Spider-Man. The House Of Venom

Gwen had stayed as late as she could, measuring the home she picked. The paint would arrive soon. At her request, Peter had cleaned and fitted two of the kitchen units along the wall with the bathroom on it.

They were already re-covered with white marble effect laminate. He had picked white to match any colour a tenant chose. Gwen had gone for pale cream. The white basic colour was too stark, even with the carpet.

Looking at the swatches. Peter ordered more paint than he needed and decided to do all the homes that colour. If anyone wanted something else, they could paint it themselves.

He had also spent the day, using his lunch break or waiting for something to dry to wander around Aleksei’s lot. He had been sticking post-it notes on things and keeping a track of the total.

In the end, he moved it all into a 'sold' pile and waited until his shift finished. Aleksei laughed and shook his head. Peter had gathered a few hundred dollars worth of stuff. Looking at the pile and giving Aleksei a hopeful smile.

“Yeah yeah, van right?” Peter looked hopefully at him. Aleksi snorted, ignoring the obvious attempt to score the van for free, and continued, “You know it’s only two blocks?”

“Yeah but,” Peter pointed to the mid-April rain,

“Fine fine, two hundred and twenty for delivery, and no stiffin’ the guys this time. Come on.”

Peter laughed, “rainwater isn’t that great,” but he did have the plumbing fixed now. “I’ll get coffee and danishes for them tomorrow.” Aleksei waved a hand. There was a bakery nearby that did big corporate orders but had a side store for walk-ins.

May had turned up late in the afternoon. Not only helped him pick things that were better than average but also paid for them.

“No Peter, this is my treat. You are finally moving, so please.” She gave him the same look he often used on her, and so he relented.

His big score and Aleksei was glad to be rid of it, was a huge catering table. Used for functions it was over ten feet long and four feet wide.

It was too large for a normal kitchen. And Aleksei's was not the normal place someone with a kitchen large enough for it would shop. It had sat in one of the offices for over two years. Peter fell in love with it as soon as he saw it.

It was a pale cream colour. With six drawers, three on each side underneath the plain varnished oak top.

While Peter could tell he was glad it was gone, Aleksei still charged him two hundred for it. A far cry from the three thousand similar tables were worth.

With a single trip Peter now actually had furniture in his home.

He had opted for an open-planned layout, and other than the bathroom there were no other walls in the place.

A murphy bed was folded up on the back wall, and while expensive he scored a couch and matching recliner and seat.

The kitchen was now decent as well. No washing machine, as they were out of his budget but he had a small set of hot plates, a microwave and a fridge freezer.

The table was now sat in the centre of the communal area. He had taken a set of six dining chairs, close enough in colour they didn't look too out of place. 

On the other side of the square, he had a couch and two more chairs. It would do for now, and a TV and other comforts would be added if anyone wanted them.

⁂

Just after May helped him move the table into place, the door buzzer went. He shrugged and checking through the peephole, he saw a badge.

Opening the door a crack, “Officer?”

“Peter Parker?” Peter opened the door further and nodded. “You are under arrest for the assault of Eugene Thompson.”

May heard and shot to the door, “now listen here.” but the officer held up his hand,

“Ma’am. I have a warrant to enter, but I also know about Peter from some of the guys at the station. Come quietly, and I won't need to use cuffs, and I won't make an issue of it.” the tired-looking detective said.

“I’ll get my coat,” May replied.

“Well?” the officer asked.

Peter nodded. He was not about to start anything with an actual police officer. “I’ll get mine too.” 

The officer held the door open, keeping an eye on Peter as he grabbed his jacket.

“Call Matt, “ he whispered to May, who made sure she had her phone.

⁂

Peter was booked in, fingerprinted and left in an interrogation room.

“Ma’am. He is eighteen, and you are not allowed in. Only counsel is allowed.” 

While she huffed, May sat in the waiting area.

