Chapter Text
All things considered, saving the Spiderverse from collapsing in on itself is rather anticlimactic. A few stitches here in the fabric of space time, a few stitches there in the fabric of space time, trapping Spot in a positive feedback loop that ripped his body apart at the atomic level, and boom . Done.
Everything after that? Eh. Not so much. Getting back home while dodging everyone under the sun who wants to congratulate him? When he finally manages to get back to his home universe (and NOT his alter ego's), Hobie's homemade dimension traveling watch on his wrist, he lies with his mask off on top of a random roof, letting the sun's rays hit his face for a while. He lets the post-battle tension drain from his body, slowing his breathing like Pav showed him how to. Once he feels less high strung, he swings carefully back to his home, slipping into his bedroom quietly. His mom and dad are softly speaking in the living room, the TV white noise in the background. Taking a deep breath, he opens his bedroom door, still donning the full spiderman suit.
It is time he gave his parents some well deserved answers, especially since he was gone for close to five days now.
His dad is, evidently, not expecting a bone crushing hug from the Neighborhood's Friendly Spiderman. Miles doesn’t let him deter him, holding onto his dad like a lifeline. After spending so much time hopping between universes, trying to track down a man with a grudge the size of Manhattan, he’s glad to be back somewhere more familiar. He’ll miss the charming architecture of Mumbatten, the futuristic Nueva York, the eerie calmness of Earth 42, and the sea of chaos in between but there really is nothing like home.
Mostly, he's exhausted. Sewing the multiverse together again after spending so much time resisting canon event after canon event really did a number on him, even when Gwen's newly formed band of spider people finally decided to help him. And, if he's honest with himself, he’s tired of keeping secrets from his family and his friends. He’s tired of having to be strong for everyone else because they're too scared to be strong for themselves. He’s tired of the bitter sting of betrayal by the people who are supposed to understand him the best.
He’s just tired.
“Um…” Jeff says. “Not that I’m against hugs Spider-man but uh… Did you really need to break in when you could just knock?”
Miles slips his mask off, letting it fall on the table next to him. “Do I need to knock now?”
“M'hijo….?” Rio says, a hitch to her breath.
“Yeah Mom. Dad. This is…. Me. Spiderman.” The words are shaky, his body shivering despite the summer heat. As he opens his mouth to give more information than what their eyes can confirm for themselves, a half sob escapes while his knees collapse out from under him. His lungs seize as he tries to gasp in breaths, blood rushing in his ears. Everything he's been keeping to himself - Kingpin, getting bitten, the Spiderverse - it's all on the tip of his tongue but he can't make himself say it.
He can’t say it. Why can’t he say it-
His dad ends up having to drag him to the couch, limbs full of lead and a growing soreness that he hadn’t noticed before. Rio wraps her arm around him after handing him a cup of hot cocoa, rubbing his shoulders as he sniffles and coughs. They don’t ask any questions, even though Miles can see the burning need for knowledge in their eyes. He’s grateful that they’re giving him space to process what he’s feeling instead of bombarding him with questions right off the bat.
Reality is a bitch. He almost died, too many times to count. From Spot, from his own recklessness, from the very people like him. His fellow Spider-Men (and women. and everything in between) had used him, betrayed him, and tried to imprison him against his will while his father’s death day rapidly approached, cold and alone.
His "best friend" Gwen Stacey had acted as his friend one minute only to stand between him and his goals the next. Their ringleader, Miguel O'Hara, violently attempted to restrain him, to make him suffer for just existing. His mentor, Peter B. Parker, had casually discussed the possibility of having him imprisoned like he was talking about his day at work over dinner. Jessica Drew had stood back and watched it all happen, like he was in the middle of some fucked up science expirement gone wrong.
Peni, Noir, UK, Canada, Web Slinger with his freaking masked horse . The list is endless. The only person who tried, who didn’t really have any part in what was done to him, was Hobie. The one who gave him the custom built watch to travel between dimensions. The one who made it possible for him to save his father. The one who didn’t pretend everything was alright and gave him the situation bluntly.
(And Pav. But Pav also didn’t really pay attention to a whole lot outside of his not-crush on the Chief's daughter so Miles didn’t really have it in him to hate him.)
Out of the millions of people like him, only one turned out to be a true ally in his cause. Not even his alter ego was of much help, too distraught with grief and rage to change his ways (not that Miles thought he would be able to change his alternate self’s ways in only twelve hours. Not even he was that good.)
