(A/N) Yep. We are doing a holiday special. Inspired by both the Star Wars Holiday special and the Guardians special with a few surprises on the way.
It was a chilly winter evening in New York City, and the festive air was filled with the joyous spirit of Christmas. Inside the cozy Parker residence, Peter Parker, also known as Spider-Man, sat by the fireplace, wrapped in a warm blanket. His aunt May bustled around the room, adorning the Christmas tree with twinkling lights and colorful ornaments.
As Peter watched May meticulously hang the decorations, memories of his late Uncle Ben flooded his mind. Uncle Ben had always been the heart and soul of their Christmas celebrations, and his absence was deeply felt. Peter couldn't help but feel a bittersweet mix of happiness and sorrow as he thought about him.
Aunt May, noticing Peter's wistful expression, gently placed a delicate angel ornament on the tree. She walked over to Peter, her eyes filled with warmth and understanding. Sitting beside him, she wrapped an arm around his shoulder.
"Peter, I know this time of year is tough for both of us," May said softly, her voice tinged with melancholy. "Uncle Ben loved this holiday, and we miss him dearly."
Peter nodded; his gaze fixed on the flickering flames. "Yeah, I remember how he used to get so excited about putting up the Christmas lights. He'd always make sure they were perfect."
May smiled, her eyes sparkling with nostalgia. "Your uncle had a knack for transforming our home into a winter wonderland. But you know, Peter, Christmas is about more than just decorations. It's about the love and memories we share."
Peter glanced at May, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "You're right, Aunt May. We can honor Uncle Ben by keeping those memories alive and cherishing the time we had with him."
May squeezed Peter's shoulder gently. "Absolutely, Peter. And remember, he would want us to find joy in the present, even while remembering the past."
As they sat together, Peter and May reminisced about the cherished moments they had spent with Uncle Ben. They shared stories of his infectious laughter, his words of wisdom, and his unwavering support for both of them. The room filled with laughter and tears, a beautiful mix of emotions that only strengthened their bond.
Later that evening, as they exchanged heartfelt gifts, Peter handed May a small photo album. Inside, she discovered a collection of treasured pictures of Uncle Ben, capturing their most precious memories together. May's eyes brimmed with tears of gratitude and love.
"Thank you, Peter," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "This means the world to me."
Peter smiled, a tear trickling down his cheek. "I wanted us to have something tangible, something that reminds us of Uncle Ben's love and the joy he brought into our lives."
As they embraced, the warmth of their love enfolded them, filling the room with a sense of peace and contentment. Though they missed Uncle Ben dearly, they knew that his spirit would forever be present in their hearts, especially during the holiday season.
And so, as the snowflakes gently fell outside, Peter and May celebrated Christmas together, finding solace in the shared memories of their beloved Uncle Ben, and embracing the love that would forever connect them as a family.
That was the last Christmas Peter spent with his Aunt May before Thanos arrived. A mere six months later, the Mad Titan descended upon Earth and decimated half of the population. The loss of his only remaining family member, not to mention everything that he once knew, coupled with the trauma of being tortured and rescued, left Peter with a constant ache of homesickness. With the realization that it was likely Christmas time once again, the young hero felt the weight of his loneliness even more acutely. Every day was a struggle to cope with the absence of his loved ones, and the holiday season only made it more difficult.
As of right now, Peter and his rebel friends, along with a handful of the Avengers were hanging out on Tatooine to try and hide out. Their faces were plastered all over the galaxy, so they needed to lay low for a little while. Hulk offered them sanctuary on Tatooine, considering they did help him so he could run the place. There were other crime families, but none of them were ready to or willing to fight someone like the Hulk. He was literally someone who would only grow stronger the more you anger, so you wouldn't want to get on his bad side.
As Luke continued his training with Obi-Wan, Ahsoka Tano remained by his side, having discovered that he was the son of her former Jedi Master, Anakin Skywalker. Despite the turmoil that this revelation caused within her, Ahsoka felt a deep sense of obligation to protect and guide Luke, knowing that he was destined for greatness.
Under Obi-Wan's tutelage, Luke continued to hone his abilities with the Force, and Ahsoka did her best to offer her own insights and knowledge. She also took it upon herself to teach Luke some of the more practical skills of survival when it came to hiding from the Empire. Especially now that Luke was on Mara Jade's radar.
Although Luke had already proven himself to be a capable fighter, having defeated Mara Jade in battle, Obi-Wan realized that he still had much to learn. So, he continued to push Luke to his limits, teaching him new techniques and strategies for combat. With Ahsoka's help, Luke gradually became a more well-rounded and confident warrior, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
As the sun beat down on the sandy terrain of Tatooine, the group of travelers aimlessly wandered around, hoping to find something to occupy their time. Sabine, Chopper, and Zeb were the only ones left as they watched Peter sit at one of the tables outside of the Sanctuary - a cantina owned by a Twi'lek named Garsa Fwip. Peter was sipping on the famous blue milk of Tatooine, while his trusty droid, BD, sat beside him. BD leaped onto the table and emitted a series of beeps, trying to catch Peter's attention, but to no avail. Peter was lost in the moment, trying to get lost in his mind as he was enjoying the refreshing drink and taking in his surroundings. The heat was intense, but the atmosphere was calming as the occasional breeze swept through the area.
