Author's Note: In the last one-shot I wrote (On the Topic of Butts- Spiderman/Avengers crossover), I briefly mentioned a newspaper clipping about a little girl in a domestic violence situation, where 911 had been called only after the girl's mother pulled a gun on the father. So, due to a request from A Random Girl, I've turned that flash fiction idea into a real story.
It was 11:54 when Peter got the first alert.
'911 call made by Mia Ambers 11723 Maple Way, her mother (mental stability uncertain) pulled out a gun. Deploying police as fast as possible.'
It was 12:14 when he got the second one.
'911 call made by Karen Garcia 11725 Maple Way, gunshot heard from the Ambers house, no report on the status of the three inside the house. Deploying ambulance as fast a possible.'
No report on the status of the three in the house. It chilled Peter to his bones that someone could have been hurt. He moved even faster towards the house.
It was 12:16 when he got the final alert.
'911 call made by Karen Garcia 11725 Maple Way, another gunshot heard from the Amber house, Helena Amber seen fleeing the scene, figure that could be Jack Amber seen fleeing the scene, no report on Mia Amber. Police still 15 minutes out, ambulance 20 minutes out.'
And Spiderman less than 30 seconds away. Peter landed on the grass just as a hysterical woman ran out of the neighboring house.
"Thank God you're here!" She pointed to the house desperately, the hair falling out of her bun only adding to the tension. "I haven't seen Mia, I'm really worried about her, please help her!"
"You haven't seen her leave?" Peter tried to calm who he guessed to be Karen Garcia. "Only the parents have left the building?"
"Yes, I haven't seen her at all, oh God, please help that child."
"I'll get her, ma'am, don't worry." And he stepped up onto the porch, leaving the fretful woman behind in the yard.
It was a nice house, two stories, stable porch, wooden door. No sounds came from inside as he slowly opened the door. Immediately in the entryway, a broken vase could be seen, most likely knocked off the table pushed against the wall. Coats and keys still hung from the hooks by the door.
"Mia?" He called out to the house. With no reply, Peter took a few more steps into the building, peering into the first room. "Holy shit."
It was clearly a living room, an open entrance leading into a couch moved several feet from where it seemed to have been initially, a shattered television, books from a nearby bookshelf were scattered across the floor. A path of destruction seemed to have gone towards the door, making it obvious which way one of the Ambers had gone. And as his eyes adjusted, a trail of blood became noticeable, trailing from the couch, where the stream was light, to the back door, where a large, bloody handprint was visible. Peter felt the blood drain from his face, as yet another thing registered with him. Small, bloody, childlike footprints made their way from the trail of blood to the stairs.
"Mia?" He called again, putting one foot on the staircase. "Mia?" Peter stepped out onto the second floor landing, and this time was greeted with a muffled sob.
Quickly moving toward the sound, Peter tried to calm himself. A worried superhero would do nothing to calm a terrified child.
"Mia, where are you?" Peter stepped into the room at the end of the hallway. It was painted a light green, with cutouts of Tinkerbell hanging on the walls.
"Who is it?" The question was barely audible, tumbling out of the closet.
"It's Spiderman." Peter sat outside the closed closet door and knocked lightly. "Can I come in?"
It was silent for a few seconds, before, "I guess." Peter breathed a sigh of relief, before sliding the door open and smiling slightly.
"Hi, Mia." The small child looked up to him, and smiled back.
"Hi, Spiderman." Peter edged into the closet, and closed the door behind him, sitting cross-legged in the dark space. Mia giggled, and he smiled. At least she didn't seem scared. "Why are you wearing your mask in the dark?"
"Hmm…" Peter pretended to think, before he tapped on her feet playfully. "Why are you wearing your shoes inside?"
"Because Daddy told me to put them on. He said I would cut myself on the glass downstairs, and to put on my shoes and hide in the closet." Peter's smile faded, and he was glad for the darkness.
"Really? Can you tell me what happened, Mia?" The little girl snuggled closer to him in the space.
"I heard shouting and I came downstairs and Daddy yelled at me to go back upstairs and I did and then there was a loud banging and Daddy cried out and when I came downstairs Mommy was gone and Daddy was standing at the door and-" She stopped to take a breath, Peter could feel tears beginning to fall down her face. When she started again, her voice was much shakier, and he pulled her just a little bit closer. "And Daddy was covered in blood and he took out a gun and he shot the doorknob and then he saw me and handed it to me and told me to go back upstairs with it and to be very careful and that-" She broke off, crying now, "And that he loves me a lot even if he and Mommy can't come back anymore."
"Mia, did you say he handed you the gun?" Peter began carefully, processing the story.
"Yeah, do you want it?"
"Mia, where is the gun?"
"I have it right here." Peter stiffened, how had he not noticed it before?
"Mia, will you get out of the closet with me?"
"Okay." He opened the door again, letting soft moonlight stream into the space, before stepping out. Getting a good look at Mia for the first time, Peter was shocked to find that she couldn't be more than six years old. Her feet had a coat of blood on them, her father's blood he guessed, and she clutched the gun to her chest like a lifeline.
