Summary: After an incident involving a couple of robbers and some explosives, The Spider has to save people from the burning wreckage of a bank. He doesn’t know he has to save Frankie, too.

Or, where Frankie meets a hero and tells him how he feels about the only dad he’s ever had.

Continuation of “Papa Spider”, can be standalone.

CW: Mentions of de@th, de@d people. Ben having big feelings.

Ben wanted to throw up. He wanted to throw up his guts and shake his fist at the sky and cry his heart out. But he couldn’t. Because he wasn’t Ben right now. He was The Spider. And the Spider was perched up on a roof, Frankie’s limp body in his arms.

—-///—

Earlier that day

“Robbie! Robbie! Look what Mr. Reilly gave me!” Frankie held up the small, leather wallet to the man, who beamed down at the boy.

“Very nice, Frankie. Did you thank him?” Robbie sent a knowing look over to the man in question, who was leaning against his desk with his arms crossed. Robbie would swear up and down that he’d never seen a man like Ben acting so soft over a kid. His ashy blue eyes were trained on his little “sidekick,” a proud smirk pulling at lips. He’d made the decision to buy the boy his own wallet after the other day where he’d made good money.

Of course, Ben was still juggling with the fact that he wasn’t thrilled about Frankie having to work at such a young age. But that was a can of worms he was afraid to open. No matter how much it made the fire in his chest spark to life.

“Now when you make money, you can keep it safe. And when you get change, you’ve got somewhere to put it.” His heart nearly melted at the excitement in Frankie’s face, who was holding the little leather square like it was made of gold.

“I’m gonna make so much money, like a…like a working man!” He hurried out the door, ready to put the wallet to use.

“Wow…took him to the pictures and now you’re buying him stuff?” Robbie nudged his friend, gesturing outside. Ben huffed, feeling a flush of embarrassment rising to his cheeks.

“I’m just…takin’ care of the kid. He helps me a lot…he deserves a reward every now and then.” Ben knew that wasn’t the only reason. And he knew that Robbie knew. If Ben asked Frankie to jump, the kid would ask him how high, he’d go to the moon for the man if he asked. And after the other day, Ben knew he himself wouldn’t let Hell or high water near that kid. He didn’t know if it was the spider DNA in his blood or if he was coming down with something, but there was no doubt that Frankie had him and his friends wrapped around his little finger.

“Right…” Robbie patted his back before heading for the door, grabbing his hat off the coat rack. “I’m gonna head out, brother…hopefully I get a good story soon.”

—-///—-

By noon, Frankie had filled his wallet with nothing but quarters, which sat heavily in his pocket. He was proud of the money he’d made but he knew having it clank around in his pocket just brought attention to him that he didn’t want.

So, he decided to go to the bank to get the quarters changed for bills. How hard could it be? He’d seen grown ups do it all the time.

—-///—-

“Dammit, Lonnie, do you have the dynamite ready?”

“Yeah, Joe, I got it.”

The two scruffy men barked at each other as they snuck into the busy bank, their faces covered by makeshift masks. Lonnie lifted his gun into the air and fired two shots.

“Alright!” He shouted, “Nobody moves until I say so. I want the key to the vault or I’ll blow it open!”

Frankie hummed softly as he hurried down the street towards the bank, excited to show Mr. Reilly the money he’d made.

He pushed through the doors, and gasped as two masked men lit the fuse to a a bundle of dynamite at the base of the bank vault’s door.

“Wait…won’t this damage the mo—-“

Lonnie didn’t get to ask his question. The explosion ripped through the metal door, blew pieces at people and over the inside of the bank. The shockwave knocked Frankie back against the wall, his consciousness fading with his wallet still clutched in his hands.

—-///——

“Do you think we could redecorate the office a little bit?” Ben asked as Janet finished a phone call.

“What do you mean? I think it looks nice?” She crossed her arms, resting them on her desk.

