Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Okay, let’s do this. 

My name is Evan Buckley.  

I was bitten by a radioactive spider, and for like, a whole month, I totally had it under control. 

Okay, okay, I totally didn’t have it under control. But now, I'm the world’s one and only Spider-Man. 

Was that epic, or did I just crash and burn like a B-grade superhero flick? Do I need to get Kevin Feige to bail me out? 

But while we wait for my inevitable Sony contract termination, let’s recap, shall we? 

After successfully taking down a serial killer and a shooter, I became a public hero. I also became a government enemy. Because apparently, saving lives makes you enemy number one. 

What a world we live in. 

You’d think that with the Avengers, they’d let this sort of stuff fly, but not this time round. Not for the little guys like me. Buckley money is nothing compared to Stark money. Can’t bribe my way out of this one.

Not that Stark was ever bribing anyone, I’m just saying that bribery is an option. Not that it’s ethical either— you get what I mean. 

So, aside from being a top-priority fugitive and my friends hating on Spider-Man — except for you, Chim, you’re a real one —, I saved this sweet old lady named Dorothea from getting squashed by a garbage truck. She thanked me with a muffin. 

Blueberry, because she’s classy like that.

I also promised I’d hit up her granddaughter’s 5th birthday bash. Like I had time to go— I went. I totally went and it was great. It was Barbie themed, and I wore a bedazzled purple tiara. 

The kids love me! They think I look way better in Karen’s suit and I personally agree. 

But I think the moms loved me more. Karen thinks it’s because you can see my muscle lines, but I think it’s the accent.

Yeah, I stuck with the whole British thing, don't judge me! 

I’ve got a unique voice, so I toned it down, practiced a bit, and boom— British Spider-Man. Saving America, one rip-off crumpet at a time. It’s a work in progress, alright? 

So, now I’m patrolling every night when I’m not at the station. And if I’ve pulled a double shift, yeah, I’m out there during the day too.

I’m stopping robberies big and small, helping the elderly and blind folks across the street, reuniting lost pets with their owners, and putting bullies in their place. And honestly, I’m kinda getting bored. Is that wrong to say?

I’m used to dealing with colossal, terrifying stuff as a firefighter, so helping someone cross the street or giving directions feels like I’m slacking off.

But hey, walking women home at night? Totally my jam.

Most of them ask me and how could I say no to that? They’re all super friendly and grateful and I’ve gotten a few numbers, which I won’t call because… secret identity, but it still feels good. 

Yeah, I get it—doing all these little gigs is great and all, but come on, I’m like a caffeinated squirrel over here. I’m thankful for the chance to help, but I wouldn’t mind a little alien brawling every now and then.

Or maybe a proper smackdown with someone who actually has a shot at kicking my ass. You know, just to spice things up. 

I need a challenge. 

So, Spider-Man shenanigans aside (kinda), Maddie’s all healed up, thank the stars. She’s finally ditching the couch and heading back to work on Monday, and she’s so pumped to get out of the house, you’d think she was escaping a prison sentence. 

Albert played the hero by staying behind to help with Jee, so Chim didn’t have to use up more of his sick days— props to him for that.

Athena’s already back at work, because of course. And get this, she and Ransone have this whole boardroom shrine dedicated to me. It’s like a Hall of Fame for Anti-Heroes, except it also makes me want to hide under the bed with Christopher’s light up dinosaur.

It’s like they’re building a monument to my daily disasters. A shrine of epic, totally illegal failures.

Athena’s still playing coy about her feelings on Spider-Man. On one hand, she’s grateful he saved her life and took down those scumbags Jackson Blake and Dave Pearson. On the other, she thinks he’s a reckless loose cannon who should’ve let the cops handle it.

Ransone? He’s a fan of Spider-Man, but he’s got an even bigger hard-on for the law. And that’s where it gets seriously scary.

I’ve thought about what I’d do if I got caught. When I get caught. I’ve been brewing up some wild scenarios for when I inevitably screw up and get busted. It’s just a matter of time, y’know? I mean, superheroes are popping up like zit-faced teenagers at a comic con, and everyone in their orbit has to be in on the secret, right?

And I don't mean the Avengers now. 

Let’s talk about Deadpool for a sec. That guy’s gotta have someone keeping his secrets. I mean, unless he’s just flashing his superhero ass around without a care in the world. Which sounds oddly freeing, might I add. 

Then there’s… Actually I’m fresh out of known-secret identities that aren’t the Avengers. There’s just so many of them. It’s like they’re breeding them in a not-so-secret secret identity factory or something. 

Look, I’m just saying, one of these days, I’m gonna get caught between saving people from burning buildings and saving people from the bad guys. I can’t multitask worth a damn.

So what happens if I’m knee-deep in cleaning a rig, waiting for the next fire call, or hanging out off-duty with them and suddenly the city needs me? 

Do I sneak out, risk getting my ass chewed on like last week’s favorite squeak toy, and make a dramatic exit like I'm in a cheesy action flick? Or do I turn to Bobby and say, "Hey, Cap, the entire greater Los Angeles is about to implode, and guess what? I’m the surprise superhero in unfortunate spandex who’s gonna save the day. Mind if I leap off the roof real quick? I promise I’ll be back before you can say 'insurance claim'."

Do I look at Maddie and go “Oops, my bad!” like I’m casually forgetting to do my taxes? 

Or do I roll with the punches and tell Eddie and the rest of the 118, “Hey, guess what? I’m the superhero with the seriously tragic spandex situation. Hope you enjoyed the show! Now, who’s up for a high-speed chase across the rooftops? And yes, we’ll need the firetruck for the damage I may or may not inflict. But I swear I’m the hero! Don’t try to arrest me! Again!”  

It all sounds so fucking ridiculous. 

Sorry, Spider-Man shouldn’t swear. 

Edit: F*ck. 

What else have I forgotten to tell you… Oh! 

Maddie and I are in New York, sitting in our parent’s apartment. You know, the one that reeks of childhood trauma and teenage angst — like a high school cafeteria mixed with bad decisions. 

Anyway, I’m about to grill her on Oscorp because why not revisit all the cr*p that made me question my entire existence? 

Let’s wrap up this gloriously painful trip down memory lane and dive headfirst into my epic sh*tshow of a past. Cross your toes and count your fingers! 

Or, you know, just wish me luck!

One last time.

For real, this is the last time.

I think. 

My name is Evan Buckley. I'm a firefighter and I was bitten by a radioactive spider.

and for a whole month, I totally didn’t have it under control.

But now, I'm the world’s one and only crime-fighting, fire-fighting, Spider-Man.

Am I rambling again?

Karen made me write this myself and I'm seriously out of my depth with this.

Open to suggestions.

🕷 🕷 🕷 🕷

“Oh my God, look at you!” Maddie gasped, showing Buck an old photo from one of the boxes. It was of Buck covered in chocolate cake when he was about three. “You were so cute!”

If I could look at a camera right now and break the fourth wall just to show you all how deeply unimpressed I am that I’m no longer a precious, squishy little flesh blob, I would. But since I can’t, just picture me flipping off the universe while I sulk in my adult-sized misery.

“Were?” Buck huffed, snatching the photo to get a better look. “I’m just as cute now. Look,” he puffed his cheeks out, mimicking his younger self, and it made Maddie laugh. 

“Who’s that kid behind me?” Buck pointed to a small boy, who looked older than Maddie.

“Uh, I don’t know.” Maddie cleared her throat. “Must’ve been a friend of mine. Not sure.” 

“Are there any more?” Buck asked, peering into the box she was digging through. They’d found two baby photos of Buck so far. The other one had his back facing the camera. 

“Here. Let’s see what we’ve got,” Maddie pulled out an album and started to flip through it. Her smile slowly faded with each flip. 

“What is it?” Buck asked, moving onto his knees to crawl over to her. All he could see were photos of Maddie. Ah. 

“Hey, it’s fine,” he murmured, clearing his throat. “We got lots together now and that’s all that matters, right?” He tapped under her chin, getting her attention.

“Right,” she put on a smile for him that he knew wasn’t real. He knew every tell of hers. “Doesn’t matter anyway, we’re just here to pack things up.”

“Yeah, I can’t believe this place got all those offers so quickly,” Buck sat back again, trying to sound as normal as possible. “But then again, this is New York.”

“I’m still debating on if it was a good idea to sell this place at all,” Maddie blew out a breath. “I mean, what if you or Jee and Chim wanted to move here?”

Buck raised a brow. “Mads, I doubt that. Our lives are in Los Angeles. Plus, looking at Oscorp everyday from the living room doesn’t sound all that appealing to me.”

“Tell me about it,” Maddie agreed, peering over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of it in the distance, lit up by the city night life. 

“Speaking of,” Buck dragged his words out. This was the perfect introduction into this much needed conversation. “I found something mom and dad were working on.” 

“What is it?” Maddie frowned.

“The reason Oscorp came in here and tore this place apart. I think.” 

“Go on,” Maddie urged. 

“Mads, what do you know about cell regeneration? Eradication of diseases… limb regrowth. All of that.” Buck watched the color drain out of Maddie’s cheeks. 

Maddie wordlessly reached for the baby photo of Buck with the chocolate cake and held it up. “That’s Daniel,” she whispered, voice straining under emotion. Hurt? 

“Okay?” Buck let out a laugh, not quite following. “I thought you couldn’t remember.”

“He had cancer,” Maddie continued, wiping her nose and dropping the photo on the carpet. Things seemed to be progressing quickly. “He uh, he didn’t have much of a fighting chance, and mom and dad were working with another scientist already—”

“Dr. Connors?” Buck asked and Maddie looked surprised that he knew who that was.

“Yeah, Dr. Connors… Anyway,” she sniffed again. “He was the first unofficial human tester for this cell regeneration serum. It was supposed to cure him,” Maddie stuttered, her voice finally breaking and a few tears slipped through. 

“But his DNA wasn’t a match for the serum a-and that’s how they figured out the serum had to be made specific to each person or a group of specific people.” Maddie paused then, closing her eyes to try and collect herself. All Buck could do was watch. 

Did his parents kill a child? 

“He died three days later and they never touched that algorithm again,” Maddie sucked in a shaky breath, flicking her hands out.

“Except they did,” Buck answered, rage bubbling through. How could his parents be so careless? 

“What?” 

“They continued, Maddie. They-They went through animal trials and were set for human trials to begin, but then they died and who’s to say Oscorp hasn’t gone and done those trials already?” Buck dropped back against the base of the couch and stared at the ceiling for a long moment. “Maddie, who was Daniel?” 

“A friend—”

Psst! Hey, guess what? This plan is about to fall apart like a bad soufflé. For those of you reading, this is your front-row seat to the train wreck. I brought snacks!

“Don’t bullshit me, Mads,” Buck looked at her now. “I know when you’re lying. Who was he?” 

Maddie chewed on the inside of her cheek, debating whether she should tell him or not. Buck waited in silence, neither of them looking away.

“He was our brother,” she finally whispered and despite Buck knowing deep down that’s who he was, it still sent a roll of nausea through him. 

Buck nodded, sucking on his teeth. “All these years…”

“Buck I wanted to tell you—”

“Well now you have,” Buck stood up, pacing to the other end of the living room by the TV. He took the moment to stare out at the skyline, catching a glimpse of the Avengers Tower behind Oscorp and huffed. 

Deadpool has people who know who he is, right..? 

“I’ve seen the research. The Decay Rate Algorithm works,” Buck spoke, still facing the windows. 

“What?” Maddie asked, getting up from her spot on the floor. “H-How do you know that?”

“I snuck into Oscorp a month ago.” 

“What? Buck, when did you even have time to come here?” 

“They have this closed off area,” Buck continued. “Got two zeros with lines across the door. Full of God knows what, I didn’t have much time to look. But there’s this… room.”

“Buck, what are you saying? That you saw the human trials at Oscorp? Do you know who the trials were? Did you take photos?” Maddie was spewing out questions, now, pacing the living room. 

This would’ve been her field of work if she hadn’t become a nurse, and then a dispatcher. She would’ve been at Oscorp, and Buck just hoped her loyalties wouldn’t lie there. 

“The decay rate algorithm that mom and dad perfected matches only one person,” Buck answered. 

“So do you know if they’ve started putting together specialized algorithms for these testers? What else do you know Buck?” 

Buck could tell her everything now. He should tell her everything now, but she kept an even worse secret for so long… What was another between them?

“What’s his actual name?” Buck asked instead, eyes narrowing on a street light a few blocks down. He couldn’t even trust that she’d given him the boy’s real name, why should he trust her with something so big like being Spider-Man? 

She’d just go off on him for killing Pearson, which he hasn’t stopped blaming himself for, and she’d tell him that they had to reverse it somehow. Possibly go to Stark for a cure, or even that Buck should just stop all of this madness and forget about it. 

She might back Spider-Man up in group debates for Chimney’s sake, but the moment she knows who’s behind the mask, he’s done for.

“It’s Daniel,” Maddie whispered, leaning from one foot to the next, fists clenched. “Buck I wanted to tell you, I just never knew how to. It was hard enough when you were younger with mom and dad blaming themselves for his death, so I couldn’t tell you then. And when you got older… you became so distant, so how could I bring myself to just drop something like that?” 

“Have you ever thought that maybe I wouldn’t have been so distant, or such a problem, if someone had just told me why I was treated like the spare parts collecting dust in a corner?” Buck swiveled around, his index finger pressed against his chest. 

“I can understand grief, I can understand pain, but what I’ve never been able to understand is abandonment. What, was I too much of an ugly reminder that mom and dad couldn’t use my DNA to accelerate Daniel’s cell regeneration? Was that all I was?” 

Buck’s voice cracked at his last question, arms dropping to his sides. It makes sense. All of it does now.

Why else would there be decay rate algorithms that solely match his genetic DNA? He was supposed to be the first human trial, but instead, it was Daniel. Wait…

“Maddie,” Buck blinked, taking a step closer. “Did mom and dad… test on me?”

Maddie had gone as white as a sheet. “Buck, listen—” 

“Oh my god,” Buck laughed out, both hands wiping over his face in disbelief. “I knew it! I fucking knew it!”

“Buck, they knew it would work on you so—”

“So what? They prodded at me, a child, stuck needles in me and God knows what else, just to see if they could save their precious son? The one that actually mattered?” Buck laughed again, shaking his head. Tears were free flowing down his cheeks now. “Was he smart like you? Were you two just two peas in a scientific fucking pod?”

“They never tried to hurt you,” Maddie swore, eyebrows bunched, her own tears falling. “Your DNA was a perfect match for the trials and because you and Daniel were the same blood type, they thought that it would work on him…”

“BUT IT DIDN’T!” Buck roared, veins popping around his neck. “It didn’t work, Madelyn! It killed him and it could’ve killed me and you just sat back and watched!” 

“What was I supposed to do, Evan?! I was a child too!” Maddie yelled back, shocked that Buck had used her full name. She doesn’t think he’s ever heard him call her that. It was jarring. 

“Yeah, a child with more influence than her two vulnerable siblings,” Buck huffed, shoulders deflating. “God, you’re no fucking better than them, are you? You never have been. It’s all just been one big lie. No wonder you shoved me in the Jeep the first chance you got. So you didn’t have to look at what you broke everyday.” 

“Fuck you, Evan.” Maddie’s voice trembled, shaking her head. “All I’ve ever done since then, is protect you in any and every way I can.”

“And look where that got us,” Buck replied, dropping down onto the couch. He had no fight left in him. Well, he did, but not around Maddie. There are lines he’d never cross, no matter how much she’d hurt him. 

Maddie hesitated for a long moment, going back and forth between staying where she was and crossing over to Buck. Eventually, she caved and sat beside him, both now staring at the rug covered in old documents and rare baby photos. 

“Do you remember that day?” Maddie pointed at the photo of Buck’s birthday again, with Daniel just behind him.

“I was three,” Buck’s tone was still snappy, but he shuffled closer to her. 

“You’d turned to Daniel and told him you loved him. Well, in baby gibberish, but it was close enough. He’d lit up the entire room with his smile.” Maddie huffed, a sad smile forming. “That was before everything went wrong.”

“When was he diagnosed?” Buck murmured. He wanted to reach for the photo, but the memory was so far away, holding it wouldn’t feel right. 

“About eight months after,” Maddie nodded, pressing her hands together between her knees. “Your blood, your trials, prolonged his life by a year, Buck… You can’t blame mom and dad for continuing. Not when they had both of you and didn’t have to make any sacrifices.”

“If it worked, why’d it stop?” Buck shook off the rest of her words. He was still pissed with them. He was a child. No child deserves that, even if they don’t remember. 

“No idea,” Maddie shrugged. “It was like his immune system started to fight the treatment, and it accelerated his cell decay. He died three days after the treatment stopped working.” 

“Jesus,” Buck mumbled, dropping his head for a moment, closing his eyes. Silence fell between the pair and Buck felt the couch jerk when Maddie hiccupped. None of this was fair. He was allowed to be mad with his parents, with Maddie.

He was allowed to be upset for himself, and for Daniel. He just hoped that in between this treatment, Daniel got a good childhood that he deserved. One of them had to. 

“I’m not forgiving them, Maddie,” Buck finally spoke and Maddie’s shoulders sagged. “I’ve heard your side of the story now, and I get it. I get why you feel that way and why your opinions are so fixed, but you have to see it from my side now and understand why I have the opinions that I do. And we just have to accept that we’ll never agree.”

“Yeah,” Maddie sighed, reaching out to hold Buck’s hand. “I am sorry though. For making you feel like you’d been abandoned, or that I was pushing you away. I wasn’t, I promise. If anything… I was trying to get you far, far away from that mess. Doesn’t look like I’ve done a good job at keeping that up, huh?”

“Well, it’s not like you could’ve kept it from me forever. I mean, the truth about all of this would’ve come out somehow and I would’ve been dragged in regardless. But… Thanks for trying to delay it, at least.” Buck squeezed her hand and when Maddie dropped her head on his shoulder, he kissed the top of it. 

“I can’t believe you called me Madelyn,” she mumbled, hiding her face against his shoulder, earning a snort from him.

“I know right? It felt so weird to say.” He scrunched his nose. “It’s such a mean girl name—” 

“Oh please, like Evan is any better.” Maddie shoved him away, and the pair locked eyes, small smiles forming amongst their drying tears. 

Things may be rocky right now, but they’d be okay.

So they locked pinkies. 

That was like, so intense, I felt like I was intruding on myself!! Don’t do that again, AO3 user regularis_vas. I have feelings! 

🕷 🕷 🕷 🕷

“Are you sure this is the right address?” Buck looked out of their rental car, and then back to Maddie.

“Positive,” Maddie tapped her fingers on the wheel. “You sure you want to do this alone?”

Buck had insisted that maybe it might just be best if he went alone acting as this grief-ridden kid who just wanted answers about his parents. If Maddie went with, he’d get defensive, most likely.

Plus, Buck had other things he needed to ask anyway. Like if it was possible to create a human-spider-symbiote-mutant-god-knows-what. 

A spider-thing, as Karen had once called him. 

Actually, it was ‘spider-mutant thing '. Get it together, Riv, seriously. You’re supposed to be the one with good memory here, not a colander that couldn't hold a damn thing even if it was wearing a chastity belt! Can’t risk us getting fired at the start of the second installment. I mean, talk about a career killer. 

Who would they replace me with? Oliver Stark? Puh-LEASE. 

That guy’s too hot to play me!!! 

“Yeah… Yeah I have to. I just gotta know if he knows anything about mom and dad.” Buck reached for his laptop bag and opened the door. “Are you going to be okay?”

“Yeah, I’m meeting with an old friend from college for coffee. Just text me when you’re done, okay?” 

“Thanks,” Buck smiled and hopped out of the car. He slowly approached the home, taking deep breaths and fidgeting profusely to prepare himself for what lay ahead. He could do this!

It wasn’t like he would have to physically fight anyone here. He hoped. 

He knocked on the door, possibly too soft, but regardless he heard someone call out saying they'd be right there. 

Buck took a step back and waited until the door flung open, revealing a man in glasses, looking perplexed and not all that pleased to have someone show up at his front door on a weekend. 

Oh he looks like he’s fun at parties! 

“Uh, Dr. Connors?” Buck asked. “I-I’m here to talk to you about Oscorp. I just… I have a few questions.”

“Ah,” Connor nodded, offering a polite smile. “Well, this is my home, and I’d prefer it if you come find me during work hours.” He stepped back to close the door.

“My name’s Evan Buckley,” Buck stated quickly, watching Connors still. “Margaret and Phillip’s son?”

