Nondisclosed location:
The Watcher found a new location that was once used by Mar Novu to monitor the old multiverse before it was converted into the Web of Life and Destiny. Here, he was able to watch over the entire multiverse and all of the BRANCHES without Agent H finding him. He can observe and send the heroes wherever they need to go to stop the Spider Society. But right now, he was concerned with the recent death of Superior Spider-Man. The heroes could have gotten some valuable information out of him to defeat the Society and their reign of terror across the BRANCHES, but that strange witchcraft user killed him too early. And what scared him most was that he didn't see that outcome as a possibility, or where that witch came from or went.
As Peter and Gwen stepped out of the portal, they found themselves standing in front of the Watcher's hideout. It was not the new dimension they were hoping for, but they were not entirely surprised. As they looked around, Peter and Gwen couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. They had just witnessed the death of Otto Octavius and were still trying to make sense of it all. The Cloak was still applying pressure on Peter's wound and kept itself wrapped around his waist until his wound was healed. They wondered if the Watcher was aware of what had happened. Perhaps he could provide them with answers to the many questions that plagued their minds.
"Watcher, you saw what happened, right?" Peter asks him.
"Yes," Uatu admitted in terror. "I saw what happened in Dimension-1626. But I cannot tell you who caused the death of Otto Octavius."
"You can't tell us or won't tell us?" Gwen wonders
"Can't," Uatu confirmed. "Whoever did this was able to go around me undetected, and I couldn't see the outcome until after it happened."
"Well, we got rid of Taskmaster and Wolf-Spider, so maybe killing Otto before he could tell us anything must be the Society's way to keep their people silent." Peter Supreme guessed as to what happened. "Maybe they found a way to slip past your sight undetected."
"I don't know. From what we've seen, the Society isn't big on magic." Gwen muttered. "Maybe she is some sort of freelance traveler."
"If that is true, then we must hurry and stop both the Society and this witch," Uatu tells them. He turned back to the multiverse and tried to find their next target. "I found a disturbance in another BRANCH. That must be where the Society is planning to strike next."
"What kind of disturbance?" Gwen asks.
Uatu looked to the multiverse again to try and make sense of it. "I am...not sure." But then he started to panic when he saw what this small disturbance would grow into. "Oh, no. You must hurry! If this disturbance were to grow, it could cause an incursion between two universes."
"An incursion?" Gwen asks, recalling her time on that dying dimension. "That isn't going to be good."
"Well, let's head there and prevent it from happening." Peter Supreme stated.
Watcher solemnly nodded as he raised his hand, conjuring a powerful portal that glowed with a pulsing energy. With a graceful sweep of his arm, he gestured towards the swirling vortex, inviting Peter and Gwen to step through and enter a new dimension. Their mission? To prevent the catastrophic event of an incursion that threatened to unravel the very fabric of time and space. Without hesitation, the two heroes took a deep breath and stepped bravely into the unknown, ready to face whatever challenges awaited them on the other side.
BRANCH-411:
It was currently early in the morning at Berk, and Astrid was patrolling around the island. She was making sure that there wasn't anyone trying to come and attack their home. Astrid's appearance is more elegant and feminine than other Vikings; her hair is more sun-bleached and neatly styled into a long side braid draped over her left shoulder. Also, her face is fuller. Astrid now wears a red sleeveless shirt with a dark spiked fur skirt that matches her boots. She also wears a fur hoodie, usually cloaked over her back and shoulders, with metal shoulder pads and a matching silver belt decorated with small skulls.
Her usual arm wrappings, however, are replaced with large, thick bracers covered in fur. Astrid still carries an axe, but it's considerably different in design from her previous one. As she and Stormfly are flying through the forest, they stumble upon an unusual hut that catches their attention. There was no way they could have missed it over the years, with how old and crooked it looks.
"That's odd," Astrid commented when she noticed the house that definitely was never there before. "I've never seen that hut before." She wondered what it was doing out there. "Let's get a closer look, Stormfly."
Astrid and Stormfly approached a hut cautiously. Astrid dismounted her dragon and clutched her axe tightly, preparing for the worst. She wondered what was going to happen as she approached the door, her heart racing with anticipation. Suddenly, she reached for the doorknob and the door exploded open, sending her flying and her axe impaling into the ground, serving as her only support. She shook her head to clear the dizziness and looked up to see a figure emerging from the shed. It appeared to be a mystical witch, her eyes glowing with malevolence as she prepared to attack them with a spell.
The witch's arms were raised and an ominous energy was gathering around her. Stormfly managed to dodge the attack, but Astrid wasn't so lucky. A beam of dark energy hit her, sending her flying and slamming into a tree. She gasped for breath, feeling as if her chest was crushed. The witch then conjured up a portal behind Astrid, causing her to scream in terror as she realized she was being dragged into it. The witch cackled with evil glee, relishing her triumph over the hapless warrior.
However, Stormfly was determined to rescue her friend and flew toward her rider, swinging her tail to send a few quills from her tail toward the witch. While she was still chuckling, she was impaled by the quills.
"Stormfly!" Astrid cried as she tried to get herself free from the portal's grasp. "Help!"
The fierce winds whipped through the air as Stormfly soared towards the swirling portal with determination. Astrid was trapped inside, struggling to break free. With every beat of her powerful wings, Stormfly drew closer, her eyes fixed on the desperate figure in the distance. But just as she was about to reach her, the portal's pull became too strong, and Astrid was sucked inside, leaving Stormfly to watch helplessly. Frantic with worry for her beloved rider, the dragon launched herself into the portal, determined to save her at any cost. With a final burst of energy, she hurtled through the portal's other side, into an unknown and dangerous world.
CHAPTER 5
A New Perspective
BRANCH-218:
Peter Parker had always been captivated by the intriguing notion of parallel universes. He had delved into a plethora of books and films that explored the concept, but little did he know that he would one day encounter it firsthand. Despite the multitude of versions of himself scattered across the multiverse, he remained an indispensable figure in a single universe.
That is until this one specific day while swinging through the city as Spider-Man. He was wearing his new suit, which consisted of the old blue highlights replaced with black ones on this suit. However, the emblem had been upgraded with some nanites from the Iron Spider Suit added over it, forming a golden spider emblem in the front and back of the suit.
While on his normal patrol, Peter noticed a strange portal opening up in the sky. Out of curiosity, he decided to investigate and was shocked to see a young woman being dragged through the portal along with her dragon.
Peter quickly swung into action, using his web-slinging abilities to catch the woman and her dragon before they hit the ground. As he quickly got underneath where they were going to fall, Peter started to create a giant net of webbing surrounding each surrounding building to catch them. When they hit the net, Stormfly had wrapped her wings around Astrid to keep her from getting hurt unaware that the net was meant to save them.
"What?" Astrid asked as she looked around. "Where...where am I?"
