Chapter Text
Being a hero is every kid's dream, right?
Wearing a cape saving people, wearing a smile as people look up to you
It sounds like a dream.
Till it isn't.
Suddenly, you’re handed the mantle of Spider-Man by a dying Peter Parker. Suddenly, you’re meeting other versions of yourself, Spider-Man, a family of sorts, people who understand your pain, your struggles.
Among them is someone special Gwen, your friend.
A Girl who understood you, a person you actually liked- no loved.
Or at least, you thought you did..
But good things never last. Your friends leave, Gwen leaves, and you’re alone again. But you get the hang of it, eventually..
Then Gwen comes back, bringing the promise of a whole society of people like you, a whole spider-verse to explore! You're not alone anymore. Things are looking up.
Until they’re not.
You refuse to sacrifice your Dad for their so-called “greater good.” Now they’re hunting you. Former family friends turned enemies, led by Miguel O’Hara, who doesn’t just want to stop you, he wants you gone.
Erased from the equation of the multiverse.
You an anomaly.
Miles Morales was far from okay.
He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, every beat a reminder that he was alive.. for now.. Adrenaline surged through his veins like wildfire, his thoughts racing as fast as his legs, desperate to find a way out.
Panicking.
Fear wasn't an option.
Yet, fear found him like a nightmare with no escape. As the eyes of Miguel O’Hara bore into him, burning with rage, as if red was all he could see.
His fangs bared like a predator out for blood, Miles felt fear crawl up his spine like ice. His spidey sense screamed
Getawaydangerrun!
It wasn’t just the fear of pain or death. It was the betrayal. That stung the most.
Peter B.
Gwen.
The people he thought of as his friends… They just stood there, watching. Doing nothing.
Why wasn’t Gwen helping him?
Why weren't any of his friends helping him?
How could Hobie, a guy he just met barely hours ago help him, but his friends- people he’d gone through so much with just stood by doing nothing.
That’s what hurt, that’s what broke him.
Miguel’s frustration, his anger, was like setting off a ticking bomb which ended in massive destruction.
He smashed the machinery desperately, yelling at his teammates while trying to claw Miles out of the pod of the Go-Home-Machine.
Sparks flew cables broke Peter B’s yells of trying to get Miguel to stop. Peter tried holding him till a single cable snapped sealing Miles’s fate as sparks flew and fell and it a minute of seconds-
Lookoutbehinddanger—!
.
.
.
B O O M !
.
The Go-Home-Machine malfunctioned, tearing through space and time as the machinery exploded. The shockwave sent everyone scattering, but no one came to save him. The pod's energy field shielded him from its worst but he suffered the brunt of it.
In the blink of an eye, Miles was thrown through the fabric of the multiverse. The experience was jarring, and disorienting a kaleidoscope of lights and sensations that ripped him from one reality to the next.
god he was going to be sick..
A blinding light, sucked him and the pod to his destination, he fell from the sky onto the ground with a loud thud.
Then the world went dark.
. . .
Then.. Rain..? no..
.
.
Miles' shallow breaths followed as he slowly regained consciousness.. he could hear his ears ringing as his vision blurred in and out.
He squinted his eyes and he could feel that he was laying on something cold and wet, but when he moved he felt a sharp pain across his head.
Blood trickled down his forehead, mingling with sweat as he tried to piece together what happened. His right arm felt like it was burning. The pain shooting down like fireworks to his fingertips. His suit was torn, and his mask cracked.
He was lying in the cold, damp alleyway of a city that looked familiar, but not quite right.
First things first..
..what the hell happened.?
The memories were a blur one moment he was on the train, the next inside the Go-Home-Machines pod… then..
Gwen..
Peter-..
. ..
Miguel–
. . .
Badump-Badump
. . .
His heart beat fast the sound echoing in his ear, The noise around him blurring in and out.
“You're the original anomaly!”
