Matt had known for a couple weeks that something was up with Peter. He couldn’t pinpoint it exactly, but, as weird as it sounded, Peter smelled different. At first, Matt had assumed it was because Peter was getting over a fever that had him home from school for a few days, but even once Peter was up and moving again, the smell lingered. It made Matt inexplicably on edge.
Then there were the sightings of a new vigilante around Queens. The idea of a new player so close to where Peter and May lived gave Matt a kind of anxiety he hadn’t felt since his dad died. Even if Queens wasn’t on Manhattan Island, so far away from Matt’s little strip of territory, part of him felt the need to investigate. Goodness knows nobody else will, besides the police.
Late one night, after determining that Hell’s Kitchen would be okay without him for one night, Matt hopped on one of the last trains from Midtown to Queens. He wore casual clothes over his old, black outfit to blend in better. Tapping his fingers against his cane, Matt silently contemplated what he could do about this new player in New York City’s vigilante circle.
Matt made it a personal goal of his to know anyone and everyone who followed his line of work, even if they didn't know him. It's good to know who your allies might be and, more likely, who to look out for. Especially if this vigilante worked in the area where May and Peter lived, Matt wanted to know as much as he could gather about the individual.
Finding a cafe with outdoor seating, Matt bought a coffee and waited. It was only around 7 o’clock at night, and since most vigilantes did their work at night, Matt assumed he’d have to wait a few hours before the new player showed their face.
Not even twenty minutes later, Matt heard nearby whooping sounds, followed by a familiar heartbeat. He cocked his head to the side, trying to make out the sound better, when something–someone–breezed by him. Something sounded like… rubber bands mixed with… silk? Was this the new vigilante? It took Matt an embarrassingly long time to realize that the individual was somehow latching onto walls and swinging off of them.
It was only after the individual had swung past that Matt registered the faint smell in the air. Matt’s heart dropped.
Every fiber of Matt’s being told him to get up and follow the individual. He was 90% sure he knew who it was, but that could only be confirmed once Matt heard their voice and their heartbeat, and the kid moved fast. It was still too early for Matt to throw his mask on and start lurking in shadows.
Dear Lord, let him be wrong. Matt wanted so badly to be wrong. Sitting back in his chair, Matt struggled to unclench his jaw while he drank from his coffee. It was going to be a long few hours.
The swinging vigilante didn’t come in close proximity again, obviously following some sort of path that Matt could hear from his sheltered spot on the sidewalk. Eventually, Matt had to leave the cafe once they’d started closing up for the night, so Matt had taken to walking the streets of Queens, keeping his ears open for anything that might need his attention.
As it got later, the streets became quieter. It was around 11 p.m. when Matt finally discarded his cane and pulled the black mask on. The black costume had been shelved since getting the body armor suit from Melvin Potter, but that would be too conspicuous to be running around Queens in. The last thing he needed were headlines reading that Daredevil was taking over Queens, too.
Taking a deep breath, Matt tried to focus on the scent of rubber and silk that he’d caught earlier. He struggled to filter out sounds in the new environment, but one voice rose above all the others. It was the last voice Matt wanted to hear right now, but it was the only one he could recognize.
There’d been some arguing between a couple of adult men, alongside the voice of a young teenage woman. Another teenager interrupted the conversation, clearing his throat before saying, “Hey, guys, I don’t think that young lady appreciates you talking to her like that.”
“Who the hell do you think you are?” One of the men snarled.
Pursing his lips, Matt started traveling in the direction of the voices, keeping tabs on the conversation while avoiding the sounds of streetlights and loud car engines. Distantly, Matt noted that the lights sounded different here and that there wasn’t any background noise from the river anymore. The difference caused him to stumble a few times because of how distracting it was.
“Oh, come on, don’t tell me you’ve never heard of me?” The young man (hearing his voice spurred Matt to run faster) sounded disappointed. “I’m Spider-Man.”
A different man burst out laughing and the teenage girl let out a startled shout.
“‘Spider-Man?’” The second man struggled to keep his laughter under control. “How old are you, five?”
