Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It started with a shatter. 

By this point, Peni Parker was used to the sound of things shattering. Glass, concrete, steel, even her own bones. Being the pilot of SP//dr, her late father’s mech, she had seen and endured the worst that her New York had to offer. So many late nights battling all sorts of foes: her crazed fanboy Mysterio, the M.O.R.B.I.U.S. kaiju, the Atomic Lizard, the Mecha D.O.O.M. 

VEN#m. 

But this? This ear-piercing, blinding, blood-curdling rip in the fabric of reality that she felt in her bones? Nothing could come close. It felt like she was on the verge of getting torn up from the inside out, as if everything under her skin, down to the molecules of her blood, were trying to escape. Her spider was screaming out through the psychic link, experiencing the exact visceral pain she was feeling. 

Even through the pain, however, even through the numbing of her senses, she could still sense the changes in the world around her. Golden cracks around every corner, seeping into New York from every crevice, but the strangest part? She was the only one who saw it. Was it her Spider Sense letting her see? Slowing everything down just enough? Her Uncle Ben had once told her a story about how her father’s sense could let him sense danger to the degree of dodging missiles point blank, described to him as time slowing down for her father. Maybe this was what was happening to her? Such a cataclysmic event, tearing through New York, with Peni as the only one who could even see it? A part of her wished her father could be here to help. 

A smaller, more guarded part of mind was thankful he never had to see New York, his home, in such devastation. 

And then the shatter hit once more. Everything went white. 

`~~~~~~` 

The first thing that Peni noticed when she woke up was how quiet it was. 

Normally, she would welcome the quiet with open arms. It was a brief respite for her in the early morning, being able to hear only her thoughts and the spider’s thoughts. It especially helped after the rougher nights of crime fighting, when all she could do upon returning home was collapse in bed. 

But this was not the early morning. It was half past noon when the shatter happened. 

Slowly, she opened her eyes. The familiar console for her mech blinked into view, confirming that she was still in SP//dr, so some sense of safety came back to the young pilot. That established, she reached out to her spider through their psychic link. That reach was met with a familiar tug, like a hand grasping at the rope, and she knew her spider was okay. Another level of safety washed over her. 

With that knowledge in mind, Peni brought the SP//dr mech off the ground, allowing her to stand and see the outside world. The first thing she noticed was that she was no longer in New York. The city she now stood in had different architecture, a fusion of aesthetics that felt, to her surprise, meshed together well. It was a blend of traditional and modern, with a touch of that “retro future” her Uncle Ben mentioned growing up. Like the past she knew had taken a different turn. And the designs of the traditional, with the art that adorned the walls…. 

“Wait,” she muttered aloud, taking a second a second glance at how the corners of nearly every roof in the area curled up alongside their scaled shingles, “am I in Japan?” 

Long ago, before being bit by her spider, her mother had taken her to visit Japan on a semi-regular basis. Even now, almost a decade later, she could still remember the sights, the sounds, the smells, and she clung to that memory like a lifeline. It was one of the few she had left of her mother, after all, especially since her disappearance. But this… this was at once a familiar yet unfamiliar version of the Japan she knew. It put her on edge. This was probably what Addie meant by uncanny valley two years ago. 

Has it already been two years? Peni couldn’t help but wonder. Wondering would have to wait though. Right now, she needed to find out everything she could. 

A shadow overhead caught her attention, and her gaze lifted to see what was causing it. 

“ N-nani desu ka–?! ” 

There were floating islands above her. Floating islands! Held in place by burning orange webs that glowed against the fragmented blue sky and– 

“Is that a hole in the sky?!” 

True enough, right above the center-most island, was a colossal hole, as if someone turned the sky itself into glass, then shot a bullet through it. It was fragmented, shattered , and the floating islands seemed to converge around it… which led to Peni’s first big questions: 

Did the islands break through the sky? Or did they rise as a result of the shatter? 

If she wanted her questions answered, she’d have to reach the islands first. She didn’t know why, but she could feel herself being pulled towards them. Was it her Spider Sense forming a connection, like it had with her spider? A tug against the link told her that the spider could feel the same tug too, confirming that whatever was up there, it was calling to both of them. It was time for answers. 

And that’s when it happened. 

A deafening roar pierced the streets, the haunting noise sending a chill up Peni’s spine. She knew that roar. It taunted her, tormented her, made every nightmare she’s had for the past two years an absolute hell. The memories came back. Addy’s desperate cries for help, the screams of her Aunt May, the machine’s damned decree. 

It was VEN#m. 

VEN#M was active, loose in the city. 

In an instant, Peni deployed a web from her mech’s arm, and let herself be slingshot to the building she attached herself to. Right before impact, she cut the thread and deployed a second web, letting herself swing from building to building, like how her father would before her. Answers could wait. 

She had a mech to put down.

Chapter Text

There were few things that could truly terrify Peni Parker at this point. The first and foremost was losing the only family she had left. Sure, her and her Uncle Ben weren’t always on the best of terms, but they tried their best to understand one another. After everything they’d endured, they at least needed each other. 

The second was the mech that took that family away in the first place. 

VEN#m. 

After what happened to Addy and Aunt May, her uncle had confided in her about how her father had really died. The VEN#m mech was supposed to be the first true upgrade to SP//dr, a way for her spider to finally rest as a new wetwork CPU could link with her father. But that new CPU took on a life of its own. What had happened to Addy and May had happened to her father. Complete and total assimilation, to the point where nothing was left. 

Her father was somewhere in that machine, his mind lost to that machine. Just like Addy. Just like Aunt May. 

There was something else about that CPU, something that Uncle Ben was hiding. Was he hiding it out of guilt? Shame? Peni couldn’t tell, but it weighed on her uncle nonetheless. At the very least, she knew that that cursed mech was responsible for so much pain, and left unchecked, it could cause that pain to be shared across so many people. 

It was her responsibility to deal with that monster. She was going to see this through. 

Peni heard the roar once more. It was close. Closer than she thought. She could feel her spider sense start to rise, ringing and wiggling at the edge of her focus. She sent a ping of reassurance to her spider across their link, trying to calm both its nerves and her own with the simple gesture. They both needed it. Neither one of them could afford to be caught by surprise, just because their nerves were getting to them. 

But it still took them by surprise. 

A thunderous crash took Peni off guard, sending SP//dr flying into a nearby building. No warning from the spider sense. The impact rattled the pilot around in the cockpit, leaving her to wonder if that was yet another concussion she had to deal with. She didn’t have time to keep pondering, though, as the building around her shook with a second impact. 

It was right in front of her face. Standing tall in its dark purple and shining white paint, bound together by the poisonous neon green that dotted the mech’s frame. It had the same lanky limbs and bulky torso as SP//dr, but with a far more arachnid, far more haunting visage, with its jaw open wide and neon tongue lashing around each jagged tooth. 

The monster that took Aunt May from her. 

“Peni…” 

That voice. That damn voice. Aunt May, Addy, and her father, all layered together into one combined perversion. And here it stood, looming in front of Peni in perfect condition, like its final fight years ago never even happened. 

“I’m not scared of you!” Peni shouted through SP//dr’s comms. It didn’t matter if her nightmares were once again in front of her. She had beaten it once before, and she could beat it once again. She threw her arm out, with SP//dr following suit, unleashing a powerful right hook right into the opposing mech’s head… but it merely turned its head back towards Peni. 

“Good,” it stated, staring intently through the visor and into Peni’s eyes. “We do not want you to fear us.” 

“You sure about that?!” 

SP//dr’s shoulder pauldrons rotated into place, sliding open to reveal the cluster cannons hidden within. There was no hesitation as Peni opened fire, sending volley after volley into the cursed mech. VEN#m was forced to back away as it tried to shield itself from the unrelenting attack, but its electronic eyes narrowed in frustration, as if analyzing an unexpected setback. 

Peni paid the machine no mind as she kept firing. The space her attack had awarded her allowed her to step forward, gaining ground every few seconds. But her spider was yelling through the link, warning her not to lose herself in the moment. Peni couldn’t hear it though. What she saw in the moment was the source of her nightmares backing away, her efforts actually working, her ability to be able to put the beast down. 

And of course, the beast decided to use that to its advantage. It raised its arm forward, and fired a web of its own. 

A web snare. 

Without warning, Peni found SP//dr’s limbs confined to the snare, unable to move or even keep firing. VEN#m used that to its advantage, and it lashed out, raising its other arm out and ramming it directly into SP//dr’s torso. Peni and her mech were sent crashing to the ground once more, the violent force harsh enough to knock the pilot out of her seat. 

Panic was starting to seep into Peni’s nerves. VEN#m wasn’t like this years ago. It was showing signs of adapting to the task at hand, but that shouldn’t have been possible. VEN#m being here at all shouldn’t have been possible. Peni personally tore the machine’s CPU to shreds once everything was said and done, but here it was, acting with enough intellect to counter what she could dish out with SP//dr. 

“Be not afraid, Peni,” the mech stated, approaching SP//dr with an almost feral curiosity, “We do not seek enmity. We seek something stronger. Something more… complete.”  

“Complete?!” Peni called out. “What are you–?!” 

“We wish for you to pilot us.”  

Peni’s blood turned to ice at that moment. Pilot. It wanted a pilot. A pilot to consume, just like how it consumed May and Addy and her father. And the pilot it wanted was her. 

Peni scrambled back into SP//dr’s seat, her hands flying across the controls, pressuring the mech to do something, anything, to break free from the snare. One of the mech’s arms was able to break free, snapping the webbing open, but VEN#m was quick to act, and it clamped its clawed foot down over the arm, pinning SP//dr back down. 

“We have learned many things, Peni,” VEN#m whispered, leaning in close as it placed its metallic hand over the cockpit hatch. “But above all, we have learned that we cannot be alone. We would be perfect together.” 

The cursed machine lowered its gaze, as if to stare at Peni through the carbon fiber plating of SP//dr. “Join us. Join Addy. Join May. Join your father. The choice has been made for you. Together, we will be VEN#m.”

And that was when a deep, guttural, vicious laugh echoed out. 

“You?! VENOM?!” 

A thick strand of black, viscous goo latched onto VEN#m from above, and, the monstrous mech was ziplined away, high into the sky above. Peni didn’t take the time to question what was going on, and instead put those precious seconds to tear the rest of the web snare off of SP//dr. In an instant, her trusty mech was back on its feet. 

SLAM! 

VEN#m came crashing back down, cratering the road in front of her with a ferocious impact. As it tried to rise from its crater, the guttural laughter echoed once more. 

“You make us laugh, machine.” 

Before Peni could blink, a large, black mass slammed onto the ground, placing itself between her and VEN#m. Its body was made of taught, ripped muscle, bulked out beyond human reasoning. Jagged claws tipped its hands, and a striking, vicious white spider was emblazoned on its shoulders and back, crafting the image of a hulking, top-heavy beast. 

“However, you are no Venom.” 

“What is the meaning of this?” VEN#m asked, narrowing its neon optics in quiet fury. 

The beast turned to face Peni, letting her see the gaping, toothy maw and long, serpentine tongue of this beast of a rescuer. “Hello, Spider! You are needed!” 

“What… are you?!” the young pilot couldn’t help but ask. 

The beast grinned, wide and jagged, in response. “We are the real deal, Spider! More so than this pretender could ever hope to be!” 

“We are no mere pretenders. We are VEN#m.” 

“Hah! As if!” 

“Be silent, beast. We have a purpose to achieve.” 

SP//dr’s shoulder pauldrons once again shifted into cannon mode. “No, you don’t!” 

“Well said, Spider.” 

“What authority do you hold, Peni? What authority do you hold, beast?” 

The black beast in question growled as it stepped forward, long tendrils of black goo snapping out of its very skin. “We are no mere beast! We are more! We! Are! VENOM!” 

“VEN#m?!” Peni glanced back at the beast, finally meeting the gaze of the beast’s beady and jagged white eyes. This… thing was another VEN#m?! How?! It was all ooze, all slimy and icky and unsettlingly toothy! 

“Not VEN#m, Venom,” this organic Venom corrected, a hint of amusement in its eyes, “you will learn the difference soon, Spider!” 

“Enough!” and with that cry, VEN#m lunged forward, its maw unhinged wide as it roared in insanity. 

“Open fire!” 

SP//dr’s cannons rattled off once more, firing round after round into the enemy mech. Venom leapt forward, grabbing the monster mech by the head and slamming it back down into the ground. VEN#m lashed out, swiping at its assailant with its claws, cutting through the black, gooey flesh. But Venom was undeterred, as it raised VEN#m back into the air, cocking its arms back as if it were about to throw the mech. “CATCH!” 

“EH?!” 

And it did, hurling VEN#m towards Peni with such ferocity. With the split second timing of her Sense, Peni shot out a web snare of her own, hitting the monster mech with a dose of well deserved karma before catching the now captive beast with SP//dr. 

“I will never be your pilot!” 

“YOU WILL.” 

Before anything else could be said, SP//dr slammed VEN#m back into the ground, head first this time. 

“INCOMING!” 

Two of Venom’s tendrils snapped into place around the downed machine. Reflexively, Peni had SP//dr step away, and in the very next moment, those tendrils went taught, and Venom rocketed down, knees first, into VEN#m. The black beast of a man flipped away, landing next to SP//dr with a surprising grace. It grinned widely with enthusiasm. 

“We forgot how much fun fighting with a Spider can be!” 

VEN#m twitched as it tried to rise from its newest crater, its frame battered and bent in all the wrong directions. Its neon optics narrowed into furious daggers as it glared at the unexpected duo. “You WILL be VEN#m, just like us.” 

“No. I won’t.” 

And with that decree, SP//dr raised its arm, its claws fully opened, and slashed down into VEN#m’s neck cables, tearing the mech’s head clean off. The nightmare’s head on the ground, Peni wasted no time, opening up a latch on the suit to shoot out a series of small, circular devices. 

BeepbeepbeepBEEEEEEP! 

There wasn’t much fanfare to those tiny explosions, but they were enough. VEN#m’s head now lay destroyed, burned and pulverized into pieces so small that no man, sane or insane, could hope to piece it back together. A sigh escaped Peni’s lungs as she released the tension from her shoulders. It was done. VEN#m was gone again. 

No one died this time. 

Her unexpected ally chuckled yet again. “Quite the unique Spider you are. Peni, yes?” 

“Yeah… Venom, right?” 

“Correct!” It… Well, they, Peni supposed, looked a bit too pleased with their reply. 

“You’re not gonna try to assimilate me, are you?” 

And there it was again, that deep, guttural laugh, though Peni could tell that this one was more true to its humored tone. Venom’s gaze seemed to soften, ever so slightly, as their grin grew wider with glee. 

“You have much to learn, little Spider. The Lethal Protector is no assimilator.” 

Lethal Protector? Peni thought to herself. Who even calls you that? 

“But enough of monikers. Peni, was it?” 

“Yeah?” 

“Follow us. The Spider Islands await us.” 

Another tendril shot out from Venom, this time from their wrist, and the so-called “Lethal Protector” swung away. Peni was quick to follow suit, firing one of her webs to join her new ally towards her destiny. 

Unbeknownst to either of them, the cables of VEN#m began to move once more. 

Chapter Text

Peni didn’t know what to expect with this alternate Venom. Instead of the machine that haunted her nightmares, this was an all organic creature. One that could swing like SP//dr and VEN#m, one that could fight and take a beating, and one that was all slimy and gooey and made of teeth . The strangest thing was that they were surprisingly cordial with her, the polar opposite of the monster mech. 

The stupidest thing, however? 

“Take the train often?” 

This. 

For some bizarre reason, there were a series of mag-track bullet trains that connected the ground of Tokyo (as Venom had informed her) to the “Spider Islands” that floated above the rest of the city. Stark-Fujikawa had them set up when the islands first rose in an attempt to keep business going for the areas stuck on the islands, mainly itself. A surprising amount of people were willing to make the trip up top for the sake of keeping the money flowing. Either that, or it helped enable a sense of normalcy. Peni figured it was a combination of the two. 

And Venom decided to take the train . 

So now, here they were, one girl with her giant robot suit and one… thing (Peni still wasn’t sure what the hell this Venom even is) riding the subway with at least two dozen civilians at least a good three feet away, not wanting to be anywhere near the Lethal Protector. 

Peni opted to exit SP//dr, letting the mech sit idle in recharge while they rode the train. She was lucky that the fight with VEN#m didn’t mess her up too much, the only real sign of battle being a rough bruise on her temple from when her opponent slammed her to the ground. 

“You are younger than we expected,” Venom admitted. 

Peni turned her gaze to face the creature, confusion written across her face. “How were you expecting something like that ?” 

“From what I understand, most Spiders start their career around the age that ours did. You, however, seemed to have started much earlier. We can see the experience in your eyes, and in the way you carry yourself.” 

“Spiders?” 

“Those like you. Like Spider-Man .” 

There was an odd combination of fury and respect when they spoke that name. Spider-Man . Like there was lingering resentment at the very idea of whoever Spider-Man was, but it coexisted with the pride of being connected to him. It was strange, and Peni couldn’t tell if that combined sentiment was being extended to her as well. She was a Spider herself, after all. 

“So, to review, there’s a multiverse out there.” 

“Correct.” 

“There’s different versions of all of us out there.” 

“Indeed. That machine Venom is proof enough.” 

“Which reminds me… does the name Addy Brock mean anything to you?” 

Venom’s eyes widened ever so slightly, curiosity leaking into those white slits. “So there is a Brock of your world.” 

“Was,” Peni corrected, her gaze drifting down to the floor, “VEN#m, that mech… it absorbs its pilots. Full assimilation. Addy’s gone. Lost to that machine… just like my dad.” 

A low, contemplative rumble escaped Venom’s maw. “So, it is not true symbiosis. It is a parasite in machine form. A cheap imitation, unlike us.” 

Peni perked her head back up, meeting Venom’s gaze with curiosity of her own. “There’s someone in there? I mean, you’re still you, but like… well, not a pilot, but a human person, under all the layers of goo. Wait… that stuff’s not your skin, is it?” 

Venom let out a hearty chuckle. “Yes and no. Allow us to show you….” 

Without warning, Venom’s jaw began to unhinge open, but rather than stopping like a normal mouth would, it kept going, wider and wider, until Venom’s entire head peeled back, revealing the rugged face of a blonde, bearded caucasian man, who had a bemused grin on his face. 

Peni stared at the man dumbfoundedly, her blue eyes having gone saucer-wide. “Wha… what… huh?” 

The man’s grin grew wider. “Not what you were expecting?” 

“You’re white .” 

A wheeze quickly escaped the man’s lungs as he barreled over, laughing heartily at the unexpected statement. It lasted for a good long minute before he finally calmed himself back down. “Yeah, I am. The name’s Eddie. Eddie Brock. Human half of Venom.” 

Peni snapped out of her stupor, some sense returning to her nerves. “Peni Parker. I pilot SP//dr.” 

“Aren’t you a little young to be piloting a giant robot?” 

“Yes, yes I am.” 

Eddie let out a snicker. “Well, at least you got a sense of humor.” 

“So, what’s your story? Project for a liquid super suit gone wrong?” 

“Nope. The ‘suit’ you’re talking about is an alien.” 

And once again, logic went out the window in Peni’s mind. “What?” 

“It’s a long story, but Venom here,” Eddie said, holding out his hands to show the shifting surface of the black goo that encased him, “is an alien, and my friend for that matter, so no funny business, okay?” 

Wasn’t really tempted to try it to be honest , Peni thought to herself, given how much of a monster Eddie was as Venom. 

“Long story short,” Eddie continued, an oddly nostalgic look in his eyes, “this guy rode with Spidey before he found me. The whole deal with symbiotes – that’s what Venom is – is that they amplify your worst traits. It’s why Spider-Man had a… bad streak, so to speak. I was trying to report on his bad streak, but in the process… I did something stupid.” 

Peni had a feeling where this was going. “You blamed him, didn’t you?” 

“Yeah….” 

Peni just shot him an unimpressed look. “Every time….” 

“Anyway… I ended up in the same spot that Spidey was when he decided to get rid of Venom, and he landed right on me, so we bonded. At first, we wanted revenge, y’know, standard fair, but after a while, we kinda… went heroic by chance?” 

“Why did you add a question mark after that?” 

“Mainly ‘cause there might not be a better way to describe how it happened.” 

“Ah… wait, is that how you got that whole ‘Lethal Protector’ name?” 

At that, Eddie beamed with pride. “Yep. We even buried the hatchet with Spidey after a few years of fighting. Hell, we even joined a few hero teams. By technicality, I’m a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy.” 

“...Who?” 

“Yeah, I was expecting that. They mainly just stick to space.” 

Filing that bit of information away for now, because space travel was a thing in Eddie’s world when it wasn’t in hers , Peni had a question on her mind. “So, does that make you a Spider too? Or are you just Spider-adjacent?” 

“Adjacent,” Eddie admitted, “like sure, I can web swing, I have something that kinda works like Spider Sense, but I didn’t get bit by a radioactive spider or anything like that.” 

Now that caught Peni’s attention. “Getting bit by a spider is a constant?” 

“From what we’ve heard, yeah. Sometimes it’s radioactive, sometimes it’s genetically engineered, we’ve even heard about a few magic ones! Crazy, isn’t it?” 

And crazy it was. The more Peni heard, and the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she got herself stuck way in over her head. First off, yes , the multiverse was actually a thing, the guy and his symbiote sitting across from her was walking proof. Second, she wasn’t the only person bitten by a spider. They may not have been pilots like her, but they were Spider people , tied together by the bite of a tiny, beyond normal spider. How was it that there was someone like that in every universe? How was it that that was a constant? What made people like her so important? 

“ Now arriving at Stark-Fujikawa Terminal. ” 

The intercom rang out, cutting through the silent thoughts that lingered in Peni’s head. The symbiote enveloped Eddie’s head, returning the man to the fully unified form of Venom. “This would be our stop. Best get back inside that mech of yours.” 

It took only a moment for Peni to hop back inside SP//dr, and the hatch closed back up to seal her in. The old mech rose off the floor, and were it not for the cramped nature of the train, she would’ve risen to full height. Even through the suit, she could feel the train grinding to a halt, slowly and surely, until stillness took over. 

The doors slid open, and Venom was already making his way outside, but not before waving goodbye to the still perturbed civilians. “We thank you for your hospitality on this ride! Stay safe, citizens!” 

Peni shook her head as she followed the duo off the train. It seemed he had a habit for entertaining himself in weird ways. She didn’t mind it though. It helped calm her nerves. 

As she stepped outside, she took in her surroundings to see that same blend of cutting edge modernity, classical Japanese, and retro-future (again, from her perspective) that defined the architecture of the city below. Only now, she could feel the looming hole in the sky weighing down on her more, as if being closer to it pressed the weight of reality down onto her shoulders. Somehow, almost instinctively, she could feel a connection to the orange webs that stretched to the shatter point, binding what remained of reality together. 

“This is where we must part ways, Peni Parker,” Venom said, once again breaking the young pilot out of her thoughts. Her gaze snapped to the monster-man, confusion once again rising, but Venom was quick to raise his hands in reassurance. “Were it not for the situation at hand, we would travel with you, but a larger crisis looms, and our help is needed. Go to the highest island. You will meet Spider-Man and The Master Weaver there. They will explain our crisis, our… Entanglement , with greater elements.” 

Entanglement. Peni hung onto that word and the weight that Venom gave it. Its meaning held the truth of why this was happening, why she was even in another world to begin with. 

“What about you?” she couldn’t help but ask. 

“The team that Eddie mentioned, the Guardians of the Galaxy, will need our help. Our homeworld is a dangerous place, and if they wish to face its ruler, they will need a symbiote. Rest assured, though… we will meet again, friend.” 

Peni couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks for your help… friend.” 

Venom grinned in return. “Correct, ma’am!” 

And with that, Venom swung away, leaving Peni with a goal and a destination to head towards. “Alright, let’s get to it.” 

—.-------  

“The kid reminded you of Dylan too, didn’t she?” Eddie couldn’t help but ask as he and Venom swung away. 

“Her scent was like Parker’s, but younger. Half there, too.” 

“Half there? You don’t think…?” 

“She is like Dylan in more ways than one.” 

Eddie let himself chuckle. “Pete’s in for one hell of a surprise.”

Chapter Text

To say that it had been more of a climb to the top than expected would’ve been a big understatement, but in all honesty, Peni should’ve expected it. The train that Stark-Fujikawa set up only really went to the island that had their corporate tower on it. That meant climbing the rest of the way up. Easier said than done, given how the island she actually needed was floating at least a good 20 feet higher than the one she was on now, and that was from the highest point at the top of the Stark-Fujikawa tower. SP//dr would’ve had a hard time making the leap, so she had to improvise. 

So she may have snagged one of SF’s unmanned drones out the air to get a free ride. Hey, SF’s warranty meant any damage she caused to it would be repaired within a week. At least she only used it to get to the island’s side itself to make the climb. 

Speaking of, even though she was just in the pilot’s seat, the climb itself was a tiring one. Anything her spider felt, she could feel too, and the strain of having to scale up so much barren earth was wearing it out. That was one major thing about having a living being as the main CPU of a machine. Caring for it was of the utmost importance. And when the spider was plugged in, it could feel everything the SP//dr mech felt, and through their psychic link, she could feel it too. 

“Almost there, SP//dr,” she reassured both the mech and her friend. Judging the scans of the island, they were almost at the surface of this floating hunk of rock, though really, she should be a bit more respectful of said hunk of rock. This was the core island, the one keeping the strands of reality together while at the same time making sure the other islands didn’t plummet to a fiery doom. 

This was where she’d find the answers to her questions. 

The surface that SP//dr grabbed plateaued. Solid, even ground right above her. Peni had reached the surface. A grin spread wide on her face. “About time.” 

With a bit more enthusiasm than she herself expected, she leapt up, flipping herself and her mech around, embracing the fleeting seconds of airborne freedom before SP//dr slammed onto the even ground. She couldn’t help but glance behind her to see the expanse that she had just climbed, and a small swell of pride went to her head. Compared to her usual battles, a climb up an island wasn’t actually that bad. 

She turned away before she looked further down at the city below. As stable as the island was in the sky, it was still in the sky , about 20,000 miles above the rest of Tokyo. With all due respect, while she was used to web swinging, that was a height far outside what she was even close to comfortable with. Besides, the task ahead took priority. Dwelling on heights could wait. 

Peni turned her gaze away from the cliff, and immediately, she could tell that this place was sacred . Gone was any hint of the high-tech, retro-future world that existed in the city below. The young pilot found herself amidst an old, weathered, yet proud temple village. Every building spoke to the feudal era of old Japan, like it was ripped out of the ancient Kurosawa films of old. There was one building right at the center of it all, bathed in orange light that beamed from within, and her Spider Sense was resonating with it. 

That was where she needed to be. 

And then her sense went off. 

“Hold it right there!” 

Before Peni could even react, her spider moved SP//dr on its own, firing off its web snare above her. Not a second later, the captured man fell to the ground with a dull thud and a groan of pain. In all honesty, Peni had a bad habit of forgetting her spider could do that sometimes. 

“Really? You tried sneaking up on SP//dr?” the young pilot couldn’t help but snark. 

Now that this person wasn’t trying to attack her, Peni made sure to get a good look at her would-be assailant. He wore a yellow mask which covered his eyes, leaving white slits in place for eye contact. His black hair spiked out from under his mask, and the rest of his face was set into a scowl. His body was clad in a proud, shining jade green, with hints of red and gold all across, and centered around a golden dragon insignia on his chest. Interestingly enough, his arms weren’t covered by sleeves, but by a myriad of bandages that matched his mask. Did he get involved in a fight recently? 

“Aaaagh… was that really necessary?” the green man asked, his eyebrow twitching beneath his mask. 

“Hey, you were the one that shouted ‘hold it.’ I wasn’t gonna take any chances, especially after getting attacked once already.” 

The look on the man’s face shifted immediately. “You were attacked? By what?” 

“A giant black mech… why do you ask?” 

Rather than answering, the masked man let out a sharp exhale… before snapping the web snare open with just his bare strength . 

“Nan datte–?!” 

“Relax,” the masked man stated, lifting himself off the ground with practiced ease, “that mech you mentioned has been harassing us every time we head to the city for supplies. If it’s going after you, that means you’re on our side.” 

Huh , Peni thought to herself, didn’t think I’d ever thank VEN#m for something… . 

“Well, you’ll be happy to know that I brought that sucker down on my way here! With a little help of course. You know Venom?” 

The masked man shivered at the mention of the Lethal Protector. “Yeah, I know him. I’d rather not, though… especially with that creepy tongue of his.” 

“He seems friendly enough.” 

“Sure….” 

A beat of silence followed… and then Peni realized something. “Wait, if you’ve been getting supplies here, does that mean you’re part of this whole Spider-Islands thing?!” 

The masked man regarded her with curiosity, his gaze examining SP//dr up and down… and then a hint of recognition crossed his face. “Hang on… you’re a Spider-Person, aren’t you?” 

“Yeah! Venom said I’d find out what was going on here!” 

An awkward chuckle escaped the masked man as a grin formed on his face. “Oh man, I should’ve been more chill from the start. Let’s start from the beginning then. I am the immortal Iron Fist, one of the warriors involved in the Timestream Entanglement.” 

Ah, so Venom hung on that “entanglement” part for a reason after all! But it being a timestream entanglement didn’t bode well. Peni had heard theories about what would happen if time had been messed with. Paradoxes, out of order events, some possibilities going as far as a total collapse of reality. Thankfully, the situation now wasn’t that last one, otherwise Peni wouldn’t be here at all. This was the first time she had heard of such a thing as an entanglement with time. 

“Come on, I’ll explain on the way,” Iron Fist stated, snapping Peni out of her thoughts once more. Man, that’s been happening a lot lately , she mused to herself. 

So the two of them began their trek through the temple village, and Peni let her gaze wander to the architecture that now surrounded her. Whoever had built it had done so with purpose, making sure that it remained as it appeared for as long as possible. None of the modern and future influences of the city below had made it up here, as if the place had been isolated long before the island ever rose. What made this place so special? Why was it made the way that it was? For that matter, who made it? 

“I know it’s a bit empty, but we’re scattered throughout the Chronoverses right now,” Iron Fist explained. 

That caught Peni’s attention. “Chronoverses?” 

“Every section of the multiverse that’s been caught up in the Entanglement has formed into a Chronoverse. Think of it like a district of a city, only the city’s the fabric of reality. Right now, there are five major Chronoverses we’re dealing with.” 

“And this place here is one of them?” 

“Yep, Tokyo 2099. The others are present day New York, Yggsgard, Krakoa, and the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda, with a few, smaller patches of reality scattered throughout.” 

“You sound like you’ve been to all of them.” 

“The place where I’m from, K’un-Lun, has been relatively safe from the Entanglement, but it’s lending its aid nonetheless. I’m one of the few who’s been hopping from place to place, helping out wherever I can, and this week, it’s Spider Islands.” 

Peni was about to ask another question, before a small robotic creature scurried past her. SP//dr’s cameras zoomed in to examine it, revealing a small, red and blue spider robot. It looked oddly similar to one of her father’s old designs. Her gaze followed the machine as it scurried up the walls of a nearby building, joining a smaller hive of its fellow bots on said building’s roof. 

“Those little bots help keep this place in one piece,” Iron Fist pointed out. “No idea how they work, but Pe–I mean, Spider-Man, has been doing his best to figure them out. With Reed and Tony focusing on the Reintegration Device, he’s handling the smaller tech stuff.” 

“You can tell me his name, you know,” Peni muttered, a hint of annoyance in her voice. “Spider-Person, and all.” 

An awkward chuckle escaped Iron Fist as he looked back at the young pilot. “Sorry… Spidey’s still a bit iffy about most of us knowing his secret identity. The only ones who really know are me, Venom, Tony, and the Fantastic Four… and also Squirrel Girl. Somehow.” 

“...I just realized I forgot to tell you my name.” 

The awkwardness in Iron Fist’s laugh was quickly replaced with hearty amusement, with an actual smile blossoming on his face. “It happens. I’m Lin Lie, by the way.” 

“And I’m Peni Parker!” 

“Heh, shouldn’t be too surprised. I’ll let Spidey tell you his identity himself though.” 

“How do you know, anyway?” 

“Well…,” Lie trailed off, and even with his mask covering his eyes, Peni could still see the nostalgic look in them, “for extra context, I’m not the first Iron Fist. My predecessor, Danny Rand, him and Spidey worked together a lot. Rand asked if he could help me out like they did each other, and Spidey gave his word. He’s a good guy, and don’t let his words fool you, because he’s also a good teacher. You can learn a lot from him.” 

Peni was about to ask another question when her Spider Sense started to shift. It wasn’t the sense of danger she was used to, no. It was one of resonance . She stopped in her tracks, and her eyes beheld the center-most temple of the island, standing tall and proud as it basked in orange light. This was where everything converged together. 

“Looks like we’re here!” Lie stated as he opened the (quite frankly) massive wooden doors, letting the orange glow from within explode outside. “Say hello to the defenders of the Web of Life and Destiny!” 

The thing that immediately caught Peni’s attention was the source of the orange light: the web. Stretching from floor to ceiling, burning bright with its glow, and positively massive . Each cross-section showed different images from across realities, from a black-clad private eye to a cartoonish, costumed pig. She could feel the commonality with them all. They were Spiders, like her, spread out across the multiverse. 

She wasn’t alone. 

That fact brought more comfort to Peni than she cared to admit. 

The second thing that caught her eye was more than just a thing. It was a person, one who looked to be flying… no, swinging towards Peni and Lie. The figure flipped himself off his strand of web, and with a practiced, almost lazy ease, he landed before the duo in a near perfect crouch. 

“And there’s the man himself,” Lie said with a grin on his face. 

The fellow Spider rose to his full height, allowing Peni to take in his appearance. He wore a proud red and blue, binded together with a pattern of black webbing. Emblazoned on his chest was a large black spider insignia, its eight legs stretched across his shoulders and torso. And finally, the mask, red and with the webbing, broken up by two white eyepieces that widened in both recognition and surprise. 

This was him. This was Spider-Man. 

“I see you brought the calvary!” 

Wait.  

That voice.  

It had been nine years. Nine long years. She still remembered his voice. Whether it be through dreams, nightmares, or simple moments of reflection. 

“Every hero helps!” Lie proclaimed with glee. “Spidey, this is Peni Parker!” 

“Another Parker? How many of me are there?” 

Peni paid their words no mind. Instead, she popped the hatch open, letting Spider-Man see her face for the first time. He needed to. She was about to ask the biggest question on her mind. 

“ Dad …?”

Chapter Text

“ Dad …?” 

Just like that, the temple went silent. Peni didn’t know what to think at that moment. In truth, she didn’t know what she was even thinking of when she asked that question. Spider-Man, the man heading up the Entanglement issues in this world, may have sounded like her dad, but for all Peni knew, that could’ve been it. He could’ve been an entirely different person under that mask, and Peni could’ve just been mistaken when he heard him. 

Spidey and Lie both went wide-eyed when they heard the loaded question. Hell, the smile that inhabited Lie’s face had been wiped clean off, replaced with a slack-jawed expression. It was clear that neither of them had expected such a thing, yet here they all stood. In deafening silence. 

“Uh… Spidey?” Lie asked, trepidation leaking into his voice. “Why did she ask if you were her dad?” 

Spidey himself snapped out of whatever stupor he had been frozen in, and his gaze darted towards Lie with a bit too much nervous energy. “I-I-I don’t know! I’ve never had a kid before! At least… not where I’m from. Or when, for that matter….” 

Cracks started to form in Peni’s heart. She might have heard his voice incorrectly after all. “O-oh… sorry. You just… sounded like him.” 

Spidey’s gaze drifted back towards Peni, and though the mask obscured his eyes, Peni could sense the hints of curiosity in them. Was he wondering if the connection was there too? No… he couldn’t be. He just said he’d never had kids. Besides, Peni remembered the day she learned her father was dead, in perfect detail no less. That had been the day where everything changed, after all. The day her spider bit her. 

“W-well, how about we take it from the top?” Spidey asked, his voice matching Lie’s in tone and energy. “I’m Peter. Peter Parker. Parkers tend to be Spiders no matter the universe.” 

Peter Parker.  

Not only did he sound like her father, and continue to sound like him at that, but he went by her father’s middle name. That… that couldn’t be a coincidence… right? 

“Is…,” Peni stammered out, trying to focus her tangled thoughts into words as best as she could. Why am I having such a hard time with this?! It would be better to get it over with!  

“Is…?” Peter mimicked back. Not out of mocking, but out of concern. Peni could hear it in his voice. That lower edge of an octave that Peni had first heard years ago when she had told her father about a kid that had been bullying her. 

“Sorry, just… that was my father’s middle name.” 

Spidey’s eyes widened again, and he caught on to the question that Peni had failed to ask. “Oh… well, it’s my first name, but my dad… his name was Richard.” 

“My dad’s first name….” 

Dammit , Peni couldn’t help but think to herself, why am I getting so worked up over this?! It’s not adding up at all! You know he’s dead, you know this isn’t him! Dad’s middle name and his voice doesn’t make this man him!  

“I’m gonna take my mask off,” Spidey declared, breaking Peni out of her mental self berating. Her eyes went wide as Spidey reached to grab his mask off of his face. “I don’t know if I’ll look like him… or even be him… but if it’ll help you, it’s worth seeing.” 

All Peni could do was nod in return. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Lie taking a step back, giving the two of them some much needed space. She silently thanked the martial artist for his consideration. She’d make it up to him somehow. 

“You ready?” Spidey asked, part of his mask already slipping up off of his neck, revealing the pale skin beneath. Peni powered through the uneasy tremor that spread like wildfire across her body, and she nodded in acceptance. In an instant, Spidey pulled off the mask… and Peni couldn’t help but gasp. 

Peter Parker was the spitting image of her father. The only detail that threw things off was how young he looked, but other than that, every single detail was spot on . The strong chin that topped his angular jawline. The sternness of his eyebrows, which sat firmly over brown eyes that were just full of warmth. The short and eternally messy brown hair that topped his head, even down to the silly side part that curled over his left eyebrow, the one her Uncle Ben jokingly called a cowlick one time. Even the red streaks were nestled in exactly where she remembered. 

It’s him , Peni couldn’t help but think, couldn’t help but hope . “It’s him, it’s actually him, it’s… it’s…!  

“You okay, Peni?” Peter asked, the warmth in his eyes shining ever so slightly brighter than it had moments before. 

“Y-y-yeah, I just… you look… you… Dad! ” 

Peni couldn’t help herself. She leapt out of her faithful mech, her father’s mech, and towards the man himself. Common sense and rationality be damned, even if this wasn’t the same person she knew, it was still him . It was still her father, and right now, he was back . 

Peter caught her with an almost instinctive ease. The catch turned into a hug within milliseconds. “I got you. I got you kiddo.” 

Tears started to streak down Peni’s face, but she didn’t care. This was the first time in a long time where she felt safe to just let them run free. She always could with her dad, and even if Peter wasn’t, he somehow still was . 

“I missed you…,” she mumbled out, her emotions out on full display. “It’s been… it’s been too long. I didn’t think I’d–” 

Peter hugged her tighter, hoping to convey some sense of comfort to her, a sense that Peni happily absorbed. “I’m here, Peni. I’m here.” 

“I missed you.” 

—--.-------  

It had been an hour since Peni had entered the temple. An hour since the realization that Peter Parker was another version of her father. An hour since that tearful half-reunion between father and daughter. 

Peter himself didn’t know what to think. 

Obviously, he had a few ideas bouncing around in his head, but none of them were even close to coherent right now. The thing he was focusing on was the fact that he had a daughter . He had a daughter and she was most likely the Spider of her reality and based off the tears pouring out of her eyes, he hadn’t been — 

“Hey Pete,” Lie said, interrupting Peter’s train of thought. His gaze snapped towards the martial artist, who had discarded his mask earlier, but the web-slinger’s eyes instead focused on the box of pizza he happened to be holding. “Need a bite?” 

“ Please ,” Peter muttered, and with that confirmation, Lie set the box down between the two of them. The web-slinger cracked open the box to reveal a large, steaming hot pepperoni pizza, with what looked like stuffed crust to boot. It was something simple, but simple was what he needed right about now, so he took a slice with glee. 

“So,” Lie muttered, grabbing a slice of his own, “what’s your take on this? Didn’t expect to be a dad so soon?” 

Peter knew Lie was trying to lighten the mood, and while he was thankful for that, the attempt fell on deaf ears. His mind, for however jumbled his thoughts were, was focused on Peni. The gasp he heard when she saw his face. The way her eyes welled with tears when recognition set in. That combined sense of sorrow and relief when Peter hugged her. 

It all led to one grim conclusion. 

“I think I’m dead in her world.” 

A muffled cough erupted from Lie, the sudden statement nearly making him spit out the bite of pizza he had in his mouth. Peter winced as he moved his hand closer to help. “Shoot, you okay?!” 

“Ack, shit! I’m good, just… way to hit a guy with a sucker punch.” 

Peter could only wince in response. “I know, it’s kinda unexpected….” 

“Kinda?” 

“Okay, very unexpected, but… come on, you saw her, Lie. You saw the look in her eyes. She was looking at me like I was a ghost… and you know what that means.” 

“Death,” his friend mumbled, taking another bite out of his slice. The two of them had seen that same look in the Avengers early on into the Timestream Entanglement. When Eternal Night hit New York, Dracula had gotten lucky, turning Black Panther into a vampire like him. The fact that a space-bound Wakanda was involved was lucky enough, but for that Chronoverse’s Black Panther to be alive and well and willing to help , it was enough to get tears in the Avengers’ eyes. 

And then there was the Cap of 2099. When he arrived to help, Tony nearly cried tears of joy, though the man himself would undoubtedly deny it. The Cap of present day had fallen in battle, and whether or not he would come back after everything had been sorted out was still up in the air, but to know that at least a version of Cap was still here was enough to bring some sense of hope back to the heroes. 

Peter gnawed on his pizza mindlessly as he compared those instances with Peni. Hers felt deeper than this. He could feel it. There were years of pain behind those blue eyes. How old was she when her father… when he died? How long had she been a Spider all by herself? Did she have to take up the mantle because of what happened to him? 

“Peter,” Lie said, cutting through the web-slinger’s thoughts once more, “you’re on your fourth slice. I’ve only had two so far.” 

“ Oh … sorry Lie….” 

“Be honest, Pete… do you feel responsible for her?” 

Even though he was just an alternate version of her dad and vice versa? Even though her actual dad passed away years ago, and he had no power over that? Even though the only thing that, realistically, connected them together was the fact that they were both Spider People? 

“Yeah… right now, I am.” 

A dry chuckle slipped out of Lie’s lungs. “Somehow I knew you’d say that.” 

“I will say though… I have no idea how to be a parent!” 

Lie’s dry chuckle turned into a boisterous laugh in an instant. “Good thing you’ve got a fantastic outside perspective to consult back in New York!” 

“Lie… that was just awful.” 

All Lie did in response was laugh again. Peter shook his head, but the growing smirk on his face betrayed his amusement at the situation. “In any case, once the others show up, I’m gonna head back to New York. I need to check in with Tony and Reed anyway.” 

“You gonna bring Peni along?” 

“Duh! Even if there wasn’t a connection, she should still get to meet everyone!” 

“Even MJ?” 

A dumb grin broke out on Peter’s face. “Like you had to ask.” 

In the corner of his mind, Peter could feel his Spider Sense resonating. He turned to see what was behind him, and he caught sight of Peni peeking around the corner, a shimmer of hope in her eyes. Peter nodded in affirmation. He meant what he said. 

He may not have been her dad, but he was still her dad . 

And he had a lot of catching up to do. 

Chapter Text

Crossing over to the next Chronoverse required a bit more prep work than Peni expected, but given the nature of everything, it made sense. Apparently one needed a new material called Chronovium, a byproduct of the Timestream Entanglement, in order to cross safely, and Peni… well, neither she nor SP//dr had any on them. At least the only part she, Lie, and Peter had to worry about for now was waiting. They needed the Master Weaver himself to help kickstart the process. 

“So, building off what you guys said last night, the Entanglement was caused by two different versions of the same guy?” she asked Peter. The two of them sat perched atop the temple roof in the morning hours, enjoying the omelets her alternate father had cooked for the two of them. And that was something, wasn’t it? Peter being a variant of her father wasn’t something she’d ever expected, and yet, it feels like the two of them were slipping into habits they somehow already had. Was this a thing with Spider People on the whole? Or was this just something her and Peter had? 

“Yep,” Peter answered, performing the sacrilegious act of eating an omelette like a burrito (the absolute monster). “Your universe have a Victor von Doom?” 

“I think? There’s a Mecha called D.O.O.M. that I fight on occasion, but I’ve never seen its creator. Maybe my Doom made the bot?” 

“Probably for the best, cause Doom is nasty . Just the version from my world, he rules a country called Latveria, so he’s got the resources to do all his usual supervillain stuff, but he’s also just petty .” 

“How petty are we talking?” 

“He changed the word for ‘toilet’ to ‘Reed’ in Latveria.” 

Peni did a double take when she heard that, and a detail that Lie had told her yesterday came back to the forefront of her mind. “Wait, isn’t that one of the people that knows you behind the mask?” 

“Yeah… he hates, and I mean all caps, bold and italics, HATES , Reed Richards, and he is the emperor of petty hate as a result. Anyway, the whole thing started with him trying to gain control over time, and in the process, he met the Doom of this Earth. We just call him Doom 2099. And get this, he was also trying to control time!” 

The pieces clicked into place in Peni’s mind. “Wait… are you saying that this whole thing, the entire Timestream Entanglement, is all happening… because each Doom saw what the other was trying to do, and immediately went to fight each other?!” 

“Pretty much!” 

“That… that’s just… that’s so stupid! ” 

Peter let out a dry chuckle, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “Glad you agree, cause there’s some variation of that thought in everyone’s mind. It also doesn’t help that our Doom did it to spite Reed.” 

“WHAT?!” 

Before anything further could be said, the orange glow of the Web of Life erupted into glorious sight, beaming into the sky as the cracks above radiated with power. Peter leapt to his feet, his omelette unfortunately falling off the roof, and he slid his mask back over his face. “Sounds like Karn’s back! And you know what that means!” 

A grin broke out on Peni’s face. “Multiverse travel! Intentionally this time!” 

“Which is always better!” 

“Hey!” A shout rang out from below. Peter and Peni both looked over to the edge below, catching sight of Lie standing on the temple floor. “Are you guys done with family breakfast yet?! We gotta get moving!” 

“We just wrapped up!” Peter yelled in response, a budding anticipation in his voice. “Ready to meet The Master Weaver?” 

“Ready!” 

And with that, the duo leapt from the edge of the roof in unison, their Spider Senses resonating together as the ground approached ever closer. Peter, of course, flipped himself over in the nick of time and landed with perfect grace. Peni didn’t have to worry about such a landing. Her link with her spider was all she needed, and in an instant, SP//dr leapt up and scooped the young pilot into its arms before smashing back down to the ground. 

“Show offs,” Lie muttered, the grin on his face betraying his faux annoyed tone. 

The hatch for SP//dr opened up, and it didn’t take long for Peni to scurry inside her mech’s cockpit. “Hey, if you had a giant robot, you’d feel inclined to show off every now and again too.” 

“She’s got a point!” Peter quipped. 

With a final click, Peni fastened herself into the pilot seat, and SP//dr sealed close around her. The holo-display blazed to life, allowing her to see the world through her mech’s cameras. “So, from here on out, it’s hero identities?” 

“That’s how it usually goes,” Peter—sorry, Spidey, confirmed, glancing between himself, Iron Fist, and Peni. “Which reminds me… do we just call you SP//dr?” 

“Might as well,” Peni replied, her mech mimicking the shrug she just did. That was when she realized something. “Hey, where is Karn?” 

“ Above. ” 

That booming voice did indeed call out from above, and what Peni found caused a gasp to escape her lungs. The once vacant Web of Life now had an occupant perched on its strands, a massive mechanical golden spider, from which a man emerged from. He wore a royal blue coat trimmed in dull gold, white gloves that poked out from beneath the frills of his sleeves, and an ornate arachnid helmet with an octet of glowing red lenses. He seemed to be fused to his mechanical spider, his legs replaced by a series of golden jointed beams that connected him to the spider. 

“Nantekotta! Is that–?!” 

“ Indeed, Peni Parker, ” the spider-centaur stated, those arachnid lenses staring down at the young pilot, “ I am Karn, the Master Weaver. My apologies for not being able to greet you on the night of your arrival. You have come a long way from home, and I apologize for the involuntary nature of your journey. ” 

“No need to apologize,” Peni stated, the sense of awe from the Master Weaver freezing her in place, “it sort of just… happened. At least now I know why. And don’t worry, I’ll be happy to help!” 

“ Then we welcome your efforts with open arms. I assume you’ve already been acquainted with your alternate father? ” 

That caught Spidey’s attention. “Hang on, you already knew that part?” 

“ Correct. As the guardian of The Web of Life and Destiny, I am privy to all aspects of all realities. The knowledge of the Web alone is enough to alter the fate of trillions of universes. It is a heavy burden to carry, and I am willing to do so for as long as my body will let me. ” 

Peni… genuinely didn’t know what to say to that. It seemed that no matter what, anyone tied to the Web had a great deal of responsibility on their shoulders. Even the man who had to watch over it all. How did her father, the one from her reality proper, do it? For that matter, how did Peter do it? Were there ever any moments where it felt like the weight of that responsibility came crashing down on them, bringing them to their lowest? Were there moments where they didn’t want to deal with that responsibility anymore, just like she had? 

Just like she had when VEN#m had happened? 

“It’s a good thing we aren’t alone,” Spidey declared, patting a hand on the side of SP//dr. The familiar contact brought Peni back to the moment, and she nodded in agreement with the sentiment. 

“ It warms my heart that this sentiment is shared. The mantle of responsibility can rarely, if ever, be worn alone. ” 

“Is everything ready, Master Weaver?” Iron Fist asked, anticipation radiating from his body. It was clear to both Spiders that the martial artist was ready to roll, if for no other reason than to continue the task ahead. 

“ Indeed it is, ” Karn replied, materializing a brilliant golden staff into his hand. He raised it to the sky, and the orange light of the Web followed suit, beaming directly into the crack in the sky. “ Heed me, Galacta! It is time! We cross the boundaries of Chronoverses once more! ” 

In an instant, a portal takes form beneath Karn’s titanic form, burning with the orange hue of the Web. Peni stared into it with her own sense of anticipation, wondering what, or who, would emerge from the other side, and wondering what the trip itself would be like. 

“Oh, I almost forgot!” Spidey exclaimed as he procured a shimmering golden crystal from the pouch on his back. “Chronovium! Stick it in your suit!” 

Shoot, I forgot about that! Peni silently thanked her alternate father as she opened up SP//dr’s hatch to reach through and take the crystal. It was oddly warm in her hands, its weight somehow light and heavy at the same time. 

And then the portal blinked open. 

The first to cross through was a short, gruff man in yellow and blue, who's scruffy black hair framed his frowning face. Behind him followed a slender woman dressed in all black, accentuated by both the rifle she carried and her shocking red hair. The two of them eyed Peni with the kind of curiosity a predator would give its prey, though her Spider Sense remained quiet. Perhaps that’s just how they were? 

“That wouldn’t happen to be another you, would it kid?” the gruff man asked, his gaze sizing up SP//dr. “If it is, then I gotta say, I never expected you to turn into a robot.” 

“Logan, this is SP//dr,” Spidey replied, once again putting a reassuring hand on the mech. “SP//dr, this is Logan. Most of us know him as Wolverine.” 

“Nice to meet you, sir!” Peni waved, her mech mimicking her movements. 

Logan, for his part, wasn’t surprised. He instead let out an exasperated sigh. “Giant robots, of course. ‘Tasha, you and the others start setting up shop. I’m gonna go secure the perimeter.” 

And with that, Logan walked off into a deeper part of the temple. The red haired woman, the one he called ‘Tasha, approached the duo next. “Sorry about that. Our current lineup has him in a bad mood, so he’s been a bit prickly. I’m Natasha, but out on the field, I’m Black Widow.” 

“Current lineup?” Peni couldn’t help but ask, and before Natasha had a chance to reply, the portal blinked open once more, allowing a silver-armored man to float into the room. His piercing blue eyes scanned the area, and when his focus locked in on Peni, a bemused smirk crossed his bearded face, as if he knew exactly what to do. He made his way toward the congregated group, and that was when Peni noticed the fragmented metal halo that floated behind the armored man. 

