A dark, windy night.
On this day of family reunion, everyone chatted late into the night before gradually drifting off to sleep.
As the household slumbered, a shadow flickered on the rooftop.
Under the moonlight, a pale face with blood-red eyes gleamed with evil and cruelty.
Dressed in a black tuxedo, the figure's sunken nose and grotesque features were unmistakable.
With a slight tiptoe, his form wavered, instantly flipping upside down outside a window, his gaze locked on the Richards couple inside.
Hiss~ Suck~
In the quiet night, the shadow's breathing grew heavier. Seemingly resolved, he silently scraped a sharp claw against the glass.
Scritch~
In an instant, the claw carved a circular hole in the window. As his palm pressed against it, a basketball-sized gap appeared.
Before he could reach in to unlatch the window, a mocking voice came from above.
"Hey, buddy, your burglary skills are top-notch. Who taught you?"
"What?"
Startled, the man jerked his head up, only to see a red-and-blue bug crouched nearby, watching his every move.
Guilt flashed across his face before twisting into a menacing snarl.
"Damn bug, stay out of this. It's none of your business."
Charlie shrugged. "Sorry, you know a good neighbor doesn't let evil disturb everyone's sweet dreams—especially not a creep like you. Shh, they might wake up. Let's keep it down."
He pressed a finger to his lips, whispering, "Especially a creep like you~ Ohhh~~ Ohh~ Actually, you get used to it. Sorry, I couldn't help singing. Hope you'll forgive me."
"Go to hell!"
Stung by Charlie's repeated "creep" jabs, Morbius's fragile, sensitive heart was pierced.
Enraged, he charged onto the rooftop, ready to pay his respects to Spider-Man's impromptu performance with a vicious attack.
Rip!
Claws tore through the air, but Charlie dodged with a stylish backflip.
"Hey, buddy, you're too slow. Want me to teach you how to fight?"
With that, Charlie shot webbing, snagging two wooden sticks from the yard.
Under Morbius's puzzled gaze, Charlie connected the sticks with webbing, then twirled them expertly in both hands, wielding nunchucks like a pro.
"Hum-ha-hey, I wield the nunchucks!"
"I strike~"
Bang!!
Before Morbius could react, a blur flashed, and a sharp pain exploded on his forehead.
"Oh my God!"
Morbius screamed, tumbling off the roof. Webbing shot out, sealing his mouth to avoid disturbing the neighbors.
"You damn bug—"
The battered Morbius tried to retaliate, but a blinding light flared from the rooftop.
Flash!
Charlie called out, flicking on a flashlight, its beam hitting Morbius square in the eyes.
"What—"
As Morbius instinctively shielded his eyes, Charlie unleashed another legendary technique.
Manga, Earth Style!
Bang!!
The nunchucks, now a projectile, struck Morbius's nose with pinpoint accuracy.
"Ahhh~~ Woo-woo-woo~~"
His screams muffled by webbing, Charlie leaped down, crossing his arms to shoot webbing and yanking a hose from the yard.
Hose, Water Style!
Whoosh!!
Landing, Charlie unleashed the hoses, blasting Morbius relentlessly.
The water's roar woke Aunt May and the others.
"Who's there?"
Uncle Ben shouted. Morbius, no longer caring about capturing the Richards, transformed into a swarm of bats and vanished into the night.
When Aunt May and the others rushed out with baseball bats, they found Charlie struggling to fix a broken hose.
"Little Charlie, what happened?" Aunt May draped a coat over him.
Charlie smiled. "Nothing much. A rat chewed through the hose. I couldn't sleep, so I'm fixing it."
Next door, Mary Jane opened her window, smirking at Charlie.
"Oh my gosh, my friend, thanks for fixing my hose too." She pointed at her yard's uprooted pipe, laughing.
Charlie: "..."
"You're welcome."
He focused on fixing the hose, with Richard and Uncle Ben pitching in.
…
Meanwhile, in a dark alley.
A swarm of bats coalesced into Morbius's form.
"Damn bug, I'm a terrifying vampire! How could he beat me so easily?!"
Baring his fangs, he roared at the sky.
After venting, he calmed down.
Spider-Man learned ninja techniques? Pfft! Nonsense!
That bug played me!
Fuming, he pulled out his phone to call a new contact.
"Doctor, I need your help," he said.
A strange voice paused, then asked, "What's up?"
"I found the Richards. They can fix what's wrong with me, but Spider-Man's stopping me."
"Spider-Man?"
The voice trembled.
"You found him?"
"Yeah."
"Tell me where he is."
"I ran into him near Richard's place."
"Leave it to me."
"Got it."
Morbius hung up, sighing deeply.
He touched his grotesque vampire face, filled with self-loathing.
"I have to become human again. I must!"
…
The next morning, Charlie woke to find himself in Mary Jane's room.
"No way."
Seeing Mary Jane at her vanity, Charlie's mouth twitched.
"What did you do to me?" He glanced under the covers, his face darkening.
No wonder he slept so well.
She'd been abusing her powers again.
Mary Jane turned with a sly smile. "Keep it down. You don't want Aunt May knowing your secrets, do you?"
Charlie: "..."
Gritting his teeth, he said, "Next time you need something, just say it. This way, I get no enjoyment at all."
Yes, he'd given up resisting.
Always getting pinned to the mattress by someone was embarrassing to admit.
Better to seize control with Spider-Man's strong arms and stellar physique, conquering anyone daring to covet his body.
He got up, dressed, and climbed out the window in front of Mary Jane, sliding down the exterior pipes to the ground.
Mary Jane propped her chin, eyes sparkling.
"What a guy who takes the unconventional route. Amazing."
Charlie glanced up. "I'm not feeling great lately. Give me a couple of days."
"Got it."
