Jennix and Verna exchanged bewildered glances, neither comprehending the gravity behind Daemos's ominous warning. Just as they prepared to demand clarification, a dimensional portal suddenly tore open with violent energy, accompanied by Morlun's characteristically cold voice cutting through the resurrection chamber like a blade.
"You might as well explain yourself clearly, Daemos."
Upon hearing their eldest brother's familiar tone, Brix and Bora, still adjusting to their newly resurrected bodies, looked toward the portal with visible excitement and relief. As the most powerful combatant in their family hierarchy, they maintained absolute faith that Morlun could handle any threat, including the mysterious Ben Parker who had so decisively ended their previous incarnations.
However, before either could begin explaining the circumstances of their deaths, their words caught in their throats like physical obstructions.
"Brother Morlun... how could you possibly...?"
The figure emerging from the portal bore little resemblance to the invincible predator of their memories. Morlun appeared even more disheveled than the three recently resurrected siblings, his usually immaculate hair was matted and tangled, his clothing torn and bloodstained, and his entire body was covered with wounds that spoke of an incredibly fierce battle.
If he hadn't been standing there alive before them, carrying an unconscious Spider-hero over his shoulder, almost everyone would have assumed he had suffered a catastrophic defeat.
"Brother Morlun," Jennix asked with obvious alarm, "what enemy could possibly have reduced you to this condition?"
Verna also displayed clear signs of panic, her usual composed demeanor cracking as she studied her brother's battered appearance.
Brix and Bora exchanged meaningful looks, obviously recalling their recent encounter.
"Could it have been those Spider-Alliance?" Bora asked with growing dread.
Before the twins had encountered Ben Parker, they knew that a team of Spider-Society heroes had intercepted Morlun in the multiversal transit corridors. But Bora genuinely hadn't expected those particular opponents to be capable of forcing their eldest brother to such desperate straits.
"It wasn't them," Morlun replied with a ferocious expression, unceremoniously dropping the Scarlet Spider from his shoulder to the chamber floor.
He felt intense irritation whenever he reflected on his recent experiences. That individual who called himself the "Emissary from Hell," and that colossal robot he commanded... it was absolutely outrageous! This wasn't Spider-Man combat at all, it was something far beyond normal parameters!
But soon, the frustration on Morlun's features transformed into excited cruelty as he contemplated his ultimate success despite the setbacks.
So what if his opponent claimed to be a messenger of hell? In the end, he was still just another,
"What a pathetic display, Morlun," Daemos interrupted with deliberate sarcasm as he slowly dressed himself, his eyes lingering mockingly on the Nemetrix device attached to Morlun's collar. "Reduced to a desperate state by a handful of insects? Is this truly the best performance you can manage despite Father's favoritism? If you gave me that device, I would never suffer such humiliation!"
Morlun's barely controlled excitement rapidly subsided as he focused on this troublesome younger brother who had always challenged his authority. He wasn't about to let Daemos escape without consequences for his insubordination.
"At least I successfully captured the 'Other,'" Morlun replied with cold satisfaction. "What exactly did you accomplish besides getting yourself killed?"
"The Other!"
Suddenly, all family quarrels ceased entirely.
Every Inheritor present stared at the unconscious Scarlet Spider with expressions of surprise and predatory excitement. Bora was so overwhelmed with anticipation that she temporarily forgot her nudity, her slender form trembling with the kind of bloodthirsty eagerness that had defined their family for centuries.
"This individual is truly the herald of destruction?!" she gasped with barely contained euphoria. "One of the three prophesied beings whose deaths can permanently end the existence of all Spider-totems?"
"Then why are we hesitating?" Brix demanded as he stood up with obvious excitement. "Let's begin the ritual immediately! His life and blood will mark the first step in our campaign to eliminate Spider-Man from existence!"
"Patience," Morlun commanded with authority as he bent down to grasp Scarlet Spider's hair, lifting the unconscious hero while producing one of the Inheritors' ceremonial blades. The razor-sharp edge cut through skin effortlessly, causing blood to well up and drip onto the chamber floor.
