The First Day of the Rest of Your Life

By now, the hospital ceiling was far too familiar.

Shinji Ikari outright despised it. The white, sterile walls, the cold glances by uncaring doctors, awful food, blinding lights everywhere, Shinji had just about enough of it all, Especially at NERV's hospital, he hated waking up after a battle to the accursed ceiling when the place was a labyrinth onto itself, with its confusing travel system and awful map design. He noted that it was much like NERV HQ in that respect, wondering if they had the same mad designer.

Thankfully, he was in a normal hospital at Kokoro, miles from NERV. Too much damage was sustained to stay there. It was even more relieving to learn he only had to spend a couple of hours in the room, as the doctor gave him his final prognosis.

"A clean bill of health for you, Mr. Ikari." Dr. Keiji said. A S.H.I.E.L.D. doctor, sworn to secrecy over his secret identity. "I see no side effects or scarring on your body."

"Nothing?" Shinji asked. "You sure about that?"

"Truly nothing. I already filled in the paperwork, you're free to go." Dr. Keiji grinned. "Given your remarkably fast regeneration, why, I think you may never have to go to a hospital for the rest of your life!"

it was the best news Shinji heard in years. "I'm happy to hear that."

"Alright, let me fetch you your clothes, that gown is already too crappy on you…"

A few moments later, Shinji walked out of the room dressed in a comfortable yellow sweater and long jeans. He approached a window to the right side of the hallway, and learned his arms to a railing. He watched the snow fall, breathing out a sigh.

He hadn't been to Kokoro in months. He remembered the day it was devastated by the formless Angel's horrible rampage. So much of the city was turned to rubble, with many left homeless, alone, and afraid. Shinji remembered the days afterward with all too painful clarity. He hated to admit it, but part of him was relieved when Gendo called him to Tokyo-3. Being surrounded by reminders of his failure tore him apart, and perhaps he needed to be away for a while, even if he regretted not staying behind to help.

Shinji realized he missed out on a lot. Kokoro wasn't quite the shiny future city it used to be. It would probably take years to get even a fraction of it back. However, Shinji could see how hard people worked to rebuild the city in his absence. Just outside, he could already see smaller buildings have finished construction, along with a crew hammering away at the train line. Good or bad, life went on. An oddly comforting notion for him.

"I wish you could see this, Mayumi." Shinji grew sad. "Wish you were here."

He remembered how they used to hang out at the Mayonaka Park. Shinji made a note to visit the place again, along with the Joho Café she used to like. He wasn't sure he was ready to face her again, but he was tired of running. If he was going to live in the moment, he needed to commit.

With that in mind, he pulled out a picture from his pocket. Shinji managed to keep it with him when he was raced to the hospital. He observed the photo of himself with his friends, standing in front of the visage of Kaworu they created. It was a silly picture, showing Asuka giving Touji a noogie, Kensuke failing to save him as Rei and himself laughed behind them.

Shinji smiled, remembering the joy they felt painting their fallen… friend that day.

"I wish we had more time, Kaworu. We could have been more. I wanted us to be more. Hopefully, we'll meet again someday."

He put the picture back in his pocket, just as he heard a voice call to him.

"Hey! Hey, Shinji!"

Now, that was the sort of familiar he looked forward to. Shinji smiled as he turned to find a brother running toward him.

"Shin-man!" Touji Suzuhara trapped him in a hug. "I heard all you did! You'll pay for making us worry like that!"

"Sorry about that. Really." Shinji hugged back. "I'm glad you're alright."

"I'm not the only one! We're all here!"

As Touji separated from him, Shinji's smile grew wider when he found a group of awfully familiar people. Kensuke Aida, Hikari Horaki, Marie Vincennes and Rei Ayanami were there to see him. Rei, in particular, had taken to using a pair of red glasses and a cane, tapping it to the floor.

"It's good to see you, brother."

Shinji nodded, moving for a hug. "Amazing to see you, Rei."

She returned it instantly.

"I'll say!" Kensuke gleefully pulled his camera. "We tried to get into the base, but Misato kept us from seeing you! We woulda found you instantly!"

"They were doing their jobs, Kensuke." Hikari admonished, before smiling. "Besides, Rei found him anyway."

Rei's new form had been a huge shock to the others when they saw her. Touji himself made an unfortunate comment asking if she was a new girlfriend of Shinji's. She was quick to disabuse him of the notion.

"Still can't believe it." Touji whispered into Shinji's ear. "The ice queen literally de-thawed."

Shinji frowned. "That's not a nice thing to say, Touji."

"I know, but who woulda guessed she could smile like that before you came along?"

"You know I can hear you, right?" Rei pulled down her glasses. "I am blind, not deaf."

At that, Touji sheepishly shrugged.

"It's just a… good thing to see, that's all. I like it. It's great."

Rei allowed it to pass. "Thank you."

"It's insane, really!" Marie laughed, before waggling her fingers. "First, she looks like Shinji's twin, then sprouts webs like it was nothing, then she gets a radar sense that happens to track Shinji before Ock got 'im. What's next on the lottery, you're gonna turn invisible?"

"It would be nice to slip away from people." Rei admitted. "Though, I always wished to fry people's brains on command."

The group blinked.

"I was kidding."

Hikari shook her head at her, while Kensuke made… an attempt to talk to Marie.

"You know, I shagged some cool pics of Black Cat." Kensuke suggested. "Maybe we could… uh… get together and talk about them…"

Marie winked. "No, thanks. I already know how awesome I am."

He pouted, much to everyone else's amusement. Even Rei couldn't help but chuckle.

"I missed these. It is good to see you all once more."

"To think, with NERV dead and the Angels gone, all we have now are Spider-People." Touji patted Shinji's back. "I'm totally for Spider-Man, any day."

"I don't know, Scarlet Spider is pretty good." Hikari said. "She worked really hard to get where she was."

"Oh yeah?" Touji raised an eyebrow. "Well, Spider-Man was first. He's the original."

"Well, she's the upgrade! She has the web-shooters that spin any size."

"Web-shooters aren't everything! Spider-Man's got the better jokes!"

"Scarlet has the mechanical legs."

"That broke! Spidey actually broke Doc Ock's tentacles, unlike Scarlet!"

"Come on, Asuka has it too!"

"Does not!"

"Does too!"

"You're both wrong." Rei said. "The third spider is the best."

Before they could ask, Rei handed her cane to Marie. She played with it, as Rei attached her hands to the wall, and began to climb it. Touji and Hikari's jaws drop in shock, while Kensuke and Marie grinned. The former even took a picture of it.

For his part, Shinji panicked at her brazenness.

"Get down, Rei!" He harshly whispered. "There are people here! You could be seen!"

Rei dropped to the floor, retrieving her cane from Marie. "You worry too much, Shinji."

