C626 Spider-Man (Patreon)
Content
A few tense minutes after Peter left to go through yet another evolution, MJ, seated downstairs with Gwen’s head in her lap, decided to check on Peter. She remembered the last time he evolved, finding him unconscious on the living room floor, scaring the hell out of her.
Carefully standing up, so as not to wake the sleeping Spider-Woman, MJ paced up the stairs cautiously, hoping her husband wasn't pushing himself too hard this time.
…
..
.
Minutes after MJ left, the front door creaked opened, and Miles entered the house. The weight of his emotions had lessened since his conversation with Peter. Knowing his father's fate was postponed for a year brought relief, and Peter's assurance of protection further eased his worries.
Not to mention the fact that they were heading to the Spider-Society soon, where all of the answers that he needed would be discovered.
As Miles closed the door, he found himself in the living room. There, Gwen lay alone on the couch, her makeup smudged from the tears she had shed. He hesitated, unsure of how to approach her after the revelations and betrayals.
Staring at the sleeping Spider-Woman, Miles noticed the tear stains on her face. Despite the turmoil in his heart, seeing her vulnerable like this stirred conflicting emotions within him.
Frozen in place, Miles grappled with conflicting desires. He yearned to comfort her, to bridge the gap between them, but the profound betrayal lingered in his mind. Gwen had kept his father's impending death a secret, a truth that could have altered their entire relationship.
Unable to bring himself to wake her or offer solace, Miles stood there, fists clenched in turmoil. The conflict within him intensified as he wrestled with the complexity of his broken trust and the possibility of forgiveness.
Unable to come to a decision, Miles contemplated leaving the room. Attempting to distance himself from the source of his problems, he bumped into a nearby end table. ‘Oh sh*t…’
Thanks to his lightning fast reflexes, Miles was able to snatch a lamp and a picture frame out of the air, but sadly, he missed the keychain, which hit the hardwood floor with a loud crash.
As the sound echoed through the room, Miles craned his head backwards, watching as Gwen stirred from her sleep. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up, bewildered by the noise.
The sudden disturbance caught Gwen's attention, and her gaze locked onto Miles. Confusion and concern etched across her face, she asked, "M-Miles… You’re back…?"
Miles remained silent, his internal struggle evident in his eyes. Gwen, realizing the tension, looked around and realized what happened. The room now held a tangible air of discomfort, the fractured trust between them palpable.
Gwen's expression softened, and she hesitated before speaking, "Miles, umm… can we talk?"
The weight of those words hung in the air, and Miles felt a mixture of emotions. He wanted answers, explanations, and a resolution to the turmoil within him. Yet, the pain of betrayal lingered, making it difficult for him to engage in the conversation.
Miles, desperate to avoid the impending conversation, attempted to leave, pacing over to the front door. His hand on the doorknob, he felt a surge of adrenaline, hoping to escape the emotional turmoil that awaited him.
Gwen, however, wasn't willing to let him go that easily. She let him go once and refused to do so again.
With a swift leap off the couch, Gwen's hand shot out, tightly gripping Miles' arm. Determination burned in her eyes as she refused to release him, her resolve matching the strength of Miles' attempt to retreat.
"Miles, we need to talk, please," she insisted, her voice carrying a mix of vulnerability and determination. Miles, caught in the physical and emotional grasp, found himself facing a confrontation he couldn't evade.
"Let go, Gwen," Miles demanded, frustration evident in his voice. Gwen, however, held on tightly, her grip unyielding, a desperate plea in her eyes.
"Please, Miles, just talk to me," Gwen begged, her voice wavering with vulnerability.
Miles hesitated, his eyes darting toward the door, contemplating escape. A fleeting thought of using his venom blast to break free crossed his mind, but the notion of hurting Gwen held him back.
Sighing, Miles reluctantly agreed, "Fine, let go."
As they awkwardly settled into the couch, Gwen poured out apologies, her remorse palpable.
"I messed up, Miles. I should've told you about your dad, I know that now," Gwen admitted, her voice filled with regret. “I-I just thought that it would be best to keep my mouth shut. If your dad died, your universe would be safe, your friends would be safe, your mother would be safe…”
Although that made sense, Miles struggled to find the strength to forgive her, his hurt too profound to easily let go.
Miles, wrestling with conflicting emotions, replied tersely, "Gwen, I get that you believed this whole ‘Canon Event’ bullsh*t, and you probably had good intentions, I’m not saying you didn’t. But you still should have told me…"
The room descended into an awkward silence, both grappling with the aftermath of betrayal. Miles sat there uncomfortably, Gwen, on the other hand, looked almost broken by the pain she had caused.
