Marvel’s Spider-Man: Across the Multiverse

After waiting outside for more than ten minutes, the FBI vehicles finally left.

With his sharp spider-sense, Peter could feel that the people in the car had been watching their vehicle for quite some time before departing.

They must have noticed something suspicious about them.

However, they eventually left, evidently not wanting to make things too difficult for Ant-Man.

Soon enough, Peter met Ant-Man again at his house.

When Peter saw him, Ant-Man was wearing headphones, enthusiastically playing the drums by himself.

The sight reminded Peter of what Gwen had once mentioned—she was also a drummer in her band.

It seemed best to keep some distance from Ant-Man. After all, a band didn't need two drummers.

Peter couldn't help but chuckle at his own absurd thoughts.

For some reason, seeing the cheerful Ant-Man lightened the weight pressing down on Peter's heart, which had been heavy with the looming Infinite War.

Perhaps this was the charm of superheroes who embodied the joy of family and humor—bringing their own comedic relief.

"Oh, oh, oh! Hope, Luis, Peter, why are you here?" Ant-Man removed his headphones, his face glowing with delight.

After all, tricking Officer Woo, the FBI agent monitoring him, and having only a few days left of house arrest was definitely cause for celebration!

Yet, Peter and the others didn't join in his laughter.

"Scott, let's sit down in the living room and talk," said the second-generation Wasp.

Ant-Man nodded, his smile fading a bit.

He wondered, had something gone wrong?

The four of them sat on the couch in the living room.

Peter repeated what he had just discussed with Dr. Pym and the others, this time adding a plan he had thought of on the way over.

After listening, Ant-Man's mouth dropped open, his expression blank. He was stunned into silence, as if utterly terrified.

"Dude, you're not joking with me, right? I'm guessing you're joking. You are joking, aren't you? Tell me you're joking," Ant-Man murmured.

His reaction was even more dramatic than Dr. Pym and the others.

In truth, most people would probably have this expression upon hearing, "Half the world's population is about to die, and there's a high chance you'll be among them."

The fact that he hadn't completely lost it was a testament to his mental resilience.

Although Ant-Man had been through some challenges, when compared to the other superheroes, it was clear that he was more of a "civilian hero."

He didn't have grand ambitions to save the world; most of his actions were more like being forced into the role.

Even the Ant-Man suit was something Dr. Pym had coaxed and tricked him into wearing.

So, in truth, his mindset hadn't shifted much yet.

It was probably not unlike Peter's current state.

But Peter knew he had no way out, so he could only press forward with courage.

As for Ant-Man… none of this should have involved him in the first place. If events had followed their original course, he would have spent five hours in the Quantum Realm, avoiding all of this, until the story connected with Avengers: Endgame.

For now, Peter had no choice but to rely on him.

Smack!

Ant-Man flopped onto the couch, sprawled out with his head tilted to the side like a lifeless corpse, embodying the phrase "utterly defeated" with uncanny accuracy.

"Scott, everyone needs your help," the second-generation Wasp said as she got up and sat next to him, gently straightening his head.

As Ant-Man's longtime partner, she knew him all too well.

This guy could be reliable at times, but other times he was an absolute slacker.

Right now, her goal was to awaken his dependable side.

Encouraged by the Wasp's words, Ant-Man took a deep breath to steady himself.

"Alright, I do have Cap's number, but I'm not sure if I can still reach him. We haven't been in touch for two years," Ant-Man said as he stood up and grabbed a book from the coffee table.

Peter glanced at the title: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. The cover featured a synopsis: a story about a sixteen-year-old girl with lung cancer who falls in love with a boy with bone cancer during her illness.

Hmm, it seemed to be a tragic love story.

Judging by the worn cover, Ant-Man had clearly read it multiple times.

Peter was surprised—he hadn't expected Ant-Man to have such a sensitive side, enjoying books like this.

But what was he doing with the book now?

As Peter pondered, he saw Ant-Man flipping through the pages rapidly.

For a moment, the room was filled with the sound of rustling paper.

When the flipping stopped, Ant-Man pulled out a small slip of paper. From Peter's angle, he could just make out a series of numbers written on it.

Was that Captain America's phone number?

Ant-Man didn't offer any explanation.

He walked over to the landline and began dialing.

Ring... Ring... Ring...

With each ring, Peter's anxiety grew.

Whether or not they could successfully contact Cap would determine the progress of his entire plan.

After a few rings, the call went unanswered and was automatically disconnected.

Peter frowned slightly.

He was already considering alternative methods.

However, Ant-Man didn't show much reaction.

After the call was disconnected, he dialed the number again.

Another long series of rings echoed through the room.

And once again, the call went unanswered and was disconnected!

Peter was starting to lose patience.

If this didn't work, he had a Plan B, but that would involve more detours and waste a lot of precious time.

And with Thanos potentially arriving at any moment, time was undeniably invaluable.

Ant-Man dialed the number for a third time.

This time, the phone rang only once before it was answered.

"Who is this?" A mature male voice came through the receiver.

"Hi, Cap. It's Scott," Ant-Man said.

"Scott?" There was a brief pause on the other end. It was clear Captain America hadn't expected a call from Ant-Man, especially after two years of no contact. But he quickly added, "It's good to hear from you, Scott."

Ant-Man glanced at Peter and said, "Cap, I'm calling because we might have a big problem—an extremely big problem."

"What's going on, Scott?" Cap asked, sounding puzzled.

Peter understood the look Ant-Man had just given him. Clearly, it was his turn to explain the situation.

He stepped closer to Ant-Man and took the receiver. "Hello, Captain. My name is Peter. I'm a Spider-Man from a parallel universe."

Using his superhero identity was undoubtedly the best way to build trust, so Peter decided to stick with it.

"Spider-Man?" Cap's mind immediately conjured an image of the Spider-Man he knew—Holland's version. "You said you're from a parallel universe? Are you serious? Does such a thing really exist?"

"I can't prove that to you right now," Peter replied.

"Alright, then, Mr. Spider-Man from a parallel universe," Cap said, his tone carrying a hint of skepticism. "What do you need from me?"

It was clear that if Peter couldn't convince him quickly, the call was about to end.

As fugitives still on the run, they couldn't afford to waste time on idle conversation.

"This is about the fate of the universe," Peter said firmly.

(To be continued...)

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