Outside Universe 13, the fabric of reality resembled a shattered mirror as countless dimensional portals tore open like wounds in the space structure. Spider-heroes scattered through these rifts like frightened birds fleeing a forest fire, their colorful costumes creating brief flashes of red, blue, and black against the swirling vortex of interdimensional chaos.
It wasn't that they were callous or cowardly, abandoning Cosmic Spider-Man and the Spider-UK to their fates. The harsh reality was that their enemies possessed overwhelming power, and retreat offered the only chance to preserve what remained of their forces. Staying would have accomplished nothing except ensuring the complete annihilation of their movement.
But even during their desperate escape, tensions among the survivors reached a breaking point.
After finally reaching what seemed like a safe dimensional pocket where they could catch their breath, Superior Spider-Man, whose body still bore the lingering effects of his recent injuries, erupted into a furious confrontation with the Peter Parker of the 616 universe. His mechanical arms clicked and whirred with agitation as his voice rose to a roar.
"Where in hell did you find these complete idiots?!" Superior Spider-Man's rage was palpable, his words cutting through the air like razor wire. "You knew perfectly well that our powers would be absorbed the moment any Inheritor made physical contact with us, yet you still charged in for close-quarters combat with those monsters?!"
His fury was directed specifically at the 616 universe Peter Parker, and he felt no need for politeness or diplomatic restraint. The irony of the situation wasn't lost on either of them, they were essentially the same person from different points in the same timeline. This Peter Parker was the familiar nemesis of Doctor Octopus, who would eventually have his body permanently occupied by Otto's consciousness.
"Because of this reckless action, we've lost two of our most powerful fighters!" Superior Spider-Man continued, his mechanical appendages gesticulating wildly.
It was equally difficult for Peter Parker to maintain any positive feelings toward the Superior Spider-Man who had stolen his body for so long. But what he doesn't know that this Superior Spider-Man have his memories erased.
Compared to Superior Spider-Man's explosive temperament, the 616 universe Peter maintained a much more rational demeanor, though his jaw was clenched with barely contained frustration.
'If I'm still alive, then somehow we must be the winners of this conflict,' Peter reasoned silently. After all, if Superior Spider-Man died during this crisis, then Peter's own future existence would be impossible. However, the current situation remained dangerously unclear. After losing several powerful allies in rapid succession, Peter couldn't fathom how they could possibly achieve victory.
His gaze drifted toward Superior Spider-Man with mounting irritation. This version of himself had clearly lived through the catastrophic war with the Inheritors, yet he had deliberately left no clues or warnings for his past self. If Otto knew the critical turning point of this conflict, perhaps they could still turn the tide of battle.
The thought made Peter's own anger flare to life. "Okay, enough arguing!"
Both the blonde Peter from the Ultimate universe and the middle-aged Peter B. Parker stepped between the two combatants like experienced peacekeepers, their hands raised in placating gestures.
"At least we haven't been completely wiped out yet," the blonde Peter said, his voice carrying forced optimism. "Spider-Man 2099 must have reunited with Prime by now. Ben Parker is our last hope for victory."
"Are you absolutely certain he can succeed?" Superior Spider-Man fixed them both with a withering stare, his skepticism evident in every line of his body language.
This wasn't his first encounter with Ben Parker's reputation. When he had initially met Gwen Stacy, the Spider-Woman who wielded those extraordinary powers, he had indeed placed his hopes for victory on Ben's capabilities. However, after witnessing the deaths of Cosmic Spider-Man and the Spider-UK, along with the complete destruction of Leopardon, doubt had begun to creep into his analytical mind like poison.
If even the seemingly invincible Cosmic Spider-Man had fallen to the Inheritors, could this relatively unknown Prime truly sweep away their enemies like some space force of justice?
"Of course he can!" Middle-aged Peter answered with absolute conviction, his voice carrying the weight of personal experience.
The transformation in this Peter was remarkable, gone was the defeated, depressed man who had stumbled through his life after losing everything. Now he radiated energy and hope like a man reborn.
