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The latest Hellfire Gala was in full swing.
Emma Frost had spared no expense when creating this event. She clearly hoped to create a spectacle like no other that perfectly captured the power and influence Krakoa now held.
Personally, Wanda considered the whole affair a bit much, but far be it from her to speak on the decisions of the mutants. The animosity they felt towards her was alive and well due to her alternate’s actions. Her father and brother never brought it up, but she knew the phrase “No More Mutants” would be etched in their minds forever. She might have fixed it in the end, but the understanding of what she was capable of had left its mark. The mere fact that she was invited to the gala was surprising, but she assumed it was a courtesy towards her father.
As she watched the various mutants, heroes, and vigilantes interact, she noticed that many of them were looking for someone.
Logan and Jean repeatedly glanced towards the portal through which everyone arrived; Emma’s expression was tight as she conversed with a concerned Storm, and others like Hope and Laura were clearly distressed by someone’s absence. Deciding to find out the cause, she approached a nearby Tony Stark who was engaged in conversation with Natasha Romanoff.
Noticing her arrival, the two Avengers raised their glasses, “Wanda. Ravishing as always,” Tony said, while doing nothing to hide his appreciation for her form. “That dress does wonderful things for your figure.” He adds in typical playboy fashion.
Slapping the flirtatious billionaire on the arm, Natasha says, “Keep it in your pants, Tony.” Turning to Wanda, “ You look lovely. Are you enjoying the festivities so far?”
Smiling at her long-time friend, “As much as I can, surrounded by wary mutants. When I can ignore their suspicious looks, things are almost enjoyable. Thank you for the compliments, by the way.” She looks at Tony Dryly. “Even if one of them was somewhat crass.”
“Aww, don’t take it the wrong way. Your beauty is mesmerizing; I’m just making sure you don’t forget,” He responds with a smirk.
“I’m sure.” She says before straightening up. “Do either of you know who many of the mutants seem to be looking for? I’ve noticed lots of searching.”
Taking a moment to confirm her words, Tony responds, “Ah, that would be a certain wallcrawler.”
Surprised, Wanda checks around. She sees the pair of Spider-Women, Jessica Drew and Anya Corazon, looking radiant at one table. The younger of whom was busy talking animatedly to the older. Looking away from them, she failed to find their male counterpart.
Looking back at Tony, she asks, “Why isn’t Peter here? And why does his absence upset the mutants?”
Natasha answers, “Peter taught at their school for a time. It is my understanding that he was quite popular with the younger mutants. His unique charm was likely in full effect.”
“Doubt he shows up. Considering the circumstances.” Tony adds while taking a drink.
“Why? What’s going on?”
“I forgot you weren’t involved in the situation.” Tony points to a couple currently grabbing drinks. “That woman is his long-time love, Mary Jane Watson. The man she’s with is her new boyfriend.”
Wanda looked closer. Mary Jane looked beautiful in her green dress, while the man she was attached to was rather plain. He didn’t hold a candle to Peter Parker. She would never say it out loud, but she always appreciated the Spider-themed hero’s physical appearance. The tight, lean muscles were hard to miss when he was in costume, and the few times she was around when he was unmasked gave her a pleasant sight. He was quite the handsome man. Which begged the question…why leave him for someone so average?
“Why is she together with this man? Based on how you described it, I would assume Peter was dating her.” Wanda asks quizzically.
“It’s because of an event some months ago,” Tony says uncomfortably.
Seeing Natasha’s expression fall, Wanda asked, “What happened?”
“A little over a year ago, Peter and Mary Jane were displaced in another dimension. Peter was eventually thrown back to ours, but Mary Jane was stuck. During that time, Peter stole some advanced technology from the Fantastic Four and, with the help of Norman Osborn, managed to build a dimension-hopping device to save her.”
“Why didn’t he come to anybody for help? Why resort to stealing?”
“He was frantic and didn’t want to involve us in the mess. The red tape that the Avengers have to deal with was also a problem. It didn’t help that Cap tried to stop him. The Fantastic Four were understanding, but we didn’t make it easy on him after.” Tony with shame.
Wanda frowned, “All of us have done things emotionally. Why would you hold it against him in particular?”
“We were stupid,” Natasha says. “Pride got in the way, and we took it out on him. Things are in a much better place now, but it’s a stain we shouldn’t have.”
Wanda nodded in understanding, “But how does that lead to the current situation?”
“Time in the other dimension was different. What was a day for Peter was years for Mary Jane. That guy, Paul, was her only connection, and they ended up getting together. She decided to continue the relationship after Peter saved them. Thus leading to our current situation. The presence of another of his exes doesn’t help either,” Tony says with a sad smile.
“Who’s his other ex?” Wanda asks curiously.
Natasha points to a platinum-haired woman in a tight black dress who was busy eyeing some of Emma’s expensive decorations. The seductive woman turned towards them after a few moments.
Meeting Wanda’s eyes, she smirked and blew her a kiss. Rolling her eyes, Wanda turned back, “Felicia Hardy? The cat thief? Really? Peter was involved with her. Seems odd considering his nature.”
