Mi araña favorita
Spider Society, where every and any spider person works together as a collective hive, all thanks to Miguel O’Hara. Thanks to an event in my universe with an anomaly (Green Goblin from another dimension), Miguel came in and we sent Goblin back. It was simple, easy, and from that moment on I had admired Miguel thoroughly. He seemed pleased by my work, what I did. Most importantly: how different I was to other spiders. In that regard he reminded me of myself.
I could stick to walls easily, however I didn’t have a spider sense. I wasn't bummed to not have one after I learned what it was like, it seemed like a panic attack anytime one of the other spiders got it. I knew I would hate that. I also didn’t need to make webs in a lab, I had ones that shot out of my wrists. And last, just like MIguel I had fangs as well. And yes, the “vampire jokes” were insufferable. Miguel dealing with them had to be way worse.
Which brings me to today, Miguel personally invited me to Spider Society based off of the work he and I did with Goblin. He thought I was capable of something greater, and I knew I was too. I was greeted by Peter B, Gwen, and Jess when I arrived, and they showed me everything the massive 200 floor building Miguel owned had to offer.
How rich was this guy?
Gwen smiled like she knew exactly what I was thinking. “It’s a lot to take in, I know.” She patted my back, “I’ve been here for 2 months now, and I’m still not used to it.”
“I think it’s pretentious.” Peter B rolled his eyes. He was odd, he didn’t even bother to wear his mask, and he looked just like your Peter in your universe, granted older…and bigger. Peter was one of my friends, just like Gwen had one.
Jessica scoffed, “Peter, do you have to be, well, you all the time?”
“Yep.”
I stifled a laugh and Jess kept talking. I knew Jess before I was formally invited to the Society, I had worked with her on missions as a request to Miguel. She became my mentor easily. In fact, she was the one who came to get me with a brand new shiny watch to tell me the good news of Miguel wanting me in Spider Society.
Jess gave me a once over as we neared Miguel’s lab, “You ready?”
“It’s not like I haven’t worked with the famous Spider-Man 2099 before. But, why summon me now?” I questioned.
A voice out of nowhere came from my right, and there was a glowing orange light emitted next to me. Lyla.
“Miguel thinks you’re capable enough.” the hologram said. “Not that you guys aren’t.” She looked at Gwen and Peter.
They were both plenty capable, Miguel was just being a dick. Before I had the chance to defend them I was whisked away through the doors, leaving Jess to wave bye to me, while Gwen and Peter were already swinging away.
Walking through the doors, my eyes had to adjust to the darkness of it all. The room was large, and large was an understatement. My senses allowed me to see in perfect clarity after a second and what I saw had my mouth drop.
There were computers everywhere, tech everywhere. Whether it was on a table, a stand allowing it to be moved, or seemingly floating in the air, flashes of orange light came from different areas of the room. However, the middle area had the most, a whole set up with computers at all angles, at different heights off the ground floating around.
The rest of the room had a sitting area, coffee bar, mini kitchen, and a long table with multiple chairs probably used for meetings.
Lyla floated next to me with her small form guiding me to the center of the room, right where a hulking figure stood on a platform where most of the computers were. It was Miguel obviously, I would recognize that figure miles away.
The platform slowly descended, a bit too slow. My foot started tapping impatiently, and I resisted the urge to cross my arms across my chest and roll my eyes. For Miguel being so serious, he sure was theatrical.
“Just wait…Almost… Almost…” Lyla sneered. “There.”
Miguel was in his full body suit, not that you’ve ever seen him without it on. In truth, you only worked together in fights and stopping anomalies, you hadn’t even seen him with his mask off. The same went for you, he had never seen you without your mask.
“Ah, my favorite spider.” Miguel said as if sounding bored.
I rolled my eyes, “I thought Lego Spider-Man was your favorite?”
He chuckled, so deep the sound echoed in your skull making you shiver. “I said he was one of our best, not that he was my favorite.”
“And I am?”
“You don’t annoy me.” was all he said. Glad I knew where I stood.
I sighed and sat down on the table closest to me. “What do you want Miguel?”
He hopped down and stalked towards the table you were on. “You aren’t excited to be here? In Nueva York with my Spider Society?”
“It’s not that, I’m honored to be here. I mean what do you want of me?” I asked, trying to get my point across.
“I need you to become my right hand partner.” He said plainly.
He couldn’t see because of my mask but I balked. “Me?” Why on Earth-- no, any dimension would he want me for that job?
He nodded and sighed finally, finally reverting his mask. It disappeared with flashes and you got a good look at him.
My god, he was handsome . I figured he would be especially with the body he had, but this was a different level. His dark brown hair fell over his left eye without any effort. His eyes were the prettiest shade of red I’d ever seen. He had dark eyebags, which seemed to make him even more attractive, and the highest cheekbones I had ever seen. His sun kissed tanned skin would look so dark compared to your pale complexion if you had the chance to compare--
“Uh, what?” I asked, missing what he said completely. Miguel O’Hara was probably the handsomest man you had ever seen.
He smirked his full lips, “Why wouldn’t I need you to do this for me? You’re capable. More so than other spiders here. You fight brilliantly, and keep a cool head during missions. And as I have stated, you don’t annoy me.”
“What would this work require me to do?” I asked, looking down at the floor.