"Hello!" Peter said as he extended and lowered himself down from a web to greet her. He was hanging upside down and held out his hand. "I'm Spider-Man. I'll be your rescuer for the evening. Please remember to leave a good review for this rescue and recommend me to your nearest friends in need."
Astrid found herself in a state of confusion and nervousness as she saw this strange man referring to himself as Spider-Man. Looking up at where she had just fallen from, she realized there was no portal back home. Shock and horror filled her as she took in her surroundings; she was currently sitting on the web that cushioned her fall. Not sure what else she could do, Astrid reached out and grabbed the stranger's hand.
Peter helped her to the ground as he slowly descended and left her there. They were beginning to draw quite the crowd because of the fact that they had a dragon with them. Peter knew they needed to discuss a few things, like that portal who she was, and where she got a dragon to name a few.
"I have a feeling you have some questions for me, and I certainly have a few questions of my own," Peter said as he eyed Astrid and drifted over toward Stormfly. "That dragon of yours being one of them." Then he looked over Astrid's attire. "Your fashion is another."
"I certainly have plenty of questions," Astrid confirmed. Then she looked over at him and noticed his fashion as she placed her arms in a crossed position. "And you're going to talk to me about fashion dressed like that?"
Peter didn't seem to understand as he looked over his suit. "What? It's a new look blend with a classic."
"Classic? Gods, this land is strange." Astrid scoffed.
Peter saw everyone who was murmuring in confusion to the strange girl and the dragon in the middle of the city. "Okay, we are starting to draw some attention. Let's get out of here."
Peter gestured toward the air and shot a web to yank himself into the air. Astrid quickly climbed onto Stormfly and thought it would be best to stay with the man who had at least helped her.
Peter led Astrid to a quieter location, away from the noisy streets of the city. As they made their way through the city towards the Fantastic Four tower, he couldn't help but notice the woman's striking features - her perfectly symmetrical face, long curly hair flowing through the wind, and full lips. Peter felt a flutter in his chest as he imagined what it would be like to hold her in his arms.
As they pulled up to their destination, Astrid's eyes widened in wonder as she gazed around at the unfamiliar surroundings. The cacophony of car alarms, honking horns, and incessant chatter of the city filled the air, creating a symphony of chaos that Peter was oblivious to. He was too focused on the woman standing before him, taking in every detail of her appearance and movements. He noticed the way her hair fell in perfect waves around her shoulders, the way her eyes sparkled with excitement and the way her lips curved into a smile as she took in the sights and sounds of the bustling city. Peter couldn't help but be captivated by her, completely lost in the moment as she stared in awe at the achievements the world has accomplished.
"What is this place?" Astrid wondered aloud.
"Guess this would be your first time seeing it," Peter said as he walked over and leaned over the balcony. "Welcome to New York City. Home of the Mets, the Chrysler Building, and the Avengers."
"And who are you?" Astrid asks.
"My name's Spider-Man," said Peter as he introduced himself. "You are?"
"Astrid," she said, deciding it would be best to act friendly towards the kind stranger.
"What's an Avenger?" Astrid asks as she looks out to the sights.
"The Avengers...we're...well, Earth's Mightiest Heroes," Peter said, giving her the recap version. "We protect the Earth from monsters and aliens who want to do it harm."
"Sounds like a lot of work," Astrid said, chuckling. "It also sounds like a lot like me and my friends."
"How's that?" Peter wonders.
"Me and my friends go around places and find dragons in trouble and help them," Astrid explained as she petted Stormfly. But then she realized that her sudden disappearance might have caused panic back home. "Oh, gods, they're all probably worried about what happened to me."
"Don't worry, Reed is the smartest man alive," Peter said as he approached the doorway, opening it so they could both enter. "If there's anyone who is going to be able to get you home, it's him." He then looked around and seemed a little confused. "Where is everyone?"
"Uncle Pete!" A young girl shouted, causing Astrid to notice her approaching as she ran down a nearby stairway and towards him. "You're here!"
"Val!" Peter chuckled as he knelt to hug the little girl. "Ah, how's my favorite super genius?" He then ruffled her hair, causing Valeria to chuckle. "You or Franklin haven't made any progress on dark matter, have you?"
"No, Dad made me stop doing that," Valeria explained, looking a little upset. She then looked over and noticed Astrid was there and gasped when she saw the dragon. "Is that a dragon?" She didn't even ask any further questions as she walked towards Stormfly. "Where'd you find a dragon?"
"Well, that's why I came here," Peter explains to the young lady. "You see, my friend Astrid here came from another dimension."
"And she somehow wound up getting lost and landing in our world?" Valeria asked as if it were a normal Tuesday. Peter nodded, confirming her suspicion. "And that means you came here to talk to Dad about trying to send her back."
"Wow, smart kid." Astrid complimented the little girl.
Peter said, "Val here is one of the smartest people in the world." He was proud to admit it. "She's Reed's youngest child. Their son Franklin is usually either still asleep or deeply engrossed in his comic books."
"I'll go get mommy," Valerie said as she stopped petting Stormfly and left.
Astrid chuckled at the kid's enthusiasm but also recalled what she said. "Who's Pete?"
Peter slapped himself in the face when he realized Val had given away his identity. "Alright, fine. I'll do it." Peter removed his mask so he could show himself to Astrid. It was unlikely that she knew anyone or would even know whom to tell anyway. "My real name is Peter Parker."
Astrid said, "So, Spider-Man is a name you made up?"
"It's something we do in this world," Peter said. "People like me and a lot of other people here, we need to have secret identities because there are some people out there who would rather target the people we love and hurt us."
Astrid was shocked to hear that, but she had also gone through similar experiences. "They never..."
"No, nobody's discovered it yet," said Peter. "Which is a good thing, considering it's just me and my aunt."
"No parents?" Astrid asks.
"Nah," Peter sighed as he walked over and took a seat on the couch, motioning for Astrid to join him. "They died when I was young in an accident."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Astrid said sympathetically; she knew how it felt to lose someone close to you after almost losing her own parents a few years ago during Dagur's attack on Berk.
Peter said with a sad smile, "Not your fault." He added, "It's okay; it was a long time ago, and I can barely remember the pain." But he let out a sad sigh as he recalled what had happened to his uncle. "But my uncle...he died a bit more recently. About ten years by now, and it still hurts. And now it's just me and my aunt because of that."
Astrid was surprised someone could go through such things and still be as friendly and caring as he was. She hadn't known Peter for long, but she could see he was a friendly and supportive person, especially with how he spoke to the little girl. As they sat in comfortable silence, they heard someone moan and turned their attention to the source of the noise. It was Johnny Storm, Peter's best friend.
Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, moaned as he wiped his eyes. "What is wrong with you, Pete? You can't possibly get up this early."
"Johnny, it's eleven in the afternoon," Peter informed his friend.
Johnny groaned as he walked away, but then stopped when his brain finally processed there was a woman with him. He started to back up until finally getting back to Peter's side and stopping, eyeing Astrid over. She wasn't exactly liking the look he was giving her, and she was getting a few flashbacks of when Snotlout would try and hit on her.
