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Chapter 23 - Chapter 23 ↠ The Death of Spider-Man

Pure chaos engulfed him in darkness — no up, down, left, or right. A sensation of weightlessness morphed into space-time distortion, like ri

Pure chaos engulfed him in darkness — no up, down, left, or right. A sensation of weightlessness morphed into space-time distortion, like riding a wild roller coaster. Even his spider-sense couldn't tell where he was being thrown.

The twisted forces of space-time pierced through Johnson's psychic protection, spreading across his body as if trying to weave him into the cosmic fabric itself.

Though he fought against it, he could only cling to basic consciousness as his senses faded to black.

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Marvel Universe 1610, New York City.

Miles Morales, a student at Brooklyn Visions Academy, had been having a strange few days.

It started with a spider bite, and things only got weirder from there.

He gained Spider-Man-like powers overnight, but his lack of control led to an embarrassing incident — accidentally ruining his crush's hair and killing any chance of romance before it began.

Later that night, he witnessed something horrific: Spider-Man's death at the hands of a musclebound thug in a Brooklyn tunnel, though official reports blamed it on earthquake injuries. As if that wasn't enough, he barely escaped with his life after being chased by someone in a high-tech purple suit.

His world had been turned completely upside down by these events, culminating in his attendance at Spider-Man's memorial service.

Just as things seemed to be calming down, he discovered another Spider-Man at the hero's grave — this one older and somewhat out of shape.

Real or fake, this mysterious Spider-Man was now tied up at his Uncle Aaron's house.

Time for a proper interrogation!

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Johnson awoke from the darkness.

As his senses gradually expanded, he found himself still suspended in a chaotic space-time void. White, intricate spider webs occasionally flashed through the darkness, revealing his rapid movement through space.

When Johnson tried to move, he encountered a tough space-time barrier. His fingertips told him that despite its solid appearance, the barrier was as fragile as a bubble — with his strength, he could easily break free.

As he considered his options, his vision suddenly cleared.

A modern city materialized beneath the night sky — a place both familiar and foreign. He knew this city in countless ways, yet had never truly set foot in it.

His gaze fixed on a torch-bearing goddess statue along the coastline, and Johnson instantly knew.

This was New York.

And he was plummeting toward the ground at extreme speed!

Just before impact, he flexed his arms and released a burst of raw power. The space-time barrier shattered, breaking into countless multicolored fragments that dissolved into the air.

Johnson extended his Psychic Power and stabilized himself between the towering office buildings, Times Square sprawling below. Neon lights pulsed as pedestrians filled the streets — a scene of urban vitality.

But something caught his attention on the surrounding LED screens.

...Spider-Man has died from injuries sustained in a powerful earthquake in Brooklyn. His true identity has been confirmed as Peter Parker, a 26-year-old graduate student and part-time photographer. New York's friendly neighborhood hero has forever left his citizens.

Johnson landed on a small building's rooftop. Around him, people shared his shock and disbelief as they pulled out their phones to verify the news.

In an instant, a wave of grief swept over the entire city.

"So this is real." Johnson narrowed his eyes, finally confirming which world he had arrived in.

This was the Marvel universe.

The Marvel universe contained nearly infinite multiverses — their existence shaped by comic book sales and writers' imagination. These realities could undergo profound changes or reset with a single snap.

And New York in the Marvel universe was the epicenter of countless major events — a peaceful city paradoxically prone to nuclear-level disasters.

Spider-Man confirmed dead? That was indeed troubling news.

Johnson needed to investigate quickly — he wasn't sure how long the "brief stay" described in the "Mysterious Cube" would last...

As he pondered, a familiar red and blue figure flashed in his peripheral vision, landing on the glass wall of a nearby office building.

Johnson: ???

Looking back at the special report still cycling on the big screen...

Fake News?

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"What the hell? I'm dead?" Peter Parker stared absent-mindedly at the news playing on the screen below, his thoughts racing, "26 years old? Even counting the Blip I'm only 21! And graduate student? Come on, I haven't even started college! So... did Dr. Strange's spell go wrong again? God, what's happening..."

"I was just about to ask you that question, Mr. Parker."

"Whoa whoa whoa!!"

Peter jumped in fright, his hair standing on end under his suit, as he backflipped along the glass wall to put nearly ten meters between them before finally getting a clear look at the speaker.

"Whoa — this guy is incredibly tall and handsome!

He must be at least 6'5"!

And that physique with those massive muscles... he's built like Thor himself!

"Wait — you can fly? Are you an enhanced individual? A hero or villain?"

"Stop this nonsense." Johnson's temple twitched as he cut off the chattering spider, "I'm Johnson, police officer by trade, hero on the side."

"A hero too?" Peter froze, likely because his spider-sense detected no malice, "That's why I don't know you — you haven't joined the Avengers, right?"

"What you're saying is... at least logically correct." Johnson floated over to the now-calmer Spider-Man, hands in his pockets, "My hero organization isn't the Avengers, but the Hero Association, and this world we're in isn't either of our universes."

Peter: !!!

"Ugh..."

An identical sharp pain shot through the back of their heads as their Spider-Senses instinctively detected information about their kindred.

Before Peter could process the information overload, he stared at Johnson in shock, "This feeling is unmistakable — you're... like me?"

"Yes, I do possess some spider abilities." Johnson nodded, making a gesture with his thumb and index finger, "Just a little bit."

"I see." Peter finally regained the composure befitting a superhero and hesitantly removed his mask, "Mr. Johnson, I think we need to have a proper talk."

"Of course." Seeing the Tom Holland-esque handsome face under the mask, Johnson made an inviting gesture, "I know just the place."

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