“I mean…look at her. Kid’s got taste.” Tony supplied helpfully.
Slapping the man harder, Natasha sighed, “Ignore him.”
Tony laughed in amusement before getting serious, “I hope that explains it. Kid’s been going through it over the last few months. Wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t attend.”
Before Wanda could respond, Kitty Pryde rushed into the room and began frantically explaining something to Jean. Jean’s expression grew concerned, so Wanda and the others walked towards them.
Arriving, they were shocked to hear: “We need to send help. We can’t let him deal with them alone!” Kitty worryingly finished.
“What’s going on?” Captain America asks.
“Spider-Man’s in trouble! He’s fighting for his life in Central Park!” Kitty hurriedly explains.
“What!” Anya and Jessica say simultaneously.
“Who’s he up against? It usually takes a lot to put him in real danger.” Natasha asks with concern.
Before Kitty can elaborate further, the ballroom shakes, and a large structure begins forming in the center of the ballroom. All eyes turned as it took the shape of a screen. It pulsed with a multitude of colorful energies before a picture began to take shape.
The haggard form of the “Amazing” Spider-Man appeared before them. His suit was in tatters, and there were a variety of vicious cuts and bruises visible. The left side of his mask was also destroyed. Causing many of them to gasp as his ruined left eye was shown to the room.
“Spider…” Hardy said quietly behind her.
Glancing around, Wanda noticed numerous horrified looks on the faces. Some, like Laura and Logan, were flexing their claws in anger, while Hope’s eyes were brimming with power.
Suddenly, Logan growled in anger as the full picture was revealed. Trees and the ruined remains of numerous robots surrounded Peter, but it was the ones in front of him that drew everyone’s attention.
A feral smirk spread across Sabertooth’s face as he stood in front of Ultron and his bots.
“Open the portal! We need to help him.” “Captain America’s commanding voice boomed.
Emma turned to him with a frown, “We can’t, Rogers. The energy needed to open the portal is not available right now. It can’t be used for several hours.
“So what do we do?” Anyas asks frantically.
Tony turns to her, “Can you open a portal for us, Wanda?”
“Unfortunately, I can’t. What about Magik?”
“She isn’t here at the moment,” Jean said hurriedly.
“Strange? Reed?
“Stephen declined his invitation,” Emma said blandly.
“Reed said he had important work to do. Only Johnny and I decided to attend.” Susan says with a frown.
“So we have no options?” Laura growled out.
“Unfortunately,” Storm responded.
“How did Victor escape? You told us it was impossible,” Logan asked Magneto.
“He clearly had help,” The master of magnetism replied.
“Obviously, Father. Is Krakoa’s security so feeble that a homicidal manic like Victor Creed was able to escape without your notice?” Wanda sarcastically asked.
“For all our ability, we are not omnipotent, my child,” the man replied patiently.
Before further argument could ensue, a cruel voice filled the room: “Looking rough there, insect.
Everyone focused on the screen.
“Meh. Not everyone has a built-in cheat code like you and Logan.” Peter snarked.
“It wouldn’t have mattered if you did,” Sabertooth responded coldly.
“I bet. How could being able to heal instantly from any wound possibly help?” Peter sarcastically asked. “How could anyone possibly utilize such an ability?”
Instead of responding, Sabortooth dashed forward and slashed at Peter with his right hand.
Peter’s spider-sense gave him the proper warning, but the injuries he had suffered up to this point didn’t allow him to respond fast enough to avoid damage. Claws tore into his right shoulder as he dove away, opening up a fresh wound.
Stifling a groan, Peter looked on as his opponent admired the blood dripping from his claws. “You bleed well.”
“Thanks.”
As Sabertooth prepared to attack again, A cold metallic voice spoke up, “Do not forget the reason that I freed you, Victor Creed. I need Spider-Man alive. His genetic material will be no use to me if he’s dead.”
Peter looked towards the robotic menace, “Ultron. I was wondering why you were involved in this. Usually, you are an Avengers problem. Why go after little ol me?” Peter says with a bloody smile.
“Your genetic makeup offers avenues worthy of exploration. There is also a cosmic connection that could prove useful. You would be wise to surrender.”
“Not my style, I’m afraid.”
“Considering how little you have to live for…I see no reason for you to continue fighting Peter Parker. You have already lost all that you hold dear. May Parker lost her battle with cancer, Mary Jane Watson no longer desires you, and Felicia Hardy’s affections have always been superficial. Why continue?”
Mary Jane couldn’t help but flinch at those words. Things weren’t as simple as the robot made it seem.
Across the room, Felicia had a scowl on her face. Her relationship with Peter was not superficial. Things just set them at odds.
“Your relationship with the other heroes isn’t noteworthy either. How many of them consider you a nuisance? Can you truly count on any of them? They certainly aren’t coming to your aid here,” Ultron continued.
Most of the room grimaced. Everyone was aware of how poorly Spider-Man had been treated by members of the hero community. The younger mutants, on the other hand, adored Spider-Man and hated that they weren’t able to help.
