Chapter Text
George caught him and Gabriel going into the barn.
They weren't allowed because the animals were dangerous. At least, that is what he told them. The truth was that he was hiding a large stash of rapture beneath the floor boards, and Conchata, their mother, wasn't supposed to find out.
Miguel and Gabriel were playing with sticks in the field nearby when Gabriel heard noises coming from the old creeky building. They went to investigate and found that it was full of cows, sheep, pigs, and horses. They saw three horses convulsing in the corner, surrounded by broken glass and a green powder. Gabriel screamed when he saw the blood dribbling out of their noses. Miguel held him tightly against his chest as he ran outside. Gabriel was howling at this point, but Miguel continued stroking his hair.
George found them both snotty and confused messes. He walked into the barn and found the horses. George stormed out of the barn, tearing Miguel away from Gabriel by his hair, and threw him into the barn in front of the dead horses.
"Did you do this, boy?" he grumbled, holding his head to face them.
"No! We found them like that!" Miguel cried when he tugged harder.
"You little shit! Do you know how expensive these things are nowadays?" George shouted, holding up a box of Rapture, shaking Miguel to his core. He shut his eyes, tears staining his cheeks.
"I didn't do anything!"
George slapped him across the face, throwing him to the ground. Miguel stayed there in the dirt and strands of hay, holding onto his face, and felt the warmth of the slap on his cheek. He knew he'd have a bruise thanks to the thick ring on his finger.
"You're staying here for the rest of this trip, you ungrateful bastard." George slammed the door shut, locking it behind him, leaving him in the darkness. Gabriel tugged his father's arms, desperately trying to stop him. But George pushed him into the dirt and started walking away when he started crying.
"LET ME OUT!! PLEASE!" Miguel wailed as he banged on the door.
"SHUT UP!" his father shouted, slamming harder against the door. "OR I'LL PUT YOUR BROTHER IN THERE TOO!"
Miguel gave up after that. He sat beside the door, back to the wall, and curled into himself. He cried quietly as the barn rocked against the wind, the animals shuffling the dirt around them.
"Miguel?" a small voice came from outside. Miguel raised his head when he heard the dense lock jostle against the door.
"Gabriel!" Miguel sniffled, rattling the iron rings of the wooden door. "Please let me out! It's dark in here!"
"I'm trying! The lock is stuck!" his little brother grunted as he tugged. "Hold on! I'm going to get some bolt cutters! Dad has one in his toolbox in the car!"
"Don't let him see you!"
"I won't Miggy! I'll get you out of there!" Miguel heard his footsteps crunch under the thick brush outside and grow quieter. The small boy wandered in the darkness and found a hay bail to sit on and wait. He wrapped his shaking arms around his body in an attempt to self-soothe.
He sat on that hay bail for what felt like forever.
Then, out of nowhere, something started nuzzling into his shoulder and hair, and Miguel screamed. He lost his balance and fell off the hay bail. He heard a chuffing and whiny noise as he scrambled to find a corner or wall to hide. But something heavy stepped on his shirt, pinning him to the filthy barn floor. He tugged on it with all his might, his breathing sporadic. Miguel started shaking, feeling something warm and slimy run down his face and neck, soaking into his shirt and hair. He felt something hovering directly over his face, their breath hot against his skin.
When Gabriel finally opened the door, Miguel was face to face with a brown horse staring into his soul with lifeless black eyes.
Peter B. and Miguel stood side by side, eyes scrolling through the list of potential recruits LYLA had created for them. Two fresh cups of coffee rested by their hands on floating chrome desks. The lab was lit only by the bright orange holograms floating in front of them in a series of transitions one would see in a slide presentation with lists of names and cannon events.
The two had already been going at it for hours, but they were far more relaxed than the last few days. The previous mission they went on exhausted them, and they wanted to breathe out of their spider suits for once.
A Rhino anomaly had stolen the blueprints to a nuclear missile for his Kingpin when suddenly he disappeared into a universe before nuclear technology existed. Accompanied by Spider-Noir and the Jessica Drew variant from that universe, they took a week to locate the Rhino, confront him, and return him to his universe. The problem was the Rhino fared better than any previous Juggernaut or Hulk variant they'd faced, and his horn was full of venom (which "didn't biologically make sense," Miguel ironically said after being thrown around).
Luckily for Peter B., he managed to leave the battle relatively unharmed. As for the others, they were less fortunate. Miguel took a solid punch to the face from the Rhino, causing his usually sensitive eyes to become temporarily farsighted and more irritable. Jessica was stung immediately, only having obtained her powers five months ago with little training, while the others struggled to keep him down. Noir broke three ribs when Rhino threw him into a solid concrete wall and passed out. Miguel cleverly flung a containment device at him when they managed to tie his massive body with enough webbing. If it weren't for their healing abilities and the advanced medical technology in Miguel's universe, they would be stranded in their universes for a while until they healed.
Today, they bend the rules and wear their 'civilian clothes' while working.
Peter wore a gray short-sleeved t-shirt with some pizza chain restaurant logo on the front from his universe, green cargo pants, his pink robe, and navy blue slippers with "cool dad" embroidered on either foot.
Miguel wore a pair of black rectangular glasses, a mid-arm sleeve, loose, black v-neck with gray sweatpants, a pair of pink bunny slippers Peter gave him for Christmas last year, and Peter wrapped a blanket around his shoulders to keep warm.
Peter rhythmically tapped his fingers against the metallic desk as he read.