"Well, hello. Who's your friend?" Johnny asks, not even taking his eyes off Astrid.
"Johnny, meet Astrid." Peter introduced them to one another. "Astrid, this is my friend Johnny."
"Pleasure." Astrid decided to be a little friendly. "He's your friend?"
Peter said, "That's how it's been since college." He gave her some background. "Johnny was my roommate for a while, and that was how I met his sister, Susa, and followed with her husband. Reed actually gave me my first job here, but it didn't last long." He chuckled as he remembered why he had left back then. "The Fantastic Four actually don't get much pay."
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we can't have some fun," Johnny said flirtatiously as he approached Astrid.
Astrid was growing increasingly frustrated with Johnny's behavior. She decided to confront him, hoping to put an end to his inappropriate behavior. With a firm grip, Astrid grabbed Johnny's arm and gave it a quick twist, causing him to wince in pain. Peter, who was standing nearby, flinched as well, knowing that Johnny had it coming.
Johnny was known for his flirty and often disrespectful behavior towards women. He had a tendency to push people's buttons and often found himself in trouble because of it. Astrid seemed to already have enough of his antics and decided to take matters into her own hands. Though she didn't hurt Johnny, the twist on his arm was enough to send a clear message that his behavior was not acceptable.
"That's the kind of fun I like to have," Astrid dared Johnny. "You interested?"
"I'm good!" Johnny said, wincing in pain.
Astrid then let him go and allowed Johnny to walk off. She looked over and noticed that Peter was a little surprised by the attack and seemed a little scared of her. And that was saying something since he was the one with powers.
"Wow, you certainly showed him." Peter chuckled as she calmed down.
"Sorry," she said, "he started to remind me of a friend of mine, and I just don't want to deal with that twice."
"If that's how you treat friends, I might consider being your enemy." Peter quipped.
"Hey, I am not like that to my friends all the time," Astrid said defensively as she crossed her arms. Then she tried to explain why she acted that way. "When we were younger, Snotlout, who your friend reminds me of, he used to hit on and flirt with me all the time."
"Sounds like a pain." Peter felt a little sorry for her.
"Yeah, it was annoying," Astrid confirmed.
"Uncle Pete!" Valeria finally made her way back to the two of them. "Daddy said he'll be here soon."
Peter chuckled as he picked up the little girl. "What did you have to do to get him to come?"
"Just have Franklin warp his data from existence." Valeria chuckled as if it was completely normal.
"Huh?" Astrid seems a little confused by her comment.
"Right, well, the Fantastic Four all have powers," Peter realized he never even explained it to her. "Kinda like mine, but completely different. Val here is a super genius."
"And Uncle Pete says that's the best superpower!" Valeria stepped in.
"That's right," Peter said with a laugh. "Their dad can stretch his limbs as far as he wants and never break them, Johnny, as you've seen, is a hothead."
"I could easily see that," Astrid said as she eyed Johnny in the kitchen.
"Val and Franklin's mother can turn invisible. Basically blending into her environment."
"Oh, like a Changewing," Astrid said.
"What's that?" Peter asks.
"It's a dragon we fought that can blend into its environment and disappear," Astrid explained.
"Huh, interesting. And our friend Ben Grimm is a walking pile of rocks but is the sweetest guy." Peter said as he gestured behind Astrid. "Speaking of which..."
As Astrid spun around, her eyes widened in terror at the sight of a humanoid figure made entirely of jagged rocks. She let out a piercing shriek of fear, but to her surprise, Ben remained calm and simply chuckled at her reaction.
"Hey, Webs. Got yourself a new girl?" Ben asked as he walked past.
Peter explained as Ben walked past. "This is Astrid. She seems like she's not from around here. Figured you could help her get back home, Reed."
Reed made his way around the room and was almost amazed, which happened very rarely when he noticed Stormfly. He made his way over and began to inspect the dragon.
"Now, aren't you fascinating?" Reed said as Stormfly squawked and tried to back away. "A dragon, with different physiology than ones we've seen before. I'd love to examine you more thoroughly."
"Reed," Peter warned the scientist. "Hands off the dragon."
"Dear, Peter brought his friend over for your help, not for you to start poking at her pet," Susan said as she approached Astrid. "Nice to meet you. I'm Susan Storm."
"Astrid Hofferson." Astrid introduced herself as she shook Susan's hand.
"Hofferson?" Reed asks as he stretches over towards them. "Isn't that Norse?"
"You could tell that from the name alone?" Peter asks.
"That and the way that she is dressed," Reed said as he gestured to her attire. "That kind of way of clothing, it hasn't been used for about...I'd say five hundred years."
"Five hundred years?" Astrid asked in shock as she looked around her. "So, you are saying I am...in the future?"
"Well...ish." Peter wasn't sure if she was part of their timeline. "I have a feeling you came to our world from another universe."
"Another universe?" Astrid asks.
"Right. You come from a time when you still believed the Earth was flat." Reed knew this was going to need some explaining to help her understand.
Astrid scoffed when she heard that statement. "The earth isn't flat?"
Peter coughed, getting Astrid's attention to the satellite view of the earth which showed a 3D model of the earth to Astrid. She was amazed to see the technology before her and showed that the earth was indeed round. That could explain why her aunt could never find the edge when she tried to offer herself to Odin to get rid of a curse. Actually, come to consider it, the earth being round makes a lot of sense when you consider how far she and the other Dragon Riders have traveled and never came across the edge.
"Huh..." Astrid was questioning a lot of things a little.
Susan however knew there was something that she needed to look over. "Would you mind coming with me, Astrid?" She asks the Dragon Rider. "If we are going to get you home, we need to at least make sure that this multiversal traveling didn't mess with your biological stricture."
"My what?" Astrid had to say she didn't understand what she just said.
"She needs to check on you to make sure you didn't catch a multiverse disease." Peter recapped what Susan was getting across. "For all we know, one sneeze from you could cause an outbreak. So, it's a procedure to give everyone a checkup who comes from another universe to make sure they aren't carrying anything that could be a risk to everyone. It also helps us narrow down what reality you came from and how we can send you home."
Astrid was able to follow it along easier when Peter said this, seeming he had gotten used to answering this question. She is beginning to wonder just how many multiverse travelers such as herself have come across. But she decided not to question it right now and decided to just follow Susan to the labs so that she could run her tests and be sure that she wouldn't accidentally spread some disease she might not even know she had.
Astrid followed Susan who led Astrid to another room where Stormfly took as a resting spot. Susan was starting to activate some of the scanning equipment while HERBIE, their robot assistant, approached Astrid to draw some blood. She flinched and looked to Susan for some sort of explanation.
"Oh, that is just HERBIE. He's our robot assistant. We made him to help scan and do a blood analysis to be sure that there is nothing wrong with you." Susan explains. "And he can run a scan on your blood to see if there is anything that can help us locate where your home dimension is."
