Who: Miles and Shuri What: Miles appears out of nowhere When: July 1, morning Where: Shuri’s House Rating: low (vague spoilers for Across the Spiderverse)
Learning you were a bad guy in another universe sucked. It really did. Especially when you needed to go back to your universe and find your dad, but you were stuck staring into a much angrier version of yourself.
The other Miles feigned a punch, but it worked. Miles flinched. He closed his eyes for a moment to brace himself for the hit, but when no hit came, he opened his eyes and he was… alone? In an entirely different room than he’d been in previously and it didn’t look like it was the middle of the night. And yet, he was still tied to a punching bag and suspended from the ceiling. Great.
“Hello?” He called out because what did he have to lose? He was still dressed in his Spider-Man Suit, minus the mask, but that was the least of his worries right now.
Shuri happened to be in her kitchen, fixing herself breakfast when she heard a voice she didn’t recognize. The hell? She had a cup of oolong tea in her hand and made her way to the living room, somewhat concerned.
She blinked. “Who are you? What is happening? Why are…oh Bast, you’re new aren’t you?” Shuri set down her tea on an end table.
“I’m Shuri. Who are you?”
He tried to turn a little to see the person who was talking better which worked, but also meant that he didn’t just turn a little, the boxing bag started to slowly turn and continue to do so. Of course she was a hot Black woman.
“I, uh -” He cleared his throat and tried again, but this time tried to sound cooler… even if he was still tied up. “My name is -” He paused because the bag turned away from Shuri and he waited until he spun around. Once he could see her again, he finished, “ - Miles. Miles Morales.”
Shuri left to go get scissors and returned, confusion still evident on her face. She wasted no time in cutting him off the punching bag, but because Shuri was still Shuri, she didn’t try to catch him. Partly because she still held sharp objects in her hand.
“Hello Miles Morales. Can I get you a cup of coffee or tea?” She set down the knife and scissors, allowing him time to hopefully adjust to not being tied up any longer.
“I’d ask why you’re wearing a Spiderman outfit, but I’m gonna guess you’re a version of Spiderman.” Shuri saw no reason to pretend like she didn’t know the young man’s identity.
He could have, should have, landed majestically. Normally he had the ability to do so, but he was so confused as to where he was and who Shuri was that he landed onto the ground in a pile. He was, however, quite to get back up on his feet.
Miles opened his mouth to answer the drink question, but before he could, she mentioned Spider-Man and that was when he realized he was in his suit, but had his face uncovered. “What?” He said it like he hadn’t just been found out. He even tried to hide his the logo on his chest, though only for a moment before he realized the jig was up. Once he realized that, he sighed and let his arms go down. “Uh, yeah.. I’m uh, from Earth 1610? Do you… know which one I’m in now?” Because he hadn’t been to his actual one. “I’m trying to get back home?” He paused. “Are you a Spider-Woman to?” The idea of different Spider-Mans was clearly something Miles knew about already.
Shuri watched, bemused with a grin. She couldn’t imagine Peter being quite that uncoordinated, but also she hadn’t witnessed his appearing in her living room tied up to a punching bag before.
She deadpanned, “I think the outfit gave you away.” A headache began to form and Shuri rubbed her temples. “You’re on…Earth I don’t know which one, and now you’re in Indiana. In a Dome really.” A shrug. “Also you’re not the only Spiderman. No. I’m Shuri, Princess of Wakanda and now Black Panther.” After sitting on the couch, she sipped her tea and then heard the expected knock on the door. At least the Welcoming Committee didn’t barge into the house.
“Come in.”
Well at least she didn’t make a comment about the red on the sides of his body like all the other Spider-People had. He obviously thought it looked good.
“Well, I know I’m not the only one. I like, was brought to this world that had hundreds and hundreds of us? You wouldn’t believe some of the v– Did you say Wakanda? Like Wakanda Wakanda?” He blinked. Then realized he was just standing there in front of royalty. He glanced around, then back at her. “Should I, uh -” He did a little half bow while asking, “-bow? Or?” He had no idea what to do in front of royalty. He barely knew what to do in front of important people.
His thoughts were interrupted by people at the door. Suddenly he had a new phone and a credit card and… Shuri was his guardian? He glanced back to the Princess of Wakanda with quiet trepidation. He felt like maybe he should apologize for some reason?
“Please no bowing.” Bowing made the princess feel uncomfortable. “But yes, that Wakanda.” Oh boy. She actually liked the suit a lot.
After the welcoming committee person nodded at Shuri and left, Shuri let out a sigh. “So, it looks like we’ll be living together. Come on. You might as well have some food.” Besides, her breakfast had gotten cold at this point and she still wanted to eat it. At least it was just a slice of toast to go with yoghurt and berries.