"So, is this holiday really that important to him?" Ezra wonders.
"It kinda means a lot to many people on Earth," Sam explains to him as they watch Peter stroll around the area. "With everything he had gone through, you could say it just hurts."
"Surviving that kind of torture was bound to come with a lot of scars. Even if they aren't shown on his skin." Hera was sorry to say. "It is going to be a while before we are all back to our full strength."
"Well, it's a good thing we decided to lay low," Kanan said, even though he was also shaken by his experience, it wasn't as terrible as what Peter went through as he was also mentally tortured, and not prepared for it. "The kid could use a break."
"Oh, there he comes," said a band member from the nearby bar. "Hey, Peter!"
"Oh! Hi, Bzermikitokolok." Peter greeted the man, followed by a whistle from BD.
"My bandmates and I have been mastering these Earth instruments that Star-Lord and Hawkeye introduced us to, and we're working on a little ditty. And I thought you might be able to help us out because it's about one of your Earth traditions."
"Oh!" Peter was shocked to hear that. "What's that?"
"Christmas."
Peter shrugged and looked to BD, who had no idea of the holiday.
"Everything I know about Christmas, I learned from Chewbacca, who learned from Ahsoka, who learned from Kenobi, who learned from Scott Lang." Bzermikitokolok recapped how he learned of the holiday. "So I thought I might just take it back to the source and make sure I understand this all correctly since I know you and Scott came from the same world. This is after all a sort of historical document for a different culture festivities of Life Day."
Peter looked at BD who didn't seem to understand. "I have a bad feeling about this," he said. Then he sighed and used his Iron Spider arms as a seat, sitting on them. "Alright, man, let's see what you've got."
"Out on the third planet closest to the sun, there's a special celebration, and it sounds quite fun. A jolly old fellow brings toys to everyone on a holiday they call Christmas."
"That's perfect. Good. Really good, good job." Peter got up to leave when Bzermikitokolok kept going.
"Now I'm not gonna lie..."
"Oh, there's more." Peter was starting to get a really bad feeling.
"It makes no sense to me. But here's what I've discovered about this Christmas mystery."
"I'm not really in the right mood for this. Is this a long song?" Peter was starting to get worried.
"One, two, three!" Another member of the band says, followed by Max Reebo playing some notes. That started to gain the attention of the other towns folks, as well as a few of the other Avengers.
"Santa is a furry freak with epic superpowers." Bzermikitokolok sings. "He flies to every human home in under 14 hours. He's a master burglar."
"He's a what?" Peter asks in shock.
"A pro at picking locks."
"No. That's not..."
"If you don't leave milk and cookies out, He will put dung in your socks."
"That is not part of the lore at all," Kate commented.
"I think some of it got lost in the translation," Yelena said with a snicker. "I like it."
Kate wasn't fazed as she eyed Yelena. "You would."
"If you act nicely through the night, and don't jump on your bed. Santa comes with sugar plums and hurls them at your head. But if you're on his naughty list, he shoots missiles at your toes. He might just roast your chestnuts with his powerful flamethrower!"
Boba Fett happened to be patrolling when he heard that and looked down at his flamethrower.
"No!" Peter cried as he rubbed his head. "He doesn't have a flamethrower."
"Rein, rein, rein, rein, rein!" They went to sing. "Deer, deer, deer, deer, deer. I don't know what Christmas is, but Christmastime is here. He's compelled his creepy elves to do his every wish."
"Huh?" Zeb asks.
"One sought to be a dentist Now he's sleeping with the fish. Mrs. Claus: she works the pole. Plans her man's demise. Soon the elves will all rise up and stab out Santa's eyes!"
Peter exclaimed, "No!"
"Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho!" they started to sing along with the lyrics. "Earthlings are so weird."
Peter slumped as he sighed and had to agree with that. "That's true."
"I don't know what Christmas is, but Christmastime is here. Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho! Earthlings are so weird. I don't know what Christmas is, but Christmastime is here. What the heck is a turtledove, and who lit up that deer?"
Peter didn't even react; he was becoming numb to this entire situation.
"I don't know what Christmas is. But Christmas time is here. I don't know what Christmas is, but Christmas time is here. Or maybe it's there. Or it's somewhere."
"You just got these instruments?" Peter asks in confusion as they finish singing.
"Thank you, Tatooine. Thank you, Mos Eisley," Bzermikitokolok says to the crowd, as everyone goes back to their lives, with a few people clapping. Peter, however, just rolls his eyes and walks off with BD. "He loved it, guys."
"Must be hard for him." Sabine sighed as she leaned on the bar she stood nearby.
"Hard for him?" Zeb asks as he wipes his head. "This heat is brutal on all of us." He then gestured to the music players and rubbed his ears. "And that singing didn't help."
"I mean this whole holiday thing," Sabine explains. "Almost everyone has someone. I've been with you guys long enough to consider you family." She smiled at Zeb before looking towards Peter again. "But Peter wasn't even given a warning when what happened occurred. He never got the chance to say goodbye before he was turned to dust. And with the holidays, even Chewbacca and Han left for Kashyyyk for Life Day."
