This episode I knew I had to do with Ronnie and Peter's friendship in "Flash and Spider-Man." I'm glad we got an adaptation in What If Universe's "The Next Generation: Book 4 of the Spider-Verse."
In the episode, we get flashbacks of Caitlin's history with Ronnie. I decided to instead have them be Peter's history with Ronnie.
Enjoy "Deadpool and Wolverine" (now that it's in theaters, plz don't spoil it in messages or reviews), San Diego Comic Con if you're attending, and the Summer Olympics in Paris, France.
Spoiler Warning: I technically spoil the end of Season 1 of "The Good Place" in this chapter.
Chapter 6
November 2005, Parker residence, pre-abduction to Earth-199999
Peter and Ronnie had just come from dinner with May and had returned to finish their school project. Earlier that night, Peter climbed into his bedroom through the window, after a day of superheroing, only to discover Ronnie was in the room and had discovered Peter's secret identity.
"Okay, why don't we start with-" Peter started to say as he sat on the swivel chair by his computer.
"Oh no, we're not doing anything until you answer some questions." Ronnie stated.
"Those questions and the project could take all night."
"I can call my folks and ask to sleep over."
"Uh huh. What about clothes?"
"I'll borrow them from you."
"Toothbrush?"
"I can run down to the corner to the bodega and buy one from Mr. Delmar. You're stalling, Pete."
Peter sighs in defeat. "Okay, ask away."
"How'd you get your powers?"
"It was before I moved. I went on a field trip to the New York branch of Oscorp."
"Harry's dad's company?"
"Yep. They were doing experiments on crossbreeding different spiders with radiation. One of the spiders escaped and bit me. I felt a little sick afterwards, so I went to bed straight after coming home. The next morning, I was stronger, faster, my skin was tougher, I had better agility than the best circus acrobat, I could stick to walls, and I could sense danger."
"Huh. What about the ropes that you use for swinging?"
"It's not ropes." He says before rolling up his sleeves to reveal…"These are my web shooters. I fire out this chemical I came up with that mimics spider silk, only stronger."
"Yeah, I saw you save that train on the news with them. Don't they make a mess leaving them around the city?"
"No, they disappear harmlessly to the environment after an hour of being shot out."
"Cool. But why be a superhero? You could probably be a Hollywood stuntman or join one of the sports teams at school."
"It wouldn't be fair to other teams and athletes and I probably wouldn't be allowed after a while."
"Even so, you could be an entertainer or even use them for crime. Why be a hero?"
Peter's face started to fall. He knew he'd have to answer this at some point. "My Uncle Ben had a saying: "With great power comes great responsibility." I didn't exactly use them responsibly at first, I first used them to take down my bully a peg. But Uncle Ben thought that wasn't how he should receive his karma or any retaliation from me. We argued and I decided to cool off after school. By the time I got home, my Uncle was killed in a house robbery gone wrong. I found the killer and almost killed him in revenge, but then I remembered Uncle Ben's saying and that this wouldn't be what he wanted."
The story was starting to get Peter teared up. Ronnie then put his hand on Peter's shoulder.
"I'm sorry, man."
"So now you know my secret. I understand if you don't want to be my friend anymore."
"Why? Because you lied to me?" Ronnie asked in confusion.
"Well, that, and…" Peter said as he then goes to a website on his computer, bringing up a digital version of a recent Daily Bugle article: "SPIDER-FREAK AND DOC OCK ROB HARRISON WELLS!"
"Peter, I don't believe the bullshit the Daily Bugle prints (though now I know why you get better photos of Spider-Man than anyone else)."
"Ronnie, he's not saying that because of newspaper sales. I am a freak."
"You're not a freak. Sure, you're different. Smarter than the average bear. But I am still your friend." Ronnie told him with affirmation.
They were best friends before that, but Peter's revelation and their conversation strengthened their friendship. Peter knew that no matter what, Ronnie needed to be a constant in his life.
2022, S.T.A.R. Labs, post-abduction from Earth-199999
"Colin Smith, Megan Landa, Veronica Binning. These are potential victims that Cecile and I got from Kramer's files." Joe told the team in the Cortex. "They all were killed in a fire of undetermined origin in the last six months."
"That's way before the deaths of Stan Mullen and our other vics." Peter pointed out.
I don't know why, but I feel like some of these victims are familiar to me. Peter thought.
"We know, which is why I reached out to the families of all our new victims to find out if any of them were dealing with grief." Cecile explains. "Now, Megan and Colin, both recently lost a parent, and Veronica had a sister who died when they were kids."
"Looks like our not-so-friendly fire has been snacking on people's grief a lot longer than we thought." Frost said.
"It's been ahead of us all along." Allegra stated.
"Not anymore." Barry tells them. "Now we have a way to stop it from killing."
"Yeah, Peter and I finished the Cold Fusion Sphere with Frost and Dr. Tannhauser's cryo-kinetic R.N.A. signatures." Chester tells them. "Next time there's a barometric anomaly, we can bring it out into the field and, you know, use it to capture this thing."
"I just wish we knew where it was gonna pop up next." Frost said.
"There's gotta be something we're missing, I know it." Peter states. "If we can find what links them-"
"We can figure out what this fire wants." Cecile says.
"It wants me." Said Caitlin from the doorway behind them. "And I know that because I just saw it."
"But why? What does it want with you?" Joe asked her.
Before Caitlin answers, she notices the evidence board with the pictures of the victims. "Parker?" She asked.
"Huh?" Peter asked.
"Not you. Parker Destefano, she's my yoga instructor."
"Wait, you know her?" Allegra asked as Caitlin makes her way around the monitors, to the board to get a closer look.
"Yeah." Caitlin informed them, causing Peter's to widen with realization.
"You recognize anyone else?" Joe asked her.
"Um, these two." She says as she points to Stan Mullen and Donna Winters' pictures. "They were At O'Shaughnessy's the night Frost and I went on our double date."
"And met Peter." Frost points out.
