This work is based on a great Tumblr Post!
UPDATE: Chapter 2 is being made! The first 2 of 8 big parts are finished, so I hope I'll be able to get it out soon! Sorry for the wait!
The streets of Brooklyn.
Home to skyscrapers that touch the sky.
Bustling metropolis filled to the brim with unique people, from your average citizen to megalomaniac super villains who try to tip the scales in their favor.
A city that never sleeps.
Especially one resident.
"When is he coming?", asked an impatient Latino American teen, wearing a yellow t-shirt, a black collared jacket and black levi's. He rapidly tapped his foot on the ground, itching for the awaited arrival, his impatience complimentary to his adrenaline fixation.
"He always comes, dude. You'll see.", said a Muslim American girl, her eyes rolling at her friends impatience.
She knew he'd come.
That's what heroes do, after all.
She wore a purple and white Thunderbolt (from Carol Danver's comic book days as Ms. Marvel) Sweater, jeans (much to her mother's discomfort) and a look of hope despite a life of seeming constant disappointment
She may have been more patient than her friend (who was now scrolling on his phone, looking for an update on that reboot of PBS's "Nova"), but her eyes darted with excitement, looking for Brooklyn's hero.
"Yeah, man! Chill! Getting all frustrated won't bring him here!", said a friendly and calm Korean American, wearing a loose white lab coat that looked like it was put on hurridly, a green t-shirt that sort of hid behind the coat, and dark, almost bordeuax jeans. What he lacked in brawn he certainly made up for in brains.
His teachers would rave all about his grades, and sure, he was proud of it, but man would he kill for some abs!
The friendly genius handed two ice creams to his friends, and laughed.
"Get it? Chill?", he laughed at his own joke, prompting eye rolls from his friends.
The genius stared at them, befuddled.
"Guys, this is comedy gold! Man, this is wasted on you! Doctor Banner would have loved this!"
The Hopeful Girl continued to stare at the sky.
The Impatient Boy closed his phone and devoured his ice cream.
"He's not coming", he said with a mouth full of creamy delight.
The Hopeful Girl ignored him.
"I know you won't let us down…", she whispered.
The Genius Boy started to yammer on about the gamma research he was conducting ("Non-Lethal. I know what I'm doing!").
The Impatient Boy finished his cone and absent mindedly threw it onto the ground.
The Hopeful Girl continued to stare at an empty sky.
Their spirits began to waver.
The Impatient Boy threw his hands up in the air.
"Welp! He's a no show! Let's play "Smash Bros."!"
The Genius Boy pumped his fist.
"All right! Dibs on R.O.B!"
The Impatient Boy whacked The Genius Boy.
"No way!", he protested. "You always choose R.O.B!"
The Genius Boy smirked, and tapped at his head.
"That's because he's the strongest AND the smartest!"
The two boys began to horse around.
The Hopeful Girl stopped looking to scold at them.
"Come on, guys! He's coming!"
"No he's not!"
"Maybe he's late! Superheroes have lives too!"
"What could he be doing? Taking a stroll? "Oh, gosh! What a beautiful day! I hope no crimes happen while I goof off!"
"He wouldn't do that!"
"Uh… Guys?", The Genius Boy was frozen in fear, pointing at a yet unseen threat.
The Hopeful Girl and The Impatient Boy snapped back.
"What?!"
Suddenly, they too saw the cause of The Genius Boy's fear.
And they stopped talking.
A mugger approached them, wielding a knife.
"Hey, kids. How's it going?"
The kids backed away slowly, stopping at a water fountain made of marbel.
"Having a good day? I hope you are. I'm sort of in a pickle. I could use some funds."
He grinned menacingly.
"Could you spare a brother a dime?"
All three tried to be brave.
Yes, they were unremarkable.
Yes, they were powerless.
Yes, they were defenseless.
But they weren't going to go down without a fight.
The Impatient Boy stretched a protective arm across his friends and raised his right fist.
The Genius Boy shook in fright, but tried to puff up his chest.
The Hopeful Girl pushed her friends aside and stepped forwards, both fists raised, a defiant look on her face.
Injustice would not win today.
The mugger sneered.
"How do you like that? Little girl thinks she can play hero? Thinks she's Captain Marvel?"
He raised his weapon.
"Dream on, kid. You can't be a…"
THWIP!
Suddenly, the muggers face was covered with a white, silky substance.
The Hopeful Girl gasped, as did her companions.
Surely…
"Scuse me, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, passing through!", said a reassuring and energetic voice, and two powerful legs kicked the criminal in the face.
He went down like a rock, his face dizzy from the pain.
A black and red suited figure, wearing a mask with wide eyes that reflected the figure inside and a graffiti spider emblem on his chest landed on the man's body with a graceful, yet somehow erratic landing.
The young hero shook his head.
"Look at you! One THWIP, one kick and boom! You're out!"
He sighed dramatically.
"I didn't even get to make a quip!"
The man tried to get up.
The teen hero's spider sense acted up.
"Uh oh! He's back!"
He back flipped onto his feet, and shoot multiple webs, tazing the criminal and sending him back down.
He then wrapped him up and tied him to a lamp post.
"Don't worry, buddy! Once you go to Jail, you'll make so many friends! And the warden will give you a lollipop if you're a good noodle!"
The hero laughed at his own joke, and turned to the awe struck and grateful teens.
"That. Was. Amazing!", said The Impatient Boy, his heart beating with adrenaline.
"Spectacular! Sensational! Totally Awesome!", added The Genius Boy, who was shaking with excitement.
The Hopeful Girl didn't say anything.
She was just…
Awe struck.
The hero began to walk backwards and gear up for some swinging.
"You guys were great! Standing up to him and all! Sorry I was late. Traffic was insane! So many helicopters!"
He then swung up in the air and waved goodbye.
"Stay safe!"
The teens all smiled as the hero of Brooklyn swung off.
"Yep…", thought Miles.
"It's been pretty amazing…"
A comic cover appeared on the screen, showing a shadowy figure enter Miles' classroom.
It read "Spider-Man: Miles Morales": "Ionic Bond": "A Serendipitous Discovery".
"Ok, ok… Let's catch up…"
Miles swung past the streets, flipping and diving as the people cheered at his presence.
"It's been two weeks… Two weeks since I became Spider-Man… And it's been awesome!"
He parkoured up a skyscraper and dashed on its top.
"I've saved a ton of people…"
A cutaway shows Miles saving a single mom, a little girl and the girl's puppy from a burning building. The girl has a Captain America blankie and clings onto Mile's suit, smiling.
Miles smiles back.
Back in reality, Miles flips onto the next building and crawls to the top, almost like a pro.
"I've fought some big villains!"
Miles dukes it out against Electro, a villain made of electricity, in the night sky.
"I've fought against some…"
Miles finds himself in The Kangaroo's pouch. The Kangaroo tries to finish his robbery, but Miles puts on boxing gloves and knocks him out.
"Shrimp on the Barbie!", The Kangaroo yelled.
"Seriously, dude? That's kind of offensive!", Miles shouted back.
"…Weird villians."
Miles gets to the top, swings onto a bus, and sits down for a second.
"I've made a best friend in my roommate, Ganke."
Miles and Ganke Lee, Miles' roommate at Visions High laugh and joke as they play "Mortal Kombat".
Ganke is wearing Miles' mask, and Miles uses his webbing to stick Ganke's hands to his controller, rendering him immobile.
"Dude!", Ganke complains, and Miles laughs hysterically.
"I've hit a ton of drones…"
A montage shows Miles get hit by drones while swinging, while crawling and while fighting Omega Red.
Miles then arrives to class late.
"Mr. Morales… Late, again." Ms. Calleros said, with an annoyed, if resigned tone.
Miles smiles nervously, and then gets hit by a drone.
"Seriously, what's with all the drones? There are so many these days! Just, like, get IPS, ya know? Those guys need money too!"
Miles shook his head as he swung off a gargoyle.
"Woah. That was a weird thought. I hope I'm not weird."
He looked at the gargoyle.
"Hey, Bruce!"
He continued to swing through the city, the adrenaline rushing.
"Let's see… Anything I missed? Well, I'm still doing well at school, even if my science teacher is always on my case…"
Miles tried to shoot his webs onto a lamp post, but in an attempt to not shoot too hard, he missed the post, and nearly collided onto a bus.
Thankfully, he used his hands and legs to flip onto the bus and go back to swinging.