“Why yes,” Connors took a good look at Buck now, as if he were looking at him for the first time. “Yes, you’re Evan… How could I not recognize you? My God, come in, come in.”

Connors stepped aside and Buck slipped through into the entryway. The house was modern, simple. Nothing like a home, though. Buck could only assume he had no children. 

“The last time I saw you, you were a mere boy. How’s your sister?” Connors asked, leading Buck through to the kitchen. He seemed wound up tight now, tense all over.

Buck’s gaze trailed down the limp sleeve of his sweater where Connors’ arm was supposed to be. 

“She’s uh, she’s good.” Buck answered politely. “She’s married now. Has a little girl.”

“Doug, yes?” Connors asked, looking over his shoulder. 

“No… No, different guy.” Buck cleared his throat, looking towards the theoretical camera. 

Actually, it was just a pot plant. 

“Ah, well, tell her I say congratulations.” Connors began to prep some coffee. “Would you like a cup?”

“Sure,” Buck replied, clasping his hands together. He leaned against the counter, watching Connors move about easily with just one arm. He wondered what his life would’ve been like if he’d lost his leg under that firetruck. 

“I'm afraid I can't help you much with your parents. I don't know why they left or where they were going,” Connors spoke, snapping Buck out of his thoughts. “I truly am sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you,” Buck smiled. “I read your book, by the way.” No he didn’t. Karen did and then relayed it to him like an in-person SparkNotes recap. 

“Oh you did?” Connors chuckled, pouring their coffee. He moved the kettle away from the counter, knocking one of the mugs and Buck caught it without blinking. Fuck, he should’ve just let it fall.

“Good reflexes,” Connors murmured, eyeing him closely.

“Firefighter,” Buck clarified, gently placing the mug back on the counter. “It's something, you know. Your book.” Buck swerved the conversation back on track. “So you really think… it's possible, cross-species genetics?”

“Yes, of course.” Connors replied without hesitation. He reached for his own mug and took a slow sip. “Your parents and I were mocked for our theories. Not just in the community at large but at Oscorp, as well. They called us mad scientists.”

Connors chuckled, relaying fond memories, and Buck felt a knot form in his stomach. “And then your parents bred the spiders… and everything changed. The results were beyond encouraging. They were spectacular. We were gonna change the lives of millions.”

And kill millions. 

“Including my own,” Connors continued, his smile slipping. “Then it was over.”

“What happened?” Buck asked cautiously. 

“Your parents began human trials too early, you see, and without my knowledge.” Connors shook his head. “There was a casualty—”

“Daniel,” Buck clarified, and Connors nodded. 

“But they were determined to start over again, and so was I… But then when we were finally getting somewhere again, they left.” 

“You mean before they died, right?” Buck asked.

“Yes. Took the research with them, the answers. And I knew without them and their answers, I…” Connors pursed his lips. “I was angry. So I stayed away from you… and your family. And for that, I'm truly sorry.”

Buck took a sip of his coffee, letting the timeline fall into place in his mind. “Say it worked,” he started, placing his mug down. “Say you got it to work. Like, how much would the foreign species take over? What could the side effects be? Does it vary from person to person?”

Connors’ interest seemed to have piqued now, and he was happy to indulge. “It's hard to say, considering no subject survived. The problem was always—”

“The decay rate algorithm?” Buck asked and Connors’ eyes widened. 

“Yes.”

“Can I?” Buck pointed to the notepad on the kitchen counter. He felt like he could trust this guy. He just wanted to be fully functional again with both arms. He wanted to make a difference. Not like his parents, jumping at any opportunity to use their children as test subjects. 

“Please,” Connors gestured for him to go ahead and Buck picked up the pen too and began scribbling away. Connors leaned closer to get a better look. 

When Buck was done, he slid the paper closer for Connors to see. He placed his glasses on that hung around his neck and lifted the notepad up. “Extraordinary… How did you come up with this?”

Buck shrugged, tapping the pen to the side of his head. “The science genes spread to me too, I guess.” 

HAH! 

“Buck, you must come see me at the Tower,” Connors placed the notepad down. “Are you residing in New York?” 

Say yes, say yes! Make me say yes, Literature Jesus! 

“Y-Yes,” Buck lied. If he said Los Angeles, where Spider-Man was, that would be way too obvious. Right? Had Connors figured out that Spider-Man was a result of Oscorp? God, this was a mess. “Yeah, I moved into my parent’s place.”

“Good,” Connors nodded. “Come see me tomorrow afternoon. We have much to discuss.”

“Of course,” Buck smiled nervously and shook Connors’ hand. “Thank you for hearing me out. I appreciate it.”

Connors let Buck out, and once he was alone, standing in the street, Buck had a nauseating feeling that he’s just done something terribly wrong. 

Ah yes, the familiar scent of looming regret and a one way ticket to my third quarter-life crisis. Yummy. 

🕷 🕷 🕷 🕷

The next day, Maddie was preoccupied with packing the remainder of the boxes and starting their long journey of selling this place. 

They’d gone back and forth the night before on whether they should keep the apartment or not, but ultimately decided that it wouldn’t be worth it and that it would just collect dust for the most part.

They hadn’t really spent any time in New York before their parents died, so they knew that when all of this blew over, they wouldn’t be back for a while.

Buck might be, but he’d just get a hotel or a bed and breakfast. He’d also never tell her he would be visiting New York again, because how would he explain that to her? 

No, he had his secret to keep. 

The hardest part about being in New York right now though, was not going swinging at night. He’d spent a good hour after Maddie had fallen asleep just sitting on the rooftop of the building, walking down the sides of the walls and imagining how beautiful it must be to swing from structure to structure here. 

He knew Los Angeles couldn’t compare. 

But now, after breakfast, Maddie was already on the phone to a realtor. She was distracted enough for Buck to mumble something about going for a walk and she waved him off, too focused on telling the realtor what the building had to offer and when they could start booking viewings. 

Buck had walked instead of taking Maddie’s rental car. She’d probably need it later and he didn’t feel like telling her she could come pick it up at Oscorp.

That was another thing. Buck wasn’t sure if they’d even allow him inside Oscorp after the last stunt he pulled as Ashley freaking Beckman. 

It would be more embarrassing if they told Dr. Connors. 

But when he stepped into the building, no one offered him a second glance. 

People bustled around him. Some in lab coats, some in suits, others in worker clothes for maintenance. But yet none of them seemed to care that Buck was back here. 

He’d even noticed the security guards scattered around, and none of them seemed to care either. Did they just have a lot of people causing trouble in here? Was that just yet another time where they’d had to chase someone? 

“Can I help you?” A man at the front desk asked. The woman that was here the last time Buck was, was nowhere in sight, and Buck was grateful.

“Uh, yeah actually. I have a meeting with Dr. Connors.” Buck approached the front desk and pulled out his phone. He should’ve given Dr. Connors his number. “He told me yesterday to stop by sometime today.”

“Sure, I’ll get a message to him now,” the guy nodded, rapidly typing away on his computer. “What’s your name?” 

“Evan,” Buck replied, deciding to keep his surname out of it once more. Connors would know, and that was enough. 

“One second, Evan. You may sit over there while you wait. Someone will take you up shortly.” The man gestured to the right where the couches were and Buck planted himself on the edge of the seat.

He looked around at the large space, at the holograms and the talking lady discussing Oscorp’s newest venture. He wondered if the Avengers Tower was this cool. He bet it was a thousand times cooler. Possibly a million times cooler. 

“Hi, are you Evan?” A blonde woman asked and Buck blinked. Slowly. 

Holy mother of mother’s named Mary, it’s a woman! Because I totally haven’t overdone it with my countless love interests that never stay long enough to wear in a couch. Thanks Writer Jesus, you’re the best! 

“Uh- yeah, hi, I’m Evan. Call me buck. Everyone just calls me Buck—” he jumped up, cheeks flushing red, and he held his hand out.

“Gwen Stacy, nice to meet you.” The blonde laughed, shaking his hand in return. “You’re Margaret and Phillip’s son, right?”

Buck frowned. How had she known that? “Wha—” 

“I’ve been Dr. Connors’ assistant for the last year. I spent a lot of time around them,” she amended and Buck let out a soft ‘ah’. 

He felt so stupid for stuttering in front of her, but how could he not?! She was probably one of the prettiest women he’s ever seen! Gwen Stacy! 

“Right,” Gwen turned on her heels and began to walk. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you up to him now. He’s just wrapping up a boardroom meeting, he shouldn’t be too long.”

She approached the elevator and the pair stepped inside. Buck didn’t know what to say now, and it was a long ride up. 

“So uh,” Buck cleared his throat. “Where’d you study?” 

“Oxford,” Gwen nodded, shifting her clipboard in front of her. “Started as a summer school programme, but then I just never left.”

“That must’ve been amazing,” Buck let out a low whistle. And she was a genius! Bonus! 

“What about you? Where’d you go to university?” Gwen turned to look at him and Buck cringed.

“I… dropped out of community college, and then I spent the next year traveling the world trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life.”

Gwen nodded. “Did you ever figure it out?”

“Uh, yeah… Yeah I’m a firefighter now. Best decision I ever made.” Buck smiled, and Gwen did too, the awkward air fizzling out just in time for the elevator doors to slide open. 

Gwen led him down a long corridor, past a few offices and towards the one labeled Dr. Connors. Buck spotted Connors seated at his desk, slipping his glasses on.

“Dr. Connors?” Gwen peeked her head into his office. “Evan Buckley is here to see you.”

“Ah, yes! Let him in. Thank you Gwen.” Connors replied and Gwen turned around to face Buck.

“Well, it was lovely meeting you, Buck. I’ll see you around.” 

“Y-Yeah, see you around, Gwen.” Buck waved her off, letting out a huff of contentment before entering Connors’ office. 

“Evan! It’s good to see you, boy.” Connors smiled at him, getting up from his chair.

“And you, Dr. Connors.” Buck nodded politely. 

“Can I offer you a tour?” Connors asked, and how could Buck ever say no? 

“Lead the way.”

Connors led Buck past the offices and onto the next floor, and Buck’s head swam with all the knowledge he was taking in. He really wasn’t built for all this science stuff. 

Well… he was, but his brain wasn’t. 

“We have protein structure, rDNA… chromatography, transgenics testing… that's X-ray video. That's the only one on the planet. We have the Human line testing over—”

“I remember that. I've seen that before,” Buck pointed to the large object on the other side of the glass room that he couldn’t quite make out, but it was familiar to him. 

“The Ganali device,” Connors hummed, stopping in front of it. 

“Yeah, I remember a picture of that in my dad's office. I think?” Buck shook his head. 

“The idea was so simple. You load it with an antigen, it creates a cloud which can be dispersed over a neighborhood, even a city. Theoretically, you could cure polio in an afternoon.” Connors smiled, hands clasped behind his back. 

“That's incredible,” Buck breathed out. If they had this sort of machinery, why weren’t they putting it to good use? Or was it no use at all? 

“Well, others disagreed. What if the device were loaded with a toxin? What if you wanted to opt out? You can't run away from a cloud after all, so here it lies, gathering dust.” Connors gestured to it dismally. Everything that he and Buck’s parents seemed to work on, never got further than the prototypes. 

“Did you… the Avengers, the superheroes… have you ever wondered what kind of science it took to make them who they are?” Buck asked, making Connors frown. “I-I just mean, if we have Captain America who can’t get sick, surely there’s some sort of serum to replicate—”

“That’s Stark property,” Connors amended quickly. “As much as I like to speak of how ahead we are in this field, Stark is always one step further, but they merely focus on a small group of people to protect citizens. We here at Oscorp are offering these citizens a chance at a better life.”

“And… Spider-Man? You don’t think he’s with Stark, do you? He just sorta came out of nowhere.” Buck was really pushing it with all these questions, especially considering what Oscorp was hiding in this building. 

“Ah, Spider-Man…” Connors chuckled, a bitter tone to his voice now. He leaned in closer to whisper to Buck. “Now, you didn’t hear this from me, but there’s chatter that we have a spy.”

“A spy?” Buck blinked.  

“Yes, yes… we think Tony Stark has got some eyes and ears around here with sticky fingers. Like I said, Stark Industries is always one step ahead. So they must’ve heard of our plans, and decided to do something to keep them in the lead.”

“Huh…” Buck was terribly relieved that he was in the clear here. It was obvious that that was what Connors believed and Buck was not about to challenge that idea. He’d leave it as is for his own safety, and for those around him. Especially Maddie. 

“Come on then,” Connors sighed, gesturing for Buck to follow once more. They made it into a darker space, another lab. This building seemed to have a never ending amount of those. But this one was different to the rest. Not quite like the one that Buck had seen when he snuck in here, but close. 

The room’s lighting was a mix of deep purple and blues from the holograms. Right in the center, was a large cylinder almost with a platform you could step up onto. Yet another hologram hovers around one edge, offering what seemed to be a diagram and genetic makeup of a lizard. 

Buck squinted. 

I should’ve paid attention in science class. 

“What you see here is a computer model of a lizard,” Connors confirmed. “Many of these wonderful creatures have so brilliantly adapted, that they can regenerate entire limbs at will. You can imagine my envy,” Connors chuckled and Buck’s heart rate spiked.

This was what he and Karen were talking about. What Connors’ and his parent’s plans were to accelerate cell regeneration. 

“We're trying to harness this capability, and transfer it into our host subject: Freddy the three-legged mouse.” Another hologram appeared of a mouse, and Buck internally squirmed. 

He hated animal testing. 

Vegan, baby! WooWoo!!!!! It’s like ‘Vegas, baby’, but for herbivores! 

“Enter the algorithm now,” Connors pointed at the computer on the other side of the cylinder, and Buck forced himself to walk over, and punched in the algorithm he’d had time to memorize over the last few months. 

What if he killed this poor mouse? What if Karen was right and that this algorithm was solely a perfect match just for himself and no one else? 

Or what happens if it works, only for it to fail later on just like it had with Daniel? 

There was a reason his parents had hid this file, and now Buck was just wildly throwing it around with the man they should’ve given it to in the first place, but didn’t. And probably for a very good reason. 

But it was too late now, because Buck had entered the last bit of the algorithm in, and the computer beeped and whirred. 

“System ready for gene insertion,” the computer announced and Buck moved across the hologram, clutching onto the gene that the algorithm had generated. 

“Okay… Check.” Buck murmured once he’d stopped beside Connors, who went on and plucked the gene from Buck’s fingers. He’d never held a hologram before. It was odd because there was nothing there, but he’d felt it still. 

Technology was wild. 

“See what I'm trying to do?” Buck asked as Connor let go of the gene and it dropped into Freddy’s genetic makeup. He’d discussed this part with Karen so many times before. 

“Preempt the proteins,” Connors answered. 

“The immune response,” Buck replied, unblinking, eyes locked on poor Freddy. 

“Beginning trials,” the computer announced and Buck held his breath. He could change the world with this. But something was nagging at him to stop while he was ahead. Was what why his parents had fled in the first place?  

“Pending,” the computer noted, and Freddy’s leg seemed to grow. “Pending,” the leg jerked, and then the hologram went red. “Failed. Subject deceased.” 

So they tried again. 

“Failed.” 

“Pending. Failed.”

“Subject deceased.”

“Come on,” Connors grunted, turning around to take a quick lap across the lab. Buck was kind of relieved it wasn’t working out.

But they gave it one last go anyway, just to confirm their failures. Well, Connors’ failure, and Karen’s success. Because that would mean it really was only made for Buck and no other living creature. 

“Pending. Peptide algorithm accepted. Regrowth complete.”

“Hey,” Buck’s head shot up, staring at the algorithm now and the hologram of the mouse go green.

“Vitals normal. Blood pressure, normal. Limb regeneration successful.” The computer announced and Connors let out a laugh of shock. 

“Extraordinary,” he murmured, seemingly unable to wrap his head around what had just happened. His hand landed on Buck’s shoulder, and Buck smiled, but internally, he was kind of freaking out and oddly, not in a good way.

His gut was telling him something was very, very wrong. And not a spidey-tingle, no. This was just common sense. He’d really Bucked it up this time. 

But he had to hold out hope that he was wrong, and that this could be used for good, that they could find a way around the failures and actually start helping to cure people. 

He could do this for Daniel. 

Connors led Buck out of the room and into the neighboring lab, where there were two mice in glass cages. 

“Meet Fred and Wilma... our three-legged mice,” Connors noted, lifting Fred up first and handing him over to Buck. “Here you go.”

“Hey buddy, I got you.” Buck spoke gently to the mouse, cradling its small body in his hands as Connors prepped the needle. 

“Okay… Careful, don't want to stick you by mistake.” Connors chuckled, moving around Buck’s hands so he could get a direct line to the mouse. “Human trials aren't until next week…”

Wait—

“There,” Connors pulled the needle back, and Buck hadn’t realized he’d already injected Fred, he’d been so preoccupied with the mention of human trials. Did that mean the email he’d read was correct? That they really were accelerating human trials?

It had probably been moved up even more, all thanks to Buck’s findings. What unsettled him was the possibility that it would’ve started even if he hadn’t had given Connors the algorithm. 

So maybe he had done the right thing after all. This could save a lot of tester’s lives. 

Buck gingerly placed Fred down and they repeated the process with Wilma. Buck’s mind still whirred about the human trials. He had so many questions, but he couldn’t raise any alarm bells just yet.

He had no idea what he’d do with all of this information. He supposed he could take it to Taylor to cover a story on it, but she was in LA. Sure they had ties with the Daily Bugle for superhero stories only, but not for this stuff, right? 

“Thank you for all your help today, Evan.” Connors smiled once they were down in the lobby of Oscorp again. “You’ve single handedly changed science and possibly the world as we know it. And my life too,” he looked down at his loose lab coat sleeve and Buck wanted to trust him, he really did.

“Thank you for giving me the time of day,” Buck answered instead, shaking his hand. 

“Oh I’ll always make time for a Buckley. Come see me again soon, yes? We must discuss updates once human trials have begun.” Connors patted Buck’s shoulder and walked off towards the elevator again, leaving Buck to stare after him for a moment. 

Outside on the street, Buck spotted Gwen returning with a magazine and a coffee. She smiled when they locked eyes and Buck knew he should wait for her so they could speak, but something was telling him to leave.

He was already way too deep into this mess with Oscorp, he couldn’t fall further in, or drag anyone down too. So when she joined the large group of people crossing the street, Buck turned the first corner he could, and slipped out of sight. 

Maybe in another universe Spider-Man got Gwen Stacy, but not in this one. 

And there goes the ten new couch shopping tabs I just opened. 

🕷 🕷 🕷 🕷

“Are you sure you want to stay here another week, Buck?” Maddie asked, stuffing a hoodie into her suitcase. 

It was later that night, and Maddie planned to fly back to LA in the morning to get back to Jee and work, but Buck had thought it would be better to stay here around Dr. Connors for a while and see what he planned to do. 

“Uh yeah,” Buck perched himself on the edge of her bed. They’d both had two small rooms in the apartment that had been stripped of any indication that children had once lived here and now looked like two lifeless guest rooms. 

“I think I just need a change of pace for a few days. Wrap my head around everything.” 

Maddie zipped up her bag and offered him a knowing look. “What did Dr. Connors say to you when you went to his house the other day?”

“Nothing really. He doesn't know what happened to our parents, but he’s sorry he didn’t reach out when the news hit. And he asked how you were doing.” Buck shrugged.

“Did you ask him about Daniel?” 

Buck was silent for a moment. Maddie knew he’d gone there to ask about more than just their parents. He should feel relieved that she only suspects it had to do with Daniel and nothing else.

“He was very… regretful. I guess. He seemed more upset about the failure than Daniel, though.” 

Maddie moved to sit down beside him. “Most scientists will always be like that. Work above all, Buck. He cared about Daniel.”

“I don’t care if he did, Mads. I care that they failed.” Buck’s phone began to vibrate, so he stood up to pull it out of his pants pocket and saw Dr. Connors’ name flash on the screen. “One sec.”

“Hello?” He spoke, walking out of Maddie’s room and to his old one. 

“Evan, my dear boy,” Connors sounded upset about something, so Buck closed the door. “I’m afraid to inform you that the trials will no longer be continuing for the time being. Oscorp has… taken another path that I can’t go down just yet. So we must hold off on future testing and human trials. I’ll inform you when the time comes. I hope that's alright?”

That bad feeling bubbled back up inside Buck’s chest. Something was wrong here too. Maybe Dr. Connors wasn’t the one pulling all the strings. “Uh… yeah. Yeah, that’s okay. Can I ask what happened?”

“Oh, just other endeavors that need more immediate attention,” Connors chuckled, though he still sounded somewhat strained. “Your findings are brilliant, Evan. We’ll be in touch.” 

