After a brief catch-up, Bide and the Shadow Spider-Man were invited inside by Aunt May.
As soon as they stepped into the house, both felt a sudden tingling sensation in their heads.
"This… feeling." Bide's eyes scanned the room before stopping at three "people" inside.
To be precise, it was a little girl in a plaid skirt, a red robot with four legs, and… a pig?
"Hi~! I'm Peni Parker," the little girl waved cheerfully, and the red robot sitting behind her on the floor waved too.
The pig, with a snort, hopped in front of the two newcomers, raised its snout, and extended a hand: "Hello, I'm Peter Pork."
Bide's eyes widened as he stared at the trio. "Wait… you're not—"
Buzz~
"Alright, no need to say it," Bide waved dismissively.
With the spider-sense tingling in his head, it was clear: the names and abilities of these individuals, all resembling Peter Parker, meant they were all Spider-Men.
And not just one—they were from different universes.
"Holy moly! What's happening in this universe? How are there so many Spider-Men?" Bide collapsed onto the sofa, looking utterly defeated.
Based on what he'd seen in Spider-Man and other superhero works, he reasoned that one Spider-Man equaled one unit of danger; two Spider-Men equaled three units, three equaled nine, four… danger multiplied exponentially.
If a nest of Spider-Men gathered, it could trigger a catastrophe across the multiverse!
The Shadow Spider-Man, familiar with Bide by now, sat next to him and patted his shoulder: "Hey, relax, buddy. We're Spider-Men."
"You guys are Spider-Men. I'm just a regular guy bitten by a spider," Bide retorted.
"Oh? You were bitten by a spider?" the little girl Peni bounced over, curiously examining him.
"Yeah~" Bide nodded.
"Kids, what would you like to drink?" Aunt May asked, smiling warmly at the roomful of little Spiders.
Although none of them were her Peter, they still filled her heart with the same soothing comfort Peter always brought.
"I'll have an egg-milkshake!" Shadow Spider-Man raised his hand.
"I don't want a drink, can I have a hot dog?" Spider-Pig Peter Pork requested.
"I want some milk to grow taller!" little Peni Parker said with a bright smile.
Bide glanced at them, seeing their bold requests, and added, "Then I'll have some milk too."
"Huh?" ×4"You want to grow taller too?" Peni asked curiously.
Bide flicked his long legs. "Darn it, I just want some milk!"
"Ha ha ha~" The room erupted with laughter.
Aunt May didn't mind at all, smiling as she turned to the kitchen to prepare the drinks and food.
Meanwhile, in the living room, Bide began chatting with them.
Peni Parker was a 14-year-old girl, and her companion, SP//dr—the red robot—was her Spider-Mech.
Unlike the others, she didn't gain powers from a mutated spider bite but from synchronizing with the Spider-Mech.
Spider-Pig Peter Pork was originally a humanoid spider, while his Aunt May—May Pork—was a humanoid pig scientist.
During a test of an atomic-powered hairdryer, May Pork was affected by side effects and became agitated, biting Peter.
Exposed to radiation, Peter transformed into the pig-nosed humanoid Spider while retaining his powers.
Shadow Spider-Man came from the Great Depression era. Once idealistic but inexperienced, his Uncle Ben and Aunt May often gave street lectures promoting leftist ideas. One day, Uncle Ben was brutally killed.
Peter took over his uncle's work and, during an investigation into smuggling, was bitten by a spider from the cargo, gaining superpowers. He modified his Uncle Ben's WWI pilot suit into his Spider-Man costume and began fighting monopolistic crime.
Bide's own story was simpler. He had been a diligent student, studied astronomy at a top university, became a research intern at a Mars base, got bitten by a random spider, and somehow ended up in this universe.
He had no Spider-Man powers or legendary backstory—not even as rich as 14-year-old Peni.
Spider-Pig nudged Bide's leg with his short hand: "Don't worry, everyone goes through this."
Peni offered him a piece of candy: "Here, it's really good~"
"Thanks," Bide said, smiling as he took it.
Truly, a united and friendly Spider family.
Shadow Spider-Man said, "If you want, we could train you."
"Train me?" Bide asked, surprised.
"Yeah. Your current state is our past. We all went through it, so we know what you need. Let us make a training plan—it might work." Shadow Spider-Man spoke logically, having fought alone for many years.
Despite their camaraderie, he was at least a generation older than Bide.
"All right, let's eat first." Aunt May emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray of food and drinks.
Peni thanked her sweetly, still sneaking candy from her pocket.
Shadow Spider-Man lightly tapped her: "Less sugar, be careful of cavities."
"Mm~" Peni pouted and obeyed.
Bide helped clear the table, and Spider-Pig hopped into the kitchen.
Soon, through everyone's effort, a simple yet heartwarming dinner was ready.
(End of Chapter 4)