He felt his stomach drop, nausea settle as he kept remembering Miguel's words.
Miles closed his eyes as the rain kept pouring. It was deafening, overwhelming his spidey sense was going haywire as it kept screaming.
wrongwrongwrong
Cold sweat trickled down his spine.
“The spider that gave you your powers, wasn't from your dimension. It was never supposed to bite you!”
His breathing became more staggered as his hands curled into a fist.
. . .
Badump-Badump
. . .
He felt sick and wrong, he tried pulling himself up barely managing to lean against one of the alley walls.
“You're a mistake!”
He grimaced as he kept remembering the events that lead to his current situation.
We winced as the memories flooded, still blurry but one was sharp and clear:
Miguel’s blood thirsty face.
The feeling of desperation.
The urgency he felt to escape..
Those words
He wanted nothing more than to forget.
Miles groaned, before coughing he clutching his side, at the pain flaring.
“3/10 travel experience.. im never doing that again” Miles said to himself with a breathy laugh, before wincing. Yep, something was definitely broken.
In his defense, he learned quickly that humor was the go to go coping mechanism for spider-people, and it was the only thing keeping him from the possibility of a nervous breakdown or worse an anxiety attack.
He stayed there till his breathing became less agitated, his eyes remained closed. He thought to himself
I’m just taking a small break, then i’ll head home fast.
He tried standing up straight, forcing his vision to focus.
Why was everything so loud and too bright?
His head throbbed, he tried walking straight before stumbling, he carefullu tried to gain balance with his hand on his arm he leaned against a nearby dumpster, grimacing.
Man, he felt like shit.
He wanted to go home, he wanted his Mami, he wanted to hug her and rest his head against her shoulder as she whispered sweet nothings about how Miles was trying his best, he didn’t want to admit it… did that make him weak?
He was supposed to be a hero, The Spider-man, but he couldn’t help but feel tired, tired of the job that was pushed onto him.
Dont get him wrong.. He loves being spider-man.
But sometimes, he wished he never had to become him in the first place..
He felt like a little kid all over again… well the kid he was when he had just started the Spider-man gig...
He 's still a kid.
This feeling.
This feeling is one he hadn’t felt since his universe’s Peter's death…
Since Uncle Aaron’s death…
The feeling where he was helpless, that there was no point in doing anything anymore, because he wasn't enough. He wasn't even supposed to be Spider-man; it was as if the universe had decided that he wasnt fit for the role, and never really gave him a proper chance.
Miles felt like he had multiple emotions ready to explode, in a way that made you want to cry and scream at the top of your lungs. He felt so desperate to help, to do something about it but he couldn’t.
It felt like drowning.
Miles let out a sharp wince as he pulled himself together leaning against the alley's wall.
Noise.
.
.
The overwhelming noise of the city buzzed around him, his ears kept ringing, the sound fading in and out like an old radio.
His body ached in protest, each step a reminder of the battle he had just fought. He still hadn’t made it out of the alley, he kept leaning on the wall for breaks as his spidey sense kept blaring, and shouting.
.
dangerwrong!loud
.
Miles had to keep it together. Spider-Man always gets back up, right? He needed to go home like now. But how could he do that when everything felt like it was all too much, like every single one of his senses were dialed up to eleven.
He staggered to get away from the light to avoid being seen. He stayed in the shadows, he tried camouflaging, hoping not to get caught, but it didn’t work.
He was far too exhausted, everything hurt. He could feel his healing working overtime just to keep him awake. Miles was pretty sure he had a concussion.
He hadn’t felt so much pain since his fight with Kingpin, but this time it was five times worse.
He was alone, everything was loud and smelt like piss, alcohol and– wait was that blood-?
The pain of his head kept throbbing didn’t help, the overall sensations caused him to gag, he wanted to throw up.
His mouth started to watered before he knew it he wretched.
He meant he felt like throwing up; he didn't mean to actually do it!
