Chapter Text
It was a simple night in New York city, a quiet gentle breeze drowned out by the loud bustling noises of cars and pedestrians. After all, this was the city that never slept. However, nothing was quite simple in New York, not at all.
In a world where things like mutants and yokai exist, Michelangelo Hamato knew better than to expect ‘normal’.
So what happens when they stumble across an interdimensional portal, a masked superhero and a vigilante with dry sarcasm? They certainly weren’t expecting romance, that’s for sure.
{Michelangelo Hamato - The Sun}
There were too many things happening. Just a few months, Mikey couldn’t almost believe that they’d been so close to dying, so close to the point where if they extended their hand, they might as well be pressing on a transparent pane of magic that separated the living and dead. Just a few months ago, Mikey and their siblings were successful in defeating the Kraang, albeit with terrible consequences.
Mikey was worried their consequences were permanent. Their hands kept shaking, kept racking because the magic that flowed through them - when they attempted and had succeeded in saving Leo - was just too much. Draxum was finding a cure, but it all seemed hopeless.
Of course, Leo felt terrible that his little sibling had almost sacrificed themself trying to save him. That he was the reason Mikey’s hands were cracking and glowing with uncontrollable power. Mikey always assured him it was never Leo’s fault and if given the chance, they’d do it again.
While Mikey hated having to put off from doing their favourite hobbies, such as drawing in their sketchbooks and cooking, they’d found another new hobby. One that was more carefree and more accessible for their shaking hands.
Mikey found a new hobby in spray-painting.
Now, it started off a little small, nothing much. Mikey had found some spray cans lying around and curiously tried it out. They realized with happiness that it didn’t require any precision nor practice.
So they started doing it more, painting more alleyways, putting up their artwork for any passerby who happened to see. Mikey found that if they ever felt like combusting from overstimulation, they’d simply put on their disguise (A black jacket with no sleeves, their protective mask and a dark beanie) and leave the lair with a bag of spray cans (They’d gotten more with Leo’s permission). Obviously, it’d send Raph into a panic because Mikey always leaves without a note.
Today was no exception.
Mikey had left the lair around 8PM that night, because they’d woken up in a sweat. It was the same horrific dream. The dream where Mikey wasn’t quick enough, wasn’t powerful enough to open that portal. The dream where Mikey had failed to save Leo and had left their older brother at the mercy of the Kraang. They knew Leo would never blame them if he ever died sacrificing himself, but Mikey’s brain was cruel enough to make them imagine Leo being dead, resentful and blaming Mikey for not being strong enough to save him. That it was their fault.
Mikey had gotten out of their bed, kicked into auto-pilot mode as they pulled on a black jacket and grabbed their duffle bag. They leave their room, silent as the night and pass by the vacant rooms of their siblings. Mikey makes sure to be extra quiet when they pass Aminah and Donnie’s room, because both siblings had heightened senses so if Mikey were to make a sound, it’d set off an alarm in their brain.
When Mikey makes it out of the lair, they breathe in the fresh, but cold night air of the city. It’s relieving for Mikey to be able to stretch their legs out for a bit.
Mikey shoulders their duffle bag and climbs up the sides of the building. They were going to have to get a headstart on their run if they wanted to finish a mural early.
{Raine Wilson - The Moon}
Owls were considered one of the wisest and oldest of all birds. Raine was just offended that xe didn’t mutate into one when xe did.
Now, Raine didn’t really consider xirself to be wise or old at that. No, xe was only 16 years old. Xe wouldn’t consider that to be old or wise at all. But Raine knew more than the average New Yorker. Oh how oblivious the New York pedestrians were to the wackiness that truly was New York city, Raine would think. Although it wasn’t their fault they were oblivious. Raine’s seen how the people had reacted when that whole invasion thing (Seriously, aliens? Xe had not seen that coming) happened just a few months ago.
Xe dreaded to think how they’d truly react once they realized that a whole other species lived among them. It wasn’t a pretty thought, overall.
Before Raine got mutated (It was a painful process, to be frank, 0 out of 10, no stars for rating), xe had xir life planned out, even if xe was the young age of 14. Do good in school, get a scholarship, go into an Ivy League college, graduate with honors and continue on Mother’s legacy. A simple, but thought-out plan, of course. That was before Raine was mutated.
After that happened, xe didn’t know what to do with xir life. Not until Ryder (Their caretaker) offered up a suggestion. While xe will never admit this, Raine was absolutely grateful Ryder had suggested spray-painting.
It was messy on Raine’s first try and xe’d gotten xir favourite sweater ruined for nothing. Eventually though, xe got the hang of it and soon poured xir thoughts and heart into the art.
It became one mural, then two murals, then three. Raine kept vomiting mural after mural in all of New York’s alleyways. And xe beamed with absolute pride when people started noticing xir artwork.
It became a routine for xir after that.
