Chapter 9
In the heart of Hammerhead Industries, Miles and Phin clashed, each one fighting with everything they had to win.
Phin jumped back and unleashed a barrage of small missiles, forcing Miles to leap and dodge. They blasted through the lobby, tearing through marble and glass. Miles used his agility to swing between the projectiles, narrowly avoiding disaster.
“Phin, this isn't the way! We can find another solution!” Miles shouted as he flipped and landed on the ground.
Phin's voice was filled with anger and frustration. “Hammerhead took my brother, Miles! He needs to pay!” She charged up her gauntlet and slammed the ground, sending a devastating shockwave through the lobby that the Spider-Man just managed to avoid.
Miles couldn't let her succeed. With a burst of speed, he sprinted towards Phin, webbing her gauntlet to the floor and causing her to stumble. As she struggled to regain her footing, Miles launched himself into the air, somersaulting before delivering a powerful kick that sent her crashing into a holographic display.
“Don’t you see what the reactor is doing?!”
Phin groaned as she pushed herself up from the shattered display. Miles lunged for the downed Tinkerer, web-shooters at the ready. Phin activated her boots, rushing out of the path of a web strike that would have pinned her down.
She formed a sword before swinging it at Miles. The blade separated into segments, turning into a whip. It wrapped around him, trapping his arms to his sides. Phin spun and flung him toward the wall. He bounced off it hard, falling to the ground.
“Destroying this building! Taking down Hammerhead’s monument!”
Shaking off the hit, Miles got back to his feet.
“Phin, if the reactor melts down, it’ll take Brooklyn with it!”
“Who fed you that? Hammerhead?” Phin charged him with her sword held high. The two began to exchange blows. “I ran the numbers myself!”
“Why won’t you listen to me?”
“Why should I?!”
“Because I’m telling you the truth! Let me stop this!”
His words had no effect as Phin once again fired another volley at him. Miles dodged and weaved between them with astonishing agility. His Spider-Sense warned him of the incoming attacks, allowing him to react with split-second timing.
As he closed in on Phin, she deployed a net that crackled with electric energy. The net expanded rapidly, threatening to ensnare him. With a quick burst of webbing, Miles managed to pull a piece of marble from a broken column in front of him, knocking the net aside just in time.
He rolled on the ground and sprinted forward, getting inside Phin’s guard and uppercutting her into the air. He followed up with a jumping spin kick, which sent her flying back to the ground. She landed with a grunt and before she could get back up, Miles had webbed her to the ground.
“I don’t…want to fight,” he yelled down at Phin, who was trying to squirm her way out. “We’ll talk-”
He zipped over to the ledge of the window they’d crashed through, looking down at the reactor below. “After I disable the reac-”
Unfortunately, at that exact moment, the reactor released a surge of energy that sent shockwaves throughout the building. Explosions rippled through the floors of the structure, creating a cascade of destruction. The eyes of Miles’s suit widened and his senses blared just as the explosions reached him.
Blocks away, Gwen and the rest of the people Miles had sent away were hurrying down the street when the sound of a massive explosion washed over them. The force of it brought some of them to their knees.
Gwen turned to see a large plume of flames and smoke coming out the top of Hammerhead Industries and her heart sank a bit.
“ Miles… ”
She glanced at Rio, the woman’s face also twisted in worry, before turning to look at Hobie and Pav.
“I’m going back for Miles. Stay with them,” she told them. Before she could swing off, however, Rio grabbed her.
“I’m going with you.”
“Mrs. Morales that’s not a good idea-”
“ Mija.” Gwen immediately quieted when she heard the tone Rio spoke with, as well as the steely look in her eye.
“ No discutas conmigo pequeña. That is my son back there and he’s fighting a girl I care for like my own too. I need to make sure they’re both ok. So I’m going with you, got it?”
“Don’t think you’re gonna win this argument Gwendie,” Hobie chuckled out. Pav, who had recovered, also snickered.
Gwen sighed, but she couldn’t help but smile a little underneath her mask. “Alright, Mrs. Morales. Let’s go.”
Back at Hammerhead, the explosions continued rippling through the floors above Miles and Phin, creating a cascade of destruction. Debris and flaming wreckage crashed down around them, forcing the combatants to scramble for cover.
Miles managed to anchor himself to a still-standing support beam, shielded from the falling debris. He quickly scanned the devastation for any sign of Phin. Amidst the chaos, he spotted her silhouette emerging from the wreckage
Their eyes locked, and without a word, they both knew that the battle had taken a step up to the next level. Rain began to pour down as the floors above them had been completely destroyed.
“Phin look!” Miles begged her to listen to him. “The reactor’s still going critical. Soon, we won’t be able to stop it!”
“No!” She swiped her sword at him, forcing Miles to flip over her. “I’m not running away again!”
Phin brandished a sleek rifle, its barrel crackling with energy. With deadly precision, she fired a series of shots, each narrowly missing Miles as he swung and dodged with incredible speed.
“You were the one person I needed on my side!”
“I am on your side! I already beat Hammerhead! And with what we know about Nuform, Hammerhead Industries is done for!”
“It won’t work! No one cares enough! Hammerhead will get out and be right back here doing this shit all over again. I won’t give him that chance!”
One of her shots finally caught Miles, burning his side. He put a hand on the injury and grunted in pain. But Phin gave him no respite and continued to fire. He needed to close in on her. He swung over, landing beside her with a flourish. The rain soaked them both, the electrified tension in the air amplified by the storm.
He charged up some venom in his right fist before attempting to punch her, but Phin brought her arms up just in time to block. The force still sent her flying back and crashing into the remains of a wall.
