Madame Web

"Peter Parker, it's time to go home."

The New York night wind swept across Spider-Man's mask, carrying the lingering scent of gunpowder and sirens. He cast one last glance at Herman, who was surrounded by reporters. The guy was rambling at the cameras like a washed-up actor who had finally made it into prime time. Fine, let Herman enjoy his last moment in the spotlight.

He had come up with a rather terrible excuse for why he was not going home so late at night. Aunt May was definitely going to nag him again. Besides, he had just received a text from Tony Stark, asking him to come to Avengers Tower tomorrow afternoon for a chat.

"Although the Avengers learned my identity when I was carried back to Avengers Tower, isn't it a bit much to invade my privacy so directly? Whoa!"

Peter stopped swinging because he saw a woman standing perfectly straight on a vertical wall between two glass curtain buildings. The hem of her beige trench coat fluttered in the wind, her sunglasses reflected New York's lights, and not a single drop had spilled from the two cups of coffee in her hands.

"I've been watching you for a long time, Spider-Man." The woman tucked a lock of dark chestnut hair behind her ear. "We need to talk."

"Wait, I've heard your voice before."

Feeling that the voice was familiar, Peter remembered something. Fragments of memory flooded into his mind. "It was you. You were the one who spoke to me in my dreams?"

The woman smiled.

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Julia Carpenter, an emissary of the Web of Destiny. You may also call me Madame Web."

Madame Web.

Anyone familiar with Spider-Man would surely think of the blind old lady in a wheelchair from the 1994 Spider-Man series. But when it came to Julia Carpenter, the second Spider-Woman...

Most people would probably think of the epic masterpiece Madame Web from Sony's Spider-Verse. Many did not even remember that she had once been the second Spider-Woman.

Fortunately, this Marvel Universe based on the MCU showed no trace of Sony's universe. Peter could only scratch his head. After all, the first Spider-Woman was still in high school, while the second was not only older but had already become Madame Web. Combined with all the other obvious differences from the MCU, he had completely lost track of this universe's timeline.

"All right, ma'am. What do you want to talk about? Magic or fortune-telling?"

"How about we have some coffee together?"

A few minutes later, the two spider-powered individuals were drinking coffee atop the Empire State Building. Peter cautiously looked at this mystic-type figure and asked,

"In my dreams, I heard you say I needed to find another spider. Was that you, ma'am?"

"I would not tell you to look for me. I am an emissary of the Web of Destiny, merely conveying its message. Also, I roughly know what you wish to ask. I am not blind."

Madame Web did not drink her coffee. She seemed to be holding it simply for warmth. Looking over New York City's nightscape, she spoke as though gazing upon some invisible threads and patterns. "Have you heard of the multiverse?"

"Uh... yes. Reed Richards completed vague observations of other universes back in 2008, although everyone can only replicate his experimental results without understanding the principles behind them."

"The Web of Destiny is an existence from a higher dimension. It spreads its power across countless universes through spider totems. Most Peter Parkers are bitten by radioactive spiders. That is an anchor point of fate."

Peter had known about this setting for a long time, but he could not reveal that he knew, so he had to listen to Madame Web explain it all again.

"And among countless spider totems, you are also an exceptionally special existence. Not because Ben Parker did not die and you became Spider-Man."

Peter choked directly on his coffee and could not help waving a hand. Then he looked at Madame Web. She merely smiled. "In fact, the you in this universe should have been born three years later. But for some reason, a node in the Web of Destiny changed, and a special totem appeared—you are the Patriarch."

"What... the Patriarch?"

Peter knew that the Spider-Verse contained three special totems: the Other, the Bride, and the Scion, representing three different spider-powered individuals. But what was the Patriarch? A brand-new spider totem that had appeared because of him?

Julia did not intend to explain. Instead, she returned to the earlier matter. "As the Patriarch, you possess the ability to respond to the Web of Destiny. Whenever it begins to tremble, it means the spider totem in that world has encountered a problem. You will be able to travel through the multiverse, go to the place where fate fluctuates, help that world's Spider-Man, and repair the broken Web of Destiny."

"I'm not even confident I can help New York, ma'am. Help Spider-Men across the multiverse? Is there no one else in the multiverse? Some kind of multiversal Avengers?"

Peter set his coffee aside and spread his hands. Julia simply watched him quietly with a smile.

Peter looked at her in silence for a long while, then sighed helplessly.

"All right. What do I have to do?"

"Before long, you will feel the Web of Destiny tremble. But before that, you must find the other spider. The same totem passed power to both of you, and your fates are connected. Only by finding each other will you be able to return safely to your own universe after resolving the Web of Destiny's crisis."

"If you can see the future," Peter asked this spider mystic, "then why not just tell me where to look?"

"I do not weave fate, Peter Parker." She spoke his full name for the first time. "I only read it."

In Times Square, as the police and Damage Control gradually moved in, the media were also being cordoned off. Still, they were quite satisfied with today's interview—Herman had been a complete chatterbox in front of the cameras, willing to say almost anything.

However, Herman had not truly said everything. He had not mentioned either Doctor Otto or Kingpin. He only wanted to become famous, not betray his friend or his gang boss.

Among the watching crowd were several rather unusual people. One of them was Carl King. He was not particularly interested in Scarecrow or Spider-Man; he had merely come to watch the excitement. Walking over to a fallen piece of billboard debris, he saw some webbing stuck to it. He curiously tugged at it and found the texture oddly familiar.

Where had he seen this before?

He suddenly remembered the chemistry lab Peter Parker had left that afternoon.

"Peter Parker is Spider-Man?"

Carl King muttered to himself, then laughed self-deprecatingly. That skinny Peter?

But Peter Parker had become incredibly capable lately.

Carl King fell into thought. He remembered the prank he had pulled, placing an Osborn Industries mutated spider on Peter Parker's neck. He began wondering whether that spider had turned Peter Parker into Spider-Man.

No, no, he still could not be sure that Parker was Spider-Man...

He was so deeply immersed in thought that he did not notice someone passing beside him. The man was dressed as a reporter and squeezed out from the crowd interviewing Herman. He then blended into the crowd and made a phone call to Herman's new boss.

"Hello, it's me, Mr. Visk. Your new employee is very obedient. He knows what he should say and what he should not say. You may not need to worry about him."

The reporter smiled as he entered a restroom. While listening to Kingpin's instructions on the other end of the line, he walked into a stall. When he emerged again, he was an entirely different person—not merely in clothing and face. Even the fingerprints he had left behind and the irises reflected in the mirror had changed.

"Yes, I have finished observing Spider-Man's every move. His movements, mannerisms, even his personality—I can imitate them perfectly. As long as those little gadgets of yours are really as effective as you claim, then I, Chameleon, can assure you, Mr. Visk."

"Very soon, Spider-Man will become infamous and a public enemy."

The next chapter might be a little later.