"Hey, buddy, you a Spider-Man too?"
Under the gaze of the crowd, a red-and-blue figure swung by, one arm around Charlie, curiously eyeing his tattered golden suit.
Charlie didn't answer. He glanced at Wanda peeking from the rooftop, then fired a web and swung upward.
"Wait."
Seeing Charlie vanish swiftly between skyscrapers, this world's Spider-Man tried to follow.
But Charlie was too fast, disappearing before he could catch up.
"Wow, his web-swinging is so graceful."
Spider-Man landed on a skyscraper's glass wall, scratching his head in confusion.
"But why do his webs stay in the air? Is someone pulling them?"
Noticing strange scarlet energy surging into the sky, he shook his head.
"Something's off. Forget it, hospital first."
Peter Parker pushed aside his thoughts, leaping off the building, firing webs to swing through the city.
Soon, he reached New York Central Hospital.
In a corner, Peter stuffed his Spider-Man suit into his backpack and jogged to Aunt May's room.
"Peter, you're here."
By the bedside, Mary Jane stood watch, her dark circles heavy, clearly sleep-deprived for days.
Seeing her weary state, Peter forced a faint smile.
"Sorry, it's been tough on you."
Mary Jane shook her head, "It's fine. Did you handle your thing?"
"All set."
Peter sat by the comatose Aunt May, holding her hand.
"I caught that guy, but…"
Guilt washed over him, "If I hadn't dodged that bullet, Aunt May wouldn't…"
Mary Jane placed a hand on his shoulder.
"It's not your fault."
"But…"
Peter lowered his head, "That bullet wouldn't have killed me, but it might kill Aunt May.
If I'd known, I wouldn't have dodged."
His voice softened, his hand trembling.
A doctor entered the room.
"Have you prepared the surgery fees? She doesn't have long."
Peter turned quickly, "Sorry, please give me a bit more time. I'll get the money," he pleaded.
The doctor shook his head, "I'm sorry too. Even with the fees, the bullet near her heart is hard to remove. My advice is…"
"No, I'll get the money for her surgery. She can't die; she's my only family."
Peter gazed at Aunt May's pale face, then turned to the doctor, "Please arrange the surgery now."
The doctor considered, "We can start in an hour, but you must pay first.
Miss that window, and her chances of survival drop significantly."
"Got it, I'll do it."
Peter took a deep breath, slowly releasing Aunt May's hand.
Mary Jane looked worried, "Peter, we can't afford the surgery."
"I'll ask Mr. Stark. He'll lend me the money."
It was Peter's last hope.
But after what happened, he had little confidence.
As the doctor left, Peter suited up and leaped out the window.
Soon, he arrived at Stark Tower.
By the poolside garden, Tony stared intently at two figures on a virtual screen, his face grave.
"Mr. Stark—"
Peter started, but Tony frowned, "Don't interrupt. We're done."
"No, Mr. Stark, please hear me out."
Peter tried to explain, but Tony grew annoyed.
He headed inside, "We've got nothing to talk about."
"Wait."
Peter blocked him, "Aunt May's been shot. I need your help."
Tony's expression flickered, but he refused.
"The great Spider-Man, aren't you all-powerful?"
Coldly, he said, "I'm just a government puppet, no help to offer."
"No, you can help. I need surgery money."
"That's your problem, not mine."
"Please, Aunt May's dying."
Seeing Peter sweat anxiously, Tony softened slightly.
His tone eased, "Fine, I'll help, but you must sign the Accords. Superheroes need oversight."
Peter hesitated.
"Mr. Stark, even if I sign, you know I don't agree with it…"
"Sign it, and you follow it."
Tony's face hardened, "You saw what happened with Ultron. Unchecked heroes cause disasters.
The Accords are necessary to prevent that.
Steve didn't agree, and I get it.
But you, Spider-Man, Peter Parker, my friend—you sided with Steve, even fought me. You think I can still help you?"
Peter lowered his head, guilt-ridden.
"Sorry, Mr. Stark, I still think the Accords are a trap, a way to control us.
If they gain control, we'll become their weapons, hurting innocents.
