Karen and the Memories

                                    

                                          
Peter opened his eyes, which he had closed earlier, expecting to crash into the ground, something he never thought he would do again. He blinked twice, trying to comprehend what was happening, but a new voice interrupted his thoughts.
"That's the dumbest way to end pain I've ever seen. You know falling from a great height won't kill you, it'll just make you more miserable for a while, Peter."
Peter quickly raised his head and found himself staring at an old woman who looked at him with pity. It wasn't that he could read her gaze, but he inferred it from the sad tone in her voice.
Peter couldn't face the woman in front of him. He already understood that his attempt to end his life hadn't succeeded. In his moment of pain and despair, he forgot that his powers far exceeded those of an ordinary person, and the fall from such a height wouldn't kill him. It might break a few bones, but those would heal the next day. He felt incredibly foolish for thinking that jumping from a great height would end his suffering and pain, just as foolish as believing one of his relationships could succeed or that he had real friends. This realization brought out a faint, bitter laugh, and he whispered, "It seems I didn't think that through. For once, I wish I were less powerful than I am."
The old woman sighed with regret and said, "Peter, I'm so sorry for what's happened."
Peter sat on the dark ground and looked around. He found himself gazing at a giant web, displaying the lives of millions of people who, like him, played the role of Spider-Man. The sight didn't surprise him much; this wasn't the first time he had found himself in this place, although this wasn't the usual way he visited it. Typically, he came here due to a significant threat to the web network and all Spider-Men across dimensions.
Peter looked at the old woman with nothing but boredom. "Weren't you supposed to be dead, Cassandra?"
Cassandra smiled, though the smile didn't convey any joy. "I was supposed to die, but Julia's failure to fulfill her role as Madame Web made the web of life bring me back."
"Ah, Julia. Seems I'm not the only one whose choices always lead to disaster, right?" Peter said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice, mocking Cassandra's choice of Julia as Madame Web.
Cassandra frowned at his words. "It's unfortunate. At first, I thought Julia had great potential, but it seems her arrogance grew after becoming the next Madame Web, causing her to forget the reason for her selection."
Peter tilted his head mockingly. "Really? When did you figure that out? Was it after she ruined my already ruined life, or when you realized many Spider-Men across the multiverse had died?"
Cassandra looked down. Peter's words might have seemed casual, but she always took her role as Madame Web seriously, and due to Julia's negligence, many Spider-Men had died.
Cassandra wasn't surprised that Peter knew about the deaths of many Spider-Men, since Peter from Earth-616 was the center of the web, which meant he had a deep connection to the web. Every time a Spider-Man from another universe died, he felt it.
Cassandra couldn't do anything because of Julia's failures. She had given her the role of Madame Web, but Julia had disappointed her immensely.
Before Cassandra could drown in her guilt, Peter spoke, though his words did little to comfort her.
"Don't worry, Cassandra. I know you're disappointed in your student. If it's any consolation, Miles is also my biggest disappointment, both as my student and as the next Spider-Man."
Peter's words did nothing to ease Cassandra's guilt. Trying to change the subject, Peter asked, "Forget it. Why are you really here, Cassandra?"
Successfully shifting the conversation, Cassandra decided to get to the point. "Peter, I know your life was hell under my watch as Madame Web, and it became much worse after Julia took over."