"Yeah, if I had to go, that wouldn't be my first choice." Zeb had to agree with that. "What do you want to do?"
Sabine thought about what she could do to try and help Peter and a sweet idea came into mind. "What if we helped Peter with this Christmas thing?"
Chopper bleeped and grunted as he was asking, 'Help how?'
"How about we try and bring him a bit of this Christmas thing here?" Sabine asks.
Zeb wasn't sure how he felt about that idea. "You do remember we don't know the first thing about this holiday thing, right?"
"Yes, I do," Sabine said with a sigh as she looked around and recalled that there were a dozen people around who did know about the holiday. "But we could ask some friends to help us understand the general idea of it. And... we need information and credits."
Luckily, they knew a certain someone on Tatooine who had influence and the power, not to mention already had the money, that they needed. Hulk was sitting on his newly fixed throne that he had reshaped in his own image. After having a talk with the Avengers, they planned to keep this a surprise for Peter and surprise him later after getting a plan. They would go get the supplies of lights and other various items, and they would set up what they could on Tatooine. Janet Van Dyne also offered to make some Christmas-styled clothing for them, as she was originally a fashion designer before becoming a fully-fledged S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.
"You want the High Magistrate to fund some sort of celebration?" Fennec asked as she sat on the left arm of the Hulk's throne. "Seriously?"
"Look," Sabine said. "We're not really asking for much." She promised. "Just a few credits for lights, decorations, and stuff like that."
Boba looked over at the Hulk. "What do you think, boss?"
"Ask me, it sounds like a waste of time," replied Fennec.
"It is," Boba said. "But Spider-Man was the one who helped the boss get this position. In my experience, that's a large debt to pay."
"Forget the debt," Hulk said, surprising Sabine and Zeb with his dialogue. The first time she had met the brute, he could barely make a clear sentence; now it seemed he could finally at least form them. "Spider-Man is a friend. I owe him this. Bring them in." He told Boba Fett, who called over a droid carrying a chest of credits from across the galaxy. It placed the crate down at their feet and wandered away. "Take what you need."
"Thanks, Hulk," Sabine said with a smile as she and Zeb took as many credits as they could, figuring they could use the extra money if they could use it. "Peter's gonna be so grateful for this."
Meanwhile, in the depths of space, someone was sifting through dozens of lists of individuals who were the most wanted people in the galaxy. He was a bounty hunter named Herman Schultz, and he was looking for a large enough bounty to keep his ship in the air for a while longer. He wore a full-body battle suit that he had designed and equipped with his own vibro-shock units to create high-pressure air blasts.
"These people are now high on the Empire's most-wanted list." They will fetch a heavy price for their capture." Herman listened to the audio of the footage showing the rebels escaping from the Destroyer. "Dead or alive."
Herman read the report. "Last seen taking the hyperspace lane away from Mustafar," he said. "Now, if I were hiding from the Empire, where would I want to hide?"
Meanwhile, Sabine and Zeb were getting a ship all fueled up and ready to go that was offered to them by the Hulk. Being a little paranoid, Sabine also brought along some extra fuel. She didn't want to have another incident like before. They were exiting the planet's atmosphere and were flying out to get the supplies that they had been given. It was a simple list by the look of things, but they would be hard to come by with their faces everywhere.
With everything, they saw that the better places were the ones with the least amount of Empire activity. That brought them to Lothal since they saw a lot of the things that they needed, like lights, decorations, and some clothing materials could be found there. And since they are known as heroes and helpers of Lothal, none of the locals were going to turn on them and try and alert the Empire of their presence.
"This I have to say is quite the strange assumption," one of the market sellers commented. "Lights, strange colored threading, and these ingredients are quite unusual."
"Hey, we don't quite get it either. But apparently, we'll understand it all when it comes together." Sabine shrugged as she was just going along with it.
Peter sat alone in the Mos Eisley Cantina. Droids weren't allowed, so even BD couldn't enter. As everyone went about their normal business, a portal formed in the middle of the bar, causing everyone to jump and run for cover. However, Peter simply sighed and knew that meant he had to jump into action. He stood up and fixed his shirt before his Iron Spider suit formed around him. He wasn't as enthusiastic as he used to be; most of his energy was spent, and he was just sick of being the same way after every battle.
Jonathan Ohnn came screaming as he fell out of the portal. Several pieces of random tech and forest debris came through, and Peter didn't even flinch. All he saw was garbage and a man wearing what looked to be a poncho. He had to admit, that was a bit weird. All of the things in the universe, and a poncho is not only in this dimension, but it looks exactly like the same one from their world.
"Ow!" exclaimed Jonathan as he stood up, brushing off the dust from the poncho he had worn to conceal his identity. "I'm getting a little better at this; at least I landed closer to the ground this time."
"Okay, what is this? Amateur stripper night?" Peter wasn't sure what to say about what he was seeing. "I mean, you look like you're half-naked."
That caught Jonathan's attention as he turned to face Peter and shrieked. "Spider-Man!" He then fell into another black hole that had opened up beneath him. But he didn't go far; Peter watched as he fell into one of the booths in the corner. "Whew!" He got back up and started to shake his limbs around. "This is happening."
