Chapter 7
DC Universe – Earth Prime
Parker Residence, Queens
The rhythmic tick of May's old grandfather clock rang through the living room, acting as a metronome to Ben Parker's frazzled mind. Keeping the flurry of thoughts in beat with one another as he struggled to grasp the explanation the two Justice League members had given him.
"Wow… Sorry. I'm still trying to wrap my head around all this… I- I'm being rude I haven't even offered you drink can I get you some coffee or anything?" He looked at the men before regarding Batman specifically for a moment, curiosity and confusion on his face "Err… Do you… Drink?"
Batman's elusive and mysterious nature obviously preceded him. Bruce however did not react to the question, he understood why many of the public perceived him with such scepticism. It was mostly by design after all.
"Er, we appreciate the offer, Mr. Parker but no, thank you. Are you feeling, okay? do you need a moment?" Superman, ever the diplomat was trying to coax the Man from his shocked state.
"I- Um… No, I- Just let me go through this one more time, I want to check I'm not imagining things…" This would be the third time Ben had reiterated the main points of the conversation, clearly repeating the process to help alleviate the struggle he was feeling, "My nephew, Peter. Our Peter, is dead…"
He looked to the heroes for grim confirmation. Peter had been dead for nearly two years now, a terrible car wreck had claimed the lives of both him and May. There was no doubt about the mortal status of his wife and nephew, Ben having to identify the bodies himself.
He waited for the small nod of affirmation from Superman before continuing to vocalise his thoughts, "But there is a different Peter… Who has… superpowers?"
"Spider themed powers… Don't forget that part." Teresa Parker had barely spoken since the revelation; her tone was uncertain and shaky.
Ben continued, not ignoring his niece but simply moving on from her addition to his ramblings, "Right, Spider themed powers… Sure. And this Peter is from a different earth? One where I died…"
"And without a sister…" Teresa injected.
"We aren't sure about that last one," Batman added, looking at the young woman, "He made no mention of a younger sister, that doesn't mean he didn't have one… The only siblings he mentioned were… Surrogates."
Bruce was being as honest as possible without revealing too much unnecessary detail, bringing the notion of clones up now would only cause more confusion. He felt the most efficient way to approach the interaction with the understandably confused Parkers was to be honest but pragmatic.
The information he himself had learned, and in turn presented to Clark, was gathered from multiple sources. Peter's own words to him, as well as further research into the Peter Parker from this reality by Oracle, a doppelganger whose very existence confused both Batfamily members… Should his extra-extradimensional origins be believed.
And finally, Bruce and Oracle, much to the protest of the latter, had read a transcription of Peter's conversation with Dick at Wayne Manor as it was happening. Dick also protesting before begrudgingly agreeing after Bruce fully explained his intentions.
Afterwards, Batman elected to view and listen in to a live feed from a very reluctant Dick, showing both of them Peter's curious interaction with J'onn and the suspicious ooze which exuded from his body on the Watchtower.
At this moment Batman was watching the young hero sleep in the medical bay as he kept the other half of his consciousness aware on his present surroundings.
"Right…" Teresa was in no way reassured by the excuse made by Batman, his vague non-explanation only furthering her scepticism, "Superman?"
"Yes. Are you alright, Teresa?" Superman looked at her inquisitively.
"Um… I guess. I just wanted to ask… Is Superboy really… You know, gone?"
"Teresa!" Uncle Ben had been snapped out of his shocked stupor by the inappropriate question.
"What?... Sorry, I was just curious…" Sheepish defiance was in her tone her heavy eyes were cast to the ground.
"It's alright… Really." The diplomatic politeness of Clark's tone did little to mask his discomfort, "I- Yes… Superboy is gone…"
"I'm sorry. This must be hard for you too then…"
"Thank you, I appreciate that, but how do you mean?"
"I mean you lose your younger brother, and then like a week later you're here… Telling me my older brother is alive…"
"I- Thank you…" Clark, genuinely taken aback by Teresa's emotional maturity, felt a lump in his throat as he replied.
"Technically Peter isn't-" Batman's voice broke through the air like a hammer.
"Right… He isn't really my brother…" Teresa looked over to the mantle.
On the mantle above the fireplace sat, among other miscellaneous decorations, two portraits. One of May Parker and the other of a bespectacled, seventeen-year-old Peter Parker. He was freshly eighteen when he died, Teresa felt herself fiddling with the star of David on the chain around her neck as she stared in the eyes of her brother's photo.
The crushing reality of the fact she was now older than the Peter in the picture marinating with the fact that Peter's birthday was only a couple weeks away, he would be turning twenty if he had lived. And instead, in a couple months, Teresa would become older than her big brother ever had the chance too.
She gripped the metal jewel of her necklace tighter, the star of David being her connection to Peter as she turned her eyes to the watch beside Peter's picture, their father, Richard's, watch. The same watch that Peter inherited while she inherited their mother's necklace.
"Superboy's death is pain I'll have to carry with me... I don't think I'll ever truly recover from it. You must feel the same about Peter, it's clear you loved your brother, a lot." Superman spoke carefully, as if being too forceful with his words would cause the young girl to shut down completely.
"Ha… My brother was an arrogant, overprotective, judgemental, hypocritical, too smart for his own good, dumbass!" She twirled her necklace even more between her fingers, "I miss him, everyday…"
She looked at the two Justice Leaguers in her living room, their presence becoming worryingly mundane compared to the weight of the news they brought with them.
Ben Parker, still wrestling with his shock, had been watching his niece with paternal concern. He was struggling, but he had no idea how hard this must be for her. Especially considering the reveal from Batman that they suspected this other Peter had no younger sister.
All things considered, he felt as if his niece was coping remarkably well… But he also recognised this was most likely a sign of unprocessed shock.
Ben spoke again, "So this other Peter… He's trapped here, but doesn't know how?"
"There's slightly more to it than that, but that's gist of it. Yes… We're sorry, we understand this must be difficult for you. Both of you." Superman looked away from the young girl he was previously regarding as he spoke, "But we wouldn't be here so soon if we didn't think it was necessary."
"I think… Er, No. Of course. I understand why you came. It's... Just quite the shock, to say the least."
The room once again fell into silence, a stiff air of unspoken thoughts punctuated by the rhythmic tick of the May's clock in the corner.
"I- I'm sorry. The um, backyard is just passed the kitchen," Ben was gently indicating to his right as he spoke, keeping his eye on his niece who was slowly starting to show discomfort on her face, "Could you… Could I have a moment alone with my niece?"
"Of course, Mr. Parker. Take all the time you need." Superman stood as he replied, fixing Batman with a severe and concerned look as the two exited the living room.
Finding themselves in the backyard, they stood opposite each other, a conversation of stares silently being communicated between the two.
Eventually Clark noticed the confusion on Bruce's expression grow, "What are you thinking?"
"Hmm… I don't like this. This entire situation. None of it makes any sense."
"I thought that was obvious, that's why we're here, right?"
"Mr. Terrific is trying to find answers about Spider-Man's home dimension… And what he is showing me right now… It only gives me more questions…" Batman was eyeing the data being transmitted to him from the watchtower as he spoke.
"How do you mean?"
"From everything Spider-Man told us, there were definite similarities between his world and ours… Celebrities, the odd politician, pop culture, a few key historical events... The building blocks were all there, as if our worlds had the same foundation…"
"But?"