"Um, yeah sure. But I recognize the others as well." She says before realizing. "Oh, we were all at a bio-"
"-Chem conference!" Peter exclaimed. "It was a year before the Particle Accelerator exploded. The five of us were on an Applied Sciences lecture. Colin and I used to discuss "Farscape." Veronica got a little annoyed by my "Veronica Mars" references. I'm guessing it's mostly the same for you in this timeline, minus me?" Peter then asked, which Caitlin nodded. "God, I even said at the crime scene that it seemed like too much of a coincidence that we were at the same bar as the double date! Fuck, I can't believe I didn't recognize Parker's picture, name, or the Studio! I once drove you there a few years ago, we even had a bit of a laugh that she and I partially share a name. It's you! You're the link!"
"And it's been looking for me this whole time." Caitlin stated solemnly.
"That still doesn't explain why the fire's coming after you." Barry stated.
"Unless you were about to tell us before you recognized the vics." Peter pointed out.
Caitlin then turns around to tell them. "Because the fire is Ronnie, and he wants me to save him."
Everyone looks shocked at this news, but no one more so than Peter.
Ronnie's alive? He thought.
"I know how this sounds, but it spoke to me. It was confused and jumbled, but…it was him, it was Ronnie." Caitlin continues to explain.
"Caitlin, this fire, you know, it can get inside people's heads, show you people you've lost, like it did with Chester's dad." Barry tells her, skeptical that it's Ronnie. "Are you sure it didn't just want you to think it was Ronnie?"
"I wasn't sure at first. But that's why I downloaded the data from when the fire was in the N.C.C.U." She explains as she brings up the data on the monitors. "This is cold fusion radiation, but their readings are 10-to-the-negative 28 watts."
"That's Hawking radiation." Chester points out. "You only pick up rads like that from inside a singularity."
"Like the one Ronnie closed and disappeared into, back in 2015?" Peter points out.
"On our wedding day." Caitlin mutters, which Peter noticed. "He closed it by merging the inner and outer horizons." She then informs Chester.
"Right. Ronnie and Professor Stein came together, made Firestorm, then separated in that thing." Joe informed him.
"Only Ronnie didn't make it." Barry tells them (and reminds Caitlin), a little depressed and guilty.
"Right. But, matter cannot be created or destroyed, only changed, so maybe Ronnie's still alive." Caitlin points out. "I mean, maybe the pressure from when the horizons merged broke down his biological matter into pure thermodynamic energy."
"That could account for the radiation, but it still doesn't explain why the fire's been killing people, why it tortured Chester."
"And if Ronnie knew what he was doing, he would hate it, which is why I don't think he's in control."
"Reminds me of a scientist named Michael Morbius, he tried to cure a rare blood disease he had. While the cure did work and he became stronger, he wound up needing to drink human blood to survive." Peter tells them.
"So, you're saying-" Allegra started to ask.
"He basically became a science version of a vampire. It's also possible that this could be a new experience for Ronnie. When I first got my powers, I accidentally destroyed my alarm clock because I used too much strength to turn it off, broke the handles on my bathroom sink, even had some keys from my keyboard stuck to my fingertips." Peter pointed out. "C'mon Barry, I know you did things with your powers that caused accidents when you were starting out. Like when Team Arrow helped us with Rainbow Raider, you sped Felicity in here, inadvertently causing her top to burst a flame. Cisco, Caitlin, and I found you with her having to take her top off and just wearing a bra on her upper torso. Did that happen here too?"
Barry facepalms himself out of embarrassment, as Joe, Frost, and Caitlin giggle at that reminder. Cecile, Chester and Allegra are shocked by this story.
"Yes, that happened here too." Frost confirmed.
"Ok, thanks for that Peter." Caitlin says. "But back on topic, when Ronnie died, his brain was flooded with A.C.T.H. It's the hormones the human brain creates when it experiences grief. So, maybe when he was reborn as a sentient fire, that same process gave him an overwhelming attraction to the same hormone."
"So he's been eating people's grief because of some primal urge?" Cecile clarifies.
"I think he needs it to survive, which is why he's been trying to reconnect to me so I can help him."
"Did he say anything else?" Joe asked.
"Uh, a few words. "Joining, togetherness." I think he was trying to get me to remember something."
"Like the Quantum Splicer?" Peter asked, as he pulls up an image of it on the monitors.
"Good idea, it's what made him Firestorm in the first place."
"Well, proper Firestorm. Otherwise it was the Particle Accelerator and the F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M. Matrix that really gave him and Stein that power and connection."
"True, but I think the Quantum Splicer is what he was referencing and what will make him human again and his mind in control."
"And the killings will stop." Cecile realizes. Caitlin shrugs yes.
"Even if you are right about this, the splicer needs two people to work, and we can't ask anybody to volunteer. It's too dangerous." Barry points out.
"Yeah, but we wouldn't need another person if we use one of Eva McCullough's R-CEM chips," Chester tells him, "cause if we fuse one of Eva's chips to the splicer, it'll do all the heavy lifting by duplicating Ronnie's cells and coalescing another body for him, right?"
"Like it did with Caity and me." Frost points out.
"Ok, I have some many questions, but they can wait until later." Peter said, referring to Team Flash adventures he only read about, but didn't get a lot of details on. "But Chester, if this chip does what you claim, not only would we bring back Ronnie, but we could cure him so he won't die like Stein almost did before meeting Jax and he could become a solo Firestorm! Hell, even if he doesn't want to, we can always give him the cure Jax took."
"Okay, but raising the dead, that's intense, even for us." Allegra states.
"Except he's not dead, Allegra, he was just transformed." Peter corrected her. "Besides, Sara and Thea were brought back via the Lazarus Pit and several people, like Moira Queen and Tommy Merlyn, were brought back Post-Crisis when Oliver and the Paragons rebooted the universe. Raising the dead isn't an entirely new concept for us. Hell, when Barry first went to the Speedforce, his childhood bully came back as a zombie."
"Well, if Chester, Peter, and Caitlin think it might work…" Cecile says
"It makes sense." Caitlin states. "Ronnie's just trying to help us help him come home. All we have to do is listen."
"What are we waiting for?" Frost asked eagerly.
"I'll get the Quantum Splicer." Caitlin says before leaving the Cortex.
"Peter and I will grab an R-CEM chip from the Starchives." Chester says as the two leave, not seeing that Barry wasn't happy with the situation.
