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Language:
English
Series:
Part 2 of More Than What Was Taken
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Published:
2026-02-02
Words:
321
Chapters:
1/1
Kudos:
11
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82

Echoes in the Kitchen

Summary:

On a quiet roof in Hell’s Kitchen, the adrenaline of a successful bust doesn't fade for Peter Parker. Instead, it unearths a ghost he’s spent years trying to outrun. Caught in the keen senses of Matt Murdock, Peter is forced to confront the truth: that his "Spider-Sense" might have started long before the spider bite. In a rare moment of vulnerability, Peter reveals the shadow Skip Westcott cast over his childhood, grappling with the realization that all his super-strength can't rescue the twelve-year-old version of himself still trapped in the past.

Notes:

While the first part explored Peter's vulnerability at home with MJ, this scene takes place on a rooftop in Hell's Kitchen. It focuses on the 'warrior's bond' between Peter and Matt Murdock, and how Matt’s senses make it impossible for Peter to hide his past during a difficult night.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

Atop the rooftop of Hell's kitchen, the city was oddly quiet, but Peters heart was pounding like a bird stuck in a cage. They had just busted a low-level grooming ring, nothing flashy, no capes, just human filth.

 

Matt stood a few feet away, his head tilted. "Your heart rate hasn't dropped since we left the building, Peter. The adrenaline should have leveled off ten minutes ago."

 

Peter stayed perched on the ledge, his knees pulled tight to his chest. "I’m fine, Matt. Just... caffeine. You know? Big gulp, bad choices."

 

"You're lying," Matt said, his voice soft, but firm. "You smell like cold sweat and old fear. And everytime I move my hand toward your shoulder, your muscles lock up like you're preparing for a hit that isnt coming."

 

Peter went still. The silence of the city was deafening.

 

"I was twelve," Peter whispered. "Before the spider. Before the 'great power.' There was a guy, Skip. Posed as my babysitter. He... he took me places. He told me it was our secret."

 

He finally looked at Matt, though the white lenses of his mask hid his eyes. "I spent years thinking the Spider-Sense was a gift to keep me safe. But sometimes I think I’ve been vibrating with that same warning since I was a kid. I just didn't have a name for it back then."

 

Matt didn't offer a platitude. He didn't say 'I'm sorry.' He simply sat down on the gravel of the roof, leaving a respectful distance between them. "You think the power makes you untouchable now," Matt noted. "But the kid is still in there, isn't he? Wondering why he couldn't fight back before he had the muscles to do it."

 

"Every time I stop someone like him," Peter said, his voice cracking, "I'm trying to reach back in time and pull myself out of that spot. But I'm still there, Matt. I'm always still there."

Notes:

Notes from my last part: I don’t necessarily think the Skip Wescott and Peter Parker thing is canon since it was never brought up again in the main story. But I do like to think that the idea of him being a survivor makes him more inspiring and would be a powerful part of his resilience. It turns his "great responsibility" into something even more personal, the idea that even someone who has faced the absolute worst can still choose to be the light for others!

cont:
There's a possibility I may turn this into a larger story, explaining why Peter is so protective over the younger heroes (Such as Miles Morales) which isn't just about responsibility, it’s a deep, personal drive to be the adult he didn't have.

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