That's my belief. I never meant to oppose you."
Tony said coldly, "I'll judge if it's a trap.
You've got two choices: sign the Accords, and I'll cover May's surgery.
Or refuse, and let May die."
"I—"
Peter's heart twisted. He considered signing and reneging later.
But he couldn't deceive Mr. Stark.
After all, he saw him as a father!
Seeing his hesitation, Tony turned.
"If you've made your choice, leave."
He paused, adding, "If you'd signed from the start, that bullet wouldn't have been fired. May wouldn't be hurt. This is on you."
"No, it's not."
Peter stumbled, his face pale.
"I just—"
He didn't know how to explain.
With great power comes great responsibility.
Uncle Ben's words before he died.
Peter held them close.
So when facing evil, he stood up to protect everyone.
But Aunt May got shot.
Was he wrong?
Uncle Ben wouldn't think so.
Neither would Aunt May.
Because he was Spider-Man, it's what he did.
But now, he doubted himself.
The cost of being a hero was losing family. He couldn't bear it.
No time to dwell.
Mr. Stark wouldn't help; he'd turn to other friends.
Peter left.
Tony stood by the coffee machine, staring blankly as he ground beans.
He was torn.
He felt he should help Peter and May.
He saw Peter as his son.
But his son should support him.
Support his global security system.
But what did Peter do?
He betrayed Iron Man, joining Steve's side.
Peter's betrayal angered him. He wanted Peter to pay.
"No, I shouldn't think that."
Tony snapped out of it, sweating.
Pepper hugged him from behind.
"Tony, stop overthinking. Peter needs you."
Tony gritted his teeth, "But he betrayed me."
Pepper sighed, "He just didn't want to betray himself."
Tony trembled.
"Not betray himself…"
His resolve wavered.
Memories surfaced. He glanced at a photo on the table.
Peter's smile was so bright.
If May died, he'd never see that smile again.
And he'd regret it forever under guilt's weight.
This wasn't the time for grudges.
"Honestly, I don't want to lose him as a friend, or let him lose May."
Seeing his decision, Pepper smiled.
"What are you waiting for?"
"Thanks, beautiful Ms. Potts."
Tony waved, "Happy, transfer the surgery money to Peter's account."
"Understood."
The room's AI system activated.
After Ultron consumed Jarvis, Tony built a new AI named Happy.
For a friend who always smiled, by his side for years.
A thought struck Tony.
"Happy, keep tracking those two."
"Got it."
A virtual screen appeared.
At the New York coast, scarlet and golden lights flickered, their clashes raising terrifying waves, awe-inspiring.
"A golden Spider-Man and that strange, terrifying woman."
Pepper was stunned, covering her mouth, "They're so powerful. If they keep fighting near the city, it'll be destroyed."
Tony's eyes hardened, "Notify S.H.I.E.L.D. We must stop this disaster."
"You're no match for them. They're too strong."
Pepper held him, "Find Thor. Only a god can stop them."
"Thor's missing, unreachable," Tony said helplessly.
Pepper looked nervous, "They'll leave on their own, right?"
"Not necessarily."
As Tony spoke, the golden light vanished, and the scarlet energy dissipated.
"They're gone."
Tony perked up, "Happy, search for them globally."
"Yes, sir."
Half an hour later, Happy replied, "Sorry, sir, no trace found."
Before Tony could relax, Happy added.
"Found something. It's Spider-Man."
"Peter?"
Tony frowned, "What's up with him?"
"Sir, New York's crawling with Spider-Men."
"What?"
Tony was shocked.
…
Half an hour earlier.
Crossing universe after universe, Charlie couldn't shake Wanda's pursuit.
In an endless desert, golden light crashed down.
"Rumble!!"
The desert shook, scarlet energy enveloping it.
Chaos magic spread, spawning desert giants.
"Boom~"
The giants trapped Charlie in a scarlet zone. Wanda landed on the lead giant's shoulder.
"You can't escape."
Charlie facepalmed, "With this time, I could've found a universe for you."
Wanda's hair fluttered, her face colder.
"So you're wasting our time."
