Spidertwin68: Thanks! Reillys' backstory is in the Darkdevil 3-part mini series but not much else was revealed about him. I plan to continue and have most of this completed. It's a somewhat short fic that's more fast paced than my other Darkdevil stories. I hope you like this chapter. :)
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At the time Mary Jane had feared the life she had built with Peter was being threatened. That the man who may of been Peter's clone might have been the real deal, the real Peter Parker. Not knowing what that would mean for the man she loved and their life together she had acted on emotion. She had seen Ben Reilly as nothing but trouble. He could have tried to take Peters' life from him, to upturn everything they had worked so hard for. That fear had spurred her on as Mary Jane glared at the Scarlet Spider.
"This is my life! This is Peters' life! And you can't have it! So you just go on back to where you came from-! Go on! Get out! Everything was fine until you showed up!"
She had beaten her hands against his chest as hard as she could as tears streamed down her face.
Knowing the man Ben turned out to be it shames her to think of her behavior back then. Thankfully knowing Ben had given her enough sense to put those fears to rest long before April showed up. But Mary Jane never really stopped cringing at how she had acted whenever the clone was mentioned. Now he was on her mind more than usual...
"Good thing we did the swab before lunch, otherwise you could have lost any samples you got from his jacket. I'll see if Phil can find anything of use."
Mary Jane nodded absently.
"Auntie M? What is it?" Normie rose from his desk to her side when she didn't answer. "Is something wrong?"
"There's something about him...I know there's something he's hiding...I can feel it."
"I still don't think he's a bad guy but we'll find out soon enough." He pulled her in for a hug glad that he could finally return the favor of comforting her.
"His name is Reilly Tyne. REILLY." She shook her head trying to clear it of the confusion the young man unintentionally created. "There has to be a reason for that."
"I...I don't know about that."
Yes, Mary Jane knew it sounded silly to someone outside her family. Names meant something to them, they held a value and were links to loved ones long gone. Perhaps Reilly wasn't the oddest of names but in her mind it had to be connected to them. Either by some menacing design or...well the other option didn't make much sense. How could this young man have anything to do with Ben Reilly? She could only guess his age but he seemed slightly older than Ben himself would have been (not physically of course.) Peters' clones were matured to match their donors' age. Kaine and Ben were created five years before May was born. Despite herself Mary Jane felt a growing obsession with unearthing the truth and couldn't say a word to Peter. Not until she had some proof to prove she wasn't going crazy. Norman Osborn and his legacy had tainted enough of their lives already. He poisoned Harry, almost got did same with Normie, murdered Gwen, Ben, masterminded the creation of the clones, tormented April, and now had a deluded cult following his cruel teachings. If she could protect them from further harm then she'd do everything in her power to do so.
"Please let me know what Phil discovers. I'd ask myself but I don't want him to know who's DNA he's looking at unless we have to." Retrieving her purse Mary Jane cast Normie a faint smile knowing it was a pale imitation to her usual award winning grin.
"Of course. Don't worry, I'm sure there's nothing to worry about."
...
For two weeks it had been quiet without either Mrs. Parker or Normie turning up around Reilly. Most of the time he was busy dealing with the usual, fighting crime on and off the streets. The latest battle with a cult convinced he was evil given form had been a rough one. He didn't bother to take the day off because if he started to take sick days based on battle injuries he'd get nothing done. The idea of pampering himself was alien, a good nights' sleep, a place to live with a bathroom and food were plenty. Adjusting his tie he glanced at his reflection in the glass door with an exasperated sign. Reilly looked exhausted but at least his helmet had protected him from the bruising otherwise there would be some awkward questions. Work was over but instead of going straight home he had decided to stop for something to drink. Coffee was quickly vetoed in favor of the more soothing choice of tea.
There were a number of coffee houses that had some great tea blends although there were a few he purposely avoided. The Indigo Café which May went to and the Coffee Bean which Peter preferred. Usually Reilly stopped off at places near home, the office or some of Matts' old haunts. On another tiring night he had come across the coffee shop by accident. Apparently there had been a shift into a larger establishment when the owners' son took over some years before and had since become a busy hotspot. If you came around at the right hours it was quiet and soothing. There were usually some nice people to talk to and he found himself only coming around on those quiet hours.
Seeing that Devon wasn't around that night Reilly nodded to the sole waitress behind the counter as he ordered. Since he didn't know her that meant she was new and he might see her around more on the night shifts.
