TW: This chapter will have heavy implications of death, drug abuse, and graphic violence. For anyone wondering where the 'bad luck' of being Spider-Man is in this story, it's about to hit like a freight train. If you don't want to read it, no shame here. The next chapter will cover the immediate effect, so you won't have to go through the rest of it. Otherwise, read on.

Issue Eight: Justice

After a quick change by turning his jacket inside out so it was now all black and pocketing his mask and goggles, Sirius followed Gwen down the fire escape. They exited the alley and, with a small application of spider strength to move more stubborn spectators, pushed to the front of the crowd without fuss. Immediately, Gwen zeroed in on one officer who looked incredibly bored, standing away from the active police keeping the crowd at bay.

"Found one," Gwen whispered to Sirius before speaking louder. "Hey, excuse me! Sir!" The half-conscious officer blinked, and looked around at the address, before noticing Gwen waving him over. Looking more alert, and no longer slouching, the young officer came over. As soon as he was close enough to see faces, Gwen put on (what Harry had called) her 'innocent bookworm' face. "Officer Peralta! Long time, no see!"

"Um…hi." Officer Peralta looked at the pair, looking very unsure about what was happening. "Uh, citizen, you need to stay behind-"

"Citizen?" Gwen looked a little hurt, sticking out her lip and pouting a bit. It might have worked on Sirius, had he not already seen that face used to get the last slice of pizza many times before. (How all three boys were still not immune to it by now was anyone's guess.) "Wait. Do – Do you not remember me?" She paused, giving him time to consider it. "Captain Stacy. He gave a lecture on handling wayward youth. Brought his own volunteer…"

Peralta's eyes snapped wide as the memory clicked. "Oh right! That was… you? Wow, I – sorry, miss. I… thought you were a brunette. With dark green eyes."

"Wonders of makeup and wigs," Gwen waved it off. "Sorry about bugging you, but we were hoping you could help us."

"Help us?" Peralta blinked, finally noticing Sirius standing next to Gwen.

"Yes!" Gwen clapped. "We're looking for our friend. He was with this older gentleman, his uncle, and we can't call them at all. This is the subway they would have taken back to Queens."

"Well…" Peralta scratched at the back of his neck. "Right now, the subway is… a crime scene. I shouldn't say more than that…"

"I understand," Gwen nodded. "Not supposed to divulge important information during an open case. That could get you in trouble. But…" Gwen's eyes softened, and while Peralta was focused on that, she hid her hands behind her back and pinched her pinky finger hard. The result earned some watery eyes, decent enough to look sad, but not draw attention to the larger crowd.

"Our friend… and his uncle… we're all like family. After his parents… and my m-mother…" Gwen bit her lip and looked away, as if composing herself. Looking back to the hooked officer, she said, "We – we're all we have left. If… if something happened to him-!" Gwen's voice hitched, and she turned into Sirius' chest, hiding her face from view.

Peralta blinked at the display of emotion, before looking at an equally surprised Sirius. He knew she was planning something, but throwing him into the middle was unexpected. Deciding to play along, Sirius wrapped Gwen in a hug as a show of comforting her. "Sorry," he said to the officer, trying to dredge up how he felt when his dad died. "He's… Our friend's like a brother to us. If he was hurt…" Sirius trailed off to be dramatic, but in his pause, he could admit to himself that Peter really did feel like the little brother he never had. (Harry was the uncle who kept hitting on anything with a pulse, but he was still family in his own way.)

Peralta swallowed, fiddling with his belt. He looked over to his still distracted squad, then looked back to the distraught teens, Gwen finally pulling half her face out of hiding to give him a teary side-eye. "I can't say anything… however, we will need to confirm with relatives and family for identification. Since you're so close… you could come and look," the young man said carefully. "B-but, if you're caught! I cannot cover for you! At all!"

