Post by Drake on Dec 7, 2013 20:41:55 GMT -5
A/N: So I’ve decided my previous header for the series was a bit too much and a bit distracting. I’m talking about the big red “All Star Spider-Man” by the way. Anyway, over the next few issues I’ll be trying out a few different styles for the header and we’ll see where I go from there.
Miles, Rio, and Aaron Davis, Miles’ recently-discovered-to-be-alive uncle, all sat around the kitchen table. Rio took a sip of coffee while glaring at Aaron. Miles stared down at his feet. Aaron glanced back and forth between Miles and Rio, trying and failing to smile.
“So, Miles, my man, how’s school going?” Aaron asked.
“Fine,” Miles shortly replied. Aaron frowned.
“Listen, I…I know this wasn’t the best time. I just thought…maybe it would cheer you guys up to know that at least I was alive,” Aaron admitted. Rio’s glare darkened further, causing Aaron to slide back in his seat to get further away from Rio.
“Sorry,” Miles really tried to be happy. He was, but…it was just too weird. His uncle was alive after all this time. “I am happy you’re alive; it’s just…I don’t know. Weird.”
“I get it,” Aaron promised, “I should’ve come earlier.”
This caused Miles to look up. Earlier? Wait a minute…
“How long have you been in town?” Miles asked, suspicion beginning to form.
Aaron said, “A month, just about.” Miles immediately stood up, furious.
“Wait, Miles…”
“What the hell?!” Miles roared, “You’ve been here for a month?! A FREAKING MONTH!!!”
“Miles, I needed some time to get…with it,” Aaron tried to explain. Miles would have none of it. If Aaron had been here earlier…with his father…maybe….
Miles ran out of the room and to the front door. On his way out, he grabbed a sweatshirt and threw it on.
Aaron stood up, “Miles, wait—!”
SLAM!
Aaron fell back down into his chair, defeated. He looked down at the floor and took a deep breath before meeting Rio’s gaze and saying half jokingly, “Kids these days…”
“You should have stayed dead,” Rio marched up and out of the room just like her son, but instead of going outside she walked up to her room. She too slammed the door.
Aaron sighed and ran a hand through his thick hair. He needed a haircut and a shave. And, more than that, he needed a little luck. This wasn’t going to be easy. Not at all.
…
Miles quickly walked down block after block, past alley after alley, marching into the stormy afternoon without a destination in mind. He hadn’t been fair to his uncle. He knew that, but after all this time…at the very least Aaron could have stopped by and said hi. Maybe he couldn’t have saved Miles’ Dad, but at the least he could’ve made the moments before his death a little happier. Miles sighed and continued to march dazedly down the street.
Before long, he’d found himself in front of Peter’s house. Miles almost laughed. He had only one person to confide in, one last friend, and he was a middle-aged man.
Miles rung the doorbell. He saw a flash of highlighted red and black hair in the window. Maybe…maybe he had more than one friend. Maybe he had just one more.
Mayday Parker opened up the front door, “Miles Morales…”
Miles greeted, “May Parker.”
“It’s a surprise seeing you here,” May sarcastically joked. Miles almost laughed.
“Figure’d you’d be surprised to see me. And excited too,” Miles teased.
“What? Is this going to be the third time you’ve asked me out? The forth?” May teased right back, motioning him in.
Miles retorted, grinning, “I think I’m up to a solid seven times. This would be my eighth.”
May laughed. Miles followed suit. The two let the laughter die down before saying another word, and when it was said, the entire room seemed to darken.
“I’m sorry about your dad,” May spouted out and immediately regretted that decision. She couldn’t meet Miles’ gaze. That was okay. Miles couldn’t meet hers.
“Yeah,” was all Miles managed.
The two stood awkwardly apart for a few seconds, before May spoke up, “Dad’s in his office.”
“I know where it is,” Miles stated, trudging down the hall to Peter’s office. He didn’t even knock on the door before entering.
