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Chapter Text

Peter braced himself as Miles came down hard, the boy’s fists balled up together and heading straight for his head. Bending down to one knee, he reached up, catching his protégé's attack.

“Strong attack, Miles,” Peter said, groaning under just a bit more duress than he anticipated he would receive from the Spider-Man in training.

“I got you this time, Pete,” Miles boasted. “You’re right where I want you!”

“Oh really?” Peter questioned. As soon as he finished speaking, he grabbed Miles by the wrists, rolling on his back. He then stuck his feet in the boy’s ribs just enough to throw him back behind him using the momentum from his roll. Miles tumbled a bit along the roof they were on, though not in a way where he’d be significantly injured.

Just enough to teach him a lesson.

“How do you do that?” Miles asked. “You seem to have a counter to EVERYTHING!”

“Years of experience,” Peter said, walking over to his protégé, “which is why I’m showing you all of this now, so you don’t have to learn the hard way like I did.”

“Okay, so what’s the lesson here exactly?” Miles asked. “Don’t throw down all my momentum at once?”

“Not necessarily,” Peter said. “Sometimes it will take everything you have all at once to stop a bad guy or handle a situation. In this case, the lesson is to pay attention to your body, specifically your balance. I could tell you were leaning forward just a little too much, which I knew I could use against you since I have similar strength and agility to you.”

“Oh, yeah, that makes sense,” Miles replied, his voice never ceasing in its enthusiasm. “But how am I supposed to pay attention to my own movements while keeping up with someone else’s too?”

“Why do you think we’re practicing?” Peter replied. “Like I said, the last thing I want is for you to learn all these lessons by getting into some of the situations I have over the years.”

“What kind of situations?” Miles asked, his voice peaking with curiosity. The boy had proven himself to be one of the biggest Spider-Man fans Peter had ever met, and if anything, that had only seemed to INCREASE upon his protégé also receiving spider powers of his own.

“Uh uh, story time AFTER training,” Peter said. “After all, we......”

Peter was stopped mid-sentence as he saw something off in the distance headed their direction. Despite the speed of this thing, his spider-sense wasn’t going off, so whatever it was, it wasn’t a threat.

“We what?” Miles asked.

That was when Peter recognized what, or more appropriately who was coming. He’d recognize that red and gold color scheme ANYWHERE.

“I was going to say that we can’t just dive in headlong without fear of the consequences, like this guy,” Peter said, taking Miles by the shoulder and guiding him in the direction of their incoming visitor. Their guest stopped just in front of the building, his repulsors keeping him floating in place.

“So, the rumors are true,” Iron Man said, his voice still recognizable through his helmet.

“Hey there, Tinman,” Peter spoke up. “What brings you here?”

“Well, when I’d heard that you’d taken on a young spiderling of your own, I thought I’d fly on over and see for myself.”

“Well, here he is,” Peter said, gesturing towards Miles with his arms wide. Miles said nothing in response, seemingly star struck at the sight of one of the founding Avengers members.

“Yeah, I get that a lot,” Iron Man said, moving over and landing on the rooftop. He then put his arm around Miles, turning him around as they started walking. “Listen kid, I need to set the record straight on your mentor here.”

“Uhm, Stark, what are you doing?” Peter said, trailing just behind them.

“First things first,” Iron Man said, clearly ignoring him, “his first attempt to try out for the Avengers was a disaster; like, I’m talking as horrifically as your mind can process and then some.”

“Okay, that’s enough,” Peter said, starting to reach out to grab the armored Avenger.

“Nope,” Iron Man said, holding out a finger towards Peter, “not finished yet.”

Turning his attention back towards Miles, the man continued.

“Second, a few years later, we actually decided to let him come on a mission with us,” he said, “and it was almost the biggest mistake we’d ever made.”

“What do you mean?” Miles said, finally speaking up. “It couldn’t have been that bad.”

“Ooooh trust me kid, it was almost that bad,” Iron Man replied. “We were facing Kang the Conqueror; we had to stop a machine that was bringing things from other points in time to our own.”

“What kind of things?” Miles asked.

“You name it kid; vehicles, dinosaurs, pyramids, the whole works,” Iron Man answered.

“Listen, I think that you’re not explaining the whole....”

“Anyway,” Iron Man continued, ignoring Peter entirely now, “he left us in the middle of the fight, thinking he was going to magically be able to figure out how to shut off the machine. We were overwhelmed enough as it was; without all of us fighting, I thought for sure we were all dead.”

“So, what happened?” Miles asked.

Iron Man turned to face Peter’s direction before turning back to Miles.

“Turned out your mentor here knew more what he was doing than we thought,” Iron Man replied. “That little thing you guys call a ‘spider-sense’ helped him avoid the wrong levers and find the right one, sending everything back to its proper time, including Kang himself, and shutting off the machine. He ended up saving all of our lives, as well as the world’s.”

Iron Man walked back over with Miles towards Peter.

“Look kid,” the metal clad man spoke up again, “my point is, I’ve seen this guy go from a no name to someone who everyone in the superhero community has the utmost respect for, so if you listen to him, you just might turn out like him.... maybe even a little better.”

Miles shot a glance in Peter’s direction.

“Thanks man,” he said, “but, I already kind of knew that.”

Iron Man turned to face Peter.

“Kids these days,” he said, shaking his head.

“Uh huh,” Peter replied. “Also, thanks for at least not completely embarrassing me in front of him.”

“Just doing my job,” Iron Man said, “Someone’s got keep you friendly neighborhood types in line.”

“Yeah yeah,” Peter said, “don’t you have a world to save or some boring team meeting to sit through?”

“If the first was happening you would know about it,” Iron Man replied, igniting his repulsors in his hands and feet again, hovering over the building once more. “As for the second.... well, why do you think I’m here in the first place?”

Peter could only shake his head.

“Well, Cap has probably already noticed I’m gone, so I better get back,” Iron Man said. “You know, once your little apprentice here is all trained up, you could always fill that spot we’ve offered you since that day with Kang?”

“I appreciate that, Tony,” Peter replied, “but for now at least, I still think my place is here. After all, someone’s got to look after the neighborhood.”

“Very well then,” Iron Man replied, “just know that the offer is always open if you change your mind. See you guys around.”

He then fired up the engines in his suit, taking off. Soon, he was barely even recognizable anymore.

Peter turned to find Miles staring at him through the mask he’d let the boy borrow.

“What?” he asked.

“Are you SURE you don’t have time for more stories right now?” his protégé asked, practically begging now.

Peter put his hand on Miles’s shoulder.

“Absolutely. Now, where were we?”

Chapter Text

“Hey, it’s Miles! Sorry I missed your call; leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible!”

Exactly what Peter DIDN’T want to hear.

By now, he’d lost track of how many times he’d tried to call Miles, getting the boy’s voicemail every time. Having left several messages already, Peter hung up, firing another web as he continued his aerial search for his protégé. He’d been searching for hours already, heading out as soon as he got off the phone with Miles’s mother. Rio had called him asking if her son had stayed the night at his apartment, but he had not. Even more concerning was the fact that when he had (usually due to them staying up late on weekends working on Spider-Man stuff), Miles was really good about letting her know that he wouldn’t be home until the next day. Rio said she had also spoken with Ganke, Miles’s best friend from school, but he didn’t know anything either, and Miles had been gone for almost a day now.

