Queens, Bleecker Street.
Mary Jane's room. A golden portal flared briefly, and Charlie casually tossed G'iah onto the bed.
"Tell me, where's Spider-Man's friend?"
As Charlie spoke, an invisible gravitational force pressed down. G'iah, regaining consciousness, tried to activate her mutant genes again.
Before she could use her powers, Charlie curled his fingers, and G'iah's body floated toward him.
"BUZZ!"
With a single palm strike, he knocked her soul out of her body. G'iah's form collapsed to the floor, while her soul stared in terror at the scene.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Spider-Man's friend, obviously."
"No, you're not."
G'iah's eyes were full of wariness. "Spider-Man wouldn't have a friend like you."
She studied the dark figure, her soul trembling.
This guy didn't look like a good person no matter how you sliced it.
So…
"You want to use Mary Jane to threaten Spider-Man. That's got to be it." She was certain.
"You despicable jerk, I won't let you get away with it."
Charlie: "…"
Everyone looked like a villain here, so where was this guy's sense of moral superiority coming from?
Fine, time for a different approach.
"Ahem."
He coughed into his hand, then flashed a wicked grin.
"You're right, you got me. Hand over Mary Jane, and we can take down Spider-Man together. How's that?"
He let out a "Heh heh heh" laugh.
G'iah rejected it instantly. "No way."
Charlie raised an eyebrow. "You've seen my strength. With me, you could take out Spider-Man faster."
"No, I won't let you hurt Spider-Man." G'iah's gaze was resolute.
Charlie's expression turned odd.
"Not hurt him? You trying to protect him or something?"
"I can't protect him, but I won't cause him trouble."
"What?"
Charlie's look grew stranger.
"You Skrulls want to rule Earth, but with Spider-Man around, you'll never succeed."
"That's a misunderstanding. I'll get to the bottom of it."
"Misunderstanding?"
Three minutes later, after hearing G'iah's explanation, Charlie silently turned away.
Damn it, he'd gone too hard. This was awkward.
He didn't doubt G'iah was lying. There was no need.
After being Spider-Man for so long, Charlie knew the game.
If she were really Spider-Man's enemy, the chance of her teaming up would be 100%.
Even if there'd be infighting, that'd come later.
No way she'd flat-out refuse like this.
So…
Should he apologize?
No, Conqueror Kang should apologize, not Spider-Man.
With that thought, Charlie felt at ease.
But the real issue was Mary Jane's situation.
Thinking it over, he rubbed his face, forcing an ultra-villainous grin.
"Hahaha, how interesting. A rebel faction among the Skrulls? Looks like if I team up with the other Skrulls, I can definitely take down Spider-Man."
G'iah snorted. "Spider-Man won't die. He'll come back from hell stronger. I believe he'll beat you despicable jerks."
Charlie laughed harder. "Is that so? Well, Spider-Man must be thrilled to have an alien fan. But what's your deal, posing as his friend? Trying to replace Mary Jane?
If that's the case, guess whether Spider-Man will kick you out of the fan club?"
G'iah's face shifted.
She wasn't Spider-Man's fan.
But the thought of Spider-Man finding out made her soul tremble again.
Damn it, that feeling again.
Fear.
No, Mary Jane's fear.
What the hell was going on?!
She screamed internally but kept a calm facade.
"You're going to tell Spider-Man?" she asked, uneasy.
Charlie smirked. "Where's Mary Jane? Tell me, and I'll keep your secret."
"I'd never trust a lowlife like you."
"Then I'll hand you over to Spider-Man and expose you in front of him."
Charlie crossed his arms, sneering. "I don't think he'll care for your excuses."
"No!"
G'iah's face filled with panic. "Mary Jane's dead. I posed as her to take care of her family, but I didn't expect no one in this world cares about her."
Her head dropped, overwhelmed by inexplicable sadness.
Charlie's body trembled, a mix of emotions he couldn't name.
Grief?
Guilt?
Reluctance?
No, none of those.