Peter sat with headphones on, focusing intently to his desktop computer and didn’t notice Miles as he entered the room.
“Peter?” Miles tried to draw his attention. He didn’t even get the slightest acknowledgement.
“PETER!” Miles shouted. Peter glanced up, blushed, and pulled off his headphones.
“Sorry, Miles,” Peter apologized, “I was just…” He paused, glanced at his computer, and then frowned, “Nothing. I was doing nothing.”
“Right…” Miles decided to let it go, not in the mood for another one of Peter’s secrets. “We need to talk.”
“About your father’s murder?” Peter asked.
“About everything.” Miles explained.
Peter leaned back in his chair and nodded. His beard seemed to darken with his expression as he replied, “Then let’s get started.”
Miles didn’t waste a second, sitting down in front of Peter and immediately saying, “I think they’re connected, the bombing and my dad’s death.”
“That’s exactly what I had conjectured,” Peter agreed, “Two events that touched both of us personally occurring within a thirty minute span. I’ve been in this business a long time, and I know a personal attack when I see one. Whoever did this wants to hurt us…badly.”
Miles nodded, “Who do you think it is? Kraven? Mysterio? Rhino?”
“I contacted Fury after the attacks, and he told me they’re all still locked up under the Triskelion,” Peter assured, and then continued, “We don’t have any evidence to run on, but…”
“That isn’t true,” Miles spouted.
“What?” Peter inquired, leaning forward.
Miles looked away. He didn’t know why he hadn’t mentioned it earlier. The man in the smoke. The one who swung like Spider-Man.
“During the ParkerCorp attack…I saw someone, a guy through the smoke. He swung like you…like me. At first, I thought it was you, but then…well, you found me,” Miles explained.
Peter leaned back in his chair and ran a hand through his wild hair, “That…really crushes my hypothesis then.”
“What?” Miles questioned, intrigued, “What is it?”
Peter sighed, before professing, “I was…visited by an old friend recently. Someone I thought long gone from my life…”
”Harry Osborn.”
Miles struggled to understand what he’d just heard, “But you told me--!”
“He was dead?” Peter went on, “I thought so. He’d disappeared into the Amazon and I hadn’t talked to him since. Not till now at least.”
“He just showed up at your doorstep?” Miles asked.
“No, the office. After the bombing, he came to me, all hugs and kisses, and just…I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. He can’t…do what you described. He’s powerless now. Again,” Peter seemed to be assuring himself more than Miles.
“So?” Miles pushed, “What if he’s funding the guy who bombed the place? What if he’s some freaky criminal mastermind?”
“Miles, you have to understand, Harry was never a criminal. Not in the truest sense at least. When he’d been the Green Goblin, when he’d tried to kill me, he wasn’t in the best state of mind, but he got help. He’s fine now,” Peter still didn’t seem sure. That’s all the proof Miles needed, but he wasn’t going to push the matter. Not till he had evidence. Speaking of which…
“We need to find that super-guy and interrogate him,” Miles said.
“Miles, I don’t know…I mean, I agree, but…” Peter struggled to find the right words, “There’s only one person who could be capable of what you explained. There’s only one person with that type of power, and, well, he’s got the responsibility part down.”
“Who is it?” Miles demanded.
“Miles…”
“WHO IS IT??” Miles roared, but still Peter didn’t speak up. Miles’ face reddened and he stood from his chair, “This man could have killed my father! I need to know! We-we need to find out if he knows anything!”
Peter sighed. He just didn’t have it in him to refuse the kid an answer after all he’d gone through.
“Scarlet Spider. The Fantastic Four’s Scarlet Spider,” Peter emphasized the ‘Fantastic Four’s.’
Miles didn’t know why he hadn’t thought of that earlier. The bastard…he’d been hiding in plain sight the entire time. It made perfect sense. He used the F4 as a cover story. No one would ever suspect that the famous Scarlet Spider was a villain. Hell, it explained why the cops thought Miles had planted the bomb.
