บท 28: Quantum Causality
Year 2099 – 10:02 PM
Regeneration Egg Room, Alchemax Building
Nueva York City, New York
-Total cellular regeneration complete in three… two… one… Regeneration complete. You are fully healed, Mr. Parker.-
One of the room's regeneration pod door opened, revealing a completely healed Spider-Man as he weakly got out of the machine and fell to his knees. "Room… spinning…" He slowly stood up with buckling knees. "I can barely stand…" His legs gave out and fell on the ground. "Where…am I?"
(You're in 2099, Parker. The cellular regeneration healed you.)
"I hope my medical insurance covers that." Peter weakly joked as he walked around the room while the space around him was dizzy to him.
(Focus, Parker. We have to test the Gateway. Toss something into it.)
"C'mon, O'Hara… doesn't coming from the dead entitle me to a breather. Hey, are you using my name while Patronus is there?"
(The thing about Quantum Causality is that it applies to borderline telepathy. I'm surprised you haven't told him your identity.)
"And why is that?"
(…Anyhow, I thought to test this theory and it turns out to be true.)
"Again, your Quantum Causality theory makes no sense whatsoever."
The phenomenon "Quantum Causality" the two scientists are currently arguing about is the theory that one change in an event will result into an alternate timeline. However, with the Gateway active and bridging both Spider-Men's time periods, the Causality changes the future instead like when Peter, in the present, destroyed the security robot body parts to save O'Hara from said creation, in the future, before it could kill the latter for trespassing. This applies to structures and historical events as well, though, only O'Hara knows that.
(We need to see if the Gateway's reestablished.) A pause came from O'Hara before he spoke again. (And Patronus says "Get your ass moving, Spider-Man!" And I agree.)
"Jerks. Fine, I'm on my way there." Peter finally regained his equilibrium as he ran out of the room into the gateway room and stood before said machine. "I'ma toss a piece of junk to see if the gate's working one way." He found a piece of technology before tossing it through the machine. "Incoming!"
(It came through! Perfect.)
"Plus, I'm feeling like my old self. Strength and everything." Spider-Man said after his body re-energized a moment ago.
(Yeah, well, good thing the cellular regenerator had your DNA on record.)
Peter assumed a stance as he said, "Good, stand back."
(What do you mean?)
"I'm coming through the gateway."
(Hold on, the return circuits are fried. I won't be able to come through even if you set it up on that end. I'll be stuck here.)
"So, fix it."
(I can't. The technology doesn't exist here yet. You need to find the repair parts on your side and then send them through. I'll guide where they are.)
Before the last few words were finished, a symbiote-covered tentacle burst out of the gateway and slammed the ground before Peter, sending him on his butt with the shockwave. "What the heck is that?" Parker exclaimed after shaking the impact off.
(What happened?)
"I'm looking at a tentacle the size of a Buick!" Peter replied as he stared at the stationary two tentacles within the gtateway.
(Yeah, something like that came at me and Patronus when the Gateway first got overloaded.)
Peter nodded as he fired web bullets to the tentacles and forced them to retreat. "It looked like one of those mechanical tentacles that Otto Octavius uses in his research… but really messed up."
(Look, just watch out for them. There may be more.)
"Believe me, whatever's trying to kill me at any time: there's always more. So where to?"
(Get to the hydroponic jungle. You'll find what you need there. Wait, something's happening… Patronus, what's going on… Do something to expel the energy!)
"O'Hara! O'Hara, what's wrong?" Peter's answer came in the form of a blinding blue light, forcing him to cover his eyes as it was too bright. It was not long until the light receded and allowed Spider-Man to face one of his allies in the past. "Patronus?! How did you get here? I thought the Gateway wasn't working from the other side."
Patronus showed his bracers that brimmed with barely visible swirling colors of blue, red, white, much like the gateway. "Not sure; just that the other you, Spider-Man 2099, freaked out when my bracers glowed, saying something to dispel the energy or whatever. So, I Hiraishin to somewhere, but instead I got here. Something messed with my… What?" He asked after seeing a shocked Spider-Man staring at him. "I have something on my face?"
"You time-traveled!"
"Really?" Patronus asked in surprise. "But I never actually time-traveled before; just bended space." The Hiraishin jutsu was a Space-Time Ninjutsu, but despite its classification bearing 'time,' it never implicated time travel across the space-time continuum.
"You can bend space, but later on that." Peter paced around in the room as his scientific mind worked a few scenarios. "Well, I think I got it, but, Patronus, even though you never actually time-traveled before, you still bended space and time to your advantage. It's safe to assume that the gateway somehow amplified your power to travel through time."
"How?"
(Yeah, how?) O'Hara asked as he heard all the information just now.
"My guess is those bracers of yours. They must've collected the quantum energy until it was too much for them and you had to expel them somehow. What are they made of?"
Patronus hesitated, but he answered his ally. "Adamantine, the metal of the Olympian Gods. So, where are we supposed to go?"
"Adamantine, noted." Peter said before leading the way as Patronus followed him back through the regeneration room where a tentacle emerged through. "These freaking tentacles keep showing up!"
(Huh, that's weird.)
"I am so glad you can maintain your scientific detachment." Parker replied sarcastically. "And why are time gateway repair parts in a jungle?"
(Just trust me, okay?)
"'Trust me,' says the voice in my head." The sarcastic Peter retorted. "You know, this is how serial killers get started."
"Should I be worried about you becoming a serial killer, Spidey?" Patronus tapped him on the shoulder. "You're talking to yourself there."
"Just… talking to the other Spider-Man with my head."
"Since when can you do that?"
"Just recently when the other Spider-Man used my DNA to establish a chronal link. That's how he knew about the attack and warned me about Anti-Venom." Another question popped into Peter's head. "How did you know about this place and the attack?"
"When I bended space, there was this big wave of energy and I saw you being pummeled by Anti-Venom. I rushed to get here, but New York was different when I arrived."
"Such as?"
"Let's find the repair parts and get back to our time period."
"Can't you-"
"Nope 'cause the quantum thingmajig is out." Patronus emphasized this by waving his right arm. "Plus, I don't have separate markers between here and there. For now, the gateway's our way back."
"Okay."
The time-displaced duo got rid of the several temporally-charged tentacles, turrets, and security grids that stood in their way as they trekked towards the hydroponic jungle. Spider-Man swung through the hallways while Patronus sprinted ahead of him as O'Hara's voice spoke to his predecessor. (When you acquire the parts, keep them separated. Otherwise, you can wind up with a sort of energy feedback.)
"Okay, what 'sort' do you mean?" Peter asked his successor incredulously.
(The explosive sort.)
"Oh, faaan-tastic." Patronus looked at him when he said that. "The other one said to keep them separated or they'll explode." Spider-Man answered him.
"Well, that's just great." Naruto kicked the wall that caved in under the strength. "Good thing there's two of us for now."
The two continued to move around the maze of hallways as Spider-Man conversed with his future counterpart, thanking him for saving his life. O'Hara retorted with a sarcastic comment of avoiding death as the duo walked through a simple hallway before cackling blue and white energy engulfed the structure, changing it into something entirely new.
"What the damn hell!" Patronus exclaimed with great surprise before he leaped back to avoid a turret barrage.
Spider-Man was also vocal with his expression. "Spidey 2.0, what just happened? What is that?!" He asked while dodging the bullets gracefully.
(What are you talking about?)
"Patronus and I had a nice easy path in front of us before it became an obstacle course!" Parker shouted as he webbed up the turrets before Naruto destroyed them with Kogitsunemaru.
(*Chuckle* Welcome to my world… literally. Both of you are seeing quantum causality in action.)
"Weird. So, you can help us from the present."
(Which present? You're in my present. You mean your past present or my present future?)
"I hate you." An annoyed Peter said lowly before relaying the information about quantum causality to his ally.
Patronus rubbed his head unsurely. "Seriously? So, what happened back there somehow changed the hallway into… this?" He shook his head as his brain started to hurt about the mechanics of the scientific theory. "Let's just continue through the door."
"But don't we need-" Naruto swung the katana blade through the door, slicing it into four pieces before walking through it. "Keys? Why bother looking for keys when you have a sword that can cut through anything." Peter retorted before speaking to O'Hara via mentally this time. "All right, we're almost there. Now what?"
(There are three rooms in the hydro jungle. You'll find an energy regulator in each one. Take the part that looks like an atomic battery.)