"Things are better than ever with Dad…"
Miles and Jefferson go to "The Foam Place", Jefferson looking unsure.
Miles nods to the electronic music while Jefferson shakes his head humorously.
He sips his espresso, and nods, impressed.
"I gotta admit… Not bad."
He then lightly elbows Miles.
"Still more of a disco than a coffee shop, though."
Miles laughs and elbows him back.
"Come on, Dad!"
Miles smiles behind the mask.
It was nice to have an easier time with his father.
"Honestly… Things have been great. Even if I…"
He frowned now, a little sad.
"I miss them. So much."
He swung past The Daily Bugle.
"Noir, Peni, Ham, Peter…"
Suddenly, she crossed his mind.
"…Gwen…"
Like a flash, he remembered it.
It was only last week, yet if still felt like it had just happened.
Vivid, bright, blinding, a kalidascope of colors shines in his eyes, and a voice rings clearly in his head and in his heart…
"Miles! Miles! Miles! You got a minute?..."
She was there.
He could still feel her breath.
Her touch.
He SAW her.
…
If only he could…
"Hey, watch out, Spider-Man!"
Miles gasps and shakes himself awake, and narrowly dodges a construction beam.
A worker flashes a thumbs up.
"Stay safe, Spider-Man!"
Miles shoots a thumbs up back.
"Thanks, man! You too!"
Miles goes back to focusing on the road… Er, sky.
"Focus, Miles! Focus! Soon you'll be at Mays again. Maybe you'll figure out a breakthrough.
He sighed.
Honestly…
He wished he could see them again.
Just to talk.
He knew he wasn't the only one…
But man, he wanted to see them again!
He wasn't all confident.
He still…
Struggled.
"But I AM doing well…", he thought, and he smiled as he leaned on the side of a building.
The sun was bright, and it reignited the hope in Miles' heart.
He could almost feel Peter's hand on his shoulder.
"It's going to be ok, Peter. I'm taking the leap."
He leaped into the sky, eyes closed.
He felt his spider-sense blare for a second and…
CRASH!
…And he got slammed by a pile of debris.
Miles laid on the ground, rubble and dust all over him, his head booming and his heart racing.
He blinked into cohesion, his vision still a bit blurry.
"Someone… Get the number… Of that pile of debris…"
He took a second, but eventually got back up.
He rubbed his masks eye holes and…
"Oh no.", Miles sighed, annoyed and frightened.
"Not her…"
He stretched and geared up for a swinging entrance.
"Couldn't that bus have taken her out until I was, like… Retired?"
Oscorp.
Ever since Norman Osbournes untimely death, a dispute had gone on between Harry Osborne, the heir apparent, and Lydia Hardy, of the rich and powerful Hardys for ownership of the company.
Harry claimed he deserved the company and its incredibly dangerous projects, because if anyone knew what it was like to deal with Norman's… Normaniness, it was his long suffering son.
Lydia had a simpler reason: She had experience. Harry didn't.
Due to this, the building was closed down until the two would settle on an agreement.
Which means they will be very pissed when they find out that Doctor Octopus and Rhino were breaking in.
"Spider-Man is here.", Alexander O'Hirn, the hired muscle and secretly sensitive criminal known as "The Rhino" announced, dusting his hands from the debris he had just thrown.
Dr. Olivia Octavius, otherwise known as "Doc Ock" to her enemies, or "Liv" to her friends, pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.
"You know, I didn't know that. I just assumed you threw that debris because you really are just an ignorant imbecile."
Rhino looked confused and stammered.
"Im… Imbecile… That's… That's an insult, right?"
Liv turned to look at him.
"Just… Go."
Rhino obeyed, as he always did, and he charged towards Miles.
Liv massaged her temples.
"Take it easy… Take it easy…"
She grinned as she looked at the labs open before her, resources awaiting in every corner, discovery waiting in the wings.
"What's the point if it isn't fun?"
"Ok, Rhino.", Miles thought as he saw the goon charge at him.
"Ganke told me that he's so low tier, he makes Kangaroo look tough. Which means I don't have to go all out!"
Miles didn't want to hurt anyone, not even villains.
Who knew?
Maybe they were an Uncle Aaron to someone.
…He couldn't let that happen.
And he wouldn't.
Thankfully, if Rhino was as easy as Ganke said, he wouldn't need to try too hard to hold back!
Miles smiled, reassured.
"This oughta be a piece of…"
CRACK!
Miles wasn't focusing, though, and he felt the awesome might of the Rhino's horn collide into his chest.
He slammed into a pizza place tearing a hole in the establishment.
"Toby, you're a nice guy. But you're just not dependable."
The owner of Jim's Pizza, Mr. Aziz, looked at Toby with an odd mix of pity and annoyance.
And maybe indigestion.
"This is your last chance."
He put the pizzas on the counter.
"You have to go 42 blocks in 7 and one half minutes, or your ass is fired."
Miles crashes through, tearing a hole in the establishment.
Toby stares at this, startled.
"GO!", Mr. Aziz shouts, unfazed by the destruction.
Unfortunately, the pizza boxes fell onto Rhino's hands, who was startled by the unforeseen development.
Miles, trying to help, kicked the boxes out of his arms, and they fell on the ground.
Andrew Garfield passed by.
"Hey!", he shouted. "He stole that guys pizza!"
"Woah… Rhino's tougher than I thought…", Miles realized as he prepared to fight him again.
"Still, he's not that tough…"
THWACK!
Rhino smacks Miles with a lamppost, sending Miles flying through the air.
"Note to self: Web Ganke up."
Rhino puts the post down.
"…Sorry about the post, if anyone's listening. I… I just needed to borrow it…", he rubbed the back of his head, but as ever, everyone screamed and ran away.
Rhino sighed.
He was so tired of this.
Sure, being a criminal was a choice he made, and he recognized that was his choice.
That's what Dr. Lopez said.
…Look, he needed the dough, ok?
But getting an exoskeleton of a rhino stuck to his skin and becoming the go to tough guy for every criminal in the city?
Yeah, that wasn't exactly the plan.
"My college admissions counselor may have had a point when he said that "Criminal" isn't a career path…", he sheepishly admitted to himself as he waited for Miles to arrive again.
Still, it could be worse.
The old Spider-Man was hard, always making quips and running circles around him.
This new one was way easier.
Heck, he kind of preferred this one…
"Hey, buddy.", Miles said, landing on the ground in front of him.
"It's a long way from Central Park Zoo. I don't know how this happened, but I promise you, we're getting you back to your mother, no matter HOW cheesy it gets…"
Rhino's eyes narrowed and he only saw red.
Damn it, this one was worse!
He was so distracted, he didn't even notice a timid and petite florist stare at him from her shop window.
She had overheard the lamppost comment, and she couldn't help but smile at the poor beast.
Rhino tried to crush Miles, but Miles dodged.
"Hey now! I thought we had a connection!"
"Shut up!"
"The audience was just beginning to buy our bond! Your endangering the integrity of the product!", Miles joked as he dodged another attack that shook the road up.
"Shut up!"
"Oh my god, he's trying to communicate! Rhino phone home?"
Rhino used both fists and cracked the road with his hit.
"SHUT UP!"
Miles leaned on a building.
"You know, this might surprise you, but I get that a lot."
Rhino suddenly grabbed Miles by the throat.
"You know… I'm not surprised."
Miles gasped for air as Rhino raised him up in the air.
"Gotta… Distract him…", he thought as he scrambled for air.
"Hey… Anyone ever tell you… You have a strong grip?"
Rhino smiled menacingly.
"All the time. It's a natural talent."
Miles felt his face change color, but he had to do this.
He couldn't fail.
"Ok… But has anyone ever told you… What pretty eyes you have?"
Rhino stopped choking Miles, surprised.
"…Really?", he asked, a little flattered.
Miles then unleashed his tazor webs, electrocuting the towering brute into submission.
"Psyche!"
"Nani?!", Rhino shouted out as he got hit.
Rhino shook in pain and he dropped Miles and fell onto the ground, twisting and turning from the pain.
Miles' eyes widened.
"Oh, man! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to make it so strong…"
Suddenly, an octopus tentacle grabbed Miles and dragged him in.
"Ohcrap,ohcrap,ohcrap,ohcrap…", Miles thought, wondering how many times was he going to be choked today.
Liv had inspected almost every lab in the building.
