[Third Person Pov]
"Hell yeah," Peter said with unabashed pride as he leaned closer to the mirror, turning his body slightly from side to side to inspect himself. He lifted his chin, squinting at his reflection as though he were a work of art on display. "I can totally rock a tan," he added with a satisfied grin, brushing a hand over his arm. "I'm looking crispy~"
He flexed one arm, then the other, whistling low at himself as he struck a series of increasingly dramatic poses—one foot back, shoulders squared, biceps tightened. Just as he puckered his lips to blow himself a kiss, a familiar, unmistakably judgmental presence prickled at the back of his neck.
Peter paused mid-pose.
Slowly, he turned his head toward the doorway and spotted Aria peeking in, her head poked just far enough through the door to catch the full spectacle. Her expression said everything: unimpressed, mildly disturbed, and painfully accustomed to this exact behavior.
"What are you looking at?" Peter said defensively, immediately covering his chest with both hands and turning away as if he'd been caught in a compromising situation.
Aria rolled her eyes. Clearly, this wasn't her first time walking in on Peter admiring himself. "Grandma May is calling you down for breakfast," she said flatly.
"I'll be down shortly," Peter replied without missing a beat, glancing back at the mirror one last time. "Just admiring my beautiful bronze skin~" He punctuated the statement by kissing his biceps with theatrical affection.
"Ugh," Aria groaned, already regretting phasing through the door in the first place. "Let's just get going before the food gets cold."
"Alright, alright," Peter said with a playful smirk, grabbing his shirt and pulling it on in one swift, practiced motion. "You're so demanding." Before Aria could protest, he scooped her up effortlessly and rested her on one arm as though she weighed nothing at all.
"Hey—put me down!" she protested, though there was no real bite behind it.
Peter laughed as he carried her down the stairs, clearly enjoying himself far too much.
As they entered the dining room, Aunt May looked up from the table with a warm smile. "You two must've come home late," she said thoughtfully. "I didn't even notice you arrive last night."
"Yeah," Peter replied casually as he gently set Aria down onto one of the chairs. "Something came up, so we ended up getting back later than we planned." He walked over to his own seat, giving Uncle Ben's shoulder a friendly pat in greeting as he passed.
…
It was close to noon when Peter found himself back inside their base alongside the rest of the team. The atmosphere was relaxed, almost lazy—everyone scattered about, each person occupying themselves in their own way while waiting for something to happen.
Peter lounged in a chair near one of the tables, one foot propped up casually as he scrolled through his phone. His attention was fixed on a page displaying tickets to a large aviary, his thumb swiping back and forth as he compared options. A small, genuine smile tugged at his lips as he imagined the surprise he was putting together.
He lifted his phone slightly above his face, grinning to himself as he continued scrolling.
Gwen happened to walk by at just the right moment and caught sight of the ridiculous, lovestruck expression plastered across his face. She slowed to a stop and raised an eyebrow. "What's got you smiling like that?" she asked.
"Hm?" Peter said, startled. He quickly lowered his phone and pressed it to his chest as though she'd almost caught a secret. "Oh—nothing." He shifted in his seat before standing abruptly. "Anyway, I've got something to do, so I'm gonna step out real quick."
"What?" Gwen blinked, clearly not following.
"Later," Peter said brightly. He leaned in, kissed her cheek, and added, "Love you." Without giving her another second to respond, he stepped through a portal and vanished.
Gwen stood there for a moment, blinking as the space where he'd been closed in on itself. She glanced around the room, utterly baffled.
"…What the hell was that all about?"
…
Peter was far from home—really far. All the way out in Pennsylvania, in fact, walking down a quiet street with two carefully folded tickets held between his fingers. He glanced down at them repeatedly as he walked, his expression softened by a faint, private smile. Every detail had been planned out in his head already.
That smile vanished instantly.
A sharp alarm blared from his phone, loud and urgent enough to make him flinch. Peter stopped dead in his tracks, shoulders slumping slightly as he let out a slow, irritated sigh.
"What now…" he muttered under his breath.
He pulled his phone out and immediately recognized the alert—his Spider-Man app, flashing aggressively on the screen. His eyes skimmed the notification, and his jaw tightened.
CODE RED.
Peter frowned deeply. Code red was never good. Code red meant an active villain attack, widespread danger, and the very real possibility of mass casualties if things spiraled out of control.
"This can't wait," he murmured.
Without hesitation, Peter broke into a sprint, weaving through pedestrians as his eyes darted between his surroundings and the glowing screen. He searched for a location discreet enough to teleport without causing panic. The tickets were shoved securely into his pockets as he spotted a narrow alley tucked between two buildings.
He ducked into it, pressed his palm against the brick wall—and in a flash of light, he was gone.
---
Back inside the Spider-Cave, chaos was already unfolding with practiced efficiency. The moment Peter arrived, the team was in motion—grabbing gear, activating suits, and syncing comms as though they'd done this a hundred times before.
Peter stepped forward immediately. "Aria, what's the situation?"
Aria didn't hesitate, her voice broadcasting clearly across the cave. "Downtown Brooklyn. The Juggernaut is on the run. I repeat—the Juggernaut is on the run."
The seriousness of her tone sent a ripple of tension through the room.
"Who the hell is the Juggernaut?!" Felicia asked, clearly alarmed.
Peter was already moving, a blur of speed as his suit materialized around him and his utility belt snapped into place. Aria answered before he could.
"Based on all available information, the Juggernaut is believed to be a powerful mutant possessing immense physical strength and unstoppable momentum," she said grimly. "It is widely accepted that he must never be allowed to start running. Once he gains speed, he becomes virtually impossible to stop. There are credible reports stating he could topple a skyscraper with a single charge."
