Evening.
Peter dragged his soaked and battered body home. He had just had a huge argument with his friend Harry at the banquet. Harry's helpless, almost pleading words still echoed in his ears, along with the disappointment in his eyes—and that slap across his face.
Worst of all, his girlfriend, Mary Jane, was about to get engaged at that same banquet—to his boss's son.
And as if that weren't enough, his spider powers had vanished somewhere between his trips across the city.
Peter felt as if the entire world had turned against him. Without a doubt, this was the worst day of his life.
...
A few days later, everything seemed to settle back into place.
Peter had lost his superpowers. He put on his plain, slightly awkward glasses again, going between school and home like an ordinary person. Occasionally, he would still accidentally break a neighbor's window…
Strangely, he found himself appreciating this life.
He finally had time to be Peter Parker—not Spider-Man. He could live the life he had once wanted.
The city continued to function as usual.
Except… Spider-Man was gone.
"Peter! I'm going out to buy groceries—remember to keep an eye on the house!"
Aunt May's voice called up from downstairs. The front door closed soon after. Peter lay on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
He liked this kind of life. No dangerous criminals. No endless chain of disasters. Aside from losing his best friend and the girl he loved… everything felt normal.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Peter snapped out of his daze. He frowned slightly.
That sounded like… knocking on glass.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"That's not my imagination!"
Peter sat up at once, startled. This wasn't the second or third floor—who could be knocking on the window?
He stepped forward cautiously, hesitated, then grabbed the bicycle tire lying on the table. It hadn't been fixed yet, but now it served as a makeshift weapon.
Slowly, he approached the window and peered outside.
Nothing.
"Am I just being paranoid…?"
"Boo!"
"AHH—!!!"
Renzo's strange face suddenly appeared pressed against the glass. The clashing red-and-green colors looked especially eerie up close. Clearly, Peter had no appreciation for this "aesthetic" and screamed in shock.
Watching Peter jump onto the bed in fright, Renzo couldn't help the faint smile tugging at his lips, thoroughly satisfied with his little prank.
"You… you…" Peter stammered, staring nervously at the figure outside. Then he suddenly remembered—this guy had saved Aunt May a few days ago. But why was he here?
Before he could think further, his expression shifted from surprise to shock… then to outright panic.
Because Renzo simply walked through the wall and glass as if they weren't even there.
Peter rubbed his eyes, his mouth hanging open wide enough to fit a light bulb. He pointed at Renzo, then at the window, back and forth, completely at a loss.
"Am I going crazy? Or hallucinating?" The young man curled up on the bed, still clutching the tire. He tried to look threatening, but his expression was closer to tears than intimidation.
"Relax, Peter. I'm not here to hurt you," Renzo said calmly. He knew that staying silent would only make things worse.
"Actually, I'm here for help… Spider-Man."
"Huh?!" Peter froze for a moment, then quickly recovered, forcing a nervous smile. "Spider-Man? What Spider-Man? I'm just a photographer. You've got the wrong guy."
"No, no, no… Peter, let's be honest," Renzo said with a helpless sigh, pointing at his chest. "I know you're Spider-Man. That's why I came to you."
"You…" Peter tried to respond, but Renzo cut him off.
"I know this is hard to believe, but please stay calm and hear me out. I really need your help."
For the next half hour, Renzo explained everything—how he had arrived in this universe, how he had seen reports about Spider-Man, and why he had come looking for him.
Peter leaned against the bed, completely dazed, as if his brain had been stuffed with soap bubbles. After listening to it all, his mind felt like it was floating.
"So… that's the situation. You're the only one I can turn to."
"You mean… the multiverse is real?!" True to his nature, Peter quickly set aside his fear and turned into a curious bundle of questions, bombarding Renzo from every direction.
Renzo sighed inwardly. "Even a quiet Peter can be exhausting when he starts asking questions…" Still, he patiently answered them one by one.
"So in this universe, you're the only person I can rely on. Please… help me find a way back."
"But…" Peter hesitated. He didn't have the heart to admit that he had lost his powers.
What he didn't realize was that Renzo had practically memorized this version of Spider-Man's story. He already knew what was happening.
"My…" Peter tried to speak again, but the sound of the front door interrupted him.
"Peter! I'm back!"
Aunt May's voice rang out. Peter's expression changed instantly. If she saw Renzo like this, she might start connecting him to Spider-Man—and explaining that would be a nightmare.
"Hide!" Peter whispered urgently.
"Peter! Who are you talking to?" Aunt May's footsteps grew closer.
With no other option, Peter shoved Renzo toward the closet, trying to hide him inside.
"Peter?" Aunt May opened the door and found him standing there. "What are you doing?"
"I—I was just… it's a little hot in here… airing it out…" Peter stammered, offering a flimsy excuse as he glanced nervously at her.
"Oh? And this gentleman is…?" Aunt May asked, eyeing him curiously.
Peter's heart skipped a beat. He turned around—
—and saw Renzo, now in human form, sitting calmly on a stool.
"How…?" Peter was completely dumbfounded. Could people from other universes shapeshift like this?
"You must be Aunt May. Peter has mentioned you often," Renzo said with a gentle smile. He stepped forward, took her hand, and lightly kissed it.
"He says you're the most important person in his life, someone he deeply admires. Seeing you now, I can tell—you're truly an elegant and beautiful lady."
"Oh my!" Aunt May beamed at the praise. "You're too kind. Are you one of Peter's friends? Would you like to stay for dinner?"
"I'm afraid I can't, Aunt May. I already have plans tonight," Renzo replied politely. In truth, he couldn't eat at all—and any complications would only cause trouble.
"Peter is a very hardworking young man," Renzo continued smoothly. "He takes his work seriously, and the photos he captures are excellent. In fact, I came today to deliver a bonus for him."
He pulled out a stack of thick envelopes from his coat. Judging by their heft, each one contained a considerable amount of cash.
"This… this…" Aunt May's eyes widened, her voice trembling with emotion.
"This is from the newspaper," Renzo added.
Seeing her on the verge of tears, Renzo couldn't help but sigh at her sincerity. He gently guided her downstairs before returning.
Peter stood there, staring at the thick stack of money, completely stunned.
"You… you didn't…"
"I tapped into this universe's network and borrowed a little from some billionaires' bank accounts," Renzo said casually. "It doesn't hurt them."
Peter: "…"
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