Chapter Text
A normal person in New York's day might start with a light jog before going to work. Peters? It started with him going to get breakfast at a coffee shop with his friends. At least that's how is day was supposed to start.
But of course, that's where his day went wrong. On the way to the coffee shop, a girl was getting mugged in an alley. Everyone kept walking except Peter. He walked into the alley and drug the man away from the girl.
The mugger threw a punch and that was when Peter realized that the mugger had friends and was part of a trafficking ring that Matt, Finn, and he were keeping tabs on. After that first realization, he also realized that he did not have his suit on and couldn’t fight the way he normally would. Deciding to just grab the girl they ran away from Bryant Park.
Before Peter had realized it he was in Hell’s Kitchen and could see the sign for Josie’s. All of a sudden a man grabs Peter and the girl. Giving the kids a once over he quickly said, “Act like you haven’t been running. Tie your hair up girl. Put this hat on kid.”
They walked with faux calm, checking over their shoulders occasionally. The man pulled them into a run down obviously closed office. “Are you kids okay?”
Peter looks at the girl and tries to judge if she is injured before answering with a yes. “Why did you help me?” The girl with long brown hair asked looking at Peter.
“You looked like you needed help. And those guys are known, human traffickers.” Peter answered without realizing that the average teenager should not know what a group of human traffickers would look like.
The girl tilted her head to the side and made a confused face. “How did you know they were traffickers?”
Realizing his mistake he tried to correct it before just giving up and refusing to answer.
The girl mumbled to herself, “I should tell Clint about this.” Probably not meaning for him to hear.
The man looked out the window and noticed the men had just passed. “Give it a few minutes and then you guys can go.”
They waited a few minutes before the man let them go. As Peter and the girl were getting ready to leave he reached out for a handshake and said, “Thank you, Mr. ?”
The man shook his hand and said, “It’s Castle. Your welcome kid.”
"Do you want your hat back Mr. Castle?" Peter asked as he walked out the door realizing he still had the hat on.
"You can keep it, kid." Castle said. Peter noticed he sounded sad but went on his way.
Peter and the girl walked out of the building and went their separate ways. Peter called MJ and Ned to tell them that he wouldn’t be able to make it for breakfast and coffee. He instead went to the firm to talk to Matt and Finn about what just happened.
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Peter had walked into the firm and there were no clients. Calling out a quick “Matt, Finn. I need to tell you something.”
Karen looked up as Matt, Finn, and Foggy came out of their offices. “What’s up kiddo?” Matt asked, sensing that Peter's adrenaline was up slightly.
“That trafficking ring that we’re looking into just tried to grab someone in the middle of the day.” Karen made a confused sound and tilted her head in a questioning manner.
“I’m sorry what do you mean ‘we’re looking into.’ Don’t you mean that Finn and Matt are looking into it? I’m pretty sure you should not be involved in the vigilante thing considering that you are a teenager.” Karen said before anyone else could respond to what Peter had said.
“Oh shit. Yeah, t-that’s what I m-meant. Obviously, I meant that Matt and Finn were looking into it. I-I just happened to see what some of the men looked like when Finn came back from surveillance with photos.”
“Yeah, I’m not believing that so spill. Are you a vigilante?” Foggy says not buying the excuse.
“Holy shit! You’re the Leviathan aren’t you?” Karen asks putting together that Peter moved in with Matt when the Leviathan came around.
Peter just looked at the ground refusing to look at anyone. Finn just looked at Matt, while Matt's unfocused eyes were directed in the general direction of Peter. Matt had his head cocked to the side listening to everyone's heartbeats to gauge what their reactions would be.
Foggy started yelling, “You bring a kid with you to fight crime? He helped you guys take down the trafficking ring like three weeks after he moved in with you guys. What the fuck has been going through your heads?
“Do you even want to fight crime? Did they just want to have a whole family of vigilantes or did they-”
Peter cut him off. “I was already fighting crime before I met Matt and Finn. My aunt and uncle died because I was out trying to stop crime. This is my choice and they are just making sure I am safe. I believe that with great power comes great responsibility and it's my job to protect those who need it no matter the cost.
"If you have the abilities I do, and bad things happen, then they happen because of you. I feel responsible for helping because I have these powers."
“Oh my god. Matt, he’s just like you! I hate it,” Karen said going to grab whiskey from her desk at that information.
“Are you at least safe then? No running around in pajamas trying to fight crime?” Foggy took a breath. “I wouldn’t be able to take it if I had to find you in a suit that's just shitty fabric and you being stitched up by Claire.”
“I’m as safe as I can be. I have a suit made out of the same thing as Matt and Finn’s. Also, I don’t know who Claire is yet.” Peter said quietly while still staring at the ground.
“As lovely as this conversation has been I think that we need to talk about the fact that the trafficking ring is taking people in broad daylight.” Finn interrupted the conversation.
“What trafficking ring are you looking into?” Karen asked.
“I think it's the Cid-Hernandez trafficking ring. They have been going for a while and just switch leaders as they get caught and charged.” Matt said trying to focus on what the actual conversation was supposed to be about.
“Did you stop them from grabbing whoever they tried to take?” Matt asked turning to Peter.
“Yeah. I had to run all the way from Bryant Park before someone stopped and helped hide us from them. Said his last name was Castle.” Peter said taking a breath.
“That’s where I got this hat.” Pointing to the hat on his head.
Peter spent the rest of his day at the office finding information on the trafficking ring. Matt had a few clients come in and get confused at a teenager being in the office but decided to just ignore it. By the end of the day, Peter had found more information on the trafficking ring, while Matt and Finn had met with multiple clients.
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The next day Peter went to school while Matt and Finn went to the firm. Sitting down for Chemistry next to Ned he apologizes for not meeting them yesterday. Peter made an excuse that he had to stop by the firm and help out.
MJ had sat down behind them while Peter was making excuses. “You know you don’t have to lie right?” she said quietly.
Peter spluttered, “I-I d-don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You have bruises on your hands, you’re obviously doing some kind of fighting you don’t want us to know about. And the bruises keep shifting so obviously you are continuously fighting. They also keep healing during the day. I will figure it out, don’t try me.” MJ said in her monotone voice.
“I will tell you if, and only if, I am in serious danger.” Peter decided.
Sitting through Chemistry Peter had started falling asleep, as he had been on a late patrol the night before stalking the trafficking ring to find when was the best time to attack. Of course, last night wasn’t his only night with minimal sleep as he was patrolling with Matt and Finn nightly while also staying up with nightmares.
When lunch came around Peter, MJ, and Ned all sat together. They started talking before, Flash came over and said to Peter, “Why do you look so sad Penis? Oh, I forgot you’re aunt and uncle died, so you became an orphan again!” Flash sounded like he cared a little.
“You know you don’t have to be a dick to everyone just because you have a small one Flash.” MJ quipped back to him in a bored tone.
Flash spluttered for a second before walking away from the group.
“You don’t have to stick up for me. It’s not a big deal.” Peter said to MJ.
She just hummed and went back to reading her book.