A week later:
I groaned, "I freaking hate Mondays."
"Oh, they aren't so bad," MJ smiled as she placed a stack of waffles before me and winked. "After all, Mondays are waffle days."
I grinned, "hell yeah!"
"Language," Peter warned, looking up from his newspaper.
I rolled my eyes. "Hey, it's not my fault I fight supervillains that curse like sailors. I'm an impressionable young man, you know?"
Peter smirked, "I'm sure."
Just then May walked downstairs, grumbling as she sat down. "I hate Mondays."
MJ chuckled, "like father like daughter!"
May didn't bother asking what she meant. She just grabbed a plate and began to eat. "I have three tests today! Three! Argh! This is impossible!"
I shrugged, "you just need to know how to study properly, May. If you want, I can help you out."
"Hell no!—"
"—Language—"
"—I don't need more studying! I need some action to distract me! Is it too much to ask for some bad guy to come and try to take over the city?!"
Just then my tablet began to ring out loud. I took it out and Sexy's voice spoke up. "Peter, I just received an SOS alert from 177A Bleecker Street on the Avengers' line."
"Yes!" May cheered. "Wishes are real!"
I raised an eyebrow. "What's the message about?"
"The message asks for anyone's help — something about extra-dimensional threats."
I raised an eyebrow at that. "Sounds like something we should check out." I turned to Peter. "177A Bleecker Street — does that ring a bell?"
He nodded solemnly. "Yes. That is the address of Doctor Stephen Strange, former Sorcerer Supreme."
My eyes went wide. "Holy—" I can't believe I didn't recognize it sooner. Damn it!
"Language!"
"Oh, come on!"
---
Half an hour later:
I swung into Manhattan, making my way toward Strange's place with May right behind me. We spotted the foreboding townhouse almost immediately and knew at once this was where we were needed.
I swung onto the roof and landed safely, May right behind me. I looked around and found a skylight. "Right — do you know anything about this guy?"
May shrugged as we approached the skylight and peered inside, finding nothing but darkness staring back at us. "Not really. I know he used to be a Defender and some kind of sorcerer. I think he was also an Avenger."
I nodded. "Makes sense how he'd have access to the emergency broadcast lines." I found a padlock and held up my hand, causing my stingers to extend with a sharp sting. I winced — the newly implanted metal coating still hurt.
I sighed. "I hate doing that."
"I've been meaning to ask — how do you have claws?" May asked. "Can my dad do that?...Can I?"
"No, it's something unique to me," I told her as I swiped at the lock, slicing it open. I lifted the skylight panel aside as we both slipped down inside, landing with a soft thud in a room smothered in shadows.
"I can't see a damn thing," May hissed.
"Luckily for you I have night vision." I tapped my helmet, activating the night-vision mode that let me see into the darkness — only to find something staring back at me. "Holy—"
"HEEE!" A piercing roar tore through the room as the shadows came alive, coalescing into a giant head with rows upon rows of razor-sharp teeth. It lunged at us. I jumped away, though I needn't have bothered — it didn't even reach striking distance.
"What is that thing?!" May cried out as she leaped away from the shadow, jumping onto the wall before springing to the ceiling.
"STOOOOP!" it cried out.
"I think it's not friendly!" I called out, sending a blast of bioelectricity from my hand and striking the thing square in the head.
"KRA!" it cried out as a chunk of its skull went flying. It began to scream before suddenly melting back into the walls of the room, letting the light from the skylight bathe the space below.
I looked at my hand. "Huh — wasn't expecting that." May and I dropped down and walked to the center of the room.
"What did you do to it?" May asked.
I shrugged. "I don't know. It was just a bio-electric blast — strong enough to stun a horse, but not normally...that."
"Forget about that! Come help me!" came an old man's voice from behind us.
May and I turned to find an old man tied to a chair, his head hanging down. He slowly looked up at us, his face deeply lined with age, his hair long enough to reach his shoulders, and a beard that would give Dumbledore a run for his money.
The man wore all black — a cloak and robes that shimmered even in the darkness. He had a medallion on his chest and a pair of orange gauntlets. I blinked. "Ah...are you Stephen Strange?"
"Of course I am! Who else did you think it was?!" the old man snapped with a growl. "Now get over here and untie me at once!"
"Ah, sure," May said as she walked up and worked at the ropes. "What was that thing?" she asked, suppressing a shiver.
"Its name is Kylokeous the Great, girl," Strange spat. "A great being from the Shadow Dimension. You would do well to show it some respect."
"Okay..." May trailed off. "Magic. That's...new."
