Chapter 190: Across the Spider-Verse (15)

As Miles and Gwen sat upside down, their spider sticking abilities holding them securely to the underside of the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Building's ledge, the city sprawled beneath them in a dazzling display of lights and motion. The skyline shimmered with the glow of skyscrapers, and the hum of the city seemed a distant murmur from their elevated perch.

Miles looked over at Gwen, his mask partially pulled up so he could speak freely. "I'm just a really emotionally intelligent guy." he said, a playful smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Gwen laughed, the sound light and musical against the backdrop of the night. "It really is always so great to talk to you."

"Yeah?" Miles replied, his eyes twinkling with curiosity.

"Yeah. I mean, how many people can you talk to about this stuff?" Gwen's voice softened, a hint of melancholy creeping into her tone.

"You don't even know." Miles said, his chuckle resonating with genuine warmth.

Gwen looked at him, her eyes glistening under the moonlight, and she smiled."What?"

"You're the only friend I've ever really made after Peter died." she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper.

Miles' smile faltered for a moment, a hint of jealousy slipping into his voice as he asked, "Other than Hobie, right?"

Gwen's smile faded slightly. "That's different."

"Yeah? How's that?" Miles probed, his curiosity piqued.

Gwen sighed, her gaze drifting to the distant horizon. "I don't know. You and me, it's..."

"We're the same. In the important ways, you know?" Miles interjected, his hand inching slowly towards hers, the air thick with anticipation.

Gwen sighed again, a mixture of regret and determination in her eyes. She looked out at the city, the lights reflecting in her eyes like stars. "In every other universe, Gwen Stacy falls for Spider-Man."

Miles looked at Gwen, his heart aching with a mix of hope and fear. He hesitated, then decided not to reach for her hand, his own retreating to rest on his knee.

Gwen continued, her voice tinged with sorrow. "And in every other universe, it doesn't end well."

Miles' gaze softened as he looked at her, his voice filled with quiet determination. "Well, there's a first time for everything, right?"

Gwen turned to him, her eyes reflecting mix feeling. "Maybe." she whispered

The city below seemed to hold its breath, the cacophony of sounds momentarily muted as they shared this poignant moment. The breeze ruffled their costumes, the chill of the night air a stark contrast to the warmth of their connection. They sat in silence for a moment, the weight of their unspoken feelings hanging in the air like a delicate web, fragile yet strong.

...

Meanwhile in Another Universe

The Guardians of the Galaxy were held prisoner by Thanos and his underlings in a dimly lit, underground chamber. The air was thick with the smell of blood and despair.

Thanos approached the prison, his imposing figure casting a long shadow over the beaten and bruised Guardians. Peter Quill, bloodied and defiant, glared at him. "You fucker!" he shouted, trying to lunge towards Thanos, but the chains on his wrists held him back.

Groot and Rocket, both battered and bruised, exchanged a weary glance, their hands bound by heavy chains. Thanos looked down at them with a mixture of disdain and amusement.

"You should have told me where the Power Stone is." Thanos said, his voice calm and menacing.

Peter's rage flared. "Where is Gamora? Where is she?" he demanded, his voice cracking with desperation.

Thanos sneered. "You don't need to know, Son of Ego. Star-Lord."

Peter's face contorted with fury. "You bastard! You killed Drax, and now you're trying to take Gamora from us!"

Thanos's expression remained unchanged. "It is not my fault that foolish man tried to kill me. When someone attempts to take my life..." He stepped closer to Peter, his eyes cold and unfeeling. "They must pay with theirs."

Peter struggled against his chains, his voice a raw scream. "Bastard!"

Thanos's patience wore thin. "I do not have time for this, Star-Lord. If you do not tell me where the Power Stone is..." He paused, letting the threat hang in the air. "Everything you hold dear will die by my hand."

Rocket and Groot looked at Peter, their expressions filled with sorrow and helplessness. Tears welled up in Peter's eyes as he looked back at his friends, the weight of the situation pressing down on him.