"Atomic?!" Peter repeated with surprise, stopping Naruto in his tracks. They had just entered the so-called hydroponic jungle complex: a massive grand hall with more-than-50-feet distance between two floors and three towers of varying heights adorned with plant life akin to the jungle in Africa and the Amazon.
"Did you just say atomic? What's atomic?" Naruto's eyes widened, though Peter couldn't see them. "Oh, no, it's the parts, huh? Please tell me it's not the parts." Silence came from Spider-Man, which caused the ninja to throw his arms exasperatedly. "What is it with you and radiation!"
"Calm down."
"You're right." Naruto breathed calmly before his breathing got interrupted by gunfire. "After I beat these guys to a pulp!"
(Back to the memo here, remember they are fragile and if they touch either of you…)
"And if they touch each other, we're screwed. Got it." Peter replied before webbing the security guards and swinging them around. As he released them, Patronus slammed them to the ground with a few strikes. "I hope they have medical insurance for those broken ribs." The ninja tossed two more guards at him as he leaped near the bodies and webbed them densely against a nearby wall.
Patronus thrust his fist through a robot guard before he tossed it aside. "Let's find these atomic boxes of death."
"Melodramatic much?" Spider-Man quipped before searching for the first atomic regulator.
The heroes reached the first room due to Peter's Spider-Sense detecting the regulator. It was a big room with three consoles overall: two on higher levels and one in the center. Rotating and bisecting red lasers protected each of the consoles as Patronus thought about the right approach to reach them without simply smashing.
(The part you need should be in the middle of the room. You can take it without risk after you deactivate the three consoles around the room.)
"Why are these things always in three?" Spider-Man questioned as Patronus was intrigued as well.
Naruto responded, "That's a good question."
(I have no idea.)
Spider-Man then sighed as he dived between the narrow gap of the rotating lasers and deactivated the first console. "You know that's just gonna bug me for the rest of the day." The Heroic Age hero proceeded to the other two consoles while avoiding the lasers at the same time, impressing Naruto even more with the display. "Do you want to hold the thing, or should I?"
"Why don't I do this instead?" Patronus asked as he waved his hand in a circular motion. A sphere of wind formed around the regulator before it levitated from the ground and rose to Naruto's shoulder. "That way we don't risk death by explosion."
Spider-Man gave him a thumbs-up. "Super." He and the ninja made their way to the next two regulators as they defeated many of Alchemax's robot guards and security systems. With the regulators contained in separate wind spheres secure in Patronus' control, Peter spoke to Miguel. "Yo, we got all three regulators! We're good to go."
(Then get going. Head back to the Gateway room.)
They traversed back to the hydroponic jungle where the plant life seemed to grown exponentially while in the last room. Paying no attention to that, the heroes returned to the path they took, only for tentacles burst out of wormholes and destroyed the bridge leading to the Gateway room. "Damn it! O'Hara, the suicide squid's back and it just annihilated our way out."
"Not exactly." Patronus said as he pointed downward and saw a new route to their destination.
"Scratch that, it opened a different path." Spider-Man said before he and Patronus stepped off the platform and fell through the hole until they landed in a-. "A sewage way?! Now my costume's going to be smelly. MJ's not going to like this."
Patronus suppressed a gag reflex from the strong potent smell. "You don't do your own laundry?"
"And you do?"
"Yeah." Naruto responded. At first, Rhea washed his clothing, but eventually she and the others felt that he needed to help out more with the house besides the cooking and cleaning. "It's an invaluable skill to have." He heard a clink behind him and looked back as a sweat slid down his scalp. "Uh, Spidey, ask your counterpart about the magnitude of the explosion."
Peter glanced at him confusingly until it was replaced by one of worry as two of the regulators were inside one wind sphere and cackled with red energy around it. The two spheres must have merged into one during the fall. "O'Hara, remember you said to keep those parts separate? Let's just say, for the sake of argument, that didn't work out. Just how much of a big bang are we talking about?"
(It'll crater the city.) O'Hara responded as Peter relayed his response to Patronus who groaned exasperatedly while running and swinging through the sewers, respectively. (Why are you… Wait… Don't tell me…)
"Is there any way to reverse it?" Spider-Man asked hopefully while swinging one way to avoid a tentacle.
(Not for you, there isn't! Get them to the Gateway as fast as you can!)
Patronus stayed behind Spider-Man as he took care of the tentacles with his web bullets to avoid damage to the regulators. On their way, they heard a familiar female voice in the P.A. system. –My, my, my. What a blast from the past… two of them. Such an active duo of wannabe heroes brings back so many memories. Neither of you are supposed to be here, you know.-
"That voice…" Spider-Man said lowly as he was greatly surprised. "That voice!"
"It can't be her, but if it is, how?" Patronus thought as well as he sliced through the tentacles with Kogitsunemaru.
-The security systems told me about your presence here and you've both been very, very naughty.-The voice spoke in a flirting-like tone. -You two just keep running around weaving your web and cloak, you two. I'll be right with you, so we can relive the old times.-
Spider-Man shook his head as he webbed some more tentacles. "Must be the speakers distorting it." He said, refusing to believe that it was the one person he never thought to be here. "Anyway, who builds speakers in the sewers anyway?"
"I think that's the least of our worries at the moment, Spidey!" Patronus countered before he slashed through the last door, and the tentacle blocking it, and entered the gateway room. "Tell your buddy we're here."
Peter complied with a nod. "We're in the Gateway room."
(Throw the parts through one at a time. Passing them through the time stream should reverse the energy build-up, but if you toss them in together, it'll trigger the-)
"Okay, we get it!" Peter relayed the information to Naruto before they threw in the regulators one at a time through the gateway. "Any clue as to why Otto's tentacles keep coming out of nowhere?"
(He may still be alive between dimensions and trying to get out.)
"Or try to drag us in." Naruto pointed out after Peter repeated O'Hara's words.
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Year 2006
Gateway Room, 66th Floor, Alchemax Labs
"Wish I knew how to get rid of these shocking tentacles!" Spider-Man 2099 exclaimed as he dodged said limbs while placing the regulators atop the gateway. "All right, they're in place." The tentacles soon retreated within the gateway, giving him a breather for now.
(Sweet. What's next?)
"I just have to activate the breakers."
(Good plan.)
"Without getting killed." Spider-Man 2099 finished sarcastically after human Alchemax guards surrounded him in a circle.
(Oh, better plan.)
O'Hara sighed heavily before he flipped over a guard and webbed him heavily. Upon landing on the ground, Spider-Man 2099 swung the guard like a wrecking ball at the other guards, knocking some of them unconsciously while the others dodged his continuous attacks. He fired web bullets at the remaining guards, but they were unaffected with their shields. Three of them leaped at him with electrifying batons, but the future Spider-Man phased of existence as they passed through him. The afterimage dissipated after contact, leaving them open for their assailant.
Spider-Man 2099 swung his body in a helicopter-like motion as the guards' heads snapped to the side from contact while the remaining ones aimed their weapons at him. A blinding light shined behind them before their eyes took in the form of darkness. The future arachnid hero saw Patronus clapping his hands to dust off the figurative dirt off them. "Patronus, I didn't need your-"
"DUCK!" Patronus Shunshined over the hunched futuristic Spider-Man and round-house kicked the guards that attempted to sneak attack him. "Activate the breakers, I'll handle the guards who come our way."
"Sounds like a plan."
"Next wave of guards incoming… three, two, one!"
Ignoring the computer voice from Patronus' right arm, O'Hara leaped to the top of the first breaker and fired two web-lines as he put pressure until it gave way and slid into the metal floor. "One breaker down!" He shouted as Patronus was taking down the wave of guards with martial art moves too fast for even his enhanced sight to see. Spider-Man 2099 leaped high to reach the other breaker and repeated the same action.
Naruto weaved under their attacks and quickly threw the men before he twisted their legs and arms together. By the time he finished, a circle of guards was present before the heroes as Spider-Man 2099 just finished with the last breaker and landed next to him. "Shock, man. Is that a move?"
"Koetsuji Mugen Gou Sasharin." Naruto said lowly as it was one of the Jujutsu moves he actually learned from Akisame instead of mimicry. It was meant to pin down multiple opponents with their joints adding pressure onto them, thereby preventing their freedom at all times. "Anyhoo, we got the breakers activated?"
O'Hara glanced at the gateway and found that the machine was malfunctioning somewhat. "It's not getting a steady power flow."
"What could be causing it?" Patronus asked confusingly.
"I'll have to check schematics to figure out why."
