Angstmas: Rejected Apologies
Prompt: "You can say sorry a thousand times, and I don't have to accept a single one of them."
Characters: Miles Morales. Peter B. Parker, Gwen Stacy, Miguel O'Hara, Hobie Brown, Patvir Prahakbar, Jessica Drew
Plot: Miles defends Miguel from the two who hurt him more.
If you told Miles a year ago that he would be defending the man who tried to kill him from his former friend and mentor, he would have called you crazy. Now?
Now he was seething at the audacity of the two in front of him. The day started fine.
Within the past few months after the incident with Spot were okay. He received a formal proper apology from both Miguel and Jessica, the two left him alone for a while leaving him behind only to find a watch on his desk. He didn't use it or touch it for over a month until he received a desperate SOS from LYLA.
Miguel was dying.
The Mexican Irish man was dealing with a scorpion anomaly by his fucking self and got hit. Just like with other scorpions he suffered from horrible hallucinations while bleeding out. Why nobody helped him or went to his aid was beyond smiles as he teleported over to the earth where he was located. Lo and behold a tied, paralyzed, massive scorpion. lying a few feet away from him is an unfocused, bleeding Miguel O'Hara.
"Hey Tio, you good?'' Miles says as he walks towards the man on the ground. Miguel held his side as he curled up against the tree. He turned to Miles and flinched when the young man reached his hand out. "Easy, I'm not here to hurt you, I call Jessica and she's on her way."
That did nothing to help as Miguel cowered in front of him. It was almost heartbreaking. It got worse.
"Please," Miguel whimpered, causing Miles' blood to freeze. His voice got higher, almost feminine. "Please, I'm sorry, I'll be good. I don't want it. Please don't hurt me again Papa," Miguel sobbed as he shook violently on the ground. Miles' heart froze in his chest as he watched the society leader beg not to be hurt by someone who wasn't there.
The next thing almost made Miles vomit and shake in rage.
"I won't fight if you take me to your bed again or if take my clothes, I promise, just please don't hurt me anymore," Miguel sobbed as he called himself into a ball.
Miles stares at the man in front of him. he knows nothing of him or his past. but no one deserved that. He barely paid attention to the sound of Jessica's motorbike as the two helped Miguel into the private medical room.
"Morales," Miles turns his head from the still form of Miguel to Jessica. The woman in question looked exhausted as she spoke. "Thank you for helping him. I can't ima-"
"Why was no one else there? Why was he alone? That guy was huge!" Miles blurted out, interrupting her mid-sentence. His mind had been whirling nonstop since he was called. Jessica sighed but explained everything in the past three months.
Miguel was still the leader of the society but very few others trusted him after what he did. So whenever there was a mission and he was involved no one helped him but Jessica, Ben, and LYLA. hell, Pavtir and Hobie helped him more. Everyone else ignores the SOSs coming from their watch—even Peter.
Miles was horrified and furious.
When Miguel woke up to the young teen by his side, he was startled by the look on his face.
"Jessica told me everything. From now on if you need help, call me first. Understood?" Miles snarled. It's too much pain to argue, Miguel nodded unsure what to do. "Good. now LYLA," the AI in question appears. "How do I use this thing to broadcast a message?"
It took thirty minutes but he did it. Miguel and Jessica watched wide-eyed as Miles cussed out and scolded every single Spiderman for their behavior. From calling them hypocrites as well as cowards, ending it with the words
"The worst is the fact that Miguel almost died today and because of you guys he would have died alone. we are supposed to help each other, but every one of you ignores his pleas for help. If Miguel had died, I wonder how long it would have taken for you guys to notice."
Needless to say, everyone felt guilty and ashamed. Some were left crying after Miles's speech
Miles, Jessica, and Miguel formed a tentative friendship/mentorship. Whenever another spider was near the two Miles would shoot them dirty looks until they went away. Now and then someone makes a mention of the chase incident and Miles himself would shut them down, reminding them how they left someone to almost die. Gwen and Peter tried to apologize and make amends for the whole chase and left Miguel alone. It didn't work
Mostly because Miles kept them away from him and Miguel. If Mayday wanders in, Miles returns her to Peter and walks away, Gwen leaves behind not only for them to be ripped up but spider cat. Gifts were thrown in the trash. It escalated in the meeting where the group was in forced proximity for a mission. Miles, Miguel, Pavtir, Hobie, Gwen, and Peter B. were all in the conference room listening to Miguel going over the mission protocol when Peter spoke up.
"What if we have issues with members of the team?" Peter pointed out, eyes darting to miles. Siad Spider stared down at his former mentor. The air became tense as the group went silent.
"What kind of issues, Parker?" Miguel said as his eyes darted everywhere but at the older man.
"Holding unnecessary grudges," Gwen grumbled under her breath. Miles scoffed, causing Gwen to look at him pleadingly. "See this is what we're talking about. Miles, we're sorry we lied to you, but you gotta stop being-"
"Stop being what?" Miles stood up furious. After all this time they still don't get it. "Are you sorry for how you treated me when I first got my powers? For the fact that you could have seen me but chose not to? For the fact that you were supposed to see me at all?!" Miles snarled at her before turning to Peter "And what about you? Is it for how terrible you train a new Spiderman, or for bringing a baby on a high-speed chase? Or maybe leaving someone who trusted you to fucking die?!"
Gwen stood up desperate not to lose her friend and crush.
"It's his fault. He banned any visit from your earth!" Gwen pointed to Miguel who looked away in shame. "He almost killed you and your father and you forgave him?! You forgave everyone but us!" the blonde shrieked as she motioned to herself and Peter. The others in the room stayed silent as they watched the two. "Why are you defending him?!"
"Because when he apologized he did not force me to try and forgive him. When he almost died he apologized again and said I didn't need to help him and that I owed him nothing. Because unlike you, he understood that he screwed up. And he worked to change himself and the Society. So when I found that no but those two and Jessica," He roared pointing at the Hobie and Pavtir. "were the only ones helping him on missions where his life was on the line even though they didn't trust him! Because unlike you, he apologized but no one forgave him but me. He did not force people to forgive him but he gave them space. You continue to ignore that fact. Thinking that everything was well and fine because you said you were sorry, fix everything. Well, it fixes nothing! It doesn't change the fact that when I needed help with my powers you two treated me like an idiot, when my uncle died you played off like it was nothing, when you could travel the multiverse itself, it wasn't the first thing that crossed your mind or when Miguelneeded help, you ignore it! I'm sorry fixes nothing cause guess what?"
Miles' body crackled with electricity as he started down his former friend as she shook and cried in front of him. he felt nothing but rage as he snarled.
"You can say sorry a thousand times for the rest of your life, and I don't have to forgive a single one."
Gwen started at him before bolting from the room Peter trailing behind. Another pathetic sorry left his lips. Miles took a deep breath to calm down ignoring it. He didn't accept it then he wasn't going to accept them now.
