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Miles loved living in Brooklyn. Just like his mother, he never planned on leaving the borough. Why would he? The city was lively, colorful, vital, diverse. Brooklyn was a melting pot of different groups of people and their rich cultures. There was always something to do, somewhere to go, and someone to meet. He discovered his passion for art through the the graffiti that graced the old buildings and gave the entire borough character. Brooklyn was the only home he’d ever known and the only place that allowed him to grow, but Brooklyn was flooded with water. The Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island (not a borough) were flooded as well. Near the end of September, temperatures dropped drastically and everyone believed that it was a result of the season’s transition from summer to fall. In reality, a dastardly tempest was to hit the entire east coast and New York was left unprepared-as usual. It was Friday afternoon when the downtown pour started and that morning, Rio had texted him.
Mamí 💃🏽♥️🇵🇷 now
Skip your last class of the day I want you home by 1:30 the latest.
He gladly obliged considering his last class that day was Spanish. The plan was to Uber back home, but there were little ride-shares available and the ones that were taking rides charged a ridiculous surcharge and he figured, why not leave the few to the people that needed it? Instead, Miles webbed himself back home in the pouring rain. Despite freezing his ass off, he still checked below him to see if a citizen was in any desperate need for help. Luckily for him, the streets of Brooklyn were filled with people trying to make their way back home. Even the scammers and robbers didn’t wanna be caught outside by the time thunder and lightning hit. It was 1:57 p.m. when he got home and he anticipated Rio bum rushing him with questions as to why he was soaked and almost a half hour late, but the house was empty.
‘Ain’t this some shit?’ He asked himself. The last thing he wanted was to be stuck in the house by himself during a vicious storm. Miles removed his shoes and checked the perimeter of the house. The living room and bathroom was tidy, as was the kitchen - save for the few dishes in the sink from his parents’ breakfast. The rational part of his mind knew that his parents were most likely still at work. They couldn’t skip their last assignment of the day to come rushing home. But then he suddenly thought about Jeff taking another call in this weather; not only was he risking himself, but who was gonna pick up his Mamí? How was she gonna get home with the limited amount of taxis and ride-shares? Miles’ thoughts began to spiral as his worry increased along with his heart rate. Say Rio did take a bus or a train home, what if the storm gets worse? The rain was already going in every direction including upwards. He looked out the window and couldn’t even see the downpour because water was continuously streaming down the sides of his house. It was almost as if a hose was attached to the window with the steady stream of water that trickled down. Being the thoughtful son he was, Miles grabbed some of his mother’s loungewear and threw in the dryer so she can have something warm to change into by the time she got home. He washed the dishes so that when she got home, she wouldn’t say..
‘So I gotta tell you to wash them plates? Tengo que dice? Puñeta!’ when she got home. He made sure to change out of his wet clothes and put his shoes away so she wouldn’t be upset about him ruining her hardwood floors. Miles just needed to keep reminding himself that his parents were coming home.
‘It’s just a storm. A little bit of water is not gonna hurt my parents. We’ve had mad blizzards and everything turned out just fine.’
Miles attempted to reassure himself, but he could still feel a familiar tightness in his chess. The sensation came whenever he attempted to write an essay, but couldn’t find the words; whenever he went back to his dorm after fighting criminals and realized he’d blown off a kickback he was invited to; whenever he thought about how he could ever hold down a career or a family of his own with this kind of responsibility. The sweating and the chills usually came soon after- at least in Miles’ case it did. He leaned on the kitchen counter, trying to breath in as slowly and deeply as possible , but it was difficult keeping it continuous. With perfect timing, his phone began to vibrate from its place on the counter. Miles immediately answered when he saw it was Rio.
“Mamí I need to know where you are. I’m here at home!”
“I know, papa. I know, but did you turn on Channel 7 yet?”
Miles walked into the living room and flicked on their HD TV. His eyes widened as he saw just how much rain water was beginning to accumulate downtown. The sorry suckers who were still outside were receiving a free foot bath by the slight flooding, cars were slowly trudging forward as the rising water halfway submerged the tires. The big red banner at the bottom of the screen read
‘STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARED IN NEW YORK CITY’
“Oh shit!” Miles quietly exclaimed, briefly forgetting his mother was still on the other line.
“¡Oye callate ya!” She reprimanded “But yeah, it sucks. Cause like…nooowww it’s a state of emergency eh? Everything’s so last minute here, I swear to God.”
She muttered some more Spanish curses under her breath, a result of her annoyance and displeasure.
