On the rooftop.
Peter tightened his thin pajamas, shivering in the cold wind while wearing only a pair of oversized shorts.
Beside him stood the Shadow Spider-Man.
"I'm starting to regret this suggestion," Peter said through chattering teeth.
The Shadow Spider's eyes constantly scanned the streets below, searching for this world's Spider-Man. Without turning his head, he asked, "Why do you say that?"
Peter glanced at Shadow Spider, whose attire included a black battle suit modified from a flight suit and a large, cozy-looking trench coat. "I was mysteriously transported here while I was about to go to bed! It's freezing out here!" Peter complained.
The Shadow Spider turned his head, seemingly noticing Peter's predicament.
He quickly took off his coat and tossed it to Peter. "If you don't mind, wear mine for now. Though, I'm not sure if the money I have from my world works here. Maybe we can get you something more fitting? Though I don't have much, so it won't be anything fancy."
"Uh, no, it's fine. Let's focus on the mission first. Your coat is plenty warm. Thanks," Peter said, draping the long coat over his pajamas. The trench coat reached his knees, still leaving his legs partly exposed, but it was much better than nothing.
And it looked far less embarrassing than walking around in shorts.
At least now it was bearable.
The two spent half an hour on the rooftop, yet their efforts yielded no results.
"Did I guess wrong? Could this world have Kingpin but no Spider-Man?" Peter began to doubt himself.
The Shadow Spider was equally uncertain.
"If this doesn't work, we'll try Plan B. Let's gather information about Spider-Man, Peter Parker, Aunt May, Uncle Ben, and Mary Jane," he suggested.
"Yeah, maybe we could also check out the Daily Bugle," Peter added.
Just as they were about to turn and descend into the darker corners of the street below, a large screen on a distant building suddenly lit up.
On the screen appeared an image of Spider-Man in his iconic red-and-blue suit!
"That's… Spider-Man! Peter Parker!" Peter exclaimed, his voice filled with excitement.
So this world did have a Spider-Man!
But why was he appearing on a giant screen?
Before Peter could process what was happening, the screen began to play a video.
The screen first showed a woman in formal attire, her face tinged with sorrow. She spoke in a somber tone:
"We interrupt with breaking news—tragic news."
"Our hero, Spider-Man, has left us today. His death is connected to the mysterious earthquake incident that occurred in Brooklyn earlier today."
"Multiple sources have confirmed that Peter Parker, a 26-year-old graduate student and part-time photographer, has secretly been Spider-Man for over a decade."
Then, a photo appeared on the screen—a picture of a young man with blond hair.
It was this world's Spider-Man, Peter Parker!
"This world has a Spider-Man, but… he's dead?" Peter and the Shadow Spider stared at the screen, unable to believe their eyes.
Spider-Man… dead?
Which story had Spider-Man dying?
Peter racked his brain, searching through his memories of Spider-Man movies, comics, and games, but found no clues.
The appearance of this Spider-Man reminded him somewhat of the Garfield Spider-Man, though the hair color was different.
All the Spider-Men he knew had black or dark brown hair—none were blond.
And none had a storyline where Spider-Man died.
The Shadow Spider silently watched the rest of the news broadcast. Then, turning to Peter, he shrugged and said, "Looks like our plan has fallen through. It seems the Spider-Man of this world wasn't so lucky."
His words were meant to be lighthearted, but his voice was heavy.
Clearly, the news of this world's Spider-Man's death had deeply affected him.
"If that's the case, we'll have to go with Plan B," Peter said, his own voice tinged with sadness.
Perhaps it was because his favorite hero had suddenly passed away. Or maybe it was because, with his newfound powers, he felt a deeper connection to Spider-Man's plight.
Neither of them spoke further. After confirming their direction, they began walking silently down the street.
They were in Brooklyn and needed to get to Queens—a considerable distance.
Unfortunately, Peter wasn't the type of Spider-Man who could produce webbing on his own. So, even with Spider-Man-like powers, he couldn't swing alongside the Shadow Spider.
But that wasn't a problem. They were gathering information as they went, without a strict timeline.
Moreover, the Shadow Spider's black suit, true to its name, was inconspicuous. Even walking on the streets, it hardly drew any attention.
They first visited the Daily Bugle.
After all, it was a major corporation and the easiest place to locate.
However, late at night, the building was completely deserted—not even a single night shift worker was present.
Peter could only sigh at their lack of a "996 spirit."
"Not even chasing the blessings of hard work. Sigh!"
Over the next few hours, the two of them followed Shadow Spider's memories, visiting several familiar locations from his world.
But it quickly became apparent that, while their universes might be parallel, there were still significant differences.
In the end, their search yielded nothing.
Just as they were at a loss, they noticed a place bustling with activity.
Despite the late hour, the area was brightly lit, with what seemed to be a large crowd gathered.
Such a scene was rare in the Eagle Country, especially so close to midnight!
The two exchanged glances and decided to check it out.
After all, they didn't have any other leads.
Turning the corner, they finally saw what was happening.
A large crowd had gathered on a patch of open ground in front of a standalone house.
There were reporters, residents bowing their heads in silent mourning, and police officers.
But the most striking figures were the two women surrounded by reporters.
One appeared to be about twenty-five or twenty-six years old. She had a slim figure, striking curves, and the elegance of a mature woman. Yet, she was leaning against the doorframe, silently shedding tears.
The other woman looked to be in her fifties, her hair streaked with gray. Her expression betrayed her sorrow, though she was doing her best to hold back her tears as she dealt with the reporters.
"That's Mary Jane and Aunt May!" Shadow Spider exclaimed excitedly, taking large strides toward them.
However, Peter quickly grabbed his arm, pulling him back into the shadows of the corner.
"Hey, what's the deal?" Shadow Spider asked, puzzled. They had spent the whole night searching, and now that they'd found something, why hold back?
Peter gestured toward the crowd. "Look over there."
Parked on the street was a stretch Lincoln limousine. Inside sat a burly man in a white suit.
His figure was round and massive, resembling a sumo wrestler. The custom-made oversized suit he wore was still visibly tight on his frame.
"Kingpin!"
(End of Chapter)
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