"Not enough! We have secret identities!"

"Holy crap…" Kensuke said. "A blind superhero, and a new Spider-Girl! Maybe you're… Madame Webb!"

"Eh," Marie shook her hand dismissively. "It makes her sound old."

Rei shrugged. "It makes me more mystical than I am comfortable with. I will find a fitting identity soon enough."

"I'll help you!" Kensuke snapped his fingers. "I call dibs!"

"Dibs aren't real, Ken." Touji shook his head. "Idiot."

The friends laughed.

"Hey, where's the devil anyway?"

"Asuka? She told me she wanted to be alone." Hikari explained. "Asuka hasn't had time to process what happened at NERV."

Shinji and Rei knew what she meant. Unit 02 was destroyed during the battle, meaning her mother had passed away. They knew Asuka's complicated feelings toward her, and agreed that she needed the space.

Before things got too serious, they were joined by a new presence.

"H-Hey Shinji…"

At his name, Shinji turned to find Mana Kirishima. Once a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, now just another teen like himself. An odd thing to think, given how distinctly not normal either one of them were. Mana rubbed the back of her head.

"It's good to see you're okay."

Shinji walked over to her. "It's good to see you too."

They awkwardly danced around each other, much to the further amusement of the group. Touji whistled.

"Shinji you dog! I didn't know you still liked girls!"

Shinji and Mana blushed. "I-It's not that!"

"Bullcrap!" Touji laughed. "Absolute bullcrap!"

They laughed at their awkwardness. Shinji coughed.

"S-So what brings you here, Mana?"

"Well," Mana kept her blush. "I was just letting you know that I'm moving into the city. Musashi and Keita are coming too. None of us went to school in…" She blinked. "Well, forever really."

"It's… not so bad." Shinji said. "The teachers can be really boring though."

"Yeah, especially the one back in Tokyo-3." Kensuke added. "All he ever talked about was Second Impact! Oh, the meteor struck the planet, and caused endless floods throughout the world…"

"It's not even accurate." Rei had to point out. "It was SEELE stabbing the Lance of Longinus into Adam. I think the Lance is still at NERV."

"Nobody else knows that, though!"

"Well, the government would kill anyone who leaked the truth like that."

Mana chuckled at her joke. However, she soon noticed everyone else in the group paled.

"Um, sorry." Mana flushed again. "You guys are totally in the clear and stuff." It was then that she remembered something. "Shinji, there's more."

"Really?"

"… Rai and Sunako Shiraishi." Mana grew serious. "They've… recently been cleared from medical check ups. They asked to see you."

Ah. Shinji dreaded seeing them again. The last he saw the siblings, Rai tried to kill him for revenge. Sunako disabled him and made clear she wanted nothing to do with the attack on NERV. She walked with him in her arms, almost certainly waiting for death. To hear they were still alive, however, made Shinji curious.

"Where are they?"

Mana pulled out a small device. She placed it on the floor, causing a portal open behind her, much to the amazement of the others.

"Whoah…"

"Dude, where can I get a portal thingie like that? Do you know how much military stuff I can take pics of now?!"

"Aida, that's private property.

"Sorry, Horaki's right. Can't give it to you." Mana said. "The portal leads to NERV America. The head scientist there is something else, to say the least."

"… Can I come too?" Marie asked. "I've been meaning to go there but… It's like a pool right? You need to take a chance?"

Mana nodded. "Don't sweat it. You guys first."

Kensuke breathed.

"No Kensuke, you're not allowed to come. Confidential government work."

He pouted, as Touji gave Shinji a shoulder hug.

"We'll be here when you get back, Shinji." Touji said. "Don't take too long. Sakura asked for you."

Shinji nodded. "I won't."

With only mild trepidation, the trio of Shinji, Mana and Marie entered the portal…

"Whoah…"

"This is a NERV base?! It's more like a… a…!"

The trio found themselves inside a living city. Compared to the drab metal frames of NERV HQ, the compound was a gargantuan mega-complex, with shades of blue, white and black stitched into every pillar of every section of the base. Cars and machines flew past each other in a hurry, groups of humans and green-men and things conversing as if nothing happened. The letters FF were blazoned into the ceiling, the facility so large and wide it couldn't possibly have been a simple base.

It began to dawn on Shinji and Marie they weren't in a military facility. They stumbled into a civilization, one far more advanced than anything they were used to. The labyrinthian design of the city brought confusion, awe, and wonder from the two.

"My God…" Marie needed a moment to process what she saw. "I don't remember the base being this advanced last time! What happened?!"

"A lot changed." Mana explained. "From their perspective, they had been lost between dimensions for years. They needed to make do somehow."

"These people must have been through a lot…" Shinji said. "It's crazy…"

He wouldn't even know where to begin if he tried. If anything, whatever this place was would be harder to follow than the former NERV HQ. He thought of Asuka, and knew she would be angry at missing out such an advanced city like this one.

"So… where do we find them?"

"We're supposed to meet with Mr. Storm." Mana looked at her watch. "But, it seems like they're taking a while."

"Mr. Storm?" Marie asked. "You mean, Johnny?"

"Hey, moving here!"

Shinji crouched, as a trail of flames flew past the three of them. He was rendered speechless at the flying man on fire, nonchalantly dancing in the air.

"Come on, Ben! It was jokes! You weren't supposed to take them seriously!"

"SHUT IT, MATCHSTICK!"

The floor shook beneath their feet, loud footsteps and rumbling, guttural voice tearing through the air. Marie almost yelped as she saw a deformed creature seemingly made of rocks and stone ran in their direction.

"Ya had me thinkin' Yancy Street Gang had it against me, but those were yer stupid pranks! I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YAH, LOUD MOUTH!"

"I figured you needed a bit of fun! Nothing bad with fun right?"

"IMMA KILL YOU!"

Before the thing could make good on his threat, he suddenly dropped to his knees and fell. drop to his knees. A laugh came from next to him, a blond teenage boy in a white uniform slapping his own knee.

"Knock it off, you guys." The boy wiped a tear from his eye. "Dad said we had guests coming. We shouldn't make a horrible impression on them."

He then immediately realized the trio were standing there, confused.

"Oh… I guess we already failed that then." He coughed, switching to flawless Japanese. "Franklin Richards. Pleased to meet you."

Marie approached him. "Franky? But… you're all grown up now…"

"You know me…" Franklin blinked. "Oh, Vinnie! It's you!"

They gave each other a small hug, as the flying man on fire dropped to the floor. The flames around him disappeared, revealing just an older blond man.

"What a shock! Glad to see you're alive."

"I'm glad to see you and Johnny but…" Marie blinked. "Holy crap."

"Space/Time stuff, nothing biggie." Franklin smiled. "Who are these guys?"

He raised a hand toward Shinji, who quickly shook it.

