Time To Meet the Leader
The moment Riley stepped through that portal, they felt a sharp pull on their body, and a weightlessness that was so much different from swinging. Letting their body be pulled along to wherever they were going, seeing Peter being pulled too. He looked unconcerned, so Riley felt no need to worry, looking at the kaleidoscope of hues dancing around them, studying the intricate webs that seemed to span in their view, woven together in these infinite arrays as they flew through them, through the gaps between.
The tug pulled them tightly, until Riley saw the end. peter seemed to right himself to step out of it, while Riley unceremoniously fell out of it, nearly falling in their face. Thankfully, peter grabbed the back of their shirt to prevent the fall.
“You really act like a dad twenty four seven, huh?” Riley snorted as they righted themselves.
“My kid can climb walls, I’ve gotten use to it.”
Riley snorted before looking around them. The building/room/space they were in seemed endless, with people walking over every surface, so many costumes spiders milling about. Eating, talking, doing whatever their mind pleased. There were doors at every odd angle, really leaning into the whole spider thing. It was a menagerie of nonsense, but it was fascinating all the same. Especially when no one even bat an eye at a portal opening.
The building was seemingly shielded in whites and grays, a few decorative things adding pops of colors outside of the spiders that were around.
All in all, despite the somewhat sterile environment, Riley found themselves buzzing with excitement.
“Ah, since you’re new, I have to bring you to Miguel. He’s like our leader. And he’s the one who provided the day pass,” Peter informed.
“What’s he like?”
Before Peter answered, a voice interrupted.
“A grouchy vampire.” Riley’s eyes darted to the voice, spotting another unmasked spider person. They were built like a figure skater or an aerialist, which fit as they watched Peter and Riley from their web, which had her dangled upside down, light hair tied up so it didn’t fall in her face. “Who’s the newbie?”
“Um. Im Riley. Riley Rowe,” they introduced. “And you are?”
“Gwen Stacy.”
“Pleasure to meet you.”
“What universe are you from?”
Peter snorted upon seeing Riley’s confused face, answering for them. “Earth-616. My universe. Can you believe that? Over ten years of them being a spider and I had no idea they existed.”
“Really?” Gwen asked in shock. “They’re definitely not a clone either! That’s pretty cool.”
Clones must’ve been somewhat common if that was her reaction. Riley just smiled awkwardly, not really sure what to do when encountering a teenager. They mostly only interacted with adults, so yeah. They didn’t really know many people under the age of 25 anymore.
“I’m taking them to see Miguel,” Peter explained. “And Miguel is not a brooding-“
“You know he is,” she scoffed. “You’ve seen those teeth.” Gwen used her fingers to mime sharp fangs, which caught Riley’s interest a bit. But they’d rated silent. “And he’s so moody. Our stoic leader.”
“Maybe we’ll get along then. I’m also a raging pessimist,” Riley joked lightly. “And have zero friends.”
“I thought we were friends…” Peter commented.
Riley blinked, looking over at him. “Oh. Really? You think we’re friends? Cool.” Riley smiled a bit. “That makes you my first friend.”
“That’s so depressing.”
“I was raised by scientists who are mostly socially inept outside science,” Riley pointed out. “My brother being normal is this biggest shock.”
“Huh, haven’t met many spiders with siblings. That has to be something,” Gwen commented. “How do you hide the whole spider thing?”
“I don’t need to,” Riley snorted. “Now, you wanted me to meet Miguel?”
Peter started walking, and Gwen followed behind as Riley walked off, confused by their answer.
“What do you mean you don’t need to?”
“My older sisters are married and don’t live at home, my brother is usually working, and so are my parents. Pretty easy to not be noticed. Also, I’m twenty seven. They don’t notice.”
“You’re twenty seven? Jesus f-“
She got interrupted by another person, who Riley could only describe as a walking collage of newspaper clippings. Like some art students project that they poured their heart and soul into that didn’t get the attention it so deserved. “Good genetics.”
“Yeah. My brother looks twice my age. Could beer his beard and build though. Looks like a lumberjack,” Riley informed with a snort. “Nice guitar.”
The new person grinned, which was covered by their spiked spider mask, something g they pulled off rather quickly, revealing space defying hair. Eh, no point to ask how it fit. “You play?”
“No,” they quickly denied. “I listen to a lot of music when I work. And I can admire a good guitar.”
“Damn, was hoping we can get a new player for our band. Gwen is a killer on drums, but if you were a bassist or knew keyboard, that would be pretty convenient.”
“All I can lend is a half hearted singing voice. I’ll have to listen sometimes though. Sure you both sound pretty good. Names Riley Rose by the way.”
“Hobie Brown.”
Now they were a group of four walking towards Miguel’s office. And as they chatted, Riley laughed at how Hobie was breaking off pieces of tech. Snorting a bit at it. “Remind me to show you my spider bots, I think you’d get a kick out of them.”
Hobie smirked at the idea. “Any particular reason?”
“I’ll tell you another time.” Riley’s eyes caught on the door they were approaching. “Ominous door for an apparently grouchy vampire. Should I be scared?”
“Glad to see this trip is already having a positive impact,” Peter commented, shaking his head as they approached. “He’s not as mean as Gwen is making him out to be.”
“He’s got a stick up his arse though,” Hobie added cheekily. “It’s lodged right up there.”
Gwen elbowed him, but didn’t correct him.
Huh. Real love for their leader? Still, if so many powerful people respected him enough to follow him, Riley couldn’t help but be at least a little excited. Miguel had to have been an interesting man. And he shred a name with Riley’s male black widow, so there was that little bonus.
