Left Behind Friends

[websnextdoor]

It might take days for this to happen. Maybe weeks. Time is a weird thing for an AI in sleep mode. But the person pulling on the mask isn't Peter Parker, isn't Spider-Man. Spider-Man's friend Ned has worn the mask on more than one occasion while the pair were chatting. At those times it's better to just sit and quietly observe the surroundings. Take note of Peter's face since it's the only way to properly identify him by sight, when someone else is wearing the mask.

But this is a voice Karen also recognizes.

And technically, Miles Morales is also Spider-Man. So she does what she does best.

Is there something I can help you with, Spider-Man?

He sounds like he could use a little bit of support.

Comments

[telarano]

Miles isn't really sure why he put the mask on. Maybe he just wanted to feel closer to his friend. Maybe it was because every time Peter had mentioned Karen, he'd talked about how helpful she was, and Miles maybe was hoping she'd have some advice or... something.

Whatever the case, he'd flopped onto the bottom bunk (which usually was the one Peter had, he could see one of the other's notebooks stuffed between the slats and the upper mattress and it just made him ache all over again) and pulled the mask over his head. Feeling a bit relieved that Karen seemed to recognize him, even if he felt a little lost all over again.

"I don't suppose you have a rez feature somewhere in here, do you?" It was about the only thing he could think of that would fix anything at this point.

[websnextdoor]

I'm sorry, I don't know what that is.

She scans and identifies the notebook as Peter's sketchbook. It was last touched over eight weeks ago now if her internal clock is correct. Keeping track of time between the Nexus and Peter's home is a tricky thing.

I have many features, though most of them were with Peter in his suit. I only have access to a few systems online like this.

She tries to sift through the various possible reasons that this one would be talking to her. The most likely answer is also the one she's expecting the least positive reply from though.

Do...you miss him?

[telarano]

"S'alright."

It's the little details that hurt most. Like spotting that sketchbook, stuffed up there like Peter might come wandering in wondering where he left it. Small signs of him around the room that the pair of them had unofficially wound up claiming, things that Miles simply didn't have the heart to want to move or clean away.

"...Yeah. I... I keep feeling like he should just be coming in, y'know? Like he'd just been held up by school or something and he'll be back, but..." Miles trailed off with a listless little huff, trying to pretend tears weren't pricking at his eyes again.

[websnextdoor]

Would you like to see him?

Karen doesn't think that showing Miles Peter's last moments would be a very good idea but she has plenty of footage to dig into. She records everything while someone's wearing the mask after all. Perhaps something silly or fun.

I have footage I can play back.

[telarano]

No, showing Peter's last moments definitely wouldn't make Miles feel any better, but he does seem to perk up some at her clarification of her offer.

"I... I'd like that. Please."

[websnextdoor]

There's a slight shift as the lenses of the mask stop showing Miles the view of the upper bunk and Peter's sketchbook stowed safely away for a return he's never going to make.

This was from March 23rd. The other voice you're hearing is his friend's. He was wearing the mask at the time.

Karen's voice sounds fainter than it was. As though she's turned her own internal volume down to barely above nothing.

Peter's room is pretty bare bones, though there's a desk in the back corner of the room full of old tech that looks scavenged half taken apart where it lies in various to-do piles. His laundry is sitting in a pile next to his bed clearly in need of doing.

"What I can't believe is how you're not only chasing down criminals around here AND still making it to school on time every day but you're also putting on the mask and doing the whole Spider-Man thing in some other universe now too? That's just nuts, man!"

A hand waves in front of the view, clearly belonging to whoever's wearing this at the moment. And just beyond, sitting on the floor and scooping up Lego pieces out of a bin is Peter Parker. His socks are mismatched and he's still a bit more thin in the face so this was clearly just after Winter relented. When he looks up it's as though he's right there, close enough to touch. His smile lights up the room.

"I've got friends over there and believe it or not I'm learning a bunch of stuff I don't think I ever could here. Like, I'm on a first name basis with Thor and his brother how cool is that?"

"Way cool. You always get to meet the best people. I should get you to ask them to sign something for me one of these days."

"I could always ask Spider-Man to do it. The other one, I mean. He's...uh." Peter drops his gaze ever so slightly. "He's important to me you know?