This is the darkest region of all space and time. The darkest universe ever created due to one simple moment. A moment that created one hundred universes of darkness because of one small moment. Every universe needs heroes, but there is one BRANCH within all of existence filled with the darkest possibilities of the multiverse.
It seems that whenever there is a possibility for something catastrophic to occur, it inevitably does within the realm of the Dark Branch. The various worlds within this space are rife with entities and phenomena that defy rational explanation and should never have come into being.
Want to know which timeline started it all?
The story may not be as happy as you would like it to be.
Dark BRANCHES
Earth-616:
Washington, D.C., the Triskelion. Inside Fury's office, he learns from his two closest friends and head scientists, Richard and Mary Parker, that there may be an organization hidden within S.H.I.E.L.D.
Fury says, "Are you sure about this, Richard? If we throw something like this into the wind, we could turn everyone against each other. And put a target on your head."
"We know how it seems, Nick, that's why we're asking for permission to fly to the Hub, to see what we can find. And that's why I'm hoping only we can know about this." Richard said. "And what about if they found out about Peter's...abilities?"
"We hope they don't come forward for years, but we're doing this, so nobody else has to learn it the hard way—except for S.H.I.E.L.D." Richard says.
Fury thinks for a moment and sits down. "You're on a thin leash, Richard. See what you can find."
"Thanks, Nick," Richard says and they leave his office.
Richard and Mary were currently aboard their private S.H.I.E.L.D. plane en route to the Hub with a small portable bulletproof and danger-sensitive baby carrier for their side. This carrier was holding none other than their son, Peter Parker.
Richard was trying to hack into a secret server inside the Hub to locate the source of a message spreading through S.H.I.E.L.D.'s servers.
"What does this code mean?" Mary asked as Peter began to fuss in his carrier.
Richard said, "I think it's supposed to be an activation code." As he spoke, Mary comforted their son.
"Wait. I think I cracked it," Richard said as part of the code came through.
'Out — — — in— — light'
"It's just...what if they know?" asked Mary.
"Who knows what?" Richard asks.
"What if those people know about his powers?" Mary asked her husband as she picked up their son. "He's the first enhanced human since Captain America."
Richard offered her a smile and caressed his son's head to soothe him. As Peter began to calm down, Mary noticed the present he had left for their parents.
"Oh, someone needs changing. I'll be back," Mary said as she carried Peter to the bathroom while Richard kept trying to crack the door open and the pilot doors closed.
"Mr. Parker," he greeted and started washing his hands over the sink while Richard looked and saw something on his hands. He saw and thought it was blood. Richard started getting suspicious. "No rest for the wicked, huh?"
"No, it would seem not," Richard said. "I don't really see why Fury assigned you to this."
Well, he didn't. Rumlow explained as he turned towards the sink. "So, what is it you're working on that's so secret?" he asked.
Richard looks over at another part of the wall, which reads "H— H-D-A". It says, still incomplete.
"I'm just...planning ahead," he explains, disturbed. "You don't know what's going to happen." He explains. So, do you think I can radio the Hub and make sure they're prepared for our arrival?" He asks, getting up.
Rumlow steps forward. "Already done."
"I think I'd like to make sure for myself," Richard says just as Rumlow pulls out a gun.
"I think we both know that's not an option, Doctor," Rumlow says.
Richard looked back at the computer as the message came through clearly. "Hail HYDRA," he said, looking back at Rumlow in shock. "You're HYDRA?" Richard asked. "HYDRA is still around?"
"Oh, don't worry, even the Director is clueless. We've been here since Rodgers tried to beat us." Rumlow explains.
"Cut off one head, two more grow back." Richard understood.
"You know, they told me to kill you," Rumlow says. "Then take whatever you have on us. But I can offer you a chance to see your son again. Garrett wants to offer you a choice."
"A place within HYDRA?" Richard asks.
"All we want to know is what your son can do," Rumlow explains.
"I'd die before I let you turn him into a weapon for HYDRA," Richard says.
Rumlow looks sad. "Come on, Richard," he says. "Think about your son."