"Damn it!"
Charlie finally snapped.
"You're insane! I'm warning you, angering the invincible Spider-Man has consequences.
Drop that weird tracking magic, and I'll let it slide."
Wanda sneered, "Poor bug, the only way to escape me is death."
"Fine, I'll die right now!"
Charlie pulled a strange box from his suit.
A trophy from defeating Apocalypse, a TVA time device.
"Click!"
"Buzz~"
He pressed the box, and a golden portal bloomed.
The TVA locked onto Charlie, armed agents with batons emerging.
"Apocalypse, you're surrounded—huh? Spider-Man, golden?"
The lead agent stared at Charlie, stunned.
Suddenly, he realized something.
"It's Charlie Parker from the Spider-Man central universe!"
The agents exchanged glances, whispering.
Wanda frowned at the scene.
Who were these people?
They had universe-traveling devices too?
Noticing their boxes, her scarlet eyes flashed.
"You look easier to deal with than Spider-Man."
She smirked coldly.
Before she could unleash chaos magic to snatch the boxes, the lead agent pulled out colorful gems.
The agents distributed them, embedding them in their weapons.
"This is an SSS-level threat. Use the Infinity Stones."
Charlie: "!!!!"
His face lit up, "Quick, kill me, the time-tampering fugitive!"
"Bang!"
A purple beam shot from an agent's baton, blasting Charlie through a desert giant.
Other agents aimed at Wanda.
"Swish swish swish"
Colored beams hit the scarlet energy, exploding.
But after brief panic, Wanda noticed something off about the Infinity Stones.
Meanwhile, Charlie climbed from the sand.
Looking at the faint purple energy on his chest, he scratched his head.
"Am I that strong? Even Infinity Stones can't kill me?"
Rubbing his sore chest, he understood.
The TVA had drawers of Infinity Stones, true.
But they only worked in their native universe.
These agents' stones were from other universes, only harnessing raw energy for decent damage.
Killing Charlie with them was a stretch.
Unless they used this universe's stones.
Or, like Ultron with six stones, broke universal barriers, carrying their universe's rules to threaten the Observer.
Charlie abandoned collecting the stones.
As Wanda realized this, scarlet energy spread, petrifying the agents in chaos magic, defenseless.
As she reached for their boxes, a golden portal bloomed.
"Buzz~"
A blinding light froze Wanda mid-air.
Charlie was unaffected.
"Time pause trick?" He rubbed his hands like a scheming fly.
A second wave of agents emerged, their gear more advanced.
They even had time devices to freeze time in a radius.
The agents eyed the frozen Wanda, activating wrist devices.
"Confirmed: Wanda from Universe 199999. Commencing pruning."
Before they could use the pruner, Wanda's scarlet eyes flickered.
"Boom~"
Chaos magic surged, devouring everything.
"No!!"
The agents screamed, fleeing.
They activated time devices, but couldn't stop the overwhelming chaos magic.
"Damn, this universe's chaos magic has higher priority. Run!!"
"Argh!!"
As agents were consumed, the last one collapsed, watching the scarlet magic surge toward him.
"No!!"
A golden flash whisked him away.
"Hey, buddy, don't grope."
On a mountain range across Earth, Charlie dropped the agent, warning sternly.
"I could sue for harassment."
The agent, relieved to be safe, sighed.
"Thanks, Spider-Man."
He removed his helmet, revealing a familiar face.
"Jenny?"
Charlie's eyes widened. It was an annoying classmate.
Jenny wiped her forehead's sweat, "You know me?"
"Sort of!"
"Alright, Mr. Spider-Man, can I arrest you now?" Jenny fiddled with her weapon.
Charlie's mouth twitched, "Answer me first. Why didn't the time device work on Wanda?"
Jenny shrugged, "Since the big boss died, the time devices' rules can't override multiversal ones.
Against strong rule-based powers, like chaos magic, they're not always effective."
Charlie nodded, swatting the pruner from her hand.
Jenny: "."
Annoying Spider-Man, no respect.
Charlie asked, "How do you know about me?"
