Miles stood frozen inside the elevator; his pupils were blown wide at the vast lobby and the crowd of superheroes strolling and chatting at every nook and cranny. He had been here before - had walked through the hallway countless times since his grand induction into the Spider Society - but somehow, right now, it felt alien and suffocating. Everything was so big it was overwhelming.

Miles could hear his heart rate begin to spike. His black coat gradually bristled - a reflex to make him appear intimidating to an invisible threat. Something bigger and stronger than him. Irrational fear wounded tightly in his stomach, threatening to force out last night's meal. The warnings of Danger! Danger! Danger! started to pound Miles' head. What? Who? Where? There was no danger, only people and creatures who were like him. There was nothing for him to worry about - none to run away from -

"Oh, my! What's a little kitty doing here? Are you lost?"

Miles arched back, looking up at a Spider-Woman staring down at him. Her mask was on, but the gentle crinkles around the lenses were visible. He could tell she meant no harm, but her words had drawn the nearest pairs of curious eyes. It was like a domino effect - the sudden lull in conversations lured more, and the collective attention made Miles feel on edge. Squeals and coos grated his ears, but those were tolerable. It was the moment when gloved hands reached for him that his Spider-Sense went haywire, and he bolted.

Surprised shouts erupted around him as he sprinted away from those hands and through the legs of the gathered Spider-folk. Many stumbled away from his path, not sensing his arrival beforehand. He was not the threat. They were. Everything blurred past him that it was disorienting - the white-washed walls and pillars, the glass windows, and more Spider-people. Heavy footsteps thumped behind him, chasing after him with no holds barred. Someone yelled to call Miguel, and Miles lost the last fragment of logic to fear.

God, no! No, please! Not again! This was like back then. He did not do anything wrong! Please, please, please-!

Miles leaped to any surface he could latch on. It did not matter where it was or what - he needed to get away because, this time, he did not have his web-shooters. He was not in his suit and not human. He did not have a purpose or plan - he was a helpless tiny mass of fur that stumbled into a den of hunters and predators.

More and more Spider-folk joined the pursuit, drawn to him like moths to a flame. Webs were thrown in his direction, aiming to slow or capture him. There was a lot of shouting, cursing, Why the fuck were we chasing a cat?, and Why did this feel like déjà vu? Someone hollered to get Spider-Cat's toys and catnip but was quickly drowned by the commotion.

Miles darted toward Sector Four and skidded around the smooth corner. He kept running as fast as his tiny paws could, not risking a glance at his pursuers. There was a vent at the left wall, small enough for his size, and he scampered toward it. The grille opened after a few desperate bites and tugs, and he wiggled inside as much as his slender body could into such a tight space.

Miles did not stop to check if anyone saw him - the passageway reverberated as tens of Spider-folk passed through the sector. Alarms blared outside - the news of a wayward feline must have reached everyone now. He crawled as far as he could, squeezing between blades of inactive fans until he stumbled upon another grating. Orange light filtered from the connecting room, and he heard voices from inside.

"Run that past me again." It was Miguel. Miles could recognize that voice anywhere. "You're saying it just disappeared before your eyes? That's to say, more than half of the entire Spider Society?"

"Well, er…the first one's a maybe?" The second voice quickly backtracked when Miguel growled. Miles' whiskers picked up the vibrations from where he was - the guttural sound sent shivers down his spine. "Look. We can't believe it, too. It just went Poof! halfway here in Sector Four. Either it's a ghost, one of Spider-Cat's kittens, or we're just re-enacting that chase because of mind control or whatnot. Honestly, I don't believe any of them."

"Spider-Cat doesn't have a litter. Or at least, as far as he disclosed." Miguel let out an audible sigh. The man sounded as tired as he looked. "Tell everyone to continue searching. Until we're certain that the intruder's harmless, don't let it leave the vicinity. Understood?"

