Spider-Byte. MILES MORALES

Chapter 20: A Leap Of Faith

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  Miles and Melody's wholesome moment was put on pause when Peter B, Gwen, Peni, Noir and Porker entered Miles' dorm from the window.

Peter looked at the two teenagers and then walked up to Miles, putting his hand on his shoulder, "We've all been there. You know, for me...it was my Uncle Ben." Noir added, "For me, it was my Uncle Benjamin." Peni looked down and sighed, "For me, it was my father." Gwen was the last to say something, "For me, it was my best friend." She looked at Melody and they gave each other weak smiles. "Miles, the hardest thing about this job is that...you can't save everyone." Porker shook his head. "But, it doesn't mean you're not strong enough to save anyone..." Melody looked at Miles, shrugging.

  Before Miles could say anything, the door knob jiggled.

Miles' roommate was coming!

All of the spider-people scrambled onto the ceiling as he entered the room, blasting music through his headphones. They scooted from left to right as he moved around the room, spinning on his desk chair.

As he turned around to their direction, he raised his head from the Spider-Man comic he was reading.

What a coincidence, am I right?

"Do animals talk in this dimension? Cus I don't wanna freak him out.." Porker, whispered. Right after, Miles' roommate fainted.

  A few minutes after the spider-gang came off the roof, Miles carefully tucked his roommate into his bed.

"What's going on?" He asked, looking at Peni, Noir and Porker leaving his dorm while Peter and Melody stand in a corner next to the window. "...bye, Miles." Gwen mumbled before leaving too.

"Miles, we came to say goodbye," Peter explained, folding his arms. "We can say goodbye at the collider." Miles shrugged. "You're not getting it. You're staying here." Peter instructed. "I need to be there with Melody. So you can all go home!" Miles backed away, picking up the goober.

"They're going home, Miles. I'm the one staying." Peter sighed. "You're taking my place?! If you stay here, you'll die!" Miles raised his voice slightly.

Peter was very much aware of this but, he knew Miles wasn't ready. He rather sacrifice himself than Miles.

He held out his hand, "I need the goober." Miles backed away again, refusing to give it to Peter. "Peter, I'm ready. I promise!" Miles whined.

  Before Miles knew it, Peter tripped him, stuck to the ceiling and held Miles mid-air by his shirt, "Then venom-strike me right now. Or turn invisible on command so you can get past me."

Melody kept touching the area where her bracelet used to be as she listened to Miles struggling. She wished she could've help him.

Peter sighed as he let go of Miles and took the goober, "I know you want this, kid, but, you just don't got it yet."

Peter left the dorm, leaving Melody and Miles once again.

  Melody continued touching her wrist.

"Mel, you gotta tell them I can do this!" Miles' voice started to break again.

Melody stopped touching her wrist, and looked at the floor, "It...wasn't their decision.."

She slowly looked up at Miles, trying to decipher his emotions; was he angry, sad...or both?

"We were supposed to do this together."

"I know."

"It's not just you Peter talked to about this!"

"Miles, I know."

"YOU JUST PROMISED ME THAT YOU WOULDN'T-"

"MILES I KNOW!...I know.." Melody softened her voice, trying her hardest not to bring out all her emotions.

Miles stayed quiet and looked away.

"You think I want to do this on my own?! I don't!" Melody shouted.

"Kingpin took everyone away from me, Miles! I don't what he could do to me! I-I'm scared, Miles, I really am. But, I have to do what has to be done-"

"You just promised me that you'd never leave me alone and that you'd protect me." Miles couldn't get over her soothingly 'deceiving' words.

"Miles, this is me keeping those promises! I can't let Kingpin take someone else away from me, Miles. You're not ready."

"Says the girl who has been doing this for six months." Miles mumbled.

Melody felt something boil deep inside her. "Oh, yeah, let's maturely compare half of a year to half of a week, sure!"

  "Miles, you're not ready. I need you, Miles! But you can't be there for me because you can't even be here for yourself."

Miles decided to stay quiet.

"I cannot let you go out there, taking a huge risk on your life when I know very well that you aren't ready."

Melody continued, "It's not even just taking a risk on your life! It's also mine. Your parents and my mom. Brooklyn. This whole dimension. The other spider-people AND their dimensions as well. One wrong move, and that's it. Everything, gone."

  Miles stayed quiet until Melody turned her back to him, getting ready to leave the dorm. "Melody, wait!"

Before he could get a hold of her, Melody turned around with tears in her eyes, and shot webs at Miles, sticking him to his desk chair.

Miles struggled to get out of it, but failed.

"Melody...how would I know when I'm ready?"

Melody put another web to Miles' mouth and sighed, "You won't. Es un salto de fe. (It's a leap of faith.) That's all it is, Miles. A leap of faith."

  And with that, she left the dorm.

Commanding her suit and mask to come on again, she turned to the spider-gang, "Let's go." Miles, not really knowing how to feel, watched as they swung away further and further until they weren't in sight anymore. He struggled to get out of the webs again.

  Suddenly, he heard a knock from his door. "Miles? Miles, it's your dad." Jeff called from outside. Miles scooted closer to the door. "Please...open the door. Miles, I can see your shadow movin' around." Jeff sighed,

"Yeah, okay, I get it, you're still ignoring me." He took off his police cap and told Miles about the death of Aaron, unbeknownst to him that Miles was there when it happened.

  "Look, sometimes people drift apart, Miles. And I don't want that to happen to us, okay? I see this...this spark in you, it's amazing! It's why I push you. Whatever you choose to do with it, you'll do great."

Miles leaned against the door, listening to the words he didn't know he needed to hear.

"Look, call me when you can okay? I love you...but you don't have to say it back." Jeff said, putting his hand on the door before knocking twice to indicate that he was going.

  After he left, Miles scooted back the chair a bit and sat there in silence with his eyes closed, concentrating deeply.

As he opened his eyes and furrowed his eyebrows, he felt electricity run through his eyes, then across his entire body.

He put his hands into fists and continued to concentrate until Melody's webs exploded all over the room.

He looked at his hands as the electricity ran through his veins and smirked.

He was ready.