Suddenly, an explosion resonated from upstairs, jolting Miles and Gwen from their inner turmoil. They exchanged a glance before rushing upstairs, forgetting their problems for the time being.
Upstairs, they found Peter’s door blown off of its hinges. Rushing over, they found Peter standing in the middle of the room, surrounded by pulsating purple energy, the room itself in complete and utter disarray.
The release of power had left a visible impact on the space. They could even see MJ sticking to the wall in the corner of the room, staring at Peter with a worried look on her face, her hair messy from what was probably an explosion of her husbands power.
"P-Peter?" Miles questioned, concern etched on his face. “Are you alright?”
Peter, still recovering, reigned in his newfound power before answering, "Yup, never felt better..."
————
In the deepest recesses of the Spider-Society, Miguel O'Hara meticulously reviewed his intricate plans, knowing that the looming threat he feared would soon manifest in the form of Peter's arrival.
The labyrinthine safeguards he had tirelessly established were the only defense against the unpredictable forces that Peter's presence might unleash. The question lingering in the back of Miguel's mind was not if, but when Peter would come knocking at their hidden sanctuary.
As Miguel immersed himself in strategizing, the dimly lit room was abruptly engulfed in blaring alarms. Flashing red lights illuminated the darkness, casting an eerie glow on the high-tech lair. Bewildered, Miguel glanced around, a sense of urgency replacing the calm focus he had maintained just moments ago.
Just as the alarms reached a deafening crescendo, LYLA materialized before Miguel. Her holographic form flickered, adding an air of urgency to the situation. "Miguel, there's been a prison break," she announced, her voice cutting through the chaos.
Miguel's eyes narrowed as he absorbed the information. The large screen in front of him shifted, displaying three figures caught by surveillance cameras as they hurriedly exited the prison, Uncle Ben, their newest inmate, Ben, and Spider-Punk.
LYLA's synthesized voice echoed in the room, "As you can see, Hobie Brown has betrayed us."
Miguel's reaction was measured, his expression betraying a hint of expectation. "It makes sense," he mused, his tone reflecting a blend of nonchalance and acknowledgment. "He and old Ben were always close. I'm just surprised it took him this long to act."
Silence enveloped the room as Miguel processed the situation. The revelation of Spider-Punk's betrayal, although not entirely unexpected, carried weight. After a thoughtful pause, Miguel issued a decisive command to LYLA. "Mobilize everyone. We can't afford to let them slip through our grasp, not while we’re dealing with other problems… Capture the escaped prisoners and their accomplice."
As Miguel's orders reverberated through the hidden corridors of the Spider-Society, the atmosphere shifted from contemplation to urgency. LYLA efficiently initiated the mobilization, echoing over the intercom that stretched to every corner of the Society.
————
In the dimly lit alleys of the Spider-Society, Ben silently followed Uncle Ben and Spider-Punk as they navigated through the shadows, doing their best to avoid any unwanted attention. The shadows provided a cloak for their escape, shrouding them in a veil of secrecy as they moved cautiously, conscious of the fact that they had just broken out of prison.
As they walked, Spider-Punk took the opportunity to fill Uncle Ben in on the state of affairs within the Spider-Society. "This place has really gone down the toilet since you've been gone," he remarked with a cynical tone. "Everyone just follows Miguel's orders like he's our king or something, it's insufferable."
Uncle Ben scoffed at the notion. "Well, you won't have to follow Miguel's orders for long," he declared, hinting at a darker plan. The air became charged with the weight of unsaid intentions, and Spider-Punk merely nodded, acknowledging the unspoken alliance.
"Miss me with that murderousness," Spider-Punk retorted, his tone carrying a mix of nonchalance and rebellion. "I'm just here to break a pal out of prison. I'm willing to help you get to the big man himself, but after that, I'm retiring from all this nonsense."
Uncle Ben accepted the terms with a nod, recognizing the pragmatism in Spider-Punk's stance. They continued through the labyrinthine alleys, their paths intertwining with rebellion and escape.
Finally mustering the courage to address the questions burning in his mind, Ben attempted to speak, but before a single word could escape his lips, LYLA's voice echoed through the Spider-Society over the intercom. “Attention all Spider-Society Members! There has been a prison break! All available personal are hereby ordered to mobilize and seek out the escaped criminals and their accomplice!”
As the intercom broadcasted the urgent message about the prison break and the suspects involved, the trio watched as the many screens around the Spider-Society flickered to life, displaying images of each of them. Their faces broadcast for everyone to see, they became the focal point of attention for every spider-person in the area.
“Oh sh*t…” Uncle Ben muttered as he watched all of the nearby Spider-People begin to fan out and search the area.
A/N: 1738 words :)