"I am. That's why I'm not joining." Richard tells him.
He says, "I'm sorry to hear that," and walks toward the bathroom door, making sure it's locked.
But before he could, the door opened and slammed Rumlow into the wall of the plane. Richard and Mary were still fighting Rumlow, whilst Mary did her best to keep him away from Peter, whom she had managed to get into his crate and close it up. The crate wouldn't open again until either its timer allowed it to open, or things around it calmed down.
"They say you're a genius," Rumlow says as he takes his laptop and uses it to smack Richard in the face, sending him flying. "Sadly, it's a waste."
Mary took the opportunity to punch him, and he stumbled and kicked her away from the container she had been holding her son in. He aimed the gun at her and went to shoot her, point-blank.
Richard shouted, "Mary!" as he got back up and attempted to fight back, only to be shot in the chest.
Rumlow seemed a little disappointed that things had to end this way. "Sorry, it had to end like this." He then sighed and made his way over to the baby carrier. Peter was whimpering in fear as he saw the man standing over his carrier. "You and I are going to have some fun, kid."
That's where it all began.
Peter was now in a government-run facility, getting hit in the face. He whimpered as, at the age of five, he was being taught how to fight. When he was raised by S.H.I.E.L.D., they were teaching him to still be a kid, and only teaching him the bare minimum of fighting. Just enough to help him control his powers.
Now, while he was being raised within HYDRA, he was being taught how to endure torture, how to fight, and how to kill. At the age of five. It seems that HYDRA really didn't have a conscience.
And that's not where it ends.
At the age of ten, Peter was sent on his first mission into the desert. To retrieve a weapon. A weapon so heavy that nobody else could lift it. As he made his way through the night, he managed to make it to the facility where S.H.I.E.L.D. was setting up camp. When he came to the fence, he noticed someone was trying to break in.
Peter never realized that when he sneaked up on the man and slashed his throat as quickly as he could, he didn't realize he had just killed the Prince of Asgard. With his stealth skills, he made his way through the facility without anyone noticing him or the dead body.
Phil Coulson looked down at the hammer that had fallen from the sky. He wondered what material it was made of and why no human or machine could move it. But as he was distracted, Peter was beginning to sneak up on him with his blade out. His actions were being hidden by a few moles within S.H.I.E.L.D., who kept him away from sight.
Coulson didn't even realize Peter had come up behind him until he felt the sharp pain of the knife piercing his back. He was so startled by the attack that he collapsed to the ground without knowing what had happened. Peter approached the Hammer and wondered if he would be able to lift it with his newfound strength. However, despite his best efforts, he couldn't even move it.
It seemed that he actually wasn't invisible, as Clint Barton was in the air, aiming his bow and arrow at the kid. He didn't seem to be aware that he was a kid, with the outfit he was wearing. However, after seeing him attack Coulson, he wasn't going to waste any time and fired an arrow at his chest.
But that wasn't enough as it ended with Peter sensing the arrow coming right at him. He quickly reacted by spinning around and grabbing the arrow mid-flight. Then, before Clint could realize what had happened, Peter threw the arrow back and it didn't just stab Clint; it pierced through his entire chest. The arrow kept going and flew into the air as Clint's body fell from the device and hit the ground below.
"That was only the beginning of his conquest," The Watcher explained as he looked in horror at what this kid would do. "In one night, he killed Phil Coulson, Thor Odinson, and Clint Barton. And it didn't stop there..."
"All of the threats to HYDRA were eliminated with ease." The Watcher continued to narrate as Peter killed the remaining threats.
Pierce said as he held up a glass, looking at Peter who had just killed the World Security. "This is a reason to celebrate." He continued. "HYDRA now has everything it needs to keep the peace." He then walked over and handed a glass to Peter. "And it is all thanks to you."
Peter didn't even speak as he removed his mask.
"You know, you can talk freely, right?" Pierce asks the boy. "You're not some machine, right?"
"This...Project Insight...it's made me question some things." Peter finally spoke freely.
"Things like what?" Pierce was a little concerned.