“They’re canceling trains and subways so I think it’s best if I stay at the hospital, míjo.”
“What? Ma-
“At least until your father finishes work and can make it through this traffic to come pick me up.”
“When will that be?”
“Probably…really late. Lo síento, papi. Pero, I made a sopa last night. You can heat that up for dinner to keep yourself warm ok?”
Irritation bubbled in Miles. Not at her, at himself. He remembered being twelve years old and staying home alone during blizzards; drawing, playing video games, and simply enjoying the day off from school. Now at sixteen years old, he was falling apart at the thought of his parents stranded at their jobs. In order to give himself a bit of grace, Miles considered that things were beyond different now: he was Spiderman and that put him into multiple situations that almost resulted in one of his folks dying. It wasn’t the staying home alone that induced such panic, it was not being able to ensure the safety of his folks.
“Y’know if I had a car I could come scoop you. Just saying.” He joked light heartedly despite the negative emotions that swirled inside of him.
“As if I would ever let you drive in this rain. Y cálmate, mano you gotta hold onto to that permit for another five months.”
They ended the call after exchanging ‘I love you’s l’ and Miles sent a text to Jeff telling him to stay safe.
Dad 🚨❤️🔱🖤 now
I will, son. But pls make sure to stay home. I don’t want you going anywhere for any reason
Dad 🚨❤️🔱🖤 now
I’m dead ass, Miles
Miles couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the utter hypocrisy cause the same people who ordered him to get home by a certain time were out dillydallying, trying to save the city as if they were Spiderman. Friday was also supposed to be Jeff’s day off so the man basically picked up a shift with the knowledge that a storm was headed their way. He typed out multiple replies to his father’s message, but they all had tones of insubordination so he simply sent a thumbs up instead. Knowing that his parents were well calmed Miles down a bit. He was sure that if he took a hot shower and had some soup, he would be ok throughout the evening. Tonight might be one of the very few that Miles didn’t have to put on his suit and go out to save the city from multiple forms of heinous activity. He could get some homework done, sketch, and even game a little bit. A quiet night in alone didn’t sound too bad after all. Miles turned up the heat and removed his damp under clothes, but just as he went to turn the water on- the bathroom lights immediately cut off, leaving him in pitch darkness. Miles hopelessly flipped the light switch up and down multiple times to no avail. He cursed and swung open the bathroom door to find the rest of his house unilluminated. Even the stove and microwave lights were off and Miles could only hope that this was simply a surge and not a power outage. This would be happening to him right now. With his plans to take a shower now sullied, he threw on a dry pair of basketball shorts and a zip up hoodie. Miles wasn’t afraid of the dark, matter of fat he preferred it over this dull and dingy atmosphere. It was around three o’clock, but the storm and lack of sun gave the illusion that it was well into the evening. Their whole house looked bland and grey, making Miles feel like he was in one of those creepy Lifetime movies. Plus aside from the rainfall, it was so quiet.
‘I can’t win.’ He thought pitifully. Anger and irritation of the situation began to course through him and he felt the tightness in his chest again. Miles knew that now was not the best time to have a meltdown- he had to find a way to not starve and freeze tonight, but he couldn’t help it. During these onsets, it was almost as if he lost all common sense and critical thinking skills. Repetitive thoughts of something tragically unfortunate happening to him or his parents began to flood his brain once more. Did they have electricity where they were? If not, how were they keeping themselves safe? Did they have access to a warm meal? Because currently, Miles did not and his brain wasn’t allowing him to come up with a singular solution. Despite experiencing slight palpitations and breaking out into an uncomfortable sweat, Miles made a beeline towards his bedroom and ruffled through his night stand, trying to push back those insistent thoughts to complete the task at hand. Soon enough, Miles found a device- that to anyone other than his archno-friends looked to be a simple pager. As she and Hobie worked to stabilize and update his patent of the travel watch, Margo created the beeper as a means of inter-dimensional communication. It was no iPhone, but that was the entire point. They needed a placeholder until the watch was fully functional and safe to use so Margo took the framework of the simplest telecommunication device and created something that allowed the group on- demand communication with each other. With unsteady fingers, he sent Margo a simple ‘SOS’ and went back to the living room. The tormented boy sat on the couch and cradled his head in his hands.
Flooding. Darkness. Police Sirens. Ambulances. Citizens in danger. His parents in danger.
Miles couldn’t dispel the worries rooted deep in his heart so they invaded his mind, providing him with an onslaught of disturbing- maybe irrational- thoughts. He rubbed his palms in circles against his forehead to soothe his pounding headache, but it was futile.
