Chapter 156: Spider-Verse (6)  

(DOORBELL RINGS)

As we waited at the entrance door of May Parker's house, Peter B sighed deeply, clearly nervous about meeting an alternate version of Aunt May.

Peter B, his voice filled with apprehension, said, "We should probably go."

Gwen replied, "Peter, we're literally on the doorstep."

Peter B insisted, "This is a bad idea."

I stepped in, trying to reassure him. "Come on, Pete," I said, stopping him from walking away.

Peter B looked at me and, with a resigned sigh, said, "Okay, fine."

Just then, we heard an old woman's voice from behind the door. "You guys are all very sweet, but no more fans today, please."

(DOOR CREAKING)

Peter B said quietly, "I'm not ready for this."

Aunt May opened the door, her eyes widening as she saw Peter B. "Peter?"

Peter B replied softly, "Hey, Aunt May."

As Aunt May approached him, Peter B tried to explain, "So this is gonna sound crazy, but I'm pretty sure that I'm from an—"

Aunt May interrupted, gently touching his face, "An alternate dimension."

Peter B, looking puzzled, sighed, "Yeah."

Aunt May, noticing his worn-out appearance, said, "You look tired, Peter."

Peter B admitted, "Well, I am tired."

Aunt May continued, "And older..... And thicker." Her eyes lingered on his belly.

Peter B, already self-conscious, said, "Yeah. I've heard that already."

Aunt May then noticed his attire. "Oh, jeez. Are those sweatpants?"

Gwen chimed in, "Yup, that's what they are."

Then Miles interjected, "I was there," he paused, looking into Aunt May's eyes, "when it all happened. I am so sorry." He was referring to witnessing the death of this dimension's Peter Parker.

Aunt May asked, "And what dimension are you from?"

Miles, a bit unsure, replied, "Umm... I don't know, Brooklyn?"

I jumped in, showing her the broken device, "Did Peter have a place where we could make another one of these?"

Aunt May glanced at the device and said, "A goober."

Then she looked at me, "And you, what dimension are you from?"

I replied, "From 1947 Dimension."

She nodded, then said, "Follow me," as she led us inside. It seemed she knew how to make an override key.

As we followed her through the house, Aunt May kicked open a door leading to the backyard. Behind it was a hidden entrance.

Peter B exclaimed, "Oh, yeah, I got one of these, too." He claimed to have a similar secret room in his universe.

Peter B continued, "A little old shed where I keep my Spider-gear."

Aunt May unlocked the door, which revealed a cool spider-patterned mechanism as it opened. We were all shocked by the sight.

Aunt May gestured for us to follow her inside. I looked at Peter B and smirked, "You have one of these?" teasing him.

Peter B retorted, "Of course I do."

As we followed Aunt May into the secret room, we stepped into an elevator that seemed to lead underground. While we waited, Peter commented, "I mean, this place is pretentious."

We arrived at the secret hideout, and Miles, awestruck, said, "Whoa. Dude. Was yours anything like this?"

Peter B, hearing Miles' awe, said, "Mine was like this, but take away the jeep, the plane." He waved his hand around as he continued, "Imagine it way smaller. Imagine a futon."

I couldn't help but laugh at his words, the humor a brief respite from our tense situation.

Peter B then glanced around, mockingly adding, "I feel sad for this guy." His tone changed when he saw a portrait of Mary Jane Watson from this dimension. "MJ..." he murmured, a hint of longing in his voice.

Feeling for my friend, I placed a hand on his shoulder and quietly said, "Pete." I knew the pain he carried from his broken relationship with his own Mary Jane, a breakup driven by the strain of his responsibilities and their differing desires about starting a family. The weight of his unspoken sorrow was evident.

Miles, still looking around in amazement, spotted a Spider-Man suit with a cape. "Hey, Peter. I think this is a cape," he said, his voice filled with curiosity.

Peter B and I chuckled, and Gwen Stacy smiled at Miles, sharing the lighthearted moment.

Aunt May, noticing the moment, gave us a nod, signaling that it was time to get to work. We followed her, stumbling upon a wall filled with evidence—pictures of Kingpin and other villains. It was clear that the Peter Parker from this dimension had been diligently tracking them.

"Peter knew how dangerous the job was," Aunt May said, pausing to look at the pictures. "But he figured the only one who could stop this guy was Spider-Man."

Miles, looking at the overwhelming array of enemies, voiced his concern. "Kingpin knows we're coming. We're going to be outnumbered."

Aunt May, unfazed, said, "Don't be so sure." She quickly picked something from her pocket, revealing name tags and a pen. "You might need these."

Suddenly, all of our spider senses started ringing. That's when I knew they're here.

"You think you're the only people who thought to come here?" Aunt May asked with a knowing smile.

We looked up to see three figures descending from above. I recognized them immediately from the movies and comics: Spider-Man Noir, Peni Parker, and Peter Porker, aka Spider-Ham.

Spider-Man Noir tipped his hat and greeted, "Hey fellas."

Miles, bewildered, asked, "Is he in black and white?"

I chuckled and replied, "Yep."

Peter B, noticing the dramatic flair around Spider-Man Noir, asked, "Where's that wind coming from? We're in a basement."

Spider-Man Noir, with his usual gravitas, said, "Wherever I go, the wind follows. And the wind, it smells like rain."

Peni Parker, with her cheerful demeanor, said, "Hi guys! Konnichiwa, hajimemashite. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!" She landed in front of us and performed a quick stunt, kicking and punching the air, accompanied by her big robot.

