"So I Live in Queens"
It's been almost a year since Leonardo recovered his memories, and he just realized that he lives in the same place as Spider-Man… or will live. Of course, it's not like he only just discovered where he lives—he's always known he lived in Queens, and he also knew about Queens because of Spider-Man. He just hadn't made the connection between the two in his head until now.
The truth is, he has a lot of memories and locations in his mind that overlap with MCU events, but he'd never stopped to actually link them. Though, it's probably something he'll get used to and start doing unconsciously.
But back to the point: it's not so much that he's shocked about living in Queens. What really caught his attention is living just a river away from where the Battle of New York will take place. Most people might be terrified to know that, but Leonardo not only trusts his ability to change the future—he's also a genuine Marvel fan. In short:
" I have to go see the Stark Tower and where the Battle of New York happened."
- Leonardo POV -
Wow, this place is amazing. I sometimes forget, with all the superheroes and insanity, but the Marvel Universe is decades ahead in terms of technology… compared to wherever I'm originally from. I still don't remember my past life, but I can't help but be impressed. I guess in my original world we weren't as advanced… although I'm not even sure how I know that.
Still, seeing Stark Tower would blow anyone's mind. It's the pinnacle of Earth's tech—well, if we don't count Wakanda… but Wakanda's secret, so it doesn't count.
And right at the foot of Stark Tower, there it is: Grand Central Terminal. A place that, at first glance, doesn't stand out much—especially next to that high-tech marvel—but for any MCU fan, this place is sacred. This is where the Avengers assembled for the first time. Where the Chitauri invaded. Where the Battle of New York took place. I need a picture.
I asked a kind lady to take my picture, and I moved on to the next stop:
"This place looks exactly like in the movies."
The Sanctum Sanctorum, New York's sanctum. One of the pillars of the magical shield that protects Earth from mystical invasions.
'Of course, it's all magic, so all I can see is a kind of creepy building. But knowing what it really is still makes it amazing.'
"Still, coming all this way just to take a picture in front of a weird-looking building… feels like a waste."
"Though I doubt they'll show me the magical shield just to make my picture cooler, right?"
Right as I said that, I felt it: the sky lit up with energy. Symbols and strange letters appeared, like a giant magical shield covering the entire sky. Honestly, it looked incredible.
"Okay, now it's worth the photo."
After snapping what's probably the best picture of my life, I headed to the next destination. Though it's a little suspicious that the sorcerers at the Sanctum would grant that wish. Considering that ever since I painted my first artwork I've been—without knowing it—connected to the Sorcerer Supreme... it's not hard to guess what happened.
"Still… thanks for the gift, Ancient One."
Next up was the Daily Bugle. It only showed up a little in the latest Spider-Man movie, but with a bit of asking around I found it. And well… it's nothing special. Honestly, its style is pretty boring. Still, I took another photo and moved on.
"Okay, this is probably the closest I'll get."
It's not easy trying to take a picture that captures an entire neighborhood without getting too close… but we're talking about Hell's Kitchen. No way I'm stepping into that place. Better head to the final stop.
There are still many iconic MCU locations I haven't visited yet, but it's already past 4 PM and I've been out all day. Time to wrap things up with the last point and head back.
"Again, nothing too special. I guess the part of me that remembers the movies sees these places as meaningful… but the side that grew up here sees them as just ordinary. That kind of kills the excitement."
Empire State University (ESU). It's where Peter Parker and a bunch of related characters usually study—at least in most versions. Though in the MCU, if I recall correctly, Peter and his friends wanted to get into MIT, so they probably won't study here… I think. I was never that good at remembering those kinds of details, and it seems my memories brought more than just the movies.
"Anyway, I'll take the photo and go. Students are starting to come out already."
Click
'Huh? That wasn't my camera.'
When I turned, I saw someone had just taken a picture of me with their phone. Weird. I mean, sure, I consider myself attractive—but not "random people stop and take pictures of me" attractive. I didn't have time to think about it before that student approached me.
And not just him. After he took the picture, more people started to look this way and walk toward me too.
'This is bad. Too many people are coming over. Do they think I'm trespassing or something?'
"Excuse me, can I ask you something?"