From his peripheral vision, Miles saw a bright orange light stream in from the cracks and glass panels of his front door. The realization that Margo was about to be caught in the middle of an awful storm got Miles to gather himself up off the couch and swiftly run to the entrance. When he opened the door, there stood Margo trying her best to fit under the tiny alcove of the entrance to shield herself from the rain. Before he’d opened the door, she fixed her body to resist against the heavy gusts of winds, but the way he swung the door open caused the air current to go off kilter, resulting in Margo losing her balance and practically being shoved inside by the blistering winds. Despite the fragile state of his body and mind, Miles managed to effectively catch the wet girl in his arms. He didn’t think she’d actually transport herself here. The only time she showed up to his universe in the flesh was when they planned to spend a whole day together; they’d go on dates, hang with Ganke, occasionally protect the city from crime, have dinner with his parents, and end the night snuggled up in his bed - sharing lingering kisses and talking about nothing, but even at the same time. Whenever he hit her up last minute- usually cause he wanted to talk and missed her gorgeous face- she simply projected herself to him and that was always more than enough. Although Miles would’ve been content with avatarMargo, little things like her breath tickling his chest and the melon/honey scent of her leave in conditioner made him happy that his girl was actually here with him.
“Miles, you’re trembling.” Margo quickly noted as she pulled back to observe her boyfriend. “And your heart…it’s…”
The pained expression he wore sealed everything in place and Margo knew why she was sent an ‘SOS’ . Although Miles could independently relieve himself of panic attacks, it wasn’t easy for him and it was always so debilitating, even hours after it passed. He’d be so tired that all he could do was eat something filling and then knock out to regain some of his energy. Still holding onto Miles’ waist, Margo’s eyes scanned her surroundings. Obviously the brutal storm knocked his power out. It was slightly chilly, but the entire ambiance was cold and depressing. No doubt it would be unbearably frigid by nightfall. Miles being in the midst of a panic attack with all this going on was a recipe for disaster and he needed her.
“Hey,” she cupped his cheeks and had him focus directly on her as she said these next words “You’re not alone anymore and we’re gonna make it through tonight.”
Margo made sure to avoid any questions at this particular moment. Miles needed clarity and affirmation.
“How?” He whispered.
“The first thing to do is locate your generator. I can go down to your basement-“
“N-nah…to get to the basement you’ll have to go outside…there’s already flooding…it’s not safe for you.”
“Okay no problem.” She kept her voice even and void of any panic. “We can still make do. Let’s go check your cabinets.”
Taking his hand, Margo led her boyfriend to the kitchen. His palm were sweaty, but he was no longer trembling which was a great sign. All she had to do was keep Miles moving, focused, and occupied.
“You check those cabinets and I’ll check these.”
Miles silently obeyed her by opening up the cabinets and was immediately thankful for his mother. They weren’t fully stocked, but in the cabinet was granola bars, cereal, nuts, Oreos, and Cheese Itz.
“We got a lil something in here, how bout over there?” He asked.
“Eh…I just see some flour, cornmeal, chia seeds, carnation milk…oh there’s a half eaten bag of Fritos!”
Miles let out a hearty laugh at her excitable tone and turned around to see his girl unravel the bag and pop a few chili flavored Fritos in her mouth. Margo offered him the bag to which he helped himself to a couple of chips. Margo took this as an opportunity to feel his chest for any abnormalities in his heart rate, she was glad to find that it settled down drastically from five minutes earlier.
“Alright then! We don’t have to starve…much. I’m pretty sure your mom has candles somewhere we can-
Miles’ phone buzzed with a new notification. Thinking it was a message from one of his parents, he immediately fished his phone out of his pocket to check. Instead of a message from Jeff or Rio, Miles was met with the newest news alert and his face settled into a frown.
“Babe what?” Margo asked as she settled beside him, looking over his shoulder at the shocking headline.
‘COMMUTERS TRAPPED IN 36TH STREET SUBWAY STATION AMIDST STORM FLOODING’
“Shit.” Miles and Margo swore as they read the details under the title. There wasn’t much information since it was simply an alert, but apparently police had arrived to the scene and was awaiting back up. Margo tried to rationalize the situation.
“Trains can’t still be running at a time like this.”
“They aren’t.”
“So people are just bumming out in a subway station in the middle of a storm for no reason?”
