Three days passed quickly, and all the potential hazards affecting the six individuals were resolved.
The return trip is scheduled for the evening of the third day.
Strange drew a magic circle on the rooftop terrace of SSC. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the golden runes, and the six of them walked into the pillar of light one by one.
The Sandman clutched his daughter's medical report, his hands trembling uncontrollably.
He glanced back at Tobey, his lips moved but he didn't say anything, only nodded vigorously. Tobey waved at him, watching the yellow sand dissipate in the pillar of light.
The Vulture, its repaired mechanical wings flapping, walked to the center of the magic circle and turned to look at Little Peter: "Kid, you're pretty good at repairing wings. If you ever come to my universe, I'll buy you a drink."
Little Peter smiled. "It's a deal."
Max walked to the center of the magic circle, looked down at the stabilizing device on his chest, and clenched his fist. His materialized hands looked exceptionally real in the setting sun. He looked at Garfield: "I've done many wrong things in the past, and hurt many people. I know that one 'sorry' isn't enough, but..."
Garfield interrupted him, "Then make up for it in the future. Now that you can control your power, you can use it to do the right thing."
Max paused for a moment, then smiled with relief.
Otto turned and looked at the three Spider-Man. He nodded to Garfield first, then looked at Little Peter, and finally his gaze fell on Tobey.
His voice was steady, " Spider-Man, thank you."
Tobey stepped forward and gave him a hug. "Go back and continue your research. You'll definitely succeed in controlled nuclear fusion."
Otto patted him on the back. "You too."
The beam of light illuminated, and the four robotic arms gave one last swing, as if bidding farewell.
Eddie walked to the center of the magic circle, Symbiote formed a thin layer of black lines on his body.
"Don't do anything reckless after you get back."
Eddie snorted, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Got it. If you ever come to my universe and run into trouble you can't handle, you can come to me. I owe you a favor."
The Symbiote poked half its head out from his shoulder, revealing its gleaming white teeth, and let out a low growl.
The last one was Norman. Everyone tensed up when he walked to the center of the magic circle. A dynamic suppression patch was attached to the back of his neck, and his eyes no longer held madness or fanaticism, only a calm weariness.
He glanced back at Tobey, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something.
" Harley... is he alright?"
He'll be alright, I'll take care of him.
Norman nodded, a relieved smile on his face. He turned to face the center of the magic circle.
" Peter, thank you."
As the beam of light illuminated, Norman Osborn's figure gradually faded away.
All six people went home.
The light from the magic circle gradually dimmed, and the golden runes extinguished one by one. Silence returned to the terrace, leaving only the sound of the evening breeze and the distant hustle and bustle of the city.
Strange put away the compass, glanced at the three Spider-Man, and then opened a portal.
Strange said, "My mission is complete. The rest... you can discuss it yourselves. Don't miss your chance to get back."
After saying that, he stepped into the portal and disappeared.
Only three Spider-Man remained on the terrace.
Night had completely fallen. The lights of New York stretched out beneath my feet, a tapestry of lights and a river of cars.
The three of them took off their battle suits and sat side by side on the edge of the terrace, their legs dangling in the air, looking down at the city. The evening breeze ruffled their hair, carrying the unique, vibrant atmosphere of the city.
After a long silence, Tobey spoke first.
"To be honest, I still feel a little unreal."
Tobey looked into the distance. "We actually fought together for several days and accomplished something so significant."
"Me too."
Garfield smiled. "I used to think I was carrying this all by myself. Now I realize there's another version of myself doing the same thing."
Little Peter didn't speak; he simply gazed quietly at the city below.
Tobey turned his head and glanced at him. "What are you thinking about?"
Little Peter paused for a few seconds, then said, "I've been thinking about what's happened these past few days. And... what happened before."
"Before?"
"Um."
Little Peter nodded. "Before you came, I was fooled. A guy named Quentin Beck, posing as a hero from a parallel universe, tricked me into trusting him. I gave him all the permissions Mr. Stark gave me, and he used those permissions to stage a fake alien invasion in New York, almost destroying the entire city."
Tobey and Garfield both quieted down and listened to him.
