he just wanted to stick with his old ones for a while. They made him feel special. Because for a time, they were something that only Peter Parker could come up with. Although, his newer ones probably would have helped him in his fight with Molten Man. "I know you're right, and I'm sorry. Next time, I'll call you" Peter said.
"Ok, good. Now we better get going before the library closes" MJ responded.
When MJ and Peter made it to the library, they found time to talk in between their study sessions. "So, I guess you'll be majoring in journalism at college" Peter said.
"Yep, I'm going to work hard until I become a great reporter. You just watch. I'll be ten times the reporter Jameson is." Peter knew that MJ would be a great reporter one day. She always had a strong sense of focus and determination. Although, it's not as if being better than Jameson would be tough. In his opinion, almost everyone was better than Jameson. "So what about you? What are you going to do when you're not saving New York? Have you given it any thought?" MJ asked.
"As a matter of fact, I have. I want to go to a college where I can study to become a scientist. That way, I can help people both as Spider-Man, and as Peter Parker."
"You know, Nick Fury could probably pull some strings and get you into a really good college; considering all the good things that you've done for everyone. All you would have to do is ask him" MJ stated.
"Maybe, but that's not what Uncle Ben would do. And it's not what I'm going to do either. MJ, no one can give me what I want. I have to work hard and earn it. Otherwise, I'd be unworthy of it." In truth, it was that kind of attitude that made MJ admire Peter the most. His drive to be responsible, and to not take the easy way out.
Her and Peter had always been close friends. But after seeing him grow into the good man who would come to save the city, and still manage to be there for the people he cared about; she started to wonder if maybe her feelings for him had changed. MJ tried to fight these feelings. But the more she fought, the stronger they got. They tried dating once when they were younger; and even though it ended up not working out, a lot's changed since then.
They weren't the same people that they once were. She was almost certain that she was falling in love with him. After Peter got up from the table they were sitting at to go get another book, MJ figured that it would probably be best to tell Peter how she felt about him; while she still had enough courage to do it. So she got up and went after him.
Peter was browsing the bookshelves when MJ came to speak to him. "Peter, there's something that I've been meaning to ask you. How would you feel if I told you that I wanted to be more than friends?" He was a little surprised by her question. But it didn't take him too long to respond.
"Didn't we already try that when we were twelve?"
"Yeah, but we're not kids anymore. And the thought of kissing doesn't gross me out like it used to. The point is that we've always been best friends. And we've both grown a lot over the years. You're a good man, Peter; and you're the one I want to be with. I love you." Peter was amazed at what she said; and he knew that it took a lot of courage for MJ to put herself on the spot like that. He also knew how that kind of strength, deserved a response.
"The truth is, I've loved you for a very long time, MJ. I love everything about you. You're beyond beautiful, your kind, you've got a strong spirit; and I love how easy it is to talk to you. And if I was going to be in a relationship with anyone, then there's no one I'd rather be with than you. I love you." With all that being said, Peter and MJ leaned in for a sweet kiss. After they separated from the kiss, Peter said "Wow, so I guess this makes us a couple then, huh?"
"Looks like it. Face it tiger; you just hit the jackpot!" She responded before wrapping her arms around him in a hug. When the hug ended, Peter went back to browsing for books.
But when he reached for one book, he accidentally knocked a few more onto the ground. He went to pick them up, when one caught his eye. It was called The Four Cardinal Weapons. MJ was kinda curious about the book he was holding; so she asked him to read it to her.
"Let's see, in order to save the world from the waves of apocalyptic catastrophe, four heroes will be summoned from another world. Seems pretty straight forward; especially for someone who's seen the multiverse like I have. Anyway, it says that each hero wields a distinctive weapon. A sword, a spear, a bow, or a shield." The more Peter read about the book, the more interested he was in it. Sadly, every page after the one about The Shield Hero, was blank. "Where's the rest of it?" Peter asked.
Then the book started to glow with a golden light. It was so bright that MJ could barely keep her eyes open. When the light died down, Peter had vanished; and the book was lying on the floor. "Peter, PETER!" MJ shouted in a panicked state. She couldn't believe that this was happening. She's only had a boyfriend for five minutes; and now he just disappeared.
