Chapter Text
Homecoming, Chapter I: Back to Basics
It was a calm night in New York City. People were going about their routine, cars were passing by, and it was eerily peaceful for a certain spider perched atop a gargoyle. The red-and-blue hero sighed and finally spoke, “Well Bruce, it feels nice to be back in the city. I dunno about you, but I had enough time and space mishaps.” he lightly recalled his previous adventures before finally returning home.
“Yep. No gods, no portals, or evil mes.” Peter sighed, “Just me, my costume and a date in a few hours.” the hero turned to the inanimate gargoyle, “Thanks for the chat, old friend. Guess I better be off.”
Spider-Man looked up and shot a web-line at the nearest building, holding the strand as he jumped off and started swinging. ‘Looks like it’s just another night, let’s see what’s in store for Spider-Man!’
‘Still feels good knowing I finally found MJ. Never thought we’d reunite for real… although there are some things we need to figure out.’ Peter mused to himself. ‘I’d rather just get that done and over with tonight. Hopefully.’
Peter looked down at the city, as bustling as ever. “Don’t fret, New York! Good ol’ Spider-Man is back!” he paused, “Ah who am I kidding? Jameson’s probably got another headline against me coming up knowing him. The old geyser probably missed me. Ha! That’ll be the day!”
‘Things are quiet in Manhattan… Weird.’ Peter thought, latching onto the side of a glass building. ‘Maybe I can cut this short and- AGH!’ the hero held his head feeling a sensation he knew all too well, ‘Spider-Sense… but what’s setting it off?’
Spider-Man felt his grip on the building loosen up, noticing a gray blob form under his body. “Oh you GOTTA be kidding me. Now?!” he groaned, falling into the apparent wormhole opening up right beneath him, “Madame Web better not be summoning me again or so help me…” he growled under his mask, well prepared to scold his old mystic ally yet again.
“Didn’t think I’d end up back in one of these again…” sighed Spider-Man, landing face first onto a rooftop.
“Aha! It worked!” shouted a costumed man wearing an orange and green suit of armor with wings attached to the back. From Peter’s end it looked a little cheap. The costumed bug man lowered his gaze to see an all-too familiar red and blue hero on the ground, “Oh you have got to be kidding me.”
Getting to his knees, Spider-Man sighed, “Okay what the heck was that about? Who are you and what did…” he paused, noticing the device on the criminal’s hand, “The Time Dilation Accelerator?! How did you get that?!” he shouted, running forward and immediately grabbing the bug man, raising him into the air to threaten him.
“Ah! W-Wait I can explain!” the costumed crook shouted back, “O-Oscorp Industries! They found this!”
“How?! Why do you want it, huh?!” Spider-Man yelled. He tightened his grip, desperately ensuring Beetle understood the stakes.
“You’ll know soon enough, Spider-Man! For this is the last you’ll see of the Beetle!” the Beetle declared, activating the device to send Peter down into the building and freeing him from the hero’s grip.
Spider-Man shouted as he fell and landed in an empty room, “Oh great… a new guy. Just what I needed tonight.” he got up and brought himself out the nearest window. He sighed and adjusted his web shooters, “I can still make it to MJ. With the device that Beetle guy can be anywhere and with my luck he’ll bring me to him.” he held onto the web line he shot out and started swinging.
The Watson Household
“I see Parker is running late as usual.” an older woman scoffed to her red-headed niece, who could only shake her head in response.
“Aunt Anna, he’ll be here.” Mary Jane assured her aunt.
Anna sighed, “He’s married to you and he can’t even have the decency to be on schedule. Face it, Mary Jane, he’s as bad as I predicted. The fact you are even here is proof of it.”
Mary Jane rubbed her head, “A lot has happened, Aunt Anna. I just… I just needed to see you for a bit after everything, okay? I promise Peter and I are okay.” she said sincerely, still reeling from everything she missed.
Crossing her arms, Anna could only let out a disgruntled huff, “If you insist. Just know you’re welcome back here when I’m right.”
“What would May say about this?” Mary Jane questioned her aunt.
Anna raised a brow, “She’d agree that her nephew has been acting weird lately. Weirder than usual.”
MJ could only let out another sigh.
The doorbell rang, Mary Jane moving to the door to open it. Standing on her porch was Peter, clearly a bit disheveled and holding a bouquet of flowers in his hand, “Can’t let tradition die, huh?” he joked coolly.
