Ask me on a date?

Miguel took a deep breathe in, trying to focus on the people below, the air was cold, but good considering it was a sunny day, if he was Gabriel he’d comment on how good the weather is and how it makes him happy, but he’s not Gabriel, it just annoys him, it makes him send out, everyone around his happy, he can’t even fake a smile, he could never fake being happy, he was too obvious.

As he leaned against the railing, maybe for the first time in years he didn’t think of how if he jumped, he’d be happy, because he’d be selfish, he went from craving death to fearing his death would end the lives of others, it was weird, his stress, his upset life, made him want to live, not really, but in a way he did. It was scary though, if he lost his purpose, if he wasn’t there to save people all the time, not Gabriel, Xina, anyone, could stop him from climbing onto the railing, listening to the yells of passer bys who walked across this, desperate to run and grab him. taking a step off before he could be touched by the hand of strangers who cared. What if he lost his purpose that day.

He should let LYLA speak, call back Gabriel, stop doing all of this.

Maybe if he went to eat food, if he didn’t just get even more lost in his thought, Miguel wouldn’t start realising no one for hours needed help, everyone around were walking peacefully, nothing needed him, partly he was seeing his purpose at the moment was lost, it was a weird quick twist, the feeling if he looked away someone would get hurt, and he had to help, to seeing no one needed help so why is he here… he needed food, he needed rest, he was quickly loosing it worse than before.
His grip tightened looking to the people. He just needed one person to save. He needed that purpose.
“LYLA”
“Yes Miguel”
“You can…speak now. Just. Um. Is there anyone you can spot I cannot that appears they are in desperate need of rescuing?…do not say me”
He kept looking, putting his elbow on the railing and leaning his head into his hand, taking a small break.
“I see no one, Miguel.”
“Great that’s just…I need. I need to help someone”
“You could help Gabriel by calming his nerves, calling him.”
“…I…that isn’t saving anyone, I meant…nevermind.”

He sighed, ignoring LYLA for a few seconds
“…does texting count?”
“Yes Miguel.”
“….”
He leaned back into a straight stance.
“Send message to Gabriel, saying, i am completely fine, I just require some time alone, apologies for not replying back sooner, I will message you when I am ready to speak again…end message”
“Sent over Miguel”
“Thank you”
Partly it felt good to clear the air, to make Gabriel know he’s still alive, he did it in a way where he could look out for citizens, making sure to not look away from possible threats.
He knew though that Gabriel might worry more, and will absolutely spam 100s of messages and phone calls.
“…mute Gabriel though.”
“Gabriel O’Hara is muted”
“Thank you.”
That would give miguel the peace of not having to deal with his brother, he knew his brother meant well, but it was too much.

He leaned against the railing again, waiting for anything to happen, maybe cutting Gabriel off like this and fully muting him was bad, maybe it would hurt more, in a way it was cutting family off without letting them have any idea on when he will return. It was for the better though. Better for Gabriel as it kept him safe, and better for Miguel as he wouldn’t hurt Gabriel.

It reached around 2pm, still nothing, he had moved spots a few times, returning to the original spot after nothing was around, maybe he could just go home, sleep, come back, nighttime was when all the crimes happened usually…but still daytime still had crimes.
He still hadn’t eaten, he was hungry, and dehydrated.
“Miguel?”
It wasn’t really a familiar voice, he maybe remembered only a few voices, his co-workers, Tyler’s, Conchata, Krons, Xinas, LYLA’s, Gabriel’s, Jennifer’s, and strangers. Not many other people. He used to remember more voices, but he was giving up on trying.
He turned to see one single person he hadn’t seen in a while.

Duke Stratosphere, was the online username, or The Duke, but in real life it was just Angel. Angel Moreno, they hadn’t been in new York for a long time, they never stayed in one spot and usually never went back to a spot they had been to before.
They were wearing the usually massive show off jacket, big pants, everything to cover up to hide from the sun, alongside with a big fancy hat and round sunglasses, as if trying to be a runway model.

Miguel and Angel never got along, they were both cocky assholes, difference was Angel didn’t care about saving lives unless it benefited him, and just did whatever was fun, Miguel helped and saved people as that was the right thing to do, and didn’t do things for fun, he stopped to help people. Ontop of that but Angel…may have been way too cocky for their own good, they were rude at times, and acted better, Miguel hated smartasses, for example he hated himself. Angel was the worst smartass. He made cyberspace, he was a massive deal, it was a big thing, he also saved cyberspace, which stopped people from actually dying, saving more people than Miguel ever had. He also screwed over DOOM, which everyone thought was cool when they found out, he was a menace, a smartass, yes that was over a year ago, but Angel didn’t seem like the type to ever change. Ever. This is not what Miguel needed.

