Spider Lost

by FumbleFeatures

Peter Parker/Spider-Man is flung into a new world unfamiliar to him. A world of heroes similar to his own, but endlessly different. Landing in a city called Gotham, Peter initially just wants to go home. Making new friends and enemies along the way, can Peter adjust to this new world or will he crumble under the mounting pressure of Parker luck?

18. Chapter 18 - Holiday Special

Spider Lost: Holiday Special – The Spectacular Spider-Mite

DC Universe – Prime Earth

New York, Queens – Parker Residence

December 24th, 2022

Peter shuffled his way through the front door into the living room where Terri and Ben were sat watching a rerun of the 'Hello, Megan' Christmas special. Or Ben was at least, Terri seemed too absorbed in her phone to do much else other than aimlessly scroll Pinterest in hopes of finding a revolutionary new way to decorate her room.

Peter had discovered that watching the 'Hello, Megan' Christmas reruns every year was sort of a tradition for the Parkers of Earth Prime. The actual episodes themselves weren't all that important, but the family time between the pair, now three, was.

"Ey up, Parkers! How's it diddlin'?" Peter spoke in a faux Northern English accent as he pulled off his coat and hung it on the hook by the door. He was dressed in his civvies after a quick rooftop change from his costume after patrol.

Terri peeled her eyes from her phone as she looked at Peter incredulously, "What the hell was that? Are you having a stroke?"

"Nope! At least I don't think so… Dr. Micheals used it the other day. Apparently, it's a Northern thing…"

"Yeah, well normally we speak English in this house. Try using 'hello' in future."

"Sorry to break it to ya', Terri, but they speak English in England…"

"Incorrectly."

"Don't say that to Dr. Micheals, he'd 'have a mare'…"

"Whatever the hell that means…"

"I think it's a more polite way of saying he'd lose his shit." Ben spoke up, not bothered by the interruption of the show since he'd seen it more times than he could count, "Whether we like it or not, the limeys did create the language… they can butcher it however they like as far as I'm concerned."

"See, Uncle Ben gets it." Peter said as he walked over to the free sofa spot and wiggled into it, sighing as he did so, before wincing slightly and grabbing his side causing a look of concern from his family.

"Rough night out?" Ben said, not hiding his worry.

"Not really. Same old same old. But some joker flew his drone into my ribs by accident. Full speed, right on the bone…"

"Again? What's the point in having 'Arachno-Sense' if you keep getting hit by things?" Terri said.

"One. That's not what it's called, and you know it," she did know it, she always made-up stupid names for his Spider-Sense to tease him, "And two. I was more focused on stopping a kid getting hit by a bus to clock it in time."

"Excuses excuses…"

"And you're sure it was the drone… Not something else?" Ben said as he narrowed his eyes.

"Would you believe me if I said it was actually Santa's sleigh? Damn can Vixen kick…" Peter chuckled uncomfortably before relenting against the pressure of Ben's stare, "Fine! I got hit by the bus, there wasn't time to swing out of the way entirely."

Both of them perked up in concern as they looked at him and said at once, "You got hit by a bus?!"

"Only a little bit…" Peter felt his face reddening. Their expressions of shock and worry didn't change, "Stop looking at me like that, I got clipped by the side-view-mirror, no biggie."

"No biggie? Peter, you got hit by a bus." Terri said, there was a hint of panic in her voice.

"And I'm fine. Everyone was fine… Well, the city are probably gonna' have to pay for a new mirror, and I might have seven years bad luck, but that can just be added to all the Parker luck already in the bank. So honestly, it's nothing to stress over."

"Jesus, Peter… I know you don't want us breathing down your neck with this whole hero business, but try to be more careful… please. For our sakes." Ben said as he rubbed his eyes in stifled stress.

"I am careful, it's not like I went out of my way to get hit."

"Kinda' sounds like you did…" Terri said with a half chuckle half sigh of worry.

"Yeah, well it was me or the kid."

"You did the right thing, don't think that we don't know that… It's just- This can be hard for us Peter. Promise me you won't dive headfirst into things you can't handle…" Ben said.

"I could handle it though…"

"I'm not talking about the bus anymore Peter… Just- just don't make us lose you too…" Ben's voice was stern and concerned. The severity of his words cut Peter deep as he saw as Terri visibly flinched at the thought, which was clearly plaguing her mind too, being externalised.

Peter smiled uncomfortably back, "I promise."

"Good. Thank you… On to cheerier topics… What's Dr. Micheals doing this year for Christmas anyway? Staying in Gotham?" Ben asked.

Switching gears as he drew his eyes away from the awful look of tempered fear on Terri's face, Peter pushed aside his mild guilt and replied, "Nah. They did that last year apparently, him and his wife are going back to Leeds to stay with his sister and her family."

"Well, that sounds good. Hope he has a good time, give him my regards next time you see him."

"Will do…"

The tense atmosphere of the evening slowly fizzled away as they settled into a quiet Christmas eve of watching TV, chatting, putting the star on the tree and saying their goodnights ready for their first Christmas in their new family.

Back in his room, Peter hurriedly rushed to finish wrapping the gifts he'd gotten for Terri and Ben and left sitting in his room for the past few days.

For Terri, he gifted her three things. A mismatched collection of hardcover, paperback, old and new books from several different stores making up one complete series. A fantasy series called 'Of Thrones and Checkers' (he'd never heard of it; he assumed it was this world's version of Game of Thrones/Song of Ice and Fire since that appeared to be one of the few missing pieces of pop culture here).

It was the original stories that the TV series she'd been binging was based off, apparently the ending was terrible, but she said offhandedly once, that she'd love to actually read the series. After some creeping in her room to check she hadn't bought them for herself as well as some light interrogations to check she hadn't already listened to the audiobooks, he managed to snag each book over the course of the few weeks he'd been in this world.

Her second present was a simple re-gift, but one that would hopefully knock her socks off. After giving her one quick glance of his Avengers ID before coyly shoving it away to tease her, Terri had become infatuated with learning more about his home world. As such, he decided that, since it served little to no purpose in this world, he would give her his Avengers ID to keep. As long as she kept it hidden of course.

And her third and final gift was a framed printout of a selfie they took on top of the Empire State building, one without masks from their second or third visit there. Apparently, Peter's favourite thinking spot had quickly become hers too, and now it was their sibling spot for bonding. Deep chats and just simple gossip about Terri's time at school being shared on top of one of New York's most iconic tourist attractions had become a sort of random tradition between them.

For Ben, he'd opted for only the one gift, but it was still a good one he thought. It was a photo album, not full yet but with about thirty print outs of family photos of the Parkers from his home dimension.

Ben too had also showed fascination with Peter's home, and he hoped his gift would let Ben into the world that Peter called home. Pictures of him and Ben when he was young, of Peter and May at his high school graduation, of the three of them together, even the couple pictures he managed to snag with Ben Reilly and Jess.

The unfilled pages he imagined could be populated with the memories they would make together, as their new family. A way of remembering the future as a family they'd create without encroaching on the space of the Peter and May that came before him.

There was a mild tinge of concern that Ben would find the gift too painful, if that happened Peter was screwed. He couldn't think of any other gift for Ben like he could for Terri. What do you get for the man that did, but didn't, raise you? The man who died in one world and lived in the other? He decided to stop thinking about it and finished wrapping the gift.

After sneaking downstairs to place the gifts under the tree, he crept back to bed and felt his consciousness leave him almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

That was until he was awoken by a presence in his room, but he didn't know what. He immediately sat up as The Other prickled in defence in his mind, he immediately searched his room for the intruder.

He saw a dark shadow shifting in the corner of his room as he squinted to get a better view of its form, "Well if it isn't the shiniest star of the omniverse himself! I've wanted to meet you for a while now." Peter heard the shadow speak.

"Dream…?" Peter found himself saying, still not awake enough to register the reality that something was in his room with him. But he was confused by his own words. As if he had no memory of why he would say that.

Peter felt no tickle from his Spider-Sense, but the Other was growling softly in his subconscious, clearly it did not like whatever had appeared in his room.

"As if! Endless shmendless. Those guys are so two decades ago at least." A voice, grating and high pitch, whined back at him.

Peter leapt out of his bed as he equipped his web shooter and aimed it desperately at the shadow, finally facing the truth that there was an intruder as The Other continued to ferociously hum in the back of his head.

"Whoever you are, you made a big mistake coming to this house!" Peter called as he shot a web into the shadowy form.

The figure disappeared and he heard as the web splattered into the wall behind, he turned as he heard the figure click their fingers. His eyes were assaulted by a sudden invasion of light as all the lamps in his room suddenly turned themselves on.

That's when he was face to face with the intruder, they were short, very short. They had buck teeth and an annoying grin plastered on their face, they were wearing a Batman costume with a squiggly symbol on the chest which looked a bit like an 'M' with bat wings, and they were floating. It was odd that that was the last thing he noticed.

It didn't matter, he immediately swung a punch; he didn't feel a warning from his Spider-Sense but the near screaming in his subconscious from The Other urged him to attack. Like a primal instinct took control of his body.

"Rule one: You never come to our home!" He called as he swung his fist at the floating figure.

His fist swung pointlessly through the air as the small floating man reappeared on the other side of him, "Woah! That's not very polite! I thought you were meant to be nicer than Batman?"

"Then you've never seen me on a bad day…"

Webs and fists were flying about, but the little creature avoided every strike. Peter felt surges of adrenaline fuelled rage burning from within him, from within the Other.

It was as if the Slimbiote could tell that their intruders power were beyond immense, and they had gone into fight or flight. He wanted to calm himself down, but he couldn't, the Slimbiote wouldn't let him, its rage and fear were running through him like there was a river of lava in his veins.

"Wait! I know why your acting so mean; your gooey cohabitant is freaked out by me! Let me fix that." They snapped their fingers again and disappeared from view.

Peter felt all the rage inside him dissipate as he stood in his room alone, his mind cleared as he looked about the space, the room was a mess. Webs and misplaced furniture thrown about the place. Calm seemed to cooly wash over his entire body as he realised it was the Other's sheer terror that had made him lose control.

Terror of what though, he wasn't sure. That was until the little man reappeared and spoke, "All fixed now, sorry about that!"

Peter took a defensive stance and tightened his fist, "Who are you and why are you here? And why are you dressed as Batman? Also, while I'm asking questions, what are you? Some kind of elf? Please tell me you're not meant to be a goblin… I hate goblins" his voice was controlled now, but still hostile.

Peter felt a calm bristle from the Other inside him, it was no longer afraid.

"I'll ignore your casual racism of goblins for now… I'm an imp actually, the fifth dimensional kind." The figure spoke with a grin, "The name's Batmite, and I am so happy to finally meet you, Spider-Man. I promise you I come in peace."

"Fifth dimensional imp… Of course. Why not? What did you do to the Other? If you came in peace, why was it so scared? And don't think I'm just gonna' forget the whole breaking into my room thing."

"You let Morpheus in, why the hostility to me?"

"Who the hell is Morpheus? You're the only who's ever broken into my room."

"Right. You can't remember that. Dreaming rules…"

"Stop talking in riddles, I am not in a whimsical mood right now! Tell me, why was the Other afraid of you, and why isn't it now? And finally, tell me why I shouldn't just web you up and throw you out of my window?"

"Because you couldn't. But as for your little Venom baby… It sensed my tremendous fifth dimensional powers and thought I worked for some guy named the 'Lord in Black'… No. 'King in Dark'? Oh. King in Black… But I'm not, I told it why I'm here and now they like me…"

"Who?" Peter asked out loud, 'Is that true?' he thought to his Slimbiote.

The Other whistled in confirmation as Batmite spoke, "I have no idea… I'm a Batman fan, I don't care about your reality… Or I didn't until you came here… For the record, your hybrid child didn't seem to really know either, but it was scared of them. Seems spooky, look out for that. Sounds like an Eldritch, primordial evil type deal, always a nuisance, amirite?"

"Sure, whatever you say. Right now, I feel like fifth dimensional imps are the real nuisance, so one last time: Why. Are. You. Here?"

"To give you a Christmas present."

"What?"

"When you came here, you broke the walls between Multiverses, and I've been looking into loads of worlds I couldn't have before. And I am hooked!"

"Is that safe? I thought I shouldn't even be here… Poking around beyond this multiverse sounds so risky."

"And who told you that?"

"Batman, Mr Terrific and… I could swear someone else…"

"Ugh, the Endless… So contrived, why Morpheus wouldn't just let you remember I'll never know."

"Okay you've said that name twice now, who's Mor—?"

Batmite cut Peter off, "Do you want me to explain, or do you want your gift?"

"Which one gets you out of my room quickest?"

"Hah! Feisty. I like it, Batman's always so grumpy…"

"You've met him?"

"I'm a fifth dimensional imp, I'm his most powerful ally…"

"Well, he's never mentioned you. I just assumed you were a mega fanboy."

"Can't I be both?"

"Good point. So, what's this gift?"

"I'm gonna' send you home."

"What?!" Peter's voice became higher pitch then he ever thought it could.

"Well, you see, since you arrived, all the other imps and fifth dimensional beings have been absolutely obsessed with you… And as Batman's number one fan, I can't have that… You're completely stealing his thunder."

"W-what did you just say, you can send me home?"

"Yes. Theoretically…"

"Theoretically?"

"No more questions." Batmite snapped his fingers and Peter flinched slightly as his classic blue and red costume appeared on him, complete with mask. in less than a second, "Merry Christmas! For one night only, I am no longer Batmite, I am the 'Spectacular Spider-Mite!'", he snapped his fingers again and his own costume changed to a copy of Peter's, only with the same squiggly 'M' instead of a Spider on his chest.

"No more questions? I have so many questions to ask. I can't just leave like—"

Batmite snapped his fingers.

Unknown Multiverse – Unknown Universe

Unknown Location

"—This… What?" Peter looked around himself, he was on a rooftop garden in Queens…

"Tah-dah!"

"Am I… Is this…?"

Peter looked around as he saw a battlefield around him, broken buildings and debris everywhere. Warrior women fighting... Atlanteans? There was a smashed up clock tower that looked like the famous clock Big Ben. Upon further inspection he wasn't even in America, this looked like a post apocalyptic London...

"What is this?" Peter asked.

"Yeah... I had no idea your home was such a dump." Spider-Mite casually replied as he looked around at the carnage all around them.

"This isn't even the right country!"

"Ohhh... that explains why its so bleak here. We're in England."

"This is not my world! There is no way everything went this downhill in like... just over three weeks."

Peter ducked out of the path of a woman with a sword as she leapt over him, taking a swing at his head. When she landed and turned back to him he snatched the sword with a webline and whacked her away casually... she landed several feet away, unconcsious.

"Look at this place, Batmite! All these people are killing each other! This is a full blown war! Get us outta' her- I-is that Wonder Woman fighting Aquaman? Oh my god they're straight up trying to murder each other... And why the hell is Batman using guns? What the hell happened here... This place is awful!"

"Oh no... I miscalculated, we're still in the old multiverse, couldn't quite get us passed the Source Wall. And hey, it's Spider-Mite remember, I'm doing a bit, do you have any idea how much wearing this costume hurts my pride?"

"Then stop wearing it and send me back!"

Peter was then suddenly knocked backwards before he could react to his Spider-Sense, Wonder Woman's body flung into him by a very buff looking Aquaman. Diana didn't hesitate to turn around and stand back up grabbing Peter by the neck as she picked up her sword, "Men." she said, with so much hate Peter couldn't help but gulp.

Whoever this woman was, no matter how she looked and fought, she was not Wonder Woman... He peered over her shoulder at Aquaman charging towards them, his eyes so full of venom that Peter realised, he was also clearly not the same hero he had met on the Watchtower.

"D-diana... What're you-?"

Spider-Mite clicked his fingers.

Unknown Multiverse - Unknown Universe

Location Unknown

Peter dropped to the floor coughing as he disapeared from the evil Diana's grip, he rubbed his neck as he spoke, "Remind me to never get on Wonder Woman's bad side..."

"You were planning to?"

