Work Text:
Rebuilding Again
It's been nearly a month since the Universe's of every lives were collided. They've been sent back to their alternative universes, but was also to keep in touch with another. How were they able to, they had no clue, but they would visit each other without exceeding their existence fading away or glitching out. One of the many Spider-Man was named Noir, who was in a universe that took place in 1933 and only exist in black and white.
One of the people he would visit on occasion is Peni Parker, who lived in a universe that took place in 3145 and had the spider that bitten her now fight alongside her inside of her father's robot. Unfortunately, the robot was destroyed during their fight with King Pin and Scorpion destroyed her robot before Peter Porker and Noir stood in. She felt her heart broke when she saw the robot look at her before it shuts down from damage. The spider was perched onto her shoulder, but it still hurt on the inside of her heart when she watched her father's creation died in front of her.
And the only thing Noir could do was place a gentle hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle and reassuring squeeze before letting her climb onto his back as they climbed up to the top of the portal where they could all go home to their own universes. But since then, Noir and Peni had kept in touch with each other. He would let her join some of his investigations if she visit's Noir's universe. And Peni would show him all of new inventions that had been made way after his timeline if he visits her universe.
But on this particular day, the sun nearly setting down as Peni was nearly finished with her cyborg robot, the spider nearly squeaking up with joy as it watched the glowing red eyes come to life, blinking at Peni. "Yes! Just a few more wiring and you'll be back out in the field in no time!" She said, smiling as the spider climbed up onto her arm, watching it all unfold. Noir was about to knock on the door when his spider senses started to go off.
Something was wrong.
He looks around, trying to see if anyone was in danger. Finding none, he still find his spider senses still going off. If anyone is not in danger, then why is it going off--
He stilled when he realized who was in danger.
"Peni..."
He ran out to the back to the shed where Peni would normally would be.
Peni's spider perked up when it heard a lightning cackling within the wiring inside of the robot. It squeaked at Peni, who turned to it then at the robot. The screen was starting was starting to fizz out, beeping rapidly as the limbs were twitching rapidly. Peni started to back away as the screen starts to crack, sparks flying out from the robot.
Everything was in slow motion.
Noir opening the door to get to Peni.
The robot sparking up a flame.
Peni trying to protect her spider friend as it curled up in her hands.
.....
The shed explodes.
.....
Noir slid across the ground, landing a few feet away from the now burning shed. He sucked in a breath, curling up a bit, coughing for a moment before slowly raising up. He looks down in his arms to find Peni, safe from the explosion, her face buried into his chest while clinging to the front of his coat. A few soot spots on her face, but she seemed to be okay. He was lucky enough that he used his webbing to grab Peni at the last minute.
He managed to get onto one knee, holding Peni by her shoulders to see if she was okay for sure. "Hey, you okay, kid?" He asked, managing to get her to pull away so he can look at her. She wasn't staring at him, her bangs hiding her eyes as the spider crawled up to her shoulder, looking at her. Noir didn't know what to do, he was not the type of person that is great with comforting people. He gets very awkward when he tries.
But he had to.
He had to be sure that Peni was alright. The child already grew on him from their visits and if he finds out if she was injured, he didn't know what to do then. He lowered his head to be eye level with her, his hands still on her shoulders. "Peni....c'mon kid, please talk to me-"
He was cut off when tiny arms wrapped around his neck and shoulders, nearly making him stagger back a bit from the sudden impact. He looks to see Peni hugging him rather tightly, very surprise of the sudden strength from this child. His hands hover above her back for a moment before he could feel something warm and wet against his shoulder. He could start to feel her shaking. This wasn't a good sign. "....kid?"
She doesn't say anything before she starts to sob. "Th-Thank you, Mr. Noir! If-If you weren't here, then...th-then I would have been..." She starts to sob again, tightening her grip on Noir even more. It was getting hard for Noir to breathe, but that seemed to be out of his thoughts now. Peni nearly had a death experience and she needed someone now. With that, he wrapped both arms around her, letting her sob into his shoulder for as long as she needed to.
"....you're okay, kid.....you're okay..." He could hear the sirens coming towards them, the fire department putting out the fire.
"Are you two alright?" A fireman asked. Noir could only nod. "Yeah....she just got a scared was all." He said. He was a bit banged up from the explosion, protecting Peni from most of the impact, but he was more concerned for her health than his own. That's how he was in his universe. "....and I would hand you her to be double sure....but she's got a good grip on me." He chuckled a bit awkwardly. The fireman looks at Peni before kneeling beside them and check them both in case they were injured.
"...well, you both seemed to be okay." He said as the fire was stabled, going out as they finished up their job. Noir looks at Peni, who refused to pull away. A few feet away, his hat laid on the ground. He may as well get them both inside before it got too dark. He stood up slowly, using one arm to hold Pen while his other hand grabbed his hat, placing it back on his head before he heads inside. The lights turned on as soon as he stepped in, closing the door before looking around.
