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Peter was not in Crime Alley tonight, he had strayed from his usual patrol route to meet up with Robin, when he heard a woman’s scream. Not thinking at all, he shot his web to the building on his right, changing his course.
The window had already been broken when Peter jumped through it, ignoring Batman’s presence on the roof. Jason was fighting some guy with a bowie knife.
“Oh my god, is that… is that a small knife?!” Peter fake gasped, webbing second guy who smelled of cocaine to the floor. “It’s my greatest weakness!” Shouting over Spanish speech, Peter shot the web just before Jason got stabbed, forcing the second guy to pause for a moment. Jason used this opportunity to punch him hard in the face.
Peter did not let go of his web fast enough, because of that the guy’s shoulder probably got dislocated. At least he heard sickening pop and a cry of pain.
“Thanks, Spidey,” Jason grinned, zip-tying the second guy’s hands, ignoring his discomfort.
“Any time, Birdboy,” Peter shot him a two-finger salute. “Did you check on the woman already?”
“Not yet,” he went towards the room that led to the bedroom.
Karen silently showed him the information about the two apprehended guys. Webbed one was Felipe Garzonas, ziptied one was Juan with no known last name. Batman appeared next to him. Peter just waved in greeting, thinking whether Gotham’s police would let Felipe Garzonas go because of his diplomatic immunity or not. The guy was stoned.
“Hey, Spooky¹,” absently said Peter, going after Jason.
Maybe Karen could gather some evidence on him buying or even selling drugs?
Jason was kneeling on the floor near the bed and saying something quietly to the blonde woman. Peter could not concentrate on his words though, this room, this bedroom, it… it smelt disgusting, it stunk of drugs, blood, and sex. It reeked of fear. He could almost taste desperation on his tongue just as strongly as he did dust every time he woke up from the nightmares.
Peter walked out to find something for the woman to wear.
“We’ll deal with the police, Spider-Man,” Batman was trying to cut the webs on Garzonas with his batarang.
It was not working. Peter had messed up the last batch of web fluid a little, because he had had to synthesize some chemicals and because he had wanted to experiment a bit. All in all, his webs now were stickier. He had not gotten around to making more web solvent yet, though. So he yanked Garzonas from the floor with maybe too much force, judging by the string of Spanish curses which Peter ignored, resuming his task of finding the woman — her name was Gloria, Karen had shown him her work ID on his HUD — something to wear.
“Ok,” Peter answered, heading back to the bedroom to give Gloria her dress and a big shirt.
Peter had been pissed when Karen had showed him police records and that they had done absolutely nothing to Garzonas, even though he had expected it. He had had Karen find any information on him buying or selling drugs and that, at least, had given some results after he had sent compiled evidence to the police. Batman had done the same thing since Peter could see him through the window of the police station. Robin was there, too. He looked furious.
“K, activate Enhanced Reconnaissance Mode²,” asked Peter.
“…talk more then, Gloria. Hasta luego,” Garzonas finished talking, looking smug.
“You animal!” Robin yelled. Peter gripped the edge of the building he was sitting on until it cracked under his hands. “You dirty stinking animal!”
He hated men like Felipe Garzonas. Burning rage and helplessness bubbled up in his throat, wishing he could punch the guy at least once more.
“…not picking up,” Peter heard Jason saying through the sound of blood rushing in his ears.
“I don’t like this.”
“K, deactivate ERM and find Gloria’s address,” he jumped down, shooting the web at the last moment, right when Karen showed him a route towards the apartment.
Peter heard Batman and Robin following somewhere behind, but he was faster than them and yet it still felt like his speed was not enough.
And it had not been.
Peter swung into the apartment, breaking the window. Gloria’s heart was not beating inside.
“No…” he knew his voice was small, barely above the whisper.
Batman and Robin got in.
He was not fast enough.
Jason’s voice echoed his words seconds later.
Gloria died because he was not fast enough.
Batman was talking to the police, calling for an ambulance. Jason had just snuck away, jumping out of the broken window.
If he had not hesitated, she would have been alive.
Peter followed after Jason, leaving Batman behind.
He did not really remember much of his journey to the Garzonas’ apartment aside from Jason’s bright yellow cape and Batman’s freakish heartbeat that Peter would never get used to. His throat was dry, the image of Gloria’s body hanging, of her vacant eyes staring into nothingness, in the kitchen with the chair kicked away. The dust in his lungs made it so hard to breathe, he saw dark spots flying in his vision.
