Chapter 9: Bat's Opportunity
"Don't worry, I can still bear it." May lightly patted Mary Jane's shoulder, assuring her that she was fine.
Seeing the strong, gray-haired woman walk into the house, Mary Jane felt her comforting words fail her. She could only stare deeply at Aunt May's door, finally walking up to it and saying against the wood, "If you need anything, please call me. We are still family, aren't we?"
There was no immediate response, but Mary Jane knew Aunt May had heard her.
"I'll come back to see you, Aunt May." Leaving the promise hanging in the air, Mary Jane turned and walked away, feeling a wave of familiar disappointment.
In the room, May had indeed heard Mary Jane. But right now, she was focused on the figures standing in front of her.
"My God," May whispered, covering her mouth to suppress a shout of surprise.
"I'm sorry, we came in without permission," said one of the figures, dressed entirely in black and white, as he took off his hat.
"Private entrance!" The small, cute-looking girl next to him spoke cautiously to Aunt May.
When the young girl spoke, the robot-like Peni Parker and her mech made a surprisingly human gesture of apology.
"I don't know if talking animals are normal in this world, but it's still nice to meet you."
If it weren't for the voice, May might not have noticed the tiny, doll-like figure, Spider-Ham, sitting on her coffee table.
"Wait, wait," May stuttered, genuinely startled. She had long known her nephew was Spider-Man. But he had never mentioned having this many companions. The most he ever talked about was Captain America or someone similar. She had met the famous heroes at the memorial service earlier today; they were all mourning Peter.
"I guess... you're probably not my nephew's friends," May tried hard to regain her composure. She had experienced too many shocks today. Her Peter died in an earthquake—though May was sure it was a villain's doing; how else could an unknown earthquake kill Spider-Man?
"Although it's hard to accept, this is not our universe. We came here through an accidental spatial displacement," the black-and-white figure, Spider-Man Noir, explained cautiously.
"And I think the reason we arrived here is tied to the death of the Spider-Man in this universe," the little girl, Gwen Stacy (Spider-Woman), realized quickly.
"It seems they've already figured it out." Just as Peni Parker finished speaking, the Spider-People went instantly rigid. Their Spider-Sense collectively told them a group of people had just arrived at the front door.
"Ding dong."
The doorbell rang, and they immediately prepared for battle.
May, however, calmly retrieved a baseball bat from beside the coat rack and approached the door slowly.
"You hide. I'll handle it."
It was inappropriate for a white-haired woman to face unknown danger, but May's plan was tactically sound. It was better for the Spider-People to remain hidden. They had already noticed malicious eyes watching the house; while avoiding general surveillance was simple, revealing their multi-dimensional presence would invite untold consequences.
The Spiders quickly concealed themselves.
When May opened the door, she immediately lowered the bat. It was just a few children holding Spider-Man memorabilia, accompanied by adults.
"I'm so sorry, but can I put this here?" A little girl held out a Spider-Man doll with a small card attached. The childish handwriting conveyed all the child's grief and admiration.
"It's okay, kid," May knelt down, gently stroking the child's hair. "He was a very good man."
Watching the interaction, the hidden Spider-People unanimously offered the same comment about the hero they never knew.
Meanwhile, in his attic, a Bat was also watching the scene unfold.
Wayne was not surprised that fans were coming to offer their respects. The existence of Spider-Man, much like The Flash in his own universe, represented a fundamental baseline of conscience and hope.
But his focus was elsewhere.
Wayne observed the "accompanying adults." Their stance, their posture, and their alertness all clearly indicated professional training. These were either government operatives or battle-hardened mercenaries. Given the ongoing cover-up, they were more likely the latter. The U.S. government wouldn't need this kind of paranoid surveillance over a dead hero's relative.
If these people were not connected to a wider scheme, Wayne would gladly twist his own head off and play ball with it.
"They really care about this place," Wayne observed.
He could detect at least five individuals deployed for monitoring the single house. They were exhibiting extreme caution. Why maintain such vigilance even after killing the person they feared?
Wayne recalled the reason for the chaos in this world: Kingpin.
This level of caution made sense. The main-universe Kingpin (Wilson Fisk) had once dealt with his own weakness, Vanessa, to ensure his invincibility. In this universe, the memory of his Vanessa had become an obsession, a vulnerability he constantly tried to compensate for.
Wayne touched his chin. Though he was now settled, he was a long way from being a genuine, established Bat in this world.
"Perhaps the next step is my opportunity to transition into the true Batman," he mused.
"Kingpin."
Wayne took out a Batarang, examining the sharp, gleaming edge.
(End of Chapter)
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