It was strange.
Like he'd been mentally prepared for this.
The day had finally come.
He sighed inwardly.
"How'd she die?" Charlie asked.
G'iah kept her head down. "That day, a giant red trident sliced through the building…"
"That time?"
Charlie's fists clenched. "And then?"
G'iah shook her head. "The ceiling collapsed. Even if it hit me, I wouldn't have died.
But Mary Jane didn't know. She was just there for a job interview.
She pushed me out of the way and got crushed herself.
Even the best Skrull doctors couldn't save her."
Charlie fell silent.
G'iah continued, "In her final moments, I saw her longing for this world in her eyes.
I thought she couldn't let go of her family.
I wanted to take care of them for her. That was the first time I wanted to copy a human's memories.
But soon, I found Spider-Man in her memories.
That's the kind of relationship they had.
Later, Spider-Man held up the building. He saw me as Mary Jane.
But I didn't dare tell him. If he'd just gone a bit further, Mary Jane could've seen him one last time.
He didn't know, either. If he'd waited just a moment, he could've seen the real Mary Jane."
G'iah covered her face in pain.
Her soul curled up, guilt pouring out. "I don't know why I did it.
I'm sure Mary Jane wanted to say a proper goodbye to Spider-Man.
But I hid it. It's my fault.
I got my punishment. Her memories affected me. I started seeing myself as Mary Jane, wanting to finish what she couldn't.
I'm selfish, but I can't help it. I'm going crazy.
I was wrong, so wrong…"
Her soul struggled, but Charlie suddenly smiled.
"That coward probably looked ugly before she died. She always cared about her looks."
For Mary Jane's death, he could only hope for a Resurrection Match.
No, there was someone who could help bring her back.
He glanced at the guilty G'iah. "It's not your fault. It was her choice."
"Her choice?"
G'iah looked up slightly.
"Yeah, you had no reason to hide it, so it must've been her idea," Charlie said.
"Her idea…"
In that moment, G'iah seemed to understand.
"In Spider-Man's memory, she wanted to be the most beautiful girl."
She cried, then smiled.
"Is this human emotion?" she murmured.
Then she looked at Charlie. "Thank you, you—"
"No need to thank me. This is—"
Suddenly, they both snapped out of it, breaking eye contact.
"You damn villain, trying to take down Spider-Man. I'm not thanking you," G'iah huffed.
Charlie scoffed. "Yeah, I'm a big bad guy. Why would I comfort you? Must be crazy."
They glared at each other.
The next moment, Charlie's expression shifted.
"Damn, Spider-Man's onto me. You got lucky this time, but next time, you're done."
Leaving a parting threat, Charlie vanished into a golden portal.
In G'iah's eyes, the terrifying figure disappeared, and a red-and-blue figure swung down on a web outside the window.
"Knock knock knock~"
Spider-Man tapped the window. "Hey, Mary Jane, I sensed someone else in your room. You okay?"
"I-I'm fine."
Free from the villain's control, G'iah quickly mimicked Mary Jane, fumbling to open the window.
"BANG!"
"Ow! My nose!"
Charlie outside clutched his nose, voice muffled. "Almost got a nosebleed."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to."
G'iah hurriedly handed him a tissue.
Charlie took it, glancing into the room.
"You sure you're okay?"
"Of course, I'm fine."
"Alright, good news: your rookie evaluation starts today."
Charlie pointed a thumb at himself. "I'm your examiner. Don't say I don't look out for you."
"Really?"
G'iah lit up with excitement.
"You bet."
Seeing her reaction, Charlie sighed inwardly.
Her dad just got beat up, and she's this happy?
What a leaky jacket for her old man.
Poor old Skrull.
"Let's go to S.H.I.E.L.D."
"Okay, okay, let me put on makeup. I'm gonna be the prettiest woman there, outshining all the female agents."
Charlie: "…"
Did she have to lean so hard into the role?
…
S.H.I.E.L.D.
In the office, Carter glanced at Coulson across the desk.
