Somewhere and Nowhere
The wind enveloped their bodies so quickly as they appeared from nowhere. None of them moved, unsure if they were even still alive.
Spider-Man held his arms tightly around Itsuka and Izuku, just in case they would disappear again. Nothing could convince him that they would not disappear if he let go too soon.
Cautiously, they all looked around and at each other as they finally noticed they were no longer in the streets of New York. In fact, it did not seem like they were anywhere at all. There was nothing but a void of black and red. The air was cold and still as every breath echoed through the endlessness.
Peter ripped off his mask and focused only on his brother and his girlfriend. It did not matter where they were, as long as he had them.
"Are you two okay?!" He asked, looking them over for any cuts or bruises.
"We're okay! We're okay!" Kendo laughed as she kissed him.
Peter kissed her back before pulling them both into a strong hug.
For the first time in a while, his eyes started to water. Peter always tried to avoid crying. It never solved anything, and he used to do it so much. This time, he just could not stop it.
"How did you guys get back?!" Peter asked.
"It was Aihara-San!" Midoriya explained, "She can open portals now!"
"She's magic now?"
"She's magic now!"
"I …do not have the energy to question that. I'm just glad you're both here."
"You're not mad?" Kendo asked.
"Never," Peter hugged them again.
When their hearts finally stopped racing, they were able to look around more thoroughly. Though there was nothing to be seen in the void of black and red, it did not feel empty. Silent voices spoke all around them, just waiting to be heard.
The floor lit up at his foot as soon as Peter stood up. A series of lines spread out and multiplied, connecting and making different shapes. The lines leapt off the floor and into the void all around them. Within the shapes they created, images formed.
One was of a boy who looked like Peter, wearing his classic costume, and speaking with Momo Yaoyorozu. That Peter asked her to create a doll for his aunt May, knowing the old woman would love it. Momo responded by making one in the appearance of his costume. There was a clear romantic tension between them; a classic will-they-won't-they.
Kendo could not help but feel a bit jealous while watching.
A second image showed a spider-man in black and orange, fighting against different mutants in the city alongside another spider-person wearing black and white, and various other heroes he vaguely recognized; Moonknight, a gender bent Daredevil, a young Ghost Rider, Squirrel Girl, and a woman who could ignite her body with fire.
A third set of images showed one Spider-Man several years older, wearing red and black, teaming up with other variants of himself, and arguing about how one of them had been a hero for seven years and had not a single unique web gadget.
Another showed a sleeker Spider-Man with a web cape, teaming up with other vigilantes in a dark and gothic city, led by a man dressed like a giant bat.
"Are these …other universes?" Kendo asked.
"Other spider variants," Peter corrected, "All of my doppelgängers."
There was another image that—for a reason he could not explain—grabbed his attention the most. It was a spider variant—female—dressed in a light red and cyan blue, with a tiny gold spider at her neck. Along with spider powers, her fists grew three sizes on command.
In a blink, all the images disappeared.
"Finally," A voice echoed, "I've been waiting for so long."
The trio looked around, but the voice seemed to have no owner.
"Keep looking," The voice was amused, "Over here."
Though the other two were clueless, Peters senses gave him greater insight. He closed his eyes knowing they would just betray him. The voice became clearer, and closer.
He zeroed in on it—on her—and turned around to face it.
An elderly woman sat behind them in a golden chair, with a web design attached behind it. The woman's red dress hung to the floor and circled around the contraption that bounded her. Within the web design were other images of parallel universes.
"Surely you recognize me?" The woman asked, "I know I've gotten old, but you're smart enough to see past that."
There was one detail about her that Peter could not pry his eyes away from. Among all the grand images and complex machinery, the thing he found the most shocking was what she wore over her eyes.
A blindfold.
Peter squinted before asking the impossible question, "…Cassie?"
The woman laughed, "I go by Cassandra, these days," She said with a smile, "But please, just call me Madam Web."
Spider-Man: Hero Academia 2
Chapter 41: The Prime Totem
50 Years ago
"Cassandra," the familiar voice called out to her from beyond, "you've made your peace. It's time to begin."
