Chapter 193: Across the Spider-Verse (18)  

Mumbattan, Earth-50101

Miles Morales, in his Spider-Suit, tumbled through the portal and into the new universe. His descent was rough—he crashed into a billboard, then slammed against a wall, and finally rolled down a flight of stairs before hitting the ground. Dazed, he shook his head, trying to get his bearings.

Miles looked around and saw that the people in this universe were dressed in traditional Indian attire. The bustling cityscape was a mix of vibrant colors and unfamiliar architecture.

"Where am I?" Miles mumbled to himself, still trying to process the change in surroundings. His immediate concern was finding Gwen.

"Where is Gwen? I need to follow her," he said, determination clear in his voice. He quickly swung into action, his web-slinging guiding him through the city.

As Miles navigated through the cityscape, he spotted Gwen fighting Spot from a distance. He saw Gwen's white suit in sharp contrast against the chaotic environment.

 .....

Meanwhile, Gwen vs. Spot

Spot was in the midst of creating another black hole, or "spot," and using it to teleport around the area. He was clearly enjoying his newfound power.

"You see that?" Spot said with a mix of pride and excitement. "This is incredible. I'm like a new person."

Gwen, visibly frustrated, shouted, "Stop moving, you cow!"

Spot, still using his portals to shift around, responded, "In the mirror, I wouldn't recognize myself."

Gwen's patience was wearing thin. "Stay still!" she demanded, swinging towards Spot, but he vanished into another portal.

Spot taunted her as he continued to teleport. "I'd envy that person I was looking at," he said, his voice echoing from different directions.

Gwen, struggling to keep track of him, checked her watch. "I have eyes on the anomaly." she reported, trying to pinpoint Spot's location.

Jessica Drew's voice came through the watch. "Try getting hands on him." she advised, watching Gwen's efforts from her own location.

Gwen's a little bit frustration was evident as she responded through her watch, "Stop hovering. You're literally hovering."

Jessica's reply was simple but firm. "Okay."

As the battle continued, Gwen's determination grew stronger. She knew she needed to catch Spot before he could cause any more damage. Meanwhile, Miles, still tracking Gwen from a distance, prepared to join the fight and help her capture the elusive villain.

Spot, still teleporting wildly, appeared in front of an Indian family riding a motorbike. The family looked shocked as Spot materialized out of nowhere.

"Hello, pardon me, locals," Spot said with a grin. "Wow, four on there. That's very dangerous."

Without waiting for a response, Spot vanished into another black portal, reappearing in a bustling Indian food restaurant. The aroma of spices filled the air, and two couples were enjoying their meal. Spot's eyes lit up as he sampled some food.

"That looks good," he remarked, grabbing a bite. The couples, startled by the sudden appearance of Spot, bolted from their seats and ran out of the restaurant.

"Hey! Which way to Alchemax?" Spot called after them. Realizing he'd bitten into something exceptionally spicy, he began coughing uncontrollably. "Oh!" he exclaimed, trying to manage the heat.

Before he could react further, Spot used his black portal to disappear again. This time, he materialized in front of two Indian women walking down the street.

"Do you know Alchemax? It's a place with a big collider..." Spot started to ask, but he was interrupted when a web shot out from behind him, pinning him to the wall.

Gwen appeared, a determined look on her face. "Hey, cow guy! 'Moo-ve' over!" she shouted, preparing to take action.

Spot sneered at her. "That's the best you could do?"

As Gwen aimed a punch directly at Spot, but her attack was interrupted.

"Gwen! I'm here to help!" Miles shouted as he swung into the scene, drawing Spot's attention.

Gwen looked confused and slightly distracted. "Miles, are you...?" she started to ask, but before she could finish, Spot's foot teleported right into Gwen's face.

"Aurg!!" Gwen cried out in pain as Spot's foot connected. The force of the blow sent her crashing into the wall of a nearby building, and she began falling towards the ground.

"Oh, no!" Miles exclaimed, racing toward Gwen in an attempt to save her.

Spot, undeterred by the chaos he was causing, created yet another portal with a confident grin. "I'm in the zone!!" he declared, ready to continue his mayhem.