The line went dead and Buck was staring at his phone with a frown when Maddie came in.

“Everything okay?”

Buck looked up at her, nodding slowly. “I think I’ll come back to LA with you.” 

A nagging voice in his head told him that he needed his suit. 

I’m really tired, I don’t wanna talk for a while. Can someone get me my almond milk please!!!!

I’m so parched. So, so parched. 

Chapter Text

“Thanks for coming with me,” Buck hummed, dropping a bouquet of flowers at each of his parent’s graves. It was weird. He didn’t even think either of them liked flowers. 

They didn’t even get a funeral. 

“Ah, gave me a reason to put some fresh flowers by Shannon’s grave.” Eddie replied, slipping his hands into his jacket pockets. “How was New York?”

“Pretty boring. Maddie had that place packed up in a day, and she spent the rest of the time with old friends, so it was fairly uneventful for me.” Buck said, moving to stand beside Eddie.

They hadn’t really talked much about Maddie’s and Athena’s injuries or his parent’s death, or even their argument over The Shadow. It was like all was forgiven that day in the hospital, but Buck could still feel the underlying tension.

He felt it whenever he spent the night, or when they were left alone on shift, or when they went on their runs together. He could feel that they both wanted to apologize, even though they’re technically past that stage.

“I’m sorry, by the way.” Buck broke the silence, turning to Eddie who was squinting at him from the sunlight.

“For what?”

Buck shrugged. “For the argument, and for not really talking about everything that’s happened. I wanted to apologize sooner but… I don’t know, Eds. Everything’s just so up in the air.”

“Look,” Eddie sighed, turning to fully face him now. “A lot of bad stuff happened all in the span of a week and we were worn out and anxious. Things like that happen. Plus, we’ve survived worse.”

He smiled then and Buck did too, thinking back to some of their nastier fights. “Yeah, we have, you’re right. But still… I didn’t want to let this go untouched forever.”

“Well, it hasn’t.” Eddie patted Buck’s shoulder, thus ending that segment of their conversation. “Now can we please go get some food? I’m starving.”

“Wanna try that new coffee shop by my place?” Buck asked, walking towards the car when Eddie did.

“As long as there’s food, I’m down.” 

In the car, Buck turned to watch Eddie hum to some country song he’d never heard before, tapping his fingers on the wheel, and Buck realized how lucky he was to have someone like Eddie in his life.

Someone he could walk through hell with and still come back standing together as a united front. He had a few of those people and that just about made him the luckiest spider in the whole world. 

He promised himself he’d cherish this for as long as he can until everything would inevitably come crashing down. 

🕷 🕷 🕷 🕷

Buck dropped off the thirteen story building without a moment’s hesitation.

He’d been aimlessly patrolling for the greater part of an hour, and he was slowly starting to give up, thinking about going home to crawl under his covers — in his spidey suit, of course — and wait for something to happen, but then he felt it. 

The spider-tingle. Right below him. 

Buck landed with a soft thud, something he was still getting used to, by the way. He’d tried the whole Captain America landing thing, but it didn’t always work for him. Eventually, he started landing on his haunches, one hand on the floor, one behind him. 

A bit like a spider, really, which Buck found funnier than what it really was. 

Buck tilted his head, watching the group of robbers rummaging around in an ATM space, giggling like schoolgirls, passing around some high tech machinery that they had most definitely stolen. 

“Yo, this high-tech stuff makes it too easy!” One laughed, sticking the four prods out at the ATM, prying off the glass front cover.

Buck smirked under his mask, leaning in the doorway, arms crossed. 

“Told you it was worth it,” another patted the first guy’s back. The final two huddled around them, ready to reach in and stuff their bags full of cash.  “Okay, go, go, go!”

“Oh, nice!” The third laughed, practically shoveling the bills into his bag. 

“We can hit, like, five more places tonight.” The fourth whooped and Buck had to hold back a chuckle. 

Buck pried himself off the wall and quietly moved closer, hovering just behind the group, watching them greedily take and take.

“What’s up, you guys?! Forgot your PIN number?” Buck broke the silence with an eager tone, making the men jump and scatter like frightened insects. 

That’s when he got a good look at their masks.

“Woah! You’re the Avengers!” Buck gasped, pointing to them. A stifled cackle forced its way through, and he clapped his hands together in amusement. He was blocking the exit now, and had two of them pointing their machines right at his chest. 

So, Buck did the sensible thing and crawled onto the ceiling, wrist out, ready to web these guy’s up. They seemed more interested in him, than escaping right now, and that was the beauty of greedy, assholes with brains the size of walnuts. 

Somewhere in the distance across the street, Buck heard a 911 call being made. He had to be quick. “Yeah, Spider-Man is fighting the Avengers?” Of course. 

“What are you guys doing here?! Thor. Hulk. Good to finally meet you guys.” Buck saluted, turning to the next two. He pointed at the one in the Captain America mask. “I thought you’d be more handsome… Iron Man! Good to meet you, bud!” 

“What is that thing?” ‘Hulk’ asked, looking towards ‘Thor’. 

“I'm starting to think you're not the Avengers,” Buck sighed, studying his fingers. “Which is a bummer, because I have lots to say to you, Mr. Stark,” Buck pointed at the Iron Man mask.

Thwip! 

A web landed right on the mask, covering both his eyes. 

“Hey!” Walmart Iron Man yelped, yanking the mask off. Good, that was the plan. 

“Mr. Stark is way more attractive,” Buck snorted, thwipping out multiple webs over each mask. “Let’s wrap this up. It’s a school night. So, how do jerks like you get tech like this?”

The gang of imposters, each wearing a knockoff superhero costume, looked around nervously. Buck’s webs were pinning their masks, making it hard for them to see, let alone fight. His next goal was to disarm them, but now he’d caused a bit of a frenzy, and he’d momentarily forgotten that blindly pressing buttons could really mess up someone’s night.

“Woah!” Buck yelped when one of the guys shot what looked to be a sort of green flame ball. It fired right towards his face, and he jerked away, dropping onto the floor in front of the group.

“Sir, I’m going to have to confiscate your weap- ow!! Bastard!” Fake Tony had nicked Buck’s thigh with a sharp-looking object. Not quite a blade, because it glowed? Buck really was sick of all these weird alien machines, and this was his first encounter!

“Okay, I’m done playing nice,” Buck stated, swiveling around and landing one heavy punch to Fake Tony’s jaw, taking slice after slice on his legs and lower torso, but they were all superficial wounds.

“Hey, do you guys get these off eBay or what?” Buck taunted, grabbing Fake Thor by his jacket. 

With a mighty heave, he threw Fake Thor back into Fake Hulk, sending them tumbling backwards against the broken ATM. The two crashed into each other, falling into a tangled heap.

“Let me guess,” Buck turned to Fake Captain America, “You can do this all day?” 

Fake Cap grunted and launched at Buck, but these guys weren’t built for a fight. They were built to do the bare minimum, thinking they could roll through life taking as they pleased with no consequences because they had some scary weapons. 

Boo-fucking-hoo. 

Buck launched at the same time, using his weight to his advantage, and sending them both flying into an intact ATM. well, not so intact now. 

There was silence for a moment, sirens rolling in the distance.

“Y’know,” Buck huffed, pushing himself up, looking down at the guy below him, who was lying face down. “You’d be surprised at how many people get trapped in ATMs. Don’t worry, you’re in good hands…”

Buck stumbled away from the rubble and webbed the guy up so he couldn’t move. He tilted his head. “That is definitely not America’s ass.” 

Shaking his head, he webbed up the other guys, limping a little from the sting of the cuts. He yanked out some ATM receipt paper and reached for a pen from one of the untouched ATMs and scribbled a little love note for Athena. 

He webbed up the machinery too. The LAPD could call Stark Industries’ clean-up team and hand it all over, but he hesitated at the odd looking one with the blade. If that really was alien tech, and he’d just been sliced by it, Karen would probably want to take a look. 

So he turned to the security camera, shrugged, and snatched the weapon. 

They already thought he was a criminal, so where was the harm in this? 

“LAPD!” Athena announced herself, pushing through the crowd that had gathered to take a look at the spectacle that Spider-Man had left behind.

He’d done more than just web these guys up, alright. One’s pants were down to his ankles, exposing his superhero boxers. Another was dangling upside down from a broken light figure that had taken a hit from those weird blasters, and the third was webbed right up against the glass walls, cheeks squished for all to see.

The fourth was still groaning in the ATM, where Spider-Man had placed the note for Athena.

“Lord give me strength,” she murmured, stepping over glass. Her officers were already working to break the webbing so they could arrest these guys. They know now to bring heavy equipment to pry the webs off. 

They’d finally learnt their lesson after having to call the fire department four times to help them. 

Buck had been there once and it had made him very giddy to rip his own webbing with his bare hands when no one was looking. 

Athena bent closer towards the letter. ‘For Sergeant Grant, love, your friendly favorite neighborhood Spider-Man x’ 

“My not-so-favorite pain in the ass,” she huffed, shaking her head. “Alright, let’s get this cleaned up!” 

Spider-Man strikes again! 

🕷 🕷 🕷 🕷

Buck broke into Karen’s backyard. 

He’d perfected it by now after she’d told him where it would be best to jump over the fence and avoid the backlight turning on. 

Pushing into the shed, he expected to be alone, but he found Karen already sitting in there, gown wrapped around her, with two steaming mugs of coffee waiting. 

“I saw the news,” Karen held her phone up, where Taylor Kelly was already at the scene, dissecting every detail before they’d even gotten the security footage. She was interviewing eyewitnesses. 

“Great, more press,” Buck groaned, dropping the weapon on the table and then promptly dropping into his chair. “I got you a present,” he half smiled at her.

“An alien sword? Just for me?” Karen gasped, sarcasm dripping. “You shouldn’t have!” 

That made Buck laugh, dropping his head back and closing his eyes for a moment. “It got me pretty good on my legs and hips. Burns like hell too. Karen, I don’t think I can handle turning into an alien.”

“We’ll make sure you stay your annoying, arachnid self,” she promised, already looking over the weapon and then down at his cuts. “Are they deep?” 

“Not all of them,” Buck answered, sitting forward so he could unzip the back of his suit. He shucked off the top half and forced himself to stand so he could pull the rest off. Karen tossed him a shirt, which he gratefully pulled on. 

“Before you clean them, I need to see if the blade left any residue,” she pointed for him to sit down again, so he did, and she reached for her phone, turning the torch on and kneeling to get a better look. 

“There’s… some sort of silver liquid? Could be a kind of poison or chemical. Do your legs feel tingly, almost numb?” 

“No,” Buck shook his head, leaning closer to get a better look too. “We’re gonna have to scrape all that out, aren’t we?”

“Yup,” Karen sighed, standing up again and reaching for their in-house superhero first aid kit. Karen had stocked it to the nines and then some after Buck had once come back with a bullet in his stomach after a rookie cop had managed to clip him while he was on the run. 

“We should really keep alcohol in here,” Buck huffed, catching the roll of bandages she threw at him. 

“We have alcohol swabs,” Karen replied.

“No I mean just straight liquor,” Buck amended. “I’m going to be stone cold sober while you scrape inside my body to get alien goo out of me. I deserve to be violently wasted for this.” 

Karen paused, an odd smile on her lips.

“What?” Buck asked.

“Nothing you just… you’ve come out of your shell a lot more since all of this started. It’s nice to see the real Buck, that’s all.” Karen shrugged and Buck felt his heart swell at that. No one had even noticed how much he’d changed, but he’d felt it.

Sure, he’d always been hyper and funny, but this was different. He didn’t hold back as much as he used to. He embraced his energy and his ‘weirdness’. It sure made Chris laugh a lot more, and everyone seemed to feed off his energy too. It was nice.

“Thanks, Karen,” Buck smiled.

“I’m going to get you something,” she patted his shoulder and left him alone for a moment, staring after her. 

This was why he was the luckiest spider in the world to have such a cool woman in the chair. 

🕷 🕷 🕷 🕷

“I’m surprised you called, you know.” Taylor smiled across the table at Buck, who was stirring his smoothie, smiling right back at her. 

“Things have just been so crazy busy lately,” Buck shook his head, but Taylor held her hand up.

“You don’t have to apologize, Buck. I get it. A lot’s happened lately and none of it has been good for you. No hard feelings.” 

“Thanks Taylor,” Buck replied, leaning back in his seat. His thighs and hips still ached from last night. Karen really had to get into those cuts to get every last bit of alien poison out and it had hurt like hell. She’d had to put a belt between his teeth before he screamed the neighborhood down. 

He’d broken the sides of his chair. And the side of the table. It was a whole mess, but ultimately, he’d survived and that was what mattered most. 

A bonus was that those guys were safely locked away and those weapons were probably well on their way to Stark Industries for testing, and theirs was tucked away behind a lawnmower. 

“But uh, how’s work going? You seem to be extra busy.”

“Yeah, your family is keeping me in business,” Taylor joked. “And that Spider-Man guy. God, he really is relentless. Did you hear about last night?”

“Uh, n-no, what happened?” Buck cleared his throat. She better not compliment Spider-Man, or he’d blush and it would all be over. 

“He stopped these four guys robbing ATMs with some weird high tech weapons. The security footage was leaked and like, five people were across the street recording when it started. But now he’s wanted because he stole one of the weapons.” 

“That’s weird…” Buck frowned. “Why would he do that?”

“Who knows,” Taylor shrugged. “But he’s already wanted for multiple incidents, so this just puts him at the top of the list. He’s really screwed up this time. It makes him look like a bad guy.”

“But he stopped the actual bad guys!” Buck insisted.

“Yeah and then he stole a deadly weapon that’s probably not even from this planet,” Taylor shook her head. “He seems… reckless. Impulsive. I don’t know Buck, he’s got the whole hot superhero look down, he’s apparently funny and kids like him, but something about him just seems… wrong. Like he’s a ticking time bomb. He did kill that guy after—”

“Can we talk about something else, please?” Buck cut her off and Taylor paused, guilt seeping into her features. She must’ve remembered Maddie was at the center of all that and she quickly reached for his hand.

“Oh my God, yeah of course. Buck I’m so sorry…”

“It’s okay,” Buck reassured, squeezing her hand back. “Sorry, just… sensitive about all that.” 

“Of course,” Taylor repeated, and the pair lapsed into silence, with Buck staring down his smoothie. 

Could his friends go one day without bringing Spider-Man up, or was this his new reality? Having to hear them drag his name through the dirt, call him impulsive and reckless in and out of the suit, and be reminded that he never really was supposed to be a hero and that he’s one wrong turn away from being the bad guy was his own personal hell. 

Was it so hard to have a little faith in him? 

🕷 🕷 🕷 🕷

911, what’s your emergency?

Help! My-My car— it’s stuck! I’m going to fall!

Okay, Ma’am, where are you located? 

6th Street Viaduct Bridge! This asshole ran me off the road and now I’m dangling off the side of the bridge! Send help!

Help is on the way, Ma’am. Can I get your name? 

Beth! 

“LAFD! Step aside, please.” Bobby announced himself, gently pushing people away who’d stopped their cars to see if they could help the woman in some way, but they were helpless. “Beth? Just hold still, don’t move, okay? We’re coming to you! Ravi, Buck, get the hooks. We’re going to secure the vehicle to the truck and see if we can pull her back that way. Diaz, I want you in the driver’s seat. Hen, let’s get you on a rope. You’re going down to check vitals. Go.”

“Copy that, Cap,” they all chorsued, rushing to their respective duties. 

Buck and Ravi worked quickly, attaching the heavy duty ropes to the truck first, tugging with all their strength to test the security of the hold. When it was sturdy enough, Buck nodded to Ravi, and they rushed across to the vehicle. 

Ravi clipped the first hook to the back of the car, tugging on it to test it too. Buck sensed it before it happened. 

Without thinking, he threw his torso over the bridge, just as the back of the valance panel snapped clean off of the vehicle. His hand gripped onto the underside of the car, straining under the weight, but it felt like he was lifting something way lighter than an entire car. 

“Ravi, take my hook,” Buck grunted, using both hands now to keep the car up. He was well over the edge, covered by the sides of the bridge, thank God. 

Hen was barely looking at them above her, she had her head poked into the car, checking on Beth and asking her all the necessary medical questions for assessment. 

But if he got caught like this, actively saving someone’s life, it wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe.

Ravi’s eyes were bulging so much that Buck wondered if they’d actually pop out of their sockets. 

“Ravi!” Buck raised his voice. 

“What’s going on there?” Bobby frowned, starting to walk closer. 

Buck glared at Ravi, who seemed to snap out of it and hoisted himself over too, clipping the hook right next to where Buck’s right hand was, securing the car to the truck.

Buck tested it out by letting go, and when the car didn’t drop, he jumped away and turned around, cheeks flushed. “Nothing! Eddie, you can move!” 

Ravi stepped aside and Eddie started up the firetruck’s engine, driving forward across the width of the bridge. Cops had arrived to filter traffic already, and the cars were piling up, so they had to do this quickly. 

Buck avoided eye contact with Ravi, who hadn’t stopped staring at him. Ravi definitely knew. He had to, right? Fuck! 

The victim’s car slowly pulled backwards and onto the bridge again. Chimney was hoisting Hen back up, and Bobby was solely focused on the task at hand, but he had to repeat himself a few times to Ravi to get him started on door extraction while Eddie and Buck unclipped the car and truck, moving the firetruck out of the way. 

“Good work, team!” Bobby called out just before Hen and Chimney closed the EMS van doors. Beth had sustained minor injuries and a concussion and her car wasn;t as banged up as they thought. 

“Yeah, good work…” Ravi spoke to Buck specifically, and very suspiciously. Buck could practically see the cogs whirring behind Ravi’s eyes, trying to piece it all together. 

The biggest problem with everything that had just happened, was that Buck was actually considering telling Ravi what was going on. It was getting harder and harder to keep this secret. 

It really was a matter of time before this all blew up in his face. 

🕷 🕷 🕷 🕷

“Thanks for this, Cap, I needed it.” Buck gestured between them. They’d just completed a post-shift jog, and were now walking to get a coffee. 

It had been a while since they spent one-on-one time together. Well over three months now, and it was long overdue that they got their father-son bonding time. 

“It was long overdue,” Bobby noted, practically reading Buck’s mind, which only solidified that in another world, they really were father and son. “I don’t think we’ve talked about everything without the other’s being around… How are you holding up?”

Buck scrunched his nose, slipping his hands into his LAFD hoodie pocket. “Is it bad if I say I’m not grieving?”

“No,” Bobby answered truthfully. “Believe me, I get it. When someone causes you immense pain, and now you know they can never hurt you like that again, it’s natural to feel a sense of relief.”

“But what if they’re still hurting me?” Buck liked that he could be blatant around Bobby. He’d been treading on eggshells about this with Maddie. 

“Secrets coming out the woodworks, huh?”

Buck huffed. “Yeah, something like that. It’s just… I knew they weren’t the greatest parents, but I-I always thought they were at least good people, and now I’m not so sure…” 

Bobby sighed, resting his hand on Buck’s shoulder as they walked. “Buck, whoever they were, will never be a reflection of you, and how you and Maddie decide to live in their legacy, or how you decide not to. Whatever they did, is done, and you have the power to end it there.”

If only you knew, Buck thought dismally. 

He’d carried on their legacy already. It was too late to take it back, and now he was starting to understand why so many people called him impulsive. 

“Thanks Bobby,” Buck said instead and patted Bobby’s back before both their arms dropped away from each other. 

“Also, I’ve been informed… by Ravi,” oh dear God here we go, “that you seemed a little strained at work this past shift? If you came back to work too soon, and you need to breathe you—” 

“Bobby, look who you’re talking to,” Buck cut him off with a relieved laugh. “If I don’t work, I’ll be worse off. I-I’m fine, I swear. I was just tired, that’s all. I snapped at him for freezing up when I shouldn’t have.” 

“Okay,” Bobby eyed him, not fully convinced. “But you apologize when you see him next, okay?”

“Okay,” Buck promised and they walked into the coffee shop. Buck placed their orders, settling the bill before Bobby could even blink, and they stepped off to the side to wait for their drinks.

Buck’s gaze turned towards a table where a guy gasped. “Holy shit!” 

“No fucking way, what is that?!” The guy’s friend cringed at whatever was on the phone. 

“It’s like a mutant! In New York!” 

Buck’s ears pricked up at that. 

“Where were the Avengers?!” Another friend asked and Buck walked over, ignoring when Bobby asked where he was going.