April 2007, Central City University, pre-abduction to Earth-199999
Spring Break was over and classes were starting up again at CCU. Peter was in the cafeteria, about to eat his breakfast at a table by himself. As he starts eating, he spots Ronnie coming to sit with him with his own tray of food to eat with him as the two had done since they started going to CCU the previous fall. But he noticed that Ronnie wasn't alone, but that a pretty girl with auburn hair was walking right beside him. Peter knew that Ronnie was starting to date Caitlin Snow, a fellow science major who Peter saved from a rapist as Spider-Man a few days prior and who as Spidey, introduced the young couple to each other. He noticed how happy they were and he felt a little envious, wanting a relationship like that, though still happy for his friend.
"Hey, Pete!" Ronnie called out. "This is Caitlin, the girl I was telling you about."
"Oh, yeah. The girl who's been taking up most of your time as of late." He joked before standing as the two arrived at his table, putting their trays down. "Hi, I'm Peter Parker." He said as he extended his hand to shake hers.
"Caitlin Snow." She replied, shaking his hand before all three sat down at the table. After a few seconds, Ronnie "realizes" something.
"Oh shoot." Ronnie said before snapping his fingers. "I forgot to get Splenda for my coffee and syrup for my French toast. I'll be right back." He tells them before getting up and leaving the table.
"Let me guess, he wanted to leave me alone with his best friend to suss me out." Caitlin assumed.
"I'd say so." Peter agreed.
"You know, I have heard of you before I met Ronnie."
"Really?"
"I was in the same Spanish study group as Harleen Quinzel last semester."
"Ahh." He realized, before noticing that said girl was staring at him every so often from another table. "Not the best coffee date I've ever been on."
"Yeah, we're not great friends or anything. She seems obsessive. God help who she actually falls for."
They chuckle at that. Ronnie, spies on them nearby, glad that his best friend and the girl he hopes to make his girlfriend are getting along. By the end of the meal, Peter liked her and thought she was the perfect girl for Ronnie, not realizing that about a decade later, she would be the perfect girl for him.
In the Med Lab, Caitlin was working on the Quantum Splicer when Peter walked in.
"How's it looking?" Peter asked.
"So far, so good." She replied. "Shouldn't you be with Chester?"
"He's got it for now. I wanted to see how you're doing."
"Honestly, I'm feeling hopeful. Listen, I'm sorry about how I treated you yesterday. And thank you for helping to save Ronnie."
"He may not be my best friend that I grew up with, but I promised I'd always save him. I'm just extending that promise to your Ronnie. Who knows, maybe this is why I was sent here, to learn how to save your Ronnie, so that I can learn how to save mine. Prevent the deaths in my universe. Not that they had to die so that my versions of them could live or anything."
"It's okay. If I can help save more than one Ronnie, all the better. Help reunite my doppelgänger with her Ronnie."
"Um, as a friend, cause your doppelgänger is married to me."
"Right, sorry. But speaking of them, they met in college in your world, yet I met him here at S.T.A.R. Would have been nice to have some extra years with him. Any other changes do you think happened?"
"I don't know. Did he still propose to you at Hudson Falls?"
"Mapleville, we were going to a bed and breakfast where we went on our first weekend away together. But on that day, our car got stuck in the snow by Piedmont State Park. I got upset because I wanted to propose to him."
"What?!" Peter exclaimed with shock.
"It's the 21st century, Peter, women can propose to men if they want, despite the dumb Amy Adams film."
"Oh, I have no problem with that. It's just that it's very different from my version. So, um, you proposed to him?"
"Actually, we wound up proposing to each other. He was planning to propose to me, while I was planning to propose to him. Isn't that just romantic?"
"Oh yeah, totally." He lied, starting to feel depressed and uncomfortable. "Uh, I think I'll go check on how Chester is doing." He tells her as he quickly leaves the room.
Just as he does, he runs into Barry.
"Is Caitlin in there?" He asked.
"Yeah." Peter replied in a hurry as he walked quickly down the hallway, so fast that he didn't notice that Frost was nearby.
"What was that about?" Barry asked her.
"I don't know. I'll check on him, we've been pretty friendly ever since the incident with Birch." Frost replied before following Peter. She finds him in the lounge. But more surprisingly, she finds him crying. "Peter? Are you okay?" She asks as she goes up to him.
"They proposed to each other." He replied in a sad tone, his eyes red from crying.
"Who did?"
"Caitlin and Ronnie."
"Oh Yeah. It's stories like that that helps me understand why she was so hesitant with Marcus."
"Crys-Frost," he started to say, correcting himself that this woman was not one of his wives, "that didn't happen in my universe or timeline or wherever the hell I'm from. He just proposed to her."
"I'm sorry, but I don't understand why you're sad."
"In a universe where I wasn't their friend, they proposed to each other. She loves him so much, it makes me wonder if I was in the way of their happily ever after."
"Oh." She realizes. "I take it that she didn't propose to you when you did?" She asks, which he shakes his head. "Are you doubting if she loves you?" He nods. "Hey, don't think like that. I don't know your Caitlin, but like I pointed out with my dates with Mark, you can't know that unless you talk to her when you get back."
"What if I can't get back?"
"Don't think like that."
"What if I'm dead and this is my hell? My Aunt and twins are missing, you're not pregnant with my baby, the women I love are with other men or are about to be, and one of most annoying, selfish women I know is married to one of my friends (again). I could be in hell and this last month has been my torture."
"Ok, even if that were true, why would you still experience enjoyment when you web swing, when you play Dungeons & Dragons with Chester and Allegra, or even when you eat donuts?"
"Maybe I'm in the Bad Place and I experience some good things but the majority of it is torture."
"Look, everyone has bad luck every once in a while-"
"My family calls it "Parker Luck."
""Parker Luck?""
"We get a mix of bad and good luck at once or one right after the other. Examples: I get these powers…and then my uncle dies, I reunite with you and Caitlin after defeating Savitar…and then you both leave to figure things out (not that I'm blaming you for anything, but it was still depressing to be separated from you both, reunite to stop Savitar, and separate again), I propose to you both…and then the Crisis starts, and recently: I'm having a great marriage (or so I thought) to the women I love, children I love (with another on the way), a great career…and then I get magically abducted, go through wacky adventures to now be stuck on another Earth or timeline (or dead), away from the people I love."