Something was wrong.

Peter had scoured the city once already, diligently checking every rooftop and alleyway he came across, with no success. M.J. hadn’t heard anything about a sighting of the other Spider-Man in the Bugle newsroom either. He was getting more and more worried, but he swallowed his fear and kept up the search though, determined not to rest until he’d found the younger of the Spider-Men.

Suddenly, in mid swing, Peter saw a figure lying on a rooftop, with a Spider-Man mask covering their face. Immediately, he released the web he was holding while firing a new one with his other hand, latching onto the side of the building. He yanked himself forward, shifting his momentum all at once, hurtling himself up onto the rooftop and landing right next to the resting figure.

It was him.

“Miles?” Peter asked, shaking the boy’s shoulder. When he received no response, he tried again, shaking Miles a little harder and speaking louder. He was met with the same result, and his heart began to race. He stuck his fingers to his protégé's neck, and he settled down a little when he detected a pulse. Taking a quick survey of Miles’s body, Peter found no indications that he was hurt; there was no bruising on his head or anywhere else, and there was no blood to be found.

What was wrong then?

Peter began to think through his options of help, running through what felt like a million scenarios in what was likely only a few seconds. If he took Miles to the hospital, the boy’s secret might be found out if they had to draw blood. Then again, he’d been through many an encounter with a doctor or a nurse, and his own identity was still safe, so perhaps the risk was worth it. Still, this could be something that required a means of healing beyond the average doctor’s ability to heal. After all, the whole thing was very....

Strange.

Having glanced out, Peter realized that the Sanctum Sanctorum was right across the street, where none other than Doctor Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme himself, resided. He didn’t know much about the man, having only had a few encounters with the mysterious magician, but he knew the man used to be a medical doctor prior to taking on the magical mantle. Hopefully the good doctor could identify the issue, be it physical or.... something else.

Scooping up Miles’s unconscious body, Peter held him tightly as he swung down to the street below, landing in front of Strange’s front door. He knocked a couple of times, waiting as patiently as he could for an answer. After a moment, the door was opened, and a man greeted Peter, looking at him curiously.

“Is something wrong with your friend?” the man said, pointing to Miles. His Asian accent with thick, but still easily understandable.

“Yes, but I don’t what,” Peter said. “Is Doctor Strange here?”

The man peered down at Miles before looking back up at Peter.

“Come in,” he said, opening the door wider. Peter stepped inside, still cradling Miles in his arms. Normally, he’d be taking a good look around a place as cool and mysterious as the Sanctum Sanctorum, having never been there before. He settled for just a couple glances here and there though, his mind too preoccupied with concern for his protégé to fully take it in.

“Follow me,” the man who greeted him said, motioning for him to do so. Peter followed closely behind, ascending the stairwell at the center of the building. They soon came to a large room, where Peter saw the familiar red cape draped over the backside of its user, who appeared to be reading something.

“Stephen,” the man who guided them said, “it seems you have visitors.”

Doctor Strange turned around to face them all, his serious expression unchanging even as he walked over to Peter, closing his book.

“What’s wrong with him?” the man asked.

“I don’t know,” Peter said, looking down at Miles. “He had been missing from home for hours by the time I found him. He has a pulse and he’s breathing, but he won’t wake up.”

Strange looked to the other man, nodding lightly. The guide nodded back before taking his leave.

“You can lay him over there,” the doctor said, pointing to a table further into the room. Peter walked over to it, gently laying Miles down onto it. Strange then began examining, feeling around different spots on Miles’s arms and head. It was all similar to what Peter had done already, but he knew that even his own experience dealing with injuries couldn’t compare to actual clinical training, so he stood patiently as Strange worked.

“I don’t see any other signs of injury,” the doctor said.

“Any other ideas?” Peter asked. “Are there signs of anything.... supernatural?”

Strange let out a sigh, the concern on his face causing Peter to worry.

“Has he mentioned anything about having trouble sleeping?” he asked.

“Uhm, no, not that I know of at least,” Peter replied. “Why?”

The man didn’t respond, instead looking down at Miles. He then slowly raised his hand up til it was just over the boy’s forehead. Strange closed his eyes and began muttering something, his concentration heavy. This continued for a few moments, before he suddenly jerked back, his eyes wide.

“Strange what is it?” Peter said, moving over to the doctor.

“It’s what I feared,” the doctor replied. “There is a being I have been after for some time now, one from the dream dimension.”

“The dream dimension?” Peter asked. “What, like, just where we go in our sleep?”

“Specifically, where those who are tormented go,” Strange explained.

“What do you mean?” Peter asked.

Strange turned to him.

“Has your friend here been through something traumatic recently?” he asked. “Has he done something wrong, or lost someone or something?”

“Not that I can think of; not recently at lea....” Suddenly it clicked.

“What?” Strange asked.

“Today is the first anniversary of his father’s death,” Peter explained. “He was killed during the terrorist attack on City Hall last fall.”

“That is exactly what Nightmare would prey on,” Strange said.

“How do we stop this ‘Nightmare?’” Peter asked. “How do we save him?”

Strange looked at Peter.

“By sending in reinforcements.”

“Reinforcements?” Peter questioned.

“I can send the two of us into his mind,” Strange explained. “Hopefully, with my magic and your relationship to this boy, we can banish Nightmare from his mind. Are you in?”

“Yes,” Peter said without hesitation, even though he understood absolutely NONE of what was about to happen.

______________________________________________________________________________

Within moments, everything was set up. Miles remained on the table, with Peter sitting on his side and Strange overhead. The doctor looked over to Peter one more time, as if to check to make sure he was ready. Peter nodded, and Strange began, placing a hand just over the foreheads of the two Spider-Men.

“Close your eyes,” Strange said.

Peter did so. He heard the Sorcerer Supreme whisper something, and there appeared to be a soft, glowing light just outside his eyelids. Suddenly, Peter felt as if he was traversing the world’s fastest roller coaster, but without the racing heart. Instead, he felt surprisingly calm as if he was partially sedated for the trip.

All at once, he came to a stop, and he was back at City Hall. Members of Martin Li’s demon gang were everywhere, and the man himself could be seen lurking about as well as his men searched the area.

“Where is he?” Strange said. Peter almost jumped at the sound of his voice, not even realizing the doctor was standing just to his left. Collecting himself, he glanced around, finally seeing Miles, who was clutching his dad’s body as Martin and the demons were starting to leave.

“There,” Peter said, running up the steps of City Hall, stopping just behind Miles, with Strange just beside him. He could hear his protégé sobbing, mourning the loss of his father.

“Miles?” Peter said softly. The boy slowly began to control his sobs, wiping his nose as he turned to his mentor.

“Pete?” he said. “How are you... And who is....?”

“I’ll explain later,” Peter said, squatting down towards the boy, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Look, I know what you’re going through.”

Suddenly, the eyes of the dead Jefferson Davis opened, drawing Peter’s and Miles’s attention.

“No, he doesn’t,” Jefferson said, only it definitely was NOT him. The voice sounded otherworldly, like a monstrous echo. He slowly sat up and started to rise, standing to his feet.

