Chapter 100: Fanboy

"Now Let's wait for the police to show up and...." Peter was interrupted by the sound of foot steps just behind him. He turned to see who it was.

"BLACK MASK!!?"

Law in his black mask attire walked towards Spiderman.

"Bravo, Spider-Man," he said, his voice smooth and tinged with amusement completely different from his normal voice as Law "Quite the performance. Not just from you but also from this band of mercenaries."

Peter's heart skipped a beat as he recognized the figure. "Black Mask? Is that really you?"

The masked vigilante nodded, his posture radiating confidence. "In the flesh. Or, well, in the mask, I suppose."

Despite his exhaustion, Peter felt a surge of excitement coursing through him. This was Black Mask – the same vigilante who had saved Uncle Ben's life years ago, the hero he had idolized ever since. He could hardly believe his eyes.

"Oh man, oh man!" Peter exclaimed, his words tumbling out in a rush. "I can't believe it's really you! I have so many questions! Like, how do you keep your mask so shiny? Is it a special polish? Or wait, is that insensitive to ask? Sorry, I'm rambling. It's just... you're my hero!"

Black Mask chuckled, clearly amused by the young hero's enthusiasm. "Easy there, web-head. I'm flattered, but maybe save the fan club meeting for after we deal with our... guests." He gestured to the unconscious villains scattered around them.

Peter nodded, trying to compose himself. "Right, right. Of course. But, uh, before that... could I maybe get your autograph? I've got a pen somewhere in this suit. Or maybe you could sign my web-shooter? That'd be so cool!"

Law couldn't help but laugh at Spider-Man's fanboy moment. It was refreshing to see such genuine enthusiasm, especially after a tough battle.

'I wonder what his reaction would be if he knew that he sat besides Black Mask in high school.' Law thought

"Perhaps later," he said, his voice warm with amusement. "For now, we have more pressing matters to attend to. Tell me, Spider-Man, what do you plan to do with our defeated foes?"

The question sobered Peter up quickly. His excitement dimmed as reality set in. "I guess... turn them over to the police?" he said, though his voice betrayed his uncertainty.

Black Mask shook his head, his posture becoming more serious. "And how long do you think they'll stay imprisoned? A week? A month? These aren't ordinary criminals, Spider-Man. They'll either break out faster than you can say 'prison industrial complex,' or worse, become lab rats for some shadowy government agency."

Peter's shoulders slumped as the truth of Black Mask's words sank in. "Yeah, I know," he admitted. "But what else can we do? It's not like I have a super-secret villain jail hidden under my house." He paused, a glimmer of hope in his voice.

"Well,I might have a solution. You see, I have a friend – the Death Surgeon. Bit of an odd fellow, has a thing for fuzzy hats, but he runs a rather unique facility. A supervillain prison, if you will." Law said while trying not to cringe at himself.

Peter's spider-sense tingled slightly at the mention of a secret prison. "That sounds... kind of sketchy," he said cautiously. "No offense."

"None taken," Black Mask assured him. "But consider this – with jailors like your new friends here," he gestured to Emma Frost and the others, "these villains won't be escaping anytime soon. And they'll be treated fairly, given a chance at rehabilitation even."

Peter hesitated, his mind racing. On one hand, a secret prison run by someone called the Death Surgeon sounded like the plot of a bad B-movie. On the other hand, how many times had he captured these same villains, only to face them again weeks later? How many innocent people had been hurt in their repeated rampages?

"I don't know," Peter said slowly, voicing his concerns. "It's tempting, but... is it right? I mean, we're talking about a secret prison here. That's not exactly following due process."

Black Mask placed a hand on Peter's shoulder, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "Think about it this way, Spider-Man. Every time these villains escape, more people get hurt. Property gets destroyed. Lives are ruined. Can you, in good conscience, let that cycle continue when there's a better option?"

Peter's mind flashed to all the battles he'd fought, all the close calls where civilians had nearly been hurt or killed. He thought of Aunt May, of Gwen, of all the people he cared about who were put at risk every time a supervillain broke out of prison. The weight of responsibility, always heavy on his shoulders, seemed to grow even more.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of internal debate, Peter nodded. "Okay," he said, his voice firm despite his lingering doubts. "You're right. But I want your word that they'll be treated humanely. No experiments, no torture, nothing like that. They're still people, even if they're bad ones."

"You have my word," Black Mask said solemnly. "Cross my heart and hope to... well, let's not tempt fate, shall we?"

'I would not be called shameless if I always kept my word.' Law shamelessly thought internally

Peter couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Alright, I'm in. But I'm holding you to that autograph, mister!"

As they began to make arrangements for the villains' transport, Peter's mind was still reeling from the night's events. "You know," he quipped, unable to help himself, "when I woke up this morning, I didn't expect to end the day making a deal with my childhood hero to send my archenemies to secret superhero jail. I guess that's just Tuesday for Spider-Man, huh?"

Black Mask laughed, a sound that made Peter feel like he was part of some inside joke. "Welcome to the big leagues, kid. Now, about that autograph – how do you feel about signed mask replicas? I'm thinking of branching out into merchandise."

As they worked to secure the villains for transport, Peter couldn't shake the feeling that this night had changed everything. He had new allies, a new perspective on dealing with supervillains, and a connection to the hero he had admired for so long. The future was uncertain, but for the first time in a long while, Spider-Man felt like he wasn't facing it alone.

Little did Peter know, this was just the beginning of a much larger adventure – one that would challenge his beliefs, test his limits, and redefine what it meant to be a hero in a world of gray morality and hidden agendas. But for now, he was content with the knowledge that the Sinister Six were off the streets, and he had played a part in making New York a little safer.

"Well, I will give you all the lift and take away our little prisoners. It was nice meeting you Spidey. Cya" And with a wave Black Mask, the mercenaries and the sinister six disappeared leaving Peter stupified and in shock.

"I don't drink but I think I need a drink today." Peter mumbled to himself

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