Miles immediately stood up and marched past Peter to the wall behind him.
“Miles, wait…”
“Miles ignored his mentor, instead choosing to flip the wall with brute force, exposing a memorial to Peter’s Spider-Man era. However, since the first time he’d seen it, there had been a few additions. One in particular drew Miles’ attention. A black and red costume. His costume. An extra he always kept here, just in case. He immediately began to strip down and put the costume on.
“Miles, the man’s a hero. He couldn’t have…”
“He could. He totally could have,” Miles slipped into the torso/leggings part of the costume, “I mean, how the hell does some other freak stumble across your powerset? Did he steal it?”
“You got my powers,” Peter pointed out.
“That’s not the point,” Miles argued.
“It’s certainly the one you’re trying to make,” Peter retorted. Miles growled, before walking over to the window at the edge of the room. The view was covered by blinds. Miles opened up the window, squatting firmly on the edge of the window.
“I can’t take any risks, Peter. I can’t ignore a single possibility, not with…” Miles didn’t have it in him to say ‘my vengeance at stake.’
“Miles, don’t let revenge cloud your mind. It only leads toward bad things,” Peter said, “Remember, with great power comes great responsibility.”
Miles turned to Peter one more time, and with tears in his eyes said, “That’s what this is all about, Peter: the responsibility. I’m responsible for my Dad’s life and I can’t let him go unavenged.”
He slipped on the mask and managed one last quip before swinging off, “I am an Avenger after all.”
A/N #2: That’s it for this issue. Next up we’ve got something I’m sure you all have been wanting to see since Spidey and Scarlet Spider were introduced into the same Universe: Spider meets Spider, and as any good superhero team-up/meeting goes, there’s punching. Lots of it. Also, don’t miss out on the last scene. Harry’ll be truly introduced into the story, and he enters with a bang. Metaphorically speaking of course
Oh, I love trolling you guys. Anyway, catch ya next time, True Believers. Excelsior!
All Star Spider-Man #8
Darkest Nights Part 3: Some Avenging Required
By Drake
Darkest Nights Part 3: Some Avenging Required
By Drake
Miles, Rio, and Aaron Davis, Miles’ recently-discovered-to-be-alive uncle, all sat around the kitchen table. Rio took a sip of coffee while glaring at Aaron. Miles stared down at his feet. Aaron glanced back and forth between Miles and Rio, trying and failing to smile.
“So, Miles, my man, how’s school going?” Aaron asked.
“Fine,” Miles shortly replied. Aaron frowned.
“Listen, I…I know this wasn’t the best time. I just thought…maybe it would cheer you guys up to know that at least I was alive,” Aaron admitted. Rio’s glare darkened further, causing Aaron to slide back in his seat to get further away from Rio.
“Sorry,” Miles really tried to be happy. He was, but…it was just too weird. His uncle was alive after all this time. “I am happy you’re alive; it’s just…I don’t know. Weird.”
“I get it,” Aaron promised, “I should’ve come earlier.”
This caused Miles to look up. Earlier? Wait a minute…
“How long have you been in town?” Miles asked, suspicion beginning to form.
Aaron said, “A month, just about.” Miles immediately stood up, furious.
“Wait, Miles…”
“What the hell?!” Miles roared, “You’ve been here for a month?! A FREAKING MONTH!!!”
“Miles, I needed some time to get…with it,” Aaron tried to explain. Miles would have none of it. If Aaron had been here earlier…with his father…maybe….
Miles ran out of the room and to the front door. On his way out, he grabbed a sweatshirt and threw it on.
Aaron stood up, “Miles, wait—!”
SLAM!
Aaron fell back down into his chair, defeated. He looked down at the floor and took a deep breath before meeting Rio’s gaze and saying half jokingly, “Kids these days…”
“You should have stayed dead,” Rio marched up and out of the room just like her son, but instead of going outside she walked up to her room. She too slammed the door.