As usual, there is nothing too crazy to report. There was no word of ongoing anomalies. Sometimes, he'd show Miguel what a version of himself was up to but could have been more impressed or dismissive. He'd occasionally applaud the couple of Peters who managed to help their bully get through their trauma or save them by giving them a reality check. Peter composed a list to recommend to Miguel as he went through thousands of variants.
And as he approached the threshold of boredom, Peter's heart raced at the next person on the list.
A cowboy.
Not just a cowboy. A Spider-Man cowboy who wore the classic red and black Spider-Man mask as a bandana across his face. A Spider-Man who brandished web-firing pistols at his adversaries and locked them up with a sheriff's badge on his chest.
"Miguel! You never told me there's a cowboy Spider-Man!" Peter squealed, joy filling his entire body and vibrating.
Miguel perked up to investigate why the other side of the room was suddenly covered in videos of a man riding on the back of an animal.
"Well, yeah..." he mumbled.
Miguel could feel the glowing excitement radiating from Peter, and he pursed his lips. "Oh my god, that's so cute!" Peter's eyes widened when he saw the horse donning a matching scarf around its face. "She has a lil' scarf and sunglasses, Miguel! Look at her." he gushed.
For a brief moment, Miguel felt a familiar tinge of fear wash over him as it snorted, started climbing up the side of a building, and flipped back right side up with a chuff.
"THE HORSE CAN CLIMB UP THINGS?! WHAT?!" his jaw dropped, and he clicked on the profile to look deeper into the file. A chill ran up Miguel's spine at the thought. His body stiffened, stopping his breath, fear tempting to bubble outward but dissuaded by a blink. "So the same spider bit them? Holy shit! I didn't even think that was possible!"
"Well, we are talking about the multiverse. So, anything is possible," Miguel crossed his arms and leaned against the desk, focusing on Peter instead as a weight grew in his stomach.
"It's as if we're watching someone who did a spin-off series of a Western but gave the main character powers!" he gushed."Think Clint Eastwood or John Wayne but with arachnid abilities! If there were a symbiote, it would be a real "Cowboys vs. Aliens." Peter giggled, looking like a golden retriever whose tail swung like the blades of a helicopter. The taller man lifted a brow.
"Whatever you say," Miguel sighed, rubbing his eyes beneath his glasses, bemused by the images of Webslinger fighting rouges on a dirt trail swinging overhead.
What is wrong with me? Miguel raised one of his hands, noticing it shaking immensely. He shoved it into his pocket before Peter noticed.
"Woah, hold on, Migs. What's with that reaction? Do you not have cowboys in this universe?" the other man scoffed, taking offense in his voice. Miguel rolled his eyes. "You don't know the thrill of watching a group of sweaty and tan men riding horses in the middle of the desert for glory and saving the local town from the robbers threatening the West?" Miguel glowered, pinching the bridge of his nose and wrapping the blanket tighter around himself.
"First of all, Why did you word it like that, Parker?" Peter winked, and Miguel rolled his eyes. "Second, cowboys are an ancient concept and not popularized in the media much anymore. We don't think about that stuff anymore."
Peter's eyes glistened with tears. "That's the most tragic thing I've ever heard." he sighed dramatically, leaning against Miguel's left arm as if he were a wall and standing beneath a spotlight, resting the back of his hand on his forehead. "You poor, cultureless creature. How will you fit in with the rest of us Spider-Men if you don't have an affinity for cowboys at least once? Isn't it a cannon event somewhere?" Peter held Miguel's face in his hands, squishing his cheeks together. The taller man narrowed his brows.
"Get off of me. We don't have time for this nonsense," Miguel pushed him away, adjusted his glasses, and returned to his side of the room. "Besides, I'd rather not have to deal with another fantasy world, thank you."
"Hey, you got better! And the horns and tail looked cute on you," Peter teased, sticking out his tongue. Miguel slowly turned back to Peter, and a chill ran up Peter's spine when he saw two red eyes glowing at him.
"We don't need a horse to join our team," Miguel growled, turning his back to Peter to continue reviewing more candidates.
"Come on, man! Doesn't the thrill of adventure excite you?"
"Not if it involves stupid shit like this!" he points with his hand toward the montages, specifically with the horse doing a backflip over a cart and landing back on its feet. Peter held in a laugh when it started taking a crap right after. "We don't know what a horse with spider powers can do!"
"Webslinger would watch over her the whole time! They are the dynamic duo. It's part of being a cowboy: the trust shared between the rider and his horse. He is more than capable as a Spider-Man, too." Peter looks back to his file, hand hovering over his profile picture.
"You're right, Peter." Miguel walked over to Peter, a hand on his hip. "Let's have a horse wander Spider Society. We don't know how it will respond to other stimuli! What if it can't control itself around the other spiders or kills someone? Let's see what happens after a week. Spiders have a higher metabolism than horses. Hmm? What happens when a Spider horse walks around after a certain eating period? The robots could fall apart or explode, causing even more damage."
"HA! Is that what this is about?" Peter chortled, pointing a finger in his face. "You're worried about it leaving little presents in your dimension?"
"No, I-"
"What is your vendetta against horses, man?" Peter's eyes narrowed. Miguel's eyebrows shot up, and his eyes couldn't decide to focus on his finger or the ruthless stubbornity in his eyes. "Did you have a bad accident at a petting zoo? You fell in its shit or something?" Peter laughed, earning another red-eyed glare from Miguel. "It happens, man! You've fallen into a sewer a time or two now. What is so different about this?" Miguel pursed his lips, his fists clenching tightly into themselves, trying desperately to stop shaking.
LET ME OUT!
PLEASE!
"It wasn't anything like that..." Miguel forced himself to keep eye contact, hoping Peter would understand.