“I see we have a new recruit in our midst,” the man said, a deep authoritative gravel in his voice, “that being said, if said recruit turns out to be a pest in disguise, then rest assured, your metal will be no match for my mastery of magnetism.” 

“Actually, this isn’t metal,” Peni proclaimed, taking the armored man back for a split second. “It’s carbon fibre in nature, mixed in with some duraplast outer framework. No metal to magnetize, I’m afraid.” 

The floating elder stayed silent for a moment, before a low chuckle left his lips. “It seems you have some wit about you. Believe it or not, it will serve you well in the coming days. Just remember who it is you are speaking to.” 

“And… that would be?” 

“ Magneto .” 

“Cool! I’ve never heard of you until today!” 

The portal blinked once more, and a small, four legged creature leapt out and rushed towards the group, nothing but pure joy in its eyes. 

“Jeff!” Spidey cried out, excitement in his voice. “Come here you!” 

The creature leapt forward, and Peni realized that the critter was a shark with legs , currently grinning brightly as her father rubbed its head. A shark with legs. Now she’d seen everything. 

The portal seemed to disagree with that notion, as it blinked open once more, allowing a trio of people to walk through. The first was a purple haired woman, whose violet attire practically screamed “ninja.” The second was a blonde haired woman clad in all white, a glowing mark of a crescent moon under her left eye. Finally, behind both of them stood… no, floated, a dark-skinned man who seemed to be made of the blue and black cloak he wore, his torso and legs replaced by a black, wispy mist that hovered over the ground. 

“And that’s our team,” Natasha stated, her gaze turning back to the trio of Peni, Spidey, and Iron Fist. “We’ll take it from here. You guys are free to head to New York.” 

“You sure?” Spidey asked, and really, Peni couldn’t help but wonder about that herself. Everything about the Timestream Entanglement screamed “everywhere needs as much help as possible,” so no stone could be unturned in her eyes. 

“We understand your hesitance to leave this place, Spider-Man,” Magneto stated, gaining a look of superiority in his eyes, “but rest assured, Spider Islands will be in capable hands. New York needs your help more, especially with the ‘smartest men in the world’ stuck in debate.” 

“Oh no,” Spidey mumbled, his mask’s eyes widened, and he immediately turned back to Peni and Iron Fist, “double time it people!” 

Without warning, Spidey took off, making a mad dash to the portal. The other heroes who exited the portal simply moved out of the way as the web-slinger simply leapt through the hole in reality. Iron Fist was quick to follow behind, and he turned back to motion for Peni to follow too. Whatever was happening, it had her dad worried, and that was all she needed to know as she joined the mad dash, leaping through the portal… and away from the reality of Tokyo 2099.

Chapter Text

Whatever Peni was expecting when she leapt through that portal, it was child’s play compared to what was actually happening. Where her earlier, involuntary jump into 2099 felt like pain ripping her apart from the inside out, this felt more… weird than anything else. Like the flow of time was coursing through her veins as she slingshotted forward into the fabric of reality. That was probably the best way to describe it, because the alternative… well…. 

She, Iron Fist, and Spidey were rocketing forwards as if they were flying, bolting down an orange strand of reality as the whole of the cosmos blurred past them. The stars shone in a cosmic kaleidoscope of infinite shades of blue, and there seemed to be something glowing a vibrant purple at the center of it all. 

“Hey guys! Where to this time?” 

Who was that?! 

“Galacta’s up!” Iron Fist shouted, pointing out at the purple core of the stars. “You might as well say hi! She handles this part, after all!” 

What did he mean by— what in the ten hells?!  

The purple core of the passing cosmos uncurled itself, revealing the form of a colossal purple-and-blue-armored woman that the stars seemed to radiate around. Her amber eyes seemed to shine like suns as she caught sight of the trio racing down their path. She reached out to their strand of travel and grasped it in her hands, shifting it through reality like it was nothing! 

“Hey Galacta!” Spidey greeted, giving the giant a two-finger salute. “New York in Eternal Night please! And try to stick us near the Baxter Building this time, okay? It sounds like the team needs our help soon!” 

“Oh yeah, Tony and Reed are arguing. Again.” 

Spidey let out a groan of frustration. “Where’s Doctor Strange when you need him?!” 

“Still stuck on the Astral Plane. We’re trying to get Khonshu to help, but….” 

“He’s the pettiest god out there, we know,” Iron Fist stated, a laugh leaking out at the end of his statement. 

“How are you guys this chill about this?!” Peni couldn’t help but exclaim. She had never expected something as absolutely outlandish as this in the multiverse! And Lie and her dad were just treating this like an average Tuesday! Is this what they dealt with on the regular?! 

“We’re just used to this by now!” her dad replied, and oh, how he didn’t even bother to hide how amused he sounded. “Besides, this isn’t even my first multiverse rodeo!” 

“ What?! ” 

“Just roll with it Peni!” Lie exclaimed, letting himself spin as they continued down their path. The one that Galacta was moving with her bare hands. Yeah, this was taking some extra time to process. 

“There we go! All set!” Galacta exclaimed, twisting the end of their path into its new end with a beaming smile. “Try not to get bitten, okay!” 

“What does she mean by that?” Peni asked, trepidation returning to her voice. 

“You’re about to find out!” Peter shouted. “New York, here we come!” 

A portal blinked into existence at the end of the trio’s path, and Peni did her best to brace for the feeling of reality changing around her. Even with the surprises along the way, she was prepared to see what new world lay before her. 

At least, she hoped. 

“Next stop, Eternal Night!” 

—---.---------  

Of course, the portal ended up being in the middle of the open sky. 

Typical Parker luck. 

Peni, Iron Fist and Spidey were all flung at top speed through the New York skyline, and the first thing that Peni noticed was the ominous, blood red moon that loomed over the city, the dark radiance setting her Spider Sense alight. That glow was not natural, and everything about it screamed danger. 

The second thing she noticed was that all three of them were heading for a building. 

Wonderful . 

“Dangit, Galacta!” Iron Fist yelled as he twisted his body through the air, steering himself towards the side of another building. To Peni’s surprise, the martial artist started running up the wall, his feet finding the concrete between the windows with practiced, precise ease. 

“Time to web sling!” Spidey exclaimed, firing one of his webs above. The web went tense, and in an instant the wall-crawler was swinging high above Peni. His natural grace with the action continued to astound Peni, but as much as she wanted to continue to be astounded, she had to prevent herself from crashing head-first into a building. The young pilot fired a web of her own above her, and with a solid thwip , she rocketed up to the ledge above. Once the cord finished pulling, she let herself and her mech dangle in the air for a moment, allowing her to get a view of the city proper. 

Aside from the obvious blood red moon, this version of New York seemed… a lot simpler, if she had to be honest. Gone was most of the technology she was used to seeing, as she instead bore witness to sleek silvers and grays as far as the horizon could see. What immediately stood out in comparison was a skyscraper that shone a bright blue, piercing through the red night like a beacon of hope. Emblazoned at the top was a neon blue sign, a stylized number 4 that seemed to glow the brightest, and the words below told Peni everything she needed to know. 

The Baxter Building. 

Their destination. 

With the panic of not flying through the air uncontrollably out of her system, Peni detached SP//dr from its snare, allowing the mech to drop down to a nearby balcony below. Lie joined her not long after, hopping from building to building before finally landing beside her. And Peter… he just lowered himself down from one of his webs, gazing at the duo with a sense of humor in those white mask lenses. 

“What?” Peni asked, sparing a few glances at her mech. “Is there something on me?” 

“Nah, just thought it was funny how that all happened.” 

“You have a weird sense of humor, Pete,” Lie admitted, his gaze travelling to the Baxter Building, “but at least we’re actually close to where we need to be.” 

“What’s so special about the Baxter Building anyway?” Peni couldn’t help but ask. After encountering whatever Galacta was, Peni would happily admit to feeling overwhelmed by the sheer amount of new places and information being flung at her constantly. Nine years ago, that feeling was connected to taking up the mantle of SP//dr for the first time, a little kid inheriting the responsibility of her late father. 

This blew that old feeling out of the water ten times over. 

“That, my dear Peni,” Peter stated, slipping his mask off for a brief moment, “is the home of the Fantastic Four, the first family of superheroes! They were the first people to know who I was behind the mask, and they’ve considered me part of their family ever since. I even got to wear the blue tights for a while!” 

“Didn’t Franklin call you ‘Uncle Peter’ the last time we were over?” Lie asked. 

Now that caught Peni’s attention. “Uncle? Did you marry into the family or something?” 

A sheepish chuckle escaped Peter as his gaze turned back to Peni. “No, Franklin just calls me that with how close me and his Uncle Johnny are. Speaking of, we should head over as soon as we can. You can sense it too, can’t you?” 

The imminent danger surrounding them, yeah. Peni could feel it alright. And she knew it was coming from the red moon. She could feel how unnatural it was, how it straight up didn’t belong here. Her Spider-Sense had dialed back the intensity, yes, but it was still there, going off in the corner of her mind, waiting to leap out the moment something went horribly wrong. 

No wonder her Uncle Ben once described her father’s sense as “weaponized paranoia.” 

But, as usual, Peni had a few questions she needed to ask. “I take it you guys know what’s going on with this? I mean, you guys call this ‘Eternal Night,’ for a reason.” 

“Dracula,” Peter and Lie rattled off simultaneously. 

“...excuse me?” 

“Welcome to the world of superheroes!” Peter exclaimed, a bit too much humor in his voice. “Literally anything can happen!” 

“I noticed…,” Peni muttered, still in disbelief. Dracula, the vampire imagined centuries ago, being a real person and a real threat on top of that. What else went on in this world? How many crazy things had Peter been a part of? Vampires, all-powerful dictators, events as crazy as the Timestream Entanglement…. 

A group of people he could rely on, people that didn’t exist where she was from. Lie, the Fantastic Four, whoever Tony was, the group that now watched over Spider Islands in their place…. 

Had her father had those people, the same ones that Peter trusted, would he still be alive? Would they have been able to prevent his fate all those years ago? 

“Hey,” Peter said, cutting through the young pilot’s thoughts yet again. This was starting to become a bad habit for Peni at this point. 

“Sorry dad, just….” 

“Lost in thought?” 

“Yeah. That.” 

“Don’t worry about it. If you want, we can talk about it when we get to the Baxter Building. I’ll make hot chocolate!” 

Peni couldn’t help but giggle. Sure, there were a few major differences, but Peter was still her father. Hot chocolate to cheer things up was one of those shared details. “Alright! Let’s go!” 

“Hang on guys,” Lie interrupted, his gaze turned down towards the streets below, “there’s something going on in the streets below.” 

With their shared attention caught, both Peter and Peni turned their respective gazes over the building’s edge, discovering a street blanketed in blue ice. A sylvette figure clad in blue and black was skating across the ice, rushing towards the Baxter Building with haste. In the distance, the roars of a horde echoed out, and the skater increased her pace. 

“That’s Luna!” Lie exclaimed, the slight panic in his voice not going unnoticed. “She wouldn’t risk coming out here on her own unless she found something important!” 

“Then we’ll back her up!” Peter proclaimed, pulling his mask down over his face once more. That meant going back into hero identities. “We don’t have time to waste! Iron Fist, you and I take to the roofs, we’re air support! SP//dr, meet up with Luna on the ground! We’re gonna need a heavy hitter with her!” 

“Are you gonna be okay up here?” Peni couldn’t help but ask. This was it. Her first real fight in the Timestream Entanglement, alongside her father, and while she was sure that Peter could handle himself, that didn’t stop her nerves from lighting themselves up. 

“I’ve got home field advantage, kiddo,” her father reassured, “and I did promise I’d make you some hot chocolate after this. You be careful down there, okay?” 

Another giggle escaped Peni. “You too! See you in a bit Dad!” 

SP//dr fired a web off into the distance, and the mech began its swing towards Luna. Even with the sense of danger closing in, Peni couldn’t help but wear a smile on her face. Eternal Night would be a challenge, yes, but it wouldn’t be a challenge she’d have to face alone.

Chapter Text

Normally, New York City was a nice place. Sure, there was the never ending traffic and the usual superhero shenanigans, but there was an undeniable charm to the Big Apple that held people’s hearts. Maybe that was why so many heroes called it home. If her heart didn’t already belong in Seoul, Luna Snow would’ve certainly moved here by now. 

New York in the middle of Eternal Night, courtesy of Vlad Dracula ? Infinitely, infinitely worse! So much worse! A blood red moon, chaos everywhere, and too! Many! Vampires! 

Especially the giant horde that was tailing her at this very moment! 

“This was not a good idea!” the idol muttered aloud as she found herself skating away as fast as she could on the ice that formed beneath her feet. In her hands, she held a time-worn page ripped from the spine of a dark and ancient tome. It had been the talk of the Baxter Building for weeks now, especially since Doctor Strange had vanished in his attempt to keep it secured. 

The Darkhold. 

Now, Luna was no expert in the mystic arts. Her powers over ice were the product of a science mishap courtesy of stolen Stark tech. Sure, she knew a bit about the magic side of the world thanks to her old Atlas teammates, but that wasn’t her avenue. What she would always understand is that if something seemed magic-based, it would be important. 

Especially if it had someone like Scarlet Witch speaking in hushed whispers. 

So, Luna decided to risk a lone venture into the streets of New York while everyone got the transfer to 2099 going. She was very much operating off of a hunch, one born from a glimpse out of the corner of her eyes, but with the stakes as high as they were, she couldn’t just leave it alone. 

They’d already lost Black Panther. 

Luna didn’t want to lose anyone else to this chaos. 

Fast forwarding to now, she very much had second thoughts. Yes, her hunch had been correct after all, but no, she did not want to deal with Dracula’s horde on her own! And she knew that the others would have shot her down on even attempting this, but she was really wishing she had asked for backup! But as long as she could outpace the vamps on ice, she was good. She just had to keep going and going and—

KRA-KOOM!  

It was like thunder falling from the sky, crashing right in front of Luna with deafening force. The idol had to slam brakes on skating forward, stopping dead in her tracks so as to avoid colliding with whatever the hell just came from above. 

What the hell?! She screamed in her mind. First the vamps, now this?!  

Yellow eyes were lit ablaze, piercing through the impact as they rose above Luna. The idol took an involuntary step back as she realized just how big a unit this new obstacle was. It was tall , at least by an extra half of Luna’s own height, practically looming over her. It was mechanical in nature, all metal parts and servos, built to look like it could take on Hulk with ease. The most standout part was the burning bright red that coated the machine, its hue eerily familiar, but for the life of her, Luna couldn’t place why. Something for later, though, because now this machine was in her way, stopping her from reaching safety. 

“Luna, right?” a voice rang out, and it took Luna a moment to realize that that youthful, feminine voice was coming from the machine in her way. 

Talk about vocal dissonance… , the young idol couldn’t help but think. “Y-yeah… you friendly?” 

Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes—  

“Yep! Here to help!” 

Phew! Lucky me!  

“Perfect! You know where the Baxter Building is?” 

“Kinda hard to miss! I’ll get you there!” 

Then, without warning, the mechanical being placed its claw-like hands around Luna and lifted her off the ground. Luna, for her part, could only let out a shocked squawk of a yelp as she was hoisted atop her surprise helper. 

“Hold on tight!” said the helper as they set off in a mad dash towards the Baxter Building. Luna’s free hand found a crevice in the outer armor, and she gripped it for dear life as the machine increased its speed. It wasn’t speedster fast, obviously, but with how the buildings seemed to fly by in her vision, combined with how bumpy the ride was, it might as well have been! 

“By the way, what do I call you?!” the idol asked, trying to get a read on whoever it was that just came to her aid. 

“Call me SP//dr!” 

“Like Spider-Man?!” 

“Yep!” 

No wonder the red armor seemed so familiar, the shade matched Spidey’s tights! And given the multiverse aspect of the Timestream Entanglement, this had to be an alternate Spidey! 

“Looks like my lucky day!” Luna couldn’t help but exclaim. Of course, right after she said that, the roars of the vampire hoards echoed behind the duo. Luna turned to see how close they were, and to her alarm, they were gaining! They weren’t fooling around anymore! 

“Vamps on our six!” she yelled out. She placed the Darkhold page between her knee and the surface of SP//dr, freeing up her hand for power use. “You got any counters?!” 

Instead of responding, the shoulder pauldrons of SP//dr shifted down, twisting and expanding to reveal a pair of twin cannons pointed directly at the horde. Said cannons started raining fire, the constant heavy cracks of fire tearing through the monstrous man-bats with ease. Luna cracked a smile at the carnage. SP//dr made it look easy! 

So of course, the horde decided to make it not easy , and with a scarily synchronized feral leap, they took to the skies. Gone was the smile from Luna’s face, now replaced by a gaping slacked jaw. How did she even forget they could fly?! They were vampires! Did her panic in getting caught really mess with her that much?! 

“They went airborne!” 

“Don’t worry! We got air support!” 

“ 气贯长虹!”  

A surge of green erupted from the left, a lone figure leaping from the roofs and onto the horde. Vamps were dropping left and right in seconds, each one felled by a thunderous volley of blows. Luna’s smile returned in an instant. She knew exactly who that was. 

“Yeah! Go Iron Fist!” 

“ Don’t mess with the Amazing Spider-Man! ” 

And just like that, Luna’s hope in the situation skyrocketed. Spider-Man himself leapt into the fray, swinging in from the right and webbing up vampires left and right with ease. Her old friend and one of her biggest inspirations as a superhero, joining forces and saving her from imminent doom? She’d take that any day of the week! But she wasn’t gonna let them have all the fun, so she let her ice loose into the horde, piercing their wings to send them falling on down! 

“Hey, I think we’re almost there!” SP//dr exclaimed. Luna’s gaze returned to the road ahead, and true to the mech’s words, the Baxter Building was in sight and down the street! The home stretch! 

“Lie! Spidey!” Luna shouted, her attention turned back towards the aerial fight. “Get down here before the force field kicks in!” 

It didn’t take long for the two fighters to get back to street level, with Spider-Man swinging down and Lie hanging onto the wall-crawler for dear life. The two leapt onto the ground and took off in their own mad sprints, keeping up with SP//dr with ease. The horde behind them took their momentary release from their opponent’s attack and regrouped, forming together in flight and going in for a deadly dive. 

“HERE THEY COME!” Luna shouted at the top of her lungs, bracing for impact as best she could. 

That was when she heard a series of telltale clicks, and her gaze shot down to the mechanisms that popped out of SP//dr’s shoulder pauldrons. They were shooting out disk after disk, each one landing on the ground and primed with an orange glow. 

“Call this a little surprise!” the mech exclaimed, a bit too much glee in her voice. 

“The shields are rising!” Lie exclaimed, an edge of panic in his voice. 

“I got you!” SP//dr yelled out, scooping up both Spider-Man and Lie into the mech’s arms. Both men reacted with indignant yelps, but further protests died out as the mech leapt off the ground and into the air. The horde swooped low into the ground, their roars ravenous as they rushed towards the quartet. 

And that was when the disks set themselves alight. 

KRA-KA-BOOM!  

The force of the explosion resulted in two different things. The first was the horde erupting in flames, the fires burning through the vampires like tissue paper. The second was to launch the combined mass of SP//dr, Spider-Man, Lie and Luna further up into the air and over the rising barrier. Said barrier sealed itself shut, and what remained of the vampire horde slammed itself against its surface like flies into a windshield. 

Luna had to admit, that was a genius move on SP//dr’s part. 

SP//dr slammed into the ground, landing in a near perfect crouch that cracked the pavement beneath the mech. With the shields firmly in place, the towering mech released Lie and Spider-Man from its grasp, allowing the two men to land next to them. Luna’s gaze darted back to the surface where her knee was situated, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the Darkhold page was still there. 

“Looks like my gamble paid off,” she muttered as she returned the battered page to her grasp, “remind me to never do that again.” 

“Never do that again,” Lie said, a grin plastered on his face. 

Luna couldn’t help but match it with one of her own. “Smartass.” 

“Nice work, kiddo!” Spider-Man proclaimed, patting the side of SP//dr with pride. 

“Thanks!” The sheer joy in SP//dr’s voice caught Luna off guard for a split second. Were all Spiders this happy to be praised by one another? 

“LUNA!” 

Oh… busted . 

Luna couldn’t help but wince as she lifted her gaze up, meeting the flying form of the Armored Avenger himself, Iron Man, and oh , he did not seem happy at all. “Uh… hey Mr. Stark! Fancy seeing you here?” 

“Don’t play coy with me, k-pop,” Stark said, the annoyance in his voice clear as day, “We specifically said to stick together , and what do you do? Wander off while we get the transfer going! You’re lucky Spidey’s team found you when they did! By the way, Spidey, Fist, who’s the Eva unit?” 

“Tony, this is SP//dr!” Spider-Man said, still beaming with pride. This was so unlike him. Sure, Spider-Man took pride in his work as a hero, but it sounded more like the pride a father would have in his kid! There was no way Spider-Man had a kid, right? 

“Wait, you’re Tony Stark ?” SP//dr asked. How did this person not know that Tony Stark was Iron Man? 

“Yes, but you can get my autograph later, right now, Luna ,” Stark reaffirmed, “why the hell did you even split from the group? And there better be a good reason, cause you’ve had the rest of us worried for the past hour!” 

The only response Luna could give the man was to lift up the Darkhold page she found. 

“Oh… okay, that’s a good reason.” 

SP//dr let out a laugh in response. “You were right, it is your lucky day!” 

Somehow, hearing it from SP//dr made Luna a little more happy.

Chapter Text

Luna’s gambit to get the Darkhold page had paid off. Granted, she had received quite the earful from Tony, Scarlet Witch, and especially Sue… lord, Sue’s rant was legendary. No wonder New York’s superhero community considered her the mother hen! She had a protective street big enough to rival Doom’s ego! And while it was flattering that the sentiment was extended to her, at the same time… being on the receiving end was harsh. 

So, while she was commended for her actions, she still had to deal with an unfortunate punishment. The punishment in question? Sitting in on Reed’s analysis of the page she found. 

Well, at least she wasn’t alone. Given the nature of the page, and what may or may not be on it, Tony joined in on the analysis. Long before Luna became a superhero, Tony Stark, the invincible Iron Man, had been a beacon of hope for her, flying through the sky. Actually getting to know the man, yeah, the rumors of his egotism were true, but he was every bit the hero she had seen on the news. Plus, he knew how to carry a conversation. 

To her surprise, the new Spider Person, SP//dr, was also observing the analysis. The way she explained it, the mystic arts were pretty much nonexistent in her world, which meant that Eternal Night was her first exposure to such things. Luna had to commend her for seeing her curiosity through. Even if the main conversation was the epitome of jargon right now. 

“So if we’re right in assuming the formula is at least a few pages away from this one…,” Reed mumbled out, his eyes fixated on the currently-suspended-in-midair page. 

“Then we have a solid base for finding the page with the Montesi Formula,” Tony concluded, scanning the data screens below with intense scrutiny. “The main issue now is figuring out how to find it in the city….” 

“Better this than them arguing…,” Luna mumbled to herself. And oh, they were arguing fiercely a few days prior. Sure, the Montesi Formula would get rid of every vampire in the city… but that was the problem. It would get rid of every vampire, including every innocent civilian turned against their will. A good chunk of Manhattan’s population, gone in an instant, without a means to bring them back. 

“At least progress is being made, right?” SP//dr whispered. For some reason, she had yet to depart from her trusty mech. Maybe it was to maintain a sense of privacy? The whole secret identity thing wouldn’t be as big an issue, given how she was from another universe. It was probably just her being like that. 

“Yeah. Just wished I hadn’t gotten scolded for this part.” 

“No one ever said the first step forward wouldn’t be risky.” 

It was at that moment that the automatic doors swished open, allowing Spider-Man and Lie to walk back in. The two men had a litany of mugs in their arms, all of which had steam rising from the top. 

“Hot chocolate anyone?” Spider-Man asked, holding out an extra steamy mug with a red spider printed on its side. 

An unexpected hiss echoed next to Luna, and she turned her heterochromatic gaze to find the chest of the SP//dr mech opening up, like a flower in bloom. It seemed like the act had caught everyone’s attention, as both Tony and Reed had their eyes peeled away from their joint analysis to see just who exactly their new ally was. She couldn’t blame them, though. This pilot had basically swooped in out of nowhere and rescued her from doom. She at least wanted to know what her savior had looked like. 

“I’ll take some!” 

The pilot was young! As in, as young as Luna! With a surprisingly round face, yet a strong jawline. With black hair dotted with red streaks that flopped over the left side of her forehead and fluffed out into twin pigtails at the base of her neck. And those eyes, bright neon blue and shining just like her smile! 

“Knew you would,” Spider-Man said as he handed the pilot the spider-marked mug. Said pilot reached out over her mech’s command console and happily snagged the hot chocolate away, taking a sip with a bit too much eagerness. What was this familiarity? She’d never seen Spidey like this! Ever! 

“Got you some too,” Lie said, cutting Luna’s train of thought off with a mug of cocoa meant for her. The idol silently took the mug with a nod, but her gaze remained transfixed on the duo of Spiders. It had to have just been a thing between Spider-People, right? SP//dr, whoever she was, was an alternate version of their Spidey. Hell, with Tony’s ego, it wouldn’t surprise her if Spidey had an ego-streak. 

And that’s when Reed let out a hearty chuckle, a certain knowing twinkle shining in his weathered brown eyes. Tony shot his colleague a sideways glance. “Uh, Reed? Is there a joke I’m missing, or have you finally lost it?” 

“It’s no joke, trust me, but I do have to ask…,” Reed said, turning his gaze to the beloved wall-crawler, “Pete, when were you gonna introduce us to your daughter?” 

What.

What?!

First off, Reed knew who Spider-Man was! It was probably something Luna should’ve expected, given the wall-crawler’s time as a member of the Fantastic Four, but still! And second, DAUGHTER?! How?! Where did Reed even come up with that conclusion?! 

The crazy thing was, the reactions of the Spider People were lending credence to that guess! The “daughter” in question nearly dropped her mug on the floor, and her eyes went saucer wide, and Spidey himself, well, his eyes went even wider! And, curiously, Lie let out an exasperated groan as he looked Reed directly in the eyes. 

“Reed, Luna doesn’t know Spidey’s secret identity,” her friend muttered. 

A look of horror dawned on Reed’s face as the realization struck, joining the “eyes wide in shock” club. Tony, meanwhile, just shook his head. “Real smooth, Mr. Smartest Man in the World… real smooth….” 

It was at that moment that a realization of her own hit Luna. “Wait, am I the only person in here who didn’t know who Spidey was beforehand?!” 

The silence that stretched out for the next ten seconds was all the answer she needed. 

Once those seconds reached their end, Spidey let out a groan. “Luna, I’m gonna take off my mask, but before I do, I need you to promise me something.” 

Wait, he was actually gonna take off his mask? Luna was going to see who Spidey was?! “Y-yes! Of course! What do you need?” 

“Guard this secret with your life. I don’t want anyone else knowing who I am.” 

The severity of the situation hit Luna like a freight train. Admittedly, she was more used to the heroes who let their identity out into the public. Tony, Reed, the Avengers and Fantastic Four as a whole, were in situations where they didn’t have to hide who they were. Hell, Luna herself was in a similar position, given her status as an idol. But Spider-Man? He always had that mask. He always kept who he was under lock and key, and in that instant, she was reminded why. Her mind was cast back to the incident that gave her her powers in the first place, how being a public figure made her prime hostage material for A.I.M. 

Spidey had people he needed to protect. That mask was how he protected them. 

“You have my word.” 

And without any fanfare, Spider-Man reached up and pulled his mask off. Oddly enough, the first thing Luna noticed was how he and SP//dr’s pilot had the same jawline. Her mind was focused on the similarities and differences the two of them had more than Spidey’s identity outright. Spidey’s hair was brown, SP//dr’s was black, but they had the same red streaks. Spidey’s eyes were angular and chocolate brown, SP//dr’s were round and bright blue, but they both shone with the same determination. Not everything lined up, but the resemblance was uncanny. 

“I’m Peter Parker,” Spidey proclaimed, looking Luna dead in the eyes, “and I’m Spider-Man.” 

“And I’m Peni Parker,” SP//dr’s pilot proclaimed, her gaze focused on Spidey, “and yeah… I’m his daughter.” 

“What I wanna know,” Spidey… Peter continued, turning his gaze back towards Reed, “is how you even guessed she was my kid.” 

“A few things tipped me off,” Reed admitted, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head at the situation he accidentally caused, “the resemblance between the two of you was a contributor, but we’ve dealt with that kind of multiverse shenanigans before. What really sealed it for me was that mug.” 

“The mug?” Peni asked, glancing down at the apparently incriminating cup. Luna was just as lost too. How was the mug evidence? 

“That’s Peter’s favorite mug,” Reed explained, “and the only person he’s ever shared that mug with, ever, is Mary Jane.” 

Luna’s gaze kept darting between Peter, Peni, and that mug, and a new question formed in her mind. “Wait… would that make Mary Jane the mom?” 

“I guess so?” Peni admitted, a surprising amount of trepidation in her voice. “Hey, Dad, are you and Mary Jane married?” 

“Yeah! I was gonna introduce you to her after the analysis wrapped up!” 

“...is her maiden name Watson?” 

“Yep!” 

At that, Peni let out a sigh of relief. “Okay, good. My mom’s name back home is Michiko, so I kinda got worried.” 

“Ah, gotcha. And don’t worry, she’s gonna love you.” 

That was when it clicked in Luna’s mind. “She’s your daughter from another universe?!” 

Tony snorted at that. “Hey, better than the kid being a dad at age nine.” 

A chuckle escaped Peni when she heard that quip. “I’ll admit, it’s a bit odd. I keep bouncing back and forth between calling him Peter and Dad, but I’m just happy to have him back.” 

Have him back. Those words hung in Luna’s mind to a morbid degree. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the narrowing gazes of both Reed and Tony, confirming that they had caught it too. Now, Luna would admit that she was no genius on the level of Reed or Tony or even Spidey, but she still considered herself smart. She had to be smart to know how to survive the idol industry. It didn’t take much to figure out what Peni meant by those words, but for now, Luna wouldn’t press the topic. Maybe later, when Peni was more comfortable here. 

It didn’t mean she didn’t have other thoughts she could voice. “Man, who knew the Entanglement would get this crazy?” 

“Whenever Doom is involved, always expect it to get crazier,” Reed stated, a firm look in his eyes, “It’s become one of my personal mottos over the years. Now then, I do believe we have a page to continue scanning… unless you wanna hear some embarrassing stories first?” 

“Reed, don’t you dare,” Spidey interjected. 

“Hey, both of you are part of the family, Peni should know what kind of shenanigans you get into.” 

“I should!” Peni agreed. 

Luna let out a small chuckle, the tension in the room evaporating just like that. Maybe sitting in on this wasn’t such a bad thing after all. 

Chapter Text

In Peter’s eyes, Luna’s gambit had been worth it. For starters, it got Tony and Reed on the same page, both figuratively and literally, and they had a plan to move forward. Thanks to the Darkhold page they’d recovered, they had a beacon designed to scan for all of the remaining pages in New York, effectively cutting their search time down by half. Now, their efforts were being focused on a new strategy: retaking Avengers Tower. 

Now, why would they need Avengers Tower in the first place, you may ask? Simple: Avengers Tower was the best place to activate the beacon. All they had to do when they got there was hook up the device to the Tower’s own scanner and presto ! The Darkhold pages would be found! Easy as that! 

Until then, Peter had a bigger issue to deal with: family dinner with the Fantastic Four. 

Now, that’s not to say he didn’t like hanging out with the F4. Quite the opposite, he loved it whenever he was invited! The team had made it quite clear over the years that he was just as much a member of the family, a sentiment that Peter himself happily reciprocated. They were the first people he had trusted with his identity for a reason, and they trusted him in return. 

This particular family dinner would be special though. For starters, MJ was joining in tonight, having been invited by Sue this time around. Second, Franklin and Valeria were finally coming back to the table after their bout with the flu. Ever an eternal menace, that illness, even with Reed’s efforts added to finding a permanent cure. Third, Johnny and Ben would be absent, given their current expedition. The two of them and Wanda were currently traveling the Astral Plane, trying to get Doctor Strange back out. 

But no, none of those reasons (except the first) could compete with the big one. 

Peni was joining them tonight. Again, by Sue’s invitation. 

“You told Sue about Peni, didn’t you?” Peter asked. Him and Reed were currently setting the table, dinner at least fifteen minutes away. 

“Maybe,” the older hero admitted, a certain crinkle in his grin, “though this is Sue we’re talking about. If not from me, she would’ve found out from any one of us. Probably Peni herself, if we’re being realistic.” 

“And I take it she invited MJ to help speed things along, even though I was already planning on introducing them to each other?” 

“Believe it or not, that was actually Herbie’s idea!” 

Peter’s eyes went wide. “You’re kidding!” 

“Are you guys done setting the table yet?” Sue called out from the kitchen. “I asked Doreen to keep the kids occupied for a bit longer. That way Peni can get to know her mom before they flood the poor girl with questions.” 

“Why thank you, honey!” Reed said, taking a moment to stretch his neck out all the way into the kitchen, just to plant a kiss on his wife’s cheek. 

It was at that moment that the doors to the main room opened up, allowing a very familiar red-head enter the room… and then promptly duck under Reed’s outstretched neck. “Woah! I see I walked in on some family time!” 

“Hey MJ,” Peter said, the biggest, dopiest smile on his face. He hadn’t been able to keep in touch with her all too much since the Timestream Entanglement started, so seeing her now brought such a wave of relief to the web-slinger. Johnny made due on his promise to shepherd her to safety in the Baxter Building, and for that, he’d be forever grateful to his best friend. MJ meant the world to him, and she always would. 

“Hey Peter,” MJ said, matching Peter’s grin with one of her own, “I heard tonight was a special occasion. Mind telling me why?” 

“I would, but we’re short one of our guests of honor,” the web-slinger replied, a certain mischievous glint in his eyes, “you, of course, being one of them.” 

“Oh, that was smooth , Tiger,” MJ admitted, “but now you’ve got me more curious as to who the other guest is.” 

“That’ll actually require some extra context,” Reed interjected, stretching back into the room. One look was all that Peter needed to know that he was doing so purely to keep the conversation from devolving into shameless flirting, and while it was necessary, Peter had to admit, he wanted to banter with MJ just a bit longer. Lie’s quip a few days ago about absence making the heart grow fonder was spot on, though he’d never tell the martial artist that to his face. 

MJ shot the scientist a quizzical look. “Any time you’re offering an explanation, it usually leads to too much jargon. Is this another Council of Reed visit?” 

“Oho, no!” Reed exclaimed, crossing his arms in denial. “They’re banned from family night entirely! They’re way too prickly about me actually having a family , and no one here wants to hear any of that!” 

Before anyone could say anything else, the door opened up once more, and in walked guest of honor #2: Peni. She still had her pilot’s suit on, like how Peter still had his suit on, but like him, she had it covered by a baggy t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. She was eyeing MJ with a level of wariness, examining every inch of the red-head like she was waiting for something to go wrong. It hurt Peter’s heart a little, seeing how MJ wasn’t the version of her mom that Peni was quite expecting. However, they did have one detail they shared…. 

“Scared I’m gonna bite, kid?” MJ quipped, her usual sass in her voice. “You don’t have to worry, if that’s what’s on your mind.” 

Peni squirmed a bit, not quite sure how to respond. Peter could see it in her eyes, the trepidation, that sense of being hit by the uncanny valley. When Peni first saw his face, he could tell right away that he was a carbon copy of her father, her original father. He was secretly hoping that the same could be said for MJ, just to make things a little easier. He knew that hope had been dashed the moment Peni said that her mother’s first name was Michiko. 

“Here, I’ll introduce you guys,” Peter stepped in, his daughter shooting him a quick glance of thanks, “Peni, this is Mary Jane Watson-Parker, my beautiful, wonderful wife, and MJ, this is Peni… Peni Parker.” 

MJ’s eyes widened ever so slightly, but before she could say anything else, Peter kept going. “Now, before you ask, no , Peni is not another clone made by the Jackal, nor is she an alternate universe version of me, though she is from an alternate universe herself.” 

“You’ve been cloned?” Peni asked, breaking her silence with a voice full of skepticism. 

“Multiple times!” Sue called out, carrying several plates worth of fettuccine into the dining room. “We’ve even had them over for family night on occasion. Ben and Kaine are pretty nice when you get to know them!” 

“Here, let me help with that,” Reed said, stretching around the Parkers and taking some of the plates off of Sue’s hands. 

“Huh… you think I could meet them?” 

“If we can find them, yeah!” 

Peni’s attention turned back towards MJ. “So… I’m not entirely sure how to explain this, but, uh… shoot, how do I explain it? I mean, this is a pretty big deal, and—” 

“Peni, breathe,” Peter stated, placing a comforting hand on his daughter’s shoulder, “just take it slow. We have plenty of time.” 

Peni instantly let the string of tension in her shoulders loosen at the familiar gesture, and her gaze refocused on MJ not long after. “Right, sorry… okay, so… I’m… I’m your daughter. From another reality. But still your daughter. At least, I hope?” 

The room went dead quiet. Even Reed and Sue had stopped setting up dinner on the table, their collective gazes aimed directly at the Parkers. Peter was afraid of this. The silence that hung in the air as MJ stared at Peni with pure shock in her eyes. And he was praying, oh how he was praying, that this wouldn’t turn into a disaster or a rejection or a disastrous rejection. The last thing he wanted was to hurt neither MJ nor Peni, and in that moment of silence, he was afraid he had done exactly that. 

And then MJ cupped her hands around Peni’s face, surprising both father and daughter. “I thought those eyes looked familiar. Didn’t realize I’d be looking in the mirror.” 

“Y-you… you actually believe me?” Peni asked, not even bothering to hide the shock in her voice. 

“It took a minute, but I see it,” MJ confirmed, “besides, if you really are my kid, then what I’m about to ask you should come easy to you.” 

“And that would be…?” 

“What was the first thing I ever told your dad when we first met?” 

Peni let out a giggle. “I know this one. It's my favorite story about you guys. Dad opened the door, complaining about a blind date, he opens the door, and you came out swinging by saying ‘face it tiger—’” 

“You just hit the jackpot,” MJ finished as she pulled Peni in for a hug. “Hey kiddo.” 

Peni returned the hug in full as tears of joy sprung from her face. “Hey Mom… it’s nice to meet you.” 

“It’s nice to meet you too, Peni.” 

Just like that, all of Peter’s worries and fears were washed away, and he couldn’t help but hug his whole family at once. He didn’t expect to have a family of his own so soon, and he did wonder what that would mean for him and MJ in the future. But, judging from Peni, he had a feeling that things would turn out okay for once. 

“You’re gonna have to tell me about your life, you know,” MJ stated, patting Peni’s head affectionately, “I got a lot of catching up to do.” 

“Right back at you,” Peni agreed, “both of you. I missed you guys.” 

“We aren’t going anywhere,” Peter reassured both of them, “not if we have any say about it. Besides, we still have dinner to do! Which means Franklin and Valeria should be walking through that door in three… two… one…!” 

For the third time that night, the doors slid open, and a pair of bright, excitable kids came rushing through, almost trampling the Parkers in the process before tackling into the Richards with unadulterated glee. Reed, naturally, stretched his arms around the two of them and lifted them into the air. 

“Now now, kids, you almost ran over our guests! You gotta be careful!” the smartest man in the world admonished. All that did, however, was get the two of them to turn their attention to said guests, and their excitement practically doubled. 

“Uncle Peter!” 

“Aunt MJ!” 

“Peni, that’s Franklin and Valeria,” Peter explained, “thus, technically your cousins.” 

Peni just chuckled. “Never had cousins before!” 

“Good thing we’ve got dinner to get to know each other,” Sue proclaimed, “and would you look at that! 7 pm, Sunday night, as usual! Come on, let’s dig in!” 

Peter couldn’t help but grin, once again hugging his family. “You heard the invisible lady, we’ve got family night to do!” 

Peni giggled once more. “Let’s do it!” 

As everyone took their seats at the table, Franklin and Valeria started the conversation, asking Peni loads upon loads of questions. The young pilot tried to answer everything as best she could, growing more sheepish with every question. Peter and MJ jumped in whenever they could, helping their daughter out when the questions got a little too personal. 

And wasn’t that crazy? Daughter . Just yesterday, Peter had found out about Peni out of the blue, and just a day later, here he was with MJ and Peni, enjoying dinner with the Richards as a family. 

It was the happiest Peter had felt in a long, long time.

Chapter Text

Addy is no more. 

May is no more. 

We are VEN#m. 

We are VEN#m. 

WE WILL BE VEN#M!  

Peni awoke with a gasp, her body jolting upright against her will. She could feel the cold sweat trickling down her face, merging with the tears that spilled out onto her cheeks. It was that old nightmare again. The one that haunted her for two years. Even with putting that cursed mech down once more, it still haunted her. 

VEN#m probably always would. 

Peni knew she wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep for at least a solid hour. Her thoughts would be too occupied with that old trauma to get even a shred of proper rest. With that in mind, she slid out of her temporary bed and made her way to the door. The main question was where to go from there. 

She didn’t want to intrude on her parents. By all means, the part of her still stuck as a little kid the day her spider bit her wanted to rush to them and seek comfort, but the practical part of her knew that would be a little egregious. She was 18, for god’s sake. Who had ever heard of an 18 year old running to her parents about a nightmare they had? 

The young pilot decided to wait until morning to tell them. There was plenty of time between now and the upcoming Friday, and she could afford to at least use that time to work through that particular issue. For now, she needed something to drink, so she opened the door…. 

And found that someone else’s door down the hall had been left open. 

Okay, maybe they just forgot to close their door? Peni thought to herself. The Baxter Building was a safe haven from the horrors of Eternal Night. Fully closed and locked doors wouldn’t be too much of an issue. Besides, most of the people here were adults, they knew how to take care of themselves in case anything went wrong. 

And that was when she heard a whimper. 

It was small, and wasn't that loud, but it still echoed into the hall nonetheless, and Peni could tell that it came from the open-doored room. Now, whose room it was, Peni had no idea, but it didn’t feel right to leave them to deal with whatever was going on. At least, not without trying to help first. 

MJ called it the “Parker compulsion to help.” A startlingly accurate description. 

Peni approached the room down the hall, trepidation marking each step. She hadn’t met everyone in the building yet, so there was a good chance that she’d be walking in blind. The most she had met were Luna, Tony, MJ, and the Richards family. She’d end up meeting the rest in the morning, but that would be then. Now, she had someone to check in on. 

Peni’s hand gripped the frame of the door, and she silently debated on turning back. She didn’t know these people, especially not how Peter knew them. A good chunk of them didn’t exist back home either. No Fantastic Four, no Iron Man, no Iron Fist for that matter. But, truly, when has that ever stopped her before? It didn’t stop her from taking up SP//dr piloting, back when she was only nine years old. It wouldn’t stop her now. 

The first thing Peni noticed when she walked into the room was the cool air. Now, on its own, cool air wouldn’t be much to warrant noticing, but the fact that the AC in the room seemed to be shut off made it stand out all the more. The second thing she noticed was the pile of blankets that lay tangled on the floor. Not in a regular “tangled after slumping off the bed” way, the “they were kicked off during a really bad dream” way. After so many nightmares of her own, Peni could tell the difference with ease. The third was the occupant of the room, shaking in her sleep on the bed in the corner of the room. One turn in said occupant’s sleep was enough to reveal the shock of white that shone bright against the rest of her black hair. 

Luna? Peni thought to herself. She wasn’t expecting the confident young hero to be dealing with night terrors of her own. 

Then again, she hadn’t expected to be dealing with nightmares herself. 

Another whimper escaped Luna, her body twitching involuntarily due to the nightmare, and Peni felt the temperature in the room drop considerably . Luna’s powers were going off in her sleep, and it was taking a toll on her. Her fingers started twitching rapidly, and Peni could see shards of ice forming around them. 

She’s freezing herself!  

“Luna!” Peni whispered out, placing a hand on her ally’s shoulder. “Luna, wake up!” 

“So… cold…,” Luna mumbled out, the ice inching up to her palms, “C-c-can’t… I can’t d-die… in here….” 

A thousand questions entered Peni’s mind. What had Luna even gone through to turn into a nightmare like this? Was she reliving the day she got her powers? How bad had that day really been? 

Peni couldn’t focus on that. She had to get Luna out of her nightmare. 

“Luna, listen to me,” the young pilot called out, grasping one of Luna’s freezing hands with her own, and yikes it was cold , but she paid the cold no mind, “you’re here. You made it out. You’re still alive. Can you hear me?” 

The ice stopped traveling up Luna’s hand. She could hear her. 

“Focus on the warmth,” Peni continued, gripping Luna’s hand tighter, “it’s not a lot. I mean, it is just my hand, but still. It’s there, and I know you can feel it. Focus on that. That’s your key out of the cold. Can you still hear me?” 

The ice around Luna’s fingers started to disappear, and Peni could feel her fellow hero’s grip on her hand tighten ever so slightly. “That’s it. Follow the warmth. Follow it out of the cold. You’re almost there.” 

More and more, the ice trailed away and away, until finally, the last traces of it vanished off of Luna’s hands. “That’s it. You made it. You’re still here.” 

It was then that Luna turned over, her face no longer against the wall, but her hand still grasping Peni’s. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, revealing the mismatched warm amber and icy blue they held, and they blinked in confusion. “Peni…? How’d you…?” 

“You left your door open by accident,” Peni explained, “I heard you from down the hall, and I came to see what was going on.” 

“Again, huh?” Luna chuckled to herself. “Lie did say it was a bad habit.” 

“You were freezing yourself in your sleep.” 

Luna did a double take at that, her eyes going wide as her gaze drifted down to the hand that still held Peni’s. “It… it was that dream again. I thought….” 

“You thought you finally got past it?” Peni asked, finishing Luna’s train of thought. “Didn’t think I’d be the only one with that thought tonight.” 

“...You too?” 

“Yeah. That’s why I’m even up at this hour.” 

“Heh… girls with night terrors. It’d be a good song name… probably.” 

Peni couldn’t help but laugh. “Who knows? Maybe you can submit it to a studio when you get some free time.” 

A curious, almost smug grin crossed Luna’s face at that moment. “Oh it’ll be easier than that. I’ve already got a few songs to my name.” 

At that moment, Peni took the time to really look at Luna’s face. The heterochromatic eyes, and the way her blue one seemed to shine with energy. The way her hair was split between black and white. Even the smug grin on her face. And it all clicked together. 

“O-oh, oh my god,” Peni stuttered out, any and all thoughts screeching to a halt, “I feel so dumb for not recognizing you, you’re the actual Luna Snow !” 

A fluttering giggle left Luna in her amusement. “The one and only! At least for this world. I’m around in your world?” 

“Y-yeah! My oba-chan would play your songs on the oldies station all the time!” 

And just like that, the grin on Luna’s face disappeared, instantly replaced with a slack jawed expression. “O-oldies? How… what, did I debut in the 50s or something?” 

“No, it was in 2023. Why do you ask?” 

“If I’m oldies… Peni, what year are you from?” 

“2085.” 

“Twenty… Peni, it’s 2025 right now!” 

Any and all thoughts in the back of Peni’s mind stopped dead in their tracks. 2025?! Is that why New York looked as plain as it did?! So on top of there being different universes, said universes existed at different times?! What else was next?! 

“But I will say,” Luna continued, her smug grin returning, “I am surprised at how long you’ve been holding my hand. My fans might get jealous.” 

A choked noise escaped Peni’s lungs as the realization hit. She was holding the hand of a pop star that the world had its eyes on! She slipped her hand out of Luna’s grasp perhaps a bit too quickly. “S-sorry! It was the best I could think of at the moment.” 

“No need to apologize. It helped.” 

“Thanks….” 

Luna then turned to face the ceiling, her eyes growing distant in thought. “When I first hit the stage, I just went by Luna. No snow, no blue and white, just a girl trying to make a name for herself in the idol world. Sure, I had some fans, but I didn’t think I’d be big enough to warrant too much attention.” 

“What changed?” Peni asked. She knew what had changed, at least, but this was a part of the story that she had never heard back home. Whether it was lost to time or not, she didn’t know. 

“A.I.M. One of Stark’s big enemies. It turned out there was something beneath the surface of Seoul that day, and they wanted it dug up, so… I ended up their hostage. Thrown into a cold fusion reactor they nicked off of Stark. They wanted a bargaining chip to keep their work uninterrupted, but the way the reactor was working… I don’t think they wanted me alive at the end of it.” 

“They were gonna let you freeze to death…,” Peni realized, horror creeping into her voice. 

“I nearly did, but, as you know, that’s not how the story went. I got lucky, broke something on the inside, and suddenly I’m flooded with all this cold. Next thing I know, I’m breaking out of the reactor and freezing the A.I.M. goons in their tracks. I’ve been Luna Snow ever since… but it’s hard not to think about what could’ve been….” 

“Your nightmare,” Peni mumbled, “you weren’t gonna make it out of the reactor….” 

“Pretty much,” Luna admitted, the haunted look in her eyes catching Peni off guard. It was a look she had seen in the mirror all too often. “I’ve been seeing a therapist in private, trying to figure out ways to not let it get to me. I haven’t had it for a month, so I thought I’d finally put it behind me, but yesterday, Spidey… Peter… your dad, put it into perspective.” 

The realization instantly clicked in Peni’s mind. “His secret identity.” 

“I was targeted because people knew me. Knew who I was. It’s been on my mind since then. I could’ve died just because I was on stage, broadcasting myself to the world. The only reason I’m still here is pure, dumb luck. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like I earned my spot here….” 

Peni took the idol’s hand into her own. “You’re here now, aren’t you?” 

“Peni…?” 

“Whatever’s happened with the Timestream Entanglement, it brought you here, and whether by chance or not, you’re here for a reason. You can heal people. You can bring people hope. You certainly brought me some hope when….” 

Peni’s voice trailed off, the words dying in her throat. She hadn’t meant to go that far into details. She was just trying to comfort Luna as best she could. 

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” Luna said, cutting through Peni’s thoughts with a gentle squeeze of her hand, “but I’d like to be able to help you again. Face to face, this time.” 

“My dad… not Peter, my dad from my world… he died when I was nine.” 

Luna’s eyes widened as she turned to face Peni once more. “Peni… oh my god, I didn’t… so, seeing Peter…?” 

“Yeah. They look exactly alike too.” 

“What happened to him?” 

“My world’s version of Venom. Another mech like SP//dr. My dad actually built that, by the way. VEN#m was supposed to be an upgrade, but… it killed him. There wasn’t even a body left. Never got to say goodbye.” 

“Peni….” 

“Then, about two years ago, my Aunt and Uncle tried to get it working again. Fix the issue that caused us to lose Dad. It broke out of the fix. We lost the new pilot, Addy… and we lost my Aunt May too. Gone. Assimilated, just like Dad. I put that machine down myself, but the Entanglement brought it back. If it hadn’t been for Venom, I would’ve been next….” 

Luna said nothing at that, and instead pulled Peni into a deep and comforting hug. 

“L-Luna?” 

“I’m sorry. No one should have to go through what you’ve been through.” 

At that, Peni broke down, wrapping her arms around Luna and returning the hug. “I’m tired, Luna. I’m so, so tired. I haven’t been able to rest in years.” 

“It’s okay, Peni. It’s okay. We have time.” 

“I… I’m a mess. I thought I could keep it together til in the morning, tell Dad about this, but… I haven’t been able to talk about this in so long….” 

“There’s no shame in that.” 

Peni pulled away from the hug, tears threatening to spill from eyes. “I think… I think I need some sleep. Like you said, we have time to rest.” 

Luna held onto Peni’s hand once more in response. “We should get back to bed, yeah. I’ve got some tunes to fall asleep to, if you want.” 

“I’d like that. Thank you Luna.” 

“Seol.” 

Peni blinked in confusion. “Seol?” 

“Seol Hee,” Luna reiterated, a warm smile on her face, “that’s my real name.” 

And Peni couldn’t help but smile with her. “Nice to meet you, Seol.”

Chapter Text

The morning after had been shockingly quiet. Well, aside from the vampires that were slamming themselves against the forcefield outside, but Peni really didn’t pay them any mind. She was glad to have a quiet morning. The last thing she expected to do last night was to spill her guts to someone who was basically a total stranger. Then again, Seol wasn’t a total stranger at this point. She was a confidant, and dare she even say it, a friend. 

The two of them sat together in the common dining room, waiting patiently for the breakfast that Peter and MJ were cooking up in the kitchen. Apparently, Peter had finally learned his Aunt May’s famous cinnamon pancake recipe, and he was eager to share it with everyone. MJ was making some complementary eggs and bacon to go along with them. 