She wanted to ask him for more time, but she knew that was not possible. She would not go back to being bedridden, but she could not stay with her hero, either. Something else – something greater than the Web of Life and Destiny – called to her now.
"…I'll carry the burden for you," Cassie spoke softly toward Peter, before backing away, "I'll carry all your burdens."
Peter turned around, having heard Cassie's voiced and asking her what she said.
Cassie, however, was gone.
From the parallel dimension she hid within, Cassie could feel Peter looking around for her worryingly. She wanted so badly to leap out and jump into his arms. If only she had not chosen to forgo her childhood for the sake of responsibility.
"This is for the best," the disembodied voice said, "If you truly want him to fulfill his destiny, then you must ascend your power. Only then will I be free."
"And then what will you do?"
"What I always have with your world."
"Which is?"
"You mortals ask so many questions."
"How long will my training take?" She asked.
"How long do mortals live?"
"Uh …90 years?" she guessed.
"Tricky …we may have to pull some strings. Come now, we have work to do."
Another portal opened, and Cassie needed to pry herself away from the little window back to Peter.
When she emerged from it, she found herself within a void of black and red. She could feel immense power coming from this empty space, as if just being there was giving her a boost.
"What is this place?" she asked.
"The source of your power," He explained, "This is the Central Node; a sort of observatory for the multiverse. Only people like yourself can access it."
"Like me?"
"You have a unique ability to harness the energy of the multiverse. All of time and space flows through your mind. You can observe any world at any time, and project yourself there in whatever form you choose. Bending reality, and even time itself, will become your pastime."
"I can change time?"
"In subtle ways; you're still human. Make a change too big, and it'll put pressure on the universe. What you can do, however, is guide a worlds fate in the right direction. Think of this as a sort of …management position."
"What do I do first?"
"We'll start small. This should help you."
A chair of gold formed behind her. It was small enough for her to sit comfortably. The moment she sat down, small images formed around her of different worlds, branching from a series of golden webs that sprouted behind the chair.
"This will help you harness the energy directly," he claimed, "It is no more than a conduit for your power, so be cautious when using it."
Sitting in that chair reminded her so much of her hospital bed back home. It frightened her, but she also felt right at home.
…
Present
Peter could not believe that the woman in front of him was the same little girl he rescued from Doc Ock. It had barely been as many months as the years she had on him. Yet, seeing her in that blindfold and the smile across her face, Peter could somehow feel it deep in his head, and in his heart.
His spider sense rung like before, when Cassie had first spied on him from afar. Everything focused on her and her alone. It was that same feeling; the feeling of a little girl in need of help.
Though her body had changed, her heart was the same.
"Cassie …" Peter said in disbelief, "It's really you."
"Cassie?" Izuku questioned, "I thought she was a little girl," he doubled back awkwardly, "Ah—no offence, ma'am …madam …uh…"
"Madam Web," Cassandra corrected, "That was the title I chose for myself when I turned 18, and completed the first bout of my training."
"I don't understand," Kendo expressed, "How are you so much older? No way you're the same little girl that helped me rescue Peter."
Cassandra knew this day would eventually come, and knew that the trio would have questions. She spent so much time preparing every answer for them, so that there would never be an ounce of dead air when asked to give them up.
"What you're standing in now is a pocket dimension," Madam Web explained, "An empty space hidden away from reality. It is used to monitor different universes, both past and future. Here, time moves differently. For you, it has been months since I vanished. For me, I have been here—training and honing my abilities—for the past 50 years."
That number hit Peter hard. He had been so worried about where the little girl had gone—if she was okay, or if she needed him—hoping he would see her safe again. To know that she had been here all this time, alone, broke his heart. Cassie seemed so calm about the idea. Did she really choose to be here alone? Why did she never come to see him?
"50 …years?" Peter asked, "You've been here all that time …alone?"
"Mm, yes and no," Madam Web leaned her head on her hand, "Physically, yes, I have been alone all this time. However, I was not without company."
"Cassie—Cassandra," Peter corrected himself, "I don't understand what is going on. Why were you here all this time? Why did you disappear?"