Screaming in frustration, she activated a massive cannon-like weapon, its humming energy core powering up. With a thunderous blast, a massive energy beam shot forth, tearing through the concrete.
Miles narrowly avoided the beam, somersaulting over it as it seared the debris behind him, and went into the sky. He was left amazed by the destructive power that Phin possessed. And immensely worried at how she was using it against him.
The once-pristine and magnificent Hammerhead Industries was crumbling around them, each explosion and impact shaking the very foundation of the building. Miles knew that he had to find a way to disarm Phin and stop the destruction before it was too late. But with each passing moment, the situation grew more dire, and the odds seemed increasingly stacked against him.
His lapse in concentration would come back to bite him because as he turned around, he was met with the end of a hammer as Phin smacked him away. He soared into the air, but before he could go far, Phin used her grappling hook to latch on. She swung him around and slammed Miles through the cracked floor, sending him hurtling back inside the building and into another lobby.
Miles crashed onto the floor, disoriented and battered. The force of Phin's attack had left him momentarily vulnerable. As he struggled to his feet, he could hear the ominous sounds of her approaching, her Tinkerer suit humming with deadly intent.
She sped across the room, creating mini-turrets all over. They began to fire at Miles and to make it even more difficult for him, Phin pulled out her rocket launcher and began firing more missiles. But these were different from earlier. They glowed purple and exploded with much more force.
The combination meant there was little opportunity for Miles to go back on the attack. He was forced to continuously dodge projectiles and shockwaves.
“ I’m not gonna last much longer like this ,” Miles worriedly thought. He needed to do something and fast.
He shot a web strand at the missile's tail, attempting to divert its course. He threw it at one of the turrets, causing it to explode. Seeing how effective that was, he continued to repeat the process, destroying every turret until there were none left.
Phin pulled out her rifle and started firing again, but Miles easily dodged the shots.
“Argh,” Phin growled in frustration. “Quit moving!”
Rushing into his guard, she grabbed him and tossed him into one of the lighting pillars. She pinned him against with one arm.
“I gave you every chance to leave,” she yelled, mask coming down to reveal her face. Her right fist rocketed forward and Miles only just slid his head to the side, the punch cracking the LED panel. He couldn’t dodge the second one, which rocked his head and sent him to the ground, rolling toward the large hole in the wall.
He laid on his back, head hanging over the ledge. Below, the reactor continued to surge, waves of energy constantly pulsing out and getting more frequent. He tried to get up only to be held down by Phin, who began raining fists down into his face. Each one was more painful than the last.
“Don’t make me kill you,” she said, pausing her assault. “You can’t win. Why do you keep fighting?”
Miles glanced up at her eyes and for a split second, he caught a glimpse of his friend. Just like him, Phin had no real desire to fight him. And she was begging him to just give up. But he couldn’t do that. Not when there were lives at stake. Miles Morales never gave up.
The reactor surged again, the blue energy lighting up his view. Miles clenched his fist, charging it with venom.
“Because,” he started to answer, grabbing the arm Phin was using to hold him. “I’m Spider-Man!”
He punched Phin in the face, her Tinkerer mask coming up just in time to prevent her jaw from fracturing. But the blow still clearly hurt by the way she stumbled back. Miles followed up with a kick to the chest, sending her away. She skidded across the ground before righting herself.
Their fight escalating to its highest level, Miles and Phin pushed themselves to their utmost limits. The clash of technology and superhuman prowess decimated the lobby they fought in. Broken glass and debris were littered everywhere.
Jumping back, Phin sent a wave of death wheels spinning across the ground, the blades carving through the metal floors with ease. Miles's eyes widened before he corkscrewed over them, only just avoiding being cut to ribbons.
“Death Wheels. Okay,” he huffed out. Phin was on him in a flash, sword flashing through the air quickly.
“Phin. I know how you’re feeling. How it drives you!”
“Shut up!”
Miles slid between her feet, grabbing the back of her collar and tossing her to the side.
“You can’t let grief ruin your life! I’ve seen it before.” He thought about Miguel and how the loss of an entire universe completely changed him.
“If you understand then help me! Please, help me,” she cried out.
“I will! Let me stop the meltdown. We’ll go home! And we’ll make sure Hammerhead is away for good!”
“I can’t. I won’t! I’ve beaten you before and I’ll do it again!”
Phin grabbed his leg and flung him, but Miles shot out a web and zipped right back, kicking her in the face.
“Not this time.”
Phin began throwing wave after wave of death wheels at Miles, trying to finish it. “It’s over, Miles!”
“I know,” Miles said quietly to himself.
Unknown to Phin, Miles had a plan. With each dodge and weave, he charged his venom, allowing its power to course through his body.
As Phin prepared another attack, Miles seized the opportunity. He launched himself at her with blinding speed, a lightning-fast blur of red, black, and blue. With a powerful strike, he slammed Phin into the ground before propelling her into the light fixture on the wall.
The impact caused the programmable matter holder on her back to crack and short out, disabling her suit. Phin crashed to the ground, rolling to the edge of the floor. She groaned in pain. She looked down at the reactor and with her ability to fight gone, the haze of anger that covered her eyes lifted and she was able to see that the reactor was going far past what she had intended.
It released another pulse of energy, bigger than any before. The waves traveled out from the building, cracking the pavement and going beyond towards the surrounding buildings. It was out of control.
Out on the street, Gwen carefully landed with Rio. They surveyed the absolute destruction that the reactor was causing, stunned at how bad it was.
“Oh my god,” Rio whispered.
“This is insane,” Gwen added to the sentiment. Down the street. She could see the blue swirl of Nuform energy growing and growing.
