M
arvel Spider-Man: Web of the Multiverse
Chapter 66: S.H.I.E.L.D. Containment Team
A red-and-blue figure arced through the air and landed in front of Gwen.
Venom re-formed across from them, though its body had visibly shrunk.
"Nice work."
Peter did not look back. He stood protectively in front of Gwen, deliberately altering his voice.
"I'll handle the rest."
Gwen's heart pounded as she stared at Spider-Man's back. Besides the overwhelming sense of security he gave her, there was also something inexplicably familiar about him.
Before she could dwell on that feeling, however, she hurriedly called out to Spider-Man.
"Spider-Man... have you seen my friend? He's wearing a Wizard's robe and a Wizard's hat. His name is Peter Parker!"
Standing in front of Gwen, Peter felt a wry smile tugging at the corners of his mouth beneath his steel mask.
He silently thought, "Peter Parker is standing right in front of you."
Peter quickly composed himself, lowered his voice, and spoke in Spider-Man's characteristic calm tone.
"Peter Parker has already made it out safely. I saw him run outside myself. He's probably waiting for you out there, so don't worry."
Gwen let out a long sigh of relief and nodded. Then she spotted Harry lying unconscious in the distance, and her anxiety immediately returned.
"I'll finish this guy off. Go outside and get someone to help your unconscious classmate."
To avoid spending any more time around Gwen, Peter had no choice but to find an excuse to send her away.
The longer they stayed together, the greater the risk that she would discover his identity.
That was also why Peter always went out of his way to avoid people he knew whenever he appeared as Spider-Man.
After all, there were some things even the suit could not conceal, such as his build, demeanor, and speaking habits.
Gwen had not noticed anything unusual yet. She nodded at once and quietly backed away. The moment she was through the gym doors, she turned and ran.
Once Peter was certain Gwen had left safely, he turned his attention back to Venom.
Venom had used the brief distraction while Peter was talking to Gwen to creep closer without making a sound.
Less than five meters now separated them.
The instant Peter looked back at it, Venom gathered the last of its strength and lunged.
Not even death could shake Venom's obsession with completing the final piece of its genetic puzzle.
But waiting for Venom was a fist completely engulfed in arcs of electricity.
The instant Peter's fist struck Venom, there was a deafening explosion.
BOOM!
Blue arcs crackled around the surface of his fist.
A high-voltage current surged into every cell in Venom's body.
Blue electricity danced wildly across the black fluid like an ever-expanding net, engulfing Venom completely.
Venom released one final, agonized scream.
The black fluid covering its body began to slow. Its violent writhing weakened, then gradually came to a complete stop.
Three seconds later, Venom lost the last of its strength and collapsed into a lifeless pool of black liquid, motionless on the floor.
Peter stood beside the pool and waited until he was certain Venom could no longer launch another attack.
Then he raised his wrist and pressed the communication button on his Web-Shooter.
A 3D projection lit up, and the call connected almost immediately.
"Spider-Man, what kind of troublesome character did you catch this time?"
Nick Fury sounded almost as though he had seen it coming.
"Don't tell me it's that special-effects artist calling himself Mysterio who escaped last time."
"You're half right."
Peter aimed the camera on his Web-Shooter at the inky black liquid on the floor, giving Fury a clearer view.
"But this thing is far more troublesome than Mysterio. The Symbiote Dr. Connors showed me before came to Midtown High School and attacked the students."
On the screen, the pool of black liquid was still moving at an almost imperceptible pace. Venom was not dead. It had merely entered a temporary dormant state.
The other end of the communicator fell silent.
Ten seconds later, Nick Fury spoke again, his tone now deadly serious.
"Secure the scene. The S.H.I.E.L.D. containment team will need fifteen minutes to reach Midtown High School. Until then, don't let anyone touch that thing, including you."
"Understood."
The call ended, and Peter sat down where he was.