"But again, assuming everything he has said is the truth, the differences were too severe… The entire system around superheroes and metahumans seems too different to our own… Too different to every other alternate earth we have documented so far. Then there's the fact that there's only supposed to be fifty-one other worlds. An idea Peter himself challenged… If you combine all of that with what Mr. Terrific is showing me right now…"
"I'm not sure I'm a fan of whatever your tone is implying… What is it?"
"It seems as if Peter was telling the truth, he really is from beyond our multiverse…"
"Is that even possible?"
"It shouldn't be. The very existence of his world destroys everything we know of the multiverse… But to travel here… He broke a barrier that we didn't even know existed. The effect that would have on someone. Their body. Their mind. I think I understand why J'onn was so shaken…"
"Wow… This is big, then?"
"No. This is catastrophic. Answer me this, if we have just received confirmation Spider-Man is telling the truth… Then how are we here?"
"In New York…?" Realisation suddenly dawned on Clark, "I- Why did he have a doppelganger here?"
Batman nodded affirmatively, his eyes still tracing rapidly across the transcript of data being shared to him by Micheal Holt, Mr. Terrific.
"Couldn't it be a coincidence? You said yourself, there were similarities… Like certain celebrities-" Clark asked.
"I don't believe in coincidences… Besides, this is too specific, the odds of this happening are astronomically low."
"So, what does this mean?"
"Aside from standing here, theorising. I guess we'll have to see what Peter has to say about this when he wakes up, which if I'm seeing this right, should be any second now."
"Wait, what? You're spying on him?!"
Batman looked at Superman, unwavering except for a slight, near imperceptible, flinch on his lips, "You disapprove."
"Of course I disapprove! How much of the information that you showed me did he actually give willingly?"
"He gave all of it willingly…"
"You know that's not what I meant… How much did he share with you specifically?"
"I understand your disappointment, but this is the quickest way to verify his story and help him as best we can."
"Come on, Bruce. You're better than this... Serving the greater good doesn't mean sacrificing doing what's right."
Batman considered Superman's words. humbled by their truth. Bruce wasn't above admitting that sometimes his relentless, borderline obsessive, need to uncover the truth meant sometimes foregoing his own sense of right and wrong.
Some part of him knew Clark would be against Bruce's actions, and subconsciously, that part had shared the information on purpose. Bruce needed the reminder of his own faults sometimes, Oracle and Dick had both protested, but neither had stood against him enough to halt his operation.
Clark however felt no obligation to appease Batman, perhaps this is truly why Bruce had summoned his friend. And perhaps that was also why he had subconsciously incriminated himself.
Batman paused, he looked to Clark as close to apologetically as his demeanour would allow, "I- When the time is right… I will have Dick tell Peter the truth."
"Promise?"
"You have my word."
Clark simply continued to stare at his friend expectantly, he wanted Bruce to use his language, to which Bruce sighed as he added, "I promise."
Meanwhile:
DC Universe – Earth Prime
Watchtower
Light began to flow into Peter's vision as his mind exited its state of rest. He felt a sense of calm washing over him, his panic exiled to the furthest recesses of his mind. He sat up and looked to his side, Dick and M'Gann were sat next to the bed, regarding him with curiosity.
"So… Be honest, how bad is all this looking?" Peter asked.
"Actually, we were hoping you might be able to tell us that… How are you feeling, you know, all things considered?" Dick asked, delicately, kindly.
"Pfft… Ha! What a question. I should feel terribly I guess, panicked, terrified, but err… I feel surprisingly calm…"
"That would be my doing… Sorry. We were worried you might have another panic attack or harm yourself so I may have given you a little Serotonin boost while you slept…" M'Gann interjected.
"I guess I should be pissed off by that... You know, messing with my mind. But I understand. This must be somewhat normal for all of you I'm assuming?"
"Ha. It's definitely not 'normal', but it's not the weirdest this space station has seen, either." Dick said as he looked to the ceiling above Peter's bed, the holes from the ooze still there, "The errr 'Other'. It's a symbiote, bonded to you?"
"I- Think so… But it shouldn't be here, I got rid of it, years ago, someone else has it now. Unless it left them and came with me here? But that doesn't make any sense, either. This whole situation is one massive headache, but throw the symbiote on top of it…"
M'Gann looked between Dick and Peter, before very carefully asking, "I could um… Check if you wanted. Try to talk to it?"
Peter looked at her suspiciously, the memory of his last psychic adventure thrumming through his mind as he remembered the splitting headache it caused.
"Is that a good idea? I mean, you said that last time I nearly died, and took your uncle with me…"
"I actually have a theory about that, your mind isn't the issue. The event itself is."
"The event?"
"The collider, the thing that brought you here… You saw into it as it collapsed… All of reality, of every possible reality, I could sense its power through my uncle… It was tearing your minds apart… I think that Other is why you have barely any memory of it, it shielded your mind."
"Errr… Okay. But, what about my spider-sense?"
"That could've been part of it as well, maybe it was a combination of the two that protected you… Either way, we shouldn't try to go back there… But your mind itself should be safe. I mean, my uncle was attempting to revisit the event that sent you here, I think that's what caused the resistance, we weren't prepared for the amount of damage to your mind… I'm just going to try communicating with your subconscious, to talk to whatever lives inside you… Far less risky."
"Right… I can't say you're filling me with a lot of hope, but… As long as you avoid poking through my memory… It should be okay. Is that what you're saying?"
"Big emphasis on the should" M'Gann smiled playfully yet not without apprehension, it was still a big risk after all.
Peter saw as Nightwing looked at his ally, Dick speaking to M'Gann through their psychic link.
'Are you sure this is safe, M'Gann?'
'About 70/30, but we need answers…'
'We don't need them right now! We shouldn't be taking risks like this!'
'Look at him! He's desperate and alone, more than that he's terrified. This is the best way for us to help him…'
'I just feel like you wouldn't normally be in such a rush, if Conner-'
'Conner's gone, Dick! And even if he wasn't this is my decision…'
'Sorry… But what if what happened to J'onn happens again? Are you willing to risk dying for answers?'
She paused before staring at him, resolutely, 'Dick I'm sick of feeling useless, let me do this please, I promise we'll be fine.'
'How can you promise that when you don't even know?'
'I'm not an idiot Dick, I wouldn't suggest something like this if I wasn't confident it was safe… My life be damned, you know I wouldn't risk someone else's like that!'
Dick's eyes were still fixing her questioningly, he didn't like this, he saw first hand the chaotic effect of Peter's psychic link with J'onn.
The loaded silence in the room as the two spoke telepathically was broken by Peter's voice, "What is this? What's going on? Are you two having a staring contest? Cause' Nightwing's blinked like five times…"
"Sorry, we were… Having a debate." M'Gann replied.
"Umm… Okay? Who won?"
"Well, Dick? Who won?" M'Gann fixed him with a pleading yet agitated look.
Nightwing was still their leader after all, although she disagreed with his hesitation, she ultimately would follow his decision.
"Ugh. Fine! But the moment there is even the slightest hint that things are going south, I'm calling J'onn and getting you out!"