She had carefully examined every nook and cranny of the building, making sure no stone was unturned, yada, yada, yada.
Nothing.
Nada.
Zilch!
She sighed, the day taking its toll on her, as 3 of her 4 tentacles continued to search through each room.
"What an absolute waste of time.", She mumbled wearily.
How was she ever going to rebuild the super collider without the required tech?
"If it wasn't for that new Spider-Man, I would have all I want in my fingertips!", she complained.
She then smiled to herself.
"I guess I'd better pay him a visit…"
She then turned around, her fourth tentacle bringing a suffocating Miles to her while the other three continued to analyze the premises.
"Oh! No need! He's right here!", she feigned surprise, and she slowly approached him, her movement above the ground giving her a commanding and terrifying presence.
Miles fought for dear life as he flashbacked to his battles with her.
She was so unpredictable.
So unstoppable, like a force of nature.
Calculating and ruthless.
Miles was legitimately afraid of her.
"Spider-Man! What a delightful surprise!", Liv greeted, half grandiose half enthusiastic.
Hey, you would be too when you had a chance to kill a Spider-Man!
"You know, you were quite the game changer two weeks ago! I wonder how you would do against me now?"
Miles was really panicking now.
His throat clenched and his lungs screamed for dear life.
His already blurry vision was getting spotty.
Suddenly, he saw and heard Peter.
He was sitting on the bottom bed of Miles' and Ganke's room, his hand over Miles' shoulder as the boy played on his video game system.
"Miles! You can turn invisible!"
Gwen suddenly appeared, sandwiching herself between Peter and Miles, causing Miles to blush.
"Seriously, dude? You forgot?"
She shook her head.
Peter shrugged.
"Kid's got a lot on his mind. Sometimes, I forget to diet!"
Gwen patted Peter's gut.
"I can see."
He whacked her on the head.
"Enough fat jokes! When Thor got it, everyone sympathized!", Peter pouted, throwing his arms in protest.
Noir, carrying Peni, and Ham, making up the rear on a train's caboose, entered too, and they all surrounded Miles, almost like a protective bubble.
"What's all the hubbub about?", Noir asked, not noticing (or more likely just allowing) Peni to climb onto his shoulders and try his hat on, which made her smile.
"Is Miles ok?", Peni asked, the smile she had replaced by concern.
"He forgot he can turn invisible! And now he's so distracted by his intense need for us to be with him, since he still feels unconfident and in need of companionship, that he's going to die, and the last thing he's going to see is Ham on a Train's caboose!", Peter ranted.
Noir nodded.
"Heavy, man."
Peni nodded.
"Ditto."
Gwen looked at Miles.
"Miles, I never told you this, but I really like you. Wanna go out?"
"What?!", Miles thought, his eyes dazed.
"I'm a choo choo train. All aboard, bitc…", Ham started.
"HAM!", Noir shouted, covering Peni and Gwen's ears.
Miles finally shook awake, and let go (for a moment) of his desires.
He turned invisible, and dropped from the tentacle, preparing to take Liv down.
"Just have to stop her, and I'll feel good again!", he thought, trying to ignore the pessimistic thoughts now ringing in his ears.
But just when he was about to land a square sock on her jaw, Liv surprised him by shocking him with her own tazer gadget, which retracted into one of her tentacles.
She wasn't even looking at him, since she was occupied with cracking open the last drawer in the building.
Miles, now visible, collapsed onto the ground, shocked at the development.
He coughed and wheezed, his rib cage feeling like it had been smashed with a hammer.
He was awake enough to realize that Doc Ock was able to take on him, while he was invisible, and at the same time still look through the entire building for… Something.
And that made Miles want to go to sleep and never wake up.
Liv turned to him, an unimpressed look on her face.
She yawned, as if Miles was some sort of spider who didn't fight crime.
A spider-spider.
Or, well, an ordinary spider.
"Did you really think I haven't been paying attention? I've upgraded my tentacles to deal with your tazor webs, and your invisibility."
She looked into the last drawer.
"Damn it.", she grumbled, and she threw the drawer away.
The drawer smashed through a window and knocked Rhino down, right after he finally got back up.
"All this for nothing?!", she fumed, but then she realized something, and her mood changed.
"Better have some fun while I'm here…"
She turned to Miles and lifted him with one tentacle, the other teasingly gripping at his mask.
"You know, I came here to rebuild the super collider…"
"What?!", Miles thought, worry and concern filling his mind.
If Doc Ock made another super collider…
Just the thought of what could happen made Miles panic.
"But sadly, I have found nothing."
She began to tug Miles' mask, the young hero trying in vain to stop her from revealing his identity.
"This trip might not be a complete waste of time, though!"
She smiled evilly, her eyes dancing with excitement.
"Finding out who the new Spider-Man is would be, I would say, quite interesting, wouldn't you say?", she suggested, her voice taunting as she made Miles nod with a third tentacle.
"How nice! We agree!", she joked.
But suddenly, she let him down.
"But, well, there's the problem…", she said as she turned around, allowing Miles a chance to collect himself.
"How do I know… You're worth it?"
Miles was taken aback by the question (and not just because the idea of not being worthy still haunted him).
"What?", he asked, not getting where she was coming from.
Liv gesticulated behind him, setting her plan in motion.
"I mean, you're not Peter Parker. You're someone new. And I don't know how good you really are. I've been busy with things, super colliders, evil plots, you know how it is.", she said, almost sounding like she was explaining why she hadn't taken the trash out instead of describing her sinister plans.
"I haven't had the chance to truly analyze your skills."
She then turned, almost inviting.
"So, here's your chance, "Spider-Man". Fight me. Stop me."
Miles looked confused.
"I… I don't understand…"
Liv shook her head.
"Point deducted, "Spider-Man." You should know exactly what I'm talking about. You've been distracted, and, dare I say, incompetent."
She tutted.
"Not good enough."
She then smiled, almost like a kindergarten teacher helping a little kid understand his addition and subtraction.
"But I'm willing to give you a fighting chance. Make it fair, shall we say? Go ahead. Stop me. Arrest me for breaking and entering. Thwart my evil plans!"
Miles was still unsure, but he didn't want to let the city down.
He prepared to jump at her, his mind focused on taking her down in the least painful way possible.
Liv grinned and threw her arms and tentacles up dramatically.
"Stop me, "Spider-Man"!"
Thwoosh!
Miles leaped into the air, dust rising, and he aimed his tazor webs at her farthest tentacle, making sure to send a small dose.
Liv dodged easily, and Miles crashed into the wall behind her.
"Oooh! So close! Try again!", she said, looking at him with an expression of utter enjoyment.
Miles got back up, straightened himself, and turned invisible.
This time, he avoided the spray, and aimed for her legs.
Unfortunately, he again went too slowly, his attempt to restrain his attacks backfiring.
Liv felt his presence, and with a single motion, grabbed him with a tentacle.
She whipped out a calculator and began to measure the circumferences of the stars she had seen 37 years ago on a hill top with her uncle, while Miles gasped again for air.
"Oh, we're still doing this? Silly me! I don't know how I didn't notice!", she lied, and then she smashed Miles onto the roof and then onto the ground.
She grinned.
"Oh, wait. I know why. Because you're not making an impact!", she shouted, and she began to throw him around over and over, Miles getting nauseous.
"Is this really the hero of Brooklyn? Is this the amazing, the spectacular, the ultimate Spider-Man?", she asked, mocking the boy as he tried to hit her multiple times, only for Liv to block each hit without a second thought.
She threw him onto a desk, and Miles struggled to get up, the weight of his injuries taking their toll.
"Alas. I am clearly the superior opponent."
She went over to him, her hand below his chin, almost looking sympathetic to his plight.
"Oh, "Spider-Man". If I wanted to, I could remove your mask, tell the whole world who you are, and then remove every single one of your limbs and throw your useless body into a trash can."
She began to growl.
"I could rip you apart, atom by atom, and no one would know!"
She flung him onto another wall, Miles landing dangerously close to the window.
He breathed heavily, his costume now torn slightly, his breath heavy, his whole body in enormous pain.
"I could kill you, right here, right now!"
She towered over him, her presence causing Miles to shudder in fright.
She looked at him with enraged eyes.
"And it would mean nothing."
She held his face in her hands.
"I'm not going to remove your mask. Because you haven't earned that."
She started to leave, not even bothering to look at him now.