LYLA flickered over his shoulder, her avatar leaning down to meet his eyes. The heart-shaped glasses slowly fell down her nose as her lips curled devilishly.
"That's not...exactly far from what happened, Peter-"
"It doesn't matter," Miguel interrupted, typing a code into LYLA's server to dissuade her and continue their search. Peter quirked his brow, amused by how serious he was being for a man in bunny slippers. "It would be preferable to team up with humans. Animals would be too much of an interference with the mission. It would be better to start small and build up from there."
"But she'd be with Webslinger the entire time. And Widow can climb up things, making it easier for transportation and stuff," he argued, stars in his eyes. Miguel cursed under his breath, putting a hand on his hip. "He doesn't have regular spider-powers, but they balance each other out when it counts," Peter looked up at Patrick and Widow, celebrating a recent victory against a wanted man in their town. "They're more than capable of defending the multiverse. They are a force to be reckoned with." Peter turns back to Miguel.
"Besides, if you want this 'Spider Society' to be successful, you need people from as many backgrounds as possible." Miguel considered his words as he looked back up to Webslinger and Widow. "It doesn't matter how they work together. If they're using their powers to save others, that should be enough reason to recruit them."
LYLA's avatar popped up, a smug smile on her face. "Sorry to interrupt whatever this is, but an anomaly was just teleported there, so I don't see why you couldn't do it." Miguel wanted to scream.
"Look! It's perfect! It is our destiny, Miguel!" he grabs Miguel's shoulder, leading him closer to the floating monitors. A sizeable lizard man roared atop a clocktower, debris falling onto the citizens below. Miguel felt the weight in his stomach grow heavier.
"Come on, Miguel. Indulge me this one time! I want to meet this guy; he'd be a fantastic person to add to the squad. He's got heart and the strength. Plus, I know people like Noir would have someone to relate to who's closer to their respective timelines."
A vein twitched under Miguel's eye.
"No, Peter."
"But Miguel-"
"No."
"But look, he's so-"
"No."
"Mig-"
"No!"
"Please?" Peter begged, getting close to Miguel's face. "At least give it a try?"
Miguel rolled his eyes and sighed. "Just..." he ran a face across his hand, bumping his glasses slightly off his nose. "Don't do anything stupid."
"Hell yeah!" Peter cheered, pumping his fist in the air. "I get to meet a real cowboy! Ha!" Peter broke into a weird dance that only a white man in his mid-thirties wearing a bathrobe can do.
"LYLA, can you call Ben? I think he'd be helpful during this mission." Miguel requested as he awakened the spritely assistant.
"Aye, sir!" she chirped, her avatar suddenly growing a military outfit.
Miguel sighed, lowering his hand away from his face.
Shock. I'm going to regret this.
"Miguel! You should come too!" Peter jumped enthusiastically. "You can dress up with us and supervise if you don't want to be in the middle!"
"I don't think that's necessary, Peter. Just meet up with me afterward for the debriefing." Miguel returned to his screens, setting up a visual parameter of the town. Peter quirked his brow.
"Miguel, no offense, but we've been in this lab for days. And while I totally enjoy embracing the dark comforts of this room, we should do this one together."
"I agree with Peter, Miguel." LYLA chirped, popping up again. "You need sunlight and adventure." Miguel glowered at her. "But this is a big villain. Your venom will come in handy to take this anomaly down. We are low on Venom users; yours will be the best to take him down."
Miguel bit his cheek, wrinkling his nose. "Fine...but if that thing steps out of line-"
"The horsie will not kill you, Miguel. I promise." Miguel flips Peter off before jumping off the platform. Peter and LYLA exchange a look before Peter jumps down to follow him.
***
Peter adjusted his belt buckle as he stared at himself in a reflective wall in Miguel's lab.
He wore a navy blue yoked shirt embroidered with tiny pink flowers lining the collar. A light brown cravat wrapped around his neck, and a white Stetson hat with leather straps sat on his head. Freshly pressed blue jeans and black cowboy boots rested on his lower half, extenuating the buttocks he knew MJ would appreciate.
After donning a pair of black working gloves, he put both hands on his hips and struck a little pose.
Thank God for multiuniversal travel. He said as he winked at his reflection.
"Miguel! You almost ready, bud?" Peter called out as he spun on his heels and looked up, holding the back of his hat.
"Don't call me that, and yes. But I don't think this scarf will work."
Miguel walked toward his voice, revealing his ensemble.
He wore a beige button-up with spider-themed wooden buttons and a fitted, light brown vest covering his shoulders and waist. Dark blue trousers with golden embroidery on either side of his legs were paired with brown and gold cowboy boots. Miguel's hat was black, with a strap of tawny faux fur surrounding the top of it. He held up a red scarf that nearly looked like a small tea napkin compared to the size of his hands.
"Here, let me help," Peter reached up and tied the scarf around his neck to cover the nape of his neck. Miguel held back a chuckle as he watched how much care and concentration Peter put into such a small detail. "And finished!" he slapped Miguel's shoulders, admiring his work. "Now you look like a real cowboy! Let's gather our posse and get on out of here." Peter suddenly blabbered in a thick Southern accent. He put his fingers in his mouth and blew into them, whistling.
Scarlet Spider and Noir fell from the ceiling, landing on their feet with little sound.
Because Noir was made in a black-and-white color scheme, LYLA fashioned a black-and-gray ensemble to make him look relatively normal in Webslinger's universe. A black bowler hat nested on top of his head, a black and white bandana covering his face similar to the Webslinger's but with slightly bigger eye holes to see through. He wore a yoked, black, long-sleeved shirt decorated with purple and red embroidery and black trousers to match. On top of that, he wore a v-neck black and gray cloak and a bolo tie made of cow bone and copper wire.
