Showing his identity so willingly was very much out of character for him. It was something of a hopeful gamble. That one; he could trust Xina. But also, number two, was his trust in Hobie.
There was no way around Hobie. No way to learn more without Hobie. No way to confirm if Xina was the real deal without Hobie. No way to find the Sheath without Hobie.
Everything depended on the other Spider-Man.
'Herbie, I know I've asked this before but…is there really no way for us to find the Sheath?'
'NOT ENOUGH DATA WAS COLLECTED ON THE SHEATH FOR ANY TYPE OF DETECTION, WHETHER VIA SATELLITE OR DETECTIVE MODE.'
Ultimately, that was what he was gambling: trusting Hobie. And frankly, from how much of him he knew, it was a gamble that was going to pay off.
On the small off-chance Xina was a liar in some way—which with her superior tech was in the realm of possibility—then by telling Hobie, he'd gain his trust and also take care of an enemy. If Xina and Hobie were both on his side, then that meant he had more allies.
'Regardless, that advanced tech is a concern. The moment I saw it, there was no way to just ignore it. I really hope you're not a liar, Xina.'
She couldn't be. She was letting him go. There was no logic otherwise.
The ticket checkpoint to the Golden Sands was a simple bamboo arch. Felix flashed his pass to the attendant, a cheerful, older Hawaiian who gave his naked form an appreciative, unbothered nod. After that, Felix stepped onto the warm, granular beach.
Golden Sands was busy. Bodies of all shapes, sizes, and shades lounged on towels, played in the surf, or strolled along the boardwalk. All of them were nude. And as Felix moved through them, his own notable feature became a quiet spectacle.
A group of young women, tanning on a shared blanket, stopped their conversation. One of them, a blonde with a sharp eyebrow raise, openly tracked Felix. He chuckled to himself. He could hear her cooes. Her friend, a brunette, nudged her and whispered something that made them both laugh. He chuckled again.
A couple walking hand-in-hand—a man with a decent, average build himself, and a woman with curly black hair—passed by. The woman's glance was fleeting, polite. But the man's eyes widened. He looked down at Felix's hanging length, then unconsciously down at his own. A frown flickered across his face. His grip on his girlfriend's hand tightened momentarily.
Felix ignored it all. His focus was on finding Hobie Brown. 'I find MJ, I find Hobie. He's her band's new drummer or whatever.'
'AFFIRMATIVE,' Herbie added.
He started jogging. He only slowed when his ears picked up a familiar cocky voice and the thump of a volleyball. Near a net set up closer to the dunes, a game was in full swing.
'There you are.'
Hobie Brown, lean and wiry, his skin a rich brown, leapt for a spike. He was Spider-Man. he ball slammed over the net, unreturnable.
On his team was Mary Jane Watson.
Woof. Even in a crowd of naked people, she was a sunrise. Her red hair was tied up in a messy bun, strands escaping to frame her face. Her fair skin was flushed with exertion, and her body…yeah, no damn wonder she was famous. She was voluptuous. Her breasts were large and full, and as she jumped to celebrate Hobie's point, they bounced with a mesmerizing jiggle. A silver pendant was nestled in the deep valley between them.
On the other side of the net were Glory Grant and Betty Brant. Glory, a stunning black woman with an unconfident smirk, was already resetting for the next serve. Betty, an Asian woman with glasses perched on her nose, adjusted her position. They were clearly not as athletic as their opponents.
They served. After a couple back and forths, Hobie received the ball cleanly for MJ to spike it.
"This is so rigged," Betty groaned.
"Yeah! That's how we do it!" Hobie yelled, pumping a fist.
MJ laughed and hugged him. "Game over!" she exclaimed. Then by coincidence her green eyes scanned the periphery and landed on Felix.
She saw him. Standing there, one hand on his hip, the other hanging loose. And that other part of him hanging even looser.
A knowing, smoky smile spread across MJ's face. She disentangled from Hobie and started walking towards Felix.
"Felix," MJ greeted, giving a not-so-appropriate smile. "Fancy seeing you here."
Felix scratched the back of his head. "You remember me?"
"Do I. I could never forget you, tiger."
"Didn't mean to disturb your, uh, fun."
"Volleyball's fun." MJ stopped before him, close enough that the heat from her body radiated against his. She looked him up and down, not shyly, but with an appreciative, almost proprietary ease. "But you're much more fun~"
Felix chuckled. "You're way too much of a flirt for a celeb, MJ."