I shrugged. "Trust me — you just sort of accept these things. You'll get used to it."
"Don't just stand there!" Stephen called out as he walked to the door and pushed it open, finding the creature gone, and with it the darkness that had filled the hallway. "It needs to be stopped! Come quickly — to the treasure room! Follow me!"
I narrowed my eyes. Something was wrong. No version of Stephen Strange I knew would act this erratic. But I kept quiet as May and I followed him down the stairs.
"I don't like this guy," May said as she leaped down the stairs three at a time.
Just then the monster returned. "No!" it cried out and launched a tentacle at May, who quickly jumped clear.
"Spider! Fire your power at the beast! Destroy it!" Strange called out with a snarl.
"Yeah," I groaned, doing as he said — firing a bolt of bio-electricity at the shadow creature. The thing immediately pulled back, dodging the blast.
"Good," Strange spat as he ran toward a door and pulled the handle, unable to open it.
May and I caught up to him, watching for the monster. "It's locked."
"Not for long," Stephen began to chant in a language I had never heard before, and then suddenly a black circle appeared over the lock, spinning until a loud click rang out. The door swung open at once. "Come quickly."
May and I looked inside. A long corridor stretched before us, dark and deeply unsettling. "I have a bad feeling about this," May said, swallowing. I said nothing as I followed Strange inside. He looked like he was smiling about something.
"So — do you remember me, Strange?" I asked.
The man snapped back toward me and huffed. "Should I?"
I groaned. Future Peter had sounded like he knew the man well. And of course Spider-Man and Doctor Strange should have teamed up at some point. Something was wrong.
But just then the shadow creature returned. "GO AWAY!" it roared as it came charging at us from behind. May and I jumped back, but the monster ignored us entirely, going straight for Strange.
"Help me, you fools!" Strange cried out as he summoned a black whip of shadow energy, striking the monster's body harmlessly.
I gathered my power and was about to fire when I stopped — and noticed something. The monster looked like it was in pain, but it wasn't going after me or May. It was focused solely on Strange. And Strange's magic...it felt wrong. He hadn't recognized my costume. He kept calling us "bugs." Something was very off.
"May — something's not right with Strange," I told her.
"Yeah, he's a creepy old man, but we still need to help him!" May cried out.
"I don't—"
CRASH!
The monster hurled Strange through a door and came charging in after him. "Come on!" May called as we both ran inside — only to stop in shock at what looked like a museum wing filled with artefacts displayed in glass cases.
Weapons, pottery, scrolls — even a single feather. But right now I was too focused on the fight unfolding between the monster and Strange.
"You will not stop me!" Strange cried out. "I will destroy the thread!"
I blinked. "Okay, that doesn't sound right."
"Stop!" the monster roared again. "Stop!"
I was about to move when Strange sent out a blast of orange energy that sent the monster flying into the far wall. Strange then floated in the middle of the room, darkness flowing off him in heavy waves.
"Finally — the fabled treasure room of the Sanctum Sanctorum!" Strange looked around before flying deeper into the room.
I looked at the downed monster, and it suddenly hit me. "Strange!" I yelled, running to the creature's side.
"What are you doing?" May asked. "Get back before it kills you!"
"It's not going to — are you Stephen?" I asked, holding the monster in my arms.
"Stop him," the creature croaked, struggling to rise on its tentacles.
"What? How?" May asked.
"The monster must have switched consciousnesses with Stephen — it needs his body to retrieve something from the treasure room," I concluded, looking around. "We need to stop him!"
I ran forward with May right behind me. "Magic, monsters, mind-swapping — this is the last time I go on a mission with you, Peter!"
I chuckled. "Come on, kiddo! You're breaking my heart!" We spotted Strange floating above a dome-shaped glass case. Inside it, resting on a purple velvet cushion, lay a single glowing thread.
"At last! It will be mine!" Stephen laughed as he reached out toward the glass case and began slowly lifting it.
"Stop right there!" I yelled, tackling him from behind and driving him to the ground. I struck him across the face over and over. "Give my friend his body back!"
"Get off me!" the monster possessing Stephen's body yelled, sending a blast of black energy so powerful it sent me flying backward into a glass display case.
"You won't stop me now, bug boy!" the monster cried out as it regained its feet.
"Hey, ugly!" May called out, leaping at Stephen. She had picked up what looked to be a mace and brought it down over his head — but at the last moment Stephen projected a black, diamond-shaped force field, blocking her swing.
"Foolish girl! You don't even know how to use that, do you?!" He smirked, blasting her away with a surge of dark magic.