"Obviously not, but that... that couldn't have been Diana... or Aquaman, or Bruce for that matter... what was that place?"

"That world used to be similar to Prime Earth but Flash ruined it by trying to save his mom... He fixes it though, don't worry. I tell you what though, you'd never catch Batman doing something as selfish as that..."

Peter just sighed as he looked around his new surroundings. He was in the Batcave... but a different Batcave than he was used to, this one was bright and cheerful, "We're still in the old multiverse... okay good. Now's as good a time as any to say this, Spider-Mite just please send me back to Ben and Ter-"

"Holy tangled webs, Batman! Spider-Man has just appeared in Batcave!" A young voice called.

Peter turned around to see a version of Robin wearing a bright red and green cloth costume with a gold collar and cape staring at them with bewilderment. Batman standing beside him also ina cloth grey costume with a blue, purplish cowl cape and shorts.

"Great scott, Robin... You're right. There must be some kind of comic convention happening in town... but how this capricious cosplayer constituted himself inside our base is a mystery..." Batman replied, "Perhaps this fan of the fictitious webbed wonder has been transported here by the imp like creature floating beside him... careful Robin, this may turn ugly..."

The dynamic due tensed for a fight.

"Oh yay! I love these guys!" Spider-Mite chirped, "hey fellas, don't mind us, we're just leaving! Big fan!"

Batmite clicked his fingers and they were gone again.

Unknown Multiverse - Unknown Universe

Location Unknown

"Ugh... still not passed the Source Wall..." Spider-Mite spoke, casually ignoreing the skinny, jokerised version of Batman fighting a more stereotypical version of himself as well as another version of the Joker.

"Is that two Joker's in a fight with each other as Batman fights the one dressed as himself, or a Batman with the giggles fighting the Joker and Batman?"

"Ignore them... The Batman who laughs over there way overstayed his welcome. Even I think so, I'm a mega fan..." Spider-Mite responded before clicking them away.

Unkown Multiverse - Unknown Universe

Location Unknown

"Ah, finally, past the Source Wall. Now we're in the right Multiverse..."

Peter looked ahead at the press conference being held in front of him, a man in a suit looking vaguely familiar.

"Is that Robert Downey Jr? From the Sherlock Holmes films?"

The man continued waffling as a series of questions were thrown at him, all of the journalist referring to him as "Mr Stark" as they bombarded him with their interrogations.

"Wait? Robert Downey Jr is Tony Stark here... that's so weird..."

"The truth is..." Robert Downey Stark spoke, not noticing the two interdimensional observers at the back of the crowd, "I am Iron Man."

Peter heard Spider-Mite click his fingers.

Marvel Multiverse? - Unkown Universe

Location Unknown

"Will you stop doing that?! before I can say a word... I want to go ba-"

"Back home I know, that's what I'm trying to do."

"That's not what I mean... besides, we coulda stayed just a little longer in that world, it was getting interesting..."

"Yeah well, all that was left was credits and a cameo from Nick Fury... nothing too major for someone like you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh don't get me wrong, that universe is cool, if you don't have a taste as refined as mine... Bat-"

"If you mention Batman one more time, I'm gonna' punch you."

"Well someone's grouchy..."

"Spider-Mite, just... will you stop for a moment and just let me tal-"

"Oh stop whining... besides, I think we're here."

"Wait you mean?"

Peter looked ariund him, it was springtime, roughly mid afternoon, the skyline was familiar... too familiar... was he? Was this home?

For a moment, Peter felt terror at being ripped away from his family, but it was quickly replaced with a dark, guilty, sense of relief… Was it all over? Just like that? The pain of missing everyone he met on Earth Prime was swallowed by the chance he could see May again... Jess... MJ... All the others.

"Earth 616161… In the flesh… or bricks." Peter was torn from his thoughts by Spider-Mite's words.

"That can't—I don't know how to feel about this…" Peter was stuttering, unsure how to move forward with eveything he knew...

"Might I suggest grateful?"

"Grateful? You just—"

"Spider-Man…? Why are you talking to yourself?" A female voice spoke from behind him, he tensed as he slowly turned around, "And how did you just… appear there? Are you doing another team up with Doctor Strange? And, wow, did you get taller or is that just a trick of the light?" the young girl with short dark hair asked him.

He had no idea who she was, but she seemed to know him, he felt his mind stop, he had no idea what to say, "Err… hi…? How long have you been standing there?"

"Hi. And... the whole time, again though, how'd you just, magically appear like that?" She spoke with a chuckle but one thatw as becoming more nervous than before, "Are you okay? You're kinda' freaking me out..."

"I... freaking you out? Sorry, um, do we know each other...?"

"Pete—" She corrected herself, "Spider-Man, what's happening? You're being weird…" several animals came up to her, squirrels, birds, a few cats. She began giving them various treats based on their species.

Peter looked to his side and noticed the imp, formerly Batmite, now Spider-Mite, was gone, "Did um… eheh, you didn't happen to see a little floating imp did you…?"

"No…? Is that what you're fighting right now?"

"No, err… wait, did you just call me Pe—"

Peter was interrupted by the sound of feet landing on the roof as a male voice spoke, "Hey babe, sorry I'm late I got caught up wi—" the boy, who was dressed as Spider-Man said as he landed before he saw Peter and immediately approached the young girl and stood in front of her defensively, "Chat. Get behind me… That's not me… Chameleon?" he asked to Peter.

"Chameleon? Wow… that stings…" Peter spoke as realisation set in, Spider-Mite messed up again. Peter couldn't tell if he was glad about, or completely distraught by, that information.

"Pe- Spider-Man, what's happening?" She started walking backwards putting as much distance between herself and both Spider-Men as the animals surrounded her defensively.

"I don't know…" The other Spider-Man spoke.

Peter sighed, deciding to just go with the flow while he waited for the imp, "I do." He removed his mask, "My name is Peter Parker, and I think I'm from another universe."

The two younger people tensed, they looked at his face, "You're not me—I mean, you're not Peter Parker, I've met him before, he takes my—"

"Yeah, yeah, he takes your pictures for the Bugle, next thing you'll tell me he builds all your tech… Hey kid, you ever fight the Inheritors?"

"Who?"

Peter sighed, this Spider-Man clearly hadn't, that would've made it so much easier, plus, he may have been able to borrow this Peter's interdimensional wristband which would come in handy if Spider-Mite left him high and dry thinking this actually was his world, "Doesn't matter, I guess. Listen, Peter, I may not be you, but I am Spider-Man, no Chameleon or Mysterio tricks here."

"I don't believe you…" Suddenly, both Spider-Men felt their Spider-Senses synchronise as they hummed in recognition of one another, "I—You're like me…"

"See? Told you…"

The other Spider-Man approached and removed his mask, they looked similar, but different. They had different faces, but most notably, this Spider-Man was still early in his career, he looked about 15 or 16…

"Woah… And you said you're from another universe, that's so cool…" The younger Peter spoke.

"Ummm… Peter, should you just believe this guy?" The young girl, Chat, asked.

"I don't know, I mean, Spider-Sense don't lie…"

"Spider-Sense doesn't lie… You're right… Except when it does actually, you seem young, so I should warn you about that…"

The younger Peter tensed and took a defensive pose, "What?"

"Sorry. That was some badly timed cautionary advise, not a threat, I really am Spider-Man, and I don't mean you or… umm… Is umm… that you're girlfriend?" Peter didn't know really what to say so just gestured to Chat as he regarded his younger self.

Young Peter nodded suspiciously, "Her name is Chat…"

"Don't tell him my name, Peter! What if he's a bad guy?!" She panicked out at her boyfriend.

"Sorry, babe... I'm a bit weirded out right now, at least I only said your nickname..." Younger Peter offered with an uncomfortable shuffle.

"Which is more of my identity than I want a bad guy to know..." She hissed back while stariing daggers at the older Peter Parker.

"Well you just told him my name!" Young Peter protested back.

"He already seemed to know it!"

"Well now he definetely does!"

Peter spoke up once more, clearing his throat against the awkward air that his younger self and his girlfriend had created, "Errr... still here by the way, and still not a bad guy."

"That's what a bad guy would say…" She replied as more animals started surrounding her with angry expressions.

"That's… actually a pretty fair point…" He watched as more animals began to surround the roof, "hey um, can you talk to animals? Are you this world's Squirrel Girl? Dude, are you dating Squirrel Girl?!"

"Hey, I am not Squirrel Girl! She doesn't own talking to animals… I'm Spider-Man's beautiful mutant girlfriend who can talk to animals, Spider-Faker!"

"Ouch… Spider-Faker… That one stung more than the Chameleon remark…" Peter replied sarcastically.

"Chat… I think this guy is telling the truth, you can cool it with the animals…" the younger Peter finally relented.

The animals retreated a bit, but she still kept a small army around herself, "I'm still not sold…"

"I can help with that!" Another young British woman spoke as she landed on the roof, she was wearing a domino mask, dressed in a white costume with dark blue arms and collar bone which carried over her waist to the shape of an 'S', a logo of a lipstick clad mouth on her chest.

"Emma?" Chat spoke with surprise, "Were you just witing to show up? This was meant to be a date you know..."

"Oh shush you... I was in the neighbourhood and noticed you were stressed... Plus, it's Silencer, remember? Jeez Chat, now if this guy really is a bad guy I've got to wipe his memories… You two are terrible at this, it's a wonder the whole world doesn't know who you are..."

"Sorry…" Chat replied mildly red faced.

"I'm sure it's fine… I'll just do it when I read his mind…" The young blonde girl replied.

'Blonde, British, called Emma… a telepath…' "Wait, don't tell me you're Emma Frost?!"

"How did…?" She read his mind, "Oh wow… Is that me? Oh what? No way, I'm an X-Man?"

"What are you seeing, Emma?" Chat asked.

"Well, he's telling the truth… He is Peter Parker… But not our Peter Parker."

"Yeah… umm, I did say that from the beginning... but, hey, thanks for reading my mind without asking… really cool to just disregard my consent like that…" Peter spoke, mildly irritated at the young woman.

"Sorry about her… she's uh… We're working on it… er, a-at least we know you're telling the truth now…" Chat replied as she approached her friend with a slight glare.

"See! It all worked out! besides, how else was I meant to see if he was telling the truth?" Emma harumphed.

"You could've, I don't know… asked first…? You know, before you went snooping through my mind, I'll have you know last time someone went snooping in there we both nearly died!"

"That would explain the fuzzy bits, someone must have put up a mental block…"

"Yeah, you're lucky that I happen to know some very thorough martians… psssh… Teenagers…"

"Hey, I was older than you in your world… The first one I mean... Gotta, say you've been through some really whacky stuff."

"Yeah, well, it comes with the job... But since this clearly isn't my world, it doesn't matter how old you are back there... my poinyt still stands."

Emma Frost just rolled her eyes at that.

"So, umm… If you're really another me, how'd you end up here?" Young Peter spoke.

Peter looked around, Batmite wasn't back, "Ah what the hell, looks like I have some time to kill…"

Marvel Multiverse – Earth 20051-B

New York - Queens

The group sat around the small table on the roof, originally laid out for a date between Chat and Peter's younger double, it was covered with cups and a jug of coffee as well as some cakes and cookies and a vase of flowers in the middle. Chat dissapeared for a moment to grab some extra cups and then they all listened closely as Peter spoke.

As Peter told them about his adventures, Emma sometimes interrupted and asked him abiut something else he hadn't mentioned at all, "Stop reading my mind!" Peter spoke with annoyance.

"Sorry… It's a bad habit of mine." Emma replied with a red face…

"Wow… a fifth dimensional imp…?" Chat spoke as she poured herself another coffee from the pot on the table.

"So is Batman like, another version of Iron Man then?" the younger Peter asked.

"Nah, other than their wallets, they're pretty different… At first, I thought Iron Man was cooler, but after hanging out with Bats, I think he's a bit more my style, you know looking out for the little guy and all that…?" Peter replied to himself.

"Makes sense, Iron Man mainly fights his own guys and, like, just once I wouldn't mind a hand with Vulture robbing a bank…"

"Ugh, tell me about it… Like you don't always need an Avengers level threat to suit up."

"I mean he did stop that fire in Brooklyn recently…" Chat spoke.

"That's true… I guess his heart's in the right place when it matters…" Young Peter spoke.

"Enough of the Iron Man glazing, he's just a faker compared to real billionaire crusader." Spider-Mite spoke as he materialised in mid air in front of everyone.

"And as if on cue, the Batman fanboy arrives!" Peter spoke.

"Is that your imp friend?" Emma Frost asked with an unimpressed tone.

"Friend is a strong term, but yep… finally realised your mistake, huh?"

"Hey! I'm trying to send you ho—"

"And I never asked you too… Whatever, we going back, now?"

"Yep… say you're goodbyes or whatever, I gotta' get you out of Gotham!"

Peter didn't argue the point that he meant Prime Earth, but let it slide as he turned to the group, "Well, thanks for the conversation, guys, it was pretty nice… Emma, I hope you learn boundaries, but you were nicer to me than the other Emma Frost, so credit where its due…"

He stood up from the chair, "Chat, it was great to meet you, thanks for the cake and coffee…"

"Don't mention it." She replied with a smile as a pigeon landed on her shoulder and she fed it a seed.

"Hey umm, Batmite…"

"Spider-Mite." The imp corrected.

"Spider-Mite, can I have a word with myself alone."

Spider-Mite shrugged and stayed at the table and began helping himself to the cake and cookies on the table as the two girls began interrogating him with fascination.

Peter led his younger self to the other end of the roof and looked him in the eyes with a serious expression, "Hey, Peter… I don't want to say too much because I don't know how things work here, but…" He looked over his younger self's shoulder to Chat, "Tell me, do you love her?"

"Chat?" young Peter replied.

"Yes… do you love her…?"

"I—I do… yeah…"

"Good. Now answer me honestly, is Norman Osborne still alive here?"

"The Green Goblin? I—Yeah… is he not where you're from?"

"Good, you know who he really is… Listen, his living status is not what's important right now… What is important, is that he never finds out who you really are… has he?"

"N-no… I don't think so, why? Is Chat in danger…?" young Peter's voice was shaking a bit.

Peter put his hand on his doubles shoulder and squeezed it gently to comfort him, "No. And she won't be if he never finds out your real name… but if he does… just… just don't let her out of your sight, okay?"

"I won't… I swear… What happened to you?" young Peter couldn't help himself asking.

"If you keep your identity safe, you'll never have to find out…" He smiled back, but there was a darkness in his voice.

Peter looked past the shoulder of his younger self and caught the eyes of Emma Frost who just looked back at him, she nodded at him with understanding, he nodded back, 'keep them safe, please…' he asked the telepath. She smiled back with a sad, knowing look.

"Right. Now that the serious business is done, all I gotta' say is keep going, Spider-Man, but don't let that mask," he gestured to young Peter's mask tucked in his waistband, "make you forget what's really important, okay."

Peter felt a sensation grip his heart, should he follow his own advice? Go home and not look back?

Young Peter nodded, "I won't…"

He blinked out his internal conflict, "Good. You got this, Spider-Man. Yo, impazoid, you ready?" hell called to Spider-Mite.

"Finally! An imp can only take so much adoration from an army of pigeons!" He disappeared from the table, startling both the girls still sat by it.

"Also, impazoid is racially insensitive…"

"Sorry." Peter replied, genuinely feeling guilt for the mistake, "I'm just a little out of it, anyway, can you please send me back?"

"With the click of my fingers!" He did click his fingers, there was a flash of light.

The roof's occupants paused in shock for a moment before the young Spider-Man spoke, "I can't wait to tell Doctor Strange about this…"

Marvel Multiverse? – Unknown Universe

Unknown Location

Peter looked around, he was in New York still, he hurriedly re-equipped his mask, "Maybe, I should have clarified, I meant Earth Pri—"

"Wait… Ah man… I'm sorry, pal, I messed up again this isn't triple 61…"

"Seriously, again? Do you even know what you're doing? Is this Prime Earth at least?"

"No, don't worry, I'm not sending you there! We gotta' get you home! I'll be back in a moment!" the imp clicked his fingers and disappeared.