Ben complained to the AI that he wanted to see his physique as they 'comforted him' during battle. So, LYLA put him in a pair of overall jeans, black cowboy boots, and a white tartan shirt with a black cowboy hat and working gloves. He thought it was missing something, so he threw on one of PB's leftover jackets with the arms decorated with leather straps at their sides.
"Now, this is what a real man looks like," Ben gloated as he flexed at himself in the mirror.
"Hey," Peter patted Noir's shoulder. "Thanks for coming with us. I know it was last minute, but with how closely both of your universes are in time, it will be easier for him to understand our mission here." Noir nodded to the elder spider.
"My Uncle Ben's dad was a cowboy," Spider-Noir mentioned, wind flowing through the cape. (seriously, where was that breeze coming from?) "I'll never forget the pictures he showed of them in the desert tending to the cattle and land." Noir monologued as he pulled off the black bowler hat and held it against his chest, picking at a thread toward the back of it. "They had a bad run-in with a couple of thieves and wolves, but he stood his ground and managed to live until he was sixty-five. Gosh, I miss that old man."
"That's incredible, Noir!" Peter B. gasped excitedly. "Oh, man! This is going to be so cool."
"Ugh!" Ben Reily groaned, falling against an invisible wall to strike a dramatic crying pose. "You can't just walk around having a cool backstory like that, Peter. People will get, you know, jealous and want to enact their revenge..." the man crossed his arms, the leather straps decorating his jacket dangling every which way. There was a long silence, trying to wrap its head around what the hell Ben was talking about.
"Let's get going," Miguel stated, activating the portal device around his wrist. The portal glitched as it appeared before the lot of them, shining a bright yellow and blue across their silhouettes. They stood around Miguel, following him into the glowing light before vanishing into thin air.
***
The portal opened above a field of dry grass that bristled in the wind, running their tendrils across their legs. Miguel's eyes scanned the area, opening his watch for LYLA to connect from his dimension.
"Wow," Peter gushed, walking toward the wooden fence a few feet away. He rested his hands on it as he narrowed his eyes on a bustling town at the bottom of the hill. "Would you look at that?" Noir and Ben joined him, straddling the fence and leaning against the closest post.
"Yeah," Noir sighed, admiring the vibrant wildflowers lining the path to the town. He bent down, plucking a purple clover from its root, and held it close. "It certainly is something."
Peter peered over his shoulder to Miguel, who focused more on the mission than anything else. "Miguel! Come check this out!" he called out. Miguel furrowed his brow, teetering his weight on his boots. He sighed, walking over to join them. A gentle wind blew through the spiders as they admired the town below.
The town was rustic, but some of the buildings looked relatively new. The airborne brown dust dulled the paint, leaving a rusty orange residue behind. Towards the center of town, buildings made of mahogany sat in a circle surrounding a circular spouting fountain. In the North, there sat a taller white structure with a steeple reaching highest above all the others, presumably--by Peter's familiarity with history and movies--City Hall. Four distinct claw marks circled its spire and vanished over to the other side of it.
When the group saw a man riding a horse from the far side, they turned toward each other in a circle.
"The anomaly is near the center of town," Miguel explained as he pressed a button. "Ben and Peter, make your way there down this path. Noir and I will find a higher ground and a way to catch him. It shouldn't take that long." Peter frowned and sighed, rolling his eyes when Ben focused more on flexing his muscles than paying attention to the strategy.
"What about the Webslinger? Is there a canon event coming soon?" Noir asked as he leaned past Miguel's shoulder to get a better look at the map.
"If Dr. Morbius shows up with his snake oil cart, it could be a problem," LYLA announced. "Otherwise, stay together and reconvene with Patrick and Widow when this ends." Miguel felt his shoulders become tense and his ears burn.
"Right," he said after clearing his throat.
"I am so ready to take this anomaly down!" Peter exclaimed, nearly jumping over the fence. "I can't wait to meet them! A real cowboy and his trusty steed!"
"We will make the best of friends, that horse and I," Ben kneeled, dramatically resting a curled fist under his chin. "No one will stop us from conquering the world together."
"Let's go, Ben," Peter grumbled, annoyed. He hopped the fence and walked down the hill, rocks, and dirt crunching underfoot.
Ben looked over to Miguel. A hint of uncertainty grew on their leader's face. Ben's eyes scanned the field they stood in and saw a bush of wildflowers. He grabbed a wildflower, stomped over to him, pushed the stem of it through Miguel's hat, and left without saying a word, Peter holding back a fit of giggles. Noir and Miguel watched, astonished, as Ben slid down the hill to catch up with Peter. LYLA's avatar fizzled before Miguel, floated to his hat, and took many pictures.
"Why did he do that?" Noir chuckled, putting a hand on his hip. Miguel rested his arm on his belt buckle as he watched the two spiders tumble down the hill.
"I don't know, but that's adorable," she said as her avatar pulled out a cellphone to take a picture. Miguel rolled his eyes and turned off the watch.
The Spider-Men watched intently as they saw villagers fleeing town, many screaming as they did. As they grew closer to the clock tower, they noticed deep scratches and piles of destroyed wooden planks scattered across the dirt, flinging more dust into the air. Luckily, there was no sign of casualties or blood spatter. Peter slowly inched his way behind the sheriff's office, glancing over the corner to see a glitching Lizard Man roar at many confused and frightened villagers near a spurting marble fountain.
Ben whistled, taking in the beast's size. "Man, that guy's ginormous. We are so going to take him down." He lunged back, posing in an offensive martial arts pose, when Peter raised his arm to stop him from running in there.