Behind them, a cop car suddenly pulled up, sirens blaring. Jeff stepped out, running over to the two women.
“Rio! Gwen!” He grabbed his wife and hugged her tight before releasing her. “Are you two ok?”
“We’re fine Jeff. We came back for Miles and Phin.”
“Well, where are they?”
Gwen scanned the building, doing her best to look past the blue flashes from the reactor. After a few seconds, she was just barely able to make out Phin’s figure high up on the building.
“Up there!”
Phin turned to look at Miles, who had perched himself up on the wall. Her once-ferocious resolve now replaced by exhaustion and despair.
“This shouldn’t be happening!”
Miles breathed a silent sigh of relief seeing that Phin had finally come to her senses. “I can still stop-”
He was cut off as his spider-sense flared. Looking up, he saw a large piece of the marble ceiling come falling, smashing through right next to Phin. It cracked and tilted the floor back, causing Phin to lose her balance and begin sliding. She scrambled, trying to grab ahold of something but she couldn’t. She slipped off the edge, screaming in terror.
“PHIN!”
Miles lept after her, heart pounding so loud it made his ears ring. He saw Phin try to create something to halt her fall, but the programmable matter on her hands shorted again. They still weren’t working.
Acting quickly, Miles shot a web at her. It connected, but right as he tried to pull her towards him, another explosion rocked the Industry building. The force caused him to lose his grip on the web and Phin continued to fall. The flames also seared the side of his mask.
Yelping in pain, Miles tried to fight through it and focus on Phin, but he couldn’t see with the smoke coming from it, so he ripped his mask off. His curls whipped wildly in the air, free from their confines. But he paid that no mind.
Knowing he only had one shot to get it right, Miles fired two web lines down at Phin. Once they connected, he used them to slingshot himself at her. They slammed into each other. Miles wrapped his arms around her and twisted so that his back was to the ground.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he heard Phin cry into his ear.
“It’s ok,” he assured her. He shot a web out, anchoring it before closing his eyes. Even if he slowed them down, this was going to hurt. The two crashed into the ground and the world went black.
Miles and Phin sat in their favorite spot on a rooftop overlooking the city, the Science Center creating the perfect backdrop. It was a sunny afternoon in Brooklyn and the sounds of life rose from below. They often retreated here to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life, somewhere no one else could bother them.
Phin sat with her legs dangling over the edge, her eyes fixed on the horizon. Miles was crouched next to her, idly drawing figures in the dust on the rooftop.
Phin broke the silence, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "Miles, are you sure that things won’t change? That we’ll have time for rooftop hangouts like this anymore?"
Miles glanced at her, his dark eyes reflecting genuine concern. "Of course! We've been through too much together. Nothing could ever change that."
Phin looked at him, a small smile forming on her lips. “You promise, Miles? My parents used to say that friends grow apart as they get older. I’ve seen it with Rick too.”
Miles put his hand on her shoulder, reassuringly. His signature lopsided grin shone just as bright as the sun. “I promise, Phin. No matter where life takes us, we'll always find time for each other. You’re my best friend. Now and forever.”
Miles slowly blinked his way back to consciousness. Lifting his head, he could see that he had landed right next to the reactor. It was pulsing even more frequently now, every couple of seconds. Which meant there wasn’t a whole lot of time left to stop it. He spotted Phin on her back a couple of feet away and crawled over to her.
He was relieved to find that she was still breathing, soft groans escaping from her. Doing a quick check, he didn’t see any life-threatening injuries either. Satisfied that she was good, he turned his attention back to the unstable mess behind him, getting to his feet.
“Not…much…time.”
He walked slowly towards the reactor. Between all of the fighting today, he was exhausted. He just focused on putting one foot in front of the other, continuing to move forward.
“Just…a little further,” he encouraged himself. As he got closer, the swirl of energy got bigger and brighter. It would be mesmerizing if it wasn’t so dangerous.
Eventually, finally, Miles crawled up next to the reactor. He placed his hands on one of the panels and began absorbing the power, his hands glowing blue. After a few moments, a flash of sparks erupted from his hands and Miles dropped back to one knee.
It was a protest from his tired body. Even from just that little bit, it screamed at Miles that he could take in no more, lest he put himself at risk.
Behind him, Phin was waking up, hand covering her face to block out the intense light. As her eyes adjusted, she finally got a glimpse of Miles trying to stop the reactor. In her mind, the image of Rick trying to do the same flashed over him and it was as if she was right back in that moment again. About to watch a person she cared for die right in front of her and be unable to do anything about it.
“Miles,” she whimpered.
The aforementioned boy got back on his feet, a look of pure determination coming to his face. He clenched his fists, which began to glow brighter.
“ Come on Miles! Everyone’s counting on you!”
He slammed his hands back on the reactor. The energy surged and crackled, resisting Miles’ attempts to control it. He could feel the immense power coursing through him, overwhelming his senses.
He gritted his teeth and strained to absorb the energy. As he did, beads of sweat formed on his forehead. The energy traveled up his arms and down his torso, ripping his suit in the process. The pain was unbearable . Every cell in his body felt like it was being torn apart and stitched back together all at once.
But he didn’t stop. He refused to stop. He kept going and going until with a final, deafening roar, he absorbed the last of it. The reactor's hum ceased and with a final pulse of energy, it shut down. It sent Miles staggering back and collapsing, his body smoking from the exertion.
Phin quickly ran to his side. The spider hero was convulsing, sparks of venom flashing all over his chest. She tried to touch him, but she got zapped. He looked at her, trying to grin, but she could tell he was in immense pain.