"But… I want you to send me back to Earth Prime… Sonuvabitch… where am I now?"

"Err… Spider-Man? What are you doing here… don't tell me you followed me here…"

A young man, round Peter's age called out as he floated down to him, he was wearing a black and blue body suit with a yellow chest and mask in the shape of an 'I', there were goggle like lenses over his eyes.

"No, I didn't…. but you clearly know who I am so I'm guessing I exist here?" Peter sighed out his response.

"Ummm… no? We met in your world, did you forget... I met your wife and everything, man."

"My wife…? Oh, you must have met another version of me… Sorry, who are you?"

"Ugh, multiverse, such a headache, right? No stress man," He offered his hand, "I'm…"

Image Multiverse – Invincible Universe

New York – Manhattan

Peter sat on the ledge after telling the stranger, Invincible, his story, "…and so now I'm just waiting for him to come back so I can get back to my family…"

"Which family?" Mark Grayson, AKA Invincible, asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you were from one world, then ended up in another? So, which one do you really want to go back to?"

"Want or need?"

"Both… aren't they the same thing? Listen man, being thrown about different worlds sucks, trust me, I've been there, it's how I met the other you… but like, you gotta' decide what's really important… You're responsibility to the mask, or to the people you care about."

"But I care about people in both worlds…"

"Yeah… I can see how that could be a doozy… Hey, you know, it's funny I bumped into you tonight of all nights…"

"Really, why?"

"Well believe it or not, when I met the other you, it was because of this villain throwing me about the multiverse, I actually met Batman too, now I think about it… coulda' been the same guy…"

"Huh… doubt it… he's pretty adamant there's only 52 different worlds…"

"Well, that's just completely wrong…"

"That's what I said!"

"Anyway… as I was saying, this dude who threw me about the multiverse, I found out recently he's still out there somewhere, and I need to find him… you see, my girlfriend is actually pregnant right now…"

"Oh hey, congrats man!"

"Thanks, but like, I can't just have this dude out there, what if he comes back? I can't let him hurt Eve or our kid like he did my mom and brother… I was just about to meet this guy Robot so he could help me find him…"

"But… what if you do find him, and you get trapped in another world like I was? Is that worth the risk? I mean, don't get me wrong, I want to go back to the people on Earth Prime, but if I had the choice to have never been lost in the first place, I'd…"

"Let me guess… you were gonna' say you wish you never went at all, but now you're hesitating because you don't know…?"

"Wow… the last me must have left quite an impression if you could read through me that quickly…"

"Nah… I just think we're kinda' similar you and I… we both got dealt some pretty crappy hands…"

"Yeah, I guess we did. Sorry about your dad turning out to be a genocidal supervillain by the way… that must've sucked."

"Yeah… it did… we've been working it out though… family, huh, what can you do?"

"You know I said something similar to a friend once…"

"Guess we're two peas in a pod…"

"And you swear your last name is Grayson?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Nothing, I just can't wait to tell Nightwing about this…"

"Well, I just hope Nightwing isn't like Darkwing…"

"I'm sure whatever choice you make will be the right one, Invincible…"

"You too, Spider-Man… I still think you're name's pretty dumb though… I mean how lazy..."

"Yeah, yeah, screw you too, guy…" Peter chuckled back.

There was a click and Spider-Mite returned, "I'm back!"

"Impeccable timing as ever, Spider-Mite."

"I'll see you around, Spider-Man…" Invincible said as he stood up from the ledge he was leaning on, "You too I guess, strange… little… elf guy dressed as Spider-Man."

"Charmed, I'm sure… And hey, good luck fighting Spawn…"

"Wait, what…?"

"Nothing…" Spider-Mite started whispering, "Let's get outta' here, before he realises, I was just lying to mess with him."

"What? What're you whispering about?" Invincible asked, mildly panicked, "Why do I have to fight Spaw—?"

Marvel Multiverse? – Unknown Universe

Location Unknown

"Where are we now!?"

"Welcome home!" Spider-Mite, spoke with a cheer.

Peter looked around in shock, the city was unfamiliar yet all the same very familiar. He'd seen it many times in TV shows and movies, it was an iconic location. The Japanese writing everywhere immediately confirmed Peter's suspicions. He was in Tokyo.

"Home? This is Japan…"

Peter ignored the weird looks of the passing citizens as they fixed him with shock and confusion, but mostly continued with their day.

"Huh… Your right, it is. Well, the city was off, but the world is… oh." Batmite seemed to be looking into his own mind as he spoke.

"Oh?! What's oh? What is it?"

"Don't be mad, but I may have missed your world by a bit… Again, sorry, it's pretty hard to navigate your multiverse"

Peter sighed, "Then what world is this?"

"Apparently this Earth-51778-B."

"So, I'm in another different Universe? Yay…"

"Listen I missed the mark a bit—"

"For the third time…"

"Hey, it's not my fault your Multiverse is so big, infinity is a much harder number to navigate than fifty-two you know."

"Well stop navigating it. For the last time, please, just send me back."

"Duh… that's what I'm trying to do. This is tricky, I might be while this time, so ,uh, get comfortable…"

"What? No just send me back to Earth—"

"I'll be back in a few hours, I'm gonna' try to fix this." Spider-Mite was gone.

"—Prime… Great. I hadn't even accepted the gift and now I'm just getting thrown about like some... thing that get's thrown about... god I'm tired." Peter sighed as he looked around himself and spotted a nearby bench and wandered over to it with his head slumped low as his mind began racing with an all too familiar sensation of terror. What if he got stuck here? Or the world after this? Or the one after that? Another life. Gone.

Marvel Mulitiverse – Earth 51778-B

Tokyo – Japan

After a couple minutes of sitting on a random bench wallowing in angst in an alternate Tokyo, a young girl came up to Spider-Man and bowed low with her father smiling behind.

"[Sorry to bother you, but are you the real Spider-Man?]"

Peter looked up to her as she stood back up, she looked no older than eight or nine, "Umm sorry I don't speak Japanese, but yes, I am the real Spider-Man. I guess…"

The girl giggled a bit, "[But you are speaking Japanese…]"

"No, I'm speakin—Wait, I can understand you, why can I understand you?"

The girl's dad, stood forward and bowed, "[Sorry, Spider-Man, my daughter may be a little too young to appreciate your humour]" he said with a smile, "[She's a big fan, could we please ask for your autograph? She would really appreciate it.]"

Peter shook off the confusion, his seeming understanding of, and apparent speaking of, Japanese must be the result of Batmite/Spider-Mite.

The man handed him the newspaper he was carrying, an image of Spider-Man on the front fighting some kind of plan monster, the headline written in Japanese somehow entirely comprehensible to Peter: '[Spider-Man weeding out evil!]'

"Uh—Yeah. Yes. Sorry. Of course." Peter took the pen and paper offered to him by the man as he put his hand on his daughter's shoulder and smiled at her.

Peter wrote a simple message back, 'your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man' and drew a little symbol of his mask and a spider underneath it before he handed back the paper, his eye lingering on the date, '[May 27th, 1979]' 'Okay… an alternate Tokyo in the past, at least I know there's another Spider-Man here, maybe they can help… I'm through waiting around for Spider-Mite each time…' the Other let out a coo of agreement.

The father and daughter duo bowed again and thanked him again, they didn't mention the fact that his message was clearly written in English, not Japanese, but he could tell they were confused by the expressions on their faces.

He waved goodbye to them as he watched them leave before standing and leaping into the air and swinging himself onto the tallest building near him.

He landed on the rooftop and began scanning the area, "Okay, apparently, I got a few hours until that annoying imp is back… Now, if I was a Japanese version of myself from the 70s, where would I be?"

"[Right behind you.]" Peter heard another voice speak.

He whipped his head round in a start and took on a defensive stance as he eyed his doppelganger who was aiming a machine gun right at his chest, "Was not expecting my double to be pointing a gun at me, gotta' be honest." Peter replied with an uncomfortable chuckle as he raised his hands above his head.

"[You are the double. Not me. What are you, some sort of malevolent clone created by Professor Monster?]" The Japanese Spider-Man spoke as he aggressively pointed the MP40 at Peter.

"Not a clone… I've got enough baggage with that topic already. Listen, could you maybe get rid of the machine gun? Seeing a variant of myself using a firearm is kinda taking me out, makes it hard to think."

The other Spider-Man lowered the gun slightly but still kept his gaze on Peter, "[I will allow you to explain freely, but don't make any sudden moves, or you will feel the rage of the Spider-Man, emissary from hell.]"

"Right… I'll try my best to not test the patience of the 'emissary from hell'…" 'whatever the hell that means.' "Okay, who am I and why am I here, well… this is gonna' sound insane, but I need you to just hear me out and try to absorb what I'm about to say… I'm Spider-Man but I'm from anoth—"

Both Spider-Men felt their Spider-Senses sync for a moment as the Tokyo native Spider-Man spoke with realisation in his voice, "[Another dimension?]" the Japanese Spider-Man tossed the gun to the floor as he watched the American Spider-Man nod in response to his question "[I see. Are the inheritors back?]"

"You fought the inheritors too?"

"[Too? You were there for that crisis?]"

"Yes! I was. I wasn't a big player like the older, sadder version of me, but I was definitely there… Cool, this is common ground. Wow, every world in my multiverse is so much easier than my first night in Gotham… Listen Spider-Man, my name is Peter Parker," he took his mask off and looked at the other Spider-Man, "and I was sent here without asking by a fifth dimensional imp who just bailed on me and need to get back to my—" he paused as he felt the conflict spark in him again.

"[What is wrong?]"

"I just realised I have no idea where I want… need to get back too… I—My home is in this multiverse but, but what about my other home…? Sorry, I'm having a moment, Invincible asked me a difficult question, I'll, uh, I guess I'll worry about that later... So, I just, I dunno- Is there any way you can help?"

The Japanese Spider-Man sighed, "[That… is quite the story. I truly wish I could help a fellow Spider-Man, a fellow totem in need, but how? My powers are great, Peter Parker, but multiversal travel is beyond me.]"

Peter thought for a moment before he had an epiphany, "Maybe it's not, I mean you said you fought the inheritors too, right?"

"[Yes…]"

"Well, did you get given an interdimensional wristband too? I could maybe copy its schematics and make my own so I can get back, I'd use mine, but I left it in my room two universes away."

"[Yes. Yes. Of course, Spider-Man I would be honored to help you. Come, we will return to my home and send you on your way, but first…]" The Spider-Man from Tokyo pressed a button on the large bracelet on his hand, his mask glowed yellow for a beat before it disappeared with a high-pitched whistle sound. Unmasked, the Spider-Man of this world looked Peter in the eyes as he gave a bow, "[I would like to repay the favor of your honesty, you trusted me with your identity so I will do the same, my name is Takuya Yamashiro, and I am the Spider-Man of this world… it's protector. Sworn enemy of the Iron Cross Army…]"

"It's an honor to meet you, Takuya. Thank you for your help." Peter clumsily returned the bow.

"[To help a fellow Spider Totem serves the Web of Life and Destiny. It is a reward of its own. However, I also accept cash or cheque.]" Takuya chuckled heartily before it abruptly stopped and his voice went serious again, "[Now come. I will take you to my home so you may return to yours.]"

They both moved to jump off the roof before Peter stopped Takuya, "Wait! Are you just gonna' leave that gun there?"

"[Hahaha, don't worry that is just a toy I confiscated off a child, it will harm no one…]"

"Oh, thank god, that's a huge relief…" Peter sighed, relieved his variant didn't use deadly force as he feared.

"[Indeed. I'm a responsible hero; all of my guns are stored safely within Marveller so only evil may taste their bullets.]" he leapt off the roof as he touched his bracelet again and his mask flashed back on to his face in the same manner it disappeared.

Peter stood there for a moment in stunned silence before jus shaking his head and stating to himself, "It's a different world, different man… I'm sure it's fine. Besides everyone was more free-spirited in the 70s right, what's a little bit of murder now and then in the name of justice? I mean even Cap killed people… Who am I to judge?" The Other squeaked in concern from within his subconscious, "yeah, you're right. I'm over thinking this, the rules are different here. What was that thing Miles told me the other Peter Parker told him? Takuya doesn't have to do it like me…"

Peter pulled his mask on and leapt of the roof and swung behind Takuya who was moving through the city with a rigid ease. As if every movement was being guided by an invisible wire on his body. Peter decided not to question it and just go with the flow.

He had more time to think in this world, a luxury, or curse, he didn't have to worry about in the other worlds where he was quickly captured into a conversation with someone.

The all too familiar feeling of interdimensional stress was present still, but the fact he found Takuya so quickly was a big help in countering the creeping anxiety. The issue he now faced, the one plaguing his thoughts as he followed Takuya through the Tokyo skyrises, was that he wasn't sure what he'd do when he had the wristband.

For once, he would have the choice in his hands, and that was a rather frightening prospect.

He was conflicted, does he go home? Back to 616161, just leave the new life behind? No. That wasn't fair, his villains were still there, they were his responsibility. Besides, he promised Ben and Terri he'd be careful, disappearing on Christmas Eve without a word would crush them.

But then, what about May and Jess, Miles and his old team, MJ, Randy, Angel and Bobby. All the remaining Fantastic Four members, does he just accept he will never see them again in favour of his responsibility?

But that was the least of his concerns regarding the upcoming choice, the main one bullying him every moment was this: What if he can't return to Earth Prime? Mr. Terrific's explanation was clear, Peter shouldn't have made it to the other Multiverse at all. His and his villain's arrival literally busted through a barrier of a Omniversal magnitude. He heavily doubted the interdimensional wristband they had been given by an alternate Peter Parker would be able to break that barrier.

It was clearly true that Spider-Mite was able to see past his own Multiverse and freely travel between them now, or perhaps he always could but never had the interest to until Peter arrived. But there was no guarantee he'd listen he seemed pretty adamant in sending Peter home, away from Batman.

And even if he listened, whether he'd be able to take Peter back correctly, he already messed up by sending Peter here and the other worlds instead of Earth triple 61. No, Peter was on his own for now. Takuya was his best bet.

His internal deliberations ceased as Peter landed next to Takuya by a road on a quiet street. Takuya ushered him into a back alley before he pressed on his bracelet and his Spider-man costume flashed away with a high-pitched whistle and he stood opposite Peter in a leather motorcross jacket and black jeans.

"Ugh, that's so cool, I've got to deal with my costume the old-fashioned way… Or wait for a random Imp to click his fingers, I guess. I don't suppose you have a spare one of those bracelets, do you?"

Takuya smiled and shook his head before turning away and wandering down the alley out on to street, "[Meet me out front when you are changed, I will make sure you have some privacy]"

"Thanks…" Peter replied before realising, he had no clothes on under his costume. Batmite had snapped his costume on to him straight after he woke up, so all he had on was his underwear, "Great… Hey Takuya." He called out of the alley.

"[Yes.]" Takuya replied as he kept his gaze forward and looked around himself uncomfortably at the odd looks, he was getting for talking to himself in the street.

"Listen, you don't happen to have any spare clothes, do you? I got kidnapped by that Imp before I could get dressed…"

Takuya nodded politely at the lady who walked right past Takuya as Peter spoke with an uneasy smile and embarrassed chuckle as she stared at him with confusion and mild offense. Takuya sighed as she walked on and replied, "[I will be back soon, try to stay hidden please. A foreigner standing naked in a random alley may cause some alarm…]"

"You don't say…" Peter responded facetiously as he rolled his eyes as he pulled his costume back on. He was not waiting in his underwear.

"[I do say. It would be very bad for both of us.]" Takuya responded. Clearly, even if Peter and Takuya could understand each other's words, the sarcasm was lost in translation.

Much to Peter's relief, Takuya didn't take long before he returned with some blue jeans, a pair of sneakers and a white T-Shirt. Peter thanked him and bowed slightly, starting to get used to the custom before he rapidly into the clothes. Wearing them over his costume and pocketing the gloves and mask. The clothes fit him very well, clearly Takuya was a similar size to himself.

