Chapter Text
OOOOKAYYYY let’s do this oneeeeee more time—
My name is Piper J. Parker and I have been New York’s one and only…Spider-Woman. I was bitten by a radioactive spider in the scumiest subway ever (don’t ask) and well…I started shooting industrial strength webs from my wrists the next morning. New York didn’t ask me to start fighting crime, catching criminals, and well…becoming the face of the city. It all just got sprung upon me. Besides, who wouldn’t want to take a stab at striking down the patriarchy. Yeah, DUDE, me — a woman — saved you. But all that glory only could last so long…I lost my uncle, my best friend, leaving an empty hole that could only be filled by vigilante justice…and the occasional cry session in the shower.
Everytime I wanted to give up, I’d hear my uncle’s voice…stop using all the hot water—no, not that. The world needs heroes, Pipes. Yeah…that’s the one. So I kept going. Manhattan became by Kingdom, one the vowed to protect.
And protect it, I will.
—
The only thing on my mind in that moment was a nice, hot shower. I had spent practically most of the late-night to early-morning stopping another doomed mutant from destroying the city. They had been popping up a lot more often than before. It was as if they were mythological hydra — knock one head off only for another to miraculously appear. Whatever, that’s New York for you. Rain pattered against the cement as I thwipped through the city, swinging from light post to brick-wall all the way to my low-buget yet somewhat comfy apartment.
Hey, it’s what I could afford. You think just because I’m Spider-Woman, I’m rolling in dough? Absolutely not. I’m just like you. If there isn’t any crime to be fighting, I sit on my ass with a bag of hot cheetos and watch the latest episode of whatever Netflix show has piqued my interest in that moment…that is, until I get tired and go back to watching something I have for the umpteenth time. Young adulthood, am I right?
My suit is drenched, clinging to my skin as I squint my eyes — my vision the color of emerald green as I scan the interior of my own apartment from the outside fire escape. Nobody knows who I am, yet I still have that…occasional paranoia that runs through my veins. The only person who knew of my secret identity, is dead. But, I don’t hold anything against my enemies. Especially the ones who would stop at nothing to see me dead.
Slowly, I opened the window with the softest squeak of the hinges. An acrobat like move as I slither onto the floor, my senses heightened - ready for anything. Standing up, I slip my mask off my face. Dark brown hues adjust to the darkness, a deep breath escaping from the cavity of my chest.
Home, sweet fucking, home.
Turning on the light of my studio apartment, I drop my belongings; unzipping my spider suit soon after. There is a sting on my body the moment I drop my shoulders. Great — another bruise…maybe a gash? My eyes look to my right shoulder. The pain acknowledged from the gash there, it’ll heal soon. That’s what I get for wearing a cold-shoulder suit. Exposed skin, shit is bound to happen. Walking over to my cell-phone charging on the nightstand, I see a missed call and voicemail from Aunt May.
“Heeey Piper, just giving you a call. Haven’t heard from you in a while. Call me whenever you get the chance, love you.”
Ehhhh, I’ll call her back.
“Rici, turn on my wind-down playlist.”
“Okay, playing your wind-down playlist.”
Rici, she’s like another roommate. But, instead of being an actual human, she’s just some AI I created some years back. Instead of actually putting her to use like I had planned, she’s like an in-home siri at this point. Rici, Siri — see the correlation? Apple, don’t sue me.
While music blasted quietly through my home, I did my mundane post-Spider-Woman routine: brush teeth, comb hair, assess the damage — hey…my ass is looking good.
FOCUS.
And raid the fridge…didn’t have time to go to the store as me sooooo, look like another night of peanut butter and ritz crackers. Pulling out a plate, I arrange my crackers on them — humming along to the tune of the music. I create a little rotation: dip the butterknife, pick up the cracker, spreeeead the peanut butter, fight my urge to lick the tip of the knife, REPEAT. My groove was going great, swaying my hips to the rhythm, not a care for a single thing or a single person in the New York. Just me and this reggaeton beat.
My spider senses tingled, eyes widening and swingles coming from the side of my head. Huh…that’s weird. That only happens when there’s some…one…like…
CLANK!
Me.
The peanut-butter ruined knife hit the floor.
I turn my body around with a quickness, swiftly picking up the knife again — aiming it at the…kaleidoscope portal in front of me. The colors…almost hypnotizing. And out came three…of me? No not me, they were like me though. I could feel it. Plus, they had spider-suits on so, how the hell could that not have been a dead giveaway.