"What's the deal with Staten Island?"
Coulson handed her a file. "Commander, a suspected mutant destroyed an ordinary village, but oddly, when we got there, the villagers were gone."
"Gone?"
Carter frowned. "Killed by the mutant, or kidnapped?"
"No clue. The bloodstains were cleaned up, and no bodies were found," Coulson shook his head.
Carter thought for a moment. "Keep investigating. Did satellite surveillance catch the guy's appearance?"
Coulson shook his head again. "No, there was an unusual magnetic field. Seems like a weather-controlling mutant. But from the metal traces, it's likely Erik, one of Apocalypse's Four Horsemen. No one else could manipulate that much metal at once."
"Erik…"
Carter mused. "Don't alert Apocalypse yet. Investigate quietly."
"Understood."
After Coulson left, Agent Hill entered.
"Commander, Spider-Man's recommended recruit is here."
"Got it."
Carter stood, walking as she spoke. "What's this newbie like? Another weirdo?"
"No, not quite."
Hill's tone carried an odd note.
"It's a woman. A very pretty woman."
"A woman?"
Carter paused. "You sure it's not a creep like Max?" she asked, turning.
Before Hill could answer, Carter felt a chill down her spine.
She turned slowly.
"Max?"
Seeing Max's unfriendly look, Carter laughed awkwardly. "Don't get me wrong, I meant the other guy with your name."
"Better be."
Max snorted, turning into an arc of electricity and vanishing down the hall.
Carter patted her chest. "That guy's always lurking. Issue a memo tomorrow: no using powers here."
"Got it."
Hill sighed inwardly, then got back to business.
"You know the woman."
"Who?"
"Charlie Parker's neighbor, Mary Jane."
"Mary Jane?"
Carter remembered. "The one who became Spider-Man?"
"That's her."
"Oh, damn. At this rate, the Avengers might as well be called Charlie and His Friends."
"Nice name."
Just then, Charlie walked in with G'iah.
He grinned at Hill. "Mind showing my friend around? I need to talk to Commander Carter about the evaluation."
Hill glanced at Carter, who nodded, and then led G'iah away.
"This way, please."
"Okay."
With G'iah gone, Carter glared at Charlie.
"I need to think carefully about her joining S.H.I.E.L.D."
"Why? Don't we need more hands?"
"No reason. I need to assess her motives for joining."
"Oh, I can tell you that. She's trying to get close to me."
Carter: "…"
"Then I'm definitely not letting her join."
Carter turned back to her office. "Her motives aren't pure. She's not fit to be a superhero."
"I know, but for the Skrull situation, you need to let her join."
"What?" Carter raised an eyebrow.
"What's that mean?" she asked.
Charlie smiled, leaning in. "Here's the thing."
Three minutes later, Carter got it.
"The Skrull leader's daughter. That's a heavy title," she nodded.
"Exactly."
Charlie sipped some juice from the couch. "Stale," he grimaced.
"Got busy yesterday. I'll swap it out later," Carter said.
"Thanks."
Charlie set the cup down and continued, "A Super Skrull's strength is on par with mine. If she gets stronger powers, even I might not handle her, so…"
"Cut the weed at the root," Carter interrupted, making a throat-slitting gesture.
Charlie: "…"
"I mean, she could be a key asset for the Avengers," he said, face darkening.
Carter hesitated. "But she's an alien."
"Aliens are people too."
Charlie smiled. "Fury promised the Skrulls a place to live, and he still hasn't delivered.
If we can resolve this, it's no problem."
Carter shook her head, skeptical.
"Their goal seems to be the whole Earth. I'm not Earth's chieftain."
"So it's about balance," Charlie said, looking out the window. "Some crave wealth and power, others are content with a little.
But most of the time, as long as there's no knife to their throat, they'll even tolerate crap on their heads."
Carter rolled her eyes. "As a superhero, that's a dangerous stance."
"So here's our chance," Charlie said suddenly.
"Chance?"
