The Ultimate Spider-Man, who had been lying lifeless on the ground, slowly regained consciousness.
He opened his eyes and gazed at the deep night sky, asking, "Where am I? Did I die? No, it seems like I didn't die? Was I saved?"
"Hey!" Upon hearing this voice, Miles immediately jumped to his feet and appeared in front of the Ultimate Spider-Man, who was still recovering. "Mr. Parker, do you remember me?"
"Hey, little guy," the Ultimate Spider-Man gradually regained focus in his eyes as he looked at Miles, who blended into the night sky with his stealthy suit. He raised his hand. "Is it you who saved me, little guy?"
"It's great, you're really back!" Miles was ecstatic. "No, it wasn't me; it was Mark. He brought you from the past to the present, and well, you came back to life!"
Mark, who had already recovered earlier, now sat up from Gwen's embrace.
Actually, he had already recovered some time ago, but it felt so comfortable being with Gwen, his girlfriend. How could he rise up so quickly?
He cleared his throat and walked over to the Ultimate Spider-Man. Extending his hand, he said, "Hello, Spider-Man of this world. I'm Mark, The Quantum Spider-Man. This is my girlfriend, Gwen Stacy."
With Mark's assistance, the Ultimate Spider-Man stood up.
Although he had suffered severe injuries and even experienced death once, the incredible regenerative power of Spider-Man, combined with the temporary power he had obtained from Miles' Spider Totem, had allowed him to regain some mobility by now.
Miles quickly approached him, placing the Ultimate Spider-Man's other hand on his shoulder.
"Miles, are you sure you're okay now?" Aaron Davis walked over.
The Ultimate Spider-Man turned his head, immediately recognizing the clothing Aaron was wearing, and his face changed dramatically. "Prowler!"
"Hehe, Mr. Parker, take it easy," Miles quickly supported the Ultimate Spider-Man and introduced, "This is my uncle. He used to do some bad things, but he's changed now."
Mark nodded in agreement and added, "We defeated Kingpin and dismantled his underground criminal syndicate. As for the time you were gone, it was these two who safeguarded the city's security."
The Ultimate Spider-Man finally sighed in relief. "So, Kingpin was defeated? I disappeared? Also, Miles, you said that this Spider-Man from another dimension, Mr. Quantum Spider-Man, brought me from the past to the present?"
His head was starting to feel a bit confused.
Why did it seem like he had just been unconscious for a moment, and when he woke up, his entire worldview had been turned upside down?
So, Miles explained to him what had happened during this time.
When he heard that Mark had stolen him away from a time just after his recent death and that they had held a funeral and many memorial services for him, the Ultimate Spider-Man felt like his entire belief system had been shattered, and he remained speechless.
"Technically, Kingpin is dead," Mark added some more information, "At the time of the explosion of the collider, he was sucked into it. Nothing was left. But dying in his own machine, I guess you could call it suicide."
Mark shrugged his shoulders.
It was decided that everyone would accept this with no objections.
That day, many people had died, and a villain like Kingpin, who had committed countless crimes, was better off dead.
The Ultimate Spider-Man stood dazed for a moment, then became increasingly eager, saying, "Oh no, during the time I was 'gone,' Mary Jane and Aunt May must have been heartbroken! I'm so sorry, Miles, Mark, Miss Stacy, Mr. Davis. I want to go home and see them."
"Well, how about we go to Aunt May's house first? I actually wanted to see her as well," Mark suggested.
"Great, let's go!" Thinking about how his loved ones were probably devastated during the time he was presumed dead, the Ultimate Spider-Man couldn't sit still any longer.
He immediately walked towards the building, but Mark pulled him back, saying, "Wait a moment. I have a more convenient method."
With that, he opened a portal, and through it, they could see Aunt May's house.
"Wow! Is this magic?" Miles exclaimed with excitement.
"Close enough," Mark replied casually.
Miles' eyes sparkled, and he asked, "Is there really magic? Can I learn it?"
Mark shook his head, saying, "I'm afraid not. Even Gwen didn't manage to learn it."
Gwen shrugged, "When Mark was learning magic from that magician, I watched for a long time, but I didn't learn anything."
"Okay," Miles said a bit dejectedly and lowered his head. But then, he quickly raised it again and asked, "But there really are Spider-Men who can use magic, right?"