"I know." Her eyes finally dipped. Her smile deepened.
From behind her, Hobie trotted over, wiping sweat from his brow. "No bloody way! Felix!? The hell you doin' 'ere!?" He grinned, extending a hand for a shake.
Felix shook it. "Good to see you, Hobie."
Hobie's eyes, inevitably, traveled downward. His grin faltered for a second. "Damn, same as ever, huh?"
"Yeah, the same. Same situation too."
"Same situation?"
"You know. Business."
Hobie's playful expression sobered. He nodded. "Oh. Huh. Okay, we should chat, I guess." He glanced back at the volleyball net where Glory and Betty were now chatting, waiting. "Mind if we grab a drink? The beach bar's actually decent."
"Lead the way," Felix said.
MJ stepped closer again. She placed a hand on Felix's arm, her fingers warm. "You boys have your serious talk." Then she leaned in, and with a bold, affectionate grace, she kissed Felix on the cheek, her lips lingering for a second. She turned and did the same to Hobie, a quick peck. "But if you feel like swinging back this way after…" she said, her gaze lingering on Felix, then dropping pointedly to his groin again, "…maybe we can revisit old times. I've got a private cabana rented for the afternoon."
Felix met her eyes. The offer was clear, hot, and tempting. Her big, beautiful breasts were right there.
'Not now,' he told himself. 'Business first.'
"Can't make promises," Felix said.
MJ's smile was victorious, as if his response was exactly what she wanted. "I'll hold a hope," she purred. Then she turned and sashayed back towards the volleyball net, her bare ass a perfect, swaying curve.
Hobie watched her go for a second, then chuckled. "Man, we live a life, eh?" He gestured towards a path that led to a more built-up part of the beach. "Bar's over there. They make a mean mango mojito."
So they went and got a table. It was a natural type bar with no ceiling, scattering of tables, and a simple brown-coconut stand that served as the cash register and outlet of drinks. There was no one here either aside from the bartender.
"You feel off." Hobie carried their drinks back to their table and sat down. It was the mango mojito. "Wazzup?"
"It's about Gwen Stacy."
"And why do you wanna know about her?" Hobie sipped. "Not your world, man."
So he was hiding something. Felix already figured. "Except you saw the news."
"I know, I did. Why do you think I took MJ here? Gwen used to be apart of the band. Idiot reporters keep pestering her about Gwen."
"At a nude beach?"
"Better to be pestered over your tits than a friend you haven't seen in years." Hobie shrugged. "That's how MJ rolls anyway. I know her type."
They drank together this time. A couple contemplated coming in and didn't. It was still just the two of them.
"And you're a scientist. If you're coming to me…" Hobie met his eyes head-on. "It might not be in Gwen's best interest."
He wasn't oozing killing intent. Angry, oh yes. Felix tilted his head. "Why don't you want to save her?"
"That's none of your business, man." Hobie tapped his foot. "Look, this isn't—"
"This is for spider-people business," Felix said.
"Yeah. Exactly."
"Yeah," Hobie repeated, clicking his tongue. "Exactly."
He signalled Rash. The Symbiote groaned and then it happened: his Spider-Sense went off. Hobie's eyes widened.
"You…you're…how did you…"
The ringing sensation couldn't be faked. It started from the skull and into the ears and hair. The feeling of meeting another Spider-Man, it was easily the strangest thing he had ever felt. It wasn't danger. It was rather pleasant.
A connection of understanding. Suddenly, he wished Rash hadn't blocked it off when they met.
"You're…the Spider-Man," Hobie murmured. "You're the Spider-Man of Earth 65. You killed Morlun…!"
"...who?"
"The Devourer of Totems! T-the vampire!"
Flashes of a fight went through his mind. "Oh yeah. I remember that happening." It was right before he fought Creature Z. In the haze, he forgot about him. Morlun. "So?"
"So? So! You fucked up the Web of Destiny, din't ya!"
"The what now?"
Hobie's hand stapled together. "That day, that day you fought Creature Z, I dunno know what happened. I assume, mate, that has to do with your Symbiote. Yer lil bonding caused a surge in power detected by everyone in the Web of Life. No, it would be more accurate to say you snapped the web. And riiight before the lights went out, Madame Web contacted me and told me that with Morlun's death, it might be even more impossible to leave Earth 65. It's become this cocoon metaphysically. Which, compounded by the fact that there's no magic, no superheroes, and awfully shitty tech, made leaving complicated to say the least."
