The group was now returning to NYC in the "Hudson Valley Explorer" bus... literally the same way they arrived. Peter was in the back laying down between so many seats... with Miles, Gwen and Jensen in a few seats in front. Jensen was in a seat by Gwen's, leaning to the mirror and Miles in the opposite side.
Gwen had a broken USB in her hand... definitely someone was incredibly careless with it.
Gwen: (to Miles) He broke this?
Miles: Yeah. He's actually really embarrassed about it, so just keep it between us, okay?
Jensen: You broke it.
Miles: N-No I did not. You have no proof.
Jensen frowned at his comment, just to return outside again. Gwen shook her smiling a little still.
Gwen: I know where we can make a new one. And we won't let him break it this time. If it doesn't work, he can do it.
She looked at Jensen still looking out, but he looks at it and then at Gwen. He looks now again at the USB and grabs it.
Jensen: Yeah... I can do something, but not here.
Miles: Sweet.
Jensen quickly closes his fist and shows a stinger with a frown.
Jensen: You break it again, I break you. Comprendisteis?
Miles: (bit shocked) S-Si.
Jensen retracts his stinger and keeps the USB. Gwen leans to Miles who still looks bit shocked.
Gwen: (whispering) Don't worry about Jay, he's just extremely grumpy, but he is also a bit shaken up.
Miles: (whispering) About?
Gwen: (whispering) That's... not in my place to share.
As the two still talk, Jensen stays checking up at the USB, but he notices something on his hand... his fingers more exactly, which showed the bottom part of his fingers exposed, broken cloth. Bit of confusion enters his head with how that got ripped, he is pretty sure he didn't emit heat from his hands... so why is it a bit broke.
Gwen: Hey.
Jensen looks at Gwen, who had his glasses on hand.
Gwen: (smiling) Like you wanted.
Jensen smiled a little seeing them, but... he was more glad Gwen was okay... but being the grumpy-not funny guy he is, he doesn't show it.
Jensen: Thanks, but I'm more glad that they didn't find out you were not one of them.
Never mind, he did show it!
Gwen: Someone was worried?
Jensen: I... uh...
Gwen smiled a little and patted his shoulder a little, just to lean onto his shoulder. Jensen looks at her head and then outside... seeing his own reflection through the window and the red eyes... it was a miracle there wasn't anyone else in the bus, but the four of them.
Queens
The four of them were standing in front of a green house... one Peter knew way too well... or well... all of them did to an extent. Jensen kept his mask on with his arms crossed as Peter shot a web towards the bell button.
Peter: We should probably go.
Scarlet: She is the only one who can help us, and if she can't, she has the equipment I need to make a new one.
Peter: Bad idea. This is a bad idea.
Peter tries to walk away, but Gwen and Scarlet shoot a web to his back, pulling him back to the point he landed on his back.
Gwen: Just relax.
They see someone behind the door, slowly opening it.
???: You guys are all very sweet, but no more fans today, please.
The door opens more than enough just to see the owner of the house, it was May Parker... Peter's Aunt... the only blood family he had. May grew in shock seeing Peter who was trying to keep a good smile.
Peter: I'm not ready for this.
May had a bat on her hand which she drops after seeing Peter. Peter couldn't keep smiling as May slowly walks down the stairs, staring at the impossible right now.
May: (putting a hand on where her heart is) Peter?
Gwen, Miles and Scarlet stand aside letting Peter and May have their moment.
Peter: Hey, Aunt May. (May puts a hand on his face) So this is gonna sound crazy, but I'm pretty sure that I'm from an...
May: An alternate dimension.
Peter: (bit shocked) Yeah.
May: You look tired, Peter.
Peter: Well, I am tired.
May: And older. And thicker.
Peter: (shows him his gut and sweatpants) Yeah. I've heard that already.
May: Oh, jeez. Are those sweatpants?
Gwen: Yup, that's what they are.
Miles walks forward holding the computer tower.
Miles: I was there, when it all happened. I am so sorry.
May: And what dimension are you from?
Miles: Brooklyn.
May smiled, just to look at Scarlet who hasn't said anything in those few last minutes.
May: (to Scarlet) And from what dimension are you?
Scarlet: You don't want to know... Ms. Parker.
May looked at Scarlet, she sort of recognized that voice, as she slowly walks forward.
May: Jensen?