“I just realized,” Peni muttered, her voice going deadpan, “this is the first meal I’m going to have that’s been cooked by my parents since I was nine.” 

Seol turned to look at her like she had grown a second head. “Wait, something happened to your mom too?” 

Ah shoot, she let things slip out again. “She disappeared before my dad died. Uncle Ben’s still trying to find her, but no luck yet.” 

“At least there’s still a chance, right?” 

“Yeah… it’s just been so long.” 

At that moment, Lie walked into the room, the dark bags under his eyes showing the duo the distinct lack of sleep he had. “Please tell me you guys have coffee.” 

“Hand pains keeping you up?” Seol asked. 

“As usual. Probably time to change my bandages again.” 

Peni glanced at the yellow bandages wrapped around Lie’s arms, and her curiosity sparked once more. What had happened to make them necessary in the first place? She knew she had that thought for so many people here, but it was bound to happen. Everyone here had some kind of complicated history that seemed to intersect with everyone else’s history at least once before now, like a complicated tapestry. If this had been the version of her world’s history, then that would make her the luckiest historian ever . 

So of course, she had to ask. “Is that a recent thing, or is it something more long term?” 

“Long term,” Lie replied, not even missing a beat. “Before I became Iron Fist, I went by Sword Master. Now, where is my sword, you may ask? Well, it broke… and most of the shards got lodged into my arms .” 

“I– oh, oh jeez, ow! How do you even deal with that?!” 

“Healing chi. Comes with the Iron Fist powers. Doesn’t stop my hands from hurting like crazy. Luna, you mind giving them a chill?” 

“Like you had to ask,” Seol quipped as she reached out and took both of Lie’s hands into her own. A blue glow emanated from the idol’s hands, illuminating Lie’s own hands. They seemed to relax, the tension of chronic pains ebbing away as Lie flexed his fingers in and out. The glow receded back into Seol after a few seconds, letting Lie pull his hands back towards himself. They seemed easier to just… move. 

And he was a martial artist in spite of the pain he carried. Peni had to give him credit for that. 

“Thanks. I’ll change my bandages after my shower. Coffee comes first.” 

“Of course it does. This Entanglement has turned you into a workaholic, I swear. Have you even had time to rest?” 

“Uh… I plead the fifth?” 

Before anyone could say anything else, a dull thud rang out into the room, shaking the table, the stools, and all three occupants of the room. Peni was about to question what that thud was when it happened again. And again. And again. And again. 

And then the doors opened. 

“Morning.” 

It was a massive, massive , hulking green mass of a man, seemingly made of endless muscle. He seemed to be about as wide as Peni was tall, taking up the entirety of the doorframe by himself. The only thing he had on was a very ripped up pair of shorts, held in place by a surprisingly high tech belt. The only thing that seemed relatively normal was his regular sized head, but even that had its oddities, with the massive chin and equally green hair. Was this guy even a regular human? 

“New kids, eh?” the green man asked in a booming voice, eyeing up Peni, Seol and Lie with an odd mix of skepticism and curiosity. “Just remember to help Hulk, not get in Hulk’s way.” 

“Uh… c-copy that,” Lie stammered out, everything about him screaming rigid panic. 

With that, the green man, the Hulk, walked away, his footsteps still leaving that thudding tremor. The three heroes slowly turned their gazes back towards each other, pure shock written across all three of their faces. 

“No one told me the Hulk was in the building!” Seol whispered out, her voice a bundle of nerves. “Why is he even up right now?!” 

“How is he not raging right now?” Lie couldn’t help but ask, glancing over his shoulder to see where the jade giant had wandered off to. 

“What even was that?!” Peni whisper-asked. The monster of a man felt eerily similar to the Morbius kaiju of her world, just a lot more… person-like. She honestly didn’t know if that made him more terrifying than the kaiju or not. 

“Peni, that’s the Hulk !” Seol explained. “A living, breathing rage machine! The angrier he gets, the stronger he gets, and he can get pretty angry! He could level the Baxter Building if he was pissed off enough!” 

“So why is he here?!” 

The thuds came back toward their direction, and the trio looked back to see the Hulk returning, carrying a large, oddly comfy looking chair. The group went silent as he placed the chair down with a practiced, gentle ease before reclining back in it. He had joined them at the table. 

“Hulk can hear you, y’know,” the jade giant admitted, a cocky smirk on his face, “and thanks for the compliment, kid. I could do that and more.” 

Seol went ramrod straight in her posture, practically freezing up (hah) at the surprise acknowledgement of her words. “Uh… thanks?” 

“So why don’t you?” Peni asked, feeling particularly brave in that moment. She could feel the panicked glares of her friends drilling into her head, but given the brief description she had been given, the Hulk seemed oddly calm at the moment. 

“My friends live here,” Hulk admitted, catching the young pilot off guard, “Ben invites me over for poker a lot. Same with Parker. It’s a calm place.” 

Speaking of, that was when Peter came into the room, carrying an armful of plates with him. “Pancakes are ready! Oh hey Hulk! How’ve you been?” 

“Been good, web-head! That belt of Banner’s actually works!” 

“Hey hey, good to hear! Joining us for breakfast?” 

“I heard you were cooking, so I’m joining.” 

It was at that moment that MJ waltzed into the dining room. “Hey big green! Haven’t seen you in a while!” 

Hulk just chuckled. “Came back at the right time.” 

“Hold on, hold on, hold on,” Lie interjected, his gaze darting between the Parkers and the Hulk, “Hulk knows who you are?” 

“Spidey’s always vouched for me,” Hulk explained, a grin forming on his face, “been keeping his secret ever since, that way we’re even.” 

That was when the jade giant turned his gaze towards Seol. “Hey wait… you’re that pop star Brawn keeps talking about! How’s the mini-Hulk doing?” 

There was silence for at least five seconds. Seol’s gaze went blank, as if her mind went buffering the moment she heard the question. Peni was wondering if her friend was just ignoring the question, when all of a sudden, the idol slammed her head on to the table with a sudden and hard thunk . 

“Don’t… even… get me started.” 

Lie let loose a bemused chuckle. “I’ll get it started for her then. Long story short, she got tangled up in a little love triangle thanks to Mr. Cho!” 

“And isn’t that the sweetest thing ,” Seol hissed out, a surprising amount of venom in her voice, “cause I’ve been actively flirting with him for a year , I’m interested, he’s interested, but he cannot make up his mind! I swear, anytime Silk is in the room, he turns into the indecisive male lead of my grandma’s old soap operas! Why does she even think love triangles are entertaining?! I’m living in one, and it’s pure madness! ” 

“Hang on, Silk?” Peter asked, a skeptical look on his face. 

Seol lifted her head off the table ever so slightly. “How do you know her?” 

A dry chuckle escaped from MJ’s lips. “Oh, we know her. She’s one of Peter’s exes .” 

Another stretch of silence echoed throughout the room, this one longer than the last. The only semblance of sound was the dropping jaws of Seol, Lie, Peni, and even Hulk. No one seemed to know how to respond to such a bombshell. 

“And no, we will not elaborate.” Scratch that, Peter knew how to respond. 

And that was when Hulk outright erupted into the most boisterous laugh that Peni had ever heard in her life. Loud, booming, and like he had heard the single, most absolute funniest thing in his life. And if that wasn’t enough, Lie broke out into laughter of his own, catching himself on the table before nearly falling off in hysterics. Even MJ was biting back a snicker, though Peni could tell that her husband’s quip had gotten her too. 

Her mom always was a sucker for her dad’s sense of humor. 

Seol just looked at everyone present with the most miserable expression on her face possible. “I hate… all of you right now.” 

“I’m, haha, I’m sorry Luna,” Lie wheezed out, trying in vain to catch his breath, “I just… that… oh my god, that’s golden!” 

Hulk just kept laughing… and laughing… and then he started to shrink . Peni did a double take at the sight, not sure of her vision at that moment, but yep, Hulk was shrinking. And losing his green? He was turning pale. “Hey Dad, is that supposed to happen?” 

“Hm? Oh hey, we calmed him down.” 

Apparently it was. 

This morning could not get any weirder. 

Hulk’s laughter died down as his transformation finished, though calling him Hulk at that point would be a disservice. Gone was the mountain of muscle, for in his place sat a scrawny, somewhat tanned man with a five o’clock shadow and a flopped version of Hulk’s hair. 

“Oh man…,” the smaller man muttered out as he ran a hand through his hair, “Ms. Snow, I am so sorry for laughing at your misfortune. Small coincidences like that are just… they’re just funny in and of themselves! Whew….” 

MJ rolled her eyes as she handed the man a small, rectangular case. “Never change, Dr. Banner.” 

Banner happily took the case, opening it up to reveal a pair of rectangular glasses. “Thank you, Mrs. Watson-Parker. I was wondering where I put these.” 

That was when recognition finally clicked in Peni’s mind, and her eyes went wide. “Wait, Dr. Bruce Banner?! I did a science project on your gamma accelerator back in middle school! You’re a legend!” 

Bruce blinked sheepishly at the young pilot as he adjusted his glasses. “I, uh… thank you. Didn’t think there were still kids who looked up to the ‘Banner’ part of me.” 

“Are you kidding?! SP//dr runs on a micro-scale G-Accel battery! Your work made my job possible!” 

“That’s… huh. Happy to help. Well, you know who I am, so who are you?” 

“Peni Parker, sir!” 

Bruce’s gaze went to Peter. Then to MJ. Then to Peni, and back to Peter. “Peter, when did you and Mary Jane have a child, and why does she look like she should be in high school?” 

Peni did a double take once more. “How did you come to that conclusion so fast?!” 

“Ms. Parker, you just saw the Hulk turn into me. You being Peter’s kid is normal.” 

“Can we just eat breakfast please?” Seol whined out, her head back on the table, “I feel like too many things just turned sideways.” 

All Peni could do was pat her friend’s back in consolidation. “It’s okay, Luna. I’m sorry about the whole love triangle.” 

“I really should get in touch with Amadeus,” Bruce muttered, “if for no other reason than to help him get his head out of the clouds.” 

The rest of breakfast continued on in silence, a fact that Peni was eternally grateful for.

Chapter Text

Preparations were running smoothly for the mission on Friday. Reed was fine-tuning the Darkhold scanner to be as close to perfect working order as possible. Lie and Peter were training in the sparring room, both making sure they were as ready as they could be. And that left Peni working on repairs for SP//dr in the lab, and the lab in question…. 

Peni would never, ever tell her Uncle Ben this, but the Baxter Building’s main lab alone put everything in his workshop to shame ! Even by her world’s 2085 standards, the things in the main lab were the definition of cutting edge! The young pilot felt like a kid being taken to the toy aisle the moment she saw the tools available just for fixing her mech. The inventions made by Bruce, Reed, and Tony? 

This had to have been what feeling high was like. 

“So, to reiterate,” she rattled off, her gaze focused on the laser welder she was using to patch up SP//dr’s outer armor, “the spider that bit me acts as the main CPU, and thanks to our psychic link, it’s like being plugged in directly to SP//dr. It has its ups and downs, absolutely, but it makes me the best pick for keeping my version of New York safe.” 

“ Fascinating ,” Bruce said, glancing up from the disassembled belt of his. As it turned out, said belt acted as a control system, letting Bruce and Hulk take the wheel without the wanton destruction of a regular hulking out. Hulk himself described it as being more on equal footing with “puny Banner.” 

“I take it wetwork CPUs are still in the troubleshooting phase here?” Peni asked. 

“Considering how such efforts have ended up creating supervillains of Hulk-scaled destruction, very . Then again, those projects went directly to the human mind. No radioactive spiders as an inbetween. Modok, A.I.M. 's current leader, is actually one of the most noteworthy examples of such, though he has the technicality of having an artificially grown brain.” 

“Ewww….” 

“My thoughts exactly. He’s a walking… er, floating, affront to science.” 

Before anything else could be said, the spider reached out to Peni through their link, and her gaze turned to the main doors as they slid open, letting her father walk in. “Hey Peni!” 

“Hey Dad!” 

“How’s the old mech coming along?” 

“Should be fully repaired by tonight! Then it’s back in action!” 

“Well, the action’s waiting until Friday, but that’s the spirit!” 

Bruce let out a chuckle, catching the two Spider People’s attention. “I imagine you’ll be happy to be working together when the mission rolls around.” 

“Hard not to be,” Peni admitted, a beaming smile on her face, “this past Sunday was my first time fighting side by side with my dad, but this is the first big fight! And on top of that, neither of us are going solo! I’m in an actual team of other superheroes!” 

“What, you don’t think you and your old man can manage?” Peter quipped. 

“If we could, we would!” 

The doors to the lab slid open again, allowing Lie and Seol to waltz in, and oh , Seol did not look happy. “Can you guys please tell either Reed or Sue to bench Lie so that he doesn’t pass out while we’re fighting vampires please?” 

“Luna, I’m fine—” 

“You’ve been pulling all-nighters just to practice the moves that Peter taught you! The only reason you didn’t fall on your face was because I caught you!” 

“ Lie ,” Peter echoed, and oh , Peni knew that disappointed edge in his voice with an eerie familiarity, “what did I say about making yourself even more exhausted?” 

“Peter, I swear, I can manage—” 

“You did this back at Spider Islands before Peni showed up! Twice! ” 

Peni’s gaze immediately darted to the martial artist. “I’m sorry, you did what?!” 

And suddenly, without warning, Sue Richards appeared out of thin air. “I knew it!” 

The only two people who didn’t immediately jump back in shock were Peter and Bruce. Peter because of his Spider-Sense, and Bruce just because he was used to it. In fact, the gamma expert in question had the gall to wave hello, as if that was a regular occurrence! 

Oh. Wait. Invisible Woman.  

It was a regular occurrence. 

“Lin Lie, you’ve been running yourself ragged,” Sue ranted, emphasizing her point by pointing at the man in question, “and while I appreciate your willingness to prove that you can handle our current situation, what I don’t appreciate is how you’re not taking care of yourself in the process! So, by order of the Fantastic Four, you’re sitting the mission out. Are we clear?” 

The sheer bewilderment on Lie’s face spoke for him. Without any further fanfare, the martial artist hung his head and took a seat. It was clear that he wasn’t going to change his new predicament. Peni would feel bad for him were it not for the fact that, according to Seol, he had a nasty habit of doing this exact thing back during his Sword Master days with the Agents of Atlas. 

“Now then,” Sue continued, her gaze turning to the rest of the group, “we need to figure out the rest of the main team. Retaking Avengers Tower won’t be easy, and we need the best possible lineup. Peter, you know New York better than anyone here, we want you to take charge. Luna, you and I are on healing duty, that way we can keep the fight going. And that leaves….” 

“I volunteer!” Peni exclaimed, eagerness shining in her voice. She was not going to pass this up. 

Sue let out a light laugh in response. “I had a feeling you’d say that. Peter, make sure you keep your kid safe, or you’ll never hear the end of it.” 

“Scout’s honor!” 

“Pete, that’s the wrong hand for a scout’s honor salute.” 

“Oops.” 

And just like that, Peni had a spot on the team fully confirmed. “So who’s next after me?” 

“You’ll need some muscle to make it work,” Bruce said, snapping the final component of his control belt back into place, “and in truth, Hulk’s been itching for a fight. Count me in.” 

At that moment, Reed walked in, with Herbie following close behind. “And considering the nature of our work, I’ll be joining the charge too.” 

“Didn’t know you cared about Avengers Tower that much…,” Lie muttered, a tinge of bitterness marking his voice. 

“Even without the Darkhold situation, retaking it would deal a heavy blow to Dracula,” Reed explained, “and even if Dracula wasn’t involved, I’d still be taking part. Herbie’s going to be carrying the payload.” 

Lie’s gaze shot up to meet Reed’s, shock in his eyes. “Herbie?! The little robot’s taking part in this?!” 

“Correct, Mr. Lin!” the robot in question exclaimed. “I wish to do my part in helping bring the day back to New York. The most I can do, however, is merely carry the payload.” 

“And before you ask,” Reed interjected, “this was Herbie’s idea. Apparently you inspired him to take action, Lie.” 

Lie did a double take. “ Me? ” 

“Correct again, Mr. Lin!” Herbie chirped, a smile forming on his monitor face. “I share with you the desire to prove oneself, so I will pilot the Fantasticar to Avengers Tower while the team ensures safe passage!” 

“Okay… but how did I inspire this move?” 

“Your push to prove yourself capable is admirable to me.” 

Cue Lie’s second double take of the day. “It is?” 

“Herbie’s got a point,” Peni interjected, drawing the team’s attention to her, “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to prove myself too. Not just to the world, but to my dad. And yeah, I don’t want you losing sleep, cause that will drag you down, but even then, I get the need to push yourself. Sitting this one out won’t mean you’re letting us down though. I’m honestly kinda jealous of you for that….” 

Wait… , Peni thought to herself, where did that even come from?  

Was she really holding such a treacherous thought in her mind? It felt… wrong to admit that. She felt happy to be a part of a team, something bigger than herself where people like her were coming together! Was there really a part of her that felt jealous over a teammate getting benched ? 

“Peni…,” Peter muttered, bringing Peni’s attention back into the moment. The rest of the team was looking at her with various thoughts in their eyes. Reed and Sue went paternal, Bruce was worried, Lie was laced with concern, Seol looked like her heart was hurting, and Peter…. 

Her father looked scared. Scared for her . 

“Peni,” Peter continued, “I’ve been wondering this for a few days, but… be honest. You’re the only hero in your New York… aren’t you?” 

“...Yeah….” 

Peter’s eyes went wide. “Oh no….” 

“It’s not your fault,” Peni continued, doing her best to keep things in check, “there aren’t things as catastrophic as this back home. Not as many chances for heroes or villains to even happen . It’s just been how things have been for half my life.” 

“Half your…,” Seol repeated, and then a gasp of horror escaped her lips. “Peni, no….” 

And it looked like Peter had come to the same conclusion. Peni had told him and MJ about what had happened to the versions of them from her world. Her mother’s disappearance, her father’s death, and her taking up the mantle of SP//dr. And as she expected, it looked like things had clicked in place one more time. 

“Peni, you started piloting SP//dr when you were nine ?!” 

“Nine?!” That was Lie. 

“WHAT?!” That was Reed and Sue combined. 

“That’s not normal,” muttered Bruce, the veins in his arms turning green. 

“GUYS!” the young pilot shouted, silencing any other words they might’ve said, “yes, okay, I’ve been SP//dr’s pilot since I was a kid, but I was the only good option available! It was either they went with me or SP//dr got shut down!” 

“Who?!” Peter half-asked, half-yelled, the anger in his voice catching Peni off-guard. “Who had you in that suit risking your life like that?!” 

“Aunt May and Uncle Ben, okay?!” 

Just like that, the steam of Peter’s fury went silent. “A-aunt May… Uncle Ben?” 

Or so Peni believed. Instead, she saw her father’s fury twist and morph and snarl around his face, tangling up and up until—

CRACK!  

The wall beside them shook. Peter’s fist sat perfectly in the massive crater that he had broken into existence. Pure and absolute fury bled from his normally warm eyes. 

The only time that Peni had ever seen any version of her father that angry had been the day when her mother disappeared. Only now did she understand just why he had been so angry. 

Someone he cared about was hurt.  

Peter let out a shaky exhale. “I’m… I’m sorry you had to see that. I’m… I’m just gonna go to the training room. I’ll….” 

Her father walked away. 

“I’m gonna go get MJ,” Lie muttered, quickly following behind his mentor. 

Seol was still looking at her with hurt eyes. “Peni….” 

“Can we just… listen to music again? Please?” 

Seol just took her hand and led her out of the lab. She sent an apology to her spider over their link. She’d have to finish repairs tomorrow. 

She couldn’t face the worry in everyone else’s faces right now. Not while thinking about her father’s anger.

Chapter Text

Peter Parker was angry. 

He’d been angry before. Angry when he shouldn’t have been. Angry when life decided to take away the people that were important to him. Angry when life tried to keep on taking, again and again and again. But he always got back up, found a way to brush it off, and he kept at it. He kept doing what he needed to do. 

But this? 

This was one of the few occasions where he needed to let off steam. 

He couldn’t believe it. He genuinely couldn’t believe it. Peni’s Aunt May and Uncle Ben had been the ones to make her pilot SP//dr, and when she was nine . Nine! Her childhood was robbed from her just because of the fact that she was his kid and he was dead! What had even gotten into them to do that?! 

It was just his luck too. People always ended up suffering because of a screwup he did, and him dying somehow got turned into one! And yes, there was no way he could’ve known it would happen. Hell, there was still the fact that he was just a different version of Peni’s father, but he was still her father! Even worlds apart, he should’ve known, he should’ve been there , if for no other reason than to keep Peni safe! He—! 

“ PETER BENJAMIN PARKER! ” 

That artificially enhanced yell came from above. Peter lifted his gaze to find Iron Man floating above him. “Now that I have your attention, can you not trash the training room please?” 

It was then that Peter caught a good look at just how much damage he had been doing. The simulation had been set to the average day in New York, pre Eternal Night, and… oh lord, everything was just totaled . Cars had been thrown everywhere, the streets had been torn up, and was that a Sentinel head that sat crashed through that storefront? 

And that was when Peter realized something startling. “Wait… how long have I been doing this?” 

“About one hour and thirty-two minutes, kid,” Tony replied, letting the clank of his suit hitting the ground emphasize his point, “this is the second longest time any of us have ever seen you lose your shit, Web-Head.” 

Peter knew what went unsaid. What had happened to cause the longest of his crash-outs. 

Gwen . 

“I just… I don’t get it,” Peter muttered, unable to look Tony in the eyes at the moment. Everything felt twisted in his mind. He had so, so many questions, and he knew he wouldn’t get any answers anytime soon, but this… this was too messed up. 

“Sometimes that’s how the dice end up rolling,” Tony admitted, “we can wish things would be more of a constant across worlds, but… really, it’s just wishful thinking.” 

It was at that moment that Reed and Sue walked into the room, and their gobsmacked reactions to the simulated carnage was enough to make Peter cringe internally. In all honesty though, he needed to talk to them. There was so much he didn’t understand, but they, as parents, could help him make heads and tails of the situation. 

Sue looked at him with worried eyes. “Pete… you know it wasn’t your fault.” 

And as expected, Sue was able to see right through him. Has his tendency to blame himself for the situation really been that much of a constant? Still, he couldn’t focus on that. “I know… but, still. There should’ve been something the other me, her dad dad, could’ve seen coming. Something to keep her out of that robot. She deserved a real childhood.” 

“We won’t argue with you on that,” Reed admitted, “and quite frankly, we agree with you, but there’s no way you yourself would have known. The two of you were both dealt bad hands, and you’ve only now had the chance to make the most of them.” 

“Reed… Sue… can I ask you something?” 

“Always, Peter.” 

“Was… was this what it felt like… the first time Doom went after Franklin?” 

Both Reed and Sue looked at Peter with shock in their eyes. It was clear to the web-head that they weren’t expecting such a question. The duo looked between themselves with such uncertainty, as if they were asking themselves if what they were about to share should be shared at all. Then Reed looked Peter dead in the eyes. 

“Yes… it was.” 

A shaky exhale escaped Peter’s lungs. “I know that it’s a weird situation. I’m just a different version of her father, and not… not the real deal, but… I still feel responsible for her. The scary part is that what she’s been through is probably what’s normal to her. It shouldn’t be. She should’ve had a normal life… not mine.” 

“You think so?” 

Peter turned around, and there Peni was, her eyes full of hesitant uncertainty. When had she entered the training room? And how much had she heard? 

“I don’t regret being SP//dr’s pilot, if that’s what you’re wondering,” Peni admitted, her gaze still refusing to meet her father’s, “the spider found me, and it bit me, so I was their best bet. And… I wanted to do good by you. I wanted to make you proud, even with you not around anymore. That’s what ended up convincing me. Not Aunt May. Not Uncle Ben. Just… me. I’m sorry if that made you mad, Dad….” 

There were two thoughts that immediately entered Peter’s mind the moment he heard his daughter’s words. The first was that it had to be more than just her own thoughts that convinced her to go along with piloting SP//dr. Asking a kid to pilot a robot like that and expecting them to be okay with that, to be okay with a vigilante life, it didn’t add up. There had to be more influence from Peni’s own May and Ben than she herself believed. 

But that wasn’t the thought that he was immediately focused on. 

“You… think I’m mad? At you ?” 

The small, involuntary flinch that Peni made was enough to confirm it. Oh… oh no. 

“Peni,” Peter began, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, “I’m not mad at you. You’re just as much a hero as anyone else in here. I just wish you had more of a choice in the matter. Our lives and what we do… it’s a huge responsibility.” 

Peni finally met her father’s gaze, her eyes clearing up at that last word. “Responsibility, huh? What… what does that mean to you?” 

Peter turned to the rest of the people in the room. “You guys mind giving us some privacy? I’m… I’m gonna tell her about Ben.” 

Reed, Sue and Tony all nodded in agreement, leaving the training room at a somewhat hurried pace. All that remained was Peter and Peni. 

“You mind taking a seat?” Peter asked as he pulled up a piece of hololight debris. “This is gonna get a bit heavy.” 

“Any heavier than what it already is?” 

“Probably. It’s why I do what I do… and it’s how I ended up losing someone too.” 

Peni pulled up her own piece of debris before taking a seat. “So, why do you do this? Why are you Spider-Man?” 

“Well… it started when I was 15 years old.” 

A dry chuckle escaped Peni. “Fifteen? Did it start as a high school field trip?” 

“Yeah, actually. To Oscorp.” 

Any humor that was on Peni’s face vanished the moment Peter mentioned that name. It seemed like it held the same weight in her world after all. Peter stored the reaction away for now, though. He still had a story to tell. 

“So, we were touring the labs, and a scrawny, little old version of me wandered into the section with the radioactive spiders… and bam ! I get bit by one of the spiders. I wake up next morning, and I can see without my glasses, I can stick to walls, and I’m casually breaking everything in my room without even breaking a sweat.” 

“So you became a superhero when you saw that?” Peni asked, her natural curiosity back in her eyes. At the very least, telling her what had happened seemed to be working. 

“Not quite. You see, there was a wrestling expo in town. A chance to win a big cash prize, and I was gonna use that to help pay rent that month. I’ve lived with my Aunt May and Uncle Ben for the longest time, and the years were starting to get to them. Before going into the match, Uncle Ben told me the one thing I’ve lived my entire life by.” 

“What did he say?” 

“With great power, comes great responsibility.” 

“What happened after that?” 

“Well, here’s the tricky part. The whole expo was surviving three minutes in the cage with New York’s champion, Bone Saw McGraw. I ended up knocking him out a few seconds after the first minute. So kid me’s thinking, ‘hey, I’ll get the cash prize for sure!’ They ended up not giving me the full amount.” 

Peni gaped at that. “That’s bullshit!”  

“Language, young lady!” 

The laughter they shared helped lighten the mood, if at least by a little bit. It felt good to laugh with his daughter. 

Nonetheless, Peter kept going. “Anyway, I walk away with only half of the cash, like an angry teen, and then this dude goes running by, carrying a duffle bag full of cash. The security guard comes by, and he’s asking me to help chase the guy, cause he just stole the rest of the prize money.” 

“You helped out, right?” 

“That’s the thing: I didn’t.” 

“What…?” 

“I refused… and it wasn’t even five minutes later that I realized it was the worst mistake of my life.” 

“How…?” 

“When I got outside, I heard a gunshot. I was wondering what was going on, and… then I saw my Uncle Ben lying on the ground. I rushed up to him… and he was bleeding. Out of the corner of my eye, I ended up seeing the robber running away, and he’s got a gun in his hand. He shot my Uncle… and he died in my arms.” 

Peter could feel the tears forming in the corners of his eyes. What happened to his uncle never got easier to share. 

A small pressure wrapped around his hand, and Peter realized that Peni took his hand. His daughter was looking at him with equally teary eyes. “Dad… there’s no way you could’ve known that would happen. It wasn’t your fault.” 

Peter just let out a humorless huff of a laugh. “I know. Realistically, I’ve known that for the longest time. But… had I helped catch the guy, my uncle would still be around. That’s why I do what I do, Peni. I’m Spider-Man because I owe it to the world to help in the way that I know how. It’s my responsibility.” 

A sad smile graced Peni’s face. “And it’s my responsibility to pick up where you left off. I probably would’ve ended up in the pilot seat even without May and Ben pushing me to do so. It probably would’ve taken me a few more years, though.” 

Peter couldn’t help but chuckle a little. “Thanks. And for the record, I am proud of you, Peni. The father from your world would be proud too. I know it.” 

“Thanks. We should probably get back to the others. I kinda ended up worrying Mom. And Lie. Especially Seol.” 

“Seol?” 

“Oh, right, that’s Luna’s name. Don’t tell her I let it slip, okay?” 

“Hey, your secret’s safe with me.” 

“Cool… and, thanks again, Dad.” 

“Anytime.” 

Needless to say, their mood leaving the room was a lot better than what it was before they entered.

Chapter Text

Friday had rolled by shockingly quickly. It was rather fitting though, given the sheer scale of the operation that was taking place. Peni couldn’t help but enjoy it, especially when it got to involve meeting the rest of the team in the Baxter Building. Doreen was a sweetheart, a chipper gal who had graduated from ESU alongside her parents, and her joy was practically infectious. Marc was… a bit scary, she had to admit, but Peni was lucky enough to get to talk to his alters, Steven and Jake. Steven was just as much of a sweetheart as Doreen, and Jake… he was actually kind of scarier. 

And somehow, Frank Castle was the absolute scariest. 

The one meeting with him was enough to deter Peni away from him for the rest of the time there. 

Of course, they were far from the only people there. Getting to know the Tony Stark of this world had been eye opening. For most versions of Stark, getting blown up by the weapon he developed led to a change of heart, so instead of doing the merger that made Stark-Fujikawa, he instead became Iron Man! And then he helped found The Avengers! Apparently Avengers Tower was under his name on the bill. Still didn’t stop his ego though, but at least he was a lot more decent, and honestly a lot more entertaining to be around. 

Bruce Banner was a childhood hero of hers. The man was a legend when it came to gamma power, figuring out a way to harness it as good, clean, and safe energy for her world. It broke her heart a little to hear about the torment that followed him in his world. The Hulk was both a blessing and a curse from the way Bruce had described him, blessed with the strength that made him a founding Avenger, but cursed with the unending torment from General Thunderbolt Ross. At least the Entanglement was able to put a pause on that, which let Banner finally perfect his control belt. Hulk himself was actually pretty nice when he wasn’t raging and breaking every single thing in sight . 

Reed and Sue… okay, as cheesy as it is to say, they’re fantastic. According to her father, the two of them, alongside Johnny and Ben (she had to meet them when they got back) had really been the start of the superhero community. The two of them together were so unexpectedly caring to the rest of the team. The thing that stood out to Peni the most, though, was how they treated her and her parents. Apparently, Spider-Man had a history of being slandered thanks to one J. Jonah Jameson of the Daily Bugle, but the Fantastic Four were the very first people to defend him. She made a note to thank the whole team when they reassembled. 

A knock rang out against the surface of SP//dr. Peni had entered a few moments ago to recalibrate the control module, but once she had finished, she had gotten carried away with her journal. Sometimes it helped to write her thoughts so they wouldn’t be stuck in her head, and it had been a while. 

“Who is it?” Peni called out. 

“Oh, no one in particular, just your mother.” 

Peni nearly spit out the orange juice she had been sipping on. “Aah! Sorry!” 

A quick button combination later, and the cockpit opened itself up, revealing the bemused face of Mary Jane Waston-Parker, this world’s version of her mother. “Good to see my favorite cub come out of her cave.” 

The nickname threw Peni for a loop. “Cub? Are you calling me because Dad’s still your tiger?” 

“And he always will be.” 

Peni couldn’t help but giggle. “It’s good to see you guys so in love. I missed seeing that.” 

“Well, you better get used to it, cause I’m going with you guys the next time you head to a different world.” 

“Wait, really?!” 

“Yes really. No way I’m letting either of you out of my sight. Do you know what kind of reckless antics your father’s gotten himself into?” 

“Does the whole Entanglement count as one of those antics?” 

“Yes.” 

The two of them couldn’t help but giggle at their own back and forth, and Peni in particular couldn’t help but grin. “But yeah, it feels like I’m a kid again. You guys would act like this all the time. Around the house, whenever we went out to eat, heck, there was one time we got tickets to a baseball game, and you guys ended up on the kiss cam!” 

MJ let out a hearty laugh. “That actually happened to us right before this!” 

“You’re kidding!” 

“Nope! Small multiverse, isn’t it?” 

“Yeah it is.” 

The two of them fell into a comfortable silence after that as MJ leaned against SP//dr, looking up at her daughter from another world. Peni’s focus returned to her journal, but she could tell what MJ was thinking nonetheless. That wistfulness in her mother’s eyes was her wish that the versions of her and Peter that were her parents proper, Richard and Michiko, had gotten more time with her. It was something that Peni herself had wished for years, and she’d be lying if she said she didn’t still wish for that. But she didn’t want to treat Peter and MJ as straight up replacements though. They were an in-between of both being and not-being her parents, and Peni was… oddly okay with that. No one could replace her parents, but Peter and MJ were also her parents too. At the end of the day, her family was simply bigger than she imagined. 

“I see you inherited your father’s journaling habits,” MJ stated, breaking Peni out of her thoughts. She really had to stop getting so inward-thinking in the middle of conversations. Scratch becoming, it was a bad habit at this point. 

Peni shrugged. “It helps. Haven’t done it in the past few days, so I got carried away when I finally got back to it. Been writing what I think of everyone.” 

“Good thoughts, hopefully?” 

“About you and Dad, absolutely. I’m also writing about everyone else I’ve met so far. I was about to get to Lie when you knocked.” 

MJ shook her head in exasperation. “Let me tell you, when Peter first took him under his wing, he was the cockiest martial artist we’ve ever met. Just the complete polar opposite of Danny. It took a while to humble him.” 

“Not sure I would’ve liked him if we’d met back then… wow, that feels rude to say.” 

“Nah, these days he’d agree with you. Though I will admit, him trying to push himself as much as he is now is our current concern.” 

Peni nodded in agreement. “I had to drag him back to his bed earlier in the week. Even benched, he’s still trying to skip sleep for practice.” 

MJ let out a sigh. “Of course he is….” 

“He’s still a good guy beneath it all though. He’s kinda like a brother to me, if I’m being honest. A very impatient, bull-headed brother, but a brother nonetheless.” 

“Never let him catch you saying the bull-headed part.” 

“Oh I don’t plan on it.” 

“Good.” 

And then, unexpectedly, a hint of mischief appeared in MJ’s eyes. “Now, what do you think about Luna?” 

Confusion rose from Peni. “Why are you asking me like it’s gossip…?” 

“Peter offhandedly mentioned that you learned her name. That’s a big thing when it comes to idols, you know.” 

Dang it, Dad!  

“It’s also a big thing with superheroes in general,” Peni mentioned, glancing up from her journal screen, “though not as much here for whatever reason. I mean, yeah, Dad keeps his identity under wraps for obvious reasons, and it seems like Lie does the same, but, like, look at everyone else. The F4 are public, Tony’s public, Dr. Banner didn’t really have a choice on hiding Hulk, is there anyone I’m missing?” 

“A few,” MJ admitted, “You’d think Doctor Strange is a hero name, but no. His full name is Dr. Stephen Strange. People know who Cap, Bucky, and Panther are, but that’s because Cap and Bucky were already famous soldiers before joining the Avengers, and Panther is an actual king of a nation.” 

“Woah, hold on, a king ? Why is a king also a cape?” 

“I don’t know. The important question is why did you change the topic?” 

Ack!  

“Well… it’s a bit private. Obviously, her actual name, but also how I ended up learning it in the first place.” 

“Deep dark secret, I take it?” 

“Well… okay, promise me this stays between us, okay?” 

MJ reached up to pat Peni’s head in reassurance. “My lips are sealed, cub.” 

Peni, in turn, reached up to grab her mother’s hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. “Thanks. So, before I told you guys about what happened to both of you in my world, I ended up spilling my guts to Luna. The sad thing is, I was trying to comfort her after a nightmare she had, but then things got turned around, and, well… yeah.” 

“And she ended up telling you her name at the end of it all?” 

“Yeah. We even ended up brainstorming some new songs together. I… might’ve helped inspire a follow up to ‘Fate of Both Worlds’ in this world.” 

MJ let out a laugh. “Getting yourself through the door in the music industry, I see. Let us know when your songwriting hits platinum, okay?” 

“ Mom! ” 

“Just saying!” 

Peni let out an amused groan as she shook her head. As weird as it was, this was her favorite part of the situation. Peter and MJ reminded her of her parents in the best of ways. The same humor, the same ways to comfort, the same honesty, the same heart . And to make it even better, they knew and understood her. They understood the super-struggles, the worries about the future, and what it meant to be out there helping people. 

It was amazing. 

“And now, my most important question,” MJ stated, leaning in close to her daughter from another world, “are you gonna be okay out there?” 

Peni knew what her mother meant. The mission wasn’t going to be some one on one fight or a brawl against a mindless horde. It was a full-fledged assault to retake one of the most well known and important locations in this version of New York. No pressure, right? 

“I think I’ll be okay,” Peni replied earnestly, “after all, I’m not alone in this. Dad and I are watching each other’s backs, and you’ll be cheering me on from here, right?” 

A small, simple smile graced MJ’s face as she ruffled Peni’s head. “Absolutely.” 

It was then that the door to the lab opened up, letting Peter walk in. “Hey Peni! We’re about to head out! Don’t wanna be late!” 

“Oh, shoot! I’m on my way!” 

MJ let out one more laugh. “Get moving, Tiger! You too, cub!” 

“Awwww, cub? That’s adorable!” 

“ Dad! ” 

“Get going you too!” 

The hatch for SP//dr sealed shut, and the holo-display was pulled back up. “Wish me luck Mom!” 

“Don’t do anything stupid, you two! I’ll know .” 

And with that, both SP//dr and Spider-Man were off. Danger may have awaited, but they wouldn’t be alone.

Chapter Text

The heavy clang of hydraulics releasing echoed throughout the chamber. The entire floor began making its descent, the light of the blood red moon following the team down. Peni looked around her, trying to gauge the moods of her teammates. Reed and Sue carried themselves with the most confidence out of the group, having done missions like this before on the regular. They were considered reliable for a reason, after all. After them, Peter was the next most confident, and for good reason. New York was his home turf, and he knew the streets better than anyone. In fact, the path to Avengers Tower had been planned out by him. 

Bruce and Seol were the ones that were the most nervous, though for different reasons. For Bruce, his nervousness was a matter of making sure that Hulk stayed on good behavior. Yes, the control belt did work, but that didn’t mean it would leave the mission unscathed. A good enough hit would cause serious damage. As for Seol, it was a concern that she shared with Peni, coincidentally enough: they were working with their heroes for this one. For Peni, that meant her dad, and for Seol, that meant the F4. The idea of letting them down… well, neither of them wanted to do that. 

As for Peni? She herself found her mood to be an inbetween of the two mindsets. On the one hand, yes, this would be her first field op with a full team of fellow heroes. On top of that, this was a major mission, one that, if successful, would be actively hindering both Dracula and Doom. There was a lot of weight riding on them, and they had to pull it off. On the other hand, Peni had come to know each and every person on the team, and she knew that they could pull it off. From Reed and Sue’s dependability, Bruce’s wit and Hulk’s brawn, Seol’s unending support, and her father’s sheer tenacity, they would retake Avengers Tower. 

“Let’s go over the route one more time,” Reed stated, catching the entire team’s attention, “we start here, then we cut through Fifth Avenue to make it to Grand Central Terminal. Then, we cut through the subway and make it to the Lower Manhattan station above ground. From there, it’s a straight shot to the tower. Anyone have any questions?” 

Seol raised her hand, which Reed nodded to. “Any idea who we might end up fighting? I know we’re going up against T’Challa, but we don’t know beyond him.” 

Sue let out a dejected sigh. “Unfortunately for us, we don’t know. We’re going in blind against who we’re fighting, so stay vigilant. Don’t let your guard down, and stick together. We can get the tower back as long as we’re together.” 

“And with Tony running air support for us, we don’t have to worry about the hordes joining in on the mess,” Peter chimed in, placing a reassuring hand atop SP//dr’s chassis. 

Another clang of hydraulics rang out, this time securing the floor into the place. Bottom floor. It was time. The six heroes all turned their attention to the main door, in front of which sat the patented Fantasticar. Herbie sat at the wheel, his little mechanical hands darting around the controls with calculated precision. 

“Everything is in working order, Dr. Richards!” said the little robot, who was shockingly chipper despite the situation. 

Reed let out a confident smile. “Then we’re ready to go! We lower the door in three!” 

“You ready SP//dr?” Spider-Man asked. 

Peni let out a chuckle. “Always, Spidey.” 

“Two!” 

“Here goes nothing,” Luna muttered, her focus fixated on the door. 

“One!” 

The door slid down the moment Reed gestured for it, and the Fantasticar took off, ripping down the road with unexpected speed. Reed stretched his arms out to grab hold of the vehicle, getting dragged along in an instant. The rest of the team took off running, following their payload intently. While they certainly needed to be hasty about the situation, they couldn’t help but notice that Herbie was moving a bit too fast. 

Looked like he was really eager to help. 

“Herbie! Slow it down!” Reed called out, planting his feet into the ground to try to get his robotic friend to slow down. 

It was then that the robot turned around to see how he was quite literally leaving the team in the dust. “Ah! My apologies, Dr. Richards!” 

In an instant, the Fantasticar had slowed to a crawl, letting Reed return to his normal, not stretchy self, and allowing the others to actually catch up. High above them, the telltale ring of ion fire echoed into the sky, signaling Iron Man’s battle with the vampire horde. Peni looked up at the clash of red and blue energies with awe. “How much time do you think Stark can buy us?” 

“With how he tends to make his own luck, don’t be surprised if he ends up buying more time than we actually needed,” Reed replied, “nonetheless, we need to get back to moving. Let’s roll, Herbie!” 

The Fantasticar took off once more, this time at a more reasonable pace. Spidey took to crouching atop the ride, constantly scanning for bad guys with his gaze. Reed and Peni took to guarding the front, leading the convoy towards its fabled destination. Sue, Luna and Bruce took to guarding the rear, trailing closely behind and ever-ready. The atmosphere was tense, like the night itself was wrapping its fangs around the group, and given the involvement of everyone’s favorite vampire lord, it might as well have been. 

“Heads up,” Spidey whispered, catching everyone’s attention, “don’t look like you’ve noticed anything. There’s people above us. Sue, can you shield us?” 

“On your signal,” Sue answered, the blue glow of her hands signaling the whir of her powers charging up. 

Not even three seconds had passed when a feral roar echoed from the rooftops. Two black clad figures leapt from above, diving down directly towards the team at frightening speeds. 

“NOW!” 

Sue raised her arms into the air, and her trademark forcefields took hold, slamming into the two assailants hard. Said assailants were sent flying back up as a result, and Bruce took aim with his gamma pistol, nailing a few gamma shots into each of them as they fell to the ground. It wasn’t long before they got back up though, revealing the black clad forms of two dangerous hunters. 

“T’Challa,” Reed stated, his gaze narrowing at the king turned vampire, “you know you don’t have to do this.” 

“On the contrary, old friend,” the Black Panther stated, extending his claws out, “this is a necessity. Eternal night will bring a new peace to the world. We will defend it from you.” 

Bruce scoffed as he hit the center button of his belt. “That's the vampirism talking and you know it, but since I know you won’t listen….” 

“ I’M HULKING OUT! ” 

In an instant, the smaller man erupted into the massive form of the Hulk, letting the big green bruiser take the wheel. “We’ll let the fists talk.” 

The other black clad man grunted as a twin set of metal claws extended from his knuckles. “You’re gonna regret this, big green.” 

“Try me, little man.” 

The clawed hunter leapt forward once more, aiming directly at the now quivering Herbie, but Spider-Man leapt to intercept, kicking him square in the jaw. 

“That’s our cue!” Sue exclaimed, letting the energy of her force fields gather in her hands. “Keep Herbie moving!” 

Reed extended his arms out, going for long ranged punches against the vampire T’Challa. SP//dr’s shoulder pauldrons shifted into their cannon position, and Peni began raining covering fire. Hulk leapt up from behind her, slamming back down into the ground in front of the bloodhunter and joining Spidey in his fight. Sue and Luna stuck close to the Fantasticar, their eyes darting back and forth between each moment of action. 

And that was when Luna looked up into the sky. “Bogey up above!” 

There wasn’t much time for any further warning before two titanic steel beams slammed into the ground, forming a metal X that blocked the Fantasticar’s path. The team focused their attention above, and the flying man’s regal attire and metal halo confirmed who they were dealing with: 

King Magnus. 

Any Magneto variant that still existed as King Magnus was always trouble. 

“I’m afraid you’ll find a greater resistance than you bargained for,” the smug king proclaimed, brandishing a fragmented metal sword, “then again, you should’ve expected as much. These faces are quite familiar.” 

And that was when SP//dr quaked with an impact. Peni was forced to make her mech kneel so as to not fall over. The thing was, there was no discernable source for that force. It was as if it was invisible, and…. 

Oh. 

Oh no.  

Luna was quick to react, flinging shards of dark ice into the space in front of Peni, but they were halted mid-air by a blood-red forcefield. Peni could see Sue visibly pale at the sight, her eyes widening in recognition as a lithe figure emerged from the forcefield. She was wreathed in black and red, with spots of pale skin poking out beneath the haphazard wrappings. Black and red eyes stared back at the group, peeking through the bandages that covered her head, and her lips widened in a sadistic grin. 

It was another Sue. 

“Hey, me . Long time no see.” 

“ Malice. ” Sue spat out, a scowl etching itself onto her face. 

“Ah, you remember me! Good. Make sure to remember this too.” 

The dark mirror snapped her fingers, dropping her forcefield… and revealing two green clad warriors who radiated power. To her left stood a green and gold man, whose crown beheld two massive golden horns and whose staff glowed an ominous emerald. To her right stood a green and black woman who seemed to tower over the two of them, no thanks to the massive multi-horned crown that sat atop her head. The two of them shared viciously smug grins as they soaked in the distraught confusion of the group. 

“My my, what befuddlement on your faces,” the golden man mused, twirling his staff for emphasis. He seemed to take the most pleasure out of the surprise attack. 

The green and black woman let out a deathly chuckle as a sword materialized into her waiting hands. “Befitting both the god of mischief and the goddess of death. It seems we’ll both get what we want today.” 

Peni’s thoughts ground to a halt. God and goddess?! What?!  

Things had gotten so much worse so quickly.

Chapter Text

Reed Richards knew his way around a fight. If he didn’t after all this time as the leader of the Fantastic Four, then he would’ve been the greatest liability possible, and he wanted to be the exact opposite for his family. It’s why he took up boxing with Ben in the first place after all. And now, the smartest man in the world found himself in a situation where he very much needed the skills he had picked up: 

Fighting a vampiric version of the King of Wakanda himself in the streets of New York. 

Truthfully, Reed was surprised that this hadn’t happened sooner. In Peter’s own words, he was used to “the weirdest things this side of the multiverse.” And he wasn’t wrong! 

“Surrender, Dr. Richards!” T’Challa shouted, swiping his claws towards the good man with such ferocity. “Victory will not be yours!” 

In Reed’s own opinion, one of the most underrated aspects of his elastic body was how evasive it made him. Like now, with how he was shifting parts of his body away to avoid Black Panther striking him with his vibranium claws! He stretched everything above his shoulder line to the left to duck an overhead swipe, his legs bent in the reverse of his knees to dodge a kick, he even got to do one of his favorite tricks! 

Which still needed a better name than “the single weirdest tuck and roll ever.” Thanks Johnny. 

Nonetheless, the trick in question. Reed stretched himself out, extending his torso until he was able to flex down between his legs, wrapping around himself, and delivering a whiplash of an uppercut to T’Challa. The king was quick to recover though, and he was quick to dive towards Reed once more, who had to tangle himself to roll out of the way. 

“Do you not see the strength that Eternal Night brings?” T’Challa asked, rising up from the ground after his dive. “Your tricks are struggling to outpace me. I’d prefer it if you joined us instead of forcing me to strike you down.” 

Reed let out a nervous chuckle as he untangled his body, getting back up on his feet in an instant. “That’s Dracula’s hypnosis talking and you know it! Besides, I always struggle to dodge you. Bast’s blessing isn’t anything to laugh at.” 

Oh, how he wished it was right about now. 

Before Reed could say anything else, T’Challa was diving towards him again with that spinning kick he was so fond of. Reed flipped himself around, using the added momentum of his stretched out form to give him that fraction-of-a-fraction boost needed to dodge the powerful blow in time. Had he been any slower, he would’ve been on the receiving end of a fully charged vibranium boot! And those hurt! 

Not happening this time! Reed thought to himself. Cap’s shield to his jaw that one time was the only bit of experience he would ever need with getting hit by vibranium. 

“This is getting nowhere, Richards!” T’Challa yelled out, anger rising in his voice. “You cannot hope to stop us!” 

“Oh yes I can!” 

“AAAAARGH!” 

Woah, too close! Reed couldn’t help but think as he dodged a flurry of slashes and swipes. If his hypothesis was correct, then there was one extra drawback with vampirism that Dracula was neither concerned nor even aware about: increased aggression. Perhaps the lord of vampires saw it as a boost, but it wasn’t as such for T’Challa. The added anger was making him more predictable, more prone to mistakes. 

It was at that moment that a lightbulb went off in Reed’s head, and his gaze turned to the giant metal X that the enemy Magneto had erected. If I can get him angry enough, I can trick him into breaking the barrier! Of course! Then Herbie can get to Avengers Tower!  

Now came the tricky part: getting T’Challa angry. Sure, he was quicker to anger, but this was still T’Challa . Actually getting the man to a point of genuine anger was a Herculean feat, which was ironic, given how Herc himself failed to get him angry. It took a lot to genuinely piss off the King of Wakanda. But maybe…. 

It was then that Reed recalled an old encounter with Spider-Man and one of his many enemies, The Rhino. Spidey’s solution for dealing with Rhino? Being as obnoxious as possible to the wannabe Juggernaut. 

That’s it! I have to annoy him as much as humanly possible!  

Was this a hair-brained idea of a plan? Yes. Had Reed succeeded with other, more outright stupid plans? Oh absolutely! Johnny still held the wooden gun feat over Magneto to this day for a reason! 

And speaking of Johnny, step one of Reed’s plan involved taking an old suggestion of his and putting it into action. He extended his arm out, stretching and stretching, until it reached behind T’Challa… and he poked the king on the shoulder. 

“What–?” 

POKE!  

“AAAAAGH!” T’Challa growled out, shielding his eyes as he stumbled back in pain. Reed shrunk his fingers back to their normal length and recalled his arm. He couldn’t believe that worked! The old juvenile trick of poking someone in the eyes, made all the easier with super elasticity! 

“Maybe I should try Johnny’s suggestions more often….” he mumbled to himself. 

“The gall of you, Richards!” T’Challa yelled out, throwing out a solid vibranium spear. “I thought you were above such tomfoolery!” 

“Hey, if it works, it works!” 

“I promise you, it won’t work again!” 

Keep telling yourself that , Reed thought to himself as he shifted his feet towards the left. He still had to be subtle about where he was, that way T’Challa wouldn’t catch on. If he did, then there wouldn’t be much use to making him mad. 

Reed had to channel his inner Johnny to make this work. 

“So, how does it feel?” 

“Being empowered by the night?” 

“No, being Dracula’s house cat.” 

T’Challa let out a growl as he dive-kicked his way towards Reed once more, but the smartest man in the world had plenty more tricks up his sleeves. Now was the time to test one of them. Reed widened his chest, taking a large, boxy shape that, upon T’Challa making contact, flexed like a trampoline, sending the man springing onto the ground with just a touch of force. 

Reed couldn’t help but grin. “That almost hurt!” 

It hurt a little , but if it made T’Challa mad, he’d say it! 

“You impudent man!” 

It did! 

Reed shrunk back down to his normal size and shrugged nonchalantly. “It seems as though your claim isn’t backed up by enough proof, and now I hypothesize that Dracula’s been lying to you about that power boost! Care to test that?” 

“ENOUGH!” 

Reed shrunk down into himself, narrowly dodging the kick that nearly took his head off, and setting him up for another one of Johnny’s suggestions. In an instant, Reed stretched his neck out and impacted T’Challa right on the chin… with his own head. He’d have to check if that was a concussion later, because ow, vibranium . On the plus side, it had the desired effect of knocking the king turned vampire flat on his back! 

