Several Blocks Away

Inside a corner store, four young looters took whatever they pleased, stuffing their pockets and filling bags with food, medicines, and whatever else they wanted. One of them, a large man covered in purple fur, had enhanced strength and he knocked over several isles like dominoes, laughing at his achievement.

"Quit messing around, we've gotta get the stuff first!" One of them called out, clearly the brains of the group. He had clownish features, including red hair and pale, white skin. He turned towards the checkout counter, "Hey! Get the cash from the register yet?" "What cash?" A woman with a bird beak for a mouth looked up from behind the counter, "Everyone pays with cards now, Ronnie." "Damn, shoulda hit a bank first," he muttered. "Alright, let's get what we-"

Suddenly, there was a knocking sound against glass. The four looters turned to see an old man in sunglasses tapping a wooden cane against the window. "Shop's closed for the night," he said. "I think it's time you left."

"Is this guy for real?" Asked the last of them. He looked the more traditionally human of the bunch, albeit with black and white stripes for his skin. He wore with a black domino mask and matching hat, and held a gun up to the side of Stick's head. "You're asking for trouble, old man. You know that?"

"Not a smart move on your part," he replied, unfazed. "There's four of us, and one of you," said the woman, making her way over. Her bird-like legs produced sharp talons. "I'd say the idiot here is you."

"Is this guy blind?" The red haired man waved his hand in front of the old man's face, mockingly. "What you think you're gonna do to us?" Sighing slightly, Stick cracked his neck and turned towards the man.

A moment later, two of the four looters burst through the window, landing on their backs on the hard sidewalk. The woman charged Stick, who avoided each kick and slash from her talons. He struck at vital points of her body, until her movements finally slowed down. Stick took the opportunity to smack her on the back of her head with his cane, knocking her out cold.

Finally, there was purple furry man left, whom Stick turned towards. He seemed freaked out over being next and ran off, only to not realize where he was going and hit a steel support beam head on. He fell backwards, knocked out. The old man exhaled in disappointment.

"Well that was just pathetic," Stick grunted, dusting off his shirt as he stepped outside. Just then, three squad cars showed up, having been notified by the store's silent alarm. Stick brought out a wallet, showing his certification as a hero instructor and license to act during a crisis. The officers arrested the four looters and took the old man's official statement.

"Hey, before we go any further, I gotta find my student," he said. "You hear any anything about a guy swinging around like Tarzan?" One of the officers perked up, "Yes! I heard he took down one of those robots and was last seen helping Shang-Chi with another."

"Shang-Chi?" The old man pondered, "But he's based out of East Harlem, how'd the hell did he get way over there?" "It's hard enough navigating this city when things aren't blowing up," the officer replied. "Right now, it's a damn war zone out there." "Take me there," Stick tapped on the car's hood with his cane. "Something happens to him, I'll never hear the end of it."

Fortunately, the remaining two officers were happy to oblige. Stick hopped in the back seat as the engine roared and the siren wailed. With a screech of the tires, the squad car took off. He was on his way to find his student.

- All in all, the battle against Punisher couldn't have lasted more than 5 minutes. But for those of us who were fighting, it felt like forever... -

Back in the Alleyway, Danny Rand had recovered enough of his chi to where he could use it on the injured Frog-Man. "You should use it on yourself first, kid," said the downed hero, looking with concern at the boy's chest. But Danny shook his head, "I should've helped you when I first got here. Instead, I was so wrapped up in my desire for vengeance that I didn't notice you presence. Please, allow me to atone for my failure..."

Frog-Man was left without words, but put his hand on the kneeling boy's shoulder. An act of sympathy and forgiveness. Not far from them, an unmasked Peter Parker watched on with Robbie Reyes.

"Is he going to be alright?" Asked Reyes, indicating Danny. "I think so," Peter replied. "He's definitely got some issues to deal with still, but I think he's going about it the right way. Maybe he can talk to someone later. If not us, maybe a professional?" Reyes nodded in agreement.

"Shoulda just killed me," muttered Punisher from behind them. The two boys turned to see their opponent had regained consciousness. He made no attempt to free himself, not that he could've gotten out of Robbie's chains on his own. More than likely, he was still dazed from taking the strong punch to the face.

"I'm not gonna stop," he went on. "Lock me up, toss the damn key, won't make any difference. I got out once before, I'll do it again. Only one way to stop me..."

