Charlie stood before the window, witnessing a world outside transformed beyond recognition.
The golden sunflower suspended in the sky was swelling frantically, countless "suns" growing dazzling in their expansion, only to dim and extinguish moments later.
The endless silver forest shifted colors at a dizzying pace, its silvery expanse flourishing under some mysterious force, only to wither just as swiftly. The speed of life's transformation was staggering.
"What is this?"
Charlie furrowed his brow slightly.
Suddenly, a chirp chirp sounded behind him.
He turned to see Thanos' little companion, one of those jelly-like critters common in the Quantum Realm, letting out a mournful cry before collapsing weakly. Thanos seemed to understand something.
Kneeling before the jelly creature, he gently cradled it, pressing his large face against its tiny head, his eyes brimming with sorrow.
"You see it," he said, looking at Charlie. "The Quantum Realm has suddenly gained time. Everything's changed. The life here is now cursed by time's passage."
He gazed at Charlie. "My friend is dying. It has a lifespan now, which to me seems fair. Nothing can remain eternal.
But I can't bear to lose it, just like when I watched Gamora pushed off that cliff, powerless to stop it."
Thanos gently kissed the jelly creature. "Everyone despises me, hates me, curses me. Only it doesn't."
The jelly creature, frail as it was, responded weakly, rubbing its tiny head against Thanos' chin as if comforting its friend.
A wave of sorrow spread through the air.
Charlie, witnessing this, couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"So, I should go?"
"You must go."
Thanos rose, still holding the jelly creature, his expression grave.
"The Quantum Realm doesn't need time. I no longer care if this is fair or about so-called balance.
I just want a simple life, with it."
His gaze locked onto Charlie. "So, you need to leave. This place doesn't belong to you. The thing inside you will bring the curse of time to the Quantum Realm."
Charlie shrugged. "I get it."
Aelios had entered the Quantum Realm with him, bringing the force of time to a world without its concept.
He noticed a wrinkle at the corner of Thanos' eye, his mind stirring with thought.
Once time touched the Quantum Realm, it was a terrifying thing.
But there was one more thing he wanted to know.
"How long was I out?" he asked.
Thanos fell silent for a moment before answering, "Ten years."
"What?"
Charlie's expression shifted.
Ten years. He touched his pants, accepting the reality with a wry smile.
"Alright, I figured as much."
"You knew?" Thanos asked, surprised.
Charlie spread his hands. "Of course. My underwear's moldy. And this is Hulk-grade underwear."
Thanos fell silent again.
Finally, he sighed. "Sorry, I only trimmed your hair. Your underwear… I couldn't help with that. Mine wouldn't fit you."
Charlie: "…"
He waved it off. "Forget it. I'm not feeling much anyway."
With that, he formed hand signs to summon his Space-Time Spider, opening a portal to the main world.
Before the golden portal, Charlie turned his head. "Time's the best medicine. Go find Gamora. She'll forgive you."
At those words, Thanos' body trembled, and he lowered his head.
Perhaps he was still hesitating.
Charlie said no more.
He stepped into the portal, vanishing from the Quantum Realm in an instant.
With the invincible Spider-Man gone, the Quantum Realm finally returned to peace.
The faded sunflower remained in its weakened state, and the jelly creature stayed forever in its " twilight years."
Looking at his frail but no longer dying companion, Thanos let out a breath of relief.
"From now on, I'll take care of you."
He gently stroked the jelly creature's head, his gaze piercing the Quantum Realm's sky, catching a glimpse of Gamora's silhouette.
The once-universal tyrant was gone. Now, Thanos was just an ordinary Titan.
A father yearning for family.
…
Main World. New York.
Beep beep
Neon lights flickered on the midair highways, flying cars weaving between towering skyscrapers.
Ten years later, New York had fully embraced its technological evolution.
The Quantum Realm originally had no concept of time, so returning to this world shouldn't have synchronized their timelines.
But because Aelios brought time to the Quantum Realm, Charlie returned to find that ten years had passed here too.
In a corner of this cyber city, Charlie stood outside a hoverboard shop, staring at his reflection in the storefront mirror.
"What kind of aesthetic does a universal tyrant have? He left me with a beard."
He muttered, then swiped his hand across his chin, using the ultra-strong webbing from his Web Trap to shave off the stubble.
Soon, the sunny, handsome Charlie was back, admiring himself in the mirror.
"Not bad. Still the perfect man after ten years."
He struck a few cool poses in front of the mirror, drawing odd looks from passersby who eyed the young man in outdated clothing.
"Hey, dirt dog, wanna buy a hoverboard and join the cool kids' circle?"
A scruffy shop clerk appeared at the door, enthusiastically waving Charlie over. "Can't afford it? No problem. You can work here and earn some cash. Three bucks a week—pretty generous, right?"
Charlie grinned.
"Sounds good. I've got a friend who loves hoverboards. It's been years, and I'd like to get him a new one."
He stepped into the shop, scanning the high-tech hoverboards lining the walls, his eyes catching the Oscorp logo.
"Hm?"
Charlie's eyes lit up. "Your boss is Harry Osborn?"
The clerk teased, "Dirt dog, you actually know our chairman? But sorry, you're wrong. This is a gift from the chairman to his kid. The real boss is his kid."
Charlie froze.
"Harry's married?"
"Yup. The chairman's wife is a high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. A real powerhouse."
The clerk's face lit up talking about the chairman's wife.
"She's everyone's idol. Stunning looks, unmatched elegance—the dream girl of every guy and the hottest superstar right now. She's Spider-Man!"
"Nani?"
Charlie was floored, a bad feeling creeping into his gut.
"Spider-Man?"
He pointed to himself. "You know me?"