"Throughout countless Spider-verses, he's the only one who successfully broke the curse that seemed destined for all Spider-people. Because of his influence, my entire life has started improving dramatically..."
Peter's eyes took on a distant quality as he reflected on the changes. He had finally mustered the courage to pursue his true love, established his own company, one that actually remained profitable this time, had a child, and was living the happy life that had always seemed impossible for Spider-people.
His gaze swept across the assembled heroes: the blonde Peter, Gwen standing vigilant in the distance, the brooding Spider-Noir, young Penny Parker clutching her damaged spider-drone...
The tragic fate that seemed to define every Spider-person who had encountered Ben was systematically changing for the better. If anyone possessed the power to break destiny itself and rewrite the fundamental rules of their existence, Peter was convinced it had to be Ben.
The other Spider-heroes who hadn't heard much about Ben Parker looked confused by this passionate endorsement, but they obviously realized that their situation wasn't completely hopeless.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Silk was the first to speak up, unable to contain her impatience. Besides wanting to quickly deal with the Inheritor threat, she was genuinely curious to meet Ben Parker, this apparently unique Spider-person.
'Maybe he can have some wonderful chemistry with me, like Peter did,' she thought, her mind already racing with possibilities.
But before she could take a single step forward, a hand wearing a dark coat and sporting razor-sharp nails thrust out from the dimensional void like a striking serpent. The hand seized Cindy's throat as if she were nothing more than a helpless chicken and twisted with surgical precision.
CRACK!
Cindy Moon, wrapped in her distinctive gray-white spider silk costume, collapsed to the ground with her head twisted at an unnatural angle, her eyes already glazing over with the vacant stare of death.
This sudden, brutal execution shocked everyone present into stunned silence. Peter Parker from the main universe, who had developed the closest relationship with Cindy, instinctively rushed forward with a cry of anguish.
Fortunately, Superior Spider-Man, believing he came from Peter's past timeline, wasn't about to watch his future self commit suicide. Four mechanical arms shot out with lightning speed, grasping Peter's limbs with unbreakable grips and pinning him to the ground before he could reach the Inheritors.
"If you want to die, don't drag me along with you!" Superior Spider-Man snarled.
As he spoke, the owner of the murderous hand emerged from the dimensional void with the casual arrogance of a predator stepping into a pen full of prey.
"Excellent. I've claimed the Bride," Morlun said with a predatory grin, glancing down at Cindy Moon's still-twitching corpse with the same interest he might show roadkill. He kicked her body aside like discarded garbage.
The other Inheritors began materializing behind him one by one, their forms radiating malevolent hunger and barely contained violence.
Morlun raised his head to regard the assembled Spider-heroes with cruel anticipation. "As for the rest of you, there's nowhere left to run."
"The Bride?!" Superior Spider-Man screamed, grabbing the main universe Peter by his costume collar and shaking him violently. "That woman was the prophesied Bride?!"
"How was I supposed to know?!" Peter angrily threw off Superior Spider-Man's mechanical grip, his eyes blazing with fury as he pointed an accusatory finger. "If you knew something this critical, you should have told me earlier! Instead of letting me watch Cindy get murdered!"
His anger wasn't really directed at the Superior Spider-Man standing before him, but at the future version who would eventually return his body while keeping him completely ignorant of these vital details.
Superior Spider-Man felt utterly bewildered by this accusation, his confusion mixing with helpless rage.
"They've already captured Scarlet Spider! Now this Bride has fallen as well. Only the final Scion remains unaccounted for. We're all going to be annihilated!"
"Even at this point, you're still fighting among yourselves?" Daemos stepped out from behind Morlun, his voice dripping with contempt as he regarded the fractured Spider-heroes.
After confirming with a quick visual scan that Ben Parker wasn't present, Daemos's expression remained carefully neutral, but internally he felt a surge of relief that made his chest expand with renewed confidence.
The storm clouds had parted, the rain had stopped, and he, Daemos, was finally awake again and ready for action.