“The state of my life has no bearing on whether or not I would allow you to turn me into a lab rat. I admit things aren’t the best right now, but I’m nothing if not resilient. I’d be a horrible example if I gave up now.”
Smiles filled the room. Leave it to Spider-Man to stand tall in the face of horrible odds.
Ultron looked at him dispassionately, “So be it.” Hundreds of Ultron’s bots surrounded Peter. Aiming at the wounded hero with their arm lasers.
Shifting into a weak stance, Peter prepared to go down fighting when he was struck viciously from behind.
Everyone watched in horror as Sabertooth pulled a clawed fist from Peter’s back.
Logan vibrated with rage as he witnessed his most hated adversary harm someone whom he viewed as a friend. He hated himself for allowing the Quiet Counsel to imprison Victor. He should have removed the bastard’s head!
Anya held back tears as she held on to Hope. Peter’s mentorship had been crucial for both of them, and seeing him like this was devastating.
“The two of you were boring me,” Victor says with a cruel smile.
Ultron scanned Peter’s fallen form. “You fractured his spine. Spider-Man will not be moving for the foreseeable future.”
“Is that a problem?”
“No.”
“Good. I expect you to uphold our deal.”
“You will receive the necessary augmentations to deal with the one known as Wolverine.”
“I better.”
Ultron nodded before having a pair of drones pick up the barely conscious Peter.
All the gala attendees could do was watch in despair as the ‘friendly neighborhood’ Spider-Man was dragged towards a portal. Powerless to stop one of the truest examples of heroism taken away to an uncertain fate.
“We will do nothing until he is found, Tony,” Captain America says resolutely.
“Jarvis is already scanning all potential hideouts. We won’t stop until we find him.”
Steve nods before turning towards Logan: “I’m assuming you will join us once we find them?”
“You can bet on that, Cap,” Logan says while flexing his claws.
You can count on us as well, Captain,” Jessica speaks up as Anya, Laura, and Hope stand beside her.
Wanda watches as more and more heroes pledge to come to the aid of Peter. Despite Ultron’s words, there were plenty of people willing to put their lives on the line.
All planning came to an abrupt halt when Ultron’s drones began exploding.
Transfixed, everyone watches as robots are suddenly surrounded in golden light before exploding into pieces. The hundreds of robots dwindled until there was only Ultron himself and the two that were carrying Peter.
Wanda noticed a shimmer a few yards away from the remaining drones just before lines of golden webs attached to their heads and decapitated them. An additional ball then struck Ultron.
Everyone watched with wide eyes as electricity sparked off of him, causing the robot to roar in anger and collapse.
“Jessica, Anya, what other spider-based heroes are active in the area?” Captain America asked in confusion.
“None that I know of. Silk has been keeping a low profile, and we sent the other variants back to their original universes. Even still, none of us have golden webbing,” Jessica answered.
Before they considered other possibilities, the sound of clapping came from the screen.
Appearing next to the downed Peter was a tall, muscular individual in a spider-suit none of them had seen before.
Unlike the red and blue spandex Peter preferred, this suit was made of a black metallic material that sported a glowing gold spider emblem and lenses. All in all, this person cut an imposing figure.
Wanda felt a strange feeling of familiarity as she looked him up and down. She was sure she had never seen someone wearing a suit like this, but something about it calmed her nerves.
“Ummm…who is that?” Anya asked with wide eyes.
“No idea, but the material of his suit looks awfully similar to vibranium,” Jessica says.
“That can’t be right. T’Challa keeps a tight hold on it,” Storm pointed out.
“That’s never stopped anyone. The list of people who have gotten their hands on vibranium over the years is long,” Tony remarked.
“Just you and me now, Victor.” A smooth voice pulled the room’s attention back to the screen.
“Oh, good. Another bug to squash. Hope you last longer than the other one.” Victor looks at the inactive Ultron. “A shame you harmed my sponsor. He was meant to make me stronger. I’ll have to make your death real slow as punishment.” He finished while extending his claws.
“Oh…I bet. You said something similar last time. Would you like to know how well that worked out?” The stranger asks.
“What?”
“Shit! My bad! I shouldn’t have said that!” The newcomer’s voice took on a sinister tone of its own. “It won’t matter, though.”
Wanda was shocked by how familiar this person’s voice was. Looking around, she noticed that everyone else was looking at him in confusion.
“Before you die. I’d like to know whose blood will stain my claws.”
“Ah…I’m Spider-Man, but call me Spider. Less confusing!”
The entire room joined Sabertooth in deadpaning.
“Really?” Logan said with a growl.
“Already taking the mantle from the crippled meat bag at your feet? Cold.”
The self-proclaimed Spider laughed obnoxiously before wiping away a fake tear, “If only you knew.”
Frustrated by his laughter, Sabertooth roared and charged the laughing man. Raising his claw, he launched a vicious swipe. To his surprise and that of everyone else, his arm was caught in a bone-crushing grip. Looking into narrowed lenses, Victor felt a sense of dread. “Guess we started.”
The sound of the bones breaking in Victor’s arm made everyone wince. Before he could cry out, his larynx was crushed by a sharp chop to the throat.