Whatever was going on here, she was fairly certain that the book had something to do with it. So she picked it up to examine it. Sure it looked like a regular book; but regular books couldn't make people disappear. "I gotta figure this out. Maybe somebody at S.H.I.E.L.D. can help." She said before she took the book and left. Wherever Peter was, she was going to get him back.
Peter was falling down what looked like a tunnel of light; until he landed face first onto a hard floor. Then Peter started to hear voices; and when he looked up, a group of people who were wearing hooded robes, stood before him. Based on their appearance alone, it was pretty easy for him to conclude that they were one out of three things. Either they were monks, priests, or worse; they could be cultists.
But when they referred to him as a "Brave hero" and asked him to save their world from evil; he was starting to think that they may be more priests than cultists, thank God. However, when he was getting to his feet, he realized that he wasn't the only one they brought there.
Besides him, there were three other guys who seemed out of place; and they all looked to be of Asian decent. One of them had long blonde hair, tied into a ponytail, and wielded a spear. Another had black hair, and held a sword. The last one had almost a blondish greenish color of hair, and he carried a bow.
Then when Peter moved his arm, he felt something move with it. He looked down and saw that a small silver shield with a green gem in the center of it, was now attached to his right arm. Now he's seen some strange things in his life; but he had to admit that this was a whole new level of weirdness, even for him.
Then the priests made mention of them being The Four Cardinal Heroes who would be summoned to their world, in order to protect it. They then begged them to save their world. Peter still wasn't quite sure what was going on. Although, he figured that the least he could do was to hear them out. Unfortunately, the other heroes didn't share his patients. They didn't see why they should save someone else's world for free.
Then they arrogantly demanded rewards, respect, and to be sent home. Peter couldn't believe that they were behaving this way. That's not how heroes should act. If someone's in trouble, then you should help them, period. Then the priests suggested that the heroes talk to the king of their land, before they made any decisions. The other three heroes didn't mind that idea, so long as their demands were met.
The priests explained to them that they were on another world, in the country of Melromarc. As they looked out a window of one of the castle's towers, they could confirm that to be true. Outside the castle was a city that neither of them recognized. Eventually they made it to the throne room; where they stood before the king. "So you young men are The Four Cardinal Heroes of ancient legend. This is the land of Melromarc; and I am her king, Aultcray Melromarc the 32nd. Welcome, brave heroes. Please identify yourselves."
"Ren Amaki. I'm a high school student; and I'm sixteen years old." The one with the sword said.
"I'm Motoyasu Kitamura. College student, twenty one." Said the one who held the spear.
"I suppose I'm up next. Itsuki Kawasumi. Still in high school and I'm seventeen." The one who carries the bow said.
"Guess that leaves me. My name is-"
"Good. Ren, Motoyasu and Itsuki" the king said.
"Hey king, aren't you forgetting someone?" Peter said in annoyance, because of the king's disregard of him. The king apologized for skipping him. But the other heroes thought that it was disrespectful for Peter to address him simply as king. However, the king said that it would be fine to refer to him as king; and then he told him to proceed with his introduction.
"I'm Peter Parker. I'm eighteen years old; and I'm currently studying to get into college." However, after he was done with his introduction, the king went back to ignoring him; which kind of annoyed Peter. The king explained that the country of Melromarc and the world that surrounds it, were heading for destruction.
Apparently, there is an apocalyptic prophecy that speaks of a time where this world will be attacked by an invasion of monsters. They call this invasion "Waves." If the waves aren't stoped, it will mean the end of everything. Each country in this world, has a dragon hourglass that counts down until the waves arrival. As long as the sand flows in an hourglass, there will always be more waves.
The people of this world have managed to hold the waves at bay, for a time. But now the waves have become too powerful for them. The first wave hit not long before the heroes were summoned. The second will arrive in less than a month. After the explanation was finished, it was made clear that only The Four Cardinal Heroes could stop The Waves of Catastrophes. Then Peter noticed that this all sounded similar to the book he was reading in the library; before he was brought here.
The other three heroes agreed to save this world; but only if there was something in it for them. They also made it clear, not to screw with them. Peter was amazed at how rude these guys were being. If they were supposed to be the ones to save this world; then maybe these people need to seriously rethink the word "Hero".