Ben suddenly felt awkward as he rubbed the back of his neck, “Well I mean…maybe just move things around a little so…we’d have a little extra room…”

Janet’s confusion gave way to understanding, a knowing smile pulling at her lips. “I know what you mean…you’ve been worried sick about him, haven’t you?”

“I just don’t like that he has to sleep in a building with a bunch of other boys…he doesn’t have his own space.”

“You don’t have to hoard him here, y’know…adoption is a thing.”

Ben’s stomach tied itself into knots, “And how do you know he’d want that?”

Janet just shrugged, offering a supportive smile. Ben wanted to say something else, but his spider sense zapped him. He grunted, gripping the side of his neck as his hearing picked up an explosion from far away.

“I gotta go…cover for me here.” He rushed to his office and grabbed the suitcase under his desk.

—-///——

The Spider flung through the air, following the police cars and fire trucks that were speeding down the street below him. From the distance he could see the rising smoke from a burning building, his senses ringing in his head at the danger. As he got closer, though, another sensation began, familiar and burning. He pressed a hand to his chest as he perched on a roof next to the bank, feeling like a part of him would tear out of his body and run towards the bank without hesitation.

He assessed where he could get in, and jumped, ignoring the flash of reporters cameras and shouting at his arrival as he swung into the building. Robbie pushed through the crowd, camera ready for his friend as he squinted against the flames and noise. One after another, The Spider brought a bundled body out, his webbing cocooning the victims of the flames to preserve them. The firemen controlled the destructive heat as he’d escort living and dead people out into the open air for the proper care. The fire was still young, centered in the back of the building where two mutilated corpses were found. He huffed, leaving the obvious perpetrators for law enforcement to deal with. Thinking he’d gotten everyone out, he hurried to the door before the searing pain in his chest nearly knocked him down, he grunted, clawing at his suit as he scanned the thickening smoke. And there, in a heap right next to him, was Frankie, wallet still clutched tight in his hands.

No…no no no no no….

Robbie’s heart sank when the Spider stepped out into the sun, Frankie draped in his arms. An eruption of gasps and camera flashes pulled him out of it long enough to take a picture, The Spider looking only at him. He clutched the boy tighter when a firefighter reached for him, he wanted to scream and tear something apart.

“You’ve done your job, let him go—-“

“No.”

Everyone watched in shock as The Spider strung a web and swung away, boy in tow.

Robbie rushed out of the crowd, lungs burning as he ran to let Janet know. If anything happened to Frankie…no…no he couldn’t think about that. He couldn’t let Ben think about that.

—-////—-

C’mon kid…wake up…

The Spider sat on the edge of a far off building, away from any cameras or law enforcement or noise. He could hear Frankie’s quiet pulse, barely a whisper in his ears. A gloved hand gently cupped the boy’s face, an action that felt so foreign yet so right.

“Please…don’t do this to me, kid…” The Spider murmured, mask hiding the tears that were trying to escape.

Frankie coughed, brows furrowed against the sunlight. After what felt like hours but mere seconds, he opened his eyes.

“…Wh’t…?” He mumbled, blinking his eyes as the black figure above him came into focus. “…Woah…you’re the Spider…” He said, the utter amazement in his voice squeezing at Ben’s heart.

“What were you doing in that bank, kid?” He asked firmly, voice muffled enough that Frankie didn’t notice.

“I was tryin’ to get my quarters changed to dollars like the grown ups do. So I could show Mr. Reilly…” Frankie answered, pulling the preserved thick square of leather out of his pocket after feeling for it.

Ben wanted to be sick, “Who’s Mr. Reilly?”

Frankie thought for a moment, “He’s…well he’s like my boss. But he doesn’t act like a boss anymore.”

“What do you mean, kid?”

Frankie shrugged, “He takes me to the pictures and he buys me stuff or candies and toys.” He looked at his hands, “Like a dad…but I’m afraid if I asked him to be my dad he’d say no…”

Oh, his heart…

He swore it shattered, that fierce instinct in his blood screaming at him to protect protect protect.