“So Miles, besides existing in a world with a lot of Spider people, what else should I know about you?”
He followed because even if he wasn’t always hungry because he was Spider-Man, he was also a growing 15 year-old boy. “Well, technically in my world there’s only one Spider-Man? But then the universe has like a bagillion versions of Earth and in a lot of them there’s Spider-People?” He wasn’t sure how he could explain there was a car Spider-Man easily so he decided to leave it at that. “Uh, but other than that?”
He paused, though kept following and rubbing the back of his head as he thought. What else did she need to know? Being Spider-Man was pretty much the most interesting thing about him, at least according to Miles. He wasn’t sure he wanted to mention he helped create a really bad villain who might be destroying the multiverse. That seemed like a bad first impression. “I go to school? And like music and I do art.” He wasn’t sure how Shuri felt about graffiti just yet so he didn’t say his specific medium.
Miles was scrolling through the new phone and he found the network. He came across a few names he knew and suddenly let out a very fluent, “¡No me digas!” He glanced up. “Some of the Avengers are here too? So cool.”
Shuri shook her head. Didn’t that sound complicated? “So you’re a Spiderperson then?” She started to pull some food out of the fridge and then followed up with, “What do you like to eat?”
“Well, summer break just happened, so you’re good on the school front until it starts again. What grade will you be entering?” Shuri fixed a fruit bowl and sipped at her tea.
“Yes, they are.” She tilted her head. “We’ve got quite a few and they’re welcoming.” Wasting no time, the Wakandan pulled out the ingredients for Shashouka. At this point, Shuri wanted more than the slice of toast she no longer wanted to eat.
“Well, I’m Spider-Man. Like, in my world. But my friend Gwen is Spider-Woman in her world. In a lot of worlds it’s someone named Peter Parker.” There was a lull as Miles thought about his Peter Parker and how his death was essentially his fault and then what Miguel said and - Miles closed his eyes tight for a moment and willed the bad thoughts away. He opened his eyes and smiled as if that helped solve every problem.
“I was just finishing up my sophomore year… so I guess that means I’ll start in eleventh grade?” Missing his exams sounded A-Ok with Miles. He wasn’t bad at school or anything and would have done fine, but tests still sucked even if you could pass them.
“Do you, uh, what help?” Not that Miles was good at cooking or could tell what she was going to make.
“How long have you been here?”
Shuri nodded. “That’s cool. I mean the part where Spiderwomen exist and not just Spidermen.” She wondered if in a world a nonbinary person found themselves as Spider…person? Spiderfolk? Okay, the Wakandan needed to refocus her attention.
“Eleventh sounds about right. Nope, no help necessary.” Shuri reached into her cupboard and pulled out a can of tomatoes. She kept a few handy for mornings she wanted a more filling breakfast.
“I’ll call the school and make sure there isn’t anything specifically I need to do to enroll you.” After pulling out the rest of the ingredients, Shuri realized they’d have to rely on a loaf of bread from the grocery store.
“This time? A couple months. Last time the Dome kept me for about a year. But, I believe I was here before the last time. I don’t remember that time.” Strange, really.
“Wait so people come and go here sometime and… come back without memories too?” Miles was starting to get a headache. He had just wrapped his head around the whole spiderverse thing and canon events… and now this?
With nothing to do to help, Miles took a seat at the table. He was silent and thoughtful for a moment or two as he stared at the table top. “I’m glad home sort of just freezes while we’re here. I need to find my dad and warn him that he’s in danger.”
“Yes. It’s hard to tell who will come back with memories and who won’t. I know my friend’s sire has been here a few times, but I don’t think he retained his memories, whereas I did between the last time and now.” Not that Shuri cared. “I’ve been wanting to investigate the reasons for it, but that’s not where my strengths lie.” She did better with engineering and tech.
She lit her stove and began cooking down the garlic and spices. “Why is your dad in danger?” Shuri’s ache at knowing she’d go home and none of her family would remain hurt her heart in a way she couldn’t describe. Only through sheer force of will did the Wakandan not cry at the moment, instead focusing on the food.
“Did you just say ‘friend’s sire’?” He had heard that right… right?
The question about his dad made him pause, then, perhaps showing his age, he started to pick at an invisible thing on the table while he mustered up the words. “He’s the chief of police. Like, he just got promoted? And apparently it’s a ‘canon event’ that the chief of police has to die in ever Spider-Person’s timeline…” He grumbled the last part, obviously not too happy with that and there was definitely a look of rebellion on his face like ‘I’m not about to let my dad die, thank you.’