"Oh, okay." Astrid allowed the robot to stick a needle in her arm and draw some blood. "I have to say, things are certainly much different from my home."
"Well, medicine and things have gratefully improved over a hundred years," Susan commented as she began to do her scans. She was surprised when she saw that she had injuries that had long since healed. "Wow, you have certainly seen some battles. What do you get up to back then?"
"Most of those injuries and wounds are either from training or dragon fighting, or more recently Dragon Riding."
"What does that mean?" Susan was a little curious as she was scanning the multiverse for all of their known universes. "What do Dragon Riders do?"
"Ah, me and my friends go out and try and protect dragons from Dragon Hunters and Trappers," Astrid explains, seeing Susan was generally interested. "And you can see that implies I need to take a few arrows to the knees a couple of times."
"Well, you would fit in with the animal rights stuff we have today." Susan joked.
As they continued to use the scanner to search for Astrid's home world, HERBIE, the AI-powered assistant, started to do a test on her blood for any known diseases to ensure the safety of everyone in their reality. However, despite their extensive knowledge of the multiverse, she found herself becoming increasingly confused as she tried to locate the universal aurora that Astrid was emitting. As she analyzed the readings, she realized that the aurora didn't seem to match anything they had encountered before, leaving them feeling uncertain and somewhat apprehensive about what this could mean.
To err on the side of caution, HERBIE started to inject Astrid with some of the common shots required for people, such as a flu shot, to ensure that she couldn't give off any disease and accidentally harm anyone in their universe. Susan realized that they couldn't take any chances, especially with such an unknown entity in their dimension, and they trusted HERBIE to take all the necessary precautions to keep everyone safe. But then she started to grow concern
"What?" Astrid saw her concerned look. "Please tell me that this world's face isn't a concern but a good news look."
"Uh, more like confused," Susan admitted. "We don't seem to have your universe on file."
"What does that mean?" Astrid asks in concern.
Susan sighed as she showed the map to the multiverse to Astrid. "I know you might not understand much about what you are seeing, but these circles are other worlds Earths. We have seen and have been visited by others from these worlds and have shared their knowledge of the multiverse, giving us a pretty good idea of where everything is or where they belong."
"Okay, I think I understand." Astrid knew she wasn't as smart as Hiccup, who would likely have a better time understanding any of this, but she was still smart enough to follow things like this. " So what does that mean? You can't find my home?"
"It sort of just means that finding your home is going to take longer than expected," Susan explained. "Your world is somewhere that none of the people we have met have visited. Meaning we don't know how to find your reality."
"How many of them are there?" Astrid wonders.
Susan sighed, knowing she wouldn't like the answer. "Infinite."
Susan showed everyone what she had discovered; only Johnny seemed confused as to what the hell they were seeing on the screen. She showed the team everything about Astrid, and how her universe appeared to be located somewhere uncharted within the multiverse.
"As you can see, she belongs to a universe we have yet to chart," Susan explained to the team. "And we could spend our entire lives searching for her homeworld and never find it."
Peter asked, "So, what do we do?"
Susan scoffed. "What can we do?" she asked, gesturing to Astrid's dragon. "She has to live among us with her dragon until we can find her world."
"Which may never happen," Reed said sadly.
Peter asked his friends, "Have we considered asking Dr. Strange for help?"
Reed said, "Strange's knowledge of the multiverse is equal to our own. He wouldn't be any more help than our tech."
Astrid emerged from the back rooms wearing some of Susan's spare clothes. They were some of her older ones, but they seemed to fit over Astrid well enough. She strolled over and saw that they were all looking at her with a sympathetic look.
"I don't need to understand the looks on your faces to get that something is wrong here," Astrid said with a sigh and knew what it had to mean. "No luck finding my home?"
"Not yet," Susan confirmed. "But we are not giving up hope."
Astrid sighed as she walked off towards the balcony. "That makes one of us."
Peter felt sorry for her, not knowing personally what it is like to lose your whole world. He slowly approached her and joined her side. "Sorry that they weren't more help. We haven't actually dealt with something like this before. Usually, it just takes some time or there is a problem with Reed's portal, never a problem with locating the reality."
"Think there could be a chance of them finding it?" Astrid wonders.
Peter wasn't sure how to answer that question. "I like to be hopeful, but I also prepare for the most realistic outcome."
"Heh." Astrid chuckled. "Now you are starting to sound like my friend, Hiccup."
"Hiccup?" Peter scoffed. "That's his name? He got bad indigestion or something?"
Astrid laughed as she figured that was a strange name for this time. "Yeah, it was...well, he was the least Viking of all of us."
"Viking?" Peter was a little surprised to hear that. "I kinda expected you guys to have gruff voices and...well bigger muscles."
"Hey, I may not show it, but I could still throw you around the room." Astrid dared him.
"And I believe you," Peter promised with a chuckle. "Still...you sound more... beautiful than I guessed." Astrid blushed a little at that comment. "Sorry! I made this weird, didn't I? I sworely meant it as a compliment."
Astrid chuckled as she moved some of her hair out of her face. "No, it's okay, I understood."
Peter leaned on the railing and looked out to the city. "Well, no matter what happens... let me know if you need anything. The team here will take you in for a short time, and help you adjust to this new world. And eventually, they will help you either find a place to stay or at least help you find a job."
"I have a feeling that Dragon Training won't be good enough as a job here?" Astrid took a wild guess.
"Well, there are actually a few dragons here," Peter admitted. "Fin Fang Foom, Asgard has a few."
"Asgard?" Astrid spun when she heard that word.
Peter knew a thing or two about Viking mythology and couldn't believe he had forgotten that small detail. "Oh, yeah, I've actually been there. Nice place. I'm even friends with Lady Sif. And of course the God of Thunder himself."
Now Astrid was sure he was just messing with her. "You are telling me that you've met Thor?!"
"Yeah, he's a nice guy," Peter said, chuckling as he saw her reaction. "He comes here often; he hangs out with Tony Stark and the rest of the Avengers."
Astrid says, "The Avengers?
"Earth's Mightiest Heroes," he explained and pointed over to the Avengers Tower. "They hang out there unless some gigantic event is happening."
"Then how come they didn't show up when I was falling?" Astrid wonders.
"They don't tend to help with cleaning up the mess on the streets," Peter explained as he turned to lean against the railing. "They leave that job to people like me, the Defenders, the Fantastic Four. It's a little below their pay grade."
"What's a pay grade? Astrid wondered.
Peter chuckled. "They can explain it to you better." He then stood on top of the railing and gave her a friendly wave. "Well, I gotta get going. A city to protect and all."
"Thanks for...helping me get settled I guess," Astrid said as she looked out to the world. "This world... it is so much different than mine."
"Yeah, well, when you are feeling up to it, ask the guys to contact me and I'll give you the grand tour of the city," Peter offered her. "As Peter Parker, not as Spider-Man. Just a normal guy having a normal day."
