New Year, New Beginnings

Blind Man's Bluff

3.5 weeks since the bite.

3 weeks since the murder.

2 weeks since becoming Spider-Man.

Peter sat on the rooftop of a building, overlooking the neat rows of small businesses and shopping outlets.

Aunt May was working late, meaning he'd have more time to stay out before she got back home.

A small noise to his left made the buzzing at the back of his neck go off.

He whipped his head around, looking for the source, of noise, before noting a figure who seemed to be observing him.

The lenses on his mask narrowed. Hm.

Peter shifted his direction ever so slightly, and hoped he looked braver than he felt.

"I know you're there," he said.

The figure stepped out of the shadows.

Peter inhaled sharply and took a step back when he realized the person in question was dressed in a crimson suit, with two horns reminiscent of the devil on his head.

A certain Devil of Hell's Kitchen, also known as Daredevil, was currently standing 5 feet away from him.

The man looked in his direction. "Spider-Man," he said, in a low gravelly voice.

The teenager swallowed thickly. "Daredevil."

Matt slipped out of the shadows when Spider-Man spotted him. He was guessing that the new vigilante had enhanced senses of some kind.

He heard the other man's breath hitch audibly, his heart rate increasing ever so slightly when he stepped into the yellow aura cast by a nearby streetlight.

Matt looked in his direction. "Spider-Man," he said, deepening his voice as he usually did when dealing with vigilante matters.

The other man swallowed thickly. "Daredevil," he said quietly, a small quaver in his voice.

Daredevil frowned. Spider-Man's voice was high pitched, like that of a teenager. His heartbeat was not that of an adult's either, but that could be chalked up to his powers.

Deciding to take a leap of faith, Matt asked, "How old are you?"

The webslinger just looked at him, before saying "Twenty-five."

Lie.

Matt just looked at him.

Spider-Man's posture slumped a little bit. "Twenty," he amended.

Lie.

Daredevil crossed his arms, trying to appear menacing.

Spider-Man sighed. His heart sank when he heard Spider-Man's heartbeat spike.

"I'm fifteen," he said quietly.

Truth.

A child was running around Queens and taking down criminals.

Matt wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry.

"Go home kid," he opted for instead.

"No."

"You should be in school, complaining about homework and making out in supply closets or whatever teenagers do these days."

"You should be in Hell's Kitchen, beating up thugs or whatever it is you do these days," Spider-Man Boy shot back.

Great. A smart aleck. Just what he needed.

"Do your parents know you're doing this?" asked Matt.

The boy tensed, then shook his head.

A sore spot then. Maybe he didn't have parents, or his home life wasn't so good.

Daredevil opened his mouth to say something else, but the Spider-Kid beat him to it.

"Look. When you can do the things that I can do, but you don't, and then the bad things happen, they happen because of you. I didn't ask for these powers. I got them by accident. Someone I loved died because I didn't stand up to the person that killed them. I don't know why you dress up like a devil and run around Manhattan at night. I became Spider-Man because with great power, there must also come great responsibility, and no one should ever go through what I did. I want to help save people's lives."

The webslinger sat down, and let out a huff.

Matt was stunned.

He sighed, then looked in Spider-Boy's direction. "If you're going to do this, you need to know how to fight. Do you have any experience?"

"I'm pretty good at gymnastics, dancing, and Iooked up basic fighting techniques on YouTube."

Matt cringed at the last part.

"Meet me here tomorrow at 8 o'clock. Bring a water bottle."

Spider-Boy's heartbeat jumped excitedly, and saluted. "Okay Daredevil."

"Stay safe," Matt grunted, before using his baton to shoot a grappling hook at a nearby water tower and parkour his way back to Hell's Kitchen.

Peter crawled in through his bedroom window and collapsed on his mattress, stripping out of his outfit and changing into pyjamas.

Aunt May opened the door a few minutes later, and smiled when she saw her nephew sleeping with a contented look on his face.

If only she knew...