"Look, I don't know if I'm a figment of your imagination or a demon torturing you, but I believe you are on another world or timeline and soon you'll be back in the loving arms of your family. Maybe you can come back here with them as a vacation." Frost reassured him.
"Yeah, probably shouldn't bring Barry, Patty, and Dawn, Iris would faint out of jealousy." Peter joked, starting to feel a little better.
"Probably." Frost replied. "Who's Dawn?"
"My Barry and Patty's daughter."
"What about Nora?"
"I asked Barry about that. He said he didn't want Dawn to be a replacement daughter for Nora, much like how Patty wasn't a replacement for Iris."
"What about Bart, the second kid?"
"Last I heard, they had no plans for more kids. Though speaking of, I've always had this theory. Do you think Barry decided not to go by Bart since on top of everyone thinking that his father killed his mother and him believing that a yellow lightning man did it, he didn't also want kids mocking him by saying "Ay Caramba!" or "Don't have a cow, man!" At him?" He asked, along with his best Bart Simpson impression, which made Frost laugh.
"Wouldn't surprise me." She replied, happy that her joy made Peter happy. "See, you're feeling better already. How about we take a break, go over to MM Good Donuts, reunite with Frankie, and grab a couple dozen for the team."
"Yeah okay." He says as he gets up and the two leave the lounge and head to the elevator. "I might be a little selfish wanting this, but it would've been nice to have been proposed to as well."
"She did say yes."
"Yeah, but-"
"You've done most of the grand romantic gestures out of the two of you." Frost realizes what he meant.
"I mean it's not like she never has either. She was the first of us to reveal her feelings for me (even if my response was a kiss). Hey, maybe you and Mark should propose to each other as well."
Frost was starting to get a little uncomfortable. "Well-"
"Oh, I'm sorry, it's probably too early in the relationship to think about such things."
"Actually…I've been wondering if I should break up with Mark or not."
"What do you mean? I thought you loved him?"
"I do-I-I don't know." She replied, a little unsure. "I was so certain on our double date with Caity and Marcus, but ever since I met you…I feel different about him."
"Frost, I-"
"I know we can't be anything other than friends. Honestly, I envy my doppelgänger. I love my dates with Mark, but…I think I just want a nice guy."
"Look, God knows I think the guy is a douchebag, unworthy of your forgiveness, let alone your love. But at least go on a date with him. I bet you haven't seen him in a while because you've been busy with Ronnie inadvertently causing death and chaos."
"Maybe, I'll think about it."
As they entered the elevator, Frost made a mental promise to herself that if she ever met Peter's Caitlin and Frost, she would make them propose to Peter to renew their vows. In fact, she believed Peter would like to renew his vows to them after being estranged from them for so long.
They soon return with two boxes of donuts for the team. They first went to Caitlin, only to find that she was out of the lab. Frost then heads to the Speed lab with one of the boxes of donuts, while Peter heads to Chester's Lab with the other box, only to run into Allegra on the way.
"Hey, donut?" Peter offered.
"Thank you." She replied, gladly and took one.
"How are you doing?"
"A little uneasy with resurrecting the dead."
"Again Ronnie isn't dead, we just thought he was."
"Still, people shouldn't resurrect the past on a whim. Last year, I watched my sister, Esperanza, die in my arms."
Peter was sympathetic to her. While he didn't lose a loved one in his arms, he was reminded of what Peter-2 told him about his Harry Osborn, back in the previous universe he was stuck in.
"I'm sorry." Peter said with sympathy.
"Thanks. Death shouldn't be some kind of science experiment. It's a part of life and it's finite. It's what my abuelita used to call "noche mas negra." Allegra explained.
""The Blackest Night."" Peter realized.
"Exactly."
"And I agree about resurrection. Fiction has often shown that there are prices for trying to bring back the dead: "Frankenstein," "Orpheus," "Death Becomes Her."
Allegra chuckled at that last reference. Peter wasn't sure why, but there was something ominous about their talk of "The Blackest Night." As they finally get to the lab, they find him working while live streaming (and beat boxing).
"Yo, it's me
Your boy, Chester P.
Ready to rock your world with knowledge 100% for free, free, free!" He rapped.
"You should sell merch, you know?" She suggested to Chester, to his surprise. "Like shirts that say, "What up, party people?" Like all the way around."
""All the way around, yeah?""
"Yeah."
"Or even a account for fans that want to give you money." Peter suggested, before opening the box. "Donut?"
"Thanks, Pete." Chester replied as he grabbed one. "Those are both good. I'm gonna steal those ideas."
"You hear that, Internet?" Peter jokingly said to the camera. "If I sue, you're all witnesses!" Chester and Allegra chuckle at that.
"Wow, you really are blowing up the Internet." Allegra stated, noticing all the comments.
"Just wait till my next episode, girl." Chester tells her, before making cheering noises.
"Wait, you're not sharing the specs for this online, are you?" Peter asked as he realized what Chester was doing as the Quantum Splicer was on his work bench in full view of the webcam.
"Uh, yeah." He tells them like it's obvious. "Live broadcasts, you know."
"But then someone could actually build it on their own." Allegra points out.
"Yeah, that's the point. Like, did you know that WookieLover77 built an entire fleet of drones based on my last A.I. algorithm? And now those same drones are delivering supplies to folks who need them in impoverished counties. That's what the whole Chester P. community is all about." He explained before imitating an air horn. "Shout-out to WookieLover77, saving the world one drone at a time."
"And that's great." Allegra replied before muting the Livestream. "But the splicer isn't a drone, and putting technology like this out there, it could be dangerous. What if it falls into the wrong hands?"
"I'm pretty sure supervillains have better things to do than watch my broadcast. Or worse things, I guess."
"You still might want to check yourself, depending on the science." Peter pointed out.
