"ARGH!" I heard someone yell.
"What?" I blinked the sleepiness away and pushed myself off the couch. I looked around — why was I on the couch? Wait...oh, right, Tandy...Tandy!
I jumped up and ran upstairs, heading into my room, where I found May and Tandy staring at each other with confusion and shock in their eyes.
May snapped to me, her eyes wide, "Peter, explain."
I groaned, "One Above All, help me."
Breakfast:
May placed a plate of extra-large waffles before us and shot a glare at the back of my head — though I could feel it just fine.
"Sorry," I sighed.
"You better be," May hissed.
"May, maybe you should give him a break," Ben chuckled, "he did do all this for someone else."
"That may be, Ben, but he cannot just bring a random girl home after going out to a party?! I thought the worst!"
"That he finally had a girlfriend again?" Richard scoffed.
"Yes! And that he'd done something awful, like having a one-night stand!" May cried, making Tandy blush scarlet.
I sighed, "come on, Aunt May — you're embarrassing Tandy." I moved to grab a waffle, only for May to slap my hand away, "hey!"
"No," she glared before placing a bowl of dull-looking oats in front of me, "this is for you. Tandy can have the waffles," she said, smiling gently at the girl and putting her at ease.
I grumbled, "this is ridiculous. I do the right thing and I get punished," I ate a spoonful of oats, "huh...honey. Nice."
"Of course — I'm looking to punish you, not torture you," May smiled as she sat down next to Tandy and turned to the girl, "now then, dear, tell us a little about yourself."
The girl blinked, "I...I don't really know what to say. I like to shop, I guess. Before I ran away I actually wanted to be a model."
I smirked, "well in that case I know two girls you'll get along with like a house on fire. Wait...oh damn it!"
"What's wrong?" Ben asked.
I groaned, "I just remembered — I lost a bet...you guys wouldn't happen to have a pink shirt I could borrow, would you?"
Richard raised an eyebrow, "yes...what was the bet?"
"Flash bet me that he could pick up a girl before I did," I shrugged, "I personally think he still didn't win, since his date was completely drunk, but whatever — I'm not going to argue the point."
"Drunk? My goodness, was she alright?" May asked.
I nodded, "yeah. Liz had Johnny take the girl home, I think. I didn't really follow up after they took her away."
"Peter, you really shouldn't go to such places," May whispered, worried.
"Oh relax, May," Ben chuckled, "you know how rarely the slugger goes out in the first place."
"Yeah," I nodded, "besides, if I hadn't gone, I wouldn't have found Tandy." I winked at the girl, making her blush.
As we ate, I noticed Richard had a newspaper on hand. The headline read: 'Street Rats Destroyed!' That was an exaggeration. Matt and I had simply gone in and dismantled five of their bases. No big deal.
As I smiled to myself I noticed Tandy was also reading the headline, her eyes going wide. She turned to me and I shrugged. She was already suspicious of me — no need to be cheeky and hand her any more clues.
Just then my phone began to ring. I pulled it out and found Matt's number on the screen. I picked up, "hello. What's up, Matty?"
"Don't ever call me that," he grumbled.
"Ouch — grouchy, aren't you? What's up?" I asked.
"I looked over the girl's case. Can I meet her face to face? It would help."
I nodded, "of course. What time are you free?"
"Noon?"
"We'll be there," I replied, "bye. See you soon." I ended the call and sighed.
"Who was that?" Ben asked.
"A lawyer friend of mine," I told him, "he agreed to take on Tandy's case pro bono."
Tandy's eyes widened, "h-he accepted?"
I nodded, "yup! We're meeting him at noon today. So eat up, Tandy!"
"Oh no you're not — you have school, mister!" May cut in.
"B-but Aunt May! This is a girl's life hanging in the balance!" I cried out.
"Then I'll go with her," May offered, "it shouldn't be too hard if you've already spoken to this man."
"B-but—"
"—Oh, give it up, Peter," Ben put in, "you lost this one."
"Yeah, son — you can't run from wearing pink today," Richard and the others laughed. Even Tandy joined in. I groaned, stuffing my oats down my throat. I hate school.
That day:
"Hahaha!" Flash laughed hard, holding his stomach and physically doubling forward, eyes filled with tears.