“T-Told ya…I’d…s-stop it.”
“Be quiet,” she cried. This was no time for his wisecracks.
“Miles!”
They both twisted their heads as Gwen came running over. She was sprinting, jumping over and around all of the scattered debris. She slid down to her knees on his other side. Like Phin, she tried to touch and got zapped in return.
“What’s wrong Miles,” she asked him, panicking.
Miles looked behind her, noticing his parents standing in the distance. And behind them, more people were coming up. Ones who hadn’t been able to leave but were now coming back for a look, now that the crisis was averted. Something that Miles knew wasn’t quite true.
“Get them far away,” he warned Gwen and Phin, crawling away. “I can’t hold this in much longer.”
“It’s all of the energy from the reactor that he absorbed,” Phin explained to the blonde.
“He absorbed ALL of it?” Gwen shouted, both impressed by his strength and horror at what that must be doing to his body.
Phin looked at her before glancing back at everyone else. She scanned each of their faces, ending up on his parents. They were all in danger because of her. Miles was suffering because of her . Because of all of the stupid mistakes that she’d kept making, refusing to listen to reason.
She turned to look at Miles, watching his body steadily glowing brighter as his overload continued to grow. She came to a decision. She took the programmable matter she had strapped to her hands and placed them on her feet. She grabbed Miles, putting him on her shoulders.
“What are you…”
Phin ignored. She shifted, prepared to run off towards the battered Hammerhead building. But Gwen stepped in her way.
“Where do you think you’re going,” Gwen shouted at her.
“Gwen, not now! We don’t have time for this!”
“I’m not letting a supervillain just run off with my partner!”
“I’m taking him into the sky! If I get high enough, he can let it all out without hurting anyone.”
Gwen paused at that. It was a smart plan. Except for one thing. “And how exactly do you plan on avoiding that blast yourself?”
Phin looked away from her, eyes cast low. And then it suddenly hit Gwen.
“You’re going to sacrifice yourself, aren’t you?”
“W-What,” Miles exclaimed from where he was perched on Phin’s shoulder. “Phin…you can’t!”
“I have to,” she fired back. “This is all my fault! I have to fix it!”
“By going and getting yourself killed?” Gwen couldn’t believe her.
“If that’s what it takes! I-Please,” Phin was pleading with them.
“Phin…don’t do that.” Miles could feel a couple of tears slide down his face. “I-I don’t want you…to die.”
Gwen glared at the other girl. “You think one heroic act will make up for what you've done?”
“That’s not--I’m trying to save people!”
“So are we,” Gwen responded to her. “And that includes you. ”
“Then what do you suggest we do?”
Miles groans, his voice tinged with desperation. “Guys, we need to figure this out. I’m not-- won’t last much longer!”
Gwen thought through it for a few seconds before a plan came to mind. “The same thing you were gonna do. Follow me!”
She took off towards the building leaping and running up the side to the top. Phin was right behind her, carrying Miles. They reached the top in short order. Once up there, Gwen started weaving webs between the remaining steel beams, forming a makeshift slingshot.
“Phin, I don't like you. I don't trust you,” Gwen starts, her eyes locked onto Phin's, “but right now, we have to work together to save him, and the city.”
Phin looks at the slingshot, then at Gwen, and nods. “Alright. Let's do this.”
They positioned Miles in the webbing, the tension in the slingshot only matched by the tension amongst the trio.
“On three,” Gwen says, locking eyes with both Phin and Miles. “One, two, three!”
Gwen and Phin pull the slingshot back and release, propelling Miles into the sky like a rocket.
The wind whipped across his face as he flew. He pierced through the cloud layer in seconds. He waited until the last moment, reaching the peak of his flight, before finally releasing the pent-up energy in spectacular fashion.
For a few seconds, the city was bathed in an almost otherworldly azure light. Lighting sparked through the air, tendrils of electricity zigging and zagging along the sky. And the roar was deafening. Even from all the way down on the ground, everyone could feel the force of the explosion reverberating through them.
As it started to fade, Miles fell back through the clouds. But something was wrong. He was limp and unmoving, plummeting down to earth in a free fall.
Gwen's eyes widened, her spider-sense tingling with urgency. “He's not slowing down!”
Without a second thought, she leaps off the building, shooting web lines at strategic points to accelerate her descent. With mere seconds to spare, she caught Miles in mid-air, shooting a web to break their fall and swing them both to a gentle landing on the ground.
She laid him down, panicking when she saw he still hadn’t woken. “No no no! Come on Miles! Please wake up!”
The connection she’d had with him through her spider-sense for so long spiked a moment before Miles began coughing. Pure relief washed over her as he opened his eyes.
“Is everyone…” His voice was weak, but Gwen understood the question he was trying to ask.
“We’re all safe. You did it.”
On cue, his parents came running over. His mother reached him first, dropping to her knees and wrapping him in a tight hug.
“Miles, are you okay? Oh, I was so worried!”
Her embrace was slightly painful for Miles. He had taken quite the beating in the past 24 hours after all. But honestly, he’d never been more grateful for a hug from his mother than right now.
“ Lo siento, Mami. Didn’t mean to scare you.” He managed to muster the hint of a grin. It made his mother smile too, even if it was teary-eyed.
“Just don’t let it happen again son,” his father chimed in from where he was standing behind Rio. “At least, not for a few months at least. I know it comes with the job.”
Miles laughed, feeling his ribs jostle. Those were gonna hurt for a while. “I’ll do my best Dad.”
He then turned to look at Gwen, who had taken her mask off, revealing those beautiful blue eyes that he’d always loved. He reached up to cup her face, softly running his thumb over her cheek.