“Can I see that?” Buck asked the group, who saw his LAFD badge stitched onto his hoodie and they asked no questions, handing the phone over. 

“This was last night,” one guy noted, standing beside Buck. “Apparently this thing attacked the Golden Gate Bridge. Tore up some cars and killed this guy from… Yo, Mike, what’s that place called?”

“Oscorp,” Mike answered, chewing on a muffin. “No idea who it was, but NYPD are saying it’s targeted.”

“Dude aren’t you glad we weren’t home for that shit?” Another asked and buck clocked a Brooklyn accent. So that’s why they were watching this. 

“What the hell is that thing?” The guy beside Buck asked, squinting when Buck paused the video right where the mutant landed on top of a taxi.

Buck’s heart dropped when he zoomed in. 

“It looks like a lizard.”

Chapter Text

Buck hadn’t slept. 

He’d paced the rooftop of his apartment until sunrise in New York time and the second it was deemed a reasonable time to call, Buck whipped out his phone.

“Evan?” A scratchy, tired voice answered.

“Dr. Connors! Hi, good morning!” Buck kept his tone light, his heart racing out of his chest. “S-Sorry to call so early, I just heard the news about an accident last night on the bridge. Heard that someone at Oscorp was hurt and I wanted to check in with you. See if you were okay.”

“Oh, how kind of you!” Connors’ voice lightened up quickly too. “It wasn't me, dear boy, it was Oscorp’s CEO Rajit Ratha… I’m afraid he didn’t make it.”

“Oh my God, that’s… that’s awful.” Buck stopped pacing. That name was on the email. He wanted human trials to start as soon as possible. Was he the one that had been driving all of this? Why would Connors kill him if they were on the same side? 

Was Connors even the lizard? That was impossible…

“Yes, yes it is quite awful, isn’t it?” Connors sighed. “I’m sure they’ll have someone in his seat by lunchtime.”

“I suppose so…” Buck trailed off, chewing on the inside of his lip. “I… I wanted to ask you a question.”

“Go on, dear boy,” Connors urged him. “I have a meeting in ten minutes.”

“How would a predator… track a reptile?” Buck asked slowly. 

“Oh, they don't. Most reptiles are at the top… of their food chain. Kings of their domain.” Connors replied quickly. Was there a shift in his tone? 

“They gotta have vulnerabilities, right?” Buck asked, flicking out his free hand, picking at the skin beside his nails. 

Connors paused. “Why the sudden interest in the cold-blooded?” 

“Just asking a question,” Buck answered as nonchalantly as he could. “My friend’s kid has this new lizard and he’s scared it’s going to get eaten while he’s asleep, and if I don’t give him a scientific answer, I’m afraid he’ll never sleep again.”

Buck forced out a laugh, and Connors laughed with him. They both sounded strained. 

“Kids like the facts,” Connors agreed, still chuckling. 

“So because of the cold blood… would they react to changes in temperatures? Like, would they prefer to be more active at night versus during the day? Or would they seek warmth if they were denied it in their environment?” 

“You'd have to catch one first,” Connors hummed, silence falling for a moment. “Did you know there's a rumor of a new species in New York?”

“Oh, is there?” Buck’s heart rate spiked. 

“Mhm. Beautiful and quite large…” 

“W-What do you know about it? You seen it?” Buck asked, pushing down bile and panic. 

“No, it's not yet classified. But it can be aggressive… if threatened.” Connors’ voice seemed to shift, dropping a few octaves. 

Buck swallowed hard. “Doc, you all right over there?”

“Never been better, Evan. Never been better…” Connors answered, speaking wistfully in a different tone now. It was giving Buck whiplash. “Now, if you'll excuse me. Afraid I have to end this chat early. I have a new project… I'm working on. I need to focus.” 

Buck didn’t want to point out that he’d said he had a meeting earlier, and now he’s gone and said something else. Connors was definitely lying. 

“Yeah, of course, Dr. Connors. Good luck with the project.” Buck replied quickly. “Uh, I’ll be in touch.”

“Good. Good, good… Good.” Connors trailed off for a second and Buck was about to hang up, when Connors spoke again. 

“Wonderful things are coming, Evan. Wonderful, wonderful things.” 

🕷 🕷 🕷 🕷

“Karen, food chain aside, could a spider beat a lizard?” 

Karen snorted, and Buck sank further in his chair. 

They were back in the garden shed, because where else would they be? Buck had come over shortly after his call with Connors. Karen had told Hen she needed to leave for work early, and was now hiding out in her own backyard.

Buck had promised he’d sneak out front and distract Hen later while Karen made a run for it to get to work on time. 

“I can’t believe Hen hasn’t come in here and caught us,” Buck tilted his head, looking at the gardening tools collecting dust in the corner, still protecting their stolen alien tech. 

“Oh please, Hen hates gardening. You’d never catch her in here willingly.” Karen laughed, reaching for her coffee mug to drain it of its contents. “So are you going to show me this lizard thing now or what?” 

“Yeah, here,” Buck slid his phone over with the Youtube video attached. Karen watched it in its entirety before replaying and pausing a few times. “That is definitely a mutant. Too intelligent to be just an animal in there. Like symbiosis gone wrong.”

“Like the Hulk?”

“Yes and no?” Karen shook her head, already rubbing at her temples. “Do you know how this happened? I assume you do, because this is supposed to be an Avengers problem, and you’re making it an us problem.”

“Trust me, it is an us problem,” Buck sat up straighter. “Remember when you told me science could either turn you into a superhero or give you six eyes?”

“Yeah?” Karen frowned. 

“Take a guess what end of the stick this guy got,” Buck gestured to the phone. “That’s Dr. Connors.” 

“Shut up,” Karen’s eyes widened. “As in the Dr. Connors that was working with your parents to achieve cell regeneration to grow back his arm?”

“The very one,” Buck confirmed. 

“But how did he achieve– oh don’t tell me…” Karen’s expression dropped and Buck lowered his gaze. “Buck!”

“I’m sorry! I-I thought he could use it for good! And he did with Fred and Wilma!”

“Who?”  

“The three-legged mice! Karen, they were so sad and so little and—”

“Buck! That’s not the point!” Karen pushed herself up from her chair, palm pressed against her forehead. “So you gave him the algorithm thinking he’d put it to good use, thinking it could help him, and it turned him into… this?”

“Yeah… pretty much.” Buck deflated. “I didn’t think he’d just… use it on himself! I thought he’d be less impulsive.”

“Like you were?” Karen scoffed and Buck deflated at that more. Even Karen thought he was impulsive. He was just one big lost cause. 

“Look, it doesn't matter that it happened now. What matters is stopping this.” 

“No,” Karen shook her head. “This is an Avengers job to clean up, Buck. They’re there, you’re here.”

“Connors killed the CEO of Oscorp, Karen, and-and then on the phone today—”

“You called him?!” 

“Just to keep things normal!” Buck was standing now too. “He didn’t suspect, I don’t think? But he was dropping hints that he knew that I knew it was him, but also… I think he might know I’m Spider-Man. But I-I don’t know that for sure yet!”

“Well then that’s even more of a reason for you to stay here! You told me he thinks you live in New York. Spider-Man is here in LA. Let it stay that way and eventually, he’ll get caught and it’ll all be over.” Karen reached for her handbag and her work bag. “Seriously, Buck, you have to sit this one out. Send in an anonymous tip to the Avengers Helpline if you have to, but leave it at that. If you attract attention to yourself and wind up back in New York, or if he finds you here, not only do you endanger your identity, but everyone around you. Drop it.”

Buck sat down again, watching her pack up her things and reach for her car keys. 

“Yeah yeah, okay,” Buck huffed, avoiding eye contact as she walked past him.

“Now go cover my ass, I’m already late.” 

“Yes Ma’am,” Buck mumbled, dragging his feet towards the exit of the shed with her. 

The last time he was told to stay put, everything went wrong. 

🕷 🕷 🕷 🕷

Everything went wrong. 

Okay no, not for Buck, but for some clown — a literal clown — at the pier. 

Apparently this guy had decided to step up his act and bring in those sticks you swing around with fire on the ends, and he’d barely gotten them up in the air before the closest stall full of stuffed animals and wooden structuring caught fire. 

And then the next stall had caught fire. And then the next. 

The 118 were the first on the scene, along with the LAPD guiding people away from the pier to clear it out. The wind kept blowing sparks onto each stall, lighting them up like birthday candles, so the team had worked quickly in blowing them all out, along with one other firehouse assisting. 

Triage had been set up for those burned or injured from the initial panic-induced stampede. 

“That’s the last one,” Bobby announced when the final stall was put out and the firefighters all began to cheer, relieved it was over, with surprisingly minimal damage.

Everything was over, and they called this one a win, with zero casualties. 

And then the screaming started,

“OH MY GOD!” 

“WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT THING?!”  

Buck’s head whipped around to the end of the pier by the water where triage was, spotting someone flying in mid air, landing on the wood with a dull thud. Then another person was thrown. Wood structures from stalls further down were flying, and then Buck heard gunshots, and everyone started to scatter. 

“What the fuck is going on?!” Hen rushed closer to get a look, Bobby was already back away towards the truck in case they needed to make a quick getaway. 

“Mayday, mayday!” Their radios crackled with Athena’s voice. “Evacuate the pier effectively immediately! We have a code Dark, I repeat, code Dark, evacuate the pier!”

“What the hell is a code Dark?” A citizen who’d just been bandaged up by Chimney asked.

“A mutant,” Buck murmured, watching as the attacker seemed to come closer and closer with the destruction. 

“Is that a fucking giant lizard?!” One girl screeched and turned to run, but her yells had caught the mutant’s attention, someone’s legs dangling between its teeth. 

Steven Spielberg would not be proud. 

“Run,” Bobby spoke quickly, pushing his team backwards and they all broke out into a sprint right when the lizard made a b-line towards them.

No, towards Buck. 

The 118 fled towards the truck, but at the last second, Buck dove off the side of the pier and directly onto the sand back below. He wasn’t sure if his team had noticed, or if they were already by the truck.

He couldn’t hear anything aside from screams and wood snapping, followed by gunshots that would do absolutely nothing. 

Buck stripped his gear quickly, yanking his mask out from his turnout jacket pocket and tugging it on. Yeah okay, so he wore his suit 24/7, sue him. 

It clearly worked in his favor! 

When he was suited up, Buck flung up towards the pier again, landing directly in front of the lizard. The moonlight cast eerie shadows over the scene. "You're a long way from home. GPS broken? I get it, man, I do—"

The lizard swiped Spider-Man away like an insect, sending him flying into the only stall that was still intact. Buck crashed through it, splintering wood and scattering the contents. These poor people were not going to have a Santa Monica Pier Summer. Groaning, Buck pulled himself from the wreckage, shaking off debris.

"Uh, hey! That's rude!" Spider-Man called out, shooting a web at the lizard's left eye to get its attention just before it chomped down on one of the cops. The web splattered across the lizard's face, temporarily blinding it.

"I know we aren't supposed to like the police, but c'mon man! Leave the eating to Hannibal Lecter!" Buck quipped, hoping to buy some time. The lizard tilted its head, momentarily confused by the British accent. Buck knew it was trying to piece things together, to decide if it really was him.

"I know you're here for me," Buck said, walking over to the center of the pier. He held one hand out to stop the cops from firing at the lizard. "So here I am, buddy. I know you're probably angry that I got this super hot superhero physique and you got a slimy lizard—"

Before he could finish, the lizard swiped at him again, its claws digging into his chest and pulling him closer. Buck was suspended in the air, his suit tearing as the claws raked against his skin. He winced in pain, but his mind raced. Keeping one hand behind his back, he shot a web to pick up a broken piece of wood.

"Okay, that was insensitive, I'm sorry. But you've hurt my city tonight, and now as much as I hate to, I'm gonna make you hurt ten times more." With a swift motion, Buck shoved the broken wood right into the lizard's eye. The creature screeched in agony, eyeball juice squirting all over him.

"Oh, that's so fucking disgusting!" Spider-Man yelped, stabbing at the eye one more time for good measure. The lizard roared and let go of him, dropping Buck to the ground. He landed on his feet, but the stench from the lizard's scream made him gag. 

When this was all over, he was going to send Connors monthly packs of breath mints to whatever prison he wound up in.

Buck launched forward again, ready to stop this thing with the wood. But the lizard was quicker this time. It snatched the wood from Buck's grasp and snapped it in half, tossing the pieces aside.

"That's fair. Can't bring a gun to a knife fight, I get it." Buck huffed, trying to figure out his next move. He backed up a little, knowing this fight was about to get even uglier. His mind raced as he scanned the surroundings for anything that could give him an edge.

As he strategized, Buck spoke, his voice low and tense, not aimed at Connors but at the cops and firefighters around him. 

“Sergeant, I’m gonna need you and your officer’s to back up. Your guns won’t work here.”

“Excuse me?” Athena asked, not sounding impressed, but when was she ever with Spider-Man?

“I said, you might want to get the fuck away from this before you become this thing’s next meal.” Buck spoke sharply. If Athena knew it was him, he would’ve gotten smacked upside the head for that tone, mutant lizard be damned. 

“Fall back,” Athena called out to her officers, and they all began to retreat backwards, to where the 118 were waiting for the scene to clear so they could go over and help out the injured.

The lizard lunged again, and Buck barely dodged, feeling the rush of air as the claws swiped past him. He fired webs at the lizard's feet, trying to slow it down, but the creature tore through them with ease. Sweat dripped down Buck's face as he darted around, using his agility to stay just out of reach.

He knew he couldn't keep this up forever. Each dodge, each web shot, drained his energy further. His wounds throbbed, blood seeping through his torn suit, but he pushed the pain aside. He had to end this now.

Summoning his strength, Buck aimed for a stack of crates nearby. He fired a web at the top crate, yanking it down onto the lizard. The heavy wood crashed onto the creature, momentarily pinning it. Buck seized the chance, firing webs to secure the crates in place.

But Connors was relentless. With a roar, he began to break free, splintering the wood. Buck's heart pounded as he realized he needed a final, decisive move. He spotted a power line overhead, sparking from the earlier destruction.

Taking a deep breath, he fired a web at the power line, pulling it down towards the lizard. Electricity arced as it made contact, sending jolts through the creature. Connors convulsed, his roars turning to screams of pain.

"That should hold you," Buck muttered, panting heavily. And then Connors tore free, throwing the powerline to the side, re-igniting a flame on one of the stalls. “Or not. That’s cool too. Thanks, buddy.” 

“Just stay awake for me sweetheart, okay?” Buck heard a familiar voice further behind the lizard, and his eyes stopped right on Eddie, hovering over a small child’s body. 

Buck’s world froze for a second. That was why the 118 hadn’t fled. To them, Buck was stuck under the pier, and Eddie was right there in the line of danger. 

Eddie was right there.

What Buck did next, shocked even himself. 

He snatched up an abandoned gun off of an unidentified officer’s… lower half of their body, and he aimed it directly at the lizard’s chest. 

And then he fired one after the next, advancing closer and closer to the lizard, who was thrashing its tail and backing up closer to the ocean. 

That was the goal for now. Not to kill Connors, but to get everyone else here safe. And then he’d hunt Connors down and get him behind very, very big bars. 

Buck had never fired a gun and had never planned to, but he would silently admit that he felt kind of badass. 

The lizard reached out to grab hold of Spider-Man, who slid under his grasp, using his final bullet to shoot at his already injured eye that was healing again. 

The acceleration of cell regeneration was a lot faster than Buck’s was. He knew this, because he could feel the blood steadily trickling down his chest. He could feel how lightheaded he was getting, but he kept going.

“You really think you can come to my city, hurt my people, and get away with it? No. I’m gonna run your reptilian ass into the ground!” Spider-Man yelled. He threw the gun now that it was out of bullets, and he picked up a wooden beam instead stabbing and hitting with all the strength he had left in him.

Each strike was fueled by desperation and determination. The lizard roared in pain, swiping its claws wildly. Buck dodged and weaved, his vision blurring from blood loss but refusing to falter. He had to keep Connors away from Eddie and the child, no matter the cost.

The lizard managed to land a blow, sending Buck skidding across the ground. He gritted his teeth, tasting blood in his mouth, but forced himself back to his feet. With a guttural yell, he charged at Connors again, the wooden beam held high. He drove it into the lizard’s side, feeling the resistance as it pierced the tough skin.

Connors howled, thrashing in agony. Buck took the opportunity to web the lizard's legs together, trying to slow its movements. His arms ached, his head pounded, but he couldn’t stop now. The lizard’s tail lashed out, catching him in the ribs and sending him sprawling once more.

Gasping for breath, Buck crawled to his knees, refusing to let the darkness take over. He glanced towards Eddie, who was still tending to the child, eyes wide with fear but not leaving his charge. Eddie looked up, locking eyes with Spider-Man, a silent plea for safety.

Summoning his last reserves of strength, Buck launched himself at the lizard one final time. He swung the wooden beam with all his might, connecting with Connors' jaw and sending him reeling. 

This was the closest he’d ever get to fighting a dinosaur and he kind of wished Jeff Goldblum was here having his Hot Girl Pier Summer to help him out. 

The lizard’s back leg slipped off the edge of the pier, and its tail swung out to the left, knocking Eddie — who had hoisted the little girl up to get her to the 118 — clean off his feet. 

The tail coiled around Eddie and Buck flung himself across the pier to grab onto the end of the tail. He pierced the broken wood through the tail, earning a loud shriek from the lizard, who yanked and yanked until its tail snapped right where the wood had pinned it and then the lizard fell.

But so did Eddie.

Buck shot out a web, latching it directly onto Eddie’s chest and hoisted him back up before he could fully drop off the pier. Their chests bumped together when Eddie dropped against him from the sheer force of Buck’s pull. Their noses bumped too and if he hadn’t had the mask on…

“Thank you,” Eddie whispered breathlessly, tickling Buck’s skin beneath the mask. 

“Anytime,” Spider-Man whispered back, his heart hammering out of his chest. His hand planted firmly on Eddie’s waist to keep him steady. He could feel Eddie shaking against him. Their goddamn noses were still touching. Jesus. “I-I heard you friend was stuck under the—”

“Buck, yeah he—”

“I’ll find him,” Spider-Man cut him off and only then did they pull away and without thinking too hard, Spider-Man dove head first into the ocean.

The same ocean that had almost killed him and Christopher. 

The same that almost killed Eddie. 

The one that now had given the lizard, given Connors, his perfect escape. But that didn’t matter right now. Nothing else fucking mattered except that Eddie was okay. 

He swam to the sand bank where he’d abandoned his firefighter gear and tore it up a bit. He was already bleeding from his chest, and someone would catch it out back at the station, so he needed to make it believable. 

He took his Spider-Man suit off and stuffed it into the pockets of his turnout jacket once he’d drenched his gear in ocean water, and for extra effect, he threw his helmet into the sea before he began climbing up the pillar and hoisting himself up onto the deck.

He huffed and puffed like that bloody wolf, and made sure he cut his cheeks up along the way because Spider-Man’s mask was intact, and they couldn’t have matching wounds. Eddie would know. 

“Buck!” Bobby’s voice rang out first. “Let’s get him up!” 

Buck pretended to struggle to get the rest of the way onto the pier so Bobby and Chimney could pull him up the rest of the way. 

“I’m… I’m good!” He held a thumbs up, getting onto his knees. “I’m fine!”

“Oh thank God,” Hen gasped, rushing over and pulling him into a tight hug. “What the hell happened?! You were right behind me!”

“That fucking lizard thing knocked me over,” Buck heaved, wiping a gloved hand over his face. He’d thrown one of his gloves into the ocean too. He deserves some kind of award for this performance. 

“Is everyone okay? I…” Buck looked around properly for the first time and his heart sank at Athena kneeling by the officer’s lower body, covering it with her jacket. People died tonight, just like Karen said they would. 

And it was all because of him. Because he just had to go and meddle with science. 

Because he was impulsive. 

He was no better than his parents. 

🕷 🕷 🕷 🕷

The station was quiet when everyone returned. Those that hadn’t gone on the call, happily took over when they arrived back in as the bell rang. The other’s needed a break. 

But Buck was antsy. Their shift ended at 6am, and it was only 11pm. He needed to get back to Karen so they could figure out what they were supposed to do, and take down this lizard guy once and for all. 

No one talked on the drive home either, and Buck could feel the blood drying on his chest. Bobby was muttering something about him getting permission to shower and change, but Buck was barely listening. 

While everyone went up to the kitchen, Buck moved into the locker room, quickly stuffing his Spider-Man suit into his duffel bag, and only then did he go into the bathroom and begin to strip off his gear so he could go shower. 