Scarlet's eyes widened, but they changed to a saddened one, he slowly takes his mask off, as he kept his gaze down, not wanting to look at May.
Jensen: Am I... alive in this universe?
May doesn't say anything... which Jensen picked up what she meant by that.
May: You look more different to my Jensen than Peter does to... my Peter-
Jensen: How did I... die?
May: You... pushed Mary Jane out of the building. You saved her from a collapsing building, but you failed to save yourself. You were 17 years old.
Jensen stays quiet though, but May slowly pulls him to a hug which he quickly answers back.
May: Is so good to hear your voice again.
Jensen: Is good to speak with you too, May. (slowly separates) Did your Peter have a place where we could make another goober?
He shows it to May who grabs it.
May: A goober. Follow me.
Moments later, May kicks the door to the backyard like a badass, as the five of them walk to a shed.
Peter: Oh, yeah, I got one of these, too. A little, old shed where I keep my Spider-gear.
May opens the lock and opens the shed, though showing a white light inside, and the door opened showing a spider logo. May signaled them to enter, Gwen and Miles smile as they enter, though Jensen and Peter were not, this was exaggerating.
Peter: I mean, this place is pretentious.
The shed closes with them inside, as they start to go down, they were in an elevator right now technically. They saw a few things light, a unnecessary boogie, the main computer, weights/dumbbells and so many more stuff.
Miles: Whoa.
Gwen: (to Jensen) Now this is a Batcave, or well... Spider-Cave.
Jensen: What a large amount of unnecessary stuff.
They reach the bottom part as Miles was enjoying this view.
Miles: Dude. Was yours anything like this?
Peter: (walking away) Mine was like this, but take away the jeep, the plane. Imagine it way smaller. Imagine a futon. I feel sad for this guy.
He walks forward, just to see a picture of someone... certain someone... Mary Jane. Jensen sees Peter look at the photo bit ashamed, but he hears some weird glitching... not like the normal one... as he looks to one of the costumes Peter of 1610 has... a completely black costume with green neon colors... it was sort of shifting very weirdly.
May: The Stealth Suit.
Jensen slightly looks back at May who walks towards him. She stands by his side, as the suit kept reacting weirdly.
May: The suit like is called, can bend light around it and sound, giving it the ability to turn invisible and completely sound proof, undetectable via sound. The suit has been acting a bit weirdly since last week.
Jensen looks at May and walks away, as Miles sees a Spider-Man costume... which has a cape.
Miles: Hey, Peter. I think this is a cape.
Peter who looked back, releases a small chuckle. Gwen looks at the two as well as Jensen, with Miles deciding to walk to another suit of Peter-1610 had... the original one. Miles stands in front... seeing his reflection through the glass.
May: Peter knew how dangerous the job was. But he figured the only one who could stop this guy was Spider-Man.
Gwen was first to walk and the other three spiders walk behind her, seeing the detective work Peter did on Fisk. Jensen looked at it and then to the computer.
Miles: Kingpin knows we're coming. We're going to be outnumbered.
May: Don't be so sure.
Jensen's Spider-Sense activated and looked up, as May hands four stickers that said "My Name" and four markers.
May: You might need these.
Then Peter and Gwen's Spider-Sense activate and Miles was next for a split second and they look up to where Jensen was looking. They saw three pair of white eyes and a red electronic one.
May: You think you're the only people who thought to come here?
They managed to see who each of them were, the first one was a 1940's black and white detective Spider-Man with a trench coat and a fedora hat... Spider-Man Noir.
Noir: Hey, fellas.
Miles: Is he in black and white?
Peter: Where's that wind coming from? We're in a basement.
Noir: Wherever I go, the wind follows. And the wind, it smells like rain.
The other one was a... little anime girl on top of a spider robot... very futuristic and... again she's an anime girl... literally... Peni Parker.
Peni: Hi, guys! *doing a very anime like intro) Konnichiwa! Hajimemashite yoroshiku!
She does the anime pose with a tons of kicks and tricks that you would see in an anime.
Peter: This could literally not get any weirder.
And walking out last was a... pig Spider-Man, literally.. is a pig... dressed as Spider-Man with his wet hand... Peter Porker... Spider-Ham.
Spider-Ham: It can get weirder. (extends his hand to Peter and the others) I just washed my hands. That's why they're wet. No other reason.
After that, their Spider-Sense activate at the same time... yes even the robot's... don't ask how.