Peter nodded to Takuya as they left the alley and Takuya lead them through the streets for a couple of blocks before reaching a house. He lead Peter inside and directed Peter to take off his shoes, he did so which was mildly awkward since he was still wearing the plimsoles of his costume underneath.

As they entered, a young Japanese woman poked her head round the corner from the kitchen and spotted Takuya before continuing to put away the groceries she just brought, speaking as she did so, "[Takuya, you're back early. I thought you said you'd be taking Hitomi out today? You need to be careful, if you don't pay her enough attention, she might find someone more… responsible.]"

Takuya chuckled to himself at the word 'responsible'.

"[I did. I did. Don't worry, I'm not neglecting her, she's just too busy. She's got a hot lead on a new story, so I decided to let her get on with her work. But fortunately, I bumped into my friend from America on the way back. We won't be long we're just here to pick something up.]"

"[What? You brought a guest over?]" At that the woman left the kitchen and spotted Peter and came over with a sheepish smile before bowing, "[Oh, hello. I'm so sorry. I didn't see you when you came in. Please forgive my older brother's terrible manners, Takuya why didn't you introduce us when you came in?]"

"[Because you immediately started berating me for being a bad boyfriend to Hitomi…]" Takuya tried to defend himself.

The young woman simply let out an exasperated sigh as she smiled warmly at Peter, "[I'm Shinko, Takuya's sister, welcome to our home. Sorry, Takuya never mentioned he had a friend from America, it seems he's getting more and more secretive these days, how did you two meet?]"

Peter returned the bow quite uncomfortably as he smiled back and responded, "Oh uh, we're uh… part of the same club." He looked to Takuya with a question shrug, Takuya just shrugged and nodded back, Peter turned back to Shinko, "It's nice to meet you, Shinko. I'm Peter. Sorry to come here unannounced, this is a lovely place you have here. So, have you uh..." Peter realised he started saying another sentence without actually figuring out what it would be, he said the first thing that came to mind, "been related long?"

Peter could hear an audible facepalm within his own mind and felt a bristle of cringe from the Other.

Shinko didn't say anything, she just looked at Peter with a blank stare of disbelief.

Takuya chuckled and put his arm around Peter's shoulder "[Sorry Shinko, Peter's just using some American humor. Anyway, we aren't staying long. Like I said, we're only here to grab something and then we'll be on our way.]"

Shinko shook her head as she tried to adjust to Peter's 'humor' before she looked at her brother, "[Right. Okay, well I won't keep you; I'll see you later. Goodbye, Peter, nice to meet you. And I must say, you speak very good Japanese for a foreigner.]"

"You too… the meeting you thing, I mean. Though, you're Japanese is also very good… obviously. Sorry, I'm going to stop saying things, I'm a little flustered right now." He replied before as Takuya led him to his bedroom, pulling Peter by his arm, trying to spare him further embarrassment while Peter waved politely to her, "Nice to meet you! Again..."

Shinko, to her credit, just laughed politely with a big grin as she waved back. She sighed to herself with a smile as she watched them go out of sight.

"I gotta' admit, that was not my finest of first impressions." Peter said as he looked around Takuya's room.

"[Though, not your worst either, if my days as Spider-Man are anything to go by. Besides Shinko probably found it charming.]"

"That's a relief… And you're right, a lot of my first meetings with people end in a fight…"

"[I know the feeling… Besides, our first meeting could have easily gone that way as well.]"

"Good thing we both have experience with meeting other spiders I guess."

"[Speaking of which…]" Takuya rummaged around in his closet for a moment before he turned around and presented Peter with the interdimensional wristband, "[Here we go. Good luck getting home]"

"Don't you need it?"

"[I have already made a copy of the schematics, my own Spider-Bracelet can do everything the wristband can.]"

"I—Thank you…" Peter paused as he stared at the wristband.

A wave of doubt washed over him. Several conflicting decisions were pulling Peter in many different directions. The wristband stared back at him, taunting him. His ticket home. But not back. Gotham was beyond the multidimensional capabilities of the device in his hand, he was sure of it. But New York wasn't, not his New York.

Batmite wanted to send him home after all, But Batmite hadn't returned for him yet, what was the alternative? Wait?

Yes. That was all he had to do. Wait.

He couldn't leave Gotham and the Justice League behind, not with his villains stuck there. Not with Doc Ock scheming with the Light. And definitely not with what Wally West had told him…

Or could he? Just a few button presses, and he'd be home… That was all it would take…

"[Are you okay, Peter?]" Takuya asked with concern.

Peter looked up slowly as he thought about his answer, "I really appreciate this Takuya, but do you mind if I hold on to this while I wait for Batmi—Spider-Mite to return?"

"[Spider-Mite?]"

"The fifth dimensional imp that sent me here…"

Takuya flinched with confusion for a moment before smiling, "[Of course, it is yours to ke—]" he paused suddenly as he turned his head, a voice in his mind was calling for help. Peter felt an odd sensation in his Spider-Sense, as if he could feel Takuya was noticing something, but couldn't tell what, he figured that Takuya's Spider-Sense worked slightly differently to his own.

Takuya confirmed this theory by pressing his bracelet and looking at Peter, saying, "[Hitomi is in trouble…]"

"How'd you know?"

"[I saw it, I must go.]" Takuya pressed his bracelet, and his costume flashed onto his body in an instant.

"Then I'll come with you…"

"[No, this is not you're battle; it is mine.]"

"Not to step on your toes, Takuya, but I'm a fellow Spider-Man. You know as well as I do that if someone's in trouble, then it is my battle."

Takuya paused before he nodded, Peter followed after him as he climbed out of his window and into a back street. As Peter followed, he pulled his mask on and webbed up the clothes he was wearing as he fashioned himself a backpack to keep them in.

Takuya led them to an isolated road and interacted with his bracelet, "Why are we here, there's nothing to swing on? Is this where the trouble is—Woah…" Peter began asking before looking up in wonder as he heard what could only be described as the revving engine of a small spaceship.

It was not a spaceship he saw. An open topped red, white and yellow sports car with a rocket-head shaped bonnet and yellow spoiler flew over them, gliding through the air gracefully before descending to the road and driving the last few metres to reach them. Parking itself right next to them as its blinkers flashed for a moment and the sound of a car door unlocking sounded.

"[Why swing when we can get there quicker by car?]"

"You have a flying car? That is so unfair, now I wish I didn't turn down that Spider-Mobile buggy thing I was offered… Are you sure you're really a Spider-Man and not just a version of Batman with a special interest in spiders?"

"[Hahaha… no, this is no Batmobile, this is the Spider Machine GP-7. And believe me, it's better in every way, but if it would make you feel better, we can sing 'Nanananana' as we drive?]"

"Wait, you know Batman?" Peter responded, dumbfounded as he followed Takuya's lead and sat in the passenger seat as his doppelganger took the wheel.

"[Y-yes…? Doesn't everyone?]" Takuya responded as he began racing down the road, weaving in and out of traffic before reaching a long stretch in the outskirts of the district.

"From what I could tell he was more of a myth before the Justice League, but I guess nowadays everyone does… Is he here? I could really use his help…"

"[Is this more American humour?]"

"Wait, is Gotham still in America here?"

"[Well aside from being completely fictional, yes, I suppose it is… Though I believe Adam West is a fan of mine as I met him during his visit to Tokyo, I may be able to put you in contact if you would like an autograph?]"

"Adam West? Not Bruce Way—Wait. Did you say fictional?"

"[Yes…? Batman… From the TV show?]"

"But if he's fictional here, how is he real-?" Peter stopped over thinking it, remembering Booster's comment of the 'stacked universe theory', then he snapped out of his thoughts and spat out, "Hang on! Theres a TV show?! Aw man, I gotta' see that!"

"[Your starting to confuse me, you brought him up. Also, I thought everyone had seen it, but we can check if it is airing when we get back… For now, though, we must focus, Hitomi is in danger!]"

"Yes… Right… Sorry, I got sidetracked, man are we gonna' have a fun chat when we get back."

"[I look forward to it… But it will have to wait. We've arrived.]" Takuya parked the car in a secluded spot before both Spider-Men began sneaking through the woods between the road and the abandoned warehouse that Takuya had led them to.

They spotted several guards in black and grey body suits wearing beak like masks over their mouths, carrying a variety of melee and ranged weapons, Takuya recognised them immediately, "[Ninders… I should've guessed.]"

"[They are robots, humanoids and crows all in one evil form, foot soldiers of the Iron Cross Army…]"

"Friends of yours, I presume?"

"[They are my sworn ene—]"

"Enemies, yeah, I remember… I was just trying to lighten the mood."

"[My mood will not be lightened until I know Hitomi is safe from their clutches…]"

"So, what's the plan? Sneak and search? Something feels off about this, they just so happen to kidnap your girlfr—" Suddenly Peter and Takuya felt a hum in their Spider-Senses as Takuya had another vision.

He saw a watery image of Hitomi tied to a chair surrounded by guards, as well as a raven-haired woman in a black leotard with white leggings and a golden tiara on her head. She was taunting Hitomi as she instructed the guards to tighten her bonds.

"[Amazoness…]" Takuya spoke with hatred as his vision ended.

"What did you see?"

"[I know where Hitomi is, but it will be difficult to get to her unseen, the place is too well guarded… Unless…]" Takuya turned to Peter, "[Spider-Man, I hate to ask this but could you-]"

"Create a distraction?"

"[Yes. And I agree with you, this feels like a trap, but they don't know there are two of us. So, we can spring their trap and still go unnoticed. If the Iron Cross Army see that Spider-Man is here, it will draw out their numbers… I will be able to get Hitomi out without being spotted.]"

"Hey, annoying crooks is my forte… And fighting robot crow guys means I don't have to hold back. You want a distraction, you got it."

"[Thank you, my friend. I will return and give aid when Hitomi is safe]" Takuya put his hand on Peter's shoulder and squeezed it with sincere gratitude, "[they may have expected Spider-Man, but they will not be prepared to face two at once!]"

Peter felt a wave of bittersweet nostalgia wash over him, for one harsh, yet warm, moment his thoughts turned to Miles back in his home dimension, 'Am I really going to go home and see them all again? But what about Ben and Terri and all the others… Babs… Dick… Bruce… Cass… Ti— Ugh! I'm getting stuck in my own head again…. Where is that imp?!'. He brushed the thoughts aside and focused on the task at hand.

They discussed the finer points of the plan, as well as any things Peter needed to know about the Iron Cross Army, so he was prepared, before Takuya began sneakily rushing through the woods to the side of the warehouse as Peter swung himself from a tree right into a group of seven or so Ninders.

He decided to be as obnoxious and loud as possible to increase his distractibility, calling as he swung and began firing webs in every direction as he flipped and twisted through the air, "Don't mess with the Amazing Spider-Man!"

The Ninders were webbed and restrained before they could move, webs fists and feet were flying everywhere from the centre of their group as most of them were incapacitated and battered in seconds.

He leapt out of the bundle of destroyed and webbed Ninders directly to a second group, purposefully ignoring a solitary Ninder who was scrambling for his radio to call for backup.

"And you get a web! And you get a web! And you get a web!" he cried as loud as possible as he repeated the move and flipped and twisted in the middle of the group, webbing and striking all the foes that were trying to surround him, 'this is so fun! Ahhh, I've missed being loud and annoying... I was getting tired of all the stealth I've been doing in Gotham. Plus, it's been a while since I could really let loose like this.'

Meanwhile, in a secluded room of the warehouse, Amazoness stood over Hitomi's terrified form, "[Typical reporter, poking your nose where it doesn't belong. I distinctly remember telling you not to follow the story of the monster vegetables… Hitomi.]"

Amidst the fear on her face, Hitomi looked confused before recognition set in, "[Miss Yoshida?]"

"[Yes. It is I, your editor in chief. I hope you feel the sting of knowing the greatest scoop of your career was sitting under your nose the whole time…You should never have gone snooping into our schemes, now you know the truth, you must die. Such a waste of a competent writer…]"

"[This whole time… Now I understand why you pushed so many articles villainising Spider-Man, even more then that moustachioed American from TV… You were in league with the Iron Cross Army the whole time!]"

"[In league? No, my dear… I am Professor Monster's right-hand woman… I lead the Iron Cross Army under his instruction. Saeko Yoshida is nothing more than a useful cover. One I will secure with your death… But I am a generous employer, I will serve you one final scoop before your end, the biggest of them all… though, it's a pity no one will read it.]"

"[The latest monster under your command?]" Hitomi spat with rage, "[I saw it! I was unimpressed, Spider-Man will stop it just like all the others…]"

"[He will try, and he will fail. This monster is the strongest of Professor Monster's yet, it will crush him once and for all. And when he dies, the last memories of Planet Spider will die with him… But that is not the scoop I have for you today my nosey little employee…]"

"[Then what is? That you have a breath mint in your back pocket? Miss Yoshida since I'm going to die, allow me to tell you, everyone in the office has noticed the foul smell of your breath.]"

Amazoness slapped Hitomi across the face, "[Insolent child!]" she took a breath and calmed herself as she caressed Hitomi's cheek gently, "[No… my sweet little reporter. That is not the scoop, my breath may reek to you, but that is only because your pure little nose is too innocent to handle the evil that I breathe…]"

Hitomi pulled an expression of sincere confusion; she was wondering in what world that would be an intimidating sentence to hear.

Amazoness continued, unbothered by Hitomi's expression, "[Tell me, Hitomi, have you ever wondered how Spider-Man was always so quick to rescue you when you landed yourself in trouble? I will tell you now, it is far beyond coincidence. In fact, I imagine he is on his way here as we speak. For you.]"

Hitomi stared into her captors eyes, as puzzle pieces started connecting themselves in her mind, "[What are you saying?]"

"[My final scoop for you… Spider-Man's true identity is none other than—]"

A guard burst in the room, "[Amazoness! We are hearing reports from outside, Spider-Man is here!]"

Amazoness was about to berate the guard for interrupting before a sick grin came across her face, "[Perfect timing.]" she turned to Hitomi, "[Why should I tell you when I can show you the face of his corpse…?]"

She turned to the guard, "[Send all reinforcements available, I will accompany you. And send word to the science lab, it is time for Professor Monster's newest experiment to awaken. You two]" she directed to the two guards stationed in the room with her, "[remain here and keep a close eye on her! I will return when Spider-Man is defeated.]"

The two guards saluted and nodded, staying stood in their positions as Amazoness left with the other guards.

Back outside, Peter was dispatching foes left, right, centre, below and above as he was constantly moving, constantly quipping, "Hey, you guys realise the Iron Cross is the symbol of the nazis right? I mean I get that you're supervillains, but don't tell me you guys are racist too!"

"[The only inferior race is you humans, and all of humanity will kneel before Profess—Agh!]" the random guard with a metal bat went silent as he was kicked in the head.

"I mean yeah, I coulda' figured that was your endgame… world domination, so original. But did you have to go with nazi iconography? I mean yeesh, your PR team must be even worse than Hydra's!"

"[We existed long before the petty squabbles of your world wars! We are the destroyers of Planet Spi—Hmmph]" the second Ninder to speak's face was webbed he was grabbed by the chest and launched at two of his allies by Spider-Man.

"I don't want excuses, I want you guys to take a good long look in the mirror and think about your choices… especially regarding those beaks of yours… Wait, did you say you destroyed a planet? Is your boss an alien? Are you guys alien robots? That's so cool! Apart from the whole destroying a planet, the implied genocide, kidnapping, nazi imagery, the beaks… Okay it's less cool the more I think about it, if it's all the same to you guys, I'm gonna' stop thinking about it and just enjoy beating the stuffing outta you."

"[Your taunting will not save you; we know you know who we are Spider-Man, we are your sworn enem—]" the robot felt a punch to his face as Spider-Man flipped over him and landed on another one of the Ninder's shoulders.

"So I keep hearing, but gotta' say, for being so sweary about the whole thing, you guys are pretty crappy at the whole 'enemy' aspect. 'Sworn mild inconvenience at best' is starting to feel more accurate." Peter replied as he leapt backwards off the villain's shoulder, pushing him to the ground hard to enough to shatter its shoulders and make it shatter from the impact to the ground.