Miles had thrown up whatever he ate hours ago. He wiped his mouth, grimacing as he wouldn't be able to remove the taste of bile, till he got home...
Home.
His heart started to beat as he pulled himself out of the alley, and soon as he saw the gothic structure dread fell upon him.
He came to realize.
.
Badump-Badump
.
He felt like crying all over again.
Because the go home machine didn't send him home.
“This… isn’t my universe…” he said as the unfamiliar city's buildings loomed over him. Intimidating. Unwelcoming. his voice weak as he dragged himself to the edge of the alley.
His vision blurred, he didn't know where he was, but the dark lights of the city, the gothic buildings, the sound of traffic, the yelling and cursing, the distant chatter of people made it clear this wasn’t New York. Everything felt Wrong.
Not his New York.
For the first time in a long time, Miles felt useless. Helpless, scared, unsure of what to do next. He felt tears welling in his eyes, he tried his best not to cry, but it was hard not to as he thought about his family.
His universe was in danger.
His Dad was in danger.
and he Spider-Man wasn’t there to save them.
Miles stumbled out of the alley, searching for something- anything that might tell him where he was.
He was too tired to swing, too exhausted to even think straight. Every step felt like dragging bricks.
Then, the city came into view.
Skyscrapers loomed over him, city blocks that looked straight from a black and white movie, lights flickering in a way that felt… off.
Signs with words that didn’t belong. Buildings that weren’t where they were supposed to be.
This wasn’t Brooklyn. No.
Not Brooklyn. Not even close.
For the first time in a long time, Miles was that little kid again.
Small.
Lost.
Terrified.
But Spider-Man gets back up.
Miles tried to wipe the tears off his eyes, and squared his shoulders, and forced his body to move.
Pain be damned, exhaustion be damned.
He had to figure this out. He had to find a way home.
Because the clock was ticking.
And he wasn’t gonna let The Spot destroy his Universe.
“Ok… first things first, hiding the suit—” Miles said to himself, not wasting a beat.
He snatched a blue hoodie with a weird bird logo off a laundry hamper by the stoop of a rundown apartment and grabbed a pair of loose shorts.
With practiced haste, he stuffed his broken mask into his pocket, pulled the hood over his head, and melted into the dark streets of this unfamiliar version of New York. If you can even call it New York..
Every step was a reminder of his condition, his fingertips tingled, a sign that his healing factor was slowly patching him up.
He had to find a safe spot, a place to crash and regroup or maybe figure out where the hell he was. His mind flickered back to those late night chats with Peter B. about what to do when you’re stranded or homeless, a conversation that, in the life of a Spider-Man, was more common than he thought apparently.
He remembered, the first thing he need to find was place with water, but right now he was more concerned about where the fuck he was. Besides, he didnt want to think about Peter right now.
“Great, just great… you’ve fought multiversal threats Miles.. You can figure out how to get back home..” he muttered to himself, trying to feel less alone.
Miles limped along, wincing with every uneven step, he could feel the pebbles on his feet making the experience even more uncomfortable, he hadn’t managed to snatch any shoes.
He tried to reach up to wipe the blood off his forehead, before feeling a sharp pain on his right arm.. ok so something other than his ribs were also broken. Noted.
The adrenaline was probably the only thing that kept him from noticing and he could feel the small high leaving
He shot some web, wrapped it carefully around his injured arm, carefully making an improvised sling, it reminded him of his mamá.. he shook his head at the thought.
Focus Miles. Where the hell is he??
He needed information, fast. Where could he get it without getting noticed or seeming suspicious.
That's when it hit him like a lightbulb in the dark.
The library ofcourse!
What better way to do some undercover recon without drawing any unwanted attention!
But a nagging thought followed: where in this fucked up version of this Not-New York could he even find a library?
Miles stood a little straighter and pushed forward, determined to solve yet another mystery. The night was young, and even though every muscle in his body screamed in protest, he kept repeating the mantra ‘Spider-Man always gets back up’ he couldn't quit, especially not now.