My eyelid twitched, "it's not that funny, Flash. It's just a colour." I had kept my end of the bet, wearing a pink button-up shirt with cowboy embroidery along the sides, paired with jeans and a brown overcoat.
"You look like a gay cowboy!" Flash cried out before laughing even harder. A few kids nearby all started laughing too, prompting me to simply roll my eyes.
"Oh, come off it, Flash," MJ scoffed, "he's just keeping his word, which he technically didn't even have to do."
"What? Why not! He lost fair and square!" Flash exclaimed.
"That drunk girl you picked up didn't count," Liz snorted as we all sat down at one table. Yes — Flash Thompson was sitting with us at lunch. The gods must be crazy indeed.
"Hey, it so does count!" Flash shot back.
"What happened to her anyway?" I asked Liz.
She shrugged, "Johnny and Flash took her around and dropped her with some of her friends. And don't worry — they didn't leave until they confirmed they were her actual friends, so they didn't just abandon a passed-out girl with strangers."
"Oh, that's good," I nodded.
"Where were you, Parker?" Flash asked, "I looked for you, but you'd vanished."
I shrugged, "well, I stayed until MJ and Mark played — you killed it by the way," I high-fived the redhead, "but then I got distracted by something else."
"What?" Liz asked, narrowing her eyes.
I grinned, "a girl."
"Oh! Details! Spill! Now!" Liz squeaked.
I rolled my eyes, "not like that, Liz. She was in a bad place, so I helped her out. I took her to the hospital and gave her a bed to sleep in."
"Wait, you took her home?!" Flash squawked.
I grinned, "yeah. May nearly had a heart attack when she found her in my bed in the morning."
"WHAT?!" MJ and Liz screamed, as I laughed hard. It took me a while to explain the situation to them, while being careful not to make Tandy sound pathetic — the poor girl already had a fragile sense of self-worth.
"We need to meet her," Liz glared, "who knows what kind of ideas you've put in her head!"
MJ nodded, "damn right. I want to meet her too."
"And me!" Flash chimed in.
I sighed, "oh, this is going to be a pain. I just know it."
Mark then sat down, "hey, guys — what's up?"
"Nothing much," MJ smirked, "we were just talking about the girl Peter brought home last night. Apparently his aunt almost had a heart attack when she found her in his bed this morning."
"Oh, that's ni — wait, what?!"
That afternoon:
I pulled up to the kerb and sighed. "I told you — this isn't meant for five people," Liz was in the front seat, but in the back MJ, Mark and Flash were all crammed together.
"Dude, you have a time machine — I'm taking every single chance I get to ride in this thing!" Mark argued.
"And I'm not giving you a reason to leave me behind!" Flash argued.
"Fine," we all quickly got out and I led them to my house. I opened the door and we all came inside, "I'm home! And I brought friends!"
"In here, Peter!" May called out. We walked into the kitchen and found May, Tandy and — surprisingly — Matt, all sitting around sipping tea.
I blinked, "Matt? What are you doing here? Don't you have work?"
"Actually my last client of the day lives in Queens, so I was heading this way anyway. Then your aunt insisted I come over for tea," the man replied without missing a beat. He stood up and extended his hand, "nice to finally meet you officially."
I smiled, "same," I shook his hand.
"Peter?" May asked, "what do you mean 'officially'?"
"Matt and I are online poker buddies," I smiled, "we've never actually met face to face until today. So it's kind of a big moment."
"Poker?!" May squeaked, "you're gambling online?!"
"Oh no, ma'am," Matt chuckled, "your nephew does have quite the sense of humour. We did meet online, however — in a chat room."
Flash groaned, "ah, how is that even possible? Aren't you like blin — oh!" Mark quickly elbowed him, shutting the jock up.
"Anyway, I should be on my way," Matt nodded, "thank you, ma'am — you've been a wonderful host. And Tandy, relax. With your signed statement and the hospital reports, no judge will ever let you remain in that family's custody."
"T-thanks," Tandy nodded slowly.
Matt then turned to me, "until next time."
"Right — let me walk you out," I motioned for the others to give us some room as we stepped outside, closing the door behind us. "Thanks again for this. It means a lot."
"It's fine — it's the job," Matt nodded, "although...you never mentioned having such a large family."