“D-Dad?” Miles stammered.

“Your dad is gone,” the voice coming from the man replied, “and it’s all your fault.”

“No....” Miles stammered.

The figure of Jefferson Davis then looked as if he was about to strike, but a blast of yellow energy sent him flying back. Peter glanced towards Strange, whose hands still glowed with the same yellow energy. The good doctor then turned to Peter.

“That’s him,” he said. “I’ll hold him off, but his hold in here is strong. You have to help the boy break through.”

The doctor then ran forward, meeting Jefferson head on in a standoff.

“W-What’s happening?” Miles asked, his voice shaky.

“Look Miles,” Peter said, getting in front of his protégé, “that thing is not your dad. It’s some extradimensional entity called Nightmare, and it’s trying to keep you trapped in here so he can feed off your fear or something, but you can’t let him. You have to fight.”

“I.... I just miss him so much,” Miles said. “He was right; it’s my fault he’s gone.”

“I thought the same thing for years,” Peter said. “When my Uncle Ben died, even after I caught the man who killed him, I still blamed myself for what happened. Sometimes even now, all I can think about is how it was my inaction that allowed that man to take the only father I ever knew away from me. But that’s just it, Miles, we have to find a way to live with the fact that these deaths weren’t because of us. They happened to us; their lives were taken from us by other people.”

Peter heard a crash behind him, and he could see Miles’s eyes widen for a moment. He didn’t dare look back though; he had to trust that Strange could handle himself. Plus, this was the mindscape after all, so maybe getting hurt looked and felt different here.

“Miles, look at me,” Peter said, removing his mask for the first time since they arrived. “You can beat this.”

“How?” Miles said. “Every time I think I’ve moved on, something reminds me of him. How do I beat something I can’t escape?”

Peter thought for a moment, his eyes venturing away before returning to meet Miles’s, conviction deep within him.

“By not trying to escape,” Peter said. “We can’t forget or leave behind the loss of someone we love, Miles. All we can do is try to honor them as best we can every day of our lives, so don’t run from it. Remember who your dad was; remember the good times that you had together, and what he taught you. Like, what’s something he would always say?”

Miles looked down, appearing to ponder Peter’s question before looking back up at him.

“A hero is just a guy who doesn’t give up.”

Peter placed his hand gently but firmly on Miles’s shoulder.

“Then live that out,” he said. “Your dad did; he even gave his life to protect people, all the way to the end. He told you that because he knew you could be just like him; he knew you could be a hero Miles, and you can.”

Dr. Strange then came flying back, landing flat on his back right next to the two of them.

“You can’t stop me, Strange,” the voice from inside Jefferson called out as the figure walked towards them. “The boy’s fear belongs to me now.”

Peter then watched as Miles stepped forward, his face suddenly filled with conviction.

“You’re not my father,” he said, “and you have no hold over me.”

Nightmare let out a loud laugh.

“Foolish child,” he said, “you can’t escape me. Nothing is stronger in the human mind than fear.”

Miles shook his head.

“I may be afraid,” he said, “but I’m done letting that fear control me.”

The ground suddenly trembled around them.

“No,” Nightmare said, preparing to run towards them. “NO!”

Before he could even take off, however, he was restrained by a yellow energy. Peter turned to see Dr. Strange back on his feet, the man’s hands and eyes glowing yellow, power emanating all around him.

“It’s time for you to leave,” Strange commanded.

Slowly, the image of Jefferson Davis faded away, replaced by a chalk-white figure in a green body suit and long, ragged hair of the same color.

Nightmare.

The figure screeched loudly as the yellow energy overwhelmed him. Suddenly, light flashed all around them, and then they were gone.

______________________________________________________________________________

Peter’s eyes opened; he was still sitting in the same chair he was when they’d started this undertaking, and Strange and Miles were in their same positions as well. Miles slowly sat up, and Peter sprang up to help him.

“Hey man,” Peter said, placing one hand on Miles’s shoulder and another on his back, helping him up. “You okay?”

Miles took some breaths before looking at Peter.

“I think so,” the boy said. “At least I will be.”

“The good news is that Nightmare is gone now,” Dr. Strange interjected. “I managed to purge him from your mind and send him away. He won’t be bothering you anytime soon.”

“Thank you,” Miles said, looking at the man. “So, Dr. Strange, I presume?”

The Sorcerer Supreme let out a chuckle at the classic pun.

“Something like that,” he replied.

______________________________________________________________________________

Dr. Strange performed one more check just to make sure that Nightmare was in fact fully purged, and once that was complete, he escorted Peter and Miles to the front door.

“So, I guess I owe you a pretty big thank you,” Miles said to the doctor.

“Really you should be thanking your mentor here,” Strange replied, turning to address Peter. “I know you and I have only encountered each other a few times in the past, but after today, I can say you have my respect. The boy is in good hands.”

Peter nodded, holding out his hand for the doctor to shake, which he accepted.

“Thank you, Strange,” Peter said, “for everything. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

The doctor nodded and, with a flick of his wrist, opened the doors for them.

“Woah,” Miles said. “That’s really cool.”

Dr. Strange smirked as the two Spider-Men took their leave.

“We better get you home,” Peter said once they were clear of the doors. “Your mom is really worried about you.”

“Oh my goodness, mom!” Miles shouted. “We were supposed to visit dad’s memorial together!” The boy started to take off but stopped just short of firing a web.

“Actually, I have one quick question before I go.”

“Fire away,” Peter said.

“What was it your uncle said to you that you always remember?” Miles asked.

Peter let out a small huff, the familiar words immediately coming to mind.

“With great power comes great responsibility.”

Chapter Text

Peter waited as patiently as he could on the rooftop below, with Miles by his side. He had gotten a tip from a small time criminal about something big that was supposed to go down in Hell’s Kitchen at 8:00, so he and his former protégé had arrived at 7:45, just to play it safe. The thug hadn’t given too many details, other than that it was the final step in the plan of something big, and that there was “sensitive packages” involved. The location was at a dock, so there was a good chance they could be bringing in a shipment of drugs or something, but there was no way to know for sure just yet. There was a ship that had been docked along the bay since they got there though, so it felt like the best bet.

“Well, it’s 7:59,” Miles said, having pulled out his phone to check, “so unless that guy gave you some bad intel, whatever’s going down should be happening soon. Anytime which of the big bad crime bosses could be heading this up?”

“Not sure,” Peter replied. “The guy was exactly wearing a uniform or anything.”

“Yeah, that would make it so much easier,” Miles said.

“Too easy, really,” Peter added. “Then again, I’ve known some guys who might as well have worn one. Whoever that guy was though, I almost wonder if he just kind of stumbled on the information. He didn’t seem like too big a cog in whatever illegal machine he was operating in.”

“Yeah, maybe that meant he was too naïve to really be properly scared of whoever his boss was, if he even knows,” Miles added.

Peter then felt a very light tingle in the back of his head, indicating that someone was approaching them. Miles appeared to be feeling it too, as his body appeared to stiffen a little bit, just in case. Whoever was coming wasn’t likely a huge threat if any at all, since the buzzing in the back of his head was so light, but it was best to be prepared.