“Hey,” Chimney spoke softly, lightly knocking on the bathroom door. “We just came to check on you… Woah—”

When Buck had turned around to see Chimney and Eddie, he followed their shocked gazes down to his chest where he’d bled right through his white vest.

“I’m fine,” Buck replied hoarsely, yanking off the vest, only further proving that he didn’t look fine in the slightest.

He could feel himself healing already, but now he was caught. 

“You’re not fine, Buck…” Eddie shook his head, walking closer and all Buck could think about, was how Eddie wasn’t really fine either. The little girl he’d tried to save had died on the way to the hospital. 

“You can’t tell Bobby, o-okay? I’m fine. I’ll heal.” Buck shook his head. “He’ll just keep me off the job and I need the distraction.”

“Buck…” Chimney sighed, but he knew it was no use. They were all very familiar with how buck got if his job was taken away from him. “I’ll go get the first aid kit.”

“Thank you, Chim…” Buck murmured. He’d take that as a compromise over being outed to Bobby that he was cut up by that lizard. 

“Sit down,” Eddie pointed to the bench, and he went to wet one of the hand towels so he could wipe away the dry blood. 

“I can just shower, y’know?” Buck stated, but he sat down anyway. This was Eddie’s way of coping, of healing at least one person today to make up for the one he couldn’t.

“Just let me do this please,” Eddie sighed, wringing out the towel from the excess water and he knelt in front of buck and slowly began to wipe the dried blood away. 

Buck flinched at the initial contact of the hot water against his open wound and that was a severe reminder that he was still human, no matter what. 

“Sorry,” Eddie’s voice was gentle. Chimney came in and dropped the first aid kit on the bench.

“I’m gonna go keep Cap busy.”

“Thanks Chim,” Eddie said. When they were alone, Eddie spoke again. “You missed it… I met everyone’s friendly neighborhood superhero.”

“I think everyone did, Eds.” Buck chuckled nervously, watching Eddie’s hands work on him, cleaning up the blood and reaching for the alcohol swabs. 

“He saved me from falling into the water…” 

“He did?”

“Yeah,” Eddie sighed and looked up now, making direct eye contact. “Maybe he’s not as bad as I thought.” 

“Yeah, maybe not…” Buck replied softly, deciding that he wouldn’t be the first one to look away. Eventually, Eddie did, going back to cleaning out the claw gashes.

“It got you pretty good, huh?” 

“Yeah, thankfully my face isn’t that bad.” Buck wiped a hand over his cheek where he’d cut it up himself. “Gotta keep this pretty face intact.”

That made Eddie chuckle. “Wouldn’t want that… sit up straighter for me.” He placed his palm flat against Buck’s stomach, guiding his posture, and when he was satisfied, he lifted Buck’s arms up a bit so he could get to work on wrapping the bandages around Buck’s chest. 

“Sorry to barge in,” Hen peeked her head into the bathroom. “But Athena and Ransone are here to take statements. You two are up next… What the hell is going on?” 

“Buck cut himself up pretty bad on the way down the pier,” Eddie lied to Hen and Buck had never been more shamefully grateful. 

“Yeah, I tried latching on and the wood sliced me pretty good, but I’m okay.” 

Hen eyed both men for a moment, one eyebrow raised. “I only believe you because I know Eddie would have dragged you to the hospital by your ear if it was bad.” 

“All done,” Eddie stood up after wrapping up Buck’s chest. “I’ll go up so long while you change.”

Hen left and when Eddie made it to the door, Buck stood up. “Hey, Eddie?”

“Yeah?” He turned around. Buck could tell him right now. He could tell him so many different things. 

“Thank you…”

Eddie offered a small smile. “Anytime.” 

When he was gone, Buck gently dropped his forehead against the wall, lightly banging it out of frustration. Mask confidence really was a thing. 

Buck took a moment to recollect himself before putting on a change of clothes and making it up to the kitchen where everyone was seated, listening to Ransone speak. 

“Sorry,” Buck whispered, quickly dropping into the seat beside Ravi, who was staring at him. Again. 

Maybe Buck should consider that Ravi is a thousand times smarter than he thinks and that there’s a possibility that Ravi knows he’s Spider-Man. 

“We were just saying that if anyone knows further details about tonight's events, that they should come forward.” Ransone nodded, clasping his hands in front of him. “So far, Spider-Man saved two of you tonight, correct?”

“That’s right,” Eddie answered first, shifting in his seat. “But what does this have to do with him? Shouldn’t you be focusing on that lizard thing?” 

Athena shared a long look with Ransone, followed by a sigh, and Buck knew where this was going. 

“Did he say anything to either of you?” Ransone asked Buck instead of answering Eddie’s question. 

“No. What would he say to us?” Buck asked. “He pulled me out the water before going to find whatever that thing was.” 

“He didn’t say anything to me either,” Eddie crossed his arms.

“Really? Because you two looked real close there for a second.” Athena raised her brow and Buck was reminded of… whatever the hell that had been. 

“Really,” Eddie shook his head. “I said thank you, and I told him about Buck being thrown off. He said he’d get him for us, and then he was gone.”

“And you’re sure that’s all?” Ransone asked, writing it all down. 

“Why would there be anything else? If you think I know who he is, I don’t. Hell, I haven’t been his biggest fan…” 

“It’s true,” Chimney backed Eddie up. “He really doesn’t like the guy.” 

“Athena,” Buck cut them all off to get her attention. “Can I ask why all this focus on Spider-Man instead of that lizard?” 

“Because we think this was all staged,” Athena answered truthfully, and unfortunately, that’s exactly what Buck had expected. “We think Spider-Man wanted to show the public that he could be a hero. That lizard caused havoc in New York, and no one was there to stop it.”

“But Spider-Man was this time,” Ransone continued, closing his notebook. “We think he was trying to get on everyone’s good side, but it got out of control and it was too late to fix it.”

“There were seven casualties, three being police officers.” Athena noted. “Until proven otherwise, Spider-Man is wanted for now eight counts of murder, and a long, long list of other things. So if you two know anything, I suggest you start speaking.”

Eddie jutted out his chin. “I told you, I’m not his biggest fan. I know nothing.” Great, so Spider-Man was back to square one with Eddie. Just what he wanted. 

“Buck?” Athena looked at him expectantly. “We know you’re quite a fan of his.”

“Yeah well, I’m not a fan of murder. I know nothing ‘Thena.” Buck kept their gazes locked. She couldn’t catch him out in a lie. He needed to stop Connors first. 

“Okay,” Ransone concluded. “If anything changes, you let us know. Thank you for all your service tonight.” 

Athena kissed Bobby goodbye, leaving the rest of the 118 to stare blankly at them leave. 

Buck knew one thing now. 

He couldn’t kill Connors. No matter how much he wanted to. No… No he had to show everyone that he really was the hero. This time he had to.

Or he really was done for.

Chapter Text

The second he got off his shift, Buck bolted for his Jeep before anyone could ask him what his plans were for the day. 

When he burst through his loft, Karen was already sitting there with takeout coffee and a muffin waiting for him. She looked sickly pale, her laptop open on the news where Taylor Kelly was recounting the whole ordeal from the night before.

Buck recalled a helicopter flying over the scene and he’d never even stopped to think that it had been Taylor and her crew. Of course it was.

“LAPD are now saying Spider-Man could be the centre of this carnage, that it was all in fact, orchestrated by him. They’re urging the public to contact this helpline number below if they spot Spider-Man. He is now officially wanted for murder on eight different counts. This is Taylor Kelly live with SkyWitness News 8.” 

“Oh you’re fucking shitting me,” Buck groaned, dropping his duffel bag on the dining table. He pulled his suit out, and it made the entire space smell like fish and sea salt. He cringed and quickly threw the contents — duffel included — into his washing machine.

“I told you,” Karen shook her head. “You should’ve stayed clear of Connors from the start, Buck.”

“Actually, you never told me that,” Buck cheekily pointed out. Karen raised her brow and Buck shut his mouth. “Look, it doesn’t matter! You’ve gotta help me find this guy, Karen.”

“I’m way ahead of you,” Karen pushed the muffin over to him, which he dug into immediately. Bobby hadn’t been in the mood to cook after all that, so he was starving. 

“So my thinking is,” Buck mumbled with a mouthful of food. “He’s not staying at a fancy hotel he can afford. Something like a rundown motel, y’know?” 

“Buck, I don’t think tracking him is the right way to go about this.” Karen started, but Buck held his hand out.

“Karen, I have to stop him!”

“I know that, Buck, but he’s clearly after you and you only. He knows you’re Spider-Man, he knows you’re a firefighter. He’ll make another appearance eventually, and that time, you’ve got to end this.” 

“I can’t kill him Karen,” Buck shook his head. “I-I’ve already killed one person and I still have nightmares about it. I need to prove to everyone that Spider-Man is not a murderer, okay? He might be a lizard when he does all this stuff, but he’s still a human underneath all that. I need another way…” 

Karen studied him for a long moment, nodding slowly. “Okay… Okay, we’ll figure something out.”

“Thank you,” Buck breathed out, pulling her in for a hug. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Okay ocean boy,” Karen cleared her throat, lightly patting his back. “Go shower while I figure out how to capture him and go see my wife. Go on. Use a lot of body wash. Maybe the entire bottle.” 

“Gee, aren’t you just the sweetest?” Buck rolled his eyes, but took the opportunity to jog up the stairs and go clean up while Karen got to work.

With her by his side, they’d figure this out and save the day. 

Maybe. 

🕷 🕷 🕷 🕷

Buck was making lasagna. 

He’d decided that the best way to keep himself distracted was to cook until all he thought about was spices, sauces and all the wonderful uses of pasta water. 

He’d decided not to invite anyone over though, just in case he needed to jump off his balcony to fight Connors all over again. His body still ached from that small showdown, and he had a feeling that that was the easy fight. 

Dishing his food onto a plate, Buck finally realized how starving he actually was. He had barely had any time today to eat properly, aside from Karen’s generous muffin. What was with people and giving him muffins lately? 

With a satisfied sigh, Buck sank into his seat, lifting up his utensils. Now this was the kind of quiet he needed. 

Quiet. 

“Goddammit,” he hissed, dropping his fork when his phone rang. Had he not learned from Ravi’s little blunder? “What’s wrong?”

“I know where Connors is going next,” Karen’s shaky voice came through on the other line and Buck pushed away from his chair. 

“Where?” 

“It’s a stretch, but think about this…” Karen replied as Buck moved up his stairs towards his bed where he’d left his suit out. “He knows you’re Spider-Man, right? Or else why would he have come here? You stole what was supposed to be his and you got the good end of the stick. So, he comes to Los Angeles and knows exactly where you’d be.”

“Right,” Buck murmured, flicking his phone on speaker, dropping it onto the mattress. “Which means…”

“He knows you’re a firefighter. Your parents must’ve told him, Buck.” Karen paused. Buck could hear her pacing. “He knows your firehouse.”

Buck froze, fingers just grazing his mask. 

“Buck, he’s going—”

“I’m on my way,” Buck hung up, stripping from his regular clothes in record time just to tug on his suit. 

When he had one leg in, he started down the stairs, mask between his teeth. He made it to the main floor and tugged on his second leg, rushing towards the balcony, but in his haste, he met the wooden floor face first before he could get any further. 

“Ow.”

He was off to a phenomenal start. 

🕷 🕷 🕷 🕷

Buck arrived at the 118 house in record time. 

So far, everything still looked intact. The A-shift were moving around in the station, doing their nightly rig checks and the first person Buck spotted properly, was Ravi. 

Buck moved around to where the Captain truck was parked by the side entrance and just when Ravi got close enough, Buck shot out a web and yanked him clean over, catching him before he could go barrelling into the truck.

“What the f—”  

“Shhh,” Buck covered Ravi’s mouth with a hand. “I need you to clear out the station.” 

“Who the fuck— Ohmygod, you’re Spider-Man.” Ravi’s eyes widened, twisting his torso to look at Spider-Man. 

Buck pulled Ravi away from view of the others, clutching onto his shoulders. “Ravi, that doesn’t matter right now. You need to clear out the fire house—”

“How do you know my name? Spider-Man knows my name!” Ravi rambled, and Buck was starting to regret pulling him into this first. He should’ve stormed the place, yelling at them all to get out, or to at least pull the emergency bell, but he’d wanted this to be a quiet matter where he could lure Connors away without getting anyone hurt. 

“Ravi, you need to shut the fuck up! Listen to me, you guys are in danger—”

They were too late.

Buck’s head snapped up, peeking into the station where the loud crash had come from. Everything had turned into complete chaos in a matter of a second. Connors had broken through the roof of the firehouse, sending wooden beams flying and equipment crashing down.

“Mayday, mayday!” He heard one of the firefighters yell into their radio before letting out a deafening scream, and that’s when Buck’s legs started working.

“HEY!” Buck screamed over the commotion towards Connors. “Who said you could terrorize my firefighters, huh? You want me, Connors. So come fucking get me!” 

Connors let out a roar — could it be counted as a roar? Did lizards roar? Oh well — and, to Buck’s dismal surprise, he laughed too.

“My my, you’re a little late to the party, Spider-Man.” So he talked now? Wonderful. Jurassic Park really did not prepare Buck for this moment. 

Buck stuck and arm out to catch one of the large wooden beams before it crushed another firefighter. “Ravi, get them out of here!” 

Ravi finally did as he was told and Buck turned back to face Connors. “Why didn’t you just come to me, huh? We could've figured this out together!”

“You’re a liar, Spider-Man,” Connors snarled through those ugly sharp teeth of his. “And now, I’m going to make you pay for what you took from me.”

“Well, I did want an alien, so I guess this is close enough,” Buck murmured to himself. He flicked his arms out, webs ready, and he launched himself right up to Connors’ face.

Connors roared, swinging his massive tail towards Buck. Spider-Man twisted in mid-air, narrowly avoiding the deadly swipe. He fired a web line at a broken beam and swung around, using the momentum to land a solid kick to Connors’ snout. The mutant lizard staggered back, smashing into the remnants of a fire truck.

“Is that all you’ve got, Connors?” Buck taunted, landing gracefully on the ground.

Connors growled, his eyes glowing with fury. He lunged forward, claws slashing through the air. Buck ducked and weaved, his spider-sense tingling with each near miss. He fired another web, aiming for Connors’ eyes like last time, but the lizard man swiped it away with a quick slash of his claws.

“You’re not getting away that easy,” Connors hissed, his tail whipping around again. This time, it caught Buck off guard, slamming into his side and sending him crashing through a wall. The impact dazed Buck, but he quickly shook it off, using his webs to pull himself back up.

“You’re strong, I’ll give you that,” Buck said, wiping blood from his mouth over his mask, though it did nothing, it was more of a habit. “But I’m faster.”

With a burst of speed, Spider-Man darted forward, firing webs at Connors’ legs. The sticky strands wrapped around the lizard’s limbs, tangling him up. Connors roared in frustration, tearing at the webs with his claws, but Buck didn’t give him a chance to free himself. He leapt onto Connors’ back, webbing his snout shut before delivering a flurry of punches to the back of his head.

Connors thrashed wildly, crashing into the already damaged structure. Beams creaked and groaned, collapsing under the strain. Spider-Man had to keep moving, using his agility to avoid getting crushed by falling debris. He landed a few more blows before Connors managed to throw him off, sending him skidding across the floor, hitting the lockers.

“You think you can stop me?” Connors roared, ripping the webs from his face. “I’m stronger than you could ever imagine! All thanks to you!”

“Yeah, but you’re still ugly,” Buck retorted. 

Before Buck could react, Connors lunged with a speed that belied his massive size. His claws slashed through the air and found their mark, stabbing deep into Buck's side. 

Spider-Man gasped in pain, a yell escaping that seemed to shake the building, his vision blurring for a moment. He could feel the claws tearing through his suit, ripping into his flesh. Blood dripped down his skin, staining the tatters of his costume. Every movement sent waves of agony through his body, but he gritted his teeth and fought through it.

Because that’s what he does. That’s what he’s always done. 

Buck staggered back, clutching his side. His regenerative abilities were kicking in, but the wound was severe. It would take time to heal, and Connors wasn’t giving him any. The lizard man pressed his advantage, slashing at Buck with relentless fury. 

Spider-Man’s suit was in shreds, and his body screamed in protest with every evasive maneuver. He fired webs desperately, trying to slow Connors down, but the mutant was relentless.

“Not… giving up… that easy,” Buck panted, dodging another swipe. He felt dizzy from blood loss, and his limbs were heavy with exhaustion. But he couldn’t afford to stop. If he did, Connors would finish him off. Summoning every ounce of strength he had left, Buck launched himself at Connors, using his webs to swing around and deliver another hard kick to the lizard’s jaw.

Connors stumbled, more out of surprise than pain, but it gave Buck a moment to breathe. He landed awkwardly, nearly collapsing from the effort. His vision swam, and he could feel the warm, sticky sensation of blood seeping through his suit. He was exhausted, barely able to stand, but he kept going. He had to. 

For his firehouse. For Karen who risked everything for him. For the people Connors threatened. For Maddie. 

“Time to end this.”

With a burst of determination, Buck fired a web at a nearby support beam and swung up, using the height advantage to drop down on Connors with all his weight. The impact drove Connors to the ground, and Buck didn’t hesitate. He webbed the lizard man’s limbs to the floor, securing him as best as he could.

Connors roared, thrashing wildly, but he was stuck. Buck landed shakily nearby, breathing heavily. “Stay down, Connors. It’s over… Good boy.”

Suddenly, the wail of sirens filled the air. Buck turned to see the flashing lights of police cars and fire trucks outside the firehouse. He glanced back at Connors, who was still struggling to free himself.

“This isn’t over, Spider-Man,” Connors snarled. “I’ll be back.”

“Looking forward to it,” Buck replied, his breathing jagged and his legs swaying. Cops and firefighters poured in, their eyes widening at the scene before them. Connors took the opportunity to break free and fled through a hole in the wall, disappearing into the night.

All eyes turned to Spider-Man, who stood amidst the wreckage. The looks on their faces were clear: they blamed him for the destruction. Athena stepped forward amidst her officers, her gun pointed right at him.

That would never not hurt more than an actual bullet. 

“Hands up, Spider-Man,” she commanded.

Buck sighed, raising his trembling hands slowly. “I didn’t do this, Sergeant. We’ve been through this before,” he started to say, but Athena’s glare didn’t waver.

The silence was deafening. All the cops stared him down, their expressions a mix of anger and suspicion. Every injured and non-injured firefighter watched him too, some with pained expressions, others with outright hostility. Ravi looked at Spider-Man, his lips tightly pursed, his eyes filled with hurt and confusion.

The rest of the 118 had arrived, and they stood in shock, taking in the mess around Spider-Man. This was their home, Buck’s too, and now it was gone. Where did that leave them now? 

If he had just been faster… 

The wreckage, the destruction—it all seemed to point to him. Taylor was there as well, her camera crew capturing every moment. Her face showed shock, but there was also a spark of intrigue in her eyes, a curiosity about the story behind the chaos. That, he wasn’t surprised about in the least. 

Buck’s heart pounded in his chest, but he knew he had to get out of there. The distrust and hostility in the room were suffocating.

Realizing he wouldn’t get a fair hearing, Buck fired a web at the ceiling and swung out of the firehouse, disappearing into the night. As he fled, he could hear the murmurs of the firefighters and the flashing lights of SkyWitness News 8.

From the rooftop of a nearby building, Buck watched as the scene below began to settle. Firefighters started the cleanup, and Athena was already organizing her officers, sending them out to search for him. Buck sat there, heaving and out of breath, clutching his wounds.

Bobby gathered their team and pulled out his phone, possibly to dial Buck, but he didn’t have his phone with him. Karen would cover for him at least. 

He felt a deep sense of frustration and sorrow. Despite his efforts, despite everything he had done to try and help, he was still seen as the villain. The pain from his injuries was intense, but the emotional toll was even greater. 

He watched as Ravi helped the injured, glancing around as if hoping to catch another glimpse of Spider-Man. Taylor continued her reporting, her expression serious but still tinged with that spark of intrigue. Buck knew that no matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried, there would always be those who saw him as a menace.

For now, all he could do was retreat into the shadows and hope that someday, the truth would come to light. 

But then his gaze caught something further back.

He could see the bathroom all torn up, and… a manhole by the sewers. 

Tilting his head, Buck’s mind began to work. The sewers would be a perfect hiding place for a lizard to hide out and heal. 

So Buck waited for a gap in the chaos and jumped off the building he was perched on. He snuck between and behind first responders, ducking behind rubble until the coast was clear, and then without overthinking it, Buck pulled open the manhole behind the building, and jumped right down.