Peter squat down before the captured Punisher, "You're not exactly helping yourself out here. And if you think pissing us off into beating you to death is an option, don't bother. The only one who might've done that won't anymore. It's over, Frank."

"So that's it, huh? Gonna hand me over to the cops, forget about me, move on with your lives?" Punisher nodded sarcastically. "Something like that," Reyes commented from the side. "Right. Yer just like the rest a' them," Punisher scoffed. "Well let me tell ya something; this shit you're doin'? It's all pointless."

Peter looked at him warily, "Ok, I'll bite. What're you talking about?" "This whole, 'Hero Society' bullshit system, it doesn't work!" Punisher elaborated. "They get paid to save people. The crowds chant their names, they show up on talk shows, act like goddamn celebrities. They stopped caring about the people they're supposed to protect. Now all they want is attention."

Ok, I'll admit there's a few like that, Peter reluctantly admitted to himself. While he was a big Iron Man fan, he knew the life of Tony Stark both before and during his hero career was bathed in spotlights and flashing cameras.

"That shit's not what a 'hero' should do," Punisher went on. "They're supposed to find a problem and solve it, not make it worse! If those assholes took it seriously, my wife and kids would still be alive..."

"Look, I'm not saying what happened to you was right. It's horrible, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone," Peter tried to sympathize. "And I know what it's like to lose someone to violence, so believe me when I tell you I understand."

Punisher looked up, as if to retort angrily, but something in the boy's eyes made him stop. The kid was serious, he knew pain, and it ran deep. "Maybe you do, maybe you don't," he acquiesced. "Either way, the capes running around don't get the job done. You know how many drug runners and gang shit goes down that they don't deal with? Where's the 'hero' when some drunk asshole beats up his wife for looking at another guy funny!? That's not headline stuff, they don't care about it!"

"And what you're doing what you think is right, is that it? Going on a one man crusade, gunning down anyone who doesn't fit your ideology? That's not gonna fix things!" Peter replied angrily.

"So what? Huh? I'm supposed to just sit around and wait for someone who actually gives a shit!?" Punisher snapped, getting in his face. "That ain't happening, kid. Because nobody does!!"

"I do!!!" Peter snapped. "You think I wanna go to M.A so I could run around and beat up idiots like you? I want to help people!!" He turned to Reyes, "You got a cellphone?"

Reyes tossed over a phone with a protective layer around it, likely for the immense heat exposure from its owner. Peter caught it and did a quick online search, showing the resulting video to Punisher.

"The hell's this?" He asked, seeing a building on fire. "Just watch," Peter replied. A moment later, the man sees a figure jumping out a high window as a burst of fire blasts out behind him. He watched in interest as a charred figure in red and blue hands over a bundled infant to a crying woman. Punisher glanced up at him, recognizing the colors.

"That was me, over summer, before I applied to M.A," Peter continued. "I did nothing but watch out for the little guy ever since I got my Quirk. I was patrolling a whole neighborhood myself because nobody else was there. Yeah, it's not high profile stuff, but I didn't care! I want to be the kind of hero who can really be there for someone, no matter what the situation is."

Reyes watched his classmate passionately speak to the man he was fighting not minutes ago. Peter lowered the phone, "A man a lot smarter than any of us once told me that 'with great power, there must also come great responsibility'. I try and live my life by those words. My powers are a gift, and there's a lot of good I can do with them. But I still need time to figure them out. So I'm asking you, wait for me to become a Pro. I will make a difference, and I'll never let what they did to your family happen again on my watch."

Punisher studied the boy's face carefully. There was sincerity in his expression, and passion in his voice. Yeah, he was as naïve as they come, no way he could realistically back up those words. But damn, he was seriously gonna try, as impossible as the task was. "...Who are you, kid?" He finally asked. Peter gave a little smile, offering his hand, "Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man."

Moments later, the group walked towards the end of the alley and the waiting white van. Danny Rand secured the vehicle in question, keeping an eye out for the incoming Ghost Rider. Punisher, stripped of his weapons, remained chained up and walked out with Roberto Reyes watching him carefully. Finally, a re-masked Spider-Man emerged carrying Frog-Man on his back.

"How're your legs?" Asked the boy to his passenger. "I still won't be leap-frogging anytime soon, but the kid did a good job healing them," Frog-Man replied, motioning towards Danny. "He's got a future, that 'chi' stuff could be a game changer when it comes to Rescue operations."