Miguel raised an eyebrow, he didn’t exact respond a polite way…he didn’t respond, he just raised the eyebrow and nothing else forgetting to speak. Angel just gave an annoyed lip movement.
“Okay, Hello, good to see you too, what are you doing downtown?”
It was a rude response back to Miguel’s rude response, he was right Angel didn’t change.
“…sorry I…hi…I live in Nueva york, I’m allowed here. Why are you here?”
“I’m also allowed here”
“…yeah okay, well…why are you here even if you are allowed here? You’re not known for coming back to previous locations…full offence”
“That last bit would work if it was offensive but it isn’t”
“Just answer or shock off”
“…here for a job, thought is hasn’t started yet so, hangin around.”

Angel ended up walked to stand next to Miguel, leaning a bit on the railing looking over it as Miguel sighed, he didn’t want Angel here, specially considering how that first part of the conversation went.
“Seriously though, why are you here? Looking for someone that takes this path?”
“Huh?”
“…someone that walks down there…you’ve been standing here for a bit. Overheard people mentioning you’ve stood here for a while.”
“Is that true or have you just been watching me for hours?”
“You’re not that important, humble yourself.”
Miguel did let out a little chuckle at that comment from Angel, it wasn’t funny, really wasn’t, it was meant to be an insult back but weirdly comforting to have just a human conversation for the first time in a while.

“To answer, no, I’m just….uh”
“Being spiderman?”
“…don’t say it out loud, but yeah.”
“Well…spiderman” Angel raised their eyebrows to signal not caring about Miguel wanting him to not say that out loud.
“Doesn’t stand in one place for multiple hours”
“I’ve moved around…like twice”
“Wowwww, that’s still not what spiderman does”
“Yes…he does…now. I’m him, he does that. Now.”
Angel just laughed at that, it felt mocking, and like Miguel was being belittled. Kinda deserved.
“Okay why? Why is spiderman now a stand in place man?” They leaned more into the railing, looking to Miguel. Direct eye contact.
“You don’t need to know that.”
“I don’t but I like peer pressure, and will do it”
“I’ll throw you off the railing if you go”
“That’s not very spiderman of you”
“Yeah, it’s Miguel of me”
“Just answer. Not like I’m going to spread the information around, you’re not important enough for that”

There was a small silence. Maybe miguel should respond…
“I’m waiting for a crime to happen…so I can stop it…”
“…that’s pathetic”
“You can’t just pressure me into explaining and then insult me!”
“I can, and will, you do realise you’re basically hoping people get hurt right? That’s not very heroic.”
Miguel brows fused, giving a small defensive death glare.
“It’s not…that’s. This is about helping innocent citizens before they could possibly get injured, because that’s a hero’s responsibility to keep citizens safe, it’s stopping the harm of citizens before it happens to them. And stop the mocking with the hands.”
Angel was just moving their fingers up and down in a mouth yapping movement, mocking Miguel.
“Do you know when you’re upset everyone can tell as you start trying to talk like you’re writing a collage thesis piece?”
“I don’t like you”
“Cool, thanks. Anyways, what you’re doing is stupid.”
“You think making sure people don’t get hurt is stupid?” He was getting really defensive at this point, Angel now was just provoking him, being rude to him just to piss him off, he was being cocky and mean for the fun of it.

“No. Being so worried, heros don’t do this, because doing this, just actually hurts people, including you, for one, when you disappear when a crime happens, everyone will associate your face with spiderman, as hey the guy that stood in one single place for 3 hours, left as soon as spiderman came in. That’s weird!”
“No one will do that”
“They will when people have already pointed out loud you’ve been standing here for hours”
“Yeah and how do you know they’ll associate me with spiderman due to that? You’re not a hero”
“Yeah but I’m a bystander, I have more knowledge on how they think then you do.”
Miguel huffed, looking in the different direction. He didn’t want to get into a verbal fight, especially when hungry and tired, he’d lose even if right, because he was right, as Angel was never right.
“You’re not budging?” Angel inquired
“No.”
“Okay. Look there”
Angel pointed over below to a young woman walking, purse in hand, talking to a friend.
“She’s vulnerable right?”
“…yeah” Miguel locked his eyes on the young woman, almost getting ready to pounce.
“And look there”
Angel pointed to what seemed to be a sketchy man walking her way. Speaking again.
“He’s dangerous right?”
“Yeah…” Miguel put a hand to the rail in a way to lift himself up, almost ready to leap to action.
Before Miguel could make a move angel pushed him down like he was just a toddler misbehaving,
“Wrong, watch.”
The man approached the woman from behind, trying to grab her purse, in which she turned around and pointed a weapon at him, causing him to trip and run off.
“She’s from Down city so she knows to carry a weapon incase. And that guy was a rookie, you saving her would have meant nothing.”
“…what if-“
“What if what? She got hurt? She didn’t, look she’s fine, and now ranting to her friends about that. What if the guy goes to commit another crime today? Okay? He’s a rookie, he can’t even beat a young girl that has no muscles, or protective gear on her other than one weapon, one weapon everyone here has. He’s not harmful to anyone.”
“But he can be”
“And you can be as well, it’s just a possibility. All of it is, if you always go to the negative possibilities…you end up killing yourself as everything is miserable.”
“Blunt”
“Yeah that’s the point. Take a walk”