I looked at her, intrigued by the Japanese Spider-Woman.

Peter B, overwhelmed by the surreal gathering, said, "This could literally not get any weirder."

As Peter Porker, or Spider-Ham, made his entrance with his characteristic humor, he quipped, "It can get weirder."

Extending his hand for a handshake, he added with a grin, "Cool suit," as he saw my black suit. "And I just washed my hands. That's why they're wet. No other reason."

I shook his hand firmly and chuckled at his joke. "Thanks and.. Nice to meet you," I said with a smile, appreciating his sense of humor.

As everyone came to the realization that they were all Spider-People from different dimensions, they exclaimed together, "You're like me." But I didn't join in. I already knew They were similar because I'd seen it in the movie.

As Peter Noir introduced himself, he declared, "My name is Peter Parker."

Peni followed suit, stating, "My name is Peni Parker."

 Peter Porker chimed in with his own introduction, saying, "My name is Peter Porker."

In unison, Peter Noir and Peni described their origins, "I was bitten by a radioactive spider." However, Porker had his own unique twist, adding, "A radioactive pig."

Peter Noir shared a glimpse into his universe, revealing, "In my universe, it's 1933, and I'm a private eye. I like to drink egg creams." He continued, "And I like to fight Nazis. A lot."

Peni offered insights into her futuristic world, explaining, "I'm from New York in the year 3145. I have a psychic link with a spider who lives inside my father's robot." She affectionately looked at her robot, adding, "And we're best friends. Forever."

Peter Noir confessed a personal detail, saying, "Sometimes I let matches burn down to my fingertips just to feel something, anything," with a heavy sigh. I couldn't help but empathize with his sentiment.

Then, Porker delivered his introduction with a touch of humor, revealing, "I'm a photographer for the Daily Beagle." He continued, "When I'm not pooching around, I'm working like a dog, trying to sniff out the latest story." With a playful flourish, he even sang a snippet of a song. 

"🎵I frolic and I dance, and I do this with my pants🎵,"

Peter B, growing a bit irritated, interjected, "Okay! Enough!" The trio fell silent at his request.

As the trio's introductions concluded, I couldn't contain my curiosity. "So how did you get here?" I asked, eager to hear their extraordinary tales.

 Peter Noir began to explain, "Well, it's kind of a long story... Maybe not that long." We chuckled at his attempt to summarize what was surely a series of incredible events. 

Peni interjected with a somber tone, saying, "And now we're just trying to find a way home." Her robot mirrored her sentiment, its expression reflecting sadness.

Peter Noir continued, acknowledging, "The only way home is back through that collider gizmo." But before he could finish, Porker interjected, stating, "One of us has to stay behind and destroy it."

In response, each of them, Peter Noir, Porker, Peni, and Gwen, expressed their willingness to sacrifice themselves. I felt a surge of emotion witnessing their selflessness.

But I couldn't let them go through with it. I intervened, asserting, "No, no, no. You guys don't get it."

Confused, Peni asked, "Don't get what?"

Suddenly, everyone except Miles and me started glitching, writhing in pain.

Despite the chaos, Miles stood firm and warned, ""None of you can stay here. If you stay here, you'll die."

Gwen looked at me, her expression filled with curiosity and concern. "Then how about Michael? How come he isn't affected by the glitching when he's also from another dimension?" Her question hung in the air, drawing the attention of everyone around us.

Feeling the weight of their gaze, I shrugged, trying to play off their suspicions. "Hey, don't look at me like that," I deflected, hiding the truth behind a facade of nonchalance.

Peter B chimed in, his tone a mix of confusion and intrigue. "Yeah, Mike, you're Spider-Man too, just like us. Why aren't you affected by this glitch?"

I maintained my composure, offering a vague explanation. "Well, I'm different, I guess," I lied, knowing full well the real reason behind my immunity to the glitching.

Peter B seemed to accept my response, albeit with a hint of skepticism. "Weird, but this is good, right? Mike, you can destroy it. You can stay behind here and then make a new portal for yourself to go back to your dimension," he suggested optimistically, seeking a solution to our predicament.

The group nodded in agreement, seeing the logic in Peter B's proposal.

But I shook my head, adamant in my decision. "No, I won't," I asserted firmly.

Gwen's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why not?" she pressed, her concern evident in her voice.

I met her gaze evenly. "Miles has to do it," I declared.

"Miles?" Gwen echoed, turning her attention to him.

I affirmed, "Yep, Miles."

Looking at Miles, I urged him to take charge. "Miles, do the speech," I prompted, knowing that his words would carry the weight of determination and resolve.

Miles hesitated momentarily before gathering himself. "O-Okay," he began, his voice steadying as he found his resolve. "I'm the guy who's gonna turn it off,"

he declared, his words echoing with purpose. "And I'm gonna get you all home before I do." Pausing for emphasis, he met each of our gazes, his eyes reflecting determination and sincerity.

"Look, I made a promise. So I have to keep it," he concluded, reminding us of the commitment he had made to the fallen Peter Parker.

Pride swelled within me as I watched Miles deliver his speech, his words resonating with courage and conviction.

With a sense of conviction, I addressed the group, my voice firm and confident. "Miles would be the savior in this universe. He will be replacing Peter Parker, who died. He will be the beacon of hope, and..." I paused, locking eyes with each of them before adding with a smirk, "He will be the Spider-Man."

To be continued