Once the individual came into view, however, landing gracefully on the same rooftop they were on, Peter relaxed greatly at the sight of a familiar horned figure.

“I know who’s behind it, and what is really going down,” Daredevil said, approaching the two Spider-Men.

“Woah,” Miles said, before seemingly catching himself fanboying. “I mean, what is it?”

“It’s a trafficking operation being put on by Fisk,” Daredevil replied, crouching down alongside the two.

“What kind of trafficking operation?” Peter questioned. “Drugs?”

“Worse,” the man without fear replied.

Peter recognized what his friend meant, and a surge of anger coursed through his body at the thought, his fists clenching tightly.

“What?” Miles asked. “What is it?”

Peter turned to the other Spider-Man.

“He means people,” Peter said. “It’s a human trafficking operation.”

“Oh man,” Miles said, shock lacing his words. “Fisk is involved in stuff like that?”

“There isn’t any kind of illegal thing he ISN’T involved in,” Peter said, “but I’ve never encountered one of these operations before.”

“That’s because that, among the three of us, we’ve really cut off many of his other revenue streams,” Daredevil said. “I’ve been tracking leads on this particular operation for some time. This is his attempt to kick off a partnership with some overseas crime groups.”

“Well, they’re running late, so that can’t be setting up a good impression,” Miles said.

“It’s not,” Daredevil said. “I can hear the men in the ship grumbling about it.”

“Wait, you can hear THAT well?” Miles asked.

Daredevil turned to Peter.

“Nice to know you told him about me,” he said sarcastically.

“I did, actually,” Peter said, a little hurt that one of his closest friends in the superhero community would insinuate such a thing. “He just marvels at everything.”

“Well, we’ll have to do official introductions later,” Daredevil said. “I can hear them coming. The driver is chewing the other out about causing them to be run late.”

Sure enough, less than 30 seconds after that, a large truck came into view, pulling to a stop.

“We’re going to have to be careful,” Peter said. “One false move and those victims become hostages. DD, how many are you picking up?”

“There are thirteen people in the back,” Daredevil replied. “Three of them are Fisk’s men, the rest are the ones we need to rescue. Also, I hear reinforcements coming.”

“We have to get those people out of here before too many of Fisk’s guys show up,” Miles said urgently.

“Agreed,” Peter said, turning to Daredevil. “How much time do we have before those reinforcements show up?”

“I’d guess about a minute and a half, at the most,” he replied.

“Alright,” Peter said, turning back to the scene. “Their offloading everyone now. My fellow Spider-Man and I will web their guns up from those beams overtop, and then you jump in and take them out. We’ll back you up.”

“On it,” Daredevil replied, immediately making his way over to the edge of the building, jumping off the far side. Peter and Miles made their way to their positions as well, staying as high up as possible to avoid detection.

Thank goodness most criminals never bothered to look up.

Peter and Miles made it into position, where they waited for just the right moment.

“C’mon, c’mon,” Peter said under his breath.

Finally, the time was right.

“Now,” Peter said in a firm whisper, and he and Miles both fired multiple webs from above, snagging onto the guns of all the bad guys and yanking them up and away from their use. Almost immediately afterward, Daredevil came flying in, and in rapid succession, he took out three of them men by himself in a flurry of kicks, punches and hits with his Billy clubs. Peter and Miles leapt down and pinned the other two, and they were all effectively taken out.

“The others are almost here,” Daredevil said, “and I can hear the guys from the ship coming out as well.”

“I’ll get these people to safety,” Miles said. “You two think you can handle the others?”

Peter looked Daredevil.

“Oh, I think we’ll be fine.”

Miles then instructed the others to follow him. Peter was proud of how the younger Spider-Man had earned the trust of the city; in some ways, he was even more a hero of the people than he was even in his short stint as the second wall crawler, and it certainly appeared to come in handy as he gained the trust of the scared individuals and they followed him away.

Within seconds of Miles and the victims getting out of view, Peter and Daredevil turned to face the vehicles pulling up that contained the backup.

“Long time no see,” Peter said as the men started to come out of the car, clearly picking up on the fact that their operation was busted. More men were coming from the ship as well.

“I’ve been busy,” Daredevil answered as some of the men started charging them, drawing their guns.

“Yeah, I guess I know what you mean,” Peter said as the two of them went to work. It had been some time since they fought together, but it soon felt almost like they never stopped. Both men utilizing every move in their arsenal, it didn’t take long before the tide turned in their favor despite their numbers disadvantage.

“Looks like you made some upgrades to those sticks of yours,” Peter said, spin kicking a thug in the face, knocking him out. “Not bad.”

“Thanks,” Daredevil responded, disarming a thug with one of his clubs before striking him with the other. “They might even be able to give some of your toys a run for their money.”

“Well, I don’t know if I’d go that far,” Peter teased, flipping backwards and throwing a guy down to the ground with his legs. “I mean, I’m no Iron Man, but I still got plenty of resourceful gadgets at my disposal.”

“Then why aren’t you breaking them out?” Daredevil challenged, delivering a fist to a thug’s face.

“Like I said, I’m not Iron Man,” Peter retorted, uppercutting his latest challenger. “I don’t have some unlimited supply; I have to pick and choose, you know?”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, kid,” Daredevil retorted, knocking out their last attacker. “Well looks like that’s all of them.”

“Got it,” Peter said, turning and putting a finger to the side of his mask, activating the device he and Miles had installed in their suits to communicate out in the field. “Hey Spidey 2.0, is everyone in the clear?”

“All clear,” Miles said. His voice sounded somber, so Peter told him to meet back up with him and Daredevil. They rendezvoused back at the same building they initially met on, watching as the police took the thugs away.

“Man, this was rough stuff,” Miles said. “If we hadn’t been here....”

“But we were,” Peter said, putting a hand on Miles’s shoulder, “and now we know what Fisk is up to these days.”

“Yeah, I know,” Miles said. “It’s just.... it’s so messed up that this stuff is out there though, ya know? I mean, selling PEOPLE to the highest bidder? It just.... it makes my stomach turn.”

“Sadly kid, you’ll see the worst of the worst with this job,” Daredevil said, “but we have to keep fighting. Always hold onto times like tonight, where we caught them early and were able to rescue their victims before they were traumatized by what they would’ve experienced. It won’t always look like this either; often, it will be more subtle.”

Peter turned to Miles.

“He’s right,” Peter said. “You’ve already seen with what Fisk tried to do in Harlem; how he blatantly attacked a park when things didn’t go his way. Sometimes he will strike that obviously, but a lot of the time he moves in the shadows, and so do others who do this kind of thing. It looks different in every situation. No matter what though, we can’t give up; we have to keep helping as many people as we can.”

“Always,” Miles replied. “Well, I better get back. It was nice to mee you, Mr. Daredevil, sir.”

Miles extended his hand to the man, who smiled as he shook it.

“It’s just Daredevil, kid,” he replied. “You’re one of us now.”

“Wow, thanks man,” Miles said. After saying goodbye to Peter as well he took off.

“He seems like a good kid,” Daredevil said. “Like you were when you started.”

Peter let out a huff.

“I didn’t have a mentor with my same power set when I was his age,” Peter answered. “Just trying to give him what I didn’t have.”

