𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐒|| 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐎𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚

𝐅𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐘

"Even though we barely know each other, it still hurts watching her fade away."

It hurts.

It still fucking hurts.

Harley stirred her coffee as she peered out the window. Her platinum hair was chaotically put up in a low bun. Her fingers traced along her tattoo, continuously peering outside the window. A hand brushed upon her shoulder, her body lurched in surprise, and the coffee cup slipped from her hands, spilling it.

Ben immediately recoiled and backed away, giving her space. "Charlie, are you okay?"

He snags some paper towels from the kitchen counter and started wiping the counter. Harley's eyes expanded before rapidly grabbing some paper towels and wiping the counter.

"Sorry." She murmured.

"It's not your fault. I shouldn't have snuck up on you like that." Ben threw away the used paper towels. "Charlie, why don't you go sit at the table? I'll make you some new coffee." Harley nodded and sat at the table, disassociated.

"I also have some apple pie! You're favorite!" Ben exclaimed from the kitchen. He waited for his daughter to sprint towards the kitchen and open the fridge door. He just saw his daughter tiredly sit at the table. Ben frowned and glanced at the coffee.

Apple pie was her favorite dessert.

"No, uh, I'm good. Thanks though." Harley replied, tapping her fingers on the table. Ben cautiously placed the coffee in front of her. Harley drank the coffee and brushed some hair out of her face.

"Why don't you get some sleep?" Ben commented, his eyes filled with concern. Ever since that night on the couch. She gradually became more fatigued and alert. His daughter's eyebags are as clear as day. Her eyes were dull, and her skin was paler than usual.

Just a week ago, she was in a cheerful, happy mood.

"I need to get to work," she answered. '

"I'm sure he'll understand."

She snorted bitterly. "Like he would."

"Harley I'm serious."

"So am I." She answered passively and aggressively before leaning her head against the table. It was as if her body was going through different personalities. At one moment, she could be fine, and the next, she was angry and confused.

Ben sighed before nodding his head towards the fridge. "Why don't you grab some apple pie? It'll make you feel better."

"Fuck the apple pie." She murmured as she tapped her foot anxiously against the floor. She felt empty after going through many rounds of glitching over the past few weeks. She sighed before standing up, stumbling towards the couch, and snatching her white spider suit. She glanced toward her dad. "See you tomorrow, okay?"

"You're not going to work." Ben argued, and the girl rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I am. I'm a grown adult. I can do whatever I want." She said this before opening up an orange portal. "Bye dad." She said this before walking in.

Ben smiled sadly and stared into his mug. He was worried for her. It seems as though she was always tired and on alert. She also lost a significant amount of weight, no longer wanted to eat, and even refused her favorite desert. She seemed to always be sick.

He hoped that his daughter would be her normal self again.










Harley stood in front of Miguel, who explained the next mission.

Her two-week ban was up, and she hoped that she would be able to go on the mission, although the status of her body was very questionable. Miguel, who was pacing, glanced at Harley, who was trembling. Both of her hands were locked together to compose herself.

His eyebrows furrowed in concern, and he stepped closer and closed their distance. "The mutation. It hasn't gotten better. Have you taken the medicine?"

"Yeah." She replied, although her usual spunk was not in her voice.

Lyla scanned her body. "The mutation has taken up 52% of her body. estimated time of death is unknown."
Harley commented irritably, glaring at Lyla, "Do you always scan people without permission?"

"Sometimes," Lyla replied with a smile before disappearing.

"C'mon, we need to get you to the infirmary," Miguel said.

"I'm fine," Harley replied.

"We're going, end of the conversation."

"You don't get to choose that. I'm a grown woman."

"You're clearly not fine if that mutation is taking over your body."

"No, O' Hara, listen--"Harley was interrupted as she was thrown over the shoulder of the very tall male. He was sick of arguing with the girl and finally took the initiative to do something about it.

Harley angrily shouted as her fists pounded upon his back. "Let go of me, O'Hara! I'm serious!" She continued shouting in disapproval, very upset about the predicament she was in. She hated the doctors. Always have and always will.

Miguel placed her down in frustration and held her tightly against his body. His arms engulfed her figure to ensure she wouldn't flee.

"Listen to me." His face became closer to hers. She could feel his breath on her face; luckily, it didn't smell like shit. "You look like shit, and yes, that's the truth. This mutation is slowly taking over your body, and if we don't get you that treatment, it will kill you."