"Okay, what gimmick are you supposed to be?" Peter asked as he leaned against the bar. "I've fought a Vulture, an alien, and a wizard," he said, referring to Mara Jade. "Or is it a witch? So, that makes you what, a cow or a Dalmatian?"
"I am..." Johnathon then reached for the hood of the poncho and yanked it off to reveal his white body covered in black spots. "The Spot!" he exclaimed.
Peter didn't even flinch as he reached over to a bowl of peanuts and retracted his mask enough to toss them in his mouth. He had to admit, if he hadn't been held captive and tortured by the Empire, or if he was at least in a better mood, he might have found this entire ordeal funny. He just missed his aunt and wanted to have some alone time, and he didn't want to get into a confrontation with anyone right now. But it seems he just might need to with this guy.
"The Spot?" Peter wasn't even surprised. "You come up with that yourself?"
"We meet again, Spider-Man," Spot said as he leaned against the table.
Peter watched as a glass fell into one of the holes in his arm, which was leaning on the table. The glass then reappeared in his chest, falling to the ground and shattering. Peter had to admit, this was a little funny, and he let out a snicker. This guy could easily get a job somewhere as a clown.
"Oh, that's funny to you?" Spot asked.
"A little," Peter admitted as he calmed down. "So, this is what, the Empire's new way of hunting me down?" He gave Spot a look up and down and was a little disturbed. "Is that a costume or..."
"Unfortunately for both of us, this is skin," Spot said as he looked at Peter.
"Okay, ouch." Peter had to admit, he was feeling bad for him now.
"You see, I'm from your past," Spot told Peter. "Just a month ago when you-"
"Well, this has been nice," Peter said as he pretended to look at his wrist, where there wasn't a watch. "But I've got places to be, so if we can wrap this up..."
Peter fired two strands of webbing toward the Spot, which was finally fixed by the assistance of Hank Pym and Hope Van Dyne. Jonathan shrieked as a portal formed, and his strands of webbing flew back at Peter. Peter struggled backwards as the webbing hit him in the face. Meanwhile, Spot fell and landed outside of the cantina. Peter ran after him, attempting to pull the webbing off of his face.
Back with Sabine and Zeb, they were now searching for a planet where they could find a large tree to use as fuel. They needed something big enough to fit inside their ship, but also not attract attention from the Empire. This led them to Batuu. The Empire had no reason to come to this world, and they didn't raise any suspicions by heading there. Zeb was currently helping with the chopping process, using a laser drill Hulk had given him.
"Why am I the one doing all of the hard labor here?" asked Zeb.
Sabine said, "I am keeping a lookout." She continued, "Just because the Empire isn't here, doesn't mean there aren't a dozen other people out there."
"All of this work for the birth of some random person?" Zeb asks, recalling the origins of Christmas that he was told. "I'm glad I'm not from Earth. Why can't they just do birthdays?"
"Peter said that's what they did." Sabine added, "This Christmas thing is the celebration of a specific important person's birth."
"So, what kind of present do you plan to give him?" Zeb asks as he finishes chopping the tree.
"Give who?" Sabine asks.
"Parker," Zeb explained as he then picked up the tree. "Don't tell me you haven't thought about it."
Sabine had to admit she was blushing a little under the mask after hearing that some of the team must have picked up on her feelings for the Spider-themed Avenger. "I might have considered something that I think he might like." But before she could get into much detail, she spotted something in a clearing. "Wait, Zeb, we might have something."
"What now?" Zeb groaned.
"Some sort of ship." Sabine recognised the Z-95-AF4 Headhunter which was commonly used for Bounty Hunting.
But before they could discuss it further, they were hit by what felt like a gigantic shockwave of energy that sent them flying across the forest. As well as several trees and a lot of the wildlife was sent running away from the area. When the two of them got over the ringing in their ears and stood back up, they noticed exactly who it was that hit them.
Herman Schultz, the Bounty Hunter, stood with his gauntlet-covered fists charged, crackling with energy. His metallic suit gleamed in the dappled sunlight of the dense forest. Garazeb Orrelios and Sabine Wren, the formidable duo, faced him with determination, their weapons at the ready.
"Who is this guy?" Zeb asks.
"I don't know. But I don't want to stay and find out!" Sabine stated.
Garazeb lunged forward, his bo-rifle twirling in his hands as he aimed a powerful strike at Herman. The mercenary swiftly evaded, using his gauntlets to create a shockwave that sent Zeb stumbling back. Sabine seized the opportunity, unleashing a barrage of explosive paint grenades toward their electrified foe.
Herman, seeing the colorful projectiles hurtling toward him, quickly devised a countermeasure. With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed a concentrated energy blast, detonating the grenades mid-air, creating a dazzling display of vibrant colors and smoke. The distraction allowed Herman to close the distance and deliver a swift punch to Sabine's side, sending her sprawling.
"The Empire has set a pretty high price on you and your friends," Herman told her, stepping on her chest plate. "I was hoping for the Spider-Man, but I can use the two of you as bait to draw him out."
