Report Blog Entry
Percy stormed out of Miguel's office with the loud slam of the metallic doors, walking swiftly through the chalk white pillars that danced around the walkway of Spider Headquarters. Their eyes stung with hot tears, clouding their vision as they barely weaved their way through a crowd of other Spider-People following the opposite direction of traffic. Warmth streamed down Percy's cheeks, weakly punching their emotions back inside of them. They hugged themself tightly and scrunched their nose in a snarl while continuing on their rushed path, the piercing stares of the masks around them making them want to curl into themselves and hide away forever. Percy would give anything to be invisible at this very moment, maybe even they could disappear and have no one notice. Maybe they could crawl into some back corner and learn how to survive there, like they had to at the labs of Oscorp.
Before they could even continue further down their spiral, Percy found themselves slamming full force into a taller figure and falling to the ground with a loud thump. They opened their mouth to bark something at the stick thin figure towering over them, quickly stopping once they recognized a foggy outstretched hand offering to lift them back to their feet.
"Quite a fall you jus' took there, yeah?" He casually remarked.
His accent was thick, yet gentle enough to soothe someone to sleep. His spider-suit was nothing but a chaotic mess, if you could even call it that. It had the usual red base with a blue torn crop top and diy-ed denim jacket decorating his shoulders with spikes, his lanky legs dressed in a pair of plaid pants sprinkled with hand sewn patches, and bright red boots with blue laces stood up to the middle of his shins. From what Percy could tell everything he wore was made himself. Even his blue suspenders that dangled from his waist looked like he had sewn them himself.
"I-I-" Percy stumbled over their words, grabbing the punk's hand to regain their balance, "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry for, um- bumping into you. I wasn't really watching w-where I was walking."
They tried to distract themself from the embarrassment of the situation, averting their gaze onto anyone else who would walk around the two standing in the middle of the pathway. They could feel the stranger's gaze burning into their core as their tail tucked between their legs.
"No offense taken 'ere." His expression was calm, seemingly care free of those around them, "You got a name? You've been nothin' but nervous since I saw you walkin' down this way."
They shrunk into themself more as he asked their name, their voice small and shaky from crying, "Percy... Percy Parker." They sniffled quietly, quickly wiping more tears that tried to escape their eyes.
"I'm 'obie." He replied, using the spiked watch on his wrist to open up a familiar orange portal behind him. "Go through this portal and we'll have a more private place to talk."
Percy's nose scrunched into a growl yet again, backing away from him cautiously, "How do I know you're not going to trap me somewhere? How do I know I can trust you when we just met!"
Before they could back away any further Hobie grabbed their hand and pulled them through the portal, quickly transporting them back to his own home in one swift movement. It took a couple blinks for them to process that they were now in a new location, "W... What? Where are we?!"
"Oi, calm down, you're safe… We're in my flat, that's all." The taller man spoke with a soothing tone to his voice, "I noticed you were cryin' and jus’ wanted to talk. Everyone heard you comin’ out of the big guy's office." He explained.
"The big guy?" Their gaze pinned onto him like a frightened animal.
Hobie rolled his eyes and turned to rummage through his bedside drawer covered with an assortment of jewelry and metal pieces, "Miguel. This isn't the first time he's... disagreed with someone, let's say that."
Percy stayed vigilant, closely tracking his movements around the room. They decided to take the time to take in their surroundings after not paying attention before, grounding themselves would help them release tension. It was more quiet here, so now they can actually focus their senses. The walls were painted a navy blue, most of it being plastered with punk band posters or political artwork Hobie did himself. The closet door he left open revealed more diy clothing he wore casually, sparkling with countless spikes and studs on denim items whether it be more jackets or crust pants decorated with more patches. Their breath began to slowly mellow out, so they kept going. As for his bed, the pillows were also a navy blue color like his walls, and the comforter was messily thrown on it. It matched his pants with the same plaid pattern, a white underbelly showing from the folded corner. They couldn't exactly see the sheets clearly enough but they looked like a rose grey underneath. Almost everything he owned was handmade to some degree, the only thing being bought was the base furniture. Even his own lampshade was a bunch of upcycled materials and fabrics he threw together.
As their body began to relax Percy finally got a better glance at the punk's actual face. Neither of them had been wearing their masks but they couldn't clearly see his facial features through their blurry vision earlier. His resting expression was sharp, his cheek bones looking like strikes reaching towards his lips. Additionally they were plump, and anytime he spoke they nearly touched the bottom of his wide nose. His eyes were a deep brown to match his skin, and his eyebrows framed them with thin stripes. Both of them were dressed beautifully with piercings on either side. He had multiple piercings which all followed the curves of his lips and nose, his face being topped off with varying sizes of wicks he happily styled himself. It made Percy almost enamored with just looking at him, so much so they didn't notice how long they were staring until they were spooked out of their thought's by Hobie's voice.
"Enjoying the view?" He chuckled at them.
A faint blush painted their cheeks as their tail gave a tiny wag at his comment, "Ah- sorry, I don't mean to stare. I just didn't clearly see what you looked like before."
He nodded with a smile, walking over to sit on the side of his unorganized bed, "I'm sure you couldn't see a thing while cryin' like that. Speakin’ of... would it be too personal to ask what happened back there? With you 'n Miguel, I mean."
He motioned with his head for them to come sit down with him, Percy quickly catching on and making themselves as comfortable as they possibly can in their purple puffer coat. They really couldn't criticize Hobie's suit too much either when their own was just about as layered.