If Miles had felt alone, not knowing about the Spiderverse and the millions of other people like him, he surely felt alone now. He felt like an animal at the zoo, where everyone stared and whispered about him when they thought he wasn't listening.
Because he was the only one with enough courage to say ‘fuck you’ to fate and figure out how to make it better for everyone else. Because he was the only one who tried.
Yeah. It sucked.
“I…” Miles began, taking another steady sip of his cocoa. “You’re right, Mom. When you said that there would be people at those big fancy places telling me that I don’t belong. I was just too blind to see.”
He clenched his fists together, voice a breathless whisper. “I found people like me, Mom. Dad. People that got bitten by spiders and were turned into Spider people. I felt… seen. Understood, in a way that other people have a hard time comprehending.”
“Other spider people…?” Rio asks.
Miles couldn’t stop the bitter smile that appeared on his face. “Yeah. It was so amazing, you know? So many different versions of us. Different cultures, different histories… It’s breathtaking. I could live for a hundred years and only scratch the surface on the amount of different worlds there are out there.”
“I’m afraid that we’re not quite following, son,” Jeff says. “Care to elaborate from the beginning?”
Miles chuckles. “Sorry, dad. I’m Spider-man, as you can see." He gestures to his suit. "Umm… I was bitten by a radioactive spider and gained some really cool powers. I use these powers to save people and make the world a better place. And I’m not the only one.”
“A radioactive spider really did this to you? I thought that only happened in the movies!”
Miles rubs the back of his neck. “Yeah. When I was fourteen. It… well….” He hesitates, thinking of the best way to explain things. “I didn't know exactly what to do with my powers. I didn't even want them. But the Spiderman before me, Peter, he helped me as best as he could. Until he died, that is."
"Peter's enemies, naturally, started pursuing me. One of them, Kingpin, got his hands on an interdimensional collider, which brought several spidermen from other universes here." Miles drums his fingers on the top of the table. "They…. Helped me defeat him, I guess you could say, before going back to their dimensions. And that should have been the end of it. But… there's this… giant multiverse out there. Millions of worlds, millions of Spider people. I call it the Spiderverse."
"Millions of worlds? Like multiple Earth's?"
"Exactly! Like, they’re all numbered so they don’t get confused with each other. Ours is Earth-1610. The Earth where the HQ for Spider Society is Earth-928. The person that’s bitten can be really similar or really different. Like, sometimes it’s Spider Woman. Or Spider Pig. Or Spider T-Rex."
“Oh I would pay to see a T-Rex shoot webs,” Jeff chuckles.
Rio stares at him like he grew two heads. "What, like those old cartoons?"
"Exactly!" Miles says, grinning. "Sometimes, the course of history itself is different and the people populating the New World isn’t the same as it is here. Like, in the first universe I landed in was Mumbatten, a cross of Mumbai and Manhattan. It was so cool and the spider man there, Pav, is so laid back. Can you believe that he doesn’t use any hair products?”
“None?” Jeff asks.
“Says that ‘his genetics are strong’ or something like that,” Miles says, stretching his legs slightly. “And then there are these things called anomaly’s - basically people or things that come from outside a person's universe - that started popping up and we had to deal with them. That's how I ended up in Mumbatten; I was chasing an anomaly called Spot."
"Wait, like that one dude at the Alchemex facility that Spi- Well, you and I pursued?"
"That's the one. He started opening up random portals to other dimensions and almost totally destroyed Pav's world had it not been for us. Hobie, Spiderpunk, showed up when it started getting really bad. He helped me master one of my unique abilities.”
“Which is…?”
Miles smiles, forming sparking electricity between his fingertips. “I call it Venom. Get it, because spiders have venom?”
Jeff shakes his head, chuckling. "They sure do."
“The anomaly escaped and we were all called back to HQ. That’s where I met Miguel. Miguel O’Hara. From Earth-928. The leader of the Spiderverse, I guess you can say, and the leader of an elite group of spidermen tasked with preventing anomalies from destroying the multiverse.”
“So do you all have the ability to travel universes or…?” Rio asks.
Miles falters, sighing. “Not quite. We have to use technology to do so. Do you remember the girl I was with?”
“Gwanda?”
“Her actual name is Gwen. Gwen Stacy. She's her world's Spiderman and she had gotten recruited onto the team a few months back. She was here investigating Spot. She…” Miles bites his lip. “She wasn’t actually here to see me.”