Before long, he heard a rapid series of footsteps approaching from behind.
"Spider-Man!"
A familiar voice rang out. It was not Gwen, but Phil Coulson.
Phil Coulson, the newly appointed principal of Midtown High School, entered the gym at the head of a team of medical personnel. He wore a sharp gray suit, his hair meticulously combed into place, and his expression was grave.
"I'm the principal of this high school. Thank you for protecting our students."
Pretending not to recognize Spider-Man, Phil Coulson extended his hand in gratitude.
"Good afternoon, Principal."
Peter played along with Phil Coulson. It was another way of protecting his identity.
After a brief handshake and a few words of thanks, Phil Coulson led the medical personnel over to Harry.
Fortunately, Harry appeared to have passed out from exhaustion and was otherwise unharmed.
The medical personnel lifted him onto a mobile stretcher and wheeled him outside.
Just then, someone Peter had not expected entered the gym.
Captain George Stacy strode into view, with a downcast Gwen following behind him. She had clearly run into her father on the way out and been stopped.
"Spider-Man."
George Stacy spoke with the unmistakable interrogative edge of a Captain.
"I need you to explain everything that happened here tonight. Also..."
He started toward the pool of Symbiote on the floor, apparently intending to determine what kind of hazardous substance it was.
"I'm sealing off the scene. Everything here will be secured as evidence."
Spider-Man stepped in front of him before he could get any closer.
"Captain, I know you take your job seriously, but if you move any closer to that stuff, you'll be the next person leaving on a stretcher."
Spider-Man pointed toward Gwen, who still looked a little embarrassed.
"This lovely young lady can vouch for me. You can ask her if you don't believe me."
George Stacy's eyebrow twitched, but he ultimately decided to heed the warning.
"What exactly is that thing?"
Just as Peter was wondering how to answer, the thunderous roar of rotors came from outside the gym entrance.
The sound rapidly drew closer before stopping directly outside the doors.
Four rappelling ropes dropped from above. Four figures dressed in black tactical gear silently descended along them, landing in perfect unison.
They wore fully enclosed tactical helmets and carried specialized firearms of unknown models. The S.H.I.E.L.D. insignia was displayed on each of their left shoulders.
After landing, the four moved into the gym with textbook tactical precision. They did not stop until they were standing in front of Spider-Man.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. Seventh Containment Team has arrived on-site. Awaiting your orders, sir."
Chapter 67: Leave It to the Pros
George Stacy stared at the four heavily armed tactical operatives standing before him.
Fully enclosed tactical helmets, portable bio-containment pods, and firearms whose models he could not even identify.
Compared to their equipment, the standard-issue gear carried by NYPD officers belonged in the trash.
George Stacy then shifted his gaze to Spider-Man beside him.
Sir?
A combat squad this well-equipped was actually addressing a masked Vigilante as "sir"?
It completely overturned everything he thought he knew.
"Wait."
George Stacy finally stepped in, raising a hand to stop everyone.
He pulled out his police ID, its metal badge gleaming sharply under the lights.
"Captain George Stacy, New York Police Department. This is my jurisdiction. All physical evidence at the scene, along with every witness present..."
His gaze swept over the Symbiote on the floor and Spider-Man.
"...falls under NYPD jurisdiction. Until I find out what happened here, no one is to touch any of the evidence."
One of the Containment Team members turned toward George Stacy, lowered his weapon, and raised his right hand in salute.
"Captain, under Department of Homeland Security Executive Order No. 774, jurisdiction over any case involving a biological hazard of unknown origin is automatically transferred to S.H.I.E.L.D. Your police badge..."
He paused deliberately, as though to emphasize his final words.
"...has no authority here."
A flash of unmistakable anger crossed George Stacy's face.
He thrust his badge half an inch farther forward, as though the gesture might somehow lend it more authority.
"I don't care about any executive order. These are my streets, and this is my case. Isn't that right..."