Danny heard that bit as he stared down the street, dealing with the mix of emotions going through his head and his now depleted adrenaline. He bit his lip, not able to deal with the praise. Instead, the boy was thinking about how he'd nearly gotten himself and his friends killed by his own, foolhardy actions. What would Orson say when he heard about this?

"Still, I really should apologize," Frog-Man continued. "I'm supposed to be a pro, and I was just in the way..." "Don't blame yourself," Spider-Man replied tiredly. "Against his Quirk, we barely made it out of there alive. It took all three of us and the combination of our powers to take him down."

They paused a moment, and Spider-Man began to chuckle. "What's up?" Asked the man on his back. "Just recognizing the irony of our situation," he replied. "A spider is carrying a frog on his back. In nature, you'd probably be trying to eat me right now." Frog-Man took in what the boy said, and despite the pain, he too began to laugh a little.

Suddenly, a pair of squad car screeched to a halt in front of the group. A familiar looking old man climbed out of the back as the two officers took in the surroundings. "Long way from the bus, kid," he said. Spider-Man grinned sheepishly under his mask, "Yeah, couldn't find a map..." "Who's this? Your Abuelo?" Asked Reyes, looking on in confusion at the approaching old man.

"Nah, this is Stick," Spider-Man replied. "I've been interning under him for the past week." Stick nodded at the introduction, placing both hands on the cane in front of him. At that moment, Danny's ears perked up.

"Wait, you're Stick?? As in, the former leader of The Chaste??" He asked in astonishment. The boy turned to Stick, placed his hands together, and gave a low, oriental bow. "It's an honor to meet you, sir."

"Who the hell are you?" Asked the old man, turning towards the voice. "My name is Daniel Rand, sir," he replied. "My father, Orson Randall, trained in K'un-Lun. He told me all about you."

Stick regarded the boy more curiously, "Your old man was the Iron Fist?" Danny nodded, looking downwards. "Hmmm..." Stick grunted, putting the pieces together the second he smelled gun residue. At that moment, a woman holding a bow rushed over from down the street.

"Danny!!" Called Katy, racing towards the boy. "Are you alright?" "I'm fine..." Danny replied, shame in his voice. "Oh thank God!" The woman skidded to a halt and wrapped him in a tight hug. "You disappear like that again, and I'll kick your little ass, you hear me!?" She smacked him in the arm, scolding him before wrapping him in a hug again. Danny was taken aback by the sudden gesture, and slowly raised his arms to hug her back. From behind, Ghost Rider pulled up on his motorcycle.

"How'd you know where to find us?" Asked Spider-Man, gently setting down his passenger. "Followed the breadcrumbs, kid," the old man replied, pointing up with his cane towards a strand of webbing still hanging off a building.

"Why the hell did you run off, anyways?" Asked Katy to Danny. "I get the crowd was going nuts, but thought you would be able to handle a bit of loud noise. Is calm and quiet really that important to you martial arts types?"

"Lady, you might wanna take a look over there," Stick said, indicating the chained up Punisher. Katy's eyes widened as she saw the man's face, "Wait... Is that-?"

"Yeah," said one of the officers grimly. "Frank Castle; also known as 'The Punisher'." The other policeman, a rookie, leapt back in shock. "Keep your shirt on, kid. He's not going anywhere," Stick chimed in before addressing the more seasoned partner. "Got a set of those Quirk Dampening Cuffs on you?"

The senior officer nodded, turning to his partner, "In the trunk. Go get 'em." He moved towards Punisher, who was squatting against the wall on the ground. "Jesus, Frank," he said. "What the hell did you do?" The beaten man raised his head, barely looking him in the eye, "What I had to, Chip."

"You know this guy?" Asked Spider-Man, gently setting down Frog-Man. The officer nodded reluctantly, "Yeah, he and I served together. First in the Marines, then on the force..." That explains why he's good with guns, the boy thought. And why he was so damn tough...

The rookie officer placed the cuffs around Punisher's wrists. A green light turned on over the hinge points, showing they were activated. That done, Reyes was given the go-ahead remove the chains. With a simple wave of his hand, they unwrapped like a snake and returned to behind the boy's back, seeming to disappear in his leather coat. Ghost Rider watched from the side, nodding his approval at the boy, who simply nodded back.

"Metro Charlie 6-1-6," the man referred to as "Chip" spoke into his radio. "We need a bus at our location forthwith. And tell Captain Stacy he should prepare for an incoming person of interest."