Miles let out a huff and walked into his room to retrieve his damp suit. Despite already being stressed, fatigued, and a little peckish-he knew he had a job to do. In hindsight, he should have known better than to think the inclement weather and state of emergency would keep people indoors.
“It wouldn’t be earth-1610 if they didn’t.”
The spider couple arrived to the scene within ten minutes of the alert and saw that back up had yet to arrive- probably due to the all the traffic and flooding. Spiderbyte’s jaw dropped when she saw what exactly was blocking the exit to the Subway Station. Questions flooded the girl’s mind at seeing a brand new black Cadillac Escalade that managed to make it down the stairs about a quarter of the way before getting wedged in the green railing. How did this happen? Who was driving the car? Were they under the influence? She looked to her Spiderman and could tell- even through his mask- that he was unfazed. Either he was really tired or he’s seen weirder shit in this dimension- hell it could be both. There were only two police officers on site; one was interrogating a conscious, bruised up man on an EMS stretcher and the other: Jefferson Morales was kneeled on the ground, trying to communicate with the trapped civilians thought the green railing.
“More help is on the way, but we cannot have you all this far up the steps when removing the blockage.” He tried to explain. Miles and Margo winced as they heard the commotion and uproar Jeff’s warning evoked.
“Ayo man! It’s dead ass a swimming pool down there. Where else are we supposed to go?!”
The other’s vocalized their agreement at the man’s words and Jeff brought his walkie up to his mouth.
“I’m gonna need an ETA on that tow tuck pronto!” The police captain jumped when he saw a thick web bluntly connect itself to the bumper of the car.
He wasn’t surprised to see the Spiderman; matter of fact, he was wondering when the guy would finally show up. Jeff was, however, taken aback to see that the vigilante brought a friend. Her suit looked so much more advanced, like it was intricately tailored by the CIA; he couldn’t tell exactly what material it was made of, but the color and design amazed him. The suit was a light, feminine blue with contrasting black bottoms and featured fluorescent accents which didn’t look artificial in the slightest- leaving him to wonder exactly how it was powered. The line pattern of the suit reminded him of The Matrix and Jeff could tell by the glowing spider emblem that she was another arachnoid type meta-human.
‘Where did she even come from?’ he thought, but then quickly repressed his curiosity and unsettlement. The more help they had, the better because if they couldn’t dislodge this SUV within the next hour, some of those people wouldn’t survive.
Miles let out a low whistle as he inspected the damage. From afar, it looked like he and Margo would’ve been able to pull the car out with little issue, but up close he could see the indents the railing was making on each side of the car. Pushing it through was possible, but there were civilians right on the other side with no place to clear out. No, they had to find a way to pull out.
“Maybe you guys can condense it or rip the car apart.” Jeff’s suggestion caused the man in the stretcher, who was most likely the owner of the Escalade- to let out a chocked sob.
“It’s a total loss anyway! Y’all get him outta here!” The captain commanded to no one in particular.
“His blood alcohol level is only at .05, we can’t make an arrest.” said Jeff’s subordinate.
“.05 percent is high considering we’re in a goddamn state of emergency. If the medics have no concerns, we’re taking him in.”
Ever since Jeff became Captain, Miles rarely got to see him on missions. It was no longer his job to be patrolling the streets and arresting bad guys, for he had a whole police force to manage. Miles thought it was amazing, finally seeing his dad in this brand new role. A role the man almost died by taking. He realized that this is why Jeff agreed go into work that day, to enforce the order and make sure the citizens were safe.
The young Spiderman suddenly felt guilty for being so salty earlier.
“If we deconstruct the car, the metal and glass particles might harm the people. We’re gonna have to use brute force to pull it out.” Margo reasoned. It was obvious that would be a difficult task, especially with this rain.
“I’m not sure they got enough time for that.” the nameless cop countered. “With this rain, the water is in no doubt rising down there. They have less than an hour before they drown.”
He also had a point. Miles looked down and saw that they were all shin deep in the flood, but if time was the issue then Miles figured that he can buy the people more time.
“Spyderbyte knows what she’s talking about. If we can get this thing out by just a few inches-
“We give them more room, prolonging the time they have before they become submerged.” Jeff finished his thought and gave the duo a nod of approval.
Miles and Margo acted quickly, getting into position behind the car. Miles made sure to avoid holding onto the bumper as it would fly right off. Instead, he got a firm grip on the tow bar, steadied his feet on the ground and pulled with fifty percent of his strength.
“It moved by like a little bit.” Margo announced “It won’t come out smoothly so instead of doing a pull you gotta yank it repeatedly!”
