Spider-Man: Black and Blue (AU) Chapter 38: Mama Bird

[Third Person Pov]

Dane walked back over with a couple of sodas balanced in his hands, one for Damon and one for Danielle—both of whom were still being “detained” until their parents arrived. The fluorescent lights above hummed faintly, doing nothing to ease the tension that clung to the small waiting area like static.

“I already called Dad,” Dane said with a weary sigh as he handed the drinks over. “And knowing him, he’s gonna call Mom the second he hangs up. So the two of them should be here any minute.”

Danielle accepted the soda with both hands, her fingers trembling just a little. Damon took his without much thought, popping the tab with the casual familiarity. Dane rubbed the back of his head as he looked them both over.

“So… how are you two holding up?”

“I was held at gunpoint, you tell me,” Danielle replied flatly. Her voice didn’t crack, but her eyes were still red at the corners, the last traces of tears clinging stubbornly to her lashes.

“Yeah, okay… fair,” Dane conceded, wincing at his own question. “That was stupid of me. Just—look, Dad sounded pissed. I haven’t heard him like this since the time Damon got kidnapped.”

Damon groaned, pressing a palm to his face. “If Dad’s like that, imagine how Mom is. She’s going to scorch earth. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if she sued the entire precinct and got it shut down for good.”

“I’ll… try to talk to her,” Dane said, shoulders slumping. Even he didn’t sound convinced. They all knew exactly how well that usually went.

“You know,” Danielle said as she lifted her drink, “I almost completely forgot you were abducted once.”

“I wasn’t abducted,” Damon said quickly, turning away as if the far wall suddenly fascinated him. “I willingly went with her.”

“How many times do we have to tell you,” Dane said, glaring at him, “that just because you willingly went with her doesn’t mean you weren’t still stolen?”

“Hey, don’t be jealous because I was a lady killer since I was young,” Damon said, lifting a hand defensively as a smirk crept in. “A beautiful older woman wanted me. Who was I to decline?”

“Oh for Christ’s sake…” Dane muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose like he could physically squeeze the stupidity out of his brother.

A small giggle escaped Danielle. She quickly covered her mouth, but the sound was unmistakable. Dane and Damon both shot each other a secret side-glances—then, when they thought she wasn’t looking, they shared a discreet fist pump off to the side.

Dane let out a laugh. “Pretty sure Dad came close to throttling you when he found out you willingly went with that woman.”

“Yeah, well… totally worth it,” Damon said, grinning fondly as if reminiscing about a childhood adventure rather than a felony.

The three of them drifted into lighter conversation, reminiscing about childhood mischiefs and disasters—as if humor could scrub off the lingering fear in the room. Time passed quietly, until—

BANG.

The door flung open with enough force to rattle the frame. Danielle flinched violently, practically jumping between Damon and Dane as instinct drove her to shelter.

Lori strode into the precinct like a storm given human form. A murderous aura radiated off her so intensely that a few officers subtly stepped out of her path. Her blue eyes were razor-sharp, frigid, scanning every inch of the room with surgical precision. Dylan trailed just behind her, breathing harder than he wanted to admit from trying to keep up.

The second they spotted their kids, both parents crossed the room in hurried strides. Dane stood immediately to meet them.

“Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?” Lori asked in a rush as she crouched beside Danielle, her hands already moving—checking her shoulders, her arms, her face, every inch of her. She didn’t even wait for an answer; her worry overrode everything else.

“I’m fine,” Danielle said softly. “I didn’t get injured. Damon jumped in time to save me.”

Lori’s head snapped toward Damon. “And you? Are you hurt—wait, is that blood?” Her voice dipped into something dangerously cold as she grabbed his wrist, examining the bloody knuckles and the flicker of blood on his cheek.

“Relax,” Damon said calmly, though his spider-senses flared uncomfortably at the spike of danger coming off her. “It’s not mine.”

Lori paused… blinked once… and nodded in approval. “Good work.”

“Lori,” Dylan said sharply, his tone laced with reprimand.

“What?” she snapped back, her expression daring him to continue.

“Do not encourage reckless behavior,” Dylan said, matching her glare with one of his own.

Before the tension could escalate, Yuri Watanabe appeared from her office doorway. “If you all would come with me,” she said, gesturing toward her office, “we can discuss everything that happened more openly inside.”

