𝓞𝓷𝓮 𝓛𝓪𝓼𝓽 𝓟𝓻𝓸𝓶𝓲𝓼𝓮

Chapter 2

Eventually, He knew he was gonna get his life together.

Miguel eventually managed to get ahold of his banking accounts that he had used to fund the society as well as savings and any other financial assets that rightfully belonged to him. He knew it was one way to piss them off and reassure everyone that he was still an ass. However Miguel was entitled to his own money and he had made that money fair and square before he had anything to do with the spider society. Which was perhaps why they hadn't locked it or stolen the money out of the account by now.

Either way— he used the money to buy a nice sized flat. More importantly, he found the will to continue being Spider-Man for his community and found it in his best interest to ignore any Spider-Man or Women, from the society watching over him.

Eventually, they stopped coming and it was relieving to see and feel free. Cause while they were right to be suspicious of him, them lingering over and watching his every move was more creepy than it was it was for reasons of suspicion.

Miguel had thrown himself back into his previous line of work as a Geneticist over the 5 years since being ousted from the society. But instead of Alchemex he worked for a different company—careful enough not to attract any attention from his previous life.

The pay was alright, his boss was anything but like the last and he felt like the world was finally at peace with him.

He could do things normally without missing a day of sleep or wondering when the world was going to explode in his hands, because of his actions. And this is why it wasn't so hard for him to move on because in this life. It wasn't hard to adapt to change if it was what you had been waiting on for a long long time. But most importantly. He hadn't thought a damn near day about what he could have done differently to save Gabriella. What was done was done and it was his fault. He knew it but he could accept now and move on. Everyday of the spider society he was reminded by his past mistakes. If he could even call them mistakes. Cause it wasn't just faulty judgement.

He was crazy. Nuts for thinking he could replace another version of himself. Take over his family, his spouse and child without there being consequences. As always.

~

It was the afternoon and Miguel decided to go on a run, after all he had to keep his physique up some how. He often ran for about an hour before returning to his home to take a shower and break down for the night. When he made it to a red flight he took a sip of his water while running in place and as the light changed he ventured on into his run.

He could feel himself smile, laugh without waiting for someone anxiously to turn the corner and catch him actually enjoying himself.

So yeah. every afternoon, he slipped on some clothes, pushed his ear buds in, slid his shoes on and left his apartment. If he wasn't speeding down a block he'd say it was therapeutic to watch the sun fall for another day.

At the end of his run he found himself at a grocery store close enough to his flat. It was small but it had what was necessary.

~

Miguel hummed as he plucked things off the shelves into his grocery basket and then proceeded to the registers.

"Hola, Señor!" He greeted the man at the register placing his things on the counter belts.

"¡Oh! ¡Miguel! ¿cómo has estado?"  Miguel and the older man made small talk as he rung up Miguel's items. Miguel paid in full and as always left a generous tip for the man who waved him goodbye and moved on to the next customer. Miguel returned the gesture and left the store and headed back home.

Blocks away from home he felt a droplet of rain touch his scalp and looked up. The clouds began to circulate and turn a gray-ish color signaling that it was probably going to rain. Just as he was getting ready to start speed walking home.

A women slammed into him and then sped past him almost knocking him over with a strength of a bear. He barely managed to keep his balance as the women ran passed him— holding two small children.

'Wait! Señora!'

He looked over his shoulder to see a man huffing and puffy while holding yellow umbrella his hand. He wore a formal suit but his hair looked a mess. He seemed like he'd been running for a minute.

The man looked up at Miguel and then at the disappearing figure of the women. Miguel thought the man was going to scream at him but,

'¡Señor! ¡Por favor, dale esto a esa señora!'
(Sir please give this to that lady)

He motioned to the now gone figure of the women while dumping the umbrella into his full hands. As the man ran back in the opposite direction he yelled back to Miguel; "She's going to the bus stop!"

He looked between the man and down the path where the woman had ran.

'-gonna make this right by someone'

He sped off in the woman's direction. Hoping to catch her before the rain. He ended up running past his apartment building holding two bags of groceries and a very brightly colored umbrella. He looked frantically to see the direction of the woman when he was finally able to see her heaving with her hands on her knees at a bus stop across the street. The two children with her were sat on the benches.

As soon as the light turned red he sped across the street and approached her.

"Señora?" He got her attention quickly and she went into defense mode standing like a brick wall to protect the children behind her like he was an oncoming threat. It had almost hurt his feelings but remembering that he was 6'9 brought him some comfort. After all, who wouldn't be scared of a giant running at you from an unknown angle.

"That man told me to give you this-" "¡Dios mío, me asustaste!"

"Lo siento, that man just told me to give you this."

He extended his hand with the umbrella in it and and the woman quickly took it from him. "Oh, Gracias! You are my saving grace!"

Miguel met her eyes again, peering closer into her thankful ones.

It was You.

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