"A normal day?" Astrid chuckled. "I could use one of those."
Then Peter dropped off the side of the building and swung his way through the city. Astrid watched him swing away and wondered how she was going to adapt to this new world.
DARK BRANCHES:
Peter H was sitting in his private chamber, gazing across the sprawling metropolis he had created from scratch. He had dedicated his entire life to building a utopian society where people could live without fear or oppression. He had dismantled the monarchies and the upper classes and had established a system of governance that was fair, just, and equal for all. But his peace was about to be shattered by the arrival of two formidable enemies.
The first was the Sorcerer Supreme, who has foiled his plans in at least three BRANCHES by this point. The second was a Witch, who had already killed Otto Octavius, one of Peter's closest allies. The news of their impending arrival had sent ripples of fear throughout the city, and Peter knew that he had to act quickly if they were to have any chance of survival.
As he pondered his next move, Peter couldn't help but feel a sense of trepidation. He had put everything he had into building this world, and he wasn't willing to let it all go up in flames. He knew that he needed to gather his forces and devise a plan to defeat these two powerful enemies. The fate of his world hung in the balance, and he was determined to do whatever it took to protect it.
"My love, what is bothering you?" Talia asks as she approaches her husband.
"This Spider Supreme, dear." Peter H explained. "He's going to do everything to stop what we have built. We need to snuff him out."
"How can we do that, love?" Talia asks. "Everyone you've sent after him has failed you, and only Web-Man has come back alive."
Peter H then considered his history and the one person who could help him kill Spider-Man. "Then we send the one man he couldn't stand to fight, and we know he won't kill."
"Who?" Talia asks.
Peter H smiled and knew just the man.
BRANCH-411:
Astrid found herself in a completely different world, which was quite overwhelming for her at first. Luckily, the Fantastic Four were there to help her settle in and adapt to the new environment. Susan, in particular, was a great help in explaining modern-day technology, starting with how to use a cell phone. She even went to the extent of giving Astrid Peter's number on the phone so that they could stay in touch regularly.
One of the challenges they faced was Astrid's dragon, which she wanted to be brought along with her wherever she went. It was a little difficult to sort out how to integrate the dragon into their world, but they eventually found a solution. They even decided to upgrade the dragon's saddle with a radar system that could detect other aircraft to help her avoid their path and trajectory.
Despite the initial awkwardness and strangeness of the situation, Peter and Astrid became fast friends. They would often meet up in various places like coffee shops, where Peter would introduce her to new foods, and they would spend hours just talking about their different worlds and experiences. Peter was amazed by Astrid's bravery and strength, especially when she talked about her battles with Vigo Grimmborn, Drago Bluvist, and the Red Death. Astrid, on the other hand, was surprised to learn that Peter had just as many enemies, including Doctor Octopus, Electro, Carnage, Rhino, and many others.
As time went on, Astrid settled into her new life in this world. Eventually, she convinced Peter to take a ride on her dragon, Stormfly. They went out over the ocean on a clear night, with Peter holding on for dear life to either Astrid or the dragon. It was amusing for Astrid to see this daring hero who had faced many foes in the past being afraid of going any faster than a car. In the end, they both had a great time, and it became one of their most cherished memories together.
"What do you think of it so far?" Astrid asked as she turned to see Peter closing his eyes. "Come on, open your eyes."
"I have had my fill of the sky tonight! And every other night for that matter!" Peter cried in terror.
Astrid then had an idea as she dropped and Stormfly began to float across the ocean. "How about now?"
Peter then opened his eyes again and looked into the water. He then took a deep breath as he looked around. "Alright, maybe this isn't half bad. I still prefer the comfort of web-swinging though."
Astrid chuckled and rolled her eyes at the hero. She then looked off and saw New York shining out in the middle of the ocean. "You know," she said, looking at the lights. "Being here, it hasn't been as bad as I thought. The city is beautiful at night."
"Yeah, the sight is pretty beautiful," Peter said as he was actually looking at Astrid, not the lights. But when she turned to look at him, he quickly turned and gazed at the city. "The lights, I mean."
"Why do I have the feeling that isn't true?" Astrid asked as she turned to face him. "Peter, come on, this whole thing has been going back and forth between us almost since I arrived here."
Peter shrugged. "Well, I just never thought of it as the right time to approach you. And besides, you're still trying to get home, aren't you?"
Over the last few months, Astrid had been considering the idea of staying as she began growing roots in this realm. She even moved out of the Fantastic Four building and got a place of her own that somehow managed to house Stormfly. She got several jobs, including helping fishermen retrieve far more fish than they could on their own with Stormfly's help. She also assisted in rebuilding or building homes and facilities, using her experience in home construction. Even a bit of wood chopping with Stormfly's help.
"I would like to have the chance to go back and see my friends and my parents," Astrid admitted as she smiled at Peter and caressed his cheek. "But I could be...persuaded to stay here."
Peter wondered, "And what could persuade you to stay here?"
Astrid was overwhelmed with emotions as she looked at Peter. She felt a strong surge of affection toward him and she couldn't help but express it. In an attempt to convey her feelings, she gently placed both of her hands on Peter's face and gazed deeply into his eyes. She flashed a smile at him, hoping that he would understand her intentions.
When Peter didn't seem to pick up on her signal, Astrid decided to take things to the next level. She leaned in slowly and pressed her lips against his. At first, Peter was taken aback, but he quickly reciprocated with a gentle kiss.
As they embraced each other in midair, a sense of joy and warmth filled their hearts. It was a magical moment for both of them, something they had never experienced before. At that moment, they knew that they had found someone truly special in each other's company.
Despite being from different universes, Peter and Astrid were determined to make their relationship work. They knew that their love for each other was strong enough to overcome any obstacle that came their way. They were ready to face any challenges together and were confident that their love would stand the test of time.
ONE YEAR LATER:
As Astrid stepped through the threshold of her home, her body swayed with a sense of contentment. She sank onto the soft cushions of her couch, letting out a long, relaxing sigh. Her date night with Peter had been nothing short of perfect, and she felt as if she was on top of the world. After all, she was gradually getting used to the new world she found herself in, and she had to admit that she was appreciative of the customs that came with it, especially when it came to marriage. In her past life, marriage had felt almost like a trade, with women having very little say in the matter. But here, women had the freedom to choose their partners entirely on their own terms. Of course, there was still much room for improvement in terms of gender equality, but Astrid was grateful for the progress that had been made so far.
One of the things she loved about this new world was that everyone she came across was fair and kind, thanks in no small part to the fact that she had a fire-breathing dragon as her companion. She knew that having such a formidable ally had helped her to persuade others to treat her with respect and kindness, but she also knew that true equality could only be achieved through mutual understanding and cooperation.