Gwen sniffled as she pulled away from Sirius and nodded. "Thank you, officer. Thanks so much!" The man lifted the tape to let the teens enter the scene. When Peralta wasn't looking, leading them toward the stairs leading underground, Gwen wiped away her tears, her sad expression morphing into one of triumph. "And Mary Jane Watson thinks she's the only actress."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Bravo, Hailee Steinfeld. Oscar-worthy. Want any cheese with that ham?" The dry barb earned him an elbow to the side as the group entered the subway.

Upon entering the terminal, and following Peralta onto the train platform, Sirius looked around to see not many people in the area, save a policeman taking a call on the far side of the platform… and a person kneeling next to something covered by a shroud. "Um, miss Examiner?" Peralta coughed. "We, uh, have family to ID the victim."

"What?" the pale head of hair swayed from side to side as the small woman got up and shook her head. "We don't need… I already-" The woman cut off as she turned around and looked at the pair. "Sirius? Gwen?"

"Mom?" Sirius blinked as he looked right back at his own mother. 'Aw, shit. So much for never knowing we were gone…'

"H-hi, miss Moore…" Gwen waved nervously.

Olivia looked at the two of them with concern as her surprise faded. "What are you two doing here? I thought you said you would stay at home!"

"We were worried about Pete," Sirius said. Gwen's head whipped toward him, but he mouthed to her 'Trust me,' before going on. "When I left, he said that Harry called for help, and would tell me when he arrived and left. Since it was uptown at the Baxter, I thought he might ask Uncle Ben to go with him." A flash of worry crept over Olivia's face, but it passed quickly, and Sirius had only marginally noticed as he continued. "Thing is, he never called. We came to find him, but we came to see the whole building surrounded by cops. We saw Harry, but not Pete or his uncle. We… figured they were heading back home, so we came here…"

Olivia's concern turned to parental skepticism as she took in Sirius' words. "And what's the part you're not telling me?"

Sirius sighed internally; trying to keep a secret from someone with such a critical eye in an apartment only so big really did work against him at the worst moments. "Well-"

"I was worried!" Gwen cut in. "When I saw the police tape, I thought 'this has nothing to do with us.' But… then I wondered if it did. And if we missed him…"

Sirius reached out and took Gwen's hand, and she gave him a grateful look. Turning back to his mother's unreadable expression, he hesitantly asked, "Does this… have to do with Peter?"

Olivia's face softened, almost in a pitying manner. "That's… not really something I can say. Peter's not under that sheet," she added quickly, seeing the worry on the teens' faces grow in alarm. "But, we have no idea where he is right now…"

"Okay…" Gwen released a sigh of relief, with Sirius right next to her doing the same. They didn't know where he was, but it was a comfort to know that Peter wasn't here. "So… what happened?"

Olivia glanced back at the sheet, before sighing, ungloving one hand, and massaging her face. "I… The victim was a 52-year-old male. Caucasian, grey hair, 175 pounds, 5'9". He…" Olivia's voice broke, blinking rapidly like she was holding back tears.

Sirius frowned, an old memory nibbling in the back of his mind. 'I've… seen that expression before. I don't think she'd be like this for every dead body she'd see on the job. The last time she looked this sad was when-!' Sirius' stomach felt like it dropped into his feet as the answer hit him. Next to him, Gwen took in a sharp breath, but he ignored it. 'She said… Pete's not the one under there…'

"…clean shot," Olivia's voice faded back in, but her tone was devoid of emotion just like before. "Bullet went right through and exited the back of the torso. Strong… possibility he bled out, but I… I'd need to check at the lab-"

"Olivia," Gwen asked with a hitch in her voice. "Who is under that sheet?"

Olivia looked at Gwen and Sirius, tears rolling down her cheeks just like back then. "I… I'm sorry. I… shouldn't have come here. I… can't be emotionally detached for this."

Gwen looked at Sirius, but he was back in Seattle, watching as they lowered him into the ground, wondering why God why this was happening to-!

"Who is it?" Gwen said, voice now devoid of any emotion, to Sirius' right – oh, Officer Peralta was still here and was checking his notes.