Every spider: You're like me.
Noir: All right. My name is Peter Par-
Noir earns a web to his mouth, as well as Peni and Spider-Ham, looking in shock. Jensen was the cause of it.
Jensen: Your not doing it and both of you are not gonna do the damn intro.
Noir was first to rip it off, glaring at Jensen.
Noir: Bit rude, kid.
Jensen: There's not much of a kid left in this body, and compared to her-
Peni: I'm fourteen!
Jensen: And I didn't ask! Let me guess, the collider brought you four here too? Dimensional portal?
Noir: Yeah... something like that... or... exactly that. What's a collider?
Jensen: (scoffs) Yeah you look old-school... 1942?
Noir: 1933 actually.
Peni: And now we're just trying to find a way home.
The robot did a sad face as Jensen looked at both.
Noir: The only way home is back through that collider gizmo, grumpy said. The only trouble is...
Spider-Ham: One of us has to stay behind and destroy it.
Gwen, Ham, Jensen, Noir and Peni: I'll do it.
Miles: No, no, no. You guys don't get it.
Peni: Don't get what?
After that, she starts to glitch as well as the rest of the out of place spiders. They all kneel and scream in pain. They stopped glitching... but Jensen didn't stop. He groans as he stops glitching a few seconds later... leaving him panting a little.
Miles. None of you can stay here. If you stay here, you'll die. I'm the guy who's gonna turn it off. And I'm gonna get you all home before I do. Look, I made a promise. So I have to keep it.
They all looked at Miles, some of them a bit hopeful after what Miles said-
Noir: Who are you again?
Okay maybe not that hopeful.
Peter: This is Miles. And he's gonna save the multiverse.
Miles: Yeah, man.
Peter: This kid can turn himself invisible. Watch this. He can do it now.
Miles starts to try and turn invisible on command... but... he sort of fails.
Miles: I can't do it on command.
Peter: He can't do it on command. But it is cool. Show 'em the zappy thing, Miles.
Miles try to... do something zappy... which doesn't work either.
Miles: Can't do it on command.
Peter: He can't do it on command. But he can do so much more. What else do you do?
Miles: Just those two things.
Peter: Just those two things.
Jensen looks at Peter and Miles... just to shake his head.
Miles: Um, Jensen... how do you... activate your claws-
Jensen: Stingers. When the spider bit me, it sort of gave me another muscle memory of some sorts. I just pop them out without trying, just when I want to or need it.
Gwen: Look, I've seen him in action. He's got potential. I think he's gonna get us home.
Jensen looks at Gwen... shaking his head at her comment.
Jensen: He's not ready.
Miles: What? I-I can do it.
Jensen: No. Your not ready. You didn't even know how to use a web shooter or swing properly, or throw a punch at least. What's happening out there is way out of your league, even ours.
Jensen looks at Gwen who had her arma crossed.
Jensen: If Miles can't save us, I'm staying.
Noir/Peter: Oh dear./Your nuts?
Gwen: Yeah, your not staying, okay. Miles can do it, he can get us home.
Jensen: And if he can't? We're not putting this into a vote! I'm staying! End of discussion!
Nobody says anything... neither Gwen who takes a deep breath at his statement... she just takes a few steps back just to look away from Jensen.
Noir: (walking to Miles) Okay, little fella, Kingpin's gonna send a lot of mugs after ya. I'm talkin' hard boys, real biscuit boxers. Can you fight them all off at once?
Miles: I haven't fought anyone.
Noir: Surprise attack!
Noir swipes Miles off balance, making him land in his back.
Peni: Can you rewire a mainframe while being shot at?
Jensen: Nobody does that, kid.
Peni threw Miles a mainframe, as Miles looks at it.
Miles: Can I what?
Miles slowly gets up after that.
Peni/Noir: Show me!/Surprise attack!
Noir hits Miles again, making him stumble. Peter watched, not deciding to push Miles... same as Jensen... but Gwen did start to push him.
Gwen: Can you swing and flip with the grace of a trained dancer?
Noir: Can you close off your feelings so you don't get crippled by the moral ambiguity of your violent actions?
May: Can you help your aunt create an online dating profile so she can get out of the dang house once in a while?
Spider-Ham: (literally floating) Can you float through the air when you smell a delicious pie?
Miles: What?
Gwen: Can you be strong?
Peni: Ruthless?
Gwen: Disciplined?