“I’ve always respected you, Peter,” Daredevil said, “when I first heard of a second Spider-Man out there, I knew as long as you were teaching him, he’d turn out great Keep doing what you’re doing with him.”

Peter turned to his ally.

“Thanks, Matt,” he replied. “For the record, I’ve always respected you as well. You always trusted me, even when Chameleon framed me way back when.”

“Super hearing to pick up someone’s heartbeat helps with that,” Matt replied, “but even if I hadn’t, I knew what you had done enough to know it would’ve been beneath you.”

Matt started to leave before Peter spoke up again.

“Don’t be such a stranger.”

Matt turned his head slightly.

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that,” he said, before diving off the building.

Chapter Text

Peter took a big bite of what was his sixth slice of pizza. While he tried to appease his spider enhanced metabolism as best he could, he was never above downing a good New York City style pizza, and this one was particularly hitting the spot. It had been a long day, both as himself and as Spider-Man. His new job at Stark Industries required a lot of hours, and the criminal element of the city never slept, at least not in all his years on the job.

Bottom line, he deserved to treat himself. Besides, so long as he remembered to post a good review for his buddy Eddie on Twitter, anything he wanted from the place was free, and if there was one thing the universe could agree on, it had to be that free food was NEVER to be turned down. Plus, it did make Peter feel twice as good to have amazing pizza while helping a small business in a large city.

Even as he did so, however, he was still frustrated by something that didn’t involve adult responsibilities or criminals doing dumb things: the fact that he still had no idea what to get Miles Morales for his birthday, which just so happened to be tomorrow. It would be his former protégé's 18th birthday, and he felt the boy who would soon be legally recognized as a man deserved something special. Peter couldn’t have been prouder of how well the young man had taken on the mantle of Spider-Man alongside his own; truth be told, he had come to consider Miles the younger brother he never had, both in costume and out.

All that to say, he had little ideas to begin with, and had hardly had anytime to actually look into anything, even with Miles helping him out, and so here he was, drowning his frustrations in pizza.

He was about to take the first bite of his seventh slice when he got a call. There weren’t many people that Peter would willingly sacrifice a good bite of pizza to answer for, but when said caller was one Mary Jane Watson, he ALWAYS answered.

“Hey M.J,” he said. “What’s up?”

“Hey Pete,” she replied, “just wanted to check in and see if you’d come up with anything to get Miles for his birthday tomorrow?”

“Nothing,” Peter said exasperatedly. “Not a thing. How is it possible to know someone so well and have zero idea what to get them?”

“One of life’s greatest mysteries,” M.J. answered, her voice a mixture of teasing and sympathy. “However, I think I might have an idea for you.”

“I’ll take whatever eleventh hour idea you’ve got,” Peter said, giving up on the slice of pizza in his hand for the moment and setting it back in the box. “Hit me.”

“Okay, so, you remember when you helped save the King of Wakanda’s life from a sniper that one time?” M.J. asked.

“Oh yeah, how could I forget,” he replied. “Jameson had a field day with that one about how I staged the whole thing in order to further my exposure on a more global scale.”

“Well, did he not say that he felt he owed you a favor?” M.J. reminisced. “Maybe it’s time to cash it in?”

Peter pondered her suggestion for a moment. King T’Challa had told him that, if there was anything he ever needed, he could always reach out to him and he would be there, but he wasn’t sure the sovereign ruler of a country would consider meeting some random kid a high priority in the scheme of things that surely needed his attention.

“I don’t know M.J,” Peter said. “Even if he were to happen to not have some urgent king stuff to do, it’s really short notice.”

“He gave you a way to contact him though, didn’t he?” M.J. inquired. “It probably couldn’t hurt to at least reach out.”

“Yeah, I guess not,” Peter said, though he still wasn’t 100% sold on the likelihood of the idea. “Still, maybe I should come up with a backup plan, just in case.”

“You never know, Tiger,” M.J. said. “If you tell him how big a fan Miles is, he just might be inclined to make an appearance.”

That was no exaggeration; while Spider-Man had always been his #1 favorite superhero, Miles had often talked about how cool he thought the Black Panther was, frequently geeking out over his moves and costume. He knew how much meeting T’Challa would mean to him, which would only make him more frustrated of this idea didn’t work.

“I’ll see what I can do I guess,” Peter said. “Wish me luck!”

“Pete, sometimes I think you LIVE off the stuff,” M.J. replied. “Alright, I’m on a deadline, just wanted to check in. Let me know how it goes.”

“Copy that,” Peter said. “Love you.”

“Love you too,” M.J. replied.

After he hung up, Peter packed up the remaining slices of his pizza and elected to head back home. He had stashed away the device King T’Challa had given him in a secure place there away from his other equipment, so he figured it best not to waste any time. Once he made the trip home, he put away the pizza in the fridge, and dug out the device. From everything that Peter had looked at, it appeared to be some kind of signaling device, not something you could specifically call from.

Heading back out into the city, Peter went to one of the places he felt like he could get the best reception: the peak of the Empire State Building. Pulling out the device, he pressed the button at the center. The device beeped a few times, then to Peter’s surprise, a holographic image of King T’Challa came up, the man wearing his Black Panther suit.

“Spider-Man,” the man said, his Wakandan accent coming through thick on the device. “Glad to see that you have taken my offer seriously after all this time. What can I do for you?”

“Hey th.... I mean, greetings, Your Majesty,” Peter said, bowing his head down at the remembrance that he was talking to literal royalty.

“Please, there is no need for that,” the king replied.

Peter faced back up, becoming more and more nervous that he wasn’t going to get this right.

“I apologize, Your Highness,” he said. “Anyway, I know this is last minute, but yes, I do have a small favor to ask....”

______________________________________________________________________________

“Look man, not that I don’t enjoy a good swing, but can you at least tell me where we’re going?” Miles asked, flying through the air one web at a time while trailing behind Peter.

“Patience back there, birthday boy,” Peter teased, “all part of the surprise.”

“What am I even going to be looking for?” Miles asked. “You haven’t even given me the slightest indication what it is we’re heading for!”

“Oh, trust me,” Peter said. “You’ll know it when you see it.”

After some more swinging, they finally came to the peak of one of the tallest buildings in the financial district, the roof wide as can be. However, the place was deserted, with nothing and no one else there.

“Okay, what is this?” Miles asked, landing behind Peter on the building, “some surprise training exercise or something? Whatever you have for me, just know I’ll be ready for it.”

Peter didn’t respond at first, instead just looking around.

“Huh,” he finally said. “He must be running late.”

“Who’s running late?” Miles inquired.

Peter’s spider-sense then tingled slightly, and he looked up, seeing exactly why. It took a little while, but eventually the cloaking technology on a small Wakandan ship faded away enough for it to come into view as it descended toward the building.

“Him,” Peter said, finally acknowledging Miles’s earlier question.

“Wait, is that....” Miles couldn’t even finish his sentence, as suddenly the King of Wakanda himself, T’Challa, the Black Panther, leapt out from the ship while it was still hovering over the rooftop, landing gracefully as if he were a true panther. Slowly he stood up, walking over to the two Spider-Men, his walk exuding the confidence of a true king.

“Good morning,” the king said, extending his hand out to Miles as he approached him first. “My name is....”

