callejero doméstico
Dark talons slashed through Gwen’s dreams, illuminated by glowing red eyes as she tossed in her sleep, arm landing on Hobie as he twitched awake. Blinking blearily, he stiffened, careful to not wake the others as he gently tapped her on the shoulder, mindful of her injuries. She jerked awake with a poorly concealed whimper, chest rising and falling rapidly.
“It’s just me, we’re safe,” Hobie whispered, bringing an arm up to rub her back in soothing circles.
Face hidden in her hands, Gwen groaned.
“I hate this. I thought I wasn’t scared of him anymore.”
Hobie shrugged.
“What he pulled back there was pretty freaky. That’d give anyone the creeps. He’s a freaky guy.”
“Mhm,” Miles hummed sleepily, fabric rustling as he leaned over, yawning.
“He’s- he’s not a bad guy. Just… freaky.”
Gwen snorted.
“Yeah.”
Pavitr’s content hum cut through the silence as he snuggled into Hobie’s side.
“What do we do now?”
Hobie eyed the lump still curled around them.
“We wake Pav.”
“Mm?”
His voice, still slurred with sleep, piped up, eyes cracking open into slits. With an elegant stretch, he sat up, gaze darting to the closed door.
“…You think he’s okay?”
Sighing, Miles shook his head.
“I really don’t think he is.”
“You know, we could just see for ourselves.”
They stared at Hobie, expression all varying degrees of incredulousness.
“What? I think we have the right to see what’s going on in…there.”
He gestured vaguely at the muffled growls escaping the room. They could hear the occasional clicking of talons as Miguel paced the parameter.
Listening intently, they exchanged looks, steadily creeping forwards until they were pressed flush against the door.
The growling stopped.
Seconds later, the door shook, talons flashing through the lower crack. Jumping back, the group held their breath, waiting until they heard him shuffle back to whisper amongst themselves.
“We’re really gonna do this?”
Inhaling sharply, Gwen reached for the handle.
“I guess that’s a yes.”
With one last wince, the door creaked open, giving way to the cowering figure hunched in the corner softly snarling as they approached.
Miles tried to suppress a shudder as he looked into those glowing eyes, pupils retracted to mere specks against the backdrop. Stepping closer, he thought he could see a flash of recognition before it was buried beneath animalistic rage.
Looking at the deep gashes littered across the walls, he was grateful Peter seemed familiar with whatever was going on.
“Well shit,” Hobie muttered, “this is what he’s been hiding? No wonder the guy’s got anger issues.”
“…Somehow I’m not surprised,” Gwen snorted, glancing at Miles, ”you okay?”
Nodding stiffly, he stepped closer, mindful of the eyes tracking every movement.
“You know… it does look kinda cool,” Pavitr added, much to the chagrin of the others.
“Really?”
He shrugged.
“It fits his whole look anyways. Aside from the weird murder eyes. Not a big fan of those.”
Sometime during the conversation Miguel’s attention had shifted to him, body beginning to uncurl as he shifted upright, form still hunched.
“…Guys?”
Only once they heard the tiny giggle behind them did they manage to grasp the situation, watching with horror as Mayday crawled in, hands stretched out towards Miguel.
He sniffed, soft clicks escaping him, before he lunged forward, barreling towards her.
Reacting on pure instinct the teenagers moved to block him, webslingers ready to stop his charge…
…only for him to leap over, completely ignoring their makeshift wall.
He landed, bundling Mayday in his arm as he turned, shielding her with his body. Tremors wracked through him, breath coming in short pants.
The group stared.
“…What,” Miles uttered, mind racing as he tried to understand what had happened.
“You know what, that could’ve gone worse,” Hobie replied, bracing himself as he once again tried to approach the man.
Miles joined him with a nervous “heyy tío,” trying not to flinch whenever his eyes snapped to his body.
One- two - three steps in they began to relax, their hands almost close enough to touch his hair. His own hand was busy stroking Mayday’s hair as she waited patiently, glancing up at them with judgment in her eyes.
“Tío, hey, we’re not gonna hurt anyone, okay? Just wanna make sure you’re-“
The door slammed back open with a bang, everything becoming a blur as the man before him sprung into action, Miles feeling himself getting scooped up and pressed against what he could only assume to be Miguel, barely hearing Mayday’s carefree giggles over the din. Distantly he registered Hobie’s surprised shout and Pavitr’s vague acknowledgment.
When he opened his eyes, he was wedged between Pavitr and Gwen, back pressed firmly against the wall, Miguel’s bandaged back greeted him as he tried to get his bearings, peering past it to meet Peter’s utterly baffled eyes, his entire persona ruffled.
“Hey,” Hobie greeted, one eyebrow raised, ”you took your time.”
Whipping his head around, Miguel glared at him, grumbling.
“I think he wants you to be quiet,” Pavitr whispered.
“No shit.”
“What happened?” Peter cut in, hurriedly approaching the pile of children-
-only to stop as Miguel’s talons swung at his chest, threatening to tear him to ribbons.
He stared.
Miguel glared back.
“Miguel, buddy, it’s me, Peter,” he sighed,”come on, I got your shot.”
He waved a glowing green vial at him, snorting as
Miguel’s eyes followed it intently.
“Yes, very interesting I know, now come here and-“
With a growl, Miguel forced him back, lips peeling back to expose his fangs even further.
Miles gasped softly, dread shooting through his body.
“Peter?”
“Yeah?”
“You gave him ketamine, right?”
“…Yeah,” he inhaled sharply,”…shit.”
Expression sobering, he breathed deeply.
“He had a nightmare. Probably about his daughter from the looks of it. He won’t let go of you until we get this-“ he tapped the vial”-in him.”
“It’s not so bad,” Pavitr murmured, petting Miguel’s calf, “he’s comfortable.”
Gwen nodded, moving to grab one of his hands, “It is pretty cool.”
She ran a finger along the talons, snorting as he huffed.
Hand running across his face, Peter sighed.
“Alright, then can you keep him busy while I try to give him this? It shouldn’t take long.”
He was meant with noises of agreement, each varying in enthusiasm.
Pavitr, already having moved to clutch Miguel, slithered onto his back, mindful of his still healing injuries. With a content sigh, nestled his chin in between his shoulder, eliciting a purr from Miguel.
“…He can do that?”
“…I’ve learned not to ask.”
Hobie and Miles were next, each commandeering a leg, readying themselves as Gwen inched closer to his second hand.
With a confused snort, Miguel looked back, and Miles thought that if he could speak he would chew them out for being so reckless in a dangerous situation. Of course, then he would’ve already realized that Peter B didn’t mean any harm, but the sheer exasperation in his eyes was astounding for someone currently posing as an overgrown spider.
“Now!”
With Peter’s shout, the group leapt into action, straining to bring down Miguel. A confused noise escaped him before morphing into a growl, pulling against his four human restraints as Peter moved to sink the syringe into his shoulder, barely evading the snapping jaws as a fang grazed his arm. One final push let the shot burst into his system, praying it would take hold.
Grunting, Miguel swayed, limbs stiffening as his mind began to catch up.
The last thing he saw before the burning in his veins took over were the concerned faces of the children - his children - his mind supplied, as the darkness took him for the second time that day.
Mierda, he thought to himself, the feeling awfully familiar.