On the desolate sands of Tatooine, Ahsoka Tano was watching Luke's training and was giving him a few pointers on how to improve. Ahsoka believed the same as Kenobi believed in seeing that Luke was the key to restoring hope to a galaxy plagued by darkness.
"So, how well did you know my father?" Luke asks Ahsoka.
"I like to believe pretty well," Ahsoka tells him while Luke is trying to practice the techniques Ahsoka was teaching. "He was my Master. Powerful. Rarely lost a battle. But he was also kind. Cared deeply about his friends. And would look out for them till the end."
Luke took off his helmet for a moment; he wanted to know more about his parents. "You know what happened to him?"
"I am not entirely sure," Ahsoka admitted as she crossed her arms, looking away into the distance. "Last I heard, he was running off to save the Chancellor. And then everything changed." She then smiled as she thought of another friend. "I also may have known your mother."
Luke was surprised to hear that someone knew his mother, as Obi-Wan had not spoken of her. "You have?"
"I am not sure, but I have a strong feeling I know who she is," said Ahsoka. "Senator Amidala. Padmé. She was strong. Brave. Never stood down, even when her life was on the line."
Luke said, "She sounds amazing."
"She was," Ahsoka saw she had just laid it all out for the kid and should have given him a moment to digest what he was told and what she was teaching him. "How about we pick this up tomorrow?"
"Alright," Luke said as he retracted his lightsaber and placed it to the side.
Ahsoka walked over to the door and stepped outside to find Bucky waiting for her in the speeder they had borrowed from town. "How'd it go in there?" he asked.
Ahsoka smiled. "Not bad for a first day," she said. "He definitely is like his father. A quick study."
Well, if his dad is as powerful as you say, let's hope the apple didn't fall far from the tree," Bucky stated. "Wait, there are apples here, right?"
"If we do, I've never heard of them," said Ahsoka. "But I'm going to guess that it was some kind of fruit."
"So, you have fruits, but no apples," Bucky said, lost in the differences between their worlds. "Pears, grapes, pineapples... they're a little misshapen, but they're still the same all around. Our worlds are seriously confusing."
Then out of nowhere, a black hole opened above their speeder, and Peter came crashing through the portal. The Spot was tackling him. Ahsoka and Bucky jumped back in surprise as they watched Peter push the Spot off of him and land on top of him.
"Spider-Man!" Bucky cried out.
"Peter?" Ahsoka was confused as to what was going on.
"Oh, hey guys," Peter greeted them as another black hole opened up beneath their feet. "Oh, not again!"
Ahsoka and Bucky then watched as Peter and the Spot began to jump around the household while Bucky prepared his blaster to open fire on the man. Ahsoka tried to help with the Force, but it was almost like the Spot was not made out of any material that she could manipulate.
"Okay, come on, dude! This is getting ridiculous!" Peter exclaimed as he struggled to maintain his grip on the Spot.
"You interrupted me during my monologue!" Spot exclaimed as all of the Spots stopped forming and dropped him and Peter in the middle of the desert.
Bucky says, "You interrupted a bad guy in the middle of their monologue? They hate it when you do that."
"Bad guy?" Peter asks as he leaps, shoots a web net, and tackles the Spot. "This guy is barely a 'villain of the week.'"
"What did you say?" Spot asked. "You realize I'm right here, don't you?"
Then another portal opened, and the two of them were sent falling into the black hole. Meanwhile, Bucky didn't realize his feet were wrapped in a strand of webbing and got yanked into the portal. Ahsoka tried to leap into the spot, but the portal vanished before she had a chance to reach it. Now she was left wondering what had happened to them.
Across the galaxy, Peter, Ohnn, and Barnes were sent spiraling around a gigantic empty void of space. When they exited, they splashed right into the middle of the oceans of Kamino. Thunder rumbled overhead as the rain poured down, while they were still being flung across the galaxy.
Then another portal opened, and they were sent falling from the skies of Coruscant. A torrent of water from Kamino followed them, and they all smacked into several different flying cars in the area. Bucky smashed into the windshield of one of them and groaned. He stood up and watched as Peter struggled to gain control of the Spot, which kept rambling on.
"Sorry," Bucky said to the driver as he climbed back onto the roof of the car and aimed his rifle. But he was starting to feel lightheaded and his head was starting to hurt.
"After everything you did to me, you don't remember?" Ohnn asks as he is finally starting to get a handle on these portals. He then stumbles to his feet and stands on top of one of the cars while Peter remains confused. "You did this to me!"
"What did I do to you?" Peter asked, becoming even more confused. "Dude, you're just talking crazy."
"I was on the Destroyer!" Ohnn cried out as he pointed upward. Peter started to remember where his voice was coming from. He was the scientist who had taken his blood. "You remember, don't you?"
Peter then shook it off as he leaped into the air, webbing the car Spot was on and tackling the freak. They then fell through another portal, and Bucky realized he needed to follow them. He sighed as he looked at the approaching black hole and hoped that he wouldn't regret his decision when he jumped. When he came close enough to the portal, he leaped into it just before it closed.