"Back then, I thought that as long as I was sincere to others, they would be sincere to me in return. But I became the laughingstock of the whole city. I was devastated, I doubted myself, and I felt that my kindness was fundamentally wrong."
He paused.
"Later I understood. Kindness is not wrong, and trust is not wrong either. It's just that kindness also needs an edge."
Tobey looked at him and said softly, "You're much more mature than I was back then. When I was your age, my uncle had just passed away, and all I felt was anger and guilt. It took me a long time to understand the meaning of those words."
"And you?" Little Peter asked Garfield.
Garfield was silent for a moment, his eyes dimming.
"I lost someone very important to me. Her name was Gwen Stacy. I couldn't hold onto her."
No one spoke.
"After that, I almost became the kind of person I hated most."
Garfield continued, "Then I realized. She wouldn't want to see me become like that. So, I'm trying to continue being a good person."
Tobey continued, "I've lost a lot too. Uncle, Harley... every time was devastating. But that pain didn't make me a bad person; instead, it made me appreciate things more."
He looked at the other two. "We've all lost things, we've all been lost, but we've all chosen to keep going. It seems we really are quite alike."
Little Peter looked at the two "selves" beside him and felt a warm current well up in his heart. He remembered when he first met them, he felt a little uncomfortable with having two other Spider-Man. But after fighting side by side for the past few days, he had come to regard them as true partners.
Thank you.
Little Peter said softly, "I've learned a lot from being with you all these past few days."
"No need for thanks." Garfield patted him on the shoulder. " Spider-Man should help each other."
Tobey chimed in, "And you've helped us a lot too. You have Tony, you have SSC, you have so many partners. But you've also shouldered more responsibility than we have."
Little Peter smiled but didn't say anything.
The top floor of Stark Tower.
Lynn stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, his fingertips gently tracing the rim of his wine glass. His perception had covered the entire SSC building for three days, from the start of the return ceremony to the moment when the Three Spiders were chatting on the terrace; he knew every word and every emotional fluctuation.
Natasha pushed open the door, holding a document in her hand. Seeing him standing by the window, lost in thought, she raised an eyebrow. "What are you looking at?"
Lynn was silent for a few seconds, then nodded slightly. "Watching a little brat grow up."
Natasha walked over to him and followed his gaze. In the night, on the terrace of the SSC building, three small figures sat side by side.
"He solved it?"
Lynn put down her glass, her tone flat. "Yes. And it's better than I expected."
He turned and walked to the sofa, sat down, picked up the tablet on the coffee table, and brought up Peter's file. The screen was filled with records of every task and evaluation the boy had completed over the past few months.
"He didn't handle the Quentin thing well. He was too trusting and lacked judgment. But his reflection afterward is more important than the mistake itself. His motives for going to Strange were good, even though things went wrong. These past few days, he's been working steadily alongside the other two Spider-Man."
Natasha sat down opposite him, a slight smile playing on her lips, "Are you praising him?"
Lynn's tone remained calm. "I'm evaluating him. As a hero who needs to stand on his own, he's still far from it. But as a boy his age, he's done more than enough."
He closed his tablet, leaned back on the sofa, and stared at the ceiling.
" Tony chose him for Tony reason. After what happened with Quentin, I thought he would be depressed for at least a few months. But he forced himself to get through it."
Natasha said softly, "So that's why you've been watching?"
Someone has to keep an eye on him.
"You're certainly not modest."
"It's just a fact."
On the terrace, the three Spider-Man were nearing the end of their conversation. Lynn's senses caught Peter's last words, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly for a moment before he returned to his usual indifference.
Natasha looked at his expression but didn't expose him. She simply stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the lights of the SSC building in the distance.
"Then let's wait and see."
It's late at night.
Strange reappeared on the terrace, followed by a golden portal.
"Time's up," Strange said. "The time portal can only be maintained for a very short time; you must go back."
Tobey and Garfield stood up and dusted off their pants.
Tobey looked at Little Peter and held out his hand. "We should go now. If you have the chance sometime, come visit our universe."
"Definitely." Little Peter grasped his hand.
Garfield also extended his hand, and the three hands were clasped together.
With great power comes great responsibility.
The three of them said it at the same time, and then they all laughed.