Felix couldn't believe. "Me and not Gwen? Come on, that sounds ridiculous. If you didn't know, she escaped from the SHIELD facility that same week!"
"Maybe, but Gwen lost her spider connection, remember mate? She's more Symbiote than Spider! You, I presume, were bit by a spider. Yeah?"
"...yeah," Felix admitted. "But hold on, if the connection of Earth 65 is messed up, how did Xina Kwan come here?"
Hobie almost stood up. "Xina is bloody here!?"
"She said she stole a multiversal device on your Earth from Alchemaxx." Felix crossed his arms. He didn't want to mention the fact that time passed faster there. "Is that possible?"
"Y-yeah. Yeah, that checks out. Xina, she's a smart one and Alchemaxx got a fuckton of smarties like her to make their multiversal stuff." Hobie's snicker was losing its strength. "Still bitchy?"
She was older and wiser. Felix didn't know how to tell him that.
"Is she…nearby?"
"Yes."
"Ha, couldn't stomach a nude beach, ay?"
"Yep."
"Same ol', same old."
Hobie smiled a good kind of smile. That was a relief. At the very least, Felix could cross off Xina being a liar.
"A thread," Hobie suddenly said. "Yeah, gotta be a thread."
"Tunnel?"
"You asked how Xina got here if this Earth is in a multiversal cocoon. Well, even cocoon hang by a thread, right?" The other spider dipped a hand in his drink and began drawing on the table with his finger. "That thread exists between Earth 65 and Earth 2099."
His wet, orange illustration composed of two circles; the bottom circle had a web texture while the top circle was normal. Both were connected by a thread.
"That's why."
"A thread created when you and Gwen arrived?"
"Honestly? I think…" Hobie swore. "Think it's because of me and Gwen. Ya see, when I was sixteen, I built a Multiversal Travel Device. I wasn't going to sell the shit to Alchemaxx or anyone else. Kept it to myself and used it for myself. Got a good taste of multiversal travel, although if I'm bein' honest, it felt like a chip off a vacation really. Then…Gwen Stacy arrived. Her arrival was pretty damn unstable—everyone noticed. Alchemaxx and me and the Big Man. Luckily, I got to her first. Her condition was too fucked though so I had to reach out to someone else."
"Xina?"
"Bingo!" Hobi finger-pointed. "With her help, we made her a device that kept her stable and be able to travel. She could pop in between her Earth, 2099, and some others like 616. It was mostly Earth 65. She wanted to keep in-touch with her dad and she did it a lot. The beginnings of the thread were made there. She would go at least once a day to visit him. I know 'cuz I kept tracked. But then she started glitching. Badly."
"Glitching, huh…"
"Think it was 'cuz of the Symbiote. Prolly physical changes in her causing issues. The devices were tailored to a state of a person, not just a person. But I'm only saying that in hindsight." Hobie half-cupped his face. "At the time, I thought it was because of a a greater flaw in my tech. I thought I made a mistake and…"
"So what did you do?" Felix asked, even though he knew the answer.
"Me and Gwen went to the particle accelerator Super Collider to see how Alchemaxx did their shit. Their guys never had this happen to 'em. I didn't turn the accelerator on, I just took some tech and added it to Gwen's shit. And so when she used the MTD…she disappeared." Hobie threw up his arms and tried to laugh about it. "I freaked out. The accelerator turned on too and, well, I had already fucked everything up. The accelerator went crazy and Gwen re-appeared all fucked and then next thing I knew…"
"You were here."
"Mm."
Silence fell. The day the accelerator went off, it changed everything for everyone. On both Earths.
Felix's brows narrowed. There was just one question. "Wait, wait, so who turned on the accelerator?"
"Oh. Yeah." Hobie shrugged his shoulders. "No friggin' clue."
"No clue? Like there's no one in mind."
"No clue. It was at the dead of night. We went that day 'cuz of some big political party happening elsewhere. Seemed like the perfect day to steal from Alchemaxx." Hobie chuckled. "I do remember seeing two hot ladies fighting at some construction platforms. Black suits, nice asses. I went invisible so I'm not sure if they saw me. But I definitely saw them and I'm pretty sure...nah, I'mma hundred percent sure they didn't turn it on either."
Yeah. They didn't see him nor did they turn it on.
