End of Introduction Arc

The apparition spoke, its voice carrying an otherworldly tone.

"...and you, you must be the imposter in my place,"

Gehrman Sparrow remained silent in response to the soul's accusation. The truth hung heavily in the air—he had indeed taken over the original Peter's body.

"I am."

The original Peter's expression twisted into a sneer as he locked his gaze with Gehrman Sparrow, his former body. There was a mix of anger and resentment in his eyes as he posed his question in a bitter tone,

"Tell me, does it feel good to possess my body?"

Gehrman maintained his silence for a moment, scratching his neck in mild discomfort. With a quiet voice, he finally responded,

"Truthfully, no. Your appearance is rather underwhelming, and you certainly don't get bitches. Before taking over your body, my life was at its absolute peak... I would never wish to willfully possess your body."

The original Peter was taken aback by the answer. He gritted his teeth in the astral form before releasing a sigh as he admitted.

"You sound like one of the jerks that bullied me..."

As Original Peter continued to voice his thoughts, a mixture of realization and self-reflection permeated his words.

"However it's true, I wanted to become something more, to be special and enhance myself, all in the name of protecting Gwen and taking vengeance against Ned and the others but as I reflect on it now, I can't help but realize that it was veering down a dangerous path, one that would have turned me into a jerk, just like you... and what's worse, a hypocritical one at that."

Gehrman did not speak, his lips twitched as he listened to the original Peter's self-enlightenment rant.

He found himself surprised by the discovery that the soul-storing crystal allowed him to converse with the soul.

It was an unexpected outcome, leading him to theorize that once a soul crystal was removed from the glove, it would disintegrate, setting the captured soul free.

Gehrman spoke wilfully.

"If it brings you any comfort, I have exacted heavy punishment upon those who tormented you and even protected Gwen from death today.."

The original Peter wore a bittersweet smile, tinged with traces of jealousy, as he spoke softly.

"I know. I have been seeing everything through the lens of the glove. I wish you had not taken possession of my body and that I could have remained in control."

Gehrman allowed the weight of silence to settle between them, understanding the evident traces of jealousy in Peter's words.

Through his active recall and passive recall, Gehrman was keenly aware of Peter's feelings for Gwen. He knew that the original Peter harbored obsessive emotions for Spider-Woman and deep for Gwen, and the current situation only exacerbated those feelings.

It was a complex and delicate situation

This realization meant that the original Peter had witnessed every instance of Gehrman's flirtation with Gwen, as well as his seemingly effortless progress in a single day, surpassing the boundaries of mere friendship.

It was a bitter pill to swallow for the original Peter.

'Dude got cucked and couldn't even do anything but let it happen.'

Gehrman spoke with a chuckle, he felt that his thoughts were a little funny.

"Peter, even if I hadn't possessed your body, your fate would have remained unchanged. You were destined to meet your demise at the hands of Gwendolyn. Perhaps, instead of dwelling on the possession, you should be grateful that my presence allowed you to escape the fate that would have caused heartache for your beloved Gwen."

The soul appeared visibly taken aback by Gehrman's response. He murmured softly.

"As expected from a jerk..."

It was evident from both Orignal Peter's memories and Gehrman's own observations of him through the Spider-Verse movie that Peter had some toxic traits compared to his other counterparts and was riddled with insecurities.

Even Orignal Peter's last words in the movie, expressing his desire to be special like Gwen, seemed to Gehrman like a manifestation of jealousy, gaslighting her. It was clear to him that Peter had his fair share of envy towards Gwen's abilities.

As Gehrman observed the shocked expression on the face of the original Peter Parker, another theory formed in his mind.

It seemed that the souls stored within his glove had no access to his own memories.

This realization brought a sense of relief to Gehrman, knowing that his own experiences and thoughts remained private, hidden from the prying eyes of any future soul trapped within his possession.

Original Peter let out a sigh, his face a complex blend of emotions ranging from sadness to confusion. He spoke with a hint of disbelief in his voice.

"I... I didn't know... that I was destined to meet such a tragic end at her hands. You are not lying... right?"

Gehrman raised an eyebrow. He replied with a hint of dismissiveness.

"Believe what you want to."

Original Peter's gaze wandered through the dimly lit sewers as his astral projection began to fade, looking for someone. He muttered with a tinge of resignation.

"It seems that I am dissipating. I can feel the connection breaking with this material world and my consciousness fading."

