Peter Parker had a checklist. First up: civilian logistics. He needed to expedite his passport, track down universal outlet adapters, and cram travel-sized toiletries into a suitcase. Aunt May was interrogating him about his packing status three times a day.
Second up: superhero logistics. He needed to wrap up the standard pre-trip chores. Namely, sweeping New York for loose street trash.
"Guys. Bad news."
Amadeus dropped his backpack on the floor and slumped into a chair. He buried his face in his hands. He had been completely off the grid for weeks, completely vanishing from Midtown High.
Harry looked up from his notebook. "Whoa. Wait, where have you been?"
"Underground," Amadeus groaned. He dragged a hand down his face, looking utterly exhausted. "Literally underground. Hercules dragged me into the subterranean realms to fight rock-monsters and dig up cursed Greek artifacts. I really, really can't take it anymore."
Amadeus was usually a quiet, analytical guy. Pushing him to a full vocal meltdown took serious effort. Hercules was apparently highly efficient at ruining study schedules.
The bad luck traced back to the day the Zombie Fantastic 4 invaded the main universe. Hercules had descended from Olympus, smashed a zombie to gravel, and saved Amadeus's life. Then, the Greek demigod realized Amadeus possessed a tactical, genius-level intellect. Hercules immediately decided he needed a smart sidekick for his adventures.
"So, why did he contact you again?" Peter asked, leaning against his locker.
"He wants to build an organization," Amadeus said, staring blankly at the floor. "He's gathering heroes with mythological powers to form a team called the Pantheon. He wants to handle mythic crises."
Peter crossed his arms. He wondered if that meant he was on the draft list. After all, the Web of Fate was tied directly to Neith, the Egyptian goddess of weaving. He was technically walking mythology. He pushed the thought aside. Future Peter's problem.
"So what's the bad news?" Harry asked.
"The bad news is I'm missing class," Amadeus grumbled. "I'm missing club activities. I have to commute with an actual, literal god. You know what, guys? I'm not excited. I'm just tired."
Peter yawned. Thor was technically an Avenger, but the guy was a total lone wolf. Even Bruce Banner had a better attendance record. Working with deities was vastly overrated.
Harry patted Amadeus on the shoulder in sympathy, then turned to Peter. "What about you? Got any major plans before you fly out?"
"Nope. Suitcase is basically full," Peter said. "Just one chore left."
"What's that?"
"Taking out the trash."
Hell's Kitchen. That Night.
Peter rarely ran joint operations with the Defenders. Tonight, however, the roster was stacked. The Punisher was off hunting his own targets, but Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Mister Negative and Luke Cage were out in full force. Cloak and Dagger had also joined the fray. Peter hadn't expected those two to go the superhero route, but here they were, teleporting and throwing light daggers through the dark.
"These are Silvermane's guys!" Daredevil shouted. He drove his billy club into a mercenary's jaw.
The gangsters were heavily armed. They wore crude, bolted-together exoskeletons built from scrapped Chitauri tech left over from the Battle of New York. The alien servos whined and sparked as they swung at the heroes.
Peter vaulted over a rusty mechanical arm and planted both feet squarely into a thug's chest. "Fisk goes to prison, Tombstone tries to step up, and now Silvermane is making a play? Who even is this guy?"
Luke Cage caught a thug by the mechanical collar and hurled him into a dumpster. The heavy metal crumpled. "Old-school mob boss," Luke yelled over the gunfire. "He ran Hell's Kitchen before Fisk took the throne. IRS locked him up for tax evasion. By the time he got out, Fisk had cannibalized his entire empire."
"So he's using the power vacuum to steal it back?" Peter fired twin web-lines, ripping an energy rifle out of a thug's hands. "Wait. Why didn't Fisk just kill him?"
"Fisk thought he was a dinosaur. But everyone on the street assumed Fisk's hitmen got him anyway. He's been a ghost for years."
"Okay, so how did he—"
Peter stopped mid-sentence. The answer just walked out of the shadows.
It was an old man's head. Specifically, the scowling, wrinkled head of a sixty-year-old mobster, grafted directly onto the shoulders of a massive, heavily armored cybernetic chassis. Silvermane glared at the Defenders, his robotic gears grinding as he raised dual arm-cannons.
Peter blinked behind his lenses. "Did this guy seriously turn himself into a bootleg RoboCop?"
"I really hate the gritty reboots," Mister Negative sighed.
Peter scratched the back of his mask. "Look, I know he's a cyborg, but I really don't want to punch a senior citizen to death. Any volunteers?"
Nobody needed to step up.
Before Silvermane could fire a single shot, a thick strand of white silk slammed into his back. The cyborg was violently yanked upward. He ended up suspended upside down from a steel fire escape, his robotic arms flailing uselessly.
Cindy Moon dropped from the scaffolding. She landed lightly on the pavement in her Silk suit. A second figure dropped right beside her. White hair, black leather, domino mask. Felicia Hardy. The Black Cat.
Luke Cage let out a low whistle.
"Silk," Peter said, nodding. "What's up?"
"Nick Fury wants to see you... Spider-Man," Cindy said, smoothly maintaining operational security in front of the local heroes. "It's about the trip. And she's coming with us." Cindy jerked a thumb at Felicia.
Peter's spider-sense gave a dull, confused throb. Europe. Black Cat. "Is this about the Super Soldier Serum?"
"Maybe," Cindy said. "Fury mentioned a European super-criminal syndicate. They call themselves the Elementals."
Peter froze.
The Elementals? Spider-Man: Far From Home?
He stared at Cindy, his brain doing backflips. Wait a minute. What universe am I actually in right now?
PS: Marvel Fun Fact
Did you know? In the comics, Silvio Manfredi (Silvermane) was indeed an aging Maggia crime boss who grew desperate to cheat death. He ultimately had his head surgically attached to a powerful cybernetic body! While he usually fought Spider-Man, he also had major, recurring run-ins with Cloak and Dagger.
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