Miles: I don't know. Maybe.
Jensen: Enough.
Spider-Ham hits his head in a very cartoonish way after that.
Peni: Psychic.
Noir: Show me some moxie, soldier!
Gwen: Above all, (picks Miles up) no matter how many times you get hit, can you get back up?
Jensen: Enough.
He heard something on his hand... which made him stop. He saw them still teaching Miles... no... at this point they were beating on him.
Gwen, Ham, Noir and Peni: C'mon Miles, get up.
Miles was at this in the ground... until Miles was pulled back... by Jensen, who was standing in front of Miles.
Jensen: Enough... all of you...
The others sort of relax, as Jensen looks back at Miles... still trying to get up.
Gwen: Jay, you know better than I do. He's not ready. It's obvious.
Jensen: I am aware, but pushing him around like a rag doll will not help the situation. Wether he likes it or not, he is this world's new Spider-Man and you? You didn't help at all.
Gwen goes to say something, but Noir speaks over her.
Noir/Gwen: There's no way. He's just a kid./If he can't do this, we have to stay and do it for him.
Jensen: What is this about? Gwen? Suddenly pushing him around so he can what? Fight back? You know he is not ready, and I've made my choice. So was your plan push him around to break his chance on being Spider-Man? Technically, your making sure I do die.
Gwen after that stops talking as Noir returns to talk.
Noir: He's looking right at us while we talk about him.
After that... they hear the elevator activate, as Peter looks to it.
Peter: Miles?
There was no one in the elevator, but Miles wasn't in the ground either... he finally turned invisible.
Peter: Miles? You see that? He can, um... He can turn invisible.
Miles just stays quiet, leaving everyone quiet, as Jensen shook his head and walks away towards the table... the table that had Mary Jane's photo. He leans to it taking a deep breath. He slightly looks to the picture as he sighs.
MJ: (voice) Help... every... one...
Jensen: AAGH!!!
He completely smashed the table... leaving his panting very angrily... disappointed... on himself. Gwen slowly walks to him... he was technically showing his back to everyone. She slowly puts a hand on his shoulder, but he shrugs it off, as he looked again to the picture of Mary Jane.
Jensen: I'm gonna find, Miles.
Jensen walks away, slowly putting his mask on.
Gwen: I'll go with-
Scarlet: No!
Gwen stops, slightly in shock due to his change of tone.
Scarlet: I'll do it alone, you have done enough... the four of you have done enough.
He pointed at every spider but Peter B. Parker. Gwen's shoulders sort of fell as Noir walks forward.
Noir: Is better for him that he doesn't become Spider-Man! The only thing that will follow him is death and tragedy!
Scarlet: A world without Spider-Man, is a world that will not survive.
Time skip
Miles was seated with his legs up to her chest, in a tall billboard, as behind was Scarlet who lands on his feet, looking at the saddened teenager.
Scarlet: Miles? Are you okay?
Miles: How can I be? You heard them, you even said it! I'm not ready!
Scarlet slowly looks down with Miles even a bit more sadder.
Miles: And you didn't even flinched. Your staying here, nobody even tried to talk you out of it, and if you die, that's on me, cause... I couldn't do something as simple as... shoot a web.
Scarlet slowly takes his mask off, sitting in the middle of the billboard... hanging his feet and holding his mask.
Jensen: I heard that Gwen told you about what happened to me before I met you and Peter, but she didn't say what really happened, right?
Miles looks confused and looks back at Jensen.
Miles: How did you-
Jensen: Enhanced hearing, is pretty new actually, I didn't have it till the bus, as well... talons that I got in my fingers.
Miles looks at both hands, but he didn't see anything.
Jensen: (snickers) Look at that, we're both trying to learn how our abilities work. (serious again) Nobody learns from the get-go, how to use something, like martial arts, we learn, we practice, we upgrade sometimes... and then we master. I didn't learn how to summon my stingers till my 2nd week, it was first triggered in my school which I got scared of, then it got triggered out of self defense and... you get the idea.
Miles: I do. But... is that what happened?
Jensen: Uh, no. Before meeting you and Peter, I... had a panic attack, PTSD attack.
Miles: For real? Thought Spider-Man was... always so-
Jensen: Good? Impossible to break? That's a disguise, a... damn the word escapes me. Anyway... we still go through hard stuff... Gwen didn't tell you but... 4 months before coming here. I... I got raped.
