"Get lost!"
On the chaotic streets, a dark figure whisked Aunt May away, barreling through the city. It forced cars to screech to a halt, stomped across their roofs, then leaped onto a high wall with a single bound, shooting webbing to swing between towering skyscrapers.
"Oh, sht, this guy's a Spider-Man too!"
Peter Parker trailed close behind, his eyes locked on the black spider-like monster's form, his expression growing grim.
Something was off about this guy's vibe. Even if saving Aunt May was a Spider-Man's mission, Peter's experience told him that a crazed lunatic like this, once unhinged, wouldn't care about any mission.
With that thought, his arm muscles bulged, pulling harder on his webbing as his swinging speed surged.
"Swoosh~"
Between the skyscrapers, a crane swayed slowly. The red-and-blue figure deftly slipped through gaps in the steel framework.
The wind howled, but Peter realized the gap between him and the figure was only widening.
He couldn't keep up.
"Crack crack~"
Just then, a familiar figure leaped from a nearby skyscraper. Clad in metallic armor, this Spider-Man glided past Peter using webbing wings under his arms.
"Is that Charlie Parker?" Peter exhaled in relief.
This guy's strength was undeniable. Saving Aunt May should be no problem.
"Whoosh~"
At that moment, the wind roared as the sleek Spider-Man tapped the spider emblem on his chest. Nanotech metal writhed, morphing into energy thrusters at his feet.
"BOOM!!"
With the thrusters' boost, Spider-Man's glide speed exploded, arcing past a skyscraper like a phantom before diving beneath a bridge's support beams.
"Swoosh~"
Webbing shot out as the red-and-blue figure flipped onto the bridge's understructure, launching a web-net toward the spider monster.
"Get lost!!"
The monster's blood-red eyes gleamed as it spewed corrosive webbing from its mouth. The instant the webbing touched the net, it burned a hole through it.
Before the monster could slip through the gap, the red-and-blue figure's eyes glowed crimson.
"Activate one-shot kill mode!"
"Confirmed."
With AI assistance, Spider-Man lunged at the monster, golden spider-spears extending from his back, glinting coldly.
"Screech!!"
"Pfft pfft pfft"
In the clash, the golden spears pierced the monster's body, riddling it with holes in a blink.
"Argh!!"
With a scream, the spider monster crashed into the bridge's support, while the red-and-blue figure deftly rescued Aunt May from its grasp.
"Hey, you okay?"
Spider-Man gently set Aunt May on the ground, his tone laced with concern.
He gazed at her, the faint blue glow in his eyes flickering, betraying his unsteady emotions.
Aunt May smoothed her disheveled hair, calming her rattled nerves.
"Thanks for saving me again. I'm fine, Peter—oh, sorry, I messed up again. You're Charlie."
"Charlie?"
Spider-Man froze, then a voice came from behind.
"He's not me. I'm not that lame—three whole minutes to take down this guy?"
Hearing the familiar voice, third-generation Peter spun around.
"It's you!" His face lit up with excitement.
Charlie stood there, casually holding a limp Ben Parker—the spider monster—like a dead dog.
After crashing into the bridge, Ben had taken one more kick from Charlie, and now he was done for.
Charlie glanced at third-gen Peter. "I'm thinking of switching up my armor after this. No, scratch that—a whole new style. Can't have some Spider-Man out there tarnishing my name with scams."
Third-gen Peter scratched the back of his head, sheepish. "Uh, sorry. This suit was upgraded by Mr. Stark. Hope you get it."
"Get it? Oh, I get it."
Charlie tossed Ben Parker to the ground and turned to third-gen Peter. "What're you doing here?"
Third-gen Peter kept scratching his head. "I, uh, think I got killed by Dark Doctor Strange."
Charlie mulled it over. "I mean, why're you only showing up now? You know what you missed?"
Third-gen Peter shrugged helplessly. "I ran into two Uncle Bens. They held me up, so I got delayed.
Yeah, one of them's the guy at your feet. He was killed by that woman you call Reina from the Morlun family. I tailed him all night.
Oh, what'd I miss?" he asked, curious.
"A shot at Thanos," Charlie said.
Third-gen Peter instinctively shrank back. "I don't think I need that shot," he said with a shiver.
Clearly, Thanos still haunted him.
The first time he faced Thanos, Star-Lord's punch woke the Titan up, making Peter one of the unlucky victims of the Snap.