Jenny, searching for weapons, said, "Same reason. After the big boss died, the TVA lost oversight of many universes, including yours.
But since you keep jumping universes, we got your info.
Charlie Parker, a highly dangerous Spider-Man variant, protected by some special force, untraceable, unkillable."
"Found it."
Jenny pulled an Infinity Stone from her pocket, smiling.
"But we can catch you."
"Really?"
Charlie snatched the stone, examining it in the sunlight.
"Purple Power Stone, polished, it'd make a nice proposal ring… ugh, why such a suicidal thought?"
He tossed it aside, asking, "I reckon since your boss died, the multiverse is chaotic, the sacred timeline a mess."
Looking at Jenny scrambling for the stone, he asked, "Any universes collapse?"
Jenny dusted the stone, shaking her head, "No, we suspect the big boss lied.
But we're stuck in the TVA, bound by his rules."
As she embedded the stone in her baton, Charlie knocked it away.
Jenny: "."
This guy's worse than Peter!!
Charlie patted her shoulder, smiling, "Sounds like a sad story. Interested in going undercover?"
Jenny swatted his hand, snorting, "The TVA doesn't allow that, or we'd vanish forever."
"But your work's meaningless."
"I agree, but rules are rules, and they're rigid."
Seeing her search for weapons, Charlie shrugged.
"Need a lift back?" he asked kindly.
Jenny looked up at the sudden scarlet clouds, her cheeks trembling.
"Do I have a chance?"
Seeing Wanda appear, Charlie frowned.
"She got a universe-traveling box and still chases me?"
"Our boxes are password-protected now," Jenny said.
Charlie: "?????"
Jenny spread her hands, "Too many people stole them, so we set passwords for missions."
"What's the password?" Wanda appeared behind Jenny, her face dark.
"I won't tell you."
Jenny's words cut off as scarlet energy disintegrated her into fragments.
Charlie opened his mouth, "We could've negotiated."
Wanda glared, "You're enough."
"Married women should be reserved. That sounded too flirty."
Charlie stepped back, "Don't push me, or… or I'll die to spite you." He mimed slitting his throat.
Can't fight.
Can't escape.
What else but death?
Wanda's aura grew colder.
"I'm out of patience.
Here's a secret: whether you live or die doesn't matter to me.
If not for Steve, I'd have… don't run!!"
Before she finished, Charlie vanished in golden light.
…
Spider-Man Central Universe.
Kamar-Taj.
"Sorcerer Supreme, help!!"
Bursting into Kamar-Taj, Charlie shouted, then saw a young Wanda dutifully sweeping.
"You—hey, long time no see."
Charlie, startled, waved.
This wasn't that Wanda.
A younger, teenage Wanda.
One word: smooth.
Teen Wanda glanced at him, "Master Ancient One sees no one."
"She knew I'd come?" Charlie's face darkened.
Wanda hugged her broom, smirking, "What do you think?"
"Why are you here?"
"I got interested in magic, so Wong recommended I study here."
"Learned anything?"
"What?"
"Magic, like chaos magic, or wonton magic."
"Nope."
As she spoke, endless scarlet energy emerged from the void.
"What?"
The moment Scarlet Witch appeared, radiating terror, teen Wanda's face changed, her own scarlet energy surging.
Under Scarlet Wanda's influence, teen Wanda's potential unleashed.
As the two Wandas met, the universe's most terrifying forces clashed.
Under their pressure, the void twisted, and the golden spider on Charlie's chest cracked.
"Little spider!!" Charlie held the fragments, tears streaming.
"Little spider, what's wrong?! You can't die! We've been through so much together, I raised you like my own, and now I'm burying you, so tragic!!"
His suit shredded, teen Wanda snapped, "Can you be serious? Something's wrong with my body."
Charlie's skin began tearing, "You're fine, I'm not."
He gritted his teeth, "Don't resist, make it quick."
At his urging, teen Wanda dropped her defenses, chaos magic pouring out.
"Rumble~~"
Scarlet spread, both Wandas floating, their chaos magics growing frenzied.
Finally, scarlet engulfed Kamar-Taj.