Still thinking spiders… Riley really was obsessed.
The doors opened for them, all four entering. Why Hobie and Gwen decided to follow was beyond Riley, but they didn’t feel like mentioning it either. The room the entered in was fairly dark, with a raised platform in the center and countless screens. A woman stood to the side, glare fixated on the platform, on arm resting on her hip and the other on her stomach. Her quite pregnant stomach.
She cast a glance over at the four as they arrived. “He’s being moody again. What did you do?” She drilled at Peter.
“I asked for a visitors pass!” Peter quickly defended. “For Riley!”
“Wow, thanks for throwing me under the bus Peter,” Riley snorted, looking over to the woman. “My names Riley, I’m a spider person, just like you I assume.”
She sighed, nodded. “Yeah, just like me. Jessica Drew. A pleasure.” Her gaze flickered back to the platform. “Get down here!” She shouted at it. There was an audible grunt from above, and the platform start moving. “We’ve got a minutes or two before his slow platform gets here.”
“No swinging up there?” Riley countered.
“He can be a grown man and get his ass down here.”
What exactly was Miguel like to warrant this behavior from them all? It was a bit unnerving they were so blankly disrespectful of their supposed leader, but still seemed respectful?
What kinda man could he be?
Riley didn’t tune in to the others chatting about , focused instead on the platform as it slowly sank to their level. And while it sank, Riley noticed a few things.
1) Miguel was tall. Even if they couldn’t see his figure in full glory, it was easy to tell from even a sliver of his body.
2) he was built differently than most spider-men. Muscle focused more prominently in his calves and shoulders, with a Doritos build. That angular triangle shape was fit upper arm workouts and activity.
3) His eyes were crimson. They dripped with that rich red, staring right at Riley, as if they could cut through everything directly to them. A predator’s sight.
4) He was wearing a nano suit, and with the way it hugged his body… there was no way in hell he was wearing anything besides that.
5)Riley found a sweet aroma was filling their senses, and it grew stronger to closer Miguel got. It was dizzying almost, and their head was spinning.
They gathered themselves as the platform reached their level, and the man stepped off, eyes steady and strong as it surveyed them all.
Riley honestly felt a bit intimidated. That height they estimated from earlier was bigger than expected. Riley was barely at his chest, having to crane their neck upwards to meet his eyes. It was easy to see how a man like that could easily gain rights as a leader.
“So this is who you wanted to show me?” Miguel asked Peter, gaze flickering to Riley. “I don’t see anything special.”
And with that one sentence, all respect Riley had gathered for Miguel fell, and vanished, slipping from them all together.
“Special is subjective. And from what I see before me, I don’t see a man worth respecting or caring about. You aren’t very special either,” Riley snapped, much to Peter and the others surprise, met with Miguel’s cold glare.
“Introduce yourself then. Tell me why I should care.”
Riley rolled their eyes, but prattled off a half-hearted introduction. “The names Dr. Riley Rowe. I was bitten by a spider when I was fourteen, and for over a decade, I’ve operated at Mega-Byte in Detroit. What about you. What’s your story.”
“You don’t need it.”
“I don’t need it?” Riley scoffed at the words, sizing themselves up. “What I don’t need is your shitty attitude. I don’t know what crawled up your ass and died, but I’m not dealing with your behavior.”
Miguel rolled his own eyes, stepping closer to Riley, properly sizing them up. But before they said anything, they paused, leaning back. “Why do you smell like that?”
“Did you sniff me?”
“I did not sniff you, that’s absurd.”
“It sounds like you sniffed me you fucking feral bastard.”
Gwen gagged. “Ew, why’d you sniff them?”
“I didn’t-“
“That’s weird man…” Peter muttered.
“Oh my- I’d didn’t sniff them!”
“Then how do you know what they smell like?” Hobie pointed out.
Jess agreed. “That’s weird, even for you.”
Miguel groaned, shaking his head. “Never mind that. Why should I even allow you here?”
“Do, or don’t, I don’t care. I’ll just make my own travel device if you can’t be fucked to give me one,” Riley spat, the tension between the two sickeningly thick.
“Your mouth is filthy.”
“If my mouth is so filthy, then you’ve got to be a perv. After all, you’re wearing nothing under that suit of yours. Nanotechnology can only hug the body so tight. Going commando?”
“What-“
“My own suit is nanotech, I get how it works. It swear, sure, but at least I’m not some feral pervert who seems to get his rocks off harassing others.”
Miguel grit his teeth, glaring at Riley. “I can tell we won’t get along.”
“I agree. I’m gonna explore. When you stop having your head so far up your ass, maybe we can have an actual conversation. Goodbye.” They waved and started to leave, Miguel reaching for their arm. Riley was quicker, at least with their arm as they pulled away, and left the room.
This left the room in silence, aside from Miguel’s audible frustration. Peter breaking the silence first. “I don’t know what I expected. I thought they’d talk about spiders or something.”
“Someone follow them before they destroy something,” Miguel ordered, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Lyla popped up. “Too late. They already broke something.”
“That wasn’t even a minute…”
“It’s a new record! I like them already.”
Miguel swatted at her, but as she wasn’t a physical being, failed miserably. “Someone go after them!”
Peter nodded, “sure. Sure.” And followed where Riley disappeared to. Gwen and Hobie trailing after.
Which left Jess and Miguel in the room. She decided to be funny. “So… do you wear anything under that?”
This was going to be a long day.