Freshly revived by the Infinity Stones, he opened his eyes to an endless swarm of Chitauri.
Tony, the man he saw as a father, died because of Thanos.
In short, nothing good ever came from meeting Thanos. He never wanted to see that guy again.
Charlie casually finished off the Ben Parker at his feet. "What about the other Ben Parker?"
Third-gen Peter shook his head. "Lost him. Their target's Aunt May. He's probably hiding somewhere, watching us."
Charlie nodded thoughtfully. "Looks like there're still plenty of Spider-Men on Earth."
No big deal, though. The biggest threat was probably that creepy Spider-Man with three Infinity Stones.
As long as they kept Aunt May safe, that guy wouldn't have a chance.
With that, he raised his Infinity Gauntlet, sensing the other three Infinity Stones.
The sight made third-gen Peter jump. "No!!"
He yelped, instinctively diving into Aunt May's arms.
Aunt May: "…"
"Kid, what's wrong?" She gently patted his head.
Third-gen Peter snapped out of it, realizing he'd overreacted.
"Oh, uh, nothing. I just… sorry."
He apologized quickly, then eyed Charlie's gauntlet.
Seeing only three stones, he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
"Where'd you get that thing?" he asked, voice tinged with resentment.
Charlie, sensing the other three stones weren't nearby, grinned. "Snagged it from Thanos."
"Thanos again…"
Third-gen Peter took a deep breath. "Taking Infinity Stones from Thanos… Mr. Stark and Captain Rogers were right. You really are the strongest Spider-Man." His face was full of admiration.
"Haven't you seen that already?"
Charlie shot him a look, then waved open a magic portal. "Let's head back. Oh, heads-up—I gotta get back quick. Don't fight me for the Resurrection Match slot, or I'll pound you."
"Uh, sorry, I kinda want—"
"Hm?"
"—don't want, don't want! But next time, you gotta take me to the match. And May—she's probably in this Resurrection Match too."
Third-gen Peter remembered when Dark Doctor Strange nabbed him, Aunt May got sucked into that dark vortex too.
If things went as expected, she was probably gone.
The trio stepped through the portal back to Tony's penthouse. Charlie cut third-gen Peter off.
"Your May's not here."
"What?"
Third-gen Peter was stunned. "How's that possible? Captain Rogers said we all get a shot at resurrection."
Charlie patted his shoulder, delivering the harsh truth. "Normal people don't get in unless your Aunt May's got powers. Then maybe there's a slim chance."
Mary Jane had already proved that point.
Third-gen Peter's face fell, collapsing to the floor in despair. "How… why's it like this?"
His eyes reddened, tears welling up.
Aunt May couldn't stand it. She knelt beside him, comforting, "Kid, stay strong. It'll all pass."
"May…"
Staring at the woman who looked so much like his Aunt May, third-gen Peter lost control, sobbing loudly in her arms.
Charlie watched coldly.
Soon, he rolled his eyes and turned to leave. "What's this guy's deal? His Aunt May's not even dead…"
Muttering, he cursed under his breath about Peter's meltdown.
As for third-gen Peter, it took a while to calm down. "I got her killed. I have to save her!"
His eyes burned with resolve, but soon he deflated.
The mission was to save Aunt May, but only one could claim the Resurrection Match slot. Charlie Parker wouldn't give it up.
Captain Rogers had said no one could beat that guy in the Resurrection Match.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't take the slot or "Aunt May's smile" from Charlie.
He started thinking. Besides the Resurrection Match, who else could bring Aunt May back?
Suddenly, he recalled his trip to hell to save Mr. Stark's soul.
"That's it!!"
Third-gen Peter leaped up, rushing toward Charlie under Aunt May's puzzled gaze. "Classmate Charlie, I need to go to Kamar-Taj. Can you open a portal for me? Thanks!"
"Leaving so soon? No coffee break?"
"Nah, I'm in a rush."
"Alright."
Charlie casually opened a portal, watching Peter leap into the sparkling magic circle.
"Young folks, so impatient," he muttered, shaking his head. He sipped his coffee, grimacing. "Who brewed this? Tastes awful."
Setting it down, he called to Pepper, "Ms. Potts, can I get two fresh-squeezed juices?"
"No problem."
…
Kamar-Taj.
