C607 Spider-Man (Patreon)
Content
In the midst of the peculiar conversation, Gwen vehemently denied Peter's claims about the Spider-Society's negative impact on the multiverse. She crossed her arms, masked eyes narrowing as she retorted, "You're just making things up, Peter. The society ensures that everything goes according to plan in each universe. We maintain order! How could that possibly hurt the multiverse?"
Peter, feeling a hint of frustration, leaned back in his chair and sighed. "Gwen, my source on this is fairly credible. Trust me, the Spider-Society might not be what you think it is."
Gwen shook her head, her determination unwavering. "No way. You're just trying to paint them in a bad light because you don't understand their mission. They protect the multiverse from anomalies and ensure that each universe follows its designated path."
Peter, realizing that convincing Gwen was futile at the moment, simply shrugged. "Alright, Gwen. Believe what you want. I've said my piece. Let's move on."
Turning away from Gwen, Peter refocused on Tony, who was just stood there, listening in on their conversation instead of cleaning. The bags of garbage piled up, and Peter gestured toward them. "Tony, you gonna leave those bags here to stink up the place or what?"
Grumbling, Tony shot Peter an annoyed look. "Can't you just portal them to the dumpster or something? Why do I have to do this?"
Peter raised an eyebrow. "You made the mess. Clean it up."
As Tony begrudgingly dragged the bags out of the room, Peter couldn't help but feel a small bit of amusement. Turning back to Gwen, he saw her curious gaze and raised an eyebrow under his mask.
"Who was that?" Gwen inquired, nodding towards the retreating Tony.
Peter chuckled. "That's Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man. In this universe, he's one of the most famous superheroes."
Gwen looked surprised. "And you have Iron Man cleaning your office?"
Peter smirked. "Well, he made the mess, so he's cleaning it up."
“And you can just make him do that?” Gwen asked, seemingly impressed.
Peter simply shrugged. “He doesn’t listen to me all the time, if that’s what you’re asking. Anyway, enough about Tony…” Alone in the room, he took a moment to catch up with Gwen. "So, how have you been since we last met in Miles's universe?"
Gwen's demeanor shifted, a subtle sadness crossing her features. She hesitated before answering, "It's been tough, Peter. My dad found out about me being Spider-Woman, and it was probably the second worst day of my life… Right behind the day I killed my best friend…"
Curiosity mingled with concern, Peter urged her to continue. "How did your father react?" Of course, he already knew about what happened to her universes Peter Parker, as she told him when they first met, so he didn’t bother asking about that.
Tears welled up beneath her mask as Gwen unraveled a painful memory. "After dealing with the Vulture, the police arrived and my dad cornered me. He shot at me and demanded I surrender. I… I didn’t want him to hunt me down anymore, so I took off my mask, and told him everything."
Gwen's voice wavered as she recounted the moment. "I pleaded with him, told him I didn't mean to kill Peter when he was the Lizard. I didn’t even know that it was Peter until he reverted back to his normal appearance. But even after all of that, he still tried to arrest me… It was heartbreaking." She really thought that her father would side with her, but it seemed like everyone in her universe saw her as nothing more than a criminal, even her family.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Peter said genuinely. “If you want, you can stay here in this universe. I can get you the right papers to make you a citizen and everything, though Miles might be jealous…”
“N-No thanks…” A somber pause filled the air before Gwen managed a small smile. "I appreciate the offer, but my home is the Spider-Society now. They saved me. They helped me when I needed it most."
Peter listened, a mix of sympathy and understanding in his eyes. "I see..."
Gwen nodded, wiping away a hidden tear. "But the Spider Society, they're good people. They've helped me when I needed it the most, and they would never intentionally harm anyone or anything. You've got it all wrong."
Peter sighed, realizing the depth of Gwen's connection to the Spider Society. "Maybe I do. But maybe I don’t." He said, eying Gwen for a moment. “You said it yourself. They would never intentionally do it. I never said they were all evil, Gwen. I just said that the Society isn’t exactly what you think it is.”
Peter paused for a moment in order to let his words sink in before continuing. “If I had to guess, I’d say that either the entire Society is ignorant to the harm that it’s doing, or someone inside the society is playing puppeteer, and knows what’s really going on. After all, these are Spider-People we’re talking about, and we don’t usual turn evil. That’s extremely rare.”
Gwen's gaze remained conflicted and skeptical, but after a moment, she couldn’t help but nod her head. “Okay, maybe that’s possible, but I still think your informant or whoever told you this is wrong…”
Peter couldn’t help but sigh at how stubborn Gwen was being. “We’ll just have to see, won’t we?” He said as he reluctantly started going through his paperwork once again. “Now, I have some work to do. Why don’t you go and explore the tower and the city for a bit? Once I’m done working, you can come back to my house for dinner.”
Reluctantly nodding, Gwen walked out of the room, curious as to what she might find in the tower. As she left, Peter suddenly spoke. “Jarvis, make sure she has the right permissions to walk around.”
Suddenly, Jarvis replied, his voice playing through the speakers in the room. “It is already done, sir.”
Peter smiled, relieved that Jarvis was already one step ahead of him. “Good, also, I need identification papers for a 3 year old boy, who will be under my care for the foreseeable future, and an African American man, who I’ll probably enlist in the Avengers, though it’s up to him to decide. I’ll get you the details later…”
“Of course, sir.”
