Chapter Text
Now…
“State your name, age, original Earth, and profession for the record.”
“You’re recording this? Now? I thought we were just going to talk–”
“I hate this as much as you do kid. State your name, age, your Earth and your profession. The sooner we do this the sooner we can let you go.”
“Oh, okay. My name is Peter Parker. I just turned twenty and I’m from Queens.”
“Not your city kid. We’re talking multiversal here. You’re the kid from Earth 199999 right?”
“Yea I think Mr. Stark said so. Sorry I don’t travel around the multiverse much–or at all. This is my first time, actually.”
“Don’t apologize kid just keep talking. You’re spiderman aren’t you?”
“Yea I am. Wait how did you–right sorry. I’ll keep talking. What do you want to know?”
“You don’t belong here kiddo. I’ve got a report to write up about this incident and I need your side of the story. Tell me exactly what happened and how you got here.”
“The whole story? Are you sure? It’s pretty long–”
“I’m sure if it will make you focus. That’s why I’m recording.”
“Right yea that makes sense. I guess the day started out like any other day. In my Earth we only have one Spiderman. The Avengers disbanded after Mr. Stark…after we beat Thanos. We have teams like the Thunderbolts and Doctor Strange’s wizards but those are the big heroes. No one cares about petty crime or someone’s lost cat, so I’ve stepped up as Queen’s friendly neighborhood Spiderman.”
“You seem real proud of that, kid.”
“I am, actually. In my world, I’m kind of a nobody.”
“I thought you said you were Spiderman? Nevermind, we’re getting distracted. Keep talking.”
“Right, well the day started out pretty much like any other day. Queens isn’t a big area so–well–I already told you that I’m the one and only Spiderman so I get a lot of requests. I was busy doing normal Spiderman things before…well…before I met him…”
Earth 199999 - 2 months ago…
“C’mon Mr. Tinker Bell,” I muttered as I slowly climbed up a tall tree. Mr. Tinker Bell–a grumpy persian cat–glared down at me and meowed. He sat proudly, perched on a branch high above a busy road, as if he owned the tree itself. Several feet below me, the elderly Mrs. Jackson and her young granddaughter stood huddled at the base of the tree. I glanced back down at them and gave them a thumbs up. With some effort, I leaped up and caught the branch Mr. Tinker Bell sat perched on, causing the ungrateful cat to swipe at my gloved hand.
“Hey!” I snapped. “I’m trying to help you!” As he took another swipe in my direction, I snatched him in my arm and dropped from the branch to the street below.
“Mr. Tinker Bell!” The young girl gasped as she happily took the furious feline from my arms and held him in a crushing hug. “Thank you Spiderman!”
Mrs. Jackson’s gaze softened as she reached in her pocket and pulled out a worn wallet. “There has to be something we can do to thank you,” she began as she reached for a fifty dollar bill.
I quickly waved a hand in dismissal. “No, please,” I urged, gesturing for her to put her wallet away. I shrugged as my phone buzzed in my pocket. “I don’t take tips. I’m just a friendly neighborhood Spiderman.” I shot a web onto a nearby lamp post and zipped to perch on top. “But,” I said, grinning under my mask, “if you make any more of those legendary chocolate chip cookies let me know.” I pulled out my phone and tapped the screen. A spiderman-themed pin board filled the screen. Each post displayed new requests and updates. “Message me on the Spiderman app. Your daughter can help you download it. Its–” I cut myself off as a text message notification showed up on the screen. My heart sank as I checked the time. “Sorry…I uh–” I gestured back down the road. “I gotta get going.” I shot another web out towards the edge of the building. “Keep an eye on Mr. Tinkerbell!” I shouted as I lept off the street light and swung down the road.
“I’m going to be in so much trouble,” I muttered while swinging through the looming buildings of Queens. Cars zipped beneath me as heavy textbooks rattled around in my backpack. I ducked beneath the swinging arm of a crane and the construction worker operating it.
“Sorry Spiderman!” the construction worker shouted as his coworker glared at him. I waved it off and shot another web to the edge of a nearby building, letting the momentum carry me forward towards the large domed building of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s massive library.
I caught myself on the edge of the library’s nearby windowsill and slowly cracked the window open to slip inside. “I’m so late,” I whispered to myself repeatedly as I ducked behind a large stack of books. I winced at the rougher fabric clinging to my arms. It was a downgrade from the suit Mr. Stark made me back when…
I shook my head and pulled my backpack on my shoulders. Even though the suit sat in my closet, did not feel right to wear it after Mr. Stark’s death. Nobody knew we worked together and I intended to keep it that way for Happy’s sake.
I hurried away from the window and towards the library’s exit. The passionately Irish librarian–Mr. O’Connel–was gesturing wildly to a mounted sword on the wall. Two unwilling students inched towards the door, trying to escape his lecture.
“Where have you been?!” My friend Ted whispered, waving me over as he hovered near the library’s exit. “Quantum physics class starts in five minutes and I don’t want to be late for the first class!” He grabbed my hand in his strong grip and–glancing warily at the librarian–took off on a fast walk down the halls. Even with my super-human spiderman strength, I couldn’t keep up with Ted as the lead quarterback of our local team. I apologized to a few students that we nearly knocked over in our mad dash to class.
We burst into the room together, Ted finally releasing my hand. We picked two seats near the back of the class and quickly sat down. He leaned back as I started unpacking my bag. “Next time,” he said, leveling an accusing finger at me, “I’m not waiting for you.”