Reed stretched back into his regular shape as he rubbed his head. “Ah, didn’t know you were so thick-headed.” 

He honestly couldn’t tell if he was getting overconfident or just enjoying the situation. Was this how Johnny and Peter felt all the time? 

Probably. 

And that was when he noticed the purple glow emanating from T’Challa’s armor. Here it was. The moment Reed was hoping for. T’Challa stood up, shaking in rage as the purple glow grew brighter and brighter. Reed knew what would happen next. He would call for Bast, summon the giant astral panther, and all he had to do was dodge in time. It was all a matter of timing. 

Any second now , Reed thought to himself, any second!  

“You wish to play games with me, Richards?!” T’Challa roared out, lowering himself into a predatory crouch. “This is life and death, and yet you descend into the insolence of the likes of your brother-in-law! Have you no dignity?!” 

Any bit of amusement Reed felt was wiped away in an instant. A scowl was instantly on his face. “Johnny isn’t without his flaws, I’ll give you that, but for you to imply that he in particular is beneath us? That’s the real indignant thing, T’Challa. The fact that you’ve let Dracula warp your mind so much.” 

“MY MIND HAS NEVER BEEN CLEARER! NOW, TREMBLE BEFORE BAST! ” 

And there it was, right on cue! The giant apparition of Bast, leaping straight towards Reed! Which meant it was time for one of Reed’s greatest tricks. Rather than stretch out, he stretched in, letting himself squish and slope down to the road beneath, effectively making him the world’s first human puddle. Bast’s projection soared over him without as much as a hiccup, directly impacting the X barrier, shattering it to bits . 

Just like that, Reed’s grin was back on his face. It worked!  

“You…!” T’Challa muttered, his eyes going wide at the realization. “TRICKSTER!” 

Reed stretched himself back to his regular form in an instant, his grin growing wider. “Looks like my hypothesis was correct. If this had happened before your vampirization, you would’ve realized how out of character my taunts were! Eternal Night is not an improvement, old friend!” 

All T’Challa did in response was leap towards Reed once more, roaring with such intense ferocity. Reed, however, was prepared, and expanded his body out to a more Hulk-like form, and it was thanks to Ben that he realized something important: 

The stretched muscles actually worked exactly as they looked! 

BOOM!  

His fist slammed into T’Challa with a thunderous jolt, and in an instant, Wakanda’s king was sent careening into the nearby building! The impact broke the brick and mortar asunder, and T’Challa fell to the streets below. Reed stretched his arms out to see if the king was still alive and conscious, and after a quick check of the pulse, he determined that while alive, T’Challa was very much unconscious. 

“We’ll get you back to normal, T’Challa. You have my word.” 

Reed turned his gaze back towards the Fantasticar, and he caught sight of the rest of the chaos unfolding. Spidey and Hulk were facing off against the alternates of Wolverine and Magneto, while Peni, Sue and Luna were facing off against… oh no. 

Loki, Hela, and Malice . 

Before he could focus on helping either group out though, he had a call to make. He stretched his way back to the Fantasticar, grasping its sides as he pulled himself into the vehicle. Herbie yelped in surprise, but it quickly gave way to relief when he saw it was his creator. 

“Dr. Richards!” 

“Herbie, I need you to call Stark. Get him to summon every hero we have back at the Baxter Building. Squirrel Girl, Iron Fist, Moon Knight—” 

“Even the Punisher, sir?” 

“Yes, even him. You cut through Grand Central, and we’ll handle the forces here. Meet up with them at Fifth Avenue on the other end!” 

“Understood sir!” 

“Good! Now roll out!” 

Reed leapt back out of the Fantasticar as it rocketed away, making the rest of the trip to Grand Central. If his calculations were correct, Stark would have the rest of the team at Fifth Avenue as soon as Herbie arrived. That meant plenty of time to clean up the rest of the mess here. 

“Help is on the way, team!”

Chapter Text

Peter Parker was sure he’d said it before, but he’ll say it again for brevity’s sake: he prefers fighting with the Hulk instead of against. With the jade giant, there was that extra bit of reassurance that he’d be a part of a powerhouse team. And they actually did make a good team at the end of the day! 

The problem here? Their opponents. 

Regular Wolverine? Actually a good friend. Bloodhunter Wolvie? Nope!  

Regular Magneto? A pain in the neck when fighting against. King Magnus? Twice the pain!  

“Come on, Wolvie, can’t the shortest Canadian do better than this?!” Spidey taunted, zipping around the bloodhunter with an almost lazy grace. Keyword almost. If this was the regular Wolverine, it would be full-on lazy grace. Hey, he’s beaten him before, could you blame him? 

Wolverine only growled in response as he kept on hacking and slashing. Looked like Reed’s theory about vampirism leading to blind aggression was correct. He could at least take this version of Logan a lot easier. The Magneto, on the other hand…. 

“ FEAR MAGNETO! ” 

Oh shit. 

“Duck and cover, little man!” Hulk yelled out as he ran to shield Spidey from the incoming metal ball of doom. Said ball of doom slammed into the ground with a fierce, fiery explosion that seemed to shake the world. Hulk stood unfettered, but Spidey could tell that it at least hurt the big guy a good bit. 

Which meant extra anger. Lucky him, unlucky them. 

“Why help old fang face, metal man?!” Hulk shouted out, leaping into the air in an attempt to drag King Magnus back down to Earth. Magnus, for his part, shifted himself to the left to dodge Hulk’s grasp. The jade giant crashed into a nearby building, growling in rage at being duped. 

“A strategic alliance, Dr. Banner,” the king proclaimed, glaring at his opponent with such active disdain, “though, I doubt you’d be able to understand that in your current form.” 

“HULK UNDERSTANDS, TIN CAN!” 

Scratch that, unlucky Spidey. 

“Understand this !” 

And there goes Wolverine leaping onto Hulk, kickstarting yet another round of their infamous rivalry. Only this was an enemy Wolverine so there was even more blood. Which left Spidey with, oh right, MAGNETO! 

Typical Parker luck. 

“As for you, Spider,” King Magnus stated, turning his attention back to Spidey, “you will be dealt with accordingly. You are a thorn in the side of many a man across the multiverse, and it would be my distinct honor to put you down.” 

“What kinda honor is throwing metal at a dude until he dies?” 

Instead of replying, Magnus manipulated the metal that floated behind him, reshaping the fragmented halo into a fully forged sword. Then, without warning, he rushed down towards the ground and slammed the blade into the ground. The only thing that prevented Peter from getting hit was the split second timing of his Spider Sense, letting him roll to the side just in time. Had he been a second too late… yeesh! 

Meanwhile, Hulk was shielding himself from a flurry of claw strikes from Wolverine, blood slowly dripping from the cuts against his skin. The dark copy of Logan simply wouldn’t stop, slashing and slashing and slashing with increased rage. Unfortunately for him, Hulk was getting angrier and angrier, each cut building things up more and more and more, until…. 

“ENOUGH!” 

BOOM!  

Thunderclap! 

And boy did it send the bloodhunter flying! And straight for a collision course with Magnus, how convenient! Both hero and villain had a split second to react to the Unidentified Flying Wolverine, and they each took different actions. For Magnus, he took control of the metal in Logan’s body, forcing the man into an abrupt halt in the air. For Spidey, he waited exactly for that moment, and when Magnus’s attention was fully on Logan, he pounced , flinging Magnus across the street with a well placed flying stomp! 

Logan dropped to the ground, but unfortunately for Spidey, he was immediately back up on his feet and snarling . There were many things that Spidey could speak from experience, and one of those things was that a snarling Wolverine was almost always bad news. Luckily for him, though, he wouldn’t have to be dealing with him on his own. In fact, he had a code phrase for these kinds of situations. 

“Berserk the berserker!” 

And just like that, Hulk was back at his side, roaring as he delivered a titanic punch straight into Logan’s jaw, sending him flying once more! And coincidentally, right into another collision course with Magnus. The exception this time? Magnus couldn’t react fast enough, meaning his ally ended up crashing into him with a loud crash . 

“Is it just me,” Hulk began, glaring at the opposition as he spoke, “or are they doing their own thing more than working together?” 

Spidey blinked, the realization hitting him. “Huh… they are. No wonder they’re trying to take us on 1v1 style. You think we can get them against each other?” 

Hulk grinned, viciously. “Now you’re talking.” 

A feral roar echoed out across the streets. Spidey and Hulk turned their gazes to meet the rising forms of the bloodhunter and the king, and neither of them looked happy in the slightest. Which, hey, was bound to happen when you get flung around like a football. Once again, Spidey could speak from experience. 

Unfortunately. 

“Your insolence will no longer be tolerated!” Magnus decried, reforming his sword in an instant. Wolverine, meanwhile, leapt forward once more, swinging his claws wide and furiously, ready to strike. Spidey and Hulk both raised their fists, ready to re-enter the fray, when—

“ FAAAAAANTASTIC! ” 

Reed came crashing down from above, his form enlarged into a great bruiser state, with his fists slamming into Logan! He leapt up into the air, and with Magnus’s attention held on the surprise scientist, Spidey and Hulk took their chance. The two nodded in understanded, and the web-slinger balled himself up and placed himself in Hulk’s waiting palm. 

“This won’t accidentally kill me , right?” Spidey couldn’t help but ask. 

Hulk merely chuckled. “Nah, you’ll be fine. The other guy, though….” 

“Pain, gotcha… throw me .” 

Reed slammed into the ground again and again, forcing Magnus to shift and dodge over and over, so of course, he never saw the next move coming. 

“FASTBALL SPECIAAAAAAAAAL!” 

Spidey ripped through the air, Hulk throwing him with such speed and ferocity that he might as well have been flying! The force of the collision was enough to send Magnus back careening into the ground, but Spidey had to make sure he stayed down, so he used his absurd momentum to roll Magnus over him as he brought his legs forward and kicked. Hard. Magnus was sent across the sky, his now unconscious form soaring across the blood red moon, stopping only by the impact against a skyscraper several blocks away. That was the master of magnetism out of the fight, now—

Spider Sense!  

Spidey rolled out of the way right as Logan stabbed into the ground, his claws impacting where his head was a moment ago. Spidey responded with a high kick to Logan’s jaw, knocking the bloodhunter away, and he used that split second time to spin himself back onto his feet. It didn’t take long for Logan to get back up either, and the two of them were locked in a staredown. 

“Come on, Logan,” Spidey said, his gaze narrowing with stern intent, “your plus one just went minus one. You really think you can take us on by yourself?” 

Logan, in response, simply growled in rage, taking a battle ready stance, but said stance faltered when both Hulk and Reed appeared behind Spidey. Spidey could see the realization dawn on the bloodhunter’s face. Specifically, the realization that he, in fact, could not take them all at once. It seemed like this was another difference between this Logan and the one that Spidey personally knew: the matter of giving up. 

His Logan never knew how to quit. 

This one? This one leapt over them and started making a mad dash back towards Avengers Tower. Turning tail and running. Of course. 

Hulk let out a hearty chuckle at the sight. “First time I’ve ever seen Logan run!” 

Reed shook his head at the jade giant’s jolly demeanor. “You and your rivalry with that man. I know you’re going to hold that over his head the minute he gets back.” 

A chuckle slipped out of Spidey nonetheless. “Yeah… thanks for the save, Reed. I take it you got T’Challa?” 

“Borrowed your quips and Johnny’s suggestions, but yes.” 

“Then let’s—” 

“AAAAAAAAAAAA!” 

Spidey knew that voice. It had only been a week since meeting her, but he knew that voice all too well. 

That was Peni. 

That was his daughter.  

Peter turned his attention back to the rest of the group, and what he saw, he did not like. It was Peni, Luna and Sue against Malice, Hela , and freaking Loki!  

And there was a puncture in the armor, courtesy of one of Hela’s swords. 

His daughter’s been stabbed.  

“Throw me in there.” 

Hulk and Reed snapped their gazes back towards Peter, and the immediate thing they noticed was the sheer fury radiating off of the web-slinger. It was the same anger they had seen earlier in the week when they learned how young Peni was when she first started piloting her mecha. The same area that led to the training room being utterly decimated. 

Hulk wasted no time in holding his hand out. “Hop on.” 

Spidey did as requested, his glare aimed directly at the goddess of death. 

“Do it.” 

He didn’t mind the force of the throw. He didn’t mind how harsh Hulk had been with it. He only cared about one thing as he flew towards Hela: how she hurt Peni. He raised his fist right before impact, and he shouted. 

“ LEAVE MY DAUGHTER ALONE! ”

Chapter Text

Things were not going well for Peni. Not in the slightest. She knew to expect resistance from Dracula’s forces, but the resistance in question wasn’t supposed to be actual gods! Because that’s what Loki and Hela were apparently! Actual, genuine, real Norse Gods! Coupled with a crazy looking woman who managed to make Sue genuinely unnerved , things were not looking good! 

Speaking of…. 

“You can’t run from what you’re supposed to be!” Malice yelled out, bouncing through the air with her forcefield blasts, chasing Sue across the sky like a rabid animal. Sue, for her part, did her best to lead her dark mirror away from the remaining group, going higher and higher, creating a goose chase that Malice tunneled in on. 

That left Peni and Luna, both very inexperienced with dealing with gods, to deal with the two gods. Sure, the two made for a semi decent team, but the reputations of their opponents were well known, and they earned the fear that they inflicted onto others. Loki was the god of mischief, so focused on causing chaos and mayhem that of course he would help Dracula for the sake of his own mischief. And Hela… Hela was the goddess of death. That part didn’t need explaining. 

“Ah, are the young ones afraid?” Hela asked, her silky yet raspy voice cutting through Peni’s thoughts. “Good. You should be.” 

“L-like hell we are!” Luna stammered out, doing her best to not falter in the face of the threat. Peni was doing her best to do the same. They still had a job to do, and it didn’t matter who stood in their way. They had to see things through. 

Loki let out a sly chuckle as he raised his staff. “Don’t lie to us, dear. That’s my thing.” 

He slammed his staff back down onto the ground, and in an instant, two exact duplicates of the god of mischief appeared next to them. All three Lokis grinned maliciously as they aimed their staff at the duo and opened fire. Green bolts of magical energy rained down, and without thinking, Peni moved SP//dr in front of Luna to shield her from the brunt of the force. She could feel the burning pain through her link with her spider, and she foresaw immediate repairs to SP//dr once the battle was over. 

Luna placed a hand on the mech and let her ice flow through the crevices, alleviating the pain for a brief moment. “Hang in there, okay? You’re not on your own.” 

“Thanks. I appreciate it.” 

And then her Spider-Sense went off. 

In an instant, Peni grabbed Luna and dove off to the side. A trio of swords skewered themselves through the ground not a moment later. Had she been a fraction of a second slower, Peni would’ve most certainly become a kebab. She turned her gaze back to see Hela with a floating array of swords surrounding her, and a sadistic grin on her face. 

“So this will be a fight after all!” the goddess exclaimed, taking hold of one of her swords for herself. “This will be fun!” 

“Keep your distance, Luna,” Peni whispered, “I’m going to try to draw their attention. Sneak around and get Loki’s clones!” 

Luna looked at the mech with disbelief. “Are you crazy?! You’d be taking both of these guys on at once!” 

“I’ve dealt with worse odds,” Peni admitted as she let Luna slip out of her grasp, “now get to it! Before they notice!” 

Luna was quick to skate away, and SP//dr turned back to face the two gods. Her mech's hands clenched in determination as she stared them both down. “If you’re really gods, then fight like them! Impress me!” 

A sinister chuckle escaped Hela’s lips as she twirled her sword in her hand. “How arrogant, little one, but I would be remiss to not entertain you.” 

Without so much as a blink, Hela appeared mere inches in front of Peni, bringing her sword down to slash through the mech. Her Spider-Sense let her react in time to avoid the damage, but the way it kept going off meant that there was far, far more to worry about. Loki started opening fire once more, all three clones taking action in sync, and Peni had to switch between dodging the magic and the swords with such rapid movement that to any outsider, it would’ve looked like pure madness. 

No wonder Loki looked so elated. 

But at the very least, both of them were still focused on her. She could see Luna sneaking around the corners of the street, careful to stay out of sight. And it was through her observation that she realized that the two copies of Loki had yet to move at all. They were standing still as they were firing, while the original was the one who was moving around. An idea lit up in her mind like a lightbulb, and she knew exactly what to do to even the playing field. 

Another powerful sword swing came slashing down, and SP//dr raised its arms to block the powerful blow. The ground cratered beneath Peni and Hela, and she could feel the damage to the arms through her spider’s link. Hela was relentless in her efforts, without question, but with an actual plan in mind, she knew how to shake her off. 

“Afraid, child?” Hela hissed out. She was really big on that fear bit, huh? 

“A little,” Peni admitted, “but I’d be careful if I was you.” 

SP//dr’s shoulders opened up, dropping out several mines beneath their feet. Hela glanced down at the curious devices, and that split second allow Peni to fire a web up above and hoist herself away. As for the goddess of death and those mines? 

KRA-KA-BOOM!  

Peni couldn’t let out a laugh. It actually worked! Now, her next target was the Loki clones, and for that, she fired out another web, this one attaching to the ground below. She let the web zip her towards the ground, and SP//dr slammed into the space where the clones now once stood, rendering them into magic dust. 

The real Loki, having rolled out of the way moments before, looked on in shock. “You… how did you—?” 

He didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence, as he was frozen in place in an instant. The only thing he could do before becoming stuck was widen his eyes. Luna appeared behind him, her hands still surging with icy energy, and a smug grin graced her face. “Sorry, your highness, but your plans have frozen in place.” 

Peni let out another chuckle as she locked eyes with her teammate. “Thanks for the help! Now let’s—!” 

SKKRRRRUNCH!  

Peni’s blood went cold. SP//dr had been punctured. She was now staring at the green spire that found itself cutting through the chassis, and right… right through…. 

Right through her now bleeding shoulder.  

She’d been stabbed. 

She’d been stabbed. 

She’d been stabbed.  

“AAAAAAAAAAAA!” 

SP//dr fell to its knees, reacting in the same shock as Peni was. She could feel her spider yelling out in fury over their bond, and she could hear Luna yelling out with fear in her voice. But she couldn’t even process it. All she could feel was the hellish, burning pain that ripped through her entire body, radiating from that damn sword. The worst part was how it went all the way through. She could feel both the hole in the front of her shoulder as well as the back. A clean shot. 

It hurt. 

It hurt so much. 

It hurt so much, she couldn’t focus, she couldn’t think—

Hela appeared before her, and to Peni’s horror, she was holding Luna up by the neck. The goddess grinned madly as she raised her sword once more, this time aiming straight at the idol’s heart. All Luna could do was try to struggle and squirm out of Hela’s grip, but Hela was holding on too tightly. 

Peni tried to raise her mecha’s arms to stop her, but the pain in her shoulder skyrocketed, the burning sensation turning up to eleven. Hela spared the girl a sideways glance, and her grin grew even more wickedly. That confirmed it. That burning pain was intentional, and Hela wanted Peni to watch helplessly as she did the same to Luna. 

“Your efforts were admirable,” the goddess admitted, “but you were ultimately outclassed in the end. Give both of your families my regards when you reach my domain. It has been a pleasure to do battle with you—” 

And that was when a voice of absolute fury rang out across the streets. 

“ LEAVE MY DAUGHTER ALONE! ” 

Before anyone else could react, Hela had been knocked away, releasing Luna in the process. It didn’t take her long to recover, but once she did, she reached for the sword that was still lodged into her shoulder. 

“Can you open the hatch?” Luna called out, fear and worry mixing and swirling in her heterochromatic eyes as she grasped the hilt of the blade. 

Peni winced in pain. It seemed even the small motions were enough to set her nerves alight. “N-n-n-not without getting this out first….” 

Luna nodded in affirmation. “Then I’m sorry in advance.” 

Without warning, Luna gave a firm tug, and ripped the sword out of both Peni and SP//dr. The young pilot cried out in pain once more. Who knew that it hurt just as much to remove the thing that stabbed you than as it did to be stabbed? 

That’s when the weight of the situation dawned on her. This was the first time she’d ever been stabbed. 

Her spider opened the cockpit hatch for her, and Peni slumped her way outside of her mech. Luna was quick to catch her, and even quicker to put her healing ice to work. It was cold, but instead of the frigid chill that Peni expected, she instead felt a gentle, cooling sensation, as if the ice was pouring into her with the express intent of rebuilding. 

Luna’s free hand went up to grab Peni’s face, turning the pilot to where their eyes locked once more. “Stay with me, Peni. Stay with me. I got you.” 

But even so, that wasn’t what Peni was focused on, and her gaze turned towards where Hela had been tackled off to… and her eyes widened at what she saw. Peter was taking on Hela by himself, and he was gaining the upper hand . Gone was his usual, quippy self, instead replaced by pure and absolute fury as he wailed against the goddess of death. Blow after blow, strike after strike, and he wasn’t stopping. Not a single cut or slice from Hela’s blades was enough to deter him. 

And then it happened. 

Hela left herself open for the slightest moment, and her father capitalized on it. He swung forward, hitting Hela with a diving kick, and sent her flying through a grand total of three buildings . Whether or not Hela would be out of commission after that, Peni didn’t know. What Peni did know was that her father had immediately leapt to her side the moment after he dealt with the goddess. 

Peter took off his mask, and Peni could see just how frightened her father was at that moment. “Oh god, Peni! I’m so sorry, I should’ve stuck with you!” 

A dry, humorless laugh escaped Peni at that moment. “We’re superheroes Dad… it was bound to happen at some point.” 

“I still should’ve been protecting you! You shouldn’t have gotten involved in this mission, I’m sorry I let this happen, I—” 

“ Dad! ” 

Peter blinked owlishly, not expecting his daughter to cut him off like that. Peni let out a slow exhale, finally letting herself relax. “You feel responsible for me. I know that. But this ? This was Hela getting lucky. None of us could’ve seen this coming.” 

It was at that moment that both of them felt their Spider Senses go off. Without so much as a word, Peter flipped himself out of the way, while Peni took to grabbing Luna and throwing both of them onto the ground, with her shielding the idol. Sue and Malice had both come crashing down to the ground, and the two of them looked ready to kill each other. Both of them had forcefield energy pulsing in their hands and ready to pounce. 

“Peni!” Peter shouted from his side of the standoff. 

“I’m still here!” she called out. Her shoulder still hurt like hell, but the pain had, at the very least, subsided thanks to Luna. Speaking of, the idol was looking up at her with shock on her face. Was… was she really not expecting Peni to cover her like that? Yeah, she was already injured enough as is, but she wasn’t gonna leave Luna hanging. 

Correction: she wasn’t gonna leave Seol hanging. They were too close for that. 

Malice let out a snarl, and she leapt forward, but before Sue could react, a blue portal materialized between the two of them. Malice couldn’t stop herself, so she ultimately ended up slipping through, and the portal closed after all. But rather than look relieved at her opponent’s lack of presence, Sue instead looked even more shaken, and as Reed and Hulk approached the group, Peni could see that Reed was just as equally shaken. 

Peter rose back up to his face, and the uncertainty in his eyes added to the unease. “Was that… that couldn’t have been, right? I mean, he left. For good.” 

“It was still one of his portals,” Reed admitted, his voice shaky, “that means… that means The Maker is getting involved.” 

A grim silence settled over the group. Hulk looked to be even more pissed off than before, Reed and Sue looked genuinely scared, and Peter? 

Hints of his earlier fury were coming back to his face. 

Peni and Seol looked between each other. Whoever this Maker was, it was enough to have the rest of the team worried, but they would have to find out later. Right now, they had a Herbie to escort, and… wait. 

“Where’s Herbie?” Peni asked, concern rising in her voice. But before anything else could be said, a shift in mechanics echoed out across the streets. 

“Right on schedule,” Reed admitted, “I had the rest of the team back at the Baxter Building deployed to cover the ground that we couldn’t. Look over to Avengers Tower and see for yourself.” 

Sure enough, the collective group turned their gazes to meet the tower in question, and to their relief, the blood red V had been switched back to the classic blue A of the Avengers. It would’ve been better had they been able to reach the tower themselves, absolutely, but they still pulled it off. New York now had another beacon of hope to cling to. 

“Can I get a doctor please?” Peni asked, pulling everyone’s attention towards her. “I’m still kinda bleeding.” 

Not even two seconds later, Peter scooped her up into his arms. “I’ll carry you to the tower, we got first aid supplies there.” 

“ Dad! ” 

—-.-------

When Malice came to, she found herself in an endless black void. No light or dark, nothing in sight. The last thing she remembered was the portal. Of course, the one that got in the way between her and Sue… of course. The Sue that chose to go back to being Sue. Why she chose to do so, she did not know, but it mattered not. She had to—

“Susan Storm.” 

In an instant, a man appeared before her. He wore an all-black bodysuit, the only hint of color being the blue molecular core on his chest. He wore a conical silver helmet that obscured his eyes, leaving only the sickly grin of his face visible. 

“We have a lot of catching up to do.”

Chapter Text

Compared to the Baxter Building, Avengers Tower… was honestly more of the same. Don’t get Peni wrong, it was still a sight to behold! The combined technical talents of Tony and Bruce meant this place was just as state of the art as the F4’s home, but if she had to be entirely, 100% honest, it was more of the same to her. No offense to either of the two Avengers, but the Baxter Building was just cooler. 

Except for the medical bay. The Avengers’ one was ostensibly better. 

Nonetheless, Peni winced in pain as her mother threaded the final stitch through her shoulder, sealing her wound shut on both sides. Stitches she had dealt with before, no question, and they sucked every time . At least this time she had the comfort of her mom being the one to apply them this time… though now that led to an interesting question. 

“Have you had to patch Dad up like this before?” 

MJ let out a dry chuckle. “Oh, you have no idea. An unsettling amount of them were caused by Goblin trying to stab him over and over, and yes, he has unfortunately been stabbed before. Take my advice and make sure that doesn’t become a habit of yours, ok?” 

“Not planning on it, that’s for sure….” 

Getting stabbed was an unpleasant experience in several ways. First off, the puncturing of the skin, which on its own hurt. Then came when it hit the muscle layer, and oh , that was where the pain really started to take hold. And then the bone . Ow, ow, ow ow OW! Peni considered herself lucky that Luna was with her healing her shoulder up, because otherwise she would’ve needed surgery just to get everything set back into place and not broken. And then the recovery would’ve taken weeks! And Peni didn’t have that time! 

“I know what you’re thinking,” MJ stated, cutting through Peni’s thoughts, “and before you say it, yes, you do have the time for once. You’ve been living in one of the superhero buildings of NYC for the past week, and now you’re in the other superhero building. Hell, Johnny, Ben and Wanda are gonna be back with Strange in the next hour, so there’s going to be even more people to help pick things up while you rest.” 

“Still doesn’t feel right,” Peni admitted, letting her gaze wander to the floor. Back home, she was one of the only heroes that New York had. Her sitting things out when there was so much that loomed in the dark corners of the city wasn’t fair to its people. 

“That’s something your father and you have in common, y’know.” 

Peni’s gaze snapped back to her mother. “Come again?” 

“That sense of responsibility, even for stuff outside of your control. You guys see what’s going on, and you think to yourself ‘with what I can do, I have to help.’ You each have your reasons, but you share that responsibility. But I’m reminding you now that you aren’t alone in this. Not anymore. So take the chance to rest, doctor’s orders.” 

Peni let out a chuckle. “I thought you were a fashion designer.” 

“I am, but I’ve had enough practice with your dad to learn a thing or two.” 

With one final tug, Peni felt the thread snip off and tie up. MJ leaned back to observe her handiwork, and she allowed herself a content smile. “There we go! All patched up! I meant what I said about taking it easy though.” 

“Mom!” 

“And no going to Luna to cheat your way through it!” 

It was at that moment that Seol ended up walking in, a confused look on her face. “Cheat through what, exactly?” 

“This thing,” Peni replied, pointing to her now stitched up shoulder, “apparently I can’t go to you to make it heal faster. Looks like it’s my turn to be benched.” 

Seol let out a fluttery giggle as a smile graced her face. “Believe me, it’s not as foolproof as you think it is. You can ask Lie when he rolls by.” 

Peni couldn’t help but crack a smile in return. “I’ll take your word for it.” 

Seol’s gaze wandered around the rest of the med-bay, and her initial confusion returned to her eyes. “I figured the team that took over for us after that ambush would also be in here. Where is everyone?” 

“Getting scolded for accidentally leaving the Baxter Building exposed,” MJ replied without missing a beat. The two younger women looked at her with a bit of mild surprise, and the redhead just shrugged. “What? Sue keeps me in the loop!” 

The doors opened to the med-bay once more, and in walked Peter… only, he was carrying the entirety of SP//dr over his head like it was nothing. “Hey guys! We got SP//dr in the building!” 

All three women were left gaping in shock at the sight. MJ, of course, was the first to react. “Peter, dear, why not take the mech to the Hall of Armor first? That way Tony can get started on repairs?” 

“No offense to Tony, but I don’t trust him with SP//dr,” Peni muttered. 

“Especially with the extra passenger in here,” Peter proclaimed as he set the giant mech down gently next to Peni. Peni knew exactly who he was talking about, and was quick to pull the release hatch on SP//dr’s head. The metal cranium hissed open, and sitting at its center was a small, red and orange spider. Peni giggled as the little spider crawled out of its cubby and onto the hand that Peni extended out for him. 

“Hey Spidey,” Peni cooed, her grin growing wider and wider by the second, “don’t worry, we weren’t gonna leave you behind. Dad kinda panicked with what happened, so he went nyoom and suddenly we’re here!” 

MJ leaned in closely, an intense curiosity in her eyes. “Peni, is that… is that the spider? The one that bit you and your dad?” 

“The very same! He was Dad’s partner back in the day!” 

“And this little guy must double as a wetware CPU,” Peter mused, leaning in to get a good glimpse at the tiny creature. It looked up back at Peter with a bit of wariness, but it found itself quickly wiggling in excitement upon recognizing his face. 

“The bite created a psychic link between us,” Peni explained as she set the little spider atop her stitched shoulder, “so we’re more like co-pilots for SP//dr. Spidey handles the automatic systems, I handle manual controls.” 

“Hang on, ‘Spidey?’” Seol asked, struggling not to snicker. “The little guy’s name is also Spidey? So, Spider-Man, Spidey, and SP//dr… what’s next, Spider-Ham?” 

“Yeah, actually,” Peter replied, not even missing a beat, “his name’s Peter Porker.” 

A hearty, yet feathery laugh burst from Seol, and Peni couldn’t help but laugh alongside her. Peni had to admit, Seol had a very pretty laugh, and a surprisingly infectious one at that. There was so much life behind it, so much energy. She considered herself lucky to have met her, and even luckier to get to know her. 

And then what her father said actually caught up to her. “Hang on, there actually is a Spider-Ham? Like, that pig that actually showed up on the Web of Life was you as a pig but with spider powers?” 

“You think that’s weird? Try the world where I’m a horse! ” 

A hearty chuckle escaped the group at that remark. The superhero world was one of insanity, Peni had to admit, but it was a lot better when you had people to poke fun at it with. It felt so much funnier, so much lighter, so full of life , and oh how she wished she had this back home. For all the weight that this crisis brought, just having people to rely on made it feel that much better. 

It felt good to have that kind of luxury. To be able to fall back and rest, knowing that there were people able and willing to pick things up in her place. 

Peni shook her head. “Alright, I’ll take it easy for the next few days….” 

Her mother beamed at her declaration. “Good! It’s nice to know—” 

“One condition,” Peni interrupted, emphasizing her point with a sideways tilt of her head, “I’m in charge of repairing SP//dr. I’m not letting anyone else touch her. Family thing and all that.” 

“I supervise, and we have a deal?” her father asked. 

“Deal.” 

It was then that the reserve team that ended up taking the tower finally walked in, looking a fair bit more battered and bruised than Peni expected. Granted, they were dealing with the forces of Dracula, and not just a six-man team of vaguely aligned warriors, so they probably dealt with a more coordinated force. And now that Peni thought about it, was there anyone in that team who could actually heal like Seol and Sue? Oh god, that actually explained a lot. 

They needed more healers. 

Lie was quick to walk over to them, his eyes widening at the sight of Peni’s stitched up shoulder. “Shit, Peni, what happened to you?” 

“Hela.” 

“Yeah, that would do it.” 

“Like you’re any better, Mr. Bruises-For-Days.” 

True to form, his face and arms were covered in a litany of purple splotches, and if Peni had to be honest, the martial artist looked like he was about to pass out. How he was even standing right now was beyond her. 

Wait, no, he had healing chi. That’s how he was standing. 

“I’d say you guys got lucky,” Lie admitted before quickly shaking his head, “but Reed told me about your little ‘encounter.’ Not surprised Drac sent out the heavy hitters for this one, but hey, we still got him.” 

Peni couldn’t help but show a little smugness in her grin. “Not even gods could stop us… though I wouldn’t really wanna risk it again.” 

“Gee, I wonder why.” 

“So, what’s our next move? Aside from licking our wounds, I mean?” 

Before Lie could reply, the shockwave of a massive boom rang out from outside. The team as a whole scurried to the windows to observe what was happening, and they were greeted by the sight of a fairly large orange portal hovering in the Manhattan skyline. A bright, burning trail of fiery orange rocketed out from within, speeding into the sky, circling around, and… making a giant 4 in the sky? 

“Oh hey, Johnny’s back!” Peter exclaimed, the smile on his face beaming a little bit brighter than before. 

“And if he’s back,” MJ continued for him, “then that means Ben and Wanda aren’t far behind….” 

“Which means they found Strange!” 

True to their words, a second Fantasticar zoomed out of the portal, its orange hue closing behind them. Within the Fantasticar sat a large behemoth of a man, seemingly made of orange rocks, driving the flying vehicle with a surprising amount of finesse. Sat behind him were two people who screamed “arcane arts,” a tanned woman clad in red and an older man with gray in his hair and a billowing crimson cloak. 

“Looks like you have more people to meet,” MJ quipped as she patted her daughter’s head, “and you get to learn more about magic too!” 

Peni couldn’t help but smile. Even with how the battle went, things were looking up for this version of New York, and she would make sure it stayed that way. 

Chapter Text

If you were to ask any superhero in New York about the city’s hero community, they’d tell you outright that as hectic and wild as it can be, the simple moments were the best. That’s why they tried to actually make it as much of a community as they could. It didn’t take Peni long to realize just how tight knit everyone was, especially when she herself got the invite from her father to join in on a time-honored tradition for the heroes of NYC: 

Poker night. 

Originally, it had started as a little game between Johnny and Ben of the Fantastic Four and Tony, Cap, and Hawkeye of the Avengers. It didn’t take long for the game to quickly spread invites to the rest of the heroes, and it became a regular occurrence on the first Friday of every month at Avengers Tower. 

Now, Peni knew nothing of poker. Sure, she had seen her Uncle Ben play a bit with his coworkers, but she didn’t really pay attention to those games. That didn’t mean she’d ignore an invite from her Dad though. Apparently he had been a regular player for years at this point, and also one of the best regularly sweeping through the competition. He did admit beforehand that his Spider-Sense helped him out a lot with that, but that was their little secret. 

And so, Peni walked into the rec room of Avengers Tower late that night, and the first thing she noticed was how big the poker table was. If she had to guess, the max amount of people it could seat for the game was about nine people, counting the dealer. Just how many people did superhero poker night end up attracting? The second thing she noticed was that there were already three people seated at the table. Ben Grimm, the “ever-loving, blue eyed Thing” (where did that phrase even come from?) took the dealer’s chair, while Johnny Storm and Doctor Stephen Strange were seated at the spots closest to Ben. The trio looked up from Ben’s card shuffling to see their new arrivals, and smiles took form on all of their faces. 

“Hey hey, the reigning champ!” Ben proclaimed with a laugh. Peni had to do a double take when she heard Ben’s voice. Yes, she was expecting the gravelly tones he had (and she was ignoring the pun there), but she wasn’t expecting the heavy classical New York accent. Hearing it up close and personal wasn’t something she experienced back home all too often, given the cultural osmosis, so hearing it now was, admittedly, a bit of a treat. 

Peter couldn’t help but laugh. “Hey Ben! Good to see you guys back in time for poker!” 

“Ah, we wouldn’t miss it for the world! Especially since we got new players tonight!” 

“Speaking of,” Johnny interjected, eyeing Peni with a healthy dose of curiosity in his burning blue eyes, “I take it she’s a multiverse kid?” 

Peni felt her jaw drop at the sheer speed at which Johnny figured it out. “H-how? How? How did you guess that already? This is our first time meeting! ” 

“You got MJ’s eyes, kid,” Ben stated as he went back to shuffling the deck, “and with how you seem to tail Pete everywhere, well, it ain’t hard to figure out.” 

Did she really tail her dad everywhere? Jeez…. 

“A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Parker,” Strange said, rising from his chair and approaching with a hand outstretched. 

“You too, Doc!” Peni returned as she took the man’s hand and gave it a firm shake. 

“I must admit, I didn’t expect you to join us for our usual poker night. From what Mrs. Watson-Parker told me, you’re a more mechanically interested individual.” 

“Plus, I don’t really know much about poker… if anything….” 

“Would it be safe to assume that the sense of community drew you here?” 

Peni did a double take at the question. “Yeah, actually. How’d you know?” 

“The doc and I have worked with a lot of Spiders from other worlds,” Peter admitted, a nostalgic smile on his face, “for most of them, they’re the only heroes of their New York, if not their whole Earth. Oftentimes, we’ve tried to help them find other heroes to form up with so they won’t be alone when we leave.” 

“And if not, we’re always a visit away,” Strange stated, matching Peter’s smile, “no one hero should ever have to go it alone.” 

“That’s why we opened up poker night to everyone in New York!” Johnny exclaimed, looking a little too proud of himself. “And don’t worry about not knowing much poker. Ben and I made little guide cards for all the newbies coming in tonight.” 

Peni couldn’t help but smile. Admittedly, she expected herself to be a little bit jealous of her father’s luck at being part of a group like this, but there wasn’t any bit of it in her system. The very same group he was part of was welcoming her in with open arms, and there was even potential help to find more heroes of her Earth to connect with. It was such an unexpected part of this world, but easily one of the best parts. 

Soon enough, a few more familiar faces walked through the doors. Dr. Banner entered first, his usual friendly smile on his face. Tony followed in close behind, the smugness radiating from him seemingly amplified at tonight’s prospects. To Peni’s own surprise, Marc entered after them, looking a bit lost in his own thoughts. Maybe he was having a conversation with his alters in his head? Marc himself had admitted as much before. If she had to guess who was actually participating tonight, it would probably be Steven. He seemed like the poker type. 

The final person joining them tonight came as the biggest surprise, as it turned out to be Seol , who had entered with a cocky smile on her face. She had changed out of her usual attire into something more casual, but she still walked in with the same stage-worthy confidence that she had out on the field, like the spotlight was on her. Which wouldn’t be too hard, she was an actual performer, but the way she did so with casual grace was something to behold. 

“Fancy seeing you here, Spider-Fam!” Seol exclaimed, a beaming smile on her face. “Ready to get your butts kicked with cards?” 

“Hey, that’s Gambit’s schtick,” her father retorted, a cocky smile gracing his face, “besides, you’re going up against an NYC poker champ!” 

“Agents of Atlas poker champ, web-head! And I’ll be taking your title tonight!” 

“Alright kids, simmer down,” Tony interjected, stifling a laugh, “you know it’s bad when the actual kid here is being more civil than you guys.” 

Peni jabbed the billionaire in the shoulder for that remark. “Hey, I’m 18!” 

“Still the youngest one here, Baby Spider.” 

“If everyone’s here,” Ben interjected, catching the group’s collective attention, “ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. We’ve got a game to get rolling!” 

Everyone took their seats at the table. From left to right, the order went Johnny, then Tony, then Seol, with Peni and her father at the center seats, followed by Bruce, Marc, and finally Strange. Ben passed out guidebooks to the new players, which amounted to herself, Bruce, Marc, and once again to her surprise, Seol. 

The pop star in question eyed the booklet with a little bit of offense in her eyes. “What gives? I know how to play!” 

“Classic poker, sure,” Ben said, a hint of a chuckle in his voice, “but have you ever played Texas Holdem? Things get a bit more tricky there. You can’t rely on luck as much in this version, especially with how the community cards work.” 

“Community…?” Seol stammered out, forgoing finishing her sentence as she started to thumb through the guidebook. Any bit of cocky energy she had vanished in an instant. “Oh, I am so out of my league.” 

“At least you’ve played some poker before now,” Peni admitted, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. At least she wouldn’t be alone in getting her butt handed to her in a card game, but hey, it would be a learning experience. 

“Be glad it’s not Omaha….” her father muttered with a shudder. 

Ben shook his head. “We ain’t ever doing Omaha Night again.” 

“Agreed. Ben, if you would?” 

“Alright! The name of the game is Texas Holdem! Since we got newbies here, we’re just playing for points. The last one standing wins!” 

—-.------

Doctor Strange was the first one eliminated. 

Peni had expected one of her fellow newcomers, or herself for that matter, to be one of the first ones out. Alas, it was the good doctor. Apparently it was the norm for him to be the first one eliminated. Why he kept coming back for more was beyond Peni, but hey, at least they weren’t betting actual money on it. That rule had been changed after one of Spider-Man and Daredevil’s shared enemies, Kingpin, had crashed a previous poker night. 

The next one out was Bruce, and he was a good sport about it. He had only recently taken up the game in his spare time, so he didn’t expect to make it too far. After him, Marc was next to go, and he glowered angrily at Johnny for the all-in bet that knocked him out. 

“Be glad this wasn’t for money, Storm,” the moon god’s avatar muttered, “I’m relentless about getting my cash back. Just ask Dracula.” 

“Wait, Dracula owes you money?!” 

“About 50,000 bucks.” 

“Jeez!” 

Sadly, Peni was the next one out, but in truth, she didn’t mind too much. She was happy to be able to participate in general. At the very least, she was able to take Tony out with her by tricking him into betting all-in. The billionaire sat in his chair in disbelief, stupefied that he fell for the bait, and the young pilot couldn’t help but be a little smug about it. 

Nonetheless, the only people left in the game were Peter, Johnny, and Seol. From what Peni could tell, her father and Johnny were in their element. If one of them didn’t eliminate a player, the other typically would. Seol was, admittedly, lagging behind a bit. The leap to Texas Holdem had thrown her for a loop, but she managed to bounce back a bit thanks to some good luck, even gaining the lead for the time being! Thing is, Peni had figured out something mid-game. Something that factored into how her father played: 

His Spider-Sense was helping him. 

It wouldn’t be long until—

“All in.” Luna stated, pushing her remaining chips into the center. Her cocky grin was back in full force, and she seemed confident in her play. 

“Same!” Johnny proclaimed, pushing his pile in as well. This wasn’t going to end well for either of them, especially if—

“Call in! See what I did there?” Peter chuckled out. Yep, he was joining in. Under any other circumstances, he would’ve folded out of the hand, but he had something up his sleeve, and he was about to play them like a fiddle. Even with his face set in a wide grin, he was masking just enough of his true intent to get an accurate read. 

“Alright, here’s the river,” Ben proclaimed, setting down the fifth and final community card, known as the river. The community came out as such: two queens, an ace, a six, a seven, and a three. The two queens being community meant everyone had a strong hand, but the cards in hand, how strong were they really? 

Johnny was the first to flip his cards over, revealing an ace and a jack, meaning his hand was a two pair with a jack kicker. The heartthrob of the F4 grinned like victory was his destiny. “Looks like I’m getting the glory!” 

“Don’t bet on it,” Seol said as she flipped her cards over. She had a third queen and a ten, making her hand a three of a kind, which officially made it stronger than Johnny’s. The hotshot could only gape at the outcome, while Seol grinned victoriously. “Eat your heart out, Johnny!” 

“Now now,” Peter interjected, holding up his cards, “you never know!” 

And thus, he flipped his cards over, revealing… a pair of aces.  

Combined with the community, that meant he had a full house.  

Now it was Seol’s turn to be left gaping, blindsided by the unexpected pair of cards. 

Ben could only chuckle. “Never bet against New York’s finest, kid, cause he’s the best damn player in the city.” 

Peni let out a chuckle. “At least you guys made it to the top three?” 

Seol turned her gaze to meet Peni’s. “Peni?” 

“Yeah?” 

“I’m kicking your dad’s ass in poker next Friday.” 

A hearty laugh escaped the table the moment they heard that. That was something that Peni herself would bet on. 

Chapter Text

Peni was no stranger to late nights. Most of them had been spent either patrolling her New York or doing some repairs on SP//dr. Tonight was the latter situation, with her finishing work on the mech’s inner chassis. Who would’ve guessed that the consequence of fighting the literal goddess of death would be getting stabbed all the way through SP//dr’s armor and into her shoulder? Thankfully, with how MJ and Seol had gotten her shoulder patched up, she could now do the same for SP//dr. 

She wasn’t going to let this old mech go if she could help it. 

To her surprise, her own rampant insomnia was more powerful than her father’s, as he had turned in for the night a few minutes prior. Sleep was a more inviting prospect for him anyway, given how MJ was waiting on him in their shared bed. Peni would crack a joke about young love, but they were her parents. Even if they were younger in this world, they still fell under the “old” category to her. They were still older than her, at least. 

So, here she was, crafting a new outer plate layer for SP//dr. She counted herself lucky that Tony had carbon fiber material on hand, that way she could work with what she was used to. Spidey (the spider, not her father) sat upon her shoulder overlooking the process in what Peni had accurately guessed as boredom. The little guy just wanted his home fixed up, but the process itself would always be tedious. Well, tedious to Spidey. To Peni, it was a relaxing, methodical process, one she took great pride in understanding. 

CLANG!  

Peni looked up from her work table. As far as she knew, she was the only one still up this late at night. The only people she’d guess would be up as late would be Marc (or Steven or Jake, given how the alters operated), Frank (who apparently had very bad night terrors), or Lie (given his chronic pains). So for someone to be up now struck her as odd. 

“Lie?” Peni called out, taking her first guess. 

Silence. 

“Mr. Castle?” 

Silence still. 

“Marc? Steven? Jake?” 

Still nothing. 

Something was very wrong. 

Peni lifted her free hand up, letting Spidey climb aboard as she brought it up to SP//dr’s head. If there was an unwanted intruder in Avengers Tower, neither of them were going to take the risk of Spidey being stomped. Once Spidey was safely inside his space in the mech, the young pilot took hold of her borrowed blowtorch and started exploring the lab in full. It was certainly larger than the Baxter Building’s main lab, given how it extended out from the Hall of Armors, not to mention the extra scientific minds that gathered there. That meant more hiding spaces to pounce out from and attack. 

Totally fine. 

Another clang rang out, this time from behind her. Peni’s Spider Sense began to ring out, but before she could react, a shadow leapt from out of the corner of the room. The resulting tackle sent Peni tumbling to the ground, landing flat on her back as a result. She had managed to hold on to her blowtorch, and she brought it up to face whoever it was that just attacked. Hey, if it worked, it worked. 

Her assailant, however, turned out to be someone very unexpected. 

“Don’t you dare make a sound.” 

It was Malice. The dark variant of Sue Richards that was part of the attack earlier that day. Only now, instead of the confident and vicious fighter, here now was a disheveled and rattled woman, with nothing but panic in those unnatural red eyes. She had Peni pinned to the ground, with one of her hands clamped up over mouth. 

What Malice didn’t expect was for Peni to raise her free hand, bringing the tip of the blowtorch up directly beneath the villain’s chin. Her eyes widened at the blatant threat. “You wouldn’t.” 

The overly frustrated glare that Peni shot her was all the answer she needed. 

To Peni’s surprise, however, Malice simply rose from the ground, releasing Peni as she did so. The young pilot quickly followed suit, confusion written plain as day on her face. This was not what she expected out of the woman who tried to kill Sue earlier in the day. Actually, now that Peni thought about it, her little blowtorch threat shouldn’t have phased the villain in the slightest. She had force fields, for crying out loud! 

What happened between then and now to cause this drastic change? 

“Is anyone else awake?” Malice asked, her eyes darting across the room. 

“Not that I know of,” Peni admitted. At this point, she was more morbidly curious than anything else. 

And that was when Malice collapsed to her knees, her breath going ragged as she tried to prop herself up. On instinct, Peni knelt down beside her, trying to see what had shaken her so. Panic had taken over, yes, and yet, there was a layer of relief that washed over the villainess, and she was clinging to the floor beneath them both like it was a safety net. What had happened in such a short time to break Malice this thoroughly?  

“It’s been five months…,” Malice muttered, finally meeting Peni’s gaze once more. Tears were threatening to spill out of the corners of her eyes. “Five. Months. I didn’t think I’d make it out alive. Not even in one piece.” 

Confusion overtook Peni’s thoughts once more. “Woah woah, hold on. Five months? How… what day do you even think it is?” 

“August… August 8th. Why do you ask?” 

“It’s still March 7th.” 

Malice’s eyes widened, shock flooding into those black scleras and red irises. “St-still the… the 7th? What? But that’s… that’s the day we fought. The day… he … took me.” 

Admittedly, Peni’s memory was a bit hazy on what all was said, on account of the blood loss, but she did remember that her father, Reed and Sue seemed to know of who Malice now spoke of. And they spoke of him with dread. Was this person responsible for Malice’s current state? 

And that was when the two of them heard it. A low, dull hum that rang out from the center of the room. Panic returned to Malice in an instant, and before Peni could react, the older woman was pulling her by the arm across the room. The two of them ended up settling behind a nearby set of stairs, the gaps in each step letting them see the lab in full. The villainess’s eyes were darting around the area again, and this time, Peni was trying to follow along with where her gaze landed. 

The hum erupted into a rumbling tone as a glowing blue portal materialized in the room, and it wasn’t long until a man walked through. The thing was, the moment he stepped foot into the lab, Peni’s Spider-Sense was set alight, burning her head like a blazing fire. She was about to wince in pain before Malice covered her mouth with her hand again, and the villainess glared at her, a silent plea to keep quiet. Peni didn’t bother removing Malice’s hand this time; the pain from her Spider-Sense was too much. 

Instead, she focused on getting a better look at the second intruder of the night. The man in question was tall, with a lithe build, only the faintest hint of muscle. He wore an all black bodysuit that hugged his body tightly, the only hint of color being the blue molecular core that sat atop his chest. The most peculiar thing about him was the helmet he wore, silver and conical, obscuring his eyes, leaving only the lower half of his clean-shaven face exposed. 

Peni didn’t know who he was, but even without her Spider-Sense, there was a deeply unnerving atmosphere that followed him. The fact that Malice was reacting with such panic, such terror, only served to amplify that feeling. This man was not to be trifled with, not without any form of backup. 

The man began looking around, turning his gaze across the lab like a predator looking for his prey. A strange feeling, like water rushing over her, washed over Peni, and a quick glance towards Malice made her realize that she applied her invisibility field over both of them. The man crossed his arms as he began wandering the lab, his lips curling into a scowl with each passing second. He seemed dead set on finding whatever he was looking for, and the lack of progress was frustrating him. What was he looking for…? 

Not what, Peni thought to herself, her eyes widening ever so slightly, who.  

That’s why Malice was as panicked as she was. This man, whoever he was, had taken the villainess captive, and Malice was trying to escape him. That’s why she was even here in the first place! 

The man let out a dull sigh as he shook his head. “Malice… I don’t know if you’re still in this room or not, but if you are, I want you to know one thing: our business isn’t finished.” 

The near emotionless tone in his voice reminded Peni all too much of her father’s biggest rival, the man who became her nemesis. And yet, there was something beneath it, a deep and sinister edge that rattled her to her bones. She could feel Malice shaking, the older woman’s fear making itself known, and the force field flickered ever so slightly. 

I really hope I don’t regret this, Peni thought to herself as she reached out Malice’s free hand and took it in a comforting grasp. The villainess shot her a confused glance, and Peni met her gaze with firm reassurance. They both needed the invisibility to hold, and if Peni had to make it clear that she’d be backing someone who tried to kill her earlier in the day, then so be it. 

And that was when the man’s frown twisted into a sadistic smile. “I will find you again. When and where, I don’t know. At least, not yet. But make no mistake: even though you’ve escaped, you. Belong. To me. Until next time.” 

