Dimension Danger

Chapter 10: Angel

"For the last time, I'm not here to fight you!"  Miles wailed. He sprang into the air, dodging a punch from the his attacker. He landed atop a light pole, wincing as his back flared from the strain.

"Falling off a building hurts way more than I thought it would."

Cars whizzed by on the bustling streets beneath them and Miles couldn't help but wonder why all of his fights take place in the middle of the street. Pedestrians had cleared the street, steering clear of their local vigilante. Dilapidated, brick buildings lined the streets, giving Miles the notion that this was a poorer section on town. The greasy smell of pizza evaded Miles's nose from a small restaurant across the street.

"Man, I'm hungry."

The boy feels a sharp tug on his ankle before he is sent crashing to the pavement. He quickly juts out his arms to brace his face from the impact. Not a second later, he's lifted up and sent sailing through the air, his body colliding with a bright yellow taxi. The car alarm sounded. The sound felt like it was reverberating in his skull. Each blare from the alarm felt like a hammer pounding onto his brain and it was making his head throb.

"Oh yeah, I forgot- angry spider-clone guy.."

"Can we just talk?" Miles pleaded as he slowly stood up from his spot. He spares a glance back at the sizable dent his back had left in the car. Scarlet only stalks toward him. Miles's hand gravitates down to clutch his sore side. The masked assailant lunges as the boy, but he reacts quickly, hopping up above the man. Miles's feet land on Scarlet's shoulders and he propelled himself forward, causing Scarlet's head to smash through the car window.

Miles let out a breath, "Good talk."

This only seemed to anger the man... clone?-  the clone-man and he charged forward, knocking Miles off his feet and onto the ground. "You're a clone of Peter Parker, right?" Miles asked as he used his feet to shove the clone-man off of him.

Scarlet Spider stumbled back a few feet leaving Miles an opening. He jumped up an landed a sidekick to Scarlet's face, forcing him to fall up against another parked, red car for support. "So, I guess now is probably not the best time to ask if you could make a clone of me?" Miles continued, somewhat jokingly.

Miles tried to leap away, though Scarlet hastily grabbed him by the scuff of his neck, before slamming him, face first into the ground, knocking the wind from his lungs. The clone-man places his knees on either side of Miles and rolls him over onto his back. He raises his arm and swings his closed fist. Miles head snaps to the side from impact. The boy sees stars.

The Scarlet Spider lifts the boy to his feet, before slamming him up against the brick wall. Miles lifts his hands up in surrender. "I don't wanna fight. I'm here to help you."

Scarlet lands another blow to his jaw. The metallic taste of blood fills the boys mouth. He was so dizzy. "Most people who show up in masks aren't trying to help me." The man grumbles in a deep, raspy voice.

Miles's voice cracks slightly as he speaks, "You've got issues, man."

Scarlet swings again, but this time Miles catches his fist, sending a surge of electricity up the attackers arm. Scarlet Spider howls in pain as he drops to his knees. The boy jump kicks him in the temple, sending him sprawling across the pavement. Miles flicks his wrist, webbing down his arms. The clone-man jerks against his restraints as a growl escaping his lips.

Miles massages his jaw, his eyes flicking over to Ben, "You have a strong punch."

Ben only growls in response.

Miles sighs, "I'm not here to fight you. It's hard to believe, but I'm a spider-person, I'm like you."

Ben looks up at him, his eyes boring into the kid's, studying him. He was deciding whether or not to trust him.

In an instant, the webbing is torn to shreds as Scarlet flings himself forward, takling Miles to the ground.

Miles winced when he heard a crunch. His eyes darted to the source only to find a pair of red gloves hands placed firmly around his web shooters, the metal, completely crushed.

"Jeez, Ben!" Miles basically screeched, "I come in peace! I come in peace!" He tried to flail out of his grip, but it was no use.

The eyes of Ben's red mask narrowed. "How do you know my name?" he demanded.

"That's kinda hard to explain. But if you get off of me, I promise I'll tell you," the words came out more sarcastic sounding than Miles had intended.

Miles was struck once more. This time in the lip. He felt the skin split where he was hit. The boy let his head loll back against the pavement. His vision was growing cloudy and his tongue felt like a sponge, soaking up all the blood in his mouth.

"I'll ask you one more time," Ben seethed, lifting him up by his collar, "Who are you and how do you know my name?"

Miles would have answered him, but he couldn't seem to form the words or a coherent though for that matter. His entire body was weighting him down. His limps felt like weights  dragging him to the floor. He just wanted to full out collapse.

Miles's head swung back and forth slowly, resembling that of a bobblehead. He was so tired.

"Who are you!" Ben roared the eyes of his mask narrowing into two thin slits.

Suddenly Ben released his hold on him. The Scarlet Spider fell with a grunt. The boy's body dropped to the ground, but he didn't care at the moment, as his eyes drifted up to his savior.

There the boy found an angel in white fighting back the clone-man. She was so strong yet graceful. She was beautiful. Miles shut his eyes tightly. He was delirious.

The angel shoved Ben back and defensively jutted out a hand as a barrier between the two. With her spare hand she pushed back her white hood and removed the mask from her face. Her blond hair fell out, cascading perfectly down her shoulders.

"See? No more mask," she stated calmly, yet cautiously, her eyes locked on the man in front of her, "My name is Gwen Stacy. This is Miles," She gestured to the boy on the floor who had propped himself up with his elbow, "We didn't come here to hurt you or to fight you. We came to warn you."

Miles watched as Ben's shoulders relaxed a bit, "Warn me of what?"

"It's sounds crazy, but what he said is true. We are from other dimensions, so is the villain we're trying to stop, but in order to do that we need your help."

His eyes darted between the two teens, conflict battling in his mind, before he finally let out a gruff sigh. "Fine," He nodded at her, "I believe you."

"I just said the same thing!"

Ben turned to Miles and helped him to his feet. Miles gave him nod as thanks and staggered over to Gwen, an arm secured tightly around his waist.

"Hey! Are you alright," She rushed the words out in one breath. Her sapphire, blue eyes quickly doing a scan over him, and landing on where he held his side. She brushed her fingers over the area and he hissed in pain. Her eyes flicked up to his face, a concerned expression taking over her features.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm all good, just tired," he responded through ragged pants, "Nothing coffee can't fix."

Gwen laughed softly at that. She ran a hand hand along his cheek and he leaned into her touch, reveling in how warm her hand felt even through her glove. She instantly retracted it once she seemed to realize what she was doing.

Miles saw her Adam's apple bop as she speedily took a few steps back. "I found an Oscorp not too far from here."

Miles squinted in confusion at her sudden mood change, but let the thought pass. "Then I guess we should head there," he replied.

"Wait," Ben chimed in, his eyes bouncing warily between the two, "Why Oscorp?"

A loud boom, that almost sounded like thunder startled the three from their conversation. A wave swept over the city, covering the surrounding buildings with bright, disoriented colors and shapes. It was gone just as quickly as it came.

Gwen and Miles shared a worried glance, before Gwen turned back to Ben, warning flashing through her eyes, "That's why."