"Mr. Tyne?" Turning at the familiar voice he saw Mrs. Parker sitting alone at a booth. She looked just as surprised at seeing him as he was seeing her.
"Mrs. Parker." He greeted with a small nod, too tired to give much else.
"Would you join me? It'd be nice to have some company."
After a second of indecision he responded, "Thank you."
Reilly didn't feel like being social right then, all he wanted was to get his tea and sleep. Yet he could never really deny the Parkers. They may not know the truth but they represented a life he'd never have. A family that would have given him a feeling of safety and security he'd never know. With a smile she slid some papers into a folder saying it was just a project for work. He noticed the spider based fashion designs before she put them away and knew it was for the Spider Shop. Her ownership was something of a secret so he'd play along. Her mouth turned into a frown when she glanced back up at him.
"What happened?"
Following her gaze to his bandaged wrist he gave a shrug wryly responding, "Transportation trouble."
"...Transportation?" An eyebrow arched in disbelief and he found himself smiling softly at her reaction to his private joke.
"One of the joys of New York. Someone didn't want to share a cab with me and tossed me onto the street." Technically it's not a lie, he just left out the fact they were fighting on top of a levitating taxi.
"That's awful. You seem to have the worst luck in these things."
It was his turn to frown up at her. "I do?"
Mrs. Parker seemed to have realized her slip up and briefly looked guilty before covering it up. "I heard that you've had a few bad run ins. With Nobody targeting you with Brendas' case and the mugging."
The mugging was a cover story to explain his disappearance as Reilly Tyne while he was being tortured as Darkdevil. Thinking of the agony he had been in Reilly was unable to resist the impulse to shiver. Taking a deep breath he dropped his gaze to his drink not willing to show more than he already had. "Yes, well I did expect things to be rough."
"I'm sorry. I keep on bringing up the wrong things."
"It's alright. Trust me I hear far worse on the job." Mostly on the streets but she didn't have to know that. "It seems like we always focus on me...how are you doing, Mrs. Parker?"
He caught the embarrassment she tried to hide as if she was found out. Ever since she became interested in him the conversations rarely strayed off him. Well now he had turned the tables. "I'm doing fine. The familys' great, business has been good and other than a few male students trying to hit on me I've been marvelous."
A genuine grin split his face at her irritated tone when speaking of the students. "They really do that?"
"They try although they seem to lose their nerve once I put them in their place. Most of it is posturing to prove some alpha male mind frame." Brushing a strand of hair out of her eye line she laughed. "If they weren't being so disrespectful I'd almost feel sorry for them. The teenage ego tends to be a fragile thing."
Reilly hummed in agreement even though he was a teenager in spirit if no longer in body. Most teens didn't think like him anyway, they were concerned with the ridiculous and unimportant like social standing. When he had tried to survive on the streets and save lives that just seemed petty. "You don't say."
Chuckling she took a sip of her own drink. "I took the job because I wanted to help the students. I'm glad to do my part though there's only so much I can do."
"It gets frustrating but all we can do is our best, Mrs. Parker."
She regarded him for a moment with a scrutiny that made him feel uneasy. "Mary Jane. Mrs. Parker is what the students call me and I think we've been talking often enough to move beyond being strangers."
"If you insist." Referring to her as Mrs. Parker was deliberate on his part to keep her distant. Mary Jane felt too personal even if she was sort of his aunt.
"I do. Is it alright if I call you Reilly?"
"If you'd like. Most call me Tyne. I don't mind either." The tea was getting cold and he drained the rest before all warmth left it.
"Well I always like the name Reilly. That was the maiden name of my husbands aunt. We were close." The look she gives is one he can't define. "I-"
The street exploded shattering the window and sending the shards of glass inward. They both ducked down and much to his relief so does the woman behind the counter. Reilly hears the voices before he sees the first body crash into the booth on the far right. It's alive just stunned, some supervillain he can't think of at the moment. "Come on, there has to be a back exit!"
To his surprise she grabs his hand to led him tucking her folder into her purse as she goes like she's used to this. Naturally, she's the wife of Spider-Man. Mary Jane ordered the woman to flee to the exit as they scrabble around the debris. They would have made it if not for another body racing towards them. Pushing her to the side as he leapt Reillys' able to save them from the impact. She slid to a stop against the wall and he shielded her with his body as the creature turned it's attention on them. He doesn't know who or what it is just that he has to get her out of there. The moment never comes as the solid punch from behind leaves the beast knocked out before it can even hit the floor. Fleetingly he thinks that was sort of anti-climatic.