“Oh m’hijo…”
“I didn’t find that out until later though. I was just so happy to see her. She had told me all about how she was selected to be on Miguel's team. I didn’t have any reason to not believe her but she was acting kind of suspiciously so I decided to, you know, check it out after you let me go. One of my other unique powers is invisibility,” Miles says, briefly turning invisible. “So I tracked her down and followed her into the portal and we helped save Mumbatten.”
“After that, we got invited to HQ in Nueva York. I thought… I thought that I would be welcomed onto the team, you know? Or at least I would be welcomed by them into Spider Society. Especially when I saw all my multiverse friends that helped me take down Kingpin after I first got my powers. But…”
“Breathe, m’hijo. You’re hyperventilating,” Rio reminds gently.
Miles swallows the lump in his throat, tears glistening at the edges of his eyes. “They tried to trap me. I saw a vision of Dad dying and they wanted to trap me there while I was powerless to stop it. Gwen, Peter, Peni, Porker, Miguel, everyone. Hobie was the only one who helped me. He was the one who told me how to get out of the trap using my Venom powers. He was the one who gave me this,” He taps the watch on his wrist. “The ability to travel to different universes outside of the system Miguel uses. It was me against literally every other spider person in existence… One against a million. Probably more than that, honestly.”
He sobs into his hands. “Gwen and Peter and the others… They eventually came around. Even Miguel did. But…”
“You were betrayed, son,” Jeff says gently, rubbing his shoulders.
“They were supposed to have my back and they left me all on my own,” He says, grabbing several tissues to wipe the snot dripping down his nose. “I… I wasn’t supposed to be spider man. The spider that bit me wasn’t from this universe; Spot was a scientist that was studying interdimensional travel. He's the one who brought the spider who bit me into this universe. Because I was bitten, Peter Parker in this world died.”
Rio’s eyes widened. “Miles…”
“So… it was weird. Because I’m obviously from this universe, Earth-1610, I can’t be shipped off somewhere else, not even to the universe where the spider came from, Earth-42. So when I didn’t listen… the order was changed from ‘contain me’ to… to…”
Miles can’t get the words out. He’s been holding it in for so long, keeping his mind focused on keeping his dad safe and defeating Spot that he never really got the chance to process his feelings in the moment. Now that he has a break, now that this danger has passed, all the emotions come raining down on him all at once.
They tried to stop him. They tried to kill him when he wouldn’t listen.
“Miles, son. You need to breathe,” Jeff says, putting a comforting hand on his shoulders.
“They tried to kill me, dad. They tried to kill me because I didn’t want you to die,” Miles can’t stop it now, the emotions overflowing like a flood breaking a dam. “What did I do to deserve this…? Is this punishment for taking the place of this world’s Peter Parker?”
“No, Miles. You aren’t being punished for anything,” Rio says, hugging him tight. “Things may have not worked out how they were supposed to. But you made the most of it and thrived. You were brave and courageous and strong, just as we’ve known you to be. You deserve the world and more, mi corazon.”
He can't breathe. Miles saved the multiverse from collapse and emerged victorious and now he's sitting at the dinner table talking to his mom and dad and he can't breathe-
“You’re growing into a fine young man, Miles,” Jeff says, hugging him. “I can think of no greater honor than calling you my son. Don’t let anyone else take that away from you. I’m glad you finally opened up to us about this.”
“Remember what I said before I told you to go after Gwan- Gwen? That no matter what, we would always have your back?” Rio says. “It still applies, mijito. I only wish you had told us sooner so that we could have helped you sooner.”
“Thanks, Mom, Dad,” His words are wheezed out, eyes watery and throat aching. “Can you make some dinner while I get cleaned up? Please? I’m still covered in…. Whatever Spot’s body was made of. Sorry for getting it on your clothes.”
“No worries, papa. Take your time. We’re not going anywhere,” Rio says, ruffling his hair. "I'll even make your favorite, sí?"
“Gracias, Mami.”
It felt good to be home.
"Whoa! That looks so cool, Miles! I wish I could draw like you can… Who's this? He looks like he'd eat you for breakfast!"
"Haha. That's actually not entirely inaccurate…"
The first time he sees another Spider-Man in his universe, it’s not until several months after the multiverse has stabilized. He’s both happy and sad. Happy, because the sting of betrayal is still strong even after amends have been made. Sad, because he genuinely misses working alongside someone.