"And where's that?"
"If the archives room here is in the same place it is in my time, it should be accessible through a vertical tunnel."
"Again, where's that?"
"Follow me." Spider-Man 2099 said before speaking to his predecessor. "You stay put."
(I've been thinking maybe staying put isn't a bad idea.)
"Meaning what?"
Patronus stood aside when O'Hara stopped in his tracks as Peter continued their mental discussion. (C'mon, O'Hara, it's not like Anti-Venom was a fluke. Someone's always trying to kill me and there's always a chance of my loved ones being caught in the crossfire. If I stay here, no one I love will suffer or die because of me.)
"What about all the good you've done, and will do? The people you'll inspire, including me."
(You're saying the lives of a billion strangers are more important than my loved ones?)
"I'm not saying that. History says that."
(Yeah, well history doesn't to wrestle with guilt… or tentacles! They're at it again!)
"Alright, stay clear of them. Patronus and I'll figured out on my end."
Patronus tapped O'Hara's shoulder as the center of the room opened in front of them. "What did Spidey say, Spidey 2.0?" Parker's future counterpart hesitated, but told the ninja about the original's decision to stay in the future to avoid harm to his loved ones and guilt. "Spidey, what are you thinking?"
"Let's just move to the archives room." Spider-Man 2099 said before he dived into the hole, followed by the ninja as they free-fall down numerous levels consisted of multiple, thick mechanical pillars and doors. The duo dodged and swerved out of the tight spaces between the obstacles until a massive blast door closed in front of them as they landed with a loud 'bam.' "Shock it. We'll have to find the control room to open this."
"Or…" Patronus paused as he redrew his katana and channeled his wind chakra through the blade. The ninja slashed twice in an 'X' before the door broke in four separate pieces and the duo resumed their free-falling to the bottom with Naruto in the lead as he sliced through any obstacles in their way.
O'Hara was amazed by the wind-coated weapon as the obstacles were composed of materials similar to Adamantium. Every moment he's with him, Spider-Man 2099 learned more about the myth and his abilities. "Lyla, record activities regarding Patronus. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." Lyla was his personal A.I. from the future and embedded into his suit, similar to Parker's A.I. except far more advanced.
"Recording Patronus into personal archive."
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The duo's free fall ended when Patronus sliced through a dead-end wall and landed into Alchemax's first few levels as Spider-Man 2099 fired a web-net to catch himself. Naruto, before the landing, had expelled the wind from Kogitsunemaru's blade to soften the impact before he sheathed the weapon away. They found the mainframe door, which had a—
"Terrific. A voice-coded door." Spider-Man 2099 commented exasperatedly. He glanced at Patronus who turned around and covered his ears. "Miguel O'Hara, 5-2-4-9." His code was denied, which caused him to slam against the door. "Figures." He turned to the mental link. "Parker, change in plan."
(Quelle surprise.)
"I can't access the archives on this end, but you can on yours. I'll guide you to the archive room and you can give me the information I need." Spider-Man 2099 informed before he nudged Patronus and told him about the new game plan.
(The archives room. That would be handy. I could look up the people I love… keep them out of danger…)
"Don't you dare poke around in there! It's dangerous." O'Hara warned his predecessor. "You've already seen the dangers of screwing with the past. Learn from the mistakes instead of repeating them!"
(Fine, fine!)
Patronus tapped O'Hara's shoulder. "What was that about?"
"He… He was going to look into the archives and use the information to save his loved ones." O'Hara said.
"Is that such a bad thing?" Patronus asked before Spider-Man 2099 gave him an unseen glare. "I don't know a lot about time-travel, so bring me up to speed on the subject."
"Changing certain events in the past or present in our time will have consequences, whether good or bad… we never know until it's too late." O'Hara explained. "Say, for example, Christopher Columbus had never found the New World—the Americas—back then. The United States would have never been formed, the natives in the Americas would be in great numbers and so on, so on."
"What about changing small events or decisions?"
"Even changing those would have bigger impacts like say… you want ice cream and your day is bliss with good fortune since then. Now take that example, and change your option from ice cream to your favorite pizza, which is on the other side of town. You with me so far?" Patronus shrugged his shoulders, but he did the best he could to understand. "You order the pizza, but it then takes one hour to arrive, and by the time it arrived, it's cold. Meanwhile, good or bad things will happen during that period." O'Hara finished.
"It's the unknown changes that stood out for me," Patronus pointed out unsurely. "So, basically time-travel is so unpredictable with changes that can have benefits or major repercussions for the present and the future… is that right?" Spider-Man 2099 nodded sternly. "Good to know; I'll be sure to keep reminding Spidey of that."
"Patronus, my scanners detect quantum energy build-up in your arms."
"Yeah, Spidey told me that my bracers, somehow, are absorbing quantum energy, and when needed to release at full, I basically time-travel to the future or here," Patronus explained before he turned to his thought. "How and why it amplified my Hiraishin no Jutsu, I have no idea unless… it was the dimensional rift where I saw Spider-Man almost dying back then. That must be it." He was about ask Spider-Man 2099 before guards arrived to stop them, halting him in the process. "You go this way…"
"And I'll go the other way."
Both heroes went work as they took care of the guards with displays of agility and strength in a coordinated effort. Patronus tossed one guard in the air before Spider-Man 2099 axe-kicked the same one into the ground. The weary guards kept their distance, but Naruto wasn't one to leave an opportunity as he channeled wind chakra into his fist and released it against the ground softly. "Futon: Kazedama."
The wind swept from underneath Naruto and blew back the guards against the walls, knocking them out unconscious. Meanwhile, Spider-Man 2099 waited for a nearby turret to fire a missile at him. Said projectile flew at him and O'Hara dodged it with an after-image, destroying it and the lock on the door in the process as well. He then swiped with his claws and talons at the pillar of energy a few times until it was destroyed.
(O'Hara! The walls are closing and there's no way out. Now would be a good time to pull that quantum causality thing!)
"I don't know what to do."
(Something! You're in a better position than I am!)
"If I can find the architectural plans, make some changes... but I'll need a computer for that."
(Find one!)
"The original Spidey's in trouble. We need a computer." O'Hara told Patronus as they went through the formerly shielded door and ran while taking out the guards that came in their way. Their route led them to the Alchemax library, which consisted of three levels and housed numerous rooms for technology. "Parker? You still there?"
(Yeah, but it's getting to be crunch time!)
"Don't panic."
(I never panic. There looks to be an electrical panel there. Maybe I can short-circuit this thing!)
"See if there's any way to slow it down."
Patronus asked, "How much time we have left?"
"Not a lot."
"Straightforward… I like it." Patronus told him before he created clones to deal with the Alchemax guards, shocking O'Hara of his ability.
"You can replicate yourself?!"
"You don't?"
"Yeah, I do… somewhat."
Ignoring the pained screams from the guards, the duo separated to activate the consoles that unlocked the door to the Terminal Room. They had meet up in front of the door when the original Spider-Man spoke to his successor. (O'Hara, remember I said 'I don't panic.' That's more of a guideline than a rule.)
"Did it work?"
(I made it worse! The incinerator started up!)
"Can you shut it down from your end?"
"Shut what down?" Patronus asked while punching a guard repeatedly.
(I sure hope so!)
Spider-Man 2099 looked around for the computer and his Hyper Sense alerted him to a console in one of the upper levels. "I'm going to the last console and then the computer! Head back to your Spidey."
"That sounds so wrong, just so you know." Patronus mentioned before he caught sight of a mechanical hulking figure that approached him. "A Hulkbuster… though smaller than Stark's. Go, Spidey 2.0; I can handle him."
With a visible nod, O'Hara web-yanked himself to the third floor two times as Parker spoke to him again. (Hey! Remember when you were telling me to hurry up?! Right at you!)
"I'm doing my best to find that computer so I can bail you out!"
(Well, do better than your best!)
"Shock it! I got to get back to the first level," Spider-Man 2099 ran off the third level and fired a web-line to slow down his rapid descent. He saw Patronus destroy the Hulkbuster with a strange energy ball in his palm before he disappeared in the bright light that indicated time-travel, followed by his clones' burst of smoke. "Parker, you there?!"
(O'Hara, I'm running out of room!)
"Parker, Patronus is heading your way!"
(But not exactly at my—Patronus, you're here! Good, he bought us some time, but we're not going to last long here.)
