So far, the trip to New York City was going rather well. For some more than others.
Peter was showing his friends some of his favorite spots around town, one such being his favorite pizza place, that being Joe's Pizza.
After Peter ordered four pies and two liters of soda for his friends, they began walking around, looking for a place to sit while Peter held the four pies and Twilight held the soda. Looking for a place to sit was a task that's easier said than done.
"For a fancy Pizza Place, Peter, it certainly did not have a lot of seats," Trixie said.
"It's good pizza, it just doesn't have a lot of places to sit," Peter said. "Usually this place just delivers. I should know, I have experience."
"You do?" Autumn Blaze asked.
"Yeah, I liked Joe's Pizza enough to work there," Peter said. "It's not easy to keep a job when you're always late."
"Late? That's not something Twilight likes to hear," Trixie teased.
"To be fair, he was a superhero with a secret identity at the time trying to stop bad guys from terrorizing New York," Twilight said.
"Damn, now I kind of feel bad for making you late," Shocker said. "I know how hard it is to keep a job too."
"It's cool," Peter said. "Anyway, we can find a place to sit with no problem."
"Where?" Trixie asked as she looked around the city. "This place is beyond crowded."
"We'll just walk to Central Park," Peter said. "That's not too far away."
"It's a twenty-minute walk, Spidey," Shocker said.
"Oh, yeah..." Peter said. "Right, I usually just swing there. But still, twenty minutes isn't bad."
"I am not walking twenty minutes," Trixie said. "Besides, the pizza will get cold."
"Bryant Park is less than five minutes away from here," Shocker said. "It has places to sit, even if it's on the grass. It's an ideal picnic spot."
"Oh yeah, good point," Peter said.
"See, that sounds better than walking all the way to this Central Park place," Trixie said.
"Hey, you should still check it out," Shocker said. "There's a lot to do there."
"Yeah, like taking a bike ride," Peter said.
"Actually Peter, that plan may have a slight problem," Twilight said.
"What is it?" Peter asked.
"No one here has learned to ride bikes," Twilight pointed out.
At that point, Peter did begin to remember and understand Twilight's point, "Oh yeah. You all just learned to be bipedal, not to actually pedal."
"...Was that your lame idea of a joke?" Shocker asked.
"Hey, you gotta admit that it's clever," Peter said.
"May we please go before our food gets cold?" Trixie said.
"Yeah, alright," Peter said. "Come on, let's get moving."
The group went to find a street to cross, though just as they approached the corner, a car had quickly turned just before they could leave the sidewalk.
"Watch where you're driving, dumbass!" Shocker shouted.
"Was that a legal turn?" Rogue asked.
"Technically, yes. That car was stopped," Peter said as everyone began to cross. "Still, it could stand to wait a few seconds more."
Franklin held Mayday close, keeping an eye out to make sure there weren't too many crazy drivers as he and Mayday crossed the street with their party.
Celestia continued walking close to everyone, to which she suddenly shrieked, taking everyone by surprise.
"Princess Celestia, what's wrong?" Twilight asked.
"I thought I saw a rat," Celestia said.
"It's New York, you're going to see rats," Shocker said. "What you should be worried about is seeing a raccoon."
"Aren't raccoons nocturnal?" Trixie asked.
"Exactly, if you ever see one in broad daylight, that's bad," Shocker said, then gestured to a nearby ally. "Like that raccoon right there."
"AAHH!" Celestia screamed as she took a step back.
"Herman, stop scaring Celestia," Peter said. "And Mayday, stay away from that creature, it probably has rabies."
"Okay," Mayday said as she stuck close to Franklin.
"I wasn't trying to be mean," Shocker said, seemingly unaware of someone getting close to him. "All I'm saying...HEY!"
The person seemingly grabbed some money and tried to run, but Shocker grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him into a punch.
"Herman!" Peter gave Autumn Blaze the pizza and went to defuse the situation.
"I wasn't born yesterday, pal!" Shocker shouted as he got in the person's face. "Try that crap again and you'll regret it!"
"Herman! Enough!" Peter called as he pulled Shocker away. The man got his stuff back but the pick pocketer ran off. "Give me a second."
"Go kick his ass!" Shocker said as Peter pursued the pick pocketer.
"What just happened?" Mayday asked.
"A typical day in New York," Shocker said. "That asshole tried to steal from me. But I know how guys like that work, they're low-level scum."
"This is bringing back some not so pleasant memories for me," Trixie admitted.
"I guess this city isn't that great," Starlight said.
"Of course it isn't, why do you think superheroes needed to be a thing here?" Shocker asked. "I know I shouldn't talk; I used to rob banks."
"Shush Herman," Sonata said in a whispered tone. "Someone might hear you."
"Like these people care," Shocker said. "Just keep an eye out and protect your stuff. Especially anything precious."
Mayday subconsciously reached into her pocket to feel her music player. Even if she currently had earphones in, it made her feel better to double check.
Everyone else did similar, making sure nothing of value was lost. Not too long later, Peter had returned, the hero dusting his hands off.
"Peter, what happened to the pick pocketer?" Twilight asked.
"I managed to detain him, I alerted a nearby officer to take him in," Peter said. "Sorry you all had to go through that."
"No harm done," Starlight said. "I guess these things just happen."
"Hopefully that guy learns a lesson," Lightning Dust said.
"He's probably just some poor fellow down on his luck, let's not be too harsh," Rogue said. "Things like this happen."
"Once again, very relatable," Trixie said.
"To Rogue's point, sometimes people do dumb things," Peter said. "It's not that they're bad, they just made a mistake. It's no excuse to break the law though."
"This is just terrible," Celestia said. "What causes this city to produce such delinquency?"
"Simple answer, poverty," Peter said. "The poorer people are, the more desperate they are to survive."
"New York's full of poverty," Shocker said. "Not sure if you've noticed, but there's quite a number of homeless people."
"Oh yeah...I think I saw some not too far away," Twilight said. "I thought about giving them some cash but-"
"Try not to give homeless people cash," Rogue said. "They might use it to buy alcohol, or worse, drugs."
"Oh...I never considered that," Twilight said, the girl awkwardly rubbing her head.
"When I see homeless people, I usually refer them to F.E.A.S.T.," Peter said.
"What's that?" Sonata asked.
"It's a homeless shelter," Peter said. "The acronym stands for Food, Emergency, Aid, Shelter and Training."
"Ooooh," Sonata said. "Sounds neat."
"It's a perfect place to send homeless people, my Aunt May even volunteered there a few times," Peter said. "So if we see someone, then-"
"Spidey, problem," Shocker interrupted. "F.E.A.S.T. was run by Martin Li."
"...Crap," Peter lamented.
"Martin Li?" Trixie asked. "As in...Mr. Negative!?"
"The same one terrorizing Equestria with those other villains?" Starlight asked.
"That's the guy who brought The Pony of Shadows to Ponyville, isn't he?" Autumn Blaze asked.
"Yeah...I don't even know if it's open now," Peter said. "I've been gone for so long; at no point did I think to check on F.E.A.S.T."
"It hasn't been in the best condition, but last I remember, it was still running," Shocker said. "I don't know if Li was still pulling the strings or not."
"Do people know he's evil?" Starlight asked.
"Even if people suspected it, guys like Martin Li have enough lawyers to get him out of jail in no time flat," Shocker said.
"You're not kidding," Peter said. "Daredevil and I went through hell just trying to get Wilson Fisk arrested, then he's back on the streets the next day because he knows a good lawyer."
"Even better than Matt Murdock?" Twilight asked.
"Well, Matt's an amazing lawyer, so he does a better job in at least exposing The Kingpin," Peter said. "Still, it's hard keeping him away."
"I'm sure everything is fine. For now, let's just have our lunch, then we can check on F.E.A.S.T. later," Starlight said.
"Sure, that sounds good," Peter said. "Plus, I have a little surprise to show everyone, especially a certain lady in our group."