The clerk gave him a side-eye. "Yeah, a dirt dog."
Charlie's mouth twitched. Was the generational gap this bad? Nobody remembered who the real Spider-Man was anymore.
Worse, Harry's wife was another Spider-Man.
In that moment, Charlie recalled the tragic tale of the original Peter.
Mary Jane left Peter and fell into Harry's arms… No way! Charlie jumped, startled.
Harry stole his girl?! Fuming, Charlie gritted his teeth and stomped, yelling at the ceiling, "What a sin!"
The clerk stared at the dirt dog, annoyed. "What are you yammering about? Hurry up and change into the employee uniform. You already agreed to work here."
Charlie shot the clerk a dark look.
A minute later, Charlie strode out of the shop, decked out in the trendiest hoverboard sportswear.
No more dirt dog.
He glanced toward Oscorp's headquarters, stepped onto a hoverboard, activated its nuclear-powered engine, and zoomed into the空中 highway.
Back in the shop, the unlucky clerk was wrapped in webbing, tossed carelessly into a corner.
Woo woo woo
His mouth sealed with webbing, he struggled helplessly, tears of despair streaming down his face.
He'd been robbed by Spider-Man.
…
Meanwhile, at Oscorp.
At the top of the tech tower.
In a circular conference room, Mary Jane, her lips painted a fiery red, wore a form-fitting, sequined red gown. Her graceful figure radiated mature allure, far removed from the naive girl of ten years ago.
Seated at the head of the table, she scanned the shareholders with a cold expression.
The shareholders stole glances at the captivating woman, their hearts itching with desire but powerless to act.
Her social status and wealth made her untouchable.
They could only suppress their urges, not daring to show the slightest disrespect.
Cross this woman, and no shareholder status would save them.
Finally, Mary Jane seemed to lose patience.
She spoke slowly, "Good. No objections. Then the project is settled."
As she stood, the shareholders hurriedly followed suit.
What made them fear this beautiful woman so much?
Her power—strong enough to defy societal rules. Pink mist spread from Mary Jane's body, and in the next second, she vanished from their sight.
Once she was gone, the shareholders exhaled in relief.
The pressure lifted, they began whispering.
"That scared the hell out of me."
"Yeah, her temper's getting worse."
"No kidding. Even the chairman can't handle her."
"Every time I'm in front of her, I feel like a green recruit, can't even string a sentence together."
"Same. I'm thinking of selling my shares. I don't want to deal with her anymore."
"What a dangerous, alluring woman. Heard it was her ex-boyfriend who made her like this."
"Pfft! Scumbag!"
"Shh, keep it down."
…
"Shh, keep it down."
In the chairman's office, Harry, sporting a small mustache, stood outside the changing room, speaking mysteriously to the woman inside.
"I just got word from the hoverboard shop. He might be back."
A red gown flew out of the changing room, followed by a flash of webbing that draped it over Harry's shoulder.
"What's there to fear? You should be thrilled he's back," the woman inside said casually.
Harry's face twisted with conflict. "I am happy, but you know… we've wronged him. He's my best friend, and I took what mattered most to him. He won't forgive me."
The woman in the changing room remained nonchalant. "We didn't do anything wrong. He left for so long—anything could've happened. He caused this situation."
Harry's guilt deepened.
He sighed. "If I'd known it'd turn out like this, I never would've married you."
"You regret it?"
The woman's tone sharpened, tinged with anger.
"Harry Osborn, do you remember your vows?"
She changed clothes, scoffing. "You promised to treat me well, to never regret it. You proposed in front of everyone. Did you think about Charlie coming back then?
Now you're scared and want to split?"
"No, that's not what I meant!"
Harry scrambled to explain. "Honey, I was wrong. We betrayed Charlie, and I'm freaking out…"
"I know you're freaking out, but don't freak out just yet."
A familiar voice came from behind Harry, startling the woman in the changing room.
Harry's face paled.
His body stiffened as he slowly turned.
Seeing Charlie, Harry's emotions collapsed.
"My friend… you…"
Looking at the still-youthful Charlie, Harry smiled through tears, unable to form a complete sentence.
His eyes glistened, but his body instinctively stepped back.
"You heard everything?" Harry lowered his head, guilt-ridden.
Charlie glared at him. "While I was gone, what did you do?" he growled.
Harry trembled. "I'm sorry. I let you down. It's my fault, don't blame her—"
He tried to explain, but Charlie shoved him aside and flung open the changing room door.
"You two jerks, doing this behind my back! I'll never forgive you—uh, who are you?"
Charlie froze, staring at the unfamiliar woman inside.
Dressed in casual clothes, she pushed past Charlie and stepped out, standing protectively in front of Harry.
"This was my doing. Don't blame Harry," she said, shielding her man.
Before Charlie could react, the door was knocked. Mary Jane, in a red gown, entered with files in hand.
"Harry, I handled those shareholders. This dress isn't right for me, have her return it—"
Her words cut off as the files slipped from her hands, hitting the floor.
She stared at Charlie, stunned. "Is this an illusion?"
Charlie's expression turned strange. "You guys…"
Harry explained, "I asked Mary Jane to help with some company matters."
Charlie's gaze darted between the three.
"So… you're the Spider-Man who married Harry?" he asked the stranger.
She rolled her eyes. "Who else would it be?"
"She's Cindy, my wife," Harry quickly introduced.
Charlie blinked, dumbfounded.
"Then… what did you do to betray me?"
Harry's eyes dodged. "Cindy took the honor that was yours. Everyone's forgotten you, the real Spider-Man. I'm so sorry. I didn't do enough." He bowed, guilt overwhelming him.
Charlie: "…"
In that moment, he felt doused in melodrama.