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It takes two days for things to happen.
When they do, no one is prepared for it.
/------------/
Jefferson steps out of the precinct, hat in his hand and ready to start his patrol. He considers dropping by Visions and seeing if Miles wants to go get lunch with him. Normally he doesn’t patrol around during actual class hours unless something major has happened (one of the few limits Jefferson put on his extracurricular activities when everything had finally settled down).
The roar of a motorcycle engine makes him look up from his phone. There’s something about the rider – tall and slim and completely covered, with his face hidden by a full helmet – that makes him uneasy.
Miles has his spider-sense. Jefferson has years on the job. Sometimes, a cop has to trust his gut.
He’s on the ground and sheltered behind his car before the driver pulls out a gun and opens fire.
The rate of fire means it must be an automatic. The weapon would have to be small and compact, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to drive and shoot. Jefferson never gets the chance to shoot back. The driver is around the corner and gone by the time the hail of bullets stop.
Slowly, Jefferson stands up and surveys the damage around him.
So much for an easy day.
/------------/
General consensus is the perp just wanted to shoot a cop, and Jefferson was an easy target. Chief Yu doesn’t think that, not with Fisk out and the Prowler back, although why Fisk would lock on to Jefferson is a bit of a mystery. He warns Jefferson to be extra vigilant, but he doesn’t assign a partner to help watch his back.
Honestly, he doesn’t need to. There are six Spiders more than willing to do the job.
Yu looks at the small black Spider as he perches on the top of Jefferson’s cruiser. Jefferson hasn’t walked outside yet. Yu hopes to make this quick.
“I don’t know if Officer Davis told you about the incident the other day?”
“I found out.” Spiderman replies, voice dark. He’s trembling slightly, body pulled tight, and Yu thinks he might be afraid. “You know that wasn’t a random shooting, right?”
“I know.” Yu sighs. “Look, Davis is a good cop. He looked after you while you were hurt. I’m asking you to look after him. You and your friends, if you can get them in on it.”
The mask twists, and Yu thinks he might be smirking. “You don’t have to tell us how to do our jobs. No le haran dano.”
It clicks in Yu’s head that the small spider isn’t scared. He’s furious. Whatever Jefferson has done/is doing, he’s earned the trust of this small super-powered kid, and maybe even his companions. Slowly, he smiles.
“I believe you.”
/--------------/
Jefferson is a cop; he’s used to getting shot at. Being specifically targeted is something new, but the general feeling is one he’s familiar with.
What he’s not familiar with is someone threatening his family. That’s a whole different level of terror.
The threat doesn’t come in the form of bullets or letters. Just an envelope stuffed with photos – pictures of Rio, of Jefferson, of Miles. Jefferson finds the phots spread out on their bed, Rio pouring over them like she’s looking for something in them, and he thinks he knows what it is.
“Nothing of Spiderman.” he says quietly.
Rio shakes her head. “He’s in there, but only with you. I haven’t seen the others. Mi amor, what happens if he makes the connection?” She looks up at him, eyes wide, and he wishes he had an answer.
“Miles is careful.” he says finally. “If that happens, we’ll deal with it.”
If it was him doing the surveillance, he wouldn’t let the target know he’d found out until it was too late for them to do anything about it. He doesn’t tell that to Rio, though.
From the way she’s looking at the pictures, he thinks she already knows.
/-------------/
It’s just Peter, Gwen, and Miles perched up on top of one of the skyscrapers that night. It’s cold, breath steaming the air despite the masks, and Peter finds himself vaguely wishing it would just give up and snow already.
Gwen’s quiet voice cuts through his thoughts. “Noir’s been keeping an ear to the ground. Best he found out, once Kingpin got out of jail, he realized Jefferson was the cop that was down there in the collider. Noir can’t confirm it, but he thinks someone told Kingpin who Aaron is, too.” Miles nods, sitting on the edge of the roof and staring down at the streets. Gwen glances at Peter and sits down next to him. “It would explain why Jefferson is a target now.”
Miles pulls up his mask, and the others follow suit. The boy closes his eyes for a moment before speaking. “I figured that much. Mom’s worried Prowler is gonna make the connection between me and Spiderman.”