“King T’Challa, aka Black Panther,” Miles said, taking the king’s hand and shaking it. Then, like he forgot his manners, he got on one knee before T’Challa, with his head low. Peter almost had to keep from chuckling at seeing his former protégé do the same thing he did the night before.

“Stand up, son,” T’Challa said, pulling Miles up to his feet. “Today is the day you become a man, and I have come to take you through one last rite of passage to do so.”

“O-okay,” Miles stammered. “What exactly will I be doing?”

The king said nothing at first, instead taking several steps back.

“I understand your mentor here has taught you what he knows,” T’Challa finally remarked. “Trained you to be ready for any situation you might face.” He then squatted down, and Peter couldn’t help but wonder how much the man had studied the exact movements of a panther, given how animalistic his stance was.

“Let us see what you have learned,” he said.

“Wait, am I seriously about to spar with the King of Wak....”

T’Challa did not give Miles time to finish, leaping forward, and taking some swings. Peter stood and watched as the young man ducked, dodged and leapt out of the way of several kicks and strikes, all the while commenting on different aspects of the king’s suit.

“Come on, boy,” T’Challa said at one point. “You move quicker than the fastest animal, yet you hesitate to strike. Never be afraid when you have the right opportunity! Strike!”

Miles continued to dodge, finally building up the confidence to land a blow, striking the king of Wakanda with a swift spin kick, knocking him to the side. The Black Panther rolled across the roof a couple of times before gripping it with his Vibranium claws, bringing himself to a halt. Slowly, he stood up.

“Now that’s more like it.”

______________________________________________________________________________

The sparring session continued for some time, Peter watching as the Black Panther went at it with the younger Spider-Man. The king did not merely treat this like some fun exercise, but like a training session, taking every moment to show Miles ways he could improve as a fighter. Honestly, it got to a point where Peter began to wonder if he should be taking notes on it all. He didn’t just correct though; the King of Wakanda also complimented Miles when he was genuinely impressed by his skills and speed.

After several hours, the king ceased the duel between him and Miles. Peter walked over to the two of them.

“You should be very proud,” T’Challa told Peter. “This one has taken all of your teachings and applied them well. I have no doubt he will continue to grow into a great hero of his own.”

“Wow,” Miles said. “I.... I don’t know what to say.”

“There is no need to say anything,” T’Challa assured him, the nanotech helmet receding from his face, revealing a smile underneath. He then offered his hand for Miles to shake, which the young man accepted. He then turned to shake Peter’s as well.

“Thank you,” Peter said, shaking the king’s hand firmly. “I know all this was last minute.”

“Think nothing of it,” the king assured him. “It was my pleasure to come out here today. Besides, I’ve spent most of the last month bogged down in meetings with tribe leaders over matters varying in real significance. It was good to be able to get away for a time.”

T’Challa then turned back to Miles.

“Speaking of which, I have something to give you before I depart,” he said, turning to motion towards one of the Dora Milaje guards, who had been standing guard by the ship throughout the sparring session. The one he gestured to walked up to them, handing the king what looked like a band of some sort. T’Challa turned to Miles again, holding up the wrist bracelet and pointed to it.

“Each one of these symbols is the name of each tribe of Wakanda in our native language,” T’Challa explained. “May this always be a reminder that you have allies all over the world.”

“Wow, thanks!” Miles said, taking the bracelet.

“Well, until next time, my friends,” T’Challa said, turning back to the ship. Soon, the King of Wakanda, the Black Panther, was on his ship and being carried back in the direction of his home country.

Peter turned to Miles, who was still staring off in the direction the ship had taken off.

“Earth to Miles,” Peter teased. “You still in there?”

“Huh?” Miles asked. “Oh, yeah, sorry Peter,” he said. “I just...”

“I know,” Peter said. “I get it. There are some things you see in this business that never gets old. Also, for the record, he just said he would come ‘show you some things’; I didn’t know he was going to full on spar you.”

The younger of the Spider-Men let out a huff of a chuckle.

“Look man, I just.... thanks,” Miles said as he turned to fully face Peter. “Meeting him, it was.... it meant more than I expected it to.”

Peter put his hand on Miles’s shoulder.

“You’re welcome,” he said. “Happy birthday man.”

“Thanks,” Miles said. “Though honestly, I don’t feel any different yet.”

“Yeah, that’ll change,” Peter replied. “Before you know it, you’ll start to become an old man, like me.”

“Oh wow, that’s pretty old,” Miles teased.

“Maybe,” Peter replied, “but still young enough to beat you to F.E.A.S.T.”

“You’re on!” Miles shouted, and the two Spider-Men then leapt off the building, swinging off into the Manhattan skyline. As they raced, Peter had one question going through his head.

How was Mary Jane always right?

Chapter Text

“Attention all units, we have reports of a loud and potentially violent disturbance in Harlem. Nearest units, please respond.”

Well, it looked like the race would have to be resolved another time. Peter had been racing Miles for the better part of five years now, the two Spider-Men swinging through the skies of Manhattan with nothing holding them back. It was a much lesser occurrence than in the days the former was teaching the latter, as now it seemed like they hardly saw each other in costume as they divided their attention among the seemingly never-ending threats the city faced. As a result, Peter had been looking forward to it, and he knew Miles had been too, but when duty calls, that was all there was to it.

Peter turned first, arcing his web so that he made a hard right turn, and his former protégé followed suit, both soon well on their way towards the sight of whatever it was that was going. A loud and violent disturbance could mean just about anything. It could be a gang fight, or it could be two super powered people slugging it out. By now, Peter felt as though he’d seen it all, so not much was likely to surprise him.

Miles was no slouch in the experience department either, having been a full-fledged Spider-Man for about five years now himself. It may not have compared to Peter’s thirteen years, but it was more than enough to be well acquainted with a variety of things. However, despite all he had seen, Miles still maintained a bit more optimism than he did. Sure, there were times when he seemed drained and tired of the world, and Peter still kept up his sense of humor, but there were so many days where he was just DONE with the city. Honestly, if it wasn’t for Miles, if it wasn’t for having someone who understood his struggle in the deepest sense, Peter wasn’t really sure where he would be right now.

The two of them soon drew near to the site, where they discovered much more than either of them had anticipated.

“Hold on Miles,” Peter said. “Let’s land on the building next-door.” The other Spider-Man followed suit, and they landed on a building just behind the one where a horrid scene appeared to have taken place: there were five dead men, each one appearing to where the outfit of some kind of ninja or sword fighter. In the center stood a man that Peter recognized all too well.

“Woah man, what ha....”

Peter couldn’t shush Miles in time, and the figure across the way turned towards them sharply, and his familiar Adamantium claws unsheathed themselves from his hands.

“Oh man, is that....?”

“Yep.”

Wolverine suddenly came charging after them, leaping the distance of the alley below them and lunging for Peter first. The older Spider-Man ducked, narrowly avoiding the deadly metal claws as they swung over top of him. Wolverine landed on his feet though, and immediately came back after the two Spider-Men, yelling as if he was some feral animal. Even with their own enhanced speed and reflexes, Peter and Miles struggled to maintain a safe distance from the X-Man.

“Woah, how do we stop this guy?” Miles asked.

