The three Spider-Men stared at Peter, their voices filled with disbelief. Meanwhile, Gwen and Felicia were piecing together clues from their fragmented words.
These people had the same abilities as Gwen—and they were likely all... Peter?
With that burning question, Gwen asked instinctively, "Are you all... Peter?"
The three Spider-Men looked at each other and nodded in unison. Then, with synchronized movements, they pulled off their masks.
Hiss—!
The moment those three faces were exposed, Gwen and Felicia gasped simultaneously. The three guys in front of them looked... exactly like Peter!
What was this? A Peter Parker clearance sale? Buy one, get three free?
For a split second, a wild thought crossed their minds: Wait, does this mean we don't have to fight over him? We could each have two and get double the happiness?
Just as their thoughts were spiraling into chaos, the voices of their respective symbiotes rang out in their heads.
"Hey, Gwen, calm down. They aren't Peter. Or rather, they aren't the Peter you want."
"These three... are so weak! And they smell weird. Beings of this level don't deserve to carry the name of Peter!"
The latter comment, of course, came from Tide. While Tide wasn't a "child" split directly from Peter, she had been purified by the power of his Horse Talisman at birth.
Consequently, she possessed an innate affinity for the Talisman energy within Peter—a "Peter Radar" that could instantly lock onto the true deal among a thousand Friendly Neighbors.
Reminded by their symbiotes, Gwen and Felicia snapped out of their shock. As the initial surprise faded, they quickly noticed the differences between these "Friendly Neighbors" (let's call them Neighbors 1, 2, and 3 to avoid confusion) and their Peter.
Though their features were identical, a closer look revealed subtle distinctions. The most obvious was age.
Neighbor #1, the one who kept saying "WTF," looked only fifteen or sixteen—much more juvenile than their Peter. He looked like a literal child!
The other two were "older." The reason they used "older" rather than "mature" was that these two didn't possess the confidence, dashing aura, or high spirits of their Peter.
Neighbor #2, the university student, was closest in age to their Peter. He looked perhaps two or three years older—likely a college student who hadn't graduated yet—with eyes full of that specific brand of "clear-eyed university stupidity."
Neighbor #3 looked to be in his thirties. He was the scruffiest of the bunch: unshaven, messy hair, weary eyes, and even a slight beer belly...
"Hey, as a fair trade, you should show us your faces too!" Neighbor #1 chirped.
Gwen hesitated for a moment, then retracted her symbiote suit. Beside her, Felicia hadn't intended to retract hers, but Tide did it for her. Tide wanted to test a theory: Do all these Peters have a thing only for Gwen?
"WTF! Your suits... how do you do that? That's so cool!" Neighbor #1 goggled at them like a kid with a new toy.
The other two Neighbors, however, froze completely upon seeing Gwen and Felicia.
"G-Gwen?!" Neighbor #2 (The Student) turned red-eyed instantly, his voice trembling violently.
"Felicia!" Neighbor #3 (The Scruffy Uncle) shuddered, moisture instantly flooding his weary eyes.
Almost simultaneously, both men—faces streaked with tears and the ecstasy of finding something long lost—rushed toward Gwen and Felicia, arms open for a long-overdue hug.
However...
"Don't come any closer!" "Back off!"
With two sharp rebukes, the Neighbors were stopped in their tracks. It wasn't even Peter who moved—it was Gwen and Felicia themselves.
Gwen's Spider-Sense was screaming, and she instinctively used the Karate techniques Peter had taught her.
With a crisp shoulder throw, she slammed Neighbor #2 into the ground. Felicia was even more direct; Tide transformed her arm into a razor-sharp blade, pointing it menacingly at Neighbor #3.
In that moment, they were absolutely certain: they never loved Peter for his face. What they loved, with a passion they couldn't escape, was that unique soul.
It was the domineering, powerful, yet gentle Peter Parker they could rely on completely.
Not these two "losers" who looked weak and carried eyes full of grief and pain.
Seeing the atmosphere turn into a bizarre state of awkwardness, Peter—who had been enjoying the show—finally stepped forward.
"Gentlemen, your behavior is a bit too bold. I suggest you realize that these are my girls. If there's a next time, my response will be much rougher than theirs."
Peter took the opportunity to pull both girls into his arms, publicly declaring his sovereignty. Felicia, naturally, was incredibly submissive, her eyes radiating a seductive happiness.
Gwen, though still privately moody about Peter's "two-timing," didn't reject the hug—partly to ensure the "clones" didn't get any more ideas.
The two Neighbors felt like they'd been struck by lightning. For a split second, a wave of resentment surged within them that would have made a villain blush.
Not cool, bro. We're all Peter. Why are you living the dream while we're suffering?
But the thought vanished as quickly as it appeared; their innate kindness smothered it. This universe's Peter was enviable, but they had their own paths to walk.
Meanwhile, little Neighbor #1 was full of admiration. Whoa, this guy is a legend! None of the others in the Spider-Society are this smooth. Maybe when I go home, I should pay tribute to this senior's style?
But he quickly smothered that thought too. Too immoral. Uncle Ben and Aunt May didn't raise me like that... besides, I can barely handle one MJ.
Where would I even find another girl? With MJ's personality, if I looked at someone else, she'd turn my life into a nightmare.
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