"Shinji Ikari. We're here to see Rai and Sunako."

"Dad said you were coming.." Franklin said, his smile growing wider. "I gotta say, it's nice to meet someone my age for the first time in forever. I heard there was a Spider-Man running around in Japan, you know anything about it?"

Shinji looked to Mana. She shook her head. He sighed, realizing they didn't know his secret.

"Well, I rarely saw him." Shinji said. "Do you know where they are…?"

Johnny waved at them. "I know the way. Just give me a sec with the big guy here."

The creature known as Ben lifted himself from the floor. He glared at Johnny, raised a hand to him.

"No hard feelings, huh?" Johnny asked. "Just fun and games, that's all."

Ben grabbed his hand. The pained yelp Johnny let out, along with Ben's smug smile, made his true feelings clear.

"Maybe in fifty hundred years." He turned to the children. "Name's Ben. Mr. Grimm if you're feelin' nasty. What can we do for your scamps?"

As if Marie couldn't be more shocked. She took a step toward him. "Ben…"

"… Little Marie?" He immediately recognized her. "Hey, it's the tyke! Yeah, I got a bad makeover. Sorry."

"No, no," Marie swallowed a lump in her throat. "I just didn't realize how bad it got."

Marie pulled him into a hug, surprising Ben. He wrapped an arm around her.

"It got plenty bad out there, little thief."

"We made it work!" Johnny grinned. "I can't believe it! The little thief… is still little!"

Ben and Marie glared at him. "Shut up, Johnny."

Ben looked at Shinji and Mana. "Ah, you must be the guests Reed told us were comin'. Welcome to the Future Foundation, bringin' tomorrow today, yadda yadda yadda."

"You have a pretty amazing place, here." Shinji looked around. "You built all this while you were away?"

"We picked up a lot of garbage over the years." Ben admitted. "Some good, some… not so good. Reed can give you hour lectures on this stuff. I'll make it simple: don't touch anything without a doctorate."

"It's not that complicated." Johnny lied through his teeth. "Alright, so do you want the tour do you just wanna skip to the medical bay?"

"Say aaaaahhh…"

"Aaaahhhh…"

"A little more."

"Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh…"

"Just a bit more."

"…aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…."

"Great, can you bow to your knees and call me your lord?"

"…"

"Well it was worth a shot."

Rai Shiraishi couldn't help but feel uneasy around the girl. In a room with a man that could stretch his hand from one side of the room to the other, and a woman that can turn invisible, it was Valeria Richards who was the creepiest living thing in it. She was condescending and weird, even when she was talking normally. The only thing worse was the thought of facing him again.

"They should be here by now, no?" Sunako Shiraishi asked. "We done?"

"You're nominally fine." Valeria said. "Personally I'd have kept the super powers, but you people tend to have little imagination."

"Valeria."

"It's the truth, Mom." She shook her head. "I would have loved to have studied them more."

"That's not what they asked for." Her father, Reed, said. "You can't just treat people like test subjects. Not without their consent anyway."

"Bummer."

Valeria pouted, before walking back to her parents. Sunako asked the obvious question to her brother.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Rai?"

Rai held Sunako's hand. "I have to. I wouldn't live with myself if I didn't face him one more time."

"You can still turn back. You have time."

"No. I need to say what I have to say, to him personally."

"Well, you're in luck." Susan looked up from the computer. "They're here."

The door opened, with the group marching in. Ben waved at the teenagers, even though they cringed upon seeing him. He sighed, used to that reaction.

"Hey, everybody. Look who's here? The lil' thief returns."

Susan smiled upon seeing her. "Marie! You're back!"

"Glad to be back." She looked around. "I'm still getting used to the place."

"It is, um, quite phenomenal." Reed looked to the guests. He lightly slapped his own face. "Sorry, I haven't had any good sleep lately."

He stretched out his hand toward the group. Shinji was only mildly surprised as he shook the hand.

"Hello. Dr. Richards right?"

"Correct, you can call me Reed." Reed spoke in fluent Japanese. "My wife also happens to be an amazing scientist in her own right."

"Thank you."

"Oh, and of course my wonderful daughter here."

Valeria flipped them off.

"Val!" Franklin reprimanded. "They're our guests."

"Lame guests."

Reed also shook Mana's hand. "Glad you could take the time for us."

"It was no issue." Reed pulled up a chart. "In fact, it was quite fascinating to examine their condition. Dr. Akagi found a way to to stabilize them in the suits, but not fully cure them. I was able to synthesize a real cure from the-"

"We don't care, Reed." Ben said. "Are they cured or not?"

Shinji had never seen an old man pout. Reed did it to an almost embarrassing degree. It was kind of adorable, really.

"Right, right… yes, they're cured. They're free to live as baseline human being."

With some trepidation, Shinji walked up to the siblings. He made a motion to leave them alone, to which they nodded in return. The conversation was a long time coming, as Shinji and Rai came face to face.

"Hi."

"Hi." Rai rubbed the back of his head. "You look great."

"Yeah. You and your sister."

Sunako smiled. "How's the red spider girl? Scarlet?"

"She's fine. Just… wanted to be alone."

"I see."

"…"

"… I'm sorry, Rai." Shinji said. "I wish I did more to help you."

"Unless you were some super-scientist, you did all you could." Rai said. "I'd say the powers made me unstable, but it was only half the truth. I was angry over my situation, and I wanted any way to get out."

"But I… maybe if I…"

"You what? Tell me, what could you do?" Rai shook his head. "I should be apologizing to you. I know you weren't the one who actually killed Kotei, but still went to attack you. I almost…" He swallowed something in his throat. "I almost killed the girl over there, because I wanted you to suffer. I hated you so much, but really, I hated myself for being powerless."

Shinji's eyes widened.

"I was willing to blow everyone up sky high, because I blamed you for something you had no control over. Don't blame yourself, ever, because it was my fault. I could have said no to Doctor Octopus, ran off with Sunako, but I strong armed her into joining the attack. My hands weren't clean. For that, and a bunch of other things, I'm sorry."

Rai slammed a fist into his own chest.

"That's my piece on the matter. I had to get it out of my chest, whether you forgave me or not. I really am sorry."

"…"

"…"

"… I forgive you."

Rai was shocked. "But-"

Shinji raised a hand up.

"I'm not excusing you for what you did. You know you did wrong, and I can see you know why you did wrong. At the end of the day, you may have helped in the attack but you didn't kill Mana or me back at the base no matter how much you wanted to. I'm willing to let the past stay in the past. So, I forgive you. What I want to know is if you can forgive yourself."

"…"

"It's not easy. But it's better than living a life full of self-hatred. I know more than anyone."

At that, Rai started to cry. He openly teared up in front of Shinji.

"Y-You… why…?"

"I'm just tired of people suffering." Shinji said. "That's all."