It was so many years ago, for her, when she made the decision to leave. She thought it was the right choice at the time, and needed to stick to that. There was no getting back all the years she had lost, but she had to believe it would be worth it, now that they had finally arrived at the moment she prepared for.
"Everything that has happened," Madam Web said, "It has all been for a purpose; the purpose my mentor set for me when I chose you."
"Chose me? For what?" Peter asked.
Madam Web leaned forward, holding her head with both hands, "To become the Prime Totem."
…
45 Years ago
Cassie had finally grown into the over-sized red hoodie she loved so much. Her hair had gotten longer, reaching halfway down her back. Now a teenager, she had been becoming progressively more frustrated with her training.
"But it isn't right!" Cassie argued, "You said I have the power to nudge any worlds timeline in a different direction, and you won't let me help this one?!"
"Because you're not strong enough," He claimed, "This is a world where the Nazi's won the war and Hydra took over. You can tailor events so that the resistance has a better chance at winning, yes, but altering history so the war never happens is beyond your abilities."
"But I know I can do it! That's what heroes do! They help people!"
"You are not a hero. You are an observer, a guide. Do you have any idea how many universes live in such a dystopian society? Do you know how many worlds are ruled by Hydra, or were wiped out by Ultron, or where Thanos snapped away half the universe, or where an idiot in red managed to kill every super hero in their reality?"
She tried not to think about it when managing the various worlds, but he was right; even if she helped this one world by changing their history, there were infinite numbers of worlds exactly like it. Trying to make a change that big could kill her, and he still needed her in order to be free.
Her sense of responsibility kicked in; a gift from the hero she admired as a child. Even if there were other worlds in trouble, she could not let herself stand by.
"I have to try," she said, powering up her golden chair and harnessing the energy of the multiverse.
"Cassandra, stop," he spoke calmly, "You'll hurt yourself, or worse."
"I can do it!"
"I'm telling you to stop."
"No!"
The man sighed, "Very well …you would learn this lesson eventually."
Cassie tapped into the multiverse, feeling the energy run through her spine. She could see the universe in her mind as she scrolled back in its history, finding the exact moment in time where everything kicked off. All she had to do was nudge it in a new direction, and the entire course of history will change.
As she got closer to that moment, she felt pain in her lower back. Too much energy was flooding into her body.
"Cassandra," The man warned, "The energy is accelerating your neurological condition, if you continue like this-"
"It doesn't matter!" She shouted.
Cassie hated being reminded of her condition, the whole reason she was bedridden in the first place as a child. In the moment, it did not matter what happened to her as long as she succeeded.
As she reached out psychically to change the worlds history, the energy from the chair became unstable, sending through her an extreme shock that struck her entire body. She lost her connection immediately, falling to the ground in front of the chair.
The voice was silent as he watched her twitch on the ground.
Cassie attempted to get up, starting with her hands.
As she tried to move her legs, she noticed they were not responding to her commands.
In fact, she could not feel them.
"I warned you," he said.
"I …I can't …" she struggled, "I can't feel my legs …"
…
Present
"The Prime Totem?" Peter asked.
Madam Web summoned images all around the trio. They were of different spider variants across the multiverse. Every image was connected by a transparent line with light pulsating through it.
"This," Madam Web pointed, "Is the Web of Life and Destiny. It's a map of the multiverse—specifically of you and your variants. Each one of you is connected to each other on this great web."
"And you, what, watch over it?" Peter asked.
"More or less. The intersect points are where the connection is the strongest. These variants are most often referred to as 'totems.' This is where the 'Prime' totem comes in."
The lines extended from the various images and into the center, where they all intersected at once. Within the frame they created was the image of Peter – 616-2 – in that exact moment.
"For every person in the multiverse," Madam Web explained, "There is only one Prime Variant; they are the version of themselves whom every connecting strand intersects at. Each and every one of the totems on the web, at one point or another, intersect through you."
"Why me?"
"Because you proved yourself worthy when you saved the multiverse from Mayume Aihara."
Images of the fight with Lumina so many months ago played around them, showing Spider-Man and Aihara trading blows, and ending with him and Izuku fighting together against her beam attack.
