Work Text:
It was the Primordial's Day of Judgement, and SPider-Man to a few others knows as Peter Parker was feeling calm. Comparatively to the average population that is.
Make no mistake, this calm wasn't because he knew he would pass and remain unscathed. No, it's not something that happened because he died a few times and was brought back to life. Whatever little calm he felt came his experience as a hero and because of his interactions with those he loved and helping them, either by giving advice, being honest with them or just fixing something broken as a sink.
Currently he was sitting in the place where he would meet with his brother and the spot where he thought he might just finally meet him again to try to make things right and finally get some help with his memories since Beyond used the Winkler Device on his brother! It also happened where he told the ghost of Gwen Stacy - the one whom for some reason the Primordial chose to Judge him - his regrets and hopes regarding his once again enemy clone-brother. Instead of leaving after he finished explaining he contemplated if he should open up more.
Con it's not like she could give any advice or comfort him.
Pro it's getting quite heavy and he needs to tell someone and it might just free him a little bit.
"You know, I used to be happy that Ben's here in New York. I had someone with whom I could talk about being a Spider, but now I wish he never came here" he pauses to gather his thougts a bit.
Soon, he turns toward 'Gwen' and begins to explain himself:"That way, he'd still be the brother I remember, he and Janine could be happy!"
'The way I and MJ didn't get to', remained unsaid
"I really scewed up with him Gwendy. I could have said that the device could have been a bomb, a trap or that it wasn't safe. I could have said I could request a telepath to resolve the problem, but nooo I had to do the stupid thing and have a stupid fight with him!", Spider-Man vented his frustrations as much as he could, before getting down in the dumps and beating himself over it again.
Not even thirty seconds of brooding and he felt a hand on his shoulders and saw 'Gwen giving him' a reassuring smile. A smile which lifts his spirit a little.
Deciding he spent enough time Spider-Man continues with his patrol to the point he knows to get back home to get catch some zzzs.
The day that comes is the one where he receives his judgement but also the one with a message from Gwen Stacy.
"Pete, He heard you, and just as he brought me back for a final goodbye he'll reunite you two", she says after wiping her tears. This declaration leaves Peter dumbfounded, because he doesn't know what she's talking about, something which he voices.
"Your brother, Ben Reilly he'll show you were to find him but only you can fix this mess the two of you found yourself in". This further surprises the Amazing Arachnid, but it also gives him something he didn't feel in a long time: the emotion known as hope."I will Gwen, I swear I will!", he swears with conviction.
Gwen can only smile a true smile of happiness, thankful that despite how old her love has become he's still the same soul she knew and fell in love with. Feeling at peace than Pete or rather Spidey will be OK prompts her to say the words than she knows are just perfect: "Go, get 'em Tiger!"
Hard to believe these words would bring him joy again but here he is happy and filled with renewed conviction.
"I will", he replays smirking and watches as she returns with a smile on her face to where her soul came and soon afterwards of visions of where he'll find his brother appear.
Soon he catches him in a bearhug which leaves said brother confused and wary and surprisingly feeling warm on the inside. He soon snaps out of it though.
"What are you doing here Parker", he shouts with venom in his voice as he tries to wrest himself free of his 'brother' tackle.
"I just want to say that I am sorry, for everything. I could have easily suggested a telepath or have someone we can trust look at that helmet so that we could safely restore your memories instead of fighting you and making things worse", he confesses as he freed his brother from his hug with a very sad, regretful tone.
Parker's confession only surprises Ben Reilly on a surface level. On the inside he's feeling happy his brother still cares about him but he's also feeling angry for not only letting things degenerate to this point but also because MR "Hero" decided to work for the Green Goblin. And don't forget the blonde's the one who fell into radioactive goo and the one that should be crazy.
"So, now what, we'll hug it out and next day we'll be BFFS again or something?" The radioactive goo submerged brother decided to be a dick. because he thought he earned the right after the shit he put up with.
"Ben please, I don't want to return home knowing this day ended with us fighting", the bearded Parker pleaded.
"Yeah, sure you don't want to get some cheer up sex from your foxy-reaheaded-Broadway-star-and-actress-girlfriend. Oh, the horror the inhumanity"
"Ben! MJ left me and for some madman insane killer from a different dimmension", now don't get him wrong, being Spider-Man helped him with his tolerance and anger issues, but Ben Reilly was just being difficult on purpose.
"What?"
Peter even with his mask still on somehow managed to give Benji the 'You heard me' look.
Silence followed until Ben said they should talk about it at his hideout.
With Ben's direction they made it there in no time via webslinging.
Upon entering they met Janine Godbe who was surprised to see her beloved's brother but she quickly took a fighting stance until Ben calmed her down enough to not engage in a fight that under different condition would end up with her in webs and then to the jail.
The two brothers and Janine took a seat and started to talk once Peter removed his mask.
"So... you and MJ broke up again?" Nothing new for Janine as she heard that Peter and the former actress had an on-again-off-again relationship going on."Only this time she dumped you for a serial killer from another universe? How did that happen again", this time she was surprised.
"A short while after our fight an old enemy showed up, took us to a different dimmesion in which he and his kid have almost wiped out the population, then when we found a way to get one of us out we got attacked by a God that MJ killed and his kid threw me into the portal. There is a temporal difference between this world and his world. Out of desperation I asked Norman for help and did whatever it took to assemble the components like stealing from the FF, and when I finally managed to get back there I find MJ and Paul - who is the son of said enemy - had kids and were in a relationship. What followed was..."
