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When Frank got to his current New York hideout, he hoped to clean his guns and relax. His last personal ‘mission’ had gone well enough, and now he didn’t have anything planned for at least a few days. He entertained the idea of either pissing off Red or pissing of the feds just for a little something to do. Before he could really make plans, though, his phone started ringing.
Without even looking at it, Frank picked it up and demanded, “Who is this?”
“Oh hey Ma- uh, Daredevil. Sorry. ’m near yours and I need some help.” The voice on the phone sounded quiet. The slurred speech making Frank assume whoever it was, either was on something or drunk. The only reason he hadn’t just hung up was both the fact that this person apparently knew Red personally and how young the guy sounded.
Apparently, Frank took too long to respond because the kid started talking again. “I got shot? But like just, just a lil. And maybe knifed, but this guy just like whammed and jammed this needle and it had somethin’ in it and I dunno what it did, but but I got him! Got the baddy- Bu’ I tried swingin’ to you and I fell like twice so now ‘m in an alley or somethin’ and, yeah. I’m near,” The kid rattled off a crossroad Frank recognized as just inside Hell’s Kitchen.
Any thoughts of just hanging up and ignoring it or even hanging up and calling Red to deal with it went away listening to this kid ramble on. Because the person on the phone had to be a kid. Maybe a teenager, but all the same. A teenager that had been shot, knifed, and drugged, but instead of calling 911, tried to call Daredevil.
Frank couldn’t remember if Daredevil had an apprentice or the likes, but if Murdock was dragging a kid into his bullshit, Frank was going to kill him.
A muffled groan from the other end of the phone drew Frank from his thoughts as he grabbed his truck keys and snatch up a pistol. He repeated, “Who is this?”
“’s Spider-Man!” The kid, Spider-Man apparently, exclaimed like he couldn’t believe Frank was asking. At least, it finally clicked for the kid. “You’re not Matt.”
“Took you long enough.”
The was some shuffling. Frank assumed the kid had pulled the phone away from him. It sounded like it as the kid said, “Ooooh, you’re the Punisher. ‘m not supposed to call you unless I can’t reach anyone else. Double-D’s gonna be so mad. I gotta… I gotta call him. Sorry to bother ya Mr. Castle.”
“Wait, kid, don’t hang up- Fuck.” There was no response, but Frank was still getting into his truck. He knew where the kid was and could get to him. At least knowing the guy was Spider-Man made this whole think make more sense.
Frank tried to call the kid back only for the call to be declined twice. On the third try, there wasn’t an answer at all. He was pretty close anyway. Not wanting to drag the kid back to his with all the guns about, Frank needed to decide on what to do once he got to the guy. There was one clear solution, no matter how Frank loathed to admit it.
“What do you want?”
“Nice to hear from you too, Red. Thanks for the heads up on giving my phone number to a goddamn child.” Frank saw no need to sugarcoat his anger.
“How did you-” Matt’s confusion was palpable even over the phone before a note of panic took over. “Fuck- Did he call you? Is he okay?”
“He’s hurt. Kid meant to call you.” Normally, Frank would give Red shit about losing his cool, but the worry in the man’s voice made Frank pause. “He’s at-”
“I hear him- and you. I’ll meet you there.” The call went dead.
Frank sped up.
Closing the door of his truck softly, Frank crept up to the alley Spider-Man had described. He heard a soft voice talking and Spider-Man responding. A hand stayed firmly on his gun as he turned the corner. He didn’t know if someone was trying to help Spider-Man or hurt him, but Frank was ready to scare the piss out of whoever thought it was a good idea to stop.
As Frank level the gun towards the figure crouched over Spider-Man, he realized two surprising things. The first, of course, being that the figure was one Matt Murdock. The second, and more shocking of the two, was the fact that Murdock wasn’t wearing his ridiculous costume. Another thought struck, and Frank realized Murdock wasn’t even wearing his glasses. He was pretty sure in all the time he’d known the man; he’d never seen the other’s eyes.
If Murdock knew Frank was there, he didn’t show it even as Frank lowered his weapon. Instead, Murdock kept talking in a low voice. “You need to stay awake, Peter. If you can’t, we’re going to a hospital. Whatever they gave you is slowing your heart rate.”
