C392 Insecurity

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As the conversation between Peter and Andrew continued, Andrew's attention was suddenly drawn to a figure lurking in the far corner of the room.

Dr. Curt Connors, also known as the Lizard, stood behind a thick pane of unbreakable glass, his eyes fixed on Andrew with a burning intensity. The memory of their past encounters flashed through Andrew's mind, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.

"Uh, guys," Andrew called out, diverting everyone's attention toward the imprisoned reptilian figure. "Why is Dr. Connors here? And why is he... well, lizard-like... again?"

Tom, who had been silently observing the conversation, stepped closer to Andrew, his gaze fixed on the Lizard. "Again?"

"In my universe, I cured him," Andrew replied, his confusion evident in his voice. "I mean, I'm pretty sure I did. But this... this is like a step back."

The group eyed the glass, their curiosity piqued by Andrews words. The scaly creature paced restlessly behind the barrier, emitting low, rumbling growls that reverberated through the room.

Peter examined the Lizard, pretending to come up with an idea. "Maybe the spell grabbed him further back in time?" He let a bit of his movie knowledge out.

"Spell? Like a magic spell?" Andrew asks as they haven't explained anything to him yet.

"Well..." Tom quickly gives him a rundown on his and Doctor Stranges major f*ck up.

Andrew nodded his head slowly, a mixture of shock and worry in his eyes. "Right... So Magic exists?" He muttered as he walked up to Dr. Connors.

Approaching the glass, the Lizard's eyes fixed on him with a mix of anger and animosity. The reptilian creature hissed, its long, forked tongue flicking out menacingly.

"Dr. Connors," Andrew began, his voice calm yet filled with questions. "Do you recognize me? It's Peter... Spider-Man. We've met before, and I gave you my fathers research..."

The Lizard's response was a guttural growl. "Yes, but you forget the part where you stood in my way, traitor! If it wasn't for you, everyone in the city would know the joys of my transformation."

Andrew's confusion deepened. "I don't understand. We fixed you. We saved you. Why are you like this again?"

Suddenly, Peter stepped up. "I think I have a way to confirm my hypothesis." He says as he turns to Dr. Connors. "Can you tell me today's date?"

The caged doctor raised a reptilian eyebrow. "March 23, 20** why?" He asks in confusion.

"No reason." Peter says as he motions for everyone to follow him away from the cells. "Am I right?" He asked as they got out of hearing distance.

Andrew nodded his head. "Yeah, that was a while ago. He's from the past." He seemed even more shocked than when they explained magic.

He ran a hand through his hair, processing the information. The Lizard continued to snarl and thrash against the glass, annoyed that they left before explaining anything.

"So, what do we do now?" Andrew asked, frustration seeping into his voice.

Peter looked at his fellow Spider-Men, Andrew and Tom, as they stood together, contemplating their next move. The possible presence of more villains stirred up a sense of urgency and danger within the group, and it was clear that they needed a plan.

"Alright," Peter spoke up, his voice filled with certainty. "We can't waste any more time. We need to start scouring the internet for any sightings of other villains that haven't shown themselves yet."

Everyone nodded in agreement. They were ready to do whatever it took to protect themselves and the city.

"Ned, MJ, May," Peter addressed them, his tone serious. "I need you three to dig deep into the web, search for any reports, rumors, or unusual activities that might be related to multiverse travelers. We can't let anyone slip through undetected."

Ned, who had been the team's tech guru before, nodded enthusiastically. "You got it! I'll get everyone set up." He said as he pulled a laptop from his backpack.

MJ whipped out her phone, her eyes gleaming with determination. "Consider it done. I'll check social media and find anything that could be relevant."

May nodded, her expression filled with both concern and resolve. "I'll make sure to keep an eye on local news and police scanners. If there's any sign of trouble, we'll know."

With their roles assigned, the trio split off to fulfill their tasks, leaving the three Spider-Men alone once again.

"Now that we have eyes and ears on the ground, we need to cover as much territory as possible," Peter continued, his gaze shifting between Andrew and Tom. "We'll split up and patrol the city individually."

Tom raised his hand, as if her were at school. "How do we communicate? Your phones won't work here."

"Come here." Peter walked up to his two counterparts and grabbed their masks. "This should work..."

As soon as he touched them, golden etchings appeared for a brief moment before disappearing completely.

"Was that magic? One of us can do magic?!" Andrew exclaimed in shock.