"Fair enough… Peter? Are you willing to go through with this…"
He looked at them both, he wasn't sure what to think, he did know however that ignoring the symbiote was a bad idea, the sooner he can get answers the sooner he can remove it, "'Willing' is a strong word… I- Yes. Do it. I want- No. I need answers…"
"Okay. Close your eyes, even if you fully invite me in, I suspect I will only have a few moments before your spider-sense kicks me out…"
"Can I not just allow you to stay until you have answers?"
"Even if you let me in, you can't control a subconscious reaction… Hold still."
M'Gann nodded as she replicated her uncle's earlier actions, encasing Peter's face in her palms, she began searching for the presence she felt earlier. Seeking its mind, slipping past Peter's conscious and into his subconscious where it had emerged.
Her astral form descended into the dark and saw it, a pile. A shifting moving, pulsing pile of black ooze. Suddenly it reformed itself and stood opposite her, its faceless naked body unmoving as the shape of its head regarded her.
"Thisss iss nottt your trueee form…" The black ooze shifted its shape into a silhouette of M'Ganns natural martian form, before shifting again to its humanoid shape.
"No. It isn't…" M'Gann was surprised by the greeting but nonetheless kept her cool.
She could feel the being's energy, it wasn't wicked in nature, and it meant no disrespect, it was… Curious? It was as fascinated by her as she was by it.
She continued, "Would you prefer to see my true form? Will that help you… Make you more comfortable?"
"III do nottt careee… I onlyyy caree for Peterrr…"
M'Gann reeled as she felt the 'Other', the sliver of symbiote, search her mind as she searched its.
"How are you-?" She was silenced by its reply.
"I learnttt ittt from youuu… You areee a frienddd to Peterrrr?"
M'Gann's ghostly visage nodded as she felt the presence reading her intent. While she did not know Peter well, she was here to help him after all, and to the 'Other's' childlike mind, that was a friend.
"All of us want to help him, but he's scared…"
"Yesss… Scarrredd of ussssss."
"Yes, he is afraid of you, what you were…"
"No. Not meeee… Usss… Peter and me… together. Vennommm was badd… I was part of Venommm… He is scareddd of what usss would beee. But Venomm issss gone. It isss on Brocckkk… And ittt isss nottt baddd now… It learnnttt… I learntttt. No painnn, Peterrr hurtt… We hurtttt…"
As the symbiote child spoke, it shared its memories with M'Gann. She saw Peter's struggle with the original symbiote, both as black suit Spider-Man and later after it was removed. She understood now, the 'Other' was born from both the original symbiote and Peter' himself. It shared his DNA. For all intents and purposes it was his child with the symbiote...
It was gestating though, unaware of its own existence until it was awakened by J'onn's exploration into the explosion. Reaching out and developing conscious thought as it tried to save Peter.
I see… The Venom symbiote was an external force that fed off Peter's negative emotions… But you don't? You were born from within... You just… exist."
"Yessss… Pain badddd… We lovvveee Peterrr… Keeeppp safeeee. Keep happyyy… Not stronggg. Weakk… Can't helppp." There was a strain in its thoughts, this interaction clearly required a lot of exertion from the symbiote.
She felt its truth, it was weak, it could only observe. Helping Peter and J'onn escape the mind meld was its first waking action, and it had been crippled by that. Its gestation in Peter's body halted. It was being honest, the Venom symbiote was once malicious, fuelling Peter's rage. But this, the 'Other' was neutral.
It was bonded fully to Peter, it was part of him. She felt Peter's apprehension as he observed the interaction from above, unable to interact but still watching. Peter thought of dispelling the symbiote again, using soundwaves to separate them so he could give it to Eddy brock if he ever found a way home.
The Other felt Peter's intentions, "No! Wee would dieee… Loveee Peterr. Other cannotttt liveee withouttt Peterr…" The Other had seemingly adopted the name J'onn and M'Gann had been using to refer to the remnant of Venom, "Peterrr canottt live withouttt Otherrrr…"
M'Gann felt a shiver run through her as Peter's shock and denial shook his very subconscious where the Martian and the Klyntar-Human hybrid were having their conversation. M'Gann could sense the truth in the statement however, they had bonded completely. On a much deeper level than he had to the original symbiote.
"I do nottt interfereee. I cannottt. I onlyyy watchhh… Learnn… Keep Peter healthyyyy… Cannottt Keepp Peterrr happy… But tryyyy…"
Both M'Gann and Peter felt the defeat of the symbiote as it shared that… It truly wasn't Venom, it was the result of a weka leftover of the original and Peter's own DNA melding into one being. One that truly did only care for keeping Peter safe.
It was too weak to take over his body now, but even if it gained that power eventually, as M'Gann shared her 'gestating' theory telepathically, it wouldn't have the same effect on Peter's psyche as the Venom symbiote.
More than that it was being truthful, Peter was healthier in the years since he lost the symbiote, barely ever even catching the common cold. And he felt the truth, if it were somehow removed, it would kill them both. To say Peter was unhappy with the development would be an understatement, but he felt reluctant acceptance wash over him.
M'Gann and Other felt it too, the latter sending out waves of contentment as it felt Peter's acceptance of it for the first time since its birth within him almost four years ago.
"But, if you can't interfere, how did you catch Peter's body?"
"Desperattte. It hurrrrttt Otherr. But helped Peter."
"So, you couldn't do something like that again?" M'Gann was asking the question that Peter desperately needed an answer for.
"No. I ammm weakkk." The shame of Other was deeper than anything M'Gann had felt,it regarded M'Gann directly as it continued, "Peterrr frieenddd?"
"Yes, Other?"
"Thank youuu for lettingg Peterrr hearrr mee… You aree frieendd to Otherrr. Friend of usss."
M'Gann did not reply as her phantasmal figure simply smiled back, her acceptance and reciprocation of the title of friend was nonetheless felt by the Other.
M'Gann suddenly felt her form being slowly pulled back into her body as Peter's spider-sense noticed her presence and started softly exiling her from his mind. It was gentler this time, perhaps because there was no sense of immediate threat, unlike last time.
Peter's own observation was ended prematurely, quicker and more directly however, as his spider-sense interpreted danger and snapped him out of his own mind. He was wrenched out of his subconscious and back into a state of complete consciousness.
Before she was fully displaced however, the Other shared one last strained thought with M'Gann. The disjointed nature of the message communicating the Other's struggle with its own astral awareness, a wealth of knowledge it could not understand.
"We sawww the web of creationnn… All dimensionssss. A Storm trapped… Negativeee… The Torchhh is burningggg… Anhililus. A Goblinn… Connerrr is Phantomm… West was too slow… Now too Fassttt… A forceeee…"
"Wait… What do you mean? What does that mean?!"
"I do notttt knowww… Sorrryyyy. M'Gannn feels painnn…" M'Gann's was masking her grief, yet Other could feel her heartbreak, "Otherrr cannottt help but wantsss to… Friendd."
As if a light switch was turned on, M'Gann's eyes snapped open as her mind rejoined her own body. She looked at Peter with curious eyes as he stared back at her with shock.
"So... What happened in there?" Dick asked, relieved that M'Gann and Peter only seemed to be gone for moments as opposed the hour J'onn and Peter were missing earlier.
"I- I don't know how to feel about this…" Peter replied, "Part of me is relieved, the other, literal Other I guess, just feels like something bad could happen at any moment…"
"I would focus on the relieved…" M'Gann responded, "It said some strange things before I was forced out…"
"What kind of things." Dick asked.
