The cold wind swept across the rooftop, scattering a few torn newspapers into the night sky.
After finishing his story, Miles lowered his head, desperately trying to hide the overwhelming guilt pooling in his eyes.
“Hey, kid,” a cold, gravelly voice echoed.
Miles looked up.
Standing right in front of him was the bizarre Spider-Man who looked as though he had stepped straight out of a vintage black-and-white movie.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself.
You did good enough.
Leave the rest to us.”
A broad hand, clad in a heavy black leather glove, clapped down firmly on Miles’s shoulder.
The sheer force of it made the teenager sway, but strangely enough, it also steadied his chaotic, racing thoughts.
“If you don’t mind, I can teach you how to properly use your abilities,” the Noir detective offered.
“After all, no one is born a perfect Spider-Man.
We all went through the clumsy phase where we messed everything up.
The important thing is that you have to learn to control that power, rather than letting it control you.”
Miles looked up at the dark vigilante, his eyes widening with surprise and a sudden spark of joy.
The Noir detective shifted his gaze toward the rest of the group standing behind him, his rough tone softening just a fraction.
“Of course, I imagine everyone here would be more than happy to do the exact same thing.
I just happened to say it first.”
It was a fundamental truth carved into the very bones of every Spider-Man.
It didn’t matter which universe they hailed from, what color their suit was, or whether their fighting style was flashy or stealthy.
At their core, Spider-Men were just purely good people.
Even someone like Noir, who was famous for his ruthless tactics, possessed an undeniably pure heart.
While Miles was busy finding himself a seasoned mentor, the public memorial service on the other side of the city was finally coming to an end.
Relying on the subtle hum of his Spider-Sense, Peter swept the area one last time.
He confirmed there were no other hidden Spider-Men lingering in the crowd.
It seemed he was the only unexpected anomaly.
That was actually good news.
Dealing with even more chaotic, alternate versions of Spider-Man wouldn’t exactly be a walk in the park.
With their group finally assembled, the two newest additions were brought back to Aunt May’s house in Forest Hills.
Aunt May was incredibly welcoming when she saw the new heroes.
However, the moment Gwen pulled off her mask, the elderly woman couldn’t hide her shock.
In this parallel universe, there was also a Gwen Stacy.
She was Peter’s colleague and an incredibly brilliant reporter.
“Alright, it looks like I am going to need a little more time to get used to this magical multiverse,” Aunt May joked, recovering quickly as she turned toward the kitchen to whip up lunch for everyone.
Taking advantage of the downtime, the group led the two newcomers down into the secret underground base.
Amidst a continuous string of amazed gasps from Miles, the team gathered around the central terminal in the main hall to hash out their action plan.
They all exchanged glances, waiting to see who would take the lead.
Finally, Peter stepped forward.
“Alright, guys, let me map out the next steps,” Peter said, taking control of the room.
He walked over to the massive computer monitor, pulled up a high-resolution 3D map of New York City, and dropped a red marker on a specific location.
“The goal is simple.
We need to take the key Miles brought back and deliver it right here.”
Thanks to Peter’s timely intervention the night before, he had prevented the rookie Miles from accidentally crushing the crucial USB drive in his pocket while practicing a superhero landing.
The key was safe.
It contained the override code needed to destroy the particle collider’s operating system.
That made things significantly easier; they didn’t have to go through the massive headache of trying to program a new one from scratch.
Peter tapped the screen, pointing directly at the marker sitting dead in the center of the city.
It was Fisk Tower, the corporate headquarters owned by Thomas.
The super collider was hidden deep beneath this very building.
“At the exact right moment, we plug this key into the super collider that started this whole mess,” Peter explained.
“We don’t need to completely level the place.
As long as we can shut the machine down, or at least scramble its systems enough to stop it from tearing open any more universal barriers, we win.”
The eyes of the assembled Spider-Men brightened at the straightforward plan.
But Peter’s next words instantly brought a heavy tension back into the room.
“However, we all know exactly how cruel and cunning Thomas is.
His headquarters is going to be locked down tight and heavily guarded.”
“To minimize the variables and maximize our chances of success, I suggest we split into two teams and run a dual operation.”
“Team A will be responsible for transporting and using the key.
Peni, I figure you are the best fit for the technical side of things.”
Hearing her name, Peni Parker playfully stuck her tongue out and offered a crisp salute.
“Yes, my captain!”
“Miles, you mentioned earlier that you have the ability to turn invisible,” Peter continued, looking at the teenager.
“I need you to master that power as fast as possible.
Then, you will follow Team A and handle the infiltration.
And Noir, since you are stepping up to mentor Miles, you can do it in the field.
Keep an eye on these two kids.”
Miles’s eyes lit up, and he opened his mouth to speak, but the Noir detective immediately clamped a heavy hand down on the top of his head, cutting him off.
With that, the newly formed master-and-apprentice duo accepted the most critical task of the mission.
Peter then turned his attention to the older Peter Parker, Gwen, and Spider-Ham.
“Team B’s job is to make a massive scene.
We need to be loud enough to grab the attention of Thomas and every single one of his hired guns, buying Team A the time and space they need to work.”
“Spider-Ham, and us two Peters.
The three of us are…
well, highly experienced in causing absolute chaos and getting Thomas’s attention.
As for you, Gwen…”
Peter looked at Gwen Stacy, who had maintained a cool, analytical composure the entire time.
“You are our crucial seventh man.
You are the wild card.
Wherever a fire breaks out that we can’t handle, you deploy and put it out.”
Having laid out the entire strategy in one breath, Peter grabbed a bottle of water and took a long drink, giving everyone a moment to digest the heavy information dump.
“That is the plan,” Peter said, wiping his mouth and scanning the room.
“Who agrees?
Who objects?”
A brief silence hung in the air of the secret base.
Then, the Noir detective gave a slight nod.
Gwen crossed her arms and nodded in agreement.
Peni and her massive mech flashed identical ‘OK’ signs.
Spider-Ham blew a cartoonish bubble to signal his approval.
Miles nodded the hardest of them all, his eyes burning with a mix of lingering hesitation and eager determination.
It was a unanimous vote.
Everyone fully recognized the logic of Peter’s strategy.
When going up against a monster like Thomas and a machine capable of wiping out the multiverse, a two-pronged assault was easily the most rational and efficient choice they had.
“Perfect.
Since everyone is on board, it is time to get ready.”
“Tomorrow night, Thomas is hosting a massive banquet at his tower.
That is our window.
That is when we strike.”
The group broke huddle, scattering across the lab to prepare their gear for the upcoming battle.
In this hidden, underground base, a multiversal alliance of Spider-Men had officially begun their counterattack.