As the Spider told his story of treachery and broken bonds Ben Reilly and Janine were left speechless with one thought in particular echoing in their heads.
If this happened to us Janine/I would wait for me/Ben regardless of how long it took, and wouldn't cut contact regardless of whatever was done to get back in that dimmension.
"Good God", they utered as one. An eery silence followed that no one knew how to best break.
"... you did all that to save the Woman you love and not only dods she left you and hate you, every single friend you made hates you, Aunt May also starts showing a bit of resentment but your taking care of that, but even the FFs give you grief despite the fact that they shouldn't anymore. I mean yeah, they're the only ones that have the right to be mad out of everyone in the superhero community but come on, they should still show some simpathy or I don't know at the every least all four of 'em should check up on you and then see how you can fix this and give you advice or something insttead of acting as if you kidnapped their kids or worse", the cloned brother of Spider-Man exclaimed with righteous fury on his brother's behalf.
"Or, why are you telling us this? I mean I appreciate that you wanted to tell someone about it, but why not Captain America or other Avengers or well anybody?" Janine couldn't understand why he didn't try to solve things by just explaining what happened or why the Fantastic Four are still acting like he did something far worse becau,se yes he did steal from people that should be his family but he did it to save the one he loves, something she knew Ben Grimm and Reed Richards would do in his shoes. Fuck, if it happened to anyone in that group they'd do the exact same thing if they had to, be mad a little before trying to patch things up after they could once again think clearly and all that jazz they do when they go splitsville and then back together again.Something they didn't do for the one that was still a member of their family but not part of the group. 'With friends like them...'
"Talk? Talk about what? About how they'd think I'm inventing things and make them look like petulant children? If they can't get past their pride and what not, maybe we shouldn't be friends in the first place!" Peter's voice had a venom it didn't had previously, but it couldn't mask the sorrow and betrayal for Janine Godbe and his younger brother."I should have quited the moment they started acting like it is my fault - No, I should have done that the moment I was treated as if whatever Ock did while he took my body for a year-long joyride. Couldn't be much worse than what happened when I lost my company that's for sure, and maybe, just maybe those stuck-up egomaniacs would have figured how important I am and how much of a better hero I am!"There was only pure undistilated anger in the voice of the Arachnid themed hero, and if he paid attention he'd notice the other two occupants were stunned into silence.
Stunned not by the hate he has displayed nor the thoughts he revealed but by what he said rather. Surely Peter was joking right? Sure, he had it the toughest out of all the heroes, but it couldn't be to that point, it just couldn't!
"And then there's the kids that I swear are ticking time bombs"
"Say what?!" The love birds said as one. Was today going to be the day with the most surprises in store?
"Look, I can't believe I'm saying it nor that I fill that role, but I don't know how they looked when MJ and Paul found them, and given that I don't know when the Apocalypse started in that world or all I know it could all be part of Rabin's master plan", he explained."That's Paul Dad" he added later.
"So, now what you go to Norman or Logan to request a telepath to undo the damage caused by Beyond? Because it looks like that's the only feasible plan Pete" Ben wanted to take this conversation to more pleasant places for both his, Janine and his brother's sake.
"I'm surprised you even suggested Norman given how much damage he's done", said the taken aback older brother. "Look I don't like him and I still believe you're doing a mistake working for him, even if it's just in case he relapses again, but you just showed me you are both my friend and brother, so if you think it's worth a shot I'll trust you, even if it's just because I missed you too. But if things go South with Norman I'm beating the crap out of him deal?"
"Hahahah, deal" the two brothers shook hands as its customary for making a pact.
"Also, if this all works out, how would you like to finally meet Aunt May?"
"What? Well Pete, are you sure, I mean you know she's old and what you'd also have to reveal no?" the clone of Spider-Man asked worriedily, because he still knew that the biggest reason the afore mentioned Aunt doesn't know about her nephew's double life is because the shock might be too much for her.
"I'm sure, and she will also meet Janine if only because I need someone that won't let me chicken out of it and to be optimist." Peter's reply made both Ben and Janine give him the 'really look'. "Guys and girls, I'm just pulling your leg! You don't have to meet her if you don't want to, but I still believe it would still be a good thing", the Spider-themed hero tried to salvage it as much as he could as well as retain as much of his courage from earlier as he could.
"Well, let's first see how things go , OK?" Janine decided to end this discussion without flat outloud declining Peter's proposal since both she and Ben were interested, but they won't rush it.
The SPider brothers agreed, and because of how late it was Janine and Ben offered - read as threathened - Peter to stay the night, which he ultimately did.
Soon Ben got his memories back, was offcially another employee of Norman, threw out the Chasm costume, told Peter what he had to deal and put up with while he filled in as Spider-Man during his absence, experimented with the help of his brother MIles and surprisingly Norman his new powers, made things right with Kaine, met Aunt May, and introduced the youngest but also the tallest of the Spider brothers to her once he was scarless, married Janine and got to witness the best revenge Peter could ever cook up for how Mary Jane treated him by finally getting married.
As for who the lucky one was, he still couldn't believe it as they exchanged vows in a CHURCH of all places, but he knew he spoke for all when he heard that tiny detail his brother and soon to be sister-in-law considered it both as an afterthought or that it was something irrelevant what Morrigan Aensland was revealed to be.
"A Succubus? What do you mean she's a succubus?"
Yeah, he'll never hear the end of it because even though she didn't corrupt Peter or brainwash him or whatever else might have gone through his and anyone elses head that heard that tidbit of information
Why couldn't he just shut up and let Miles, or Kaine, or Randy or Norman take the brunt is beyond him.