Chapter 25 – Great Expectations

(Earth-1610)

Living Room, Chavez's House (7:00pm)

The moonlight dims the living room. The basement door opens. Miles waddles with gloomy eyes. He flops on the leather couch. The full moon brightens his eyes. He blinks, his eyes sting little. He shifts throughout a half hour. He winces and groans. He gets up and slips out to the balcony.

Miles tramps to the rail. He gazes the zillion stars. The moon shines blue. Miles closes his eyes and breathes. The fresh hair rustles his afro. He waited a half hour. He opens his red eyes, stinging. He groans. He starts pacing. His hands grasp his hips. He winces at every sting from his eye. He gazes at a small light in the distance.

Could that be them?

Miles walks on the lawn. He squints at the light through the cornfield. It was a long path. He winces at the stars, closes his eyes, and walks into the mysterious path.

4 2

Cornfield, Chavez Farm (7:10pm)

"Ever since I bought this crib. They've been after my property months after."

Andy and Xavier strides past a long-wired fence. Xavier grabs Andy and reels him.

"Wait." He points to a small no trespassing. "We're here.

"Then let's go?"

"Yeah? If ya haven't heard, they have guns waiting on the other side. Be careful."

Xavier cautiously passes into the trespassing lane. Andy follows his footsteps.

Andy spots a wooden shack, surrounded by wired fence. He finds a small water pump, flooding the shack. Xavier takes out a wire cutter from his toolbox and cuts a link chain and sprints to the pump.

"Shit." Xavier reaches into toolbox. "Can you hold these pipes together?"

"Uh. Yeah. I think." Andy grabs the two pipes and squeezes them. Xavier tightens the first bolt and proceeds to the rest. Xavier blew out hard.

"That'll do." Xavier packs his things. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah?"

"Your kid never peeped? Why?" He said.

Andy leans on the fence. "No idea. She's been like that since the beginning."

Xavier chuckles, then gapes. Andy follows his gazes. He finds a truck and two cars pulling off near them. Xavier's reaches into his bag and loads his 44. Magnum.

"Stay here." He said.

Xavier puts the weapon in his jeans. He walks in front of the strange vehicles.

Eight men steps out, armed. One stood out all of them. He wore gold jewelry around his neck, was African American, wears a cap, and sunglasses that lights up the American flag.

"Cuban Boy!" He said. "Good to see ya homie!"

"Look Tiny Dawg." Xavier said. "If your crew keeps interfering with my water. I'ma have to call my lawyer."

"You keep saying the same shit everyday dawg!" Tiny Dawg said. "Cause what happens? Look! Look what I got and you don't! Who's dis?"

Andy steps from the shadows.

"Look at dis white boy, skinny as fuck! What's wrong with your face?"

Andy's face glows red. "I can shut that mouth of yours right now peep squeak. if you don't get your crew back in that nice truck of yours."

The air grew quiet. The gang lays off. Tiny dawg glares.

"I see you got some muscles X." He said.

"He's a friend of mine." Xavier said.

"With a big ass mouth."

Andy smiles. "I get that a lot."

"You'd probably get this too."

Guns lock and loads.

"Remember what I said." Xavier said.

"Then you know what I'ma about to tell you X." said Tiny Dawg. "I'ma count to three. And you two are gonna start walking. One."

"I'm calling my lawyer!" Xavier reaches his back.

"Two."

Andy swipes the 44. Magnum from Xavier. He shots rounds at the armed men and at Tiny Dawg in the knee. Tiny Dawg was screaming in agony, cussing at his pain.

Andy sighs. "Three."

"What the fuck!" Tiny Dawg yells. "I'ma getchu muthafucka! That's my fucking word!"

Xavier's eyes widened.

Tiny Dawg limps back to his truck. He flips them off. He starts the truck and reverses. Andy drops the gun and coughs.

"Why did you do that?" he said. "Now they're really coming after me."

Andy turns to him. "You have a right. That right was the only option. This is your land. Not there's."

Andy coughs, and walks.

"Then thank you."

Andy turns and nods.

