Spider-Man: Web of Shadows

Chapter 105: Reflections

The dust of the battle settled over the remains of the shattered Nexus Point, leaving behind only the faintest remnants of temporal energy. Doctor Strange stood motionless, staring at the space where Kang had once been. His mind was still processing the enormity of the events that had unfolded. He had just helped save the multiverse, but something in the pit of his stomach told him it wasn't truly over. Kang might have been defeated for now, but there were always other threats—other forces beyond their control.

Peter, exhausted but resolute, lowered himself onto a nearby building's ledge, the weight of the battle finally catching up with him. His suit was torn and battered, but he didn't care about that right now. What mattered was the cost of this fight. So many lives had been at stake, and for a moment, he had feared they would lose. That fear had gnawed at him, and now, as the adrenaline wore off, all that was left was the overwhelming relief—and an even deeper sense of responsibility.

"We did it," Peter said quietly, though his voice lacked the enthusiasm it would've had in a different situation. "I can't believe we did it."

Doctor Strange turned to face him, his expression serious. "It's not over. Not really. Kang may have been defeated for now, but he's only a symptom of a greater problem."

Peter frowned, looking down at the street below. "Yeah… I know. I get it. It's just… sometimes I wish we could catch a break. I mean, can't we ever just have a normal day again?"

Strange chuckled softly. "Normalcy is a luxury, Peter. One that few of us have. But you're right. I think you've earned a break, if even just for a moment."

Peter allowed himself a brief smile. "That sounds good. But I think I need to check in with Aunt May first. She's probably worried sick. I can't imagine what she'd think if she saw me now."

"Don't keep her waiting," Strange advised with a knowing look. "She's stronger than you give her credit for, but you're right. You need to reconnect with the people you care about."

Peter nodded, pushing himself to his feet. He swung out of the city, heading back toward the home he hadn't seen in days.

A few minutes later, Peter landed lightly on the balcony of his apartment, his heart lightened by the thought of his Aunt May's warm embrace. He had missed her, missed the simplicity of life before all of this. As he entered the apartment, the familiar smell of fresh cookies and homemade stew filled the air. Aunt May was sitting in the living room, reading her book, but she looked up immediately when Peter stepped in.

"Peter!" she exclaimed, standing up quickly. "I was beginning to think you got caught up in one of those dangerous missions again."

Peter flashed a grin, feeling a wave of comfort wash over him. "It's all taken care of, Aunt May. Nothing to worry about."

She studied him carefully, her eyes narrowing with concern. "You look exhausted. Are you sure everything is okay?"

Peter nodded, though he could feel the weight of his experiences starting to sink in. "Yeah, just a little… worn out. But I'm fine. I promise."

Aunt May smiled, her expression softening. "You always say that. Well, you're here now, and that's what matters." She pulled him into a hug, her warmth grounding him in a way nothing else could.

As they sat down together for dinner, Peter found himself reflecting on the craziness of his life. He'd been through so much—the battles, the sacrifices, the near losses. But at the end of the day, it was moments like these, sitting at the kitchen table with Aunt May, that reminded him why he kept going. Why he kept fighting.

The next day, Peter returned to school, his mind still reeling from everything that had happened. He hadn't seen much of his friends lately—MJ, Ned, and the others had been caught up in their own lives, and Peter had barely had time to catch up with them.

"Hey, Pete!" Ned greeted him as soon as he entered the classroom. "We've been wondering where you've been. You good? You look like you've been through a war."

Peter smiled, his eyes brightening as he saw his friend. "I'm okay, Ned. Just a little… tired. A lot of things have been going on, but I'm back now."

MJ, who had been sitting at her desk nearby, glanced over at him, her expression filled with concern. "You sure you're alright? You don't look like you've been getting much rest."

Peter chuckled softly. "Yeah, well, when you're saving the multiverse, rest is kind of hard to come by."

MJ raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical but not pressing further. "I guess. But you know, Peter, you can always talk to me if you need someone to listen."

"I know," Peter said, his voice softening. "Thanks, MJ."

For the rest of the day, Peter tried to focus on his classes, but his mind kept wandering back to the recent battles and the challenges ahead. The weight of responsibility never really left him, no matter how much he wished for things to be normal again. But he couldn't escape the truth: his life was far from normal. Being Spider-Man meant constantly being on the move, always facing new threats, and struggling to maintain balance between his life as Peter Parker and his life as a hero.

After school, Peter met up with MJ and Ned at a local diner. As they ate and chatted, Peter couldn't help but feel the contrast between his life as Peter Parker and his life as Spider-Man. For the first time in a long while, he found himself actually enjoying the simplicity of a normal day—laughing with his friends, catching up on old stories, and just being… well, a kid.

It was nice.

"Hey, Pete," Ned said between bites of his burger, "have you heard about the strange things happening around the city? Like, random rifts showing up in the streets and stuff? People are talking about it, but no one really knows what's going on."

Peter's fork froze in mid-air as he considered Ned's words. Rifts? That sounded… familiar.

"I haven't heard anything," Peter replied, his voice casual, though his mind was already racing. "You think it's just a rumor?"

Ned shrugged. "Maybe. But you know how these things go. People start saying stuff, and before you know it, we've got another supervillain problem on our hands."

Peter's thoughts drifted to Kang and the disturbances in the multiverse. Could it be? Was the damage they had done during their battle with Kang beginning to show its true consequences? Or was there something else—something worse—coming their way?

As he finished his meal, Peter couldn't shake the nagging feeling that this was just the calm before the storm. The multiverse was unstable, and with the rifts beginning to appear, he knew they weren't done fighting yet.

He had a sinking feeling in his gut that they were about to face something far worse than Kang. And this time, he wouldn't be able to save everyone.

End of Chapter 105