They all exchanged looks—worn, tense, but unified—and stood to follow her into the office.

…

Damon and Danielle were seated side by side in front of Yuri’s desk, their chairs stiff and uncomfortable. Their parents stood directly behind them like a pair of looming sentinels. Dylan carried a quiet but palpable authority, while Lori radiated something far sharper, far more volatile. Dane leaned against the wall nearby, arms crossed, watching the entire scene unfold with a mixture of dread and reluctant amusement.

He helped fill in the details, carefully and clearly recounting everything that had happened. Damon chimed in where necessary, and Danielle added quieter corrections now and then. By the time they finished, Yuri had taken several notes, rubbed her eyes twice, and looked as though she was reconsidering every career choice she had made up until this exact day.

“This is…” Yuri exhaled slowly, placing her pen down. “This is a very complicated situation. Damon here left the man practically hospitalized. And while this can be argued as self-defense, it still happened inside a police precinct where—”

“Well, let me uncomplicate the matter for you,” Lori said, her voice smooth and cold. She leaned forward slightly, her expression sharpened into something precise and surgical. “Since you seem to find it so difficult.”

Yuri went silent almost instantly.

“Both my son and daughter,” Lori continued, each word layered with quiet fury, “were inside your precinct, where they should have been surrounded by trained, competent professionals. Under no circumstances should they have been forced to deal with what they dealt with today.”

Her fingernail tapped rhythmically against the desk—tap… tap… tap—a soft sound that somehow carried more threat than raised voices ever could.

“But instead,” Lori went on, “one of your so-called ‘trained officers’ managed to get his service weapon stolen by a petty thief who was not only cuffed, but already in custody. Everything that happened—all of it—stems from one simple word.” She paused. The silence stretched, tense. “Incompetence.”

“Mom—” Dane started, stepping forward with his hands raised.

Lori didn’t even look at him. She simply extended her hand in his direction and flicked her fingers in a sharp silencing gesture.

Dane immediately closed his mouth, pressed his back against the wall, and decided breathing quietly was the safest option.

“So here is what I want you to do for me,” Lori said, tilting her head just enough that the afternoon light from the window caught her eyes, sharpening their icy blue intensity. “You will give me everything you have on both the hospitalized thief and the officer who allowed his weapon to be taken. And if you refuse to give me what I need, I will not only pursue them…”

She leaned in slightly.

“I will come after This. Entirety. Precinct. And Everyone. In it”

Yuri swallowed visibly, her pulse ticking in her throat. Lori wasn’t yelling. She didn’t need to. Her presence alone was enough to make a man confess to crimes he hadn’t even considered committing.

“There’s no need for that,” Dylan finally said, stepping forward. His tone was calm, but carried an iron edge that matched Lori’s in its own controlled way. “Leave that matter to me. I’ll ensure you receive all the necessary documentation.” He turned his gaze to Yuri, locking eyes with her. “And you will make sure nothing like this ever happens again. Even if you have to personally retrain every single officer under you.”

“Good.” Lori reached into her purse and placed a sleek business card on the desk. “I will be taking my children home. This is the end of the matter—for today.” Her voice softened only a fraction. “If you wish to pursue additional discussion later, you know where to reach me.”

She stepped back and glanced at Damon and Danielle. “Come along, you two.”

The siblings rose quickly, eager to escape the tension-filled room. As Lori reached the door, she paused and glanced back at Dane.

“And you.”

Dane straightened so fast he nearly stumbled. “Yes, Mom?”

“Visit more often.”

Without waiting for his response, she turned and exited with Damon and Danielle moving in close behind her like ducklings following a surprisingly terrifying mother duck.

Dylan placed a firm hand on Dane’s shoulder, giving it a reassuring pat before following his wife and children out the door.

The moment the door swung shut, both Yuri and Dane let out long, exhausted breaths, their shoulders slumping as tension leaked out of them.

Yuri shot him a strained, awkward grin. “Your mother…”

“Yeah…” Dane laughed weakly. “Tell me about it. She’s… intense.”

“I was actually going to say terrifying,” Yuri admitted, rubbing her temple.

Dane chuckled because he couldn’t deny it—not even a little. “Yeah. That too.”