“We don’t,” Peter replied, dodging another attack.

“What?” Miles questioned.

“We need to give him time to calm down and help him if we can.”

Peter recognized the state his friend was in; he had seen this side of Wolverine before. It was a dark part of his nature that he fought against, but sometimes simply couldn’t keep down. Clearly those ninjas or whatever had gotten quite the rise out of him, and now the responsibility had fallen to Peter to make sure nobody else got hurt as a result.

At one point, Wolverine got a little too close for comfort, and Peter kicked him back, sending him tumbling on the rooftop they were on.

“Logan,” Peter said, holding out his hand. “It’s okay man. It’ll pass.”

Wolverine came after them again, and Peter and Miles resumed their dodging techniques. This took them from rooftop to rooftop, until they were several buildings away from where they originally started. After a while of this, Logan finally began to settle down, his mind seemingly returning to a less feral state. Once he was calm enough, he spoke up.

“I’m sorry kid,” he said, looking at Peter specifically.

“I’ve seen worse, even in you,” Peter replied. “What happened back there anyway?”

“Some old friends from my time in Japan,” Logan explained. “We had a disagreement, so to speak.”

“I’ll say,” Miles said, speaking up for the first time and causing Logan to turn to him.

“So, you must be the younger Spider-Man,” the man said. “I am truly sorry that this is how we finally meet. Your mentor here has told me a lot about you.”

“He told me about you too,” Miles said, his arms crossed. “He said you could fight ugly; I guess I just didn’t know how ugly.”

“I’m the best there is at what I do kid,” Logan said gruffly, “but what I do isn’t very nice.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” Miles said.

“For the record, I don’t enjoy killing,” Logan said, a mix of anger and hurt in his voice, “and I don’t enjoy when I get like that. Sometime, a man just has to do what he has to do.”

Logan turned back to Peter.

“Go,” Peter said quietly, and that was all the man needed, taking off and jumping off the building onto another rooftop. Peter then turned back to Miles, who appeared to be watching as Wolverine took his leave.

“You okay?” Peter asked.

“Yeah, it’s just.... I know you talk highly of the guy, but how can you work with someone like that?” Miles asked.

“You mean someone who believes in killing as a solution?” Peter asked.

“Basically, yeah,” Miles agreed.

Peter turned to face the direction Logan had run off in, letting out a long, deep sigh through his mask.

“I’ve known Logan a long time,” he said, turning back to Miles, “he’s rough around the edges, to say the least. We’ve gone back and forth about killing and whether it’s ever justified several times; we even threw down over it once. We still talk about it on occasion, and we obviously still don’t agree, but I’ve learned to see that there are other more positive aspects to his personality.”

“Like what?” Miles asked.

“The biggest one is that he’s loyal to those he trusts,” Peter said. “That trust is very, very hard to gain, but once you do, there is NOTHING that man won’t do for you. He can be kind and generous as well, when he wants to be.”

“I get it; he’s not all bad,” Miles said, “but I don’t know if I could look past stuff like what we saw back there in order to work with him.

Peter walked over to Miles until they were only a couple feet apart.

“It’s not about looking past it or pretending it isn’t there,” he said. “Like I mentioned, we still discuss stuff like that from time to time. The biggest thing is that we try and make each other better. That’s why I can still call Logan a friend; we are two people who aren’t afraid to confront one another about something we believe in.”

Miles hesitated for a moment before responding.

“I guess that makes sense. Maybe it’s something I just need to work through for myself.”

“Definitely,” Peter said, “you’ll only start encountering stuff like this even more as you start to get old like me, so you’ll definitely get your chances.”

“Yeah,” Miles replied.

The sound of helicopters was beginning to pierce the air; it was likely the police on their way to deal with the mess Wolverine had left behind.

“Alright man let’s get out of here,” Peter said. “After all, didn’t we have a race to finish?”

“You bet, though now that I know you’re old, I might just have to take it easy on you,” Miles retorted as they strolled towards the edge of the building.

“Oh no, then you would just be insulting what’s left of my pride,” Peter teased.

“Alright, if you insist,” Miles said, and soon the two Spider-Men were off and racing again.

Chapter Text

Peter had just rang the doorbell to Miles’s apartment, but it already was taking too long in his opinion. He was anxious to have a pointed conversation with his former protégé; his anxiety evidenced by his foot tapping on the ground rapidly, which it took M.J. pointing out for him to notice.

“Easy Pete,” she said, her voice helping him calm down slightly. “Remember, we need to hear him out.”

“I know,” Peter said. He knew she was right. Miles had been his web slinging and crime fighting partner for almost 17 years now, and up until this point, he had not one time done anything to betray his trust. Still, the fact that his daughter’s life was involved made this another matter entirely.

The door finally opened, and Miles’s face indicated he too had anticipated having the forthcoming conversation.

“Come on in,” Miles said, opening the door more widely. Peter let M.J. step through first, following her straight into the living room, where he took a seat on the couch alongside her, with Miles sitting down in a chair across the room.

“Is Annie here?” Peter asked, recognizing his daughter wasn’t out and about in the room.

“She’s in the other room with Hailey,” Miles explained. “I thought it might be better that way, so you could hear what happened from just me first.”

“Go ahead Miles,” M.J. spoke up, turning to look at Peter, who simply nodded, trying to contain his frustration. He forced it down, trying his best to keep an open mind.

“Basically, as soon as you took off for your trip, she was asking if she could go on patrol with me,” Miles began. “I did say no, but I offered a compromise by giving her some lessons on how to use her powers, which I know you’ve been doing too.”

“Then why did I see a bunch of headlines about another spider person swinging through the city when we got back into town?” Peter asked.

Miles swallowed.

“We were training one day when a drug deal got underway in an alley nearby,” Miles explained. “I told her to stay behind, then I jumped down there to handle it myself. I thought I had it under control, until a civilian came across what was happening. I took a bullet that was meant for that woman.”

Peter’s attitude towards Miles softened a little at that detail, and he believed he was starting to piece together what had happened.

“Anyway,” Miles continued. “The bullet hit me in a bad spot, and I was pretty much down. That’s when....”

“That’s when she jumped down and saved you,” Peter finished.

“She was still wearing the spare mask I’d let her borrow, so nobody saw her,” Miles clarified. “But yes, she took them out and got me back here, where her and Hailey managed to get the bullet out of me.”

Peter ran his hands over the back of his head. He felt a little guilty over how angry he’d been when he first saw the headline, but he still wasn’t completely ready to let his friend off the hook just yet.

“Miles, I’m glad you’re okay,” Peter said, “and I’m grateful for what you’ve taught her, but you still took her on patrol with you after the fact. Why?”

Miles looked down, wringing his fingers together. Even though he and Peter had both been adults for a while now, some of those nervous tendencies hadn’t gone away for either of them.

“You should’ve seen her out there, Pete,” Miles explained. “I know you don’t believe it, but she’s ready.”

“Miles, she’s 14,” Peter said, “even younger than either of us were when we started out.”

“I know, but she’s also had powers since she was 6,” Miles countered. “It’s all she’s ever known. She has a lot more control over them already than either of us did when we started.”

“Maybe, but that’s not enough,” Peter said.

