Chapter 35: Can We Really Get to Know Each Other?
But the Prowler wasn't about to let Gwen get her way. He recovered from her kick, launched himself from a run, and slammed into her mid-swing, knocking her off course.
Gwen could only watch, helpless, as her carefully aimed web-line was thrown wide by the impact.
"NO!"
Peter B. Parker was still some distance from the falling Bat, swinging desperately. He wouldn't make it in time.
The Bat, however, didn't panic. He threw his head back sharply, then drove it forward in a vicious headbutt directly into Kingpin's face. The armored cowl, built to withstand point-blank gunfire, met flesh and bone with a sickening crunch.
The impact dazed Fisk for a critical half-second.
In that same moment, Bruce's trapped arm twisted, not for power but for angle. His fist hammered down on the same spot on Fisk's temple he'd struck with his forehead.
Between the dizziness and the fresh wave of pain, Kingpin's grip faltered.
It was the opening Bruce needed. He wrenched his other hand free—the one still clutching his grapple gun—and fired. The hook shot upward, not toward a solid anchor, but toward the falling form of Peter B. Parker.
"DON'T YOU DARE!!" Kingpin roared, lunging to grab Bruce again. But he found his own massive body being shoved violently backward.
Bruce had slapped a small, high-thrust micro-thruster onto Fisk's chest. Its fiery exhaust scorched the bat-symbol on Bruce's own armor, but he didn't flinch.
His goal was achieved.
"Got you!" Peter B. shouted, his web-line intercepting the grapple line. He pulled, arresting Bruce's fall and swinging them both in a wide arc as he anchored another web to the ceiling.
Kingpin could only watch, bellowing in impotent rage, as the Bat was torn from his grasp. "I WON'T FORGET THIS!!"
THUD!!!
The sound of Fisk hitting the ground was momentarily louder than the collider's roar.
But only for a moment. In the heart of the energy vortex, fragments of other universes were now visibly bleeding through—glimpses of skylines and streets that didn't belong, pressing into reality. Without shutdown, the tear would become a black hole.
"You are really heavy. You might wanna cut back on the... whatever you eat," Peter B. grunted as he deposited Bruce onto a stable gantry. Then, without warning, he punched the Bat squarely in the face.
It was a pulled punch, Spider-strength held firmly in check. But it still rocked Bruce back a step.
"That doesn't mean you're off the hook for the fake keys!" Peter B. spat, thinking of the promise he'd made to Gwen. He really wanted to wipe that smug, secretive look off the cowl.
He let out a long, exasperated breath and held out his hand. "Get up."
Bruce said nothing. He took the offered hand and pulled himself upright.
The other Spiders finished dealing with Scorpion and swung up to join them. Penny Parker, in her mech, stomped over, her cockpit screen displaying a furious, cartoonish frown.
"I shouldn't have been so confident in giving you the key," she said, her small voice tight with betrayal. Her mech's arms were crossed in a perfect mimicry of her mood.
Suddenly, the Spider-People cleared a path. A white and pink blur shot through the opening.
Even Peter B., standing right next to Bruce, quickly let go and took a prudent step back.
Gwen had finally shaken the Prowler. Seeing the Bat alive and mostly unhurt did nothing to quell the storm inside her. She stopped in front of him, her body trembling with suppressed emotion, then drove a fist into his armored abdomen.
It was a solid hit, powered by Spider-strength, even restrained. It forced a grunt from Bruce.
The bigger impact came from the voice in his head. "Being this universally disliked by women isn't a Wayne family tradition, son. I suggest you work on that," Thomas remarked, his tone dripping with dry, spectral amusement. Bruce could hear the ghost of a laugh.
Gwen wasn't done. She grabbed the front of his cowl and shoved him back against a console. "I told you I hate you! And then you pull a stunt like that! Why won't you just talk?! Aren't you supposed to be the smart one?!"
She punctuated her words with sharp, open-handed slaps against his chest armor—whap! whap! whap!—more about venting frustration than causing harm.
Spider-Man Noir, seeing the scene, quietly moved to stand beside Peni's mech and placed a hand over its visual sensors. "A bit too violent for young eyes," he muttered.
Peter B. and Spider-Ham watched with keen interest, even offering sotto voce commentary on Gwen's form.
But everyone knew her strikes were calculated. They were meant to sting his pride, not break his ribs.
"Do you have any idea what you did?! You could have died! We all could have died!" Gwen yelled, finally grabbing him by the collar of his cape and shaking him. Her voice cracked, raw with a fear she hadn't let herself feel until now.
Through it all, the Bat remained silent. Then, slowly, he raised a gauntleted hand. With a soft click, a compartment opened on his forearm. Inside was a single encryption key. The real one.
Seeing it, Gwen's furious energy seemed to drain away. A different kind of pain surfaced. Tears welled in her eyes, hidden safely behind her mask.
"Go back to your world," Bruce said, his voice the same low, steady rumble, unfazed by the assault. "I will handle what remains here."
"Okay," Peter B. said softly, stepping forward. He placed a calming hand on Gwen's shoulder. "Okay. Time to finish this."
He took the key from Bruce's hand, then helped the Bat to his feet.
"You know," Peter B. said, a wry smile on his tired face, "you can't just mess with Spider-Man and get away with it." He pulled off his own mask, revealing his weary, kind face. He extended his hand, not in violence this time, but in offering. "And for the record... we can be people you trust. So... can we start over? For real this time?"
He took a breath, his voice clear and earnest in the chaotic chamber. "Peter Benjamin Parker. Spider-Man. From another world."
All eyes were on the Bat, waiting. The question hung in the air, charged with the hope and exhaustion of a long, impossible night:
Can we really get to know each other?
(End of Chapter)
✨If you're enjoying this story, consider supporting me on Patreon —
Patreon.com/TofuChan
💕Patreon members get early access to chapters, bonus content, and voting power on future ideas.💕
Every bit of support helps me write more and faster. Thank you so much for reading! 🥰
✨✨ I'll release an extra chapter for every 5 reviews! ✨✨🥳🥳 For every 50 power stones! 🥳🥳
Lets hit the goal of 60 Patreon Members now for 5 Extra Chapters 💕