"Wait!" Peter shouted, eyes wandering the square. "Ben, you take this side," Peter plotted, pointing at the Barber Shop to his right. "I'll take this side." he pointed at the tavern behind the clock tower. "On a count of 3, let's wrap him up nice and tight!" Ben nodded, lowering himself to the dirt to get ready to run. Peter inhaled, holding up a hand, consecutively lifting fingers when the Lizard raised its tail upward, roared, and ran toward a group of leftover townspeople into town.
Peter threw his arm and ran out, spewing two strands of web to pull himself across the square, avoiding the Lizard Man's gaze. Ben followed suit, attaching a web to a barrel, twisting his body over the stampede below, and narrowly landing behind a cart.
The two met each other's gaze from their respective hiding places when they heard the sound of heavy hoof prints growing louder.
"Hey, ugly!" a thick southern accent called above the noise. "I think it's about time you leave these fine folks be!" Peter's eyes widened with pure delight when he saw Webslinger standing on his horse, holding two pistols toward the beast.
As if the world was suddenly in slow motion, Peter watched him as Widow stood on her hind legs and kicked the air as Patrick held onto the strap. Webslinger's light blue poncho fluttered in the wind, revealing two empty holsters and a hunting knife wrapped around his thighs. His boots were filthy, caked in dirt, but they stuck securely to his calves with a small strap and buckle.
"Surrender now, monster!" he shouted, the eyeholes around his mask narrowing. "Or I'll have no choice but to take you down." (Peter had to cover his mouth to keep himself from screaming.)
It roared and stomped its feet, shaking the ground and shattering a few windows nearby.
"Suit yourself!" he flipped "Kisser" around his finger and leaned back, Widow leaning with him. "Let's ride!" he shouted, snapping the reins.
Webslinger shot at the monster's feet and hands, binding them to the ground and each other. Widow circled the Lizard Man as he continued firing at him. He aimed "Biter" at his legs and fired, blood oozing from the wounds. The Lizard snapped its tail like a whip and slung it toward the man, but he jumped over and landed back on Widow's saddle as he fired two more shots.
Peter and Ben nodded to each other and jumped into the action. Peter swung upward, punched it in the jaw, and Ben stuck a web on one side of its hip, swinging horizontally as the web wrapped around its waist down to its thighs. Webslinger hollered at them and continued firing Kisser to slow him down. Overhead, Noir and Miguel flew in and threw smoke bombs and flares to confuse the creature. Noir ran through the fountain and flung himself up the clock tower with his webs, landing a swift kick to the creature's face, toppling it. Peter and Ben held it down by his shoulders while they watched Miguel calmly approach it, lowering the bandana across his face to reveal his long fangs dripping with venom.
"Dr. Conners, you are not supposed to be here," Miguel said as he held up one of his hands, pulling out a hexagonal box from the leather satchel on his waist. "Come with us without resistance, and we can get you back to your dimension."
"I...AM...NO CONNERS-" the creature roared under the web muzzle, tongue flickering from its lips. "I...STRONGEST. AM SUPERIOR. AM ABOVE...A-ALL FLEETING LIFE." Miguel sighed as the creature began painfully glitching and kicking dirt.
"Yeah, yeah..." he stated, pushing the button on the device. "Let's get you out of here."
Widow whinnied behind Miguel, causing the man to freeze in place. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and a cold sweat began running down his neck. His heart rate spiked, and suddenly, his breath faltered. Miguel looked over his shoulder to watch her every move.
"What are you waiting for, Miguel?!" Peter shouted above the roaring creature.
"Nothing!" Miguel gasped, shaking his head, trying to regain focus.
The lizard glitched again, and his tail was suddenly out of the web. It thrust its hips upward, its tail snapping the device from Miguel's hand and slapping him across the chest, throwing him into a pillar in front of City Hall. Peter's eyes widened when he saw Miguel's motionless body lying in the dirt. The creature wriggled against the Spiders' grasp, flinging Ben into a hay cart and Peter against the base of the water fountain. Noir tried firing a flare into its eyes, but it caught the missile between its teeth and spat it at his feet. It protruded his long tongue, spittle dripping down its chin.
"PUNY SPIDERS WILL GET CRUSHED!" Lizard Man roared and flexed his muscles, suddenly growing large talons and spikes across his spine and shoulders.
Noir's eyes widened under his mask, and he reached for his gun in his holster. The Lizard flung its tail around like a whip, spikes rapidly firing into the buildings across the street. Noir jumped and twisted his body just enough to reach his other pistol. He shouted as he shot the pistols at the monster's face and chest before rolling under the creature. He threw off his poncho and used it to kneel in the gravel beneath him. He blasted away parts of the fins that ran around the monster's head, the noise momentarily disorienting it.
Ben ran over the hay cart and did a front flip to land in front of the monster. He shot his webs upward to aim for his shoulders and flung himself over the creature's head. When he landed next to Noir, he harshly tugged and screamed, toppling the Lizard on his back onto a pile of debris. Ben gasped for air as the creature writhed in pain.
"RUN!" Webslinger cried above the commotion, firing three balls of web ammo in its eyes and across its chest. Noir and Ben webbed down Lizard Man's legs before running over to Peter.
"You alright, sir?" Noir asked, wrapping Peter's arm around his shoulders.
"Never better, kid," Peter smiled as he limped, standing back up. "It was a stupid idea taking on another one of these bigger villains, but we're still alive, so I guess we're still winning." Noir snorted.
Noir looked around to see the water tower stand at the far edge of town. An idea popped into his head when Webslinger and Widow rode up to the two, the cowboy astounded by their company.
