Issue #10: Home

Goblin Castle

Doctor Bruce Banner opened his eyes, gasping for air. He sat up and grunted in pain, noticing a lingering bruise on his arm still. "What the hell happened?" he asked no one in particular, trying to piece together what happened ever since the big guy that lay dormant inside him took over. The Hulk said nothing, most likely still bitter about his defeat.

"Ah, Doctor Banner. You're finally awake." said the boastful voice of Dr. Eggman. He folded his hands sinisterly as Banner glared at him, "We have much to discuss."

Banner growled, "I have nothing to say to you, Eggman. Where's your partner at?"

Eggman smirked, "On a classified mission I cannot reveal to my prisoners. But you will listen to me if you value your life and your friends'."

The heroic scientist asked, "...Alright then, I'm listening."

The mad doctor raised a finger, "You see, I'm building a powerful device, but as you can tell I was the only one with the brains to build it. I require your aid along with Stark's to build it, but since I cannot put you under my control without Osborn's aid, all I could do is…" he aimed a bunch of hidden turrets at him and the unconscious Avengers, all ready to shoot through the cell bars, ready to kill them. "...This, if you say no. So do we have a deal?"

Banner sat on his makeshift bed, dwelling on the offer. He heard a quiet voice in his head, the voice convincing him to make his decision. "...Very well doctor. I'll agree to help."

Dr. Eggman adjusted his glasses, "Excellent." he opened the cell and guided Banner to the giant machine that was being built right outside the Avengers' prison. Zero walked up right next to him alongside Eggman and drew his sword out, ready to strike Bruce at a moment's notice, "Now get to work, Banner. I need to get a break in."

Bruce growled, grabbing a wrench to adjust one of the screws on the device. Then he glared at Eggman and smacked his leg with the hammer, getting him to yelp in pain. Zero swiped his blade, however Banner moved precisely so that the sword cut through the collar that restrained his other self. Some blood dripped from his neck in the process, but the wound was worth it, and it helped that it would heal. While Eggman tended to his leg, the jackal then stabbed Banner right through the chest.

The scientist collapsed on the floor holding his wound, seemingly dead. However, he started to move a second later, the clothes covering him beginning to rip and tear as his flesh swelled up and turned green. He opened his eyes, which were now neon green. He got to a knee and rested his giant palm on the floor. His transformation finally finishing as a green giant glared at the villains.

The Hulk punted Zero aside and grabbed Dr. Eggman, reaching his giant hand into his jacket and finding a remote, crushing it in his hand. When he did so, the turrets shut down thereby preventing anything happening to the Avengers. "Hulk will smash Egg." he growled, slamming the mad doctor onto the ground. "GRAAAAHHHH!" he screamed in pure rage.

Eggman grunted in pain, "Activate… Emergency Gamma Counter Strike…"

"Gamma Nullifying Rays charging up, T-minus: 1 minute."

The Hulk knew he was running out of time, so he ran to Stark's cell, recalling that Eggman was gonna control him to build the machine faster. The green giant ripped through the bars and held the unconscious man, now stripped of his armor. He growled as the AI voice returned.

"T-minus: 15 seconds."

With no other option, Hulk leapt out with Tony carried over his shoulder, breaking through the ceiling of the villains' lair. The countdown ceased and Zero merely growled asking, "So what are ya gonna tell Osborn? Cause I warned you this was a bad idea from the start."

Eggman huffed, "As if this changes anything. The Avengers couldn't match our power, there's no way anyone they find could stop us. This is merely a small delay."

"If you say so."

"Just get your squad ready for the next phase…"

Avengers Tower

Ever since Peter left to do whatever he needed to, the Mobians decided to hang back in the tower, waiting for anything that could happen. The three of them decided to look through the update Tails got on his Miles Electric, managing to get some SHIELD Intel, mostly files and data on various heroes and villains that were active on not just Earth, but the entire universe from the cosmos and beyond.

Nick Fury stuck around to brief the heroes on anything they needed to know, or more accurately, tell them what he felt they should know. "Okay, so can we call these X-Men guys? The Fantastic 4?" Sonic asked.

"Off world." Fury revealed.

"How about Doctor Strange?" Tails wondered.

"Dealin' with some magic mumbo jumbo, won't be back for a bit." Wolverine explained.

"Is there anyone who could help us?" Knuckles questioned.

"The only heroes accounted for are the ones operating in this very city." Fury said to the Mobians.

Sonic sighed, "And I'm sure Spidey wants them to stick around in case something happens."

"Sounds like somethin' he'd do." Wolverine commented.

"Maybe we can bring some of our friends over." Tails suggested.

Sonic shook his head, "As much as I want to, we need some backup on Mobius in case Eggman and Osborn try to plan something behind our backs. Last thing we need is our home defenseless."

The echidna nodded, "I agree with Sonic on this. It's best we handle things here."

"Oh okay." Tails agreed.

Leaning back in his chair, Sonic said, "Hopefully Pete does what he has to do soon so we can get a move on and figure out how to handle this." he stretched his legs and said, "Cause I'm starting to get a bit antsy. Guys wanna go out on patrol?"