Carter fell silent for a moment.
Charlie met her eyes. "Spider-Man can only be a good neighbor, but an invincible Spider-Man doesn't want to just be a good neighbor."
Carter was stunned. "You mean…"
"Yeah, let's do something big."
Charlie grinned. "This is a chance for mutants, for Skrulls, for us.
Everyone thinks Spider-Man's a hero, so he should do what heroes are meant to do."
"But to those senators, heroes are just tools," Carter said, throwing cold water.
"Tools have tiers."
Charlie stretched. "A tool can just be a tool, or it can be a divine artifact."
Carter sat, deep in thought.
"I need to think about this."
"You do."
Charlie's face turned serious. "When the time comes, your family will be affected too."
Carter took a deep breath. "This is insane."
Charlie shrugged. "Time to give superhero stories the right values.
It's not just fighting or heading to the next fight. That's boring."
Carter was speechless.
"What do I do?"
"You're in?"
"I don't think I can stop you."
"If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Nice."
Charlie's eyes narrowed. "Step one: S.H.I.E.L.D. needs to get busy."
"We're already swamped."
"Not enough."
Charlie tapped the desk. "Busy enough to ignore everything else."
With the Morlun family popping up in this universe, Charlie had a hunch.
Those guys were about to find this place.
To break Spider-Man's lonely fate, the only way was the Web of Life and Destiny.
Before that, he needed enough retries.
Not just to save the world, but to change this messed-up world.
Time to go big.
Carter understood what Charlie was planning.
She mused, "Will an invincible Spider-Man have to get busy too?"
Charlie nodded. "Of course. Spider-Man has two choices.
Stay busy till he drops, or drop."
Carter: "…"
"Responsible guys are charming."
"Thanks."
"I wasn't complimenting you."
"I know."
…
Soon, G'iah's rookie evaluation began.
Under the envious glares of Reed and the others, G'iah successfully rescued a hostage from Charlie.
"Damn it, that jerk went easy on her, I'm sure," Johnny cursed.
Ben quickly covered Johnny's mouth. "You trying to get killed? That'll get you beat by Spider-Man."
"Mmph mmph mmph"
Susan glared at Johnny. "Don't drag us down with your bad luck."
Reed nodded. "Yeah, Spider-Man's soul magic is terrifying. I don't want to end up like that."
"Soul magic?" Susan asked, curious.
Reed glanced around, whispering, "Yeah, soul magic. Spider-Man can…"
The four whispered, occasionally gasping.
Nearby, Coulson shook his head helplessly.
"Sigh, you brought this on yourselves."
He turned to Carter. "Commander, I'm reporting them."
That night, the Fantastic Four battled a mysterious figure during a mission and vanished.
"My God, I messed up. I shouldn't have told them!" Reed wailed, leaning on a crutch in the safehouse, staring out the window.
Behind him, Johnny nursed a bruised eye.
"Ow, that hurts. Spider-Man's too rough. I wasn't the one who spilled, so why'd he go so hard on me?" he grumbled.
Susan, head bandaged, swayed on the couch. "You got off easy. As Reed's fiancée, I was the one he really targeted."
In the corner, Ben lifted dumbbells, gloating at their misery.
"Haha, told you to stay on good terms with that big rhino. Spider-Man's his friend, so he's my friend. That's why he spared me."
The others shot him dirty looks.
"The guy who groveled first has no right to talk."
"Yeah, coward. You're our shame."
Ben shrugged off their accusations.
"You idiots, fighting when you can't win. You deserved it."
He set down the dumbbells and checked the doors and windows.
"I'm warning you, don't try to escape. If Spider-Man catches you, it won't just be confinement," he said seriously.
The others fumed.
"You traitor!"
"Haha, thanks for the compliment."
Ben laughed, hands on hips. "Spider-Man promised, once this is over, I'm your direct leader. You'll all answer to me."
"Screw you!"
Johnny flipped him off, cursing. "You rock-headed moron who only shits stones, Spider-Man's our equal. He can't promise that."