Miles raced against time, trying to catch Gwen and pull her out of harm's way as Spot continued to teleport and wreak havoc. The battle was far from over, and the fight to stop Spot was becoming increasingly urgent.

Miles shot his web towards Gwen, catching her before she could hit the ground. He swung her to safety, his web securely holding her.

"I got you!" Miles shouted, pulling Gwen close.

Gwen, still tangled in Miles' web, looked at him in surprise. "Did you follow me?"

"No," Miles replied, panting from the effort. "I saw where you went and came here without you knowing."

Gwen frowned. "You're not supposed to be here!"

Miles was about to respond when he suddenly glitched, the reality of being in a different universe affecting him. His webbing flickered and weakened, causing him to lose his grip.

"No! No, no, no!" Miles shouted in alarm as Gwen started to fall again.

Before Gwen could hit the ground, a new web shot out and wrapped around both her and Miles. They were lifted and secured to a nearby rooftop, away from danger.

"Whoa!" Miles exclaimed, looking around in astonishment.

Gwen, now safe but clearly frustrated, glanced at Miles. "I shouldn't have ever come to see you," she said, her voice tinged with regret.

The figure who had saved them was another Spider-Man from this universe, dressed in a traditional Indian spider suit. His name was Pavitr Prabhakar.

"Hey, who's the new guy?" Pavitr asked, eyeing Miles with curiosity.

Gwen turned to Pavitr, acknowledging him with a nod. "Hey, Pav. This is Miles. He wasn't invited."

Pavitr chuckled, his Indian accent adding a musical lilt to his words. "Oh! You weren't invited and you came anyway?" He twirled his yoyo-like web-slinging device, the Bangle Web-Slingers, around his wrist like a bracelet, playfully spinning it as he spoke.

Gwen shot Pavitr a sidelong glance. "Right?"

Pavitr's eyes twinkled with mischief. "Looks like the new guy must be in love with you." he teased, still playing with his yoyo.

Gwen shook her head, clearly exasperated. "Okay, whoa."

Miles quickly shook his head in denial. "No. I'm not."

Pavitr laughed lightly. "I'm very good at reading people." he said, his yoyo spinning smoothly on his wrist.

Gwen interjected, "He's not."

Miles frowned. "Who are you?"

Pavitr's grin widened. "Glad you asked, new guy."

Miles retorted, "I'm not a new guy."

Pavitr introduced himself with flair. "My name is Pavitr Prabhakar. And for the past six months—"

Miles interrupted, "Six?" His eyes darted between Gwen and Pavitr, feeling a pang of unfairness. "And even he has a watch?" He thought about how Pavitr seemed to have everything going for him, including a watch, and felt a bit envious.

Gwen simply replied, "Yeah, uh…"

Pavitr continued with a theatrical tone, "Being Spider-Man is so easy. I wake up, skip the workout—"

Miles, bewildered, asked, "Seriously, is this a comic?"

Pavitr continued, ignoring the question as if in a comic strip. "Ahem, back to my POV. Well, I skip the workout because I'm naturally buff and don't want to get too big."

He struck a pose, fluttering his hair dramatically. "Do almost nothing with my amazing hair," he added, his movements mimicking those of a comic book character.

Miles, unimpressed, said, "Really? This is like a comic?"

Pavitr, enjoying the spotlight, continued, "My amazing, wonderful hair…"

Miles cut in again, "You don't use any product at all?"

Pavitr responded nonchalantly, "Just coconut oil, prayer, and some genetics."

The scene felt straight out of a comic book, with Pavitr's exaggerated mannerisms and dramatic pauses adding a touch of humor to the tense situation. Miles couldn't help but feel a mix of frustration and amusement as he listened to Pavitr's playful monologue.

As Pavitr continued his dramatic monologue with a theatrical flair, clearly enjoying the spotlight. "Then I swing by school. Don't really have to try, but I do anyway." He mimicked a casual swing with his Bangle Web-Slingers, as if he were effortlessly gliding through the air.

He went on, "Fight a few bad guys, feed a few street dogs…" His voice took on a nostalgic tone. "Quick break for a cup of chai with my Maya Auntie…"

Miles, intrigued by the mention of chai, chimed in, "I love chai tea."