He got out of the alley holding himself up, trying to avoid the stares, and comments as he was often shoved around by the crowds.
He felt relatively smaller, everyone seemed to be tall and well Miles wasn't small he was almost ft 5’8 and he was sixteen! Maybe it was just an odd perk of this universe.
Right..?
.
.
.
.
Miles kept walking around for anything that could help or seemed familiar, but guess his luck was cut short.
It's been what, half an hour now? And man there wasn't really any progress.
He had been asking around for a while, everyone seemed to stare at him with pity or glare but no one tried to help him, not even a nod from the busy people rushing by.
He was so worn out he could’ve easily curled up into a ball and hide, maybe even cry a little. His spidey sense seemed to agree a lot. To top it all off everything in the cursed city seemed to trigger his spidey-sense. It was starting to get annoying because he couldn't see the danger, but he he had to keep his guard up.
Every little step his took, was a step closer to finding a way back home.
His Ma’ was counting on him, and giving up wasn’t an option.
Miles mustered up his courage and tugged on the sleeve and cleared his throat at elderly woman waiting to cross the street.
“Hey, ma’am… do you know where I can find a library around here?” he asked, his voice somewhat smaller than he expected. Maybe it was the exhaustion. Has he always sounded so young..? everything in this universe felt bigger.
The old woman paused, almost looking, holding her purse close untrusting at first, his spidey senses humming lightly before her eyes softening as she regarded him.
“Library, huh? It's a bit late for you to be out sweetheart, it ain’t safe for a child to be out alone so late” she said sounding concerned
“Oh uh.. I’m going to do some late night studying?” He said rather sheepishly and embarrassed
She could let out a small laugh “Alright, kid t’s a couple of blocks down on Elm. You can’t miss it, dear” she replied with a gentle smile.
“Thank you ma’am!’’ He said. Well that was weird.. Miles knew he had somewhat of a baby face; he didn't think he could pass for a ‘child’, but ‘kid’ could just be her being nice? Miles had grown out of his baby face and with his sudden growth spurt.. he certainly didnt look that young did he?
But yet again.. different universe, different rules.
“Thank you Ma’am!” Miles gave a curt mile, feeling that small spark of relief wrapped in hope.. with a final grateful wave goodbye, he adjusted his hoodie and started making his way toward Elm Street.
Even though every step reminded him of his pain and the exhaustion that weighed him down, he kept moving.
Miles walked through the city's gloomy streets with his hood on, and hand in his pocket.
The city felt wrong, not like home.. the more he walked the more he was convinced that this wasn't New York. On the other hand it could also be a sick, twisted version of his city, too quiet in the wrong places and too loud in others.
His Spidey sense kept blaring like an alarm triggered by every little movement in the city as if he were walking in a minefield, it couldn't decide if to warn him or welcome him.
.
Safe!newfriends?hello!dangerhello!
.
Yeah. Great, super helpful.
Miles wasn’t in the mood for surprises. Not here, not now, not in a universe in which he had zero ID and zero idea of this universe's perks.
So as he neared the library, he pulled that familiar warmth through his skin, it took a while for it to work but his camouflage flickered to life, making him appear invisible as he blended into the dim alleyway like another shadow.
Outside the library was a giant sign that said Gotham city library.
Gotham city..? Huh, sounds straight up from a comic book, so that's where he was.
The heavy wooden doors groaned as he pushed inside, the familiar smell of old books hit him; he couldn't help but let out a breath.
It was comforting, guess some things never change after all. The clock near the reception desk said it was about 9:15 pm.. no wonder it was so empty. He slipped past the librarians desk unnoticed, only dropping his camouflage once he was tucked behind a dusty row of computers.
His fingers ached as he sat, his ribs and arm too. Everything hurt in that low, nagging way that made him want to sleep for days, but he didn't have that luxury. His top priority was finding a way home.