I chuckled, "why do you think I wear the mask, Matt? Half the people I care about are superheroes — they can look after themselves. But the other half...they're just human. If I could, I wouldn't even wear the mask. Maybe even do what Stark did and announce it at a press conference or something."
"I see," Matt nodded, "well...it was nice to finally meet you, Peter Parker."
"Same, Matt Murdock," we shook hands once more before I flagged down a cab and sent him off.
I returned inside only to stop short at the sight of Tandy being surrounded by all my friends, each of them bombarding her with questions.
"So are you single?" Flash asked.
"Peter said you don't have clothes — we should totally go shopping!" Liz cheered.
"Are you into music?" Mark asked.
"How close did you and Peter actually get?" MJ asked curiously.
I sighed, "alright, you four — let the girl breathe."
Tandy smiled, "I don't mind. I am single," Flash grinned, "and I would like to go shopping, but I don't have any money right now — maybe later," Liz shrugged, "and yes, I like music, but just the soft, nice stuff," Mark grumbled, "and Peter...Peter's my best friend." That caused MJ to raise a curious eyebrow before turning to me and winking.
I rolled my eyes, "she's exaggerating a little. Anyway — who wants to see a movie? Should be fun, yeah?"
"Yeah!" they all replied at once.
"I call shotgun!" MJ immediately cried out.
"Damn it!" Liz hissed.
"Don't worry, Tandy — you can sit on my lap," Flash smiled, winking at the girl.
"I-it's fine, you don't have to include me. I'm sure it's already a squeeze as it is," she squeaked.
"Nonsense — it'll be fine!" Mark chuckled, "it'll be like an adventure!"
The next day:
Tandy and MJ got along great, the two girls complementing each other very well, while Liz was a little too extroverted for Tandy's pace. They were currently using my room to hang out, and I was forced to sit and listen to them chat up a storm.
"So what did you think of the fall catalogue?" Liz asked, passing over a fashion magazine.
"I think the designer finally found her groove back. Maria Buscemi is a genius, but she's so inconsistent," Tandy sighed.
"Totally!" MJ replied enthusiastically, "and like, she doesn't even realise how much time she's wasted! Like—"
I groaned, "come on! Can we please talk about something else?! Anything else?!"
"Shut up, Peter," Liz glared, "we're having girl time. If you can't handle it, you should just leave."
"But it's my room!"
"For the past two days Tandy's been living in it, so technically it's her room now," MJ argued.
Tandy chuckled, "yeah, Peter — she's right."
"Argh, this blows," I grumbled. But just then my phone began to vibrate. I picked it up and saw a text message on the screen: 'The quantum field has been stabilized.' I grinned, "sweet."
I jumped up and grabbed my hoodie and bag immediately. "Where are you going?" MJ asked.
"Work. Reed finally made some progress on a project we've been working on together," I grinned, "and if this works, my own project will be one step closer to completion."
"Wait — you have a job?" Tandy asked, curious.
I chuckled, "yeah — did you think my car just came out of nowhere? I told you I built it, right?"
"O-oh, right," Tandy nodded, "where do you work?"
"Oh, you're going to love this," Liz giggled, "Peter works with the Fantastic Four."
Tandy's eyes went wide as she stared at me with something akin to reverence. "Y-you work for superheroes?!"
"Not for — with," MJ and I said at the same time. People kept treating me like an employee instead of a partner. The pattern was really obvious now.
"That's amazing," Tandy gasped quietly, "you're so cool, Peter..."
I shrugged, "it's nothing. Listen — I may be gone for a few days, so don't worry. Matt and May will take care of everything, okay?"
"D-days? Where are you going?" Tandy asked.
I shrugged, "nowhere far. But when I get deep into a project like this I usually don't surface from the lab for a few days. This whole week was actually me taking a break. Once it's done I should be home soon."
"Okay," Tandy blinked, not quite sure what to say next.
"Relax, Peter," MJ said, "we'll look after her. She'll be fine with us."
I nodded, "thanks, MJ. Alright, you three — I'll see you later!" And with that I rushed out the door, excited to finally be making some progress on the Antimatter universe.
Three days later:
Reed and I stared at the gateway with heavy, tired eyes. Reed had stubble on his face, and so did I, though not quite as much.
His lab was thoroughly trashed. Coffee cups were everywhere — we had just kept refilling over and over. Papers and papers of calculations were scattered all over every surface.