With a heavy heart, Original Peter glanced at Gehrman and then at Gwen, who was peacefully resting against the wall. A mixture of sorrow and acceptance painted his expression, and he managed to summon a feeble, melancholic smile.

"Remnants of my soul in my former body have fused with your soul becoming a part of you. You should try to enjoy your life."

Gehrman's expression softened as he observed Original Peter's bittersweet smile.

"I will."

Peter's nod was filled with a mix of gratitude and sadness, his gaze drifting to his ethereal form.

"I trust you to take care of Aunt May and Uncle Ben. Thank you for standing up for me, for protecting me from my tormentors... but if I could ask one more thing... please, I beg you, don't pursue a romantic relationship with Gwen... and please, do whatever you can to ensure she doesn't get involved with anyone else either."

Gehrman almost chortled. He knew Peter Parker of Earth 65B was a bit fucked up in the head and a very jealous person but did not expect his obsession to surface even in his last moments. However, despite the shortcoming, he was not a completely bad person.

If he had to say it in Japanese terms, Peter Parker of Earth 65B had to be a yandere. He observed the spirit as it slowly began to fade away from existence.

Gehrman watched in silence as the spirit of the original Peter Parker gradually dissipated, fading away from existence.

'I am sorry Peter but I can't fulfill that wish.'

As Gehrman lampooned, he felt a shiver run down his spine. He instantly prayed to Stan Lee to gain protection from any potential haunting.

After a quick prayer, Gehrman Sparrow knelt down, his gaze shifting from the fading spirit to the slumbering Gwen. With a gentle touch, he brushed a stray strand of hair away from her face as he leaned his back against the damp walls of the sewer.

Looking straight ahead, he pondered.

'Original Peter Parker had mentioned that remnants of his soul, within the body I now possessed, had merged with my own soul. Does this imply that I have inherited a portion of his fate and destiny?'

'Hmmm....'

'However, it should be extremely minuscule since they were just remnants. It shouldn't affect my original fate in any significant way. Perhaps I don't even possess a predetermined fate, to begin with. It's possible that I am devoid of fate altogether.'

'Hmmm....'

'This makes me the ultimate anomaly, easily surpassing the magnitude of Miles Morales.'

Closing his eyes for a moment, he felt his body finally relax after a prolonged period of time. It was as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. The psychological burden of inhabiting the identity of another, living a life that wasn't truly his own, had dissipated.

'Aunt May... Uncle Ben... they are my aunt and uncle too, thanks to the fusion of Peter's soul remnants. And so are Gwen and George... they are part of my family now, so there's no reason for me to feel uneasy.'

Gehrman couldn't determine whether he was deceiving himself or if his heart was genuinely speaking the truth, but, truthfully, he didn't care.

Being a psychology student in his past life, Gehrman knew that it was best not to dwell on past matters.

He understood that by doing so, they had a tendency to resurface in various troubling forms. They could manifest as insecurities, nightmares, or even delusional thoughts, leading to persecutory behavior.

He had made the firm decision to wholeheartedly embrace his new life, fully accepting Aunt May, Uncle Ben, George Stacy, and Gwen as his new family. Most importantly, he was ready to embrace his own newfound identity.

'I am Peter Parker.'

A smile appeared on his face, causing his lips to curl slightly. Opening his palms, a blur swiftly darted into them. The translucent lizard playfully winked at him and rubbed her head against his palm. It appeared that she had successfully finished navigating the sewers entirely.

Peter had no doubts about the lizard's speed; it was incredibly swift, perhaps even approaching the speed of light. He mused silently.

'I wonder what I should name you.'

Deciding to postpone the naming process for now, Peter carefully placed the translucent lizard into one of the only pockets that had remained intact and not completely burnt.

He scanned the area in search of his machine gun and umbrella, but a wave of sadness washed over him as he realized that both items had succumbed to the corrosive stomach acid of the Lizard.

It was a miracle he was not completely naked. He believed it had something to do with hammerspace in the stomach.

The sole reason Peter had survived was due to his regenerative abilities. If it was someone else, they would have to seek professional help due to the trauma.

Picking up Gwen in a princess carry, he slowly walked out of the sewers and into the night of New York City.

As Peter gazed upon the stunning night sky devoid of the once stormy clouds and now adorned with a shimmering blanket of stars, he felt the joy of finally being out of the damp sewers.

Casting a gentle glance at Gwen nestled in his arms, Peter smiled softly and spoke,

"It's time for us to go back home."