Peter landed on the roof of the building right as Garzonas fell from the balcony. There was a sickening sound of bones breaking as he hit the ground.
Jason was looking up at him with the unknown emotion on his face. Black and grey shadow appeared behind him.
“Robin, what happened?” Peter snapped his eyes to Batman, Jason, on the other hand, turned his head away from his searching gaze. “Robin, did Felipe fell… or was he pushed?”
“I guess, I spooked him,” Jason readied his grapple, “he slipped,” he swung away.
“Spider-Man, was he telling the truth?” Batman’s voice was tight.
What.
“I don’t know. What do you think?” Peter snapped.
He jumped after Jason.
“Are you here to tell me I was wrong not to catch that piece of shit as well?” Jason’s voice was aggressive, yet Peter could hear the hurt in it. He did not have his domino on.
“No,” he sat on the edge of the building, Gary the Gargoyle was now between them.
Silence stretched, Peter could not even hear gunshots or screams that usually accompanied Gotham’s nights, it was weird; he was not used to such quietness anymore.
“I didn’t push him,” finally said Jason.
“Ok,” Peter took off his mask, pulling his hood up so that no one but Jason could see his face. Maybe he should start wearing that dark blue domino he had gifted him about two weeks ago.
Peter looked at the smoggy sky, wishing he could see stars. At least today there was murky moonlight.
“I believe you, Jason. If you say you didn’t, then you didn’t,” Peter felt his heavy gaze on himself, beckoning him to look at him. He did, meeting piercing blue eyes that were almost glowing in the dark.
“Because you hear my heartbeat?” there was something strange yet again in his expression Peter could not decipher.
“No. Because you said so. I would believe you even if I wasn’t able to hear your heartbeat,” he said earnestly.
“And what if I did?”
He cocked his head to the side.
“If I did push him? What then?”
“I’d be mad you lied to me about something like that,” Peter shrugged, petting Gary’s head.
“What.”
“But you’d still be my best friend,” he promised to Jason.
“You’re serious,” it was not a question.
“I am,” Peter thought about his world, about the Avengers, about Mr. Stark, about Deadpool, and about Instant Kill Mode in his suit.
He would not kill, would not be able to live with himself afterwards, but it did not mean he never wanted to. His mind flashed back to Thanos, to Dr. Connor³, to Flint Marko⁴.
“I didn’t catch him, though,” reminded him Jason, turning away as if he did not want to see something — disappointment, Peter guessed, but he had not caught Garzonas, too — in his eyes. “I let him fall.”
Peter nodded, knowing full well he could not see it. He stood up and flipped over Gary and Jason, lending right in front of Jason’s face. This way he could see freckles and that the black hair dye was washing out from his hair. Jason’s eyes widened, his cheeks were a little pink, his breath stuttered.
“I can’t really blame you,” Peter leaned back on his hands, fully facing Jason now.
“How can you not—” Jason did not finish, it looked like he could not find the right words which was unusual for him.
“I’m from another time,” after a long silence confessed Peter.
“I was right!” At Peter‘s incredulous gaze, Jason elaborated, “Your tech. I thought it’s from the future, B thought it’s ‘cause you’re from a parallel universe.”
At the mention of Batman, Jason’s mood soured. Peter shook his head. Neither of those theories was correct on its own, but the fact they were so close to reality made his mind spin.
“Of course you’d—” Peter cut himself off, he was getting sidetracked. “What I wanted to say. I had two mentors. One’s against killing and one’s who’d kill in a heartbeat if it meant saving people he cared about.” He thought about Deadpool. “There was also this…acquaintance?.. I’m not sure what to call him, but the first time we met he stunk of the blood he was covered in,” Peter closed his eyes, he did not agree with how Deadpool was doing things, he would never agree with him. “He saved kids from traffickers,” he whispered, remembering terrified eyes of children that were clinging to the man in red and black drenched in blood. It was impossible to think of him as a monster with kids’ trusting him to keep them save. “So, yeah, I… You’ll be my best friend no matter what, Loxley. I’m ride or die kind of guy,” Peter finally opened his eyes, giving Jason a crooked grin.
Jason’s eyes darted away before he nodded slightly to himself.
“No matter what, Bugboy,” he leaned in, brushing a soft kiss on Peter's cheek.
Peter knew he was blushing. He was glad night was dark and that he was wearing his new jacket with a hood.