Two Sides of the Same coin.
smthn I wrote a while ago....
Brooklyn, unknown alleyway, 10:47 pm.
“Dad? Dad? Please, please just stay alive.”
Miles was dragging his father’s body into an empty alleyway, messy tears streaming down his cheeks. Sobs escaped his lips as the rain poured down on both of them. He settled him against a dumpster before kneeling in front of him, a broken expression plastered on his face. His hand reached over to where His father’s hand was covering the wound. Miles gently moved it away to reveal a bloody gash where the bullet had gone through. A grimace crept onto his features as his eyes averted from the sight. It was bad…real bad. He didn’t know what to do. He was thirteen, for god’s sake, what the hell could he do? Miles gazed into his father’s eyes, watching life slowly drain from them like sand in an hourglass.
No. He could fix this…right? There had to be something he could do. He had to make himself useful in some way. He just needed…help… He needed to get help. The nearest hospital was miles away, so that wasn’t an option. No one was in the alley with him except for his dad.
Miles ran out of the alleyway, glancing both ways at the street. “Help! Help, please! My dad was shot! We need help!” Empty.
A pained groan echoed off the walls, bouncing towards his ears. “Dad!” His legs carried him back to his dad’s side.
For a city so loud, His father’s heavy breathing and the rain hitting the pavement were the only sounds filling his ears.
“Miles?” Jeff’s bloodied hand reached up to grab Miles’s face, leaving a wet, sticky smear of scarlet on his face.
Miles snapped his head and stared down at him. The faint smell of copper reached his nose as blood oozed out of his dad’s body, pooling near his body.“Yeah, Dad?” The younger Morales asked shakily.
“It’s going to be okay…it’s all going to be okay.” Jeff’s jaw clenched as he tried to sit upright. The gash gurgled as his body moved.
Miles cringed at the noise and pushed him back down to a slouched position. “No, no, don't- don't sit up, j-just stay like that. I can fix this.” His eyes scoured around, as if someone would magically appear and help him.
A shuddering gasp left Jeff’s lips as he shifted his glazed-over eyes to look back at Miles. “I love you, Miles…”
Miles nodded anxiously, watching the blood bubble up in the wound. “Yeah, I know, Dad…”
“You have to say it back.”
His eyes closed tightly, not willing to accept the sight in front of him. It was too agonizing to think about. “Dad…you're hurt please…”
Jeff inhaled sharply before exhaling. “Say it. Say: I love you, Dad.”
Miles wiped his face of tears and stumbled on his words. “I-I love you, Dad.”
“That’s a copy.” The light in Jeff's eyes dimmed as he slowly took his last breath.
Miles’s eyes widened as he watched his dad fade away. Tears pooled in his eyes, blinding him.
“Dad? Dad, wake up! No, please wake up!” He shook his dad by the shoulders in desperation, but his dad remained slumped…
“No, no, no, no, no, no, no. NO! I have to get you to a hospital…wake up…please…”
He continued shaking him harder, searching for any sign of life in his father’s body. Anything to prove his mind wrong, anything to prove that he was not dead. But nothing happened. The clouds started to thunder, and the rain poured harder, soaking Miles and his father’s corpse in the night. He could hear the sounds of cars driving down the alleyway, as if the city was moving past this tragedy.
“Why?” Miles choked out. “Why?!”
Miles abruptly let go of the body and shuffled back in fear, covering his mouth with his hand. He didn’t save him…he couldn't save him. He felt pathetic. He should’ve done better; he should've tried harder. A wave of vomit burned the back of Miles’s throat as he glanced back at his father’s lifeless body. How could someone do this? His dad never did anything wrong. He was a police captain, a good man. He had a family.
A family.
His mom.
His mom didn't know any of this had happened. She was probably waiting at home for them to come back—the food she had made had probably gotten cold from being left out on the dining table. She had no idea that her husband was dead. No idea that her son just watched it happen without doing anything. And his uncle…his dad was his best friend, and now he’s just gone.
Miles crashed his fists into the rocky ground, tearing his skin apart. Again. Again. Again. Blood started to spill from his knuckles as rage bubbled up in his body. It hurt, but he deserved it. He deserved to be in pain. It was only a fraction of the agony his dad must have been in. He cried out into the night, hands bruised and bloody from slamming the ground. Ragged breaths came out of his mouth as he stared down at the concrete floor.