He sat rubbing his aching fingers, hit the power button, and leaned in close so no one could see the screen.
The computer took forever to turn on like.. embarrassingly long. He swore he could hear the processor begging for retirement.
He didn't question why the computers looked so.. old? He saw they still had monitors that took up half the tablespace, but he didn't mind, he simply reminded himself:
Different Universe, Different rules.
That included odd perks, like an obscenely old computer apparently. While waiting for the monitor to turn on, he kept glancing towards the front desk. Whoever was on shift was deep in a phone call, or a game judging by the random call outs drifting from the office.
The machine finally flickered to life, asking for a library card number.
[Welcome to Gotham city library]
.
.
[Please enter, library card number]
. . . |
.
.
Seriously!? He really did not need this right now.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me..” Miles muttered frustrated, his brows furrowed.
Miles flexed his fingers, he wanted to try something though he was silently praying he didn't fry the computer. He pressed his fingers onto the computer and let out a small spark.
A low hum.
The login screen blinked away.
[ Bypassing Authentication]
loading…
.
loading…
.
[Access granted]
“Yes!” He grinned soaking in the minor victory, maybe the universe didn't hate him too much.
The screen loaded a desktop with exactly three icons, none of which he recognized.
multiverse hopping problems.. he thought to himself.
He clicked on the one that looked like a browser and thank the multiverse it opened a search bar. Ok time for recon. Miles thought to himself before he started typing..
Spider man |
0 results
His heart tightened painfully. He swallowed hard.
“Okay, no Spider-man here.. cool.. cool..”
There went his other alternative to leaving this universe.. without a Spider-Man variant it meant less of a chance to get back home.
And he didn’t want to know what would happen to him, if he started glitching again..
He forced his hand to stop shaking and searched.
Superheroes |
And wow this universe had a ton of heroes.
Way to many.
They even had an organized society!
They called themselves the ‘Justice League’
which honestly sounded pretty dope
There were Caped guys. Space guys. Fish talking guys.. and a Bat guy..?
Back home it was only him. Spider-man.. other than-..
.
.
Gwen.
.
.
Peter.
.
.
His breath caught.
Nope. Not going there. Not unless he wanted to cry into a keyboard in front of strangers.
He took a slow inhale, grounding himself. Keep going.
next he typed:
Gotham City |
And what popped up was basically a horror brochure.
Crime capital. Cryptid vigilantes. it was in New Jersey!?
Ew.. well that explained a lot..
It seemed that this city was under the protection of a vigilante called Batman without a hyphen.. Peter would be so disappointed, he snorted..
huh, that bat guy seemed to have a whole army of sidekicks.
They called themselves ‘bats and birds’. Miles couldn't help but raise a brow, it definitely didn't beat ‘spider society’
They were interesting though.. Batman looked cool.. but Nightwing was definitely his favorite. The guy had such a cool suit!
There were also rogues with names that sounded like bad carnival mascots.
The penguin.
Again with the birds?
Riddler.
Riddles? Incredible boring , also this guy really had an obsession with the color green
Scarecrow
Well he never wants to encounter that guy, he’s definitely having nightmares after this.
Two face.
Ouch, talk about ugly faces.
Joker.
Okay, now he understood why people feared clowns.
He kept researching.
till something popped up on his search tab
.
Bruce Wayne |
Billionaire, and philanthropist extraordinaire.
Gotham's playboy prince.
This guy was obscenely rich.. Like Osborn, rich, rich.
He owned more than half of the buildings in Gotham, from hospitals, to homeless foundations, this also included a billion dollar company, Wayne enterprises, which had a sick tech and science division.
If miles needed to fix his webshooters or get equipment to get back home, that’d be the spot. Maybe he would piggyback off their chemistry lab. Wayne probably wouldn't mind right?
