The feeling that overcame Miles Morales and his mother as they proceeded through the doors of the organ donor center was a mixture of elation and unease; this was almost too good to be true, yet here they were.
He was finally going to be healthy again.
New York would finally have their Spider-Man back.
And he was going to be a burden no longer.
They sat in the waiting room, their hands laced tightly together, while the minutes passed like hours. He allowed his mother to rest her head on his shoulder; her eyes looked tired, but they were also awake with life, glimmering with hope.
When they were eventually called in to answer some standard questions about their health and background, they were led deeper into this small facility to see the heart. Both mother and son stooped over and ogled it like it was some long-lost treasure illuminating their faces in gold.
This heart, red and greased like raw meat, was encased in this special machine that kept it pumping with tubes to regulate its blood flow; such a sight would have normally disgusted the teen boy, but in this case... it was beautiful. Until recently, Miles had always taken for granted what a healthy heart looked like.
"I can't believe I'm saying this," he said with glistening eyes, "but that has to be the second most beautiful thing I've ever seen." The first, of course, was Gwen.
His mom didn't have as many words to spare; she simply hummed in tearful delight. Though it was subtle, her son could feel her overflowing joy of relief, and it made him want to hug her, to comfort her, to shower her with more love and happiness... both her and his dad.
"If you're satisfied, we can go ahead and sign some final documents."
Following their healthcare assistant, they proceeded away from the organ regulator, making it only a few meters when a cold chill down the would-be transplantee's neck iced the air around him. Everyone inside all raised their heads at what they believed to be a low-passing jet engine, which was soon followed by a demonic laugh.
"GET DOWN!" screamed Miles as he tackled his mother to the floor.
Everyone else followed suit, ducking for cover.
With an earsplitting BANG, the building shook violently as the ceiling behind them collapsed in a hail of concrete and steel, a flash of fire, and a hanging veil of smoke and dust. Pieces of debris flew everywhere, scattering across the floor.
Having shielded his mother, Miles raised his head, squinting through the bubbling chaos to see everyone clearing out in droves, some injured and having to limp out with others... within a second, this charitable place had turned into a war-torn apocalypse.
"No... NO!" His mother, still under his arm, was reaching out behind him... her face was stretched thin in horror and despair. "NO!" she shrieked like a tortured animal.
When Miles looked over his shoulder, he realized why... the small area where they had been was now engulfed by a bonfire... the same area that had his new heart...
It was buried under there...
Crushed...
Incinerated...
Gone... just like their hopes.
But there was no time to despair; they had to get out of here.
When Miles attempted to lift his mother, she fought out of his grip.
"Mom, come on!" He tried again. "We gotta get outta here!"
"The... h-heart, Mijo..." she choked, "... your... heart."
Miles Morales had never seen his mother like this... so broken... she was just lying there, weeping like a child deprived of her greatest toy... no, her greatest present. This sight broke her son's heart more than the destroyed organ.
Hope was right in their grasp... and it got torn away from them.
Regardless, they had to get to safety... they could grieve later.
"Come on, mom!" Having to use force, he scooped the sobbing woman up to her feet. "I'm still here... still breathing!" He coughed, ushering her. "We'll find another, okay!?"
She was strong for him for so long... now, he had to return the favor.
At first, Rio dragged her feet in a daze before he got her to pick them up as they ran.
Once they were out of this burning building, this strong woman collapsed on all fours, coughing through tears and snot, as she continued wailing. All Miles could do was hold her together, feeling more helpless than he ever did in that hospital.
"CAN THE SPIDER COME OUT TO PLAY!?"
Miles and his mother followed this monstrous voice to see a green terror hovering in the sky.
"The Goblin..." Miles uttered, shellshocked, "... he's here."
"WHEREVER YOU ARE, WHEREVER YOU'RE HIDING, I WILL BLOW THIS CITY AND EVERYONE YOU LOVE TO HELL UNTIL I DRAW YOU OUT!"
On his glider, he jetted off to bombard the city a few blocks down, his thrusters trailing where he disappeared to. Miles wanted nothing more than to chase him, but he couldn't... not without his suit... and not in his condition.
Miles stood upright with his fists clenched... he was going to pay for making his mother cry.