“M’kay,” Peter mumbled back, keeping a hand latched around Murdock’s wrist. “It’s a- a sedative, you know? Think they were tryin’ to kill me with it. That’s why it’s affecting me. But I got’em. I got’em.”
Murdock mostly ignored Peter. “Did you web up your wounds with the medical stuff or your other webs?”
“Other.” Whatever that was supposed to mean.
“Do you have the dissolver?”
“Yeah, ‘course I do. I’m not an idiot.”
Murdock relaxed a little at that reassurance, and Frank felt secure enough to insert himself into the conversation. “You and me’re gonna have a talk about why you’ve got a kid apprentice and why you thought it was a good idea to give him my number.”
The way Murdock ignored him made Frank feel a little punchy, but given the wounded kid on the ground, Frank reigned in the urge.
“Our good friend, Frank’s here. We’re going to move you now and get you to my place. Is that alright, Peter?”
“I can walk.”
“Your fucked up ankle says otherwise. Give me your hands.” Murdock grabbed the kid’s hands and hauled him to his feet. Peter flinched when he put weight on his left leg, but Frank was close enough to reach out and steady the kid.
Finally addressing Frank, Murdock asked, “You mind giving us a ride to mine?”
Frank just grunted and started pulling Peter along to help the kid get back to his truck. It took quite a bit of finagling to get the kid both into the truck and to work his way into a hoodie Murdock gave Peter with the explanation of, “We can’t get seen with Spider-Man like this, okay? Either keep the hood up or take your mask off.”
The way Peter’s head swiveled to look at Frank made the man hesitate. He didn’t give two shits if this kid trusted him. In fact, he’d call the kid a dumbass if he did blindly trust Frank. That didn’t keep Frank from feeling uncomfortable with the idea of a kid being scared of him. Though, Peter certainly surprised him.
“Do you trust ‘im?” Peter looked back to Murdock.
It was all the more surprising when Murdock nodded. “Yeah I do. Karen trusts him too if that helps.”
Apparently both Murdock and the kid were fools because that was all Peter needed to pull the mask off. Frank was struck by how young Peter actually looked. He almost wanted to ask how old Peter was, but he couldn’t. He was probably as old as Lisa would have been. The thought made his heart ache, watching the kid lean against Murdock, full of trust and youthful vigor. Wanting to fling off that ache, that pain, was more than enough reason for Frank to grasp back onto anger. “Now you wanna explain why the fuck you’ve dragged a kid into your shit?”
Peter’s “’m not a kid,” went ignored.
The way Murdock sighed told Frank, he’d had this conversation before. “I didn’t drag him into anything.” At Frank’s disbelieving snort, Murdock got a heat to his voice. “He was Spider-Man before I met him, I tried to stop him, he wasn’t going to, so I’ve been training him and keeping him safe.”
“Real great job, doing that,” Frank snarked back.
“Without me he would’ve been dead tonight. The shit he got into wasn’t something of mine, it was something of his. So, stop talking about shit that’s none of your business.”
“Oh, it became my goddamn business when a child calls me in the middle of the fucking night because he’s been stabbed, shot, and drugged. Don’t give people my number if you don’t want my opinion on the shit you’re getting up to.” This was why Frank and Red couldn’t work together often. The guy’s screwed up morals drove Frank to insanity. Killing was off the table, but encouraging and helping a kid get himself killed? Just fine in the realm of Daredevil’s fucked up reality.
Both Frank and Murdock were ready to go off on one another again, when Peter piped up even louder than before, “Stop fighting. Just… shut up, or I’ll kick your ass. Just ignore ‘im, Matty. You don’t speak asshole, remember?”
The kid settled back down, and Murdock snorted.
“What’s so damn funny?” Frank snapped.
“Calm down, macho man, I’m laughing at him. If he remembers this, he’s going to be so embarrassed he told you to shut up.”
“He shouldn’t be embarrassed. He should be terrified of me.”
Murdock shrugged, the fire seeming to leave him. “He calls Jessica ‘Ms. Jones’ no matter how often she threatens to kick him out a window. I can’t imagine he’ll find you all that scary.”
There was a moment of silence as Frank drove before Murdock continued, “You’re welcome to try and convince him to quit, but he won’t listen to you, and if you try to chain him to a roof like you did me, he’ll break out easily. He’s got super strength. I should’ve asked before giving him your number, but I only gave it to him in case he couldn’t get in touch with me or any of the others. I’ll tell him to delete the number when he’s more lucid.”
