"Just as I thought." Malrick rubbed Little Peter's head gently.
"Peter, our apartment is right across the street. You should head back first, don't let Aunt May worry."
Little Peter looked up at the swirling orange-gold portal, his eyes full of wonder. But when he realized Malrick wasn't going with him, his face fell.
"Brother Malrick, are we going back now?" he asked hopefully.
"Not 'we,' just you," Malrick corrected. "I'm planning to visit the Time Variance Authority."
The TVA had always been a shadow hanging over Malrick's mind. Ever since recovering the memories of his past life, he had dreaded the possibility of the TVA—or even the Ancient One—appearing at his door to erase him.
But that was years ago. Now his power was enough to face most threats in the Marvel Universe. The Ancient One, whom he once worried about, had long returned to Eternity. Yet he had never encountered the TVA directly. Meeting Deadpool, who had recently been "pursued" by them, seemed like the perfect chance. He wanted to see what the TVA truly looked like now.
"Only me going back?" Little Peter protested, clinging to Malrick's leg. "Can't I come with you?"
"No. Kids should be home doing their homework. Look at Penny—she already went back to finish hers." Malrick crouched and looked him in the eye. "And when you tell Aunt May about all this, don't mention that lunatic Deadpool."
Before Peter could argue further, Malrick picked him up by the collar, tossed him gently through the glowing portal, and closed it with a flick of his wrist.
When he turned back, four Spider-Men stood in a line, still carrying the cocooned Deadpool. They had dropped him with a heavy thud and were now staring at Malrick in disbelief.
Gwen landed nearby with a swing of her web. "How did you do that?"
The others rushed over at once.
"Where's Little Peter?" Gwen asked.
"I sent him home first." Malrick held up the modified time tablet. "The reason you couldn't open the portals is because the TVA hasn't cataloged this branch of the Multiverse yet. I made a few adjustments, now it works."
The Sony Spider-Man Universe and the MCU existed side by side. Not long ago, Doctor Strange's spell had pulled Toby-Spiderman and Garfield-Spiderman across into the MCU.
Gwen's eyes lit up. "So we can go home?"
"That's right," Malrick nodded. "I'll send you all back first." He pointed at the web-wrapped Deadpool still wriggling on the ground. "After that, I'm going to the TVA with him."
He expected them to seize the chance to return to their own universes. But instead, the Spiders' reactions surprised him.
"You figured out the structure of that device already?" one of them exclaimed. "That's incredible!"
"Wait," Gwen frowned, "you're really going to the TVA with Deadpool?"
"Planning to help him solve his world's crisis?" Toby asked.
"I'm in too," Holland-Spiderman declared, fists clenched. "An organization that destroys entire worlds is even worse than Thanos."
"Count me in," Garfield-Spider added, resting a hand on Malrick's shoulder.
"Me too," the last Spider-Man said, raising his hand. "Deadpool is annoying, but the people in his world don't deserve to die."
They truly were Spider-Men. Faced with a choice between safely returning home or risking everything to protect others, they all chose the latter without hesitation.
"I'm fine with whatever you decide," Malrick said with a faint smile. "But ask Deadpool first."
Everyone turned toward the mercenary.
Deadpool, who had been wriggling like a trapped caterpillar moments before, suddenly hopped upright despite being cocooned in webs. He bounced across the floor, sobbing theatrically.
"My Peter! My Gwen! My Harry Potter! I knew you loved me as much as I love you! But remember—I love you more. Three thousand times more!"
Malrick's face darkened. He appeared in front of Deadpool in an instant and smacked him across the head.
"Three thousand my ass. Stop plagiarizing Iron Man."
Ten minutes later, preparations were complete. Four of the Spider-Men and Deadpool were ready to depart for the TVA. One Spider-Man stayed behind—his world had only just survived a crisis, and he needed to manage the aftermath and make sure no new threats emerged.
As they gathered, Holland-Spiderman stretched and asked, "Wade, how strong are the TVA agents? Do they have guys like Morlun?"
"They're way scarier than Morlun!" Deadpool said gravely—then ruined it with his usual nonsense. "Because while they're completely ordinary in skill, they stare at you like you're a block of cheese, and you'll want to flip them off just for looking at you!"
"Ordinary in skill?" Holland-Spiderman frowned. "But if they can destroy worlds, shouldn't they be as powerful as Thanos?"
"Hmm… maybe Thanos was hiding in the corner last time, watching my butt?" Deadpool shrugged.
Before the argument got more ridiculous, Malrick cut in. "I have a question."
He looked at Deadpool. "The TVA destroys a world immediately after its anchor dies, claiming it would collapse in a few thousand years anyway. That excuse sounds reasonable, but doesn't add up. Deadpool, how long do you think Wolverine can live?"
Deadpool scratched his chin. "No idea. He's basically a turtle dressed like a Wolverine. Maybe a few hundred years?"
"Then what's the difference," Malrick pressed, "between him dying naturally in a few hundred years and dying early now?"
Deadpool froze. Then his eyes went wide. "Wait—you mean… my world is doomed either way? Like the sun going down no matter what?"
"Exactly," Malrick said. "Which is why the TVA's reasoning doesn't make sense. The lifespan of a universe should be unimaginably long. It shouldn't hinge on a single so-called anchor."
He tapped the time tablet, opening a glowing new portal. "It's far more likely another anchor would simply emerge to replace the old one. There must be another mechanism at work here. Maybe you can save your world a different way, Wade."
The Marvel Universe had no shortage of strange rules. The idea of an "anchor" sounded more like a writer's device than cosmic law. In truth, the only being who could decide such things was Eternity, the embodiment of the Multiverse itself.
"Don't overthink it now," Malrick said at last. "Deadpool, lead the way."
Deadpool slapped his own cheeks dramatically, muttering to himself. "There are other ways to save my world…"
Then he straightened, his gaze suddenly sharp. Crossing his arms, he bellowed, "X-Force Squad Two, move out!"
_____
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