"But that goes against the whole purpose of scientific discovery. What good is knowledge if you don't share it? Guys, having access to a breakthrough like this could help one of my viewers better understand the laws of physics, which could lead to who knows what kind of innovation and make the world a better place. Hell, someone could see this and be inspired enough to land a breakthrough in the cosmology of our bodies' atoms or maybe even discover the true nature of what human consciousness really is or…you know…"
"Chester, it's admirable that you want to share your knowledge to make the world a better place. God knows I want the future to end up more "Star Trek" and "The Jetsons" and less "Terminator," "Matrix," "Mad Max," "Waterworld," or any apocalyptic-like future in fiction." Peter tells him. "But like my uncle's saying, "With great power, comes great trap responsibility" and to also quote "Schoolhouse Rock!," "Knowledge is power." We need to be responsible with this." He says as he taps his noggin. "And who we share it with. I once helped a colleague of mine at Mercury Labs with a serum to help regenerate limbs, like his missing arm. Unfortunately when he took it, it turned into a lizard creature that wanted to make everyone else like him."
"For real?" Chester asked.
"Yep. We're just asking you to be cautious."
"Yeah, maybe it's not a good idea for all knowledge to be so readily available." Allegra tells him.
"Yeah, sorta like the story of Adam and Eve. Most people think that God wanted the tree of knowledge to be forbidden forever. But I've always been of the opinion that God would have let them have the fruit eventually, when they were ready."
"Maybe you're right." Chester says as he turns off the Livestream. "I'll keep this one offline."
"Well hey, think about that merch." Allegra states, causing Chester to laugh.
"Uh, do you two need a minute? Cause I can come back later." Peter asked.
"What do you mean?" Chester asked.
"Nevermind." He says as he starts to help Chester with his splicer.
2013, Jitters, pre-abduction to Earth-199999
Peter heads up to the second floor of Jitters to meet with Ronnie. He and Caitlin just got back from vacation from Hudson Falls, where Ronnie planned to propose to her. Ronnie was at a table facing Peter as he finished climbing the stairs.
"Hey, I got you your usual." Ronnie told him, as he had not only his coffee, but Peter's as well.
"Nevermind that, how'd it go?" Peter asked as he sat down.
Ronnie's expression turned from happy to depressed quickly. "She turned me down. She broke up with me."
"What?! She did?!" He asked in shock. "I'm surprised. She seemed so nice-"
"BOO!" Said a familiar female voice from behind him.
Peter yelped in surprise. Since his spider sense didn't go off, he figured that this surprise wasn't a danger to him or anybody here. He turned to see it was Caitlin that surprised him, giggling at pranking Peter. He turns to see Ronnie now laughing with a big smile on his face. They pranked him.
"We got you!" Ronnie exclaimed with joy, as Caitlin sat down at their table.
"You assholes!" He replied, more happy that his friends are fine than being upset that they tricked him. "Very funny. You always were a good actor, Ronnie."
"How so?" Caitlin asked, not knowing what he was referring to.
"He played Lysander in our highschool's production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," in our senior year."
"Really? Another Shakespeare reference?" Deadpool asked.
What can I say, I'm a bit of a theater nerd (I did reference "Hamilton" and "Newsies" in chapter 8 of "Four Peters Vs. The Sinister Six"). After all, the fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.
"Did you just insult me via a Shakespeare quote?"
Quit interrupting, you'll have a more prominent role in an upcoming chapter.
"Ok, ok. See ya later folks! Enjoy "Deadpool and Wolverine," now playing in theaters or until this gets edited when it's available for home release!"
Back in the flash back at Jitters…
"So, you said yes?" Peter asked Caitlin.
"I said yes!" She replied with joy, displaying the engagement ring on her left hand.
"That's great! I'm guessing you asked me here to be the best man?"
"Actually, it's Hartley Rathaway." Ronnie said sarcastically, before slapping him on the shoulder. "Oh course it's you, Pete!"
"Well, while you're here. You can put me down as "solo."" He told them, a little sad.
"Oh come on, Peter." Caitlin said, trying to comfort her friend. "We've been over this already."
"Really? When was this?" Ronnie asked.
"Remember in our 3rd year of college? You two had just come back from a date. I was wallowing after Indy Daimonji broke up with me." Peter pointed out.
"You wanted to console him, but I thought he needed some advice from a girl." Caitlin told her fiancé.
"She said that this wasn't the end and that she would make it her mission to find someone for me."
"I said that one day we'd be at each other's weddings. That he'd be a groomsman, if not best man and that I'd at least be a bridesmaid at his wedding."
"Really? You knew we'd be together even then?" Ronnie asked.
"Well, I at least knew Peter was a friend I wanted to stay in my life. In case you left me."
"No way, never leaving you, I already asked." He replied, in a charming tone.
"Well, what if I left you?" She asked.
Ronnie let out a small chuckle. "I doubt it, you're the nicest girl on the planet."
"What? I can totally be a bitch."
Not likely Caity. Whispered a voice very, very softly that it was hardly noticeable in Caitlin's head. What Caitlin didn't know then was that that was Frost in her head.
"Uh, do you two need some alone time? Cause you're getting cutesy again and I'm starting to feel like a third wheel again." Peter asks, feeling a little awkward.
"Oh, you'll always be our third wheel. But Caitlin's right, we'll find you our fourth." Ronnie tells him.
"Yeah, we'll grow old and play bridge on our front porch. You, Ronnie, your future wife, and I, bragging about our grandkids." Caitlin tells Peter.
""Bridge?" Naw, we'll be playing D&D." Peter joked.
""D&D?" Really?" Caitlin asked, a little skeptical.
"Oh come on, you loved that session that May dungeon mastered a few months ago." Ronnie pointed out.
"Yeah, May is a diamond in the rough. I should find someone for her too. What about Doctor Wells?"
"Naw, I don't see a universe where May and Doctor Wells are a couple." Peter says, finding that scenario quite odd.
Later that day, the fire messed with lights where Cecile was at S.T.A.R. Labs, demanding to be reunited with Caitlin. Her telepathy allowed her to confirm that the black fire is indeed Ronnie, but doesn't want to be brought back, but wants to be free of his agony and die. She tells Barry and Caitlin, but the latter doesn't believe them. She decides to do this on her own. That night, Cecile informs the rest of the team in Chester's Lab.
"Wait, so Ronnie said he doesn't want to be brought back? He specifically said that?" Peter asked, a little skeptically.
