The next afternoon, after classes finally ended, our usual group drifted toward our regular meeting spot. Excelsior. The little coffee shop sat only a few blocks away from Midtown High. It wasn't flashy. The furniture didn't match, the walls were covered in old comic covers, movie posters, newspaper clippings, and photographs with customers stretching back decades. It was comfortable. Safe.
Or at least it used to be. I headed home first. The spiders were the first thing on my mind. I checked every jar. Every lid. Every strip of duct tape. All five spiders were still inside their makeshift terrariums.
Good.
I'd also picked up proper glass habitats from the local pet shop on the way home. Years ago, I'd kept goldfish, a hamster, a bearded dragon, a couple of tarantulas, and even a corn snake before moving so often forced me to give them away. Funny. My hobby had somehow come back to haunt me.
Each spider now occupied its own enclosure with proper ventilation, climbing branches, bits of bark, and a small water source. If I was going to keep biological weapons in my bedroom, I might as well be humane about it. I still didn't trust them. Not even slightly.
After making absolutely certain every enclosure was secure, I changed into more comfortable clothes before heading for the café. The little bell above the entrance jingled as I stepped inside. "You kids taking the usual?" the owner called without even looking up from the espresso machine. "Yeah, Stan," I answered automatically. "So original." I give a dry retort, "I try." He snorted. "You fail." Business as usual. By the time I reached our corner table, almost everyone had already arrived.
Peter.
Harry.
Ned.
Luke.
Jessica.
Miles.
Gwen.
Lyn.
Cindy.
Both MJs.
Danny.
Eddie.
Even Felicia had shown up. A few moments later, the front door opened again. Ava Ayala and Sam Alexander walked in together. Peter looked up first. "You two skipped the field trip yesterday." Sam shrugged. "We're not science nerds." Ava smirked. "We figured sleeping in was healthier than spending six hours listening to scientists explain why spiders are fascinating."
"They are fascinating," Peter immediately protested. "So are sharks," Sam replied. "I'm still not volunteering to swim with one." Luke leaned back in his chair. "I showed up." Sam gave him an unimpressed look. "Only because Jessica was going." Jessica smiled innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You absolutely do."
Luke chuckled. "I regret nothing." Everyone laughed. For a little while, things felt normal again. At least until I started paying attention. Peter was distracted. Every few seconds his eyes drifted toward MJ before immediately darting away whenever she noticed. MJ herself kept stealing glances at him whenever she thought nobody was watching. Michelle noticed too. She rolled her eyes.
Harry looked exhausted. He laughed when expected. Joined conversations. Even smiled. But there were dark circles beneath his eyes now. He also seemed... Restless. His fingers constantly tapped against the table. His gaze never stayed in one place for long. Gwen looked perfectly healthy, but she'd unconsciously wrapped herself around Miles' arm.
Miles didn't seem to mind. Actually... he looked unusually comfortable with it. Anya wasn't here today. Probably still at Oscorp. Good for her. Maybe. Cindy was quieter than usual. Danny watched everyone. Including me. Especially me. I pretended not to notice. Then I glanced toward the counter.
'No way.' My brain completely stalled. The elderly man wiping down coffee mugs looked exactly like…
No.
Not exactly.
It was him. The moustache. The sunglasses hanging from his shirt. The warm smile. The unmistakable voice. Stan. Stan Lee. Not somebody who merely resembled him. Not an actor. Not a coincidence. Stan freaking Lee. For several long seconds, my brain refused to function.
What...
How...
Then another thought struck me. This is Marvel. Of course Stan Lee exists. The man probably has diplomatic immunity from reality itself. He caught me staring. A knowing smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Oh.
That smile. That wasn't normal. That was the smile of someone who knew far more than they should.
Far...
Far more.
He walked over carrying our drinks. "Thought I'd bring these over myself." Everyone thanked him as he placed the cups around the table. Then he looked directly at me. Only for a second. His eyes twinkled. "You know," he said conversationally, "the world's a little different from the one I remember."
'Excuse me?' He keeps talking "But I suppose that's not entirely a bad thing." Nobody else reacted. Luke was busy reaching for his coffee. Peter thanked him again. Harry stirred his drink. Nobody seemed to realize what he'd just said. "I'd say things turned out better than after... certain people took over."
My eye twitched. Certain people? Was he talking about writers? Editors? Cosmic entities? Knowing Marvel..., probably all three. He continued speaking in the same casual tone. "My symbiotes are mostly the same, though." I nearly choked on absolutely nothing. "Still..." He sighed. "I'd keep an eye out for robots with sticks up their mechanical backsides."
I blinked. Then he added almost absentmindedly, "Oh... and those spiders." He smiled. "They're a little more... enthusiastic than they used to be." I felt my soul leave my body. He knows. He absolutely knows. He looked at my expression and, for the briefest moment, gave me the tiniest wink.
Nobody else seemed to notice. Then he blinked. Almost like he'd remembered where he was. He reached into his pocket, pulled out one wireless earbud, and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, everyone. I was finishing a phone call." The others immediately relaxed. Right.
From their perspective, he'd simply been talking through an earbud. Only I knew he hadn't. Or at least... I was pretty sure. Stan clasped his hands together. "Actually... I've been meaning to tell you kids something." That caught everyone's attention. He looked around the table. "I won't be running Excelsior much longer." That immediately drew disappointed groans.
"What?"
"Seriously?"
"You're retiring?"
He nodded. "I think it's about time." There was genuine sadness in the room. This place wasn't just a café. It was our café. He smiled warmly. "When I opened this place, I called it Excelsior because I wanted it to remind people to keep moving forward." His expression softened.
"Life's going to get difficult."
"Some of you will succeed."
"Some of you will fail."
"You'll lose things."
"You'll find things."
"You'll make mistakes."
"You'll probably make some spectacular mistakes."
A few chuckles spread around the table. "But whatever happens..." He tapped the table once. "...keep moving forward." His smile widened. "Always strive to go higher… Excelsior." Silence settled over us. Not an awkward silence. A thoughtful one. Peter finally smiled. "Thanks, Mr. Lee."
"So say we all," Luke agreed. The rest of us nodded. Stan looked around our table one last time. His gaze lingered on each of us. Almost like he was memorizing our faces. When his eyes reached me again, he gave the tiniest nod. One that nobody else noticed. Then he walked back behind the counter. Not another word.
Just...
Gone.
I watched him disappear into the kitchen. Something told me that wasn't the last time I'd see him. Something else told me...
It might be.
Freeze Frame.
Yep.
You saw that correctly.
Stan Lee.
The actual Stan Lee.
Walked into my life, casually broke the fourth wall without technically breaking it, implied reality had gone through several questionable revisions, warned me about killer robots and hyperactive spiders...
...then served everyone coffee.
Absolute legend. Also, I'm ninety-nine percent sure he looked directly into my soul. I'm choosing not to unpack that today. I've already got five radioactive spiders living in my bedroom. One existential crisis at a time.