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Daredevil had heard about Spiderman from Queens.
He was naturally curious. There were dozens of vigilantes popping up like daisies around the country, especially in New York. He was one of the first to appear, so he was genuinely interested on the new ones that came up. A lot of the cases they just appeared once or twice and never to be heard of again. Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Luke Cage and himself were often mentioned in the news, he more than the other three. The Punisher was mentioned a lot and when he was mentioned, there was a good chance someone lost their kneecaps if they weren’t dead. There were others that still made the news once in a while, but many times, they just disappeared, which was worrisome.
Another one mentioned quite often was Deadpool but Matt was not going to be near the embodiment of chaos if he could help it. How they met was another story he rather forget about.
He made good coffee, though.
Anyway, Spiderman seemed to be making a name for himself around Queens with at least one robbery stopped per day. Matt decided to investigate him. By investigating, he meant checking if the person needed help because from what had been described by Foggy from the videos, the guy really didn’t know how to properly throw a punch.
Jessica had surprisingly expressed interest in helping the spider, but knowing her, she would probably eat him alive, so he decided to do it himself.
And thank GOD he decided to do it. Because he was not expecting to recognize the heartbeat from the young man (kid) in front of him.
Daredevil found him sitting on top of a building in Queens. From what he could tell, whatever he was wearing was not something that protected him from any type of wounds. Spiderman felt him walking over to him and yelped. His voice was young. Way too young. And recognizable. But it couldn’t be.
“Mr. Daredevil! I mean—Daredevil! Devil of Hell’s Kitchen? Hades? Which one do you prefer?”
Daredevil simply stood there. “Daredevil is fine.”
“Oh, ok! Um I’m a big fan!”
“Thanks?” He wasn’t sure. He recognized the heartbeat, he knew who he was, but he refused to believe it. “I hear about you, so I came to see if you needed help.”
“Oh! I appreciate it, but really, it’s no big deal!”
Daredevil sighed. Oh shit, he thought. “You sound like a kid.”
Spiderman waited a few seconds before speaking. “I’m not a kid.” He argued in a few octaves lower.
Daredevil scoffed, slightly amused. “Don’t bullshit me. Your voice cracks. Like a kid.”
“Ugh... I think I gotta go.”
“Peter, sit down.”
Spiderman stood very still. “Wh-what?”
Daredevil sighed. “I know it’s you. What the hell are you doing?”
“I-I’m not Peter! Who’s Peter? That’s such a lame name!”
“Peter, shut up.”
“My isn’t Peter.” Spiderman (Peter) insisted. “It’s, ugh, its Robert! People call me Bob.” His heartrate was so loud, Daredevil was starting to get a headache.
“Bullshit. If you weren’t Peter, you wouldn’t even tell me your actual name.”
“Um!”
Daredevil sighed. He double checked again if someone could be near hearing them, but they were safe. “Peter B. Parker. You live with May, you go to Midtown High.”
“How-- how do you know?”
Oh God, he was scaring the kid crap-less. Daredevil sighed. “Peter, it’s me.” He carefully removed his cowl. “Matt.”
He swore Peter’s heart stopped for three whole second before the teenager grabbed him in a bone crushing hug.
“Matt! Holy shit! I thought I was a goner! I thought Daredevil was going to take away my kneecaps!” He pulled away. “But! But! You’re Daredevil! HOW!? You’re blind! I mean- not that I don’t trust your capabilities to live as a normal person but what the hell! How do you do it!?”
Matt smirked. “It’s a long story.”
“Don’t tell me I can’t be a vigilante because you will be a fucking hypocrite.” Peter snapped and then gasped. “I’m sorry! I don’t know what came over me!” He frowned. “You knew and yet you scared the crap out of me!”
Matt chuckled. “Sorry, but I just didn’t want to believe it and I wanted to be one hundred percent sure it was you.”
“How?”
Matt sighed. “When’s May getting home?”
“In a few hours. She had a shift she had to cover.”
“Let’s go to my place. Think you can keep up?”
OOO
Twenty minutes later, they were safely in Matt’s apartment. Matt had gotten out of his costume and provided Peter with one of his pajamas. “Here, it’s way too late and you’ll probably need to stay the night. We have a lot to talk about.”
Peter quickly changed into the larger pajamas when Matt emerged from his room in a pair of his own. “But it’s Friday night, what do I tell May and she finds that I’m not home!?”
Matt shrugged. “You can go back home after we’re done talking or you can tell her you wanted to visit me and decided to spend the night. Which is technically not a lie, you are here and I lend you some of my clothes.”
After not much consideration. Peter shot a quick text to May to which she replied rather fast with her approval. “So... she said it’s alright.”
“Ok, then we have time to talk. Want something to eat? I can hear your stomach rumbling. It’s deafening.” He opened the fridge, not waiting for Peter’s answer. “By the way, you’ll need to tell May.”
“What? I can’t do that! It will put her in danger.”
“But eventually, Peter. She has a right to know. More so when she’s your guardian.”
Matt sighed and closed the fridge door with two bottles of water and two Smuckers PBJ Uncrustables, the one people usually give their kids. Sue him, he likes them. “By doing the vigilante thing, you are putting her in danger either way.” He handed the item to Peter and sat down on the couch across the teen. “Believe me, I know from experience that they are safer if they are in the know.”