"He just wants to be released from whatever prison he's been in all this time." Cecile explains.
"And my daughter, Tina wanted a pony for Christmas, two years ago, doesn't mean we got her one!" He replied sarcastically. "Look, I agree he doesn't want to be that fire anymore, but saving him can cure him!"
"There's also the fact that not saving Ronnie will result in more deaths." Allegra points out.
"There's that too."
"No it won't." Barry states as he walks into the lab. "We're not gonna let the fire kill anyone else. We're gonna stop it. The only way we can."
"You're gonna use the Cold Fusion Sphere to trap it." Frost realizes.
"And end Ronnie's pain, once and for all."
"You're going to kill him?" Peter asks.
"Yes. Look, I wish things were different, but we got to do it for Ronnie's sake."
"And we're sure this is what Ronnie wants?" Allegra asked.
"Exactly! Maybe he doesn't know that we can cure him and thinks that death is the only option. He asked Caitlin to use the splicer. Why would he also ask us to euthanize him?" Peter pointed out.
"Peter, I don't think Caitlin did properly hear him." Cecile stated.
"And you did because of your telepathy?"
"Well, yes."
"Peter, I know you want to help Ronnie, but maybe this is why he came back." Barry said.
"And it explains why he was so desperate to connect to Caitlin." Chester theorized.
"And helping Ronnie move on would keep the city safe." Allegra points out.
""Move on?" Like a ghost? For the billionth time, he's not dead, Allegra?!" Peter almost shouts. "Barry, the Quantum Splicer is nearly finished, we are this close to saving him." Peter says, gesturing that their goal is almost complete by making a "pinch" sign with his fingers that was close together.
"Peter's right, can't we at least let save him first before we have to use the Cold Fusion Sphere as a backup?" Frost asked.
"Peter, Frost, the Quantum Splicer works by bombarding the user's atoms with energy to create fission, but it requires the participant to be willing." Chester explained. "If Ronnie rejects the splicer, his atomic structure would become unstable, resulting in an endothermic explosion."
"He's not going to try." Cecile whispers. "All Ronnie wants now is to be at peace."
Peter almost replies something, but Frost then puts her hand on his shoulder. He turns to her and she gives him a look to trust her.
"Ok. If this is what we're doing, then what's the plan?" Frost asks.
"We use the Cold Fusion Sphere, just like before, only this time without putting anyone in danger. And then once it's caught inside-" Barry explains.
"We just need to remove the oxidizing agents, and it's bye-bye flames for good." Chester continued.
"I know how this sounds, but it feels like it's what the Ronnie we knew wants. We have to honor that." Barry tells them. The team nod in agreement, even Peter and Frost. "Okay, um, I'm gonna talk to Caitlin. She needs to know-"
"No, Peter and I will do it." Frost interrupts him. "She should hear it from me."
"And Peter?" Chester said with surprise.
"She's starting to warm up to me." Peter tells them as he and Frost exit the lab.
July 2019, pre-abduction to Earth-199999, over two months since the Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Peter Parker and Caitlin Snow (and Crystal Frost) were now married. They were at their reception, the two taking a break from dancing and chatting with guests.
"So, I guess we broke our promise." Caitlin pointed out.
"Meh, only half of it. We're at each other's weddings. It just so happened to be one and the same wedding and to each other and we're both the bride and groom, instead of each other's groomsman and bridesmaid." Peter points out. "But hey, life is funny like that. Like how there are people here we didn't know then." Referring to the friends they've made in the last 6 years, like Barry, Kara, Ray, Sara, etc.
After a few moments, the Post-Crisis resurrected Professor Martin Stein walks up to the happy couple.
"Congratulations again, you two. Mazel tov!" Stein exclaimed with joy.
"Thanks, Professor."
"You know, I can't help but wish that Ronald was alive to see this." He said, solemnly. "He talked about how much he loved you both. Even during the year we were stuck together, his memories of you both were always positive."
"Yeah, we miss him too." Peter replies before Martin gives each of the couple a hug before returning to his wife, Clarissa.
"Do you ever wonder if he would even be here?" Peter asked his wife, much to her confusion. "I mean, if Barry never created the singularity and Ronnie never sacrificed himself. You did tell me that you turned down his second proposal just before that because you were falling for me."
"I'd like to think he would have. He might have been mad at us at first, maybe blame Stein because him trying to protect me and Clarissa and having us think they were dead was the start of us falling for each other. But I think he'd want us to be happy. As awkward as it would have been for him, he'd still be our friend." Caitlin tells him.
"I love your optimism Mrs. Snow-Parker."
"Just my optimism?" She teased.
Peter let out a small chuckle before kissing his wife. There was a point in his life where he thought that this day would never come. Today, he's glad that he was wrong.
Frost and Peter enter the Med Lab to find Caitlin at the computer.
"We need to talk, all three of us." Frost tells her. "Barry wants to use the Fusion Sphere to help Ronnie die, and the team's on board."
"I'm not surprised after everything he said." Caitlin replied. "I just never thought either of you would go along with it."
"We're not, we're still gonna save Ronnie, Barry's orders be damned." Peter told her.
"I'm really worried, guys." Frost said.
"Wait, you're on their side? What the hell?!"
"Peter, you weren't going to listen to reason from them. You both need to hear it from me."
"Why won't you help me?" Caitlin asked.
"What I'm worried about isn't about Ronnie, but the two of you. Look, when Ronnie died, you and me weren't even you and me. I was still in your subconscious." She starts to tell Caitlin. "But even then, I could feel your pain the moment you realized he was gone. And that night when you went to bed, and every night after that. But as bad as that was, watching you pull away from everyone who loves you was even worse, and it's happening again."
Peter heard what she said. Remembering how he helped her get a job at Mercury Labs. Instead of running to Starling again, he stayed to confront her, especially because he was falling for her.
"And you," Frost says as she turned to Peter, "ever since Caity revealed that it's Ronnie, you've immediately wanted to help, but I get why. Your Ronnie was your first friend and the first person that you cared for and lost since your Uncle Ben. Your judgment's been clouded. You once told me how it annoyed you how Barry's focus in trying to save Iris from dying led to me working with Savitar. But now you're doing the same thing."
