Spider-Man: New Home (18+)

Chapter 4: The Search

Peter was sat on a bus around evening when he had reached his destination, Gotham City. He looked out the window to see the grim, rainy city before him as the bus reached the station. He could feel danger at every corner, and to be honest it was a little overwhelming.

He chose Gotham of all places, because from what he had read, Batman was the smartest hero he could possibly find. The key word there being, find, since Batman was apparently known for never being seen until he attacks. That sounded pretty scary, but from what people said about him online, he reminded Peter a lot of Tony Stark in the way he replied on high tech gadgets. Although that was seemingly where their similarities ended.. This brought a sense of comfort to Peter, so this would be where he started.

As he stepped out onto the soggy street corner he could feel the danger now more than ever. His Spider sense was working better, but still served more as a distraction than a tool. He hoped that perhaps with time it would go back to normal, but it still persisted over a month later.

He slipped into a dark alley nearby and changed into his uniform, keeping his backpack on him as he swung away to the nearest threat. Before he knew it he was on the edge of a roof looking out over a parking lot with three thugs mugging a man at gunpoint. Without even thinking, Peter swung to the scene and kicked two of the men across the parking lot before they could even react. The third man shot at him five times, with him jumping out of the wa behind a car. He couldn't dodge, that much he knew. Eventually he heard a clip as the thug ran out of ammo, so Peter quickly webbed the gun before throwing the man against the wall and webbing him to it. The victim looked at him, shaking, with his hands still up. Peter rolled his eyes and just swung away to the next scene.

He scanned the streets below as he followed the tingle and eventually saw a man riding away on a woman's stolen bike. Quickly, Peter swung down and grabbed the thug off the bike, leaning him dangling by a web over the sidewalk.

"Here's your bike, ma'am!" He said, returning the stolen property, much to her shock.

He didn't stop, and just kept swinging to the next tingle. This city was overwhelming as more and more tingles kept popping up. This city was a pit of despair, riddled with crime. How was he ever going to have time to find Batman.
He couldn't just ignore them all.

Suddenly something se caught his eye. A beacon shining against the night sky with a dark bat shape in the middle. Peter breathed a sigh of relief and immediately started to follow the light to its source until finally, he reached the source on top of a tall building surrounded by cops. Peter surveyed the scene from across the street, trying not to go in too blind. Cops tended to not like Spider-Man all that much.

He saw the flood light on the roof across the street, but nobody was there. Just a lone light. Peter jumped across the street and slowly approached it. Suddenly he felt a tight squeezing around his arms and torso. He looked down to see a cable wrapped tightly around his body, followed by a second around his feet.

Peter fell into his stomach, landing on his face rather painfully. Then he heard a soft flap sound behind him. The attacker rolled him over and aggressively pulled his mask off. The attackers face was merely inches away as the man's fists wrapped around his throat.

"You should be careful where you go trespassing!" The man said with a growl. Peter could see him better now. A tall muscular man in a grey suit with a black cape and half cowl with pointed ears and a dark bat symbol across his chest.

"You're Batman!" Peter said with a strain as the man's hand tightened around his throat.

"And you're Spider-Man." He growled. "I know exactly who you are." Then he reached into Peter's bag and pulled out his wallet, and nodded to himself. "Peter Parker."

"Please sir!" Peter choked out. "I'm not here to start trouble! I just need your help!"

"Help?" Batman growled. "You go in recklessly causing destruction and call it hero work? I can see you're trying to help, but you're only adding to the danger."

"I know!" Peter said, struggling to breathe as his face went red. However, this actually caused Batman to let go of him and stand up with a confused look

"You know?" Batman stepped back and allowed Peter to sit up, though still restrained.

Peter gasped as he caught his breath again. "Yeah..." he panted. "I'm not supposed to be here. I..." he swallowed the sad feeling in his gut and continued. "I'm from another universe, sir, and... well... my universe needs me there, I'm not the same as I was back home and-"

"Slow down!" Batman commanded as he let Peter free and handed him his mask.

"Thanks!"

"This isn't exactly my first experience with multiversal happenings." He explained, "But I'm afraid I can't help you."

Peter's heart sank as his hopes were crushed in an instant. "What?! Why? You said you've done this before."

"No, I said I've had encounters." Batman argued, "That hardly means I have the knowledge or even the means of sending you across the multiverse, let alone control where you end up."

Peter felt tears begin to well up underneath his mask. "Oh." He swallowed. "Okay, well... thanks anyway. Sorry to bother you, mister Batman... sir."

All hope was lost and Peter turned to walk away. He wasn't sure what he was going to do now. The guilt of abandoning his reality was too much to bear.

"If I may." Batman called out before he could get away. "May I ask how you got here in the first place."

Peter was actually stunned at the question as he didn't even know really. "I don't know, magic maybe? Why?"

"Doors open both ways, Spider-Man." The Bat explained. "I'll research what I can, but in the meantime I suggest talking to a powerful magic user. If it got you here, it'll probably take you back."

"Great!" Peter's heart soared. "I can't believe I didn't think of that. So um... who should I ask?"

Batman paused for a moment, touching his chin in deep thought. "Hmm. A lot of the others are off world at the moment." Peter was disappointed to hear that, but was willing to wait. "Unless..."

Peter's eyes widened, "What is it?"

Batman peered at Spider-Man, still deep in thought before nodding. "We have a small team in Jump City on the west coast. They're called the Teen Titans. Young heroes, like you." He explained.

"That is so cool." Peter whispered to himself.

"Go to them." Batman continued, "Tell them Batman sent you and you'll be fine. Then you'll seek out Raven. As I understand she has rather powerful magical capabilities... she should have the POWER, at least, to send you home."

Peter pumped his fist triumphantly in the air. "Yes! Thank you so much mister Batman, sir!-"

"Its Batman."

"Thank you, Batman." He said as Batman shook his hand.

"Don't mention it." Batman said as he flipped the light off. "Just be careful not to upset her too much, her powers are a little... unpredictable."

"Thank you, sir!" Peter nodded as he watched Batman leave the roof of the building before doing the same.

He was so relieved. The uncertainty of whether or not he would be able to return home was making his days miserable, even as Spiderman. Every crime he stopped, every life he saved, reminded him of one he could've done back home. He hastily made his wa back to the bus station, making sure to grab a bite on the wa as he hadn't eaten anything since the previous day.

He had a good feeling about going to the Teen Titans. Somehow, Batman's confidence was what made Peter so hopeful. For some reason he trusted him almost immediately. However, something he said bothered Peter.

Be careful not to upset her?

Her powers are unpredictable?

What did that possibly mean?

Either way Peter would find out soon enough, though his malfunctioning Spider sense gave him a little bit of a worry. In his prime, maybe he could stand against a magic user, but now? Not a chance. He would have to make sure to be on his best behavior. As well as he could anyway.