Is it ready? I asked — no wait, I thought that. I didn't actually open my mouth. Damn it. I wished I were psychic.
"Is it ready?" There — that time I actually spoke.
"Yeah," Reed sighed, "the generator is fixed. Any and all matter that enters through the portal will gain a negative charge, allowing us to travel between the worlds." He yawned hard, and thanks to his powers his jaw stretched wide open. You could fit a coconut in there.
"Alright then," I moved to a computer and looked at the readings, "the portal looks stable enough...it's time to see if this works."
Reed nodded as he pressed the blinking red button on the terminal. The space inside the gateway shimmered before suddenly flashing blue. And then, the portal stabilised. On the other side I could see a familiar barren landscape — dying stars burning faintly in the distance.
"It's beautiful," Reed whispered.
"Yes...it is," I replied, before shutting the machine off, causing the portal to collapse.
Reed sighed as we both dropped into our chairs, exhausted. Reed groaned, "does this really matter, Peter?"
I blinked away the sleepiness, "what do you mean?"
"Well, if I already discovered this world in another reality, then...doesn't that mean everything I do will just be a copy? Aren't I just repeating what has already happened? Does any of this matter?"
I thought about that for a while before responding, "Reed...it does. Because yes, while in the grand scheme of things nothing truly 'matters', right now, right here — we are making the world a better place for our people. For the people living in our dimension."
I got up and stretched, "think of it like two famine-struck villages, identical in every way. One eventually invents a new form of irrigation to bring in a harvest — but does that mean the other should just give up? We are still in a world of famine, Reed Richards. We mustn't forget that. This is our reality; its people and ideas made us. So we shouldn't compare ourselves to anyone else, lest we forget what really happened and what could still happen."
Reed considered that for a moment before nodding, "you're right...as always."
I snorted, "I know...anyway," I sniffed myself, "oh God, we reek! How long has it been since we showered?!"
"Around seventy-two hours, I think," Reed groaned, "I don't think we've eaten anything other than coffee and some donuts."
And at that exact realisation my stomach growled loudly. I sighed, "fine. Let's shower and eat something before anything else."
"We also need to sleep," Reed noted with a yawn.
"Right," I nodded, "I'll see you tomorrow then. I'll just swing home and...oh damn," I sighed, "I skipped the last three days of school."
"I'll write you a note," Reed shrugged.
"Not going to help with my aunt and uncle...or my dad," I sighed, rubbing the crust from my eyes, "I'm really not in the mood for a lecture right now."
"Then stay here," Reed shrugged as we walked out of his lab — not without putting security on high alert first. No way was Doom getting back in here. "I'm sure there's a spare bed you could use."
"Maybe," I sighed, rolling my shoulders. We walked to the lounge where we found Ben, as always, seated on the industrial bench-lifter he used as a chair.
"Oh, you're both alive. That's nice," Ben chuckled, "had an important breakthrough, did you?"
Reed smiled, "something like that. Where is everyone?"
"They're asleep, Stretch," Ben snorted, gesturing at the night sky outside the windows. Damn — how late was it? I spotted a wall clock in the distance. Four in the morning.
"And what are you doing up so late, Ben?" I asked with a yawn.
"Can't sleep much these days," Ben grunted as he turned back to his extra-large screen, "decided to do some reading."
Reed and I exchanged a quiet, pitying look. We moved to the counter, took bagels from the pantry and began eating our first proper meal in three days.
"Reed," I spoke softly, "I've got a new project in mind."
"What's that?" he asked.
"Curing Ben, once and for all," I replied, "we know your powers are interdimensional. Maybe with the data we collect from the antimatter universe, and my own particular understanding of interdimensional energies, we can make some real progress reversing his condition."
"When do we start?" Reed asked.
"First we finish with the antimatter universe," I said as I buttered my bagel, "I'll get in contact with a few experts on dimensional energies." It was about time I met the Ancient One anyway. "We'll begin soon. Sound good?"
"Perfect," Reed nodded, "wait — you know people who are experts in dimensional energies? Who?"
I smiled, "you wouldn't believe me if I told you."
The next day:
Sure enough, I got an earful for disappearing for three days. But by now May and the others were somewhat used to this, so it was mostly for show. Though Tandy seemed genuinely worried for my safety and kept insisting something terrible must have happened.