"Hold on… Ben Parker, age 52 – oh! It's everything miss Moore said-"

"Stop." Olivia put a hand out, stopping Sirius from moving forward ('When did I let go of Gwen's hand… when did I start moving?'). "You… We don't need to see that."

Despite her hand, Sirius still took another step, Gwen's arm acting as a barrier from confirming what was pretty much obvious. "Where. Is. Peter?" Sirius said in a measured tone, fists curled at his side.

"We don't know," Olivia sighed, cheeks wet from her outburst. "People were too busy running from the sound of gunfire." Taking a moment to breathe, the pale woman wiped at her face with her uncovered hand. "Look, Sirius. Just go home. I want you and Gwen to be safe. George and the police will catch whoever did this. You… this isn't where you need to be."

Olivia turned Sirius and Gwen towards the exit, lightly pushing them towards it before going back over to the crime scene. As the two began walking to the stairs in a stupor, Sirius heard static like it was right next to his ears. Looking to the side, he saw Peralta stepping away and speaking into his phone, using the radio feature. "What's that? Speak up, I'm underground right now!"

" Attention, any officers near Chancey," the filtered voice repeated. " Armed assailant is holed up in abandoned domicile. Suspect is confirmed to be dangerous-"

'Chancey?' Sirius glanced at the subway sign. 'This station's not too far from there.' As he considered that, he looked over to Gwen. Her face looked ashen as she unconsciously rubbed her left hand. The hand Sirius had been holding when…

Climbing up the stairwell, Gwen looked over to Sirius, putting her hand in her pocket. "So. I guess… that solves the mystery of why my dad looked like his best friend died. 'Cause…" Gwen looked like she was trying to make something light about the situation, but she shook her head and gave up. "Anyway… what now? I think… we're out of leads."

"Actually, we just got a hot tip," Sirius said as they exited the subway, taking the lead. "Gunman in an abandoned building in Chancey."

"That neighborhood's pretty close," Gwen admitted as they crossed the road, walking through the thinning crowd. "But, isn't it a leap to think-"

" Gwen," Sirius cut in, his voice heavy. "I… don't care if it's nothing. It's… a chance. Peter… May… I couldn't look them in the eye if I didn't try something. Do anything." Sirius trembled with barely contained rage, fists clenched enough that his knuckles turned white.

He noticed Gwen reach for him, but dropped her hand and nodded, eyes carefully looking the teen over. "What do you mean by 'anything?'"

As they reached the alley, Sirius paused at the fire escape. "What needs to be done," were his last words before climbing up the ladder.

After a quick change, Sirius swung towards Chancey, Gwen hanging on his back. The short trip had no words, only the sound of Sirius' webline and the wind as it passed over them. Five minutes later, Sirius spotted a derelict building – windows boarded, brickwork crumbling away – surrounded by five cop cars.

One final leap dropped Spider-man and his passenger onto the roof of the building. Gwen jumped down from her masked mount as he looked over the edge of the building. "Hey. About what you said before-"

"They're shining lights over the building and walls," Sirius nodded with a frown. "Kind of hoping I didn't need to use another vent…"

"Sirius, we should talk about-"

"And of course, no vents are up here, just a boarded-up hole in the roof. …Do you think anyone will mind if I make another hole? This building is coming down-"

"Spider-man!" Gwen barked, the sudden shout gaining his attention finally. "I know you can hear me. You have super hearing, for Christ sake! What did you mean by ' anything,' from before?"

Sirius looked at her silently, only the sound of sirens and the negotiator talking through a shoddy megaphone between them. "Bringing him to justice," he answered.

"And what do you think that means?" Gwen gestured with her hands as she got riled up. "We talking 'Go to jail, and do not pass GO,' or 'I am the law, judge, jury, and executioner?' Because one is obviously off the table unless you want my dad chasing after you!"

"Gwen-"

" No! No buts! No jokes, or barbs! I'm serious – and I swear to God I'll hit you if you use that joke right now!" Gwen's shout scared pigeons from two rooftops over; it was amazing the police hadn't heard her scream.

