After giving his head a little shake, Peter finished the last of his egg tarts and stood up to leave the dessert shop.
Regarding Felicia, Peter decided to adopt the classic strategy of the grandmasters: No initiative, no rejection.
As for taking responsibility...
Well, that would depend on how proactive Felicia was willing to be.
Wait, come to think of it, didn't the 'Friendly Neighborhood' Peters of the parallel universes handle Black Cat the same way?
They'd say, "We can't do this," but every time Black Cat lifted their masks for a bit of "close contact," you never saw them actually pushing her away.
Every single one of them had a very honest body!
Thinking about it this way, Peter felt he was actually more upright and candid than his counterparts. At least he wouldn't suddenly declare, "No, I can't betray MJ!" right when the girl was waiting for him to score the winning goal.
Tossing those cluttered thoughts aside, Peter headed toward Island Park.
He intended to share some good news with William Baker and, while he was at it, hire the taciturn man as a personal bodyguard for Uncle Ben and Aunt May.
S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were outsiders at the end of the day—some might even be HYDRA snakes in disguise. They were fine for dealing with common crooks, but if a supervillain showed up, you needed the Sandman.
In Island Park, the Sandman was indeed spending time with his daughter. He had transformed his body into a massive sandcastle, letting his daughter slide down a swirling sand-slide into a soft pile at the bottom, her silver-bell laughter ringing out.
Nearby, William's wife sat quietly, her weathered face glowing with a smile of pure happiness. Her husband was back, and her daughter was recovering; for her, this was heaven on earth.
She was the definition of a devoted wife and mother—staying through the prison years and the illness without ever running away or encouraging William to use his powers for crime.
Her moral compass was rock-solid.
Peter planned to bring her into Parker Tech as well—perhaps as a customer service lead or an assistant.
Or maybe she could run a specialized daycare for the children of employees working overtime. Someone that honest was a safe bet, regardless of their raw technical skill.
"Sir!"
William sensed Peter's arrival instantly. The massive sandcastle collapsed and reformed into the burly, quiet man. He hurried over with his wife, gratitude practically pouring from his eyes. Peter had cured his daughter; for that alone, William was ready to lay down his life.
"William, look at this."
Peter pulled a New York State ID from his pocket. It featured William's photo, but the name field read: William Marko.
"I had a secret department scrub your files. Officially, William Baker is dead. Now, there is only the Security Consultant for Parker Tech, William Marko."
Hearing that he could live as a "normal" person, earn an honest living, and repay his debt by protecting Peter's family, the stoic man finally broke. His voice was hoarse as he made his vow:
"Sir, I promise you... from this day forward, anyone who wants to hurt your family will have to step over my dead body first!"
His wife, realizing what this new identity meant for their future and their daughter's education, sobbed into her hands.
They wouldn't have to hide in the shadows anymore. She bowed repeatedly to Peter, promising to serve him faithfully, swearing they would drop into hell before they ever uttered a lie to him.
Peter helped them up and pressed all the cash in his wallet into Mrs. Marko's hands, telling her to find a stable home. Then, he led William away.
Before the day ended, he wanted to confirm one more thing: the "Prowler" Gwen had mentioned, Aaron Davis. And the potential existence of... a certain "Little Black Spider."
Following the address Gwen provided, Peter and Sandman quietly scouted a neighborhood in Brooklyn. The result left Peter utterly stunned.
This world's "Prowler" was a composite of different versions. His name was Aaron Davis, but his background mirrored the original Prowler, Hobie Brown.
Aaron was the ninth child in a massive family; he lived with his brother and sister-in-law now. His brother wasn't a cop or a crook, just a man selling fried chicken.
Through the Byakugan, Peter saw the Prowler suit locked deep in a closet. There were no chemicals or enhancement drugs in the house. Aaron Davis had genuinely gone straight.
As Peter watched, the family sat down for dinner. Beside them sat a child about four or five years old. Because of the short, buzzed curls, the gender wasn't immediately obvious—until Peter heard the family address the child.
Her name was... Maynes!
The corners of Peter's mouth twitched upward into a grin. He felt a wave of absurdity wash over him.
The "love rival" he had been stressing over was actually a little girl who hadn't even finished losing her baby teeth.
The weight lifted. There would be no Miles Morales "Spider-Man" in this universe.
As for parallel versions crossing over... Peter thought coldly. They better stay in their own dimensions. If any "Little Spider" shows up and says anything weird to Gwen, I don't mind adding one more "Life" to my tally!
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