Rai allowed himself to cry more. Sunako put a hand over his shoulder, which he returned.

"I don't deserve… any of this…"

"No one does. That's why it's forgiveness." Shinji frowned. "What are you going to do now?"

"We're gonna face jail time." Sunako said. "We might get out on good behavior, but we deserve to be punished for our crimes."

"I'm done b-blaming other people." Rai nodded. "I'm done hiding… I just want to live my own life… or at least as close to one as I can…"

"… Well." Shinji smiled. "I guess I am too."

They shook hands, having finally buried the hatchet. Shinji walked back out, slightly bowing to Dr. Richards.

"Thank you for helping them."

"At the Future Foundation, it's what we do." Reed said. "Why not stay with us for a bit? You and Kirishima could probably tell us some of what happened out in the world."

"Ummm… my friends would like but…" Shinji shook his head. "I have to go back. I can't leave them hanging and all."

"I wanna stay." Marie said. "I want to know what you guys went through."

Reed raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"Positive." Marie shrugged, before grinning at Shinji. "I love you guys too much to just leave you alone. I'll come back in about a week or so."

Shinji nodded. "If you say so. We'll miss you."

"Don't sweat it." Marie wiggled her fingers. "If you see your watch stolen again, you'll know when I'm back. Raaaawr."

They exchanged a quick set of goodbyes, before Shinji and Mana marched out of the medical bay. Mana whistled as she took out the portal device in her pocket.

"So, things worked out well enough."

"I guess they did." Shinji said. "I'll be honest, I'm not sure what I'd do if I saw them again. But I know it was a desperate situation for the two of them. I hope they'll be able to find the peace they're looking for."

"They will some day." Mana said. "I'm more worried about you."

"Me?"

"You okay? You seem rattled."

"Besides everything in this place?" Shinji shrugged. "I'm just… shocked at how much the world is changing before my eyes. Just a few months ago, everything was normal. But now, we had Angels, super powers, this… it's so overwhelming."

"Tell me about it." Mana agreed. "I don't think we're ever going back to normal ever again."

"No, I guess not." Shinji shook his head. "I just have to get used to it."

"If that's how you feel, imagine how Misato and the bunnies feel. They're probably reeling."

"Yeah…" He chuckled. "Hey Mana… can we talk?"

Mana raised an eyebrow. "Sure. What about?"

"… Where do we go from here?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…" Shinji blushed. "We went on a nice date, and NERV was not quite as hellish with you there… is there anything more there?"

Surprised, Mana took a step back. "You… you still want to try? After all you learned about me?"

"I don't see the problem." Shinji shrugged. "You were a spy to protect, then quit as soon as you could. If anything, I'm weirder for being Spider-Man. It's no big deal."

"No big deal?" Mana looked down. "I mean, I do want to, but are you really comfortable with that? I'm not normal."

"Neither of us are normal people, Mana. If there's anything I learned, is that we have very little time before everything vanishes. I like you, I know I like you, and I want to try this out before it's too late. Maybe we're not right, maybe we'll just be friends, but I'd rather try than be left with regrets. I'd like for us to try, if you want of course."

Shinji gave her a nod. "So… do you?"

"… Yeah. I do." Mana smiled. "I've seen who you are, in and outside the costume. I like what I saw. You're a good person, Shinji. I want us to try."

"Perfect." Shinji winked. "Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow."

They reached for each other's hands, and held them.

"Let's go."

"Yeah. Let's."

Mana pressed the button, opening a portal back to the hospital. They walked into it, much to the surprise and joy of their friends who asked far too many questions than either were comfortable asking.

"You've been given permission. You have an hour."

Misato Katsuragi knew this had to happen. She kept herself distracted with the search for Shinji, but thankfully he had been found safe and sound. Him, Asuka and Rei were alive and together, which was more than enough for her. Unfortunately, now she had no excuse to avoid this topic. She found herself inside a classified S.H.I.E.L.D. base waiting just outside an interrogation room.

"I promise I won't be long." Misato said. "If he attacks, you activate the knock out gas."

The agent nodded. S.H.I.E.L.D. had been surprisingly accommodating to her and the former NERV employees. It was not unusual for her to walk past agents who complimented her for her tactics against the Angels.

Misato felt strange about it. She had spent so much time devoted to destroying them, putting aside everything else for the mission. yet in the end felt a hollowness now that they were dead. Not regret, Bardiel and Armisael pretty much put an end to that line of thought, but a bizarre lack of purpose. Misato was a mess before, and remained a mess even after their deaths.

She supposed it was true. Even without regret, revenge was not a way to live.

Keeping it in mind, she opened the door and marched into the interrogation room. Misato took her seat in front of the man held hostage.

"Hello, Kaji."

He smirked, the same one she hated and adored back in college. She felt strange thinking back on days of sex, skipping class and getting their asses drunk as innocent times, but they certainly felt better compared to where they were now.

"Hello, Misato." Kaji kept the smirk. "Looks like you're finally here to see me."

"Yeah." Misato nodded. "I would have come sooner, but I had other stuff to deal with."

"Glad to hear that. I was busy staring at a wall. Not much to do inside of a prison, except hear your neighbors complain about the cops. Or Spider-Man."

"…"

"Why don't we cut to the chase? I have a pretty good guess as to why you're here. You want to know why I did all I did, right?"

Misato shook her head. "No. You explained yourself plenty back at NERV. There's something else."

"Oh?"

"Why didn't you come to me?" She asked the billion dollar question. "Why did you bend over backwards trying to kill Maya, make me hate Shinji, when you could have told me everything about SEELE? I would have listened to you, we could have worked things out just fine. Just why go through all of that?"

Kaji sighed. "You were devoted to NERV. Even though you were with me, you would have been blind to the truth."

"Ritsuko showed me everything, and I believed her even though she was one of them! Why wouldn't I have believed you? I hated the Angels, but never at your expense."

"…"

"Kaji… you could have avoided so many problems by coming clean."

"Tch. Like Ikari did with you?"

"Yes. I found out myself, but he told me without knowing that. I hate how he's out there as Spider-Man, but I respect his choices. Just like I respect yours."

"… You're the light of my life, you know?" Kaji sighed. "The one woman I ever wanted to cross the ocean for, even after you pushed me away. I always loved you, but I knew in this state-"

In an instant, Kaji transformed into Gendo Ikari.

"- I wouldn't be good enough for you. Heh, the Commander and I weren't so different in that respect. We hated what we became-"

He turned back to himself.

"- so we buried ourselves in our work. I knew how bad SEELE and NERV were, but wanted to save you. Maya would have been just a casualty, but Spider-Man…"

His face morphed into an angry scowl.

"Shinji was the same as me. He pretended to be your friend, while off playing hero. He would have left you in heartbreak, just like I knew I would. I had to turn you against Spider-Man, so he could comfort you as his real self."