In the attic, Strange, floating cross-legged, slowly opened his eyes, spotting the Spider-Man before him.
"Peter… well, you're all Peters."
He landed, fingers twitching as a teapot poured itself into a cup.
"Here for something?" He sipped the tea, frowning. "Who made this tea? It's terrible."
He set it down, pulling a whiskey bottle from a hidden fridge under the table.
Third-gen Peter watched quietly. After Strange took a swig, Peter spoke. "I need you to open a portal to Mephisto's hell. I want to find my Aunt May."
Strange's fingers trembled, nearly spilling his whiskey. "Kid, you have no idea how terrifying that place is."
He tried to dissuade him, but Peter pressed, "We've pulled a soul from Mephisto before."
Strange: "…"
He eyed Peter curiously. "You?"
"No, we did."
"Who else?"
"Charlie Parker, Captain Rogers, and—"
"Stop. I get it."
Strange cut him off, exasperated. "So Charlie Parker snatched a soul from Mephisto, not you, and definitely not 'we.'"
His bluntness made Peter flush. "It's… not that different, right?"
Strange gave him a look like he was an idiot. "Peter Parker, don't mistake luck and connections for ability. Face it—you're not Charlie Parker. You're just a regular Spider-Man."
"But I want to try."
Clearly, Peter wasn't listening.
Strange sighed. "You'll pay a price."
"Everything has a price. For Aunt May, I'd give anything," Peter said firmly.
"Anything?"
Strange was exasperated. "Parker, you clearly don't get what a Spider-Man's fate is."
"I heard Captain Rogers say Spider-Man's meant to be alone," Peter said, clenching his jaw. "But fate can change. Charlie's Uncle Ben and Aunt May are alive. If I fight for it, I can change things too."
"I've told you, you're not him."
Strange, after failing to reason with him, gave up. "If you wait, maybe you can get Charlie Parker to help."
"No time. I know what he's after."
"Fine, your choice. Don't regret it."
"I won't."
Peter took a deep breath as Strange wove hand signs, opening a portal to hell.
Facing the endless flames within, Peter clenched his fists, psyching himself up. "Peter, you got this. You're not a kid anymore. Aunt May needs you!!"
Muttering, he charged into the portal.
"Buzz~"
In an instant, Peter's body remained in the attic, but his soul entered Mephisto's hell.
Strange watched it all. "There's more than one hell lord. Why pick the sneakiest one?"
He sipped his whiskey, shaking his head. "Don't get it. No clue."
Guarding Peter's body, time ticked by.
Three hours left until the mission ended.
One hour.
Thirty minutes.
In Mephisto's hell, amid a sea of souls, third-gen Peter collapsed in despair. "Can't find her. Why can't I find her? She's supposed to…"
"Well, isn't this the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man?"
As Peter wallowed, a white-haired old man appeared behind him.
Peter turned, wary. "Who're you?"
"I'm Mephisto. I noticed you the moment you stepped in."
"What!!"
Peter jolted, backing away. "What do you want?"
"That's my question for you."
Mephisto's smile was kind. "Relax. Don't listen to that jerk's nonsense. I'm the nicest demon among hell lords. Whatever you want, you can trade with me to get it."
Peter instinctively turned to flee but stepped into a void of darkness.
In the endless black, only a blaze of hellfire burned.
"Peter Parker, think carefully. Trade with me, and you can have everything, including resurrecting your loved ones."
Mephisto's voice echoed, tempting the naive Peter.
Finally, Peter clenched his fists, looking up nervously at the hellfire—his last hope.
"I want my Aunt May alive. Can you do that?"
"Of course."
Mephisto's words materialized the hellfire into a demonic contract. "So, what'll you trade for her?"
"I…"
Peter thought, then straightened. He was sure Mephisto couldn't resist his offer.
"My powers, my suit, all my money, and my house—though it's Aunt May's, and there's a ten-year loan. But don't worry, she'll keep paying it if she's alive. No bank will take it.
Even if they do, I'll get Mr. Stark to buy the bank and give it back to you."
Peter's words left Mephisto speechless.
Is this guy an idiot?
Just like Charlie Parker, banking on money as his trump card.
Spider-Men are so materialistic!!
When Mephisto didn't respond, Peter grew more confident. "Mr. Mephisto, I know this is shocking, but I won't back out. If you're okay with it, I'll sign."