“Yes. My friend Irina is a vampire. Her sire, Klaus, just got sent home.” Shuri should reach out to Irina and check on her, in all honesty. “So we have superhero types, god types, witches, werewolves, vampires, a person from Wonderland. You’ll meet various people and supernatural creatures.” She poured the tomatoes into the pan, breaking them with a spoon while stirring.
“I’m so sorry. My baba also died and I can’t imagine…” Shuri didn’t finish her sentence, seeing no reason to do so. “I understand why you need to save him.”
“Vampire.” Miles realized that Gwen had said Miguel was a vampire, but it wasn’t like Miles had gotten to know the guy really well before he was running away from him to go try to save his dad. Of course, the whole ‘sire’ thing made things a little more ‘real’ and he tried not to picture someone doing the whole blood exchange thing because - gross.
“Okay… so, that’s… something.” Maybe it seemed weird considering he’d been in a world here he’d seen almost any sort of Spider-Man imaginable, but it was still a little weird to hear so casually… again. But Miles quickly adapted. He did make a note to try not to get bit by anything until he figured out how werewolves and vampires worked here. Also - gods?
At the mention of her father dying, Miles offered one of those thin smiles that was sympathetic - like I’m sorry that happened. He wasn’t sure how to say that in person because it seemed still pretty raw to Shuri and Miles had a hard time really letting the idea of his dad dying sink in so it seemed easier to say things silently.
“Not everyone seems to think so -” He shrugged. “- but I’m tired of trying to do what everyone else says I need to do. So I’m going to try my own thing. At least when I get back.” A pause. “And here, I guess, only in a different way.”
There was another pause as the idea of him being here alone sunk in. “...I can’t believe I’m actually away from my parents for like, an indefinite and probably long time.” Despite wanting his freedoms like any other teen, he loved his parents and he could realize even now he was going to miss his mother’s over-bearingness.
“You’ll eventually get used to it,” Shuri commented, not unkindly. She added a little more seasoning, before making wells in the tomatoes. “How many eggs do you usually eat and how well done do you want them?”
For Shuri losing her baba sucked, but she’d had her mother and brother. Now, she would go home to neither. Still she said nothing about her grief.
“Good. You should do what feels right to you.” Shuri rarely did what she should.
“I’m sorry they aren’t here. I’ll do my best to help you and support you.” While still young herself, Shuri wanted to make this place nice for Miles.
Would he? He probably would. Shuri didn’t strike Miles as someone who would lie to a kid. At least about something like that. Plus it was probably like anything else - you adapted because you had to. Still, it was definitely weird.
“Uh. Well,I’ve never really had whatever you’re making - though it smells great. So however you like them, I’ll go with that.” He was much more familiar with Spanish dishes.
“Thanks Shuri. I, uh, also promise not to be too much of a pain in the butt? I mean… probably easier since you already know I’m Spider-Man - is there a lot of crime here?” That would also depend on how much of a pain he’d end up being.
Also he was going to need clothes so he didn’t walk around in his suit all the time.
Shuri didn’t generally see a reason for lying at all. What would that accomplish? Besides, as a royal, people listened to her, especially with her brain.
She nodded and cracked four eggs into the wells. Her trick included sticking the pan into the oven for one minute to broil once they began cooking. So she started the oven.
“Nope. Not much crime, especially not when you have a bunch of superheroes in one place. We’ll go get you clothes after we eat.” A grin. “As a pain in the butt younger sister, I promise you won’t be as bad.” And then Shuri remembered and almost felt sick.
“I guess I’m okay with not a lot of crime. I mean… It probably would be bad of anyone to wish chaos on a place.” And yet, he wondered if he was going to be able to be Spider-Man here. He liked being useful.
He noticed a change in Shuri and sat up a little straight. “Is… everything okay?” Had he said something wrong?
A shake of her head. “No. It’s nothing you said. I just remembered what I will go back home to if and when the Dome decides to send me back.” Shuri checked the food and placed the pan in the oven to cook the eggs a bit more.
“No, let’s not wish crime on this place. The Dome throws enough shit at us as it is.”
The timer dinged and Shuri pulled out the pan. “Plates are in that cupboard if you want to grab them.
Miles had to wonder what Shuri had to deal with when she went back home, but he had enough sense in him not to ask that question. At least not when he just met her. That seemed like something someone far more familiar might ask.
He stood up and went for the plates. “Okay, but now I hope you give me a run down for what stuff this place throws at us.” Miles like to be prepared. Though his stomach growled in answer first - talk and eat, apparently.