The same detective came in, “Before we begin.” he reached over and pressed record on an old-fashioned tape machine on the desk.

“April 14th, 2020. Officer in charge is Detective Jack Dawkins handling case Zero Zero C B One One Nine Two. The time is 6:15 PM.”

He leant back and wrote the same information down on the charge sheet.

“Accused Peter Parker. You have been arrested on suspicion of assault on one Eugene Thompson. You are entitled to counsel. If you cannot afford counsel one can be appointed to you. Anything you say in the interview may be used in a court of law. Any admission or falsehood during said statements may also be used in court. Do you understand these rights as I have explained them to you?”

Peter leaned forwards, “yes.”

The officer sighed “great. So. Tell me what happened on January 23rd.”

“I refuse to make any statements without my lawyer present.” Peter leaned back and placed his hands on the table.

The officer scowled and huffed, “\can you tell me what happened on March 12th?”

Peter leaned forwards again. “I refuse to make any statements without my lawyer present.”

The officer sighed, “You know, this would go a lot easier if you just told us your side.”

Peter shook his head, “I. Refuse. To. Make. Any. Statements. Without. My Lawyer. Present.”

The officer rolled his pen onto the table,

“Look, kid. I get it. You watched some TV shows and think that we’ll let you go if you keep saying that. But we have witness statements saying you assaulted him twice. We have statements and videos of the third occasion when you broke his leg. We have a video clip showing you throwing the first punch, and we have testimony from the school to back it all up. Your lawyer isn’t going to save you.”

The door swung open, and Matt tapped his cane on the floor before heading inside,

“Oh, I disagree. Stop the recording, please. Peter get your jacket.”

The officer snorted, “Oh and why is that?”

“Detective Jack Dawkins, Badge 887234. Currently under investigation for taking bribes. Bribes from one Harrison Thompson. Stop the tape or I repeat the rest.”

Matt heard the man's calm demeanour dissolve into a spike in blood pressure and a rise in his heartbeat.

“My client has already given statements about the charges levied against him. The issue is already on the docket of the courts. This is intimidation tactics and officer.” Matt held out an envelope, which when Jack took it

“What the hell is this?” he swore after reading,

“You have just been served,” Matt said with a smile. "You might want to read a bit more though and make sure your boss doesn't weasel his way out of it.

“Come on Peter,” Matt held out an arm for Peter to take, “Your aunt is waiting.”

As Peter walked from the interview room, Matt paused,

“Oh, I heard an interesting thing. Seems the DA will take the case, so you might want to get up there. The deal he wants to cut only lasts a day or so.”

The detective swore and Matt smiled as he let the door shut behind him.

In the interview room, Dawkins pulled out his phone,

“Yeah, didn’t work. You still owe me though.”

He paused and held the phone away from his ear as the tinny expletive-ridden rant rang in his ears. Ignoring him, he flipped the summons around, and read the plea deal attached to the front.

Twenty-Four hours eh? He thought. He wasn’t that stupid. He knew Thompson would throw him under the bus as soon as look at him. He knew the type. A rich asshole who thought money solved everything.

“Yeah. Tough shit. Don’t call me again.” Putting his phone down, he grabbed his own coat and shook his head. He picked his phone back up and dialled the number on the front of the file.

“Yeah, it’s Dawkins. I’ll take it, full immunity right?” and he smiled.

Screw that asshole, he thought to himself, kids aunt was hot though.

⁂

On the cab ride back, Peter was quiet. He didn’t dare say a word as anything would come out angry and he refused to let Aunt May or his lawyer see him like that.

No, we will be patient, he thought, and he knew that Flash was in for a visit from Venom tonight.

This was the last straw. He could handle the insults, the abuse and the violence. Using a dirty cop to get to him was a step too far. What was next, targeting Aunt May? Going after Gwen or...

Peter took a breath and clenched and unclenched his fists.