Angel pushed off of the railing, stretching, and using their head to point to the walkway, to take a walk with them, beginning to walk. Miguel maybe would have stayed if…he didn’t want a break but he did and maybe the blunt take was a bit humbling considering earlier he did nearly just kill himself. It was annoying that Angel was right, he wanted to say something to prove Angel wrong.
“It’s a lot coming from you, you used to be an addict with an obsession with finding a missing person to a criminal extent.”
“You care to explain how it’s a lot from me? As I think that just makes me qualified to know which criminals are threats or not”
Miguel stayed silent, walking slightly behind Angel until Angel slowed down ever so slightly to be on Miguel’s side.
“Up ahead, a person is about to steal something from a small business. Going to stop them?”
“Yes”
“No.”

They watched as a person attempted to steal and had their hand grabbed, forced to drop the items, yelled at, and harassed by bystanders.
“…what if that person pulls a weapon out?”
“what if, but they haven’t, and won’t, it’s a theft not looking to be suspicious so they aren’t carrying to seem friendly.”
Miguel sighed, he was tired, he was getting proven wrong in his belief system. It was annoying. He did think of a good point though
“But crimes are happening a lot right now as well, meaning it’s getting to the point where the worst one will happen.”
“Will, or will possibly. And if it does, sure help. And hold on a second. Real quick”
Angel stopped at a coffee vendor. Talking to the bartender, Miguel rolled his eyes, putting his hands in pockets, this was just cocky and rude. It was just Angel showing they didn’t care.

After a few minutes, Angel grabbed two coffees, pushing one to Miguel, and pushing a muffin to him as well. Eating one themself.
“You look like you’re going to pass out. Might as well stop you.”
Miguel looked at the drink and muffin. It was chocolate, well..fake, cocoa bean harvesting was so expensive now and a coffee vendor wouldn’t sell anything with real cocoa.
“…I’m trying to eat healthy.”
“You aren’t eating at all, so I don’t think you are.”
Miguel grunted.
“Well the coffee, I only have-“
“Drink the coffee, I don’t care. It’s black, considering how dark your soul is right now, I assumed you’d want it that way.”
They chuckled, beginning to walk again, leaving Miguel now even a chance to respond, just grunting and beginning to walk again, taking a sip, it wasn’t too bad…and taking a bite of the muffin, it wasn’t bad, it was amazing, probably tasted so good right now just because he hadn’t eaten for a while.
“I’m guessing I’m paying you back but what double, you seem the type.”
“No you don’t need to pay back…it’s a muffin and coffee you didn’t ask for…I’m an asshole but not that big of an asshole.”
Miguel did chuckle softly at that.

He took a while to finish the drink and muffin, feeling a bit better after that, throwing the trash in the bins, same time as Angel.
“Okay look at that person there.”
“Yeah I know, criminal but don’t worry as it doesn’t matter”
“No I was going to say you can deal with that one, following a homeless woman to an alley, that’s a danger you want to check on, yes the homeless woman will defend herself, but if she does also has a higher risk of getting arrested and mistreated for self defense. They want any reason to throw homeless people away”
“Oh”
Miguel stood up straight, trying to think of how to do this.
“Just walk into the alley behind quietly, take the disguise off, spiderman it.”
Miguel nodded, walking slowly and quietly into the alley, following behind the man, evaluating the situation, taking his citizen clothes off, turning his suits mask on, he watched for the weapons, currently a sharp knife, and then a gun In Pocket, mostly likely a more extreme backup. He quickly shot web to the gun, grabbing it without the man even noticing. Putting it under his citizen clothes for now.

As the man went to start an attack before it could happen, Miguel. Dealt with it, it felt good, the woman was scared at first before calling the police, and leaving the scene, Miguel grabbed the gun, took the Ammo out and webbed it against the wall to the man for the police to deal with, he didn’t like police but…they could deal with a man that tried to hurt an innocent woman.

He got back into his clothes, unmasking and walking back to Angel, almost feeling proud to mention he did that to Angel.
“Well done, now you’re done”
Miguel paused.
“What no, there is still more”
“Not what I mean as you didn’t let me finish, you’re done for this area, let’s keep walking.”

