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Chapter 26: May Parker
Once Peter Parker stepped in to block his gaze, Bruce had already shifted his focus entirely onto Peter.
"You will need to find a place to repair that yourselves," Bruce stated. Then he added, "And I have a good idea where you need to go."
He raised a hand and pointed toward the house down the street, the one still covered in Spider-Man memorials and flowers.
"Seems like nothing gets past you," Gwen said, her voice resigned. In front of this Bat, they truly had no secrets.
"If you're Batman," Miles chimed in, his mind racing with comic book lore, "shouldn't you have a Batcave? Why can't we just fix this thing in your Batcave?" He couldn't help it. The thought of Batman's legendary base, with its giant penny and mechanical dinosaur, was too cool. He really wanted to see it. He was also a little curious why they hadn't seen a Batmobile or any other cool Bat-vehicles.
"There is no Batcave yet," Bruce answered flatly. Without another word, he fired his grapple gun, caught the air with his cape, and glided silently down to land at May Parker's front door.
What?Ā To Miles, that sounded like a lame excuse. How could a billionaire BatmanĀ notĀ have a Batcave?
Peter B. Parker probably had a better idea. After all, he'd been the one who helped this Batman "redistribute resources" from the rich earlier.
Patting Miles on the shoulder, Peter hefted the Okmax computer tower he was carrying. "Come on, kid." He then shot a web and swung down to join Bruce.
"I suggest you talk to him as little as possible," Gwen advised Miles before she webbed away. It was a warning for him, but also a reminder to herself. The Bat's entire demeanor and oppressive atmosphere made someone like Spider-Man, who thrived on motion and quips, deeply uncomfortable.
What else could Miles do? He sighed and started making his way down the fire escapes and alleys to follow them.
Setting the heavy computer tower down on the porch, Peter B. Parker looked suddenly nervous. What would this world's May Parker think when she saw him? He shot a small web at the doorbell button, then quickly stepped back, his expression a complicated mix of hope and dread.
"No, nope. This is a bad idea. Let's just go." Standing on the familiar porch of a home that was both his and not his, Peter's emotions were in turmoil. He wanted to see Aunt May more than anything, but he was terrified of the pain it might bringāfor both of them.
"Peter, we're already here," Gwen said softly, but firmly. This was their only real lead to get a new key.
"What a terrible, terrible idea," Peter mumbled, turning on his heel to leave. He almost walked straight into Bruce, who was standing silently behind him. The Bat's disapproving gaze stopped him cold.
"Thank you for your concern, but we aren't receiving any more visitors tonight," a kind, tired voice came from behind the door. It was Aunt May.
Hearing that familiar voice, Peter froze completely, unable to move.
May Parker opened the door, a baseball bat held cautiously at her side. But the moment her eyes landed on the man in the worn-out Spider-Man suit on her porch, her expression shifted from wariness to pure, stunned shock. The bat slipped from her fingers and clattered to the ground.
"I... I'm not ready for this," Peter whispered, though his feet seemed rooted to the spot.
"Peter...?" May breathed out, her eyes wide. The initial shock in her gaze quickly melted into a deep, familiar warmth and concern.
"Hey, Aunt May," Peter said, his voice rough with emotion.
She stepped closer, moving as if in a dream, and gently placed her hand on the faded spider emblem on his chest. Feeling the familiar shape, she then lifted her hand to his bearded, weary face, touching it in disbelief.
"I know this sounds crazy, but I'm actually fromā" Peter began, trying to explain he wasn't her Peter.
But May cut him off, her eyes clear and knowing. "Another universe."
"...Yes."
"You look tired, Peter," she said softly, her thumb brushing his cheek.
"Yeah," he admitted, his shoulders slumping a little. "I really am."
"A little older. And... a little plumper." Only then did she take in his full, slightly paunchy figure.
Peter shot a helpless look toward Batman, who was observing the scene without a word. "Yeah. Someone already mentioned that."
Aunt May's eyes dropped to his pants. "Oh my goodness. Are those... sweatpants?"
Gwen, standing off to the side, gave a small, sympathetic nod. "Yep. They're sweatpants."
Miles stepped forward slowly. "I... I was there. When Peter... left. I'm so sorry." He offered his awkward, sincere apology to this grieving woman.
May looked at him kindly. "Which universe are you from?"
"Brooklyn," Miles said.
It was then that Aunt May's eyes finally landed on Bruce, who stood a head taller than the rest, a silent monolith of shadow and armor. A faint, sad smile touched her lips. "I didn't know my nephew became Batman in another universe." Batman's iconic status clearly crossed dimensions.
"I belong to this world," Bruce replied. Facing this kind, grieving woman, he had softened his terrifying rumble to a deep, but more human, baritone.
"Okay," May said simply, accepting it.
Miles pulled the broken encryption key from his pocket and held it out to her. "Is there any place of Peter's where we could, you know, remake this?"
"A gizmo," May said, taking the damaged drive. She used the same term Peter had. She looked up, and her eyes, once full of gentle sorrow, now shone with a fierce, determined light. "Follow me."
She turned and marched through her house, kicking open the back door with surprising force. She led them across the small yard to a rickety-looking wooden shed, an inconspicuous garden storage room.
"Well, I have a place like this, too. A little workshop."
But when May pressed the old, tarnished brass padlock in a specific sequence, something amazing happened. The spider emblem on the lock lit up with a soft blue light. Lines of the same light raced across the wooden door, etching out a huge, brilliant spider symbol.
May Parker looked back over her shoulder at the stunned group, a proud, almost mischievous glint in her eye. She tilted her head. "Well? Come on in."
(End of Chapter)
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