"[Insufferable foo—Oof!]" As Spider-Man backflipped through the air he shot a line to the feet of the speaking Ninder, webbing them together and yanking it to the floor before twirling and using it to trip up several others around him.

"Now your starting to sound like people I know! Say, this Professor Monster, any relation to a Doctor Octopus? The names are kinda thematically linked… Any tentacles locked away in storage mayb—Agh!" As peter landed on his feet his Spider-Sense reacted too late for him to dodge a harsh blow to his back as he was sent flying forwards through the air.

"[Only the tentacles of fate and hatred that binds us, Spider-Man!]" Amazoness called as she watched him flip and twist in the air in response to the superhuman punch she landed on his back.

He landed back on his feet facing the opposite direction he was when he was hit, allowing himself to skid against the ground for a moment as he pulled his fists up and stood in a fighting stance.

Peter figured from Takuya's description this was the villain in charge he mentioned earlier, "Well well well… if It isn't my nemesis…" 'Shit! What was her name again?' "Amazon Prime…" 'screw you, Jeff Bezos.'

Two Ninders rushed him from either side, he grabbed one by the arm and casually swung it into the other as he looked at the woman's face, she was studying him, reading him, and she looked suspicious, 'crap… better get the name right this time,' "Amazonia… my nemesi—"

She shook her head, he tried again, "Amazon Lady…? Animaniac? Amazo? Okay, I forgot your name, I've got a lot on my plate, sorry."

She pulled out her sword and pointed it at him, "[Who are you?]"

"Can't you tell by the costume, it's me, your nemesi—"

"[You are not Spider-Man, you may have fooled our cronies, but you do not fool me, your eyes, the spider on your chest, the way you talk, the way you move… All of it is different. You are not Spider-Man, you are a pretender…]" she looked at the incapacitated Ninders around her, "[A capable one, but a pretender all the same.]"

Spider-Man looked to the ground as he thought of an excuse, he spied the dropped sword of the soldier he threw to the ground, 'ah screw it!' he flicked it up with his foot, caught it by the handle and pointed it at her, "Who's pretending? I think you'll find I'm Spider-Man enough for you…" the name clicked in his mind, "Amazoness."

She smiled sickly and nodded, "[We will see... Ninders! The real Spider-Man may be inside, ignore your broken pieces, ignore the pretender, find Spider-Man]"

"Wait, wh-who's Spider-Man? Shit! I mean, err, I came alone—"

"[Your eagerness to dissuade that notion tells me you didn't. Ninders, find him!]"

"Maybe I just want more of a challenge? Let the bird guys stay and even the odds…"

"[Silence! False Spider, I am challenge enough for you, I will slay you myself, another survivor of Planet Spider is a mistake I must correct…]"

'Planet Spider? Is Takuya also an alien? Damn this world's Spider-Man is so cool…' he felt a tingle of agreement from the Other, 'I hope Takuya managed to get to Hitomi on time, looks like I'm gonna' be busy with Evil-Lyn over here.'

Inside the warehouse Spider-Man managed to sneak up on the two guards by Hitomi and incapacitate them quickly before moving behind the chair to untie her, speaking as he did, "[Are you okay, miss Sakuma?]"

"[Spider-Man! Amazoness is Saeko Yoshida, she kidnapped me to lure you here, it's a trap. The editor in chief!]"

"[She is? How didn't I notice? I guess that explains some of the articles… But we know it's a trap. We spiders weave the strongest traps after all; we know how to spot them. But I can't leave you in danger!]"

"[They will be looking for you, they know you're here!]"

"[And they will meet me. But while they face Spider-Man, I will save you Hito- Miss Sakuma.]"

Her bonds were loosened, and the rope fell to the ground, "[Come on, this way!]" Takuya extended his hand to her and led her to the door as she took it.

"[Wait! Spider-Man, Amazoness, she knows you're real name… I thin- I think I know who you are.]" she spoke, softly.

The puzzle in her mind since Amazoness' speech began to become a full picture. Ever since his father's death, Takuya had become more distant. At first, she assumed it was just grief, but the pattern persisted. Every time something dangerous happened, Takuya was gone, but Spider-Man was always there.

Takuya paused and tensed, "[I don't thin- We don't have time for this…]"

"[My boyfriend never has time for me either, I thought- I thought he stopped caring as much for me, but- Now I realise… Spider-Man I know who you are.]

"[And who am I?]" he turned back to face her.

She smiled, "[You're a hero…]" she placed her hand on the bottom of his mask and lifted it. Moving to kiss him as she did, "[And I love yo—]" she paused as she lifted the mask, another mask was underneath it "[What?]"

She tried again, moving her lips close to his face as she lifted his mask, there was yet another mask, "[How many masks are you wearing, Takuya?]" she said with annoyance as tried several more times, each time a mask was on underneath the mask he was wearing.

He grabbed her hand softly and took it away as he chuckled, he pressed the button on his bracelet and his mask disappeared in flash of light. He looked at her with a big grin.

She grinned back, now there was mask between their faces, she saw Takuya, her boyfriend who everyone told her was a deadbeat, the one who she loved in spite of his constant disappearing and the cancelling of plans. And now she saw him in his costume, everything made sense, everything felt better, felt right.

Takuya looked at Hitomi, his heart warming the very blood in his veins with a mix of fear at revealing his secret and sheer adoration for the woman in front of him. He felt himself fall into the deep pools of her eyes as they met his. Everything around them stopped as time itself seemed to cease moving forward.

A beat passed before they both laughed, "[I'm sorry about the masks, it's a defence mechanism of the suit… Classic Takuya, huh? Always ruining the moment.]"

"[I wouldn't have you any other way…]" she wrapped her arms around him and pressed her lips to his.

He was surprised by the sudden assault of affection, but adjusted quickly as he wrapped his own arms around her and returned the kiss.

They pulled away from each other, a smile on both their faces before Hitomi's face became more severe, "[But don't think you're getting away with this that easily, we still have a lot to talk about after this. And now I know you're secret, there's going to be no more lies from you, ever! Got it?]"

He nodded with a big smile as he pressed the button on his bracelet once more and his mask returned to his face, "[Got it. But come on, now we really need to get out of here, Spider-Man needs my help.]"

"[What do you mean? You're Spider-Man.]"

Hitomi couldn't see it, but Takuya was smiling under his mask as he led them through the halls to the nearest window. That was until they rounded a corner and saw a group of Ninders rushing about with their weapons raised, they stopped in their tracks, "[There he is! Get them!]"

Takuya braced for a fight as he pulled Hitomi behind him, he heard another foot soldier speak, "[But if Spider-Man is here, then who is outside fighting Amazoness?]"

Peter shoved his arm to the side rapidly as he deflected a stab from Amazoness' sword with his own, causing her blade to twirl as she adjusted her body with the deflection and twisted on her foot before sending down another strike, aiming to slice his neck.

Spider-Man wrenched his head to the side under the path of the blade as he carried the rest of his body with the momentum, flipping sideways as he threw a kick at her blade-wielding hand.

Amazoness managed to evade the strike, barely, and pulled her sword closer to herself as she took on a defensive stance, watching as Spider-Man landed back on his feet and took grip of his sword with two hands, fixing her with a stare.

"While I have you here, I gotta' ask, why Amazoness? I mean, isn't the 'ess' kinda' redundant, since, you know, the Amazons are all women anyway?"

She rushed him as she called, "[You dare question the name Professor Monster gave me! I am the Amazoness, and I will destroy you and bring your body to Spider-Man and make him watch as the Iron Cross Army bring this planet to heel like countless before it!]"

Their blades clashed as sparks flew in every direction. Peter had to admit, having a sword fight with a cheesy Japanese supervillain from the 70s was turning out to be a lot of fun. He parried and countered, though never made a true fatal strike, at worst he would nick her side slightly if he made contact. It didn't matter though, Amazoness was a gifted enough fighter to ensure he never made contact.

"[You are talented, pretender. But holding back will be your downfall, I have all your strength and speed, and I have trained for centuries, I wil—No!]" Amazoness' taunting was ended as her attack, a straight-forward strike to Spider-Man's neck, was countered with a flourish, launching the blade from her hands as the blades connected with a twist from Spider-Man's wrist.

The blade spun in the air before embedding itself in the ground as they both watched, she turned to Spider-Man with disbelief.

"Yeah, well, I have Spider-Sense and took couple of sword fighting lessons from a bratty thirteen-year-old who dresses like a small bird. You're not special, lady!"

"[You are no pretender… You are… Spider-Man.]" she said wide eyed as she turned to see Spider-Man rushing at her, his blade dropped behind him as his fist cocked back.

"The one and only, accept no substitutions." He clocked her on the jaw as he spoke, sending her flying backwards.

She landed with a skid across the ground, unconscious as Peter casually dusted his hands off against one another, he heard a bristle of disagreement from the other in his subconscious, 'Jeez. I know I'm not really the one and only… shut up, it just sounds cool, why'd you have to ruin the moment? Now… I gotta' go help Takuya… Yes! I know he's another Spider-Man, god, would you give it a rest already, let a guy have a catchphrase…'

As Peter was revelling in his victory while also debating the Slimbiote in his mind for his choice of words, Peter heard a deep chuckle vibrating behind him as his Spider-Sense rang. He turned to the noise behind him but was smacked across the face before he could react and sent flying.

Meanwhile inside the warehouse, Takuya was leaping over several Ninders trying to strike at him. Pulling himself into a flip and landing in a crouch as he sent out his arms in an open palmed attack, striking the Ninder closest to him in its stomach hard enough to launch it into three others rushing in behind it, destroying them all.

He felt a blow from behind coming towards him and he grabbed his attackers arm before the hit landed, he pulled down harshly and wrenched the Ninder off its feet as it was thrown several feet in front of him into nearest wall before being held there as its body was encased in rope-like webbing.

He then rolled forward into a jump as he turned 180 degrees before landing on his feet, he could spot two more Ninders trying to approach Hitomi, "[Face me you villains!]" he called as he pulled one of them backwards with a web line as he ran straight for the other.

He leapt in the air as he caught the Ninder he pulled to himself by the arm, twirling in the air as he threw it away callously into another wall, making it crumple and fall to the floor defeated. While still in the air, and still moving forward, Takuya sent out a foot into the face of the other Ninder as he flew past it, knocking it backwards to the ground in a slump.

Takuya landed next to Hitomi and looked around them, all the Ninders were defeated, they were safe, for now, "[Come on. We have to go and hel-]"

A distant voice was heard calling from outside, before it got louder every moment, "Aggh!" Takuya and Hitomi turned behind them to the source of the noise as they saw Peter crashing through the wall.

His body continued its trajectory past them before he manged to catch himself on two weblines and pull himself forward and land next to them, "Hey you got her, nice job!" he immediately spoke as he regarded the other two, "nice to meet you, Hitomi, I'm Pe-Awagh!"

Peter's sentence was cut short as a green vine wrapped itself around his waist and pulled him back through the hole he just created, his head hitting the unbroken concrete as it did so, eliciting a painful grunt from the American Spider-Man as both Hitomi and Takuya flinched and let out a hiss in sympathy of the clearly painful collision of skull and wall.

Back outside Peter dizzily let out a groan as he was thrown back to the ground, rolling on his back and onto his feet once more as he drearily muttered, "Is- is that all you g-got you big broccoli" Peter wasn't being hyperbolic, the monster he was fighting was literally a humanoid broccoli…

It was a man of layered green stork like flesh with the head of a broccoli and the power to release thick green tentacles. It was straight out of a cheesy show from the 70s, which in hindsight, Peter kind of felt like he was in right now, 'This guy looks like he came straight from a Power Rangers set…'

The broccoli man just screeched as dozens of vine like tentacles protruded from its back and started attacking Peter, he dodged and blocked as many as he could, but the monster's attacks were fast, many of them faster then even he could react, he felt a few lashes begin to pepper his body as he thought, 'Could really do with an assist here, buddy.'

The Other understood his message before he finished it as several of black tentacles also manifested out of Peter's own back and started blocking and wrestling with many of the vines striking at Peter.

Unfortunately, even with the boost from the Slimbiote, the broccoli monster was too powerful for them. It's sheer speed and strength of its attacks pushing Peter to his limits. A revelation which boggled Peter's mind, 'As ridiculous as everything in this world is, I gotta' say, Professor Monster clearly takes his job seriously, this guy alone is starting to feel like I'm fighting the Sinister Six… I don't know whether to be embarrassed or impressed…'

It turned out he didn't need to feel either as the broccoli monster was struck from behind by Takuya's feet as he dove into its back before flipping over it and grabbing several of the vines by the root and pulling them away from Peter, halting their attack.

Capitalising on the opportunity granted by Takuya's interference, Peter leapt into the air as he span and began creating a web ball infused with power from the Other who fed its power into it, creating a ball of Symbiotic energy that Peter launched at the monster.

Takuya grunted and flinched as he kept hold of the vines as they began lashing at him, ceasing their attack on his American counterpart and focusing on their true enemy. He turned to Peter as he heard him yell above him, they shared a nod as Peter launched his ball of strange black goo and webbing at the monster.

Takuya released the vines and twisted between their paths of attack as he leapt away from the creature. The broccoli monster screeched in annoyance and moved to attack both Spider-Men before he heard a whistling of air above him, he turned to see a ball of writhing black mass shooting straight at him.

Before it could react, the ball hit him with the force of a canon ball and exploded in a cry of Symbiotic screeches as lumps of black goop sprayed everywhere.

Before the monster could recover, the web ball inside the cocoon of Symbiote mass struck him and also exploded on its chest, covering it in webs as it flew through the air in response to the hit from its Symbiote cocoon.

It landed on the floor, dazed and defeated. Peter sidled up to Takuya and spoke "Phew, good timing… That thing was surprisingly hard to deal with… How do you fight those things all the time?"

"[I must admit, this monster is far beyond the normal power of Professor Monster… He must be getting desperate if he is creating creatures such as this… I am thankful you were here; I do not think I could have defeated that creature alone…]"

"I don't think we've fully defeated it together yet either…" Peter spoke as he nodded to the creature which groggily stood back up and screeched once more.

"[Then let us show it the power of the Spider-Men…]" Takuya called before he went into a three-point crouch and began swapping his hands on the floor and gesturing with the other several times as he let out a battle cry, "[Destroyer of vengeful vegetables. Spider-Man!]"

Peter could swear he heard a series of bells and trumpets in the distance in the back of his mind as he watched Takuya's taunt, he widened his eyes in disbelief for a moment before shrugging and turning towards the broccoli monster as he mimicked Takuya's gesture, calling out, "Formerly indifferent about, now avid enemy of, Broccolis. Spider-Man!"

Takuya turned to Peter, as they both remained crouch, tilting his head in confusion at the taunt, Peter looked back and shrugged once more, "It was the best I could come up with on a time crunch…"

Takuya shook his head as he grinned under his mask before both Spider-Men felt a tingle in their minds, they were in sync with each other. They felt their Spider-Senses coordinate and knew what to do.

Both Spider-Man let out a war cry as they leapt forward and rushed towards the broccoli monster who screeched again as sharp vines destroyed all the webbing and goo on its body before it shot towards the Spider-Men trying to pierce them through their hearts.

Hitomi gingerly watched on as she held up her camera and began snapping as many pictures as she could of the battle, awestruck by watching two Spider-Men in perfect sync with one another as they weaved out of the path of the rapid attacks of the monster and delivered multiple swift and decisive blows to the creature.

Peter felt a vine on his foot and paused before he was wrenched upside down off the ground and flung hundreds of feet into the air, he didn't make a noise and instead simply fired a webline to Takuya who leapt on the creatures giant head and back flipped off it, grabbing hold of Peter's line.

Peter let out a yell of exertion as he pulled as hard as he could and twirled 360 degrees in the air, launching Takuya high into the sky and twisting him around like a human pendulum, causing his own momentum to increase as the speed in which he fell grew.

Takuya let go of the line as he reached the end of the arc as was launched flying into the creature's side feet first.