"You're no Spider-Man. You're just a boy. Playing pretend."
She hissed the last word, her tone that of a shaming parent.
"Disappointing."
Miles, tired of the rant against him, tired of failing, and knowing that the whole city depended on him, got up one last time and lunged at her, all reason thrown out the window.
Liv, without a single look, grabbed him.
"Come back to me when you're worthy."
She threw him through the window and left, not even looking back.
"AAARGGGHHHH!", Miles screamed as he plummeted to the ground.
Thankfully, Rhino grabbed him.
"Oh, wow! Thanks man!", Miles said, only for Rhino to growl.
The behemoth began to swing his arm wildly, poor Miles along for the ride.
He was going to throw Miles to the other side of the city!
"No, no, no, no…", Miles dizzily said, feeling terrible about the butt kicking he had received.
He was already hurt as it is, so while normally he would have tried to wrestle out of the giants grip, he was so wiped out he could barely string two thoughts together.
All he could muster while he was hurled into the air was the mental image of his spider family shaking their heads.
Clearly…
He still wasn't good enough.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow…", Miles grunted and whined as he pulled thorns out of the back of his pants, and his shoulders, and his hair and… Well, basically, everything.
His frown radiated the disappointment within, his steps direct and pissed off.
"Hey, everybody!", Miles thought to himself as he made his way down a familiar road in Queens. "Look at me! I'm the Ultimate Spider-Man!"
He kicked a stone with his left shoe, the stone skipping down the road and colliding into a cat, who hissed and ran away.
Miles continued to criticize himself as he neared a worn down path that he had travelled the past two weeks.
"Oh, me? I'm fine! I just got my butt kicked by a Doc Ock who wasn't even trying and… RHINO!"
Miles started shouting it out, gesturing at the sky.
"I mean, really? Rhino? Ganke told me he's THE canon fodder villain!"
He quoted his friend, closing his eyes as he attempted to emulate his geeky friend.
"Whenever a story needs a fight in the beginning so that no one gets bored while the actual stuff happens, Rhino is plopped out!"
Miles opened his eyes and continued to march near a certain house.
"I mean, who loses to RHINO? Apparently, me! Some Spider-Man I've turned out to be!"
He held his face in his hands, embarrassed, ashamed and disappointed.
Just two weeks ago he had saved the multiverse.
You'd think a guy would stay consistent!
At the very least, you'd think he'd get better!
He leaned on the fence, looking down at the crumpled leaves and feeling down in the dumps.
A broken leaf floated in the wind, it's shaky structure seemingly bidding him farewell as it got swooped up into the sky and far away, god knows where.
Somehow, that leaf felt more useful than he did.
It probably wouldn't lose a fight to THE RHINO!
Miles sighed wearily and he fiddled with his thumbs, the sky now the focal point of his eyes, which stung with small tears.
"Peter… What am I going to do?"
He rubbed his eyes, the fatigue and injuries he had sustained catching up to him.
He was going to need some damn good medical care.
"How can I stop Doc Ock from rebuilding the super collider…"
Jesus, he had forgotten about that one!
That was major!
He face palmed, failing to believe the day he was having.
And he thought the Parker Luck was a myth!
"Great. Just great."
He threw his arms up in the air, frustrated with his predicament.
"How am I going to stop another super collider and a hyper competent nut case genius lady when I can't stop the freakin' Rhino?"
He suddenly slipped on some of the leaves on the ground and fell right on his butt.
Great.
Now gravity and leaves had teamed up to kick his butt!
It was like reality had decided that today was International "Give Miles More Reasons To Feel Useless" day!
He rubbed his sore behind and, eyes narrowed in pain, looked up at the doorway he was in front of.
He was suffering massively.
Thankfully, he knew someone who could help with physical AND emotional pain.
He limped onto the doorway (apparently, his leg decided that it felt terrible NOW) and with some effort, he rang the doorbell.
As he waited for the occupant of the house to let him in, Miles took a deep breath to calm down.
He straightened his hair and he slapped himself a bit.
"Calm down, man. No need to panic. So you lost to Rhino, Doc Ock is out there trying to rebuild the super collider and you might have some serious clinging issues with your spider-family…"
"Might?", they all questioned him with raised eyebrows.
"Ok, make that definitely.", he remarked to himself.
He breathed again.
"Doesn't mean your life is over. Everything is ok. It's going to be ok. Ok, ok, ok."
The door opened, and Miles was greeted with a familiar face, kind and loving eyes staring back from a weathered face.
May Parker may have lost her nephew, but she had gained another in the form of an unsure but brilliant Brooklyn boy.
And hell would freeze over before she'd let him go!
"Good evening, Miles!", May greeted, a warm smile greeting him.
Her grey hair was as oddly frazzled yet well kept as ever, as if to project the odd balance of quirkiness and seriousness she had molded over the years.
"How are you this fine…", but May couldn't finish as Miles stormed in, untied sneakers spreading dirt onto the floor and arms flailing wildly at all sides.
"I LOST TO THE RHINO!", Miles shouted, reverting to his rage and resentment from before.
May smiled softly but sadly as the teen collapsed onto the couch with a thud, arms already crossed and self protective.
"Hoo boy. That's going to do a number on that old confidence."
"Ya think?", Miles projected. "And I have so many other bad things to tell you about!"
May picked up a broom to sweep up the dirt as Miles looked at her and realized how rude he had been.
He got right up and went over to help.
"Oh, man! Sorry, May, I wasn't thinking…"
May laughed warmly, a nostalgic smile on her face.
"Oh, Miles, don't apologize! Peter did it ALL the time!"
She swiftly removed the dirt from the premises as she continued to fill Miles in on the detail from her earlier days.
"Peter would storm in, mad at himself for not being this perfect man, and he would spread dirt, mud, grime, leaves, blood… One time, he even walked in with two whole coconuts around his feet.", she remembered, an odd but amused expression on her face. "He refused to even explain that one!"
Miles couldn't help but chuckle at the anecdote.
He then smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a little small now. "I guess I have at least one thing in common with Peter."
May ruffled his hair and gave him an encouraging look as he cleared the final particles of dust. "Miles, dear, you have a LOT in common with Peter."
She led him to the couch and sat him down, the cup of cocoa she always had ready for him already sitting on the table, still brewing hot.
He took a conservative sip as she continued her little pep talk.
"You're brave. Intelligent. Responsible. To a fault!", she remarked, meaning every word.
She smiled softly at him, making him feel at home.
"You and Peter also made a ton of mistakes. And you will continue to make them. But you're going to have to accept that."
Miles nodded silently as May finished her point.
"Spider-Man isn't perfect. You're not super-humans. At least, not completely. What will make you a worthy successor isn't how many times you fail, but how many times you fail, and still get back up."
She gripped his shoulder, as if to add a weight to her words, a final sort of push to get Miles to see the error of his ways.
"This is the first of many hurdles, Miles.", she said softly. "Are you going to stay down because of the RHINO, or are you going to get back up?", she clenched her fist and pumped it in the air, raising his enthusiasm.
Miles got up with his hands on his hips like a traditional hero and proudly declared "I'm getting back up!"
Suddenly, he remembered the terrible development he had learned of today and he collapsed back down, his body weighing down on the ancient couch cushions.
"Oh man! I can't believe I forgot to tell you this!"
"I can.", May said jokingly, another Peter memory resurfacing.
She put down her mug of mint tea and she gave him an all too knowing look.
"Vital villain plan intel forgotten due to teen angst?"
Miles gaped at this.
"Wha? How did you? What?"
May laughed softly, her hand on Miles' shoulder.
"Miles, dear, what did I tell you? I've seen it all before!"
Miles fiddled his thumbs, like a boy waiting to see if he was in trouble. "May, this is serious! Doc Ock is planning on rebuilding the super-collider! Thankfully, she didn't find anything in Oscorp, but she's still trying!"
May nodded, understanding the situation.
"Yes, yes. I saw this coming."
May stood up and looked at the time.
"Cookies should be ready soon. You want to help me in the kitchen?"
As May and Miles entered the kitchen, a room filled with bright yellow walls, a kitchen counter, sink and oven surrounding most of the room, an egg shell white refrigerator and a spotless ceramic floor with spotted tiles, Miles' mouth dropped once again from the info bomb he had received.
