Peter POV:
The collider ruins faded behind us as I tapped the holographic controls on my gauntlet. The Dimensional Navigation Gauntlet pulsed once, spinning the coordinates into focus.
I turned to Peter B., whose mask hung torn and whose shoulders slumped under years of strain. The older Spider-Man forced a crooked grin. "Guess this is where I get off, huh?"
I nodded. "You've done more than enough. Go home to MJ. Fix your relationship. Put the princess of your mind in the castle of your heart."
Peter B.'s grin softened into something almost fragile. His eyes shimmered with gratitude. "Don't screw it up, hotshot. And take care of the ones you've still got."
A flash of light consumed him. In an instant, he was gone. Sent back to his universe.
The chamber grew still again.
I looked at Gwen and her newly resurrected Peter, both clinging to the impossible reality of the moment.
"Come with me to my reality." I offered. "If he's to return to yours, we'll need a story the world can believe."
The Lab
A portal opened into a white chamber, spilling the four of us into my lab. Neon circuits traced the walls, machinery hummed in a steady rhythm and holograms rippled with phantom-blue light. I guided them into a lounge with minimalist sofas and a low table.
I stood in the center, my voice steady but weighted.
"Your world thinks Peter Parker died. That Spider-Woman killed him. To walk back into that story alive, without explanation, would tear everything apart, including your loved ones."
Gwen's palms clutched tighter. "Then what do we do?"
I spread my hands dramatically. "We turn the impossible into a narrative. I'll become someone else. A nefarious, heinous villain. Bloodshot. I'll claim I orchestrated Peter's abduction. That I staged his death, tortured him, left Spider-Woman to take the blame while sending your dad on a wild goose chase after the Spider-Woman."
Resurrected Peter blinked, incredulous. "So… you're making me the survivor of some madman's experiments?"
My lips curved into a mischievous smile. "Exactly. For that, I'll etch scars into your skin, simulated through nanobots. They'll heal in time but they'll serve as proof of suffering. And I'll grant you augmentation. Strength, speed, regeneration. Enough to make the story real."
Gwen shivered. "That's… grim."
"It's necessary." My tone was cold, almost surgical. "It clears your name. But it also means both of you will be wanted by governments and shadow agencies, simply for existing."
"So, let's begin. Shall we?" I say with a manic grin.
The Reunion
The lab doors hissed open. Aunt May, Uncle Ben, and Captain Stacy hurried in, Clanker having told them their children had returned.
They froze.
Two Peters. Two Gwens. One scarred, freshly born from narrated tragedy. One familiar, armored, hardened by battles.
Aunt May's hands flew to her mouth. "Peter? Both of you?"
Uncle Ben's voice cracked, torn between disbelief and awe. "Well… this is new."
Captain Stacy's gaze narrowed, his eyes falling on alternate Gwen. His jaw locked. "Gwen? Kiddo? Why are there two of you?"
The air stiffened, every breath held.
Gwen swallowed hard. Her voice wavered with nerves. "Um… hi, Dad. Surprise. I'm Gwen… but from another dimension. And this Peter is from mine."
Silence pressed against the walls.
Then Aunt May stepped forward, gently taking Gwen's trembling hands. Her voice was warm, breaking with tears. "Sweetheart… both of you are welcome to stay with us as long as you need. Me and Ben would be delighted to have you in our home."
Uncle Ben nodded firmly, eyes soft with kindness. "Yeah. Just don't cut off your spines or spleens."
That won a small laugh through Gwen's tears.
Captain Stacey exhaled slowly, his shoulders sagging. He looked directly at Gwen, catching the hesitation in her eyes. His voice dropped. "Okay, Gwen. Spill it. Something happened between us in your world, didn't it?"
Her throat tightened but she forced the words out.
"It was dance night at Visions Academy. Peter wasn't there. He had stolen Doctor Connors's unfinished Lizard formula… drank it… because he wanted to beat Ned Leeds and be just like Spider-Woman, like me. But it twisted him. Made him into something worse. I fought him, buried him in rubble. He reached for me… but I didn't believe he was dying. I thought he'd get up. He didn't. He passed away in my arms."
Her breath shuddered. Peter's arm tightened around her shoulders.
"And then… you burst in. My dad. You saw me over his body as Spider-Woman. You thought I killed him. You hunted me. I made no new friends, distanced myself from everyone. I carried that blame. For years. But Peter's soul never left me. When the collider released quantum lightning, it struck him. Resurrected him. Now this Peter is helping us weave a story so he can live again."
Her tears fell freely as scarred Peter pulled her into his arms, ignoring the sting of fresh wounds.
Captain Stacey's jaw clenched, then softened. His voice was quiet, thick with emotion. "If I were him… I can't promise I wouldn't have made the same mistake. But standing here now, I see my daughter in you. And I'll talk to him myself if I need to."
Gwen broke, her lips quivering. For the first time since her Peter's death, the weight on her chest lifted. She nodded, collapsing into her father's embrace.
Laughter Through Tears
The heaviness cracked when Aunt May turned to survey them all. Two Peters. Two Gwens. Four stubborn, bright, chaotic souls. She shook her head with mock despair.
"Lord help me. One Peter Parker was already enough to give me gray hairs. Now I've got two. And don't even get me started on two Gwens."
Uncle Ben chuckled, shaking his head. "I hope the fridge is ready. Two Parkers under one roof is the fastest way to bankruptcy."
Captain Stacey groaned. "I'm buying two more shotguns. Just in case."
The room erupted into laughter. Wet with tears, but laughter all the same. Even Armoured Peter allowed the faintest smile, though his eyes lingered on the scars etched into the reborn Peter's skin.
For now, they were together. And for the first time in a long time, Gwen felt something she hadn't dared to hope for.
It felt like family.
Read 45 chapters ahead on P.A.T.R.E.O.N
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