I laughed and set my large quantum physics textbook on my desk with a satisfying thump. “You didn’t have to wait for me. I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
Ted elbowed me sharply in the ribs. “I’ll always wait for you,” he insisted. “You’re my best friend.”
I nodded to myself, smiling. Right, I thought, he’s my best friend. Of course he’d wait for me. I didn’t want to acknowledge the creeping loneliness deep inside and the hole left in the absence of… I shook my head, trying not to think about those I lost.
Another sharp jab to my ribs. “Wasn’t Professor Wesly teaching this class?” Ted whispered as a familiar man stood at the front of the classroom with an unusually large mug of steaming coffee in hand. His other hand gripped a tall stack of papers. “Who’s this guy?”
The rest of the class fell silent as he made a brief effort to smooth his wrinkled suit. He surveyed the class with a tired eye–the other covered with an old eyepatch that seemed out of place–then nodded to the chalkboard. “My name is John but you can address me as Mr. or Professor Smith,” he began in a voice that reminded me of Mr. Stark’s sarcastic tone. “We are not on a first name basis unless you pass this class or graduate. I am not Tony Stark and I am not related to him so you can get your jokes out now. And don’t ask how I lost my eye. You will get a different answer every time you ask.” He walked to the nearest student’s desk and set a paper on it.
“I think it’s creepy,” Ted whispered to me.
“What?” I asked, forcing myself to look away from the professor as one of the students raised their hand to ask a question.
Ted gestured to his left eye. “The eye patch. You think he was in the mafia or something?”
I shook my head, lowering my voice as the professor walked closer. “Maybe he doesn’t want to talk about it. Maybe–” I cut myself off as the professor set a blank test on my desk, then one on Ted’s before returning to the front of the class. I picked up the document and looked it over, breathing a quiet sigh of relief as I realized I knew all the answers.
Ted looked over the test and his broad shoulders sank. “If I fail the test,” he began as he reached for the paper, “will I be kicked out of class?”
I couldn’t help but snicker at his question. I nudged his arm. “I’ll help you study,” I whispered assuringly.
The professor shook his head and walked back to the front of the class. “You have one hour.”
I picked up my pencil and read the first question, then the second, then the third. To my relief, they were easy questions. I glanced over to see Ted running a hand down his face as he gazed at the test and clutched his pencil nervously. I heard the professor’s shoes tapping on the ground as he began to walk about the class. My spider sense tingled as he got closer to my desk. I could feel him looking at me but I tried to ignore it and focus on the questions. I scribbled the answers to questions four and five but paused at question six. I tapped my pencil on the bottom of my lip as I read and reread the question, trying to recall the answer.
I spared a glance at the professor, cringing slightly to myself as he loomed over a student shamelessly copying answers from the student next to her. The professor silently tapped the student on the shoulder and held out a hand. The student paused and stared at the professor questioningly. To my surprise, he grabbed the test and stuffed it in his pocket, then pulled out a new test and set it on her desk. The student stared at him with shock and horror but the professor turned away. He glanced my way and I quickly turned back to my test, scribbling answers to the last questions.
After what felt like eternity, the professor called for us to put our pencils down. “I’ll collect your tests and grade them,” he said, waving a hand as the bell sounded in the hall. “The next class will cover multiversal theory and travel. Remember to bring your textbooks.” Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief and packed their bags.
“That test was brutal,” Ted groaned, running a hand through his nearly nonexistent hair. “I’m pretty sure I missed half of those questions. Maybe quantum physics isn’t for me.”
I shrugged slightly, grunting as I struggled to force an oversized textbook into a backpack full of other books and a spiderman suit. “I can tutor you,” I offered. “I think I did okay on the test.”
“Seriously?” Ted gasped, then laughed and threw an arm around my shoulder nearly tackling me to the ground. “Thanks man!” He paused and glanced at his watch. “Wanna get some lunch? It’s on me today.”
I swung the backpack over my shoulder and stood, nodding. As we walked to the classroom door, my senses began tingling faintly in the back of my head.
“Peter!” The professor called. “Can I talk with you for a moment?”
I tensed slightly and glanced back where the professor stood, studying what I could only assume was my test. Crap, I thought, he’s going to tell me to drop the class…
“I can wait for you,” Ted offered, standing in the open doorway.
I waved him off, forcing a smile. “It’s fine,” I insisted. “I’ll catch up later.” Ted shrugged and vanished into the hall. I sighed slightly, shoulders slumping as my stomach grumbled loudly. He was a good friend–and my only friend–but he wasn’t the ‘wait for me after class’ friend. We got along most days, but we didn’t have much in common. I turned back to the professor, meeting him towards the front of the class. “Is something wrong?” I asked.
The professor shook his head, running a hand through untrimmed brown hair. “No,” he said, “quite the opposite.” He handed me the test back. “You got every question right. You actually gave more information than needed in your answers.” He turned to his desk and scribbled information on a note. “I have an advanced physics class in the evening. You’re welcome to join.” He handed me the note and grinned. “You might get more out of it than this class.”
I took the note gratefully. “Thank you, I’ll…” the slight tingle on the back of my neck began again, distracting me. The ground rumbled faintly below my feet and distant sirens echoed down the street. The tingling grew to an uncomfortable buzz. I backed away a step. “I have to get to my next class,” I lied, back towards the classroom door. “But thanks! I’ll think about it!” I turned and ducked out of the door.