Everything happening right now felt bizarre to Peter, because the streets were full of Spider-Men.
There were little-kid Spider-Men, old-man Spider-Men, and even pregnant Spider-Men.
Of course, none of them were real.
After this world's Peter Parker died, the people he had protected had spontaneously organized a memorial event.
That meant Peter, dressed in the Spider-Man Dark Suit, did not stand out at all in the crowd.
After all, everyone was cosplaying. If one real Spider-Man mixed in, who would know?
"My fiancé, Peter Parker, was once just an ordinary person too. He always said that anyone could be the person behind the mask. He was only bitten by a spider by chance. It was never something he asked for. But he still chose to become Spider-Man."
"The thing I loved most about Peter was that he made all of us feel stronger... that each of us has our own kind of strength."
Watching M.J. at the center of the large memorial, Peter nodded slightly.
She looked exhausted, but also stunningly beautiful, mature, and full of presence. He had to admit that this universe's Peter had good taste. And he also had to admit that this world's M.J. felt completely different from the one in his own world.
Still, this kind of woman was not his type.
Even if M.J. had changed as a person, Peter still could not forget that, in his mind, she was a violent girl. That memory had left a scar.
Looking at the poster of this parallel world's future self at the memorial, Peter felt a complicated mix of emotions.
That Peter had been a true superhero, far better than Peter himself, an antihero willing to do whatever it took to protect the people he cared about.
He had been noble.
But being that kind of hero usually meant paying a terrible price.
And now, he had paid for it with his life.
It was not that Peter thought such a sacrifice was meaningless or wrong.
It was just that he believed a person had to choose carefully who they were willing to make that sacrifice for.
This world?
The people of this world?
No.
In Peter's eyes, grand, selfless morality only made a person look like a ridiculous clown. Heroes should be a little selfish. If they gave too much of themselves away, the only one left hurt in the end would be them.
"Maybe we should have a proper talk now, Mrs. Parker."
At that moment, a bald one-eyed man barged through the crowd with a group of thugs, shoving people aside as he looked up at M.J. on the stage with open disdain.
With his sharp senses, Peter immediately picked them out from the crowd and noticed the guns at their waists.
Then one idiot pulled out a gun and fired a shot into the air.
The whole place erupted into chaos at once. All kinds of Spider-Men ran, screamed, or froze. A couple were so scared they collapsed where they stood.
Only Peter, still wearing the Spider-Man Dark Suit, remained where he was, arms folded, watching with interest.
One of the big men noticed that this Spider-Man was not running and swaggered over with a smug grin.
"Well, look at that. We've got one Spider-Man who isn't scared to die. Spider-Man, it's time to take off that ridiculous mask~"
"I'm worried taking it off might scare the life out of you."
Peter's tone was perfectly calm. Against trash like this, who were not even mutants, he did not need to expend much effort.
"Don't hurt that kid! You bunch of thugs, if you've got any nerve then..."
"Shut up, lady! One Spider-Man already turned our lives upside down. And then there's you, taking those damned news photos and making sure none of us can even work anymore. You'll be joining your husband soon enough, so don't worry. We'll deal with you after we've had our fun."
The bald one-eyed man shouted hoarsely, then turned his cold gaze back toward Peter, who still had not moved.
"Take off your mask, throw it on the ground, and yell that Spider-Man is a loser, and I'll let you live."
Faced with several dark gun barrels pointed straight at him, Peter showed no sign of panic. He replied in the same cold tone as before.
"How about you take it off for me? I'm so scared I don't have the strength."
"Sure. I'll help you."
The one-eyed man did not catch the hidden meaning at all. In a great mood, he stepped forward, patted Peter on the shoulder, then grabbed the mask and yanked it off.
He was just about to throw it on the ground when he saw the face underneath.
A face he knew all too well.
His expression instantly turned to horror.
"Peter Parker!"
"Aren't you dead?!"
"No, wait... was Spider-Man's death faked? Was it just to throw us off? That can't be right. The boss always finishes things thoroughly. He personally confirmed Spider-Man's death!"
The other thugs froze too.
Even M.J. on the stage looked stunned, her shock mixed with something like hope.
Anyone who had known Spider-Man for years would recognize that face.
It was Peter Parker.
He looked younger, more youthful, and his hair was blond, but the face was exactly the same.
"I told you taking off the mask would scare you senseless, but you didn't believe me. I really did warn you. Everybody knows Spider-Man is a friendly neighborhood hero. He's honest."
Even with guns still pointed at him, Peter could not help making his usual sarcastic comment.
"...Die, Spider-Man!"
"But I'm Spider-Man back from hell, so I'm not quite the one you knew~"
Peter was not wrong.
The original owner of this suit really had died once and later been brought back by Deadpool. Ever since returning from hell, he had been very different.
And when Peter wore this suit, his whole mindset shifted too. He felt colder than usual.
Strangely enough, it felt pretty good.
The men opened fire without hesitation.
The gunfire came fast and loud, emptying their magazines almost instantly.
When the shots stopped, they looked again.
Peter was still standing there, completely unharmed.
The bullets had struck him again and again, but his skin was intact. None of them had done anything. They had all bounced away harmlessly.
Even the suit itself was undamaged.
With the Dark Suit covering him, Peter's defense was extremely high. And the suit itself had powerful regenerative properties, making it difficult for ordinary bullets to do much of anything.
"That just tickled."
"Now then... my turn~"
A sharp smile spread across Peter's face. In a flash, he crossed the distance, knocked the one-eyed man aside with a single punch, snatched his mask back, and pulled it on again.
Then blades extended from both forearms.
After a blur of movement and a series of panicked cries, the group had been put down for good.
(End of Chapter)
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