"Choosing a Prime Totem is an honor belonging only to those in tune with the very rhythm of the multiverse, like myself," She claimed, "As a child, I liked to watch you and your stories from my hospital bed. My power gives me the right to choose you as the intersect point for all spider totems. There were other options, sure; a version of Miles Morales on Earth 1610, or another version of yourself on Earth 717, fortunately his destiny is still being written."
"So, I'll ask again," Peter cut to the point, "Why me?"
Cassandra smiled at him, "Because you lent me your hand. You protected me when I needed you. You proved yourself as the hero I always knew you were. You always had the potential to become a Prime Totem, but my power awakened that potential within you, lighting you up like a beacon and drawing in all the different strands of the web to you."
She showed him another image of himself, talking to Aihara at the prison. As he put the phone down to leave, a spark of blue energy flickered between it and his finger.
"This power was already there, shortly after your defeat of Lumina. It just needed a push to be activated. Ever since this, your power has been growing ever stronger."
She showed him every moment where his power crossed a threshold; when he teamed up with Cassie against Ock, when he fought the Nomu and Anti-Venom, and when he lost control against Glitch when Visor died. All the images ended with his recent escape from the rubble.
"Cassie," Peter said, "What is this power, really?"
All the images returned to the different totems across all of reality.
"This," She said, "All of this. That blue energy inside of you is the culmination of your connection. The raw energy given to you by every totem in the multiverse. When you lost control against Glitch, you harnessed all the spiritual and kinetic power of every spider-variant; the literal rage of a thousand spiders. Their spirits became too powerful for you to control, and they influenced your psyche."
"I'm harnessing …others strength?"
"Every Prime Totems power is unique to them, based on their unconscious preferences. It seems you chose to manifest their power in the form of kinetic energy. However, with practice, you'll be able to do so much more, including mimicking each of their unique super powers."
To finally have an answer was somewhat overwhelming for him, as he had just decided to accept that he may never get one. This power—this unfathomable strength—came from thousands, maybe millions of spider people just like him.
Is that why he saw that other Spider-Man when he fought Otto? Was he harnessing their spirit?
"What's the point of a Prime Totem?" Peter asked, "Why have one at all?"
"A conduit for multiversal energy," She explained, "An intersect point is needed to maintain stability."
"But there wasn't one before."
"No."
"Then why make one now?"
As amazing as it was to learn the truth of his new power, something about her explanation did not sit right with him. There must have been something she was not telling him.
"You said that all of this happened for a reason," Peter pointed out, "What was the reason?"
"For my mentor," She said, "To free him from his wrongful imprisonment."
…
25 years ago
Cassandra sat silently in her chair. Her sideburns had started to gray, no that she would have noticed or cared. She had not moved from that chair for the past 20 years, not since her accident. Because of her neurological condition, she would have eventually lost her ability to walk anyway, though there would have been a chance at recovery.
Not anymore.
What she had attempted to do resulted in her condition being accelerated. She was completely crippled, with no chance of recovery. She was used to staying in one spot for a long time, as per her parents wishes as a child; parents she had not seen since she ran away.
At least it had benefits.
She has had much more time to focus on her mental ability with her physical being reduced. Cassandra could project herself to any world she wanted at any time, and can even split her consciousness into multiple places with little effort. She had helped many different worlds create a more peaceful society.
When convenient.
"You've been quiet," he finally noticed, "What's this now? A week without a word?"
"I've been training," She told him, "I'm surprised it took you this long to say anything."
"Time means very little to me. In my reality, all things are me. The worlds, the people, everything is just an extension of myself. I did not know one could measure time before I found your reality."
"You've never had a conversation with someone who could actually say something back."
"It got boring, I'll admit. That's why I'm so interested in your world. Your concept of individuality astounds me. I wish to learn more, if not for my predicament."
"We're just a few decades out," she claimed, "There are still mysteries to the multiverse I have yet to discover."
"Assuming you live to discover them," he noted, "Your hair is changing color. My offer still stands to extend your life. I cannot roll back your age from here, but I can slow it down, extend it by …10, 15 years, perhaps."
"That's alright," she grinned, "I'm confident that I'll stick to my schedule."