Under Mary Jane's gaze, Charlie returned home, sensing a strange atmosphere.
In the living room, a young man resembling Peter Parker sat stiffly on the couch, with Richard and Mary avoiding his gaze.
Aunt May hurried to Charlie's side.
"Little Charlie, that's your brother. He's back. Be nice, okay?" she whispered.
Charlie felt a flock of crows fly over his head, his expression vivid.
Is this really the Spider-Man channel?
It's turning into a family soap opera.
Do I look like I'd be jealous of my brother?
Still…
He studied "Peter Parker," eyes narrowing.
Despite the guy's good act, those weren't the eyes of a young man.
More like a weathered middle-ager…
Snapping out of it, Charlie stepped forward with a smile. "You must be Peter. I'm Charlie."
"I know, my brother. Glad to meet you."
Peter Parker stood, hugging Charlie awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable.
Seeing the brothers so friendly, the Richards relaxed.
In their minds, having a second child without the first's approval made them feel guilty.
But now, they could rest easy.
The brothers would get along.
The household atmosphere lightened.
Peter Parker gradually relaxed.
At Charlie's suggestion, Peter agreed to check out his brother's room.
Inside, Baby Kingpin saw the brothers enter, blinked innocently, and discreetly hid a hard-earned comic in his diaper.
Peter froze upon seeing Baby Kingpin.
"Where's the mother?" He looked at Charlie. "Didn't expect you to be married so young."
He pulled out a stack of bills. "This is for the kid."
"Wahh~~"
Baby Kingpin squealed excitedly at the sight of money.
Charlie waved it off. "Too kind. I'm not married. This is… a friend's kid. I'll thank them for you."
He pocketed the cash, leaving Baby Kingpin devastated.
Peter scratched his head. Thank them for me?
Weird.
He gave an awkward smile. "Sorry for dropping in. I'll be trouble for a while."
"No problem."
Charlie paused, pointing outside. "I'm sleeping across the street for a few days. Mind watching this little guy?" He patted Baby Kingpin's head.
Across the way, Mary Jane blew Charlie a kiss, smiling.
"Mary Jane?"
Seeing her, Peter trembled, his eyes flickering with conflict and hesitation.
He clearly knew her.
Charlie, thoughtful, changed the subject. "How'd you get here?"
Peter snapped back, noticing Mary Jane was gone from view.
Sighing inwardly, he explained, "I don't know. Some guys kidnapped Mom and Dad. I chased them, got knocked out, and woke up in this world."
"Is that so? That must've been rough."
Charlie brushed it off.
Checking the time, he said, "I've got a date. Won't be home for dinner. If you need anything, just say. I'm happy to help you find a job."
"Thanks."
"No problem. We're family."
…
Soon, at a Brooklyn café.
"What? Your brother?"
Harry set down his coffee, staring at Charlie in disbelief.
"That's wild, but you okay?" he asked, concerned.
Charlie shook his head. "I'm fine with it."
Mary Jane frowned. "So that guy's your brother. He seems into me."
Harry's eyes turned odd.
"Mary Jane, reel in that confidence. You'll make Charlie jealous."
Before she could explain, Charlie waved a hand. "I saw it. He's definitely into you."
Harry shut up.
Two brothers after the same woman? That's some spicy drama.
He could already picture it:
A rainy night, the brothers fighting over a woman, while she screams in anguish, "Stop fighting!"
"Ugh, creepy!"
Harry shivered.
Gwen, silent all this time, kept checking her watch.
"I've got to help at Professor Connors' lab. I'm out."
She left, completely uninterested in Charlie's family drama.
Charlie felt a mix of emotions.
If she could, Gwen would probably prefer things stay as they are.
As Gwen left, Mary Jane noticed Charlie's gaze and pouted.
"Charlie, classmate, enjoying the view?"
Charlie looked away. "No, I was just thinking—that guy's got something off. Tonight, we test him."
"How?"
Harry and Mary Jane leaned in, intrigued.
Charlie pointed at Mary Jane. "Pull him into a dream. We'll handle the rest."
"Need backup?" Harry asked.
Charlie thought it over. "Could use it."
"Done. Mission accepted."
…
Night fell.
Tonight, Charlie stayed next door.
In his room, Peter Parker found a few Spider-Suit sketches in a drawer, his expression shifting.
He kept searching.
A small gift from Mary Jane to Charlie. A racecar model from Harry.
"He's got it good."
Looking at the trinkets, Peter shook his head.
Though Richard and the others hadn't said it outright, he was almost certain Charlie Parker was this world's Spider-Man.
If he's Spider-Man, then…
Shadows of figures flashed in Peter's mind, triggering a splitting headache. He clutched his head, growling.
"Damn it, still no good?"
Soon, Peter was drenched in sweat.
He climbed into bed to rest and quickly fell into a dream.
In the dream, he was back at school.
"Hey, Peter, stay away from Mary Jane. She's my girlfriend now."
On the way to school, a bully and his crew cornered Peter, their aggressive glares threatening and provocative.
Peter calmly regarded the guy, frowning.
Why this dream?
He knew it was a dream.
"Hey, you hearing me?"
The bully, annoyed by Peter's silence, swung a fist to teach him a lesson.
But the next moment, the bully's body collapsed, torn apart by a brutal force. Charlie and the others, watching from the shadows, were stunned.
"He's got superpowers!"
"Strong ones."
"Let's keep testing."
Harry spoke, quickly donning his Green Goblin armor.
Heh-heh-heh!
"Peter Parker, remember me?"
A green contrail surged as the menacing Green Goblin cackled, head tilted.
Peter didn't flinch at the sudden appearance.
"Interesting."
His lips curled, ready to activate new gear.
But then, he froze.
Something's wrong. This is a trap!