2

Peter was wrong. Not only was it a big deal, it was a REALLY big deal. Maybe the BIGGEST deal.

It was all happening so fast. The news reported that governments around the world were now launching investigations into Spider-Man and his role in the death of Mysterio. Newspapers focused on Peter, MJ, and Ned, as they called Peter’s friends “cronies.” They talked about him being a reckless teenager unfit to follow in Tony Stark’s footsteps. The media even said Peter couldn’t be trusted because he had lied to protect his secret identity!

And just when it seemed like everything couldn’t get worse, there came a knock on the door of May’s apartment.

“Federal agents!” came the voice from the other side. “Open up!”

“Federal agents?” May said, as she looked over at Peter. “You stay here!”

She opened the door, revealing a group of people in suits.

“Department of Damage Control,” stated an agent. “We have a warrant for the arrest of Peter Parker.”

“You know the Fourth Amendment?” May countered.

“Sure,” the agent answered.

“ ‘Unreasonable search and seizure?’ ” asked May, quoting the US Constitution.

“Get in here, guys,” the agent ordered, ignoring May. “Let’s go!”

“You are not getting in this house!” May argued, but the agents had already shoved their way into the apartment.

They started to photograph everything, from a framed picture of Ned and MJ at a school dance, to the charging station of Peter’s Iron Spider suit—even the glasses Tony Stark had left for Peter.

With everything documented, all that remained was for the Damage Control agents to take Peter into custody.

“I didn’t kill Quentin Beck,” Peter insisted, inside the Damage Control interrogation room. “The drones did.”

“The drones that are yours,” the agent said.

“No!” Peter said. “Well, look. Nick Fury was there the entire time. Just ask him, and he can explain everything.”

“Nick Fury has been off-planet for the last year,” the agent responded.

Peter couldn’t believe it. How was that even possible? Nick Fury had personally recruited him for the mission that ended up with Spider-Man fighting Mysterio. If it wasn’t Nick Fury that Peter had been dealing with, then who was it?

Before Peter could say anything else, he heard a voice calling his name from outside the interrogation room. Through the glass window, he saw more agents bringing in May, MJ, and Ned for questioning.

Peter insisted they had nothing to do with his situation.

“Don’t say anything without a lawyer!” both May and MJ said at the same time.

Inside MJ’s interrogation room, the teenager took one look at the Damage Control agent and said, “I want a lawyer.”

“Miss Jones-Watson,” the agent began.

“Jones,” MJ corrected. “I don’t go by Watson.”

“Miss Jones, why do you want a lawyer if—”

“If I have nothing to hide?” MJ said, finishing the agent’s sentence.

“Exactly,” the agent replied. “Unless—”

“I’m actually guilty of something? I’m very aware of your tactics and my rights.”

“Just answer my questions,” the agent said, sounding annoyed. “I’ve seen your file. You’re a smart young woman with a bright future ahead of her. Why would you risk it all by getting involved with a vigilante like Peter Parker?”

“So sorry to keep you waiting,” the agent said as they entered Ned’s interrogation room. “Can we get Ned a snack, please?”

Another Damage Control agent standing in the doorway said, “Absolutely.”

“Dude, I’m so sorry about that,” the first agent said to Ned.

“I’m not supposed to say anything to you,” Ned replied uncomfortably.

“No, Ned. Not even a thing,” the agent responded. “I just have one question. When MJ told you that Peter was Spider-Man ...”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Ned said. “I knew way before MJ did. I was Spider-Man’s guy in the chair.”

“Oh, I know about those,” the agent said. “Dude, half my guys are guys in the chair.”

“Well, exactly!” Ned said, loosening up. “You would know. I literally helped him find the Vulture.”

“I didn’t know that,” the agent replied, apparently impressed.

“And I helped him hack a suit once and kind of helped him get to space,” Ned continued, clearly proud of his achievements.

“So, in Spider-Man’s illegal vigilantism, you were his main accomplice,” the agent said.

Ned went silent. Then, at last, he said, “I would like to have my words stricken from the record.”

In yet another interrogation room, May stared at a Damage Control agent, not willing to give an inch.

“With all due respect,” May began, “and I mean that very insincerely, unless you have some real specific charges to throw at us, legally, you can’t hold us here.”

The agent looked at May. “You should definitely lawyer up.”

“Excuse me?”

“Child endangerment’s a nasty rap,” the agent said. “A boy was entrusted to you, and as his legal guardian—essentially his mother—you not only allowed him to endanger himself, but you actually encouraged it. Who does that?”

May had heard enough.

“I want to see Peter right now!”

May could certainly be persuasive. After some calls, she and Peter were finally home. They sat in the apartment and watched as the news reported that Stark Industries was now being investigated. Some tech had gone missing that may have had something to do with the whole affair with Spider-Man, Mysterio, and the drones.

Happy was there, too, listening as a reporter said, “Agents want to know exactly what was taken and whether or not it could fall into the wrong hands.”

Peter shook his head. “What is happening?”

He looked up at a man in a suit and dark glasses, carrying a cane. The man was wrapping up a phone call, saying, “That’s great. Thank you.”

Turning to Peter, the man said, “Well, I have some good news, Peter. I don’t believe any of the charges against you are going to stick.”

“Wait, seriously?!” Peter asked, relief washing over him.

“Oh, I knew it!” May said.

“Nice!” Happy practically shouted.

“Oh my God, Mr. Murdock,” Peter said. “Thank you! That’s amazing!”

“Thank you, Matt,” May added.

“You’re welcome,” the lawyer replied.

“Perfect!” Happy said, glad to have some good news for a change.

“However, Mr. Hogan,” Matt began. “The feds are actively investigating the missing technology. I uh, understand your loyalty to Mr. Stark and his legacy. But if you were involved—”

“If I was involved?!” Happy asked.

“I advise securing a lawyer,” Matt suggested.

Happy’s head was spinning. “I need a lawyer because I’m ... I’m under investigation?”

Looking at Peter, Happy said, “I thought he was ... You said that there were no charges. I could say, ‘Under advisement of counsel, I refuse to answer the question, respectfully, because I—the answer could incriminate me.’ It’s in Goodfellas . What’s the thing they say in Goodfellas ?”

May felt awful for Happy.

“Calm down,” she said. “Let’s hear what he has to say. Matt?”

What Matt had to say was, “You’re gonna need a really good lawyer.”

Then the lawyer turned to Peter and said, “You may have dodged your legal troubles, but things will get much worse. There is still the court of public opinion.”

As if in reply to Matt’s words, there came the sound of breaking glass as a window shattered—something had been thrown into the apartment from outside. The object flew right toward Peter and the others, as Matt suddenly reached out a hand and caught it.

“Murderer!” came a voice from outside. “Mysterio forever!”

Peter looked at Matt. He knew the lawyer couldn’t see, and yet he had caught the object with no effort.

“How did you just do that?” Peter asked.

“I’m a really good lawyer,” Matt said, in a way that made Peter think there was a lot more to this man than he was letting on.

Attention then turned to the object: a brick, wrapped in paper. Words scrawled on the paper said, we beleive mysterio . Peter noticed the word believe had been misspelled.

“We’re gonna need a safer place to live,” May said.