I slept for about twelve hours. Then, at around seven in the evening, I put on my costume and swung into the city.
I had the address memorised, of course: 177A Bleecker Street. Kind of hard to forget the place where you first learned magic. I swung over and landed in a tree across the road. It was getting dark — time to change. I took off my costume, beneath which I wore my apprentice robes, and stuffed my metal backpack into my bag of infinite storage.
I jumped down and looked around. Nobody paid me any attention. I walked up to the Sanctum and knocked.
I stood and waited. Two minutes later the door swung open and a tall Black man in orange and yellow robes stood before me, his bearing large and imposing.
He looked down at me, his eyes registering surprise at my clothes. "Who are you? Where did you get those robes?" he demanded.
"My name is of no concern," I shrugged, "but I am here to use this Sanctum's portal to Kamar-Taj. May I?" I smiled.
He narrowed his eyes, "I don't know who you are, boy, but I will not tolerate your games," he reached behind him to grip the staff attached to his back.
I quickly spun my hand clockwise, forming a magical circle before me, "relax, Master Grumpy — I'm one of you."
He narrowed his eyes, then slowly relaxed, "what do you want?"
"I told you — I need to use the portal to Kamar-Taj."
"Why?"
"To speak to the Ancient One," I replied.
"Why?"
"That's between her and me," I smiled. That was a small test — most would assume the Ancient One was a man.
"How do you know all this? Who is your master?" the man demanded.
I smiled, "that's a little difficult to explain. You see, he's in another dimension."
The man glared at me. I smiled back. He sighed, "every day it's something new. Fine — follow me." He stepped back and allowed me inside.
I looked around. The house was different, obviously, since the one I was used to was in another dimension. This one looked exactly like the Sanctum from the MCU. The Master of this place led me to the back, where a giant thirty-foot door bore the sigil of the New York Sanctum.
He walked forward and pushed the doors open. There was a yellow shimmer before us, but the moment we stepped through it vanished. The doors closed behind us and I found myself in the crossroads room beneath the library of Kamar-Taj. Sitting on a pedestal before me was the Eye of Agamotto — and inside it, the Time Infinity Stone.
"Come — don't dawdle," the man grunted, motioning me forward.
I had to force myself to look away from the amulet. All that power...just sitting there. What a waste. I looked away and followed the man through the towering stacks of books. I spotted the Book of Time to my left — it glowed with contained power. That's right...the events of Doctor Strange had yet to unfold.
I followed him out of the library and into a courtyard where several students in white were practising. At their head was a Black man in green robes — Baron Mordo. He seemed to sense me looking, because he immediately locked eyes with me. For a moment I wondered if he was going to intervene.
That moment passed as the Master of the New York Sanctum and I entered the largest building and were guided into the main hall — just as Strange once was.
I found the Ancient One pouring tea into two cups. The old, one-armed Chinese master whom Strange had once mistaken for her sat comfortably in a chair before her. The Master of the New York Sanctum stepped back and motioned me forward.
I nodded and stepped up behind her, "you were expecting me?" The Ancient One placed a cup in my hands. I smiled as I sipped it, "hm...honey?"
She smiled, "very good. You have quite a palate."
I shrugged, "my master used to put honey in his tea too — a habit he picked up from his master. From you."
She raised a single eyebrow. She turned to the old Chinese man, "that will be all, Master Hamera, Master Bendu — thank you." The two men bowed before leaving, closing the door behind them.
"So do you keep him around just to see how many people look past you and assume him to be the Ancient One?"
"Well...it never gets old," she smiled as she motioned to a low table on the floor, "shall we?"
I nodded as we sat down on cushions before the table, our cups before us. I cleared my throat, "you never answered my question. Were you expecting me?"
"Does it matter if I was?" she asked.
"Yes. If you were, it would mean you have some understanding of this situation, and it would save us both time," I leaned forward, sipping my tea.
"I see...well then, yes — I do know who you are, Peter Parker. Or should I say, Spider-man?"
"Ah, so you do know," I nodded, "how, may I ask?"
"When the scientific group — the Baxter Foundation — first discovered dimensional travel, I had agents keep watch on them. And when you joined, naturally I learned everything about you as well. I was...surprised to learn of your heroic activities. Impressive, to say the least."
