*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
(LOTTERY)
CHAPTER━━ SEVENTEEN
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 恋人┊͙✧˖*°࿐
MILES AND MEG had made it back to HQ and were sneaking through the lab where the Go Home machine was located, holding each other's hands as they went invisible. However, they soon realized that Margo was there, posing a problem for their escape. Despite their attempts to sneak past her carefully, Margo started hearing noises and began actively inspecting the area. As the computers around her started activating, Miles and Meg remained invisible, and the machine started Miles' eyes to send them back to their own dimension. After Miles' eye was scanned, he quickly moved out of the way with Meg, narrowly avoiding Margo's web as she attempted to catch them.
Miles and Meg were invisible standing in the center of the Go Home Machine as Margo and Lyla tried to figure out a way to reboot the machine. "Cálmate." Meg gave Miles' hand a squeeze. He was making her nervous by the way he was jumping and moving in disbelief that they were actually going to go. Unbeknownst to them, Margo had used to her sensory google to see the two in the Go Home Machine despite them being invisible.
Miguel burst through the door. "Stop them! Now!"
"Man, what does it look like I'm trying to do?" Margo retorted.
As the shield around Miles and Meg finished, feeling safe Miles turned him and Meg back visible. Miguel attempted to break through it with his claws. Meg was scared, hiding behind Miles as he and Miguel were face to face. Meanwhile, Margo was undecided on whether to reboot the Go Home Machine or let the two go back to their dimension. Meg and Miles noticed this and gave her a look, urging her to let them go.
Finally, Margo relented and allowed them to go back to their dimension. As they floated up and were sent back, Miguel yelled in frustration at the sight of them leaving.
Miles and Meg landed on the rooftop of a building in their own dimension. Due to the rain, the ground was slippery, causing them to slide upon impact. Miles quickly shielded Meg from hitting the wall with her back, before removing his mask and breathing heavily. The two sighed in relief to be back, hugging each other tightly, grateful to be safe and sound.
Meg, aware that her hair was straightened and not wanting to ruin it, pulled up the hood of her trenchcoat. She gazed up at the sky and noticed it was green and gloomy, unlike their New York. Despite this, Meg pushed aside the thought and decided not to dwell on it.
"We should go," Meg announced, turning to Miles. "We need to go home, now!"
Miles looked at her, momentarily stunned. "But you don't like swinging super fast--"
Meg interrupted him, "That's so thoughtful of you--" before collecting herself. "--But we have bigger problems right now, Wonderboy!" She opened her arms and closed her eyes. "Swing me. Come on, just swing me!"
Miles swiftly donned his mask. "Got it!" he exclaimed, extending his arm as Meg wrapped her legs around his hips. Meg buried her face in his shoulder as he prepared to leap off the rooftop. "I think we should go to my house first and tell my dad everything," he suggested. "Then I'll drop you off at your place."
"Okay," Meg murmured into his suit. Miles jumped off the roof and began to descend at a rapid pace. Meg screamed at the top of her lungs, causing her throat to grow hoarse. Despite the rain pelting her face, she didn't dare look up. When they finally arrived at Miles' Brownstone, Meg was relieved, certain they had narrowly avoided death at least ten times. She helped Miles push open his window and clambered inside his room, with Miles apologizing for pushing her to move faster and accidentally touching her backside in the process.
Meg tiredly laid down on the floor of Miles room and joined her, lying beside her. "We made it. We're home." Miles whispered, giving Meg's hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Miles?" As Miles bedroom door opened, he quickly got up and grabbed his black puffer jacket from his bed. The door opened revealing his mother with a laundry basket.
Rio looked her son who was suspiciously zipping up his jacket then down at the floor where Meg was still laying before she quickly sat up. "Is now a bad time?" Rio asked. "What did you do to your hair? Also, I didn't know Meglita was coming over." She furthered asks while at the same Miles was asking his mother if she was okay causing him either not to hear those questions or dismiss them, but Meg definitely heard and scrunched her face.
Because what do you mean what did he do to his hair?
His hair has been the same since you last saw him.
Miles continued to talk with his mom, feeling overwhelmed by everything he had experienced in the other dimension. He admitted that she was right about everything and that he had seen amazing places and met amazing people with Meg. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that they didn't want him there. He had thought about what his mom had said, and it had fueled him to become stronger, to beat them all. He knew that he was strong because of his parents.
Miles then revealed that something terrible was coming for them, someone named Spot who was his nemesis. He had been lying to his mom about being Spider-Man because he was afraid that she wouldn't love him the same. But now, he was ready to tell her the truth and asked her to promise that nothing would change. She assured him that she would always love him, no matter what.
Miles then revealed that he was Spider-Man and pointed to the symbol on his suit. His mom initially thought he was joking and asked if he dressed up for a comic convention. Miles explained that his dad had worked with Spider-Man and that he wished he was there to explain everything. His mom was still having a hard time processing everything, but Miles was relieved to finally share the truth with her.
If only she would just understand.
While this was all happening, Meg was looking around Miles' room noticing the little things that were different and as Miles and his mom started to get out of the room and talk in the living room. She noticed how little things in his living room were different too.