Then the king suggested that they all check their status. Most of them didn't know what he meant, except for Ren. He told them that they all should have noticed that small blinking icon at the bottom right hand corner of their vision. When they focused on it, all their skills and health were displayed like a video game hud. They were all at level one; which meant that they had to work to get stronger. They thought that it would be a good idea to work together. But then they were told that their weapons would repel each other if they work together. It would hinder their progress.
So they would have to recruit individual teams, and travel alone. Thankfully, the weapons had the ability to translate verbal and written languages into their users native tongue; so it was confirmed that the king's men were telling the truth. After that revelation, it was decided that the heroes would rest in the castle for tonight; and be given their teams in the morning.
Then the heroes were lounging around a suite in the castle; talking about current events. Then Peter finally got up the nerve to ask "Doesn't this kinda seem like a video game?"
"That's cuz it is a video game." Motoyasu said. He then told Peter that it was just like the new online game that he'd been playing. However, the other heroes all disagreed; and instead insisted that it was much like their favorite video games, respectively. A big debate about video games arose; but Peter didn't know any of the games that they were talking about. He had played a few video games in his life. But between going to school, S.H.I.E.L.D. training, and being Spider-Man; it didn't leave him too much time for gaming.
"So this is all similar to one video game or another that each of you have played? Well then that's news to me. Because the closest thing I can compare this world to; is a book I was reading in the library, before I was brought here. But whatever the reason; it looks like it's up to the four of us to save this world." Peter said.
Then everyone else was staring at Peter in a very strange way. "Why are you all looking at me like that?" He inquired.
"Oh, no reason. It's just that...being the Shield Hero; I thought you'd know." Itsuki claimed.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Peter asked.
"You mean you really don't know? In that case; allow me to fill you in." Motoyasu said as he got closer to Peter. "As far as I've ever seen; the shielder class that specializes in the shield, is for losers. Because no true gamers ever play it. Simply put, shielders suck." Every hero besides Peter, agreed with that statement.
"I dare you to say that to Captain America." Peter said before he got up from his sitting position.
"Who?" Itsuki asked.
"Captain America. You know...the Avenger; and possibly the greatest hero in the world. Is any of this ringing a bell?" Peter asked.
"Dude, Captain America is a fictional character. He doesn't exist outside of the comic books. And only geeks read comic books. That's why you'll never catch me reading one." Motoyasu stated.
"What are you talking about? Captain America is very real. Even the people who live in Japan know about him" Ren said.
"Not where I'm from. I don't know about the rest of you. But in the Japan I grew up in; none of us have ever heard of Captain America, comic book or otherwise." Itsuki said. Peter had a theory on why their versions of Japan sounded so different; so he asked them to compare histories and common knowledge, just to be certain.
His suspicions were confirmed when he found out that none of their histories matched. They were all from alternate worlds. A world where superheroes are real, a world where they're just comic book characters, a world where not even the concept of them exists; and another world where they do exist. Although, Peter wasn't sure weather or not if Ren's world was the same as his.
One of the other heroes thought that they could have just been from different eras. But Peter's theory blew his out of the water. The other heroes thought that this whole situation was weird. But for Peter; this was just another multiverse adventure.
The other three believed that the multiverse theory, was just a theory. But Peter told them that on his world, it was proven. When they asked him how he would know that; he told them that he had a friend in the Government who told him, because he knew that Peter was a science nerd. Peter was really hoping that they would buy his excuse; and for the most part, they did.
"The one thing I don't get; everyone here is Japanese, except for you. You're the only American here. Why do you think that is?" Ren questioned as he pointed at Peter.
"I don't know. I'm from New York. But I think it has something to do with the book I was reading. Think about it. We all came into contact with things that were similar to this world. Maybe that was its way of reaching out to us." It was a kind of flimsy explanation; but it was the best one they had, so they just rolled with it.
Peter kept thinking about this new world; and about the people in his world. He missed them; but if the people of this world were in danger, then he couldn't just abandon them. He would protect the people of this world; and then he would return home. He was counting on not only the shield that he was given; but also, every bit of power he had, to save this world. Who knows; maybe this place could use a friendly neighborhood Ultimate Spider-Man. It's a good thing that he was still wearing his backpack when he was brought here.
After they were done talking, they all decided to go to their rooms, and rest up until morning.