"But I'll never forget what happened. There was this whirr and then this loud screeching. Lights went crazy and condensed into one point. My Spider-Sense went crazy. My back started itching. It was damn uncomfortable a-and then Gwen reappeared with her Symbiote. She looked bloodied and fucked and the accelerator—" Hobie sucked in a breath. "It was maybe the worst day of my life. I couldn't do a damn thing."
"I see…I'm sorry for asking."
"It's fine, it's fine."
He tried to make it sound like it was okay. It wasn't.
Felix didn't get it though.
Czarina said she was fighting Black Cat on the platforms. Black Cat wanted to steal its schematics or its core—whatever she had been hired to do—and Czarina was working with her assistant Hawkeye and was tasked to stop her. She was the Black Cat, a hired woman by Alchemaxx if he understood correctly.
Gwen disappeared due to Hobie's botched fix.
Hobie himself broke the damn thing which was why it malfunctioned in the first place. He never intended to turn it on and there was no way the guy would lie about it. Not to mention he was waiting for Gwen to come back.
So…who turned the particle accelerator on?
"Whoever turned it on though…don't think it matters much. I built her shit and I fucked everything in the first place."
"Is that why you agreed to do what you did on the island?" Felix pointed out.
Hobie sighed and tilted back on his chair. He rocked back and forth. "Gwen…on that island, she told me she had been in limbo and that her Symbiote stopped her body from ripping apart. She hid it well but…I just know she hated me. I know she did. And I just had to listen to her."
"Didn't you realize she was in pain? You saw the news. You saw her fight."
"Man, I did. I did. But I've already fucked things enough for her and she told me not to do it again. I just…" Hobie let out a frustrated grunt and the front legs of the chair hit the ground again. He flexed his fingers. "I'm not the guy I used to be. I'm good, I'm fine, but…my fingers. My heart. They refuse to risk another mate's life again."
"And what? Is that also why you won't don the mask?"
Hobie looked away and beckoned the server for another drink. "First, you're a scary fucking Spider-Man. Second, you're a strong fucking Spider-Man. Didn't know how you'd react if I started fucking your Earth up. And also…I do do Spider-stuff. Just more lowkey."
"Look, I can waste my time consoling you over your grief. I know it's been hard after everything. But I need your help."
"With…?"
"The Sheath Gwen took from that island. I need to find it. You're an expert in cosmic rays, right?"
Hobie had been reaching to grab his mango margarita. He froze. He then side-eyed Felix and put the thing down. "Expert's a relative term, brother. My Earth has just discovered more shit about it is all. I'm an engineer, remember?"
"It doesn't matter what you are. Can you help me track the Sheath?"
"Gwen was captured, no? The hell's the point?"
"The point is to know the truth and to save lives, Hobie. You're Spider-Man. We're not perfect but we should at least try to strive toward what we should be."
"Which is?"
"To be honest. To help."
"Seriously?" Hobie cocked his head. "Shit, you're this strong and this nai…" He blinked. He blinked again. "Wow. Shit. Man. Fuck." The other hero suddenly seemed ashamed. "When the hell did I become so cynical? I mean, I am but…damn. To be honest. To help. Why did I instinctively want to hate on that shit?"
He lightly slapped himself in the face. It was like he was prepping himself.
Hobie shook his head and rubbed his nose. Then he rolled his neck. He was thinking. He was contemplating.
"You're lucky, mate. Damn lucky. See, I wasn't too comfortable with Gwen just up and taking that thing. Plus, that whole thing about Plutonium being stolen? Not good, man."
He stood up. Felix did too. Both Spider-Man stared at each other.
"A'ight. Yeah. It's time to start swallowing my own medicine. Actually do something instead of twiddling my thumbs."
Hobie gestured to him to follow. Felix did even though he didn't say a word on where they were heading exactly. Quickly, however, it became apparent that they were leaving the beach.
"Not that I 'ave been twiddling my thumbs the whole time. I've been working on a special tracking device. Can detect any kind of biological or non-living physical signature. Works Plutonium; got pretty much every single Plutonium signal across the globe. Hypothetically, it should work with the Sheath. Assuming you got the data anyway."
Felix was rather stunned. "Across the whole world?"
"Okay, more like just the country. But if Xina's here and she's brought her van, then I should be able to expand the scope." Hobie spun and winked. "That 'elp?"
"Yeah. Thank you, Hobie."
"Nah." Hobie's legs kicked up the sand. He was smiling. "Thank you."