“It’s okay to be angry Peter,” Matt said from the passenger side of the cab. “Even I didn’t think they would stoop so low.”

Even though he was trying to contain himself, he couldn't help but glare at Matt.

How could he understand? How could he know what suffering he was being put through, and how much he was going to return back to them.

Matt smiled, “Your aunt, Peter.” was all he said.

Peter took a breath and let it out, and nodded, “Aunt May. Are you okay?”

As he looked over at her, she was sitting, balling her own hands into fists, but she wasn't angry.

He pulled her over to him and she burst into tears. “I'm sorry Peter,” she sobbed as he rubbed her back, “I should have done more.”

Matt lay a hand on her shoulder, “Mrs Parker. You have an exceptional boy, who loves you. You did nothing wrong. You did all you could to love and protect him.”

Peter looked up and nodded at him. “May. Aunt May. Flash would have done this to someone else. I know it's been rough, but you never gave up.” He hugged her close, “You did nothing wrong.”

“Mrs Parker. He is right.” Matt said, leaning back with his cane between his legs. “You phoned the school, you made records of when Peter was targetted. You made sure he was safe and healthy. The school failed you, you didn’t fail Peter.”

May leaned back and sniffed, now looking defiant. “Mr Murdock. Thank you. And give them hell.”

“Oh I will,“ Matt said. The cab pulled up outside the office of Nelson and Murdock, and he waved as it drove north, taking the pair home.

Matt smiled as he entered, and smelt Karen's perfume and Foggy’s overly sweet coffee.

“So?” Foggy asked, “how did it go?” and he took a bite from a doughnut he had, and held the box out in front of Matt. “at twelve.”

Matt felt the edge of the box, “Jelly?”

“Red at six, chocolate at nine.” Foggy replied and Matt lifted the Strawberry one.

“It went great. I even got Dawkins. Now we just need to wait for the hearing.”

He had a class-action lawsuit lined up. He knew the school district would settle. They always did.

Nobody would admit that budget cuts and low pay were driving the system into the ground.

Nobody would ever admit that cases like Peters were on the rise.

Nobody would take the blame for the rise in school violence.

At most, they would close the school. Ship the teachers to different schools and reallocate its budget. The only ones who ever suffered were the students.

“You know we won't get paid for this. I checked. Parker is broke, even if he does have a warehouse.” Foggy said as he sat down, “You should take more paying cases. Although.” Foggy tapped a pen against his chin,

Matt laughed and sat down, “Don’t tell me. His aunt is hot?”

“You have no idea,“ Foggy said, leaning back. “So, did you at least add in a rider that we get paid? Because Karen isn’t happy, and an unhappy secretary means an awful lot of overtime.”

“We’ll get paid Foggy. Don’t worry.” Matt smiled before taking a bite of his doughnut.

Foggy wasn’t convinced and searched for his phone when he heard it buzz.

“Oh, Dawkins took the deal, so we have more work to do. But,” Foggy grimaced as he got another text. “He got immunity.”

Matt leaned back, stretching his hands and clasping them behind his back.

“Immunity’s not so bad. Testimony?”

“Uh, yeah, but only against Thompson for the Parker case. He gets to stay quiet about everything else.”

“Even the kids?”

Foggy put his phone down, “Matt, we’re lawyers, not private detectives. Every family that comes in here with a sob story doesn't get us jumping through hoops.”

“Foggy,” Matt warned.

“I know I know, but lawyers. Even if we did get Dawkins to confess, what good would it do? Let the real police do the work Matt, and we can swoop in and make sure the bad guys get put away, okay?”

“Sure,” Matt said as he swung back and forwards. He nodded, seemingly lost in thought.

He didn’t like it. There had been a string of kidnappings in New York recently, with no apparent link between any of them. All kids, under fifteen, had just vanished. He had a lead in Dawkins, but that just went up in smoke.

It seemed the Devil of Hell's Kitchen would have to pay him a visit.