On the next day, all four heroes gathered in the throne room; before they could be sent out into the world. Aside from the king and the heroes, there was also an entire row of well armed adventures assembled in the throne room. "We have gathered the greatest warriors in the land. They will fight the Waves alongside you." The king proclaimed.
Peter assumed that they would have to pick the people that they would want to form a party with. But to his surprise, the adventures started walking forward without being given any instructions to do so. He took that as confirmation that they, in fact, did not get to choose their teammates. Then the adventures formed lines behind their chosen heroes. Everyone had a party, except for Peter. For some reason, no one wanted to be in a party with him. Probably because nobody wanted to be a sidekick to The Shield Hero.
"Uh, not to sound like a wet blanket or anything; but doesn't it seem odd that everyone else has a team except me?" Peter asked. Although, Peter wasn't the only one who was surprised by this outcome. After speaking to one of his advisors, the king revealed that it was all because of a rumor that was going around about The Shield Hero.
Apparently, someone found out that Peter knew next to nothing about the new world that he was in. This created a seed of doubt when it came to The Shield Hero. All heroes are supposed to be well versed in what is to be expected of them, as well as the new world that they now inhabit.
So because of someone spreading a rumor; nobody wanted to work with him. He swore that it felt like J Jonah Jameson all over again. If he had to fight alone, then he would. But he knew that it would be a lot easier if he fought with a team. However, at that moment, one member of The Spear Hero's group raised their hand and requested to be placed in a party with The Shield Hero instead.
It was a pretty girl with red hair and green eyes, just like Mary Jane. But Peter knew that even though this girl was a little cute; she had nothing on MJ. Although, he was just glad that someone actually decided to help him.
Then the king asked if anyone else would join Peter's party. No one ever did though. So it was then decided that he would recruit outside adventurers, while on his journey, to become part of his party. Just then, Peter's Spider-Sense went off. He did a quick look around; but nothing seemed out of place, or life threatening. Which didn't make any sense to him. His Spider-Sense was never wrong. So he would have to make sure to be on guard from here on out.
Then the king's men gave each of the heroes a pouch with six hundred silver coins in them, to go shopping for new equipment that they would need for their journey. Since Peter had so few party members; he was given eight hundred silver coins. So then the heroes and their party members left the castle, to explore the city and collect the gear needed for their trip.
Even though the heroes could not work together, that didn't stop them from wishing Peter good luck, before they left. When Peter and his party member were alone, she chose to introduce herself to him. "I beg your pardon, Shield Hero. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Myne Sophia. It's an honor to fight with you."
"I'm Peter Parker; nice to meet you." Peter's first impression of Myne, was that of a friendly person. Someone who joined him when no one else would. But the moment they shook hands, his Spider-Sense started tingling again. Just like before; he didn't notice any apparent danger. The only people that were even in the area was himself, and Myne.
In times of great need, he could always trust his Spider-Sense to keep him safe. Ever since he got here, it only ever went off when he was around Myne. It wouldn't of been the first time that he's been betrayed. It also wouldn't of been the first time he trusted someone that he shouldn't have. So he just had to remember to be careful around her.
After the awkward pleasantries were out of the way; Myne chose to show Peter around the city. While they were walking through the streets; Peter saw all different kinds of people, and creatures. He even saw someone doing magic at one of the shops/stands. All of which confirmed that he was indeed in another world. Then Myne took him to a good weapon shop, so they could get better armed.
The man inside the shop was a fit, muscular, bald blacksmith. They told him that Peter was The Shield Hero; and that they were looking to buy some weapons. The blacksmith was happy to have the business; so he showed them what he had.
He laid out a few swords in front of them. Peter tried to grab one; but then it shocked his hand, making him drop it. Apparently, there was a rule violation. He wasn't allowed to wield any other kind of weapon that wasn't a shield. The blacksmith inspected the shield; and determined that there was a hidden power within it. But he couldn't tell Peter anymore than that.
He asked if he could take the shield off. Peter told him that he didn't think he could. So they decided not to bother with it anymore. Because Peter couldn't carry another kind of weapon; he instead bought some protective clothing. After the purchase was made; Peter and Myne both left the shop, to go and level up.