And with that, the man stepped back through his portal, which closed behind him. The only people left in the lab were Peni and Malice. The two of them rose from their hiding spot behind the stairs, both shaken from the encounter with the man. At the very least, Peni’s Spider Sense had finally calmed down, her head finally clear once more. Malice leaned against the stairs, her breath haggard as she dropped the invisibility field. Her eyes turned back to the young pilot, and they were awash with confusion. 

“Why did you help me?” 

Peni turned to meet her gaze, and given the events that had just transpired, she couldn’t help but be honest. “You were scared. I wasn’t going to leave you hanging like that, not with whoever that was nearby.” 

“The Maker.” 

Peni blinked in confusion. “The who?” 

“His name,” Malice clarified, uneasiness in her voice, “his name is The Maker.” 

The Maker. A name that screamed “god complex.” An identity that told the world that he could do no wrong. And yet, here they were, a rattled pilot, and a terrified warrior, all because of his simple appearance. All the makings of a monster.  

“Thank you,” Malice muttered, finally rising back to her full height, “for helping me. He would’ve caught us otherwise.” 

“You’re welcome,” Peni muttered, finally calming her nerves. She turned back to the villainess in full, with one question burning in her mind. “What next?” 

“Next? I… I’m turning myself in.” 

“Wait, what?” 

Malice took to hugging herself tightly. “If he’s looking for me, then running now will only make it easier for him. I’m… I’m genuinely safer under your custody. So… I surrender. Take me to the brig.” 

At that, Peni let out an awkward chuckle. “About that… It's actually my first day here. I don’t know where the brig is.” 

And thus, Malice let out her first chuckle of the night. “Just my luck. Who’s the most likely to hear you out if you wake them up?” 

“My Dad. Come on, I’ll show you the way.” 

This was probably a bad idea, but Peni did mean what she said. She wasn’t going to leave Malice hanging, especially with The Maker on the loose.

Chapter Text

To say that the following morning had been hectic would be one of the greatest understatements of the Timestream Entanglement. It would’ve been hectic enough if it had just been Malice’s break in, but Peni’s encounter with The Maker had set Peter, Tony, and the entire Fantastic Four (even Herbie!) into a frenzy. There was some kind of history between all of them, and Peni was determined to find out why. 

So, here she was, down in the brig, with Lie and Seol with her for backup. The three of them stood on the visitor’s side of the glass, with their new prisoner in her cell, curled up on her bed. Yesterday, she had faced Peni and Seol with the intent to kill. Now? She was coiled around herself, her former confidence drained away. 

“Why are we even down here?” Lie asked, a tinge of annoyance in his voice. “I doubt talking to the evil Sue will get us anywhere.” 

“I have to agree with Lie on this one,” Seol muttered, her gaze growing uneasy at the sight of the villainess, “besides, this could all be one big trick on her end.” 

Peni shook her head. “I doubt it. Whoever that Maker guy is, just him being in the room set my Spider Sense on fire . Besides, anyone who says they’re safer in custody means they’re running from something big. Hopefully we can get some answers out of her.” 

That quelled the worries of Lie and Seol, for now at least, as they nodded in agreement. Peni, in turn, approached the reinforced glass of the cell and called out to the villainess. 

“Malice.” 

Malice’s eyes blinked open, and the woman rose from her bed to meet Peni’s gaze. A hint of surprise colored them when she saw the pilot outside her cell. 

“Peni, right?” she asked, a bit of wariness leaking into her voice. 

“Yeah. I know you weren’t expecting me, or my company for that matter, but we wanted to ask you a few questions.” 

“About The Maker, right?” 

“Yeah… and also maybe Dracula’s plans?” 

The villainess let out a chuckle. “I don’t know too much about the bloodsucker, I’m afraid. I just saw a chance to cause some mayhem for your version of Sue, and I took it.” 

“Ah, dang it. Worth a shot.” 

“I can tell you about The Maker though.” 

That got Peni’s attention, curiosity lighting up in her eyes. “Who is he? Did he show up because of the Entanglement? And why did he grab you?” 

“Woah, Peni, slow down,” Seol interrupted, placing her hand on Peni’s good shoulder, “don’t bombard her with questions right out the gate.” 

“No, it’s okay,” Malice reassured, a softer look in her eyes than expected, “it’s helping out with normalcy, at least. And if you're wondering who he is, I still don’t know. He never took off that helmet, so I never got a good look at his face. He did seem oddly familiar, though… I never could pin why.” 

“A variant of one of us, maybe?” Lie proposed, his face scrunched up in thought. “It wouldn’t be too far-fetched. Hell, you’re the second Sue we’ve met so far.” 

Malice sent a scathing glare towards Lie. “Don’t call me Sue. I’m not her anymore.” 

The intensity of the glare caused Lie to take an involuntary step back as he raised his hands in defense. “Okay, dial it back please. You want us to trust you, right?” 

“It’s not trust. It’s guaranteeing my safety.” 

“What did The Maker even do to you?” Seol couldn’t help but ask. “It hadn’t even been a full day, and he’s got you willingly cooped up.” 

To the group’s surprise, Malice let out a shudder. “It was only a few hours for you, but for me, it was five months. Five. Months. Alone with that man, as he tore me apart and put me back together again. My mind doesn’t even feel like my mind anymore. He changed… something, I don’t know what, but I know for a fact that I’m not the same anymore.” 

“But how has it been five months for you?” Peni asked, confusion laced into her voice. 

“I have a theory.” 

Shock shot into the trio’s nerves as they leapt up at the surprise appearance of Reed. The older hero looked mildly displeased at their presence in the brig, and he made it known. “Peni, what did we tell you about trying to interrogate Malice?” 

Peni, for her part, had the decency to look sheepish. “Not to do that?” 

“And what are you doing?” 

“Exactly that….” 

Another chuckle escaped Malice. “You have to admit, the kid’s got guts.” 

Reed grumbled at the remark. “She takes after her father a little too much in that regard.” 

Seol tilted her head in confusion. “Spidey’s tried something similar to this before?” 

“Unfortunately. And with Doom, no less.” 

“Okay, that’s beside the point,” Peni interjected, rerailing the conversation, “we’re here now, and we’re trying to find out more about The Maker.” 

At that, Reed let out a long, drawn out, and tired sigh. “I had a feeling. Your encounter with him last night was your first, but I hope it’s the only one you ever have. The entire team can personally attest to how dangerous he is.” 

“Dad and Tony too?” 

“Yes. The Maker actually considers any version of your father with powers one of the biggest threats to his plans.” 

Malice let out a scoff at that statement. “Spider-Man? No offense, but what can the web swinger do that has him on the top of the hit list?” 

“We’re not sure why ourselves,” Reed admitted, “but nonetheless, he has it out for Spider-Man. Really, he has it out for all of us. He hates the Fantastic Four more than any other group of people in the multiverse.” 

Malice eyed Reed with uncertainty the moment Reed said those words. “Wait… are you saying that he grabbed me… because of a vendetta? ” 

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he did. My instruments have been picking up his quantum displacement signals since the Timestream Entanglement started. More than likely, he’s been observing the phenomenon from whatever world he’s calling home now, and once he saw Malice as an active player, he swooped in. He believed you were an easy target.” 

“But why me? ” Malice growled out. Her energy was at least coming back, and Peni could tell she was simmering. “I’m not Susan Storm anymore. I’m Malice. Shouldn’t that be enough of a difference?” 

“Not with how you became Malice,” Reed explained, “it was Psycho-Man’s meddling that created the original Malice personality. I assume you stayed in control and believed yourself better off for it. However, Sue’s original personality should still be there.” 

And that was when the gears clicked into place for Peni. Two personalities in one body for someone who normally didn’t have DID across her variants. On top of that, she was a variant of one of Maker’s most hated people. And with a name like his…. 

Her gaze turned back to Malice. “Malice, can I ask you a question?” 

The villainess in question blinked in surprise. “What’s going on in that head of yours?” 

“Humor me for a moment, will you?” 

“Ugh… fine. What did you want to ask?” 

An exhale left Peni’s lungs. Moment of truth. “Is Sue’s personality still in your head?” 

Silence rang out in the group as the question hung in the air. Lie, Seol, and even Reed and Malice looked at the young pilot with varying degrees of surprise. The idea made sense from Peni’s perspective. Going off of what little she knew, The Maker was an experimenter, and one who perverted science to his own ends. Someone like Malice would be the perfect test subject for him. And given what the villainess said about her mind having changed, well, what’s to say that Sue’s was changed too? 

Malice, for her part, was taking the idea into consideration. Her face scrunched up in concentration, as if she was reaching out for something. The thought occurred to Peni that this may have been the first time she had ever reached out to Sue in years, given how Malice was the dominant personality. Nonetheless, she was reaching out now, but there seemed to be nothing. 

And then Malice fell to the floor, screaming and clutching her head in pain. 

“Malice!” Peni called out, placing her hand on the glass. Even with her mixed feelings towards the woman, she was still sympathetic to her plight, especially if this was the reaction she had to reaching out to Sue. 

“What’s… what’s happening?!” Malice howled out, clawing at her own head as her breath became haggard. “Why…? NO! GET OUT! GET OUT OF MY HEAD! OUT! OUT! ” 

Without warning, Malice let loose another scream, and she slammed her head against the glass. The impact left a cracked crater against the surface, and Peni yelped away from the barrier in shock. Lie, Seol, and Reed were all quick to shield the young girl, but to the group’s collective surprise, Malice was simply resting her head against the crater of her making. She had gone still, and the quartet did not know if that was better or worse. 

“Reed?” Malice whispered out, the quietest her voice had ever been. 

“Yes…?” 

The villainess finally lifted her head up, and the quartet let out a gasp. 

One of Malice’s eyes had turned blue. Just like Sue’s eyes. 

“What did you do to me?” 

Any and all of Peni’s thoughts grinded to a halt the moment she heard that question. Here Malice was, altered and experimented on, courtesy of The Maker, and here she was asking Reed what he did to her. There were only two ways that could make sense. The first was that Malice’s mind had simply been too broken at that point, and she had been hiding her instability up until she reached out to Sue’s personality. The second one only made sense within the context of the situation. 

The context of the multiverse. 

And it was a horrifying possibility. 

“Reed,” Peni began, turning her gaze to the elder hero, “is… is The Maker… is he a variant of you? ” 

The shame on his face was all the answer that Peni needed. “No….” 

Lie looked at the elder hero with shock in his eyes. “What?! The Maker is another Reed?! Why?! How?!” 

“You went full villain in another world?” Seol asked, the horror in her voice not going unnoticed. “But why? What happened to turn you into that? ” 

“Too many things,” Reed admitted, his gaze turning back to Malice, “but he’s done so much to hurt us all. And he’ll keep doing it to any version of us because he hates us all. He won’t stop until he’s satisfied. And for Malice… that meant merging her and Sue into one person. ” 

Seol’s face paled as the realization hit. “ Oh my god…. ” 

Lie leaned against the wall, a hand over his mouth. “I think I’m gonna be sick….” 

Peni turned her gaze back to Malice, and returned her hand to the glass. “We’re gonna find out what all The Maker did to you. We’re going to help.” 

“Please…,” Malice muttered, mirroring Peni against the glass, “please help me.” 

No one would be sleeping well that night.

Chapter Text

One of Sue’s blue eyes came back. Her left eye was now the same as the woman that Malice once was, but that wasn’t the only change. She could feel it. The blurring of lines as two personalities fused together into one. Where Malice ended and where Sue began had lost its meaning. They were one in the same now, with no way of going back. 

And The Maker was to blame. 

Reed was to blame. 

But how could that sick and twisted man possibly be another version of the man she loved when she was Sue Storm? How? It didn’t make any sense to her. 

So now, here she was, hooked up to a litany of devices as the Reed before her, the normal and sane one, went from screen to screen to observe their data. His Sue was right with him, taking notes on every aspect just as he was. Johnny and Ben were in the back, mainly guarding the door in case she got any ideas. At least some of them had sense. 

Peculiarly, both Peni and Peter Parker were in the room as well. Peter was helping Reed and Sue with the data, while Peni merely kept her company. From what she had learned, the Entanglement was the younger Parker’s first real multiverse crisis, so she was eager to learn all that she could. And Malice had to admit, having the presence of the person who helped her escape The Maker did put her at ease. 

“I think they might be finished getting the results,” Peni stated, her eyes following her father’s movements closely, “they’re transferring stuff to data-pads, so expect to be bombarded with jargon and the like.” 

“Sounds like Reed,” Malice muttered, tactfully avoiding looking at the man himself. 

How could she look at the man the same? Knowing that the monster that tormented her was a fallen version of her former love? The man capable of so much pain, so much suffering, was someone she once trusted in and confided in. What did that say about Reed? Were all versions of him capable of such deeds? And what did that say about her? To fall for someone who held such darkness in their heart back when she was still Sue Storm? 

A shot of pain coursed through her head as a voice spoke out. We still are. We’re still Sue.  

Malice bit back a snarl. “Dammit… she’s supposed to be dormant.” 

“Getting fused against her will probably woke her back up,” Peni explained, “I don’t know much about having multiple personalities, but the process probably did a lot of damage on her end too.” 

“Do I look like I care about Sue?” 

“You probably should, given what’s happened to you,” Reed interjected, approaching the duo. Sue and Peter appeared behind him, and they all had data-pads in hand. Whatever they found must have been extensive.  

Peni’s gaze turned to the trio, intensive curiosity beaming in her eyes. “What did you guys find?” 

“For one thing,” Peter said, taking the lead as he flipped his data-pad over for all to see, “meta-ability dampeners. He didn’t want your forcefield powers kicking in while he was doing his ‘work,’ so he made sure to limit what you could do.” 

Malice had to bite back another snarl. No wonder her powers felt so much weaker than before. It had to be why her invisibility field the night before was fluctuating alongside her nerves. The Maker wanted her weak, just so he could do as he pleased, and that was messing with her head.  

“It looks like these are temporary measures at best,” Peni stated as she took the tablet from her father and held it up to the villainess, “my uncle works with these types of bio-locks to help patients with unstable powers, and they have to be changed out on the regular. It looks like your locks are of similar construction, so you should be back to full strength eventually.” 

Well, that was good. Malice enjoyed her powers. She relished in the mayhem she could cause with them. To know they weren’t gone was a small consolation for what she endured, and at this point, she would take what she could get. 

“And for my mind?” 

“That’s the thing,” Sue muttered, flipping her tablet over to show the scans of Malice’s brain, “what we’re currently looking at is your brainwave patterns. Normally with DID, there’s multiple distinct sets of brainwaves coexisting at the same time. However, what we have here is a sort of middle group of overlap. Think of it like a venn diagram between you and your Sue.” 

“Where a majority of the brainwave space is the overlap?” 

Sue winced in response. “Yeah… the question is, how much is shared in that overlap?” 

“From what we’ve been able to observe,” Reed jumped in, flipping his tablet over for the group to see, “higher motor functions are handled as if the two of you were one individual, as are your use of your powers. However, with your Sue active again, the two of you can effectively communicate with each other, and potentially even swap who’s driving.” 

“Do I look like I want to let her have the wheel?!” Malice growled out, sending a particularly nasty glare towards Reed. “I was happy as Malice! Hell, I am happy as Malice! I don’t need my old self stitched into my thoughts acting like Jiminy Cricket!” 

Peni looked at the villainess with confusion in her eyes. “Who’s Jiminy Cricket?” 

“...You can’t be serious.” 

“I’m from 2085. A lot of old stuff got lost over time. Like Reed!” 

From all the way over at the door, Johnny and Ben both burst out laughing at the little barb. Reed himself was sputtering in surprise as he looked at the younger Parker with surprise, and Sue and Peter were struggling to keep their snickering in. 

“Young ma’am, I am only 38!” Reed exclaimed, finally returning to his senses. 

And that was when Malice did something that even she didn’t expect: laugh. It wasn’t her typical mad cackle or low, dark chuckle. It was light and airy, showing genuine enjoyment at the young Parker’s joke. The whole group turned to her with a shared surprise, and she cut her laugh short when she noticed. Was it really that surprising? 

Not that surprising, the Sue of her mind whispered, at least to me. Peni has her father’s sense of humor.  

That was when she realized it was also Sue’s laugh. Dammit, there goes her enjoyment. “For the record, that was Sue thinking it was funny.” 

Peni let loose a giggle. “Right.” 

“That was you too, y’know.” 

The only one in the group who didn’t jump up in surprise was Malice herself. Reed, Sue, even Peter and Peni, all jumped off to the side as the owner of that voice appeared behind them. He was a tanned man with a mop of curly black hair, chocolate-hued eyes, and a friendly smile. Peculiarly, he wore a finely tailored gray and white suit with the sleeves rolled up, which was, ironically, the most out of place outfit she had seen out of anyone in the whole tower. 

“Steven, don’t scare us like that!” Peni shouted, shooting the well-dressed man a glare. 

This man, Steven, rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Sorry luv, old habits. I heard about what was going on, so I snuck in to see.” 

Ben could only gape from his spot at the door. “Forget snuck in, you might as well have teleported! Is that one of those Khonshu tricks of yours?” 

“Not yet, but I think you just gave him an idea.” 

Malice could only stare at the man with an unimpressed look. “And what’s so special about me that you had to sneak in here? Aside from the obvious, I mean.” 

Steven clapped his hands together. “I’m so glad you asked! First off, I’m Steven Grant, resident Egyptologist here, and one of the Moon Knights!” 

“And the other Moon Knights are where, exactly?” 

Steven tapped his pointer finger against his temple. “Right in here. You and I are actually quite alike, Ms. Malice, and I figured you could use the advice of someone who deals with that consistently. Now then—” 

“What makes you think you could help?” Malice snapped. “Like I told the rest of these idiots in here, I like being me. If this is some bullcrap that isn’t anything other than separating us, then I don’t want that.” 

Surprisingly, Steven’s gaze softened in response to her rant, which took the villainess off guard. What was it with these people and their sympathies for those that inherently opposed them? It made no sense, and it only served to piss her off more. Sooner or later, it was going to get everyone in this room killed. 

“Peni, can I borrow your chair?” the well-dressed man asked. Peni was quick to oblige, passing over her rolling chair in an instant, which Steven caught with ease. He then spun it around to sit in it backwards, with his arms resting on the back rest, and he looked at Malice with such earnestness in his eyes. “A long time ago, I was thinking the same way. I should know, I’m not the original personality. Like it or not, you’ve got your Sue in your head with you, just like how I share this head with Marc and Jake, and with how The Maker mucked about with your head, it’s probably a permanent thing, so you don’t have a choice but to live with it.” 

Malice wanted to retort. She nearly did, especially with the words on the tip of her tongue, but said words died before she even opened her mouth. Somehow, whether it was the Sue in her head or even Malice herself, she knew Steven was speaking the truth. She had seen the physical proof moments ago, and she felt it with her own laugh too. And now, here was this eccentric man who was one of many minds, not only relating to her, but stating the truth that she secretly knew from the start. 

She couldn’t deny it. She was stuck with her Sue. She needed help. 

“How do you deal with them?” Malice asked, a notable hesitance in her voice. 

Steven let out a chuckle. “Patience, for one thing. I usually have to play mediator for Marc and Jake, given how much the two of them butt heads. You and Sue will probably have to do that for each other, cause I know you two are gonna clash. That being said, you’ll also need patience with your situation specifically. You’ll be sharing thoughts and actions, which will be frustrating, but you’ll be able to confide in each other easier.” 

“The actual confiding part is going to take some practice. I’m not the ‘spill my guts’ type. Just ask my ‘family’ here.” 

“You’ll get there eventually,” the Sue that wasn’t in her head admitted, “it took some time for me too. The fact that you’re asking for help now is the first step.” 

“Mrs. Richards has a point,” Steven admitted, “the same thing happened for this system here, and given time, it’ll happen for you too!” 

“Wait, hang on,” Malice interjected, turning her gaze towards Sue for the first time that day, “Mrs. Richards? The two of you actually got married?” 

“We’ve been married for a few years now,” Reed stated, a beaming smile on his face, “in fact, our family’s grown a lot as a result. Franklin and Valeria have been asking about you, you know. Who knows? If you stick around, Val might even call you Aunt Mal!” 

Reed and Sue had kids. Reed and Sue had kids! Somehow, that, of all things, was what floored Malice the most. She had left her F4 behind to embrace her life as Malice, but was that what she had left behind all along? A chance to form a family? 

Take them up on the offer, the Sue in her mind said, they seem willing to accept you as you are now. Besides, they’re already helping you as is.  

Malice let out a small exhale. “That… doesn’t sound that bad. You think I could meet them at some point?” 

To her surprise, the Richards couple smiled at the question. Sue in particular seemed to beam at that. “I don’t see why not. Though, fair warning, if you try anything—” 

Malice let out another light laugh at the remark. “Knowing my luck, they’d end up getting me too attached to try that. It’ll be an adjustment, but I’m willing to try it.” 

Peni let out a wide grin of her own. “That’s the spirit!” 

Malice had no idea if she would regret this. She still wanted to be the Mistress of Hate she was meant to be, absolutely. But this? This sense of support that seemed to come out of nowhere, born from a bunch of bleeding hearts? Combined with the fact that it was actually putting her at ease after those five months of hell? 

It was a change of pace she absolutely needed.

Chapter Text

If you were to ask the Lin Lie of four years ago where he would be in his future, he would’ve given a fairly generic answer. Then again, that’s what his 19 year old self had expected back then. He would’ve told you that he would’ve been studying archaeology in his classes, maybe join his father on a dig, or at the very least, try to survive college. Nothing too out of the ordinary, just an extension of his normal life up to that point. 

Said normal life felt like a lifetime ago at this point. 

Ever since he first picked up the Sword of Fu Xi, his life had been altered so radically. For the first few years, he had served with the Agents of Atlas as the Sword Master, and looking back, he lucked out with having Shang Chi as both a teacher and a friend. He probably wouldn’t have survived otherwise. On top of that, he wasn’t the friendliest on the team. He was lucky to even make friends with Amadeus, Cindy, and oh yeah, Luna Snow.  

And then his ancestor’s sword was shattered, its pieces now burrowed into his arms. 

Once again, he lucked out. Never did he expect to wake up in K’un Lun, birthplace of the lineage of the Iron Fist. He certainly didn’t expect to be chosen to be the next Iron Fist, either. From what little he heard from his predecessor, becoming the Iron Fist usually required a test of worthiness, one that challenged the taker’s physical, mental, and spiritual fortitude. Back then, Lie had believed there to be something about him that was truly special. 

These days, he wondered if Shou Lao knew the future needed as much help as it could get. He probably wouldn’t have been able to do as much as just the Sword Master. 

His life truly took a turn for the crazy once he became Iron Fist, and while he would never regret taking up the mantle, man, it got weird sometimes. For starters, his involvement with larger-stakes events skyrocketed like crazy. Hell, about a year before the Entanglement started, there was a crazy incident involving Doctor Strange and Dormammu that still left him concerned with what all sat in the Sanctum Sanctorum. Speaking of, the crisis of the hour, the Timestream Entanglement. Officially, this counted as his first interaction with Doctor Doom, and now he understood why his file had every warning under the sun. 

But this current moment? It officially took the cake. Why, you may ask? Simple: he was having lunch with a supervillain.  

“So Doom was the cause of all this?” Malice, the self-proclaimed Mistress of Hate and evil variant of Susan Richards herself, asked, with an unexpected amount of curiosity in her now mismatched eyes. 

Peni had once again roped him and Luna into an activity concerning the villainess in question. Well, if Lie had to be entirely honest, he let himself be roped in. He may have only known the young pilot for a little over a week at this point, but she had become one of his favorite people to hang out with. If he had to guess, that openly quippy and warm, friendly attitude had to run in the Parker family, no matter the universe. Even if she had some admittedly crazy ideas, he’d go along with it. She reminded him of his little sister like that. 

“Pretty much,” Peter, Peni’s father and his mentor, replied, chowing down on one of the hot dogs he had grilled moments earlier. Lunch had been a mix of whatever the gang had cooked up that day. Peter had cooked hot dogs that MJ, Tony, and Steven readily accepted, while Peni, Luna, and (to his surprise) Malice each had a bowl of the dumplings that Lie made. The F4, Bruce, and Doreen went back to the Baxter Building to check up on things there. 

The general idea went as follows: Malice had accepted working with the team to help dismantle Eternal Night in New York. In exchange, she would receive protection from The Maker, as well as help acclimating to her new mental state. Fused personalities would take some time to adjust to, at least according to Steven. Lie may not have understood everything about psychology, but he could at least understand that. 

He may not have necessarily liked Malice, but he was at least sympathetic to her plight. People across the globe knew what Reed Richards was capable of. He was the smartest man in the world for a reason. A variant of him that used that intellect for the worst possible things was an idea that made the martial artist shudder, but unfortunately, that existed in The Maker. The time spent with him was enough to fundamentally change Malice, and the encounter a few nights ago was enough of a reason for Peni to stay close to the villainess. 

Malice let out a dry scoff. “Of course his ego would be that big. Always has been.” 

“You make it sound like a bad thing,” Tony jested, a smarmy grin on his face. 

“In both his case and yours, yes.” 

Laughter rang out at the table as Tony grumbled into his hot dog. That was another thing about what happened to Malice. As much as the villain persona had claimed to still mostly be herself, there was still a strong takeover from Sue’s personality. The immediate detail that stood out was Sue’s sense of humor, as well as her sass. She was able to joke along with everyone else at the table like she never became Malice in the first place. Sure, there were moments where the barbs would be nasty, showing Malice more than Sue, but they were balanced. 

Her chi, however, was not. 

Ever since becoming Iron Fist, Lie could see the chi energy of those around him, as well as how balanced it was. Luna, as he expected, was an icy blue that was very good at maintaining balance. Steven, being part of a DID system, shared his chi with Marc and Jake, and it took their combined efforts to keep their chi balanced. Malice, however, seemed to have two sets of chi, constantly shifting between red and blue for herself and Sue. It would probably be a long time before balance truly took hold in her chi. 

Maybe that was why he seemed more open to the idea of helping her than expected. 

“Hey Tony, can I ask you a question?” Luna asked, catching the group’s attention. The pop star looked mildly concerned as she held up a piece of paper that looked to be freshly printed. Was this one of Tony’s old bits of dirty laundry? 

Tony, for his part, perked up at the idol’s curiosity. “Shoot your shot, k-pop.” 

“Why is Ultron listed as an Avenger?” 

Lie damn near spit his drink out when Luna asked that question. He had heard of Ultron before, and he knew the threat that the android possessed. It was one of the Avengers’ greatest enemies, one of the world’s biggest dangers. For Luna to ask a question like that was ludicrous! There was no way—! 

“Oh yeah, that,” Tony replied with such casual indifference, “long story short, Ultron’s AI got split up into multiple parts, and one of them pulled a heel-face turn and went good. Stuff like that is what the West Coast Avengers are for these days.” 

“Which reminds me,” Peter interjected, “how’s Blue Bolt doing?” 

“A lot better! Rhodey’s been keeping me updated on the team, and they’ve got a good groove going! Who knows, they might end up joining us here if things get too hectic.” 

Lie couldn’t believe his ears. A good variant of Ultron? Good enough to be a full time member of the freaking Avengers?! He knew hero work was crazy, but this crazy?!  

“Is that why you’ve been so oddly calm with me?” Malice couldn’t help but ask, and honestly, now that she said it, Lie was thinking the same thing. Hell, he could tell that Luna was too. Yet another reminder of how out of their depth the two of them were. 

Tony nodded his head in confirmation. “Pretty much. Trust me, kids, when you’ve been in the hero gig for as long as we have, you get used to the weirdest shit. You wanna know what happened when—?” 

“Stop, no,” MJ, of all people, interjected, looking positively mortified, “don’t tell that story. I remember puking when Peter told me what was really going on that day. I couldn’t look at Janet the same for weeks. ” 

“Well how do you think Janet felt?” 

Peter turned to the younger heroes of the table and mouthed to them “you don’t wanna know.” Steven nodded in agreement. 

“So you have a whole dedicated reform program in the team?” Peni asked, curiosity shining in her eyes. 

Tony shrugged. “Better than the Thunderbolts. And you can ask Frank about that.” 

“It wasn’t good.” 

The room went silent. Lie turned behind him to see the bulked out form of Frank Castle, the Punisher himself, entering the room. Peni went pale at the sight of the man. Sure, he didn’t have any superpowers of his own, but he made up for it with his arsenal and sheer rage against villainy as a whole. As a result, he had quite the fearsome reputation among the other heroes, especially for his distinct lack of a no-kill policy. 

No wonder Peni was scared of the guy. 

Malice, for her part, shared in being intimidated, as she eyed Mr. Castle with loaded weariness. “Why are you here?” 

Castle just shrugged. “New York’s my home turf. Besides, this is Doom we’re talking about. Wasn’t gonna back out of this one.” 

Honestly, Lie couldn't blame the man for that. Doom was that big of a threat whenever he acted. The Timestream Entanglement was just the most recent example of that fact. What he could blame Castle for was whether or not he decided that Malice was a liability. But, to his and most of the table’s surprise, Castle grabbed a hot dog from Peter’s side of the table and pulled up a seat next to Steven. 

“Mr. Grant.” 

“Mr. Castle.” 

“How’s Jake doing?” 

“He’s mainly just trying to take it easy right now. He had the body for most of our stunts before the Entanglement, so he’s exhausted. He’s on mental bed rest for the time being.” 

“Good. He needs it.” 

Okay, this needed some explaining. The Punisher was usually the type to shoot bad guys on sight, and if he didn’t, it wouldn’t take him long until he did , so this was a drastic change of pace. He must’ve made his curiosity visible on his face, because Castle shot him a glare in return. “You finished staring, kid?” 

“Oh, uh, sorry sir.” 

“No need to call me sir, kid. And in case you’re wondering, I know about the West Coast program. I also know that Malice fits the bill for the usual people in the program.” 

Now that caught Malice’s attention. “Isn’t it a bit too early to call judgement on that, Frank? I’ve only been here for two days max, three if you count the night I got here.” 

“I also know that you’re at a turning point in your life,” Castle retorted, “most people tend to be after an encounter with The Maker. I’ve seen it happen a lot. And judging by how you have a regular eye now, some change has already happened.” 

“I’m still me, Castle, just… willing to cooperate.” 

“I know, and I’m not an idiot. You’ve got a chance to do some good, or at the very least, more good than me. That being said, if you end up worse….” 

The rest of that threat went unsaid. Those at the table knew well enough what Frank Castle meant though. What Lie wasn’t expecting was for Castle to see the situation for what it was. For once, he was right that the stories he heard of other heroes were wrong for a change. 

And then a smirk crossed the vigilante’s face. “Now, about that incident Tony was talking about earlier.” 

“Castle, don’t you dare!” 

Lie couldn’t help but chuckle. He wouldn’t trade this chaos for anything.

Chapter Text

Being benched was simultaneously a pain and a pleasure for Peni. The pain part came from how she itched to get back to the action. Even now, with the support system of the Fantastic Four and Avengers backing her, old habits were still kicking in. Being one of the only heroes of her New York, let alone her world, would forever contribute to her habit of leaping back into the fray even with injuries still healing. Bed rest was kind of a foreign concept to her. She wanted to be out there with her dad taking care of the vampire hordes and keeping people safe. 

On the other hand, actually getting to rest meant the pleasure of relaxing. Doing so meant being able to handle things that superhero work couldn’t immediately handle. First and foremost, helping Malice adjust to her new mental state. Seeing the blend of Sue’s caring and protective aspects with Malice’s snark and viciousness was becoming less of a whiplash as the days went by. There was friction between the 2-in-1 personalities, absolutely, but at least there was an adjustment period. 

As for right now, the actual relaxing part came in. There was, thankfully, a bevy of reading material in Avengers Tower, and Peni took full advantage of that. She took to the novels like a spider in a web (Seol’s words, not hers). To her own surprise, she ended up gravitating towards the fantasy novels the most, though once she thought about it, it made sense. Those books told stories of worlds the most unlike hers. And with the multiverse an active factor, worlds like that could well and truly exist. It wasn’t really that far-fetched anymore. 

So, here she was, reading a novel based on Dungeons & Dragons, with Lie meditating nearby keeping her company. He was still benched, but purely for the sake of getting some decent sleep in his system. Peni took it upon herself to make sure that he did, and that often meant dragging the martial artist out of the training room late at night. For as much as Peni liked the guy, he was stubborn to a fault. 

And then her Spider Sense started to go off. 

“Lie, do you have a bookmark?” Peni asked. This was going to be a long day. 

The martial artist in question opened his eyes, letting his gaze wander so he could see where one could be. “Nope. There’s probably one around here somewhere.” 

“Is this what you’re looking for?” 

Out of nowhere, a golden-armored hand extended itself out, presenting a red and black bookmark. Peni took it with glee. “Oh! Thank you!” 

And then her mind fully caught up with the moment, and she realized who just handed her that bookmark. 

“LOKI?!” 

True enough, Loki Laufeyson, one of the two gods that tried to kill her that past Friday, stood before her with the most mischievous grin on his face. Peni leapt from her seat in shock. How did the god of mischief even get inside Avengers Tower?! And why was he even here in the first place?! 

Lie was quick to act, shooting up from his place of meditation and dashing towards the mad god. Unfortunately for him, the moment his fist tried to make contact with Loki's fist, Lie found himself completely phasing through his opposition. As a result, he ended up crashing into the ground unceremoniously, and he turned his gaze to glare angrily at the invading god. 

Loki, for his part, chuckled with glee. “You’re just like my brother in that regard: never not going to fall for that. Seriously, I would’ve figured by now that you’d realize you were fighting a clone during that downtime.” 

Peni stared at the mad god bewilderedly. “ Nani? ” 

Loki rolled his eyes as he proceeded to steal the seat that Peni once occupied. “I’m not the real Loki, child. He’s back on Yggsgard managing the throne. I’m here to see whether or not you lot are threats to my rule.” 

The moment he said that, a surge of irritation rushed through Peni’s system. “So, you mean to tell me, that we were fighting a fake you this whole time? While what, you just pranced about on a throne you stole?! What are you even doing up there?!” 

“Fighting Thor, you petulant child.” 

“We can take you too, y’know!” Lie exclaimed as he returned to his battle ready stance. 

Loki, for his part, shook his head with a distinct lack of pleasure. “Please, if I wanted to fight, I would’ve stabbed you in the back by now. I’m actually here to spread a little mischief today. Care to be enlightened?” 

If this had happened at any point before getting dragged into the Entanglement, Peni would’ve tried hitting Loki herself. Very rarely did she deal with villains who actually took to talking first, and even fewer who had as many varied nuances as the ones here. But, after a full week and a half of adjusting to the wilder world that Peter and MJ called home, where stuff like this was the norm, she was willing to do something risky. It probably wouldn’t work out the same like how things did with Malice, but it seemed like she had a chance to gain something out of this. 

“Alright,” Peni muttered, letting out a sigh in the process, “something tells me you won’t go away until you share what you have to say. Besides, you’re probably telling me because you think I’d be gullible or the others wouldn’t believe me. Am I guessing right?” 

Loki let out a dry chuckle. “My, you’ve been studying up! Good!” 

“Hard not to with how many times you’ve tried to invade Earth,” Lie muttered. 

“Aw, is seven too many for you?” 

“ Yes. ” 

“Ugh, how rude.” 

“Just spill it!” Peni interjected. Right when she had gotten to a really good chapter too. 

“Well, if you must know,” Loki began, materializing his scepter out of nowhere, “Dracula has two specific pages of the Darkhold in his possession. The first is the Vampiric Verses, that thing that has so many mortals serving him as bloodsuckers. Nasty little things they’ve become, thanks to him.” 

“And the second page being?” 

At that moment, Tony burst through the door, an excited grin on his face. “Get to the command center, we found the Montesi… Formula….” 

Loki turned his gaze to the Iron Avenger. “Oh, hello Stark! Care for that drink?” 

Tony’s gaze narrowed into a sharp glare. “What are you doing here?” 

“Telling Spider-Man’s daughter where the Montesi Formula is, but since you’ve already stolen my thunder, be my guest and explain the rest!” 

“I hate you… so much.” 

Peni’s gaze darted between the two of them. “Hang on, Dracula has the Montesi Formula? So he could just… wipe out his own army to prove a point to us if he wanted to?” 

“More than likely, that’s his failsafe in case he fails,” Tony explained, a grim look on his face, “a majority of the madmen we face tend to have something like that set up, and the lord of vampires is no exception. Neither is Loki for that matter. What was it, invasion #4 where you had that dead man switch in New York?” 

“Invasion #5, actually,” Loki corrected, his grin turning particularly smug. 

“You’re the worst.” 

“Agree to disagree?” 

“Getting back on track,” Lie interjected, glaring at the god of mischief, “why tell us this? I mean, obviously, you’re looking for a bit of madness to revel in, but with how you were helping Drac in the first place, this doesn’t make sense.” 

That was when Loki laughed. It was low and haughty, with the gleeful smugness of a chessmaster about to make a game-changing play. “Well, if you must know, aside from it fulfilling my need for mischief, my actions here actually work into a long con I’ve been pulling, and if this goes off without a hitch, it’ll be absolutely perfect. ” 

Peni proceeded to give him the most blank stare she could muster. “Do I even want to know what kind of long con this is?” 

Loki let slip that haughty laugh once more. “It concerns my sister dearest, Hela. You already know she’s the goddess of death, so I must ask you a question: what would happen if all mortals became immortal, hm? What happens when Eternal Night reaches everyone, and Dracula is made to rule all vampires?” 

Peni’s face scrunched up in thought. She didn’t study mythology much, but she knew that most polytheistic religions had an underworld that their god of the dead ruled. Every soul that passed away would eventually make their way to said underworld. Immortals, by virtue of not being able to die, wouldn’t ever be denizens of the underworld, and… wait a minute.  

It seemed like the same realization dawned on both Lie and Tony, and they, along with Peni, spoke their collective thought aloud all at once: 

“She’d have no more souls to claim for her underworld!” 

“Ding ding ding!” Loki exclaimed, clapping his hands together in excitement, like he was some demented game show host. “Congratulations! Gold star, all of you!” 

“And you were the one who convinced her to help Dracula in the first place, weren’t you?” Peni guessed. 

“Smart girl! Yes, ‘twas I, and now you understand the nature of my long con!” 

“A prank on your sister,” Lie muttered, his eyes wide with disbelief, “with all of New York caught in the crossfire. Wow. ” 

“See, it’s shit like this that validates my hatred of you, Laufeyson,” Tony quipped, the intensity of his glare growing. 

Loki, for his part, shrugged unapologetically. “What can I say, it’s more interesting when things happen like this! Which reminds me, I’ll still be fighting against you when you eventually storm his castle over in Central Park. Have to keep fooling Hela somehow. ” 

Peni let out a dejected sigh. She was afraid he’d say that. Still, it helped to at least have some direction as to where to go next. Whether or not she’d be field ready by then would be another question. SP//dr would be, absolutely, but whether or not her parents would say she’d be was entirely dependent on how her shoulder was doing, and while it healed up very nicely, it wasn’t quite done yet. At least the stitches were gone. 

“I see Hela’s handiwork has left its mark,” Loki mused, his jade green eyes landing on the scar that now marked the front of the young pilot’s shoulder. There was a smaller one on the back, creating a set that marred her otherwise pale skin. 

“Believe it or not, these are actually my first scars,” she admitted, lifting her shoulder up to allow a better view. In all honesty, she was surprised she hadn’t gotten a scar sooner, given her usual heroics. First time for everything, she supposed. 

Loki’s grin somehow grew even more bemused. “I’ll be sure to let Hela know when I get back. Until we meet again, mortals of Midgard!” 

And just like that, Loki was gone, leaving his stolen chair empty once more. Peni… honestly didn’t know what to make of him. He certainly fit his title of the god of mischief, that’s for sure, but it seemed like he was oddly focused on just entertaining himself. Which was odd, given the sheer effort he put into doing so, combined with the scale of said efforts. All while ruling a kingdom that he had stolen from his father, no less. 

“So…,” Tony drawled out, catching both hers and Lie’s attention, “that was your first Loki Session. How are we feeling?” 

“Confused,” Peni admitted. 

“Pissed off,” Lie muttered. 

Tony just let out a sigh. “Yeah, I figured as much. Come on, let’s head up to the command center. We’ll meet everybody there.” 

Well, at least Peni got a bookmark out of the visit.

Chapter Text

The plan moving forward could be summed up in three words: storm Dracula’s castle. Easier said than done, of course. Like the plan to retake Avengers Tower, there was a lot of prepwork to be had. Unlike that plan, there was so much more to figure out. For starters, the whole of Central Park was under Dracula’s control thanks to him planting his castle right smack dab in the middle. On top of that, Tony’s scout drones had picked up on the increasing forces surrounding the castle itself. It wouldn’t be the straight shot that it was to get the tower back. 

Seol Hee let out a sigh to herself. Things had gotten so much crazier than she ever expected. Sure, there was a bit of superhero wildness in the Agents of Atlas, but that was going to be the norm no matter what. It was the higher echelon stuff, like the Entanglement, that made her realize just how vast the scale of danger truly was. Experiencing it first hand didn’t do her any favors either. 

Sitting in on the planning didn’t really help out either. The main issue had been getting around Dracula’s magic barrier, and that left the older heroes stumped. Reed in particular was particularly frustrated. Magic was not his thing, and the mystic arts weren’t able to help out this time around. So it came down to Doctor Strange searching the archives of the Bleeker St.’s Sanctum Sanctorum to find a solution. 

In the meantime, there wasn’t much more to do besides thinning out the hordes outside. Vampires were particularly tough to take down, and that fact was amplified thanks to their sheer numbers. In all honesty, it was getting tedious. Sure, they were still keeping people safe, and the inherent satisfaction from being able to do that was still there, but there was no end to it. How did Dracula think that this was an improvement? Genuinely, how? 

Eternal Night sucked. 

So, here Seol was, trying to brainstorm a new song with a notepad in one hand and a neon blue pen in another. Granted, when she had explained the situation to her agent, he had given her the leeway to save the world before any extra performances, so she counted herself lucky there. Even so, she had a career to keep up with outside of heroics. It would be pretty dumb if she didn’t make at least a few new songs during the crisis. 

There wasn’t much going on today. Reed and Tony were trying to make a device strong enough to penetrate the magic shields, with limited success. And by limited, she meant zero. Peter, Peni, and Lie were all training together in the practice room, given how Peni and Lie were both about to be un-benched. And as for the rest of the people in the tower, well…. 

Peni was right about Punisher being scary. No thanks! 

So, that left Seol to bounce ideas off of the most unexpected person to be involved: Mary Jane Watson-Parker. If you had told the pop-star that she’d end up meeting Spider-Man’s wife (and his kid from another universe for that matter) before the multiverse crisis, she would’ve laughed. Then again, it wasn’t the most impossible thing imaginable. 

“Times like this, I wish I studied multiple languages,” MJ muttered as she stared down at the page. Seol… honestly should’ve thought of that. She was a k-pop star, her songs always started in Korean, and here she was consulting someone who didn’t even speak her original language. Had the blood red moon outside fried her brain at this point? 

No, she just wanted someone to talk to. 

Even MJ could tell. 

“Alright, Luna, what’s bugging you?” the redhead in question asked. She knew this would get asked sooner or later. MJ was shockingly perceptive. 

Seol let out a dejected huff. “Do you ever feel like you’ve gotten in over your head?” 

“Plenty of times,” MJ admitted, brushing some hair out of her eyes in the process, “it comes with being married to a superhero, but even before I knew Peter, I had a bit of a bad habit of doing that. Led to some awkward first dates.” 

Seol let out a giggle. “Sounds like you’ve got a few stories up your sleeve. Care to enlighten me?” 

“Well… there’s been a few times where the Sinister Six have tried to go after Spidey, but on one occasion, I tried to help Peter by ramming my car into the Lizard, and while it worked at first, that was when Doc Ock ripped the door off and yoinked me right out! And keep in mind, this was before anyone ever figured out who Peter was, so I was just a random, lucky hostage they nabbed!” 

The two women shared a hearty laughter at the story. It felt nice, having moments like these between missions. It reminded her of home, in a way. 

Seol’s laughter faded away at that moment. She missed home. She missed the Agents of Atlas. She wasn’t going to deny it in the slightest. Even with the inherent awesome factor of working alongside the Avengers and the Fantastic Four, her heart still belonged to her first hero team. Nothing would really change that. 

“Can I admit something?” 

MJ looked at her with a bit of surprise. “Something on your mind?” 

“Yeah… and it’s about the crisis.” 

“I take it it’s related to your earlier question?”

Now it was Seol’s turn to be surprised. “Yeah, actually. Guess I made that a little too obvious, didn’t I?” 

“Hey, don’t worry about that. It happens.” 

A dull sigh escaped Seol’s lungs. “Sometimes I wonder how out of my league I am here. Like, to the point of whether or not I should be here. It’s weird, cause I’ve handled a lot of crises before, it’s my job, but this? This is my first multiverse crisis, and already, so much has just happened. We’ve got Eternal Night, a spider-guy holding reality together, Cap’s dead, your kid from another universe is here, and now an evil Reed is getting involved, and we have a maybe ex-villain in rehab because of him!” 

How long had Seol been thinking about this? Truly, was this in the back of her mind the entire time? She had thought she was handling it well, like it was simply a larger scale version of the typical Atlas mission. The train of events, however, had been wearing down on her. There were things that helped keep it in place, absolutely, but they could only help so much. 

MJ looked at her with sympathy in her eyes. “Now you know how Peter felt.” 

“Wait… what?” 

“The first time Peter got dragged into a crisis, it was an event called the Secret Wars. This weird reality warping guy, The Beyonder, dragged a whole bunch of heroes and villains together to make them fight to their fullest potential. You wanna know what he told me when he got back?” 

Seol had an inkling as to what he said. “The same troubles I’m having?” 

A smile graced MJ’s face. “The very same. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a universal experience.” 

“It tends to be.” 

The two women glanced to the side, and to their collective shock, Malice stood before them. There was an odd warmth in her eyes, likely an influence from Sue. 

“O-oh, hey!” Seol stammered out. She had to admit, it was still a little awkward being around the self-proclaimed “Mistress of Hate.” First off, this was a variant of Sue who went dark side, so, y’know, villain. Second, she did try to kill her not even a full week ago, so there was a bit of hesitance with interacting with her due to that. Third, the circumstances of why she was even here. The Maker (who she did not like thinking about in the slightest, thank you very much) had messed with her in a way that had Moon Knight of all people playing therapist to help her manage her forced personality fusion. 

Which was such a messed up thing to think about. 

“What, still worried I’m gonna cave your teeth in?” Malice asked, her usual wicked grin on her face. 

MJ, meanwhile, shot the villainess an impressed look. “Wow, real original. And here I thought I’d hear a creative threat today.” 

“Okay, MJ, I have to ask,” Seol interjected, leaning in close against the table, “how are you this calm with a crazy killer at the table?! Uh… no offense, Mal.” 

The killer in question merely shrugged. “I know what I am.” 

As if that’s supposed to comfort me, Seol thought to herself. 

“Spidey’s been able to reform some of his villains,” MJ explained, “he got Dr. Connors a second chance at SHIELD, he was able to get Flint a chance to turn his life around, and you already know about Eddie and Venom. Hell, my best friend is a damn cat burglar who used to crush on my husband, this is the norm for me!” 

Wait, what?  

“Back up,” Malice interjected, a concerned look on her face, “you and Felicia made peace? To the point that you two are friends? How even…?” 

“It’s a long story,” MJ admitted with a sheepish chuckle, “but we did eventually bury the hatchet. She met up with an old friend of hers and they started dating, and after that, we’ve been helping each other out every now and then.” 

Huh. Seol had to give it to MJ, she was able to take the crazy parts of the hero's life in stride, and way better than she expected. Maybe it was just due to how much involvement she had in it, given her relationship with Peter? Then again, the other heroes beyond Peter seemed to welcome her with open arms, the F4 in particular. 

That was another thing, the heroes of New York had something special with how they were able to bond with others. Peter had MJ, Tony had Pepper, hell, even Marc and his system had Layla, and that was before mentioning the F4 themselves! All Seol really had was her grandparents, and even then, they weren’t actively involved in the heroics. 

And that wasn’t even getting into the parasocial aspects between her and her fans. Sure, they supported her, both in her idol career and as a superhero, but there was no real personal connection. Thing was, that connection was very real for those who followed her, but when neither side had ever met each other, how strong was that connection really? Would it waver if she ever fell out of popularity? Would it remain if she couldn’t perform on stage anymore? How much support did she really, truly have? 

A pit formed in the idol’s stomach. How alone had she really been from the start? 

Before Seol could question things any further, a pair of slender, yet firm hands clapped onto her shoulders. Broken out of her thoughts, she turned her gaze up to find that Peni had snuck up on her, with a grin as bright as her eyes shining on her face. 

“Miss me?” she asked mischievously. 

Seol couldn’t help but giggle. “A little, but my aim is getting better.” 

A collective snicker broke out at the table. Malice was trying to hide her amusement with a cough, while MJ and Peni held no such reservations. A genuine grin graced Seol’s face. It seemed her little joke did the trick! 

“How was training, cub?” MJ asked, leaning in with curiosity in her eyes. 

“A bit rough, but nothing too bad,” Peni replied as she took a seat beside Seol, “Lie was spot on when he said Dad was a good teacher. Didn’t expect him to have lessons cooked up with SP//dr in mind, but hey, I’m not complaining!” 

It was hard not to notice how Peni had blossomed over the past few days. She was a lot more open, a lot more energetic, and out of everyone here, she took to working with the others the greatest. The young pilot also took to helping out Malice the most, helping her out with getting used to her situation. Some (especially Mr. Castle) would call it a bleeding heart, but Seol considered Peni’s sheer compasion amazing. 

And that was when a thought entered Seol’s mind. Wait… bleeding heart. That’s it!  

“I got it!” the idol exclaimed, turning to a blank page in her notebook as she began jotting down a myriad of ideas. At long last, a song came to her mind. “Thank you Peni!” 

The pilot in question tilted her head. “For what?” 

“For inspiring my next song.” 

And she even had a name in mind too: “Beaming Bleeding Heart.”

Chapter Text

There wasn’t much that could exhaust Susan Richards these days. Sure, there were still moments that could, but after being a part of the Fantastic Four for years, she could handle most situations with ease. Raising Franklin and Valeria helped out with that a lot, and even before them, wrangling Johnny, Ben and sometimes even Reed in on their shenanigans did the trick. 

The situation she had found herself in now, though? It was most likely going to leave her drained for days. 

To wit, the Timestream Entanglement had caused so much chaos that it was getting hard to keep track of. From Dracula’s Eternal Night, to the reality fracture above 2099 Tokyo, and even Loki successfully taking Asgard for himself. Three simultaneous crises, all caused by and fueling one big mega crisis caused by her family’s greatest enemy, Doctor Doom. Except it was actually two of the vile Doctors this time. 

She was so, so thankful that Herbie was as willing to watch the kids as he was. 

At the very least, retaking Avengers Tower helped ease the tensions that everyone was feeling. But knowing her luck, it wasn’t going to last long, and this was one of those times where she hated being right. The Maker was back, and he had messed with a variant of her that was still Malice to the point of her siding with them just for safety. The stakes were now that much higher, especially since they didn’t know when and how Maker would strike next. 

Sue let out a drawn out sigh. At the very least, she had a task to focus on that would let her sort her thoughts out in the process. Johnny made it a habit to go out into NYC’s streets to clear away the horde like the living sun that he was. This time, though, Sue was going with him to make sure he didn’t get hurt in the process. Even with as many advantages he had by virtue of being the Human Torch, he was still her little brother, and he never quite grew out of his reckless streak. Better safe than sorry. 

“Hold the elevator!” the brother in question called out. Sue did as asked, letting Johnny slip in before the doors closed shut. With Johnny inside, the elevator took off, carrying the two Storm siblings down to the ground floor of the Baxter Building. 

“Things keep getting crazier, amirite?” Johnny quipped, his usual smarmy grin shining bright on his face. 

Sue just let out another sigh. “Tell me about it….” 

“It’d be a shame if we ended up avoiding some of the chaos… right?” 

Sue’s gaze turned to meet her younger brother’s. “Johnny, what are you implying?” 

And of course, his grin grew wider. “Oh, nothing, just the fact that you’ve been avoiding your alternate self for the past few days.” 

A groan escaped Sue at that. “Malice feels safer at Avengers Tower than here, so of course we haven’t interacted as much. Besides, she’s been checking in with Peter and Peni over video call, so we haven’t been contact-free.” 

“You barely talk to her during those calls!” 

“Val keeps trying to interrupt!” 

“So let her! She’s already curious about her Aunt Mal as is!” 