O'Hara web-yanked himself deeper into the hallway before a security glass door closed behind him. He sprinted towards the vertical and horizontal bisecting lasers before creating another after-image that seemed to slow down his surroundings. With another web-yank, Spider-Man 2099 finally reached the computer.
(O'Hara, it's now or never!)
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(Meanwhile)
Year 2099
Alchemax Building, Nueva York City
Patronus and Spider-Man grunted in exertion as their combined strength held back the compacter's sides before everything changed suddenly.
(Parker, are you there?! Say something!)
Peter howled jovially with Naruto as they free-fall for several seconds before landing in a chamber. "Glad I'm out of there. The place smelled like the Rhino in July." He looked at Patronus. "Thanks to you, too."
"It's what I do." Patronus responded with a shrug while multiple lasers covered literally every inch of space in the chamber they're in. "Um, any plan here?"
"Spidey 2.0, there's enough security in here to keep out an army of Spider-Men! Any ideas?"
(I'm trying something here…) The chamber's structure changed with a loud groaning before only one rotating set of lasers remained. (Did it work?)
"Yeah, mostly. We can deal with the rest. Thanks, man." Spider-Man said before he and Patronus activated the three consoles in the room while avoiding the lasers. "Moving onto the next thing on your agenda…"
"Which is what again?" Naruto asked while cracking his knuckles.
(Good, now focus. Get the schematics we need. If you two run into trouble, I can make modifications from here to simplify your path.)
Spider-Man said, "You ready for more guards trying to kill us?"
"Nothing that will give me more pleasure." Patronus answered sarcastically. "Let's go, buddy." They walked through a hallway and entered a chamber connected to two other rooms, guarded by a force field and a security robot. "Here you go." He swiped his katana and launched a wide wind blade that sliced through the robot. "Great, we're stuck here. Call your buddy to find us a way out of here."
"Spidey 2.0, we're trapped here by a force field. Can you do anything?"
(Looks like the security matrix is in the adjacent room. I'm rerouting a vent to you so you can destroy it.)
A part of the room coalesced in energy before it morphed into a closed vent as Patronus broke and crawled through it, followed by Spider-Man. "Tell your buddy 'thanks' for the way out."
"Hey, Spidey 2.0, Patronus says 'thanks.' We're on our way to the archives. It should be easy for us from here on out."
(Just hurry. These shocking tentacles are getting nastier by the minute.)
"We're on our way!" Spider-Man said before he and Patronus exited out of the vent, destroyed the generator that produced the force field, and returned to the room they were in before they found themselves in a room that revealed to be a dead end. "Great. Now what?"
-Better go back, little bug, before you get squashed.-
"At least she didn't mention me." Patronus muttered under his breath.
-Bet you can't handle this~-
Spider-Man sighed heavily. "Her again. Please, let me be wrong about who this is. Could this get worse?"
A second later, hordes of security robots appeared in a white light and surrounded the heroes with their weapons bare upon them as the voice chuckled flirtatiously.
Patronus slapped the back of the web-slinger's head. "You had to say it, didn't you?"
"I know, I know!"
-Oh, he knows, he knows~-
The heroes went to work on attack and defense against the horde, but the latter option was mainly for Spider-Man as the alien serpent-like guards began to overwhelm him. He leaped high in the air and aimed his wrists at the targets, "Web Grenade!" Four objects fired on a few guards before explosive webs showered half of the horde, restraining them in place.
Patronus had better luck as he used his strength and speed to overwhelm the guards, but a Karate move came to mind that seem suited for this. He slipped behind one guard and attacked with a powerful bare-handed strike, then a kick from behind the nearby machine, before continuing with multiple knife-hand swipes as the force of the technique wiped out the surrounding guards. "Heian Hyakudan!"
"Holy shock!" Spider-Man exclaimed in surprise by the display.
(I take it you saw the myth in action.)
"He's a myth to you guys in the future?"
(All records and data about this guy was wiped out in the Data Collapse, which was strange for us. Even in my present, we had no clue to his identity.)
"So, he's still a mystery." Peter thought tentatively before speaking aloud to O'Hara. "Can you make us a way out of this room?"
(There's a power conduit running next to the room you're in. I'm creating an access to it disguised like a vent. Break through it.)
Patronus noticed one of the walls change into a closed vent, meaning Spider-Man 2099 changed the structure back in the past. "Sweet, let's go before more come." He let Spider-Man take the lead before feeling the floor shake in a fixed pacing. "Before more arrive."
Both men crawled through the vent until they dropped to ground level in front of the Archives room entrance. Patronus broke through the reinforced door with Eaken and entered a humongous room with four large floors covered with glass windows. Strangely, there were no guards except there was a lone figure standing before them.
It was a tall woman with a dirty blonde hair tied in a pony-tail. Her face was covered in a full blue and white mask complete with a sleeveless matching tight uniform and stripes of red in the belt. The prominent feature was the red, white, and blue shield attached to her left arm along with the star on her chest.
"Is that…"
"Captain America?" Patronus asked before remembering they were in the future. "Right, so this must be Captain America 2099. Of course, they have a Spider-Man here; why not Captain America as well. You here to help us?" He caught the shield that attempted to bash his face in. "I'll take that as a no."
Spider-Man then asked, "Why are you attacking us besides our unwelcomed presence here?"
"Here in 2099, heroes are outlawed unless they are employed by Alchemax and enlisted in the Avengers." Captain America 2099 pointed at the time-displaced heroes as the shield flew back to her wrist, thanks to the device attached to it. "By law, you are illegal heroes."
"Evil corporation with its own Avengers team. Could this day get any worse?" Spider-Man asked sarcastically.
His answer burst out of the wall behind them and grabbed Patronus in a mighty bear hug. "Yes, it can! Why do you keep saying that?!" Patronus complained as he tried to escape the man's grasp, but no effect. "How strong is this guy?"
"Hercules?!" Spider-Man asked in shock.
"Who?!"
Spider-Man stared at the one who holds his ally captive: it was an extremely muscular man with short brown hair and a sort of open-faced helmet around it. He wore nothing, but short brown stretchable shorts while two metallic bands covered his wrists as his feet were exposed by his sandal-like footwear. This was Hercules, the God of Strength and Patron of Heroes from the Greek Pantheon.
He was also one of the Hulk's physical rivals along with Thor in the Heroic Golden Age.
"Well, well, well, so this is the mythical Ghost of Boston." An unimpressed Hercules said as he slightly tightened his embrace, but grew a little confused when no yelp of pain came from his captive. "A little tough, are we?"
"You. Have. No. Idea!" Patronus substituted himself out of Hercules's grasp with a robotic guard, and reappeared next to Spider-Man who had already webbed up Captain America 2099 before they fell to the ground below for more space. Captain America and Hercules followed suit as they prepared for a throttle. "Meat?" He pointed the god before his finger shifted to the super soldier. "Or potatoes?"
"Can I have the salad?"
"Wiseass."
Hercules, of course, chose Patronus as he charged at him with bewildering speed that was veiled by his massive frame. Naruto had entered Sage Mode in the nick of time before dodging the god's attack while Spider-Man engaged in combat with Captain America of this time.
(What's happening, Parker?)
"Your friends, the Avengers, are trying to kill us!"
(Which ones?)
"Captain America and Hercules!"
(You two need to get out of there! Captain America is one thing, but Hercules… He's a different story! An alcoholic and raging Olympian who flirts with any woman in his vicinity. If you're in the Archives Room, take the battle somewhere or the data will be lost. Also, you'll need security passes from the guards there.)
"Patronus, we have to take the battle from here!"
Naruto ducked under Hercules' straight punch as it pulverized the door off its position. "I might want to rethink my approach here." He noticed the locks on the main door, but at the rate they are in, none of them could reach the schematics Spider-Man 2099 needs for the gateway. With a Shunshine, Patronus appeared behind the distracted Captain America and tossed her out of the room through a window. "Spidey, find the schematics. I'll handle the big guy!"
"You sure?" Patronus back-rolled from the spot that Hercules landed, and before Spider-Man could react, the two vanished in a bright yellow light. "Did they just turn into flames?" Peter put that aside for later as he web-yanked himself to the second level for the first key he needed from. Spider-Man webbed up the guard before he yanked the web-line and clotheslined him to the ground. "That's one."
The process was the same for the other guards except he left them hanging unconscious in a web-net. As he entered the chamber and turned the power on, Spider-Man walked back to the main room in the center where holographic screens appeared around him with images and schematics.
Little did he know about his status as prey to the predator in the room.