"…Why aren't you panicking? I feel like you should be panicking, but I'm doing all the panicking, which hardly feels fair. I'm pulling all the panicking weight! Did you not read the panicking manifesto? "Panicking should be shared by the masses, not entrusted onto a single person"!", Miles ranted, panicking.
May shook her head as she opened the oven with her mits and breathed in the wafting and soothing chocolate smell that emanated from the baked goods.
"Miles, dear, did you really think that Liv was going to sit down and play nice until the police came to pick her up?", May asked as she quickly equipped her oven gloves and took out the cookie tray.
Miles paused to think, reaching for a particularly scrumptious looking cookie.
He personally loved the ones with more chips in them, and he never understood those who loved the crunchier ones.
The quality is in the chips, peeps!
Learn it, live it, love it!
"I… Didn't think of that."
May spotted the attempted thievery and she playfully smacked his hand away.
"Well, it is to be expected. Dangerous, but predictable."
She checked her watch, and, seeing that the time was right, carried the tray to the living room, Miles following from behind her.
They sat down on the couch again, and May handed him the cookie he was so interested in from before.
As Miles happily ate his treat up, May continued her explanation.
"Now, I do agree with you that this is incredibly important. But you may have forgotten that you are just 14 years old. You need to sleep and go to school and hang out just as much as you need to fight crime and be a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man."
She looked at him encouragingly.
"Rest, relax, Liv isn't going anywhere. Tomorrow, we'll deal with her. But right now, you need to recharge."
Miles softly nodded. He didn't want to let his responsibilities as Spider-Man down, but he knew that overworking was the worst choice he could make.
He'd let more people down like that, anyway.
May's slightly shaking hand gripped Miles', and he held back. May was such a comforting presence for the boy, and he felt just as home.
She was like the aunt he never had.
…
Or like the uncle he once had.
The uncle he had lost.
Miles closed his eyes as he heard him again.
"No Miles. I'm sorry. I wanted you to look up to me. I let you down, man, I let you down. You're the best of all of us, Miles. You're on your way. Just... keep going... just keep going..."
…
How could he be gone?
Miles took a deep breath, knowing the pain wasn't necessary.
He was on his way, right?
It was going to be ok.
May silently smiled at him.
"Ok, enough moodiness. Let's see our collider!", she proposed, bringing a smile of excitement onto Miles' face.
He whipped out his bag, and emptied the contents on the table, papers, machine parts and diagrams falling out, including a wrapped lunch he had forgotten to eat and Ham's mallet.
"So, I worked a bit on the diagrams at school…"
May gave him a sly look, raising an eyebrow.
Miles shook his head humorously.
"Obviously at recess!"
He then lowered his voice.
"And maybe also Phys Ed."
May tutted as she sorted through the papers, examining the calculations Miles had doodled across his papers.
They were as scattered as his mind.
"It's not like I need the exercise! I'm getting pretty cut!"
May laughed and flipped over a page, her eyes widening for a second before settling back, finding herself in an old but familiar situation.
"Anyway, I think we should work on the safety procedures. We want a safe super-collider, one that allows us to see my spider-family again with no problems…", Miles continued, his head deep in his backpack as he searched for anything else that could be useful.
But as he removed his head from the backpack, he saw May's smile as she held a piece of paper in front of him.
"I assume that this is the "romantic" procedure…"
Miles only needed a second to snatch the piece of paper and web it to the bottom of the backpack, his face as red as a certain wall crawlers costume.
He waved his hands in front of her face, trying to jedi mind wipe her.
"These are not the procedures you're looking for…"
May chuckled and, having swiped his phone from him while he wasn't focusing, shoved an image of a certain blonde spider from another another dimension into his face.
"No, but this is definitely the girl you're looking for!"
Miles blushed wildly at seeing Gwen staring at him, with her cocky smile and her great hair and her sky blue eyes that penetrated his soul…
He swiped the phone and webbed it onto the back of his backpack as well.
May smirked, sitting in front of Miles with her arms settled on her knees.
"That is a lot of web fluid being used for what you claim is nothing serious."
Miles sighed, resigned to his defeat, and he settled back onto the couch, shoulders slumped.
"So I may like her…"
"May?", May questioned.
Miles looked back and shrugged.
"Fine, I like her a lot, 'kay? But I don't know if it's going to work, you know? She's so cool, and hardcore, and capable and…"
He sighed.
"And I'm me, you know?"
He frowned, his spirit sagging again.
"How could I ever be good enough for her?"
He whispered the final part.
"For them?"
May caressed the poor boys face, hoping that she could help him feel better.
"Miles, you're way too worried about everything. Just calm down. Tomorrow is a brand new day. You'll feel better, you'll see!"
Miles smiled softly back, feeling the weight lifting from his shoulders again.
May just had a way with words, it seemed.
Probably why Peter trusted her so much.
"And besides", May continued. "I'm sure Gwen likes you more than you think she does."
Miles felt easier hearing this. May had a good point.
Maybe he was overthinking it.
He sighed contently and rested his head on the right side of her body.
"Thanks, May."
May kissed the top of his head.
"Any time."
Suddenly, the television (that had been playing some boring infomercials about some No prizes) blared up to remind Miles of some very annoying events.
"Good evening, I am Betty Brant for the Daily Bugle, and with me is local cop Jefferson Davies."
Miles' Dad looked tired, but satisfied with the good work he had done.
"Officer Davies, can you inform me of the scene that occurred here earlier?"
He straightened himself and spoke into the microphone after Betty motioned it over to him.
"Well, it was actually quite the easy operation: We saw the Rhino outside of Oscorp, and we used our special Rhino tazers, because… Well, mam, to be blunt, he's the Rhino. Anyone who fails to stop him is quite frankly, publicly shamed and kicked out of the force."
Miles groaned.
THE RHINO?!
Alchemax Laboratories, Brooklyn.
Night has fallen and the building is vacant.
Except for one particular occupant.
The all too familiar whirring of tentacles moving in space could be heard as Olivia Octavius entered her main office in a huff.
A tired, exhausted huff, it must be mentioned.
Today was, frankly, disappointing.
She closed the door, and, with the aid of her upper right tentacle, rubbed her right temple.
"What a terrible day.", she empathized the adjective, suffering from the days catastrophes.
She let the tentacle rest.
"Thanks, Flo. You take five.", she ordered kindly, and she then instructed her other tentacles to follow different instructions.
"Larry, turn on the lights. Harry, turn the TV and Computer systems on. Moe… Coffee, 4 sugars, add some of that… That coconut milk, ya know? And don't screw it up this time!"
The lights switched on, bathing the room with sunlight and revealing the interior of the office: The white walls and desks, the large and wide computer that proudly displayed the messiest desktop ever (Liv loved to brag that only a genius like her could work in such adverse conditions), blueprints and diagrams and assorted papers all related to the super-collider, all scattered all over the room like a conspiracy wall.
Oh, and an actual conspiracy wall.
While Liv didn't have massive plans or anything, she did have a plan: She was going to find other people like her in the multiverse.
Her reasoning: The world lacked…
What was the word?
"Yes, as you can see, The Rhino has been arrested yet again by our brave and bold boys in blue!", J. Jonah Jameson, Daily Bugle host, blared loudly from the TV screen, looking as grizzled and enraged as ever.
He turned aside to an unseen Robbie Robertson, wearing a yellow suit with suspenders, holding a clip board.
"Boys in blue? That still PC?"
Robbie shrugged.
JJJ sighed wearily.
"Whatever. Anyhow, to absolutely no one's surprise, Spider-Man proved totally useless! Just another menace playing hero!"
"Ah. There we go!", Liv said, snapping her fingers.
"The word was competence."
Liv chuckled to herself as Moe handed her the brewing mug of coffee.
"Oh, poor Alexander… Thanks, Moe, terrific job.", she took a sip and she went over her wall, correcting measurements.
"You had to take the fall. You weren't…"
She bit her lip as she emphasized the damning analysis of her former partner.
"…Good enough."
None of them were, really.
A bunch of thugs, mugs, crooks and cronies.
With the occasional mad man.
"Where were the geniuses?", she lamented. "The people of science? The visionaries?"
Was she really the last one left?
And that includes Spider-Man!
"Oh, he sickens me, Flo!", she told the upper right tentacle, which had begun to massage her back.
Liv moaned in pleasure.
"Yes, yes… That's the spot!"
She fixed another glaring problem.
Not good enough.
Even she wasn't good enough.
…
Sometimes.