That earned a collective pause.
"Aria, get in contact with Bruce and Betty—" Peter began.
"There's no need," Aria cut in smoothly. "Gwen has already been dispatched to retrieve them. They should be back any second now."
Almost on cue, a portal shimmered open nearby. Gwen stepped through first, followed closely by Bruce and Betty. Neither wasted time—both immediately began to transform, their forms swelling and shifting as the familiar, monstrous silhouettes of the Hulks took shape.
"And the Fantastic Four?" Peter asked, nodding in acknowledgment.
Felicia crossed her arms, eyeing the growing lineup. "The hell? Are we going to war or something? What's with the full assembly?"
"They're unavailable," Aria replied. "Currently exploring the Savage Lands together."
As she spoke, Aria activated her illusion, her appearance shifting to look noticeably older—more authoritative, more imposing.
"I'd rather be overprepared and go all out from the start," Peter said firmly, shaking his head. "You heard Aria—once the Juggernaut starts running, he can't be stopped." He grimaced slightly. "Honestly, I'd feel a lot better if The Thing were here."
"Worry not," Aria said, her voice calm but resolute. "The Juggernaut is already being engaged."
That drew everyone's attention immediately.
"Who?" Nightwing asked, curiosity sharpening his tone.
Aria paused just long enough to let the weight of the answer sink in.
"The X-Men."
…
The Juggernaut was wreathed in a violent crimson aura of crackling magical energy, the air around him vibrating with raw power. Every thunderous step he took sent shockwaves rippling through the streets, asphalt buckling and storefront windows shattering as the ground trembled beneath his weight.
"Jean! Clear the path ahead of him!" Cyclops shouted as he sprinted across the rooftops, boots pounding against concrete. "We need to keep casualties and collateral damage to a minimum!"
Jean nodded sharply and leapt from the roof without hesitation. She soared through the air, eyes glowing faintly as she extended her telekinetic grip. With a single commanding gesture, cars were lifted and gently slid aside, pedestrians whisked safely out of harm's way, and abandoned vehicles neatly arranged along the sidewalks as if guided by an invisible hand.
"Colossus, Logan!" Cyclops barked as they reached a wide intersection. He vaulted toward a light pole and latched onto it effortlessly. "Try getting his helmet off! Storm and I will cover you!"
Clinging to the pole, Cyclops leaned outward and pressed the side of his visor. A devastating optic blast erupted from his eyes, slamming into the Juggernaut's side with explosive force. At the same time, Colossus charged headlong down the street, Wolverine sprinting beside him with feral determination.
At the last second, Colossus grabbed Logan by the collar and hurled him skyward—not at Juggernaut, but above him—before slamming his own shoulder into the massive brute in an attempt to slow his momentum.
Midair, Logan snarled and extended his claws toward the stormy sky. A bolt of lightning answered his call, striking down and electrifying the adamantium blades. Wolverine crashed down onto the Juggernaut, unleashing a furious flurry of slashes, crackling with raw electricity.
Colossus dug his metal feet into the street, carving a trench as he pushed back with all his strength, hammering Juggernaut with heavy punches and bracing against his unstoppable force.
With an enraged roar, Juggernaut reached back and seized Logan, swinging him repeatedly like a living weapon and smashing him against Colossus. With a powerful charging punch, he sent Colossus flying—his armored body tumbling through the street like a wrecking ball—before hurling Logan upward toward the sky, straight into the heart of the storm Storm was gathering.
Logan and Storm collided midair with a shared grunt of pain, their bodies plummeting toward the street—until Jean reached out and caught them both in a firm telekinetic hold.
"No one can stop the Juggernaut!!" Cain Marko roared.
He slammed his fist into the ground.
The resulting shockwave ripped through the streets, the pavement splitting apart violently. Colossus was swallowed beneath the surface, the ground collapsing around him, while Cyclops lost his footing and was hurled backward, crashing hard into a nearby wall.
Suddenly, a golden portal tore open high above the battlefield.
Peter dropped through alongside the rest of the Spider-Family, arms spread wide as he grinned. "Howdy, folks! Looks like this is gonna be the team-up of the century!!"
He waved his hands outward, and reality itself began to fracture. The world around them cracked and splintered like broken glass as the Mirror Dimension folded inward, pulling everyone into its distorted reflection. Buildings stretched unnaturally, streets warped and twisted, and countless mirrored versions of the battlefield shimmered in every direction.
Peter fired a web straight into the gaping hole where Colossus had been buried. With a powerful yank, he hauled the metal giant free, pulling him back onto solid ground.
Peter landed lightly and immediately began manipulating the Mirror Dimension, warping space so that despite Juggernaut's furious forward motion, he remained locked in place—his legs churning uselessly as the street and world around him shifted endlessly beneath his feet.
"Woah…" Jean muttered, eyes widening as she took in their surroundings. "Where exactly are we?"
"Welcome to the Mirror Dimension," Peter said casually as he stepped up beside Colossus. "A separate reality we can use to fight Juggernaut without worrying about casualties or collateral damage."
He paused, then turned toward Colossus with sudden enthusiasm. "But before that—I need to get this off my chest." He motioned at him excitedly. "Dude, you look freaking awesome!"
Peter's demeanor abruptly shifted, his tone dropping into exaggerated seriousness. "Please let me touch you."
Colossus blinked, then rumbled, "Maybe later…" in his thick Russian accent. "After we are done working."
"Right—right—right," Peter said quickly, straightening and clearing his throat as he snapped back into focus.
His gaze locked onto Juggernaut, who was growing increasingly enraged as he realized he couldn't move forward—no matter how hard he tried.
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