Chapter 188: Across the Spider-Verse (13)

Miles was taken aback by the sudden appearance of Gwen in his room, but the familiar warmth of her hug quickly brought a smile to his face. "Oh! Whoa! How did you get...?" he started, but Gwen's friendly embrace cut him off.

Gwen stepped back, giving him a friendly punch on the shoulder. "How have you been?" she asked, her voice filled with genuine curiosity.

"Uh, I've been good," Miles replied, though his tone was slightly awkward. "You?"

Gwen smiled, her eyes bright. "I've been... Yeah, just great. Look at you," she said, noticing the subtle changes in him. "You, uh... You grew, huh? Had a little growth spurt?"

Miles chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Uh, yeah." He then noticed Gwen's hair, which was now blonde with pink tips. "Your hair has gotten pinker." he observed.

Gwen glanced around the room, taking in the details with a mix of nostalgia and curiosity. "Is this the room you grew up in?" she asked.

"It is. Um..." Miles stammered, quickly moving to hide some of his childhood toys, feeling a bit self-conscious. "But my dorm room is very adult."

"Cool. Yeah, no..." Gwen responded, her eyes landing on a box of action figures. "I used to play with these." she said, touching one of the toys.

Miles tried to downplay it, nervously laughing. "It's mine, but ahaha, my mother probably put it there out of nostalgia."

Gwen smiled, her fingers tracing the figures. "I used to have this one," she said, lifting an action figure still in its package.

Miles panicked slightly, trying to keep his cool. "An extremely rare, highly sought..." he started, but Gwen's question interrupted him.

"Why is it still in the package?" Gwen asked, plucking the box from its spot.

"Eee! Um... That's fine," Miles managed, trying to maintain his composure. Internally, he reminded himself to stay calm and not embarrass himself in front of Gwen.

Gwen placed the figure back down, arranging it thoughtfully before her eyes caught something else of interest—a notebook with sketches. Using her web, she pulled it into her hands and flipped through the pages. "Are these your drawings? They're good." she said, clearly impressed.

Miles quickly stepped forward, reaching out to retrieve the notebook from Gwen, who continued to flip through pages filled with drawings of her. "Hey. What? No." he stammered, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

Gwen looked up with a soft smile, catching his eye as she handed the notebook back. "Missed you too." she said, her tone teasing yet affectionate.

Miles took the notebook, feeling exposed but also relieved that she hadn't teased him more. He cleared his throat, trying to shift the conversation. "So, what are you doing here? I mean, I thought I'd never see you again."

Gwen wandered over to the window, the sunlight streaming into the room casting a warm glow on her face. Outside, the afternoon sun was low in the sky, casting long shadows over the rooftops of Brooklyn. She glanced back at Miles, her eyes twinkling with a sense of mischief. "Wanna get out of here?" she asked, her voice light and inviting.

Miles hesitated, the words of his parents echoing in his mind. "I'm grounded." he admitted, the weight of his punishment hanging over him.

Gwen didn't hesitate. In a swift motion, she climbed through the window, revealing her Spider-Woman suit beneath her casual clothes. She clung to the exterior wall of the building, her feet firmly planted as she looked back at him. The bright colors of her suit contrasted with the fading light of the afternoon sky, making her stand out vividly against the brick and mortar. "Bummer. Is Spider-Man grounded?" she called back, a playful challenge in her tone.

Miles felt a thrill of excitement bubble up, the familiar rush of freedom calling to him. He glanced back at his room, then at Gwen, who was waiting with an expectant smile. With a grin, he made his decision. "Um... I mean, I..." he started, then nodded with newfound confidence. "Yep, let's do this!"

He quickly moved to the window, revealing his own Spider-Man suit beneath his clothes. The fabric felt familiar and reassuring as he joined Gwen on the wall. The city stretched out before them, bathed in the golden hues of the setting sun. The streets below were busy with the sounds of traffic and the distant chatter of people going about their day. As he looked at Gwen, Miles felt a sense of exhilaration and anticipation.

Together, they leaped from the building, swinging through the air as the world below blurred into a patchwork of colors and sounds. The wind rushed past them, carrying away the weight of his worries and the confines of his room. For this moment, they were free, soaring through the city with nothing but the open sky and their own abilities guiding them.

Meanwhile, back at the Morales household, Rio and Jefferson stood outside Miles' bedroom door. Rio knocked gently, her voice softening as she called out, "Miles? Your dad's ready to listen now."

Jefferson, standing beside her, nodded and added, "That's right. I'm going to listen to what you've got to say."

Rio opened the door, stepping into the room. Her eyes scanned the space, expecting to find Miles brooding on his bed. Instead, she was met with an empty room, the window wide open and the gentle rustling of the curtains the only movement.

Jefferson's face contorted with anger and frustration as the realization dawned on him. "That's three months!" he exclaimed, his voice echoing with a mix of disbelief and irritation. "Three more months of grounding!"

........

As Miles and Gwen swung through the city, the wind rushed past them, and the afternoon sun cast long shadows, giving the skyline a golden hue. The two Spider-People moved with fluid grace, their webs intertwining like a dance in the sky.

Gwen continued, her voice carrying over the wind, "Yeah, so there's this lady, Jess Drew."

Miles, curious and intrigued, replied, "Uh-huh?" He swung alongside her, keeping pace with ease.

Gwen's eyes sparkled with excitement as she added, "She rides a motorcycle." Her words were punctuated by the rhythmic thwip of their web shooters.