“Let’s get you to Mr. Reilly then, hmm? Do you feel okay enough to go?”

Frankie nodded. Ben couldn’t smell anything wrong with him, and he knew the worst he had was a bump on the head from getting knocked out. Thank God he wasn’t closer to the fire…

Frankie cried out with joy as the wind whipped his face, smiling bright as The Spider swung through the air, his spiderling on his back.

“This is awesome!!”

Ben chuckled softly, the kid’s excitement melting him. He could get used to this…

—///—-

“I have no idea where they went I just know he swung off with him,” Robbie paced the floor as Janet dabbed at her eyes, sending prayer after prayer that Frankie wasn’t hurt.

As if the heavens heard, Frankie came barging in, his hair messy from the wind.

“Oh, mi dulce niño, ¿estás bien?” Janet cried as she rushed over to check him, turning his face this way and that. “Are you okay?”

Frankie nodded, “I’m okay, the Spider guy brought me here!”

Robbie and Janet shared a look just as Ben came in, who looked like he’d been crying.

“Oh, there you are, Frankie, I was looking for you,” he announced, trying to put on a casual front despite the emotional roller coaster he’d had.

“Sorry, Mr. Reilly, I got knocked out,” Frankie replied like it was nothing.

“I know, The Spider told me,” he looked at Robbie, “He caught me just as I was coming in, told me all about it.”

Frankie looked worried for a second, “…Everything…?”

Janet looked between them before pulling Robbie with her outside. The two of them decided to go on a coffee break to give Ben a moment.

“Mhm.” Ben sat down at his desk, and gestured for Frankie to come over with a finger.

He hated the hesitation in the kid’s his usual quippy go get em attitude completely gone.

As soon as the kid got close enough, Ben reached out and snagged him, wrapping him up in his arms.

“…He told me what you said, kid…about being afraid to ask me something.” He muttered against the boy’s hair, who had wrapped his arms around his neck.

“Of course I’ll be your dad, Frankie…” he said, throat tightening with emotion as he felt Frankie’s shoulders shaking.

“…Can you tell the Spider thank you, Mr. Reilly? The next time you see him? And that I think he’s the best hero..?”

Ben’s resolve crumbled as a tear rolled down his cheek, “Oh, he knows, kid…trust me he knows.”

—-///——

Robbie and Janet snuck back in to find both boys asleep, Frankie laying on Ben’s chest while his arms were wrapped protectively around his small frame, leaning back in his chair.

Janet pulled Robbie closer, sucking in a breath to collect herself. Robbie just smiled.

Ruby would’ve loved to see this…he thought.

Even in sleep, Ben’s hold tightened around his boy. His spiderling.

They would be best friends and you can’t convince me otherwise

Imagine Indy and Ben having to work together during WWII or something and talking about the boys they picked up off the street ❤️‍🩹

i’m having such a bad time on pinterest…… oh my god could you even imagine .

Summary: When Ben notices a change in his little paperboy’s behavior, he decides to investigate. What he finds wakes up a side to him he didn’t know existed

Or where the author learned that female tarantulas are very protective of their babies, and who’s to say that spider in the lab wasn’t a girl?

CW: Fluff and a little bit of angst. Ben and Janet being Frankie’s parental figures

Ben had known Frankie for a couple of years, the little twelve year old boy shoehorning himself into the old detective’s life. Ben still remembered the day, nearly knocking the paperboy over while hurrying to his office.

—-///—-

“Whatch it, kid!” He barked, half-eaten hotdog splattered on the concrete. Frankie picked up his hat, looking the least bit guilty as he grinned up at the man.

“Sorry mister,” he grabbed his stack of papers, “Like one?”

Ben snorted but snatched one regardless, starting his power walk towards his office. Despite his advanced hearing, he didn’t pick up the little feet trailing behind him through the city noise.

“Good morning, Ben…” Janet’s rested face turned to utter confusion as she noticed the boy at his side.