Peter looked down at his food. “You mean your friends? The ones at the law firm you told me about?”
Matt nodded. “And Maggie and Father Lanton. He’s the priest from the local church.” He put his bottle and snack on the coffee table and glanced towards Peter with an eternally unfocused gaze. “Why are you doing this?” He asked in a quiet voice.
It didn’t take long for the waterworks to make themselves known. Peter sobbed uncontrollably. “It’s because of Uncle Ben.”
Matt sat quietly, listening.
Peter sniffed. “There was a school trip a few months ago, to one of Pym Technology facilities here in New York. They focused on genetic experiments to try and further medical advancements. Just to summarize it, they were experimenting with genetically modified spiders.”
Matt held his breath.
“One got out and bit me.”
Matt’s brain automatically went over all the charges Pym Tech could be facing.
“I woke up the next day with a really bad fever and I think I fainted once or twice. Anyways,” Peter opened the package of his PBJ and munched on it. “After three days, all the bone aches and muscle pain and dizzy spells and fever were just gone. I felt better than ever! Suddenly I had better vision, hearing, I can lift a full truck by myself but I’m pretty sure I could lift more, and I accidentally broken the sink. I told May it was an earthquake. I can also heal super-fast! Oh, and I can climb walls.”
“Like a spider?”
“Like a spider.” Peter confirmed. And he stayed quiet.
Matt moved his head. “That doesn't explain why you’re doing this, though.”
Peter didn’t answer right away and Matt was not going to push him. He knew he needed to gather himself. So, Matt and Peter ate their snacks quietly and drank their water before Peter finally had the courage to talk.
“I thought it was a game, you know. I was a stupid kid that hit the genetic lottery and got superpowers.” Peter sniffed. “I... I had a fight with Ben. It was two weeks after I got my powers. I... I don’t even remember why we fought. All I remember was that Ben and I went into the convenience store that night to get some snacks and we went our own way since we were mad at each other. Me more than him. Suddenly, this... this asshole walked into the store and assaulted the cashier. Ben was there. He tried to stop him because the cashier was terrified. She froze... she was not that much older than me, probably fresh out of high school, but she was pregnant. And she was terrified.” Peter sniffed. “That asshole wanted the money, but she was too afraid to move. Ben had made eye contact with me and whispered to me that I should stay there. That he would handle it. The mugger didn’t really pay too much attention to me.”
As Peter sobbed, Matt felt his own tears threatening to fall.
“He went behind the register and asked the girl to give him the key and she did. He gave the money to the mugger, he did what he was told but--!” He sobbed uncontrollably. “He shot him right in the chest and ran away with the money!”
“Peter, it’s not your--”
“It is!” Peter snapped. “I had the power to stop him from even assaulting the store and specially from killing Ben! But I did nothing!” He cried. “I went to him after the mugger ran away and there was so much blood, Matt! The girl was calling the police but Ben, he... I knew, Matt. He was not going to make it. He told me something before he died. He told me that with great power comes great responsibility.” Peter’s cries had reduced to sobs by this point. “I’ll never know for sure, but... it was almost like he knew. Like he just knew . And then he... So, I promised myself, that if I could prevent another Ben from dying, I would do it...”
Without a word, Matt stood up and sat beside Peter, wrapping him in his arms. “It’s ok, Peter. Your uncle was a hero.”
Peter sobbed and hugged him back. “I know it sounds crazy, but it’s the truth.”
“I believe you. I know you’re not lying about anything.”
Peter slowly pulled away. “...How?”
Matt gave him a tiny smile. “Did I tell you how I went blind?”
“The radioactive chemicals spills when you saved that man. They fell on your eyes.”
“Yes, they got into my eyes and made me go blind. But it also enhanced my senses. I can tell where things are, if you moved your head, I can listen to your heartbeat and know if you’re lying or not, I can sense where you are given the right distance, and other stuff.”
“Whoa... So, you are blind but... not blind?”
Matt laughed. “I couldn't have explained it better myself, Peter.”
He rested his back against the couch, so did Peter. “Look, I can’t tell you to stop. It’s your choice. One, I'll be a hypocrite and two, you’re just a kid. That’s the part I’m not happy with. But... I can teach you how to fight and defend yourself. You can’t always relay on your powers.”
“You’ll do that?”
“If it means I won’t be hearing that Spiderman got himself killed and stepped on like a little bug, then yeah, I’ll teach you. Plus, you need a suit.” He reached out without turning his head, towards the end of the couch where Peter’s suit laid. “You can’t go around New York in a baby onesie.”
Peter grabbed it and threw it at his feet. “It’s not a onesie.”
“Whatever.”
“Then what will I wear?”
Matt smirked. “I know a guy.”
Peter stared.
“What? You think I made my suit? Hell no. I’m blind, Pete. Completely blind. Not a miracle worker.”
“If I recall, you started with a black mask and black gym clothes. You looked like a ninja.”
Matt stayed quiet for a few second before answering. “...I’m kind of are? It’s complicated.”
“Shut up! You need to tell me that story! How did you do it!?” Peter asked, excitement shown all over his face.
Matt laughed. “That’s a story for another time, Peter. Now, I need to make a call to Melvin. He’ll be over the moon to work on a Spiderman suit.”