"Alright, now tell me about your situation."
Charlie looked at White-haired Nick, whose wrinkled face twitched slightly, exhaustion etched into his features.
"As you can see, we're a team. The Avengers I founded ran into an accident during a mission. We were inexplicably sent to this world and have been living here for twenty years."
"Twenty years?"
Charlie glanced at Nick's white hair and the weathered faces of Barton and the others. Except for Natasha, whose powers slowed aging, everyone else looked significantly older.
White-haired Nick sighed. "Yes, twenty years. We've survived here for two decades. Tony could've made it too, but resources are scarce. He couldn't find plants to counteract palladium poisoning, so he left us early."
He pulled a few baked potatoes from the fire, handing them out.
"This is tonight's dinner," he said.
Charlie took a potato, his expression odd. "You don't look malnourished."
"I told you, we're alive because of me."
Human Torch puffed out his chest proudly. "As long as I put in the work, everyone gets nutrient supplements."
Charlie: "…"
"So, Mr. Johnny, who's your boss?" he asked.
The boss—the one footing Human Torch's business.
Human Torch turned to Charlie. "Cassandra Nova Xavier, Professor X's sister. A wicked woman, but she's got one fatal flaw: she can't resist my charm."
"Enough with your self-praise."
Charlie cut him off. "You all want to leave this place?"
"Of course. We're always thinking of ways to escape, but we can't."
Big-bellied Natasha sat at the table, gently rubbing her stomach.
A soft smile crossed her face. "I don't want my kid born in this godforsaken place. They need a normal environment."
Charlie's face darkened. "Didn't you say it was just indigestion?" He rubbed his forehead.
Natasha snapped out of it. "Right, too many potatoes. Definitely indigestion."
"So, how many months?" Charlie pressed.
Natasha thought for a moment. "Probably three."
"And the father?"
"It's—"
Natasha glanced at the men present, but Barton and the others quickly backed away.
"No way, it's that spicy?" Wade gasped, clutching his face.
Natasha shook her head. "I don't know."
Charlie whispered to Wade, "Things just got complicated."
"I'm telling the truth."
Natasha overheard his muttering, explaining helplessly, "My body's been modified. I can't carry a child. But one day, I suddenly felt something. This baby just appeared. I'm sure it's not anyone here's."
Charlie waved it off. "No need to explain. We believe you."
Yeah, right.
One woman in this crowd? She's living the dream.
Of course, Charlie was just curious.
He turned to White-haired Nick. "What's your plan?"
"Defeat Nova, take her sling ring."
"Sling ring?"
"Yeah. A Doctor Strange from another universe died by her hand. She's got his magic ring for opening portals."
"Portals…"
Charlie rubbed his chin.
In the next moment, to the group's delight, he drew a circle, sparking a magical portal.
"Oh my gosh, it worked?" Natasha exclaimed.
Human Torch beamed. "A magic-wielding Spider-Man! We can finally leave!"
He dove into the portal, only to rush back, his face crestfallen.
"That's not the way out," he said.
Charlie shrugged. "Yeah, a regular magic portal won't get us out of here."
He closed the portal, continuing, "This world's like a forgotten corner of the multiverse. It can latch onto any universe but stays separate, never interfering. It's constantly shifting its position."
"What does that mean?" Blind Banner frowned.
Charlie explained, "It's always moving. Spatial magic alone can't get us out unless we have a precise time-space device to calculate its movement patterns."
Hearing this, Wade looked thoughtful, while the others sank into despair.
Charlie didn't elaborate.
His Time Tablet spider could probably do it, but he didn't try.
No need to guess—this was a plot targeting Spider-Men. Whoever was watching had surely accounted for his time-space powers and would block his escape.
But there had to be more than one way out. Charlie decided to let the situation play out.
"By the way, about that Void monster earlier—"
Before he could finish, the mountain base shook violently, stones falling, faint explosions echoing from outside.
"Crap, it's Alioth!"
White-haired Nick and the others paled.
Human Torch rushed to a corner, clicking an old computer. The monitor showed not the expected black mist but a group of scavengers in armored vehicles.
"Not Alioth. It's those guys."
Human Torch exhaled in relief, then cursed, "Motherf— Watch me burn their little bits to a crisp."
He slammed a button, transforming into flames and shooting through a ceiling hole to teach them a lesson.
Three seconds later, Charlie saw Human Torch, sans flames, crash to the ground on the monitor.
Charlie: "…"
"He said he'd burn their little bits," Wade shook his head. "He failed."
Charlie studied the group on the screen, his gaze landing on a leather-clad man with specialized goggles.
"Cyclops."
"Whoa, you pissed off the X-Men," Wade patted White-haired Nick's shoulder. "Over Natasha's kid?"
"Not the time for jokes."
Natasha's expression was grim. "This world has no Avengers or X-Men, no right or wrong, no justice or evil. Everyone fights for survival resources, desperate to live. Survival of the fittest—that's the Void's rule."
She equipped crude weapons. "They found us. We fight or die. Ready?"
One-armed Barton strung a bow with his foot. "No problem."
Blind Banner prepped for an angry outburst. "I need a minute."
White-haired Nick pulled a gun, turning to Charlie. "Spider-Man, you—"
"Hold up, I didn't agree to join you."