An affirmative reply and the light dimmed slightly as a holo-screen disappeared. Miles would not have heard Miguel's following words if he did not have enhanced hearing. "Let's just get this over with. LYLA, scan the entire headquarters and ping Spider-Cat from Earth-999 to come here as soon as possible."

"Oh, no, no, no! I know that look." LYLA's voice rang clear from the room. "Don't tell me you're going to scare off a poor kitty for escaping everyone like your favorite kid? I have a morality program installed, you know. It says, 'No bullying everyone except Miguel' -"

"Get to work."

"Fine, but I'm calling Spider-Cat and PETA." Silence. Only LYLA's cheerful hum and the near-muted audio from the live monitors could be heard. "...Hm?"

"What is it?"

"Analysis says that it's in this room. Just above us."

It was like a scene in a horror movie. Miles' Spider-Sense went off a second before those red eyes swiveled in his direction. Miguel yelled something to LYLA before his red web latched at the grille and wrenched it off where it was bolted shut.

Miles jumped back as metal deformed around him and scuttled to where he came from, only to be stopped by the now-active fans. A portion of the duct behind him was torn apart, and he yowled as he lost purchase and landed on the ground. He scurried out of the command center and into the workshop with the hulking man at his heels. The latter was shouting at him, but Miles was not listening. The door was right there - his freedom - when the translucent form of Miguel's holographic AI popped before him.

"Nope! Wrong way, kitty."

Miles skidded to a halt before his instincts drove him to the nearest hiding spot, under one of the workbenches. He waited and listened, curled against the wall in a tight, trembling ball. His heart thumped loudly against his chest like a drum, and his ears and whiskers pressed flat against his head. Every fiber of his being pleaded - Please do not come here! Leave him alone. He did not do anything wrong! - but there was only silence. Did he lose Miguel? Did he give up? It was a spark of hope - one that was swiftly dashed when the familiar blue and red stomped in front of the furniture.

"Now, now, Miggy." Miles heard LYLA say. "The kitty's scared out of its wits. You should be gentle -"

The workbench was ripped from its spot, and tools and unfinished gadgets clattered on the floor. The noise pounded against Miles' hypersensitive hearing, rendering him immobile from avoiding the furious eyes. He braced himself for the sharp claws digging against his skin, the smell of blood, and the feeling of his flesh knitting back to itself. Like back then. He had escaped once, but not this time. His luck had run out, and now, he was going to face the consequences -

"What…?"

Miles slowly opened his eyes and was met with a confused expression. Miguel was looking around, picking on everything before him. His gaze swept a few times to where Miles was, but he never saw anything, as if his target just disappeared.

"It was supposed to be here! LYLA, rerun a scan! Now!"

The holographic AI was as puzzled as the man. "Infrared thermal scanner says it's right in front of you." She frowned, tapping on the holo-screen. "That's strange. It's almost like -"

LYLA straightened and quickly switched to a different screen. "Miggy, we got an emergency alert. One of the Peters found Miley's Dimensional Travel Watch near the lobby. Witness reports say that the cat brought it earlier."

A series of emotions flashed on Miguel's face too fast for Miles to decipher. "WHAT?"

"I already told the concerning Spider-Man to turn it in. Give me a moment - I'll pull up the records of all inbound portals and the cameras -"

LYLA's voice trailed off from Miles' ears. He had an opportunity to escape and would use it. He wriggled under the adjacent furniture when pain shot through his entire being. A sharp cry was ripped from his throat as the world shattered into a mess of colors and geometric shapes. It was a familiar yet distant feeling, lasting only briefly before his atoms reconstructed back to their places. The momentary experience left him lightheaded that he failed to notice the wide eyes looking at where his puffed-out tail was poking out.

"Miles...?"

Miles glanced behind him and flinched when Miguel stepped forward too quickly. His instincts screamed for him to run, but his Spider-Sense had become strangely quiet. He was confused - What should he do? Should he go? But to where? He could not hide in this universe for long without a gizmo. He wanted to go back home to his parents. Where was Peter? Gwen? Hobie? Or even Pav? God, he just wanted to go home now. He was so, so scared -

"Miles, is that you? ¿Eres realmente tú, chico?"