As Spiderman followed his girl’s directions, she forcibly ripped both side view mirrors off the car so the wouldn’t interfere with the extraction. Margo absolutely hated pretentious ass cars like these and the people who drove them. The man responsible must’ve felt so important driving such a luxury car and now poor individuals might lose their life for his irresponsibility. The girl was too lost in her anger and frustration that she didn’t realize that she was aggressively slamming her elbow into the driver’s side door, denting it sufficiently.
“Honestly boo, I don’t know why you’re going so sick on the door, but it’s helping! Do the other side!”
Margo nodded and webbed herself to the other side to dent the passenger door as if it disrespected her.
After about eight minutes of yanking and punching, the duo pulled the car by about by about a foot and three quarters. The was just enough for the civilians to move up a few steps.
“Are there any kids down there?” Margo asked the group “We might be able to pull them out with the space we created.”
Jeff felt a giant weight lift off his shoulders. When he arrived to the scene, he had them take count; there were four adults and two children. If at least the kids could be saved, he’d be grateful. The police captain ran towards this Spiderwoman who who was balancing herself on the hood of the car and taking the two kids- who looked to be between 5 and 8 - in her arms.
Margo’s heart clenched painfully feeling the small kids tremble against her. It hurt more that they weren’t crying.
‘The poor things are probably in shock.’ she thought miserably before passing them to Jeff who immediately brought them over to the paramedics. Spiderbyte looked back down to the group of four who looked about waist deep into the rising waters.
“We’re gonna get you guys out soon ok? Just keep doing what you’ve been doing- move up a step when you can!”
Suddenly, she took notice of a boy who looked the same age as her and Miles. He was scrawny enough to fit through the space, but was on the taller side
“You,” she said pointing at him “ Take my hand, I can get you out too, you’ll just have to climb for me.”
Just as the boy reached for her hand, the sketchy-looking older man pushed it aside and threw himself into a fit of forced coughs.
“Excuse me, miss, but I’m his very sick father and he’d appreciate it if you saved me first. Isn’t that right , son?”
Margo was beyond flabbergasted at the audacity of this man that she was speechless. To make matters worse, the dejected teen looked at his father then up at her before giving a reluctant nod. Before Margo could say anything, Jeff spoke up
“I could have you arrested for child endangerment! Do not play with me! Now let her save that boy!”
He swore some people really didn’t deserve the children they put into this world.
The SpiderGirl looked over at her boyfriend who was still holding onto the back of the vehicle.
“You good back there? There’s gonna be some extra weight as bring him up!”
“Got it! Just do it quickly!” was Miles’ reply. He wasn’t using all his strength to keep the Caddie in place, but his hands were cramping up a bit. Miles felt the additional weight of the guy pull the car a bit downward, but he held on tighter. After a whole minute, the extra pressure was gone and Margo now stood next to him.
“Let’s switch.” She offered, but Miles seemed reluctant. Although they were both exceptionally strong, Miles had more force and tolerance than she did.
“You’ve been holding on to the underside of this car for the past fifteen minutes. If I pull and you push from the front, we might actually get this thing out.”
Before Miles could respond, Jeff called out to the two.
“No need for that, little lady.” He pointed down the road where a large tow truck made its way towards them. After almost an hour, reinforcements finally arrived. When the truck reached them and the driver began hooking the back of the SUV to the pulley, Margo took a minute to take in her surroundings. It was still raining and the three kids they saved were being examined in the back of the an EMS truck. About two more ambulances arrived on the scene since the Spider duo began dislodging the car. Not too far down the sidewalk was a small Channel 7 crew, was reporting on the accident. Margo hadn’t even realized when they came. She assisted Miles in stopping carjackings, loan shark collections, Niké robberies, and trafficking attempts. They were efficient in apprehending those criminals on their own and the police would only arrive to make the arrests. There was never any news crew or press. Margo felt her cheeks begin to heat up at the public attention, is this what Miles had to deal with in the regular?
She looked back at the tow truck when the engine revved up and it slowly began to pull. The metal of the car being dragged against the railing caused an unpleasant screeching sound, but there was barely any progress in the vehicle’s removal.
“Just pulling it isn’t gonna help!” Miles informed the tow truck driver. “You gotta yank it repeatedly. Try jerking the car.”
They stared at each other for a minute, the perplexed expression on the truck driver’s face irked Miles so the young Spiderman diverted his gaze and came up with a new plan.
“I’m going down there to push the car from the front. That with the tow should get it out.”