Later on, they both found themselves in a big field in the countryside; with a few monsters moving through the tall green grass. Once Peter got a good look at the monsters; they looked like jumping orange balloons with faces. Peter smashed a few of them with his fists, while avoiding the others with his acrobatic skills. Thankfully, even though he was in a weird world with different rules; he still had his spider powers. He knew that they would help make up for the short comings of being The Shield Hero, any day of the week. However, he felt no pain from the monsters that did manage to bite him.
The trade-off for being The Shield Hero, is that you have zero attack power, but near perfect defense. That's why he felt no pain when those monsters bit him. The shield soaked up all the damage. However, should the need arise; he still had his super strength, speed, agility and experience as Spider-Man to fall back on. After He defeated the monsters, they exploded into small pieces. He then fed some of those pieces to his shield.
Apparently, the shield could absorb almost any kind of material. Once it was full; both a new shield, and a higher level would be unlocked. Peter kept the rest of the monster fragments to sell at a shop later on. So he and Myne went back to the blacksmith.
They intended to buy some new equipment for Myne; and the blacksmith was kind enough to get them good supplies for a discount. But despite the discount, it was still a lot of money. Peter wanted to be sensible and save some money; because he never knew when their next payday would be. But then Myne cozied up to him; and tried to seduce him into buying her the equipment.
Peter thought about it for a minute, and eventually gave in. But only because he knew that if there was one thing that you should splurge on, it would be on something that was meant to keep you safe. Peter then asked if there was anywhere he could sell the monster fragments he still had. The blacksmith told him that there were a few shops that would buy those off of him. After they knew that; Peter and Myne left to find a place to stay for the night.
They eventually came to a pub, where they had dinner. There were also rooms for rent upstairs. While they were eating; they also tried to figure out what they should do tomorrow. There was a bottle of wine that came with their dinner. Myne tried to get Peter to drink with her; but he refused, and told her that he wasn't old enough to drink alcohol. Although, that didn't sway Myne; and she again tried to seduce him into drinking with her.
Peter did not care for her advances, and again refused. It was made clear to him that not a lot of men in that country would have refused a glass of wine offered to them by a woman. But Peter prided himself on doing the responsible thing. He also acknowledged that Myne was pretty. But the fact remained that MJ was waiting for him at home; and he wanted to do all he could to be worthy of her. That was how much he loved her.
Almost all throughout dinner, Peter's Spider-Sense kept tingling. It was like it was screaming at him to get away from Myne; like it knew that she was dangerous. So he finally decided to listen to it, and head up to his room for the night. When Peter was in his room, he changed out of his protective clothing, and took stock of his situation. First he counted his money, and then he got an idea.
He knew that this world wouldn't allow him to carry any other weapon besides a shield. But he wondered what would happen if he tried to use his Web-Shooters. So he reached into his backpack, and put them on his wrists; and to his relief, nothing happened. He wasn't shocked, or felt any pain at all. The world must have thought that they were an accessory of some kind, not weapons. But for whatever the case may be; it didn't seem like any of the rules were broken.
Peter was so excited, that he began to fire off some web shots. At least now he had a way to fight that was familiar to him. "Who needs swords, when I've got these beauties." Peter said. Right before Peter went to bed, he started to think about what his Spider-Sense tried to tell him. If he really couldn't trust Myne, then maybe he better take some precautions. Better safe than sorry.
So he hid some of his money behind his shield. He reached into his backpack, and stuffed his Spider-Man costume under the mattress; and then he hid the Web-Shooters behind his pillow. When all that was done; he blew out the candle light, and went to sleep.
When Peter woke up the next morning, he was kinda surprised to see a sight that was pretty uncommon for him. He had been robbed. Someone stole his protective clothing, and the rest of his money. Not only that; but that same someone also rummaged through his backpack, and took the clothes that he brought with him from his world. He did a check to make sure, and to his relief, both his costume and Web-Shooters were right where he left them. Then he stuffed the rest of his belongings into his backpack, and then he left.
He went to Myne's room, and knocked on the door; hoping that she was awake. But before he could receive an answer; some armed men approached him, and said that the king wished to see him. When he arrived at the castle, he entered the king's throne room, and was met by a lot of unhappy faces. Even the other heroes didn't seem pleased with him. Peter tried to explain that he'd been robbed. But before he could finish, the king interrupted him.