"What are you asking me to do here, Gwen?" Sirius spoke with a flat tone, devoid of emotion. "I have to bring him down. For Ben. For May. For Peter! Hell, for Capt Stacy and Mom! And you too!"

"And I'm not saying not to!" the blonde interjected. "He's a murderer and deserves everything, and he's scum for taking away someone as kind and caring as Uncle Ben!" Tears pricked at the corner of Gwen's eyes, but she still persevered, never looking away from the taller teenager. "But… you. You're not. I don't want you ruining yourself for that… Promise me."

Sirius tilted his head and sighed, but nodded. "Yeah, don't worry. I'll bring him down-"

"No." Gwen took off her glasses and wiped at her eyes, before looking, rather squinting, at the masked man. "Promise me you won't kill him. Those exact words. I… I don't want this bastard's blood on you any more than you can help it. And unless he's as strong as you, it shouldn't be hard…"

"Okay, I get it! I promise! Happy?" Gwen crossed her arms, looking like she was expecting something more. Sirius groaned but complied. "I, Spider-man, will not kill. He will be sent right to the police, very much alive." 'His screams will be proof of that,' the young man thought to himself.

Gwen looked at him, scanning him up and down for falsehood. Finding none, she replaced her glasses, releasing a sigh of relief. "Okay… Good. That's… I mean, thank you."

"Yeah, but I still need to get into the building…"

"Have you tried the door?" Gwen pointed over to the roof access, with the door barely hanging on.

"Uh…" Sirius wondered how he missed that, but shook it off. "Well… he's armed. He's expecting people to come through the door-"

"Not the roof," Gwen pointed out. "A police copter would panic him, and they clearly want him not expecting it. Probably looking for any side entrances at ground level. Plus, unless there are a lot of New Yorkers that can leap buildings in a single bound, his full focus will be on the cops down below."

"Wait, how did you…" Gwen gave Sirius a flat look. "…Right. Cop kid."

"Damn right," Gwen nodded resolutely. "Now, get in there. And give 'em hell, Spidey." The vigilante nodded, before opening the door, catching it as it fell off the hinges, and entered the building.

The minute Sirius exited the stairwell, he leaped to the ceiling to look around the room. It was the epitome of a mess; holes in the floor, peeling wallpaper, boarded-up windows, with police lights blinking through them. "This guy picked a real place to hide out in. Hope you weren't cozy, 'cause I'm coming for you, bastard…"

As Sirius traveled through the hallway, a host of apartments with no walls to separate them, he kept alert for any noises or people. He didn't have to look far; in the floor just below the top floor, he heard two people talking. "Huh? What's that? Am I looking for two shooters, or…" 'PETE!' Sirius barely caught his scream, keeping it in his head, before quickly swinging down the stairs.

He came to a room, door thrown open to reveal moldy carpeting, exposed pipes… and two people, one talking very animatedly and pacing around, and the other standing with his back to the door and calmly listening. Both had guns, but while the calm one's hand held his very loosely, the animated one waved his around to the point of clear endangerment.

As Sirius began to listen in, a flash of a searchlight from the window lit up the room… revealing who was doing most of the talking. 'No. Effing. Way.'

"This sucks! This sucks! THIS SUCKS!" The Bodega Bandit of Brooklyn snapped, itching at his arm furiously. "This s-shouldn't have happened! I shouldn't be here! I-"

"Calm down, Jason," the cool-headed man said plainly. "You're working yourself into a fit."

"Why shouldn't I!?" The bandit, Jason, snapped, gun still waving like a signal flag. "That damn party! That asshole kid! Selling me stuff he clearly had no idea what it was! And you!" Jason jammed the gun in the other man's direction. "I never should have asked you for a firearm-"

"You asked if there was someone who could provide protection. And you have it."

"I meant a cup! The bitch kicked me, and she wasn't wearing body armor!" Jason moaned miserably, falling onto his knees. "Please, Mac! Ya gotta help me! This is… this is way bigger-"

"Keep my name outta ya mouth!" Mac snapped. "I can't help you, man. Not this time. Petty theft, I can scratch off the books. Killing some old coot… Not a single damn thing I can do about it."