"Very confusing things, it mentioned Conner…"
"What about him?" Dick's voice was strained with confusion and anguish.
"I don't know… It- It wasn't clear, I don't even think Other understood what it was saying…" She took a breath before looking back to Peter, "What about you though, how are you feeling about all this? I mean, it showed me what Venom did to you. Even if Other isn't the same, this must be… Weird."
"Ha. Weird… You can say that again… But honestly, this is probably the least stressful thing going on in my life right now… Now that we've got answers, at least. Look, I can't say I'm pleased but, this was probably the best possible outcome… At least I know it won't make me lose control like Venom. Plus I guess this means I'm a dad technically... Which is weird..."
"Right. Well congrats, I guess... But you hear yourself, it's still too weak to exist outside your body right now, it could be years before it is ever able to externalise like the full symbiote…" M'Gann spoke with a familiarity of Venon akin to Peter's own.
"Yeah… And I don't feel it affecting my strength yet, and if it really is just learning, I guess it's just up to me to not lose my cool… Which I guess depends on how the rest of today goes…" Peter's voice was still a bit shaky, but it was clear he had realised the futility in attempting any kind of removal right now, nevertheless he could feel the shadow of unprocessed shock peeking its head around the corner.
"Okay…" Dick spoke, "I'm not gonna' pretend like I understood the context of anything you two just said… But this went well, right?" He was still mentally reeling from the 'dad' reveal.
"As well as could be expected, I guess." Peter spoke as he pulled himself off the bed and stretched, "So… Where next?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down… Are you sure you're good? This is a big adjustment, right? I mean you were having a panic attack at the idea of this thing five minutes ago and now, what? You're fine? Peter… Are you sure you want to continue?"
"Ha! Not at all…" Peter's manic tone was worrying, but the determination in his voice was unlike any Dick had heard before, "But hey, there's not much I can do about it right now. Not while I'm stuck here at least. Why? Does Batman disagree?"
Dick was taken aback by the question, unsure of how to answer, "I- What do you mean?"
"Oh please… I'm not an idiot, in fact I'm insulted you all thought I was… Sure, I only met him the once, but Batman is too paranoid to not be listening in."
M'Gann whipped her head around to face Dick with a speed that would cause major whiplash to a lesser being, burning judgement emanated from her eyes, her orange irises aflame with disbelief at her leader. A sense of disapproval radiated from her being.
Dick felt M'Gann's burning gaze melting his resolve, but nonetheless kept his eyes on Peter as he responded, "When did you realise?"
"It was less a realisation and more a suspicion, one you've just confirmed…" Peter was now standing, looking down at Dick who was still sat on his chair, "At breakfast, I saw a twinkle in your eye. At first, I thought you were just falling in love with me. Naturally, I was flattered and trying to think of ways to let you down gently…
Peter continued staring at Dick, as he went on with his monologue like a detective in a mystery novel, "But then I looked closer, there was text in your eyes. Your lens was transcribing our conversation… After that I had hoped you were just recording it for later use, and you'd ask before sharing my private details. But as the day went on and you continued to say nothing, I suspected it was a live feed for someone… And it wasn't hard to guess who…"
Dick kept his face upwards, looking Peter in the eyes with a firmness the other hero had not yet seen. In truth Dick was staring at Peter with such unwavering commitment because if he hesitated and looked at M'Gann, her judgement would make him crumble in an instant.
Dick squinted with suspicion as he read Peter's nonchalant expression, "*Sigh* I didn't want to, I swear... But Batman, he's trying to help… Still, I shouldn't have done it. Though, you seem less annoyed than I thought you'd be…"
"Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm livid. Mark my words, I'll definitely get ya' back. But I don't really blame you… Is he listening now?" Spider-Man waited for Dick to nod before he continued, "Great! Hey, Batman: Hurggerdy durggerdy flippity flopperty flimflamflom ahh shoohacka shamalangadingdong shoohup shipup diwup shackalacka-"
Queens, New York
Parker Residence
"-Mikki dee doo da dumdum doohup dilup-" Batman cut the comms as the babble of noise continued to berate his ears.
He looked at Superman standing opposite him, a wide grin plastered across his friend's face. He was clearly listening in to the exchange.
"Hypocritical much?" Batman spoke.
"Please, I only began listening when you started making weird faces." The amusement on Clark's face was indescribably irritating to Bruce.
"They couldn't possibly be as weird as the one you're pulling now. Please wipe that annoying grin of your face, you look ridiculous…"
"Not a chance… The kid really got one up on you! I'm going to enjoy this moment for a while I think…"
"*sigh* I'm glad you find this so amusing, but at least try not to look so smug…" Bruce's lips quivered slightly, teetering dangerously close to a smile.
He composed himself before continuing, "How long have we been out here now?"
"A while, I think they're nearly finished talking, though." Clark adjusted his head to better hear the pattern of frustrated speech from inside the house, not listening to the words.
"What are they saying?"
"I don't know. Unlike someone, I don't make it a habit to spy on people…"
Batman looked at Superman with a fixed gaze for a moment before continuing, "We needed answers. A coordinated approach is the best way to get them…" Superman was still just staring at Batman with an unwavering glare, "You're too much of a boy scout, sometimes… This is why people think you're boring…"
"Because I don't invade people's privacy?"
"Because you're too nice…"
"Good. I'd rather be too nice than violate people's trust…"
Batman paused, considering Clark's words, "Perhaps you're right… Sometimes I get carried away, I apologise."
"Hey, I'm glad you're starting to notice… But we both know, I'm not the one you should apologise to."
Batman thought about his friend's words for a moment before the door to the back yard opened, recalling the two Leaguers from their conversation.
Ben Parker stood at the door and looked at them for a moment before speaking, "Umm… You can come back in, now… We- We err… Discussed it as well as we could…"
Watchtower
Peter stood there in stunned silence. His reequipped mask hiding the sheer devastation on his face. He had been standing in this motionless state ever since he heard what Mr. Terrific had discovered.
The three of them, Nightwing, Miss Martian and Spider-Man had entered Mr. Terrific's lab only a few minutes earlier, shortly after they had vacated the medical room. M'Gann staring at Dick with disapproval as they traversed the halls of the Watchtower, mentally berating him for spying on the other young man.
Dick took the lecture in stride, not bothering to defend himself as he mostly agreed with his teammate.
Meanwhile Spider-Man, now donning his mask, was still trying to annoy Batman who had long since disconnected his comms. And so, Peter continued to loudly, and futilely, state gibberish in Dick's ear, only stopping upon seeing the confused expressions of several uniformed civilians and at least one other costumed hero whom Peter did not know.
After Spider-Man had stopped spouting nonsense for fear of bringing himself further embarrassment, he waved sheepishly at the mace wielding red-haired woman with wings who was staring at him curiously. She seemed to chuckle back and gave a wave of her own before Peter was mercilessly led down another hall away from the heroine by Dick.
When out of site of the other woman, Spider-Man looked to his side and saw as both M'Gann and Dick were staring at him, struggling to contain their amusement. The latter's face was turning beet red as he tried his best to stifle the laughter that was fighting to rise to the surface.
"Laugh it up, Bird-Boy… I swear I'll get you back when you least expect it." Peter replied, his face blush with mortification behind his mask.
"Hey. I didn't make you walk around babbling like a mad man… That's on you." Dick was grinning unashamedly.