"But that Spider-Man! He really gets on my nerves, you know?", she ranted, throwing her arms into the air, spilling some coffee, that Larry quickly wiped out with a mop.
She sat on her chair, making it spin a little in the process, and, settling down, her back hunched and her eyes fixed on the prize, she opened multiple documents and quickly sorted through them, hacking into corporation after corporation, looking for intel.
It was like child's play for her, so she simultaneously organized some notes with Moe, cooked some calamari with Larry, played a game of solitaire with help from Harry and sipped her mug of coffee with Flo.
She also continued her rant about Spider-Man, since she could.
"As I was saying… Oof, I'm all over the place today. Anyway, as I was saying, that Spider-Man! I mean, back then, he seemed strong, right?"
Her tentacles all nodded yes.
"Right! He did a damn good job! Knocked me out with one punch!"
She browsed through Baxter Building files, but there was nothing.
"Richards, that simpleton. I told him the negative zone is peanuts compared to this!"
She sniffed the air. Calamari should be finished soon.
"But turns out, when the going gets tough, he can't take on the Rhino! Or a villain who is barely trying!"
She crinkled her nose in disgust, offended by the lack of respect.
"Where's my challenge? The original Spider-Man would be all over me! I probably wouldn't have escaped today! If you can call that an escape!"
CRASH!
Darn, she had to stop ranting with a mug in her hands!
"Clean that up, Harry. Solitaire will have to wait."
As Harry cleaned up the mug, Liv hacked into Stark Enterprises, but again, she found nothing.
"Stark, that coward. Concerned with safety over the power of gods!"
She got up, almost fuming, as her third hacking program began to install.
She paced around the room, her tentacles following her and waving all over the place, reflecting her mood.
"I have no real challenge! How is that fair? A genius like me should be facing true obstacles! Otherwise, my actions are but mere gestures of generosity, not acts of power and brilliance!"
She gesticulated like crazy, red in the face from the insult that was Spider-Man!
"I am Doctor Octopus! My genius is a gift to mankind! Where is the great hurdle? That boy? Pah! Don't make me laugh! He's no Spider-Man!"
She glanced over at the one picture on the wall that had nothing to do with the super-collider.
"There is only one Spider-Man… And he's dead. Sadly… It couldn't be my divine pleasure to rid the world of him."
She caressed the picture of a grown man and a young woman, looking at prototypes of sustainable power reactors in the old Oscorp building.
She seemed to get emotional, her previously contorted face now oddly calm and at peace.
There was an intensity, an emotional intensity to her feelings, but it was a quiet one.
One that had learned to endure the pain.
She withdrew from the picture, showing her respect to the individual inhabiting it.
She turned and sat down, leaning back on the wall.
"…I must build that collider. But… I can't do it… Alone."
She practically had to spit out that last word.
She hated depending on others. She rarely hired minions, and when she did, she hired fall guys.
But if she wanted this to work…
If she was to save the world…
She was going to need an actual partner.
Someone who was smart enough to help her construct the collider, someone strong enough to help her collect the parts, and someone generous enough to help her make the world a better place.
But unless she cloned herself (and Liv would never resort to that… Again), she didn't have a partner.
No equal could be detected in her mind.
She had no match.
In a way, it furthered her point: She was truly the best.
But it was lonely at the top.
She needed a fellow mind.
If she was to finish his…
Her work…
She'd need a…
A…
Suddenly, her phone rang.
Flo was busy soothing Liv, so she sent Moe to pick up the phone.
Meanwhile, Larry made sure the Calamari wouldn't burn, and Harry came back with glorious news: Hardy Foundation had certain parts for a possible collider.
As Liv smiled reassuradley from the good news, she picked up her phone and changed her demeanor: Gone was the intense, passionate, cold and calculated savior, now came the adorkable, energetic and excited celebrity scientist and head of Alchamex.
Her goggles slipped off and her glasses came on as she chirped a friendly hello.
"Nat! OMG, I am SOOO excited to hear your voice! It's been…"
She stared around at the messed up room, stacks of papers falling down from a desk.
The calamari pot made a worrying boiling bubble sound.
"…A long day."
As Liv let her hair bounce out with its wild curls, the voice from the other side transmitted its message.
"A ha. A ha. You don't say? Wait… You want me to come and…"
Liv closed her eyes to focus.
This…
This school thing…
It was…
Bad timing, perhaps, and it would interfere with her intended heists…
But she could find her…
Protage.
In a way it was…
"Sounds…"
Her face twisted into a sinister smile.
Liv was gone.
Doc Ock was back.
"Perfect. I'll be there tomorrow, no doubt! Kisses!"
She hung up and got right up, her tentacles looking into the distance as she did.
"It's ok, Uncle…"
She closed her eyes, a genuine smile on her face.
"Mankind will be saved."
She took a deep breath.
No matter how long it took…
The multiverse was hers.
And some brilliant little student was going to help her do that…
"Gwen! Oh man, it's been so long! I've… I've really missed you. Like, I thought about you all the time and…"
Miles sighed.
"Terrible. I sound so clingy. Let's try again."
He turned his back, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and turned back, now leaning on the wall, trying to look cool.
"Sup, Gwen? I'm doing great, you know, really looking cool out there. Didn't lose to Rhino once…"
Miles slammed his head on the wall.
"Cut!"
He turned back, now pointing his fingers at "her", a ridiculous grin on his face.
"Gwen? You're here? I didn't even notice. I guess you could say I didn't… "Spy-you-there-man"?"
Beat.
Miles held his head in his arms and screamed.
Quick cut to Miles, attempting a cool grin, doing the shoulder touch, and doing his best to emulate a deceased uncle of his.
He put all his effort into it and he let it out.
"…Hey…"
"Miles, that was the worst one yet."
Ganke, Miles' roommate/new BFF/Total geekazoid and proud, brandishing a ratty and disheveled second hand blonde wig, shook his head playfully and resumed his fanfiction writing.
"Dude, come on!", Miles said, his hands waving in fake protest, a goofy grin stretched on his face. "That's the best one!"
"If that's the best one, then you're as misguided as the "Clone Saga"."
Miles whacked Ganke's head, prompting Ganke to rub his head and pretend to whine.
"That was a low blow, dude."
"It's true! Who taught you that?", Ganke asked, the darkness of the room broken by the black-orange background of GroupieStories.
Miles turned, now ready to defend his uncle.
"My uncle Aaron, and he knew what he was talking about!"
"Did he have a love interest?"
Miles was about to answer, when his wagging finger dropped and he contemplated it.
"…Jesus, I think you're right!"
"Point Ganke.", Ganke pumped his fist like a bellend, spinning his computer chair and nearly breaking his mug of cocoa.
Miles shook his head lovingly and, spidey flipping up to the bed, etched a point to Ganke on the points board they had over their bunk beds.
Miles was leading, but Ganke was catching up, which Miles wished could be his biggest concern.
As Ganke finished his stupid dance with a dab, prompting another eye roll from Miles, Miles resumed his defense of the move.
"You know, Gwen found it funny by the end of the mission. I bet you that she'll love it! It's a callback! A running gag, if you will!"
Ganke typed like his fingers were dancing, reflecting his usual mood.
The smart yet goofy teen was light at heart, happy go lucky in a world of stress.
He figured that the way to deal with it all was to smile and not stress the details.
So far, it was working!
He wasn't lonely anymore, for example!
"Listen, Miles, that will only work in your dreams! In your fanfictions!"
Miles scoffed, preparing a friendly jab.
He leaned over Ganke's chair and pointed at the screen.
"It's way more realistic than your stuff!"
Ganke looked up, annoyed. "Dude, real low blow. You loved the symbiote one!"
Miles leapt up without looking and flopped down on his bed, hands behind his head.
"Dude, I did like it, really."
Ganke smiled, happy for the approval. Miles was his go to for everything, and they had spent many hours going over his stuff. Miles' jokey-real commentary had helped a lot, and they had pleasant memories of the reading sessions.
Miles wasn't finished, though. "That doesn't mean it would ever happen, though."
Ganke rolled his eyes as he turned with his chair, defending his storytelling. "Miles, evil goo isn't totally out of the question, considering the reality we live in!"
Miles laughed softly. "Yeah, I see. I better be careful next time I pass "Gucci"."
He pretended to be scared, pointing at an invisible symbiote, his face contorted in horror. "Oh no! The leather jacket wants to be a metaphor for addiction! I'm evil now! Bad leather! Bad!"
