By now, Peter had more or less figured out that this chubby middle-aged version of himself had also been dragged into this universe by that strange quantum black hole.
What he still couldn't understand was what kind of force could gather Spider-Men from multiple universes into a single world.
And all of it seemed to have started only after the Peter Parker of this world died.
Which raised another question.
Since he had been pulled into Marvel Universe 1610, if Gwen, the Ghost-Spider of his world, had been pulled in too, where was she?
If she really had come here, why hadn't he run into her yet?
How was she doing now?
Would this unfamiliar yet strangely familiar world scare her?
Probably not.
With the way that girl feared nothing and always treated trouble like entertainment, Peter's worry was probably unnecessary.
"Oh, terrifying quantum theory. I studied that in physics class..."
The boy in the cheap Spider-Man suit pulled off his cheap mask, revealing a Black face that looked thoroughly done with life.
He hated science.
"This is really something a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old is supposed to be learning?" middle-aged Peter complained.
"That's amazing! So now you can teach me how to become a great Spider-Man, just like Peter said!"
The Black kid sounded excited.
"A great Spider-Man doesn't buy cheap merchandise."
"Hey, Stan Lee himself sold this to me, and I can still return it! It's not cheap!!!"
"That somehow sounds even worse."
Hearing the kid's indignant protest, middle-aged Peter rolled his eyes, spread his hands, and looked even more helpless.
"Wait. Are you saying that Peter promised to teach you how to become Spider-Man before he died?"
"That's right! He promised me, and I promised him too!"
"What's your name?"
"Miles. Miles Morales!"
"If I remember correctly, that name belongs to the second Spider-Man of the Ultimate Spider-Man universe... Alright, no wonder this whole thing about the Peter of this world dying felt familiar. But the plot is completely different. It's not the comics, and it's not the cartoon either. Did some new Spider-Verse animated movie come out after I got transmigrated?!"
The moment Peter heard the familiar name Miles, everything clicked into place.
When the system first said Marvel Universe 1610, he hadn't fully reacted. Now he absolutely had.
This was the Ultimate Universe.
Just not the exact timeline he knew. It was another branch of it.
"Listen carefully. I did not come to this universe to apply for the job of Spider-Man coach! I still have a lot of things to deal with back in my own world!"
"But Peter told me that with great power comes great-"
"I'm sick of that line! You have no idea how much I've sacrificed because of those words. My love life, my friendships, I sacrificed everything! Becoming your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man and turning my whole life into a disaster..."
Middle-aged Peter cut him off. His emotions were clearly surging, like those words had stabbed right into an old wound.
"Trust me, Miles! You do not want to become Spider-Man. Just go back to being a normal high school kid!"
Miles was getting emotional too. He grabbed Peter by the shoulder and said, "But I never had a choice! Kingpin built a quantum collider and twisted space itself. Peter and I tried to stop him, and then he killed Peter. Now he wants to kill me too!"
From Miles's explanation, Peter finally understood what had happened.
His being dragged into this universe really was because of Kingpin.
That quantum collider had pried open the door to the multiverse, and that was absolutely not a good thing.
The rules of one universe weren't the same as the rules of another. The people dragged here might not show obvious changes at first, but because of those different laws, they would ultimately start breaking down. After all, not everyone had something like Peter's multiversal stability, a sort of cosmic passport that let him exist across universes.
And, just as he had suspected, the Peter of this world really had been finished off by Kingpin when he was vulnerable.
That bastard had even wrapped himself up as a friendly philanthropist. If Miles hadn't explained everything, Peter might still have hesitated to blame him. Kingpin's acting was flawless. In front of anyone, he never let a crack show.
"You know where that quantum collider is? I need it if I'm going to get back to my own universe!"
The moment he heard "quantum collider," middle-aged Peter visibly lit up.
"Brooklyn, underneath Fisk Tower. Wait, you're not actually planning to turn that thing back on, are you?! My job is to destroy it and stop it from ever starting again, or everybody's going to be in danger! I promised Peter!"
"Then treat it like you're making the promise to me this time. Let me get home first. Then go destroy it!"
Miles and middle-aged Peter immediately started arguing, getting louder and louder until Peter's head began to ache from listening.
Finally unable to take it anymore, Peter shot two strands of webbing at them.
Both of them triggered their spider-sense. Middle-aged Peter dodged easily, but Miles got stuck to a nearby water tower.
"Who's there?!"
Middle-aged Peter turned serious at once and stared toward the direction the attack had come from.
A shadow flashed in from that direction, getting closer and closer until a Spider-Man in a classic red-and-blue suit with a much sharper-lined design landed steadily in front of them.
"Sorry for listening in, but the two of you were seriously too loud. Loud enough to give me a headache."
Middle-aged Peter noticed that the other Spider-Man's suit looked similar to his own, but not quite the same. His spider-sense immediately reacted, and he spread his hands with a lifeless expression.
"Let me guess. You're another Spider-Man who got dragged here because of that quantum collider too? Kid, who are you? Do we know each other?"
"Well, how do I put this?"
"We're extremely familiar. Familiar enough that we see each other every single day."
As Peter spoke, he pulled off his mask, revealing a face that was youthful, sharp, and handsome.
Both of the people in front of him were stunned by that face.
"Hey, you're me?!"
"Peter, and way younger. A lot better-looking than this old guy too..."
"Shut up, Miles. No one here asked you to talk."
Peter walked right up to middle-aged Peter and looked him over seriously. Then, without hesitation, he reached out and poked the man's round belly.
"What happened to this stomach? Too many burgers and pizzas? Or is this just what happens when you hit middle age?"
"Oh, and you're dressed like a homeless man. All scruffy and bearded. Don't tell me you went broke."
"You're not doing badly in your own universe, are you?"
"Doesn't being this fat affect your mobility? And you said you'd retired from being Spider-Man?"
Question after question came flying out of Peter's mouth, hitting middle-aged Peter so fast he couldn't respond.
By the end of it, middle-aged Peter looked completely overwhelmed. He turned toward the trapped Miles and said, "Yeah, I've got a feeling this guy is a total chatterbox."
"Honestly, I probably was this talkative when I was his age. It's only after hitting middle age that you realize how incredibly annoying your younger self was. I kind of want to tape his mouth shut right now."
"You're not exactly quiet either. So let's not act like one of us is better than the other."
Peter folded his arms, looked at the older, heavier version of himself, and continued, "If I turn into a greasy middle-aged man like you, I'd rather hang myself with a strand of spaghetti. This is just painful to look at..."
(End of Chapter)
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