Peter opened his eyes, which he had closed earlier, expecting to crash into the ground, something he never thought he would do again. He blinked twice, trying to comprehend what was happening, but a new voice interrupted his thoughts.
"That's the dumbest way to end pain I've ever seen. You know falling from a great height won't kill you, it'll just make you more miserable for a while, Peter."
Peter quickly raised his head and found himself staring at an old woman who looked at him with pity. It wasn't that he could read her gaze, but he inferred it from the sad tone in her voice.
Peter couldn't face the woman in front of him. He already understood that his attempt to end his life hadn't succeeded. In his moment of pain and despair, he forgot that his powers far exceeded those of an ordinary person, and the fall from such a height wouldn't kill him. It might break a few bones, but those would heal the next day. He felt incredibly foolish for thinking that jumping from a great height would end his suffering and pain, just as foolish as believing one of his relationships could succeed or that he had real friends. This realization brought out a faint, bitter laugh, and he whispered, "It seems I didn't think that through. For once, I wish I were less powerful than I am."
The old woman sighed with regret and said, "Peter, I'm so sorry for what's happened."
Peter sat on the dark ground and looked around. He found himself gazing at a giant web, displaying the lives of millions of people who, like him, played the role of Spider-Man. The sight didn't surprise him much; this wasn't the first time he had found himself in this place, although this wasn't the usual way he visited it. Typically, he came here due to a significant threat to the web network and all Spider-Men across dimensions.
Peter looked at the old woman with nothing but boredom. "Weren't you supposed to be dead, Cassandra?"
Cassandra smiled, though the smile didn't convey any joy. "I was supposed to die, but Julia's failure to fulfill her role as Madame Web made the web of life bring me back."
"Ah, Julia. Seems I'm not the only one whose choices always lead to disaster, right?" Peter said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice, mocking Cassandra's choice of Julia as Madame Web.
Cassandra frowned at his words. "It's unfortunate. At first, I thought Julia had great potential, but it seems her arrogance grew after becoming the next Madame Web, causing her to forget the reason for her selection."
Peter tilted his head mockingly. "Really? When did you figure that out? Was it after she ruined my already ruined life, or when you realized many Spider-Men across the multiverse had died?"
Cassandra looked down. Peter's words might have seemed casual, but she always took her role as Madame Web seriously, and due to Julia's negligence, many Spider-Men had died.
Cassandra wasn't surprised that Peter knew about the deaths of many Spider-Men, since Peter from Earth-616 was the center of the web, which meant he had a deep connection to the web. Every time a Spider-Man from another universe died, he felt it.
Cassandra couldn't do anything because of Julia's failures. She had given her the role of Madame Web, but Julia had disappointed her immensely.
Before Cassandra could drown in her guilt, Peter spoke, though his words did little to comfort her.
"Don't worry, Cassandra. I know you're disappointed in your student. If it's any consolation, Miles is also my biggest disappointment, both as my student and as the next Spider-Man."
Peter's words did nothing to ease Cassandra's guilt. Trying to change the subject, Peter asked, "Forget it. Why are you really here, Cassandra?"
Successfully shifting the conversation, Cassandra decided to get to the point. "Peter, I know your life was hell under my watch as Madame Web, and it became much worse after Julia took over."
Peter rolled his eyes and sighed sarcastically. "Please, tell me something I don't know. But seriously, I'd prefer you as Madame Web over Julia any day. I like you more, in both personality and everything else."
Peter's words brought a small smile to Cassandra's face. "Peter, I want to fix my mistakes and Julia's."
"Please, Cassandra, get to the point," Peter urged impatiently.
"I'm offering you another chance, in a reality different from ours. I won't get into the concept of reality because that would take too long. But in short, you'll go to a reality where there are no Spider-Men. Unlike our reality, called Marvel, the reality I'm talking about is called DC," Cassandra explained seriously.
Peter muttered to himself and then spoke aloud, placing his hands on the sides of his head. "DC... I feel like I've heard that somewhere before."
Cassandra nodded. "There's been some overlap between your reality and DC's for a while. Anansi has even visited that reality and has a temple there."
"Don't worry, you'll understand soon," Cassandra added.ย
Peter opened his eyes in surprise. "Let me guess. We all forgot about it because of the multiple universe resets."
Cassandra smiled knowingly. "Smart as always, Peter. But what I want is your answer. We'll still be in contact through the web network; after all, you are the anchor of the multiverse."
Peter closed his eyes, thinking about Cassandra's offer. It didn't take long for him to make his decision, but before confirming, he needed to know one last thing. "Tell me, Cassandra, is there any chance, in any of the possibilities, for my life to improve here?"
Cassandra looked down. "Among millions of possibilities, there are two. One is if you accept my offer. Only then will the world realize how much it needs you. The other option... you won't like, as it goes against your morals and upbringing."
Peter didn't take long to respond. "Then I accept."
Cassandra smiled at Peter's response, knowing well that he wouldn't choose the other option. After all, Peter from Earth-616 hadn't lost his way, even though he was the only one among millions living a life that was a hell for anyone else.
Cassandra nodded, smiling, and took something from her pocket, throwing it to Peter. "Good. But first, take this."
Peter caught the object, which looked like one of his web-shooters, and asked, "What's this?"
"That, dear, is the AI I created before the second universe reset."
Peter looked at it in surprise. "You created an AI like Jarvis or Ultron?"
Cassandra scoffed. "Please, don't compare her to Jarvis or Ultron. She's far more advanced than that."
Peter blinked. "Wait, you made her female?"
Cassandra nodded. "I created her after Gwen died at Harry's hands."
Peter was shocked. "What? Harry killed Gwen before the reset? Never mind, just forget it. That's giving me a headache."
Cassandra said nothing, but she revealed a small orb in her hand and offered it to Peter. "Take this. It contains all the memories erased due to the resets. Don't worry about any harsh reactions; it will only take a second to integrate them with the rest of your memories."
Peter looked at the small orb Cassandra handed him. As soon as he touched it, a light flashed in his brown eyes. "This... this is a lot."
Peter examined the AI device, removed his right web-shooter, and replaced it with the one containing the AI. He smiled, now possessing all his memories.
A blue, transparent hologram of a girl appeared on his wrist, speaking in a female voice, "Hello, darling. It's good to see you again. I missed you."
Peter smiled softly. "Hello, Karen. I see you're as beautiful as ever."
Karen replied, "And you're as charming as always."
Her words made Peter smile as he recalled the adventures and the great help Karen had provided in his life before the reset.
Peter turned to Cassandra and hugged her. "Thank you, Cassandra. I don't think I've ever said this, but you're the best woman in my life, alongside Aunt May."
Cassandra smiled at Peter and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Don't mention it, dear. It's my duty. Besides, you're the strongest man I've ever known."
Cassandra's words made Peter smile. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you're after something more."
Cassandra returned his smile. "Charming as always."
She waved her hand toward the empty space, creating a human-sized rift. "This is your path, dear. We'll always stay in touch whenever you need me, or even if you just want to chat."
Peter looked at Cassandra, then at the rift. He nodded at her before leaping into the rift, which closed behind him.
Cassandra smiled sadly. "Until we meet again, dear. The Multiverse will need you for the coming crisis."
________________________
For a brief moment I was going to write a lemon between Peter and Cassandra but not now maybe later.ย
As you can see, thanks to his memories, Peter already knows the Justice League.
Show me you're interested in the story to add more and tell me what you think of what you've read so far.