It’s not like he’s never been sent down one of these before. His worry was having so many open wounds down here. If he got in another fight, Karen would have to help scrub him raw. 

He walked slowly, silently, listening for any sort of movement. He reached a fork in the sewers and let his senses take him left, where he kept walking slowly down. 

The sound of water dripping was his only companion for the next ten minutes, and the constant reminder that he was definitely going to need a good shower after this. 

Buck walked further, and saw a faint glow ahead, so he picked up the pace, sticking to the side of the sewer to keep himself hidden, and when he got close enough, he peered around the corner in what seemed to be another long strip down another tunnel, but there was so much more than that. 

What Buck saw didn't make any sense. 

Laid out was an old rickety table, a laptop, a small generator, a chair, and Connors’ laptop. Scattered on the table was an assortment of vials and papers, but no Connors in sight. Had he gone somewhere else to clean up? What the hell was this place?

Buck did one more sweep before ascending closer to the laptop and he bent forward, flicking the trackpad and the laptop screen came to life. 

A video was already on the screen with Connors in this same set-up, so Buck pressed play. 

“Subject: Dr. Curtis Connors. Current temperature: 89.7. Steady for 48 hours. Blood panels reveal lymphocyte and monocyte readings... consistent with subject's past. Clotting rate vastly improved. Marked enhancement in muscle response, strength and elasticity. Eyesight similarly improved. Subject no longer requires corrective lenses.”

He was talking about himself.

“This is no longer about curing ills. This is about… finding perfection. In attempt to redress regenerative relapse, dosage has been increased to 200 milligrams.” 

And then the video went dark. So that’s why he’d been on such a rampage last night. He’d just had a full new dosage of the serum and was bouncing off the walls like a toddler on a sugar high. 

That was comforting. 

Buck heard something skitter further in the distance, and whether it was Connors or just a rat, he didn’t care. He couldn’t fight him twice in one day. He wouldn’t make it out of here alive if he did. 

🕷 🕷 🕷 🕷

No one cleaned up Buck’s wounds this time. 

He’d spent all night picking out splinters in his wounds on his own, sitting in his shower, letting the scalding water burn him until his skin went numb. 

Bobby hadn’t stopped calling him, and eventually, Buck had told him he was alive, that he’d had a bit of a meltdown over his parents and that he needed some time alone, he hadn’t even let Bobby tell him about the firehouse, because in any other circumstance, he would’ve dropped everything to be there with them. 

But no one else had given up that easily. 

As soon as Buck had bandaged himself up, Hen and Chimney were at his door, rambling on and on about what had just gone down. They made him rewatch the footage that Taylor kelly had caught of Spider-Man standing there alone, and all Buck wanted to do was burst into tears, but he held strong. 

Because that’s what he has to do. 

He acted shocked, held them, asked 101 questions knowing they didn’t have any answers but asked them anyway, because old him would’ve done exactly that, and then they sped off to Bobby and Athena’s where the rest of the crew had gone. 

Buck had put on an act of a lifetime, lying that he’d been drinking alone in his apartment and had left his phone in the kitchen. They seemed to believe it, because why would they question the fucked up kid with parental issues? 

That and Buck rarely lied to them. They trusted him.

Athena was in and out of the house with Ransone, barely offering much information, but Bobby caught Buck up on everything that Hen and Chimney had already told him, but he sat there and listened anyway, his body screaming at him in pain. 

He never looked at Karen. He couldn’t bring himself to, or he’d break down crying. But she had sneakily slipped him some painkillers when she and Eddie had gone to put the kids to bed in May and Harry’s rooms. 

“I think that’s ridiculous,” Chimney scoffed, shaking his head. “Logically, how does that make sense? How many times has Spider-Man helped the department? Why would he destroy our firehouse? I’m telling you, that lizard came back.”

“So that’s twice now that this lizard has attacked the 118? No,” Eddie shook his head. “Spider-Man has a vendetta. He knows we’re close to the LAPD because of Athena, his number one enemy right now. His best move would be to take us all out.”

“Would it not be smarter to just win us over?” Maddie chimed in, defending Chimney — and Buck finally felt like he could breathe. “Eddie, let’s think logically—”

“I am thinking logically, Maddie,” Eddie insisted, sitting up straighter, but Buck stuck an arm out, pushing him back in his seat. 

“Okay, let’s not yell.” Buck grunted, glaring at both of them. “The kids just fell asleep. Bobby, what do you think happened?”

All eyes turned to Bobby, who looked like his entire world had come crashing down. And in a way, it had. “I don’t know. Honestly, I have no idea. But the way we found Spider-Man like that… makes him look a bit suspicious.”

“Ravi,” Buck ignored Bobby’s response, shifting in his seat to stare Ravi down. Ravi looked like a deer in headlights, much like he always did when Buck spoke to him. “You were on shift. What happened?”

“I-I already told Athena,” Ravi cleared his throat, gaze never leaving Buck’s. “Spider-Man showed up, told us to run and before he could explain—”

“See!” Chimney jumped up, pointing at Ravi. “He was trying to save you all!”

“Which just proves he knew what was going to happen to the firehouse and didn’t bother to call the cops,” Eddie threw his hands up in defeat. “You all sound ridiculous trying to defend this guy.”

“You mean the guy that saved your life?” Buck frowned, using a tone with Eddie that sent the room into silence. “That guy, Eddie?”

Eddie chewed the inside of his cheek, tilting his head back. “Buck, come on…”

Buck shook his head, standing up so he could tower over Eddie. “No, Eddie, if it were any of us that had saved you, you’d praise us until the fucking cows came home, but not with him, right? Because what? He’s finally doing something that everyone else isn’t?” Eddie stood now too. 

“Okay, let’s cool it.” Bobby got in between them, hands pressed to their chests. “We’ve had this argument before and it got us nowhere. Let’s not relive it.” 

“I’m just saying, I don't understand this guy’s issue.” Chimney chimed in with a shrug. “The weird lizard, I mean. What was it doing here instead of New York?”

Buck’s gaze flickered over to Chimney, and he took a step back, moving towards his seat again. Eddie waited a beat before doing the same, and Bobby let out a sigh. He could deal with them brainstorming, at least.

“Maybe it’s jealousy,” Hen finally spoke up. She looked exhausted. “I’m just saying, Spider-Man said it first on the pier. You all heard him. He got all these abilities, and the lizard became… well, a lizard.” 

The laptop, Buck thought. That must have some more answers on it! 

“I have to go,” Buck stood up abruptly, and Eddie did too, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“I think one of us should come with you.”

“No thanks,” Buck shrugged off Eddie’s grasp and evaded Bobby’s attempt too, holding his hands up. “I’ll keep my phone with me, I just need to be alone.” 

Buck left the house just as he saw Athena and Ransone pull up, but Buck avoided them by roof-hopping. He’d come here in Chimney’s car, so he didn’t exactly have a ride either. 

He made it back to the 118 and it somehow hurt even more to look at this place when no one else was around. There was caution tape all over and one cop car parked out front and one in the back, waiting for sunrise so the city could begin repairs. 

Despite it being mere hours ago, the events seemed lightyears away, but maybe that was just Buck’s exhaustion.

He’d successfully snuck past the cop car and down into the manhole and took the exact same route he had earlier. He stayed quiet, but moved quicker this time. He had no time to waste. 

If he encountered Connors now, he could try to rash it out with him and possibly help him down the right path, or he could dial 9-1-1 as a distress call, or Athena and give himself away. There were many options out of this. Or he could just fight the lizard till death and see who crawls out of here. None of them were all that appealing. 

Oh, and he had no suit! Wonderful! 

He finally arrived at the bend before the set up Connors had put together and he peered over to see if he was there, but when he got a good look, there was nothing. 

“What…” he whispered, taking a slow step closer. Where the laptop had been, was just an empty table and an abandoned chair. The lab coat, the other objects, the generator, were all gone. Did Connors know Buck had found this place? 

He spotted a yellow piece of paper on the floor and knelt down cautiously, picking it up. 

Ready for human trials. 

Buck’s heart rate spiked and he thought back to the day Connors gave him a personal tour of Oscorp.

“The Ganali device,” Connors hummed, stopping in front of it. 

“Yeah, I remember a picture of that in my dad's office. I think?” Buck shook his head. 

“The idea was so simple. You load it with an antigen, it creates a cloud which can be dispersed over a neighborhood, even a city. Theoretically, you could cure polio in an afternoon.”

He shook his head, now trying to remember exactly what Connors had said in that video he’d found. 

“This is no longer about curing ills. This is about… finding perfection.” 

“Maybe it’s jealousy,” Hen finally spoke up. She looked exhausted. “I’m just saying, Spider-Man said it first on the pier. You all heard him. He got all these abilities, and the lizard became… well, a lizard.” 

Equality. 

“No,” Buck’s eyes snapped open, placing the last puzzle pieces together of Connors’ plan. And if he was right, things were about to get seriously ugly. 

Whipping out his phone, he dialed a number. The person picked up on the first ring.

“Karen, I’m going to need a miracle.” 

Chapter Text

Twelve hours later, Buck was sprinting down Midtown Manhattan. 

Yeah, it wasn’t ideal, and Buck was starting to think these superheroes needed some sort of portal situation, but he had no other choice. 

He’d tried Stark Industries, but he'd been put on hold countless times by some dude named Happy, who didn’t sound all that happy either. He didn’t know what he was thinking there. It’s not like a lizard would matter to the Avengers.

Not until they find out what he plans to do. 

He also thought of storming the Avengers Tower and demanding help, but knowing them, their security detail would have him locked up before he could even blink. 

At least it was light out now. Buck knew that Connors had a pattern now, and he only worked a night. So that bought him some time to try to get into Oscorp and steal the Ganali or at least destroy it before Connors could get to it.

Needless to say, that plan had failed dismally. 

At first, the receptionist wouldn’t let him in, and then he found out he was no longer welcome in Oscorp because of his ties to Connors. That’s how he’d found out Connors had gotten fired because he’d refused to start human trials, which explains the whole bender he’s just gone on to try to kill Buck for what he’s caused. 

Security had escorted him out, but he’d come right back, pleading that he truly wasn’t trying to help Connors. He explained the problem, but everyone seemed to find it laughable, because their security system was so tight, no one was getting in here without them knowing, even at night when everyone would be gone. 

But they didn’t know the monster that Connors had become. 

The only good thing that had come out of all this, was Karen had whipped up a new suit for Buck in record time. She’d managed to escape the others, claiming a work emergency, and had worked relentlessly on the suit before passing it over to Buck who swung past before his flight. 

Private, of course, because he had zero time for commercial right now. Sorry, environment! 

The sun was near to setting, and Buck cursed timezones. 

His phone buzzed, offering him one last string of hope. 

“Hey Gwen… It’s Buck. I’m gonna need your help with something crazy. Can we meet?” 

🕷 🕷 🕷 🕷

“What the shit!” Gwen gasped, eyes bulging wide. “So you’re Spider-Man!?”

“I am Spider-Man,” Buck nodded, lips pursed. “But that’s not the point here! I need your help with Connors. We have to stop him from using that Ganali device, okay? I-I think his plan is species-wide distribution that could enhance humanity on an evolutionary scale, and not in a good way.”

“You think that it could turn all these people into… him? Like a lizard?” Gwen frowned. They were standing on a sidewalk, letting the rest of New York bustle by on their way home. 

“Exactly. I gave him the algorithm for all of this. It’s how I became Spider-Man, but I think… I think he might have altered it. To create a sort of army, you know? So everyone in New York is equal to him and him only. It would leave him unstoppable.” 

“Oh God,” Gwen gulped, hands moving to her hips. “You know I was hoping we’d get coffee the next time I saw you, but you’re a Buckley I should’ve known better. Okay, okay… what now?”

“Do you know how to run a serum?”

“I do it all the time.” Gwen answered.

“Okay, great. Okay… I need you to go back to Oscorp, access the cross-species file. It's a blue serum. File 12389. I doubt they would’ve let Connors take that file with him when they fired him. We need an antidote.”

Gwen nodded quickly, flicking her hands out. “Okay, got it. I got it.” 

“Thank you,” Buck sighed, gently clutching her shoulders. “After this, I’ll get you all the coffee you could ever want.”

“I’m holding you to that,” Gwen pointed, now walking backwards. When she was out of sight, Buck backed down the closest alleyway and stripped his clothes, revealing his suit underneath. He webbed up his clothes against the wall behind a dumpster and flung himself up the building.

Time to finally end this once and for all. 

And then everything turned to shit. 

A police officer bolted right below Buck from where he’d been looking down and close behind, Buck saw Connors chasing a group of other NYPD officers down the street, a green gas escaping from a sort of tube he was holding out at them.

“Oh fuck,” Buck breathed out. He couldn’t go down there, could he? Would that turn him into one of the lizards too or would his own genetics fight that off and make him stronger? 

He and Karen seriously needed to work on getting some sort of headset in the suit.

“The lizard creature has released some sort of biochemical agent!” The offer yelled into his radio just as a helicopter came into view. “It looks like he’s heading straight for Oscorp.”

Buck pulled out his phone and dialed Gwen. “How close are you? This guy’s moving fast and I don’t think I can stop him. He’s already started releasing the chemical. Gwen, these officers are turning green and I’m kind of panicking right now!” 

“I’m almost there. Just breathe, Buck. We’ll fix this, okay? Together.”

“Together,” Buck repeated, more so to reassure himself. But really, this wasn’t Gwen’s fight. After this part, he was on his own. This shouldn’t even be Gwen’s fight in the first place. “Gwen, when you get there, I… I need you to get everyone out of the building, yourself included.”

“What? No way. You just agreed we could do this together!” 

“Yeah and then my rational thinking kicked in, sue me.” Buck huffed, swinging with one hand now, following the lizard towards Oscorp. “Seriously, Gwen, you could die.”

“I’m going to get everyone out, and then I’m going to finish what I started.” 

“What?! Gwen, no—” Before he could even finish, Gwen had hung up on him, leaving him in the dark. “Next time I am so bringing Karen!” 

“Spider-Man!” A loudspeaker voice erupted through the city, and Buck audibly groaned. So the cops hated him here too? Word travels faster than Gossip Girl these days. “Stand down now, or we will open fire. You are surrounded. There is no escape!” 

“Like hell there isn’t,” Buck mumbled a reply, still swinging, ignoring the glaring like from the helicopter just above him, presumably where the demanding voice had come from. “I’m trying to help!” He screamed out, but with the mask and the loud engine, no one had seemed to hear him. 

So he swung across to the next skyscraper to try and get ahead of the cops, but something sharp zapped him right in the chest. “Argh!” He yelled, and then he found himself tumbling towards the street. 

Buck landed with a heavy thud on top of a yellow taxi, glass flying everywhere, nicking parts of his new suit, and scratching the surface of his skin. 

He rolled off the car and the second he landed on his knees, he was surrounded by cops. 

“Freeze!” That same voice from the helicopter yelled out, descending from a rope. “Down on the ground. Your hands behind your head. NOW!”

“You’re chasing the wrong bad guy,” he wheezed out, palms flat on the tar. 

“That’s not what our friends in Los Angeles tell us. Hands behind your head!” 

Buck relented, putting his hands up and immediately, an officer rushed over and cuffed him. Buck crossed his legs and lowered his head, waiting for his cue. 

The officer crouched in front of him, but Buck didn’t move. He didn’t move when the guy’s hand reached for his mask, grabbed it, and yanked it off. 

No… but he moved right after. 

In a split second, Buck snapped the cuffs and kicked his legs out, knocking the officer off his feet. His next move was to web the guy with a gun pointed right at him, and he pulled him forward, only to get behind him and boot him right in the back. 

He shot out dual webs to two other guys, who Buck has now identified as SWAT members, and covered their helmets, blocking their vision. 

Using the moment of confusion, Buck launched himself into the air, flipping over the heads of the two webbed SWAT members. He landed behind them, swiftly sweeping their legs out from under them with a powerful kick. They crashed to the ground, their weapons clattering away on the concrete.

Buck turned just in time to see another SWAT guy charging at him. He ducked under a wild swing, then delivered a sharp uppercut that sent the man reeling. Buck grabbed his arm, twisting it behind his back, and pushed him forward, sending him sprawling into the last remaining SWAT member.

The two collided and fell in a heap, giving Buck a precious few seconds to catch his breath and find his mask.

“Freeze!” The first cop was back up and pointing his gun right at Buck, whose back was turned. Buck slowly stood up straight and began to turn, hands raised. 

The first thing he looked at was the guy’s name tag. Captain Stacy… as in Gwen’s father? 

“Okay, okay, listen,” Buck spoke softly, dropping the accent and keeping his head low so the overhead helicopter light didn’t catch his features. “I get it. You think I’m the bad guy, but your daughter needs my help.”

Buck looked up slowly, only to find the Captain’s glare hardening. “Gwen Stacy, right? She works at Oscorp and she’s stuck in there, right where that lizard — Dr. Connors — is headed right now. Captain, you have to let me go.” 

The Captain held fast.

Fuck it, Buck thought. 

“Okay Captain, how’s this? My name is Evan Buckley, I’m a firefighter in Los Angeles with the 118, my parents worked with Dr. Connors at Oscorp. If this all goes to shit, you can arrest me. I won’t run. I just have to go help Gwen and fix this before Connors endangers the entire city. Please.” 

The Captain didn’t move for a moment, both men’s gazes locked on each other, but Buck slowly kneeled down to reach for his mask. He picked it up, not breaking eye contact, and tugged it back on. 

The Captain still had his gun pointed right at Buck, but offered no move to actually shoot him, which was a good sign at least. 

Buck slowly backed away and then he turned and launched himself off the top of the crumpled taxi he’d landed on. 

“Hold your fire!” The Captain yelled at his men, who’d all slowly begun to get up from their beatings. He really hoped none of them had just heard any of that. 

One of them seemed a little too trigger-happy and shot a bullet out at the last second, getting Buck right on the side of his thigh mid swing. 

He landed with a thud on one of the fire escape staircases, but didn’t stop to look at the wound, he just kept going, running up the stairs and beginning to climb, but the more he went, the harder it became, but he just kept going.

Roof after roof, Buck ran and jumped, swung and cried out whenever he landed a little too hard on his leg, but he’d endured worse in the last two days, so this was nothing for him. 

When Oscorp came into view, Buck picked up the pace. He had a city to save.

One building away, Buck spotted Connors already climbing up the final stretch of the signal tower right at the top of Oscorp. His vision was blurry, but he shook it off as best as he could, pushing past the haze and launching over to the building.

And then he began to climb. 

Buck stopped just across from where Connors had dropped the green serum in. The neon glow of the Oscorp sign reflected off the shimmering liquid, casting an eerie light on the rooftop. 

People were scattering below the building, and it was clear that Connors had rampaged his way through Oscorp for the Ganali. 

“Initializing Ganali device. Detonation in T-minus two minutes.”

He was too late. Gwen didn’t bring him the serum, and that only made him wonder where she’d gone, or if she’d even made it. A twisted knot of worry tightened in his chest, mingling with the adrenaline already coursing through his veins. 

He had to trust she was alive, and buy her some time. 

“Hey ugly!” Buck’s voice cut through the tension as he launched himself from his perch. His body arced gracefully through the air, muscles coiling and releasing with precision. Both feet connected with Connors’ chest, the impact sending shockwaves through them both. The force knocked Connors off the signal tower, sending them both tumbling through the air.

The mid-air battle was a chaotic blur of limbs and snarls. Connors’ reptilian eyes glinted with primal fury as they grappled. Gravity soon took over, pulling them both down onto one of the large spotlights of Oscorp’s sign. The metal groaned under their combined weight before they rolled onto the rough surface of the rooftop.

Connors swiped at Buck with claws that could tear through steel. Buck rolled to evade the blow, his movements swift and agile. He shot a web at the signal tower again, the silk thread gleaming in the city lights. He needed to knock Connors out before even thinking about disarming the Ganali device.

Connors’ claws latched onto Buck’s ankle with a vice-like grip. He yanked Buck down, slamming him hard onto the concrete. Pain exploded through Buck’s body as he was tossed across the roof like a rag doll. He soared away from the building, and for a moment, time seemed to slow down.

Disoriented, Buck felt the world spin around him. The wind roared in his ears as he fell, the cityscape blurring into a dizzying whirl. Desperation fueled his reflexes, and he shot out a web. The line went taut, jerking him to a halt and sending a jolt through his arm.

He dangled for a moment, heart pounding, before he began the arduous climb back up. Every muscle burned with effort, but determination drove him. As he neared the top, he saw Connors, the monstrous lizard, crawling around the edge of the building, ready to intercept him.

