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Outside the glass curtain wall, Julian squinted at the countdown, eyes locked on every passing second.
Among the contestants in this revival match, the Chitauri soldiers might just be foot soldiers under Thanos, but they had flight pods, alien weapons, and—most importantly—numbers.
Then there was Peter Parker. Did that mean another Spider-Man was in the mix?
And Tony Stark… Iron Man's air superiority alone could flatten the Chitauri. He was easily the strongest threat in this entire match.
Running into this roster on his first revival round was basically like being thrown into a championship final.
But not winning doesn't mean you can't win.
"Da-da-da…"
As the countdown hit zero on the glass display, Julian flipped off the edge and launched a webline mid-fall, swinging straight toward the street.
Whip!
Two weblines shot from his wrists and latched onto streetlamps on both sides. Julian yanked back hard, letting the elastic force snap him forward—his body slingshotting into the night sky like a fired shell.
He blasted upward.
Wind roared past him as he weaved between skyscrapers, neon lights streaking in a blur.
Back when he'd first become Spider-Man, this sensation had been unreal—equal parts thrilling and nerve-wracking. He'd been terrified of slipping and plummeting from some ridiculous height, but still couldn't resist the adrenaline rush.
Now? He moved through it like second nature.
"Whoa, it's Spider-Man!"
"Tai ku la! So cool!"
Before his momentum dipped, Julian fired another web and swung through the steel jungle, earning screams from every street he passed.
"Wait, how is Spider-Man here? Didn't he just finish fighting Electro?"
A voice rose from the crowd, and people instantly grabbed their phones. The livestream still showed the wrecked power district and a very unconscious Electro.
"This area's Zone C. There's no way Spider-Man's here."
Everyone was confused.
Boom!
A trail of fire blasted overhead, heat rolling off it in a wave.
"Oh my god—what was that?!"
"That armor looks insane!"
Several more flaming streaks cut through the sky.
"What the hell's happening? What are those things?!"
"Aliens. Aliens are invading!"
People caught glimpses of humanoid creatures on flyers, holding gun-blade hybrids, and panic spread fast.
Meanwhile, Tony streaked past skyscrapers in his nano suit, still utterly lost.
"JARVIS, ever heard of a revival match?"
"Sir, I'm Friday."
Tony paused. "Right… sorry. Force of habit."
JARVIS was gone—his mistake, his guilt, his regret.
"It's alright, sir. But this isn't a game. Treat the match seriously," Friday reminded him.
"I know. Lock onto the clock tower."
While speaking, Tony thought about the participant list he'd just seen. His expression twisted.
Peter Parker's name was on it.
He'd snapped his fingers. Thanos's forces were gone. So… how did Peter die?
And there was another Spider-Man in this world too…
Was this some dying hallucination?
—
A red-and-blue blur zipped across the busy street.
Whip!
Julian landed lightly on top of a residential building far from the city center. Ahead, about a hundred meters away, the tall clock tower rose beneath searchlights.
This was where the Green Goblin fought the second Amazing Spider-Man. The place where Gwen died.
No movement yet. Which meant Harry hadn't arrived.
He still had time.
Crrrk…
A faint rustling crossed the rooftop behind him. Julian's spine went cold—like something vicious had just fixed its eyes on him.
His unreliable spider-sense finally decided to work again.
It sure didn't react when Norman attacked.
Whip!
Julian reacted instinctively—firing a web and swinging straight up as a monstrous shadow lunged past him.
ROAR!
CRASH!!
A hulking green reptile smashed into the roof, cracking concrete and sending debris flying.
Perched on a nearby tower, Julian spun around and instantly spotted the terrifying, scaled creature.
Every hair on his arms stood up.
"The Lizard?" he muttered.
"No… not Curtis Connors."
It clicked immediately—this world's Lizard had already been defeated.
He remembered another contestant: Peter Parker.
In one of the multiverses, Peter Parker didn't become Spider-Man. He became the Lizard.
Across from him, the green reptilian figure straightened, scales bristling, its eyes burning with insanity.
"Spider-Man?"
The creature spoke.
The scales on his face twitched. The madness faded a little, replaced by something more complicated.
"Why are you a man?" His claws scraped together, agitation showing through his voice.
Julian glanced up as the Green Goblin swooped overhead and tried to talk.
"Hey, I'm Julian—Julian Parker. The Spider-Man you know isn't me, but I swear on Spider-Man's moral backbone that I don't judge your scales or claws. Honestly, I think they're awesome. Have you seen Godzilla? Big, stompy, breathes radioactive spit? You could totally pitch yourself to Sony or Legendary for a collab—"
Julian rambled on, but Lizard Parker wasn't listening.
Another Spider-Man filled his thoughts instead—a beautiful girl who loved playing the drums. She was Spider-Man. Everyone adored her.
He was no exception.
He dreamed of becoming her friend someday.
But he was born missing his right arm. A broken kid like him didn't deserve to be her friend.
Then he met Curtis Connors, who had also lost an arm. Connors created Lizard Serum—granting regeneration, strength… a new arm.
In order to be worthy of standing beside Spider-Man, Peter injected it.
And became a monster.
He would never forget the look in her eyes.
Shock. Sympathy. Fear. Disappointment…
He nearly went insane.
This wasn't what he wanted, but he couldn't undo it.
No—he could.
In his final moments, he chose to die so she could live.
Killed by Connors, who had also mutated.
But it didn't matter. She survived.
He proved he was worthy of being her friend.
She would live.
She had to—just like Gwen in this world.
If he could help it, no Gwen in any universe was dying.
His eyes hardened.
Then he looked back at Julian—still rambling nonsense—and fury flashed.
"Gwen has to live. But you—Julian Parker—you're not what Spider-Man should be. You ruined everything beautiful I imagined about Spider-Man. I'm tearing you apart!"
BOOM!!
The rooftop exploded as he launched forward, crossing the distance like a cannon shot.
"I'll tear you apart!!"
His anger wasn't just rage—it was fear, shame, and helplessness twisted together.
Julian shut up immediately. He'd been ready.
The instant the Lizard lunged, Julian vaulted away, firing weblines rapidly and swinging toward the clock tower.
Inside that tower, Harry and Peter were already fighting. That was the real key to the revival match.
BOOOOM…
A fiery blast streaked in.
In midair, Julian and Tony passed each other.
"Peter!"
Tony barely got the word out before a swarm of Chitauri soldiers dove in behind him, firing energy blasts in a dense barrage.
"Shit."
BOOM…
Tony formed a nano-shield to block the shots. Julian wasn't so lucky—an energy bolt hit him squarely, sending him tumbling across a residential rooftop.
"Grahahaha! Impostor! I've got you!"
Under the dark sky, Lizard Parker barreled past, scooping up Julian's falling body as the enraged creature lunged into the night.
"....."