Chapter 705: The Grand Infinite Event (Part 21) (Patreon)

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One by one, the cold, incandescent lights illuminated the empty hallway. The reflected light from the white walls seemed a bit glaring. As footsteps grew closer, the door to the laboratory creaked open, and three nearly identical Spider-Men entered.

Just as the Amazing Spider-Man was about to speak, Future Peter confidently walked over to the lab table and introduced, “This is the lab I use. Dr. Otto is in the next room. If you have any questions, just use this communication device to call him.”

“The door over there leads to the materials room. The storage room and special item storage are downstairs. It's faster if you use the staircase on the right. The prep room at the end of the corridor has everything you need. The lighting switch is on the left and the power switch on the right. Make sure you remember correctly.”

With that, Future Peter strode into the materials room. After a short while, he returned with a stack of documents and placed them in front of the other two, explaining, “These detail our current experimental progress. To get more specifics, check the computer in the back materials room. To get the password, ask the AI through the communication device. It recognizes voices, and since you both are Peter Parker, you should be granted access.”

“Also, there's a chemistry lab on the third floor on the far right. I’ll complete some tasks that Dr. Connors entrusted to me there. If you have time, you could check it out – it'd be even better if you could help me finish them.”

“Oh, and in the workshop downstairs, there are some parts Mr. Stark wants me to assemble. They’re due tomorrow morning, so don’t forget.”

“What else was there? Let me think... Ah, yes, the cryogenic research. But the lab for that isn’t in this building. You’ll need to go to the adjacent building.”

Checking the time, Future Peter remarked, “Well, it's time for me to work in the lizard serum lab. I'll be on my way. You guys can carry on.”

“Hey, wait a minute! Hold on!” The Amazing Spider-Man stopped him, inquiring, “Is this all you do every day? When do you find time to combat criminals?”

“Um, usually every Friday evening from 7:00 to 9:00,” Future Peter responded. However, this seemed to surprise Peter, who commented, “That's not right. I go out every Wednesday evening for two hours too. If you’re me from the future, how could you reduce that time?”

“Please! Do you have any idea how busy things are now? You’ll understand eventually. There are multiple projects running concurrently, and every lab needs me. Everyone says Peter is a jack-of-all-trades.”

“It’s not just me. Even Gwen is swamped. She's juggling three jobs in various biological labs at Osborn Industries. Old Osborn even praised her as the most diligent researcher of the new generation.”

“Cryogenic technology, biotech enhancement, lizard serum, mechanized armor, Mercury Base, solar energy sources, spaceship decryption, astronomical observations, near-Earth research... Considering all that, managing to spare two hours to fight crime is already an achievement!”

Peter sighed, “It seems the next two months are going to be busy.”

“What’s going on with you two?” The Amazing Spider-Man wondered, “What about those super criminals causing chaos in New York? Who will handle them? If no one steps in, what happens to the safety of the general public?”

“Super criminals? Who do you mean?” Future Peter queried.

“Well... like the Sinister Six. Haven’t you heard of them? In my universe, they’re the epitome of evil, always causing trouble in New York…”

“Who are they exactly, and what powers do they possess?” Future Peter asked thoughtfully.

The Amazing Spider-Man began listing, “Sandman, who can control sand. Electro, with power over electricity. Doctor Octopus... alright, he's a good guy in your universe. Vulture, the winged fellow, Mysterio… and then there’s Chameleon, Rhino, and others. Haven’t you encountered them?”

A realization dawned on Future Peter, “Sandman... sounds familiar. Oh, I get it! I heard from Mr. Stark the other day that there’s a new guy at Mercury Base who can control soil, helping greatly with its foundation construction. That’s probably your Sandman, right? And Electro, controlling circuits? I recall Thunderbolt mentioning someone with a similar ability. He’s currently working on decrypting the Kree spaceship's electrical system. Could that be your Electro?”

“As for the others… I guess they’re all pretty occupied now,” Future Peter shrugged, “Nick Fury is nearly losing his mind, recruiting everywhere. Not just the useful super-powered individuals, but even mutants with seemingly insignificant abilities. They undergo thorough evaluations, and if their powers prove useful, they're assigned appropriate positions.”

“You don’t understand; there's a serious manpower shortage. If we weren’t this desperate, why would we let someone as talented as Dr. Otto handle an entire project team on his own? Don’t the decision-makers realize this is essentially wasting the energy of a top researcher?”