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Nueva York City
One of Alchemax's floors shook violently as the opposing forces within clashed against each other several times, shattering the windows on the top and bottom until an object was thrown out of the building and crashed against an adjacent structure.
Amidst the debris, the shadowed figure pulled himself out of the wall and fell on fours as he groaned loudly.
"Yep, he's the God of Strength all right. I wonder if Thor is as strong as him." Patronus stood up and leaned against a down satellite tower. He looked up and was taken aback by what he saw: the sky was black, unnaturally black, even for night as the buildings looked like disproportionate red spears tearing into the atmosphere. Cars flew over him and around the structures, though they avoided his area as if it was routine. "This is the future? It can't be."
"This is most likely the result of Sloane's alteration of the past."
Patronus looked at his wrist computer, talking to Karen. "How do we change it back? To Spider-Man 2099's… original future…present thing."
"My guess is we somehow change the past, which should restore the future. We travel to the moment before Sloan arrives in the past and take him back to the future—his future time period."
"But Spider-Man 2099 said time travel and changes are unpredictable; we'd never know the changes until it's too late. I won't risk it. Besides, both Spider-Men are smart: they will find the solution. We just have to buy them time."
"It's 'we' now?"
"I know you've been hacking into Alchemax's mainframe ever since we first arrived here." Patronus said cheeky. "How else did you know about the guards coming before they arrived?"
"…Guilty as charged. I've tapped into their security including the cameras; it took me a very long time to break through firewall, just for your information."
"In any case, if they search for you, stay low or better yet, disconnect for your safety."
"Understood."
The ground shook from behind, signaling the arrival of the Greek god as he laughed derisively. "Pathetic. I don't see the fascination my father had with you after all these centuries. Your punches only tickled me, just to let you know."
"Then I'll have to try harder." Naruto whispered as his eyes morphed in the cross-shaped, combining Sage Mode and Kurama's chakra. He grabbed the satellite tower and swung it at Hercules, who was caught off-guard by the new speed displayed, as the latter was sent flying out of the building. The ninja ran off the roof and fell in free-fall as he quickly caught up with Hercules before slamming him with punches to the face. "How about this! Senpo: Oodama Rasengan!"
All Hercules saw was a massive energy ball before being engulfed into it. A massive explosion shattered the nearby windows of surrounding buildings while the god felt the ground against his back as he found himself in the lowest level of Nueva York. "Great, perhaps I can find some lady around here tonight for some fun." He muttered to himself before rolling backwards to avoid a knee-strike from Patronus, which increased the crater's circumference in the process. "After I get rid of you."
"Try it." Naruto Shunshined at Hercules before he tackled him through the walls and continued his drive.
Hercules, having had enough of this farce, dug his feet into the ground, instantly halting Patronus' charge. "Come on then." He slammed both his closed fists against Naruto's back, driving him to the floor with a loud 'boom.' His hands patted against each other to dust off the debris before the god dodged the unknown deity's strikes and retaliated with a shoulder tackle.
The hooded ninja flew across the alley and out into the main street until he crashed inside a shelter. Several people ran out of the building in a frenzy as they surrounded the area until Hercules arrived. "It's an Avenger! It's Hercules!" Almost all the citizens fled in fear of the former Olympian, except a couple of women, or more specifically, a mother and daughter.
"Well, well, well… Looks like you ladies will keep me company tonight." Hercules glanced at the daughter whose figure was impressive for her teenage years. "You especially."
"Leave us alone!"
Hercules wasn't fazed, but amused by the mother's tact. "Perhaps, you will entertain me more… right after your daughter." He took a step before yellow light flashed briefly and felt an immense force crashing against his face.
The mother and daughter gasped before they braced themselves from the air pressure. When it was over, the duo saw an amazing sight of a being coated in flickering yellow flames and strange black lines with two horn-like protrusions on the hooded head. "Get out of here. It's going to be messy." He disappeared in a trail of flaming light.
"Mom, who was that? A hero?"
The mother sat there in complete shock as she processed the sight they both saw: the legendary figure whom she grew up learning about in her young age. All Bostonians learned about the hero who remained a mystery to them, but made great changes for their society, even today.
"That, honey, was Patronus."
"No way."
Meanwhile, the yellow flame streak dashed across the city until it reached the dystopian-version of the Statue of Liberty. Patronus landed in front of Hercules and punched his stomach several times before one strong straight one to the face. The Patron of Heroes fell flat on the ground while Naruto broke a pillar that supported a mural depicting Sloane's supposed greatness in the past and fell it on top of the Greek god. The result was a thundering 'boom' as the island rumbled and shook like an earthquake just struck it as Naruto walked several steps across the island.
"I have to get back to Peter and Spidey 2.0. They need my help."
"Leaving already?"
Patronus turned around to see Hercules, who had already recovered, before he grabbed the massive mural and tossed it at him. Creating a Rasengan, the ninja slammed the sphere against the debris, destroying it as Hercules leaped at him with dual fists, which he caught with his palms.
"This is something!" Hercules exclaimed jovially as he tried to shove Patronus back, but no budge. Both of them relaxed their grapple briefly before they pushed again with more strength as their deadlock remained the same. The increased force from them caused their legs to slide backwards as the ground between them cracked severely before they slowly pulled away from each other. "Hulk… Thor… They were my greatest rivals, friends… They, besides my father, always challenged me in our spars, exciting me until their deaths decades ago. My life was in torment for no other great rival and the heroes today are weak as a mortal, but you… I see now why Thor and Hulk saw you as one of their greatest rivals. Unlike them who always ended in a stalemate with you, I will be the one to emerge victorious!"
Suddenly, Hercules released his right hand, which caused Naruto to lose balance as he leaned forward. The God of Strength took advantage and punched him in the stomach as he was launched upwards in the sky. Patronus quickly fixed himself before he summoned chakra arms as they quickly latched onto Hercules and yanked himself to slide-tackle the Olympian down to the ground.
"Too slow!" Hercules declared as he recovered to his feet and grabbed Patronus' waist before suplexing him to the ground. He finished with a mighty kick that skidded him across the land and into the generator shed before it exploded in a geyser of flames. "Come on, where are you?"
With a flash of light, Patronus reappeared behind him and stomped the ground as an earth stump propelled Hercules high in the air. Naruto streaked above the Olympian and thrusted his fist with a powerful blast of wind against vulnerable back. "Eaken!" The cutting wind drove him through the chasm created by their strength, causing the island to completely crack in half.
Staying in the sky for extra measure, Naruto didn't see any movement from the god before he Hiraishined back to Alchemax, just as a wet hand burst from the ground and clenched into a shaking fist.
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Year 2006
Alchemax's Building
Spider-Man 2099 was having a really tough day; first, the temporal-displaced tentacles that constantly tries to kill him; secondly, security guards who impede his progress. Now, he has to save his predecessor's wife from her impending death after Parker looked into the archives in 2099. After much chastising and eye-opening about the title of Spider-Man, O'Hara searched for Mary Jane while avoiding security and the increasingly-appearing tentacles.
"What's Mary Jane look like?"
(Tall. Red head. In mortal danger. You'll know. I'm sure you can find her.)
"What's she doing in Alchemax?" O'Hara asked confusingly. "Does she work here?"
(No, she was just meeting up with me for dinner. This is all my fault…)
"I said I'll take care of it." Spider-Man 2099 repeated as he fired web bullets at the two tentacles that blocked his path. "Shouldn't be too hard to find. Hey, what happened to Patronus? You haven't said anything about him."
(Last I saw him, he was fighting Hercules outside Alcehmax. Next thing I knew, the entire building shook like a Hulk just went mad!)
"You've got to be shocking kidding me." O'Hara said in disbelief. "How powerful is this guy?"
(Truth be told, I have no idea, but I'm glad he's on our side.)
"Feeling's mutual."
Spider-Man 2099 returned to the large room where multiple tentacles blocked off access to certain rooms. On the second floor was the person whom both men were concerned about.
"Peter?!" A scared Mary Jane cried out for her husband. "Where are you!" She saw two tentacles about to thrash her and dived for the door behind her as retreat was her option. "PETER!"
"Parker, I see her! And she's looking for you." Spider-Man 2099 web-yanked himself to the second floor to follow Mary Jane.
(This is my fault. Is she safe?)
"Well, she's not dead, but the tentacles have other ideas. I could use an extra hand to deal with these tentacles."
(Help her, for crying out loud… Patronus hasn't return yet, so I think you'll have to go solo for now. Just hurry, okay.)
