Later that morning, Deon found himself wandering through his new Brooklyn apartment. The sights, the sounds—all of it felt familiar, yet different. This was the world of Marvel, a place of heroes and villains, where anything could happen. He was no longer Deon Reece, Air Force pilot. He was Miles Morales, Spider-Man.
He heard a soft voice from the kitchen.
"Mijo, you okay?"
Deon turned to see Rio Morales, his new mother, standing by the stove, concern in her eyes.
"Hey, mijo! You look like you've seen a ghost," Rio said, giving him a warm hug.
Deon smiled, the familiarity comforting him. "Just had a crazy day, mom. Needed to see you and dad."
"Well, you're just in time for breakfast," Rio said, leading him to the kitchen. The smell of freshly brewed coffee and pancakes filled the air.
His father, Jefferson, looked up from the newspaper. "Everything okay, son?"
"Yeah, just... learning a lot," Deon replied, glancing at Mercury who was silently observing. "You know, figuring out my place and all."
"You're doing great, Miles. We're proud of you," Jefferson said, giving him a reassuring nod.
Rio placed a plate of pancakes in front of Deon. "Eat up, mijo. You need your strength."
Deon took a bite, savoring the familiar taste. "Thanks, mom. This is exactly what I needed."
After breakfast, Deon felt more grounded and ready to tackle his training. He excused himself from the table, giving his parents a hug. "Gotta head out now, but I'll be back later."
"Take care, Miles," Rio said, smiling.
"And miles before you go and i know going to a new school can be hard but" Jefferson said with a heavy sigh and gentle nod. "I know you'll figure it out. We're proud of you, Miles. Just don't lose yourself in the process."
Those words hit Deon harder than he expected. Don't lose yourself. He'd already lost his old life, his old identity. Now, he had a chance to rebuild.
"Thanks, Dad."
After breakfast, Deon stepped out onto the fire escape of their apartment. The crisp New York air filled his lungs as he stretched, his enhanced senses kicking in. He could feel the strength coursing through his body, his muscles responding faster than ever before.
"Alright, Mercury," Deon said aloud. "Let's see what we can really do."
Mercury's voice echoed in his mind. "Begin with your peak human condition. Test your limits."
Deon started with his peak human condition first, feeling a rush of strength and agility coursing through him. He leaped effortlessly onto a nearby rooftop. "This feels incredible," he murmured, testing his balance and speed.
"Your physical abilities are now enhanced to their peak," Mercury explained. "Next, let's test your psychokinesis."
Deon extended his hand, and with a thought, a nearby trash can levitated into the air. "Whoa, this is awesome!" he exclaimed, spinning the can around before gently setting it back down.
"Try summoning our pocket dimension using Copy & Paste," Mercury instructed.
Deon visualized the portal, and a shimmering gateway appeared before him. He reached into the portal and pulled out a small object he'd copied earlier. "This could come in handy," he said, grinning.
"Indeed. But remember, there's a limit to how many times you can use this ability each day," Mercury reminded him. "Let's move on to Clockwork."
Deon created a small time-manipulation sphere around a nearby flower, watching in awe as its petals unfurled in reverse. "This power it's.. " he said, marveling at the possibilities.
"Remember, the larger the area, the less time you have to control it," Mercury cautioned. "Now, let's try figure out where we are in the timeline."
Deon nodded, walking through the city and observing his surroundings. He saw familiar landmarks and people that hinted at being in the Insomniac games' version of New York City.
"Mercury, can you access any memories from this body?" Deon asked, hoping for a clue.
"Accessing... yes, I have some fragments. It seems we are in 2018 post the events of the first Spider-Man game, but before the events of Spider-Man: Miles Morales," Mercury replied. "That should give us some context."
"Alright, so that means I'm currently 15 meaning we've got some time to train and and I've got time to get used to these powers before things get crazy," Deon said, determination setting in. "Let's make the most of it."
As Deon continued testing his abilities with Mercury's guidance, he couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement.