Holland-Spiderman's thoughts lingered on his Aunt May, the one he had recently lost. She had been the last family he had left in the world, and now the emptiness weighed heavily on him.
"Every Peter Parker has his own Aunt May," Malrick said gently, patting him on the shoulder. "But your Aunt May is different from theirs. Don't dwell on it."
"It's late now," Malrick continued, his tone steady. "It wouldn't be right to disturb her."
He traced circles in the air, summoning portals that flared open around them, golden sparks crackling against the ruins of the battleground.
"Besides, finding the other Spider-Men isn't that difficult."
"Just let them come to us."
Malrick waved his hand, and ten shimmering portals appeared. On the other side of each gateway, figures began to emerge—some standing on rooftops, others in darkened rooms, each pulled from their own corners of reality.
"Portals! Man, Kamar-Taj's magic will never stop being awesome!" Peter (Holland)'s eyes lit up, his earlier grief momentarily forgotten. "Ten portals… does that mean there are ten more Spider-Men?"
(I'll be calling peter Parker, Holland, so you'll know who I'm referring to)
"More or less," Malrick replied calmly, just as a scream echoed above him.
A small figure tumbled through one of the portals, landing directly in Malrick's arms.
"Ahhh!!! Not again!" the child squealed, his little hands clutching tightly.
Malrick steadied him and smiled down. "Got you, Little Peter."
The six-year-old boy blinked up at him, relief flooding his face. "Brother Malrick! You're here! Did you also get sucked into the black hole? Did we end up in Hell?"
Considering that Hell's Kitchen wasn't too different from Hell in the eyes of an ordinary kid, Malrick gave a subtle nod. "That's right. But we're about to go back to the real world. Once we're back, you'll have to listen to Aunt May, otherwise the demon that tried to grab you earlier will come back for you."
"Ah!" Little Peter's eyes widened, and he quickly shook his head. "I-I'll be good! I promise!"
Another Spider-Man stepped forward, his voice carrying a touch of disapproval. "You called my world Hell? Don't you think that's unfair? I've been working my whole life to keep it safe."
"But you almost got yourself killed today," Malrick countered, raising a brow.
Peter (Holland) joined in, glancing at the child. "Is this the Peter Parker from your universe? He looks… kind of like—"
"Like you when you were younger?" Malrick finished for him, setting Little Peter gently down.
"Parallel universes really are amazing," Malrick said with a small grin. He lowered his voice. "There's even an Aunt May in his world. You should visit sometime."
The words left Peter stunned. He scratched his head, searching for a response. Before he could speak, another voice cut through the air.
"Huh. Is that you?"
A figure stepped out of a portal, pulling off his mask to reveal a familiar, middle-aged face. Malrick immediately recognized him: Tobey's Spider-Man.
"Peter! You're here too?" Peter (Holland)'s face lit up with joy.
Ever since Doctor Strange's spell had erased him from the memories of everyone in his universe, Peter (Holland) had never encountered someone who truly remembered him. Yet now, surrounded by versions of himself, the isolation he had carried began to fade, replaced with a warmth that felt almost like a reunion.
Swinging forward on a web, Peter (Holland) landed before Tobey's Spider-Man. "How did you get here?"
"I was on a date with Mary Jane," Tobey replied, his voice calm and steady. "Then this black hole pulled me in. Do you know what's going on?"
"Mary Jane?" Another figure emerged from a portal, older but still carrying the essence of Peter Parker beneath the mask.
His eyes narrowed in curiosity. "Wait—you're still with her? Married?"
Around them, the other Spider-Men grew cautious, hanging back. It wasn't until they heard their counterparts greeting one another that they slowly revealed themselves.
"Not yet, but we're close…" Tobey began, only to be interrupted by another familiar voice.
"It's you two!"
Pulling off his mask, Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man came jogging over.
In moments, the flat clearing within the ruins became crowded. The Spider-Men gathered together, each version bringing with them echoes of stories and lives lived differently. Gwen Stacy in her white Spider-suit stepped gracefully from a portal, Penny Parker climbed down from her Spider-Mech, and even Spider-Ham—looking every bit the cartoon pig in a mask—bounded onto the ground.
Shadow Spider-Man appeared too, draped in a dark trench coat and wide-brimmed hat, his presence almost noir-like.
But it was the last arrivals that made Malrick pause.
One wore a classic red-and-blue Spider-Man suit, though it was torn and battered, as if he had just survived a brutal fight.
And the other… was Deadpool.
Deadpool stood at the portal's edge, rubbing himself against its glowing rim with exaggerated theatrics, blood seeping from fresh cuts.
"…Deadpool?" Malrick muttered, staring.
He hadn't noticed before, too focused on locating the Spider-Men, but somehow Deadpool had slipped into the mix.
It didn't make sense. Little Peter's arrival had been an anomaly, but Deadpool wasn't even Spider-Man. What cosmic error had brought him here?
Was it the red suit? Or maybe his… obsession with Spider-Man?
The answer presented itself in Deadpool's actions—he was practically moaning as he rubbed against the portal, his masked eyes fixated on the various Spider-Men with disturbing intensity.
"…This man is unbearable," Malrick thought grimly. Even with all his experience, Deadpool's antics were beyond comprehension.
In the middle of the ruined clearing, the three main Spider-Men stood together—Holland, Tobey, and Garfield.
Holland-Spiderman's eyes brimmed with emotion as he embraced Garfield's Spider-Man. "I can't believe I'm really seeing you again!"
Garfield returned the hug with a faint smile but soon looked puzzled. "I'm sorry… who are you again? You seem familiar, but I don't remember meeting you."
"What?" The words hit Holland-Spiderman like a strike from Mjolnir. He staggered back. "You—you don't remember me either?"
A chill ran through him. His thoughts raced back to Doctor Strange's spell. Could it have erased even their memories of him?
His chest tightened, and his expression soured. He forced a weak smile. "I thought—never mind. I'm Peter Parker too, from another universe."
"Alright, that's enough." Tobey's Spider-Man stepped in, hugging Garfield warmly before placing a hand on Holland-Spiderman's shoulder. "He's joking. Don't take it to heart."
"Dr. Strange's spell only erased the world's memory of Peter Parker being Spider-Man," Tobey explained. "But we're Spider-Men ourselves. How could we forget who we are?"
"Really?" Holland-Spiderman asked, his voice small.
"Of course," Garfield added with a hearty laugh. "And when the spell was cast, we were already gone from your universe, remember?"
Relief washed over Holland-Spiderman like a tide. His shoulders loosened, and he let out a breath. "You almost scared me to death, Peter Two. That wasn't funny!"
"Sorry, sorry," Garfield said, pulling him into another hug. "I thought since we're all Peters, we'd get the joke."
"Maybe, but that just made it worse," Holland-Spider admitted, though a smile finally tugged at his lips.
The three Spider-Men stood shoulder to shoulder, an unspoken bond forming.
"So, how have you been since going back?" Holland-Spiderman asked.
Tobey shrugged casually. "Still working on getting better."
"Same here," Garfield echoed.
"Guess that makes three of us," Holland-Spider chuckled.
Then, with perfect timing, Tobey added, "Although my back still hurts sometimes."
"Mine too!" Garfield immediately chimed in.
All three Spider-Men looked at one another and burst into laughter, their voices echoing through the ruins.
_____
Milestone,
100 Power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter