Spider-Byte: Multiversal Madness

Chapter 17: The Monster Inside

Alone in the room with the Go-Home Machine, Margo sprawled off on her chair as she scrolled on MyInterest, looking for her next hairstyle. "Yo, Hobie, what you think of this? Pretty sick, right?" Hobie leaned over her shoulder. "Nah, absolutely not," Hobie chuckled. "Your head done big already, why you wanna make it bigger?." Margo gasped and playfully hit him, "Why do I even hang out with you, you're the worst!" Both of them laughed it off, as they always did.

Two seconds of silence passed after the laughter died down. Margo looked at the floor, "You know, we REALLY should be helping Miguel catch Miles..." Hobie bit into Margo's granola bar, "Well, Big Man ain't exactly right in all this so..." "Yeah but, is Miles any better?" Before Hobie could argue further, something caught his eye. Not looking away, he nudged Margo's shoulder, causing her to look too.

Melody stumbled into the room, holding on to a wall as she panted. Her curls basically defied gravity, her face looked drained as if she lost her melanin and five years of her life, and her breaths were short and uneven. Hobie frowned, "Yo, Iron-Woman...you good, bro?" Still trying to catch her bearings, she didn't reply. "How come you ain't with Miles? Or did you lose him in that mad ass crowd of Spider-Men chasin' him?" Melody simply shook her head.

Margo analyzed Melody's face. Something was...off. "Uh...Melody?" Melody looked up at her. "What?" "Sorry but uh- was your left eye always white or..." Melody froze. "What are you talking about?" Margo pulled out a mirror program for Melody to use. "Here, look." Melody pulled the program closer, then immediately wished she didn't. It couldn't be a trick of the light, it definitely wasn't a hallucination. The girl actually had heterochromia. Her eye really was a greyish-white color. Her stomach dropped. "No...no, no, no..." She backed away from the mirror, face frozen. "What's happening to me?"

Margo immediately stood up, walking towards Melody. "Did something happen?" Melody looked at Margo, then at Hobie, then at herself and sighed. "We fought." Margo and Hobie exchanged confused glances. "Who, you and Miles?" Margo asked. Melody simply nodded, trying to hold in the tears, unable to tear her eyes away from the mirror. Hobie mumbled, "Well, it was coming eventually-" Melody shot Hobie a look, almost telling him to shut up...not because he was being rude but because she knew he's right. Melody's voice cracked, "He said something he knows triggers me and I just-" She winced at the memory. "Everything happened so fast. My body was burning like crazy and I couldn't control it," Her eyes welled up, "and next thing I knew, I tackled Miles to the floor-"

Out of nowhere, Hobie gasped, cutting Melody off. "Holy shit..." Melody and Margo confusedly watched his eyes beam with excitement. "I knew you was a stepper!" He laughed, "Man, I like you, Iron-Woman." Margo immediately kicked Hobie, "Hobie! Not. The. Time."

Margo shook her head and turned back to Melody, her voice softer, "What exactly did he say?" Melody held back tears. "He called me a...a monster." She let the word burn in her chest for a few moments. Margo furrowed her brows. Why would he say something like that? Melody sighed, "He wouldn't have been the first. I should've known," She laughed, "I shouldn't have been surprised." Margo frowned, "Why, what do you mean? Ain't that your friend?"

Melody shrugged, "I saw it." Margo furrowed her eyebrows. "You saw what?" "I saw a vision." "A vision?" Melody cracked a weak smile, "Why are you repeating everything I say?" Margo chuckled along, "Sorry, I just- what do you mean you had a vision? Like- it's the Tingles, right?" Hobie nudged Margo, "I mean, I'd guess so. My question is, could you tell when sum' would happen, or you just left guessin'? That's kinda creepy, innit?" Melody tilted her head to the side and softly asked, "You guys don't get those?" The Spider-Duo beside her shook their heads. 'Huh...totally not weird. Not concerning at all!'

Melody shook her head and moved on. "But, you're right Margo, he is my...friend," She hesitated to say it, not even sure if they were more than friends or way less. Her gaze dropped. "That's why I didn't believe the vision. I guess I was a fool for thinking I had a real friend." Hobie stared at Melody, seeing his past self in her. He exhaled deeply and walked to Melody. For once, his tone is serious, "Oi," Melody looked up at him. "Walk wit' me." Melody turned to Margo who just shrugged at her, then followed Hobie as they walked away from the Go-Home Machine room.