Genke had once remarked that he should find another radioactive spider to bite someone so he had a sidekick; Miles had dismissed the idea initially, too worried about dragging someone else into this harrowing responsibility (and also because, at the time, he had no idea how to find another radioactive spider). But he’s starting to understand what Genke meant, now.
Miles likes the idea of having someone to work with. Someone to tag team the Villain of the Week with. Another set of eyes to web up a purse grabber in Manhattan while another busts a bank robbery in Brooklyn. It would lighten his load and having backup with villains like the Rhino or Doc Oc would make him feel a little less nervous heading out on a mission.
However, he’s not sure how well his plan would go in practice. Not many universes had two spider persons and while he might have been willing to face all of the Spiderverse in defense of his father, something tells him that he’s not sure he can do something like that again anytime soon (or ever).
Alternatively, he could team up with another Spiderverse’s Spider-Man for a few missions. Spice things up a bit. But the idea of doing that makes him tense and on edge. Could he trust someone enough to leave his own universe and go somewhere unfamiliar?
(Not to mention his lack of experience. He's so young compared to everyone else and the difference in skill level is… staggering, even with his unique skills.)
It’s hard to shake the trauma of being hunted down by a literal army that has a combined thousands of years of experience over his own capabilities. Honestly, Miles isn’t sure how he managed to get away with the odds stacked against him like they were.
By all accounts, it should have been impossible.
Miles freezes, spider senses alerting him to danger. He looks around warily, scanning the tops of the buildings before looking at the ground level. At first, nothing seems amiss. Until he spots a stranger sitting tucked away in outdoor seating at a local cafe. His clothes are ever so slightly off; if you weren’t paying attention, he would probably go under your radar.
The device around his wrist, however, sends alarm bells ringing in his ears. Ducking into the alleyway, he cloaks himself in invisibility as he scales the sides of the walls. He quickly sheds his clothing, stuffing them in his backpack that he drops behind an exterior vent. He shoots web to the edge of the building, slowly lowering himself down to be near the stranger but far enough away that he can escape if he needs to.
“Who are you?” Miles asks, voice artificially deep. The stranger startles, nearly spilling their cup of tea in the process.
“Who’s there?”
“I asked you a question first,” Miles says, dread settling in his stomach. “Who are you and why are you here?”
“… Is that you, Spider man-?”
“Answer the damn question,” Miles interrupts.
“Spiderman. Peter Parker. From Universe 77014,” the stranger says, smiling so wide he is almost beaming. "Nice to meet you!"
“What are you doing here, Spiderman 77014,” Miles asks, gripping his webs like a lifeline. “If you need help with anomalies, I am not your guy.”
“No. Not at all! I’m just passing by!”
Miles sends a blank look towards the other Spiderman. He must have sensed it as he rubbed the back of his head, flushing slightly. “And… I may just have wanted to apologize for… before. When you were attacked.”
“Apology accepted. Now leave,” Miles says, knuckles white with tension.
“But I just… I just got here,” 77014 says. "Peter B mentioned that the tea here was divine."
“Did I invite you?” Miles jolts, nearly losing his invisibility as electricity sparked at his fingertips. He winces, shaking out the offending hand. Bad Venom Powers.
“… I suppose you didn’t,” 77014 answers, looking almost like a kicked puppy. “Sorry. I'm absolutely terrible with these types of conversations. If it makes you feel any different, I was not there when O’Hara gave any of his orders. I found out about you from all the gossip several days afterward.”
“There’s gossip?” Miles asks, frowning.
“There's always gossip. A lot of people admire you for standing up to O’Hara, myself included,” 77014 chuckles. “Not many have the guts.”
Miles bites his lip. There’s so much he wants to say but yelling at a random Spiderman who had nothing to do with anything that happened to him would not help. “I didn’t exactly have a choice.”
“You did,” 77014 says, taking a sip of his tea. “Have a choice. You just choose to go against the crowd instead of following the flow. It takes courage. Real courage. I wish I could have been there to see it myself.”
“…”
"I understand your… unwillingness to mingle with the others. Honestly it's very overwhelming to me even when I'm not getting chased by everyone," Peter 77014 chuckles, leaning back in his chair.
"It did make for a funny scene when Miguel didn't specify he wanted me," Miles jokes.
"I saw the video," Peter 77014 says, lips drawn back in a thin smile. "You have some amazing moves, kid. I only wish I could move as fast as you could."