Kaine grunted in annoyance at the thing before glancing over at the people he saved. For a moment Reilly just stared at his uncle not sure how their going to play this then realizes Mary Jane might like to get up. Moving to the side he extended a hand and she...she looks at both at them searchingly.
"Uh...is everyone alright?" Ignoring his nephews' eye roll Kaine tried his best to maintain his professional air. To be fair he realized how awkward this situation is. Mary Jane and him both know what Kaine does for the government. It's just that she doesn't know that Reilly knows her sort-of-brother-in-law which means the clone has to act like he's a total stranger. Which pretty much summed up most of Reillys' civilian life in a nutshell.
"I'm okay." She responded looking rather dazed.
His uncles' eyes lingered on his nephews' bandaged wrist silently telling him that he wants to hear about that later. Oh joy. It's a struggle to contain his emotions lest Mary Jane get suspicious when he blandly answers: "I'm fine."
"Uh huh." Kaine acts like a mother hen protecting her chicks as he barks orders at his team.
"Nice suit, red." Ozone sniped. The man is a two bit thug that Reillys' would never suspect as a member of the reformed government supervillain team. Mainly because he provided little use. The man had connection though he'd like to pretend he was the downtrodden everyman. Darkdevil had handled him with ease and a quick quip is at the tip of his tongue.
"Behave. You're already on a short leash." The reprimand is half at Ozone and half to stop Reilly from saying anything. Not that he would, he doubted anyone in New York was as careful at maintaining their secret identity as he was.
The three of them came to a stop once they were far enough away from the damage. Government vans were securing the perimeter already. At his side Mary Jane shook her head at the sight then stared at Reilly with that same look he couldn't read before.
"Thank you. If you hadn't pushed me out of the way..." she trailed off. Brow furrowed she pressed her hand to the side of his jacket...it came away scarlet.
"I thought you said you weren't injured?!" Kaine bellowed. It sounded like an accusation, far more personal and angry than a random stranger should be.
"I...I didn't think I was." He pulled back his jacket find a piece of shrapnel stuck in his side and a damp spot on his dark shirt. "I don't feel-"
"Probably because of the adrenaline. What about you?"
Mary Jane does a quick check in front of them to prove she's okay. It's enough to convince Kaine who nodded in approve when she's done.
"If there's nothing else you need ma'am I'll be seeing he gets the proper treatment." The gruffness in Kaines' voice doesn't match his gentleness.
"By all means. I hope you feel better, Reilly." The way she stares gives him the fleeting impression that if not for the looming giant between them she would do something. Not hug him of course, but something like a reassuring pat.
Ignoring the sudden lump in his throat he manages to croak out a parting joke. "I guess I really do have the worst luck."
Once she's out of sight they go through a series of random doors until they reach the abandoned room he knows Kaine was searching for. There aren't any cameras which makes it ideal for teleporting. "Can you manage?"
Kaine knows better than to question what he's able to do knowing that Reilly wouldn't risk both of their lives on pride. After nodding Reilly brings them back to his apartment thankful that he remembered to clean that morning. He let's his uncle take care of the rest to avoid the headache of arguing with him. The rip of this shirt is only a small annoyance as he thinks of the shopping he'll have do. Reilly hates buying suits despite liking the tailor Matt helped him befriend. Shopping for clothes...the things he did in the name of the law. The metal fragment comes out quickly followed by the clean up and stitching. Only once it's done does Kaine speak and he almost wishes this was a start of another argument. Instead he sees the fear he's been trying to deny in the ex-convicts eyes.
"You were sitting with Mary Jane?"
"Yeah. She's become interested in me." He shivered as the air condition kicked in with no protection from the sudden chill.
"Does she suspect-?"
"...I think so." Reilly doesn't shrug off Kaines' jacket when it covers him. The day was long and he's too tired to fight anymore tonight."She kept saying I remind her of someone. Apparently Normie thinks I look like Peter. Ever since he introduced us I've just happened to bump into them. I've been asked about my parents and she acted weird when she heard my first name. I haven't told her anything though."
Sighing Kaine sat down next to him looking just as upset as Reilly felt. "What are you going to do?"
"Nothing unless I have to. I'm not going to abandon everything I built..." If I'm rejected went unsaid.
"Good." It also went unsaid that Kaine wouldn't go anywhere this time regardless of the outcome. Reilly fell asleep not even waking when he was carried to bed. It had been a hard day and he needed the rest if he was going to survive what was to come.