*****
Across dimensions, Gwen sensed his distress from HQ. Unable to go anywhere or do anything, she found herself pacing anxiously... in a building full of other Spiders, she felt trapped.
The rest of her Spider-Group were there to try and comfort her, all except for Peter B. Parker... he was nowhere to be seen. No words, hugs, or handholding could comfort her. Nothing at all could ease her mind.
Until she felt that sudden sting from elsewhere, she could at least hold it together until they found a solution... now, her sanity was threatening to unravel as she began fearing the worst.
Did the Goblin find Miles?
Did he hurt him?
Does he even know he's Spider-Man?
"WHERE IS PETER!?" she shouted to no one in particular.
"No one knows." Jess answered solemnly while approaching her.
Shifting her attention, Gwen saw this dimension's Spider-Man marching up behind her, his mask on. As soon as he got close, the girl stood in his way.
"Well?" she demanded. "Anything?"
Miguel stared down at the girl, his face unreadable. "We're getting our best Spider-Engineers to repair the power generator that was blown up."
"How long will it take?" Her voice grew louder, more desperate.
"It could take up to several hours to a few days, if we're lucky."
Gwen felt her chest freeze. "A FEW DAYS!?" she screeched, startling everyone else.
"I'm sorry." was all he could say. "Even here, some things take time."
She stared up at him, mouth ajar, her eyes threatening to fall out of their sockets.
"If he's lucky, there should be another Spider in Earth 1610, otherwise... it's all up to him."
The rest of her body went numb and rigid. She stood there like a statue, forcing Miguel to go around as he passed the girl to take care of whatever business he had to deal with.
The world started spinning like a propeller, and she felt herself losing balance.
Oxygen...
She needed air...
She suddenly couldn't breathe...
Why did her lungs feel like they were being squeezed?
Every one of her friends were now looking at her with wide-eyed concern, like she was the one in danger... but why? She wasn't the one who needed help.
"Gwen!" Jess ran over, her speed barely registerable, and wrapped herself around the young blonde. She stroked her hair repeatedly and whispered. "It's okay... breathe."
What's happening?
"Deep breaths... okay, sweetie?"
Why is she comforting me?
And then it hit her... am I having a panic attack? How? I'm Spider-Woman!
"Miles is strong, sweetie." This woman was now stroking her back. "Be strong for him."
Gwen hadn't felt this kind touch since... her own mother passed away. It was welcoming and protective. Somehow... someway... the tightness in her chest loosened soon after. Despite their differences, she was right... Miles wouldn't want her panicking on his behalf.
*****
After the attack, Miles and his mother were picked up by his dad in his police car and driven back home. After giving him the unfortunate news, he left his dad to comfort his mom while she wept uncontrollably into his shoulder. This wasn't like other times when she cried in the past; all semblance of control had finally come undone... it was such an ungodly sight.
Miles felt guilty when he retreated into his room and shut his door. Leaning against it, he slid to the floor, tucking his head into his knees, as he too began to weep... but silently.
They were so close...
It was too good to be true, he figured... he was a Spider-Man, after all.
Once he was done sobbing to himself, he wiped his face and went to pick up his goober. When he tried to use it, however, nothing happened; he couldn't use it to contact his friends or go anywhere.
"That won't work." a voice spoke to him from the window; it sounded like his own, but mature. His Earth 42 counterpart, the Prowler, materialized while perched on his windowsill.
"What are you doing here...?" asked Miles to his other self, the latter unmasking.
"Someone's got to look out for you." Miles G. Morales hopped into his bedroom and wandered for a bit. "Nice place."
"Mind telling me what the hell's going on?"
"That, I don't know." G responded. "My guess... trouble back home. Something's happened back at HQ that's interfering with our signal."
"I can guess who..." Miles rolled his eyes, crossing his arms despondently.
G paused, hearing the cries from out in the living room, and softened his tone. "Look... I'm sorry... about what happened." Miles side-glanced him. "I tried to get to him, but I wasn't fast enough."
Miles inhaled sharply, his eyes up at the ceiling now. "I have to stop him..."