They landed back on Tatooine, where Peter and Spot had been thrown through a portal and landed in the middle of the Beggar's Canyon. Peter managed to stop himself, but Spot was sent tumbling down the canyon wall. Bucky fell and landed on his robot arm to cushion his fall. Even then, his head felt like it was spinning due to the frequency of portal usage. To mortal humans, this would be the equivalent of making 1000 space jumps (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2). Spot finally stopped and accidentally opened several more portals, one of which was placed around a group of loose rocks.
"You starting to understand now, aren't you?" Ohnn asks him.
"Uh, I really don't get it," said Peter as he struggled to put the pieces together.
"I am your nemesis!" Ohnn proclaimed as he threw several portals toward Peter.
Peter did a few flips to dodge the portals and had an idea. "You are not my nemesis."
Peter then shot a strand of webbing over to Spot, who dodged it, but the webbing went through the portal. "You missed," he said to Peter. But he didn't realize that the webbing had latched onto the boulders. "You can't contain the Sp-" Before he could finish, Peter yanked the rocks on top of him. "You don't remember it, do you?"
Peter asked, "How about you just explain it to me?"
"I was experimenting on your blood on the Star Destroyer," Ohnn reminded Peter. That was when it started to flood back to him. "Then your little EMP went off while I was in the Hyperdrive room." Peter wasn't aware of that part. He had been unconscious for most of the rescue. "Your blood and the Hyperdrive were fused into me! Turning me into this! Leaving me to die!"
"Yeah, I don't tend to rescue the Space Nazis." Peter scoffed.
Ohnn then started to use his portals to move out from underneath the boulders. "You make your quirky, sarcastic comments and everyone loves them." Bucky gave off a scoff as he wasn't much of a fan of heroes like that. "But no one knows what it's like to be on the other side of them." He then stood up to his full height and faced the heroes. "You did this to me! You created me!"
Bucky asked Peter, "Spider-Man, why did you create that guy?"
"I didn't do it!" Peter defended. "He's just talking crazy!"
"Because of you, I lost my life, my face, my family won't even look at me; you were made into a hero, yet you made me into this!" Ohnn exclaimed as he began to grow darker, the white on him slowly being consumed by the darkness. Around them, Peter and Barnes watched as the spots continued to form around them. They knew they needed to fight and prepared to defend themselves. "Look at me. You did this to me. Look at me! I'll make you respect me!" He then raced towards the two heroes, only to accidentally step into one of the portals. The other end of the portal ended up behind Ohnn, resulting in him kicking himself in the butt. "Ow!" Ohnn ended up tripping and slipping right in front of them, his face buried slightly in the sand. "I am your nemesis!"
And then out of nowhere, a portal opened beneath Ohnn, and he fell through. The portal quickly closed, leaving the two heroes completely confused and spooked as all the other portals vanished around them.
"What the hell just happened?" Bucky asked Peter.
"He...kicked his own butt?" Peter was just as confused.
Bucky groaned as he tried to shake his head to try and clear it after everything. "Alright. Let's...see if we can get a ride out of here."
Peter looked where Spot had disappeared and watched Bucky walk away. "Alright. Yeah, good idea." He then ran off to join Bucky. "You have any idea where we are?"
"Well, the twin suns were facing north…I think. At least, that's what they told me. Anyway, the town should just be in this direction." Bucky had to admit he didn't understand the directions on this planet. "Anyway, so town should just be in this direction." He then tapped his earpiece and got nothing but static. "Those portals must have messed with my comms. We're walking back, but I'll use the comms and a technique so whoever's listening knows we're okay."
"Alright. I am just going to follow you. Peter said. "Whatever the Spot did ended up scrambling Karen's systems, so she needs a moment to reboot."
"That's why I don't rely on those computers," Bucky said as he marched through the desert.
Peter asked, "How far from town do you think we are?"
"At this rate..." Bucky said, mumbling as he spoke. "...We'll get there in about half an hour, at the earliest."
Zeb, getting over his encounter with Herman, roared in fury at seeing his partner in pain. He charged at Herman, rifle spinning like a lethal whirlwind. Herman, however, anticipated Zeb's assault and used his gauntlets to generate a powerful shockwave, knocking the Lasat warrior off his feet and sending him crashing into a nearby tree.
With her allies momentarily down, Sabine quickly recovered; her Mandalorian training kicked in. She shot Herman in the leg, not harming him, but managing to set him off-balance. She then leapt back onto her feet and unleashed a hail of blaster fire down upon Herman. The mercenary danced between the trees, dodging the searing bolts with agility.
Herman, feeling the pressure mounting, focused his energy on a devastating attack. He channeled the power of his gauntlets, releasing a colossal shockwave that rippled through the forest, uprooting trees and causing the ground to tremble. Sabine and Zeb, caught off guard, were sent sprawling once again.
But the resourceful rebels wouldn't be defeated so easily. Sabine quickly recovered and unleashed her wrist-mounted flamethrower, engulfing Herman in searing flames. Zeb, using his brute strength, charged at the disoriented villain, delivering a bone-shattering headbutt that sent Herman crashing to the ground.
As Herman struggled to regain his footing, the rebels closed in, their weapons at the ready. Sabine aimed her blasters, while Zeb raised his bo-rifle, ready to deliver the final blow. Herman, realizing his defeat was imminent, activated a concealed device on his suit, triggering a blinding flash of light that disoriented his adversaries.