"There's one hell of an explanation to be made about this ugly thing, but you seem to know what you're doing." Webslinger's voice was deep and gravelly. "I assume y'all have a plan?"
"We need to isolate him away from everyone. The safest bet is that water tower." Noir explained, pointing to the tower down a long and narrow street.
"If someone gets on top of the tower and the rest of us tear it down, Miguel should have enough time to get close," Peter said. The four nodded, looking over to the Lizard as it erupted a series of spikes in the air.
"Ben, grab Miguel!" Noir shouted as he picked up Peter. Ben ran over to Miguel--who was slowly waking up--and threw him over his shoulder.
Widow neighed loudly, bucking the Lizard in its eyes when it got too close. It roared and swiped toward her, but Webslinger shot a ball of the web at it and to the building behind him, dragging them both toward the water tower and landing into a full gallop. Lizard Man growled as it struggled to remove the tacky material on its eyes, following the noise of Widow's hooves hitting the dirt below her.
Ben, Peter, and Noir rapidly flung webs across the alley, leaving just enough room for Widow and the Webslinger to jump over it. Ben placed Miguel far enough away from the entrance to let him recover before the Lizard Man ran through.
Webslinger shot another web toward the water tower, and Widow climbed up the side of it so they could make it to the top. Webslinger jumped off Widow and watched the Lizard Man stumble toward the wall of webs.
In a daze, Miguel stood up, eyes struggling to regain focus. After shaking his head and taking several deep breaths, he watched in awe the giant creature trip over their web and the other three scrambling to wrap it up as it dug its claws into the dirt.
Webslinger whistled from above, getting his attention.
"Take down those two support beams, would you, son?" He pointed at the beams behind him, running the other hand through Widow's mane. Miguel groaned, head pounding, but ran over to the back of the Water Tower. He clicked a button on his neck, activating his suit and arm blades. He slashed viciously at the beams, the wood creaking into itself as it tried balancing the weight of it all. After his last swing, the structure above him started keeling slightly, prompting him to step back and observe.
Webslinger hopped back onto Widow and waited. The Water Tower caved into itself, collapsing on its side. The three Spider-Men jumped out of the way as they watched Webslinger and Widow ride the heavy wooden platform holding it up, slam into the Lizard Man's head, and dunked it in a massive tidal wave.
After a beat, Miguel deactivated his suit and jumped over the tower, grabbing one of the fallen support beams.
The Lizard Man wriggled beneath the tower, blood pooling out of its mouth into the slurry below. The tower had diagonally pinned him down on his back, forcing his face into the pool of water below. Its left arm was trapped while its right rested by its head. As it slowly woke up, it tried moving but found its legs and tail stuck. Miguel stood over it, eyes a bright red, his claws unsheathed.
"PUNY SPIDER!!" the lizard cursed, swiping at Miguel's face. Miguel narrowed his eyes.
"You're leaving this dimension, doctor, whether you like it or not," he growled, raising the metal beam.
Miguel slammed the Lizard's arm with the beam, splashing mud up his boots. It hissed in pain and tried moving its other arm to retaliate. The Lizard tensed its neck, shooting the last of its spines at Miguel. But Miguel jumped and landed on the beast's back, slamming its head deeper into the puddle. The Lizard managed to loosen the grip on its left arm, reached over, and grabbed Miguel's legs. He raked him through the puddle and tossed his body like a plaything. Miguel tried getting a grip on the ground, hoping the mud slicked its hands enough, but instead, the Lizard moved his handling of him to his chest and neck.
"YOU WILL DIE HERE, SPIDER-MAN!" Lizard hissed, holding Miguel in front of his eyes as he squeezed tightly, grimacing. The Spider wheezed as the Lizard continued pressing into his bones.
Through choked breathing, he pushed a hand through his fingers and shredded the flesh of his knuckles with his claws. The lizard roared and dropped Miguel into the mud, leaving him gasping for air.
"Hey, Conners! This town aint big enough for the two of us!" Peter shouted from the top of the building. Miguel groaned as he pushed himself off the ground and looked up. Noir and Ben acted as anchor points for Peter, who had shot webs on their backs and pulled back. "Time to make like a leaf and 'git on outta here'!"
Miguel almost wishes the Lizard Man knocked him out again if it meant he would avoid hearing Peter's terrible Southwestern accent again.
Peter slings himself forward, his hat flying off, and kicks the monster in the face. The Lizard Man starts swiping at him, but he shoots webs into its eyes. Peter lands next to Miguel and pulls him up, getting into an offensive position.
"Ready to kick some butt, Dirty Dan?" he proudly asks, smirking over his shoulder while bumping Miguel's. Miguel rolled his eyes and slowly exhaled from his nostrils, unwilling to entertain his stupidity, and again charged for the lizard. "You're no fun! Spiderman is supposed to be funny!"
The Lizard Man ripped the web from its eyes and grunted. Miguel hurdled over its arm while Peter shot webs toward the other. Webslinger and Widow rode behind them, firing Kisser and Biter to hold down the other pieces of the water tower. Ben and Noir helped Peter snuggly web down the creature, suppressing his spines, allowing Miguel to surpass his flailing limbs. When he got too close, the Lizard snapped his jaw at him. Miguel jumped over his head and straddled his back, pinning him down with his arms and legs. The Lizard Man screeched when Miguel stuck his claws deep into his neck to force him into position.
"I AM PINNICLE OF EVOLUTION!"