“What?” Ben asked, then looked down with a hard sigh. Frankie smiled up at him. “Kid…”

“C’mon, I’ve always wanted to see a real detective’s office, mister! I’ll even work for ya!” Frankie practically begged, giving him the biggest puppy eyes he’d ever seen. And damnit, he’d never admit how well they worked.

—///—

Now, Frankie was almost a constant in the office, learning reading and writing with Janet when she wasn’t busy or just hanging around. Sometimes Robbie would bring him a candy or toy when he’d drop by to talk to Ben or bring him in after a rough night.

And Ben wouldn’t say what kind of relationship he had with the boy was. Frankie made his living off of selling newspapers to busy New Yorkers. That’s all he ever knew how to do; sell or starve. No mom to make his favorite meals, no dad to teach him how to throw a baseball or tie a tie. And it did rub him the wrong way that Frankie had to go to a shelter to sleep or eat. And if he didn’t bring enough money he didn’t eat well.

Ben blamed it on morality alone when he felt something hot and visceral in his chest when he noticed Frankie’s cheek bones a little more, a bruise here or there, more time in the office like he was afraid to go back out on the street. Janet pulled him aside one slow afternoon to confirm his suspicion with her own.

“Have you noticed Frankie? He seems awfully quiet lately. And he looks sickly.” She whispered, looking over at the tiny form curled up in a chair.

“Yeah…as a matter of fact I have.” He replied, getting a good look at the boy, “He acts like something spooked him. Did you see how he was yesterday?”

Janet nodded, “Definitely…it might not be bad idea to check on him tomorrow. See what’s going on out there, y’know?”

Ben couldn’t agree more, the fire in his chest blazing at the thought.

—-///—-

He brought his mask just in case, stuffed in his coat pocket as he snuck around the sidewalk to watch the paper boys. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, busy people either walking by or taking notice and buying a paper. He stalked Frankie a little more, watching the kid.

“Read all about it!” Frankie shouted, holding up his newspaper like it was the key to life. He’d huff when he got ignored and grin big and bright when he’d make a quarter. It soothed something in Ben’s heart that he couldn’t put a finger on.

It was only when Ben’s attention moved away from Frankie that something happened. The smell of food wafted across his nose and made his belly rumble loudly. He sighed, wanting to stay but knowing that if he didn’t eat he’d be chasing bugs all over the place. Spidery things. So he reluctantly tore his vision away to track down the source of the smell.

—-//—

Good call, he thought as he bit into the loaded hot dog he had purchased, eyes closing in bliss—-

“Help!”

And he nearly choked when he picked up Frankie’s cry. And it was like something flipped inside of him, roaring to life as he tore through the traffic of people, running faster than he ever did.

—///—

There were two boys on top of him. Not adults, but old enough to know better. One of them, lanky with brown hair, had Frankie pinned down while the other boy who was a little shorter tore up page after page of newspaper. For anyone else it wasn’t a big deal, not caring about what the little boy was going through. But Ben knew. Oh, he knew what that paper meant to Frankie. It dictated whether or not the boy ate.

And ohhh…was he furious.

“GET OFF MY KID!!”

—-////—

Frankie was on the ground one second and being lifted the next, the two boys fleeing down the street. Two warm arms wrapped around him and held him up, a familiar voice reverberating in his head.

“You okay, kid?” Ben asked gruffly as he carried Frankie, looking nothing short of a pissed off animal.The busy mid day traffic of people split for him like the Red Sea, the vicious look in his eyes yet the gentle hold on the boy conveyed a simple message. Leave me alone.

“They didn’t hurt you bad, cariño?” Janet murmured to Frankie as she stuck a bandage onto his cheek, the only cut that had gotten on him thankfully.

Frankie shook his head, “No, ma’am…but they always like to do this. I’m used to it.”

Janet shared a mortified look with Ben, who looked ready to let The Spider handle the boys. He joined her, crouching down in front of the boy.