O'Hara groaned, but a flash of blue light blinded him for a moment as Patronus appeared next to him. Naruto quickly exited Nine-Tails Chakra Mode before Spider-Man 2099 regained his sight, much to his surprise. "Man, you really show up at the right time." O'Hara proceeded to tell Parker about Patronus' current location.
Meanwhile, Naruto was confused as to why he was in 2006 instead of 2099: his intentions lied into assisting Peter back in Alchemax's archives room. Is the quantum energy in his bracers influencing the Hiraishin no Jutsu out of his control? Karen had just informed him that the energy was building rather rapidly than earlier and reached to one-hundred percent before his latest attempt. As long as it wasn't at 100%, Naruto could still Hiraishin to the marker on Spider-Man in the same time period.
"Get the shock out of my way! I have no time for you." Spider-Man 2099 declared, snapping Patronus out of his thoughts before both dispatched of the tentacles and guards. "Patronus, we need to get to Mary Jane before she reaches the elevator."
Naruto looked at him. "Why?" O'Hara told him about her impending death. "How do you know that?" The future Spider-Man relayed about the original's reading of the past events. "But didn't you say-"
"I know."
"So, wouldn't this-"
"I know!"
"I'm glad we're doing it though."
"So am I."
Naruto and O'Hara soon encountered mutated serpents with multiple blobs on their backs and elongated claws. Spider-Man 2099 swiped his claws while the talons extended beyond the costume, slicing the creatures as Patronus dispatched his group with simple punches and kicks.
They came around the third floor to another main force as Mary Jane was on the other side and surrounded by tentacles. "Mary Jane, follow the sound of my voice!" She freaked upon seeing Spider-Man 2099's appearance.
"Who are you!?" Mary Jane ducked to avoid a tentacle swipe. "Just save me!"
"MARY JANE!" Patronus appeared from the corner. "Damn it, man." He and Spider-Man 2099 crushed the enemies, both guards and mutations, as they searched for Mary Jane before her impending death. The ninja destroyed the generator that shielded the tentacles, which prevented their path forward.
Spider-Man 2099 fired web bullets at the heads and met back up with Patronus as the former's predecessor shouted worryingly. (She's dead, isn't she?! Hurry, O'Hara!)
"We're doing our best! We've our own problems." O'Hara retorted harshly at the increasing pressure.
(Don't talk to me about problems!)
"Calm down!"
Patronus looked at the future Spider-Man. "What's happening now?"
(Seconds ago, the computer said she was crushed by some kind of falling debris! Now it says she dies in a… Now wait, it's changing again!)
After relaying Peter's words to Patronus, O'Hara responded to his predecessor. "It's the quantum causality. There's so much happening that it's going haywire! Now calm down! I have enough to deal without you freaking out in my head!"
"Okay, let's hurry before MJ meets her death." Patronus said hurriedly as he threw a mutation at a horde before blasting them with a fireball. "Spidey 2.0, where do these things keep coming from?!" Multiple swirling holes appeared on floors and walls, allowing the tentacles and mutations to enter their destination.
"Those are temporal rifts and they're opening all over." Spider-Man 2099 webbed a monster guard before he swung it around the room, knocking down the newly arrived mutations. "It's like the fabric of space-time is being stretched thinner and thinner. It may reach a point where it's irreparable."
With a punch that downed a guard, Patronus asked, "What's causing it?"
"The Gateway, most likely. We need to save Mary Jane quickly, then get back to the 66th floor," Spider-Man 2099 said with concern.
Both heroes reached the fourth floor as Patronus sliced through the tentacles with Kogitsunemaru while Mary Jane was in the elevator on the end of the hall. "Help! Heelllppp!" The red-head actress pleaded hysterically within the elevator before it broke and fell, courtesy of the tentacles.
"Damn/Shock!" Patronus and Spider-Man 2099 fell free in the shaft as they hurried to save Mary Jane from her death. "Spidey, what's it say on your end!?" O'Hara asked as he kept his arms close to his body, increasing his speed in the free-fall like Naruto who was ahead of him.
(That she dies in an elevator!)
"Not gonna happen!" Spider-Man 2099 declared resolutely.
Naruto didn't need to hear Peter's words to determine his resolve in saving Mary Jane. "Out of the way!" He shouted before slashing with his blade against the tentacles that stood in their way. "Spidey, you need a boost?" O'Hara instantly knew what he meant and bent his knees while his feet laid atop Naruto's palms before the latter tossed him towards the elevator.
Spider-Man 2099 fired a web-line at the elevator's top before he yanked himself and stuck to it. He launched another web-line to pull Patronus down to the shaft before they worked together to pull off the roof. O'Hara did so with a little too much force, which propelled him off the shaft.
"Thank you, chakra." Patronus had channeled his chakra the moment his feet touched the shaft's roof. He grabbed the panel and yanked it off the shaft, revealing a worried Mary Jane who was startled by his presence. "Mary Jane, are you okay?"
Before she could answer, a tentacle suddenly burst out of the wall and hit Patronus off the shaft, forcing him in free fall once more. "GET ME OUT OF HERE!" The wife of Peter Parker pleaded in worry.
(Miguel, it's changing again!)
"What did it say?" O'Hara asked his predecessor.
(Actually, nothing. What does that mean?)
"Honestly? It means she wasn't important enough to be remembered."
Patronus winced at the sharp blow to Mary Jane's value. "That's got to suck." He slashed through the rectangular obstacles and more tentacles for room before repeating the boosting action to O'Hara as the latter reached the shaft. Naruto watched Spider-Man 2099 grabbed Mary Jane and web-swung to an open area they just passed before he used his grappling hook to do the same.
Once they were on safe land, Spider-Man 2099 put Mary Jane on her feet, only to carry the actress on his arms after she swooned from what just happened. "I got her. She's okay." Patronus landed and followed them to safety as Mary Jane spoke to the futuristic Spider-Man.
(Thanks… thank you. Both of you. This means a lot to me.)
"No problem, Spidey. Come on, let's get you out of here now." O'Hara said, confusing the woman in his arms.
"Are you talking to…"
"I know he's your husband." Spider-Man 2099 glanced at Patronus who nodded his head. "Both of us. Secret's safe with us."
Mary Jane's confusion turned to intrigue. "You got some sort of cell phone under that mask?"
"A cell what?" A genuinely confused Miguel asked as Patronus snickered at his aloofness. "I mean… sure. That's it."
"Can I?" Mary Jane asked, hoping to talk to her husband… to hear his voice.
"You'll have plenty of time to talk to him after all this is over. You'll have your whole lives together."
"Did he just reveal their future?" Patronus wondered himself before shaking his head. "You doing all right there, Mary Jane?"
Mary Jane gave a grateful nod. "Thanks to you, both of you. I just want to say 'thank you.' You're as brave and unselfish as… another guy… who goes by the handle Spider-Man." She said honestly with a tinge of pride. "You're a worthy successor to the name."
"Thanks… I mean that…" To be deemed worthy by the wife of the original Spider-Man, O'Hara felt immense pride and a greater sense of responsibility from that moment.
Patronus tapped O'Hara's shoulder as he nodded in agreement. "Second here, now I gotta to go." The ninja raised his bracers that was brimming with quantum energy. "The energy is building faster for some reason. Perhaps, your quantum causality is responsible for it."
"Possibly. Stay safe and watch her husband."
Patronus sent a look at both Mary Jane and O'Hara before he Hirashined back to 2099, hopefully to Peter's location this time.
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Year 2099
Alchemax Building
"Thanks again, Miguel."
(Enough with the thanks. You ready?)
"To come back home? You bet," Peter answered gleefully.
"And leave me again?" Spider-Man turned around when he heard the voice from the speaker and his insides churned upon seeing her. The woman frowned at his reaction. "Just how much reaction is a girl supposed to take?"
"Black Cat?! I was praying I was wrong." Peter inspected Felicia's more racy attire as the zipper was existent and allowed more of her cleavage and navel exposed to the bottom. A blue diamond choker grasped her neck while her feet was visible with extended nails as her fanged teeth breached her lips. A dazy white aura glistened off her entire body, confusing the Web-Slinger even more. "Felicia, what have they done to you?"
Felicia gasped in pain. "Help me, Spider!" She rubbed her cheek in contemplation, "They… They gave me an anti-aging drug for decades…" Her fingers flared out as the nails extended sharply like claws, not unlike Wolverine's claws.