Gwen nods. “And you think he already has.”
“Yep.”
“If he has, it won’t take him long to make his move.” Peter muses. “Whoever this guy is, he’s impatient. He’s probably trying to make a name for himself or earn Kingpin’s trust. Either way, he’s going to make his play before too long.” He glances down at Miles.
He doesn’t need the bond to know what’s going through the kid’s head. He almost looks as blank as he felt that night he showed up on MJ’s doorstep (and if that wasn’t the scariest damn thing Peter had ever been through, he doesn’t want to know what could top it). He’s struggling to fight off the panic, to fight all the instincts that are screaming at him to turn and run.
And faintly, in the back of the kid’s mind, he can hear Rio’s voice saying Our family doesn’t run from things.
Right now, he wishes Miles would run. He wishes the kid would just jump ‘verses and stay somewhere safe until he and Noir and Ham handled this.
Instead, he puts his hand on Miles’ shoulder and smiles at him.
“You up to this, bud?”
Miles looks up at him and nods. “Yeah. Yeah, I am.”
Peter believes him.
/------------/
There’s something about this entire situation that Miles just doesn’t get.
See, if there’s one thing that Miles is absolutely, completely confident on, it’s that Aaron Davis loved his family. The Uncle Aaron he grew up with, who taught him how to handle a spraypaint can and climb a fence and never judged him, loved Miles and Jefferson with everything he had. No matter the distance between the brothers, Miles never, ever doubted the two of them loved each other. And he never doubted they loved him.
Aaron may have been a better liar, but only in the sense that he was better at simply not saying things.
Aaron would never have told Fisk his brother was a cop. In fact, Miles would place pretty safe bets that, up until the new Prowler showed up, Fisk hadn’t even been aware that Aaron had a brother, or a nephew.
“He said he’d rather kill himself than endanger you. Aaron lied to me about a lot, but not that.”
No, that wasn’t a man who would rat out his family. Miles doesn’t know the whole story about how Aaron became Prowler – honestly, he doesn’t really want to know – but he knows this much.
Aaron loved them, and Aaron wouldn’t have ratted them out.
So how did the new Prowler find out?
He’s getting ready for school when he finally gets up the nerve to ask the question.
“How would someone get into the evidence locker?”
Jefferson freezes, cup of coffee halfway to his mouth. He sets it down and gives Miles a look. “Why?”
“Something I keep coming back to. How easy is it to steal evidence?”
Jefferson sighs. “Not that easy. For a cop to get to evidence, it has to be signed out. There’s a log with all our names, badge numbers, and case numbers ready to be pulled up at a moment’s notice.” He snorts. “Sometimes, if you know the right people, they’ll let you get away with checking evidence out and signing the log later. But that’s not – “
He cuts himself off, staring at Miles with wide eyes. The boy stares right back, hands starting to shake.
“You think the new Prowler – “
“Works at the police station.” Miles confirms. “Or at least, maybe he used to. I mean, I wouldn’t stick around if I stole from the station.”
Jefferson frowns, considering. Miles waits, backpack over one shoulder and suitcase at his feet.
If Peter is right and he usually is about this stuff then school might not be a thing today.
“I’ll run it past the chief. I’m not allowed to investigate, but he didn’t say anything about running theories past him.” Jefferson picks his coffee back up and takes a drink, gaze fixed on Miles. The boy just fiddles with the key ring hanging from his backpack zipper – it’s a tiny lead spider, given to him by Noir and turned into a key ring by Gwen and Peni. The others have one, too.
Jefferson glances at it. “You run this past the others yet?”
Miles shakes his head. “Doesn’t do us a lot of good. Ham may joke that we’re the spider SWAT team, but we really aren’t.” He flashes Jefferson a weak grin. “We’re learning what we can, which is limited to what Noir and Peni can pick up on the street.”
“And criminals don’t talk with spider-people.” Jefferson sighs.
“Nope. They usually run screaming from us.”
“Join the club.”