Miguel followed behind, at this point realizing he was acting like a dog, following Angel around when he could just say no.
Angel pointed to a small child
“Do they need saving”
Miguel looked around, seeing the kid looking to a parent nearby, even if not standing next to them, no one was around looking to hurt them.
“No”
“So we walk away”
Miguel watched the kid walk to their parents, grabbing onto their leg, sighed and began to walk, almost to the exit of downtown.
“I need to still stay here in case.”
“No you don’t.”
“But.”
“There are other heros that can help.”
“Then I’m useless so what’s the point?”
“Correct, what is the point? Family, friends, community service in other means, helping people when you see them in danger instead of waiting for them to be in danger.”
“Someone might die because I’m not there.”
“Someone will always die when you’re not there, as you can’t be there, as there is everywhere, and everywhere is bigger than you and where you can possibly get to in a few minutes.”
Angel adjusted their glasses, taking them off to clean and putting them back on, looking back to Miguel. Speaking again.
“If you live blaming yourself for everything, you will die a sad man, die a happy one instead.”
“I’d die selfish if I did.”
“Truth is, it doesn’t matter if it’s selfish, it’s death Miguel.”
“People would remember me for my selfish failures.”
“They’d remember you for all the people you saved.”
“They wouldn’t, what about the people that knew the people I didn’t save?”
“Unless you murdered the person yourself, I don’t think it mattered”
“Manslaughter is still murder.”

Angel rolled their eyes, sighing.
“You obviously have been bubbling this up, this is worse than Gabriel, at least Gabriel speaks about his issues more over time.”
“He doesn’t really”
“He does with some people, you don’t.”
“….”
“By your logic, we have all committed manslaughter…murder, we live in a society we help make, that kills people, so we’re responsible for all the deaths due to the society. Living by that, why care about the manslaughter, it becomes meaningless? Even babies have done it then.”
“It’s different as I’m…different.”
“You’re a mutant, a lot of people are mutants, you’ve done more than most, that matters doesn’t it?”
“…maybe.”
“Look how about instead of spiderman work tonight, you do something else, first you sleep, then you go somewhere nice to eat.”
“Alone?”
“You can do it with family”
“I’m not talking…to Gabriel right now.”
“Do it with me then. I can knock sense into you, if you get too depressing, I’ll act like it’s a dramatic break up so everyone in the restaurant thinks you’re a dickhead, and then you’ll have a real reason to feel shame.”
“…I…that’s so stupid” Miguel let a small laugh escape.
“Have dinner with me tonight, I don’t have anything on for a week, and you definitely don’t have anything on tonight except for worrying. Ask me on a date, a fake one.”
“I’m not…fine, but it’s a split bill.” Miguel put his hand to his head, shaking it before rubbing his eyes,
“That’s a deal. Just unblock my number and I’ll unblock yours so we can actually communicate about this.”
“Right, I forgot about…that, forgot we did that when you were here last as I really…hated you when you spent time with Gabriel.”
“I hated you too. That’s why it happened”
Angel pulled up their ai assistant getting them to the unblock while Miguel got LYLA to do it.

“So tonight…8pm?” Miguel asked
“Yep, and where to? You live here after all, you should know places.”
“…do you like…Italian?”
“Too stereotypical for food places.”
“Well maybe I need stereotypical right now.”
“Alright, take me to an Italian place then, give the address, I’ll be there.”
“Don’t show up late.”
“I probably will,” Angel chuckled. “I go by my own schedule.”
“Okay well don’t organize this with me then do that, that’s just…mean.”
“Okay fine, I’ll show up 8pm.”
There was a bit of awkward silence before Miguel spoke again
“And don’t create drama. I might actually strangle you with talons out, this is just a truce because…I think I need…a break…at least that’s what you’re getting at…same with Gabriel…LYLA…everyone.”
“Yeah. That’s why we’re doing this, no offense but, I’m doing this as you’re Gabriel’s brother, and honestly I don’t think I want to see how Gabriel will be if you decline any worse than right now.”
“…I don’t take offense. So. Dinner out at 8pm, see you then.”
“Go have a sleep.”
“I will…I need it.”

Angel and him split paths at that point, angel heading back into downtown, while Miguel headed back to the apartment. Once shoes were off by a dorm he grabbed something else to eat, then flopped into bed with an alarm for 6pm, he wanted to emotionally prepare for doing things non work related.
And also prepare for fighting against all the stupid shit Angel would say, he’d probably bring up cyberspace or something.
Though there was some…excitement? Not really, Miguel still didn’t like Angel, but he probably needed someone he hated to humble him at this moment to better think, he needed someone that hated him more than himself to tell him he was being stupid and a worry wart.