"Yeah!" Tails cheered.

"Yeah why not?" Knuckles decided.

"Wanna join us Wolverine?" Sonic asked.

Wolverine shook his head, "No thanks, kid. I need a break."

Fury said, "You three better not cause any trouble. Last thing we need is the media hating on you as well."

"We're heroes, Director Fury! We know what we're doing." Tails assured the Director of SHIELD.

Fury scowled, "You better."

Opening a nearby window, Team Sonic leaped out. Wolverine looked at Fury saying, "They're gonna make a mess."

"I'm well aware, Logan." Nick replied with a sigh.

Outside, Sonic, Tails and Knuckles all roamed the city together. Sonic ran everywhere he could while Tails and Knuckles hovered in the sky, keeping close by. "So you think we'll find anything?" Tails asked his friends, looking around.

"Not sure. Maybe we should've asked Spidey how he did this before he left." Sonic replied.

Knuckles said, "It wouldn't hurt to look around at least. Might as well figure out where everything is and learn the city like we do Station Square."

"That's a good idea. I can program my Miles Electric to create a map as we go along." Tails agreed.

"Then it's settled, we'll get a New York tour and kick bad guy butt along the way!" Sonic decided with a thumbs up.

'Well Pete. Here you are. Apartment sweet apartment.' Spider-Man mused as he stuck to the apartment building he lived in. As he does every night, he made sure no one was looking before opening the window to his room, sneaking back into his home in a slightly stealthy manner. 'Well that was easier than I thought.' Peter thought as he removed his mask once he got in and quietly closed the window behind him.

"Hm. Glad to see some things never changed." quipped a red-haired woman standing at the doorway.

Peter smiled and embraced Mary Jane, "Hey honey. I'm home~"

MJ smiled back, "Been holding that one in, huh?"

"You know it." Peter replied, giving his wife a brief kiss. Once they parted, he continued, "Oh man, you would not believe what happened these past few days."

MJ said, "You can tell us all about it in a bit. I'm sure you have a lot to talk about."

"Peter?"

The sound of a familiar elderly voice got Peter's attention and made his eyes go wide. Looking behind his wife was an older woman, looking quite as shocked as he was, "A-Aunt May?"

May put her hands to her mouth, clearly shocked at what she was seeing. In front of her was her nephew, and he was Spider-Man. As if it answered millions of questions in her head. Mary Jane quietly admitted, "I didn't think she'd be here so soon…"

The older woman walked to her nephew, she hugged him. "Oh Peter… I was so worried about you this whole time…"

Peter returned the embrace, "I'm okay Aunt May. Sorry for worrying you. I, uh, have a lot to explain…" he then let go, jumping and sticking to the ceiling as to confirm her suspicions once and for all, getting a gasp before she continued speaking.

"I-I'm sure you do… but can you answer one question for me…?" she asked, earning a nod from Peter, "Why?" she referred to his tenure as Spider-Man.

Peter nervously scratched his head once he jumped down, "Why?" he repeated and let out a sigh, one that expressed disappointment in himself, "I do it for you. For Uncle Ben."

"B-Ben? Peter, you do know his death wasn't your fault…" May tried to assure him, but Peter shook his head.

He tried to talk, "But it is my fault… When I first got my powers I thought I was better than everyone. That's why I suddenly got moody for a bit. My ego got so big I-I… let a criminal get away… that same criminal…" he inhaled, trying to fight back tears, "...Was the same person that killed Uncle Ben… W-When I found out, reality hit like a truck, and I swore to use my powers for good… remembering something he said. With great power..."

"...Comes great responsibility." May finished for him, on the verge of crying herself.

Peter sniffled, "I'm sorry… I'm the reason Uncle Ben's gone, it's all my fault… I wish I could take it back, but I can't… so I became Spider-Man to show the lesson he taught me when I grew bitter wasn't in vain. To make sure no one else's life gets taken when I can do something about it… I tried to keep it secret so you wouldn't worry at the time, but I realized that was wrong… you deserve to know the truth, even if you end up hating me for it..."

"...I-I'm not mad at you Peter. Even if what you did was clearly wrong, you could've never anticipated that to happen… it was all an unfortunate coincidence… One that I could tell burdens you to this day… But what you've been doing after… and how you've followed his lesson, it just shows how you've grown into the man we more than hoped you to be after all. Ben would be proud of you. And I'm proud of you." May expressed to her nephew.

Peter wiped the tears from his eyes, "Y-You are?"

May nodded, "Yes I am. You selflessly put yourself on the line to save others from the pain you went through. While yes, I do worry for you and will continue to, I understand you do what you do out of the goodness in your heart. And I couldn't be prouder that you use the gifts you show others that kindness." she assured him.

The man managed a smile, and felt as though a heavy burden was lifted from his shoulders, "Thanks Aunt May…"

"You're welcome, Peter. Just remember, you don't have to hide anything from me." May told him.

Peter gave her another hug, one which Mary Jane joined in this, saying, "I'm glad you two finally worked that out. Sorry I had to lie to you and keep this secret May."