He kept searching names from home, just in case
Oscorp - no results
Peter Parker - No results
Officer Jefferson Davis - no results
Rio morales - no results
Ganke Lee - no results.
Okay.. this was fine it was totally fine. hed figure something out..
Each blank page felt like a punch to the gut. The Go-Home-Machine hadn't just sent him to the wrong universe, it sent him somewhere with no variant of spidey or anyone relatively familiar.
Maybe this universe figured out dimension travel?
He felt dread sinking in his stomach, combining with a faint trace of hope. something to cling onto.
Dimension travel |
Dozens of results
Theories. Papers. Conspiracies.
but nothing practical.
Nothing like the Go-Home-Machine.
Nothing he could actually build.
he felt his heart drop.
A universe with no Spider-man.
No threads connecting him home
He leaned back against the chair and stared at the ceiling covering his face with his un-injured hand taking a deep breath.
‘Dont Panic Miles. You’ll find a way to get back home, Spider-man doesn't give up.’ he thought to himself.
Okay.. so new plan. He’d rest, gain some strength. Then tomorrow, he'll start finding ways to get back home.. After he gets out of the library he'd find a safe place to crash.
One step at a time..
.
.
.
Lookin!besideHello!
.
.
.
Miles snapped upright, his heart jumping up to his throat. He spun around so fast he almost launched himself out of the chair, his spidey sense buzzing uselessly a few seconds too late.
Miles did not scream.
And he definitely didn't almost fall off the chair.
Standing beside him was a young woman with fiery red hair tied back loosely, and bright green eyes which looked just as surprised as he did.
She looked.. familiar..?
Miles blinked hard, feeling his cheeks growing warm from embarrassment.
“Uh-Im sorry! I’m-I’m almost done..’’ He blurted. He closed the tabs way too quickly. Not suspicious at all, Miles.. he grimaced mentally
He tried for a smile that came out awkward and crooked. Great.. real Smooth Miles.. he chidded himself.
“No rush, I should be apologizing for startling you.’’ She said with a small laugh “We don’t exactly get visitors this late. Honestly it's nice seeing someone actually using the computers. I don't mind waiting a few more minutes”
“Oh, no no no” Miles waved his un-injured hand frantically grimacing as he jostled his right arm “ I already finished anyways, its pretty already pretty late, it's like-’’
He looked back at the screen, but froze at the date.. 2015.
great. just great. Thank you multiverse.
“9:56?” The librarian answered for him amused ‘You looked pretty concerntrated kid, im guessing homework?”
Miles nodded a bit too quickly “yeah-! i was just researching.. stuff.. for an assigment..?’’ He winces, lying under pressure was not his strong suit.
“Hm..’’ Her eyes narrowed slightly. not unkind, just observant. She took in his hood, his hunched posture, the way he tried to hide his face. “I didn’t even hear you come in”
Then her gaze shifted past him to the monitor.
“Looking up Gotham's finest huh?” She teased, chin tilting towards the open Nightwing tab he had forgotten about, also looking at his hoodie “Guessing you’re a fan?’’
Miles froze, stared at the screen then back at her.
“Oh-.. uh, yeah! Totally. He 's.. uh.. cool.” His voice cracked embarrassingly.
Her eyebrows lifted, the corner of her mouth tugging amused, taking note of the Miles accent.
“He is. though you don't really strike me as someone from Gotham kid.. New York?”
Miles forced a laugh. “was i that' obvious..? yeah Brooklyn.” He said rather sheepishly “I recently moved here..”
oh my god shut up Miles!
She let him sit in that awkwardness for a beat before saying.
“ You moved to Gotham?" she said her tone was slightly surprised and a bit judgemental, she raised a brow before sighing.
“Well kid, what's your name? Unless you prefer I keep calling you kid?” She said Barbara joked, smiling fondly at him. “Although Brooklyn has a nice ring to it, don't you think? “
‘’My name is Barbara, but you can call me Babs.” The librarian- Now Babs introduced herself.