"Well, it's said that in some world, there is a Sorcerer Supreme Spider-Man. Maybe we can ask him," Mark pointed towards the Ultimate Spider-Man, remembering that he had seen a cape-wearing suit in the other Spider-Man's underground base. Now that he thought about it, it was somewhat reminiscent of Doctor Strange's cape. Perhaps he had encountered the Sorcerer Supreme Spider-Man?
However, when the two were about to stop chattering and proceed, they all paused when they saw the Ultimate Spider-Man.
The Ultimate Spider-Man stood in front of Aunt May's house, hesitating to enter.
Mark and the others crossed the portal and arrived behind him.
Miles asked in confusion, "Why aren't you going inside?"
Mark gently pushed him forward, saying, "Aunt May has missed you very much and has often shed tears during the time we were there. So, no matter what, let's see her first, okay?"
Mark probably understood his feelings at the moment.
This might be what they call "feeling shy in one's hometown." After being away for too long, one might not know how to face the family who cares for them. That's why their minds go blank.
For the Ultimate Spider-Man, although it had only been a few hours for him, due to the things Miles had told him about the events of these past months, his clever Spider-Man mind had imagined many scenarios, leading to feelings like this.
"Okay!" The Ultimate Spider-Man suddenly awakened, realizing that he couldn't just stand there. He took quick steps forward and entered the backyard but stopped at the doorstep.
Mark was getting a bit impatient. How long would this indecision continue?
He walked up and knocked on the door.
At first, there was no response, so Mark knocked twice more.
Tap, tap, tap...
The sound of slippers on the floor echoed. Though it seemed light through the walls, but they clearly heard it as most of those present were superpowered individuals.
"Who's there?" With a sound like a hard object hitting the ground, a familiar voice was heard.
Mark stood in front of the door, initially surprised, then a little exasperated. Aunt May had reacted this way since she saw them a few months ago, and she was still reacting this way now.
It was clear that life had been difficult for this elderly woman since Peter Parker, the original Spider-Man, had died and his identity was revealed. There must have been many hooligans who had suffered due to Spider-Man's punishments in the past and were now seeking revenge on his family!
"Who is it? Speak!" A figure appeared behind the door but didn't immediately open it.
Mark spoke, "Aunt May, it's me, Mark. I've come to see you."
Bang!
Poor baseball bat was once again thrown to the ground.
The door opened, revealing Aunt May's figure.
Seeing Mark, she immediately wore a warm smile, "Child, why did you come now? Come in, come in."
"No, Aunt May, I've come this time to bring you a surprise," Mark said.
With that, he stepped aside.
"Hi, Aunt May," the Ultimate Spider-Man didn't know how to greet her. Thinking about the pain and suffering Aunt May had endured over the last few months, it broke his heart.
"Peter? Is it my Peter? Or am I seeing things?" Aunt May looked at the Ultimate Spider-Man in disbelief.
For the last few months, she had accepted the fact that her nephew was permanently gone. But now, there was her living nephew standing in front of her.
Furthermore, she had a gut feeling.
The Peter Parker in front of her was different from the various Peter Parkers she had seen from other worlds a few months ago. He was the real Peter from this world, her own Peter!
But how could this be?
"Aunt May, it's me, I'm Peter," the Ultimate Spider-Man said with mixed emotions.
He finally understood that he didn't need to figure out how to face them. He needed to comfort them for the emotional trauma they had suffered during his apparent death.
He stepped forward and hugged Aunt May tightly.
The familiar feeling nearly overwhelmed the elderly lady, but this time, her tears were tears of joy.
"Peter didn't actually die. That body you found earlier was a fake. Peter had suffered severe injuries and needed a long time to recover. He only just got better now," Mark presented another version of the story.
This was a narrative agreed upon by Miles and the Ultimate Spider-Man when Miles explained what happened during his absence. Since Mark's actions had affected time, improper handling could lead to temporal paradoxes or issues with new parallel universes. Thus, the fewer people who knew, the better.
Aunt May readily accepted this explanation. She was afraid for her nephew having been so severely injured but was delighted to hear that he had recovered.
Miles and Aaron Davis might have visited here a while back, which was why Aunt May didn't express surprise or fear when they entered.
Aunt May warmly invited them into the house, and her smile never left her face.
°°°
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