01 | through shadows and portals


You stretch your arms above your head with the kind of lazy elegance that only someone with boundless power and no intention of being humble could manage. The city below sparkles like a diamond dusted in moonlight, the hum of the metropolis carrying the echo of your latest masterpiece in heroism. Your fingers crack, the tension releasing in a symphony of relief—oh, how you savor these moments when everything is perfectly aligned. After all, it's another day in the life of The Infinite Spider, where chaos and grace collide like two perfectly matched dance partners, and you, of course, lead the way.

Just hours ago, you were swinging through the skyline, your web-lines slicing through the air with the effortless elegance of someone born to be a master of the art—each movement an extension of your energy, a reminder that no one can catch you. Not even the high-tech vulture that thought it could challenge you. Oh, please. A metallic behemoth with wings that could probably flatten a skyscraper and yet, couldn't even put a dent in your webbing.

The vulture dove at you like a storm cloud, casting its heavy shadow across the streets below, but you were already a step ahead. One flick of your wrist, and you sent a barrage of webs spiraling toward the creature, each strand humming with the pure intent of a precision strike. The students caught in the chaos? Mere bystanders in the larger tale of your heroism, eyes wide in awe as you rescued them from certain doom—no biggie. They would tell stories about this day for decades. You're just that good.

As the adrenaline begins to fade and you drift back into the rhythm of normalcy, a low chuckle bubbles up in your chest. The mission? Easily handled. The afterglow? Oh, it's delicious. There's nothing quite like the satisfaction of turning calamity into a canvas. You could practically hear the applause from an imaginary audience, but then again, you're too humble for that.

Or maybe not. Let's be real—this is what you do. This is who you are.

You're on your way home now, strolling through the bustling streets with the kind of swagger only someone like you can possess. There's no rush. No chaos to defeat. Just the gentle hum of a city that has no idea how close it just came to total destruction. As your mind drifts into an easy, carefree lull, you're suddenly jolted out of your reverie. A body collides with yours, and for a split second, it's like time itself freezes, your reflexes kicking in before your brain has a chance to catch up. Your lunch—a carefully packed masterpiece of flavor—nearly flies out of your hands, but of course you catch it. Your instincts are as sharp as your wit.

You glance up, ready to issue a playful quip about watching where you're going, but your words die on your lips when you lock eyes with a face you haven't seen in what feels like forever. The boy, with sun-kissed skin and a familiar grin, stands before you like an echo from the past.

"Miles!" you exclaim, your grin lighting up your face as if the sun had just risen in your chest. He looks... well, like Miles, with that same confident, slightly awkward aura that makes him him. The boy you used to get into all sorts of trouble with—swinging through the city, getting caught up in missions that were never quite as easy as they seemed.

Without a second thought, you pull him into a hug. A real hug. The kind that's a reminder of all the times you'd laughed and fought and saved the day together. It's tight and warm and full of the kind of affection that only years of friendship can build.

Miles flushes. Of course, he does. Not every day does a ridiculously beautiful, infinitely powerful girl like you—like a literal superhero with more swagger than most people could dream of—pull him into a hug.

And yet, that's exactly what you do. Because for you, the world might be full of chaos, but there are moments—just like this one—when everything else fades away, leaving only the pure, unspoken gratitude of a connection that time and distance will never be able to erase. The streets, the noise, the frenzy of the world around you—it all becomes a distant hum as you stand there, in the quiet comfort of reunion.

And in that moment, it's just the two of you, the cityscape, and the unspoken understanding that this... this right here is what matters most.

You pull back just enough to see his face, your grin widening with uncontainable excitement. "Oh my goodness, I didn't think you'd still live here! How are you?" The words tumble out in an eager rush, as if you're trying to squeeze years of unspoken stories into a single moment. Your eyes—those mischievous, blue eyes of yours—glimmer with curiosity, the kind that speaks louder than any words could ever manage. You're practically vibrating with the energy of the reunion, your hands still brimming with the residual buzz of adventure.

Miles stands frozen for a second, caught in the flurry of your enthusiasm, as if the very force of your presence has knocked the wind from his lungs. His face flushes, a perfect shade of red that's almost too adorable for words. You'd never seen him so taken off guard. The boy who could leap from buildings with the ease of breathing, who had been through so much as Spider-Man, now stuck in a moment of sheer, unfiltered surprise. Yet, there's a softness in his eyes—something warm, something nostalgic—that makes your heart skip just a beat. He's clearly taken aback, but that's the thing about old friends: no matter how long it's been, the bond never truly fades.

As the initial shock wears off, Miles finally finds his voice, his smile shy but growing, tugging at the corners of his lips. It's a little crooked, like he's unsure whether to laugh or to melt into this moment. You could swear the air shifts around you, time bending slightly as past and present collide in the most serendipitous of ways. This unexpected reunion feels like the world itself has paused, just for a heartbeat, to give room for this perfect moment.

He steps forward, not hesitant, but with a quiet sense of certainty, and before you know it, he pulls you into a hug. This time, the embrace isn't just about catching up—it's about all those years of friendship, the shared missions, the laughs, and even the unsaid things that have lingered between you. You can feel the sincerity of it, the weight of his words—"I've missed you." His voice is soft, barely above a whisper, but it hits you like a wave, unexpected and powerful.