He walked over to a couch before managing to sit down, one arm still wrapped around Peni to ease her. How she could still have him in such a tight grip, he does not know. But she needed this and he was willing to put up with it as long as she needs him. He looks down at Peni, who went silent for awhile before she finally loosen her grip on him, slowly pulling away from him. But she didn't let go of him entirely just yet. He was silent before he sheds off his trench coat, then placed it around Peni's shoulder.
".....you, uhh....wanna talk about it?" He asked, clearing his throat before looking at her. "Well, that is...if you want to..." He said, scratching his forehead for a moment. Peni didn't say anything. He felt like he pushed it too far, about to leave the topic be--
"....I guess this is what happens when I buy bad wiring from a store I was warned about." Noir glanced down at Peni, who was looking down at her lap, wriggling her hands together in a nervous manner. "...I ran out a wiring that helps out with the robot's sensory system...and the store I go to didn't have the ones I needed. So...I went to the other one that usually have cheaper pricing and they had them. I didn't think it would mess with the sensory system...." She looks at her spider, that was looking at them as it was perched on her knee. She held her hand out to it and it crawled up on her hand.
"...I was just so excited to get out there once again....I didn't think of the consequences, and I nearly got myself killed." She rubbed one of her shoulders. Noir looks down at her, then looked a bit surprised when he felt her leaned against his side. "..thank you for saving me..."
He looks down at her before giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "....no problem, kid."
It was a moment of silence for them both. Peni looks at the blueprints that was on her coffee table and sighed. "...guess it's back to square one, again...."
"...you need help?"
Peni blinked in surprised, then looks at Noir again, who was not entirely looking at her. "....you...want to help me?" She asked. He looks down at her, this time. "I mean....that is if you want me to. I know that I don't see color or anything, but...it's the least I can do, right?" He asked. Peni was surprised at his gestured, then smiled before hugging him again, her arms wrapped around his chest. He grunts in pain in silence, still a bit banged up from the explosion that happened, but didn't say anything.
"So when do we get started?" Peni asked excitedly. He placed his hand on the top of her head, ruffling her hair softly. "We'll worry about it tomorrow. Right now, you need sleep."
"But I'm not tired!" She whined, looking at him with puppy eyes. If he wasn't wearing his mask, he would have a flat look on his face. "The puppy eyes doesn't work on me anymore, kid. You need to sleep after what happened. And I'm sure you're little friend agrees with me as well." He gestured to the spider.
It bobs up and down as if it was agreeing with Noir and managed to crawl onto the table. "So you need sleep. We'll worry about the gadgets and robot making tomorrow." He placed his hat on the end table, about to lean back. But then, he jerked a bit when he felt Peni just pushed him on the couch until he was laying down. "No, you'll hurt your back if you sleep like that." She said before laying beside him, using the coat as a small blanket.
Noir just blinked in response before he just settled a bit until he felt comfortable. He grabbed his hat once more before he placed it over his face, making it block most of the light as Peni was snuggled up against his side. It was almost an hour when they settled, but Noir can tell that Peni was still up because she had her cellphone out, texting to someone. Peni blinked when she felt a hand on her hands, making her push the phone down. She looks up at Noir. "I'm still texting, someone." She whined.
"And I said you need sleep, kid...." He mumbled, keeping the hat over his head as he settled once more.
"But Noir..." She whined. Noir looks down at Peni and just sighed. "...please, just sleep. We'll be up by the sun rises before you know it." He said, laying his head back once more. He was going to close his eyes again before he felt a hand squeezing his.
"....but what if I had a bad dream of what happened today?"
He heard her asked. He looks down at Peni, which her eyes were watering up from tears, making him inwardly panic on the inside. He can't handle her crying twice again.
Noir looks at her before he adjusted himself on the couch so that Peni was nearly laying on top of him and his side, making him have one arm around her. "....if you do...I'll be right here..." He said, giving her a gentle squeeze before relaxing. Peni didn't say anything, looking at Noir as he starts to breath softly in his sleep. That's when a soft smile was on her face before she relaxed, laying down as well before. She closed her eyes and doze off.
.....
.....
They worked on the robot for weeks, Noir having to step back into his universe before he glitched out, which Peni understood. But they both worked on the robot together, starting from scratch before making the models for it and making sure that all the wirings were correct.
On the day of the testing, Peni lets the spider crawl in before giving Noir a nod. He nods back before he pressed a button. At first, nothing happened, but then, the SP//DR responds, slowly raising to it's feet before the screen turning on. It looks at them both before having a happy emoji on its screen, waving at them happily. Peni squealed with Joy as she saw the robot up and running good as new. She even jumped up to give Noir a hug, which he stumbled back at the sudden hug from her, but kept balance as he had one arm wrapped around her.
"Thank you so much! Oh! This deserves a picture!" She said before pulling out her cellphone. Noir was at lost of what to do as the SP//DR came behind them, making a peace sign pose as Peni got a selfie of them together. She looks up at Noir before smiling again. "Thanks again for helping me, Noir. It really means a lot." She said, the robot agreeing with him while giving him a thumbs up. He looks at the robot before looking at Peni.
She giggled when she felt his hand on the top of her head, ruffling her hair gently and playfully.
"Sure thing, kid."