Chapter 200: Across the Spider-Verse (25)  

Miles stares at Peter B, astonished at the sight of the baby carrier strapped to his chest. Inside, little Mayday Parker is fidgeting, curious about her surroundings.

Miles, still in disbelief, says, "This is crazy."

Peter B chuckles as he notices Mayday wiggling around in the carrier. "Don't forget to keep your little day pass on, honey." As he finishes, Mayday suddenly shoots a web and swings up towards the ceiling, her tiny hands sticking as she begins crawling across it like a true spider.

Peter B turns to Miles with a concerned look, saying, "Oh, you have one too." He glances at Miles' Spider suit, then adds with a hint of humor, "I didn't know they made those for adults."

Peter B tries to keep things under control as he prepares to catch Mayday. "Give me a second. Mayday!" He swings up, chasing after her.

Hobie watches with a grin and says, "The kid's an anarchist," clearly impressed by her rebellious spirit.

Peter B swings up, reaching for Mayday. "I'm coming up to get you. Here I come. Don't move." As he carefully grabs her, he mutters to himself, "I knew I was gonna regret making her that web shooter. Shouldn't have done it. That's an actual mistake."

Down below, Miles and Gwen exchange confused glances but can't help smiling at the chaotic yet heartwarming scene. Meanwhile, Miguel stands off to the side, mumbling in Spanish while massaging his temples, his frustration building as he tries to stay focused on the multiverse crisis at hand.

Peter B swings back down, holding Mayday securely. He then gets an excited look in his eyes and says, "You wanna see pictures?" He turns toward Gwen and Miguel, practically beaming.

Gwen, trying to decline politely, says, "She's right there." pointing at Mayday who's still happily sitting in the carrier.

But Peter B is already in front of them, grinning as he traps Gwen and Miles in an affectionate embrace with his arms stretched wide. "Look at this pic!" he exclaims, whipping out his phone.

Gwen, awkwardly nodding, says, "Oh, you've got them."

Peter B doesn't hold back his pride. "She's incredible."

Miles, caught up in the moment, agrees. "Yup."

Peter B enthusiastically starts swiping through the photos. "This is her funny face. That's her mad face. This one is the studious one." Each picture shows Mayday in various poses, each more adorable than the last.

Peter B's excitement grows as he says, "Watch out, the next one—you're gonna crack up."

As Peter B continues proudly showing off Mayday's photos, the tension in the room thickens as Miguel stands there, visibly agitated by the chaos surrounding him. As he tries to maintain his composure, Mayday, full of energy and curiosity, swings towards him and plants herself right on his face, her tiny hands slapping and crawling around.

Miguel, trying hard to remain serious, looks both annoyed and momentarily distracted by the memories this scene evokes—memories of his own daughter, lost in another timeline. Despite his stern exterior, there's a brief flicker of sadness in his eyes.

Peter B, unable to hold back a laugh, swings closer to Miguel. "Miguel's gonna die." he jokes as he snaps a quick photo of the ridiculous scene. In the picture, Mayday is proudly perched on Miguel's head, her mischievous grin contrasting with Miguel's scowl.

Peter B grins, holding up the picture for everyone to see. "Miguel, look at this one!"

Miguel, exasperated, tries to brush Mayday off while maintaining his stern demeanor. "I'm trying to hold a serious adult conversation." he mutters, clearly struggling to stay focused.

Peter B chuckles, clearly enjoying getting under Miguel's skin. "You know , you're the only Spider-Man who isn't funny," he teases. "We're supposed to be funny."

Miguel snaps back, "The fate of the multiverse—"

But Peter B cuts him off, mockingly repeating, "The fate of the multiverse… blah blah blah." He waves his hand in a dismissive gesture. "You always lose me with that. You say 'The fate of the multiverse,' and my brain just dies."

Before Miguel can even begin to refute, Peter B's expression shifts as he sniffs the air. "Do you guys smell that?" He crinkles his nose playfully. "Mayday took a crap."

The room falls into a moment of awkward silence, interrupted only by Hobie's amused chuckle.

Peter B, still completely unfazed, swings away towards a quiet corner to handle Mayday's diaper situation. "Yup, she's a Parker. That's what happens when a Parker eats an avocado." he says with a grin as he swing into the distance.

..................

Michael Wilson, the Legendary Spider-Man, and his 16-year-old disciple, Peter Parker, also known as Spider-Man Red, find themselves amidst the high-tech wonderland that is the Spider Society headquarters. As they walk through the bustling corridors, Peter's eyes widen in awe, taking in the sight of advanced technology, containment units, and captured villains from various dimensions.

"Captain, can I take a look at this… wow!!" Peter says, his voice filled with curiosity and excitement as he spots several notorious villains imprisoned in strange, glowing cubes.

Michael chuckles at his young disciple's enthusiasm. "Sure, Pete, go ahead and take a look. It's not illegal, but remember, don't touch anything, okay?"

"Got it." Peter responds, as he eagerly approaches one of the containment cubes. Inside, he notices a familiar face—a version of the Green Goblin.