In the chaos, Herman seized the opportunity to escape into the dense undergrowth, leaving Sabine and Zeb to regroup and tend to their injuries. Though the battle had reached a stalemate, both sides knew that their paths would cross again, and the fight for justice would continue.
"Who the heck was that?" asked Zeb.
"Bounty Hunter," she said worriedly. "We should head back for Tatooine; no telling if he's told anyone else about where we are or if he has friends."
"Fine by me," Zeb said as he picked the tree back up. Sabine was a little surprised to see he was still willing to carry it. "Hey, we came here for this, and we're not leaving without it."
That half-hour walk that Bucky promised Peter turned out to be more of a two-hour trek. Peter and Bucky were left slumming through the desert as they were looking to discover the town was beginning to close in on them. But they were both confused when they realized the entire town was lit up. Not that it was unusual, but this time it seemed... familiar.
When Peter and Bucky finally reached the town, they were both shocked to see that the entire town was lit up with Christmas lights. Bucky put his rifle away as he was mesmerized by the Earth celebration on Tatooine. Peter retracted his mask and had to admit, seeing the lights brought a smile to his face.
"What did they do?" asked Bucky, curious about what had transpired while he was away.
Ezra watched from a high point and saw them returning. "They're back," he said.
Sabine pushed a button on her wrist, and a machine began producing Styrofoam-like snowfall over the area. As Peter and Bucky walked around the ship docking area, they discovered a giant Christmas tree adorned with lights that had been turned on by Chopper. The lights illuminated the area, allowing Peter to finally smile.
"Wow..." Bucky wasn't sure what to make of it.
Sabine then walked out and showed she was wearing the Christmas sweater Janet had made. It looked pretty well-made, considering it had been rushed. Luckily, a few of the droids caught on to Janet's techniques quickly and made a handful of sweaters to wear. And it was a good thing Tatooine nights were cold enough to warrant wearing the sweaters.
Sabine said, "Merry Christmas, Peter."
Peter was bewildered to see it was Sabine who was behind this. "What... what is this?"
"It's just a little gift from me, Zeb, and all of us," Sabine explained as everyone wore sweaters.
"You like it?" Sabine asks, watching Peter's completely confused look.
Peter just kept looking around, trying to digest the weird day he had been having. "I gotta say, you guys continue to surprise me." He just looked around and saw everyone trying out Christmas traditions with the few random Avengers around helping them understand them. "Thanks, Sabine."
Bucky walked over to the stand where he found what was supposed to be a gingerbread man, but looked more like a disfigured droid. "Well, can't win them all," he said, taking a bite of it. To his surprise, it tasted good. "At least it tastes better than Steve's cooking."
"Gotta say, that gave me a scare back there," said Ahsoka as she approached Bucky. She was wearing a sweater with a snowman on it, but instead of sticks and coal, it had thermal detonators and battle droid arms. "I was worried about the two of you landing in there."
"Yeah, that was a weird encounter," Bucky admitted, thinking of the spot. "But just another thing that we'll have to deal with later on down the road."
Yeah, but tonight...let's put the war on hold," Ahsoka says to him as they relax and watch the festivities. As they were sitting there and enjoying the quiet, Bucky noticed something dangling and was a little confused. "Uh, what is that?"
Ahsoka looked up and chuckled; she was just as confused as he was. "They said it was something called missile toe." And that's exactly what it was. What appeared to be either fake or real small missiles were wrapped around some sort of animal's toes. "I think they got it wrong," Ahsoka said. "But it's the thought that counts, right?"
"I suppose," Bucky said, a little disturbed by what he was looking at. But not any less than anything else the galaxy had thrown at them. "Still a little off-putting."
"Well... that's just the way of the galaxy," Ahsoka stated as she remembered the tradition of the mistletoe. She leaned over and gave Bucky a peck on the cheek. "Merry Christmas, James."
Bucky wasn't sure how to react to the kiss, so he went with the assumption that it was a matter of tradition. Not to say that he didn't seem to like it. As he was trying to figure out his feelings, they heard what sounded like music and saw that Max Reebo and a few Cantina members were huddled together with Kate Bishop at a microphone.
"How many nights do you lie awake in the darkest place?" Kate was beginning to bring in the mood of Christmas through music. "How many days do you shed the pain of your darker days?"
"This is pretty incredible," Peter said as he and Sabine watched from the sidelines.
Some people were even beginning to slowly dance to the music, and Peter was even given a sweater with a silly Santa design with "ho, ho, ho" written around it. Sabine then approached him with a wrapped present in her hands. It was small enough to look like it was a small box. She approached and handed it out for Peter to take.
"This is for you," Sabine said as she held the present to him.
Peter took the present and wondered what it was that Sabine had gotten him. He unwrapped the present and found that it was a picture of him, May, and Ben with Sabine's art style added to it. Peter smiled; this was the first time he had seen his uncle and aunt since Thanos snapped. Seeing them in person, and not just through recordings, made him tear up a little.
"It was in one of your recordings I found your suit," Sabine explained her inspiration. "I felt like you could use it."
Peter smiled because he was happy about the thoughtful gift she had given him. "Thank you, Sabine," he said, pulling her into a hug. "But I have one question: why?"