"I'm sorry you felt all that pain." Caitlin apologized. "But did you feel anything else?"
"I remember how happy you were before he died."
"You're right, I'm doing the same thing Barry did five years ago. I just didn't want to fail to save him again. Plus, part of me still feels like I betrayed him for loving Caitlin's doppelgänger. I guess I thought saving him, or at least his doppelgänger, would ease my conscience. But I still think we should try to save him first. Not just because his doppelgänger was my first and best friend, but with great power, comes great responsibility. It's my responsibility to use my powers and knowledge to save people, and that includes him."
"I agree, which is why I got this." Frost said before revealing that she had the Quantum Splicer tucked in the back of her pants."
"Why you little sneak!" Peter says with joy and a big smile, happy that she's on their side.
"What about Barry?" Caitlin asked.
"Sure, Barry's family, but you're blood, and I will always have your back. And Peter, you actually want to save him."
Caitlin then hugs Frost. "I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but get in here Parker." She then tells Peter who complies, feeling awkward to be hugging the doppelgängers of his wives. Soon the three separated from the hug.
"But you got to promise me something, all right? You will never shut yourself off from me or the rest of the team, all right?" Frost tells Caitlin, before putting her hand on Peter's shoulder. "Even Peter. I trust him with my life, and I should know, he took me web swinging once and he could've easily let gravity kill me."
"I promise. And, Frost, Peter…Thank you."
"You got it. Let's go find Ronnie."
"Okay, great. How do we do that?"
"We need to figure out where he is before the rest of the team do, and cure him." Peter says.
"We'll search this whole damn city to find him, day our night, rain or snow, or whatever. We're gonna find him." Frost stated.
Caitlin then turns to them like she's realized something. "That's it. Rain or snow. "Memories in the snow." That's what he was trying to tell me."
"What are you talking about?" Peter asked.
"I know where to find Ronnie."
The three then drive to the road by Piedmont State Park, where 9 years ago, Ronnie and Caitlin proposed to each other. Peter sat in the back seat (in his Spider-Man suit), while the two sisters were up front, with Frost (in her superhero outfit) riding shotgun, while Caitlin drove like she'd fit right in a Fast and Furious movie. They make their way to a campsite, only to find that Barry, as The Flash, already trapped the black fire in the Cold Fusion Sphere. Frost then sends a freeze blast to knock the sphere out of his hands.
"What did you do?!" Barry yelled.
"Exactly what we had to." Frost replied.
The sphere then breaks apart, causing the black fire to escape.
"You just destroyed our best shot at stopping this thing." Barry stated.
"That "thing" is Ronnie, and we're not going to stop it, we're going to be proper heroes and save him." Peter replied.
"He's right, that's my husband." Caitlin states as she matches her way to the black fire.
"You're gonna get yourself killed!" Barry protests.
"It's her decision, let her." Frost tells him as she puts her hand in front of him.
"Besides, something tells me that if you do, you'll lose her as a friend." Peter tells him.
Caitlin then stands in front of the black fire, staring at what has become of the man she loves, remembering all the moments they had.
"We promised each other we'd spend our future together." She tells the fire. It also makes Peter feel guilty about failing Ronnie and still being separated from his family. "I'm keeping that promise."
The fire then transforms from a giant black skull on fire, to a blue silhouette of a man with fog coming off him. Caitlin then puts the Quantum Splicer on him, which he absorbs into himself. The four of them look in wonder as the silhouette that was once the black fire, transforms into a man the team hadn't seen in nearly 7 years (12 for Peter), Ronnie Raymond. He's dressed in the same clothes he wore when he first went into the singularity, plus the Quantum Splicer.
"It's you. It's really you." She says with joy.
"Ronnie." Peter whispered.
"Cait, you did it. You saved me." Ronnie said.
Caitlin lets out a small laugh of joy of being reunited with her husband. Barry looks shocked, feeling guilty that he nearly killed Ronnie. But soon, Ronnie seems dizzy and falls into Caitlin's arms.
"You're okay, you're okay." She reassured him. "We're both okay now."
By the morning, they're all back at S.T.A.R. Labs., with Ronnie in S.T.A.R. Labs sweats and the Quantum Splicer, passed out in the Med Lab. Caitlin enters the Cortex to inform the team.
"Ronnie's still recovering from the massive energy surge to his system, but he's stable." She tells them.
"Oh, thank God." Allegra replied happily.
"There's still an occasional irregularity in his amygdala function that I haven't quite figured out, but it should improve when he gets his strength back." Caitlin then says as she shows them in her tablet.
"He's been through a lot. I guess it would be weird if he didn't have some kind of reaction."
"We're all just glad he's back, Caitlin." Joe tells her.
"Joe's right. We're all so happy for you honey." Cecile also tells her.
"Thank you." She replied with a big smile.
"I've got more good news, y'all." Chester starts to tell them as he brings something up on the monitors. "So I've had satellites running barometric scans all night. There's been zero sign of our angry inferno anywhere, not one flicker."
Joe then shakes Chester's hand at the sound of the good news.
"I mean, there was no evidence that there was more than one black fire and we already discovered that it was Ronnie all along and we cured him. So…yeah." Peter says.
"Yeah, now that Ronnie's human again, no more grief eating monster." Frost says.
"Caitlin, I'm so sorry I ever doubted you. I was wrong the whole time." Barry apologized.
"It's okay. You were just trying to do what you thought was right." Caitlin replied.
"We all lose faith sometimes, but the point is, we brought one of our family members back here." Joe stated.
"Yeah, that sounds great to me, and I can't wait to get to know him." Allegra says.
"Ronnie's a nice guy, I'm sure he'll become fast friends with the newbs." Peter states.
"Yeah, I actually think the two of you are really gonna get along." Caitlin says. "And you too, Chester. Even you Peter."
"Yeah. I need to remind myself he's not the same guy I have history with, just like I have with all of you. But I can't wait to get to know this Ronnie, just like I've gotten to know these versions of all of you, as well as you two as well." He replied to them and told Chester and Allegra.
"What makes you say that?" Chester asked.
"Don't know if it's the same with this Ronnie, but on my world, on slow crime nights or anything, Ronnie and I have played D&D since college."