"Equal?"
Ben scratched his head. "Then why does it always feel like his rank's way above ours?"
"Because you're a dumbass."
…
After dealing with the Fantastic Four, Charlie clocked out as usual.
He shed his nano-suit and returned to his Eisen apartment alone.
In the living room, Harry, Gwen, and G'iah were waiting.
"Oh, snap! Congrats, Mary Jane, we're colleagues now!"
Seeing Charlie, Harry popped a confetti cannon, colorful ribbons raining down.
"Thanks."
G'iah smiled, accepting flowers from Gwen. "Gwen, you didn't tell me you're Spider-Man too," she said with a sly grin.
Gwen looked sheepish. "Sorry, I didn't mean to hide it."
Charlie waved them over. "Enough chit-chat. The steaks are getting cold."
"Coming, coming."
G'iah and Gwen exchanged a smile, sitting beside Charlie in sync.
Harry, across from them, gave a weird look.
"You're hiding something from me," he said, certain.
G'iah and Gwen shook their heads.
"Nope."
"Absolutely not."
Charlie joined in, shaking his head.
"Nope, absolutely not."
Harry squinted, suspicious. "Fine, I believe you."
The four locked eyes, each with their own secrets.
Late that night, the gathering ended.
G'iah caught a ride with Gwen.
"Gwen, is it okay to keep this from Harry?" G'iah asked, feeling guilty.
In Mary Jane's memories, Harry was a good friend too.
Gwen shook her head. "It's Charlie's business, not ours to worry about."
"Okay, hope Harry doesn't hold it against us."
Gwen's flyer zipped through the skyway.
Soon, G'iah returned to Mary Jane's home.
"G'iah, you're okay. Thank goodness."
Talos was waiting.
"You're okay too, but this is bad," G'iah said coldly.
Talos knew she was worried about him.
After all, she'd been furious when he got attacked.
He smiled faintly. "We've already relocated."
"I know. I saw the incident reports at S.H.I.E.L.D."
"S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
Talos frowned. "You joined S.H.I.E.L.D. as that girl, and you're still not giving up on Spider-Man?"
"No, I have other reasons."
G'iah went to the bedroom, changing into Mary Jane's favorite pajamas.
"It's for the Skrulls."
She poured a glass of juice from the fridge.
"Thanks."
As Talos thanked her, G'iah drank the whole glass herself.
Talos: "…"
His hand froze midair, then retracted awkwardly.
"For the Skrulls, what's your plan?" he asked.
G'iah glanced at him. "There's a traitor among us. I'll find them, or Spider-Man will wipe us out."
"I'm already investigating," Talos said.
G'iah smirked. "That bald guy's helping you?"
"Yes, he will."
"His promises never come through."
"I trust him."
"Fine, I don't count on you guys anyway."
G'iah sat on the couch. "I joined the Avengers. My first mission is to find who stole the nano-vibranium."
"I'll handle that," Talos said quickly.
"Your call."
"Of course, but be careful at S.H.I.E.L.D.," Talos said gravely. "It's not just that terrifying guy after us. The Brotherhood of Mutants has found us too."
G'iah mused. "You guys stay hidden. If the Brotherhood's moving, the traitor will slip up."
"I understand."
Talos looked at G'iah, hesitating.
"What?" G'iah asked, impatient.
Talos took a deep breath. "Kid, I just want you to be yourself."
G'iah stood, expressionless.
"Go back on your own. I'm tired and need rest."
"G'iah."
"I get it."
She turned, seeing the wrinkles on Talos's face, her heart softening for a moment.
Her tone eased. "I understand, but Father, I've lost too much.
I want to gain something with this identity. Whatever happens, I won't regret it.
It's what I want most right now.
More importantly, I'm not a kid anymore. I can do something for the Skrulls. I'll find a place for us, so we don't have to wander. That's my promise to you."
With that, G'iah vanished into the attic.
Talos watched her go, his expression complex.
