Chapter 45: The Crossover

Celeste's voice chimed in his earpiece.

["Update: The Human Fly was defeated few seconds ago. The attacker used advanced technology. A green armor, glider, and pumpkin bombs."]

Peter froze for a second. "Run visuals."

["Displaying now."]

His lenses zoomed in as Celeste pulled up the footage. The fight had been brutal and the Human Fly stood no chance. His attacker moved with precision, dodging every attack and countering with explosive force.

Then the camera caught a clear view of the attacker's face. Peter's stomach dropped.

It's him. The Ultimate Green Goblin.

Not the classic, masked Norman Osborn. This one was from another world. The armored version from Ultimate Spider-Man 2024.

Peter clenched his fists. "Are you telling me this guy is currently in the city?"

["Exactly, Sir"]

He exhaled slowly. Not good.

Celeste took a moment before asking, ["Shall I make contact?"]

Peter thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Not now. Postpone it. I don't know what his deal is, and I don't have the time to figure it out tonight."

["Understood. Marking for later investigation."]

A second later. ["Sir, call connected to the Defenders."]

Peter took a deep breath. "Hey, guys..."

The Blackbird sat parked in the shadows, blending into the night.

Two groups stood facing each other like a weird superhero version of a high school reunion.

On one side: Spider-Man and the street-level heroes. Moon Knight, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Misty Knight, Colleen Wing, and White Tiger.

On the other: The X-Men.

Wolverine stood front and center, looking annoyed as usual, like a drunk uncle. Rogue was quiet, hanging back, like a teenager forced to attend the family get together. Psylocke had that "I'm the ghost of Uchiha" energy. Nightcrawler and Kitty Pryde, on the other hand, were smiling, trying to be friendly.

And finally, Deadpool… who looked like he was starring in his own action movie. "Did somebody order extra-large awesome with a side of insanity?!"

The Defenders turned to Spider-Man, who raised a hand. "Not it."

Deadpool gasped. "Spider-Man! My crime-fighting, web-slinging, fourth-wall-breaking soul brother! Come here, you magnificent meme factory!"

Before Peter could react, Deadpool pulled him into a tight hug.

Iron Fist blinked. "Uh… is this normal?"

Jessica shrugged. "Define normal."

Luke Cage crossed his arms. "I don't trust anyone who hugs that fast."

Deadpool finally let go, spinning dramatically. "I, the one and only Deadpool, have joined the X-Men!"

Kitty Pryde cleared her throat. "He's a trainee."

Deadpool gasped, placing a hand on his chest. "Kitty, that hurts. Right here. In my non-existent heart."

Deadpool then turned his attention back to the Webhead. "Bro," Deadpool whispered. "It's really you."

Peter blinked. "Uh… yeah?"

Deadpool took a dramatic step forward. "I can't believe it. I have waited for this moment all my life."

Peter crossed his arms. "You sure about that? Pretty sure you were busy annoying Wolverine for most of it."

Deadpool gasped. "HOW DARE YOU. Logan and I have a beautiful, toxic, horrible relationship that he refuses to acknowledge."

"Sounds about right," Wolverine muttered.

Deadpool ignored him and pointed at Peter. "But you? You're different. I feel it. The bond. The energy. The chemistry!"

Peter tilted his head. "Are you saying we have a moment?"

"YES!"

Peter pretended to think. "Hmm. I dunno, Wade. I think we need to build some trust first. Maybe hold hands a little. Share a meal. Fight some bad guys. Then, maybe, we can talk about this bond of yours."

Deadpool clutched his chest. "You! You understand me!"

Jessica pinched the bridge of her nose. "I hate this. I hate everything about this."

Deadpool shot back. "Too late. He's my best friend now. No take-backsies."

Kitty giggled. "I think you just adopted Deadpool."

Peter groaned. "Great. This is my life now."

Psylocke, looking unimpressed, cut through the chaos. "Enough of this. We're here for a reason."

Peter sobered up. "Right. What brings you guys here?"

"We've been keeping an eye on his activities. He's been making contact with the Marauders. But it gets worse, he's working with a mutant scientist named Mister Sinister." Psylocke explained.

Silence.

Iron Fist rubbed his chin. "That's bad."

Luke Cage exhaled. "Man, this city never gets a break."

Jessica folded her arms. "Who's Sinister and What's the deal between them?"

"Mr. Sinister, aka Nathaniel Essex, is a 19th-century mutant and scientist obsessed with genetic engineering and Darwinian theory. He manipulates and experiments on mutant genes. Kingpin provides human test subjects," Psylocke added. "Sinister, in return, gives something back."

Misty's stomach dropped. "Please tell me you're joking."

Psylocke's expression didn't change. "I don't joke."

Deadpool raised a hand. "She really doesn't. I tried making a joke about her costume once, and she almost telekinetically removed my.."

Peter cut him off. "It's better to handle them now, before they could cause anymore trouble. If you don't mind, I'd need all the evidence you have. Anything linking Kingpin to Sinister."

Psylocke nodded. "I'll send it over. You think you can handle this alone?"

Peter shook his head. "What I'm gonna do, is make sure the world knows what's going on. Celeste?"

["Yes, Sir?"]

"Send out a notification to all my subscribers. I'm going live later."

["Message scheduled. Want me to add 'Spider-Man EXPOSES Crime Lord (Gone Wrong?!)' for dramatic effect?"]

Peter sighed. I hate that I'd actually click on that.

Deadpool gasped. "Oh my god, I forgot that Spider-Man is an influencer. This is the best timeline."