Margo looked at the small space they made earlier. She could see other three people still waist deep in the water, trying to see who was thin enough enough to fit through the space, none of the adults were and while Margo would have volunteered to be the one to descend, she knew she wouldn’t fit either due to her curvaceous frame. She gave Miles a nod and instructed the truck driver to start back up as Miles climbed the truck, his lithe body slipped between the space easily.
“Ay the water isn’t as cold as I thought it’d be.” He chuckled at his own attempt at a joke, but was met with silence.
“N*gga you wildin’. Why would you willingly trap yourself here?” The shady man from earlier asked. Miles rolled his eyes, he didn’t feel like explaining himself to someone with such a skewed moral compass.
“Its in the job description, sir. If I can push the car while the tow pulls, it’s likely we’ll make enough space all of you can fit through and my partner will pull you out.”
A distraught looking woman wrapped her arms around his waist.
“¡Dios lo bendiga, Spiderman!” she exclaimed “Eres un santo!”
He awkwardly murmured a polite ‘gracias’ before he got to pushing. The sound was excruciating, but at least the car was moving- or at least he thought so from this end. The spiderteen felt the water begin to rise and added more pressure to the point he was using most of his strength. It must have been working because he was able to go up three more steps.
“That’s good just a few more pushes and you got it!” Spiderbyte’s instructions gave him the encouragement needed to one large shove, denting the front of the car and propelling it further out. Miles motioned at the three people to progress up the steps so Margo could grab each by the arm and pull them over the hood and out of damage. After Margo- quite forcefully- pulled the last man out, Miles continued to push the front of the car. Despite his wavering limbs and harbored breathing, the young Spiderman was determined to get the car out. Spiderbyte, who was slightly confused at first, realized what her boyfriend’s new objective was and she refused to allow it.
“Stop pushing and come out from there.” She said, only for this boy to shake his head and keep propelling the damn vehicle with his bare hands.
“All of those people are safe and I don’t want you over exerting yourself.”
“Son.”
His father’s voice caused Miles to freeze. He silently began to panic because why was his dad calling him that when the mask was on?
‘Shit, shit, shit! How did he find out?’
Miles’ head defensively snapped towards Jeff, but his anxiety immediately dissipated when he saw the police captain holding his hands up in defense with a sheepish smile.
“My bad, that was inappropriate of me. You’re partners’ right though; you did your job today, Spiderman. We can take it from here.”
His stubbornness vanished at his father’s validation and he slowly let go of the car. Within a microsecond, Margo lifted him out of the flooded stairwell and off of the damn SUV. She securely wrapped her arm around his waist knowing his arms and legs were probably exhausted. Jeff smiled gratefully at the duo.
“Sometimes I feel like I should write you check every time you save the day, Spiderman.”
“No need, the Mayor wires me.” Miles still had it in him to crack a joke to which made the police Captain chuckle. His eyes shifted to the mysterious Spider-woman. With her Spider-mask only covering the top half of her face, he could tell she was a black girl.
“We owe a big thanks to your partner too.”
Margo made a show of reading his badge as if she didn’t already know his name.
“The pleasure was all mine uh…Captain Morales” she spoke in a deeper voice with a Southern inflection, kind of similar to Beyoncé.
“So you’ll be tagging along with him from now on?”
“No! Ion live here, I’m visiting from…Georgia.”
The police captain beamed at the Spider girl and the way Miles was eyeing her through his mask let her know she used the wrong place of origin.
“That’s crazy! I got cousins down there! What part are you from?”
She looked pleadingly at Miles who simply shrugged.
“Atlanta.”
“Dang, my folks are from Savannah.” He said with disappointment. Margo let out the breath she was holding. Spiderman dramatically pressed more of his weight on his girl.
“I gotta get John Henry here home before he collapses” Spiderbyte joked.
“Absolutely! This rain isn’t gonna stop anytime soon so y’all get home safe. And by the way Spiderbyte, Atlanta is lucky to have you.”
Suddenly, Jeff was frozen in place when the girl flashed him a familiar gapped tooth grin before webbing herself and her comrade away.
‘There is no goddamn way…’
Unfortunately, when Miles and Margo got back, power was still out at the Morales Residence. Miles wanted nothing more than to just collapse on the couch and knock out.
“I know you’re tired, babe but we both need to shower, we’ve been swimming in dirty flood water for the past hour.”
“You wanna shower in freezing water?” It was meant to be sarcastic but he was so uncomfortable, it came out as a whimper. With her heart aching at his suffering, Margo grabbed both sides of his face. His brown eyes immediately dropped to hers.