"Well, I shouldn't say if mine did or not, but…" Caitlin says with glee.
"No, really?!" Chester asked with joy.
"Once or twice."
"Oh, snap! We gotta get him his game on, girl! Once he's better and all, of course."
"Whatever happened to chess or checkers?" Joe complained, not too happy at the idea of D&D, let alone playing.
"Oh, quit your whining, you Muggle. The nerds are taking over!" Peter jested. "But seriously, like all forms of entertainment, gaming has evolved. Plus, quit complaining, Dungeons & Dragons have been around since the mid 70s, you could have easily played it in your youth."
"Uh, Caitlin…For what it's worth, I'm so sorry." Cecile apologizes. "I don't know, my powers, they've just-they've never been so off before. I just wish I knew why I got it so wrong."
"That's okay. All that matters is that Ronnie's home." Caitlin replied.
"Yeah."
After they all leave, Peter heads to the med lab. He just stands at the doorway for a while, tears falling down his face.
"What are you doing?" Caitlin asked behind him.
"Gah!" He exclaims with surprise. "I just-I was checking on him." He stammers.
"Were you crying?"
He then relents. "Again he's not my Ronnie, but…I haven't seen him in the flesh in 12 years outside of photos. It's just good to see him again." He said earnestly.
"Yeah, I know." She says with sympathy, especially since she could relate to being happy about this reunion.
"So, you called him your husband." Peter pointed out.
"Yeah?" She asked.
"Isn't it going to make things difficult for you and Marcus?"
"Actually…Marcus and I broke up yesterday."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I was worried that the black fire would go after him next or something."
"So like Barry did with Patty Spivot and I've done with past girlfriends, you broke up with him to protect him."
"Yeah. It's a shame, because I did like him. But it worked out for the best. Well…at least with me."
"Did you love him?"
"Well…I like him."
"Did you love him?" He repeats with more emphasis. She does say anything. "You didn't just go on all those vacations to avoid me, right? You were actually trying to spend one-on-one time with him to make a relationship appear out of thin air."
"It's just…on weekends like those were where Ronnie and I fell in love."
"Well despite your past experience and what Frost and Mark have done, romantic vacations are not always the key to love. I never took your doppelgänger on vacations while we were dating (mostly because I was busy as Spider-Man). Hell the closest may have been with going on a vacation with just the two of us (or technically, three of us) was our honeymoon. We even tried to plan a date at a fancy restaurant once, but we both later agreed we prefer cuddling on the couch and watching rom coms. The point is, it's not about the places or the dates, it's about who you spend them with."
Caitlin agreed. After all, her proposal to Ronnie was not what she planned, but it was made special because of who she proposed to.
"But hey, you got Ronnie back, so everythings great for you." Peter then said.
"Yeah." She says, just before he starts to leave. "Peter." She then calls out, which he then stops and turns back around for. "Thanks again for helping me save him." She says before giving him a hug.
"Yeah, I'm glad something turned in our favor. Though this ordeal has made me wonder something."
"About what?"
"Well, if Ronnie survived the singularity…maybe Eddie did too."
"I doubt it. Even if he was sent to the same place as Ronnie, he would have likely died from his bullet wound."
"True, maybe I'm a little selfish and I want more lost or dead friends back."
"I hear ya."
That night, Peter went on patrol throughout the city. By the end of his patrol, he decided to check on Ronnie and Caitlin. As he gets closer to S.T.A.R. Labs, he sees an odd blue light shining from the lounge window. He uses the Team Flash help alert and then swings in to see Caitlin being held by a being that reminded Peter of Robbie Reyes, the Ghost Rider from Earth-616, that he met during the crisis and Earth-2 doppelgänger from Peter Barton's team that he met during Battleworld. Only with blue fire, and said blue fire was consuming Caitlin. Peter's Spider-Sense started to tingle off the charts. The first time he felt something like this since he first faced Zoom.
"Get away from her." Peter (and coincidentally, Barry) said as they both arrived. Barry threw a lightning bolt at the thing as Peter shot insulation webbing at it. He then jumped over it and then used a web line to pull Caitlin away from it. In anger, it sent a wave of fire at the three to knock them to the ground.
"It's still not enough!" The villain growled in a dark voice, almost familiar to Ronnie. "But I'll be back! And this life of yours will end!"
Just as Frost and Allegra were entering the room, the villain jumped and phased out the window and flew away.
"Caity?" Frost asked in worry at seeing her sister on the ground.
"What the hell was that thing?" Allegra asked Barry and Peter as they got up off the ground.
"I don't know. Whatever it was, my lightning and Peter's webs didn't affect it."
"Great, we saved Ronnie and then this guy shows up. Out of the frying pan and into the fire." Peter said in frustration.
"What's wrong with her?" Frost asked, noticing that she was still partly out of it, wheezing deep breaths. They then take her to the Med Bay to discover that Ronnie is missing. What Peter didn't know yet, was the skull guy that attacked Caitlin and escaped…he was Ronnie…or at least, he was who they just saved.
A/N: I wanted Peter to help save Ronnie, because he would still feel guilty about bringing Deathstorm.
Considering What If Universe has "Flash and Spider-Man" May be a sci-fi fan and an excellent laser tag player, I could see her being a Dungeons and Dragons fan (even to the point that she'd be a Dungeon Master).
Indria "Indy" Daimonji was Peter's girlfriend on "Spider-Man: The New Animated Series" aka the MTV Spider-man with Neil Patrick Harris.
The dumb Amy Adams movie I referenced is "Leap Year."
Since What If Universe wrote "Flash and Spider-Man" well before this episode aired, he just had Ronnie propose. As soon as I saw Caitlin reveal she was going to propose and that Ronnie was going to as well, I knew this would create some sweet drama for Peter. I did use some words from his adaptation for when he first encounters Deathstorm.
It was certainly interesting to see Robbie Amell return, especially since when the original episode first aired, I was also in the middle of watching Robbie's Amazon Prime show, "Upload."
Also used the first few minutes of the next episode, "Death Rises," so that that opening scene could be the cliff hanger. It's never explained how Barry knew to save Caitlin then, so I added that Peter called him.