"Lady?" Thunderlane asked. "Not really narrowing it down there, Peter."
"Keeps it all the more surprising," Peter said as he gestured his friends along. "Pizza time! Let's-a go."
"Oh God, are you pretending to be Italian or something?" Shocker asked.
"Well I do know how to speak it," Peter said. "Want me to demonstrate?"
"No," Shocker said.
"Va bene," Peter replied, much to Shocker's annoyance.
"Your dad's really funny," Franklin said.
"Yeah, he is," Mayday replied, the girl keeping close to Franklin as she continued keeping a lookout throughout the city.
Peter was still worried about F.E.A.S.T., but he wanted to put those worries aside, if to at least provide a fun time for his family and friends. Despite that, he had a nagging feeling that something was about to go horribly wrong.
Peter's bad feeling was true. Not too far away, a man in a flying Beetle suit was seen flying toward Peter's last known location.
"I'm almost at Midtown, still no sign of Spider-Man," reported the flying man.
"He's around there, don't let me down Abner," Kingpin said.
"Why are we doing this anyway?" Beetle asked. "Spider-Man's been gone for so long, it's not like he's our biggest problem these days."
"Are you kidding? Even when he's off in that other world, he's a problem," Kingpin said. "Do you remember what happened weeks back with Doctor Doom?"
"Yeah, he destroyed the city, what else is new?" Beetle asked. "Not the first time New York's been dealt a blow. Most of the city's already been rebuilt. The only really bad places are East Harlem and south of Midtown. What does that have to do with Spider-Man though?"
"Among Doctor Doom's allies included a strange woman that had been identified as a Changeling," Kingpin said. "Creatures native to a land known as Equestria. Do you know what Equestria is?"
"I think so?" Beetle said.
"It's where Spider-Man lives," Kingpin said. "A distant land of incredible power."
"How do you know these things?" Beetle asked.
"You're quite talkative today, that isn't like you," Kingpin said. "Perhaps Spider-Man's return has brought out an inquisitive side to you. After all, you haven't seen him in ten years, hearing of his return must even interest one such as yourself."
"If you don't want to tell me, just say so," Beetle said. "All I care about is getting paid."
"Still, if you must know, I have contacts in The Raft," Kingpin said. "Spider-Man has indirectly caused me a lot of problems. The city getting destroyed had a heavy toll on my wallet, due to several of my most profitable locations taking a bad hit. Places like that are not easy to rebuild. Plus, even in his absence, Spider-Man's name has been tossed around here and there, especially rumblings along Midtown and Hell's Kitchen. I am considering this a chance to protect my business. Once I ensure Spider-Man's death, that's one less thing to worry about."
"Now who's talkative?" Beetle snapped back. "I'm almost at Midtown, keep me posted."
"Very well," Kingpin said as he hung up his phone. "Spider-Man...how I greatly anticipate our reunion."
Meanwhile in another Dimension, Sunset was seen leading her team somewhere safe while trying to take cover from what looked like an alien invasion.
"This is just perfect," Gwen lamented. "We come here to ask one guy for help regarding an invasion, and now we're trying to avoid chaos from another!"
"It shouldn't be a surprise," Chris said. "Every world has danger in it, it's not like anyone expected to come here and there would be no danger."
"Yeah, we're looking for a superhero after all," Dante said.
"I'm just saying that this seems like really bad timing," Gwen said. "Also, dealing with potential bank robbers is one thing, dealing with another invasion is another!"
"We don't know if it's an invasion," Sunset said. "We just need-"
"Get down!" Ryu ran in and blocked a punch from an oncoming punch from a Viltrumite, which completely numbed his arms. Fortunately Dante sped in and kicked the being away.
"Ryu, are you alright!?" Sunset went to check on her friend, who looked to be in pain.
"I can't move my arms," Ryu said as he struggled to lift his hands.
"How strong was this guy?" Dante asked.
"Dante, behind you!" Chris called.
The Viltrumite tried attacking again, but Sunset was quick to create a portal to shield Dante, sending the viltrumite out into space.
"Thanks Sunset, but I had him," Dante said.
"Best not to take any chances," Sunset said.
"Well, you're new," Came the voice of the girl in pink. She glanced at Sunset in particular, "Have I seen you before?"
"I don't think so," the girl replied. "My name is Sunset Shimmer."
"Sunset Shimmer?" The girl asked. "Oh, you must be the one Mark was telling me about."
"Yeah! I'm looking for Mark!" Sunset said. "Where is he!?"
"He should be around," the girl said. She held her hand out to Sunset. "My name's Eve by the way. Atom Eve if you want to be fancy."
"Sup?" Gwen introduced. "Name's Ghost Spider, but you can just call me Gwen."
"Spider huh?" Eve asked. "Any relation to some guy called Spider-Man?"
"Yeah, he's one of my best friends," Gwen said. "We have the same powers."
More explosions were heard in the background, worrying Eve, "I'd love to get to know the rest of you, but we're in the middle of a crisis."
"We can see," Sunset said. "What's going on?"
"Alien Invasion," Eve said. "Not a lot, but some woman named Anissa showed up with some Viltrumite allies. Mark went to intercept her."
"Crap, so those Viltrumites did show up," Chris said. "Sunset, I'm thinking we shouldn't bother Mark. He clearly has his own problems, we can't ask him to help us with ours."
"Wait, what's wrong with you guys?" Eve asked.
"An enemy of mine named Albert Wesker is leading a multiverse invasion alongside a viscous villain called Doctor Doom," Chris said.
"Wait, Mark mentioned this," Eve said. "He even expected you to come."
"If he can't help us, that's fine," Chris said.
"No, he wanted to help, he actually liked experiencing new worlds," Eve said. "It sounds like he made good friends with a guy named All Might."
"He did," Sunset said. "He also helped out when the God of Thunder Thor was having trouble."
"I wanted to help you guys myself," Eve said. "Traveling the multiverse and facing strong enemies-"
Another explosion occurred nearby, startling everyone.
"Christ Almighty!" Chris shouted. "Listen, maybe we should deal with these guys first!"
"Are there any other heroes?" Gwen asked. "Like, I don't suppose this world has its own Avengers or Justice League type group, does it?"
"You mean a group of the world's most powerful superheroes?" Eve asked. "Sort of. Here that group is known as The Guardians of the Globe. We're training new recruits to replace the older members."
"What, can the older guys not fight anymore?" Dante asked. "Did they retire?"
"No, they were killed," Eve said. "All at once too, it really took the world by surprise."
"Wait, they're all dead!?" Gwen asked. "No survivors?"
"Yes and no, one of them did die, but his powers allow him to return from death," Eve said.
"That's pretty badass," Dante said. "Still, who could have-?"
"It was a Viltrumite," Eve said, not wanting to go into too much detail. "They're that bad."
"Yeah, that much seems obvious," Sonic said. "So, what do you guys wanna do?"
"...I know we need to worry about Equestria," Sunset said. "But..."
"If you're thinking about getting involved, then don't," Eve said. "This is too dangerous, and you shouldn't have to die because of our problems."
"Mark was willing to risk his life for us," Sunset said. "He didn't even get a say, I summoned him unknowingly. I need to make it up to him."
"Yeah, besides there's nothing we can't-" Dante's words were interrupted when a Viltrumite punched through his chest.
"DANTE!" Sunset shouted in worry.
Despite the situation, Dante was completely fine, but was understandably annoyed as he glared back at the now frightened Viltrumite with red eyes. "You really fucked up there, pal."
Dante pulled away from the Viltrumite while grabbing his sword and slicing once, causing some of his allies to wince from the violent sight before them.
After wiping the blood away, Dante glared down at the Viltrumite he just struck down, "I hoped for more of a fight. I hate fighting anything weaker than me."
"Whoa, that was impressive," Eve said. "Are you even human?"
"I am on my mother's side," Dante said. "My dad though, he was one of the strongest Demon Generals from The Underworld."