Miles couldn't stop the small smile pulling on his lip “Nice to meet you Ms. Babs.. I’m..’’
. . .
His throat tightened as he swallowed hard. He couldn’t say Miles. Not here.
Too many problems came from being Miles Morales.
His Dad almost dies, he almost destroys Pavitr’s universe.
Gwen and Peter Betrayed him..
Hell, even Uncle Aaron died.
Because he is Miles Morales.
Because he is Spiderman.
Because he is an anomaly.
He couldn't give his real name right..? he didn't want to disrupt this universe balance and let alone canon.. were canon events even a thing here?
He swallowed before saying “I'm Aaron..”
Aaron?? Dude..!? The multiverse really does hate him. This whole situation is going from bad to worse. Seriously! Out of all names he had to choose his name..
Just saying it made his tongue feel like sandpaper in his mouth.
Barbara didn't look convinced but she didn't press for any more answers.
“Just call me Babs, No need for Miss”
“No way! Mi ma’ would’ve had my head if I didn't use proper honorifics.” Miles shivered, but smiled at the memory
“Ms. Babs it is. I’ll take it.”
“So, when am I expecting your parents to come get you?” She said looking at the clock again “It's almost 10. You know there's a curfew for minors right? you’re supposed to be home by 8”
“Curfew..?” He repeated dumbly “ah.. i didnt know moving and all..”
“right… moving.. ’’ She echoed. Looking at Miles, still judgemental, her voice filled with uncertainty yet it wasn't unkind but clearly suspicious. “still kids shouldn't be out at the hour.’’
Miles shifted uncomfortably, Babs decided to switch the topic. The last thing she wanted was to spook the kid.
‘’So why did you move to Gotham? Who’re you staying with?’’
That caught miles off guard. He didn't know what to say.. he answered, as he realized he had remained silent for too long “ Uhm.. My ma’ is at the hospital..’’
Technically not a lie.. She works at the hospital
“So I- so I had to move with a family friend..’’
“Oh.’’ Barbara blurted out, letting her assume the situation. “I’m so sorry, about your mom.”
Miles just nodded along, he knew his ma’ was safe. alive. Even though he wasn't there to protect her. He could feel the lump in his throat as his eyes started to water.
C’mon Miles, not here.
He pulled himself together, he answered with a hoarse voice. “Yeah.. thanks”
“Whats your guardian's name?” Barbara asked “Do they know you’re here?’’
Miles hesitated. He could’ve easily come up with a name, he could’ve used any name, but he went with.
“Peter’’ He grimaced, that was a very recent wound. “i.. snuck out, he doesn't know I'm here.”
Babs glanced at the arm in the makeshift sling held close to his chest,the lack of shoes.. the faint bruising along his jaw the stiffness in his movements every time he shifted. That caught miles off guard. He hesitated before answering.
Her expression softened with worry.
“You look like you’ve had a rough night” She knew she was pushing the limit, but Aaron look so small, no child should ever be injured like that “Are you ok? Did someone hurt you?”
Did your guardian hurt you? was left unsaid. Miles- ‘Aaron’ shook his head quickly as he waved his hands
“No-! no.. I'm fine.” He rushed out. “Really, just clumsy.” Get a grip he mentally scolded himself
A lie.
Too fast.
Too nervous.
Bab’s took mental notes.
“Okay…” She hesitated, then added gently, “If you want, I can call your guardian. To see if he can pick you up?”
Miles froze.
His breath hitched.
Because in this world, no one was coming for him.
he didn’t have anyone.
No Ma’.
No Dad.
No Ganke.
No Uncle Aaron.
No Peter.
No anyone.
“I-i uh.. no, it's fine” he blurted out, he could feel his heartbeat in his ears. “He’s uh- busy. At work. Nightshift. Or yeah working- definitely working.’’
Barbara blinked, eyebrow lifting clearly judging, but still not pressing.
