NOVEL NEXT Chapter 630: Resolving the standoff
Tony's suggestion was perfectly reasonable.
With the continuous development of the quiz game, scenarios like having three Peter Parkers or two Bruce Waynes were bound to increase. It made sense to come up with a way to differentiate between them.
After some discussion, the group devised a plan. Doctor Strange and Captain America, along with Black Widow and Hawkeye, would head out to find Agatha.
Meanwhile, Batman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Superman would go to the world of Peter Parker No. 3 (Andrew's version) to assist. Their main goal was to recruit Peter into the Multiverse Defenders while also stabilizing a reliable teleportation pathway.
Additionally, Banner would lead another team to the X-Men's world to collaborate with Wolverine and Charles.
After witnessing the future of mutants, the heroes were eager to get involved. The X-Men's world was rife with crises, and the conflict between mutants and humans was particularly dire. It was a world in desperate need of saving.
The purpose of forming the Multiverse Defenders was precisely this: to rescue various universes. Heroes like Batman, Captain America, and others with strong senses of justice needed an outlet to put their ideals into action.
For now, their respective main worlds were relatively peaceful, without any major disasters, giving them the opportunity to visit and assist other universes.
The benefits of creating such a vast organization of skilled heroes across multiple worlds were obvious.
Even when Bruce and Superman were away on missions, their respective cities, Gotham and Metropolis, would still be guarded.
Bruce, Steve, Tony, Diana, and others worked together to establish a rotation system, assigning available heroes to watch over different worlds and cities.
With dimensional portals, time-space gates, and the Space Stone, the vast distances between worlds were rendered meaningless. Should trouble arise, a call for backup could summon a swift and overwhelming response.
The thought of enemies planning some grand scheme only to find themselves surrounded by a host of heroes was enough to send chills down any criminal's spine. The era of bad guys relying on superior numbers was over.
Since the Multiverse Defenders was established, crime rates in notoriously dangerous cities like Gotham and New York had plummeted due to increased enforcement.
Gotham, in particular, with its congregation of super-criminals, had seen several rounds of reinforcement. After a series of crackdowns, even the most notorious villains had gone quiet for a while, allowing Batman to take on extra missions without worry.
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While the Multiverse Defenders was carrying out its operations, the other three players returned to their respective worlds.
Wolverine and Erik adapted quickly. Their era was still somewhat behind technologically. Though people had seen glimpses of the future through omnipresent live broadcasts, it would take a day or two for the news to spread. Moreover, both were resolute in their quest for vengeance and unfazed by public opinion.
Peter (Andrew's version), however, faced a more complicated situation.
In his era, the internet had started gaining traction. While not yet at the stage where everyone carried smartphones capable of capturing and sharing everything instantly, major news still spread rapidly online.
When Peter returned home, he found his place surrounded by a swarm of reporters and onlookers.
The chaos wasn't confined to the outside. Inside, he barely had time to embrace his aunt and uncle before a group of FBI agents confronted him, insisting he come in for questioning.
But this Peter wasn't like the first (Tobey's version), who was more compliant. At his age, Peter was rebellious and eager to challenge authority. Whether it was arguing with his uncle or talking back to Gwen father, he displayed the fearless, defiant spirit of a teenager.
Through the Quiz game, Peter had learned the truth about his parents' deaths and the corruption behind it, involving Oscorp and government complacency. This left him deeply distrustful of official agencies, especially ones like the FBI.
Standing protectively in front of his aunt and uncle, Peter glared at the agents. "I don't have to cooperate with your investigation. Leave my house!"
The agents exchanged uneasy glances. The lead agent, a burly man with a thick beard, wasn't pleased but also knew they weren't there to provoke a confrontation with a super-powered individual like Spider-Man.
The Quiz game had revealed Spider-Man as a champion of justice to the entire world. If the government pushed too hard, they'd inevitably face public backlash.
Just as the standoff escalated, a glowing oval-shaped portal appeared in the room.
Wanda stepped out first. Assessing the tense scene, she turned to Peter with a warm smile. "Peter No. 3, need a hand?"
"Peter... No. 3?"
Peter was both surprised and relieved to see her. His anger began to subside, especially as more figures emerged from the portal. Among them were Bruce, Superman, and others.
The first Spider-Man (Tobey's version) greeted him with a shy smile. "Hi, I'm Peter Parker too. You can call me No. 1 to keep things simple."
Bruce surveyed the situation and made a decisive call. "No. 3, take your aunt and uncle somewhere safe. Leave this to us."
Still processing the situation, Peter hesitated. Wanda gently took his hand, smiling brightly. "That's Bruce, but you can call him Batman. Remember what I told you? We're here to get you."
The bond and trust Wanda had built with Peter during the Quiz game were evident. Her presence helped calm him, and without further argument, he followed her lead.
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