"Project Insight is meant to protect the world, but what if one day, you decided to shut it down?" Peter asked as he eyed the three Helicarriers circling the globe.
Pierce says, "Kid, I would never turn it off. This is HYDRA's greatest achievement. The world will thank us for saving them. We'll give them the perfect lives they could ever wish for."
"You really think so?" Peter asks.
Pierce said as he looked out the window. "The strongest will live, and the weak who don't believe in the cause will eventually die. Stick with me, kid-"
Pierce gasped as he felt a strong pain enter his stomach; he looked down and noticed that he had been pierced through the stomach. Peter emerged from behind and revealed that he was the one who had stabbed him in the back.
Peter said, "Thank you for helping me." As he retracted his blade.
Pierce dropped down to the ground and was bleeding out as Peter watched the Helicarrier's fire. "There are going to be some changes around here."
Then his senses went off and alerted him of someone else was in the room. "And I might be able to help."
Peter turned and saw an old man step out of the shadows. A young girl also stepped out beside him and crossed her arms.
Peter asked, "Who are you?"
"My name is Ra's Al Ghul." The man introduced himself. "And I have a proposition for you."
He took over the world with the League of Assassins and married Talia al Ghul. Not without a little bit of force and some insensitivity. Using the powers of the Mind Stone, he was able to make her think his plan was hers and she offered it to her father willingly.
With him and his powers combined, he was able to bring down Earth's Mightiest Heroes and make it seem like it was their friends who did it. Sometimes, he even left it a mystery as to who did it and had some fun with the investigators.
Natasha Romanoff didn't know what happened when she was sneaking up on by Talia and distracted long enough for Peter to sneak in. One punch to the back from Peter's full strength went straight through and killed her instantly.
Tony Stark was the easiest to capture during the poisoning, and all they needed was to swap the syringe with something a little more lethal. It would have taken them only seconds to destroy Stark.
The Hulk was one of the more difficult ones to stop. His speed and strength posed a challenge and cost them several members of the League of Assassins. However, once they had him down and used the sonic cannons, they were able to subdue him and ultimately kill him with an overdose of radiation. It took a lot of radiation; it practically brought Chernobyl to shame.
The Watcher sighed as he knew how the original Peter Parker was family to all of these people. "He knows nothing but how to be a weapon."
Once everything was said and done, Peter began to collect some more artifacts from everything they had managed to fight off. He learned that both the Tesseract and the Eye of Agamotto were placeholder items for some kind of stones. He also acquired the shield of Steve and the gauntlets of Black Widow; anything he believed would be seen as valuable to the world.
After killing Pierce, he became the new head of HYDRA. To celebrate the occasion, he wished for Peter and his daughter Talia to become close. It wasn't like either was against it, given their upbringing and obedience to their higher-ups, but they did eventually become close and it became genuine love.
By the year 2018, Peter had run everything and every project that he had been running for either the League or HYDRA. And then one day, it happened. While he was sitting on the balcony of his office, Peter was looking at the stones. He figured they must have some sort of purpose when put together, but he wasn't quite sure.
Then a beam of light shone down from the sky, revealing the Mad Titan Thanos. He approached Peter with his gauntlet and the other Infinity Stones attached to it.
"That's fascinating," Peter commented, snapping his fingers. Using the Time Stone, he managed to freeze the Titan before it could even react. "So, these Stones come in a set of six?"
Peter used the Space stone to open a portal and send Thanos through, leaving his left hand behind. That gave Peter a chance to remove the stones and have them begin floating toward him. As the Stones made contact with him, Peter was shocked by how much power he could feel emanating from each one. The Mind Stone attached itself to Peter's head and the rest of the stones attached themselves to his chest.
"Whoa..." Peter wasn't expecting all of this knowledge and power. "I...I can see everything. Control everything."
"What happened next... I don't want to talk about it." The Watcher eyed the skies as Peter began to conquer the stars. He was using the power of the Infinity Stones to upgrade all of HYDRA's equipment, making them the most powerful force in the universe. "He conquered every planet in his universe and then...the multiverse."