“Just fucking warn me next time. I’d rather him be able to call than die in an alley, but if you pull this kind of shit on me again, I will kick the shit out of you again.” Frank didn’t want Peter to delete his phone number. He was definitely going to take a moment to try and get Peter to quit this shit, but the idea of the kid dying in an alleyway because he couldn’t call someone scared Frank. He wasn’t interested in having that hang over his head.
Ever the annoying little shit, Murdock continued as if Frank’s frustration was nothing. “Can you get him up to my apartment? I can’t exactly go through the building looking like this or supporting him.”
“I’m not leaving this alone till I know he’ll be okay.” Frank didn’t want Murdock to get any ideas that he was doing it for the blind man. No, this was all about helping out a kid not the lawyer thorn in his side.
“Careful, Frank, someone might think you’re going soft,” Murdock replied with a smirk.
Peter flailed a bit, smacking Murdock in the face before mumbling, “If you’re mean to him, I’ll kick your ass too.”
It was Frank’s turn to laugh.
Getting the kid up the flights of stairs was easier than Frank thought it would be. Apparently whatever struggle or fight there had been in him, had been tossed aside in favor of sleepily clinging to Frank. Even the couple times Frank was sure his grip slipped, and the kid should’ve fallen… well, Peter had a hell of a grip to stay like that. Frank also worried about how light Peter felt. He didn’t know a lot about Spider-Man, didn’t give a shit about people in pajamas running around, but he’d come across videos of the kid doing flips and stunts. He even saw the one with Peter catching a bus. Anyone with that strength should’ve weighed more.
That thought would have to wait. Murdock opened the door for both Peter and Frank before anyone knocked, but Frank knew by now not to question the creepy shit Murdock did. Frank did note that the man had his glasses back on.
Before Frank even stepped foot into the apartment, Murdock was already directing him. “Set him down on the couch. Can you look for any wounds or gobs of webbing? I’m getting the kit.”
“Gobs of webbing?” Frank thought he’d been very kind not demanding answers on that earlier. He still set Peter down on the couch.
Murdock made a noise of affirmation as he walked to a different room. While he dragged a heavy medical kit back into his living room, he answered Frank’s question. “Spider-Man uses a synthetic webbing to swing around, but it also makes a good bandage in a pinch. It burns like hell- but, better than bleeding out.”
Good enough reason for Frank. Poking and prodding at the kid, Frank realized Peter had fallen asleep. Alarmed by the kid falling asleep while drugged, Frank shook him. “Come on, kid, wake the hell up.”
Frank only stopped shaking Peter when Murdock put a hand on his shoulder. The first aid kit was set beside them as Murdock explained, “His heart rate and breathing are fine. If he sleeps through patching him up, I’m not complaining.” A small tube was passed over to Frank. Murdock continued, “Put that on any webbed-up areas. It’ll get rid of the webbing so I can take care of the wounds.” Murdock ran his hands over Peter’s midsection. “He doesn’t have any internal bleeding, so he’ll be fine.”
“He got stabbed and shot, in what world is he going to be okay?” Frank snapped, all too unhappy with having to deal with such a wounded kid. He still started applying the spray to the webbing all over the kid’s chest. He didn’t know what Murdock was off doing once he walked away.
Murdock did reply, though. “He’s got a healing ability. There’s a chance he doesn’t need anything more than a couple bandages slapped over his injuries. And… trust me, he’s had a lot worse.”
Frank really didn’t need to know what ‘worse’ entailed. Instead, he focused on watching the webbing start to dissolve. With the stuff on Peter’s chest going away, Frank started spraying some on the kid’s side. For Murdock having said Peter had worse, the kid didn’t have almost any scars. Well, a stabbing and gun wound would ‘fix’ that. Frank heard Murdock shuffling around the kitchen, but he was focused on the wound across Peter’s chest. Whoever got a knife on the kid, did a good job of making a large, somewhat deep cut.
With the webbing gone, Frank could see the blood covering Peter’s chest and the wound still bleeding. As gently as he could, Frank ran his fingers near the wound, trying to figure out if it needed stitches or not. He was by no means a medic, but he knew how to do stitches. The question of Murdock’s plan on stitches was on the tip of his tongue when a fist slammed into his jaw.
