Old Issues
*Record scratch* *Freeze Frame*
[Margo] - ‘Yep, that’s me…on the floor of Miles’ room, having a panic attack…You’re probably wondering how I got here…’
‘Well…’
—--------
Margo should’ve known that something would eventually go wrong. That this safety net she found herself in would eventually unravel.
And of course the problem centered around dimensional travel. Of course.
It all happened so fast.
The unthinkable had finally happened. Miles had invited Margo to his universe.
—---------
They'd been hanging out in Margo’s universe. Having just finished playing a game on Margo’s console, Miles was getting ready to leave.
“One of these days I’m gonna beat you, just sayin,” Miles assured as he put on his hoodie.
“Of course you will, babe.” Margo pecked his lips, “I believe in you.”
Miles just huffed and started looking for his Jordan’s, mumbling about “stupid-ass future game versions” and Margo “not going easy on him.”
Then,
“Oh hey! I was thinking, did you wanna come over to mine?” Miles asked innocently.
He wasn’t looking at Margo as he asked, so he didn’t see her face scrunch up as if she’d just sucked on a lime.
Margo felt the telltale signs of a panic attack approaching.
‘No. No. No. No. No.’
‘I don’t want to’
‘I don’t want to’
‘I don’t want to’
I DON’T WANT TO’
‘Please, no.’
“Hey, you seen my other shoe-”
“SURE!” Margo screeched, and promptly wanted the floor to open up and swallow her.
She hadn’t meant to say that.
She opened her mouth to change her mind, to tell Miles the truth. But nothing came out.
“-rgo…Margo?” Miles spoke up. “You good babe?” Margo hadn’t said anything in a while. “You feeling okay?” He gently cupped her cheek.
Margo nodded. But she wasn’t okay. She didn’t know if she’d ever be okay.
She wanted to be able to travel, she wanted to be able to help out at HQ and be useful, and she wanted to see Miles’ universe.
Why couldn’t she be normal? It was pathetic.
‘YOU’RE pathetic.’ There was that voice again.
‘Everybody else does it…Why can’t you?’
‘Superheroes are supposed to be brave. They aren’t supposed to be afraid.’
‘Superheroes are supposed to be wary of the antagonist that waits for them on the other side, not scared of the journey to get there.’
“Babe, you sure you’re okay? You look a little sick.”
Margo felt sick. Her head was starting to pound. She needed to tell Miles that she couldn’t go.
Instead, she said,
“I’m fine…ready to go.”
“Mm, alright.” Miles still looked skeptical. “When we get to my house, I’ll make you some of my mom’s soup. Guarantee you’ll feel better after like, one spoonful.”
—---------
Margo felt like everything was moving in slow motion as Miles input the coordinates. Just looking at the watch made her wanna hurl.
‘SAY something’
She said nothing.
Then, things got even worse.
Things had gotten worse and they hadn’t even left her universe yet.
Miles put the watch on her wrist.
Margo bit her tongue until she drew blood just to prevent a gasp from leaving her lips.
Her wrist felt like it was being burned. Again.
Margo just stared at the watch on her wrist. It was like a bad accident, she couldn’t look away.
“Alright, there.” Miles held Margo’s hand as they both jumped through.
—----------
The trip felt like it went on for hours. Margo’s stomach lurched and all she could remember was the last time she’d used a watch.
Her body being thrown in-between universes.
The watch searing through the skin on her wrist.
The darkness of the place she ended up in.
The creature that-
Her side-
Oh yeah, she was gonna be sick.
Then they landed.
Well, Miles landed.
Margo fell to the floor of Miles' room in a heap.
She was back there. Back in that dark place. She couldn’t see anything. Her wrist and side hurt.
She couldn’t breathe. There wasn’t any air. What was happening?
“-rgo…Margo!...MARGO!” She thought she heard Miles calling her name, but he sounded so far away.
Margo began to rub her wrist raw. She had been rubbing so hard that the skin was beginning to open and bleed.
—---------
Miles realized that Margo was in the middle of a panic attack. He knew because he used to have them all the time in the months after they’d defeated the Spot. He still did, sometimes.
He knew what it felt like to deal with them alone, and he didn’t want Margo to go through that.
His parents were out, so the house was already quiet. He opened his window, perhaps some fresh air and city sounds would help.
He made his way back over to Margo and sat down beside where she was leaning against his bed. He gently placed a hand on her knee, not wanting to overwhelm her.
Miles noticed that Margo was violently rubbing her wrist. Her sweater sleeves were covering her wrist, so he couldn’t see why she was rubbing one wrist only. He gently separated her hands and held them in his own.
“Margo, I’m here, okay? Margo slowly opened her eyes, and her cries quieted into softer sobs.
“It’s okay, just breathe slowly.” Miles encouraged. “We’re in my universe, in my room.” He continued simply.
“Would you like some water?” He asked. Margo nodded, and Miles let her know that he’d be right back.
Margo was so embarrassed. She didn’t know why she didn’t just tell Miles that she wasn’t ready.
She hesitantly lifted up her sweater sleeve to assess the damage on her wrist, and found the skin was bleeding, irritated and sore from all the rubbing. She couldn't recall the last time it had been this bad.
—----------
Miles returned with the water.
He gently brought Margo's hand to hold the glass. “Here, you’re okay, just breathe.”
Margo stopped crying long enough to sip the water, it was refreshing against the soreness of her throat.
“I’m sorry.” She said quietly.
Miles gently ran his hands through her hair and pulled her into a loose hug. “Don’t apologize, it’s okay.”
“I’m here if you wanna talk, alright?” Miles said. Margo nodded into his shoulder.