MJ grinned, “Oh what am I going to do with you?”
“Don’t know.” Peter quipped, “Guess we’ll find out.”
Unknown
“Did you obtain it?”
A cold voice boomed in the dark office which the Beetle stood in. He held the Time Dilation Accelerator in his hand, very proud of his work all the while.
“Good. Very good. Our dear benefactor needed it, and his money will do our organization wonders. Including you.” the mysterious man revealed.
“Benefactor? What, you can’t afford to run a criminal empire yourself?”
The man stood up, turned around and pointed a gun directly at the Beetle, prompting him to jump back in shock, “Do not. Tempt me.”
“Right. Right, sorry boss!” Beetle pleaded.
The boss lowered his gun and glared at the costumed criminal, “With the Kingpin incapacitated, someone needs to step up and finish what he started, especially with Spider-Man. I’m the only one who can, but it won’t come easy of course. It’ll take bargains, dirty hands and people like you to get by.” he sat back down, “Now you can keep complaining about working with a supposed wannabe, or you can shut up, watch the money flow in and witness the new Kingpin in action.”
The Beetle nodded, “Right, boss man. So when’s the check coming in?”
“You’re not done yet. Spider-Man still needs to be dealt with while our donor clears up a few things.” the boss revealed.
Beetle smiled behind his helmet, “What do you got?”
The up and coming crime lord waved a hand, “Spider-Man up and left New York for a good while, it was perfect and it gave me time to get here. It was also the perfect time for people like the Benefactor to come up with some new experiments. Neogenics I think he called it. Strange thing it is. Anyway, he did some more experiments and came to a neat little discovery… a weapon.”
“Weapon, eh? I like the sound of that.” the Beetle said.
“It won’t just be any weapon. You’ll be having help in the field.” the boss revealed. He gestured to a capsule containing a man in a green striped polo shirt. “We found him in a weapons test site after surfacing on a distant island, he was deemed too dangerous to be conscious and the site is shut down… but I think some negotiating could help with ensuring he stays on our side.”
The Beetle nodded, “Oh…”
“Just need to plant him in the right spot. And I just know where…” the boss hinted, putting up a visual of a distant island on a monitor next to the capsule.
“Tonight’s been wonderful, Peter.” Mary Jane praised, relaxing on the park bench she and Peter chose to sit on.
Peter chuckled, “Eh. I have a knack for good dates…” he sobered up with a heavy sigh, “Look Mary Jane, this is the last thing you probably want to talk about but I need to get it off my chest.”
Mary Jane blinked, “If this is about…”
“Let me explain. Please. I know you disappeared and suddenly, just, came back married to a man you only briefly started dating from your perspective.” Peter started to speak, “I know you’re not exactly about that life. The last thing I would want is for you to feel chained down out of an obligation, that you feel like you have to stay. I would never wish that upon you, Mary Jane.” he inhaled as he finished talking to her.
Putting a hand to her mouth, Mary Jane replied, “Peter, I know what I’m doing.” she held his hands, “Everything that happened has been… strange, I admit it, I’d rather not look back on that. But we were together, we were making it work and we still are making it work. If I didn’t want this I’d have walked out as soon as we came back here.”
“But what about-“ Peter was cut off.
MJ chuckled, “My aunt? I’ve been gone for so long, I simply owe it to her to visit her, just like you would do for May.” her husband couldn’t help but nod in agreement to that statement,
‘It’s true, she’s right. And here I am panicking over nothing. We got this.’ Peter assured himself.
“So. Got anything else in mind for this date?” Mary Jane asked coolly.
Peter shrugged, “Well we got the walk in the park done. We could just head back to my place, put on a movie. I’m thinking of putting everything on pause to keep this going.”
MJ nodded, “Ah. How very generous of you.” she lightly joked, even if she meant it sincerely.
‘But then again, the Beetle guy’s still out there with the Time Dilation Accelerator. I need to find out how he got it before it falls into the wrong hands again.’ Peter thought, turning over his options in his head as he put a finger to his chin. He let out a heavy sigh, figuring he couldn’t leave that alone.
“A-Actually MJ… Uh…” Peter paused, trying to come up with the right words.