"Mia, can you give me the gun?" The little girl looked at him suspiciously.
"Daddy told me to not give it to anyone."
"But you trust me, right? I'm not going to hurt anybody." She stared at him, before nodding slightly.
"Do you promise you won't hurt anybody?"
"Of course I won't hurt anybody." He pulled the gun gently away from her. "My whole life is saving people. Here, look. How about I turn the safety on, and you can carry it the rest of the way outside? How about that? You did do such a great job keeping it safe until now, right?" Mia smiled happily and took the gun back, safety now on.
"I'll keep it safe for you Spiderman." She grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the staircase. "I know the way, come on." They walked down the stairs, hand in hand, and Peter turned to her before they reached the living room.
"Hey, there's some broken glass down here, okay? So I'm going to carry you the rest of the way outside." He smiled at her, "Are you okay with that?"
"Yeah!" She grinned sunnily back at him.
"Okay," He easily swung the child onto his hip. "Now close your eyes and before you know it we'll be outside!"
"Why do I have to close my eyes?" Mia questioned, but she did it anyways.
"Because," He glanced towards the bloody handprint. "Then it seems like you're flying, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, it does!" She giggled contentedly, burying her head into his shoulder.
"Almost there…" Peter opened the door to the house and swung Mia down to the ground. "Outside! See, wasn't that fun?"
"Yes," Mia looked up, "Mrs. Karen!"
"Oh my God, Mia are you alright? Jesus, is that a gun?" She looked up to Peter incredulously.
"Hey, Mia. I need you to go put the gun down on the sidewalk in front of your house and then go sit on Mrs. Karen over here's porch, okay?"
"Okay!" She responded, happily. The pair watched the child calmly place the gun on the sidewalk before Karen turned to Peter angrily.
"You let her have a gun?"
"Listen, okay. Mia's young and I can see that you care about her. She doesn't quite understand what's going on right now, but when she's old enough, it's going to hit her hard. Just, make sure she gets somewhere where she'll be happy. She doesn't understand that there is a good chance her parents are never coming back, and she needs someone to help her. So, please, be the person who helps her." Karen looked at him for a few seconds.
"Of course I'll help her," She finally choked out. "I've wanted to get that child out of that damn awful house ever since she was born, a place like that is no place to grow up."
"Good." Peter turned away, "And if her parents come back, call child services, okay?"
"I will." And Peter gave her a thumbs up behind him as he walked towards Mia. The small child waved as he grew closer.
"Hey Mia," Peter smiled as he got closer.
"Hi Spiderman! Are you leaving?" She frowned, "I want you to stay until Daddy and Mommy come back." Peter smiled sadly at her.
"Mia, I want you stay with Mrs. Karen, okay? And remember that your parents love you." He thought for a second. "Mia, that gun your father handed you, that thing is powerful. And with great power comes great responsibility. Can you promise me you'll be careful?"
"Yes, I can be careful!" She grinned brightly. "I have great responsibility!" Peter knelt next to her.
"Yeah, you do." He held up his hand for a high five, and Mia eagerly slapped it. "Bye Mia."
"Bye, Spiderman!" Peter stood up to see police cars rolling around the corner of the block, and cameras snapping from neighbors. He raised his hand to swing away, but turned back towards Karen at the last second.
"Mrs. Garcia!" He jogged up to her. "Can I see your phone?"
"Yes, of course." He quickly opened a new contact and typed in his number.
"If you need help, call me, okay?" She smiled at him happily.
"Of course."
"Well, then. Bye Mrs. Garcia!" Peter handed her phone back and took off down the street, disappearing quickly.
"You really are a hero aren't you?" She mumbled after him. "Mia!" She called out to the child, who popped up over the porch railing. "How do you feel about staying at my house for a while?" The smile that came back was just about enough to light the world forever.
In three months, at 3:45, Peter got a phone call.
"Hello?"
"Spiderman, this is Karen Garcia."
"Oh! How's Mia? Do you need help? Are you alright? Is she alright-" He was cut off abruptly.
"Spiderman, I just wanted to tell you that I gained full custody of Mia. She's safe."
"Oh," He broke into a gigantic grin. "That's great! Um, like, I, wow, that's great! I mean-"
"I just wanted to say thank you."
"Send her my congratulations. And, of course, congratulations to you, also."
"I will. Thank you, so much, this means more to me than you know."
"I'm glad I could help. Keep an eye on Mia."
"I will. Keep an eye on yourself."
"I'll be sure to. Goodbye, Mrs. Garcia."
"Goodbye, Spiderman." And Peter stood at a bus stop, his stupid grin gaining him weird looks from the people around him. But that didn't matter, because for once, the things he did felt 100% worth it.
Author's Note: Well, that was fun, thanks for reading.
If you follow my other story (Definitely Not) I'm hoping to get a chapter up tomorrow, for Thanksgiving and all, so yay. This is an awful pattern really, word vomit a flash fiction idea then get onto the actual story. Well, it should be up by 11/23 but until then Happy almost Thanksgiving!