Reflections - Miguel O'Hara

Chapter 2

It's up to you now.

"...Spiderman?"

It was barley a whisper spoken out loud with clear disbelief. I hated the way my voice cracked, and I sounded like the girl I was the first night I ever met him. Sometimes, I'd dream about seeing him again and he'd see how grown up I was and how I was a decent hero. In my dreams, he'd congratulate me, and we'd go fight crime together. We were an unstoppable team. Most nights though, I'd dream about the bite and how he died in my arms a second later.

The more I stared at the man above me, my eyes wide and refusing to close in case this was a dream, the more I realised he wasn't quite like my Spiderman. This one wore a very similar spider costume and was beyond buff. Like seriously bulking. Muscle on muscle. I don't remember Spiderman ever being that built, he had more lean muscle and was smaller. The talons coming out of that man's hands were also a bit longer and sharper. I felt so conflicted staring at this man. Was he Spiderman? And the way he looked at me. I shivered. His eyes on the mask were narrowed and predatory. Spiderman didn't look at me like that, he was gentle and kind.

This guy did not look gentle and kind.

A roar sounded from behind me, and I quickly turned around to find the lizard pouncing onto me. "Offt," I grunted as I landed heavily on my back, and I was squished by the lizard. It roared in my face, getting spit on my mask. With a grimace, I quickly grab onto its face to keep its snapping jaws away from me. From the corner of my eye, the lizard raises one hand and its claw shimmers in the moonlight. My breath catches in my throat and my scar aches with the sense of déjà vu. However, before it can bring the claw down onto my face, the lizard is tackled off me.

My breath is knocked out of me, and I take a couple of seconds to catch it. Shaking my head, I jump up and find this guy beating the absolute shit out of the lizard. Not wanting to seem unhelpful, I dig my claws into the wall and begin to heave myself up using my hands. Using upper body strength, I scale the wall up to the top and across to where the lizard was fighting. It was clear the lizard was losing; claw marks covered its entire body, and it was starting to back away to run.

Finally seeing an opening in the fight, I extracted my claws from the wall and pushed off with my feet. The wind threatened to knock my mask off, but I ignored it and held my claws down, ready to latch onto the lizard. I landed on its back and sunk my claws deep into its skin to hang on. The lizard howled with pain and rage, beginning to fling itself around to get me off. I dug my claws further into its skin to hang on tighter and opened my mouth. It felt like second nature to feel my canine teeth extend into fangs and begin to drip with venom. Without wasting a second, I sunk my teeth into the lizard's neck and ejected the venom.

The lizard stiffened before falling.

I quickly jumped off to avoid being crushed.

Wiping my bloodied claws on my leg, I quickly remember the other visitor and whip around to face him. His mask eyes are wide open, staring at me with disbelief. I'm instantly intimidated with how crazy tall he is and how he could probably crush me in a second. I desperately want to stand tall and act brave in front of him, but his gaze has me feeling weak at the knees. My claws and fangs stay out to try and appear threatening.

I need to confront him. I need to know if he is Spiderman, and if so, where the hell had he been over the past three years?

My back straightens. "Thank you for your help... Who- who are you?" I curse myself for stammering.

He seems to stand taller when I address him, and it takes everything in me not to bow down to him. I don't understand why my body is acting this way towards him. Just at the sight of him, it's like I just want to... submit? WTF. The thought has my virgin-self blushing like crazy and I quickly shake the thought from my head. That's not what I meant; I scold myself internally. He just looks like a natural born leader, and I'd follow him?