Takuya rode the creature's form like a snowboard for a moment as it skidded across the ground, before flipping off it and landing on the ground several feet away from it and firing a line of his own to Peter who grabbed it as he descended.

Takuya yanked as hard as possible and pulled Peter directly on top of the prone monster as it groaned and tried to stand, Peter's feet connecting with its chest as he landed on the ground with the impact of a missile. Pushing the creature at least four feet into the ground as an impact crater with the circumference of several more feet destroyed the ground around it, flicking dirt, grass and dust in every direction.

Takuya turned his mask away as he shielded himself from the flying soil. When the dust settled, he ran and looked into the middle of the crater, only to see Peter standing over the creature as it lay prone, defeated.

Peter panted and let out a heavy breath before looking up to Takuya and giving a thumbs up, Takuya breathed a sigh of relief and returned the gesture before he noticed the creature beginning to move, "[Spider-Man, look out!]"

It was too late, as was the warning from Peter's Spider-Sense, he felt the monster's giant fist hit his face and he was launched skyward once more, dazed, unable to recover.

Takuya looked on as Peter's form sailed through the sky. Takuya didn't hesitate, he used the closest tree and swung himself into the air, shooting himself into a direct path to Peter. He managed to catch Peter's groggy body in his arms before catching them both in another line on another tree.

The tree was just slightly too short however and the two of them crashed to the ground in a skid along the ground as Peter rolled out of Takuya's arms and the both tumbled along the floor.

Hitomi rushed to them, shouting, "[Takuya!]"

Takuya pulled himself into a kneeling position as he held out his hand, "[Hitomi, no! Stay back!]"

She paused her approach and stared wide eyed at the creature as in a flash it's size multiplied, its looming shadow casting pool of darkness over all three of them as it became the size of a building in an instant. Standing at well over 70 metres tall.

Peter rubbed his head as he looked up and pulled himself to his feet very wobblily, "Ugh… What in the Mob Psycho is that? How the hell are we meant to defeat it now? It's huge!"

Takuya simply webbed Hitomi to his side, grabbed her by the waist, leapt into the air, opened his bracelet and yelled into it "[Marveller!]"

Peter followed after, leaping into the sky as he narrowly avoided being crushed by a giant vine that slapped onto the floor mere inches behind him.

As they sailed threw the air and became dangerously close to descending, the Spider-Machine GP-7 flew under and caught them as Takuya landed on his feet in the drivers seat, gently placing Hitomi into the passenger seat as the flying car jostled slightly when Peter landed on the spoiler in a crouch.

"Brilliant idea! Your car! I forgot all about it!"

"[Missiles!]" Takuya yelled as several rockets shot from the front of the vehicle and hit the giant broccoli who stumbled in annoyance and swung at the car with a giant palm.

Takuya managed to dive under the arm, but the wind from the movement made it shudder slightly.

"[Hold on!]"

"To what?" Peter asked as he looked about the air around him.

"[I was talking to Hitomi!]"

"Right. That makes more sense…" Peter said as he waved sheepishly to Hitomi as she turned to him confused.

She smiled back, albeit very nervously as she waved back.

Suddenly the car pulled up into the air as it approached a larger vessel flying in the air, "You have a spaceship?! That is so fucking cool!" Peter called, not even caring that he swore, something he was normally less inclined to do.

The sheer nerdy joy rushing through his veins completely overshadowed all his fears of the giant monster, of being stranded yet again, of potentially never being able to return to Gotham. Right now, it was hard for Peter to feel anything but sheer giddiness.

"[Marveller is more than a spaceship, Spider-Man.]" Takuya called as he leapt out of the car and helped Hitomi out.

"So, what's the plan, keep Hitomi here while we fight the Incredible Hulkoli?"

"[No. I'm sorry my friend, I must once more ask you to cause a distraction…]"

"Sure. But how?

["You will take the GP-7 and lay suppressive fire…]" Takuya said as he gesture to the car, "[Hitomi and I will remain here.]"

"Okay… And do what?"

"[Don't worry, I will not be leaving you alone, you will soon see the Marveller's capabilities.]"

"Okay. I trust you… But err, how do I drive this thing? I think a flying Spider-Mobile is slightly above my expertise… I mean, I only just got a learner's permit; I live in New York why would I need to drive?" 'And Gotham… but that's irrelevant right now…'

"[Trust your spider instincts and I'm sure the Spider Machine's abilities will be as natural as to you as your own…]"

"Alright, you need another distraction you have it, I'll see you soon!"

Peter replied as he leapt into the driver's seat and put his foot on the gas, nearly crashing directly into Takuya before he suddenly pressed down on the brakes and came to a sudden halt as the GP-7 stalled.

"Eh-heh… that's embarrassing."

"[Would you like to read the manual?]" Takuya sighed as he reached into the door and pulled out a thick white book.

"Umm… I don't read Japanese…" Peter replied as he took the book before he looked at the cover and remembered he was able to understand the words due to whatever Batmite/Spider-Mite did, "Oh, never mind."

There was a thunderous roar, and the ship shook slightly as the giant broccoli monster hurled a tree at Marveller.

"[Spider-Man, I don't want to rush you, but—]"

"Hang on! I got it now!" Peter said as he tossed the still open book onto the passenger seat and switched the car back on.

What followed was the most painful and tedious attempt at three-point turn anyone had ever witnessed, even without the impending threat of the giant monster, Peter chuckling sheepishly everyone now and then as he looked back to Hitomi and Takuya who were standing awkwardly watching him.

The ship shaking every now and then as trees and massive boulders were launched at it from the yelling goliath of vegetation below definitely didn't help the situation.

Nevertheless, through intense trial and error, and at least thirteen turns, Peter managed to turn the car around and shot out of the docking port at full speed.

What Peter had forgotten however was that the car was still in drive mode, not flight mode, and as soon as he left the spaceship the car immediately nosedived straight down.

"Crap! Crap! Crap! Where's the manual?!" Peter called as he snatched the book from the air as it began floating out of the passenger seat.

He hurriedly turned the pages, desperately trying to find out how to make it fly again before giving up and tossing it behind him, "Screw it! Trust your spider instincts, Pete! Come on Spider-Sense, don't fail me now!"

He started hovering his index finger over all the different buttons, pulling his hand away every time the tingle in his subconscious grew too strong. He finally found the button which made no threat to him, he pressed it without thinking as the cars descent neared its explosive climax.

With mere feet between the GP-7 and the ground, it's trajectory curved, and it shot itself back up into the sky, Peter unclenched his muscles and opened his eyes when he realised, he hadn't splatted against the ground. Breathing out a sigh of relief as he took back control of the wheel.

He let his Spider-Sense guide him as he piloted the flying car, weaving in between the broccoli monster's limbs as it frantically flung its limbs and vines in every direction.

'Huh, this thing isn't actually that hard to fly… kinda like a SHIELD quinjet…' as soon as Peter had the thought, a giant vine smacked into the bumper of the GP-7, knocking Peter off course and causing the car to spin wildly as Peter desperately pressed every button he could.

A barrage of missiles, bullets, fireworks, confetti and even foam was launched from the car, many of it hitting the creature, causing it to cry out as it stumbled back. Unbalanced, but still relentless in its frenzied assault.

Nevertheless, even with the distraction, Peter couldn't wrestle back control of the car. It was careening closer and closer to the ground when Peter heard Takuya's faint voice crackling out of the car radio, "[Change, Leopardon!]"

Peter questioned what the message meant as he prepared to leap out of the car before it smashed into the ground.

He halted his exit from the vehicle when he felt its fall come to a sudden stop. He looked up with astonishment at the cause of the car's sudden loss of downward impetus, the same cause of the thunderous 'Boom!' that carried itself through the air as dirt and grass flew about the scene.

The invasive force that caused such disruption, catching the GP-7 with Peter inside and creating a massive impact crater in the ground, was none other than the Marveller itself.

However, no longer was the Marveller a rectangular shaped ship, it had now reorganised itself into a giant mechanised robot, standing well over 60-foot tall. The Spider-Machine GP-7 sitting in its massive hand like a toy car.

The awe that passed through Peter was immeasurable, but it was quickly sidelined as he refocused himself. The giant robot, 'Leopardon' as Peter had managed to deduce, gingerly place the GP-7 back on the ground as it blocked a massive blow with its other arm.

A shockwave emanated from the point of impact, causing all the trees and foliage in the area to bend in response to the force.

Peter pressed his foot down on the gas as soon as the Spider Machine touched the ground. Kicking up dirt and grass as it rocketed forward before Peter pulled back on the steering wheel, causing the car to take flight once more. 'If I ignore the major interdimensional anxiety I'm feeling right now, this easily sits in the top three coolest experiences of my life…'

Leopardon pushed its arm back, knocking the monster off balance as it stumble backwards trying to regain its footing. Peter, having started to get the hang of the GP-7's controls by now, aided Takuya, who was piloting the giant mech, by firing a barrage of missiles at the torso of the creature.

Chunks of green vegetation falling to the floor as it exploded from the monster's broccoli-based bodice from the impact of the missiles.

And that was how it started… the greatest battle ever fought between two Spider-Men and a giant, broccoli-shaped, monster of all of time, across all realities. Except for that one battle on Earth-591999-subsection-C, but that battle was so epic very few battles across the multiverse even come close to its grandeur, broccoli based or not.

There was little communication between the two Spider-Men as they fought the giant broccoli. They found their groove with one another as their Spider-Senses synchronised, Peter's instinctive hum complimenting Takuya's detailed, precognitive, visions perfectly.

As Peter felt a threat, he reacted. When that happened Takuya had a vision of the action and the planned result, and he reacted in response. When Takuya moved, Peter felt the cohesion, when Peter moved, Takuya saw the intent.

They became a force of nature, a true embodiment of the totemic connection between them. Between all of them. The perfect poster children of the Web of Life and Destiny. If they were able to sense her, they would have felt Cassandra Webb's prideful gaze as she watched them both.

Hit after hit from Takuya at Leopardon's helm coupled with bullets after missiles after webs from Peter at the GP-7's wheel.

The monster thought back, it swung its vines, legs, arms and even the nearby foliage and trees at the two Spider-Men. Its attacks never landed. It was the most powerful creature Professor Monster had ever created, and it was unable to land even a single hit on either of the two Spider-Men it faced.

Amazoness watched with a face of sheer rage, she was bested again. Professor Monster was bested again, the Spider-Man had friends… there was more of his kind… she let out a growl as she conceded. The creature would soon be defeated, this day would not be won by the Iron Cross Army… but tomorrow was a new day, and it would bring new monsters.

She retreated into the nearby woods and disappeared into the wilderness for the time being. She would make her move, but not now…

Peter leapt out of the GP-7 as he webbed the wheel in a turn and similarly webbed the gas pedal to the floor. He back flipped to its bumper side and shot a line, hanging on to it as it flew higher and higher, curving as it did so.

The Spider Machine shot passed the monster's head who turned to it with confusion and hate, unable to break free of the grapple it was currently in with Takuya in Leaopardon as they stood opposite each other holding each other's hands as they both wrestled against the other.

A moment after the car shot passed the monster, Peter followed on his line. He let go of the line, sailing upwards as he backflipped in front of its face.

Peter breathed out and thought to the symbiote child inside him, 'time to end this…' he felt a soft stroke of agreement from the Other, as he felt symbiotic energy coil around his arm as he cocked his fist back.

His body finished its flip as he sat above both Leopardon and the monster's heads, in between them both. His fist as far back as it could go as more and more of the Other's power wrapped around it.

Takuya looked up from the helm of Leopardon at Peter in wonder as he felt the energy within the other Spider-Man growing, "[Do it, my friend. Let the beast taste your might…]" he spoke to himself.

Peter let out a roar as he shot his arm forward. Thick black tendrils extending far past his closed fist as he aimed a ferocious punch down onto the broccoli monster's large, vegetated head.

The creature looked up in fear and awe as it heard the call from the smaller creature. It was young, singularly minded, simple. In most ways, it was wholly incapable of complex or coherent thought…

Yet even this creature… this vicious vegation… this malicious machination of professor monster's… the Baneful Broccoli… even it knew that the heroes it faced were none other than two of the greatest any world had ever seen…

A thought made the long journey across its two brain cells several feet apart. Its first ever thought, a word, in a language it did not understand, 'Wow…'

The tentacle from Peter's arm struck the monster. Hitting its face so hard that the sound of the blow carried for several miles, the shockwave lifting at least half dozen trees out of the ground as their roots could no longer keep them planted in the face of the winds beating their trunks.

The monster's head snapped violently back as Leopardon released its hands from its own and the Baneful Broccoli came crashing to the ground, defeated.

Peter wrenched the tentacle back inside himself as he felt the Other's fatigue, he let out an appreciative hum to his Slimbiote as he watched the GP-7 in his peripheral. It finished its arc and was no longer rising through the air but instead curving downwards.

He shot out another line to the car and pulled himself back into the drivers seat. Ripping his webbing away from the steering wheel as he reached into his belt and pulled out the anti-web solution in his pouch, now in a convenient spray thanks to some tinkering at the Clocktower, and sprayed the gas pedal, dissolving the webbing fastening it to the floor.

He put his foot on the gas and eased it up as he steered the GP-7 to the open area. He gently pressed his foot on the brake and swung the car in the air so it double back on itself as he brought it back down to land.

He pulled up alongside Leopardon casually as the head opened with a hiss and Takuya leapt down to the floor next to the GP-7.

Peter jumped out of the car next to his Japanese counterpart, nodding to him as he did so.

The behemoth lay in on its back in front of them before its body flashed with a blinding light and it shrunk back to its original size.

"[You must show me how you use those tentacle powers you have… But later, now we must finish off the monster while it is weakened.]"

"Of cour—Wait, what? Finish it off?"

"[Yes. It's dangerous, we cannot let it return to its masters…]" Takuya replied as he started moving to the creature who lay defeated on the floor.

Takuya felt his arm being grabbed as Peter stopped his stride and spoke, "No."

"[No? What do you mean? It's a monster…]"

"It's a child, it doesn't know any better. It's been a slave to its creators its whole life, its not up to us to decide its fate…"

"[And you know this how? Did you speak to it?]"

"No bu—"

"[Then you are letting your naivety guide you, you don't know Professor Monster…]"

"Maybe not… but I have enough experience with big green monsters to know not everything is as black and white as that… You complimented my powers, but you don't know that the Symbiote I got this from once tried to kill me and my girlfriend… monsters aren't born, they're made… I don't think this is the right way to do this."

"[Then you are a fool. Things may work differently in your world, but here there is no grey areas, there are monsters and there are heroes… This is not up for discussion, Spider-Man, I will fight you if you try to stop me from protecting this city…]"

Suddenly the creature groaned as it sat back up, both Spider-Men tensed and took a defensive pose before Takuya started approaching to attack, the creature began recoiling in terror as it crawled away further into the crater it's humongous body made.

Takuya kept moving before Peter stepped in front of him and put his hand on its chest, "Spider-Man stop. Look at it, it's terrified…"

"[Then I will end its fear…]"

"Monsters and heroes, right?"

Takuya looked at Peter, his tone was cold, "[Yes.]"

"And look at yourself right now… look at it," he nodded his head behind him and the creature bundled up shaking in fear, "ask yourself, who's the monster here? because I only see someone trying to murder a defenceless creature as it cowers in fear."

"[Remove your hand, Peter… Allow me to do my job.]"

Peter felt two growls in his subconscious, one from his Spider-Sense and one from the Other. He looked to the side of Takuya and saw Hitomi watching with concern and shock, not wanting to involve herself in the brewing tension between the two Spider-Men.

"No." Peter's voice was steady, solid.

"[Why are you standing against me now?]"

"Because I swore to myself, I wouldn't let my power make me forget what's right… I'll take responsibility for it, just… let it live Takuya, let it be something other than the monster it was made to be…" he felt an odd sense of déjà vu wash over him; it was from a forgotten life when he said something similar to Electro, "please?"

Takuya snapped his head to Peter, "[And when you leave, when you go home, will you take it with you? Watch over it?]"