"And I don't shocking care,"
Miguel slightly unhinged his jaw and bit directly into his artery. The Lizard thrashed around, its eyes widening fearfully at the feeling of a fluid injecting into his bloodline. Miguel withdrew from the monster's scaly neck, spitting out blue blood and venom in the puddle. Miguel stuck the hexagonal cage device on the Lizard Man, encapsulating it as it seized and spasmed while he climbed back down and walked away without looking back. He rubbed a hand to his face, his skin irritated by the sand from the ground. Peter ran up to Miguel, handing him a handkerchief and his hat.
"Good job, man." Peter expressed, held it out, and Miguel wiped the dribble from his chin and lips and the buildup in his talons. "Are you okay? You kinda gave us a scare earlier."
"I just mud-wrestled a Lizard Man, Peter," he said dryly, scratching off the dried mud from his face. "I'm feeling great." Peter smiled and laughed with him, relieved that they were all still alive.
"Now that that's taken care of," Webslinger said, dusting off his gloved hands against his poncho before lifting his right to Miguel. "My name is Patrick O'Hara. Thanks for your help taking that thing down." Miguel took it, shaking it firmly.
"We're happy to help another Spider-Man," the younger man replied, tipping his hat slightly. Widow whinnied loudly, almost earning a shriek from Miguel.
"Haha! This here is Widow. She's a spirited one. Loves all the attention," Patrick tapped a firm hand against her neck, earning a snort from his companion. Miguel felt his talons digging into the sides of his vest and his heart beating in his ears. "She's a sweetie." Widow got curiously closer to Miguel, sniffing the air around him. Miguel's shoulders tensed, his breathing becoming shaky, and he closed his eyes when she got too close, freezing. "Do you mind holding her lead, son?" Patrick tossed the leather strap over his shoulder for Miguel to catch. Patrick gave him an odd look when the strap fell in the dirt instead of Miguel's hands. The spiders looked at each other, confused.
"Here, I'll take her," Peter got in between Miguel and Widow and picked up the lead. Miguel opened his eyes when Peter put a hand on his shoulder. Peter gave him a small smile, tilting his head toward Noir and Ben. Miguel blushed, dragging a hand down his face as he went to stand near the other two.
Webslinger nodded and turned toward the rest of the group.
"Oh my god! I can't believe I finally get to meet you!" Peter finally gushed, eyes sparkling. "Hi! I am Peter Parker!" Webslinger held out his hand to him and fervently shook it.
"Nice to meet you," he smiled beneath the mask, the eyeholes of it matching his movements. Peter was practically buzzing, looking like a golden retriever about to go into Zoomies.
"I'm also Peter Parker, and this here is Ben Parker," Noir explained, pointing his thumb toward Ben. "We're happy to help."
"A group of brothers, then?" Webslinger leaned back on his right leg, holding his hips. "Y'all're from out of town, I assume."
"You could say that," Peter said, scratching his head. He leaned against Miguel's shoulder to whisper into his ear. "You weren't kidding, Miguel; this will be tough to explain." Miguel sighed.
"That was one tough son-bitch. I panicked when I saw that thing fall from some glowing light in the sky. Luckily, Widow and I were quick enough to evacuate most of everyone before things got real' tough," he tilted his hat upwards with a thumb, looking back down the alleyway where they just were. Widow chuffed, shook her head, and tapped her hooves into the dirt. Miguel's talons suddenly unsheathed themselves from his fingertips, and he hid them behind his back.
"You are so freaking cool!" Peter squealed. Miguel cleared his throat, effectively grounding him. "Uh, I mean- thank you! It would've been a blood bath if you hadn't."
"It could've gone better if we were here sooner, but Peter wanted to show off," Ben scoffed, adjusting his hat.
"That's rich coming from you," Peter mumbled. "You took that thing down with a single swing."
"You three, go check up on the townspeople. I'll take this thing back to HQ," Miguel prompted, clicking a few buttons on his watch to open a portal. Webslinger's mask's eyes widened at the sight of it.
"Wait a damn minute!" he lifted Kisser from its holster and aimed it at Miguel. "Were you the ones who brought it here?!"
"No!" Peter dropped the lead and stood between the weapon and Miguel. Suddenly, everyone's spider senses went off. Miguel noticed how they staggered and tried to remain standing while he kept upright.
"We are a team of superhumans, like you, who help other superhumans to save their worlds. We were notified that this creature would invade your world, so we came to help," Miguel explained calmly.
Webslinger's eyes narrowed. "I've seen some strange bullshit in my lifetime, but nothing comes close to this." Widow huffed from her nostrils, her hooves digging deeper into the dust as her eyes wandered around the group.
"You were both bitten by a spider, right?" Peter brought up, keeping his eyes on Patrick. Webslinger's hold tightened around the pistol. "You suddenly got these abilities you can't explain. Someone close to you was lost, driving you to help the people in your city stay safe from the villains who pop up now and again to make up for that loss..." Peter paused, sadness glossing over his eyes. "With great power comes-"
"Great responsibility..." Webslinger nearly whispered, lowering his gun. "M-my Uncle Ben said that to me before he died."
"So did mine," Peter said bitterly. "He's the reason why I'm teamed up with these guys. He would want me to use my powers for good, so I aim to help as many people as possible before kicking the bucket." Patrick's lips quivered beneath the mask, and he tugged it off to wipe off the tears streaming down his face with the back of his sleeve. Patrick had a beard and mustache curled like his dark brown hair. He looked similar to Peter but with a shorter chin and smaller nose.
"So y'all come from the stars then?" the cowboy asked while running a hand through Widow's white mane. "That's what that glowing thing is for? To return to where you came from?"
