C614 Spider-Man (Patreon)
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As Peter focused on refining his newfound strength on the desolate and now-fractured surface of Mars, a meeting between his children unfolded in his absence. Lily, America, and Leo gathered in Lily’s bedroom, their small voices hushed as they discussed matters of great importance.
Leo, with his wide, innocent eyes, looked up at the older girls, his small hands fidgeted nervously. “Taking too long…” He said, clearly upset.
Lily sighed, exchanging a knowing glance with America before finally breaking the news. "Leo, you haven’t even been here for a week yet…”
America nodded alongside her, “Yeah, we have no doubt that our parents will adopt you. Just be patient…”
Leo didn’t seem to be taking their advice, as he began pacing around the room, his faced scrunched up in displeasure. He wanted nothing more than to be Peter’s son, but they were taking far too long for his liking!
“Look, Leo…” Lily hesitated, but finally revealed the truth. “Actually, we've known for days that Mom and Dad are going to adopt you. They talked to us about it a couple days ago," Lily admitted, stopping Leo in his tracks.
Leo’s eyes widened as he looked toward Lily, trying to decipher whether or not she was lying to him. And based on America’s reaction, she wasn’t…
America jumped out of her seat, “Lily! They said not to tell him yet!”
Lily shrugged, gesturing towards Leo. “What are we supposed to do when he’s like this?”
America reluctantly agreed as she flopped back down into the bed, “Fine, but I’m not taking the fall for this when they find out…”
Lily shrugged uncaringly, turning her attention back to her future baby brother. “See Leo?” She asked. “It's just taking some time.”
“Yeah, they'll do it soon, so stop freaking out all the time…" America added, her attempts at reassurance falling short as Leo's eyes filled with confusion and disappointment.
Leo's little face scrunched up as he processed this revelation. "Why no tell me yet?" he questioned, a hint of sadness in his voice.
The girls exchanged uncertain glances, realizing that perhaps Leo still wasn’t satisfied. Lily hesitated before explaining, "Leo, you just have to wait a bit… It’s not that big of a deal."
This explanation failed to soothe Leo's growing concern. His small brows furrowed, and he pouted. "Wait long enough!” He shouted, stomping his foot, his limited vocabulary in full effect. “I want now!"
The urgency in Leo's tone caught the girls off guard. They exchanged a quick glance before America decided, "Then go ask them, Leo… There’s not much we can do here..."
Empowered by this idea, Leo stomped his little feet out of the room. If Peter wouldn’t bring up the option himself, the Leo would take matters into his own hands.
“Wait!” Lily yelled behind him, but Leo completely ignore her and kept. “Don’t tell them I told you about any of this! Leo! Leo!”
Without a care for anything Lily had to say, Leo headed towards Peter's bedroom, fueled by determination to get the answers he sought.
Slamming the door open with all the might, which broke the door off of its hinges, Leo's hopeful eyes scanned the room. To his dismay, Peter was nowhere to be found. His shoulders slumped, and a quiver formed in his bottom lip as disappointment and frustration mingled within him.
A lone tear rolled down Leo's cheek as he whimpered, "Where's Peter?" The room echoed with his tiny voice, unheard by the absent Spider-Man who was nowhere to be seen.
————
In Miles's universe, the young Spider-Man lay in bed, surrounded by the familiar glow of his phone screen. The spider group chat app flickered to life, and Miles, Tobey, and Ben eagerly exchanged messages in their private chat group. It was a sanctuary of sorts, a place where they could discuss their concerns away from the rest of the group, who so easily joined the Spider-Society.
As they vented their suspicions about the Spider-Society, Miles expressed his growing worry for their friends who were still trapped there: What should we do? Peter isn’t answering, and we can’t just leave our friends there. Who knows what that creep will do to them, or make them do…
Tobey, the seasoned Spider-Man, suggested patience: Maybe we should wait for Peter before deciding anything. He's more experienced than us when it comes to this kind of stuff. Waiting for reinforcements might be the best approach.
However, Ben, ever the risk-taker, threw out an idea: Although I agree that having Peter on our side would help a lot, he isn’t answering and we can’t just wait here like this.
Unsure of how to handle the situation, Miles asked: Then what should we do?
