To The End
“Stand up!”
Dirty walls, dark lights, metal ground. The center was a circular ring the size of a small classroom. All things Miles saw inside the large worn down looking room.
“Prepare yourselves!”
Miles looked up towards the center ring. A little girl stood in the center, dressed in a strange white suit. From what he could see the girl looked around the ripe age of seven maybe eight. She had short blonde hair and fair skin. The girl stepped back, getting into a defensive position as a man stepped onto the platform. The man was huge, clearly worked out, and was way bigger than the child.
“Fight!”
Miles flinched when the man charged full speed towards the underaged girl. Though to his surprise, the girl dodged the first blow, jumping away.
“When it comes to fighting there is no honor, no code. All that matters is the mission.”
The girl grabbed the man’s swinging fist causing him to cry out in pain, twisting it before swinging her foot up and using it to knock the man down.
“Show no mercy. Never hesitate. Be swift and clean. Never leave a trace.” The girl jumped over the man raising her fist. She began throwing punch after punch, each time letting out a deep growl like an animal. When the girl finally stopped she was breathing heavily, her shoulders dropped as she stood over her unconscious opponent.
Miles felt sick to his stomach watching. It was a horrible sight to see. Especially with a child evolved.
“Very well Agent 65.”
Before his very eyes, the once small child was replaced with a now grown wearing a full body suit. Black and white, with some pink around the arms. The worn down room changed, looking more futuristic than before. Now with more lights, a metal interior, and glowing ring in the center.
“You’re dismissed. You may return to the others until evening training.”
The girl turned her head around, revealing a mask under her hoodie. A mask with the signature Spider-Man style eyes. Though hers was thin and a pink outline instead of the black one like his father’s. The sight left his stomach in knots.
“Perfect soldier. Built for combat. With tactical responses more acute than any soldier! Equipped with a wall crawling ability, a sixth sense alerting to danger, enhanced strength, speed, agility, healing, and durability!”
Miles was in a office now. The girl he had seen just seconds before was gone. He was alone, sat at a desk in front of file. Everything around him didn’t matter, not even the room he was in or the fact he didn’t remember sitting down. His brain was focused on the file before him.
‘PROJECT SPIDER’ was printed on the top.
Curiosity drew the teen towards it.
He slowly lifted his hand towards it, resting it on the folder before trying to open it. However before he could see the hidden remains inside, the folder spontaneously combust into flames under his touch.
Miles jumped back in the chair, tipping it over and fell. However instead of being greeted by the hard cold ground, everything went black.
Miles spent most his class days daydreaming. While drifting, his mind would constantly replay the voice in his dream and flash images he remembered from his dream. Specifically the dream girl he saw with blonde hair.
‘Perfect soldier.’
Miles couldn’t understand why his dreams were becoming more vivid and why they felt like so much more than what they were. All of it felt bigger than just dreams, they felt real. Like there was a message his mind was trying to send him.
Was he going crazy?
“Mister Parker daydreaming again are we?”
Miles felt his face go red, heating up as students turned their head around to look a him and giggle. “Need I remind you that you are attending Visions Academy not some public school and that we do not tolerate daydreaming here.” Miles sunk down in his chair, keeping his head down as the teacher continued on with whatever lecture they were giving. “As I was saying class,” a few stifled giggles could be heard in the background, “the spider teaches us to maintain a balance between past and future, physical and spiritual, male and female. It teaches you that everything you now do is weaving what you will encounter in the future.”
Miles glanced at the printed out text in front of him, curious. “The wisdom of truth is the foundation of our talk,” She read aloud from the paper in her hands, “Into our dreams, she awakens ancient memory. Out onto the web, now send your thoughts and energy. And create the future, Fifth World of harmony. As Grandmother Spider weaves on into eternity.” Miles found himself listening to his English teacher speak for the first time in a while. All throughout class he found himself paying attention, soaking in everything that was said about the strange poem. At the end of class he wordlessly took the print out copy of the lesson with him, shoving it into his bag before leaving.
Miles walked through the hall towards his locker, keeping his face down as he passed dozens of students. He was far too occupied thinking over the lecture his teacher gave to notice a pair of ocean blue eyes stalking him from within the crowd. He turned the corner of the hall towards his next class when he suddenly was jolted from his thoughts when he came crashing into another person. Dazed, Miles looked up to see who was the unlucky person that crashed into him to see the blonde girl from class. His eyes widen and jaw dropped open.