I looked down at the display case I had shattered. Inside were two metallic gauntlets with spikes along the knuckles. I couldn't use my strongest attack — that was still Strange's body at risk — so these would have to do.
I grabbed them and slipped them on. Immediately they began to reshape themselves, contracting around my hands, molding to my size. I rotated my wrist and found the movement flexible. Good.
I leaped forward. "Hey, evil shadow!" It turned — its eyes going wide in surprise as I brought my gauntlet-covered fist down across its jaw, knocking it back.
I landed and lunged forward again, grabbing it by the collar and hauling it upward. "How do I reverse the spell?!"
"Y-you can't!" it spat before unleashing a blast of shadow magic that launched me upward into the ceiling, the back of my helmet cracking against the stone. Lucky I was wearing a helmet.
I landed cleanly and watched May swing at Stephen's body again, this time catching it in the gut and knocking it down.
"Take that!" May cried out victoriously.
"Foolish girl!" the monster growled as it summoned a black shadow circle around its arms and fired a lance of dark energy.
May leaped over it, thanks to her agility — but the spear changed course mid-flight, arcing back around and rushing at her back just as she landed.
"No!" I cried out, moving my arm to fire a web line to intercept it — but before I even squeezed the trigger of my web shooter, the gauntlet on my hand sparked to life. The tips of my fingers exploded outward like fire-laced web lines. They wrapped around the shadow lance and held it in place. I gaped at the lines of fire, then at my hand — I jerked it back and the spear detonated in flames. The extended fire-web retracted back into my metallic fingertips.
"Woah," I gasped.
Just then the monster occupying Stephen's body turned and made a dash for the glowing thread.
"Oh no you don't!" May called out, firing a web line at him, catching him around the stomach before swinging him up over her head and launching him straight at me.
"Batter up!" I cried out, driving my metal-covered fist into him and launching him back into the wall.
"Mine!" the shadow creature — who I now understood to actually be Stephen, trapped in the monster's form — cried out as it grabbed its original body and poured back into it through the mouth.
May and I gathered around the now-stunned body and watched as it began to convulse violently. It gasped in shock, and a dark mist exploded from its mouth, flying through the air before dissipating into the floor.
"Destroy it!" Stephen's body called out.
"How do I know it's really you?" I asked, keeping one gauntlet trained on the man.
"Your real name is Peter Parker. You're my friend." He looked at me — caring blue eyes replacing the maddened ones I had seen moments before.
I shrugged. "Works for me." I turned both hands toward the still-recovering shadow entity and fired two bio-energy blasts.
BOOM!
The moment each blue bolt connected, the monster let out a blood-curdling scream. Stephen leaped to his feet, floating a few inches off the ground as he summoned a large golden circle before him. "By my magic, I banish you, Kylokeous, from this place and this plane! Be gone from whence you came!"
"NOOO!" it screamed — and then it collapsed in on itself like a black hole, reducing to nothing.
Stephen dropped down, holding his sides in pain. "You two really need to learn some restraint. My body feels like it just went eight rounds with the Hulk."
May snorted. "Sorry — we were too busy trying to stay alive."
Stephen chuckled. "That's fair enough, May. I must say, Peter — your daughter does take after you."
May gasped. "You know who I am?!"
Strange smiled. "I'm the former Sorcerer Supreme. You'll find I'm very perceptive. Plus, I was the one who delivered you, so of course I know you."
May blinked. "You delivered me? Wow!"
Strange chuckled as he turned to me. "I'm surprised you never told her, Peter."
I rubbed the back of my neck. "Ah — sorry to break it to you, Doc, but I'm not Peter. Well, not the one you know."
He narrowed his eyes. "You feel like my old friend, and yet..." He snapped his fingers and suddenly several glowing magical circles appeared all around me, spinning as arcane script began to flow through the air. Strange's eyes followed them quickly — speed-reading. Cool.
When he finished he smiled and dismissed the circles with a wave of his hand. "I see — alternate dimensions. Yes, that makes sense. I was mistaken. While you feel like a part of this world, that is only on the surface. You are much different. Much...more..."
I blinked. "Ah...okay, not creepy at all."
"Yes — your potential for magic truly is remarkable," Stephen stated.
"I'm sorry?" I asked, confused. "Magic?"
He nodded. "Yes. The gauntlets you wear are the Arms of Vava — a formidable item that requires both great power and a strong will to wield. You are quite powerful in your own right, Peter."
I gulped. "What do you mean?"
Stephen hummed. "When I was trapped in that creature's form, you used some kind of electricity on me, yes?" I nodded. "Please — show me."