Miles stays quiet but grows in complete shock.
Miles: H-How? How does Spider-Man... how?!
Jensen: By the person you trusted the most.
He looked at Miles who slowly looked away, as Jensen intertwined his own fingers while looking to the horizon.
Jensen: It was Gwen Stacy of my universe.
Miles: Gwen? I... I would never see Gwen doing something like that.
Jensen: Not every person is like that, that includes other versions of ourselves. There might be a you who is a murderer... just as there was a me... who stayed good. When Gwen raped, I lost full trust on everyone, believing that they will something like that to me, betray me, my own trust, use my friendship against me. I already lost my Peter and Mary Jane by that point, and so many more. Loss turned me into a monster, I just... started to kill people, I had no problems anymore.
Miles: Dude, your young, and you were killing?
Jensen: Yeah. Even teenagers can go dark with one bad day. I don't have regrets of doing what I did... I really don't... but I regret starting it. Dad always said... "Every life is precious, nothing is worth more than one life." And I've completely thrown that out of the window.
Miles: But this happened because Peter and Mary Jane died?
Jensen: Yeah. I started cause if I've never held back, they would be alive, dozens of students wouldn't have died if I killed The Goblin the moment he first arrived. So I blamed myself for it... I didn't even manage to do what MJ wanted. She told me to "Save everyone." Another thing I threw out of the window. Even with the killing and fear, I didn't save everyone.
Miles: But... killing is permanent, how couldn't you save everyone? Like... did another event like that happened?
Jensen: No.
Miles: Then... who didn't you save?
Jensen: Myself.
Miles after that stays quiet, as Jensen smiles a little, just to look to the horizon once more.
Jensen: I saved as many as I could... but I didn't save the most important person... I didn't save Jensen Banner... me, son of Jack Banner and Camilla Banner. For when Pete and Mj died, I just focused so much on saving as many as I could, but in exchange, I was killing myself, my humanity, my relationships, my good emotions... I was turning Jensen into a mere identity... letting Scarlet Spider take control. I barely even remember how to play the guitar, I keep a photo to remember what I could do, who I was.
Miles looks away, as Jensen puts a hand in his shoulder.
Jensen: They say Spider-Man always gets up, but not always completely. Part of it does but not everything. Scarlet Spider got up to protect New York, not so much regarding Jensen Banner.
Miles: So this is what Spider-Man is about? Losing people? Your closets?
Jensen: Not really. On your journey, you will lose people, close people, friends, but you will create new ones, live a life. I let tragedy define me, and whatever happens... don't let my death define you either, use it to push yourself further, to be the best Spider-Man you can be.
Jensen pats his back and gets up, putting the mask.
Miles: Then how can I save the world? We only have spider powers.
Scarlet: We can't save everyone, Miles... but we can save as many as we can. Life is precious, even those who don't deserve to live, to be Spider-Man is to be better than those who use their abilities for selfish deeds... without responsibility, we're not better... and I didn't even see that.
Scarlet goes to swing but Miles talks again.
Miles: T-Then how do I know I'm ready? How did Peter knew he was ready? How did you?
Scarlet: I didn't... I didn't know, that's up to you. Don't think how I knew I was ready or how Peter did... think how you know your ready. Don't be me, or Peter Parker or Gwen, or the old guy, you know what I'm saying... don't be like them... be Miles Morales... become your own Spider-Man.
Miles nods at him, with Scarlet smiling under the mask. He goes to swing, but again he stops.
Scarlet: Oh and one last thing. (Miles looks at him) Call me Spider-Man and I'll gut you like a fish.
The silence was there... as Miles bursts laughing a little, as Scarlet also joins.
Miles: That's... quite the nice joke.
Scarlet: Mhm. The Goblin was a fifteen year old boy when I killed him...
Miles stopped laughing after that... as Scarlet shot a web.
Scarlet: Good chat.
He takes a swing, back to May's house, as Miles stays looking at the horizon...
Miles: Just have to be me...
Scarlet kept swinging... Li told him Miles would end everything... he doesn't know what that means actually, but Miles is Spider-Man now...
Scarlet: Huh... I think I killed that speech...
Chapter 11 is here everyone, next chapter will be a roller coaster to write, not cause of the house fight, but what happens before and after it...
Hope you enjoyed it, vote for it, leave a comment if you want to share your opinion, and good night.