THE LONE MAN sat in the dimly lit room. His mask was on his bed, leaving him sitting by the edge in his purple compression shirt and same-colored but darker-shaded pants. He also had thick green gloves on.

He polished his shogun, cleaning every crevice and ensuring it was spotless. Afterward, he loaded some shells from the ammo box beside him. The man pumped it, readying the gun to be fired.

He put the shotgun down and picked up his mask, walking up to the mirror on the wall by the closet.

The man looked at himself, seeing his pale and tired face—the only difference from before was his eyes. A dark gaze stared back at him, showing that it wasn't the usual man present...but a completely different person entirely. A completely different entity. Someone with a mission and a vengeance. One whose goal was to absolve those who did wrong...who did wrong by him. An entity who strived to see a city...a world...without sin.

That entity...being Sin-Eater.

Vernon sat on his sofa, taking a swig from his beer bottle as the game show continued on the television. He let out a burp and scratched his scruffy chin.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. He just sat there and hoped he heard things or that whoever was there would leave since the introvert didn't want to see anyone that day. But once again, there was a knock.

Vernon grumbled and put his beer down, walking to the door. Before he opened it, the man looked through the peephole to see who it was. And what he saw...immediately startled him.

The man on the other side, masked and holding a shotgun, pumped the firearm. Vernon quickly spun around and tried to run away, but the assailant fired the gun, and the pellets broke through the door and struck him all over the back. Vernon groaned and fell to the floor.

Sin-Eater kicked open the splintered door and entered the apartment. Vernon crawled on the floor and tried to go for the bat by his sofa, but the gunman walked over beside him and stepped on his ankle hard.

"Argh!" Vernon cried out.

"Vernon Crawford." Sin-Eater spoke.

"Argh...wha—what do you want?"

Sin-Eater kicked him over and got him onto his back, forcing the maimed Vernon to look up at him. The man held his shotgun with both hands and stared down at him through the eyeholes of his mask.

"Answers. An explanation. Penance."

"What? Uh...what do—?"

Sin-Eater aimed at his kneecap and fired, blasting it away. Vernon cried out in agony.

"AAAAH!"

"May 9th. Mother's Day. 7:57 PM." Sin-Eater spoke. "Who sent you?"

Vernon panted and groaned as he held his bleeding leg. He couldn't get words out, and Sin-Eater got sterner.

"Who is the Undertaker?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, man!" Vernon exclaimed.

Sin-Eater immediately took off his mask, showing the face of the man underneath. Vernon's eyes widened as he suddenly recognized him. It was as if it unearthed some deeply buried memory.

"What the...?"

Sin-Eater crouched down and grabbed him by the collar, forcefully sitting him up and staring into his eyes.

"You looked into his eyes as he looked into yours...at the same time, he held her body. You grinned, laughed, and it looked like it was all a game to you. Well, you expected him to die...but God had different plans. He survived so I can expel sinners like you from this world."

Vernon panicked. "I—I don't remember anything from that day—"

Sin-Eater shook him and yelled.

"Liar! Sinner! You know what you did that day! What you did to him! Who do you work for? Who is pulling all these strings?! Who helped throw the case out?!"

"My—my lawyer said the police at the scene messed up the evidence somehow. C—Could've been purposeful...I don't know! But, man...I don't remember anything of that night! I swear! All I remember is waking up in a jail cell! I—I didn't even know the others involved!"

Sin-Eater did remember the strange instance that day involving Vernon and his posse. He wondered what that was all about. Still...they did the deed and were going to be condemned for it.

The man let Vernon go, and Sin-Eater stood up. Vernon panted and laid his head on the floor.

"I'm sorry, man...for whatever I did. I just—I just don't remember it. I know what...what we did, but I don't recall any of it."

Vernon closed his eyes and sighed. Upon opening it, he saw Sin-Eater looking down at him with his shotgun pointed at him.

"You repent. Time to meet God."

BLAM!

THE POLICE WERE at the scene. Among them were Jefferson Davis and Yuri Watanabe. They stood in the apartment with their colleagues from CSI, looking at the dead body of Vernon Crawford. Yuri read the file she received on him.

"Vernon Crawford. 48. Former Army. Was in the SWAT unit for a few years until retiring a few years ago. And, unsurprisingly, one of the three living suspects of the Mother's Day Massacre."

"Not living anymore," Jeff replied. "With Vernon dead, that's it."

The two other suspects had been shot and killed earlier that week. They knew it was the work of the Sin-Eater, and this wasn't any different.

They looked through the scene some more. After a beat, Yuri questioned Jeff.

"You have any contact with Carter?"

Jeff looked at her. "Why?"

"You know why I'm asking, Davis."

Jeff kept eyeing her and scoffed. He couldn't believe what she was inferring.

"No."

"You haven't?" Yuri asked.

"Yes. I mean that no...he couldn't have done this."

"This is all too convenient, Jeff," Yuri replied, putting her hands on her hips. "Deputy Barr, DA Tower, those three, they were all involved in his case somehow."

Jeff shook his head and looked out the window. Yuri continued.

"It's a hypothesis worth bringing up—"

"So, what? You think Stan is just running around with a shotgun blowing these people away, and leaving cryptic ass writing on the walls?"

Yuri took a beat. "Uh, yeah."

"Do you hear yourself?" Jeff faced her. "He's not crazy!"

"I'm not saying he's crazy. This entire thing, sure...demonstrates some ill state of mind...but it's calculated. He's able to slip in and out with no issue. He's able to quell any evidence that can implicate him. You know what this man did getting Travis Monaghan, the second suspect. He wiped out the entire gang hideout he was at. He's resourceful. He's intelligent. He's...good."

Jeff took in a breath. He remembered over a year ago when the Flame cult kidnapped him and Stanley, how Stanley was able to efficiently killed their captors and took them down with ease. He remembered the look in his eyes...seeing that coldness.

They were the eyes of a trained killer.

Losing his entire family likely broke him. It wouldn't have surprised Jeff. If his loved ones had died the same way, he probably would've snapped as well and tried seeking a similar form of justice. Maybe Yuri's theory wasn't so outlandish.

"What, then? You want me to call him?" Jeff scoffed. "Ask him where he is?"

Yuri shook her head.

"No, we'll just keep this to ourselves for now. Look into it further."

Yuri walked away to investigate the scene further. Jeff nodded, sighing as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked down.

Later that night, Yuri had finished up work at the station. She walked alone through the parking structure to her car, speaking to her brother on the phone.

"So, just because you ruined dinner, I have to bring something?" She chuckled. "Nothing ever changes with you."

Yuri hung up the call and entered her car. She put away her bag and started the engine, but upon looking out through the windshield...she saw a masked figure standing before her. Her headlights lit up, and she could see his green mask, purple attire, and shotgun in his hand.

Immediately, she stepped on the gas. Sin-Eater shot at her, shattering her window, but she was thankfully able to move her head out of the way, only sustaining a wound on her shoulder.

She sped through the lot as Sin-Eater continued blasting away at her.

One shot successfully popped her back tire, and she went out of control, causing her to slam into a barrier. The impact caused her to hit her face against the wheel, which disoriented her.

Sin-Eater slowly walked up to her car, reloading his shotgun as he did. Yuri slowly started to come to, opening her eyes and groaning. She wiped the blood from her nose and looked through her rearview mirror, where she spotted Sin-Eater behind her car.

Yuri tried to reach for her glove compartment where he put her handgun, albeit weakly and slowly, since she was in immense pain. Sin-Eater saw this but didn't immediately fire away. He just kept looking at her and spoke.

"Yuriko Watanabe," Sin-Eater called out. "Your pride while being an officer of the law has led you to become negligent. You look for an immediate solution...a quick closure of a case...to fatten the successes on your resume. This form of speedy work leaves many things unanswered...and allows cases to be thrown out. Like that of the Carters."

Yuri heard what he was saying. Still, she tried opening her glove compartment, but it wouldn't budge since the crash damaged it. Sin-Eater continued.

"Your flaws lead to evidence to be missed. And any evidence you acquired was also deemed inadmissible because of said flaws. Your pride..."