"Oh...you're half demon?" Eve asked. "That's pretty cool. What's your name?"
"Dante," The Son of Sparda replied. "Alright, point me to anyone giving Mark trouble. I'll make life easier for him."
Back in Equestria, Rumble was seen laying on the ground next to Sweetie Belle, the girl feeling exhausted from what just happened. The two currently had opposite reactions to what just transpired.
Sweetie Belle felt a strange gleam to her. She had just been intimate with a boy she crushed on for years. She never expected to have this opportunity, and while she felt grateful, part of her felt guilty for going through with this.
Rumble however, felt more regret than happiness. In his mind, he only thought of Apple Bloom, a girl he believes is gone. His urges got the better of him, and his desire for the unreachable clouded his mind. Deep down, he felt unfaithful to Apple Bloom.
"Rumble..." Sweetie Belle slowly sat up. "About just now...it was...I mean, I felt..." Sweetie Belle struggled putting her thoughts into words. "I know that...well...we both know..."
"Don't worry about it," Rumble said as he sat up as well. "What's done is done, we can't change the past."
"...I really enjoyed it, if that's any consolation," Sweetie Belle said, the girl with a pink blush on her face.
"That's good, I'm glad I could make you happy," Rumble said.
"...I don't want to replace her," Sweetie Belle said, Rumble barely acknowledging this. Despite that, Sweetie Belle felt compelled to continue speaking. "I can never replace Apple Bloom. You two had something special, and that deserves to be cherished. I don't want to take her place, and I don't want you to feel like you ever had to truly move on from her. I miss her too, and maybe my pain doesn't compare to yours but-"
"Sweetie Belle..." Rumble interrupted. "It's fine. You don't have to justify anything, you don't have to explain anything. Since...losing Apple Bloom, you've tried being there for me. I know it wasn't easy, because you and Apple Bloom were best friends. You're hurting too, yet you did your best to help out me and my son. I respect you for that."
"It's the least I could do," Sweetie Belle said. "I know Apple Bloom didn't make me the official Godmother, but I still wanted to look after her son. I also wanted to look after the stallion that she loved. Maybe I took it too far, and I would understand if you weren't interested in romance."
"You're a great girl, Sweetie Belle, and I think you're very beautiful too," Rumble said. "I don't think I'm ready to commit to another relationship though. I'm sorry, it's wrong of me to say this after we just...you know...got intimate."
"Don't be, I'm the one who started it," Sweetie Belle said. "I feel just as bad. I feel like I took advantage of you, and that was wrong. I'll keep my distance."
"Hey, I still want to be friends with you," Rumble said. "But if you feel uncomfortable around me, then-"
"No, I don't," Sweetie Belle insisted. "I don't want to give up our friendship either. Besides, I don't mind helping you out more. I actually like taking care of your son. I want to be a mother someday, this is as close as I can get for now."
"Well, I think you're going to be an amazing mom," Rumble said.
"Aw, thanks Rumble," Sweetie Belle said. The girl stood up and began looking around. "Now, where did that suit of mine go?"
"It left?" Rumble took a quick look around. "Well I can't say I'm surprised, given how intimate we just were not too long ago."
"I feel kind of bad, it's easy to forget that my suit's alive," Sweetie Belle said, then began calling out. "Serum! Where are you!?"
"Is it hard to control?" Rumble asked.
"No, he's actually very easy to talk to," Sweetie Belle said. "This suit used to be bound to Peter, and I think he senses the bond that I have with him."
"Wasn't it also bound to Eddie Brock?" Rumble asked. "Did you ever talk to him about it?"
"A little, but he's not very talkative," Sweetie Belle said. "Since joining our side, he's been off on missions. Probably trying to prove himself."
"When you get a chance, you should try talking to him," Rumble said. "It might help you explain your powers."
"That sounds easier said than done," Sweetie Belle said.
"Don't worry, I'll be by your side," Rumble glanced at his wing. "I'm not sure how much I'll be able to help but-"
"Rumble! Sweetie Belle!" Silverstream called from the air, taking the two by surprise.
"Oh, it's Silverstream, neat," Sweetie Belle said.
Rumble's eyes widened in worry, "Crap, I forgot we were in the middle of a mission! Last we saw, we were being chased by those villains!"
"Yeah we were!" Silverstream said as she landed before the two. "I nearly got caught by Martin Li. Scootaloo was trying to escape Cozy Glow. I don't even know where Smolder and Gabby are."
"I'm here!" Smolder said as she flew in. "I managed to get away from that Vergil guy. Seems like you three had luck."
"Sweetie Belle and I put distance between ourselves and Juri Han at least," Rumble said. "That lady's nuts."
"Well have you seen her company?" Smolder asked.
"How did you know Rumble and I would be here?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"It didn't take long to realize that the roots under the old School of Friendship led to the Tree of Harmony," Silverstream said.
"Yeah, this seemed like a safe bet," Smolder said. "Hopefully those villains don't know their way around the Everfree Forest."
"They do, unfortunately," Sweetie Belle said. "Well, Vergil at least. When his world invaded five years ago, they set up base in this forest."
"That Juri lady, she's from Vergil's world, right?" Smolder asked. "Was she not here during the original invasion?"
"No, she's new," Sweetie Belle said. "Albert Wesker recruited a lot of allies for this job, looks like he found more people from his world to include in those plans."
"That woman..." Silverstream lamented. "She killed my father, I need to avenge him."
"We'll help you," Rumble said. "Just don't do anything rash. I want revenge too, those creeps killed my brother, his girlfriend and my wife. But, we gotta do things the way Peter would."
"Is that a good idea?" Smolder asked. "Peter got killed fighting these guys."
"Yeah, I realize that," Rumble said. "But he wouldn't want us going revenge crazy."
"I make no promises," Smolder said. "Martin Li killed my brother, I can't let that slide."
"Look, we all suffered, but we can't lose our way," Rumble said. "Come on, do it not just for Peter, but for Twilight too. We need to help restore this world to the beauty she helped turn it into."
"Rumble's absolutely right," Sweetie Belle said. "Don't let revenge corrupt your minds. Focus on rescue and saving others rather than dealing out punishment against those bad guys."
"Okay, we'll try," Smolder said. "But I'm not making any promises."
"Hey guys!" Scootaloo called as she rushed over as well, alongside Gabby and Ocellus. "There you are. We really need to go. Cozy Glow's pissed, and it won't be long before she calls for more backup. We did see Poison and The Prowler earlier, they might call the Mad Gear Gang, or maybe Shadaloo."
"There's also Aria Blaze to worry about," Ocellus said. "We don't want her controlling us."
"Alright, let's go," As everyone was about to leave, they heard a voice calling out.
"Wait..."
Rumble looked around in confusion, "Uh...did everyone hear that?"
"Yeah, it sounded like someone was calling us," Silverstream said.
"This way!"
Rumble turned with the others to face The Tree of Harmony, glancing at it in confusion for a second.
"Was it the tree?" Rumble asked.
"How? Trees don't talk," Scootaloo said.
"Well we are in the middle of the Everfree Forest," Sweetie Belle pointed out. "We can't rule out any possibilities."
Suddenly a bright light began to form near the tree, before taking the form of a pony very familiar to the kids.
"Twilight!?" Rumble immediately ran to the figure, stopping just short as he tried processing the situation. "Is that...is it really you!?"
"Not quite," The pony said. "This is just a form I took, of a pony I deeply admire, just the same as you."
"So, you're not Princess Twilight, you just look like her," Smolder summarized.
"Correct," The Tree said.
Rumble was understandably let down, slightly glaring at the tree, "It probably wasn't the best idea to take the form of someone we recently lost."
"I am aware of your loss, and you have my deepest sympathies," The Tree said. "Then again, I do not truly believe Twilight Sparkle is gone."
"Yeah, we know," Sweetie Belle said. "If we think about her a lot and keep her memory alive, she lives on in all of us."