"Bit rich coming from you, isn't it? Shinji was still more honest with me than you ever were."

"Kaji." Misato said. "Being SEELE's lab rat wasn't your fault, any more than my hangs ups about my father. I'm sorry I lashed out at you back then. I wanted to get back together with you, and I would have listened if you came to me first."

"…"

"I still have nightmares, you know? Second Impact, my father, what would happen to Shinji, Asuka and everyone else if they ever died. But they helped me feel better about myself. I wish I could have helped you that way. I still do."

Kaji couldn't keep the shock from his voice. "Still?"

"I don't hate you, in spite of everything. I want to understand you, maybe help you get better. I don't want my last memory be of you trying to kill me and my friends. "

"…"

Kaji grinned, but Misato could tell he was forcing it.

"I'm sorry. Truly. I don't know if I'm gonna live up to that."

"It's okay." Misato took his hand into hers. "I'm willing to wait as long as it takes. Just do me a favor… can I see what you look like? What you really look like?"

Kaji frowned. He sighed, closing his eyes. He turned from his usual self into… something else. Misato let out a gasp upon seeing this form.

"You asked. This is what you get. You still want to see me?"

"… I do." Misato nodded. "Tell me, Ryoji Kaji, what is your real name?"

Another event was taking place at the same S.H.I.E.L.D. base. A more amusing one, at least to most of the people present.

"Oh no… oh nonononononononono no… how did this happen?"

Ritsuko Akagi loved her girlfriend, truly. She especially adored her when she fretted about. Maya Ibuki gave herself too little credit when it came to her own talents. The magazine she held, naming her one of the saviors of Japan for her contributions against NERV, sent her spiraling.

"I-I know the virus was my idea but everyone else did it!" Maya said. "I didn't want this! Everyone knows who I am, now! I just, just- ohmygodwhatthehell…"

She was hyperventilating at the prospect. Makoto Hyuuga and Shigeru Aoba lightly chuckled at her misfortune. Ritsuko smiled.

"Enjoy it while it lasts." She pecked Maya's cheek. "The first six months are the best. After that, they're gonna be paint you as a horrible human being and eat you alive."

"N-No fair…" Maya pouted. "What did I do to deserve this?"

Well, you did save our lives." Makoto said. "They did their part, but you made the virus. I think you deserve all the accolades. Now, if I were you, I'd give myself some nice champagne…"

"You just want to get drunk!"

"Is that a bad thing?

"When it's you, yeah!" Shigeru shrugged. "I can't believe we live in this crazy world. We got a Spider-Man, a Scarlet Spider, actual real supervillains and a whole load of other garbage… atop of it all, the mouse was the one who brought down Dr. Akagi Sr? If you told me any of this months ago I'd bash you with my guitar."

"You wouldn't." Maya rolled her eyes. "I just did the right thing at the right time. Anyone could have done it."

"By you did." Ritsuko held Maya's hand, causing her to blush. "You beat my mother when no one else did. Even Spider-Man would say that."

Maya couldn't help but blush and giggle at her words. "Flatterer."

"It's only the truth."

"Speaking of things…" Makoto coughed. "Where did Doctor Octopus go? Last I heard she was arrested."

Ritsuko frowned.

"She's in prison." She curtly said. "I saw to it personally."

Due to spilling the beans regarding SEELE, S.H.I.E.L.D. granted Ritsuko a full pardon. In return, she was present to ensure her mother was locked inside of the Raft, a maximum security prison located on the site of Riker's Island. By now, Doctor Octopus lied in her cell strapped to a straightjacket, guns trained on her, and a force-field that would disintegrate her if her healing factor allowed her to survive the bullets. There was not a chance that Naoko could escape.

Ritsuko had briefly considered confronting her mother one last time. Taunt her over being beaten by a boy, Ikari's son no less. Maybe reveal Maya was the one that created the virus that brought her down. Perhaps be as petty as possible and tell her she would be helping take down her prized MAGI.

In the end, Ritsuko decided against it. She had remained in her mother's shadow for far too long, and Naoko made it clear where her feelings lied. Ritsuko did not want to give her garbage mother another moment of thought.

Instead, she rubbed Maya's hand as she smiled.

"Poor baby…" Ritsuko spoke to Maya's ear. "If you want, I'll keep you company in the inevitable press conference… You'll need experience."

Maya flushed. "I-I'd like that…"

"Wow, so I'm really happy for you two, glad you're all alive." Shigeru said. "But what are we gonna do now? We ran out of a job."

The question hung in the air for the poor technicians. They were trained for the Evangelion job. What were they to do?

"Misato and I were talking…" Ritsuko explained. "NERV has been officially dissolved, but the governments don't want all the money wasted. We were putting together a proposal."

"A proposal?" Makoto raised an eyebrow. "What for?"

"An anti-terrorist organization. WILLE." She explained. "SEELE had worldwide connections, and they're already forming their own groups to take over in their absence. WILLE will be formed to stop them."

"But… What about the Spiders?" Maya had to ask. "What will they do?"

"They won't be part of it." Ritsuko shook her head. "Misato made that extremely clear. They're vigilantes and, more importantly, children. This is purely for us."

"I see…" Shigeru shrugged. "Well, I missed out on a lot. Shouldn't hurt."

"Agreed." Makoto raised a fist into the air. "If Misato thinks it's a good idea, I'm down!"

"Simp."

"Shut it."

"We can't let them get away with anything." Maya said. "I'm joining."

"Alright." Ritsuko nodded. "We haven't confirmed anything, but we'll keep you updated on the situation."

At that moment, Misato finally entered the hallway. She breathed a sigh of relief, which RItsuko took as a good sign.

"Misato. Did you…?"

"Yeah… we have a lot to talk about, but he's as okay as he could be."

"I never want to see him again." Maya said. "You and him… I get it. But I can't face him."

Misato knew that would be her response. She could only nod to her, as she talked to Ritsuko.

"I'm going to call Shinji, Asuka and Rei. Director Fury asked for us to meet… I want to make sure exactly what she's thinking of…"

The children sat on the chairs.

Spider-Man kept gazing at his own hand, opening and clenching it. Scarlet Spider moved her legs back and forth, impatient to leave. Both were in costume, unlike Rei, who wore a soft blue shirt and jeans. She kept her chin to the top of her cane, waiting for the explanation.

Behind them, Misato glared at the director. She was ready to defend them in case of any underhanded tricks.

"Thank you all for coming." Director Nick Fury spoke. "You might be wondering what me and Miss Takaya here have to say?"

Noriko Takaya, aka Captain America, kept her arms crossed. Even though he didn't know her well, Shinji was grateful to see she was alive. The agents she sent to help NERV may not have done much, but it was a gesture of goodwill he appreciated.

