Marvel’s Spider-Man: Across the Multiverse

"Damned Stark!"

Dr. Pym cursed under his breath.

He had once worked with Howard Stark, Iron Man's father, and was even one of the founders of S.H.I.E.L.D.

The two had a decent relationship at first. Though they were rivals, their competition hadn't reached the level of open hostility.

But Howard Stark had stolen the Pym Particles Dr. Pym had painstakingly developed while his guard was down—and then had the audacity to deny it!

This betrayal had become a thorn in Dr. Pym's heart, leading him to believe that all Starks were untrustworthy scoundrels.

Peter, however, knew the truth behind the incident.

The so-called "stolen" Pym Particles had actually been taken by Captain America during the events of Avengers: Endgame, when the team traveled back in time to retrieve the Infinity Stones!

Peter wanted to resolve this old grudge, but he had no idea how to start.

He couldn't just say, "I know because I watched the storyline—it was Cap who did it!"

At this point, even the plot of Avengers: Infinity War hadn't been released yet. Mentioning Endgame?

Who would believe him?

To be fair, Dr. Pym and the others likely only half-believed Peter's claims at this point.

It was only because Peter had backed his words with his advanced suit and the reputation of being a superhero that they reluctantly accepted part of what he said.

—After all, they were already planning to build a quantum tunnel, which didn't conflict with Peter's goals.

As for reaching out to Iron Man? While Dr. Pym despised the Starks and had no intention of contacting Tony, he hadn't said he would do it himself.

Instead, he decided to leave the task to Scott. That kid was always flirting with his beloved daughter anyway—who better to assign such a chore?

Meanwhile, Dr. Pym had his own critical task: building the quantum tunnel.

Thus, Peter and Dr. Pym parted ways at the latter's doorstep.

To expedite the creation of the quantum tunnel, Dr. Foster was also asked to stay behind and assist.

Dr. Pym initially wanted to refuse, but considering the potential gravity of the situation if Peter's claims proved true, he reluctantly agreed.

As for Peter, Ghost (Ava), and the second-generation Wasp, they hopped into Luis' car and headed toward Ant-Man's home.

Peter had assumed Ghost would stay behind, but to his surprise, she insisted on tagging along. It seemed she was determined to follow him wherever he went, probably worried that her molecular instability might flare up again in his absence.

Seated in the car, Peter closed his eyes, feigning a nap.

In reality, he was racking his brain, trying to recall where each of the Avengers was at this point in time and what they were doing.

The easiest ones to track were the Hulk and Thor.

This period aligned with the events of Thor: Ragnarok. Following the destruction of Asgard in the wake of Ragnarok, the surviving Asgardian refugees were aboard a spaceship, en route to Earth.

If all went according to the original timeline, they would encounter Thanos in two or three days. Loki would die in battle, Thor would be left gravely injured, and the Hulk would be sent back to Earth, landing in the Sanctum Sanctorum in New York to warn Doctor Strange about Thanos' impending arrival.

It would be difficult to contact those two quickly; perhaps Doctor Strange would need to open a portal to reach them.

Captain America, Falcon, Scarlet Witch, and Black Widow, having left the Avengers, had become underground vigilantes, most likely in Wakanda.

Even if they weren't currently in Wakanda, they could easily be reached through Black Panther once there.

As for Ant-Man, there was no need to worry about him—he was on the way to his house right now.

The Winter Soldier, meanwhile, was in cryostasis in Wakanda. In the post-credits scene of Captain America: Civil War, Bucky had chosen to be frozen to avoid being mind-controlled again.

Vision and Scarlet Witch had eloped, so finding Scarlet Witch would also mean finding him; no need to think about them separately.

As for Spider-Man, he was undoubtedly in school at this time.

Hawkeye, like Ant-Man, was under house arrest (his presence in Endgame's neon-lit scenes occurred five years later).

Black Panther, without a doubt, was in Wakanda.

Thus, the best course of action would be to go directly to New York, locate the Sanctum Sanctorum, and seek help from Doctor Strange.

Doctor Strange could see into the future, so he would immediately understand the gravity of the situation.

He could also open portals or teleport people directly, making him something like a real-life Doraemon.

However, Peter didn't know the exact location of the Sanctum Sanctorum, so this plan was a no-go.

This left two options: Iron Man or Captain America.

If he could contact either one, the other would surely follow.

Despite their falling out, the two still harbored feelings of camaraderie and had kept each other's contact information.

Between the two, Peter felt it would be easier to reach Captain America.

During the Civil War, Ant-Man had sided with Cap's anti-registration faction. While the team had disbanded afterward, they likely kept each other's contact details.

However, Captain America was either in Wakanda or on some "underground Avengers mission" elsewhere.

Peter's ultimate goal, therefore, was to contact Captain America through Ant-Man, then use Cap to get in touch with Iron Man. After that, he'd have Iron Man lead him to Doctor Strange, and finally gather everyone to strategize for the looming Infinity War.

He had no intention of following the original plot's plan of splitting into two teams.

The united Avengers in Endgame showcased their overwhelming strength.

But the divided Avengers in Infinity War? That ended in disastrous defeat!

Since circumstances allowed it, Peter was determined to do everything in his power to bring everyone together and change the course of this war.

Screech—

The car came to a stop in front of Ant-Man's house.

Peter noticed several black sedans parked not far away.

"Ah! FBI!" Luis shouted in alarm, freezing in place and refusing to move.

"Why are you so afraid of the FBI?" Peter had already formulated a rough plan in his mind, so he wasn't bothered by Luis' overreaction.

He almost joked about whether Luis was constantly "warned by the FBI," but with two women present, he decided against it.

Luis covered his mouth and whispered nervously, "These guys are everywhere—how can I not be scared?"

Peter was initially puzzled but soon figured it out.

He remembered that most of Ant-Man's team members had criminal records.

Even their company's name was "X-Con," short for "ex-convicts," and Luis was one of them.

Not to mention, in Ant-Man 1, Luis was the one who, after being coaxed by Dr. Pym, persuaded Scott to break into Dr. Pym's house to steal.

No wonder he was so terrified of the police.

What ex-convict wouldn't be?

Not everyone has a thick enough skin to treat a police station like their second home.

"Should we call Mr. Lang instead?" Peter turned to ask the second-generation Wasp.

She shook her head. "The FBI is here. He can't leave the house, and none of us can risk being seen either. Let's wait for them to leave."

After all, the second-generation Wasp and Dr. Pym were both "on the radar," just like Luis.

Oh, and Ghost too.

Realizing this, Peter suddenly felt a headache coming on.

In his last world, he at least worked with a team of superheroes. How did he end up in this world surrounded by fugitives?

Something was definitely wrong with the way things started!

(End of Chapter)

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