Yet no one at Kamar-Taj intervened.
Atop a distant snowy peak, Ancient One and her mages watched.
"Sorcerer Supreme, is Spider-Man dying again?" Wong sighed.
Ancient One smiled, "Yes, killed by a woman again."
Wong's cheek twitched, "He'll learn next time, right?"
"What do you think?"
Ancient One's smile was cryptic, watching the buildings below torn apart by chaos magic, tempted to act.
If she intervened, she could retire.
But angering that woman would doom her mages.
Better wait.
Charlie Parker caused trouble; retirement chances would come.
After some time, the scarlet faded.
Ancient One opened a portal, "Let's check on that girl."
"Sorcerer Supreme, that woman's too scary. Maybe wait?" Wong suggested.
Ancient One shook her head, "No need, she's calmed."
She stepped through the portal into the ruins.
There, Pietro stood before the unconscious teen Wanda.
Facing the more mature "Wanda," he was terrified but wouldn't abandon his sister.
"You won't hurt Wanda!"
His bravery touched Scarlet Wanda's heart.
She gazed at Pietro, blood tears streaming.
"Seeing you again… it's good."
"What?" Pietro frowned.
He felt a strange kinship with this woman.
Not a Skrull?
…
Spider-Verse.
"Dead, finally dead!"
Charlie laughed, hands on hips, "Hahaha, killing the invincible Spider-Man? Woman, you've got my attention."
In the Wanda incident, he felt chaos magic's power.
Worthy of being one of the universe's most terrifying forces.
Spider-Man was no match.
But Spider-Man wouldn't stop trying.
Yup, keep using cheats.
Let her be strong; Spider-Man climbs graves.
With a thought, Charlie entered this Resurrection Match.
[You've received a Resurrection Match invitation!]
[You've entered the Resurrection Match scenario.]
[Scenario: Spider-Man Multiverse.]
[Event: Spider-Man - The Last Day.]
[Main Mission: Save Aunt May.]
[Mission Description: To raise the costly surgery fees to save the shot Aunt May, Peter Parker seeks Iron Man - Tony Stark, whom he once saw as a father.]
[Mission Reward: Resurrection Slot x1.]
[Extra Reward: Aunt May's Smile (Severs the Fate Web's connection to "Aunt May," permanently ending her destined death)]
[Participants: Charlie Parker, Ben Parker x9, May Parker x9, Peter Parker x99.]
[Retry Count: 89.]
[Time Until Mission Start: 30 seconds.]
[Time Until Mission End: 24 hours.]
Atop the Empire State Building, Charlie gazed at the extra reward, trembling with excitement.
"Sever the Fate Web's connection? That means…"
Charlie clenched his fists, eyes gleaming.
Facing ninety-nine Spider-Men, no one would pass up this reward.
With "Aunt May's Smile," he'd never worry about May dying because of him.
More precious than any reward.
So!
This death was worth it.
"Charge!!"
As the countdown ended, Charlie opened a portal without hesitation.
"Buzz~"
"Bang!!"
Before he could enter, a caped red-and-blue figure crashed into him from the portal.
"Oh, shit, dodge~"
Instinctively, Charlie swung.
"Slap!"
A backhand sent the odd Spider-Man flying, the portal's sparks twisting and vanishing.
"Hm?"
Charlie looked at the twitching Spider-Man on the ground, his expression odd.
"Sorcerer Supreme? Spider-Man?" His mouth twitched.
"Hey, I'm Peter Parker. You a Sorcerer Supreme too?"
The fallen Spider-Man sat up, eyeing Charlie curiously.
Charlie didn't bother with him; he was here to conquer the Resurrection Match.
"Buzz~"
He opened another portal, but his body stiffened.
Looking down, magical webbing had ensnared him.
"Sorry, Aunt May's Smile is mine."
Sorcerer Spider-Man stood, voice full of guilt.
"I know you're here for May too, but as your competitor, I had to."
He dove into Charlie's portal.
Charlie: "."
He had a bad feeling.
These ninety-nine Peter Parkers were tougher than the Spider Society's hundred Spider-Men.