George Stacy turned toward the red-and-blue figure beside him.
"Spider-Man?"
Spider-Man was silent for two seconds before reluctantly nodding.
"I'm sorry, Captain Stacy, but this isn't an ordinary criminal case. We're dealing with an unknown biological threat, and S.H.I.E.L.D. has the right people for the job."
Spider-Man placed a hand on George Stacy's arm, gently urging him to put his badge away.
"They're even more qualified than I am."
George Stacy's expression tightened. He looked ready to argue, but his phone suddenly rang inside his pants pocket, forcing him to put away his badge.
When he took out his phone, he saw a familiar name on the screen.
It was his immediate superior.
George Stacy did not even need to answer to know what the call was about. It would be another order telling him to stay out of the matter and withdraw immediately.
After one final glance at Spider-Man and the four Containment Team members, George Stacy answered the call and turned to leave.
Gwen gave Spider-Man a grateful look, then followed her father out of the gym.
From that moment on, the entire gym was under the control of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Containment Team.
"Get started."
Spider-Man stepped aside and gave the Containment Team room to work.
The team leader wasted no time. He turned, gave a hand signal, and began the operation alongside his three team members.
One team member unfolded a portable bio-containment pod on the floor.
A pale blue scanning beam locked onto the Symbiote. A robotic arm with an absorber fitted to its tip then extended and drew the entire Symbiote into the bio-containment pod.
Another team member used a handheld scanner to check the wreckage for radiation and biological residue.
The final team member remotely controlled another robotic arm, collecting every fragment of Symbiote scattered among the rubble to ensure that nothing was missed.
The bio-containment pod emitted a low hum as its internal chamber gradually filled.
Its negative-pressure filtration system then activated, removing every microorganism and speck of dust from the air.
In less than three minutes, all traces of the Symbiote on the floor had been secured inside the bio-containment pod.
Spider-Man stood nearby and watched in silence.
When the pod's indicator light changed from red to green, Spider-Man dusted off his hands.
"Let's go. Those pesky reporters will be here any minute, and we'd better be gone before they arrive."
"Roger that, sir!"
The Containment Team members boarded the helicopter as quickly as possible. Its rotors began to spin, and their thunderous roar once again echoed above the gym.
Spider-Man boarded with them, the powerful downdraft blasting against him.
As the helicopter climbed, the buildings of Midtown High School below grew smaller and smaller. The crowd gathered on the lawn had yet to fully disperse.
Once the helicopter was about two blocks away from Midtown High School, Spider-Man waved goodbye to the Containment Team members behind him and jumped, plummeting toward the street below.
In midair, he fired a web that attached to the edge of a water tower atop an apartment building. He swung through an arc and landed in a deserted alley.
Hidden in the shadows beyond the streetlights, the armor plating of the Iron Spider suit rapidly retracted.
Now back in the guise of an ordinary high school student, Peter emerged from the shadows. His breathing was still slightly labored, but his stride had already returned to normal.
He checked the time on his watch, then jogged through the streets and returned to the Midtown High School gym as quickly as he could.
From a distance, Peter spotted Gwen speaking with George Stacy.
"Uncle George. Gwen."
Peter's voice caught their attention. The moment Gwen saw him, she became visibly excited.
"Peter! Where have you been?"
A trace of lingering anxiety remained in Gwen's voice. She looked him over from head to toe, and only after confirming that he was unharmed did she finally relax.
"I looked everywhere for you, but I couldn't find you. I only knew you'd made it out because Spider-Man told me..."
Peter quickly nodded along.
"Yeah, Spider-Man was right. My phone died, so I couldn't call you. Are you okay? I just heard that Harry was taken to the hospital."
At the mention of Harry, Gwen immediately turned a pleading gaze toward her father.
"Dad, can you take us to the hospital?"
George Stacy was clearly still upset about what had just happened.
But faced with his beloved daughter's pleading expression, he could only nod reluctantly and drive them to the hospital where Harry had been taken.