"Uh? Yeah… I guess."
I replied to the guy who had stepped forward.
"This is just a normal university, right? So if you're taking a picture here… then something's gonna happen."
'Am I famous? I'm not that naive. This guy clearly recognizes me—or rather, he recognizes Laplace's Demon. But I'm not about to confirm anything that could mess with the timeline.'
Still, with all these students gathered and waiting expectantly… maybe I can have a little fun.
'It's not like it'll change anything...right?'
"Well… believe it or not, someone who'll study here will be one of Earth's greatest heroes. A hero who'll show what it means to never give up. Someone who even turned down joining the Avengers. The one and only Spider-Man."
Everyone went quiet for a second… and then the questions exploded:
"Spider-Man? Is he a superhero?"
"Is he like Iron Man?"
"Can he turn into a spider?"
"What are the Avengers?"
"Will more heroes come from here?"
'Haha, so many questions. I didn't think they'd believe me this easily.'
Now, you might ask: "Why risk revealing Spider-Man's identity?" Easy. In universes where Peter is a public hero, he tends to do way better. So I wouldn't mind if that happened. But the chances are slim with what I just said. Maybe SHIELD will find out… but they'd figure it out either way, even without my help.
As for that last question… doesn't Gwen study here? Though I don't know if she'll become Spider-Gwen in this universe. We already have a Spider-Man… will she get bit by his spider? Or did the system bring another spider from another universe? No way… right?
As I was thinking that, I suddenly felt someone yank me hard.
'Am I being kidnapped?'
---
Hidden behind a wall, out of sight from all the students, there I was. And standing in front of me—Gwen. I was a little surprised to see her, though I did suspect she might study here. This is the third time I've run into her "by accident." I should probably start getting used to it. What did catch me off guard was how serious she looked when she brought me here. I really hope this isn't what I think it is.
"Hey Leo, what are you doing here?"
"Oh, just sightseeing… and then I got surrounded. What can I say? I'm more famous than I thought."
Gwen wasn't amused by my playful tone. She pulled out her phone and showed me the latest headlines:
Laplace's Demon: Who Is He and What Does He Want?
Can Someone Really Predict the Future?
Who Was the Message from Laplace Meant For?
Massive Battle in Harlem: Did Someone Already Know?
Urban Legend or Reality? The Mystery of Laplace's Demon
Leonardo Valentino: His Art and His Story
I stared wide-eyed. I'd looked myself up before. There were some mentions, sure, but in small forums or fringe news. This... this was different. These were major media outlets. Confused, I asked her:
"What's going on?"
Gwen looked at me like I was an idiot and said:
"You seriously don't know? The message, Leo. Did you really think that just because you deleted it right after posting it, no one would see it?"
"So someone did see it?"
I didn't expect this much fuss over it.
"'Someone'? The entire internetsaw it! You posted a message predicting a future event. There's no way people would just brush that off as coincidence. Honestly, they'd probably think you caused the battle if it weren't for the fact that it was two giant monsters fighting."
Gwen looked both excited and worried. I'm glad someone cares about me—even if there's not much to worry about. Thanks to "Anonymous Wereabouts," only people interested in my art and its "special effects" can find me. Anyone actively investigating me can't reach me. Of course, I can't tell her that.
"Don't worry, Gwen. I'll be fine. I've already taken steps to make sure no one finds me."
Gwen reacted immediately.
"No one? What about the person the message was meant for?"
"Are they talking about that online too?"
"Of course they are! You sent that message to someone. Someone who knows you can see the future. Someone with the authority to step in during a monster battle. If people weren't suspicious, that would be suspicious."
"I'm sorry, but I can't talk about that. Thanks for caring, really. I appreciate it. But this isn't something I can involve normal people in."
I wasn't lying. It really did mean something that she cared, but SHIELD is serious business. I can't drag anyone else into that. Even if this sounds like a casual chat… it's not. Not when we're talking about the world's greatest intelligence agency.
But to my surprise, Gwen didn't get mad. She just looked… hesitant. And after a few seconds of silence, she said:
"You said you won't involve normal people, right?"
'...'
'Why do I have a bad feeling about that question?'