Chapter Text
Universe-616-193999
Earth
New York
December 14th, 2024
“What’s happening?”
Peter Parker was unable to keep the panic fully out of his voice, as he joined Dr. Strange at the top of the Statue of Liberty. The purple-y gashes which had formed in the sky around Liberty Island had only grown larger, and Peter could see how the Doctor - who was floating above the statue’s torch - was struggling to keep them closed with his wizard powers.
Most of the sky was covered by the gashes. The parts that weren’t were in what appeared like hairline cracks, criss-crossing across the island as if to trap them there. Waves of purple and white energy roiled inside these gashes, kept inside by an invisible barrier.
People had begun forming in the cracks - white, featureless beings of energy. Somehow, Peter knew that they were watching him.
'There are always consequences.’ The Lizard - Dr. Connors - had told him. It was only now that Peter was beginning to truly understand that.
“They’re starting to come through, and I can’t stop them!” Dr. Strange’s voice was more shaky than Peter had ever heard from him. Even more than during the fight against Thanos. For the first time since meeting the man, Peter could see fear begin to creep into the Doctor’s expression.
“There’s gotta be something we can do!” Peter stated desperately, thinking fast. “Can’t you just cast the spell again? But the original way, before I screwed it up?”
“We’re too late for that, they’re already here.” Dr. Strange said, shutting down the idea immediately. “They’re here, because of you.”
‘Because of me. Because I was too selfish to just let everyone forget I was Spiderman… Wait, that’s it!’
“What if everyone forgot who I was?” That, at least, seemed to surprise Dr. Strange, which Peter chose to take as a good sign.
“What?”
“They’re coming here because of me, right? Because I’m Peter Parker?” At Dr. Strange’s nod, he continued. “Then cast a new spell, but this time, make everyone forget who Peter Parker is. Make everyone forget me.”
Peter could see how he had surprised Dr. Strange. He could see the wizards' evaluation of him change in realtime. Despite knowing the consequences of what he suggested, Peter allowed himself to hope. If the cost of protecting the world was everyone’s memories of him, then that would be how he atoned for his mistakes.
His hope dimmed when an apologetic expression appeared on Dr. Strange’s face.
“We’re too late for that too.” Dr. Strange said, softer than before. “A few minutes ago, maybe. But they have too much of a foothold now. Even if we erased everyone’s memory of you, they’ll still be able to feel your presence in this world.”
Peter floundered at Dr. Strange’s words. What few plans he could think of were quickly discarded before they could even be formed into words. Desperately, he cast his gaze around, searching for any possible answer.
He found Ned and MJ first, huddled near the base of the statue. His closest friend and his girlfriend. His heart clenched. They trusted him to find a solution, and yet…
He found Peter-2 and Peter-3 next, talking to each other softly. Versions of him from different dimensions, and the older brothers he never had. They both risked their lives to help him. Had helped Peter fight the villains that they had already once beat. Saved him from making a decision he would have never been able to come back from. They risked their lives for him, and now…
‘Oh…’
Finally, Peter turned back to where Dr. Strange was floating a few feet in front of him. From the resigned look on the wizards face, Peter knew they had both come to the same conclusion. Peter vocalised it anyway.
“What about if you erased my presence entirely. Erased me entirely. Would that work?”
“Peter-”
“It would work, right?” Peter questioned desperately.
“Yeah, it would work.” Dr. Strange admitted reluctantly. Wetting his lips, Dr. Strange continued. “But you gotta understand, that would mean that everyone who knows and loves you… we…” He trailed off, taking a short breath before continuing. “You wouldn’t just die, Peter. It would be as though you never existed in the first place. No one would even be able to mourn you, because we’d have no memory you even existed.”
Grief and guilt was plain on Dr. Strange’s face, and Peter felt sharp remorse for what he was asking the man to do. Attempting to reassure him, Peter did his best to summon a sympathetic smile to his face. Strangely, it only seemed to make the guilt worse in the wizard-doctor’s expression.
“I know.” Peter said after a moment, meeting Dr. Strange’s gaze. “Do it.”
