Qué Maravilla

Ch. 10 - Send in the Clowns

The makeshift group of spider men and women rush through the dark maintenance corridors of the subway system on Earth-42. The gang silently swing in the shadows along the tracks, climbing on walls and even hitching rides on the side of the subway carts. It isn't long before they reach a large, sparsely lit, graffiti-littered room. Surrounding them are several large archways, their tunnels each housing a dark pit leading who-knows-where. Then, suddenly, everyone simultaneously perks up, like a dog hearing high frequency. Even May Parker's eyes widen with recognition. They each exchange glances with one another.

"Did we all feel that?" Spider-Noir is the first to break the silence. He is met with a wave of agreement.

"Then he's gotta be around here somewhere," Peter Parker mumbles, mostly to himself and the baby straddled to the front of his chest. Parker closes his eyes and begins to walk all around the room, concentrating on using his senses like a magnet to determine where the pull feels the strongest. The rest of the spiders wordlessly follow suit. Not long after, they all pause in front of the same archway, each staring wordlessly into its abyss.

"He's here. Definitely." Gwen Stacy announced. For a second, nobody moves. A common feeling of apprehension holds the group hostage. All of them shared looks that confirmed their communal hesitation. What worrisome scene could lay on the other side? Could them barging in make matters worse?

"Well? What are we waiting for?" Pavitr Prabhakar shouts oblivious to the atmosphere. He marches towards the entrance, "चल दर!"(let's go) he belts in a sing-songy voice. "Let's go save my new frieeend-"

"-Not so fast Pavitr." Spyder-Byte (aka Margo Kess) blips in front of the restless boy in her cyber blue-pixel avatar.

"What? Why are we stalling?"

"We can't just walk in there without a plan," she cautions. "It'll scare him off. I highly doubt he'll be happy to see... some of us." Byte takes a moment to pause and look amongst the guilty culprits in her mind. From Gwen to Noir to Porker to Peni and then finally Peter.

Stacy looks away shamefully under Margo's judgemental gaze before recollecting her composure. "Okay... So how about we send one person? Like a representative or something like that."

"Okay, but who?" Peni Parker pipes up, reclined comfortably inside the cockpit of the giant humanoid robot she pilots.

"Well, we know who it won't be. Aye?" Pavitr says in jest motion to Gwen and Peter.

Peter stuffs his hands in his robe pockets and shifts his weight back and forth from the heels to the balls of his feet, the motion earning an amused gurgle from the infant strapped to his chest. "Yeah. We know. Thanks Pavitr."

"Now's not the time Pav." Gwen crosses her arms defensively, "We need to figure this out fast. Who knows how much time we have."

"The answer is obvious isn't it?" Peni remarks. "Who here does Miles trust the most?"

"Well, that's me of course," Peter Porker makes a jaunty strut to the front of the group with an air of certainty, his anthropomorphic hand placed sincerely over his heart. Which crumbles immediately as soon as he sees everyone baffled expressions.

"Kidding!" the pig let out an embarrassed laugh, wringing his small hands self-consciously. "I totally said that as a joke you guys. Not as a serious suggestion or anything...because that would be totally stupid..." The silence that ensues after is deafening.

Spider-Noir clears his throat loudly. "Anyways, we need to send someone who he knows for sure isn't on Miguel's side. Someone he knows who never acts as a double agent." The black and white clad hero raises his fist dramatically, shaking it with emphasis. "Look alive eggheads! Who among us is known to put their money where their mouth is? Who has the gall to laugh in the face of authority? Who here best represents the rebel cause?"