...
Meanwhile, at Doctor Octopus's undersea base, they had already received word of the unknown creature's attack on Midtown High School.
Their boss, Norman Osborn, had personally delivered the news.
"Otto! Do you have any idea how close your mistake came to costing me Harry?"
"You'd better give me a reasonable explanation, or I'll make sure you never see tomorrow's sunrise."
...
Chapter 68: What to Do When You Can't Keep It a Secret Any Longer
Doctor Octopus sat dejectedly before the main control console, his four mechanical Octopus Tentacles hanging limply behind him as though all the life had drained out of them.
Scorpion stood behind Doctor Octopus. Although he was not quite as despondent, his expression was equally grim.
After all, they were facing a furious Norman Osborn.
When the Symbiote escaped from the undersea base, the two of them immediately decided to report the accident to Norman Osborn.
However, the Symbiote had moved far faster than Doctor Octopus had anticipated.
By the time it attacked Midtown High School, Doctor Octopus was still explaining to Norman Osborn just how powerful and dangerous it was.
Norman Osborn only learned that his son was in danger after receiving an urgent call from his assistant.
Faced with Norman Osborn's fury, Doctor Octopus finally came up with an explanation.
"Mr. Osborn..." Doctor Octopus removed his glasses while his mechanical Octopus Tentacles curled uneasily behind him. "I contacted you the moment the Symbiote escaped, but what happened afterward... I admit that I underestimated its potential."
"But I can assure you that your son is in no serious danger. He'll regain consciousness soon."
Norman Osborn narrowed his eyes, his rage subsiding slightly.
"That thing escaped from your laboratory, crossed half of New York, burrowed into my son's body, and turned him into a demonic monster, yet you're telling me he wasn't in danger?"
"Yes. I can guarantee that he'll be fine because the Symbiote does not attack its host's brain."
Doctor Octopus put his glasses back on, his voice regaining a scientist's calm precision.
"Its survival strategy is to gain strength by bonding with a host. Damaging the host's nervous system would provide it with no benefit whatsoever. In fact, I suspect it may even strengthen the host's nervous system."
"Mr. Osborn, your son will regain consciousness shortly without suffering any lasting effects. Besides, you've already seen how much power the Symbiote gave him after bonding with him."
By the time Doctor Octopus finished speaking, Norman Osborn's anger had completely faded, replaced by contemplation.
He had indeed seen how Harry performed while bonded with the Symbiote. The surveillance footage from the gym was still replaying on the screen before him.
That power had been nearly overwhelming. Had Harry not encountered that detestable Spider-Man, the entire gym might have been razed to the ground.
Damn it. That damned Spider-Man again.
Norman Osborn cursed inwardly before turning his attention back to Doctor Octopus.
"The Symbiote you developed has indeed met my requirements in terms of enhancing physical power."
"But it's far too unstable. I need a Superhuman army capable of carrying out orders with precision, not a horde of uncontrollable monsters."
Norman Osborn was clearly signaling that there was still room for discussion.
Doctor Octopus seized the fleeting opportunity.
His mechanical Octopus Tentacles extended behind him as he pulled up a series of data on the screen, his words coming noticeably faster.
"The Symbiote's performance has far exceeded our initial estimates. Even without a host, it can move independently through waters two thousand meters deep, traverse New York's entire underground pipeline system, and precisely track a target."
"Its adaptability and survivability are both exceptional. Once bonded with a host, the increase in power it provides can rival most Superheroes."
"All we need to do is solve the issue of it losing control, and we'll be able to use it to mass-produce Super Soldiers."
"Therefore, I recommend abandoning the Human Enhancement Serum and devoting all our efforts to developing the Symbiote."
Norman Osborn's gaze shifted between the data on the screen and Doctor Octopus.
After a long silence, he finally made his decision.
