Chapter 16

Sorry I've been gone for a while. Personal stuff.

I just want to tell you guys about some changes coming up. For one thing, I'm gonna change this story to rated M. Don't worry, nothing is really going to change, there's just a scene some chapters down the road that will make it pretty obvious why this will be M rated. Don't want to spoil it though. But it's big.

Thanks to Vinnit for favoriting.

Thanks to Exile037 for reviewing. Glad you liked the annual. It took forever to write and I had to take a few days just to reboot from that. It allowed the supporting characters to shine, as well as showed that Kendrick had a darker side. Hopefully by next year we'll have a lot more reviewers for that annual than we did for this one (because besides you, I have no idea how people liked it).

Special thanks to WolfDragon for the review. And I just want to say, thank you for trusting me with your OC. Seriously, the fact that you think enough of me as a writer to trust me with your creation just means the world to me. I'll be putting your character in this chapter, and you'll see that he had a bigger part in Spider-Verse than you thought.

And lastly, thanks to Justifiedfire223 for the review. AND HIS NAME'S MORLUN, NOT MERLIN! SO WHO'S THE NOOB NOW?!

Kendrick was confused.

As always.

He was surrounded by spider-people, pretty much all wearing the same thing as him. He saw Spider-Men, Spider-Women, Spider...(holy shit, is that a pig?)

He also noticed that a lot of them were...Peter Parkers...

Most of them were pretty much identical to the brunette teen he had met when he first showed up, the very same who was standing behind him.

"Jesus Christ," the New World Spider-Man said, mask off. "It's like Freaky Friday everywhere."

"Yeah," Kendrick said, although he wasn't paying attention. He liked the New World Spidey enough, but he was busy looking for other hims. Himselves. His...aw screw it.

"Hey, I'm gonna look around for more me's." Ken said as he started to walk off.

Looking around, he saw that they were in a park. There were lots of trees. Towards the middle of the park were a group of Spider-Men talking. He had heard them earlier, and it sounded like they were making battle plans. Ken decided that they would probably only confuse him more, so he chose to ignore it. Looking though, he noticed an Asian chick in black and white walking around and it looked like she was...checking guys out. Seriously? They were in the middle of a big inter-dimensional war and she was trying to get laid?

I mean, she wasn't bad looking. And Kendrick always had a thing for Asian girls.

But she had nothing on Anya. Man, Ken didn't know what it was, but she was in his head. He wasn't obsessed with the girl, but he found himself gazing over at her ever so often. Her long, flowing brown hair, her curves, her skin-tight black costume that just showed off her...

Okay, maybe he was a little obsessed with her.

Speaking of Anya, he saw she was listening intently to the main spiders talking. She turned her head slightly, and saw that Ken was looking at her. She quickly turned her head with a slight blush to her face.

Idiot! Ken thought to himself.

It was then Kendrick realized that he was doing the exact same thing the Asian chick was doing.

Maybe I'm not so cut out for this superhero stuff after all.

"...Kendrick Durham..." he heard someone say.

Looking towards the source of the voice, he saw that the person (another Peter Parker) actually wasn't talking to him, but rather a different spider (surprise surprise, another Peter Parker). He then noticed for the first time that a lot of the spiders were looking at him. They were looking at him like he was diseased. Like he was an outsider.

Like he didn't belong.

"Okay, what's up?" Kendrick said to anybody who would answer. "What did I do?"

This time, they all looked at each other. Finally, a voice spoke up behind him.

"Well, since it looks like I'm the only one with balls around here, I'll tell him." Anya Corazon said as she walked up behind him.

"Wait. So you're..."

"It's an expression Ken." Anya said.

"I know. So, what is everyone so scared to tell me?"

"It's...in...in my dimension...in everyone's dimension...," she said, starting to look away. "You died."

"I...what?"

"A few years ago...when Spider-Man first appeared...he was in a battle with The Sandman at his school.

Kendrick could only listen in horror as she described it, "During the fight, Spider-Man dodged a punch, and no body noticed, but it hit a kid...that kid was you..."

"Oh my God..."

"You were...the first person ever killed in the crossfires of a superhero fight. You were the first person that Peter Parker blamed himself for getting killed."

"Second actually."

"Way to ruin a moment Wade," Anya said to the Spider-Man with katanas on his back. "So Ken...that's why everyone was looking at you. There's nothing wrong with you, it's just..."

"I make everyone feel uncomfortable," Ken said, on the verge of tears.