As Peter peers closer, he mutters a cautious greeting. "Hello?"

The Green Goblin looks up with a twisted grin. "Hello, Pete."

Peter's eyes widen in shock. "Pete? Wait, you know me?"

The Goblin sneers as he removes his mask, revealing a scarred face that Peter recognizes immediately. "You don't remember your best friend?" the Goblin taunts. "Look what you did to me, Pete!"

Peter stumbles back, horror written across his face as he takes in the burnt and disfigured features of this universe's Harry Osborn. "Harry? What—what happened to you?"

Harry's voice drips with bitterness and anger. "You tried to kill me, Pete! Look at me! This is all your fault!"

Just as the tension mounts, Michael steps in. Sensing the emotional toll this revelation is taking on his young disciple, he places a firm hand on Peter's shoulder. "Okay, that's enough sightseeing, Pete. Let's move on."

But Peter is visibly shaken, struggling to process what he's just seen. "How? What…? Michael, Captain… Harry is—"

Michael turns Peter to face him, looking into his eyes with a steady, reassuring gaze. "Peter, listen to me. I know this is overwhelming. Seeing your friend like that, twisted into something monstrous, is hard. But you have to understand—this isn't our Harry. This isn't our Green Goblin."

Peter blinks, trying to steady himself. "But… he looks just like him. He even knows me…"

Michael nods solemnly. "I know. But they're from another universe, another dimension Like I told you before. So that's not your Harry. And as much as it hurts, you need to remember that. This multiverse is filled with different versions of the people we know—some of them aren't the same as the ones we love."

Peter takes a deep breath and nods, trying to regain his composure. "Yeah… okay. I get it. It's just… hard."

Michael gives him a comforting pat on the back. "You're doing great, Pete. You're strong enough to handle this. Now, let's keep moving. There's more we have to do, and I need you focused."

As they continue their tour through the sprawling Spider Society, Peter's thoughts still linger on the encounter with the alternate Harry Osborn. But he knows that, as Spider-Man, he has to stay focused on the bigger picture. There's a lot to do, and he can't let the shadows of what might have been drag him down.

..............

Meanwhile, as Peter B. Parker finishes changing Mayday's diaper in a quiet corner, the atmosphere grows tense on the other side of the room. Miguel O'Hara's intense gaze is fixed on Miles Morales, who stands next to Gwen, still trying to understand what he's being accused of.

"Miles," Miguel calls out, his voice low and serious.

Miles meets his eyes, confusion written across his face, while Gwen stands beside him, wary of where this conversation is headed. Hobie casually strolls over, his attention drifting more toward Mayday as Peter B. continues adjusting her diaper.

Miguel steps closer to Miles, his tone sharp and stern. "You disrupted a canon event."

Miles blinks. "Canon event?"

Peter B., finally done with the diaper, joins the group. "The kid wasn't thinking. That's not how he works." he says, casually defending Miles.

Miles frowns. "That's insulting."

Peter B. chuckles as Mayday suddenly swings out of his grasp, launching herself toward Hobie. The punk-rock Spider-Man catches her with ease, his usual nonchalant expression mixed with amusement.

"Taking a crap on the establishment. I salute you." Hobie says with a smirk, giving Mayday a playful salute.

To everyone's surprise, Mayday mirrors the gesture with a tiny, yet perfectly executed salute of her own. Peter B. can't help but laugh at the adorable scene.

But on the other side of the room, tension mounts as Miguel's focus remains on Miles. "Wait, what are you upset about? I saved those people.." Miles says, his voice rising with frustration.

Miguel's eyes narrow. "And that's the problem."

Miguel turns to his AI assistant, LYLA. "LYLA, do the thing." he commands.

LYLA appears, floating beside Miguel. "Huh? What thing?" she asks, her tone dripping with playful mischief.

Miguel glares at her, clearly exasperated. "What do you mean, 'What thing?'" he repeats, gesturing at her. "The information-explainy thing."

LYLA smirks. "Okay, okay." With a wave of her hand, she brings up a complex, glowing visualization—a web-like structure with branches sprawling out like roots of a massive tree.

Miles looks at it, puzzled. "What's this?"

Miguel steps forward, his voice grave. "This is everything."

Miles raises an eyebrow. "Can you be more specific?"

Miguel's patience is wearing thin. "Can you not talk for a second?"

"Yeah, yeah, I—" Miles begins to say, but Miguel cuts him off.

"And this here?" Miguel continues, pointing to the web as it morphs, showing a vast network of timelines and dimensions intertwined with each other. The display reveals countless versions of Spider-People, each living out their unique destinies.

Miguel's voice lowers as he explains. "This is all of us. All of our lives woven together in a beautiful web of life and destiny."

Miles stare in awe at the sheer scope of the multiverse laid out before them. The weight of what they're seeing begins to settle in, but questions still linger in Miles' mind. Why does Miguel blame him for saving people? And what exactly is a canon event?

As the glowing web of the multiverse expands in front of them, Miles looks at the countless nodes and lines connecting various Spider-People. Scenes of heroism, tragedy, and sacrifice play out across the holographic display.