Sin-Eater planted a foot on the back bumper of her car, which was pretty much dangling from the broken barrier of the three-story parking structure. He continued.

"...has led to your fall."

He pushed the car with his foot, and the vehicle Yuri was in was kicked off the third floor of the parking structure. It nose-dived into the ground below, causing a loud crash to be heard blocks away.

Sin-Eater looked over the side, staring down at the wreckage before turning around and walking away.

Spider-Man arrived at the scene. He had been on patrol and stumbled upon it after hearing the commotion.

The first thing he saw was Yuri being put on a stretcher. His eyes widened through his mask, and he went up to them.

"Oh, my God!" He reacted. "What happened?"

An officer nearby glared at him. "You shouldn't be here—"

"Save it." He interjected. "Lieutenant Watanabe is a good friend of mine. We knew George Stacy."

The officer took a moment before finally relenting and explaining to the vigilante.

"She was in her car when it was kicked off the parking structure."

"Kicked off?" Y/N asked.

"Yes, by a suspect. We looked through security footage and are sure it was the Sin-Eater."

Sin-Eater. He had been trying to track him down as well the last couple of weeks, but there were no leads. Now, he struck and hurt a good friend of Y/N. He needed to be stopped before anybody else could.

He looked down at Yuri, who had cuts and bruises on her face. Despite having broken bones, she miraculously survived the fall. The young man sighed and touched her hand.

They soon put the unconscious Yuri into the ambulance. Black Tarantula arrived shortly afterward. He saw Spider-Man there, too, and questioned what had happened.

"Lieutenant Watanabe was hurt," Spider-Man told him. "It was the Sin-Eater."

"That guy..." Carlos grumbled. "Do we know where he is now?"

The officer chimed in. "No, sir. We had many of us canvas the area and the blocks around the precinct, but there was no sign of the suspect."

"Son of a bitch slipped away again." Carlos replied with a scoff.

"Has he struck before?" Y/N asked the cop.

"Yes.Vernon Crawford was found dead earlier this evening. Watanabe was on the scene."

"Is that why he went after her?" Carlos asked. "Maybe she found something out."

Y/N sighed and wondered, too. He heard about the other killings that week involving the two other suspects who worked with Vernon in the Mother's Day Massacre. It seemed like Sin-Eater was going after anybody involved, no matter how minuscule.

"No time to waste," Carlos spoke again. "I'm scouring the borough. He couldn't have gone far."

Before Spider-Man can say anything, Black Tarantula put on his mask and started walking away. He called out to the fellow hero.

"Split up. You look north around the Upper East Side while I go south to Lenox Hill! We'll regroup by Queensboro Bridge!"

Black Tarantula sprinted and leaped high into the sky, scaling a nearby building. He soon left the area. Spider-Man sighed and swung away to search the area as well.

They would try and find Sin-Eater, even if it took all night.

• • •

IT WAS EARLY in the morning. Judge Horace Rosenthal invited his college friend, Matt Murdock, into his chambers. They had just come from an arraignment where Matt was defending two young hoodlums who were charged with assaulting an older man.

Matt sighed, placing his walking stick by the desk and leaning on a chair before him.

"You know, Horace, back in college, you impressed on students like me that everyone had to be treated equally under the law." He said. "That everyone deserves the best efforts we can give. Defendant as well as plaintiff."

Horace removed his glasses and wiped them, looking at the blind lawyer. Matt continued with a tired look on his face.

"And I believe that. I do. So...why do I feel like this?"

Matt had just come out of the courtroom where Judge Rosenthal released the two hoodlums on their own recognizance, thanks to Matt's testimony. The victim, who was also in the room, wasn't very happy.

"Because you don't like your clients very much, Matthew," Horace replied. "You hate getting your hands dirty."

"Not true, Horace." Matt butted.

"Too true, Matt. You should be a public defender for a few years. It'd strengthen your resolve." He put his glasses back on. "Give you some guts."

Matt faced the floor and shook his head. Horace walked over to the door, passing by Matt and patting his shoulder as he did.

"Give me a minute to hit the John, and then we'll have some lunch."

"All right." Matt replied.

Horace left his chambers. Matt stood there momentarily until he honed in on his radar sense...where he could sense the presence of something in the judge's study in the next room.

Matt grabbed his walking stick and opened the door. He went inside, still honing in on his senses.

He could picture the being that was somewhere in the dark room.

One person. Bulky. Male. Holding a long, thin object....a shotgun.

He could hear the man's pulse racing wildly. His perspiration was so thick. It was like he was on drugs...or just wildly fired up.

"Who's there?" Matt decided to call out. "Who is it?"

He could sense the man step out from a corner. He held his shotgun at Matt.

"The Sin-Eater." He spoke.

To Matt, his voice was damning and deep. And his aura was like that of a decaying vermin.

"And you are?" Sin-Eater added.

"D—Don't hurt me." Matt played the part of the scared disabled man. "I'm blind."

"That's bad. Are you a lawyer?"

Matt turned around slowly and faced him.

"Uh...yes."

Immediately, Matt could tell that was the wrong answer. The gunman's pulse was getting wilder by the second.

"Lawyer, eh?" Sin-Eater pumped his shotgun. "That's worse."

Sin-Eater quickly fired, but Matt leaped over the desk behind him, narrowly avoiding the blast. Unfortunately, the gunfire being in such close proximity to him and the echoing room had deafened him and put him in a daze.

"Argh..." Matt crouched behind the desk and held his ears as they rang.

Not only that, but the shotgun blast had also broken the window, which let in the sunlight. It took away Matt's advantage of the darkness.

He heard the shotgun shells drop and knew Sin-Eater was reloading his gun. Matt snapped the piece of his walking stick that was one of his Billy clubs and threw it.

The club bounced off the wall, hitting Sin-Eater in the back of the head. He grunted and stumbled forward, rubbing the area.

"Ugh! What the hell was that?"

Before Matt could leap out and engage the gunman, Horace stepped inside the study.

"Matt? What's going—?"

He saw Sin-Eater armed with his gun, along with Matt, hiding behind the desk. Horace stopped in his tracks and held up his hands.

Immediately, Sin-Eater aimed his shotgun at the judge, the man he was initially there for. Matt stood there, a great indecision troubling him. He wanted to help Horace, but doing so would jeopardize his identity. For those next few seconds...he was thinking.

But it was a few seconds too late.

"Horace Rosenthal. The lust you have for prostitutes and the power in your position makes you a sinner." Sin-Eater pumped his shotgun. "Let this be your absolution."

Matt's eyes widened. He couldn't get a yell out before the gunman fired his gun.

BOOM!

May Parker was out on the street with Ernie, the older man who was just in the courthouse for the arraignment. He was venting about how the hoodlums were let out and the flaws of the justice system.

"There's just no way, May. That's not how you treat a veteran. I was wounded for my country. You know what I think?"

"What, Ernie?" May asked.

"That judge has to be racist! There's no other way. You saw how nice he was with those white kids. To that white lawyer. Then there's me...a senile old black man living on a pension."

"Let's hope it's not that," May replied. "We just gotta see this through. I'm sure once it's all said and done, those kids will bear the consequences of their actions."

"I'm just saying..." Ernie shook his head. "If they keep this up...these streets won't be safe anymore."

Suddenly, the two heard a commotion down the street. People were yelling and clamoring, running the other way.

"Move it! Move it!"

"He's right behind us! Run!"

"My kid! Where's my kid?"

"Where's the police?!"

"Call 9-1-1!"

May and Ernie saw a masked man running to the middle of the street. Everyone else kept running, and the woman got caught in the small stampede.

"Hey!"

The Sin-Eater, holding his shotgun and seeing the fleeing pedestrians, called out to them.

"Do not be afraid, those without sin, for I shall not cast the first stone! Only those who have misused their power need fear the Sin-Eater's wrath!"

Immediately, Spider-Man came onto the scene. He perched on a lamppost and looked down at the gunman.

"Huh...got lost on your way to the ski slopes?" Y/N quipped before landing in front of him. "Why don't you put down that gun before—"

"Down, Sinner? I'll put you down!"

