Take Care of My Heart

Chapter 8 - Worst-Case Scenario

A wild hair on Peter B. Parker's head convinced him to return to the Spider-Society's HQ in Nueva York just to check on what the board of directors were up to. To his surprise, he saw a heavily pregnant Jessica Drew working in front of the screens instead of Miguel.

"Shouldn't you be on maternity leave already?" he lambasted her.

"I would..." she responded, keeping her back to him, "... if I had that luxury."

"I'm surprised your kid's still even kicking."

She ignored his comment. On the screens, it looked like she was trying to track something across multiple dimensions.

"So... where's Miguel?" Peter asked.

"That's what I'm wondering too." Jessica opened more screens. "He was supposed to be gone for only a few days, but no one's heard from him in weeks."

"Maybe..." Peter suggested, waving his hands, "... he's taking an extended vacation?"

"Not like him at all." she affirmed. "I think he may be in trouble."

"How can you not know where he is?"

"He wouldn't tell me where he was headed," Jess turned to the 616B variant, her eyes narrowed, "and he must have removed his tracker."

"Why wouldn't he want anyone following him?" Peter scratched his stubbled chin. "That's a little suspicious, if you ask me."

"The hell if I know." She shook her head, sighing. "I'm just about done with all this crap too."

"Why don't you take a break, then?" he asked again, genuinely concerned now.

She gave him a knowing look, and he nodded.

Responsibility.

"Okay..." he shrugged lightly, "... so, what are we gonna do?"

"Send each different squad out to find him." she declared, stepping away from the console, then looked to Peter as she passed him. "It's up to you whether you wanna join or not. I won't blame you either way."

Peter sucked in his lip, thinking deeply... he wanted to be at home with his wife and daughter, but there was also this nagging feeling in his head that he knew would worsen if he didn't take this mission.

He had managed to spend some time with his family already, and he only wanted more.

Decisions, decisions... what to do?

And then he held his hips, looking down at the metal floor.

Old habits die hard.

*****

Miguel had spent the first few weeks of his absence hanging around Brooklyn in Earth 1610. He wandered around the city in some civilian clothes, a long coat, with his watch pocketed for the duration. He had removed its tracker, not wanting to be followed by his fellow spider-people; the only time he would use it, of course, was to travel between dimensions.

In truth, he wanted... no, needed... some peace and quiet from everyone.

He had also decided to monitor Miles Morales from a fair distance, mainly to see if anything funny would happen, which it hadn't... as of yet. So far, the boy seemed to be doing well in his recovery; the kid was a trooper, he had to admit.

But there was also something else that Miguel found remarkable... he himself had yet to glitch either. In costume, he sat on a rooftop, his hand under his chin, deep in wonder.