"Father hasn't returned from his mission yet."
"Besides, I want to understand exactly what happened to you three."
His stern gaze fell upon Brix and Bora like a physical weight. Both naked siblings immediately felt pain as if their skin was being flayed with knives, causing them to lower their heads in shame and submission.
"I entrusted you with additional prey," Morlun continued with dangerous calm, "but you managed to lose it?"
Under normal circumstances, the loss of a single Spider-Man wouldn't represent a significant setback, especially after obtaining such crucial prey as the prophesied Other. But the fact that three Inheritors had died simultaneously because of that particular Spider-hero was definitely not a trivial matter. This indicated that a genuine threat to their family had emerged, one closely connected to the universe that Maltruant had specifically directed them toward.
However, when faced with Morlun's interrogation, all three siblings displayed unmistakable fear in their expressions.
Morlun was genuinely stunned by their reaction. Setting aside Brix and Bora, hadn't Daemos always maintained that their father ranked first in power while he himself claimed second place? How could someone with such arrogance appear so intimidated?
"What exactly happened?!" Morlun demanded with growing intensity.
Bora timidly recounted their encounter, her voice trembling as she described the overwhelming power they had faced.
"...And then that Spider-Man transformed into some kind of Four-Armed monster," she concluded weakly.
"Even considering those circumstances, it shouldn't have resulted in all three of you failing simultaneously," Morlun said with obvious disbelief. "Daemos, despite our mutual dislike, I've always acknowledged your combat capabilities. If it were merely an ordinary Spider-Man, regardless of how many allies he brought, they wouldn't represent a threat to you. Yet you were actually killed. It's genuinely difficult for me to comprehend."
"He possessed a Nemetrix device," Brix explained hurriedly. "That Spider-Man wielded the same technology as you."
"Ah, so that's the explanation?" Morlun raised an eyebrow with newfound understanding.
In that case, the defeat suffered by Daemos and the others became completely comprehensible. As the current wielder of Nemetrix technology, he understood better than anyone how devastatingly powerful this weapon could be. Without it, he would have perished at the hands of that giant robot long ago, let alone achieving victory and returning to his family alive.
"It appears that Maltruant has concealed significant information from us," Verna observed with the cunning of an experienced manipulator. "I suspected that his request wouldn't be as simple as he claimed! We must locate him immediately and demand complete transparency!"
"That was to be expected," Morlun replied dismissively.
Regardless of whatever schemes Maltruant was orchestrating, the Inheritor family had gained possession of the Nemetrix technology. Without that device, he never would have acquired such a powerful weapon for their arsenal!
Now, Morlun felt confident that he could defeat any enemy he encountered, no matter how formidable they appeared to be!
"There's no need to rush in finding Maltruant," he continued with strategic patience. "That individual will reveal himself eventually. Our most urgent priority is processing the 'Other' as quickly as possible and locating the 'Bride' and 'Scion.' Those insects have begun organizing collective resistance against our family."
"Although they're merely vermin, they inevitably possess some toxicity. Once their numbers increase significantly, they could become genuinely problematic."
"Where is Father currently?" he asked, shifting focus to more immediate concerns.
"We discovered that numerous Spider-heroes have gathered in Universe 13," Genix reported. "Someone must be providing protection for the Spider-totems in that reality, so Father departed to hunt them personally."
Morlun nodded with satisfaction and dragged the semiconscious Scarlet Spider toward the Master Weaver's space web interface. He positioned the ceremonial blade at Scarlet Spider's throat with ritualistic precision.
"Then let us commence with the first cut to eliminate all spiders from existence."
In an instant, the blood of the prophesied Other soaked into the space web, beginning a cascade of events that would theoretically doom every Spider-totem across infinite realities.
Meanwhile, in the futuristic world of 2099...
After eliminating Daemos, Ben had followed Miguel to the Spider-Society's base of operations in this timeline, curious to observe their methods and technology firsthand.