“Fuck!” Frank grabbed the flailing arm near him, trying to avoid getting punched a second time, but was surprised to find Peter strong enough to rip his arm away from Frank. Super strength. Of course, super strength it was. At least Peter hadn’t broken his nose. Again.
The panicked flailing drew Frank back to the fact that this kid had been drugged and likely didn’t know how he’d been moved if the sudden sober look on Peter’s face meant anything. Frank did his best to avoid getting hit again while trying to keep Peter from hurting himself more.
In all the movement, Frank almost missed Murdock calling out, “Put his hand on your chest.”
That seemed like the last thing Frank wanted to do, he obeyed in the hopes it would get the kid to calm down.
Murdock, at least, was there in the next instant, speaking softly, softer than Frank had ever heard before. “Peter, listen to Frank’s heartbeat. You’re okay. You’re at my apartment. You’re okay.”
Despite Frank’s trepidation, Peter did seem to calm with his hand over Frank’s chest. Taking his cue from Murdock, Frank did nothing more than take measured breaths and let Peter keep a hand over his heart. Eventually, Peter’s hand slid down to loosely grip Frank’s wrist, right over his pulse point.
“’m sorry.”
Peter’s soft apology made it impossible for Frank to hold onto any anger. “It’s okay.” It wasn’t okay, none of this was, but Frank got why Peter would punch first and ask questions later.
Now that Peter was calm, Murdock asked, “Is the drug out of your system yet?”
Peter shrugged. “Mostly. Still really tired.”
That answer was, apparently, acceptable because next thing Frank knew, Murdock handed Frank what looked like an emergency ration.
“Get him to eat that while I work on his wounds,” Murdock commanded. He didn’t even wait for a response before digging around the kit for one of Peter’s inventions.
Frank couldn’t help the stubbornness rising up. “You know this has near 4000 calories in one bar, right? Kid doesn’t need this shit.”
The huff that came from Murdock only pissed Frank off more. Especially with how condescending Murdock’s explanation sounded. “Look, I don’t have time to explain to you all of his abilities. He heals fast and that healing needs fuel. That’s the quickest way to get him fuel, so if you want to help, get him to eat it. The more and faster he eats the faster he heals.”
Frank wanted to question why he needed to feed the kid when Peter was awake and much more alert. However, as Murdock ran his hand near the cut across Peter’s chest, Frank realized he was more distraction than feeder. He could distract Peter. It would have been easier though, if the kid let go of his wrist. When Murdock pulled a little tube out of the kit instead of stich supplies, Frank had to ask, “What is that shit? He needs stitches.”
The proud smile on Murdock’s lips lit up the man’s face. Murdock happily explained, “It’s better than stitches. Something he made himself, but it only works on him.”
Peter actually continued the explanation, feeling much more aware now. “I heal too fast for stitches. They’d get stuck in me, so it works like the webbing except it dissolves as my wounds heal. ‘m trying to make it work for more people than just me.”
While Peter was explaining it, Murdock had already positioned the little device to spray over the knife wound. Peter couldn’t stop his flinch when the spray first hit. Murdock complained, “You have to stay still, Peter. This isn’t all that easy to do without seeing it.”
Frank was part way through offering to help when Peter reached out and grabbed the ration out of his hand and said, “I’ll eat this so you can help him. Just try to make sure it gets into the wound enough to keep me from bleeding. The gun wound isn’t bad, so this knife thing is all I need fix. Is it okay if I go to sleep after eating this?”
“Yeah, you can go to sleep kid. I’ll call your friend to cover with your aunt.”
The normalcy this conversation held didn’t sit well with Frank, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he focused on keeping Peter still while Murdock worked. True to his word, Peter practically scarfed down the ration bar before settling down. He was out before Murdock had finished bandaging him up.
Once Frank was positive the kid was asleep and the medical supplies were put away, he asked, “How do you actually know him? He your kid or nephew?”
Murdock’s weary sigh made Frank smirk. “Why does everyone assume he’s mine?”
“I know you’re a repressed nerd, but-”
“He’s not my kid! I would’ve been 15 and no, just-” Once Murdock realized Frank was just messing with him, he spit out a “fuck you.”
“Seriously, though, Red, what the fuck were you thinking letting a kid do shit like this?” Frank asked.