“Thank you,” he said simply, too weak to say much more.
But Gwen understood everything he meant behind it, grabbing the wrist of his hand and squeezing it. Letting him know that she understood.
“You’re welcome.” Her smile gave just the barest hint of the small gap in her teeth.
Unseen to all of them, Phin stood a ways back, watching the scene unfold. And as she did, she felt an overpowering sense of shame and guilt well up in her gut. She shouldn’t be allowed to witness such care being exchanged between family. Not after what she’d done.
“ I’m so sorry.”
She sprinted off unnoticed, tears and rain streaking down her face.
The rest of the people who were there finally took the chance to relax, delighted to see that the newest disaster had been avoided—all thanks to the friendly neighborhood hero.
Two weeks later, the city was well on its way to being back to normal. The entire area where Hammerhead Industries stood had been locked off for the time being while clean-up crews did their job. Eventually, it would be sold to someone else.
This was thanks to the fact that Joseph Hammerhead would be spending a long time behind bars. And not just for the chaos he had caused with his suit. Turns out, Hobie went back to the secret base that night and did what he does best. Poke around and take stuff that seems useful. He found a bunch of information about all of the shortcuts and shady dealings Hammerhead had made over the years. With everything he found, Hammerhead wouldn’t be getting out anytime soon.
There was no sign of Olivia Octavius however. The scientist had disappeared into the ether. It was a worry, for surely she would be back causing trouble soon enough. But that was a problem for another day.
Right now, Miles found himself sitting in his bedroom, still recovering from the ordeal. He was sore and tired, but alive.
A knock on the window drew his attention and he saw Gwen waving at him, a smile on her face. He got up to let her in.
“Hey,” she greets softly, her eyes scanning his room before landing on him. “How are you holding up?”
“Sore, tired, but alive,” Miles repeated his earlier thoughts, chuckling a bit. He walked back over to his bed and sat on the edge. “Mom’s been hovering quite a bit to make sure I’m good.”
Gwen nodded, relieved to hear that. She sat down next to him. “Glad to hear it.”
“Thank you by the way,” he told her sincerely, grabbing her hand and squeezing it. “I owe you one.”
“I’d say we’re about even now.”
They both laughed at that. Honestly, it was kinda hard to keep track of sometimes.
“But, I can think of someone who actually owes you one.”
The implication hangs heavy in the room, neither saying Phin's name but both thinking it.
Miles hesitates, his eyes drifting to the floor. “I uh…I haven’t talked to her. She's gone silent. No messages, nothing.”
Gwen frowned, her eyes narrowing. “Wait, your dad didn’t arrest her?”
“No. Me and mom talked him out of it. Not that I think he wanted to anyway. After Uncle Aaron, I think Dad wants to avoid the same thing happening with Phin. We all do.”
Gwen begrudgingly could admit that made sense.
“Still, after everything that happened, I thought she would at least reach out to you. Try to make amends or something.”
Miles leaned forward, rubbing his temples. “Yeah, I thought so too. I went over to her apartment a couple of days ago.”
“I’m guessing that didn’t go so well.”
He shook his head. He’d had so much hope too. His mom had even given him a container full of freshly fried plátanos to take with him. But when he’d knocked on her door, there was no answer. He stood there for at least 15 minutes, calling Phin’s name. Assuring her that he just wanted to talk. But no matter what he said, she wouldn’t answer.
“It didn’t. I think she's scared. Scared of facing what she's done, scared of facing me.”
Gwen sighs, standing up to pace the room. “Running away won't solve anything. We both know that.”
“I know, I know,” Miles replies, frustration evident in his voice. “But what can I do? I can't force her to come forward. All I can do is hope she comes around.”
Gwen pauses, looking at Miles with a serious expression. “Are you really sure she will?”
Miles looks up, locking eyes with Gwen.
“Based on the evidence of the last few weeks? I don’t know. But that’s why we call it a leap of faith.”
The grin on his face when he finished melted Gwen’s heart. It also made her want to brush her teeth from how disgustingly sweet he was.
“You’re too cute,” she said, walking back over and dropping a kiss on his cheeks. Even on his darker skin, she could see the pink flush that rose on his face from her action.
“And you’re right. It is a leap of faith. Which is why I need you to tell me where Phin lives. There’s something she should hear from me that I think might help.”
Phin was slumped down on the couch in her apartment, the silence broken only by the low volume of her TV. Even two weeks later, Joseph Hammerhead and his dealings were still the biggest piece of news in the city. Slightly lower on that list was the whereabouts of the Tinkerer, who hadn’t been seen at all in that time.
Which made sense, considering Phin had barely left the inside of her only haven. Her eyes were drawn down to the table, where a small, well-worn set of snapshots set. They were photos of her and Miles from one of their trips to the arcade. Each one showed a different set of funny poses and ridiculous faces, but the last one was of both of them grinning widely, innocent of the weight that the future would bring.
“The future I’d bring,” she mumbled dejectedly to herself.
Her phone sits on the couch beside her, tempting her. It would be so easy to dial Miles's number, to hear his voice, to apologize for everything. But each time she reaches for it, her hand stops mid-air, gripped by the fear of what she might hear. Rejection? Anger? Or worse, the unbearable sound of him trying to forgive her when she couldn't even forgive herself.
She couldn’t handle any of it. Honestly, it would probably be best for him if she never showed her face again. He’d be much better off with just him and his parents. And…Gwen.
That was another reason she was avoiding Miles. She had no desire to run into her again. Miles might be disappointed, but Gwen definitely hated her. There was no telling how that girl would react if she caught Phin anywhere close to Miles.