"No, I believe she is physically alive," The Tree said, much to everyone's surprise.
"Physically? But how?" Rumble asked.
"I cannot explain how, but I still feel the power of her Element of Harmony," The Tree gestured to the branches. "Thanks to the Elements, I feel a strong connection to those who wield it, especially Twilight Sparkle."
"So, if she's alive, does that mean everyone else who was with her is still alive?" Ocellus asked.
"I do not know all the answers, but I do believe that Twilight Sparkle is alive," The Tree said. "Perhaps, she and her friends can assist in the dire situation that plagues us."
"We're working on it now," Rumble said. "But, if you have some super secret powers you can share, that'd be great too."
"Hm...normally I would come up with a test to ensure ponies are worthy of my power," The Tree said as it gestured to what looked like a locked chest. "This could be the ticket to stopping the villains."
"A chest?" Sweetie Belle glanced over the object. "There's six locks on this chest, where are the keys?"
"Those you would need to find on your own," The Tree said.
"With all due respect, we really don't have time for that!" Scootaloo said. "Our world's in danger! If you can help us, you gotta do it now!"
"Or at least give us a hint on how to get these keys," Sweetie Belle said.
"The keys are found after an act of true Friendship pertaining to each Element," The Tree said. "A true test of Loyalty, Kindness, Generosity, Laughter, Honesty, and Magic."
"I think it's safe to say that Twilight and her friends have proven those things time and again since they met over ten years ago," Rumble said. He turned his attention to the sole unicorn of the group. "Like, Sweetie Belle. Can you tell me the most generous thing Rarity has done?"
"Hm...hard to pick just one," Sweetie Belle said. "I do remember one story about how she worked hard to enter a Fashion Contest, especially after her rival Suri Polomare cheated. Then in the end, she chose to do something nice for her friends rather than care that much about the contest. Her Generosity inspired Coco Pommel into being a better pony. She even gave her this neat Rainbow Thread, it was really pretty."
"That's so great of Rarity to do," Silverstream said. "She's a class act."
"I think I remember that, it was around the time I think Rainbow Dash had her loyalty tested," Scootaloo said. "She wanted to fly with some friends at The Equestrian Games, then Spitfire's team tried recruiting her right after Soarin got injured. They wanted her even after he was ready to fly, and were willing to handicap her team. Eventually she chose to fly with her friends, and it inspired Spitfire to be a better friend too. As a sign of respect, Spitfire gave Rainbow Dash some pin of honor."
"Wow, isn't Spitfire like her boss or something?" Smolder asked. "Siding with your friends over your boss is something else."
"Yeah, but that's what makes Rainbow Dash so awesome," Scootaloo said. "Besides, I think this is from before she was a Wonderbolt."
"I remember that, my brother mentioned it," Rumble said. "It was also around the time of a story that Apple Bloom told me. How The Flim Flam Brothers tried scamming ponies with some magical cure tonic. Granny Smith drank it and she began to believe she could do all these amazing things. Applejack didn't want to say anything because her grandmother was happy, but she had to step in when she was about to do something dangerous. She exposed Flim and Flam, and even inspired their employee, Silver Shill, to be a better pony. He was so grateful, he even paid Applejack a bit. She still has that bit."
"Those are all amazing stories," The Tree said. "Perhaps if you can regale me with three more, then I may be able to help you. Come back with proof of each story, and the power can be yours to wield."
"Speaking of power," Rumble glanced up at the tree branches. "Any chance we can borrow the Elements of Harmony?"
"I'm afraid not," The Tree said. "Only a chosen few can wield its power."
"But my friends here are perfect for it," Rumble gestured to each one. "Silverstream always makes others laugh. Smolder is very generous and helps others out. Gabby is the most honest girl in her town. Ocellus is incredibly kind. Scootaloo is incredibly loyal to her friends. Sweetie Belle here is great with magic. That should count for something."
"It's admirable, but I'm afraid that's not enough," The Tree said,
"Aw, bogus," Rumble lamented.
"It's fine, Rumble, we can manage without The Elements," Sweetie Belle said. "I just need my-" Suddenly the suit latched back onto her. "There you are."
"We need to run!" Serum said. "They're coming!"
"Oh no, it sounds like the villains are nearby," Sweetie Belle said.
"Let's sneak away before they find us," Rumble said as he left with the others. "Come on, quickly!"
"Good luck my friends," The Tree said before dissipating its astral projection.
Not too far away, Cozy Glow was seen with Aria, Vergil, Juri and Martin Li as they searched around for Rumble and his team.
"I just know they're around here!" Cozy Glow shouted. "When I find them, they're mine!"
"We've been searching this stupid forest for the last ten minutes, and still no sign of those brats," Juri said.
"This is a waste of time," Martin Li said. "Let us return, we have more oppressing matters to concern ourselves with."
"Hey, those brats gave us the slip, I'm not letting that slide," Juri said.
"We will get our due revenge," Martin Li said. "For the moment, we must be wise and exercise caution."
"Li's right," Aria said. "This chase is boring."
"Hey if you two can't handle being in here, feel free to leave," Juri said. "Cozy, Vergil and I can handle this."
"Actually, I agree with Martin Li," Vergil said. "This is a waste of time. It would be wiser to return to our original plan."
"But those brats!" Juri said.
"They will fall with their friends," Vergil said. "I already sent some reinforcements to handle their little base. They won't last much longer."
"Indeed, our troubles with them are but a side note, our main troubles must be our priority," Martin Li said. "Now, let us go."
"...Fine," Juri said as she left with her team.
Cozy Glow stuck around for a second, still desiring revenge. She then felt Aria's hoof on her back.
"Come on, we can't stay," Aria said.
"Ocellus was there," Cozy Glow said. Despite her anger, a slight tear could be seen coming to her eye. "I need to settle things between us!"
"You will, but now isn't the best time," Aria gently nudged Cozy Glow. "Come on."
"...Okay fine," Cozy Glow reluctantly went along with Aria.
Back with Rumble, he and his friends had successfully snuck out of town, glancing back with a bit of worry.
"I hope we put some distance," Gabby said.
"We'll be fine," Rumble said. "Let's just return to Klugetown."
"Sure," Gabby said. "Also, about what that tree said. Do you really think Twilight and the others are alive?"
"That would be amazing!" Silverstream said. "That means Peter can come back and beat up those villains!"
"You mean the same villains that beat him up?" Smolder asked. This earned her some glares, not that she relented. "Hey, I respect Peter too, but we gotta be real. Even with all that help, he still lost. If anything, our advantage may be with Princess Twilight and her friends."
"She has a point," Scootaloo said. "Let's sort this out later, right now we should head back home."
"While there, we should ask Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie about some good examples of their Kindness and Laughter," Ocellus said.
"Exactly, let's go," Scootaloo said as she gestured everyone to follow her.
Rumble was the only one who didn't, as some thoughts began to plague his mind.
"Rumble?" Sweetie Belle glanced at the boy. "What's wrong?"
"I just realized...if Twilight might be alive, so is my brother," Rumble said.
"Oh yeah, that's great right!?" Sweetie Belle said.
"And Mayday..." Rumble said.
"That's a relief, I really want to give her a big hug when I see her again," Sweetie Belle said.
"And...Apple Bloom," Rumble said.
"Yeah...Apple Bloom," Sweetie Belle was elated that her friend might be alive. She also knew that she officially had no more chances with Rumble. But she cared more about her friend than anything, so her happiness prevailed.
"...You and I...we...kind of went far, didn't we?" Rumble said.
"That's an understatement," Sweetie Belle said, once again blushing at the memory. "I can finally say that I'm no longer a virgin, thanks to you."
"Does that mean...that I cheated on Apple Bloom?" Rumble asked.
"Uh...crap..." Sweetie Belle grumbled in annoyance. "Rumble, you're not a cheater. I instigated that whole thing. Besides, you didn't know Apple Bloom was alive. If we did it again now, then yes, you're a cheater. But you don't have to worry about that. Anything between us is over. I'm going to move on like I should have."