“I don’t see why my age matters,” defended Spider-Man. “And don’t touch her. Have some decency.”
The scent of rubber and silk was more prominent after an odd sound Matt couldn’t describe. The mens’ heartbeats skyrocketed as the two started panicking. Matt was lucky his hearing was so good, but sometimes he wished he didn’t recognize voices so well. If he hadn’t been running, his hands would’ve probably been shaking.
“What the hell, man?” The first man asked frantically, his voice cracking. “What the fuck is this stuff?”
Spider-Man chuckled a little. “I know! Cool, right? Created it myself.”
“Oh my God, it’s like a web or something!” The second man was struggling against something, based on his breathing patterns. Matt was almost there, slowing his pace the closer he got. “Are you some kind of fucking mutant or something?!”
“Uh, rude,” Spider-Man admonished. “You can’t just say stuff like that. Now, apologize to the nice young lady and I’ll let you go.”
The woman ran out of the alley before the men could say anything, terrified and cold. She dashed past Matt as he creeped into the alley, ducking into a corner to stay hidden. He flexed his hand, jaw clenched firmly, using all of his self control not to run in and stop whatever this was.
“Oh, well.” Spider-Man shrugged. “Guess you guys are just gonna have to hang there for a little while. Don’t worry, it should dissolve in a few hours.”
“Should?!” The second man kept pulling at his confines, grunting with effort. “You can’t leave us here!”
“Uh, I think I can,” Spider-man chirped happily. “Well, good night, gentlemen. Maybe keep your hands to yourselves next time.”
Both men were shouting as Spider-Man flipped away onto a nearby building. With the way the echos dissipated, the building should’ve been too high for someone to climb onto unless… Matt listened closely and realized that Spider-Man was climbing up the wall without any sort of gear that he could sense. Biting back a growl, Matt started to quietly follow Spider-Man via fire exits.
Spider-Man was muttering to himself on the roof. “If they’d touched that girl… Ugh, disgusting. Alright, let’s see…” Spider-Man groaned quietly. “Shit. I really need to get home.”
Skillfully hoisting himself onto the roof, Matt pulled himself to his feet and cleared his throat. “So, you’re the new kid running around playing hero.”
Now that he was close enough, Matt focused on the heartbeat of the kid. Part of him was still hoping he was wrong, that he didn’t actually know this person and he was mistaken this whole time. But the voice mixed with the all-too-familiar heartbeat that picked up when Matt spoke made Matt’s heart drop.
“Oh, shit!” The kid was startled, jumping back. “How did you sneak up on me like that? Not cool, man!”
“Cut the shit, Peter.” Matt’s voice shook involuntarily. Whether it was from anger or fear, Matt couldn’t tell and, quite frankly, didn’t care. “What the hell is this?”
Peter’s heart rate was so fast, Matt thought the kid was going to have a panic attack. He hadn’t heard the kid this scared since Peter came out to him. The few moments of silence made Matt nervous, unsure of his nephew’s next move and whether or not it would be a smart one.
Peter moved fast, but Matt moved faster. Before Peter could reach out to swing to the next building, Matt was behind him, pinning the kid’s arms behind his back in a firm grip. Evidently, not a smart move. Peter struggled, much stronger than he’d ever been before, but it wasn’t hard for Matt to keep his footing while Peter thrashed against Matt.
“How do you know my name?” The fear in Peter’s voice almost made Matt falter. “Why are you here? I thought you stayed in Manhattan!”
“You ask too many questions.” Quickly adjusting his grip, Matt pushed Peter to the ground and pinned the teenager down with his knee, careful not to hurt him. Releasing one of his hands, Matt quickly pulled his mask off. “Now, calm down, Peter.”
The gasp was audible, but Peter’s heart rate remained high. Matt wasn’t surprised, since he’d just caught the kid doing something very illegal, along with a copious amount of other factors that Matt couldn’t even begin to guess.
“You’re Daredevil? But– Why? How? I thought you were blind! How long have you been going out? Does Foggy know? Does Aunt May know? Why are you–”
Letting Peter go, Matt held up a hand. “Stop talking. I’m asking the questions.”