"Maybe you didn't directly. But you and Batman spying on me is the reason I felt the need to. So, it's your fault by proxy… Who was that anyway? She wasn't important, right?"
"Hawkgirl. Founding member of the Justice League, same as J'onn and Bats. But don't worry you only have like four founding members left who haven't seen you embarrass yourself. After them you're all caught up!"
Dick knew that technically he hadn't really embarrassed himself in front of J'onn but leant into the joke for effect. Yet again, he felt the playful banter envelop him and Peter naturally and used it as a tool to distract the other man from his ever-growing mountain of troubles.
"Oh, ho ho… No, do go on. Keep laughing. I swear my vengeance will be sweet…" Peter remarked aloud to himself, performing his best Doc Ock impression.
As Dick kept softy giggling to himself, he felt a fist hit his upper arm, "Ow! M'Gann… What was that for."
"Stop being a dick, Dick!" She looked past her leader and at Spider-Man, "Ignore him, Spider-Man, he's an idiot. Besides, you haven't embarrassed yourself that badly. Not on purpose at least, that's the important part."
"Thanks Miss Martian… I think?"
"No problem. Plus, who cares? be embarrassing! Don't worry about what anyone else thinks. It's nice to see you coming out of your shell…" Peter noticed a glimmer of pain in her eyes as she rapidly looked at Dick for a moment.
M'Gann wasn't just speaking to Peter, she was also speaking to herself, "I'd hate for you shut down again because of one slightly embarrassing interaction."
"Wow. Thanks… I was mostly joking but… That's umm… Far more earnest support than I was expecting. Hey, Miss Martian…"
"Yeah?"
"Don't tell Nightwing, cause' he'll get jealous," Peter pretended to talk past Dick, covering his mouth with his hand as he spoke in a faux whisper, to which the other man simply rolled his eyes in disbelief, "but I think you're my favourite."
"Ha. I appreciate that… Favourite what, though?"
"Just my favourite in general, I think you're the most helpful person I've met here so far."
Peter, although exaggerating the point to rub it in Dick's face, was being mostly truthful. Aside from perhaps Alfred; J'onn and M'Gann had been the most honest, caring and generous people to him in this new world, or above it, technically. There was a deep irony in the fact that, so far, Peter had the strongest feelings of humanity and empathy with the two Martians.
Sure, Dick was friendly enough, but Peter would be lying if he said he forgave him for the espionage and sneakiness. Even if it seemed Dick seemed honest about only reluctantly agreeing to help Batman, Peter still didn't appreciate being spied on. And although Barbara came around, he hadn't seen her since yesterday and half of that time she was looking at him like she wanted to hit him.
"Jeez! I get it, okay. I'm sorry for spying on you… Again! How many more times do I have to apologise?" Dick's voice was a cocktail of genuine remorse and mild annoyance at Peter's childish behaviour.
"Meh… Maybe a few more? I'll tell you when I've had enough."
The trio eventually found themselves in Mr. Terrific's lab where Peter now stood, speechless. His mind swimming in the vast ocean of terrible news that the last two days had brought.
Peter had hoped the 'third smartest person alive' as Dick had called Mr. Terrific, would offer a lifeboat, but instead all he did was push the boy further underwater as he explained that Peter's world was beyond their reach. Peter's immense sense of loss not at all dissuaded by Mr. Terrific's enthusiasm at the quantum mechanical puzzle.
"Listen, this must be hard to hear, but all of this it- It's fascinating! The amount of anti-matter coming from you was weird enough, but then… My computer couldn't even begin searching for your home world, I thought it didn't exist and that you were lying… Then bam! There it was."
Micheal Holt continued rambling on, his mania at his discovery never faltering, "Then it was gone again…Your earth is like the Schrödinger's cat of the multiverse… No! The omniverse! By all known laws of quantum mechanics your world shouldn't exist, it doesn't. I mean I couldn't find it, but then the scan from my T-Sphere kicked into the program. The information from that contradicting what we knew. Your molecular structure couldn't be from this multiverse, but still the data was there, it existed. You exist!"
He continued marvelling at the holographic presentation in the middle of the room, every one of the room's occupants staring at the flickering shape of an earth which was constantly fighting to remain on screen. Flitting between existence and non-existence as the word 'ERROR' flashed above the display.
Mr. Terrific looked over to the young hero who was still statuesque in his disbelief. He was being gently comforted by both Nightwing and Miss Martian who were trying to coax him out of his stupor.
"Spider-Man…" Mr. Terrific looked at Peter with sympathy, "I know this sounds like a dead end. But it isn't…"
"I think I need to sit down…" Peter spoke as he moved to the wall behind him.
He ignored the chair that Dick had placed beside him and instead slowly began climbing up the wall, twisting around and using his back to adhere to the ninety-degree surface, as he propped his arm on his leg, resting his head in his hand.
Impressed by Spider-Man's vertical seated position Mr. Terrific paused his explanation for a moment.
"So how exactly isn't this a dead end? It sounds pretty dead." Peter asked, his voice more resolved than anyone was expecting.
"I- Obviously I'm just guessing, here… But the data from your scan, its paradoxical. It's impossible, but there it is. You shouldn't exist, but there you are. The fact that we are even having this conversation is proof that the laws of quantum mechanics can be broken. And I don't know about you but I wanna' try and break them again."
"Okay… I guess I'm glad to hear that. But how long do you think before there's any progress?"
Mr. Terrific sighed as he continued to look up at Peter, "Honestly?"
"Honestly."
"Well, I'll have to look through a lotta' notes and research on quantum mechanics, review them, dissect them all, then throw them out and basically start from scratch. I'll probably have to get a few more heads on this so we can compare every theoretical idea about the multiverse with the data you've given me. I'm good at learning... But still, this isn't my area of expertise so I'll need some help to speed the process... Even with the help though, it'll take months at least."
"I'm stuck here for months?"
"No. Sorry I should've been clearer. It'll take me months to begin theorising on how to find your earth… And if we even can. The entire process could take several years… Decades even. I'm sorry, Spider-Man… But I won't give up on this! You've given me the toughest puzzle anyone could ask for, and I will crack it and find a way to send you home. No matter how long it takes, I swear to you."
Peter didn't respond as he felt his heart break all over again. He watched the blinking hologram of earth pitifully as he saw his world slip from his grip, the reality that he was truly stuck here for the foreseeable future. He counted all the possible holidays and birthdays that would pass all while his own world moved alongside this one.
Yet, a grim sense of peace had also washed over him, he felt a dark tickle of relief run up his spine. His hope was shattered, but now he had no options left except one, keep moving. He had spent too much of his time these last two days moping and worrying. And now he could grieve the loss of his earth in peace and move on with the new life he would be stuck with.
"Okay."
Nightwing was stunned by Peter's response, "'Okay'…? That's all you have to say? Dude, you just found out you're gonna' be stuck here for years! Are you sure you're alright?"
Dick felt M'Gann putting her arm on his shoulder as she shook her head at him, she recognised Peter would need to process this himself, without Dick's input. Even if the other man was only trying to help.
"I- I guess so… Huh? Weird. I mean I guess I went through most of the other stages of grief last night, so I guess 'acceptance' is all that's left… Mr. Terrific?" Peter's voice was growing monotonous and uninflected, it was clear a wave of shock was crashing through him.
"Yeah, Spider-Man."
