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After Peter lost his identity and everyone he once loved, he had to start over. Finding a job was hard, he had to make false documents and those didn’t always work. Aside that, no matter how hard Peter’s life was, he had to keep going.
For Spider-Man.
People needed him, he wasn’t going to give up so selfishly.
He decided that there were too many memories in Queens, holding him back, so he viewed a new tactic.
Move out.
He bought a smaller apartment in Hell’s Kitchen and went looking for a job.
But with Parker’s absence from Queens, so came Spider-Man’s.
The civilians wondered for a while why the vigilante changed location, but it didn’t stay in the news too long. The news were the only problem, if they dug too much…
Then, it escalated, when he came across another vigilante he hadn’t heard of. He didn’t seem much of a chit chatter, as Peter hadn’t managed to take even a word out.
He only saw him once and he had to admit, his moves were ridiculously flexible and his aim super accurate.
He searched him up and realized he’d seen the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.
“Quite the reputation you got there.”
The devil remained with his back turned at the other vigilante.
“Go home, kid.”
“He speaks.”
…
“Was that rude? I wouldn’t say it was. Look- I just wanna—“
When Daredevil started walking away, Spider-Man took it as a sign to go in action. He needed to be heard out. He had questions, and the man in front of him had the answers.
It couldn’t hurt anybody, right?
Wrong.
As the web was reaching its intended target, he moved.
Quick reflexes. Surprising every time in action.
He didn’t have time to throw another web when the man throws a stick at him. He dodged it with ease, but as it turned out, that was only a distraction for the Devil to get closer. No matter how loud the tingle was, Peter was too slow to react to Hell’s vigilante, and he got pinned to the ground.
“That’s what you call talking?”
The man asked with a smirk at the corner of his mouth.
“You started this.”
“You threw a web at me.”
“You dodged it.”
“Was I not supposed to dodge a weapon from an unknown individual?”
“It’s not really a weapon, it’s just webs..”
“You fight with them, they’re your weapon.”
“I don’t fight with them.”
The man scoffed at his lie.
“My colleague is a fan, I know a bit about your fights and they surely include webs. And unlike someone, I don’t go in other people’s businesses uninvited. This could’ve ended a lot worse.”
“You work with more vigilantes? Cool! I used to have that, well, they wer—“
“Look, kid. I don’t need your life story. Just get out of here.”
“Why? And stop calling me kid. I’m not a kid.”
“First, stop acting like one. And Hell’s Kitchen is a dangerous place. More dangerous than Queens. If you meddle with the wrong people, they’ll catch up to you before you realize what you’ve got yourself into.”
“That’s awfully explicit.”
Daredevil released his weight off the boy and got up, allowing the spidering to breathe normally again.
“I don’t have another place to go.”
“New York is a big place.”
“Think this was my first option? I need a Job, this place is the only one I can find half-decent ones.”
“You’re a kid, why don’t you ask your parents for pocket money?”
“Would you stop with the kid already?! My private life is none of your business.”
There was another awkward silence between them before the devil said his goodbyes and left.
“I guess I’ll see you around, Spider-Man.”
With that, the man entered the shadows.
They weren’t running into each other much, as Matt realized Spider-Man was doing quite a job and he could go easier, focus more on his lawyer life. Peter was glad he got the chance to patrol more. He needed that, to clear his mind. Or maybe to prove himself he can still do some good.
Their next encounter wasn’t as pleasant.
Turns out, even the worst available apartment wasn’t affordable for Peter. He was behind with the rent, and he had to cut the water and electricity. The winter was getting more and more cooler and the blankets weren’t enough to keep the boy warm.
One time, when he was patrolling, it finally happened. After he stopped a mugger he left the scene and climbed a roof. It was getting harder to move, swinging was a no go. He just laid there, and by the time he could think of his next move, he had already closed his eyes and drifted away.
That’s when Daredevil showed up.
