"Dr. Octavius!" Peter exclaimed in surprise. He was… alright?
Otto looked at Peter in the Spider-Man suit, a sharp pain flaring in his head. Memories surged back—everything he had done, all the mistakes—and in an instant, he understood.
"Peter… Spider-Man? Clever, lazy boy…" Otto said weakly, his face pale, clothes soaked through, his voice filled with regret.
"I'm glad you're okay, Doctor," Peter said with a relieved smile, as innocent as ever, despite everything he had just gone through.
"Ahem… this isn't the time for nostalgia," Renzo cut in, his tone serious as he looked at the massive device. "We need to stop this before it's too late."
Objects around them were being pulled toward the reactor. Even Renzo could feel the increasing gravitational force tugging at him.
Otto struggled to his feet, his voice trembling. "No… no… that's my life's work… my dream…" He reached out toward the blazing sphere of energy, its violent power constantly radiating outward.
To Otto, this wasn't just an experiment—it was his purpose. It made him feel like… like the sun itself.
"Otto…"
Peter looked at him, conflicted. But in the end, reason won over emotion.
"Sometimes, for the sake of justice—for something greater—we have to sacrifice ourselves… give up the things we cherish, even our dreams…"
"Doctor, if your wife is watching… she wouldn't want to see you like this."
Peter's words finally cracked the stubborn resolve in Otto's heart.
"You're right… I have to… I have to stop it…"
Behind him, the remaining mechanical arms moved, dragging his weakened body forward as he staggered toward the reactor.
"I didn't say you had to sacrifice yourself. Use your brain if you want to be a hero!" Renzo stopped him immediately, signaling Peter to hold him back and prevent him from doing anything reckless.
Renzo floated toward the device, his eyes shifting as he began scanning its structure. In many ways, it resembled the arc reactor designs Stark had worked on—but Otto lacked Stark's precision.
"As long as I follow Stark's approach… this should work…"
Though Renzo now carried Vision's body, his mind still held the merged knowledge of his past self, Ultron, and JARVIS. He had access to data from Stark's earlier work on energy systems.
Using that knowledge, Renzo began adjusting the reactor's parameters in real time. At the same time, the Mind Stone emitted a steady stream of energy, forming a protective barrier around him and the device—a technique he had only recently discovered.
The barrier enclosed both him and the reactor. If something went wrong, he could still throw it into the river as a last resort.
Frowning, Renzo quickly realized the problem. Otto's experiment wasn't fundamentally flawed—but several small errors in execution had made success impossible.
Working quickly, Renzo corrected the values according to Stark's methodology. Time was running out. The reactor's gravitational pull had reached a terrifying level, forcing him to constantly adjust his own density just to resist it.
"It's over… New York is finished… Let me go! I'll take it with me!" Otto struggled desperately, but in his weakened state, he couldn't break free from Peter's grip.
"Calm down, Doctor. You can't help right now," Peter said firmly, holding him in place. He hadn't forgotten Renzo's words—this time, he wouldn't waver.
Otto could only watch helplessly as the nuclear core grew brighter and more unstable, as if it could detonate at any moment.
Seconds stretched into eternity.
Less than two minutes passed—but to Renzo, it felt like a lifetime.
"It's too late…" Otto whispered, closing his eyes, resigning himself to death.
Memories of his life flashed through his mind. In the end, he would die alongside his dream. He only hoped… he wouldn't see his wife in hell.
The reactor reached its peak.
A blinding white light engulfed everything. Peter felt the heat sear against his skin—
And then…
Nothing.
"…?" Otto felt the heat for only a brief moment before it vanished. Everything returned to normal, as if nothing had happened at all.
Hesitantly, he opened his eyes.
What he saw was something he would never forget—something that would remain etched into his soul for the rest of his life.
A vast, endless starry sky.
...
"Peter! Go buy some milk, cheese, and bread. The fridge is almost empty!" Aunt May called from the living room, wearing reading glasses as she carefully mended a sweater stitch by stitch. It was for Peter—the weather had turned cold, and she didn't want him catching a chill.
"Got it!" Peter's voice came from upstairs, followed by a series of loud thumps and crashes that made the ceiling creak.
Aunt May glanced up, smiled fondly, and shook her head.
After a while, Peter came downstairs, now dressed in a clean shirt and coat, looking refreshed as he headed out.
"Hey, Peter!"
"Hey, Renzo!"
Renzo stepped out from the house next door, greeting him with a smile. He had already bought the place as a long-term residence. Until he found a way back, staying nearby made sense—and it meant they could look out for each other, and occasionally fight crime together.
"Heading to Mary Jane's play today?"
"Yeah. We made plans," Peter replied, happiness evident on his face.
After everything with Otto, he had finally faced his feelings. He confessed to Mary Jane—and told her the truth about being Spider-Man.
Mary Jane had accepted it. She was strong, braver than most. Though shocked at first, she chose to face it all with him.
Peter knew he would never forget the sight of her standing outside in her wedding dress, smiling at him. That moment… it felt like the happiest day of his life.
Renzo shook his head helplessly at the sight.
A boy in love…
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