"Continue both projects. Keep working on making the Symbiote controllable, but there must be no delays in the enhancement serum project."
"I can give you more time and resources, but you will report the project's progress to me regularly."
Norman Osborn leaned forward slightly, his presence suddenly oppressive.
"Scorpion will remain with you. He'll be watching you at all times, and you are not to leave his sight."
"Understood."
Doctor Octopus naturally did not dare voice any objections.
The call ended.
The screen returned to the undersea base's system interface. Doctor Octopus leaned back in his chair and slowly exhaled.
His back was already drenched in cold sweat.
...
On Saturday morning, Peter was on his way to the New York Public Library.
He and Gwen had gone to the hospital the previous evening to visit Harry.
On the way there, they had run into Mary Jane, who was also hurrying to the hospital.
The unknown creature's attack on Midtown High School had caused a major stir. Even Mary Jane, who had been in the middle of an interview for a reporter internship, had heard about it.
After successfully passing the interview, Mary Jane had rushed straight to the hospital to check on Harry.
Only after confirming that Harry was all right did the three of them finally return home to rest.
Harry regained consciousness not long after they left and was now recovering in the hospital.
Meanwhile, because Mary Jane was a student at Midtown High School, she had been given her first assignment as an intern reporter. She was to investigate the full circumstances of the attack and write a news article about it.
That meant only Peter and Gwen came to the library to study that Saturday.
They returned to their usual row of long tables by the window. Gwen had arrived early and was already focused on her studies.
Peter sat down beside her as usual. Without disturbing her, he opened his backpack, took out his textbook, and began studying.
Time passed slowly in the quiet atmosphere, broken only by the soft scratching of pen tips across paper.
Suddenly, Gwen closed her notebook and looked up at Peter.
"I know."
She spoke quietly.
"Know what?" Peter's pen stopped moving. "Did you figure out the answer to that difficult problem?"
"I know you're Spider-Man!"
For several seconds, time seemed to stop.
Peter scratched the back of his head.
"Come on, Gwen. Spider-Man can lift a car without breaking a sweat. I can barely manage a few pull-ups."
"I knew you'd say that." A faint smile appeared in Gwen's eyes.
"Let me explain how I know you're Spider-Man."
There were faint dark circles beneath Gwen's eyes. She had clearly lost sleep over Spider-Man the night before.
"The voice you used in the gym yesterday was completely different from the Spider-Man voice I heard on my dad's laptop."
"That means Spider-Man deliberately changed his voice around me to conceal his identity."
"But your voice, Peter, sounds exactly like the Spider-Man voice I heard on my dad's laptop."
Peter looked at Gwen and sighed inwardly, deciding that he should at least make one last attempt to deny it.
"Plenty of people have similar voices. You can't decide I'm Spider-Man based on one coincidence, can you?"
Gwen had clearly expected that response. She continued looking at him with amusement in her eyes.
Then she slowly reached into her backpack and pulled something out.
The moment Peter saw it, he knew it was over.
There was no hiding the truth from Gwen this time.
Chapter 69: The Moment of Truth, Harry's Transformation
Gwen pulled the very wand that had frightened off Venom from her backpack.
The tip still bore faint scorch marks from the burst of flame the previous night, its edges visibly blackened.
"Ever since I got home last night, I've been wondering why Spider-Man felt so familiar to me."
She rested a finger on the knob at the base of the wand.
"Spider-Man shouted at me from halfway across the gym and told me to use the wand. How did he know it could shoot fire?"
"He shouldn't even have known what I was holding, unless..."
Gwen looked up, her blue eyes fixed on Peter.
"Unless he made this wand himself and knew the flames would scare that monster away."
Peter stared down at the wand in silence.
The shadows of the blinds fell across his face, alternating between light and darkness.
Then Peter set down his pen and closed his book.
"All right."
His voice was quiet, carrying the exhaustion and relief of finally setting down a heavy burden.