Spider-Man fired a web with pinpoint accuracy, aiming to obscure Connors’ face. The webbing adhered with a sticky snap, and Connors grunted in annoyance as he clawed at his eyes, trying to tear it away. His irritation grew palpable as he managed to rip the web off, and with a furious swipe of his tail, he attempted to smash Buck into the rooftop.

Buck’s reflexes were lightning-fast. He twisted his body and narrowly dodged the lethal tail swipe. The force of the missed attack sent a shudder through the rooftop, and Buck seized the moment. He launched himself off the building, performing a backflip with fluid grace. 

His webline, still intact, carried him upwards and over Connors. With precision, he planted both feet against the lizard’s chest, the impact sending Connors stumbling backward. The maneuver gave Buck the perfect opportunity to reestablish himself on the roof.

Connors recovered quickly and slashed at Buck with renewed ferocity. Buck slipped under the deadly claws and shot another web towards the signal tower. He fired again and again, creating a sturdy webline that pulled him closer to his goal. Each webbing shot tightened, pulling him up the side of the tower. He reached the top where the Ganali device awaited, its hum a reminder of the ticking clock.

In a desperate bid to thwart Buck, Connors hurled what appeared to be a gas tank at him. Buck’s heart sank as he realized it was filled with liquid nitrogen. The tank crashed into the side of the tower, detonating in a blinding explosion. The force of the blast hurled Buck off the tower, sending him plummeting through the night sky.

He landed hard on his back with a bone-jarring thud, his head snapping against the concrete. The impact left him stunned and disoriented. “Motherfucker,” Buck gasped, wincing in pain as he tried to roll onto his side. The countdown loomed in his mind; he couldn’t afford to waste a second.

But Connors was relentless. He lunged at Buck with terrifying speed. Buck, barely able to react, shot two webs behind him, the lines snapping taut as they anchored to the nearest railing. He swung himself away from Connors, his desperation palpable as he sought to escape the immediate danger.

His eyes caught sight of another larger liquid nitrogen tank nearby. He reached out to fire his webs, but Connors was already upon him. The lizard’s powerful hands gripped Buck’s wrists with vice-like force. Connors’ tail coiled around Buck’s neck, lifting him off the ground and suspending him in mid-air.

Buck thrashed violently, kicking and squirming in a frantic bid for freedom. But Connors’ strength was overwhelming. Each attempt to break free only seemed to tighten the constricting grip around his throat.

“Poor Evan Buckley,” Connors’ voice dripped with contempt, each word a taunt as he tightened his tail’s grip. Buck’s body shook under the pressure, his face reddening and his breath coming in ragged gasps. Connors held Buck’s wrists with one hand, the other curled into a menacing claw.

With a deliberate slowness, Connors peeled off Buck’s Spider-Man mask, exposing his battered face. Blood trickled from cuts and bruises, his cheeks flushed from the lack of oxygen. Connors’ cold voice was almost a whisper now, “No mother, no father… no brother. All alone.”

Buck’s pain reached a crescendo as Connors’ claws dug into his wrists, severing the delicate web lines that had been his lifeline. The raw, unrestrained agony elicited a blood-curdling scream from Buck, the sound echoing off the rooftop. He had known Connors would target his webbing eventually —he just hadn’t been quick enough to stop it.

“He's not alone,” a stern voice cut through the chaos, drawing the attention of both Buck and Connors. They turned to see the Captain standing firm, his gun cocked and ready. Buck would have smiled if he had the capacity for anything beyond the agony gripping him. But with his breathing faltering and darkness closing in, a smile was a luxury he couldn’t afford. His world was narrowing to the painful thrum of his heart and the dwindling seconds before unconsciousness.

Connors, enraged by the new threat, let out a guttural roar directed at the Captain. His reptilian eyes burned with fury as he prepared to charge. The Captain, unflinching, fired a precise shot at one of the liquid nitrogen pipes.

The bullet struck the pipe with a sharp crack. With his last vestiges of strength, Buck caught the pipe when it got close enough, yanking it towards Connors’ grotesque face. The pipe’s nozzle was now directly aimed at Connors, the liquid nitrogen hissing as it began to coat the mutant's scaly body.

Connors roared again, a sound of primal rage and surprise, and began to flail uncontrollably. His grip on Buck loosened, and Buck fell to the ground, his body collapsing in a heap as he gasped for air. The intense cold of the nitrogen seeped into his skin, but he held onto the pipe, keeping it directed at Connors as the freezing spray began to encase him.

The Captain took advantage of the distraction, firing rapidly. Each shot was calculated, severing Connors’ tail with a clean burst and targeting his limbs with relentless precision. Connors’ attempts to close the distance were thwarted as the Captain’s bullets found their marks, finally blowing off Connors’ left hand.

“Detonation in T-minus 45 seconds,” the machine’s electronic voice announced, its monotone carrying a sense of finality. Buck was astonished at how much had transpired in such a short span. 

Superheroes really did move differently.

With a surge of adrenaline, Buck flung the liquid nitrogen pipe towards a nearby ledge where a cluster of barrels stood. He then focused on Connors, using his remaining strength to kick the lizard backwards. Connors, already destabilized, stumbled and crashed into the small railing, which splintered under the force. He fell backward into the dip, the nitrogen still pouring over him..

“Hey! Go fix this and find my daughter!” The Captain’s voice was urgent, almost desperate. “I got this! Go!”

Buck nodded, even though the Captain couldn’t see him. With every ounce of remaining energy, he staggered towards the Ganali device, determined to stop the impending catastrophe. The Captain’s resolve and the imminent threat of the explosion fueled Buck’s final push to avert disaster.

Buck didn’t have a moment to second-guess himself. He sprinted towards the building, each step a desperate push against the clock. His timing was impeccable, as Gwen appeared right at the fire escape door, her figure illuminated by the faint city lights.

“Oh thank God!” Buck gasped, closing the distance and taking the serum from her. The vial was a beacon of hope, its green glow promising salvation. “You’re a saint, I owe you my life! I could kiss you, but I won’t! I— Gwen?”

Gwen’s smile was a curious mix of sadness and resolve, a stark contrast to the urgency of the moment. Her eyes, though soft, were distant, betraying an emotion that Buck couldn’t quite place. “Don’t you worry about me, Buckley. Go save the world. I’ll be right here.”

Buck’s brow furrowed in concern, but the urgency of the situation left him no room to ponder. He nodded curtly, pushing aside the unease that Gwen’s words had stirred. There was no time to dwell on anything but the task at hand.

“T-minus twenty seconds,” the machine’s voice droned, its unyielding monotone slicing through the tension.

Buck bolted towards the signal tower, the serum clutched tightly in his hand. The green vial’s ominous glow seemed to pulse with a malevolent energy, a harbinger of chaos ready to erupt. The gravity of the situation was crushing; if he failed, the city — and potentially the world — would be plunged into catastrophe. 

Even the Avengers might be powerless against such a threat.

He had no webs left, but his determination was unbreakable. He scaled the tower, but as he reached the top, the structure trembled beneath him.

Buck glanced down, his heart skipping a beat. Connors was climbing the tower with monstrous speed. Panic surged through Buck. What had happened to the Captain? The question lingered, but there was no time to search for answers.

“Seven… Six… Five…”

The countdown echoed in his ears, each number a stark reminder of the dwindling seconds. Buck forced himself to focus on the Ganali device. Connors’ relentless pursuit was a distant threat now; the immediate danger was the device itself. With trembling hands, he gripped the antidote serum and faced the capsule.

“Three…”

Time seemed to stretch, each second a measure of agonizing anticipation. Buck shoved the serum into the capsule with a desperate shove as the countdown neared two seconds. His hope was pinned on the serum’s efficacy, but before he could even glimpse its effect, the world shifted violently.

Then, he fell. 

Connors had caught up to Buck with a horrifying burst of speed. His clawed hands clamped down on Buck’s ankles, yanking him harshly downward. The unexpected force sent Buck plummeting faster, and as the ground drew nearer, a fleeting thought pierced through the chaos— where the hell was Iron Man? The question was as out of place as it was urgent, but the answer was elusive amidst the pandemonium.

In a jarring moment, Buck and Connors landed together on a ledge jutting from one section of the signal tower. 

The Ganali device, its task complete, had just launched its serum, and the urgency of their fight seemed to pause as both men turned their attention to the spectacle unfolding before them.

A thunderous boom echoed through the air as the serum hit the atmosphere, and for a moment, everything was enveloped in an ethereal blue haze. Buck watched in stunned relief as the blue smoke began to descend slowly over the city rather than green. The cloud’s gentle drift promised healing, a redemption for the infected officers and perhaps even a semblance of victory.

But Connors was not resigned to defeat. A scream erupted from his throat, a sound laced with agony and defiance. His reptilian skin writhed and twitched as it began to revert to its human form. In a frantic, almost frenzied motion, Connors clawed at his own flesh, trying to resist the antidote’s effects. 

With a burst of renewed strength, Buck kicked Connors off the signal tower, sending him sprawling away. Connors tumbled backward, his form a chaotic blur against the blue backdrop. He plummeted down toward the rooftop, a dark silhouette in the haze towards the.

However, Buck had not accounted for the full extent of the damage caused by the earlier explosion. The liquid nitrogen, which had exploded over the signal tower, had caused significant structural damage. The commotion had weakened the metal supports, and now the tower began to collapse. Buck realized too late that he was trapped on the failing structure.

The tower and Buck went tumbling down the side of Oscorp in a spiraling descent. They struck the corner of an abstract design structure, a brief flat area of glass that offered no real stability. Buck’s body bounced violently off the glass, rolling as he descended further.

Instinctively, Buck reached out, catching himself on a narrow edge with one hand. He felt a bit useless without his webs. The structure, now unmoored, continued its fall, veering dangerously close to the street below. Buck’s heart pounded with frantic hope that the people below had cleared the area in time, that his near-catastrophic misjudgment would not result in another disaster for others.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, Buck began the task of hoisting himself up once more. The toll of days without food, the relentless battles, and the injuries accumulated over this grueling ordeal left Buck’s body crumbling. 

Even superheroes had their breaking points.

Buck knew this was the end of the line for him, and the first person he thought about was Christopher. 

Maybe Eddie would be honest and tell him Buck was actually Spider-Man this whole time. Maybe that would show Christ that he could be a hero too, in the ways that mattered. 

Maybe Eddie would remarry and Chris would only distantly think of Buck once in a while, locking his memories away next to the ones with Shannon. 

He hoped Maddie knew he loved her more than life itself, and that he didn’t mean for all this to happen. He hoped Chimney could continue carrying Spider-Man’s name in good stead, and that he knows Buck loves him like a brother. 

He hoped Athena and Bobby knew they were his parents, even if they didn’t feel like they were, and that they deserved a good life together. 

And Ravi… He hoped Ravi—

“Hang on!” A voice yelled, and just as Buck let go, a hand caught him. Well… ‘hand’ was an understatement. 

Connors’ lizard claws grabbed onto him, and when he looked over at Buck, Buck saw he’d mostly gone back to normal. Connors lifted Buck back up onto the structure and both of them tumbled back against the side of the abstract section, heaving. 

Connors’ mutant arm began to vanish, and Buck couldn’t seem to look away.

“The Captain…” Connors murmured, eyes wide, and Buck bolted without a second thought.

He climbed back up to the roof, pushing now in hopes that he could get there in time, but when he made it to the top, swaying on his feet upon landing, Buck spotted the Captain lying motionless on the floor, deep claw marks in his chest.

“Buck—” Gwen’s voice croaked out by the fire escape doors and Buck whipped around, speeding over to her, his natural first responder instincts kicking in.

“Gwen,” Buck breathed out, dropping to his knees in front of her. She’d had the most beautiful scarf wrapped around her neck earlier to keep her warm, but now it was half off, and all Buck saw was red. “No, no no, Gwen— it’s okay, it’s okay—” 

He quickly covered the gash across her neck with his palm, pressing down to stop the blood. It wasn’t so deep that it was gushing, but if this had happened earlier, she’d definitely lost enough blood to count this as life threatening.

“Buck, it’s alright…” she murmured weakly, offering that same smile that never reached her eyes. “I’m okay…” Blood trickled out of her mouth and Buck shook his head.

“Help is coming, okay? They’re coming. Just– Just hang on, Gwen, please. I’ll take you down to get you help, how’s that?”

“Can you take me to my dad?” She asked softly, wiping the blood that pooled in her mouth. “Let me be near him…”

Buck’s chest tightened at the request, but he offered a single nod and ever so gently lifted her up, carrying her over towards her father. He placed her down beside him and carefully lifted the Captain’s hand so she could hold it.

“You still owe me a coffee,” she sniffed, dropping her head against her father’s shoulder. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she shakily lifted her free hand to take hold of Buck’s, pulling it away from her neck.

“I-I told you,” Buck sniffed, his own tears dribbling down his face. “I’ll get you all the coffee you could ever want.” 

“Any flavor syrup?” She asked, her voice growing weaker. 

“Whatever flavor you like, Gwen. Anything you want, really.” 

“What about… a chocolate house?” 

Buck sucked in a shaky breath, but he smiled, just for her. “You can have the biggest chocolate house in the world.”

“You promise?” Gwen’s grip slackened against Buck’s, so he held tighter. 

“I promise, Gwen. I promise…” 

Her eyes slowly slid closed and Buck dropped his head, soaking it all in. 

Half a moment later, Midtown Manhattan was pierced by a deafening, anguished scream. 

Buck’s whole body shook with the force of it, letting out his grief until he was left gasping for breath, his lungs burning from the exertion. 

Just like that, two more good people were dead. People who had risked their lives to help him in yet another problem he’d caused, all because he was impulsive. 

Buck reached for his mask that was clasped in the Captain’s other hand and forced himself to stand up. He couldn’t be here when the cops got to the top floor, especially not without his mask.

So he pulled it on, dove off the side of the building and landed against it with his hands and feet.

And then he never looked back. 

Chapter Text

“An eerie calm has set in over New York City. Apparently, some sort of... aerosolized antidote was launched from Oscorp Tower, which seems to have counteracted the biotoxins. Residents of Lower Manhattan can rest peacefully... knowing that the alleged mastermind of this terror plot, Dr. Curtis Connors, who has now confessed everything. Casualties have been minimal, but the most prominent is Captain Stacy of the NYPD and his daughter, Gwen Stacy, Dr. Connors’ assistant. We've got John Niles on the street for a report in Lower Manhattan. John, what do you see?”

Buck closed the laptop in front of him, staring at the device for a long moment.

“Can’t believe you knew him,” Connor — not to be mistaken with Dr. Connors — sighed. “He worked with your parents right?”

“Mhm,” Buck hummed, fingers knotted together, pressed to his lips. They were back on a flight to Los Angeles. Connor was already there for work, and was desperate to get out of there as soon as possible, so Buck had given him the best opportunity. 

He still had his suit on underneath his clothes, and he probably smelled worse than a sewer rat, but the bonus was that his clothes had still been in that alleyway he’d webbed them in. 

Or else the flight home would’ve been really awkward. He’d already had to explain that he’d been attacked on the ground by the lizard to explain the cut on his lip and the one on his cheekbone. Anything more would’ve given him away. 

“You good, man? Want a drink?” Connor asked, looking at Buck from across the aisle with furrowed brows. 

“I’m good,” Buck leaned back in his chair, his muscles tightening and straining under the barest movement. His wrists still burned like they’d been thrown in the deep fryer and he could physically feel them healing which was even more uncomfortable, but he’d heal in a few hours. Right now though, it felt as if he’d been crushed under a fire truck.

Hah. 

🕷 🕷 🕷 🕷

The first thing Buck saw when he entered his loft was Karen pacing his kitchen. 

“Oh thank God,” she breathed out shakily, eyes strained with worry. She crossed the room in seconds, allowing Buck's large stature to crumple against her. 

You’d think that after one big catastrophe followed by a breakdown would toughen you up a bit as a superhero, but it felt like the exact opposite right now. 

“I lost them…” Buck sobbed, gripping the back of Karen’s sweater, turning his knuckles white. “G-Gwen and her dad, I… I failed them, Karen. Again!” 

“You did not fail them,” Karen reassured, rubbing his back in circular motions. “You did no such thing, Buck.”

“But I did,” Buck whispered, pulling away from her and only then did she fully take in the state of him, the suit peeking out from under his hoodie. “Karen, I left them alone with Connors and look where that got me. No, actually,” Buck pointed a finger, his expression hardening. “I gave Connors the algorithm, I created him. I created all this mess, and everyone else had to pay that price.”

Karen was silent as Buck turned around and walked to his dining table, and then turned back to her. 

“I snuck around Oscorp when I knew I shouldn't have, I yelled at Maddie and scared her off, and then let her walk alone… I killed the guy who hurt her and gave him the easy way out. I turned the entire 118 against each other over Spider-Man. I brought Connors here and he killed over a dozen people at the pier, he nearly killed Eddie…” Buck’s voice shook at that, teeth clenching together. 

“I wasn’t quick enough at the firehouse, I should’ve called the authorities, and now we have no fucking firehouse. Karen, I—” Buck let out a laugh of frustration, clasping his hands behind his head. He’d never been more upset with himself. 

“How can I be a hero, when all I’ve done is cause this mess? You know what, maybe Athena is right. Maybe Spider-Man does deserve to rot in prison…”

“Buck, what the hell are you doing?” Karen’s eyes widened when she saw him pick up his phone and wallet that he’d dropped on the table on the way in.

“Going to turn myself in,” he replied, pulling out his mask from his hoodie pocket. One of the eyes was cracked, but between this and the suit, he’d have enough proof. It was nearly seven hours since the incident, and he knew this guilt wouldn’t go anywhere in the next seven months. 

“Absolutely not,” Karen got between him and the front door. 

“Karen, you need to move.” Buck looked down at her. “I need to do this.”

“So Christopher can come visit you in prison? That is if Eddie even allows him, which I doubt.” Karen countered, and Buck tried to sidestep her, but she got in the way again. “Buck, just… just listen to me for a second, okay?”

Buck let out a slow breath, and took a step back, allowing Karen to speak. “Your very strength invites challenge. Challenge invites conflict, and that conflict is unfortunately inevitable. You trusted Connors to do the right thing, to do what hopefully your parents could’ve done. That alone shows you were only seeing the good in someone. Your heart was in the right place, Buck. No one made that Captain and his daughter help you, and you know that. They could’ve said no, or left you to fend for yourself, and you wouldn’t have batted an eye, because no matter what you think, you will always put everyone before yourself. That’s what makes you Spider-Man.”

Karen’s hand was lightly pressed to Buck’s chest. She could feel his rapid heart beat begin to slow ever so slightly, and she smiled a little at that.

“With great power, comes great responsibility, Buckaroo. Not everything will be easy, but you don’t have to bear that weight alone.” 

Buck let out a soft snort. “Tell that to the Avengers… They didn’t even come help. They don’t care.” 

“Didn’t you hear?” Karen frowned, moving around Buck to get her phone. “The Avengers were in Sokovia last night…”

“What?” Buck asked, turning on his heels to follow her. “Why were they in Sokovia?” 

Karen passed her phone over and Buck took a moment to read. “So… they were fighting… Ultron? I have so many questions.” 

“Yup,” Karen sighed, plucking the phone from his hands. “So while they were busy defending Sokovia, you defended their city, and I don’t think that’s something they can ignore anymore. You were there when the Avengers weren’t. You did this on your own. Now what do you think would’ve happened if you had listened to me and stayed here instead of being… I don’t know… Impulsive?” 

Karen raised a knowing brow, and it took all of Buck’s strength not to smile, but he cracked and dipped his head, cheeks flushing. 

“Okay, okay, I get your point,” he let out a low chuckle, lifting his arm when she came in for a side hug. “What did you say earlier? With great power?”

“Comes great responsibility,” Karen confirmed, as Buck wrapped a second arm around her.

“We should get that trademarked.” 

🕷 🕷 🕷 🕷

Turns out, the 118 did split up. 

Okay, that sounded dramatic, but it’s only temporary! Bobby told the team that while the city rebuilds the firehouse, the group would be split up amongst the houses. 

Buck wasn’t all that excited, until he got paired with Hen, and they both found out Lucy Donato was at the station they’d be joining, so it really wasn’t all that bad. 

Plus, it gave them even more of a reason to make more plans outside of work with each other, and they’d hardly ever bickered over Spider-Man or Deadpool since. 

According to Athena, Spider-Man is wanted for questioning in New York with regards to the deaths of Captain George Stacey and Gwen too, because he’d been the only other person up there with them and Dr. Connors.

