In The DC World With Marvel Chat Group
Chapter 686: The Infinite U Event (Two)
"I don't understand what you're saying," Otto Parker replied.
"No relationship, that's an answer in itself," Schiller laughed again, patting Otto Parker on the shoulder before stepping past him toward the spot he had just landed.
At that moment, a very short Spider-Man with a pig's nose, holding a child, ran in, shouting, "Spider-Girl! Quick, take care of your younger brother! He's been crying non-stop!"
"Oh! Benjamin! He...he seems to need a diaper change, wait for me..." Spider-Girl immediately leaped down from the pillar. She no longer paid attention to Amazing Spider-Man but hurried over to the diminutive Spider-Man, taking the child from his arms.
Holding the one she called Benjamin, Spider-Girl continuously soothed him. Hearing the cries of the children, the Spider-Men quieted down. They surrounded Spider-Girl, teasing her younger brother, trying to calm him so he would stop crying.
Holding Benjamin, Spider-Girl sighed and said, "Alright, let's get down to business. Where were we?"
Standing beside her, Amazing Spider-Man said, "I'm sorry, I know how much you love your father, he..."
"Stop," Spider-Girl cut him off, emphasizing again, "I said we should focus on what's important now. That's the best way to honor him!"
On the other side, Schiller noticed several shadows appearing behind Otto Parker. Soon, more Spider-Man figures appeared, more numerous than Schiller had imagined.
There were at least a dozen Spider-Men behind Otto Parker, some in vests, others in all-black attire, some resembling Deadpool, and even one squatting with a monkey's tail.
Schiller couldn't fully make out all these Spider-Men but stepped back, giving Otto Parker room. Only then did Amazing Spider-Man notice another group had arrived.
Amazing Spider-Man moved to the front of the crowd, Otto Parker stood before another group of Spider-Men, and as both parties faced off in the hall, Amazing Spider-Man, squinting, asked, "How did your investigation go?"
Otto Parker snorted, "Much better than yours. You had me lead the investigation into the Heir Family while you were supposed to recruit new Spider-Men here. So, where are they?"
Amazing Spider-Man turned his head towards Schiller, who cleared his throat before saying, "Firstly, I'm not Spider-Man. You've got the wrong guy. I have abilities similar to Spider-Sense, but they're different from yours."
"Also, I can return to my Space to contact the Spider-Man from that realm... I certainly know him, but there's a condition."
In a moment, all Spider-Men turned their gazes to him, countless spider-eyes fixating on Schiller, who remained composed, adding, "Before I contact the Spider-Man from my Space, shouldn't you tell me what you're planning here?"
Schiller glanced at all the Spider-Men, querying, "What brought you all together? What are you investigating?"
As Amazing Spider-Man was about to speak, Otto Parker interjected, "That's none of your business. You'd better bring that Spider-Man here quickly, or we can't guarantee his safety."
"So you should at least tell me what the danger is, right?"
"Morlun," Amazing Spider-Man interjected, clearly on bad terms with Otto Parker, the atmosphere between them tense. He stepped forward, speaking gravely to Schiller:
"If you're really not Spider-Man, then you'd better bring yours from your Space as quickly as possible. It's not for us; it's for his safety."
"Perhaps this sounds utterly unbelievable, but there's a family known as the Inheritors within the Space. They hunt Spider-Men. Many of our comrades have fallen to them."
At this point, Otto Parker spoke up: "Due to a lab accident, I traveled to the year 2099. There, I encountered a Spider-Man corpse. The perpetrators were members of the Heir Family."
"I developed a transporter to traverse different Spaces. In other Spaces, I found more Spider-Men corpses," Otto Parker added.
His black and red combat suit exerted a more imposing aura than the other Spider-Men. Those behind him were mostly expressionless, clearly, like Otto Parker, not entirely on the side of order.
"I encountered an Inheritor called Karn, a formidable figure in a mask. He revealed that the Heir Family feasts on Spider-Men. We also met two other family members. We activated the transporter just in time to escape," Otto Parker's tone was consistently even, concise, devoid of superfluous words, an uncharacteristic style for a Spider-Man.
"The Slik contacted me, inviting me to join the Spider-Army. Having defeated Morlun before, the Spider-Men see me as hope against the Heir Family. So, I came here and became their leader," Amazing Spider-Man continued.
"Yes," Otto Parker crossed his arms, "You sent me to gather intelligence while you stirred up a mess here. Peter Parker, what are you doing? Did you come here just to hinder us?"
"It was an accident," Amazing Spider-Man explained, "The spider web's message went out, and many Spider-Men have received it. They're on their way. Soon, the legion will have more hands."
"How did your investigation go?" Slik stepped forward, asking Otto Parker, clearly aligning with Amazing Spider-Man.
