Sirens blared in the distance. Street lamps were twisted like and gnarled, sparks dancing from their remains. Buildings collapsed into themselves, raining rubble down on the street. Cars were upturned and lopsided over the jagged road. Glass covered the sidewalk like snow. In the centre of the road was the Batmobile, or what remained of it. The armour plates were now nothing but scraps, smoke trailed from its engine and all the Batmobile was now was a just a hunk of useless metal.

Batman and Spider-Man were on top of the roof of one of the buildings that managed to survive the devastation.

Spider-Man put the pointy eared douche down and let out a sigh of relief.

“So glad I managed to get to you in time,” Spider-Man said. “You may be an asshole but I’d prefer if Gotham’s favourite vigilante wasn’t a ball of flesh on the street.”

“You let him get away,” Batman said coolly.

“Hello,” Spider-Man said. “I saved your life.”

“And caused the destruction of Gotham infrastructure and the loss of many lives.”

“And how the hell is it my fault instead of I don’t know, the psychopathic midget.”

Batman opened his palm revealing a circular device, no smaller than a coin with red and blue wires running through it.

“This is a Disruptor,” Batman said. “The weapon Penguin was carrying was a Vibranium sound cannon. The disruptor would short circuit the weapon, causing it not function.”

Batman placed the Disruptor in his belt. “Or it would have if it wasn’t for your intervention.”

Peter’s legs suddenly felt weak. His heart felt heavy. He looked over the edge of the building and a chill spread across his body. At the bottom he saw crowds of people leaving what remained of their homes, vacant expressions on their faces. Some blood running down their ears, their noses. People were crying, screaming. He heard somebody scream “I can’t hear, I can’t hear.” It was overwhelming.

“I…” Peter said, his voice shaking. His body numb. “I…”

“None of this would have happened if you hadn’t interrupted me,” Batman said.

He didn’t know what came over him but Peter Parker let out a scream. Emotions boiled within him, guilt, sadness, despair. And anger, anger at the man dressed as a bat, anger at himself, anger at everything. He didn’t know why but Peter charged at the Batman, putting all his strength into his punch. He didn’t care what happened to him, he just couldn’t handle all the emotions that were swirling around his chest.

The Batman side-stepped, causing Peter to come to an abrupt stop as he grabbed his arm.

“All this power, all this control.”

Peter tried punching him with his other hand but Batman kicked him across the leg, tripping him over.

“But you don’t know how to hone it,” Batman said. “You don’t have discipline.”

Peter placed his hands down, launching himself like a springboard but all Batman did was step back and all Peter hit was air.

“You rush into things,” Batman said as Peter launched a web at Batman’s chest and tried to carry him over before realising that it was already sliced into half, noticing a Batarang stuck in the ground. “Like a child. Rushing into a world, into a city you know nothing about.”

Peter charged toward him, attacking Batman with two wide sweeps that Batman dodged with ease. Ducking underneath him, Batman punched him straight in the chest knocking the air out of his body.

“And that’s what you are,” Batman said. “A naïve, idiotic child. Picking fights with the Mafia, with criminals like the Penguin.”

“Batman stop,” Batgirl cried, Robin resting on his shoulder. “Leave him alone.”

Batman ignored her, his eyes focused on Spider-Man. Scrutinising him, waiting for his next attack.

Peter got up, trying to land a punch. The steam in his body fizzling out. He tried to punch, to kick but all it took to stop him was one punch to the stomach and he crumpled on the ground like a heap of clothing.

Batman kneeled down, whispering in his ear. “Not knowing that they’re much more dangerous than I am.”

“That’s enough Batman,” Batgirl said, walking towards him with Robin resting on her shoulder. “Beating him up isn’t going to prove anything.”

“Take Robin back to the Batcave,” Batman said. “I’ll go look for the Penguin.”

“Are you even listening to me?”

While Batgirl and Batman were arguing, Peter was suddenly reminded. Reminded of back in pre-school where the other kids used to gang up on him and laugh him, sometimes even beat him. They used to insult him about the fact that he had no parents and how weak he was. In middle school, it was Flash. He remembered the sneers of him and his cronies, how they used to throw basketballs and him. How they used to shove him in his locker and slap him across the face and how they always used to call him little Puny Parker.

It was always about how weak he was, always about how he couldn’t fight back. And after that day at the exhibit, after that day he got bitten by that spider he could finally fight back, he had that power to fight back. But that power as he was taught by a great man, came with a responsibility.

” Hey, pointy ears…” Spider-Man said, groaning. Struggling to get up but getting up nonetheless. “Let me tell you something.”

Batman turned, walking towards him slowly. Batman’s towered over him like a giant. The black symbol on his chest like a warning sign.

“Batman, ignore him,” Batgirl said increasingly frustrated. But Batman ignored her. Instead he walked onwards. Frustrated that she was being ignored, Batgirl carried Robin on her shoulder and grappled away, casting one last look at Bruce before descending to the street below her

But Bruce didn’t care walked towards Peter slowly. His cape trailing behind him like a snake, the bat symbol on his chest a warning sign. He walked towards him like Flash Thompson, like those bullies in pre-school. A walk that seemed casual but was slow and deliberate, in an attempt to intimidate him. On another occasion, Peter would have stepped back in fear but not this time. This time, he stood firm.

And sure, he might be right. Maybe Peter was in over his head, maybe Peter did cause the destruction of the street below him.

But that didn’t give Batman the right to guilt-trip him, that didn’t give him the right to beat him.

And now he was standing face to face with a giant.

“What?” Batman said.

“My uncle would not like you.”

Batman stared at him. “The words of Ben Parker don’t phase me.”

Peter could feel it in his heart. Could feel the fear creeping into his body like a chill. How did he know? What else did he know? Was he in danger? But Peter steeled himself. He knew that giving into this fear would be a sign of weakness. Would be giving the bully leverage.

So, he steeled himself and stared Batman dead in his eyes.

“Don’t you dare say that name,” Peter said. “Or I promise what happens to you next won’t be pretty.”

Spider-Man turned his back to him, meaning those words. No bully would use the name of his uncle in vain, especially not a freak that dressed up like a bat.

Batman saw him swing off and the corner of his mouth twitched.

Kids got spirit, he thought.