Aaron sighed and ran a hand through his thick hair. He needed a haircut and a shave. And, more than that, he needed a little luck. This wasn’t going to be easy. Not at all.
…
Miles quickly walked down block after block, past alley after alley, marching into the stormy afternoon without a destination in mind. He hadn’t been fair to his uncle. He knew that, but after all this time…at the very least Aaron could have stopped by and said hi. Maybe he couldn’t have saved Miles’ Dad, but at the least he could’ve made the moments before his death a little happier. Miles sighed and continued to march dazedly down the street.
Before long, he’d found himself in front of Peter’s house. Miles almost laughed. He had only one person to confide in, one last friend, and he was a middle-aged man.
Miles rung the doorbell. He saw a flash of highlighted red and black hair in the window. Maybe…maybe he had more than one friend. Maybe he had just one more.
Mayday Parker opened up the front door, “Miles Morales…”
Miles greeted, “May Parker.”
“It’s a surprise seeing you here,” May sarcastically joked. Miles almost laughed.
“Figure’d you’d be surprised to see me. And excited too,” Miles teased.
“What? Is this going to be the third time you’ve asked me out? The forth?” May teased right back, motioning him in.
Miles retorted, grinning, “I think I’m up to a solid seven times. This would be my eighth.”
May laughed. Miles followed suit. The two let the laughter die down before saying another word, and when it was said, the entire room seemed to darken.
“I’m sorry about your dad,” May spouted out and immediately regretted that decision. She couldn’t meet Miles’ gaze. That was okay. Miles couldn’t meet hers.
“Yeah,” was all Miles managed.
The two stood awkwardly apart for a few seconds, before May spoke up, “Dad’s in his office.”
“I know where it is,” Miles stated, trudging down the hall to Peter’s office. He didn’t even knock on the door before entering.
Peter sat with headphones on, focusing intently to his desktop computer and didn’t notice Miles as he entered the room.
“Peter?” Miles tried to draw his attention. He didn’t even get the slightest acknowledgement.
“PETER!” Miles shouted. Peter glanced up, blushed, and pulled off his headphones.
“Sorry, Miles,” Peter apologized, “I was just…” He paused, glanced at his computer, and then frowned, “Nothing. I was doing nothing.”
“Right…” Miles decided to let it go, not in the mood for another one of Peter’s secrets. “We need to talk.”
“About your father’s murder?” Peter asked.
“About everything.” Miles explained.
Peter leaned back in his chair and nodded. His beard seemed to darken with his expression as he replied, “Then let’s get started.”
Miles didn’t waste a second, sitting down in front of Peter and immediately saying, “I think they’re connected, the bombing and my dad’s death.”
“That’s exactly what I had conjectured,” Peter agreed, “Two events that touched both of us personally occurring within a thirty minute span. I’ve been in this business a long time, and I know a personal attack when I see one. Whoever did this wants to hurt us…badly.”
Miles nodded, “Who do you think it is? Kraven? Mysterio? Rhino?”
“I contacted Fury after the attacks, and he told me they’re all still locked up under the Triskelion,” Peter assured, and then continued, “We don’t have any evidence to run on, but…”
“That isn’t true,” Miles spouted.
“What?” Peter inquired, leaning forward.
Miles looked away. He didn’t know why he hadn’t mentioned it earlier. The man in the smoke. The one who swung like Spider-Man.
“During the ParkerCorp attack…I saw someone, a guy through the smoke. He swung like you…like me. At first, I thought it was you, but then…well, you found me,” Miles explained.
Peter leaned back in his chair and ran a hand through his wild hair, “That…really crushes my hypothesis then.”
“What?” Miles questioned, intrigued, “What is it?”
Peter sighed, before professing, “I was…visited by an old friend recently. Someone I thought long gone from my life…”
”Harry Osborn.”