"First Base?" Serum asked.
"Maybe, I'll think about it later," Sweetie Belle replied.
"Should I tell her?" Rumble asked.
"If you want to," Sweetie Belle said. "She might be a little mad, but she's also very understanding. If anything, she might be more mad at me than you."
"That doesn't make me feel better, I don't want you getting into trouble," Rumble said.
"It's fine, if she gets mad at me then she and I can work it out," Sweetie Belle said. She placed her hoof on Rumble's shoulder, hoping to reassure him. "I know Apple Bloom very well, things between you two will be fine. I can't tell you what to do, except trust in your own judgement."
"Yeah, I guess..." Rumble said.
"Look, we still don't know for sure if she's alive," Sweetie Belle said. "I hope that she is. I really miss her, and I know you do too. I want what's best for both of you, and I won't allow your love to fail because of me. Whatever happens, I will be right by your side."
"Thanks..." Rumble said.
"By the way, that tree was alive, right?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Yeah, we all saw it," Rumble said. "Why?"
"You think it saw us having sex?" Sweetie Belle asked.
Rumble's pupils dilated as he shook it off, "I don't even want to think about that!"
"Yeah, me neither..." Sweetie Belle sheepishly admitted.
"Rumble! Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo called. "Get your flanks in gear! We gotta move!"
"Oh yeah, we should hurry," Sweetie Belle said. "Come on."
"Right behind you," Rumble replied as he followed his friends.
Within Klugetown, both Sam and Bucky were delivering some food to the ponies in town.
"Eat up, we got this straight from Fillydelphia," Sam said.
"We don't think that The Wizard will miss any of this," Bucky joked.
"Thank you both."
"Yes, thank you!"
"It's no trouble," Bucky said.
"Well now, someone's a big hero," Came a voice. Buckly turned to see Sugar Belle walking over.
"Hey Sugar Belle, I got this especially for you," Bucky said as he handed some flour over.
"Thanks," Sugar Belle used her magic to grab it. "Pinkie Pie wanted to make some cupcakes, but we were short on flour."
"Do you have everything else you need?" Sam asked.
"We should, hopefully," Sugar Belle said.
"Just let us know what else you need, and we'll go back out there," Bucky said.
"I won't trouble you," Sugar Belle said, before bashfully fluttering her eyes, "But, I wouldn't mind your company later."
"Uh...sure, if I can make time," Buckly awkwardly rubbed his head, all the while Sam smirked at his friend.
"I'll see you boys later," Sugar Belle trotted off, leaving Sam and Bucky behind.
"She really likes you," Sam said.
"I know, it's weird too," Bucky said. "I'm human again, yet...she's still kind of cute. I don't think that's normal."
"Pony or not, she's pretty human like herself," Sam said. "Besides, it's not like she looks like a pony from our world."
"I guess," Bucky said.
"Soldier!" Came a voice from behind him.
"Steve!?" Bucky turned around, expecting to see his friend. Instead he saw Johnny, "Oh, it's you."
"You actually thought I was Cap?" Johnny asked. "Wow, I feel flattered."
"You two do look almost alike," Sam said. "Difference is that Cap's much muscular, and has a larger chin."
"I get compared to Cap a lot, it's fine," Johnny said. "Not like Deadpool, who for whatever reason, hates being compared to The Green Lantern."
"Lantern sucks!" Wade called from across town.
"...I don't get that guy sometimes," Sam said.
"You kind of learn to understand him in time," Johnny said. "Anyway, sounds like you two have been busy."
"Yeah, we just snagged some food from right under the nose of your old buddy, Wizard," Bucky said.
"Wizard...I gotta deal with that guy soon," Johnny said. "I want to just fly out and blast these guys, but Rainbow Dash says she doesn't want me to go alone, and that she wants to join me. The thing is, I'm afraid to bring her, because I'm afraid she's going to get hurt."
"Wow, I didn't know you could feel fear," Sam said.
"Well duh, she's my wife," Johnny said. "I can handle the danger, but if my wife's involved, then I tend to think twice."
"You still love your wife, even with your different forms?" Sam asked.
"Uh, no offense dude, but that's kind of a stupid question," Johnny said. "Of course I love her. I don't see a pony, I see my wife, and the mother of my daughter."
"Well, I'm not surprised, it's you after all," Sam said. "I bet you'd date a literal bug if it were a female."
"I have standards dude, I don't know what fantasy world you're living in," Johnny said. "Besides, I saw Sugar Belle flirting with Bucky here."
"Yeah, I feel weird about approaching her," Bucky said. "I felt weird back when I had my pony form, but now...it's even weirder."
"Give it time, and soon you won't even notice it," Johnny said. "These mares, they're basically no different than Earth women, barring some magic and flying. And yeah, sometimes they eat grass, but besides that, they're still girls that are worth dating."
"You really think so?" Bucky asked.
"Hey if you don't believe me, talk to Gambit," Johnny said. "Or Logan, or anyone else you trust. Even your buddy Cap has been friendly with Celestia."
"Oh yeah..." Sam said. "Geez, I'm surrounded by Pony Lovers."
"Not funny, Sam," Bucky scolded.
"Just give it a shot bro, you got nothing to lose," Johnny said.
"Johnny!" Rainbow Dash flew over to her husband. "I heard that Rumble left a while ago to Ponyville with Scootaloo and a few others."
"Who told you?" Johnny asked.
"Laura, she and that Kate Bishop chick went to go find them," Rainbow Dash explained.
"Kate's going?" Bucky asked. "Hopefully she can handle it, she's kind of new."
"She'll be fine, she's got potential, and she was trained by Clint," Sam said. "Sometimes the best practice is experience, and she's got X-23 by her side."
"Hopefully she listens," Bucky said. "A lot of the newer heroes nowadays don't really listen to their predecessors."
"Yeah, and it got some of them killed," Sam said. "It's a damn shame because they had such a bright future."
"Elijah too..." Bucky said.
Sam sadly nodded, "Yeah...he was reckless, but better than the others. Steve took that news pretty hard."
"We'll avenge them," Johnny said. "Right now we have a new plan. Find either Wesker or Doom, and finish them off. You take out one of the top guys, everything fumbles."
"It won't be that easy," Sam said. "They got Loki too."
"Then we take him out as well," Johnny said. "We'll get Tirek too. Anyone just to send a message."
"Whatever the plan, just let us know," Bucky said. "We'll strike them, and hard."
"Then, we'll liberate Equestria," Johnny said. "It's going to be awesome."
Not too far off, Fluttershy was delivering some tea to Discord from within her temporary home, "There you go, I hope you like it."
"It has a delightful scent," Discord said. "Thank you for your Kindness."
"It's no trouble," Fluttershy said. "How have you been doing lately?"
"Not too well, everyone still doesn't trust me, so I try not to talk to anyone," Discord said. "Even Eddie and Otto keep their distance. I'm not surprised, the villains were never really fond of me. I guess they knew that I could get rid of them in a heartbeat."
"Assembling them like that wasn't a good idea, but you already know that," Fluttershy said.
"I just crave chaos, it's in my nature," Discord said. "Not once did I think anything could go wrong. Now so many lives are being ruined. I guess I shouldn't talk though, I was the same way once."
"I'm curious, why do you feel so guilty?" Fluttershy asked. "Celestia described you as pretty heartless."
"That's a bit too far, everything I did was all in good fun," Discord said. "But, perhaps getting blasted by those accursed Elements of Harmony was the start. Then I met Peter, something about his good nature was endearing. I felt fascinated by his abilities. How one so strong could also be so just and heroic? I wanted to test the limits of all of Peter's best qualities. Originally it was meant to be myself, Tirek and a select few. Afterwards more started to come. At that point, I didn't want it to just stop at everyone here, I wanted to expand to across the multiverse. Then...things really got out of hand the moment the team led by Wesker and Doom teamed up with Loki's group to convince my guys to overthrow me."