“Oh! Are you okay?” In that very moment, Miles felt his brain freeze before blurting out, “What?” The girl looked him up and down, taking in his rough appearance. “Why are you sweating so much?” Miles hadn’t realized how much he was sweating. He was nervous but couldn’t say that. He had to lie.
“It's a puberty thing!” Miles spat out the first thing on his mind. Upon realising what he said his cheeks caught aflame turning cherry red. “I-I don't know why I said that,” He babbled on, “I-I’m not going through puberty. I did. But I’m done….I’m a man.” He looked around nervously, mentally kicking himself for being so nervous and embarrassing himself.
Play it cool.
“So you're, like, new here, right? We got that in common,” Miles pointed out, abruptly trying to change the situation.
“Yeah, that’s one thing.”
“Cool, yeah! I’m Miles.”
“I'm G-Waaaanda.”
“Wait, your name is Gwanda?” Miles asked in disbelief. “Yes, it’s African!” The girls face scrunched up as if she didn’t believe it herself. “I'm South African. No accent though, cause I was raised here.” Gwanda continued to ramble while Miles just watched her, barley listening. All he could think of what Aaron had taught him the other day.
‘Do the shoulder touch now! Before she walks away!’
Everything felt like was happening in slow motion as he raised his hand. Why was this thing so scary? If he was in a movie now this would all probably be happening in slow motion.
“I’m kidding. It’s Wanda! No G…”
“Hey.” Miles hand landed on Wanda’s (?) shoulder and he flashed her the best ‘cool’ looking smirk he could muster up along with deepening his voice to sound cool.
“Um….” Wanda didn’t seemed impressed by his attempt at being charming. It in fact had the opposite effect than what he was hoping for. “What are you doing?” Miles was mortified about the events that transpired. Mostly at himself. He quickly retreated his hand, ducking his head in embarrassment, which seemed to be an ongoing thing for him.
“I-I um...I just-“ Wanda just watched as Miles babbled nonsense, trying to make up on excuse for his actions. That was when the bell rang, signaling next period.
“Ok then. I’ll see you around.”
“Oh-uh y-yeah see you…” Miles watched as his classmate walked past him off to their next class. He slapped his forehead and groaned once he was sure she couldn’t see him anymore.
That was probably the most embarrassing moments in his life, which was saying something.
Miles dragged himself to his next class, praying that nothing else would happen today.
Of course nothing ever goes his way.
Right as Miles walked into his dorm that afternoon his roommate decided it would be a great idea to blast his music on full volume right as he stepped foot inside.
“Can't stop now, I've traveled so far, to change this lonely life-“
“I WANNA KNOW WHAT LOVE IS! I WANT YOU TO SHOW ME-“ Ganke sang, his voice horribly off pitch and loud. People passing through the halls glanced over with a strange look on their face.
Horrified, Miles slammed the door and quickly jumped over to turn down the music.
“What! Come on man! This is my jam!” He grabbed the speaker, taking it away. “I thought you’d like it! Especially after what I saw with you an-“
“Not a word.” Ganke had a cheeky smile drawn on his lips as Miles dropped his bag on his bed. “Come on! It wasn’t that bad!” The other teen gave him the death glare.
“Okay it was bad but I’ll give you credit for trying!” Ganke spun around in his chair and faced Miles who sat down on his bed with his face in his hands. “You know just because you failed this time doesn’t mean you will again,” The teen told him.
“No way man. She’s obviously not into me especially after all that!”
“Who knows! Maybe she likes that!” Miles highly doubt it. Wanda was a nice person and he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable with his advances. She clearly wasn’t into it. So he took that as his sign to back down for now.
Suddenly a knock on their door caught both the attention of the sitting teenagers. They both exchanged glances, clearly neither expecting anybody. It was Ganke who stood up to open the door.
To both the boys shock, Wanda stood on the other side.
“Wanda!” Miles laughed nervously as he shot up from the bed and walked up to the door. “W-What are you doing here?” She glanced in between the two boys before asking, “Am I interrupting something?”
“No! Not at all!” Ganke answered for him, flashing Wanda a toothy grin.
“C-Can I help you with anything?”
“I just wanted to see Miles, if you’re not busy doing work and stuff, if you’d like to hang out or something?” Miles felt his mouth go dry as he glanced at Ganke, who nodded him on.
“Yeah! Sure! We can totally hang out!” Wanda smiled and nodded.