I nodded nervously. "Okay." I held up my fingers and poured electricity into them, creating a bright blue arc of energy between my fingertips. "I can project bioelectricity in bursts of energy. I don't really understand why it reacted so badly to the shadow creature."
Stephen stroked his beard. "I see. I'm surprised to see you wielding magic, Peter. I always thought you were a man of science."
"Magic?!" May cried out.
"Dude, you've got the wrong guy!" I cut the current in shock. "Seriously — it's not magic!"
Stephen chuckled. "It is, Peter. Yes — it may not involve enchantments, magic circles, or mystical incantations. But it is magic in another form. You see, magic is simply another word for the manipulation of energy. Frankly, it is just science without all the machines. We channel energy through ourselves. What you are doing is entry-level magic, in the strictest possible sense."
May and I looked at each other, then back at Strange. "But why did it — you — react so badly to my...magic?" I asked.
Stephen nodded. "Kylokeous is a creature of darkness — essentially a leech that feeds on energy. Your power is light incarnate; pure life energy. When you launched it at the beast, it could not help but attempt to absorb your power — but in doing so it also absorbed the hostile electrical property of the blast, thereby injuring itself."
I blinked. "Huh...neat."
May cleared her throat, reclaiming everyone's attention. "So what was — Ky...ah..."
"Kylokeous," Stephen supplied gently.
"Right. What was he doing here?"
"Trying to get his hands on this." Strange looked at the glowing thread the monster had been after. He snapped his fingers and the glass case settled back over it. "While in his shadow form he could not even touch the glass case — only mortal hands could do so. Hence why he took over my body."
"So when we found you tied up..." May trailed off.
"I was trying to reclaim my body from him," Stephen sighed. "By the way, Peter — you owe me a padlock. Do you know how expensive those things are?"
I shrugged. "Hey — if you didn't want it broken you should have just cast an unbreakable charm on it or something."
Stephen grinned. "Yes, but you see most magical entities trying to get in here cannot comprehend an ordinary mortal lock like that. It's actually quite amusing — they can unmake worlds, but one padlock and they stand there baffled like lost sheep. I also placed a spell that would destroy any magical being with ill intent the moment they even touched that lock. So yes, it appears to be a weakness, but in reality it was a trap."
May and I shared a look before she spoke up. "You ah...you're kind of mad, aren't you?"
Strange sighed. "It seems you also inherited your father's mouth."
"Hey — don't look at me, I'm not even from this dimension," I put my hands up.
"Yes, I know," Strange scratched his jaw. "Which begs the question: just why are you here?"
I scratched the back of my neck. "It's kind of a long story."
We soon found ourselves in Strange's parlour. The good doctor brewed us each a cup of tea, sat down, and listened to my story. I took off the Arms of Vava and set them aside — fire whips were a bit much, even for me.
When I had finished, Strange scratched his beard. "I see...very interesting. It makes sense, I suppose."
May and I blinked. She asked, "it does?"
Strange nodded. "I was investigating a tear in reality when Kylokeous attacked me. That tear was most likely created when you traveled here — the monster was drawn to your power."
I blinked. "So...this is all my fault?"
"Nothing of the sort," Stephen waved off my concern. "That creature would have attempted this either way. You merely gave it a small push. Now then — what exactly are you planning to do while you are here?"
I shrugged. "Honestly? I don't know. I was thinking I'd hang around until I get sent back home."
"I see. Well, in that case, Peter — I have a proposition for you," Stephen smiled.
I blinked. "What kind of proposition?"
"Peter, I see in you something I have never seen in this world's Spider-Man — the potential for magic. And not just parlour tricks like what you can manage right now. Real magic."
"Y-you want to train me in magic?!"
He nodded. "Yes. Your powers are remarkable, and Peter Parker's mind has always been brilliant — but I always found it more scientifically inclined. You, however, are more open. I have no doubt you would do well in the mystical arts."
I stammered. "D-dude, doesn't learning magic take years?!"
Strange nodded. "Yes, but you could always continue your training under the version of me in your own world, should you return before that time."
I blinked. "Holy — you're serious."
Strange smiled. "Very. Take your time, though. I don't want to rush you. Making this choice is no small matter. Many have started down this road — only a few have succeeded." He turned to May. "I would offer you the same training, May, but I have a feeling magic isn't...your cup of tea."
May shivered. "You can say that again."
Strange led us to the front door and opened it. "My door is always open to you both — drop by if you need help, or simply—"
"—It's open! The door's finally open!" a loud, booming voice rang out from outside.
May and I stepped out and found the Avengers gathered at Strange's front steps, with J2 being the one who had cried out in joy like an idiot.