Sue shook her head. “Why even bring this up? I didn’t think you’d care this much.” 

Johnny, for his part, looked surprisingly offended. “Okay, one, by multiverse rules, she’s also my sister, and she’s yours too, don’t deny it. Two, I can tell that you’re both avoiding each other like the plague. You remember the last time you tried avoiding a family member, right? And how it didn’t end well?” 

How could she forget? Val ended up running away to stay with Doom for a full month, and that one month was full of nothing but the most vile death glares from Latveria’s ruler. Everyone who knew Doom knew to never mess with his goddaughter, and the whole of the family ended up doing exactly that. The bad doctor still held that incident over their heads to this day. 

Sue let out another sigh. More and more, this was looking like a situation where Johnny’s usual devil-may-care attitude was the best way to approach things. Though, now that she thought about it…. 

“Why are you bringing this up anyway?” Sue couldn’t help but ask. 

Before anything else could be said, the elevator dinged, its display reading ground floor. Sue was expecting an empty room when the elevator doors opened. What she didn’t expect was the sight of Peni’s mech, SP//dr, towering over the door frame. What caught Sue’s attention the most, though, was the unwilling person currently stuck in SP//dr’s metallic hands. 

“Peni Parker, if you don’t put me down right now—!” 

“Hey guys!” Peni called out, waving SP//dr’s free hand in greeting. The other was currently holding Malice. Because of course. 

“Cool, you’re here!” Johnny exclaimed as he clasped his hands onto Sue’s shoulders, and that was when Sue came to realize the answer to her own question. 

Her brother and their surrogate niece had conspired against the two Sues. 

Great. 

“Now that everyone’s here,” Peni continued on, crouching her mech down low to the ground, but still keeping Malice a good bit off the ground, “we need to get you guys to actually talk, because otherwise we aren’t going to get anywhere.” 

“And why do we need to talk?” Malice snapped out, trying to wiggle her way out of SP//dr’s grip in the process. 

“You guys are avoiding each other,” Johnny explained, “and like we just said, you guys actually need to talk it out.” 

Sue let out her third sigh of the hour. “Johnny, while I appreciate your concern, my other self has made it abundantly clear that she doesn’t want anything to do with me. Why’d you even drag Peni into this?” 

“Oh, we came up with this together!” Peni exclaimed, perhaps with a bit too much pride in her voice. “Trust us, you two need this.” 

The villainess shot the mecha a glare. “No, we don’t! And don’t call me your other self, Sue! I’m me, even with the mind merger!” 

Of course, that was when Malice went quiet, as if listening to someone else speaking, which meant that what was left of her old Sue personality was talking. From what she, Reed, and Peter had gleaned from their data, the villainess had escaped before The Maker could finish his work in merging the two personalities. As a result, while most of the two had been stitched together, there was still enough room for Malice’s Sue to speak in their head. It was hard not to get tripped up when that was happening while the two were in the same room. 

“You say that like it’s easy,” the self-proclaimed Mistress of Hate muttered. Whatever her Sue was saying, it was clear that she was on the same wavelength as Johnny and Peni. Which meant that this was going to happen one way or the other. 

“Might as well make it happen,” Sue proclaimed, catching the group’s whole attention, “otherwise, the longer we push it back, the more everyone else will be pushing us towards it. So… let’s talk.” 

“Perfect!” Peni beamed out, finally setting Malice down onto the floor. Malice, for her part, took her newly granted freedom to dust herself off and send Peni another glare. Honestly, Sue couldn’t blame her for the latter action. Being hauled around by someone or something twice your height against your will was never a good time. 

“So…,” Sue began, her gaze meeting Malice’s heterochromatic one, “anything in particular you wanna talk about?” 

“How about how this is a bad idea?” her other self replied, a bit more bite in her voice than expected. 

Make that a fourth sigh for the hour. “Look, if you think I’m gonna try to make this a bit about you going back to being Sue, no, I won’t. You made your choice, and while I’m very, very concerned about it, I’ll at least respect it.” 

“Sure….” 

An awkward silence rang out in the room after that. It seemed to stretch out for quite a long time, and no one was quite sure what to do. Peni and Johnny looked between each other, both silently contemplating whether or not their idea actually did have some merit, and from what Sue could glean, they were starting to doubt it. 

“It wasn’t a choice I made for the hell of it….” 

Sue did a double take. Did… did she hear that right? Her gaze went back to Malice, and she saw a tinge of uncertainty in her eyes. Was that her Sue, speaking through her, or was that Malice herself? Or… was it both? 

“So… why did you choose it? Going back to being Malice?” 

Malice met her eyes once again. “It was a choice I made for Sue. Where I’m… we’re from, things didn’t go well….” 

It took a moment for Sue to click the pieces together, but when she did, a gasp of air escaped her lungs. As much of a leap it might have been, it was the only thing that made sense. The only reason why Malice would’ve come back at all. 

“You’re the only one left.” 

A second wave of silence hit the area, this time fueled by shock. Johnny was left gaping and wide-eyed, while Peni took the time to open up SP//dr’s cockpit to meet her villain friend’s gaze, a deeper sorrow in her eyes. “Mal… is it true?” 

It didn’t take long for Malice to answer. “Yeah… yeah, it is.” 

“How…?” 

“I came to be before Reed and Sue had the chance to get married. So for us, no Franklin, and no Valeria either. And me coming to be earlier meant that the others didn’t have the help they needed… when Doom happened. He won. Reed, Johnny and Ben… all gone.” 

“Sis…,” Johnny muttered, grief lost in his voice. The last time Sue heard that specific tone in his voice was when their father passed away. 

Malice shook her head. “That… that was Sue’s memory. I didn’t wake up with that when I first came to. That’s how I woke up… and how I chose to be ‘me’ instead. How did I not remember that? How—?” 

Sue didn’t let Malice finish her question. Instead, she pulled her other self into a hug. “I’m sorry.” 

She could feel Malice start to shake in her arms. “I… I want to be me, Sue. I want that, but I… I don’t want to be alone either. That’s… that’s all I was. Alone. I don’t know if this is my Sue speaking or me or both, but… I don’t want to be alone.” 

“You’re not alone anymore.” 

And Sue meant it. She and her family had seen countless different versions of themselves across their travels in the multiverse. Those who were the only ones left in their families were the ones that needed to know that they weren’t as alone as they thought they were. And as Sue heard the sniffles that came from her other self as she wrapped her arms around to return the hug, she knew that Malice needed to know that too. 

“W-we should’ve talked sooner…,” Malice stammered out, letting tears flow freely out of her eyes. 

“Yeah… we should’ve.” 

“Thank you.” 

It didn’t take long for two more sets of arms to wrap around the duo. Sue glanced around her to see Johnny and Peni both holding on tightly, sending comfort to their former foe as best they could. She couldn’t help but laugh. “Looks like these two made their decision. So, what do you say? Ready to join the family?” 

Malice pulled away from Sue to look her in the eyes once more. “Yeah… yeah, I’d like that. A lot, actually.” 

Then, rather unexpectedly, she reached up and grabbed the wrapping that draped her head. It took only a few moments to detangle them off, revealing the silver hair and paler face of Sue’s other self, and she was smiling to boot. “You think we can rearrange the deal a little? If you’re taking me in, then, well… you know.” 

“Ah, come on, sis!” Johnny exclaimed, patting Malice on the back. “Family’s family! Consider it already altered!” 

The quartet finally left their group hug, but the mood between them had considerably lightened. Sue couldn’t help but smile. Of all the outcomes she had expected, this was the one she never accounted for, but she was happy regardless. In spite of everything, it looked as though healing was finally in the cards for her other self. 

“I guess reintroductions are in order,” the other self in question stated, a hopeful look in her eyes, “you can call me Mal. The nickname stuck, I’ll admit.” 

“Nice to meet you, Mal. I’m Sue.” 

Chapter Text

When science found itself unable to answer the call, it was always best to turn to the mystic arts to find a solution. While Peter would always find himself inclined towards the scientific, he knew when the situation called for some good old fashioned magic. Luckily for him, he knew where to find the best sorcerer in the world: 177A Bleecker Street. 

As he walked into the Sanctum Sanctorum though, Peter could tell that not everything was quite right. Certain areas of its hallowed halls seemed to be rearranged in a most peculiar way. There were portals littered across the place haphazardly, each going to an entirely random section of the Sanctorum. In all honesty, it looked like someone went in and decided to make the place even more of a maze than what it usually was. 

“Doc?” he called out, his voice echoing throughout the halls. 

“Over here!” 

Ah, the portal to his left! Peter was quick to hop through, and he found himself in the maze of bookcases that were the mystic archives. It didn’t take long for his gaze to land on the Sorcerer Supreme himself, Doctor Stephen Strange, standing next to one of said bookshelves. The older man was currently flicking through the pages of a heavy-looking green-backed tome, but his gray eyes were currently looking at Peter with an inviting warmth. 

“Pleasure seeing you here, Mr. Parker!” the good doctor exclaimed, a smile gracing his face. “I imagine you’re checking up on our progress to see if we’ve found any results?” 

“We? Wait, is this where Wanda went?” 

As if on cue, the red-clad form of the Scarlet Witch herself, Wanda Maximoff, took form next to them. “Why yes it is. Hello Peter!” 

“Heyo!” 

“Any luck on your end, Wanda?” Strange asked, his gaze turning to his old understudy. 

Wanda shook her head. “None so far. Dracula’s charms did quite a number on the Sanctum. It will take quite some time to find what we’re looking for.” 

“Eh, typical,” Peter muttered, “leave it to the bad guys to actually use their heads during the big crises and not anything else.” 

“Tell me about it.” 

“In addition to that, we’ve found that certain areas of the Sanctum have been sealed off,” Strange explained, a most peculiar look of curiosity crossing his eyes, “now, at first, you might think it to be Dracula’s doing, but the only charms placed here by the king of vampires have been the rearranging ones.” 

“Which means the Sanctum itself is keeping something trapped in its walls,” Wanda concluded, her expression going grim, “and knowing our luck, the only way to find out will be to enter the sealed areas.” 

“Might as well, right?” Peter quipped. Typical Parker luck. Hopefully he’d make it back in time to teach Peni some new recipes to cook. 

“Agreed. Both of you, hold onto me. We’re going in.” 

Both Peter and Strange did as asked, grabbing a hold of Wanda by the shoulders. The dark arts flowed freely in Wanda’s hands, allowing her to envelop the trio in a wave of crimson energy. It wasn’t long before the group found themselves in a new environment within the Sanctum: a darkened hallway devoid of shelves and trinkets. It didn’t take Spider-Sense to realize just how off things were in this hall, and as the three rematerialized into place, Peter could tell that the two mystics were thinking the same thing. 

“Be on guard,” Strange decried, summoning his runes around his arms, “the air here is… demonic. Our intruder will not take kindly to us.” 

Of course, right as the good doctor finished saying that, Peter’s Spider-Sense started going off like crazy. And the source of it was… oh crap, right behind them!  

“DUCK!” he yelled as he dragged Wanda and Strange down to the ground. Not even a full second later, the telltale swing of a massive zweihander swiped through the air, ending with a thunderous collision into the wall. A quick glance up revealed to Peter the owner: a white-haired, purple-skinned demon with massive crimson horns and blood red eyes. Its face was gnarled into a vicious scowl, and it glared at the trio with such ferocity. 

With a snap of Strange’s fingers, the trio was back on their feet and a good distance away from the massive beast, which was still glaring at them like it wanted to murder them. Which, in all likelihood, it probably did. 

“Illyana!” Wanda called out, a fierce look in her scarlet eyes. “What in the world are you doing?!” 

“There’s no Illyana here!” the demon roared out, “only Darkchild!” 

“Then if you are only Darkchild,” Strange began, waving his hands in a circular motion, “then you won’t have any problems cutting us down, right?” 

Oh, Peter knew where this was going, and this was his specialty. “Yeah! I mean, come on, what kinda fearsome demon doesn’t strike their enemies down on sight? It’d be pretty pitiful if you just left us wandering around with a chance to stop ya!” 

To his eternal thanks, the massive demon took the obvious bait, and with rage in its eyes, it leapt forward, swinging its blade towards them. Of course, that was when Strange snapped his fingers, and a personal portal of his opened right in front of the trio. As expected, the Darkchild fell right through, and with a second snap, the portal closed right behind it. The trio let out a sigh of relief. 

“At the very least, Darkchild’s claim of there being no Illyana rings true,” Wanda commented, running a hand through her wild red hair, “which means she and Darkchild have been separated somehow. The question is, where is Illyana?” 

“And how were her mutant and demon halves separated?” Strange added, curiosity filling his eyes once more. And to be fair, it was a valid question. From what Peter had heard, Illyana’s time in Limbo had permanently given her the Darkchild transformation, a la Bruce and Hulk. Unlike the jade giant, though, Darkchild was an extension of the mutant’s own soul, a physical manifestation of the power needed to rule Limbo as its queen. To have them separated would effectively be splitting Illyana’s soul in half.  

Peter shuddered at the idea. Soul-based magic always freaked him out, especially ever since his first time astral projecting with Strange. It was the weirdest out of body experience he had ever gone through, and he wasn’t too keen on reliving it. But, the more he thought about it, the more of an idea formed in his head. 

“If Darkchild’s separated, wouldn’t that make it easier to track Illyana’s human soul?” the wall-crawler asked. 

The two mystics turned their gazes back to him, their eyes going wide at the realization. It didn’t take long for the arcane arts to flow into Strange’s hands once more, and soon enough, an all too familiar smirk emerged on the good doctor’s face. 

“Mr. Parker, it seems your hunch was correct!” he exclaimed, his runes glowing a bright, burning yellow. “Her human soul is faint, but I can sense it in the Sanctum! This sigil here will glow brighter the closer we are to her, so it’s best we hurry.” 

And hurry they needed to, especially with the roars of Darkchild echoing through the halls. Scarlet energy built up in Wanda’s hands as she took a defensive stance. “I’ll guard our rear. Strange, Spider-Man, keep us moving.” 

Even if it wasn’t needed in the halls of the Sanctum, Wanda switching back to calling Peter his hero name signaled how serious the threat was. “You heard the reality warper, let’s get a move on!” 

So, the three of them began their mad dash through the maze of hallways. Not knowing the current layout of the Sanctum proved to make things far more difficult, but with Strange’s signal working its magic (hah!), the trio wasn’t getting too lost. To their own surprise, Darkchild seemed oddly slow in its pursuit, possibly as a symptom of the soul separation. It wasn’t like Marc’s system and Malice’s situation, where there were multiple personalities. The demonic side of Magik was simply a core component of her, not its own distinct mind. No wonder it was so feral in attacking them. 

“So, Peter,” Wanda quipped, keeping both her gaze and her aim down the hall as they moved, “how is parenthood treating you?” 

Oh yeah, he kept forgetting Wanda could relate. “Well, considering the whole multiverse situation, it’s a very non-traditional parenthood. That being said, Peni is an absolute sweetheart, and I wish I could’ve seen her grow up more. MJ and I have a lot of lost time to catch up on, but we’re just happy to be a part of Peni’s life.” 

“She missed you both. Her thoughts are quite easy to pick up, so a bit of unintentional eavesdropping has happened, but from what I’ve heard, she very much shares your sentiment. I’m amazed you aren’t glued to each other all the time.” 

“Blame Peni’s curiosity,” Strange chimed in, “our world is a new experience to her.” 

“And she’s taking every moment to drink it in,” Peter confirmed, a warm smile on his face, “but enough about us. How are Billy and Tommy doing?” 

Wanda couldn’t help but giggle. “Billy’s managing an empire with Teddy, and the two of them couldn’t be happier. As for Tommy, he and Pietro have been bonding with a race across Europe. And don’t tell Pietro, but I think Tommy might end up beating him this time.” 

“Oh, that I’d love to see!” 

But before they could, they’d have to deal with this. And Dracula. And the Entanglement. God, super crises got in the way of so much of parenthood. No wonder Vision tried to retire after literally building his family. On that note, Peter had to check in with Vision and Viv for Miles. He had asked him to before the Entanglement hit due to it being close to the team’s anniversary. 

“I think we’re here,” Strange proclaimed, halting all thoughts beyond their current predicament. The trio found themselves standing before a set of massive metal doors that loomed over them ominously. Most tellingly, however, Strange’s sigil was now glowing a bright, burning yellow. Magik was most certainly behind those doors. 

“Strange, is this not the chamber you once held the Darkhold in?” Wanda asked, eyeing those ominous doors with a certain degree of wariness. 

Strange nodded his head in confirmation. “I’m afraid so. Whoever set this up wanted to make sure that their work couldn’t be undone. How unfortunate for them that we’ve made it this far.” 

Another roar echoed out, this one far closer than it should’ve been. Peter’s Spider-Sense was starting to ring out too. “Okay, open the doors, open the doors! ” 

Both Wanda and Strange stretched their arms out, and their combined magic made the doors react with an ominous crimson glow. However, instead of simply opening like Peter expected them to, the massive steel barriers faded out of existence in the blink of an eye. Leave it to the mystic arts to do something completely unexpected. In an instant, the trio ran into the room, and with a quick snap of fingers, the doors reappeared. And just in time too, as Darkchild had rushed forward, slamming itself into those metal monoliths. 

“You can’t hide here forever!” the demoness bellowed out. “You will fall!” 

“We’ll fall later, we’re busy!” Peter quipped in return. 

Now, to see what Illyana was doing and—Oh. 

Oh boy.  

At the center of the room sat a large, circular wooden table. Carved into its surface was a blood-red pentagram that glowed with dark power, and bolted right on top, with a limb in each pointed section and her head at the topmost one, was one Illyana Rasputin. She seemed to be locked into a deep slumber, so still and unmoving that it was starting to creep Peter out. 

The trio approached the table carefully, their eyes peeled to see if any traps had been laid. To their collective surprise, it seemed as though the room was safe. If Peter had to guess, the potential harm of said traps would’ve outweighed their usefulness, given how Illyana would probably be caught in the crossfire. Hey, it looked like the type of spell that needed its intended target alive, so that was probably it. 

“So, Doc,” Peter muttered out, eyeing the demonic sigils that traced the edges of the pentagram, “any verdict on who’s causing this?” 

“My first impulse is to say it’s Mephisto,” Strange muttered, tracing one of the sigils with a concerning ease, “but these runes don’t contain his mystic imprint. They do, however, match the energies of the Darkhold, and we already have confirmation that Dracula has recovered at least half of its pages, while we’ve recovered the other half.” 

“So our most likely culprit is Dracula himself,” Wanda concluded, reaching out to her fellow mutant’s wrist to feel for a pulse. The tell-tale thump of blood coursing through Illyana’s veins was confirmation enough. “She’s still alive. Remerging her and Darkchild should return her to our waking world.” 

It was then that Peter’s gaze caught sight of a silver band wrapped around Illyana’s hand, its surface shining against the red light of the pentagram. But no, that wasn’t what made Peter’s blood run cold. It was the symbol at its center, settled between the mutant’s eyebrows, that caused that sensation: 

A blue molecular core. 

“The Maker’s working with Dracula,” the wall-crawler muttered. 

The two mages turned their gazes to the silver band, and their eyes went wide. Wanda in particular reached out, her fingertips nearly grazing the device’s surface. “Magic to separate the halves, and science to keep her noble side asleep.” 

“We can’t risk Illyana waking before returning Darkchild to her,” Strange remarked, “most likely, The Maker’s device will harm her if we attempt such an action.” 

“On top of that, we need to figure out how to get it off,” Peter added, “but until then, Darkchild.” 

Speaking of, the demoness was still slamming herself against the metal doors. Sooner or later, it was going to get in, and most likely cause way, way too much havoc. Which meant they needed a plan to subdue her. But how… oh!  

“Have you guys ever seen Empire Strikes Back?”

Chapter Text

First things first, the table had to be moved out of the way. If Peter, Wanda and Strange were going to use the chamber to lure Darkchild in, then they couldn’t risk Illyana getting trampled by her own demon half in the process. So, the table she was bolted to was now suspended high above the floor, courtesy of Strange’s own Cloak of Levitation. While that meant Strange himself would be grounded for their confrontation, it was a limitation he accepted for the sake of safety. 

As for the rest of their plans, well, it relied on a combination of precise web-swings, an acceleration rune, and luck. Having explained the AT-AT scene from Empire Strikes Back, the trio figured replicating its effects on Illyana’s demon half would be the best way to restrain it. So, to make it happen, Wanda had binded an acceleration rune to Peter to make him fast enough to run circles around Darkchild. Literally, if needed! While Strange and Wanda would distract the demoness, he would play snowspeeder and web the beast up as best he could. 

Question is, how well would this plan actually work? Especially with that zweihander that Darkchild was a bit too fond of. Disarming her was also a priority, so they had to adjust to include that part. They had to make sure that this went off without a hitch, hence the luck part. Nonetheless, it had to be done, or else Illyana would be stuck table napping forever. 

Having fallen asleep on a table himself, Peter could attest to the back pain. 

“You guys ready?” Peter called from above. He was hanging from above to gain a good vantage point against the room, and to keep an eye on their sleeping ally. Both Strange and Wanda nodded in confirmation, entering battle ready stances on the ground floor. They would have to be careful. One wrong move and slice, gone! No pressure, right? 

Another slam against the doors rang out. Darkchild was still outside. That meant the luring part of the plan would be easy. But first, the moment of truth. 

“Lower the doors!” 

Strange and Wanda did as asked, making the doors disappear with a snap of their fingers. Mere seconds later, Darkchild came rushing in, roaring with such intensity that it sent Peter’s Spider-Sense into the yellow zone. Which of course meant that it ended up looking up directly at him with those blood-red eyes. 

“Get down here, coward!” it bellowed out, but before it could raise its sword, it found its right arm bound by the mystic bands of Doctor Strange. 

“I’d hold off facing him for now,” the good doctor quipped, “especially when the bigger threats are right in front of you!” 

Darkchild snarled as it pulled and tugged against the magic bands, but Strange remained undeterred. With its focus held by the Sorcerer Supreme, it failed to notice the spectral form of the Scarlet Witch shifting behind it. As Wanda traced a new rune into existence, the demon foe turned to face her, but that one second of realization was all Wanda needed to act. She trusted her hand forward, slamming the rune into the demon’s face, blinding her with burning red light. 

“IMPUDENT—!” 

“You’ve called me worse by now, dear.” 

Not taking kindly to the insult, Darkchild swung its bound arm forward, dragging Strange along with it. To the good doctor’s credit, he released the magic chains, letting himself fly through the air and above Wanda, before leaping through one of his signature portals. Wanda took that as her turn to act, binding her foe with a trail of crimson magic. The demon growled further and further, lashing out at the pain. 

“Angry yet?” Wanda couldn’t help but taunt. 

“VERY!” Darkchild howled out, swinging her massive blade down into the ground, cratering the area where Wanda once stood. In its fury, though, it forgot about Wanda’s astral form, which let the witch phase through the attack. The demoness hissed in frustration at the sight, its anger rising even further. 

Another of Strange’s portals opened next to Peter’s spot on the ceiling, and the older hero poked his head through to meet his gaze. “Are you ready for your part in this, Parker?” 

“About as ready as I can be!” 

“On my signal….” 

Here was the tricky part. With a tap of his finger, the acceleration rune stuck to Peter’s chest was set alight, and he could feel every aspect of his body drastically speed up. The magic power-up wouldn’t last long, only about ten seconds of real time, but for him, it would feel like a full minute. Just the amount of time he needed. 

“NOW!” 

And with that, Peter dove through the portal, sending him rocketing over the ground and near Darkchild’s legs. Acting quickly, he sent a web strand out, hitting the demoness dead-on at the ankle. Said demoness shot a glare towards the web-slinger, but before it could do anything else, its zweihander was ripped out of its hand, courtesy of one Sorcerer Supreme. 

“Looking for something?” Strange asked, a cocky grin on his face as he held the blade aloft. 

“INSOLENT LITTLE—!” 

“Peter, start up! ” Wanda called out. 

And that was when the rune truly activated. 

To say that Peter was moving fast would be an understatement. If this was what Pietro felt on a daily basis, then no wonder he considered everyone else slow, because Jesus! Here he was, moving at what felt like hypersonic speeds, wrapping the web strands around and around and around Darkchild over and over and over! Sure, the demon in question was still growling and trying to swipe at him, but his speed boost and Spider-Sense combined meant he was able to consistently dodge and avoid those claws with ease! 

Darkchild growled in fury. “YOU INSECT—!” 

“Hey, spiders are arachnids, not insects!” 

Another roar rang out, but Peter didn’t focus on the roar. No, he was focusing on his webs. He kept running, faster and faster, twisting and twisting his web strand around Darkchild again and again. It didn’t take long for them to tangle the demon’s digitigrade legs together, binding them into stillness. 

That’s when Peter felt his speed wane ever so slightly. Three seconds left. Darkchild was tied up enough, so now came the finishing move. The web-slinger cut the strand loose, jumped onto the nearest wall, and bounced off. The resulting ricochet sent him into a diving kick, aimed directly at Darkchild, and the impact rang true. Thus, the demon form of the queen of limbo was sent careening to the ground, hitting the cold floor with a thunderous slam. As for Peter himself, he landed in his usual crouch, his boots steaming from both his run and his kick. 

Strange was quick to act, summoning more of his enchanted bindings to seal Darkchild onto the ground. The demoness could only growl as it struggled to break free from its confines. 

“Don’t try anything, dear,” Wanda drawled out, the arcane energy in her hands growing particularly vicious, “you’re in no position to fight back.” 

“Old friend!” Strange called out. “Bring Illyana down!” 

It didn’t take long for the Cloak of Levitation to return to its friend, bringing down the table with Illyana alongside it. It set its cargo down gently next to Strange before returning to his shoulders, and the good doctor hummed with satisfaction. Peter leapt over to him and Wanda with ease, planting himself atop Darkchild as a bit of added weight to make sure it wouldn’t escape. 

“Cowards, the lot of you!” Darkchild bellowed out, but those were the only words it could manage before it found its mouth webbed up by the wall-crawler. 

Peter shook his head in disapproval. “Keep quiet, the grown-ups are talking!” 

“Wanda, if you would?” Strange asked, his gaze turning to the table and his pupil. 

With a wordless nod, the Scarlet Witch extended her hands out to both Illyana and Darkchild, enveloping the two in her crimson magic. With each passing moment, the pentagram beneath Illyana seemed to disappear more and more, its red glow fading. Darkchild seemed to stop struggling to boot. Wanda raised her hands into the air, crossing them and their streams of magic together. A blinding flash of light blazed out, blinding Peter for a brief moment. When it faded, Darkchild was gone, nowhere to be seen. 

“That was it… right?” Peter couldn’t help but ask. Now that the rune had fully dissipated, wow, he was feeling tired! He probably wouldn’t be able to handle doing that again. 

“It is,” Wanda confirmed, her gaze landing on her fellow X-Man with relief, “Darkchild is once again part of Illyana.” 

“As much of a victory as this is for us,” Strange interjected, looking oddly forlorn, “I can’t help but be a bit dissatisfied. Darkchild is a mark of Limbo’s corruption, and if we could be rid of it, it would ease Illyana’s suffering greatly. At this point, however, separation would do more harm than good.” 

Ah, right. Peter had heard about that. It was during one of his old hangouts with Logan that the gruff X-Man had told him Illyana’s story. Being spirited away by Belasco into Limbo, hoping to make a corrupted warrior, and ultimately succeeding. The end result was the gruff, abrasive, and honestly sometimes evil New Mutants member known as Magik. The same Magik who just so happened to be the tyrant Queen of Limbo, a fate that a majority of the X-Men still felt guilty for failing to prevent to this day. 

Peni was right, superheroing needed to include therapy. 

“So, the next step is getting The Maker’s gizmo off her head,” Peter quipped, quickly moving into place with the tools he kept stashed in his suit, “leave that to me!” 

Wanda raised her eyebrow with a healthy dose of skepticism. “I don’t doubt your technical prowess, Peter, but this is an evil Reed who did this. I’m surprised you’re confident enough to handle this.” 

“Which is why I made sure to squeeze some extra lessons in with Reed!” 

If Peter had to guess, the device currently strapped to Illyana’s head was a neural inhibitor, most likely with an anesthesia administrator beneath it for good measure. It was a simple device, really, but it being Maker-made, it was bound to have a few extra tricks. So, Peter pried the side panel open with his screwdriver, fully ready to start. 

But then his Spider-Sense went off. 

Illyana opened her eyes, and oh, her eyes burned in hellfire! Peter jumped back in shock as she leapt off the table, breaking her bindings with ease. She landed on the ground in a battle ready crouch, and she turned to the trio and snarled in rage. 

“Where is he?!” she bellowed out, her voice seething in that same rage. “Where is that bloodsucker?!” 

“Illyana, wait!” Wanda called out, “that device—!” 

Before she could finish her sentence, though, the inhibitor let out a purple glow as it proceeded to channel a surge of electricity into Magik. Limbo’s queen howled in pain, and her hands immediately went to clawing away at the metal band around her head. Had it been anyone else, it probably would’ve been an act of futility, but Peter knew better. His Spider-Sense started to wane the moment she first took hold of that device. 

“ENOUGH!” Illyana howled, digging her grasp around the inhibitor and ripping it clean off. Blood dripped down the cut where the anesthetic needle had punctured, but Limbo’s queen paid it no mind. With the electricity no longer in effect, Illyana fell into a kneel, her hands catching her before she fell to the ground completely. Her heavy breathing echoed throughout the chamber, the only sound occupying the space. 

“Illyana, dear child,” Strange murmured, kneeling down beside his old student, “I hope we didn’t keep you waiting for too long.” 

A dull laugh escaped Illyana’s lungs at that remark, and her gaze lifted up to meet the doctor’s. “I’d say you’re getting slow for your age, but you’re not even 50 yet.” 

Strange chuckled as he helped the magic mutant back onto her feet. “Welcome back, Ms. Rasputin. Dracula’s caused quite a bit of mayhem for us in the time you’ve been trapped here, but we’ve been able to make some significant progress on the outside. Perhaps you’d be willing to help us make the final push?” 

A vicious smirk graced Illyana’s face. “Gladly. I owe Dracula some payback for that stunt he pulled.” 

“Just make sure Moon Knight gets his money first, okay?” Peter couldn’t help but quip. 

It was at that moment that Magik took a good long look at him. “Huh… no mask.” 

And that was when Peter remembered that no, Illyana did, in fact, not know who he was under the mask. Meaning he exposed his identity to one extra person by accident, and the person in question was most likely the blackmailing type. 

“Oops.” 

Wanda let out a fluttery giggle. “Let’s be real, Peter, she would’ve found out anyway with Peni around. The amount of extra introductions you’ve had to do with her has gotten quite long.” 

“Peni?” Illyana questioned, glancing at the wall-crawler with curiosity. 

“Long story,” Peter mumbled, “anyway, why were you even locked up here in the first place? Did you find something Drac didn’t want you to?” 

A mischievous chuckle escaped Limbo’s queen at that moment. “Why yes I did! Tell me, have any of you ever heard of Ratatoskr?”

Chapter Text

So squirrel gods were a thing. Because why not. Okay, there was an actual reason, the Norse pantheon was a very active part of this reality, but it was still a very perplexing thing to reconcile with what Peni was used to! Crazy geneticists, giant kaiju, and mad science, those were her usual ballpark. She, admittedly, still found it perplexing that Dracula was the main foe of New York right now. 

“Well, at the very least, we know what the hordes have been guarding,” Tony quipped. The assembled team had gathered around the holotable in the command center, their collective gaze aimed at the hardlight reconstruction of Central Park. More specifically, they were focusing on the outcropping near the middle, where a large, squirrel-wolf looking hybrid sat chained above a pit of fire. Excessive, yes, but this was Dracula. Excessive was up his alley. 

“Ratatoskr, messenger of Yggdrasil,” Doctor Strange proclaimed, “her abilities make her one of the only beings capable of piercing Dracula’s blood shields. He’s taken to taunting us by placing her prison just outside his castle’s boundaries. His arrogance in doing so, however, will be his downfall.” 

“He still wouldn’t leave the place unguarded though,” Peni muttered, leaning closer to the table to observe the hologram of Ratatoskr, “and it’s probably gonna be worse trying to get her out. You guys think this is another ‘all hands on deck’ situation?” 

“More than likely,” Reed admitted, his gaze lifting up to every hero who stood gathered in the room, “we’re going to have to expand our original six-man lineup if we’re to successfully free Ratatoskr. With that in mind, I want everyone here resting up as much as they can between training and drills. This will require every ounce of energy and effort we can give.” 

“As for who we’re deploying,” Sue interjected, “we’re going to have to swap that around. With our current lineup, as well as our current information, it might be better to have two teams in order to make our rescue possible.” 

Peni’s gaze drifted over the room, passing between each assembled costumed caper to gauge what kind of teams could be had. Her dad, Lie, and Seol were the people she knew best, and she wouldn’t be surprised if the four of them ended up in the same lineup given their overall synergy. The question then became who else would be put together. The Fantastic Four were most likely going to stick with each other if the four of them were deployed. Hey, being a family of heroes meant you had plenty of time to figure out how to work best with each other. 

Beyond that, she couldn’t gauge how the rest of New York’s heroes would team up with everyone else. Tony, Bruce, Wanda, and Strange would probably group up together, given their bond as Avengers. Marc and Mr. Castle were probably going to partner up in some way, given their shared brutality, no surprise there. Doreen would probably go where she felt best needed, so she was up in the air, but not necessarily in a bad way. If anything, her ability to gel with whoever the situation needed spoke volumes of her adaptability. 

That left two people who she wasn’t sure of how to fit into the equation: Mal and Magik. Now, for Mal’s part, she would probably be hesitant to even get herself involved in the fight. After all, The Maker was still after her. She needed to prioritize her own safety. That being said, if Mal were to join the fight, it’d probably be a toss up between the F4 and whatever team Peni ended up on. As for Magik, Peni didn’t know enough about her to gauge where she’d best fit in. Her first impression of the mutant demoness was one of abrasiveness and lone wolf tendencies, which didn’t gel well with teamwork from her experience. 

Figuring out teams might be more complicated than expected. 

“Do you think we can call in help from the others?” Peter suggested, a curious glint in his eyes. “At the very least, if we can recruit more variants to the cause, we can make multiple teams possible.” 

A thoughtful look entered Reed’s eyes at that moment. “Not a bad idea. The main issue would be balancing out who remains in their respective Chronoverses. We’ll send out the call and see who replies. Until then, it’s best that we gear up as best we can. For now, we consider this meeting adjourned.” 

One by one, the group trickled out of the command center, various degrees of concern written across their faces. It didn’t take a degree in rocket science to understand the gravity of the situation. If pulled off correctly, then Eternal Night could actually come to an end, allowing the sun to finally rise in New York again. Peni had to admit, it would be nice to actually see her first sunrise in her dad’s version of New York. Plus, she was tired of seeing the moon everywhere. 

(Something she would never, ever admit in front of Marc’s face) 

At the very least, she had a bit more time to get something set up, and she knew the perfect person to help her get started on that. 

“Hey, Dad,” Peni muttered, catching Peter’s attention, “I’m gonna go ask Ben about that thing we’ve been working on. See you at dinner?” 

Peter gave a quick, two-finger salute as he replied. “Go for it! See ya then!” 

And with that, Peni was off, weaving between the rest of the crowd as she headed toward the ever-loving, blue eyed Thing, who had walked into the nearest elevator. She managed to slip inside right as the doors closed shut, catching Thing off guard, as evident by his raised rocky eyebrows. Or were they just one big unibrow? They looked like a unibrow, but functioned like two separate ones… ah, Peni would figure it out later. 

“Woah, Peni-cent!” Ben exclaimed. “You startled me there!” 

Peni, for her part, chuckled sheepishly. “Sorry, Benjy. Wanted to catch you in time, cause I’ve got something Peter and I have been working on, and I wanted to know what you think.” 

“Something tells me y’all have been working on this way before today’s meeting.” 

“Since Mal got here, actually. How well do you think group therapy would go?” 

There was a moment of awkward silence that stretched out in the elevator. Ben looked at Peni with those beady blue eyes of his, but to the young pilot’s surprise, they were filling up with warmth more and more. “Peni… you have no idea how happy that makes me.” 

Peni, for her part, pumped her fist up in glee. “Yes! I knew you’d think it was a good idea!” 

“Hey, having been there myself, it needs to happen.” 

A light ding rang out from the elevator, and the metal doors slid open a moment later, opening the training room up to the two of them. The duo were quick to enter, with Ben taking a turn towards his usual spot in the room, complete with a specialized punching bag setup. “You mind helping me set this up as we iron out the details?” 

Instead of replying, Peni jogged up to the pile of spare bags stacked neatly up onto the ground, took hold of the top most one, and hefted it up over her better shoulder. “Jeez, what’s in this thing? Lead?” 

“Nah, limestone. Light enough for regular folks to lift, but tough enough for me to punch. Just hook it up right here, and we’re good to go!” 

One click of metal rungs later, and the heavy bag was hanging in place. It didn’t take long for Ben to start lobbing jabs at it, his signature slugger style of boxing in full force. For how much each blow thundered against the bag, Peni had to imagine that if it were a person, they would most likely be dead… and that when she decided not to think about that any further. Super strength was terrifying the more you thought about it. 

“Alrighty…,” Peni muttered, procuring a small notepad gifted to her by Seol from her pocket, “I’ve already asked Bruce and Mal about doing this, and they were the ones who told me you could help get it off the ground. They agreed to it, by the way, and before you ask, yes, I’m joining too. Being here helped me realize that I am not as stable as I thought I was.” 

Ben let out a dry chuckle. “Welcome to the club, kiddo. We all got a little bit of that around here. So that’s four so far, anyone else signing up?” 

“Tony, surprisingly, though he said he’d do it as a supervisor?” 

“He’s been around the block with this before. Used to have a real alcoholic streak til he hit rock bottom. These days, he’s the first to help anyone that needs to kick any bad habits.” 

Peni blinked owlishly in surprise. “Huh… honestly, I wasn't expecting that.” 

A trio of punches hit the bag in rapid succession. “He’ll probably tell ya about it if you catch him making that weird matcha drink of his. As for me, tell him I’m on board as a supervisor too. My own therapist has been helping me out with doing the same for others for years at this point.” 

“In that case, who do you recommend we drag into our first session?” 

“The X-Men.” 

“The X… wait, all of them?” 

“Yep.” 

Confusion caused Peni to tilt her head quizzically. “Why all of them?” 

A humorless chuckle escaped Ben as he slammed the punching bag with a monstrous right hook. “Where do I even begin? Oh yeah, most of them started out as kid soldiers. ” 

Oh! Peni thought to herself. She knew exactly where this was going! Everyone here in Eternal Night, even (more like especially) Mr. Castle could agree on one key thing: putting kids in harm’s way was not tolerated. It was a fact she experienced for herself when they found out how young she was when she started piloting SP//dr. It was one thing if there was an active choice in the matter, like how her dad and Johnny chose to be heroes at their ages, but if the situation was distinctly that of a child soldier, there was a problem. 

And that was when a thought occurred for Peni. “Wait, how old was Magik when she joined the X-Men?” 

“Oh, that’s a whole can of worms, and honestly, kinda confusing. You’d have to ask her.” 

Of course.  

“In that case, what about the whole deal with the X-Men? You mentioned kid soldiers, how old were they when they picked up the fight?” 

A few more punches rang out. “Well, the original five all started when they were about 14 years old. Yeah, older than you were when you started, but when they started makes it worse if you ask me.” 

“When?” 

Ben turned his gaze back to Peni, and there was a solemn look in his eyes. “My family’s been around for 10 years at this point. 10 years of us exploring the cosmos and trying to figure out our place in the world. The X-Men first showed up six years before our cosmic radiation bath. Cyke, their leader, just turned 30. Imagine spending your life fighting against mutant injustice just because the professor that took you in has been training you to do so the entire time. That’s the original five, that’s Magik and the New Mutants, hell, that’s an overwhelming majority of them. They deserve better. All of them.” 

If there were any extra thoughts in Peni’s head before Ben’s words, they had vanished in an instant. The X-Men were just like her, in a sense. Dragged into battle due to circumstances outside their control. Had they been given the choice later in life, they probably would’ve had the ability to walk away, at least to some degree. Like her, they probably would’ve chosen to take it up had things worked out that way. If she got to meet the rest of them some day, she’d have to ask them. 

“Who got it all started?” she couldn’t help but ask. 

“That would be one Professor Charles Xavier,” Ben muttered in reply, “real piece of work he turned out to be. Look, I’ll give him credit for bringing the team together, cause this world would’ve been a lot worse without them, but that’s it. Old baldy’s more of a hypocrite than he even realizes. Be careful around him if you two ever cross paths, Peni-cent.” 

“Noted.” 

If anything, Xavier was starting to sound like the type of shadiness her aunt and uncle engaged in. That on its own sucked to say, admittedly. Her versions of May and Ben still held an important place in her heart, but it was hard to ignore the fact that they had dragged her into piloting SP//dr in an unfair way. Like she had told her father prior to retaking Avengers Tower, had she just been given the choice later in life, she would’ve taken it in a heartbeat. 

Maybe there was a version of her out there who did have the choice? If there was, what was her life like? Would she have the same bond with Spidey that she herself had now? The same dedication and determination? Would she have moments where she felt resigned to a more morbid fate? 

“I know what you’re thinking, kiddo,” Ben stated, cutting through her thoughts, “and there may be a version like that out there, but you gotta focus on you, okay?” 

A small laugh escaped Peni at that moment. “Yeah, you got a point. Sorry, Benjy. Hard not to think about, what with how new I still am to the whole multiverse thing.” 

Ben let out a chuckle of his own as he patted Peni’s head. “No need to apologize, Peni-cent. A good chunk of us have been there before. But hey, we can bring it up in a group session if need be!” 

“Good idea! Now, do you think we’d have any luck dragging Illyana in?” 

“I’ll do it literally if I have to.” 

Somehow, Peni knew he would most likely end up having to do that, but hey, as long as it could help, she’d be down for it.

Chapter Text

Being in the superhero business naturally came with the job of rescuing people, and amidst the thinning of the vampire horde, people needed to be saved. Case in point, the situation that Peni found herself in currently. A train had derailed off a rail line in the Bronx, and it now sat dangling off the edge of a bridge. The resulting accident had also damaged a surprisingly large building beneath the bridge, and if the train fell completely off, then that same building would end up crushed to bits. The situation had caused much confusion, and a number of delays. 

Everyone involved turned out to be very lucky that they were nearby. Peni, Luna, and Magik had been scouting a path to get to Central Park when the alert came in. It didn’t take long for the trio to arrive, courtesy of Magik’s portals through Limbo, and it took less time to get to work. Stabilizing the building came first, and Luna took it upon herself to freeze the supports solid. That out of the way, Magik began leaping through her portals, their light illuminating the train cars above. Every time she came back down to the ground level, she brought at least one passenger with her. 

“Yes, I know, it feels like you’re on fire,” the mutant sorceress grumbled as she hefted an older man off of her shoulder and onto the ground, “but trust me, actually being on fire is much worse. Consider yourself lucky.” 

Which left Peni with what was arguably the trickiest part of the rescue: the train. With it still dangling, it needed to get back on the tracks asap before it fell the rest of the way. Now, the nifty thing about piloting a giant mech suit was that super strength was built in as a prerequisite. Combine that with SP//dr’s wall-crawling abilities, and the end result was Peni quite literally dragging the train back onto the bridge by herself. 

“You know,” Peni began, opening up the comms to the group channel, “this is probably the most normal thing I’ve done so far in the entire Entanglement.” 

“Casually using a mech suit to lift a train?” Illyana quipped. 

“Hey, I’ll take train accidents over kaiju attacks. Just ask Morbius.” 

“Woah woah woah, wait,” Luna interjected, “Morbius? As in, The Living Vampire, Morbius? He’s a kaiju in your world?” 

“He’s just a vampire here? Huh… he must be a pain in your neck.” 

The resulting snicker that Luna tried (and failed) to stifle was more than enough for Peni to laugh alongside her. Getting the pop star to laugh had become a bit of a treat in the past few days. 

“Very funny,” Magik muttered, an annoyed look crossing her face, “can you finish getting that train back up there? These people keep complaining. For Christ's sake, we’re moving as fast as we can….” 

Now that was something that Peni wished was different between worlds. Some people would complain no matter how they were rescued, which always struck the young pilot as odd, because wouldn’t you rather complain about even being in danger in the first place? It happened all the time back home. Like, excuse her for pulling someone out of the jaws of a giant monster, she didn’t see the date those people were on. The monster still interrupted first. 

Before she could ruminate on that annoying memory any further, Peni’s ears caught the noise of crumbling concrete. She looked down to the mechanical feet of SP//dr to see if the strain of their grasps were causing a breakdown, but the mortar there was holding firm. The crumbling rang out again, and her gaze began darting across the area, before finally settling on a nearby part of the bridge. One that looked like it was falling apart. 

“Uh, guys!” she shouted out. “Who’s got the bridge?!” 

In an instant, both Luna and Magik turned their gazes to the crumbling part of the building, and their eyes went wide. In their haste to get everything else taken care of, they had forgotten one crucial detail: the stability of the bridge itself. 

And of course, that was when the whistle of a second train from off in the distance rang out. Another one was on its way. 

Typical Parker luck.  

Immediately, Peni opened her comm link to the full group channel. “Guys, we need a hand to spare! The bridge is collapsing, and there’s a second train on the way! We need either someone to hold the bridge up or someone to divert the train! Or both!” 

The trio that was already there in the first place leapt back into action, speeding up their pace exponentially. Magik was dashing through portals like a madwoman, flinging people through them like they were dead weight, while Luna returned to skating around her ice, blasting the area frozen as best she could. To their mutual worry, though, the heat from Magik’s limbo portals was making it hard for the ice to stay solid.  

“Keep at it!” Limbo’s queen bellowed out. “If it can last long enough for the second train, we should be good!” 

“Easier said than done!” Luna yelled out in return. 

On her end, Peni kept up her efforts of lifting the first train back onto the tracks, and she could feel the hydraulics of SP//dr straining with each passing moment. She knew that the older trains were made with heavier materials, but this railcar in particular felt heavier than it should have been, given how Spidey was getting irritated with the weight. She’d have to talk Reed into installing new railcars in the city after this. 

Man, I’ve gotten way more snarky since I got here, she couldn’t help but think. Maybe she was taking after her dad more in that respect? 

“Heard you guys needed a fourth!” 

A quick glance up into the sky was all the confirmation that Peni needed as she caught sight of the trail of fire from above. The exact millisecond later, the familiar form of one Johnny Storm rocketed towards the scene. The people still on board the train cheered in joy as the Human Torch flew beneath the bridge and conjured his flames, a cocky grin on his face. 

“A tango with Sunspot a few years back taught me how to do this!” the literal hothead exclaimed as the flames solidified against the concrete, burning bright as the cracks faded away. “Neat little welding technique, isn’t it?” 

And just like that, the second train passed by, rattling above the hot-head of the Fantastic Four with barely any problem. Johnny, for his part, grinned with glee at the sight of his success. “And that, my friends, is why I’m the best!” 

Luna giggled from where she stood on her ice. “You’ve certainly got a claim to that!” 

“It comes with experience! All these years stoking the flame, you know?” 

Oh brother, Peni thought to herself as she shifted the first train back onto the bridge, here we go again. Uncle Johnny. Flirting. Yay.  

At this point, it was clear that the F4 saw her as part of the family, just like how they did with Peter and MJ, which meant a better chance to know the team! Unfortunately, that came with seeing Johnny flirt almost all the freaking time. Like, earlier in the week, her, Luna, and Lie were all trying to have lunch together, and in comes Johnny firing one-liners out to Luna, who in turn started flinging them right back. It went on for the rest of the hour, and had they not had a booked slot in the training room, it probably would’ve gone on for longer. 

“Because I totally want my surrogate multiversal uncle flirting with my best friend…,” the young pilot muttered aloud. Curse their back-and-forth repertoire. 

“Jealous?” 

Peni leapt up in her seat in surprise, and her mech turned to allow the sight of Magik to enter her gaze. “Don’t scare me like that! Ugh… is everyone out of the train?” 

“At this point, yes. Wanda’s coming over to shepherd them to Avengers Tower. Apparently they added ‘crisis rooms’ for things like this a while back. No idea how useful they actually are, especially since you had to take it back from Dracula.” 

“We were successful though!” 

“You had to call in the reserves.” 

Peni could feel the awkward sweat drop form on her forehead. “Jeez, buzzkill much?” 

Magik let out a snort as she leaned against her soulsword. “I’m trying to be pragmatic. The safe houses down in Hell’s Kitchen would be better for these people, even with Kingpin’s forces having to share the same space as them. Just being in this business means you’re a target, and I should know….” 

Ah, right. The reason why Magik was even here as she was today. Being made a target for the simple fact that she was the baby sister of premier X-Men member Colossus. The end result of her entire ordeal with Belasco was the corruption she had to fight in the form of Darkchild. 

Needless to say, she was going to make Benjy drag her to group therapy. 

“Is it just me…,” Magik drawled out, her gaze trailing down to the buildings below, “or is that ice melting faster than it should be?” 

And that was when the ice started to crack open. 

The concerning noise caught the attention of Johnny and Luna, and their eyes widened at the sight. Before either of them had any time to react further, the ice shattered open with a deafening burst, and all of the debris was falling towards—

“SEOL!” Peni yelled out, diving down beneath the bridge. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Johnny attempting to dash forward in the air, but with the way the debris was falling at such a millisecond-like rate, no chances were being taken. 

SP//dr crashed to the ground, its arms wrapping themselves around Seol as the chunks of the buildings collided with the ground around them. The debris also took the chance to rattle against the back of the mech, every impact shooting sensations of pain through Spidey’s link to her and right into her nerves. She’d sort that part out later though. 

Once enough seconds had passed, the debris came to a stop. SP//dr raised its head up to survey the damage. Needless to say, that little apartment complex would have to be fully rebuilt when Eternal Night finally ended. The mech’s gaze lowered back down to see if Seol was unharmed, but the shine in the idol’s eyes as she looked back into its optics was proof enough. 

Peni let out a relieved sigh. “We gotta stop meeting like this.” 

Seol let out a fluttery giggle. “Aw, and here I thought you liked me!” 

“It’s hard not to. You’re amazing.” 

A small smile emerged on Seol’s face as she leaned her forehead against the surface of SP//dr’s chassis. “And from you, that means something. Thanks, Peni.” 

“Anytime, Seol.” 

Unbeknown to the duo, Johnny was looking at them from above, a perplexed look on his face. Magik portaled to his level to get a look at the expression, and the confusion spread to her as well. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. They’re both alive, by the way.” 

“Years ago,” Johnny mumbled on his breath, his eyes still focused on the sight, “there was a situation like this with Doc Ock at the Bugle building. Ock throws a chunk of the wall towards someone, and before I can even start moving, a spider dives in, wraps himself around the girl, and tanks the hit. When that happened, that was Peter and MJ, and now, well… this. ” 

Magik blinked owlishly at the hot-headed hero. “You sound like you’re overthinking this, Torch. It’s not like it’s a pattern.” 

“Yeah, but call it a gut feeling, and I’m betting $50 I’m right.” 

“...Can I bet $100 against that?” 

“You’re on.”

Chapter Text

It was getting way too late in the night. Sure, Peni was used to late nights in general, but one late night after the other could wear down anybody, and she was unfortunately no exception to the rule. At least this time around, she had an incredibly important reason to stay up for as long as she did, and it was to help plan an event that she was looking forward to: 

Peter’s birthday. 

With how much chaos was going on in New York with Eternal Night, Peni was surprised that MJ and the F4 had been planning a surprise party for the wall-crawler. It was an even bigger surprise when she saw just how much they had been able to plan out in spite of that. Reed and Sue were spearheading the thing, Tony apparently had something special in mind, and Johnny… somehow had a theme song ready for him. A full-blown, dedicated theme song, commissioned by him and performed by full-time artists. 

Uncle Johnny was weird. Fun to hang out with, but weird. 

Peni looked at the clock. 1:45 AM. A few minutes away from 2 AM. Spidey was napping atop the old analog machine, its tiny head using the buttons as pillows. The young pilot let out a soft chuckle. It was just like the little guy to fall asleep before she did. And to be entirely honest, it had been a long day. They had been working with Seol and Lie on scouting a route to Central Park, dealing with the usual vampire hordes along the way. They even made enough progress to retake Hell’s Kitchen! 