Peter and Talia were using the Infinity Stones to open doorways throughout the multiverse. They learned of their existence from the textbook known as The Darkhold. They used the knowledge within the book to then open doorways to look into new worlds. And all of them were just as horrible as the last.
Earth-70134
After his encounter with this world's Spider-Man, he died following their battle. Peter Parker was engulfed in a cocoon that would preserve his life. The Great Weaver offered to resurrect him and accept his arachnid nature, but Peter refused, remaining in the cocoon in a state of incomplete metamorphosis.
The Venom symbiote sensed what was happening to Parker and immediately abandoned Mac Gargan, escaping from their cell and slaughtering the guards—taking over one of them to escape the prison. Upon reaching Peter Parker's cocoon under the Brooklyn Bridge, the Symbiote let the guard fall to his death and entered the cocoon to bond to Peter's body and bridge the gap in his metamorphosis.
The symbiote-possessed Spider-Man arrived at the Stark Tower, having defeated Wolverine and Luke Cage when they attacked him. When confronted by Mary Jane Watson-Parker, the gestalt entity rechristened itself "Poison".
Poison offered MJ his power, but she spurned him and said she would rather be dead. This did not faze him, as apparently, Poison could reanimate her corpse to be just like him - a mindless creature, but without the pesky feminine impulses getting in the way. After Mary Jane agreed to the replication but promised that she would make his life a living hell, Poison had second thoughts and Mary Jane convinced him to leave. Poison eventually unearthed the body of Gwen Stacy and replicated himself within her, turning her into a Carnage-like creature.
When Peter Parker and Talia made their escape back to their dimension, they wished to study their new world. Wondering if there were any capabilities within this Symbiote, Peter offered Poison a place in his world.
Earth-52
One evening, as Peter and his uncle were walking down an alleyway, they were set upon by a mugger. Peter had just gotten some money from wrestling Bonesaw. During the ensuing confrontation, the mugger shot and killed Peter's uncle, then fled the scene.
At that moment, Peter was left void, as all emotion had left him, including fear. A nearby Green Lantern ring eventually found him and inducted him into the Green Lantern Corps. Peter didn't think anything of it; all he recognized was a tool that could be used to exact revenge on his uncle's murderer.
He was able to quickly find his killer; however, when he tried to kill the man, the ring refused, as it was against the Corp's mandate to kill a living being. Peter did not care about the Corps or its rules, and filled the ring with the void in his soul, overcharging the ring with his corrupt willpower. Eventually, the ring became corrupted by Peter's tainted soul and allowed him to kill his uncle's murderer.
After killing him, Peter went back to his uncle's corpse and attempted to use the ring to resurrect him; however, this didn't work as it was beyond its power and could only temporarily revive him as an undead person. Peter would then go on to become the protector of New York known as the Red Spider, who executed criminals without mercy.
Initially, the police of the city worked with Peter, but Commissioner Yuri Watanabe eventually pleaded with him to stop killing criminals like Tombstone. Peter believed that no one should stand in the way of his mission to rid the universe of evil, so executed Yuri while constructing a Green Lantern Power Battery. Shortly after his murder of Yuri, the Green Lantern Corps arrived to apprehend the rogue Lantern. However, due to Peter's overcharged ring and his connection to the darkness, he was able to defeat and execute the entire Corps and the Guardians of the Universe.
Except it turned out that was what caused his ring to eventually die off, leaving him powerless and unable to tap into his full potential. Then, luck seemed to be on his side when his Green Lantern ring was then replaced by a Red Lantern ring. He felt even stronger and had more power than he'd ever had in his life.
This was around the time that Peter and Talia made their way to his universe. When they arrived at his dimension, they offered him the same thing. They saw potential in that ring of his and wanted to offer him a chance to do something bigger.
Earth-98311
It was a tough time for Peter Parker, who had also lost his Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Spider-Man was cloned by Miles Warren, resulting in two versions of the superhero. One of them changed his identity and name to Ben Reilly and became the Scarlet Spider.