"I see," I nodded, "we'll need to step up our security then."
"Yes, you will."
"Can I assume you also know about my little excursion in the days before Christmas?"
"Yes. That was one of the reasons I had my people monitor you. Tampering with the barriers between realities is delicate work — if your group had damaged them...well, that would have been a serious problem."
"You wanted to make sure we didn't mess it up," I simplified.
She smiled, "yes, in a few words."
"Right...well, what you don't know is that the portal sent me to a world that is a reflection of our own. I saw a version of my future self there, and in an effort to find a way back — and among other things — the Sorcerer Supreme of that world took me on as his apprentice."
"Oh...I see," she sipped her drink, "show me."
I held out my hand and immediately a disc of magic formed — perfectly circular, with a spider's web within it.
The Ancient One's eyes went wide, "t-the Web of Life."
I sighed, "so you do recognise it."
"H-how is this...oh...of course, yes. It would make sense. Do you know what this means?"
I nodded, "that was one of the reasons my master chose to train me. He said that as a totem of the Web of Life, I was one of the few beings in existence who could actually draw on its power. He said that becoming a Sorcerer of the Web was my destiny...whatever that means."
She placed her cup on the table and extended her arms, summoning a dozen magical circles that she spun slowly around me. I waited patiently, sipping my tea. Hm — this really was very good. Just honey, huh?
Finally, she finished. She sighed, "this is...remarkable."
I nodded, "your tea isn't half bad either."
"Do you understand what you are? Did he explain it to you?"
"Yes, he did. He warned me of the consequences of tapping into the Web's power, and he warned me that if I were to die at the hands of someone wielding all six Infinity Stones, all of reality could potentially unravel. Is that about the gist of it?" I asked.
She nodded, "yes — more or less. Has he trained you in any form? Do you understand your true potential?"
"No. He hasn't trained me in using the Web itself. Just the basics — the Whips of Vastha, things like that."
"I see...very well then. I suppose you leave me little choice. Apprentice Parker — would you like to be trained in the mystical arts?"
I sighed, "that is...a difficult question to answer, Sorcerer Supreme."
"Why so?"
"As you know, I have other responsibilities. School, work, and the ongoing business of trying to protect the world in my own way. Training in magic is nearly a full-time commitment. Is there any form of exception I might apply for?"
She hummed, "sadly...no. But...perhaps your training need not be as rigorous as others'." She got up and motioned for me to follow.
I followed her back down into the basement of the library. The librarian didn't even glance up as the Ancient One searched through several shelves before selecting two books — a blue one and a red one.
"These are the personal journals of an old friend — Master Kal Cole, an American like yourself, born in 1843 and dead two decades later. In them he describes the process he attempted to tap into the Web of Life for power," she placed them in my hands, "they may prove useful."
I groaned, "I've never heard of this man. Was he a totem as well?"
"No, he was not. He was ambitious. I was present when he attempted the process and...I saw what it did to him. I banned its use from that moment forward — it was far too dangerous."
"What happened?"
"He was not a spider. He was a fly. And so the web consumed him," she replied, a faraway sadness crossing her face, "a shame, really...I had hoped one day he might have taken on my role in all of this. Either way, since you cannot train here in the traditional manner, you will simply have to make do."
"Wait a moment...I walk in here, and you trust me with books capable of breaking reality without so much as a second thought?"
"You were trained by someone who once held the title of Sorcerer Supreme, yes?"
I nodded, "yes."
"Then I will trust in his judgement," she smiled knowingly, "after all, I have come to learn that Stephen Strange is a very good judge of character."
I paused, "how did you know?"
She smiled and looked over my shoulder. Sure enough, hunched over a book in the corner was this world's version of my master. He wore white robes — which technically made me his senior in the mystical arts. He was so absorbed in his reading he hadn't even noticed us.
"I knew Strange's destiny the moment he was born into this world," she said softly.
"Do you know mine?" I asked.
She looked at me, "most people do not walk a clear path. Strange's destiny was always to become my replacement, so his was clear. But you...you are far more difficult to read. It's hard to say with you."
I sighed, "just what I need — more uncertainty about the future." I glanced over at Strange, working so intently. It was genuinely inspiring. I sighed, "right — thanks for these books. But that isn't actually the main reason I came here today."
"Oh? And why are you here, then?"