Chapter Text
Peter watched the deal going down from the rooftop above. Someone had planted a sniper on the roof. The sight of a guy with a big gun was what tipped him off, but he was easy to sneak up on and knock out. Now he just needed to wait for a good opportunity. As it was, if he jumped down there now, he’d be dead in minutes. There was simply too many guys with guns. The best plan he had was to wait. Eventually, either the buyers or the sellers would leave. He could take the remaining guys down, call the police, then get a tracker on the other guys.
And that’s exactly what he did. The buyers left first, clearly experienced enough to know not to stick around, but Peter was certain they didn’t see the spider bot that latched on to the bottom of their van.
He watched from above as the police arrived to apprehend the criminals he left webbed up for them. Then he was off to track the others.
His tracker lead him to a warehouse in a pretty dead neighborhood. Classic bad guy lair.
Peter staked the place out, but there was no movement to be seen. Silently, he found a way in. He’d expected a load of henchmen to some big boss or at least a handful of criminals dividing up the cash. Yet, there only seemed to be one man in the entire building. He stood at the center of it all, clearly waiting for Spiderman. Somehow, this didn’t appear to be a trap, but what else could it be?
Having no other choice, Peter dropped down into the room. The man that turned to face him was none other than Tony Stark, the Kingpin of Crime. Peter was admittedly shocked. He didn’t think he was important enough for Tony Stark of all people to spend his time on.
“Mr. Parker,” the Kingpin greeted.
Again, Peter was shocked. It must have shown in his silence.
“Yes, I know who you are, Spiderman. I know everything about you. You’ve been a tad pesky lately.” The Kingpin clasped his hands in front of him. “What are we going to do about that, Mr. Parker?”
“Threaten me if you want, but I have lives to protect. That's not going to stop me.” Peter stood strong, fists clenched.
“Yes,” he smiled. “You’re so noble. You risk your life to protect others. You're the one thing in this city that isn't made of shit and smog. This time though, I’m not threatening you, Spiderman. This is about your Uncle Benjamin.”
Spiderman narrowed his eyes, his expression translating through his mask. “You leave my family out of this!”
The man stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Relax, kid. I haven’t done anything to harm your family. Dear Benjamin did this to himself. You are aware of your uncle’s past are you not?”
“What are you talking about?” Peter scowled.
The Kingpin smiled. “You don’t know do you? Your dear Uncle Ben is a junkie.”
Peter didn’t believe what he was hearing. Ben, a junkie? He wasn’t sure Benjamin Parker knew what drugs were let along where to get them. “You’re lying. You don’t know my uncle.”
“I applaud your loyalty. You must really love him to be so blind. Well, I’m under the impression that he was clean for some time, but something seems to have pushed him right off the wagon. Any idea what that might be?” The Kingpin tilted his head in curiosity. “No? Well, I guess I don’t really need to know the whole story, but would you like to know what I know?”
“Save your breath. I’m not interested in your games.” Peter shot a web straight up at the ceiling but before he could slingshot his way out of the window, Stark spoke again.
“Don’t you at least want to call his lawyer for him?”
Peter frozen momentarily. “What?”
“I didn’t come all this way by my little lonesome just to say 'hi'. You uncle is in deep shit and if you want to save him, you’re gonna need my help. This isn't a problem that can be trapped in your webs.”
“I don’t need anything from you.”
“Don’t worry. This isn’t a one time offer. I’ll give you a week. One week and then you call me, tell me you want me to handle it for you. Otherwise, old Benny is on his own.”
Peter glared again. “And if I don’t call you, what? You’ll make sure he ends up in prison?”
Stark raised his hands in a gesture of innocence. “No no no, not at all. If Benjamin goes to prison it’s on him. Well, now at least I’m putting it on you. I’ll let you talk to him and find out for yourself how hopeless his case is.” He pulled a business card from his coat pocket and waited for Peter to take it, dropping it on the ground when he didn't. “When you realize you need me, my lawyers are Nelson and Murdock. Give them a call.”
Peter pulled himself up and out the window. He swung across the city. “The Kingpin is full of it,” he said to himself. “May and Ben are both safe at home. Like they always are this time of night.” He sighed, landing on a rooftop in sight of the house. What the hell was he going to do if Stark was telling the truth?
He climbed in through the window and changed out of his suit. Leaving his room and calling for his uncle Peter spotted May on the couch. She was hunched over sniffling.
“May? What's wrong?” He quickly joined her on the couch, heart pounding. No, it couldn't be.
She gave him a weak smile. “We need to talk, Peter...”
Peter shook his head. He looked at the drying tears on her cheeks and the phone held in both of her hands. “Did something happen to Ben?”
She nodded. “He's okay, but he's... I don't know when he's coming home. There's something you don't know about your uncle.”
He shook his head again. “May... please don't...”
She patted his knee. “We have to talk about this. We've hid it from you only because there was no reason for you to know. Your uncle is a good man and he's always taken care of us. We never wanted you to think any differently.”
“Don't worry about me, May. I already know. It doesn't change anything.”
“Don't tell me it was that bully kid you went to school with. We would have told you ourselves if we knew anyone was going to hold it against you.”
“No, it's not that. Besides high school was a whole other life time.” Peter settled into the couch. All of this was leaving him feeling like a whole new chapter was starting as well. He never had asked much about his family's past. At least not May and Ben's. “Tell me what happened with Uncle Ben.”
May proceed to explain Ben's struggle with drugs, starting with pills when they were in high school and progressing into harder things in college. When their relationship turned serious Ben made an effort to cut back, but never fully did until Peter's parents died. He had been clean ever since. Until suddenly he wasn't.
“I noticed him acting differently these past few weeks,” she explained. “Then, tonight I get a call from a police officer. They caught him buying. His trial isn't for a few weeks, but I just can't afford his bail.”
Peter wrapped an arm around his aunt's shoulders. “He's gonna be okay. I'll look into it. Maybe I can come up with the money.”
May sighed. “This isn't his first offense, Peter. They set it good and high. His bail will cost us as much as three months rent.”
Stark was right about all of it. If the bail was set that high it was because they didn't want him out on the streets. He wasn't worth trusting to behave himself.
“We'd be better off saving up what we can for a lawyer. Maybe we can afford him a decent one this time. That last time... he served two years,” she said quietly.
Peter's heart broke. Ben was in real trouble. With every word May spoke the Kingpin's words floated through his mind. He couldn't trust Tony Stark. But if he couldn't find a good lawyer, if he couldn't find the money to pay a good lawyer, then Ben was going to end up in prison. After a two year sentence, who knew what they'd hit him with next. He could spend the rest of his life in a concrete and steel box.