Spider-Man dove at him and dodged the gunfire. He landed beside Sin-Eater, but he heard someone call out before he could engage again.

Not just someone...but multiple people.

"Spider-Man, help us!"

"This man's been hit!"

"She was, too! Someone help!"

Spider-Man looked back and saw some people on the ground with a crowd around them. The young man's heart pounded seeing the innocents in peril.

Sin-Eater reloaded his shotgun. Spider-Man caught wind of this and sprinted at him.

"You! Drop that now!" Y/N shouted.

Sin-Eater fired, but Spider-Man kicked it and forced him to shoot up at the sky.

He quickly shot a web and the glob stuck to the front of his barrel. Y/N kept shouting.

"I said now! I've had it with you!"

"And I have had it with you, Sinner!" Sin-Eater retorted and landed a straight kick to the hero's chest, sending him back.

Y/N had gotten freaked out seeing the bystanders injured, so his senses were all gummed up. He had to calm down and focus to take down Sin-Eater.

"All of you! All high and mighty, confident in your powers and positions for protection!" Sin-Eater yelled.

As Y/N tried getting up, Sin-Eater quickly swung the shotgun down at his head like a bat, striking him. Y/N grunted as the gunman kept shouting.

"You think you know everything! But you know...nothing!"

He struck him again, bringing Y/N to the floor. He groaned and honed in on his senses, trying to get the thought of the injured people out of his head. Sin-Eater looked down and was shocked to see Spider-Man still getting up.

"What?! You're still conscious?!"

"Yeah, 'cause I do know a few things..."

Immediately, Y/N landed a right hook that sent Sin-Eater stumbling.

"Like how to roll with punches. And how to sucker you into getting close...so I can do this!"

Spider-Man landed an uppercut that sent the villain flying back. Some bystanders nearby, a couple of young college kids, cheered for the hero.

"Get him, Spidey! Mess him up! Don't stop!"

"Kick his ski-resort-fanatic-looking ass!"

Y/N stood over the downed gunman, who was slowly getting up and facing the floor.

"Had enough, asshole? Or do I gotta bruise you up a bit more?"

Sin-Eater was still faced down when he started chuckling. He soon let out a loud laugh. Y/N glared.

"You killed all those people involved in the Mother's Day Massacre? You tried to kill Lieutenant Watanabe. What is your endgame?"

Sin-Eater stopped snickering and spoke after a beat.

"All of them were sinners. All of them were at fault for snuffing away the innocent lives on that day. I killed them...I killed Judge Rosenthal just now..."

Suddenly, Y/N's spider-sense went off. Sin-Eater moved strangely fast and was able to strike Spider-Man's face with the butt of his shotgun.

"And now you!" He shouted.

Y/N stumbled back. Sin-Eater swung the gun again, but the hero crossed his arms and blocked the attack with his wrists. Sin-Eater kicked his stomach, causing Spider-Man to double over, and he landed another hit on his face with the shotgun.

He could taste the blood in his mouth. For some reason, Sin-Eater had become faster and stronger during the course of their confrontation. It was of something was fueling his rage and vengeance.

"Bleeding, Sinner?" He taunted as Spider-Man was hunched in front of him on his hands and knees. "The Sin-Eater has brought blood to another sinner. Praise the Lord!"

Y/N grunted, looking up at the villain. He kept monologuing.

"You think my job's easy? Being responsible for the sinners? It's not! My job is impossible! Never-ending!"

Sin-Eater swung his shotgun at his head again, but Spider-Man blocked it with his forearm.

"No! Your job is finished now!" Y/N exclaimed, then quickly swung his arm and whacked him across the face, sending him flying back. "And so are you!"

Sin-Eater laid on the floor for a couple seconds before slowly getting back up. He surprisingly took the hit rather well.

"Christ...how strong is this guy?" Y/N muttered.

Suddenly, he heard another shout from the crowd. He looked over...seeing a familiar-looking woman on the floor with a couple of people crouched over her.

It was May.

"No..." Y/N mumbled, dreading the fact that she may have been hit earlier.

Sin-Eater finally got up, grabbing his shotgun and limping away. Y/N caught him and shouted at the killer.

"Hold it! Where do you think you're going?"

"Me? I absorb the world's sins, cretin. I'm going to hell! See you there!"

Sin-Eater ran off. Y/N glared.

"Oh, no, you don't, asshole!"

He held out his arms and tried to web him, but his web-shooters weren't working. Unfortunately, they had been damaged from the strikes Sin-Eater's shotgun landed on his wrists.

The villain kept running. Y/N contemplated chasing him, but the thought of the injured folk nearby, along with May, kept him from doing so. He feared that May could be dying...and he didn't want to lose someone else. After Ben Parker, his father, Michael, and Indira, he couldn't bear the thought of losing May, too.

Y/N immediately ran over to the crowd. People were tending to the wounded, which included some off-duty medics. May was on the floor but was helped up by Ernie. May groaned and rubbed her head.

"May?" Ernie asked. "You okay?"

"What happened?" She replied.

"Some doofuses almost trampled you trying to run away. Must've knocked your noggin."

Spider-Man came by quickly. He helped her up further and showed worry.

"Ma'am? Y—You all right?" The hero asked.

She nodded. "Yes, I just fell."

Spider-Man took a breath and nodded. May was touched but was honestly perplexed about why the hero showed genuine concern for her out of all people. Y/N noticed her reaction and knew exactly what she was wondering.

"I...I just saw you on the ground and thought—"

"I'm okay. Thank you." May interjected with a smile.

Before saying anything else, he turned around and saw Daredevil arrive at the scene, landing on the street. People murmured, seeing the Devil of Hell's Kitchen, and were in awe of seeing him in the daytime. Y/N excused himself and ran over to him.

"Hey." Y/N greeted. "You just missed quite a show."

Daredevil tilted his head, facing the sidewalk ahead. He was trying to hone in on the gunman's location but couldn't. He was somehow long gone and slipped away once again.

"Well, I got my own horror show firsthand." Matt remarked.

Y/N arched a brow. Daredevil turned to the young vigilante.

"Let's talk."

May drove to the F.E.A.S.T. center in Chinatown, where she worked. Despite what she endured downtown sometime earlier, she still moved on and prioritized continuing her volunteer work for those in need. It was her responsibility...that's just who she was.

She went upstairs to speak with Martin Li. To her surprise, two people with suits were outside the office door. They spotted her and stopped her.

"What's going on?" She asked.

Through the glass, Martin, speaking with a guest, got up and left the office.

"May," He greeted with a smile.

"Martin. What's up?"

Moments later, the man speaking with Martin also came out. It was the incumbent mayor of New York City, Russell Ericsson.

"Apologies. Usually, I don't have security detail like this, but with everything going on..."

"Mayor Ericsson." May greeted. "It's okay. And it's a surprise seeing you here."

Martin spoke. "Russell came by today to speak about an event he plans on doing next month involving F.E.A.S.T. We're just going over the details."

"And a very productive talk we had." Mayor Ericsson added. "I'm on my way back to the office to speak with my reps."

Martin started walking Russell out. May joined and stood beside them. The two security guards followed close behind.

"My, my...I always am astounded by the condition of this place." Russell remarked. "You two are doing an amazing job."

"Thank you, Mayor." May replied.

"Please, call me Russell." He said. "Unless I'm wearing my favorite tie. Then I want to be called Mayor all the time."

They shared a laugh. Martin questioned May about what she had wanted to tell him earlier. She just wanted to explain that her tardiness was because of the incident that happened downtown. Martin was shocked and worried for her.

"Oh, my God. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Martin. No worries."

"If you want to...you can take the day off. Come back when you want."

May lightly chuckled. She shook her head.

"The people here go through worse. They've likely dealt with much harsher trauma. That back there was nothing. I'm here to help the people who actually had to endure something."

Martin nodded at her statement. Mayor Ericsson was proud to hear what she said and supported her mission.

"And that is why this shelter is a gleaming diamond in our city and why you are the pressure that forms it." He said. "And for this Sin-Eater who runs around causing chaos...we will look to finally putting a stop to him. And...maybe these unregulated costumes too while we're at it."