With a small groan, Peter sat up while Matt stood above him, arms crossed. “How long have you had powers?”
Peter was quiet, hesitating. His confidence had disappeared and Matt could smell the anxiety on him. “Um, since I got sick, I think.”
“How did you get them?”
“A spider bit me,” Peter muttered.
“Does your aunt know?”
“Of course not.” Peter’s voice turned curt. “Does she know about yours?”
“Do you have any idea how dangerous it is out here?” Matt ignored Peter’s question. “Any idea? One wrong step, and you’re dead, Peter. There’s cartels, gangs, trafficking rings. Crime is rampant in this city, and I can’t let you get wrapped up in it, Peter. You are fifteen. You should be focusing on school. What if those men had had a knife? Or a gun? What if that girl had called the police? How do you know those men weren’t a part of a criminal organization who now have a bounty on your head?”
“Well, what about you?” Peter snapped. “Don’t act like you’re any better! Daredevil has been around since I was ten!”
“Which means I have five more years of experience than you do.” Matt was trying his hardest to keep from yelling. “I’m an adult, a trained one. I know the consequences of my actions. You, you’re just a kid, Peter. I can’t let you run around risking your life.”
“Oh, and how do you plan on stopping me?” Peter sassed, scoffing. “You can't just take my powers away. I need to do something with them. When you can do the things I can do, and bad things happen, that's on me. You can't deny that.”
“It’s not on you,” Matt ground out. “They’re the ones who make the bad decisions, and I’m trying to make sure you don't make one right now. You’re going to go home, throw out that ridiculous suit, and forget about all this Spider-Man bullshit.”
“'Bullshit?’” Peter climbed to his feet and stepped closer to Matt. “I’m helping people, Matt! I'm making a difference! Queens needs me, and I'm not gonna stop just because you told me to!”
“Yes, you will.” Matt lips were pressed in a grim line. “You’re going to get hurt out here, Peter. This isn't a game.”
The idea of Peter, bloodied and broken, left to die in some alley somewhere just like Matt had been so many times before made Matt want to punch a wall. Why didn't the kid understand?! It was bad enough that Peter had powers now, but running around in a mask? Matt could not let that keep happening. Because then, if the kid got hurt, it was Matt’s fault.
Peter let out a frustrated groan. “I never said it was! I don't care if I get hurt!”
“I do!”
Matt’s voice echoed across the rooftop. Distantly, cars could still be heard on the street. There was shouting further off, and a few teenagers laughing closer by. The silence was louder than it had ever been before.
Matt prided himself on his ability to keep a level head, especially when it came to Peter. He didn't like shouting. He never wanted to shout in front of Peter. There was a twinge of guilt when Peter stepped back, the kid’s fast heart skipping a beat.
Turning on his heel, Peter started walking to the edge of the building. “Too bad,” he replied coldly. Before Matt could reach him, Peter had flung a web to a nearby building and swung away. Peter’s scent lingered in the air alongside the rubber and silk, making Matt nauseous.
Hands balled into fists, Matt kicked at the ground and let out a frustrated yell. Why couldn’t the kid get it through his head that he was going to get killed out here? Matt had brushed with death too many times to count, and that was just in Hell’s Kitchen. Covering the entire borough of Queens? Spider-Man had a death wish. The whole reason Matt did what he did was to keep Hell’s Kitchen and the people he loved, people like Peter, safe. Matt couldn’t protect Peter out here and that thought was terrifying.
Spider-Man was ready to secure his spot as the new vigilante protecting Queens. In some ways, he already had. No matter how upset Matt got, no matter how much he yelled and argued, he knew Peter wouldn’t back down. The kid was too stubborn. If Matt came up with a way to ground Spider-Man, Peter would find a way around it. There was no way Matt would win this battle if he initiated it. But that didn’t stop the anger and concern from growing in the back of Matt’s head. Matt could accept Peter’s decision, but he wouldn’t be happy about it.
The night was loud as Matt traveled home, hiding in the shadows.