It didn't take long for their conversation to be overheard. Jefferson barged in right at that moment, followed loosely by Rio... and both froze up at the sight of their visitor.
Rio especially couldn't believe what she was seeing... this purple costumed figure, who looked so much like their late Aaron Davis, had her son's face.
"Who are...?" she could only gasp.
G, unsure of how to proceed, waved his gauntlet awkwardly. He sucked in his lips and looked to the floor afterwards, becoming a shy little boy once more.
*****
After a long and awkward exchange of introductions at the kitchen table, Rio stared through this uncanny figure while sipping her tea. So much had happened today, and she wasn't sure what to feel anymore... except drained.
A lot of eyes were bouncing back and forth between each other, mainly between the three men... the silence was deafeningly uncomfortable.
Finally, setting her cup down, the mother spoke. "I'm sorry about your father."
"It's... alright." G shrugged. "I have Uncle Aaron, and..." he shut up, realizing what had said, and cringed. "S-Sorry." He almost wanted to sink in his chair.
"So..." the real Miles, relatively speaking, broke his silence, "... what are you gonna do?"
"Find the Goblin and end him."
"How?" Miles prodded. "He can portal-jump to any dimension."
"He has a weakness."
Everyone except Rio, who was still far off, leaned forward to this.
"A weakness?"
"He's been glitching." G looked to Miles and Jefferson with a growing smirk. "If we're lucky, he'll eventually just die on his own."
"But if we let him run free, who knows how many others he could hurt?"
"Hold on," Jeff turned to his son with an alarmed frown, "what do you mean, we?"
"Dad—"
"You are not going anywhere until it's safe!"
"I can't just sit by—"
"YES, YOU CAN!" His dad's voice could have rattled the cabinets.
"If there really are no other Spiders, then it's up to—"
"NO!" Jefferson stood from his chair, thumping the table with both hands. "YOU ARE STAYING HERE! HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN THAT I'M A COP!?" Wearing his uniform, he showed him his NYPD badge. "No son of mine with an enlarged heart will be putting his own life in danger!"
"But dad..."
"THAT'S FINAL!"
The room fell silent, so much that a pin could be heard dropping. Father and son stared each other down... until the son relented and sunk back in his chair defeatedly. The NYPD lieutenant softened up as well.
"I'm just looking out for you, son."
Miles swallowed. "I know, dad." he replied quietly.
With a deep sigh, Jefferson proceeded out of the kitchen while motioning to his variant. "Come on." G got up and followed him out; he looked back between Miles and Rio, and then they were gone.
Miles sat there with his mother, lost in thought. The strangest thing he got from this exchange was how quiet she was; she was normally the loudest in these arguments. He took her hand, which was so cold, and held it for a while. He was lost in his dilemma.
If he stayed here... he could risk losing his father again.
But if he went after the Goblin... they could lose him.
Would Spider-Man stay put?
Right away, he knew the answer... he just didn't know how to break it to his mother in the sick state that she was in.
"Mom..." he began, watching her face carefully, "... I know how much you love me and want to see me safe."
To his surprise, she didn't yell in protest... she just sighed with her eyes shut. "I know what you're going to say..." her voice hoarse when she spoke, "... and no matter what I try to argue, it won't change your mind, and I can't stop you."
"Mom..."
"It's okay, mijo." She finally turned to him with a watery smile. "I know what you have to do." She held his hand tightly. "Just please... come home when you're done."
Miles inhaled shakily, holding back his own tears. "I will, ma." He stood up and kissed her forehead. "I promise."
And so, Miles Morales marched off into his room and laid his new suit on the bed. His mentor, Peter B. Parker, told him not to put this on until he was ready... but today would mark his third leap of faith.
When he put on the suit, he knew it would be a pain having to wear it with his NC backpack, so he wore a tight shirt with a hoodie over its tube, one that he didn't wear as often as his usual green one. As for the nasal area, he wore it beneath his mask... hopefully, no one would notice and put two-and-two together.
All geared up now, he perched on his window, looked back at his room one last time, and dove off into the city and into the unknown... he was going to keep his promise... not just to his mother... but to everyone.
The odds against him were impossibly high... but he had to try regardless.
He possessed great power, and with that, came great responsibility.