As long as Ben Parker remained absent, these Spider-heroes were nothing more than a collection of ants, insignificant insects to be crushed beneath his heel.
No, now that Morlun had joined the hunt, even if Prime did appear, death would be his only possible outcome.
"Stop arguing!" Middle-aged Peter forcibly separated the two feuding Spider-men while the blonde Peter took point position at the front of their defensive formation.
Dozens of Spider-heroes at the scene prepared for what they all knew would likely be their final battle. Gwen protectively positioned herself in front of Penny Parker, who had lost her spider-mech and most of her combat capability. Delicate streams of Mana began flowing from Gwen's white and pink battle suit like luminous silk.
Gwen clenched her fists and stepped forward to stand at the very front of the group, becoming their first and last line of defense.
"Leave immediately, I'll hold them off!" she called back to her allies.
Gwen took a deep breath through her mask, feeling something profound and heavy settling into her soul. As her divine energy responded to the crisis, the power that Ben had shared with her brought an unexpected sense of calm, as if she were sinking into a warm, soft bed despite the chaos surrounding them.
When the blonde Peter realized what Gwen intended and moved to dissuade her, she cut him off before he could speak.
"Right now, I'm the only one here with the ability to delay them, even temporarily."
After Cosmic Spiderman's death and the Spider-UK's voluntary sacrifice to cover their retreat, Gwen was indeed the only hero present who possessed the power to meaningfully engage the Inheritors. Her Mana abilities made her immune to their totem-draining touch.
But this time, none of the other heroes would agree to let Gwen face the enemy alone.
"Have you forgotten that creature can transform into a monster specifically designed to absorb your energy?" Superior Spider-Man pointed out grimly.
"Besides that option, what other choice do we have?" Gwen asked, her voice carrying quiet resignation.
Of course she knew that Morlun possessed a method to counter her abilities, and she understood that staying behind to cover their retreat would almost certainly mean her death. But at this moment, no alternative presented itself.
With her divine power, she could at least buy them precious time to escape.
"Peter..." Gwen's voice trembled slightly with emotion. "When you see Ben, please remember to apologize to him for me... I'm afraid I'm going to break the promise I made to him... and..."
Gwen wanted desperately to tell Ben how much she missed him, how his brief presence in her life had changed everything, how the thought of never seeing him again made her heart feel like it was tearing apart.
But she was still too embarrassed to convey such intimate feelings through someone else's voice. The words circled in her throat before transforming into a fierce, determined battle cry.
In an instant, Gwen launched herself forward with explosive force. Her slender frame, which appeared almost fragile compared to the towering Inheritors, generated an enormous web of pure Mana that spread in all directions with her body as the central focal point. The energy barrier effectively separated all the Spider-heroes from their enemies.
"Your fight is with me!" she declared.
Behind her, dozens of voices rose in protest and alarm. The blonde Peter desperately tried to reach Gwen through the Mana barrier, but the divine energy instantly repelled him with a force that sent him tumbling backward.
"Get out of my way and let me handle this!" Superior Spider-Man roughly shoved past him, massive laser energy erupting from the tips of his four mechanical arms as he attempted to cut through the Mana web.
At the far end of the divine barrier, the Inheritors stood like a pack of hyenas gathering on the savanna, watching Gwen charge toward them with expressions of bloodthirsty anticipation.
"It appears someone is eager to die," Daemos laughed with cruel amusement. He assumed Gwen was just another ordinary Spider-person, it was as if takeout food had suddenly grown legs and delivered itself directly to his doorstep.
Morlun also wore an expression of malicious entertainment and made no attempt to warn his brother about Gwen's unique abilities. Instead, he crossed his arms and prepared to enjoy the show with sadistic pleasure.
Daemos stretched his muscles and extended his razor-sharp claws with obvious relish. Rather than dodging, he actively launched himself at Gwen, confident in his overwhelming superiority.
The next second, this massive Inheritor was sent flying by Gwen's punch like a human cannonball, rolling all the way to Morlun's feet and leaving a trail of displaced earth in his wake. The impact was so unexpected that the other Inheritors' eyes widened in genuine shock.