"It's not all that. I wish I had more strength," Miles says, bristling at the use of ‘kid’. Kids didn’t have nightmares of being ripped apart by sharp claws and watching their father die while they were powerless to stop it. "I barely was able to escape Miguel."
"Brute force isn't everything, especially in our line of work," Peter 77014 says. "Gave us a good reminder not to get too complacent. We have running bets on who could actually beat you in a fight."
"Me?" Miles splutters. "Be for real, man."
"I am," Peter 77014 says. "Being 'for real.' You've inspired a lot of change, Miles. Reminds me a little of the Miles back home."
"What? There's another one of me?"
Peter smiles bashfully, a red flush to his cheeks. "Yeah. He's my protege and someone with a heart of gold. I'm really proud of him. You should visit sometime. I'm sure his Rio would not mind another Miles to fuss over."
A flash of light draws Miles' attention to the small black and red band on Peter 77014's right ring finger, glistening under the afternoon sunlight. "Huh."
“That’s all I really wanted to say,” Peter 77014 says, standing up. “Thank you for letting me finish my tea. It really is lovely here.”
“You’re welcome…?”
“Have a lovely afternoon, Miles,”
“Sure…” Miles says, staring at the spot Peter 77014 was just sitting, wondering if he had imagined the entire thing.
"Dude… You should get out sometime. I'm not used to seeing you lay around for this long. Usually you'd be pacing around bored out of your mind."
"Just not really feeling it today, Genke. Maybe tomorrow."
Just short of one year after saving the multiverse, day to day life for Miles finally settles. No world breaking anomalies, no surprise visitors, no having weeks of makeup work to finish, and more time to spend with his parents. Yet at the same time, he feels stuck in the past. He sees flashes of Miguel pinning him to the train as he takes public transport to and from school. He hears Hobie as he’s walking back to his mom’s house, a steady beat thumping in his ears when he isn’t listening to his own.
He remembers Peter B. when he smells barbecue, reminding him of simpler and happier times. He feels Gwen when he slips between the narrow space between two vans on one of his many chases, threading the needle and ringing the bell, just like she showed him to.
Worst of all, he can’t escape it even when he’s in school. He ultimately decided to study physics over art because of Gwen and Peter. In the hopes that he would be able to see them again. So that he wouldn’t be alone anymore.
It still stings, even now, to know that they were fully capable of visiting him but chose not to, in the end.
"You don't want to do physics anymore? Are you sure? You seemed so passionate about it before."
"I dunno. I think I need a break before I start thinking about college right now."
"You, of all people, need a break? Who are you and what have you done with Miles Morales?"
"A lot can change in a year…"
The colors are off. He doesn’t even know what he’s painting anymore, neon greens mixing with pale yellows with blood reds and off blues. Nothing makes sense anymore and it’s hard for him to find the drive to paint. Even that, too, has been taken from him.
“With great power comes great responsibility,” Uncle Ben had always said to Peter Parker shortly before dying. If only Miles had known that with responsibility came loss, grief, and mourning, often all at the same time. He will never regret becoming Spider-Man. He has saved so many lives, helped so many people. The world would not be the same without him and he would gladly sacrifice himself again and again if it meant other people were happy and healthy.
But the cost is very real. Getting out of bed is harder than it should be and trying to work up an appetite for his rapidly growing body is nearly impossible. Sleep is fitful and very rarely restful; his body runs on coffee and energy drinks in order to survive the day.
Miles tried to move on. Really. But outside of talking to a therapist, what can he do? He can’t go back to Nueva York; there are too many memories there and the thought makes him freeze with terror. His mom and his dad would always support him but there was a limit on what he could tell them before it went completely over their heads.
He’s stuck between a rock and a hard place. He doesn’t know what he should do.
“Hey. Do you mind?”
Miles flinches, bringing his sparking fist up, poised to strike, before he realizes who spoke. “Hobie?”
“Long time no see,” the man grins, holding a can of spray paint in his hand. “May I?”
“Sure,” Miles says, fist falling limply to the ground while he watches Hobie start working on the wall. “Uhhh….”
“Just thought I should stop by. It’s been a while,” Hobie says. “Your folks doing alright?”
“… Good,” he says finally. “They’re happy now that I’m not, you know, keeping so many secrets from them. Still grounded, though.”
“What about Spiderman? Is he grounded?” Hobie teases.
Miles laughs bitterly. “Not in that sense, no.”