They were now in the lobby. At that moment, a man came in, one that was familiar to Mayor Ericsson. He looked at him and beamed.

"Detective Carter."

Stanley, wearing casual clothing, came up to the group with a grin.

"Mayor Ericsson." He greeted. "Surprised to see you here."

"I'd say the same to you. How are things?"

"I'm...getting by."

Russell nodded. He knew what happened to Stanley and his family and sympathized with him. He knew Stan from their time in the army and was close with the family.

Martin questioned Stanley. "What brings you here, Detective?"

"I...uh..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I plan on donating some things. Stuff that...belonged to my kids. I figured the children here could use it instead. Toys...clothes..."

Stanley took in a shuddered breath. May reached out and rubbed his arm, comforting him.

"We'll gladly take them, and the kids here will definitely appreciate it. If you really want to."

Stanley looked at her and nodded. "I do. I do."

Russell nodded and spoke to Stanley.

"Justice will be sought for what happened, Stan. The real perpetrators will be unearthed and punished to the fullest extent of the law. I'll make sure of it."

Stanley just stared at him for a moment. The gaze on him was dark and his expression was cold. It was as if an entirely new person was standing before them...and they were none the wiser. The man finally said something after a few seconds.

"So you're going to be at city hall later tonight?" He asked.

"Yes. Gonna be there late as I have a meeting with my representatives."

"Oh. You mind if I stop by later then? I have some things to discuss about the department."

"Like what?" Russell asked.

"Just...some of our regulations. Minor things. I just want to run it by you...a friend to a friend."

The Mayor ultimately agreed. Stanley feigned a smile and shook his hand.

"Looking forward to it," Stanley added before turning around and walking to the door.

"Just stop by when you can," Russell called out. "No need to call. I'll be there."

Stanley didn't respond and left the shelter. Russell chuckled and looked at Martin and May.

"Stanley Carter. One of the most upstanding officers this city has."

Y/N, in his Spider-Man costume but unmasked, was in Matt's apartment. He was also in his costume and had his headpiece off.

They were in his bedroom. Behind a large art canvas was a board containing notes and pictures. Y/N looked at it for some time as Matt put up more files.

"Man...how..." Y/N pointed. "How can you even see this stuff?"

"I can feel it all."

Y/N arched a brow. Matt turned to him.

"Let's just leave it at that. Trust me, it's hard to explain."

The young hero shrugged. Matt moved on.

"These are all files on the Sin-Eater murders the last few months."

"Yeah." Y/N pointed at one file. "It began with Deputy Commissioner Barr."

"To the public, yes. But that's not the first."

The young man was confused. Matt pointed at the sheet of notes he had just put up seconds ago.

"June 2023. Sergeant Reginald Foyt. Killed in an alley." He said.

"Okay..."

"Point blank range. Shotgun. Same caliber as the recent Sin-Eater."

"Could be a coincidence." Y/N replied.

"Well, no."

Matt pointed at another note beside the paper that had a picture. Something was written on Foyt's chest.

"Gluttony."

Y/N let out a sigh and rubbed his chin. Matt moved in to the other files.

"All involving sin. Some form of the cardinal sins. Foyt was Gluttony. Barr was Greed. Tower was Sloth. Just recently, Vernon Crawford and two others were once again labeled Greed. Then...with Yuri's attack, Pride was found written on the third floor of the parking structure."

"Really?" Y/N asked, looking at the photo of the crime scene.

Matt sighed as he pointed at the picture of Judge Rosenthal.

"He didn't get to leave anything behind...but I heard him refer to Horace as Lust. So...safe to say that is another down."

Y/N nodded. Matt told him that Sin-Eater killed the judge right in front of him and couldn't do anything about it. The young man knew Matt was likely harboring some form of guilt for not being quick enough and being undecided that moment.

He went up to the board again. Y/N crossed his arms and sighed.

"What is this guy's endgame?"

"There might not be an end," Matt replied. "If he's willing to loop back to a sin, then there's nothing stopping him..."

"Until he rids the world from sin." Y/N interjected.

"Right."

Y/N shook his head. "Who knew religion could be used for such violence?"

"When in the wrong hands..." Matt said. "It could be."

Y/N looked across the board. He looked at the names of the victims where he eyed Vernon, and two others killed recently.

"What were they involved in?" He asked.

"What?" Matt replied.

"Vernon. Travis. Darvin. It says here they were once in the army. Worked in the same unit. Then suddenly, they were all discharged?"

Matt found it interesting. Y/N kept looking.

"Then they were recently acquitted of the Carter case. Well, it was actually dropped due to insufficient evidence."

Matt spoke up. "I remember Deputy Barr speaking about the case publicly. He was actually very adamant about convicting those guys, but for some reason, he went quiet on the topic."

"Let me guess...was Blake Tower active in the case, too?" Y/N asked.

"He was the one that decided to drop it altogether."

Y/N nodded. He crossed his arms and paced in front of the man's board.

"And Yuri..." He looked at the case file further. "She...she was one of the officers at the crime scene."

"She gathered evidence."

"Yeah...evidence that was for some reason deemed inadmissible."

Y/N walked back to the file with Sergeant Foyt. There was a name in there that caught his eye.

"Stanley Carter."

"What was that?" Matt asked.

"Carter was his partner from 2017 up until his death."

Y/N kept looking. He pulled out his phone and looked up the Carter case, getting a refresher on the Mother's Day Massacre.

"All these crimes...Barr, Tower, the suspects...who was on the scene?"

Matt looked at the board and glided his hands over the sheets. He nodded and sighed.

"Detective Carter, along with a few others. Yuri Watanabe. Jefferson Davis. Jean DeWolff. But he wasn't there for Vernon. Or...for Yuri's attack."

"And that was just last night." Y/N said.

Y/N pondered a bit as he stared at the board. They both now had a suspicion that Stanley was the Sin-Eater.

"Should we get help? Like LaMuerto?" He asked.

"No," Matt interjected. "As I said before...I don't trust him."

"Come on, he ain't bad. He helped me with Connors. He's a good guy."

Matt turned to his board. Y/N looked as well and noticed a picture he didn't see. It was of Carlos, and beside it was Fisk.

"Wilson Fisk was integral in introducing him to the department. He pushed for LaMuerto to be the city's sole crime stopper. There is something there."

Y/N took it in. Matt had a point, as they both still figured Fisk was still doing criminal activities despite his philanthropic facade and lack of evidence of him doing so. Maybe instilling Black Tarantula in the position he was currently in was some chess move.

To what, though? They didn't know yet.

The young man moved on. He looked at the pictures of Jefferson and Jean beside Yuri's.

"What are the chances Davis and DeWolff are next?"

"How could they be involved in what happened to Carter? What could they have done? What would be their sin?"

Y/N took a breath and looked at Matt.

"We need to pay him a visit before he answers that question for us."

SEVEN MONTHS AGO...

THE TRAY WAS hot in the man's hands despite wearing the oven mitts. He placed it on the stove and grimaced a bit.

"Oooh. Damn, that was hot."

The man, Stanley Carter, sighed as he removed the oven mitts. His wife, Diane, came into the kitchen.

"Oh, those things are getting old. I told you we should get some new ones."

"Ah." He replied. "Well, next time."

Diane smiled, going to the cupboards to get some dishes. Stanley immediately stopped her.

"Hey, hey, hey. What did I say? The queen of the house has her servants for today."

She chuckled. It was Mother's Day, so she was one of the few in the household at the moment who were being treated like royalty.

"Sorry, just so used to getting the things set up and stuff." Diane replied.

"Don't you worry about it."

Stanley kissed his wife on the lips. She opened the fridge and grabbed the two bottles of apple cider and wine, respectively. Before Stan could say anything, she interjected.

"Let me just take these." She smirked and left the kitchen. "Queen's orders."

Stan chuckled and began to get the plates himself. Later, he came out to the dining area where everyone else was.

Present for the family's Mother's Day dinner were Diane, Stanley, their three kids, Brandon, Henry, and Tanya, Stanley's parents, his brother and pregnant wife, and Diane's mother.

They were at the table and served the meal Stanley had prepared, with the help of Diane, of course, which was beef, potatoes, and vegetables. The man of the house quieted the children and spoke, wanting to say grace before eating.