As she's contemplating ways to simply disappear—to run away and leave Miles to his life without the burden of her mistakes—the doorbell rings.
A groan escapes her lips as she gets up to answer it. It was probably Ms. Pearl again. The older black woman was always checking in on her and while Phin greatly appreciated it, she just wanted to be alone right now.
She pulled the door open, ready to politely tell her this, only to pause in shock and a small amount of fear to see Gwen standing on the other side. She was dressed in casual clothes rather than her suit. And of course, she was wearing that same green jacket from before.
“Hey Phin,” Gwen greeted her.
“Hey,” she hesitatingly replied. “What are you doing here?”
“We need to talk.”
Phin's eyes narrow, but she steps aside to let Gwen enter. “Alright. What is it?”
“It’s about Miles,” Gwen continues. She makes it a few feet inside before turning around to look at Phin. “He hasn't heard from you, and he's worried. And for what it's worth, so am I.”
Phin crosses her arms defensively. “Worried? Why? To see if I'll cause more trouble?”
Gwen stops pacing, locking eyes with Phin. “I may have that fear but Miles doesn’t. No. He’s worried about you. Because believe it or not, he still cares.”
She was afraid she’d say that. Phin looks away, unable to meet Gwen's gaze. “He shouldn't. After everything I've done, he's better off without me.”
Gwen sighs, her expression softening. “You don't get to make that decision for him. Have you even given him a chance to forgive you?”
Phin's voice is barely above a whisper. “I don't deserve his forgiveness.”
“Maybe not. But I’ve never known Miles to give up on someone he cares about. Even when they’ve messed up. Have you?”
Phin hesitates, memories of her friendship with Miles flooding back in. All the times he'd stood by her, even when she'd been less than perfect. Even when they’d been fighting a couple of weeks ago.
“No,” she finally admits. “But Gwen…I almost destroyed the city. How could he ever forgive me for that?”
“I’ve seen him forgive someone for worse.”
“Who?”
“Me,” Gwen answers simply. That stops Phin short. That wasn’t the answer she had expected to hear.
“What? What are you talking about?”
Gwen goes and plops down on the couch, running a hand through the longer side of her hair and pushing it back over her ear.
“I lied to Miles about something once too. Did he mention that at all?”
“Actually, yeah.” The conversation from the arcade suddenly came to mind. “He didn’t really give me much detail though.”
“That’s because to tell you the full story would require giving you a whole lot of background knowledge that at the time, you didn’t know about.”
“You mean, about him being Spider-Man don’t you,” Phin realizes, to which Gwen nods her head.
“Yeah. And it starts with exactly how he became Spider-Man in the first place. I think…I think it might help you to hear it.”
The last thing Phin was prepared for was Gwen Stacy of all people trying to help her salvage her relationship with Miles. It didn’t make any sense to her. But Phin was smart enough to notice that Gwen was trying to throw her a lifeline, something she didn’t have to. And she’d be damned if she didn’t at least try to grab ahold of it.
She moved over and sat down next to the blonde, crossing her legs and facing her head-on.
“I’ll listen.”
Phin leaned back, eyes comically wide. Gwen had just finished talking and was now waiting for her to respond.
“Wow. That’s…that’s…”
“It’s a lot. I know,” Gwen said sheepishly.
“So, the multi-verse is real. And each universe has its own Spider hero But Miles was bitten by a spider from a different one. And that was because of Kingpin and his super collider?”
“Yup.”
“But that incident weakened the walls between each universe and started sending villains to random parts, which led to this Miguel guy creating the ‘Spider Society’ to send them back. Which he eventually recruited you to be a part of. And that's where you learned about--what did you call them?”
“Canon Events.”
“Right. And those are things that happen to every one of you across every universe. And help shape you into the hero you’re supposed to be.
“That’s what I believed. At the time.”
“And one of those events is that a police captain that one of you is close to is supposed to die. And in Miles’s case, that would've been…his dad.”
Gwen just nodded her head sadly this time.
“And that’s also when you found out that Miles was, as you put it, an anomaly. The original in fact. That he was never meant to become Spider-Man.”
“That pretty much sums it up.”
Phin sat there silently for a few seconds.
“Wow. That’s…I mean-Sorry. It’s just really tough to wrap my mind around all of this.”
“Believe me, I understand. I had the same issue when I first learned about all of it.”
“I can see that. Alright, let’s continue. This all came to a head though because of his nemesis in this universe, The Spot, who was attempting to travel to different universes to increase his power.”
“Yeah. I was supposed to come here, grab him, and take him back to the Society. No contact with anyone here. In and out. It should've been simple. But it wasn’t.”
“Because you had to see him,” Phin softly said.
Gwen lifted her head from where she’d been fidgeting with her hands to stare at Phin, who had a look of understanding on her face.
“Yeah,” she confirmed. “He was all I thought about when I was stuck in my dimension with no way to get back. And it only got worse when I got this watch that could take me there but was told not to use. I thought it would be my last chance to talk to him. So I took it.”
“But then Spot escaped to another universe and started causing trouble. So you followed. And Miles, rather than sitting back, did what he always does whenever he sees someone in trouble.”
“Jumped in head first without a single regard for his own safety.”
The two girls got a chuckle out of that. Miles had been doing the same for most of his life and that hadn’t changed at all. But the jovial mood subsided quickly as Phin continued to recap.
“That led to him winding up in Spider Society. Which is where Miguel told him about Canon Events. And that his dad was going to die and he was supposed to just…let it happen. And Miles refused, so Miguel tried to imprison him.”
“Yeah. But it didn’t work. We ended up chasing him all over the headquarters and part of the city. Ended on a monorail to the moon.”
