to be an orphan
10 months.
It's been almost a year since the events that shook Miles life.
10 months since he got bit,
10 months since he exploded the collider,
10 months that Miles been Spider-man.
Many months had passed and Miles was only just starting to get used to this power-full life when...
An earthquake shook Brooklyn, New York. It was completely unpredictable and attacked Brooklyn in a calm spring afternoon. Being one of the rare earthquakes to affect his area, it took down many solid structures and buildings down with it.
Miles, or Spider-Man, had spent almost 24 hours straight helping around his city, rescuing people from debris and repairing what he could with his webs.
After a long day, he returned to his house to take a well deserved rest. When the earthquake struck, Miles had immediately jumped into action and completely forgot to check in with his parents, too entangled in the mess to bother. As he approached his house he started to understand how worried they would probably be. The thought left his stomach twisting with guilt.
He crawled through his window and groggily changed into comfier clothes. The news could be heard playing from the living room tv, bringing Miles a strange sense of relief. It was nice to be home. He started to exit his room and at the first creek of the door his uncle lifted from his seat, turning to face him.
“Miles?” The man walked up to him and grabbed his nephew in his arms. “You’re alive.” He whispered, almost to himself.
“Of course I’m alive” His nephew responded, laughing it off. He stared around the room in search for his parents who he desperately needed a hug from. ”Wheres Mami? And dad?" Miles asked before quickly answering himself. "Oh right probably out doing their jobs, if there’s anytime the city needs nurses and cops, its now.” Satisfied with his answer, Miles made his way over to the kitchen to get something, anything, in his mouth.
His uncle paused for a second, just realizing how oblivious the boy was to the events of the day before. Unsure he was himself ready to announce the tragic news to the only person he wanted to protect from it. He made the decision to deliver it slow.
“We gotta talk, mind sittin' ?” Aaron stated, himself taking a seat at the table.
A confused Miles, mouth stuffed with day-old cold pizza, nodded and made his way to the table. He had no idea what his uncle could possibly be telling him but he could tell by his expression that it wasn’t good.
“You know 'bout the bridge that collapsed when the earthquake hit?”
Miles’ heart slowly started racing, unconsciously preparing itself for what it was about to hear. “…Yeah?”
His uncle squeezed his eyes shut and stared down onto his lap as he sighed. “Miles… your parents were on that bridge, they didn’t make it.”
Miles' chest was caving in on his lungs, a suffocating feeling grew along with the nausea forming in his stomach. All five of his sense gave up on him, leaving him with nothing but immense sense of numbness. It's impossible, how could they die? No... no no no no no. I should've been there. This can't be happening.
As much as he wished he could hold himself together, he couldn’t hold back the sobs that came. Aaron tried his best to comfort him, staying by his side as Miles broke down, every piece of his heart shattering along with him.
His mind circled with twisted thoughts. With every tear he was reminded of how he would never get to look into his mothers unconditionally loving eyes again. How he would never feel the warmth of his fathers hugs once more. He couldn’t help but picture them in that bridge, stuck, begging for help. Imagining all the ways he could’ve been there for them if things had been different.
At a certain point the boys uncle had lead miles into his room, where he now laid. Still exhausted from the day he had, the teen drifted off to sleep rapidly.
___________________
Miles awoke the next day and turned to check the time on his phone. At the time he saw, a sense of panic arose in him, remembering he had school, but that quickly faded when the events of the day before came back to him. Fresh tears threatened his eyes but he held them back, feeding the pit in his heart. He sat back on his bed and let out a deep sigh.
As if sensing his presence his uncle knocked on the door and Miles let him in. Aaron went to sit across from Miles as he started talking “Hey man how you holding up?”
“I’m good,” a pure lie “what about you?” Miles questioned looking up at his uncle.
“Don't worry 'bout me. I just thought you might wanna talk.” He paused waiting in case Miles wanted to stop him “You know, I'm technically you legal guardian now. So you’ll be living with me. Don’t worry tho', I’ll move in here, your place is much nicer anyways.”
Miles forced a chuckle. His parents never found out about his uncle's questionable career choices, or the effects they had on Miles. So to them, his uncle stayed Miles' favourite person and the obvious choice as a guardian in case off an emergency. He didn't have the heart to tell his dad that his own brother chased him down and tried to kill him, so he never did.
“Your parents left you everything, which means we get to keep the apartment. Also looked at what they wanted for their funeral, we’ll have a dual ceremony, somethin' small. Just family and close friends. I think I’ll let your mothers family plan it, they kept calling me… Unless you want...”
“No that’s fine” the boy interrupted, refusing to make eye contact.
“well imma let you be, i’ll be right here if you need anything.”
The door shut and left a dark shadow engulfing miles’ room. Strange pain filled his chest weighing on his heart and lungs. Hoping it would wear off, he laid back in his bed staring at the ceiling, waiting for his breaths to regain their natural fulness.