Murdock shrugged, a sad look crossing his face. “If I could get him to quit, I would, but he’s got his reasons. I’m not going to get in the way, and he’s a lot better off than he was when I met him. Jess, Danny, and Luke have also helped him learn more about fighting and shit in general. You really are welcome to try and get him to quit, but he’ll just ignore you.”
“You didn’t think to tell me about this? Or warn me I’d be getting phone calls from a twelve-year-old?”
“He’s 16.” Even Murdock knew that was weak. “I didn’t want him to meet you. The Punisher’s not exactly kid friendly, but for fuck’s sake, I knew you’d help him if he needed it.”
“Don’t get too emotional, or I’ll think you like me.”
“With your ugly mug?”
Frank’s only response was a double middle finger salute, but when he went to lift the arm Peter held, the kid’s hand didn’t let go. Instead, like glue, the kid’s arm waved around attached to Frank’s. The worst part? Peter didn’t move or flinch. He just kept snoozing away.
Well, actually, Peter not reacting wasn’t the worst. The worst part was when Murdock realized what was going on and proceeded to wheeze and huff with laughter. The laughter only made Frank get heated as he (quietly) snapped, “What the fuck is this?”
Between muffled laughs, Murdock explained, “Sticking to stuff is one of his abilities and when he gets hurt or really sleepy, he has a hard time controlling it.”
‘Very funny. Make him stop.”
The laughter only increased. “You’re welcome to try, but he’ll probably punch you again and might not let go.”
Frank’s glare and rising discomfort caused Murdock to stop laughing and more seriously answer, “If you wake him up, you can probably get him to let go. Otherwise, wait a half hour and try to get him to grab onto something else. If he doesn’t let go then, he’ll let go when he gets to rem sleep.”
Well, Frank definitely wasn’t waking the kid up. Letting Peter get his rest and heal was more important than his discomfort. At least Murdock stopped laughing at him.
“If it makes you feel better, he wouldn’t have stuck to you like this if he didn’t have complete trust in you. I’d take it as a compliment more than anything.” A soft smile graced Murdock’s lips as he started walking away. “I’ve got court in the morning, so wake me up if he needs me.”
Frank did flip the man’s back off with his unattached hand but settled into the chair beside Peter. An hour later, Peter’s hand did finally release his wrist. Frank stood slowly, trying to avoid making any noise. Frank ruffled Peter’s hair before a thought popped into mind. It took a minute, but eventually Frank found pen and paper. He quickly scrawled a message on it and left it taped to the kid’s forehead. He didn’t bother leaving a note for Murdock. The man would contact Frank if necessary. No, Frank just wanted to ensure that he had an opportunity to help the kid out.
The next morning, when Peter blinked to clear his eyes, he was confused by the paper in front of his face. He sat up, shame of his actions the night before washing over him. He definitely needed to apologize to Frank later. For now, he settled on reading the note.
No clue if you’ll remember last night, kid, but don’t hesitate to call if you find yourself in shit. Red can’t be everywhere, and you seem like a handful of trouble. I’m gonna call you a few days from now. Don’t tell Red. He’ll lose his shit if he knows.
--------------------
Honestly, getting Peter to join him on a drive out of the city had been easier than Frank thought. He brought Max with him to try and ease the kid into it. It was a shock when Peter just hopped into Frank’s truck, happy to pet the dog and let Frank drive away. Either the kid was insanely trusting or didn’t find Frank dangerous. Whichever it was, it meant the kid was a well and true dumbass. He would’ve thought Murdock would teach the kid survival instincts, but apparently not.
Forty minutes into the drive, Frank found that Peter was a decent travel companion. The kid would talk for a little bit, but mostly kept to petting Max and looking out the window. However, that forty-minute mark was finally the moment Peter asked some questions.
“Um, not that I’m not really enjoying meeting your dog and like hanging out, Mr. Castle, but are you kidnapping me?”
“What?”
“Well, I was just thinking about it cause you haven’t said at all where we’re going other than ‘don’t tell Red or he’ll lose his shit,’ and I’ve got math homework I really need to do today, so getting kidnapped would be kind of a bummer.”
Frank glanced at the kid. “Did you- Is this how you would react if you were getting kidnapped?” Suddenly Frank understood why Murdock was so high-strung all the time. If he had to deal with this kid on a regular basis, he’d constantly blow a fuse too.