"Silence, you scum. Myne, I hate to even ask this; but please repeat what you've just said." It was then that Peter saw Myne cowering behind Motoyasu.
"It happened last night. The Shield Hero broke into my room, with his breath reeking of liquor. And he forced himself on me. I tried to fight back, but I wasn't strong enough. He raped me" she said. She then went on to explain how she met up with Motoyasu, and told him everything.
"If she hadn't asked me to wait until morning, to get the guards; I would have gladly cut you down myself." Motoyasu said.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not old enough to drink yet. And I've never raped anyone. I was raised better than that." Not only did Peter's defence fall on deaf ears; but he also noticed that Motoyasu was wearing his protective gear. The same protective gear that had been stolen from him. But Motoyasu claimed that it was a gift from Myne. Peter then decided to stick to the facts. So he asked them if they had any evidence to prove that he actually did anything wrong.
One of the knights presented a nightgown that he found in Peter's room as proof. But Peter swore that it wasn't there when he left. After that, everyone voiced their displeasure with him. The king said that if he wasn't one of the chosen heroes, then he would be dead right now. Then the other heroes saw fit to lecture him. "What a terrible thing to do. Here I was worrying that something bad was going to happen. But I thought you knew better than this." Itsuki murmured.
"I guess he thinks that a hero is someone who can do whatever he wants, and gets away with it." Ren stammered out.
"This world is not some carefree place where you can do as you please. Know your place, you scoundrel." Motoyasu declared. Peter couldn't believe that this was happening to him. As he looked around the room, while trying to put the pieces together; he saw Myne smirk, and stick her tongue out at him, like she just won some major victory over him. It was in this moment when he realized that she planned this; probably from the very beginning.
That's why his Spider-Sense kept going off around her. It was trying to warn him that she was going to hurt him; that he couldn't trust her. Not just her; everyone was against him. He wanted to call them liars. But it was his word against theirs; and he had no proof. But that didn't mean that he wasn't going to at least try to defend himself.
"Oh, that's rich; coming from you. From the moment we got here; you three have done nothing but make threats, and demand rewards for your services. That's not what heroes do. They're supposed to help people Just because It's the right thing to do. It doesn't make sense to demand things from the people you're trying to save.
Secondly, I already have a girl waiting for me back home. She's sweet, she's kind, and she's been my best friend ever since we were kids. She's the reason why I wouldn't even touch Myne to slap her. And finally, I believe that Myne is trying to frame me. Because I promise you, that I didn't do the things that you accused me of."
Peter's speech managed to upset a lot of people at the gathering. "You dare to speak ill of the Woman you wronged? You expect us to believe anything that comes out of your mouth; after what you've done? I bet you even lied about the girl waiting for you at home. I bet she's not even all that. If she even exist at all. I'm sure she would be very disappointed to hear about what you've done." Motoyasu said.
"Watch it! Say what you want about me; but don't you talk about my girlfriend." Peter said as his blood began to boil. Then Peter heard people make mention about how they never should have summoned The Shield Hero to help. That they should have expected him to do something like this. It was at this time, that he realized that they were doing this because he was The Shield Hero.
They thought that he was weaker and inferior to them. Which made them think that they could push him around, and get away with it. Peter understood that no one trusted him; which made his desire to go home, all the more stronger.
He knew that he couldn't abandon people who were in need. But at the very least; he did ask the king if it was possible to send him home, and let someone else be The Shield Hero. Itsuki and Ren both thought that he was being cowardly in asking to go home. But Motoyasu claimed it would be better for him to leave. He actually insisted upon it.
However, the king explained that the only way to summon new heroes, was if the current ones were to meet their end. All the heroes were upset by this news. But then the king told them that in order for them to go home, they first had to defeat all The Waves of Catastrophe.
Instead of locking Peter up for his crimes; the king decided to tell the whole kingdom about what he did. Thus, ruining his reputation. After hearing all this; Peter decided to save this world. To stop the Waves. Nothing was going to stop him from getting home; or from seeing MJ, and the rest of his friends and family again. "If that's what it takes; then I will save this world. I will protect its people; and I will stop the Waves. Nothing will stop me from getting back home. And if I have to fight alone, then I will. It wouldn't be the first time." Peter then started to leave.