Miles realized he was rambling and immediately hated himself for it. His cheeks flushed with heat.
His chest tightened.
He couldnt do this..
. . .
Badump-Badump
.
.
He needed to leave.
Now.
He stood up quickly, immediately raising his right arm out of habit. The motion sent a sharp pain that shot up his injured arm. He gritted his teeth behind a shaky smile.
“Uh- thank you, Ms. Babs!” he stammered, taking a step back. “For the computer. And help. And everything. I really- really gotta go!”
“Wait, Aaron-!” She tried reaching her hand out, failing to catch the boy.
But he was already moving.
he was practically jogging toward the door, hoodie pulled tight, left arm cradling his right, breath uneven. His feet squeaked on the tile as he practically fled.
“Aaron! Be careful getting home!” Barbara called, voice full of genuine worry.
“I will! Thanks!” His voice cracked on the last word.
He pushed through the door and disappeared into the cold Gotham night.
He didn’t slow down.
He didn’t look back.
He just kept running.
Because the moment he stopped, he knew his chest would cave in under everything he was trying not to feel.
Miles didn't stop running until his lungs burned.
Babara stood alone in the library. By the time the doors slammed shut behind him, she already had her phone in her hand.
BATCHAT
Babs: Is anyone still out tonight?
Timbit: Yeah. B, Dick and Jason are still out, everyone else is heading back to the cave like they last reported.
Timbit: Why?
Babs: I just had a kid bolt out of here. Young. Around the ages Six or Seven maybe. Curly hair, African-American, with Latino heritage, Oversized Nightwing hoodie, cradling his right arm.
Babs: Said his name was Aaron.
Timbit: What’s up with the kid?
Babs: Said he moved to Gotham with a family friend.
Babs: The kid's face was full of bruises and cuts. I’m pretty sure his right arm is broken, he didn't even get any proper medical attention, just a makeshift sling, he kept it cradled against his chest the whole time.
Babs: He’s really sweet, but he's hiding something. Bolted as soon as I offered to call his guardian. Might be Abuse, the poor kid didnt even have shoes.!
Tim: Let me guess there's more?
Babs: He didn’t show up on cameras entering.
Timbit: ...Okay, im going to need you to eleborate
Timbit: Didn’t show up how?
Babs: Doors opened. No one was visible.
Babs: Five seconds later he’s inside, already on the computer. I didn't notice him either.
Jay: Alright. I'm listening.
Jay: I want in.
Jay: We’re guessing the kids meta?
Babs: Everything points to that. There's a high probability of invisibility or some sort of camouflage.
Jay: Kids controlling it?
Babs: Enough to move without being seen.
Babs: He was injured, and terrified
Babs: Ran east on foot.
Timbit: So a Runaway?
Jay: Metas don’t run toward Gotham unless they’re desperate.
Jay: And trafficking rumors have been getting louder.
Timbit: So you think he slipped a leash.
Babs: That’s my concern.
Babs: If he can turn invisible, someone may already be looking for him.
Jay: I’ll keep an eye out for him.
Babs: Thanks Jay, Don’t rush him or corner him.
Babs: the kid is skittish and he will bolt.
Jay: Copy that, i’ll make sure not to scare him, too much
Timbit: I’ll pull any recent meta-trafficking chatter, see if something lines up.
Babs: Thanks guys.
Babs stared at the screen, after the chat went quiet before sighing and putting her phone down.
She let out a small breath, some of the tension easing from her shoulders as she locked her phone and set it down on the desk.
The library felt too quiet now.
Barbara frowned slightly, arms folding loosely.
“…I just hope the kid’s ok..” she muttered under her breath.
There was no way he’d make it far in Gotham like that. Not hurt. Not alone.
Her fingers tapped once against the desk before she leaned back against her chair, glancing once more at the empty entrance.
“…You picked the worst city to run too, Aaron…”