"Perhaps we should have kept one of them alive for interrogation," Ben mused as they walked through the corridors of the advanced facility.
Miguel, despite being the master of this universe and leader of the entire Spider-Society, was currently following behind Ben like an oversized assistant. Both Spider-Cyborg and Peter were practically spinning their heads in all directions, trying to absorb every detail of this incredible future world.
The group passed through containment areas filled with prisoners held in temporal stasis fields, and both Spider-Cyborg and Peter recognized numerous familiar faces among the captives.
"Uncle Norman?!" Peter exclaimed in shock, pressing his face against the transparent barrier with an expression of complete disbelief. "Why did you arrest Uncle Norman? He's a good man!"
"Are you serious?" Spider-Cyborg asked with obvious skepticism, his four mechanical spider-legs clustering together defensively. "He's the Green Goblin in my universe. He's never accomplished anything remotely beneficial for society."
Peter was genuinely dumbfounded by the revelation.
At that precise moment, the imprisoned Norman Osborn made a horrifying grimace at him, his expression twisted with such malevolent glee that it could have traumatized small children.
Peter quickly stepped backward, maintaining distance while still struggling to process this information.
"What about him then?" Peter asked desperately, moving to another containment cell. "Dr. Otto Octavius, a brilliant scientist dedicated to using advanced technology to create happiness for people throughout the world! He's definitely a good man."
The imprisoned Otto angrily manipulated his mechanical arms to strike the containment barrier with obvious frustration.
"Absolutely not," another voice replied. A different Peter Parker seemed to materialize from nowhere to answer his question. "He tried to tear me apart with those octopus tentacles during our last encounter."
Suddenly, numerous Peters emerged from various locations and began identifying the prisoners one by one with disturbing enthusiasm.
"Look at this specimen," one Peter said with obvious trauma in his voice. "The father of my ex-girlfriend Liz, the Vulture, who made a fortune smuggling alien technology. Want to guess who he hates most in the world?"
"And this charming individual," another Peter continued, "my best friend from high school, Ned Leeds, now known as the notorious Hobgoblin!"
"Little Green Goblin over there, care to guess his real identity? That's correct, it's your childhood friend Harry Osborn!"
"And..."
"Okay, everyone stop talking!" Peter interrupted with obvious panic, frantically waving his hands to halt the litany of revelations.
"It sounds like anyone who becomes my friend is destined for a terrible fate, doesn't it?"
"Congratulations on discovering the fundamental truth of our existence!" one Spider-Man declared while applauding excitedly, tears streaming down his face. "It's not limited to friends either, our families and loved ones suffer the same curse. Uncle Ben, Mary Jane, Gwen Stacy... It's as if we're never permitted to experience genuine happiness. Only our enemies seem to avoid tragedy..."
These Spider-heroes spoke with genuine tears flowing, and Peter felt profound sympathy for their collective suffering.
Brothers, I never realized you were all living such miserable lives!
His sympathetic expression made the other Spider-Men assume they had touched upon his own hidden sorrows, so they wiped away their tears and began offering comfort.
"You appear young and may not have experienced such losses yet," one said consolingly, "but everything painful does eventually pass. If you truly can't process the grief, I recommend visiting our finest psychological therapist here. Trust me, no one understands our specific trauma better than he does!"
"He even understood how my Uncle Ben was shot..." another added with fresh sobbing.
Peter turned to look at Uncle Ben and Aunt May, who were accompanying their group, then studied the Spider-heroes who were crying their hearts out. For several moments, he couldn't formulate an appropriate response.
Miguel couldn't tolerate the emotional breakdown any longer. He wiped his face with exasperation and approached the group.
"I'm afraid you're the ones who need psychological treatment," he said helplessly. "This particular Peter's Uncle Ben is perfectly fine and healthy."
He raised his thumb and pointed toward Uncle Ben and Aunt May, who were standing nearby with obvious concern for the distressed heroes.
