For Peter, Spider-Sense was his most reliable ability.
Anyone who had ever been Spider-Man knew that Spider-Sense could produce astonishing results at critical moments.
Its accuracy was also remarkably high.
It almost never failed.
Without even half a second of hesitation, Peter immediately turned toward the direction indicated by his Spider-Sense.
The next moment, he witnessed an utterly bizarre scene.
High above the Brooklyn Bridge in the distance, a rapidly expanding ring of multicolored energy appeared.
A streak of white light shot out from the ring and hurtled toward Peter at an astonishing speed.
Within the white light, he could vaguely make out a figure wearing the classic red-and-blue Spider-Man suit.
Peter’s Spider-Sense had clearly been triggered by this Spider-Man’s unusual arrival.
Carried by the white light, Spider-Man streaked between the buildings and streets of New York City.
In the end, this incredibly unlucky Spider-Man hit the ground face-first.
Only after performing an absurdly long-distance [face-brake] did he finally come to a stop.
Fortunately, even among Superheroes, Spider-Man ranked among the tougher ones.
Within a few seconds, he caught his breath and climbed to his feet.
Rubbing the back of his head, he looked around in bewilderment.
Aside from a few minor scrapes, he was unharmed.
His ability to move was hardly affected.
Before long, this Spider-Man also noticed the breaking news report still playing on the giant screen.
“Wait…
Spider-Man is dead?
Doesn’t that mean I’m dead?”
Spider-Man stared in disbelief at the blond young man displayed on the screen: Peter Parker.
Then he slowly pulled up his mask, revealing a face almost identical to the one on the screen.
However, this Spider-Man’s face bore far more signs of age.
He looked at least twenty years older, unmistakably a middle-aged Peter Parker.
There was also a thick layer of fat around his waist.
His figure had clearly fallen badly out of shape from a lack of exercise.
Just as the middle-aged Peter Parker’s mind temporarily shut down beneath the flood of bizarre information, a voice came from behind him.
“Looks like I’m not the only one who got dragged into a trip through the Parallel Universes.”
Startled by the sudden voice, the middle-aged Peter Parker quickly turned toward its source.
A figure wearing the same classic Spider-Man suit was hanging upside down from a strand of webbing.
He flipped through the air, landed on the ground, and made his entrance with a textbook Superhero landing.
“You…
you…
you’re Spider-Man too?”
The middle-aged Peter Parker pointed at the other Spider-Man who had appeared out of nowhere, his voice rising in disbelief.
“That’s right.
The genuine article.
I’m definitely not some impostor.”
The Spider-Man who had just appeared was naturally Peter, who had changed into his Spider-Man suit moments earlier.
Fortunately, Peter had a habit of carrying his suit with him.
Otherwise, he would have been forced to buy one of those poorly made Spider-Man cosplay costumes from a roadside comic book store.
Perhaps the word “impostor” had struck a nerve, because the middle-aged Peter Parker’s expression and tone immediately became serious.
“Aha.
Only an impostor would go out of his way to insist he isn’t an impostor, right?”
“Let me guess what kind of face is hiding under that mask.
Mysterio, or the Chameleon?
No, the Chameleon couldn’t create special effects this realistic.
You must be Mysterio.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the middle-aged Peter Parker slowly crouched down.
One hand touched the ground while the other rose behind his back, forming the classic Spider-Man combat stance.
“I don’t know when you escaped from prison, but I’m sending you straight back.
While I’m at it, I’ll turn that ridiculous fishbowl helmet of yours into a projector.
I’m sure it’ll work wonderfully.”
“Hey, even if you don’t believe me, you should at least trust your instincts.
Pay attention.
Spider-Sense doesn’t lie.”
Peter pointed at his own head, then at the middle-aged Peter Parker’s.
At that moment, something remarkable happened.
Both Spider-Men felt an electric current surge through their Spider-Sense, as though the two abilities were resonating on the same frequency.
“All right.
Looks like I was too tense and overreacted a little.”
The middle-aged Peter Parker ran a hand through his messy hair, using a smile to conceal his embarrassment.
“But…
I actually knew you were Peter Parker all along.
You talk just as much as I do, and that’s an admirable habit very few people possess.”
Peter merely nodded without saying anything, though a knowing smile flickered in his eyes.
Middle-aged men had their pride.
Those who knew, knew.
“Hello.
I’m Peter Benjamin Parker.
I arrived in this Parallel Universe a little before you.”
The two Spider-Men reached out and shook hands, marking the formation of a temporary Spider-Team.
“Great.
I desperately need a guide right now.
My head is still spinning, and I have no idea what’s going on.”
The middle-aged Peter Parker vigorously rubbed his weathered, stubbled face.
At last, he fully accepted that he had truly undergone interdimensional travel into another Parallel Universe.
He also had to accept the bizarre series of facts he had encountered immediately upon arriving, including seeing two other versions of [himself].
One version of [himself] had died under mysterious circumstances.
The other version of [himself] looked only fifteen or sixteen, yet his eyes held a maturity far beyond his age.
He gave off the impression of a seasoned and dependable Spider-Man.
What an absurd day…
…
Several hours later, inside a chain Turkish kebab restaurant.
“I prefer Margherita pizza to Turkish kebabs.
These kebabs are far too greasy.
My family doctor told me to reduce my fat intake.”
The middle-aged Peter Parker spoke without the slightest sincerity as he devoured the kebab in large bites.
Peter smiled and turned over the plate holding the kebab.
The bottom was completely blank, without a single label.
“See?
It doesn’t list any calories, which means it has zero calories.
Eat as much as you like.”
The middle-aged Peter Parker froze for a moment, then quickly realized that Peter was joking.
“You’re a funny kid.
I’m starting to like you.”
After wiping the grease from the corner of his mouth, the middle-aged Peter Parker set down his utensils.
“All right, back to business.
Are you certain the information you uncovered is accurate?
Is Kingpin really the mastermind behind all of this?”