"Peter Parker, it's time to go home."
The New York night wind swept past Spider-Man's mask, carrying the lingering scent of smoke and sirens. He cast a final glance at Herman, who was surrounded by media—the man was rambling excitedly for the cameras, like a forgotten actor finally getting his prime-time moment. Good, Peter thought. Let Herman enjoy his last moment in the spotlight.
He had given a pretty bad excuse for not being home late. Aunt May would surely lecture him again. Also, his phone had just buzzed with a text from Tony Stark, inviting him to Avengers Tower tomorrow afternoon for a chat.
"Even though the Avengers learned my identity when I was carried back to their tower, isn't it a bit much to directly invade my privacy like this? Whoa!"
Peter stopped swinging. Between two glass-fronted buildings, a woman stood perfectly upright on a vertical wall. The hem of her beige trench coat fluttered in the wind, her sunglasses reflected the city lights, and the two cups of coffee in her hands hadn't spilled a single drop.
"I've been watching you for a long time, Spider-Man." The woman tucked a strand of long, dark chestnut hair behind her ear: "We need to talk."
"Wait, I know your voice."
Finding the voice familiar, Peter's mind raced, fragments of memory breaking through: "It's you, you're the one who talked to me in my dreams?"
The woman smiled.
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Julia Carpenter, emissary of the Web of Destiny. You can also call me Madame Web."
Madame Web.
Anyone familiar with Spider-Man would likely think of the blind old woman in the wheelchair from the '94 animated series. But if it was about Julia Carpenter, the second Spider-Woman...
Most would probably think of Sony's epic cinematic masterpiece, Madame Web. Many don't even remember that she was actually the second Spider-Woman.
Fortunately, this Marvel Universe, based on the MCU, had no trace of Sony's universe. Peter just scratched his head. After all, the first Spider-Woman was still in high school, while the second was not only older but had already become Madame Web. Coupled with other clear differences from the MCU, he was completely confused about this universe's timeline.
"Okay, ma'am. What do you want to talk about? Magic or fortune-telling?"
"How about over coffee?"
Minutes later, the two spider-powered individuals were sitting atop the Empire State Building, drinking coffee. Peter cautiously watched the mystical figure, then asked.
"In my dream, I heard you say to find another spider. Was that you, ma'am?"
"I wouldn't ask you to find me. I am an emissary of the Web of Destiny, merely relaying its messages. Besides, I probably know what you want to ask. I'm not blind."
Madame Web didn't drink her coffee; she simply held it in her hands as if for warmth. She looked at the New York City nightscape, speaking as if gazing upon some invisible cosmic tapestry: "Have you heard of the Multiverse?"
"Uh... yes. Reed Richards completed fuzzy observations of other multiverses back in 2008, though everyone can only replicate his experimental results without understanding the principle."
"The Web of Destiny is a higher-dimensional entity. It scatters power across countless universes through spider totems. Most Peter Parkers are bitten by radioactive spiders; that is an anchor point of destiny."
Peter already knew this particular detail, but he couldn't reveal his prior knowledge, so he just listened as Madame Web reiterated it.
"And among countless spider totems, you are also a very special existence, not because Ben Parker didn't die and you became Spider-Man."
Peter choked on his coffee, waving his hand, then looked at Madame Web, who simply smiled: "Actually, you in this universe should have been born three years later, but for some unknown reason, a node in the Web of Destiny changed, and a special totem appeared—you are the 'Patriarch'."
"What... Patriarch?"
Peter knew that the Spider-Verse had three special totems: "The Other," "The Bride," and "The Scion," each representing a different spider-powered individual. But what was a Patriarch? A new spider totem that emerged because of him?
Julia didn't intend to explain, instead returning to the previous topic: "As the Patriarch, you possess the ability to respond to the Web of Destiny. Whenever the Web of Destiny begins to vibrate, it means there's a problem with a spider totem in that world. You will be able to travel through the multiverse, go to where the destiny fluctuates, help the Spider-Man of that world, and mend the broken Web of Destiny."
"I can barely help New York, ma'am. Help Spider-Men in the multiverse? Are there no other people in the multiverse? Multiversal Avengers or something?"
Peter set his coffee aside, throwing his hands up. Julia just watched him quietly, smiling.
Peter looked at her in silence for a while, then sighed in resignation.
"Alright, what do I do?"
"Soon, you will feel the Web of Destiny vibrate, but before that, you need to find another spider. You both received power from the same totem; your destinies are intertwined—and only by finding each other will you be able to successfully return to your own universe after resolving the crisis of the Web of Destiny."
"If you can see the future," Peter asked the mystical spider-woman: "Why don't you just tell me where to find them?"
"I do not weave destiny, Peter Parker," she uttered his full name for the first time. "I only read it."
Back in Times Square, as the police and Damage Control arrived, the media began to be cordoned off, but they were quite satisfied with the day's interviews—Herman was a complete chatterbox for the cameras, willing to talk about anything.
However, Herman didn't actually reveal everything. He said nothing about Doctor Otto Octavius or Kingpin. He just wanted to achieve notoriety, not betray his friends or his mob boss.
Among the onlookers, there were a few rather unusual individuals. One was Karl King, who wasn't particularly interested in Shocker or Spider-Man, but simply came to join the commotion. He walked over to a piece of a fallen billboard and saw some web fluid stuck to it. He curiously tugged at it and found the texture surprisingly familiar.
Where have I seen this before?
He suddenly recalled the chemistry lab Peter Parker had left that afternoon.
"Peter Parker is Spider-Man?"
Karl King muttered to himself, then chuckled dismissively. That scrawny Peter?
But Peter Parker had become incredibly strong lately.
Karl King fell into deep thought. He remembered his prank of putting a mutated spider from Osborn Tech on Peter Parker's neck. He began to wonder if that spider was why Peter Parker became Spider-Man.
No, no, no, I can't be sure that kid Parker is Spider-Man yet...
He was so lost in thought that he didn't even notice someone passing by him. This person, dressed as a reporter, squeezed out of the crowd interviewing Herman, then blended into the general crowd and made a phone call to Herman's new boss.
"Hello, it's me, Mr. Fisk. Your new employee is very well-behaved; he knows what to say and what not to say. You probably don't need to worry about him."
The reporter smiled and entered the restroom. As he listened to Kingpin's instructions on the phone, he walked into a bathroom stall. When he reappeared, he was a completely different person—not just his clothes and face, but even his fingerprints and irises in the mirror had changed.
"Yes, I have observed Spider-Man's every move. His movements, expressions, and even his personality. I can mimic them perfectly. As long as your little gadgets are truly as powerful as you say, then I, Chameleon, can guarantee you, Mr. Fisk."
"Soon, Spider-Man will be infamous, an enemy of the people."