"She's really grown up. Because of another man?"
He smiled bitterly, sighing deeply.
…
Meanwhile, Osborn Castle.
Harry returned home, seeing the light still on in Norman's lab. He thought for a moment and walked in.
"Hey, Professor Connors, you're here too."
Harry was surprised to see Connors.
Connors smiled and nodded. "Yes, the gene recombiner is complete, thanks to your father."
Norman removed his gloves, handing Connors a coffee.
He took a sip, then asked Harry, "Fun party tonight?"
Harry shrugged. "Real fun. That guy still doesn't know!"
Norman chuckled. "I promised little Charlie, but I also promised you I'd never hide anything from you again."
"So I'm the last to know?" Connors said from his chair. "I can imagine your party. Pretty hilarious," he laughed, shaking his head.
"Yeah, good times."
Harry eyed the nearly finished gene recombiner. "They hid that Charlie's Spider-Man, and I'm not calling them out. I'll let them stew in guilt for a while," he said with a mischievous grin.
Connors glanced behind Harry, his expression odd.
"I bet he won't feel guilty."
"Why not?"
"Because I know you want me to feel guilty, so I won't."
Charlie's voice froze Harry's smile.
"I didn't notice you following me," Harry said, turning with a scowl.
Charlie smirked. "I didn't follow you. I just got here first."
"No way. My flyer's the fastest and priciest."
"I don't have a car, but I've got magic."
"Fine, I'm jealous of your magic."
"I can tell."
Charlie approached the gene recombiner, addressing Connors. "Let's start. If anything goes wrong, I'll stop it."
"With you here, I'm confident."
Connors began calibrating the recombiner's data.
Soon, he nodded to Norman.
Norman took a deep breath, removed his shirt, and stepped into the machine.
"Wait, starting already?" Harry asked, nervous.
Norman looked at him, reassuring. "It's fine. We don't have other test subjects for the recombiner. It was always going to come to this."
"Then let me do it," Harry stepped forward, but Norman's look stopped him.
"Son, I'm old. Let your father do something for you."
"But…"
"Trust me, trust Connors, trust your friend."
"I…"
Harry took a deep breath. "Okay."
"Good boy."
Norman smiled, satisfied, then told Connors, "Start it."
"Alright, brace yourself. It might hurt."
Connors pulled the lever.
"ZZZ~"
Mechanical arms shot dazzling light, enveloping Norman's body. Intense pain made him collapse, screaming, his muscles trembling, drenched in sweat.
"Ah!"
"Father!!"
"Don't come closer. I… I can handle it."
Norman raised a hand to stop Harry, gritting his teeth.
His glance caught Charlie's, their eyes meeting briefly.
Charlie saw resolve in Norman's gaze.
If the experiment failed, Norman would choose death.
At least Harry could be proud of his father.
Not become the Osborn family's shame.
He didn't want to be a monster anymore.
Luckily, Connors didn't drop the ball this time.
As Norman passed out, the recombiner's light faded.
Scanning Norman's condition, Connors couldn't hide his excitement.
"Amazing! We did it! The Osborn family's genetic defect is gone after recombination."
Harry rushed to Norman's side. "He's really okay?" he asked, eyes full of worry.
"Don't worry. We had plenty of funding this time, and…"
Connors glanced at Charlie. "Charlie's 31st-century tech helped a lot."
Charlie couldn't help but marvel.
Taking down Conqueror Kang made things go too smoothly.
Other scientists might struggle with 31st-century tech.
But for unreasonable geniuses, a single spark seemed to overcome any hurdle.
In the Marvel world, science was, in a way, a metaphysical force.
In short, Newton had no jurisdiction here.
Seeing Norman stable, Connors began his own experiment.
Everything he did was to regrow his arm.
31st-century tech couldn't regenerate limbs, but it could clone one from his cells for surgical attachment.
Connors's experiment went smoothly.
All was well.
But Charlie's brow furrowed.
Too smooth.
Something felt off.
If nothing went wrong…