"The Spider-Verse." Miles mutters, taking in the enormity of it all.

Miguel scoffs, turning his gaze toward Miles. "Spider-Verse? That's stupid." His expression is deadpan as he corrects Miles. "It's called the Arachnohumanoid Polymultiverse."

Miles raises an eyebrow, the ridiculousness of the name not lost on him. He can't help but think that Miguel's version sounds just as silly, if not more so.

Miguel seems to pick up on Miles' thoughts, and after a brief pause, he concedes with a shrug, "Which sounds stupid too, I guess."

Miles smiles a little, the tension easing just a bit. But his curiosity gets the better of him as he focuses back on the intricate web before them. His eyes trace the points where lines converge, each node representing a key moment in a Spider-Person's life. "And these nodes where the lines converge?" he asks, reaching out to touch one of the glowing strands.

As he does, fragmented scenes flash before his eyes—victories, losses, moments of joy, and unbearable grief. Every frame tells the story of a Spider-Person across countless universes, some familiar, others completely different.

Miguel's voice grows more somber. "They are the canon. Chapters that are a part of every Spider's story, every time."

Miles watches in silence as memories from different Spider-People play out. Weddings, battles, farewells. Lives full of hope and loss, all connected by a thread of destiny.

Miguel steps closer, his tone softening as he says, "Some good. Some bad." He then swipes his hand, and the images shift into something darker. The display fills with scenes of loss and heartbreak—loved ones dying in the arms of their respective Spider-People. "Some very bad."

Miles' heart sinks as he recognizes one of the memories projected in front of him—his own. The moment his Uncle Aaron died holding him in his arms. The pain, the guilt, it all comes rushing back as he sees himself as a younger, devastated kid.

The scene replays: Miles holds his uncle's hand, tears in his eyes. "Uncle Aaron…"

Uncle Aaron, with his final breath, manages to say, "Just keep going."

Miguel watches Miles' reaction, knowing all too well the weight of that loss. But he doesn't give Miles much time to dwell on it. "This one," Miguel continues, pointing to another part of the web, "Event ASM-90."

Miles looks up, following Miguel's gesture. Another memory unfolds, this one more tragic than the last.

Miguel explains, "A police captain close to Spider-Man dies, saving a kid from falling rubble during a battle with an archnemesis."

The scene: Peter Parker, grief-stricken, holds the dying Captain Stacy in his arms.

"Captain Stacy… I'm so sorry..." Peter whispers, guilt and sorrow etched into his face.

Miles sees multiple versions of Peter Parker across different dimensions reliving the same heart-wrenching moment. Each Spider-Person, no matter the universe, endures this unbearable loss—a constant in every timeline.

As Miles processes everything, he notices a familiar scene projected in front of him—Peter B. Parker holding his own Captain Stacy, the grief raw and visible in his eyes. Peter B., now trying to focus on Mayday, avoids looking at the painful memory, trying to keep it at bay.

Miles, sensing the heaviness in Peter B., asks quietly, "That happened to you?"

Peter B., still holding his daughter close, gently kisses her on the head before nodding ever so slightly. "Yeah, kid. It's part of my life."

Before Miles can fully absorb that, Jessica Drew steps forward and adds, "And me." Her tone is steady but carries a hint of sorrow as she looks at Miles, letting him know that the loss is universal across their stories.

Miles turns to Hobie, half-expecting him to confirm a similar tragedy in his life. But Hobie just shrugs with a carefree expression and says, "Ey. What of it?" Clearly, Hobie's story diverges from the typical canon, or perhaps he just refuses to let it define him.

Miguel steps back into the conversation, his voice stern and unyielding. "That's how the story is supposed to go. Canon events are the connections that bind our lives together."

Miguel's gaze sharpens as he looks directly at Miles. "But those connections can be broken. That's why anomalies are so dangerous."

Miguel continues, explaining the gravity of the situation. "Inspector Singh's death was a canon event. You weren't supposed to be there."

Miles' confusion deepens. "What?"

Miguel clarifies, "And you weren't supposed to save him. That's why Gwen tried to stop you."

Miles turns to Gwen, searching for answers. "I thought you were trying to save me."

Gwen looks down, guilt weighing heavily on her. "I was. I…" She can't meet his eyes, the conflict tearing at her. "I was doing both."

Miguel interjects, making the situation clear. "And now, Miles, because you changed the story, Pavitr's dimension is unraveling."

He steps closer to Miles, his presence imposing. "If we're lucky, we can stop it. We haven't always been lucky."

Miles, desperate to find a way out of the blame, says, "That wasn't me. That was the Spot."

Miguel, his tone calm but edged with finality, says, "It's what happens when you break the canon."

The words hang heavy in the air. Miles is left reeling, struggling to grasp the idea that saving someone could cause such devastation. The weight of responsibility, the complexities of fate, and the harshness of their shared reality are crashing down on him all at once.

Can Miles accept these tragic "canon events" as unavoidable, or will he find a way to change fate? Stay tuned for more revelations in the next chapter!

To be continue