Miles' eyes widened in surprise. "Motorcycle? Spider-Woman on a motorcycle?" he repeated, clearly fascinated by the concept.

"Yep," Gwen confirmed with a grin, effortlessly maneuvering around a building. "Oh, my gosh, I'm learning so much from her."

Miles, feeling a sense of camaraderie, shared, "Oh, yeah. I've learned a lot of stuff too." He thought about the upgrades and skills he had honed since their last encounter. "I've leveled up my whole thing. See?"

Gwen looked at him with a playful glint in her eyes. "Oh, yeah?" she challenged. "Let's see it, then."

"Let's go," Miles responded, his competitive spirit ignited.

The two launched into an impromptu race, swinging through the cityscape with increasing speed and precision. They twisted and turned around skyscrapers, their movements synchronized yet competitive. The city below blurred into a tapestry of colors as they swung faster and higher.

Gwen glanced at Miles, impressed. "You've gotten good, huh?" she admitted, her tone acknowledging his progress.

Miles, grinning, shot back, "I told you."

With a playful smirk, Gwen teased, "Not as good as I am." She pushed herself forward, gaining a slight lead.

"Hey, wait!" Miles called out, laughing as he redoubled his efforts to catch up.

......

In another universe, Michael Wilson, a legendary Spider-Man appearing to be in his mid-twenties but actually 63 years old, arrived at his home. The spacious living room was filled with warm, ambient light, reflecting off the tasteful decor and the soft pastels of the furnishings. Michael found his wife, Mary Rose Taylor, tidying up, their months-old baby, Marsel Rose Wilson, cooing softly from a nearby bassinet.

Mary, upon noticing Michael, smiled warmly and approached him. "Babe, you're here," she greeted, a touch of concern in her voice. "How are things going?"

Michael returned her smile, his eyes softening. "Yeah, it's going great," he said, a hint of amusement in his tone. "Peter's out there solo for now." He chuckled lightly, the sound filled with a mix of pride and nostalgia.

Mary, always perceptive, noticed the look in his eyes. She gently touched his face, her fingers brushing lightly against his skin. "He grew up fast, didn't he?" she remarked, her voice filled with a blend of affection and understanding.

Michael nodded, his gaze distant for a moment as he thought about Peter, the young man he had mentored. "Yeah, he did. He's doing great." he said, his voice carrying the weight of a mentor watching his pupil come into his own.

Mary moved closer, her presence comforting and grounding. "Maybe after Peter, you know... is ready to fully embrace being Spider-Man, not just as Red Spider-Man or Spider-Man Red..." she suggested, her tone gentle yet hopeful. "Maybe then you could retire and be with us more, with Marsel."

Michael looked at Mary, their eyes meeting in a moment of shared understanding. "Yeah, I've been thinking about that," he admitted. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. "Maybe when Peter turns 18, I'll pass on the mantle of Spider-Man to him. Then, I can finally retire and be with you and our family."

Mary smiled, her eyes shimmering with a mix of emotions. "You better keep that promise." she teased lightly, though the sincerity of her words was unmistakable.

Michael kissed her forehead softly, sealing the promise with a tender gesture. "I promise." he whispered, his voice filled with love and determination.

.......

As Spider-Gwen and Miles Morales continued to swing through the cityscape of Miles' universe, the sky around them was painted with the warm hues of the setting sun, casting a golden glow over the buildings. The city was alive with the hum of activity below, but the two young Spider-People were in a world of their own, leaping from skyscraper to skyscraper, effortlessly navigating the urban landscape.

Gwen continued to explain, her voice carrying over the wind, "And then there's Miguel. The whole thing was his idea."

Miles, curious and intrigued, swung closer to Gwen, matching her pace. "Right. And who's Miguel?" he asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.

Gwen grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Oh, he's like a ninja-vampire-Spider-Man, but a good guy."

Miles chuckled at the description, imagining the unusual combination. "A vampire good guy. I'd pay good money to see that." he said, his tone playful.

As they swung through the air, Miles glanced at Gwen, feeling a mixture of admiration and longing. "So how long ago did they invite you?" he asked, trying to keep his tone casual.

Gwen responded, her voice light and breezy, "Only like a few months ago."

"Months" is kind of a long time." Miles commented, a hint of disappointment in his voice. But Gwen seemed to brush off his remark, focused on the exhilaration of the moment.

Gwen suddenly veered off to the side, performing a series of agile twists and turns with her webs. "Okay, this one counts for two." she called out, her voice filled with laughter as she executed the trick.

Miles grinned, determined to keep up. He mimicked her movements, his own swings becoming more fluid and confident. They moved in sync, their actions mirroring each other, a dance of webs and grace.

Gwen looked at Miles, her expression softening with affection. "Look at you." she said, a note of pride in her voice.

Miles beamed back at her, feeling a rush of exhilaration and joy. "Look at me." he echoed, sharing the moment with her.

As they continued their swinging journey, they spotted a street vendor below, selling corn dogs. Gwen deftly snatched two corn dogs with her webbing as they swung past, Miles following suit with a grin. In a swift motion, Miles pulled out some money and webbed it down to the vendor, calling out, "Keep the change!"

The vendor, slightly bewildered but amused, waved back at them as they disappeared into the cityscape, corn dogs in hand. The air was filled with the aroma of the food and the sounds of the bustling city, but for Gwen and Miles, it was a moment of carefree joy and camaraderie, swinging high above the world below.

To be continue