Miles backed away further in the darkness. Dilated pupils frantically searched the man's face for his next move. The latter kept a respectable distance, watching him back with shock, disbelief, and concern. He did not seem to know what to do.

"He's scared, Miggy." LYLA reminded him. She would have reprimanded the man but decided against it. "And you've chased him again…"

Miguel winced, his expression contorted to utter horror and guilt. "I didn't - I wasn't -"

"Hey, hey now, big guy." The holographic AI snapped her fingers - the sound was loud enough to elicit a choked cry from Miles. She flashed an apologetic smile and toned her voice down. "Now's not the time for that." She gestured to the feline, who remained rooted to where he was. "Just breathe, okay? We'll unpack everything later. For now, focus. Be gentle. Be clear with your intentions. You know what to do, right?"

Miguel inhaled and nodded shakily. He uncurled his fists, letting the claws retract back to their places. This time, he moved slowly. He knelt to make himself smaller and showed his hands where Miles could see it. "Miles…it's you, isn't it?" His voice was uncharacteristically soft. "I'm sorry I scared you. Está bien, estás a salvo ahora."

When Miles did not budge, LYLA drifted on the floor and bent down like she would pick up a child. "Come here, sweetie pie. Is the big, bad spider scaring you? It's okay. He won't hurt you."

If Miguel had any say about the baby talk, he kept it to himself. The same went for Miles - not because he could not speak properly but because his nerves were still frazzled. The fact that Miguel was not about to shred him finally sank in. It was not enough to clear the fog of fear gripping him now, but it brought back a bit of rationality. The person before him was Miguel O'Hara. He would not hurt him. Not anymore.

Their relationship started rocky - an understatement of the century according to Hobie - for the first months, but they mainly had worked out things over time. It was a long road of forgiveness, but they had already reached the point where Miles' family would sometimes invite the man to family dinners. He had found it amusing how socially awkward Miguel would be around non-Spider-people, but the latter was improving. The man had recently begun interacting with others, and he and his friends were allowed to hang out in the command center, given they did not wreck or steal anything. The second one was primarily directed at Hobie. They still got scolded sometimes, but the lectures now originated from exasperation and worry instead of anger, impatience, and pride. If there were anyone who could help him and keep him safe right now, it would be Miguel and the Spider Society.

A leap of faith.

Miles had risked it all before - when he took over as the new Spider-Man in his universe, made an impromptu plan to escape the Spider Society, trusted his alternate self to help him find a way home and save his - their - father, and gave Miguel a second chance. If he had to gamble everything again for something he believed in, he would do it again.

It was another leap of faith.

So, Miles took it. When Miguel held a loosely curled finger, he reluctantly approached. He trained a wary eye between the man and LYLA before instinctively leaning forward for a sniff - the staleness of mechanical oil, the savory richness of empanada, and the warmth of a fireplace during winter…

…And most importantly, safe. Miles murmured a quiet Tío but was sure it sounded like a weak meow to the man. Open palms lowered before him, and he wobbled in his climb. His innate sense of danger had gone entirely silent - the aftermath of the earlier racket had left him hungry and exhausted. How he managed to outrun everyone with an empty stomach and an unfamiliar body was a mystery to him. Flight response was one HELL of a drug.

Miles leaned against Miguel's chest as the latter carefully held him in his arms and carried him away from the mess of another unwarranted chase. A large hand rested against his side, comforting and grounding after some of the most nerve-wracking minutes of his life. "¿Qué te ha pasado, chico?"

"'M fine," Miles mumbled. A hopeless attempt, but it was worth a try. "Just wanna nap…."

Miguel was saying something else - to him or LYLA, Miles was not sure. He was already drifting off, sinking into the warmth and safety the man offered.

Sorry. I just couldn't resist the angst potential and had to write it.