"I got you to take care of, I got me to take care of." Rio stressed, clearly affected for some reason by Miles repeated mentioning of his dad. "So, help me out."
"Mom, hold on! Hold on! I need to talk--" Miles couldn't even finish his sentence because all of a sudden, he glitched. Meg didn't because she still had her day pass on. As Miles reeling back from glitching, the two shared a look with each other.
They weren't home.
Oh no.
I knew it. We're in the wrong universe.
The Spider that bit me...us.
Home was earth-1610, not whatever the hell this was. Meg and Miles were supposed to be sent home; the DNA detected was supposed to send them home. But they realized too late the Spider, the one that caused all of this, wasn't from home.
42.
It wasn't from our dimension. That machine didn't send us home.
Everything was wrong.
Very wrong.
Especially when Miles' Uncle Aaron came through the door.
"Hey." Aaron greeted, holding out his hand for Miles to dap him up. He's definitely aged with having a goatee in this universe. "You, okay?" Aaron asked, since Miles who looked he seen a ghost (and technically he is seeing one) was taking too long to dap him up.
Miles, act cool. Even though Meg was just as startled to see Aaron. She knows her and Miles couldn't physically show because he's alive to the Miles of this universe. And that would raise questions from Aaron. But Miles did the opposite and hugged Aaron causing Meg let out a little sigh though she couldn't blame him for doing so.
Although she knew Aaron was definitely skeptical due to awkwardly pulling Miles away from him. "You took your braids out?" He asked. Meg looked at Miles shocked that he had braids in this dimension because whenever Meg wanted to braid his hair, he would say no or try to be funny and allow Meg to braid his hair in exchange for him taking her on a swing around the block. And because Meg would say no, he would say no. And they'll leave it at that. "On purpose?" Aaron furthered, asks.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm still getting used to it?" Miles replied awkwardly and looked for Meg for help and she nodded her slowly, seeing that as a good enough answer.
Aaron then sees how close Miles and Meg are to each other especially with them holding hands. "And I see you finally asked out Meg." Aaron smiled, breaking up the close distance between Meg and Miles by giving Meg a side hug. "Wassup girl."
She could smell the strong cologne on him. He smelled like an uncle. "Hi, Aaron." She greeted back, trying not to scrunch her face at his scent. Aaron then went to talk to Miles' mom, leaving Meg to relive from no longer enduring that scent of his.
"Oh, Miles. I have to work an overnight tonight. Here's a grocery list your hermosa girlfriend can tag along too." Rio informed, sending a smile Meg's way.
"Thank you." Meg smiled at the compliment.
It wasn't every day that she received genuine compliments, but she cherished them nonetheless. They reminded her of the countless times her father had told her she was beautiful, filling her with immense happiness.
Aaron took the list from Rio's hand. "I'll make sure he gets this done," he assured, tucking the list into his coat pocket. "Alright we gotta roll." The three of them exited the apartment. "Security switches out at six. That's the window, right?" Aaron asked Miles in a hushed tone but to Meg it sounded like he was asking him a trick question.
As they climbed the stairs, Meg glanced back and noticed Miles pausing, seemingly puzzled by the question."...Right. Yep." he stammered before joining her on the stairs. "I'm...I'm following you in...what are you saying." Miles glitched and there was no doubt Aaron heard the noise. He looked back seeing Miles leaning against the stair railing and huffing.
"You alright?" Aaron asked.
"I have a cold." Miles responded weakly.
"Come on, man," Aaron urged, continuing to lead them towards the roof. "Make sure you've got the plan."
"Yeah, but...but maybe we should go over it one more time," Miles suggested hesitantly, his eyes scanning the unfamiliar rooftop. It was a far cry from the lively scene they had experienced hours earlier; now it appeared gritty and desolate. "just to make sure there's no problems."
"There's no Spider-Man here." Miles whispers.
He and Meg stood before a mural of Miles' late father painted on a brick wall, instead of Aaron's image. It was a stark contrast - Miles' father was deceased in this dimension.
"Miles..." Meg whispered in his ear, but he couldn't respond. He was too afraid to tear his gaze away from his father's painted smile. Meg sensed Uncle Aaron beside them, all three captivated by the graffiti mural. She reached out, gripping Miles' hand in an attempt to bring him back from his trance-like state.
Aaron switched on a light, causing Miles to hesitate before looking. When he finally did, he could see his supposed uncle's stare. Meg tore her eyes away from the mural, feeling Miles' grip tighten as if holding on for dear life, hoping to escape from this nightmare.
Aaron observed the two, silently watching as they began to retreat, desperate to distance themselves from the unsettling scene. But before they could get away, Meg felt an intense gaze burning into the back of her head. She couldn't turn around in time, but Miles caught a glimpse of someone leaping from a nearby rooftop. The person struck Miles, rendering him unconscious as he collapsed to the ground.
"Shit! Miles!" Meg's panic surged as she desperately reached out to catch him before he crashed to the ground, but her efforts were in vain. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the person who had knocked him out, watching as he slowly approached her. Sidestepping over Miles' motionless body, Meg instinctively tried to retreat, but found herself trapped with no escape as Aaron encircled his arm around her neck from behind.