"Well...that sounds like a strange way to go about things," Fluttershy said.
"I embody Chaos, so don't try to make sense out of my actions," Discord said. "I just go on a whim for the most part. The unpredictability of life is what makes it so thrilling."
"Still, I hope that after all this, you never try anything like this again," Fluttershy said. "So many died over this. Ponies, Dragons, Hippogriffs, Humans, even Mobians. I like Tails and his friends, that world is so cute and fascinating. This is not really how I wanted to interact with them."
"I suppose you would like those critters," Discord said.
"Our friends in Marvel Earth, Capcom Earth, and the other Earths did not deserve what happened," Fluttershy said. "They're good people, and they're really nice to us. Maybe not at first, but we became friends in time. You can have that too if you try hard enough."
"Ponies don't like me, neither do the humans, so why bother?" Discord asked.
"Because it's worth it," Fluttershy said. "So long as you're with us, you have a chance to make friends. With friends by your side, nothing truly bad can happen."
"...I hope so," Discord said.
Not too far off, Wade was helping Pinkie and The Cakes move some supplies, when he noticed something in the air. "What the hell?"
"What's wrong Wade?" Pinkie asked.
"...You need to run," Wade said.
"Huh?" Carrot Cake asked with his wife coming to his side. "What's wrong?"
"I said run!" Wade called just as a bomb landed in the house they were in, causing a massive explosion, startling everyone in town.
"What the hell!?" Bobby said, then called his friend. "Remy! Trouble!"
"Dat can't be good," Remy grabbed his staff and cards. "Applejack, find the family and keep them safe."
"You stay safe too!" Applejack said as she ran off.
"Rarity, go with AJ, and make sure your parents are safe too!" Bobby ordered.
"Yes dear!" Rarity joined her friend. "Come on Applejack!"
"Right behind ya!" Applejack said.
Near the house, Pinkie was seen struggling to stand. Her ears were ringing, only hearing the faint sound of Wade trying to call her.
"Pinkie!" Wade tried helping her to her hooves. "Pinkie, you gotta run! Hurry!"
"Huh?" Pinkie said.
"Run! Take the kids and run!" Wade said, gesturing to the Cake Twins along with the Pie Twins, who were thankfully not in the house, but were terrified of what was happening. "Go! Now!"
"Oh, don't go yet!" Goblin said as he threw more bombs.
Wade was quick to shoot some out of the air, but the blast made it hard for him to see one land next to him, and send him flying, the mercenary losing his arm and a good chunk of his body.
"Wade!" Pinkie called as Goblin landed beside the girl.
"I hope you've said your prayers, Little Pony," Goblin taunted as he held another Pumpkin Bomb.
"Osborn!" Johnny flew over to the villain.
"Johnny Storm, ready to end up like your dear friend, Peter Parker?" Goblin taunted.
"You don't get to use that name!" Johnny warned as he generated some fire. "I'm not nice like Peter is either, don't think for a second that I won't incinerate you!"
"I'd love to see you try!" Goblin said. "As of right now, this town is mine! My associates will see to that!"
From the distance, various henchmen started making their way over. From Shadaloo, to The Mad Gears, to many of Wesker's experiments, even some Skrulls led by Kl'rt. This group was joined by Akuma, Iori, Vice and Mature."
"Guess it is good that I came back," Super Skrull said.
"Indeed," Bison said as he landed nearby. "Time to crush this town."
"Hold it!" Remy said as he came to the entrance while holding his staff. "You ain't getting through here just yet."
"Well now, if it isn't Gambit?" Bison said. "You do not believe you can stop us, do you?"
"I don't just believe, I know I can," Remy twirled his staff as Bobby stepped beside him.
"How arrogant," Iori generated some of his Orochi power. "I can't stand guys like you! You think you're so much better than everyone!"
"We don't think, we know," Bobby said. "We just don't always get a chance to prove it. But we are now!"
"Tirek mentioned you and this ice creature specifically, seems as though you've angered him recently," Kl'rt said.
"Let him be mad, it makes no difference to me," Remy said. "We're gonna send you lot packing."
"Unless you want to give up now," Bobby taunted.
"You wish," Kl'rt said as he gave the order. "Attack!"
"You ready, Remy?" Bobby asked.
"Before I was born, mon ami!" Remy brought out his cards. "Whoo! We about to make a name for ourselves, here!"
As the two and some allies led the attack, from within town, Felicia called out to Capper. "I hope you have a back-up plan for this!"
"You know I do, babe," Capper whistled out to some nearby movers. "Time to make yourselves known!"
The movers got rid of their worker clothes, and revealed themselves to be pirates, led by the fearless Captain Celaeno.
"Thought you'd never ask!" She gestured to the villains. "Move it you lubbers! Defend our base!"
With that, a battle to protect Klugetown was under way.
Back in Mark's Dimension, one of the Viltrumites flew after Sonic, but his speed made it hard to catch the hedgehog.
"Almost got me there," Sonic taunted, then sped away once more before hitting the alien with a Spindash to his chest, followed by several homing attacks and ending with a powerful kick to send him flying. "Piece of cake."
One Viltrimite went after Cloud, but he was quick to block with his sword, and then kicked the alien away. Cloud then hit the alien with a sword beam attack to stun him before dashing in and slaying him with a quick slice of his Buster Sword.
"Was that all you had?" Cloud asked as he placed his sword away.
Mega Man, Joe and Morrigan fended off any remaining Viltrimutes, with Ryu ending their attack with a massive attack.
"SHINKU! HADOUKEN!" Ryu fired a massive beam that wiped a few villains out, with Sunset picking off the rest.
"How are your arms?" Morrigan asked.
"Feeling better," Ryu shook them off. "That one guy just took me by surprise."
"You're doing better than me," Chris said as he reloaded his gun. "These bullets don't do a damn thing."
"You provided some distractions at least," Gwen said as she swung over. "Don't feel bad, even I struggled a bit. These guys are freaking dangerous."
"Tell me about it," Sunset said, then heard her radio go off. "Yeah?"
"Sunset, it's Julia," the girl said. "We just stopped off to grab All Might, he was in the middle of training a young boy here. He's really excited to meet everyone."
Nearby, a boy named Izuku Midoriya was seen speaking with Miles, "So your quirk is Spider related?"
"Yeah, but we don't call it a quirk where I'm from," Miles said. "It's just a superpower."
"Right...so what's your hero name?" Izuku asked.
"Spider-Man," Miles said.
"Oh, are you the one All Might mentioned?" Izuku asked. "I thought your suit was a different color, or did you change it?"
"He means a different one," Miles said. "I'm the Spider-Man of my dimension, the one you want to meet is Peter Parker."
"It's weird knowing that you're a Spider-Man too," Cole said. "Superhero mantles should be tied to the person. It'd be like if just anyone could be called Captain America."
"Well my son and his wife are superheroes," Goku said. "They're known as The Great Saiyaman and Saiyaman 2."
"Wasn't it Saiyagirl?" Terry asked. "Or Saiyawoman?"
"She flip flops," Goku said. "So if Peter is Spider-Man, Miles should be Spider-Man 2."
"That makes me sound like I'm a sequel," Miles said. "Which, I guess I am?"
"What's Peter Parker like?" Izuku asked.
"He's a great guy, you'd like him," Cole said. "If you ever need superhero advice, talk to him."
"I don't know him too well, but he screams justice," Yuri said. "He's also good at talking to others from what I've seen."
"One of the only people my Street Fighter buddies will speak highly of," Terry said. "Anyone who can bring the fight to Ryu deserves it."
"He could stand to be less annoying,' Jin said.
"He doesn't seem that bad," Terry said.
"Because you're the same way," Jin said. "All talk."
"Ease up, Spider-Man gets things done," Cole said.