Motoyasu tried to stop him, by running up to him, and putting his hand on his shoulder. But then Peter grabbed his wrist, and applied pressure to it. Not enough to break it; but enough to cause him a great deal of pain. After his impressive show of strength, he released him, and left the castle.
When Peter entered into the nearby town; word of his supposed crime had already reached the citizens. They avoided him like the plague. But not the blacksmith he met yesterday. When he saw Peter in the streets, he pinned him to the wall, and demanded answers. He wanted to punch Peter for what he did. But when he looked into his eyes, he saw a seriousness that made him think that maybe he didn't do what everyone said he did.
He released Peter; but before he could go, he wanted to give Peter something. The blacksmith knew that he wouldn't get very far with the clothes he currently had; so he gave him a green cloak. Peter took the cloak, and paid him as much as he could. Thankfully, not all of his money had been stolen. Then he left after that.
Sometime later, Peter was walking through a field; but more of those orange balloon monsters showed up. After fighting with them for the rest of the night, he finally reached level two. Not long after that, more of those balloons showed up. But it was nothing that he couldn't handle.
He went into town the next morning, with the intent to sell some of the items he acquired. He tried to sell the remains of the balloons to a pawn shop. But the owner of the shop tried to cheat him. He saw him give a customer ahead of him more money for the same product; even though he had less than him. "Sorry man, but I got a business to run." The owner said.
"Hey, I get it. But don't tell me, tell them." Peter said as he opened his cloak, to reveal the balloon monsters that were still latched onto him. The owner screamed in fright. Peter held one of the balloons in front of the owner's face and said "You want to keep one? Because I can leave one here with you."
The owner was only inches away from the balloon, and he was terrified. "No, then how about you pay me a decent wage. I don't want more than they're worth. I'm just asking for what's fair." The owner agreed to his terms; so Peter put the balloon away, and collected his money. He told the owner to tell the other shops not to mess with him; unless they also wanted to mess with his orange friends. Once Peter's business with him was done, he left.
The rest of the day was filled with Peter exploring for new items to use. He wound up in a forest; where he fed leaves to his shield. Doing this, allowed him to unlock a new shield, The Leaf Shield. So every time he mastered a new skill; he got to keep it, in addition to the upgrade to the shield he would receive. "LEAF SHIELD, GO!" He shouted while holding up his shield.
The gem on his shield started to glow and display a symbol of leaves; before taking the shape of a big green leaf. "It really is just like a game." He then picked up a plant, before both it and his shield started to glow. Apparently, The Leaf Shield's ability is to upgrade any plant. "It can improve the plants quality? Well, that'll come in handy."
After he improved the quality of several leaves; he shoved them in a satchel, and made his way back to town. When he got back to town; he went to an herbalist, to sell the plants he's collected. The herbalist said that the plants were of a very high quality. When he asked Peter where he found them; he told him that he found them in the forest by the castle. In all honesty, the herbalist thought that those plants were all low grade. He'd never seen a more higher quality of plant than what was right in front of him. He paid for the plants, and then Peter was on his way.
later that night, Peter could be found eating a rather plan dish at a tavern. Ever since his reputation was ruined, nothing taste right. Because of those unfounded rumors, no one was willing to treat him fairly. He was then approached by three creeps, who said that they wanted to form a party with him. Peter didn't need his Spider-Sense to tell him that these guys were up to no good.
But that being the case; he thought that he should probably deal with them now, so they wouldn't be able to pull the same scam on someone else. At first, he told them to buzz off. Then he told them that he didn't want to catch them trying to pull this scam on someone else. The creeps then tried to pick a fight with him. But all it took was one glare from Peter, to let them know that he was serious; and that they should back off.
When Peter left the tavern, he was then surrounded by the creeps from earlier. They wanted his money; and they would take it, if need be. Peter knew what they wanted, and he was prepared. He had two choices; use his orange balloon monsters, or take care of this himself. He knew that he couldn't reveal that he was Spider-Man. But then again, he was a well known hero in this world. So people were expecting at least something amazing from him. He then decided to handle this on his own. He needed to blow off some steam anyway.
He reached into his backpack, pulled out his Web-Shooters, and put them on his wrists. When one of the creeps made the unfortunate mistake of reaching for Peter's shoulder; Peter grabbed him, and threw him hard into a brick wall. One of them tried to stab Peter with his knife. But it broke when it made contact with his shield.
