Chapter Text
Tony wasn’t really paying the evening news much attention until a familiar red masked face appeared in an image next to the news anchor’s head.
“In other news tonight, Queens’ webslinging hero Spider-Man attracted a crowd this evening, as he attempted to dissuade council officers from evicting a group of approximately 30 homeless people from an inner-city public concourse. Using words rather than fists, the vigilante peacefully fought the eviction, facing off against council officers until they found lodgings for the evictees.”
Tony watched as a local reporter went into detail about the council’s decision to evict the 30 odd people who huddled behind the kid as he stood there in his red and blue suit, hands up in a calming gesture, as he spoke with official-looking men. A dozen cops stood in background, watching Spider-Man quietly argue with the council staff.
Peter’s voice came over the TV audio.
“Look, all I’m saying is, surely you should find somewhere else for these people to sleep, before you move them on?”
The lead officer responded in a no-nonsense voice. “There are a number of not-for-profit shelters in the area that can provide…”
“There’s not!” Piped up one of the heavily rugged-up people standing behind Spider-Man. “They’re all full. We always check before we come here.”
“Be that as it may, you are causing a nuisance on public property, and therefore I have to insist that you leave. You have fifteen minutes before these police officers…”
“How are they being a nuisance?” Spider-Man interrupted. “They’re just trying to sleep.”
“There are health and safety considerations involved, which I don’t expect a costumed vigilante to understand.” Tony felt his lip curl up on Peter’s behalf. Give ‘em hell for that one, kid.
“I understand that this is the only decently sheltered spot within a five-mile radius, where these people won’t freeze to death on a December night. Where are they supposed to go?”
“That isn’t my concern. My job is to enforce council by-law, which requires that these thoroughfares remain clear.”
“How is it not your concern?” The kid replied in a calm, even, ‘please-be-reasonable’ tone of voice. “These are human beings who have practically nothing and you’re threatening to take away the only stability they have. How is a pristine thoroughfare more important than that? These are local citizens. Don’t you think you have a responsibility to them too?”
The officer sighed. Peter was wearing him down, Tony could tell. The billionaire grinned. He could’ve told them not to try arguing with the kid. In an argument, Peter could be bull-headed, forthright, slippery or disarmingly innocent, depending on the topic. He was annoyingly difficult to pin down or throw off course. These days, Tony tried to pick his battles with the kid carefully.
Tony watched as the increasing crowd of bystanders, attracted by the presence of Spider-Man, murmured in agreement with Peter. The tide was turning, courtesy of people power (and the people of Queens really did love the kid), and the footage showed the cops on the fringes shifting uneasily.
“Listen…” Started the council officer.
“At least make a few calls first, and try to find them somewhere else.” Peter appealed.
The camera returned to the local reporter, who informed the audience that: “within half an hour, council workers had found temporary lodgings for the individuals being evicted, many of whom hugged and thanked Spider-Man before being transported to shelters across the city.”
The anchor moved on to a different story. Tony turned off the TV and checked his Spider-Man-related social media feed where he found links to the story. He scrolled through some of the hundreds of public comments, which were overwhelmingly in support of the kid.
You tell ‘em, Spidey!
What are we coming to when our most needy are treated like trash? Go Spider-Man!
Spider-Man is heroic on about three different levels – why hasn’t anyone given this guy the keys to the city yet?!?
This is the kind of heroism we need to make America great again #SpiderManForPOTUS
Tony stopped at that last one and, unable to resist the urge, he re-tweeted it (and spent the next five minutes idly watching Twitter explode).
He then sent the kid a short text message, giving him a virtual pat on the back, before emailing Pepper and asking her to set up a meeting for him with three of New York’s biggest homeless shelters, ASAP.
If Peter could change the world through words alone, the least Tony could do was back him up with some cold, hard cash and a few tweets.