Spider-Man's head tingled harshly like a migraine before he ducked after Black Cat lunged at him. The cat burglar smashed the wall behind the hero, surprising the latter with her out-of-nowhere strength. He leaped in the room she was in and said in disbelief, "You're lying! The real Felicia… she never would have let them-"
"Never have let them what?" Black Cat 2099 interrupted sharply, her glaring eyes bore at the hero. "Turn me into this? You destroyed me, Spider! After what you did, I didn't care what happened to me!"
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Spider-Man assumed his pose as did Black Cat 2099 before both engaged in battle. "Either I haven't done yet what you claim I did or you're making this up to mess with my head!"
Black Cat lunged at Spider-Man, slashing with her claws, though the hero cartwheeled out of the way. "And you get to guess which one! Isn't this fun?"
"Not remotely."
"Aw… you used to have a sense of humor." Black Cat pressed her attacks against him, forcing Spider-Man to take the ceiling for a breather.
Spider-Man scoffed while he launched a barrage of web bullets at the female villain who back-flipped several times to avoid them. "Dying tends to get you serious in a hurry."
"Then you're about to get deadly serious." Black Cat declared venomously as she increased her speed and pounced on the walls like a feline at him. Spider-Man fell to the ground to avoid her attack and fired a web-line, but she contorted her body like a cat to dodge his line and followed him.
Spider-Man web-yanked to another wall before he webbed Black Cat 2099's feet and swung her around several times until his grip relaxed a bit.
Black Cat quickly recuperated and dug her claws and nails into the wall before she sensed a presence that hasn't been felt for a very long time in the far distance. "Until next time, Spider." The aura around her grew in size before she disappeared like a star.
"Felicia… I'm so sorry." Spider-Man apologized despite not knowing what he actually did or haven't done yet.
-Oooo, he's so sorrrrry… 'Help me, Spider, poor me!' You actually feel for that?! What did we EVER see in him?-
"Felicia, this… creature isn't you." Spider-Man tried to lecture before three lights shined in front of him, revealing clones of Black Cat in different attire and short hair.
"You don't get to lecture us on who we are, Spider! Not anymore!"
(Okay, Peter, I'm almost to the Gateway. I left Mary Jane with Captain America and the others… still can't believe this day: first I met Patronus, now the Avengers.)
"Do I hear a tint of happiness in your tone?" Spider-Man teased before he web-lined two debris and slammed them at the clones as they dodged with cat-like reflexes.
(Anyway, the energy is limited, so we'll have to jump through at the same time.)
"Don't worry, I'll be there. Where's Patronus? Is he with you?"
(I thought he was with you by now. Shock, the quantum energy in his bracers must be growing out of control, affecting his destinations whenever he travels.)
"So, he can be anywhere or whenever by now?"
(Most likely…)
"Shock." Spider-Man cursed before throwing the webbed debris at the gathered clones. They ducked and flipped over them, but instantly found themselves ensnared with webs before being pulled against the thrown debris. "Taser Web, good night, ladies." He watched as the jolts traveled to the clones and shocked them into sleep.
The Web-Slinger opened the door and swung across the halls towards the gateway room as his successor talked to him once more. (I'm en route to the Gateway Room. Tell me when you're there as well. We have to time this right!)
"You've got it, Miguel."
"Oh nice…" Spider-Man stopped on the ceiling when he heard another foreign voice speak to him. The man was in the shadows of another hallway that prevented the hero to see him. "You and your counterpart are on a first name basis now. It's good to know you're bonded."
Spider-Man hung upside-down from the web-line like a spider. "Who are you?"
"I'm the CEO of Alchemax. The real question is, who are you, old friend?"
"Old friend?" An exasperated sigh escaped from Peter's mouth as he said, "So, this is where you make the big reveal, and I say, 'Holy cow!' Norman Osborn! Or the Kingpin! Jonah Jameson!" He then grew hopeful shortly after the last words. "C'mon, PLEASE, let it be Jameson."
"All of them long dead, I fear. Too bad they didn't have access to the anti-aging drug we developed. It does wonders for you. And I do mean… you."
Spider-Man was taken aback when the CEO revealed to be himself, a much older version in a suit. "No, it… it can't be." Both Parkers almost lost their footing when the building violently shook with the shockwaves emanating from the lower levels.
"Seems like our friend is held up by the Avengers." The CEO Parker 'hmphed' before he spoke to his younger self about his twisted version of their mantra, 'With great power comes great responsibility and great opportunity,' and his plan to fix reality to save everyone they love and could not save in their career. "Let me explain it all to you."
Spider-Man swung away from his older version as he vehemently shouted, "Explain it to my rapidly retreating backside and I hope Patronus beats the hell out of you when he sees you!"
"… I await him in fact." The CEO stated ominously before he left for his office.
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Hydro Jungle
As Spidey swung back to the hydro jungle, he found Black Cat standing atop one of the towers with a key in her possession. "Is this what you're looking for?"
"You know it is." Spider-Man retorted seriously.
"Well then, come and get it."
After a lengthy chase around the jungle that ended atop on one of the higher pillars, both combatants prepared for a fight when an explosion broke the ceiling, causing them to put distance between each other. The debris cloud shrouded the people within, but their power blows expelled the air as Spider-Man saw Hercules grappling with Patronus. Unlike the last time he saw him, Patronus was adorned a cloak made of fire, two larger horns on his forehead, and a black suit underneath with six magatama around the neckline with a swirl mark in his stomach.
"P-Patronus…" Black Cat 2099 whispered with surprise before fear took over once she saw Hercules. "No, not you."
Noticing the femme fatale, Hercules licked his lips lusciously. "Ah, Felicia, dear… I've been looking for you a while now." He kicked Patronus squarely in the chest with enough force to hurl him through the walls. "It'll be just like old times with me giving it to you… violently."
Spider-Man webbed Hercules' face before he throttled him with attacks from all sides, angry that the god violated Felicia, even though she's a clone. It was known to him and his enemies that his rage or determination vastly increased his strength beyond its peak, though not enough to level with someone like Hercules and Thor, but he didn't care.
"Seriously?" Hercules asked nonchalantly before he simply grabbed the younger Parker's arm. "At least you have more spunk than your older self." His free arm was raised as his fist clenched tightly, indicating a more powerful punch coming Peter's way. "If I kill you now, you wouldn't exist here."
The Olympian's attempt was suddenly restrained when several chakra arms latched on his arms before being forced to release Spider-Man. Patronus, in Kurama Mode, dashed around Hercules as clones appeared around the latter, which angered him given that he backhanded and smashed any clones in his way.
Some of them faded upon contact while others 'poof' in smoke, furthering the god's infamous anger as his mind solely focused on crushing the one who ruined everything for him. His fist hit the ground, completely pulverizing the tower as a dust cloud shrouded the Olympian and his intended targets.
On the other side of the jungle, Patronus had secured both Spider-Man and Black Cat 2099 during the confusion as he gave the key to the fellow hero. "I don't know what you need this for, but get going." Naruto told the arachnid-themed hero as he quickly left for the Gateway Room. He glanced at Black Cat and was taken aback by her new appearance, "Black Cat… what happened to you?"
"Leave me."
"No," Patronus shook his head. She may deny it, but Naruto could see fear and hurt in her eyes; he should know since it was the same for him during his childhood. "What happened?" He repeated softly this time.
Before Black Cat could respond, Patronus felt the wind change and grabbed the feline-themed villain as he flickered to another part of the jungle while a train-sized debris destroyed the space they stood on, courtesy of Hercules. Shoving Black Cat into another room, Patronus turned around and dashed at Hercules before disappearing in a series of flaming streaks around the god.
Hercules lashed out with back-handed arms, hoping to hit the ninja and fellow god, but he proved to be far superior in speed. "He's a lot faster than before!"
With several Bunshins and Shadow Clones distracting the god, Naruto leaped high in the air and cocked back his arms before unleashing a flurry of rapid punches. Hercules looked up in time to see hundreds of punches with half being after images due to the immense speed of Kurama Mode. "Furinji Yama-Kuzushi!"
The entire jungle quaked under the incredible strength of the technique as debris kicked up and filled the entire chamber. Patronus' expression didn't change when the cloud dissipated and revealed Hercules holding his right fist squarely in his left palm, but the latter was somewhat bloody and bruised. "Is that all you got?"
His answer arrived in the in form of a chakra hand slamming the energy sphere as it grinded his face. Feeling the grip lax a bit, Patronus swung his body forward as he tensed his right leg and kicked vertically squarely Hercules' chin that shot upward. "Chai Kick!"