Peter didn't respond, he just dropped his head as he grimaced behind his mask.

"[That's what I thought… I will ask you one more time, step away or I will take you down as well…]"

Hitomi, who had exited Leopardon by the hatch on its foot, watched on as she felt an internal conflict brewing, on one hand she agreed with Takuya, the monster was dangerous and needed to be dealt with… on the other hand, the creature looked so scared. She felt her mind agreeing with her boyfriend, but her heart was being pulled to the side of the other Spider-Man, "[Takuya… I think we should listen to him.]" she finally spoke.

"[Hitomi… please, I have to finish it, for the safety of Tokyo…]"

She hugged herself tightly as she felt the conflict in her grow, Takuya's words made sense, but they still didn't seem right.

"[Wrong, Spider-Man… This creature will not help us destroy the city, it will bring this whole world to heel!]" a fourth voice called, the Amazoness was standing to the side of the group, her weapon drawn, anger on her face as she screamed when everyone looked to her with surprise, "[Monster! Kill them all!]"

The Baneful Broccoli stood back up and looked to its mistress and then to the group, it still looked terrified, but it also looked… confused. Like it didn't know what to do.

It looked around itself until its eyes met Spider-Man's, the one who had punched it with its black tentacles, it saw its reflection in his lenses.

Peter held its gaze for a moment before he slowly shook his head and spoke to the creature, "you don't have to listen to her… to anyone. What do you want to do?"

It felt understanding grow in its mind, language forming in its brain as it spoke with a raspy voice in a mix of Japanese and English, "[I… w-want l-livveee… L-left al-lone…]"

Peter recognised the look on its face, a mix of fear of itself and anger at the world around it that had already decided it hated it. It was a spitting image of the look Peter saw when he fought alongside the Hulk, when the people the green hero tried to help would cower from him in fear…

"Then you will be. I promise." Peter spoke as looked back to Takuya.

Takuya looked between Peter, the creature and Amazoness and relented, "[Fine… We will let it be for now, but if it ever tries to hurt another living being, I will return and send it to the ground…]"

The creature looked down sadly as it spoke again, its voice clearer now as it seemed to be learning, "[I don't want hurt… I want life… to go home…]" it looked to woods beside them…

Peter removed his had from Takuya and approached the creature, "Then go home… I won't let them hurt you."

Takuya stood and watched the display with conflict, if this creature was just an innocent being used by the Iron Cross Army… then what of all the others he had slain? His head whipped up in surprise by the Amazoness' voice.

"[Useless! Defective! You have failed your only function and so you will be destroyed!]" her face was flush with rage as she raised her sword.

Peter raised his fist as he gently nudged the creature behind him, readying for another fight with the woman.

As Amazoness stepped forward to begin her charge, a loud 'Thunk!' was heard and her eyes drooped slightly as she lost consciousness and slumped to ground face first.

Hitomi stood behind her, a large rock in her hands, she dropped the rock next to the villain she had just knocked out and spoke, "[Miss Yoshida, consider this my resignation…]"

The tension in the air dissipated as everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and not having to go through another fight. Hitomi walked over to Takuya and the two hugged, Takuya speaking as he held his girlfriend, "[My hero…]"

"[Don't ever forget it…]" she spoke back.

Peter looked back to the creature after viewing the display between Hitomi and Takuya with a smile, he saw the creature holding its arms out offering a hug as it spoke as well, "hero…?"

Peter paused for a moment before shrugging, 'ah, what the hell? When in Tokyo…' he gave the creature a hug. It wrenched him off the ground as it squeezed him tightly, pressing all the oxygen out of him in a bear hug.

He tapped its side gently, "Can't… breathe…"

It dropped him apologetically and stepped back, "gotta' work on controlling your strength there, buddy…"

The creature let out a whistle of joy and patted him on the head.

"[So… I think I might need to find another job…]" Hitomi spoke as she separated from Takuya's arms.

"[Then what better material for your resume than a story of two Spider-Men and an intrepid reporter defeating the Iron Cross Army…]" he replied.

"[I have a better story in mind…]" she replied as she raised her camera and gestured her head to the other Spider-Man standing next to the creature as it continued to pat his head playfully.

And so, after webbing Amazoness to a tree, Hitomi stood a few feet opposite the two Spider-Men with her camera raised as they stood either side of the creature, all of them pulling the peace sign with their hands.

She snapped a few phots of the pose before the creature grabbed both Spider-Men in a hug, lifting them off the ground suddenly as they struggled to breath against the assault of affection.

Hitomi laughed as she captured one more picture, the one she would used for her article and include in her resume as she would look for a job at a new publisher. She already had a title in mind, "Victimised Vegetable Freed by Dynamic Duo!"

But that was, quite literally, a story for another time.

Eventually, after more hugs and apologies, the trio of the Spider-Men and Hitomi watched and waved off the creature as it wandered into the woods, Takuya swearing to it with a bow that he would keep an eye on it and make sure no one tried to harm it again.

Takuya turned to Peter, "[So, I take it you will return home now?]"

"I… guess that's all that's left to do…"

"[you don't seem all that happy about it…]"

He felt the conflict in him grow as he looked at the wrist band on his arm, "I guess… I just don't know what home to go to… Or even if I can go to the right one…"

"[Conflict of furusato?]"

"Excuse me?" Peter asked, for once not instinctively understanding Takuya's speech.

"[I believe you would refer to it as, something like, 'home is where the heart is…']"

"Oh… Yeah, I guess I just don't know what heart to follow."

Takuya nodded and put his hand on his shoulder, "[You my friend, are a man of two hearts… So now you must ask yourself, which one is beating harder?]"

He felt a flash of images in his mind, people from both worlds waiting for his return… his families… his friends… for once in his life he realised how many people he truly had, and in this moment, he never felt lonelier.

No matter which world he chose, he would inevitably be forsaking the other, he had known one for far longer, but he no less felt attached to the new world.

But the decision was made, he would go home… to his true home, to May, and Miles and MJ… he thought about his ex-girlfriend and best friend… and another flash hit him, there was another red head that had captured something in him, something he hadn't really noticed until now…

'Babara…?' He found himself questioning, as if surprised by the pain he felt when facing the possibility of never seeing her again. A whiplash of the heart when he noticed buried feelings that had been growing in him.

He shook them off, he needed to go home to May… Everyone would understand, especially Ben and Terri, if Batmite ever returned he would make sure he passed on a message to them all. Hell, he'd just ask Batmite to let them come with him, so they could be one big happy family…

Happy. He'd be happy… That's all that mattered right? Being happy.

No. it wasn't. He had a responsibility, his heart may want to go back to earth 616161, but his responsibility wouldn't let him, he had to go back to Gotham… His villains were still there he couldn't leave them behind.

He couldn't let Doc Ock enact whatever master plan he was cooking in his evil mind, he couldn't let Shocker and Scorpion and Rhino run rampage through the city under orders of Black Mask, and he couldn't leave Ben and Terri alone with the Light looming over them with no protection.

The decision was final, he would go back to Earth Prime.

"[Are you okay, Peter?]" Hitomi spoke, pulling him from his mind.

"umm… how long was I just standing here in silence?" Peter sheepishly asked.

"[About two minutes.]" Takuya chuckled back, "[Did you make your decision?]"

"Yes, he did!" A voice called out from the air before Peter could speak, surprising everyone.

Batmite/Spider-Mite was floating the in middle of the group now, dressed in a mix between a Spider-Man costume and a Batman costume, "And it was the right decision…"

"Batmi—" He paused, as the imp crossed his arms in disapproval, "Spider-Mite? Finally! Where have you been, do you have any idea how many universes you've been ping-ponging me around? So many! Any idea what that does to a guy?"

"Apparently it makes them extremely ungrateful… And don't be so dramatic! It's only been like… six… that's such a manageable number, I mean, you fight that many enemies once a month! Besides, I could swear there was way more planned..."

"It was seven, I know, I was counting, and what do you mean more planned? I thought you only wanted to send me home?"

"Sorry, a gag for the readers?"

"Oh my god... I can't with you, can you just cut the crap for one second and be serious?"

"Jeez, so this is the thanks I get for trying to give you a gift!"

"A gift I never asked for!"

"Oh please! You've been pining for your home dimension ever since you arrived in Gotham…"

"Send. Me. Home. Now!"

"Duh, that's what I've been trying to do this whole time!"

"No. Not home, home. Send me back to Earth-Prime!"

"So… wait, you don't want to go back? To 616161?"

"Of course I do! More than… More than anything. But I can't just leave everyone else behind… not with Octavius and the Light… Not when Half of the Sinister Six are on a crime lord's payroll… I…" realisation hit him, when it did, Spider-Mite clicked away his Spider-Man costume and floated in his old Batman costume smirking, "This was all a test wasn't it? How long have you been watching?"

"While you were in this world? The whole time, obviously…"

"What? So, all of this was just to help me what… strengthen my resolve…"

"Yup… Although, it wasn't meant to be at first, I kinda' went off script a bit, I hope no one finds out… anyway, don't tell me you actually thought this would be how your journey ends? Puh-lease… This is just a interval in the main story..."

"What?"

"Another joke for the readers… Don't worry about it."

"What?!"

"[Who is this little flying creature, Peter?]" Takuya asked.

"A nuisance." Peter sighed.

"A fifth dimensional nuisance, thank you very much…"

"So, this whole time you could have sent me back?"

"Umm... well, yeah. But the thing is, I did really try to send you back home, but... I can't, it's blocked off, we could only go to these universes because they're right on the edge of their respective Multiverses... turns out the Web of Life and Destiny is a bit of a pain to work around..."

"What? Is my world okay?"

"Oh yeah! Don't worry, I saw it, it's just... off limits for some reason... Your Aunt and your lady clone miss you by the way... They all do, it was kind of a bummer."

Peter flinched slightly at that remark, it stung, the sting then turned to frustration, "So what, all of this was just pointless psychological torture?!"

"Torture's a strong word."

"And an apt one! If you found out I couldn't go back aages ago, why the hell did you just let me stay here for as long as I did?"

"To enjoy the show, obviously. Thought I might as well make it worth the trip... And boy was it! And if I have to take you back to Gotham anyway, then I had to make sure you were really ready to stick around, to help my boy Batman protect his city…"

"Sure, leave me stranded in alternate Japan! What a test! Something tells me you wouldn't do anything like this to Robin or Nightwing…"

"Hey, nepotism goes a long way… You gotta' earn your place in the family, Spider-Boy… Besides, if I did Batman would hate me..."

"Spider-Mite!"

"Nuh-uh, that was temporary, call me Batmite."

"Spider-Mite, Batmite, Marmite, Vegemite, whatever you call yourself! This, whole time I've been telling you I want to go back!"

"You may have been saying that, but until now, you didn't really mean it… Did you? In the back of your mind, you kept hoping you'd finally get back home… Responsibility be damned. Batman be damned… Barbara, be damned."

Peter paused; the imp was right. Peter hated it. What he hated more, was the way his cheeks flushed at the last sentence.

Takuya and Hitomi shared an uncomfortable look as they shuffled on their feet awkwardly while atching the argument between Peter and the imp.

"What about Ben and Terri? I would have stayed for them no question…" Peter said, but his voice wasn't as sure of itself as he'd have liked it to be...

"No, you wouldn't… you were gonna' ask if they could come with you… and if they couldn't… well you thought it yourself, you'd send them a message… Merry Christmas Parkers! I've gone home, sorry… But now you don't have that choice, dilemma solved, once again, responsibility is the only option. Does that make you more relieved or more sad I wonder?"

"Ugh, you little…"

"[I feel like we may be intruding on a rather personal conversation…]" Takuya finally spoke as he put his hand on Peter's shoulder to calm him.

Peter turned back to Takuya, Spider-Mite spoke, "Care to say your goodbyes? For real this time…?"

Peter sighed out his immense frustration and nodded to the imp as Spider-Mite floated some distance away to give them a moment.

Peter put out his hand to the other Spider-Man, "Takuya, Spider-Man… It was… well it's been real."

Takuya shook Peter's hand and spoke, "[It was an honour to fight by your side once more, Spider-Man, and especially to be able to know it was you this time…]"

Peter chuckled, "Same here. The Inheritors didn't leave us much time to get to know one another really, did they…"

"[No, they did not]" Takuya chuckled back before his voice became more severe, "[I want to thank you for stopping me from doing what I have done many times before… I understand now, sometimes the monsters I fight are just as much the victims of Professor Monster as any innocent bystander… perhaps more so. I am truly grateful to you for showing me that. I only hope I can repent for all the others that I have slain without a second thought…]"

"You can. By moving forward and doing what's right… And who knows, maybe this one was a fluke, I never saw the others…"

"[Maybe you are right… But from now on I will make sure to check before I throw away another life…]"

Peter nodded, before turning to Hitomi, "Make sure to look after each other… If Professor Monster is like any of my guys, then… well, just don't let them tear you apart."

They both heard the pain in Peter's voice when he said that Takuya responded, "[If they try, they will fail…]"

"Then, I pity them if they do…" He nodded to Takuya, "it was great to meet you both… And err… I guess I don't need this anymore." He went to remove the wristband to return it to Takuya.

Takuya stopped him with a raised palm, "[You keep it… I have no need for it. Besides, perhaps with this you can find a way to bridge your two hearts, so they are one…]"

"Thank you…"

The took their turns saying goodbye to Peter, each of them giving the man another, much needed, hug.

He finally approached Spider-Mite after the ordeal, "Ready to go?" the Imp spoke.

"Yes."

Spider-Mite snapped his fingers and there was a blinding flash of light.

Unknown Multiverse – Unknown Universe

Location Unknown

Peter found himself standing opposite Batmite in the mouth of a cave facing towards endless cosmic wonders… Ones that seemed, dead… and also, alive, as if it was the beginning, end, and constant of all life…

"Umm… This isn't Earth Prime… or earth at all for that matter…"

"Err… I, um, this isn't right…." Batmite snapped his fingers nothing happened.

"Batmite…"

"Uh, don't panic, but I may have been locked out of the other multiverse…"

"What?! How?"

"Obviously if I knew I would share that information, but I don't, so I can't…"

"This isn't funny Batmite... I need to get back…"

"Well, unfortunately, the Source Wall seems to disagree with you…"

"What…"

"That's where we are… the Source Wall, a barrier around the multiverse surrounded by dead Promethean Giants… But hey, look! The Source… Darkseid eat your heart out… Boy I bet if the Anti-Life equation would be anywhere, it'd be somewhere in there!"

"Sure… Whatever you just said, big whoop. Now stop playing around and send me back…"

"I just said I couldn't, besides aren't you at least a little hyped to see the creation of all things in front of you…"

"I'm from another multiverse entirely, my entire existence here is a paradox, so forgive me if I don't take your word on that being the Source of all things… In my experience, no matter what anyone says is possible or impossible, there are always more… things." Peter slumped to the floor of the cave, which upon further inspection was actually a giant eye socket of a dead primordial being, Peter would have found that cool if he wasn't in absolute shock, he let his head drop.

"Hey, don't feel so glum, this isn't ideal for me either, I'm locked out of my home too…"

"Can you at least take me back to my old home now?"

"Nope still blocked out. Hey, try your doohickie!" he gestured to the interdimensional wristband.

Peter felt a tiny flicker of hope at the suggestion, he looked at the wristband and gingerly pressed on its display. Nothing happened, it was completely defunct, all that appeared on its screen was a flash of a message repeatedly saying "Error 404 – Universe not found!" on every location Peter tried.

"Is- are we just stuck here? Foverer?!" Peter said, not completely terrified, but nearing it.

"Ummm... yeah, I guess I have to stick around too…" Batmite said rather sadly.

"Feel free not to." Peter said, darkly.

A slow dread was taking over his mind, he hadn't reached acceptance yet, still in denial about his whole predicament, but he knew as soon as he did, he'd snap.

"Ouch. I'll let that pass since emotions are high right now. And maybe its for the best… Not like Batman really needs you, I'm sure he'll be fine, I- Oh man, I just realised I ccan't even read about it... that sucks..."

"That's not true…" Peter said, his voice monotonous and automatic.