Letting go of Sabertooth’s arm, Spider hit the feral man with a powerful uppercut that launched him high into the air. He immediately followed up by appearing in a golden flash above the gasping man and firing twin lines of webbing into each shoulder. Using these, he slammed the struggling mutant headfirst into the ground.
Giving no reprieve, he landed directly on Sabertooth’s spine, shattering it, and flipped the beastly man over. Then began launching strike after bone-shattering strike into his face. Teeth, blood, and bone matter flew in all directions.
Pausing for a moment, he watched as the man’s healing factor started to take effect.
“There it is! I was curious when you would start healing!” Spider says jovially.
As Spider continued to taunt the downed Sabertooth, the heroes conversed amongst themselves.
“Are you sure this isn’t who I think it is?” Anya asks Jessica.
“Kaine is dead, Anya. You know this,” the older woman assured.
“But who else fights so brutally?”
“I don’t know, but I know it isn’t Kaine. Someone must have gotten stuck here without us knowing. When we can leave, we’ll confront him.”
“What if…he has pheromones like Cindy?” The younger woman asks with a blush.
“I doubt he will, but we will deal with it if necessary,” Jessica says while patting her on the shoulder.
Another group, including Wanda, Jean, Natasha, and, surprisingly, Felicia, was gathered several tables down from the female spiders.
“Who do you think this Spider-Man is?” Jean asked.
“Mmmm, whoever it is reminds me of Peter when he has the symbiote. Dark and handsome.” Felicia purred in response.
Wanda looked at her blankly. “How can you tell if he’s handsome? He hasn’t shown his face yet.”
“That body and voice are all I need. I have a hard time believing he could be anything less,” replied the cat burglar.
Wanda shook her head before noticing Natasha thinking deeply. “Is something wrong, Natasha?”
The famed ‘Black Widow’ shook her head and responded, “I’m just thinking about his voice.”
“What about it?” Jean asked.
“It sounded so familiar.” She said with a contemplative expression.
“It certainly gets the juices flowing,” Felicia added with a sultry tone.
“You have no shame, do you?” Wanda asks with a scoff.
“Not particularly. This kitty knows what she likes.”
“Guess Ultron was right when he called your feelings superficial.”
Felicia’s beautiful face twisted into a hateful expression. “Don’t you dare. You know nothing about me or my feelings,” the platinum beauty hissed out.
“I know enough. If you actually cared, you would be more focused on Peter. Instead, you’re thirsting after a man you know nothing about just because you find him attractive.” Wanda scathingly replied.
Seeing that Felicia was close to attacking the ever-dangerous ‘Scarlet Witch,’ Jean stepped in. “Please stop. This fighting is unnecessary. Let’s stay on topic. Who exactly does he remind you of?”
All four women went quiet as they contemplated the question. Each cycled through everyone they had encountered. Soon enough, all of them came to the same unlikely answer.
“Peter.” They answered simultaneously.
While the four of them were coming to terms with this discovery, Logan and Laura were having a short, tense conversation.
“You should have killed him,” Laura said with a glare.
“I know,” Logan grunted out.
“If Peter dies, I won’t forgive you.”
“I’m aware.”
“Good.”
The two sat quietly for a few moments before Logan spoke up, “I know about your feelings for him.”
Laura glanced at him before responding, “Do you have a problem?”
“No. You’re an adult, and there are worse options.”
“A ringing endorsement.”
“Don’t expect much more, kid. His love life is a mess. Good luck getting past that.”
“My entire life has been a mess.”
Logan sighs, “I know.”
Near the front of the room, Captain America was having a serious conversation with Iron Man.
“This new Spider-Man might be a problem, Tony,” Steve says bluntly.
“I have a pair of eyes, Steve.”
“Then what do you propose? All we know is what his suit looks like and that he is a vicious fighter. That is far too little for us to go on.”
“Steve. I get the picture. There is nothing I want more than to figure out who ‘Spider’ is, but we can’t do anything yet. We will confront him as soon as we can leave Krakoa.”
Seeing the super soldier nod in understanding, he added an uncomfortable truth: “We also need to consider how to help Peter recover. The damage to his spine might be too severe for his healing factor to fix.”
“Can you regenerate this?” Spider’s sudden question pulled everyone’s attention back to the screen. Gasps of horror rang out across the room as they watched the masked man wave around Sabertooth’s severed left arm.
“I really don’t understand all the screaming that you’re doing. I know for a fact that you have eaten people before. Loss of a limb should be tame for you.” Spider suddenly gasped. “Is it because you’re the one suffering for once?”
No response.
“That’s exactly what the problem is! I’m so smart!”
While Spider was busy congratulating himself, Sabertooth fought through the pain and lunged towards the still unconscious Spider-Man. Intending to finish him at least.
Right as he reached the downed hero, a web of golden energy surrounded his prey.
“Oh my. Did you really try to pull a sneak attack like that? For shame!” Spider says, yanking Victor into a kneeling position.
He looks into the one-armed man’s angry eyes for a few moments before reaching down and tearing off his right arm.