"We can always find the antidote."

"Yeah, we can. But not before going through different dimensions. Do you know how many multiverses we have, billions?"His large biceps tightened around her figure to make sure she was listening. He only hoped his words were enough to convince her. He couldn't lose another person he cared about.

Harley stared at him, unable to argue. He was right; there were billions of multiverses. She sighed shakily and placed her head against his chest before burying herself in it. His body tensed for a bit before slowly melting into the now-civil hug.

His face was unconsciously buried in her hair, and he got a waft of her cherry shampoo. She sighed, "Since when did you care about me?"

He ignored her question and slowly rubbed her arm back and forth. He then lifted her into the air and threw her back on the shoulder.

"I fucking knew it..." She grumbled under her breath but accepted her fate.

Miguel smirked and led her to the infirmary. The door automatically opened, and I quickly sat her down on the bed. He turned the scanner on. It took information regarding her symptoms.

"Shouldn't a doctor be doing this?" Harley asked him, rolling her eyes.

"Would you rather wait half an hour or get treated now?" Miguel asked her as he poured an orange liquid into a syringe. Her body trembled in fear. Although she's taken a shot before, she's never been more scared. I'm her life.

"Don't bring that near me." Harley placed her foot out to keep some distance between them. Miguel knocked her feet out of the way and tilted her head sideways. The blonde attempted to escape, kicking her feet back and forth.

Although she acted like a child, she would do anything to get away from the needle.

Miguel took a deep breath to calm himself down. He thought about what he had to do and sighed in disbelief. He went on top of her, placed a leg between her legs, and captured both of her wrists, placing them above her head.

"Let's talk about this."

"Less talking." Miguel commented before putting the needle into her neck and injecting her with the antibiotic. "This should help you stop glitching for two weeks. This one's a stronger dose. Tell me if anything goes wrong."

"You do realize what position you were in. Someone can get the wrong idea."

Miguel flustered, backed up, threw the needle away, and placed the syringe on the counter. He ignored her comment, not going further into the conversation. Harley sat up and leaned against the wall. "Was holding me down really necessary?"

Miguel looked at her with a deadpan face. "You were thrashing around like a wild animal." Harley huffed and laid down on the bed. "Only because you were sticking a metal rod in me."

"It's a needle. It's not even a centimeter thick."

"But still. It's scary."

Miguel rolled his eyes and furrowed his eyebrows. He was about to make some new wrinkles if he didn't stop giving so much attitude. "Harley, you only have to come here once a month. That's if the dose works well."

Harley, who was staring at the floor, peered at him. She began arguing over how the needle was incredibly terrifying. Miguel, who just listened, rolled his eyes at her for being overly dramatic.

"I'm not talking to you about this." Harley stood up and walked towards the exit. "I'm going home."

"The exit is the other way."

"Shut up."

Miguel watched the girl walk out, noticing she was no longer her normal self. He had to work quicker to find that antidote before he lost her forever.








Ethan knocked on Ben's door obnoxiously; it was as if the door would break at any moment. "Have mercy!" Ben yelled before approaching the door and opening it.

"Why are you here?" Ben asked as he took the apron off his shoulders. He placed one hand on his hip and the other on his mug. The mug had the wording 'World Best Dad'. Harley made it when she was in her sixth-grade art class.

Ethan walked inside and placed his jacket on the couch. "Where is she? Where's Harley?"

"She just finished work; she should be coming home soon."

Ethan nodded before staring at the mug in his with a raised eyebrow. "Why are you drinking coffee at seven o'clock at night?"

"Why do you drink alcohol every day?"

"Touché." Ethan tutted, sliding himself onto the couch and turning on the television. Ben soon joined him with another cup of coffee.

"That for me?"

"No."

"Damn, caffeine addict."

"Better than cigarettes." Ben defended himself as he bit into a Snickers bar. "Why are you here?" Ethan sighed and spoke. "I've noticed Harley being exhausted lately, you know. She lost her spunk."

Ben froze, his mouth full of chocolate, as he slowly turned his head to look at his brother. "Um—I don't know."

"You can't not know. You're her dad." Ethan argued, and his nostrils flared.

Harley came swinging into the room. She pressed a button on her AI watch. The only part of the mask that disappeared was the head.