Gwen shook her head, clearly familiar with Pavitr's quirks.

Pavitr turned to Miles with a bemused expression. "What did you just say?"

Miles repeated, "Chai tea?"

Pavitr is angry a little bit and explained, "Chai means 'tea,' bro. You're saying 'tea' tea."

Miles's face flushed with embarrassment. "Oh, sorry."

Pavitr then grinned mischievously. "Would I ask you for a 'coffee' coffee with 'cream' cream?"

Miles quickly apologized again, "I'm so sorry."

Pavitr, unfazed, switched back to his monologue with a shrug. "Then I hang out with my girlfriend, Gayatri. She's an extremely classy teenager." He painted a vivid picture of their time together, his gestures and tone conveying how much he cherished those moments.

Gwen, still recovering from the earlier chaos, shook her head with a mixture of frustration and amusement. "Okay, Pav. Enough of the tour of your life."

Pavitr's expression softened as he looked at Gwen and Miles. "Sorry, just wanted to give the new guy a taste of the daily life here. Now, let's get back to catching Spot."

...

Meanwhile, in the Spider Society's command center...

Jessica Drew, the black Spider-Woman, stood in front of a bank of monitors, her gaze fixed on the chaotic scene unfolding in Mumbattan. Her pregnancy was evident, her form rounded beneath the sleek black suit, but her sharp eyes and focus were as intense as ever.

The screens displayed Gwen, Miles, and Pavitr in action. Jessica watched the trio with a mix of concern and frustration. "Gwen, you screwed up big time," she muttered, her voice tinged with exasperation as she followed the movements of the heroes on-screen.

Miles was clearly out of place in this universe, and Jessica knew that his presence could complicate things further. "Miles shouldn't be there," she said under her breath. "He followed Gwen and ended there. Tsk what a mess Gwen."

Jessica sighed deeply, her breath visible in the cool air of the command center. "I hope Miguel doesn't get too angry about this," she murmured, her thoughts already anticipating Miguel O'Hara's reaction. "Well, he will. Yep, he will."

Her concern was palpable as she continued to observe the situation. The tension in the room was almost tangible, with Jessica's worry hanging heavy in the air. She knew that the consequences of this mistake would be significant, and the weight of that knowledge was clearly affecting her.

Jessica's eyes darted between the monitors and the images of Gwen, Miles, and Pavitr. Despite the chaos, her focus was unwavering. She hope that the situation could be salvaged without too much fallout. she knew the stakes were high, and the pressure was mounting to resolve the situation before Miguel O'Hara, the Spider-Man 2099, found out.

.....

[Another Universe]

On the rooftop of a towering building, Michael Wilson, the Legendary Spider-Man, and his disciple, 16-year-old Peter Parker (Spider-Man Red), enjoyed a rare moment of calm. The morning sun bathed the city in a soft glow, casting long shadows across the urban landscape.

Peter chuckled, recounting a recent amusing incident. "Yeah, Harry was really funny when he said those words about you," he said with a grin.

Michael laughed along, the sound deep and resonant. "Well, I am your teacher at Midtown High, so I suppose I should be a bit of a character."

As the two Spider-Men shared a light-hearted moment, Michael suddenly felt a familiar, almost imperceptible sensation—a signal that was about to happen.

A voice echoed in his mind, the System's prompt unmistakable: "Host new quest!"

Michael's thoughts immediately focused on the new quest. "What new quest?"

The System's message appeared clearly in his mind:

Quest: Protect Miles Morales from Miguel O'Hara

Description: Miles Morales is under threat from Miguel O'Hara, a powerful and influential figure within the Spider Society who has recently taken a dangerous turn. Your mission is to ensure Miles' safety while addressing the internal conflicts within the Spider Society.

Reward:

50 Million Shop Points: A generous amount of currency for use in the shop to acquire skills, upgrades, and items.

1000 Experience Points (EXP): Boosts your character's experience to advance skills and enhance attributes.

Michael's brow furrowed slightly as he absorbed the details. "So, the Spider-Verse version 2 crisis is reaching us too, huh?"

To be continue