…
..
.
Hours later, as Peter finally wrapped up his work at the Avengers Tower, he and Gwen made their way back to Peter's home. The day had been longer than intended due to the interruptions from well-wishers and fellow superheroes who dropped by to welcome Spider-Man back.
Returning home, Gwen was surprised to find three children eagerly waiting to welcome Peter. Lily and America practically pounced on him, hugging him tightly, while Leo, a bit more reserved, stood behind them, wanting to join in but unsure.
Peter, clearly accustomed to these greetings, removed his mask and approached Leo. He picked up the shy little boy, asking, "How was your day, Leo?"
“Good…” Leo smiled and hugged Peter, his limited vocabulary making it hard to express himself.
As Peter put Leo down, the three kids dashed off just as fast as the came, leaving Gwen curious. Removing her own mask, she looked at Peter with a raised eyebrow. "Since when did you have three children? Last time we met, you only mentioned Lily."
Peter grinned. "MJ and I like to adopt. Lily's our biological daughter, America is adopted, and Leo is a new arrival."
Gwen, however, showed a grimace at the mention of MJ. Peter noticed and asked, "What's wrong?"
In response, Gwen stated, "The Mary Jane in my world is an arrogant, self-absorbed hot-head. I'd rather stay miles away from her."
Just then, MJ descended the stairs, and her voice echoed in the room. "Well, my name is Michelle Jones, not Mary Jane, and I'd like to think I'm nothing like that."
Surprised, Gwen turned toward MJ, her expression embarrassed and awkward. After all, she had just compared MJ to her counterpart from another universe.
MJ, unfazed, smiled and said, "You must be Gwen. What brings you to our universe?"
Gwen shifted uncomfortably. "I...uh... just passing through, I guess."
MJ could easily tell that she was lying, but ignored it as she walked over to the kitchen. "Well, welcome to our world, I guess. Dinner will be ready soon, and if you’ll be staying with us, then you should go and claim an empty guest room.”
Gwen's cheeks flushed slightly as she replied, "Uhh, thanks, I will..." She said, feeling embarrassed for her earlier comments now that she’s seen how nice this MJ appeared to be.
“While you’re doing that, I need to have a talk with Noir…” Peter said as he used his senses to locate their other guest.
As Peter walked off, leaving MJ and Gwen behind, Gwen asked. “Who’s Noir?”
————
In the quiet solitude of the guest room, Peter located Noir, who seemed absorbed in his thoughts. As Peter entered, he found the enigmatic figure brooding in the dimly lit space.
"Hey, Noir," Peter greeted, holding out a set of identification papers. "Here are your new papers. Social security number, birth certificate, and everything else that you’ll need to start a new life."
Noir accepted the papers, his eyes flickering over the details. "I appreciate it. You've given me a second chance that I could never have dreamed of..."
Peter nodded, taking a moment to sit across from him. "Noir, you've got a clean slate now. What do you plan to do?"
Noir's gaze remained serious. "I wish to serve you. I owe you a debt, and I must repay it."
Peter shook his head, a wry smile forming. "I don't need a servant, Noir. I already have Dobby, and he's more than enough."
Noir, however, insisted, "I must repay my debt before I can move on. It's a matter of honor."
Peter sighed, realizing Noir's determination. "Fine, if you're that adamant about it. But I don't want you as a servant. Let's find another way for you to repay me."
Noir listened as Peter proposed two paths. "You can either join the Avengers, a group of heroes similar to the Seven, but on steroids, and much less evil, or you can become part of the Hand, a league of assassins I lead. We operate as vigilantes, eliminating the scum of the world to make it a better place."
Peter continued, explaining the nature of the Hand and the Avengers. "The Hand might suit you if you prefer a less mainstream approach. You won't be in the limelight, and you can set up your life before focusing on your dream of becoming a movie star. Though if you want to jump straight to it, then the Avengers is where you want to be. Having the Avengers on your application will open a lot of doors for you…”
Noir considered the options, pondering the paths laid out before him. After a thoughtful moment, he made his decision. "I'll join the Hand. It aligns more with my skills and inclination." He said, surprising Peter. “Although I still want to make my dream come true, first I have to set up my new life and repay you.”
“Sure, and you can always join the Avengers later too, I don’t mind.” Nodding, Peter reached for his phone, making a call to Scythe, his second in command in the Hand. After brief instructions, he turned to Noir. "Here's an address. Go there, and Scythe will guide you through the process. Welcome to the Hand, Noir."
As Noir left to embark on his new journey, Peter couldn't help but hope that this fresh start would bring redemption and fulfillment to him. He’s lived a rather harsh and sad life up until now, so hopefully he would make good use of this opportunity.
————
In the vast expanse of the Milky Way Galaxy, the cosmic silence was disrupted by the arrival of the Silver Surfer, his gleaming form traversed the inky black space like a shooting star.
In the distance, a blue and green planet came into view. This planet was Thanos’s last known destination before he disappeared, which peaked the surfers interest and curiosity. Shooting off toward the planet, his surfboard cut through the interstellar void, leaving ethereal trails of silver light in his wake.
A/N: 2076 words :)