"I'm home." Harley grumbled out and began taking off her shoes and tossing them to the side. She began walking upstairs before her father's voice called her out. "Harley, look, it's Ethan."

Harley's face suddenly changed from shock to fear. Harley laughed nervously, wondering how he was going to react. "Look, Uncle E. You like my costume?"

"It's not Halloween," Ethan replied before glancing at Ben, who stared at the floor. He looked at Harley once again, who was dead silent.

"Huh?! Are you--" Ethan exclaimed abruptly, disrupting the silence. It took his mind a little while to process what just happened. "Oh shit." Harley murmured and attempted to hide herself with a nearby jacket.

Ethan began jabbing her with questions. He wasn't going to let this conversation go off-topic. "It's a costume." She answered passively and aggressively, her temper shorter than usual. Her patience was getting cut short by every minute passing.

"Show me."

"Huh?"

"Show me your spider thing."

"What are you talking about? I told you it's a costume."

"Shush. I may be dumb, but not stupid. Now do it."

Harley grumbled out a couple of curse words before shooting a web onto the wall. Ethan's eyes widened, and his mouth gaped open. He pointed back and forth between Harley's wrist and the wall. Ben closed his jaw with his hand and slapped his back.

Ethan finally breathed, wheezing. He faced his brother. "Thanks, dude."

"Look, I don't have time for this right now. Okay, we'll talk tomorrow." Harley mumbled as she stared at the ceiling, her vision blurring. The girl was extremely exhausted after a long day of rescuing and defending people.

"You can't just go to sleep after showing me that! How long did you keep that from me?" Ethan scratched his head, his brows furrowing in confusion and an ounce of anger. Harley shook her head; it was too complicated to explain to him. "It's complicated."

"Complicated?"

"You won't understand."

"Help me; understand." Ethan replied. His serious tone shocked her. Just a week ago, they were playing Just Dance, and now he was upset. That was one of the worst things she ever felt in her life.

"High school, eleventh grade, art class, bit by a spider, and now I save the whole entire world." Harley smiled bitterly as she revealed the truth.

"So that whole time I watched you get hurt?" Ethan looked at her in betrayal before looking at his brother the same way. Ben butted his lip and looked away.

"It's my fault. I told him not to say anything." Harley defends her dad.

"Why?"

"Because—because I didn't know how you would think of me. I mean, it's not everyday that their uncle finds out about your spider woman."

"Why would I think you're any different?"

"C'mon now, I'm a humanoid spider. That's weird and crazy."

"Charlie, you're the only one making it weird and crazy. I would've accepted—wait, let me get back on track. I wouldn't have accepted it. Only because it's dangerous. I've seen you almost get killed out there before. I'm worried." Ethan ran a hand through his messy blonde locks. He no longer wanted his niece in the spiderwoman business. But he knew she was too stubborn for her own good. "Look no matter what I say, or do you'll never stop being a spider woman, right?"

Harley only nodded.

Ethan sighed before standing up from the couch and grabbing his jacket. "I can't live with the fact you're getting hurt."

"You have to."

Ethan stared at her for a moment, many emotions running through his head. He then stood up, grabbed his coat, and headed for the exit. He placed his hand on the door handle. "I'm proud of you, and I don't think of you any differently."

Harley sighed in relief.

"But I need to think about this. See you tomorrow." Ethan walked out the door and started walking back to his house. Although I was very confused and baffled by what just happened, he needed to let it process.

He still couldn't believe it, though. His little niece is fighting crime. Ethan was very worried and knew that he couldn't stop her from doing that. Fortunately, Ethan would later support her decisions and give her advice.

Harley and Ben looked at each other with guilt. Harley sighed and sat on the couch, burying her face in her hands. "Do you think it was the right thing to tell him?"

"Yeah." Ben huffed and glanced at Harley. "Ethan would've figured it out at one point, you know. Why keep it a secret?"

Harley only nodded before speaking. "Dad, it hurts. My body hurts."

"I know." He murmured, concern in his voice.

"What do I do?" She asked him with hope.

"I don't know."

Harley only nodded with a little disappointment before leaning her head against his shoulder and falling asleep. He smiled gently before leaning his head against hers. The father-daughter duo fell asleep with ease. Although an uneasy feeling was present in their stomachs.

(Damn, long ass chapter)