Marvel’s Spider-Man: Across the Multiverse

By now, even though Gwen-Spider hadn't explicitly stated it, Peter already understood why she was drawn to him.

She was running away.

From the way Gwen described her world, it was easy to infer that her life there wasn't just unpleasant—it was outright miserable.

Peter couldn't help but wonder: if Gwen kept living like that, would there come a day when she simply couldn't bear it anymore and...

Gwen probably realized her situation, too.

Originally, there was nothing she could do about it.

After all, how could she possibly resist an entire world?

But this unexpected event changed everything, pulling her out of her dark reality and into this unfamiliar world.

And it had already been a week.

During that week, while investigating what had happened to her, Gwen also greedily indulged in the rare peace this world offered.

Here, even if she occasionally ventured out in her Spider suit and was seen, she wasn't met with insults or slander.

Compared to her original world, this place felt like paradise—a place so good it almost seemed unreal.

She couldn't help but fall in love with it.

That might explain why, despite arriving here a week earlier than Peter and the others, she waited until they showed up to seriously start looking for a way back.

Deep down, she didn't want to return.

But, unfortunately, all of them—these visitors from alternate worlds—were inherently rejected by this world.

So she had no choice but to go back.

Then, when she accidentally discovered that Peter seemed to have some ability to avoid this rejection, her heart skipped a beat.

Yet, Gwen clearly didn't know how to bring it up.

And Peter himself was just as clueless about his situation.

How was he supposed to know why he wasn't affected by the rejection?

The only explanation he could think of was that he came from the "real world," while this was the Marvel Universe. Perhaps his very existence was unique.

If that were true, then his presence here was something that couldn't be replicated.

But being irreplaceable didn't mean he wasn't willing to try.

If only to better understand his situation, he needed to figure out what was happening to him.

Why had he crossed over? Where did that spider that bit him in the real world come from? And why did it grant him Spider-Man's powers?

Besides, if his existence truly was extraordinary, it meant he wouldn't be rejected by any world.

If so, the nickname he'd hastily come up with to placate Officer Orlando—"The Temporal Spider-Man"—would take on a whole new meaning.

A Spider-Man who could traverse different timelines and parallel universes.

The Marvel Universe was vast, and Peter refused to believe he couldn't find a way to travel freely between worlds—and bring others along with him.

So, Peter boldly made a promise to Gwen-Spider: to show her more of the world, more beautiful sights, and help her make more friends.

As for his reasons—

On one hand, he genuinely felt sorry for Gwen. Someone who initially wanted to treat the world with light shouldn't have been repaid with darkness.

On the other hand... he'd be honest with himself—he was attracted to her. Plain and simple.

Maybe that wasn't his intention at first, but after their conversation, he found himself truly moved.

In life, it's rare to meet someone you like, who doesn't mind you, and who might even like you back.

Now that he'd encountered such a person, he was determined to take a chance and see where it could lead.

Peter made a quiet decision in his heart: if it turned out he couldn't return to his own world, he'd consider going with Gwen to hers.

After all, it didn't matter which world he stayed in.

And Gwen's world seemed as good a place as any.

After their heartfelt exchange, the atmosphere between Peter and Gwen became much warmer.

The most noticeable change was the smile on Gwen's face—it appeared more often now.

Her smile was like a clear spring; just one look, and it felt sweet to the heart.

Peter was full of energy.

Over the next few hours, he handled a handful of routine incidents, but none as dramatic as the one from the morning.

It seemed like New York City was quieter than usual today.

They grabbed lunch at a roadside burger joint.

Before leaving in the morning, Aunt May had slipped them each a $10 bill—enough for a modest lunch.

It felt a bit embarrassing to take money from her, but they had no choice.

They were broke.

Gwen had been using the cash she brought from her own world over the past week, but it was nearly gone.

This awkward situation made Peter realize that if he planned to stay in any world for an extended period, he'd need to figure out a way to earn a stable income—whether by getting a job or starting a business.

At the very least, he needed financial independence and the ability to take care of himself.

Being Spider-Man was one thing, but he also needed to manage his personal life.

He couldn't end up like Tobey-Spider, constantly struggling to balance his dual identities, letting his life fall apart, and only regretting it once it was too late.

Although this was something that happened to Tobey-Spider, it served as a valuable reminder for Peter.

"By the way, if I joined the Avengers, would there be a salary?" Peter suddenly pondered aloud.

But he quickly shook his head, dismissing the idea.

Joining the Avengers would inevitably mean dealing with S.H.I.E.L.D., and he wasn't particularly fond of them.

It seemed better to figure out his financial problems on his own.

While mulling over these thoughts, Peter continued swinging swiftly through the city.

Gwen-Spider followed closely by his side.

It was now 3 p.m.

Not long ago, after Gwen confirmed it and Shadow-Spider and Spider-Ham gave their nods, Peter was officially informed that he had completed his practical combat assessment.

At the same time, Shadow-Spider also informed them that Peni and the SP//dr mech had finished crafting the little device they'd been working on.

So now, Peter and Gwen were on their way back to Aunt May's house in Forest Hills, Queens.

"What are you thinking about?" Gwen finally asked, breaking the silence as they sat on the subway. She had been glancing at Peter every now and then, noticing his contemplative expression. Her curiosity finally got the better of her.

Seeing her curious look, Peter couldn't help but feel mischievous.

He turned to meet her gaze and said earnestly, "I'm thinking about our future."

Gwen: ???

Her face immediately flushed crimson, like a blazing sunset. She turned her head away, unable to meet Peter's eyes anymore.

Peter chuckled to himself and added, "Ahem, okay, just kidding. I was actually thinking about something else."

"W-What is it?" Gwen stammered, still flustered.

Peter's expression turned serious as he explained, "New York is essentially Kingpin's stronghold. We've been active around here all morning. Do you think Kingpin has already taken notice of us?"

(End of Chapter)

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