Title: Save Red

Universe: Spider-Man Edge of Time/Spider-Man 2099

Summary: For Miguel, it's the bigger picture that's important. What good would it do to save a girl if their universe ended?


This was stupid, this was crazy, and this was a lot of other words associated with insanity and madness. He'd like to say he was guilt tripped into going off-road and into a daring rescue mission to save a damsel in distress, that the guilt complex of another was slowly infecting him the longer they spent in each other's heads serving as the other's moral compasses.

Truth of the matter was, on some level, whether he chose to acknowledge it or not, he wanted to do this. He would whine and snark his way all the way through the valley of mutated tentacles, but he wanted to do this. If not for Mary Jane then for Peter. After all, what if their roles were reserved? What if it was Xina, Dana, his mother or brother on the line? Wouldn't he be asking Peter do the exact thing he was just now?

Maybe, he thought stubbornly. Maybe yes, maybe no. Miguel wouldn't give himself a straight answer in fear of lowering himself to the same impulsive and emotional nature he liked to think himself above. Traversing the corridors of Alchemax he came upon Mary Jane without ever reaching her more times than he would care to count. She was frightened, scared for herself (maybe even Peter) and she heard him, but she couldn't see him. The bright lights and savage tentacles thrashing around her made sure of that much, driving her further and further away from him.

He became frustrated, angry even, at her and at himself. Time was moving too slowly, he wasn't moving fast enough, she was too quick for him. Obstacle after obstacle continued to detour him and the panicked voice belonging to Peter screaming in his head through their mental bond made his skin crawl. Everything was betting against him, it was like fate wanted him to lose. Web-swinging, running, none of it seemed to make a difference until he heard her crying for help again.

Behind the diagonal and misshapen tentacle shooting through the wall, Mary Jane sat huddled against the wall of the elevator, legs against her chest and arms around her legs. She knew he wasn't Peter – or in this case, Spider-Man - though she alluded to some strange similarity at the same time noting their differences. "Peter sent me," Three little magic words seemed all she needed to calm herself and thrust her life into his hands.

And from there, aside from figuring out how to chase off the tentacles, everything seemed to be rolling in his favor. He was a mere few feet away from Mary Jane when another onslaught of temporal rifts let loose another set of spindly arms and snapped the cables of the elevator and send her screaming down the shaft in on a one way ticket to the end of her life.

Caution be damned, he dove after her, completely invested in saving her life. He'd never be able to move fast enough for Peter, he couldn't move fast enough for himself, but he wouldn't let her die.

Miguel, I know you really didn't want to do this, but please!"

"Peter, I swear to you, I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think I could save her!" Twisting, turning and dodging, Miguel followed her through the unending shaft, ripping away the once important articles of the elevator, dashed when the final piece sent him flying backward and further away from his goal. Another twist through the elevator shaft finally brought him to Mary Jane, and without hesitation he extended his hand to her.

Mere seconds from disaster he pulled them out of literal jaws of death, free-rising through the shaft and onto a non-descript floor of the building. The combined rush of adrenaline, the smell of perfume and the beat of her heart against his chest, made his legs go weak.

So this was the legendary Mary Jane Watson? Far be it from their current situation to make a first impression on him, but her words alone - her soft spoken tone, the absolute trust she showed to a complete stranger in a mask, the way she said 'Peter' - let him know why his friend cared so much for her.

"Alright, I'm going to leave you here for a while, just until I get things under control," Miguel told her as he sat her on a couch in an isolated office.

"Is Peter alright? Those things outside-"

"Don't worry, he's not in any danger. As soon as things are settled, I'll bring him to you, alright?"

Mary Jane nodded, hesitant to remove her grip from his arms. "Look, I know you're scared, but there's nothing to worry about. As long that door is shut, nothing can reach you-" I hope, "-I'll make sure of it."

"Okay, I trust you. Be careful, Spider-Man."

Miguel nodded. "I will."

This was definitely not the first time he'd ever done something like this, but damn if the combined thanks of Mary and Peter weren't making him feel as though he'd won the lottery. The world didn't end, he rescued the girl and he still had time to salvage his own timeline. It was worth it.


TBC