Ganke couldn't help but laugh as Miles continued his attack on the evil leather jacket.
"Ok, ok. It is a little silly."
Miles looked at Ganke with soft eyes, wanting to comfort his friend.
"I really did like the story, man."
Ganke smiled genuinely, knowing it was true, but happy for the affirmation. "Yeah… I know."
Seeing the time, Ganke shut his laptop and enveloped the room with darkness again.
He climbed into his bed, Miles busy taking his costume off.
"Say… The Rhino didn't hurt you too badly, right?"
Miles sighed, really not wanting to remember this now. "Dude, too soon, ok?"
But when Miles looked down, his feet sticking from the left edge of the bed, his body turned to Ganke, he could see that his friend wasn't joking.
Real concern could be seen on his face, and Ganke seemed serious, which never happened, so Miles knew that this wasn't a barb.
He smiled reassuradely, and patted the boys head.
"Buddy, I'm a ok. A little embarrassed, true, and a little sore around my butt, but outside of that, I'm going to be ok."
He thought of Uncle Aaron and smiled nostalgically.
"I'm… On my way."
Ganke smiled, now calm and reassured.
"That's a relief."
Miles went back to his bed, and he started to close his eyes, hoping to recharge after the looooooong day he had had, when Ganke suddenly opened his mouth again.
"Dude…"
Miles opened his eyes, and threw a pillow at Ganke, before webbing it back up.
"Spider-Man needs to sleep too, man. I'm only human… Or, well, super-human."
Ganke ignored the joke.
"…Don't worry about Gwen. You'll figure it out."
Miles was taken aback by this, but he didn't agree.
"I don't know. Evil goo is probably more likely than that. Like…"
He looked up at the ceiling.
He could swear he could see her again.
And he could almost hear her again, calling his name, looking so…
Amazing.
"Are you sure, man?"
Miles couldn't see it, but Ganke nodded his head defiantly.
"Dude, you're, like, the coolest guy I know. And that's without being freakin' Spider-Man! You gonna be more than fine!"
Ganke turned on his side and prepared to fall asleep.
"And if she doesn't like you for who you are, then she's a total idiot, plain and simple!"
Ganke nodded off, and Miles laughed quietly.
"Wow…"
Miles smiled as his eyes drooped.
"Tomorrow is another day, Miles. Just take the leap.", Peter said from the depths of his mind.
Miles closed his eyes, but not before expressing his worries once again:
"…I'll try."
He sighed.
"But am I enough?"
DING! DING! DING!
The bell rung, and the students of Visions Academy rushed out of the classroom, like some sort of animal stampede.
Notebooks were smushed into overflowing backpacks, phones were immediately flipped out into action, bubble gum was popped and smacked, and a flurry of student uniforms escaped the prison of their youths.
Everyone except for Miles.
Not that he was supposed to leave (as he would soon find out), it was just that he really wanted to reconfigure certain equations in his diagrams.
Tongue sticking out as he erased, and "Here Comes Trouble" by Chronixx blasting in his ears, Miles had so much going on in his mind.
The events of yesterday kept playing in his mind: How he had failed to beat Rhino and Doc Ock, the fact that Doc Ock is trying to rebuild the super collider, May and Ganke telling him he's going to be ok. He had even heard that there were injured civilians from the attack yesterday!
People were in the hospital because of him!
Not to mention the constant reminders of Gwen…
A blond girl in the Visions school uniform passed, smacking her bubble gum, and for a second, Miles was going to leap up and hug her, before realizing it was someone he didn't recognize.
Unfortunately, he had already stood up, arms stretched and he had to play it off as nothing, what with the girl raising her eyebrow and judging him intensely.
"…What are you doing?", she asked, her voice as cold as the bodyguards mini fridge beers.
Miles stammered and coughed up a pathetic excuse.
"…I've been taken over by evil goo from this Gucci Jacket I bought."
The girl laughed mockingly and left.
"What a weirdo!", she ennounciated sharply to her friends.
Miles sighed, and sat back down.
He was a mess, plain and simple.
He was missing his spider-family way too much, no one's advice seemed to calm him down, Uncle Aaron's death was still weighing on him, Doc Ock was rebuilding the collider, and just for good measure, he was lacking in confidence yet again.
Miles shook his head and rested it on his desk, feeling lost once again.
It wasn't that he didn't think he could be Spider-Man: He had gone through that. He knew he can. He knew he had to.
With great power, comes great responsibility.
But great power didn't ensure great performance!
People were getting hurt, because Miles still needed guidance!
Miles was only two weeks old as a hero anyway!
He was still making rookie mistakes, he was still struggling to adapt, and he was still…
Miles looked around at the virtually empty room, soundless and joyless.
…
He was alone.
Sure, he had May, Ganke, his parents…
But they didn't really get the Spider biz. Not even May!
"It's not that I don't want to take the leap!", Miles thought, feeling the disapproval from other universes.
"It's just that… How can I take the leap if it means nothing? I need some more help! Some more guidance!"
He lifted his hands in prayer, begging for someone to help him.
"I just need a bit! Please!"
He felt that he was getting emotional, and he covered his face with his hands.
His voice cracked quietly as he finished his cry for help.
"…I don't want anyone to get hurt. Please… I just need a little more help."
Suddenly, as if to answer his prayer, Ms. Natalie Calleros, Miles' science teacher, entered the room.
Notoriously tough on all her students, Ms. Calleros had taken particular notice of Miles.
She could tell that he had potential, and she never relented on pushing him to achieve his potential.
In some ways, it was just what Miles needed: Someone who was not willing to give up on him.
But Ms. Calleros may have gone too far this time, considering the guest by her side.
"Mr. Morales…", Ms. Calleros called, smiling proudly.
Miles looked up, taking one ear plug out.
He did not need this now.
"Uh, Ms. Calleros, can you wait a moment? I'm trying to recalculate some figures here, and…"
Miles suddenly stopped, and his eyes widened in horror.
His face contorted with shock, his palms couldn't decide on clenching into a fist or extending with fear, and his heart began to beat rapidly as his sweat glands ensured the need for a shower today.
As the figure approached him, towering over him with her presence that seemed to imply safety, but in reality, meant danger, Miles shrunk I his seat, feeling even smaller now.
Her smile looked sweet to Ms. Calleros, but Miles knew its true twisted nature, and it would haunt his nightmares for years to come.
"Mr. Morales, this is your mentor for the next month. You'll be working with her at Alchamex for the aforementioned time period, and she'll be helping you I advancing to the next level. I want you to pass first semester, and this is the key to your future!", Ms. Calleros explained, still missing the point.
The scientist extended her hand, and Miles, trapped by social norms, extended his hand to shake hers, feeling her sharp nails, that seemed to be considering whether they should dig into him or not.
Miles gulped and breathed heavily in horror as Ms. Calleros finished introducing the woman.
"Miles, meet Dr. Olivia Octavius!"
Dr. Octavius laughed that fake, peppy laugh and almost like an aunt, she waved her hand to signify her rejection of the formality.
"Nat, come on! So stuffy!"
She smiled evilly at Miles, her true form revealing itself for a moment.
"We're going to be friends! So please…"
As her smile widened, Miles' terror grew.
"Call me Liv…"
As they finished shaking hands, Miles knew:
Losing to the Rhino was the least of his worries.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Hey, True Believers! Due to my obsessive and borderline unhealthy fixation on Easter eggs, and due to a ton of author's notes I'd like to share, every chapter will have a LONG author's notes section!
So, dig in as I talk about Easter Eggs and this chapter!
1. Every chapter is titled after a scientific term, due to the very scientific nature of the story (it is called Ionic Bonds, which itself means a bond between oppositely charged ions). This chapter's title means an unexpected but very welcome discovery, at least, according to Doc Ock. Fun Fact: One of my best friends is named Serendipitacely, and he is definitely a serendipitous discover to me, if you are reading this, my friend!
2. For those who didn't guess, those 3 kids in the beginning, in order of appearance, are Sam Alexander (Nova), Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel, one of my all time favorite characters) and Amadeus Cho (The Totally Awesome Hulk). There are a ton of eggs, here, so let's go through it!
3. Sam's design is mostly based on his Champions regular look, which I hope I got right. I'll admit, mostly know him from "Ultimate Spider-Man" the show (and he was terrible in that), so I hope I got him right in this.