May replied, "It's alright, dearie. I understand you were respecting Peter's privacy in this instance."

Ending the family hug, Peter said, "I think I should explain everything that's happened." he was about to continue, but then he heard his phone ring, "Sorry…" he blinked once he saw it was Fury calling, then put it to his ear, "Yeah? ...They're doing what now?"

"This could've went better…" Tails muttered.

While on their tour, Team Sonic found themselves chasing after a supervillain called Big Wheel. Said villain causing mayhem in the city. Sonic gestured to his fox and echidna friends, "Yo, Tails! Knux! Make sure the people get to safety. I think I can get this dude to stop!"

"Got it!" Tails replied.

"Sure thing!" Knuckles said.

Sonic ran next to Big Wheel, waving to the villain, "Nice ride, pal! Shame I'm gonna have to crash it!"

There were people in front of them, trying to find a way to escape. Luckily Tails and Knuckles swooped in and grabbed them taking them to a safe spot behind Sonic and the villains. One of them said, "Um… what are you?"

"We're uh… from another world. Don't worry, we're friends." Tails assured the civilian. "Stay safe, we'll take care of this!" he added before him and Knuckles flew away.

"O-Okay…"

"This city gets weirder every day…"

Back with Sonic, he dodged one of Big Wheel's lasers, "Whoa, nice! That wheel is way cooler than I thought! Mind if I borrow it?"

"No! I need it!" Big Wheel insisted.

"Well too bad, I'm taking it anyway!" Sonic decided, jumping through one of the openings. The hedgehog scared Big Wheel when he did so, grabbing the man. "Stop this now!"

"H-Huh?" was all Jackson Weele said.

"Looks like I'm gonna have to do this!" Sonic yelled, using his Spin-Jump to destroy as much of the Big Wheel itself, breaking the lasers on the sides. Then Knuckles, having just saved another bystander came in, "Knux? I told you to get the people!"

"You do that! I can break this thing apart!" Knuckles said, punching through the metal. Sonic slowly nodded and grabbed Jackson, jumping through an opening. The man freaked out, having gotten hit in the head in the process. Sonic threw his body on the ground, tapping his foot, "Not so cool now, huh Big Wheel?"

"I-I just wanted some money…" Weele muttered. "But of course some rodent like you had to get in the way…"

"Well that's too bad, stopping guys like you is what we do." Sonic said.

Tails saw Sonic and landed, "Everyone's safe, Sonic."

"Thanks Tails."

Then Knuckles walked to them, throwing away some loose metal, "And the wheel is taken care of."

"Nice job, Knux. Glad we got this taken care of." Sonic replied.

"I can see that."

Spider-Man jumped down and webbed up Jackson, "Well guess you didn't need me after all. Although this could've been a bit messy." he critiqued, looking over all the damage and metal lying around.

"Um… Sorry?" Team Sonic apologized.

Peter groaned, "Whatever. Let's just go before Damage Control gets here. I think it's time you met my family."

"Really? Cool!" Tails shouted.

"So these are your new friends, Pete? Not what I expected." Mary Jane pointed out, meeting Team Sonic for the first time.

Peter replied, "Trust me, MJ. They're more capable than they look."

"Yeah, we've done a lot. Not as much as Peter probably, but we're heroes in our world." Sonic boasted.

"Oh no, I trust you. It's just that I'm not sure how I didn't expect Peter to become friends with animals from another dimension." MJ teased her husband and how he's a magnet for bizarre situations.

May smiled, "Well thank you for helping Peter. You three have my trust."

"Thanks, Mrs. Parker." Tails thanked, "Peter's been a great friend too, it feels like we've been through a lot together already."

Knuckles nodded, "But it feels like the worst hasn't happened yet."

Peter replied, "Oh yeah, I should explain… I might have to go away for a bit. Something big is happening."

"Does it involve that nasty man calling himself Eggman?" May asked.

Sonic said, "Yep! Eggman's our problem, he showed up on this world somehow and is working with the Green Goblin. The Avengers tried to cover for Pete, but we don't know what happened."

"...So you have to go figure out what to do?" MJ wondered. "Where are you heading?"

"We're staying at Avengers Tower." Peter revealed, "It'll be more convenient in case something happens and we find other heroes to join. We'll be in one spot and you'll be safe."

"We're going with you." MJ declared.

Peter shook his head, "No, Avengers Tower is a giant target for Osborn and Eggman. You'd be in danger."

"It's Osborn. He knows us all, we're targets anyway whether we like it or not. If you want to protect us, you're better off bringing us to the tower at least." Mary Jane responded.

"She's got a point, Pete." Sonic added, looking to his spider friend.

The webhead sighed and said, "Fine. You two can stay, I'm just… scared."

May put her hands on her nephew's shoulders, "Listen Peter. We'll be fine. Mary Jane and I can take care of ourselves should something happen, and if it's serious we'll take cover. Okay?"

"...Alright. At least I know you're both by my side." Peter said with a smile.

"Thanks, Tiger." MJ responded, giving her husband a kiss on the cheek, which made Peter blush.

"That's sweet." Sonic teased.