Saving Grace

Sixty

Peter arrives at a parking garage after following Karen's map to Aaron Davis' location. He soon finds the man opening the trunk of his car, a bag of groceries in one hand. Peter shoots a web, sticking Aaron's other hand to the trunk.

He turns, and Peter leans against a nearby car more awkwardly than he intended. "Remember me?" he asks. His voice comes out very deep and actually kinda scary; that must be what Enhanced Interrogation Protocol does.

Aaron seems surprised yet confused. "Uh, hey..."

"I need information," Peter says. "You're gonna give it to me now."

Aaron raises a brow at him. "Alright, chill."

"Come on!"

"What happened to your voice?" he asks instead.

Peter hesitates a moment, then replies, "What do you mean, what happened to my voice?"

"I heard you by the bridge," Aaron says. "I know what a girl sound like."

"I'm not a girl! I'm a boy." Peter quickly goes to correct himself. "I mean, I'm a... I'm a man."

"I don't care what you are — a boy, a girl-"

"I'm not a girl!" Peter repeats, all the while thinking that a girl — especially a specific girl — would be doing a much better job than him right now. "I'm a man. Come on, man, look, who is selling these weapons? I need to know. Give me names or else."

Aaron, who had left his trunk open all this time, finally slams it closed. Peter jumps, and Aaron raises a brow again, something Peter wishes he would stop doing. "You ain't ever done this before, huh?"

Peter sighs. "Deactivate Interrogation Mode." When he speaks again, his voice is normal. "Look, man, these guys are selling weapons that are crazy dangerous. They can't just be out on the streets." Aaron is looking at his hand, avoiding Peter's eyes. Peter continues. "I mean, if one of them can just cut Delmar's bodega in half-"

Aaron suddenly looks up. "You know Delmar's?"

Peter nods. "Yeah, best sandwiches in Queens."

Aaron grimaces a little. "Sub Haven's pretty good."

"It's too much bread."

"I like bread."

They both stand there for a moment, silent, Peter trying to implore Aaron with eyes. Then, in last ditch attempt, a desperate effort, he says, "I... Look, this is important, man. Not just because I'm getting these weapons off the street, but... There's this girl, okay? And I really, really like her, and I can't talk to her about any of this until it's over because I lied to her about it, and if I fail that really isn't gonna help my case when I'm apologizing to her. I don't even know if she'll forgive me if I do get this guy. But I gotta try. So... please. Please help me." But Aaron looks away and says nothing for so long that Peter realizes this lead is going nowhere. He walks away, muttering, "Stupid Interrogation Mode. Karen, don't ever do that again."

But then Aaron says, "The other night, you told that dude, 'if you shoot somebody, shoot me.' That's pretty bold, man... And I don't want those weapons in this neighborhood. I got a nephew who lives here."

Peter turns back to him hopefully, asking, "Who are these guys? What can you tell me about the guy with the Vulture?"

"Who?"

"The guy with the wings."

Aaron sighs. "Other than he's a psychopath dressed like a demon, nothing. I don't know who or where he is." Peter looks defeated then, trying to think it through, trying to find another way. Aaron says, "This girl you like — does she know you like her?"