The family joined hands, and Stanley began.

"God, thank you for these gifts you've given us. Not just the food before us but for the graces we endure daily. The jobs we have, the friends we've made, and the bonds we continue to build. For this wonderful family...who would not be functional without the amazing mothers present..."

Stanley's mother smiled, and so did Diane's. His wife continued holding Stanley's hand.

"For many more days like these. So that we can celebrate this day again and again and cherish our mothers." He then looked at his eight-year-old daughter. "So we can experience the day you become one...hopefully not too soon, though."

There was a collective of light laughs, and Tanya's cheeks turned red but still laughed too. Stanley finished saying grace.

"Thank you, God, for everything. Nothing would be possible without you. Amen."

They all repeated. "Amen."

"Okay..." Stanley rubbed his hands. "Dig in, folks."

The family feasted. Once they were about done, they dispersed, with Stanley's parents in the living room with Diane's mom, and Brandon and Henry upstairs in their rooms. Tanya was in the kitchen getting a snack while Stanley was still at the dining table with his wife, brother, and sister-in-law.

Minutes later, Stanley got a text. He saw that it was from Jefferson Davis, who sent him a picture of himself, his wife, Rio, and their son, Miles, at a restaurant celebrating Mother's Day as well. He smiled, happy to see his good friend having a great time with his family.

Suddenly, a car alarm sounded outside. Stanley's brother groaned, knowing it was probably his.

"Great. Gotta go shut that off." He stood up. "Car fob doesn't work, so I gotta do it manually."

"I said you should get a new one," Stanley replied and snickered. "Never listens..."

"Eh, bite me."

His brother's wife also stood up. "I'll come with you. I forgot my purse, and my chapstick is in there."

He nodded, and the two left the house. Stanley folded his hands before him and sat there for a second before suddenly getting a phone call. He brought it back out and saw that it was a call from the station he worked at.

Stanley let his wife know and stepped out of the room to answer the call. He was now in the kitchen, smiling at his eight-year-old daughter, who was still serving herself cookies and milk.

"Hello?"

There was silence before he heard a raspy breath. He arched a brow and tried again.

"Hello? Who's this?"

Finally, a voice responded.

"We learn from our mistakes, Detective."

"What?"

"...so let this be a lesson."

Stanley stood there, confused. As he was in the other room, the doorbell rang. Diane got up from the table and went to answer it, assuming it was her brother-in-law and his wife who came back.

Diane turned the knob and opened the door.

"I thought you guys had a ke—"

PFFT!

Diane's body fell to the floor after the silenced gunshot. Four men, wearing black with balaclavas covering their faces, stormed in with their firearms. Stanley's father, walking back to the dining room, saw the men...but they eyed him too.

PFFT! PFFT! PFFFFFFFT!

He was shot and killed, too. With Stanley's brother and sister-in-law taken out moments earlier, that made it two dead outside and two dead inside. One man spoke to the rest.

"Two more people in the living room. The kids are upstairs."

They moved to their designated locations, with two entering the living room. Soon enough, Stanley's mother and mother-in-law were gunned down. Two gunmen ran upstairs, going for the teenagers, Brandon and Henry.

Stanley heard the commotion. He stepped out of the kitchen, where he eyed the bodies of Diane and his father by the door. He couldn't react as suddenly the glass doors leading to the backyard broke open.

Two more men stormed in. Stanley turned around but was met with two quick shots to his chest. He fell back against the cabinets, groaning as his daughter looked on in shock.

"Daddy!"

One of the men immediately grabbed Tanya. The other cocked his gun.

"Hold her still!"

Before he could shoot her, Stanley grabbed the metal utensils in the drawer beside him and threw them at the men. His phenomenal precision and training allowed him to throw them hard enough to stab the gunman in the neck.

"Argh!"

He dropped to the floor, gargling. The other gunman could only look on in shock before several forks and knives were flung at him. One stabbed his eye, neck, and chest, causing him to let go of Tanya and fall to the floor.

As he got up, one more gunman came in. Stanley immediately threw the remaining knives and forks he had in his hands and impaled them into the man.

He panted and ultimately fell back onto the floor, also groaning from the gunshot wounds he sustained. He leaned against the cabinets and Tanya ran over, crouching beside her father.

"D—Daddy? W—Where's mom—?"

"No time to be a baby, Tanya," Stanley said softly. "Go...go next door. Have the neighbor call Jeff...he'll know—"

BLAM!

In an instant, everything Stanley cared for and held dear was gone. Blood splattered on his face, and the young one's body slumped onto him. Stanley's eyes widened, and he cried out as she held her.

"NO!!!"

The three remaining gunmen stood by the kitchen doorway, with Vernon holding the smoking gun. He smirked through the opening of his mask and spoke to the detective.

"The Undertaker sends his regards."

But, afterward...one of the gunmen lost their balance and dropped to the ground. The second man followed suit moments later. Vernon, holding the gun that killed Tanya, dropped his pistol and soon fell to the floor as well. Strangely, the three men were now unconscious.

Stanley was too delirious, in pain, and grieving to question the puzzling event. He continued holding onto the body of his eight-year-old daughter, crying before he succumbed to the severity of his wounds.

Stanley woke up in the hospital. The first person he saw was Jefferson, who sat on the seat beside the bed. He grunted a bit, waking the fellow cop from his brief slumber.

"Stanley?" He sat up. "Holy shit...Stan!"

"J...Jeff...?"

"Hey, man..."

Stanley opened his eyes more but could squint because of the bright light. He looked down, seeing himself with tubes in his arms and torso. He also had a head-wrapping. Jeff could tell he was confused.

"Relax. You're all right."

There was only one question on Stan's mind.

"Diane? Wh...Where's Diane?"

Jeff stood quiet and sighed. He wasn't sure how to tell him about the fate of his wife and the rest of his family. He wasn't sure if he should even tell him.

"I..."

Immediately, the detective remembered. He remembered seeing Diane and his father dead by the front door. He remembered speaking to Tanya before she was gunned down in front of him. The man took in a shuddered breath.

"My...my kids? They...are they...?"

Jeff gave him a solemn look. "I—I'm sorry, Stan. I'm so sorry."

Stanley immediately teared up, his lip quivering. He didn't even need to ask about his mother, brother, or the rest of his family. He knew how men like that operated...wanting to clean house. It meant everyone present that day had to be dead.

"But they got three of the guys." Jeff offered some solace. "We're going to get some justice for this, Stan. Justice for you. For them."

Jeff looked up at him, still teary-eyed. Jeff reached out and clasped his hand.

"You're not alone on this, brother. I'm with you every step of the way." He added.

With that, Stanley got emotional and finally cried. Jeff leaned in and carefully hugged his friend as he let it all out.

PRESENT DAY....

JEFFERSON OPENED THE door after hearing the doorbell. On the other side was his longtime friend and partner, and he was delighted to see him.

"Stan? Hey!"

Stanley grinned. "Hey, Jeff."

"Come on in."

"Oh, no...I—" He stammered. "I just gotta talk to you."

Jeff arched a brow. He continued.

"Out here. It's...private."

Before he could reply, Rio Morales came out of the kitchen and saw Stanley outside. She beamed.

"Stan! Como estas?"

"I'm doing all right, Rio. Thank you."

"I just finished making dinner. Want to come in and—?"

"No, no. Thank you, though. Really."

Jeff turned to his wife. "We'll be outside for a bit. Tell Miles to come down, and I'll be back soon."

"Okay."

Rio smiled at the man outside before walking away, shouting at Miles upstairs to come downstairs and have dinner.

"¡Miles! ¡Trae tu culo negro aquí antes de que la comida se enfríe!" (Miles! Get your black ass down here before the food gets cold!)

Jeff closed the door behind him and stood outside with Stanley.

"What's up?" Jeff asked.

The man took a breath. There was a beat before he finally spoke.

"You've...been so good to me, Jeff. Ever since we met. You've been there for me, and I appreciate it."

"Of course, man."

"And you seem to tell me everything...but I always keep things to myself. It doesn't feel right."