It was their fault. The Sinister Six. His dad was trying to investigate them. They did this. They were the reason he was in this alleyway. They were the reason he was kneeling in front of his dad’s dead body. They were the reason for all of this. None of this would have happened. Fury flashed in his eyes. He wanted to do something about them.
Miles stood up and stumbled, almost losing his balance. His hands fumbled in his pockets for his phone, fingers desperately tapping the screen. Mami…Mami…Mami. He found her contact and quickly tapped the call button.
The phone rang before he heard his mom's voice on the other end.
“Mijo? When are you and your dad getting back?”
Miles broke down.
“Mami, algo sucedió”
── .✦
“Eat, Miles.”
Uncle Aaron pushed a plate of reheated arroz conn gandules towards him with a solemn expression. Miles glanced at it and shook his head. He didn’t want to eat, he still felt too nauseous to even stomach anything, not even one of his favorite dishes. His mom was still at the station getting information about the whole situation. He remembered her face when she saw the body. Shattered. She had no words to say; she just burst into tears at the sight of it all.
Miles blanked out after that. It all happened so fast. Police lights flashed around him as he watched the medical examiners wrap up his dad. Detectives bombarded him with questions but he didn’t answer any of them. All the noise around him faded into the background. The whole thing was jarring. It still didn’t seem real to him. The next thing he knew, he was back at home with his uncle, still processing the whole situation.
Aaron sat down in front of Miles, and a wave of concern swept over his features.
“Hey kid…it’s gonna be okay. We’re strong, we're gonna get through this. Me, you, and your mom.”
Miles nodded with a dejected expression on his face. He wanted to believe the words, he really did, but he just couldn’t. He looked over to the extra plate set on the table for his dad before covering his face and standing up.
“I’m just gonna go to my room. I’m tired…” Miles didn’t wait for an answer. It wasn’t like Aaron would say no anyway…
He dragged himself to his room and closed the door behind him before leaning his head back against the frame. It all felt like too much…too much for him to handle. Miles glanced at a photo on his dresser with him and his dad. Emotions started to well up again, and his eyes overflowed. He tried to hold it back, but it all came out again. The feelings of pain, distress, and uselessness all spilled over him in a messy, jumbled puddle.
It wasn’t fair…why did it have to be him? Why couldn’t it have been any other person in the city? Why did he have to watch his dad die in his arms?
Miles stared at his hands; the memory of them being stained with his father’s blood flashed inside his head. His breath hitched as he looked up and saw his dad’s eyes piercing into his heart. Miles looked away in shame.
“I tried…I tried to save you…I should’ve been quicker…I should’ve-” His voice trailed off into nonexistence. There was no point in any of this…it wasn’t like talking to a damn photo would change anything.
His body pushed off the wall and trudged towards the frame holding the picture. His eyes lingered on his dad ruffling his hair, the smiles on both of their faces ingrained into his soul. Miles closed his eyes and faced the frame down.
A soft knock sounded at the door.
“Kid? You still awake in there?”
Aaron. Miles didn’t answer. He didn’t want to.
Aaron continued. “Listen…I know this must have been an extremely rough night for you. I can’t even imagine what you’re going through…watching your dad…” A sigh left his lips. “It’s just too much for a kid, especially for your age.”
Still no answer.
“Look, kid, if there’s anything you wanna do…maybe throw up some of your designs on that empty canvas on the rooftop, just let me know.”
Aaron started to step away from the door before he heard Miles’ voice.
“Uncle Aaron…I know who killed dad…”
Silence passed.
“Who?”
Miles gritted his teeth before speaking. “...The Sinister Six. Dad was looking into their case, and they must’ve found out.”
Aaron took a breath. “Alright then…I’ll- I'll take it to the police.”
A scoff left his lips. “And what are they gonna do? Everyone knows this city's police department has gone to shit. Dad was one of the only good ones left.”
“Miles…there's nothing else we can do.”
‘Nothing else we can do,’ Miles shook his head. There had to be something…something he could do to avenge his dad. Something so that other people wouldn't have to deal with what he went through. Something like…
“I have an idea."
OH MY DAYS WORDS XAN NOT EXPRESS HOW MUCH I HATE THISSS. ITS FROM A FANFIC I WANTED TO WRITE BUT I HAD SO MUCH SCHOOL AND WORK.... I HAVE LIEK ONE MORE CHAPTER SO ILL JUST POST IT....