“You don’t have to worry about anything else tonight. I got you, so just change out of your suit, dry yourself off, and hot water will be waiting for you in a few ok?”
Miles nodded wordlessly and slipped into his room to follow her directions. As he did that, the savvy girl grabbed a few votive candles that Rio had stashed in some drawers, lit them with a wand lighter, and dispersed them on the coffee table, kitchen counters and the little dresser behind the green couch, successfully illuminating the home. She put one in the bathroom that would stay there for the time being. Next, she grabbed a fairly large pot and filled it with water before placing it on the stove. She thanked her lucky stars that the Morales’ had a gas range stove rather than electric one because all she had to do was click the lighter on and place it near the burner before turning the nob, releasing gas to ignite a fire. Margo left the water to boil before using her phone flashlight to find a bucket or vessel. She found a large blue tub with rope handles in the laundry room and decided it was exactly what she needed.
“You got the stove on.” Miles marveled adorably as he entered the kitchen. Margo turned around and the sarcastic reply she’d prepared flew from her brain when she saw her boyfriend in nothing but towel wrapped snug against his waist, his flawless skin and sinewy build on full display. Margo mentally slapped herself on the wrist- that last thing she should be doing is ogling this boy who was in a desperate need of rest. She forced her attention back on the task at hand.
“You’re just in time. The water just started boiling.” Margo used the pot holders to grab the pot and pour the boiling water in the bin. It was filled about halfway and Margo carried it to the bathroom with Miles right behind her.
“You want me to take bird bath?”
He asked as he watched his girl place the bin in the bathtub tub and turn on the faucet, letting cold water temper the boiling water.
“This ain’t no bird bath. It’s a bucket shower.” She explained before turning off the water. Margo dipped her hand in to make sure it was no longer scalding, but not too tepid considering Miles liked his showers hot. She handed him an empty ‘Daisy’ sour cream container she had found in the kitchen.
“You’re Caribbean so I imagine you’ll instinctively know what to do regardless.”
As she motioned to exit the bathroom, Miles gently grabbed her by the arm.
“Aren’t you gonna shower?” He asked.
“Yeah, after you. I have to boil some more water anyway.”
“Or…” he drawled “We can save water and take this ‘bucket shower’ together.”
His tone was teasing, but the light from the candle illuminated his face and Margo could see he was low-key serious. She could feel her cheeks heat up and her heart skip at his suggestion. Although they’d never passed second base, they were comfortable enough to make suggestive jokes with each other and would often times skimp around third base lines. The idea was somewhat appealing, but Miles didn’t need sexual healing. He just needed some healing, starting with that shower.
“Boy you so crazy. I’ll go grab your wash cloth.” She hid her desire with a humorous laugh as she left him to cleanse.
“How do you feel?” asked Margo when he emerged from the bathroom. The smell of Irish Spring wafted through her nose and Miles no longer looked half dead which eased her worries a bit.
“Much better..and strangely enough you were right, I did know exactly what to do.” He held up the blue bin and placed it back into the kitchen.
“Thank your ancestors.” She joked.
It was soon to be six and the sun was setting meaning that in order to not freeze tonight, they needed a source of heat. While he was bathing, Margo took it upon herself to grab some wood Jeff stored in the coat closet to start a fire in the fire place. She went to join Miles in the kitchen and smiled when she saw he’d refilled the bucket with boiling water. After thanking him , Margo went to shower. As the girl bathed, the only thing going through her mind was what else could provide the two with sustenance tonight. Sure she could survive off the snacks, but Miles needed actual food before he eventually knocked out. Usually after an anxiety attack, Miles would fall asleep and not wake up until early/mid noon. With his body going into overdrive trying to self regulate after coming down from the adrenaline-fueled “fight or flight” response of a panic attack and then spending an hour in a half getting a car out of a flooding Subway station, he would need all the rest he could get and couldn’t go to bed hungry. Once finished, Margo stepped out of the bathtub and saw some clothes and a towel folded on the edge of the sink. She must’ve been so deep in thought while showering and Miles must’ve been really quiet for her to not notice that he came in.
As she stepped out of the bathroom fully clothed in his t-shirt and his hand-me-down sweatpants, a rich, flavorful aroma reached Margo’s nose. She entered the kitchen to see Miles stirring a nearly boiling pot of Sancocho. Margo’s mouth immediately watered at the colorful stew filled with corn, squash, beef, chicken, and much more. She thanked the lord for Rio Morales who seemed to have planned ahead.