"Hey, you know I don't pry. Whatever you want to keep close to your chest...I'm fine with it."

Stanley nodded, stuffing his hands into his coat pockets. He looked to the side and finally decided to explain it to him.

"I didn't grow up the usual way. My parents were drug addicts. My dad died before I was born. My mom admitted herself into a rehab center and left me with my grandparents in Connecticut for the first eight years of my life. My grandpa was a religious zealot—a freaky one. He always beat me when he thought I was being sinful. Then...the day he died...he had some sort of ritual done. Friends of his put food on his body for some entity to eat...so that, in a way...his sins could be eaten, too. I know, it sounds absurd."

Jeff just stood there and listened. Stanley continued.

"The weird part is...I remember seeing that entity. That...Sin-Eater. I don't know if that was just my childlike mind tripping out or...if that was real."

Stanley sighed. He shook his head and chuckled.

"Anyways, shortly after, my mom came out of the rehab center, and we moved to New York. She still had her problems, sure, but it was all right. I grew up, went to school, joined the army, and there...I was recruited into S.H.I.E.L.D."

Jeff raised a brow. "S.H.I.E.L.D? Really? Damn."

"That's where I further honed my skills from firearm training to fighting. It's where...I learned to be a better killer."

The way he said that seemed to startle Jeff. Still, he stood quiet. Jeff seemed to catch that, too, and felt strange.

"Sorry...I'm—I'm doing a lot." He said. "I'll go."

Stanley turned around and started leaving. Knowing his friend was still going through things, Jeff didn't want him to leave and went after him.

"Stan! Stan...wait." He called out and jogged up to him. "It's all right. I get it."

Stanley kept quiet. Jeff continued.

"It takes a lot to do this. And I'm glad that you're telling me this."

"You mean a lot to me, man," Stanley said. "That's why I am."

Jeff patted his shoulder. Stanley looked over at his van across the street.

"Still, I should go. Walk me to my car?"

"Sure." Jeff replied.

They walked off the yard and made their way down the street. Jeff began to speak.

"You hear about Yuri?"

"Yeah...it's crazy."

"It is. But...maybe the man had a reason."

"What do you mean?"

"Sometimes..." Stan's tone changed. "God just has to smite those who done wrong."

Again, those words irked Jeff. They made it to the driver's side door, where Stanley spoke again.

"Before he goes, let me show you something."

Stanley opened the side door. At the same time, Jeff was confused as to why Stanley spoke in the third person. Then, he looked through the window, seeing a green mask and a purple shirt in the seat.

It was then that Jeff knew who he was really with.

He turned to face Stanley, but the man already had his shotgun drawn and aimed at his chest. Jeff stood still, raising his hands.

"Stan..."

"It's...Sin-Eater."

"Please...don't—"

"Turn around. On your knees. Hands behind your head."

Jeff took in a breath and did as told. He interlocked his fingers and stared ahead, frightened.

"Look..."

"The Undertaker investigation. You brought it to the higher-ups. You and Stanley spearheaded the case."

"Y—Yes."

"He warned you of the dangers and consequences of looking into a possible underground criminal organization and its leader, but what did you say?"

Jefferson didn't respond. Sin-Eater got louder.

"What did you say?!"

"I said it was our job to do so. To find out more about the man and...and take them down."

Sin Eater snickered. "You wanted to be known. You wanted to be a hero. You wanted the grandeur of the title. You wanted to bask in pride."

"No, it's not like that—"

"Then what's it like, Jeff?!"

Jefferson panted and looked ahead. He slowly turned his head and looked at Sin-Eater through the corner of his eye.

"Wha—What I tell my son every day...what I teach him. Not to revel in pride..." Jeff relaxed a bit. "But to be the one person who doesn't give up."

The gunman grit his teeth. He kept holding the shotgun and aimed it at his back.

"The Undertaker. They went after him. They killed his family. Why didn't they go after you too?"

"I don't have an answer for that, Stan. I'm—"

"It's Sin-Eater!" He shouted.

Jeff stopped talking. Sin-Eater calmed down and sternly looked at him.

"Proclaim your sins, Jeff." He pumped his shotgun. "Let me absolve you."

Jeff jumped upon hearing the pump of the shotgun. He kept looking ahead and breathed deeply.

"Come on, Jeff...what do you want to achieve penance for?"

The man thought he was done for. He didn't expect Sin-Eater to let him go. Jeff assumed he blamed him for bringing him into the Undertaker case and causing his family's death. There was no leaving this alive.

"I...work too much. I feel like I'm not there for my family enough. For my son. You—you might be right, maybe I am to prideful of my job. I think about it too much and strive to be the best at it. When I should be trying to be the best father."

Sin-Eater listened as he gripped his shotgun. Jeff continued, now tearing up and letting out a sob.

"And I'm a terrible brother. I've—I've let down my brother, Aaron. I abandoned him when I should've...forgave him. I guess I just...I still see a lot of myself in him. The person that I was back then. And...I'm afraid Miles will follow that path."

Jeff looked down and shut his eyes.

"I'm a terrible father. I'm a horrible brother. I—I sometimes think I'm not doing enough for my wife. And...I'm sorry for not being a good enough friend to you and for not thinking about the case from your perspective. I'm sorry about all of it. I'm so sorry."

The gunman was still silent. Jeff awaited the inevitable and kept his eyes shut, tears still running down his cheeks.

"I just hope my family knows how sorry I am, too."

There was a beat. Jeff was still on his knees and sobbed with his eyes closed. He was there for some time before Stanley finally spoke.

"Tell them yourself."

He opened his eyes. Jeff turned around, seeing Sin-Eater gone. He was perplexed as he seemingly vanished. The detective got up and looked into the van, seeing his mask and outfit gone.

Jeff stood there and slid against the van's side, and sat by the curb. He continued to cry, thinking back at what he had said and the near-death experience he endured.

Spider-Man and Daredevil broke into Stanley Carter's apartment. It was empty, dirty, and dark. Ammo boxes filled with shotgun ammo were stacked in the corner. But one thing caught their eye: the wall.

It was just like Matt's board, with pictures, sheets of paper, and articles taped. They noticed the photos of the recent victims with X's on them. Yuri used to have one, but it was now rubbed away.

"Well, he's definitely the Sin-Eater." Y/N said.

After looking through the room a bit, Matt honed in on his radar sense.

"He hasn't been here for a few hours. He's still out there."

Y/N looked at the board. He tried looking for a photo or notes on Jefferson Davis and Jean DeWolff, but there weren't any.

"No sign of Jeff or Jean," Y/N said, then looked at one photo. "But..."

"What do you see?" Matt asked.

The young man eyed the picture and then a note below it. It pointed to the photos of Vernon, Darvin, and Travis. Y/N then read the note, and his eyes widened.

"Oh, my God..."

"What?"

"The suspects in the Carter massacre...they were all a part of some black ops squad for the Army. All in the same unit. They all formed some sort of contract-killing squad after they were discharged...I guess they wanted to keep doing what they did best."

Y/N stepped back and looked at the rest of the board. He pointed at a picture of Mayor Ericsson and the note below it.

"Stanley found out Mayor Ericsson was their handler when he was in the army."

"And since that black ops squad killed his family..." Matt said. "He suspects Ericsson had a hand in it."

"Makes sense." Y/N replied.

Matt turned toward the window. Y/N gazed at it, too.

"Then we know where he's going next."

Mayor Russell Ericsson was in the conference room with five more representatives and legislators. He was now discussing the recent events dealing with costumes like Spider-Man, Daredevil, and Black Cat. He also brought up past and current threats like Arsenic Candy, Turbo Jet, Lorina Dodson, the Lizard, Garrison, and Sin-Eater.

"Carlos LaMuerto isn't doing enough." Russell said.

"Sir, there is a lot to take on." One man said.

Russell folded his hands in front of him. He thought about it for a moment.

"Then, we must reevaluate what Wilson Fisk and Norman Osborn proposed..."

"The legislation in its current form won't get passed the Senate. It's way too similar to the Sokovia Accords."