The sickening sounds of muscle and bone being pulled apart, combined with the hellish screams that emerged from the now armless man’s mouth, made the entire room flinch.
“What the fuck…” Jessica mutters.
“Seeing as you are determined to end this, I shall oblige.” Spider states as he grabs Sabertooth by the throat.
“Who…are…you?” The beastly mutant says while kicking his right leg forward in an attempt to free himself. He screamed in pain when the leg was caught and subsequently broken at the knee.
“Part of me is tempted to tell you exactly who I am. To really drive home why I am making you suffer. Because you see, despite what I’ve done here today…I’m not normally like this. Sure, I’ve killed here and there, but the joy I feel from your screams is unique. I would never go so far with anyone else, Victor Creed.”
“W-why?”
“You’re special.” Spider looks towards the sky in thought. “But you aren’t worthy of knowing why. Goodbye,” Spider said cheerfully before ripping Victor’s head from his body.
Silence.
Everyone watched in horrific fascination as Spider toyed with Sabertooth’s severed head before it disintegrated in a burst of golden energy.
“That should keep you dead. I’m glad I didn’t need to use the ‘NMM’ serum this time. Don’t really want to risk dooming mutant kind again.”
“What?” The collective shout from all the mutants present rang out.
“What the fuck is the ‘NMM” serum?” They ask all at once.
“Consider the initials, and you should figure it out,” The amused voice of Spider said.
Necks nearly snapped as everyone turned to see the dangerous man staring straight at them.
“Don’t worry! I can’t actually hear you. I just assumed that’s what someone said. If it isn’t obvious, I know I’m being watched. From Krakoa, I assume. Likely during the Hellfire Gala, if I’m not mistaken. Things get a little fuzzy sometimes after so many years.
Shock.
“Don’t worry! All will be explained once I’ve fixed baby me.”
Spider appeared in a flash of gold next to the downed Spider-Man. As the golden web that protected him melted away, Spider examined the downed hero. “Man. I really got fucked up. I honestly forgot how bad it was. Nowadays, there really isn’t anyone capable of doing damage like this to me.”
“Guess we were right,” Natasha says.
“He’s speaking as if he has lived this exact moment before and not like someone who has experienced something similar,” Jean continues with wide eyes.
“So not a clone,” Felicia says while tilting her head.
“Not a clone!” Says Spider before placing glowing golden hands on each side of Peter’s face.
A pulse of energy passed through the downed hero.
To everyone’s astonishment, all the injuries disappeared. The cuts, bruises, and even his ruined eye healed in an instant. If not for his suit, no one would even know he had been on death’s door.
“There! Good as new! Now all I need is for you to wake up.” Spider says cheerfully.
Nothing.
“I’m serious.”
Silence.
“Wake up, Peter,” He says gently.
Still nothing.
Spider took a deep breath and looked down at the unconscious Peter.
“WAKE YOUR BITCH ASS UP!” Spider screamed while slapping the hell out of the downed hero.
“Ahhhh! What the hell?!” Peter yelled.
“This fucking asshole!” Felicia yelled in anger.
“Glad to see you awake, sleeping beauty. How are you feeling?” The masked man asked.
“Who…who are you?” Peter asked before his eyes went wide. “Ultron! Sabertooth! Where are they?”
“In order! I’m Spider-Man. Ultron is disabled, and Victor is dead. You’re Welcome!” The cheerful man says.
Peter’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head when he noticed a headless corpse a few feet away. The shock meant he almost didn’t register Ultron’s downed shell.
“...you killed him.”
“After a thorough beatdown.”
“Why?”
“Hmm?”
“Why did you kill him?”
“Because someone needed to put that violent creature down for good.”
“A hero doesn’t kill?!” Peter finishes in frustration.
“According to whom?” The black-clad man asks.
“Me! And all the other heroes! If you are going to use my name, then you need to act accordingly.”
“Other heroes, you say.” Spider starts tapping his chin, “How many lives has Wolverine taken? Or Captain America? The Hulk? Thor?”
The named heroes present gained hard looks. Not happy to hear their actions used against Peter in such a way.
“That’s different…” Peter defended feebly.
“Is it? Sounds like hypocrisy to me; the amount of suffering Victor Creed has inflicted warrants his death. It was a disservice to the world to allow that animal to continue living.”
“That’s besides the point! We live by a code: “With great power comes great responsibility.” Spider interrupted. “I remember Uncle Ben’s words, Peter. I promise you he understands.”
Peter’s mouth started opening and closing. “You have an Uncle Ben too?”
“Obviously.”
“Then you should already know this! Your universe can’t be that different.
“My universe?”
“Yes! Your universe. Clearly, you are leftover from the Spider-Verse event. I’m not sure how Jessica and I didn’t notice you, but we will get you sent back soon.”
“You are making some serious assumptions, mini me.”
“What do you mean? And why are you calling me ‘mini me’?”
“Well…who said I was from a different universe?”
“What? You have to be! I would have heard about you before now. And you didn’t answer my other question.”
“You have always known about yourself, Peter. It would be pretty difficult not to.”