She had changed so much, he noticed. No longer was she the shy little girl he discovered wandering around the multiverse. Cassandra had become so calculated, so focused. It had been years since she tried playing hero; she was smarter than that, now. Not that he did not admire it, but in order to be free, it was a trait that needed to be removed.
Baiting her into hurting herself was the best way to teach that lesson.
…
Somewhere and Nowhere
"Your mentor?" Peter asked.
"When I was still bedridden," Cassandra explained, "I would astral project through the multiverse. During these travels, I found him, hidden away in a dimension outside of our multiverse. He is a being of immense power, who only ever wished to observe our reality, and live among us."
"Then why was he imprisoned?" Kendo asked, "Doesn't sound like a great guy if he was locked away."
"People were afraid of him and his power," said Madam Web, "So the sorcerers of the previous multiverse locked him in a dimension of their making."
"The previous Multiverse?" Izuku asked, "What does that mean?"
"Like any universe, the very multiverse has a beginning and an end. From the birth of the first universe to the death of the last; our multiverse is not the first of its kind, only the recent in a cycle. I believe this cycle is the eighth."
"Why do you need me to free him?" Peter asked.
"The seal on his prison is complex; it is charmed so that only a Prime Totem can access and undo the lock. He gave me a choice of who to choose as the Prime Totem, and I chose you. Everything I have done has been for your ascension."
Her tone was so different than when she was young. The little girl he knew was shy, quiet, unsure, yet eager to do what was right. This one was focused, monotone, punctual. For her, everything was by design and all for a greater purpose.
"I heard him," Peter realized, "Didn't I? When I fell unconscious, back when this power first awakened; I heard it again when I lost control. That was him, wasn't it?"
She nodded, "He reached out to you, to give you guidance."
"He warned me about Glitch," Peter said, "He knew what he would become."
"Of course."
Something about the way she said that irked Peter, enough for him to speak out, "What are you not telling me?"
"Spider-Man-"
"My name is Peter," He corrected sternly, "Now, I'll ask again, 'Cassie', what are you not telling me?"
Madam Web hoped she would not have to explain this to him, knowing how he would react. Why could he not just accept her words? Why did he have to ask so many questions?
"Peter," She corrected herself, "Everything I have done has been for you."
"And what exactly have you done?"
"I tailored the timeline," She confessed, "I had to make sure the best possible future could occur so you could become the Prime Totem."
Around them in the web, images formed of their past of each time the young Cassie's form appeared to give them guidance. Every time they were psychically connected by an unknown force.
"Originally," Madam Web said, "You were meant to be imprisoned by The League for a few hours longer, missing the entire conflict. In order to reach your potential, you had to be part of the fight."
"That's why you came to me," Kendo realized, "You guided me to Peter."
"My astral projection—despite my outward appearance—is still that of the little girl you knew. Manipulating time requires a subtle touch. I could not make the changes myself; the choices had to be made by you. Becoming a hero is still a choice, I simply offer that choice."
Above them, the image of Miles Morales formed. He was hiding behind a trashcan as Peter came out of a portal. As he watched the arachnid hero, a much smaller portal opened above Miles, releasing a spider that crawled onto his hand, biting him.
"…It was you," Peter said, "You gave Miles his powers?"
"You needed Miles in your life, to become his mentor and shoulder the responsibility of teaching another hero, and remind you of what being Spider-Man truly means."
"You changed his whole life," Peter claimed.
"He chose to become Spider-Man," She corrected, "He was always meant to be a hero; I simply pushed him forward."
Peter looked around at all the different images, all the different moments in time that she altered. Most of them were very slight; giving him a vision of Midoriya at the camp so he would rescue him, granting Midoriya a power boost to stop him from killing Infinity, and saving them from Infinity's attack.
"Why did you help me stop Peter?" Izuku asked, "I remember you said Infinity's death was a best outcome."
"Peter would have killed Infinity, yes," She admitted, "But Infinity's power would have revived him, and Peter would have been grief-stricken by his actions, immobilizing him so he would not be around to stop Infinity when he bonded with the symbiote."
Of those moments she changed, Peter was grateful that Cassie helped stop him. Even if Glitch came back to life, the thought of ever successfully ending someone's life for even a moment horrified him. He knew what he could become if he let his pain take over, especially with his experience wearing the symbiote.