"I... I don't know where it is," Peter whispered, his voice broken. "I swear, I don't know."

Thanos's gaze bore into Peter's soul, searching for any sign of deceit. Finally, he turned away, leaving the Guardians to their misery. "You better hope you're telling the truth," he said over his shoulder. "For all your sakes."

As Thanos and his underlings left the chamber, the Guardians were left in silence, their hope dwindling with each passing second.

...

As the celebration for Jefferson Morales' promotion to captain unfolded, the atmosphere was filled with joy and pride. Friends and family gathered to honor his achievement, but Miles and Gwen found a quiet spot away from the crowd, perched atop a water storage tank, sharing a private moment.

They were sitting on the below, where the water storage tank is, enjoying the view of the city and each other's company. They had changed out of their Spider-Man suits and were now wearing casual clothes, with their suits hidden underneath.

As they talked and laughed, Jefferson and Rio Morales watched them from a distance.

"She looks old enough to vote. I bet she doesn't even speak Spanish." Rio said, her voice tinged with disapproval.

Jefferson raised an eyebrow. "Well, qué barbaridad."

Rio shot him a look that suggested he was missing the point entirely.

Rio crossed her arms, still skeptical. "I just hope she's a good influence on him."

Back on the water tank, Miles and Gwen continued their conversation.

Miles chuckled, finishing his bite of empanada. "You know, it's nice to just sit and talk for once."

Gwen nodded, smiling. "Yeah, it really is. Sometimes it feels like we're always running, always fighting."

Miles looked at her thoughtfully. "So, what's it like being part of this Spider-Society? Do you think it's worth it?"

Gwen's smile faded slightly as she pondered his question. "It's... complicated. We do good work, but sometimes it feels like there's no end to the problems we face."

Miles and Gwen continued their conversation, with Miles now taking a keen interest in Gwen's watch.

Miles leaned closer, intrigued.

"Want to take a look?" Gwen offered.

Miles nodded eagerly as Gwen handed over the watch. "This keeps you from glitching in other dimensions?" he asked, examining it closely.

"Yeah. Pretty cool." Gwen replied with a smile.

Miles glanced up from the watch. "What's it gonna take for Miguel O'Hara to notice Miles Morales?"

Gwen chuckled. "I'll put in a good word."

Miles's eyes lit up with hope. "I'm just saying, if I had a watch, I could come with you."

Gwen hesitated, her expression turning serious. "Miles, look..."

Miles interrupted, "I did save the multiverse."

Gwen sighed. "It's a really small, elite strike force."

Miles pressed on, "I can turn invisible. I have, like, electric powers. Think about it."

Gwen lied, her face showing her discomfort. "There aren't a lot of slots."

"Ah, right." Miles said, his enthusiasm deflating.

Gwen sighed, then added, "Look, if it was up to me, you..."

"I know. I know, I know." Miles said, cutting her off as he continued to fiddle with the watch. Then he tapped a button.

Gwen's eyes widened in panic. "Oh, no. No, no." She quickly snatched the watch back from Miles.

"Don't do that. Miles!" she scolded, clearly upset.

"All right. I'm sorry." Miles said, raising his hands in surrender.

Gwen took a deep breath. "It's, uh, really delicate."

"Geez.." Miles muttered, feeling a bit chastised.

Gwen softened, her shoulders relaxing. "Sorry. I didn't mean to, um, snap."

"Okay. All right. I'm sorry.." Miles said, feeling the tension ease between them.

Just as Gwen and Miles were getting into deep of their conversation, a voice suddenly interrupted from behind them.

"Hello!" The voice called out cheerfully.

Both Gwen and Miles jumped, startled. They turned around to find Rio Morales and Jefferson Morales standing there. Rio had a bemused expression on her face, while Jefferson's demeanor was more serious.

Miles's face flushed with embarrassment. "Oh, boy."

Rio smiled, though her eyes betrayed a hint of skepticism. "I'm Miles's mom."

Gwen, trying to mask her surprise with a warm smile, replied, "Rio! Hi! I've heard so much about you."