Astrid even began to help out the community she had become a part of, albeit not by her choice; however, she was going to make the most of this new world. She was even introduced to F.E.A.S.T., a homeless shelter, and would frequently go there just to help out people and deliver money or food. She even became a bit of a superhero in her own right. She has been given the nickname "Dragon Rider", which might not be as original as Mr. Fantastic, Spider-Man, and other heroes, but it is a good description of her since she literally rides a dragon. Then Stormfly came waddling over towards Astrid on the couch, getting the Dragon Rider to giggle at her dragon and pet her snout.
Astrid giggled at her dragon and scratched its neck. "What? I got home late?" She playfully mocked the dragon. "I was with Peter; you know that if I couldn't handle myself, he would keep me safe."
Astrid then sighed as she caressed Stormfly's neck before standing back up to stretch and head upstairs. When she did, she started to use her bathroom to rinse down so she could get ready to turn in for the night. One of the many things that she was happy to have different between her time and current times was indoor plumbing. Back in the past, she would have to wash herself in the lakes or rivers and would always need to keep an eye out for anyone trying to peek in on her. But now she not only had her own enclosed space, she also had a shower where she could control the temperature and even close the door so that she could be sure that nobody was peeking.
Once she was done in the shower, she wrapped a towel around herself made her way around her home, and reached the bedroom. When she reached it, she sat down on her bed, feeling the soft cloth that fitted her bed. But as she stood to dress, she looked out her window to watch a light fill the sky. She was confused as to what was going on when a wormhole opened up above the city. It looked almost exactly identical to the one that brought her to this world. Wondering what this could mean, she grabbed a small device that Reed gifted her which was filled with nanites that would morph her Dragon Rider clothes on her. She whistled to Stormfly who raced towards the balcony as Astrid fell off of the ledge and caught her.
"Come on, girl!" Astrid cried as she flew the dragon over towards the portal.
Across the city, Peter was swinging around and about to call it a night when the portal opened in the sky. He was shocked to see it and realized it looked identical to the one that he saved Astrid when she came falling out of it. Seeing this might be a chance to bring her home, or it could mean someone else was coming, he swung his way over to see what was going on.
But who fell through the portal wasn't who they were expecting. It was Peter Supreme and Gwen who came falling downward from the skies. Peter still had his injury, so the Cloak wasn't going to be able to slow down their descent anytime soon. Peter and Gwen eyed one another as they both silently agreed on a plan. Working quickly, Peter shot out several strands of webbing, which Gwen quickly copied. When they created enough webbing against themselves, they shot out a dozen strands that then linked as a slingshot and saved themselves.
"Whew." Gwen was relieved when she saw they stopped. "What the heck was that?"
Peter Supreme looked upward towards the portal as it wasn't closing. "Oh, no."
Gwen saw he was concerned and looked upward. "What is it?"
"That portal isn't closing." Peter Supreme explains his concern. He then created a small spell and threw it upward into the portal. It created what looked to be a shield over the portal. "That will keep the gravitational field from growing. We don't need this world to be getting drawn into another. Remember that world we found my doppelganger on?"
"You mean Sinister Supreme?" Gwen recalled the nickname she gave him.
"I refuse to call any version of myself that." Peter Supreme stated as he sighed. "If that portal is open that means a convergence could begin happening."
"I thought that only happened through Dreamwalking too long." Gwen was confused.
"Convergence happens when the doorway between two worlds is open for too long." Peter Supreme explains and gestures to the portal. "That portal is saying there's something here that doesn't belong. And it has been here long enough that the smallest collision with another dimension caused a portal to stay open."
"So it takes three realities to cause a convergence?" Gwen asks.
"It can take many things. The one we saw last time around with Morlun was the result of me Dreamwalking into dozens of doppelgangers and messing with their worlds, killing them in the process." Peter Supreme did his best to explain. "If done properly, you could collide similar realities, and nobody but the one who did it could realize it. It would just have always been that way. But you can only do that by making the worlds similar enough that the Web of Life wants to merge them."
"You mean like that reality with the Illuminati?" Gwen asks as they start to descend towards the ground on a web.
"The Illuminati were formed due to their realities merging and doppelgangers taking the places of the members who were thrown to the trash." Peter Supreme reminded her. "That was because their timelines weren't different enough and they were unlucky. Those are small convergences that could go unnoticed by ordinary people. Now imagine a world where it's the Old West and it is combined with a world from the far-off future like...2099. That is what comes with this." He gestured back up to the portal. "But I guess that this convergence is due to what the Watcher saw, us, and likely the Spider Society traveling here."
"So, if we get rid of the Society, can we save this world?" Gwen asks.
"I don't know." Peter Supreme said as they reached the roof of a building. "We need to learn what makes this world different and who came here first. And how much they have changed."
That was when their questions about a few things were answered by Astrid, who flew and landed on the roof just as Peter came swinging and landed on the roof from the opposite end. That got both of the group's attention because they realized that something big had happened and that they were going to need to figure out how much had been changed and how long a Dragon Rider had been in present times.
"I found it." Gwen stated.
But what they didn't know was that this convergence was created by Peter and Gwen appearing in this world just at the same time as the member of the Spider Society member appeared in this world. Their two portals opened in this fractured world and left a vortex connecting to the vastness of the BRANCHES. This member of the Spider Society easily showed that it had two separate sets of arms equifying to six total arms. When they landed in the world, they reported immediately that they had arrived.
"Norman Osborn reporting." This Spider Society member was a version of Norman that was fused with the powers of a spider and even murdered Peter Parker in his world. "I've landed on the world. But there was a slight error." He looked up at the vortex as small objects were beginning to be absorbed into it. "I seemed to have opened a rift in time and space."
"Then move up our timetable." Peter H replied. "With any luck, the Spider Sorcerer and his helper will be busy dealing with that rift to try and stop you."
"Got it. Call back when I have the Cosmic Control Rod." Norman said as he took out a small glowing cube. This was the Cosmic Cube, a device he created in his realm to unlock the secrets of the multiverse, and now it was leading him to an even more powerful artifact. "Lead me to your brother."
Norman then used his middle left arm to hold the Cosmic Cube and then used his two upper arms to create a web catapult to shoot into the air. From then he began to swing his way around the city to pinpoint where the Cosmic Cube was leading him.
"So, this is new," Gwen commented as she looked at the Spider-Man, the fact they were in New York, and the fact that there was a dragon and someone from a parallel world already here. "How is this possible?"
"Some witch sent me through a portal, I ended up here," Astrid explained shortly. "Been trapped in this world for two years with no way of returning home."
"And what's with that portal in the sky?" Peter asks as he sees the incursion is starting.
Peter Supreme started to panic when he saw the incursion. "Oh, no. No, no no." he started to panic when he saw the portal. "We need to hurry and fix things here."
"Why?" Astrid asks. "What's that?"
"A portal that will destroy two realities." Peter Supreme explained.
"So, what you're saying is that right now, it's like our two timelines are being dragged together like two planets caught in a gravitational pull?" Astrid asks. "And if we don't find a way to undo the gravitational pull, our worlds will collide and all life will die on both timelines?"
