Author's note: Helloooo, fanfiction! Yes, hi! Happy New Year! I know it's been a year but all good things take their time as I said. Don't worry, I got this one covered! Let's go! And yes. So excited about the new Spidey movie!

4. The Dragon

It was beginning to snow when they reached Harry's flat. MJ hadn't left his boyfriend's side during the ride and Peter was still busy trying to piece together the whole thing. The four roses, the man in the chimney, the one of the docks, Alice's case and Elliot Delson… What was the connection between them? Who had killed Lemans? A rival or someone bitter about his activities? Peter paid little attention while Mary Jane and Harry spoke and decided to get some hot cocoa. It was all too complicated. Why had Delson decided to reach for him? It all made no sense. Hu? His phone was buzzing.

"Yes?"

"Peter? Are you all right?" it was a voice he knew and welcomed.

"Yeah, I'm ok, Aunt May" Peter sighed and smiled. "I'm with Harry and MJ. I'll be there in a while. Don't worry"

"You were taking too long to come home and when I saw the news, I thought the worst. Did you really…?"

"Yes but we're all OK. Police got there real quick" Peter looked up and saw that MJ was smiling. She was glad to hear his aunt's voice. "If you want, I can call a cab and…"

"No, no, Peter. You are with your friends and that's good enough for me. Besides, it's a big storm out there and I don't want you sick. Just be here tomorrow for lunch and we're good" Aunt May was in her kitchen with Anna Watson. "MJ's aunt is here with me so you can rest at ease, Peter. I think I'll go to bed early today"

"Ok, Mayday"

"Take care, Peter. And give Harry and Mary Jane a big kiss from me"

"I will, Aunt May. Good night"

"Good night, Peter" she sounded more relieved.

Peter sighed and smiled. Poor May! She must have been out of her wits because of him and he didn't even have to wear the suit to do that. Sigh! Oh, brother!

"Pitt. You ok?" MJ sat near him. "U've been awfully quiet" she leaned on her knees.

"It's just that… I dunno. Too many things happening in one day" Parker saw a text from the Connors asking if he was all right. He answered back and saw in relief that we are heading home. "The doctor has lost an important sponsor today and he was really looking forward to it"

"I see" the red-haired went quiet. "How's May?"

"She was worried sick but she wasn't alone, thank goodness. Your aunt was there with her"

"That's great"

"I know you want to talk about us but I'm not in the mood right now"

"It's ok, tiger. It's been a really long day but I would really appreciate it if you tell me what bothers you"

"…"

"I just wanna help, Peter" she whispered.

"Go easy on him, MJ. Nobody sees a dead body and feels right until they have slept a storm" Harry brought the cocoas. "Are u doing ok, bud?"

"It's just that, well, it was a really strange death. I mean, think about it. Normally, murderers don't want people to find the dead body so soon but this one did. He threw Lemans into the furnace so we would see him"

"It's a pretty funky move, I'm with you about that but, did you just said Lemans?"

"Hector Lemans, yes. That was the stiff"

"Good Lord! My dad works with him, or more like, worked with him. Shi… They were supposed to meet tonight for business" Harry went pale.

"Harry, did you told that to the police?" Peter had heard it from Delson but he wanted to be sure.

"Didn't know he was the dead guy" Harry saw his friend's face. "I know what you're thinking, Pit, but trust me. My dad would never do that. Hector was a good game. They hardly argue"

"Do you know in what they were involved?"

"Something about an old contact, a supplier of some sort. I dunno the details" Young Osborne crossed his arms. "You don't think…"

"I dunno" something in Peter's mind began to take shape. He took out his tablet and started to look for the curious coin that Lemans had under his tongue. "C'mon, c´mon, c'mon. There! Susan B. Anthony dollar. They were made from 1979 to 1981 as a special edition. That's it!"

"What's it? Now you are interested in old coins?" Harry sat beside them.

"Lemans had one of these dollars under his tongue. They are very special, really rare, so what was it doing there?" Peter then searched for the murder of Alice Wright.

"Not a clue" the young man was clueless.

"A message, maybe?" tried MJ.

"And the red-haired hit the nail. Take a look at this" it was an article from the Daily Bugle, written by none other than Jameson himself. "Dated in 1980, 1981! Our murderer is trying to tell us that Hector was involved in the kidnapping and murder of this little girl!"

"Hey, that's the girl of the dock! The one with the four roses!" MJ recognized the name.

"Holy… So wait, the killer knew this and he didn't tell the police, why?"

"Black-mail?" Mary Jane ventured but Peter remembered something Delson had said in the Hall. 'His way of saying "Hello" to the city with his usual theatrics'.

"Theatrics! Of course! A murderer, who likes theatrics, knew about Alice's death and doesn't hide his victims" Parker began to type again and something appeared.

"Blood cleaners?" the girl blinked.

"Well-known around the world for their precision and bloody rituals, this brotherhood has been in action for more than ten centuries. Protected by a special papal bull, it is their sacred duty to hunt down, kill people involved in serious blood-related crimes and condemn them in the afterlife by leaving symbols representing their crimes and finding an execution related to what the accused has done. Many of these well-known hunters like using references from the book Divina Commedia by Dante Alighieri. The most famous group of the trade is known as The Rose and is led by an unknown figure that is called by some "Big Bad". Police and Law are not allowed to hunt them despise the fact that many blood cleaners are frequently well-known killers, old soldiers or even doctors" Parker read out loud. "They normally work by order or hired by people involved in the crime committed by the target"

"Holy cow!" Harry was beside himself.

"So wait, someone hired whoever killed Lemans?" MJ wondered. Peter was about to answer when he felt his phone buzzing again. It wasn't a call, it was a text but from a hidden number. It said: Turn on the TV. Hu? What was the big idea? Why would someone want him to…? Oh, shit.