Sabine was a little confused by that question as she broke the hug. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, I was a little sad, but I don't feel like I'm worth going through all of this trouble." Peter gestured to the town.
Sabine shrugged, trying to hide her face. "Well, you were worth it to me."
Peter wondered, "Why?"
Sabine sighed as she gazed out at the city. "I guess... it's something to do with how I feel."
"Feel?" Peter was starting to feel like he understood where this was going.
Sabine groaned and knew this would be difficult to explain. "Peter, I don't really talk much about my past, do I?"
Peter admitted, "Not much."
"That's because I don't like to talk about it," Sabine said without turning away. "I guess, you could say, that has made me afraid to open up to people about myself. I've done terrible things. Some that I wish I could take back."
Peter said, "I get it. I know what it's like to make terrible mistakes."
"That's just it," Sabine said as she turned to face Peter. "Not only do you understand, but you also like to help others with it. Your scars made you a hero; my scars made me an outcast. And you still somehow make me want to open up about my feelings. You make me want to actually talk about it for the first time in years." She then tried to get back on track with what she was saying. "When you were captured, it was like a part of me I didn't know was there was missing. I didn't have anyone to really talk to, or discuss things with. It made me realize just how much I like you."
"All I know is if happy lives a mile away, a couple steps is all it takes. If kindness lives in everyone then all it takes isn't enough."
Peter was a little curious as to what she meant by that as he approached her. "And just how much do you like me?"
Sabine sighed and saw she was already on the deep end; might as well dive in. Peter had taught her that metaphor. "This much," she said.
Sabine grabbed Peter by the sweater and pulled him in for a kiss. To Peter's surprise, she turned into a kiss. Peter was surprised by this and returned the kiss. Right then, there was nothing going on. In their own world, there was no war, no battles to fight; it was just the two of them and this one moment that could light a spark. A spark that had the potential to become a flame.
"Can't touch it, see it. But you can always feel it. The greatest things you'll ever know are invisible. They are invisible."
Sabine and Peter broke the kiss as they were both a little shocked at what they had just done. It was practically their first actual kiss. Neither of them had any other relationships in the past, and Peter didn't exactly count that whole event with Liz Allen as a relationship.
Peter exclaimed "Wow!" in amazement.
"Yeah, that's all I can say too," Sabine admitted.
"So... where do we go from here?" wondered Peter.
"How about we find out?" Sabine suggested as she leaned in and kissed him again.
Peter was okay with that request and kissed her back. He could see that things might actually be okay for once. As if out of nowhere, BD came running and jumped up on top of Peter, laughing as she did so. Kanan and Hera happened to be watching their kids from afar, and they had to admit, they were happy for the two of them. After everything, they deserved this moment.
Kanan said, "I have a feeling peter is going to be okay."
"So do I, love." Hera agreed.
"Are invisible..."
Meanwhile, on Scarif - an Empire base with a gigantic ray shield to keep intruders out - on the planet's surface, there was a man wearing a white Imperial military uniform with an additional cape not commonly seen on other Imperial officers. He marched in the cover of night to a remote location on the planet. This was a man who went by the name of Orson Krennic. At least…that's what they believed. Once Orson made sure that the area was secure, he reached down and picked up a small disk and connected it to a larger transmitter to break through the field generator.
On the other end of the communicator, Nick Fury answered the call. "Got something to report to me, Talos?"
Orson Krennic then rolled his eyes and his entire face shifted to become green, with two pointy ears to reveal that he was a Skrull. "Fury, we could be a bit more discrete," Talos told him.
"Just tell me what you've learned, Talos," Fury demanded.
Talos tells Fury, "You need to get a squad to Jedha. Rumor has it that Saw Gerrera has a man there, and Galen Erso has sent a message via him. He helped create this abomination of a weapon; the Empire is preparing to test it. He must have created a way to destroy it."
"Is his daughter necessary to get the information?" Fury wonders.
"She has been said to have been raised under Gerrera. She knows how he thinks and could get you close to him without a shootout." Talos reported to him.
Fury saw that would be useful. "Where can we find her?"
Talos tells him, "Jyn Erso is currently being held in one of the detention centers on Spire. I have her being prepared for transfer to another facility so that you can intercept her."
Fury asked, "When will this happen?"
"About three rotations from now," Talos says to him before shifting his gaze back to Krennic. "That's as much as I can tell you. I must go."
"You have given us enough," Fury promised. "I hope."
Mara Jade was currently sitting in her bunker on her bed in the Fortress Inquisitorius. She couldn't lie down because every time she closed her eyes, all she saw was him. Spider-Man had infiltrated her mind. All she could do was close her eyes and see his memories. Feel his emotions. Feeling His pain.
And yet she asked herself: How?
How could someone with so much pain and who went through so much torment like he did have the ability to stand and continue to fight for the light? What made him so strong-minded that he was able to defend himself against her mind games? How was he able to protect himself?
And then, whenever she closed her eyes, even in the midst of the darkness that Peter had left behind, she felt the light he contained. It wasn't bright enough to banish the shadows, but it was strong.
What made him so special?
What did he do to her for her to see his memories? And how can she make these memories stop?