“Huh?”
Having had enough of this game, Spider deactivated his mask.
Peter’s breath hitched as he took in the maskless face.
In front of him was an older version of himself with gold eyes. “Hello, Peter Parker. My name is Peter Parker! Nice to meet you!” The older Peter finished with a smirk.
Peter Fainted.
“Did this bitch just faint?!” The older man asked while looking in the direction he was sure Krakoa was watching from.
“Shit,” Logan said while downing his drink.
“Tony?” Steve asks.
“I’m not sure, Steve,” Tony responded while not taking his eyes off the screen.
Further from the three men, the woman had formed a larger group.
“Ha! Obviously, I was attracted to him. It’s Peter! Just…older.” She purred with a sensual look.
“You had no way of knowing, you stupid cat,” Wanda scowled. Trying to avoid blushing. Peter clearly aged well.
“Looks like you were right, Natasha,” Jean comments.
“Seems that way,” she replies.
“Why are his eyes gold?” Storm asks with narrowed eyes.
“Might have something to do with his suit,” Jessica offers.
“That doesn’t explain everything else,” Anya points out.
Seeing them focus on her, she nervously says, “His gold webs, personality change, and the energy that destroyed Ultron’s drones. He was also stronger and faster than I have ever seen him.” She finished.
“Brutal too,” Laura added. She hadn’t taken her eyes off him since he revealed himself. Her instincts were screaming at her to track him down.
“I don’t care what’s different. I’m just hoping he sticks around long enough for me to enjoy a double helping of my Spider.” Felicia says while rubbing her thighs together.
All the other women paused and looked at her with blank expressions.
“What? Felicia asked innocently.
“Your libido is the least of our worries, Felicia Hardy,” Emma Frost says with a sigh.
“We need to understand why he is here.” Storm adds.
“Mmm. I’m sure I can get him to talk after some alone time. Peter has never been able to resist my charms. I’m sure this older version will be just vulnerable.” Felicia says while crossing her arms under her large breasts.
“You are insufferable,” Wanda says with a frown.
“And you need someone to loosen that tight ass of yours. I’d suggest Peter, but I doubt you’d be his type. Too much of a frigid bitch.”
“Strong words from his EX.”
The two continued to bicker back and forth as the others looked on. The animosity between them would come to a head soon. They just hoped they could stop Wanda from obliterating the thief. As things continued to drag on, the older Peter’s voice brought everyone’s attention back.
“I can’t believe you actually fainted.” Older Peter says while carrying his younger counterpart over his shoulder. “I don’t remember ever doing that.”
Getting to the edge of Central Park, he reactivated his mask and swung out away from the area. As he swung through the evening skyline, he saw a familiar gargoyle-topped building and made his way towards it. Landing, he looked around and decided to make things more comfortable. Placing the younger man down, he held out his hands, visualized a comfortable couch and recliner, and willed them into existence in a burst of golden energy.
Satisfied with his work, he picked up younger Peter and laid him out along the couch before flopping down in the recliner.
“Everyone else saw that right?” Tony asked the crowd.
“It was hard to miss, Stark,” the master of magnetism responded.
“Good. Because the older version of our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man can create things out of nothing.”
“Clearly, Tony,” Emma sarcastically replied
“Then why am I the only one freaking out right now?”
“Because the rest of us are just assuming we know nothing about him. There are too many differences for us to be surprised,” Storm chimed in.
“Man…I wish I could fill the house with chairs like this. Too bad wifey wouldn’t approve.” Older Peter says with a tired smile.
“Wife!” Anya says in shock. Various women perked up at the new information.
“Mmm…Peter and I settled down. Interesting,” Felica says with a curious smile.
“What makes you think you’re his wife, thief?” Wanda asked with narrowed eyes.
“Oh, please. I’m clearly the only possibility. Red is with Mr. Plain, and no one else here has the history. Unless he has been seeing someone I don’t know about…I’m the obvious choice.”
Felicia smirked at the angry face Mary Jane made in response to her comments.
“Just because you have a history with him doesn’t mean he would marry you. He could just as easily have gotten together with someone else,” Storm pointed out.
Laura and Wanda nodded unconsciously at the weather witch’s words.
“True, but I would never let that happen without a fight.”
“I bet all of you are wondering who I married right now.” Older Peter says with an amused voice. “The only hint I’m going to give you is that she should be there right now.”
“See!” Felicia says smugly.
“Technically, there is a room of women that it could be,” Anya says nervously.
Felicia turned and glared at the young Spider before scoffing when Jessica stepped in front of her.
“Means nothing. We all know who it will be.
“Ugh…my face hurts.” Peter’s voice drew focus.
“Welcome back, Princess! Have a nice nap?” The older man taunted.
“Fuck. You’re real.”
“I am.”
“Time travel?”
“Time travel.”
“How?”
“The time stone.”
“What? Why would Dr. Strange let you use it?”
“He didn’t have a choice in the matter.”
“You stole an infinity stone? How were you able to avoid him?”
“I didn’t. After kicking his ass, I took the stone from him and used it.”
