Stephen looked at Pietro with surprise. "Didn't expect you to be so philosophical."
Pietro shrugged with a self-deprecating grin. "Yeah, a nobody like me is only good for playing backup—standing around making noises while you big names shine, right?"
On the other side, Charles took the opportunity to appeal to Erik. "Do you see now, Erik? Hatred isn't everything. You killed Shaw, but did that really set you free? No, the flames of vengeance are still burning your heart every moment. I know that. I know your pain."
Erik gave him a cold look, a sharp smile tugging at his lips. "You're right. It hurts. But do you know what pain and hatred do, Charles? They make me stronger. Strong enough that, one day, even your mind-reading won't work on me."
Charles stared at him, frowning. "Have you forgotten? In that future vision we saw, what truly made you strong enough to defeat Sebastian Shaw wasn't hatred—it was hope. The hope for something better. Erik, I know you were born in hell, but you've always looked toward heaven. You can fool others—but not yourself."
Erik fell silent.
His heart, hardened like Adamantium, still held a sliver of softness deep inside.
In some ways, Sebastian Shaw had been his teacher—teaching him ruthlessness, cruelty, and a willingness to do anything to achieve his goals. Erik had inherited that legacy.
But fundamentally, they were different.
Shaw was a pure opportunist, a power-hungry schemer who exploited his mutant powers to build a following and grab authority. He always claimed he was fighting to lead mutants to rule the world—but in truth, it wasn't the mutant cause he cared about. It was power.
Erik, on the other hand, was more like Thanos—an idealist, even if that idealism seemed villainous to others. Unlike Shaw, he truly wanted to see mutants rise. Because of what he suffered as a child, he knew better than anyone how unfairly mutants were treated in human society. He wanted to change that.
That's why Charles, despite being a good man through and through, still called Erik his closest friend. They were the same kind of people—just with different ideals.
Erik didn't respond. Instead, he gestured toward the screen for Charles to keep watching.
Back in the video, Peter had pulled himself together with the help of the other two Spider-Men. The grief was still there, but he found strength again.
The three of them returned to the school to finish what Peter had started—creating the cures and serums for the villains.
This time, he wasn't alone. Whether it was Tobey or Andrew, either one could go from masked vigilante to lab researcher without missing a beat.
Even better, Norman and Connors were their former foes—they knew them far better than Peter did. That made the development of a cure much easier.
Andrew took on the serum for the Lizard, while Tobey worked on the one for Green Goblin. Peter handled Electro and Sandman.
He had almost finished before, but the equipment had been destroyed during the fight with Green Goblin. Now it was just a matter of fixing it.
The three Peters got to work in the school's modest lab.
Meanwhile, Ned couldn't help his curiosity. He wandered over to Tobey and asked, "Do you have a best friend too?"
He figured they must share similar experiences—and he was right.
Tobey didn't stop working, but his expression turned melancholic. "I did... He died in my arms. Before that, he tried to kill me. Losing him broke my heart."
Ned was instantly spooked, and the audience watching the screen couldn't help laughing. Still, they felt a pang of sympathy—Spider-Man's life had never been easy.
Andrew, watching Peter and MJ sharing a tender moment, felt a deep emotional tug. He glanced at Tobey, curiosity piqued, and asked about his relationship.
Tobey thought for a moment, then smiled warmly. "We've been through a lot, but we made it. Sometimes, we even get to enjoy a normal, happy life together. We did it—MJ and I…"
Realizing he was mixing up names, he chuckled. "Kinda confusing, huh?"
Andrew smiled back, but behind that smile was a quiet sadness.
At last, with their combined efforts, they completed the serums and antidotes for the villains. The next step was to lure them out.
They could use the Box. Those villains didn't want to return to their own worlds—if given the chance, they'd try to destroy the box.
Peter had already chosen a deserted location for the fight, far from civilians. It showed he'd learned from past tragedies.
Everything was ready. Andrew looked at Tobey's casual clothes and asked, "Where's your suit?"
Tobey tugged at his collar. "I'm wearing it underneath."
Very in-character for someone as low-key as him.
Speaking of personalities—Andrew and Peter were clearly the more outgoing pair, while Tobey stayed quiet and reserved.
Before heading out, Ned, ever the reliable support guy, handed Peter a supply of web cartridges. Tobey looked confused. Why would anyone need to prepare webs in advance?
Everyone else gave him a strange look. Wasn't it obvious? Spider-Man needed web-shooters, so of course the webs had to be prepped beforehand.
Then, Tobey raised his wrist—and a line of web shot out.
Everyone froze.