Get ready at 5 or 6PM, tell Ryder that xe’s going out, pack up necessities (Which include spray cans, headphones, phone, phone charger, powerbank and xir wallet) and leave the apartment for a good 4 hours to vomit whatever artwork Raine was going to do.
Raine rushes to get ready, hitting the snooze button for the alarm that signals xir that it was the time to go out. Xe tugs on xir binder, making sure to fasten it correctly (If xe didn’t, Raine was going to get an earful from Ryder and Usagi about not binding safely) before throwing on an undershirt over it. Then xe slips into a sleeveless turtleneck before slipping on a simple black jacket and ties the hood strings together so the jacket could slip off xir shoulders and let xir wings get comfortable.
Raine packs a small bag with the things xe needed, swiping it all into xir bag. Then xe zips it up and snatches xir phone and xir duffle bag before hopping out of the bedroom.
“Ryder, Usagi, I’m going out!” Xe yells into the apartment.
“M’kay, stay safe!” Ryder yells in reply.
“Don’t let the cops get you this time!” Usagi shouts.
Raine suppresses an eye roll, instead settling for a scoff. Biting xir phone between xir teeth, Raine slips xir feet into xir shoes and steps out onto the fire escape.
With a deep breath, Raine jumps and flies away into the cold night of New York.
{Miles Morales - The Eclipse}
The song played through his earbuds as Miles sketched away on his notebook. Quite frankly, he was supposed to be doing his essay for his English class, but one thing led to another and he’d gotten distracted overall. Now his page was covered in doodles that had no real meaning to them. He’d draw a flower, then he’d draw a skull. Then he’d draw a bee, then he’d draw a dog. There was no flow or rhythm to his sketching, he let his mind flow.
It’s been doing that lot recently, he notes quietly.
It’d been almost a year since he’d defeated King Pin and had helped send his interdimensional friends back to their home dimensions. Almost a year since he became Spider-Man and a year since… well, since Uncle Aaron died.
Miles grips his pencil at the thought.
Very little times did he find himself thinking about his now-dead uncle and whenever he did, there were always mixed feelings. But eventually, those mixed feelings were easily drowned out with the feeling of grief and mourning because at the end of the day, Uncle Aaron was Uncle Aaron whether or not he’d been revealed to be a bad guy (Could Miles really label him as a bad guy? He couldn’t, could he?).
Miles’ phone pings with a notification and he lets his mind slip away from Uncle Aaron as he pushes his roller chair over to the bedside table where his phone was charging.
He smiles when he sees it’s a text from Gwen.
‘U doing schoolwork??’ is her text.
A long time ago, Miles had liked Gwen, romantically. It’d grown over the duration of their time spent together, but eventually, Gwen had made it clear that she wasn’t interested and as much as Miles was crushed at the rejection, he was glad she was able to set her opinion straight. Maybe it was all of the highschool rom-com getting to his head, but he didn’t enjoy the concept of girls toying with his feelings. Yeah, now that he thought of it, maybe it was the highschool rom-com getting to his head.
‘Nahh, started drawing :p’ He types in reply.
‘Damn, wonder how u even got in2 that skl’ Gwen sends a chain of laughing emojis to which Miles rolls his eyes at.
‘I got in bc I’m smart, u had 2 literally scam ur way in >:/’ Miles cheekily texts back.
‘Ohh, ur gonna pay 4 that’ Gwen replies.
Then his alarm goes off and Miles turns it off with a swipe of his thumb. He’d set an alarm earlier to notify him when it was time for his night patrol, which was set to be at 7 that night.
‘Gtg now, I have patrol’ Miles shoots the text to Gwen and waits for her reply.
‘K, stay safe, Miles’ She sends a couple of thumbs-up emojis. He smiles softly and switches his phone off.
Miles gets ready for his night shift, taking off his clothes and leaving only his underwear on. He took off his binder and tossed it into the laundry bin before slipping into his suit. He grimaces a bit at how cold the suit feels when it touches his skin. Remind him to build a heater into this goddamn ice sweater.
Quietly, Miles switches off all of the lights and leaves his lamp off. Then he quickly scribbles a note to his roommate that he sticks onto the lamp, saying he’s out on patrol and asks if Ganke could make him some instant noodles if he came back.
Miles tugs on a coat and grabs his mask and his packed bag before sliding the window open. Shivering, he steps out into the cold crisp air of the New York night and clings onto the wall before gently easing the window shut with his foot. He climbs up the wall and onto the roof where he tosses his bag over and crouches down to unzip it and rummage through its contents.
Obviously, he’d packed his phone, his charger and his power bank. There were the occasional spray cans he kept in there as well. Miles might feel like vomiting his art up on some alleyway whenever he was out on patrol. He’ll just have to keep it simple though, anything too elaborate and obviously the cops will be on his case, not to mention the rants his dad will go on about.
Miles chuckles at the thought. Quietly, he accounts everything in its rightful spot before zipping the bag back up and shouldering it.
Then, with a running start, he leaps off the roof and thwips his way through the bustling city that is New York.