"If I really am stuck here for a while, is there anything I can do to help your research?" The robotic nature of Peter's voice was unnerving, as if he was running on autopilot, merely asking questions for the sake of it.
"Actually, there is… Ar- Are you sure you're alright? This has gotta' be a big shock."
"Sureeee! But what's one more shock, all things considered? Anyway, you were saying…?"
"Right…" He looked to Miss Martian who simply shrugged, if this was part of Peter's process than he should answer the young man honestly, "Um, well, you mentioned to Batman that some of your villains may also be here, right?"
Peter had actually forgotten that issue in and amongst all the other problems on his plate, "Oh yeah…"
"Well… If they are on the loose and we capture them, the anti-matter from all of your… Travels. Well it could help. Different people different samples basically. I can compare their data with yours, isolate what's result of the collider explosion and what isn't. It would help us narrow down our search, a lot."
"Sure thing! I was gonna' be on the look out for them anyway so now you've just given me even more of an excuse…"
"Ummm… I'm glad." He looked back over to the other two young heroes who were still looking at Spider-Man with concern, poised and ready for the breakdown that all of them could feel was coming.
"Cool, cool. So, anything else besides the whole 'capture the villains' thing? Ya' know I'm pretty smart myself I can probably help with some of the nerdy parts as well! I built all my own tech after all, interned at ESU as well while in highschool… Nearly interned with Reed Richards this year as well! You obviously don't know who that is, but trust me, he's smart."
"I… Err… Sure. I think Ray had something that could use your attention anyways… Tell you what… I'll… get in contact with the Batcave, you can swing by sometime and help Dr Palmer with his research."
"Ha! 'Swing' by… classic… Sounds good! Anyway, I can help at all, I have time, I guess! Lots of it, apparently!" He flipped off the wall and landed next to his newfound comrade "Hey, Nightwing!"
"Spider-Man…" Dick flicked his eyes to M'Gann for a moment before keeping them on Peter.
"Does this place have liked a training room or something?"
"It does…" Dick was regarding Peter's every move with intense observation.
"Perfect! I errr- I really need something to hit right now."
M'Gann had been carefully considering Peter's state of mind, reading his body language and the inflection of his words as he spoke. She didn't want to infiltrate his mind again, not unless absolutely necessary, but nonetheless she could smell the despair on him.
"Spider-Man…" M'Gann spoke slowly, "Are you sure that's the best idea right now? I think you're in shock… We can take a break if you need it."
"Oh yeah… No, I know. I'm definitely in shock. I can literally feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins. So, I think I need to work this off…"
Peter's voice was firm and solid, unwavering in its assuredness, his body however was shivering with adrenaline, his hands shaking violently as he continuously punched his own hand softly, symbolising a fight.
"…Okay. That should be fine, right Nightwing?" M'Gann looked at her leader with uncertainty, neither of them was sure this was the best course of action but they both knew that trying to argue with Peter in this state would be useless.
"… Err. Sure thing… Besides we were gonna' do a physical evaluation anyway."
"Great! Two birds with one… stone, no offense." Peter looked at the symbol on Dick's chest.
"No worries, man… Come on, this way."
Dick and M'Gann didn't speak to each other, either out loud or psychically, but both of them knew what the other was thinking. Spider-Man had truly been given a rough deal so far and the fact he hadn't simply crumbled was miraculous. The panic attack earlier seemingly being the peak of his stress.
M'Gann couldn't help but compare herself with the young hero. After Conner, she was practically catatonic for the entire journey back to earth. And here was Peter, a boy who had just been told his entire world was out of reach, that it would be potential decades before any real progress could be made. Such a large chunk of his human lifespan, gone.
What if he had elderly relatives, what if something terrible happened during his time away, what if he was killed in this world? There were infinite uncertainties, and no doubt Peter would be exploring them all every day he would be trapped here.
The trio quickly found themselves entering the War Room, a wide-open space of different platforms, high ceiling and ample amounts of space for excessive movement. It reminded Peter of a larger version of the X-Mansion's Danger Room that Kitty- he stopped the thought before it had time to fully manifest.
"Woah… so how does this room work? Robots, holograms, robots with holograms?"
"Err… The second one, hard light holograms that recreate environments and scenarios…"
"Cool. Turn it up to hard. I have some excess energy I need to spend." He said as he began strecthing his muscles, warming up for a fight.
M'Gann and Dick shared yet another look before leaving the main area and entering the control room. Dick starting the computer and logging into the UI as an air of tension filled the room, both of them were constantly considering Peter's current mental state.
Dick once more staring at his friend with doubt as he asked, "You sure this is a good idea?"
"Of course not… But we have to just let him work through this at his own pace… We can't dictate how he should grieve."
"Fair enough. But what if he hurts himself?"
"Then we'll be here to patch him up…"
Suddenly a voice was heard from afar, the two of them looked down into the war room at the tiny figure of Peter below, "Hey! We starting this thing or what?"
Dick called back, "Sure. Give us a moment… Well, no turning back now, I guess."
Dick looked to M'Gann as he selected the simulation. He didn't want to overwhelm Peter, so he kept the environment the same and opted to use generic mannequin style enemies. The kind that would function as crash test dummies.
He set the starting difficulty to level three; the level used for newbies. He wanted to ease Peter into the simulation as the young hero was clearly still in a state of immense shock, and Dick didn't want to risk injuring him on top of his stress.
However Dick put the cycle on endless, each wave of enemies Peter defeated would cause the simulation to restart at a higher difficulty. M'Gann's eyes landed on his as her face communicated hesitation.
"What? He asked for a challenge, this way he controls the pace… Like you said."
She simply sighed in reluctant agreement and the two of them watched the other hero as the program started.
Spider-Man tensed and readied himself for a fight as around ten or so crash test dummy style figures appeared around him, the majority were carrying a variety of melee weapons except one which was holding some kind of replica handgun which fired blue lasers mimicking bullets.
Peter twisted in the air as he easily avoided the 'gunfire', and he observed as a wave of blue shocks hit the wall emanating from the point of impact. Demonstrating that the lasers would cause a sensation of strong static on whoever had the misfortune to be hit while training, causing mild discomfort but no harm.
Within moments Peter had closed the distance and grabbed the arm of the dummy that fired at him, kicking it in the chest and sending it backwards into another, both flickering before disappearing from the room in a flash of light.
He ducked easily out of the way of another blow before he somersaulted over the dummy who tried to swing at him. He shot a line at the hologram while air born and pulled as he landed, sending the dummy stumbling towards him.
He kicked it in its artificial head as it staggered closer before he leapt in the air and flung both his legs out in the splits, striking two more dummies that were trying to approach him from either side. All three holograms blinked and, like the others, vanished.
Peter was quiet, focused, unthinking. His body was moving without his input as he continued to slip further into a dissociative state.
Another dummy charged and lunged with its crowbar at him. Peter jumped back, landed in a single-handed backwards handspring and fired of a web with his other hand. The web was planted firmly onto head of the dummy to which the figure recoiled from the impact.
It mimicked human behaviour, desperately trying to remove the web as the sensors on its head were obscured. Peter would be impressed by the level of programming on the hologram if his brain was able to form a solid thought.
Instead, he absentmindedly leapt into the air shot another line at the dummy he'd blinded. While airborne Peter tugged on the line, pulling the dummy skyward before he planted his feet on its body. Sending it crashing back down as he pushed himself further into the air, gracefully backflipping before pulling himself into a swing.