“Well, I mean, we know each other, so I guess not? If you were a stranger, I probably wouldn’t have gotten in the car at all. I know you’re not gonna hurt me, but Ms. Page said you kidnapped her once, so I was kind of wondering if it was a friend right of passage. Plus, your dog’s really cute. But, most people assume I’m really weak and scrawny, so getting kidnapped at Peter wouldn’t be too bad. A little subtle super strength and I’m gone,” Peter explained, all too calm talking about potential kidnappings.
“You sure you’re not related to Red? You’re just as much of a lost cause as him.” Frank’s words lacked heat. He was strangely touched that Peter trusted him so much. The kid was well and true an idiot, but it was kind of sweet. Frank Jr. had been like that. Ready to give anyone a second chance, kind to anyone simply because they were human.
The overwhelming feelings made Frank miss whatever Peter started rambling about, but luckily, they were at their destination. Focusing on his reasons for dragging Peter out there was a better use of time.
Frank interrupted Peter’s rambling, “I’m going to teach you gun safety and how to shoot.”
Peter visible got nervous. “Oh, um, that’s-”
“Look, kid,” Frank interrupted again, “if you don’t want to do this, we’ll turn around and go back to city and… get ice cream or some bullshit. Red mentioned you get a little freaked out around some guns, and the best way to stop being scared of something is to know everything about it. Knowing what kinds of guns work different ways could help you know what to look for, which ones to get rid of first, and how to use one in a pinch. I’m not gonna force you to do shit you don’t wanna do, so just say the word.”
The dragging silence made Frank nervous. He didn’t want to make the kid freaked out. Thinking about the way Murdock probably viewed guns, motivated Frank to explain, “Knowing this stuff doesn’t mean you’re gonna pick up a gun and kill someone. I know Red’s all high and mighty with that shit, but this is a defensive thing.”
That dragged Peter out of his thoughts. He shook his head. “Oh no, I mean, killing is bad in my eyes, but I’m not as um… Catholic about it. I think that’s how Ms. Jones put it. Like, the avengers kill people, and everyone still thinks they’re the good guys because they’ve got good PR. I know- or assume, you know, that that’s not everything you’re about.” Frank let the kid fidget for a second before Peter finally explained, “I’ve seen people get shot a couple times before, and it’s… When I’m Spider-Man I don’t have an issue with it! Before Matt showed me better ways, I’d just ninja slap guns out of people’s hands and I’m strong enough to break them. Just, sometimes I freeze up, but I’d like to learn. Maybe it’ll keep me from freezing up.”
Frank nodded along. He understood Peter’s trepidation with guns, knowing a bit of the kid’s history. He still thought it would be a good idea for Peter to learn. However, something Peter said really stuck out to him. “You would what guns?”
“Ninja slap. You know like wham,” Peter demonstrated the movement, “right in the wrist. Most people drop things they’re holding if you hit them in the wrist. Plus, I only ever do- did it when I was too close to use webs.”
Frank didn’t miss that slip up. “So you still do it, you just told Murdock you stopped?”
“Hmmmm technically? I told him I found an efficient way to disarm people. I just didn’t say it was the way I had always done it.”
“Alright, get out of the truck. This is officially a gun safety class where I’ll pretend, I don’t know anything about your disarming methods.” Frank turned off his truck and hopped out, letting Max follow him. He flipped down the back of his truck, so they could use the bed as a table for the weapons Frank brought. “I’m going to teach you how to strip and put various guns back together, the best way to handle someone using each gun, basic gun safety, and then have you shoot them. Sound good?”
Peter’s nod was all he needed.
While showing Peter how each of the four guns were loaded and put together, Frank realized a few things. Despite being Murdock’s protégé, the kid took directions well. Sure, the kid had a mouth on him and wasn’t afraid to sass Frank, but Peter genuinely listened. Frank also learned that Peter was smart. Murdock had said it but seeing the ease in which Peter took in the information and applied it was something else.
The kid could’ve been a hell of a military recruit if he’d wanted that path. Frank thanked the stars that Peter wasn’t like that, wasn’t in a situation to be exploited. The good didn’t always outweigh the bad.
If Frank hadn’t seen the way Peter’s hands shook when he first touched the gun, he would have assumed the kid already had firearm training with how quickly Frank’s little gun assembly and disassembly lesson went.