Spider-Man dropped to the ground, sitting tiredly against a street light as Katy hung up her cell phone, "The task force has been alerted. Hey Frog, you alright?" The amphibious hero nodded, "Your boy there helped me a bit. I can hold out til I see a medic." Danny didn't hear the praise, however, as he made his way over towards his two classmates.

"Peter... Robbie..." The boys turned to see Danny bowing low towards them, "You risked your lives on my behalf, and were injured because of my foolishness. I humbly beg your forgiveness..."

Tears began to drip from his face to the ground. "I couldn't... see anything through my anger..." He said with a trembling voice. Spider-Man looked up at the boy sympathetically, "There's blame on both sides, man. I saw you were struggling, but I still should've done more to help you..."

Robbie stepped towards the tearful Danny, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Stand tall, Puño," he said. "Your father is avenged. Maybe it should've happened differently, but it's done. I understand what it means to seek vengeance. Just know you're not alone if you wish to talk about it."

The boy sniffed, straightened up and wiped his eyes. Reyes turned slightly as he heard the sound of a siren. "Ambulance is here," he noted. "You should get the chest looked at." Danny nodded, walking over to the curb with his classmate. Reyes looked back at the sitting Spider-Man, "Araña, you alright?"

The hero in training waved a hand in dismissal, "I'm good, man. I think all the adrenaline wore off, and now I'm just exhausted." He slowly stood up, "I feel like I could sleep for a week!" But at that moment, his spider sense began to tingle. "Guys?" He said warily, "Something's wrong..." Stick caught on quickly, striking the ground with his cane to activate his Quirk and take in his surroundings. Suddenly, he shouted, "Kid, up above!!"

The exhausted boy looked up to see several orbs falling to the ground. They let off a grey smoke, disorienting the pros. But just as the boy started to get his bearings, a green shape hurtled down from the sky at high speed. He dove out of the way, but the flying man maneuvered his wings and grabbed him with his talon feet, yanking him off the ground as he began to ascend.

"Hey!! Lemme go!!" Spider-Man struggled to escape, but his abductor's talons dug deeper into his costume, piercing his skin. "I've got the bug," said Vulture, within his helmet, "On my way back to the rendezvous point."

"Did you hear me!?" The boy snapped, "Get your stinkin' claws off me, ya damn, dirty bird!!!" But it was no use. The way the villain was holding him, the boy couldn't reach up to grab at him, his grip was like a vice. And with his web shooters empty, there was nothing to grab him if he fell. I am well and truly screwed, he thought.

Just then, shots rang out and bullets wizzed through the air. One of them grazed one of Vulture's legs, nearly making him lose his grip. Another hit his helmet, making him grunt from the impact. Finally, a bullet hit a the power source worn on his back. It began to sizzle and spark. Inside his helmet, Vulture was seeing all kinds of warning lights and an alarm was beeping.

"Damn it, I'm hit!!" He yelled into his communicator, and the duo began to plummet towards the ground. "What the hell's going on, Vulture!?" Cracked a voice in his ear, it was Hobgoblin. "Someone's shooting at me!!" He turned back to see Punisher, racing forward with one of the officer's pistols in his bound hands.

"He hit my power pack, we're going down fast!" The villain tried to maintain flight as they grew closer to the ground. "It can't support our combined weight!" Another shot rang out, this time, hitting his armored wing. "Screw this!!" Vulture said, not enjoying being the target. "I didn't sign up to be shot by a lunatic!!" He released Spider-Man from his talons and flew away. The boy fell to the ground, closed his eyes, and braced for the inevitable impact.

However, he was felt the sensation of being caught between two arms, cradle style. There was a snapping sound, and subsequent grunt of pain, but he'd stopped falling. Spider-Man opened his eyes, to see he'd been caught by the last person he expected to see.

Punisher collapsed to the ground, allowing his arms to drop. The boy log rolled out to the ground. As he struggled to right himself up, his eyes widened. The man's arms, still restrained at the wrists, were broken. Between the momentum of the fall and being unable to properly use his arms, the sudden impact had caused them to break.

Spider-Man took several breaths. His heart was racing, his breathing erratic, and he was bleeding from wounds on his chest and arms. He stared, still in shock at the man who'd rescued him.

For a moment neither of them said anything, as if frozen in time, until the sound of sirens filled the air, and the voices of police officers yelled at the man in black. Punisher looked around at them tiredly, he was in no condition to try and escape, they had him. Seemingly resigned to his fate, he stared back at the boy. "You'd better be worth it, kid," he said.