The rainbow light of the Bifrost faded, leaving behind a lingering shimmer as Peter, Thor, Susan, and Sable stepped out onto the golden bridge of Asgard.
The air was cool and crisp, but somehow it didn't bite, it felt... ancient. Alive. The bridge beneath their feet gleamed under the sunlight like polished glass, stretching out before them like a
pathway into myth.
Heimdall stood waiting at the end, sword in hand, his golden armor as
regal and unmoving as ever.
"Welcome to Asgard," he said, voice deep and calm. "The All-Father awaits."
Susan's eyes widened, taking in the spires and towers of gold in the distance. "Wow... this place is beautiful."
Sable, walking beside her, raised an eyebrow but didn't disagree. "Golden, yes. Lavish. Almost too much." Still, even she looked a little awestruck.
Peter said nothing.
He stood a little behind the others, eyes distant. There was something... familiar about this place. A pull in his chest. Like he'd been here before.
Not as Peter Parker.
Not even as Spider-Man.
No, this was older. Deeper. A flicker of memory not his own. He could feel the silk threads of something ancient brushing at the edges of his thoughts.
Anansi.
The name whispered in his mind like the wind rustling through trees. This was a place the old spider-god had once walked.
He inhaled slowly, steadying himself. The past and present were bleeding together too often lately.
Susan glanced back at him, noticing the shift in his expression. "You okay?"
Peter gave a small smile, the kind that didn't reach his eyes. "Yeah. Just... déjà vu."
Thor chuckled beside them, the sound hearty and bright. "You wouldn't be the first to feel that. Asgard has a way of remembering souls, even if their bodies forget."
Peter didn't respond, but the look he gave Thor said plenty.
As they continued walking across the bridge, Asgard unfolded in all its glory before them, a kingdom of gods and legends. And Peter, for all his sarcasm and darkness, couldn't shake the feeling that he was walking back into a story he'd once left unfinished.
The golden bridge stretched endlessly before them, its surface reflecting the radiant light of Asgard's eternal sun. Peter, Thor, Susan, and Sable walked in step, the city's towering spires growing closer with each stride. The air thrummed with an otherworldly energy, a pulse that seemed to hum in time with Peter's heartbeat, or perhaps it was something deeper, stirring within him. Susan's wide-eyed awe and Sable's guarded fascination filled the silence with occasional murmurs, while Thor's booming voice pointed out landmarks with pride. Peter, though, remained quiet, his thoughts tangled in that strange, ancient pull.
They reached the grand gates of the palace, a towering structure of gold and white stone that seemed to pierce the heavens. Guards in gleaming armor stood sentinel, their eyes sharp but deferential as Thor led the way. The halls within were vast, lined with tapestries depicting battles and legends, the air heavy with the weight of millennia. Peter's senses prickled; every step felt like walking through a dream he couldn't quite grasp.
At last, they entered the throne room. The chamber was colossal, its ceiling lost in a haze of golden light. At its far end, upon a throne carved from ancient stone and adorned with runes, sat Odin, the All-Father. His single eye gleamed with wisdom and authority, his presence filling the room like a storm held in check. A herald stood at the base of the throne, his voice ringing out as they approached.
"All hail the return of Thor, son of Odin, Prince of Asgard!" the herald proclaimed, his words echoing off the walls. "He brings guests to the court of the All-Father!"
Thor strode forward, his hammer Mjolnir glinting at his side. He dropped to one knee before the throne, head bowed in reverence. "Father, I have returned. And I have brought the one you seek."
Susan and Sable, sensing the gravity of the moment, followed suit, kneeling with a mix of respect and uncertainty. Susan's breath caught as she stole glances at the regal figure before them, while Sable's posture was stiff, her eyes flicking warily between Odin and the room's grandeur.
Peter, however, remained standing.
The air in the throne room shifted, growing taut. Odin's eye narrowed, his gaze locking onto Peter with the weight of a thousand years. Whispers rippled through the gathered Asgardians, courtiers, warriors, and attendants, who stood along the edges of the chamber. To stand before the All-Father without kneeling was an affront, a challenge.
"Boy," Odin's voice rumbled, deep and commanding, cutting through the murmurs like a blade. "You stand in the presence of the All-Father, yet you do not kneel. Do you mean to insult me? Speak, and explain how one such as you, a mortal, has touched the Web of Life."
Susan's eyes widened, darting to Peter, a mix of worry and confusion on her face. Sable's hand twitched, as if ready to act, though she remained still. Thor rose, his expression caught between concern and curiosity, but he said nothing, watching Peter closely.
Peter's lips curled into a faint smirk, unperturbed by the weight of Odin's stare. He closed his eyes, and the room seemed to hold its breath. A moment later, a presence surged into the chamber, not mortal, not human, but vast and ancient, as old as the stars themselves. The air grew heavy, charged with a power that rivaled Odin's own. It was as if the threads of reality itself shimmered, bending toward Peter.
When he opened his eyes, they glowed a radiant gold, like twin suns blazing in the dim light of the throne room. The whispers ceased. Odin's stern expression faltered, replaced by a dawning recognition. His lips parted, and in a voice barely above a whisper, filled with disbelief and joy, he breathed a single word.
"Anansi."
Peter, or the being within him, spoke, his voice carrying a cadence that was both Peter's and something far older. "I didn't kneel to you, Odin, because I never have. And you'd never let me claim you were better than me, would you?"
The room was silent, the weight of the moment pressing down on all present. Then Odin laughed, a deep, resonant sound that echoed through the hall like thunder. He rose from his throne, his robes flowing like a river of starlight, and descended the steps with a vigor that belied his ancient visage. Peter stepped forward to meet him, and the two clasped forearms in a warrior's greeting, their grips firm, their smiles wide.
"It's good to see you, brother," Odin whispered, his voice thick with emotion, his eye gleaming with the joy of reunion.
The Asgardians watched in stunned silence. Susan's jaw dropped, and Sable's eyes narrowed, her mind racing to process what she was witnessing. Thor's grin widened, as if he'd suspected something extraordinary all along.
"Brother?" Susan whispered to Sable, who only shook her head, equally lost.
Peter, or Anansi, released Odin's arm, the golden glow in his eyes fading slightly but not entirely. "It's been a long time, All-Father," he said, his tone lighter now, almost playful. "You've let the place get gaudier."
Odin chuckled, clapping Peter on the shoulder. "And you've chosen a curious vessel, old friend. A mortal boy with a sharp tongue and a spider's heart. Tell me, how did this come to be?"
Peter's smirk returned, but there was a flicker of his usual self in it now. "Long story. Let's just say the Web of Life has a sense of humor."
Odin's eye twinkled with amusement. "Then we shall have that story, Anansi. And we shall feast, as brothers do, to celebrate your return."
As the throne room buzzed with renewed energy, Peter glanced at Susan and Sable, who were still kneeling, staring at him like he'd grown a second head. He gave them a small, sheepish shrug. "What? I told you it was déjà vu."
Thor laughed, clapping Peter on the back. "Come, friends! To the feast! Asgard has much to offer, and our tale is only beginning!"
As they followed Odin and Thor toward the grand hall, Peter felt the weight of Anansi's presence settle within him, a quiet hum of power and memory. He was still Peter Parker, still Spider-Man, but now, he was something more.
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