Mary Jane smiled, “Say no more, Pete.” she reached into her purse, handing Peter a piece of red cloth he immediately recognized, “I figured something was gonna come up so I snuck this in just in case.” she revealed then mused, “And I’m sure you got your costume on too.” to which Peter nodded. “Figured. Now what’s going on?”
Peter held his Spider-Man mask in his hand, glad the park was empty. He spoke, “The device that trapped you and Norman. It ended up back here somehow. I-I can’t sit by while the Beetle is doing who knows what with it! I don’t want anyone to share the burden we did…” he exhaled.
Mary Jane simply put a hand on his shoulder and nodded, “I’ll be waiting. As long as you need. Go get ‘em, Tiger.”
Peter stood up and let out a chuckle, “Heh. Guess I really did hit the jackpot, eh? How about I swing you to my place first?” he offered a hand, to which his wife accepted.
‘And then I’m gonna get some answers. From the only one who’d send a guy like him after me.’
Laying on a hospital bed was a large man, clearly comfortable despite his many injuries. He felt a breeze and turned his head, unfazed. “Hm. Are you just gonna sit there or are you going to close the door?” boomed the menacing voice of Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin.
“Yeah yeah, still all talk and blubber, huh Fisk?” grunted Spider-Man, crawling into the hospital room.
Kingpin merely folded his hands at the hero’s hostility, “I see you aren’t here for a meager friendly visit.”
Spider-Man pointed at Fisk, “You’re right. I’m not. I need answers, Fisk. Right now.”
With a shake of his head, Kingpin replied, “You have questions? I am shocked, Spider-Man. It has been too quiet on your end. Seeing as I have nothing else to do, I might as well hear you out.” he decided, leaning back on his bed. He gave Spidey a sinister grin.
“Oh no, I’m the one taking charge here. Now tell me, who’s the Beetle and what is he after?” Peter grunted, getting close to his bed to continue pointing an accusing finger at the Kingpin.
Fisk merely grunted in confusion, “Eh? The Beetle? That is surely a new one.”
“Don’t play games with me, Fisk. I know all about your knack to send guys like him after me. Now talk .” Spider-Man demanded, not buying the Kingpin’s words.
Fisk shrugged, “I assure you, Spider-Man, I did not send a Beetle after you. Be it as it may, I do not have my usual resources upon me. As you may have noticed.”
“But I’m sure you got a first class express to the best New York hospital.” Peter snapped.
Wagging a finger, Kingpin continued, “That is beside the point. The point is that I have no control over whatever costume loons are coming your way, it is out of my hands. In fact, I am glad you brought this to my attention.”
“Pfft. You. Glad about that? Come on, what is that supposed to mean?” Spider-Man wondered, narrowing his lenses.
“It means someone is trying to lay claim to my expertise and turf. I cannot let that stand.” Kingpin declared with a growl, believing his power over New York to be at risk for the first time in forever, “My injuries have left me unable to attend to my duties, I still need time to heal. But you… you can end this fight before it even begins.”
Spider-Man scoffed, pointing at himself at the idea as he started speaking, “Me? Work with you to take down another Kingpin? Please, if I’m gonna do this I’d rather do it without you holding a bargain over my head.”
Kingpin leaned back on his bed, “If you insist. Do as you must, but I require you to leave. Clearly we seek different goals but… I will ensure an eye is kept on you.”
“Uh huh, good luck with that, Fisk.” Spider-Man bemoaned. He hopped back on the window sill and shot a web line, jumping off and getting ready to swing off.
‘Everyday I wish I could just put him behind bars.’ Spider-Man groaned in his head as he swung across the city, ‘One day I’ll wipe that smug grin off his face. He thinks he’s so untouchable and yet here we are, some new guy trying to do his schtick. While I’d love nothing more than ol’ Willie having nothing, this new guy has the Time Dilation Accelerator and I won’t let that stand.’
Peter saw a flying figure in the distance. He scowled under his mask and decided to follow. ‘Beetle already? Tonight’s my night!’
After a few moments of trailing, Spider-Man landed on a rooftop, taking notice of the nearest building. “The Life Foundation? That’s a new one. When the heck did this get here?” he muttered to himself in confusion.
Peter rubbed his head, ‘The device is back, a new foe is on the move and there’s a new company here probably scheming to get revenge on me for… something. Who knows at this point?’
Spider-Man started to swing again, feeling his Spider-Sense go off right as another portal opened, “Oh crap-“
The hero landed in an abandoned building and shook the cobwebs out of his head, “I hate that. So much. ” he groaned, rolling on his side and getting to his feet.