I sighed. "Oh great. It's you guys."
"Dr. Strange — we came as soon as we received your distress signal," American Dream walked forward before immediately pulling up short as she spotted me and May. She narrowed her eyes and glared at me. "You two! Did you cause this?! What did you do now?"
"What they did," Strange stepped forward to stand before us, "was save me. They had already handled the situation by the time you Avengers arrived. You came far too late to be of any use."
"Hey, it's not our fault," said Bluestreak, the female speedster. "The door wouldn't open!"
"Did you try the roof?" May asked.
They all looked at each other. I sighed, pressing my hand to my face. "The world is in serious trouble if these are its protectors."
"Hey!" American Dream snarled, climbing the steps and staring me down. "We may not be perfect, but we are the best team out there, period. Don't disrespect us!"
"Being the best you are right now isn't good enough," I snarled back, holding her gaze. "You need to be better — much better — if you want any chance at being real heroes."
"And what do you know about being a hero?" she asked.
"I stopped an inter-dimensional shadow entity, and it isn't even rush hour yet," I shot back. "You can yell and snarl at me all you want, Dream — but the fact of the matter is this: unless you and your team get your act together, you won't last a year."
"I'm willing to take that bet," she glared.
I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. Spider-Girl — we better get a move on. It's almost nine o'clock."
May screamed. "What?! Oh damn, I'm so late!" She swung away without even bothering to say goodbye.
I chuckled. "Yup — she totally takes after me." I turned back to Strange. "I'll think about your offer. Honestly — magic is...I'll admit, I've always wanted to try it out."
Strange smiled. "Understood. Until next time." He walked back inside and snapped his fingers, causing the doors to shut automatically behind him.
I sighed as I turned back around. American Dream was still standing right there. "What? You want me to bow or something?"
"W-what?!" she cried out, immediately stepping back.
I scoffed. "A little banter and you're already flustered. Guess you really are like Cap in certain ways." I walked past her and shot a web line.
I was about to swing away when J2 called out, "hey, wait a minute!"
I turned to him. "Yeah?"
"A-are you really Spider-Man? The original one?" he asked.
I shook my head. "I'm not the Spider-Man you know. I'm his counterpart from another world. I ended up here by accident and I'm trying to find my way back home."
J2 and the others blinked. Bluestreak just snorted. "You know, if you don't want to tell us that's fine."
I sighed. "God help me." I swung away. I couldn't stand to look at those people a moment longer.
That day, which had begun so action-packed, actually ended up being fairly uneventful after that. School ended around three, and right after that May and I headed out, web-swinging and fighting crime.
We were swinging around Times Square when May decided to address the elephant in the room.
"You thinking of accepting Strange's offer?" May asked.
I sighed. "Kind of...Doctor Strange is a master of the mystical arts. He's phenomenal in my world, and there he's still relatively early in his career — I can't even imagine what your world's Strange is capable of." I paused. "So yeah. The offer is very tempting."
"Right," May nodded. "But I mean — come on. Magic?"
I shrugged. "There is more to this world than meets the eye, May. You need to have a very flexible mind if you want to live in the superhero world."
"So you've experienced this kind of thing before?"
I glared. "Yes, in a way." Doom. "I haven't met my version of Dr. Strange yet. I know of him and his battles, but I haven't met him. Actually, that's one of the main reasons I'm not sure whether to accept Strange's offer."
"Why is that?"
"If I learn magic I'm opening myself up to an entirely new set of enemies. I don't know about you, but I'm already plenty busy with my current rogues' gallery."
"What do you mean, Pete? Aren't you just going to learn magic?"
"Yes, but being the apprentice of Stephen Strange is a very prestigious title. It puts a massive target on my back. Imagine what would happen if people found out you were the original Spider-Man's daughter and not just some unrelated hero like they currently think. All of your dad's old enemies would crawl out of the woodwork to get at you. Same principle applies with Strange."
"If it's that dangerous, maybe you shouldn't go," May said cautiously.
"Yeah...but come on! It's magic! Plus Strange is known to travel between dimensions — maybe he could help me get home faster. Who knows how long I'm going to be stuck here? I can't leave my city unprotected, not to mention my aunt and uncle."
May and I talked for a little while longer before we went our separate ways. I asked her to let her parents know I might not be coming home that night, or for several nights going forward. I had a doctor's appointment to keep.
I swung over to Strange's place and knocked on the door. Almost immediately it opened, and Strange stood there looking at me with a smile.
I sighed. "I accept."
"Good — then let us begin." He stepped aside to let me in, and closed the door behind us. I knew then that I had probably just changed the course of my life forever.