Chapter 228: Across the Spider-Verse (52)  

Before the original timeline changed, Michael Wilson, age 40, strode purposefully across the vast, endless void of the multiverse. His steps echoed through dimensions, each one resonating with the weight of countless realities hanging in the balance. His black suit, adorned with the iconic dark blue chest spider emblem, shimmered with power, but it was the gauntlet on his hand that drew attention—the Infinity Gauntlet, its stones glowing with unimaginable energy.

The multiverse seemed to tremble at his presence. Michael had traveled far, enduring unimaginable trials to reach this moment. He looked down at the Infinity Gauntlet, the six stones pulsing with energy. The power coursing through him was almost unbearable, but Michael, the legendary Spider-Man, could handle it. His body had been trained to withstand forces that would obliterate most beings.

"Please," Michael whispered, his voice barely audible, yet it carried through the endless void. "Let me change the timeline… the original timeline."

His voice cracked with emotion. The pain and suffering he had witnessed, the friends and allies he had lost—it all weighed heavily on his shoulders. He could feel the overwhelming power of the stones, each one tugging at the fabric of reality. Time, Space, Reality, Power, Mind, and Soul—they all hummed in unison, waiting for his command.

But this wasn't just about saving one universe. Michael was ready to undo the suffering across countless timelines, to restore the order that had been torn apart by the cruel hands of fate. The multiverse was broken, fragmented by chaos, and he was the only one who could set it right.

He clenched his jaw, feeling the surge of energy build within him. His muscles tensed, veins glowing as the raw power of the Infinity Stones coursed through his body. It was overwhelming, even for someone like him.

"Aurg!!!!!!!!!!" Michael cried out, the force of the stones tearing through his mind and body, threatening to tear him apart. His vision blurred as the strain became almost unbearable. The weight of infinite possibilities and universes pressed down on him, but he had made his choice.

He raised the gauntlet, the stones shining like miniature stars in the endless darkness. With one last deep breath, Michael snapped his fingers.

Snap!

...........

As Michael stood over Thanos' broken body, his expression grew dark. His mind raced, knowing what had to be done. He reached out to the system embedded deep within his consciousness.

"System, I need to use that forbidden power." Michael communicated silently.

The system's voice echoed in his mind, almost hesitant. "Host, you know the consequences... that power will..."

Michael cut the system off, his tone firm and resolute. "I'm aware. But it's the only way."

His gaze fell back to Thanos, the once-mighty tyrant who now lay defeated, his lifeless body crumpled in the dirt. Michael's eyes narrowed as he approached the gauntlet that still clung to Thanos' limp hand. He knelt down, prying the massive gauntlet off with ease. The Infinity Stones embedded in it glimmered faintly.

Michael carefully removed the stones, one by one, holding each in the palm of his hand. He inspected the gauntlet, only five stones glowing in its slots.

"There are only five here," Michael muttered to himself. "Loe had the Power Stone..."

He stood up, gripping the five stones tightly in his fist before turning to face Doctor Strange. His eyes locked onto the Sorcerer Supreme with a look of quiet understanding.

"You have it, don't you?" Michael said, his voice low but certain.

Doctor Strange raised an eyebrow, surprised by Michael's insight, but a small smirk crept onto his face. "I'm impressed you knew." He nodded slowly, acknowledging Michael's keen observation.

Michael took a step forward. "A magician like you, one who can see through time, would have safeguarded the Power Stone. You knew it couldn't be left unguarded."

Doctor Strange's expression softened. "Loe entrusted me with the Power Stone before the battle. I hid it in another dimension, keeping it safe from Thanos."

Without hesitation, Strange waved his hand in intricate patterns, opening a portal that glowed with golden sparks. From within the portal, a familiar crimson cape emerged, floating gracefully toward them. Draped within its folds was the Power Stone, shining brightly.

Doctor Strange took the Power Stone and handed it to Michael. "Here, as promised," Strange said, his voice steady but filled with respect. "It looks like my gut feeling was trying—to trust you completely."

Michael accepted the stone, now holding all six Infinity Stones in his grasp. He looked at Strange and gave a small nod. "You trusted me with something powerful... I won't let you down."

Wong, who had been standing quietly beside Strange, stepped forward. His eyes widened in admiration as he extended a hand toward Michael. "You... you're the legendary Spider-Man," Wong said, his voice filled with awe. "Big fan."

Michael raised an eyebrow at Wong's enthusiasm, but he offered a modest smile. "Thank you." he replied, shaking Wong's hand.

Wong smiled widely, his childhood memories of the legendary hero flooding back. "I've known about you ever since I was a kid. You defeated the mysterious group called '69' and saved the world in the 1950s. Everyone talked about the legendary Spider-Man."

Strange added, his eyes gleaming with nostalgia. "Everyone's a fan of yours, even me. I've admired you since I was a child. You're more than just a hero—you're a legend."

Michael chuckled softly, but there was no arrogance in his demeanor. "I just do what I have to do."

As the moment of admiration passed, Thomas approached, his face filled with desperation. His eyes were red from crying, but there was a flicker of hope in them now that Michael was there.

"Uncle," Thomas said, his voice cracking. "Please... save my father."