When it was revealed that the other might indeed be the actual clone, Peter hated his double for this and sought to destroy him. Peter later attacked Ben, who was trying to stop the Kingpin from using the portal technology, and the two fought. However, the Carnage symbiote entered that world through the opened portal and bonded with Peter, creating the creature known as Spider-Carnage.
Once he had created a device to spread a small amount of Carnage across the entire city, Spider-Carnage became the ruler of all of New York, and eventually the Carnage Planet. That's when a portal appeared and Peter came through and saw that this symbiote was many times more dangerous than the Venom version.
Earth-57780
As Spider-Man entered a room through a window, he discovered a mirror and began examining his reflection. Unaware that Doctor Doom was watching from the other side, Spidey continued to admire himself. Doom seized the opportunity and activated his Twin Machine, creating a duplicate of Spider-Man with reversed characteristics. He then instructed the newly formed 'Web-Man' to apprehend the genuine Spider-Man.
Spider-Man confronted Web-Man, for he had the advantage due to his superior intellect while Web-Man's lack thereof rendered him rather dimwitted. Returning to Doctor Doom empty-handed, the villain opted to create yet another clone of Spider-Man.
The Web-Man had killed the real Spider-Man and then used his knowledge of the mad scientist to try to kill Doctor Doom. But when he was cornered and about to be arrested, he was immediately rescued by the rest of the Spider Society, which is what Peter Parker had been referring to as their "little group" of Spiders.
Earth-71639
At some point in his reality, Wolf Spider gained spider-like powers, but unlike most other universes' Peter Parkers, he became a villain, mercilessly killing his universe's Miles Morales and everyone else who stood for heroism and responsibility. He used every opportunity he could to kill and upgrade his abilities by stealing the tech or blood of the heroes he's killed.
Now, he has four mechanical arms similar to those of Iron Man, the stingers of Black Widow, and many others. He essentially became the king of New York and dethroned the kingpin as the leader of crime. This gained the attention of Peter and Talia pretty quickly, as they saw he had the kind of mind they could use within HYDRA.
Earth-91778
During a trip to the Savage Land, Spider-Man and the X-Men's Angel were captured by the Savage Land Mutates, creatures created by Magneto years earlier. The Mutates' leader, Brainchild, used them as guinea pigs in a machine that "devolved" them into primordial forms.
Spider-Man was transformed into a monstrous man-spider hybrid, and Angel into a griffin-like form—to use them as enforcers in the Mutates' conquest of the Savage Land. They were then sent to attack Ka-Zar, the self-styled Lord of the Savage Land, and his allies, the Fall People tribe.
Conditioned to obey the Brainchild, Parker's consciousness reawakened within the Man-Spider. Horrified at what he had become, he promptly abandoned the battle. As Spider-Man, he turned on Angel and killed him, then went completely savage.
Seeing that kind of potential in the monster that time had forgotten, Peter and Talia brought him to their dimension where they offered him a place unmonitored by their ranks.
Earth-616
Peter was now seated upon his throne, watching his empire grow stronger each day. With the technologies of every universe combined, there was no one who could stand against him or his world. Talia was one of the most feared women in the galaxy, having received training from dozens of female warriors and assassins. One such woman was Gamora, the daughter of the late Thanos.
"...every world is my home."
Peter Parker looked around in confusion as he looked around his throne. "Who...who said that?"
"Wait..." The Watcher was confused when it seemed like he heard him. "What?"
Peter Parker turned around, facing the direction of the Watcher who had been observing his universe. "I...I see you."
The Watcher freaked out as he vanished from his sight. He started to panic, realizing that interfering with the universe had made him easily visible to others.
"There...are universes beyond my own." Infinite Peter finally realizes.
The Watcher had broken his connection to that universe and was beginning to worry.
"I...I have seen everything. Everything that will happen. Everything that ever could happen. Yet...what the hell is this?!" The Watcher asked in fear. "If a hunger like his were released upon the universe..."
He then started to hear the echoing calls of Infinity Peter reverberating throughout the universe. "I will find you..."