4. Kamala's design is based on her look in the very first issue of Ms. Marvel (VOL.1, 2014).
5. The PBS Nova joke is an obvious one.
6. Amadeus' design is inspired by his identity in another universe (the green hulk hiding behind the Amadeus lab coat), and is mostly based on his look in The Totally Awesome Hulk #1 Variant Cover.
7. I think Doctor Banner is obvious. In this universe, I decided to keep Amadeus' tragic origin (his mom died), but to give him an adoptive parent/mentor in Bruce Banner (who, like all other characters in this who aren't spiders, doesn't have powers). It seems to be the canon in Into The Spider-Verse, so that's what I'm following (but who knows? I might one day use these three kids in the future!).
8. Again, the non-lethal gama research speaks for itself.
9. Amadeus choosing R.O.B is again, self explanatory.
10. Ok, so even the fighting styles aren't accidental: Sam is raising a fist 'cause he loves a fight, but he is also protecting his friends, since he's not a jerk, and deep down he cares for them. Amadeus is no fighter in this form (since he has no Hulk form), but he is puffing up his chest because he's no jerk, and also because he has to appear imposing. And Kamala, brave incredible Kamala, always ready to fight for her friends and put herself in risk for the world, pushes them aside so they can't possibly be hurt, and raises both fists, ready for the fight for justice.
11. Kamala being told she thinks she's Captain Marvel is… Well, also obvious. To those who don't know, she's a big Captain Marvel Fangirl.
12. THWIP for those who do not know, is the iconic sound effect of Spider-Man's webs.
13. Good Noodle references "New Student Starfish" of the legendary Spongebob Squarepants. Stephen Hillenburg is my biggest inspiration, so I try to include in nearly every single work a reference to his show.
14. Spectacular and Sensational are Spider-Man comic titles and frequently used adjectives. I would have used Ultimate (since that is Miles' adjective in the comics), but since it didn't slide off the tongue that well, I changed it to Amadeus' adjective as the Hulk, which to be fair, would be his highest praise in adjective form.
15. I also chose Sam, Kamala and Amadeus since they all share close friendships with Miles, and they all are on the same super team, Champions.
16. Amazing, I believe, is a reference to Spider-Man's main adjective, but it was written a while ago, so I might be remembering it wrong.
17. Miles saving a girl from a fire is a reference to his first ever heroic act, when he did the exact same thing in "Ultimate Spider-Man" #3 (2011).
18. Miles fought Electro (his first villain) in "Ultimate Spider-Man" #5 (2011).
19. Turns out that Miles' first appearance was in "Ultimate Comics: Fallout" #4 (2011), and he fought the Kangaroo, so that was a nod to his first villain.
20. Miles fought Omega Red in "Ultimate Spider-Man" #7 (2011). I chose those villains as a tribute to his first 3 fights.
21. The drones joke is a callback to "Into the Spider-Verse". Peter B. got hit by a drone in his montage.
22. IPS is a "King of Queens" reference. And yes, I am serious.
23. Bruce the Gargoyle was one of Peter's only friends in "Spider-Man: The Animated Series" (1990's), and it was one of my favorite concepts, so I had to give the guy a shoutout!
24. The Foam Place was dissed on by Jefferson in the movie. I thought it would be funny and representative of development if he went there with Miles.
25. I believe the construction beam is an subconscious reference to "The Amazing Spider-Man" (2012). You know, all the crane people? So that might be a reference.
26. Taking the leap references the "Leap of Faith" line from the movie.
27. I wasn't sure what to do with Harry, but taking a leaf from "Spider-Man: The Animated Series", I chose to have him and Lydia Hardy fight over the building. And yes, Felicia fans, she will be in the sequel to this story, but not as you know her. I have some radical plans I hope you will all like!
28. My Rhino is a new version entirely, a soft hearted brawny guy who kind of wants to leave the criminal game. He has more to him than meets the eye.
29. Mr. AZIZ! Yep, he's in this world. And Tobey of course is Tobey Maguire, the original Live Action Spider-Man. He was great! Not Tom Holland, but still! Jim was just similar to Joe, so I took it.
30. Indigestion is another SpongeBob reference, "As Seen On TV" to be specific.
31. And of course, Andrew Garfield is the second Live action Spider-Man. I feel like he could have been good with the right script, but man he was way too old!
32. "He Stole That Guy's Pizza!" is a joke from "Spider-Man 2", the movie with Mr. Aziz.
33. Dr. Lopez is Clyde's therapist in "The Loud House". Thought it would be a funny name drop.
34. The Florist is a reference to a mistake I made. See, I thought that "Flowers for Rhino", a graphic novel, was about Rhino falling for a florist. It is not about that. But I loved the idea too much, so here she is!
35. The heartwarming animal movie plot is a reference to "Free Willy" and Rhino Phone Home is from "E.T".
36. "Nani?" is Japanese for "What?". Yeah, gratuitous anime reference, but I thought it was funny!
37. The video games at Miles' room moment is based on a cute fan art I saw. Whoever made it, thanks for the inspiration!
38. Fat Thor reference from "Avengers: Endgame".
39. The "Removing Spider-Man's Mask" may be a reference to "Spider-Man: The Animated Series", since they used that cliffhanger A LOT, and the forced nodding is a "Jungle Book" (1967) reference. Thank you, Kaa!
40. Amazing, Spectacular and Ultimate are, as stated before, Spider-Man adjectives. Ultimate gets special mention for being Miles' adjective.
41. My Liv has a lot of Obake from "Big Hero 6: The Series" in her, so the "Disappointing" was a reference to one of his best lines in the show. "Big Hero 6… I was expecting you to find me sooner. Disappointing." Such a great line!
42. Rhino is basically a canon fodder villain, so the joke meant sense.
43. The leaf was slightly inspired by the leaf in the beginning of "Forrest Gump".
44. The Parker Luck is a fan term for the incredible amounts of insane bad luck Peter (and other Spider-Men) have.
45. The coconuts is a reference to The Tree. Considered to be one of the worst Spider-Man villains. And yes, he actually exists.
46. The chips/Crunchy debate is a reference to one of the "The Secret Series" books by Pseudonymous Bosch. Remember those?
47. Learn it, live it, love it is a Big Nate reference, I believe, and that was in itself a reference to "Fast Times at Ridgemont High". Ooh, that's like… 36 references. (Deadpool reference! Will the Easter eggs ever end?)
48. Spider-Ham had given Miles a mallet in the end of the movie, and I thought it would be nice if Miles kept it with him at all times.
49. Do I even need to say that the Jedi mind trick line is Obi-Wan's famous "These are not the droids you are looking for?" line?
50. Another Another dimension was Gwen's term for where she was from.
51. No Prizes are of course, a famous Marvel Comics tradition! They were given for guessing plot points and stuff. They are, of course, no prizes. An empty (yet genuine) congratulations.
52. Betty Brant in my version is the one we've known for years: A reporter for the Daily Bugle. That's about it.
53. The tentacles are named after the tentacles in "Spider-Man 2". Alfred Molina (Doc Ock) had named them during production. Flo was the motherly one, and so, she kept that trait here.
54. It's not Spider-Man without JJJ!
55. I've always loved Robbie, so here he is! He's based on my favorite version, the one from "Spider-Man: The Animated Series"!
56. The calamari is self explanatory.
57. The Baxter Building is Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) and the rest of the Fantastic Four's base of operations.
58. Reed seems to go to the negative zone a lot, so I included it here.
59. I love you 3000, Tony… And I always will.
60. The cloning thing may be a dig at one of the most infamous and universally hated Spider-Man stories: The Clone sage. And for those thinking this is a plot thread, Liv killed her clone as soon as she realized it wouldn't work.
61. Hardy Foundation is yet another reference to "Spider-Man: The Animated Series".
62. Ms. Calleros' first name is taken from her voice actresses first name.
63. Groupie Stories is named after , and the colors are the opposite of the colors on the color wheel.
64. The Symbiote, is of course, Venom.
65. Ganke and Miles' fanfic reading relationship is based on the one I have with my best friend.
66. "Bad Leather! Bad!" is an "Emperor's New Groove" reference. "Bad Llama! Bad!".
67. Uncle Aaron had told Miles that he was "On his way" in the movie, so that was why he said that.
68. Amazing is an adjective!
69. Song foreshadowing: The title is obvious, but the lyrics allude to a savior hiring people for his world saving mission.