Ben smirked as he replied: We need to sneak back into the Society and investigate. Once we find the evidence we need, we can post it in the general group chat and get everyone on our side. That will be our reinforcements!
The notion was met with immediate resistance, especially from Tobey: What evidence though? We don’t even know what we’re looking for. Let’s just wait for-
Before the debate could escalate, Ben sent a picture through the chat. In the image, he proudly displayed a watch on his wrist, the same watch that Miguel O’Hara used to traverse the multiverse.
Miles, filled with both amazement and dread, couldn't help but ask: Where did you get that?
Ben, nonchalant and smirking through text, replied: Swiped it during the tour. So, are you guys in or not?
The chat room fell silent for a moment before Miles hesitantly agreed: I’m in…
His concern for their friends outweighing the risks, and although he wanted to wait, Peter just wasn’t answering.
Tobey couldn’t help but ask: Can’t we just use the watch to get Peter? It’ll be a lot safer with him…
Ben replied: I’ve been tinkering with this thing for a while now, and the only way to use it is by choosing the designated number of each universe. Unless you know his universes number, that’s not happening.
Miles frowned as he asked: Then how are we supposed to find the Society again? We don’t know the number…
Ben smirked as he fiddled with the watch before taking and sending another picture, showing the display on the watch showing the words Spider-Society: The Society is labeled differently.
Seeing a glaring issue with this plan, Tobey couldn’t help but point out the obvious: How are you supposed to pick us up with that if we don’t know our universes number?
Realization dawning on him, Ben replied: Oh sh*t…
Seeing the flaw in his plan, Ben hesitated for a moment before making a bold decision. In the spider group chat, he declared: I’ll go alone to investigate. I'll find the evidence and maybe even figure out our universe numbers. Don't worry, I got this 😎
Tobey and Miles immediately chimed in, trying to dissuade him from his reckless solo mission.
Miles pleaded through the text: Ben, it's too dangerous! We should come up with a safer plan together. Let’s just message Peter again.
Tobey joined him in trying to persuade Ben in another direction: Going alone is risky. We need to stick together and think this through.
However, Ben, confident and seemingly dismissive of their concerns, stopped replying in the chat. The virtual silence left Miles and Tobey uneasy, as they pondered the consequences of Ben's impulsive decision.
No matter how much they type, begging him to be patient, the chat remained empty, the absence of Ben's messages hanging heavily in the digital space…
————
On the desolate and fractured surface of Mars, Peter engaged in an otherworldly workout. An enchanted bar, heavily bent under the strain of two mountain-sized plates, was part of his routine as he bench-pressed, a light sheen of sweat dripping down his body.
“30,678… 30,679… 30,680… 30,681…” Counting every lift, Peter appears to have been at this for a while, the sheer weight serving as a testament to his enhanced strength.
With newfound powers from a combination of Ego's manipulation of cosmic energy and Wanda's chaos magic, Peter was able to effortlessly conjured training tools. Cosmic energy and magic blended seamlessly, allowing him to summon objects of any size, shape, weight, density, or power. It was a boon to his training, aiding him in regaining control over his immense strength at a much faster pace.
‘I can probably even make living beings at this point…’ Peter thought. After all, Wanda was able to make some powerful creatures with her magic, and Ego was able to create life as well. ‘If I were to combine their powers to make something, then it would probably be really strong…’
Putting that idea to the back of his mind for the time being, Peter continued his workout, but suddenly, an unusual disturbance caught his attention. A powerful energy signature entered his galaxy, and thanks to the cosmic senses inherited from the Silver Surfer, he could discern its presence without even trying.
Something or someone was approaching, and the vibes weren't benevolent.
Peter paused, dismissing the conjured workout tools that vanished instantly. Standing up, he turned his gaze toward the source of the energy signature. Utilizing Superman's telescopic sight, he zoomed in until he spotted the cosmic giant, Galactus. The devourer of worlds moved through the vastness of space, his purple armored colossal form unmistakable.
Galactus, attuned to the cosmos, sensed Peter's scrutiny. Turning his immense head in Spider-Man's direction, a silent exchange occurred between the two beings of cosmic significance.
"Interesting, so you’re the one who killed my Harold…" muttered Galactus, acknowledging the unexpected presence of another formidable force in the cosmos. Without hesitation, he altered his trajectory, heading straight for Peter.
A/N: 1637 words :)