Peter noticed one of the images in the back looked different than the others. It was fuzzy, like a broken television; the image could not sustain consistency, like it did not know what it wanted to be.
"What's this one?" Peter asked.
For the first time, Madam Web had paused before speaking, considering her words carefully. Up until that point, she had been quick with her answers, likely preparing them decades in advance. What was she contemplating? The answer itself, or whether or not she should give one?
"Cassie," he asked again, more sternly, "What is this one?"
"…complex."
"Well, give it a simple answer."
Madam Web waved her hand, and the image changed to a black screen. There was only a noise, like the sound the silence makes at night. Then, an explosion of color entered this void of darkness, illuminating it. Within the light, they noticed a generic bodily shape, floating in a cradle position like a baby.
"What you are seeing is whatever your brain is choosing to interpret it as," She explained, "This image came from the realm of thought; the void between the material and non-material plane, where Infinity was first born."
If all of those images were things in time that she changed in time, why was Infinity's birth one of them? On top of that, if she had the power to alter time, why not prevent Infinity from existing? What could she have possibly changed about his birth?
Unless it was not what she changed, but what she caused.
"…tell me you didn't," Peter prayed, "Tell me you didn't do what I think you did."
She was silent again, speaking more words than any verbal attempt could have mustered. Only a Prime Totem could free her mentor, and he had the potential to be one. Everything that happened would never have been if Infinity was never born. Without him, he would never become the Prime Totem.
"…you did, didn't you?" Peter growled, "You created Infinity!"
…
6 Months ago
Cassandra lost track of her age. The last time she actually kept count must have been over a decade ago. She spent so much time projection into the multiverse that age just did not matter, anymore. Higher duties called to her.
"Why him, may I ask?" The voice asked as Cassandra stared at an image of Miles Morales.
"Peter needs purpose," she answered, "He just lost his aunt and feels lost. I believe giving him someone to mentor will give him the confidence he needs, and become the person that can be the Prime Totem."
She found the moment in time where Miles first saw Spider-Man, and placed a radioactive spider at the scene.
"Now, we let that simmer for a while in the timeline," She scrolled ahead, "There's another event that requires more attention."
"Which one?" asked the voice.
"In order for Peter to become the Prime Totem, he must be pushed and challenged."
"What do you suggest?"
"He needs a strong enemy to fight, one that will trigger his sense of responsibility," She pondered, "Something he feels only he can fix."
The idea came quickly as she reviewed all the images of Spider-Mans fight with Aihara. She watched the moment the stones were destroyed, and noticed something that everyone else failed to see.
Within the stones, just as they were destroyed, was an energy invisible to most eyes. She could see it, though, as that energy was transferred into the void; the plane between what is and what is not. The faintest flicker of a soul.
"The stones," She realized, "The stones are alive, in their own right, but the artificial soul inside was cast out into the void after their destruction."
"Oh, I see. What you're suggesting is rather …dangerous."
"As long as everything is done right, then it is necessary. The ends with justify the means."
"I have taught you well."
She snapped her fingers and an explosion of color entered the void where the makeshift soul resided. Seeing that light, he felt invigorated.
He felt alive.
"He may not forgive you for such an act," the voice reminded her.
"I know, and that's okay, as long as you are freed. That was our deal."
"I'm proud of you, Cassie."
"Not Cassie," She corrected, "Just call me Madam Web."
…
Present
The silence was heavy. Madam Web made no effort to confirm nor deny his claim. She could feel how angry he was from where she sat. No explanation would be good enough for him, but he had to understand.
"Time is fickle," She said, "It's erratic—too erratic for any one person to completely control. That's why Mayume Aihara's attempt to do so had destabilized the multiverse. For someone like me, however, I can make small nudges to create a new course of history. When the Infinity Stones were destroyed, the thoughts and emotions buried inside were banished to the void, and they would have stayed there, forever. So, I nudged things along."
"That explosion of color-"
"I gave him a taste at life; a glimpse at the beauty of existence. I knew that was all it would take to push him toward wanting to life among the material world."