Charlie pointed at the screen. "They've got Spider-Men too, more than one. I'm joining them."
White-haired Nick: "…"
…
Outside the mountain base.
"Let me go, you scum! I'll burn all your little bits!"
Human Torch, held by burly scavengers, was dragged before Cyclops, still cursing.
"You laxative-guzzling idiots, listen up. Spider-Man's joined us. He's a magic-wielding bug. Let me go, kneel, and lick my toes, or he'll—"
Mid-sentence, Cyclops backhanded Human Torch to the ground.
"Spider-Man? That you guys?" Cyclops looked at the red-and-blue figures behind him, smiling calmly.
First-generation Peter and the others exchanged glances.
"Sorry, this is your idea of procurement?" First-gen Peter stepped forward, frowning at the battered Human Torch.
"You shouldn't treat him like this," he said.
Cyclops sneered. "Bunch of newbies. This world has no superheroes. Survival's the only goal."
"But not like this."
Third-gen Peter's tone was stern. "I see it. You're stealing their stuff. That's not procurement."
Superior Peter stood behind him, sensing hostile gazes from the surrounding group.
As Cyclops grew impatient and prepared to strike, the mountain base's doors opened, and White-haired Nick and his team were tossed out.
"Hey, friendly faces!"
Charlie and Wade raised their hands, stepping out of the base.
"I took care of them for you."
"You can thank us now, but I've got one condition: I don't like baked potatoes."
"Whoa, familiar faces!"
"Peter, you guys look rough."
"Need help?"
As Charlie spoke, Cyclops sensed movement behind him and issued an order without hesitation.
"They're together. Take them out!"
"Get 'em!!"
Sizzle~
Cyclops removed his goggles, crimson beams warping the space with intense heat. But Charlie's heat vision countered, forcing them back.
Sizzle~
"What!!"
Cyclops gasped, then screamed as Charlie's heat vision blinded him.
"Ah!! My eyes!!"
Clutching his scorched eyes, Cyclops wailed. First-gen Peter and the others sprang into action, quickly subduing the nearby scavengers.
In under a minute, Cyclops's team was down.
Human Torch stood, laughing triumphantly. "Hahaha, my turn! I'll burn your little bits!"
As he unleashed flames, Charlie backhanded him flying.
"What are you— Calm down!"
Charlie pinned him with a foot, grinning. "From now on, you're all my prisoners."
Human Torch: "…"
This guy adapted to the Void's rules too fast, didn't he?
He forced a smile. "Alright, need my skills?"
"Get lost!"
Charlie kicked him away. "Wade, he's yours."
"No problem. I'm looking forward to his skills."
Wade rubbed his hands, dragging Human Torch to a corner.
Screams echoed from the corner, and Charlie winced, disgusted.
"This guy doesn't actually have that kind of hobby, does he?"
"What'd you say?"
Wade poked his head out, holding a bloodied stick.
Charlie facepalmed. "I said watch him, not reward him."
"Oh, my bad. You should've said."
Wade dragged Human Torch back, looking disappointed.
In the end, Cyclops's team and White-haired Nick's team were bound and thrown on the ground.
Charlie scanned them, arms crossed, smiling.
"Good. I'm giving you a choice: fight to the end or—"
"We surrender."
White-haired Nick's group gave in first, followed by Cyclops's team.
No backbone at all.
Charlie was surprised.
But he soon understood why.
At night, the group stayed in the mountain base, staring expectantly at their new boss, Charlie.
Well, blind Cyclops and Banner weren't staring, just guarding their bowls.
"Boss, when's dinner?" Human Torch flashed a sycophantic smile.
Charlie scratched his head. "Being the boss means I provide food?"
"Of course."
White-haired Nick glanced at him. "You haven't adapted to the rules here."
"He just didn't listen closely," Natasha said, pointing at her belly. "I need enough nutrition. You don't mind giving me a double portion, right?"
Charlie: "…"
"Fine, meeting me's your lucky day."
He cast a devouring spell, summoning an octopus monster from another dimension.
Instead of converting it into magical energy, he killed it and divided its flesh among them.
"Oh my gosh, what is this?"
"I want sashimi!"
"Make it takoyaki!"
"I swear eternal loyalty to the great Magic Spider-Man!!"
The group swarmed the octopus corpse like ravenous wolves.
First-gen Peter and the others exchanged glances.
Magic could be used like that?
Soon, after eating their fill, the group received Charlie's first order.
"Starting tomorrow, we expand our territory. Everyone becomes a prisoner of the invincible Spider-Man. Can you do it?"
Standing on the table, Charlie looked down at them. Human Torch was the first to respond.
"Conquer the Void World! Long live the invincible Spider-Man!"
As Human Torch cheered, the others joined in.
"Conquer the Void World! Long live the invincible Spider-Man!!"
The ragtag crew took shape, and First-gen Peter shook his head helplessly.
"What's Charlie up to?"
Superior Peter mused, "He's about to save the world again—this Void World."
In a corner, Third-gen Peter studied a map.
"This world's more complex than we thought. There's never been a densely populated area. When one forms, the Void monster comes, devouring everything."
Charlie approached, glancing at the yellowed pages in Third-gen Peter's hand.
"Void monster Alioth. Interesting." He smiled slightly, as if understanding the mastermind's plan.