"It's good to see you, Captain." Spider-Man said. "Were you able to take the SEELE base?"

Noriko smiled. "Thanks. We found a way, really I'm glad you were able to stop the doctor. I'm quite impressed with all of you."

"We all are." Fury continued. "Which puts us in an interesting situation."

"How so?" Scarlet Spider crossed her legs. "Are you going to try recruiting us? We're not going to be anyone's dolls, not anymore."

"No one said you would. Before you make your objections, though, I want you to see something. There's a lot more at stake than any of you realize."

Misato growled. "Get to the point. We don't have all day, Director."

"Fine."

Fury pressed a button on the desk. It formed a hologram, showcasing hundreds of news reports happening at once. Footage of war-zones, people being dragged from their homes or executed, and supernatural forces running amok caused everyone in the room, including Captain America, to tremble in fear.

"Countries under attack from SEELE remnants. People with powers on the rise across the world, publicly executed for existing. Norse mythology interacting with the state of Oklahoma. We're about to become part of a much bigger universe, and it ain't looking pretty. HYDRA, A.I.M., the Serpent Society, you name it, they're fighting for control, and our best agents are not equipped to handle it all."

"What are you saying?" Shinji wondered. "You guys are supposed to be the best, no?"

"The best isn't always good enough." Fury answered. "We need unity, which is why I asked for you to come. Captain America over here is putting together a team against these threats. More than ever, the planet needs its heroes, its great defenders."

"You're asking for a military strike team." Misato said. "Out of the question! They're just children."

"Children, with powers and abilities far beyond those of ordinary human adults. They're already breaking the law by fighting like they do. What's more laws to breach?"

Asuka growled. "What the hell are you implying?!"

"Nothing. Just stating facts."

"With all due respect, sir." Noriko interrupted. "Katsuragi has a point. They used to be Eva pilots, and now we're asking them to partake in another military venture. We should ask for their choice in the matter."

Fury turned his head to Noriko. "I'm such a cuddly bear with children, Takaya. Though if you insist…"

Noriko rolled her eyes, before speaking to the pilots.

"Before you give your opinions, just let me speak." She said. "As children, you have done more than anyone could possibly ask of you, not just as superheroes but as Evangelion pilots. I understand more than anyone you have a lot to lose right now."

"Acting like a nice cop isn't gonna change our minds." Asuka pointed at Noriko. "What's your angle?"

"My angle is that Fury has a point. We are entering dangerous times, and we need to band together if we want to face it properly. Even if you don't join us- which we won't force you to do- I think we should keep in contact just in case things go wrong."

Noriko handed each of the children a communication device. Emblazoned on the side was the letter A.

"We stand much better together than apart. What do you say?"

Misato kept her frown. "I don't like this. How do we know if the team is going to be on the up and up? What makes this different from any other specialized unit sent to kill?"

"Honestly? Only that we have super powers." Noriko said. "We'd be going after HYDRA and anyone from SEELE that remains. Chairman Lorenz apparently had a fancy for Nazi memorabilia, so we'd be fighting them too."

"… I can't force you into anything. I know that" Misato admitted to the kids. "But I don't think it's a good idea. Maybe if you were older, but I know you're not killers. It's up to you, but think about it. Really think about it."

She didn't say anymore. She left the choice to the children, who carefully considered the proposition. It was a tempting offer for various reasons, not the least being to finally put down SEELE. Shinji was the first to speak.

"I'm really flattered, Captain, truly… but I'm going to have to say no."

"Hm?"

"You and Misato are right." Spider-Man explained. "We're… we're still young, and I do my best work as a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. I'm not cut out for international military stuff, and I'm no good at taking orders."

He put the communicator into his pocket.

"Don't get me wrong, if you need my help I'm there. I think you're right that we need to keep in contact. But this is a lot. I'm not going to do this."

"I understand." Noriko turned to Asuka. "You, Scarlet?"

Scarlet Spider's hand glowed. She crushed the communicator with her hand, blasting the pieces into smithereens.

"I'm with him." Asuka said. "You can some other clown to do it… I won't! I'm done having my childhood stolen by the likes of you."

Giving an understanding nod, Noriko frowned. "Right. Ayanami?"

"…"

"Ayanami?"

"… Maybe."

Shinji and Asuka were surprised. "Huh?!"

"If what you say is true, these mutants are being feared and hunted across the globe. They need our help, desperately. I'd be willing to help you if that is the case."

Scarlet Spider grabbed Rei's shoulder. "Excuse us for a second."

She forced Rei outside the room. Spider-Man followed them out, as Misato remained behind to talk to Fury.

"There you are. They made their choice."

"It seems they did." Fury sighed in relief. "Thank god."

"You expected this?"

"I did. The U.N. were eager to get Spider-Man on board for the initiative. Now I can plainly say he refused."

Noriko glared at him. "You're playing dangerous games, Fury."

"That I am, that I am." Fury looked at Misato. "So, about your WILLE idea…"

"The children won't be a part of it." She told him firmly. "Like Asuka said, they sacrificed a lot of their childhood. I won't let anyone take more of it."

Meanwhile, Shinji was surprised at how Asuka was acting.

"What's going on with you two?"

"What the hell, Rei?!" Asuka yelled, ignoring Shinji. "You were actually gonna agree with that bastard?"

"Stop pushing me!" Rei forced her arm away from Asuka. "It is my choice."

"Sorry, but I'm trying to stop you from making a huge mistake."

"Is it a mistake to take responsibility for your actions?"

"No, but it is a mistake to trust S.H.I.E.L.D. with anything. They're a load of bullshit!"

"They're not wrong. Even Shinji said it was a good idea to work with them."

"He's an idiot, you're smarter than this!"

"I know what I'm doing."

"Do you?"

"Ok, time out!" Shinji waved his hands. "Rei, you said you were going to take responsibility for your actions. What do you mean?"

Rei looked down. Shame was written across her face, as she spoke.

"I created this line of mutants. They are currently suffering and dying because of their random mutations, and it was my fault. When I was a god, I fixed the world so that humanity would survive. I made the stupidest, reckless decision to unlock their potential before they were ready. I cannot just sit lie and do nothing, not while they are suffering because of me!"

Shinji was utterly surprised by that revelation. Rei was left in anguish, almost sobbing as Asuka held her tight.

"It wasn't your-"

"Do not lie to me!" Rei nearly shouted. "I caused this. My fault, my responsibility. Is it not within my power to help them?!"

"Okay, fine. You did fuck up. But selling yourself to the military ain't the answer."

"I am not selling myself to anyone, I am working to stop the persecution of mutants!"

"Like I said, this isn't going to work out the way you think! They're the government, they probably want to use 'em for their own gain, or something worse!"

"But, But-"

"No buts, you know I'm right."

"I can't just sit back and do nothing."