Peter nearly rushed at her, only allowing his friends to hold him back, "You created Infinity to give me someone to fight?! To push me toward this stupid title of yours?! Do you have any idea how many people have been hurt?! All the people who died because of him?! How could you do something like that?!"
"Only a Prime Totem can free my mentor," She defended, "And I wanted it to be you. A Prime Totem needs to be tested to achieve their power, so you needed a worthy series of tests."
"Your orchestrated everything for this?! For me?! Everything I've been through—"
"—has been for the greater good."
"Bullshit!"
He had been through too much for it to amount to something as worthless to him as a title. All of his struggles trying to prove himself a hero, capturing all his villains, jumping from fight to fight for hours with no rest, and losing all he has; it could not have been for this.
That much guilt was too much to bear.
The possibility that everything she did was for him indirectly made it all his fault. Everyone who got hurt; that was now on his head. He was not special, or some savior, or chosen one; he was just a guy trying to do the right thing.
"You can hate me all you want," Madam Web said, "It will not change anything. Your world is dying because of Infinity, and even I do not have the power to save it. My mentor, however, is more that powerful enough to restore your world and undo the damage Infinity has done. If you want to stop him, you must free my mentor from his imprisonment."
"Forget it!" Peter broke free of his friends grip, "We'll find another way!"
"There isn't one."
"I don't care! I'm not letting you get this win! I'm not going to be your puppet to swing around a rotten stage! Send us back! We'll stop Infinity on our own!"
Kendo put a calming hand on Peter's chest, feeling how quickly his heart was racing from rage, "Peter …I think we should help her."
He looked at her with one brow raised and eyes wide, "What? Why should we? She's the reason for all of this!"
"I know, and I'm angry too," Kendo admitted, "But she's also right; Infinity is killing your world. If her mentor is the only one who can help, then we should find him."
"But-"
"We're heroes; we don't have the luxury of being stubborn. All we can do is whatever we can for the people we've sworn to protect."
Izuku put a hand on his shoulder, giving a thumbs up and a smile, "Golden standard, yeah?" Izuku said.
In the moment, Peter no longer trusted Cassie. Knowing she was the cause of everything—all on orders of some unknown entity—that was not the girl he once knew. To be fair, it had been 50 years for her; she was bound to be a different person.
The concept of the Prime Totem worried him, too. He had no idea what it would really entail. Whatever it was supposed to be, it really was their only option if he wanted to save his world. What were the chances she was lying, though? What if she was powerful enough to fix his world without this guys help, and she was just using him? Peter had no idea what this woman was truly capable of.
Cassie as he knew her was gone.
"…fine," He submitted, "What do we have to do?"
"There's no 'we'," Madam Web said, "Only you can take the totems trial."
"If I'm the Prime Totem because of my accomplishments, then they're doing this with me," He demanded, "I wouldn't be here if not for them. Either they come with me, or we walk."
"The world is at stake-"
"All or nothing."
"Peter-"
"All. Or. Nothing."
Madam Web wanted to keep with tradition, but he was right; there was no time to argue, even in a world where time barely moved. The boy barely trusted her now as it was. Letting his friends fight with him was the least she could do.
"Very well," She sighed, waving her hand.
A blue portal of beautiful light opened behind the trio. There was no telling what was inside, only the feeling of a strong power on the other side.
"Beyond that gate is where you will find the Totems trial," she said, "Once you step through, you will return to your reality, and to the normal flow of time. You must move quickly, pass the trial, and free him before Infinity destroys your world."
They had no idea what was ahead, but they knew they'd be okay as long as they were together.
Izuku and Itsuka stepped through first. Peter hesitated, standing in front of the light as though he was waiting for it to close.
"I know you're angry," Madam Web said, "and I know it will not be easy to forgive me, but everything I've done-"
"Let's make something clear," Peter hissed, "I'm doing this because the people I love need me. You started all of this; you created Infinity, and caused so much harm just for me. That's not something I can forgive so easily."
"…I'm still your friend, Peter."
"Cassie was my friend," he looked her dead in the eye, "You're not Cassie."
He stepped through portal, leaving behind his hatred and disappointment for her to bathe in.