"If he did, we wouldn't be in this situation," Jin said. "He's not this God you all make him out to be. He's just another man, one who lost."
"...You're right," All Might said. "Peter Parker is a man. He can bleed, he can die. It's not the strength that defines him, it's his determination. Even when he was losing, he never stopped trying. I know what it's like to experience that hopelessness, it's not pretty, but sometimes, that just makes us stronger."
"I've taken a few beatings in my life," Goku said. "All it did was motivate me to be better. I bet Peter's the same way. Not just him either, his wife's pretty amazing too."
"Right, we can't forget Twilight Sparkle," Cole said. "That woman is not someone anyone with a working brain would mess with."
"Got that right, Peter married an amazing woman," Miles said.
"She sounds amazing," Izuku said. "Is she pretty too?"
Cole raised his eyebrow at Izuku, before laughing it off, "You really are a teenage boy, aren't you?"
"Huh? It's just a simple question..." Izuku insisted.
"Now, now, ease up on the boy," Bayonetta said as she walked over with Kratos and Leonardo. "He can't help it."
"She's tall..." Izuku thought to himself.
"Spider-Man's wife is very beautiful," Leonardo explained. "She's a perfect combination of beauty and power."
"Careful, that's a man's wife you're describing," Yuri said.
"Hey, I'm just being respectful!" Leonardo said.
"She is quite brave too," Kratos said.
"She sure is," Goku said.
"Look, we got who we came for, let's leave," Jin said. "We still need to find more allies."
"Hey, um, can I come too?" Izuku asked.
"Don't be idiotic, you'll just slow us down," Jin said.
"Hey, ease up," Yuri said. "You don't know this kid. He might be more amazing than he lets on."
"Just because you let some dopey kid onto your team back in the day doesn't mean we should make the same mistake," Jin said.
"I'm ninety percent sure that Karol could take you in a fight," Yuri said.
"Let's not worry about that now," Cole said. "We're teammates, not rivals."
"Fine..." Jin said.
"As for you, Izuku," Cole said. "Maybe next time. Get stronger and soon you can join us."
"Okay, I will," Izuku said. "I'll get stronger!"
"Hm, you are eager," Kratos said. "It reminds me of my son. He too wishes to fight, and he will, when he is ready."
"I'd say he's plenty ready, brother," Came Mimir's voice.
"Huh? Who said that?" Izuku asked.
Kratos pulled out Mimir's head as he greeted Izuku, "Hello there, lad."
"AAAAAHHHHH!" Izuku freaked out. "Why is that head talking!?"
"Easy kid it's...wait," Terry turned to Kratos. "How is that thing talking?"
"Thing? I'm a man!" Mimir said. "Well, only a head, but still!"
"It is a long story," Kratos said.
"Long? It isn't that complicated brother," Mimir said. "I was stuck on a tree in Jötunheim, then you cut my head off with your axe and-"
"Please, no more!" Izuku begged.
"Honestly, no want wants to hear you drabble on," Bayonetta said. "Especially in such a repulsive way."
"Repulsive? It's my backstory!" Mimir said. "Ye be calling my backstory repulsive now!?"
"Hey, come on. No fighting, remember?" Leonardo asked.
"Calling me repulsive, you Umbra Witches were always so high on yourselves!" Mimir said.
"That...sounds kind of racist," Miles said.
"Whoa, that's another can of worms," Cole said.
Julia shook her head in annoyance, "Well that was fun, how about..." She heard some explosions. "Sunset?"
"I'm still here!" Sunset said. "We went to find Mark, but there's a war going on! His planet is being invaded by Viltrumites!"
"Do you and Mark need help?" Julia asked, this catching All Might's attention.
"We should be fine but-" The frequency got cut off.
"Sunset? Where are you!?" Julia asked, but no response. "No!"
"What's wrong?" All Might asked.
"Viltrumites are attacking Mark's world," Julia said.
"Mark?" Izuku asked. "Wait, you mean Invincible!?"
"He needs my help," All Might said. "Direct me to his world."
"But..." She whispered to All Might. "Can you maintain your form against those creatures!?"
"I'll do my best," All Might whispered back, then spoke aloud. "Send me over."
"...Okay," Julia said.
"Wait, not alone!" Cole said.
"You all have your jobs to do, don't worry about me," All Might said as he leapt through the portal.
"Don't!" Leonardo went to stop him, but the portal closed. "Julia! Send me through!"
"Not now, we still have the others to find," Julia said. "Come on."
"But..." Leonardo relented. "Okay fine, but I'm not dropping this."
"Izuku, can you get home on your own?" Goku asked.
"I should be able to," Izuku said as he began to leave. "Good luck!"
"Good kid," Cole said. "Glad we were able to communicate with him, it's not always guarenteed."
"You can thank Mr. Fantastic for that," Julia said.
"Oh yeah, these earpieces," Cole said as he checked his ear. "It's like everyone's speaking English."
"Indeed, now come on, next is Geralt of Rivia," Julia said as she opened another portal.
"Fancy name," Terry said as he followed the others.
Back in Mark's world, as Sunset led her team through town, she spotted something troubling. "That family's in danger!"
"Huh?" Chris said, then noticed a building about to fall on a family of four. "Oh no!"
Before any of the heroes could react, they were already rescued just in time by an oncoming All Might.
"You're safe, now quickly, get to safety," All Might said.
"Thank you sir!" The father said as he left with his wife and children.
"All Might!" Sunset called.
"I heard about the trouble here, where's Mark?" All Might asked.
"We're looking for him now," Sunset said. "Atom Eve said he's fighting a powerful Viltrumite."
"Then let's hurry," All Might said as he led everyone through town.
Back on Earth, Peter and the others had just finished eating, and were introduced to a marvelous spectacle.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, the New York Public Library!" Peter said.
Twilight and Mayday looked amazed by the sight before them. So many books in one building was a dream for them.
"Woooooooow...!" Mayday said. "It's so pretty!"
"A goldmine of books, I love New York!" Twilight said.
Celestia looked impressed, but the woman still had some doubts and slowly stepped away, to which Peter noticed.
"The rest of you go on ahead, have fun," Peter said.
"Okay!" Mayday took Franklin by the hand and led him toward the building. "Come on!"
"Mayday, slow down!" Franklin urged as Mayday pulled him along.
"Aw, that ain't ever going to stop being cute," Apple Bloom said. "Reminds me of me and Rumble."
"Can't wait to see him again?" Rogue asked.
"Got that right, ah just hope he hasn't forgotten about me," Apple Bloom said.
"You? No way," Rogue said.
"Ah just hope he finds out I'm alive, sometimes I worry that he'll move on," Apple Bloom said.
"You think he will?" Rogue asked.
"I'm not sure, we did promise each other once that if anything happened, we would move on eventually," Apple Bloom said. "Rumble's a Wonderbolt, he worried he wouldn't come home one day, and just wanted to make sure I'd still be happy. I told him that I wanted him to be happy too if something ever happened to me."
"Well, it hasn't been that long, no one gets over love like that," Rogue said. "It took me forever to get over Remy, and he's still alive."
"Why did you two break up?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Things happened, but ah got no regrets," Rogue said. "Remy's happy with his wife, and I'm happy how ah am right now. Besides, I've seen a few cute guys that ah wouldn't mind taking a chance with, even in Equestria."
"Ah can keep an ear out for ya," Apple Bloom said. "Ah know plenty of single guys around yer age."
"Ah look forward to hearing yer suggestions then," Rogue said as she went inside.
Twilight wanted to go, but she was worried about Celestia as well. Despite that, she could feel Shocker nudging her.
"Peter will talk to the Princess, meanwhile he came here to make you happy," Shocker said. "Go read a book or ten, enjoy yourself."
"Well...okay," Twilight went into the building.
Peter walked over to Celestia, hoping to start off slow with her. "So...was the pizza good?"
"Huh?" Celestia turned to Peter. "Oh um...yes, it was."
