Melina called to let me know that the school had called, confirming Georgie was absent from school today. Her voice was shaky, but she kept the hysterics contained. My wife was a strong woman, but we'd never dealt with anything like this in our family before. The biggest problem we'd ever had with the kids was when they threw a fit and didn't get to go to Baskin Robbins.

"Don't worry, honey. I'm gonna find him. If I have to turn this city upside down, I'll find him."

My cell phone rang. It was Cooper from CSI. "I got something on your razors. It's a proprietary design that Oscorp bought a few years back. They maybe use it in some of their military contracts, but it's not something that's available on the street. The original patent was issued to Bestman-Toomes."

"Bestman-Toomes?" I said. "Should that mean something to me?"

An audible sigh on the line. "Don't you have the Daily Bugle app on your phone?"

"I stopped reading the Bugle when it was just a newspaper."

"Okay, Grandpa. I guess you're in good company, cuz Adrian Toomes is geriatric, too. He's the crime lord they call the Vulture."

It was coming together in my head. "The Vulture. The old guy with wings that Spider-Man always puts away."

"The very same. His wings are powered by an electromagnetic generator that gives him strength enough to trade punches with superhumans. But, I've never heard of him using kids before."

"Alright, Cooper. I owe you one."

"Good luck, McDoogel." The line disconnected and I let out the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. The Vulture might have been small potatoes to super-people, but he was nearly untouchable to a beat cop like me. A crime lord who had been in business longer than I'd been on the street. I needed help. And I knew just who to go to.

"You're out of your mind, McDoogel," Captain D'angelo said. "The Vulture technology isn't something you can buy at Toys 'R Us. The only prototypes that exist belong to Toomes himself. And he sure as shit isn't giving to some snot-nosed kids.

"Captain, I saw it myself. These kids are flying. These kids have super strength. We have to do something about this."

"You know how many weirdoes are flying around this city right now? A shitload. But we have a file on every single one of them. Every piece of military grade hardware came from somewhere. A bunch of snot nosed middle schoolers don't get their hands on tech like that. It doesn't happen. Look." His tone softened. "I'm sorry about your son. We're gonna keep an eye out for him. And I'm sure he'll turn up. And I don't know who decked you, but you're under a lot of stress right now." He began scribbling on some paperwork on his desk. "You're a good officer, McDoogel. I'm putting you on leave with pay. Go see a shrink. Try to unwind. Your boy will be back before you know it."

"Captain!" I growled. "You've gotta be kidding me. No officer is going to give this case the priority that I will."

"That's exactly the point, McDoogel. No other officer is going to drive themselves insane working this case. You gotta take a step back." He scribbled a signature and handed me the papers. "And that's not a suggestion."

I was fuming, but I knew better than to press it. I had seen D'angelo take officers' badges away for less disrespect than I was currently ready to hurl at him. I stormed out of the office. I would hold my tongue, but I sure wasn't gonna give up on Georgie. Active duty or not, with the NYPD's help or not, I would find him.

But first, apparently, I had to go see a shrink.