Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
"AHHH!!!"
"Huh! Huh! Huh! Huh!"
"What the… Where am I?"
I woke up, cold sweat dripping down my body. My chest rose and fell rapidly as my eyes darted around the room.
Same walls. Same posters. Same old bed. My hands trembled as I lifted them, staring down. No web-shooters. No scars. Nothing. Just me.
"Peter…!!! Are you up?"
That voice—I knew it instantly. My heart skipped. I scrambled out of bed, nearly tripping on the rug, and dashed downstairs.
Every step echoed in my head, fear and hope battling each other. Same house. Same creaking floorboards. Same smell of toast in the morning.
And then—I saw them.
The kitchen light glowed warmly, and there they stood. Aunt May. Uncle Ben.
My eyes widened. My chest tightened. Ben… he had died. Shot while trying to stop a robber. Only later I found out the truth—that there were two robbers, and one of them was the Sandman.
Aunt May too… she died in my arms, taken by Doc Ock when we tried finding a cure for cities illness caused by him. We succeeded—but it cost her life.
Yet here they were. Alive. Smiling. Whole.
I staggered forward, heart pounding, and threw my arms around them. I held on tight—tighter than ever before—as if the world would shatter if I let go. Tears welled in my eyes and streamed down my face.
They were alive. Alive. I didn't want to blink. I didn't want this dream to end. And when I finally did blink—they were still there.
"Peter, dear, what's gotten into you?" Aunt May's gentle voice carried a hint of worry.
"Nothing, Aunt May. Just… just had a nightmare."
I lied, forcing a small smile. Inside, though, I wanted to tell her everything—my pain, my joy, my torment, my failures, my… everything.
"Boy, you sound as if you experienced death, hahaha—!"
PANG!
"The hell are you saying first thing in the goddamn morning, Ben!"
Uncle Ben rubbed the back of his head, grinning sheepishly as Aunt May smacked him with a frying pan.
"Ehhehe… Peter, rule number one: if you get a smokin' chick, don't piss her off, okay?"
Yup. Uncle Ben, same as ever. I couldn't stop smiling. This… this was what I missed. The simple, normal life.
"Got it, Uncle Ben."
We sat at the table. Aunt May slid over a plate of eggs, bacon, and hot chocolate. I took my first bite and nearly melted. The warmth. The flavor.
The love cooked into it. God-tier cooking. I devoured it fast, asking for seconds, thirds, fourths—by the sixth plate even Uncle Ben raised a brow.
"Uhhh, May… did Peter always have this big of an appetite?"
"Beats me, love. You think it's hormones?"
"The boy's fifteen. Could be. Maybe it's time for the talk."
"You think?"
"Maybe."
I didn't care. I just kept eating. Every bite felt like heaven. Every bite was home.
After breakfast, I climbed the stairs back to my room. My vision blurred for a second, and I stumbled, gripping the railing. "Weird… Did I just…?"
I froze. Checked the calendar.
2013.
My breath caught. My mind spun. I was back. Somehow—I was reborn in the year 2013.
Why? How? Was it fate? Magic? Science? I'd read enough Japanese manga and Chinese manhwa to know how wild these "rebirth" stories could get. But this… this was on another level.
Memories flickered. Foggy at first, then sharp. Red eyes. Long tongue. That hellish grin. White hair cascading like smoke.
Knull.
I died when Knull invaded Earth. He came searching for the key hidden within Venom and the symbiote refugees.
A key that unlocked his true potential—his godly blade. The Avengers never saw it coming. Not even Doctor Strange with his Sanctums could stop it.
I must have been… what, forty-five? Fifty? It was a dark time. Venom. Anti-Venom. Carnage. All fell before him.
But me? I had bonded with Anti-Venom. Different from Venom, who tried to consume me. Anti-Venom protected me—fought with me, killed with me. A true bond. We almost made it. Almost.
I shook my head. That was then. Now—I had time. Venom and his gang wouldn't reach Earth until I was maybe twenty or twenty-one. That gave me years to prepare.
But as I stared into the mirror, I almost laughed. "Jesus Christ. I'm so… unfitting. No muscle. No backbone. Just a scrawny nerd who got bullied by Flash."
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Music. Loud, obnoxious music. I sighed. "Ah yes, her."
Mary Jane Watson. Same as ever. Vibrant. Bold. Beautiful. In my past life, we had our ups and downs. Marriage. Divorce.
She wanted me more than Spider-Man. Broadway. The Bugle. She had dreams. I had responsibilities. And in the end, it broke us.
No offense to her, but I felt like her loyal dog, always chasing. Always waiting for her to notice me.
Not anymore.
Now? I felt… nothing. And it was freeing.
"FREE MAN!!!" I shouted, laughing to myself.
Then I caught a whiff of myself and groaned. "Ugh, I smell like crap. Gonna be late for school. Better clean up."
I showered, styled my hair differently, swapped out old clothes for something sharper. Glasses still on—but I looked… new. Stronger.
Downstairs, Aunt May and Uncle Ben nearly dropped their coffee.
"God dang, boy! You've changed. Your dad would be proud."
"I agree with Ben. You look bolder all of a sudden."
I chuckled, waved goodbye, and stepped outside.
At the bus stop, a light tap hit my shoulder.
"Hey, Petey!"
My chest tightened. My throat dried. Tears almost welled.
Gwen Stacy.
Golden hair. Blue eyes. That sweet smile. My science partner. My first real love. The girl I couldn't save. The girl I lost.
And now—she was alive.
"Hey, Pete? You with me or what?"
I swallowed hard, then whispered, "Sorry… it just feels like it's been years since I've seen you. You're so… beautiful."
Her eyes widened. A blush bloomed across her cheeks. That was Gwen—my Gwen.
Step. Step. Step.
Footsteps approached. I turned and saw Mary Jane Watson. But this time, I didn't chase. I didn't even feel the pull.
Because now… my choice was clear. Gwen—and someone else.
Honk! Honk!
The bus pulled up. Gwen leaned close, whispering. "Hey, maybe try your luck with MJ?"
I shook my head, smiling softly. "You know what? I think I'd rather sit next to you today, Gwen."
Her blush deepened. "Wow. Peter Parker sitting with little ol' nerdy me? You've changed, Petey. New hair, new clothes… you're kinda mature now. Maybe even… attractive."
"Just don't fall head over heels, Gwen."
She giggled. "Hahaha!"
We laughed together, stepping onto the bus. But before we could sit—
Thunk!
A can smacked into my palm. I caught it instantly, like muscle memory. I didn't even need to look.
Flash Thompson.
My bully. MJ's boyfriend. Another man who'd one day fall to Venom.
And so it begins.
---
Chapter 1 — End.