Usually he still kept track of the boy. He refused to call it stalking, as Foggy would put it. Matt just cared, maybe too much, for a boy he met once. But he was only a child, he could tell. How was he supposed to let one wonder around unsupervised, fighting these mobs? He couldn’t take the mentor role for him, but he could still keep an eye…
ear out.
And it was those day’s events that made him grateful that he did that.
He first realized something was wrong when the boy’s breathing was excessive, but his heartbeat was slowing down. He geared up only after he heard the boy collapse on a roof, with his shallow breathing and bpm too slow for his liking.
Once he got there, he took the boys mask off. The boy’s eyelids were shut. He tried to shake him off, and he opened his eyes a bit, but soon after they rolled back in.
He wasn’t prepared for that. What was he supposed to do? How does one protect another vigilante?
Claire.
He wasted no time as he picked the limp boy up and began carrying him throw the snow.
He realized it might’ve not been the best idea, not knowing whether the woman was at home or hospital, but she was still his best shot, so he went in blind anyways.
Once arrived, Claire opened the door and froze. She guided the man how to help the boy, and left the scolding for afterwards. She was getting tired of having to bandage his wounds so often, and bringing in more vigilantes was just too much. Not only that, but her newest pacient was a child. A child that fights in spandex.
Whatever the reason, Matt must’ve had a reason. He always had, at least that’s what she chose to believe. It was easier thinking that way.
The boy woke up a few times overnight, and the older vigilante was awake each time to keep him still, in bed.
Around midnight, the boy woke up once again, this time disorientated.
“Where am I? May?”
Matt remained silent and came closer to reveal himself.
“May? Where are we?”
“That’s not quite my name, spider-man.”
“Why are you calling me Spider-Man? May? Did something happen?!”
The boy rose up at the last sentence, yuck to get back on his feet, but the Devil was quicker and didn’t let him just yet.
“Stay here, I’ll be back.”
“Will you tell me—“
“Shut and wait.”
Matt was debating whether to wake up Claire or not, but he was no doctor and he had no idea if the boy was concussed or just hallucinating.
Still, he should’ve known better than to leave a disoriented boy alone in an unfamiliar place.
By the time he brought the nurse to Peter, he was already gone.
They didn’t wonder much where he went, because as if on Que, the boy knocked over a glass in the kitchen.
“STAY AWAY!”
“We’re here to help, kid.”
“M-May. NO! This- why are you acting like this..?”
That’s when he turned his eyes away, meeting new figure.
“She did it, didn’t she?”
Both adults remained confused.
“I’m a nurse. This douche over here brought you to my apartment. You were freezing when you got here.”
“What?”
“We thought you’d be out for more hours.”
“But- May knows about my healing..”
Peter said the last sentence quietly, more of a thought out loud. Why wouldn’t May expect him to wake up soon? It wasn’t the first time he came home freezing from school or patrols. But May wasn’t herself. Did the nurse have something to do with it?
He looked at her cautiously, not daring to break eye contact as he took a better grip of the knife.
That was a threat, yet the woman, Claire, started to move towards him.
Why wouldn’t she just stay away?
Why can’t he just get May back? The normal May. The one that would make meatloafs, that he larbed. The one he grew up with. Why was this May different? Was this even May? No. She was in front of him, of course she was! She came back for him.
She still wants him.
Lost in thoughts, the grip slowly came loose and he dropped the knife.
Claire got down and picked it up before he could, then Matt followed shortly after, isolating the boy from further movement.
“He’s hot.”
“He’s a child!”
“Boiling hot.”
“And you failed to mention it earlier?!”
Matt scoffed annoyed at her remark as he put the boy lie down.
He fell asleep again.
The next morning, Peter woke up less violently. He analyzed his surroundings and saw a familiar man asleep on the armchair next to him.
After a better look, he recognized him to be the lawyer who had helped him with his identity case.
How did he end up in his apartment?
…
…
The boy stood still, unsure it was wise to wake up the sleepy man.
He was going to get his answers, but maybe he could wait a bit for them.
He was about to get up when he saw a lady looking at him, smiling.
Claire knew this wouldn’t be the first time she would see the boy. She just it would be in different circumstances.