"Why do you say that? You have some comics in your pocket?"

"No... Wally West told me he had visions of the future… he told me I was needed…" Peter was so numb to every emotion, speaking as robotically as humanly possible as shock overwhelmed him.

Batmite paused, "Seriously? I thought that was all just hearsay… Gee whizz, that's all I've been hearing from people these last couple hours…'Spider-Man is needed back on Earth Prime, blah, blah, blah, destiny, blah blah blah!' like who does everyone think you are? The main character? Cos' I tell you only one man has that title and that's Batma-"

"Wait, wait, wait. Shut up a second. What do you mean, everyone has been saying that…? Who have you met? When?"

"Lots of guys, every time I blinked away somewhere else, somebody would take me into their pocket dimension and give me a stern talking to… turns out playing with two different multiverses pisses off a lot of powerful beings… who knew?"

"I could've told you that, very confidently from speculation alone! Stop avoiding the question, who did you talk to…"

"Ugh… A few different gods, some primordial beings, a couple of interdimensional constants…"

"And they all mentioned me?"

"Not all of them, but this one blind lady in this spider chair was very adamant I send you back, kept talking about how she couldn't interfere but that your destiny was linked with Earth Prime's. I mean pretty hypocritical, saying she can't interfere, but interfering with me, who was interfering with you… If you ask me, that's just interfering with you with extra steps…"

"No one asked you to interfere in the first place! She was probably just trying to fix a mess you started! One that has reached ungodly levels of interference!"

"Oh please! You basically asked me to interfere with all the moping you were doing the last few weeks! 'Oh, boohoo! Everyone I care about thinks I'm dead! Wah-wah-wah!'. That's you. That's how you sound, Mr. Angsty pants over here…"

"Wow… You really got me there; how will I ever recover… This blind lady, did she call herself Madame Web?"

Batmite shrugged, "probably. She was very webby…"

"And she told you to send me back to Earth Prime?"

"Yuh-huh…"

"Then why didn't you send me back! I'm clearly, actually needed!"

"Well too late now… I can't…"

"Yeah… thanks… Ripped away from my destiny… what the fuck is wrong with you…? You can't just play with people's lives like this… Maybe Madame Web knows I'm here, though, maybe she can send me back."

"Hey, maybe! She can send me back too!"

"She shouldn't. If it was up to me, I'd let you stay here for a while, to think about everything you've done! This entire fucking mess is your fault!"

"My bad! I'm sorry okay! Really, truly sorry… I didn't mean for any of this… I didn't think this would happen. And I never, ever thought you'd really give up going home forever on the off chance you might be needed somewhere else…"

"Of course I would! Did you never hear my mantra?"

"I skimmed over it…"

"With great power—"

"Blah blah, responsibility. You didn't need to tell me, I was being fasecious… Whatever I'll see if I can use the last of my power to send a message out, maybe someone else can help you getback, and then I'll leave you alone forever…"

"Great… thanks… honestly, it's the least you can do after dooming me, and your hero while I'm at it…"

"I ain't happy about it either, Bug-Boy!" Batmite sighed, he tried to send a message out, nothing worked, "Nada... Oh man, I'm really not happy about this, I don't even think this was my idea in the first place…"

Peter let his complete and utter frustration slip for a moment as he furrowed his brow in confusion at Batmite's last words, "What's that supposed to mean? Who's idea was it?"

"I can't really remember… I- I'm sorry, Peter…"

"You can't remember, of course you can't! Ahah!" Peter laughed in hysteric disbelief, he finally snapped, denial became acceptance, shock became rage, "You… you… I… Wow… I think I actually hate you! Well done, Batmite you've just joined an exclusive club with the Green fucking Goblin… Boy, you must be proud!"

"Now, let's not get too overdramatic here!"

"Overdramatic? Fuck you! Oh god, oh god, god, god. What is- I-I- This can't be happening, not again. This is… oh god." Peter stood up and began pacing frantically as he swung his arms about wildly.

Sometimes he'd grab his head in frustration, sometimes he'd slap himself to wake himself up, sometimes he'd just clench and unclench his fists rapidly as he breathed out heavy breaths and muttered incomprehensible babbles of profanity under his breath.

"Careful Spider-Man, your scaring me… just take a breath and calm down"

"Calm dow—Aha! Calm down!? I think I'm pretty calm considering everything you've just told me! I—I- I am this close to mental break down, an emotional breakdown. Hell! Even a spiritual one, why not? The fact I haven't lost it yet completely is a miracle on its own!"

"I mean… It kinda sounds like you've completely lost it…"

"Oh, shut up! You've just told me I can't go back to either of my homes… That- That I'm stuck in the head of a dead giant in arms reach of the origin of all life! Considering that, and considering you basically kidnapped me and threw me into this mess, a mess that has just made me lose my family, again! I'd argue the ratio of 'absolute, shit-show, catastrophe' to 'amount of my losing it' is irrefutable evidence in support of my ability to not lose it… I think I'm coping very, very, very, well since you just ruined my life. Both of them!"

"Err… what? You're not making sense… You're becoming a little frantic."

"No shit I'm frantic! You ruined my life! Is this all I have now, being trapped here with you?!"

"No, Peter, it isn't." A flash of purple light illuminated the cave as man with brown hair, wearing a navy body suit, and red leather jacket, step out of a portal beside them, "boy, am I glad I finally found you two… sorry I'm late… I'm pretty new to all this… or am I old to all of it…? It's hard to keep track of sometimes, sorry."

Peter didn't speak, he just looked at the man and let out a loud guffaw of absolute shock.

"Not the reaction I was expecting… You know, most people start with a 'hi', or a 'hello', or maybe even a 'hey there'.

"Most people don't just waltz into the head of a dead god and start mumbling like they don't know what's happening…" Peter responded.

"That's err… pretty fair, actually. My bad."

"Hey! I remember now, you gave me the job! You're Acce—" Batmite spoke.

"Not now, Batmite. Sorry. That was rude… I, um, hey Batmite, you can go now…"

"No, I can't…"

"Right. Right. Sorry, you've been out of your own multiverse for too long, your powers are all run out… I guess this was the closest you could get, huh…? I'll send you back now…" The man clicked his fingers and Batmite was gone.

"Well, at least he's gone now…" Peter spoke.

"I, um… look, don't blame the imp, he was just doing what I asked him… That was my bad… don't take it out on him… I don't even think he'll remeber meeting me... But you, do you, er, you wanna' take a seat?"

The man pulled a chair out of a portal and place it down in front of Peter as he offered it to him. Peter just looked at it.

"Not really, look no offense, but are you here to send me back or what?"

"Well, that's kinda' the whole thing… I was meant to send you back home, you know to your Aunt… You'd wake up with no memory of any of it… you're villains too… but, er, that's… it's pretty complicated, I can't get into it right now. Batmite was gonna' do it for me but he, I guess he wasn't up to it… plus I think a lot of the wolrd he took you to was just him having fun with it... in hindsight, I don't know why I thought a fifth dimensional imp wouldn't put a whimsical spin on the task."

"Right… do you normally talk this cryptically or are you just trying to mess with me? Because, dude, I am a hairs length away from a complete mental breakdown…"

"Listen, Peter… You went somewhere you shouldn't… the collider was a big mess and I'm kinda' trying to fix it… but, to do that, I need you back on Earth Prime…"

"But you just said you needed to send me home?"

"Yeah, I did… I was, wrong…. I guess."

"You guess?"

"Listen, my job is pretty complicated… It's a bit of a handful, honestly, I'm kinda' just making it up as I go along… listen I'm gonna' send you back, I just need to know that, err… you know, you're ready…"

"Ready for what?"

"I—uh, well that's the thing… I don't really know. I mean I know, but I don't know, know, you know?"

"Not at all… I—what is your job exactly."

"Aha… I ask myself that all the time… I, um, basically I have to make sure these two siblings never find out about each other, because if they do, they um, they kinda' try to kill the other… and, oh, those two siblings are entire multiverses…"

"And let me guess, that's my multiverse and…"

"Yeah…"

"So, why do you need me in the other multiverse…"

"I um… try to think of it this way… there's like two balls of yarn that have accidentally got tangled with each other, and I thought I needed to separated them, so they're owners don't fight but turns out, that's, ha, well its kinda' a no go because someone has mixed the strings together on a molecular level, so I need to reorder them again and just… make one new ball of yarn… and hope the siblings don't notice and just become one… or share, I guess… and, well, I kinda need you as the thread that ties them all together… does that make sense?"

"That's the most nonsensical explanation that I've ever understood completely…"

"Yeah, right? It makes sense because it doesn't make sense at all… I get that, it's how I've been tackling it, like I said, I'm pretty new to all this… I think Molecule Man was laughing at me when I tried to explain it to him… I don't think I like that guy…"

"Right… so, can I ask a quick question?"

"Go ahead…"

"Morpheus, he wasn't sent by you…?" Peter said as he felt memories he had lost coming to him.

"Right. You got your memories back while you're here, don't worry, that'll go away… I think. I think you'll forget about this too… makes it all easier… but um, yeah, well no… Morpheus was sent by someone who's working for me, but, um, she doesn't know she's working for me… most people forget after they meet me, it's, uh, difficult to understand sometimes…"

"Only sometimes?"

"haha… only someti—That's a good one… but um, yeah."

"So, hang on, let me get this straight, when I asked Dream about my family, the ones on Prime Earth… they shouldn't exist… but I shouldn't be there either, but I should now, so that must have been you right? You put them there?"

"Right. Yeah, that was me, Merry Christmas. Or Spring, time dilation, makes it tricky to get in the festive spirit, I know…"

"But you just said Batmite only came to take me home on your orders…"

"Yeah. But then I realised he couldn't. It's why I kept sending people trying to convince him to send you home before he ran outta' juice… being out of the Source Wall for too long was draining his power... but I guess his whimsical nature meant he didn't notice, or he didn't take it seriously enough when he did… imps amirite? But, hey, it all worked out in the end… say, do you think I did that on purpose? I can't tell if I did…"

Peter just stared at the man as he rambled on before blinking a few times in disbelief and responding, "Sure… But, uh, what I meant to say was, Ben and Terri were already there when Batmite kidnapped me…"

"Right, yeah… yeah, I can see how that could be confusing, um, for you they've been there weeks, for them it's been their whole lives, for that world it's been, you know, generations, but for me, that was, um, like two minutes ago… time can be funny."

"Sure… sure… hey, you aren't related to Booster Gold by any chance?"

"I don't think so, no… not me, not even from the same world…"

"And, um, so, just who exactly are you…"

"Axel… but you can call me Access…"

"Anyone ever tell you a bit of a weird guy, Access?"

"Oh yeah, all the time… sometimes never. Sorry, it comes with the job."

"Right. Yeah, no, but like, I mean weird, weird, like no offense, but clinically insane weird…"

"Oh, no offense taken, I hear you… You have to be in my position… sanity? The human mind can't keep hold of its sanity when you do what I do, I tend to leave it somewhere else while I'm working… I think I left him in a universe somewhere over that way," he pointed behind him, "I think he's… yeah, he's having pancakes right now…"

"So, what about this bracelet," he gestured to Takuya's interdimensional wristband on his arm, "I was gonna give it to Mr Terrific to see if he'd help send me back… but if you need me…"

"No, no… you keep doing that… just um, you'll forget most of this, so will the Other, so no stress there… just, um, keep doing you…"

"Um… I will, I guess… but if I have the band, won't I have proof this all happened."

"Oh, no, I'll sort all of that… Don't worry about it."

"Cool… cool, cool, cool… I—um, I think I'd like to go home now. To Pri—"

"Prime Earth, yeah, I hear you."

Access looked beside Peter as a portal opened up beside him, he gestured to it as he smiled at him, Peter began to step through it.

"Oh, and, er, Peter…"

"Yeah."

"Merry Christmas."

"You too, man."

"Oh, its January 21st where I'm from… Like I said, I was running late, but thanks…"

Peter stared at him for a moment before sighing, rubbing his nose, and shaking his head and walking through the portal, "I can't wait to forget all of this…"

DC Universe – Prime Earth

New York, Queens – Parker Residence

December 24th, 2022

Peter sat up from his bed with a start, he was in his boxers, drenched in a cold sweat and his covers were thrown to the floor. He looked at his alarm beside his bed, blaring at him, [09:30] flashed on its display.

The night's adventures were hazy in his mind, less than half remembered as liquid dreams that never stopped flowing for long enough to become the solid memories, they once were… if they ever were at all…

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he spoke out loud, "Ugh… I gotta' talk to Morpheus because what the hell was that?" he paused and spoke again to himself, "and who the hell is Morpheus for that matter… am I going crazy…?"

The Other bristled with a sarcastic affirmation to the question, Peter responded, "And a merry Christmas to you… asshole." He joked to the Slimbiote.

He heard a knock at the door as Terri's voice called out, "Peter, stop talking to the alien in your head and get up! It's Christmas!"

He sighed and chuckled to himself, before pulling himself out of bed.

For the first time since his arrival in this world, he felt the comfort of Christmas, a holiday that seemed to be more of an obligation of the time dilated dates than a real event. But as he sat around the tree with his newfound family as they swapped gifts and stories of each of their holidays passed, Peter felt the joy of family in his heart.

The pain of his home still lost to him was there. In the back of his mind, the dreams of his adventures and his conflicted emotions of home were dancing, but they never overtook the happiness he felt as he gave his sister and uncle their gifts…

The worry of Ben's reaction to the photo album was defeated completely when Ben let loose a few tears of joy at seeing the May he never met, a version of himself he never got to be, and the siblings of Peter who were in another world. He held the book close and felt his link to Peter's heart grow stronger.

Terri gave Peter a look of absolute adoration as she unwrapped the last gift, almost dismissing the books and Avengers ID she had previously shown so much excitement at. Here they finally had it, proof they were really siblings…

She looked at the photo her new brother had given her and then back up to the mantle, to her other brother's memorial portrait. There was no conflict of the heart anymore, she could see it in his eyes, in his smile, the Peter she had lost was looking down at her, and he was happy she was smiling again. Truly this time.

And across the world, beyond the stars, beyond the third and fourth dimensions sat an imp. Dressed in a batman costume, furiously arguing on an inter-dimensional forum with the account of a young, blonde, woman with pink highlights named, 'Gwendy-Poole-616' about who the greatest hero is, Batman or Spider-Man…

He paused and sighed as he looked beyond his home and into the living room of the Parker's of Earth Prime, he couldn't help the smile that was creeping on his face as he typed one last message, "Hes OK ig… Still not as cool as Batman tho!1! XD"

Author Notes:

Sorry this was so, so, so, so, sooooo late... This was meant to be the Holiday Special released on December 24th, but I got addicted to Marvel Rivals... my bad everyone.

Also this originally was a side adventure released seperately but I was unhappy with the result and felt it it was a bit clunky and the motivations didn't really make sense so decided to rewrite it a bit and add more stuff before putting it in the main fic. It's here now because I actually think some of the world building is pretty major for the main plot even if the story content is more about just having a dumb adventure. Consider this more of an interval of the main story... I'm gonna make this story HUGE in terms of word count lmao...

Chapter 19 will flesh out some of the missing info here, like what Wally told Peter...

The Miles Morales prequel is also still in the works, but that WILL be released seperately so keep an eye out for that.

Also Access is a pretty cool character, but since my two multiverses are different from the main canon ones, I decided to write him how I would imagine someone with that job would be, not necessarily how his character ACTUALLY is... He is more like an OC with the same name, powers and role as Access...

Merry, late, christmas everyone, and happy holidays to anyone who doesn't/didn't celebrate... Also happy new year lol...

Also welcome back American TikTokers what a wild ride that was, but never forget that orange man didn't save TikTok, he was the one who tried to shut it down in the first place... If you ask me this smells really suspicious, let's hope it hasn't been bought by Mr Beast, or even *shudders* Meta...

Anyway follow me on TikTok and Tumblr for more stuff from me, same name as here :)

Hope you enjoyed the adventure.

Stay beautiful and keep smiling everyone :)

Fumble