"… several bodies are yet to be identified as Pier 62 has been closed down by the police just now. The body count at this moment is of thirty subjects of Asian origin. Captain Watanabe is in charge of the investigation" the image was horrifying. Harry had to hold Mary Jane as she couldn't bear to see it. The strong metallic boxes of the pier were covered with long and deep cuts that matched the bodies in the ground. Someone had torn those people into ribbons. Peter took a good look at the slashes in the containers. They looked like…

"Claw marks?"

"The police department encourages the citizens to remain calm and to stay in their homes tonight. But several voices are starting to venture that this crime might have something to do with the murder of Hector Lemans which took place only two hours ago"

"Well, whoever it is, he surely knows how to make people suffer" muttered Harry while Peter dialed for Delson, who was at the pier. "You ok, Mary Jane?" Osborne turned his attention to his girlfriend.

"Delson, what the heck is going on?" whispered Peter in anger

"I told you, didn't I? And by the way, hello again, Mr. Parker. Is rude not to say hello"

"Ok, sorry. Good evening, Mr. Delson. Who did this?"

"We are going to find out but I'm sure that you didn't just sit there and do nothing, am I right?"

"It was a blood cleaner, wasn't it?"

"Indeed. You did your homework. Yes, Lemans was killed by the Brotherhood of Blood or The Rose. And as you have already guessed, we can't detain whoever is responsible but this massacre was not done by a cleaner, but by one of their puppets. It's too sloppy for them. They love to blend in and leave as little blood as they can"

"Any clues? Leads?"

"Perhaps. Detective Lee is here with me and we had a little chat. If you want to stay in this game, Parker, be aware that this is not one of your silly games with Octopus or any of those freaks"

"Wait, how…?"

"Let's just say, that I know someone who wants you back in action, ok? My lips are sealed so you can stop holding your breath. And yes, we will need the Spider for this job"

"Why?"

"Because if we only have you, you won't last on the board, trust me. This is beyond the mob war; this is something older and far more dangerous. I'll give you all the details tomorrow at my office. I have appointed the Connors there"

"Ok, but I'm still not sure about taking over again"

"Take your time, Parker. Do some pillow talk, it helps. I'll introduce tomorrow to the team and send you a useful file once I'm done here"

"Does Fury know?"

"SHIELD is aware of the egg but not of what's inside"

"And, that's good?"

"The less people, the better. Have a good night sleep, Peter, because many won't have after what's happened"

"I will. Good night, Mr. Delson"

"Night" Elliot went to see how Watanabe was doing while Peter leaned back. Harry and MJ had left the room so that she didn't have to watch the news anymore. He still wasn't sure about Delson knowing of his powers and much less about taking Spidey again into action but he had little choice. What if those murderers decided to go after his friends, Robbie or even May? He had to do something. Peter sighed and felt asleep on the couch.

...

"The rumors about Lemans' business might soon catch up to us, sir. If Madame Gao had business with Osborne about this, she will crush our door first thing tomorrow" Wesley had taken care of the Fisks once they got home. He helped Vanessa into bed and covered his boss with a blanket as they watched the news about the slaughter.

"She won't. Now that we know where her men went, Madame Gao will have to admit that we have little to do with their deaths. And if she complains, I don't think it's necessary for me to point out that she was the one responsible of stealing Hector's supplies and taking them into the black market and not just for us" Wilson sighed and groaned. His chest was feeling heavy again and so his breathing was getting a little labored.

"Sir…"

"This was my best chance to settle things, Wesley. Hector had the right tools to put me right again"

"Those Miracle Cures are just tittle-tattle, sir. There is no proof that they work. And I'm still not convinced of where Osborne's associate got those tablets. Our best chance right now is for you to leave this town. That chap could only obtained those flasks from the same place as the Russians"

"From his company, Wesley. Lemans was this man's CEO in the States while he stayed in the Old Country. Hector was a courier, nothing else" Wilson hid deeper into the cloth.

"Still not certain, sir. I'm sorry but it is the truth"

"I guessed that much. Is Vanessa all right?"

"She felt asleep as soon as we got here. She seemed troubled and worried that this might affect you"

"…" Wilson said nothing at first. "When will we have the police report of this?"

"First thing tomorrow. I just called our asset at the department. Manolis says that he was surprised because really big fish are interested in these murders. Sir, we should really start considering fallback"

"I'm not running away, Wesley. Not today, not ever. We will take baby steps and see what happens. I also want you to check on Norman. See if he can still handle or if we have to put him away"

"Yes, sir"

"Good man" the mobster began to fell asleep and Wesley stood near him until he was completely out. Wesley sighed and contacted Smythe. Their fears about Osborne weren't as misguided as they thought. They had to do something before Norman's plans came to fulfillment.

Meanwhile, Harry's father was still awake and had Silvermane on the phone.

"I'm losing my patience, Norman. I thought you said that you have taken care of everything"

"I have but it's taking longer than I realized. Just give me time"

"That Spider fake is putting my business in jeopardy, Hector is dead and you want be to wait?! Give me a reason why I should be lenient with you, Osborne, or your son pays the bait. I've given you a whole year to put things right! Now I want results!"

"I…" Norman saw then Fisk's file on his desk. There was still one way out for his master plan. "I can give you Kingpin's head on a silver plate. All I need is for you to give me more time and the big guy is yours"

"Make it golden and you have a deal"

"Your wish is my command"

A year of re-watching the 1994 cartoon, Homecoming, Daredevil and intense work surely pays off. More to come real soon, for real this time!

Happy New Year, guys!