"No, please! Let me go!" Meg fought back, clawing at his hand and struggling to free herself. Desperation set in as Aaron used his other hand to bring a drugged paper to her face, attempting to force her to inhale. She had seen this scenario countless times in movies about kidnappings, and desperately squirmed in Aaron's grasp, refusing to breathe in the drug-laced paper. The person in the purple suit loomed closer, observing the unfolding scene as Meg's body valiantly fought against the effects of the drug. But her resistance ultimately waned, and she surrendered, her body growing limp as her eyes rolled back.
Aaron released his hold on her, seemingly ready to let her collapse to the ground alongside Miles.
At that moment, she resigned herself to that fate.
However, just as she was about to lose consciousness, the figure in front of her caught her, intercepting her descent into the abyss.
Meg, though barely coherent, could still sense the gentleness with which he cradled her in his arms. Her eyelids fluttered open and shut, struggling to remain awake as she gazed up at him. But fatigue overwhelmed her, and her eyes eventually closed, succumbing to an involuntary slumber.
｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆
Meg slowly regained consciousness, her head throbbing with pain. She tried to open her eyes but found it difficult. Everything felt hazy and surreal. It took her a few more seconds to realize that she was lying on a soft bed in a fully-furnished apartment that looked quite similar to the one in her own dimension.
"Where am I?" Meg muttered, struggling to sit up.
Just then, she heard a familiar voice that made her heart skip a beat. "You're in my apartment, sweetheart. Can you sit up?"
Meg turned her head to see her father sitting beside her, his face showing a mix of concern and relief. She could hardly believe what she was seeing. Her father had been missing for years, and now he was right beside her, looking after her.
"Dad? Is that really you?" Meg murmured, tears springing to her eyes.
"It's me, baby. I'm so sorry I disappeared like that," her father said, gently putting his hand on Meg's shoulder.
Meg felt a surge of emotion inside her. Her father had been her world, and she had missed him terribly. But now, seeing him after all these years, she could hardly contain her joy.
"How are you even here? How are you... you not glitching?" Meg asked, struggling to keep her voice steady.
"I'll tell you everything, Meg, but first you need to rest," her father said, noticing how tired and weak she looked.
"No, dad, I want to know everything now!" She demanded, sitting up in the bed.
"I...don't know how to start," her father began, unsure of where to begin. "I created a dimensional portal. It was something I never thought was possible, but I managed to do it. I told Wilson about it because he was desperate to see his wife and son once again. He was willing to do anything to be reunited with them, even travel to another dimension where identical versions of his family existed.
"But Wilson needed to know that it actually worked, and no one was willing to take the risk of going through a black hole that led to an unknown destination. So, without saying a word, he pushed me in. I've been stuck here ever since. A few minutes after arriving in this dimension, a man named Miguel O'Hara gave me this day pass." Her father pulled up his sleeve to reveal a day pass. At the mention of Miguel, Meg's eyes widen. "He told me I would need them, before leaving. There's a stack of them in a drawer somewhere. Anyway, that's how I've been able to avoid any glitches."
"He kept you here?" She realized. "But why?" She questioned.
Meg's father looked at her with a sad expression on his face, knowing that what he was about to say would break her heart. "I asked to be kept here, Meg." he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Meg's heart sank. She couldn't believe that her own father would leave her like that. "What why would you do that?" she asked, not sure she wanted to know the answer.
Her father sighed heavily and seemed to be lost in his thoughts. It was clear that this wasn't an easy topic for him to discuss.
"I was dying," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "I had a terminal illness and I didn't want to burden you, your mother or your siblings with it. Being here in this dimension was my way of sparing you guys from the pain of watching me die."
Tears streamed down Meg's face as she realized the sacrifice her father had made for her. She felt a rush of emotions - anger, sadness, guilt, and love all mixed together.
"Dad, I can't believe you did that for us," she cried, throwing her arms around him. "But why didn't you tell us? We could have spent more time together."
"I wanted to spare you all the pain," he replied, hugging her back. "But now that you're here, I want to make the most of the time we have together. I want to create new memories, ones that you'll treasure forever."
Meg pulled back and looked at her father with a smile that lit up her face but then her face turned to confusion. "How'd you find me?" she said, wiping away her tears.
"I saw you with Spider-Man," her father said. "I knew that you were going to be in danger, so I made a deal with the Prowler to keep you safe, it was impulsive but I never thought I would see you again Megara."
Meg felt tears stinging her eyes. She loves her father and reuniting with him was she ever dreamed of, but it was Miles who had helped her through her darkest days. He had been there for her when her father had disappeared, and now he was in danger because of her.
"I can't leave without Mi-Spider-Man," she said, her voice shaking with emotion.
Her father nodded. "I understand," he said. "We'll find a way to get him out too. I promise."
Meg didn't know if she could trust her father anymore, but she knew that she had to try. They were in this together, and she wasn't going to let anyone else she loved get hurt because of her. Determined, she set out to find Miles and bring him home.