"Congratulations, you finally managed to hit me once."
"As a reward... You can all take a nap now."
As he spoke, Peter flicked his wrist, tossing Neighbor #2—who had been nearly choked to death—aside. #2 tumbled into #1, sending them both rolling as their back injuries flared up in unison.
Then...
Dong—!
A headbutt coated in Armament Haki slammed into Neighbor #3's forehead, instantly making the man's eyes roll back into his head.
Tossing the limp #3 onto the pile with #1 and #2, Peter looked down at the heap of Spider-Men and asked:
"Now then. Are we done?"
The three Neighbors, stacked like cordwood, looked at each other and then at him. Finally, they offered a bitter smile that looked more like a sob and nodded in unison.
They couldn't win. It wasn't even close.
Though the fight had been brief, the message was crystal clear: This "Old Me" possessed combat power that defied imagination. He was a perfect "Hexagon Warrior." If he truly intended to kill them, they wouldn't have lasted ten moves.
With that kind of strength, no wonder he could walk around with a girl on each arm. No wonder he claimed even the entire Spider-Society couldn't stop him.
Old Me is a beast!
Even though the three Neighbors realized they were no match for Peter physically, they had no intention of abandoning their mission.
After all, this concerned the survival of an entire universe! Seeing that the "martial" approach failed, they switched to the "literary" one.
"Bro, I know you're strong," Neighbor #2 panted, struggling to sit up. "But no matter how strong a single person is, they cannot fight the will of the entire universe!"
"Yeah," added #1. "You don't want your universe—your family and friends—to collapse completely just because of your selfishness, do you?"
Hearing this, Gwen and Felicia exchanged a worried glance. They believed no one on Earth could beat Peter, but... could he really stand alone against the collapse of a universe? Whether they lost the world or lost Peter, either outcome was an "unbearable weight of life."
As the two women fretted over the possibilities, Peter's cold laugh cut through the tension.
"So? For the sake of the universe's 'survival,' I'm just supposed to roll over and die?"
The three Neighbors froze. They had never considered that a "Peter Parker" could say something so... "selfish."
In the silence, Neighbor #3 spoke up. "No, you don't have to sacrifice your life. I think... you should join the Spider-Society!"
"If you join the Society and stay there permanently, it's effectively the same as disappearing from this universe. You'll no longer be an 'anomaly' affecting this world's timeline!"
Gwen's eyes lit up. This seemed like an optimal solution where the universe and Peter could both coexist! She looked at Peter expectantly, clearly moved by the idea.
But Peter only sneered. "You certainly have it all figured out. If you can't kill me, you want me to become an executioner just like you?"
"Executioner?" #3 bristled. "What are you talking about? Spider-Man doesn't kill!"
"Doesn't kill?" Peter's smile grew colder. "Then what is this mission you're on? You want to 'correct' the variable—me.
You want to make Gwen, who has the power to stop a tragedy, stand by and watch her father die. How is that any different from being an executioner?"
"Oh, I see. Because I'm strong, I get a ticket to the 'refugee camp' called the Spider-Society. But the victims of other Canon Events—those who can't fight back against outsiders like you—they just deserve to die?"
"You're literally just bullying the honest people!"
"That's different!" #3 shouted, the veins on his neck bulging. "You're twisting the concept! You can enter the Society because you are Peter Parker.
Because you—or rather, all Peter Parkers—are recognized by the Web of Life and Destiny. And don't you know that 'with great power comes great responsibility'? We're doing this for the good of your universe! Don't you get it?! If you don't leave, and if the Canon Event doesn't happen, the universe collapses! Everyone dies!"
"Enough!" Peter cut him off brutally. "Did you not hear what I told Gwen earlier? On what basis do you conclude that breaking a Canon Event causes a universe to collapse?"
Neighbor #2 tried to de-escalate with a pained, earnest tone. "The leader of the Spider-Society, Miguel O'Hara, witnessed a collapse firsthand! He tried to change a Canon Event by replacing a dead version of 'us' in another universe. That universe shattered!"
Neighbor #1 added, "Do you really think you know more about the truth of the universe than someone who lived through it?"
The three were certain this logic would "set Peter straight." But Peter's response sent their brains into a total lock-up:
"And you call yourselves Peter Parkers? You've forgotten the basic principle of a controlled experiment."
"I'll ask you one thing: Does the experience of one man represent a universal constant for all realities?"
"Besides him, is there another control group? There must be more than just the three of you in that Society. Out of all of you, has anyone else seen a second universe collapse because of a broken Canon Event?"
The three Spider-Men were stunned into silence.
After a long pause, Neighbor #1 whispered in disbelief, "Are you insane? This is about the lives of tens of billions! Who would dare use that many lives for an 'experiment'?"
Neighbors #2 and #3 nodded frantically in agreement.
To this, Peter offered a scathing review:
"Because you lack the courage to even test the theory, you just watch as version after version of yourselves repeat the same tragedies.
You even personally stop other versions of 'you' from saving the people you love. If you ask me, you're all incredibly brain-dead."
"I'm certain of it now—I'm truly not fit to be a Spider-Man."
"If the price of being a 'Spider-Man' is becoming a pathetic wretch like you, I'd much rather be a madman."
"If the family and loved ones I cherish are destined to die, then I have no attachment to this universe anyway."
"So, the experiment you're too afraid to run? I'll do it. I'll take the consequences alone."
"I don't care if you try to stop me. I'm breaking the Canon Event two days from now. That is final."
"Of course, if you're willing to help me with the experiment, you're welcome to stay and witness exactly how stupid your beliefs have been."
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