Anya didn't respond. Kendrick took that as his cue to go away. He ran away from Anya and the other spiders and hid under a small bridge that sat over a creek. Seeing this as the only place he could be alone, he sprayed himself a large web and sat inside of it, and curled up in a ball.

And Ken cried. He cried for his other selves. He cried because he couldn't handle this like a man. He cried because he wasn't really Spider-Man.

He was a variation. A what if. That's basically all he was. "What if Kendrick Durham had been bitten by the spider instead of Peter?"

He could feel the cuts on his shoulder burn, begging to be joined by another. With nothing else on his mind to do, he extended his bone claw, until he was stopped by a voice.

"Hey," he heard a woman's voice say.

"What do you want?"

"I'm kinda in the mood for talking," he heard the woman call down. "You wanna talk with me?"

Knowing that she wouldn't leave him alone, Ken jumped up from under the small bridge to the top of it. He saw the woman was about his height, and wearing a hood that was over her completely masked head. And on her feet were neon green chucks. Chucks! Kendrick had to admit, it was a pretty good look. A look like that would probably send the internet crazy.

"You're not gonna leave me alone are you?" Ken asked the woman.

"I'll leave you alone," the woman said. "If you want me to."

And Ken almost said "I want you to." He could feel it on the tip of his tongue. Instead, he decided to see what the girl had to say.

"You can stay if you want."

She sat down on the side of the bridge.

"So in a couple of other dimensions, you bit the dirt." the woman said. "So what? The important part is that you're still alive. That's honestly the best we can hope for. I mean, at least you have a shot. A chance."

"You really suck as a motivational speaker."

"I do, don't I?"

"I just...I don't like this. Not being Peter Parker."

"Why...why do you want to be Peter Parker?"

"Because every other Spider-Man is him!" Kendrick snapped. "He's obviously got some huge destiny or something. He's obviously the one true Spider-Man. And I...I'm just a variation!"

"Hey, I know how you feel," she said as she wiped the tears from Kendrick's face. "You're not alone."

"And how would you know how I feel?!" Ken snapped at her once again.

She looked at him a moment before taking off her mask and hood.

"Because I'm Gwen Stacy," she said, her blue eyes staring directly at him. "And I'm Peter Parker's dead girlfriend."

"You're...what?"

"In pretty much all the other dimensions, me and Peter were, like, in love apparently." She said, her eyes looking off. Kendrick guessed she was thinking about her Peter, wherever he was.

"I bet they totally did it."

"That's weird."

"Sorry, trying to lighten the mood."

"So, uh, yeah. The other Gwen's died. Neck broke apparently. So, I guess we're in the same boat."

"Yeah."

"And...it's funny, y'know?" she said. "All of the other me's are, like, different than me. Most people say their Gwen was a smart, goofy, or weird. Or just a bland person. That...doesn't sound like me. I mean, I play the drums. In a rock band."

"Really?"

"Yes, blonds can be in rock bands. We're not all airheads."

"No, I didn't..."

"I know what you meant." she said before a slight smirk appeared on her face. "So, what was the craziest story you heard about your other selves."

"I think me dying is as weird as it's gonna get," Ken said shaking his head. "You?"

"Apparently, I had sex with a goblin."

"You...what?"

"I don't even know. I stopped listening after sex."

"Jeez."

"I know."

They just sat there for a while. In a sea of understanding. They were two people going through the same thing, and despite the whole "unwinable war with a bunch of Van Kleiss'" thing going on, they felt like two normal people. It was nice.

Until it was interrupted.

"Sorry to interrupt," a voice said. "But it really is a pressing matter."

Looking around, Kendrick didn't see anyone.

"Look down," Gwen said.

And he did. And Kendrick saw...a dog? Yeah, it was a dog in the normal Spider-Man costume, except with its paws uncovered and a digital watch on its front right paw.

My life is over, Kendrick thought. I might as well kill myself now, because this is the pentacle of what my life has become.

"Okay...so you're a talking dog?"

"Yes."

"With spider powers."

"Yes."

"Is it sad that this doesn't even phase me?" Gwen asked, scratching her blond hair.

"I think it'd be sadder if it did."

"Agreed," the talking dog said.

"So, um, do all animals talk where you're from?" Gwen asked quizzically.

"No, just me," the dog said. "Can we please save the questions for later? We are running short on time."

"Uh, sure...?"

"Wilbur," the brown Siberian husky said. "But my human name is Daisuke Okami."