But in an odd turn of events, Connors had opened up about absolutely everything aside from Spider-Man’s identity. He swore up and down he’d never seen the guy without a mask, and that all Spider-Man was trying to do was help. 

All witnesses who did see Spider-Man could attest to that statement, even those SWAT members he’d beaten bloody to try and make his escape. They all seemed to understand now.

Athena? Not so much. 

She still found something very fishy about the whole situation. No one was sure where Spider-Man lived, or why he was in the same vicinity as the 118 twice now, but simultaneously hopping between LA and New York. 

Athena had already pieced it together that it was someone wealthy, which only leveled up the theories that it was a secret Avenger running around, doing Stark’s bidding with smaller incidents or picking up the pieces when they’re gone.

The theories didn’t end there, though. Spider-Man had gone viral, conspiracies popping up, leaving the LAPD with more questions than ever. Not to mention the fact that this so-called Spider-Man was a hidden spy within Oscorp, who’d stolen ‘vials’ from within the company for Stark Industries. 

Speaking of Oscorp and Stark Industries, Oscorp was prominently exposed for endangering the lives of New York citizens during human trials within a hospital, either resulting in death, or rapid decay in their already declining health. 

They were charged for dozens of counts of attempted murder, murder, endangerment of the public, and so many others, that Buck could fill a novel with their charges alone. All in time for Norman Osborn’s untimely death! 

At least the old sod didn’t have to deal with the aftermath. But his son did. 

Stark Industries backed the government, and further proved they were in fact, the complete opposite of Oscorp. They’d gone on to open up their building to the government for a thorough inspection and passed with flying colors. 

Not only that, but Stark Industries bought the Oscorp building, and now have plans to clear it out and move their company there instead. Their plan is to sell their current tower at a low rate to build affordable housing. 

Buck had to hand it to Tony and his PR team, they knew how to clean up a mess. Especially if they weren’t there to help stop it in the first place. 

That and Buck had a feeling that they were trying to fix the whole Sokovia mess. Or at least try to make up for it. 

Mostly, Buck was just relieved that he didn’t have to do anymore cleaning up for it. He planned to put it all behind him and focus on his city now instead. That, and no one has contacted Buck yet from Stark Industries to thank him for all of his hard work. 

But then again… they probably had no idea who he was or how to contact him. Yet. 

Anyway, Buck had thought about flying back to attend the Stacy's joint funeral, but he didn’t think he could bring himself to do so. Especially knowing how tight knit it would be, how people would ask questions, and more importantly, he couldn’t see the Captain’s wife, Gwen’s mother, heartbroken over her losses knowing somehow, he could’ve helped. 

On the Buck side of things, Eddie had come to Buck’s loft a week later to apologize for their argument, and he’d brought Chris along too. They’d cooked together and Buck taught Eddie how to make sushi rolls. They’d baked and played video games too, because that was tradition. 

That had turned into a sleepover, with Eddie and Chris on the blow up mattress in the living room, and the second they were both asleep, Buck was flying off the balcony to protect Los Angeles once more. 

People were more thrilled than ever to see him. They cheered and reached to give him high fives and fist bumps, kids asked for selfies and Buck had never been more excited to help an old lady cross the street. 

Maybe looking out for the little guy got boring sometimes, but it sure beat the hell that Buck had just endured. It was nice to come back to his roots, something comfortable. Something that made people genuinely happy. 

All of this was good and well, but one thing still lingered at the back of Buck’s mind… 

🕷 🕷 🕷 🕷

“Can you tell us why you’re here today, Mr… Spider-Man?” 

“Uh… yeah, yeah.” Buck cleared his throat behind his newly fixed mask. He was seated awkwardly at the edge of the office chair, hands pressed tight between his knees. He felt a bit ridiculous walking in here in his Spider-Man suit, but hey, he’s done worse. 

“I just… you know… This whole superhero thing can get really messy, and I want to stay inside the lines of the law as best as I can. And I heard you guys were the best people to come to about this sort of thing.” 

“That’s completely understandable. But you are aware of the laws you’ve already broken, correct?”

“Y-Yes, yes I am. But I swear they were all unintentional. And I know saying that sounds really stupid, because if I were anyone else, I’d be locked away, but I think that with the… heroes we have in this day and age, the line blurs a little. Which also sounds bad, but I—”

“We understand what you’re saying. Rest assured, things are slightly different for superheroes like you and the Avengers to an extent. It gets somewhat tricky in the sense that while you broke multiple laws, you also saved the entirety of New York. Take the Avengers' most recent endeavor for example. Sokovia no longer exists. Countless lives lost, and a country that we can never get back, but… thousands of people were saved and placed in a safer environment. There’s an odd balance on the scale that the governments are trying to navigate with superhumans, and this should be no different. So long as you follow the law wherever you can, unless there’s the slightest gap whereby you must break a law, governments will be somewhat understanding and willing to work with you.”

“I see…” Buck nodded slowly, looking down at his gloved fingers. The suit looked brand new, almost like it hadn’t been ripped to shreds twice. Karen really was a genius. “And no matter what, you’ll make sure my identity remains hidden? Even if I have to go to trial for something?”

“Even then. You will have to eventually disclose your identity to us, however. But that will fall under client-attorney regulations. Legally, we will not be permitted to disclose your identity to anyone at all, unless we have reason to believe you could be putting the country or so forth in imminent danger. Like if you were to turn into a villain, let’s say.”

“Well I can assure you that won’t happen,” Buck laughed nervously. He looked over his shoulder to make sure the door was closed before he reached for his mask and tugged it off. “Uh, hi… I’m-I’m Evan Buckley… Firefighter with the 118. Spider-Man…”

“Well, Evan Buckley, it would be an honor to have Nelson and Murdock represent you.” 

So they shook on it.

Chapter Text

Buck regretted walking into the Grant-Nash household.

The first thing he heard was bickering.

“Buck, thank God you’re here!” May clapped her hands together, looking more grateful than he’d ever seen. “Mom and Bobby have decided they’re putting on their gear and going to see if they can stop Deadpool from his new death rampage. Tell them it’s a stupid idea.”

“That…” Buck frowned, slowly walking down the stairs. Huh. “That sounds like something I would do, which is exactly why it’s a bad idea. Also, what do you mean he’s on a death rampage?”

“No idea!” Athena huffed, throwing her arms up dramatically. “I’ve logged five different locations, thirty bodies.”

“Okay, okay, but… whose bodies?” And this was why Buck couldn’t leave LA.

“Some folk from different gangs, felons who’ve done time, there’s a lot. No solid pattern yet.” Bobby pointed at the whiteboard littered with red string, photos, and a map of Los Angeles. 

“Oh my God, you guys really have lost it…”

“Excuse me?” Athena raised her brow at him, and May silently slid behind Buck. 

“Uh- nothing.” Buck cleared his throat. “Listen, something tells me Spider-Man or the Avengers will catch a whiff of this and sort it out.”

“But this is my job,” Athena disagreed. “Buck, he’s a murderer!”

“Who will kill you if you try first! I already lost two parents, I cannot lose two more and neither can May or Harry.” Buck snapped, flicking his hands out when both Bobby and Athena’s eyes bulged at his outburst. “I-I’m just saying… Maybe this is the one vigilante we leave alone. Catch him when he’s unarmed. Not like… Not like this.” 

Buck really has learned a thing or two in the last few weeks. 

“Okay,” Bobby sighed, giving in, holding his hands up. “You’re right, Buck. We were a little in over our heads. You’re right, we’ll… go about this in a more logical way, right Athena?”

Athena looked less convinced, but she nodded slowly. “Right. But that Spider-Man fella better get word of this. Maybe it’ll get him some much needed points with us.”

Yeah, like you’d let him go if you ever caught him, even though he saved the whole of Los Angeles and New York, Buck thought dismally. 

“Didn’t he move to New York?” Harry frowned, chiming in now. 

“Maybe he got recruited for that mission only,” May shrugged. “I saw TikTok footage of him Downtown last night. Look,” she moved over to her brother to show him and Buck turned to face the whiteboard.

“While we wait,” he spoke, “we might as well figure out where he’s headed next.”

🕷⚔️🕷⚔️

Buck heard him before he saw him. Obviously. 

 "Listen up, pal! I’m not here to kill you— nope. I’m here to slowly and seductively pry your skull out of your meat suit unless you spill the beans. Got it? Think of it as a very personal, very twisted spa treatment."  

“Please! I-I told you! I know nothing!” The guy on the floor in the alleyway pleaded. His teeth were coated red already and Buck winced. He dropped down silently from the rooftop. 

“You heard him, he knows nothing.” 

Deadpool swung around in record time, gun out, pointed perfectly in the center of Spider-Man’s forehead, but then those strangely tiny eyes of his, widened. 

Deadpool gasped, loudly, and dropped the gun but not before shooting the guy in the foot without looking when he’d started to crawl away. “Spider-Man! And British? Oh the box office views just got so much higher, those Marvel nerds are going to be soaking wet!” 

“What?” Spider-Man frowned. “Actually, no, don’t tell me, I don’t care. What the hell do you think you’re doing?” 

“With him?” Deadpool asked, jutting a gloved thumb out at the guy behind, who was still — bless him, but not really because he’s a bad guy — trying to get away. “Oh, I’m— hey!”

Buck snatched Deadpool’s gun with a web before he got the chance to shoot the next foot, and he tossed the gun over his shoulder into one of the large trash bins behind him. 

“That was my favorite gun, you web-slinging joykill! Who died and made you the cranky neighborhood Spider-Man?” Deadpool huffed, swiveling on his heels, head thrown back. Great, a performer. 

“Answer my question, Deadpool.” Spider-Man watched him closely. He was… odd to say the very least. 

"Oh, Webs, you're demanding! If this were a rom-com, I'd be so wet right now, but you're killing my vibe here. I'm supposed to be the sexy one in spandex, not the one putting up with your do-gooder Spider-Man routine. You're really cock-blocking my night of glorious chaos and viable murder. Seriously, pal, you're like a clingy ex, and it's getting real old, real fast!" Deadpool reached down for the guy, grabbing him by the back of his jacket to haul him up. 

“And you're killing mine,” Spider-Man replied, latching onto the holster of Deadpool’s katanas and pulling him back with enough strength to send him tripping backwards, right into Buck, who didn’t bother to catch him.

“Oh mother Mary, Jesus, Christmas!” Deadpool yelped, sliding down Buck’s chest, the back of his hands pressed flat against Buck, going… lower. “Oh, this is nice—”  

Spider-Man yanked him by the scruff of his suit, back on his feet. “Go,” he jutted his chin out at the guy, who was now running and stumbling, not bothering to answer questions. It’s not like he would call the cops. He was pretty sure that guy was a murderer. He didn’t like the thought of letting him go, but that was a problem for later. 

Buck let go of Deadpool when the guy was out of sight, and he turned around, promptly smoothing out Spider-Man’s chest with the tips of his fingers. “I’m going to hurt you now, Webs… What do you do outside of all this vigilantism? Because your body is insane!”  

Before Buck had the chance to snap back, something sharp went right through him. 

“What the fuck?!” He yelled, looking down at where one of the katanas slid right through his thigh.

“Meet Bea. Really goes through there like Butter, right? Isn’t she perfect?” Deadpool sighed wistfully. "Oh, don't give me those big terrifying insect eyes! You'll be fine, you big baby. Just walk it off like a real superhero, or at least pretend you're in a badass montage. I hear NSYNC’s making a comeback—" 

“Yeah I heal, in like, a day!” Buck jumped back, letting his blood splatter all across the dirty tar. “You fucking bastard!”

"Are you signed with Sony? 'Cause their heroes usually keep it PG, but I like your filthy mouth. Now, be a good little rebel and say 'cunt' for me. Let's give the readers a heart attack!" Deadpool pulled out his other katana, holding them both out now. 

“Do you ever shut up?” Spider-Man asked, launching a web right at Deadpool’s left katana, but it sliced right through. Well, that’s new.

“Only when I’m asleep.” Deadpool answered, slicing another web like it was the easiest thing he’s ever had to do. 

Spider-Man shot one after the next, picking up the pace until they were flying at Deadpool faster than most bullets would, but Deadpool never fucking missed. 

“Like butter, babyboy,” Deadpool half whispered, and Buck wanted to know if he always talked like that. He wasn’t attracted to it. Nope. 

“Put those down!” Spider-Man huffed, stomping his left foot, shooting out more webs relentlessly.

"Not every fight's fair, hot stuff. Maybe swap the spandex for some guns. They do wonders for evening the odds."

“I don’t kill people.”

“Well, the news says otherwise.”

“Fuck you.”

“You promise? I’m not used to bottoming, but for you I will—”

Deadpool landed with a thud, and Buck couldn’t help but chuckle under his mask. 

Deadpool had been so focused on the webs coming right for his face, that he never thought about the legs, so Buck had wrapped one perfectly around his ankles and gave him a little tug.

“That’s cheating! Keep going! Learn to fight dirty, Webs!” Deadpool gasped, wriggling around, still dodging Spider-Man’s web blasts until Buck tilted his head in thought.

This guy wanted to play dirty? Buck could have some fun with that.

So he booted Deadpool in a place no man ever should be.

“Great Caesar’s ghost, those were my taco twins!” Deadpool wheezed out, dropping his katanas and rolling onto his side. “My spandex snuggies— Oh sweet mother of Stan Lee… How could you?!” 

“You’ll heal,” Spider-Man nudged Deadpool’s shoulder with his boot, turning him onto his back. He webbed up Deadpool’s hands and once he was sure he was secure enough, Buck crouched down beside him. “Tell me why you’re doing this, Deadpool.”

“You just— You just turned my huevos into guacamole, and you think I'm gonna spill the beans? You've got another thing coming, pal. Those ain't nachos; they're my pride and joy!"

What? 

Buck pulled Deadpool into a sitting position and held him up. “Listen, you’re on LAPD’s radar because of all this shit, carnage clown, and it’s drawing unnecessary attention to me that I really don’t need right now.”

Deadpool snorted. “‘Carnage Clown’… that’s genius. Where’d you get that? Twitter Trolls?”

Spider-Man snatched Deadpool’s smaller knife and stuck it right in Deadpool’s thigh. “Hey, woah! Too close to the crotch cobbler there buddy!” Deadpool smacked Spider-Man’s hand away with his webbed wrists, but all Buck did was twist the blade deeper. 

“It’s not my fault you’re being plastered around on the internet like Justin Bieber with bad bangs! You’re the one going off fighting fucking talking lizards! I’m just doing my job here!”

“And what is that, exactly? Because it seems like you just like killing people for your own personal entertainment.”

“Look,” Deadpool sighed, his shoulders sagging. “Someone I care about got hurt, okay? I’m just avenging them, and all that anti-hero shit. Sure, it’s getting a little too gruesome for the viewers at home, but wouldn’t you go all Spidey-Killer on a bad guy if they hurt someone you love?”

Buck’s grip on the blade loosened. He didn’t even want to think about the amount of blood he’s lost from that katana wound. But Deadpool had a point. 

“I already have,” Spider-Man answered gruffly. “And it’s not something I’ve been able to come back from.”

“Yeah well, I’ve killed enough people to fill a country. It doesn’t affect me like it does with you, Webs.” Deadpool’s hands shifted within the web-cuffs. “I was special forces. Before that? War. You think I’m affected by taking a life? It’s about as common as a boner in gym class.” 

“Do you ever talk normally?” Spider-Man frowned, his expression transferring through his mask. 

“Do you ever let people touch these? I mean, they’re remarkable…” Deadpool’s — now very free — hand gripped Spider-Man’s bicep. “It’s like the size of my face!” Deadpool tugged Spider-Man’s arm closer to make a comparison, but all he got was an elbow right to his nose. 

Deadpool made a fist of victory. "Worth it!"

Deadpool grunted, snapping his nose back into place. He shook his head out, his blood splattering across Buck’s suit. “Will you stop hurting me! I’m very into it and I won’t be able to control myself if you keep going.” 

“You stabbed me first!” 

“Because you let my guy go!”

“Because you were going to kill him!” 

“Were you even listening to what I just said?!” Despite being untied by his wrists, Deadpool didn’t reach for his katanas, or to pull off the webs around his ankles. He clearly didn’t want to hurt Spider-Man, which intrigued Buck a little too much. 

“So what, thirty plus men hurt this person you care about? I doubt that.” Buck shook his head, looking towards the street to make sure they were still alone. The last thing they needed was company or to be recorded being seen together. 

"No, but they're all in cahoots one way or another. It's like they're recycling a dirty diaper; the shit just gets messier every time. You know, like—”

“Okay, okay, I get the analogy.” Buck held his hands up. He really didn’t need the full picture. “Your point?”

“That guy you let go? Killed a little girl a few weeks back and no one seemed to give a shit because there was no proof. But I know,” Deadpool pointed a finger at himself. “I know, because I saw it happen, and I couldn’t stop him.”

Buck fell silent, his head lowering slightly.

"You know what else, Webs? The same scumbag sold the weapons to the guy who hurt that someone I care about. He peddles these weapons all over New York and won't ever fucking stop. He's been to prison, had the whole 'Welcome to Oz' gay sex experience, but he's still out there. And I could've stopped him until you showed up, playing the hero, sticking that… perfect ass out for Tony Stark to notice, and now he's gone."

Spider-Man nodded slowly. He was silent for a brief moment before ripping the webs around Deadpool’s ankles. Then he stood up and began walking down the alleyway.

"Is that it?! I pour my heart out in a speech that user regularis_vas on AO3 painstakingly wrote for me, and you just walk away?! The disrespect! He hasn’t slept in weeks! Seriously, I’m getting a little worried." 

Spider-Man stopped and looked over his shoulder. “I saw him go that way,” he pointed to the right. “That’s where a lot of them hang out in the abandoned Pacific subway line. You coming or what?” 

Deadpool stared at him for a moment, seemingly shocked, and then abruptly scattered, collecting his weapons and rushing towards the dumpster, launching himself in like a professional diver, and coming out seconds later with the gun that Spider-Man had thrown.

"This is gonna be the most epic, badass, and horniest team-up of the century! The fans are gonna need a cold shower after this one!" He huffed, swiping off a fish carcass from the top of his head, making Buck cringe. 

“Tell that to Wolverine,” Buck replied, turning the corner down the street, leaving Deadpool to catch up. He let himself laugh when he heard Deadpool gasp, followed by the quick ‘pitter patters’ of Deadpool running after him. 

“You broke the fourth wall, you sneaky son of a bitch!” 

“I did no such thing,” Spider-Man denied, grinning a little too big under his mask, crossing his arms.

“Oh yes, cross your arms for me, you beautiful mutant. Just like that, big boy.” Deadpool sighed, dropping his head on Spider-Man’s arm, squeezing his muscles.

“No no,” Buck pushed his head away with a hand. “You smell like garbage, I just got my suit cleaned.”

“Oh I bet it had all kinds of lizard juice on it,” Deadpool replied in that weirdly sensual voice. 

“You’re disgusting,” Buck scrunched his nose.

“I can be anything you want, Sugarbear.” 

Thank god he has a good lawyer now, right?

Chapter Text

Alright, you bunch of bedazzled couch potatoes who haven’t slept since the last season finale of this sh*tstorm, gather round! 

One last time! 

My eye is twitching! 

Go Red Socks! 

No, really, this is the final time. Scout's honor, cross my heart, hope to die, stick a chimichanga in my eye. 

Anyway, the name’s Evan Buckley. That’s right, I’m a firefighter. But hold onto your butts, because I got bitten by a radioactive spider. Yeah, I know, what the actual sh*t, right? For a whole month, I was a hot mess – like a drunk elephant on roller skates.

But now? Now, I’m the world’s only crime-fighting, fire-fighting, web-slinging Spider-Man! 

I changed science forever, flirted like a hormonal teenager (thanks for the assist, Riv-Who’s-Bascially-My-Jesus), and kicked some scaly bad guy ass!

Yeah, try to wrap your pea-sized brains around that. 

Too many words again? Am I rambling like Ryan Reynolds on a Marvel set? Give it to me straight, I can take it.

(Just kidding, I'm more fragile than a soap bubble at a porcupine party, I can’t take it.)

So, yeah, hit me with your suggestions, but don’t actually hit me—that's just rude and I bruise like a peach. 

(Pretty please).

I’ve spent too much time around Deadpool, I’m so sorry. It won’t happen again. Seriously. 

– Light, Loathe, and Love, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man x

Again, that’s just too many words! Goddamnit.

Spider-Man will return.

Again.

Chapter Text