Marvel’s Spider-Man: Across the Multiverse

Clang...

As Peter and Gwen were talking, the faint sound of a bell ringing echoed from a distance.

Gwen couldn't help but complain, "Who the hell is ringing a bell in the middle of the night? Aren't they afraid of getting arrested for disturbing the peace?"

"Good point." Peter nodded in agreement, but then suddenly chuckled. "A bell ringing at midnight? Ha! Looks like we've ended up in Toby-Spider's world—it's almost certain!"

"Huh? What makes you say that? Also, why do you call the Spider-Man from the last world 'Garfield-Spider' and this one 'Toby-Spider'? Is there a reason for it?" Gwen asked, clearly intrigued.

"Uh…"

Peter hesitated, unsure of how to explain it to her. He quickly made something up. "Didn't I tell you before that in my world, there are works about Spider-Man? Like Miles' story?"

"Yeah," Gwen nodded.

Peter continued, "Well, if there are Spider-Man games, there are also Spider-Man movies! My two favorite versions had different actors—one was named Toby, and the other was named Garfield. So I just used their names for reference."

Gwen frowned slightly, deep in thought.

Peter knew his excuse was flimsy. To keep her from overthinking it, he quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, I think I have a rough idea of what's going on now. And I also have a good guess about this world's Spider-Man's location. Let's go!"

"Alright, let's move," Gwen said as she pulled up her hood.

The two of them hurried toward the sound of the bell.

Near the Church

Toby-Spider was still struggling against the black suit.

The harder he tried to pull away, the tighter the black suit clung to him.

Luckily, the bell's sound was weakening the black substance, making it less active.

Though it was still a difficult battle, Toby-Spider managed to peel off most of the Venom suit from his body.

A large mass of writhing black goo gathered at his feet, desperately trying to crawl back onto him.

But after everything he had just been through, Toby-Spider's disgust for the Venom suit had reached its limit.

There was no way he would let it attach itself to him again.

Determined, he continued ripping it off while moving toward the exit, leaving behind a trail of black sludge.

Meanwhile

Gwen Stacy squinted hard, trying to make out his face in the dim light.

And then—she saw it.

It really was Peter Parker!

Peter Parker was Spider-Man!

Her heart skipped a beat.

She had never been particularly fond of Peter Parker.

The two of them weren't that close, and after he used her earlier that night just to provoke his ex, Mary Jane, her opinion of him had dropped even further.

But Spider-Man?

She liked Spider-Man.

No—she admired him.

Maybe even loved him.

Not just because Spider-Man had once saved her life, but because she had admired heroes since she was a child!

Just like her father—a great hero who selflessly dedicated himself to the community!

And Spider-Man, without a doubt, was exactly that kind of hero.

She understood Spider-Man. She even wanted to become Spider-Man.

But she knew that was impossible.

So instead, she settled for the next best thing—she wanted to be the woman behind Spider-Man, his unwavering support, someone who could contribute to his heroic cause.

Under the influence of these emotions, the image of Peter Parker and Spider-Man slowly merged into one in her heart, completely occupying her thoughts.

Meanwhile, Carnage was having a much worse time.

Even though he had chosen a rooftop that was separated from the bell tower by an entire street—at least seven or eight meters away—the sound still felt as if it was right next to him, ringing directly into his mind.

The tormenting noise sent waves of shudders through his body.

Of course, he didn't have normal human skin to experience goosebumps, but from inside out, from body to mind, he felt a deep aversion to the sound.

It was almost driving him insane.

But when his eyes fell on the pulsating black mass at Toby-Spider's feet, he forcefully suppressed his rage.

"Delicious… delicious! What a wonderful scent! I have to eat him! I must devour him!" Carnage muttered to himself, trying to restrain his wild urges. "And once I've eaten him, I'll deal with you next, 'father.' After all, you're the one making me suffer right now."

His words sent a chill down Gwen Stacy's spine.

"Peter, stop! He's not planning to keep his promise!" Gwen shouted.

She knew this could cost her life, but Peter Parker's safety was more important.

Sometimes, emotions work in strange ways.

Falling for someone—or hating them—could happen in just a moment.

"Shut up!"

Carnage's expression twisted as he turned to roar at Gwen.

Consumed by fury, he lashed out, his arm extending into a blood-red spear, shooting straight at Gwen Stacy.

"No—Gwen!"

Toby-Spider was shocked by the sudden change.

Thankfully, by this point, he had almost completely removed the Venom suit.

Faced with Gwen's life-or-death moment, Toby-Spider unleashed every ounce of his speed and power.

With a mighty leap, he tore free from the last remnants of the symbiote and lunged toward Carnage.

But there was a problem.

Carnage was only two or three meters away from Gwen.

Toby-Spider, however, was at least seven or eight meters away.

Even with his incredible reflexes, he could only watch in horror as the blood-red spear closed in on Gwen.

"No!"

"Keh keh keh! Another Gwen dying right in front of Spider-Man!" Carnage let out a maniacal laugh, launching another relentless attack.

CLANG!

Just then—

A figure suddenly dropped from the sky, landing right between Gwen and the blood-red spear.

The figure was clad in armor of an unknown metallic material.

But what shocked Toby-Spider the most—

Was the symbol on its chest.

A spider emblem.

Though it looked different from his own Spider-Man suit, he recognized it instantly.

But… how?

Toby-Spider was completely baffled.

Luckily, this newcomer had blocked Carnage's attack and saved Gwen, which meant—

They were an ally, not an enemy.

SMACK!

Toby-Spider landed barefoot on the rooftop.

Since he had been wearing the Venom suit all this time, removing it had left him with nothing but a pair of boxers.

Now, standing there half-naked, Toby-Spider found himself facing both Carnage and Peter - the three forming a tense triangle.

"Who are you?" Carnage asked in a low, dangerous voice.

Peter first glanced at Toby-Spider.

Though there were some differences compared to his movie counterpart—such as a more muscular build and a stronger physique—he could immediately tell who he was.

Then, his gaze shifted toward Carnage, and his expression darkened.

"Carnage? Which universe's Carnage are you from? And why are you here?"

(End of Chapter)

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