4 2

Path in the Cornfield, Chavez Farm (7:50pm)

The wind rustles Miles's afro. He gazes at the blue moon, shining on a worn Basketball Court. He sees a large mural of famous Basketball Players. Lebron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Jayson Tatum of the Brooklyn Nets, Michael Jordan of the Houston Rockets, Kobe Bryant of the Charlotte Hornets, and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.

"Wow." He walks closer to the walls. This Kid's got some skills. He shifts his gaze at the court and finds an egg crate with a worn Basketball. He picks it up.

When playing Basketball, Miles is in his zone, he always loved Basketball. Uncle Aaron introduced it to him when he was eight years old, when he was alive. Miles never touched that ball again when he got hurt at Brooklyn Middle, but he never will till now, because Aaron was on his mind right now.

Miles walks on the court and closes his eyes. He bounces the ball and walks to the free throw line. He spins the ball in his hands. He finds his target. Shoots it. Misses short. Miles rebounds the ball and shoots it again. Misses over. Miles gropes the ball and throws into the darkness.

Miles gazes at the walls of NBA Players. The Ball swishes in the hoop. Miles stares at the darkness, in a fighting stance.

"Easy pal. It's just me." Gwen said from the darkness. Miles drops his fit and exhales.

"Couldn't sleep?" She said.

Miles nods. Gwen walks to the wall and squints.

"I thought Lebron was with The Lakers?" Gwen walks to the wall of NBA Players.

"He never was, he never left. Won three titles with The Cavs, they weren't the same after his early retirement." Miles grabs the ball and shoots it close to the hoop. It goes in.

"Miles!" Gwen call from the mural. "Get a look!"

Miles sprints to her. Nothing. Just a plain brick wall. Miles's eyes furrow.

"What?"

Gwen shows Miles a notebook. He opens it. He gapes at a bunch of designs of Spider-Man. The original. No colors, just sketches. He skipped through some that were never finished.

Miles gazes at the crate of spray paint. He smiles. He rips some sketches from the notebook.

"What are you doing?" said Gwen.

"One second!" Miles spreads the spray cans near the wall and finds a large clamp light. He switches it on.

"Miles you're not thinking whatever it is right." She said.

Miles grabs a couple of spray cans. "Well. You help someone you help everyone. Right?"

Miles inserts the mixtape of 90's hip hop plays that rings Miles's ears. He shakes the can's hard with a large grin.

After twenty minutes, Miles finishes the outline with smooth waves of red, blue, pink, and black, and yellow, and orange. He stops. He gazes at Gwen, sitting next to the radio, watching him work.

"Uh. A little help?" Miles said.

She squints. "What? I don't even know this stuff."

"Can I show you?"

Gwen furrows, then smiles.

Ten minutes later, they were giggling and laughing. Miles showing her tricks of the range of the paint, the shades and different textures, creating shapes for the characters. Gwen climbs on his shoulders to reach the top of the mural. They started yacking about some stuff. Miles put his hands on the mural. It left a mark. He chuckles. Gwen smiles and handprints next to his.

The finish by putting their signatures: Miles and Gwanda

They step away from the mural. They soak in every part of it. The mural paints The Spider-Gang jumping into action to save Jose from falling.

"How did I do." Gwen said.

"You did great." Miles snaps a picture of the mural. "Wonder How he'll feel the next morning."

"You know, I don't get it." Gwen said.

"What?" Miles stuff his phone in his jacket.

Gwen sighs. "Seeing you feel disconnected, and lack of confidence. Like, what's been going on?"

Miles looks to the mural. "This whole job is confusing, and I think there's a part of me that's empty. Maybe. I dunno."

"I think you're being too much like him." Gwen said.

Miles raises an eyebrow.

"What I'm saying is. For example, I'm more vigilante than Peter has ever been. I did some stupid things too. I've learned my lesson. Doesn't mean there's consequences. I paid the price." Gwen sniffs.

Miles eyes narrowed and thought, 'If you wanna know something, don't do the things like they do.'

A scream echoes the farm. Miles and Gwen jump. BANG! Shots were fired.

Miles's spider-senses exploded, nothing like he's ever experienced. His eyes widened, like a disturbance in the forces. Miles and Gwen looks at each other and bolts to the house.

Next Chapter: It Wasn't Me