Miles Morales was in a total panic. He turned to run, but Gwen was faster. With two quick flicks of her wrists, she shot out webs that pinned the boy's feet and arms to the wall.
"Stay put, kid!" she said firmly.
Meanwhile, Peter B. Parker stopped twitching on the ground. He groaned, rubbed his sore muscles, and slowly climbed back to his feet, looking a bit messy.
"That was... quite a shock," Peter B. muttered, looking at Miles with confusion. "How do you have electricity powers? We're all Spider-Men, but I definitely can't do that. Is that a new feature?"
Miles was so terrified his jaw was locked; he couldn't get a single word out. Peter walked over and gently pulled the store-bought mask off the boy's face.
"Listen to me, Miles," Peter said, his voice calm and steady. "I'm Peter Parker. This older guy is also Peter Parker. We're all here because we want justice for the Spider-Man who died today. We're on your side. Now, let's talk."
The Broken Key
Once Miles calmed down, he told them everything that had happened over the last few days. His story matched exactly what Peter knew from his memories of the movie. The only difference was that Peter's presence had changed the "math" of the multiverse. Instead of just Gwen arriving, Peter had come along for the ride, too.
"So, what's the plan, old-timer?" Peter asked, looking at Peter B. Parker.
Peter B. was easily the most experienced person there. Twenty years of being a hero meant he had seen almost everything. He stroked his chin, thinking hard.
"Kingpin just killed this world's Spider-Man," Peter B. said. "He probably thinks he's won. That makes him overconfident and lazy. This is our best chance to sneak into his base and shut down that particle collider."
"But we have to move fast," he added. "Kingpin won't stay relaxed for long."
Peter nodded. "Makes sense. Miles, do you still have that override key the local Spider-Man gave you? It's the only way to turn that machine off safely."
Miles froze. A look of pure guilt washed over his face. He slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out his hand. In his palm lay a pile of shattered plastic and bent metal. It looked like a crushed U-disk.
"When I fell earlier... and when I accidentally shocked you... I think I smashed it," Miles whispered.
Peter B. smacked his forehead in frustration. Gwen just sighed and leaned against the wall. Without that key, a "sneaky" mission just became a lot harder.
"Let me see that," Peter said, taking the fragments. He pulled out his phone. "Deep Blue, scan these pieces. Can we fix this?"
The screen lit up with Deep Blue's digital face. A blue laser swept over the broken parts. After a few seconds, the AI spoke up.
"I'm sorry, Master. The internal memory units were fried by a high-voltage electrical surge. The data is gone. It is impossible to repair."
Peter B. stared at the phone in shock. "A Super-AI? In a phone? I can't believe it. The version of me that didn't get bitten by a spider turned into Tony Stark? The multiverse is a crazy place."
Gwen crossed her arms. "Tony Stark is a jerk. Peter is much smarter and nicer. He'll beat Stark's tech in no time."
New Arrivals
Just as Peter B. was about to laugh at the "Stark" comment, he and Gwen both stiffened. Their Spider-Sense went off like a siren. They spun around, staring into the dark shadows at the end of the alley.
Three figures slowly stepped into the light.
When Peter B. saw them, he slapped his forehead again. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me. How many of us are there?"
Gwen turned to Peter, her eyes wide. "Peter! More Spider-Men!"
Peter watched the new arrivals, a spark of excitement in his eyes. Even though he knew this might happen, seeing them in person was something else entirely.
Spider-Man Noir: A man in a 1930s-style black trench coat, fedora, and mask. He looked like he walked straight out of an old black-and-white detective movie.
Peni Parker: A cheerful middle-school girl from a high-tech future, standing next to a round, red-and-white spider-robot that she piloted.
Spider-Ham: A literal cartoon pig wearing a Spider-Man suit.1 His name was Peter Porker.
Six different versions of "Spider-Man" were now gathered in one damp, dark alley. Peter realized that his arrival must have triggered a "butterfly effect," bringing all the scattered heroes together much faster than in the original story.
"Since we're all on the same team, we should probably find a place to sit down and talk," Peter suggested.
He looked at the group—a teenager, a middle-aged man, a girl in a mech, a detective from the 30s, and a cartoon pig.
"I think it's time we pay a visit to this world's Aunt May," Peter said. "It's the only place in this city where we'll all be safe."