"Yeah, jealous?" Peter smirked, knowing they were both definitely envious of that. "I made it so we can communicate through our masks. I'll leave something like this with Ned as well, so they can relay information to us."

Andrew nodded, doing his best to hide the jealousy he was feeling. "Sounds good to me."

Tom adjusted his suit, a complicated look in his eyes, which didn't go unnoticed. "I'll head out now."

"Remember, if you find something, call it out." Peter emphasized as Tom rushed off. "We'll converge and take them down as a team."

Andrew nodded in agreement before following after Tom with a worried look on his face. "We'll see you out there!" He called out as he and Tom disappeared up the steps.

...

Andrew couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off with Tom. He had known him for less than an hour now, but he could still tell that something was wrong. Determined to find out the reason behind it, Andrew followed Tom as he made his way through the bustling streets of New York City.

After a few blocks, Andrew finally caught up to Tom, who had paused in a brick building to catch his breath. Tom looked surprised to see him.

"Hey," Tom greeted him, trying to mask his earlier unease with a forced smile. "Didn't expect to see you here."

Andrew crossed his arms, his gaze fixed on Tom's troubled expression. "Something's bothering you. And don't think I didn't notice. What's going on? Is it about this multiverse stuff?"

Tom sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I guess I can't hide it very well. It's just... seeing Peter, my doppelgänger, with all his confidence, accomplishments, and abilities, it's made me question myself."

Andrew's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Tom's voice dropped to a whisper. "I've always felt like I was doing a good job, but as soon as Peter arrived, I realized that I'm struggling to measure up. I mean, I'm Spider-Man, but compared to Peter... I feel like a failure. He's got it all figured out, and here I am, just trying to get by."

Andrew's heart went out to Tom as he listened to his every word. He placed a hand on Tom's shoulder, offering support.

"Listen, I get it. I've had my fair share of insecurities over the years," Andrew admitted, his voice filled with empathy. "But we're all different versions of Spider-Man, each with our own unique strengths and weaknesses. Just because Peter seems to have it all together doesn't mean you're any less capable or important."

Tom's eyes glistened with a mix of gratitude and vulnerability. "You really think so?"

Andrew nodded, a reassuring smile gracing his lips. "Absolutely. Besides, I doubt Peter's the perfect clone that you think he is. Everyone has problems and difficulties in life. And we're Spider-Men, after all. Adversity might as well be our middle name."

Tom's shoulders relaxed, and a flicker of determination returned to his eyes. "You're right. I can't let jealousy and doubt hold me back. Besides, just like you said. Nobodies perfect, not even Peter."

(A/N: You blind fools. My Spider-Man is a perfect god of all Spider-Men. He stands at the peak of all Parker's in existence. Your feeble minds couldn't begin to comprehend his mere presence! Hahahahaha! Cough... Cough... Please excuse my outburst.)

Andrew grinned, clapping Tom on the back. "Exactly. Now, let's go back out there and kick some a*s!"

Tom chuckled, the tension lifting from his features.

With renewed confidence and a strengthened bond, Andrew and Tom leaped off the building, ready to face whatever challenges awaited them. As they swung through the city, their shared determination and support for each other propelled them forward.

Little did they know that their mask were transmitting that entire time...

...

Peter was about to make Ned a communicator as well, but he stopped as he heard Andrew and Tom having what appeared to be a heartfelt conversation. And after listening to the whole thing, he didn't know how to feel.

On one hand, he was happy that Tom had such a high opinion of him, but on the other hand, he felt bad for making him feel inferior. 'Our universes are pretty similar, so he could try to use some of my methods to catch up to me... Even if it's only a little bit.'

The question was would Peter be willing to share those methods. And sadly, for Tom, that answer was no.

If Tom wasn't known as being a bit of a f*ck up at times, then Peter might be willing to share some knowledge with him, but that just wasn't the case. Look at their current situation, for example.

Although the blame could be equally placed on Doctor Stranges shoulders, that doesn't change the fact that Tom wanted to erase the entire worlds mind just so he and his friends could go to the same school together. And he didn't even try to appeal his case with the school beforehand.

He skipped straight to a world wide mind wipe. Truly, he is a dumba$s. A lovable dumba$s, but a dumba$s nonetheless.

'Sorry, kid. You'll have to figure it all out on your own. Though maybe I can drop some small hints and help him with stuff I know he can't f*ck up? After all, he is a nice guy.'

A/N: 1728 words :)

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