"Even I cannot fathom the horrors that might ensue," the Watcher said in worry. "There's no chance he will escape this universe."
Oh, how wrong he was...
Upon returning to the Nexus, the Watcher panicked as he noticed cracks forming across time and space. He saw everything becoming distorted from that single moment in time that had caused it all to crumble. Some of the realities began to merge while others were shattered, fixing themselves by merging with other shattered BRANCHES. Chaos was beginning to flow across all of time and space.
"No, no, no!" The Watcher started to panic as he saw the damage Barry had caused to time. "That means... "
Then there was a gigantic explosion of glass, causing The Watcher to shield himself. He then looked back and saw HYDRA Spider-Man flying into his own universe. The power of the Infinity Stones was clearly visible on his suit of armor.
The Watcher immediately began to panic and exclaim, "Oh, no!"
Peter H. exclaimed in joy, "I found you! I finally found you!"
Then, he swiftly fired a burst of energy from the Power Stone at the Watcher, propelling him into the air. The Watcher conjured a platform to shield himself and slid across the multiverse, surveying the countless alternate branches. So many realities that were either chaos or new realities that had just been created, thanks to Barry.
"So many universes. So much chaos," he murmured, realizing the infinite possibilities. "They must be silenced."
The Watcher groaned as he got up onto his knees. "You don't have to do this," he said.
"Oh, but it's my purpose!" Peter H. proclaimed.
Peter H. then flew towards the Watcher, creating a sword made out of the power from the Infinity Stones. He shot a beam of infinite energy from the sword and blasted the Watcher. The Watcher retaliated by creating an impenetrable shield that protected him.
Noticing that the beam of energy wasn't working, Peter H. changed approaches and used the Time and Reality stones to shatter the defense. When he had built up enough energy, the Watcher then created a blast of energy that shot off of him and forced Peter H. backwards. While he was recovering from the sudden attack, the Watcher created a bubble around Peter H. to stop him from escaping; then, he flung him back into his own dimension.
"This...this can't be happening," the Watcher muttered in fear. "Allen, what have you done?"
He knew that Barry Allen going back in time was the straw that broke the camel's back, but he didn't think it would become this bad. The branches were all colliding, bending and twisting to merge with one another. Barry going back in time was like causing a sonic boom in a house made of glass. Now the multiverse is trying to fix itself and make sense of the shattered timeline.
"This shouldn't be this possible."
That was when Peter H. appeared through a crack in the branches and was right behind him. "Oh, anything is possible in a multiverse."
The Watcher turned around to face him, only for Peter H. to backhand him with the power of the Infinity Stones. The Watcher was sent flying across the Nexus before hitting the barrier of infinity. That sent him flying out of his home and into the multiverse. Luckily for him, he ended up landing on what looked to be Felucia, one of the deserted planets of the universe since the Clone Wars.
Peter H. floated down, waving his hands, sending all of the trees and plants flying away, creating an empty oasis. "All of those worlds, all that suffering, and you just watched."
The Watcher groaned as he tried to stand back up. "I swore an oath. I cannot exert my will on the natural order of things. I cannot intervene."
Peter H. then slammed himself into the ground, causing a gigantic gust of dust to suddenly burst and spread around the two cosmic threats. The Watcher was looking around, trying to see if he could spot Peter H., but the dust made it too difficult.
"I am the natural order of things," Peter H. said as the Watcher saw him approaching through the dust. "I will bring peace to the multiverse. And I will kill anyone who stands in my way. You lack the will to stop me."
Then Peter H. sent another blast of energy from his sword to try and kill the Watcher. But the Watcher repeated his previous action and created a force field around himself. He needed to stop Peter H. before he could live up to that promise. He sent another wave of rebuttal to throw Peter H. off balance and elevated him into the air while summoning a god-like armor for the battle.
"You cannot fathom the power of my will," the Watcher promised.