Russell sighed. The repeal of the accords was so recent. Still, he agreed with Fisk and Osborn on having a sort of super-powered patrol they could send out to deal with city-wide threats. Black Tarantula was just the start.

"That's why it is up to us to iron out the wrinkles." Russell picked up the tablet in front of him. "Let's all pull it up."

They all did as told. A bodyguard in the room left and went out to the hallway. He was going to rotate shifts with someone else who was coming, so he went downstairs to leave.

He picked up his things and went for the front door. Suddenly, someone arrived, but it wasn't his replacement...

BLAM!

The man was shot down by Sin-Eater, who stormed city hall armed with his shotgun. Two more guards nearby were startled by the sound and looked over, about to draw their pistols.

Sin-Eater shot down one of the guards before diving to cover as the other shot at him. He quickly reloaded and then blindly fired a shot, which actually hit the guard.

He moved on. The clerk at the front desk trembled and hid behind it. Sin-Eater just looked at her but decided to leave her alone. He went toward the stairway, but not before grabbing small nodes from his satchel and throwing them at the ceiling. He started going upstairs.

Guards came down and tried to take the gunman down, but Sin-Eater quickly shot two of them in the chest as he walked upstairs. He made it to the door as another guard went through, where Sin-Eater grabbed his throat and threw him down the stairs. As the guard got up, Sin-Eater reloaded before shooting him.

Meanwhile, Mayor Ericsson and his colleagues could hear the commotion. Russell stood up from his seat.

"Everyone, get back." The guard in the room told them.

He drew his gun and aimed it at the door. Everyone else was quiet and waited...until a loud blast rang out.

The guard was shot through the wooden door and fell to the ground. Soon, Sin-Eater stormed in, pumping his shotgun in hand. The officials, aside from the mayor, cowered in fear.

He walked up to them. Russell stepped forward and got in front of his colleagues.

"If you're going to hurt them...you'll have to get through me first."

There was a beat. Finally, Sin-Eater replied.

"They won't have to worry."

BLAM!

Russell was shot in the kneecap and fell to the floor. The people behind him yelped in horror.

"Mayor Russell Ericsson." Sin-Eater looked down at him and pumped his shotgun. "It's time for penance."

At home, Carlos LaMuerto was getting word about what was happening at city hall. He immediately dressed up, and his fiancé came into the room. It was just them as their son, Fabian, was with her sister.

"It's getting bad down there." She said.

"Get a call from the commissioner?" He asked.

"He told me to stay here for now. They don't know what Sin-Eater wants."

"Well, I'm going." He replied but kept speaking before she could interject. "My job was to stop this guy. He probably wants to kill the mayor. I gotta get there before he can."

Carlos went for the door. He stopped and looked back at her.

"And if he does...then I'm going to have to put an end to him for good."

Jean went to him and planted a kiss on his cheek. Carlos smiled back.

"Do what you have to do." She said.

Carlos nodded. He put on his mask and left the room.

Sin-Eater had just forced the rest of the staff to leave. He stood over the maimed mayor, who was bleeding from his leg wound.

"May 9th. Mother's Day. 7:57 PM."

Russell groaned but heard what he said. The man just glared at Sin-Eater. He knew exactly what event he was referring to.

"Why did you care?"

Once again, he removed his mask. Mayor Ericsson saw the face of Stanley Carter.

"Son of a bitch..." Russell breathed and snickered. "I should've known."

"Vernon Crawford, Travis Monaghan, Darvin Ham. The rest of them. They were all part of S.O.G., a group you handled from 2010 to 2016. They were the ones sent to eliminate Stanley Carter and his family."

Russell was silent. Sin-Eater kept looking at him and speaking.

"Only a few people knew of their ops...their skills...their profession. And only one is alive today with the power and pull to give them the materials and information they needed to enact what they did that day: you. Why?"

The mayor still didn't say anything. The man crouched down and got to his level.

"Are you the Undertaker?" Sin-Eater asked.

Suddenly, the windows broke, and in came Spider-Man and Daredevil. Sin-Eater shut his eyes and let out a breath, annoyed.

"That's enough, Stanley!" Daredevil yelled.

"Until the sinners of this world are absolved...it isn't."

"Want to do that so bad? Join a congregation." Spider-Man quipped.

Sin-Eater turned around, facing the heroes. He pulled out a remote from his pocket, and they looked on.

"You want to be a hero so bad?" Sin-Eater shot back. "Then go be one."

He pressed the button just when Spider-Man's spider-sense went off. An explosion erupted, and they could sense it happened in the lobby. Daredevil heard the shouts and cries of the staff who had just been let go, and they were now caught in the rubble.

"There's people down there!" Matt exclaimed.

Spider-Man gritted his teeth and looked at the unmasked Sin-Eater, who just grinned. He glared and looked back at Daredevil.

"I got them!"

The young man ran out of the room. As he did, Sin-Eater quickly engaged Daredevil and fired his gun. The vigilance dodged the gunfire and went at Sin-Eater, kicking away his weapon.

The two engaged in a fistfight. Both used their martial arts prowess to land a hit on the other, but none could land a strike. It seemed like they were an equal match combat-wise.

Finally, Daredevil was able to get a leg up. He dodged a few of Sin-Eater's punches and kicks before landing a headbutt that sent him stumbling back.

Matt landed a straight kick, and Sin-Eater rolled across the floor.

"Stay down, Detective." Daredevil ordered.

Sin-Eater was facedown on his arms. He panted and gritted his teeth...and his eyes got darker. Matt could hear his heart beating faster and feel some sort of aura around him. He clenched his fists.

The villain shouted and sprang back up, sprinting at Matt. He threw a flurry of punches, one stronger than the last, which Daredevil tried to dodge. They quickly became too hard to block, and Sin-Eater's hits landed.

Daredevil was punched across the face hard and fell to the floor. He spat out blood, and Sin-Eater stood over him.

"I don't want to kill you, especially a man who also goes after the sinners of this city."

He walked over to grab the shotgun from the floor. In the corner of his eye, he saw Mayor Ericcson crawling out of the room, leaving a trail of blood. At the same time, Daredevil stood up and balled his fists.

"But unlike you..." Sin Eater began.

Daredevil was ready to attack, but Sin-Eater used his sudden enhanced strength to kick the man hard, and the force sent him flying out the second-story window. Sin-Eater gripped his shotgun and looked back at the trail of blood.

"...I put them down. Permanently."

Sin-Eater walked out of the room into the hallway where Russell was crawling. Sin-Eater followed, readying his shotgun.

He waited a bit before shooting him again, this time in the other leg. Russell cried out in pain and laid on his stomach. He fired again, hitting his buttocks.

The villain kicked him over, forcing him to lie on his back. He bled profusely from his wounds.

"I'll ask again..." He aimed the gun at his face. "Are you the Undertaker?"

Russell groaned, hurting and now feeling cold from the blood loss. He looked up at Sin-Eater and swallowed.

"I—I don't...I don't know who he is..." He began. "But...s—someone who works close with him...a—asked me to call the S.O.G squad."

"Who?"

Russell sputtered and was starting to close his eyes. Sin-Eater kicked him in the side and forced him awake.

"Who?!"

The dying mayor coughed and opened his eyes again, looking directly at Sin-Eater.

"C—C—Captain...DeWolff."

The lobby was in ruins. Spider-Man did all he could to help the people trapped after the explosion. The ones saved thanked the hero, some even in tears.

Spider-Man was lifting on a slab of concrete from a pile one woman was underneath. As he did, his spider sense alerted him of debris about to break off from the ceiling and land on another trapped man. To make matters worse, the slab Y/N was lifting off the woman had more rubble fall onto it.

"Argh!" Y/N grunted. "Hold on!"

If Y/N let go to stop the breaking piece of debris, the weight of the pile would crush the woman. But then, staying there would be him letting the debris fall on the man. He wasn't sure what to do. Once again...he had to choose. It brought him back to when he had to decide between leaping after Indira or saving the people on the bridge.

"ARGH!" Y/N bellowed as he tried to lift the slab of concrete quickly.

The piece of debris finally broke off and fell toward the pinned-down man. Thankfully, someone stormed in and caught the large piece of rock, holding it over their head and saving the man.