“And that’s when Miles found out about the other secret. That he was an anomaly. And that you, and his other friends, knew too but didn’t tell him.”
The heartbreak in his eyes on top of that train was an image that Gwen could never forget. No matter how far removed from it she was.
“Yeah. It crushed him. Especially coming from me. I’d had plenty of opportunity to tell him the truth and I didn’t.”
“Why didn’t you?”
Gwen let out a humorless huff. “I asked myself that so many times. The truth? I was a coward. And I was selfish. I really did believe that canon events were unavoidable and I couldn’t bear to be the one to give Miles the terrible news. And I stupidly thought he would never find out. It’s one of the biggest mistakes I’ve ever made in my life.”
“But you fixed it, right? You helped him save his dad.”
“Yeah. When I found out my dad quit the force and that he wasn’t fated to die anymore, helping Miles became the easiest choice ever. And it took a lot of effort, but we defeated Spot and saved his dad. It all ended about as well as we could’ve hoped. Thank god.”
The two fell quiet again.
“I uh…I appreciate you telling me this Gwen,” Phin tells her sincerely. “It’s nice to know what’s been going on in Miles’s life for the past couple of years. But…why are you telling me this?”
“Because…” Gwen made sure to lock eyes with Phin as she spoke. “Me and Miles are in a much better place now. And that’s after me being willing to let his dad die. Miles found a way to forgive me for that. I’m sure he can find a way to forgive you too.”
“But Gwen…”
“You don’t get to keep running away Phin. Trust me, it won’t make your life better. And if your friendship with him ever meant anything, don't you think you owe it to him—to both of you—to at least try to make things right?”
For the first time, Phin allows herself to consider the possibility that redemption might still be within reach.
“You’re right,” she said softly. “I do owe it to him. To us.”
“So you’ll go see him?”
When Phin nodded, Gwen smiled, getting up and heading for the door. “Great. I’ll get out of your hair then.”
“Hey,” Phin calls out before Gwen exits. “Why are you trying to help me? This was nice and all but I’m sure you still don’t really like me all that much.”
Gwen took a moment to gather her thoughts before responding. “You’re right. I’ll admit that my opinion of you isn’t the highest right now.”
She knew it was the truth, but Phin still flinched at the blunt force with which it was delivered.
“But,” Gwen continued. “That’s not the case with Miles. Even now. And he’s the best judge of character I know. He still thinks of you as his best friend. I’d like the chance to get to know that person too.”
And with that, she exited, leaving Phin with a newfound sense of hope—or at least the courage to hope—that maybe, just maybe, she could find her way back to redemption, and to a friendship that had once meant the world to her. And still did.
The next day, Phin stood in front of the Morales apartment, her hand hovering over the doorbell. Her heart pounds in her chest as she takes a deep breath and presses it. Moments later, the door swings open. It's Rio, her eyes widening for a second before narrowing hard as she sees who's on the other side.
“Phin. It's been a while,” Rio says, her voice tinged with both surprise and disappointment.
“Hi, Mrs. Morales. Is Miles home?”
Before Rio can answer, Jeff walks in from the kitchen, stopping short when he sees Phin.
“Well, if it isn't Phin Mason. I was beginning to think we'd never see you around here again.”
Phin lowers her eyes. “I know I have a lot to answer for.”
Rio and Jeff exchange a glance, clearly holding back from saying more. It's Jeff who finally speaks, "He's in his room."
"Thank you," Phin says, her voice barely audible.
She walks past them, feeling their eyes on her as she heads down the hall. Before she can get too far, she feels a hand on her shoulder. She turns around, only to be pulled into a tight embrace by Rio.
“ Todavía te queremos mija, ” the older woman whispers. The words make Phin tear up a bit.
We still love you.
The Morales’ were really one of a kind Phin thought to herself as she hugged Rio back.
“Ok,” Rio started when they separated. There was a soft smile on her face. “Off you go.”
Phin nods, heading back towards Miles’s room. His door is closed and she takes another moment to compose and prepare herself before knocking on his door.
“Mom, I told you I was fine,” she hears him call out right before he opens up. She sees him freeze completely when he locks eyes with her instead of his mom.
“Phin,” he breathes as if he can’t believe she actually showed up. Which to be fair to him, was understandable.
“Hi, Miles.”
There's a heavy silence, each of them struggling to find the words to bridge the chasm that has opened up between them.
“Can we talk?” Phin asks, breaking the stillness.
“Yeah, of course,” Miles answers. He briefly glances behind her, thinking about his parents. “Maybe not here though.”
“The roof?”
“The roof,” Miles confirms.
They make their way up, the tension palpable but unspoken. Once they reach the roof, they sit on an elevated part, their legs dangling over the side. The Brooklyn skyline serves as a backdrop.
“I guess whatever Gwen said to you worked,” Miles quips eventually. It gets a small grin from the girl sitting next to him.
“It did,” Phin confirms. “Didn’t expect to find out that the multiverse was real.”
His eyes widened. “That’s what she told you?”
“She told me everything . Or at least, most of it.”
“And uh, how are you handling that?”
Phin thinks for a moment. “Honestly? The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Still blows my mind though. But Gwen explained it pretty well too.”
“Cool. Cool…”
“I can see why you like her so much,” Phin admits.
Miles wasn’t expecting to hear that, but he smiled, thinking about his crime-fighting partner/girlfriend.
“I really do.”
Another period of silence falls over them, the earlier niceties falling away as Phin tries her best to formulate the words that she needs right now.
“I'm sorry, Miles. For everything,” Phin starts, looking out at the city rather than into his eyes. “I was so… blinded by anger and grief that I didn't see what I was becoming.”
