"Enough!"
Peter had just punched Green Goblin away when he heard an angry roar overhead.
With a tremendous crash, shards of glass rained down, and an enormous dark figure dropped with them.
"Hey, buddy," Peter said, catching Kingpin's descending fist with agility that belied his build. "You're overweight!"
"Damn it! Why do you people always, always stop me at the critical moment!"
Kingpin tore away his usual mask of indifference. His facial muscles twisted into a vicious snarl as he threw punch after furious punch.
Caught off guard, Peter took a hard blow to the face. Before he could retaliate, Kingpin toppled him with brute force and hurled him into the distance!
Spider-Man's strength far exceeded that of an ordinary person, but his weight did not.
Thwip-
Peter swung on a web and landed on the collider, rolling his neck. "Why don't you ask yourself why we're here stopping you instead of someone else?"
"Hey, you lost me there." Miles Morales dropped from above and stopped Peter from charging back in. "Let me handle him. This is my job."
Peter pointed at Kingpin, who was glaring at them. "That big guy? You sure?"
"Of course."
Peter said nothing more. The two Spider-Men bumped fists, then leaped off the collider in opposite directions.
"Time to end this farce!"
By now, the continuously running Particle Collider had begun affecting the surrounding space-time. The closer they came to the center of its energy, the more clearly they could feel space rippling and twisting.
Like a time bomb already counting down, it seemed ready to blow up New York-or even the entire universe-at any moment!
The good news was that Kingpin no longer had control of the situation.
Spider-Man Noir tied up the trigger-happy researchers one by one. Miles Morales, having awakened his electrical powers, steadily gained the upper hand against the raging Kingpin. Green Goblin, Tombstone, and Doctor Octopus were getting mobbed, while Gwen Stacy used the opening to climb onto the ceiling with the control USB drive and seize control of the collider.
The battle was visibly tipping in the Spider-Men's favor.
Josen's role shifted from main attacker to freeloader. A punch here, a kick there, and once he had helped the Spider-Men stabilize the situation...
He promptly slipped away.
His target was the weapons warehouse at the bottom of the building. Its alloy vault door, worthy of America's central bank, was a little troublesome, but it was nothing Josen couldn't handle.
He released his telekinesis, found a weak point in the wall, and formed two enormous masses of flame in his hands.
[Fantasy Card: Green Goblin Bomb] [Card type: Ability card] [Rarity: R] [Description: One of Norman Osborn's primary means of dealing damage, mutated into a magical attack in a certain parallel world.] [Effect 1: Blazing flames] [Throw fire bombs with both hands. They explode upon striking an enemy.] [Effect 2: Clinging scourge] [Green Goblin's flames burn longer than ordinary flames and are harder to extinguish.]
This world's Green Goblin had dropped his signature skill during the ora-ora beatdown, and now it belonged to Josen.
Its rarity wasn't high, but it proved surprisingly useful.
Boom-
Green-tinged fire bombs bombarded the thick concrete wall, which might as well have been an Oreo. In the blink of an eye, they blasted a hole twice a person's height through it.
Beyond the flame-covered hole, rows of energy weapons of various models lined the warehouse. The researchers outside had already taken some, but enough remained to arm at least a company.
Azure telekinetic energy spread out, enveloping the weapons along with every display rack.
By the time Josen left through the hole he had entered, the warehouse behind him was utterly empty, cleaner than if someone had licked it bare.
[Fantasy Card: Private Armory] [Card type: Item card] [Rarity: R] [Description: An advanced weapons arsenal secretly developed by Doctor Octopus in cooperation with Kingpin. Even the Chitauri would call them experts.] [Effect 1: Energy weapons] [Mass-produced energy weapons of various models. More than enough to wage a small war.]
With the looting complete, Josen returned to the underground chamber in satisfaction.
The collider still spewed massive particle streams, but the villains bundled in webs below and Miles Morales standing before them with his hands on his hips made it clear that the two enormous machines had changed hands.
"Where did you go?"
A graceful figure in white landed silently behind him. Gwen Stacy pulled off her mask, revealing her brilliant blonde hair, and gave him an inquisitive look.
"Took care of some personal business." Josen retracted his faceplate as well. "Is the fight over?"
"Thanks to you." Gwen Stacy pointed at the figures gathered on the ceiling above the energy core. "Come on. Everyone's waiting for you."
"Okay. Want a lift?"
"Hey, I haven't agreed yet!"
The two shot upward. Seeing them, Miles Morales swung after them on a web.
Miles Morales bumped fists with everyone in turn. "Guys, it's time for you to go home."
"Yeah. Time to go home."
Peni Parker stepped out of her mech, her delighted voice tinged with disappointment.
Hearing those words from the usually cheerful little girl brought a hint of farewell to the air.
Peter Porker nimbly climbed onto Spider-Man Noir's shoulder. "Don't be like that. We'll all miss you!"
"Yes. We're friends now."
"Exactly." × N
Everyone nodded.
Remembering the heavily promoted sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse from before he crossed over, Josen couldn't resist teasing them. "Who knows? Maybe we'll get another chance to meet."
"No thanks. I don't want to come back to save the world again!"
"That's way too exhausting!"
"Exactly, exactly!" × N
Josen: "..."
After a round of laughter and banter, Miles Morales operated the Particle Collider and opened the Space-Time Portal.
"I'll head out first, everyone."
"Until we meet again!"
The Spider-Men from different universes used their familiar high-diving poses to leap, one after another, into the Space-Time Portal formed by the torrent of energy, vanishing from sight.
"My turn." Gwen Stacy nudged the distracted Josen with her elbow, then waved at Miles Morales, whose face was full of reluctance. A smile curved her lips. "I'll miss you guys."
"Me too..."
"Ah, see you around."
Their reactions were completely different. Gwen Stacy spread her hands helplessly, then hesitated no longer. Releasing her grip on the ceiling, she turned and let gravity pull her into free fall, finally vanishing into the multicolored particle stream.
Josen came back to his senses. He was wrestling with a serious question-
How was he supposed to get back?
Jump into the Space-Time Portal like everyone else?
Come on. The Space-Time Portal was ready to use, sure, but it connected to Marvel's local multiverse. The One-Punch Man world wasn't part of that.
Just use his Stand Ability to leave?
Miles Morales was still here. If he saw that, wouldn't it make sneaking back in to join the fun next time a little awkward?
He didn't look like the tattletale type, did he?
Before you continue