The assembled Spider-Men reacted with collective shock: "Uncle Ben?!"
"Am I experiencing some kind of hallucination?"
Instantly, every Spider-hero stood frozen with their eyes wide open in absolute disbelief.
This reaction made Uncle Ben and Aunt May feel genuinely distressed about the scope of suffering their alternate nephews had endured alone across countless realities.
The news that Uncle Ben and Aunt May had arrived at the Spider-Society spread through the entire 2099 universe like wildfire. Within minutes, the facility became so chaotic it resembled a celebrity convention. Spider-heroes from every corner of the multiverse gathered just to see Uncle Ben again with their own eyes, many for the first time since childhood.
Even Spider-people who weren't Peter Parker variants came to witness this miraculous reunion.
Ben actually observed a dinosaur-themed Spider-hero run across the ceiling before diving into the crowd of assembled heroes.
Miguel felt completely helpless about managing this emotional crisis.
"That reaction is completely understandable," Ben said with compassion, "and Dad and Mom will be happy to provide encouragement to anyone who needs it."
Ben and Peter shook their heads sympathetically and followed Miguel toward the command center, leaving the family reunion to proceed naturally.
The pregnant Spider-Woman joined their tour, introducing Ben to the advanced technology of the 2099 world, including their rather unfortunately named "go-home machine" for interdimensional travel.
"Everything that occurred in the past cannot be altered," Miguel said to Ben with profound seriousness, "but you've genuinely demonstrated the possibility of breaking our predetermined fate."
"You prevented every tragedy from manifesting. Perhaps it was your watch technology that made spider-web canon events seem irrelevant to your reality. If we can properly understand and utilize this phenomenon, then every Spider-hero chosen by the Spider-totem in the future might finally escape fate's cruel manipulation."
"Of course," Miguel continued with renewed focus, "our most immediate priority remains dealing with the Inheritor threat."
He hadn't forgotten their tactical priorities despite the emotional revelations.
Miguel turned toward Spider-Woman with professional urgency. "You mentioned that Peter B. Parker assembled some Spider-heroes to assist Superior Spider-Man. Have they returned to base?"
"No, they departed for Universe 13," Spider-Woman replied with a shake of her head.
"He encountered Spider-UK, who insisted that Universe 13 represented a much safer option for regrouping."
Upon hearing this information, Miguel's expression relaxed visibly, obviously agreeing with that assessment.
"What makes Universe 13 special?" Ben asked with curiosity.
"A remarkably powerful guardian, Cosmic Spider-Man," Miguel explained with obvious respect. "In any other reality, facing the Inheritors might prove dangerous, but in that specific universe, protection is absolutely guaranteed. No one can defeat Cosmic Spider-Man while he operates within his home dimension!"
Ben didn't possess extensive knowledge about Cosmic Spider-Man, but based on Miguel's introduction, the entity appeared to wield combat capabilities at least equivalent to universal-scale cosmic force.
This power classification represented heavyweight status even by Omnitrix standards, which provided considerable reassurance.
At that moment, the Overkill symbiote hidden within his body suddenly emerged partially, scratching his head with obvious confusion.
"Cosmic Spider-Man?" Overkill asked. "You mean the Enigma Force?"
"You're familiar with this entity?" Ben asked with interest.
"There seems to be something about it in the symbiote hive network memory banks, but the information is fragmented and difficult to access..." Overkill concentrated for several moments before continuing. "It appears that this force engaged in battle against Knull according to the recorded memories."
"That's definitely impressive credentials," Ben acknowledged casually.
Compared to this mysterious cosmic force and Cosmic Spider-Man, entities he didn't know much about, Morlun and the Nemetrix technology seemed to represent more immediate and comprehensible threats.
"Are you concerned about Nullion?" Ben asked.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writing takes time, coffee, and a lot of love.If you'd like to support my work, join me at [email protected]/GoldenGaruda
You'll get early access to over 50 chapters, selection on new series, and the satisfaction of knowing your support directly fuels more stories.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~