Miles struggled to understand what he’d just heard, “But you told me--!”
“He was dead?” Peter went on, “I thought so. He’d disappeared into the Amazon and I hadn’t talked to him since. Not till now at least.”
“He just showed up at your doorstep?” Miles asked.
“No, the office. After the bombing, he came to me, all hugs and kisses, and just…I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. He can’t…do what you described. He’s powerless now. Again,” Peter seemed to be assuring himself more than Miles.
“So?” Miles pushed, “What if he’s funding the guy who bombed the place? What if he’s some freaky criminal mastermind?”
“Miles, you have to understand, Harry was never a criminal. Not in the truest sense at least. When he’d been the Green Goblin, when he’d tried to kill me, he wasn’t in the best state of mind, but he got help. He’s fine now,” Peter still didn’t seem sure. That’s all the proof Miles needed, but he wasn’t going to push the matter. Not till he had evidence. Speaking of which…
“We need to find that super-guy and interrogate him,” Miles said.
“Miles, I don’t know…I mean, I agree, but…” Peter struggled to find the right words, “There’s only one person who could be capable of what you explained. There’s only one person with that type of power, and, well, he’s got the responsibility part down.”
“Who is it?” Miles demanded.
“Miles…”
“WHO IS IT??” Miles roared, but still Peter didn’t speak up. Miles’ face reddened and he stood from his chair, “This man could have killed my father! I need to know! We-we need to find out if he knows anything!”
Peter sighed. He just didn’t have it in him to refuse the kid an answer after all he’d gone through.
“Scarlet Spider. The Fantastic Four’s Scarlet Spider,” Peter emphasized the ‘Fantastic Four’s.’
Miles didn’t know why he hadn’t thought of that earlier. The bastard…he’d been hiding in plain sight the entire time. It made perfect sense. He used the F4 as a cover story. No one would ever suspect that the famous Scarlet Spider was a villain. Hell, it explained why the cops thought Miles had planted the bomb.
Miles immediately stood up and marched past Peter to the wall behind him.
“Miles, wait…”
“Miles ignored his mentor, instead choosing to flip the wall with brute force, exposing a memorial to Peter’s Spider-Man era. However, since the first time he’d seen it, there had been a few additions. One in particular drew Miles’ attention. A black and red costume. His costume. An extra he always kept here, just in case. He immediately began to strip down and put the costume on.
“Miles, the man’s a hero. He couldn’t have…”
“He could. He totally could have,” Miles slipped into the torso/leggings part of the costume, “I mean, how the hell does some other freak stumble across your powerset? Did he steal it?”
“You got my powers,” Peter pointed out.
“That’s not the point,” Miles argued.
“It’s certainly the one you’re trying to make,” Peter retorted. Miles growled, before walking over to the window at the edge of the room. The view was covered by blinds. Miles opened up the window, squatting firmly on the edge of the window.
“I can’t take any risks, Peter. I can’t ignore a single possibility, not with…” Miles didn’t have it in him to say ‘my vengeance at stake.’
“Miles, don’t let revenge cloud your mind. It only leads toward bad things,” Peter said, “Remember, with great power comes great responsibility.”
Miles turned to Peter one more time, and with tears in his eyes said, “That’s what this is all about, Peter: the responsibility. I’m responsible for my Dad’s life and I can’t let him go unavenged.”
He slipped on the mask and managed one last quip before swinging off, “I am an Avenger after all.”
A/N #2: That’s it for this issue. Next up we’ve got something I’m sure you all have been wanting to see since Spidey and Scarlet Spider were introduced into the same Universe: Spider meets Spider, and as any good superhero team-up/meeting goes, there’s punching. Lots of it. Also, don’t miss out on the last scene. Harry’ll be truly introduced into the story, and he enters with a bang. Metaphorically speaking of course
Oh, I love trolling you guys. Anyway, catch ya next time, True Believers. Excelsior!