Peter then did a flip kick; nailing the guy in the chin with his foot, sending him falling backwards on the ground. As for the last guy; Peter shot a line of webbing at his face, yanked him towards him, and clothes lined him in the face with his shield. Then the creeps got scared and ran away.
"The Shield Hero is supposed to have good defence, but zero offence capabilities. But that doesn't seem all the way true for me. If this world is really laid out like a video game; then I guess that would make my spider powers like the ultimate cheat code. This world hates Peter Parker; but maybe they'll feel differently about Spider-Man. Maybe Spider-Man can save this world. Or at the very least, maybe he can help."
"Looks like you could use some help." Peter heard a voice say. He turned towards the sound of the voice. He saw a short man who wore a top hat, glasses, carried a cane, and had a nice black suit. All in all, the guy looked like the ring master of a circus.
"Don't get me wrong; that was quite an impressive display. You handled yourself quite admirably. But still, with three on one; it'd be nice to have some backup. Lucky for you, I've got exactly what you need."
"If you're offering me party members; thanks but no thanks." Peter said.
"Party members, no, no. What I'm offering you is something I believe you'll find far more convenient." The man saw that Peter's interest had been peaked. Peter told the man to leave him alone. The man laughed and said that Peter had a look in his eyes that he adored; and that he was every bit the man that the rumors lead him to believe he was. Peter was surprised to know that the man knew so much about him. Then the man told him that if he wanted to know more about his offer, then he should follow him.
They walked for a bit, until they came upon a giant tent. Which only reinforced the idea that this guy looked like a ring master. When they went inside, Peter saw so many cages stacked on top of each other. "So, what exactly are you offering me?" Peter asked.
"Can't you tell by just looking? They're slaves, my boy." That made Peter stop in his tracks. As a hero, he's stopped many bad guys, and thwarted a lot of evil schemes. But never once in his entire life, did he have to deal with slavery. On his world, slavery had been abolished for at least a century; and the idea of it now, didn't sit well with him.
"No way." Peter said.
"Yes way. I run a slave trading business."
"What makes you think I would want to own any slaves?" Peter asked the slave trader.
"Oh, I don't know; the fact that they can neither lie, nor betray their master. We keep all our slaves in line by placing them under the effects of a curse. A strong seal based curse. If they misbehave, it can take their very lives." So not only were they slaves, they were also cursed. If there was one thing that upset Peter more than slavery; it was the thought of him actually owning a slave. This guy took way to much pride in his work; and it made Peter sick. As they walked further into the tent, Peter saw a lot of slaves that didn't even look human.
The slave trader explained that creatures who looked mostly human, but weren't, were referred to as Demi-Humans. They were mostly used as servants, or for manual labor. Beastmen were Demi-Humans that looked more beast than person. They were mainly used as bodyguards, or for a gamblers wager in a death match.
But they still fell under the same category as Demi-Humans. The trader then went on to explain to Peter, that both species were thought of as monsters. He also said that the country they were in now, did practice human supremacy. So not only was life hard for them in this country, but they were also treated like property.
Then Peter could hear what sounded like coughing, coming from one of the cages. He went to investigate the source of the sound. It was coming from a cage with a tarp over it. He removed the tarp; but what he saw, really made his blood boil. Inside the cage, there was a little girl; one with the ears and tail of a Raccoon, but still a little girl. Around her neck, she wore a collar with a chain attached to it. Peter knew that this wouldn't do at all; and he could not let this stand.
AN: Sorry if this chapter is a little long; but that's because the first episode of the anime was longer than any of the others. I'm also sorry that I cut out a lot of the conversations that were supposed to happen; but I was really anxious to get this first chapter finished. But I did try to add as many details as I could; so you guys wouldn't feel too cheated.
And to all you die hard Spidey fans who are reading this and saying "That's not how his Spider-Sense works. It only warns him of danger, not of potentially dangerous people." Well, I did read a comic that explained with enough hard work and training, his Spider-Sense would not only be able to detect actual danger; but also the evil intent that radiates from people. The comic I'm talking about is called "What if? Spider-Man vs Wolverine." If you haven't read it, then I suggest you do, it's pretty good.
And as always, be honest but fair; don't use the reviews to be mean.
STAY AWESOME!