With the main discussion over, the X-Men got ready to leave.

"Guess this is where we part ways," Rogue said.

"Until next time," Nightcrawler added with a small bow.

Kitty smiled. "Try not to get arrested, Spider-Man!"

Peter gave her finger guns. "Try not to phase through a bank vault again, Shadowcat."

Kitty gasped. "That was one time!"

The X-Men flew away in their jet... except for two.

Deadpool, threw an arm around Peter. "Guess what? You're stuck with me now, bestie!"

Psylocke sighed. "I'm staying to track Kingpin. He is staying because.."

"Because I love him!" Deadpool interrupted. "And because I may have accidentally broken something expensive at the mansion, so I'm lying low."

Peter pulled Deadpool aside. "Okay. Real talk. Of all the comic and movie universes… which one is this?"

Deadpool looked around, then leaned in dramatically. "A fanfic."

Peter narrowed his eyes. "A what now?"

"A fanfic, my dude. A top-tier, peak-fiction, expertly crafted fanfic."

Peter groaned. "You mean to tell me my entire life is just some guy's story?"

"Yup. But look on the bright side! At least you're not in a bad fanfic. No weird OCs with tragic pasts, no harem nonsense, and.."

Peter raised a finger. "Wait. How good is this fanfic?"

Deadpool wiggled his hand. "Mmm… solid 4.8 out of 5. Good pacing. Decent action. And me. I make everything better."

Peter sighed. "Great. Just great."

Deadpool threw an arm around him. "Cheer up, buddy! At least you're not in a cringe crossover where every character is overpowered for no reason!"

Peter stared. "...You just jinxed it, didn't you?"

Deadpool grinned. "Oh, absolutely."

Tony Stark sat in his high-tech workshop, sparks flying as he worked on his next masterpiece. A half-built suit of red and gold armor stood in front of him, still missing key components, but it already looking like the birth of something great. His return, his huge comeback.

And yet, somehow, it wasn't the biggest news of the day.

["Sir, the most trending news article is still about the attack yesterday,"] J.A.R.V.I.S. informed him. ["A battle between multiple enhanced individuals, with Spider-Man, a new team now called The Defenders and the X-Men involved. Shall I display it?"]

Tony sighed dramatically, tossing his wrench onto the table. "Let me guess. People are more interested in a masked acrobat and some superheroes, than the return of genius billionaire Tony Stark?"

["That would be correct, sir."]

"Unbelievable," Tony muttered, rubbing his temples. "I come back from the dead or close enough and my glorious return is playing second fiddle to some teenager in red and black spandex. The world has no taste."

["Would you like a breakdown of Spider-Man's involvement?"]

Tony rolled his eyes but gestured for J.A.R.V.I.S. to proceed. "Fine. Might as well see what's got everyone so fascinated."

A holographic screen popped up, showing highlights from the battle. Spider-Man swinging between buildings, dodging gunshots, flipping over enemies, and bantering the whole time.

Tony narrowed his eyes. "I see what's happening here. People love a wisecracking superhero. I respect it. But they'll learn soon enough, there's only room for one sarcastic genius billionaire in this town."

["Shall I set a reminder for you to invite him to lunch and establish dominance?"]

Tony smirked. "Nah. Let's keep it a mystery. Builds tension."

As Tony resumed welding, J.A.R.V.I.S. delivered an unexpected report.

["Sir, I have detected an unusual financial transaction regarding Stark Enterprises. Approximately 35% of the company's stock was quietly sold right now by an unknown shareholder."]

Tony paused mid-weld. "Come again?"

["An unidentified individual held a significant share of Stark Enterprises. They sold all of it right now. The buyer's name is Peter Parker."]

Tony frowned, lowering his tools. "Peter... Parker?"

"Correct, sir. He is scheduled to attend the upcoming board meeting in a few days."

Tony's mind started working at high speed. "Alright, let's break this down. A mystery investor owned over a third of my company. No one knew about who he was. And now, that stock belongs to some random guy? That's not just weird. That's concerning."

["Shall I run a deeper background check on Mr. Parker?"]

Tony leaned forward, intrigued. "Oh, absolutely. Dig up everything you can."

A few seconds later, J.A.R.V.I.S. compiled the data.

["Peter Parker, age 18. Former student at Midtown High School. Academically exceptional. No records of inherited wealth. However, he was employed at Oscorp as a high-salary part-time researcher. Records show he played a major role in the development of the ReGen Serum."]

Tony raised an eyebrow. "ReGen Serum? The one you told me about when you got me updated on the big events?"

["Exactly, Sir. Mr. Parker's contributions were substantial, though details remain classified. He left Oscorp shortly before the company's collapse. Since then, he has made significant gains in the stock market, rapidly amassing wealth. However, his investment strategies remain unknown."]

Tony let out a low whistle. "So, we've got a high school genius who casually cracked a major biotech breakthrough, then pivoted to dominating Wall Street? And now he owns a huge chunk of my company?"

["That would be an accurate summary, sir."]

Tony ran a hand through his hair. "Okay. Either this kid is the luckiest human alive… or something way bigger is going on."

He grinned, feeling that familiar rush of curiosity.

["J.A.R.V.I.S., make sure the board meeting is very interesting. Let's see what Parker's really about."]

He leaned back, staring at the ceiling.

"Peter Parker," he mused. "Who the hell are you?"

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I know the parts about stocks and investments are a huge ass pull, but I'm not an expert in these things, so just ignore them. If you still like my work, support me with power stones. (ಡ⁠ ͜⁠ʖ⁠ ಡ)