The dry tone startles a laugh out of Miles, and Jefferson smiles faintly as he ruffles the kid’s hair. “Hey – try not to think about this, okay? Go to school, have fun. Be a kid, at least for today.”
Miles can’t help but hug his dad.
“I’ll try.”
/------------/
Gwen watches from the rooftops as Miles walks to class.
She’s been here a lot, lately. Not enough that her dad has noticed Gwen Stacy missing, but enough that he’s noticed a lack of Spiderwoman in the city. It makes her feel guilty, knowing that she’s leaving her city mostly unprotected, but the idea of leaving Miles to deal with this on his own –
That’s even worse.
I can kinda hear you, you know.
Gwen smiles to herself as she looks down. Miles doesn’t glance up at her, but he is smiling, headphones on and dragging his suitcase behind him. I’m not projecting. she teases. Just thinking really hard.
Thinking so hard I’m pretty sure Noir can hear you from his office. Miles shoots back, sending her the impression of a quirky grin. Gwen rolls her eyes, but she can’t help the pulse of fond affection she sends his way.
Whatever crush they may have had before has fizzled out (at least for now), leaving behind a friendship so solid that Gwen sometimes forgets its real. Sometimes she forgets that she let these people inside her heart when she swore she never would again, and it was Miles that lead the charge.
She thought she was alone. Now she’ll never be alone again.
Miles gives her a mental shove. Still thinking really hard up there.
She grins. Am I making you – wait, Miles, I think you’re being followed.
He nods subtly. Black car about a half-block behind me.
She feels sick. You need to get away. It’s probably him.
I know.
Miles –
This has to end, Gwen. It’s not like we’re not ready.
Gwen is very much aware that now all the spiders are watching. Still, she stays on the roof, entire body ready to spring into action as the car pulls up next to Miles.
The passenger window opens, and recognition and fury explodes through the bond as Miles smiles brightly at the driver. “Dwayne! I haven’t seen you in ages – what’s up, man?”
She hates to admit it, but Miles is getting better at hiding what he’s actually feeling. At least from everyone else.
Dwayne – whoever he is, Gwen can’t see him from up here – replies with a smile in his voice. “Right back atcha, little man. Haven’t seen you around the station in a while. Your dad get tired of you hanging around?”
Miles shakes his head. “Nah, he’s just got me going to a new school. You know Visions Academy?”
A low whistle. “Wow. That’s pretty high-end. You must be hella smart to get in there.”
The boy shrugs. “I got a scholarship. Besides, it’s still pretty easy.”
“For someone like you, I can imagine.” There’s the sound of a door unlocking. “Get in. I’ll give you a lift – gotta go that way anyway.”
Miles. Peter, voice strained.
Tell Dad. It’s Dwyane Jones.
You sure? Noir asks.
Positive. Miles gets in the car. The door shuts behind him. Gwen wants to throw up.
This is a trap. she says quietly.
Miles isn’t helpless. Peni snaps. And neither are we. Come on – Noir can go tell Jefferson. Gwen, follow the car. You’ll be the hardest to spot in daylight in costume. When you get a location, tell us, and we’ll jump straight to you.
Gwen is already moving before Peni finishes.
/--------------/
Jefferson doesn’t get visitors at the station – especially not from the spiders. So when Noir comes in through the window into the bullpen, he’s understandably startled – and confused.
He stands up. “What the hell – “
“We have a name now.” Noir cuts him off. Jefferson feels a chill run down his spine. He doesn’t have to ask.
“Who?”
“Dwyane Jones.”
On the other side of the bullpen, Kate blinks. “That’s the transfer. He came here from Long Island about three years ago. Right?”
Jefferson’s hands shake. He clenches them into fists. “How do you know?”
Noir doesn’t answer. There’s no way to answer that question in public. Jefferson swallows hard. “Is Spiderman on it?”
“Yeah. Followin’ the car now.”
There’s something strange about the way he says it, but Jefferson doesn’t question it. There will be plenty of time for that later.
“Give me three minutes. I need to tell the chief I’m leaving.”
He turns and almost runs through the station, heart pounding in his chest like it hasn’t done since the collider.
Miles, what the hell are you thinking?
To be continued . . . .