Peter H wasn't intimidated as he flew in for another swing to try and kill him. The Watcher repeated his action and the two of them met halfway. Peter H. got a good swing into the Watcher's head, followed by The Watcher punching him in the stomach. Summoning the powers of the multiverse, he created a cosmic fist on top of his own and punched Peter H., which didn't phase Peter too much as he headbutted the Watcher, which he followed with an uppercut that sent Peter off-balance.
It didn't take long for him to get back into it though, as he then grabbed the Watcher's fist and the two built up so much energy it ended up sending a shockwave of power around the two of them. Peter H. then used the power of the Power Stone to fling them away and began ramming them through several universes.
When Peter lets the Watcher go, he ends up slamming into an alternate universe version of the Empire State Building. When he slams into Earth, it doesn't seem to be anywhere in particular; the only major thing noticeable is that, in this universe, Peter Parker is being sworn in as President.
"I Peter Benjamin Parker, do solemnly swear..."
Peter H. came down from the hole the Watcher left in the multiverse and smiled. "The entire multiverse and even more at your fingertips, and you spent your entire time up there?" He then started using the power of all six Infinity Stones to lift the Watcher off the ground. "Isn't this much more fun than just watching?" The Watcher struggled to try and get out of his predicament. "And let's be honest, it's a whole lot less creepy on your part."
Then, using all of the power he could muster, he slammed himself into the Watcher and rammed him into the ground. When he did, it sent a shockwave of energy that transported them to an alternative version of Wakanda. Everyone was watching the two beings duking it out in the middle of the street.
Then Peter punched the Watcher again, sending him to one location after another. None of the worlds looked anything like the last location. When Peter delivered the final blow, the Watcher seemed to have landed in a world where the heroes had lost. Everything was frozen over, and it looked like an eternal winter had been placed upon the land. The Watcher was too weak to keep fighting; he wasn't used to doing this.
The boundaries of the BRANCHES are irrelevant to beings like you and me," Peter proclaimed as he looked at Soren. "My world didn't become what it is today by staying within the lines."
Then Peter raised the Watcher so that he was at his level and grabbed onto his head. He was beginning to absorb his power, feeding on his knowledge of the boundaries between these worlds. And everything that the multiverse had to offer that could further his empire.
The Watcher then regained control of his powers as he used one final blow to punch Peter, freeing himself from his hold. While Peter tried to reach out for him, the Watcher vanished into a breach and managed to escape.
Peter however didn't even seem to care as he sighed. "Go ahead. Run. Watch." He then opened a portal that led back to his own universe. His entire Spider Society joined him on the desolate world as his wife was the last to exit. "Because now... we are free. We will conquer the BRANCHES. No one will be able to stop us."
The Watcher was hiding somewhere that appeared to be shrouded in complete darkness. He wasn't sure where else he could really go now. But he knew there was someone who could help him.
BRANCH-3
The Watcher then heard a light switch flicker as Peter Supreme stood in the doorway. The Watcher ran so fast he didn't even realize that he had made his way into the library of the Sorcerer Supreme.
Peter Supreme was shocked when he saw the Watcher himself. He took a few steps closer to him, seeing the gigantic man was injured.
"I heard stories about you," said Peter Supreme. "I just always assumed you were a myth. A legend, like the Boogeyman, told to sorcerers to keep them in line. But you...you're the Watcher."
"Yes." The Watcher knee there was no point in trying to deny it. "I am the Watcher. And I need your help."
"My help?" Peter Supreme was shocked to see the Watcher of all people beg for help.
"I don't have any other choice. I've run out of options." The Watcher explains. "If he isn't stopped, he will destroy the multiverse. I can't face him alone...I need you, Peter Supreme."
ACROSS THE BRANCHES 2 : THE SPIDER SOCIETY
Peter politely guided the Watcher towards the cozy fireplace, despite the fact that the Watcher's physical stature was rather exaggerated and comical in nature. After settling into their respective chairs, Peter carefully prepared a pot of freshly brewed tea before delving into a deep discussion regarding the recent occurrences. Gwen, standing close to Peter, was intensely curious about the unfolding of the multiverse.
"I knew there was a stronger force at work in the universe," Peter said as he took a sip of his tea. "You were the one who rescued me and Gwen from that battle against Morlun."