Peter Supreme had to admit that he was a little surprised to hear that Astrid Hofferson understood the science of convergence. "Well, yes. These aren't like the small convergences I've seen happen daily. Those are just small blimps and they collide and disappear, but leave the reality intact. The fact you have been here for two years and haven't caused a convergence on your own says something."
"Think this witch has something to do with the person who killed Otto in that other dimension?" Gwen asks Peter Supreme.
"It's possible. But if so, then why drag her here?" Peter Supreme wonders as he eyed Astrid. "We need to find the Spider Society member that came here, and hope that we can fix this rift before it consumes both this universe and the one you came from."
"How do we do that?" Peter asks.
There was then an explosion in the distance that led them to the Baxter Building. "That's a good starting point," Gwen stated.
Norman Osborn's heart was pounding as he made his way inward of the Baxter Building, determined to get his hands on the device he had been after for so long. His spider-based criminal mind was working overtime, calculating every move he needed to make to overcome the security force that was guarding the lab.
As he approached the door to the lab, he found himself surrounded by a team of advanced security robots, created by none other than Reed Richards himself. The robots were a mix of humanoid and spider-like machines, designed to stop even the strongest individuals. Their high-tech weapons and advanced programming made them formidable opponents, but Norman was confident in his newly acquired spider abilities.
Without hesitation, Norman leaped into action, dodging the robots' laser blasts and using his spider-sense to anticipate their next moves. With lightning-fast reflexes, he spun webs to disarm the robots and swung around the room to avoid getting hit. His spider agility allowed him to move with incredible speed and precision, effortlessly evading the robots' attacks.
Norman found himself face-to-face with a horde of relentless robots, all armed and ready to attack. He knew that to reach the device he sought, he had to fight his way through the robotic army. With his spider strength and agility, he charged forward, punching and kicking his way through the onslaught of metal and lasers. His spider webs proved to be a useful tool in keeping the robots at bay, but he knew that he had to be quick and strategic if he wanted to succeed.
The battle raged on for what felt like an eternity, with Norman taking out one robot after another. As he got closer to the device, the robots grew more aggressive, and their numbers seemed to multiply. Norman could feel the weight of the situation bearing down on him, but he refused to give up.
With his spider senses on high alert, Norman leaped towards the safe that contained the device he was after. He stood in front of the safe, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The robots closed in on him, firing their lasers relentlessly. Norman dodged and weaved, avoiding the blasts as they destroyed the safe door. It was the break he needed.
Without hesitation, Norman shot out taser webs from all six of his arms, taking down all of the robots at once. The room fell silent, except for the sound of his heavy breathing.
As he made his way towards the safe, his heart raced with anticipation. And there it was - the Cosmic Control Rod. It was a beautiful sight to behold, with its intricate design and glowing energy. Norman knew that this device was unlike anything he had ever encountered before. It could harness, amplify, and metabolize cosmic energy from the negative zone, vastly empowering its user.
When he went to grab the container that was holding the Cosmic Control Rod, an energy-glowing axe flung its way through and slammed right in front of Norman. He was able to sense it and pull away last second before the axe embedded into his hand. Well, one of his three left hands. Yep, even her weapons got a few upgrades from the Fantastic Four as Astrid added some tech to make her weapons stronger or weaker whenever she wanted it to. It could also build up kinetic energy and knock someone out if she smacked them with the side rather than the tip of the axe.
"That isn't yours," Astrid said as she flew in on Stormfly.
"Ah, I was wondering who was going to show up to stop me," Norman said with a grin under the mask. "But I was expecting it to be-"
Then a portal opened up as Peter Supreme came through the portal and aimed shields at Norman. Gwen and Peter Parker from this universe also came into the room with the portal and got ready to fight back. His wound was even healed so the Cloak was there to help finally.
"Expecting me?" Peter Supreme asks.
"Actually, no," Norman confessed. "I'm waiting for..." Their senses were tripped as they looked to see a rift rip open which then came along with a rift of time and space being ripped open and the Witch who killed Otto in the last reality came through. "You."
Raising her hand, the witch snapped her fingers and the heroes all vanished from sight. Norman looked around and saw they were gone and even clapped in amazement.
"Bravo. How did you do that?" Norman asks.
"A trick I learned from my mother." She stated as she raised her head, revealing her red glowing eyes, which still had an outline of what looked to be a spider web in her eyes. "Now it's your turn!" When she tried to use her powers to stop Norman, he used the Cosmic Control Rod and sent a wave of energy that caused the Witch to shield herself from the attack. "Gah!"
"Yeah, no," Norman stated as he spun the Cosmic Control Rod. "You see, after what you did to my buddy, Otto, we needed to do something to stop you from doing that again." He then pointed the Rod at the Witch. "Say goodbye, Witch."
The Witch however saw that he wanted to play and decided to elude him in his game. "Alright. You wanna play with magic? Fine. But I play to win!"
Norman and the Witch faced off in a fierce battle, each unleashing their full range of magical abilities. Norman had the Cosmic Control Rod, which gave him an edge over the Witch's powers, allowing him to absorb her attacks and reflect them back at her. However, the Witch was a formidable opponent, and she disappeared from sight, leaving Norman to fend for himself when she sent several cars and light posts towards him.
Meanwhile, on the ground, Astrid, Stormfly, Peter, Supreme, and Gwen appeared after being teleported by the Witch's magic. They fell to the ground but quickly got back up to watch the epic battle between Norman and the Witch. The battle had already caused massive destruction, with a portion of the Baxter Building being taken down by the Witch's magic.
As the two continued to fight in the streets, above them, the Incursion loomed large, still absorbing everything in its path. The fate of the city hung in the balance as the battle raged on. The skies began to darken as the incursion grew larger, and even a few things from the other dimension were being flung into their world. The sound of the battle echoed through the streets as the two combatants unleashed their powers, causing buildings to shake and windows to shatter. It was a battle of epic proportions, and the outcome was uncertain.
Norman used the Cosmic Control Rod to grab a few cars and flung them towards the Witch. When she used her magic to stop the cars and move them out of the way, Norman unleashed a powerful blast from the Rod and sent the Witch flying down the street, taking the entire street down with her.
"Okay, now I am a little confused," Gwen said to Peter Supreme. "Who's side is she on?"
"I think her own side." Peter Supreme said as he looked upward at the skies which were now merging with the other world. "Okay, this is becoming too much to take for both strands of these realities. I need to at least attempt to slow it down."
"Is there a way to stop it?" Astrid asks.
Peter Supreme knew there had to be a way. It was just a difficult choice. "If we send you back to your world, there might be a chance to save both realities." He then eyed Astrid with a sigh. "But that doesn't guarantee your survival. You were lucky enough the first time."
"Okay, then let's not do that," Gwen replied to that one. "Just try and take care of the rift, we'll take care of the people. Let the Spider and Witch tire themselves out."
"Sounds like a plan!" Peter Supewms said as he leaped and floated upward with the help of the Cloak of Levitation.