—---------
Eventually they moved off the ground to Miles’ bed.
Margo was breathing at a regular pace, but she was still a little shaky, her eyes red from crying.
But most of all, she was embarrassed. She berated herself for her inability to deal with the trauma.
She’d been trying to forget about the incident for 2 years, and all it took was 15 seconds to crumble any progress she’d made.
She now realized there'd been no progress. She had only convinced herself that there was since she didn’t have to physically travel anywhere.
The problem was never actually addressed. Just avoided.
Margo was too embarrassed to look at Miles so she instead looked down at their joined hands.
“Thank you, Miles…I- I’m sorry you had to see all that.” She slowly told him.
“Margo, there’s nothing for you to be sorry about, okay?” Miles assured her, then hesitated. “Do you mind if I ask what caused it?”
Margo took a deep breath. She didn’t know if she was ready to tell someone, but maybe she’d feel better if she did.
—--------
“…Remember how you asked me why I don’t travel to other universes like everybody else?” Miles nodded.
“It’s not because it’s my set job to be in the tech room…”
Margo proceeded to tell Miles everything that happened the day of her accident.
And then she told him something she never thought she’d speak of out loud.
“Miles…There- there was this- this thing…this creature, I think. I- I couldn’t really see, but…the sounds, it didn’t sound human. And it…it burned my side.” Margo choked out.
Miles was speechless. He could only think of hugging Margo again. “I’m so sorry.” Was all he could keep repeating.
“And I’m still not over it…This is the first time in 2 years that I’ve traveled physically to another universe.” Margo said dejectedly.
“…I haven’t even traveled anywhere with my avatar except back and forth between my own universe and HQ…nowhere else.”
“...And during the whole Spot situation, I was barely able to come to earth-42…it brought back all the memories, but I didn’t have time to deal with them until I went home that night because of all that was going on.” She finished.
“Damn Margo, I’m so sorry, I didn’t even notice.” Miles said sadly.
“No, no, don’t do that, please.” Margo gently held Miles’ cheek, “You had so much going on, it’s not your fault. I should’ve told you, but…I thought I could do it. It’s been so long since…and I thought I was ready.” Margo grimaced.
“It was one little malfunction…it shouldn’t still be affecting me this way.” She said, frustrated.
“It wasn’t little though, it was a frightening experience,” Miles embraced her again.
“Emotional healing doesn’t have a time limit…You take as much time as you need.”
—---------
“And there’s something else,” Margo hesitantly rolled up her sleeve. “The watch, when it malfunctioned…it burned my wrist. You probably saw me rubbing it, that's why.”
“Oh, Margo,” Miles gently took her wrist, and kissed around the scar.
Miles couldn’t even imagine what it had felt like. He’d been so excited to get a watch, he never thought of the possibility of something going wrong. Hopping from universe to universe had always been a joyful experience for him.
“Did you want to take it off?” Miles asked. “I think I’ve got a day pass around here somewhere…Or we could go back to your universe?”
Margo smiled tiredly. Through all that, she'd forgotten that the watch was still on her wrist. But of course Miles remembered. He was always so thoughtful.
“It’s alright, now that I’m here, I think I’ll be okay. Thank you for helping me through that, Miles. You always know exactly what to say.” She said softly.
“Of course, you can always tell me when something is wrong, okay?” Miles gently kissed her cheek.
"Okay," Margo agreed with a small smile.
—--------
A little while later, Margo and Miles held hands as they walked around town. This time with Miles showing Margo around his version of Brooklyn.
Margo bit into an Empanada Miles had bought her. “This is amazing…” She mumbled.
“Told you they’d be great. Mr. Rivera makes the best Empanadas ever…second to my mom though.” Miles laughed.
“Anddddd here’s the Barclays.” Miles said happily.
“Wow.” Margo said in awe, “It looks just like the history books!” She gushed.
Miles nearly collapsed on the sidewalk.
“...The history books-” He was always caught off guard when he was reminded of how far into the future Margo’s universe was.
But onto more important things.
“...Wait…who wins the 2025 NBA championship then?” Miles asked seriously.
Margo decided to tease Miles a little. “You’re not gonna like it…”
“Margo, don’t play with me…This is seriously serious…I have bets on this-!...I mean- Spider-man doesn’t bet!…Let me rephrase that…I have some healthy predictions…”
“...Nice save.” Margo deadpanned.
Margo decided to have mercy after Miles started looking a little faint.
“Miles…I don’t know.” Margo couldn’t stop laughing. “Do you know how long ago the 2025 NBA championship was in my universe? I’d probably have to look in a museum to find the trophy.” She joked.
“And anyway, we’re in totally different universes, it’s possible that even if the Nets won that championship in my universe, they won’t in yours.”
Miles huffed, “Very funny.”
“I will tell you this though, it’s been a longggggg time since the Nets won anything in my universe.” Margo smirked. “In fact, I can’t really even remember the last time they won….”
That statement sent Miles into a long-winded rant on the history and future of the Brooklyn Nets. Margo nodded along seriously, though internally she laughed.
“-No seriously…I’m gonna take you to a game…Matter of fact I’m buying tickets tonight…”
“...I’ve been waiting all my LIFE for the Nets to win…My dad’s been waiting all HIS life for the Nets to win…My GRANDDAD- wait no…anyway, you get what I’m sayin…’”
“...I can see you laughing, Margo…it’s not funny-”
—---------
“Anyway, here’s the Brooklyn…”
“The bridge, mhm yeah-” Margo finished for Miles, before settling her arms around his neck.
“Can I…?” Margo asked quietly.
Miles nodded, then Margo kissed him softly.