Another Spider-Man, in a red and blue combat suit, emerged from behind Otto Parker, "I traced the Heir Family's lair, went there for a look, and found nothing."
"You've made no progress either, have you?" Amazing Spider-Man approached Otto Parker, confronting him, "Imposter!"
During their standoff, Schiller meticulously observed all the Spider-Men in the hall.
In the comics, many Spider-Men had already died by the time they were discovered by the Spider-Army. They all fell victim to members of the Heir Family, such as Morlun, Karn, Daemos, and others.
However, in the comics, many Spider-Men who should have been killed by the Inheritors appeared here, very much alive and well.
Schiller speculated that this might be due to the influence generated by the Bat Totem. Upon discovering the new Totem, the Heir Family wanted to seize it using the Power of Belief. However, harnessing the Power of Belief required family members to stay at the base and pray.
This requirement reduced the time Inheritors could spend hunting, allowing numerous Spider-Men to escape death.
Schiller did not directly participate in the battle between Stark and Solus, so he was unsure which Heir Family members, including famous ones like the renowned Morlun or his elder brother Daemos, had died in that war. However, it was undeniable that the current plot had diverged entirely from the comics.
The enemies that the assembly of Spider-Men had to face, the vampire members of the Heir Family, met various ends. Some died in the civil war sparked by the previous Bat Totem infection, others were killed by Stark in the space where the Iron Sorcerer resided, and Helen consumed them. They were undoubtedly not coming back.
Perhaps some were on hunting expeditions and did not return to their family residence in time, thus surviving by chance but were no longer significant threats.
The only formidable one, Solus, was now preoccupied with finding his missing house. In the vast multiverse, it was unlikely he would encounter this group of Spider-Men.
As the crowd in front of the replica door finished assembling, it seemed the final bosses had already been taken care of. Seeing the Spider-Men's vigilant stance, Schiller couldn't help but sigh internally.
This wasn't entirely good news. The battle with the Heir Family was one of the few brutally cruel wars in the Spider-Man series of comics. Numerous Spider-Men sacrificed themselves, and this trial of blood and fire forced every Spider-Man to evolve.
Previously, Schiller's confrontations with the Heir Family members weren't about aiding the Spider-Men. It was because the family had targeted them first.
The Inheritors, intent on devouring the Spider-Man of Schiller's space, had orchestrated a bat invasion of New York, which backfired and led to the birth of the Bat Totem. Their greed for controlling the Bat Totem cost them everything, leaving the once-feared Heir Family, notorious for rivers of Spider-Man blood, scattered and broken. Now, only Solus remained, a lonely old man in his twilight years.
With this in mind, Schiller devised a plan. He said, "You make a valid point. Every Spider-Man in each space is in danger, including Peter Parker, a friend of mine."
"So, you must unite. Now, send me back to my space, and I'll bring him."
Hearing this, the Amazing Spider-Man was relieved. He gestured, easing the tension, and replied, "Thank you for your understanding, sir. It's been a while since I've been this nervous."
"No problem. I have a decent relationship with Peter, and I don't want him in danger. You'll ensure his safety, right?"
"We'll do our best," Spider-Gwen said. At that moment, Otto Parker interrupted, "War inevitably leads to bloody sacrifices. Everyone is vulnerable to injury and death. If he's a coward who can't accept that, it's better he doesn't come."
The Amazing Spider-Man pulled at Otto Parker's arm, seemingly displeased with his tone, but Schiller said nothing and disappeared into the teleportation light.
Soon after, another figure in a Spider-Man combat suit arrived in the hall. As the light faded, Peter, seeing so many Spider-Men, was stunned.
The Amazing Spider-Man at the forefront was also startled. "Wait, you're younger than me. How old are you?"
"I just started college. Why?" Peter responded instinctively.
All Spider-Men fell silent. Otto Parker sighed, looking at the Slik, "Are you sure he defeated members of the Heir Family?"
"Maybe we should just ask his teacher to come back," the Amazing Spider-Man whispered to Spider-Gwen, turning his head.
"Uh, hi, I heard the Spider-Army is recruiting, so I came. What do you need me to do?" Peter asked, scratching his head.
"First, we need to know what you can do," Otto Parker said, staring at Peter. "Don't tell me your best skill is homework, or cheating when you can't catch the school bus."
"I never miss the school bus!" Peter retorted.
But as he tried to continue, a sharp tentacle thrust towards him. With his Spider-Sense alert, Peter leaped aside and agilely stuck to a nearby column.
"What are you doing, Ultimate Spider-Man!" the Amazing Spider-Man shouted.
Otto Parker also leaped, using his four tentacles to grapple the column behind him. After a forceful downward press, he sprang up, lunging at Peter, saying:
"Let me see how much strength this kid, who defeated the Inheritors, actually has!"