Chapter Text
To say Ben was proud would be an understatement. Okay, maybe at first he was a little disappointed that Otto had stolen the arc reactor from Peter's world. But it worked out for their world in the end. Otto had cleared his name by replicating the technology and providing clean energy to the world. He'd achieved the very thing he'd always dreamed of and Ben was proud of him. Even if it wasn't specifically his tech, it still made the world a better place.
Otto hadn't quite gotten back on his feet yet. Although he was happy, he seemed lost at times. He wandered around the big house he shared with Ben and Norman most days. At first Ben thought he was just looking for something to do, or stretching his legs, but the look in Otto's eyes said otherwise. Ben could understand it, the world had changed a lot in the nearly twenty years since Otto's 'death'. Of course the Doctor would feel a bit lost. Norman was even more lost than him. He saw multiple therapists and doctors a week and still followed Otto around like a lost puppy.
Ben was just glad he suggested the three of them get a place together. He was worried about what the two might do to themselves if left alone. And speaking of people who had been left alone...
Ben thought of Peter almost every day. Was he safe? Had the spell worked? He didn't really know the details beyond putting Peter's secret identity back where it belonged. Spells. Wizards. Still a weird concept to him. He wondered if there was a Doctor Strange in his world. Surely he would have noticed if there was, right?
Lost in his thoughts, Ben didn't notice he'd gone into Otto's lab until he was standing infront of the box that held the Arc reactor. He traced the edges of it with two fingers. Screw the wizard, he was worried about Peter! How could he get a good night's sleep without knowing if Peter was safe and happy?
"Do you need something?"
Ben whirled around to find Otto standing in the doorway. Two of the actuators where trained on him with their warm white lights. Otto didn't look angry, or accusing, just curious. This wasn't the first time Ben had wandered into his lab.
"Actually...yes. I have an idea, but I'll need your help." Ben admitted, motioning to the arc reactor behind him.
Otto's face lit up, excited to have a new project. He pulled up an extra chair for Ben and started switching on all his computers. "What do you need, my dear boy?" He asked, not even caring what the end goal was.
"A way to get back to the other Spider-men."
"Mm. Asking for a lot." Otto paused for a moment. He grabbed a stack of papers from another table and handed them to Ben. "Good thing I've already been working on such a thing."
Ben blinked in surprise as he flipped through the pages. There were hundreds of calculations Otto had already done, along with schematics for various devices. Most of them had big red X's drawn through them. "How long have you been working on this?"
"Past year or so. Since we got back. I thought it would be good to have a way to contact the others in case we ever needed them. Or they needed us," Otto explained. "I might have a way to the youngest one's world. This is the link." He nodded to the reactor. "The other Spider-Man is the problem. We have nothing of his that can connect us. We'd be flying blind."
"Not...necessarily." Ben set the papers down in a neat stack. He quickly left the room, returning several minutes later with a thin, silver cartridge. "Web fluid. He knew I was curious so he gave me one. Think that'll be enough?" He handed the vial over to the Doctor.
Otto held it in his palm while two of the actuators circled around him. Their claws opened and there was a soft whirring noise as they scanned the foreign object. His eyes flicked to the claw on his left, having a silent conversation with it. "I believe so. Let's get to work."