Dr. Strange looked away first. After a moment, he seemed to recover his words.
“I’m sorry, Peter.” Dr. Strange said, meeting his gaze once more.
“I’m sorry too, sir.”
“Call me Stephen.” The words were immediate from Dr. Stra- Stephen, as though said without thought. Peter’s smile became a slight bit more genuine, though still tinged with sadness.
“Thank you, Stephen.” Peter replied, before grimacing slightly at how wrong that sounded. His thoughts seemed to be reflected by Dr. Strange, who chuckled sadly.
“Yeah. It still feels weird.” They shared a smile at that, in spite of the circumstances.
“I’ll see you around then.” Peter finally said, a comforting smile back on his face. Because even though Dr. Strange wouldn’t remember him, Peter wanted to be able to say he faced his death with courage.
“So long, kid.”
Dr. Strange floated down to Peter, before swinging his arms in some sort of circular motion. Glowing orange runes appeared in a circle around them, and as Dr. Strange held his hands out towards Peter, they seemed to glow brighter and brighter. Eventually, the light was so strong that Peter struggled to make out Dr. Strange’s features due to the glare. Still, when Dr. Strange nodded to him, he gave back a strong, sure nod of his own. Again, the glow began to grow in intensity, until Peter was forced to shut his eyes.
Peter Parker wouldn’t feel the moment he ceased to exist. One moment, he was there. The next, he wasn’t.
And no-one would ever know he was there.
???
Somewhere, in the nothing that lies between everything, sat a lone soul.
This was not where the soul belonged - nothing can exist in nothing, as then nothing would therefore be something. Yet this soul was present nonetheless.
It was without an anchor. It’s identity had been destroyed, and it had been banished from it’s home. It itself was nothing, as without an identity, a soul cannot be something. Thus, nothing was where it belonged.
It still was something, however.
Thus, after an eternity of waiting, yet no time at all since it’s arrival, the soul would be cast out from nothing.
Yet, a soul without an identity is nothing, and therefore cannot survive as something. And so, the soul was given a new identity, and something that was nothing became something new.
Universe-52-1792014
Earth
Gotham
August 10th, 2001
In a private lab underneath Gotham, a dozen scientists were hard at work, testing a machine which not only had the potential to completely change the trajectory of Earth’s future, but that of the entire Omniverse.
This machine - nicknamed the Omni-Collider, or Collider for short - was designed to bridge the gap between different universes. It had been worked on in secret for more than half a decade now, deep in an underground laboratory, by a team of about a dozen scientists. All of whom were well-respected experts, at the top of their fields.
The machine itself was shaped not unlike a golfball, with a diameter about a quarter of a mile long. Inside the machine were two devices, about the size of a car each. They were attached to opposite sides and shaped like the eyepieces of two telescopes.
The machine was not nearly ready for testing. However, the company which owned the facility, Alchemax, had spent billions on this project already, and were refusing to spend any more unless there were results to justify the expenditure. Thus, the multidisciplinary team of scientists had begun steadily increasing levels of testing over the past week. All leading up to this big moment.
Finally, it was time to test the effectiveness of their invention.
The honor of beginning the test fell to the project’s lead, who was the most senior member of the team. After a short countdown, they pressed a button, and the machine began to power up.
From behind the reinforced glass, the dozen scientists watched with unabashed curiosity, as the machinery began whirring into position. A spark of orange light appeared on both of the eyepiece-like devices. After a moment, twin beams of orange light shot from these devices, meeting in the middle. At this collision point, a bright ball of orange light began to grow, just as the team had predicted.
It grew, and the scientists began to celebrate their success.
It grew, and many of the scientists began to plan the next steps in developing their project.
It grew, and the scientists became confused by this continued growth.
It grew, and some of the scientists began to grow concerned with the machine's readings.
It grew, and suddenly none of the scientists were celebrating their perceived success.
It grew, and the scientists became worried by the ineffectiveness of the emergency safety measures.
It grew, and panic began to set in.
It grew, and many of the scientists began attempting to escape the facility
It grew. Until it suddenly didn’t.
And the resulting explosion could be felt for many miles outside of Gotham.