The dummy crashed into two more figures and, yet again, all three flashed before turning back into harmless nothings. Peter continued his swing, picking up one of the only two remaining dummies before throwing it carelessly into the wall, it shattered on impact and exploded into millions of light particles.
When his swing reached its arc, he let go, flipping in the air before landing on top of the last hologram, knocking it prone as he crouched over it. He didn't even consider its presence before his body had already acted, punching the dummy in its head. It too flickered and disappeared.
Dick and M'Gann returned their gazes to one another, both of them impressed with the display. Peter had cleared the wave in seconds, all while acting on pure instinct. His movements were thoughtless, yet fluid and precise, there was no wasted time as he dispatched the ten holograms seemingly without breaking a sweat.
Peter stood up and looked around the empty room, he couldn't recall specifically how he had beaten the simulation but the empty room around him communicated that he had. Before Peter could think to ask Nightwing to run the simulation again, there were several flashes of light as more dummies began to populate the space, surrounding him.
There was more this time, all armed, less melee weapons however and more ranged weapons. Several handguns and a few others clearly replicating shotguns and automatic weapons. The shape of the dummies themselves varied this time as well, several taller and thicker models that seemed to be tougher than the others.
Peter sprinted forward, continuing his run vertically along the chest of the dummy in front of him, he kicked its head as he backflipped off it, shooting a web line onto it and tugging, sending the hologram crashing to the ground.
He landed in a three-point crouch before rolling forward to avoid a 'sword'. He kicked the blade and it shattered into light particles, before he punched its wielder in the head, launching it several feet in the air.
Nightwing and Miss Martian were standing ready, watching Peter and recording his fight for later use and evaluation, but nevertheless awaiting the inevitable emotional breaking point Peter would reach.
It was clear Spider-Man's adrenaline fuelled flurry of combat was a form of distraction, he was exerting himself to avoid having to think about the consequences of the news he'd just received. Nevertheless, it was an impressive showcase of skill.
After less than half a minute the second wave was defeated, Peter once again barely breaking a sweat. His breath as steady and controlled as would be expected of a casual stroll. Once more Peter stood in the empty room, his dread threatening to overtake him as the distractions were once again muted.
Then more flashes of light, yet more enemies appeared. The arsenal of weaponry much more advanced as the variety of foes increased, some possessing wings, some had static sparks of electricity emanating from their holographic hands, others equipped with laser cannons in substitute of arms.
Difficulty level five. Certainly, a challenge, but nothing too stressful, this was the standard difficulty for the more experienced members when they wanted a simple exercise or warm up. The difficulty levels for a standard simulation however, increased exponentially, each one doubly as difficult and complex as the last.
While engaged with level five, Peter was always moving, although still never thinking. He was dispatching foes left and right as he flipped, twisted and somersaulted his way around the room. Landing on the platforms above and sending enemies crashing to the ground before landing on the wall and launching himself forward, punching the larger holograms with intense force.
This wave was the first time Peter's voice could be heard; soft grunts of exertion were creeping out of his mouth while he was constantly on the offensive. He ducked and dodged out of the path of countless lasers as his limbs were almost always being used to hit or grab one of the other dummies.
Once more, the room was empty, save for Peter, his mind threatening to assault him with its conjurations. Peter was spared the indignation of thought by flashes of light as many more hard light holograms began to fill the War Room.
Level six was a real test in comparison, Dick himself only being able to beat it a handful of times, and never before his days as Nightwing. Even his victories were close calls, however. Level six and up were mostly used for team exercises, with the higher levels being immensely difficult non-superpowered members on their own.
Peter's body persisted as his brain remained still, numbness overcoming all possible mental processes. The Other felt his stunted pain and desperately hoped to soothe his mind, but its impotence prevented it from interacting with him. And even if it could, it recognised his fear of it and knew that any attempts of contact, at the time being, would only further Peter's discomfort.
The dummies were tough now, tactical, smart, fast, strong and equipped with a litany of offensive weapons. The defensive capabilities of even the simplest holograms of this level were far beyond the toughest foes of the prior waves.
Spider-Man nonetheless remained in his assaultive state, never stopping or hesitating as he began dispatching the holograms with haste and vigour. His body never remained in one position for more than a moment as he twisted and flipped with a grace and precision even Dick was envious of.
Dick was well known for his agility and flexibility due to his familial circus talents; his body was, figuratively, as malleable as rubber thanks to years of relentless training. But Peter was on another level, his form was in constant flux.
Peter was continuously twisting, turning and moving in ways no normal human could ever hope to achieve. More accurately, the poses themselves were definitely possible, Dick able to replicate all of them, but the reactions and the speed at which Peter could shift between them while attacking and evading, that would be impossible for even the most talented of non-powered humans to replicate.
Not to mention the accuracy and grace with which the positions were performed were astounding, far better than even the most gifted contortionist or gymnast Dick had ever encountered; himself included. The fact the young hero wasn't making himself nauseous with the constant movement was miraculous.
"I can't believe he's doing so well considering everything he's learned today…" M'Gann spoke as she watched Peter clear level six in under three minutes.
Peter completed the level two and a half minutes faster than Dick's best time and only thirty seconds slower M'Gann's, which, considering the difference in their powers, was phenomenal.
"No. Look at him, that's pure adrenaline… He isn't doing this well in spite of his shock, but because of it. He's numbed himself so much he's practically reached a flow state…" Dick corrected, unable to tear his eyes away from the display.
Level seven was clearly a much tougher challenge for Peter, unsurprisingly as this was basically reserved for team training. Dick himself was only ever able to beat this difficulty alone once, with immense struggle, and purely as a personal challenge to match Batman, no one even expected him to beat it alone. Even the fact Batman was able to, also with much difficulty, was impressive itself.
Regardless, Spider-Man cleared the difficulty level. The timeframe however was noticeably longer, taking him the same length of time as all the previous levels combined. He also made a lot of noise comparatively; it was clear he was beginning to sweat. He even took a few hits this time, none of them keeping him down for long, however.
Nonetheless Peter demolished both Bruce and Dick's times and was still raring to go. His body was hot with anticipation as the enemies of level eight began to appear. Dick's and M'Gann's eyes widened further and further with each subsequent challenge Peter surpassed. Difficulty level eight, nine and ten.
The door to the observation room slid open as Dick turned to see the new entrant. Batman nodded to his former protégé and spoke calmly, "Mr Terrific said we'd find you here. How is he?"
"See for yourself." Dick nodded to the frantic form of Spider-Man below.
Peter was starting to tire now, level ten was hard. The enemies were aggressive and relentless, Peter felt like he was fighting 3 Sinister Sixes at once. He was beginning to receive more blows than he was giving out. His body was slower, clumsier and the grunts of exertion had been amplified to yells of frustration and barely subdued rage.
The emotional pain in his voice was evident to everyone, the decline had begun and soon there would be nothing left for Peter to do but stop and think.
"Not well, I take it?"
"I struggle to see how else you expect him to be?" Miss Martian spoke, not hiding her annoyance at the Batman, "You spying on him probably didn't help either…"
Batman didn't look at M'Gann as he replied, instead he continued to watch the desperate movements of Peter as he struggle against his virtual enemies, "I was following a lead, I needed intel."
