February 24, 2046 – one day after Khan Sahib stepped back through the Eternal Bridge as the Storykeeper.
New York City never slept, but at 3:17 a.m. on a Tuesday in late February, it at least slowed to a tired stagger.
Khan Sahib walked west on 42nd Street toward the Hudson, walking stick tapping a steady rhythm against wet concrete. The ajrak shawl was damp from earlier rain but still held warmth against the wind coming off the river. Times Square's lights had dimmed slightly—fewer tourists, more delivery bikes, the occasional yellow cab splashing through puddles. The Eternal Watch on his wrist pulsed once—soft green—every few blocks, like a heartbeat checking in.
Passive: City Echo – Active
Current Bonus: +30% stealth in crowds, +15% persuasion on city-dwellers
Emotional Resonance: The city feels him—an old man in traditional clothes carrying a rolling pin is strange, but not threatening. People glance, then look away. New York has seen stranger.
He stopped at the edge of the West Side Highway. The Hudson moved slow and black under sodium lights, tugboats pushing barges upstream. Across the water, New Jersey glowed faintly—ordinary, unheroic.
Khan Sahib exhaled—breath fogging.
"Beta always said this city was full of stories," he murmured in Saraiki. "But he never told me how loud they are."
A soft thwip—almost polite—sounded behind him.
Spider-Man landed on the railing ten feet away—red-and-blue suit catching the streetlight, white eyes wide under the mask.
"You again," he said. "Same alley, same time, same old man with the killer chai."
Khan Sahib turned slowly—stick tapping once.
"Beta. You're punctual. Good habit."
Spider-Man tilted his head.
"You're not scared of me. Most people at least flinch when I drop from the sky."
Khan Sahib smiled—the rare, full smile.
"I've seen dragons. Demons. Shadows that eat light. You're just a boy trying to do good. That's nothing to fear."
Spider-Man froze—body language screaming surprise for the second night in a row.
"How do you… do that? Know things?"
Storyteller's Insight Activated
Peter Parker (Spider-Man)
Current Emotional State: Shock + vulnerability + cautious hope
Hidden Story: Guilt over Uncle Ben still raw, fear of failing MJ and May, exhaustion from college + hero life, but stubborn belief in people burning underneath.
Khan Sahib stepped closer—slow, grandfatherly.
"I've raised a son who carried the same weight. He built a bridge so no one would feel alone. You remind me of him—before he learned he didn't have to carry it all."
Spider-Man's shoulders dropped—almost imperceptibly.
"I don't know how to stop carrying it."
Khan Sahib placed a hand on the railing beside him—gentle, fatherly.
"You don't stop. You share. That's the secret. Chai helps."
He reached into the shawl—pulled out the same small thermos (Eternal Hearth magic never runs out)—and poured steaming chai into a steel tumbler.
"Cardamom. Three boils. Just like my wife makes."
Spider-Man took the tumbler—hands steady now.
He sipped.
His eyes widened behind the mask.
"This is… really good."
Khan Sahib smiled.
"Now tell me, beta—what's troubling you tonight?"
Spider-Man hesitated—then spoke—voice lower, rawer.
"There's something wrong with the city. Not just crime. Shadows that don't belong. People forgetting things—memories, faces. Even I'm… losing pieces. Last week I forgot what day Uncle Ben died. For a second. Then it came back. But it scared me."
Khan Sahib nodded—slow, grave.
"That's the Echo Fractures. Fractured timelines trying to overwrite this one. They want to erase the bridge—erase the story of unity."
Spider-Man looked at him—really looked.
"You know how to stop it?"
"I know how to start," Khan Sahib said. "With a story. And a cup of chai."
He tapped the Eternal Watch.
Sign-In Location: Hudson River Overlook with Spider-Man (Marvel Universe – First Heroic Alliance Point)
Reward Unlocked: Web of Stories – Passive: Allies gain +20% evasion + +10% critical chance when fighting together (story synergy)
Active: Tale of Resilience (Tell a short Saraiki/Punjabi story to heal minor wounds + remove fear debuff, 15-minute cooldown)
Bonus: First Ally Bond – Spider-Man
Bond Effect: Shared Danger Sense (both gain +15% reaction speed when near each other)
Spider-Man stared at the device—then at Khan Sahib.
"That's… not tech."
"It's love," Khan Sahib said simply. "Old love. Older than any web."
A scream echoed—four blocks away. High-pitched. Terrified.
Spider-Man tensed—spidey-sense screaming.
Khan Sahib stood—walking stick tapping.
"Come, beta. Let's write the next page."
They moved—Spider-Man swinging between buildings, Khan Sahib walking below—two generations, two worlds, one story.
The scream led them to a rooftop—three men in black tactical gear, high-tech rifles, circling a young woman in a lab coat clutching a glowing briefcase. One of the men raised a weapon—energy crackling.
Spider-Man swung in—web-line snapping.
"Hey! Three-on-one isn't fair—even in New York!"
The men spun—rifles up.
Khan Sahib stepped out of the shadows—calm, unhurried.
"Beta log," he said gently, "put the guns down. Whatever is in that case isn't worth a life."
The leader laughed—cold, mechanical.
"Old man, you're in the wrong alley."
Storyteller's Insight Activated
Leader (Mercenary – Advanced)
Emotional State: Greed + fear + arrogance
Hidden Story: Hired by a shadow corporation to steal experimental tech. Terrified of failure. Has a daughter waiting at home.
Khan Sahib looked him in the eye.
"You have a daughter," he said quietly. "She waits for you. She doesn't care about money. She cares about her father coming home."
The man froze—rifle trembling.
"How do you…?"
Khan Sahib tapped the stick once.
Story Echo Activated: Pathanay Khan – "Merra ishq vi tu"
Effect: 45-second aura of calm + clarity + emotional memory surge
The mercenary's eyes filled—suddenly remembering his daughter's face, her laugh, her bedtime stories.
He lowered the rifle.
The other two hesitated.
Spider-Man webbed their weapons—non-lethal, quick.
Khan Sahib walked to the young woman—scientist, terrified, clutching the case.
"Beta," he said softly, "what's in there?"
She whispered:
"A prototype… quantum stabilizer. They said it could close rifts. But they want to weaponize it."
Khan Sahib nodded.
"Then we'll keep it safe."
He looked at the mercenaries—now kneeling, dazed.
"Go home," he said. "Tell your daughter you love her. And never pick up a gun for money again."
They stumbled away—changed.
Spider-Man stared at Khan Sahib.
"You just… disarmed them. With a song and a story."
Khan Sahib smiled.
"Stories are the oldest weapons. And the kindest."
The scientist—Dr. Maya Patel—looked at him with awe.
"You're not from here."
"No," Khan Sahib said. "But I'm here now."
Spider-Man swung closer.
"We need to get that case to SHIELD. But first… who are you, really?"
Khan Sahib looked at the city—lights reflecting in puddles, sirens wailing, life continuing.
"I am a father," he said simply. "And tonight, I am a friend."
The chapter closed on them walking into the night—Spider-Man swinging above, Khan Sahib tapping below—two generations, two worlds, one story.
The bridge had crossed another city.
And the story grew.