Spitting blood out, the God of Strength lashed out and pinned Patronus against his body in an extremely tight bear hug. "You need room for those fancy attacks, so let me deprive you of that!" Hercules said venomously as he tightened the brace, but also met a soft touch under his chin. "Please try something."
"Ma Style Takusousho!"
Hercules didn't see Patronus' small chakra hand pushed his connected palm-turned-uppercut upward, sending the god to spit blood from his mouth once more as the force behind the technique snapped his head to the ceiling once more. It—and a few Rasengans—forced Hercules to release the smaller hero and allowed the latter to deliver a fast spinning punch at the stomach.
"Rekka Sajinbaku!"
Hercules' knees buckled as the effects of the connecting techniques began to affect him, much to his great surprise. He lashed out with an elbow strike, but Patronus ducked and countered with a simple punch to the chest as Hercules crashed against a towering pillar from the force.
Naruto continued his assault, but Hercules recovered and tensed both arms before clapping his hands as a severely powerful shockwave shattered the remaining towers and flung the ninja through the opposite wall. The strength of Hercules was too much for the jungle as several portions of the walls and ceiling fell off of their positions, destroying the hydro jungle along with anyone who hasn't gotten away from the battle.
Black Cat 2099 was the one who didn't leave the battlefield and saw her doom in the form of a falling concrete as she saw herself surrounded by massive debris and braced for the impact.
Only to feel nothing but breathing on her head.
When Felicia looked up, she was stunned when Patronus was holding the debris high above his head, his arms slightly bent from the weight. "Why?" She asked as part of her confusion.
"Honestly… it's just who I am, plus I like blondes and we blondes got to stick together." Patronus answered before he hefted the concrete away from them and offered a hand to Black Cat. "Come on, while Drunk Breath regains his bearings." Black Cat furrowed her eyebrows. "I smell it on him, which makes me doubt if he's using his full strength correctly."
Black Cat accepted his hand and pulled herself up as she was then carried bridal-style. "Whoa, you didn't even propose to me yet."
"Yet is the key word." Patronus teased back, surprising the feline beauty. He flashed towards an unbroken portion of the jungle and put Black Cat 2099 on her feet. "You need to go now."
"…"
"What is it?"
Black Cat shook her head side to side with a sad expression. "Nothing." She turned around and left the jungle, leaving behind a confused Patronus.
"I'll never understand women." Naruto stated lowly before he faced the jungle and free-fell to the severely cracked ground as Hercules landed on the opposite side. "But I at least have respect for them unlike you and your dad."
Hercules dug his foot into the ground, cracking from the strength put into it before he leaped at Patronus who was ready for him. The third round of their battle was to start once their fists clashed.
Suddenly, the jungle rumbled from side-to-side as dark purple-bluish spots blanketed some portions of the chamber before a dominantly white swirling portal appeared in the spot between them. As both combatants noticed this, particularly Hercules, a massive head sprang through the breach and snapped its jaws into the Olympian God.
"Arrggghhhh!" Hercules screamed out in unbelievable pain as he recognized it from his mortal life. The unbearable poison so deadly that being around it and the creature breathing the substance challenged the deity in close combat. "No, this is not how I will go down!" Hercules pushed the pain aside and punched the creature severely, forcing it to release the jaws as the god fixed himself to hold up the upper half of the mouth from closing down him.
"Oh…" Patronus flickered to the top when the portal grew in size and stepped back as he was shocked by the mere size of the creature. "That's a lot of heads."
It was not just the head struggling to bite down Hercules, but other similar-sized looking heads flailed about with terrifying roars that bordered on an extremely bad violin-playing mixed with harmonica sputters. All of them had sharp green eyes and webbed spikes lining along their extremely long necks as their narrow snouts complemented the brown, smelly tree-length teeth while drips of drool fell off of them. Their heads were connected to a massive scaly crimson skin that rivaled a train in size with four bloody legs.
Naruto and Hercules knew this creature as they had encountered this beast before at least once in their lifetimes. Although for the ninja, this creature was different in size and appearance than the one he countered back in Shinigami Dimension. Unlike the previous one, there was something afoul in the air given by Hercules holding his breath.
"The air's poisonous!" Patronus thought before he created a tight wind sphere around his head to secure his oxygen supply, levitating as the poisonous fumes were blown away by the sheer power of the ninja's flame-like appearance. "First time is on the fritz, now I have to deal with both Hercules and the Lernean Hydra. I need a vacation… the Bahamas sounds good."
The Hydra heads roared as the entire damaged hydro jungle rumbled against the sheer force before all but one lunged at Patronus who met their charge within his sphere and swung Kogitsunemaru swiftly once in range. The hydro jungle shook violently from the clash while the windows shattered due to the air and flames expelled from the ninja/god.
Naruto created several chakra arms and used them to push the nine heads against the wall as he was about to slash one of the necks when Karen shouted hastily. "Patronus, don't!"
"Eh?" Patronus asked before the head with Hercules in its mouth slammed him against a wall. "Mind explaining to me why I shouldn't kill this thing?"
"The Lernean Hydra was one of Hercules' Twelve Labors, correct?"
"Yeah."
"So, if you kill the Hydra before Hercules can in the past, history will change. I've been analyzing the quantum energy emitting from the Gateway Room and the Time Storm is getting out of control, hence the Einstein-Rosen Bridge."
Patronus dodged a head and kicked away another one. "An Eisen what?"
"A wormhole basically."
"How do we stop it and the Hydra?"
"Beat it into submission?"
"That wasn't very intelligent for an A.I." Patronus sheathed Kogitsunemaru and flew high towards the ceiling before crossing his fingers a familiar sign. Hundreds of Kurama Mode-clad clones appeared around the jungle as they cocked back their arms before unleashing a combined barrage of chakra arms upon the mythological creature. "Bunshin Chakara Gatoringu!"
The rapid, powerful punches sent out collective shockwaves as the multitude arms begun to overwhelm the heads given by the cries from the creature. Another wormhole appeared underneath the Hydra's feet and sucked in the creature as it was being pushed in the continuing barrage. Meanwhile, a lone chakra arm snatched the weakened Hercules out of one of the jaws and smashed him into an electrical power source, electrocuting the Olympian despite its low effect.
When the Hydra was gone with the wormhole, Patronus dispersed his clones and teleported to Hercules who was on his knees, breathing heavily from the poisonous fume remnants. "Go on, finish it." The Olympian urged spitefully as the poison slowly receded from his body.
"No point in finishing a defeated man or god." Patronus answered resolutely before leaving for the Gateway Room.
A spiteful yet amusing smile etched Hercules' lips as this was another characteristic of the hero Patronus: humbleness. He himself had that, but it was diminished when his friends and loved ones died years ago, which led to his road of alcoholism and rage issues. His eyes stared into the back of the hero, the Olympian clenched a fist and made his move.
Patronus didn't hear or see, but felt the vibration spread from the ground to his entire body. He leaned forward while raising his right leg as an earth spike burst from the ground and encased Hercules' wrist, stopping it in place. Naruto pivoted on his foot and clenched the left fist as he hit squarely against Hercules, but the moment before, a black sphere burst on contact. "Cho Mini Bijudama!"
Hercules gnashed his teeth against each other as his skin burned from the black sphere before screaming in pain. Patronus released the technique as it morphed into a powerful red beam, sending the Olympian through a massive hole in Alchemax's wall. The ninja breathed rather calmly as he swung his arms forward and manipulated the earth to fill in the hole to stabilize the structure weakness.
"Oh man, that'll keep him away for a while. Hopefully this time fiasco will be over soon," Patronus muttered lowly as his breathing returned to normal after a battle with the Olympian God of Strength and the Lernean Hyrdra as well. He took a step to the right and fell into a wormhole as a result. "I just had to sAAAYYYY IIIITTTTT!"
As the wormhole closed seconds after the trailing scream of the ninja, Black Cat 2099 stepped out of the unscathed room and activated a device similar to Patronus's wrist computer as a familiar triangular-like symbol appeared on the screen before it turned black with a single horizontal wavy line. "Code White, I repeat Code White… the Mentor has returned. And he needs our help."
Black Cat fired a grappling line to find the original Spider-Man or Patronus and help them like her genetic template did years ago. As the feline-themed left the chamber, another wormhole appeared in the destroyed hydro jungle, and out came was not a physical object, but an unnatural 'clicking' sound.
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