Miles followed the blonde out the room before looking at Ganke who held up two thumbs up. He took a deep breath before shutting the door behind him.
“So...what brings you to Visions?” Miles asked, breaking the silence between the two.
They both were sat outside of the school, on the front steps. Neither had really said word since leaving the boys dorm room. Wanda seemed a bit distant, as if her brain was elsewhere while her body sat. Her hand hiding in her pocket.
“Oh,” Wanda blinked, “um…it's complicated.” Miles nodded. “I understand. You don’t have to talk about it. I was just curious.” Wanda glanced at him with an odd look in her eye. Her body was tense. She looked as if she was struggling to understand something but kept to herself.
“So like it here?”
“Truthfully?” Wanda exhaled. “Yes. I love learning and the teachers are kind. Nothing like the other places I’ve been. It’s different.” His classmate looked like she confessed to some horrendous crime by just saying that. “You’d like my old school,” Miles told her, “everyone is like one big familia. Siempre juntos y con la espalda del otro.” Wanda stared at him for a few seconds before he realized he had spoken in Spanish. “We were always and each other’s back,” Miles translated. She nodded absently. The mention of family seemed to trigger some sort of response. Wanda’s face had fell. He couldn’t read her expression since the young teen seemed to be surprisingly good at masking her emotions.
“Do you love them?” The question was innocent and simple. Though that didn’t seem to be the case for Wanda. “Yeah. They’re like my family in a weird way. They’d have my back and I have there’s.”
“Do you miss it there?”
“Yeah I do. A lot actually.” Miles didn’t see any reason to lie. Like with Aaron, he trusted Wanda. She was clearly a good person. He could see it in her and he trusts his judgement on people. “Why don’t you just go back then?” Wanda asked, confused.
“My dad..” Miles shoved his hands in his pocket. “He won’t let me. He’s convinced that this place is the best thing for me and that’ll help me go places.”
“You don’t think that?”
Miles stared at the cars driving by unable to make eye contact. “I know my dad just wants the best for me.”
“You seem to love him very much,” Wanda muttered. At that Miles could nod. “He’s a great dad. He raised me and cared for me. He always loved me even during his consent struggle with his own inner battles.” It was poetic in a way. A man struggling with himself still manages to single handedly raise a kid.
“Having a father sounds amazing.” Miles looked at Wanda, her face scrunched up and strained.
“I’m sorry-“
“It’s alright. I didn't know my father or mother. So can’t be sad about something you’ve never had.”
“That’s not true. I didn’t know my mother either and sometimes that makes me sad,” Miles told his classmate. “I only know she was a wonderful strong woman. My dad told me she was brave and loving. It makes me sad that I’ll never get to know that woman.” Miles laid his hand on Wanda’s shoulder showing her his support. “So it’s okay for you to be sad over something you’ve never had,” He stated.
Wanda stared at him, wide eyed. Her bright blue orbs filled with astonishment and shock. As if this was the first time somebody had told her that it was okay to mourn the loss of a parent.
“Why are you being so nice?” All tension throughout the young female body was gone.
“Why should I need a reason to be nice?” Miles replied back, letting the question hang in the air. Wanda exhales, sliding her hand her pocket slowly. She glanced at the street and the cars parked before turning towards Miles.
“I have to go.”
“Um ok-“ Wanda shot up from her seat on the steps and ran back up to the door. She pushed the door open, pausing to turn to look at Miles. “Thank you Miles for hanging out with me,” She said. Then she went inside, not waiting for his response.
Happy the with how things went, he looked out at the passing cars and smiled.
When Gwen retreated inside, she didn’t stop until she was inside her dorm. She ignored her roommate’s confused glance as she ran into the bathroom, shutting it behind her and locking it. She looked at herself in the mirror before slamming her fists on the sink.
How could she let herself be caught off guard like that? Why couldn’t she proceed with what was planned? Why was she thrown off by the strange kindness the boy had shown, the openness he had. The way he spoke about family and love had made her hesitate.
She knew why.
She envy it.
She envy him.
Looking down at her pocket, she pulled out a small disk the size of a peppermint candy. She had failed her mission. In frustration she threw device in the sink.
Knock knock.
“Uhh you okay in there?”
“I’m fine,” Gwen lied as she scrambled to get the device from the sink. She stuffed it into her pocket before turning around to open the door flashing a smile to her roommate who looked concerned.
“Okay…”
Gwen walked past her roomate, leaving behind a confused classmate in her wake.