Your eyes flutter closed for a second, the cool breeze of the city rushing past you, but inside, everything pauses. You hadn't expected it, but the warmth of his words hits you with the precision of a well-placed web—tugging at something deep inside, a knot that loosens with a flicker of joy. You blink, the words sinking in, and for a moment, the world feels like it's just you and him, a moment where no words are needed to explain the depth of what you've both experienced.

When you pull back just enough to see his face again, you feel lighter, as if a weight you didn't even know you were carrying had been lifted. There's something so real in this fleeting connection, in the unspoken understanding between you two. The street around you hums with life, people rushing past, yet it all feels muffled in the background, as if the universe itself has given this exchange the space to exist, uninterrupted.

Here you are, standing in the same spot, with the world bustling on around you. But in this pocket of time, it's just the two of you—wrapped in the familiarity of your shared history, rekindling a connection that neither of you had realized had slipped into the shadows. It's both the past and the present, a delicate blend of what was and what's to come. And in this quiet exchange, you realize that no matter how much time has passed, some bonds are simply unbreakable.

Miles smiles, his usual coolness now softened by the genuine affection between you two. And for a moment, just a moment, everything feels right. You can almost hear the faint echo of the city's pulse, but it's no match for the beating rhythm of this newly reignited friendship.

But just as the warmth of the reunion begins to settle in, as if Fate itself has been quietly observing and waiting for the perfect moment, a sudden, violent tear slices through the fabric of the world around you. The air warps, twisting with the energy of an unseen force, and in the blink of an eye, the ground beneath your feet seems to shift as reality itself bends. You don't even have time to brace yourself before the air crackles with a violent surge, pulling your focus away from the now-familiar face of your childhood friend.

The world freezes for a split second, a pulse of unnatural energy that sends a shiver crawling up your spine. Then, as if reality itself is unwilling to wait any longer, the portal bursts open—a shimmering rift of light and energy, a vortex that screams otherworldly. Your heart skips a beat, adrenaline rushing back through your veins in an instant. The city's bustle falters, the noise dimming to a muffled hum, as if the world itself knows something important is about to happen.

From the swirling depths, a figure steps forward—someone new.

His blue spider suit is unlike anything you've ever seen before. The sleek material glows faintly, marked by bold red accents that seem to pulse with an almost supernatural intensity. There's a subtle, but undeniable aura of power radiating from him—something that immediately makes the air feel thicker, heavier. Every detail of his suit is calculated, as if it were forged in the heart of a dimension where every move is deliberate, every glance sharp. It's a suit made for someone who doesn't just walk into a room—they command it.

He steps through the portal with such force that it's almost as if the laws of space and time obey him. The way he moves, the sheer confidence in his presence, is overwhelming. He's a spider, yes, but there's something darker about him, a quiet menace that hangs in the air. And just like that, you can tell: this is not a person you can easily dismiss.

His gaze locks onto you and Miles with an intensity that feels like it could strip you both bare. His eyes, hidden beneath the mask, seem to see straight through you, as though he's already mapped every move you'll make before you've even made it.

The words that spill from his mouth are heavy with meaning, each syllable carrying the weight of other dimensions, of destinies that have yet to be written. "Miles Morales. Y/N Gojo. You're coming with me."

There's no hesitation in his voice, no room for negotiation. It's an order, and the certainty behind it leaves no room for doubt. His tone is laced with something ancient, something that speaks of infinite worlds and a power that stretches across time and space, and just like that, you know this encounter isn't a coincidence.

You feel it deep in your bones—the stakes have just changed.

Miles, who's been equally swept up in this surreal shift in reality, stands frozen for just a second. The shock in his eyes mirrors your own, but there's no time to question. No time to process. You can already sense that the next move is no longer yours to make.

Your hands instinctively hover near your web-shooters, but you don't make a move just yet. You're sizing up the stranger, evaluating his every gesture, his every shift of weight. There's something about him that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up, a sense of knowing that he's not just a threat—he's something more.

"Who are you?" you ask, your voice steady, but there's a sharp edge beneath it. The question isn't just about his identity—it's about understanding what this is, what he wants, and why he seems so sure of himself.

The portal behind him hums, its energy crackling like a living thing, reminding you that there's more at play here than a simple confrontation. You feel the pull of it—the space between the worlds tugging at the very fabric of your reality.

Miles' hand twitches at his side, clearly trying to gauge the situation just as you are. There's no telling who this person is, or what he wants, but you both know one thing for sure: you're not letting anyone control the narrative here—not without a fight.

The stranger's eyes flicker briefly from you to Miles, the moment stretching long enough for the tension to thicken between the three of you. And then, with a smirk that speaks volumes of confidence, he tilts his head slightly, like he's enjoying every second of this interruption to your reunion.

"You'll find out soon enough," he says, voice dripping with something that feels more like a warning than an answer.

And just like that, the world seems to snap back into motion, the streets of the city once again alive with the hum of life—except, now, everything feels different. Now, you're not just two spider-heroes on a break. You're something bigger—something much more dangerous—and this mysterious figure standing before you might just hold the key to an entirely new world of possibilities.

Or threats. You're still figuring that out.

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