“Then what will be enough, Pete?” Miles asked, his tone starting to match Peter’s in frustration. “Look man, I remember how nervous you were to let me come with you the first time, but everything turned out okay, because I had you to learn from.”

“It’s not the same, Miles,” Peter countered. His tone was still subdued but his frustration was likely still obvious.

“I know she’s your daughter,” Miles said, “but neither of us could keep telling her ‘No’ forever. She was going to get out there eventually.”

“And what if it were YOUR daughter?” Peter asked. “What if it was Phin instead of Annie?”

Miles hung his head for a moment, seemingly struck by those words. It took him a moment before he could look Peter in the eye again.

“I guess I would hope that you’d be saying the same thing to me if you were in my situation,” Miles said.

Peter looked at M.J. for a moment. His wife’s expression didn’t lead him to believe she had anything more to say, and neither did he.

“Bring Annie out, please,” Peter said.

“Pete....” Miles said.

“We’re taking her home,” Peter affirmed.

Miles sighed, getting up and walking down the hall. A couple of moments later, he returned with his wife Hailey and Annie herself, who only barely glanced her parents' way.

“Thank you again for watching her,” M.J. said as they got up and headed for the door, signing specifically so Hailey could understand.

“You’re welcome,” Hailey signed back.

Not another word was exchanged as the Parker’s took their leave.

______________________________________________________________________________

The taxi ride back to the Parker’s home in Queens was completely silent, but the proverbial elephant was still evident. As they arrived home, Peter and M.J. got their bags out from their anniversary trip, and their daughter followed them into the house.

“I’m in trouble, aren’t I?” Annie finally spoke up.

Neither of her parents spoke up at first.

“Annie, go upstairs please,” M.J. finally said. “Your father and I need to talk about this.”

“Mom....” Annie grumbled.

“Go,” M.J. reasserted, her voice firm but graceful at the same time. Annie reluctantly did as she was told. Once their daughter was out of earshot, M.J. turned back to Peter.

“What are you thinking?” she asked.

Peter let out a sigh.

“That she shouldn’t have gone out there,” he said.

“She was with Miles,” M.J. said.

“I know, and yes, I trust him to watch out for her,” Peter said, “but what if something had happened to him while he was protecting her? They would’ve both been in trouble.”

“Pete, I don’t like out daughter going out and dealing with New York’s worst of the worst either,” M.J. explained, “but Miles did have a point back there.”

Peter narrowed his eyebrows inquisitively.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“I know that we agreed she needs to wait until she’s 18,” M.J. said, “and obviously I want to have the chance to evaluate what she can do for myself, just like you, but maybe we need to be more open about this.”

“How can you say that M.J?” Peter said. “We’re her parents; we need to protect her from what’s out there.”

“Yes, but maybe protecting her means making sure she’s ready to deal with what’s out there,” M.J. responded. “It just might be that we aren’t doing her any favors by keeping her in the dark on everything.”

“I don’t know,” Peter said, shaking his head.

“Peter, you have no idea how much she talks about wanting to go out there with you,” M.J. said. “Ever since she found out about her powers and where they come from, she has always wanted to help you protect this city.”

Peter gripped a nearby chair, shaking his head as he looked down.

“But what if I can’t protect her?” he said.

“I know, I think about it too,” M.J. said. “It terrifies me too, but if this is what she wants, we can’t continue to keep her from it.”

Peter chuckled.

“You have any idea how bad a parenting philosophy that is when applied broadly?” he asked.

M.J. gave him a stare as she tilted her head, smiling at him as she let out a few chuckles herself.

“Look, Peter,” M.J. began, “whatever you choose to do, I will support it. I just want you to keep her perspective in mind.”

Peter nodded at her. His wife was right; he DID have a decision to make. He still wasn’t sold on the idea of her suiting up with him, but if there was such a thing in this situation as a compromise, what could that look like?

______________________________________________________________________________

Later that night, Peter went up to his daughter’s room. The door was open, and he peaked inside to see her lying on her bed, facing the wall across from her. He gave a couple gentle knocks, causing her to turn her head to see him. He wandered into the room slowly as she sat up on her bed, grabbing the roller chair at her desk and sitting down on it just across from her.

“Dad....” Annie started.

Peter held his hand up.

“First of all, I wanted to say that I am proud of you for saving Miles’s life,” Peter said. “That took a lot of courage to do, so I just wanted to say you did good there.”

His daughter allowed a small smile to curve across her face.

“Thanks,” Annie replied, hanging her head for a moment. “Listen...... I know I shouldn’t have talked Mr. Morales into letting me go out there with him after that, but I just felt so confident after how I saved him, I just...... I feel like I’m ready, dad.”

Peter let out a huff as he smiled.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” he replied.

Annie’s eyes went wide, excitement slowly starting to take over her face.

“You mean I can go out there with you!?” she asked enthusiastically.

“Maybe,” Peter replied. “Your mother and I still need to test your skills out for ourselves. If we feel like you are ready, I MIGHT let you go out there with me, but ONLY with me.”

By now, Annie seemed to be doing everything she could not to bounce up and down on the couch in excitement.

“Oh my goodness dad,” she said, “I promise, I won’t let you down!”

Peter laughed.

“We’ll see. Also, because you technically disobeyed us, your mom and I agreed that you’re to come home straight from school all next week. No friends’ houses or parties, is that understood?”

“Yes,” Annie said, her excitement only barely diminishing.

“Okay,” Peter said. He stood up, putting the chair back in its place. He then walked over to Annie, giving her a hug.

“You know I love you,” he said.

“I love you too,” she responded in kind.

______________________________________________________________________________

About two months later, Peter was finally willing to let Annie come along on one of his patrols. He had worked with her on a suit and everything, and it was almost time. While he was waiting for her to get dressed, he remembered he had never truly apologized to Miles for his frustration when he picked her up. He took out his phone, finding Miles’s number and dialing it.

“Hey Peter,” Miles answered. “What’s up?”

“I just wanted to say that I’m taking Annie on patrol with me today.”

There was a pause on the phone.

“Really?”

“Yep,” Peter said. He glanced in the direction of where his daughter would be coming from before continuing: “Hey, Miles, I also wanted to say I’m sorry for being so frustrated with you. You and Hailey were great to take her in while M.J. and I went on our trip, and I know you were looking out for her.”

“It’s cool man,” Miles replied. “I didn’t actually have your permission though, so I am sorry I scared you and Mary Jane like that.”

“Well, let’s just put this behind us and move on then,” Peter proposed.

“Sounds good to me,” Miles said.

“Alright, I think she’s coming,” Peter said. “Wish me luck.”

“Good luck, Pete,” Miles replied. “Have fun with Spider-Girl.”

“Spider-Girl?” Peter asked.

“Yeah, it’s what she called herself during training and stuff,” Miles replied. “Anyway, gotta go. Bye!”

The call ended just as Annie came out dressed in a red, white and blue outfit very similar to Peter’s own, with some bits of black inserted as well. Peter said nothing at first as he observed his daughter in her own superhero outfit.

“What?” she asked.

“Nothing,” he said. He looked out the open window, acknowledging in his head that the moment was finally here.

“Okay, Spider-Girl,” Peter said. “Try and keep up.”