“Perfect spot for a battleground, huh? Just you… me…” the Beetle started speaking, opening another portal with masked thugs stepping out of it, “And just a small army.”
Spider-Man chuckled, “Really? This the best you got? Well alright then!”
Peter jumped up and shot a web at a guy with a crowbar, yanking it out of his hands and following up with a kick. Someone tried to swipe Spider-Man from behind but the hero countered with a swift sweep kick, flipping into a handstand and jumping once more.
Attaching a webline to the nearest support, Spider-Man swung and kicked a few more thugs in his way causing them to topple over with ease. “Come on guys, really? You’re all falling like bowling pins!” he joked, perching himself on a wall as his Spider-Sense flared. He noticed gunshots and started to move along the wall to avoid them, tracking whoever had the gun.
He found the shooter and kicked himself off the wall, shooting a web ball to block the gun from taking another shot. “What the—“ the thug grunted in frustration as webbing covered his mouth. As he dropped the weapon and tried to remove the substance, Spider-Man kicked the guy and made him land on his back.
“Alright. How many more of ya are there?” he saw three more guys try to approach him, “Oh how sad. I could do this all day.” Peter snarked, dodging a crowbar with a duck and uppercutting someone next to them. The third guy tried to go for a right hook, only to be countered by Spider-Man’s arm, “A swing and a… miss!” he shouted, decking the last thug with a simple jab to the chest and knocking him unconscious.
Peter dusted his hands, “Well that was fun. And easy. Mostly easy.” he joked, “Now come on out, Beetle!”
“With pleasure!”
A portal opened up and the Beetle flew out, driving both fists into Peter with one jet propelled thrust. The wallcrawler grunted in pain as he felt himself get lifted into the air, “Not a bad entrance eh, bug?” Beetle joked.
“I’ve seen… better…” Spider-Man gasped as he tried regaining his breath. He punched the Beetle’s helmet and freed himself, finding a spot to swing from and landing on the nearest well, “Geez…” he sighed, holding his gut.
‘No time to breathe. Gotta reach Beetle before he uses the device again…’ Spider-Man thought, aiming a web for the Beetle’s foot to distract him. With a heavy swing he disoriented the villain’s wing flight and made him shake. Flipping around, Spider-Man drove his feet into the Beetle and landed a good kick.
“Oops. Got a little something on your helmet there!” Spider-Man joked, zipping to the nearest wall. He zipped onto the Beetle’s back as the villain started to fly into the air through a hole in the ceiling he made.
“News flash, tough guy! This isn’t my first rodeo with a nutcase with wings! Yours are just sturdier than the last!” Spider-Man joked, holding onto his webline as tight as he could as the Beetle tried to escape him.
Using the Time Dilation Accelerator, the Beetle opened up a portal and sent them to another corner of the city, “Get away! Let go!”
“Nah! This is pretty fun!” quipped Peter, climbing on the web like a rope as he got closer to Beetle. The villain pressed the button again and placed themselves back into the warehouse they started, hoping something would hit the hero away from him.
Unfortunately for him, Spider-Man got onto his back. The Beetle responded by activating his jet thrusters on a higher setting, forcing Peter to release his grip.
‘This is gonna be tough…’ Peter mused in his head, getting to his feet on the ground. His Spider-Sense rang, noticing the Beetle hold out a wrist missile aimed at him.
“Oh great…” Spider-Man sighed. He started to run, hoping to divert the projectile’s homing aim. The hero spun his body around, aiming so that his webs targeted the missile. With another spin, Peter managed to throw the weapon back at Beetle.
“That won’t work, bug!” Beetle warned the hero. He used the device to open a portal in front of himself to keep the missile away, opening another rift next to Spider-Man. The Beetle then shot a second missile at the hero.
His body moving out of instinct, Spider-Man flipped over the warped missile as he tried to focus on the second projectile, ‘A little hectic but nothing I haven’t handled before.’ the hero thought.
Spider-Man perched himself on a wall, kicking himself off it so he was within reach of both missiles. Using his webs, the hero shot both directly at the Beetle.
“Haven’t you learned- AGH!” the Beetle grunted, having webbing get caught in his helmet. Too distracted to notice the projectiles, he was hit by both missiles. “No, my system! They need to recalibrate!” the criminal shouted in frustration, getting the webbing off at last.