"I only wanted to make you the center of attention at the end of the dance. I never imagined it would end up saving your life."
He looked up at Gwen with a wry smile.
"Now that you know I'm Spider-Man, why aren't you scared?"
"Scared?" Gwen laughed. "Why would I be? You're Spider-Man, the Superhero who protects New York."
"Well, I guess I worried for nothing. I thought you might be like Uncle George and not particularly fond of Spider-Man."
Peter breathed a sigh of relief.
"Actually, my dad's opinion of Spider-Man has been getting better lately. He doesn't even watch the Daily Bugle's news program anymore."
Gwen had revealed one of George Stacy's little secrets, which surprised Peter.
After that, her questions about Spider-Man came one after another, as though her curiosity were endless.
Peter leaned back in his chair and listened as she went from asking, "How do you climb walls?" to "How far can your web stretch?"
Then came, "Who made your suit?" and "Does swinging around make you dizzy?"
He patiently answered every question. Some of his answers made Gwen frown, while others made her laugh aloud.
Then Gwen asked something more serious.
"Do Uncle Ben and Aunt May know?"
Peter frowned slightly. He looked through the window at the sunlit street and fell silent for a few seconds.
"No. Of course they don't."
"Uncle Ben has high blood pressure, and Aunt May's heart has never been very strong. They'd worry themselves sick if they found out."
Gwen nodded in agreement.
"I agree."
"Anything else you want to know? Go ahead and ask it all now."
Gwen raised an eyebrow and was about to speak when Peter lifted a hand to stop her.
"But there's one condition."
Peter's expression suddenly became serious.
"From now on, you can't risk your life the way you did yesterday, whether it's to save Peter Parker or Spider-Man. Not under any circumstances."
Peter looked directly into Gwen's eyes and repeated himself.
"If anything like that happens again, I'd rather never put that suit on again."
Gwen studied his face for a long moment, as though making sure he was not joking.
Then she sighed.
"All right. I promise."
The seriousness faded from Peter's face, and his smile returned.
If revealing his identity meant he could get that promise from Gwen, then it was worth it.
"Miss Gwen, what's your next question?"
Their Spider-Man question-and-answer session continued, and time slipped by with each exchange.
It was not until George Stacy called that they realized it was time to go home.
...
Harry Osborn opened his eyes in a private room at Presbyterian Hospital.
The fluorescent light overhead made him squint, and the smell of disinfectant filled his nose.
He tried to raise a hand to shield his eyes from the glare, only to discover electrodes attached to his wrist. A machine beside him emitted slow, steady beeps.
A doctor was reviewing his medical chart. When he noticed that Harry had fully regained consciousness, he quickly approached the bed.
"Mr. Osborn, can you hear me? Your name is Harry Osborn, and you're at Presbyterian Hospital. Yesterday, you collapsed during the costume dance at Midtown High School."
Harry did not answer. He stared at the ceiling, his lips moving several times.
Then he spoke in a hoarse voice.
"I... can't remember."
The doctor stopped writing.
"Can you remember anything that happened last night?"
Harry frowned and tried to recall.
There had been music at the dance, a tightly packed crowd, and then a pitch-black monster lunging at him in the restroom.
Everything afterward was blank, like the missing memories that followed a night of heavy drinking.
"There was something black..."
Harry spoke slowly at first, but his words gradually quickened as fear crept into his voice.
"It was in the restroom. It lunged at me, and after that, I don't remember anything."
The doctor nodded slightly and wrote a few notes in the chart.
"Your CT scan shows that everything is normal. If you experience any discomfort, call the nurse immediately."
The doctor closed the chart and turned toward the door.
"Get some rest for now. We'll arrange a consultation with several specialists and let you know when it's scheduled."
The moment the doctor stepped out, a hand caught the door before it could close.
Norman Osborn walked in.
His expression was calm, far too calm for a father visiting his son just after he had awakened from a coma.