"You won't." Shinji finally interrupted. "We're not ready for what's out there, not right now. Taking responsibility for an entire people… that's not something you can while we're young. Let's wait until we grow up, then think about our options…"

"It… it does not sound right…"

"Shinji's telling the truth." Asuka said. "I get it, I really do. You brought them into this world. But there's nothing we can really do about it right now, not without getting into some fucked up shit. Let's just wait for a while."

She kissed Rei's lips.

"I promise once we get out of college we'll fight every single cop and angry mob in the world to protect these people. How about that?"

"… Maybe…" Rei shook her head. "I still do not like it."

"Me neither." Asuka said. "But when the time is right, we'll be ready. We're doing it together."

Scarlet Spider raised her hand.

"What do you say?"

Spider-Man placed his hand on top of hers. "I'm up for anything."

Rei stared at them both. After some thinking, she placed her hand on the pile.

"Yes. Together."

"I hate the snow."

"I know you do."

"I hate it."

"I know."

"I hate it soooo much."

"Yes, I get it! I know you do. You have been complaining about it for days now."

Gendo Ikari devoted a good portion of his life to studying the Angels. The Dead Sea Scrolls didn't give him much information, nor were the few corpses left behind much help. Gendo would be lying if he said he hadn't wondered about what contact with them would be like. When they weren't attacking humanity, what were their thoughts? What sort of knowledge did they possess? How much of the universe could they see through their own eyes?

Spending days with Bardiel helped Gendo figure out a very important, disappointing truth: if he was any indication, the Angels were just as annoying and stupid as most of the human race.

"I thought I hated fire, but this is just as bad. I might get a cold from this."

"Do you normally get colds?"

"Maybe? I didn't think we could get attached to humans, yet here we are."

"I am regretting every decision I ever made."

"Me too, but you don't see me moping about it you loser."

"So much for the superior intellect…" Gendo muttered. "Taxi!"

Another car sped past him. He was in the middle of Kokoro, his parasite jacket keeping him warm from the icy cold snow still falling from the sky. The sun had already begun to set, and Gendo wanted nothing more than to get out of the city. He had scrounged up just enough (stolen) money to get a taxi, but none came. Riveting.

"Humans are so inferior to us. We all get cool super powers, but you guys got nothing. I'm a god to you people! Why are you looking at me like a rodent?!"

"Because you are one. Do you know how much food you wasted?"

"Not my fault I eat a lot! You're so rude!"

"Right, like you're some sort of Ang-" Gendo blinked. "Right, I forgot."

"Be nicer to me. I am the reason you're still alive after getting your fucking arm cut off!"

"I will act nicer the sooner you help me find a taxi."

"Fuck you."

"Ugh."

Bardiel was an annoying, whiny, bratty piece of shit. If it weren't for the fact he would die without him, Gendo would have immediately incinerated him.

"Taxi! TAXI! Come on, TAXI!"

Finally, Gendo caught a break when a car pulled over. He entered the car as quickly as possible, finally escaping the cold.

"Thank you sir, you have no idea how long I was waiting."

"No need to worry, sir. You got a destination?"

Gendo could see the driver was a shaggy looking man wearing glasses. His hair was a a messy wave like he hadn't seen the outside of a basement in years, and had a bizarrely similar beard to what Gendo used to have.

"The… airport." Gendo said. "I was trying to visit my children, but I changed my mind."

"On it!"

The taxi began to drive away. Immediately, Gendo felt the car violently shake and turn a hundred different directions. He looked out the window to see cars nearly crashing into them, almost certain that any second was going to be his last. He near ready throw up, even as the driver cheerfully looked back.

"Yeah, traffic is a real shit show this time of year. Probably 'cause of the ice."

Gendo called bullshit, rubbing his chin.

"God damn it…"

"Don't worry, we're coming across a jam. No one leaves this taxi unsatisfied!"

"Careful not to vomit, Ikari. I wouldn't wanna get any of your nasty human shit on me."

"So if you don't mind me asking," The driver said, grating on Gendo's nerves. "Why did you change your mind? You didn't want to see them?"

"Bit of a nosy fella isn't he?"

"Quite a bit…" Gendo rolled his eyes. "I realized it wasn't the right time. I… caused them a lot of grief. More than they deserved."

"Sorry to hear that. My wife and I have been married for years, but we never had kids. Must've been fun raising 'em."

"Pretty fun when you didn't have to do any work."

"Shut it..."

"What?"

"Nothing." Gendo shrugged. He figured he didn't have much to lose being truthful. "I was alone for most of my life, before taking a wife. She gave me a beautiful son… and daughter." He made sure to add. "When she… passed away, I drifted from my children, left them in the care of others. I was sort of jealous of them, hating them instead of appreciating the wonderful gifts bestowed upon me."

"Oof."

"Yeah, oof. My resentment caused our relationships to break down and bury myself in my work. I was… going to try to apologize but I thought better of it. It wasn't my right."

"Huh. You and I aren't so different."

Gendo chuckled. "I think I am plenty different."

"Not too much. I was also lonely for most of my life. Family loved me, don't get me wrong, but it was hard getting along with people. Really, anime and Sentai were my biggest passions. I like to visit schools and show kids the Ultraman stuff I got."

"I liked that show growing up."

"Take it from someone who's been there. We all reach a dark space in our lives, and hurt others because of it. The hate never really goes away, but it won't consume you forever. Somehow, I fell in love and married my sweetheart. I know not everyone will have that, which is okay. We're all human, trying to find a way to be happy. I hope you're able to as well."

"I will… try to heed your advice." Gendo raised an eyebrow. "Thank you, Mister…"

"Anno." He lowered his glasses. "Please to meet you."

"Rokubungi. Pleased to meet you."

Yui once told him that anywhere could be heaven so long as he had the will to live. Gendo never believed in it. As far as he was concerned, his life began and ended with Yui, anything else was just white noise. It was Yui that defined him for the majority of his lifespan, everything he did was in her name.

Perhaps he had been wrong to do so.

With the Angels, NERV and SEELE gone, Gendo had nothing left to live for. His children hated him, he was hunted even as he spoke, and had no colleagues he could turn to. All he had was himself and the parasite attached to him.

Gendo didn't know Yui as well as he thought. Even so, he found truth in her words.

"Anywhere can be heaven, hm?" He whispered. "I guess I can try that."

Gendo looked out the window. He caught a glimpse of a man swinging by the buildings. He lowered his eyes, frowning.

"My son… I don't get to apologize to you. Not after everything. But I am proud of the man you've become, in spite of me. Take care of yourself, Shinji…"

The air felt different tonight.

If Shinji had to think about why, it would be that there wasn't a hurry. No villain to chase, no emergency to attend to, his Spider-Sense wasn't tingling. For just the one time, he was at peace with himself.

