Peter woke up to the blinding hum of fluorescent lights and the familiar sound of a pencil tapping on a desk.
"Parker!"
He jerked up. His surroundings were both familiar and off — like a set from a movie filmed with just the wrong camera filter. He blinked and recognized the woman barking his name.
"Ms. Warren...?" he muttered.
"Finally awake, Mr. Parker? Care to explain Newton's second law?"
Peter blinked.
He was seventeen again.
He looked down. No scars. No injuries from the Green Goblin. No web-shooters — but wait…
A sudden flash of blue light appeared in his vision.
> 📘 SYSTEM ONLINE
Welcome, Peter Benjamin Parker.
You have been selected as: Spider-Man of Earth-199XΩ
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His head swam. He wasn't dreaming. He remembered dying. The fight with Morlun. Blood everywhere. He remembered whispering Aunt May's name as everything went black.
But here he was, in Midtown High, alive. And a screen only he could see was floating in front of his eyes.
He had a system.
---
Lunch break couldn't come fast enough.
Peter sat at a corner table, away from Harry and MJ. He needed to test this thing.
> 🧬 Perks Available:
Symbiote Resistance (Passive) – Immune to all symbiote corruption.
Genetic Rewrite: Spider DNA Control (Active) – Upgrade your spider powers.
Skill Copy v1.0 (Cooldown: 7 days) – Copy any power you witness.
> ⏳ System functions will unlock as your "Hero Rank" increases.
Peter stared at it. "Did I… respawn?"
He whispered under his breath, "What else can you do?"
> [Voice Activated AI: Online]
"Yo, Webhead. You can call me DUMAS. I'm the sarcastic, underpaid AI in your head. You're welcome."
Peter blinked again. "What... Dumas?"
> "Don't ask. Long story. You died. You respawned in a fractured multiverse. Now you've got seven days to get your act together before S.H.I.E.L.D. knocks on your door."
---
That night
Peter didn't go home. Not yet. He swung across rooftops, testing his powers. They felt... sharper. More controlled. His spider-sense could now lock on to intent, not just danger. And when he faced a mugger?
> ✅ Skill Copied: "Adrenaline Overdrive"
Ability: 15% speed boost under stress. Duration: 30 seconds. Cooldown: 1 hour.
It worked.
He wasn't just Peter Parker anymore.
He was something new.
---
But he wasn't the only one changing.
Miles Morales watched from a nearby rooftop, eyes wide.
"Peter Parker…? But you died in my world."