He sighed deeply, “Humans excel with their intelligence, but some tasks can’t be accomplished by intellect alone. Space exploration is lethal for ordinary people; the slightest misstep could be fatal. In comparison, mutants or those with special abilities are the optimal choice. Ordinary people handle research on the surface, advancing technology, while the uniquely gifted implement it…”

"Right now, both parties are in desperate need of manpower. Whether it's those with unique abilities or research capabilities, they've undoubtedly been roped into this plan. If the people you mentioned truly possess such miraculous abilities, Nick would've surely taken them by now. He won't let any valuable asset slip through his fingers."

Peter and Amazing Spider-Man exchanged glances. The Amazing Spider-Man shrugged and remarked, "Alright then, let's see what you guys are researching. You know, I'm a top-tier researcher at the Dray Research Institute in New York."

Ten minutes later, the Amazing Spider-Man collapsed onto the table in frustration. He groaned, sat up, and holding the documents in his hand, exclaimed, "What on earth is this? How is there a technology in this world that can freeze a person without causing any harm?"

"And this, Molten Steel? Is data on this material real? When did Earth acquire such a material?"

"Oh my God, blueprints for a mechanical base? Is this Iron Man's doing? The Iron Man from my world doesn't have this technology. I've never heard of it..."

"Mercury Base, solar energy source—what are you guys trying to achieve? Has humanity entered the era of space colonization?"

Peter, familiar with the material, continued taking notes, "Some of it is indeed complex. I too was initially baffled. If you're confused, consult Dr. Otto next door or call Dr. Yinsen and Mr. Stark. Dr. Connors can help as well. Someone will surely clarify your doubts."

The Amazing Spider-Man glanced towards the door, hesitating, "You expect me to consult Doctor Octopus? That's... a bit..."

Five minutes later, inside Otto's laboratory, two of the four tentacles held up a whiteboard, with one tentacle holding a marker and another a board eraser. Dr. Otto passionately lectured while drawing, "How many times must I tell you? The data you just calculated is incorrect. Did you not verify it with the machine? Is it even operational?"

He continued instructing, "Look at this model, here... and here. This is our experiment's focus. You, recalculate this model. And you, start the machine..."

Both Peter and the Amazing Spider-Man exchanged glances, sighed, and went off to attend to their respective tasks.

As the Amazing Spider-Man was inspecting a machine he had never seen before, a loud bang echoed as the laboratory door was kicked open. A squad of SHIELD agents rushed in. Peter, on reflex, jumped back, bumping into Otto, who was still recording data.

Almost losing his balance, Otto instinctively used his tentacles to stabilize himself. However, one of his tentacles, closest to a lab table, swiped across it, creating a shower of sparks that startled Peter.

Reacting to his Spider-Sense, Peter dodged another tentacle aiming for future Peter.

The future Peter, sensing danger, deftly deflected the tentacle with a punch. Otto lost his balance and collapsed, sending all four tentacles into a frenzy, wrapping around all three Spider-Men.

Coulson, leading the agents, looked at the entangled mess of Otto and the Spider-Men, speechless.

After a moment, Otto managed to get up. Coulson signaled, and the SHIELD agents rushed forward to untangle the chaotic tentacles.

Clearing his throat, Coulson announced, "Agent Coulson of SHIELD. I heard there are multiple Spider-Men here. Come with me."

Relieved to be freed from the tentacles, Amazing Spider-Man, Peter, and future Peter sighed and followed Coulson out.

Half an hour later, in Nick Fury's office, Nick stared at the Amazing Spider-Man and said, "So you're telling me that beyond our universe, there are infinite multiverses, and in each of these universes, there's a Spider-Man, Iron Man, Dr. Otto, Dr. Connors, Dr. Yinsen, and countless other geniuses?"

The Amazing Spider-Man swallowed hard, sensing the hint of greed in Nick's eyes. [XD]

Elsewhere, Otto, tidying up the disheveled laboratory, used his tentacles to pick up a shattered lampshade. Suddenly, he heard a noise from the corridor.

With the lighting system destroyed and the room in darkness, Otto removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. There, in the doorway, stood a silhouette with four tentacles, illuminated by the moonlight.

It was Spider-Man— a Spider-Man equipped with octopus tentacles.

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 706: The Infinite Event (Part 22)