“Why would you do that?!” Peter shouted in alarm.
“I needed it, and he wouldn’t hand it over. He’s lucky; that’s all I wanted,” the older man says with a shrug.
“You can’t just attack someone because they won’t give you something! That’s what villains do.
“Illuminati.”
“Huh?”
Tony Stark’s face went pale. How did he know about them?
“A shadow organization Stephen is a part of. You don’t know this yet, but some of the worst events to come are their fault. Stephen earned more than what I gave him. Just like the rest of the members.” Older Peter finished with a glance towards the hidden audience.
“Oh.”
“Yeah. Don’t worry, though.” He made the powerful green stone appear in his hand. “I have no intentions of using this in any way besides traveling to you and back home.”
“Why? What was so important?”
“Peter, you were going to be taken today. Ultron would have subjected you to horrific experimentation that would have fundamentally changed everything.”
“But the others would have come to help, right?”
“No. They never found me. I only got away after destroying Ultron.”
“How?”
“Part of Ultron’s experimentation included the ‘Web of Life and Destiny’. His meddling led to a meeting with the spider-god Anansi. Anansi gave the power necessary to escape by merging with me.”
“And that’s what would have happened to me?”
“Yes. I came back to give you the chance that I didn’t have.”
“Is life after that bad?”
“No. I’m easily one of the most powerful beings, have a beautiful wife and mate, plus adorable children.”
Peter looked at him in alarm, “Then why did you come back! It sounds like everything worked out.”
“Only after terrible hardship. You will still be able to have those things. I’m just limiting the amount of suffering that you have to go through.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
Peter stared at his feet before looking up at his older counterpart. “Explain some of them. Also, what can I call you? Having the same name is annoying.”
“I can. I’m going to avoid influencing some decisions, so don’t expect everything. Just call me Anansi. That name makes just as much sense.”
“Works for me.”
As the two were coming to an understanding, an aura of depression surrounded the gala hall. To hear that all of them would fail to save Peter was a gut punch. It was even worse knowing their failure forced him to merge with another entity to survive.
While they continued to wallow in misery, Hope brought something else to their attention. “Did anyone catch how he described his relationship?”
“Wife and mate. Interchangeable terms in some cases. What concerns you about them, Hope?” Jean asks gently.
“It sounded like he was talking about multiple women.”
This caused surprise among the collection of women. As they were considering the possibility, Wanda noticed Anansi looking towards them. “I believe you are right, Hope.” She said with a bland tone.
“Why is that?” Felicia says with a sigh.
“Because Anansi seems to know what we are talking about…again.”
Giving a small wink to where he assumed the people on Krakoa were watching from, Anansi turned and focused on Peter.
“What are you willing to tell me?” His younger self asked.
“Depends on what you want to know?”
“Children’s names and ages?”
“Wendy is eight, and Katherine is five,” He says with a fond smile.
“Did they inherit our powers?”
“Generally. Both of them primarily took after their mothers, but they do have organic webbing, our spider-sense, and the ability to stick to surfaces.”
“You just said, mothers.”
“I did.”
“But you have a wife?”
“I do.”
“And yet you have children with two women.
“Obviously.”
“How? Why?” Peter asked with a shocked expression.
“Well, you see…when a man and a woman love each other very much…”
“Be serious!”
“I am. You seemed to be fuzzy on the baby-making process. I can create some diagrams if you like.”
“WHY DO YOU HAVE TWO WIVES, YOU JACKASS!”
“No need to yell. I don’t have two wives. I have a wife and mate.”
“They are the same thing!”
“Not quite. I’m married to my wife, but not my mate.
“And your wife just accepted it?”
“Not at first. She’s quite possessive. But after some time, she accepted the situation with rules in place.
“Rules? Like what?”
“She is my only wife. My mate and I will not be holding an official ceremony or exchanging rings. The only thing to signify our connection is a choker she wears with symbols representing us. Aside from that, my mate is the only other woman I can be involved with. No exceptions.”
“And your mate is ok with that?”
“Yup. She isn’t one for grand displays and other sappy stuff. I was the only thing she wanted. Anything else was a bonus.
“I can’t imagine anyone I’ve dated being ok with that.”
“You would be correct.”
Pete’s eyes widened. “So it’s not Felicia or MJ?”
“No. I did not marry Felicia Hardy or Mary Jane Watson. In fact, both my wife and mate would murder me if I got anywhere near Felicia.”
Felicia flinched upon hearing this. Her heart hurt at the idea of someone else marrying her Spider. And who disliked her enough to go that far?
“Wow…I just thought they would make the most sense.”
“There are more women in the universe than Mary Jane Watson and Felicia Hardy,” Anansi said with a deadpan expression.
“I know but-,” Anansi raised his hand, “But nothing. Get the fuck over them. MJ couldn’t wait, and Felicia is flaky at best. Branch out. I promise you there are better fits out there.”
Peter started to object but kept his mouth shut when the older man raised an eyebrow. “Alright. Can you at least give me another hint about whom you married? That would make things easier.”
Anansi tapped his chin a few times and prepared to answer when he sensed a presence that made him go still.