My eyes shifted from side-to-side, until finally one spoke.
“Woah, put the butterknife down…what you gonna do with that? Spread peanut butter all over me?”
He had a baby strapped to the front of his chest and was in pajamas. The baby was absolutely adorable, a little spider-woman(?) man(?) hat adorning her strawberry little curls. A five-o’clock shadow adorned his face and a pink robe finished off the vision. Threat level…zero.
“Peter, shut up. We clearly…caught her at a bad time. Told you we should have waited. Look at her — she can’t even speak!”
Okay, this one was pregnant. Six to seven months, maybe? She had a sort of mom-like demeanor, her dark curly afro casted a shadow on the wall behind her. But she definitely looked like a opponent if necessary soooo I assess her at a five, maybe six.
“No…we got her just when we needed to.”
Who…is…that? He commanded the room with his presence. And by the way he was standing between the both of them, he was the leader of whatever…psychedelic home invasion group they had. His eyes, unlike the rest, were heavy…brooding - full of pain. He was broad-shouldered, muscular…tanned skin, chiseled features…absolutely…
“Gorgeous…”
Fuck. Did I say that out loud? Quickly clearing my throat, I slammed my fist against my chest as if I were choking; earning a unison head tilt from all four of them. Throwing them a side eye, I leaned up straight — puckering my lips.
“Excuse me. Anyway, what the HELL are you doing in my house and WHO THE HELL are you?!”
The tallest one held his hands out, as if to calm me down. Keeping me from blowing off the handle even more. “Easy, Piper…I’m Miguel O’Hara of Earth-928. This is Jessica Drew, Earth-616…and Peter B. Parker of Earth 616–”
“B! 616-B!” Peter corrected, holding up his index finger to the sky, a grimace on his face. The baby cooing in her little sling and the bunny slippers is NOT helping the whole...serious image however.
“Right…” An eye roll from Miguel. I couldn’t help but press my lips into the most uncomfortable grin. I then hold up a finger of my own, a lightbulb going off in my head.
“You’re…like me.” My finger then hovered toward Jessica. “You’re REALLY like me. Shit, another Spider-Woman? And you’re pregnant?”
“Hey, we all gotta do what we gotta do.” Jessica chuckled in response, rubbing her belly as she spoke.
“Okay, not really like me.” I grimaced at the belly rubbing, eyes landing on Peter. “Peter…B. Parker. Piper J. Parker. See, I knew I wasn’t THAT unique.” I playfully groaned, shaking my head.
“As — I was saying…” Miguel jumped in, stopping me before I could continue on a tangent. “Yes, there are others. Many others from other Earths and universes…your universe is just a finite part of a bigger one. This is Earth-161. Much like 616, yours is on the same field as theirs which explains the similarities. Nueva York is much different. You’ll see when you come with us.”
“Woah, woah…hold on there Daddy Long-Legs, I’m not going anywhere with you thre—” My eyes landed on the blabbering baby. “—Four. My life is here.” There was a hint of sadness in my voice that even I couldn’t hide. What was my life here? Fighting crime, coming home to sulk, and then repeat? That wasn’t a life…
“Okay – hate the nickname, never do it again. But allow me to finish…we need you, Piper. Our earths are starting to…cave in. Our universes are collapsing.”
“Mine already did.” Jessica finally chimed in sadly, looking at me with pained eyes. My attention moved between her and Miguel before finally he continued on.
“Like I said, there are others. Together, we’re trying to stitch the multiverse back together. We have the keys…you’re one of them.” He tossed me a…watch of sorts. High-tech, way ahead of what Earth-161 had. How did he know I would even think about saying yes?
Looking down at the device, I then look to the suit hanging off the door to my bathroom.
“Give me a moment.”
Walking over to the suit that was now fully dried from the rain, I rip it off the hook — quickly slipping into it; they forfeited their masks so, I’ll just hang onto mine. Walking back out to my living room, I stand before them; placing the watch on my wrist. Jessica is the first to jump into the portal, Peter and his kid next, leaving Miguel and I to go last. We look at one another, the wrinkles at the side of his eyes letting me know that he was once a man who laughed and cheesed harder than anyone in the world. I wanted to know him. But even from our short first impression, I could tell his web was going to be a tough one to unravel.
Miguel finally steps in and is gone; off to the next dimension. One leg in the portal, the other outside as I took one last look at my studio.
Here goes nothing.
Shit, I forgot to call Aunt May back!