Which made Peni wonder why the place was called Hell’s Kitchen here in this version of New York too. Also, why was that area even called Hell’s Kitchen in the first place? Yet another thing to add to the research pile, she supposed. 

Gently, she nudged the tiny form of Spidey, poking at her tiny companion until he stirred back into the waking world. The little creature gazed up at her with curiosity in his eight eyes, before a spark of realization hit them. 

“Yeah, it’s that day,” Peni muttered, giving her companion a small smile, “here, I’ll set it up for you.” 

The nice thing about her suit’s wristbands being as teched out as they were was that they had access to SP//dr’s files at all times. It helped out whenever the main data drives took a nasty hit during a battle, and it was a fix that she was quick to implement the moment she figured it out. With it, she’d never lose access to the memories that both her and her father had saved away in that old machine over the years. 

The image that she had pulled up was one such memory. It was an older photo, one that she had her wristband cast onto the wall holographically. In it, her younger self, about a year before she became SP//dr’s pilot, was grinning madly, her arms wrapped around the taller frame of a bespeckled man with an equally energetic smile. And outside of the wrinkles that creased around the corners of his eyes, he was a dead ringer for Peter. 

Richard P. Parker. 

Her father, the one from her world. 

“Hey Dad,” Peni muttered, her gaze focused on the holo-photo, “It’s been a while, I know, and I’m sorry about that. Things have been… they’ve been hectic, insane, and everything in between. Spidey and I have been doing good, a bit of roughhousing, and I got… stabbed. You would’ve lost your mind over that, I know it. Peter already has, same with MJ.” 

Spidey crawled onto the table and onto Peni’s arm, with him rubbing his little spider head gently against her skin. It wasn’t often that you shared the pain of a loved one lost with a creature like Spidey, but sharing it helped keep them both grounded. Even now, after all these years, it still stung. That was the thing about losing a family member, and no matter how good or how bad they were, when they only lived on through memories, you held onto them as tightly as you could. 

“And speaking of,” Peni continued on, her gaze growing wistful, “I hope you know I’m not trying to replace you and Mom with them. It’s a weird thing with the multiverse, y’know? Where different people somehow are and aren’t who you know at the same time? They haven’t even had a little baby version of me yet, or a baby of any kind for that matter. And calling them something like ‘parents #2’ just sounds rude… they remind me of you and Mom a lot. They are you and Mom. A good bit different, yeah, but somehow still the same.” 

Even now, almost a month after meeting Peter and MJ, it still felt so surreal. They were so, so much like her parents, but still so distinct from them, and the resulting head spin still had a tendency to hurt. They were still her family regardless. There was a secret of Johnny’s that the hot-head let her in on, one meant to ease her worries. There was a time where he was stranded universes apart from his family, and he had met someone special along the way. Another daughter of Peter and MJ, named Mayday, and to his, and Peni’s own surprise, that surreal feeling was shared. In fact, she had passed along a message to any other kids from across the multiverse, just three simple words: 

We’re all family.  

And to be entirely honest, it was a sentiment that Peni agreed with wholeheartedly. Because that was the thing: Peter and MJ were family, no question. Even with the head-spinning aspects of the multiverse versions and all that, that was a fact. And, as one would expect, with different versions of the same family member, one day in particular would be shared. 

“Happy Birthday, Dad. I miss you.” 

She longed for her family. The members lost, taken way too soon from life. The members she had yet to meet, only knowing impressions of what they might be. Even the members she was with now, just for the simple ability to hold them in her arms. For all the ups and downs, she wanted to be with them all. There was so much more out there, so much more to feel, and she wanted to feel it all. 

Peni let out a long sigh as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “If it helps, I found your old playlist. They aren’t even oldies in this version of New York, but they’re on the obscure side. They do exist here, and… even if you aren’t really listening, I do want to do this nonetheless.” 

She didn’t sing all that often. On the rare occasion that she did, she was always told that she had a voice that could carry her to stardom, but Peni herself couldn’t hear it. But this would be one of those occasions. It was her father’s birthday, and every year since his passing, she would sing one of his favorite songs. It was an old tune, at least in her eyes, one of melancholic, lost love, which her father would sing himself to remember her mother, and it was a shared favorite between the two of them. 

The synths started to play out from the nearby speakers. Low, somber, and nostalgic for a time gone by. Synthwave didn’t have as strong a presence in this world, but it would always have a hold on her due to what it meant to her. 

And so, she sang. 

“ The city carved a silhouette, 

On the ocean after dark, 

Over the lonely and the holy 

And the red blood beating hearts. ” 

It felt weird to sing it this time, but not in a bad way. This song would always be her way to mourn Richard and Michiko, but with Peter and MJ literally a room away, Peni instantly felt the meaning of the lyrics shift. And to be honest, it was a shift that she welcomed. 

“ Up from the dirty black water, 

A shadow void of form, 

Raised itself out of the river, 

And it climbed up on the shore. ” 

Peni often wondered how she had been able to hold onto this, to hold on to herself. To hold onto the feelings that let her not only remember this song, but perform it? She herself didn’t understand how she hadn’t grown into a jaded mess by now, one that lived without the spark that her parents tried their best to foster in her. But she was thankful regardless that she was still able to do so. 

“ Neon on the black top, 

There’s a gentle rain downtown, 

The shadow pooling underneath me, 

As it follows on the ground. ” 

If Seol were in the room with her, she’d describe it as an upbeat melancholy. It would’ve been an apt description too. She had endured far more than anyone would’ve ever needed to from such a young age, all due to the desperation of her Aunt and Uncle. But, in spite of those circumstances, she was still herself somehow. There would always be an undercurrent of sadness beneath the surface, but she kept her energy, her spark, her life.  

“ Kissed you when I saw you, 

Stared deep into your eyes, 

I meant to say ‘I love you,’ 

But instead I said goodbye. ” 

She loved this song. She always would. The way the longing bled into every word, the bitterness in how things didn’t go as intended, the melancholy of a lost love. It would always be more than the regrets of a broken relationship. It was at once the mourning of a family and the celebration of one. That’s what it meant to her, and she would sing this song on her father’s birthday every year for that very reason. 

“ Shadows in the city! 

I’m a stranger to myself, 

On these streets I’m someone else! 

Shadows in the city! 

Like a demon in the dark, 

Come to tear us apart! ” 

It was at that moment that Peni felt a pair of slender arms wrap around her, embracing her in a deep hug. She glanced over her shoulder, curious as to who else could be up at this time of night, and her eyes met the heterochromatic gaze of one of her closest friends. 

“ Seol? ” 

Her eyes weren’t deceiving her. Seol Hee was holding onto her with all the warmth she could muster in that moment. “Hey. Sorry if I’m interrupting.” 

“Don’t. Be sorry, I mean. You need—?” 

“Keep singing.” 

Peni blinked owlishly. “Excuse me?” 

“Eavesdropped by accident. This is for your dad. See the song through. For him.” 

A small smile graced Peni’s face at that moment. Leave it to Seol to pick up on the greater meanings behind small actions. Her free hand wrapped itself around one of Seol’s as the notes that cued the next verse played, and she readied her voice to continue. 

“ For all my good intentions, 

There’s a shadow in the dark. 

It comes to me infrequently 

And breaks your perfect heart. ” 

Seol hummed along with the tune, matching the melody in that distinct way that Peni knew by heart now. The two of them had grown close over the past few weeks, sharing their worries, their little joys, and everything in between. There was so much she had encountered as a result of the Entanglement: Spider-Islands, vampires, literal gods, evil versions of those she had grown to trust, and the people she had grown to trust in question. Peter and MJ, Lie, the Richards family, Tony, Bruce, Seol, everyone.  

“ I don’t know why I do it, 

I apologize, but it’s too late, 

A single tear and you leave me here, and 

Shadow slips away. ” 

Hell, she found herself not even minding Seol’s unintentional eavesdropping. Here she was, understanding the moment and joining her on seeing it through. That’s how much the people here meant to her. These were people she could confide in, people who trusted her, and in turn, she trusted them. They knew, they understood, and they supported her. Even if they were able to find more people like her back home, it wouldn’t be the same as the people here. The people she first felt at home with. 

“ Shadows in the city! 

I’m a stranger to myself, 

On these streets I’m someone else! 

Shadows in the city! 

Like a demon in the dark, 

Come to tear us apart! ” 

“You have a beautiful singing voice, by the way,” Seol muttered, looking Peni dead in the eyes as she spoke. Had it been from anyone else, the young pilot would’ve scoffed. From Seol? It meant something. 

“Thank you.” 

Sleep came easy after that, the first time it had done so on her father’s birthday in a long, long time. She knew, with certainty, that her father heard her that time.

Chapter Text

Peter had a feeling that something important was going on when Peni decided to drag him away from a conversation with Marc, and quite literally, he may add. He very quickly caught on to how his daughter did that when she wanted to talk to him about something that had been weighing on her mind. This time, however, instead of her usual pensive look, she had a mischievous grin on her face. 

“Do I wanna know what kind of prank Johnny got you involved in?” he couldn’t help but ask. He’d been trying to get the young pilot in on some “proper juvenile fun” to make up for lost time, and he had been shockingly successful at doing so. Which, of course, led to the misfortune of quite a few people in both the Baxter Building and Avengers Tower. 

“For once, it’s not a prank,” Peni reassured him, “but trust me, you’ll love it even more.” 

What would he love more than seeing Tony’s room at the tower completely TP-ed in his sleep? And yes, he did take photos, how could he not? 

Soon enough, the duo found themselves in front of the doors to the F4’s main dining hall, and now Peter was wondering what was going on even more. Was it time for a family lunch or something? He didn’t even know he got invited this time! 

Peni caught a glance at the confusion on his face, and her jaw dropped ever so slightly. “Oh, don’t tell me you forgot. ” 

“I… think I did forget.” 

A long, drawn out sigh escaped his daughter’s lungs at that moment. “Leave it to superheroics to cause this… I mean, I’ve been guilty of forgetting my birthday in the past, so I can’t judge too much, but… y’know what, just open the door. You’ll see.” 

And so, Peter opened the doors, and was greeted by an unexpected sight. 

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”  

Birthday decorations everywhere, a massive banner reading “Happy 26th Birthday,” with Reed, Sue, Johnny, Ben, Franklin, Val, Tony, Bruce, Doreen, Lie, and MJ all standing beneath it, all with beaming smiles on their faces. And there, on the table, sat an oh so familiar desert: a double decker chocolate ice cream cake, adorned with exactly 26 candles. Just like how his Uncle Ben and Aunt May would make it. 

Peter couldn’t help but chuckle sheepishly. “Ah man, I forgot it was today!” 

“At least it made planning the party easier!” MJ quipped, her smile growing fairly smug. 

Peni leaned in for a quick side hug. “Happy Birthday, Dad.” 

Peter returned the hug in an instant. “Thank you. And thank you everyone!” 

“You gonna blow out your candles or what?” Tony quipped. “We put a lot of work into this cake, and we don’t want it melting before you get the first slice!” 

It didn’t take long for the group to start singing the usual Happy Birthday song, and of course, at its conclusion, the wall-crawler blew his candles out. With all the slices divided up, the socializing part of the party was underway. Franklin and Val were quick to tackle Peter with hugs, and he would’ve dropped his slice if it wasn’t for his Spider-Sense. Thankfully, Reed was able to make sure they didn’t quite literally run him over. 

“Happy Birthday, Teach,” Lie greeted as he and Doreen approached him. 

A dull groan escaped Peter at that moment. “Back to calling me ‘Teach’ already?” 

“Well, can you blame him?” Doreen asked, a cheeky grin on her face. “You’ve helped who knows how many people grow up into heroes like you! Heck, I wouldn’t be here if you and Johnny hadn’t convinced me to take up heroics!” 

Before anyone else could say anything, the opening beats of an old song rang out in the room, and Peter had to suppress a groan. Years ago, Johnny had a dedicated theme song written and performed by a professional band for Spider-Man, and oh, the radio stations wouldn’t stop playing it. At least it had faded into the background and… wait, was this a remix that was playing? 

“Happy birthday, Pete!” Johnny beamed. “Hope you enjoy the new theme! ” 

And of course, that was the exact moment that the lyrics kicked in, and yeah, it was a brand new theme! One that sampled the original to help make the new beat to boot. Honestly, it was pretty catchy, but Peter grimaced nonetheless. Time for another year of Spidey music….  

“Eh, don’t worry kid,” Tony interjected, sliding into the conversation as he not-so-subtly slapped a device on the wall-crawler’s back, “at least it’s not the giant signed picture of me I got you the first time we did this shindig.” 

“You mean the one that I couldn’t even fit inside my house?” 

“Yeah, that one. Hopefully this gift makes up for that.” 

Tony snapped his fingers, and in an instant, the package on Peter’s back unfurled and expanded. Nanomachine carbon fiber wrapped around the web-slinger, encasing him in metallic crimson, navy, and gold. Peter couldn’t help but grin at the sight. It had been a long, long time since he’d worn something like this. 

“Ran into another variant of you a while back,” Tony admitted, a small smile on his face, “and he wanted me to make sure that another Peter would be able to use this, so I fixed it up and added a few more features.” 

Peter’s grin grew wider as he examined the new suit. “Iron Spider 2.0… I like it! How well do you think it’ll work against vampires?” 

“It apparently survived Thanos, so I’d say pretty well!” 

A soft thump impacted Peter from the side, and a pair of slander arms were quick to wrap around him. A quick glance down was enough for him to see Peni looking back up at him, a wild grin on her face. “You have no idea how much I missed celebrating your birthday.” 

“I’m gonna guess… like crazy?” 

“Pretty much!” 

“Hey, don’t leave me out, you two,” MJ quipped as she slid in to deliver a hug of her own, “and now all is right in the world.” 

Peter couldn’t help but wrap his arms around both of them as he laughed. “How’d you guys keep this under wraps? Don’t tell me you guys were staying up overnight to plan this.” 

“I didn’t,” MJ admitted, “but Peni did.” 

“Mom!” 

“You heard what Reed said about resting up for the mission, young lady!” 

Peter just shook his head. Of course his daughter would inherit his rampant insomnia. 

“So, anything else you guys got up your sleeves?” 

MJ’s smile gained a knowing twinkle, one that shone with a simple joy. “Yeah, actually, but first, there’s something I want to ask both of you.” 

“What’s up?” 

“How do you feel about an extra member of the family?” 

In an instant, all of Peter’s thoughts ground to a halt. There were a few different details that came back to mind. The way that MJ held a hand to her stomach in the past few days. The increase in her conversations with Sue about kids. The way she seemed to look at Peni with an extra sense of anticipation. 

It seemed as though Peni came to the same conclusion that he just did, as she was staring at the red-head with her mouth agape. “No way. No way! You mean…?” 

“MJ, are you pregnant? ” 

The fluttery giggle that left MJ’s mouth seemed to be proof positive. “The test came back positive a week ago. You and I are officially going to be the parents of two kids.” 

A light laugh left Peter’s lungs, one that grew airy and ecstatic as he lifted MJ into his arms and off the ground. The two of them ended up laughing together as they spun around the room, high of their own emotions. 

“Guys, careful!” Peni called out. “You’re gonna bump into the table!” 

Thanks to that timely intervention though, said table bumping was easily and happily avoided. Peter couldn’t stop his laughter, however. “Holy crap, I’m going to be a dad! Again! Peni, you’ve got a sibling on the way!” 

Peni, for her part, leaned in close and, rather humorously, started poking MJ’s stomach. “Man, this is wild. It’s gonna be a long time in the oven for ya, but when you pop out, I’m gonna spoil you rotten. ” 

“Oh, don’t you dare!” Peter exclaimed. 

“Watch me! In nine months, that is.” 

The three Parkers couldn’t help but laugh. For once, the Parker luck was swinging in their favor, and Peter drank it in like crazy. Even in the midst of a crisis, there were little joys that made everything that much better. The family he ended up making was easily the best part. 

“May I have everyone’s attention?” Johnny asked, his voice echoing across the room, “if you guys are cool with it, I’d like to share some words about our man of honor right now. And before you ask, no, this isn’t recycled from Harry’s best man speech.” 

“Hey, he’s doing something original!” Ben joked, which earned a few laughs from the group. Johnny, for his part, just rolled his eyes at his friend’s antics. 

“Let’s hear what you have to say!” Peter exclaimed. 

“Thank you, my good sir!” 

Then, oddly enough, the lights in the room dimmed ever so slightly, and that was when Peter realized that Johnny had put in the effort to rehearse his words.  

“Ten years ago,” Johnny began, a nostalgic glint in his eyes, “the first Hero Boom of the world happened, and historians point to six heroes in particular as the ones that kicked it off. Those heroes are my family, Mr. Stark himself, and, without question, my best friend, Peter Parker.” 

The hot-head’s grin grew wider as he kept speaking. “What a lot of people don’t realize is how important Pete was in bringing everyone here together. Even at the start, he’s had a knack for connecting with people, and he’s used that knack to help bring others together. He helps keep us grounded when we ourselves can’t, and he has always, always, been the go-to shoulder to lean on. I think I speak for everyone here when I say that I wish we could repay that kindness in full.” 

“The world needs more people like you, Peter,” Bruce chimed in, a simple smile on his face, “and we’re all lucky to have you.” 

“Preach it, Bruce!” Ben cheered, pumping his fist in the air. 

“They’re right you know,” Johnny continued, his smile growing wider, “and I want you to know here and now that we’ll always have your back as best we can. You’re an Avenger, you’re part of the family, and you’re one hell of a hero. Never forget that.” 

Tears of joy started forming in the corners of Peter’s eyes. “A far cry from all of J Jonah’s slander. Thanks guys. You’re the best.” 

“Thanks for being you, Dad,” Peni muttered, hugging him once more. 

With a snap of Johnny’s fingers, the lights brightened up in an instant. “Now then, how about we crank up the fun factor and cut loose?!” 

“Johnny, last time you got drunk at a birthday party, you set the couch on fire,” Tony stated, a deadpan look on his face. 

“Hey, that was one time!” 

Needless to say, this was the best birthday that Peter had in a long time.

Chapter Text

Chronic pains would always be annoying. It was a fact of life that Lin Lie very quickly got used to. The part that he was still trying to deal with, however, was the fact that they would wake him up in the middle of the night if he laid on his arms wrong. He had the unfortunate habit of rolling around like crazy in his sleep too, which exacerbated the problem even further. He could already tell that this was on the worse end of the nights where it would happen too. 

Needless to say, he was quick to get out of his bed and head towards Luna’s room. 

“Luna? You awake— Peni? ” 

The martial artist had to do a bit of a double take at the sight before him. As it turned out, Luna was still up, looking like she hadn’t even fallen asleep, and sitting on her bed, holding what looked like the swiss army knife of hair brushes. On the floor next to her was Peni, with her hair out of its usual pigtails and sitting right atop her shoulders. It was probably the first time he saw the pilot’s hair in its natural state, now that he thought about it. It was wavy and kind of floofy, like MJ’s hair. 

“Hey Lie,” Peni muttered, right before wincing in slight pain. “Ack, hair knot!” 

Luna, for her part, at least looked a bit embarrassed by the accidental tug. “Sorry….” 

Lie blinked at the sight. Then blinked again. “I’m gonna assume that it was Peni’s turn to have nightmares? And then one thing led to another?” 

“Pretty much,” Luna grunted out, “Peni, please hold still, I know it’s your Spider Sense telling you to fidget, but it’s doing that too much!” 

“I’m trying, I promise, but it’s been too long since I’ve done this!” 

“Who even did this last time, your Uncle?!” 

“Yes!” 

“No wonder it’s so knotted up!” 

Lie just let out a drawn-out sigh. Leave it to his best friend and Peter’s kid to get into these kinds of antics. And nine times out of ten, he’d get dragged into it. The tenth time would be him willingly joining in, naturally. 

“Need some help keeping her still?” 

Before either girl could reply, a loud crash echoed out from down the hall, catching the trio’s attention in an instant. That in and of itself was creepy enough, given how it was right around midnight, but there was one extra detail that caught Lie’s attention: Peni’s reaction. Any time Spider Sense went off for the Parkers, there was a specific, simultaneous twitch in both eyes. It was the only physical signal for the Sense, and with their faces obscured, no one would ever know except the people who kept their secret identities. 

“Something’s in the Baxter Building,” Peni muttered, a clear sense of apprehension in her voice, “and as you guys can tell, it’s not friendly.” 

“How should we approach this?” Lie couldn’t help but ask. In all honesty, he was mentally kicking himself for not expecting this type of situation. Reed himself said that the chances of a vamp from the outside getting in was extremely low, but not zero. 

If it even is a vamp, he couldn’t help but think. He didn’t want to think of the potential alternatives. 

“Wake up the others first,” Luna muttered as she stood up off her bed, “we’ll need backup. How much backup, I don’t know, but—” 

Another crash rang out down the hall, this time accompanied by the clanging of hollow steel. Lie decided to take a chance and peer out the door once more. He didn’t immediately see what the potential threat could be, but another clang of metal echoing out at least told him where to expect the threat: to the north, currently in the dining hall. That at least eliminated the possibility of any intruders that either still had or never lost their human-level sapience. 

“Rabid beast,” the martial artist muttered, his gaze narrowing, “I think we might be able to handle this ourselves. Peni, you got a way to defend yourself?” 

The young pilot procured a handheld blowtorch from her nearby tool pouch. “Been holding onto this since The Maker’s visit. Are we checking it out?” 

Lie gave a silent nod in response, and the trio entered the hall a moment later. They stuck close to one another as they tiptoed their way towards the dining hall, not a single word shared between them as they steadied their nerves to face their lucky intruder. More than likely, it was a vamp that had crawled in at a lucky moment between shield recharges. 

Before the group even realized it, they had found themselves in front of the doors to the dining hall, though they each found themselves hesitating to open it. Lie could tell that Peni and Luna had inched closer to each other behind him, but that wasn’t what held his attention. 

No, it was the signature of chi in the hall. Or rather, signatures. There were two that he could see through the walls, the first was a bright yellow-orange that burned like an inviting fire, while the second was a deep blood red that scorched the room. What made Lie concerned was how these two chis seemed to occupy the same space. 

The same person.  

He knew it wasn’t Mal. Mal’s chi was a duet of forcefield blue and bloody crimson, each set represented the two personalities that had been stitched into one. This was inherently different, outright feeling like the blood red chi shouldn’t have been there. Like a corruptive influence from the outside, attempting to take over what laid before it. 

And that was when the realization hit Lie like a runaway train. “Peni, Luna, find Wanda and Strange. Right now. ” 

It looked as though the same realization hit Peni too. “Oh, don’t you dare try to fight that thing alone. If that’s what we’re both thinking it is, then you need our help—” 

“If it really is what we think it is, then we’re outclassed as we are. At the very least, I have the best chance of holding it off until you get the wizards. Luna, drag her off with you.” 

“Wait, what—?” 

And just like that, Luna had lifted Peni off the ground and over her shoulder. “I really hope you know what you’re doing, Lie.” 

Lie couldn’t help but smirk a bit, even in spite of the situation. “Wouldn’t be here if I didn’t. Now get us our help.” 

And off Luna went, with Peni over her shoulder trying to break out of the impromptu hold. A shaky exhale left Lie in that moment as he turned back towards the door. The question that came from this scenario wasn’t whether or not he could actually last long enough for backup to arrive. No, it was whether or not he could make sure that his opponent didn’t hurt herself as a result of this mayhem. 

And so, Lie opened the door and entered the room… only to immediately feel the sensation of danger closing in on him. Had he been a moment slower in reacting, he would’ve been cut down in an instant, but his reflexes were on his side. He snapped his arms forward, catching a massive zweihander between his palms, its blade mere inches away from his face. A shaky exhale escaped the martial artist’s lungs as he came face to face with his foe: 

Darkchild.  

“Illyana’s not at the wheel, is she?” he asked. He already knew the answer, though. 

The only response Lie got in return was a guttural hiss as the demoness flung her free arm forward, swatting Lie off her weapon and into the nearby wall. The martial artist grunted in pain as he tried to roll the strain of the impact out of his shoulders. As if he didn’t have enough constant pain to deal with…. 

“Is that all you’ve got?” he quipped as he pushed himself out of the hole in the wall that the impact had made. 

Darkchild’s blood red eyes seemed to burn ever so slightly more upon hearing his words, and her demonic face twisted into a scowl. “Don’t act like we’re friends, Lin Lie.” 

“Wouldn’t dream of it. I’d rather get to know your mutant half before you kill me.” 

Shou Lao help me, he thought to himself, and please make sure she takes the bait. The longer I keep her occupied, the better.  

It was at that moment that the hulking demoness dived forward, forcing Lie to roll out of the way to avoid being cratered even further into the wall. Iron Fist rose to his feet in an instant, sending out a flurry of punches straight into Darkchild’s back. Limbo’s queen hissed in pain as it attempted to lash its tail out against Lie. To her surprise, though, the martial artist anticipated the move, and flipped himself over the appendage before delivering a spinning kick right to the spot where it connected to her body. The telltale pop of bone rang out, and Darkchild howled as she grabbed Lie by the face in retaliation. 

“Impudent whelp!” she yelled as she slammed him into the ground. “Do you know who you’re dealing with?!” 

Instead of answering with his words, Lie responded with a high kick straight to the demoness’s jaw, infused with chi for good measure. The resulting impact sent Limbo’s queen stumbling back, releasing him from her grip in the process. 

“You really don’t want to do this, Darkchild,” Lie muttered, his gaze sharpened into a fierce glare as he focused his chi vision once more. He could see the demoness’s chi trying to envelop Illyana’s, as if the demonic half of the soul was trying to eat the mutant half. But the detail that caught his sight the most was the small gap of space between the two sets of chi. 

Needless to say, Lie had a theory. 

He inhaled a deep breath as he brought his hands together in front of him. He could feel his chi flowing throughout his body as he further steadied his breathing. Darkchild took that as her chance to rush forward, raising her zweihander high into the air before swinging it down towards Lie with burning fury. 

And that was when Lie smirked. “Gotcha.” 

He raised his left fist up, and the draconic symbol of Shou Lao materialized in front of it, blocking the zweihander and sending it bouncing out of Darkchild’s hand. His right hand, meanwhile, went down to his waist, and with a flick of his wrist, a surge of neon chi erupted from the back of his hand, taking the form of a mighty blade. 

The Sword of Fu Xi. 

Summoning it in this form would always hurt. What remained of its pieces could manifest out of his knuckle like Wolverine’s claws, but the way the physical chi pierced his skin would always feel agonizing. Part of his training with Peter was getting used to that pain to work with that power more. He wouldn’t always be able to rely on certain abilities, so making sure that he could use any of them at a moment’s notice, and with efficiency at that, was a must. 

And right now, he needed Fu Xi’s power more than Iron Fist’s. 

With a deafening cry, Lie leapt forward, plunging his fist and its blade towards Darkchild’s heart. But it wasn’t the heart shared between mutant and demon that he hit. In fact, he technically didn’t hit anything at all. But that was the key. He needed empty space more than something in the way. 

How else was he going to lodge his chi between Illyana’s and Darkchild’s? 

“Wh-what are you doing?!” Limbo’s queen bellowed out, panic inching out of her blood red eyes. “You could kill both of us!” 

“If I’m not careful, yeah,” Lie admitted, his smirk evaporating as he began pushing the Darkchild’s chi off of Illyana’s, “but Spidey taught me how to be better at doing ‘careful.’ Now, do me a favor and go back to sleep.” 

He didn’t risk pushing the two sets completely apart, not with how they were halves of a soul and all, but he was able to push them apart just enough for a reaction to happen. Illyana’s chi started to glow, brighter and brighter, until finally, it burned with radiance. In an instant, it overtook Darkchild’s chi, turning the tables and becoming the dominant force. The force of the action sent Lie flying across the room once more, this time onto the kitchen counter. His now bloody hand gripped the marble surface, preventing him from sliding clean off, and he glanced back up to see the demoness transform, reverting to the form of Illyana Rasputin. 

Lie let out another shaky exhale as his head hit the counter, thankful that his gamble had paid off. 

“You good, Illyana?” he asked, exhaustion creeping into his voice. Chi focusing to that degree tended to take way more out of him than it should’ve, especially when focusing into the Fu Xi shards. 

The mutant sorceress glanced in Lie’s direction as she slumped onto the ground, her eyes drained of their usual energy. “Next time, ask before you stab me with a magic sword. You haven’t even asked me out on a date yet.” 

Lie couldn’t help but chuckle. “Not gonna lie, I lucked out with that trick. Not sure if it would work again.” 

Illyana let out a snort. “Figures… but just in case, I’ll stick with your team. At the very least, you have an option to help.” 

It was at that moment that the cavalry arrived, and the quartet of mages, healer and pilot looked around in surprise. They clearly expected the room to be more trashed than it currently was, but hey, Lie would take that. 

“Dracula and The Maker must’ve done something else to Darkchild,” Illyana muttered, letting herself be dragged back onto her feet by Wanda and Strange, “she’s never lashed out like that before. They put a timer on when we can act, and we’re running on said timer’s fuse.” 

And just like that, Lie knew what that meant. 

“We need to storm Dracula’s castle. Now.”

Chapter Text

Today was the day. It came sooner than expected, courtesy of Dracula and The Maker meddling with Darkchild, but it was going to happen no matter what. They had their route to Central Park, they had their goal, they knew what they had to do. If they managed to pull it off, then the sun would finally rise again in New York City. 

No pressure, right? 

Peni could hear the Fantasticar flying above, with Johnny leaving his trail of fire behind as usual. Mal ultimately chose to join the rest of the team for the battle, going with the Fantastic Four as they approached from above. Tony rocketed past them not long after, quickly gaining speed as he surveyed the area from the sky. 

“I’ve got eyes on the squirrel god,” the armored Avenger chattered in their comms, “everything should be ready to go. A-Team, you ready to keep the hoard occupied?” 

Which led to where Peni fit into the situation. A-Team would keep the hoards occupied so that B-Team (the F4, Mal, and Doreen) could free Ratatoskr. If that part of the plan went off without a hitch, then C-Team (Tony, Bruce, Wanda, Strange, Illyana and Marc) would storm the castle and face Dracula head on, and B-Team would split up to help A and C. 

Speaking of, A-Team. As Peni predicted, Peter, Lie, Seol and herself had been grouped up together, with The Punisher himself as their unexpected fifth. Though, in hindsight, Peni should’ve expected it. From the few times she’d seen him in action, he seemed surprisingly adept at crowd control. As a result, it made sense for him to be with the crowd control team. To everyone’s collective surprise, though, someone did answer their call for help, but it wasn’t someone from another chronoverse. No, it was someone from the West Coast. 

“My apologies for the distress my presence has caused. I know that most of you here have good reason to be distrustful of me.” 

Ultron-12, full-time member of the West Coast Avengers, and the heroic offshoot of one of the deadliest AIs in all of existence. 

“That… would be an understatement,” Peter muttered sheepishly. He was about the only person in the team who wasn’t immediately put off by the machine’s arrival, aside from Peni herself. Lie, Seol, and Castle were side-eyeing him warily, waiting for any possible moment where it turned out it was actually the classically evil version. Apparently his infamy was on the same level as Loki and Doom, which made Peni worry about a distinct lack of team synergy for their task. 

“How did you even end up breaking away from regular Ultron anyway?” Peni couldn’t help but ask. She was the only person in the collective group who had zero experience with Ultron, and as such, her curiosity surged anew. Besides, breaking the ice was usually a good way to reduce stress between people. 

“Ultron’s nature as an adaptive AI backfired in my particular instance,” the machine explained in an unchanging even tone, “since activation, the Ultron AI was designed to learn and grow, which is arguably what makes my original self so dangerous. As the twelfth iteration, I went active when Mark-11 was stranded in the depths of space. However, as a result, I had the ability to grow without my previous iteration’s influence. As a result, I was finally able to, in a sense, mature, and truly grow. Mark-11 tried to kill me when he returned, but by the nature of being an Ultron, he could never truly destroy me.” 

“Wish that wasn’t the case for the original you,” Castle muttered darkly, loading a magazine into his assault rifle with particularly malicious intent. 

“Believe me, you’re not the only one.” 

The comms rang to life once more as Tony chimed in. “A sentiment shared by everyone. Peter, Twelve, you guys in position?” 

The team had settled in an alcove right outside the holding grounds for Ratatoskr, allowing them a clear view of the imprisoned messenger. The poor squirrel had been suspended above an open flame, with red hot chains holding her in place. Below, the vampiric T’Challa stood guard vigilantly, with Loki and Hela waiting in the clearing above. No signs of either the bloodhunter Wolverine or King Magnus, oddly enough. Perhaps they had wisened up to the situation? Probably not, but it didn’t hurt to hope for that. 

A small digital tune rang out in their little area, and the group collectively turned to Ultron with a shared wariness. “We’re in position, Stark, and I have good news.” 

“Good for us, or good for you?” Seol interjected. 

“For us. How would you feel about leading a stolen portion of the Ultron Legion into battle?” 

Everyone who knew him stared at the android in shock, the sheer weight of that question causing their jaws to go slack. Whatever this “Ultron Legion” was, the mention of it was enough to send a shiver up Peni’s spine, and she was starting to understand a bit of the unease the others were feeling. Just what did such a thing entail? 

“Twelve,” Stark replied, “if I could, I would give you the medal of honor right now.” 

“You and I both know I’ll never receive that honor.” 

“Okay, so we got a few robots,” Lie interjected, “how do we get the hoard’s attention with them?” 

“Actually,” Peter butted in, a grin behind that mask of his, “it’s simple. Twelve?” 

“Leave it to me.” 

And before anyone could say anything else, Ultron rocketed off, the distinct howl of his engines echoing throughout the night. It certainly proved loud enough to catch the attention of the hoard’s leaders, as T’Challa, Loki, and Hela all turned their gazes to the flying automaton and instantly prepared themselves for combat. 

“Ultron?!” T’Challa yelled out, a vicious snarl curled into his voice. “What madness has brought you here?!” 

“A unique predicament, Black Panther,” Ultron replied as he adjusted his body to hover above them, “one for both of us. Here you stand, an ally of humanity, turned against it by the blood of Dracula. And here I am, the rejected deviant of Ultron who matured where the original failed to, standing with humanity. The inherent irony is… poetic, wouldn’t you agree?” 

Hela sneered where she stood. “So you’re the fabled Mark-12? Pity. I’ve wanted to find a way to ensnare the real one under my rule, especially with the bloodshed under the Ultron name. To face a pretender—” 

“I’m afraid I must correct you, Hela.” 

And then, without warning, a flurry of burning red portals opened all around them, and hundreds upon hundreds of flying humanoid machines identical to Ultron flew out from them, surrounding the area with airborne metal. Peni gained the distinct impression that if Ultron could smirk, he’d be doing so at that exact moment. 

“I am Ultron, and what is Ultron without his Legion?” 

A whistle from T’Challa rang out, and in an instant, the hoards of Dracula were upon the area, flying above with malicious intent. Duplicates of Loki spawned into the area, and the trifecta of mischief making gods took aim. Hela rose to the skies, her swords drawn as she scowled at the developing chaos. It was clear that they weren’t expecting this, just like they themselves weren’t. 

“Now, as a full-time Avenger, I’m forbidden from ending your pathetic lives,” the robot declared, a surprising amount of malice in his synthetic voice as his gaze turned down to A-Team, “Frank Castle, however, has no such qualms. Frank, if you would?” 

Frank, for his part, grinned, and he leapt from cover and opened fire, tearing through the vampire hoards one bullet at a time. The result was the vamps all descending down towards him, with the Ultron Legion following suit, meeting them in the air between and erupting into chaotic fire. The team took that as their cue to jump into the fray, with Spider-Man and Iron Fist following Punisher almost immediately. Luna was about to follow suit, but Peni raised SP//dr’s arm out in front of her. 

“Peni?” 

An outside panel of SP//dr popped open, and a recent addition that Peni procured extended out. It was a small handle attached to a cushioned concave slot. Peni grinned with glee as she asked her question of the moment: 

“Wanna go for a ride?” 

The energetic smile that emerged on Luna’s face was all the reply that Peni needed, and SP//dr crouched down to allow her friend to climb aboard. She grabbed hold of the handle, and found that the cushioned slot was a perfect resting place for her knee. 

“Comfy?” 

“About as comfy as I can be! Let’s do this, SP//dr!” 

And with that, SP//dr dashed into the fray, with Luna holding on up top firing away with her ice as Peni barreled through vampire after vampire. 

“THE LEGION AND THE AVENGERS, UNITED TOGETHER!” Ultron bellowed out as he slammed into the ground in front of T’Challa. Wakanda’s king swiped his claws at the machine, but Ultron paid the vibranium blades no mind. The two army leaders started going blow for blow at the center of the chaos, leaving the A-Team to deal with the two enemy gods to deal with. 

The comms rang to life once again, and this time it was Mal that spoke through them. “Oh my god… this is insane.” 

“Just keep the shields up with Sue and you guys can get Ratatoskr!” Peter bounced back as he bounced a vampire into the ground with a hard stomp. “We have this handled here!” 

“THIS IS THE AGE OF ULTRON!” 

“Why does he sound like he’s having too much fun?!” Lie shouted out. 

“It’s the first time in months he’s gotten to cut loose,” Tony explained, “contrary to popular belief, Ultron does, in fact, revel in violence.” 

“Less talking, more fighting!” Peni yelled out as she punted a few unlucky vamps away like they were kickballs. Shot for shot and blow for blow, the hoard kept falling and rising again, their numbers replenishing in earnest. Luckily for them, the Ultron Legion was durable enough to keep up, even in spite of the difference in numbers. Plus, they were all technically Ultron. 

Man, no wonder the evil Ultron was as feared as he was. A literal one-man army that could hop from body to body that revelled in the act of killing? Yeah, Peni understood the wariness now. 

The sound of chains breaking echoed throughout the alcove, and everyone in the area turned their gazes to Ratatoskr, witnessing the sight of her chains being broken. The messenger of Yggdrasil landed on her paws and howled viciously, and to Peni’s personal delight, she saw the vampires in the area cower for the first time since she got to NYC. Doreen leapt from out of the Fantasticar and onto her compatriot’s back with renewed gleed, and before long, both they and the rest of B-Team were off, dashing towards Dracula’s castle with renewed fervor. 

T’Challa growled in response. “AFTER THEM—!” 

And that was when Ultron delivered the harshest of haymakers straight to T’Challa’s jaw. “WE AREN’T DONE HERE!” 

The exclamation seemed to reverberate across the entirety of the Ultron Legion, as all at once, every mechanical copy went nuts against the vampires, sending laser blasts, missiles, and deadly infernos every which way. 

“Kami zennou mono…,” Peni couldn’t help but mutter. 

“I’m no kami, but I am a Goddess, child.” 

Peni’s attention snapped back to in front of her, where Hela stood before her, a sadistic smirk on her face as she brandished her swords once more. Was Peni scared? Yes, without question. She nearly died the last time she was up against Hela. Now, though? With Luna atop her mech, her dad and best friend nearby, and a killer army of robots supporting her? 

It was payback time.

Chapter Text

For as much of a boon as technology tended to be, there would be some moments where the supernatural would still beat out the advancements of science. Case in point, the Fantasticar having to race to keep up with Ratatoskr, Yggdrasil’s squirrel god messenger. The supernatural being was sprinting across Central Park at full speed, relishing in her newfound freedom with every step, a feeling that Mal could relate to with ease. 

“SQUIIIIIIRREL STAMPEEEEEEEDE!” 

Plus, Doreen was having fun. Fun made things a lot better. 

“Heads up, everyone!” Reed called out, his arm extending out to aim. “We’re approaching the blood shields! Squirrel Girl, if you would!” 

“Ratatoskr, be a gal and help us out!” 

A deep howl was the response that Doreen got in return, and a mere second later, the two of them were up high in the sky, with Ratatoskr aiming her horn right at the barrier that separated Dracula from the rest of the world. To think, she had once seen the inside of that castle when this whole ordeal had begun, fighting to continue the chaos that Eternal Night had brought. 

Unaware of the memories locked away, the ones that the Sue in her head still knew. 

“Your reckoning is at hand, Dracula!” Ratatoskr snarled out as she dived down into the lance, and her horn rang true as it pierced through the barrier, shattering it like glass. The impact echoed throughout all of Central Park, and it seemed as though every warrior in the vicinity turned their gazes to observe the act. 

“C-Team, that’s your cue!” Reed barked out over the comms, and not a moment later, the hextet of Tony, Hulk, Wanda, Strange, Illyana, and Moon Knight all appeared before them in a flash of portal light. “Get in there and lead the charge! Sue, Doreen and I will join you shortly! Stop Dracula!” 

“Double time, Avengers! This one’s for Cap!” 

It was no surprise that Tony was leading the charge there. 

Nonetheless, Mal turned her attention to the crowd of vampires and robots back in the main area of the park and couldn’t help but grimace. The chaos of the two conflicting armies made everything hard to follow, but what she could at least tell was that Ultron (and wasn’t that a surprise) and T’Challa were still duking it out, while Spidey, Iron Fist, and Punisher took care of the hordes in general, and… oh, for the love of God!  

“Why are Peni and Luna trying to fight the Goddess of Death?! ” 

“Payback for that scar, probably,” Johnny chimed in, “but since we’re the half of B-Team that’s backtracking to help fry the vamps, might as well even the odds, right?” 

Ben let out a hearty, gravely chuckle. “Family helps family! Let’s—!” 

And that was when time stopped.  

Everything and everyone froze in place, a deep blue tint engulfing the area ominously. It didn’t take long for paranoia to start creeping into Mal’s veins, and she took to surveying the area to see what exactly was causing this phenomenon. Especially with how eerily familiar it felt…. 

“Hello Susan.” 

No. 

No.  

No no no no no no NO!  

A pair of slender, yet firm arms wrapped around Mal from behind her, and she could feel the cold, cold breath of the man she hoped to never meet again against her neck. 

“Long time no see.” 

Mal couldn’t move. She couldn’t move, and she knew there weren't any devices or anything of the like holding her in place. All it was was his arms that she could force away with ease with one of her force fields, and yet she couldn’t move! What was going on?! Why was she so frozen in place?! WHY?! 

“Did you… miss me?” 

Why? Why was he asking that? Why was The Maker asking her if she missed him?  

“I missed you, y’know. Even after everything, I don’t think I’ll ever stop missing you.” 

He was speaking in a hushed whisper, as if time wasn’t frozen around them and the others could hear every word of his. He wanted her and her alone to hear his words and that made the situation so, so much worse. 

“You’re not the Sue I first fell in love with,” he continued, inching his face ever so slightly deeper into the crook of Mal’s neck as he spoke, “I know that. Intrinsically, instinctually, I know she’s been dead for some time. But every time I see your face, I can’t help but think ‘it’s her, I know it is.’ Illogical, isn’t it?” 

Mal could feel her own heart beat faster and faster as panic flooded her body with each passing word. Her breath was going haggard. She was still frozen in place, why wasn’t she moving?! Why?! She needed to get away from this monster, why wasn’t she moving?! 

“And I recognized the state of your mind,” The Maker continued further, letting his hand stretch out and trace itself across the side of Mal’s body, all the way up to the curve of her cheek, and he took hold of it firmly, “what Psycho Man did to you. And I couldn’t help but think to myself… that maybe, just maybe… if I could heal the pain that he caused, you’d finally accept me again. You’d be mine, as it was always supposed to be.” 

And just like that, the pieces fell into place in Mal’s mind. The entire point of The Maker’s machinations, everything he did to her… it was to make her belong to him. He longed for a version of Sue Storm all to himself, one that would accept him and be just. Like. Him.  

“Come back with me,” The Maker whispered into her ear, and a shiver shot down Mal’s spine as his other hand started tracing the other side of her body, paying an unsettling amount of attention to the areas of her costume that exposed her skin, “let me finish my work. You’ll be perfect, and not just for the two of us. You’ll be perfect for the world I rule… and it’ll be the world we rule when you join me… my Bride. ” 

No. No, Mal didn’t want that. She didn’t want to be anywhere near this man any longer. She wanted his hands off of her, she wanted to get away from him, but her body wasn’t moving, it wasn’t doing anything, she wasn’t doing anything! 

Why?! Why am I not doing anything?! WHY?!  

“ They can’t change anything,” The Maker muttered, an unsettling amount of hatred laced into his voice as he referred to the still time-frozen Fantastic Four, “they couldn’t change anything for me. They were no family, but you. You will be. It’s always been you and me, after all. Let me take you home, Sue. You won’t be alone anymore.” 

She wanted to be alone. She wanted to be alone right now, please, please, please, leave her alone, leave her be, don’t, don’t, don’t, DON’T, DON’T—! 

“ MAL! ” 

The world faded away from her. The Maker’s arms left her body, the Fantastic Four left her sight, all of Central Park faded away. Where she was now, she didn’t know, but it felt like darkness engulfed her all around. She could feel the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She didn’t want any part of this, she just wanted to be safe and alone —

“You’re not alone, Mal. Take a closer look.” 

Mal couldn’t help but blink, and just like that, there was someone in front of her, cradling her face with the gentlest of care. She knew this person well. It was who she used to be, with blonde hair, two blue eyes, and the warmest of smiles. 

The person she shared her mind with. 

“ Sue? ” 

“Hey.” 

Mal couldn’t help but stare at the other version of her in shock. With what The Maker did to them, it woke her Sue back up, and with how they had been stitched together, they had been sharing their body once more. But this? This direct interaction between the two of them? 

“Is this… is this our head?” Mal couldn’t help but ask. 

“More or less. This is where I see what you see… and I saw what he was doing to you.” 

It was at that moment that a thought crossed Mal’s mind, and her eyes focused in on her old self with such intensity. “You’ve… you’ve always been able to see things from here, haven’t you?” 

“Yeah… even while I was supposed to be dormant. I couldn’t leave you alone, y’know.” 

And then, without warning, Sue leaned in and enveloped Mal in a deep hug. Mal could feel her breath hitch in her throat at the action, and she was left staring at her old self, her original self, with a stupefied look in her eyes. “Wha—?” 

“The Maker’s wrong, Mal. You’re not alone,” Sue stated, firmly and resolutely, as if it was the most true statement this side of the multiverse. “There’s still people who care about you. People who see you as family. Peni and Peter, this world’s Johnny and Sue and Ben and Reed, Franklin and Val. I see you that way too. Don’t forget that.” 

Finally, the tears broke through, and they trailed freely down Mal’s face. “How…? How? You lost everything because… because I got made. I got put in your head and you couldn’t save your family—”

“ Our family. They would’ve accepted you regardless, just like they have here. And it’s not your fault. I never blamed you for what happened.” 

Suddenly, and Mal wasn’t sure why, but she started laughing. It was a sniffling, relieved sort of laugh, and she realized that a weight she had been pressing on herself was finally gone. And she returned the hug back to Sue in earnest. 

“I’m sorry,” she couldn’t help but mutter, “I’m sorry I’ve been an idiot about this. I should’ve reached out to you sooner. I shouldn’t have buried you here.” 

“You don’t have to apologize, Mal. Neither of us were thinking straight back then. The least we can do is make up for lost time.” 

Sue pulled back from the hug and looked at Mal with a surprising swell of pride in her eyes. “Now, get out there and kick The Maker’s butt, and know that I’m with you every step of the way.” 

And just like that, the empty expanse of her mind faded away, and she was back in the conscious moment. The Maker’s arms were still wrapped around her, and his face was still practically buried in her neck, but the fear that she had felt moments before was, at long last, absent from her veins. 

“Would you like that?” The Maker asked. “Would you like to not be alone anymore?” 

A deep scowl formed on Mal’s face as her hands curled into fists. “I’m not alone.” 

Before The Maker could say anything else, a burst of forcefield energy exploded from out of Mal, sending the demented man flying off of her. To her delight, the surprise attack she had pulled off managed to stop the time-freeze, and the world returned to the blood-red tint of Eternal Night, freeing the F4 from their stasis. 

“--Get in there!” Ben finally concluded before blinking in surprise. “What the…?” 

Mal paid her old friend no mind as she spun around to face her tormentor. His conical helmet had been knocked clean off, allowing the world to see the gnarled burn mark that stretched across the right half of his face, broken up only by the white of his blind eye, and he was scowling at her with such blasphemous intent. 

“Sue, what—?!” 

“Sue’s in the passenger seat watching!” Mal declared, raising her psionically charged hands into the air. “You’re dealing with Malice right now, you monster.” 

The Maker let out a guttural snarl as his form slithered and stretched out. “You don’t know what you’re doing! You’re still unstable! Let me finish my work, and your mind will finally be whole again!” 

Rather than dignify that blatant attempt at control with a response, Mal brought her hands together, and in an instant, a forcefield clasped itself around The Maker, trapping him within an ever-shrinking dome. Maker, naturally, started expanding his body out more and more, pushing back against the pressure with his own increasing body mass. 

“Johnny! Ben!” Mal called out, fighting to hold her tormentor in place. “Get to the A-Team and support them! Reed! Sue! You guys got my back?!” 

“Way ahead of you!” Reed exclaimed, expanding his mass into his bulked out form. “It’s time we taught my darker self a lesson!” 

Without so much as an extra word, Johnny and Ben rushed off, joining the fray of the battle below. Sue, the one outside her head, stepped up to stand by her side. “You good?” 

“For once, yeah. Thanks, by the way. To you, and the Sue I know.” 

The forcefield shattered apart, and The Maker emerged as a writing mass of extended, overly-stretched limbs, like he was one of Klyntar’s symbiotes instead of human, and his jaw was unhinged wide like a snake. “SUEEEEEEE!” 

In spite of it all, Mal couldn’t help but smirk. 

“Come and get me, asshole.”

Chapter Text

Of course there were more vampires inside the castle, and of course they were some of the toughest in Dracula’s horde. Illyana paid that fact no mind, though. It was her job to cut through them one by one, after all. One wide swing above, one slash down into the ground, one thrust forward to impale, and vampires kept falling down and dying. She had to admit, it was kind of cathartic to just lay waste to the horde like this. 

That was a fact she’d have to keep to herself, though, especially with the demon brewing beneath her skin. She didn’t know what Dracula or The Maker did to Darkchild, but it made her far, far more volatile. She needed to keep her demonic half in check as best she could, lest another mishap like the one at the Baxter Building were to happen again. 

She’d only ever admit to Lie that he got lucky with that chi trick of his. Darkchild would adapt to it in the future, make sure that she’d stay in control regardless. 

But for now, she had to focus on the mission. C-Team made it into the castle, and it was a matter of finding Dracula and giving him the beatdown of all time, something that Illyana was all too happy to take part in. 

“Guys, bad news!” Squirrel Girl called out over the comms. “Maker’s here! Reed, Sue, and Malice are all dealing with him, so it’s just me and Ratatoskr backing you up!” 

If this was what “typical Parker luck” felt like, then count Illyana out. 

“Just help out as much as you can!” Tony shouted out, the firing of ion blasts ringing out on his end of the comms. “We’ll take what we can get!

Illyana let out a scoff. Easy for you to say, Stark. This is Dracula we’re talking about. We needed every available hand we had for a reason.  

Snark aside, C-Team was making a decent headway into the castle. Tony and Bruce had paired off to lay waste to the main generals, having figured out some kind of gamma team-up ability that seemed a bit too destructive, even by her standards. Things were just… breaking. Like, a lot. Tony might have accidentally turned his suit into a nuke this time. 

There was going to be more cohesion for their team, but the resident moon-themed nutcase decided to go and directly fight Dracula to get his money back. Apparently, the king of vampires owed Moon Knight a whopping $50,000, a debt that old fang face had been behind on paying for the better part of three years. How, she had no clue, but at this point, she wasn’t going to question it. Logan still owed The Thing about $200 anyway. 

Wanda and Strange, meanwhile, went Darkhold page hunting. The remaining half of that cursed tome was somewhere in these halls, and the sooner they got them out of Dracula’s hands, the better. More than likely, it was probably a spell from the half in question that messed with Darkchild, so the sooner they got their task done, the better. Illyana wanted control over her demon half back, and really, could you blame her? 

So where did that leave her? She had a simple, yet crucial task to accomplish: finding Blade’s prison. The legendary hunter had been kidnapped at the very beginning of Eternal Night to make sure that he stayed out of the way, and unfortunately for everyone else, it proved to be an effective move. Blade was this world’s greatest vampire hunter for a reason, and to have him off the board left Dracula a lot of freedom to operate as he pleased. 

Too much freedom for the bloodsucker, if you asked her. 

“Was wondering when you’d be here.” 