It was Black Tarantula.

After several seconds of exertion, Y/N lifted the slab and freed the woman. Black Tarantula put the rock aside and also brought the man out of where he was trapped. With that, all the staff members in the lobby were saved.

"Spider-Man!" Carlos exclaimed and ran up to him.

"Carlos." Y/N panted. "Thank you..."

"Where's the mayor?'

"Daredevil is up there with Sin-Eater. He was going to deal with him while I came down to help these people."

Black Tarantula looked up the dilapidated stairway and nodded. With the staff safe, they now had to help take Sin-Eater down.

They made it to the second floor, where they saw the bleeding Mayor Ericcson in the hallway. Spider-Man ran into the conference room but saw no sign of Daredevil. He ran to the broken window and saw the costumed vigilante on the lawn below.

"Oh, shit..."

Spider-Man went to help him. Black Tarantula stayed inside and went up to the mayor, where he saw him still breathing, although shallowly.

"Mayor Ericsson." Carlos knelt over him. "Help is on the way. Stay with me."

The man was about to die from blood loss. Even Carlos knew it from the state he was in, but he still tried to offer comfort to the man.

Russell reached out, and Carlos took his hand. He tried to say something, but Carlos leaned in.

"What? What is it?"

After a moment of struggle, the mayor finally could speak, albeit weakly.

"He...he's going...he's going after J—Jean."

Carlos's eyes widened. Immediately afterward, the mayor went limp and died from his injuries. But at that point, he didn't care. The only thing on his mind...was Jean.

He let go of Russell's hand and got up, looking out of the broken window at the end of the hallway.

Meanwhile, Spider-Man was helping the downed Daredevil. Matt grunted as he sat up with the assistance of Y/N.

"You good, man?" Y/N asked.

Matt groaned and nodded.

"Carter can become stronger. Something about him...I don't know. It was like...I could hear his blood boiling when he tapped into that strength."

Y/N was also perplexed. Before he could say anything, they looked over and saw Black Tarantula leap out of the window. He sprinted and jumped again, going into the city. Matt questioned it.

"Where is he going?"

The doorbell rang. Jean, who was still watching the newscast and on her phone waiting for calls from the department, went over to answer the door. She didn't even bother looking through the peephole.

Jean opened the door. Immediately, she saw Stanley Carter before her in his Sin-Eater outfit, albeit without the mask. Her eyes widened.

She tried to shut the door, but Sin-Eater kicked it back, causing it to hit and send her to the floor. Jean immediately got up and ran to the kitchen. Sin-Eater followed.

She grabbed a knife and turned around to stab him, but the man grabbed her wrist and forced her to drop it. He then grabbed her and slammed her against the cupboards. Jean fell to the floor again.

"Tell me, Jean...what did I do?"

He now spoke in first person. The Sin-Eater persona and his Stanley Carter side now blended. The police captain crawled out of the kitchen and into the hallway. He followed close behind and towered over her.

"Why me? Why my family?"

Stanley bent down and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her to her feet. He slammed her face against the wall hard before bringing her to the living room. He threw her over the couch, where she rolled and landed on the coffee table, breaking it.

"For doing my job. For respecting the badge." Stanley continued. "For that, my entire life...everything I held dearly...was snuffed away."

Jean crawled toward the wall, where she sat up and leaned against it. She bled from her mouth and looked up at Stanley, who stared back with a cold look.

"Mayor Ericcson told me about S.O.G. He told me you work for the Undertaker. I—I don't even care right now who he is. I just want to know..." He paused. "Why?"

There was a beat. Finally, she began to explain.

"You and Jefferson had gotten too deep into the case on him. He didn't like that. He...he called me...said that I needed to do something about it. I—I had to do something, or else he would've done something to me...my husband...my son." Jean teared up. "The—the whole thing went wrong. They were supposed to go after Jefferson instead since he was the one spearheading the case. Him being taken out was supposed to scare you into dropping the investigation, but...they went to you instead. And then the whole thing of them passing out...not remembering why they switched targets or what they did. I—I don't know what happened."

Stanley just stared at the woman as she spoke. Jean shook her head and shut her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Stanley. It wasn't supposed to be you. It wasn't. Shit, not even Jeff. I was just so scared. I was scared of what he'd do to my family if I didn't listen! You have to understand. Put yourself in my shoes."

Sin-Eater kept staring at her before he began to pace around the room. He looked at the many photos of Jean with her family.

"In your shoes...I'd have all this." He began as he looked at the picture frames. "I'd have a loving spouse...an amazing set of parents...a funny sibling...a beautiful child. In your shoes...I would've had what I used to have."

He looked away from the photos and back to Jean.

"I gotta say, Jean..." Stanley said as he stepped toward her. "...I kinda wish I was in your shoes. Because what you have now...it makes me a bit envious."

With that, Sin-Eater grabbed her by the neck and held her up against the wall. He began to choke her, and Jean writhed in his grasp. He stared into her eyes and continued to strangle her.

After several more seconds of Jean struggling to breathe, Sin-Eater decided to snap her neck, finally ending her life.

He held her up against the wall for a moment before dropping her. Stanley stood there, taking a breath as he closed his eyes. Even with one of the main perpetrators of his family's massacre now dead...he wasn't done.

At the same time, an unmasked Black Tarantula stormed in and came upon the wrecked living room. Carlos looked on, seeing his fiancé dead on the floor with Sin-Eater standing over her.

The villain turned around and faced him. He opened his arms as if he were presenting himself to him.

"Give in to what's raging inside you." He said.

Carlos's eyes were filled with fury. He was experiencing a rage he'd never felt before. The man bellowed and ran at Stanley, grabbing him and pinning him to the wall.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

Carlos punched him across the face hard. He then grabbed his head and slammed the back of it against the mirror. Still, Sin-Eater wasn't fighting back.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Carlos shouted.

He threw Sin-Eater across the room, impacting the wall and falling onto his stomach. Carlos went over and kicked him hard, breaking the man's rib cage.

Black Tarantula picked him up again and threw him to the other wall. As Sin-Eater tried to get up, Carlos shot him with an optic blast, sending him crashing through the wall behind him and landing on the front lawn.

It was now raining, and Sin-Eater lay on the wet grass. Carlos walked through the hole in the wall and stepped toward the downed Stanley.

"GET UP! ARE YOU TOO MUCH OF A COWARD TO FIGHT BACK?!"

Sin-Eater got on his knees, looking up at the man. Nearby, people in the neighborhood were looking on after hearing the commotion.

"I could...but I don't." Stanley said. "The experimental serum S.H.I.E.L.D gave me years ago would allow me to match your strength and take you on...but I don't want to. Soon enough...my mission will be completed."

Carlos seethed his teeth and grabbed the man by the collar, holding him close.

"Soon enough, you're gonna be a dead man!" Carlos yelled.

Sin-Eater chuckled, which angered Black Tarantula even more. The man spoke rather calmly as if he wasn't phased by anything that was or would happen to him.

"What you and Jean had...is what I used to have. Stability...love...a future. Seeing her have it all...despite the atrocities she committed...filled me with...Envy."

Carlos kept gritting his teeth as he held Stanley. Sin-Eater continued.

"So do it...do what you want to do. Kill me. Avenge your fiancé. Demonstrate your wrath."

The man's eyes were turning red as the optic blasts were starting to recharge.

The sight of it brought Stanley glee.

"And as Wrath, you will cleanse this world and extinguish the sinners once and for all. You will create...a world without sin."

With a bellow, Black Tarantula activated his optic blast and struck Sin-Eater's face with the beams at point-blank range...blasting a crater where his eyes and nose used to be.

The people looked on in horror, including Spider-Man and Daredevil, who arrived too late. Black Tarantula had killed Stanley Carter. They panted and watched as Carlos held the villain's body.

Carlos dropped the corpse, staring down at it. He didn't even pay any attention to the people watching him or the murmurs coming from them. Some also had their phones recording and streaming the incident, but Carlos didn't care about them either.

He finally looked up, gazing at the crowd on the street as his eyes slowly reverted from red to their usual color.

As Carlos watched them...he heard no voices, no sounds...just white noise.