"Leave," Norman Osborn told the nurse, who was still standing uncertainly by the door. He then shut it behind him.
Harry silently watched his father approach the bed.
"The doctor said they found no known toxins in your system. You have nothing to worry about."
Norman Osborn stood at the foot of the bed with both hands in the pockets of his suit trousers.
"Rest this weekend. Don't go anywhere."
"Father, that monster yesterday had nothing to do with Oscorp, did it? Why did it deliberately attack me?"
Harry's voice remained hoarse, but he stared directly at Norman without flinching.
The corners of Norman Osborn's mouth tightened slightly. The change was so subtle that only someone watching him closely would have noticed.
"It was nothing more than a coincidence. All you need to do is rest. You don't need to concern yourself with anything else."
He turned toward the door.
"I'll have my assistant arrange a transfer. Oscorp has access to better medical resources."
"You're not even going to tell me what that thing was."
Norman's hand was already on the doorknob. At Harry's words, he paused for a second.
"Stop imagining things and get some rest."
The door closed behind him, and his footsteps gradually faded down the corridor.
The hospital room remained silent for a long time.
Harry's chest rose and fell heavily as an inexplicable restlessness welled up inside him.
His father was always so distant and overbearing. He had never cared about what his own son thought or felt.
He was never there for Harry. He only knew how to solve every problem with money.
Harry gripped the metal railing of the hospital bed with his right hand. As his fingers tightened, the metal let out a harsh screech.
Then he released it.
Five deep indentations remained in the stainless steel railing.
Harry stared blankly at them.
After being possessed by that pitch-black monster, something in his body seemed to have changed.
...
Chapter 70: A New Interdimensional Travel, The Amazing Spider-Man
Ever since revealing his secret that day, Peter had felt much more at ease.
Before, whenever he was with Gwen, he had to constantly remind himself to watch what he said and how he behaved.
He could not do anything that seemed out of character for [Peter Parker, an ordinary high school student].
Now, he no longer had to worry about any of that.
There was also an unexpected benefit. Whenever an emergency arose, Gwen could even help cover for him.
Gwen knew where to draw the line as well. Ever since they cleared the air at the library that Saturday, she had never asked him about Spider-Man unless he brought it up first.
She simply followed Spider-Man's activities in silence, clipping articles about him from newspapers and liking Spider-Man videos on YouTube.
Sometimes, Gwen would even argue with her father about exactly how much Spider-Man's appearance had reduced New York City's crime rate.
Those peaceful days continued into the following week.
On Monday evening, Peter refilled his Web-Shooters, made sure the Iron Spider suit was fully charged, packed a backpack full of supplies, and headed to the top of the Empire State Building.
"Getting around without the Spider-Cycle really is a little inconvenient."
Peter stood at the edge of the rooftop, looking down at the streets of New York far below.
"But Dr. Connors said the new Spider-Cycle has already been designed. It probably won't be long before it's finished."
Although losing the Spider-Cycle during his last Interdimensional Travel had caused Nick Fury no small amount of heartache, his grumbling had been all bark and no bite. The very next day, he had Dr. Connors begin designing a newer, sturdier Spider-Cycle.
The technological level of this universe was astonishingly advanced.
In the original storyline, Iron Man had needed only a single day to build a suit of armor for Spider-Man, even though they had only just met.
The entire process, from design to completed manufacture, had taken less than twenty-four hours. It was super-technology that far surpassed even the MCU.
"Unfortunately, time waits for no one." Peter sighed. "This Interdimensional Travel can't wait for the new Spider-Cycle to roll off the production line."
Peter drew his gaze away from the New York cityscape.
The Web of Life and Destiny unfurled, and he focused on the Destiny Node that was gradually becoming clearer.
This Destiny Node was located directly beside Destiny Node No. 9591.
Several minutes later, its number fully emerged.
It was... 120703.
"Well, that's another Parallel Universe number I've never heard of."