When Peter floated his way upward to the top of the Baxter Building, he started to conjure the spells necessary to try and fix the situation. Shooting off strands of webbing that began to tether small cracks in reality back together, but they didn't seem to be enough as the rifts ripped back open just as he had repaired it.
People were doing their best to run for it, but the gravitational pull from both dimensions merging, it was becoming too much and they were being dragged into the incursion rift. But before they could get dragged in, either Astrid, Peter, or Gwen came in to save them using either their webs to yank them out of the gravitational field of the portal or Astrid using her dragon to fly and grab people.
The Witch was still at war with Norman, trying to kill him while he still had control over the Cosmic Rod. Norman sent a blast of energy, but the Witch didn't even need to conjure up any major spells; she simply created a simple shield that protected her before sending it right toward Norman. When he got struck, the Cosmic Rod went flying right out of his hands, and the Witch yanked it toward her using her telekinetic power.
"Now..." The Witch approached Norman as he scurried away. "I'm going to ask you a question, and you will answer." She then aimed the Rod, ready to use it. "Why does he want me?"
"Why else? You can manipulate reality." Norman reminded her.
"So can he," the Witch replied. "He has the power to change anything."
"But not permanently," Norman explained, reaching behind him. "He's tried. He can alter reality slightly for a small bit of time. But you...you're able to bend reality into whatever you want. He wants that power."
"Why?" The Witch asks. "Why would you want my power? What's worth chasing me down across every dimension imaginable?"
Norman then started to power something up. "To save his beloved."
The Witch, determined to get answers from Norman, began probing his mind with her magic. However, Norman suddenly vanished in a flash of light before she could extract any information. It became apparent that he had used teleportation to evade her grasp. Unfortunately, with the incursion happening, teleportation became a terrible idea for universal travel. Norman's attempted escape had led him to be sucked into a vortex and burned to a crisp. Frustrated with the outcome, The Witch groaned and realized that she needed to track down another member of the Society for answers. She focused her powers and created another rift in time, preparing to step through it to continue her search.
"We can't keep this up!" Astrid cried. "We need to do something!"
"Reality is about to die." Peter Supreme cried in terror. He tried his hardest but was only delaying an inevitable outcome in this situation. This world was far too long gone. "And I can't stop it! Not alone!"
Peter Supreme was overwhelmed with fear and desperation as he realized that he was unable to prevent the inevitable outcome that was looming ahead. He felt helpless and alone in a world that was beyond saving. As he was grappling with his emotions, he suddenly noticed a strange phenomenon in the sky - a red aurora was spreading across the horizon, illuminating the dark clouds with an eerie glow.
As Peter stood there, bewildered and unsure of what to do, a mysterious figure suddenly appeared out of thin air. It was The Witch, a powerful sorceress who could traverse between different universes. She flew towards Peter with her hands raised high, ready to take action.
Without wasting any time, The Witch got to work. She called upon her magical powers to prevent two different realities from colliding with each other, which would have caused catastrophic destruction. As Peter watched in amazement, he realized that this was no ordinary encounter.
Despite feeling confused and overwhelmed, Peter knew that he had to help The Witch in any way he could. Together, they continued to work tirelessly to stabilize the situation. Suddenly, they noticed that Astrid, who had been caught in the middle of the chaos, was starting to transform.
At first, they were worried about what was happening to Astrid. However, as they watched on, they realized that she was unharmed and that her transformation was a positive one. All of them worked together to ensure that the universes were safe and that everyone would be able to return to their normal lives.
At first, they were both unsure about what to do but soon realized that Astrid was unharmed and seemed to be going over a universal transformation of sorts. The three of them worked tirelessly to seal the cracks in reality, and as they finally succeeded, Astrid felt a strange energy coursing through her body, transforming her in ways she could never have imagined.
"What'd you do?" Peter Supreme asks her.
"I changed her universal aurora." The Witch explains. "I sent her here, hoping I'd attract the attention of the Society. With the incursion happening, they couldn't send anyone else. He tried to escape, and Norman scorched up because of the rift. I was going to fix it if it came to it." She then looked over to Astrid as she and Peter kissed. "I was planning to send her home, but she chose to stay. I know what it's like to lose someone close. I wouldn't ever wish that upon anyone else."
"Okay, but who are you?" Gwen asks.
The Witch sighed as she created another rift to travel through. She threw the Cosmic Rod over to them for them to return later. "That's a story for another day."
When she left, her rift was transformed into a shattered portal, sent by the Watcher to pick up the two members. Peter and Gwen shrugged and saw that their time in this world was over. Running into the portal, they vanished and left the happy couple to embrace.
"Should we worry about something like that again?" Astrid asks.
"Meh, we'll tell Reed when they get back from the Quantum Realm," Peter said as he looked at the Cosmic Rod. "We should also get this somewhere safe." Then a portion of the Baxter Building started to fall apart. "Oh, right, forgot about that...I hope he has villain insurance."
DARK DIMENSION:
Peter H was seething with anger. He had just learned that Norman had failed to procure the Cosmic Rod, which meant that they were still left defenseless against the Witch. In a fit of rage, he screamed and threw some of his stuff across the room. His Reality Stone glowed as he tapped into its power, channeling his fury into a destructive force that blew everything in the room around.
As he was snarling in anger, Talia approached her beloved. She sighed when she saw the look on his face, knowing that he was mad about his recent loss. These heroes were becoming a bigger problem for them to deal with than either of them had hoped. Peter's outburst was a testament to the pressure they were both under and the stakes of their mission.
"Beloved," Talia whispered as she approached and held her husband. "This war is not over."
Peter H broke off from his loved one and looked into her eyes as he calmed. "These heroes want to take our Empire away." He then held his love close. "They want to take you away."
"It is not them who threatens me." Talia reminds him, her skin becoming pale and her veins becoming visible.
Peter H was devastated to see his love, Talia Al Ghul, suffer and slip away slowly. She was on the verge of death, and he knew that her only hope was the Time Stone that he had in his possession. Without any hesitation, he decided to use the Time Stone's power to reverse time on Talia and potentially heal her. As he activated the Time Stone, he watched with bated breath as Talia's frail and weakened body transformed before his eyes. Her skin regained its color, and the life returned to her eyes, bringing her back to full strength.
Thanks to Peter's quick thinking and the Time Stone's incredible power, Talia was given a second chance at life. However, Peter knew that this cure wasn't going to last forever. He had already lost the Cosmic Rod, and he needed to find a way to save Talia before it was too late. He knew that he had to search the multiverse to find another world with a cure that could help save his beloved Talia. Peter was determined to leave no stone unturned and would do everything in his power to bring Talia back to full health.
"Just keep holding on, my beloved," Peter whispered to her as he planted a kiss on her head. "We will save you. Even if I have to burn the Multiverse to the ground." He then caressed her stomach and Talia looked down. "You and our child will live to see the universe we create."