“I totally forgot Mami saved this in the fridge. I thought I’d heat it up.”
Dressed in some plain brown sweats and a matching sweatshirt, Miles looked so much healthier. He filled two bowls with the delicious soup and handed Margo hers with a smile.
“How bout we eat this near the fire and munch on some snacks after?” It was tuning out to be a good night after all.
Miles had already grabbed a few blankets to provide extra warmth as they enjoyed Rio’s cooking. The light of the fireplace casted a warm glow on the young couple as they laughed at what an absolute shit show today was. Who would’ve thought that the ‘bad guy’ today was basically Mother Nature- not to mention the idiot who drove tipsy in a storm, cause honestly he was no mastermind or crook.
“…and not the Chanel 7 News crew pulling up!” Margo snickered at the memory of the dedicated individuals dressed in yellow raincoats who had the motivation reported during a storm.
“Nah how bout that old head who stayed trying to finesse?”
Margo pinched the bridge of her nose in sheer irritation.
“The way I wanted to pop him for tryna get saved before his son. Some people, I swear.”
“I know, you done tossed the man like rag doll when you pulled him out.”
She shrugged, completely unashamed of her earlier actions
“You know what’s funny? His accent is similar to your Spiderman voice.”
Miles’ jaw dropped and he scoffed indignantly at his girlfriends nerve to make such a comparison.
“Oh I know you’re not talking lil miss ‘I’m from Georgia.’” He exaggerated a Southern accent to mimic her in that moment.
“I never had to switch up my voice before so I had to think quickly. Plus how was I supposed know y’all had country cousins.”
Miles chuckled and reached out and wiped some droplets of soup from her chin.
“You don’t think I made him suspicious do you?”
Everyone in her dimension was so chronically online so her wearing a half mask never tipped anyone off, but she wasn’t in cyberspace today. Miles gave her a reassuring look before putting his bowl down and snuggling closer to her.
“Nah, not at all. You’d be the last person he suspects.”
Margo also shifted closer and laid her head atop of his, allowing him to nuzzle her neck. The feeling of her warm, glabrous skin fought to lull him to sleep, but moments like this- just them alone, joking, vibing, and being intimate- they were precious to him and he wanted to stay awake for just a little longer. It was still so early. Miles felt Margo snake her arm around him to rub soothing circles on his back and he let out a sound of protest.
“Stop tryna make me sleep.”
“You have to, boo. It’s been such a long day.”
“Don’t care. Keep talking to me.”
Margo looked down at the stubborn, sleepy boy as he fought to keep his eyes open. The firelight made his eyes appear an amber color.
“Do you ever wish your parents just found out you were Spiderman on their own?”
“I mean…it would take the pressure off of having to sit them down and telling them. I guess it just depends. Why?”
“Cause I really think your life would be easier if they knew. Maybe if they understood, you wouldn’t be under so much pressure.”
Oh how Miles relished in the idea. Keeping his identity as Spiderman a secret is what made the job harder than it had to be. That’s why he was so grateful for Margo and his other friends. They understood. Between the warmth he felt, his girl’s embrace, and the pleasant thought’s running through his mind, Miles dozed off to sleep and minutes went by before Margo joined him in repose.
It was around six am when Jeff and Rio Morales came home after a long night of providing safety and care to the residents of Brooklyn. The rain cleared up and both felt a sense of guilt from their son being left to his own devices. Had she known she’d be stuck at the hospital, Rio would’ve instructed him to stay on campus where there were adults and other kids and he wouldn’t be left lonely. The minute they entered the house, the parents were pleasantly surprised to feel the warm atmosphere, smell her Sancocho, and see their son sleeping soundly in the arms of his beloved girlfriend. Rio knew instantly that the girl was here because Miles needed her and she came through for him, cared for him. The knowledge that Miles kept such a loyal person around soothed Rio’s worrisome heart.
“Ay que linda pareja.” Rio gushed as she walked towards the kids on the couch. The brunette picked up thier used bowls “Right Jeff? Looks like they got each other though the storm last night. Isn’t that sweet?”
“Uhm yeah.” Jeff agreed. He genuinely thought it was wholesome, but he was too focused on the sleeping girl. He thought back to yesterday when he encountered the advanced Spider-girl with a heat of gold, a forced accent, and a gaped tooth grin. The way the two meta humans interacted with each other was familiar and he couldn’t put his finger on it until now. He shifted his gaze to his son. If Margo was her, then that could only mean one thing and for Jeff, everything started to make sense now.