He reached for the floating quill, ready to list his traded items and sign.
No one could scam Spider-Man on a written contract—not even Mysterio!
"Wait!" Mephisto interrupted. "I haven't agreed."
Peter frowned. "I'm giving you everything."
"Not enough. And I don't want your rundown Queens apartment."
The flames danced as Mephisto continued, "Aunt May's your only family, so to trade for her life, you need to offer your most precious thing."
"Most precious?"
Peter racked his brain, then paled in horror. "No, no way! That's for MJ!"
He stumbled back.
If hands didn't count, his purity was his most precious thing.
But Mephisto misunderstood, laughing, "Exactly—your love.
For Spider-Man, besides family, love and friendship are the most valuable. I'm not interested in your friendships.
Every Spider-Man gains love only to lose it quickly. Except that coward Charlie—he's spineless. But you're different.
You can't save the one you love. You have no choice. You're doomed to lose one—or both."
Mephisto's words drained the color from Peter's face. He staggered, barely standing.
"You want me to trade MJ for Aunt May?" he growled.
The hellfire blazed. "No, don't misunderstand. I'm only taking your love, not her life."
"Love can be taken?"
For some reason, Peter relaxed slightly. He trusted MJ. No matter what Mephisto offered, she wouldn't abandon him.
He trusted their bond.
Wait, did I confess?
Think I did!
MJ would get it. She's too smart not to.
No girl could resist Spider-Man—especially a young, handsome, loyal one who put his ex's dad in jail.
He was certain even gods couldn't tear them apart, let alone a filthy demon.
With that, he agreed without hesitation.
Life's precious, but love's worth more.
This is a good deal.
"You have to promise not to force her to leave me."
"Of course. I'm a demon, not a thug."
"Fine, I'll sign."
"The contract's updated. Check it."
After last time, Mephisto wasn't keen on tricking Spider-Men with contracts. Too dull.
And getting caught was embarrassing.
Peter signed his name, and the contract took effect.
"Congrats, Spider-Man. Your Aunt May isn't with me, but I've found her through other means. You'll see her when you return.
Sadly, I can't snatch you from that guy, so you'll need to fight for your own resurrection.
Lastly, this kind demon will teach you—love isn't for trading. The price of losing it is…"
The flames faded, replaced by a dark alley in the city.
Light rain fell as Peter walked alone in the quiet darkness, wary of a trap.
Suddenly, a small figure appeared ahead, sobbing.
Peter froze, growing cautious. He approached slowly, keeping his distance.
"Hey, who are you? Why're you here?" he asked gently.
The girl turned, revealing a cute face streaked with tears, like a smudged kitten.
Something about her felt familiar, and Peter instinctively lowered his guard.
He knelt, wiping her tears. "Don't cry, sweet girl. Where's your mom?"
She stared at him, whispering, "I don't have a name. Daddy didn't want me. Mommy doesn't know. I can't find home. I'm scared."
"Oh, what a heartless dad. If I catch him, I'll teach him a lesson."
Peter, indignant, took her hand, shielding her from the rain. "Tell me where you live. I'll take you home."
"There."
She pointed to the alley's end.
Peter turned, eyes widening. "That's… my house!"
He spun back, and the girl pleaded, "Daddy, don't leave me. Please."
"What?"
Her words sent chills down his spine, his face twisting in fear as he backed away. "No, I'm not—stay back. I'm not your daddy…"
His rejection angered her. She let out a piercing scream, blood tears streaming from her eyes. "Why? Why abandon me? I hate you! Mommy hates you!!"
"BOOM!!"
Thunder flashed, illuminating her face. The hatred in her bloodshot eyes stabbed Peter's heart, filling him with inexplicable guilt.
She's not…
Then he remembered Mephisto's words.
The price of losing love!
"No! Impossible…"
Peter collapsed, ashen. "It shouldn't be like this. Losing love means losing MJ and my future daughter…"
"No!!!"
…
Third-gen Peter was trapped in hell's mire.
Only ten minutes remained until the mission ended.
At the penthouse window, Charlie overlooked the bustling city, frowning. "Still no move. What's he waiting for?"
He glanced back at the room. "Peter's not back. That guy's not sneaking around doing something shady, is he?"
Charlie pondered. Three minutes left.
He raised his right hand, Infinity Stones glowing, ready for the creepy Spider-Man's ambush.