“Oh.”
“Just…” Miles frowns. “I don’t know, man. It’s hard to explain.”
“It always is,” Hobie says, tossing him a can. “Here. Join me.”
“Uh… Sure.” Miles says. “How’s…. life been?”
“Took down a few villains. Teamed up with the band to get rid of some anomalies. Same old, same old,” Hobie says. “Miss working with you. That Venom power would have come in handy a few times.”
“… I miss working with you too,” Miles says quietly. “But… I don’t think I can go back, you know?”
“I know. It’s why I visited, even though Miguel put a ‘Do not visit’ advisory on your universe,” Hobie says. “Can’t imagine you’ve had the best time recently.”
“He put a what?!”
“The Peter from 77014 mentioned that you didn’t seem up to visitors and Miguel’s team all were inclined to agree,” Hobie says. “‘S not mandatory, just one of those things you gotta see on your way in. Never really cared for labels, especially useless ones."
Miles hums quietly, unsure of how he’s supposed to feel about that information. “How’s Gwen and the others? Any multiverse threat that they’ve had to deal with?”
“No. It’s been quiet, outside of the usual,” Hobie says. “Even more boring than usual.”
“Boring can be good,” Miles challenges.
Hobie smiles. “Yes. But it can also make you realize what you’re missing.”
“Hobie?”
Hobie pauses for a moment. “I’m only going to say this once. You can take it or leave it, alright? I’m not gonna force you to choose one or the other.”
Miles blinks. “Okayyyyyy. Hit me with it.”
“Gwen? Peter? O’Hara? They fucked up big time. They whine and complain that you haven’t visited without realizing just how fucked you were,” Hobie says. “You exist outside of canon so why would you follow their rules? They’ve got their own struggles, sure. But they knew what they were doing and still chose to do it, knowing how it would hurt you.”
“You walked out. That day,” Miles says quietly. “You destroyed your own watch.”
“Yeah. Yeah I did. ‘Cause I didn’t wanna be like them,” Hobie says. “Cause it doesn’t have to be this way all the time. Sometimes, bad things happen no matter what you do. That doesn’t mean you have to stop tryin’ to make things better.”
“Yeah…” Miles trails off.
“And, I think they’re starting to realize it. Just a little bit,” Hobie says. “Gwen and Pav ‘ave nearly driven Jess and O’Hara up the wall, breaking small canon events left and right. Peter randomly pops up outta nowhere when he feels like it, giving the big man a scare when he does.”
“Speaking of the big man…. He’s changed, since the day you stitched everything back together. I can’t quite piece it together yet. He’s calmer, more willing to listen to what other people think,” Hobie sighs, switching colors. “Look. All I’m saying is that they’re trying, in their own ways. And that they, if you’re willing, would not mind a visit or two.”
“Even Miguel?” Miles jokes.
“Especially O’Hara,” Hobie says, looking over at him. “Looks like a lost puppy everytime your name is mentioned.”
The mental image makes him snort. “He told me he wished I was dead. He tried to kill me.”
Hobie shrugs, sending him a knowing look. “Never did say he had a square head on his shoulders.”
“I can’t…” Miles pauses. “I can’t go back and have it be like that again. I get it that they don’t respect me as an adult and I sort of understand that, even if I think it’s bullshit. But the secrets? The lies? The pretending to be on my side and then “surprise!”? If it’s gonna be like that, then I want nothing to do with any of them.”
Hobie smiles. “True that.”
Miles takes a deep breath, thinking about what Hobie is saying. Despite everything, he does wish to have his friendships and his mentor back. He doesn’t want to be at odds with nearly all of the multiverse.
But he’s scared. Scared that nothing really has changed and he has to watch his heart shatter into a billion pieces for the nth time.
“I’ll think about it,” Miles says absentmindedly, stepping back, looking at the image that is starting to take shape. It’s abstract and crude but it nonetheless sparks something in his gut.
Happiness. Relief. Maybe even hope.
"M'hijo… I'm just not sure this is a good idea…"
"Mami, neither am I. But I need closure and that won't happen if I don't go back and see things for myself. I can't keep living like this, even if the truth will break what's left of my trust in them."
"... Okay. You know what’s best for you. Safe travels, mi arañito."
"Mom!"
“And you’re still grounded when you get back!”
One year, six months, and ten days after he saves the Spiderverse, Miles finally gains the courage to return to Earth 928.