"I used to deliver from there, I think I told you this story at least once," Peter said.
"Yes, you had to be careful when swinging," Celestia said.
"Pro Tip, flipping is not good for pizza," Peter said.
"Hehe...I suppose not," Celestia tried to smile.
"So, what's nagging at you?" Peter asked.
"...Things have not been going well for me," Celestia said. "Between my sister disappearing, losing Starswirl, being stranded here. I don't wish to hate this world, but...it's just so different from Equestria."
"Different?" Peter asked.
"It's not as clean, there's so much poverty, and all this pollution," Celestia said. "It's mostly a city problem it seems since it's nicer at our house. But honestly, there's just so many unusual things about this place."
"You're still taking time to adjust, I get it," Peter said. "This world isn't perfect, but it's worth giving a chance to. Bad as things are, there's still good. This city is full of hard-working people, who just want to feed their families. Poverty is bad, but some people make do. And you can always find a sense of community, sometimes from places that don't seem so fortunate. They realize that it's not about having what you want, it's about having what you need. I know you miss home, but you're surrounded by people who care about you. I hope we're enough."
"You are, please don't get me wrong," Celestia said. "I am sorry, I should be much more grateful."
"Don't beat yourself up, like I said, this isn't easy, but we'll get through it, I promise," Peter said. "Now, let's go into the library and-"
Suddenly Peter was tackled by an unknown assailant, much to Celestia's worry. "Peter!?"
Peter was being dragged along the ground and slowly into the air as he looked up at his assailant, "Huh!? Beetle!?"
"Welcome back," Beetle said as he threw Peter through a nearby building, startling everyone inside as they ran for cover.
The Beetle then charged in and tackled Peter again, slamming him through some more buildings, and making things worse for the superhero.
Meanwhile Celestia had run inside the library, calling out to her friends. "Twilight! Starlight! Anyone!?"
"Princess Celestia!?" Twilight ran over to the woman. "What's wrong!?"
"Peter's in danger!" Celestia said.
"Danger!? How!?" Shocker asked.
"Someone's attacking him! I don't know who!" Celestia said.
"Crap, did one of Doom's men find him!?" Shocker asked.
"No time to worry," Starlight said. "Right now, we need to help Peter!"
"What's wrong!?" Mayday asked, this getting Starlight's attention. "What's happening to daddy!?"
"We're not sure yet," Twilight said, then focused on Mayday. "For now, you stay here with Franklin where it's safe."
"But..." Mayday tried pleading.
"No buts!" Twilight said, then turned to Apple Bloom. "Can you watch over my daughter?"
"Like ya gotta ask," Apple Bloom said with a confident smirk.
"I'm so happy I could depend on you," Twilight turned to her friends. "Let's go!"
"Right behind you!" Sonata said as she, Autumn Blaze Thunderlane and Lightning Dust followed Twilight.
"Stay safe," Rogue said to Apple Bloom. "Eris gave us all phones, so call us if you need help. You remember how to use it?"
"Ah do," Apple Bloom said. "Good luck!"
"Thanks!" Rogue said as she left.
"Franklin," Trixie turned to the boy. "Please, keep Mayday safe for us."
"I will," Franklin said. "Nothing bad will happen on my watch."
"Keep yourself safe too," Trixie said, then ran off. "Let's go Starlight!"
Meanwhile Mayday was hugging Starlight hard, "Try not to get hurt out there!"
"I'll be fine, sweetheart," Starlight gently rubbed Mayday's head. "This shouldn't take long, we'll grab some ice cream after all this. Good for having after pizza."
"Okay..." Mayday said as Starlight let go. "I love you."
Starlight felt a twinge in her heart as tears of joy came to her eyes. Innocent words piercing through and filling her with the determination she needs to fight for her family, "I love you too! Stay safe, Mayday! You too Franklin!"
"Good luck out there!" Franklin took Mayday by the hand. "I got you, don't worry."
"...I hope daddy will be okay," Mayday said.
"Hey, your dad is Spider-Man," Franklin said. "There isn't anything he can't do."
Mayday shut her eyes in worry as memories of her father's last fight flashed through her head. Seeing him taking a beating from those villains was a lot for her to bear, and she worried it was happening again. "I hope you're right..."
Suddenly, Mayday began weeping, this worrying Franklin as he hugged her close, trying his best to comfort the girl.
"Mayday, Franklin, with me!" Apple Bloom called.
"Come on," Franklin said as he took Mayday by her hand and led her away while Celestia just observed from a distance, worried for the Spider Hero.
Outside, Peter was thrown against a truck, the hero pulling himself out and glaring at his foe, "Wow, we haven't seen each other in like ten years, and you still want me dead!? Then again, you don't do this for nothing, so who are you working for!?"
Beetle flew in to attack again, to which Peter dodged out of the way.
"Still the silent type, huh?" Peter asked. "Fine, I'll just beat the answers out of you!"
As Peter clashed with The Beetle, Twilight led the others toward the fight.
"I think I see them!" Twilight said. "But, who's that guy?"
"No way..." Shocker said.
"Sounds like you know him," Twilight said.
"Yeah, he calls himself The Beetle," Shocker said. "He's a mercenary for hire. Looks like someone put a hit out on Peter."
"Probably Doctor Doom," Twilight said.
"That means he knows we're alive!" Sonata said.
"I'm not too sure," Shocker said. "Remember, Peter still has a lot of enemies in New York, someone may have found out he was here."
"Who could it be?" Trixie asked.
"Who cares, let's just help Peter!" Lightning Dust flew at The Beetle.
"Right behind you!" Thunderlane flew in as well.
The Beetle kicked Peter away after the hero swung over to him, then blocked the oncoming Thunderlane and Lightning Dust.
"Back away from our pal!" Thunderlane went for a punch, but he took one of his own to his stomach and was kicked away.
Lightning Dust went to attack as well, then got knocked to the side.
"He's fast!" Twilight said. "Herman, do you have your gauntlets?"
"Even better," Shocker pulled out some Vibro-Shock gloves. "I had these babies, easier to carry for civilian outings."
"Alright, let's protect Peter then," Twilight said.
"Not so fast..."Came a voice. Everyone turned around to see a man wearing a red hood.
"Huh? Who is this?" Twilight asked.
"You! Were you the one who hired Beetle!?" Shocker asked.
"I'm afraid not, but I do have my own score to settle with Spider-Man," the man said.
"Another villain!?" Trixie asked. "Who is this guy anyway!?"
"That's Parker Robbins," Shocker said. "To many, he's known as The Hood."
"Right you are," The Hood said. "It seems my reputation precedes me. Of course, you would know who I am, wouldn't you, Shocker?"
"Recognize me, do ya?" Shocker asked as he aimed is gloves. "I'm almost surprised, the likes of you never remember those ranked low in your eyes. So, who sent The Beetle? Was it Hammer Head? Fisk? Or did Smythe want another crack?"
"It hardly matters, none of you will live long enough to worry," The Hood said. "Now, prepare to die."
Trouble rang through the multiverse, from Mark's showdown with Anissa and Goku Black engaging with Gohan, all the while he had Zamasu and Dormammu fending off Trunks and Ben Grimm, each of those fights not in favor of the heroes in those situations.
Gohan had enough, and charged up enough ki to reach the levels of Super Saiyan 2, much to Black's enjoyment.
"Yes...show me more of your power," Black taunted.
"With pleasure," Gohan said as he and Black continued to clash, alongside Mark's clash with Anissa.
"Not bad," The Viltrumite woman said as she continued her attack.
Mark was not going to give up, neither were Gohan, Trunks or Ben. They were not the only ones either.
The citizens of Klugetown were doing their best to push their foes back, but to little avail. That was not going to deter them, as all strived to maintain their freedom.
All the while, Wesker, Vomi, Doom and Emma Frost continued to search for Peter, narrowing down his location, as Doom expected to send a surprise Peter's way.
The heroes would continuously pushback, until they no longer could.