“Finally! Now it’s time to ground you!” Spider-Man shouted, reaching the Beetle and yanking off the jet thrusters, causing them to fall.
“You fool!”
Spider-Man tapped his chin, swinging off the high ceiling with Beetle underneath his arm. He tossed the armored villain onto a wall and covered him up in webbing, preventing him from moving. “That oughta keep ya until I find some pen and paper.” Spider-Man joked. The hero stretched once he landed. “Oh yeah, it’s good to be back in the game! Been a while since I faced a costume nutcase like you.”
The Spider-Sense flared up again. ‘Huh? But that’s it right?’ Peter wondered as he picked up the Time Dilation Accelerator.
Loud clapping echoed across the room. Standing on a higher walkway was the one behind the noise. He was a man in an ordinary business suit, his only defining feature being a purple ski mask covering his face and goggles over his eyes, “I knew you’d get the job done, Spider-Man!”
Spider-Man turned around and spotted the man in question, “Ah, I see! You must be the new Kingpin in town! Gotta say you’re way different than the last guy!” he joked, already preparing to jump after him. “Normally he’d just hide away and hire another guy!”
“I can’t afford to stall, Spider-Man. Time is money after all… and let’s just say someone wants you dead and gone sooner rather than later.” the mastermind revealed.
Spider-Man chuckled, “Aw is the big bad Kingpin sequel playing the lackey? How cute. You’re just second fiddle to an even bigger guy!” he mocked the villain.
“The Rose is no lackey!” threatened the villain as Spider-Man reached him at last, “It’s merely a means to an end. We all want you gone.”
Spider-Man scoffed, “Big talk for a scrawny guy in a suit. I could just web you up right here!”
The Rose chuckled, “You could do that… but I recommend watching where you step.”
Peter looked down, noticing that he was feeling grains on his feet. ‘Sand? How did that get here?’ he crouched down as his head ached. Something came from the pile of sand and smacked Peter directly in the face. The hero recoiled back and fell to his side in pain.
The pile of sand started to morph, taking the form of a man. The sand eventually settled on forming the body of a man, wearing a green striped polo shirt and jeans. “Oh great, you got yourself a Hydro-Man ripoff?” Peter joked.
The Rose laughed, “This is better. Meet the Sandman!”
Sandman knelt down and grabbed the Time Dilation Accelerator after Spider-Man let go. Peter tried standing up and fighting back, but Sandman morphed his hand to trap the hero in a vice, ensuring he couldn’t move or fight back.
“I’m sorry…” muttered Sandman.
“You’re sorry?! ” Spider-Man gasped as he tried to free himself.
The Rose clasped his hands together as he spoke up, “Enough talk, Marko. Finish the job.”
“R-Right…” Sandman said, activating the device and opening a portal. With slight hesitation, he tossed Spider-Man into the rift and jumped in after.
“Wait wait wait! Not again!” Spider-Man shouted, wondering where he was going to end up this time.
Darkness. Peter blacked out in the rift. His senses were barely coming back to him. The first thing he noticed was the sound of ocean waves in the distance and sand blowing in the wind.
He felt pain next. Sore from his battle and encounter with the Sandman.
Spider-Man opened his eyes, realizing his mask was off and placed next to his body. ‘Huh…? Why is that off?’ he thought, feeling the grains beneath his body as he put his mask back on as fast as he could, ‘Sand! More of it! This can’t be New York!’ he realized, sitting up and deducing his surroundings.
Clear blue skies, tropical trees and sand for miles, and nothing but the ocean surrounding him. The hero blinked and asked, “Where the blazes am I?!”
“You’re in paradise, Spider-Man!”
A distorted voice caught Spider-Man’s attention. Strangely, he didn’t feel his Spider-Sense go off, which was a bad omen. Peter gulped, dreading that his hunch was correct.
‘Oh no no no. Not him. He was here the whole time?!’ Spider-Man thought, looking up and seeing the source of the voice.
There was a set of webs attached to the trees and perched atop of them was a large man, clearly in what was black goop covering his body, a white spider emblem larger than even Spider-Man’s surrounded his torso. His maw was wide open and his tongue hung out.
“We’ve been waiting for you!” declared Venom as his eyes narrowed, prompting Spider-Man to mirror his actions.
TO BE CONTINUED