Batman turned and saw as both the younger heroes were staring at him in disapproval, M'Gann through her own moral objections and Dick a combination of morality and guilt due to his own reluctant involvement.
Batman sighed as he continued, "I will apologize in time, but something tells me he'll understand…"
"Oh yeah? Why's that?" Dick asked, genuine puzzlement mixed with defiance in his tone.
Batman took control of the computer, ended the simulation, killed the recording and looked to Nightwing and Miss Martian, "Stay here…"
He left the observation room with no further words. Leaving M'Gann and Dick looking at each other in confused silence.
"You know. I used to hope he'd become less vague over the years…"
M'Gann didn't reply, simply smiling with exasperation as she shook her head in disbelief at the interaction.
Peter landed on his feet, stumbling slightly as he fought to keep his balance. He whipped his head around as the holograms had stopped attacking and stood lifeless, his confusion doubling as they all simultaneously blinked out of existence.
"Hey! Nightwing! What's the big idea, man? End the simulation just as it's getting interesting? Why would… Why would you…" His adrenlaine began to wane and deep realisation assaulted his mind, "Oh god…"
Peter's breathing was laboured and slow as his shock dissipated and the impact of the day was slowly starting to take its toll on him, mentally and physically. As his mind slowly began rebooting and providing him with grim thoughts he slumped to his knees.
His panic never returned; instead, his psyche was assaulted by a steady current of absolute dread.
His shaky hand once again reached to his head as he removed his mask, he had no idea if anyone else was in the observation booth but was abnormally uncaring about who might see his face.
"Peter…" Batman had entered the War Room and was slowly approaching the slumped form of Peter's body.
Peter looked at the intruder and as realisation set in, the expressionless fatigue on Peter' face was replaced by a soft, burning ember of rage. But more than that, there was also a sense of complete and utter exasperation causing the young boy to laugh with grim irony, "Of course you're here… What, come to gloat? Must be glad to hear you were right, my world doesn't exist. Not in this multiverse at least…"
"I didn't hear everything, I stopped listening when-" Batman stopped when he saw the exhausted red of Peter's eyes piercing his own, "I'm sorry… I should have been honest. But I swear to you I had your best interests in mind… But that's not important right now…"
Batman, now standing next to Peter's seated body, offered his had to younger hero.
Spider-Man looked to it with disdain before sighing and begrudgingly taking the hand offered to him, pulling himself to his feet and standing opposite the other hero, "… Yeah, I guess it isn't… All things considered. I really am stuck here…"
"Not foreve-"
"I'm not naïve… I don't care how smart Mr Terrific is, we all know he was being extremely optimistic. No one has any idea what any of this really means, and we… We may never find a solution."
"So what? You're just going to give up? I swore to you I would do everything in my power to get you home, and I will. We will. But you? Giving up at the first hurdle? Being a quitter doesn't suit you."
"Pfft. Cause' you're such an expert on me? Don't think, just because you saw me talking while eating croissants this morning, that you have the slightest idea of who I am!"
"No Peter, I recognised the fire in your eyes. I saw you fight. You told me your code… The man I spoke to last night, he wasn't a quitter. I know, because neither am I."
"Stop pretending like you know me! You don't! Everyone who really knows me… Who I know, there all somewhere else, somewhere we may never reach… I'll never see any of my friends or family again…"
"That's not technically true."
Batman looked back to the door and slowly nodded towards it, Peter tracing the movement with his eyes before he saw what, who, he was gesturing to.
"I- What? That's… That's not- How is this possible?" Peter's eyes were no longer able to hold in the tears he was delaying, streams of salt water began rapidly flowing down his cheeks.
"Hey, kiddo…" The middle-aged man in the doorway spoke as he slowly began approaching the pair.
"Un- Uncle Ben? I- I don't understand… What is this?" Peter was frantically looking between Batman and the man who was walking towards them.
Bruce then shocked Peter even further as he did something the younger man didn't think he was capable of; he smiled. He gestured to the older man, inviting Peter to approach him.
Peter stumbled slowly towards his uncle, still uncertain and confused. Immensely confused.
But one emotion overpowered his shock and confusion, relief. And as he stood face to face with the older man before the strength in his legs left him, the sheer weight of his emotions pushing him to floor.
The older man was quick to react, semi-catching the younger man, semi-falling with him. And so, the two knelt there for a moment. Ben holding his nephew's double as the tears continued streaming from his eyes. Ben too, let his tears fall, tears of joy at seeing his nephew's face once more.
Peter grabbed the older man back with vigour, grasping tightly and refusing to let go. And so, they knelt, in each other's arms and they cried as they held each other. Thousands of miles above the earth, a world which was only home to one of them, but one that didn't matter to either of them.
Right now, there were no doppelgangers, no collider, no existential crises, no Other. There was only this moment, this miraculous, beautiful and painful moment between two men. An uncle who had found his nephew, and a nephew who had found his uncle.
DC Universe – Earth Prime
Pamela Eisley's Penthouse, Gotham City
"Oh, come onnn, Red. Please." Harleen Quinzel's voice was persistent and ringing through their penthouse.
"Ugh… I don't even understand why you care so much about Christmas, Harls. You're jewish!" Pamela Eisley replied to her girlfriend with mild annoyance and confusion.
Harley didn't respond, she just stared at her partner with stubborn indignation and began to pout.
"Oh my god… You're really not gonna' give this up, are you?" Ivy sighed back.
Harley's face remained fixed as she shook her head violently.
"Ugh, fine! We can get a plastic tree… But I swear to God, as soon as it's January, you're taking it down!" Pam reluctantly conceded.
"Eeee! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Harley replied in between attacking her girlfriend's face with kisses.
"Alright, alright! Give it a rest already…" Ivy was chuckling softly at the assault of affection before her eyes were drawn to Harley's phone as it sounded an all too familiar chime, she nodded towards it "Hey, what's that about?"
"Hmm? I dunno'…" Harley replied as she picked up her phone and checked the notification.
It was a post on the highly unofficial, very illegal, mildly disturbing, yet surprisingly easy to use and intuitive, 'Gotham Underworld' app. A gateway to a site on the dark web that placed bounties, offered jobs, and warned about intel on certain GCPD and Batfamily movements.
Her eyes darted across the post, and she clicked on the pictures and videos attached to the open bounty. Fascination and confusion were evident on her face as she was reading the details on the post by the False Face Society's proxy account.
"What is it, Harls?" Poison Ivy asked as she regarded the other woman curiously.
"…Who da' fuck is Spider-Man?"
Author Note:
So this is the end of the first story arc, the 'settling in' arc. It's been a slow burn so far, 7 chapters for two days but I didn't want to rush in to Peter in this new world.
The pace picks up a bit now. The stage has been set now its time for the players to get up there and break a leg.
Also if your reading this story on AO3 there's still a couple more chapters to come. But, after Chapter 9 (10 if you count Prologue), you're all caught up and you'll have to wait like everyone else.
I'm tweaking them and fixing grammar/cleaning up exposition as I go so AO3 is basically getting the final drafts. Sorry FF readers... But don't worry I'm updating those chapters as well so they're all the same, but you may notice the changes on re-reads and get a mandela effect situation, especially if you've been with this story from the start...
Hope you enjoyed, reviews are apreciated and make sure to tip your server. Also did you know sea otters hold hands while they sleep so they don't float away?
Sayonara.