"Please!" Jason begged, pulling at the man's pants. "I… I'll work for him! I'm pretty good at taking orders, and Bandito's a great attack dog! I'm sure I can benefit the Kingpin! And-and he could get me out of this!"

The man stood there, unmoved, as Jason cried pitifully on his shoes. After a short amount of time, to the point even Sirius had been holding his breath, Mac nodded. "Alright, fine. I think I have a way to get outta this."

Jason's terrified face broke out into a cascade of tears, accompanied by sloppy wet hiccups. "T-thank you, Mac! Thank you so much!"

'Mac' barely addressed him, turning just so Sirius could only see a darkened profile in the shadows of the room. The hidden man pulled on a leather glove. "Give me that gun, Jason."

"Here! Take it!" He shoved it into Mac's hands. "I-I only fired it once! I think… It's… really all so fuzzy. My head… damn, it hurts."

"I wouldn't worry about it." Mac grabbed the back of Jason's head and, just when he opened his mouth to ask what was happening, the six-shooter he had handed to his partner was shoved in.

BANG!

Sirius gaped at the scene before him; this had truly been a day with peaks and valleys. Told Peter about his powers… he then goes to a wild party and shoots his mouth off. Harry at that same party is at ground zero for a mini zombie plague. Now, Uncle Ben's dead, his killer is dead, and the trail ends with some guy named Mac rifling through a dead man's clothes like a homeless bum. No one'd believe these events, short of photo proof-!

Resisting the urge to facepalm for not thinking of it sooner, Sirius whipped out his phone and recorded the hatchet man's search. After a minute of Mac's pat-down, he pulled out a small vial… one all too familiar to Sirius. As he pocketed it, he got up and turned around; Sirius had seconds to leap to the ceiling as Mac pulled out his phone. Finally, in a better light, Sirius got a look (and recording) of the man's face. 'Shaved head. Notched eyebrows. Five o'clock shadow. And a… scorpion tattoo? Who is this guy? Looks like a thug for some shady tattoo parlor…'

"Dispatch, Gargan here," the man said over the phone… the same type of phone the other officer had used back at the subway. "Shots fired at Chancey. Armed assailant committed self-termination. Halt all breaching procedures, area is secure."

As the man put his phone away, a sudden noise made him jump. Mac looked up at the ceiling ('Wait, I'm upside down. Is it up or down?'), and sucked his teeth. "Damn building. Gotta get outta here."

As he walked down the stairs, Sirius looked where he had been and noticed he had dropped a card. "Hey, Officer. Dropped a clue…" Sirius landed on the floor lightly and picked it up. "Let's see… Bestman Salvage? Got a night job, Officer Mac Gargan?"

Not sure what else he could do tonight, Sirius returned to the rooftop with worry still gnawing at him. "Gwen," he began, only to find her sleeping against the wall of the roof access in a sit-up position. In the flashing red-and-blue lights, he could see tear streaks trailing down her face. "Oh…" Checking his phone, he confirmed that it was very late now. "Right, been out for a while, swung around town, fought zombies, and watched a man… die in front of me. And I still never found Pete. Great first night, Spider-Man…"

Shaking his head at that thought, he scooped up Gwen and began swinging back to his apartment. It was difficult swinging with dead weight, but he somewhat managed. By the time he landed on the roof of his building, he found a text from Olivia. "Mom? Let's see… 'Going be out tonight. Working on autopsy. Sorry. Have a good night.'" Sending back a quick good-night reply, Sirius carried the unconscious blonde downstairs, and back into his home.

As he finished placing her on the bed, he heard another beep from his phone. "An email? Who…?" Sirius quickly checked the sender, before doing a double-take. "Pete!" He opened the message fast enough, that his thumb nearly made a crack on the screen. "'Need to talk. At The Place. Please come.'"