Rio's eyebrow raised slightly. "You're using my first name. Okay." She glanced at Miles and added with a touch of sarcasm, "This is nice."

Rio then extended her hand, holding out a jacket toward Gwen. "We found this in Miles's room, so..."

Gwen took the jacket, her cheeks reddening slightly. "Oh, thank you."

Rio continued, "I guess you must've been there, huh?" She said, referring to Gwen being in Miles's room.

Gwen laughed awkwardly, trying to avoid eye contact. "Uh, yeah. Just... catching up."

Jefferson, who had been observing with a raised eyebrow, stepped forward. "And you must be Jeff.." Gwen said, turning to him.

Jefferson chuckled dryly. "She called me Jeff." He then added, "That's very sweet. 'Jeff.' You must mean Lieutenant Morales."

Jefferson raised his hand for a handshake, his smile slightly wry. "Soon to be Captain Morales."

Gwen shook his hand, trying to keep her composure, and then gave an awkward salute. "Ah! Captain.." she said, her voice tinged with awkwardness. She chuckled nervously.

Miles, feeling the need to clarify, said, "Gwen and I are friends from school."

Gwen nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we were just catching up."

Rio's eyes twinkled with mischief as she said, "Oh... Don't take him from me."

Miles groaned, "Mom."

Rio laughed, her eyes sparkling with humor. "I'm just kidding. He's grounded, so you can't."

She then turned to Gwen, her tone growing more serious. "Don't break his heart."

Miles, feeling mortified, quickly defended, "Mom! It's not like that!"

Gwen suddenly felt a vibration from her watch, and the device emitted a loud, urgent notification: "Alpha Squad, Zero Red Spider Alert."

Gwen's eyes widened as she scrambled to hide the watch's voice. She looked at them, her mind racing for an excuse. "Shoot, I have to go."

Miles's face fell. "Really?"

Gwen tried to sound casual, mimicking jogging motions. "Yeah, I forgot to get my steps in." she said, hoping to pass off the watch's alert as part of a fitness routine.

Gwen looked at Miles, her expression tinged with regret. "Really, really wish I could stay longer." She turned to Rio and Jefferson. "I'm sorry. Goodbye."

Rio and Jefferson looked at each other, clearly confused, and waved back uncertainly. "Goodbye." they said in unison.

Gwen extended her hand for a final handshake with Miles, who sighed deeply. "Yeah, bye."

As Gwen turned to leave, Rio cast a sympathetic glance at Miles, who stood watching her departure with a mix of disappointment and confusion.

Gwen walked away, her heart heavy as she blended into the crowd, the urgency of her mission weighing on her mind.

....

Miguel O'Hara sat in the dimly lit panel room, surrounded by a multitude of screens, each displaying different variants of Peter Parker from various dimensions. His sharp eyes scanned the screens, constantly monitoring and analyzing the movements of these countless Spider-Men.

The door to the room creaked open, drawing Miguel's attention. Without turning away from his screens, he said, "How's Gwen?"

Jessica Drew, her pregnant belly prominently visible beneath her casual attire, stepped into the room. She gently caressed her stomach, a soft smile on her face as she approached Miguel. "Gwen is fine. She's on the move as we speak."

Miguel's eyes narrowed slightly as he finally turned around to face her. "Good. Make sure Gwen doesn't mess it up, or else..." He trailed off, his tone growing more severe. "... Things will get screwed."

Jessica's expression remained calm, though her eyes were serious. "Don't worry, Miguel. I'll make sure Gwen won't mess it up."

Miguel's gaze softened marginally, though his demeanor remained authoritative. "It better be.." he said, his voice firm.

Jessica nodded, her hand still resting on her belly as she prepared to leave. "I'll keep an eye on things. You focus on what you need to do."

As she exited the room, Miguel returned his attention to the screens. His expression hardened once more, reflecting the weight of the responsibilities resting on his shoulders. Each screen flickered with the images of different Spider-People, a reminder of the delicate balance he was tasked with maintaining across the multiverse.

To be continue