Peter shrugged and quickly accepted the somewhat disappointing news.
Most of his previous Interdimensional Travel destinations had been unfamiliar Parallel Universes, so he was already used to it.
"Earth-120703, whatever you look like, get ready to welcome your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. But let's get one thing straight, no face-first landings this time."
Muttering to himself, Peter slowly stepped into the newly formed spacetime portal.
A fierce wind whipped through the spacetime turbulence, and Peter's figure vanished completely.
...
When Peter landed, he was greeted not by New York's chilly night air, but by warm sunlight.
He stood at the edge of an apartment building's rooftop, looking down at a busy street filled with pedestrians.
Café umbrellas cast a row of cool shadows along the sidewalk.
Yellow taxis and private cars moved through the intersection as the traffic lights changed.
Pedestrians held smartphones, taking pictures, sending messages, and scrolling through social media.
Peter gave a soft whistle beneath his steel mask.
The technology in this universe was clearly more advanced than in Tobey Spider-Man's world. At the very least, the streets were not filled with flip phones.
The bright sunshine and thriving city also made this place seem like paradise compared to the Ruins Universe he had visited last time.
The tension in Peter's muscles eased without him realizing it.
He changed into civilian clothes and bought a local newspaper from a newsstand on the corner.
Most of the front-page stories were ordinary news, but as Peter turned to the later pages, his finger suddenly stopped.
A short article about Spider-Man had been tucked into one corner of the newspaper.
"Well, that's another piece of good news. Spider-Man has already appeared in this universe. Though this isn't quite what I expected. Spider-Man doesn't seem to get much attention here."
Peter folded the newspaper, then casually struck up a conversation with the newsstand owner.
Without much difficulty, he learned the exact date Spider-Man had first appeared in the newspaper.
One week ago.
After waving goodbye to the owner, Peter continued along the bustling street, reviewing everything he had learned and drawing his own conclusions.
First, judging by how recently Spider-Man had appeared, he was probably still a rookie who had only just become Spider-Man.
Second, the newspapers contained almost no information about other Superheroes or Villains. This was likely a standalone Marvel Universe where Spider-Man was the only Superhero.
Peter already had a likely answer in mind, but he still could not confirm it.
"I still don't have enough information. I need a clear, front-facing picture of this universe's Spider-Man before I can be certain what kind of universe this is."
Peter put away the newspaper and entered an internet café on the corner.
Once the computer screen lit up, he typed several keywords into the search bar.
[Spider-Man], [Spider Monster], [Unexpected Attack], [Masked Vigilante]...
The search engine displayed a list of matching web pages.
Peter filtered the results by Timeline and quickly found what he needed.
One week ago, Spider-Man made his first appearance and stopped a bank robbery.
Five days ago, Spider-Man rescued three survivors from a fire and was captured in a blurry photograph taken by a passerby.
Two days ago...
Peter clicked on another webpage.
Two days earlier, an unknown creature resembling a humanoid lizard had caused widespread chaos on the Brooklyn Bridge.
The webpage also contained a crucial photograph.
It appeared to have been taken from a cruise ship beneath the Brooklyn Bridge. A huge green figure clung to one of the bridge towers, its scales reflecting a metallic sheen beneath the lights.
Several cars hung from spider webs at the edge of the Brooklyn Bridge.
Spider-Man could be seen on the webs, working to rescue survivors trapped inside the vehicles.
"Well, Spider-Man and The Lizard. I think I know who this universe's Spider-Man is."
Peter leaned back in his chair and stared at the blurry image of Spider-Man on the screen, then at the photograph of the Brooklyn Bridge.
A name surfaced in his mind.
[The Amazing Spider-Man].
Peter slowly exhaled, a trace of regret appearing in his eyes.
"The Amazing Spider-Man, also known as Andrew Spider-Man. The Spider-Man whose story leaves the deepest regret, because Gwen died in his arms."