A cold wind swept across the rooftop, sending several torn newspapers fluttering through the air.
After Miles finished recounting everything, he lowered his head, trying to hide the guilt filling his eyes.
“Hey, kid.”
Spider-Man Noir’s cold, deep voice sounded once again.
Miles looked up and found the strange Spider-Man, who seemed to have stepped straight out of a black-and-white movie, standing before him.
“Don’t blame yourself too much.
You did well enough.
Leave the rest to us.”
A broad hand clad in a black glove gave Miles a firm pat on the shoulder.
The force made Miles sway, yet it somehow steadied his troubled thoughts.
“If you don’t mind, I can teach you how to use your powers.
After all, no one is born a Spider-Man.
We’ve all gone through a stage where we were clumsy and made a mess of everything.
What matters is learning to control that power instead of letting it control you.”
Miles looked at Spider-Man Noir in surprise and delight.
Spider-Man Noir turned his gaze toward the companions behind him, a trace of warmth entering his voice.
“Of course, I’m sure everyone here would be happy to do the same.
I just happened to say it first.”
It was something ingrained in every Spider-Man, regardless of which universe they came from, what color their suit was, or whether they operated openly or from the shadows.
Spider-Man was simply that kind of genuinely good person.
Even Spider-Man Noir, who was known for his ruthless methods and willingness to kill Supervillains, still possessed a kind and righteous heart.
While Miles found himself a good mentor, the memorial service was also drawing to a close.
Using his Spider-Sense, Peter confirmed that there were no other Spider-Men at the memorial.
In other words, he was probably the only interloper.
That was actually good news.
If several more bizarre versions of Spider-Man had appeared, things would have become far more complicated.
Afterward, the two newly joined Spider-Men were taken back to Aunt May’s house.
When Aunt May saw that even more Spider-Men had appeared, she welcomed them warmly.
However, when Gwen removed her mask, Aunt May was still quite surprised.
This Parallel Universe had its own Gwen Stacy, after all.
She was Peter’s colleague and an exceptionally capable reporter.
She looked almost identical to the high school-aged Gwen Stacy standing before her.
The only difference was their age.
“Well, it looks like I’ll need a little more time to get used to the wonders of the Multiverse.”
Aunt May poked fun at herself, then turned and headed into the kitchen to prepare lunch for everyone.
Meanwhile, the others took the opportunity to bring the two new Spider-Men into the secret base.
Amid a steady stream of exclamations from Miles, everyone gathered in the main hall and began discussing their next course of action.
They exchanged glances, each waiting to see who would speak first.
In the end, Peter was the first to step forward.
After all, as the interloper who had disrupted the plot, he had a responsibility to keep events moving until they reached a better conclusion.
Otherwise, his unexpected arrival would have been completely meaningless.
“All right, guys.
Let me lay out our next plan of action.”
Peter walked over to the computer screen, brought up a three-dimensional map of New York City, and marked a location on it.
“Our objective is simple.
First, we need to bring the [Key] Miles recovered to this location.”
Thanks to Peter’s timely intervention, Miles, still a rookie, had been prevented from accidentally breaking the [Key] in his pocket while practicing his superhero landing.
The so-called [Key] was actually a USB drive containing the code needed to disrupt the Particle Collider.
That made things considerably simpler.
They would not have to go through the trouble of creating a new [Key].
Peter tapped the marked location in the center of New York City.
It was Fisk Tower, a building owned by Kingpin.
The Super Particle Collider was located deep beneath it.
“Then, at the right moment, we’ll insert the [Key] into the Super Particle Collider that caused all this trouble.”
“We don’t need much.
As long as we can shut it down, or at least disrupt it enough to stop it from tearing open more barriers between universes, that will be enough.”
As Peter explained the plan, everyone’s eyes gradually brightened.
However, his next words made the atmosphere heavy again.
“But we all know how ruthless and cunning Kingpin is.
His headquarters is bound to be heavily guarded.”
“To minimize the risk of unexpected complications and improve our chances of success, I suggest splitting into two teams and carrying out a two-pronged operation.”
“Team A will be responsible for transporting and using the [Key].
Peni, I think this kind of work should be right up your alley.”
Hearing her name, Peni Parker playfully stuck out her tongue.
“Yes, captain!”
“Miles, you said earlier that you seem to be capable of Invisibility.
I need you to master that ability as quickly as possible, then accompany Team A and handle the infiltration.
And Peter, Spider-Man Noir, since you’re going to mentor Miles, you can train him during the mission.
Keep an eye on both kids while you’re at it.”
Miles’s eyes flickered as he prepared to speak, but Spider-Man Noir immediately placed a hand on top of his head and cut him off.
“As a professional private investigator, infiltration happens to be my specialty.”
And so, the newly formed mentor and apprentice accepted this crucial assignment.
Peter then turned his attention to Middle-aged Peter Parker, Gwen, and Spider-Ham.
“Team B’s mission is to create enough of a disturbance to draw the attention of Kingpin and all his henchmen, buying Team A the time and space they need.”
“Spider-Ham, Middle-aged Peter Parker, and I will make up Team B.”
“The three of us are…
well, particularly good at causing chaos and attracting Kingpin’s attention.
As for you, Gwen…”
Peter looked at Gwen Stacy, who had remained calm the entire time.
“You’ll serve as our crucial seventh member.
Wherever things go wrong, that’s where you step in.”
After explaining the entire plan in one breath, Peter took a sip of water and gave everyone time to process the flood of information.
“That’s the plan.
Who’s in?
Who’s against it?”
Peter swept his gaze across the group.
The main hall of the secret base remained silent for several seconds.
Then Spider-Man Noir gave a slight nod.
Gwen folded her arms and nodded as well.
Peni and the Mecha behind her both made an “OK” gesture.
Spider-Ham blew a snot bubble to show his agreement, while Miles nodded vigorously, his eyes filled with both hesitation and eagerness.
Everyone fully approved of Peter’s analysis and arrangements.
After all, when facing an opponent like Kingpin and a crisis that could destroy the Multiverse, this two-pronged plan was clearly the most practical and efficient option available.
“Good.
Since everyone agrees, we can start preparing now.”
“Tomorrow night, Kingpin will be holding a banquet at Fisk Tower.
That will be our best opportunity to act.”
The group dispersed and began making thorough preparations for the mission ahead.
And so, within that small secret base, the Spider-Men’s joint counterattack to protect the Multiverse officially began.