“Now listen, kid…I wanna know how long this has been going on. And don’t lie to me. Trust me, I’ll know.”

Frankie seemed to scrunch up on himself, shoulders touching his ears. Janet leaned in and tucked his chin up with a finger.

“Tell Ben what’s going on, niño…” She urged gently. And to their horror, the boy’s lip began to tremble.

Seeing Frankie cry broke a part of Ben’s heart that he’d never felt before. His miserable sobs shaking his whole frame, big tears streaming down his cheeks in a way that reminded Ben that he was just a boy. And it made him wonder how many nights at the shelter he’d spent crying like this.

“I’ve been dealin’ with these two boys for weeks now…” he scrubbed at his face, “been bullyin’ me and taking the money I make…” He sucked in a breath, “and my boss won’t do anything about it…”

Ben thought he could commit a murder right then. He let out a dangerously calm breath that Janet noticed. Ever his voice of reason, she touched his shoulder gently.

Not worth it.

Janet offered to take the boy home with her to let him take a good bath and sleep in a good bed. He didn’t put up a fight.

All the while, Ben swung through the city, hunting. A new kind of rage simmered underneath his skin, boiled his blood and stirred up lava in his belly. He stood at the edge of a building, goggled eyes scanning for who he was hunting for. And there, messing around by a closed shop, were the two boys. Ben might not make a scene this extreme over a kid. But The Spider?

“Hey, look what I scored,” one boy bragged as he pulled out some loose cash he had swiped. Too young to be doing petty theft.

The other boy went to show off his winnings and froze, eyes wide and terrified as he looked over the other’s shoulder.

“You boys have been very bad.” The Spider grunted firmly as he caged the two youngsters against the wall. “I’ve been keeping an eye on you two. I’ve seen what you’ve been up to with those poor newspaper boys.”

The taller one nodded, elbowing the other to agree that yes, that had been them. Ben smirked under the mask and pointed a strict finger. “Now,” he commanded, “I don’t want to see you two stealing from anyone else. I’ll find out. And I won’t be so nice next time. Got it?”

The boys stood motionless, shaking from head to toe.

“Got it?” He urged.

“Yes…yes sir…”

“Good. Now go home, it’s not safe at night.”

Ben watched the boys scurry away, tripping over themselves as they headed home. A job well done, he’d say.

The next morning Frankie was back out on the street selling his papers without a hitch. The news story caught the public’s eye, too.

—-///——

“Local child shelter owner cracked down by The Spider,” Janet read aloud, holding a smirk, “Threatens to contact Mayor Morris if children are not better cared for.”

“Didn’t know the Spider had a soft spot for kids,” Robbie smirked, nudging Ben teasingly.

Ben rolled his eyes, “I’m just doing my job and that’s all—“

Frankie came barging in that moment, face alight with joy as he held a wad of cash.

“Mr. Reilly! Mr. Reilly! I sold every paper today! Look, look, I got 20 bucks!” He waved the money wildly, amusing the adults.

“Nice job, kid. What are you gonna use it on?” Ben asked.

Frankie got shy all of a sudden and looked at his feet, “Could you take me to the pictures? I wanna have a big popcorn and a pop and watch a moving picture like you talked about..”

Ben’s face softened and he nodded, “Of course, kid…how about this evening I take you?”

Frankie perked up and rushed over, shocking Ben as he hugged his neck.

“Thank you, thank you!” He cheered, laughing as he rushed off to go brag to his friends. Ben stayed silent, his heart growing fuzzy. Janet and Robbie’s snickers brought him back to reality, and he swore he heard the words “papa spider” leave Robbie’s lips.

A small conversation with age itself — seventy‑five years in my bones now, and Frankie turning ten beside me, both of us learning how to age with a bit of grace and a bit of mischief, reminding us that growing old is just another way of staying present. When I Am OldIf,I was youngback in nineteen-sixty-one –no,when I am young again,without these strokes of paindown the other side of my brainI…