Moving onto ways to disarm someone with a firearm, Frank picked up the assault rifle, keeping it pointed away from the kid. “Your best bet with all firearms is to get out of the way and into some kind of cover. That won’t be your thing, I’m sure, since that leaves an armed and dangerous person out there. With your webs, you should try to cause a distraction and then use them to take the person down. Obviously, each weapon shoots differently and are dangerous for different reasons, so pay attention.”
Frank went through the four guns he’d brought, talking about the various ways they shot and what was the most dangerous part of each weapon. He explained things like, if someone had a sniper and was shooting at him, getting into cover and trying to identify where the shots are coming from is important along with moving in a way that makes it difficult to get a clean shot.
When Frank moved to demonstrate how the weapons fired, he didn’t miss the way Peter flinched at the pistol. Most people in Frank’s experience feared pistols the least given their size. Frank didn’t ask, but he could assume. At least this way Peter would have a better chance of knowing how to keep people safe.
The gun safety portion of their little lesson went similarly to the assembly and disassembly part. Peter was able to keep up with all of it, and with a weapon in hand, kept his finger off the trigger and pointed away from both himself and Frank despite knowing the pistol he was practicing with wasn’t loaded. Despite Peter’s hesitance, Frank was surprised to see how steady Peter’s hand was.
Frank told Peter how to hold the pistol and what stance to take up when firing. He explained the different ways to brace himself for the recoil before saying, “And finally, never point a loaded weapon at someone you’re not prepared to severely wound if not kill.”
Peter lowered the pistol and frown at the ground. “I don’t think I need to know how to shoot these… I don’t want to kill anyone, Mr. Castle.”
“Like I said, I’m not gonna force you to learn, but you never know what might happen, kid. It’s just important to know. This shit’s dangerous, and if you’re gonna use it, you gotta be prepared for the possible outcomes. I hope you never have to pick up a gun and use it on someone. If you wanna quit and go back to the city, we can.” Frank expected this to be as far as the lesson went. He really was okay with that. He took no pleasure in teaching a kid how to use guns, but he wanted Peter to be safe.
After a moment more of staring at the ground for answers, Peter shook his head. “No, I want to know. I need to be prepared.”
Frank could respect that. With that being the kid’s answer, Frank went through the four different guns he brought, showing Peter how to use each one and giving the kid a chance to shoot each one. Peter had a surprisingly steady hand, but Frank suspected that was a part of mysterious spider powers.
It wasn’t long after that, that Frank found himself packing things up while Peter sat in the truck, petting Max. The kid had gotten quit, and Frank hoped he hadn’t pushed too far. Maybe some ice cream once they got back into the city was in order. His kids always perked back up when offered sugary treats.
The ride back was quieter than the ride there, but the tension left Peter’s body as he hummed along to a couple songs. Frank was content to listen to the kid, happy that Peter wasn’t too worked up. They did stop for ice cream, but there wasn’t much conversation until Frank went to drop Peter off.
“Hey, kid, this is going to be a weird request, but don’t tell Red about this little training session,” Frank requested.
Peter’s eyebrows furrowed. “Why? I don’t really want to get dragged into you guys’… issues.”
“We don’t have issues- No, that’s not important, just Red’s going to lose his mind being pissed at me for teaching you how to use guns, so don’t tell him. Let him find out on his own and then call me and tell me about the hissy fit he threw over it, okay?”
Frank didn’t know Peter that well, but he’d gotten a sense for the kid’s joy in causing mischief. He was betting Peter would like the idea of giving his mentor a hernia.
Frank’s suspicions were proven correct when Peter replied, “I can do that! I mean, he’s not gonna be mad at me, and I will throw you under the bus, but it’ll be kind of funny seeing him freak out. He might realize it sooner than you think, though, if he smells gun powder on me.”
A smirk lit up Frank’s face. “I’m kind of counting on it. Now, go do your math homework and stay out of trouble.”
“Of course, Mr. Castle! I’ll see you around.”
Peter’s thousand-watt smile as he left made Frank smile a little himself. He was glad he’d decided to do this with the kid.
An impressive three weeks later, Frank didn’t have to wait for the kid to call as Murdock called late one night, shouting about Peter’s webshooters jamming and the kid picking up a pistol to shoot the gun out of some goon’s hand. Murdock made the correct assumption that Frank was the only one who would have and could have taught Peter how to shoot like that.
Despite Murdock’s shouting giving Frank a headache, it was worth it. It was so, so worth it.