The visual impact of this scene was comparable to watching a delicate flower girl uproot an ancient oak tree or seeing a child knock out a heavyweight boxer with a single blow.
Daemos lay stunned on the ground, his mind struggling to process what had just occurred.
'What the hell just happened?' he thought dazedly.
"I forgot to mention," Morlun said with perfectly timed nonchalance, "this particular insect is somewhat different from the others. Our totem-draining abilities have no effect on her. Allow me to handle this."
He casually activated the Nemetrix with one hand.
'Damn it, why didn't you say that earlier?!' Daemos wanted to scream in frustration.
In the blink of an eye, Morlun had transformed into a writhing mass of predatory energy, his form becoming something that defied easy description as he began attempting to devour the divine energy flowing through Gwen's body.
Gwen had been anticipating Morlun's tactics and refused to give him any opportunity for direct contact. After a graceful evasion that would have made gymnasts weep with envy, she leaped lightly through the air and delivered a devastating kick toward the Inheritors positioned behind Morlun.
The five Inheritors immediately scattered in all directions like startled cats, but Morlun's true target had never been Gwen herself, it was the web of Mana protecting the other Spider-heroes.
He opened his energy-formed maw and instantly tore a massive opening in the divine barrier. The Spider-heroes poured through the gap like water through a burst dam, and the Inheritors pounced on them as if they had spotted a feast laid out for their enjoyment.
The two forces collided in a chaotic melee that filled the air with violence.
Energy blasts and spider-webs crisscrossed the battlefield in every direction, creating a dizzying light show. The figures of dozens of Spider-heroes rose and fell like a deadly ballet, their movements creating a mesmerizing yet terrifying spectacle.
"Don't engage them in close combat!" Superior Spider-Man shouted as he pushed his mechanical arms to maximum power, bringing them down toward Brix with crushing force.
However, their attacks proved almost entirely ineffective. The Inheritors relied on their overwhelmingly superior physical capabilities to shrug off even direct hits from Superior Spider-Man's most powerful laser beams.
Bora swung her wickedly curved dagger in all directions like a whirling dervish of death, her blade finding Spider-hero flesh with disturbing frequency.
The chaotic battle situation left Gwen feeling dizzy and overwhelmed by the sheer scope of the violence unfolding around her.
But she could clearly see that the Spider-heroes were being systematically overpowered and slaughtered.
"Wait, why aren't you running?!" Gwen screamed in despair, her voice barely audible over the sounds of combat.
She watched in horror as the Indian Spider-Man took a blade through his spine courtesy of Brix, saw Penny Parker desperately trying to protect Spider-Ham only to become a target for Jennix's attention, and witnessed Takuya Yamashiro receiving a terrible gash across his chest while attempting to shield her from an attack...
Spider-heroes were falling constantly, their sacrifices seeming to accomplish nothing against the overwhelming power of their enemies.
Even with several Spider-heroes working together against a single Inheritor, they remained hopelessly outmatched.
"If anything happens to you here, I'll never be able to face Ben!" The blonde Peter vaulted over a fallen ally and delivered a powerful kick to Morlun, who was preparing to attack Gwen.
Morlun's energy form dispersed on impact before reforming into a cage-like structure designed to trap the blonde Peter. Middle-aged Peter reacted with quick thinking, shooting out a web-line to yank his alternate self back to safety.
Spider-Ham appeared behind the group at some point, wielding an oversized cartoon mallet that was dozens of times larger than his diminutive body. He brought it down on Morlun with devastating force, sending the energy-being flying through the air.
Dusting off his hands with theatrical flair, Spider-Ham quipped, "Someone should have warned you never to compete with cartoon characters in terms of raw combat ability."
Unfortunately, his moment of triumph lasted exactly two seconds. Morlun emerged from the impact completely uninjured, transforming in midair into a bat-like creature with wings sharp enough to slice through steel. His aerial attack came within inches of decapitating the cartoon pig.
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