But until the last second, the guy never showed.
"Beep~"
The mission-end signal hit, and Charlie returned to the Cosmic Web.
[You have been eliminated. Unable to obtain Resurrection Match slot. Reward: High-Heat Web Ball +173°C.]
[Remaining 76 retries. Restart?]
"What happened?"
Sitting on the web, Charlie stood, baffled.
The plan was flawless, yet he failed.
Aunt May was right beside him, alive.
If he saved her, why did he fail?
Unless… the mission wasn't about this Aunt May?
Charlie's brow furrowed. If true, this trap was beyond anyone's expectations.
The "organizers" wouldn't create an impossible mission.
If not this world's Aunt May, then whose?
Another world's?
That's too wild, right?
And the guy with three Infinity Stones never appeared. There had to be a reason.
Charlie shook his head, out of clues. He'd start the Resurrection Match again, hunting for answers.
Fifteenth Resurrection Match.
Same old routine—rally Spider-Men to take down Thanos.
Thanos wasn't the mission's core, but with Infinity Stones, success was likelier.
With all six stones, no matter how convoluted the plot, one snap could fix everything.
But this time, Charlie got cocky.
Mimicking Supreme Peter, he tried to "go berserk" with the Mind Stone but failed to borrow more magic power. Instead, he got targeted by the creepy webbing.
Not only did he fail to snag Thanos's three stones, he lost his own three.
On a volcanic planet, lava surged.
In the apocalyptic scene, Charlie watched the dark, eerie figure snap its fingers.
"Snap~"
Instantly, an unstoppable cosmic rule engulfed every Spider-Man in the universe.
Their spider-senses screamed, but they were powerless.
They watched their hands turn to ash, then their legs, their bodies…
"Lunatic! He could've just finished the mission. Why take us out?" Venom Parker cursed, dissolving into dust.
…
[You have been eliminated. Unable to obtain Resurrection Match slot. Reward: High-Heat Web Ball -0.5 seconds.]
[Remaining 75 retries. Restart?]
Sixteenth Resurrection Match.
Charlie played it safe this time.
He let Thor Peter hold the three Infinity Stones.
"BOOM!!"
"Father, Uncle Ben, Aunt May—even without my hammer, I'm still Peter Parker, Thor Spider-Man!!"
On a collapsing planet, thunder stretched into the cosmos, its terrifying aura making even Thanos tremble.
Watching the near-invincible Thor Peter, Charlie clutched his head in frustration. "Why? Why can't I do it?!"
"No!! You're all ganging up on me!!"
He cursed the sky.
Then he witnessed the creepy webbing latch onto Thor's hammer.
"Zzzzt~"
The webbing bonded with the Infinity Stones and Mjolnir.
In an instant, both hammer and stones lost their connection to Thor Peter.
"What?"
Thor Peter finally got it.
Without his hammer, he was still Thor Spider-Man.
But without the stones, he was just another multiverse Spider-Man variant.
As things spiraled, Charlie grabbed Thanos's three stones and vanished from the planet.
Back on Earth, at Stark Tower, a blue wormhole opened. Charlie charged, attacking instantly.
"Zzzzt~"
Crimson beams sliced the sky. A purple fist glowed with infinite light, sweeping the city's skyline.
"RUMBLE!!"
Thunder exploded like a cosmic bell, tearing the sky. Stark Tower crumbled under the sonic shockwave but was instantly rebuilt by the Reality Stone.
Red particles flooded the city, neutralizing the Power Stone's fallout.
Under countless stunned gazes, the torn sky healed in green light, fragments reforming into an intact Mjolnir.
In that clash, Charlie's full-powered, Power Stone-enhanced strike shattered Mjolnir.
But the hammer absorbed the blow, leaving him unable to pursue the figure escaping through the wormhole.
"He didn't dodge, but I still messed up."
Charlie stared where the wormhole vanished, shaking his head.
He hadn't accounted for the guy bringing Mjolnir.
So this round tanked too.
Or maybe not.
Third-gen Peter swung in. "Classmate Charlie, will Aunt May show up in the Resurrection Match?"
Charlie's mind flashed to earlier retries—Peter thought Aunt May was dead and went to Kamar-Taj.
So…
His eyes lit up. Did Peter accidentally save Aunt May?
Logically, it didn't add up.
But it was worth a shot.