"We're all from different worlds or dimensions. We're not brothers, but we share the identity and responsibility that is 'Spider-Man' across our worlds. We are all connected in a beautiful web of life and destiny," Miguel expounded. "There was an incident from another dimension that started taking the people from a cluster of other worlds to dimensions they weren't supposed to be in. That is why this monster was glitching earlier." He pointed to the now unconscious monster in the cage. "When you're not in the right dimension, your body slowly disintegrates until you no longer exist. So, I created this elite task force to bring those anomalies back home and restore the web as it should be."
"That's why we're here in your world, Patrick," Peter continued. "We believe you and Widow would make an excellent addition to our team."
"Damn..." Patrick ran a hand through his hair, absorbing all of this. Noir approached the man, taking off his hat and gloves.
"Things are confusing, but they'll help you understand better with time." Noir took off his mask, revealing his black and white skin. "I come from a world where color doesn't exist. I do not understand colors or their gizmos and goobers, but they at least make me feel like I am not alone with my powers." Patrick kicked a rock across the dirt. "Being Spider-Man is lonely, doll." Ben patted his friend's back sympathetically.
"I am Peter's clone," Ben pointed to where Peter stood between Patrick and Miguel. "My memories have been corrupted, and I don't know who I'm supposed to be. But I know I have these guys to keep me afloat." The spiders marveled at his words. Who knew Ben was capable of such a thought? "That, plus I can continue getting totally ripped." Ben flexed his muscles, and a collective groan shattered any respect they had just gained for him.
"I am actually big fan of yours! We've never met a cowboy Spider-Person before! Where I come from, cowboys are a thing of the past. What you do is amazing!" Peter gushed again, earning an eye roll from Miguel. "Your work as the Webslinger has helped a lot of people. We could use your insight and experience to benefit our cause."
"Well, then. I owe you all my life." He said. "But regarding your proposal, I'll have to consider it. This is a lot to process." Miguel nodded, picking up the Lizard Man and tossing him into the portal.
"Let's check up on your townsfolk, and then we can figure that out together." Peter patted his shoulder, standing alongside him as they walked down the alley with Widow in tow. Ben and Noir stayed behind for further instruction.
"LYLA, status report," Miguel called into the watch. "Is the canon still intact?"
LYLA remained silent momentarily, her avatar looking into his eyes with a full-body lean.
"Your heartbeat is increasing at a rapid pace. Are you okay?" LYLA's avatar glitched around his face, getting closer with each phase. "Miguel, why'd you choose to ignore the protocol?" LYLA hovered, leaning her chin into her intertwined fingers.
Miguel's eyebrows narrowed as red bloomed across his face. Ben and Noir curiously watched this exchange.
He pulled down on his hat, trying to avoid her knowing smile. "Can we please just focus on the mission?"
"But you completely froze, Miguel!" LYLA scolded. "You could've gotten yourself killed! Why didn't you say anything to them before the mission?"
"Will you please give me what I'm asking for?" he growled, bearing his fangs, his eyes momentarily shining red. "I need to return to the office to start the report."
"Yeah, you were kinda rattled there, boss," Noir asked, concerned. Miguel frowned, ignoring their concerned gazes. "You were shaking like a leaf!"
"Miguel is scared of horses, so naturally, he would respond that way." LYLA blurted out, looking at her nails. Miguel's eyes widened at her betrayal.
"LYLA!" he screeched, mortified. A string of curses in Spanish followed as her avatar giggled in his face. Noir's eyebrows raised, and he pushed his glasses up his nose to keep them from falling. Ben's jaw nearly fell to the floor at this revelation.
"You're scared of horses, man?" Ben laughed hysterically. "That's unexpected." Miguel huffed in frustration, choosing to avoid looking at them altogether. Noir gave him a pitiful but knowing smile.
"Well, that explains why you hesitated to come on this mission..."
"I'm not scared of horses, okay!" he hissed. His eyes flickered to watch Widow trot ahead. Miguel squeezed his arm, feeling it begin to shake. After clearing his throat, Miguel turned back toward the two spiders staring at him.
"I'll take Connors back to the lab and meet you at HQ."
"Sure..." she purred. "And not because you're too chicken to meet back up with Peter and Patrick." Miguel swiped at her avatar, causing her to vanish. After a flicker of binary, LYLA's avatar returned. "Oh, and everything is okay, big guy!" her avatar suddenly threw confetti. Miguel sighed, feeling the growing weight in his chest shrink slightly. "The canon is intact, and we have a new ally!"
"Good. You two go ahead then," Miguel orders, clicking on the interdimensional watch.
"Hey, if it isn't too big of an ask, could I take him to HQ?" Ben raised his hand. "I have an appointment with the therapist in a few minutes and desperately need a shower. I don't want to miss it." Ben pointed at his filthy overalls. Miguel groaned internally.
"...Sure."
"Good," he picked up Connors from the ground and tossed him into the portal. "I'll ensure someone puts him in the Go Home Machine." Ben gave them the two-finger salute before hopping into the portal after him. Miguel turns to go into the portal but hesitates.
Aww...they're kinda cute. Right, Miggy?
After taking a breath, Miguel shut down the portal and turned back to Noir.
"Let's go find Peter and Patrick," Miguel started walking back down the alleyway when Noir grabbed his sleeve to stop him.
"You don't have to force yourself to do something you don't want to, boss," Noir said. "These things take time."
"If I will be teamed up with a horse from now on, I need to get used to her being around." Miguel kept walking and adjusted his hat to keep the sun out of his eyes. Noir looked at LYLA. Her avatar pursed her lips before flickering away. Noir adjusted his hair and wrapped the mask back around his face.
"Whatever you say, boss."