"How about we stick with Wilbur?"

The dog looked a little annoyed. "Fine. Now will you please listen to me?"

Kendrick and Gwen said nothing.

"Good," Wilbur said. "While I was studying the trans-dimensional portals that allow us to travel between dimensions..."

"Like you do."

"Yes, well, I discovered an anomaly. You see, for months I've been studying what I've been calling the incursions, which are separate universes colliding together and exploding, leaving nothing remaining."

"Awesome!" Kendrick burst out, then stopped as he noticed both Gwen and Wilbur looking at him. "I mean, not for those universes. But it sounds like something I'd like to read about."

"Yes. So, I discovered that our frequent use of these dimensional teleportation devices are actually causing a tear in space and time. If it keeps going, it'll cause one large incursion. One that will cause the destruction of every single universe. The only person who could possibly survive is Batman. Y'know, because he's Batman. And maybe 616 Spider-Man because Marvel will neeever let him die."

"What the actual fuck are you talking about?" Ken asked.

"Nothing. Just me rambling."

"So we stop using the teleportation devices," Gwen suggested, earning a nod from Kendrick. "What's the big deal?"

"The 'big deal' Ms. Stacy...!" Wilbur said.

"Don't test me dog. I will Old Yeller you."

"Um yes," Wilbur said, composing himself. "The deal is that we've already done substantial damage already. The hole is already opening up, which would not only cause an incursion, but it would also allow the Inheritors a doorway into this dimension, where they could pick us off like flies."

"Which is ironic," Kendrick said, seriously trying to keep his shit together. "Because...you know...spiders..."

"So, what can we do?" Gwen asked.

"We can take a team into the tear and close it up. It'll be dangerous..."

"Well, that's part of the job description," Kendrick said, standing up. "So, when do we go?"

"Hold up there Ken," Gwen said. "We might want to get some stronger spiders on this. Not to bag on you or anything, but we are both kinda known for dying."

"I would actually prefer it if we kept this between us," Wilbur said. "The others have enough to worry about."

"Agreed," Ken said, earning a head shake from Gwen. "I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" Gwen asked.

"We really have no time to waste," Wilbur said.

"Well, since we're both known for dying," Kendrick said, before turning towards them with a thumbs up. "I figured I'd get someone known for surviving."

Kendrick walked through the crowd of spiders. A few of them looked his way, but he ignored them all, until he walked up to New World Spider-Man.

"Oh hey Ken," Peter said as he walked up to him. "I heard about...the thing...are you...?"

"Peachy," Ken interrupted, not really wanting to think about that other thing. "So, you wanna help me save all of existence?"

"...sure, I got nothing on my plate."

"So...you're telling me that I gotta go into a tear in the space/time whichever, with a talking spider-dog, my girlfriend who apparently has spider powers now in an alternate dimension, and a black Spider-Man?"

"Pretty much." Gwen said.

"'Black Spider-Man?'" Ken asked.

"Will you help us?" Wilbur asked.

"I guess I have to. With Great Power and all that."

"Is nobody going to mention the fact that he just called me black Spider-Man?"

"Thank you Peter," Wilbur said as he pushed a button on his watch. His body seemed to turn into a number of pixels until it started growing, eventually turning to the size and shape of a human. He then depixalized and standing before them was a Japanese teenager, wearing the classic Spider-Man costume."

"You know what?" Gwen asked. "That's not even the weirdest thing I've seen today."

"Man, I don't know which of you is the craziest." Peter said, shaking his head.

"What's so crazy about a black Spider-Man?"

"Are you all ready to go?" Wilbur asked.

"Whatever you say, Spider-Dog." Gwen said.

"Please call me Daisuke ."

"We'll see."

Daisuke mumbled something about stupid humans before pushing a button on his watch. Suddenly, a large blue portal opened up.

"Next stop," he said as they all got ready. "The edge of existence."

They all jumped in, not sure what they would find.

So excited. Can't wait to show you guys next chapter.

The reason I wanted to involve Spider-Gwen in this is because in her first issue she mentions that she was fighting for the fate of all reality or something like that, and I don't think they did that officially in Spider-Verse. I think they were just fighting for their own survival. So, Gwen mentioned this in Spider-Gwen #1! So whenever you read that issue, just remember she was talking about this. Because this is the Spider-Gwen. Not some fake version I created just for this, no, every character that I use in this is the official character. YEAH!

NEXT: THE BATTLE FOR ALL EXISTENCE!