"Yes." The Watcher confirmed. "And because of that, I am now paying the price. I have encountered a threat that puts the very fabric of existence at risk,"his voice was filled with solemnity. "I have called upon you because I believe in your ability to make a difference and protect the innocent. Your spirit is commendable, Peter Supreme. I believe you possess the unique qualities required to confront this threat head-on."
Peter Supreme was shocked by the high praise he was receiving and it was from a practical god of all people. "I'm honored that you came to us."
"Yeah, in the entire multiverse, why'd you choose here?" Gwen wonders.
"I came here because you two are my biggest chance," The Watcher explained. The Watcher's gaze intensified, conveying the weight of the impending danger. "A malevolent force from a dimension beyond comprehension seeks to unravel the delicate balance of realities. It possesses unimaginable power and is poised to unleash chaos upon all existence. The Nexus of Realities has been compromised by a being from the Dark BRANCHES."
"Dark BRANCHES?" Gwen asks.
"Main Continuity gets the Dark Multiverse, we get the Dark BRANCHES," Peter explains to her. "Since the Main Continuity will usually have realities where heroes win, in an infinite number of possibilities, there will be a few that lose."
"And because I rescued you, I fractured the barriers in the BRANCHES. It was nothing I couldn't handle at first, but then Barry Allen kept shattering the barriers. It became too much and they were weak enough for something to escape. The main leader of that multiverse is Spider-Man. Or at least he should have been." The Watcher explained the situation to them. "He is from a reality where you were raised by HYDRA."
Peter was shocked. He should have figured that was a possibility, especially when dealing with the BRANCHES; but he usually stopped himself from looking into his own BRANCHES. Especially after what went down with the Sinister Supreme Spider-Man during the Morlun fiasco.
"So, we're dealing with an alternate Agent S." Peter realized there were a few other reasons the Watcher came to him.
Watcher said, "They call him Agent H."
"Wow, very original," Gwen scoffed.
"How did he escape the BRANCHES?" Peter wonders. "He couldn't just escape easily and battle someone as powerful as you."
"No. he couldn't do it alone," Watcher confirmed. "He had help from the Infinity Stones."
Peter groaned as he rubbed his head, imagining what he could do with the power of the Infinity Stones. Someone like that could conquer the multiverse. From the sounds of it, that's exactly what he did.
"With the fractures of reality left behind after Barry Allen saved his mother, the BRANCHES have been shattered. Dozens are now re-creating themselves into new realities. If we don't stop him, then he and his entire Spider Society will conquer the BRANCHES." The Watcher explained the gravity of the situation.
"Alright. What do we do?" Peter asks Watcher.
Watcher smiled and was happy he was going to help. "I saw into his mind while he was looking into mine. He seems to be trying to find a way to conquer the rest of the BRANCHES. I can predict where they might be heading, giving you a head start. But why they are going there, I can't explain."
"But how do they plan to conquer all the BRANCHES?" Gwen asks. "They're infinite."
"They'd likely be working on a way to conquer them all at once or to strengthen their capabilities." Peter took a guess. "And they're going for the realities with promising results."
"That's what my worries are." The Watcher confirmed.
"Alright, where do we start?" Gwen asks.
With a nod of approval, the Watcher stepped back, preparing to guide Spider-Man and the assembled team on their mission. "Remember, Peter Supreme, the fate of the multiverse rests in your hands. Trust in yourself and your beloved, and together, you will prevail."
As Peter and Gwen absorbed the Watcher's words, a surge of determination coursed through them. They knew that the challenges ahead would be daunting, but they also knew that with the support of their fellow heroes and the trust of the Watcher, they could overcome any obstacle.
"Then let's get to work," Peter said.
The Watcher smiled as he then opened a portal for them to the first reality. "Remember, I cannot interfere much more than I already have. I must let whatever happens play out, but I will always have my faith in you two, and I will intervene when I can."
"Thanks. I guess." Gwen supposed.
Peter and Gwen then ran into the portal and made their way to the first of many alternate realities.