Tobey and Garfield turned and stepped into the portal. Golden light flashed a few times, and the portal slowly closed, disappearing into the night sky.
Little Peter was left alone on the terrace.
He stood on the edge of the terrace, looking down at New York City. Thousands of lights shone, and cars flowed like a river.
Little Peter a deep breath, a determined smile appearing on his lips.
The next morning, in Queens.
Sunlight streamed into the bedroom through the window. When Peter Parker was woken by the alarm clock, his first instinct was to reach for the Silk- shooter on the bedside table.
Only when his fingers touched the cold metal ring did he slowly remember.
Today is just an ordinary Saturday.
He rolled over, stared at the ceiling, and paused for a few seconds. For the past few months, his life had been completely filled with study abroad, the Elementals, Quentin's scam, and time-space invasion, leaving him no time to even catch his breath.
Now that it's suddenly quiet, I feel a little uneasy.
His phone vibrated. He picked it up and saw a message from MJ: "Are you awake? Are you free this afternoon?"
Peter stared at the screen, a slight smile unconsciously playing on his lips. He quickly typed a reply, "I'm free."
"Two o'clock. See you at the usual place."
"Good."
2 PM, Manhattan.
Peter arrived at the agreed-upon coffee shop early. He chose a window seat, ordered a hot cocoa, and watched the crowds coming and going on the street.
MJ arrived right on time. She was wearing a loose-fitting knit sweater, her hair casually tied up. As she pushed open the door, her gaze swept around before quickly locking onto Peter.
"You're here quite early." She walked over and sat down opposite him.
"Nothing much, I just came."
MJ looked at him, tilting his head slightly. "You look different."
Peter paused for a moment. "How is it different?"
I can't quite explain it.
MJ rested his chin on his hand, scrutinizing him intently. "You seem... a bit more composed? You used to be so flustered, you couldn't even sit still. Today you're sitting here quietly drinking cocoa."
Peter laughed, "Maybe I've been too tired lately."
MJ didn't press further. She ordered a coffee, then took a picture book out of her bag, flipped to a page, and pushed it in front of him. "Look at this. There's a new exhibition at the museum next week, I want to go. Will you come with me?"
"Good."
Peter looked down at the sketchbook. It was an abstract painting, with large swaths of blue and gold interwoven, the lines seemingly chaotic yet possessing a certain inner order.
Do you like this one?
"Like."
He picked up his cocoa, took a sip, and looked out the window at the street. The sun was shining brightly, and the pedestrians were strolling leisurely.
He once thought that to be a good hero, one had to sacrifice all of these things. One had to devote all one's time to training, patrolling, and fighting, without the slightest slackening.
But now he understands: Tony has Pepper, Natasha has Lynn, and even Strange drinks tea and watches the falling leaves outside the window in the Sanctum Sanctorum.
Heroes are human too. They need hot cocoa, they need art galleries, and they need someone to waste time with on a Saturday afternoon.
"What are you thinking about?" MJ asked.
"I'm thinking... I might have been too stressed lately."
Peter turned to look at her and said earnestly, "I'm sorry, I'll be more careful next time."
MJ raised an eyebrow. "Are you apologizing to me? Because I've been replying to messages too slowly lately?"
Peter laughed out loud, "Yes... I'm sorry."
"Okay."
MJ picked up his coffee, a slight smile playing on his lips. "I'll forgive you because of your sincere attitude."
Sunlight streamed through the glass window and fell onto the tabletop, creating a warm and tranquil atmosphere.
Peter leaned back in his chair and suddenly felt much more relaxed.
MJ seemed to remember something, put down his cup, and asked, "By the way, did you fill out that MIT form?"
Peter's spoon stopped in mid-air.
"I filled it out."
What is the deadline?
Uh... next Monday?
"Look at the calendar yourself."
Peter frantically pulled out his phone.
MJ looked at him speechlessly. "You forgot, didn't you?"
"No. I just... wanted to check it again."
She picked up her bag and stood up. "Alright. Stop looking. Come on, I'll go back with you to fill it out."
"Now?"
"Otherwise what? You might run into something else when you get back and completely forget about filling out the form."
After saying that, MJ left the coffee shop without looking back.
Peter finished his cocoa in one gulp and chased after him.