Sirius had to hold back the sob of relief, some of his anxiety bursting from his chest. As he stepped away from the bed, a soft hand clamped onto his own. Looking back, a sniffling Gwen had somehow reached out and grabbed him, despite still being asleep. "Sheesh, which one of us was bit by that spider?"

"Don't… go," she muttered, seemingly half-awake. "Please…"

"But, Gwen," Sirius started. "I got a message from-"

"Please," Gwen said a little stronger, her grip tightening as her nose crinkled a little.

"Gwen?" Sirius whispered in worry. "Why…"

'… we're all like family. After his parents… and my m-mother…'

Unbidden, the words from earlier that night smack Sirius in the face. Here he was, seeing the second-strongest woman he knew, finally crumbling from everything. The girl who had given him a friend group to rely on. Now, this time, it was their rock that needed the support…

Sirius looked at Gwen, then back at the message. 'I… I can't leave Pete in the wind again. Not after… what happened tonight.' Placing a comforting hand on Gwen's, he rubbed her wrist in a soothing manner. "Gwen, Pete reached out. He's somewhere safe."

Gwen's face became less tense, but her worry was still present. "Pete… he's alive. You sure?"

"Yeah, think so." Sirius smiled ruefully; at least something was going right tonight. "I… I need to go see him-"

"Go…" Gwen said, smiling through her tears. "I… I'll be fine. Make sure he's alright. For both of us." Released from her grip, Sirius gave Gwen an affectionate pat on her shoulder before pulling his mask back on.

"On the way," he emailed Peter back, before leaving through the window.

It took a while to get from Manhattan to Queens – not as many tall buildings to swing from – but eventually, Sirius found himself at The Place (again, need to think of a better name. The Burrow? The Clubhouse? Fortress of Solitude – nah, that's taken.). Jumping down the hole, Sirius found the train car already unearthed… and Peter, wearing a really baggy sweatshirt, sitting at the console. In the center of the platform, a metal trash can sat, something burning inside of it.

"Pete, where have you…" Sirius trailed off as he noticed Peter's eyes. He was looking right at the can, but his eyes were dull, practically lifeless. "Pete?"

Peter blinked slowly, before looking over at Sirius. "I… it was stained."

"Stained?"

"When… the spray got on me. It… it really was a lot." He spoke in a flat tone, looking at Sirius with about as much focus as he can earlier. "I… tried to staunch the flow, but… was never really that strong." Holding out his hands, they appeared slightly orange and raw. "Chemical scrub. Necessary in case of… blood-borne diseases. There was… a lot. Got on my clothes, had to change…"

Revealing his face, Sirius walked closer to Peter; what he thought were just spots of dirt on his face before, he realized, with horror, it was dried blood. "Peter… what happened?"

Peter blinked slowly like his brain had to reboot every time he talked. "I… tried to get into the party. They wouldn't move. Told them you could beat them up. Seems kind of… silly, now. Then… Uncle Ben came. Took my phone, dragged me away. I was… so embarrassed. Everyone already treats me like a… nobody, but…

"I… I just recall being mad," Peter said, the lack of emotion in his voice a worrying contrast to his words. "I… I snapped. I yelled at him… first time I ever did. He says… I made a promise. About painting the wall. That my word should be my bond, that… it's my responsibility to follow through when I start something. And I-"

Peter's voice gave out for a moment, mouth hanging opening as if his brain stalled. "…yell at him. 'You're not my dad, just an uncle. Get off my back.' That's the… gist of it."

"Then… that guy showed up." Peter's arms wrapped around himself as he began to shake. "Snarling like a rabid dog… eyes red… waving a gun around. Ben… he – he-!" Peter's eyes overflowed with tears, as he continued through sobs. "I was gonna die! He was-! The gun was aimed… a-and… a-and Ben just-! Oh my God!"

As Peter broke down, Sirius wrapped him up in a hug. As the thin teen sobbed openly into Sirius' chest, Sirius bit back his own tears. In the quiet hideaway, in front of a roaring trash fire, two boys wept about a man, noble in intention, taken too soon.