Noticing the change, Peter grew concerned, “What’s wrong? Would knowing cause some damage?”
Anansi shook his head but turned to the roof access door. He narrowed his eyes at the slight crack and sighed, “I know you’re there. Come out now.”
Nothing.
Everyone viewing the scene grew confused. Who was he sensing?
“Wendy!” Anansi said loudly as he stood up from his seat.
Eyes bulged as a cloud of scarlet fog burst in between the two. Wanda immediately gasped as the figure was revealed.
Fidgeting in front of Anansi was a little girl nearly identical to Wanda. The only difference was her eyes. Wanda’s were green, while the girl had heterochromia. Possessing one brown and one green. She was also wearing a red-and-black dress with a spider on it.
“Hey…daddy.” The girl said while looking at her feet.
Anansi narrowed his eyes further, “Wendy…what are you doing here?”
“Umm…watching?”
“Watching.”
“Yes?”
Anansi takes a deep breath. “You know exactly what I meant. I distinctly remember telling you that you couldn’t come! How did you even manage to get here?”
“I went invisible and used one of mommy’s spells to hide my presence. I just grabbed your arm when you used the stone.”
“That answers the ‘how’ but not the ‘why’.”
“I just wanted to spend time with you, Daddy,” Wendy responds while looking up at him with a pitiful expression.
Anansi forced his eyes away and said, “You shouldn’t have done something so dangerous for that. We could have spent as much time as you wanted after I got back.”
Sniffling, she says, “But I wanted to spend time together now! We haven’t done anything together in weeks.”
Anansi did his best, but his little girl’s sniffles were too much. He pulled her into his chest and began cooing. “I’m sorry, baby. I’ve been too focused on helping my younger self. I should have given you more attention.”
While Anansi was consoling his daughter, Peter looked on in shock. He needed to confirm, but he was sure he knew who his older self married. Clearing his throat, her asks, “You married Scarlet Witch, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“How did that happen?”
Instead of responding, Anansi guided Wendy to his recliner and sat down with her. After the two were situated, he said, “Asgardian mead.”
“Huh.”
“Thor invited everyone to Asgard for a party. The two of us had too much to drink and woke up together the next morning. Afterwards, we decided to try a relationship and have been together ever since.”
“That seems…”
“Anticlimactic?”
“Yes.”
“Not everything has a crazy beginning.” Anansi shrugs.
“Getting drunk with gods and waking up next to one of the most powerful women in our world doesn’t qualify as crazy to you?!” Peter asked in disbelief.
Anansi looked away with an amused smile. “When you put it that way…you might be right,” he finishes with a laugh.
Peter throws his hands up and shakes his head. He can’t be the only one who finds this entire situation ridiculous.
Wanda was struggling to breathe.
She was married to Peter.
She had a daughter with Peter!
Never mind the stuff about another woman. She was married and had a beautiful little girl. She couldn’t keep her eyes off the little carbon copy that was giggling happily in her father’s lap. The temptation to tear through reality to get to them was enormous. It didn’t matter that she technically wasn’t the girl’s mother or married to him; she wanted to be with them.
Fidgeting, she almost cracked when a firm hand was placed on her shoulder.
“Calm yourself, my child.”
Wanda looked into the steady eyes of her father. “I have a daughter and a husband.”
“A future version of you does,” he clarifies. “Future children have appeared in our timeline before. This is no different.”
Wanda nodded halfheartedly. Still choosing to focus on all the little mannerisms that her daughter was displaying.
“So we got a future Parker married to Wanda, and they have a child with a mix of their powers. Oh, and he’s an immortal being of unknown power,” Tony states in astonishment.
“Seems that way,” Natasha says with a shrug.
“Don’t forget about the second child with another woman,” Jessica added.
“How could I forget?” The billionaire said sarcastically.
“Peter never does anything normal,” Anya says with a smile.
“No, he does not,” Steve finished.
Laura stared at the screen with unerving intensity. Logan wasn’t quite sure whether it was jealousy or if she had caught onto the wording as he did.
Walking up to her, he says, “Thinking hard there, kid?” All he received in response was a grunt. “You caught his description right?” His question got her attention.
“What?” She asked with narrowed eyes.
“Mate. Who here do you think would use that word to describe their relationship?” Logan asked with a raised eyebrow.
Laura examined everyone around them before turning back to him and saying, “No one. They would require a less primal term.”
“Exactly.”
“What does knowing this do for me?”
“Do you really need me to spell it out for you?” Laura continued to look at him blankly. “You, brat! You are the only person in here who would accept being known as his mate!”
Laura’s eyes went wide as she realized the truth. She would have no qualms with not being married to Peter.
“I see you understand.”
“But why would Wanda allow me to have that relationship?”
“I have no idea. Maybe we’ll find out. But for now, stop sulking!”
“I wasn’t sulking.”
“You were,” Logan says with a smirk.
Infuriated, Laura crossed her arms and looked towards the screen. Logan always knew the best ways to get under her skin. But above her annoyance was a spark of hope. Maybe. Just maybe, she would get to have what she wanted.