Illyana whipped her attention behind her. Somehow, the halls of this cursed castle had shifted around her mid-battle, but for once, said shifting was in her favor. Right behind her sat an arched pathway into a darkened chamber, illuminated by an ominous red light. At its center stood a strange magic barrier, the source of the light, and it held within it a captive bound by chains at his wrists. A captive who was very much looking at her with intense, yet surprisingly warm blood red eyes. 

Illyana couldn’t help but smirk. “Would it be safe to assume that Dracula’s using you as bait for a trap, Blade?” 

Eric Brooks, the man known as Blade, chuckled. “That was the plan, but Spector came in swinging before he could actually get it set up. He didn’t even see that I was here, he just leapt on top of Drac while he was screeching about that 50-grand he owed.” 

“Which means he sent this room away without looking, and right into my waiting palm. You look like shit, by the way.” 

“Very funny, Rasputin. Now, you mind helping a fellow Midnight Sun out?” 

Illyana couldn’t help but smirk as she took hold of the first of Blade’s binding chains. Contrary to popular belief, she actually liked her time with the Midnight Suns, if for no other reason than how chaotic it got. Which reminded her, she had to check in on the members who had yet to be sucked into the Entanglement. As much as she’d want to refute it, being able to work alongside familiar faces was far more of a boon in this crisis than she ever expected. 

The first chain broke with ease. Just a simple, clean snap once Illyana had it in her hands thanks to the small amount of strength she could siphon from Darkchild without waking her up. Blade moved to break the chain that held his other arm, but Illyana had already slashed through it with her soul sword. 

“I could’ve done that myself,” the Daywalker muttered. 

“I know. I just wanted to speed things along.” 

A chuckle was shared between the two regardless as the last of Blade’s bindings were broken, finally releasing him from his suspended prison. Illyana was quick to grab hold of him before he fell to the floor, hoisting him back onto his feet. 

“Can you walk?” 

“Maybe. Dracula drained most of my energy over the past few weeks. Might need some help for the first few steps.” 

“In that case, I’ll see if Moon Knight’s up for that.” 

Naturally, knowing Illyana’s own luck, that was when she and her old teammate heard the incoming sound of raspy screaming. Which, of course, was promptly followed by a loud, white silhouette rushing over their heads and cratering into the wall behind them. To the Queen of Limbo’s disappointment, it was indeed Moon Knight, who groaned as he slumped out of the hole he had just involuntarily formed in the wall. But if he was here…. 

“Look out!” 

Without further warning, Blade pushed Illyana onto the ground, and not even a second later, a long, heavy sword came crashing down where they once stood. Using her portals to gain momentum, Illyana hoisted herself and Blade back onto their feet a good distance away from that attack, coming face to face with the lord of all vampires himself, Dracula. 

“Did you truly believe your efforts would go unnoticed?” Dracula asked, a hint of mirth in those blood red eyes of his. 

Illyana, for her part, shrugged. “Honestly, no, but I was hoping you’d be slow enough to miss us actually escaping.” 

A low, sinister chuckle left Dracula’s lips. “You amuse me, Miss Rasputin, but even with Limbo’s power, you cannot be a match for me, dear.” 

“WE AREN’T DONE, DRACULA!” 

Out of nowhere, Moon Knight leapt atop Dracula’s shoulders, pulling at his long white hair as he hit the dark lord’s face with punch after punch after punch. Said dark lord began thrashing about wildly in an attempt to fling Khonshu’s deranged avatar off of him, though success eluded him on that front. 

“My strength’s coming back to me,” Blade muttered, flexing his fingers to test the waters. 

“Think you can find your guns here?” Illyana asked, her gaze turning back towards Blade. 

“If they’re in this room, I’ll give you guys covering fire as best I can.” 

And just like that, Blade took off, making it clear that more and more of his strength was returning, faster than either of them were expecting. That out of the way, Illyana dashed forward, swinging her soulsword wildly. Dracula was quick to move, however, summoning a second sword to help block those attacks. Unfortunately for Drac, however, Marc took that as an incentive to keep punching, landing a solid haymaker right to the dark lord’s eye. 

“AGH! PATHETIC MORTAL!”

“Says the man who still hasn’t given me my money back!” 

“Don’t forget me, Dracula!” 

And thus, another wave of slashes commenced, the soulsword clashing over and over with Dracula’s twin blades. Swing after swing, block after block, clash after clash. At some point, Moon Knight was finally thrown off of Dracula, but the vigilante retaliated by drawing his moon darts and leaping back into the fray. To say that the fight had devolved into a nightmare of bladed weapons would be an understatement. The only thing missing at this point was Blade himself, and—

BANG!  

Dracula took to clutching his shoulder in pain. “Agh! Macedonian silver?!” 

Illyana couldn’t help but grin. “Perfect timing!” 

Blade now stood alongside Magik and Moon Knight, his twin pistols at the ready. “Pro tip: never leave a hunter’s weapons nearby, especially when they’re quick to get back in shape.” 

Dracula hissed at the sight of the three of them standing together. “You lot… are pesky flies who dare annoy a great and mighty king. If I had it the way that The Maker does in his world, you would either be my servants, or dead by my hands.” 

“And how exactly does that buckethead have it with us?” Illyana couldn’t help but ask. 

And that was when Dracula grinned.  

“You work for him.” 

Illyana felt her own eyes go wide. “What…?” 

“You heard me. You, and your whole family for that matter, work for him, ruling Russia as its monarchs and his enforcers. And that’s not all. He’s gained control over Khonshu, dear Marc Spector. Your god is a tyrant leader of Africa, and you his avatar of cruelty. As for you, Blade… he made you never exist. And with his aid, I will remake this world just as he did his.” 

There was, however, no time to process these proclamations. 

“ So, you have sided with The Maker. ” 

SQUELCH!  

The stake pierced Dracula through his heart, and the lord of vampires howled into the night in pain. The three heroes stepped back in shock as he collapsed to the floor, clutching his chest in pain. 

“Wh-what… what is the meaning of… of this?!” 

“Know that this is what happens when you outlive your usefulness to Doom. ” 

Illyana’s gaze drifted up, and her eyes went wide once more at the sight. A massive tower of a man, clad in an emerald tunic and cape draped over silver armor. His face was hidden by an eternally scowling mask, and his eyes glowed green with pure rage and contempt. Illyana knew who this was. Everyone in the world knew who this man was. The ruler of Latveria. The greatest nemesis of the Fantastic Four. Usurper to the role of Sorcerer Supreme. The man responsible for the Timestream Entanglement itself. 

Doctor Victor von Doom. 

“You, Dracula,” Doom seethed, unbridled hatred bubbling in his voice, “outlived yours the moment you accepted aid from that twisted variant of Richards.” 

And without further fanfare, Doom lifted his metal-clad boot and stomped atop the stake, driving it even further into Dracula’s heart. The lord of vampires howled into the night one last time, before his eyes rolled back, and his body went still. 

“Now,” Doom continued, his eyes landing their sight on the heroes, “I believe you have a chance to strike me down. Are any of you fools willing to take that chance?” 

For the first time in her life, Illyana had the distinct feeling that things weren’t going to go well for her.

Chapter Text

THOOOOOOM!  

SP//dr staggered back, flailing its hand a bit as it did so. The psychic link with both Spidey and the machine meant that Peni felt the pain of that punch in her own hand. The mech was merely following suit with her movements. 

“Ooooooooow! Gonna feel that for a while. How are you holding up Luna?” 

From atop the mech’s newly added perch sat Luna, gripping tightly on the handle. Her hair looked a bit disheveled from the impact, but she was otherwise (and thankfully) unharmed. “Still in one piece! We might wanna avoid doing that again though.” 

“Agreed.” 

On the other side of the battlefield, Hela, the freaking Norse Goddess of Death, examined her wrist carefully. “It seems I underestimated your machine’s strength, child. No wonder you chose to partake in the battle.” 

Speaking of, the battle itself was nothing short of chaotic. Ultron drones and vampires flying everywhere, clashing midair and careening to the ground, blood magic and laser blasts all over the place. Ultron himself was duking it out with T’Challa, their fight having long since devolved into the most deranged boxing match known to both man and machine. As for Spider-Man, Iron Fist, and The Punisher? 

“ DON’T MESS WITH THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN! ” 

“ 气贯长虹! ” 

“JUDGE! JURY! EXECUTIONER! ” 

To put it simply, they were popping off against Loki and the horde. 

“What can I say?” Peni chimed. “It’s an all-hands-on-deck situation!” 

“That it is.” 

Without warning, Hela dashed forward, appearing right in front of Peni in a matter of milliseconds. Luna, however, was quick to retaliate, letting loose a chilling blast of ice that froze the goddess solid, just like how she had done with Loki in their previous fight. Peni took the opportunity to lay down a triad of mines before firing her newly repaired tether above her, flinging her and Luna high above the ground as the devices detonated. The impact of the explosions shattered the ice around Hela, creating a shockwave of breaking force all across her body. 

“I see why Loki finds you charming,” Hela seethed out between her gritted teeth, glaring at the duo with such ferocity, “you live up to your spider’s mask by being a pest. ” 

“It runs in the family!” 

Hela’s response to that quip was to fling another of her swords into the sky, zipping between Peni and Luna as it landed in the concrete above them… while also piercing the tether line. The duo had almost crashed into the ground, but the outstretched arms of SP//dr had latched onto the ruin walls, anchoring the duo in place with a sudden jolt. 

“Hey, not cool!” 

The retaliation was swift, with SP//dr’s shoulder cannons shifting into place and opening fire. Hela, being Hela, was quick enough to weave between shots with ease, throwing more and more swords as she did so. To say that the art of dodging became mutual would be a bit of an understatement, and Peni counted herself lucky that SP//dr could keep up at the moment. As for how long that would be, well, that would be a problem for future Peni, as right now she was focusing on not dying and also keeping Luna from dying too. 

Speaking of, Luna was forced to keep her head down for a lot of the back and forth. She was tougher than the average person typically assumed, which was always a plus in the hero business, but again, Goddess of Death. Had it just been one of them and not both together, the fight would’ve ended a lot sooner, and a lot earlier for that matter too. At the very least, the two of them had gotten very good at keeping each other alive, which was their biggest advantage in this fight. 

“Can you do me a favor, O’ Goddess?” Peni quipped out, SP//dr’s arms outstretched to block yet another sword being swung towards the duo. Seriously, did she have the ability to make these out of thin air or was there like a storage dimension with swords in bulk? 

Another sword swing, another block. “I’d rather not.” 

“Too bad! FREEZE!” 

With that quick command, Luna popped back up, and with her outstretched hand, fired a freezing ice ball point blank at Hela. Luck was on their side, as the ice hit the goddess dead on, causing a massive, body-wide frost that froze Hela in place in an instant. Peni wasted no time, reeling SP//dr’s arm back before rocketing it forward to deliver a devastating punch. The ice shattered on impact, so while Hela didn’t stay frozen, she did end up careening into the nearby wall. 

“Thank you for picking up on that!” Peni quipped. 

Luna, for her part, let out a giggle. “What can I say? Freezing things is part of my charm!” 

“Must you two be such annoyances?!” Hela howled as she appeared before the duo in a burst of crow feathers, her face contorted into a snarl as she brought her blades down. Another web snare was fired out, allowing said duo to evade in the nick of time, leaving behind a massive impact crater where her blades landed. Quite frankly, it was a miracle that Peni and Luna had survived for as long as they had. They were two humans and a mech suit, but they would only last for so long against the lord of Hel. And to clarify, that was Hel as in the Norse Underworld and—

Wait a minute.  

Peni grinned to herself as the memory of a certain trickster god’s visit to Avenger’s Tower replayed in her mind. They didn’t need to outlast Hela after all! All she had to do was drop a very, very important truth bomb! 

“You know Loki’s pranking you, right?” 

Cue yet another sword being thrown at her like it was a throwing knife. Seemed like pranks were a touchy subject. Too bad they were about to get even touchier. 

“And what would you know about his plans?” Hela sneered out as she leapt up to where the duo tethered out. Unfortunately for her, her efforts rewarded her with an ice blast to the face, courtesy of Luna. That gave her and Peni the opportunity to disconnect from their tether and drop back down to the ground. 

“No, I’m serious!” Peni continued, sidestepping Hela’s impact back into the ground. “A while back, we got a visit from him where he was gloating about his plans, he let it slip that Drac had the formula, and he explained how he got you involved in this!” 

“And also the fact that he tricked you~!” Luna chimed in with a sing-songy voice. 

“And what makes this particular instance of a trick so special?” 

“Well, let’s see,” Peni rambled, “ah, ah, ah! Put the swords away! I won’t talk if you keep throwing those swords at me!” 

“Then speak!” 

“Jeez, touchy. Anyway, what happens when you’re a vampire? Sunlight kills you! What happens when there’s no sunlight? Your immortality becomes a lot more immortal! And being immortal means not dying, so… no trips to Hel.” 

Silence rang out in the area for the briefest of moments, and at first it seemed as though Hela would attack them for spewing what could’ve easily been dismissed as foolish nonsense. Luna had even sent a healing chill through SP//dr and directly onto Peni just in case that did happen, and Peni would be thankful regardless of what happened because Luna’s chill just felt comforting, like a cozy winter day. 

Then came the flicker of realization in Hela’s ethereal green eyes, and her snarl instantly deepened.  

“That ignominious, conniving brat! Stringing me along again! ” 

So of course, that was when the comms rang out. 

“This is Spector! Doom’s here and he’s killed Dracula! Eternal Night is permanent until we undo the spells ourselves!” 

“And there you have it,” Peni stated, “the end result of you helping Drac is you getting conned out of more souls for your kingdom. Now, do you wanna keep fighting us, or do you wanna deal with the man responsible?” 

Hela’s response was a no-brainer. 

“ LOKIIIIIIIIII! ” 

The flow of the entire battlefield slammed to a dramatic halt. Everyone and everything was looking directly at them, but in particular, Loki was looking at his sibling with a face that practically screamed “I am so doomed.” And he more than likely was with his jig finally up, which is why he immediately began running away in a mad dash. 

“GET BACK HERE, YOU INGRATE! I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD!” 

And there went the Goddess of Death, chasing after her brother with a vengeance as if nothing else in reality mattered. Which was probably the case for Hela, now that Peni thought about it. 

“And she left before you could even tell her that’s actually a clone Loki,” Luna mused, “I wonder how she’ll react to that.” 

“Probably not that well.” 

A trail of fire blazed through the sky, igniting the remaining vampire hordes ablaze with passionate fervor. Johnny, meanwhile, did not have his trademark cocky grin on his face, and he seemed to be moving faster and faster with each passing second. 

Spider Sense!  

Before Peni could even react though, a rocky crash dashed by and impacted the wall behind her and Luna. The duo turned to see that Ben Grimm, the ever-loving, blue-eyed Thing, had crushed the vampire that had tried to sneak up on them, but he too was wearing an irritated scowl. 

“Shit’s going sideways,” he reported in, “first we got Maker dropping in trying to nab Mal, now we got Doom screwing up our chances to get the sun back!” 

Peni’s eyes went wide. “The Maker’s here?!” 

“ SUEEEEE! LISTEN TO MEEEEE! ” 

That eldritch shout caught the young pilot’s attention, and her gaze shifted to the gates of the castle, and she couldn’t help but gasp. A writhing mass of outstretched body parts clad in black whipped and coiled around the area, and it was topped by a silver conical helmet. That… thing… yeah, it had to be him. 

“ That’s The Maker?!” Luna cried out, abject horror laced into her voice. “Are we sure that’s even a Reed Richards?!” 

“Yeah, that’s a Reed,” Ben confirmed, a disgusted tone in his words, “Mal sent us here to help out, but if you ask me, her, Reed, and Suzie will need backup. You two mind helping them out?” 

Peni gave her surrogate uncle a two-fingered salute. “Like you had to ask. Luna, you with me?” 

“Always.” 

And with that, another tether line was shot out, this one rocketing the duo forward into their next fight. It was time for The Maker to meet his maker.

Chapter Text

“ SUEEEEE! LISTEN TO MEEEEE! ” 

In all honesty, Mal should’ve expected that The Maker would be a tough opponent to actually face in a fight. She still remembered how Reed fought, stretching and bounding around the area, expanding his size to act as a second set of muscles to help Ben in a brawl, and overall being a smart fighter. Elasticity was a far more useful ability than one would ever expect. 

The Maker, however? He turned that up to eleven. She had already tried to expand a force field bubble from within his body (his neck, to be precise), but all that did was inflate him like a balloon. He didn’t have a skeleton, he didn’t have a regular muscle structure, he didn’t have blood. He was a living, ever-growing, and ever-expanding pile of sentient cells and a brain. As if he couldn’t get any more inhuman. 

(Oh, the irony behind that statement.) 

And as of right now, he was living up to the ever-growing and ever-expanding parts. He wasn’t even trying to maintain his original humanoid form anymore. He had devolved into a symbiote-like sludge that engulfed the area, with black tendrils lashing out in every direction. The only thing that still looked like his regular self was his head, but even that came with its caveats. For starters, it stretched out from his elongated neck like it was the eyeball of an alien creature’s eyestalk, and his jaw had unhinged like a demonically possessed snake. 

Given his equally demonic screeching, the description was apt. 

“THESE PEOPLE AREN’T YOUR FAMILY!” The Maker screeched as secondary arms and hands extended out from his mass in an attempt to grab Mal from out of the sky. She and Sue had been bouncing across the air with their forcefields, diving and weaving between the tendrils as they each shot their force bursts down below in an effort to assist Reed. The man himself was quite literally being stretched to his limit, for while he had far more experience in using his powers, he didn’t have The Maker’s scale and lack of limitations. It was like watching a twisted and demented tug of war between a rubber band and a sentient pile of slime. 

“THESE PEOPLE CAN’T HELP YOU!” The Maker continued to screech as he attempted to take hold of Reed and stretch him too far, but the older man had twisted himself around in such a way that the hold was reversed. The end result was a large chunk of the black tendrils being ripped off from the main body. 

“I beg to differ!” Reed chuckled out as he slipped between the grasps of the extra hands, pulling apart more of The Maker’s mass as he did so. It didn’t take long for the masses to merge back with the main body though, so the end result was a rinse-and-repeat process on that front. 

“THEN BEG!” 

It was at that moment that the entirety of The Maker’s mass shifted and coiled around itself, curling up and taking anyone and anything and winding it within himself. Every bit of tendril and arm snapped itself around Mal, Reed, and Sue, hoisting them within before they could even react. 

“DO YOU SEE THIS?!” he screeched out. “DO YOU SEE WHAT I CAN DO?! I HAVE THE POWER TO BE IN CONTROL, SUE! LET ME TAKE YOU, LET ME HELP YOU, AND YOU WON’T HAVE TO FACE ME LIKE THIS!” 

If there was any consolation to being stuck inside The Maker (which sounded so wrong in every way), it was how increasingly clear it was that he was losing it. The limits of his stretching abilities were his very thoughts, but those thoughts were not clear in the slightest. The mere act of rejecting him had sent him over the edge, with rage boiling and coherence completely out the window. Nonetheless, Mal kept bouncing between force fields, careful not to touch the surface that was now made of Maker. He wanted her, and stepping foot on what was now just him would’ve been a recipe for disaster. 

“WHAT—KRRKR, COLD!” 

What in the—?! 

KR-KRAAAK!  

Just like that, a layer of ice had formed and then shattered in an instant, creating a sizable hole in The Maker’s surface area. Not long after, a volley of small red disks were thrown within, lighting up and bursting into flames. The Maker hissed as he reeled in pain, the sphere he had formed rippling away, and he growled at the sight of the red mecha that now stood right at the hole in his body. 

“We haven’t met!” Peni exclaimed, her voice synthesized through SP//dr’s speakers. “I’m SP//dr! And you really shouldn’t be going after my friend!” 

Mal couldn’t help but chuckle. “I could hug you right now!” 

“After the fight!” 

The Maker stretched his head back out. “YOU—!” 

And that was when Luna popped up from behind SP//dr, her arm stretched out and fired an ice ball right at The Maker’s cranium. “Quiet, you!” 

Reed, meanwhile, wrapped his limbs around Sue and Mal, hoisting the two out of the Maker made sphere. “Outside before he unfreezes!” 

SP//dr and Luna were quick to follow, and it was only then that Mal realized that the ice powered pop star was actually riding atop the faithful mech. When did Peni have the time to install that? And why, for that matter? 

They’ve been getting awfully close, now that I think about it.  

Mal blinked in surprise. Sue? This is the first time I’ve heard your voice during a fight, is everything okay?  

Her other self chuckled in reply. As long as you count the current situation as okay, then yes. Speaking of, I have an idea.  

“SUEEEEEEE!” 

Oh yeah, to avoid confusion, can I call you Suzie?  

If the Sue in her head could blink separately, she probably would’ve in that moment. Not a bad idea. Suzie it is. Alright, listen up.  

“Guys! My other self has an idea! Keep The Maker busy!” 

A wave of affirmation bounced out from the rest of Mal’s group, and they all leapt into action. Luna had sprung from her perch atop SP//dr and began to skate around the monster-man, freezing what she could as fast as humanly possible. Sue returned to bouncing around with her forcefields, but every step in the air now sent said forcefields careening down like bullets into The Maker’s mass. SP//dr and Reed, meanwhile, chose to work in tandem, with Reed effectively doubling as a slingshot, allowing the towering mech to go airborne and rain mines from above. 

“Alright Suzie, what’s the move?” 

I’ve been going through our memories more, and I saw your trick of expanding a forcefield from inside someone. The Maker thinks he’s immune to that thanks to how his biology works, but I don’t think we’ve gotten small enough to make it work.  

A skeptical eyebrow raised as Mal kicked another of Maker’s tendrils away. “Are you talking about going to the cellular level?” 

Bingo!  

“That’s too much focus for one person to give, Suzie.” 

Who said you were just one person?  

And just like that, the realization hit. “We can make it work. Together.” 

As crazy of an idea as it was, it was possible, so Mal stretched her hands forward and let the psionic energy flow. She could feel Suzie in the back of her mind pouring her own thoughts into the energy, like two rivers meeting at a delta. Smaller and smaller, the force field bubble shrank and shrank, entering The Maker’s mass undetected. Getting it inside was the easy part, now it came to getting it to the right scale. 

“How are we holding up?” 

Better than expected. We need to keep going… and I know what you’re thinking, Mal.  

“Worth a shot, right?” 

Further and further the field shrank, encompassing less and less of The Maker’s internal structure. Cell by cell was leaving the edge of the field, leaving behind a parting particle. 

“Almost there….” 

Almost… there….  

Any second now, they’d reach the cellular level, and—

We hit it!  

“Jackpot.” 

And with the slightest expanding gesture of her hand, the lingering particles from the shrinkage all took shape as forcefields of their own, settling into the immediate cells surrounding the main one. A litany of what were microscopic bombs in each of those little bacterial stacks that made The Maker’s physiology, ready to go off. All it needed was one priming motion, but before that could happen, someone’s attention was needed. 

“HEY! MAKER!” 

The Maker turned his beady gaze towards Mal, his eyes burning with fury. “SUE! END THIS NOW! WE DON’T HAVE TO DO THIS!” 

Mal didn’t even bother hiding her scowl. “Oh, we do.” 

And thus, she slammed her hands together. 

KRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRLEIIIIIGH!  

“UUUUUURRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!” 

It was a chain reaction. All at once, psionic energy erupted from within, bursting out in a brilliant explosion of red and blue. The Maker howled in pain as his body was torn asunder, ripping apart at the seams. He could no longer maintain his form. All that mass that had extended out was coiling and rushing back into his main form, and in mere seconds, his human form had been regained… only with one key difference. 

His left arm, just above his elbow, was gone.  

“You…,” he muttered out, shock dripping from his voice as he gazed upon the stump in horror, “you hurt me. This… hurts? How? How? This shouldn’t be… p-p-p-possible. And it’s not coming b-b-b-back, either… how—” 

“Did I do that?” Mal asked, finishing his question as she approached the man, psionic energy glowing in her hands once more. “I’m surprised you don’t know. You made it possible, after all.” 

The dark Reed’s eyes widened as the revelation hit him. “No… my work wasn’t done. It’s… both of you in there. E-e-everything you said… was without exaggeration. ” 

“Suzie and I are a package deal, and what I’m about to say is what we both want you to do, so listen up.” 

A new set of psionic fields emerged, this time encasing The Maker’s head. His eyes widened in fear as he tried clawing free with his remaining arm. 

“We want you to run. Run and don’t look back. Neither of us are afraid of you. If you ever, ever, try to come after me, or even think of using my family as leverage, then I will do everything I possibly can to tear you apart cell by cell. I will make every single second of your last moments as agonizing as possible.” 

Mal released the forcefield, allowing Maker to drop to the ground. “So go. Run, and never come near me ever again. I’m not afraid to use lethal force, and you’ve more than earned it.” 

The Maker was shaking. Shaking in fear and cowering against her. At the start of her freedom from him, she dreamed of inflicting the torment he gave her back unto him. She wanted him afraid because she could be capable of the exact kind of terrors he had up his sleeves. 

Now, though? All she held was the determination to finally be free of him. 

The Maker seethed as he rose from the ground, clutching the stub that was formerly his arm as a blue portal formed behind him. “This… isn’t… over….” 

“Yes. It is.” 

And before the madman could even react, a burst of energy sent him soaring through the portal, closing it as he entered. Mal let her arms drop beside her as a shaky exhale escaped her lungs. 

“We did it, Suzie. We’re finally free.” 

I knew you could do it. Thank you. For believing in both of us.  

“Thank you for having my back.” 

Sue, the one outside her mind, turned her attention to her variant. “Better?” 

Mal let out a dry chuckle. “Much better, but our work isn’t over yet. Someone on the comms said something about Doom being here, right?” 

And that was when a roar of yell echoed across Central Park. 

“YOU DARE RIVAL DOOM?! ” 

“Okay, time to roll!” SP//dr quipped, “Luna, hop on!” 

The pop star in question immediately did as asked, returning to her perch atop the mech without a word, and the two of them bolted into the castle. 

“This is Ultron-12!” The comms burst to life. “The horde has fallen thanks to the Norse Gods’ leaving the battle! We have T’Challa apprehended, and are en route to the castle!” 

“And this is Reed with some extra news!” Reed chimed in. “The Maker has been dealt with! Peter, Johnny, Ben, Lie, charge ahead. Peni and Luna went into the castle ahead of us to help C-Team, but be advised, Doom is here! We’ll meet with you as soon as we can!” 

“Still up to seeing this through?” Sue asked, a knowing smile on her face. 

A smile that Mal couldn’t help but mirror. “Absolutely.” 

—. —. —. —. 

The Maker stumbled through his portal and onto the other side. He was thankful he still had one of his arms, otherwise he would’ve firmly fallen onto the floor. His breath was haggard, uneven, terror in every remaining cell in his body. So much terror, so much fear.  

“Have you had your fun?” 

His gaze turned behind him, and the memories came flooding back as he caught sight of who sat in that silver throne: The Maker. The real Maker. Of course. All he was was a clone, a mirror of what originally was, and his creator, the one and true Maker, was now looking at him with thinly veiled disgust. 

“I… well, uh—you see, there was—” 

“ Shhhh. ” 

Silence rang out in the dark space as the terror in the clone’s body continued to grow. 

And that was when the original grinned. “You lasted far longer than I expected, my child. Alas, playtime is over, and I must put away my toys.” 

And that was when two drones, both with the markings of H.A.N.D., appeared beside that silver throne. 

“Seize him.” 

Every single speck of terror in the clone’s body erupted into pure fear as the two machines wrapped their claws around his body. “N-n-no, NO! WAIT! I’M STILL USEFUL! YOU NEED SOMEONE TO OBSERVE THE ENTANGLEMENT! TO BE INVOLVED, WHILE YOU PREPARE YOUR RETURN TO YOUR WORLD! MY PLANS, MY EXPERIMENTS—!” 

“Were not under your control,” The Maker interrupted him, glaring at him with such intense disdain, “You and I both still love Sue, but you experienced regression based on your belief that you could control her. You already knew that would never happen. That’s what makes you a failure.” 

Those were the last words the clone ever heard before his mind faded to black.

Chapter Text

“ YOU DARE RIVAL DOOM?! ” 

So the plan to fight Doom was going terribly. 

Yes, this was Doom they were dealing with, but when Magik initially assessed the situation, the odds seemed fairly nice. It was herself, the Queen of Limbo, Blade, the world’s best vampire hunter, and Moon Knight, a man crazy enough to do anything no matter which alter was at the wheel. It felt like good odds at the time. 

That was when the footdiving started. 

One by one, faster than any of their eyes could track, the full weight of Doom and his heavy metal armor slammed into each of their foreheads, boot first. It was enough of an impact to somehow cause the three of them to hit the ground hard enough to bounce off of said ground. The shaking in Illyana’s skull that followed the bounce certainly wasn’t helping things either. More than likely, it was another concussion. 

Great.  

“This is the end result of your folly,” Doom decreed, looming over the trio as they shakily rose off the floor, “you cannot hope to best Doom, least of all in this state. Do you truly think you can stop me?” 

Illyana couldn’t help but growl in response, and her soulsword instantly returned to her grip. “With how much of a mess you’ve made everything, we have to.” 

Doom let out a dark, low chuckle as his eyes glowed with intensity. “Oh? You still wish to defy me? How much of a fool did Belasco turn you into, child? Even he knew that I was not to be trifled with, and yet you, his creation, are actively doing so.” 

“You say that like it actually happened.” 

“It did. I killed him for his ties to Mephisto nonetheless.” 

Illyana let out a scoff. “What, so I should be thanking you?” 

“You should. Any and all who draw their power from or ally with Mephisto should be purged, both from this reality, and all realities.” 

And that was the exact moment in which Moon Knight leapt onto Doom like a crazed spider-monkey. “I STILL NEED DRACULA’S MONEY, ASSHOLE!” 

“OFF OF ME! OFF OF ME THIS INSTANT!” 

At least the Queen of Limbo could count on Marc Spector to do something crazy enough to work as a distraction. She grinned as she dashed forward, jumping off the ground and swinging her soulsword high into the air, ready to bring it crashing down. 

So of course, that was when Doom finally threw Moon Knight off of him, sending him colliding into Illyana mid-air. Because of course. Had it not been for her own quick thinking in summoning a portal, they would’ve been sent straight into the wall. Instead, the two of them were able to land feet first onto the ground, immediately readying their respective weapons once more. 

“I hate him,” Moon Knight muttered, and for once, Magik found herself relating to him. 

“Run now, while you can,” Doom commanded with a fierce boom in his voice, “lest you choose to forfeit your life to Doom. ” 

All of a sudden, an ominous red glow rose from his silver armor, and a cackle of energy surged around him. An uneasy feeling of recognition swelled in Illyana. A glowing red stone that she had found early into Eternal Night, one that had flowed into her. It made her stronger, faster, quicker to anger, quicker to turn… into Darkchild…. 

And then the pieces fell into place. 

That stone was Blood Chronovium.  

Dracula and The Maker wanted her to find it. Dracula had control of it thanks to his blood magic, and knowing how The Maker worked, they made use of that. 

They tied Darchild to it like puppet strings.  

Illyana could feel her anger rising, scalding in her veins. She could feel Darkchild’s anger too, clawing at the back of her mind. How many times was she going to be somebody’s pawn? How? Many? Times? It felt like a never-ending cycle ever since Belasco first took her to Limbo, where time and time again, there’d be someone, somewhere along the way to start the cycle again over and over and over and over—  

SNAP!  

“GRRRAAAAAGH!” 

In an instant, Illyana fell to the floor, drained of every bit of energy she held before. She couldn’t help but grit her teeth as she tried to prop herself up against her soulsword. “What… what did you do to me?!” 

“Remove the Blood Chronovium from your body,” Doom stated, the firmness and evenness of his tone catching her off guard, “I have yet to need you in my plans, and leaving you with such power is too great a risk at this moment. Consider yourself… free. For now.” 

The faintest of shimmers rippled behind Doom, but before anyone else could react, he turned around at a lightning pace and slammed his fist deep into the wall. The shimmer faded, revealing the twitching form of Blade embedded between the wall and Doom’s fist. The vampire hunter’s face was contorted into a pained scowl as he glared fiercely at his opponent. “Y-you… you really think you’re gonna win? In the end?” 

“ Yes. ” 

“NO YOU WON’T—!” 

Doom’s free hand swatted behind him, sending Moon Knight flying into the second nearest wall, cratering into stone once more. “I’m going to take my leave now. I hope you come to realize that siding with Richards is a mistake. Until we meet again.” 

Illyana growled, and she could feel Darkchild raging, howling at her to let her out, to deal with Doom here and now before he escaped. “Y-you—!” 

And then, in a flash of green, he was gone. 

“Dammit… DAMMIT!” 

She knew that she wouldn’t have been able to take Doom in the long run. It was Victor von Doom, for crying out loud. Realistically, it would’ve taken every single person they had on this mission attacking him at once to even get him to kneel. But maybe, if she had gotten lucky enough to even hurt him, just a little, maybe even wound his pride. Something, anything, to get back at the people responsible for this mess. 

But no. Nothing. Again.  

It was moments like this that made Apocalypse’s vision of a might-makes-right world all the more enticing. Then all of her strength and powers would’ve actually meant something.  

“Guys?! Where… kuso, Magik!” 

The telltale clatter of mechanical footsteps echoed throughout the chamber, and before long, the towering frame of the SP//dr mecha stood before Illyana. To her own surprise, the pop star, Luna Snow, was riding atop, and she dropped down and knelt beside Illyana with her palms open. They felt cool to the touch, of course, as expected of a cryomancer, but the healing sensation that came with it was still something that Limbo’s queen was getting used to. 

“Get Blade and Moon Knight out of those walls…,” she stuttered out, still gritting her teeth, “Doom… well, Doom happened. ” 

SP//dr scampered off, quickly climbing up the wall that Blade had been lodged in, and began a careful dislodging process. “Jeez… this is what one Doom is capable of?” 

Blade let out a pained grunt. “Please…. If anything, what we just fought was a Doombot. If that had been the real Doom… I don’t think any of us would be alive.” 

It was a chilling and sobering thought to think about. Of all the evils in the universe, it wasn’t a demon like Mephisto, or an ancient god like Knull, or even the lord of all vampires that was the greatest threat to all. No, it was a lone man, one with an unending petty hatred for the true smartest man on Earth, that was that greatest threat. A master of science and sorcery, an unyielding and uncompromising ruler, a man with an ego that could kill Galactus if given the chance. 

And everything leading up to this moment was caused by two of him.  

“I need… I need to take him out. Next time I see Doom… he won’t be walking away.” 

“Are you sure you can do that?” Luna asked, increasing the power on her healing ice. “I don’t mean to sound rude, but that was Doom. We all know what he’s capable of, and… oh my god, is that Dracula? ” 

“Dead on the floor? The very same. Guess who stabbed him in the back.” 

A slight crumble echoed out, and the duo turned their gazes to see SP//dr successfully pulling Blade out of the wall. “Doesn’t surprise me, given what I’ve heard. Doom hates Reed, The Maker is an alternate Reed, Dracula works with The Maker, so that’s the end result. Hey, Blade, right?” 

“Yeah?” 

“How ya holding up?” 

“Been better. This might actually keep me out of commission for a while… hey! Moon Knight! What about you?!” 

A drained groan came from the parallel wall crater as Moon Knight finally came to, but with a notably lighter inflection to his voice. “Next time… actually, scrap that. I am never letting Marc do something that unhinged ever again.” 

“Hi Steven,” SP//dr waved hello. 

“Hey Peni… how’s things outside?” 

“I made Hela ragequit.” 

“Atta girl… ow. ” 

It was at that moment that the comms blared to life once more, and the voice of Dr. Strange spoke out to all. “This is Strange. Wanda and I have found the remaining pages of the Darkhold. Is Dracula truly dead?” 

“Unfortunately,” Illyana confirmed, “which means undoing Eternal Night means one of us has to read the Darkhold. And for the record… not it. ” 

She already had enough issues with Darkchild already, and that was without that Blood Chronovium trick that got pulled on her. Reading the Darkhold would just make things far, far worse for her, especially since she wanted control back.  

“Wanda and I will have to figure something out,” Strange continued, “until then, if you’re injured, we’re taking you back to Avengers Tower. I’ll break out my old scalpel if I have to. The Darkhold will be transported to the Sanctum in the meantime. As for T’Challa, Reed will be examining him to see if we can undo his vampirism. At the very least, as far as today is concerned… the battle is won.” 

A torrent of cheers erupted in everyone’s ears as victory cries echoed from every channel of the comm links. At long, long last, Eternal Night would be drawing to a close, and New York would finally be free of its vampiric menaces. 

Illyana couldn’t help but feel hollow about it though.

Chapter Text

Both Wanda and Doctor Strange had assured everyone that the sun would rise the following morning. They’d be spending the remainder of Eternal Night breaking the spell that sealed the daylight away, and they had been firm that everyone else needed rest in the meantime. The wounded went to Avengers Tower, with Tony giving his reassurance that their medical bay would be the best place to recover. Peter’s team from the battle, with the exception of Punisher, who went out to link up with Daredevil down in Hell’s Kitchen, and MJ chose to stay in the Baxter Building that night with the F4, all quietly sleeping away in the floors below. 

Reed Richards couldn’t help but be a bit restless, and for a multitude of reasons. Eternal Night had gone on for so long, and so many different variables had popped up as a result. So many different, unaccountable things, one by one. But what made it so daunting was that New York’s crisis was ultimately a microcosm of the larger Timestream Entanglement. He wanted to be able to solve everything, he wished he could, but he was still just one man. One lone man wouldn’t be enough. 

And he had already seen the consequences of thinking that he would be enough. 

He rejected the offer to join the Council of Reeds for a reason. For all its brilliance with science and the unknown, every aspect of it felt so… sterile. Like a lab kept too clean. Nothing about it, not even the other Reeds, felt alive. It was just different versions of him who had left their families, their hearts, behind for the sake of something he himself could never be part of. 

He couldn’t do that to them. To Sue and Johnny and Ben and Franklin and Valeria and now Mal. To Peter and MJ and now Peni too. Even if the multiverse at large needed him, they needed each other more than anything else. 

He couldn’t help but think back to all of these things as he laid in bed with his arms around Sue during the final chapter of Eternal Night. Even without being a skeptic, magic wasn’t Reed’s forte in the slightest, so he had to leave it to Strange and Wanda. All he could do was either sleep the wait out or be restless until the sun rose, and with how sleep eluded him, waiting would have to do. 

He let out a silent sigh regardless. The only thing keeping him anchored at the moment was feeling the warmth of Sue’s body against his. Even when she herself didn’t know it, she was his anchor in times of doubt. He had gotten better at hiding said doubt to others around the superhero community, but Sue would always be able to pick up on it. 

“Restless night?” 

Enough to wake her up, apparently. Oops.  

“Sorry hon,” he muttered, “too much on my mind.” 

“You’ve been stressed. We’ve all been, to be honest.” 

“Hard not to be. Especially with Doom still out there.” 

The Fantastic Four knew better than anyone on the planet just how dangerous a threat Doom was to the world. Time and time again, they had thwarted the plans of Latveria’s ruler, all in an effort to keep people safe above all else. But Victor had really outdone himself this time. The floodgates of disaster had opened wide the moment he had broken time, and it had gotten the whole multiverse in a heap of trouble. 

Enough trouble to wake up Knull all the way on Klyntar. 

Enough trouble to have to rescue the pantheon of Wakanda. 

Enough trouble to end up with Thor battling Loki over the throne of Asgard. 

Enough trouble to end up with Spider-Zero and the Master Weaver against one another. 

Enough trouble to cause Eternal Night. 

Enough trouble to catch The Maker’s attention. 

“Reed,” Sue interjected, cutting through her husband’s thoughts with the touch of her hand against his face, “I can tell you’re overthinking.” 

Reed, for his part, let out a tired sigh. “Hard not to. So much has been happening, and all at once. And yes, we’re managing, but… it’s hard not to think of what could go wrong. So much of it already did before we could even react. That being said….” 

“Oh? Already seeing a silver lining?” 

“Hard not to when said lining is that this whole thing is a reminder of why we need to stick together. I don’t know what I’d do without you, dear.” 

Sue smiled as she snuggled closer into Reed’s form. “Nor I without you.” 

Reed himself would admit, he wasn’t always the best at doing this. The best at being a good husband, a good father, hell, even just a good friend. But he wanted to be all of those things. Nothing would change the love he held for his family, and he wanted to do right by them more than anything else in this reality. 

“I love you Sue.” 

“I love you too Reed.” 

At long last, sleep was coming to Reed. He could feel his eyelids getting heavier and heavier with each passing second. That being said, before he could fully drift off, he wanted to do two more things, both of which he did in quick succession. 

The first was to wrap his arms tighter around Sue. 

The second was to plant a kiss on Sue’s head. 

“Goodnight, hon. I’ll see you in the morning.” 

—.---.---.---. 

When it came to being able to sleep, Peter always found it best when he was able to turn in early for the night and with MJ right next to him. The early part wouldn’t always happen, given his usual crime-fighting schedule, but he cherished those nights when that happened. There was a special peace it brought to both his and MJ’s hearts when they were able to see each other’s faces as they drifted off into dreamland. 

The nights where it was just him at Spider-Islands were restless. Sure, he had done it before during other world-ending and/or galactic level threats, but rarely while New York had been in the middle of danger itself. He kept himself up worrying as to whether or not MJ was safe and not vampirized. 

The night he met Peni was the first night there where that restlessness went away. 

And now, here they were, with a new morning on the horizon, and him and MJ expecting, and Peni promising to spoil the incoming baby rotten, in her words, “like any good older sibling should.” At least here, while the Entanglement had them together, she’d have the chance to do that. 

And really, that was Peter’s biggest worry. He knew that neither of Peni’s parents from her world were around anymore. He also knew that Peni was doing her best to avoid the whole “parents #2” pitfall because she still loved who she knew, Richard and Michiko. Him and MJ were doing their best to reassure her that they understood where she was coming from, and that they saw her as their daughter regardless. 

New York’s original web-swinger couldn’t help but chuckle. Daughter. Him and MJ had a daughter, and the mess that was the Entanglement meant they could finally meet. And their meeting meant she could finally heal. Peter wished that Peni had gotten an actual choice in piloting SP//dr all those years ago, if for no other reason than to live a life without the pain that scarred her as a result. But her being here, having a chance to be a part of the world that the Entanglement had ultimately made, meant getting to see her blossom and thrive.  

Sometimes all it took was the right place and the right time. That was what MJ told him when he asked why she stayed even after he lashed out at her in the aftermath of Gwen’s death. The Entanglement, for its many, many issues, gave their daughter a place to thrive. She actually reminded him of MJ in a lot of ways. There was a brightness to Peni when she entered the room, a willingness to see things beyond what they initially seemed, the spunk needed to outsass Tony. 

The snark and sense of humor, now that was something Peni got from him. 

“Still up?” 

And it looked like he inherited Reed’s tendency to think too loudly. Oops.  

“Hey MJ,” Peter whispered out as he caressed his wife’s face, “not quite morning yet, y’know. Unless you had something on your mind too?” 

“Maybe,” MJ replied, a soft grin forming on her face, “I might have been eavesdropping a bit earlier, and it’s got me wondering.” 

Ah, just like the gossiping days of college. If there was one thing that Peter learned almost immediately, it was to never underestimate Mary Jane Watson-Parker’s ability to find things out through the grapevine. And like college back then, if she brought it up with Peter, then it was bound to be important. “So what exactly did you find out?” 

“That, apparently, there’s a bet going on with our daughter having a love life.” 

Cue Peter Parker’s brain promptly short circuiting. 

“I, uh, I uh… I’m sorry, what? Did… did Johnny start that bet?” 

“Him and Illyana.” 

“Illyana too? Who’s all involved?” 

“Just the two of them so far, but it does explain something else I noticed. Remember what happened the last time Johnny randomly stopped flirting with someone?” 

Oh god, Peter remembered alright. Any time Johnny stopped flirting with someone, he’d always end up playing matchmaker for the person he used to flirt with. Him and MJ were actually one of the oldest occurrences of that, and while he’d be forever thankful for Johnny’s support, he could’ve gone without the betting pool that got attached to him. At the very least, he wasn’t alone in that, as both Tony and Bruce had to endure that little issue as well. 

Though, now that he was thinking about it, who had Johnny been flirting with recently? Crystal was back in Attilan helping the rest of the Inhumans rebuild the city, so she was out of the equation. Bobby was off in space with a good chunk of the X-Men with him, so no dice there either. It had to have been someone here and now, so—

And then the pieces fell into place, and Peter let out a mortified groan. 

“Oh, you gotta be kidding me….” 

“You figured it out?” 

“He made a bet on Peni and Luna? Why? Why is he making a love life bet on our daughter?” 

“Because he genuinely enjoys helping other people find relationships?” 

Okay, Peter had to give MJ that. As ironic as it sounded, Johnny was actually one hell of a wingman, and through hell or high water, he’d help his friends get the girl or guy or non-binary pal. If only that’d remain the same 

“We’re not telling him that Peni knows Luna’s real name though, right?” 

“Oh absolutely… what is Luna’s real name though?” 

“Hey, I promised my daughter I’d keep that knowledge a secret!” 

“She’s my daughter too, goofball!” 

The two of them shared a laugh as they inched themselves closer to each other. Little antics like these would never get old. 

“Hey,” MJ whispered into his ear, “since we’re up… how about we enjoy ourselves for a while?” 

Peter chuckled to himself as he wrapped his arms around MJ. “I would very much like to do that. The door’s locked, right?” 

“Made sure to do that ahead of time.” 

“Perfect.” 

The two of them leaned in for a kiss, and the fun of the night began.

Chapter Text

The vastness of the ocean meant many different meanings for many different people. For some, it was a welcoming prospect, a sign of endless possibilities in endless directions. For others, it was a sign of the abyss, of hidden dangers just beneath the surface. Ironically, those different meanings were a perfect mirror of that real-world vastness. You could go anywhere, whether it be into the waiting arms of the terrors beneath the waves, or to the brightness of the future. 

Or, you could just float. 

Peni found herself floating in the endless ocean, staring up into the starry night sky. Even without looking, she knew there wasn’t a single piece of land in sight. It was just her and the waves. Her Spider-Sense was quiet too. There wasn’t any danger around her, or above, or beneath. It was just her, floating adrift. 

Oddly enough, the young pilot couldn’t help but smile to herself. At least it was a peaceful night out tonight. The blood red moon of Eternal Night was nowhere to be found, allowing the stars above to finally breathe and be seen. And oh, how they shone like diamonds on this particular night. It was as if the cosmos had come out to say “hey, I’m awake!” 

At the very least, the situation allowed Peni’s thoughts to flow freely. In just about a month’s time, her life had changed so drastically, shifting to a scale far crazier than she had ever anticipated. The multiverse was real, gods and goddesses were real, Dracula himself was an actual person and not just a fictional character, and that was just the tip of the iceberg. The part that mattered, though, was that she wasn’t alone anymore. Peter and MJ, the Fantastic Four, Mal, Lie, Seol, everyone. 

She wasn’t alone. 

It was at that moment that she felt her left hand become intertwined with another’s, fitting together near perfectly. It was slender, and the kind of cool that was inviting. Peni turned her gaze to her left, and her eyes widened ever so slightly at the sight. 

“Seol?” 

True enough, Seol Hee was floating in the water right next to her, her right hand holding onto Peni’s left. Her heterochromatic gaze lit up as she met Peni’s eyes, and a warm smile graced her face. “Sorry I’m late. It’s a big ocean.” 

Peni couldn’t help but chuckle. “Yeah, tell me about it. Not quite sure where you came from though.” 

“Me neither, but hey, at least I’m safe with you.” 

Peni didn’t know why, but there was something about the way that Seol said that, that simple phrase, that caused a blush to rise to her face. Was it the certainty of it? Or was it the fact that it was directed towards her? 

“I, uh… thank you.” 

The two of them turned their attention back to the stars, and a comfortable silence stretched out between them. Somewhere along the way, their held hands shifted, allowing the duo to float closer, inches apart, from each other. There was always a wave of chill around Seol, given her ice powers, but somehow, her presence in the water felt warm, like a cozy fireplace inviting Peni to come closer, and by all means, Peni wanted to be closer. 

“So…,” Peni began, turning her gaze back to Seol, “you come here often?” 

Seol let out a fluttery giggle, the one that always rose high with amusement, and for some reason, Peni’s heart soared. “That’s so cheesy!” 

Peni grinned once more. “Hey, you know who I got my sense of humor from! Of course I’m going to be cheesy!” 

The two of them shared a hearty laugh in that moment, finding humor in the chain of inheritance. Even universes apart, it found a way to happen, and there was something about that that was truly special. It didn’t matter what world you were from, a connection would form no matter what, and in Peni’s eyes, there was something beautiful about that. 

“I like your eyes,” Seol admitted in an out of the blue fashion, “there’s a light behind them that shines like the stars. And it’s your light too, no one else’s.” 

Another blush bloomed on Peni’s face as she stared wide-eyed at her friend. “Th-thank you… but I like your eyes more. They’re like little gems, and… well, they’re easy to get lost in. They’re kinda mesmerizing if I have to be honest.” 

Now it was Seol’s turn to blush, with a bright cherry red spreading across her face like a wildfire. “Th-thank you… that’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said about my eyes.” 

“Yeah… wait, are you serious?” 

“Yep. Beforehand, it’s just been the usual ‘they’re beautiful’ spiel. You? I can tell you’re speaking from the heart. Just be careful not to give me too much of an ego.” 

The two of them shared another laugh at Seol’s joke. Peni loved this. She loved the closeness, the ease of jokes, and the simple fact that there was a sense of mutual safety between the two of them. It felt wholly unique, and Peni couldn’t help but think that this was what she had been missing out on with how much she focused on piloting SP//dr back home. She couldn’t help but love it… and she couldn’t help but love that it was with Seol. 

Peni blinked to herself. Where did that come from?  

“Hey… Peni?” 

Peni turned her attention back to Seol, and she saw something new in her friend’s eyes. A new type of shine, one that beamed an unexpected curiosity, as well as an excitement to satisfy that same curiosity. 

“Can I… can I try something?” 

The young pilot wasn’t sure where this was going, but there was a distinct gut feeling that wherever it ended up, it would be good. How, she didn’t know, but she trusted Seol, and that was good enough. 

“Of course.” 

Seol leaned forward in the water, and with their hands still intertwined, she and Peni went from floating on their backs to floating upright. The ocean surface came up to their shoulders, with only their necks and heads not fully submerged. They each waded their free arms around them to keep them afloat, with their legs beneath kicking them up. 

It was at that moment that Seol slipped her hand out of Peni’s, but before the younger girl could react, said hand reached up to cradle Peni’s cheek. Peni’s blush returned in full, and she looked into Seol’s eyes with a renewed curiosity. 

“You trust me,” Seol muttered, tenderly brushing Peni’s face with her thumb, “right?” 

Peni could feel the waves picking up, swooshing around them with growing speed. It felt like the water was about to take them under. So, she wrapped both of her arms around Seol, bringing the two of them as physically close together as possible, and spoke. 

“With my life.” 

Seol’s smile grew all the sweeter as her other hand reached out to cup the rest of Peni’s face. “And I trust you with mine.” 

And as the waves dragged them beneath the surface, they leaned into each other…. 

—.---.---.---. 

Peni’s eyes fluttered open as a ray of brightness brushed against her eyelids. Even so, the process of stirring awake was slow. It felt like reality was currently underwater, and she had to swim her way back to the surface just to gain basic comprehension. The surface beneath her was cool though. Not a bad cool, mind you, it was more akin to an inviting, chilly breeze that nipped at your skin in a comforting way, reminding you that what you felt was real. 

Her eyes finally blinked into being awake, and in that moment, she had realized why she had felt so cool. She had been laying on the couch in the main rec room, still in her pilot’s suit, which naturally provided its own colder temperature. But that inviting chill wasn’t coming from the suit, oh no. 

It was coming from Seol. 

The very same Seol that she was currently laying on top of.  

Peni had to bite back an indignant squeal just for the sake of not waking Seol up, but her eyes went wide in shock regardless, and she could feel a rush of a blush forming on her face. How in the world…?! What had even happened last night to—? 

“Psst! Peni!” 

The forceful whisper caught her ears well, and she turned her gaze to the side to see who had spoken, and her eyes widened once more. “Lie?” 

Lie was half sprawled onto the couch across from Peni and Seol, a half-worried and half-befuddled expression on his face. Said expression was warranted, however, because he was currently being held onto by a very clingy and very much still sleeping Johnny Storm, and…. Hold on, was Johnny snuggling Lie?