He stepped closer to where his feet were in my line of view. “You will help me out here, in this room” I looked up at him and started to protest but he raised a hand and kept speaking. “That doesn’t mean I wont have you go help other universes, however you’ll be doing them only with me now, and whoever else I need to come.” His red eyes peered into mine, “Last thing, you’ll be helping me research here what dimensions need help and saving.”
When I knew he was done talking I finally got off the table to stand up. “Why not Jess? Or Ben Riley for that matter?” I shook my head, “I’m brand new.”
“I listed the reasons.” Was all he said.
I groaned internally, just because I had admired him for so many months didn’t mean I wanted to work with him. And he could be saying this all now, and later make me his coffee bitch. One look in his eyes told me that wouldn’t happen.
“When do I sta--” My question died on my tongue. My eyes locked into one of the many computers behind him, and what I saw I couldn’t explain.
Looking back and forth at the orange monitors and Miguel I decided to zip up to the platform. Shooting my webs I flew past a very confused looking Miguel.
I looked at the floating screen, it was a family… Miguel’s family from another universe. Him, a little girl and--
I felt him beside me and looked up in case he was angry at me for snooping. What I saw broke my heart, he had sadness written in his eyes and he looked like a different man than the happy smiling one in the pictures. “I don’t think I’ve told you about my past.”
I shook my head, his past was important, however the woman in this photo looked just like… me?
He continued on, talking about what happened. How he destroyed an entire universe for a daughter that wasn’t technically his. The wife had died before Miguel ever came in the picture, but he knew of her. His daughter’s name was Gabi, and she was 11 when her universe collapsed. From then on he created Spider Society to make sure the canon of every Spider played out.
“Miguel.” I tried calling his name but he wouldn’t respond. He looked broken. “Miguel, I need you to look.”
He paused everything and turned my way. My mask was in my hands, my long dark braid was out. My green eyes gazed into his, and from his look of confusion, love, lust, and everything in between, he called my name.
“ Dios, you're Stella.”
…
She was utterly divine, exactly how she looked before she died in the other Miguel’s universe. She was younger, this Stella had to be 5 or 6 years younger than me. Her eye color was different to, the other Miguel’s Stella had brown eyes, and more olive skin. The Stella in front of me had pale skin and green eyes.
Hermosita. She was the most beautiful thing I’ve seen. I could see why that Miguel wanted her. She was mine... Mi vida.
Or that is what she was in the other's universe.
Wouldn’t that mean the girl I was staring at had a Miguel of her own? She would marry him, have another Gabriella with him.
“I’m assuming you don’t want me for this job now?” She said with a sadness in her voice.
I coughed a bit, trying to calm my nerves down. “No, no… You’re still a spider, you’re still someone I need for this job.”
“Won’t the way I look affect this?” She looked down and I resisted the urge to lift her chin and explain just why I need her by my side for this job. This was exactly what she was talking about.
I shook my head, “No, maybe?” She snapped her head up. “Not in a bad way, Stells. We aren’t anything, we don’t have to be anything.” As soon as the words were out they felt bitter on his tongue.
Get a grip Miguel, this isn’t your Stella, she’s from a different dimension, not the Nueva York in 928.
“Will I affect the Stella in your dimension?” She asked, tilting her head.
“There is no Stella here, trust me, I’ve looked.”
“Funny, there’s no Miguel in my dimension, I have a Peter.”
I started pacing, how on Earth was that possible? We existed alone in our universes, and the other was not present. I stepped around her typing on my monitor, she was right there was no Miguel on Earth 999.
So there was no her and I on Earth 928 or on Earth 999. How tragic.
“Ugh!” She groaned, and I looked at her like she was mad. “This is so frustrating!”
I’ve never seen her angry before, it was kind of… agh, que linda . Like a baby tiger upset.
“You want me to work with you, which I would kill for Miguel. But this would have to be torture on your end right? Looking like your dead wife! Ha!” She paused and heaved her chest. “I can’t put you through that, it’s not like I have to suffer, you aren’t in my universe.”
I placed my hand on her shoulder, she was trembling. Probably out of anger, or perhaps she was scared. “I don’t mind being put through that, I’ve had to watch millions of other Miguel’s get with you. I’m already used to your pretty face haunting me. This isn’t like that, trust me.”
She looked up at my face, and gave me her most trusting look, “What if I’m not like the others..?”
I gave her a half smile, “For one, you already are different, you’re Spider-Woman.” I held up one of my fingers while still holding her shoulder with the other. “For another, I’m not looking for you to be a carbon copy, I’m looking at you for support when I need” I held up one more finger. “Last, I don’t want you to be someone you aren’t.” I held up the third and final finger.
She smirked when I was finished with my speech. “Well… When do I start?”
I knew of several possibilities with the answer I would give her. If I said no, I would most likely lose her-- not that I had her in the first place-- and she would stay far far away from me. If I said yes, and as I looked into her green eyes, my gaze flickering down to her mouth for a fragment of a second. If I said yes, I knew I would fall in love with this girl. This hermosa chica... I knew it wasn't because of my other selves falling for her, I just could tell that this talented, friendly, beautiful girl would be mine. She would be my everything.
I grinned at her, showing off my fangs, possibly the first real smile I’ve given in a long, long time.
“Immediately, Mi araña favorita.”