Once they got comfortable they shook their head in response and curled their tail beside them, "No, I wouldn't mind..."
Now that they were more calm they could properly tell the story of how they ended up at Spider Headquarters in the first place. It all began because they had rescued their father from a lab fire, which resulted in Miguel bringing them to his universe because they apparently deviated from what he called a canon event. They were supposed to let their father die, but because they refused to they ripped another hole in the multiverse. They didn't know any of this and didn't know they were even supposed to let that happen. Cut to his office and now they're going back and forth about why Percy can't join the rest of the spider people in the multiverse crew. They thought if they could work with others like them then maybe they could try to solve the problem. Unfortunately this only resulted in them being rejected, and boiled down to nothing but a "mindless animal" as Miguel put it. Peter ended up having to split the two up and see Percy out, or rather let them storm out.
"Jesus." Hobie looked at them, bewildered, "He really called you that?"
They nodded nervously as another quiet sniffle escaped them, "That kind of thing tends to be a sensitive spot for me. Back home I get othered a lot because I'm a mutant. I understand why they treat me that way, it's out of fear, but-"
"Doesn't mean you deserve that type of treatment." He cut in, shrugging while his expression stayed nonchalant. He fidgeted with something in his gloved hands as he continued, "And that applies to anyone. You're still a person, whether human or not. I personally don't think any bein’ should be seen as lesser for any reason."
Percy searched his face as tears welled up in their eyes again, wiping them away with the sleeves of their coat, "S-Sorry- I've never had anyone say that b-before... It means a lot to know o-others don't see me as some freak..."
"'ey, no need to apologize to me. Just speakin' truths. Miguel as a grown man especially shouldn't be sayin’ that," Hobie looked down at the watch he's been using as a fidget toy for the entire conversation in silence for a few moments, a smirk slowly creeping up on his cheeks the more he looked at it.
"W-What is it?" Percy asked, their teary eyed expression becoming puzzled. They didn't take notice to the watch in his hands until they caught the punk looking down at it, the spikes shimmering in their wet vision. It was hand made. They began to put the pieces together, catching on now, "Wait- are you thinking about making me a watch?"
"I've made them tons before, why not make one for you?" He gestured to them.
"Really? We barely even know each other!" They giggled through their sniffles, "Are you sure you even want to do that for me?"
Hobie scoffed and tossed his own watch for Percy to catch, getting up from his bed to show the parts he dug out from rummaging around in his drawer before, "Already 'ad it prepared. So, yes, I am more than sure I want to do that for you. Seems unfair to kick you out of Spider HQ when the big guy will let in other rookies and new spider-people," He put the pieces down onto a desk covered in more tools parallel to the bedside table in his room, "I take parts from his office to make these things, pretty simple once you get the 'ang of it, really."
You could see the room brighten as a smile split open on Percy's face, happily rushing over to his side to watch him make their watch. Their tail couldn't help but to wag excitedly behind them, making Hobie laugh at their puppy-like joy. They watched for the full hour that it took to not only make the watch, seeing every little screw, knot, and bolt put together, but to also customize it to match their orange and red striped spider-suit they wear on the job. The band was painted the same coral orange with a dark red stripe down the middle, and the screen was held in a black case to match their mask. The rooms smell was now suffocated with paint chemicals, but it was totally worth it by the time their watch was finished.
"Now that its done..." Hobie put his hand out for his own watch, Percy happily handing it to him with a small wag, "I can add my own contact into it. If you'd like that, of course."
Their eyes grew wide and they nodded quickly, "Yes please. Is it like cross dimensional texting?" they looked at him curiously.
He nodded and began to carefully type in his own contact information into Percy's new watch, "Exactly. Basically while you're at 'ome, you can still chat with me! That way Miguel doesn't 'ave to get suspicious of either of us sneakin' around. He tries to keep a close eye on who travels where. Kind of like a tracking thing, an' you can get in big trouble for not doing somethin' he says you aren't supposed to," He waved his hands in a side to side motion, lowering them to put one of them out for Percy's wrist, "Anyway, lets see if it fits."
They excitedly tapped their feet as they carefully allowed him to grab their wrist and place the watch over it, tightening the strap to fit over their coat sleeve with ease. Their canine nose twitched at the new paint smell, but they gave their wrist a flex and turn around to carefully observe the new device on their arm.
"I'll have to get used to this, but... thank you," Percy smiled and wagged at him, "It really means a lot."
Hobie smiled back in return, his lip ring shining with his teeth back at the happy puppy standing next to him, "'ey, don't mention it. I like to 'elp when I can. 'Sides, you seem like you'd be lovely to talk more to. Send me a message when you get 'ome, yeah?"
Percy nodded in return and carefully navigated the new device to open another orange portal like before, this one now leading back to their own dimension with their Aunt May. They took a couple steps into it before turning around and waving at Hobie as they walked into the mouth of the portal backwards, the orange glow swallowing them before closing and leaving the punk's room completely silent. While he had a few calm minutes to himself he took the time to flop back onto his messy bed with a breathy grunt. A content sigh escaped him as he melted into the bed, only for his attention to be grabbed by a message he got on his watch. It was Percy.
"I'm back home :)" It read.
"Glad you got back safely"
Author's Note:
If you'd like to support this fic elsewhere I also put it on Tumblr and AO3!
Comments
Displaying 0 of 0 comments ( View all | Add Comment )