Miles is quiet for a moment before responding, “I just wanted to help you, Phin, but you didn't give me a chance. Do you have any idea how much that hurt?”
“I can imagine,” Phin says softly, finally meeting his gaze. “Because it mirrors how much it hurts me to know that I disappointed you. I’ve never told you before but… you were always somebody I looked to when I was unsure of what to do. You were my best friend. Losing that has been like losing a part of myself.”
Miles shakes his head, looking down at his feet. “You made your choices, Phin. And they nearly destroyed a lot of lives.”
“I know. And I'll have to live with that,” she replies, her voice tinged with regret.
“But…” she continues. “I want to make up for my mistakes. I want us to get back to the way we used to be. And I know it’ll take some time to do that. But I promise you. No more secrets, no more lies from me. I…I owe you so much Miles and I don’t…I can’t lose our friendship. It’s the only good thing I have left. Can we at least try to rebuild that?”
Miles looks at her for a long moment, seemingly searching for something. Spotting whatever it was, a wide grin spreads over his face. He slides over and wraps a long arm around her shoulders.
“You know, you always did have a flair for the dramatic.”
Phin looks at him, startled, then laughs softly. “Guilty as charged.”
“So, you wanna make amends?” Miles says, his eyes twinkling. “You know you're setting yourself up for a lifetime of taking out the garbage at our hangouts, right?”
Phin smiles, her eyes watering just a little. “I think I can live with that.”
“Also, you're banned from choosing the music for at least a month. I can't handle any more of your experimental jazz playlists,” Miles adds, chuckling.
“Deal,” Phin says, her heart lighter than it's been in a long time. “So, are we good?”
Miles looks at her, his expression turning serious for just a moment. “We will be. I’m sure of it.”
Then he breaks into a smile again. “But seriously, you're on garbage duty, Phineas.”
Phin laughs, playfully pushing him off. She feels a weight both physically and emotionally lift off her shoulders. “It's a deal. As long as you never call me that.”
“Why? It’s better than molasses.”
As the two jokingly bickered, the sun continued to set over the city, casting a golden light over everything.
“Thanks for always having my back, Miles.”
“Anytime.”
Another week later, the two of them were back on the rooftop, along with Gwen and his parents, as well as Hobie and Pav. It was dinner night at the Morales home and Rio had been sure to make extra so everyone was well fed.
Miles and Gwen were currently sitting off by themselves, cuddled together. They were currently giggling at the wide-eyed expression on Phin’s face as she talked to Hobie and Pav.
“I’m not sure if it’s Pav’s ability to talk a mile a minute or Hobie constantly changing colors that’s got her stuck,” Miles chuckled.
Gwen snorted, shifting so she was more comfortable leaning against him. “Probably both.”
Eventually, Phin makes her way over to them, shaking her head as she sits down.
“Are those two always…” she waves her hand around, searching for the right descriptor. “...like that?”
That sends Miles and Gwen into another fit of laughter.
“More often than not,” Gwen finally answers.
“That’ll take some getting used to then,” she mumbles, before shaking it off and looking at Miles.
“So, I wanted to tell you something,” Phin starts, a little hesitant. “I'm going to Brooklyn Visions for senior year.”
Miles's eyes widen in shock, then he smiles warmly. “That's great news, Phin! Wait, how did you get in?”
She smirks in response. “Oh please. My grades are as immaculate as it gets. They were happy to have me.”
“Such a humble person you are,” Miles mocks. “But that’s great! We get to go to school together again. This is gonna be so cool!”
“Congrats Phin,” Gwen chimes in with a smile as well.
“Thanks,” she tells them before she goes to the bag hanging from her shoulder and pulls out a tablet.
“Also.” She holds it so that both Miles and Gwen can see. “There are some Underground bases that I think you should look into. Obviously, I’m not with them anymore but some of my old tech might still be there, and who knows what else. It'd be safer if you... took them out.”
“Definitely,” Miles agrees. “Can’t let those guys keep running around with that stuff.”
“Sounds like you have a busy end to your summer,” Gwen says.
“I guess I do. Thanks for this Phin.”
She waves him off. “Don’t thank me. They should’ve never had them in the first place. I should be thanking you for taking care of it for me since I got rid of all my Tinkerer stuff. However, that does remind me of one last thing I wanted to tell you…”
She swipes and taps a few times on the tablet before leaning back and gesturing for them to look. Miles and Gwen both leaned in. Both of them let out a small gasp as they saw what Phin pulled up.
“Is that...?” Gwen starts, her eyes widening.
“A new suit design for Miles?” Phin eyes were lit up with enthusiasm. “Sure is. Made out of programmable matter.”
“Programmable matter, you say?” Miles is visibly excited now.
“Yeah,” Phin smiles, her eyes bright with inspiration. “And I have some other features in mind as well but imagine the possibilities, Miles!”
Oh, he was. Miles looks at the design, then at Gwen, and finally at Phin. His face breaks into a wide smile, his eyes sparkling with a mix of awe and excitement. “This is beyond cool, Phin. It's—”
“Genius” Phin offers, smiling back.
Miles laughs. “Exactly.”
Gwen nudges Miles, “Looks like Spider-Man is getting an upgrade. When do I get mine Phin?”
Miles can’t keep the lopsided grin off his face as he watches his girlfriend and best friend barter and haggle. It warms his chest to see them slowly getting along, just like he’d hoped the first time. Seemed like everything was coming together for him. And he couldn’t be happier.
“Hey, Phin. Will you be my chair-person? Ganke keeps saying no.”
“Huh?”