Spider-Man swung through the sky, the people gazing up in awe of their champion. Some began to clap, cheering his name as he sped into the night. Shinji remembered his first few nights, how hard he tried to avoid being seen by anyone. Now, he was as used to the city as they were to him. Shinji supposed being the Hero of Japan had its advantages.

The Hero of Japan… he felt a swell of pride in his chest. Who would have thought a cowardly boy like himself would end up being the savior of an entire country?

Over the past year, Shinji faced many challenges. Criminals, mobsters, monsters, and and he beat all of them. He hadn't even spent a full year of Spider-Man, and he felt like the kind of the world.

"What's up everyooooooooone!"

He flipped through the air, allowing himself to speed toward the ground. Just as people began to fear for his life, he launched a web, and swung again. The crowd went wild.

"Thank you, Spider-Man!"

"You're the best, Spidey!"

"Ya did good, son! Ya did good!"

"SPIDEEEEEEEYYYYYYY!"

Spider-Man waved back. "Thank you, Kokoro! I'm not going anywhere any time soon! You're all in my web, now, and I'll protect you."

He had no clue what life held in store for him. He was still so young, and had a lot to learn. Shinji doubted life would get easier any time soon. But whatever lied ahead, he knew he wouldn't be alone.

Asuka, Rei, Misato, Touji, Kensuke, Hikari, Hyuuga, Ibuki, Ritsuko… They stood with him during the past few months, and Shinji knew he could trust them in the future.

He would always be Shinji Ikari, an awkward adolescent who had trouble socializing or dreaming of a future for himself. But he was something else, too. He was a creature of accident, bestowed a great gift and learned that with great power there had to come great responsibility. His responsibility wasn't just to himself, but to all of mankind. No matter how hard life got, Shinji would do his best to give back as much as he was given.

Because he was never the only one.

He will lead everyone to a better tomorrow, through his belief in miracles.

Spider-Man was here to stay, now and forever.

THE END

Author's Notes:

Here we are, at the end of the road.

It began with an observation. I noticed how in the earlier Evangelion episodes, Before shit hit the fan Shinji Ikari was actually more outgoing. He was snarky, rude, biting back as often as he was yelled at. It reminded me a lot of early Peter Parker. Anyone who's read the original Lee-Ditko run know that Peter could be a snarky asshole, even to his own love interests. He could be rash, angry, impulsive. Both characters are interesting for how those initial personalities evolve and change over the course of their stories (though Shinji's life got… a lot worse, as anyone who's seen the show noticed).

Based on this similarities between these two, I realized there was a lot to be gained from writing a crossover. Shinji was forced into the Eva by his father, with a lot of his struggles being about trying to cross the threshold and bond with others, despite the obvious discomfort he feels. Spider-Man becomes his way of interacting with the world, with him realizing for himself how his actions impact others in both positive and negative ways. By the end, he becomes a more empathetic and nicer person due to going out into the world. With Shinji changing, the world changes as a result.

I have devoted years of my life into writing this fic. It's a silly, dumb crossover, but it's also the first full length story I've ever written and finished. It is very personal as a result, and I thank everyone who had read and enjoyed this story. All the reviews and comments you send out make me extremely happy, in ways you'll never know. There are hundreds of ways this could have been better, but this was this specific version wouldn't have been possible if I didn't write it. I hope to see other takes on Spider-Eva crossovers, some day.

I want to give special thanks to several key figures who were important to me and this story:

My academic advisor and Elí, who oversaw the first chapter and gave me tips for writing. I am eternally grateful for my advisor, who not helped fix grammar mistakes for the first thirteen chapters, but also got my autistic ass get through college without floundering all over the place.

Johnny Freeman, aka FatDrunkDragon, for being an amazing friend, beautiful brother at arms, and writer of hilarious omakes. I hope he gets back to fics some day, because he's a talented creator in some ways better than me.

Author0fntent, who's responsible for this fic's version Marie through his omake, and for his helpful advice throughout the process. He will be consulting for the Team Up story once that gets going. I recommend reading his fics, they're quite fun. My favorite so far is still his Hero Academia vs Tiny Toons crossover, which was funny.

RealRemainder, who's reviews and comments helped find errors I was fast to correct.

It's not the true end of this universe, though. After I take along break from Spider-Shinji I will be writing a short Team-Up to expand on the characters, and eventually get to a sequel devoted to the Spider-Verse. Since it might take some time before I get to it, though, I will post a sneak preview shortly after Christmas to give you an idea of what it will be about.

Alright, time for the last batch of reviews:

Author0fntent: It was inspired by that fic, yes! Unlike that Rei, though, there are consequences for her change.

CalvinFuji: I have thought of it, but I don't think I will. The fic is already very personal, as I explained, and I think any remake I make would be too similar to really justify its existence. Maybe if I get a strong enough idea, maybe, but I am happy with what I got.

Z-King: She is going to have some guilt, yeah.

Truenofan86: I hope this chapter, and the fic, did not disappoint. You and FlightLight inspired me to power through a lot of the fic during the Venom arc, to make sure at least this was finished before you started college. Have a good one!

lautaro94: I'm glad you loved it, truly!

TheSpiderFlash: I appreciate the honesty of your words. The scar was meant to make readers think of Kaine, along with the hand of death thing he had in the 90s Clone Saga. It was sort of to get across how much Shinji and Naoko have become counterparts in their rivalry.

Thanks for your time and patience! Have a great everything!

…

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…

….

...

Oh, you were wondering when I was going to reference a certain theme song, hm? Is that it? Well okay, we can post it now.

It wasn't unusual for people to walk past each other.

Unless it was Spider-Man, the citizens of Kokoro simply had too much on their minds to stop out of nowhere. Time moves fast, and they had places to go. It would take something remarkable to get anyone's attention.

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~"

Tonight, a loud yell echoed through the street. Nearby strangers turned to find the source of the noise.

"YEAH YEAH YEAAAAAHH WOOOW! YEAH YEAH YEAAAAAH WOOOOW!"

A homeless man sat atop a flight of stairs. He played a set of drums to a bewildered, somewhat confused crowd. He had neither the best singing voice, or the most pleasing presentation. He had the drums, and a hat ready to accept change. Still, the man played on, with people started to gather around.

In the dark valleys of the skyscrapers… Spider-Man!

His eyes flash with the subtle scent of anger… Spider-Man!

He abandons his peace, he abandons

Everything

And races through the sky to chase down wrong doers.

Suddenly, a coin dropped into his hat. The man looked around, trying to see who did it. He then saw a man swing through the air.

He more than happily nodded as the crowd began to applaud his music.

Why do you do it? why do you do it?

Why continue to fight, even though you're risking life and limb?

To do so earnestly, leaves my thoughts hoping

for the invincible man…

Spider-Man!