Michael looked down at Thomas, then back at the lifeless body of Loe Halloway. His heart ached for the boy, for the pain they were all feeling. He had already made his decision.

Michael stood tall, the weight of the Infinity Stones heavy in his hands, but his resolve was unshaken. He gazed at Thomas, offering a reassuring nod before turning his attention back to Doctor Strange, who had a perplexed expression on his face.

"Wait," Strange interrupted, curiosity and suspicion in his voice. "How did you know I could see through time and perceive events? Was that magician, Atlas, the one you fought in the 1950s... was he like me?"

The mention of Atlas Pendragon Holtwood, the leader of the mysterious Group 69, brought a spark of recognition to Michael's face. He nodded solemnly. "Atlas was powerful, yes. A magician, like you, but... stronger in many ways. He could manipulate reality in ways I'd never seen before. If anything, he was more dangerous than you could imagine."

Strange's eyes widened at the revelation. The idea that a magician, even more powerful than himself, had existed—and that Michael had bested him—was both humbling and terrifying. "Stronger than me?" Strange whispered, as if trying to grasp the enormity of the claim.

Michael, unphased by Strange's awe, glanced down at the Infinity Stones in his grasp. The six stones radiated faintly, but there was a noticeable dimness in their glow, as if their power had diminished.

"The Infinity Stones," Strange began cautiously, his eyes narrowing. "They're losing power, aren't they? They come from a different universe. They won't work here; they're useless now. You can't use them anymore, Sir."

Michael looked at the stones in his hand, their faint pulses reflecting his own heartbeat. He nodded slightly, but there was a glimmer of something deeper in his eyes. "I won't use them the way you think I will, Strange," Michael said, his voice calm but resolute. "I have a plan."

Strange tilted his head, confused. "Strange? Anyway what do you mean? If you can't use the stones' power, what do you plan to do with them?"

Before Michael could respond, Miguel O'Hara, the Spider-Man from the future, stepped forward. His normally confident demeanor was clouded with doubt. Behind him stood Peter Parker, the Spider-Man in the iconic red suit, who was silently surveying the destruction around them—the ruined buildings, the shattered streets, the broken world they had been fighting to protect.

Miguel stopped in front of Michael, his brow furrowed with concern. "Michael..." Miguel began, his voice low. "Are you really trying to change the Spider-Verse? Do you really believe you can alter the canon events? Do you think you can save all of them?"

The weight of the question hung in the air. Miguel's voice carried more than just concern; it was tinged with personal pain. His entire life had been dedicated to maintaining the stability of the Spider-Verse, ensuring that no one tampered with the fixed points in time that defined their existence. Canon events, as he called them, were sacred. To change them would be to invite chaos.

Michael looked at Miguel's worried face, sensing the fear and the doubt that lingered in his mind. He gave Miguel a firm nod, determination etched in every line of his face. "I will change everything, Miguel. Every universe that has been erased, every Spider-Man that's been lost, every life that's been taken by these so-called 'canon events.'"

Miguel's breath hitched, but he couldn't hold back the question that had been weighing on him for years. "Can you really save it?" he asked quietly, his voice trembling with emotion. "My daughter's universe... the one that was erased?"

Michael's expression softened as he placed a hand on Miguel's shoulder. His eyes, though heavy with the burden of his mission, shone with an unshakable belief. "I can. Even if no one else can, I can—and I will."

There was a long pause as Miguel processed Michael's words. His eyes shimmered with a mixture of hope and fear, as if he wanted so desperately to believe, but had been burned too many times by the harshness of reality. Miguel had lived through the devastation of losing his daughter's universe, watching it disappear, knowing there was nothing he could do to save it. And yet, standing before him was the legendary Spider-Man, a figure who had defied impossible odds time and time again.

Behind them, Peter Parker remained silent, but his thoughts were racing. He had fought beside Michael, witnessed his strength, his will to protect, and his belief in doing what was right. And yet, even Peter knew that tampering with canon events was dangerous—something that could unravel the very fabric of the multiverse. Still, if anyone could make the impossible possible, it was his teacher, Michael Wilson.

Doctor Strange, still standing nearby, could feel the tension between the Spider-Men. He knew better than anyone how unpredictable reality could become when meddled with. But seeing Michael's unwavering resolve gave even him pause.

Michael looked directly into Doctor Strange's eyes, his voice steady with conviction. "Strange, I know the risks. But don't worry, for I am Spider-Man."

The words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of who he was and everything he stood for. There was an undeniable finality in Michael's declaration, a confidence that pierced through Strange's doubts.

Strange, taken aback, nodded slowly. The title—Spider-Man—carried more than just the legacy of a hero. In Michael's case, it embodied someone who had shouldered the burden of the multiverse itself. But something else lingered in Strange's mind. He heard Michael utter his name with such familiarity, and the weight of that realization struck him.

Murmuring to himself, Strange said, "So it's really true… you do know everyone's name."

Michael smiled, a brief but warm expression. "I am your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, after all."

For Strange, the words carried a sense of comfort, even reassurance. He had seen countless versions of Spider-Man across the multiverse, but there was something different about Michael—something that made even the Sorcerer Supreme believe in the impossible.

With that, Michael turned, prepared to confront the universe itself, ready to defy the fate that bound them all.

To be continue